Shelf Edition: Ryan W. Kinney AKA Brother Ghoulish

Do you have any recent favorite Horror Spotlight books?

I do! Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca pulled me from page one. LaRocca's decision to present the story in transcript form made it more immersive. Also, as a millennial, I appreciate the callback to the flashback to AOL days. Eve Harms' Transmuted is another recent favorite of mine. Body horror from the trans perspective? Say less.

Which Horror Spotlight books do you currently have on your TBR?

A few Horror Spotlight books are on my (never-ending) TBR list, starting with The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez. After reading Fledgling by Octavia Butler (which I loved), someone suggested Gomez's book. I hear it's about Black lesbian vampires, and I'm already obsessed. Also on the list are Let's Play White by Chesya Burke and My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

Where do you find recommendations? Are there any Horror Spotlight books that have been recommended to you that you loved?

Most of my recommendations are from friends. One that comes to mind is Darkly by Leila Taylor; my good friend Mark O. Estes recommended it. I've never seen a more thorough dive into how truly gothic the Black experience is here in America. I loved it. Now, I recommend it to as many people as I can.

Where do you prefer to shop for books?

I prefer to shop for my books at mom-and-pop / brick-and-mortar stores (extra points if there's a cafe). Unfortunately, there isn't one close to where I live. So, I usually settle for my local Books-a-Million and online.

Are there any upcoming Horror Spotlight releases you're excited about?

I'm extremely excited for The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. I want more Lovecraftian lore and the big middle finger to its racist forefather via all the Black characters. I'm writing this from outside the bookstore; I've been in line since it was announced. When the time comes, I'll also grab a copy of Drinking from Graveyard Wells: Stories by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu.

In regards to your own work, tell our readers a little bit about what’s new and/or coming up for you.

I recently published my horror short story collection book: There's Something Wrong in Morrington County. Expect flesh-eating pixies, people micro-dosing zombie blood, killer thighs, and more across twelve stories. Each lead looks and loves like me, a queer person of color. It's my first book and my contribution to the representation I want to see more of in the genre. You can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

What Horror Spotlight book (or story, or movie, etc) would you like to see turned into a Muppet Movie?

I would pay to see a Muppet Movie version of the Human Santapede by Adam Millard. Around the Holidays, Horror Queers invited me and a few others to do a live reading from this Christmas version of the Human Centipede (yes, it's just as chaotic). Another I'd like to see muppified is Scream. A Deputy Dewey puppet would be so cute. Plus, they'll do the rest of the movies if it's a success. If that happens, I'll get a Jennifer Jolie puppet and die happily.

Where can people find you on social media and/or find your work?

You can find me on TikTok @ryanwkinney. If you're also interested in hearing me talk about horror movies, you can find me @brotherghoulish.

--Ryan W. Kinney (they, them, he/him) is an author, horror enthusiast, and podcaster who goes by the name of Brother Ghoulish.

Ryan loves to share sinister and creative tales that push the limits of horror.  As the author of their debut horror short story collection, There’s Something Wrong in Morrington County; they hope to entertain readers with a collection of creepy stories.

Ryan resides in Southern Maryland with their husband Emilio and black Labrador, Nox 

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Teresa creates the Shelf Edition posts, creates bookish lists and is a contributing reviewer at Horror Spotlight. You can find Teresa on Goodreads, and on Twitter.

What We've Been Reading | March 22, 2023

Today our team members recommend a dark fantasy with horror elements, and two horror novels. We hope you check them out and share your thoughts!

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No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper

IN THE BEGINNING, MAN WAS PREY.

WITHOUT THE GODS, THEY'LL BE PREY AGAIN.

The old gods have fled, and the monsters they had kept at bay for centuries now threaten to drown the city of Valentine, hunting mankind as in ancient times. In the midst of the chaos, a serial killer has begun ritually sacrificing victims, their bodies strewn throughout the city.

Lilac Antonis wants to stop the impending destruction of her city by summoning her mother, a blood god—even if she has to slit a few throats to do it. But evading her lover Arcadia and her friends means sneaking, lying, and even spilling the blood of people she loves.

Alex and Cecil of Ace Investigations have been tasked with hunting down the killer, but as they close in—not knowing they're hunting their close friend Lilac—the detectives realize the gods may not have left willingly.

As flooding drags this city of cars and neon screaming into the jaws of sea demons and Arcadia struggles to save the people as captain of the evacuation team, Lilac’s ritual killings at last bear fruit, only to reveal her as a small piece in a larger plan. The gods’ protection costs far more than anyone has ever known, and Alex and Cecil are running out of time to discover the true culprit behind the gods’ disappearance before an ancient divine murder plot destroys them all.

Set in an alternate reality which updates mythology to near-modern day, NO GODS FOR DROWNING is part hunt for a serial killer, part noir detective story, and unlike anything you’ve ever read before.

Amazon | Goodreads

Laurie's Teaser Review

"A bloody, sometimes violent adventure that’ll have you rooting for the characters in one chapter, laughing at their banter and finding yourself absolutely aghast at some of the things they do in the next."

Read Laurie's entire review at Goodreads.

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She Who Rules the Dead by Maria Abrams

Henry has received a message: he needs to sacrifice five people to the demon that's been talking to him in his nightmares. He already has four, and number five, Claire, is currently bound in the back of his van.

Too bad Claire isn't exactly human.

Goodreads | Amazon

Cassie's Teaser Review

"This was so fun! I loved the way the story is told with alternating perspectives in a way that allows the reader to get a little bit of each side character's viewpoints, and how they all end up with the main character."

Read Cassie's entire review at Goodreads.

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The Devil's Shallows by Debra Castaneda

Eight miles of mystery. One night of terror.

Residents trapped in a remote neighborhood confront the unimaginable in this horror novel from award-winning author Debra Castaneda.

The salt marsh at Devil’s Landing is home to a terrifying urban legend.

Adam Gray knows the old stories about the Slough Devil, the missing children, and the mutilated animals. But the naturalist and wilderness survival expert doesn’t believe in monsters. Not even when a tourist on his boat sees a strange creature in the tidal channel and captures it on video.

When Adam moves into a controversial housing development next to the marsh, shocking new evidence emerges, and it’s not long before he’s confronted with a series of horrifying and unexplained events.

It takes Christina, his feisty new neighbor, to get him to believe something lurks in the slough. Something disturbed by the new community.

When a massive storm maroons the residents, Adam and Christina find themselves trapped and tested in a fight for their lives.

Goodreads | Amazon

Heather's Teaser Review

"The characters in the book are so well well written and they go through so much stuff. The whole time I'm like please let this character live!"

Read Heather's entire review at Goodreads.

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Thank you for joining us today! We hope you found something to add to your tbr list. Please share your recent reads with us in the comments below.

We are currently accepting horror fiction and horror adjacent fiction written by diverse authors in print and epub format ONLY. If this is you, please visit our review submission page here.

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Our  Reviewers

Laurie is one of our Horror Spotlight Admins. Laurie creates our review posts, coordinates review requests, helps out with our Instagram/Twitter accounts, and is a contributing reviewer. You can find Laurie on her blog Bark’s Book Nonsense, on Twitter as @barksbooks, on Instagram as @barksbooks, and on Goodreads where she never shuts up about the things she's reading.

Cassie is one of our contributing reviewers. Find her online at her website ctrlaltcassie.com, Twitter as @ctrlaltcassie, Instagram as @readinginaprism, or over at her Etsy store, where she has amazing original art prints, cross stitch kits, bookmarks, and more!

Heather is a contributing reviewer and will be helping out with various projects. Find her online at Goodreads, Twitter as @HSquared_13, and on Instagram as @h.hellion.

Spotlight on New Releases: March 21

Welcome to Spotlight on New Releases where we shine a spotlight on a few recent horror releases!

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Hazel Sinnett is alone and half-convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know whether Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.

When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: She has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly daughter of King George IV. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamor and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn't the only thing at stake. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right.

Immortality: A Love Story is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Dana Schwartz's bestselling gothic romance, Anatomy: A Love Story.

First published February 28, 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon

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The Memory Eater by Rebecca Mahoney

A teenage girl must save her town from a memory-devouring monster in this piercing exploration of grief, trauma, and memory, from the author of The Valley and the Flood.

For generations, a monster called the Memory Eater has lived in the caves of Whistler Beach, Maine, surviving off the unhappy memories of those who want to forget. And for generations, the Harlows have been in charge of keeping her locked up—and keeping her fed.

After her grandmother dies, seventeen-year-old Alana Harlow inherits the family business. But there’s something Alana doesn’t know: the strange gaps in her memory aren’t from an accident. Her memories have been taken—eaten. And with them, she’s lost the knowledge of how to keep the monster contained.

Now the Memory Eater is loose. Alana’s mistake could cost Whistler Beach everything—unless she can figure out how to retrieve her own memories and recapture the monster. But as Alana delves deeper into her family’s magic and the history of her town, she discovers a shocking secret at the center of the Harlow family business and learns that tampering with memories never comes without a price.

First published March 14, 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon

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The Insatiable Hunger of Trees by Samantha Eaton

Seventeen-year-old Cara Hughes doesn’t have time to believe in monsters.

When Cara’s older sister, Shelby, returns home after a year-long disappearance, unable to say what happened or where she went, Cara’s family is thrown into turmoil—again. As it is, Cara’s barely juggling her job, school, and volunteer work, and she’s desperate to be chosen for a corporate internship—something that would guarantee a two-year degree she could never afford without relying on the same loans that left her parents struggling.

At first, Cara is just worried about Shelby’s odd behavior and unpredictable moods, then she discovers the body of a teenager, viciously attacked, in the very woods where Shelby vanished. And the teen is just the first victim. Cara clings to the belief that an animal is responsible for the deaths until she realizes she’s being stalked by a strange creature in the woods—and it’s no animal.

Plagued by strange visions and with her carefully-balanced life falling apart around her, Cara reaches out to the only person who can help her, Lucas Powell, a self-proclaimed monster hunter. His theories are outrageous, and Cara hopes her decision to trust him isn’t a mistake, but the only way to know is by putting his theories to the test. Cara must face the woods herself, where the creatures she’s tried so hard to deny lurk in the dark.

**CONTENT WARNINGS: This book contains graphic depictions of victims killed by a supernatural creature, as well as the act of the creature hunting. There is graphic depiction of body horror including severe injury, physical mutation, self harm, and gore. The main character’s depression and disordered eating are depicted heavily. Drug and alcohol use, as well as addiction are mentioned on occasion. There are animal characters in this book, none of which are harmed or killed. Please proceed with caution if any of the aforementioned subjects may cause distress.

First published February 21, 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon

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Jen is one of our Horror Spotlight admins. Jen manages the technical side of the Horror Spotlight website. She also keeps a spotlight on new horror releases each month.

You can also find Jen on her blog Book Den, Twitter as @bookden, Instagram as @bookdenjen, on Goodreads, and Letterboxd.

#TransRightsReadathon (March 20th - 27th) Recommendations

Are you participating in the #TransRightsReadathon? If you are unsure of what the #TransRightsReadathon is or how to sign up, here is the Trans Rights Readathon Survey for more information.

The #TransRightsReadathon is taking place March 20th through the 27th, and we have put together a list of books with trans representation if you're in need of recommendations.  As ever, this is not a definitive list and is only meant as possible suggestions for your TBR. Let us know if you are participating and what you are reading! 

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callendar
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen
Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
Hell Followed Us Andrew Joseph White
Your Body is not Your Body edited by Alex Woodroe and Matt Blairstone
Ghost Flower by Jessica Conwell
The Saint of Witches by Avra Margariti
A Country of Ghosts by Margaret Killjoy
The Red Tree by Caitlin R Keirnan
Inside out by Lor Gislason
Convulsive by Joe Koch
Transmuted by Eve Harms
No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper
Tell me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
The Girl In the Walls by Katy Michelle Quinn
Homesick Stories by Nino Cipri
(Un) Bury Your Gays by Clinton W. Waters
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
Transcendent: The Year’s Best Transgender Speculative Fiction 1, 2, 3, 4

Other resources for more works by Trans Authors:

https://smalltranslibrary.org/horror/
https://lambdaliterary.org/
http://diversityhorror.blogspot.com/p/diverse-book-list.html

Books our team members are reading that are not listed above: 

All The Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

Depart, Depart! by Sim Kern

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk

The Companion by E.E. Ottoman

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Wingspan of Severed Hands by Joe Koch

Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper

Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Sing Me to Sleep by R.M Virtues

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Teresa creates the Shelf Edition posts, creates bookish lists and is a contributing reviewer at Horror Spotlight. You can find Teresa on Goodreads, and on Twitter.

What We've Been Reading | March 17, 2023

Today our team members recommend a collection of short stories, a selection from a favorite series, and another fun slasher novella. We hope you check them out and share your thoughts!

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The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise

From A.C. Wise, the acclaimed author of Wendy, Darling, comes a brand new collection of horror stories, The Ghost Sequences.

"A haunting is a moment of trauma, infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes. It is a house built by memory in-between your skin and bones."

A lush and elegant collection of tales—many having appeared in various "Best Of..." anthologies—teeming with frightful and tragic events, yet profoundly and intimately human. These chilling tales will engross and enthrall.

For readers of Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Angela Carter, this is a must have collection of ghostly tales set to deliver a frisson of terror and glee.

Amazon | Goodreads

Teresa's Teaser Review

". . . the language is lush and gorgeous, and I didn’t want to reach the end because then I wouldn’t get to live in these stories anymore."

Read Teresa's entire review at Goodreads.

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In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

This fourth entry and prequel tells the story of Lundy, a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should. When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well.

Goodreads | Amazon

Jen's Teaser Review

"Are you reading this series yet? These books are portal fantasies into other worlds. A doorway finds these kids when they need it the most, and it leads them to a world they would consider to be "home". I can't help but fall in love with every character and just ache for them."

Read Jen's entire review at Bookden.

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Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine

Eden Hills, Minnesota is famous for one thing—its '80s inspired Fashion Mall. When high school junior, Penny, lands a job at one of its trendy stores, she notices her teen coworkers all wear a strange symbol they won’t explain. Suspicious but wanting to belong, she agrees to stay after closing for a party in the closed store. Her fun turns to terror when Penny discovers a mortally wounded boy and learns there is a killer loose in the mall. Soon the teens are running for their lives.

Will Penny discover the truth behind the mall cabal and survive to slay another day, or will she fall victim to the galleria of gore?

Book 27 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.

Goodreads | Amazon

Cassie's Teaser Review

"Fun & quick, def recommend checking it and the rest of the line of books out!"

Read Cassie's entire review at Goodreads.

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Thank you for joining us today! We hope you found something to add to your tbr list. Please share your recent reads with us in the comments below.

We are currently accepting horror fiction and horror adjacent fiction written by diverse authors in print and epub format ONLY. If this is you, please visit our review submission page here.

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Our  Reviewers

Teresa creates the Shelf Edition posts, creates bookish lists and is a contributing reviewer at Horror Spotlight. You can find Teresa on Goodreads, and on Twitter.

Jen is one of our Horror Spotlight admins. Jen manages the technical side of the Horror Spotlight website. She also keeps a spotlight on new horror releases, middle grade horror, and young adult horror each month.

You can also find Jen on her blog Book Den, Twitter as @bookden, Instagram as @bookdenjen, on Goodreads, and Letterboxd.

Cassie is one of our contributing reviewers. Find her online at her website ctrlaltcassie.com, Twitter as @ctrlaltcassie, Instagram as @readinginaprism, or over at her Etsy store, where she has amazing original art prints, cross stitch kits, bookmarks, and more!