Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Waif by Samantha Kolesnik

Today Alex recommends WAIF by Samantha Kolesnik. We hope you'll check it out! 




Waif by Samantha Kolesnik

"Angela has everything she thought she ever wanted—a successful husband, a lavish house, and a bottomless fortune.

But the sight of a strange man in a grocery store one night reawakens her dormant sexuality and soon Angela embarks on a dangerous descent into the world of underground pornography and back-alley plastic surgery.

As the stakes get higher, long-buried memories resurface and Angela finds herself enamored with Reena, a fetish film performer. With some help from a queer gang called The Waifs, Angela is forced to make the decision between her unhappy upper-class life and the treacherous world of underground film."

Amazon | Goodreads 


Alex's Review

Samantha Kolesnik has once again delivered a dark, raw story that's so creative and beautifully written. Angela, our main character, is in this extremely toxic and lackluster marriage which leads her down her own path of sexual re-awakening and dark obsession. Both her and her husband make bizarre decision after decision, and we can only watch in horror from behind the pages shouting at these characters as they are on a path of self-destruction. Fueled by trauma and abuse, this story plays with plastic surgery and underground fetish porno in a way that I just could not look away. Leave it to Kolesnik to blow my mind wide open with WAIF.




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts in the comments about WAIF and/or any recent reads you've been enjoying.




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.




Alex is a Horror Spotlight contributing reviewer. You can find Alex on Goodreads, on Twitter as @finding_montauk and on Instagram as @findingmontauk1.


Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Spotlight on New Releases: December 27

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

Bad Dolls by Rachel Harrison

In this stunning new collection of four horror stories, Bram Stoker Award nominee Rachel Harrison explores themes of body image, complicated female friendship, heartbreak and hauntings.

Published December 6th 2022 by Berkley | Goodreads | Amazon


Cursed Bunny: Stories by Bora Chung, Anton Hur (Translation)

From a rising star of Korean literature, CURSED BUNNY is a collection that will shock and surprise readers with each new tale. Translated by the acclaimed Anton Hur, Chung’s stories are wildly unique and imaginative, by turns thought-provoking and stomach-turning, where monstrous creatures take the shapes of furry woodland creatures and danger lurks in unexpected corners of everyday apartment buildings. But Chung’s rare, haunting universe could be our own, illuminating the ills of contemporary society.

“The Head” follows a woman haunted by her own waste. “The Embodiment” takes us into a dystopian gynecology office where a pregnant woman is told that her baby must have a father or face horrific consequences. Another story follows a young monster, forced into underground fight rings without knowing the force of his own power. The titular fable centers on a cursed lamp in the approachable shape of a rabbit, fit for a child’s bedroom.

CURSED BUNNY is a book that screams to be read late into the night and passed on to the nearest set of hands the very next day.

Published December 6th 2022 by Algonquin Books | Goodreads | Amazon



A History of Fear by Luke Dumas

Grayson Hale, the most infamous murderer in Scotland, is better known by a different name: the Devil’s Advocate. The twenty-five-year-old American grad student rose to instant notoriety when he confessed to the slaughter of his classmate Liam Stewart, claiming the Devil made him do it.

When Hale is found hanged in his prison cell, officers uncover a handwritten manuscript that promises to answer the question that’s haunted the nation for years: was Hale a lunatic, or had he been telling the truth all along?

Unnervingly, Hale doesn’t fit the bill of a killer. The first-person narrative that centers this novel reveals an acerbic young atheist, newly enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to carry on the legacy of his recently deceased father. In need of cash, he takes a job ghostwriting a mysterious book for a dark stranger, but has misgivings when the project begins to reawaken his satanophobia, a rare condition that causes him to live in terror that the Devil is after him. As he struggles to disentangle fact from fear, Grayson’s world is turned upside-down after events force him to confront his growing suspicion that he’s working for the one he has feared all this time—and that the book is only the beginning of their partnership.​​

A History of Fear is a propulsive foray into the darkness of the human psyche, marrying dread-inducing atmosphere and heart-palpitating storytelling.

An eerie literary suspense debut following the harrowing downfall of a tortured graduate student who’s been nicknamed the Devil’s Advocate for his sensational crime: murdering a classmate, then claiming the Devil made him do it.

Published December 6th 2022 by Atria Books | Goodreads | Amazon



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.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

Today Jen recommends THESE FLEETING SHADOWS by Kate Alice Marshall. We hope you'll check it out! 




These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

"Helen Vaughan doesn't know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven't spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she's shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she'll be left with nothing.

There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen's dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night? And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?

With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave…but if she can.”

Amazon | Goodreads 


Jen's Review

I read These Fleeting Shadows this past week with the Horror Spotlight discord group.

I am such a fan of Kate Alice Marshall. Marshall's books are always so imaginatively dark. These Fleeting Shadows was weird and romantic and heartbreaking, and I loved it.

Helen's grandfather passed away, and he left her Harrowstone Hall and his fortune. There was a catch to the inheritance and the rest of Helen's family was left out of the will. There are a lot of family secrets in the Vaughan family, and Harrowstone Hall is a strange place. You can tell things definitely aren't as they seem. Dreams and reality intertwine in the halls of Harrow and in the minds of the people who stay there.

These Fleeting Shadows has been described as Knives Out meets The Haunting of Hill House which sounds lighter and more humorous than the tone we actually get in These Fleeting Shadows. These Fleeting Shadows is dark and cosmic and maddening. It's H.P. Lovecraft meets Arthur Machen meets Kate Alice Marshall. It brought back the same unsettled feelings I felt in Our Last Echoes. It's also Sapphic and beautiful.

I loved the characters in These Fleeting Shadows. I couldn't help but feel for our main character Helen. She and her mother fled Harrow when she was young, but Helen didn't know why. She grew up only having her mother and Simon (her mother's boyfriend). With the help of the Harrow Witch and her cousins, she slowly unravels all of the Vaughan family secrets during the time she is forced to spend in Harrow.

If you've never read Kate Alice Marshall, you can absolutely start here. It's a great introduction to what her books are like, and I think These Fleeting Shadows has a stronger ending than her other books. If you are already a fan of Kate Alice Marshall, this is a must read.




Thank you for joining us today! We'd love to hear your thoughts about THESE FLEETING SHADOWS as well as any recent reads 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.




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 diverse 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.

Friday, December 16, 2022

She Who Rules the Dead by Maria Abrams Review

Today Alex recommends SHE WHO RULES THE DEAD by Maria Abrams. We hope you'll check it out! 




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."

Amazon | Goodreads 


Alex's Review

Yes, please! SHE WHO RULES THE DEAD is the debut novella from Maria Abrams and she comes out swinging. This novella is so unique, both in plot and formatting. Switching from a few POVs as well as news articles, interviews/transcripts, etc, it is not totally clear what is going on the whole time. Each chapter is another piece of the puzzle that is complete at the end. The story is extremely fast-paced and the writing is sharp. This is an example of a story where less is more in terms of upfront knowledge of the actual plot. With that being said, I think everyone should pick this one up and find out for themselves exactly what I am refusing to divulge with this review.



Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts in the comments about She Who Rules the Dead and/or any recent reads you've been enjoying.

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.




Alex is a Horror Spotlight contributing reviewer. You can find Alex on Goodreads, on Twitter as @finding_montauk and on Instagram as @findingmontauk1.


Thursday, December 15, 2022

Shelf Edition with J.A.W. McCarthy

Shelf Edition: J.A.W. McCarthy



Today we welcome writer J.A.W. McCarthy to Shelf Edition!

Do you have any recent favorite Horror Spotlight books?

I’m going to consider “recent” as my last year and a half of reading, so I can talk about more books!

INTO THE FOREST AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH by Cynthia Pelayo is an important poetry collection that I encourage all true crime fans to read. Cynthia explores not only these women’s last moments, but who they were as people, not just victims. She reminds us that they left a mark on this world beyond a statistic.

BOUND FEET by Kelsea Yu is tight, twisty and just a little bit vicious. The pain and desperation across generations is palpable. And that ending!

RAZORBLADE TEARS by S.A. Cosby is the book I recommend to friends and coworkers the most. It’s got everything: action, regret, mystery, vengeance, uneasy alliances. It’s so cinematic. So far everyone has loved it and gone on to seek out more of his work.

BEULAH by Christi Nogle is a unique ghost story, especially if you’re interested in exploring ghosts of multiple definitions. There are so many fascinating threads in this story and I was really impressed by how she pulled them all together.


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

Too many to name! My bookshelves are full and every flat surface in my house is supporting a towering stack. These are just a few:

CONVULSIVE by Joe Koch

HELL HATH NO SORROW LIKE A WOMAN HAUNTED by RJ Joseph

RELUCTANT IMMORTALS by Gwendolyn Kiste

NO GODS FOR DROWNING by Hailey Piper

THE BOOK OF QUEER SAINTS edited by Mae Murray

HOUSE OF PUNGSU by KP Kulski


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

Twitter has been a great resource. I’ve learned of so many books and authors I wouldn’t have otherwise. I first heard the buzz about Joe Koch’s work there, which lead me to seek out his books. Same with Hailey Piper, particularly her novella BENNY ROSE THE CANNIBAL KING, which has become a favorite Halloween read. I also get recommendations from other authors and reviewers; just about everyone posts about new books they love and if they sound good I put them on my TBR.


Where do you prefer to shop for books?

Since I’m buying mostly indie/small press books these days, I shop online. If I can’t order directly from the publisher or author, I love bookshop.org and Elliott Bay Book Company (www.elliottbaybook.com), which is a great store in Seattle. If I can’t get a book from those places, I’ll turn to Amazon.  

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

This is so hard to narrow down! We live in a magnificent time for horror, especially indie horror. Here are a few I’m looking forward to:

I had the pleasure of reading EXTINCTION HYMNS by Eric Raglin and OUR OWN UNIQUE AFFLICTION by Scott J. Moses early and I’m excited to see people’s reactions when these come out.

UNQUIET SPIRITS: ESSAYS BY ASIAN WOMEN IN HORROR edited by Lee Murray & Angela Yuriko Smith - It’s about damn time for this collection of essays by Asian women in horror (myself included). These writers are incredible and I am so grateful that we were given a venue to talk about how our heritage has shaped our work.

SKIN THIEF by Suzan Palumbo - As a fan of Suzan’s short fiction, I’m really looking forward to this collection.

FROST BITE by Angela Sylvaine - Angela’s work always manages to be dark, sharp AND fun. This ‘90s creature feature is going to be a blast.

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

My first novella, SLEEP ALONE, will be released by Off Limits Press in Spring 2023. I’ve been describing it as a queer succubi sex, drugs and rock and roll story, but because it’s me, it’s not going to be all fun. There’s a lot of longing and regret in the story of Ronnie, a lonely succubus working merch for a perpetually touring band while a mysterious disease stalks the family she made. But there’s also a story about finding love there, even amid bloodshed and chaos. This story is close to my heart and because of that I’m on pins and needles for its release and reception.

I also have stories upcoming in several venues in 2023 (Dark Matter, Crossroad Press, Cursed Morsels Press, to name a few), as well as my first nonfiction piece.

PseudoPod did an excellent production of my story “The Only Thing Different Will Be the Body” in November, which you can find here: https://pseudopod.org/2022/11/18/pseudopod-839-the-only-thing-different-will-be-the-body/

And my debut collection, SOMETIMES WE’RE CRUEL AND OTHER STORIES (Cemetery Gates Media, 2021) was a Shirley Jackson Award finalist in October.  

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

I’m most active on Twitter: @JAWMcCarthy

Instagram: @JAWMcCarthy

Hive: @JAWMcCarthy

Mastodon: @JAWMcCarthy@wandering.shop

The multi-talented Sonora Taylor is now redesigning my website, where you can find updates and links to my new releases: https://www.jawmccarthy.com/



Bio



J.A.W. McCarthy is the Shirley Jackson Award nominated author of Sometimes We’re Cruel and Other Stories (Cemetery Gates Media, 2021) and Sleep Alone (Off Limits Press, forthcoming 2023). Her short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Vastarien, PseudoPod, LampLight, Apparition Lit, Tales to Terrify, and The Best Horror of the Year Vol 13 (ed. Ellen Datlow). She is Thai American and lives with her husband and assistant cats in the Pacific Northwest. You can call her Jen on Twitter @JAWMcCarthy, and find out more at www.jawmccarthy.com.
 



Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Chasing Whispers by Eugen Bacon Review

Today Laurie recommends CHASING WHISPERS by Eugen Bacon. We hope you'll check it out! 




Chasing Whispers by Eugen Bacon

"Chasing Whispers is a unique Afro-irrealist collection of Black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, longing, hybridity, unlimited futures, a collision of worlds and folklore. It contains 13 stories, 11 of which are original, with a commanding introduction by D. Harlan Wilson. The collection is aligned with the themes of Eugen Bacon’s other fiction, and her recognition in the honor list of the 2022 Otherwise Fellowships for “doing exciting work in gender and speculative fiction.

Chasing Whispers casts a gaze at mostly women and children haunted by patriarchy, in stories packed with affection, dread, anguish and hope. The connecting theme is a black protagonist with a deep longing for someone, someplace, something… and a recurring phrase in each story: “a deep and terrible sadness.”

Amazon | Goodreads 


Laurie's Review

Chasing Whispers is a fantastic collection of short stories that starts out strong and stays that way. You’ll want to find a quiet spot to sit down with this one so you can submerge yourself in its dark and strange worlds.

These stories are filled with longing, with disappointment, with transformation and every single one of them takes you to unexpected places. I’m just going to say a little bit about each one because that’s how I always review collections. I’m not going to say too much in order to avoid revealing any spoilers. If you want to go in completely cold please stop reading this review here. I completely understand because that’s how I usually go into most things.

Chasing Whispers

Zeda is facing the difficulties of seeing life through a different lens than others just wading through their lives in oblivion. But is this a life she wants? This is a mind-bending tale both strange and disturbing and it’s not to be missed. It’s an excellent way to start off the collection.

Memories Of The Old Sun

This is a story about obligation and overbearing mothers and a deep longing to live life as one wants - and also biorobots with no choice in any of it.

When The Wind Blows

Humans are so disappointing 😩 and that’s all I’ll say about that.

The Shimmer

Ok, I admit I am easily confused and this is a story that requires your full attention. Don’t read it when you’re sleepy like I did. I’m not entirely sure what happened here but I enjoyed reading it anyway.

Nyamizi, the Skinless One

This is a strange vignette about a skinless child longing to learn more about her mother and discovers some things about herself in the process.

A Visit to Lamont

A man desperate to save his lover from something horrifying tries his best but he has absolutely no idea what to do and fumbles around and I found it all rather hilarious. Stick around for the ending because you don’t want to miss it.

Industrial Pleasure

Capitalism discovers a new energy source. This was nicely sarcastic!

Black Witch, Snow Leopard

If I had to pick a favorite story, this one is it. It reads like a dreamlike dark fairy tale. Two wounded souls forge a bond and it’s spectacular. I’d like to read an entire novel in this world.

Neuter

The way language is used in these stories is so striking, and unusual, and forces you to absorb those words and sit back and think. The author has an Incredible talent.

“I like what you host. A deep and terrible sadness.”

A Deep and Terrible Sadness

A beautifully surreal tale.

Sita and the Fledgling

We visit with a crabby old witch doctor who dispenses ridiculous cures and accurate insults to a desperate group of village idiots during the time of Covid and it's pure joy. Hilariously told from the point of view of a raven who wishes to be a familiar. This was so much fun and the sarcasm was so sharp it may cut you.

Fire Fall on Them

A misogynist gets what he deserves and that’s all I’m sayin’ 🤷‍♀️

Namulongo and the Edge of Darkness

This is the longest story here and is a fantasy adventure set in a strange world.

I highly recommended this collection to fans of imaginative fiction. You can’t go wrong here!




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts about any or all of these works of poetry as well as any recent reads 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.





Laurie is one of our Horror Spotlight Admins. Laurie creates our review posts and coordinates review requests.

You can find Laurie on her blog Bark’s Book Nonsense, on Twitter as @barksbooks, on Instagram as @barksbooks, and on Goodreads.


Friday, December 9, 2022

TORTURED WILLOWS poetry by Christina Sng, Angela Yuriko Smith, Lee Murray & Geneve Flynn

Today Alex recommends TORTURED WILLOWS poetry by Christina Sng, Angela Yuriko Smith, Lee Murray & Geneve Flynn. We hope you'll check it out! 




Tortured Willows poetry by Christina Sng, Angela Yuriko Smith, Lee Murray & Geneve Flynn

"The willow is femininity, desire, death. Rebirth. With its ability to grow from a single broken branch, it is the living embodiment of immortality. It is the yin that wards off malevolent spirits. It is both revered and shunned. In Tortured Willows, four Southeast Asian women writers of horror expand on the exploration of otherness begun with the Bram Stoker Award-winning anthology Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women.

Like the willow, women have bent and bowed under the expectations and duty heaped upon them. Like the willow, they endure and refuse to break.

With exquisite poetry, Christina Sng, Angela Yuriko Smith, Lee Murray, and Geneve Flynn invite you to sit beneath the tortured willow's gravid branches and listen to the uneasy shiver of its leaves.”

Amazon | Goodreads 


Alex's Review

TORTURED WILLOWS: BENT. BOWED. UNBROKEN is a poetry anthology from a powerhouse cast of writers/poets. It's loaded with Asian heritage, profoundly personal experiences, and the resilience of women. Culture clash vs. multiculturalism, erasure culture, identity, and systemic sexism are just a few themes mixed into these poignant and brilliant poems. Oftentimes, women are both the haunted and the ghosts. There are not enough words to convey how impressive and strong the words are on every page. A must-read, must-experience anthology!




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts about any or all of these works of poetry as well as any recent reads 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.





Alex is a Horror Spotlight contributing reviewer. You can find Alex on Goodreads, on Twitter as @finding_montauk and on Instagram as @findingmontauk1.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Follow Me To Ground by Sue Rainsford Review

Today Cassie recommends FOLLOW ME TO GROUND by Sue Rainsford. We hope you'll check it out! 




Follow Me to Ground by Sue Rainsford

"A haunted, surreal debut novel about an otherworldly young woman, her father, and her lover that culminates in a shocking moment of betrayal - one that upends our understanding of power, predation, and agency.

Ada and her father, touched by the power to heal illness, live on the edge of a village where they help sick locals—or “Cures”—by cracking open their damaged bodies or temporarily burying them in the reviving, dangerous Ground nearby. Ada, a being both more and less than human, is mostly uninterested in the Cures, until she meets a man named Samson. When they strike up an affair, to the displeasure of her father and Samson’s widowed, pregnant sister, Ada is torn between her old way of life and new possibilities with her lover—and eventually comes to a decision that will forever change Samson, the town, and the Ground itself.

Follow Me to Ground is fascinating and frightening, urgent and propulsive. In Ada, award-winning author Sue Rainsford has created an utterly bewitching heroine, one who challenges conventional ideas of womanhood and the secrets of the body. Slim but authoritative, Follow Me to Ground lingers long after its final page, pulling the reader into a dream between fairytale and nightmare, desire and delusion, folktale and warning."

Amazon | Goodreads  


Cassie's Review

“Sometimes our feelings aren't the best indication of what we should be doing.”

This was memorable in its strangeness, and I think if you go into it knowing as little as possible, you'll like it more. It's about a girl and her father who live on the outskirts of a small village of people who come to them for their abilities and magical powers of healing.

It has some pretty serious themes, and others that are only briefly touched upon or insinuated, so check out content warnings if you know that you may need them - stay safe!

If you're into weird horror-y fiction like Comfort Me with Apples and Bunny, you'll probably enjoy this one! I'd also recommend it as an audiobook, because that's how I listened to it and it gave it a deliciously dark , southern gothic feel - so good!




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts about any or all of these works of poetry as well as any recent reads 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.






Cassie is one of our contributing reviewers and contributes website content. 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!


Monday, December 5, 2022

Join Us for Movie Night!

Horror Spotlight Movie Night: Run Sweetheart Run

We are doing another movie night on Wednesday, December 7, 2022

4:30PT/5:30MT/6:30CT/7:30ET PM.
 

Please join us to watch Run Sweetheart Run on Amazon. Join the Horror Spotlight Discord for the link, instructions, and updates. Hope to see you there! 

 



  •  Director
    •   Shana Feste
  •  Writers
    • Shana Feste
    • Keith Josef Adkins
    • Kellee Terrell
  • Stars
    • Ella Balinska
    • Pilou Asbæk
    • Clark Gregg

About Run Sweetheart Run: After what seems to be an innocent date, Cherie now faces a night of terror when her date hunts her down and tries to kill her. She now must run for her life throughout the city and escape his grasp.

Friday, December 2, 2022

The Forest by Lisa Quigley Review

 Today Alex recommends THE FOREST by Lisa Quigley. We hope you'll check it out! 




The Forest by Lisa Quigley

"Everyone in Edgewood believes their annual tithes at the fall festival are what purchase Edgewood’s safety, but as Faye and her husband prepare to take over as town stewards—a long tradition carried out by her family for generations—they learn the terrible truth: in order to guarantee the town’s safety, the forest demands an unthinkable sacrifice.

In the midst of everything, Faye is secretly battling debilitating postpartum anxiety that makes her all the more terrified to leave the safe cocoon of her enchanted town.

When everyone turns against her—including her own husband—Faye is forced to flee with her infant son into the forest. She must face whatever lurks there and, perhaps most frightening of all, the dark torments of her own mind.

The Forest is an adult folk horror novel appealing to fans of 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson and Bird Box by Josh Malerman, with a hint of The Changeling by Victor LaValle. It is Quigley’s debut novel.

Amazon | Goodreads 


Alex's Review

I read THE FOREST by Lisa Quigley in two sittings, but the first sitting had me to the 90% waypoint and I only had to stop because I needed to work on dinner. I loved all the dark fantasy and folk horror vibes in addition to some psychological horror. The town of Edgewood is an ideal place to live, where people are healthy and safe. But they don't know that they owe their thanks to the Forest, and the Stewards of the town who have made sacrifices to keep the people/things out there appeased. Will Faye, an upcoming Steward, be able to make an equivalent sacrifice to save the town and the lives of everyone around her ?

The book is told in three parts with alternating POVs: before Faye knows what is going on and after Faye knows what is going on. This format translates into extremely fast page turning because you just can't wait to figure out how the two storylines converge. You know something bad leads up to the current state of fear and actions, but you just have to find out exactly how the puzzle pieces fit together. Quigley excels at leading us deeper into the dark realm of truth the further we get into The Forest.

And oh wow, The Forest is not a place I would want to be alone (or with an infant) at night by myself. It is a character all on its own and the atmospheric vibes are bountiful. Quigley creates a perfect setting here and uses it to her advantage every time.

I do think there are a lot of nuances of being a mother (and maybe a parent in general?) that I did not totally connect with as I am not a parent, but that does not mean the book does not still click or resonate. I just think there is another potential layer of fear and empathy that some readers will be able to experience from firsthand familiarity that I cannot.

This is Lisa Quigley's debut novel and I am absolutely going to be on the lookout for whatever is next. This is a must-read!




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts about any or all of these works of poetry as well as any recent reads 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.





Alex is a Horror Spotlight contributing reviewer. You can find Alex on Goodreads, on Twitter as @finding_montauk and on Instagram as @findingmontauk1.

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Exposed Nerves by Lucy A. Snyder Review

Today Alex recommends EXPOSED NERVES poetry by Lucy A. Snyder. We hope you'll check it out! 




Exposed Nerves poetry by Lucy A. Snyder

"Exposed Nerves continues the explorations into dark poetry by Stoker Award winner and Shirley Jackson Award nominee Lucy A. Snyder, pairing the author's sly wordplay and imagery with grim introspection. By turns challenging, wryly amusing and gut-wrenching, Snyder's work plumbs bittersweet catharsis and maps a survivor's path through dangerous worlds, both the real and the horrifically imagined."

Amazon | Goodreads  Bookshop


Alex's Review

Lucy Snyder's collection of poems, EXPOSED NERVES, is another example upon many of how talented she is with wordsmithing and phrasing. This collection is full of biting examples on social commentary and the daily horrors we face. Something doesn't have to be dripping with blood or chasing you with a knife to be scary. We face terror every day in seemingly mundane ways. Snyder's social commentary and raw approach to a lot of topics and themes will resonate with so many in this collection.

Some of my favorites include: "Scary," "Employee Recognition Day," "Salty," "It Only Hurts When I Dream," "October," "Chronic," "Romantic Overture 6," and "The Disney Gap."




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts in the comments about Exposed Nerves and/or any recent reads you've been enjoying.

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.




Alex is a Horror Spotlight contributing reviewer. You can find Alex on Goodreads, on Twitter as @finding_montauk and on Instagram as @findingmontauk1.


Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Spotlight on New Releases: November 29

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

Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are by Kathryn Foxfield

Welcome to the reality game show that'll scare you to death! Have you got what it takes to last the night?

On the reality show It's Behind You!, five contestants competing for prize money must survive the night in the dark and dangerous Umber Gorge caves, rumored to be haunted by the Puckered Maiden, a ghost who eats the hearts of her victims. But is it the malevolent spirit they should fear, or each other?

As the production crew ramps up the frights, tensions rise and the secrets of the cast member start coming to light. Each of these teenagers has hidden motives for taking part in the show. But could one of them be murder?

Expected publication: November 29th 2022 by Sourcebooks Fire | Goodreads | Amazon


House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

Taking inspiration from the author's own Afghan-Uzbek heritage, this contemporary YA debut is a breathtaking journey into the grief that lingers through generations of immigrant families, and what it means to confront the ghosts of your past.

Struggling to deal with the pain of her parents’ impending divorce, fifteen-year-old Sara is facing a world of unknowns and uncertainties. Unfortunately, the one person she could always lean on when things got hard, her beloved Bibi Jan, has become a mere echo of the grandmother she once was. And so Sara retreats into the family business, hoping a summer working on her mom’s latest home renovation project will provide a distraction from her fracturing world.

But the house holds more than plaster and stone. It holds secrets that have her clinging desperately to the memories of her old life. Secrets that only her Bibi Jan could have untangled. Secrets Sara is powerless to ignore as the dark truths of her family’s history rise in ghostly apparitions -- and with it, the realization that as much as she wants to hold onto her old life, nothing will ever be the same.

Told in lush, sweeping prose, this story of secrets, summer, and family sacrifice will chill you to the bone as the house that wraps Sara in warmth of her past becomes the one thing she cannot escape…

Expected publication: November 29th 2022 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | Goodreads | Amazon



Desert Creatures by Kay Chronister

In a world that has become treacherous and desiccated, Magdala has always had to fight to survive. At nine years old, she and her father, Xavier, are exiled from their home, fleeing through the Sonoran Desert, searching for refuge.

As violence pursues them, they join a handful of survivors on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Las Vegas, where it is said the vigilante saints reside, bright with neon power. Magdala, born with a clubfoot, is going to be healed. But when faced with the strange horrors of the desert, one by one the pilgrims fall victim to a hideous sickness—leaving Magdala to fend for herself.

After surviving for seven years on her own, Magdala is sick of waiting for her miracle. Recruiting an exiled Vegas priest named Elam at gunpoint to serve as her guide, Magdala turns her gaze to Vegas once more, and this time, nothing will stop her. The pair form a fragile alliance as they navigate the darkest and strangest reaches of the desert on a trip that takes her further from salvation even as she nears the holy city.

With ferocious imagination and poetic precision, Desert Creatures is a story of endurance at the expense of redemption. What compromise does survival require of a woman, and can she ever unlearn the instincts that have kept her alive?

Published November 8th 2022 by Erewhon | Goodreads | Amazon



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 diverse 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.

Friday, November 25, 2022

December 2022 Horror Spotlight Readalong

In December we will be reading The Family Game by Catherine Steadman for the readalong on the Horror Spotlight discord.  Won’t you join us?


A rich, eccentric family. A time-honored tradition. Or a lethal game of survival? One woman finds out what it really takes to join the 1% in this riveting psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act.

Harry is a novelist on the brink of stardom; Edward, her husband-to-be, is seemingly perfect. In love and freshly engaged, their bliss is interrupted by the reemergence of the Holbecks, Edward's eminent family and the embodiment of American old money. For years, they've dominated headlines and pulled society's strings, and Edward left them all behind to forge his own path. But there are eyes and ears everywhere. It was only a matter of time before they were pulled back in . . .

After all, even though he's long severed ties with his family, Edward is set to inherit it all. Harriet is drawn to the glamour and sophistication of the Holbecks, who seem to welcome her with open arms, but everything changes when she meets Robert, the inescapably magnetic head of the family. At their first meeting, Robert slips Harry a cassette tape, revealing a shocking confession which sets the inevitable game in motion.

What is it about Harry that made him give her that tape? A thing that has the power to destroy everything? As she ramps up her quest for the truth, she must endure the Holbecks' savage Christmas traditions all the while knowing that losing this game could be deadly.

Goodreads | Amazon

The readalong begins December 1, and discussions will take place throughout the month of December on the Horror Spotlight discord server. Everyone is welcome to join!


Additional Buddy Read

There will also be a buddy read of The Turnout by Megan Abbot going on in December as well.

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Megan Abbott's exquisite new novel, "dark and juicy and tinged with horror" (The New York Times Books Review), set against the hothouse of a family-run ballet studio.

With their long necks, sheer tights, and taut buns, Dara and Marie Durant have only known the course of a well-bred dancer. Not much changes when their parents face death in a tragic accident. As Dara and Marie take over their mother's duty of running the Durant School of Dance, along with Charlie, Dara's husband and once their mother's prized student, the sisters perfect a fine dance, circling around one another, six days a week, keeping the studio thriving.

But when another eerily suspicious accident occurs, just at the onset of the school's annual performance of The Nutcracker--a season of tense competition, provoked anxiety, and wild exhilaration--an interloper arrives and threatens the sisters' delicate balance.

With its uncanny insight and writing that haunts, The Turnout is Megan Abbott at the height of her game--a sharp and strange dissection of family ties and sexuality, femininity, and power, and a sinister tale that is both alarming and irresistible.

Goodreads | Amazon

If you have any questions, please let us know. We look forward to reading with you! 


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

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Blood & Dirt by Corey Niles Review

Today Teresa is here to recommend BLOOD & DIRT by Corey Niles.



Blood & Dirt by Corey Niles

Vincent depended on his boyfriend, James, to stand up for him—until a violent hate crime results in James’s murder.

Weeks after his funeral, James reappears, perfectly healthy but changed in ways that neither of them can quite understand. Now, Vincent must uncover what truly happened on the night they were attacked.

In the face of an apathetic police force and a growing number of missing gay men, Vincent and James work to identify the criminals who attacked them.



Teresa's Review


Blood & Dirt starts with a hate crime.  And the pages that follow are blood soaked and pain filled. But, the story takes turns that I was not expecting and I enjoyed the ride.  Much of this book deals more with Vincent coming to terms with the loss of James, the confusion when James comes back, and the fallout of realizing that being yourself still isn’t always safe or accepted.

This is another of those books that I don’t want to give too much away since following the trail along with Vincent is what makes this read so appealing, so I am not going to say much more. However, Blood & Dirt does deal with the terror of being a marginalized person in a world still brimming with hate for “the other” and that can be a brutal awakening.   




Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts in the comments about Blood & Dirt and/or any recent reads you've been enjoying.

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.




Teresa is a contributing reviewer and runs our Shelf Edition feature each month. You can find Teresa on Goodreads, on Twitter as @teresa_ardrey, when she's not hiding in a corn maze.


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