Friday, March 31, 2023

Horror Spotlight's Readalong April 2023

Horror Spotlight’s Readalong April 2023

In April we will be reading Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer for the readalong in the Horror Spotlight discord. You can join the discord with this link.


Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and moved to the suburbs, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, snarking together from the outskirts of the PTA crowd. One night during their monthly wine get-together, the crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz's backyard--a space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed.

But the night after they christen the She Shed, things start to feel . . . off. They didn't expect Liz's little home-improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that's before the homeowners' association gets wind of it.

Even the calmest moms can't justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood . . . before the suburbs go completely to hell.
Goodreads | Bookshop


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

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

What We've Been Reading | March 29, 2023

Today our team members recommend a ghost story, a story about a town plagued by grief and an anthology about women who have had enough. We hope you check them out and share your thoughts!





Beulah by Christi Nogle

Beulah is the story of Georgie, an eighteen-year-old with a talent (or affliction) for seeing ghosts. Georgie and her family have had a hard time since her father died, but she and her mother Gina and sisters Tommy and Stevie are making a new start in the small town of Beulah, Idaho where Gina’s wealthy friend Ellen has set them up to help renovate an old stone schoolhouse. Georgie experiences a variety of disturbances—the town is familiar from dreams and she seems to be experiencing her mother’s memory of the place, not to mention the creepy ghost in the schoolhouse basement—but she is able to maintain, in her own laconic way, until she notices that her little sister Stevie also has the gift. Stevie is in danger from a malevolent ghost, and Georgie tries to help, but soon Georgie is the one in danger.

Amazon | Goodreads

Teresa's Teaser Review

"Beulah is a beautiful and inventive way to tell a ghost story. I didn't really know where this one was going to take me which is such a happy and welcome surprise."

Read Teresa's entire review at Goodreads.





Grievers by Adrienne Maree Brown

A tale of what happens when we can no longer ignore what has been lost in this world.

Grievers is the story of a city so plagued by grief that it can no longer function. Dune’s mother is patient zero of a mysterious illness that stops people in their tracks—in mid-sentence, mid-action, mid-life—casting them into a nonresponsive state from which no one recovers. Dune must navigate poverty and the loss of her mother as Detroit’s hospitals, morgues, and graveyards begin to overflow. As the quarantined city slowly empties of life, she investigates what caused the plague, and what might end it. In anguish, she follows in the footsteps of her late researcher father, who has a physical model of Detroit’s history and losses set up in their basement. She dusts the model off and begins tracking the sick and dying, discovering patterns, finding comrades in curiosity, conspiracies for the fertile ground of the city, and the unexpected magic that emerges when the debt of grief is cleared.

Goodreads | Amazon

Laurie's Teaser Review

"This book was incredibly sad and takes an unflinching look at a city plagued by grief, loneliness, despair, poverty, gentrification, hopelessness and then the plague actually hits and the most vulnerable are left behind to fend for themselves as they die."

Read Laurie's entire review at Goodreads.





A Woman Built By Man edited by S.H. Cooper & Elle Turpitt

A Woman Built by Man is a collage of 21 horror tales that seek to crawl under the skin and deconstruct the many ways women are built up and broken down by a patriarchal society. And the many ways they're finally saying, "Enough."

Goodreads | Amazon

Heather's Teaser Review

"This group of stories absolutely blew me away. I'm sitting here wanting to give you a top 5 favorite stories out of the 21 included in this book, but I can't. I loved all of them!"

Read Heather's entire review at Goodreads.


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.



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.



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.



Heather is a contributing reviewer and helps out with the Horror Spotlight Instagram account. Find her online at Goodreads, Twitter as @HSquared_13, and on Instagram as @h.hellion.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Spotlight on New Releases: March 28

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

Chlorine by Jade Song

Chlorine by Jade Song

In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies... a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.

Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach, her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life.

But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to land, those with legs. Ren grew up on stories of creatures of the deep, of the oceans and the rivers. Ones that called sailors to their doom. Ones that dragged them down and drowned them. Ones that feasted on their flesh. Ones of the creature that she's always longed to become: mermaid.

Ren aches to be in the water. She dreams of the scent of chlorine--the feel of it on her skin. And she will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain. No matter what anyone else thinks. No matter how much blood she has to spill.

Expected publication March 28, 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon


A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

Expected publication March 28, 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon


Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Blue skies, empty land—and enough room to hide away a horrifying secret. Or is there? Discover a haunting new vision of the American West from the award-winning author of The Changeling.

Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It’s locked at all times. Because when the trunk is opened, people around her start to disappear...

The year is 1914, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, and forced her to flee her hometown of Redondo, California, in a hellfire rush, ready to make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will be one of the "lone women" taking advantage of the government's offer of free land for those who can cultivate it—except that Adelaide isn't alone. And the secret she's tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing keeping her alive.

Told in Victor LaValle's signature style, blending historical fiction, shimmering prose, and inventive horror, Lone Women is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—and a portrait of early twentieth-century America like you've never seen.

Expected publication March 28, 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon



Jen is one of our Horror Spotlight admins. Jen manages the technical side of the Horror Spotlight website and 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.

Thursday, March 23, 2023

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 







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.






Wednesday, March 22, 2023

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!





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.





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.





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.


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.



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.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

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

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


The Memory Eater by Rebecca Mahoney

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


The Insatiable Hunger of Trees by Samantha Eaton

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



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.

Monday, March 20, 2023

#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
The Companion by E.E. Ottoman
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper
Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
Sing Me to Sleep by R.M Virtues




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.




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