Challenge: 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered

-

First off, let me say that this is a fantastic resource for any horror lover. Sadie Hartmann has outdone herself with this guide. She has a fresh engaging rhythm that kept me reading about each book, even in the categories of horror that do not really interest me. I recommend grabbing this book in print, rather than e-book, because it makes such a great addition to my library.

That said, before I read this book, I thought of myself as relatively up to date on horror. Hartmann has completely shattered that illusion. Of the 101 horror books listed here, I have read an embarrassing one of them, with one DNF, and two others sitting in my To-be-read pile. To remedy this shame, I have worked my way through the suggested books and the featured authors to curate a list of 32 horror books that I will be reading over the next year.

I had no intention of reading all 101 because then people would be free to murder me. There are also some categories of horror that do not appeal to me such as cosmic and body horror. Despite my love of horror, I am also a bit squeamish, so a lot of the books labelled brutal or blood-soaked did not make it onto my list. 

I do love things like haunted houses, ghosts, monsters, coming of age, small towns, and witches, so there were still plenty of books that caught my fancy. See below for the list. I will be reviewing each of these books as I go and will update this post with links to those reviews as I complete them.

Read:

  1. Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo - Review

To Read (not in order):

  1.  Daphne by Josh Malerman
  2.  Number One Fan by Meg Elison
  3. The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
  4. The Children on the hill by Jennifer McMahon
  5. The Ghost Sequences by A. C. Wise (already owned and in my TBR)
  6. The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca
  7. The Deer Kings by Wendy N. Wagner
  8. The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
  9. Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
  10. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
  11. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  12. The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni
  13. The Return by Rachel Harrison
  14. The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
  15. Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez
  16. Little Eve by Catriona Ward (already owned and in my TBR)
  17. The Switch House by Tim Meyer
  18. The Hunger by Alma Katsu
  19. Cry Your Way Home by Damien Angelica Walters
  20. The Laws of the Skies by Grégoire Courtois
  21. Stranded by Bracken MacLeod
  22. The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman
  23. Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie
  24. Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
  25. Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman
  26. Knock Knock by S. P. Miskowski
  27. Apartment 16 by Adam L. G. Nevill
  28. Heart-shaped Box by Joe Hill
  29. The Good House by Tananarive Due
  30. Tribal Screams by Owl Goingback
And two more that are not part of the 101, but I need to read them:
  1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monthly Microfiction - December 2021 - Billy's Special Blanket

-
Billy's Special Blanket       Billy tightened the blanket his mother made him around his head. She promised no monsters could hurt him through his special blanket.    The closet door creaked open and all of the monster’s legs spilled out. It crawled across the floor and up onto the bed. A multitude of legs prodded Billy. The monster roared when it could not breach the blanket’s power.  In fury, the monster flailed about, destroying Billy’s room.   His parents charged down the hall and through the door. Then screamed in terror when the creature attacked.    Billy was safe under the blanket, but his parents were not.       Originally published in Beneath from Ghost Orchid Press on May 5, 2021  
Read more

Monthly Microfiction: Under the Ice

-
 Under the Ice  I came to the lake to rescue my sister. Ice covers its surface and I drop to my knees. Together, we bang against the icy barrier between us as I spout useless apologies. Her angry eyes gut me. I didn’t mean to condemn her to this when I brought her body here. Local legend claimed she would come back on the thirteenth day of winter. It did not mention the ice. With a loud crack, her hands break through. Joy fills me but quickly turns to terror when instead of escaping, she pulls me down under the ice with her.   Originally published in Beneath from Ghost Orchid Press on May 5, 2021
Read more

Announcement: Publication: Debut Collection - Thin Slices

-
Image
  For years, I have been writing, submitting, and publishing my flash fiction all over the place. I am thrilled to announce that I have compiled all of my dark flash fiction written to date into my debut collection, Thin Slices. Thin Slices, launching January 12, 2025, contains 92 dark tales, all less than 1000 words apiece, 15 of which are exclusive to this collection.  Now available for pre-order on Amazon !   Want a Sneak Peek? You can read some of my stories in my (now defunct) Monthly Microfiction section of my blog, but if you sign up for my newsletter (link below), you will receive a free story in the welcome email as well as one more story each month (end of October, November, December) until the launch date. With each story, I'll also offer behind-the-scenes information. The sneak peeks are exclusive to my free newsletter, but stay tuned to this space for various updates including a cover reveal coming later this month.   Calling all Reviewers! ARCs are n...
Read more