No #HorrorForLibraries Giveaway Until January 12th

In order to give the post office a break, to help all of your packages get delivered, I am suspending the giveaway until I am back from my New Year's vacation-- 1/12/23.

But you can keep entering. I have a brand new column dropping for Library Journal January 1 and I will have many of those ARCs to give away all month.

Here are the rules on how to enter in the meantime.

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Becky's Best Horror of 2022

Today marked the end of #LibFaves22. I wrote about how I always choose to use this 10 day event as a chance to post my personal top 10 list of Horror titles.

This year I am choosing to share them in the order I read them. Ask me on different days and a different one of these books would be my favorite of the year, so I thought the was a better way to list them since they have to be in some kind of order.

Below you will find that list, all in one easy to access post with direct review access and my 3 words. But I also wanted to remind you that you can find all of my reviews always at this link, and the vast majority of those reviews are Horror. I also have that link easily available at the top of my "Horror Reviews Index" page in the right gutter of every page of the blog. And finally, you can access every one of Becky's Best Horror of the year going back to 2005 in my "Archive of Becky's Lists, Articles, and Presentations" page.

Enough preamble. Here is the list.

Becky's Top 10 Horror of 2022

Manhunt by Gretchen Filker-Martin (band of survivors, thought provoking, action packed) 

The Fervor by Alma Katsu (constant unease, multiple storylines, historical)

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay (original, immersive, pervasively creepy)

The Ghost That Ate Us by Daniel Kraus (verisimilitude, immersive, escalating dread)

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Igelsias (lyrical, brutal, strong narrative voice)

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (lyrical, disquieting, heartbreakingly beautiful)

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman (high anxiety, addiction, original twist on haunting)

The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson (perfectly paced, strong sense of place, immersive terror)

Breakable Things: Stories by Cassandra Khaw (intensely unsettling, though provoking, immersive)

The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones -- audio only (disorienting, character centered, original haunted house)

Library Journal's Best Horror 2022

I was part of a team that chose the Best Horror list for Library Journal. Please click here for my general comments on the lists and for links to all 147 titles across 15 categories.

But for this blog, I wanted to capture the Horror titles and annotations here as well.

You can click here for the list from the Best Horror 2022 landing page and here for the PDF of the titles all on one easy to share page. Below I have the titles and annotations.

Download a PDF of this list for posting and sharing

Cañas, Isabel. The Hacienda. Berkley. ISBN 9780593436691. 

During the tumultuous years surrounding the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz makes a fresh start when her new husband, widower Don Solórzano, moves her to his rural estate. When a malevolent spirit begins to attack her, she seeks out Andrés, a priest with ties to the hacienda. Claustrophobic and terror-filled, with an absorbing sense of place, this debut is both an original ghost story and a thoughtful contemplation of racism and classism.

Felker-Martin, Gretchen. Manhunt. Tor Nightfire. ISBN 9781250794642.

A virus that turns anyone with high enough testosterone levels into zombielike monsters transforms the U.S. into an apocalyptic nightmare. Another threat looms—anti-trans feminists plotting the mass murder of the surviving trans population. In this harrowing, action-packed story, two trans women, Beth and Fran, survive by hunting the feral creatures that were once men and harvesting their estrogen-rich testicles. Felker-Martin evolves the popular zombie trope in a book that centers the experiences of trans people.

Harrison, Rachel. Such Sharp Teeth. Berkley. ISBN 9780593545829.

Rory reluctantly returns home to help her pregnant twin sister. After a night at the bar, she hits an animal on the drive home, and it attacks her. She survives, but not unscathed. Then, when the moon is at its fullest, she begins to change physically. Blending dark humor, an intriguing werewolf frame, body horror, and serious contemplations of trauma, anger, and the vulnerability of love, Harrison pens another winning, thought-provoking must-read.

Iglesias, Gabino. The Devil Takes You Home. Mulholland. ISBN 9780316426916.

Iglesias writes a breathtaking horror-thriller hybrid. Mario loses everything: his daughter to cancer, his wife to her grief, and his money to the healthcare system. Desperate, he takes a job that sends him on a road trip to steal from Mexican drug lords. Told with a strong narrative voice, brutal violence balanced by lyrical language, and terrors both real and supernatural, this is a master class in discomfort and the embodiment of a new genre—barrio noir.

Katsu, Alma. The Fervor. Putnam. ISBN 9780593328330.

Told through multiple story lines and set mostly in a U.S. concentration camp imprisoning Japanese Americans, this novel follows Meiko, her daughter Aiko, a pastor, and a freelance reporter as they face multiple horrors: fire balloons, World War II, a deadly virus, sexism, racism, and ancient demons. The character-driven, thriller-esque tale holds readers’ attention, but the constant feelings of unease and terror that seep into the present are where this novel leaves its mark.

Khaw, Cassandra. Breakable Things. Undertow. ISBN 9781988964379.

This debut story collection spans the breadth of the dark speculative-fiction landscape. Mixing beautiful language with intensely unsettling situations, Khaw’s stories invoke themes of water or fairy tales and mythologies from all over the world and are punctuated by perfect endings that allow fear and unease to linger long after the page has been turned and the next story has begun. This volume is quite simply a terrifying joy to read.

Kingfisher, T. What Moves the Dead. Tor Nightfire. ISBN 9781250830753.

In this delightfully creepy and often wry retelling of Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher,” Alex Easton rushes to the estate of their dear friends, one of whom is severely ill. The once stately home is in disrepair, and the grounds are populated by strangely behaving hares and terrible-smelling mushrooms. Odd and disquieting situations lead to more questions, and lives depend on the protagonist’s ability to find answers to what moves the dead.

Kraus, Daniel. The Ghost That Ate Us. Raw Dog Screaming. ISBN 9781947879553.

On June 1, 2017, six people were killed at Burger City #8 at Exit 269 off of I-80 in Iowa. In 2020, a fictionalized version of Kraus wants to know what really happened. Containing detailed reporting, interviews with survivors, and hints of an evil force, this is a stellar example of the true-crime genre—except that none of the book’s events really happened. This disorienting setup brilliantly challenges everything fans expect from horror and true crime, while injecting fun into the reading experience.

Tremblay, Paul. The Pallbearers Club. Morrow. ISBN 9780063069916.

Framed as a found memoir (or is it a novel?) by Art Barbara, this story is told with running commentary by the story’s other protagonist, Mercy, Art’s best friend (or nemesis?) who might be a vampire. The intimate and playful nature of their conversation draws readers in immediately, but everyone’s reliability is questioned as the stakes get higher, until this brilliant psychological horror story reaches its disquieting conclusion.

Wurth, Erika T. White Horse. Flatiron. ISBN 9781250847652.

Part mystery and part thriller, but all horror, this chilling debut introduces an insightful voice to the genre and features Kari, an Apache and Chickasaw woman whose life in Denver revolves around her love of Megadeth, The Shining, and nights spent at the White Horse bar. When her cousin Debbie finds an old family bracelet, it brings Kari into contact with an evil spirit and with the ghost of her mother, gone since Kari was a baby, forcing her to confront her past and move forward.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 107: Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Today #HorrorForLibraries is in honor of my STAR review of one of the mostly hotly anticipated Horror titles of 2023. Details below, but first, here are the rules on how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #106. Our winner was Lindsay from Cook Memorial [IL] Public Library District.

Now on to the giveaway many of you have been waiting for-- Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones. My star review went live today:

STAR Review 

Don’t Fear the Reaper 

By Stephen Graham Jones 

Feb. 2023. 464p. Saga, $27.99 (9781982186593); e-book, $14.99 (9781982186616). First published December 1, 2022 (Booklist). 

December 12, 2019, four years after the Independence Day Massacre at Indian Lake, Jade Daniels returns in the midst of an epic blizzard, just as notorious serial killer, Dark Mills South, has murdered his entire armed transport team, and escapes at the Proofrock, ID exit ramp. For the next 36 hours, the citizens of town will be forced to relive their trauma, some from four years ago, others from further in the past, as killers, out for revenge, go on a bloody rampage. Once again, Jade is at the center of it all. Armed with not much more than her slasher knowledge, indefatigable spirit, and strong moral compass, Jade will need to make another final girl stand if there is any hope of making it to Friday the 13th. Unlike the first book, there is no need to set the scene, the unease builds to terror and bursts with gory action sequences immediately, a pacing that only lets up for brief gulps of air. Readers are given access to a multitude of voices, characters who get a chance to be heard, fleshed out, and ultimately set the stage for Jade’s return. More than the slasher it presents itself as, this is a contemplation on the allure of the genre itself, a novel that acknowledges the well trod ground upon which it stands while simultaneously and ingeniously burrowing new tunnels straight into readers’ nightmares. A superior example of 21st Century horror, an awesome reading experience, a blood soaked thrill ride, with a strong emotionally heartfelt core, where every detail matters, delivered by an author at the top of his game. 

YA Statement: Jade made be a full fledged adult now, but the action, carnage, and many of the points of view, are centered around the town's high school seniors. The strong ties and references to well-known slasher films will also be a huge draw.

Go to the general blog for my "Three Words," more detailed appeal notes, and readalikes. But first, enter to win. 

Thank you to Saga Press and specifically Joe Monti who made sure I had a copy of this title well in advance of the review. Now it can be yours. Good luck!  

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 106: The Clackity by Lora Senf

Today #HorrorForLibraries is celebrating MG Horror with a giveaway of an ARC of one the best Middle Grade Horror titles of the year. It is also a debut. Details below, but first, here are the rules on how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #105. Our winner was Christina from Thayer [MA] Public Library.

Now on to today's giveaway, The Clackity by Lora Senf. Publisher summary:

Reminiscent of Doll Bones and Small Spaces, this “delightfully eerie” middle grade novel tells the story of a girl who must rescue her aunt by entering a world of ghosts, witches, and monsters to play a game with deadly consequences. 

Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor—the seventh-most haunted town in America—with her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert. Des doesn’t have many rules except one: Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her.

There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity makes a deal with Evie to help get Des back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. Evie reluctantly embarks on a journey into a strange otherworld filled with hungry witches, penny-eyed ghosts, and a memory-thief, all while being pursued by a dead man whose only goal is to add Evie to his collection of lost souls. Will she ever find Des, or is The Clackity planning something far more sinister

With the success of Summer Scares, the HWA's commitment to Middle Grade Horror has also increased, including the addition of the first Bram Stoker Award for Middle Grade Horror for 2023. And the timing is perfect because middle grade horror is producing some of the best horror out there.

Over the last few years, I have been posting about Middle Grade fiction in general, writing about why I think more adults should be reading it. Here is an example of one of those discussions.

I am so excited to be a part of this push to get Middle Grade Horror the accolades it deserves while also getting it into more readers hands. The Clackity provides a great example and starting point. 

I will be writing about Middle Grade Horror a lot more in the coming months; in fact, I have a longer discussion of Middle Grade Horror on the general blog today, but in the mean time, enter to win an ARC of The Clackity courtesy of Senf. 

Remember, enter once and you will be entered going forward.

Good luck!