#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls (with bonus swag)

It's almost Thanksgiving and to celebrate all we should be thankful for, I am offering one of the most anticipated titles of 2025. A book I already gave a star in Booklist and I am giving away the special package the publisher sent to me which has the ARC and more. Details below but first, here are the rules on how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American 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 for the previous giveaway. Our winner was Grace. Now on to this week's giveaway.

STAR

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

By Grady Hendrix Jan. 2025. 432p. Berkley, $30 (9780593548981); paper, $19 (9780593818183). First published October 15, 2024 (Booklist).

Neva, fifteen and pregnant in 1970, is brought in secrecy to Florida and the Wellwood House, a maternity home by name, but a prison in practice, a stand-in for such homes that proliferated across the US and Canada between 1945 and 1973. Once admitted Neva is renamed Fern, to protect her from the shame she is reassured, ends after she gives birth. Abandoned, alone, and struggling to access information about what is happening to their bodies, angry at being told they alone must pay for their sins, Fern and her roommates– Zinnia, the only black girl, Rose, a hippie, and Holly, a molested 14 year old– are given a copy of “How to Be a Groovy Witch” by the bookmobile librarian and their lives are changed forever. Told from Fern’s perspective, this is an original and nuanced addition to the witch cannon. However, it is the clear, accurate, and intensely visceral body horror of pregnancy and birth laid bare, that may catch readers off guard. Another stellar novel from Hendrix, a story that has a strong emotional core, compelling plot, unforgettable characters, and 360 degrees of terror. For fans of Horror that empowers the powerless as written by Gwendolyn Kiste, Gabino Iglesias and The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. YA Statement: Teen horror readers will be invested in Fern, Holly, Zinnia, and Rose’s story which, despite taking place in 1970, is unfortunately still relevant today.

Three Words That Describe This Book: visceral, empowerment, intense

Please click through and read all of what I have to say about this book. It is so good and so accurate. I have given birth to 2 children and Hendrix got everything right. This is a story of female empowerment by a dude who understands that men, especially those with privilege, need to stand up and take a stand for all women. Oh, and it is an awesome story. 

Get multiple copies of this book on order now and get ready for a whole bunch of male readers to complain that this book is too gross. Joke's on them, all the "gross" parts are 100% real.

This giveaway is a special package for all of you. I have an unread ARC (I read a PDF) that Berkley sent me with a copy of "How to Be a Groovy Witch" and a bookmobile library card. All of this along with the regular RA for All swag already included in every winner's package is all going to one winner.

Enter now and you are entered going forward. 

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway is Back with 2 Books for 1 Winner

After a 2 week hiatus coming on the heels of the flurry of October posts and giveaways, I am back and offering 2 titles-- one an ARC and one a finished copy, both great options for all libraries and both going to one lucky winner. Details below but first, here are the rules on how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American 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 for the previous giveaway. Our winners were Kristin and Nicole. Now on to this week's giveaway.

In the most recent issue of Booklist. I reviewed a great Lovecraft satire. Click here for the full post and below I have the draft review and my three words:

Strange Stones
By Edward Lee & Mary SanGiovanni
Jan. 2025. 140p. Clash, paper, $16.95 (9781960988416).
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2024 (Booklist).

Weird fiction scholar, Professor Everard is a regular on the Horror convention circuit giving lectures and sleeping women attendees. While promoting his latest book– proclaiming Lovecraft to be a hack- he angers a beautiful witch, both with his bad take and lecherousness. She casts a spell that sends Everard into Lovecraft's stories, forcing him to use his knowledge of the author’s work to get himself out of danger– without losing his life or his mind, difficult challenges for any Lovecraft protagonist. Presenting a modern retelling of Lovecraft, stripped of the original’s archaic language, with full acknowledgement of Lovecraft’s horrific world view, Lee (a critically acclaimed author of Extreme Horror) and SanGiovanni (an award winning novelist and Lovecraft scholar) have created an immersive, visceral, and existentially terrifying tale, injected with just the right amount of satire, a story that showcases what is enduring about Lovecraft’s work, inviting new readers in the process, much like in I Am Providence by Mamatas, The Ballad of Black Tom by LaValle, and Sister, Maiden, Monster by Snyder. 

Three Words That Describe This Book: retelling, Cosmic Horror, satire

Thanks to Clash I am offering this ARC today in conjunction with another book by an author I had the privilege to work with on an awesome event we had in September to promote my book with ALA Editions-- Matthew Salinas. Click here to watch the hour long presentation/discussion of The Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror, 3rd edition on YouTube.

Salinas is offering a finished copy of his collection, As It Stands for me to give away to one of you. First though let me tell you a bit more about this collection which I am recommending here today for all public libraries.

Salinas' stories range widely but they are all more of the psychological horror subgenera, so creepy, spooky, atmospheric tales that linger on your skin and in your head. Do not expect jump scares and gore here. Rather character centered, unsettling tales of ghosts in graveyards, vampires, and unreliable narrators. There is some Lovecraftian influences here as well.

One of the neat things Salinas does is break a few of the stories into Part 1 and Part 2 but they are not back to back. So you get Part 1 and then a handful of stores later, you get Part 2. I really enjoyed this. It was unique and added an extra layer of unease and enjoyment. It happens 3 times and it was a great narrative choice that makes this collection stand out from others.

I would compare his writing to Steve Toase. I have a review of his collection here. But overall a very good new voice whop will appeal to a wide range of your Horror readers. And in general, story collections are an excellent way for our patrons to find new to them authors.

So enter now and you have a chance to win both of these books this week, and of course you are also entered going forward. 

Good luck!

Halloween Hangover Meet Election Anxiety via Emily Hughes in Slate

I know the blog-a-thon ended yesterday but ending on a Thursday didn't sit right with me, so I have one final post to round out the week.

With the election coming up next week, I know just what everyone needs-- a viewing of Texas Chain Saw Massacre!

Seriously. I am not kidding and Emily Hughes wrote this piece for Slate, "The Parable of the Chain Saw"-- a serious contemplation of this movie's release into the politically unstable and terrifying world 50 years ago and how similar to now that world seems. And so much more. Please give it a read and take care of yourselves during this stressful time.

If Texas Chain Saw Massacre is too much for you, give Hughes' book a read instead-- Horror For Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You're Too Scared to Watch.

Click on the image below or here to read the piece via Slate.

The Parable of the Chain Saw 

It’s the bleakest horror movie in American cinema. There’s never been a better time to watch it.

BY EMILY C. HUGHES