#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman

This week has been all about the Best of 2024 lists over on the general blog, so I thought it would be fun to giveaway a book that is already one of the best of 2025. It is book I already gave a star in Booklist and I have an ARC, courtesy of the publisher, for one of you. 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 Becky (but not me!). Now on to this week's giveaway.

Okay I need you all to get ready for this one. I'm serious. This book is terrifyingly realistic, it is by a trusted #HorrorForLibraries authors, and it is coming out in just over 4 weeks. It is Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman. Here is my draft review and three words from the general blog:

With his most ambitious novel yet, Chapman (What Kind of Mother), leans on established possession and zombie tropes and spins them into an original tale that hijacks readers’ nervous systems. It’s a few days before Christmas and Noah cannot reach his conservative parents in Virginia. Worried, he reluctantly leaves his family behind in Brooklyn to race south arriving at a disaster scene. His parents are clearly not well, and Fax* News is blaring in every room. But this opening is a brilliant red-herring, lulling readers into thinking they know what is coming. They do not. Told in three “phases” each with a distinct writing style, from Noah’s perspective to flashbacks of from his brother's family to a race through an apocalyptic landscape as Noah desperately heads home, incorporating social media, video transcripts, and news reports throughout, Chapman, chronicles The Great Reawakening– a virus that has patiently threaded its way through screens to infect half of America. A compelling, cinematic, visceral, and disturbing tale, driven by fully realized, sympathetic characters, this is a memorable novel that implicates all, regardless of where they stand on “the issues. A terrifying update to King’s classic Cell, for fans of discomforting, social commentary Horror like Wendig’s Wanderers duology, Felker-Martin’s Manhunt and Leede’s American Rapture. 

*Fax is not a typo 

Three Words That Describe This Book: visceral, nuanced, discomfitingly realistic

I need you all to click through to see my further appeal comments in the blog post from when the review first published. Seriously, this book is viscerally and existentially terrifying, it uses all five sense to involve fear, and it has a whopper of an ending. 

Just trust me and click through. And I hope everyone has this one on order already. Everyone will be talking about this one in January. EVERY ONE. I can see it being picked up by cable news as we enter the inauguration season. 

Thank you to Quirk Books for the ARC. This one hasn't even been cracked because I read a PDF for review very early.

Enter now and you are entered going forward into 2025. Which reminds me, this is the last giveaway of the year. I do not want to tax the postal service with unnecessary packages after this week.

Good Luck.

Best Horror of 2024 via Library Journal w/ Input and Annotations By Me

 Head on over to the main blog to see the entire LJ Best Books portal, but here on the Horror blog, I wanted to make sure the Horror list got posted here so that it was searchable as a resource. Please note, that main blog post also has easy backlist access.

I am very happy to have been part of the team who looked at the year that was and prioritized the reading experience of these titles as we weighed their status as best. It is a refreshing way to look at the "best" tag. As I went through the Horror selection experience over a couple of meetings with my editor and list mate, Melissa DeWild, the conversations we had about all of the titles we considered was enlightening.

Please note, this is the LJ Best Horror list. It is similar to, but not exactly, my personal Horror Best List for 2024. As we look at the genre, only titles that got a star in the Horror category in LJ can be considered. The experience of working on this list is very fulfilling. Plus, I had the pleasure of writing all the annotations for the Horror list.

My personal Best Horror of the Year list will be posted here later this month. But for now, enjoy this great list of Horror books that were an exceptional reading experience.

Go here or see below [minus the covers] for the Library Journal Best Horror 2024. 

Ajram, Sofia. Coup de Grâce. Titan. ISBN 9781803369624.

Vicken enters the Montreal subway system with a plan to get off at the final stop and walk to the Saint Lawrence River to end his life. But when he arrives, he finds himself trapped in an underground maze with no exit. This immersive liminal-space novella illustrates, brutally and beautifully, the horror of mental illness and compels readers to finish the story in a single sitting.

Harrison, Rachel. So Thirsty. Berkley. ISBN 9780593642542.

Millennial Sloane is struggling after her husband cheats on her. But when he gifts her and her best friend a spa weekend for her birthday, she happily accepts. While living it up at the spa, the two women meet a group of eccentric Europeans, and their lives are changed forever. Readers will be delighted to sink their teeth into Harrison’s nuanced and thought-provoking take on the vampire trope.

Iglesias, Gabino. House of Bone and Rain. Mulholland. ISBN 9780316427012.

As Hurricane Maria bears down on Puerto Rico, childhood best friends Gabe, Xavier, Tavo, and Paul join Bimbo in his quest for revenge against the drug lord who gunned down Bimbo’s mother. Told with an engaging and honest narration, Gabe walks readers through the visceral monsters, both real and supernatural, that haunt the island, its history, and its people, as he repeatedly reminds readers, “All stories are ghost stories.”

Jones, Stephen Graham. I Was a Teenage Slasher. Saga. ISBN 9781668022245. 

Tolly recounts the summer of 1989, when as a 17-year-old living in Lamesa, TX, he killed several of his high school classmates. Beginning with the fateful night Tolly and his friend Amber attend a house party, Jones’s novel presents Tolly as the yin to “Indian Lake Trilogy” star Jade’s yang, delivering a highly entertaining, if chilling tale, and lays down new ground rules for the entire slasher genre.

Kiefer, Jenny. This Wretched Valley. Quirk. ISBN 9781683693680. 

Four twentysomethings entered the Kentucky woods on a mission to scale a newly discovered rock formation, except, as readers know from the novel’s opening pages, they were never seen alive again. Told from the point of view of each doomed character, Kiefer’s debut presents a terrifying tale of a land deeply rooted in evil, with a long-held thirst for human blood.

Kiste, Gwendolyn. The Haunting of Velkwood. Saga. ISBN 9781982172374. 

 Twenty years ago, one suburban block slipped into its own dimension. Everyone was lost except three girls who returned to college the night before. One of those girls, Talitha, now 40, is enticed to return in order to make contact with the little sister she left behind. Atmospheric and riveting, Kiste’s novel exposes the horror of suburban malaise and reminds readers that young women, if given the chance, are powerful enough to save the world.

Lima, Ananda. Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil. Tor. ISBN 9781250292971. 

 Lima’s debut is exactly what the title proclaims it to be, a novel in stories that “the writer” creates for the Devil throughout her life. The stories themselves range from weird and chilling to emotionally devastating; however, it is in the chapters between the stories (where the writer describes her lifelong interactions with the Devil) that unite the entire volume, making it an original, captivating, and unforgettable read.

McGregor, Tim. Eynhallow. Raw Dog Screaming. ISBN 9781947879676. 

 It’s 1797, and Agnes is one of 20 souls living on Eynhallow in the Orkney Islands. Life is hard, and visitors are rare. The sudden arrival of the rich Dr. Frankenstein upends everyone’s lives, especially that of Agnes, whose husband hires her out to be the stranger’s housekeeper. As Agnes gets to know Frankenstein, the tension, unease, and danger build, sightings of a monster lurking in the darkness increase, and Frankenstein’s curse becomes Agnes’s burden.

Tingle, Chuck. Bury Your Gays. Tor Nightfire. ISBN 9781250874658. 

 Misha is a semi-closeted horror screenwriter whose impressive career is peaking with an Oscar nomination, but then the algorithm that dominates this near-future Hollywood demands he kill off his women leads right after they kiss. Misha refuses, which turns him into the protagonist of a very real and extremely dangerous story. Tingle takes readers on an existential thrill ride filled with satire and original monsters, ultimately reminding them that horror is, at its core, a celebration of life.

Tremblay, Paul. Horror Movie. Morrow. ISBN 9780063070011. 

 “The Thin Kid,” the only survivor from the 1993 film Horror Movie, a never-fully-released cult sensation, is asked to work on the movie’s reboot 30 years later. Moving between 1993 and 2023, framed as an audiobook confessional by “The Thin Kid,” and including the full screenplay of the original film, the novel is not only unsettling from every angle, but it will also alter the way its readers interact with any horror movie ever again.

#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

31 Days of Horror: Day 31-- Announcing the 2025 Summer Scares Spokesperson and Program Timeline

Happy Halloween everyone. Today is the end of our 31 Days together, but as usual we end with a look forward. Today is the announcement marking the beginning of Summer Scares 2025!

This will be the last you hear from me on the Horror blog until 11/14 when I will return with a new #HorrorForLibraies Giveaway.

HWA ANNOUNCES SUMMER SCARES READING PROGRAM 2025 SPOKESPERSON AND TIMELINE

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is proud to announce the sixth annual Summer Scares, a reading program that provides libraries and schools with an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle grade readers. It introduces readers and librarians to new authors and helps start conversations extending beyond the books from each list, promoting reading for years to come.

Summer Scares is proud to announce the 2025 spokesperson, #1 New York Times Bestselling author Kendare Blake:

"As a proud member of the club of people who read Stephen King too young, I am both honored and absolutely psyched to be this years' Summer Scares Spokesperson. Long ago, in elementary school, I had a beloved librarian with hair as black as night and teeth like Nosferatu. On dreary, wintry afternoons she would gather the children near and read to us from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, her eyes brightening with our every small whimper. She was, in short, THE BEST. I hope to meet many more librarians this year with her same, spooky spirit. So come along, folks of all ages, and let's read the scary stuff all summer long! It's not just for October anymore." 

Blake, along with a committee of six library workers, will select three recommended fiction titles in each reading level, totaling nine Summer Scares selections. The program aims to encourage a conversation at libraries worldwide about the horror genre across all age levels and ultimately attract more adults, teens, and children interested in reading. Official Summer Scares designated authors will also make themselves available to public and school libraries.

The committee’s final selections will be announced on February 14, 2025, Library Lover’s Day. Blake, along with some of the selected authors, will kick off Summer Scares at the 9th Annual HWA Librarians’ Day, Friday, June 13th, during StokerCon® 2025 at the Hilton Stamford Hotel in Stamford, CT. Tickets for this in-person event are available now: https://www.stokercon2025.com/librarian-s-day.

Additional content, including podcast appearances, free webinars with Booklist, and lists of suggested titles for further reading, will be made available by the committee and its partners beginning in March of 2025 and continuing through the Spring and Summer.

Of special note is the annual Summer Scares Programming Guide, courtesy of HWA Library Committee Co-Chair Konrad Stump and the Springfield-Greene County Library, which provides creative ideas to engage horror readers. Centered around the official Summer Scares titles, the guide offers tips and examples for readers’ advisory, book discussion guides, and sample programs, enabling librarians, even those who don’t read or especially enjoy the horror genre themselves, to connect their communities with Summer Scares.

To see past year’s Summer Scares titles, spokespeople, and programming guides, please visit the program archive: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares-archive.html.

This year, Summer Scares is excited to announce a brand new sponsor– iREAD, an all ages Summer Reading Program developed by librarians for libraries. iREAD is used by libraries across the United States and around the world through their partnership with the US Department of Defense, bringing Summer Scares to our military families stationed across the globe.

iREAD Content and Development Manager Becca Boland shared her excitement:

“As a new sponsor of Summer Scares, iREAD is thrilled (and chilled) to support the Summer Scares program guide that will help libraries ‘unearth’ a love for reading. As part of this partnership, every summer you'll find one spine-tingling book for each age range and category that aligns with the iREAD theme. iREAD will also help to provide programming assistance for the guide ensuring everyone has a ‘fang-tastic’ time! Let’s conjure up some excitement and make this summer a real ‘scream’ with Summer Scares and iREAD."

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon from Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD and NoveList®, as well as at the HWA’s website: www.horror.org and RA for All Horror: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html.

Questions? Reach out to HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump via email: libraries@horror.org. 

Summer Scares 2025 Committee Members: 

Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, and Richard Linklater. She lives and writes in Gig Harbor, Washington, with her husband, their cat son Tyrion Cattister, red Doberman dog son Obi-Dog Kenobi, rottie mix dog daughter Agent Scully, and naked Sphynx cat son Armpit McGee.

Becky Spratford is a library consultant and the author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, third edition which was released in September of 2021. She reviews horror for Booklist Magazine, is the horror columnist for Library Journal and runs the Readers’ Advisory blog, RA for All: Horror.

Konrad Stump is a Local History Associate for the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library, where he co-coordinates Springfield-Greene's popular “Oh, the Horror!” series, which attracts hundreds of patrons during October. He created the Donuts & Death horror book discussion group, featured in “Book Club Reboot: 71 Creative Twists” (ALA), and co-created the Summer Scares Programming Guide. Library workers who are interested in cultivating horror programming can contact him at konrads@thelibrary.org for free assistance.

Carolyn Ciesla is an academic library director in the Chicago suburbs. She has worked as a teen librarian and reference librarian, and has reviewed horror titles for Booklist Magazine. She’s currently teaching horror to first-year college students. You can find her all over the internet as @papersquared.

Kelly Jensen is an editor at Book Riot, the largest independent book website in North America. She covers all things young adult literature and has written about censorship for nearly ten years. She is the author of three critically-acclaimed and award-winning anthologies for young adults on the topics of feminism, mental health, and the body. She was named a person of the year in 2022 by Publishers Weekly and a Chicagoan of the year in 2022 by the Chicago Tribune for her anti-censorship work. She has also earned commendation from the American Association of School Librarians for her censorship coverage. Prior to her work at Book Riot, she was a public librarian for children, teens, and adults in several libraries in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. She is currently enrolled in a clinical mental health counseling master's program to bolster her work with mental health.

Julia Smith joined the Books for Youth team at Booklist in 2015, where she is now a senior editor. Her love of middle-grade literature and all things unsettling and strange draws her to creepy children's stories. You can follow her at @JuliaKate32 on Twitter.

Yaika Sabat (MLS) comes from a background in public libraries of various sizes. She now works at NoveList as the Manager of Reader Services, where she trains library staff nationwide on readers’ advisory, creates genre-focused content, and works on reader-focused products and services. As a Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council member, she works to help librarians understand and embrace the horror genre. Her other passions include writing, graphic novels, film (the scarier, the better), and folklore.

31 Days of Horror: Day 30-- Promote Horror All Year Long by Lila Denning

Today is the last day of programming here before tomorrow's annual Halloween announcement of the Summer Scares Spokesperson. That means it is the perfect day to talk about what happens from November 1-September 30.

The short answer is....still Horror. But I know that it not intuitive to everyone. To help I invited Lila Denning, acquisitions librarian, book display guru, horror reviewer, and much more to tell all of you how to promote Horror all year long.

Take it away Lila. And after reading this, visit her blog-- Passively Recommending Books for book display advice all year long. [Spoiler alert, Horror shows up all the time.]

As October ends, Halloween Librarians may grow sad as the time to have horror shine comes to an end. The rest of our collections can come out of hiding in November as the calendar moves towards the winter holidays. That sort of thinking is increasingly obsolete as horror’s profile in publishing continues to rise. Libraries need to change the marketing of their collections to demonstrate an understanding of horror readers, from the most intense to casual fans. If you are skeptical, ask yourself when is crime fiction or science fiction season? Horror fans deserve the same year round attention that other readers receive. 

Passive readers advisory tools such as book displays and book lists both help your patrons find their next great read while allowing your library to bring backlist titles to your patron’s attention. View them as a marketing tool to show off the depth and breadth of your library’s collection. That includes horror outside of October (as well as romance outside of February but that’s for another blog.)

Winter and holiday horror is released every year. Recent titles include the collections Christmas and Other Horrors: A winter solstice anthology (2023) and The Darkest Night: A Terrifying Anthology of Winter Horror Stories (2024) as well as novels like Candy Cain Kills (2023), Dead of Winter (2023), Where the Dead Wait (2023), and the forthcoming Our Winter Monster (2025). A book display or list with winter themed crime fiction and horror would give your patrons plenty of options. There are horror titles that you can match up with almost any holiday or season. When you set up displays or lists, include horror. There are plenty of terrifying thrillers and mysteries that are released throughout the year. People love to read frighting and suspenseful fiction all year. Spring break and summer are great times to promote horror. As someone who lives 15 minutes from the beach, I can promise you that “beach read” doesn’t mean light and humorous to everyone.

The Bram Stoker Awards occur every year in summer. The long list as well as the previous year’s nominated titles make for a great midsummer book display or list. Don’t forget Summer Scares, a joint effort between iRead, NoveList, Book Riot, and the Horror Writers of America, designed to promote horror reading in the summer. There are middle grade, young adult, and adult titles chosen every year. The current and past selections, as well as other titles from the authors who have been chosen also make for a great summertime display.

Pick a trope or theme and add books from across your collection. Witches, shifters, haunted houses, grief, unexplained death, and dysfunctional families can be found in many fiction and non-fiction titles. Someone who loves a theme in one genre already has an entryway into finding a horror novel they will love. These kinds of displays and lists can be put up year-round. Don’t worry about mixing up genres in a list or book display. If you check the bibliographic record for crime fiction or horror, you will see multiple genres listed. Even publishers will list several genres on their own sites, promoting individual titles. 

Horror is being blended with other kinds of fiction regularly now. Those readers you may have decided don’t like horror are watching horror movies and streaming series. Harness a popular horror story in another medium to promote your horror backlist. Horror themed movies and streaming shows are released all year. Find read alikes in your collection and allow things that are already on your patrons’ mind to help move your backlist titles. Think broadly when you consider how similar a title is to a given movie or show; don’t get trapped into thinking readalikes need to be a precise match.

Enjoy mashing up genres in your book displays and lists! I hope I have shown you that you can add horror to your passive readers advisory efforts all year. Many of your patrons seek out scares and thrills as part of their regular reading. While October is peak time for scary tales, let your spooky collection shine every month.

31 Days of Horror: Day 29-- Neil McRobert's (Talking Scared) Best Horror of the Year via Esquire

As Spooky Season is ending, I will begin to shift the conversation here on the blog  toward what you can do all year long to support Horror, but today I wanted to take one last look back at what a great year it has already been through Neil McRobert's 2024 Best Horror of the Year for Esquire magazine.

McRobert, the host of Talking Scared, knows his stuff. He is entrenched in the world of Horror like very few others. And his work in Esquire, bringing a knowledgeable and serious discussion of Horror to a mainstream media platform-- one that is not solely book focused-- is very important.

This best of the year list is one example of why McRobert's voice is necessary for us library workers to be aware of. Unlike me and my fellow library world reviewers, he does not have to worry about how easily a library can get a book and add it to their collection. He does not have to worry if the physical copy will stand up to multiple checkouts. He does not have to make sure his list does not, for example, have too many picks from the same publisher. And, he can include as many books as he wants.

This is awesome for us. To have another expert's opinion on what is "best" and why is priceless to us. There are too many yahoos online who want to yell about how their opinion is the only one that matters. However, they are not literal students of the genre like myself and people like Emily Hughes, or the other librarians who do this work day in a day out. McRobert has a degree in this; he reads the books; and he engages in deep conversations with the authors. His opinion matters to us and our readers.

Back in 2021, I invited McRobert to become part of the Why I Love Horror family. Click here for his essay. And click here to learn more about Talking Scared (if you don't know already).

And of course, the main reason for this post-- here is McRobert's top 38 Horror books of 2024. The list is annotated so you can use McRobert's words to share these titles with readers. You can see the introduction below or just click here and go to the Esquire site now. 

The Best Horror Books of 2024

Our favorites are digging grim tunnels into territory old and new, from haunted houses to whimsical horror comedies.

by Neil McRobert

There’s a long-standing theory that in times of real-world strife, readers lose their appetite for fictional horrors. That has never been true. The carnage of pulp magazines only gained popularity after the world wars, while Vietnam and the end of the hippie dream led directly to The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, and the ascendancy of Stephen King. And now our freshly unstable world is proving fertile ground for the growth of new budding nightmares.

So far, 2024 has been brimming with fantastic horror stories. I’ve done my absolute best to curate a list of the must-read titles released up to this point. The most promising element of the list below is in the breadth, depth, and variety of the darkness at play. Unlike in previous “golden” eras of horror, there is no dominant trend. Rather, horror writers are digging their own grim tunnels into territory old and new. Retro haunted-house stories sit alongside extreme body horror. Whimsical horror comedies work in tandem with serious political subcurrents. Horror is not just responding to the perma-crisis we’re all living through; it’s providing respite and escape from it. Horror teaches as much as it terrifies. It heals as much as it hurts.

This list contains titles from the whole spectrum of the genre. There are stories to satisfy the most bloodthirsty tastes and some that will lead the uneasy on their first forays into the shadowy end of the library.

Enjoy. It’s good to be scared.

Click here to see the annotated list.

31 Days of Horror: Day 28-- Librarians' Day is Coming in June on Friday the 13th and You Can Sign Up NOW!

As we approach the end of our 31 days together I wanted to remind you that Horror Season is all year long. And just because it is no longer October, that does not mean we stop talking about your Horror readers. 

On Thursday, I will be hosting the official start of Summer Scares 2025 with our press release of the spokesperson and details on the timeline for the program.

But today, I am going to get you excited for something else. This year's Librarians' Day, on Friday, June 13, 2025 in Stamford, CT. It is a full day of continuing education and learning for all library workers for only $60.

Below and at this link you can see the schedule and sign up right now. We are expecting a big crowd as the location is close enough for hundreds of libraries to attend.

If you know you will have 5 or more people to register, email me at libraries@horror.org so we can get you a group discount as well.

Real talk time-- in a few days you are going to miss this daily dose of Horror talk. You can help you, help yourself and limit your own withdrawal by registering today for Librarians' Day. Then you will have something to look forward to.

Click here for the full schedule on the StokerCon website or see below.

Librarians’ Day Schedule for StokerCon 2025, Stamford, CT
 
Librarians’ Day
Friday June 13, 2025
8am-4pm
Librarians’ Day only ticket - $60

BUY TICKETS HERE

Please note: Librarians’ Day is open to all StokerCon ticket holders. If you already have a regular ticket, we invite you to attend any of our programming at no extra cost.  

ABOUT: On the Friday of StokerCon, the Horror Writers Association (HWA) offers "Librarians' Day" -- a full day of horror-focused continuing education programming for all library workers. Topics include readers' advisory, programming featuring the conference's guest authors on timely topics, information on how you can work with the HWA, and more. Below you'll find this year's special program for the on-site conference. Librarians' Day ticket holders will have access to the dealer's room and other areas of the full conference throughout the day. ​

SCHEDULE

8 -8:25 a.m.: Welcome to Librarians’ Day!: Meet the Librarians’ Day team and fellow librarians from across the country while enjoying coffee and bites courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

8:30-9:20 am: Brains! Brains! Brainstorming Ways to Engage Your Community, Moderated by Jocelyn Codner and Meghan Bouffard: Join HWA Library Advisory Council members in small group discussions to meet some of your fellow librarians, share experiences, and gather ideas for how to engage your community with the horror community.

9:30-10:20 am: How to Feature Horror at Your Library, Moderated by Corey Farrenkopf: Hear librarians from across the country share their experiences featuring horror at their libraries, from book discussions to writing groups to author events and more.

10:30-11:20 am: Buzzing About Horror Books, Moderated by Emily Vinci: Join librarians and book reviewers as they share the buzz about a slew of exciting new and upcoming horror titles. Come for the booktalks; stay for the free books and swag!

11:30 am-1 pm: Lunch Break: Explore Stamford and enjoy a nearby restaurant.

1-1:50 pm: What Horror Means to Me, Moderated by Lila Denning: Join StokerCon 2025’s Guests of Honor for a lively discussion about why readers of all ages enjoy a good scare, from fictional frights to all-too-true terrors. Featuring Scott Edelman, Paula Guran, Adam Nevill, Joyce Carol Oates, Gaby Triana, and Tim Waggoner.

2-2:50 pm: This Book is Haunted: cursed objects and texts in film and literature, Moderated by Ben Rubin. An old tome with archaic writing, an unmarked VHS, a doll with an unsettling gaze, a camera through which the viewfinder shows a reality that seems just a bit off…Cursed objects provide not only an intriguing plot device but their uncanny realism can also make the reader or viewer feel complicit in the haunting. Join us as we explore the popularity of cursed objects and media and why these stories are essential for library shelves. Featuring Clay McLeod Chapman, Adam Nevill, and Emily Vinci with more panelists to be announced soon!

3-3:50 pm: Summer Scares: A Thrilling Summer Reading Program, Moderated by Yaika Sabat: Join Summer Scares current and past selected authors, spokespeople, and partners to learn more about the HWA’s popular summer reading program, how to get involved, and how to use Summer Scares resources to better serve your patrons. Stay tuned for our full list of panelists! ​ ​

I hope to see you there on Friday the 13th, this coming June.

BUY TICKETS HERE

31 Days of Horror: Day 27-- Weekly Links Round-Up

Each Sunday during 31 Days of Horror I will be sharing the links, articles, and such that other resources and media put out into the world this October so that you can use them as a resource both right now and all year long:

• A really great discussion on reading today's Horror or just how to talk about it via the LitHub Podcast 
• Barnes and Nobel Best Horror of 2024
• Goosebumps: The Vanishing trailer releases via Deadline
• Dracula Author's Lost Story Uncovered After 134 Years via BBC 
• Book Riot's Check Your Shelf Newsletter (for library workers) did a round up of all the Halloween Reading Season lists for all ages of readers. A MUST BOOKMARK link.
• The ARC Party podcast talks about the year of SGJ-- new works and the big backlist republish. 
• Watch Scare Up the Vote replay (Horror for Harris event). All your and your patrons' favorite Horror authors presenting for 2.5 hours.
• My interview with M.M. Olivas from the 10/1/24 issue of Library Journal is now live.
• link to review of Sundown in San Ojuela is here
• All of LJ's Prepub Alert Coverage but you can easily scan for the Horror ones. Use it both to plan ahead and to go back to see what you missed.
• Horror Movies and the Books You Should Read With Them This Spooky Season via Book Riot's Fright Stuff newsletter

31 Days of Horror: Day 26: Horror Covers As a Conversation Starter

Yesterday, I reposted a Why I Love Horror essay by Lynne Hansen, one of the best and most prolific Horror novel cover artists working now. 

I wanted to include her in this year of looking back at some of my best entries in the series because as we all know covers matter so much. Horror covers, even more.

Last Fall I wrote this article for the lineup featuring six Horror cover artists not to miss with annotations of the books they have covered.

Below I have the introduction, but I want to remind everyone that talking to patrons about covers is a great conversation starter. Readers care about covers, but they don't think they should admit that to us. When we bring it up, we lighten the mood and get them more relaxed as we ask them to share what they are in the mood to read. Starting an interaction with a reader with a conversation starter like-- have you seen the awesome cover on this book?-- is a great option.

You can also look to the general blog where I post often about how to use conversation starter to build interactive displays at this post. A great option to build a display is to formally ask patrons to answer the question-- what is a book you picked based on its cover alone? Again directions on how to do this are here.

But I want you to stop for a moment and think about this question. Because most people think judging a book by its cover is taboo, you asking this question will be noticed by your patrons. They will find it a bit illicit even. And, most importantly. it will who them that you understand how readers actually pick books. It will remove their discomfort about asking for their next good read. It shows them that you care and want to help. And finally, it shows you have a sense of humor about it all.

Here is the intro to that article from September of 2023 to help you get started with using Horror book covers as part of your work with readers.

A Librarian Wants You to Judge These Horror Books by Their Covers

From the haunted stacks: Six horror illustrators not to miss.

By Becky Spratford | Published Sep 22, 2023

Psst…. I have a dark, dirty library secret for all of you. I think we have been doing this column long enough that I can trust you enough to share it with you. Here it is… 

 I judge books by their covers.

I will give you all a moment to recover from shock, but it is 100% true. And not only do I judge books by their covers, but I train library workers all over the world to do the very same thing.

Now I know all of you probably heard from a librarian or teacher at some point in your childhood, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I am sure some of you have taken this as fact and carried it into your own adult reading life, even passing it on to new generations of readers. Well, I am here to tell you to forget it.

Why?

Well let’s start with this actual fact: Publishers want their books to have a cover that sells the book to its best reader. They need the cover to do the heavy lifting of attracting readers as they walk by.

But they also want them to be the right readers, ones who if they are attracted by the cover, stop and read the back and then decide to buy the book.

If publishers are putting that much effort, money, and thought into the covers of their books, why aren’t we using the covers to help readers find the best book for them as well? It actually seems irresponsible for me, someone whose job it is to match books with their best readers, to NOT consider the covers. A cover can never tell you exactly what will happen in the book, but those covers created by the very best artists can absolutely tell you quite a bit about the feel of the book to follow, setting the tone for the story that follows.

Which leads us all to this column. Today, I am going to present six of today’s best Horror book illustrators with two example books, titles that you can 100% judge by the superior art gracing their covers. I have spoken to numerous illustrators, authors, and publishers to make sure I have found artists who are both talented and trustworthy. However, the one disappointment I have encountered throughout this process is the overwhelmingly white and male representation in today’s horror cover art world. In fact, those I spoke to know it is a problem and many have been seeking out more marginalized artists to highlight and support as well.

Therefore, this article serves two purposes. One: to help you break the taboo and get out there to judge a book by its cover. It’s fun and slightly illicit, and since I have vetted the titles for you, I can promise you that the books will be worth your time. And two: to serve as a call to action for horror artists from marginalized perspectives to reach out, leave a comment, and let us know who you are so the community can help lift you up. Then, as people encounter this article, they can explore your art as well.

Click here to read the full article and start using Horror covers as a conversation starter all year long. 

31 Days of Horror: Day25-- Why I Love Horror by Lynne Hansen

Today I have a rerun of Why I Love Horror with a different spin. It is from Horror artist Lynne Hansen. And tomorrow, I have another post to pair with this as well.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2020

31 Days of Horror: Day 18: Why I Love Horror by Lynne Hansen [Cover Artist]

In the October 1, 2020 issue of Booklist Magazine, I have a review of Lucy Snyder's excellent story collection, Halloween Season. In that review I callout the "stunning cover." Seriously, the cover [see below] will grab your patron's attention. The stories shouldn't need a good cover to entice readers, but that is the reality of our world. 

This thought and my general RA advice that we should judge books by their covers as we help readers, led me to contact Lynne Hansen, the cover artists for this specific book and for many others, to ask her to be my first ever horror artist for the "Why I Love Horror" series.

Below Hansen shares her love of the genre but also how carefully she crafts the cover to represent what readers will find inside. She uses Halloween Season as a specific example. 

So keep judging books by their covers for general RA purposes and read the first ever cover artist entry in my "Why I Love Horror" series below.

 
Why I Love Horror: Finding the Right Book

by Lynne Hansen

One of my earliest memories is curling up to watch the Acri Creature Feature with my dad on one side and my big brother on the other—and my mom clear on the other side of the house. Not every kind of horror is for everyone, but the genre is so wide that there is something for everyone here.

As a horror artist, I have the very best job in the world. I get to read amazing books by fantastic authors and then create art around my favorite parts. I get to help authors and publishers connect their stories with the right readers, just like librarians get to help readers connect with the right books.

My first drawings as a kid were of monsters. Acri Creature Feature had an art gallery segment every week where they would slowly pan across a wall filled with art sent in by kids. When I was five, I drew a picture of Bernie the Talking Skull and my brother helped me mail it to the television station. One week, I saw my creation on the screen. Sure, it was only for a split-second, practically subliminal, but I was hooked!
When I started school, my first stories were of monsters. I remember writing one about how when I wasn’t around, my stuffed animals would get up and have adventures—but not normal Toy Story type adventures—SCARY adventures.

I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s—BG, Before Goosebumps—so when I wanted something scary to read, well, there were mysteries like Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. And I read a ton of fantasy, devouring Piers Anthony’s Xanth series, but as far as scary books for teens, the only thing I ever found was a series called Dark Forces where teens battled the supernatural. The covers usually featured a shocked or possessed student, and they were only available at our local bookstore—never the library.

At school I read Edgar Allan Poe, and was so excited to find stories that creeped me out and could still be part of curriculum.  I made a book report diorama for “The Pit and the Pendulum,” complete with rope-gnawing rats and a real working tin foil pendulum. I can still remember exactly which shelf in the library housed Poe’s books. (Fourth shelf down on the bookcase to the left of the window, and I read every book there at least twice.)

So there weren’t scary books for me growing up, just movies. But in 8th grade, I made off with a copy of Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews, thinking it was my best friend’s book, only to discover it was her mother’s. Probably not the best choice for a 13-year-old, but it started me down the path of reading adult horror. When I hit high school the next year, I got to read Stephen King’s Carrie and Clive Barker’s Books of Blood collections and I never looked back.

What I loved about horror, and still do, is the roller coaster ride it takes you on. When the lows are so low, the highs are even higher, and the adrenaline rush is amazing—when you find the right book.

It’s just so important to find the perfect match for a particular reader, and luckily there’s a great variety within the genre to choose from.

When I started out as a cover artist, 11 years ago this month, I would create art for whatever kind of book you needed—horror, of course, but also mysteries, young adult, sci-fi—even spicy romance. But my roster was always much more on the horror side. A little over two years ago I decided that I only wanted to make art for the genre I loved. If that meant I had fewer clients, that would be fine by me because at least I’d be doing the work that was most important to me. Wonderfully, I didn’t lose work—I got more. And more. And more after that. I’m so insanely grateful.

I think it has a lot to do with being a lifelong horror fan. I know that there are nuances to horror, and although we horror fans love our haunted houses and creepy skeletons I know that putting a generic version of one of those iconic symbols on a cover isn’t enough to connect the right readers to the right book.

Most book covers first reach out to readers as a tiny thumbnail, whether the reader is seeing the book online or across a crowded library. At this point, a good horror cover has to be readily identifiable as belonging to the genre. Even if a potential reader isn’t familiar with a particular author, they still have to think, “Hey, I like that kind of book! Let me take a closer look!”

And when the reader clicks the cover or crosses the room to pick up a book from a display, the reaction needs to be more than just, “Oh look, it’s bigger!” There needs to be a bonus element, a special detail that makes the reader say, “Oooh! I didn’t notice that! Now I want to know more about this book!” (I call this the “lean in” moment.) And hopefully they’ll flip to the back of the book and read the book description and be unable to put the book down until they reach the circulation desk.

Take for example the cover I created for Lucy A. Snyder’s collection Halloween Season from Raw Dog Screaming Press. [Click here to access it.] When you first see that book in thumbnail, you see a giant pumpkin house with excited trick-or-treaters about to ring the doorbell. Potential readers conjure fond childhood experiences with the holiday. Then they lean in to learn a bit more and discover that all is not all soft-focus nostalgia. There’s a silhouette of a man with a knife in one window, and in the other, we see a pair of little hands calling out for help. And is that a zombie crawling out from beneath the porch?

Most importantly, the cover mimics the range of stories you’ll find inside Snyder’s collection, which includes tales that will fill you alternately with love and dread for the Halloween season. If the cover to Halloween Season connects with a reader, so will the stories inside.

And as an artist, that’s all I ever want—for readers to find the authors and stories they’ll love if nudged in the right direction, kind of like I did. I couldn’t have a better job.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynne Hansen is a horror artist who specializes in book covers. She loves creating art that tells a story and that helps publishers and authors reach the audiences they deserve. Her clients include Cemetery Dance Publications, Thunderstorm Books and Raw Dog Screaming Press. She has illustrated works by New York Times bestselling authors including Jonathan Maberry, George Romero, and Christopher Golden. Her art has been commissioned and collected throughout the United States and overseas. Art-Haus Gallery in Atlanta will be hosting her solo art show “Lyrical Nightmares: The Art of Lynne Hansen.” For more information, visit LynneHansenArt.com or find her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @LynneHansenArt.

31 Days of Horror: Day 24-- #HorrorForLibraries Giveaway of Two Beautiful Anthologies from Flame Tree Press

Today I have two hard cover, beautiful, finished Horror anthologies courtesy of their publishers. Both are currently out and both include authors already on your shelves. Details below, but first here are the rules for the giveaway:

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 last week's two book giveaway. Our winners were Rebecca and Juliana. Now on to this week's giveaway.

Flame Tree Press has amazing, gorgeous anthologies that are made with luxury paper but are sold at standard hard cover prices-- $26.99. They have a few series of this high-end anthologies but one of their most recent ones is called Beyond & Within:

The Flame Tree Beyond and Within short story collections bring together tales of myth and imagination by modern and contemporary writers, carefully selected by anthologists, and sometimes featuring short stories from a single author. Overall, the series presents a wide range of diverse and inclusive voices with myth, folkloric-inflected short fiction, and an emphasis on the supernatural, science fiction, the mysterious and the speculative. The books themselves are gorgeous, with foiled covers, printed edges and published only in hardcover editions, offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Today I have two of their newest titles in that series to offer you. These are ready to be put right on your shelves.

The books will be given away to 2 winners in the order of how they are listed here. Please click on the book covers for specific details about each anthology. And big thanks to Flame Tree Press for sending me these books to giveaway to one of you.

Folk Horror: Short Stories Edited by
Paul Kane & Marie O'Regan
Including: Neil Gaiman, John Connolly,
Adam L.G. Nevill, Alison Littlewood,
Jen Williams and more...

Discontinue If Death Ensures:
Tales from the Tipping Point
by Stoker Award Nominees Carol Gyzander,
Kyla Lee Ward, Lee Murray, City O'Quinn,
& Anna Taborska

This also marks the end of #HorrorForLibraries Giveaway during the blog-a-thon this October. I gave away 12 books to 12 winners over the course of our 31 Days together. However, since Halloween is on Thursday next week, and that day is always saved for Summer Scares Spokesperson Announcement day, there will not be a giveaway next week.

But, you can still enter to win between now and 11/14 when the giveaway returns. I have saved some great books for the end of the year including the upcoming Clay McLeod Chapman and Grady Hendrix.

Enter now to make sure you are entered going forward. 

Good luck!

31 Days of Horror: Day 23-- Why I Love Horror via Reddit

As readers of this blog know, I have been exploring why authors, library workers, publishers, and more figures from the book world love Horror for a decade now. 

[Click here to bring up every essay in the series.]

The entire purpose of the series has been for me to offer you, the library worker, who as studies show, are probably afraid of the genre yourself, an example of why those who love and devote their career to the genre love it so deeply. It is all to help you understand the appeal to as wide a range of readers as possible.

But what about asking Horror's most rabid fans? If we could do that, ask Horror fans directly, from a broader perspective than just the ones who walk through our doors, think of how much we can learn.

Well, today I have an option to do just that.

The Horror community on Reddit is one I have been turning to more and more often, to gauge a sense of what the average readers are reading, discussing, and suggesting as readalikes. And at this link you can see a series of threads where those on the r/horror channel ask each other variation of the "Why Horror" question. 

And here's the thing that may shock those of you who do not use Reddit often....many of the answers are deep, contemplative, and enlightening.

Please take some time during the Spooky Season to use this link-- I have done the search to winnow down the chatter for you-- to explore many more reasons as to Why I Love Horror.

If nothing else, as we enter the final week of October, it will remind you of all the people who crave Horror all year long.

31 Days of Horror: Day 22: Reminder of Becky's Original Backlist Content All Archived in One Place

During 31 Days of Horror I spend so much of my time pointing you to everyone else's resources that I sometimes forget to remind you that I have a treasure trove of backlist info archived all on one page. So below I have reposted my permanent page: Archive of Becky's Lists, Articles, and Presentations [updated October 2024]

Below you can find the content of that page today and any other day in the right gutter pr with this link.

Add to this post today, this link to all of my reviews with one click and you have no excuse not to help readers even as your Horror stock is dwindling. 

Archive of Becky's Lists, Articles, and Presentations [updated October 2024]

Over the years I have created many annotated lists of horror books worth your time. This page will serve as an archive of those pre-blog lists and as a repository for any new lists.

• Horror Recap 2012
• Horror Recap of 2015
• Becky’s Horror Top Ten of 2016
• Becky’s Favorite Horror Reads of 2017
• Becky Favorite Horror Published in  2018
• Becky's Top 10 Horror of the Year [Published in 2019]
• Becky Top 20 Horror For Libraries of the Decade [2010s]
• Becky's Top 10 Horror of 2020
• Becky's To 10 Horror of 2021
• Becky's Top Horror of 2022
• Becky's Top Horror of 2023

I used to take over the now defunct, Library Journal Readers Shelf Column:

• October 2012
• October 2013
• October 2014
• April 2015
• October 2015
• April 2016
• October 2016
• April 2017
• October 2017
• April 2018
• October 2018
• October 2019
• October 2020

I often include an Interview with my Library Journal Horror Review Columns which appear 4x a year [beginning in 2020].

• Interview with Daniel Kraus 
• Interview with Silvia Moreno Garcia
• Interview with Mary SanGiovanni about Cosmic Horror 
• Interview with Usman Malik
• Interview with Amanda Desiree
• Interview with V. Castro
• Interview with Alma Katsu
• Interview with Gabino Iglesias
• Interview with Stephen Graham Jones
• Interview with Sadie Hartmann and Ashley Sawyers
• Interview with Cynthia Pelayo
• Interview with Kaaron Warren
• Interview with Paul Tremblay
• Interview with Cassandra Khaw
• Interview with Jenny Kiefer
• Interview with S.A. Barnes
• Interview with Monika Kim
• Interview with Donyae Coles
• Interview with Rachel Harrison
• Interview with M.M. Olivas (coming October 2024)

Here are some of the articles I have written:

• Five Things to Know in Horror [A Booklist Live Presentation with video access, 5/16]
• Making Horror Less Scary [Library Journal, 5/1/17]
• Fear Not: Genre Spotlight: Horror [Library Journal 7/1/18]
• Wicked Good Reads: Horror Genre Spotlight [Library Journal 7/1/19]
• Rise of the Monsters: Top Horror Titles  and Trends Coming This Season [Library Journal 7/1/20]
• Frights and Delights: 60 Horror Titles To Thrill Readers [Library Journal 7/1/21]
• Fear is Always in Season: Horror Preview 2022 [Library Journal 7/1/22]
• The Scares Keep Growing: Horror Preview 2023 [Library Journal 7/1/23]
• Fiction Shows Its Fangs: Horror Preview 2024[Library Journal 7/1/24]

I have a column in The Lineup at least 4x a year. You can click here to see all of my content on that site.