#HorrorFroLibraries Giveaway: The Unkillable Frank Lightning

Today I have an ARC of a book that I wanted to review for Booklist but someone else beat me to it. 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 Mike from Ohio. Now on to this week's giveaway.  

Josh Rountree wowed readers with his debut novel, The Legend of Charlie Fish, when it came out in 2023. It made the Locaus Recommended Reading List and was named one of Thebes books of the year by the Los Angeles Public Library.

When I received an ARC for his follow up, The Unkillable Frank Lightning, I immediately contacted my editor at Booklist and asked to review it. Alas, the person who reviewed his debut had grabbed dibs on this one immediately. But here's the thing, that says a lot about Rountree and his unique brand of historical horror. Here is the info on The Unkillable Frank Lightning:

In this riveting historical horror novel, Frankenstein is vividly reimagined in the Wild West. With equal parts Cormac McCarthy, Mary Shelley, and Stephen Graham Jones, Rountree deftly navigates the terrible aftermath of love and death.

Catherine Coldbridge is a complicated woman: A doctor, an occultist, and, briefly, a widow.

In 1879, Private Frank Humble, Catherine’s husband, was killed in a Sioux attack. Consumed by grief, she used her formidable skills to resurrect him. But Frank lost his soul after the reanimation, and disappeared after a killing spree. Unable to face her failure and its murderous consequences, Catherine fled to grieve.  

Twenty-five years later, Catherine has decided she must make things right. She travels back to Texas with a pair of hired killers ready to destroy Frank. But Frank has remade himself as the Unkillable Frank Lightning, traveling with the Wild West Show.

Reaching for a last chance at redemption, Frank and Catherine are at an impasse. As time runs out, their final choices may result in considerable bloodshed.

This book comes out on 7/15/25. Thank you to Tachyon Publications for the ARC.

You want to pre-order this one ASAP. 

Enter now and you are entered going forward.

Starting next week I will have many of the big name books I reviewed in the June issues of Booklist and Library Journal. Enter now and you are entered going forward. And forward includes Chuck Tingle, Cass Khaw, Alma Katsu, Hailey Piper, Eric LaRocca, Philip Fracassi, and MORE (including Joe Hill and my book). 

Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: A Raw Dog Screaming Press 2-pack

Today I have 2 finished copies of titles from one of my favorite small presses. I have reviewed both books, one in Booklist [STAR] and one in Library Journal. Details below but first, 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Ashley from Fitchburg [MA] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

Jennifer at Raw Dog Screaming Press sent me FINISHED copies of two of their most recent releases, both of which I reviewed and LOVED. Because they are finished copies, you can put them into your collections immediately. And one of you is going to win BOTH.

First up, Eynhallow by Tim McGregor. From my draft STAR review in Booklist:

Eynhallow, an uninhabited island in the Orkney Islands, long considered haunted by Trolls and Finfolk, was home to a few hardy families until 1851. McGregor (Wasps in the Ice Cream) uses the real place and its eerie history as the atmospheric setting for his compelling and convincing retelling of Frankenstein. 1797, Agnes is one of 20 souls living on Eynhallow. She spends her days caring for her children, avoiding her husband’s wrath, and gossiping with her pregnant neighbor. Life is hard and lonely on the windswept island. Visitors are rare. When a rich foreigner arrives to hide himself away, it upends everyone’s lives, especially Agnes’, whose husband hires her out to help keep house for the mysterious stranger. Told exclusively through Agnes’s strong narrative voice, readers are immersed in the plot and the place, even before Frankenstein arrives, but as Agnes gets to know him better, the tension, unease, and danger build, sightings of a monster lurking in the darkness increase, and Frankenstein’s curse becomes Agnes’ burden. An excellent example of the very best of the popular Historical and Retelling Horror tropes, this unsettling novella will be eagerly devoured by fans of Alma Katsu and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

I have a lot more to say about this book on my blog here. I cannot stress enough how good this book is on its own as historical horror, and how important it is as a part of the Frankenstein universe. You should all be adding it to your collections today. 

Next, 12 Hours (Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena #2) by L. Marie Wood. From my draft Library Journal review and some bonus notes:

Three Words That Describe This Book: engaging narration, beautiful and brutal, intense unease

Also for those who like Stephen Graham Jones' shorter work.

I need to note somewhere that this book has a perfect ending. Sticking the landing on this one is key to the story.

Draft Review: The last thing a cab driver remembers is pulling over to take a short break during his late night shift in a rough part of town where he regularly offers his services to those at the margins of society. As the story opens, he has been robbed and cannot move. What follows is a thoroughly absorbing, emotionally compelling story told with a conversational, first person narration. As he awaits rescue, readers stay with the unnamed narrator during his worst moments, and once his fate is realized, eagerly follow him as he comes to terms with his life’s choices. Filled to its brim with heart, this intensely unsettling and unflinchingly honest tale, meant to be read in a single sitting, will not only introduce readers to an unforgettable character at his worst moment, but it also demands that they take a long hard look at themselves especially after reaching the book’s perfect ending.

Verdict: Wood masterfully showcases the strengths of the novella as the perfect vehicle for Horror storytelling as she holds readers hostage for the duration of this captivating story that is in equal measures, beautiful and brutal, presenting terror both real and supernatural similar to the work of Gabino Iglesias and V. Castro.

I know not every library buys novellas, but in this case, I would suggest you get this book and the first one in the series. I would then suggest shelving them under the title. There are more to come and novellas do better if they can be shelved together. Trust me, these are worth it. If I were forced to only recommend one independent horror press, RDSP would be the one and these novellas are excellent with appeal to a wide audience. 

Enter now and you are entered going forward. Next week I have an early ARC of Cynthia Pelayo's March release. But that is next week. Get in on the giveaway now.

Good Luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway #77: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

After a 2 week hiatus, the giveaway is back. Today I have a copy of a book I just reviewed for Library Journal, featuring an author I interviewed as part of Penguin Random House's free Spring Festival of Books. Details below, but first, 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 #76. Our 2 winner was Kate from Hennepin County [MN] Library Now on to today's giveaway.

I read The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas for Library Journal's April Issue. And today, I am a part of a Free Virtual Event sponsored by PRH and LJ promoting the publishers Spring Titles. You can still register to watch the recordings here, but these are the details on my panel [which was pre-recored anyway]:

The Horror!

With supernatural torments and ghostly encounters, these terrifying page-turners are not for the faint of heart.

 

Isabel Cañas, The Hacienda (Berkley)
Clay McLeod Chapman, Ghost Eaters: A Novel (Quirk Books)
Ramona Emerson, Shutter (Soho Crime)
Alma Katsu, The Fervor (Putnam) 
Josh Malerman, Daphne: A Novel (Del Rey)
Moderator: Becky Spratford, Readers' Advisory Specialist

Watch all of us chat. It was fun. Again, you can get access to the recording here.

You can read my draft review with bonus appeal comments of The Hacienda at this link, but to get you intrigued, here are my three words that describe this book: claustrophobic, immersive sense of place, pure terror.

You will want to order this debut Horror novel for your patrons, but in the meantime, why not enter for your chances to win an ARC.

Good luck!

New Reviews Added: Inspection and The Pandora Room

I added two new review to the index:

• Golden, Christopher. The Pandora Room (2019)
• Malerman, Josh.  Inspection (2019)

31 Days of Horror: Day 25-- Reviews: Hunger by Katsu, Destroyer by LaValle, and Husk by Zeltersman

As October is coming to a close, I have purposely left the posting my personal reviews of books I have read in my own time [not for assigned reviews] over the last year until now.

Why?

Well, throughout the year I already have at least a book a month to suggest for you via Booklist Magazine. Plus, media outlets that don't normally talk about horror spend a lot of time doing it every October, including lots of reading recs. I like to use my blog-a-thon to promote other resources and ideas, things no one else has the time to talk about. I also try to focus on educating you on why people love horror; something no other resource does.

Now is the perfect time for me to give you a few days in a row of reviews, reviews of titles that are perfect for ALL library collections. Titles that you can suggest to a wide range of patrons. And, while each title in the next 3 days of posts is not a great read for every reader, I would argue that between the 6 titles I will cover over the next 3 days, you could find at least one option for just about every type of reader. Seriously, I am not kidding.

Many of these titles you own already. They are probably lurking on your shelves. Others, are easily snagged through the normal sources [B&T, Ingram].

Today we are going to get started with three titles that are all character centered titles with plenty of atmosphere and anxiety, but not too much gore. In fact, each could be classified as horror and another genre. But you will see when you read the reviews. Basic info and links to Goodreads reviews which have much more detail on appeal and lots of readalikes are below.

• The Hunger by Alma Katsu [anxiety, multiple povs, riveting]
• Genre Besides Horror: Historical Fiction
• Destroyer by Victor LaValle [reimagining a classic, revenge, monsters- real and supernatural]
• Genre Besides Horror: Literary Fiction
• Format: Graphic Novel
• Husk by Dave Zeltserman [unreliable narrator, thought provoking, anxiety]
• Genre Besides Horror: Psychological Suspense [think if Paul Tremblay wrote Dexter-- use the link for more details]

Horror Reviews Index Update

Today I added three new reviews to the Index. 2 are nonfiction:

• Cardin, Matt (editor).  <Horror Literature through History: An Encyclopedia of the Stories That Speak to Our Deepest Fears. (2017)
• McCammon, Robert.  The Listener (2018)
• Perkowitz, Sidnet (ed) and Eddy Von Mueller (ed).  Frankenstein: How a Monster Became and Icon: The Science and Enduring Allure of Mary Shelley’s Creation (2018) 

Horror Review Index Update

I have updated the horror review index with two new titles:

• Abigale Hall by Lauren Forry
• Hekla's Children by James Brogden

Review: Broken Hours

The Broken Hours: A Novel of H.P. Lovecraft
Baker, Jacqueline
Apr. 2016. 320p. Sky horse/Talos, hardcover, $24.99 9781940456553). 
Review. First Published March 3, 2016 (Booklist Online).


Here is the draft of the review I turned in to Booklist:

The year is 1836 and Arthor Crandle, desperate for a job and needing space from his troubled homelife, accepts a temporary position in Providence working as the assistant for a reclusive and mysterious author. But all is not as it seems in this “novel of H.P. Lovecraft,” and Crandle is quickly thrust into a world where nightmares, ghosts, and giant tentacles are now a part of his everyday life. This novel is a homage to Lovecraft, his work, and his legacy, but told with only a hint of the terror found within the master’s own stories. Rather Baker’s intent is to authentically recreate the eerie atmosphere that surrounded Lovecraft, before wrapping the reader up in a compelling, Hitchcock-esque plot that keeps everyone on edge, constantly questioning the real versus the imagined, up to the final shocking pages. Lovecraft fans will delight in seeing the author’s biography unfold on the page, but, those with no previous attachment to the horror master will easily be drawn into this satisfying, Gothic tale on its own merit. Suggest to fans of last year’s historical, horror hit The Quick or backlist darling The Thirteenth Tale.

Three Words That Describe This Book: eerie, Gothic, biographical

Readalikes: Besides the two titles mentioned in the review-- to which I have added the links to my blog reviews that contain MANY more readalike options-- I would also suggest:

• Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel
• Anything by Shirley Jackson
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

Some may want to read Lovecraft after reading this novel. To those people I would suggest trying his stories from Weird Tales, the ones which are referred to throughout Broken Hours.