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Thursday, June 25, 2026

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: The Burn Line and the House That Eats the Dead

Today I have two books for 1 winner. In fact, I will be offering two books for one winner for at least the next 5 weeks. This week I am featuring a title that I included in my Horror Review Column in  the June 2026 issue of Library Journal and a title I wanted to review but could not fit into my schedule. 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.
Last week's winner was from Emily from IL. Now on to this week's giveaway. 

Book cover for The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims. Click on the image for more details.
First up, The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims. From my draft review:
Fans of the Magnus Archives podcast rejoice, its creator has written his first book, an entertaining and immersive eldritch horror-mystery set during a sweltering heat wave, featuring a monster in the London Underground. In consecutive chapters to open the novel, readers meet five strangers on a train car. One by one they tell their story of that fateful day as each experiences an unsettling moment of dissociation, notices a distinctly awful smell unlike any bad odor they have encountered on the Underground before, and comes away with a gray, flaky film clinging to them. The dread and unease from that fleeting moment follows each, first as a nagging bad feeling, then manifesting into a pale humanoid creature, stalking them. A story where every detail matters, bonkers in all the right ways, producing claustrophobic chills, and providing a biting social commentary, readers will dive into the tunnels and root for this motley group of former strangers turned found family as they work together to stop a terrifying monster and save the people of London (and themselves) from a terrible fate. Verdict: With a huge built-in audience, libraries need to have this one available, but it is also an excellent suggestion for fans of Chuck Tingle, Alma Katsu’s Fiend, and Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink’s Welcome to Night Vale.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Multiple Points of view, Social Commentary, Horror-Mystery

The Burn Line comes out August 25, 2026. Thanks to Poisoned Pen for the ARC to give away to one of you.

Book cover for The House That Easts the Dead by Max Doty. Click on the image for more details.
Second is The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty. From Goodreads:

A family moves into their dream home—only to discover that it hides an insatiable hunger—in this dread-laced and darkly outrageous domestic horror novel.

The new house is a fresh start for Claire and her family. It's a move away from the cityscape of a declining San Francisco and towards the quiet suburban life she has craved since her turbulent childhood; a step up the corporate ladder for her husband, Tom; and a safe haven for their two children.

Yet as they unpack their boxes, she senses something is wrong. Fresh flowers dry up, store-bought eggs are inexplicably hollow, and her daughter's favorite toy disappears. Claire soon confronts a series of impossible The house is hungry. It's devouring anything that was once alive. And only Claire and Tom, the owners of the house, will remember that this "food" ever existed.

When Claire exploits the house's power in a moment of weakness, she and the house forge a fragile bond. But as its hunger intensifies and Claire loses control, she fears who else might be drawn to her home—and what sinister appetites they’ll bring.

This title is the perfect example of a book I wanted to review but I literally do not have enough time to review all the books I want to. I can however, highlight it here and encourage the rest of you to purchase it for your collections.

The House That Easts the Dead comes out on August 18.2026. Thanks to  Bantam for the copy to give away to one of you.

So there you have it, two books, 1 winner. Entry details above.

I also have MAJOR titles to give away in the coming weeks-- Eric LaRocca, Rachel Harrison, Alma Katsu, Scott Hawkins, Stephen Graham Jones, Michael Wehunt, and more! You are going to want to enter now to be entered going forward.

Good luck to all!

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