#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Unsettled Score by Rebecca Rowland

Today on the giveaway I have an ARC of a book that I reviewed in the April 2026 issue of Booklist. 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 Susan from MA. Now on to this week's giveaway. 

Today I have a collection from a trusted small press and an up and coming voice you need to know.

Unsettled Score: A Mixtape of Psychological, Transgressive, and Art House Horror

By Rebecca Rowland June 2026. 272p. Lethe, paper, $19 (9781590217887). 

First published April 1, 2026 (Booklist).

Presenting her collection as a musical mixtape complete with 13 earworm inducing “tracks” on two “sides” including a “hidden track” tucked in after the acknowledgments, Shirley Jackson Award finalist Rowland gives readers a fun frame that effortlessly draws them into each story before she violently knocks them off center employing well executed, visceral and psychologically unmooring twists that, in story after story, work in tandem to rhythmically unsettle the reader. Some threats are human, some are supernatural, but all are monsters. For example, in “Mrs. Robinson” an unassuming middle aged woman closing up at work leaves readers speechless by the story’s end, while in “Turn Me Loose,” 80s nostalgia and a creepy doll provide a terrifying bite. With an introduction by horror short story master John Langan, Rowland has announced herself as an author to keep an eye on. For fans of collections with strong, flawed protagonists and a squirm inducing discomfiting tone such as by Gwendolyn Kiste or Clay McLeod Chapman or like in the tales gathered by Ellen Datlow for Screams from the Dark.

Three Words That Describe This Book: music/album frame, extremely unsettling, horrible but sympathetic main characters

You can click here to read more by me on this book including notes about specific stories.

Thank you to Lethe Press for the giveaway. 

Enter now and you are entered going forward, and next week I have a copy of the upcoming Nick Cutter!

Good Luck. 

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman (and a bonus story collection)

Today on the giveaway I have two books for one winner, pairing a well known authors ARC with a story collection from a trusted small press. 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 Emily from NY. Now on to this week's giveaway. 

I cannot review every book, even if I really like the author, even if I really want to. Today's book is a great example of that. But thankfully, others are there to do the work as seen below with Chapman's upcoming novella and its starred review in LJ.

Bodies of Work by Clay McCleod Chapman

Library Journal review:

STAR Winston Kemper is alone in the world, working as a church janitor and living in a one-room apartment. In his home he is creating an epic work of words and pictures, written and drawn across the floors, walls, and a number of notebooks. The room is shared with the women Winston has murdered to take their voices. But the Butterfly Girls have found a way to speak to Winston and secretly plot their revenge. Their voices act as a chorus, providing commentary as they argue. These discussions become complicated and uncomfortable as Winston’s history is revealed. Chapman (Acquired Taste) never allows readers to make a simple judgment, and the book is filled with creepiness and unease from the start. Readers will fall into the book even as they sense the dreaminess is filled with nightmares and terrors. 

VERDICT Blurring between dreams and reality, this novella explores the world of a labyrinthine, disturbed mind. Chapman’s short fiction is an excellent introduction to his work, and this latest is another one of his excellent portrayals of complicated emotions in horror. Readers of Cynthia Pelayo’s “Chicago Saga” and her poetry collection Into the Forest and All the Way Through will especially find this book compelling. --Lila Denning

Bodies of Work comes out next week on April 7, 2026. Thank you to Titan Books for the giveaway copy of the ARC.

While I have your attention, I wanted to also let you know about an up and coming voice, and their story collection from a trusted small press.

Nothing Has Happened to You: Stories by Rory Say. From the book description on the Lethe Press site:

Nothing Has Happened to You is a collection of short stories where the ordinary twists into the uncanny and the familiar becomes strange. Memory, family, and grief blur with phantoms that may or may not exist, and the smallest moments—opening a door, telling a story, looking into the dark—carry the weight of dread.

A young girl confides in a silent companion no one else can see, who grows smaller each time he returns. A lover reveals she has been dead for years and will soon be forgotten. A tenant discovers his basement suite may not exist at all, except as an echo of guilt. Elsewhere, lost children, haunted objects, and voices from the grave stir quietly at the edges of daily life.

Rory Say, whose work has appeared in Weird Horror, Dark Recesses, Metastellar, The NoSleep Podcast, Tales to Terrify and more, writes with precision, lyricism, and an unshakable sense of unease. Each tale is self-contained, yet together they form a world where nothing is certain, and dread lingers long after the last page.

Nothing has Happened to You is already out and you can add it to your collections here. Thank you to Lethe Press for this copy to giveaway to one of you.

Enter once and you are entered going forward. In the coming weeks, I will be featuring books that I have reviewed in the April issues of LJ and Booklist. Stay tuned.

Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Final Curtain: Tales Inspired By The Phantom of the Opera

The giveaway a finished copy of an awesome, crowd pleasing anthology of Weird Fiction, featuring authors you already have books by on your shelves and a hook that will draw in many new readers, all from a  trusted small press. 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.

The most recent winner was Amber from TX . Now on to this week's giveaway.

Steve Berman, editor and owner of Lethe Press is someone who I trust to deliver great books and we he told me about his idea for an anthology of original stories based off of The Phantom of the Opera, I was so excited. He got the ARC to me too late for review, but now I have a hard cover, finished copy in hand and am excited to give it away to one of you to add to your library collection.

But first, here are more details about Final Curtain: Tales Inspired By The Phantom of the Opera, edited by Steve Berman, including the impressive TOC:

A mysterious dirge in human form, Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera is both man and monster, the villain of one of the more famous novels of the early 20th century. Fittingly, the Opera ghost has inspired grandiose movies and an award-winning musical. And now, an impressive anthology of horror and weird fiction, edited by Steve Berman. What has happened to the purloined body of Lon Chaney? Who is convinced that the Phantom is alive after the events of Paris? And contemporary haunting stories of youths drawn to the eerie music of an underground grotto or a pair of devious lovers trying to make it big on Broadway even if it takes a killing.

Featuring 15 brand new stories:

• "Selections from the Memoirs of the Countess of Chagny, Translated" by Nadia Bulkin
•  "La Belle de la Mer" by Jameson Currier
• "The Road of Mirrors" by James Bennett 
• "The Phantom of the Wax Museum" by Orrin Grey 
• "Now We Sing the Killing Song" by Josh Rountree 
• "Two for the Show" by L.A. Fields 
• "Trompe L'oiel" by Tim Newton Anderson 
• "The Music We Became" by Addison Smith 
• "Encore" by Steve Berman 
• "Little Rats" by Theresa DeLucci" 
• "The Lake" by Becky Thacker 
• "Exeunt. Flourish" by Peter Dubé 
• "Figaro's Children" by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Randy Lofficier 
• "The Ghost Singer" by Cara DiGirolamo 
• "Such Broken Souls" by John Linwood Grant

These are all original to this anthology stories, some, by authors for whom you have books and stories already in your collections. And as I said above, the frame is one that will draw in new readers to Weird Fiction in general.

Enter now to win his finished copy for your collection, but also, take a moment to go to Lether Press' site and order a copy as well. Only one of you will win, but all of you can add this book to your collection. There is currently a $5 off discount there as well. Good luck! 

Scheduling Note: due to my travel to New England next week for this event, there will not be a giveaway next week. The giveaway will return on February 5, 2026. But you can still enter anytime because when you enter once, you are entered going forward.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: A Shirley Jackson Award Nominee and Two Bonus Books

Today I have three books from Lethe Press for one winner including a title that is nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award which are all being handed out next weekend.  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 Michelle from Hawaii

Today I have a prize pack courtesy of 3 finished books from Lethe Books which I got from them while attending StokerCon. You can add all of these to your collections immediately.

First up is a novella which, as I said above, is up for a Shirley Jackson Award in the novella category. My colleague Stephanie Klose gave it a star last year in Booklist:

STAR

A Scout Is Brave.

By Will Ludwigsen. July 2024. 150p. Lethe, paper, $15 (9781590216606).

First published June 1, 2024 (Booklist). 

When Bud Castillo and his parents move from Queens to tiny oceanfront Innsmouth, Massachusetts, he’s startled to find that the town contains only one other kid: naive, earnest Aubrey Marsh. Missing his Boy Scout troop, Bud suggests that he and Aubrey start their own, leading to adventures that include breaking into a derelict hospital and sneaking onto the offshore drilling rig where Bud’s father works in an effort to learn more about “the Unpleasantness” that led to Innsmouth being abandoned 30 years earlier and its connection to the mysterious Reverend Pritchett’s current plans for the town. Bud’s first-person narrative voice is wry and engaging, telling his fish-out-of-water story with both the wonder of the child he was and the canny perspective of the adult he’s become. With teen protagonists and equal attention paid to the narrator’s coming-of-age and the eldritch horrors (possibly) lurking under the water, this perfectly polished gem of a novel is ideal for readers who loved YA horror, such as White Smoke (2021), by Tiffany D. Jackson, or The Dead and the Dark (2021), by Courtney Gould, as well as for adult fans of cosmic horror, such as John Langan’s The Fisherman (2016) or Nick Cutter’s The Deep (2014). — Stephanie Klose

Next up is  H.P. Lovecraft's Commonplace Book: Weirdly Illustrated:

Artist Michael Bukowski takes the entries in H.P. Lovecraft's Commonplace Book and creates a memorable addition to any bookshelf devoted to the weird. Featuring a mix of full-color spreads and cleverly monstrous spot art surrounding Lovecraft's imaginative notions, it is the perfect gift for any fan of the Cthulhu Mythos. Only 1d6 SAN lost with each reading.

Paperback, 84 pages with a selection of full-color artwork on many pages!

And finally Monstrous Alterations by Christopher Barzak:

In this new collection from Shirley Jackson Award winning author
Christopher Barzak, discover stories where fairy tales, gothic narratives, and classic monster stories are transformed into new wonders. A princess who yearns only for freedom dances her nights away at clubs in defiance of tradition. A young man plots revenge on his murderer from the underworld. Two friends discover a goblin market where they are offered the fruit of forbidden love. On the streets of London, a man destroys the life of a little girl in an instant. The caretaker for a woman confined to her room frees her from the circumstances that have bound her. A maid at an inn discovers the powerlessness and power of invisibility. A teenager, locked into Kensington Gardens after closing time, is brought face to face with the reality of a childhood icon. A man is born, grows up, and dies, all within the span of a day. A bank clerk determines to save himself and his friend from the destinies their overbearing fathers have made for them. From the Brothers Grimm to Kafka, Barzak imaginatively traverses the history of the dark and the fantastic, and returns with new tales for an ever-changing world. 

"In Monstrous Alterations, Christopher Barzak fashions old tales into modern marvels, trimming, embellishing, and turning them inside out. A spellbound tailor, he is both witty with his scissors and entranced by his source material, enmeshed in Poe, Kafka, Christina Rossetti, and the vast fairy tale tradition. These stories display not only the power of craft but the helplessness of desire: that intoxicating stuff we call inspiration." -Sofia Samatar, World Fantasy Award winning author of A Stranger in Olondria.

All three finished copies for 1 winner!

Enter now and you are entered going forward. Good luck! 

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: A Lethe Press 4 book Prize Pack

Today I have a stack of books by one of my favorite small presses. 2 finished books and 2 ARCs-- all for 1 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 winner was Kim from OH. Now on to this week's giveaway.

Lethe Press is a trusted small press. Their tag line is: "We're Weird and Queer....and Unashamed!" Their website is easy to navigate and has lots of information about their books and how to order them. They put out quality titles with bin terms of the writing/editing and how well they stand up to multiple checkouts.

They put out books by well known authors and ups and comers. They regularly publish Philip Frassi, for example. That book got a star review from me! And in the stack I am giving away there are two author you need to know: James Bennett and Tyler Jones names you need to know.

Speaking of my stack, here it is:

Below I will list the titles and link to the Lethe Press site for more information, but because there are 4 titles, I will not have the entire plot description-- that would make this post absurdly long. But I am including a blurb so you know a bit before clicking through for more information. 

The titles are:

The Death of Mountain by Jordan Kurella (ARC- book coming March 31).

"Fans of folkloric fiction with a strong moral bent will find much to savor." - Publishers Weekly

Preaching to the Perverted by James Bennett (finished copy):

"I really loved this collection. It has great range - Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's fairy tale series, cosmic horror, noir, The Prestige, coming of age stories, the gothic of Mary Shelley - but there's nothing derivative about it. It's heartfelt and gutsy. Filled with beautiful horrors and heartbreaks. James Bennett is a superb writer." - Priya Sharma, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Pomegranates

Pushing Daisy by Christopher O'Halloran  (ARC- book coming May 2025)

Daisy did not get the life she deserved. Despite her compassion, nothing she did made a difference in the world. With her through it all was her selfish, bitter husband, working a job he hated while they lived off her income as a nurse. The peace Daisy has carried in life does not follow her to the grave. A dead, bloodshot eye glowers from a dark bathroom. Below it, her deranged smile. Daisy, a mad corpse, haunts their townhouse. She’s back and intent on punishing Roger Darling for his mistreatment. Her death shook him enough to brave his faults, but this improved man does her no good now. He can try to escape into the arms of others, but at the end of the day, we all return home. To keep his new friends and maintain his sanity, Roger must help Daisy move on before her violence touches everything he’s built. She won’t leave on her own. Not for a second time.

Burn the Plans by Tyler Jones (Finished copy of an Esquire "Best horror of the year.")

“Trust me: Get this collection. Tyler is an amazing storyteller and he will crush you with the weight of these stories.” – Sadie Hartmann “Mother Horror,” author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered

There it is! Four books going to one winner. What a great giveaway! Enter once and you are entered going forward. And I have a lot of the major titles for Spring and Summer in my possession ready to give away as soon as their reviews post. So you will want to get yourself entered now!

In the meantime, I have been enjoying focusing on smaller presses to get the word out about some great books you might not see covered other places.

Scheduling note: I am visiting family next week so there will be no giveaway. It will return on March 6th. But entries are always accepted.

Good luck. 

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: No One is Safe by Philip Fracassi

Today I have an ARC of a collection that recently gave a STAR review to in Booklist; a small press title by a Big 5 author. 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 Kelsey from Pima County [AZ[ Library System. Now on to today's giveaway.

I have a full post from earlier this week with a whole bunch more information about Philip Fracassi's upcoming story collection. Click here for all of that, but here is the draft review. 

STAR 
No One is Safe: A Story Collection
By Philip Fracassi
Apr. 2024. 264p. Lethe, paper, $23 (9781590216040).

March 15, 2024 (Booklist).

Fracassi (Boys in the Valley and Gothic), reminds readers that he is not only a rising star as a Horror novelist, but also as a master of the short story, with his latest collection of 14 stories that center on fascinating characters and range in tone from unsettling to absolutely terrifying. The first story, “The Wish,” brilliantly sets the uneasy tone for the entire collection, a tale of a birthday wish with horrific consequences. Fracassi goes on to utilize his remarkable imagination and stunning range to invoke fear in speculative, thought provoking, stories that explore topics such as AI, alien life, Hollywood, a bestselling book, a haunted house as the narrator of its own killing spree, and so much more. However, it is how each story works in tandem– crafting a unique and captivating world, hooking readers immediately, holding their undivided attention, and resolving in a satisfying way that also begs them to turn the page and read just one more– that is most remarkable here. A must read from cover-to-cover for all Horror fans, especially those who enjoy the immersive, original story telling found in collections such as Spin A Black Yarn by Malerman or Breakable Things by Khaw. 

Three Words That Describe This Book: intensely unsettling, captivating, original

Get in on this ARC. As I say above-- it is a MUST read from cover-to-cover. I kept waiting for a story to fall flat. I am still waiting. Also THAT COVER!!!! 

Again, go to this post by me on the main blog for a lot more information including some spoiler free story notes.

Quick note about this specific copy that I am giving away though, only 13 stories are listed in the TOC, but there are 14 inside. They know about the mistake and are fixing it.

Thanks to Lethe Press for the ARC.

Good luck to all who have or will enter.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 139: Lethe Press 2-fer

Today I am featuring 2 books by another small press I highly recommend. Details below, but first, here is how you 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 #138.  Our winner was Lois from Son-Isle [WA] Libraries. Now on to today's giveaway.

As we lead up to October and my plethora of giveaways which will be way more than 1 a week, I wanted to highlight a few smaller presses that I trust and eagerly recommend. Today it is the press that I gave a week long feature to last week, Lethe Press. You can use this link to read all of the posts in the spotlight, but I would begin with this one, from founder Steve Berman.

Today though, I have 2 of their more recent titles. Finished copies that you can add to your collections immediately, courtesy of Berman. 

First up, Monstrous Alterations, a story collection by Shirley Jackson award winner Christopher Barzak that came out on September 8th.

 

In this new collection from Shirley Jackson Award winning author Christopher Barzak, discover stories where fairy tales, gothic narratives, and classic monster stories are transformed into new wonders. A princess who yearns only for freedom dances her nights away at clubs in defiance of tradition. A young man plots revenge on his murderer from the underworld. Two friends discover a goblin market where they are offered the fruit of forbidden love. On the streets of London, a man destroys the life of a little girl in an instant. The caretaker for a woman confined to her room frees her from the circumstances that have bound her. A maid at an inn discovers the powerlessness and power of invisibility. A teenager, locked into Kensington Gardens after closing time, is brought face to face with the reality of a childhood icon. A man is born, grows up, and dies, all within the span of a day. A bank clerk determines to save himself and his friend from the destinies their overbearing fathers have made for them. From the Brothers Grimm to Kafka, Barzak imaginatively traverses the history of the dark and the fantastic, and returns with new tales for an ever-changing world.

Next we have Weather and Beasts and Growing Things out October 1st by Charlotte Suttee. 

In 2079, Stevven Pane (they/them) operates an unsanctioned GreenRoof, an urban garden atop a condemned apartment on the coast of South Carolina. The city seeks to evict Stevven, along with nine-year-old Eli, “Earther” Gino, gossip magazine journalist Barbara, and BluBerry, a sentient plant. When this motley crew is forced to navigate a neoliberal cyberpunk urban landscape, miles of abandoned highways riddled with oil cults and cannibals, and swamps of uncanny critters in the hopes of reaching a new home, the last place Stevven ever trusted is the University grounds nestled in the foothills of Tennessee.

Both of these are absolutely perfect for a general public library collection. They are also well constructed paperbacks with great covers. If you do not win, think about heading over to the Lethe Press website and buying these titles and others as well. I love their tagline: "We're queer and weird, and you better be okay with that!" I have enjoyed every book of theirs I have read, and I have reviewed more than a few for Booklist and Library Journal in the past.

If you haven't noticed, the goal of these posts is to highlight trusted small presses. It is great if you win, but hopefully, you can use these posts as a "review" to justify your purchase of titles that are worthy of being added to your collections.

Good Luck. For the next 2 weeks,  I will be continuing this month long focus on prize packs from small presses and then October the giveaway will EXPLODE. So enter now because when you enter once, you are entered going forward. 

31 Days of Horror: Day 14-- October 2022 Library Journal Horror Column [w/ a bonus giveaway!!!]

My October Horror Review Column is live on the Library Journal site. Only the stars are subscription free, but if you use the links below, you can read my draft reviews with extra info via Goodreads now.

I am, also offering a bonus #HorrorForLibraries giveaway. Anyone who works at an American library is eligible. And when you enter once, you are entered going forward, until you win. Click here to see yesterday's giveaway which includes all of the rules to enter.

The three titles that are in this bonus giveaway are: Breakable Things, Tell Me I'm Worthless, and  Wayward. 

For full disclosure, I will be drawing the Lethe Press prize pack winner first, then a single winner for each title in the order listed above. There will be a total of 4 winners this week. Again go here for details on how to enter.

But back to today's post. Below are the details on my October column with links to my Goodreads reviews for draft access to all and a bonus interview with Sadie Hartmann and Ashley Saywers.

I will say, I think this may be my strongest, tope to bottom, column yet. All 8 books were excellent. I limit myself to giving only 3 stars out of the 8, but some of these would have gotten stars if I did them for Booklist. All are perfect fits for a general public library collection. 

[Interesting side note, one I just noticed, all three of my stars came from small presses.]

First the STARS:

• Janz, Jonathan. The Dismembered
• LaRocca, Eric. They Were Here Before Us: a Novella in Pieces
• Khaw, Cass. Breakable Things

And the other 5 excellent titles:

• Hartmann, Sadie and Saywers, Ashley eds.: Dark Matter Presents Human Monsters: A Horror Anthology [Interview with the editors is also here]
• Kaplan, Jo. When the Night Bells Ring
• Rumfitt, Alison. Tell Me I'm Worthless
• Shammas, 

  Nadia and Enger,

   
  Marie. Where Black Stars Rise [GN]
• Wendig, Chuck. Wayward

31 Day of Horror: Day 13-- #HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 102-- Lethe Press Prize Pack

For the final day of my spotlight on Lethe Press I am offering new title by two of the authors as part of the giveaway this week. But also, spoiler alert, I will have three giveaways tomorrow and one on Sunday as well, so you may want to pay attention to these rules on how to enter:

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

Click here to see giveaway #101. Our Winner was Laura from Algonquin Area [IL] Public Library. Now on to today's details.

Today I have a prize pack courtesy of Lethe press which contain BOTH Adam McOmber's Hound of the Baskervilles and H. Pueyo's A Study in Ugliness & Otras Historias. Both books will go to one winner.

And this wraps up my 5 day spotlight on Lethe Press. I hope you give their books a try by ordering a few for your collections.

Back tomorrow with a bonus giveaway. So enter NOW! You only have until 5pm central Friday to get in on all of this week's giveaways.

31 Days of Horror: Day 12-- Why I Love Horror by H. Pueyo

It's day 4 of my spotlight on Lethe Press and today I am featuring H. Pueyo. That name should be familiar to those of you who read the general blog, as I just reviewed her excellent, bilingual collection, put out by Lethe Press, A Study in Ugliness & Otras Historias, in the October 1, 2022 issue of Booklist.

Pueyo's piece is short but very powerful. It is about writing Horror when you are surrounded by violence. This one is a must read.

31 Days of Horror: Day 11-- Why I Love Horror by Adam McOmber

Day 3 of my spotlight on Lethe Press features Adam McOmber. I have read, reviewed and greatly enjoyed many of his works. You can click here to see all of his books and here to see all of the ones I have reviewed. But I especially LOVED Jesus and John. Click here for that specific review [It's after Survivor Song in the post]. I also included it in this list of must read Psychological Horror.

But I am not alone, when it comes to the craft of writing, many experts, professors, and critic agree. A professor himself, McOmber is cited by others as their most used example for their students.

I often cite McOmber as proof when people say they cannot identify with stories that don't feature their experience. Take Jesus and John as an example. It is a story that is deeply steeped in Christianity and a gorgeous gay love story, as well as being disorienting and weird. [Read the review to see the details]. I am neither Christian nor a gay man but I was immersed in this story. I was in deep, totally invested in the characters and their plight, both the physical and metaphorical ones. After I finished it, I wanted to go start it over again.

McOmber's latest novel, Hound of the Baskervilles, is out this month from Lethe Press. Here is the description:

Acclaimed author Adam McOmber offers readers an erotic and subversive reimagining of one of literature's most thrilling tales, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. Dr. Watson arrives alone on the moors of the Baskerville estate to help solve the mystery of its scion's grim death and the murder’s connection to the spectral hound that plagues the ancestral home. Watson's understanding of his own history and queer desires is sorely tested when he discovers Baskerville Hall is rife with stimulation and horror. As this supernatural mystery unfolds and reality itself begins to bend and break, he must work against the clock to discover the truth and prevent whatever beast roams the grounds from claiming future victims.

This one will be VERY popular with library patrons. Especially those who love Sherlock Holmes fan fiction. And trust me, there are a lot of them. I personally know a few.

Today I am extremely happy to welcome Adam McOmber to the Why I Love Horror family. His essay is also one of my favorite examples of the series. All I tell the authors is to share why they love Horror in 1,500 words or less. I allow them to explore that prompt however they want. McOmber did his as a list, and just like his novels and stories it is immersive and emotional.

31 Days of Horror Day 10: Why I Love Horror by Philip Fracassi

 

Day 2 of my spotlight on Lethe Press includes their biggest name author, Philip Fracassi. Last year I reviewed his collection Beneath a Pale Sky which was put out by Lethe Press. It went on to be nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. I also have his upcoming novel Gothic in my queue for my January column and he also has a title coming from Nightfire in 2023 as well.

His is a name you should already know, but if not, today, I am fixing that for you.

31 Days of Horror: Day 9-- Meet Lethe Press and Why I Love Horror by Steve Berman

Each year on 31 Days of Horror I pick a small press to spotlight. I work with the owner, ask them to organize the writers they would like to participate, and then I give that press about a week here on the blog.  

I take this annual invitation very seriously. I choose the press to give them a chance to stand out, of course, but I also am very careful to make sure that they are a press I can recommend in all instances with full confidence. If a press gets to have a spotlight during 31 Days of Horror, you can rest assured that I not only think they are worthy of your attention, but that I also stand behind their product. 

Lethe Press fits this bill unequivocally. I have reviewed titles by them in the past and worked with editor and owner, Steve Berman. But this year, as organized political groups are actively trying to erase the existence of LGBTQ people, their experiences, and their lives, especially with the banning of books that feature LGBTQ people, I knew I had to invite Berman.

Lethe Press's tagline is: We're queer and weird, and you better be okay with that! And below, Berman introduces the press, how it began, and his own work. It is a story of a gay writer looking for more representation and then making it happen himself. But it is also so much more.

So, today we have Berman. Then, 3 days of authors, all of who I have reviewed on the blog before. And we end with a giveaway. Enjoy the next 5 days of spotlight with Lethe Press, and please consider ordering some of their titles.

31 Days of Horror: Day 3-- What I'm Reading [Booklist October 2022 Issue]

The October 1, 2022 issue of Booklist has 2 of my reviews. Both are by newer voices and both should be on your radar for a wide audience. The first one, is a unique translation by and author who will be a part of my "Why I Love Horror" series this month and the second is the first book in a series that will be wildly popular with library patrons and it is part of a brand new imprint by Sadie Hartmann who will also be featured here in the coming days.

A Study in Ugliness & Outras Histórias
By H. Pueyo

Oct. 2022. 250p. Lethe, paper, $18 (9781590216019). 

First published October 1, 2022 (Booklist). 

After a few appearances in critically acclaimed anthologies and magazines, Pueyo is ready for her close-up with this debut collection of 10 stories presented side-by-side in both Portuguese and English. The visual layout is both authentic and striking, adding an extra layer of unease to these already deeply unsettling stories because as readers turn the page, their eyes will automatically look at the next page, but will be unable to read it. The subsequent pause and readjustment, forces the reader to slow down and fully experience these thought-provoking, disorienting, and open-ended tales that are more about how they make you feel than what happens in them. A standout example of Pueyo’s style can be seen in “An Open Coffin.” Amélia is hired by her former army officer as caretaker for a long dead and preserved body that receives daily visitors. But what do those visitors want from the body and what does the body need from them? This captivating new voice is a great choice for those who enjoy the weird and atmospheric stories by Carmen Maria Machado, Samanta Schweblin, and Karen Russell.

Further Readalikes: These are excellent stories by someone who you all NEED to know about. I will do my part helping that to happen by featuring Pueyo later this month here on the blog. But when I said she has been featured in top anthologies already, I am not exaggerating. One of those anthologies, Professor Charlatan Bardot's Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird Wild World edited by Eric Guignard [my review] was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award and just a few days ago, it was nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award as well.

I cannot emphasize enough how very cool it was to present these stories in English and Portuguese. Pueyo not only handled her own translations [and has interesting comments about that process in the book as well], but some of the stories were first written in English and others in Portuguese. 

Finally, I will be hosting a giveaway of this book as part of a Lethe Press prize pack on October 13th. You can enter anytime for that by clicking here for the entry details.

Three Words That Describe This Book: deeply unsettling, thought-provoking, disorienting

Readalikes: Pueyo's writing absolutely reminded me of the three above, excellent award winning speculative story writers who have mastered balancing a deeply unsettling, weird brand of speculative storytelling. The Guignard anthology mentioned above is also a great readalike as well as anything by Cassandra Khaw.

All These Subtle Deceits 

by C. S. Humble

Oct. 2022. Dark Hart, paper, $14.95 (9781958598047). 
First published October 1, 2022 (Booklist).

Lauren has just put 1,000 miles between her and a bad relationship, moving to Black Wells, CO, but after one of her first nights out at a local nightclub, Lauren is the victim of a supernatural attack by three female spirits. William is a defrocked priest and expert exorcist with wealthy and influential clients. When Lauren is sent to William for help, the two work together, along with an intriguing cast of secondary characters, to uncover the root of the evil that has gotten ahold of Lauren. Opening this first book in a projected series, Humble has succeeded on all fronts, creating a compelling story set in a fascinating haunted city, but it is with the book’s strong emotional core, centered around William and Lauren, whose alternating points of view not only keep the pacing up, but allow the reader to connect with them, where this book will leave its mark on readers. Suggest this one with confidence and enthusiasm to fans of supernatural noir like Butcher’s Harry Dresden Files or Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series.

Further Appeal: This is one of the first books in a new, small press horror imprint, Dark Heart. Edited by Horror influencer, Sadie Hartmann, these titles promise to present “horror with heart,” a tag line that will make it easy for library workers to handsell their titles. This book is also the first in a 5 books series.

Speaking of Hartmann, my October column in LJ includes another book from this publisher-- an anthology and an interview with Hartmann and her co-editor, Saywers. I will be posting both on the blog when they are available.

Note: this book also has a bonus short story by the author.

Three Words That Describe This Book: supernatural Noir, demonic possession, series characters 

Readalikes: This will be a perfect read for you Harry Dresden [Butcher] and Sandman Slim [Kadrey] fans-- of which libraries have many and always need suitable readlaike options. Now you get a new series to rec.

31 Days of Horror: Day 1-- Let's Explore the Scariest Genre Together

Each year 31 Days of Horror grows in readership. While some of you are here all year long, even when this blog is limited to my weekly #HorrorForLibraries giveaways, each year I get many new people joining in on the spooky blog-a-thon fun.

First things first, if you have never encountered 31 Days of Horror before well, I have been doing this event since 2011. That means we are closing in on 350 posts that use the 31 Days of Horror tag. 

[Side note, it all began inauspiciously with this post. Nothing special, just a basic post about  the appeal of Horror, but 11 years of content started with one post. Very humbling. ]

The entire idea of 31 Days of Horror, began as a way to help library workers during the time of year when they need the most help with Horror. However, I did not want this series to become a list of lists either. 

From that desire to give you something original and useful was born a concurrent series entitled Why I Love Horror. In this series, that runs mostly, but not only, during October, I reach out to people in the Horror world and invite them to contribute essays written for you-- the general library worker. These invited people are told to share why they love horror as a creator and fan in 1500 words or less. This year I have quite an exciting lineup planned.

My goal with the "Why I Love Horror" series is to expose you to people you should know about AND give you even more context for appeal. I can give you all the examples in the world of why people enjoy feeling scared when they read, but until you hear from actual fans, fans who also create Horror, it is hard to understand, especially for the vast majority of you who don't enjoy Horror for yourselves. 

Over the years I have had many people contribute to the Why I Love Horror series from up and comers [some of whom have gone on to become big names] to firmly established authors to folks who love horror in the library world. 

You can click here to see them all. "Why I Love Horror" is also a searchable tag any time, just like 31 Days of Horror.

"Why I Love Horror" is an excellent resource to help you help readers, and it is Horror RA resource you cannot find anywhere else. However, it is not the only way you can use this blog as a resource now and all year long.

I will also be continuing my newer tradition of featuring a small Horror press as well. This year in order to highlight the concerted effort of bad actors trying to erase the existence of LGBTQ voices from our libraries, I will be focusing on a trusted Horror press, Lethe Press, whose mantra is "We're Queer and Weird and you better be okay with that." I will have 5 days of posts featuring some of the press's current authors and a giveaway.

However, this blog is not just about my October content. It stands as a resource on Horror, not only to offer you a free update to my book, but also as the most important resource for working with Horror readers in libraries all year long.

I have more than tags for you to use to access content. If you look in the right gutter of the blog, under the cover of my book, there is a list of pages you can find on here. That list is on EVERY page, so you don't have to worry about a huge link tree to find them. Access is easy, intuitive, and FREE

The pages with their direct links are:

• Summer Scares Resources and FAQ
• Third Edition Bonus Content: More Subgenre Annotations
• Horror Resources 
• Best Independent Horror Publishers for Libraries
• Horror Awards
• Archive of Becky's Lists Articles and Presentations
• Summer Scares Archive [direct link but it is also on the FAQ page linked above]
• Horror Reviews Index

In the spirit of being THE Horror for Libraries resource, I make sure each page lists the last time it was updated in the title. I curate the information and stand behind it.

Throughout the month, I will be diving into a few of these pages in more detail in conjuction with other posts. But they are ready NOW for you to explore and use anytime.

So while this October you may be more focused on my 31 Days of Horror daily posts and Why I love Horror content, please know those pages with links are there all year long to help you find, display, and promote horror.

This blog should be the first place you go for all of your Horror RA, Collection Development, and Programming needs. I get no extra money from you visiting here. I keep this blog up for me as much as all of you. It is a record of all of the information I am using to stay up to date too.

So poke around the site today, later this month, in a few months, whenever you need it. We will have a lot of fun for the rest of October, but I am always here for all of your Horror for Libraries needs

And remember.... your Horror loving patrons are not monsters; they just like to read about them.

Let me hold your hand as we explore the scariest genre together.