Hello, star bits! Somehow, it is already the last day of October. (Probably through the passage of time, idk.) And that means it’s Halloween! For today’s newsletter, to celebrate the holiday and because it’s a small new release day, I’ve decided to share my five favorite scary books of 2023! You know me, I like to read horror all year long, but today it is especially relevant.
As far as new releases, at the top of my list of today’s books that I want to buy are The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, A Season of Monstrous Conceptions by Lina Rather, and Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond by Henry Winkler. You can hear about more of the fabulous books coming out today on this week’s episode of All the Books! Kelly and I talked about great books we loved that are out this week, including The Reformatory, The Space between Here & Now, and Edith Holler.
Autumn is here, which means it’s time to curl up with a great read and get cozy — whatever your version of cozy looks like. Whether it’s romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or escapist reads you crave, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.
And now it’s time for everyone’s favorite game, “Ahhhhhhh, My TBR!” Here are today’s contestants!
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
This first pick is actually out today! It’s almost 600 pages from one of the greatest horror writers of our generation. It’s set at the segregated Gracetown School for Boys during 1950 in the Jim Crow South. Robbie is a 12-year-old Black child who is sentenced to six months at the “school” for kicking a white child. The school is legendarily violent and terrifying, and from the start, he sees the haints (ghosts) of several boys who died there, usually at the hands of the adults who work there. Meanwhile, his sister is fighting to try and get his release, but it may already be too late for Robbie. It’s a frightening novel, not just because of the ghosts, but because this is based on real schools and events.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, Pablo Gerardo Camacho (Illustrator), Megan McDowell (Translator)
And this is a giant novel of horror upon horror upon horror! When young Gaspar’s mother dies, his father agrees to bring him to his wife’s family. But holy cats, the family is so scary and effed up. They think they need the boy for their disturbing cult, in which the members commit atrocities in their search for immortality. Can Gaspar’s father save him from his fate? This reminded me a bit of Clive Barker and a bit of The Passage by Justin Cronin. It’s a doorstopper of upsetting fun from a fabulous author.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Brad Pitt voice: Awwwww, what’s in the box??? From the author of The Changeling comes this historical horror novel. It’s 1915, and Adelaide Henry is making her way from California to Montana to hopefully claim a piece of land for herself as part of the Homestead Act. But things are not easy for a Black woman by herself. Luckily, she has a trunk she keeps with her at all times that contains…something. And as she forges a new life for herself, she’s going to need to open it.
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
And this is an excellent debut about a mother’s love. When Magos loses her young son, her grief drives her to do something disturbing: She cuts a piece of her son off and keeps it in a jar. She heard an old tale about people being reborn this way. And imagine her surprise and joy when the thing in the jar starts to grow and move…but then it also needs to feed. Magos will have to figure out just how far she’ll go to have a second chance with her son.
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
And last but not least, a scary book about apples, worthy of a Stephen King comparison. In the small town of Harrow, an apple orchard has yielded the most delicious apples the residents have ever had. So delicious they will do anything to have more. But not everyone is sure that this new apple craze is healthy. As the residents grow stronger (and more dangerous), will someone step in and put a stop to the madness? As disturbing as you think it is, I promise it’s worse.
Honorable mentions include The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw, Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones, Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison, The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown, and Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele.
This week, I am reading Ours by Phillip B. Williams and Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra. In non-book things, I watched the Muppets Haunted Mansion special, which turned into watching The Muppet Show. I’ve rewatched half of the first season so far (after I watched the Alice Cooper episode from the third season, of course), and it’s a trip. I haven’t seen it since I was little, and I didn’t fully appreciate just how weird it was back then. (“I’ve never known a toothache this bad before…”) The song stuck in my head this week is “Toxic” by Britney Spears. And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon is going as taffy for Halloween.
Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty