My 100 Favorite Books of 2024

2024 was a hell of a year, and that’s truly an Everest of an understatement considering we continue to witness several active genocides, the erosion of humanity and empathy as we know it, and the very visual inevitability of our country descending into a form of neo-fascism that baffles and bastardizes classical definitions of the term. Hooray, colonial nationalism!

Thankfully one thing to always bring light to a world seemingly plunged in endless darkness are books. While I wasn’t able to read half as many 2024 releases as I hoped to, I did read a lot of powerful and important books. I befriended authors I never could have fathomed even speaking to, as well as helping construct our store’s first ever horror con, to great success. I remain humbled, honored, and privileged to be doing the work I do. In the end, this blog and my Instagram are a place to share writers and works that publishing otherwise fails when it comes to further marketing and platforming.

If there is one goal I set out with in this year, it was to inspire anyone to read any of the books I reviewed or continue to review. many of these titles saved my life in more ways than one, and as someone who strives to continue broadening my imagination and understanding every day, I hope I’ve offered the same desire in someone else.

There are so many fantastic books from this year I have yet to read, so this list is but a mere drop in the bucket. I hope y’all realize how much you carried me through 2024.

With all of this mush out of the way, let’s celebrate an utterly staggering roster of masterpieces. There is no set order, so enjoy however you wish 💜.

Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram, Titan Books

This list was destined to begin with this one. Potentially one of the most important books to me, of my entire life, Coup de Grâce is a propulsive lightning bolt of a novella that tackles an experience simultaneously impossible to accurately describe, but has plenty of attempts in the cannon.

I delved deeper into depression/suicidal ideation, as well as my experience with the topics in my review for this masterpiece, which you can read here. It adequately expresses my adoration for this novel more than a recap such as this could.

For now, I will tell you Coup de Grâce is one of the best works of fiction in the past several decades and proves genre's power to connect readers to even the most complex of emotions and experiences. If there were a handful of books you tried to close out 2024 with, I implore you to add this one to your stack. Especially if you are an "intellectual" who loves works such as House of Leaves, though in many ways I believe this books surpasses that headache by leagues. And yes, Sofia, I stand by that.

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado, William Morrow

My review for this book was meant to come out MONTHS ago, but time, work, illness, and much more have kept me from the deep-dive of Vincent's work I wanted to write when I consumed all of their work in a matter of weeks, as well as a later joint-review with River's Solomon's Model Home, which will also appear on this list. That review will come soon, I had started it.

ANYWHOO, this book also appears early because of my immense love for this adult debut that accomplishes the incredibly challenging task of existing within a well-worn subgenre while working to subvert it in a unique and powerful way. Similar to other titles in this list, Vincent brings their own experience and expertise, bringing a disturbingly biological aspect into proceedings, which may be part of what put off some readers, but hard to say.

I believe another unique challenge for some readers may have been the unflinching and bare-faced uncovering of systemic oppression, as well as the failings of reformism within the deepest stomachs of the beast itself. The Other Black Girl additionally attempted this, and in many ways succeeded, but being a difficult and especially dangerous statement to make within publishing, let alone America, we writers dedicated to challenging our colonial roots are continuing to work at just how best we can synthesize these ideas in narrative.

All this said, I firmly believe Vincent achieved this. As uncomfortable as some of the truths within this novel are, they are vital to the genre's growth, as well as our own as readers. Don't let the publisher's comparisons color how you approach this work, it's something deceptively original in how it utilizes inspirations and allusions. Anyone searching for some suburban horror that stands apart from the rest, this is the novel for you.

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, Knopf

One of my favorite birthday presents I received this year, Tommy Orange's follow up to the staggering There There obliterated my expectations in exactly the ways I expected it to. A jaw-dropping prequel and sequel to his debut, Orange takes readers backward and forward in time to not only further contextualize the impact of generational trauma by means of colonial genocide and expansion, but to dig even deeper into the characters we were introduced to several years ago.

My heart stopped for a few seconds when I finished There There in 2019. Avoiding spoilers, if you know, then you know why. Following its powerful cliffhanger, Wandering Stars offers a natural continuation that further explores the struggles of Indigenous peoples throughout the modern landscape of the American empire in breathtaking clarity and empathy.

This is another title featured in a previous review where I more eloquently spoke to these themes and triumphs, alongside several others to appear in this list, so please read it if you are intrigued by what you've read here.

It's incredible. It's beautiful. Please, for Allah's sake, read Tommy Orange.

Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo, Thomas & Mercer

I almost thought of doing something cheeky like taking a picture of a jar of water, calling it my tears, and having that be the simple, straightforward write-up for this one, but I love Cynthia too much to go through with such silliness.

Waaaaay way back in the beginning of the year, I wrote an in-depth review of this landmark novel, while exploring how it further connected into her Chicago trilogy. Let's just say I got a little nerdy and academic about it, I'm still embarrassed.

If you follow me, you know how much of a fangirl I am for Cynthia Pelayo. She had me in her clutches since Children of Chicago and it has been nothing short of an immense pleasure to witness her star rise over the last two years. Her continued kindness toward me throughout our connection has left me in tears most nights, and I maintain my stance of fighting whoever tries to cause harm to her.

Forgotten Sisters displays Pelayo at her most daring and vulnerable, recontextualizing fairy tale folklore in a bold new way, melding contemporary and historical contextualization in a way only she can achieve. If you love complicated sister stories with some truly heart-wrenching love thrown in, this is one of the best contemporary gothic horror's you can read this year.

The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste, S&S/Saga Press

One of the first books I read for this year, alongside Forgotten Sisters, this is another title I may be slightly biased about, considering my immense love for Gwendolyn Kiste's repertoire.

Nah, fuck that, the book is amazing regardless of my feelings.

Feeling like a spiritual sibling to her 2018, award-winning novel The Rust Maidens–which is additionally incredible–The Haunting of Velkwood is a stunning culmination of Kiste's work up to this point. A story of heart-breaking lose and grief, but with a luminous center exploring familial love, friendship, as well as the liminal hell of suburban cul-de-sacs, Velkwood goes there in ways equally breathtaking and terrifying. The tear jar gag would have worked here too, as many tears were shed reading this masterpiece.

This book also received the deep-dive treatment when I reviewed it. Kiste perfectly scratches that Shirley Jackson itch for modern readers, simultaneously bringing rich horror and unique flavor to the blueprint. This one is perfect if you too love torturing yourself with re-watches of Mike Flanagan's television output (especially Bly Manor. I see you, queers).

House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias, Mulholland Books

The horror community was fed well this year. Following his Stoker Award win for the genre-incinerating, The Devil Takes You Home, Gabino Iglesias brought us another stellar blending of genres and themes with the even better House of Bone and Rain.

This was one of my favorite third-act reactions toward a book of the year, as I was not expecting the direction the narrative took, and the implications it had for the influence of one of horror's most despicable influences. As many marginalized authors have recontextualized and challenged H.P. Lovecraft's work and influence, and while the intent is perhaps not explicit in House of Bone and Rain, I was here for it regardless.

I am forever awed by this man's work, both as an author and editor, and I can't wait to tell all of this to his face someday–maybe StokerCon 2025, fingers crossed–as well as receiving one of what Peg Turley refers to as "one of the best hugs ever."

I encourage you to read my full review here, as it goes a little more in-depth without spoilers!

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, Knopf

Gosh, what could I say about Kaveh Akbar that hasn’t been said already? One of our most dynamic modern poets, and a thinker with such emotional depth to change the ways in which we approach alcoholism and racism in our world, engaging with mythology in unique ways.

Approaching a novel as a poet has to be terrifying, but Akbar moves through Martyr! as though this is his fourth fiction outing. this story broke me in the best way you can imagine. Its twist is so powerful, its engagement with legacy and healing so encompassing and compelling.

Literary fiction sometimes feels difficult to recommend, but when I say this novel is applicable and relatable to anyone, I mean it. As a country, I feel we often struggle with defining our lives and the legacies we leave behind. Akbar approaches this with such candor and accountability, any reader can find themselves within the narrator.

Truly a triumph of this year.

Bluff: Poems by Danez Smith, Graywolf Press

While I didn’t get to read a massive amount of poetry this year, the collections I did read were absolutely resplendent, with a massive favorite coming from Danez Smith.

Smith is definitely a prominent favorite of mine, alongside their Chicago contemporaries in Franny Choi, Fatima Asghar, and even musician Jamila Woods. Each artists work has been supremely inspirational to me over the last several years, and it’s Smith’s 2024 effort, Bluff, that cements their artistry and experimentation within the Covid years and continued police violence against Black Americans.

In Smith’s dynamic style, we witness Black joy and struggle in tandem, providing the space to grieve and imagine in equal measure. They get snarky when they need to, while offering themselves the time to grieve as need be. Throw in some neat and experimental forms, you find yourself with a masterpiece always leading foremost with love.

Blues In Stereo: The Early Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes, Curated by Danez Smith, Hachette Book Group

The second time Danez Smith will appear on this list! When I learned of their involvement with a special curated release of Langston Hughes’s earlier work, I got incredibly excited. as a massive fan of both poets, I knew if anyone could lead us lovingly through the earliest works of a master, it would be Smith.

With the reverence and adoration appropriate to someone as monumental to poetry as Hughes, Smith provides historical context, academic synthesis, as well as an infectious excitement that exudes throughout each section.

To read these poems in 2024 feels equal parts warm, inspiring, and an urgent call to action considering much of Hughes’ assertions and themes endure decades later. This collection is for long-time fans and especially for readers looking for an entry point to a legacy as large as his.

Come for the Langston Hughes, stay for Danez Smith’s breathtaking commentary. One of the best ending thoughts to a curation ever.

Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha, Knopf

Continuing to grow within the Palestinian cannon of poetry, poet Mosab Abu Toha released the utterly arresting Forest of Noise this fall.

A collection as devastating as it is contemplative, Abu Toha shifts speakers between his own family, both to and as members, as well as the wider diaspora as the world pays witness to a seemingly never-ending extermination event. Despite the darkness and tragedy, there are moments of whimsy and light, hope and resilience.

At its center is Abu Toha’s almost journalistic approach to poetry and storytelling. It’s a straightforward voice that demands your attention and witness as you take in each line and stanza, internalizing the horrific destruction Israel is bringing upon Palestinians every day.

The fact that Mosab Abu Toha continues to live to share this wrenching art with us is a privilege none should take lightly. Read this work and let it enrapture you.

Hold Your Own: Poems by Nikki Wallschlaeger, Copper Canyon Press

If you all could have seen the little dance I did when I learned one of my recent favorite poets was releasing a new collection this year. Nikki Wallschlaeger took me by storm a few years ago when I read her musical and searing collection, Crawlspace. Needless to say, throughout her career thus far, she has shown us exciting ways to bring poetry to life.

Hold Your Own is a decidedly more meditative and hopeful examination of life post-lockdown, while maintaining Wallschlaeger’s signature fire as an undercurrent. Readers additionally will find poems grappling with motherhood and family, plus what it all means in the larger context of structural oppression and apathy in a country flush with both.

Simultaneously a reminder of where we’ve been, as well as the fights we have left to go, this is another massive achievement from one of poetry’s brightest stars.

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo, Make Me a World Books

We are so lucky to live in a world where Safia Elhillo is publishing. 2024 found the Sudanese-American poet releasing another YA novel-in-verse with Bright Red Fruit.

Following a young girl as she navigates a newfound love with poetry and performance as she navigates her identity and family.

Elhillo approaches her characters independence and connection to her Sudanese heritage with a beautiful complexity, as she finds love within the poetry community in the arrival of a lauded slam poet who takes particular interest in her and her work, though this is revealed to be his way of stealing her work and passing it off as hers.

Every moment of hurt and rage screams through in our young poet’s voice, and Elhillo’s performance for the audiobook is nothing short of incredible. If you love coming-of-age tales and poetry, her work is something you very much need in your life.

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina, Berkley

Jesus christmas, this book.

Last year’s Sisters of the Lost Nation was a devastating and beautifully subtle literary horror that brought my attention firmly onto Medina’s work. Therefore, with the announcement of a follow up, cheekily titled Indian Burial Ground, I knew it was likely I would greatly enjoy it.

To say I enjoyed this book would feel incredibly dishonest. I fucking adored it.

Leaning slightly more into the horror this time around, Indian Burial Ground expands Medina's already masterful voice for character, producing a decades long battle with folklore and the darkness of the human condition. Where the afterward of Sisters of the Lost Nation left me a sobbing, shambling shell of my self, this one left me weeping throughout. His prose cuts to the softest parts of all of us, distilling some of the grandest emotions into lines with the resonance and power of an explosive.

Indian Burial Ground is a book I hope to never forget for as long as I live.

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty, Tin House

I absolutely love when a book's title gains even more resonance after you've read it. Morgan Talty's novel debut Fire Exit conjures further emotional gravity once you find yourselves in the closing chapters, while considering the dichotomy of fire itself. We will return to this theme later.

Talty's breathtaking short story collection, Night of the Living Rez was one of my favorite books of 2022, so getting a novel two years later was its own gift. Fire Exit continues with some of the themes present in the former, however, its further excavation of life within the reservation itself, coupled with the complexity of blood quantum, parenthood, white guilt, and so much more, elevates Talty's voice to new heights.

Another book to leave me utterly decimated by the close, the story held no punches and approached already dangerous subject matter with grace and empathy, presenting conversations of identity we must reckon with as readers.

A gorgeously structured and rendered story, Fire Exit is one you absolutely SHOULD NOT miss.

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib, Random House

I don't typically read sports books. Not because I dislike them or anything, I'm simply not big on sports, or even particularly knowledgeable about each of them. However, I will read sports books written by writers I adore, which is exactly why I found myself tearing through the new series of essays from one of my absolute favorite writers of the form, Hanif Abdurraqib.

There's Always This Year, ultimately, is about way more than basketball. It functions as its own unique time capsule, encapsulating much of the continued and escalating violence toward the Black community, Covid, and the transcendent spiritual power present in the sport. Part memoir, part historical document, 400% Hanif–each section further cements the genius and beauty of this man's soul. I learned more about basketball in these 352 pages than I ever have in my life, and I couldn't imagine a better teacher.

Going to see Hanif at the Philly Free Library this year is truly a great highlight of my life. Not only was his discussion with Airea D. Matthews absolutely breathtaking, but finally speaking to him after an immensely long line and getting all of my books of his signed, is a moment I will never forget. The kindness, patience, and empathy present throughout his writing is just as present in person.

Please let this book into your heart.

You Get What You Pay For: Essays by Morgan Parker, One World

Another Free Library event I was supremely nervous for, due to the fact that meeting Morgan Parker has been a dream of mine since reading There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce in 2018. You would think after spending two years effectively meeting many of my literary influences and heroes, I would not feel as nervous, but we're talking about Morgan-freaking-Parker here.

Similar to many of the poets and writers within this list, Morgan Parker's poetry has had a massive and sustained impact on my life as someone tirelessly working on their anti-racism journey, as well as a writer and appreciator of poetry. Needless to say, meeting her was a HUGE deal for me.

As soon as You Get What You Pay For hit the Penguin Random Audio app, I destroyed my phone screen as I smashed the download button, eager for her transcendent voice to speak to me in a new format. Being her first collection of essays, there remains a sense of the poet in how she wrestles with the legacy of being a Black woman in America. Her incisively sharp wit and humor shines through as she approaches white supremacy with two destructive haymakers right to its teeth, joining the pantheon of praxis written by some of the greatest Black feminists of our time on this planet.

I was pretty close to tears when I presented her with my stack of well-loved books, and the dam broke when I read her inscription within this book. One of my favorite writers said she is excited to see the work I put out in the world. That's it, I'm dead.

Yr Dead by Sam Sax, McSweeney's

Speaking of being dead, the amount of times I've attempted to describe the brilliance of this novel to people is large, but I've had an even harder time describing what it's about.

The debut dive into fiction from a fantastic queer Jewish poet, Yr Dead follows a young man in his final moments following his self-immolation as protest and final gasping plea in the face of our countries apathy and violence. To have read this book in the same year as Aaron Bushnell is an absolutely surreal experience.

Attempting to describe it any further would completely rob anyone of the vital experience that is reading this astounding feat of fiction. Similar to the work of McSweeney's colleague Emerson Whitney, or even the breakthrough memoir/theory of Billy-Ray Belcourt's A History of my Brief Body, Sax experiments with form, offering a poetic, searing, and unforgettable indictment of colonialism, genocide, and bigotry, while also offering a portrait of queer culture in the modern climate.

I know hardly talking about the plot of the book makes it hard to recommend it, but I promise you, going in as blind as possible is the move. It will grip you with its claws and never let go, even after you've finished it.

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones, S&S/Saga Press

I technically could have combined two books into this post, being that the conclusion to Jones's epic Indian Lake Trilogy also released this year (does the man ever sleep?), but I decided to stick with I Was a Teenage Slasher because, of the two, I loved this one more. Deal with it.

I don't think half of my horror friends realize just how fucking nerdy I get about Stephen Graham Jones. Like, one of my special interests IS THIS MAN'S WORK. Can you blame me? One of the most prolific, academic, and experimental writers in the genre, this book in particular felt like the final breath in this man's slasher hyperfocus of the last four years.

The Angel of Indian Lake is absolutely the logical conclusion of what began in My Heart is a Chainsaw, but it's with I Was a Teenage Slasher where he presents his master stroke. Thematically, structurally, and most important, emotionally, Slasher feels like the titular horror boogeymen finally resting after long years of killing. Much like the end of In a Violent Nature, which I also loved this year.

The emotions coursing through my veins throughout reading this novel were vast and unending. Yes, obviously I did cry, but I was also consistently picking my jaw up off the floor, gobsmacked by how he brought it all together.

I adore this novel, and being able to present it to him in New York, alongside my tower of his other books I own, was a moment of pride I rarely allow myself. Also, the fact that I completely kept my cool sitting directly behind/next to him...it's nothing short of a miracle.

Dayspring by Anthony Oliveira, Strange Light

Considering this is one of two books recommended to me by Sofia Ajram to appear on this list, it's safe to say I will forever take his recommendations because holy shitballs, this book.

Joining Yr Dead as another title more about the experience than the description, I don't have much I can say about it other than the fact that its style, experimentation, and exploration of queer love, loss, trauma, and more, through the lens/retelling of Jesus's story, is nothing short of breathtakingly brilliant.

You will laugh, you will sob, you will gasp at some of the lines of abject beauty–it's truly a novel set to obliterate any expectations you may potentially have for it.

Come for the blasphemy; stay for the layered exploration of love, faith, and desire. You will not regret it.

All the Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper, Titan Books

This was another hard one because I just as equally loved Cranberry Cove and the beautiful conclusion to the Worm saga, Songs of the Tyrant Worm, but All the Hearts You Eat takes the cake.

Just a few months ago I wrote a deep-dive into this novel and how it wonderfully displays the sentiment of "we're not free until we're all free." While not the explicit aim of the book, it's clear in this epic ode to all things vampire that the sentiment is present in the mix.

Offering a decidedly cosmic take on vampires, Piper works her magic of not only telling a compelling horror yarn, but additionally sticking the emotional landing as well. Flush with complex and messy characters, this is peak Piper (nailed it) in every sense of the phrase. Whether you love the likes of Midnight Mass and Salem's Lot or simply love Piper's work, there is so much to love in this passionate behemoth.

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle, Tor Nightfire

Truly one of the proudest moments of this year was having the immense privilege and honor to moderate for Chuck Tingle’s Bury Your Gays tour at Doylestown. As a long-time, ravenous fan of his work, standing in our green room with the man caused heart palpitations for me haha.

Everything Tingle puts forth in the world is real, and with his second “traditionally“ published horror novel, the heart, humor, and abstract terror of 2023’s Camp Damascus remains present, only amplified further. This is a novel that our world needs right now. Enjoyable as a horror novel, but if you take the time to let it wash over you, you’ll find there’s so much underneath the surface. AI, Hollywood critique, X Files-esque television, themes of facing your fears as a means of embracing sincerity and happiness—all of this and so much more is waiting for you in these tremendous pages.

Necrology by Meg Ripley, Creature Publishing

Meg Ripley absolutely wins for book cover of the year, but holy hell this novel…

I was already massively excited for this title, so when I finally set to read it I was not prepared for just how much I would love it. The first in a series, the world that the debut builds is immense, despite much of the action taking place in seemingly two places.

The characters are so rich; the magic system so rich, folkloric, and based upon the concepts of freedom for all, not merely some. Ripley’s alternative history is lush, feeling so real, you can feel the emotions and actions intrinsically. Trying to pick my jaw up off of the floor was nearly impossible as I read. It’s that good.

If you love witches, anti-colonial speculative fiction, and the beginning of an exciting new series, this is the book for you.

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister, Counterpoint LLC

Southern Gothics are always a good time, but what about gothics set in cranberry bogs???

This year would finally push me into a Kay Chronister deep-dive–something very rewarding that you all should do at some point. Though each book is vastly different than the last, there is a great care for character and environment alike in her writing. Much like the Jeff VanderMeer's of the world, the horror of Chronister's stories lies in the earth and how we as humans treat or exploit it.

The Bog Wife continues this trend, focusing on a family attempting to salvage the family ritual following their father's passing. What initially appears as a centuries long pact between human and earth quickly turns into something far more insidious as secrets surface and the cloistered siblings venture further into the world they've kept themselves away from for decades.

While this story may not scare the bejesus out of you, it is a quietly horrific and often humorous look at a life come undone, following in the footsteps of Shirley Jackson, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and even Katherine Dunn.

Vague Predictions & Prophecies by Daisuke Shen, CLASH Books

Now I will admit I can be a smidge biased when it comes to story collections because I do greatly love the talent and craft it takes to bring them to life. However, I hope this bias does little to deter you from the next few I will list, due to the sheer brilliance of them. These are fantastic collections.

Up first is Daisuke Shen's powerhouse release from CLASH books, Vague Predictions & Prophecies. Seeing this one sell at work for the last few months has made me immensely happy and proud because when I sat down to read the ARC for this one, I was instantly hooked. Shen is meticulously empathic in their writing, provided horrors with more heart than the actual villains in our world. Characters who wind up making massive mistakes are ones we feel intrinsically due to the nature of human error.

Some of the stories are absolutely terrifying, where others will wrench your heart straight out of your chest, leaving a weeping puddle in its wake. These are speculative fiction at its diabolical best and I truly feel they should be studied in schools for their craft.

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima, Tor Books

Speaking of CRAFT...see what I did there...? I'm still sad I didn't find out about this one until its release. I was introduced to Lima a few years ago with her beautiful poetry collection, Mother/land, and Craft showcases her adept pen, yet in a different format.

Following a series of speculative stories seemingly interconnected by the narrator's relationship/connection with the "devil," and how it evolves over the decades. What arrested me most about this book is how much it shapeshifts, offering a subtle display of how an authors voice changes over the course of their writing.

Lima also deftly mirrors the societal and global shifts of both history and ideology, though much of its action takes place in Brazil. Despite our insistence on blaming the idea of the devil for just about every ill on the planet, she never lets us off the hook, proving how much human nature influences the world around us.

Not necessarily very scary, so if you'd rather something supernatural without the scares, this is a beautifully crafted book you won't soon forget.

Flowers From the Void by Gianni Washington, CLASH Books

If I could receive flowers from a cosmic void, I would lovingly take them, especially if they're coming from Gianni Washington.

I'm still hoping to buy the British hardcover for this since the cover design is out of this world (pun intended), however, I have to give love to the US cover for its heartwarming simplicity. I don't know how many of the stories in this collection would qualify for "heartwarming," but that's part of its charm.

Washington presents her own searing version of a disturbed Twilight Zone-esque anthology series, offering darkness at every turn which intersects with the social commentary present throughout. Prepare to fear shadows for a long time, fist pump to lesbian witch revenge, and question your sanity and safety as you spend time with this unsettling tome. I love this collection so much.

Infinity Mathing at the Shore & Other Disturbances by M. Lopes da Silva, Weirdpunk Books

If this hasn't been obvious over the course of the past several months, I goddamn adore when trans people write horror. Not only do we offer some fantastically original and disturbing ideas, but there is a straddling between beauty and disgust we seem to be intrinsically connected to. And I love that.

The next two books are stunning examples of this sentiment. M. Lopes da Silva's breathtaking debut is the definition of the expansive potential and imagination of transness and anti-capitalism. Through a series of genre-shifting and transformative fiction, we’re thrust into worlds that are so perpendicular to our own that when the speculative aspects take hold, it’s already far too late.

If you love your horror short fiction to be a bit different than the norms of the supernatural, M. Lopes da Silva has a curio cabinet that will haunt you for years.

Invaginies by Joe Koch, CLASH Books

Joe Koch may be one of the best weird fiction writers active right now. Much like the work of Brian Evenson, I have such a visceral reaction reading Joe Koch that so often becomes immense love for the material. They write stories so confounding, yet so richly poetic, it's no surprise I feel drawn to their work.

Invaginies is a brilliant gem of a trans horror, seeking to expand the definitions of the subgenre and pushing it to dizzying new heights. While perhaps not the scariest collection of horror this year, it will leave your jaw on the floor with the pure anarchic imagination at play. The unique qualities that make a Joe Koch story tick.

While some mainstream horror fans may find this collection rather difficult to get into, it's well WELL worth the read. Especially if you're a fan of the strange.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon, MCD

Rivers Solomon could pretty much write any kind of book and I would voraciously read it–and likely adore it. Their output through the last several years is nothing short of extraordinary, bridging sci fi, fantasy, and horror seamlessly as they weave complex and rich character studies reminiscent of the work of Octavia E. Butler.

This year saw the release of probably their most vulnerable and painful novel yet, Model Home. Part haunted house subversion and part intergenerational trauma study, this novel utilizes the tropes and tricks of the former, while simultaneously approaching the latter in a form similar to Carmen Maria Machado's stunning In the Dream House.

Its twist is one that feels familiar, but it's how Solomon synthesizes and sets up the effects these actions have upon the family as a whole that sets this book apart from others fooling around with haunted house conventions. Similar to We Came to Welcome You, Solomon digs deeper into the roots of white supremacy and unroots truths as unflinching as they are disturbing.

Of the many books I read this year, this one probably has the most quotes written down in my notes app, it's truly that good.

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison, Berkley

What a better way to explore aging than through creatures who famously don't. To watch Rachel Harrison's star steadily rise is a truly wonderful thing. Her brand of horror, while often not comfy, comforts me in very unique ways. While her first two novels are my absolute favorites, her talent only grows with each successive novel and So Thirsty is no different.

When two friends escape to a secluded cabin for hopeful birthday shenanigans, their night takes a turn when they meet a group of intriguing tourists who offer the night of a lifetime. Things get a little hectic when their attacked and are sucked into the world of the undead, their anxieties and worries suddenly backseat to the insatiable hunger growing within them.

Harrison consistently provides an in-depth exploration of human fears within what appears to be a rather straightforward creature feature. Additionally, her ways of highlighting the complexities of female friendship remain top notch, allowing for characters to be mean, messy, and endlessly complex. I will have to wait patiently for the newest book, but I will always do that for Rachel.

American Rapture by C.J. Leede, Tor Nightfire

A beloved favorite from last year, C.J. Leede completely obliterated expectations with her sophomore novel, American Rapture. A project ten years in the making, this novel further proves her power as a writer, taking all of the quirks that made Maeve Fly so lovely and groundbreaking, injecting further character into the narrative and going even BIGGER.

While the story could be characterized as a pandemic novel, being influenced by the ongoing horror of Covid, but it's truly so much more than that. Part road novel, part survival horror, all heart–this is a horror classic deserving of the accolades it has already received. The characters are rich and unique, the action is gripping, and the tears are consistently flowing throughout. My jaw was very much on the floor throughout the entirety of the book.

I must also mention how much of a pleasure it was to meet C.J. just a few months ago while getting to see my beloved Rachel Harrison and Clay McLeod Chapman. They're an unstoppable force together, but C.J. was so wonderful and kind. Read her books.

A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons, Tor Nightfire

Guiltily my first Matthew Lyons book, I had been wanting to dig into his work for the last several years after noticing his books popping up online. However, it was A Mask of Flies that really grabbed my attention. Religious cults, a nigh-unstoppable entity, heists gone wrong–It serves up a very intriguing premise for me.

What I was not ultimately prepared for was just how pulse-pounding, terrifying, and addicting this book is. It's like a super gritty action crime-noir but throw in one of the most tenacious and unrelenting creatures for the protagonist to fight. Our lead heroine is a very complicated yet caring individual who somehow survives all of the injuries she sustains throughout the 400+ pages. The beautiful absurdity of this was maybe my favorite part of the book.

I also love how Lyons approached the crimes and motivations of his leads with a nuance necessary to tell these kinds of stories. Even the cop that our heroine takes "hostage" is never once let off the hook for his profession, but shows far more nuance than one might expect from a side character. I'm a sucker for religious cult plots in horror, so that aspect was additionally exciting for me as well.

For those who like explosive action with their horror, this is a blockbuster for you.

The Book of Love by Kelly Link, Random House

What is there to say about Kelly Link that hasn't already been said? A masterful writer of strange and heartfelt fiction whose accolades reach far and wide. To learn of a debut novel coming in 2024 was intensely exciting, and, unsurprisingly, the excitement was well placed.

Joining the ranks of Mariana Enriquez in the incredible-short-story-writers-whose-debut-novels-are-massive-chunkers club, this sweeping epic clocks in at around 628 pages and is chock full of the kinds of tropes and subversions fans have come to love Kelly Link for. Fabulism, fantasy, magical realism, a little horror–she finds space for all of them in a tale as old as time, but told in vastly human and exciting ways. Each voice in the main ensemble shines on their own, and while not always the most likable, their actions and motivations remain relatable to the audience, even as all hell breaks loose.

With high stakes, humor, heart, and above all else, love, Link has provided a new fantasy classic that not only requires your attention, but respects it too.

The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill, Pantheon

Speaking of Kelly Link, an excellent pairing alongside The Book of Love also released in 2024 with Shaun Hamill's The Dissonance. Notching the horror up a bit, mixing in the angst of the Magicians series, and even tipping its hat to Stephen King with plot structures reminiscent of IT, Hamill's tale of dark magic and the responsibilities of those who wield it is sure to get any reader's blood pumping.

As teenagers, a group is brought together by the reclusive grandfather of their friend to learn the secrets of the dissonance, a form of magic the grandfather has been looking to master over the years. As he teaches these young adults, the politics of the inner world of the dissonance, as well as the interpersonal hell of teenage politics, a shattering event brings back a force that split the group apart decades ago. Now as adults, it's up to themselves to come together and save the world from a horrifying cosmic threat.

This book had everything I love in it and never sacrificed its characterization for one moment. Touching, exhilarating, and compulsively readable, The Dissonance will sweep you up with its wonder but keep you with its splendor.

The Flesh of the Sea by Shelley Lavigne & Lor Gislason, Hedone Books

I've shouted about this book quite a bit since its release back in July. What more could you want? Wholesome, heart-warming gay romance bros sending letters back and forth to one another about how much they want to be together. Pirates doing pirate stuff. Horrific monsters beneath the waves at all times.

It's truly the perfect compact little adventure orchestrated by two of the most cunning minds in queer and trans horror, Shelley Lavigne and Lor Gislason. Both masterminds perfectly entwine the romance with the horror leaving the reader never quite sure what may happen next, and to who.

When Caitlin Marceau pitched Hedone to me earlier this year, I was expecting The Flesh of the Sea to be quite spicy, so when it turned out to be a very wholesome queer romp, I was pleasantly surprised and had a greater appreciation for how much of the romance built the tension at the heart of its short page length. THAT, my friends, is how you write a damn speculative romance.

Endless thanks to the entire Hedone crew for the ARCs for their exciting titles and to Shelley and Lor for the continuous excitement as we sell more and more copies at the store!

Sunbathers by Lindz McLeod, Hedone Books

Keeping the Hedone train rolling–Over the past two years, Caitlin has been talking up the writing prowess of Lindz McLeod. I was immediately grabbed by that name–how freaking cool–but it was when Sunbathers was announced that I really got excited. Finally, my chance to read an author hyped up for so long. The premise, a world taken over by vampires powered by a souped-up sun, as well as the humans who must live in the dark to survive them, and the insanely gorgeous and brilliant cover had me enraptured.

Once I finally sat down to read the ARC, I was completely blown away. On its surface, Sunbathers is a wild a steamy ride, but the more you dig into it the more critiques of white supremacy, assimilation, and celebrity culture grin their sharp, bloody teeth at you. Soph, our main character, is a little bit of an asshole, but she's not blind to the massive bummer that living with these empirical vampires turns out to be. It's a brilliant display of what must be sacrificed to assimilate to/embrace white supremacy, only to realize how insufferable it truly is to be a part of when you've known the freedom of the dark.

This title definitely ebbs more to the spicy side of what Hedone represents as an imprint, but do not let that be a deterrent. It is queer, enjoyable smut when it gets smutty. I believe we're in for an even more delirious ride in 2025 with her next novella!

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart and Other Stories by Gennarose Nethercott, Vintage

2024 marked the year I did an immense deep-dive into the work of Gennarose Nethercott. Finally listening to the audiobook for her breakout smash Thistlefoot, I promptly lost my mind and hungered for more. It was Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart which had reminded me to do so, and once I finished Thistlefoot, I immediately bought this one and devoured it.

Shocking to no one, this collection of curiosities and absurdities is as fluid as it is fantastical. Nethercott's sharp wit and even sharper pen are on full display and the playful section where you learn of the fifty beasts–who indeed with break your heart–was simultaneously hilarious and heart-wrenching. Nethercott remains a stunning talent when it comes to humanizing the non-human, granting whole lives to a creature or character who may only appear for a select few pages.

If you desire some whimsy with your terror, some fantasy with your cosmic ennui, then this collection, and Nethercott's repertoire in general, is greatly up your alley.

Also, side note, Thistlefoot is actually an incredible book to read and to give to your friends still struggling to understand the threat of Zionism. It's not explicitly about that but the undercurrent is THERE.

The Nightmare Box and Other Stories by Cynthia Gómez, Cursed Morsels Press

Has the spirit of Richard Matheson been reincarnated in the body of Cynthia Gómez? No, of course not. That's silly and she's her own person. BUT, it is safe to say Gómez absolutely exhibits much of the spirit Matheson imbued his stories with, both in terms of blending genre, sexuality, and gender politics.

The series of stories in this collection, similar to many of the previous titles listed here, holds a treasure trove of peculiarities, horrors, and cultural critique in equal measure. You will find yourself excited, frightened, even challenged as you gingerly make your way down Gómez's eerie corridors with nary a light to guide you.

Cursed Morsels continues to put out some of the best underground strange and horror fiction, so if you aren't paying attention to their page, you have to stat. Eric Raglin has compiled a roster of some of the coolest and most daring writers out there, so let this be your invitation to scour their catalogue and tuck yourself in for nights of fright!

Endless thanks to Eric and Cynthia for their kindness, as well as the ARC copy.

Woodworm by Layla Martínez, translated by Sophie Hughes & Annie McDermott, Two Lines Press

Goddess, if I could experience Woodworm again for the first time, I would likely live in that feedback loop for the rest of my life. When this gorgeous hardcover came into our store, I was so excited. I hadn't been able to snag an ARC for it but knew I would likely love it from its description. I had no idea.

Woodworm is one of those novels treading the fine line between disarmingly mundane and pants-pissingly horrifying. Martínez possesses a frank, matter-of-fact style of prose that retains the poetry of more experimental writing, but its apparent simplicity delivers chills capable of freezing your spine solid. This is largely what I love most about the novel because its cover and synopsis clearly advertise a brooding gothic, but you don't entirely realize what you're in for until it's too late.

Additionally, the tale of two generations of women attempting to live in their very haunted home, plus the history leading to its darkest hauntings, chart a journey both feminist in nature and anti-authoritarian. If you love watching awful men get their comeuppance, you will love Woodworm. Martínez so brilliantly sets the stage for our familial protagonists, laying the groundwork for generational exploration that furthers its power. The only thing I can think to liken its tone and execution to is Andrés Barba's Such Small Hands, and if that doesn't tell you how great this book is, I'm not sure what will.

I also give my endless love and thanks to my beloved Tiffany Gonzalez for getting my copy signed by Martínez in New York. I just about sobbed when she sent me the picture.

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo, Tordotcom

I think at this point in Lee Mandelo's career, I can confidently say he is one of my favorite contemporary speculative writers in the game. Summer Sons took my breath away in 2021 and Feed Them Silence remains one of my favorites novellas/books of all time, so you better believe when the cover for The Woods All Black went up, my hype train had firmly left the station.

An Appalachian historical/fantastical gothic horror creature feature (try saying that ten times fast) featuring one of the slickest trans masc characters in Leslie Bruin, this story takes trans rage to a whole new level. When Bruin is sent to the small town of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, his presence is decidedly not welcomed with the kind of warmth a trans person might hope for.

Religious trauma abound as it becomes clear the black sheep of the town is in very real danger as the townsfolk seek to cleanse them of their sin. But a tomboy is the least of the townspeople's worries, as something much darker is making its presence known...as trouble grows ever-present for Leslie, he must decide whether he'll escape while he can, or stay and fight for someone he sees himself in. What follows is a powerful, sexy, and unsettling romp of trans revenge that could only be told by Lee Mandelo. Very easy to clear through in one sitting, The Woods All Black is a shining black star from this year.

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White, Peachtree Teen

Alongside several authors this year, Andrew Joseph White received the deep-dive treatment from me as well, as I spent several weeks going through his repertoire, naturally ending with this year's Compound Fracture.

Sold as more of an Appalachian thriller, this one has decidedly less outright horror elements, focusing on a more human story of resistance and resilience in a town struggling to unearth its progressive roots and unseat the supremacist powers controlling and threatening its inhabitants. At its center is Miles Abernathy, a trans masculine teen trying to inhabit his truth and fight back against the fascism brewing in his town.

Where the supernatural elements kick in is with the spirit of Miles's ancestor, another freedom fighter like Miles who also tried to live within his full truth and fight for their town. Being that the novel is very much about generational fights to unseat nationalistic and religious dogma in small towns, this supernatural connection only serves to strengthen the narrative, allowing it to remain a taught thriller, yet employing the style that's made White a massive name in YA horror.

I have to say, throughout his trilogy of releases to date, this one may be my absolute favorite. The way in which they provide young readers with a story of hope and resistance when you feel as though there's nothing you can do in the face of unchecked power is an important story for young people to read right now, and god damn do I hope they do. Jump on the Andrew Joseph White train immediately.

The House at the End of Lacelean Street by Catherine McCarthy, Dark Matter INK

If there ever comes a day where I'm not massively excited for a Catherine McCarthy release, you know I'm an assimilated pod person and must be destroyed. Her brand of folk/cosmic horror remains one of my favorite finds upon starting work at Lahaska.

This year readers were granted something a little different from the author, however, with the release of The House at the End of Lacelean Street. Harkening to the imagination of C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, as well as incorporating tastes of Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan, McCarthy creates something immensely hopeful, meeting at an intersection of unnerving and immensely cozy.

Several strangers come to consciousness at a bus stop, where said bus brings them to a seemingly empty estate. It is here they are told they must attend "class" every day at the same time, only to find these classes are prompting them to face and heal from their guiltiest memories. Though we never see the presence at the heart of this event, it is felt throughout the novella, creeping around corners and pushing the strangers to not only heal themselves but each other.

This probably has one of my favorite endings of 2024, prompting quite a few tears with its beauty. If any of this sounds particularly stirring, you should absolutely pick this one up. Peg and I both adore this book.

The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls by Angela Sylvaine, Dark Matter INK

You didn't think this would be a Violet end of year list without mentioning Angela Sylvaine, did you?? FOOLS. Unfortunately I haven't read Chopping Spree yet (I'm sorry, Angela. Don't hate me!), so I'm sticking with The Dead Spot as my fave.

I was introduced to Sylvaine's writing last year with her showstopping ode to 90's alien invasion horror, Frost Bite, which was by far one of my favorite title/cover combinations of 2023. Needless to say, the announcement of a short story collection left me giddy with excitement. And, as I suspected, the collection is outstanding.

With the tagline of "Stories of Lost Girls" Sylvaine toys with the definition of "lost," conjuring tales of revenge, heartbreak, unfortunate circumstance, and so much more. Harkening to the greats of Alvin Schwartz, Shirley Jackson, and even Robert Aickman, these stories are dark, emotional, and brooding in an extremely fun way. Don't expect many happy endings out of these stories, but I promise you a great amount of enjoyment.

Clown In a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo by Adam Cesare, HarperTeen

Who would have thought after four years there are now TWO sequels to Adam Cesare's fantastic YA horror Clown In a Cornfield??? Well, I suppose those of us who are fans saw it coming. Either way, you don't often hear of YA horror making way for franchises, but if you have a mega-fan like Adam at the wheel, it's merely inevitable.

With The Church of Frendo, we continue to grow alongside the heroes we met in the original, as this one may have the darkest and most sinister tone in all of the series. Instead of focusing on the ensemble, Church zeroes in on lead protagonist Quinn as she traverses the US to find those responsible for Frendo's growing cult status, hoping to cut off the main hydra's head once and for all.

While Frendo Lives could be seen as overtly political in its main messaging, Church kicks the themes into high gear with some of Cesare's most bold critiques nestled within this terrifying epic. Add in a fanatical preacher taking over a small, isolated town and you have a recipe for a political bombshell. Thankfully, he remains earnest in his convictions through and through, telling an intensely emotional story that honestly may be my favorite of the series yet. It ends in such a way where I have no freaking idea where we're going from here, and you know what? I'm okay with that.

So grab your Frendo masks and load your shotguns, cuz it's clown hunting season baby.

A Better World by Sarah Langan, Atria Books

When it comes to achievements I'm proud of this year, there are two that stand out starkly. One was moderating for Chuck Tingle at our stop on his Bury Your Gays tour, and the other was helping to build and facilitate our stores first horror con, Dark Ink. Amongst the guest list were many folks on this list, but one that meant an immense deal to me was Sarah Langan.

When I was much younger, I frequented the Borders in Montgomerville, PA for all of my books, CDs, and DVDs, but if we're being honest, it was predominantly books. I have so many formative memories in that building, and if you had to guess, what would be my most frequented section?

You're damn right it was horror.

It was within this section I found most of the formative texts one would expect, plus the more then-modern titles like the beginning of Jason Pargin's John Dies series. What always excited me most, however, was when I found the books written by women. I vividly remember the original mass-market cover for Sara Gran's Come Closer, bookended by Tananarive Due and, of course, Sarah Langan. These books were important to me because it showed me the genre wasn't merely a veritable boys club. Of course, before I could truly explore these authors, Borders went out of business and undiagnosed ADHD made me quickly forget the names and titles.

Eventually, only about a year ago, did I find a new, mass-market copy of Sarah's The Missing. And a few years before that I learned of her then-new novel Good Neighbors, but it would take her addition to Dark Ink to push my deep-dive to the front of my consciousness–because I was going to be running the panel Sarah was on. No pressure.

To be able to tell her that story was nothing short of a dream come true, and this photo from the event will carry me until my dying day:

Part of this breakneck deep-dive was her 2024 satirical horror thriller A Better World. There have been many a post apocalyptic social commentary novels this year but none are this deliriously and delightfully insane. If you put The Wicker Man, The Stepford Wives, and Parable of the Sower into a blender and mixed to a fine puree, you would have the bedrock of this novel. All you'd need is Langan's brilliant sensibility to drive the hidden knife home. If you love suburban and folk horror as much as I do, I strongly suggest reading this novel. You will have no idea where it's going.

Coexistence: Stories by Billy-Ray Belcourt, W.W. Norton & Company

I'm embarrassed to say I had no idea this collection was coming out until the ARC showed up at the store. As someone who sees herself as a massive Belcourt fangirl, I really dropped the ball on that one. Once I licked my wounds, however, my overwhelming joy over new work from this powerhouse took over.

Almost feeling like an extension of his novel from last year, Coexistence is a series of portraits of Indigenous life in modern Canada. Ranging from the everyday to the extraordinary, Belcourt uses his expert grasp on character development to sneakily interweave these gorgeous portraits into a connected whole, thus bringing the myriad powerful emotions crashing upon you.

Absolutely one of my favorite books this year–be sure to keep at least three boxes of tissues nearby.

Countess by Suzan Palumbo, ECW Press

I've said it once and I'll continue to say it even after I'm ushered to the grave–but Suzan Palumbo is an extravagant anti-colonial speculative fiction writer. Her story collection, Skin Thief, is its own treasure trove of arresting and dazzlingly queer characters, and this years searing novella, Countess, only furthers my proclamations.

Sold as a queer, Caribbean, anti-colonial sci fi retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo–itself a cautionary tale in desperate need of updating–Countess tells the story of a general in service of a global empire responsible for her people's oppression for decades, hoping that by working for them will grant her family leniency and support.

When her only form of support within the ranks falls deathly ill, she hopes to offer him comfort but instead finds an enraged and mad shadow of his former self. The next day reserves more horrors as she is arrested and put through a sham trial where she is framed for the death of her commander and used as a scapegoat for warmongering.

Naturally, if you are even loosely aware of Monte Cristo's plot, you'll know many of the following plot beats, but the tale through Palumbo's eyes and experience take on an entirely new meaning, filled with all of the action, rage, sorrow, and hope that comes along with it. This is a book not to miss out on.

Grey Dog by Elliot Gish, ECW Press

Grey Dog has literally every ingredient of a Violet book I could ever need: folk horror, epistolary structure, female rage, queerness, one coming into their power and truth by way of witchy ways. It's no surprise I loved it so much.

Basically, if you took The VVitch and made it a sensitive school teacher, set it in a town where folks just outright ignore the energies surrounding them in the forest, and injected a lot of queer and feminist imagery, that is largely what Elliot Gish provides in this slow burn gothic beauty. I won't say much more, because the ending is something that must be experienced with barely any prior knowledge beforehand.

Trust me, it's freaking great.

Dead Girls Don't Dream by Nino Cipri, Henry Holt & Co.

I never imagined Nino Cipri subscribing to this blog would wind up on my 2024 bingo card, but holy shit, here we are.

Nino Cipri is an author who saved my sanity at the beginning of 2020. Finna, their first novella, as well as their story collection Homesick, were some of my earliest reads at the beginning of lockdown. I fell instantly head over heels for Cipri's unique style and voice, as there truly is nothing quite like their writing.

Before I even knew of Grady Hendrix's Horrorstör, Finna was the first time I saw explicit anti-capitalist theory going up against an IKEA-like structure, though this place happens to contain hidden portals capable of dumping you into horrific parallel dimensions. It completely took over my life for weeks, as did its sequel Defekt.

As you all can imagine, when Cipri announced their newest book at the end of 2023, I proceeded to lose my collective shit. Not only that, it was a horror including witch stuff, haunted woods, folklore, and happened to also be a YA novel. I was brimming with excitement to see how they would tackle YA's particular format and, unsurprisingly, they nailed it with flying colors.

I wrote a lot about the subject of addiction when I reviewed this one, as it is one of the central themes to the plot and struggles of our lead protagonist. It's a subject very dear to my heart and I'm still reeling from the grace and nuance Cipri used when handling it. You may not hear about this one from most mainstream outlets, so PLEASE, go check this amazing novel out. NOW.

A Gathering of Weapons (Conjure #2) by Tracy Cross, Dark Matter INK

Those present for last year's favorites list will know I ADORED Tracy Cross's staggering debut, Rootwork. I knew 2024 would bring it's sequel, so I waited patiently and was rewarded with A Gathering of Weapons, plus a gorgeous new edition of Rootwork. Wins all around.

Though slightly darker than its predecessor, Weapons appears to be naturally following Pee-Wee's growth as a conjurer AND someone still navigating anti-Blackness in their Louisiana area. It's kind of like how Joanne Transphobe Rowling made each book in the series kind of grow alongside its audience, except Cross has done more in two books than Rowling could ever dare to do in seven.

It's clear by the end of Weapons that an epic confrontation is being set upon the chessboard, as the next novel/novella is purported to be the end. How will it all come together??? I guess we'll all just have to patiently wait -wink-.

If you love magic, hoodoo knowledge/folklore, fantastic young protagonists, and just all-around excellent storytelling, I implore you to check this marvelous series out.

Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy, Shortwave Publishing

Oh, Nat Cassidy. Purveyor of my nightmares. Patron saint of causing me to look over my shoulder every time I go out in public. As we wait for his next dark deliverance from Tor Nightfire, Alan Lastufka tided us over with not only two gruesome chapbooks, but a balls-to-the-wall (literally?) novella taking place in the world's worst convenience store bathroom ever.

When a well-meaning rocker with a heart of gold decides to take a quick bathroom break on the way to see his ailing grandmother, he could never have bargained for the intense horror and paranoia that follows. How best to describe this fever-dream without spoiling the whole thing? I'm just going to stick with calling it a horrific fever-dream and then you can find out for yourself why this one stuck with me for a little longer than other Nat Cassidy tomes.

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo, Tordotcom

This is one I cannot wait to re-read at some point. Nghi Vo novels are a gift that continuously gives, due to their endlessly rich prose, worldbuilding, and re-imaginings of cultural folklore.

The City in Glass is itself a story which feels encased in glass, a gem of fantasy that not only challenges the reader, but meets you right where the characters are. No fancy frills or 20 characters to remember, but a dream existing in the small bubble Vo provides us.

A demon, Vitrine, has presided over the city of Azril for centuries. When the city is suddenly attacked and decimated by a group of angels, everything the demon has built over the years is burned clean in an instant. When she is able to heal and return to the ruins, her plan is to rebuild the city, even if it's not cosmetically the same.

However, Vitrine is not alone. In her vengeful rage, she wound up accidentally imprinting a part of her into one of the angels leading the attack. Now cast aside and rejected from his brothers, he has no use but to follow Vitrine, much to her dismay and anger. What follows is a gentle, meditative tale of love, faith, starting over, and how much humanity we let into ourselves over the years.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Del Rey

Silvia Moreno-Garcia taking on the gossip-laden early days of Hollywood and connecting it to biblical stories? Say no more, you have my love.

I wrote far more extensively–and likely, eloquently–about the book in a review post here. If you've loved her other books, you will definitely love this one too.

Dead in Long Beach, California by Venita Blackburn, MCD

O thank you, blessed book gods, for blessing us with a Venita Blackburn novel in 2024...

The debut novel from the brilliant satirical mind that brought us How to Wrestle a Girl and Black Jesus and Other Superheroes, a queer comic writer comes to visit her brother, only to find he has died by suicide. Instead of immediately telling family members and friends about the passing, she decides to act in his place, creating a social media page for him and speaking through texts with his daughter and potential new girlfriend.

Interspersed are sections that either exist from a future long after ours, or are how Coral talks to herself in her own mind. Either way, what follows is a hilarious, grim, touching coming-of-middle-age as Coral attempts to face the trauma of losing her brother, as well as the generational traumas relayed to us by the different "departments" which appear throughout. You'll laugh, cry, cringe, get existential, and so much more.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and cannot applaud Lynette Freeman's performance more. Beyond worth the listen.

How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnamable Disaster by Muriel Leung, W.W. Norton & Company

I really enjoy the times where a book surprises me–not knowing it's coming out and then finding it on the shelf due to its title or cover. How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnamable Disaster is one such book. It happened to pop up in our Sci Fi section and I was snagged by the title, then I saw the cover, and once I read the synopsis, the deal was sealed.

I really don't know how best to summarize this novel. It made me want to read Muriel Leung's poetry, like, immediately. While there is a sci fi component present in the main plot, with weather conditions bringing about a deadly acid rain, turning New York into a dangerous wasteland, it's not quite a sci fi in the ways one would expect. There are ghosts–both of our protagonist's grandfather and a friendly, empathetic cockroach, a neighbor who lost his head to the rain, but still lives and functions as though he never lost it, and the very real heartbreak and unmooring felt by our protagonist as she works through her and her girlfriend's breakup.

This is all to say that HTFiLiaToUD is unlike anything you've ever read. It's gorgeous and heart-shattering. You will feel the pain, love, acceptance, and community built in this apartment building; one that seems to exist in its own bubble away from the apocalypse itself. The characters are kaleidoscopic, providing fully fleshed out stories and emotions to connect to.

The novel certainly may not be for everyone, as it is a sloooooow burn far heavier on the drama side than the sci fi one, HOWEVER, if you, like me, enjoy getting swept up in poetic character studies, then I cannot recommend this book enough. If this hasn't convinced you, allow me to present you with these quotes:

"Being a ghost is such a hollow thing, so emptied of sensation, but memory is a root; it anchors, it is the closest thing to being flesh again." - pg. 190

"Dear Listeners, I once met a poet who said that each time someone broke her heart, she would run through the stretch of Coney Island Beach at night, climb onto a lifeguard's chair, and hurl herself down onto a pile of broken glass. I was young when I heard this and thought pain meant that you ate glass to become stronger. Then the doctor told me one day that my stomach was full of so much glass that it was cutting into my stomach lining and that is why I have this ulcer. That is why I seek out other forms of nutrition, and, finding nothing else that would taste good, I rely on Prilosec. I can't offer you any more advice beyond this." - pg. 25

William by Mason Coile, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Ugh, this one is so bittersweet. Mason Coile, which was the pseudonym for Canadian horror and thriller author Andrew Pyper, unfortunately passed away just a couple of days ago. A man just getting started in his exploration of sci fi horror, and, who seemingly got the AI subgenre of horror fiction off to an exciting start.

I hadn't yet been able to read Pyper's thriller work, and it took me a little bit to find out he was this Mason Coile fellow, but I will say William was undeniably one of my favorite surprises of this year. I wound up devouring the audiobook because of its perfect pace and I still think I'm picking up pieces of my jaw off the floor from its twist.

A scientist (Henry) struggling with agoraphobia focuses his energy into creating an AI capable of protecting himself, his wife, and their soon to be born baby. William is said creation, having nourishing and profound conversations with his creator and seemingly coming into his own every day. When Henry's wife decides to have some "friends from work" over for dinner, what appear to be quirks in William's programming become horrific and deadly realities of his power, trapping the humans within the house and hunting them down one by one. Can Henry stop William before it's too late?

Blending sci fi horror with psychological and slasher horror, as well as sprinkles of techno noir, Pyper as Coile presented something simultaneously nerve-shredding and devastatingly beautiful. A whodunit gleefully playing with its food until the third act reveals. As a step toward something new for an author already quite successful in the book community, this book is a triumph of passion and creativity. It breaks my heart to know he won't get to see it become a TV series or know just how much we love this story. I hope he can read this wherever he is. Thank you for all you've written, Mr. Pyper. Rest so peacefully.

The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry, Tor Books

If I had the funds to put this book in every readers hands, I fuckin would.

Imagine, if you will, a world where words have disappeared. Meaning has been erased and borders have crumbled. As a means of keeping peace and holding "monsters" at bay, dedicated committees have been formed to allow for things to be given names one at a time, with couriers bringing these words to towns and people in an entirely new form of learning–of peace.

The unnamed courier at the heart of this gorgeously lush fantasy is tasked with holding onto and delivering an extremely dangerous world, one that could put the entire fabric of the world's current existence at risk. When her employer is attacked and killed, the courier must flee, her trust completely shattered, as she wanders into a world she does not know. With a rogue committee on her heels, she comes upon a traveling band of actors who tell what is known outside of the courier's society as the ultimate creation myth between the moon and the sun. Within this rebellion she may find exactly what she's looking for, as well as a way to exist outside of a system on the brink of collapse.

This was by far one of my most favorite fantasies of 2024. Much like GennaRose Nethercott's Thistlefoot, Berry weaves a beautiful and revelatory tapestry of rebellion, tapping into what makes the delicate handlings of language and communication so vital to a functioning and care-based society. The courier is a marvelous heroine, breathing life into her own creations as she moves through this brave new world. Calling to mind some of the most breathtaking and enrapturing fantasy works, Berry creates something entirely new, crafting a world as thrilling as it is beguiling. The prose, the characters, the overall message and call to arms–everything about this book gets me excited about reading and writing, as well as the future of fantasy as a whole.

Pleeeeease please please please read this book. I promise you, you will walk away changed in the best way.

Candy Cain Kills Again: The Second Slaying by Brian McAuley, Shortwave Publishing

Like many of my beloveds in the horror community, I am unabashedly head over heels when it comes to Brian McAuley. From our mutual love for the best Elm Street movies in the franchise to our shared appreciation for everything emo, to the ways in which his books wrench me completely open, this man has held my heart in his hands for over a year now and I hope he never lets go (stops writing).

As only the second book in Shortwave's astounding Killer VHS series, Candy Cain Kills dominated the horror fiction sphere when it released in November of 2023. Taking a love for slashers and creating a fleshed out story and universe in under 200 pages, McAuley created a smash hit. It was only inevitable that a sequel was on the horizon.

What I love most about Candy’s second slaying is that for every slasher cliche McAuley lovingly implemented in the first installment, there was just as much love in the subversions seen in its sequel. Instead of keeping a franchise going, he opts to give every character a satisfying, and most importantly, healing conclusion. I still cry thinking about this ending.

Perfect for fans of slashers, fans of horror, and fans of both who also like seeing sympathetic and complex villains. The Candy Cain duology will remain in my heart forever.

Antenora by Dori Lumpkin, Creature Publishing LLC

Another Creature title to pop up on this list, Antenora was a title I was intensely excited about and with great reason. Dori Lumpkin's debut novella is a lean, mean fighting machine, telling the story of a rebellious young witch and the girl who loves her.

Chock full of all the fun religious trauma, Nora is a spitfire who rightfully and epically spits fire upon those who mean and cause her harm. Hearing the tale from Abigail's point of view may seem suspect, but who knows us better than those who love us deeply and for all of our triumphs and failures? Their love is honestly one of the more beautiful relationships I've read in the past ten years. I genuinely got intensely emotional at the end of this book because I root for these girls so hard.

It's structure feels folkloric and full of mystery, like a fairytale told to us by someone who won't cut out the juicy details. Similar to Emma E. Murray's When the Devil, if you love sweet, powerful queer romances, as well as dark witchy fun times, oh boy, I can't recommend Antenora enough.

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White, Del Rey

Speaking of queer romances I absolutely adored–holy shit this book.

Now, you know me, I already greatly enjoy Kiersten White's work. Hide? Damn, what a fantastic time. Mister Magic? Bawled my stormy eyes out. When I found out she was bringing Lucy Westenra to the modern era, much like my beloved Gwendolyn Kiste? Well of course I'm tickled curious by such news.

I'm never sure how I'll wind up feeling about vampire books, especially when they're approaching Dracula. It's a tale we've seen so many iterations of, how could one possibly make it fresh?? Well, Kiersten White sure did, almost crafting the perfect romantic comedy within a dark exploration of familial trauma, bodily autonomy, and the legacies we inherit but can challenge. Both Lucy and Iris are explored with such depth and care, we get to cheer on their love and grieve how life has failed them in equal measure.

The action is also fantastic, as we witness Lucy make her way across the world and kick serious ass while doing so. Also slyly entering a trans character into the narrative in the smoothest way that doesn't trivialize their identity in the slightest??? Kiersten–be still my heart. In addition to all of this, she made my dreams come true by fashioning a queer character based off of Rahul Kholi, which, if you know, you KNOW.

Hilarious, tender, gothic, spooky, sexy, and all around a great fucking time–this is a novel I believe ANYONE can enjoy.

Out of the Drowning Deep by A.C. Wise, Titan Books

What, you're surprised? Of course A.C. Wise is on here. I mean, you can't just write a beautifully moody queer gothic mystery sci fi filled with fascinating distillations of religion, god worship, a gay robot, an equally gay angel, and creepy eldritch fish orders appointing themselves judge, jury, and executioner, and NOT expect me to love it! It's like you all don't even know me...

Anyway, she did it again. Wise continues to show us why she is one of the best voices in speculative fiction with this genre-bending romp filled with angels, redemption, and the murder of a priest tying the whole shebang together. If you too were devastated and disappointed to learn about the truth of Neil Gaiman, may I present A.C. Wise as a brilliant alternative. I know it's a bold claim, but many of the emotional beats and aspects of genre-blending that make his work sing are right here as well.

And, as always, it was an immense pleasure to see and talk with her about this fantastic book when we hosted her at Doylestown.

A Witches Guide to Burning by Aminder Dhaliwal, Drawn & Quarterly

There are not enough graphic novels on this list, and I do regret this as I love graphic novels. However, one I did read and love with my whole heart was the newest release from Aminder Dhaliwal–A Witch's Guide to Burning.

Dhaliwal remains one of my favorite illustrators, and across her career has typically told fantastical stories in her unique and hilarious way, but this feels like the first time she's gone full fantasy. She's already adept at building entire worlds within one book, but the lengths she went with this one? Immaculate.

Following a witch whose burning has caused her memories to become fuzzy, she befriends another witch and her familiar, both of whom are working to dispel some of the darker magic cropping up around the land. Simultaneously a coming of age and a coming into one's own, these three found friends help one another traverse a fully fleshed-out world and magic system, incorporating existing folklore and cultural practices, but bringing an entirely new meaning to witch burning that completely changes the game.

Get the darn thing while it's still in hardcover. You'll thank me later.

Midnight Rooms by Donyae Cole, Amistad

There is sooooo much I want to say about this book but can't because it would spoil so much and ruin the fun of learning the twist for yourself.

What I will say is Donyae Coles brought a fresh and deviously fun twist to the standard gothic. Due to the nature of this novel's more psychological elements, you may find yourself getting relentlessly confused, but I promise if you lean into that feeling it will repay you in droves. Considering this is a debut, I applaud what she was able to achieve with Midnight Rooms and I'm excited to read more in the future.

Also, look at that cover. Come on.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier, Angry Robot

Speaking of psychological horror! Beloved by many on our staff, and probably a book to give even Shutter Island a run for its money, The Redemption of Morgan Bright is a gift that keeps on giving. Mysterious, powerful, heart-wrenching, and actually has a lot to say about a lot of things, this was my first Chris Panatier book and I hope to read the others at some point, whether it be this year or those after.

This book also has the distinction of being a story exploring dissociative identities in a respectful and encompassing way. Do I still wish we had more folks actually experiencing D.I.D writing these kinds of stories? Absolutely. But I will say Panatier does an excellent job of normalizing an experience demonized for so long.

Add in some awesome found footage elements and a marvelous protagonist, this horror of grief and redemption is truly a gem that reconfigures everything we know about stories set in asylums. An insanely nice guy to boot, too.

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim, Erewhon Books

Continuing on the psych horror train, Monika Kim's The Eyes Are the Best Part has been described as "Crying in H-Mart meets My Sister, the Serial Killer." Given my immense love for the latter and deep appreciation for the former, that certainly got me curious about this debut. And for once, I actually can agree with the comparisons the publisher gave. If you took the grief and complexity of mother/daughter relationships present in Zauner's memoir and mixed it with the unhinged comedic horror of Braithwaite's underrated novel, you could certainly arrive at something like Eyes!

When Ji-won's mother begins dating what can only be described as the most despicably racist white man to ever insult Korean culture, the combination of her protectiveness over her mother and sister, as well as the ever-burning rage of dealing with racism in America, causes her to begin obsessing over and dreaming of consuming human eyes. Not just any eyes, mind you, but specifically blue eyes.

Blue eyes have been a common site of theoretical, historical, political, and even fictional discourse for hundreds of thousands of years. White supremacy's own obsession with the perceived beauty and purity of blue eyes has been explored in plenty of works, but one that feels especially apt here is Toni Morrison's landmark novel, The Bluest Eye. While Ji-won has no desire to have blue eyes as Morrison's Pecola wishes to, there is a distinct commentary throughout The Eyes Are the Best Part bringing focus toward this perceived supremacy and obsession with blue eyes.

There is much more to be said about what this novel excels at, but that would be giving away too much. Simply know that if you love nuanced "good for her" narratives with actual substance, there's quite a lot to find and love in this skin-crawling debut.

Whoever You Are, Honey by Olivia Gatwood, The Dial Press

I have an endless soft spot for poets who write novels. So many people wind up shocked when it happens, even though writers often explore all manners of style, but poetry and fiction can be so gorgeously interwoven.

Olivia Gatwood is another of my favorite contemporary poets, so when I learned her next book would be a novel, I was, you guessed it, intensely excited. Another unique genre-bender, Whoever You Are, Honey is a speculative drama that also happens to be a tech thriller and semi-sci fi exploration of self and identity.

Told from the perspective of a woman grappling with her own loneliness, Mitty lives with her elderly roommate Bethel, who also serves as a surrogate mother. While it takes a bit for us to learn why Mitty's mother had her stay with Bethel, we witness the love and tension that exists between the two of them. Eking out a relatively peaceful life on the Santa Cruz waterfront, their peace becomes interrupted by the arrival of the burgeoning tech bro class, who buy up many of the houses surrounding Mitty and Bethel, one of which becomes the home of Sebastian and Lena.

Once the pair gets to know their new neighbors, something doesn't quite seem right concerning the dynamic between Sebastian and Lena. Lena has pieces of her memory missing, and the controlling behavior of Sebastian has Mitty worrying for her newfound friend. Just what secrets are the couple hiding, and, can Mitty trust her newest friend with her own complex secrets?

Boasting one of my favorite endings of the year, Whoever You Are, Honey is a dark and enthralling exploration of how technology is consistently obscuring our sense of self, and potentially even our autonomy.

The Miseducation of a 90s Baby: Essays by Khaholi Bailey, CLASH Books

Probably one of the few books this year with the honor of making me cackle in a way that the subject matter wouldn't lead to disturbed stares. Khaholi Bailey's debut essay collection features the kind of humor one might associate with Samantha Irby or even Phoebe Robinson (god, I miss 2 Dope Queens), yet her energy and insight is completely her own.

Serving as equal parts nostalgia and reflection, The Miseducation of a 90s Baby is the kind of cultural criticism I love to engage with when the darkness of my typical reading begins to consume me whole. Bailey's insights and stories of her upbringing are equally candid and humorous, displaying the complexities of growing up Black in a time where white culture co-opted so much.

Also, this cover. So gorgeously simplistic with the added bonus of hitting CD-mix-making nostalgia with the disc featuring the titles of the essays themselves. It's the perfect book to jump into between your other planned reads. It's hilarious, heartwarming, and most importantly, human. May 2025 bring us more from this roaring talent.

Gender/Fucking: The Pleasures and Politics of Living in a Gendered Body by Florence Ashley, CLASH Books

This book...Oooooh, this book. Never has a book about trans sex felt more fun and healing to read. Florence Ashley has mostly written about law up until this point, with Gender/Fucking being far more conversational and personal. Exploring the complexities of living in a body so often read certain ways by cis people.

Being someone who most identifies with asexuality, you wouldn't expect me to enjoy a book so explicitly (hehe) about sex. Most of the time you'd be right, however, being this collection is largely about existing within trans bodies, I found so much more about myself and the complex connection I have to this meat sack I lug around.

For those curious to read differing narratives on gender and sex, Gender/Fucking is a kaleidoscope of emotion, reflecting the complexities of bodies we must dedicate awareness to every day. Who knows, you might learn a thing of two.

A Short History of Trans Misogyny by Jules Gill-Peterson, Verso

Following a similar thread as Gender/Fucking, we arrive at this beautiful and revelatory piece of trans theory. A Short History of Trans Misogyny is certainly what it presents on its tin, but there is far more at play here than the standard definitions of trans misogyny.

Jules Gill-Peterson makes a case for just how much of trans misogyny is intrinsic to our society, pointing to other theorists for their work in showing how much of transphobia is linked with racism, white supremacy, class, and so much more. She also makes a point to approach how in our attempts to bring further awareness to and in support of trans people, we often assign transness to folks who otherwise likely would not have referred to themselves as transgender–pointing to none other than the heroes of the Stonewall riots themselves, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

As a society, we often mistake gender creativity and variance as folks looking toward binary gender when many non-western and colonized cultures had no real concept of what gender and sex binaries even were. It makes a case to veer away from this reflex to immediately gender those who came before us.

I learned so much from reading this book and I know you can too. This is a quick book, though whether that's due to the writing or how engrossed you'll be reading the histories within is unclear. For all of my theorists out there, you will want this one on your shelves.

Corpses, Fools, and Monsters: An Examination of Trans Film Images in Cinema by Willow Catelyn Maclay and Caden Mark Gardner, Repeater Books

If you've been looking for a film criticism book to throw in your dude-film-bro friends face whenever they pull some shit about trans people not existing in film, then boy, have you come to the right place.

Critics Willow Catelyn Maclay and Caden Mark Gardner present a series of essays exploring the histories of trans film images in the years before the current reclamation we've seen of trans people telling their own stories across genre. Approaching all manner of domestic and international films, including the obvious contenders such as The Matrix, the films of David Cronenberg, and even the not-so-great such as Silence of the Lambs and many more.

Both richly informative and expansive, this is a text sitting alongside contemporary classics such as Tre'vell Anderson's groundbreaking We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film, and even the powerful work of Jack Halberstam. Whether you're an appreciator of gender studies, cinema, or theory, this is an incredibly important text for those who wish to understand where trans narratives have struggled from.

Creation: On Art and Unbecoming by Chris Zeischegg, Apocalypse Party Press

Chris Zeischegg may be a tough sell for some people, but I truly believe his writing is some of the most insightful and fascinating pieces of auto-fiction and memoir I read all of last year. Writing on his life within sex work, as well as his beautiful friendship and working relationship with artist Luka Fisher, sets up multi-faceted conversations of how/why/where/etc we consume and appreciate art.

The auto-fiction is brutal, but beautiful in how it uses violence to express Zeischegg's wider ideas and topics. It's definitely an experimental book that absolutely challenges readers more than it works to comfort or entertain them. There is so much to glean from this book, but it's certainly not for the faint of heart, if you get my meaning.

Keep your eyes peeled on this guy, lord knows there's much more to come.

Dinner On Monster Island: Essays by Tania de Rozario, Harper Perennial

If you consider yourself an academic horror head, but have not read this book yet, then you need to make peace with your god and rectify that as soon as possible.

Combining memoir, cultural criticism, and feminist theory, Tania de Rozario tackles the topics often seen as monstrous in women, but especially queer and fat women within the Asian diaspora. Detailing her life growing up in the education reforms of Seoul, South Korea, readers are given an inside look at the conservation shift in the countries capital, leading to a war on body image whose effects are felt to this day.

Additionally, de Rozario uses her love and connection to horror movies as a way of making sense of not only her queerness, but her own body image as well. What follows is an insightful and searing discussion in how the world views queer women, and a push back against the decades of messaging that women are monsters.

Read it. Now.

You Are the Snake: Stories by Juliet Escario, Soft Skull Press

Juliet Escario is the contemporary juggernaut of girls-behaving-badly fiction. Between her poetic anti-poetry and profound essays of last year's Witch Hunt & Black Cloud: New & Collected Works, and her unsettling yet poignant coming of age debut, Juliet the Maniac, there's a distinct voice and restlessness that rings similarly to the work of Raven Leilani and Venita Blackburn. Escario digs into the brutality of being a young woman with a voice solely her own.

A massive highlight from this collection is her fictionalized obituary detailing the life of an abusive matriarch within her family. If you love your female characters wildly flawed, this is some devious fiction for you.

Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi, Riverhead Books

Really? You thought I'd post this list without including one of my biggest influences, Akwaeke Emezi??? It's like you barely know me at all...

Emezi has been carving out an inspired body of work. Whether it's speculative fiction, romance, memoir, poetry–they've done it all. Little Rot brings them into the crime fiction game, telling the story of a weekend in the Nigerian underground that will positively cause your toes to curl.

Following the turbulent lives of several folks close to the dark edges of the criminal underworld, Emezi's skilled eye for characterization and world building takes on new dimension as they expertly bring all of the threads together toward a shocking climax.

While fans will surely be excited to see the darkness returning to their work, Akwaeke Emezi's Little Rot still demands your attention, your soul, and the ways this story will stick in your memory for years to come. Another fantastic entry in a continuously stellar repertoire.

Exhibit by R.O. Kwon, Riverhead Books

I know, in a very short time, I will have to return to R.O. Kwon's Exhibit, much like I did her extraordinary debut, The Incendiaries–merely due to the sheer number of layers at the heart of this awe-inspiring follow-up.

Telling a gorgeously queer tale of desire versus expectation, Kwon nails the tone of back-and-forth lust, while incorporating mythology seamlessly in every other chapter. Exhibit is both a rallying cry and a cry for help. Not only this, but there is a feature about halfway through the novel that caused me to audibly gasp in just how gorgeously she pulled it off.

Will always regret not making it up to Midtown Scholar for her PA tour date, but someday I hope to adequately express to her what her writing means to me.

Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg, Hogarth

Who would have thought 2024 would see a queer buddy road novel taking place across the expanse of Pennsylvania? Emma Copley Eisenberg, that's who!

This was another of my beloved author events at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Eisenberg is a sweetheart, and her fiction is just as empathetic. Part rom-com, part identity drama, yet completely contemporary in how it explores all of these facets, Housemates came at such a fascinating cultural moment and encompasses so many emotions in its 352 pages.

If you're someone who usually doesn't jump toward romance books, but love a good rom-com dynamic, this is a book that will scratch all of those itches, plus you'll get some insightful, almost fairytale-framed story of friendship, love, betrayal, creativity and sooooo much more.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, Atria/Emily Bestler Books

I'm famously not a huge fan of Mark D. Danielewski's landmark opus House of Leaves. I've tried reading the copy I bought when I was an edgy fifteen-year-old several times and just couldn't fuckin do it. Maybe someday I will actually put my whole Violetussy into decoding it, but that day is not today.

What I did love, however, is Marcus Kliewer's debut horror thriller, We Used to Live Here. It may be controversial to say, but I firmly believe there are ways in which this book did a better job at showing the madness wrought from a...whatever the hell this house is.

I was surprised to hear this was already being turned into a Netflix movie, so I figured hey, there must be something here. And there is. A really freaky, reality-obliterating ride through hell, with some really awesome world-building and lore. Knowing this started as a Reddit thread sells me ALL the more.

Puzzle-lovers who also love horror, this one is for you. Far less daunting than House of Leaves, this one will stick in your brain forever. Pleasant dreams <3.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, William Morrow

The past few years have really been focused on found-footage, analog horror, and physical media–something pertinent to my non-fiction project I'm working on. So many books have featured VHS tapes between 2023 and now, I had no idea what to expect of Paul Tremblay's newest chiller–the on-the-nose, simply titled Horror Movie.

My 2024 bingo card was not prepared to have "meeting and hanging out with Paul Tremblay" join the fray, but boy was that a beautiful experience. As a long-time fan, Horror Movie had the lovingly meta approach most Tremblay novels do, but achieved something not every author can: melding the energy and tone of his past and recent works. Horror Movie feels like the perfect marriage between A Head Full of Ghosts and The Pallbearers Club, incorporating the meta mystery of Ghosts in concert with the self-referential, coming-of-age aspects of Pallbearers.

What follows is the most quintessentially Tremblay book in years, packing the heart, horror, and misdirection he's known for. Boasting one of my favorite endings of this year, Horror Movie is perfect for fans of how horror movies are made, as well as folks looking for a slow-burn, yet jaw-dropping mic-drop of an ending.

Supplication by Nour Abi-Nakhoul, Strange Light

Sofia Ajram gives the best book recommendations, which is especially true with this novel. Supplication is a literary horror nightmare written in such devastatingly gorgeous prose, the descent into madness is entirely the point.

Exploring the relationship between violence, faith, and transcendence, Nour Abi-Nakhoul keeps the narrative tight, while allowing the images to expand, retract, and shift before our eyes. What appears to be a straightforward story quickly becomes untraceable as our unnamed narrator transforms completely.

This is one of those novels you need to enter as unknowing of the plot as possible. Much like Dayspring, this is a book that demands to be EXPERIENCED. I can't recommend it enough.

Crushing Snails by Emma E. Murray, Apocalypse Party

Emma E. Murray is a hardcore horror powerhouse. While I loved her astounding Shortwave novella, When the Devil, it was her debut novel, Crushing Snails, that completely sealed the deal.

Charting the days leading up to a 16-year-old's actualization as a serial killer, we witness so much of the social, emotional, and physical factors capable of unraveling even the "sanest" person. This novel spoke in such splendid concert with Charlene Elsby's The Devil Thinks I'm Pretty. Both novels explore how the maddening ennui of suburban living can drive anyone to kill, but there is so much nuance to Murray and Elsby's heroines.

Massive trigger warnings for animal and child violence, but this is a sublimely brutal novel that is very much worth any author's time. If you enjoy the work of Samantha Kolesnik, this is 400% the book for you.

Stay On the Line by Clay McLeod Chapman, Illustrated by Trevor Henderson, Shortwave Publishing

It was intensely difficult for me to choose between Clay McLeod Chapman's two novellas that released in 2024, as I greatly adored Kill Your Darling, a truly devastating work of crime horror from the fantastic Bad Hand Press. In the end, it was Chapman's team-up with legendary horror illustrator Trevor Henderson that crossed the finish line.

Telling the story of a small seaside town experiencing an extraordinary supernatural happening. A dilapidated phone booth begins channeling calls from the afterlife, allowing the denizens to reconnect with their lost loved ones, following a destructive hurricane.

However, not all appears as it seems, as folks begin disappearing, being called off to the waves by the voices claiming to be loved ones. Can our narrator, a woman grieving her husband, outlast these sinister forces and save the town she loves?

Stay On the Line packs all of the signature Chapman beats–terrifying tension, emotional nuance, and a heart at the very center, battling the hopelessness attempting to cleave its way through. Henderson's illustrations are additionally top-notch, perfectly capturing the dread inherent in Chapman's prose. Even in a shorter page length, he excels in packing plenty of story and emotional depth, offering a brisk, haunting read for any who dare approach it.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, Del Rey

At first, I really struggled with this one. The ending shocked me in a way I was not excited about and I found myself angered by its ending. After reading so many rave reviews, I wasn't sure what I was missing, what piece would help me enjoy the ending more. Then I consulted with MotherHorror herself, Sadie Hartmann, who then spoke to Josh, and I began to understand how, why, and to what the end was going for.

Definitely one of Malerman's bleaker books–which alone is saying something–Incidents Around the House hits hard because it's written from the perspective of a child. We're forced to witness the horror and confusion alongside our little protagonist as she attempts to understand their particular haunting, but the chaotic complexity of her parents marriage as well.

The Other Mother takes the cake as one of my favorite horror antagonists of the year. As much as Malerman describes, even more is disturbingly left to the imagination, creating long, skin-crawling shadows that not only hover above you, but infect your very self as well.

What I loved most about this novel is its bombshell twist and what it all means to the broader story at large. It creates a heart-breaking, yet completely understanding schism in everything endured to that point. It is a challenging tour-de-force, but one you absolutely will never forget.

The Truest Sense: A Collection of Horrors by Laura Keating, Cematary Gates Media

Anyone who remembers last year's sprawling list, you'll know how much I ADORED Laura Keating's novella, Agony's Lodestone, from Tenebrous Press. With powerful storytelling and a killer eye for subtle, yet impactful horror, I was beyond excited to see what came next.

Enter The Truest Sense, a story collection showcasing even more of Keating's show-stopping talent. A veritable cabinet of curios, there are tons of classic-feeling stories in here. If the Stephen Gammell-inspired cover isn't a stellar indication of what to expect, I don't know what is.

Dive in and kick back, because Laura Keating is not playing around when she says that horror is one of the truest senses.

MOUTH by Joshua Hull, Tenebrous Press

If you haven't heard the name Joshua Hull before, you're certainly missing out. A screenwriter for Shudder's hilarious cosmic horror, Glorious, Hull made his literary debut this year with the positively feel-good MOUTH.

Between the cover and its title, Mouth pretty much offers you exactly what's on the tin, but what I did not expect was a beautifully-depicted exploration of monstrousness, friendship, and found family. While MOUTH is thoroughly a creature feature, you will find so much more in these pages, as well as a pleasantly happy ending!

Hull's humor is palpable throughout, so if you happened to see and loved the dark comedy of Glorious, then this one is absolutely up your alley. I'm also intensely excited for his debut novel, 8114, which comes out this year from CLASH.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan, Minotaur Books

Speaking of books exceling in their combination of humor and horror, my most pleasing surprise of this year was Lindy Ryan's devilishly enjoyable debut, Bless Your Heart.

A truly accomplished editor responsible for anthologies like Into the Forest: Tales of Baba Yaga and this year's The Darkest Night: 22 Winter Horror Stories, this first entry into an exciting new series takes a unique spin on vampire mythology. Introducing contemporary audiences to the Strigoi, Romania's version of vampire lore which almost takes on a living dead-like quality.

We're introduced to the Evans family, a tight-knit multi-generational unit of women who have long dealt with issues of the undead. As the youngest, Grace, begins to approach her boy-loving years, something ancient is awakened that will threaten not only their entire Texas town, but the bond of the four Evans women as well.

This book...is so much god damn fun. Plenty of Southern turns of phrase and gruesome deaths to keep each chapter moving at a break-neck pace. The more we learn of the history these women carry with them, the further down the rabbit hole we go, and it's the richly emotional climax which brings everything together. Little did I know, a sequel was already in the works. So if you read this and feel grief that it's over, oh, it is faaar from over.

A decaying southern belle of a novel intent on conquering the rodeo, Bless Your Heart–and the rapidly approaching Another Fine Mess–is a damn great time, clamoring for your attention.

Cold by Drew Hayden Taylor, McClelland & Stewart

LOOK. AT. THIS. COVER. Cold is another favorite I struggle to adequately describe. It's hilarious, horrific, heart-breaking, and so much more. Focusing on a series of Indigenous characters including an academic and an aging hockey star, Drew Hayden Taylor balances several genres with such elegance, you almost never realize when the switches happen.

Ultimately a story of identity, survival, and legacy, by the time the closing moments wrap up this cyclone of a story, I was completely in awe of the directions it took. Mystery, Horror, Crime Drama–so much happens in 368 pages, and, again, it's best to experience it all by going in blind.

I Can See Your Lies by Izzy Lee, Dark Matter INK

At the beginning of 2024, we received an email from an upcoming author/filmmaker by the name of Izzy Lee. Her debut novella, I Can See Your Lies, was going to be releasing through Dark Matter INK and wanted to put it on our radars, even sending really cool bookmarks as advertising for the book.

Needless to say, Violet was very excited for this. A woman who could see a yucky black substance come out of people who are lying to her face? What an exciting premise.

This impassioned tale of feminine rage is an action-packed, exhilarating ride. One whose ending still has not left me to this day. Izzy's passion and anger is clear, nearly seething off the pages, and her commentary surrounding the themes of truth and trust are searing in their defiance.

A short, sweet, and brutal read, I Can See Your Lies is the promise of an intensely exciting future.

Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris, Stelliform Press

When it comes to these end-of-year lists, I typically focus on titles from that year because I read so much that if I included everything I read, this list would be insanely long.

HOWEVER, I break that rule for this book specifically. I didn't get to read Green Fuse Burning until the very beginning of 2024, so it missed out on my 2023 list, which it WOULD HAVE been on. I love this novella with my whole heart.

Tiffany Morris is possibly one of the best writers discussing the realities of depression alongside Sofia Ajram. Green Fuse Burning was exactly the book I needed in the moment I read it, much like Coup de Grâce. It tells the story of Rita, a Mi'kmaq woman who is grieving the loss of her father, while also working on her art at a secluded cabin. As she works through her feelings of fear, grief, and depression, she finds herself coming in contact with a strange forest deity who appears to call to Rita's suicidal ideation.

Needless to say, this is a heavy story, but it's written in such a gorgeously honest and visceral way you can't deny its efficacy and power. Morris is a writer wholly aware of her mission and executes it with pure mastery. I cannot recommend this eco-horror enough, and I cannot wait to see what Morris gifts us with next.

Violent Faculties by Charlene Elsby, CLASH Books

Another year, another Charlene Elsby. One of Canada's eminent talents in the world of extreme horror, Violent Faculties is as if the film Martyrs was an academic treatise, or if the guy in Perfume was obsessed with psychology/philosophy instead of scents.

The central narrator of the novel is a professor trying to hypothesize how far the human body can be put through pain before it reaches a form of absolute peace. They want to understand everything they can about pain. As you can imagine, this is not spectacular for who eventually becomes their test subject.

Much like other narratives in these stream, the hypothesis begins "innocently" enough, but some of the most fun in this novella is watching the footnotes. That's right, theydies and germs, as the narrator's sanity plunges, the footnotes only get stranger and stranger...They could almost be forgotten entirely, but I cannot stress enough how imperative it is to the overall theme.

Elsby has once again changed the game, bringing her own expertise to the table to deliver a profound and putrid condemnation of academia gone too far. 400% worth the read.

A Spectre is Haunting Greentree by Carson Winter, Tenebrous Press

Dark Harvest meets All Hallows with the commentaries of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Stepford Wives, but remixed in the way only Carson Winter can.

The newest release from the Tenebrous superstar, Greentree follows a woman seeking a second chance, escaping her abusive partner and moving to a quiet town at the behest of her best friend. But there's a lot of strange things about Greentree. The scarecrows, for one, are ultra creepy. There seems to be a very patriarchal bent to how things are done, the men are...well men, BUT IN A WEIRD WAY. But hold on a second, did the scarecrows move?

This is an outstanding small-town folk horror, with equal measures of brooding and gore, but with especially emotional beats that will yank your heartstrings, guaranteed. Winter does such an excellent job with pacing, there's not a single moment you feel safe or bored. An absolutely outstanding indie gem.

Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera, Tordotcom

2024 was the year I finally dug into the sublime work of Vajra Chandrasekera. His 2023 debut, The Saint of Bright Doors was a vast, complex fantasy lush with political intrigue and social commentary. But it was his sophomore effort, Rakesfall that truly won my heart.

Yet another book I struggle to describe. I came pretty close in my review a few months ago, but boy...this one is so unique. In the legacy of Octavia E. Butler, this novel feels like a modern interpretation of her Xenogenesis series. So many sentences utterly took my breath away, and I will definitely need to embark on a re-read at some point soon, because I'm not entirely sure I understood all of it.

But that's kind of what makes it brilliant. Across generations, worlds, dimensions, there is a connection between the central characters transcending love and care. It's an intensely powerful adventure no reader can come away unchanged from. If you love fantasy, sci fi, a little romance, but more praxis on communal revolution, this is a true modern masterpiece you don't want to miss.

From the Belly by Emmett Nahil, Tenebrous Press

Never has a relationship between a sailor and a vengeful, ancient sea deity been more beautiful. Part anti-capitalist sea-faring nightmare, part classic queer sailor romp, this brilliant novel tells of a whaling vessel whose recent catch reveals something bizarre: the un-digested body of a man in its stomach.

As the days pass with the stranger in captivity, horrifying events begin to overtake the ship and it seems that only our young protagonist understands the wrath of this otherworldly being. Emmett Nahil deftly balances the drama with the supernatural elements, leading us to empathize with both the stranger and our young sailor.

An epic rallying cry of a novel, Nahil is a new talent you absolutely must keep your eyes on.

Death Strikes: The Emperor of Atlantis by Dave Maass, Illustrated by Patrick Levy, Richard Brunning, & Ezra Rose, Berger Books

Adapted from a previously lost 1943 play written by the artists Peter Kien and Viktor Ullmann, this is a graphic novel that deserved far more publicity than it got. A historical fabulist masterpiece positively VITAL to our current discourse surrounding the multiple genocides taking place across the world.

Kien and Ullman were imprisoned in the Czech concentration camp, Terezin, created during the Holocaust. There were many rehearsals and a planned performance, but Kien and Ullman were tragically killed before the play could be staged.

Death Strikes tells the story of a similar type of city, ruled by an authoritarian whose solitary existence keeps him entirely unaware of the poverty and suffering taking place within the walls of this city. Completely fed up with the needless violence and death within said walls, Death decides he's going to strike from shepherding souls to the afterlife, causing anyone who is to die within the city to not. It's up to a being outside of existence and time, Life, to bring Death back, as well as bringing the authoritarian to justice as he continues to fester alone in his xenophobia.

Blending genres in one of the most rich tapestries of storytelling, Death Strikes is a book we need as we leave 2024 behind and remain involved in the horrific genocides in Gaza, Congo, Sudan, and more. Gorgeously haunting illustrations lend image to this brilliant piece of art the Nazi's tried so hard to bury.

Rangikura by Tayi Tibble, Knopf

Tayi Tibble (Te Whānau ā Apanui/Ngāti Porou), based in Te Whanganui a Tara, Aoteraroa, is an incredible poet whose sense of humor is so nuanced and powerful, you won't realize how deep she's cutting you while your side splits from laughter. Where'd the split come from? Why, that knife she just stuck in you.

Following her breathtaking 2023 collection Poukahangatus, Tibble focuses her eye on further contemporary New Zealand life, as well as her experiences growing up Indigenous in a country whose past struggles with colonization continue.

Tibble's voice is sharp and lyrical, providing covert warmth and engagement with memory while critiquing the wider culture she exists within. If you read poetry, put Tayi Tibble at the front of your TBR immediately.

Stiches by Hirokatsu Kihara, Illustrated by Junji Ito, VIZ Media LLC

For the first time in English, Japanese folklorist Hirokatsu Kihara teams up with Manga juggernaut Junji Ito to share some of the most compelling tales of history and important folklore to Japanese culture. Ito's illustrations amplify the truly horrific tales of societal and cultural fears, highlighting the ways in which humanity has always feared what we don't understand.

I'm hoping someday we can get an English translation of Kihara's big book of Japanese folklore, because I'm honestly obsessed with this man's work. Read it.

Lies That Bind by Rae Wilde & April Yates, Brigids Gate Press, LLC

Y'all know me, I'm a painfully vanilla person. Erotica is never really my thing, but I'm always willing to give it a go when it's sapphic. Especially when it's written by two authors I love.

Though to call Lies That Bind erotica isn't solely true. What is at the heart of this book is attempting to unlearn harmful patterns of behavior in relationships. When partners in a sham seance business are visited by a mysterious customer, Viola, Lorelei and Adele find their secrets coming to light, their relationship tested, and a strange force working to tear them apart.

This is a very fun and sexy little book, with plenty of necessary conversations pertaining relationship and power dynamics and how important it is for couples to communicate their needs, anxieties, and hopes with one another. Rae and April do a sublime job bringing these characters and horrors to life. Plus, look at that cover!!

The Threshing Floor by Steph Nelson, Dark Matter INK

Steph Nelson had a great year between her pulse-pounding thriller The Final Scene and her slightly more supernatural thriller The Threshing Floor. I greatly loved both–especially considering The Final Scene came out on my birthday hehe–but the latter is the one that ultimately stole my heart in the end!

Telling the story of a single mother attempting to raise her child with a dangerous heart disease. When she learns of a young woman who possesses the power to heal people's ailments, she seeks to join the organization and save her son. Through the organization she meets Shane, the brother of her potential savior, who fears the very real danger Dalice may face in praying fealty to his sister.

A surreal little novel focusing on the interplay between belief, faith, and legacies of harm, as well as the lengths a mother will go to save her child. In typical Steph Nelson fashion, Dalice is a woman in a complex situation, but she attempts to lead with care and love. An extremely taught chiller, Steph continues to excel in the thriller genre over even some of the best names!

Panic Playhouse by Remy Oliver, Self-Published

Remy Oliver may not be a name you recognize, but his writing is out of this world. His debut novella, Panic Playhouse, is an extreme horror novel that, while incredibly brutal and violent, packs a ton of heart and emotion into its various characters.

Imagining the darkest and most violent corners of the internet, Panic Playhouse presents a group where folks can provide information for their enemies, and a series of killers will take the jobs and go for those people. You can only imagine how nasty and unfair that quickly gets.

Where some extreme horror delights in gruesome violence for shock value, Oliver tows the very thin line that exists between compelling and exploitative. What follows is a nuanced take on the darker corners of internet culture and vengeful fantasies.

This will definitely not be for all folks, but it kicks a good deal of butt and hosts one of my favorite home-invaders-fucked-up battle I've read in a long time!

Mewing by Chloe Spencer, Shortwave Publishing

This one was also a tough choice, because I loved all three of Chloe Spencer's releases this year, but my absolute favorite had to be Mewing. Taking aim at power imbalances in modeling and influencer culture alike, Spencer presents a modern parable about the lengths we'll go to attain our dreams and financial safety.

Vixen wants to get into the exclusive Bleach Babes house, a home notoriously difficult to join, and just as easily dangerous to all who enter. The leader, Margo, eventually takes a liking to Vixen and invites her in, but once she's there, she might wish she never entered.

Obsession meets competition in a dark and eerie queer horror from one of the subgenres great talents. The ending of this one will kick you directly in the ass, but boy is it a great time.

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan, Viking

To close this list, I present one that positively kicked my heart in the butt pretty hard. A beautiful, sprawling, multi-generational story of a son and daughter coming to live in an apartment building made from what used to be a wealthy Indian families estate. Inside is a colorful cast of characters including a hundred-years-old Djinn who tries desperately to communicate its rage to the little girl.

Over the course of the novel, we learn more about the family who once inhabited the crumbling estate, the pain and grief it wrought, and the dangers and power of governance and ownership. As the two timelines converge, heartbreaking truths will reveal themselves, but there is more hope present than not.

Far more a magical realism book than horror, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is a modern fairy tale that balances its darkness and light extremely well.

And that is that! God, this took forever. You'd think I'd learn from each time I do this and either try and shorten my lists, OR, start earlier, but alas, here we are. I hope if you made it through this whole list that you enjoyed yourself and found some cool books to add to your TBR. I'm hoping to get back to regular reviews very soon, because I've already read some great stuff in these first few weeks of the year.

Stay safe, y'all. I am exhausted haha/

-Violet <3