Why am I passionate about this?

I've been writing spooky stories for the better half of my life. Reading and writing horror has always been a strangely therapeutic endeavor. It's a way to process the things that keep me up at night and force them into a somewhat manageable form. After all, tangible words on the page are less worrisome than swirling thoughts in the mind. And a surprising number of people seem to agree. As absurd as that may sound, many of us troubled souls find comfort in the horror genre.


I wrote

Book cover of We Used to Live Here

What is my book about?

As a young couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of A Short Stay in Hell

Marcus Kliewer Why I love this book

"There is a despair that goes deeper than existence; it runs to the marrow of consciousness, to the seat of the soul."

In this brief but brilliant masterpiece, the afterlife is a (nearly) infinite library. That doesn't sound so bad, right? Just wait. With each page turn, I found myself sinking deeper and deeper into a state of existential dread. Immersive, heartbreaking, and profound, I would've been happy to stay in this hell a good while longer.

By Steven L. Peck ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked A Short Stay in Hell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he’ll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life.


Book cover of Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror

Marcus Kliewer Why I love this book

Whether it's a Stephen King classic or a brand-new Netflix show, I've always been a huge fan of horror anthologies; Out There Screaming ranks among the finest. Featuring everything from washed-up monster hunters to real-world terrors, this is a must-read for fans of thought-provoking horror.

By Jordan Peele (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Out There Screaming as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times Bestseller

Jordan Peele, the visionary writer and director of Get Out, Us and Nope, curates this anthology of brand new stories of Black horror, exploring not only the terrors of the supernatural but also the chilling reality of injustice that haunts our world.

'A glorious showcase of Black American horror' - Guardian

Featuring an introduction by Jordan Peele and an all-star roster of beloved writers and new voices, Out There Screaming is a masterclass in horror, and - like his spine-chilling films - its stories prey on everything we think we know about our world, and…


Ad

Book cover of The Time-Jinx Twins

The Time-Jinx Twins by Carol Fisher Saller,

Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…

Book cover of I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Marcus Kliewer Why I love this book

Few books have gotten under my skin like this one. Every page brims with eerie trepidation and a growing sense of dread. As soon as I finished, I wanted to read it again.

"Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can't fake a thought."

During a trip to meet her boyfriend's parents, a young woman considers ending the relationship. The anxiety of meeting a partner's family is universally relatable, but Reid's debut novel takes this fear to a whole new level. Every page brims with a growing sense that something is terribly, terribly wrong. A surreal and hypnotic nightmare.

By Iain Reid ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked I'm Thinking of Ending Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM DIRECTED BY CHARLIE KAUFMAN
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. Iain Reid has crafted a tight, ferocious little book, with a persistent tenor of suspense that tightens and mounts toward its visionary, harrowing final pages” (Scott Heim, award-winning author of Mysterious Skin and We Disappear).

I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.

Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an…


Book cover of Your Shadow Half Remains

Marcus Kliewer Why I love this book

"No faces, no eyes. Not if you want to survive."

Riley lives in a lonely world where a single look drives people into frenzied violence. Stay alive by staying away from people. This state of affairs has become routine to her: "It's horrifying. Then it's weird. Then it's just inconvenient."

But she considers risking it all when a new neighbor moves in down the street. Your Shadow Half Remains is a beautifully written meditation on love, isolation, paranoia, and so much more. I couldn't put this one down.

By Sunny Moraine ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Your Shadow Half Remains as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ONE LOOK CAN KILL.

Riley has not seen a single human face in longer than she can reckon. No faces, no eyes. Not if you want to survive.

But when a new neighbour moves in down the road, Riley's overwhelming need for human contact makes her throw caution to the wind. Somehow, in this world where other people can mean a gruesome, bloody death, Ellis makes her feel safe. As they grow closer, Riley's grip on reality begins to slip and she can no longer fight her deepest desires.

All Riley wants to do is look.


Ad

Book cover of Every Witch Way but Ghouls

Every Witch Way but Ghouls by K.E. O'Connor,

A witchy paranormal cozy mystery told through the eyes of a fiercely clever (and undeniably fabulous) feline familiar.

I’m Juno. Snow-white fur, sharp-witted, and currently stuck working magical animal control in the enchanted town of Crimson Cove. My witch, Zandra Crypt, and I only came here to find her missing…

Book cover of House of Leaves

Marcus Kliewer Why I love this book

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted cult following this terrifying story would soon command. So describes the dust jacket of Mark Z. Danielewski's infamous masterpiece.

A mind-bending collection of found documents, snarky citations, and secret codes. It's been said: you don't read House of Leaves, House of Leaves reads you -- and I couldn't agree more. This book literally made me question reality.

By Mark Z. Danielewski ,

Why should I read it?

27 authors picked House of Leaves as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A novelistic mosaic that simultaneously reads like a thriller and like a strange, dreamlike excursion into the subconscious.” —The New York Times

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations,…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of We Used to Live Here

What is my book about?

As a young couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening. And the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. When Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

Book cover of A Short Stay in Hell
Book cover of Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror
Book cover of I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,211

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 You might also like…

Book cover of Pinned

Pinned by Liz Faraim,

“Rowdy” Randy Cox, a woman staring down the barrel of retirement, is a curmudgeonly blue-collar butch lesbian who has been single for twenty years and is trying to date again.

At the end of a long, exhausting shift, Randy finds her supervisor, Bryant, pinned and near death at the warehouse…

Book cover of Heidegger's Glasses

Heidegger's Glasses by Thaisa Frank,

In an underground coal mine in Northern Germany, over forty scribes who are fluent in different languages have been spared the camps to answer letters to the dead—letters that people were forced to answer before being gassed, assuring relatives that conditions in the camps were good. 

Many of the Nazi…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in violence, torture, and African American authors?

Violence 112 books
Torture 44 books