Horror TBR for Spooky Season

Hello, everyone! Lately, I have been thinking my relationship to the horror genre. While I've always liked horror films, I have read mostly the classics of the genre (Frankenstein, Dracula, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, plus a few Stephen King novels). However, I've been seeing so many interesting new (or fairly new) releases that really tickle my fancy. I've already made a decent start in my exploration earlier this year, and during Summerween but I need more. So, since we are entering spooky season, I thought that it would be a great idea to create a horror books TBR to motivate to actually get to them by the end of 2025. 

Horror Books in my TBR

#1 Bunny - Mona Awad

I know that I'm pretty late to the party, but I want to read Bunny so badly. Since it's also getting released in Greek this autumn, this is a great chance to actually pick it up. And the good news is that if I like it, I can also get the second book, We Love You, Bunny, which is getting published later this month (23th of September). 

I don't know much about this book, and I want to get into it without really looking. What I do know is that it is a weird book that you either love or hate it. Which way is it going to go for me? I'm not sure, but I'm excited to find out! 

#2 Tender Is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica

Another book that has become quite popular the last few years is Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. I'm not yet sure how I feel about cannibalism in horror, but there is definitely a trend for it (spoiler: there might be other books in this TBR with this particular theme).

In this book, we are in a dystopian future when an infectious virus has turned all animal meat poisonous to humans. Therefore, we have decided that the second best option is to consume human meat, instead of going vegeterian/vegan. Honestly, this sounds horrifying, and I've heard that there are a couple of scenes that are really difficult to stomach. 

#3 Our Wives Under the Sea - Julia Armfield

Since I love literary fiction, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield makes total sense. It might be a great book to transition from literary fiction to horror. If you have a similar reading taste to me, then this might be a good option for you as well. 

Our Wives Under the Sea is about a couple. One of the women took part in a deep-sea mission, where something went terribly wrong. She eventually comes back to her partner, but she is not the same. It sounds like it deals with existential themes that I really love, and honestly, I should have already read it by now.  

#4 The Eyes Are the Best Part - Monika Kim

If this cover doesn't scream horror, which does? The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim is also one of the books I've heard a lot about, and I'm definitely intrigued. To be honest, I've already started reading this book, so you might read a review pretty soon. 

As you can guess from the cover, The Eyes Are the Best Part is another cannibalism book. In this case, the protagonist gets obsessed with human eyes. This book also falls under the good for her sub-category, which is also something I would like to explore. If I enjoy this book, there are so many other stories about female rage that I can read.

#5 Natural Beauty - Ling Ling Huang

One more book that seems to be fitting perfectly with my reading taste is Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang. I know that the author has a newer release, Immaculate Conception, but I want to read her debut first as I feel that I'm going to love both. 

In Natural Beauty, we follow a woman that starts working at a beauty and wellness store. There, she gets deeper into the world of beauty, where something sinister exists. I like that this book talks about consumerism, identity, beauty standards, and self-worth. Plus, I feel that this is yet another sub-genre of horror as I've heard of other books that deal with the beauty industry. 

#6 Monstrilio -  Gerardo Sámano Córdova

This is one more book that makes me wonder why I haven't picked it up already. Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova has been making its appearance in so many lists that I simply have to try it. But apart from this, it also sounds something that I would enjoy. 

Monstrilio is a book that deals with grief. A mother that has lost her son takes a little piece of his lung. This piece gains sentience and becomes Monstrilio. I really can't imagive where the story will go from here, but I don't want to look it up beforehand. If it's actually as good as they say, then this might become one of my favourite books of all time. 

#7 A Head Full of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay

This is definitely the oldest book in this TBR, but I'm equally excited to read it. I have to confess that I've never read from Paul Tremblay before, and he's one of the authors that I would like to get acquainted with their writing. Out of all of his books, I decided to go with A Head Full of Ghosts as the synopsis piqued my interest. 

This book is about a girl that shows signs of schizophrenia. The doctors are unable to help her, and her parents turn to a priest for help. At the same time, they agree to be filmed for a reality TV show to cover for the medical bills. Compared to the other books in the list, I have read something with paranormal elements before. However, I'm pretty curious about Paul Tremblay's writing.

#8 Lucky Day - Chuck Tingle

From the oldest, we are moving the newest release of this TBR. Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle was published last month, and ever since I saw that cover, I wanted to read it. Just like Paul Tremblay, I've heard of this author's other books (Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays) and I was already interested in them. Since now he has a new release, I think I'm going to start here and then move to his previous books.

In Lucky Day, we follow Vera who has survived a global catatrophe. Vera is a statistics professor, but she finds it difficult to find any meaning in that. However, she will have to work with a governement agent to uncover what's going on at an inprobable lucky casino. Honestly, this sounds fun! 

So, there you have it! Have you read any of these books? Do you have other horror recommendations that you think I would enjoy?