My Favorite Reads of 2022
Some old. Some new. Some long reads and some short. These are the books I enjoyed this year, in no particular order. If you’re interested in growing your TBR or giving a spooky holiday gift, these are for you. To purchase, head over to my Bookshop.org page.
The Between by Tananarive Due
I love a book in which details and characters you've seen in the early pages get turned on their heads, making you question literally EVERYTHING you've already read. If "mind blown" were a novel, it would be The Between.
Within the Shadows by Brandon Massey
It’s like someone picked up the phone and ordered a large Fatal Attraction with speculative toppings and a side of father-son angst. And I ended up caring about the villain too! This was a fast-paced, sexy read.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
A horror masterpiece. It's clear why this novel has received widespread praise. High animal/human body count, bloody kills, yet the story is told with the intimacy of a bedtime story. Several images will haunt me forever.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
A horrific mystery/suspense/thriller that makes me feel for the characters. I did surmise the premise almost immediately, but I love the distinct voices in this book.
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Brutal, and not your average home invasion story. Read it now and watch the M. Night Shyamalan version when it’s released next year.
The Ghastling No. 15
I came to the text because I admire contributor Laura Lee Lucas. Terrific ghost tales and other macabre stuff inside.
Man, F*ck this House by Brian Asman
A clever and unique spin on the just-moved-into-a-haunted-house tale. Entities in the home are…unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Story takes an unexpected turn. A quick, fun, frightening read.
Woom by Duncan Ralston
Extreme horror. Makes me want to take three showers, go to confession, and do a week-long cleanse. But it is not gross-out for gross-out’s sake. The characters are round; their pain rendered brutally on the page.
Anoka by Shane Hawk
This story collection is visceral, disturbing, and includes a Halloween parade I'm unable to extinguish from my mind.
The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson
Brilliant. Some stories get under the skin in a way that I had to take a break and return to the text after recovering from what I'd just read.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
Some readers have mentioned the prose being frustrating. I’m fine with the writing style. The images in this novella are haunting. The cover art is phenomenal.
We Need to Do Something by Max Booth III
Claustrophobic. Frightening. I love my family but can't imagine being trapped in a bathroom with them. The nightmare slowly unfurls in this novella, with mysterious terrors outside and body horror inside. And there are tongues. So many tongues. A quick, heart-stopping read.
