Recs if you like The Ruins...

Cottagecore, but make it disgusting & horrifying. I feel like CG Drews would like this list

Fiction has always been where truth hides. Across horror, thriller, literary fiction, fantasy & mystery every book on this list has something to say about power, who holds it, who destroys it, and how it reproduces itself.

Spooky summer fun for all ages, from cute picture books with spooky elements, to creepy middle grade graphic novels, to teen + YA thrills, to adult-level gore and a sprinkling of erotic horror/dark romance. Books on this list have a heavy summer theme, either highlighting the season or taking place in settings like summer camps, fairgrounds, beaches, or water parks, and have some sort of creepy or scary element to them.

🏖️🌊👙🎡🎢🔪🏕️🏞️👻😈🍉

They say spring is the time when nature comes to life. And sometimes that's scary.

continuing with my series of lists inspired by singular & genre-defying filmmakers, this list looks at the ongoing legacy of david cronenberg, offering works that in some way feel reminiscent of his. recommendations, as always, are welcome, and feel free to request filmmakers in the comments!

Tight spaces. Heavy air. The creeping realization that escape may not be possible. These are stories designed to make you feel trapped.

Recs welcome!

recs welcomed in comments

dismemberment, parasitic infection, medical transmutation... body horror truly has it all. when the horror lives inside you, when there's no external danger, what do you do? you can't run from the transformation you've undergone. body horror centers the unbecoming of who you are at your core and the subsequent changes on the outside.

We think of summer as the season of light, but shadows are longest when the sun is highest. It is the time of the year when the woods grow too thick to see through, the water grows too dark to see into, and the heat makes the mind play tricks. From the rotting porches of the South to the blood-stained cabins of the North... We call them the Summer Nightmares.

plants and horror. for those who love botanical horror, because nature can be sinister.

These books are sticky and sweating and SUFFOCATING

every Red book recommendation from the Read Your Color substack | updated periodically

Books so devastating and/or impactful you'll need to take a break before starting your next read. Help build this list in the comments!

If it's a series, the first book will be listed.

MUNA wrote the song it gets so hot. And these are books that feel like that song. Literally and metaphorically.

The sun or summer or heatwave is a character or an oppressive force. Or the city of LA is a character or an oppressive force or a key setting. Or a combo of both. Or it’s a book MUNA have recommended. Or it’s just a bit steamy 🥵