Recs if you like Looking Glass Sound...

are you sick of being recommended stephen king when you ask for a horror novel? have you picked up a book expected to be scared, but the scariest thing about it was a woman being needlessly tormented and gaslit? have you read 4627473 books about a man in a haunted house and need something different?

if so, this list is for you :)

a masterlist of horror by anyone who isn't a straight cis white man. i've been maintaining it for myself since 2022 and it was time to share the wealth!

the darker side of new england. crumbling colonial-era brick, run down coastal towns, abandoned factories, dilapidated mills, foggy orchards, cold dark waters, whispers of witchcraft, venerated institutions, secret societies, and uneasy echoes of the past.

covers featuring skulls that aren't

Inspired by the sea fog, whistling winds, and the dark sea crashing against the rocks in summer

if you’re craving something that feels like the next martha’s vineyard (iykyk)! books that evoke the same feeling as the magnificent tv show ‘widows bay’

Created from the list on Goodreads by Cybil and Sadie Hartmann (September 29, 2025)

Books where there's a relationship that's codependent/obsessive, even to a small degree.

Horror books swimming with thalassophobia

I’m insanely obsessed with Widow’s Bay and I want to read some books with similar vibes once the season is over, so I figured I’d make this list! The books listed are recommendations I’ve gathered from Instagram, Reddit, etc, but I’d love some more recommendations!

Cozy or creepy books set in Maine or New England to get you in the mood for a romantic staycation or a ghostly getaway.

Queer horror

Welcome to widows bay - or well, as close to it in book form!

Patricia welcomes you.

Ongoing list

all books summerween: spooky, scary, and some romance all with the perfect ambiance and atmosphere

sweeping sagas that cover whole decades of a person or family's life