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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!

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.

🏖️🌊👙🎡🎢🔪🏕️🏞️👻😈🍉

Horror books featuring sapphic characters and relationships!

all things summer and horror from slashers to summer camp and your favorite local faire.

if you like tma, some are just vibes, some actual entities

Another collection of sapphic books that are tagged as horror, thriller, or mystery on Goodreads that I hope to one day read a few of.

what it says on the tin! i love a good fantasy book but sometimes you want something a little more grounded in reality. please leave recs

books with the aesthetic of a 70s/80s summer camp, where a mysterious killer is picking off teenagers one by one…

Call me Ishmael for this is my white whale

Bright sun, bad decisions, and something already in the woods.

Skin burning. Air too heavy. Summer lasting too long. ☀️

Beach houses with doors that jam. Rentals that were always a red flag. Footsteps that don't match anyone inside. Slasher chaos, slow dread, or almost playful, until it's not.

Your summerween you're looking for is here, welcome 🎃🔪🥂

what gab smolders read in 2025 as per her book talk video! horror + in tier order from most to least liked by her:

★ S TIER: from "night shoot" to "old country"

★ A TIER: from "what stalks the deep" to "listen to your sister"

★ B TIER: from "the long walk" to "the gathering"

★ C TIER: from "banquet for the damned" to "model home"

★ D TIER: from "3 streets" to "my darling dreadful thing"

★ F TIER: from "basilisk" to "survivor song"

All the books chosen by Booksandlala for the Literally Dead Book club.

A collection of horror books, that are slashers or at least slasher adjacent, with prominent queer characters

I love whimsy and books around a circus (or circus adjacent vibes like whimsical carnivals, festivals, etc)

required reading for yellowjackets fans

Horror novels that draw from the supernatural, folklore, witchcraft, and the paranoia of cults.

Horror books with silly, fun, or unique plots. I'd love recommendations!

… but better