Recs if you like Our Cut of Salt...

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, started in 2022 and brought to pb in 2026.

Books that illustrate some aspect of the immigrant experience - in fantasy, or in the real world; in childhood, or in old age; in history, or in the modern day. (work in progress - recs welcome!)

Horror stories (in all of its forms/subgenres) from Asian authors!

Recs welcome!

A genre-inclusive and diverse list of horror releases coming in 2026. If I missed any or you have suggestions, please let me know. I will update periodically as new books are announced and release dates are solidified.

Source for a lot of the data for this list came from readjumpscares.com, which is a website you should absolutely check out. I’m sure data will come from other places along the way, as well.

was curious, so did some research and found loads and loads!!! happy reading, folks!

Fiction books by Arab authors and/or books starring Arab characters (and as always, Free Palestine)

Horror books to read just for the aesthetic

fiction books centered around characters processing grief 🦋

The house is a character in the book?! chef's kiss

PALESTINIAN AUTHORS & WRITERS (including half-Palestinian or of Palestinian heritage) ❗️includes translated titles ❗️some books are not available on Pagebound; more can be found on my Storygraph & Instagram accounts

Reading is resistance. Palestine WILL be free!

This includes books coming out by SWANA* authors in Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Lit-Fic and more!

*SWANA: South West Asia or North Africa (decolonial term for MENA or Middle East & North Africa)

All the Illumicrate, Afterlight, Evernight, Starbright, etc. picks for 2026

Thrillers and horror books with a family setting. This list focuses on relationships between siblings, parent and child etc.

Fiction books set in Palestine

Open to recs!

I’m really fascinated by cover trends in publishing and this one has felt inescapable this year so I decided to make a list of them all! I feel like I personally see this most often in horror & lit fic, but I’d love to hear if you’ve seen this trend outside those genres or if there’s another trend you see!

From the New York Public Library. This is their adult fiction horror list for 2026