Recs if you like The Weight of Blood...

horror fiction from Black authors featuring Black characters

A selection of contemporary Southern Gothic titles exploring the decay, despair, and trauma of the reconstructed American South. Come for the palpably atmospheric settings and descriptions, stay for the literary commentary on the legacy of the South's oft-romanticized past.

As a note: I did not include the most well known writers in the genre, e.g. Truman Capote, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, etc. as the list is more focused on the resurgence of Southern Gothic in contemporary literature.

Horror books were cameras and journals may be all that remain

It’s hot and humid, the cicadas are buzzing, and there’s violence in the air.

Horror books and short stories set in the Deep South.

Think: swamps, bayous, bullfrogs, Spanish moss, hauntings, haints, voodoo/hoodoo, monsters hidden in plain sight, structural violence, and the oppressive weight of history.

Comps: True Detective S1; Sinners; South of Midnight

❗️Some of the these books are classified as extreme horror/splatterpunk. PLEASE protect yourself, and check all trigger warnings.❗️

Thrillers, Fantasies, and Romance books with Paranormal vibes by black authors that are perfect for spooky season.

books by black authors and/or with black characters

as comprehensive a guide to ya horror as i can make it! work in progress, suggestions welcome ♡

Note: The Sapphic story in The Revanche Cycle tetralogy (Winter's Reach) continues in the Wisdom's Grave trilogy (Sworn To The Night), which also has the final HEA. However the two series can be read independently of each other.

A reading list celebrating the women who know exactly how to get under your skin! Thankful for the gurlies!!!

home of the problematic and unreliable heroine, where decisions are messy and questionable at best.

just because it's ya doesn't make it less spooky! includes different subgenres from gothic horror to botanical horror to apocalypse horror — recommendations welcome!

Thrillers & mysteries that will keep you guessing until the end

Books that explore some interesting “what if”questions

Idk I think her actions were valid

Books that are considered "weird girl" lit or have "unhinged" women.

Books that feel so real that it's easy to forget what you're reading about didn't actually happen.

April ‘26 book club theme of the month. This month we’re going back to basics! Book club members are encouraged to read a classic or a retelling of a classic. This list encompasses some classics +/or their retellings. Members’ read books will also be in this list!