Question: Need great last minute gifts?? Answer: Books! The answer is always books!
2023 Jingle Bell Books-Underrated horror book recommendations from KC Grifant
2023 was another banner year for horror books! It is always hard to whittle down the book recommendation list to just 5-ish, but here are some of my favorite 2023 releases with a focus on under-the-radar and small- and indie-published books in the genre. These are sure to make unique gifts for the horror fans in your life!
101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann
I generally prefer fiction to nonfiction, but this guide to the world of horror literature is an absorbing read and a beautiful gift. The high-gloss, illustrated pages and engaging text make it a perfect coffee table book for your horror-loving friend.
Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
Link: https://bookshop.org/p/books/good-girls-don-t-die-christina-henry/19740136?ean=9780593638194
If you want to sink into a true page turner, this genre-defying novel dials up the suspense right off the bat with plenty of clever twists on genre tropes.
Linghun by Ai Jiang
Link: https://bookshop.org/p/books/linghun-ai-jiang/19876482?ean=9781958598023
At just 178 pages, this slim tale packs a big punch. A unique and poignant take on the haunted house story, it’s a book that stays with readers long after.
The Legend of Charlie Fish by Josh Rountree
Link: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-legend-of-charlie-fish/18852869?ean=9781616963941
For those interested in a blend of western history and horror, this novel weaves lyrical prose with a sense of foreboding in a charming monster tale. (And if the “weird west” genre intrigues, you can read more of my recommendations at www.WeirdWestFiction.)
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Two for one bonus!
I love short fiction, so these two dark and feminist-themed horror collections were high on my list of favorites this year.
White Trash and Recycled Nightmares by Rebecca Rowland
These short stories feature complex characters in deliciously disturbing scenarios with twists reminiscent of Tales from the Crypt—but so much more unsettling.
How Lovely To Be a Woman: Stories and Poems by Tiffany Michelle Brown
Link: This debut collection of nightmarish feminist stories and poems is piercing, ominous and wonderfully thought-provoking.
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Bonus! *************
For not-to-be-missed powerhouse horror books, check out the “Best Horror of 2023” list at the Library Journal here: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/best-horror-2023.
And to see last year’s list of my recommendations, click here: https://readersentertainment.com/2022/12/13/authors-share-the-gift-of-books-kc-grifant-recommends/
