New horror titles

I love a good scary story. There is something about the longer shadows as fall rolls in that has me craving a good, suspenseful, story. Here are five new horror titles recently added to PWPL’s collection.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

My Best Friend’s Exorcism has thus far, been my favorite book of 2016. Grady Hendrix, author of the hit Horrorstor, a book about a haunted Scandinavian style home store, hits the same horror humor notes with My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Set in the 1980’s, the story revolves around lifelong best friends, Abby and Gretchen, as they navigate the social lives of high schoolers in the south. After a night of skinny-dipping goes wrong, Gretchen begins to act differently, and only Abby can discover how to save her. Is their friendship strong enough to survive a demonic possession? Hendrix’s homage to the 80’s is the perfect balance of nostalgia and original storytelling. Be sure to check out, and listen to, all the 80’s musical chapter titles for an even more enjoyable reading experience.

The Fireman by Joe Hill

Joe Hill, New York Times Bestseller and son of Stephen King, is following in his father’s footsteps as an iconic horror writer. The world of The Fireman is terrorized by a worldwide pandemic of spontaneous combustion and a group of heroes determined to save civilization, led by a man known as the Fireman. Known as Draco Incendia Trychophyton, or Dragonscale, is a highly contagious spore which makes gold and black marks across the host’s body, eventually leading to spontaneous combustion which sends the whole world into a blaze of fire. Following the lives of nurse Harper Grayson, and her husband Jakob, The Fireman explores the challenges of life with hardships while maintaining a compassionate attitude towards those in dire situations. 

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Jim Crow America may not be the typical setting for a horror novel, but Matt Ruff makes the time truly terrifying and supernaturally eerie in Lovecraft Country.  Atticus Turner, an Army Veteran, returns to Chicago only to discover his father, Montrose, is missing. Setting out with his uncle George, the publisher of The Save Negro Travel Guide, and childhood friend Letitia, Atticus begins a cross country trip to find his father, leading him to the Braithwaite estate. But as Atticus learns more about the Braithwaite’s, the more they seem straight out of his favorite science fiction novels. Secret organizations, Lovecraftian horrors, and themes of hope and freedom run deep through Ruff’s historical fantasy novel.

Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink

Podcast are becoming a popular form of entertainment for audiophiles. Welcome to Night Vale is based on the wildly popular podcast of the same name set in a mysterious desert in the great American Southwest. In Night Vale, ghosts and angels roam the town, no humans are allowed in the library, and government conspiracies are commonplace. In this story, Pawn shop owner Jackie is given a paper with the words “King City” written on it by a man in a jacket holding a suitcase. PTA treasurer Diane Crayton’s son, Josh, is a distant teenager, and also a shape shifter. As Diane tries to reconnect with her son, she also comes across the words “King City”. What does it mean and how does it connect Jackie and Diane? Written by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, the same authors of the podcast, Welcome to Night Vale is the perfect creepy tale for a dark night.

The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker

Clive Barker is one of the most noted writers in horror. In The Scarlet Gospels, Barker’s first adult fiction novel since 2007, Barker brings back two of his most captivating characters, Harry D’Amour, a private eye, and Pinhead, the high priest of Hell.  Encapsulating the supernatural, magical, and malevolent features of our world and the underworld, The Scarlet Gospels achieves what many horror novels do not; striking a chord between horrific characters and emotional tenderness. Even if you haven’t read the stories of Harry D’Amour or Pinhead, you will still enjoy this epic tale. 

--Tracy Boehm, Technical Services Librarian