Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders is a charming light fantasy about loss, love, and identity with a simple plot but complex characters and themes. 

When a book opens with a perfectly hilarious - but no less heart-pounding- description of a man feeling his power (whom we will learn is POTUS - or as Sam Seaborn tells us in the opening scenes of The West Wing- the President of the United States) having his soul hurtle through a metaphysical tunnel system to be deposited in a, let’s say, more modest, actual infant, you know you’re in for a ride of your own. 

It’s obvious from page 1 that Garrett Boatman’s Bloody Bones is not going to be the sanitized (if still scary) version of folk tales you heard on your mamaw’s porch.  And that’s (mostly) a good thing - just be ready for the darkness. 

The Entirely True Story may not be “entirely true”, but it is entirely entertaining, especially for those with any interest in the history of mesmerism or spiritualists such as the Fox Sisters, or even Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle or in the feminist struggles of women at that time (or now).

The Ghostwriter is not only a compelling mystery for mystery-lovers and true-crime fans, as we pick up clues alongside Olivia - but also get a special insight through chapters told through the eyes of the three siblings in 1975 - it is also about the ways families can hurt each other, sometimes by trying to protect them - or themselves - and about how those hurts can be mended.

As someone who unironically uses the phrase "statistically significant" in her day job several times a week, I was drawn to Lucky Day's concept, and, in true Chuck Tingle style, it delivered.

Cló‘s dreams and memories begin overlapping with the perspectives we read from the other timelines, and I couldn’t read fast enough to see how they and the people around her are connected.

Night & Day, besides being edited by THE name in genre short story collection editing, Ellen Datlow, reads like a who’s who of horror - and it does not disappoint.

In classic T. Kingfisher style, Hemlock & Silver is filled with intrigue, adventure, surprise, and humor , sprinkled with a touch of body horror and a little romance. 

Greenteeth, told from Jenny’s perspective, is full of adventure and humor and reminds us of the importance of family - including found family.

The Library at Hellebore is like what would happen if you populated Brakebills (“The Magicians”) with gods and monsters then held a battle royale.

J. H. Markert’s Spider to the Fly stressed me out in the best way, though I had to remind myself to breathe for about the last quarter of it.

Like his earlier novel, Come Knocking draws the reader in by appealing to that nature within us that makes us marvel at tragedy while challenging us to empathize with instigators and victims alike.

Secret Lives of the Dead is an effectively creepy folk horror from Tim Lebbon that centers around a family cursed by a witch and a woman whose life was forever changed as a teenager by the man who has spent his life trying to break that curse.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline had everything I look for in an engaging gothic thriller - a relatable heroine, a mystery, romance, a surprise inheritance, and, as a bonus, a touch of the supernatural.

The Unseen is a story of loss - loss of unborn children, loss of family, loss of control - in the trappings of a creepy-kid horror story told from the perspectives of the family of seven whose lives are disrupted by the appearance of an apparently abandoned child at their home.

The No-End House is a haunted house escape room whose challenges are created using deepest fears from the players’ sub-consciences.

Fun summertime read for anyone who likes creepypasta or slightly off reality like Welcome to Night Vale.

Miranda Smith is obviously a horror fan writing for other horror fans, who will delight in identifying references to their favorite films like Evil Dead and Scream.

Tim Waggoner’s description of the meat room is visceral and, as Lewis (and we) recognize it and the Unhigh for what they are - gut wrenching.