The Wind Witch Murders by Casey Dunn is a modern Southern gothic coming-of-age novel that follows Raven, who lives with her strict religious grandmother since her mother Deanne - the Wind Witch - was sentenced to a psychiatric facility, having been convicted of the murders of two boys.

This is going to sound weird, but I’m surprised by how much I liked The Poet Empress by Shen Tao. Epic fantasies are not always my thing - I always feel like I’m going to have to invest all my time on a dozen 800 page books - but this one was recommended to me, and good job whoever that was. 

In 2025, I read 100 Horror Books that were published in 2025, and this is a list of those titles with direct links to my reviews. Can I hit 100 new books in 2026? I don’t know, but I’m going to try!

The Salvage by Anbara Salam is a gothic, feminist, folk horror, haunted ship, Sapphic love story with elements of Cold War hysteria and an increasingly unreliable narrator - and it was totally engaging. 

It’s 1962, and Marta Khoury’s young marriage is over, in part due to her affair with and the accidental drowning of her husband (and boss)’s friend Lewis, on a remote Scottish island where he was from. Soon after, Marta, a marine archaeologist, has a chance to salvage a ship from the 1800s off the coast of that same island, Cairnroch, to recover the remains and effects of “Auld James”, ancestor of the Purdies, who own or control most of the town. 

One of my favorite things about buying used books is finding the little things left behind, from inscriptions and annotations to bookmarks, receipts, and sticky notes, and I am ready for my own (less murder-y) adventure to start from a secret note beneath an endpaper. 

Candy Cain Kills Again by Brian McAuley picks up immediately after the last page of the first book. Emergency crew is on scene, bodies are still smoking, and an eye still has a candy cane ornament sticking out of it. 

Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan is an atmospheric mystery that would be perfect for fans of Tana French or shows like Broadchurch - which means it was perfect for me.

Most of the stories in Johnny Compton’s Midnight Somewhere were published before in magazines, anthologies, or podcasts, and my guess is his story was one of the darkest, bleakest, and/or saddest of the lot because these were bleak.

I expected Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester to be feminist and witchy, which it was. I did not expect it to be legitimately scary and somewhat gruesome, nor did I expect it to be a virtual treatise for smashing the patriarchy, but here we are, and I am here for it. 

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas is an engaging dark academia novel about a college that cares so much about the sanctity of its students’ education that tuition, room, board - even clothes, toiletries, and alcohol - are free. What’s more, they ensure the students are free from distraction by not allowing them to leave campus, send or receive communications, or have access to personal entertainment like radio, tv, iPods, etc. for the three years it takes to complete the curriculum.

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins is a gothic murder mystery thriller and a perfect escapist read. Populated with strong and snarky female characters, the fictional St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama has stories to tell. 

The Curse of the Cole Women by Marielle Thompson follows generations of Cole Women on Juniper Island off the New Hampshire coast whose lineage has an unusual curse thanks to an ancestor who was branded as a witch.

If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust is at once a chilling supernatural tale and a story of generational trauma told beautifully through the eyes of several generations of a family of Native American women.

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison is a thrilling horror novel with scares coming from both the literal and figurative demons.

The first thing you'll see when googling this book is "Gothic feminist body horror" - and it is that, but it's also romantic and witchy and about love and loss and found family.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang joins the chorus of media that takes a satirical look at influencers with the intent of showing they’re not what they seem - but she has a unique take on the modern trope that makes her novel feel fresh.

Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine by Kristina Ten feels like that weird girl you know from school or work or the pub (which is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black) sits down next to you and starts talking. Some of what she says is obviously unrealistic, but it all feels true, and it encourages you to share your own weird stories.

The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo is a compelling gothic horror complete with an atmospheric estate, a mysterious family legacy involving a curse, and an innocent young woman at the center.

The Film You Are About to See by Haley Newlin is a reality blurring creature feature set at an all-night “Dusk Til Dawn Spooktacular” at a 1950s Indiana drive-in showing classics like House of Wax and The Tingler while a big bug is turning moviegoers into pod people. And, yes, it is as amazing as it sounds.

Unusual Occurrences by Glenn Rolfe is a collection of dark stories about aliens and ghosts and nature and monsters of all sorts. Though the topics are speculative or supernatural, the characters and themes like family, grief, and fear are relatable, the language was casual, like a friend - probably wearing a band tee - telling a story, and the collection was overall a fun read.