Chloe's Not Scared

I’ve been struggling on how to preface my favorite books of the year because this year seems so serious. Reading and writing books has been (and will always be) a political, radical act. Censorship and book banning is on the rise. People are burning books and review-bombing authors often for books featuring queer characters of color. Librarians and teachers are facing criminal charges for simply doing their job. But then, there’s genre fiction which often prioritizes and uplifts unique voices in publishing. And of course horror fiction, which uses anxiety and fear as a catalyst to make us feel empathy and trust of diverse characters. I’ve read more current releases in the past year than ever before, and enjoyed every one of them, at least a little bit. And despite getting REAL in this preface, as a palette cleanser, I’m also going to rate the cover art of these books. Let’s get to it!

10. Final Cut by Charles Burns

Take a look at Final Cut here.

I was a fan of Charles Burns’ Black Hole a few years back, and really haven’t kept up with his work. But when I saw the cool looking red and black cover of Final Cut, opened it up and saw the color pages of alien abductions and pod people, I was hooked. Is Final Cut a horror comic, or is an account of a mentally unwell person who conflates movies with reality? Probably the latter, but as you know, horror fans claim anything remotely eerie as “horror.” Burns also manages to capture an immense feeling of nostalgia, as we follow teenagers making a sci-fi movie in their small town.

Cover art: Absolutely obsessed, captures the tone of the book perfectly. 10/10.

9. The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir (translated by Mary Robinette Kowal)

Find The Night Guest here.

I like short books especially when they read like an internet story, and this is exactly what The Night Guest invoked in me. Iounn cannot figure out why she keeps waking up with bruises and so so tired. Is it a sleep disorder? Her doctors and friends are equally puzzled. That’s really all I’m going to tell you about this book. When I was reading this, I felt like I was on Reddit, scrolling instead of flipping through the pages.The Night Guest is a novella but it is the perfect length for the type of story, perfect for a snowy night.

Cover art: Shockingly pink! But the red-against-pink and the nondescript font is a turnoff for me. 6/10

8. Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials by Marion Gibson

Find Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials here.

I always like to have at least one nonfiction book on my list and Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials was one of the only interesting nonfiction books that I read this year. I joke with my friends that we don’t really need another book about the Salem Witch Trials, but luckily this book doesn’t spend much time on it. Instead, it focuses on witch trials from other cultures, like the trial of an Indigenous Sami woman in the 1600s, witch-hunts across present-day Africa, as well as Stormy Daniels and her involvement in the media as well as the occult. The book reads a bit like a dissertation, but it’s much more entertaining and informative than I was expecting.

Cover art: I like the cat but I don’t like the textured look. 5/10.

7. American Rapture by CJ Leede

You can find American Rapture here.

American Rapture is CJ Leede’s second full length novel, and a big departure from her American Psycho-esque first (Maeve Fly). We follow Sophie, a 17 year old Catholic girl who escapes her strict religious upbringing during a pandemic of lust and violence, beginning to see the world with new eyes. I did not grow up religious, but as a librarian, the extremism of banning books, burning vaccination centers, and wreaking havoc in the name of “Christianity” hit close to home. Leede’s American Rapture is a surprisingly dark coming-of-age horror, similar to Stephen King’s The Stand but for the QAnon age. Peppered with Midwest landmarks like Wisconsin Dells and The House on the Rock, this emotionally complex tale is sure to make you cry.

Cover art: Pretty good, but wish it was more reflective of Wisconsin. 7.5/10.

6. Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk (translated by Heather Cleary)

Find Thirst here.

Two women in different time periods living in Buenos Aires deal with everyday life. Only, one of them is a vampire sealed in a tomb for many years until the other, a mother and caregiver, opens it. The two begin a sort of love/symbiotic relationship. Argentinian horror is really having a moment. The writing is poetic and the story is open-ended. However, it’s also short, so I don’t feel like we have time to linger on any possible era in Buenos Aires enough. Thirst is a fast read and an interesting meditation on death and afterlife.

Cover art: We love a realistic body, coral & pink, and the 1970’s inspired font. 10/10.

5. Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Find Bury Your Gays here.

Misha is a gay screenwriter in Hollywood who has a wonderful partner and an awesome asexual best friend. The studio, however, wants Misha to “bury his gays” as in, kill off the gay characters in his tv show. In a strange sci-fi horror about identity and AI, Chuck Tingle adds a sincere queer love story at the heart of it all. Known for this erotica, Tingle is (and has always been) a conscientious and good writer, making sure his audience feel supported and loved through his work. However, don’t sleep on the horror! Like in Tingle’s first horror Camp Damascus, there are some actually-scary scenes in Bury Your Gays including one of my biggest fears (horror on an airplane).

Cover art: Beautiful and bright, reminds me of Maxxxine. 10/10.

4. Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima

Check out Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil here.

I recently wrote about Craft on Third Coast Review and was a little starstruck when author Ananda Lima also had a recommendation in the same article. These stories intertwine with themes of immigration, writing, narrative autonomy and the character of the devil. If you like the stories of Karen Russell, Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado, you’d like Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil. For a more robust description, please read my blurb over at Third Coast Review.

Cover art: Love the meta aspect, colors and font, but I don’t like the burnt bottom. Wish there was something more going on. 8/10.

3. I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

You can find I Was a Teenage Slasher here.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Stephen Graham Jones fan. Jones wrote this book while procrastinating on finishing up his Indian Lake cycle (relatable). The novel follows Tolly, a high school kid growing up in West Texas in the late 80’s with his best friend Amber. While there are some sick kills, Amber and Tolly’s platonic friendship shines as it is portrayed as realistic and beautiful. This book makes you want to call your best friend and tell them that you love them. The setting of this book is a love letter to small Texas towns, where Jones grew up.

Cover art: Teal and pink?!! How Christopher Pike of him. 10/10.

2. A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez (Translated by Megan McDowell)

Find A Sunny Place for Shady People here.

The horror community really didn’t vibe with this story collection, but I absolutely loved it. These twelve stories are told from a mostly cis female perspective in present-day Argentina. The title story (one of my favorites) is about a journalist who travels to Los Angeles to observe true crime fanatics pay homage to Elisa Lam on the roof of the Cecil Hotel. I believe that readers didn’t love this book because it’s hard to follow up her wonderful book Our Share of Night. Perhaps her stories feel too short to some, but personally, I’ll take anything I can get from Enriquez.

Cover art: I like the mirror and the plants a lot, but the yellow/pink contrast is not really for me. I have to admit, though, it’s bold!! 7/10.

1. Grey Dog by Elliot Gish

You can find Grey Dog here.

One of my favorite 2024 horror releases is Grey Dog by Elliot Gish, a slow-burn horror that creeps out from its edges, waiting to pounce. Told in an epistolary format, Grey Dog by Elliot Gish is set in 1901 and follows Ada Byrd, a schoolmarm (don’t you love that word?), 30 years old and considered a “spinster” of her time. Ada uses her diary to detail the daily goings-on, in her classroom and everyday life in tiny Lowry Bridge, a small Canadian farming community. As we read Ada’s journals, we find out that Ada is running from her past. But why? 

This book has it all, at least for me. Historical fiction with a queer edge, plus a tad bit of folk horror and Gothic romanticism. Many of the adults and students do not care for Ada’s teaching of the natural world. They believe nature should be labored over, not studied, which I thought was a really interesting twist on the folk horror genre. As if the book cannot get more perfect, the cover is gorgeously creepy. Perhaps because of the teaching angle, I was also reminded of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” as Ada is an outsider in this community who seems strange and just a bit “off” as nature bites back. I recommend this to the horror girls/gays/theys who read Anne of Green Gables as a kid and had a big crush on Anne. This is Elliot Gish’s debut novel, and I’m truly so impressed. According to her website, Gish is also a librarian.

Cover art: Poppy and fun. Reminds me of Catdog. 10/10.

Honorable mentions: The Z Word, Alley

What is your favorite 2024 horror book?