One of the biggest takeaways from last year was learning more about my own reading taste. I accepted that Geneva Rose’s books aren’t for me. Home Is Where the Bodies Are and The Perfect Marriage both fell flat and left me more annoyed than engaged. Even more surprising was my reaction to Onyx Storm in Rebecca Yarros’ Empryrean Series. I loved both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, so my disappointment with this one hit harder than expected.
Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives didn’t help matters either. It sent me into a reading slump for a month or two, making it hard to regain momentum in hitting my goal. It’s ironic because Clown in a Cornfield made it in my Top 5 Books of 2024. Thankfully, the year wasn’t all misses. After loving My Best Friend’s Exorcism a few years back, I finally dove into more of Grady Hendrix's books and ended up enjoying several of them. I also reread The Exorcist (clearly, I have a thing for exorcism stories) and finally tackled a literary classic with Frankenstein, which I loved!
Not every classic worked for me, though… Dracula was a miss, and I’m choosing to acknowledge that I DNF’d a literary classic quietly. LOL. Overall, this year’s reading wasn’t about perfection or numbers. It was about discovering what still excites me as a reader, what no longer works for me, and why I keep coming back to books year after year.
1. Tender is the Flesh
"The human being is the cause of all evil in this world. We are our own virus."
Author: Agustina Bazterrica
Genre: Horror
Pages: 209
Format: Audiobook
Published: November 29, 2017
Summary:
Marcos works at the local processing plant, slaughtering humans after the government initiated the "Transition." An infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans, leading to the widespread consumption of human meat, or as they like to say, "special meat."
Review:
"Tender is the Flesh" is definitely not for the faint of heart. From the synopsis, I figured this book would be pretty terrifying, but I didn't realize how thought-provoking it would be. I love horror stories that stick with you for days after. I'm just a girl who likes to be traumatized. This book was unsettling but engaging, examining how capitalism dehumanizes people by treating them as mere products. The graphic depiction of meat processing was not only shocking but also had me reflecting on the moral compromises we accept under capitalism. By comparing human processing to the processing of livestock farming, you start to feel disgusted by our society's consumption of meat and our role in the mistreatment of animals. It's really sad, but sometimes you have to compare animal abuse to a more humanized experience to get people to empathize with it. Even more horrifying is what society will do to humans it deems less than, which, sadly, is still very prominent in today's world. Jasmin's abuse is treated as mere objectification with no autonomy over her own body. The story also shows how language is used to hide the harsh realities of exploitation. It's not human meat; it's "special meat." Humans raised for slaughter are not people; they are "heads." Overall, it's more disturbing than I expected from a horror novel because this scenario could become a reality given how sick our world is. This story really made me question my own morals and involvement in society today.
2. A Head Full of Ghosts
"It was so dark it was like nothing was there in the room but us. Only nothing was actually something because it filled my eyes and lungs, and it sat on my shoulders."
Author: Paul Tremblay
Genre: Horror
Pages: 287
Format: Audiobook
Published: June 2, 2015
Merry Barrett is being interviewed by a bestselling writer to chronicle her experience on the reality TV show The Possession, which aired 15 years ago and documented the exorcism of her 14-year-old sister, Marjorie, believed to have been suffering from demonic possession.
Review:
Tremblay's use of ambiguity as horror really took me down a dark path early on. I wasn't sure about the plot, but I've learned to just trust the process. The thought of a TV show broadcasting the potential demonic possession of a family's young teenage daughter is wild. What shocked me even further was learning how the family died after the TV show ended one month later. Tremblay leaves so many questions unanswered that it's unsettling. Was it schizophrenia? Was it demonic possession? What makes it scarier is what Tremblay doesn't show. The gaps in memory, the things Merry hints at but doesn't say outright, and the feeling that the truth is just out of reach. The book's unreliable narration made this story emotionally unsettling and left me with the discomfort of not knowing the answers, a reality for many true crime cases we encounter in real life.
3. How to Sell a Haunted House
"Mark was cleaner, but he looked like exactly the type of guy who'd go to a Waffle House at three in the morning after shooting a haunted puppet."
Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror
Pages: 419
Format: Audiobook
Published: January 17, 2023
Summary:
When Louise learns that her parents have died, she dreads going home. She's forced to deal with the family home and her brother, whom she barely speaks to anymore. Some houses don't want to be sold, and her family home has its own plans for both of these siblings.
Review:
This book had me hooked pretty much from the start. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about the brother-sister dynamic. Both came off as kind of frustrating and hard to connect with for different reasons, but as the story went on and more of their shared past came into focus, I started to really understand them. By the end, I found myself rooting for their relationship and for healing. The haunted house portion of the story is totally unhinged and, at times, comical (puppets and dolls), but it somehow works. Underneath all the creepy chaos, it's really a story about grief, resentment, and family reconciliation. It was surprisingly emotional and hard to stop listening to, despite how strange this story was.
4. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
"Sometimes she craved a little danger. And that was why she had book club."
Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror
Pages: 410
Format: Audiobook
Published: April 7, 2020
Summary:
Housewife Patricia Campbell's ordinary life in 1990s Charleston, SC, becomes more exciting when she joins her true crime book club and discovers that the charming man who recently moved into the neighborhood, James Harris, is a vampire.
Review:
Placing a vampire horror story set in a suburban middle-class neighborhood is an interesting concept that Grady Hendrix executes brilliantly. What I found most terrifying about this story is how the vampire serves as an allegory for the persistent sexism and misogyny women still face today. When James Harris moves into the neighborhood, Patricia quickly uncovers his true identity. Yet she's constantly gaslit, not just by her husband but also by her family and friends. It's the classic story of a woman being dismissed and labeled "crazy" for telling the truth. As Harris transforms into something of a cult leader, the true horror lies in Patricia's helplessness as everyone around her welcomes and praises this predator, even as she recognizes the danger he represents. It's a tale as old as time: how does the predator always manage to get everyone on his side?
5. Frankenstein
"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful."
Author: Mary Shelley
Genre: Horror
Pages: 260
Format: Audiobook & eBook
Published: January 1, 1818
Summary:
Scientist Victor Frankenstein does the impossible and creates a sentient being from dead body parts, but he quickly abandons the creature because of its grotesque appearance, leading to deep resentment and ultimate disdain between them as they pursue each other's destruction.
Review:
Last year, I was trying to catch up on all the classic Universal Monster movies, and Frankenstein quickly became my favorite. When Guillermo del Toro's version came out, I finally decided to read Mary Shelley's original. I was surprised by how emotionally powerful the book was. Even though it's known as a horror story about a monster, it's really more about human nature. Our desire for knowledge, connection, and recognition, and what can go wrong when those desires go unchecked. Victor's pride and arrogance cause him to ignore his moral responsibilities, and his lack of compassion ultimately leads to his downfall. The story reflects today's society to a T, given how rare true responsibility and empathy are among world leaders nowadays, especially as we wonder whether AI and future technology could pose a threat to humans. The creature, who isn’t inherently evil, is constantly rejected over and over again, making his anger understandable and even tragic. His story shows how dangerous isolation can be and highlights the importance of building relationships with family, friends, and even strangers. Showing empathy towards those who are often misunderstood goes a long way. Shelley doesn’t set up a simple good-vs-evil battle, which is pretty impressive considering how young she was when she wrote this novel. Overall, Frankenstein isn’t just a groundbreaking horror story; it's also powerful in its messaging and lessons about humanity that still matter today.
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