|
|
| The Return by Rachel HarrisonTwo years ago: Elise's best friend, Julie, disappeared without a trace.
Now: An emaciated Julie returns with no memory of where she's been. Eager for a reunion, Elise and her two other best friends plan a girls' weekend at a remote Catskills hotel.
What could possibly go wrong? Julie's amnesia is the least of the group's problems, as they soon discover their kitschy hideaway is harboring malevolent forces that seem eerily connected to Julie's horrifying (and rapidly deteriorating) physical state. |
|
|
The Deep by Alma KatsuAll aboard! Four years after surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Irish nurse Annie books passage on its sister ship, the Britannic, where she encounters the same eerie phenomena that plagued the fateful voyage.
Want a taste? "Some days, she wakes from nightmares of black water rushing into her open mouth, freezing her lungs to stone."
Why you might like it: Though both voyages' outcomes will already be well known to readers, Alma Katsu imbues her well-researched novel's evocative dual timeline with nail-biting suspense.
|
|
|
The Chill by Scott CarsonWhat it's about: Seventy-five years after the village of Galesburg was flooded to build the Chilewaukee Reservoir (aka "The Chill"), descendants of the area's displaced residents find themselves contending with vengeful spirits lurking in the water's murky depths.
Book buzz: Inspired by true events, this suspenseful novel penned by the pseudonymous Scott Carson counts Stephen King among its fans.
Try this next: For another creepy novel about a small town reckoning with the sins of its past, check out Thomas Olde Heuvelt's Hex.
|
|
| The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady HendrixStarring: bored housewife Patricia Campbell, whose sole respite from her stifling life in 1990s suburban Charleston is her true crime book club.
The monster next door: When sunlight-averse James Harris moves into the neighborhood, Patricia's suspicions are dismissed as flights of fancy. But when children start disappearing, it's up to Patricia to convince her book club to help her stop James before it's too late.
Media buzz: At turns horrifying and heartwarming, this gruesome New York Times bestseller is set for a TV adaptation at Amazon Studios. |
|
| Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Colleen DoranWhat it is: a creepy graphic novel reimagining of "Snow White" told from the queen's point of view.
Read it for: the clever role reversal -- Snow White is a villainous vampire; the queen, her terrified would-be slayer.
Art alert: Colleen Doran's elegant art nouveau-inspired illustrations offer a lush homage to early 20th-century stained glass artist Harry Clarke.
Winner, Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel |
|
| Inspection by Josh MalermanThe experiment: What if separating the sexes made kids smarter? The pseudonymous M.O.M. and D.A.D. aim to accomplish just that in the sex-segregated schools they rule with rigidity and violence.
Is it for you? Though Inspection doesn't mine larger questions regarding gender and sexuality, it's a thought-provoking horror-thriller where every character is an unreliable narrator, whether by necessity or ignorance.
For fans of: Lord of the Flies and other works of psychological fiction.
Nominee, Superior Achievement in a Novel |
|
| The Luminous Dead by Caitlin StarlingWhat it's about: Having lied about her credentials to secure a coveted spot on a cavern-mapping expedition, Gyre Price discovers that her employers haven't been entirely honest with her, either.
Nevertheless... Gyre's survival depends on her "topside" handler, Em, who reveals little about herself beyond her ability to control every aspect of Gyre's life-sustaining high-tech caving suit.
Why you might like it: Part psychological thriller, part horror-tinged SF, this debut introduces a pair of flawed protagonists whose complicated relationship develops against a claustrophobic subterranean backdrop.
Nominee, Superior Achievement in a First Novel |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|