18.1K followers

Follow

Follow

Follow

1/4

169 saved

209

12

poignant horror reads

horror twinged with heartbreak is always extra compelling to read.

the merry dredgers is more darkly comical while monstrilio is horrifyingly devastating, but both involve doing whatever it takes to get family members back.

which story compels you more?

#lemon8partner #lemon8bookclub #horrorbooks #queerhorror #horrorbookrecs

2024/12/27 Edited to

In the realm of horror literature, the blend of family grief and chilling narratives creates an emotional resonance that captivates readers. Titles like "Monstrilio" by Laurene Puckett-Pope paint a haunting picture of a mother’s desperate quest to resurrect her dead son in a modern twist reminiscent of Frankenstein. Similarly, "The Merry Dredgers" by Jeremy C. Shipp offers a darkly comedic exploration as a woman investigates a cult, highlighting the boldness and originality circulating in contemporary horror. These works reflect the growing trend of queer horror, offering fresh perspectives on universal themes of love, loss, and the lengths one might go to for family. Readers are invited to dive deep into these powerful stories that challenge traditional genre boundaries, revealing that horror can indeed be deeply poignant. If you're drawn to narratives that tug at the heartstrings while invoking spine-tingling chills, these recommended reads are definitely worth exploring.

12 comments

Also would recommend The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

stargirl sam 💫

Monstrilio was my top read of the year! Can’t wait to check out the merry dredgers.

Related posts

snag these horror reads ASAP!

✨ what’s your favorite recent horror book you’ve read? ✨ my barnes & noble has totally revamped its design - and the horror section is a lot smaller - but there are still a lot of gems there! make your way past the rows of stephen king and you’ll find books like the only good indians by

2678 likes

A foggy, eerie forest road leads to a distant house, with text overlay reading "5 one-sitting short horror books that LEGIT SCARED ME." The image sets a spooky tone for horror book recommendations.

Against a foggy forest background, the book cover for "THE SLOB" by Aron Beauregard is displayed, showing a distressed woman and a monstrous hand. Text describes it as an extreme horror cult hit.

Featuring a foggy forest, the book cover for "NEW SCARY STORIES to read in the dark" by RJ Lawrence shows a silhouette with glowing eyes. Text calls it a collection of great scary stories.

One-sitting horror short reads

These short horror reads legit scared me. If you like scary stories, dark books, and chilling, disturbing plots, consider them for your TBR if you dare. #scarybooks #scarystory #darkbooks #horrorbookrecommendations #horrorbooks

312 likes

7 Dark Reads for Horror & Thriller Fans✨️

Quick horror recs because I found some cool ones at Barnes & Noble 🖤 Already started listening to the audiobook for Bochica (on Spotify) and it’s a vibe. Play Nice and The Only Good Indians are on my TBR and I cant wait to read them. #lemon8bookclub #lemon8bookworms #books #bookrecom

27 likes

Winter Thriller & Horror Reads

who else needs more cold af horror and thriller book recommendations? 🙌🏻❄️ #winterbooks #horrorbooks #thrillerbooks #bookrecommendations #bookwormsoflemon8

48 likes

A title card against a dark, misty forest background reads "6 truly F*CKED one-sitting horror reads that scarred me for life." The Lemon8 username is @greatthrillerread.

The book cover for "This Really Happened" by Douglas Whitmore, featuring a pile of skulls, is shown. It's described as a collection of real-life horror stories and shocking conspiracies.

The book cover for V. Castro's "Hairspray and Switchblades" depicts a woman on a pole with a leopard print background. It's described as wild, sharp, and brutal.

F*cked up horror reads that scarred me

These dark horror books had scary stories that deeply disturbed me. Add these horror book recommendations to your TBR list if you dare. #horrorbookrecommendations #horrorbookcommunity #horrorbooktok #scarybooks #horror

125 likes

IMO best books if you want a good cry

As bad as it sounds, i get the most free time to read while im at work, and let me tell you these books are not meant to be read around other people because i was secretly sobbing through the ends of all of them... SUMMARIES IN FIVE YEARS : Dannie is living the life she's always wanted; a

5731 likes

July Thriller/Horror Reads

It’s been a creepy month #julyreads #july #summerween #creepy #thrillerbooks #horrorbooks #bookrecommendations

159 likes

Southern gothic reads part 3🖤

Yall eat these books up!! Honestly I could probably make a whole page just about this sub genre I love it so much! #southerngothicread #booktok #bookrecommendations #haunting

346 likes

Dark Reads for Halloween 👻

Check out the dark reads to get in the mood for #spookyseason #lemon8bookclub #letschat #horrorbooks

14 likes

A hand holds five books titled "Looking Glass Sound," "The Decagon House Murders," "The Devil in the White City," "The Death of Mrs. Westaway," and "The Need." The image has a text overlay that reads "MYSTERIES! THRILLERS! OH MY!".

A book titled "The Decagon House Murders" by Yukito Ayatsuji is displayed, described as a 284-page Japanese classic murder mystery. A Goodreads summary details a mystery club's trip to an island notorious for unsolved murders, where members are picked off one by one.

The book "The Need" by Helen Phillips is shown with five stars. It is a 272-page sci-fi, speculative literary fiction. A Goodreads summary describes a mother encountering an intruder and confronting existential dualities while protecting her children.

thrilling & chilling reads 👻

I’ll admit, I’m not a massive mystery/thriller reader but i enjoy them every now and then! All of these piqued my interest enough to land on my TBR, aside from The Need which i read earlier this year. The Need is technically categorized as a horror, but i don’t agree with that. It’s way more of

75 likes

September Reads

All the books I read in September and my ratings out of 5 stars for each one. I decided to start off the season early with some fall/spooky vibes. Thank you to Goodreads for the advanced copy of Good Intentions. #septemberreads #bookwormsoflemon8 #booktok #lemon8bookclub #booksofle

26 likes

Halloween Reads! 📚🎃

It’s officially my favorite season!! 🤎 For this upcoming Halloween, I have so many good horror reads lined up! Some of my favorites that I can’t wait to read are: “Play Nice” by. Rachael Harrison — When a popular influencer inherits her childhood home, things take a sinister turn. She must fa

80 likes

A hand holds the book 'Helter Skelter' by Vincent Bugliosi, subtitled 'The True Story of The Manson Murders.' The cover features red text on black. Overlaid text reads 'Summer Reads,' 'Murder Mystery,' and 'True Crime,' highlighting its genre and theme.

Horror SummerReads

Helter Skelter is a book about the Sharon Tate and LaBianca murders. It explains in 8 parts the trial, Charles upbringing, and how the girls killed for him and why. #murdermysterynovel #charles #truecrime

12 likes

Not Over Halloween? Spooky Winter Reads

Not ready to let October go just yet? Here are 5 Holiday Horror reads to celebrate the darkness of Winter… 👀🎄✨ Barnes & Noble #spookybookhaul #spookybooks #krampus #barnesandnoble #booktok

199 likes

Thriller book recs with serial killers 🔪

These were bone chilling but so dang good! Some of them literally made me too scared to read before bed. But all of them were five star reads #thrillerbookrecommendations #thriller mystery #thrillerstories #thrillertok #lemon8bookcommunity

59 likes

An illustration featuring a white ghost figure and a carved pumpkin in a dark, misty forest, with the text 'Spooky season reads' overlaid.

A hand holding two book covers: 'Hollow' and 'Legend', both by Karina Halle, featuring dark, tree-filled landscapes and spooky elements.

A hand holding the book 'City of Ghosts' by V.E. Schwab, which has a cover depicting a red and black silhouette of a city skyline.

Spooky season reads

Just some books I plan to read this spooky season. Let me know your planned books.

180 likes

#lemon8dairy If you love Mystery with a scary twist like myself I can test that this is one I’m addicted to reading because I just want to know more and what the heck happened to this girl it’s also based on a true story written by a journalist so on a Journalist point of view I don’t wan’t to sp

162 likes

Cozy Autumn Reads 🍂📚

Some fall cozy thriller/horror reads! 🍂📚 Now, we may have different definitions of cozy, but in my opinion these are the perfect books to curl up in a blanket and binge read!☕️ Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?? - #lemon8bookclub #lemon8challenge #fallbookreads #

24 likes

these thrillers are MUST reads!

hey y’all! looking for your next thriller? look no further! these are some thrillers I’ve read from multiple different sub genres so there’s something for everyone! comment down below if you’ve read any of these and if so which was your fav! #lemon8bookclub #lemon8challenge #thrillerbooks

71 likes

The image displays four 'House of Horror' book covers: 'Incidents Around the House', 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle', 'We Used to Live Here', and 'Model Home'.

Four 'Psychological Horror' book covers are shown: 'Mary', 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things', and 'A Head Full of Ghosts'.

📚😱 SCARY READS 👻📚

These horror books are genuinely scary and/or disturbing. Obviously fear is subjective, but as a horror movie and book lover, these books made me pretty uneasy. Some were so disturbing. Some were downright SCARY!! - #lemon8bookclub #lemon8challenge #horrorbooks #scarybooks #bookrecommend

47 likes

A sepia-toned image of a person wearing a white, featureless mask. Text overlay reads: '5 books so dark I cudn't look another human in the eyes for 24 hours after.' Lemon8 branding is visible.

The book cover for 'THE BUTCHER'S WIFE' by TJ Law, showing a silhouette against a dark sky, is superimposed over a person's head. Below is a plot summary about a wife investigating her husband's suspicious, bloody incidents.

The book cover for 'DARKER THAN FICTION' by Winston Thomas, featuring red skulls, is superimposed over a person's head. Below is a description of the book's content on documented historical torture and atrocities.

GREAT dark reads!

Here are some dark reads I could not put down! #scarybooks #crimefiction #truecrimetok #bookreview #booktbr

24 likes

Not-so-scary fall reads!! 📚🍂

It may be spooky season, but I’m not only reading scary books! Here are some of my not-so-scary fall TBR books! Based on nothing but vibes 😌 Do you read seasonal books? And if so, do you stick to only those?? I personally read horror, romance, thriller, fantasy, etc. all year round with no r

54 likes

🍂✨ Perfect Spooky Reads for Fall ✨🍂

The air feels crisp, the nights are longer, and it’s officially spooky season. Time to grab a cozy blanket, light a candle, and get lost in an eerie, atmospheric story. Here are 5 books that belong on your fall TBR: 📖 The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires – Dark humor + neighborly

57 likes

Sabrina Spellman is shown with text describing her traits: duality, self-determination, and the cost of being chosen. Below are eight book covers, including 'The Year of the Witching' and 'The Bloody Chamber'.

Prudence Blackwood is featured with text describing her traits: leadership, cruelty, and obsession with power. Below are eight book covers, including 'Boy Parts' and 'Cursed Bunny'.

halloreads from the greendale witches

unfortunately lemon8 restricts me to 10 photos so I had to leave Ambrose off :( #bookwormsoflemon8 #bookrecommendations #witchy #autumnreadinglist #readinglist

37 likes

A vibrant collage of vintage horror and pulp fiction art featuring various women, with text overlays 'HORROR BOOKS written by women' and 'shuffle art by: equidemm'.

The book cover for 'The Hunger' by Alma Katsu, showing a woman standing in dark water surrounded by foliage. Keywords: historical horror, Donner Party, supernatural twist.

The red book cover for 'Silver Nitrate' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, featuring large, intense eyes. Keywords: Mexican horror films, dark thriller, friendship and love.

Women in Horror | Book Recs & Current Reads👻

💓The Hunger: While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions--searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand--evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they mu

2678 likes

Must Reads for Fall 2023

Here’s some of the most popular books right now to get in the fall mood! 🤎 I know these books can be very corny, but what can I say I’m a corny girl 🤪 Let me know if you’ve read any of these please!!! ❣️❣️They all look so good I don’t know which one I want to read first. I’m thinking I’m going

1240 likes

MUST READ Series by Female Black Authors 💅🏾

1. 🥷🏾⛓️‍💥Ethic by Ashley Antoinette Ezra “Ethic” Okafor is a man haunted by his past, striving to raise his children away from the shadows of his former life. But when his daughter, Morgan, faces a traumatic event, Ethic is drawn back into a world he thought he’d left behind. His quest for justi

660 likes

Upcoming Historical Fiction Reads✨

The past is never finished telling its stories 🖤 These upcoming historical fiction releases for 2026 are already calling — rich settings, unforgettable lives, and history reimagined through story. Which one are you most excited to read? #HistoricalReads #BooksAboutHistory #NewBooks2

34 likes

Three must reads before they hit your screens!

Butcher & Blackbird To be adapted into a movie! [4.06 🌟 on GR, book one of three] Lightlark Will be made into a movie by Universal! [3.85 🌟 on GR, book one of three] The Inheritence Games To be made into an series by Amazon and Sony [4.15 🌟 on GR, book one of four] Give me a 🎬 i

116 likes

A stack of spooky fall books including 'Home Before Dark,' 'Salem's Lot,' 'The Amityville Horror,' and 'Witchcraft for Wayward Girls,' with string lights in the background and text 'Books I Can't Wait To Read This Fall.'

The book 'Witchcraft for Wayward Girls' by Grady Hendrix, featuring a red hand in a green lava lamp on the cover, with text highlighting its themes of magic, spells, and haunting events.

An open copy of 'The Amityville Horror' by Jay Anson, showing the title page and black and white photos of George and Kathleen Lutz, described as the true story of paranormal activity.

Spooky Fall Reads 🍂🖤📖

Over the year I’ve come across some of the spookiest books that I’ve purposely saved to read for the Halloween/Fall season! 🍁 These are the books I’m most excited to read this Halloween 🎃 Starting with: “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix Pregnant girls with no where to go, a

45 likes

PART 2: Spooky Reads for your TBR 🎃👻

I got so many good comment recommendations I’ll be turning this into a series as we near Halloween! 🎃 If you have any you’d like to add comment them below 🕯️

8 likes

A 'HORRORHOUND' magazine featuring the Ghostface mask and 'SCREAM' on its cover, accompanied by a yellow energy drink can, resting on a textured ground surface. The magazine highlights interviews with directors and stars of 'Scream'.

Spooky reads 📖

#spookybooks #ghostface #scream #horror #horrorcommunity

18 likes

five star book review:the couple at the lake house

my first five star book of the year. Read it in a day couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend!!! “The Couple at the Lake House” by James Canie is a brilliant novel that deserves five stars! From the opening page, I was captivated by the rich descriptions and complex characters. Canie expertly we

32 likes

A hand holds the book "Build Your House Around My Body" by Violet Kupersmith. Keywords on the image highlight themes like Monsters, Multiple Perspectives, Vietnamese Folklore, Missing persons, Time travel, and Snakes, suggesting a folk horror read.

A hand holds the book "Carmilla" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, edited by Carmen Maria Machado. Keywords on the image describe it as a Sapphic Vampire Novel, featuring a Creepy castle, a Novella, and a Classic Gothic Novel.

A hand holds Neil Gaiman's book "The Graveyard Book." Keywords on the image describe it as Wholesome horror, Atmospheric, Gothic YA, and featuring a Boy raised by ghosts, making it a recommended gothic read.

Folk Horror and Gothic Reads

Love these books! All with totally different vibes to add to your TBR. Would recommend all of these.

2 likes

5 star reads of 2025 🌟

ngl this year was a rough one for books… most were just meh but these ones were phenomenal #booktok #fivestarbooks #bookrecs

139 likes

A library aisle with bookshelves filled with various books, featuring a text overlay that reads 'Books from my childhood'.

A woman in a pink shirt next to a Scholastic Book Fair flyer displaying various children's books, with a text overlay 'BOOK FAIRS!', referencing childhood memories.

A library setting with the cover of 'Charlotte's Web' prominently displayed, featuring a spider and a girl with animals, highlighted by a text overlay.

Do you remember these reads?

Books that remind me of my childhood 🥹🥹 90s kids- do you remember the book fairs? Omg. I would beg my mom for money to be able to get something from the book fairs even if it was just a fancy pencil, notebook or bookmark! 🕸️ Charlottes Web- a heartwarming tale about Wilbur, a runt pig saved

35 likes

Wild horror reads

Each of these horror reads a nice one-sitting wild ride. #horrorbooks #scarybooks #horrorbooktok #horrorbookclub #horrorbook

12 likes

Netgalley | READS OF THE WEEK

#books #fantasy #horror #thriller

11 likes

A collection of books, some pink and some dark, are spread out on a white surface, with text overlays stating "Reasons I don't have a social life" and "And I do not care."

Two books are displayed: "Clever Little Thing" by Helena Echlin, described as being about "A pregnant woman and a possessed toddler," and "Jacqueline Susann's Shadow of the Dolls" by Rae Lawrence, noted as "Another retelling story."

Two books are shown: "For Today I Am A Boy" by Kim Fu, with a caption suggesting it's a "trans..formation story," and "Rape Is Rape" by Jody Raphael, JD, described as "Calling out the worst kind of RAPE people."

Just another library haul

Nothing to see here. Just me and my zero social life coming together to read some bad ass books. Yes there’s a lot of pink books. They had a display of pink. I took most of them. Fight me. The last nick cutter book (still) haunts me. I’m sure this one won’t be much different. I have a s

135 likes

A young woman with long dark hair and glasses takes a mirror selfie, holding a phone. Text overlay reads "My Reads Webtoon Stories edition" in yellow and green, with "lemon8 @gabby.82" at the bottom.

A screenshot of the Webtoon "My Giant Nerd Boyfriend" by fishball, categorized as 'Slice of life'. The cover art shows a woman hugging a taller man from behind. Details include 809.9M views, 2.3M likes, and a 9.7 rating.

A screenshot of the Webtoon "Lore Olympus" by Rachel Smythe, categorized as 'Romance'. The cover art features a stylized depiction of a woman with pink hair and glowing red eyes. Details include 1.4B views, 6.5M likes, and a 9.6 rating.

My Reads : Webtoon Edition 📚✨

Besides the books I own ; these are my tops favorite atm to read … 1- My Giant Nerd Boyfriend : love this one ; keeps the girly pop hope in my life for true love and give off real life / genuine emotions in every chapter .. my overall favorite : 10/10 💗 #mygiantnerdboyfriend 2- Lore Olymp

27 likes

A white bookshelf filled with various books, featuring a stack of books on a shelf and the title 'my favorite book from each month of 2024' in a blue text box.

A white bookshelf displaying 'Fruit of the Dead' by Rachel Lyon as the favorite book for January, described as a Persephone & Demeter reimagining about mother-daughter dynamics.

A white bookshelf displaying 'The Rachel Incident' by Caroline O'Donoghue as the favorite book for February, described as a coming-of-age story about friendship, desire, and secrets.

my favorite book from each month of 2024

What a year it’s been! All of these books deeply affected me. They made me feel seen and captured feelings I’ve never been able to put into words. The characters are vivid and memorable, and the writing is exquisite. Some of these are funny, some are poignant, but all of them are written honestly.

55 likes

A grid of twelve book covers under the title 'Ghost Books Part Two', featuring titles like 'The Sun Down Motel', 'White Smoke', 'The Reformatory', 'The September House', 'Sheets', 'The Taking of Jake Livingston', 'Lost Boys', 'Ghost Eaters', 'Small Town Horror', 'The Ghost and the Goth', 'Diavola', and 'Over My Dead Body'.

The book cover for 'Lost Boys' by Orson Scott Card, depicting a dark silhouette against a house, with text describing it as a 'Fantasy Horror Thriller' about a slow-burn small-town horror story involving imaginary friends.

The book cover for 'Ghost Eaters' by Clay McLeod Chapman, showing a figure draped in white cloth, with text describing it as 'Horror' about a drug that allows users to see the dead, with irreversible side effects.

Ghostly Reads PERFECT for Halloween ✨Part Two✨

A compilation of haunting ghostly reads! Perfect for the week of Halloween! Also perfect for any time before or after. This took me so long to make, I regret it’s almost the end of October. Check TWs on these if you’d need them! #bookrecommendations #ghost #haunted #horror #booktok

6 likes

October Reads 🎃🧡

So it was not on the agenda to be reading 3 books at once yet here we are. Maybe it’s just because it’s my favorite genre during my favorite month but I’ve been indulging in spooky books and even started up Monster: The Ed Gein Story which is rare for me to be able to watch or read anything being t

6 likes

See more