What I'm Reading: June 2022 Library Journal Horror Review Column

I have 8 reviews in the June 2022 issue of Library Journal. Below are the titles with my three words and links to my full draft reviews. 

I want to remind everyone that I craft this column very deliberately to suit public library needs. Every single title is a great edition for all library collections. I do not allow myself more than 3 stars out of the 8 titles I review in each column. I curate the grouping to be representative of what is out there and only include titles you should purchase. These are all Becky approved. 

Now the details.

First the STARS:

• Iglesias, Gabino.  The Devil Takes You Home [lyrical, brutal, strong narrative voice]
• My interview in the same issue with Iglesias is here.
• Murano, Doug, ed. The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors [themed anthology, original stories, range of scares]
• Seidlinger, Michael J.  Anybody Home? [participatory, engaging narration, extreme-- nearly unbearable-- tension]

And the other 5 excellent titles:

• Kingfisher, T. What Moves the Dead [nature gone wild, claustrophobic, intensely unsettling]
• Kiste, Gwendolyn. Reluctant Immortals [unapologetically feminist, excellent world building, character driven.]
• Malerman, Josh. Daphne [slasher, disturbing, thought-provoking]
• McOmber, Adam. Fantasy Kit: Stories [immersive, pervasively creepy, uncanny]
• Piper, Hailey.  No Gods for Drowning [excellent world building, noir, thought-provoking]

Judge a Book By Its Cover and Make it Work For You

As I foreshadowed with Monday's post, this was a wonky work week for me. As I traveled  to pick up my daughter, help her move stuff to storage, and flew back I was also working. I had 2 work related meetings, one of which is an on-going and I am heartened [a word I used a lot in our meeting] that it will lead somewhere good for all of us library workers. Seriously, I haven't been this optimistic about the work Robin and I are doing, well....ever. More after/during ALA annual.

I am home again, but off to a half day System Board meeting today and then we begin some much needed family time. But before I disappear again until Tuesday, I thought today would be a good time to talk about covers. Why? Well, I have been thinking about covers a lot recently because Summer Reading is upon us, and displays are the best way to capture the attention of adults who are looking for a chance to read a book for fun over the Summer. And what makes a great display? It is NOT fancy decorations or props. It is the covers of the books themselves.

Nothing sells a book better than its cover. Publishers pay a lot for those covers. Their main job is to draw the right reader to it. Look, I know it doesn't always work out. Sometimes the cover is not a good representation of what is inside the book. But interesting covers will draw readers to the display, and once there, they will pick up the book, read the flap, and maybe look at others.

At StokerCon I was chatting with the wonderful human and talented artist Lynne Hansen. She was thanking me for calling out her gorgeous covers in some of my reviews. I told her she was welcome, but that honestly, a great cover can make a patron pick up a book and when a really good book gets a fantastic cover, I want every library worker to know about it so that they not only buy it, but they also put it on display.

Check out Lynne Hansen's website for examples of her excellent covers.

I have also written many posts about how to use covers as a resource for working with readers. Click here for every post I have tagged "covers." But if you want  the cliff notes version, I have this popular post, "Make Those Covers Work For You" which also links to my oldie but goodie post, "Judge a Book By Its Cover."

When we all return Tuesday, Summer Reading will be in full swing and multiple small and easy to stock displays are going to help you get through. Remember: covers that attract attention are your displays' best decoration and advertisement.

Make them work for you.

I am back Tuesday with a regular schedule, and June is a busy month of many presentations, 8 days at ALA, and my June Horror Review column drops in Library Journal. And it is a good one. Not to mention the July 1 odor Genre Preview which  is the LJ Cover Story that month. Looking at all of those upcoming events, I am glad I took some time off from blogging because there is a lot going on here all summer. I used to see a slow down in training over the Summer due to staff being swamped with Summer Reading, but now with just about every library embracing virtual, that is not the case any longer.

Speaking of, if you want me to train your staff in July or August, I have virtual only slots available, and honestly, my Fall in person is filling up. I am currently looking at the possibility of doing 3 separate state library association conferences this Fall and another regional RA conference event in a 4th state [that one is definite]. Many of these are not on my appearance calendar yet because contracts are not signed. If you want in person, it might be too late, but virtual, that I can fit in. Let's talk. Contact me to get scheduled. Pricing here.

Enjoy the long weekend.

RA for All on a Wonky Schedule This Week and Nebulas

I am headed East to help my daughter move out of college. Due to Covid restrictions, we have never actually moved her out. She is finishing sophomore year and she has basically boxed up everything and stored it every year so far. Needless to say, there is a lot of weeding to do.

So, I will post when I can. I actually have 2 business meetings while in MA, one involves calling Robin in as it has to do with our Anti-Racist Service to Leisure Readers work. I am very excited about this meeting because I think it will actually go somewhere big and important. More on that soon.

In the meantime, here is the press release from the SFWA with last night's Nebula Award Winners. And here is the link for past winners going back to 1965!

I would like to single out one winner though: 

NEBULA AWARD FOR NOVELETTE
“O2 Arena”, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy’s Edge 11/21)

Ekpeki was on of the HWA's first winners of the Diversity Grant. We are all so proud of him.

If you are interested in donating to the HWA's Diversity Grant fund, click here and scroll to the bottom. I personally fund 1 award winner a year.

US Book Show is Virtual and Library Workers Get Free Tickets

Next week is the US Book Show. It is Virtual and totally free for Library Workers. 

Click here for the full site.

The library worker specific programming is Tuesday. Click here for that.

I do not know if the registration comes with recorded access. I personally cannot attend the live on 5/24 but I signed up just in case I can watch after.

Personally, I am most excited for this one: "Once More For Those In the Back-- Libraries Are Not Neutral!"

Join a Writer's Association

I just got back from StokerCon where I co-chair the Horror Writers' Association's Library Committee and this morning, my co-chair, Konrad Stump, and  I are meeting with our counterpart at Sisters in Crime. Now, while I am an "Active" member of the HWA, meaning I am a professional level writer due to having 3 books about Horror and contracts for pro-rate pay at 2 magazines, the HWA offers a level of  membership, higher than the fan level, for librarians. In fact, most writers associations call out librarians  as "associate" level members.

And that is what I want to write about today. If you purchase for a specific genre or you have a favorite genre and you work at a library, look at the writers association for that genre and join. Once you join, volunteer. Trust me, we all need volunteers.

Obviously, I have the librarians well infiltrated into the Horror Writers Association. The HWA's head of all volunteers is a librarian and I am on the Executive Board. But we are not an anomaly. Every major  writers  association welcomes librarians and we all bring excellent skills they need to reach new readers and engage audiences. We also understand the book industry and how readers think better than many writers do.

Click here to access my favorite FREE genre resources. This Google Doc begins with the links to the writers associations to get you started. Also in 2017, I wrote a post encouraging everyone to get more involved with writers associations. Look, it has worked for me. I am sure it will work for you, but also, I know you will be able to help your favorite genre be better at serving their readers. It is a win-win for all.

Part of the meeting this morning if for us to talk with our SiC counterpart about doing some actual training for library workers to get more involved with writers organizations and Konrad and I are pursuing creating a program at PLA in 2024 to help all of you understand why and how to get more involved. Stay tuned. 

But in the meantime, join a writers association and see what they are up to and how you can help. And again, trust me, as someone on the inside, I know they need our help.

Summer Reading Reading Resources via Goodreads and Summer Scares Opportunities

Summer Reading is about to go into full swing. As someone who co-ran an adult Summer Reading program for 15 years, I know that the work for this year's Summer Reading began back in January. But that does not mean you are prohibited from adding more information as you get closer..

Goodreads released their Summer Reading Guide and it is full of lists and you can work the articles into your planned displays very easily. 

From lists of the hottest summer books [which you can use to make readalike lists of backlist titles to read while you wait], guaranteed page turners by genre [a list you ALWAYS need], 100 years of popular books [what a way to spotlight your backlist], and staff picks [a great grab bag of titles new and old]

But my favorite page is the Book Recommendations for Different Types of Summer Readers Lists. This page has categories like "The Adaptation Reader" or "The Riveting Reality Reader" [among many others] that gives you a catchy title an a handful of books ready made for display. 

For any or all of these pages from the Goodreads Summer Reading Guide you can make displays both in your library and online. The short lists with catchy titles allow you to put up a few books anywhere for use them to create special mead posts and encourage patrons to add their titles to fit the category.

One of the biggest mistakes we make at this time of year is our unwillingness to deviate from our summer reading themes. Stop that nonsense. The themes are a great marketing tool and will draw some readers in, but they will not capture everyone. Summer reading is your chance to remind all of your adults that you have more reading options than they ever imagined. Keep things broad. Yes make lists surrounding your chosen theme, but also find ways to market and promote as many titles as possible. 

Speaking of as many titles, don't forget I am one of the people behind Summer Scares and we have lots of ready made lists and programming ideas for you to use at your library. In fact, today on the Horror blog I shared Summer Scares partner-- Syosset Public Library's-- full programming slate, including access for all of you or your patrons.

Head over to the Summer Scares Resource page or today's post. It all starts tomorrow with Summer Scares Spokesperson Alma Katsu, virtually, for free!

What I'm Reading: Nightmare Fuel

I have a review in the current issue of Booklist and it is nonfiction. Not only is it a nonfiction book about horror films, but I would classify it as a comp title for my book. This book uses a scientific frame to talk about the appeal of Horror films. More on the appeal below, but first, my draft review.

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films

By Nina Nesseth

July 2022. 304p. Tor Nightfire, $25.99 (9781250765215). 791.43. 
First published May 15, 2022 (Booklist).

Nesseth, a science communicator whose focus is on understanding popular culture and its fans, specifically in the Science Fiction and Horror realms, tackles why people love Horror movies, From a history of Horror films to a discussion of the movie monster, from the role of soundtracks and violence, Nesseth surrounds her topic well, but this title shines when she actively applies scientific research to topics like why humans find Horror so appealing, why some scares stick with the viewer, and even honest advice about how to forget a particularly jarring scare. Insets entitled “Scare Spotlight” where Nesseth analyzes a specific film and those labeled “In Conversation With…” interviews with current Horror movie professionals, further enhance the chapters in which they appear. This is a comprehensive look at why people enjoy horror movies to be enjoyed by all-- novices to experts, but it is Nesseth’s narrative voice, her ability to balance a conversational tone with accessible science that makes this an educational, thought-provoking, and just plain fun read. Readers who love Horror regardless of format, will eagerly seek out this title, but it is also a great suggestion for fans of Mary Roach or Grady Hendrix’s Paperbacks from Hell.

YA/General Interest: Many teen-fave horror movies are discussed here, and technical details will appeal to science-loving high-school students.

Further Appeal: This was a fascinating read, especially because I prefer Horror in the written format, not the visual one. This book helped me to understand my own preferences much better. Every public library should grad a copy of this book, because while those studying film will need it, those with an interest in Horror in general will LOVE it.

It really has the perfect balance of authority and conversational tone.

Nesseth included a list of movies watched for the project alongside a bibliography. I liked that. Holding herself accountable as a fan and a scholar/scientist. I could not fit that information into the review due to word limit.

Three Words That describe this book: conversational, thought provoking, comprehensive

Further Readalikes: Besides what is mention in the review, and my book, mentioned at the top of the post you should also look to Danse Macabre by Stephen King or any other Science of Pop Culture titles. 

LibraryReads: June 2022

 It's LibraryReads day and that means four things here on RA for All

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
4. Every upcoming book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. Click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month.

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

Now let's get to that list.... 

  

June 2022 LibraryReads List!

The Woman in the Library: A Novel 

by Sulari Gentill

Poisoned Pen Press

“Freddie is at the Boston Public Library when a murder occurs. While waiting for the police, she strikes up a conversation with others at her table. The four become friends, but could one of them be the murderer? Much misdirection and an unreliable narrator make for a tight little thriller that will have you sure you know whodunnit until you don't. For fans of The Body in the Library, Magpie Murders, and The Hunting Party.”

—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX 
NoveList read-alike: The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi

Now the rest of the list...

The Dead Romantics 

by Ashley Poston

Berkley

“What would you do if your editor demands that you deliver a finished romance novel tomorrow, but you think romance is dead? And what if he turns up as a ghost on your doorstep the next day? An unputdownable romance that is also about family and death, reconciliation and creativity, stress and the supernatural. For fans of The Love Hypothesis and Go Hex Yourself.”

—Rebecca Whalon, Lakeland Public Library, Lakeland, FL 
NoveList read-alike: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick

Fake It Till You Bake It: A Novel

By Jamie Wesley

St. Martin’s Griffin

“When fashionable, privileged Jada is cut off by her parents, her NFL-team-owning grandmother suggests that she work at a cupcake shop–one that happens to be owned by player Donovan Dell, the sexy but stuck-up guy Jada insulted previously. Neither of them counted on the sweet and spicy vibes that grow between them. A frothy, fun read perfect for fans of Ten Rules for Faking It and The Dating Plan.”

—Laura Eckert, Clermont County Public Library, Milford, OH 

NoveList read-alike: A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Cana

Flying Solo: A Novel

by Linda Holmes

Ballantine Books

“Laurie faces a crossroads. She has just canceled a seemingly perfect wedding and flown across the country to deal with a beloved aunt's estate. Among her aunt’s things, she finds a wooden duck decoy that sends her on a journey to discover its origins, and in the process, herself. A terrific follow up to Evvie Drake Starts Over and great for fans of The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.”

—Ron Block, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
NoveList read-alike: Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting: A Novel 

by Clare Pooley

Pamela Dorman Books

“Iona is a bold woman of a certain age who navigates life without hesitation. When she breaks one of her rules, and speaks with her fellow train passengers, it leads to all sorts of wonderful connections. Iona strives to fix the lives of others, never suspecting that she might be the one in need of friendship, support, and advice. For fans of Oona Out of Order and Anxious People.”

—Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, Huntington Station, NY
NoveList read-alike: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Lies I Tell: A Novel 

by Julie Clark

Sourcebooks Landmark

“Journalist Kat befriends con artist Meg in hopes of exposing her in revenge for a past wrong. As they get close, the shifting points of view reveal layers of deception between two masterful manipulators. For fans of fast-paced thrillers in the vein of Mary Kubica and Jessica Knoll.”

—Sonia Reppe, Stickney-Forest View Public Library District, Stickney, IL 
NoveList read-alike: Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner

The Measure: A Novel 

by Nikki Erlick

William Morrow

“Imagine receiving a mysterious string that tells you exactly how long you’ll live. Now imagine everyone in the world getting their own string. This is the type of book that changes your thoughts on life and lingers for a long time. Perfect for book clubs who loved The Immortalists and The Age of Miracles.”

—Karen Troutman, Walton Tipton Township Library, Walton IN 
NoveList read-alike: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Nora Goes Off Script 

by Annabel Monaghan

G.P. Putnam's Sons

“Nora Hamilton is a TV writer who pens a script based on her disaster of a broken marriage. Next thing she knows, a film crew arrives at her country home with two famous actors in tow. What follows is one of the funniest, heartbreaking-ist and most endearing stories you will read. For fans of Jasmine Guilory and Emily Henry.”

—Stephanie Piro, Rochester Public Library, Rochester, NH 
NoveList read-alike: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes: A Novel 

by Cat Sebastian

Avon

“Marian, Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. (He deserved it.) The only person who can help her now is highwayman, con artist, and all-around cheerful villain, Rob Brooks. Rob and Marian have madcap escapades and hijinks as they flee London in this Georgian romance that’s absolute perfection. For readers of KJ Charles and Evie Dunmore.”

— Lindsey Bray, Omaha Public Library, Omaha, NE
NoveList read-alike: Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander: A Bisexual Regency Romance by Ann Herendeen

Tracy Flick Can't Win: A Novel 

by Tom Perrotta

Scribner

“Tracy Flick is back and better than ever. Or, at least, she WOULD be if she could just nab that job as high school principal. With wry commentary on the education scene and the politics of "having it all,” this sequel to Election will entrance Gen X readers and a whole new generation, too. For fans of Gary Shteyngart and Curtis Sittenfeld.”

—Erin Downey Howerton, Wichita Public Library, Wichita, KS
NoveList read-alike: Everything Is Just Fine by Brett Passel

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into our Hall of Fame.

Click here to access the Hall of Fame Archive with annotations and readalikes

 

The Hotel Nantucket

by Elin Hilderbrand

Little, Brown and Company

The House Across the Lake: A Novel 

by Riley Sager

Dutton 

The Locked Room 

by Elly Griffiths

Mariner Books

Wicked Beauty 

by Katee Robert

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Off to StokerCon But You Should Follow Along

Later this afternoon I board a plane to StokerCon where I will be co-lead on Friday's Librarians' Day, moderating panels most of Saturday, including running the HWA Membership meeting as Secretary, and presenting the Stoker Award for Best Novel Saturday night.

Click here for the link to the Librarians' Day schedule and here to see all programming.

Now many of you are probably thinking, Becky, why should we care about all the fun you will be having without us? 

Well, here's the thing, I will be Tweeting A LOT Friday and Saturday. I will be tagging everything with #HorrorForLibraries. You can follow my journey and learn a lot about the state of Horror right at this moment. There are a few ways to do that.

1. If you use Twitter, follow me @RAforAll. Or just follow the hashtag #HorrorForLibraries
2. If you do not use Twitter, you can still view Tweets and hashtags, you just can't interact with them. Bookmark  #HorrorForLibraries or @RAforAll to pull up everything without having to login.
3. I keep a widget showing my Tweets in the right gutter of this blog, just under my book cover. You can scroll that and see what I am tweeting right from this page.

The other part of StokerCon which you can participate in easily from home-- the Bram Stoker Awards! Saturday night at 8pm Mountain Time. Live-streamed on YouTube here. 

To prepare, go over to the Bram Stoker Awards website, which in an of itself is a must use resource as it has easy to access information about every nominee and winner over time. 

Here is the link to the ballot for Saturday night specifically.

But I have the honor of presenting the award for Superior Achievement in a Novel with Jennifer McMahon. Look at this final ballot for that award:

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Castro, V. – The Queen of the Cicadas (Flame Tree Press)

Hendrix, Grady – The Final Girl Support Group (Berkley)

Jones, Stephen Graham – My Heart is a Chainsaw (Gallery/Saga Press)

Pelayo, Cynthia – Children of Chicago (Agora Books)

Wendig, Chuck – The Book of Accidents (Del Rey)

You should already own every single one of these novels. But from a voting member standpoint, this is the HARDEST decision I had to make, ever. I have no idea who is going to win this one, but I do know they all deserve it. Tune in for the entire ceremony live here. 

I used to be the one who had to Live Tweet it all, but we now have an excellent social media team in place who will be handling that as well. I will retweet them.

And finally, as part of the virtual StokerCon options, we are offering our panel discussions with the 2022 Summer Scares authors. Konrad handled Adult, I did YA, and Julia did MG. But on Monday, they will all be available to every library for free on the HWA's Youtube Channel in the Summer Scares 2022 playlist [created but not live yet]. One they are live I will be linking them on the Summer Scares landing page as well. In fact, that Summer Scares Resource page is the best place for you to go for Summer Scares info any time.

So feel free to follow along on the StokerCon journey. In the days after the con, I will be posting more specific thoughts, notes, and wrap-ups on the Horror blog.

Have a great weekend, I know I will.

Reminder: New Novelist/LibraryReads Crash Course Today

Later today I will be attending the live Crash Course in Adventure Stories and Westerns. I think there is still time to sign up, but even if there is not, I wanted to use today's post to remind you that ALL of the Crash Courses are always available for FREE with this link. 

Below is my post from last month when this Crash Course was first announced.

Please take some time to view this one and the others. They really are the best way to get up to speed on the reading interest areas these hour long sessions cover. You will get everything you need to know and many titles to read yourself or share with your patrons immediately. 

There is NO BETTER use of your time as someone who serves leisure readers than watching these Crash Courses. When I talk about how reading about books can be more useful than reading all the books, these Crash Courses are exactly what I am referring to. Yes, I know there are "watching" about books, but it is the same thing.

If you want to join today live, details are below.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2022

New NoveList and Library Reads FREE Crash Course: Adventure Stories and Westerns

I love the Crash Courses in general, but I am especially excited for this one. Why? Because Adventure and Westerns are more popular than most of us think. We need to aware of the trends and huge changes in these genres.

Formerly white, male centric, these genres have undergone a huge transformation and chances are you have missed it. 

Sign up for this today. Remember that you don't have to attend live. If you sign up, they will send you the recording. Also all of the Crash Course recordings are available on one page, always.

Here are all of the details via NoveList:

Webinar: Crash Course in Adventure Stories & Westerns

Event date: 11 May 2022

Do you have a go-to strategy for helping readers with Adventure Stories and Westerns? Whether your readers are fans of a fast-paced, action-packed quest to save the world or a sweeping tale of survival on the frontier, let NoveList and LibraryReads break down the best Adventure Stories and Westerns have to offer your readers.   

Join as they cover:   

• Why readers choose Adventure Stories and Westerns 
• History of the Adventure Stories and Westerns genres  
• Classics, new titles and authors to watch, and trends to know     
• Subgenres and crossovers
• NoveList insider information on genre headings, themes, appeal terms, and more   

We welcome anyone interested to stay for an additional 15-minute training to share search strategy tips and learn where to access genre-related information in NoveList.  

Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 2-3 pm ET 
Optional NoveList training from 3-3:15 pm ET

Click on the orange box below [or here] to register

REGISTER

Panelists:  

Jessica Trotter is an archivist by training but now works as a Collection Development Specialist for Capital Area District Libraries in Lansing, Michigan. She also works as Digital Selector for the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services OverDrive Consortium, serves on the Board for LibraryReads, and advocates for thoughtful and inclusive Readers’ Advisory. She presents regularly on Collections Maintenance, Readers’ Advisory, and Genealogy topics.  

David Wright is a Reader Services librarian at the Seattle Public Library’s landmark downtown branch, where he counsels readers in person and online, as well as presenting the library’s popular Thrilling Tales storytime for adults, in person and via podcast. A founding member of LibraryReads and an erstwhile Readers' Advisory instructor at the University of Washington, he currently explores reprints and revivals as editor of Library Journal’s Classic Returns column, and reviews audiobooks for The Seattle Times. He misses you all terribly, whoever you are, and hopes we can all go out for drinks real soon. 

Moderator Halle Eisenman leads the Content Team which oversees the creation of the lists, articles, NextReads newsletters, and read-alike recommendations. Prior to working at NoveList, she spent a dozen years working for a public library system in a variety of roles, but no matter what her job title, her favorite part of any day was suggesting books to patrons. When not at work, Halle can often be found walking her dogs (they get lots of exercise when she’s listening to a particularly riveting audiobook), binge-watching TV shows aimed at teenagers, baking, or sitting on her back porch with a book.

50 Best Horror Books of All Time via Esquire and Comments on Diversifying Your Lists

Click here to enter the list via Esquire's webiste

Normally, when main stream magazines do a list of Horror books, I roll my eyes before diving in and I predictably, end up disappointed. But this time, I had high hopes because friend of the blog and podcaster, Neil McRobert did his list of the 50 Best Horror Books of All Time for Esquire Magazine and it is awesome. 

Last October, I invited McRobert to participate in my 31 Days of Horror: Why I Love Horror series. McRobert has the top notch Talking Scared Podcast and holds a PhD in Gothic Literature. He has spent years studying Horror as a scholar, yes, but he is also a fan. Click here to see McRobert's appearance on my blog and learn more about him. 

Anytime someone posts a best list of any kind, there are going to be haters. In this case, I saw some criticism that this list has too much of a recency bias. But I loved that recency bias for a couple of reason and applaud McRobert for it.

First, and the most important part for libraries, the recently bias of this list means you can be assured that these are titles that will be enjoyed by today's readers. I loved that about this list. Yes there were a few old classics, but it is focused on what books a general Horror reader today would most connect with and enjoy. This is VERY important both because the venue is a mass market magazine, not a Horror specific publication, and because as a library worker, you can check your shelves for these titles [most of which you already have], add those you are missing, and most importantly, promote them to your general readers. This is a list you can use anytime of year, not just to target Horror readers. It is a list for everyone who wants to feel the fear, even if just a little. This is not for Horror fans; it is for readers [full stop]. 

This is also a list that you can build a display from today! And Add a QR code to access the list. Or post it on your website. Even better, if you have Esquire in your print or digital magazine collection, use this list to promote that holding and increase circulation on it as well.

Second, by giving his list a recency bias, McRobert's list is not only white men. This is a diverse list of excellent Horror. Many "best" list makers use the fact that the "classics" were from a time when only white males published in order to argue for why their lists are not diverse. This is not an  acceptable excuse any longer.. Making sure our best lists represent marginalized voices is more important than anything. As I say frequently, classics change. Not only do people not want to read many books that are 100 years old anymore, but they also need to see an established genre in a modern light where all voices are represented. Because of systemic oppression, we only have the voices of non-white males from a more recent time. That is a societal problem that people  who make these best lists can actively help  to fix.

In the introduction to the list, McRobert mentions that there are some big names missing and says straight up something I wanted to point out:

"Certain big names are missing ...because their books tread ground better travelled by others."

I think a great example of this on the list is including Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom over the Lovecraft original it is based upon. LaValle's excellent novella is a rewrite of Lovecraft's most racist story. "The Horror at Red Hook." As I said here, in this novella it is as if LaValle is giving Lovecraft a hug and the middle finger at the same time. It is brilliant classic for today's readers.

Kudos to McRobert for being willing to consider the contributions of systemically marginalized voices and judge them by the quality of their work, not the era in which they were published.

I also have two observations from my point of view. Not really criticisms but just points I wanted to make about the list.

1. Anyone who listens to McRobert's podcast knew that IT by Stephen King was going to hold the number 1 spot on his list. He is unapologetic about his love for this book and I applaud that. It would not be my number 1 but I do love consistency. Also, you have got to own your biases when you do these lists. I would have been disappointed if a list by McRobert did NOT have IT number one.
2. As much as I love the addition of more marginalized voices here, we also have to work to keep hateful humans and their books out of our lists. This is the other side of the anti-racist RA Service coin that must work in tandem with diversifying our lists on order for any progress to be made. It would be hard to argue that The Terror by Dan Simmons is NOT one of the best Horror books; however, he is a horrible human being. Click here for a sampling of reasons and examples. I have stopped supporting him in anyway. I left any mention of him out of my book, even choosing to not include him in my lists of important Horror authors of the late 20th Century-- which he most definitely was. This choice is a glaring omission, and that is 100% the point. By not including him, I make people think about why he was omitted. Clearly, if you read my book, it is clear I know my stuff, so his omission forces you to ask, why he isn't there. I would have replaced The Terror on principle with my favorite recent Horror book from that era, The Ruins by Scott Smith. 

But those are small quibbles. This is an excellent list, one that is especially useful for library workers. I hope you check it out and use it sometime soon for a display. Don't wait until October, these are excellent year round reads.

And finally, big props to McRobert. Going out on a limb to make a list of the best of anything is a brave activity. I know, I have done it many times. He did a great job.