Books You Don't Want to Read in the Dark

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

“This is a story of loneliness and regret. A psychological thriller that moves slowly, but ultimately settles you into this felling of unease and dread the more you read. You know something is wrong, but you don’t know what it is you should be afraid of. ”

Courtney, Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers

A Bram Stoker Award nominee

“Some of the best survival horror we’ve read in years, with a uniquely menacing adversary at its heart.” —Vulture, The Best Horror Novels of 2022
“Epic.” —Esquire, The 22 Best Horror Books of 2022

Something deadly and mysterious stalks the members of an isolated polar expedition in this haunting and spellbinding... Read more »

A masterpiece of gothic fiction, The Monk is a cautionary tale of madness, horror, lust and despair. Father Ambrosio, the most pious and venerated monk in all of Madrid, is held as a paragon of virtue. But after thirty years of study and prayer, evil thoughts begin to permeate his mind. As two plots cleverly converge, torture, murder, incest,... Read more »

The Hunger

“As a child I was obsessed with the Donner Party. I went to the museum and read all about them, but never imagined something as twisted as THE HUNGER. Katsu's reinvention of the history is complex, meticulous, and a perfect metaphor for the white man's obsession with manifest destiny and the terrorism that was inflicted on Native Americans. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the ear eating scene!”

Christy, Avid Bookshop

My Best Friend’s Exorcism

“Dark, funny, and filled with 1980's nostalgia. Definitely atmospheric and took you to Charleston, South Carolina. I enjoyed this as an audiobook listen. Fairly low key with scary bits and gore. It sort of built up to it in the last few chapters. The demonic possession was definitely front and center, but it was also a great story about friendship, social class, and complicated families. This feels like a natural choice for my Stranger Things fans.”

Cori, Bright Side Bookshop

The Only Good Indians

“I am a person who doesn’t like to be scared. This book left me a little spooked, but in a way that made me smile because it’s so powerful and because the book’s so-called monster has good reason to be so. Stephen Graham Jones’ writing is rhythmic and cool, funny and tender, sometimes ruthless. This work of literary horror is about Blackfeet and basketball, friendship, love, and the torturous knife-twist of regret. Shaun Taylor-Corbett’s narration is perfect—laid back but intense, in the pocket. I enjoyed the hell out of this book.”

Mary, Raven Book Store

From Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes an original and subversive fantasy adventure.

This isn't the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince.
It's the one where she kills him.

Marra never wanted to be a hero.

As the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter, she escaped the traditional fate of princesses,... Read more »

The Turn of the Key

“Ruth Ware is back and at her dazzling best with The Turn of the Key. This arresting tribute to Henry James set in modern-day remote Scotland posts a nanny in a ‘smart house’ with several recalcitrant children and a garden full of poisonous plants. Who do you trust when everyone seems to be hiding something? Readers will be reading with all the lights on as they race to the climactic ending to see just who is minding who in this engaging summer thriller.”

Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books

Sawkill Girls meets The Hazel Wood in this lush and eerie debut, where the boundary between reality and nightmares is as thin as the veil between the living and the dead.  If I could have a fiddle made of Daddy’s bones, I’d play it. I’d learn all the secrets he kept. Shady Grove inherited her father’s ability to call ghosts from the grave with... Read more »

Wake the Bones

“Atmospheric and distressing, I enjoyed this unsettling account of a young woman tied to her farm through sinister magic. The narrator does an incredible job giving life to all the characters, imbuing them with the fear and joy and sadness they experience. The story feels bleak, but there is a steadfastness and determination to the characters that is hopeful, and I finished the book feeling like no matter what happened or happens, they are going to get through it. A really enjoyable listen!”

Mikah, Beach Books

"Remarkable, not-to-be-missed-under-any-circumstances."—Entertainment Weekly (Grade A)

The Passage meets Ender's Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies:... Read more »

"[Narrator Daniel Henning] fully commits to this tale, providing a nearly breathless and deliciously evil-sounding narration while also developing unique voices and presenting surprisingly layered characters." — AudioFile Magazine

“A black tide of perversity, violence, and lush writing. I loved it.” —Joe Hill

Debut author Jennifer Giesbrecht... Read more »