Summer of Horror 2024

Last year I noticed that there was a ridiculous amount of horror titles being released over the summer months, and so I decided to see how many of them I could read. Maybe it’s just me, since I love horror and tend to track it down, but this summer is equally as rich with new releases in the genre. So I’m bringing back Summer of Horror! This isn’t an official blogging event, but I’d love to have other horror lovers join me, especially if you have a bunch of horror titles you’re planning on reading this summer.

Below I’m listing ALL the horror books releasing in June, July and August that I have ARCs for. And at the end are two books from my TBR Jar. I’d love help picking one to read this summer! I know it’s a lot, but it’s such an amazing bunch of books to choose from. (click on the titles to read the full Goodreads description)

I’m also thinking about adding some other horror-related types of posts, so stayed tuned for that. And if you’re a horror fan, please feel free to use the banner above and join in!

Today I’m linking up to Top Ten Tuesday.

Summer horror review books:

Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi. June 4th. “Five childhood friends are forced to confront their own dark past as well as the curse placed upon them in this horror masterpiece from the bestselling author of Come with Me.”

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. June 25th. “A chilling horror novel about a haunting told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,” from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box”

How To Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie. June 18th. “From Bram Stoker Award‑nominated author Craig DiLouie comes a darkly humorous horror novel that sees a famous 80s slasher director set out to shoot the most terrifying horror movie ever made using an occult camera that might be (and probably is) demonic.”

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. June 18th. “Get Out meets Parasite in this eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit—soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively—about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house’s previous residents unexpectedly visit.”

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima. June 18th. “At a Halloween party in 1999, a writer slept with the devil. She sees him again and again throughout her life and writes stories for him about things both impossible and true. Stories I Wrote for the Devil lures readers into surreal pockets of the United States and Brazil, where they’ll find bite-size Americans in vending machines and the ghosts of living people. Ananda Lima speaks to modern Brazilian-American immigrant experiences―of ambition, fear, longing, and belonging―and reveals the porousness of storytelling and of the places we call home.”

Grim Root by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam. June 4th. “GRIM ROOT is a darkly humorous gothic horror novel pitched as THE BACHELOR meets THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, in which a group of women on a reality TV dating show must compete for the hand of an eligible bachelor by spending a week in a haunted house, but after the bachelor suddenly dies to the shock of everyone on set, the remaining contestants find themselves trapped in a dark and twisted new game only one of them still wants to play.”

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning. July 30th. “Willow’s worst nightmare was being cancelled. But the woods of Camp Castaway might destroy more than her reputation.”

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones. July 16th. “1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, the unfairness of being on the outside, through the slasher horror he loves but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.”

Wilderness Reform by Matt Query & Harrison Query. July 2nd. “The authors of the “impossible to put down” (The Guardian) thriller Old Country return with a terrifying novel about a wilderness camp for troubled teens that is plagued by mysterious events and disappearances, taking survival and discipline to a frightening extreme.”

The Drowning House by Cherie Priest. July 23rd. “From award-winning author Cherie Priest comes a deeply haunting and atmospheric horror-thriller that explores the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love.”

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates. July 30th. “When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she takes a photo just for fun. But there’s something wrong with the a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her. Jenine and her best friend, Bree, quickly realize the camera is capable of capturing the dead. But the ghosts seem to be following the friends. And with each new photo taken, the specters become clearer and closer…”

A Misfortune of Lake Monsters by Nicole M. Wolverton. July 2nd. “Lemon Ziegler wants to escape rural Devil’s Elbow, Pennsylvania to attend college―but that’s impossible now that she’s expected to impersonate the town’s lake monster for the rest of her life. Her family has been secretly keeping the tradition of Old Lucy, the famed (and very fake) monster of Lake Lokakoma, alive for generations, all to keep the tourists coming.”

Smothermoss by Alisa Alering. July 16th. “A haunting, imaginative, and twisting tale of two sisters and the menacing, unexplained forces that threaten them and their rural mountain community.”

Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud. August 27th. “Crypt of the Moon Spider is a dark and dreamy tale of horror, corruption, and identity spun into the stickiest of webs.”

A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons. August 6th. “A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons is a crime horror novel which blends It Follows and The Outsider, with a pinch of The Evil Dead, in which a criminal and the cop she’s taken hostage must find their way to safety – pursued by threats both human and supernatural – after a failed bank robbery.”

Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker. August 27th. “A spine-tingling LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister. Perfect for fans of Kayla Cottingham, Andrew Joseph Smith, and Aiden Thomas.”

Through the Midnight Door by Katrina Monroe. August 13th. “As emotional as it is haunting, Through the Midnight Door explores the sometimes-fragile bonds of sisterhood and the way deeply rooted trauma can pass from generation to generation.”

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen. August 20th. “Inspired by Kailee Pedersen’s own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up on a farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology.”

The Girl in the Bog by Keith Donohue. August 13th. “Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland’s oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw.”

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft. August 20th. “Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London’s glittering disco scene.”

The Lies of Alma Blackwood by Amanda Glaze. August 27th. “For over a century, the Blackwells have protected the town of Hollow Cliff from vengeful spirits. Seventeen-year-old Nev is ready to take over for her ailing grandmother as the town’s witch protector—unlike her mother, who left when Nev was a child and never looked back. “

TBR Jar horror choices:

I’d love to read one of these big chonkers this summer, and both are supposed to be amazing. Let me know in the comments which I should read first: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due or A Child Alone With Strangers by Philip Fracassi.

Posted June 4, 2024 by Tammy in Summer of Horror / 39 Comments

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39 responses to “Summer of Horror 2024”

  1. Charlotte

    Wow that’s a lot of horror books. I had no clue that so many came out at this time of year. Although it’s not my go to genre there are a few that intrigued me enough to go and check out the full blurbs in a minute. There definitely seems to be a wide range of books within the genre here.

    I can’t really advice on your tbr choices as I haven’t read either. I’ve heard good things about The Reformatory but I haven’t even heard of the other before now

    Reply
    • Tammy

      A Child Alone With Strangers isn’t as well known as The Reformatory, but I hear it’s also very good. I’m sure I’ll read both of these at some point:-)

      Reply
  5. todd

    That is quite a bit of horror coming out during the summer. I’m always up for a new Malfi book. And of course I’m very curious about Ghost Camera. 🙂 Of the two you’re trying to pick, that’s a tough one but I might slightly lean towards A Child Alone With Strangers.

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I was surprised at how much horror is being released this summer. But I’m not complaining:-)

      Reply
    • Tammy

      Thanks Lauren! I’m excited to get to both of those, now I just need more days in the month, lol.

      Reply
  7. Barb @ Booker T's Farm

    I have several of the same arcs as well. I am a bit leery of the Josh Winnings book since I didn’t care for the last one much. However, the premise sounds really good so I’m going to give it a chance. I hope to get to We Used to Live Here this month. I heard a Netflix adaptation is already in the works. I vote for The Reformatory. I also have that one and I’ve read two other books by this author that I’ve really enjoyed.

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I didn’t care for the last Winning book either, but he’s one of those authors that I’ll read anything he writes. The Reformatory is winning!

      Reply
  10. Zezee

    I vote for Grim Root, because I like the title and cover, and the Reformatory, because I’d like to read it too and I like your reviews.

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I’m hoping to start Grim Root next week, it’s been getting lots of buzz. And The reformatory seems to be getting the most votes, so that’s probably the one I’ll pick from the TBR jar:-)

      Reply
  11. Tanya Patrice

    I’m reading horror this summer too and I’m excited! I’m starting with Murder Road, Simone St. James. If you can – read The Reformatory, Tananarive Due – it is SO GOOD! And just won a Stoker Award for Best Novel.
    Tanya Patrice recently posted…My 2024 Reading ChallengesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Tammy

      Oh cool! I’m glad you voted for THE REFORMATORY, I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet:-)

      Reply
    • Tammy

      I really want to read The Reformatory, so that’s probably going to be the one I pick up first. And thanks for the heads up about Gravity Falls!

      Reply
  19. Tina

    This sounds like a lot of fun! I’m not great at doing reviews but I do read mostly horror so maybe I’ll join.

    Reply

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