Books I Don't Recommend Enough

If it isn’t clear by now… I’m obsessed with books.

Horror books, thriller books, and all the shades in between. Honestly, I find there is just never enough time in the day to properly recommend all the stories I love.
Probably because I read too much… (if such a thing even exists).

So this week, I thought I’d drop in a list of books across genres that I love to death but just don’t talk about enough."

But first, I had Megan Lally on my show this week.

Megan Lally is a New York Times bestselling YA thriller author who did not grow up as a reader, got into the genre by accident, nearly quit writing entirely, and then sold 25,000 copies of her debut in its first month. Her books, That's Not My Name, No Place Left to Hide, and her most recent What We Did to Survive, are the kind of anxiety fuel that keeps you reading way past when you should have gone to sleep.

We talked about how a true crime podcast gave her the idea for That's Not My Name while she was cleaning her house, why writing for teenagers actually raises the stakes instead of lowering them, and what she's hinting at dropping end of summer that is not a thriller but is still going to live in the darker storytelling space. She's also got a blizzard thriller on a Pinterest board with no plot yet and blood in the snow vibes, and honestly I need it immediately.

Go listen wherever you get your podcasts, and grab What We Did to Survive if you haven't yet. The audiobook is also really good. I did both.

Watch the full episode here →

Listen on Spotify →

Listen on Apple Podcasts →

Now for the book recommendations. Just know I rated all of these books 4 stars or above and I think you should read each one.

Dark and violent, with a nod to the Lord of the Flies. This is possession at an all boys catholic school and things get deadly. This one stuck with me and I ended up changing my rating the further I got away from it. It really lingered and I think it’s super underrated.

This book is heartbreaking! It’s easily the most traumatic on this list, but it's also beautiful and educational. I had to read this one in doses because it made me so uncomfortable, and honestly… it should make you uncomfortable. A stunning book.

I read this book in a single DAY! That’s how twisted the main character is, and how addicted I was to watching her be the absolute worst. If you hate an unlikable main character, maybe skip this one. However, know that her being unlikable is entirely the point… so maybe read it anyway! 😀

This book is more unhinged then the show… if you can believe it. I loved getting inside the inner workings of the obsessed mind and the way all the pieces came together. This is fast paced, unputdownable, and the audiobook is top-tier!

I talk about Kill For Me Kill For You often, but Thirteen is another standout novel from Cavanagh. This is a legal thriller that had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how the story was going to wrap up. Highly recommend.

This is dark fantasy with horror elements, and it is fantastic! If it isn’t clear by now, I’m a Buehlman stan and truly believe he has one of the most unique voices in fiction right now. Plus, he narrates his own audiobook for this one, and his voice acting is incredible!

The gothic vibes of V.E. Schwab’s writing are hypnotic, dangerous, sexy, and just beautiful. This may be one of my favorite books from her (and I’ve read them all). Multiple time lines, vampires, and toxic lesbians… I mean, if that doesn’t sell it then I don’t know what will.

This book is scary!!! Small town, where there is something slowly happening to the children and YOU KNOW, scary kids always gets me. I just had no idea where this book was going and I was here for every, terrifying second of it!

Have you read any of these and if so do you agree they’re worth recommending more?

Host of Talking Horror Podcast