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Bruja’s Nest by Brenda LaTorre: A monstrous story about motherhood, power, and the price of freedom

Brenda LaTorre’s Bruja’s Nest is a dark, unsettling body-horror novel about a young woman who believes she can escape poverty and abuse by securing a wealthy husband, only to discover that real power cannot be borrowed from a man.

Yolanda has grown up knowing that her mother favors her older brother and blames her for nearly everything that goes wrong. When her mother catches her in bed with her brother, she blames Yolanda rather than the son who actually betrayed her. It is one more lesson in a lifetime of lessons telling Yolanda that she is somehow always at fault. But Yolanda is determined not to end up trapped in the same kind of life. She wants money, security, and a future she controls herself. When college doesn’t work out, she finds another path forward: marriage.

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What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne: A lush, terrifying descent into the Void

Tatiana Schlote-Bonne’s What Feeds Below is an immersive fantasy horror novel filled with lush worldbuilding, gruesome monsters, claustrophobic environments, and enough heart-pounding action to make you feel as though you’re trapped alongside its characters in the depths of the earth.

At the edge of the City of the Void lies a massive chasm that stretches miles underground. Known simply as the Void, its layers are filled with monsters, carnivorous plants, and dangers that become increasingly difficult to understand—and survive—as travelers descend. For Petra and Jade, two orphaned best friends living in the city’s slums, the Void is also a way out. They make money by guiding tourists who are willing to risk their lives in search of whatever treasures might be waiting below.

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We Already Dug the Grave by Emma C. Wells: A kitschy Southern gothic thriller

I wanted to love We Already Dug the Grave. After all, I absolutely adored Emma C. Wells’ debut novel, This Girl’s a Killer, so when I saw that Wells had another book coming out, it was an automatic must-read for me. Unfortunately, while We Already Dug the Grave has plenty of the ingredients I loved in her debut, it never quite captures the same sharp wit or confidence.

We Already Dug the Grave follows estranged sisters Milly and Francis, who have spent years apart after something terrible happened in a Tennessee meadow. Milly has always been the odd one, with an ability to divine the future through tea leaves. But lately, the tea leaves have gone silent, which might seem like a blessing considering how bleak Milly’s life has become.

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Body Language by Meg Howrey explores the complicated choices of family, autonomy, and Alzheimer’s

Body Language by Meg Howrey is a deeply thoughtful and surprisingly funny literary novel about three sisters forced to confront their mother’s wishes, their own differences, and the difficult question of what it means to honor someone’s autonomy when they can no longer make decisions for themselves. The novel releases September 1, 2026.

Body Language is a great literary novel—profound, evocative, and layered—but perhaps more importantly, it is a readable literary novel. There is a difference. Literary fiction can sometimes become so enamored with its own language and philosophical underpinnings that reading it begins to feel like work. Meg Howrey avoids that trap. Her prose is clear, concise, intelligent, and often very funny, while still giving the story the depth and complexity I want from a literary novel. In my opinion, clarity is one of the major requirements of a good novel, and Howrey demonstrates just how much can be accomplished without burying a story beneath unnecessarily elaborate language.

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The Sleeping Sisters by Jennifer Givhan: A haunting literary horror novel about motherhood, myth, and generational trauma

Some books arrive with impossible expectations, and somehow, they still manage to exceed them. Jennifer Givhan’s The Sleeping Sisters is one of those rare novels that not only lived up to my hopes but cemented her place as one of my favorite voices in literary horror.

When I saw that this ARC had finally reached the top of my NetGalley reading queue, I couldn’t have been more excited. Because I read mostly advance reader copies, my reading schedule is dictated almost entirely by publication dates. Givhan’s Salt Bones was my favorite book of 2025, and I absolutely loved River Woman, River Demon, so this latest novel was an automatic must-read. I was thrilled when my request for an advance copy was approved, and it quickly reminded me why I keep recommending her work every chance I get.

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The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen: A haunting literary descent into obsession that values atmosphere over momentum

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen is a novel that will likely divide readers based on what they hope to find in literary horror. Richly written and emotionally unsettling, it leans heavily into music theory, artistic obsession, and psychological disintegration. While I admired Pedersen’s prose and the ambition behind the novel, I ultimately found myself wishing the story would spend less time exploring musical philosophy and more time advancing the narrative.

Mia Voss was once the prized student of legendary minimalist composer Ryder Wakefield, who promised she would become one of classical music’s next great talents. After Ryder dies unexpectedly, Mia inherits not only his estate but also the unfinished manuscript for his final masterpiece, Death Fugue: Music for Orchestra. Returning to his isolated home to complete the composition forces her to confront the lingering grief surrounding Ryder’s son Oliver, her former lover whose suicide continues to haunt her, while also unraveling Ryder’s own carefully concealed identity. As Mia immerses herself in the unfinished work, the music itself begins to exert an increasingly disturbing influence, blurring the boundaries between artistic devotion, mental illness, and obsession.

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That Night by Gillian McAllister: A gripping family thriller built on impossible choices

Gillian McAllister’s That Night is a twist-filled psychological thriller that explores family loyalty, buried secrets, and the impossible choices that follow a split-second decision. Three siblings. One terrible mistake. One secret that refuses to stay buried.

When Frannie calls her brother Joe and sister Cathy from a family vacation in Italy, she has only one thing to say: she needs help. She has struck a man with her car, and he’s dead. Together, the siblings make a split-second decision that will define the rest of their lives—they bury the body and swear never to tell another soul.

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Mia by Leslie Bazzett: A literary psychological thriller about reinvention and manipulation

If you’ve ever dreamed of spending a year living in another country, Mia by Leslie Bazzett transforms that fantasy into an unsettling psychological suspense novel where reinvention and obsession become dangerously intertwined. Releasing August 11, 2026, this literary thriller explores the seductive pull of becoming someone else—and the devastating consequences of trusting the wrong person.

Sally has everything she believes she has ever wanted: a loving husband, two young children, and the opportunity to spend a year living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico while her architect husband completes a project. Determined to immerse herself in the culture rather than remain on the fringes as an American outsider, she is immediately captivated by Louise, an older expatriate whose elegance, intellect, and seemingly endless stories about literary legends make her impossible to resist. Before long, Louise begins introducing Sally as her daughter, calling her Mia instead of Sally, and drawing her deeper into an increasingly disturbing relationship that threatens not only Sally’s identity but the safety of her family.

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Dreamland by Olivie Blake: Hollywood gothic horror wrapped in occult secrets

Hollywood dreams have always come with a price, and in Dreamland, Olivie Blake imagines that price as a centuries-old curse lurking behind one of the film industry’s most powerful dynasties. Blending gothic horror, occult mythology, and sharp social commentary, Blake crafts an atmospheric novel filled with unforgettable ideas—even if its ambitious storytelling doesn’t always land as cleanly as its vision deserves.

Anya Morris has spent years believing she’s destined for something greater than working part-time in her family’s store while enduring her mother’s constant dismissal of her acting ambitions. When an unexpected invitation arrives from the de Witts—one of Hollywood’s most influential and enigmatic film families—it seems like the breakthrough she’s been waiting for.

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Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon: A cozy folk horror steeped in small-town superstition

Jennifer McMahon’s Stay Buried embraces the eerie traditions of New England folk horror, blending supernatural folklore, family secrets, and atmospheric mystery into a story that feels tailor-made for readers who enjoy cozy horror with a gothic edge.

Jennifer McMahon has built a reputation for weaving together dual timelines, family mysteries, and unsettling folklore, and Stay Buried continues that tradition. Set in the isolated Vermont community of Boone’s Ferry, the novel alternates between 1919, when a mysterious illness threatens the town, and 2016, when two siblings inherit property tied to generations of family secrets. As past and present begin to converge, long-buried truths—and the superstitions surrounding them—refuse to stay buried.

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