Friday, December 17, 2021

Best Books of 2021

 










Best Books of 2021

Let me explain the graphic-the first 37 books starting with Queen of Teeth and ending with When Things Get Dark are my favorite reads of 2021. My highest recommendations. The rest of the books are ones that are on my priority stack and so I felt they should be included because I can only read so much. I read 156 books this year, but I read a bunch of previously released titles too. You can find my favorite backlist books I read this year HERE

I'm currently in the middle of reading The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise and Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill and enjoying them so much, they have to be on this list. I have three Josh Malerman titles on here because he's a favorite author, but I did not have time to read Ghoul in the Cape--but for sure it makes my noteworthy releases for 2021--so that's how I'm playing it this year. Without anymore prefacing, the 37 in no particular order:

Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper (LBGTQ+ feminism horror)

Immortelle by Catherine McCarthy (Gothic lit)

Malignant Summer by Tim Meyer (coming of age/epic summer)

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (GHOSTS, Haunted)

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (coming-of-age/final girl/murder/book about movies)

Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo (police procedural/mystery/urban legend)

LOLA ON FIRE by Rio Youers (crime thriller)

The Turnout by Megan Abbott (weird sisters/lust/dance)

Come With Me by Ronald Malfi (murder mystery/grief horror)

Hearts Strange and Dreadful by Tim McGreggor (historical fiction horror)

Shards by Ian Rogers (this is a free read on Tor.com) (found footage)

48 Hours to Kill Andrew Bourelle (crime thriller)

With Teeth by Brian Keene (VAMPS!)

Dark Across the Bay by Ania Ahlborn (domestic thriller)

And The Devil Cried by Kristopher Triana (fucked up crime noir)

Human Tenderloin by Craig Wallwork (short stories)

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen (antebellum era horror)

The Secret Skin by Wendy Wagner (LBGTQ+/1920/Haunted/creepy kid)


Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig (family drama/horror)

Later by Stephen King (coming of age/supernatural)

Body Shocks edited by Ellen Datlow (body horror antho)

Cackle by Rachel Harrison (feminism/witch lit)

GOBLIN by Josh Malerman (novellas/shared universe)

Elements of My Anatomy by Hailey Piper (LBGTQ+/Short story collection/versatile)

RED X by David Demchuk (LBGTQ+ murders/human monsters)

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn (Dark Fantasy/Feminism)

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Tales by Eric LaRocca (short stories/queer horror/LBGTQ+)

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro (feminism/cultural/coming-of-age/possession)

ROVERS by Richard Lange (VAMPS!)

Moon Lake by Joe Lansdale (crime thriller)

PEARL by Josh Malerman (creature feature)


Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro (feminism/cultural/urban legend/revenge)

Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (thriller/mystery/horror)

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca (queer horror/LBGTQ+/internet)

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar (meta/crime/murder/small town horror)

YOU Love Me by Caroline Kepnes (Murder/human monsters/Series)

When Things Get Dark edited by Ellen Datlow (Shirley Jackson inspired short stories)



Must read on my TBR for 2021
The Ghost Sequences by A. C. Wise

Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill

Beneath A Pale Sky by Philip Fracassi

Getaway by Zoje Stage

Where They Wait by Scott Carson 

Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

Billy Summers by Stephen King

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (final girl/book about movies)

The Push by Ashley Audrain

The Ghosts of Who You Were by Christopher Golden

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

The Ghoul in the Cape by Josh Malerman

The Glassy, Burning, Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

Shelter for the Damned by Mike Thorn

Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi




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Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Previously Released Books I read in 2021 with My Highest Recommendation


 RED STATION by Kenzie Jennings (Splatter Western/Strong Women Characters)

CRADLELAND OF PARASITES by Sara Tantlinger (Horror Poetry)

THE ROTTING WITHIN by Matt Kurtz (Human Monsters)

TAKE YOUR TURN TEDDY by Haley Newlin (Psychological Horror/Coming of Age)

THE THIRTEENTH KOYOTE by Kristopher Triana (Extreme Splatter Western)

I WISH I WAS LIKE YOU by S. P. Miskowski (Murder Mystery/Ghost Noir)

THEY ALL DIED SCREAMING by Kristopher Triana (Extreme Horror)

BETTY by Tiffany McDaniel (Coming of age/family drama/grief)

MIDNIGHT IN THE PENTAGRAM edited by Kenneth W. Cain (Demonic, Folk, Cult Horror Anthology)

TRIBAL SCREAMS by Owl Goingback (Author collection)

THE NIGHT SUN by Zin E. Rocklyn (short horror story)

MY DARK VANESSA by Kate Elizabeth Russell (psychological, relational, drama)

FREEZER BURN by Joe R. Lansdale (Mystery, suspense, drama)

TENDER IS THE FLESH by Augustina Bazterrica (dystopian horror/cannibalism)

OFF SEASON by Jack Ketchum (cannibalism/human monsters)

EDGE OF DARK WATER by Joe R. Lansdale (coming of age, mystery, suspense, drama)

ROSEMARY'S BABY by Ira Levin (psychological, demon possession, motherhood, horror)

PSYCHO by Robert Bloch (psychological horror/human monsters)

BABY TEETH by Zoje Stage (psychological horror, creepy children, family drama)

BLOOD RELATIONS by Kristopher Triana (family horror/extreme/Short story collection)

BAD CHILI by Joe R. Lansdale (Hap & Leonard Series, drama, crime fiction)

MINOTAUR by C. S. Humble (author collection/horror/drama)

THE MASSACRE AT YELLOW HILL (Book 1 Survivors Trilogy) by C. S. Humble (cosmic/occult/horror/western)

A RED WINTER IN THE WEST (Book 2 Survivors Trilogy) by C. S. Humble (cosmic/occult/horror/western)

*BETWEEN TWO FIRES by Christopher Buehlman (medieval horror)

*currently reading & loving



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Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Sadie Hartmann's Best of The Books I Read in 2020


 In no particular order:

The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik

Touch the Night by Max Booth III

Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Worms and His Kings by Hailey Piper

Tome by Ross Jeffery

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

Ghost Summer Tananarive Due

Bad People by Craig Wallwork

You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes

Into the Forest and All the Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo

North American Lake Monsters by Nathan Ballingrud

Slay edited by Nicole Givens Kurtz

Cascades by Craig Davidson

The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby

Children of the Fang by John Langan

Devil's Night by Curtis Lawson

Black Cranes edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn

Miscreations edited by Doug Murano and Michael Bailey

Midnight in the Graveyard edited by Kenneth W. Cain

The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young

The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1 edited by James D. Jenkins & Ryan Cagle

Go Down Hard by Ali Seay

Along the Path of Torment by Chandler Morrison

Best of Both Worlds by S. P. Miskowski

Devils Creek by Todd Kiesling

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Red Hands by Christopher Golden

Hairspray & Switchblades by V. Castro

Crossroads by Laurel Hightower

Wormwood by Chad Lutzke & Tim Meyer

Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess

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Thursday, November 4, 2021

Reviews, Listicles, Articles, Podcasts & Bylines

Sadie Hartmann

Sadie Hartmann is known as Mother Horror on social media. She writes horror fiction reviews and other content for Cemetery Dance and SCREAM Magazine as well as Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram and other social media platforms & publications.

Sadie is a horror fiction advocate and an Active, voting member of the Horror Writers Association and the co-owner of a curated, horror fiction, monthly subscription package called Night Worms. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, kids and Frenchie.


 All Reviews & Interviews at Cemetery Dance




Splatterpunk for Dummies, Or Defining the Genre For Those Who Love Horror Fiction















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