At the end of the year, publishing slows down, but I’m still excited about the six new books coming out in November! Here are the books I chose this month:
The Swarm by Andy Marino on Nov 5 from Redhook
I haven’t read Andy Marino yet. However, I have read Nick Cutter and I really enjoy him. So when Cutter said this was like “swallowing a wasp that’s crawled inside your Coke can,” which is my biggest fear, I knew I had to read it. The end of the world brought by a lot of cicadas? It’s almost certain to make me feel very uncomfortable and scared.
Thank goodness this is coming out in November, when the buzzing bugs aren’t around, instead of the summer, when they’re a pain. After reading, I probably wouldn’t want to go outside for a week. If it was just bugs, I might want to put it off, but there’s also a cult element to it…
The Threshing Floor by Steph Nelson on Nov 11 from Dark Matter INK
This is a cult novel from an author I have read. I’ve been following Steph’s career since The Vein and I have been looking forward to this novel since she first started teasing it. This follows a desperate mother seeking a cure for her child. Will that cure come from a cult performing miracle healings? Will the price be worth paying? There’s only one way to find out. I think this one’s going to hurt.
Candy Cain Kills Again: The Second Slaying by Brian McAuley on Nov 12 from Shortwave
There is already a summary for this book because it is a follow-up. Mostly because I haven’t read the first book yet. Yes, I’m looking forward to the follow up to a book I haven’t read yet. I read Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley and loved it so much. I’m sure I’ll have a great time with this because it has a similar slasher vibe. Plus, it’s a scary holiday movie! Who doesn’t want scary holiday stories?
She’s Always Hungry: Stories by Eliza Clark on Nov 12 from Harper Perennial
I love books of short stories. A long time ago, I put Clark’s Boy Parts on my TBR list. I think I’ll read this first though. It sounds like a great idea to combine dark humor with a focus on hunger. The ideas for the story in the description also don’t seem to fit into a single box.
I think this will be a complex book to read, the kind of scary stuff that makes you think. I think I’ll be hungry by the end. That is, for more Eliza Clark and more dark literature in general.
Sundown in San Ojuela by M. M. Olivas on Nov 19 from Lanternfish
I’ll be interested in any cover that makes me think of werewolves. This one doesn’t say that it’s werewolves. What it does say is “monsters and old gods.” It would be hard for me to say no to that story. We’re going to have a great time with the psychics and ghosts.
This book does promise more layers, though. The story seems to be about a family with a complicated past. When there are hauntings in horror stories with many layers, I’m most interested in how the monsters and/or gods fit in.
The Best Horror of the Year Vol. Sixteen edited by Ellen Datlow on Nov 26 from Night Shade
Is it unfair to pick this collection of stories? Ellen already told you that it’s good, so I don’t need to. I won’t lie, though—I’m excited. I’ve already read two of these stories, but not the one by Stephen Graham Jones. That means I get to read seventeen new stories.
I’ve only read one of those authors’ books, but I’ve heard of a few more. That’s one reason I enjoy these collections so much. It’s okay with me if Ellen Datlow tells me about a new book to read.
Images Courtesy of Redhook, Dark Matter INK, Shortwave Publishing, Harper Perennial, Lanternfish, and Night Shade Books.
