101 Books To Read Before You're Murdered - Sadie Hartmann - Top Book Pick!

Books On Books

Rating: 8.5/10

This enthusiastic compendium for horror fiction lovers inspired me to chat with my local independent bookstore about restoring the horror section to its past glory. The time has come!

Maybe it’s the fact that the author and I are kindred spirits, evidenced by her love of Stephen King and the acknowledgement that his books are the blueprint for horror fiction, but I read this book in one night. We horror readers recognize our fellow devotees. As she describes it, “There is an ever-present dark sparkle, and it never shines as black as it does when two of us cross paths.”

The structure is perfection. Broken down into subcategories; haunted houses, supernatural, occult, human monsters, coming of age, cults, slashers & more. Then each book has comprehensive coverage as well as this concise “at a glance” which highlights theme, tone, style, and setting. And don’t get me started on the author spotlights. And the art! Seriously, nothing not to love about this book.

When I indulge my nerdiness and read books on books, I never expect to walk away with much to add to my to be read list. I was tickled pink that was not the case here! Here are a few…

The Ancestor – Danielle Trussoni

Boys In The Valley – Philip Fracassi

The Demonologist – Andrew Pyper

The Bottoms – Joe R. Lansdale

Penpal – Dathan Auerbach

Grind Your Bones To Dust – Nicholas Day

Footnote: a steady diet of horror can ruin you for other genres. You will be reading another style of book and find yourself wondering, when does the blood start flowing, when do the monsters come out to play with us. You have been warned.

Book Pairing(s): Monster, She Wrote by Lisa Kroger & Melanie Anderson, Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi, The Darcy Myth by Rachel Feder