Murder Your Kindle

This isn’t a sex-related post, but it does fit here in the same vein as the Kink Your Kindle posts I do every few months. I was chatting on Twitter with someone in my ongoing quest to find new horror and crime books to read, and they suggested I make a list of what I’ve read recently. You see, I’m really into reading horror. Below are probably all of the horror Kindle books I’ve read in the past six months (though I’ve read some actual paper books too like San Francisco Noir, which is pretty good).

I didn’t write reviews for these, I just provided a one-line snap judgment for each, and added a ‘LE SUCK to ZOMFG’ rating system of sorts. You’ll need to click through to read plot descriptions, but many are zombie, some are serial killers, and most are paranormal/sci-fi in some way or another. What I like isn’t going to be what you like, of course. But, I practically live off a steady diet of other people’s reading lists because discovery is such a challenge.

If you like this sort of thing (horror and crime novels), I hope my list has something for you. These are in order of most recently read.

• The Heretic (Beyond the Wall Book 1) by Lucas Bale MEH
  I kept waiting for something to happen. All the women are weak.

• Ghost Road Blues, Bad Moon Rising, Dead Man’s Song by Jonathan Maberry MEH
  The first one was good, but needed an editor. Almost too much religion, the slut shaming soured the story, though it has one great strong female character I’d love to see replicated. The writing never improved.

• Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants by Grant Morrison BIZARRE COOL
  Strange but cool nonfiction analysis on hero myths in comics.

• A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen GOOD
  Enjoyable horror.

• The Beginning of the End (Apocalypse Z) by Manel Loureiro GOOD
  I’m definitely reading the next one. Highly unusual angle, plus a cat companion.

• Contamination 1: The Onset (Contamination Post-Apocalyptic) by T.W. Piperbrook GOOD
  I won’t be reading the rest because the protagonist is too much of a wuss to be allowed to live, and a bit hackneyed. Strong women though.

• The Shining Girls: A Novel by Lauren Beukes EXCELLENT
  Almost too much to take, so vivid. Great female protagonist.

• Zoo City by Lauren Beukes EXCELLENT
  Great premise, I loved the character work here, superb story. Unpredictable.

• Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror and Deliverance in the City of Love David Talbot MEH
  Awful writing, fascinating subject: San Francisco history.

• The Twelve (Book Two of The Passage Trilogy): A Novel by Justin Cronin ZOMFG SO GREAT
  As great as the first one. I’m losing my mind waiting for the third book to come out.

• The Passage: A Novel (Book One of The Passage Trilogy) by Justin Cronin ZOMFG SO GREAT
  Unpredictable, great writing, great characters, totally far-out apocalypse scenario. Hard to put down.

• Survivor: A Horror Thriller by K.R. Griffiths GOOD
  Another good beach read, from a reliably readable and surprising author.

• Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes EXCELLENT
  My introduction to this author; gripping horror mystery with a Hannibal vibe and great female protagonists.

• Panic (Wildfire Chronicles Vol. 1) by K.R. Griffiths GOOD
  I’ll definitely read the next one. Beach fare, like tasty horror junk food.

• The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey ZOMFG SO GREAT
  Sets a high standard for literary horror. One of my favorite books of all time.

• Night Chill by Jeff Gunhus GOOD
  Holy crap this is a weird book.

• Adrift by K.R. Griffiths GOOD
  Vivid horror pulp, twists and turns, perfect for beach reading.

• Descent: A Novel by Tim Johnston GOOD
  Really hard to put down, vivid, and it sucks you in.

• White Bones (Katie Maguire Book 1) by Graham Masterton LE SUCK
  Starts out promising, becomes predictable, becomes a sappy romance, ends with a hateful the-serial-killer-is-trans twist that made me want to burn the Kindle store to the ground. This author is an asshole.

• Song of Kali by Dan Simmons GOOD
  Literary horror that feels like an undertow.

• Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Melinek M.D. GOOD
  Nonfiction: I read every medical examiner book I can find, and I’m a pathology buff. Enjoyable book for the genre.

• The Killer Next Door: A Novel by Alex Marwood GOOD
  No surprises here, but good writing. Almost a MEH.

• Hold the Dark: A Novel by William Giraldi EXCELLENT
  Literary horror. I found myself getting lost in this book, and wanting to find another one like it.

• The Son: A novel by Jo Nesbo EXCELLENT
  I read everything Nesbo writes. This is a great mystery/crime/horror story; gripping.

• Lizardskin by Carsten Stroud GOOD
  Good hardboiled crime novel, usual 50s crime caveats.

• Perfidia: A novel by James Ellroy MEH
  I love early Ellroy, and I found this rough and disjointed.

• Acceptance: A Novel (The Southern Reach Trilogy Book 3) by Jeff VanderMeer EXCELLENT
  Literary horror, unpredictable to the end. Will give you nightmares. Start with book one.

• Black Water Transit by Carsten Stroud GOOD
  Perfect hardboiled crime.

• Husk by Matt Hults EXCELLENT
  Great horror, unpredictable. Will keep you up at night.

• Bird Box: A Novel by Josh Malerman EXCELLENT
  This premise shouldn’t work, but it does, and it keeps you turning the pages. Masterful literary horror.

• Watchers by Dean Koontz MEH
  Formulaic, beach reading. Not exceptional in any way.

• City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer GOOD
  Really well written, but not easy to get into. Not sure if I recommend it.

• The Third Bear by Jeff VanderMeer EXCELLENT
  Not all stories in this collection are great, but the one that is… is fucking amazing.

• Authority: A Novel (The Southern Reach Trilogy Book 2) by Jeff VanderMeer EXCELLENT
  This trilogy is outrageous literary horror. It stained my subconscious.

• Pines (The Wayward Pines Trilogy, Book 1) by Blake Crouch MEH
  A chilling mystery that ended up disappointing me with its cliches about humanity and weak ending.

• Annihilation: A Novel (The Southern Reach Trilogy Book 1) by Jeff VanderMeer ZOMFG SO GREAT
  Scary, completely fucking weird, lyrical, hypnotic, and reality-warping. Not for everyone.

• The Homecoming (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) by Carsten Stroud EXCELLENT
  I can’t wait for book three, though this has weak spots. Still, I’ll be re-reading parts for inspiration in my own writing.

• Niceville (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) by Carsten Stroud ZOMFG SO GREAT
  Unpredictable, beautifully written crime horror. One of my all-time favorites.

• Discount Armageddon: Book One of InCryptid by Seanan McGuire EXCELLENT
  Strange, satisfying action, really great female protagonist who kicks a lot of ass. Not the best writing, but a terrifically fun tale.

• Blackout (Newsflesh Book 3) by Mira Grant EXCELLENT
  Not as all-out fucking amazing as FEED, but really great.

• The First Law Trilogy Boxed Set: The Blade Itself, Before by Joe Abercrombie GOOD
  I devoured these. They’re not perfect, but if you’re craving Game of Thrones after the season finishes…