I added your whole top 5 and a few more to my reading list! Very excited to learn that February is Women in Horror month in English speaking countries, as a woman who is launching a horror magazine with a few (mostly female) friends it makes me especially happy! My personal favourite is White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi, and I'm really looking forward to reading Water Shall Refuse Them by Lucy McKnight Hardy. I'm waiting for the summer for that one, as it takes place during a heatwave... In the meantime I'll be reading Damnable Tales - A Folk Horror Anthology, which features only around 25% women but sadly, that's pretty okay for an anthology.
Fantastic list, Rachel! You’ve added quite a few to my tbr here. To sort of answer your question at the end, and although not a favourite (because I haven’t read it yet), one book I’m really looking forward to reading is Dead Silence. I didn’t realize that it was already out and was excited to pick up the audiobook the other day.
Another excellent video. I didn’t realise that it was female horror writer month. Coincidentally though, I just finished one of my favourite horrors by a female author; Rhiannon Frater’s Last Bastion of the Living. It’s a good zombie/post apocalypse book. Thanks for recommending this collection of books.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm just starting Tender is the Flesh. I would recommend: Cipher by Kathe Koje The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates Dread in the Beast by Charlee Jacob.
Cool! I should probably say that Dread in the Beast is wonderfully written, but the subject matter is about as extreme as it gets, so I just wanted to add a bit of a disclaimer.
I didn’t realise it was Women in Horror month. I will try to get to The Missing before the end of the month, in celebration. I bought the book on your recommendation. (I mentioned you when I mentioned it in the book haul video due to appear on the 12th) - I tagged you in the birth year tag video, in case you’re tempted. Fantastic video as usual.
Looks like I have most of those. I did pick up Mind of Winter, Broken Monsters, and Beneath as they were all available in the library. I knew a Christina Henry book would show up on there too. Just love her writing, even in the books that I'd not rate as high as some of her others. As an aside, Dead Silence arrived from the library today too. I know what you said about it so I'll go in with lower expectations. (oh, Echo just came in now---maybe the same person had both out?). I DNF'd Into the Drowning Deep. I'll have to take another look at it. Last time I DNF'd a book and then tried again after you recommended it, I was surprised I'd DNF'd the book in the first place as it was quite good. If I recall, there might have been something in there that clashed with my professional biologist mindset. Recently, someone reviewed a book in which house flies that turned deadly were able to carry a person away, and I'm thinking of wing load ratios, tensile strength of limbs and tarsi of flies, weight vs surface area to grab onto, and thought, "not a chance they'll be able to pick up a mouse, much less a human"....unless the human was as flat as a sheet of paper and had the weight spread over a large surface area. I want to read the book, but I can feel that part of my brain going, "you cannae violate the laws of physics" (a la Scotty). Aside # 2: still haven't started Tiamat's Wrath. I don't want the series to end so I'm really delaying starting book 8, and probably will do the same with book 9. I should have started book 8 about a month ago now. Have it all cued up and ready, even started it, before deciding "not yet". Still savouring the previous books (and I'm procrastinating so as to avoid a reading slump after I've finished the series--as long as there's an Expanse book unread, there'll be no reading slump for me).
I understand not wanting a series like the Expanse to end. And you DNF'd Into the Drowning Deep? Ouch! You hurt me... kidding. Glad you found some new ones. I'll be reading Dead Silence this weekend... can't wait
@@TheShadesofOrange haha, yeah, I'll revisit Drowning Deep though. Last time I revisited a book I didn't like but you recommended, it was so good I couldn't believe I'd not liked it. I started Tiamat's Wrath on audio. Been listening to it on my walks. The authors are taking risks with their story and the characters; I'm so invested. This is my favourite one so far. I walked so much yesterday while listening to it, my knee started aching. I'd gotten so involved in the storyline I just kept walking.
Three of my favorite books I have read were amongst your selection! Therefore I think I need to make the rest of the books you mentioned a TBR list for this year! Thanks for the great content!
Yay !! 😀 you mentioned my fellow Saffer, Lauren Beukes, I have met her a few times and got some of her books and comics signed (she did work for DC comics as well - Vertigo is a sub-print dealing mainly in horror type stories). I see one of her other works has been adapted for tv - The Shining Girls
I absolutely adore Mira Grant. There’s a prequel to ‘Into the drowning deep’ , called ‘Rolling in the deep’ which is also great. Unfortunately it was released only as an audiobook but i enjoyed it a lot. Mira Grant is the pen name for Seanan McGuire, she writes Fantasy, Horror and Dystopian. Thanks for another great video ❤️
Broken Monsters! One of my favourites! So glad someone is talking about this one, I love Lauren Beukes. I was reading My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due, and her writing is off the charts amazing. That story really puts the fear of immortality in you.
I'm 85% through The Good House right now and it's so good! It was my horror pick for black history month. I am really enjoying the audiobook, Robin Miles is absolutely fantastic at her character work.
love your list, and have read 4 of them , I used to work in a library and spoke to an older gent and he said he never read books written by woman , I said, what really ,your cutting off at least 1/2 of the books in the world , oh well it takes all sorts a. Just finished the book, Meat , amazing book, just had to say .
So glad you enjoyed Meat! And yes I feel sad when I hear people say they won't read Women (and equally sad when people don't read male authors). I just want to read ALL the good books haha
If someone can help : there’s a thriller/horror book mentioned in this channel awhile back. It’s about a girl who goes with her mother to a horror movie set where the mother works as a makeup artist. I think there’s a slasher or something and it’s chasing the film cast . Would appreciate anyone helping in identifying the book title .
I loved We Have Always Lived In The Castle, as well as Hunting of Hill House, but Maybe Shirley Jackson was too obvious to add to the list? Another great book is The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.
I'm super drawn to Beneath. 🐍 It sounds just creepy enough to get to me, but not turn me away. Also, I loved Into the Drowning Deep and Tender is the Flesh. 🧜♀️🐂
love octavia butler but disagree with your comment that the character in fledgling has the mind of an adult, adult content happens in the beginning while she has amnesia and does not know that she is not a child.
@@TheShadesofOrange I had to stop reading it, because even though she later learns her true age that part got to me. As i said I love Butler, but she does have a preoccupation with large age gaps in a lot of her work. i plan to come back to fledgling but this time hopefully more prepared for the reading experience.
Hi Rachel, just wanted to say thanks for the Ghost Tree rec. Def a five-star read!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I added your whole top 5 and a few more to my reading list! Very excited to learn that February is Women in Horror month in English speaking countries, as a woman who is launching a horror magazine with a few (mostly female) friends it makes me especially happy!
My personal favourite is White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi, and I'm really looking forward to reading Water Shall Refuse Them by Lucy McKnight Hardy. I'm waiting for the summer for that one, as it takes place during a heatwave... In the meantime I'll be reading Damnable Tales - A Folk Horror Anthology, which features only around 25% women but sadly, that's pretty okay for an anthology.
I hope you enjoy them! Thanks for your recommendations. And it sounds like Women in Horror month is getting moved to March now
Fantastic list, Rachel! You’ve added quite a few to my tbr here. To sort of answer your question at the end, and although not a favourite (because I haven’t read it yet), one book I’m really looking forward to reading is Dead Silence. I didn’t realize that it was already out and was excited to pick up the audiobook the other day.
Glad to add some to your tbr. And yes I'm dying to read Dead Silence. Hoping to start it this weekend
Another excellent video. I didn’t realise that it was female horror writer month. Coincidentally though, I just finished one of my favourite horrors by a female author; Rhiannon Frater’s Last Bastion of the Living. It’s a good zombie/post apocalypse book. Thanks for recommending this collection of books.
Oo I don't know that one. I'll have to look it up
I like what you said about Into The Drowning Deep. I think conservation of our oceans is very important so sounds like I need to check it out. 😊
I hope you enjoy it
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm just starting Tender is the Flesh.
I would recommend:
Cipher by Kathe Koje
The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner
Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates
Dread in the Beast by Charlee Jacob.
Thanks for the recs... I actually have not read any of those!
Cool! I should probably say that Dread in the Beast is wonderfully written, but the subject matter is about as extreme as it gets, so I just wanted to add a bit of a disclaimer.
I didn’t realise it was Women in Horror month. I will try to get to The Missing before the end of the month, in celebration. I bought the book on your recommendation. (I mentioned you when I mentioned it in the book haul video due to appear on the 12th) - I tagged you in the birth year tag video, in case you’re tempted. Fantastic video as usual.
Thanks for the tag. And yeah it's not super well known but a good excuse to read some ladies
Looks like I have most of those. I did pick up Mind of Winter, Broken Monsters, and Beneath as they were all available in the library. I knew a Christina Henry book would show up on there too. Just love her writing, even in the books that I'd not rate as high as some of her others.
As an aside, Dead Silence arrived from the library today too. I know what you said about it so I'll go in with lower expectations. (oh, Echo just came in now---maybe the same person had both out?).
I DNF'd Into the Drowning Deep. I'll have to take another look at it. Last time I DNF'd a book and then tried again after you recommended it, I was surprised I'd DNF'd the book in the first place as it was quite good. If I recall, there might have been something in there that clashed with my professional biologist mindset.
Recently, someone reviewed a book in which house flies that turned deadly were able to carry a person away, and I'm thinking of wing load ratios, tensile strength of limbs and tarsi of flies, weight vs surface area to grab onto, and thought, "not a chance they'll be able to pick up a mouse, much less a human"....unless the human was as flat as a sheet of paper and had the weight spread over a large surface area. I want to read the book, but I can feel that part of my brain going, "you cannae violate the laws of physics" (a la Scotty).
Aside # 2: still haven't started Tiamat's Wrath. I don't want the series to end so I'm really delaying starting book 8, and probably will do the same with book 9. I should have started book 8 about a month ago now. Have it all cued up and ready, even started it, before deciding "not yet". Still savouring the previous books (and I'm procrastinating so as to avoid a reading slump after I've finished the series--as long as there's an Expanse book unread, there'll be no reading slump for me).
I understand not wanting a series like the Expanse to end. And you DNF'd Into the Drowning Deep? Ouch! You hurt me... kidding. Glad you found some new ones. I'll be reading Dead Silence this weekend... can't wait
@@TheShadesofOrange haha, yeah, I'll revisit Drowning Deep though. Last time I revisited a book I didn't like but you recommended, it was so good I couldn't believe I'd not liked it.
I started Tiamat's Wrath on audio. Been listening to it on my walks. The authors are taking risks with their story and the characters; I'm so invested. This is my favourite one so far. I walked so much yesterday while listening to it, my knee started aching. I'd gotten so involved in the storyline I just kept walking.
Three of my favorite books I have read were amongst your selection! Therefore I think I need to make the rest of the books you mentioned a TBR list for this year! Thanks for the great content!
Woo hoo! Glad we share some favourites. Hopefully you can find some new favourites among the other books
I'm about to read Into The Drowning Deep and I'm really excited! I loved Tender Is The Flesh, such a crazy book!
I hope you love it!
Yay !! 😀 you mentioned my fellow Saffer, Lauren Beukes, I have met her a few times and got some of her books and comics signed (she did work for DC comics as well - Vertigo is a sub-print dealing mainly in horror type stories). I see one of her other works has been adapted for tv - The Shining Girls
I definitely need to read more Beukes!
Thank you for this specific recommendation list. Always looking to read more female authors to my list and many of these sound excellent!
Glad it was helpful
so many great recs - I am definitely moving Tender, Ghost Tree and The Good House up my list! I have them, and it's time I get to them!!
p.s. The #1 link is broken - it's leading to To Kill a Mockingbird.
I hope you enjoy them!
Oh darn... thanks for the heads up
I absolutely adore Mira Grant. There’s a prequel to ‘Into the drowning deep’ , called ‘Rolling in the deep’ which is also great. Unfortunately it was released only as an audiobook but i enjoyed it a lot. Mira Grant is the pen name for Seanan McGuire, she writes Fantasy, Horror and Dystopian. Thanks for another great video ❤️
Yeah, Mira Grant is great. 🙂
Oh yes the prequel novella was great
I want to add all of these to my list! Again, tender is the flesh is one of those I’m so curious about but nervous about. Thank you for this list
Yeah I'll be curious to hear what you think of it
Some great books! One of my recent faves was Last House on Needless Street
I wish that one worked better for me!
Into the Drowning Deep is one of my favorites. It completely knocked my socks off.
Glad you love it as much as I do!
Broken Monsters! One of my favourites! So glad someone is talking about this one, I love Lauren Beukes. I was reading My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due, and her writing is off the charts amazing. That story really puts the fear of immortality in you.
I definitely need to read more Beukes!
Tender is The Flesh is too irresistible to not read, but I am nervous about it! I am going to give it a try.
I hope it works for you!
I'm 85% through The Good House right now and it's so good! It was my horror pick for black history month. I am really enjoying the audiobook, Robin Miles is absolutely fantastic at her character work.
Yes she is an amazing narrator! Hope you like the ending!
I have loved a lot of Darcy Coates's books. I thought The Ghost Tree was a YA book. Great video 😀
Yeah it was marketed as adult. More of a coming of age story, but it definitely had crossover appeal
@@TheShadesofOrange gotcha
love your list, and have read 4 of them , I used to work in a library and spoke to an older gent and he said he never read books written by woman , I said, what really ,your cutting off at least 1/2 of the books in the world , oh well it takes all sorts a. Just finished the book, Meat , amazing book, just had to say .
So glad you enjoyed Meat! And yes I feel sad when I hear people say they won't read Women (and equally sad when people don't read male authors). I just want to read ALL the good books haha
If someone can help : there’s a thriller/horror book mentioned in this channel awhile back. It’s about a girl who goes with her mother to a horror movie set where the mother works as a makeup artist. I think there’s a slasher or something and it’s chasing the film cast . Would appreciate anyone helping in identifying the book title .
I believe you are talking about The Summer is Ended and We are not yet Saved.
@@TheShadesofOrange Thanks Rachel. I don’t know why I thought it was a girl not a boy . Thank you very much ❤️
Have you read The Red Tree or The Drowning Girl by Caitlin Rebekkah Kiernan? Both are strong, surreal, and chilling stories.
No, but I've heard good things!
Mind of Winter sounds fantastic!
The ending hits hard
great list
Is that snow by ronald malfi in the background? Where did you find a copy? I cant find one anywhere
From the Nightworms package. Sadly I think it was a limited edition
I loved We Have Always Lived In The Castle, as well as Hunting of Hill House, but Maybe Shirley Jackson was too obvious to add to the list? Another great book is The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.
Ooh yes Shirley Jackson is so classic. I actually have no read The Little Stranger
The Sundial is pretty great, too.
Tender Flesh is next on the list for sure!
I hope you love it
I think someone should film Into the Drowning Deep.
That'd make an amazing movie
Way late here but I really enjoyed Come Closer by Sara Gran
Such a good novella
I'm super drawn to Beneath. 🐍 It sounds just creepy enough to get to me, but not turn me away. Also, I loved Into the Drowning Deep and Tender is the Flesh. 🧜♀️🐂
Glad we share some favorites... hope you get a chance to read Beneath
Heck yes, horror gals supporting horror gals!!! Adding Mind of Winter to my TBR immediately!
Yes! I hope you enjoy that one
Rachel, check out a new horror book called "Angels of L19."
Yes! I need to track down a copy. I saw Thomas from SFF180 loved it so I really want to check it out
I hear southern gothic, cosmic horror and snakes I immediately add it to my TBR 😂
Haha happy to hit your Bookish Buzz Words !
love octavia butler but disagree with your comment that the character in fledgling has the mind of an adult, adult content happens in the beginning while she has amnesia and does not know that she is not a child.
Oh yikes... it's been so long since I read that
@@TheShadesofOrange I had to stop reading it, because even though she later learns her true age that part got to me. As i said I love Butler, but she does have a preoccupation with large age gaps in a lot of her work. i plan to come back to fledgling but this time hopefully more prepared for the reading experience.
Yes. Mind of Winter. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yes! I remember that you loved that one
Hi
I have Nothing to comment just here to say hi👋🙂
😁