The Fright Stuff

As September Draws Close to an End, the Real Fall Horrors Begin

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Emily Martin

Contributing Editor

Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at emily.ecm@gmail.com.

Horror fans, I know I’ve been hyping fall for a while now, but now it’s official. Fall is here! Let’s celebrate by talking all things horror and preparing for the spookiest week of 2024 yet. It’s time to savor the season. Our time has truly come.

Bookish Goods

sandworm bookmark

Sandworm Bookmark by Sourgoblin

With the new Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice movie out, all I want is more Beetlejuice things in my life, including this really cool sandworm bookmark. It’s the perfect bookish accessory for anyone who loves scary movies. And it’s only $5.

New Releases

devils kill devils book cover

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

I really loved Johnny Compton’s Spite House, and I can’t wait to read this one. This book is a gothic horror novel filled with monsters, angels, devils, and vampires. All her life, Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel called Angelo. And while Angelo protects her, Sarita decides to keep him a secret. But secrets can’t stay hidden forever, and after Angelo murders someone Sarita loves, he can no longer remain hidden in the shadows. Now if Sarita hopes to survive, she will be forced to acknowledge the darkness that has always surrounded her and face it head-on.

where i end book cover

Where I End by Sophie White

Another book coming out tomorrow to get excited about: Where I End was originally published in 2022 and won the Shirley Jackson Award that same year. Now, it’s being republished by Erewhon Books, so if you missed it the first time, here it is again! This novel follows the story of a young woman named Aoileann who desperately wants a family but is stuck alone on an island with her bed-bound mother. Then Sarah shows up on the island with her three kids, and Aoileann finds something new to fixate upon.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Before September ends, let’s look back at some horror reads you might have missed that came out earlier this month.

we are hunted book cover

We Are Hunted by Tomi Oyemakinde

And speaking of islands, this book is set on an island where all of the animals have suddenly gone feral. Now 17-year-old Femi and his family must work with other island resort guests to escape the island and make it home alive. This one is being called White Lotus meets Jurassic Park, which seems pretty accurate to me. A fun (and spooky) reading experience!

cover of An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson; black with gold moth with its wings pinned down

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

Alexis Henderson is one of those authors who just keeps writing hit after hit, whether it’s about witches or sapphic bloodsuckers or, with this new novel, dark academia. An Academy for Liars takes place at Drayton College, a magic school hidden in Savannah. Lennon, like the other students at Drayton College, is gifted with powers of persuasion, and she’s come to the school to learn how to channel those powers. But the more she learns, the more Lennon discovers the disturbing truth about the school.

So much to read this fall, y’all. And there’s even more that I’ll share with you next Monday. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

If a horror fan forwarded this newsletter to you or you read it on bookriot.com and you’d like to get it right in your inbox, you can sign up here.