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My Favorite Horror Reads of 2025
- Jennifer Peaslee
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
I love Halloween! And all things horror!
It's been a minute since I've done a book recommendation post, so I figured that for the final post of spooky season, I would recommend five horrifying books. From splatterpunk to psychological, this list has something for everyone—as long as you love horror!
Screams: A Horror Anthology
The incomparable Judith Sonnet compiled this collection of horror stories from 13 authors and added a story of her own. Some were gory, some were chilling, all were fun.
My favorite story may have been "Character Creation" by Zaq Cass. It was some excellent body horror.
Psych Ward Blues
Yes, another Judith Sonnet mention. This time, however, it's a book by Sonnet.
The premise of Psych Ward Blues is basically: what if the Rapture happened and God was the villain? It's about a group of people trapped in a psych ward as the world comes to an end.
It's also a splatterpunk thriller, so not for the faint of heart.
Intercepts
Intercepts by T.J. Payne is neat. It's about a secret government branch and its super-secret experiments. I have so many thoughts about this book, and I can't share any of them because I don't want to give anything away!
There's a ton of psychological horror in this one, but also some violent scenes.
Toadhead
I've written about Toadhead before, but it's worth recommending again. It's a weird, dark novella that starts with a man waking up in a graveyard, on the anniversary of his mother's death, who finds a toad stuck to his head. Things...escalate. Again, I can't give away too much—you should just go read it.
Also, the author is on Substack, along with the first three chapters of Toadhead.
The Eyes are the Best Part
My absolute favorite of the bunch, and the first book I rated 5 stars in 2025. The Eyes Are the Best Part is about feminine rage from a Korean-American perspective. The main character is not likable (which I love). The details are unsettling. The ending is amazing. Go read this book!
Have you already read any of these? Drop a comment to let me know your thoughts!
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