There’s something about summer that makes it perfect for reading. Maybe it’s the summer breaks, the vacations, and laying by the pool or beach that just sets the mood for reading. Or, if you’re like me, you prefer confining yourself to air-conditioned spaces. Whether nestled inside or stretched out under the sun, there’s plenty of horror worth reading this summer. To make it even easier, we’ve broken it down into two sections; new 2019 book releases worth digging into, and previously released books that have a series or film adaptation on the way. Between the summer slate of movies and the reading guide below, this season is dedicated to horror.

New Releases:

Carnivorous Lunar Activities – Max Booth III

It’s An American Werewolf in London meets Bubba Ho-Tep in this quirky, funny, yet heartfelt novel by Max Booth III. For childhood friends Ted and Justin, they’ve long drifted apart over the years. But something is wrong with Justin; he struggles with appetite and sleep, but mostly he can’t seem to understand why he keeps waking up naked and covered in blood. Only Ted can help him, but he’ll need a silver bullet to do so. It’s a bromance comedy with a dark side. Fangoria released this novel in February.

Paperbacks from Hell Limited Series

Grady Hendrix’s 2017 nonfiction book, Paperbacks from Hell, examined the trends of horror paperback novels of the ‘70s and ‘80s, detailing the many subgenres and over the top page-turners released over the decades. Thanks to that award-winning book, Valancourt Books is releasing a new limited series of five long-unavailable paperback horror gems from the ’70s and ’80s, chosen by Grady Hendrix and Will Errickson (Too Much Horror Fiction). Each book will feature a brand new introduction written specifically for this release by Hendrix or Errickson. Starting in April, this limited series will drop one book per month– which means you already have two available to get started.

Inspection: A Novel – Josh Malerman

Released in March, the latest by Bird Box author Josh Malerman follows two very secluded schools in the wilderness where the pupils are being trained to be geniuses of art, science, and athletics. One school is strictly for boys, and the other for girls, yet neither school knows the other exists. What would happen if a child is raised without any knowledge that another gender exists? Well, if you’re Malerman, expect a creepy, claustrophobic read that blurs the genre lines.

Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl – Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas (May 21)

If novels aren’t really your thing, and you’re a major vinyl or horror soundtrack enthusiast, then add this to your “to be read” pile. Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas, both of Rue Morgue magazine, have curated a history of horror movie scores, reviews, and behind the scenes stories about everything from Hammer Horror and Universal Horror to the punk and metal soundtracks of the ‘80s. With stunning artwork, too, making this as much of a perfect summer read as it is an ideal coffee table book.

Growing Things and Other Stories – Paul Tremblay (July 2)

Paul Tremblay should be on any horror lit fan’s “must read” list of authors, thanks to chilling novels A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World. Whether you’ve already read his novels or you simply want your horror in bite-sized pieces, his latest is a horror anthology packed with 19 tales of short stories. The collection is comprised of previously published stories, brand new ones specifically for this release, and a few that are tied to previous works A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock.  Like all great horror anthologies, there’s something for everyone.

Petra’s Ghost – C.S. O’Cinneide (August 13)

Because summer is often a season dedicated to travel and vacation, this psychological thriller seems the perfect complement. Daniel is walking the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage from France to Spain, carrying the ashes of his dead wife Petra. Along the way he meets bubbly Californian Ginny, an ideal antidote to his grieving heart. But they soon find themselves haunted along the trail by a rotting corpse, leaving Daniel to question his reality on the Camino. Ghosts, psychological distress, and an actual popular hiking route? Sounds like summer reading material to me.

Read It Before You See It:

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – Alvin Schwartz and illustrations by Stephen Gammell

You’ve got until August 9 to introduce your kids to the nightmarish world of this children’s book series, before the movie adaptation arrives in theaters. Or invoke a sense of nostalgia for the creepy tales and even creepier illustrations. “The Big Toe”, “The Red Spot”, and many more tales of horror will be brought to life by director André Øvredal and producer Guillermo del Toro, but nothing beats Gammell’s awe-inducing illustrations on the page.

Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell – Nathan Ballingrud

This collection of short fiction offers six tales that run the gamut for all tastes in horror, especially the dark and depraved. It’s his short “The Visible Filth”, that’s been adapted for screen, Wounds, in Babak Anvari’s follow up to Under the Shadow. The plot follows a bartender whose life unravels after picking up a strange cellphone that contains disturbing images. Wounds divided audiences at Sundance, was originally slated for a March release, before being pulled for a yet to be determined release date via Netflix. So, you’ve got plenty of time to catch up with this short story collection.

Our Lady of the Inferno – Preston Fassel

A brutal horror tale that sets a prostitute on an eventual collision course with a serial killer, both fierce women, in an ode to grimy ‘80s slashers. In December, this gritty horror novel was announced to be getting the big screen treatment with Fassel serving as executive producer along with Fangoria’s Phil Nobile Jr. This means that the film adaptation won’t be here for a while, so you have plenty of time to catch up. And if all this reading has your eyes exhausted, then fret not, an audiobook is on the way with Barbara Crampton voicing the character Nicolette Aster, the executive moonlighting as a serial killer.

Doctor Sleep – Stephen King

With Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of this sequel to The Shining arriving in theaters on November 8, there’s no time like the present to read (or reread) Doctor Sleep. King’s story follows a now middle-aged Danny Torrance, struggling with his own inner demons as he tries to protect a young girl with similar powers from a group of evil people known as the True Knot. This sequel might be very different from its predecessor, but the recurring themes of addiction and the poignancy in Danny Torrance’s relationships are compelling.

In the Tall Grass – Stephen King and Joe Hill

This novella, written by father and son duo King and Hill, follows a brother and sister driving through Kansas on a cross country trip. They stop at a field of tall grass when they hear a little boy’s cries for help, and soon find themselves lost and disoriented in the field. Of course, things get weird. Poised to be released this year by Netflix, the film adaptation was directed by Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) and stars Patrick Wilson.

Locke & Key – Joe Hill, art by Gabriel Rodriguez

After many attempts, it looks like this acclaimed graphic novel series is finally getting an adaptation thanks to Netflix. It’s about freaking time. After the brutal murder of their father, the Locke siblings and their mother move across the country to live in their ancestral estate, Keyhouse. They soon begin discovering its secrets, including magical keys that must be used to thwart an evil entity looking to gain the keys for its own nefarious use. Lovecraftian, brutal, and horror filled, this series is a brisk, excellent read.