It’s the best time of the year to read spooky stories! The following list features popular books–and fantastic writers–from the horror genre, published in 2024 and available at the New Ulm Public Library. Call the library at 507-359-8331 to place a hold or visit our website at www.newulmlibrary.org.

“Memorials” by Richard Chizmar. Stephen King’s quote on cover of this book is enough to convince me to try this book: “I love Richard Chizmar. His novels are creepy, eerie and propulsive. Nobody does suburban horror better.” The description intrigues me, too. “It’s 1983: Three students from a small college embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed.”

“Model Home” by Rivers Soloman. “The Maxwell siblings return to their childhood home in the Dallas suburbs after the shocking news of their parents’ death. They return to find the house, and the family itself, haunted by strange, inexplicable terrors.”

“I was a Teenage Slasher” by Stephen Graham Jones. “Set in a small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton–and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge.” Quote from NPR “Jones is one of the best writers working today.”

The author Stephen Graham Jones has another title on this list. “The Angel of Indian Lake” (Indian Lake Trilogy #3.) Fans of William Kent Krueger and Marcie Rendon looking to try the horror genre might enjoy books by this author. Although Krueger and Rendon are not horror authors, some of the subject matter is similar. This quote from the Times explains a similarity: “At once an homage to the horror genre and a searing indictment of the brutal legacy of Indigenous genocide in America.”

“I’ll be Waiting” by Kelley Armstrong. “The atmosphere here is superbly realized… Fans of Riley Sager and Lucy Foley will enjoy this well-paced and atmospheric ghost story-thriller.”

“The Night Guest” by Hildur Knútsdóttir. “Iðunn knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something’s not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven’t revealed any cause. One night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night. What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?”

“Incidents around the House” by Josh Malerman. The author’s debut novel, Bird Box, is the inspiration for the hit Netflix film of the same name. “One of the most terrifying books I have ever read . . . I promise it will leave your heart pounding.” –Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Hugo Award-winning author of HEX and Oracle

“We Used to Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer A young, queer couple who flip houses, answer the door to a man claiming to have lived there years before, which sets in motion a chain of uncanny and inexplicable events leading to Charlie’s disappearance and Eve’s descent into insanity.

“Ghost Station” by Barnes. If you are a sci-fi fan or enjoy stories about space exploration, this horror story tips in that direction. “Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS–the most famous case of which resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. It’s personal to her, and when she’s assigned to a small exploration crew who recently suffered the tragic death of a colleague, she wants to help.

“Devils Kill Devils” by Johnny Compton. “When all hell breaks loose, you need a devil on your side. Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel her entire life. She calls him Angelo, and keeps him a secret. But secrets can’t stay buried forever… When Angelo murders someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what’s really been lurking in the shadows surrounding her. And she will have to embrace the evil within if she hopes to make it out alive.”

New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway and is open Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The library will be closed Monday, November 11 for Veterans Day.