Best Horror Books of 2025 with Anna Dupre

2025 has come to an end, so that means it’s time to break down our standout reads of the year. I am joined by my friend, fellow podcaster and reviewer, Anna Dupre of the Anna Rose Reads Podcast. This was a year full of cannibalism, sweeping historicals, and weird little horny books, so a great year! Books Mentioned: Short Story Collections/ Anthologies Teenage Girls Can Be Demons by Hailey Piper Mystery Lights by Lena Valencia You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi (translated by Chris Andrews) The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein Oddbody by Rose Keating PUNK goes HORROR: A Mixtape Anthology edited by William Sterling It’s the End of the World As We Know It: New Tales from Stephen King’s Stand edited by Brian Keene and Christopher Golden Graphic Novels A Guest in the House by E.M. Carroll Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Hogarth Young Adult Horror Showstopper by Lily Anderson Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins The Overnight (#3) by RL Stine Middle Grade Horror Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson  Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell Another by Paul Tremblay Broken Dolls by Ally Malinenko Non-Fiction Sick Houses: Haunted Homes and the Architecture of Dread by Layla Taylor There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib Scream With Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism by Eleanor Johnson The Midcentury Kitchen: America’s Favorite Room, from Workspace to Dreamscape, 1940s-1970s by Sarah Archer Non-Horror Blob : A Love Story by Maggies Su The Favorites by Layne Fargo The Wedding People by Allison Espach Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan Horror Novella Spread Me by Sarah Gailley The Film You Are About to See by Hailey Newlin Horror Debut Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker The Lamb by Lucy Rose  House of Beth by Kerry Cullen  Good Boy by Neil McRobert    Horror Novel Blood On Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen Immaculate Conception by LIng Ling Huang When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle Play Nice by Rachel Harrison  Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones Of Flesh and Blood: The Untold Story of the Cajun Cannibal by NL Lavin and Hunter Burke Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi Demeester What Hunger by Catherine Dang Itch! By Gemma Amor The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson King Sorrow by Joe Hill Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Support Books in the Freezer on Patreon to get access to the series, The House at the End of Fear Street, early episodes, polls and more

I was joined by author Jenny Kiefer to talk about her latest novel Crafting for Sinners and locked room horror stories Books Mentioned:  Crafting for Sinner by Jenny Kiefer The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix The Troop by Nick Cutter The Handyman Method by Andrew F. Sullivan and Nick Cutter Exiles by Mason Coile Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold We Need to Do Something by Max Booth III Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes! Share this:

Come one! Come all to my conversation with author Chris Panatier. We are talking about his book Shitshow from Sobelo Books and carnival horror.  Movies Mentioned:  Carnival of Souls Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Final Destination 3 House of 1000 Corpses Big Fish Nope Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Books Mentioned:  Shitshow by Chris Panatier Geek Love by Katherine Dunn Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson The Only Harmless Great Thing by Bo Bolander Hide by Kiersten White Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes!  

This is a repost of an episode from 2024 where Jocelyn and I discussed Frankenstein Retellings!  Have you watched the new Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein? What did you think of it?    Shownotes here

Author Joe Hill is on the show this week to talk about his latest book King Sorrow and whether a horror story is only as good as its villains.  Books mentioned:  King Sorrow by Joe Hill The Fireman by Joe Hill The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien The Secret History by Donna Tart  Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez  The Passage by Justin Cronin The Reformatory by Tananarive Due The Gunslinger by Stephen King Fright or Flight: 17 Turbulent Tales edited by Bev Vincent and Stephen King Double Feature by Owen King The Trap  by Tabitha King Save Yourself by Kelly Braffet Rovers by Richard Lange 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill  Locke and Key: The Golden Age by Joe HIll Sea Dogs by Joe Hill  Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brien The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Dracula by Bram Stoker Let the Right One In by John Ajvde Lindqvist Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes!  

I was thrilled that Victor LaValle was able to join me to help recommend books with jerk main characters. Be sure the check out the new paperback editions of four of his books and catch The Devil in Silver on AMC in 2026.  Books mentioned:  The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle The Changeling by Victor LaValle The Shining by Stephen King American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Boy Parts by Eliza Clark Dark Places by Gillian Flynn A Personal Matter by Kenzaburo Oe Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes!

Full episode available on Patreon It's Fear Street Friday and this week we are heading to Camp Nightwing! I was very happy to be joined by Liz Sower from the fantastic Ghosts in the Burbs podcast.  Synopsis: Who killed the counselor? “I could kill you!” screamed Geri Marcus. Could she? Would she? something is very wrong at Camp Nightwing, and junior counselor Holly Flynn is determined to solve the mystery before it destroys the camp! The trouble begins with frightening acts of vandalism. After each, a red feather is left behind—signature of the culprit. Suddenly, one of the counselors is dead. “An accident,” say the police. But Holly knows better—and she knows she’s next. Holly can’t trust anyone now, not even her best friend, as she stalks the camp killer—and hopes that it soon won’t be “lights out” for her!

Neil McRobert is back on the pod today. This time as a published author!! We are here to talk about his fantastic novella Good Boy and the horrors of small towns.  Books Mentioned:  Good Boy by Neil McRobert\ Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare The Ghosts of Sleath by James Herbert The Low Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado Jackal by Erin E Adams The Night Country by Stewart O Nan Itch! by Gemma Amor The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt It by Stephen King Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes!

I was joined by Hailey Piper to talk about her latest short story collection, Teenage Girls Can Be Demons, and Coming of Rage horror. This collection includes several fan favorites including, "Benny Rose, the Cannibal King" and "Unkindly Girls." Listen to our conversation about why rage accompanies coming into yourself and your powers.   Books Mentioned:  Teenage Girls Can Be Demons by Hailey Piper A Game in Yellow by Hailey Piper Chlorine by Jade Song The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow Penance by Eliza Clark The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix   Final Girl Song Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes!

  I was joined by the wonderful Tiffany Gonzalez (@tiffanyconlibros) to talk about what to read for Latine/Hispanic Heritage month! Books Mentioned: A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) What Happened to Ruthie Ramirez by Claire Jimenez The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas Candelaria by Melissa Lozada-Olivia Dreaming of You: A Novel in Verse by Melissa Lozada-Olivia Goddess of Filth by V. Castro The Queen of Cicadas by V. Castro Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk (translated by Heather Cleary) Monstrillio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Rachel Vasquez Gililand House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (translated by Sarah Moses) The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (translated by Sarah Moses) Through the Night Like a Snake: Latin American Horror Stories edited by Sarah Coolidge Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez Loteria by Cynthia Pelayo Somebody is Walking On Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) Jawbone by Monica Ojeda (translated by Sarah Booker) Feebleminded by Ariana Harwicz (translated by Carolina Orloff and Annie McDermott) You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi (translated by Chris Andrews) Five Midnights by Ana Davila Cardinal Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) anything by Charco press Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There’s a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that’s been mentioned and bonus episodes!