Summer beach reads don’t always have to be light. Sometimes, a horror novel can be just as fun. Horror novels have the power to pull you in and make your heart race; they can make you laugh, grimace, see the world in a new way, or all of the above. If you’re still working on your Book Bingo Horror category or if you’re looking for a great next book, here are some titles to check out:
The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
After witnessing her best friends get murdered seventeen years ago, Sadie has been hearing talking dead animals and a voice in her head—symptoms her therapist insists are signs of PTSD. But when her boyfriend agrees to join a couple’s trip at a cabin in the woods, things take a turn.
Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff
In this cozy horror novel set in the small town of Lake Argen, Cassidy, the town baker, starts to have feelings for a very cute private investigator who is looking into a recent visitor’s disappearance. But something hungry lives under Lake Argen, putting them all at risk.
Through fiction and poetry, this anthology reimagines monsters, old and new, through a queer lens, subverting expectations and celebrating the relationship between horror and queerness.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Four American Indian men from the Blackfeet Nation have grown up together as friends, but they are haunted by what they did during an elk hunt ten years ago–and there’s an entity that wants its revenge.
Herculine by Grace Byron
When an unnamed trans woman retreats to an all-trans girl commune in the woods of rural Indiana called Herculine, she finds community and acceptance. But soon, something starts to feel off–and she starts to suspect that Herculine may not be the safe haven she was hoping for.
Check out our Book Bingo NW 2026: Horror list for more titles!
For more ideas for books to meet your Summer Book Bingo challenge, follow our Shelf Talk BookBingoNW2026 series or check the hashtag #BookBingoNW2026 on social media. Book Bingo is presented in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures and the King County Library System.
~posted by Siri A.