Wanting to read horror is a bit of a challenge when trying to find a book club for horror. I enjoy being able to talk to people about the book we both have read. Maybe in a bigger city, where there are tons of different book clubs to be had, it is different. But here in Kansas, I have had trouble finding a book club that was a good fit for me. Most of the book clubs I have found have been either women in their 80s reading the newest Oprah suggested book or a bunch of moms who want a break from their kids, drink wine, and talk about the newest romance novel. Neither of those appeals to me.
One day, when I was at the local library, I saw an ad for a book club that instantly caught my eye. It was called Hauntingly Good Reads and said that if you like vampires, zombies, ghosts and other supernatural creatures, please come check out the book club. Ghosts? Zombies? Supernatural? Yes!! 😀 A local horror book club! I was so happy. I made sure to get the dates and show up a little early.
It is a small little book club of only a handful of friendly people. Everyone was very nice and welcoming. The librarian who ran it handing me a sheet that had a list of every book they had already read and a few books that were coming up in the following months. As I looked at the list, I was surprised to see iconic horror names were MIA, and in their place where authors who had a light and fluffy touch when it came to supernatural creatures. Faes and witches, sometimes urban fantasy, YA, and or a lot with romance. When talking to the people in the book club, it seemed like they didn’t really know that many legit horror authors and sometimes struggled to come up with names and titles to add to the list. Some of the group didn’t even seem to really like horror. I was a little sadden by that. I was desperate for a book club that fit me and everyone was so friendly there that I wanted to find a way to make this work out.
Everyone needed to be introduced to actual horror authors and titles. The leader of the group had said she was more then willing to take title suggestions since they had a hard time finding stuff of their own to add to the list. Oh boy, did I make a list! I knew the group wasn’t in to anything too hardcore, so I left off some of the more bloodier, violent authors. Starting in 2015, several of my title picks (good or bad) started to get mixed in to what they had on the list to read. It has become a much more balanced group now, I think. Sometimes they read something outside of their comfort zone, and other times, I have to read something outside of my comfort zone, like a YA or paranormal romance.
Here is a list of everything the group has read, before me and after I joined (the highlighted items are when I started to attend).
In February 2018, I stumbled on to a group on Goodreads called Horror Aficionados. I don’t remember how I found it, but I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that I did. HA has legit horror authors and titles everywhere you look in the group. They have indie authors, mainstream authors, and all kinds of subject matter. There is something crazy like, 14 thousand members and it stays pretty active. But what I really love about this group, is that, each month, they have 2 group reads and a group audio book. At the end of the month, there will be threads going up that gives a theme of book they are looking for and then ask for recommendations. For example, say the theme is creature feature. Someone could suggest the book Relic by Preston and Child. If that book looks good to someone else, that person will post saying “I second Relic”. If there is enough interest in the nomination, it will get added to a voting poll that takes place the last few days of the month. Then everyone votes on whichever title sounds the best to them.
I am LOVING this book group!! So many great horror titles and authors. Some I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and some I am just now getting introduced to. I have found a ton of great things to read and several audio books to listen to. It is very fun to read the books and get a chance to talk things over with others who are reading / listening to it right along with you.
HA also has 2 group read and talks with authors each month. Those are not voted on. The person (people?) running HA will pick 2 different authors, and their newest book to read. Then as you discuss it in the thread, that author will actually show up and chat! You can ask questions or tell them how much you enjoy their work. Or how you obsessively stalk them on the interwebs. You know, whatever. It is very cool. Sadly, I’m always so busy reading the other books that get picked plus whatever book I’m reading for the RL book club, PLUS whatever I pick to read just on my own, that I have hardly had the time to join in on the author reads. In the future, I would really like to try and join more of the author group reads.
Check out GoodReads Horror Aficionados group here!
Creature From The Book Lagoon 