What I’ve Read (So Far) in 2025 – The Horror Blog

I know, it’s been too long. I’m a horrible person, starting a blog and abandoning it for extended periods of time. How dare I?! I KNOW I said this last time, but I am going to get better, I swear…I PROMISE it’ll be different this time…So, now that we’ve established that, how about we jump right in?

I have read some ah-mazing books so far this year, some newer, some older. The point is—we’re reading. I’m going to list what I’ve read so far this year. I’ll rank em and give your some reasoning…

So far this year, I’ve read 17 books…with #18 and #19 currently being read. Below is the list of books I’ve devoured so far in 2025.

This is right from my goodreads (which, I keep up with faithfully, AND I have it shared on my socials here, so go add me as a friend). At the beginning of the year—I fell into a bit of a rabbit hole, and was obsessed with science-gone-wrong / sci-fi horror. That’s not typically my go-to sub-genre, but I was obsessed, and still need more options, so if you have one…throw it my way. I’m blaming Scott Sigler, Ancestor made me go crazy trying to find something similar to that. If you’re into science gone wrong, RUN to that book…I highly recommend.

I’m a writer and an avid reader. I read for entertainment, and sometimes I read as a writer. I know that’s possibly jibberish to you, but what I’m telling you is it’s almost impossible for me to rank books. I know the work and effort that goes into writing and the endless editing, and respect the shit out of any author or writer no matter how much I may not jive with a book. So, it’s hard(even if I hate it) to be mean…because I feel their pain, and respect their craft. So, instead of ranking first, second and so on. I’m going to do categories!

I am going to be going by Reading Experience.

Loved It = a book I loved, it left an impression, Imma recommend it to anyone who will listen.

I’m a huge Nick Cutter fan, it’s hard for me not to automatically put his stuff in my most liked category. I love how visceral and gnarly his writing can be, and I feel like his style is truly only his, so I’m quite a fan. The Queen wasn’t my favorite book of his, but I still really liked it. It gave me all the gore and horrific imagery I come to expect from a Cutter novel. Ancestor I was obsessed with, seriously, go read it. The man could write 6 of these and I’d read them all. From there I grabbed Infected, Sphere and Subhuman. They’re all science-gone-wrong or sci-fi horror. Really good stuff if you’re itching for something in that sub-genre. In Contagious, there was character development I wasn’t expecting and ended up really loving. It was book #2 in Sigler’s Infected trilogy. The Bog Wife surprised me. I’ve ended up down 2 different rabbit holes this year (so far) with my reading. First, the sci-fi horror and now I’m on a gothic kick. The Bog Wife is considered southern gothic, while it’s not straight-up traditional horror, it was a fantastic read. It delves into themes of legacy and the tensions between tradition and change. It’s super atmospheric and the characters are complex. If you’re into gothic literature at all, give it a go!

Enjoyed It = It was a pleasurable read, met or exceeded expectations, would recommend.

Mexican Gothic ended up being a wonderful surprise for me. I swear to god it’s been on my TBR since it came out in 2020. If you like gothic horror lit, read it. It’s a fun modernization of the gothic template. Forsaken is the 2nd book in the Subhuman trilogy, it was still good, but can’t beat that first one. Subhuman was all set in the Antarctic, and fun fact about me—I love isolation horror where the terrain is unforgiving and trying to kill you too. So, it is 100% personal preference here, but I loved that setting. To be fair to Forsaken, it does take you to the Antarctic again, but it’s split up to places all over. I just liked the first one better!

Pandemic was 3rd in Sigler’s Infected trilogy. It was good, just, I enjoyed Infected and Contagious better. I will say for Pandemic, there was a presence I was missing, that’s all I’ll say. The God of the Woods was so interesting, and I felt “the reveal” of the story left me slightly disappointed…that’s the only reason it’s here and NOT in my “loved it” category. It was more thriller and mystery. Don’t pick it up thinking it’s a horror novel, it’s not. I was expecting it to be, but it was still a great read. I kept plowing through trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Give it a go if you’re open. It won’t disappoint. Last in this category was Echo. It’s only here because I didn’t love the story as much as others from him. Heuvelt has a novel called Orakel, which I was fucking obsessed with, and it’s my favorite of his I’ve read so far. He’s a Dutch horror writer, and we don’t get his stuff as quick as we get other authors , it’s more of a trickle. I know since Hex he has only been growing in popularity, so hopefully that changes in the near future. I’ve yet to read anything from him I didn’t really like, or love.

Was Okay = It wasn’t a book I felt engaged with the whole time, has redeeming qualities—but I had higher hopes, might recommend if it fit’s someone’s niche.

So, this is where I feel like I will be judged. Rebecca is not only a literary classic, but it’s basically a hallmark of gothic literature. As someone who has studied literature wayyyy to long, I expect people to give me shit when I don’t love something like this. It was good, I will never debate its place in literary history, but it’s not my leisurely type of reading. Academically speaking, and analyzing, it’s great. Am I going to pick it up again? Probably, but it’s just not my top tier—entertainment wise. If I want something from this era of literature, or something older I’ll pick up Dracula or Algernon Blackwood. Mutation is the last book in the Subhuman trilogy, I don’t have a real solid reason it’s here, I just think for the close out of a trilogy, it fell short for me. It didn’t live up to my expectations after devouring the first two.

Disliked It = I didn’t enjoy it, felt like a chore to get through, not going to recommend or read again

Annihilation broke my heart a bit. This book has been so hyped in the horror reads reddit, and recommended so many times for people looking for that sci-fi horror, or something in the vein of Michael Crichton. I had heard about it in the past, and decided to give it a go while I was on my frantic hunt for science-gone-wrong. I appreciate it for what it is, and it’s clear there’s so much talent there and bold style choices, but it was a chore for me to finish. I just wasn’t the target audience for this one. I know why it’s written the way it is, but it’s written very cold, scientific and disconnected. It makes sense why it’s written that way as you read it. For me, I’m an emotional reader, I invest in characters and monsters and crave some kind of emotion with characters and the story. I don’t care if it’s love, hope or hate. It just wasn’t my style. Nocturnal wasn’t for me. There were things I liked about it, there were things that didn’t work for me. Ultimately, it ended up here. Obviously, we can’t have every fan absolutely love every single story we write. Ask my father how many Stephen King books he didn’t like. He’ll name off several and he owns every novel King has ever written…even the novels under the pen names. Sometimes, it’s just not for you, and that’s where Nocturnal was for me.

Have you read any of these books—if you have, what were your thoughts? Do you agree with me, do you think I’m insane? It’s all subjective, right? I want to know what you thought, whether we agree or disagree. Comment below, AND, if you see any books here you’d like a review on…let me know! I got you!

Finally, please follow me on my social media. I have my Linkedin, goodreads and X accounts linked below. I’ll be adding Bluesky and Insta in the near future as well, so keep an eye out for those! Have a spooky weekend everyone. ❤