Eight top titles about cults

At Huffington Post Tessa Flores tagged eight books that will satisfy your fascination with cults. One title on the list:

Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple by Deborah Layton

“Seductive Poison'' is the firsthand account of Deborah Layton, who managed to escape from the infamous Jim Jones' Peoples Temple. The cult is known for the Jonestown massacre in Guyana in 1978, a horrific mass murder-suicide orchestrated by Jones in which 918 members were poisoned. Layton was once a high-ranking member of the cult but was able to leave before the murders and fled home to America, where she attempted to warn others about the sinister influence of Jones and the abuses she witnessed. Her memoir is a warning for readers of how charismatic individuals can manipulate and brainwash large groups into doing unspeakable things.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nine of the best vampire novels

Lorna Wallace has a PhD in English Literature and is a lover of all things science fiction and horror. She lives in Scotland with her rescue greyhound, Misty.

At Mental Floss Wallace tagged nine "vampire novels with a little less sparkle and a little more bite," including:

The Passage (2010) // Justin Cronin

Justin Cronin came up with the idea for The Passage after his nine-year-old daughter, Iris, asked him to write “about a girl who saves the world.” The story starts with six-year-old Amy Bellafonte being detained by FBI agents so that she can be used in a military experiment. The first half of the novel charts this experiment, which leads to a vampire outbreak and the downfall of civilization as we know it. The second half jumps forward almost a century in time to see how the remnants of humanity are surviving in this changed world. Cronin also penned two sequels: The Twelve (2012) and The City of Mirrors (2016).

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Passageis among Gabriel Bergmoser's ten top horror novels, C.J. Tudor's eight thrillers featuring a child with a mysterious supernatural power, Anthony Horowitz's top ten apocalypse books and Annalee Newitz's ten works of science fiction that are really fantasy.

--Marshal Zeringue

Three thrillers about female rage

Janasha Prabhu is a graduate of the University of Illinois with degrees in chemistry and computer science and is a fellow of the 2024 LitUp cycle through Reese’s Book Club.

She has adored horror ever since picking up her first Goosebumps book as a kid and enjoys incorporating her experiences as a queer woman of color, her love for animals, and her interests in cooking into dark and twisted stories.

Prabhu currently lives in Chicago with her partner and their three cats—Grimm, James, and Harpo—and loves catching the latest horror movie, cooking a new recipe, or playing video games when she’s not writing.

Her debut thriller is Monster in the Mirror.

At Book Riot Prabhu tagged "three thrillers about female rage that I hold dear to my heart and am honored to recommend." One title on the list:

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite speaks for itself by the title alone. Korede, the protagonist, is always looking after her little
sister, Ayoola — especially because said sister has now disposed of three boyfriends. Korede never fails to clean up her sister’s messes, but when Ayoola starts dating the man Korede has been secretly in love with, Korede suddenly has to choose who to save.

Read about the other entries on the list.

My Sister the Serial Killer is among Marisa Walz's six novels featuring the most unhinged women, Amy K. Green's five novels about living near serial killers, Anna Barrington's six social thrillers that will make you question who you can trust, Kate Alice Marshall's six great thrillers featuring sisters (and murder), Margot Douaihy's four novels that show the power of siblings in mysteries & thrillers, Francesca McDonnell Capossela's seven books about women committing acts of violence, Tessa Wegert's five thrillers about killer relatives, Catherine Ryan Howard's five notable dangers-of-dating thrillers, Sally Hepworth's top five novels about twisted sisters, Megan Nolan's six books on unrequited love and unmet obsession, Sarah Pinborough's top ten titles where the setting is a character, Tiffany Tsao's top five novels about murder all in the family, Victoria Helen Stone's eight top crime books of deep, dark family lore, and Kristen Roupenian's six best books.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five horror novels with creepy settings

Katherine Daniel is a fiction writer based in Atlanta, Georgia, where she loves to explore the dark and twisty parts of what it means to be human through storytelling. She received a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Georgia State University.

Her debut horror novel When the Night Comes Knocking.

At CrimeReads Daniel tagged "five horror novels where the setting feels like a gaping, sharp-toothed mouth waiting to snap shut at any moment." One title on the list:

John Langan, The Fisherman

Grief brings together Abe and Dan, where they connect over the loss of their loved ones by fishing together throughout the Catskills. Dan learns of a place called Dutchman’s Creek, where an entity known as the Fisherman resides and is rumored to have supernatural power to restore what someone has lost; only once there, the two men instead find a disturbing, warped reality in the vein of true Lovecraftian horror.

Read about the other novels on the list at CrimeReads.

--Marshal Zeringue

Twelve of Theodore Roosevelt’s favorite books

At Mental Floss Matt Hoffman tagged twelve of Theodore Roosevelt’s favorite books, including:

Pendennis, The Newcomes, and Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

In 1906, Roosevelt wrote from the White House to his son Kermit, “I am so glad you like Thackeray. ‘Pendennis’ and ‘The Newcomes’ and ‘Vanity Fair’ I can read over and over again.” Thackeray’s Henry Esmond, on the other hand, he found heavy going.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Vanity Fair also appears on Ian Ogilvy's six best books list, Vikram Chandra's list of five books that changed him, Joanna Trollope's six favorite books list, Maddie Crum's top ten list of fictional characters who just might be psychopaths, Allegra Frazier's list of five of her favorite fictional gold diggers, John Mullan's list of ten of the most memorable governesses in literature, Stella Tillyard's list of favorite historical novels, John Mullan's lists of ten of the best fat men in literature and ten of the best pianos in literature, and Thomas Mallon's list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Twelve essential witchy reads

Lindsay Merbaum is a queer feminist author, the leader of Pick Your Potions’ Study Coven, and a high priestess of home mixology. A 2021 Foreword Indies Finalist, The Gold Persimmon was her first novel. Her second book, a smutty horror-comedy novella called Vampires at Sea, was also a Foreword Indies Finalist and a LibraryReads Pick. Her queer metaphysical mystery Witches of The Wheel is out now. Merbaum lives in Michigan with her partner and cats.

At Electric Lit she shared "a curated list of must-reads for witches." One title on the list:

Waking the Witch by Pam Grossman

An essential overview of modern witchcraft with a bit of memoir mixed in, Waking the Witch examines witchy pop culture archetypes, fairy tales, horror films, and more. It’s chock full of fascinating facts from witch history, including information on figures like Victoria Woodhull, an advocate for free love and the first woman to run for US president; the abolitionist feminists who talked to ghosts, aka the Spiritualists; the influence of The Wizard of Oz, and so much more.

Read about the other books on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Eight top genre-blending mystery titles

Rachel Brittain is a writer, Day Dreamer, and Amateur Aerialist. Her short fiction has appeared in Luna Station Quarterly, Andromeda Spaceways, and others. She is a contributing editor for Book Riot, where she screams into the void about her love of books. Brittain lives in Northwest Arkansas with a rambunctious rescue pup, a snake, and a houseful of plants (most of which aren’t carnivorous).

At Book Riot she tagged eight top genre-blending mystery books. One entry on the list:

Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall

A true-crime podcaster and her wife head to the Scottish highlands for a weekend getaway intended to rekindle their romance. Instead, they land in the middle of an actual locked-room murder mystery when a fellow guest winds up dead. Liza’s podcast may only be up-and-coming, but she knows a thing or two about murders and mysteries, and she’s determined to get to the bottom of this case—even if her wife Hanna would prefer for them to just wait outside. Will cracking this case bring them closer or become the final nail in their failing marriage?

Read about the other books on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five thrillers that blend true crime elements with a gothic ambience

Tara Goedjen loves anything mysterious. Her books include The Breathless (2017) and No Beauties or Monsters.

[My Book, The Movie: The Breathless; Writers Read: Tara Goedjen (December 2017); The Page 69 Test: The Breathless]

Goedjen's new novel, Please Enjoy Your Stay, is her adult debut.

At CrimeReads Goedjen tagged five thrillers that blend true crime elements with a gothic ambience, including:

Riley Sager, Home Before Dark

One of my favorite Riley Sager novels to date, Home Before Dark is delightfully chilling. The story centers on Maggie Holt, who inherits a Victorian estate called Baneberry Hall from her father and plans to renovate it. Interspersed with Maggie’s present-day narrative are excerpts from the bestselling memoir written by Maggie’s father, called House of Horrors.

As Maggie begins to experience strange occurrences within the Victorian house that echo her father’s terrifying account of his time there, the reader slowly uncovers clues to a cold case as the dark history of Baneberry Hall finally comes to light.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Home Before Dark is among Daniel Kenitz's seven novels where real estate drives the plot, Tom Ryan's six top suspense novels featuring mysterious mansions, Chanel Cleeton's nine novels about grand homes that are filled with secrets, Philip Fracassi's ten best thrillers with supernatural elements, Ana Reyes's six top books with embedded narratives, James S. Murray's five top books about women fighting their way out and Karen Dionne's eight top thrillers that turn home into a place of mortal danger.

The Page 69 Test: Home Before Dark.

--Marshal Zeringue

Twenty top feel-good novels

Marion Winik is the author of nine books, including The Big Book of the Dead (2019) and First Comes Love (1996; reissued with a new introduction in 2026). Her essays have been published in The New York Times Magazine, The Sun, and elsewhere; her column at BaltimoreFishbowl.com has been running since 2011.

[Coffee with a Canine: Marion Winik and Beau (December 2009); Coffee with a Canine: Marion Winik and Beau (June 2013); Writers Read: Marion Winik (June 2013)]

A professor at the University of Baltimore, she reviews books for The Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and People, among others, and hosts the NPR podcast The Weekly Reader. She was a commentator on All Things Considered for fifteen years. She is the recipient of the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Service Award.

At Oprah Daily Winik tagged twenty novels that "provide the perfect literary antidote to a stressful day," including:

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

While “murder” and “feel-good” might not sound like natural bedfellows, beloved mystery author Lippman manages to turn a crime scene into something genuinely cozy in this amusing, intelligent whodunit, which is all about discovering the hidden blessings of middle age. Mrs. Blossom is a shy, plus-size, habitually self-effacing widow whose life changed dramatically the day she found a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot. At the urging of her children, she has booked a trip on a Seine River cruise for herself and her lifelong best friend, Eleanor. On the way to the Paris embarkation, she is surprised to be taken under the wing of a handsome older man—and even more surprised when he turns up dead a few days later. As Mrs. Blossom discovers she’s become a pawn in an international art heist, she rises to the occasion with brio, realizing that far from being a minor player in other people’s stories, she is the formidable main character in her own life. For women feeling sidelined, and also for those who are no longer, or have never been, a size 10, this book is inspiring and refreshing.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Murder Takes a Vacation is among CrimeReads's top 20 crime fiction, mysteries, and thrillers of 2025 and Sue Hincenbergs's eight mysteries and thrillers featuring older sleuths and criminals.

The Page 69 Test: Murder Takes a Vacation.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five historical horror novels

Rachel Brittain is a writer, Day Dreamer, and Amateur Aerialist. Her short fiction has appeared in Luna Station Quarterly, Andromeda Spaceways, and others. She is a contributing editor for Book Riot, where she screams into the void about her love of books. Brittain lives in Northwest Arkansas with a rambunctious rescue pup, a snake, and a houseful of plants (most of which aren’t carnivorous).

At Book Riot she tagged five favorite historical horror novels. One entry on the list:

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Drenched in history and Chinese folklore, this novel from the author of The Night Tiger and The Fox Wife follows a young woman from a bankrupt family with few prospects until she receives a strange proposal to become the ghost bride of a wealthy family’s dead son. Though rarely practiced, ghost marriages in British-colonized Malaya are occasionally performed to settle restless spirits. But even as she discusses the possibility of this ghost marriage with the Lim family, Li Lan is drawn into the afterlife night after night. She’ll have to uncover the darkest secrets of the Lim family—and her own—or else remain trapped in the underworld forever.

Read about the other books on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Top ten books on heroes

Don Mullan is the author of Eyewitness Bloody Sunday, a book critical in reopening the British government's inquiry (over 25 years later) into what became known as Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was January 30, 1972, a day when thirteen civilians were killed by British soldiers during a civil rights march in North Ireland.

Paul Greengrass, perhaps better known to Americans as the director of The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and United 93 (2006), made a film (co-produced by Mullan) titled Bloody Sunday (2002) about those events.

In 2006 Mullan named his top ten books on heroes for The Guardian, including:

The Girl in the Picture: The Kim Phuc Story by Denise Chong

1972 was a momentous year in my life. On January 30 I witnessed the events of Bloody Sunday. On May 4, then aged 10, one of my closest friends, Richard Moore, was blinded by a rubber bullet on the edge of our school grounds. One month later, on the far side of the earth, a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl, Kim Phuc, was photographed by Nick Ut of the Associated Press, running naked and terrified from her burning village. Years later I was to meet the girl in the picture and we became friends. In 2001 I brought Kim to Ireland to meet my friend Richard and a schoolgirl he was mentoring who lost her eyesight in the 1998 Omagh Bomb. Together we made a 10-minute documentary for Ireland's TV3. Chong's book movingly tells how Kim Phuc's image changed the course of the Vietnam war. She writes: "In the voiceless cry of the girl in the picture is the silence of guilt. "

Read about the other titles on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven great stories of suspense in a house by the sea

Peter Swanson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger; Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year; and Eight Perfect Murders, a New York Times bestseller, among others.

[My Book, The Movie: The Kind Worth Killing; The Page 69 Test: The Kind Worth Killing; Writers Read: Peter Swanson (February 2015)]

Swanson's new book is Do You See What I See?: A Chilling Holiday Mystery Novella of a Celebrity Writer's Christmas Party Gone Wrong.

At CrimeReads the author tagged seven great stories of suspense featuring seaside houses. One title on the list:

Slam the Big Door by John D. MacDonald

Another book in which the ideal house by the sea (this time on the Gulf Coast of Florida) hides multiple secrets and marital disfunction. This standalone novel by one of my all-time favorite writers has the perfect set-up. Widower Mike Rodenska is invited by his oldest friend to visit him and his wife at their mid-century beach house in Florida. Once there, Rodenska naturally discovers that all is not well. But between the twists and violence MacDonald paints such a perfect picture of beach-side living, with its constant crashing waves and near-constant cocktail parties.

Read about the other titles on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue