Book Lounge by Libby

Want to read horror but have absolutely no idea where to start? Welcome to your first step into the spooky side of the reading world! 🎃

Joe Skelley is joined by Amy Allen Clark and Kenzie Deerin to build the ultimate horror triptych: a grouping of recommendations designed to help you find your way into horror, whether you're a curious beginner, a certified scaredy-cat or a reader who just hasn't found the right nightmare yet.

From creepy and atmospheric to genuinely terrifying, we're talking about how to find horror books that match your comfort level, discover what scares you (in the best way) and figure out where to go next. Because horror isn't one-size-fits-all, and you absolutely do not have to start with the book that will keep you awake until 3 a.m.

Ready to dip your toes into the dark? Pull up a chair, grab your coziest blanket and let's find your next spooky read.

Book Lounge by Libby is powered by libraries and made for readers. Find your next favorite horror book with your library card and the Libby app.

Happy reading... and maybe leave a light on. 👻

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Amy Allen Clark – links

30 Modern Gothic Novels: https://momadvice.com/post/modern-gothic-novels

12 Classic Gothic Novels: https://momadvice.com/post/classic-gothic-novels

Kenzie Deerin – Instagram

Blackoween – Instagram

Book Recommendations:

Amy's Picks:

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society –Elizabeth DeLozier

Marion – Leah Rowan

On Sundays She Picked Flowers – Yah Yah Scholfield

The Sleeping Sisters – Jennifer Gibbon

Kenzie's Picks:

Hazelthorn – CG Drews

The Spirit Bares its Teeth – Andrew Joseph White

Play Nice – Rachel Harrison

The Winter Folk – Jen Julien

Joe's Picks:

Something in the Walls – Daisy Pearce

The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson

Episode Thirteen – Craig DiLouie

13 Months Haunted – Jimmy Juliano

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Just Like Home – Sarah Gailey

The September House – Carissa Orlando

Victorian Psycho – Virginia Feito

Diavola – Jennifer Thorne

Cackle – Rachel Harrison

So Thirsty, Such Sharp Teeth, Black Sheep

The Bewitching – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

VenCo – Cherie Dimaline

Jackal – Erin E. Adams

The Broken Girls, The Book of Cold Cases, Ghost 19, The Sun Down Motel - Simone St. James

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Welcome and introductions 00:01:10 What drew you to horror? 00:09:42 Getting started with horror recommendations 01:01:17 Horror isn’t exactly what you think 01:01:55 Comment question 01:02:28 Thank you and outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378 Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41970

Happy Reading!
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What makes us want to be scared? Why do we keep coming back for more? And how do you get started with horror if you're not sure where to begin?

This Halloween season, we're opening the door to the wonderfully weird world of horror with authors Tiffany D. Jackson, Jonny Sims and Jonathan Edward Durham! We're talking about what first drew them to horror, what excites them about the genre today and what's next for horror readers. From the stories that get under our skin to the possibilities that keep horror fresh, this is a thoughtful, lively conversation about why we love to be scared.

Whether you're a seasoned horror reader or just testing the waters before spooky season gets into full swing, pull up a chair. Your next favorite kind of scary might be waiting.

Book Lounge by Libby is powered by libraries and made for readers. Find your next read for FREE with your library card and the Libby app.

Happy haunting, horror fans!

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Tiffany D. Jackson – Website, Instagram

Jonny Sims – Website, Instagram

Jonathan Durham – Website, Instagram

Some books by our guests:

The Weight of Blood – Tiffany D. Jackson

Ghost in the Night – Tiffany D. Jackson

Winterset Hollow – Jonathan Edward Durham

The Burn Line – Jonathan Sims

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Intro and Welcome 00:03:01 What was your earliest introduction to horror? 00:18:41 Reading horror vs watching horror 00:27:21 What does horror give us? 00:40:50 Horror recognized in publishing 00:58:00 How future generations will continue horror 01:00:07 Lightning Round 01:04:45 Comment Question 01:05:10 Thank you and outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when ancient myths meet modern storytelling? We get some VERY good books.

We're wrapping up Myth and Legends Week on Book Lounge by Libby with Meara and Kenzie Deerin, sharing epic reads inspired by mythology, folklore, fairy tales and urban legends. From reimagined gods and legendary figures to fresh takes on familiar stories, these books prove that there's always another way to tell a legend.

Whether you love seeing ancient tales through a new lens, discovering folklore from different traditions or finding fantasy stories that put an unexpected spin on the classics, we've got recommendations for your next great read.

Join us as we revisit the stories that have shaped generations and celebrate the authors giving them a whole new life.

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Kenzie Deerin – Instagram

Meara – Links

Book Recommendations:

Kenzie's Picks:

A Dark and Wild Wood - Sarah Nicole Lemon

I, Medusa - Ayana Gray

Where the Dark Stands Still - A.B. Poranek

This Immortal Heart - Jennifer Saint

A Feather So Black - Lyra Selene

Meara's Picks:

Soul of Shadow – Emma Noyes

Body Count – Cody Crowley

A Spindle Splintered – Alix E. Harrow

A Mirror Mended – Alix E. Harrow

Small Favors – Erin A. Craig

Elatsoe – Darcie Little Badger

Joe's Picks:

The House with Chicken Legs – Sophie Anderson

The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break – Steven Sherrill

Kaikeyi – Vaishnavi Patel

The Vine That Ate the South – JD Wilkes

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Welcome and Intro 00:02:00 Catching up with Meara & Kenzie 00:03:14 Getting to know our guests’ mythology background! 00:16:33 Myth & Legend Book Recs 00:56:43 Comment question of the day! 00:57:02 Thank you & outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378 Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41741

Happy Reading!
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What happens when the thing keeping you up at night becomes a movie? 👀

Horror author Josh Malerman is in the Book Lounge, and we're getting into the deliciously terrifying world of Incidents Around the House and its film adaptation, Other Mommy.

From the inspiration behind one of modern horror's creepiest stories to the creative process that brings nightmares to life, Josh joins Joe for a conversation about horror writing, storytelling, the things that scare us most and what happens when your imagination gets a little too good at its job.

Whether you discovered Josh through Bird Box, devoured Incidents Around the House or are gearing up to experience Other Mommy, this is your chance to get inside the mind of the author behind the nightmares.

Consider this your warning: you might want to leave a light on.

Welcome to Book Lounge by Libby, your favorite corner of the reading world. Powered by libraries. Made for readers.

Happy reading! (And, you know, maybe sleep with the closet door closed.)

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Josh Malerman - Instagram

Some books by Josh Malerman:

Incidents Around the House

Bird Box

Daphne

Pictures of You

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:19 Welcome and Intro 00:02:10 What were you feeling seeing OTHER MOMMY 00:08:27 You can be shallow or deep within horror 00:16:05 What made you put us in a child’s POV 00:21:50 Writing soundscape 00:24:51 Changing the Title 00:30:29 Did Jessica Chastain’s portrayal change the story for you? 00:34:02 Comment Question 00:34:21 Outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when ancient myths meet modern perspectives? The stories we thought we knew get a whole new life.

This week on Book Lounge by Libby, Joe sits down with bestselling author Madeline Miller and poet and author Nikita Gill to explore the art of retelling mythology and ancient stories for modern readers. From reimagining legendary figures to finding new meaning in centuries-old tales, we’re diving into why these stories endure, whose voices deserve to be heard and what happens when we look at the ancient world through a contemporary lens.

Whether you love Greek mythology, mythological fiction, feminist retellings or discovering a fresh perspective on a familiar legend, this episode is for you.

Two incredible authors. Thousands of years of storytelling. So many reasons to revisit the classics.

Welcome to Book Lounge by Libby, your favorite corner of the reading world. Powered by libraries. Made for readers.

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Madeline Miller - Links

Nikita Gill - Website

Some of our guests' books:

The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller

Circe – Madeline Miller

Galatea – Madeline Miller

Mestra – Madeline Miller

Hekate – Nikita Gill

Styx – Nikita Gill

Nyx – Nikita Gill

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Welcome to Segment 1 with Madeline Miller 00:01:30 What is your earliest memory with mythology? 00:19:35 Writing about mythology doesn’t have a responsibility to history 00:47:22 Storytelling and connecting to others 00:55:19 No one has to do homework before reading my books 01:01:11 Who would play Achilles? 01:03:28 Welcome Nikita Gill! 01:04:44 What was your introduction to mythology? 01:24:54 How do you tell your stories? 01:33:04 Americans can be so optimistic 01:41:30 Nikita’s advice to young writers 01:48:50 Comment question of the day 01:49:32 Outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378 Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41744

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices