April Theme: mediocre mood β
Ending March in a MπD and moving into the month of April, sensing early (damp) spring in the air and false hopes of warmer weather with messy (sometimes, snow) showers along the East Coast, has made Seasonal Affective feelings linger around far too long.
I tried to theme my monthly reads around the mediocre and moody welcoming of this messy season, and since Easter π₯ weekend happened to be during April this year, I only found it fitting to add Bunny by Mona Awad immediately to my list.
Book Reviews
π=physical/ebook π§=audiobook
At Dark, I Become Loathsome By Eric Larocca (2025)
Format: audiobook π§
“A grim yet gentle, horrifying yet hopeful, intense tale of death, trauma and love.”
Centered around our MC Ashley, who is grieving the loss of his wife and disappearance of his young son, the evening rituals he conducts on willing individuals (who he finds online) to achieve an enlightened perspective to end their emotional suffrage is his act of redemption; his one last remaining tether to any form of empathy or compassion for another human being. That is, until he meets Jinx…
Rating: πππ
The Divine Flesh By Drew Huff (2025)
[π£οΈ Thank you to Drew Huff & Netgalley for the ARC]
Format: ebook π
“Jennifer Plummer and the Divine Flesh have exactly three things in 1) they’re trapped inside Jennifer’s body; 2) they despise each other; and 3) they’re in love with Daryl Plummer, Jennifer’s ex-husband.”
This descriptive body horror (which gave me “The Substance” vibes) goes straight into the deep end with heavy content warnings (from the author themselves) and really pushes your limits. A cosmic ~ out-of-this-world ~ body horror meets acid trip, but with the most gripping love triangle ever experienced.
Rating: ππππ
The Homecoming By Zoe Apostolides (2025)
[ π£οΈThank you to salt publishing & Netgalley for the ARC]
Format: ebook π
“Quietly disturbing, it tells the story of Ellen, a young ghost-writer sent to record the memoirs of an elderly woman living in a remote Northumberland manor.”
Feelings of isolation and emotional turmoil will plague you while reading this haunted Gothic horror debut, but your morbid curiosity will surely spike as you turn each and every page.
Rating: πππππ
Want more creepy content? Consider subscribing π
Slow By Jo Peters (2018)
Format: hardcover book π
“Endless work deadlines, family and social responsibilities, runaway to-do lists, FOMO… do you ever wish you could press the pause button to catch a breath?”
This short, but sweet, coffee table book is the perfect edition to your Hygge lifestyle, filled with tons of images, infographics, and research studies to give you tips and tricks for slowing down and embracing a present, and more mindful approach to living.
Rating: πππππ
The Unworthy by Augstina Bazterrica (2025)
Format: paperback book π
“A thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.”
Told in a very unique and non-linear style, through many written and cryptic diary entries, we are able perceive this dystopian world (and experience the tremendous pain endured) through our MC’s savvy and resourceful ability to write these moments down (in secret) and hide them within her windowless cell or any place she can find that would be safe from the Sacred Sisterhood.
Rating: ππππ
Sick Houses by leila taylor (2025)
[ π£οΈThank you to repeater books & Netgalley for the ARC]
FormaT: ebook π
“Explores the architecture of haunted houses, uncanny domestic spaces, and how the horror genre subverts and corrupts the sanctity of home.”
A beautifully-written, socioeconomic perspective on the iconic haunted houses, evil lairs with their terrifying occupants, and horrific architecture that has shaped and inspired pop culture slasher films and Gothic hauntings.
Rating: ππππ
Goddess Of Filth by V. Castro (2021)
Format: audioBook π§
“Five of us sat in a circle doing our best to emulate the girls in The Craft, hoping to unleash some power to take us all away…”
A terrifying, coming of age journey through adolescence and teenage relationships, with a spiritual possession at the heat of the budding conflict.
Rating: πππππ
Of The Flesh By Susan Barker & More (2025)
Format: hardcover book π
“These stories from eighteen master storytellers will curdle your blood, haunt your dreams and redefine terror…”
Connected and tethered together by “flesh”, these short stories are horrific enough to satisfying one’s own morbid curiosity.
Rating: πππ.5
Exquisite Corpse By Poppy Z. Brite (1997)
Format: paperback book π
“Exquisite Corpse is a novel for those who dare trespass where the sacred and profane become one.”
A dark, sinister and twisted story of love and longing that I had read over 10 years ago, out of morbid curiosity, yet decided to adventure again into the disturbed minds of Andrew & Jay.
Rating: πππ.5
What ππ» A ππ» Month! ππ» Being able to read nine books in a month seems to be quite an achievement (for me, at least π ) It’s the most I’ve ever read in a month, that’s for sure!
If you’d like to see what other books I’ve read, creep my books π
Also, consider subscribing π
High and Low vibes of April
So fitting with this month’s theme to put me in one of two extreme mπds!
Here are my highest and lowest book vibes of April:
β¨ VIBED THE HIGHEST WITH…
Goddess Of Filth By V. Castro (2021)
Why did this book exceed my expectations?
I would be the first to admit, I wasn’t as excited to read this after reading The Haunting of Alejandra, but the writing for this story captivated me a lot more than the previous book. I felt the characters truly change and grow, gain agency and overcome the obstacles they felt held by from. It was an empowering read (even with the explicitly sexual scenes and references π
β οΈ HIT MY LOWEST POINT WITH…
At Dark, I Become Loathsome By Eric Larocca (2025)
Why did this book miss the mark for me?
I really struggled to empathically connect with the story once all the animal cruelty references started coming through. Some were just beyond brutal and where it was an audiobook experience, I couldn’t really skip over it as I might have if I was physically reading the book. I love Eric’s work, and love the darkness he uses to terrify his readers. However, this was just too dark for me. If I can say anything, it’s “please don’t f*ck with pets!” and check your TWs π
If you’ve made it this far, drop a π» in the comments or share your top April reads π¬
I want to thank you reading this blog post, about a month’s worth of reading π and if you enjoyed this, I suggest that you consider joining our horror book club to satisfy your cravings…
Do YOU have a ππππππ curiosity?
Until we meet again,
What was your favorite April read?
Drop a π€ Break a name