Even when experiencing a long weekend, I suffer heavily from the Sunday Scaries, Boils and Ghouls…
And my way of dealing with such scaries… is to add more scaries on top of them!
So, shall we enter the creepy woods and venture straight into tonight’s spooky Sunday blog post?
To keep the celebration of our Dark Summer 🖤 Solstice weekend going, I thought this would be a wonderfully s’morbid & tasty treat!
Anticipated ARCs on my Summer TBR
Being attracted to anything that’s compared to Midsommar (as a big Ari Aster fan) or stories that give off those deeply unsettling & mysterious vibes, here are the ten upcoming ARCs I plan to read and review this summer 2k25:
ARC = Advanced Reader Copy
SUMMER TBR TIMELINE
Late June to Early July 🏖️
ONE
The Mean Ones
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Midsommar meets The Final Girl Support Group in this horror novel about a woman who survived cult killings as a child and is striving to be “normal,” but a spontaneous trip into the woods and the voices in her head keep pulling her to the dark side.
ARC Archive Date OCT 15 ’25
TWO
Negative Images
Rebecca Schier-Akamelu
Perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay and Carissa Orlando, a gripping psychological horror debut exploring grief and betrayal as a haunted widow confronts her husband’s ghostly torment in a society unhinged by supernatural fears.
ARC Archive Date JUNE 22 ’25
THREE
They Hide
Francesca Maria
Who are we if not for the monsters that we keep?
They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark collects thirteen chilling tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control.
ARC Archive Date JUNE 30 ’25
FOUR
Dark Cloud on Naked Creek
Cindy O’Quinn
After a patient under the care of Afton Sullivan, a nurse at a men’s prison, dies under mysterious circumstances, she blames herself for the prisoner’s death. It isn’t the first time strange things have happened with her patients, and Afton fears it won’t be the last.
ARC Archive Date JUL 3 ’25
FIVE
Secret Lives of the Dead
Tim Lebbon
A dark folk horror tale of a deadly family curse, crime and murder that is sure to turn your blood cold, from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Netflix’s The Silence.
ARC Archive Date JUL 6 ’25
You should subscribe to learn about more anticipated ARCs ☝🏻
SUMMER TBR TIMELINE
🏝️ Mid July to Late August
SIX
Trip
AJ Humphreys
Are supernatural truths hidden throughout legends, myths, & folklore? Were they simply ancient works of fiction? Or possibly the ravings of the mentally inebriated or ill before humanity understood such conditions?
ARC Archive Date JUL 15 ’25
SEVEN
We Are Always Tender with Our Dead
Erica LaRocca
Michael McDowell’s Blackwater meets Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show in the disturbing first installment of a new trilogy of intense, visceral, beautifully written queer horror set in a small New England town.
A chilling supernatural tale of transgressive literary horror from the Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.
ARC Archive Date AUG 2 ’25
EIGHT
Smile So Red & Other Tales of Madness
Mia Dalia
From Mia Dalia, the author of Estate Sale, Haven, and other literary nightmares, comes a uniquely terrifying collection of dark psychological fiction, featuring novelettes and short stories that range from horror to suspense to mystery to coming-of-age to thrillers.
ARC Archive Date AUG 6 ’25
NINE
They Fear Not Men in the Woods
Gretchen McNeil
For fans of Midsommar, Catriona Ward, and Sarah Gailey, this addictively readable modern horror novel unfolds like a movie with a climax you’ll never see coming
When Jen Monroe hears her father’s remains have been found, she returns home to disprove his death, only to find the forests of rural Washington are hiding horrors beyond imagining.
ARC Archive Date AUG 19 ’25
TEN
Memoir of an Innocent Brat
Aaron Wang
What happens when being a BRAT goes too far?
In June 2024, Pete Chan’s life takes a sharp turn after he hears BRAT by Charli XCX for the first time. He quits his corporate job, dumps his cheating boyfriend, and reinvents himself as a barista. He’s finally living life on his terms–until he hurls an iced latte at a Male Karen and accidentally becomes internet famous as BRATista.
ARC Archive Date SEPT 1 ’25
Yes, I sounds extremely ambitious to have ten ARCs planned to be consumed this summer (along with various other book club books that will also bump in-between these reads…) but reading is my passion and I’m seriously fulfilled by filling my days with books (and book pals, of course!)
What are ARCs?
Advanced Readers Copies or ARC, for short, are typically distributed prior to a book’s release for proof-reads, as well as help with marketing. It’s a great way for bookstores and libraries to read and review the content before putting them on the shelves, and a excellent method to generate buzz among reviewers, booksellers and influencers in the media pre-release!
Where can I find ARCs?
You can sign up for programs with book publishers, authors and online platforms, like NetGalley, to receive free ARCs in exchange for an honest review on their website within a reasonable timeframe (approximately 55 days before access to the title expires.)
I’ve been using NetGalley now for almost half a year, and have actually just hit my 10th review submission!!!
Heh, I actually love unlocking achievement badges and it just adds fuel to the ever-growing flame…
Also, I find as a morbidly curious soul, having access to ARCs hella intriguing and mystifying, plus motivating to try and read as many as I can (to increase my feedback ratio to get accepted for more…)
With my summer months becoming consumed with budgeting and downsizing, a free membership to have access to so many advanced copies of upcoming reads is a blessing to appreciate, immensely! 🖤
Drop a 📖 if you’ve read up to this point + drop in the comments below some of your most anticipated ARCs on NetGalley!
Until we meet again,
How are you handling the Sunday scaries?
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