Reading the 10+ Best Horror Books of the Year

other people who read the horror category you might be interested in watching
‪@booksandtropes‬ • I Read the Top 10 Good...
‪@thepumpkinfiles‬ • I read the 10+ best ho...
‪@SydBookWorrom‬ • reading the HORROR goo...
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[@MariaMarsbar]

You are such a powerhouse! How you managed to read all these books and those in the romance category then edit these incredible feature-length videos, I don't know how you do it. I'm so thankful for your videos and your insights, I love them so much!

[@kyestrella]

this is my super bowl

[@elizalovestoread]

IM SO EXCITED I DROPPED EVERYTHINGGGG

[@abc123band]

Same 😂

[@sundewwalker9410]

I’ve been waiting for this! Thank you for doing the Goodreads for horror on top of the romance books!

[@lottelotje7491]

Every year this is my favourite video I anticipate it for months! So excited 😊 have been watching these since you uploaded the first one

[@BooksandLala]

Thanks so much bestie!! 🥹💕

[@Jane42.]

Loved your comments on Hidden Pictures. I appreciate reviewers calling out the difference in a character having a bad take on something that gets checked in the text, vs. just showing bad opinions that are never questioned, that leave you with the feeling that maybe the author doesn't get it. I look forward to reading Our Wives Under the Sea after hearing your thoughts.

[@Snezzhha]

I love how you put on clothes according to colors of the book cover

[@ffiontill5924]

Oh my gosh yeeeees!!! Made my day. Love these have become an annual tradition. Love Kayla trying to explain her taste in weird horror I’m definitely hooked and adding them to my tar.

[@AliDoisRead]

the color change or whatever it's called on the title cards was so cool!

[@martha7157]

I love these videos, also your hair colour is so pretty

[@emperorcupcake]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the Cherry Robbers, it was such a pleasant surprise for me. Normally I'd hear "long, dense, and historical" and go running in the other direction, but something about the vibe and writing of the book really worked for me. It was immersive, like swimming in atmosphere. Can't wait til House of Hunger and Our Wives Under the Sea come in at my library, I think I'm going to love them!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

What you said about watching your best friend be in a bad relationship but wanting to be supportive but also wanting her to get out was SO RELATABLE. It really is exhausting 😬

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

then they finally break up. then... get back together again 🎪

[@casp0re]

You have no idea how GLAD I was to hear about your opinion on Hidden Pictures. I read that book and I was like - holy shit - am I reading a different book than everyone else is reading??? I felt like I was crazy! So this was so validating to listen to, because my god- was that book a hot mess and not in a good way.

[@PaulinaSanchez]

SAME!

[@abibliophobe2731]

So many positive reviews and I honestly would have liked it more but the ending and "reveal" or "twist" did not sit well with me

[@sherryemiller]

I’ve seen a lot of negative opinions on this book.

[@ReadingWryly]

Gah!! Your editing is sooo good! #goals I can’t fathom the amount of time you put into even just the post-production of this video. You’re a superstar!

[@SarahAtHeart]

I look forward to this all year! I've started exploring more horror this year thanks to you, and I like what I've read so far, so thank you!

[@stef_1018]

What would you recommend

[@SarahAtHeart]

@@stef_1018 I've liked Dead Silence, House of Hunger, and The Hacienda this year. All well-written, unsettling, and creepy!

[@stef_1018]

@@SarahAtHeart Thank you!!!

[@thepumpkinfiles]

So so excited to watch this video and hear your opinions on these books (Specially the winner....)!! Also, I'm honored to have been mentioned in your description, it's like the biggest compliment 😭

[@sandyoppenlander]

I love it when I’m watching your old videos and then a new one pops up!! These are the best even though I’m too scared to read horror! 😂💕

[@meljstephan]

I lost my grandpa, my favorite person, to Alzheimer's. I was in college when he passed but it had been many years since I was able to really interact with him because he forgot me and sometimes my presence confused and upset him. He and my grandma were soulmates, married for 57 years and devoted to the end. Last week my grandma passed and went to reunite with him. She cared for him even after he could not remember who she was and was with him when he took his final breath. She was ready to go to be with him again. I can't even say strongly enough how sorry I am for everyone going through that type of loss. It's indescribable.

[@queenkim8631]

This is my favorite series from your channel! Loved the video😁🤌

[@xwonderfudayx]

I love how you do horror goodread list very year. It helps me do the list what to read next

[@tiredofit4761]

I’m so happy you are enjoying horror and sharing thoughts. I have loved the genre since I was a teenager reading 80’s slasher paperbacks 💀🎃🤡☠️👀

[@jessicajacobson2337]

🎉 I love when you do this video! I wait for it all year! You definitely convinced me to pick up We Spread.

[@ainura-675]

One of my favorite yearly series! ❤️

[@acciocreativity]

i have no clue if you’ve already picked which genre you’re doing next year, but i would love to see you do the sci fi category in 2023! who knows now what will be in it, but i think it would be a fun one lol

[@candyhyojung1860]

obsessed with your blonde hair especially with that green top 🥰 you truly have such a good sense of style💗 also I think the inferior cover of our wives under the sea is the UK one which is tragic bc I want to read it but I like the cover you have more ahaha

[@osonhodeleon]

An amazing video, very well done. Horror is becoming my favorite genre in the world of books/novels/graphic novels.

[@moylop]

This is the one I’m waiting for all year!

[@jennifernash4638]

It's been so long since I've picked up a horror novel that actually scared me, I'm beginning to wonder whether the genre is changing or I'm just not sensitive to it anymore. Or maybe the most popular books aren't actually scary. It's weird! I have We Spread on hold from the library.

[@HeatherB81]

I am so intrigued by “We Spread”, but I am also hesitant to read it because the subject matter scares me. I cannot think of anything more horrifying than losing my own mind and not being able to trust myself. So sad 😢

[@thepumpkinfiles]

I finished it this week and it was heartbreaking and so scary but I recommend reading it because it was very well written!

[@meljstephan]

I was just thinking the same. I just lost my grandmother last week, so themes of aging and deteriorating health are really bothering me right now. I also have a lot of childhood trauma from losing my grandpa to Alzheimer's. It sounds powerful and I might keep it on a list, but I don't know if I'll ever be ready to read that subject matter.

[@rubyatarah]

Im really glad your videos get suggested to me at the end/start of the year! There are so many things to watch I forget about booktube and feel so silly when I do see these and enjoy them a ton for not watching them the whole rest of the year haha. Thanks for all your efforts!!! Love your channel 🥳

[@chriscze6153]

I personally give Juniper and Thorn five stars, but it didn't really read like a horror book to me. It has horror elements, and the trauma in it is horrifying/triggering, but it was a dark Slavic fairytale...still, happy it made top 5 on the goodreads list. I'm curious to see what the category will be next year! Thanks Kayla.

[@christinepopowich6575]

Love how you did the title cards with two colour ways for the covers!

[@ReadingWryly]

I’m so glad you loved We Spread! It was my favorite of the year!

[@muttmania]

Our Wives Under The Sea was my top favourite book this year, cannot get over it, I think I want it to be the first book I read next year too (FYI I really enjoyed this video, you + horror is always the best time lol)

[@anjalibhat14]

I don’t read horror. At all. Zero. But I LOVE being here.

[@BooksandLala]

🤗💕

[@sarahblue7446]

Sundial was so amazing and so weird, it's definitely stuck with me all year. I'm glad you read it!

[@Intentionally_jodie]

Iv just started this book its strange literally from the start 😳 im enjoying so far x

[@tiffanyjohnson4649]

Omg can I just have ALL of your clothes?! I love your wardrobe! Also the book talk isn’t bad either lol 😉 Thanks for the great video Kayla!

[@muttmania]

OMG my most highly anticipated video of the year! I'm making breakfast and coffee and then diving straight into this, ty

[@hyewoniz]

hidden pictures sounds like something i shouldn't pick up...thanks for talking about it

[@arobinreads]

Always love this vlog every year! Gentle horror sounds like my kind of horror

[@ramen8760]

OMG YES I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!

[@jessicapritt8367]

A tbr idea reading short stories and full novels based on those short stories.

[@khaleesikate]

If you're in your vampire era, you have to read Le Fanu's Carmilla-audible has a really good audiobook (ft. David Tennant & Rose Leslie!). It was published 25 years before Dracula & is known for its sexy lesbian-ish vampire vibes ❤

[@abbiel7566]

Carmen Maria Machado’s introduction is a MUST read with this too! I read it *after* finishing the book and wow it blew my mind.

[@SpinesAndSpoilers]

I recommend Carmilla to as many people as I can haha.

[@priscilla.t.a]

Yess, Carmilla. It actually predates and inspired Dracula, which I always think is pretty interesting.

[@VeraFran]

I was hoping you'd read We Spread by Iain Read. Everybody I follow who read loved it, cried or almost did it, and gave 5 stars and I'm glad you also did.

[@jdavis1804]

I look forward to this video all year. Love it.

[@MHASLiyra]

I’m doing this too 😍 reading through as many as I can to see how my ranking on the horror books stacks up to Goodreads.

[@BooksandLala]

So fun! Have you had any favourites so far??

[@ShinyMoonlight14]

Hidden Pictures sounds like it would be right up my alley but after your review and hearing about iffy statements...idk anymore...

[@allaboutcars19]

My favorite video! I wait every year for this!

[@BookedandBusy]

I’ve been waiting all year for this!!!!

[@daryanthelibrarian]

i’m sorry i thought this was a romance channel

[@BooksandLala]

Oops my bad, let me get back to it 💖😻💘🥰✍️💝📚

[@reesespisces9956]

Idk, man. I'm here for this😊

[@BrebearMckae]

Bahahahhahahahah

[@mattsfatashell]

Girl shut up

[@mattsfatashell]

Girl shut up

[@canyounot6858]

Oh yes I loooooove this end of the year goodreads content. \°^°/ Looking so forward to the Wrap-Ups and statistics.

[@booklover766]

I got so excited when i saw the video pop up. This is personally the highlight of my year 😁

[@abibliophobe2731]

Fun fact, I hated I'm thinking of ending things by Iain Reid. I only listened to We Spread because Gabby Reads loved it and had such a strong reaction to it. Glad I gave it a shot cause I absolutely loved it and the ambiguous ending didn't annoy me and usually ambiguous endings annoy me and is a big pet peeve when I finish books. I can't remember what I rated it but it was around 4 or 5. I'm thinking of ending things was like a 1 star. I'd definitely pick up something else by Iain Reid because of how much I loved We Spread.

[@justjay6388]

lala you’re an icon ilysm

[@KaitlynMayReads]

I've been waiting all year!! I was supposed to leave my house right now to run an errand but it's gonna have to wait!

[@kato6196]

seeing you give House of Hunger 1 for scary and 2 for unsettling really shocked me, that book freaked me out! 😅 but I'm also really sensitive and new to horror, so maybe this was just a good scare level for me as a beginner.

[@KristensFamily]

Yay! My favorite yearly video!!

[@rubyredmonroe560]

I'm so glad you didn't like Hidden Pictures! I checked the ebook out of my library twice and I just couldn't finish it. Imagine my surprise when it got Nr. 1.

[@FrankieOlive91]

I enjoy the wardrobe choices that match the book covers.

[@lucyskyler21]

Our wives under the sea is my favourite book of the year so I’m now very interested in We Spread

[@katiegraham6002]

The video we've been waiting for!!

[@Aliwishes789]

Why do you think the publishing / PR people label everything horror when it is far from it? Does it sell more books? It feels frustrating that they will label anything horror these days. I doubt that most authors even have any say in it, which sucks cause people will go in expecting one thing then get another and might view the book as 'meh.' I guess they have a very loosey goosey definition of horror.

[@pagesandpanels]

Can’t wait to finish watching this in the bath later 🤪 I look forward to this each year!!

[@melindamcculloch141]

Yay!!! Love your horror/thriller book reviews!!

[@emilisamojloska2439]

Love the vid as always and I adore your hair I it looks incredible!

[@alyssar3697]

i'm excited to hear what your new genre will be next year! I really love the idea that you're exploring the whole genre until you figure out what you like - thank you!

[@gabbyreads]

Yesssss I’ve been so excited to hear your review of We Spread and I 100% agree with everything you said. Definitely my favorite book that I read this year, it’s so thoughtful and absolutely terrifying and made me so emotional 😭

[@BooksandLala]

After posting this I FINALLY got to go back and watch your We Spread vlog and your reaction was *exactly* how I was feeling 😭😭😭

[@flop9562]

completely agree about Hidden Pictures! I can’t imagine a reason that the neighbor needed to be so bigoted, literally added nothing to the story

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Are you going to be making any end of the year vlogs? Those are always some of my favourite videos of yours (I probably should have asked this a few videos ago, since there are literally only 10 days left in the year)

[@BooksandLala]

No vlogs, but plenty of videos! Favourites, least favourites etc. once my reading for the year is complete! 💞

[@BanzaiSura]

Literally my fave KZbinr ❤ I love your opinions

[@deeelleee]

I have been waiting all day bestie. 🥰🥰🥰🥰 So excited.

[@Paperback.Dietitian]

I've been waiting for this one!

[@tealgurl7]

Your comments on Hidden Pictures made me feel so seen - I had similar icky feelings!

[@katie_a1075]

Hi Kayla! I love your videos. I usually don’t read any horror, but it’s a genre I’d like to dip my toes into. Could you give like five varied recommendations to help me navigate what kind of horror I might like best? Thanks, and happy 2023!

[@elidhios]

time to grab a coffee and enjoy this movie, so excited!!

[@kerisbookishcorner2864]

Love when you do these!!!

[@mathequation8544]

We Spread by Ian Reid had me in tears. My favorite book of the year. Five stars. I’ll read anything he writes.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

Fingers crossed next year you do the romance category for this video!!

[@feeyuhG]

My favorite video of the year!🎉

[@MovieTrollop]

Not gonna lie, I was pretty sad to see that Mary didn’t make it. It’s a new all time favorite for me. I think most didn’t love the length of it? I recommend it to everyone, even if it’s just to give it a try.

[@Parasyte316]

I do agree about the rating comment. So many of the horror novels I love are quite honestly grotesque and taxing reads that not many people would enjoy and definitely not give a high rating if they don’t traditionally dabble in the disgusting. I mean heck I still have vivid dreams about my read through of a book called Dead Inside. A charming book about the love between a hospital security guard and a doctor, both with unique preferences 🤢.

[@avsambart]

I've been waiting for this 😍😍😍

[@karamarie6781]

Hidden Pictures was fabulous! What a freaking twist at the end- never saw that one coming!

[@meganoconnell1548]

here we go! love these videos

[@ciinthiamk]

This was my most anticipated video of the year!

[@haleylquinton]

lol I'm thinking as you're talking about We Spread, hmm, this whole feeling sounds a lot like I'm Thinking of Ending Things. And hmm, Iain Reid... I know that name... Then I realize... he also wrote I'm Thinking of Ending Things 🤦‍♀

[@serafiiiine]

Hard agree on White Horse - I was super excited about it and SO disappointed in it. The writing was bland, and the focus on random things instead of horror felt like a complete mis-categorisation to me. It wasn't scary, weird, or anything that made me feel anything at all.

[@CompletelyMelanie]

I preordered We Spread but haven't read it yet. I hope I love it as much as you did.

[@sassysarahreads]

My fave video to watch at this time year, Bestie. 💖 I loved Just Like Mother and it was my second fave horror release this year. My fave horror release this year was We’ll Never Leave This Place. I was shocked to not see Mary or Daphne or The Pallbearer’s Club. I also want to see more indie horror on this list. This list was not it this year. Half of the most read horrors I’ve seen across the board were not on the list and it was lackluster.

[@TwinkleTwinkleRetroASMR]

OMG yes I’ve been waiting for this video to drop🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@riankoch9126]

Seeing all those romance books in the background 😍😍😍😍😍

[@anaos1004]

YAAAAY THOSE ARE MY FAVORITE VIDEOS!! Are we gonna have one for thriller? 👀👀👀

[@lyssareadsbooks4169]

Your HAIR omg 😍 what did you ask for??

[@dancersmind]

For a random channel member video... Can you show us your layout and programs. I always find it so satisfying and I would totally sit through you making these book layout edits lol is it just me

[@kjane1659]

I was soooo excited for this video to go up like literally most anticipated video of the year

[@elizabethgordon1515]

Im just happy you gave just like mother three stars given that you hate cult books lol 😆 I really enjoyed it and was curious to hear what your thoughts on it were. I can totally see what you mean about your comment where you said it seemed like the author went back on her previous commentary about the subject matter during the end of the book.

[@shannonhughes8488]

kinda bummed you didn't get to read the devil takes you home, i was really looking forward to your opinion on it! not sure you would actually have liked it but it was definitely a weird one for me lol

[@BizzlMix]

Cozy horror sounds so good somehow 😅

[@lxxxm]

I JUST YELLED WHEN THIS POPPED UP!!!

[@MrRorosuri]

Omg omg omg it's here. My all time favorite kind of video that I look forward each year 🥺🥺🥺💜

[@BooksandLala]

🤗🤗🤗