Goodreads’ Spine Tinglers Challenge

Goodreads Achievement: Spine Tinglers

Hi everyone! I’ve noticed that Goodreads has a new Achievement challenge for October through December, aka spooky season, and I kinda wanted to talk about it.

If you’ve visited my blog before, you may have noticed that I love reading books of the horror or gothic variety. I grew up on the Goosebumps series, graduated into the Fear Street series as a teenager, and as a young adult dipped my toe into the sort of “Christian horror” of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker and C.S. Lewis. Then I got into gothic classics like Frankenstein and Jane Eyre and lost touch with contemporary horror for a while. I only recently started following new releases in the horror genre, and I’m falling in love with so many authors that I barely knew existed.

So, Goodreads releasing a “Ten Years of Horror Hits” list and making it an Achievement for the 2025 Reading Challenge has really caught my attention. I’d like to read at least one of these books per month throughout the length of the challenge. So let’s look at the list and see what I’ve read, what I own but haven’t read yet, and what I’m interested in. And then I’ll choose a little TBR!

Ten Years of Horror Hits

2016

The selections for 2016 are:

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid: Haven’t read it, but I watched and loved the movie, so this is definitely on my TBR list.
The Fireman by Joe Hill: Haven’t read it, but I’ve enjoyed all the Joe Hill I’ve read thus far, so I’m interested.
The Fisherman by John Langan: I feel like I’ve heard of this, but I don’t know much about it. I’m interested.
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff: I’ve heard of this one, but I think it leans more towards fantasy with magic and cults and things? I don’t know, I might not be interested.
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle: I’ve definitely heard of this one, and mostly good things. I’m interested.
The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates: I recently read a Darcy Coates for the first time and really enjoyed it, so I’m automatically interested in this one. I also love a good haunted house tale.
Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this one, but it sounds great. I’m definitely interested.
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp: I’ve definitely never heard of this one or its author, but from the Goodreads description, I’m intrigued.

Wow, I haven’t read any of the 2016 selections, nor do I own any! The only one that was really on my radar was I’m Thinking of Ending Things, but I’m interested in just about all of them.

2017

The selections for 2017:

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado: I’ve heard of this, and I’m pretty sure it’s short stories centred around sexual violence. I’m not really interested.
Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King: I’m gonna make a startling confession: I really don’t like Stephen King. *GASP* I know!! But yeah. There are a lot of his on this list, and I’m not interested. Sorry!
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant: I’ve heard mixed things about this, including a spoiler that makes me not so interested. I don’t know. It’s a maybe.
Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar: See above re: King.
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell: I’ve heard great things about this one, so it’s on my TBR list.
The Changeling by Victor LaValle: Not sure if I’ve heard of this one, but it seems to be a retelling of the traditional changeling lore, so I’m intrigued.
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones: Finally, one I’ve read!! By my beloved Stephen Graham Jones, no less! I love this one.
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez: I’ve actually read this one, too! I didn’t really like it, though. Enriquez’s horror is a bit too unapologetically brutal for my taste.

Okay, so from 2017 I’ve read 2, but I’m kind of only interested in one other, The Silent Companions. Unless I hear something good about The Changeling.

2018

The Outsider by Stephen King: Sorry, but I’m not interested.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice: I’ve read this one, but I didn’t love it.
Foe by Iain Reid: This sounds more like a dystopian thriller, but hey, I’m down for that. I’ll probably read I’m Thinking of Ending Things by this author first before deciding to read more of his work, though.
The Hunger by Alma Katsu: I haven’t heard of this one. From the Goodreads summary, this sounds like a witch-in-the-Donner-party story. Doesn’t really pique my interest.
Hunted by Darcy Coates: Bizarre photos on a missing girl’s phone? Darcy Coates’ writing? Definitely interested!
Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker: Read it, loved it.
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin: I read Fever Dream by this author and didn’t love it but was intrigued to try more of her work. This seems to be about mechanical pets with cameras for eyes? I might be interested!
Jawbone by Monica Ojeda: Never heard of it, and it sounds like a queer-obsession tale. Not very interested.

So from 2018 I’ve read 2, definitely interested in Hunted, might be interested in Foe and Little Eyes.

2019

The Institute by Stephen King: Nope, sorry.
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers: Sex and cannibalism? Pass.
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield: Short stories about “bodies and the bodily.” Not my kind of thing.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky: Ahhh, now we’re talking. A boy goes missing, comes back with a voice in his head telling him to build a treehouse or something awful will happen. Definitely interested.
The Invited by Jennifer McMahon: I recently read The Winter People by this author and enjoyed it. This one is about a couple building their dream house on haunted land. I’m in!
Intercepts by T.J. Payne: Never heard of this, but it seems to be about human experiments turning people insane. I’m interested.
The Girl in Red by Christina Henry: I’ve heard good things about this dystopian Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Definitely interested.
Full Throttle by Joe Hill: Read it, fell in love with Joe Hill’s writing through it.

I’ve only read one from 2019, but I’m interested in Imaginary Friend, The Invited, Intercepts, and The Girl in Red.

2020

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve been meaning to.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: Nah. I’m really not interested in cannibal fiction. I mean, it’s fine if it’s part of a larger horror plot, but not when an obsession with it is the main focus.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones: The first SGJ I ever read. Loved it!
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager: I don’t know… I have a mid/hate relationship with Sager’s books. Maybe this one is better than most?
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: If this is anything like the other Grady Hendrix books I’ve read, sign me up. He’s an auto-read author for me. Sadly, this isn’t one that I own, though.
If It Bleeds by Stephen King: *whistles casually and moves on to the next*
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark: I’ve read A Dead Djinn in Cairo by Clark, and he might not be for me. A little too fantasy.
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher: I’ve read What Moves the Dead by Kingfisher, and I enjoyed it. I’m not sure about this one – a portal to alternate realities where creatures read your thoughts? Maybe a bit too fantasy? But I’m intrigued.

I’ve only read one of these, and I might only interested in Mexican Gothic and The Southern Book Club’s Guide. Could be convinced to give Home Before Dark and The Hollow Places a try.

2021

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix: I own this one and haven’t read it yet. Excited for it!
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward: Read it recently and loved it!
Later by Stephen King: Still no.
Slewfoot by Brom: I’ve heard about this one A LOT, and I feel like everyone who reads it loves it. But it sounds too fantasy for me? I don’t know. Maybe.
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones: My heart belongs to this trilogy. Read it, loved it.
Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar: “The ultimate marriage between horror and true crime,” you say? Colour me intrigued.
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor: Something about people disappearing in an English village where martyrs were once burned at the stake? I might be interested.
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig: I’ve never read a Wendig before, but I feel like I should.

2021 was a pretty good year for horror! I’ve already read 2, interested in The Final Girl Support Group, Chasing the Boogeyman, The Burning Girls, and maybe Slewfoot and The Book of Accidents.

2022

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak: Children drawing creepy pictures has been done a million times, but I kind of dig it. I’m interested.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher: Read it, liked it.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield: I’ve heard a lot about this, but nothing has made me want to read it. Armfield doesn’t really sound like my kind of writer.
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas: Again, I’ve heard a lot about it, but nothing has made me pick it up yet. Maybe I will eventually.
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon: Children, monsters, inspired by Frankenstein… it doesn’t call to me, but it’s a maybe.
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes: This was my first Barnes, and I loved it so much she quickly became an auto-read author for me. Love her stuff.
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth: Vengeful ghost of a mother-in-law, eh? Maybe.
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung: I’ve heard mixed reviews of this, and I’m not super interested in short stories, so… probably not.

So I’ve read 2 of these, and I’m interested in Hidden Pictures and maybe The Hacienda, The Children on the Hill, and Motherthing. Nothing I’m anxious to read this year, though.

2023

Holly by Stephen King: Not for me.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix: ALL FOR ME. I own this one, and it’s staring at me right now, begging me to read it asap.
The September House by Carissa Orlando: This was one of the first (or maybe THE first) new releases I picked up almost immediately after it came out, and I cannot sufficiently express how much I loved it. One of my top reads of 2023.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due: Another one I own but haven’t read yet. It’s staring at me, too… oh dear.
Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova: A lung that gains sentience and hides in the walls? I don’t know about this one.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle: A magical secret in a locked trunk, set in the wild west. Hmm… I think I’ll read something else by LaValle first and see if I like his writing.
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates: I kind of love the locked-in-with-a-killer-during-a-storm trope, so I’m interested.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez: Like I said above, I don’t really vibe with Enriquez’s writing.

I’ve read one of these, own and desperately want to read How to Sell a Haunted House and The Reformatory, and I’m definitely interested in Dead of Winter.

2024

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer: I’ve heard great things about this one. It’s on my TBR list.
You Like It Darker by Stephen King: Nah, I’m good.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman: Loved Bird Box by this author, but I’ve heard mixed reviews about this one. Still interested, though.
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim: Another one about being hungry for humans. No thanks.
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen: I’ve heard good things, so maybe.
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne: People either love or hate this one, it seems. I might be convinced to pick it up someday and see which side I’m on.
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle: I honestly didn’t know this was horror, I thought it was a satirical thriller and wasn’t really interested. I’m intrigued now, though.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher: Sequel to What Moves the Dead. I read the first one because of its Poe connection, but I’m not really interested in continuing the series.

Haven’t read any of these, but I’m interested in a few – We Used to Live Here, Incidents Around the House, My Darling Dreadful Thing, and maybe Diavola and Bury Your Gays.

2025

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix: Read it! Loved it!
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones: Read it! Loved it!
Never Flinch by Stephen King: Not for me.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker: I’ve heard nothing but good things about this one, so I definitely plan to read it.
The Lamb by Lucy Rose: Cannibalism again, I swear…
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn: Retelling of Carmilla, so sapphic vampires. I don’t understand finding vampires sexy, so I’ll pass.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I’ll wait and see how I feel about Mexican Gothic before reading more from this author.
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen: Cannibalism? Vampires? Don’t know, but either way, don’t care.

I’ve read 2 of these already, and the only other one I’m excited for is Bat Eater.

Choosing my reads

What I’m gonna do is pick one book I’m the most excited for, then put all the other titles I’m excited for in a random wheel and have it pick two, then put all the not-excited-but-interested titles in another random wheel and have it pick two more. So I’ll end up with 5 of these books to read before the end of December.

First things first, I definitely want to read The Reformatory asap. I bought it recently and fully intended to have read it by now, oops! So that one’s my Most Excited For pick.

Now for the Wheel of Destiny

Okay, I’ve got the Wheel of Names set up with the titles I’m excited for, so I’ll screencap the before and after of my spins. Here we go…

The first spin gets us… Hunted by Darcy Coates! Excellent, I’m excited to read more Coates! Next spin…

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker! Wow, I wasn’t expecting to read this anytime soon, and my library doesn’t even have it. 😅 But hey, that’s what makes it a challenge! Sorry, Grady Hendrix books, you’ll have to go on staring at me for a while. 🤣

Now for the not-excited-but-interested picks…

And the wheel says… The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon! Cool, I’m definitely interested to read more from this author. And my library actually has this one! Okay, last spin…

Wait… that’s two Darcy Coates novels! 🤣 But my library actually does have this one… so yeah, why not? The wheel has spoken, and Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates it is!

The TBR

So my TBR for this challenge is…

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Hunted by Darcy Coates
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

Sounds like the perfect spooky season TBR to me. Thanks for the inspiration as always, Goodreads!