A daydreamer and a bit of a lost cause, Rey loves stories. Whether they're book shaped or you can see them on a screen, a story always hides in the corners of her mind. She's working on a few stories of her own, always accompanied by her trusty cat.
Close out your reading year with all the thrills and chills you could ever want! If you’re looking for a haunting good time, pick up a book from Berkley!
Spooky season is well underway, but if you’re like me, the time for reading horror novels is far from over! I just want to start by saying that I’m IMPRESSED by how many scary books have been published this year. I usually keep track of a good chunk of them. But when I was working on this, I realized just how many outstanding horror reads were released in 2025. It’s inevitable, then, for many of these hidden gems to slip by unnoticed. But fear not, that is exactly why I’m here. To share with you eight outstanding horror reads from 2025 you may have missed!
Before we dive in, let me tell you a little more about these books. I’d like to think there’s something for everyone on this list. Horror is such a wide genre, and it can intersect with many others to create these wonderfully creepy, twisted stories that burrow their way into our brains and refuse to let go, in both good and bad ways. And that’s one of the most wonderful things about all of this year’s new releases. Whether you like lighter horror with a side of mythology, haunted houses, (very) dark academia, or ghost stories — I’m sure one of these eight titles has the potential to become a new favorite!
So, which of these outstanding horror reads from 2025 will you read next?
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan
Kicking things off with a wonderful novel that mixes horror and mystery to create a unique retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth, set on the border of Mexico. Salt Bones tells the story of Malamar Veracruz. She has worked hard to build a good life for herself and move past her sister’s strange disappearance. Things take a turn when another girl goes missing, just like Elena did. And now Mal is plunged into a desperate search for answers that will take her to the darkest corners of El Valle.
The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
Cassandra Khaw’s latest novel is a hellish and gruesome work of dark academia that balances gothic imagery and body horror to tell a super strange story. More specifically, The Library at Hellebore follows Alessa Li. She is kidnapped and forcibly enrolled at this academy for the dangerously powerful (you know, end-of-the-world dangerous). The thing is, Hellebore promises a normal life after graduation— if you can survive it.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
Moving on to one of my favorite reads of the year: Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng! This dark contemporary horror follows the titular Cora Zeng, whose story begins when a mysterious man pushes her sister in front of a train — right in front of her. Now, Cora is a crime scene cleaner who can no longer ignore that all of her recent jobs have involved the bodies of East Asian women. Oh, and did I mention she has a hungry ghost perched on her shoulder?
It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
If you love stories about haunted houses, how about one set in a mansion whose ghosts include a silent film star and an inspector who are (in)mortal enemies? Yep, that’s what Ronnie Mitchell must contend with in It Was Her House First. Truth be told, Ronnie came to this cliffside mansion with the best of intentions — and absolutely no knowledge regarding its bloody history. Let’s just hope she can survive her ghostly inhabitants and a very real, living, threat…
rekt by Alex Gonzalez
You know what’s really scary sometimes? The Internet, as Sammy Dominguez discovers in rekt. Set in a near future that feels a little too real, this novel is his descent into depravity. It all begins when his girlfriend Ellery dies in a freak car crash, which sends him down the darkest corners of the web to find some comfort. Instead, Sammy finds a site named chinsky, which features gory and very violent images. It’s the stuff of nightmares — but Sammy cannot stop watching, even when things go off the rails.
Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
The sinister and the mundane go hand in hand in Viel’s debut novel, Listen to Your Sister! This strange and often terrifying story follows the Williams siblings. There’s Calla, who is struggling to become her brothers’ guardian. Dre is pretty much doing his own thing, and the youngest, Jamie, often gets into trouble. To make things worse, Calla can’t stop seeing their deaths every time she closes her eyes. These nightmares seem like just that, up until the Williams take refuge in a strange little cabin in the woods.
Fiend by Alma Katsu
This year, Alma Katsu veered a little from her historical horror masterpieces to give us a contemporary tale of power, family drama, and ambition. Fiend tells the story of the Berishas, who run one of the biggest import-export companies in the world. You don’t get to where they are without spilling a little blood, and before long, the “blessing” that they have taken advantage of is now morphing into a curse. Yet who knows what they’ll do to stay in power?
I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness by Irene Solà
Last but not least, another personal favorite. This dark, gothic, generational story in translation from Catalan is one of the most haunting stories I’ve ever read — and I can’t recommend it enough! I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness is set in a remote farmhouse known as Mas Clavell. Generations of women have lived there, and now some of them are preparing a farewell party (or is it a welcome one?) for Bernadeta, who is on her deathbed. This prompts many of them to reflect on their lineage and, well, I can’t give the rest away now, can I?
Alas, these are just eight outstanding horror reads from 2025. And while I could go on and on about the rest of them, I invite you to dive into our horror archives! You’ll find all sorts of great new releases there, too.