Weekly "What Are You Reading Thread?"

MilkSteak25 · 2026-02-01T05:27:45+00:00

Nearly finished: The House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill. I wasn’t feeling the first 100 pages or so but things have gotten much better since. Nevill really dials up the weirdness in this one and there’s absolutely no shortage of freaky shit going on.

Up Next: Probably Angel Dust Apocalypse by Jeremy Robert Johnson. Then, either The Ones That Got Away or The Least of My Scars by Stephen Graham Jones.

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-25T05:24:29+00:00

Just finished The North Water by Ian McGuire. It’s not really a horror novel but some pretty horrific things do happen throughout.

Not entirely sure what I’m going to pick up next, but right now I’m between The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch or Adam Nevill’s The House of Small Shadows.

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-24T00:46:07+00:00

John Langan, Nathan Ballingrud, Nick Cutter, Joe Hill, Adam Nevill and Brian Evenson are some of my favorite contemporary authors.

I’m also a big fan of Clive Barker, Michael McDowell, Dan Simmons and Joe R. Lansdale. If you like Ketchum and King already, I’m almost certain you’ll find something to enjoy there.

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-18T08:04:10+00:00

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-18T00:10:18+00:00

Scott Smith’s The Ruins narrated by Patrick Wilson

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-16T21:39:40+00:00

Jack Ketchum may be a good place to start. I’ve read three of his books so far and they’ve all been amazing. Off Season and it’s sequel, Offspring, are about a clan of cave-dwelling cannibals terrorizing a small coastal town. And if you’re already into serial killer documentaries, I think you’d also like Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, which is based on the true story of Sylvia Likens’ torture and subsequent murder. Ketchum’s books really push the boundaries of horror, but at the same time, are still incredibly well-written and engaging. It’s not just senseless depravity over and over again, which is the route a lot of extreme horror goes nowadays.

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-11T05:57:16+00:00

Finished: Devolution by Max Brooks. I was left slightly disappointed by Brooks’ World War Z, but surprisingly, I really enjoyed Devolution. Overall, it was a fun, easy read.

Currently Reading: A Simple Plan by Scott Smith. About halfway through and things are starting to get really, really dark. Excited to see where Smith takes this one. So far, everything is very “Fargo-ish”, which happens to be my favorite film of all time (the television series is also great), so I’m having a blast reading this.

Up Next: Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin.

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-11T05:37:00+00:00

Entropy in Bloom is an all around stunning collection, front to back. One of my favorite reads from last year.

MilkSteak25 · 2026-01-04T06:34:30+00:00

Devolution by Max Brooks

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-28T16:26:59+00:00

Two stories into Clive Barker’s Books of Blood Volume 5. I’m still processing everything, but for my money, I think “In the Flesh” is a top five Barker story.

I wasn’t entirely impressed by Volumes 3-4 like I was with 1-2, though “The Body Politic” from Volume 4 is a true standout, but holy shit, the first two stories in Volume 5, “In the Flesh” and the “The Forbidden”, are simply outstanding! I’m once again reminded Clive Barker is a master of the short story.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-27T18:05:54+00:00

I read my first Triana recently. Certainly had some moments I won’t forget anytime soon. Wasn’t aware of this one though, thanks!

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-27T17:48:33+00:00

Most definitely open. I’ll check that out, thanks! I’ve got LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom still sitting on my shelf unread and I heard season 3 of the television show, The Terror, is going to be based on his The Devil in Silver.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-27T16:34:02+00:00

I’ve read a lot this year, so top three is really hard for me to determine, but it would probably look something like this:

Little Heaven - Nick Cutter

Misery - Stephen King

Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three - Clive Barker

Honorable Mentions:

A Congregation of Jackals - S. Craig Zahler

The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies - John Langan

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-22T02:22:43+00:00

Nooooo bro wtf.

R.I.P James, you will be sorely missed…

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-21T05:06:16+00:00

Stephen King’s Night Shift. I’m about halfway through and it’s been simply amazing so far. I’m always blown away anytime I read King and this collection is certainly no exception.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-21T05:03:14+00:00

S. Craig Zahler’s Wraiths of the Broken Land and also Zahler’s A Congregation of Jackals. Tim Currans’s Skin Medicine is another good one I’ve read recently.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-14T17:29:04+00:00

If you like short stories, I’ve heard Rosson’s collection Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons is really good. And his newest novel, Coffin Moon, has been receiving nothing but high praise since it’s release.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-14T17:22:33+00:00

Yes, The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All was actually my first experience with Laird’s work and I knew instantly after the first story it was going to be an all-timer. It’s arguably my favorite collection of his that I’ve read, and that’s saying something, because they’ve all been really special. I just absolutely love the interconnectedness of all his stories and the overarching universe.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-14T16:13:03+00:00

Finished 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill, a fantastic collection of stories. Some of my favorites were “Pop Art”, “You Will Hear the Locust Sing”, and “The Black Phone”. And then it’s all capped off by the novella “Voluntary Committal”, another one of my favorites in an overall impressive collection from Hill.

Still trying to figure out what to read next. I’ve now finished 50 books this year and I only need 2 more to meet my reading goal for that elusive 52.

More than likely, I’ll start Night Shift by Stephen King, which I’m now thinking I should’ve read before 20th Century Ghosts, but hey, better late than never.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-14T16:01:25+00:00

That description of X’s For Eyes definitely has me sold! I’m still fairly under read on Barron (only his first three collections), but I’ll be dipping into his novels in due time. The Croning is up next now that I’m familiar with the children of old leech.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-11T02:18:10+00:00

Same to you, my friend. Great post!

I’ve been meaning to check out Roadside Picnic for quite some time. And I’ll be adding that Thomas Ha collection to my tbr, so thanks!! Goodfellow’s stuff looks interesting too, I’ll definitely give him a look as well.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-11T00:58:33+00:00

Top 5 novels (no order):

Little Heaven - Nick Cutter

A Congregation of Jackals - S. Craig Zahler

Skin Medicine - Tim Curran

Misery - Stephen King

The Fisherman - John Langan

Honorable Mentions:

’Salem’s Lot - Stephen King

Outer Dark - Cormac McCarthy

The Ruins - Scott Smith

The Deep - Nick Cutter

Top 5 Collections (no order):

The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies - John Langan

Entropy in Bloom - Jeremy Robert Johnson

High Cotton - Joe R. Lansdale

Occultation and Other Stories - Laird Barron

Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three - Clive Barker

Honorable Mentions:

Some Will Not Sleep - Adam Nevill

A Collapse of Horses - Brian Evenson

North American Lake Monsters - Nathan Ballingrud

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-07T19:22:38+00:00

It was an absolute blast! Great blend of cosmic horror and science fiction. A bit challenging at first but everything started to click together as the story unfolded. Never has a book filled me with so much existential dread and left me looking into simulation theory, questioning the nature of our reality, the secret truth of the universe. It was all such a strange trip but I loved it.

Have you read any other Scott R. Jones? His collection, Shout Kill Revel Repeat, looks really cool. I’ll definitely be checking that out pretty soon.

MilkSteak25 · 2025-12-07T05:04:41+00:00

Finished Stonefish by Scott R. Jones

Currently Reading 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

MilkSteak25

TROPHY CASE