Lydia's Books of Terror

Welcome to a little series where I get into each issue of the unparallelled zine, Splatterpunk. Started in 2012 by editor Jack Bantry, it is going strong today and we eagerly anticipate the next issue. While I don’t go in-depth, nor do I show page by page to preserve the copyright of the owners and creators, I wanted to highlight this gem of a subgenre some of us call home. Like a reading vlog wit...

Here are some of the top horror picks that came out in June! I’ll have a vide oup soon for July as well. It’s been a soggy stormy Canada Day here, so good weather for summer reading... I even have a book in the mix! Only So Far In The Woods by Lydia PeeverPre-order! Only So Far In The Woods: A short tale of dark natureAmazon links on https://lydiapeever.ca/ for Kindle. Paperback coming soon.✮ Merg...

Hot on the heels of the June video, here are 9 new reads coming this summer. And I do mean hot - so many places have had heat warnings for weeks, and we have not escaped it here in Canada. Some of these may chill you, and hopefully that helps if it is summer where you are! Also, as mentioned, I will have news about the print version of Only So Far In The Woods coming in August. Thank you to all wh...

I was very lucky with a few unplanned book hunting trips this month, and one opportunity for collectibles that I could not pass up. This week on Lydia’s Books, I got into some neato Nancy Drew, obscure Canadian splatterpunk, and a Paperbacks From Hell find that shocked me... 00:00 - Unplanned book haul 01:00 - Now Reading: The Mouth is a Coven 02:48 - Re-Read Used Books in Stittsville 05:30 - Bria...

Today I will be talking about All The Fiends Of Hell by Adam L. G. Nevill. This was a recommendation and I really should have read it last year when Mers and Olly were talking about it! This was really great and for a fairly thick book at about 400 pages, I read it in three sittings. I have wanted to read more from Adam Nevill as I loved The Ritual, which I read after seeing the film but was well...

For May there is a really good mix of horror for all kinds of tastes. From western slasher to witchy haunts, we even have some fairytales and sci-fi poking up above the blackened earth. Forgive the mixed metaphors, as it is springtime where anything can happen. As usual, there are too many to choose from but unlike last month, I've no advanced reading copies to remark on. Still reading last mo...

There are three books in here that you may have heard of! Also, one that may be new to you. Revisiting the backward bookshelf, I added one book to my reading list from there, and added another. In this episode, I get into some of the popular horror books I've picked up recently, as well as a more obscure title for fans of strange stories. I'll have a dedicated review video coming up, as we...

Today I'd like to review a fun, if not light, horror by Chris Sorensen. The Haunting of Sorrow's Leap is the story of a very reluctant psychic with fading powers who is wrapped up in a sort of locked-room mystery. Similar to 13 Ghosts or Hill House, she is cloistered with other psychics for a chance at cashing out after staying a night in a haunted mansion. What this book is not, however,...

In this video I present 13 of the top picks in horror reading coming out this month. Quite a few would be great reads for fall or late summer too, so take notes; I know I am! Often, there is a trend or style that is popular, and sometimes it is apparent. This month, there are so many varied covers that are so well done, we have a really good variety of design. And story! There are shorts, novels,...

Here are six classic vintage horror books I'll always recommend, and will never ever part with. There are certain horror novels that never leave your mind. These ones are worn, familiar; stories you circle back to weekly in thought and conversation. They’re all vintage, all widely loved, and most of them have long since slipped into other forms and other mediums or inspired legions of writers...

This is a horror review of Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward, focusing on how trauma shapes its characters and how the story feels more like a memory than a traditional narrative. This is a mainly psychological horror story that feels fragmented, links to something half-remembered that I could not find in the news...A good example of horror done well without explicit shock value; true terror and ho...

Richard Laymon wrote a lot of books, and I am sure I have read more than half of them. I have my favourites for sure, and choosing a top five is impossible so here is a Top Six... plus another one. Everyone has their darlings, and you'll not be surprised by a few usual suspects; Island, The Woods are Dark, and Cuts. These may be some people's less cherished picks too. There is no accountin...

Since I read these descriptions a month or two in advance sometimes, it is always a treat for me, as much as you, to discover these stories! The covers are my first magnet, then a good summary second 🩶There are quite a few books to choose from for March, so 'dig' in! Pun very much intended...✮ Mergers and Acquisitions ✮Special mention: On March 3, 2026 there will be a traditionally published new...

Over the winter I didn't get much reading done, but I sure did acquire a lot of books! Here is a quick roundup up what I read recently, and a longer chat about the horror books I now have in my library. We play a rousing game of whats-in-the-box and check out a coveted collection of papery periodicals. One highlight here is our trip to the Canadian War Museum. They have a massive artillery and...

Returning after a little break, much like the warmer temperatures here: we have thirteen amazing new books to talk about. From nouveau slashers to twists on old gothics, demonic taunts and terrors, and everything in between; this month also has one of the most unexpected colour combinations. There is a book here with a lilac and forest green cast combo. You have heard of teal and orange colour gra...

In today's video you will find 13 horror books coming out this month, and a bonus book! I could not resist mentioning the novelization of Terrifier 3. Not only do we get to hang out with Art the Clown, it is seasonal too!✮ Mergers and Acquisitions ✮Terrifier 3: The Official Novelization by Tim Waggoner https://amzn.to/4bbbJHe The Bloody Brick Road: A Wizard of Oz Retelling by Maude Royer https...

Here we are with a small stack of wintery reads. Not all are for Christmas, and while I fell behind due to having a wicked illness... this all fits into reading Victorian fiction for January! This may be a little late for your own wintery needs for chilly seasonal reads (hey, that rhymes. I must be feeling better!) so I will be publishing this alongside some new books coming in January 2026 and so...

Happy December! The shortest day of the year where I live is fast approaching, as is the cold snow. There are 14 books that caught my eye - lucky 13 plus one more from November. I added in two thrillers and you'll also find quite a few story collections here. Two things I read more of in the winter months are short stories and oddball thrillers. Last winter I read some Riley Sager books and fo...

Moving from spooks to snow is never easy, but moving from a list of 31 books to 13 is a treat. Here are some of the top horror books coming this month that caught my eye. With creepy cover art galore, check out these fine reads. I am still debating if I should make a poll each month to go along with this. Bookworms on Patreon can download the list with covers as a great shopping list, and you can...

Today on Lydia's Books I’m sharing a stack of nonfiction books that dive into true crime, Hollywood scandals, punk history, and dark philosophy. These real stories are unsettling, harrowing, and perfect for Nonfiction November. If you enjoy deep dives into strange corners of history, this lineup should keep you thoroughly fascinated, and maybe wide awake at night...Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth...

As mentioned previously, I have a great addition to my extreme horror collection, specifically for my Edward Lee shelf. If you want to hear about the convention, DreadCon, check the previous video DreadCon • An indie horror haul dream! for a load of indie author books! Edward Lee has been a huge inspiration to me as a writer and reader of horror. From the first time my mother and I stumbled upon t...

This is the second annual DreadCon; and I am happy to support this since there is nothing like it near me. I wish there were more horror conventions in Canada! I took the train in to Burlington - I’d not been to Toronto for over ten years, and not downtown since I was a kid. So happy see writers I am a huge fan of, have come to know well, and writers whose work I’ve reviewed under one roof. S.J. S...

For all of August I read Stephen King books - this was for #allinaugust and I loved it! In this video I will talk about how I liked it, how that affected my reading going forward, and how I felt about that as a writer. As mentioned, I cover Revival more here:    • Revival by Stephen King • I do love a good...   Then on to what I am reading now and for the rest of September. Quite a few good books,...

Here are 40 new horror books for September! Two of these I am reading this month, and even more I want to pick up. Too many great horror books are coming out this month; in preparation for autumn and spooky season I am sure. Once again, the list is sprawling - I shorten the list but there were just so many amazing authors putting work out right now. Also, a sneak peek of the new cover art for my v...

Today I am talking about Stephen King, specifically the 'electrifying' book Revival. I share my thoughts about the book and make connections to my love for weather, other King books, and how many meanings 'revival' can have here. I hope you like this booktube video! Revival has been recommended to me online and off for years then sat on my shelf since finding this at a book sale. I...