Task #22: Read a horror book published by an indie press

[Jacob]

For this challenge, I read My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. More than being a suspensful and socially aware take on possession horror or a great satire on 80s culture, it's a heartwarming tale about the power of friendship and the ability to stay together, no matter what.

[Olivia]

I'm not sure I totally understand how to check if a book is printed by an indie press. Would Weird Dream Society: An Anthology of the Possible & Unsubstantiated in Support of RAICES count for this?

[Sheri]

I think so. Under details it says publisher is weird dreams society. I googled that, it has a link on their page to indiebound.org so I’d think that counts. I think the main point is to read something that isn’t from a big publisher like Macmillan or Penguin or Tor etc.

[Olivia]

Sheri wrote: "I think so. Under details it says publisher is weird dreams society. I googled that, it has a link on their page to indiebound.org so I’d think that counts. I think the main point is to read someth..."

Thank you! I found "Reckoning Press" which looks to be a nonprofit journal, so definitely not a big publisher.

[Jasmine's]

Memory Man
on audio book had creepy music before each body was found or message left from the serial killer/stalker made it more of a horror than a thriller for me!

[Emerging]

Jasmine wrote: "Memory Man
on audio book had creepy music before each body was found or message left from the serial killer/stalker made it more of a horror than a thriller for me!"

But it doesn't look like it was put out by an indie press, though?

[Jasmine's]

no just realised that will have to think of another title

[Sherri]

I read The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix published by Quirk Books. I really liked this book. 5 stars. I read a little bit of horror but not much. I thought the story was not campy or too funny. I liked the way the author told the story.

[Dana]

Is Tor considered Indie? Too mainstream? Too big? What makes something an Indie press, exactly?

[Jessica]

Dana wrote: "Is Tor considered Indie? Too mainstream? Too big? What makes something an Indie press, exactly?"

Tor is part of MacMillan, which is one of the big five publishers and therefore it's not indie. I'm not 100% sure on what makes something indie beyond that - is everything that's not part of the Big Five technically an indie press?

I'm happy I revisited this post because I didn't realize The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires was published by an indie press, because I already own it and will be reading it soon!

[Kirstin]

I read 'Return to Dyatlov Pass' and it was quite good! Highly recommend (and I wouldn't normally be one for horror!

[BrandyLee]

Beth wrote: "Knobby wrote: "I'd recommend Grady Hendrix's stuff... it's "horror" but it's not super scary or gory, and all his books have a slightly comical bent to it. His publisher is Quirk Books, which is an..."

Glad this is posted here! I just read this book for my Book Club and I wanted to double check that Quirk still counted as Indie. Thank you for confirming!

[Jennifer]

Sherri wrote: "I read The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix published by Quirk Books. I really liked this book. 5 stars. I read a little bit of horror but not much. I thought the sto..."

Thank you for posting this title here! I just finished this yesterday and didn't even realize it was an indie press! *Check*

[Jennie]

I’m looking to read “The only good indians” by Stephen Graham Jones and “Taaqtumi: an anthology of arctic horror stories”.

[kimberly]

I read Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix for this one though any of his books would work!

[Tammy]

Jennie wrote: "I’m looking to read “The only good indians” by Stephen Graham Jones and “Taaqtumi: an anthology of arctic horror stories”."

Hi Jennie. I read Stephen Graham Jones' Mongrels earlier this year and wanted to count it, but didn't think it was published by an indie press (William Morrow). His recent book that you mentioned has a different publisher (Gallery / Saga Press). The BR post about this says that earlier in his career he was published by an indie press. https://bookriot.com/horror-books-fro... It's up to you how you want to interpret it, of course, but just thought I'd mention this! I find these publisher tasks kind of tricky...

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

I read Stephen Graham Jones's Mapping the Interior and it was stunning. I don't particularly care that it's not by a true indie publisher, I'm counting it.

[Susanne]

What do you think about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs? Quirk Books is an independent publisher, and it's sometimes shelfed as horror, but mostly fantasy/YA.
I read it at the beginning of this year, and back then I thought it's not the best fitting book for this prompt. But the release of the book I pre-ordered for this prompt before the pandemic seems to have been postponed indefinitely, so I'm reconsidering...

[L.h.]

If anyone's put this category off because they don't like horror novels but they're into horror graphic novels, Wytches, Volume 1 is by Image Press, Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints is by Dark Horse Comics, and Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike is by Image Press. They're all beautiful and compelling and horrifying.

Once I realized this could count I realized I'd already completed this category.

[Barbara]

I read The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.

Didn't like it.

[Tiffany]

Is HMH Books considered Indie Press?

[Barbara]

Tiffany wrote: "Is HMH Books considered Indie Press?"

They're one of the big boys. Especially in educational publishing. Not Indie.

[Tiffany]

Thanks!

[Holli]

I read It Will Just Be Us and absolutely loved it, very scary gothic horror

[Megan]

I forgot to post when I finished this book, but I read Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix for this prompt.

[Virginia]

I read Voodoo Heart by John Everson, published by Flame Tree Press (via netgalley).

[Diana]

Horror is one genre that I struggle with, so I dipped my toes in by reading Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw. Dr Greta Van Helsing has a lot of compassion for her patients, who are all monsters.
It is the first of three; Dreadful Company is the second, and I read that too. They are published by Orbit. Pretty quick reads, for those trying to finish the 2020 Read Harder challenges.

[Westiegirl]

Amelia wrote: "For those who don’t want graphic gory horror, I recommend Flowers of Mold by Ha Seong-nan, translated from Korean by Janet Hong. A collection of creepy, just slight off kilter stories of everyday l..."

Thanks! I took your advice and read this book. It was creative! Thanks for the recommendation

[Tamsin]

I read The New Ghost by Robert Frank Hunter.