Manderley and More: Gothic and Unnerving Reads
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
So begins the fated story of Rebecca, a staple novel in gothic literature, sweeping readers into a world of angst, suspense, and obsession. Along with the darkly romantic tale at its center, fans of Rebecca will note that the house itself, Manderley, acts as a character of its own. We love books that give us a haunting, eerie feeling, and the brightness of summer naturally invites in the allure of the gothic. We’ve rounded up our favorite unnerving tales to keep you company all summer long.
The Safekeep
The Safekeep
In Stock Online
Hardcover $28.99
Desire and obsession are at the center of Rebecca, and often make for unsettling stories. The Safekeep is set in a secluded house on the Dutch countryside, and this story of infatuation and yearning makes for a great addition to a gothic #TBR pile.
Desire and obsession are at the center of Rebecca, and often make for unsettling stories. The Safekeep is set in a secluded house on the Dutch countryside, and this story of infatuation and yearning makes for a great addition to a gothic #TBR pile.
Winter in Sokcho (National Book Award Winner)
Winter in Sokcho (National Book Award Winner)
By
Elisa Shua Dusapin
Translator
Aneesa Abbas Higgins
In Stock Online
Paperback $14.95
A pillar of the gothic genre is isolation, and Winter in Sokcho explores a town on the border of North and South Korea, frozen in its off-season. A young woman gets swept up in the life of a cartoonist that comes into town and rooms in the guesthouse she runs with her mother. Alienation, identity and the persistently looming political conflict make this picturesque seaside inn feel distinctly off-kilter.
A pillar of the gothic genre is isolation, and Winter in Sokcho explores a town on the border of North and South Korea, frozen in its off-season. A young woman gets swept up in the life of a cartoonist that comes into town and rooms in the guesthouse she runs with her mother. Alienation, identity and the persistently looming political conflict make this picturesque seaside inn feel distinctly off-kilter.
Mexican Gothic
Mexican Gothic
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.00
Like Manderley, High Place is a big, bad, creaky mansion, housing equally sinister secrets, lies and guests. Noemí Taboada travels there in hopes of finding her estranged cousin and unearths perilous truths that lead to deadly consequences.
Like Manderley, High Place is a big, bad, creaky mansion, housing equally sinister secrets, lies and guests. Noemí Taboada travels there in hopes of finding her estranged cousin and unearths perilous truths that lead to deadly consequences.
White Is for Witching
White Is for Witching
In Stock Online
Paperback $18.00
Something wicked lies within this home — prepare to feel the prickle of raised hair on the back of your neck. A home so steeped in tragic history and family mythology it even overpowers the narrator’s voice at times to tell portions of the story. A modern classic of literary horror, White is for Witching will give you an appetite for ghost stories — and chalk…
Something wicked lies within this home — prepare to feel the prickle of raised hair on the back of your neck. A home so steeped in tragic history and family mythology it even overpowers the narrator’s voice at times to tell portions of the story. A modern classic of literary horror, White is for Witching will give you an appetite for ghost stories — and chalk…
The Other Black Girl: A Novel
The Other Black Girl: A Novel
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.00
The unsettling story of Nella, the only Black employee at a major publishing house. This unconventional tale of being truly alone, targeted and threatened all while under the careful watch of others will keep you guessing until the very end.
The unsettling story of Nella, the only Black employee at a major publishing house. This unconventional tale of being truly alone, targeted and threatened all while under the careful watch of others will keep you guessing until the very end.
The Hacienda
The Hacienda
By Isabel Cañas
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.00
Another house that isn’t quite right — explore Hacienda San Isidro, a menacing estate on the Mexican countryside just after the Mexican War of Independence. A woman torn between uncovering a terrible truth or embracing a life of blissful ignorance, this story is required reading for fans of Rebecca.
Another house that isn’t quite right — explore Hacienda San Isidro, a menacing estate on the Mexican countryside just after the Mexican War of Independence. A woman torn between uncovering a terrible truth or embracing a life of blissful ignorance, this story is required reading for fans of Rebecca.
Ripe: A Novel
Ripe: A Novel
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.00
A black hole serves as a companion to a new college grad whose dream job quickly turns into a corporate nightmare. Disquieting, dark and devious, Ripe is unnerving from the start, pulling readers in with the glitz of Silicon Valley and leaving us filled with dread.
A black hole serves as a companion to a new college grad whose dream job quickly turns into a corporate nightmare. Disquieting, dark and devious, Ripe is unnerving from the start, pulling readers in with the glitz of Silicon Valley and leaving us filled with dread.
Mystery Lights
Mystery Lights
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.95
Razor sharp and disconcerting, Mystery Lights is a collection of speculative short stories with a bite. From the supernatural to the otherworldly and beyond, these ten stories range from the terrifying to the ugly, suspenseful to quietly disquieting. Valencia will make you stare at the sky in wonder and awe.
Razor sharp and disconcerting, Mystery Lights is a collection of speculative short stories with a bite. From the supernatural to the otherworldly and beyond, these ten stories range from the terrifying to the ugly, suspenseful to quietly disquieting. Valencia will make you stare at the sky in wonder and awe.
Poor Deer: A Novel
Poor Deer: A Novel
In Stock Online
Hardcover
$24.29
$26.99
A game gone wrong, leaving one little girl dead and the other haunted by the namesake of the novel. This is a story about facing the truth that is at times devastating and at times hopeful, but at all times sharp and inventive.
A game gone wrong, leaving one little girl dead and the other haunted by the namesake of the novel. This is a story about facing the truth that is at times devastating and at times hopeful, but at all times sharp and inventive.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things: A Novel
I'm Thinking of Ending Things: A Novel
By Iain Reid
In Stock Online
Paperback $16.99
So creepy it screamed to be adapted into a movie on Netflix (starring Jesse Plemmons, Toni Collete and Jessie Buckey, to name a few), this is a short, propulsive literary thriller of a relationship gone awry — and a narrator’s slipping sanity.
So creepy it screamed to be adapted into a movie on Netflix (starring Jesse Plemmons, Toni Collete and Jessie Buckey, to name a few), this is a short, propulsive literary thriller of a relationship gone awry — and a narrator’s slipping sanity.