• If you have an insatiable appetite for dark & disturbing literature, then I believe that tonight’s blog post will truly allure your morbid curiosity…

    The saying might be curiosity killed the cat but, when did exploring a dark, depraved and disturbing book ever hurt anybody?

    Okay… Fair enough.

    I’ve had my fair share of nightmares from reading a number of truly horrific horror novels throughout my lifetime, and will always disclose TWs in my book reviews, but it’s never really stopped me from continuing on my quest to discover all the truly morbid literature to exist…

    So, I’d rather enjoy the saying:

    The horrors persists… but so do I.

    I’ve been consistently using Canva.com to make digital art ever since I started to make monthly images for the Morbid Curiosities book club to endorse and promote the upcoming books on socials. I find the mobile application user friendly and with cross platforming abilities, it’s been such a useful creative tool to help make art for the blog.

    And lately, I’ve been discovering so many creatively curated recommendation posts on #bookstagram that have inspired me to do the same on my own feed!


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    Just before we begin tonight’s post, I wanted to share that I’ve started updating some stuff BTS with the Morbid Courtosities blog (and some other unannounced projects in the works) so I’ve felt that the time has come for me to humbly endorse some crowdfunding to keep our presence haunting the internet for centuries to come…

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    Ghoulish Goods ๐Ÿ’Ž

    If you’re curious, I recently updated my ratings & review policy page to include more in-depth visuals on my evaluation process, especially my rating criteria, to show the variance between a 2 star vs. a 5 star reading experience (in my phantasmic opinion)

    For my Ghoulish Goods project on curating a “disturbing dozen” horror treats for you to consume, based on my personal horror gems, I broke them down into two sub-categories (which are loosely based on my mood reader states) to describe how I engaged with each.

    Half of the books I put into a category I called savored and the other half, I put in one called devoured, with a little more context on why in a moment…

    The First Half

    Let’s define savor.

    “…to fully enjoy, appreciate, and relish a taste, smell, or experience, typically by taking one’s time. It involves deeply appreciating a moment, such as a meal or a victory, to make it last longer.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary

    I was able to savor the reading experiences with these half dozen horrors, especially with the shorter novels and novellas, so that I could deeply appreciate the writing style, plot and character development within these deeply unsettling & thought-provoking books.

    Itch! by Gemma Amor

    The audiobook, also narrated by Gemma Amor, was truly a harrowing listening experience with Gemma’s captivating narration and intensely visceral descriptions of atrocious bodily horrors.

    Readers discretion is advised!

    Futility by Nuzo Onoh

    After being captured by The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim, when I stumbled upon this book cover art on NetGalley last year, I knew I had to read it!

    It’s a slow-burn pace to start, which can throw off some, but when you get to the intersection of the story, the velocity just increases so quickly and boy, talk about female rage & sweet, sweet revenge.

    Hell Pulp by Matias YlikAngas

    The book cover alone for Hell Pulp is enough for anyone to grab it off the shelf… but it will be the clever writing, that setting in eternal damnation and the immersive character building that will get you to stay and savor the whole experience!

    The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark by Warren Wagner

    I’ve heard a lot of book pals adding this one to their TBRs recently due to Eric LaRocca’s endorsement, btw!

    As this one was quite short (the novella is under 100 pages) I really wanted to savor the time spent with this one! Especially given some of the sensitive LGBTQ+ topics discussed throughout the story and the gripping writing style.

    Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

    Did you know this particular book cover glows-in-the-dark? Try it, if you own the US Hardcover…

    Shocking yet darkly comedic and all-consuming, the wit and depravity was something to truly savor with this hilariously twisted historical horror.

    I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Towards Darkness by Irene Sola

    What can I say, I love a deliciously witchy book cover and this one really takes the cake.

    Another shorter read that is under 200 pages that I wanted to savor, with the folklore magical realism vibes and the intoxicating story!

    The Second Half

    Now, let’s define devour.

    “…to eat hungrily or quickly, to destroy completely, to read quickly andย eagerly, to be totally absorbed by a powerful feeling.Oxford Dictionary

    In rather the opposite manner, yet still complimentary to these authors, I completely devoured these half dozen scares either in a single session or within a couple days!

    Come Closer by Sara Gran

    Another immersive and haunting audiobook experience that truly terrified me to my core!

    Probably not the best idea to listen with headphones after midnight either…

    Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

    One of the first books that made me fall for Chuck Palahniuk’s writing… and another glow-in-the-dark book cover!

    This collection of short horror stories, fitting perfectly within the context of the meta story, which follows several authors on a writing retreat as they share their stories with each other just grabbed me from the moment I opened the book.

    Oh… do you have the guts to read Guts?

    A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

    Found footage horror is probably my favorite sub-genre of horror! ๐Ÿ‘€

    And I know of this as I consumed this book in an entire day, on my 32th birthday. It was a great birthday gift… to myself!

    Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

    Once you begin reading this one, you are done for… just hooked and cooked by the shocking progression of events! The subject matter discussed in this book may trigger some readers…

    Warning: This one is NOT for the faint of heart!

    Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

    CJ Leede is one of my favorite writers & just the absolute Queen of disturbing & captivating horror stories — her debut novel, Maeve Fly, possibly altered my brain chemistry and turned me into a forever-fan of her books!

    The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim

    Voted in as the second Morbid Curiosities book club pick back in the winter of 2024, this one quickly became a serious horror gem in my eyes (no pun intended) with the graphic & squeamish vivid descriptions involving eyeballs… enough said.

    Not only is Monika Kim a talented Horror writer, but how she is able to incorporate shocking societal topics many would shy away from speaking about in her stories, in a truly empowering manner, made this book really hit feels for me while reading.


    Have you personally read any of the 12 horror books mentioned in tonight’s blog post?

    Do you agree with classifying them as horror “gems”?
    What would you consider to be the horror gems in your collection?

    Comment below โŒจ๏ธ
    & let’s talk more about the disturbing and dark horror literature we can all morbidly enjoy!

    Until we meet again,

    + Creep the Backrooms

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  • We hit the halfway point of February tomorrow… and this is my first entry of the month… Oooooops! Let me make it up to you with a celebration and some life updates…

    In celebration of the weekend, Valentine’s Day tomorrow and ah yes, it’s Galentine’s Day!

    But what exactly is Galentine’s day you may ask (if you haven’t watched Parks and Recreation) and well, I’ll just get Leslie herself to explain the holiday she created the day before Valentine’s day…

    And while I would never argue with what Leslie Knope has to say, ever, I will say that this particular Galentine’s Day happens to fall on one of THE best days on the year, in my opinion.

    What day is that, you might ask?

    And I’ll let a romantic Jason Voorhees serenade us with that…

    Happy (First) Friday the 13th
    (of the year)

    What a special year, to have not one but three Friday the 13ths on our calendars and our first one happens to start us off on a morbidly romance weekend.

    Personally I feel this is going to be an intensely energetically-charged year for a number of reasons, and to have three additional spooky days on top of Halloween ’26, this year feels like a treat to me.

    Mark your calendars Boos, Ghouls and Grems!

    Back to what I mentioned about it being slightly intense this yearโ€” in a few days we enter into a new Chinese zodiac (the year of the Horse) where the energy surrounding us is going to push us forward with such momentum and velocity that we won’t even know what hit us when it happens!

    graphic from chinesenewyear.net

    While last year’s Snake Chinese zodiac sign was about getting us to shed our layers of unnecessary thoughts, coping patterns, belongings, and so on… this year will feel more intense, powerful and fulfilling with accomplishments, action-oriented mindsets and uplifted spirits!

    According to Chinese astrology, Horse is confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others. Theyโ€™re fit and intelligent, adoring physical and mental exertion; theyโ€™re decisive but also easily swayed and impatient

    So be ready to feel the forceful motions and avoid resisting the changes put into action as they’re purposefully set and just waiting for this power to get moving.


    Subscribe and your morbid curiosity/inbox will thank you…


    Book Club Updates

    As you know, I host a horror book club on Fable.co (the book social app) where us Morbid Mavens summon our spooky souls together and read two morbid curiosities per month, discussing our experiences (per chapter, overall, etc.)

    Join either of the book clubs

    or download the Fable app

    Recently what I’ve found to be a nice addition to our regular book talks is that we collectively decide on a theme for the month before choosing the potential books. For February ’26, both clubs collectively decided on Obsession as our theme with Piranesi and Rotten Tommy voted in as our two Morbid Curiosities book club picks.

    It’s a fun and engaging way to think of possible book suggestions for that month plus we also get a bonus question to discussโ€”using the Reflections section to avoid spoilersโ€”on how the books we chose related to the theme (if at all) afterwards.

    I’ve really enjoyed the discussions so far this month and hope that we can carry that inclusive engagement into March with our TWO horror themes (so, stay tuned…)

    A Few More Updates…

    A Secret ๐Ÿค Project

    Last month, I hinted with my 13th photo in my IG photo dump that a project I’ve been working on is coming soon… and while that’s true, I’m not exactly ready to announce anything official, so I will share some more hints:

    If you’re at all intrigued by these clues, make sure that you’re subscribed to the blog to find out when my undisclosed project is officially launched.

    More Exclusive Book Reviews

    I personally love dedicating an entire blog post to a book that I’ve read, especially if that book is unreleased and has been given to me directly by Horror authors and Indie publishers who want honest feedback on their upcoming publications.

    So many incredibly talented authors have reached out to me (via my direct Contact form) for advanced reviews, and while I wanted to give all the time back then to those requests, my bandwidth was vibrating so low that I didn’t have the capacity for the demand.

    With things being extremely different this year for me, I plan to dedicate a lot more time and blog posts to writing exclusive and in-depth reviews of any advanced copies (physical, digital, etc.) this ghoul has been gifted, so if that’s what summoned you here to this creepy corner of the interwebs, you will sure be glad you’ve stuck around.

    I’ll also be playing catch-up with a few previous book submissions that I’ve yet to publish on the blog, so a lot more haunted book content coming your way!

    Missing: Style Content

    If you’ve only recently discovered this blog, maybe you’re curious about the other half in the tagline:

    “haunted books x resurrected looks

    When I originally crafted this blog, my goal was to use it as a means of discussing all my morbid curiosities and creative fascinations: one of which is clothing styles & outfit creations.

    You can visit my Style Guide page to sense the overall vibes with curated outfit boards, links to my favorite shops, plus fashion icons and content creators who’ve inspired my style.

    I would try to post my “fashion forward” blogs on Fridays which included a cute segment I created called Friday’s Fashion Icon where I gave a shout-out each Friday to a different style icon that has inspired my wardrobe and creative energy ๐Ÿคฉ

    It’s been a while since I’ve focused on resurrecting any looks, so I aim to carve out some time and energy from now into spring to work on some crafty sewing projects, go on thrifted adventures and upcycle some weird and wonderful finds!

    Summoning your generous energy

    Could be a coffee, a thrifted garment or a new book… anything counts to help this ghoul out ๐Ÿ™

    C$3.00
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    C$13.00

    Or tip your own desired amount

    C$

    Any and all tips are appreciated and will go towards funding more content for this blog and future projects. This is 100% OPTIONAL!

    Tip your ghoul.

    If you’ve read up to this point of the blog post, I’m sincerely grateful I captured your time and attention!

    I know I haven’t been as active on the blog this year with a lot going on in the background, but I’m confident that this stale/stuck energy is going to pass and regular blogging will soon return, with more goodies.

    Until we meet again,

    + Creep the Backrooms

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  • Oh this ghost is back with their exclusive advanced copy reviews, bรฉbรฉ (in my best Moira Rose-Catherine O’hara impression… RIP our charismatic comedic Queen!!!)

    I thoroughly enjoy getting an opportunity to review advanced copies and this year I’m making it one of my reading goals to actively post more exclusive book review blogs to so that I can connect horror books lovers with talented authors (who scare the socks off you…)


    Please refer to my Ratings + Review Policy to see how I evaluate my reading experiences on my socials.


    I’m not sure about you, but as a child, dolls gave me the creeps. I had a collection of those porcelain Victorian dolls on a shelf in my childhood bedroom and nothing unnerved me more at night than the glistering whites of their eyes reflected by a needed night-light… how can someone even sleep when they are being watched?

    Fun fact:

    So yeah…

    Then enters my childhood introduction (later we will call, obsession) to the Scholasitc Kids Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine that tossed even more fuel on that “creepy doll” aesthetic with Slappy

    (and don’t even get me started on Chucky…)

    So needless to say, when Jonny Ward reached out to me to talk about his upcoming horror novella with the story revolving around a ventriloquist dummy?

    My morbid curiosity couldn’t say no... even if I knew I’d sweat a little while reading through the book.

    The Dummy by Jonny Ward

    A Novella

    Genre: Horror

    Goodreads book description

    Man find Dummy.

    Man takes home Dummy.

    Read and find out if this is a dummy move…

    This bone-chilling Horror Novella releases next month (February 2026)

    To find out where to locate or how to purchase this upcoming book, check out:

    Blog graphic made using Canva

    I.M.P.O ๐Ÿ’ญ

    In My Phantasmic Opinion

    Rating: ๐Ÿ’€๐Ÿ’€๐Ÿ’€๐Ÿ’€

    How was the writing style and pacing?

    I found it was fast-paced, immediately gripping and written with witty dialogue and a calculated, unsettling terror that made it feel satisfying to devour in one sitting.

    You’re able to navigate the depths of Walter’s psyche as he comes across his childhood dream, while also experiencing the dark and eerie occurrences that are take place in the dummy’s presence, through the views of various characters within the story.

    Were different perspectives or narrators used to tell the story? Did it add to the complexity or confusion of the plot?

    I enjoyed the narratives shifts between Walter, his girlfriend, and other characters at play in this story. While it did hurt my heart immensely when Sprinkles (the cat) was introduced… it really added dimension to the novella, furthered the plot and created more dread-inducing feelings when the narrative suddenly shifted to another perspective…

    Did you enjoy the reading XP?

    I couldn’t put my Kobo down once I started and actually read this novella in one sitting! I really enjoy those types of gripping experiences when you just get immediately hooked within a few moments of the story.

    I did however hit a Trigger Warning portion that stirred me as I was reading, but I knew to expect it and braced myself accordingly during that part of the story.

    Were you surprised or shocked with twists and turns in the plot? Did you see them coming or were you caught off guard?  

    I thought at times I knew where the plot was going (even when I really didn’t want it to be the case ๐Ÿ˜ญ) but then the story just takes a deep turn in a very quick-witted, mind-blending way that gave the story all the redemption it needed from that slight detour down Trigger Warning avenue…

    Would you recommend this book to others?

    Absolutely, I would say give this a read if you’re at all morbidly curious and want a fast-paced, witty and nightmare-inducing horror novella.

    It gave me the chills like Slappy would give my childhood self during a classic episode of Goosebumps, which is the best nostalgia… but I must warn you, to please check your triggers before proceeding!


    Make sure you haunt your inbox with more horror books…


    Are you a Horror ๐Ÿ’€ INDIE author looking for a honest review of your upcoming book?

    My creepy heart and soul becomes so full when authors reach out and are so excited to talk about their upcoming books. I love connecting horror lovers with horror authors, so getting a chance to read and review early copies with my honest thoughts for the horror community feels extremely impactful!

    Please summon the attention of this ghostly presence via the form (on my Contact page)

    Thank you Jonny Ward for entrusting me with an advanced copy of The Dummy to read in exchange for my honest review, and giving me even more ventriloquist doll nightmares to lock away in my subconscious…

    And congratulations and way to achieve official Goodreads Author status this year!

    Keep on slaying with those phenomenal horror vibes and I’m really looking forward to reading your future frights!

    I also want to thank you, Boils and Ghouls, for taking the time out of your day to read my honest advanced copy review of The Dummy by Jonny Ward.

    Let me know if you’d read this book in the comment section below…

    Until we meet again,

    + Creep The Backrooms

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morbid courtosities

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