By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná
Gothic novels have a reputation for being dark, foreboding, and full of creepy houses. But they’re also known for being classics. Think Frankenstein and Dracula, Jane Eyre and Carmilla. The novels featured here are recent entries to the gothic scene, taking everything we love about the classics and adding something new and perfect.
You can find all of the title suggestions below available in your digital library through Media on Demand and Libby and/or Hoopla.
Gothic revivals
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Why you should try it: Classic gothic novels are set in Europe and the UK in the 1700s and 1800s. This novel is set in Mexico in the 1950s.
Description: A reimagining of the classic gothic suspense novel follows the experiences of a courageous socialite in 1950s Mexico who is drawn into the treacherous secrets of an isolated mansion.
Stream & download with: Media on Demand & Libby (ebook)
Find all available formats in the catalog »
Creatures of Charm & Hunger by Molly Tanzer
Why you should try it: Most gothic novels have either no supernatural elements or the supernatural element is a vampire or ghost. This novel features witches.
Description: The third standalone novel set in Molly Tanzer's magic-infused universe takes readers to World War II-era England where two young women are studying witchcraft. Though once inseparable, competition, secrets, and wildly dangerous magic set them at odds and draw them to terrifying ends.
Stream & download with: Hoopla (ebook)
Find all available formats in the catalog »
Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor
Why you should try it: With the hallmarks of a classic gothic novel (1800s, UK, creepy building), what exactly makes this one different? This one is based on the true relationships that inspired Dracula.
Description: A historical novel featuring Bram Stoker is set during the golden age of West End theater in a London shaken by the crimes of Jack the Ripper.
Stream & download with: Hoopla (ebook and digital audiobook)
Find all available formats in the catalog »
The President's Room by Ricardo Romero
Why you should try it: All gothic novels have a creepy building. A house or theatre. In this novel, the house is fine, but there is one room, that every house has, that is a little different.
Description: The room is kept clean and tidy, nobody talks about it and nobody is allowed to use it. It is for the president and no one else. But what if he doesn't come? And what if he does? The President's Room is a mysterious tale based on the suspicion that a house is never just one single home.
Stream & download with: Hoopla (ebook)
Find all available formats in the catalog »
Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt
Why you should try it: It's rare for a gothic novel to move through two timelines, but in this one, past and present collide.
Description: Interweaving two separate narratives in different points of time that move toward the same point in crisis, a contemporary gothic novel follows Cora, who finds herself accidentally pregnant, as she is taken on a strange mission by her Aunt Ruth, who is mute and full of intention, across the entire state of New York toward a mysterious reckoning.
Stream & download with: Hoopla (ebook and digital audiobook)
Find all available formats in the catalog »
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Why you should try it: Gothic novels are usually insular, featuring a family or a small group of travelers or friends. This novel involves the entire school.
Description: A dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate uncovers a shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students and the dark truths beneath their school’s promises of prestige.
Stream & download with: Media on Demand & Libby (ebook)
Find all available formats in the catalog »
About Dontaná
Dontaná is a Collection Management Librarian who was born with an unending reading list. She is almost always reading two books simultaneously and is easily distracted by cool covers.
