Beyond the Usual Suspects: Spellbinding Tales for December

Haven't we all cozied up with Rebecca, Wuthering Heights, and The Secret History enough times? This December, our book recommendations embrace the darkly magical and marvelously obscure. Prepare to discover your next obsession.

Led by irresistibly complex characters, these underground stories conjure the ghostly, the ambitious, and the philosophical. Let their otherworldly allure carry you away on chilly nights. Just don't read them by candlelight if you scare easily...

Beguiled in the Stacks: Enigmatic Academia

The Oxford Inheritance by Ann A. McDonald

Cassandra uncovers sinister secrets behind Alice in Wonderland when she arrives at Oxford’s ancient libraries for a research trip. This bibliophile tale blends academia’s dustiest corners with dark mythology.

The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey

When a Harvard medical student believes her professor’s death was murder, no one believes her except a handsome classics TA. Their sleuthing leads to secret societies and crazed experiments below the Ivy League’s polished surface.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye.

"Jane Steele" by Lyndsay Faye is a captivating blend of gothic suspense and literary homage. With echoes of "Jane Eyre," it follows the darkly charismatic Jane Steele on a thrilling journey of secrets, revenge, and redemption. Faye's masterful storytelling will keep you riveted until the very last page.

The Coven Awaits: Modern Gothic Glory

Seed by Ania Ahlborn

When troubled writer Jack Winter returns to his childhood home to find inspiration, he uncovers his occultist family’s sinister legacy instead. Family drama collides with supernatural horror against Appalachia's haunting backdrop.

The Widow’s House by Carol Goodman

Clare agrees to move into notorious Ticonderoga for a literature job. Behind the legendary estate's glamour, secrets lurk in attic rooms and landscape labyrinths. This modern take on classic Gothic tropes will lure you in.

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon

Naomi Mayfield didn’t expect to uncover Old West secrets like hidden treasure when she became a trail guide. But Forbidden Peak and its homesteader history won’t let her go in this frontier-flavored Gothic stunner.

Stay tuned for more enchanting bookish discoveries - and relish these reads all season long. Share your tantalizing December titles with us below!