September was heavy on the thrills and chills. I found myself in locked rooms, facing unhinged characters, and wondering how much worse things could possibly get on the next page. Some stories leaned into pure chaos, others thrived on tension, and none of them were what I’d call “light.” It wasn’t an easy reading month, but it was definitely a memorable one.
📊 Reading Stats
Books Read: 4
Genres: Horror (2) ◦ Thriller (2)
Formats: eBook (4)
Sources: Kindle Unlimited (4)
Average Rating: 3.13 stars
Average Time to Read: 6 days
Yearly Reading Goal Progress: 46/100 books
📖 Book Reviews
📘 The List
Author: Kiersten Modglin
Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller
Publication: 2016
Format & Source: eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: August 29 – September 8, 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆
From the outside, Bates looks like any other small town. But when Jordyn and her husband move in, they discover a chilling ritual: every six months, a list of six children’s names appears. Within half a year, each child dies. The townspeople live in fear, bound by secrecy, until Jordyn decides she needs answers.
This book had a quietly eerie atmosphere that really worked for me. The concept was so unique, and the small-town setting gave it the perfect claustrophobic feel. Sure, it was highly unrealistic, but it was also fast, fun, and compulsively readable. Modglin has become a go-to for me, and I’m steadily making my way through her backlist.
⚡Quick Take: Spooky, secretive, and so bingeable — the kind of thriller you read in one sitting.
📘 Are Your Parents Home?
Author: Jon Athan
Genre: Fiction ◦ Horror
Publication: 2024
Format & Source: eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: September 8 – September 14, 2025
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Ella is home alone with her younger siblings and two friends when a strange man shows up at the door. His rambling quickly turns menacing, and before long, he forces his way inside — unleashing pure chaos.
This was my second Jon Athan novel, and he’s definitely earned his reputation for splatterpunk and extreme gore. I love horror and especially home invasion stories, so I was eager to dive in. The pacing was relentless, but the gore was so over the top that it often drowned out the story itself. It had me cringing, even a little queasy — and that’s saying something. Still, like a train wreck, I couldn’t look away. I didn’t hate it, but it’s one of those reads that leaves you unsettled long after turning the last page. And yet… I’ve already picked up my third Athan book, so clearly I can’t resist.
⚡Quick Take: Relentless, grotesque, and impossible to look away — splatterpunk horror at its goriest.
📘 Just Married
Author: Kiersten Modglin
Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller
Publication: 2021
Format & Source: eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: September 15 – September 18, 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆
Grace and Ryan are finally taking their long-delayed honeymoon in a quiet cabin in the woods. But their romantic getaway turns sinister when someone begins threatening them, cutting the phone lines, and trapping them inside. To make matters worse, both Grace and Ryan are hiding secrets of their own.
I’ve been on a Kiersten Modglin binge, and this one delivered exactly what I hoped for. With claustrophobic vibes and twists that reminded me of Freida McFadden, it was clever, fast-paced, and unsettling in the best way. I love a good “trapped” story, and this one felt halfway between thriller and horror, which made it all the more fun.
⚡Quick Take: A cabin-in-the-woods thriller with clever twists and claustrophobic chills.
📘 Party Games
Author: Jon Athan
Genre: Fiction ◦ Horror
Publication: 2025 (revised edition)
Format & Source: eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: September 18 – 22, 2025
Rating: ★★★☆☆
A group of estranged college friends reunite in a cabin in the woods, already simmering with old tensions. When a stranger shows up claiming his car broke down, they let him in, only to discover he has his own sadistic “party games” in mind.
I’m clearly a sucker for cabin-in-the-woods horror (two just this month!), and Jon Athan leans into that trope with full force. The story instantly reminded me of the movie Funny Games — which, it turns out, was his stated inspiration. Violent, gory, and disturbing (as all of his books are), this one still felt like the “tamest” of his extreme horror novels I’ve read so far. The writing isn’t refined, but that’s not really the point. These books are designed to shock, entertain, and unsettle, and they do exactly that. For extreme horror fans with a strong stomach, this was fast, grisly fun.
⚡Quick Take: A brutal, Funny Games-inspired splatterfest — disturbing but oddly bingeable.
🎖️ Favorite Book of the Month
The List by Kiersten Modglin
That’s a wrap on this month’s reads — here’s to another great chapter! 📚
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