The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
Reading is a super fun and fulfilling way to spend your free time, but some books can get pretty dark, surreal, and strange. I have a passion for reading these kinds of books, but there are so many I haven’t had the time to read yet. If you also feel the odd appeal of this genre of books, here are some of the books on my radar :3
Magical Realism Books
This is about a girl who’s abroad for university and experiencing a household that seems more alive than it should be, on the threshold of dreaming and reality.
The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright
Liddy receives an invitation to a house on an island that only invites those haunted by loss, but she hasn’t experienced loss, so she has to discover why she was sent this invitation and unlock the house’s secrets.Â
Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge
In the fictional city of Yong’an, a cryptozoologist investigates fabled creatures living among humans, despite their unique physical traits. With help from her former professor and his mysterious assistant, she delves into a mystery that challenges her very sense of self.
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
War photographer Maali Almeida wakes up dead in a celestial visa office with his dismembered body in Beira Lake. He must solve his own murder in a dangerous country and he only has seven moons until his soul leaves the earth forever, but can travel to anywhere his name is said.
Horror/Dystopia + Magical Realism Books
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Magos, a grieving mother, cuts out a piece of her deceased son Santiago’s lung and nurtures it until it becomes a carnivorous creature called Monstrilio. Over time, Monstrilio begins to resemble Santiago, but his destructive impulses put his second chance at life at risk.
An anthology of stories that focus on women and their experiences in society, exploring themes of isolation, obsession, and love through the bodies of its characters. Women become insects, men turn to stone, and cities become insomniacs, creating a landscape that constantly shifts to hold onto its inhabitants.
A year into her job at a startup, Cassie feels trapped in a corporate nightmare. She faces long hours, toxic bosses, and unethical projects in a city where extreme wealth meets directly with extreme poverty. Cassie has a miniature black hole as a constant companion, feeding on her depression and anxiety, pulling her in as her world falls apart.
Fruiting Bodies: Stories by Kathryn Harlan
Another anthology that features eerie stories that explore fantastical, gothic, and uncanny themes. The characters, mostly queer women, navigate change and self-discovery amidst mythical, folklore, and fairytale influences.
The Dangers of Smoking In Bed by Mariana EnrĂquez
ANOTHER anthology, originally in Spanish, explores themes such as fetish, illness, the female body, and human history. Stories include a woman sexually obsessed with hearts, a rotting baby crawling into a neighbor’s house, teenage idol obsession, and a neighborhood cursed to death.
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado
My final anthology on the list, includes stories about a wife refusing to remove a green ribbon around her neck. A woman recounts sexual encounters as a plague spreads. A sales clerk finds something horrifying in prom dresses. And a surgery-induced weight loss brings an unwanted houseguest.Â
Horror/Dystopia Books
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Our protagonist is an amazing piano player and has a really special talent to her, but after her parents are injured, she gives up her musical dreams for a job at a high-end beauty store in NYC. The store offers various innovative beauty products and procedures, and she forms a friendship with Helen, the owner’s niece, which develops into something more. She is offered products that promise physical enhancements, but there is a dark secret hidden behind these beauty treatments.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
In 18th-century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with an amazing sense of smell, apprentices with a perfumer to learn how to capture scents. He becomes obsessed with capturing objects’ smells, eventually creating the “ultimate perfume” – the scent of a young virgin.
Ren Yu is a swimmer whose life revolves around the pool, her teammates, and her coach. She hopes to swim well enough to get scouted, earn a scholarship, and make her parents proud. However, Ren yearns to be in the water, dreaming of becoming a mermaid despite the sacrifices she must make.
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
Twins Jeanie and Julius live with their mother, Dot, in isolation. Their cottage is their safe haven where they make music and grow their own food. However, after Dot’s sudden death, their livelihood is in jeopardy, forcing them to navigate a dangerous world and unravel the secrets of their mother’s past to survive.