Episode 41: Summer Scares 2025

About this episode

This episode discusses the Summer Scares horror-reading program and features interviews with various authors and librarians about recommended reads and the importance of serving horror readers in libraries.

It’s time for Summer Scares, and the popular horror-reading program is in fine form again. Shelf Care host Susan Maguire spoke to librarian Becky Spratford, author Kendare Blake, and Booklist’s Julia Smith about this year’s selections for adult, teen, and middle-grade readers; transgressive horror; and Hellmouth Pokémon, as you do. She also spoke to Jocelyn Codner and Carina Stopenski, both of the Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council, about the Summer Scares program guide, why libraries should serve horror readers, and what they’re reading and loving. Here’s what we talked about: Summer Scares Resource Page Find Him Where You Left Him Dead, by Kristen Simmons iRead Summer 2025: Level Up at Your Library The Getaway, by Lamar Giles Devils unto Dust, by Emma Berquist Reprieve, by James Han Mattson Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes, by Eric LaRocca The Luminous Dead, by Caitlin Starling Summer Scares webinars: for Adult, YA, and Middle Grade All These Bodies, by Kendare Blake In Every Generation, by Kendare Blake Summer Scares Program Guide HWA Young Adults Write Now scholarship (or email libraries@horror.org) Stoker Con 2025…

People in this episode

Host: Susan Maguire

Guests: Becky Spratford, Kendare Blake, Julia Smith, Jocelyn Codner, Carina Stopenski

Topics covered

• horror literature
• library programs
• reading recommendations
• interviews
• Summer Scares

Keywords

• Summer Scares Resource Page
• Find Him Where You Left Him Dead
• iRead Summer 2025
• Summer Scares webinars
• HWA Young Adults Write Now scholarship

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Hellmouth Pokémon, Summer Scares Program Guide, Stoker Con 2025 Librarians’ Day

Books & works: Summer Scares, Find Him Where You Left Him, Level Up at Your Library, The Getaway, Devils unto Dust, Reprieve, Things Have Gotten Worse, The Luminous Dead, All These Bodies, In Every Generation

More episodes of Booklist's Shelf Care

• Episode 49: Audiobook Listeners Tell All · May 25, 2026 · 39 min
• Episode 48: Summer Scares 2026 · March 23, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Episode 47: Three Conversations about Reading · January 26, 2026 · 48 min
• Episode 46: Editors' Choice 2025 · December 22, 2025 · 41 min
• Episode 45: Once Upon a Fairy Tale Retelling · November 25, 2025 · 57 min
• Episode 44: A Tale of Two Sara(h)s · September 29, 2025 · 37 min