Episode 48: Summer Scares 2026

Episode 48: Summer Scares 2026

From Booklist's Shelf Care by Booklist's Shelf Care Podcast

March 23, 2026 · 1h 14m

About this episode

This episode discusses the Summer Scares initiative for 2026, featuring interviews with authors and experts on horror literature.

Folks are probably well into planning for summer reading programs, so now is the perfect time to talk about Summer Scares! On this Episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to the folks involved. First, this year’s celebrity spokesperson, author Jennifer McMachon, joins Susan and readers’ advisory and horror expert Becky Spratford to talk about the adult and YA Summer Scares titles, and Jennifer’s journey from misfit girl to capital-H horror writer. Then, Booklist’s Julia Smith talks to Susan about the middle-grade Summer Scares titles. Finally, Susan sits down with HWA Library Committee co-chair Konrad Stump along with New York Public Library’s Allison Nellis and Kate Federiconi to talk about programming and NYPL’s best-of lists. Here’s what we talked about: (* indicates a Summer Scares 2026 title) Readers’ Advisory survey (it’s quick!) Summer Scares Resource Page (RA for All) Summer Scares Middle-Grade Panel (March 12) Summer Scares YA Panel (March 23) Summer Scares Adult Panel (March 26) *A Botanical Daughter, by Noah Medlock *Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. *Maeve Fly, by CJ…

People in this episode

Host: Susan Maguire

Guests: Becky Spratford, Julia Smith, Konrad Stump, Allison Nellis, Kate Federiconi, Jennifer McMahon

Topics covered

  • summer reading programs
  • horror literature
  • middle-grade books
  • young adult books
  • programming

Keywords

  • Summer Scares 2026
  • adult and YA titles
  • middle-grade titles
  • Readers’ Advisory survey
  • Summer Scares Resource Page
  • programming
  • best-of lists
  • horror expert
  • celebrity spokesperson

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Summer Scares, *A Botanical Daughter, *Never Whistle at Night, Maeve Fly, Plant a Seed, *What We Harvest, by, *Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American, Stay Buried, Monster Girl: How Horror Gave Me a Place to Belong

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