On My Reading Wishlist this Winter Break:

1. Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, translated by Ebba Segerberg. The 2008 film adaptation of this Swedish vampire novel is phenomenal, and I’ve heard that the book is even better. The novel has been on my to-read list since I first saw the movie four years ago. I’m excited to finally have the chance to get around to it and spend some time transported to the sparse, newly haunted small town of Blackeberg, Sweden.

2. The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All by Laird Barron. I first heard about this collection of cosmic horror stories when a friend showed me a wonderful article by Adrian Van Young from the Slate Book Review (which can be found here). For those unfamiliar with “cosmic horror,” Van Young defines it as “a subgenre of weird fiction that resounds with humankind’s piddling insignificance in the greater scheme of the universe.” It’s a genre developed by H. P. Lovecraft, and I am so curious to see how Barron has modernized it and made it his own. If nothing else, I think this is maybe the best-titled collection of stories that I’ve come across in a long time.

3. The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones. This novel, often described as a literary thriller, has been burning a hole on my bookshelf since August. Because I’d heard that it’s a page-turner, I was worried I’d pick it up and ignore all my grading and coursework until I had finished it (a problem I frequently have). Now that I’m on break, I am thrilled that I have some uninterrupted time to read it. Goddard’s story collection, Girl Trouble, is spectacular (I mean, really just unbelievably good), and so I’ve been dying to finally get around to her novel.