 We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer completely caught me off guard. On the surface, it starts with a young couple showing their house to potential buyers, but then a family shows up at the door claiming they used to live there. From that simple setup, things spiral into something much stranger, darker, and more unsettling than I ever expected. I had no idea which direction it was going to go, and that unpredictability made it a delight to read.
I’m nearly impossible to scare, but this one actually managed it. I read parts late at night, in the dark, after everyone had gone to bed. Normally that doesn’t faze me at all, but here I found myself pausing, uneasy, and hyper-aware of the pitch-black silence around me. It truly got under my skin and that’s rare. If you want something twisty, eerie, and impossible to pin down, We Used to Live Here is well worth the read. Get the book at the library or download the eBook or audiobook with your SPL card. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian
0 Comments
 Sadie by Courtney Summers is one of those rare books where the format is just as powerful as the story itself. I tend to bounce between print and audio depending on what I’m doing, but for this one, the audiobook is absolutely the way to go. It uses a full cast and leans hard into the true crime podcast structure, which makes it feel chillingly real.
The novel alternates points of view between Sadie, a girl on a desperate, rage-fueled journey to track down her sister’s killer, and West McCray, a podcast host trying to piece together what happened after Sadie disappears. This shift between her raw, vulnerable narration and his more removed, investigative voice builds a slow-burn tension that’s impossible to shake. It’s like living inside two timelines at once—one spiraling forward with Sadie’s determination, and the other chasing her ghost. Both formats—print and audio—are strong, but the audiobook takes it to another level. It’s immersive, unsettling, and emotionally devastating in the best way. If you’re looking for something gripping and unforgettable, Sadie delivers. The library has the book in print, but I really recommend the audiobook, which you can download with your SPL card. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  The September House by Carissa Orlando is a haunting in every sense of the word. Margaret buys a beautiful old home with her husband, only to discover it’s filled with screaming ghosts, blood that seeps from the walls each September, and something terrifying in the basement. But instead of running, she stays. She cleans up the blood. She pretends nothing is wrong. When her daughter comes back into the picture, the cracks in Margaret’s carefully managed world start to widen, and the story spirals into something both emotionally raw and deeply unsettling.
Orlando blends supernatural horror with real-world trauma, using ghosts as a metaphor for the things we live with, bury, and pretend not to see. It’s dark, eerie, sometimes funny, and emotionally sharp. If you like horror that lingers and means something, this one’s for you. Get the book at the library or download the eBook or audiobook with your SPL card. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  In We Do Not Part, Han Kang, now crowned with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, continues to unravel the raw sinews of the human spirit with her trademark elegance, restraint, and haunting brutality. If you’ve read The Vegetarian or Human Acts, you already know that she is not here to comfort you. She is here to disarm you, to offer silence as indictment of past sins, and pain as a kind of testimony.
This latest novel is perhaps her most distilled expression of sorrow and connection yet. It is a story soaked in grief, not just personal grief, but historical and national grief, a grief that simmers beneath the skin, unnamed and yet entirely felt. Her language is stripped down to the bone, almost surgical in its precision, leaving vast, aching white space between sentences like unspoken truths hanging in the air. At its core, We Do Not Part is about the relationship between two friends. But it’s also about war, memory, intimacy, and the ways violence echoes through generations like a haunting melody. The lines between presence and absence, love and loss, flesh and memory blur. Han Kang does not offer resolution. She never has. But what she does offer is something far more rare: an invitation to sit in discomfort, to witness the beauty in fracture, and to confront the quiet devastation of history without blinking. It is no surprise that the Nobel committee recognized her. Han writes not with ink but with absence, making you feel the ghosts between the words. We Do Not Part is not just a novel, it is a requiem for everything we cannot hold on to, and a prayer for what lingers anyway. A devastating, masterful work. Read it, but don’t expect to emerge unchanged. Her books are always a favorite of mine even though they leave me devastated, and this did not disappoint. Check it out at the library. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  In 1975, a 13-year-old girl from a wealthy family vanishes from a summer camp. Oddly, her older brother disappeared from the same camp 14 years earlier. To make things even stranger, her parents own the camp.
This story dives into class divides—the wealthy camp owners, their privileged friends, and their children who attend, contrasted with the local workers hired to maintain the camp and its grounds. It’s a tale of power, privilege, and the secrets that simmer beneath the surface. This was such a gripping, eerie read. The mix of mystery and atmosphere totally pulls you in, and the creepy, woodsy vibes blows you away. The story keeps you guessing, and the characters feel so real. If you’re into dark, twisty tales with a lot of feels, this is your book. Aimee, IT Librarian Interested in this book? Click here to reserve it in the catalog! We even have it in Large Print! Use your SPL card to reserve the eBook or audiobook.  Marshall Miller, raised by his single mom, is thrilled to get his license. But on his first drive, just a few miles from home, he’s pulled over by a strange, unsettling officer with a crying girl in the backseat. Months later, he’s shocked to see her face on a missing person poster. Who is she, and what really happened that day?
This book is a chilling page-turner that perfectly blends suspense, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. The eerie small-town setting and vivid atmosphere pull you in, while the twists keep you hooked. It’s the perfect read for fans of spooky thrillers so grab it and prepare to be captivated! Aimee, IT Librarian Interested in this book? Click here to reserve it in the catalog! There is also an eBook available to download with your SPL card. Reserve it here. |
The SPL StaffWe work here at the library, and we’re into all kinds of books! How Do I Get These Books?See our Quickstart Guides page for information on how to use the online catalog and how to get eBooks and audiobooks for your specific device. You can also contact us there if you need more help!
Are you looking for something specifically? Use the Search Box! Categories
All
Archives
October 2025
|
RSS Feed
