So we can all agree that Sinners is the best movie of 2025 so far. Ryan Coogler’s historical horror film, starring Michael B. Jordan (two times!), Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, and Wunmi Mosaku, is breaking box office records left and right. It’s also currently sitting at an impressive 98% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics are praising the film’s accomplishments, and fans are returning to theaters to see the film over and over again. But what do you do after you’ve seen this vampire movie multiple times in theaters and are still thirsty for more? Here are three vampire novels by Black authors that you should read.
House of Hunger by Alexis HendersonMarion Shaw is desperate to escape a dead-end life of poverty in the slums. And so, despite knowing next to nothing about the lives of the wealthy, blood-sucking nobles who live in the north, Marion applies for a job as a bloodmaid for Countess Lisavet, a mysterious, hedonistic figure who is as enticing as she is frightening. Marion is eager to please her new mistress, and in return, she is promised a life unlike anything she could have ever dreamed of for herself. But then bloodmaidens start going missing. |
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive DueThis is the first novel in horror author Tananarive Due’s classic African Immortals series. At first, Jessica’s new husband David seems like the perfect man, but the more she gets to know him, the more something about him seems completely inaccessible. On top of that, mysterious deaths keep occurring all around them. That’s when David confesses to Jessica that he’s actually a part of an over-400-year-old sect from Ethiopia who gave up their souls for the promise of eternal life. |
Fledgling by Octavia ButlerLove vampires, but also craving something more sci-fi? Octavia Butler’s Fledgling follows the story of Shori, a seemingly 10-year-old girl who is actually a genetically modified, 53-year-old member of the Ina species. Just like vampires, the Ina only come out at night and feast on human blood to live. At the beginning of the novel, Shori awakens in a cave with amnesia and therefore no knowledge of what she is. But as she rediscovers herself, Shori learns what she is capable of. |
Vampires are so back, horror fans! Happy reading, and remember, if someone comes knocking on your door, think twice before you invite them in…
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This week, we’re highlighting a post that offers you a guide to all things cozy genre books! Get to know some outstanding cozy mysteries, cozy horror, and a whole lot more. Read on for an excerpt and become an All Access member to unlock the full post.
A Guide to All the Cozy Genres
Cozy has certainly become a buzzword attached to genre fiction. It all started with cozy mysteries, which have been around for decades. Now we’re seeing cozy science fiction and fantasy, and even cozy horror. So what exactly does “cozy” mean?
There are some common traits of so-called cozy books. Generally, they evoke a charming atmosphere with their setting. In cozy mysteries, this is often a small town—think of a quaint village in the English countryside. Fantasy adds some magic to that quaint village; horror adds ghosts. For science fiction, coziness often manifests as a ship, space station, or colony with a tight-knit crew. Readers can expect rich descriptions of the setting and a lot of atmosphere for a fully transporting reading experience.
Another common factor in these books is the stakes of the story. Cozy mysteries are somewhat confounding because the crimes they solve are typically murders! Nevertheless, the reader is not subjected to gory details or put in a position of extreme suspense. Likewise, cozy fantasy and sci-fi novels may deal with the aftermath of a large-scale conflict, but the characters are likely to be dealing with smaller, more internal or interpersonal challenges.
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Source : Black Vampire Books to Read After You’ve Seen SINNERS in Theaters 3 Times Already
