This December, I’m playing catch up on some 2025 horror and enjoying new albums. Here are a few things I’m loving right now:
Recent Reads:
Apparently I’ve been really into historical horror lately; I didn’t even notice the pattern until I started this post.
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy’s twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband’s grand estate.
Blood on Her Tongue was a wonderful mix of weird, angry, icky, and gorgeous. I love a good vampire story and I really appreciated the focus on old-timey medicine echoing the original Dracula.
The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch
Hong Kong, 1953: In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place. The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…
I loved this one. I’m not sure I completely understand it, and I need to read it again, but I love this kind of novel: twisting timelines, themes of identity and grief, and a bit of spookiness. Just beautiful.
Current Read:
Dark Sisters by Kristi Demeester
Three women. Three centuries. One legacy of fury, love, and a power that refuses to die.
Demeester is one of my favourite writers. I love her blend of feminine rage and weird nature. I first heard about her novel Beneath on the Books in the Freezer podcast and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Recent Watches:
I got super into Letterboxd this year and my profile is AbandonedQuests, feel free to add me if you’re on there. Here are a few films I’ve seen lately:
Felt (Jason Banker, 2014)
A woman creates an alter ego in hopes of overcoming the trauma inflicted by men in her life.
My favourite weird girl friend Crystal recommended this one. I love a strange indie film and I want to be best friend’s with Amy Everson’s character. This is a good one to go into blind, so I’ll leave it at that.
Les Diaboliques (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)
The wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.
I saw this years ago and it completely holds up. It’s completely absorbing with twists and turns, and you can see the influence on Hitchcock’s Psycho and Vertigo (apparently, he tried to get the rights to this novel as well) and the detective character Columbo.
Keeper (Oz Perkins, 2025)
A romantic anniversary trip to a secluded cabin turns sinister when a dark presence reveals itself, forcing a couple to confront the property’s haunting past.
This was an odd one, it didn’t really come together for me but I was also absorbed while watching it. There are some seriously creepy scenes and Tatiana Maslany is incredible.
Recent Listens:
I’m just obsessed with both of these right now:
Everybody Scream by Florence + The Machine
What a perfect Hallowe’en release. I love Florence, her stuff is so weird and gorgeous, and I think this is my favourite album yet.
Live God by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I saw Nick Cave live in 2024 in Detroit, not knowing his stuff very well — a friend invited me to go at the last minute. He blew me away and it’s one of my favourite concert experiences. A new live album from Cave is such a treat.
Leanne Olson 
Leave a comment