About The Lamb (out February 4th): With this gothic coming-of-age tale, debut novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.

There are some stories that pass us by and there are some that awaken something in us. As the world descends into chaos, it’s not the demure and cutsie novels I crave, but the ones that make me feel feral and resilient. From fiercely feminist critiques on our cultural true crime obsession to utterly stunning and depraved short story collections, here is your list of novels (both published and publishing in 2025) to keep your TBR feral.

The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter

The Book of X is about a girl called Cassie, who is born with a knot in her stomach. Written in a series of vignettes, it’s a stunning book which lives on the edge of magical realism but there is always an underlying sense of dread and it follows Cassie and her knot wherever she goes.

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Cannibals and anti-capitalism? Yes please. Tender is the Flesh is one of those once in a lifetime, unforgettable novel that is unapologetically grotesque and political. Through Marcos, we are guided through a deftly told horror story about the nature of exploitation and the rise in anti-empathy.

I Make My Own Fun by Hannah Beer

I don’t think anyone is ready for I Make My Own Fun. It’s 2025 and there’s still something about fame and celebrity which just makes us feral. This is a brilliantly gross novel about a celebrity who is a little bit of a monster behind the mask. Darkly humorous and outrageous, this is your next obsession.

No and Other Love Stories by Kirsty Logan

This is Angela Carter meets Shirley Jackson, but make it millennial. These are savage, strange and spicy stories, which I want to say I devoured, but I fear that they devoured me instead. I’ll s(l)ay no more. Kirsty is a fearsome writer, and this collection is a must have for your feral shelf.

Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg

Do you, too, have a complicated relationship to true crime? Set on a commune in the south of England, where women can be outspoken and hungry, Spoilt Creatures forces us to explore and confront our relationship to sensationalising true crime. It’s feral women and a deeply unsettling sense of dread.

Creep by Emma Van Straaten

Another novel for channeling our inner infatuation, Creep (or This Immaculate Body in the U.K.) is the brilliantly addictive and stirring book about a cleaner called who becomes infatuated with her client, Tom. Thrust into a world of fantasy and obsession, I found this novel to be a deeply religious experience which I may never recover from.

Fragile Animals by Genevieve Jagger

Vampires and religious trauma? Fragile Animals is a Scottish coastal gothic about an ex-catholic who develops a relationship with a vampire and I ate it all up. Laced with bisexual longing and mommy issues, It’s a queer literary novel you simply must add to your TBR.

Mammoth by Eva Baltasar

This hazy summer in Catalonia follows a disenchanted lesbian who leaves town to pursue the human act of gestation. Eva Balthasar is the weird girl of weird girl fiction, and has written a tour de force of a novel. It’s wild. It’s feral. It’s one you will literally never forget as long as you live.

The Goldens by Lauren Wilson

Are you looking for a sapphic, coquettish social media cult influencer? I got you. The Goldens is going to be the book of the summer. I predict it now. It’s filled with sultry summers on a champagne soaked commune and ride or die toxic girlhood friendships, and I remain obsessed.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides meets Nightbitch: The Hounding is an animal of a novel. It follows the Mansfield sisters and the uncanny rumour that they’re turning into dogs. It’s a page turning historical fiction coming out in Summer 2025 and trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark

An unforgettable collection of short stories by cult author Eliza Clark. From parasites to perfect skin, creatures from the depths and more, She’s Always Hungry is wicked down to its bones, and all the stories in the collection are laced together with the compulsive and animal theme of human hunger. 

The Tryst by Monique Roffey

Have you ever read a book and said What the heck did I just read? The Tryst is an enthralling (and wildly explicit) psycho-sexual thriller about a tired married couple who meet a succubus at a bar in London and invite her back to their house. Need I say more? I don’t think so.

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Eliza Clark has just a captivating way of writing, it is all at once gross, humourous and deeply enticing. This short story collection explores that tantalising pull of desire in a range of forms of hunger, the type that leaves a gnaw inside you, consuming you. There are some difficult topics explored here, so you may wish to check content warnings, but Clark handles them with nuance and sensitivity. It is the type of horror that is designed to provoke and question, leaving you pondering its central themes. Clark’s writing is acerbic and addictive, delving into these topics with laser-like precision. These stories often take fairly common ideas or forms of hunger and twist them into warped, odd and unsettling stories. Clark packs in some fantastic twists throughout the collection. Every page feels impactful and carefully considered, with words deliberately chosen to provoke the reader. I always admire a writer that can pull off that potential lurking in a short story – how much it can deliver in such a short space. I would read the full-length versions of pretty much all these stories based on Clark’s slant on the brilliant ideas at their centre. Many are jarring and move into surreal territory but this just enticed me further.

I really appreciated how experimental in terms of form and narrative stylings this collection was. Clark takes risks and they pay off tenfold. I mean where else would you find a short body horror tale within the online reviews of a restaurant? There is quite a bit of Internet culture woven into this connection and is often quite evident in the writing, particularly that wry sense of humour. I loved how grounded the horror often was and how Clark found new insights into the everyday. You can recognise a lot of these characters in people you may know, while some are these hugely exaggerated forces. I have previously loved her characterisation and sense of voice, which is strengthened by this collection. In particular, there is a sense of dark humour that runs throughout the book. It is smart and striking, allowing for a moment of levity in these often intense situations. Humour is a weapon wielded by the wise and Clark utilises it perfectly. The collection bounces around different genres, usually spiralling out from a central idea around a form of hunger. It is just incredibly enticing and skin crawling in equal measure. We often encounter horrific scenarios, both frighteningly real and stepping into the realm of the other.

There is not a weak story amongst the bunch. Even those that may not hit as much for me still had fascinating components and that same strength of writing running throughout. They tie together thematically so well despite the vastly differing stylings. It feels like a cohesive if chaotic collection that I would highly recommend. If you want that slight sense of unease and distrust while reading, this is definitely a book for you. Clark’s writing is challenging and thought-provoking, offering no easy answers. Instead it is the type that thrives on ambiguity and the shadows of morality, leading to plenty of discussions after reading. For me, there were some absolute standouts in this collection, namely Build a Body Like Mine, The Problem Solver, Shake Well and The King. They just had slightly more impact on me, maybe because of themes discussed or that characteristic nuance Clark delivers.

She’s Always Hungry was absolutely sublime and you will be left ravenous for more.

She’s Always Hungry is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local booktsore.

Will you be picking up She’s Always Hungry? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

One of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists 2023 and the author of Penance delivers a staggering short story collection filled with unforgettable tales of insatiable desires and her sublimely dark humour.

A teenager longs for perfect skin. A scientist tends to fragile alien flora. A young man takes the night into his own hands. Each of these characters has a desperate desire. Can any of them be sated?

Unsettling, revelatory, and laced with her signature dark humour, Eliza Clark’s debut short story collection plumbs the depths of that most basic human feeling: hunger.

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Read on to discover our picks and tell us in  the comments below if you will be picking up any!

The September House by Carissa Orlando
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A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
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A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino
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In 1960, a young woman discovers a freedom she never knew existed in this exhilarating, funny, and emotional novel by the bestselling author of She’s Up to No Good.

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
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From bestselling author Alex Grecian comes a folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts―and where death is always just around the bend.

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott
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A mind-bending, razor-sharp look at motherhood and mental health that follows a young Indigenous woman who discovers the picture-perfect life she always hoped for may have horrifying consequences

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
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A new mystery is afoot in the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman.

Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
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Bold, lyrical, and chillingly relevant, Fair Rosaline reveals the dark subtext of the timeless story of star-crossed lovers: it’s a feminist revision that will enthrall readers of bestselling literary retellings such as Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell and Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese.

Hush Harbor by Anise Vance
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A resistance group takes America’s racial reckoning into its own hands in this powerful, stirringly original debut novel.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
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A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.

The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
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Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes lie decades of secrets yet to be unearthed in a pulse-pounding novel by the Edgar Award–nominated author of Unspeakable Things.

The Art of Desire by Stacey Abrams
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One doomed love affair after another has made Alex Walton swear off men. Now, she’s determined to try something that maybe she can succeed at: a writing career. Little does she know that a chance meeting with a strikingly handsome stranger, a mysterious obelisk, and a lost kingdom will change her life forever. As Alex is about to discover, truth can be stranger—and far more dangerous—than fiction.

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown
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Emmy-nominated actress and producer MILLIE BOBBY BROWN’s debut novel, Nineteen Steps, is a moving tale of love, longing, and loss, inspired by the true events of her family’s experience during World War II.

Holly by Stephen King
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Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
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Two women from opposite sides of the country are brought together by violent acts of the same man, and become allies and sisters in arms as they pursue the justice that would otherwise elude them in one of the most acclaimed, highly-anticipated thrillers of the year.

Penance by Eliza Clark
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From the author of the cult hit Boy Parts comes a chilling, brilliantly told story of murder among a group of teenage girls—a powerful and disturbing novel as piercing in its portrait of young women as Emma Cline’s The Girls.

Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner
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Helena is successful, beautiful, and living in married bliss. But she has a secret that proves to be deadly – literally. Her best friend Thea knows Helena’s death wasn’t an accident. It was murder, and she is determined to make someone pay. And as they say… revenge is sweet.

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
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Mega-bestselling British crime novelist Cara Hunter makes her big American debut with a wholly immersive thriller like none you’ve seen before: written as the teleplay of a true-crime documentary, it has the reader puzzling away, reviewing photos, maps, coroner’s reports and other evidence as they read.

The Fraud by Zadie Smith
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From acclaimed and bestselling novelist Zadie Smith, a kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the legal trial that divided Victorian England, about who gets to tell their story—and who gets to be believed.

Rouge by Mona Awad
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From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny comes a horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her down a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. Can she escape her mother’s fate—and find a connection that is more than skin deep?

The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells
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Could she be the secret daughter of the Prince of Wales? In this dazzling novel by the author of Sisters of the Resistance, a young woman seeks to discover the truth about her mysterious past. Perfect for readers of Shana Abe, Bryn Turnbull, and Marie Benedict. 

All You Have To Do Is Call by Kerri Maher
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A dramatic and inspiring novel based on the true story of the Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for our right to choose, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller.

Perfectly Nice Neighbors by Kia Abdullah
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A twisty and consuming thriller, Perfectly Nice Neighbors asks: When your dream home comes with nightmare neighbors, how far will you go to keep your family safe?

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua
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Amy Chua’s debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin
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A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut.

What releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post September 2023 Fiction Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover just a few of our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’ll be reading any of them!

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake is back with an epic duology starter that follows a young woman training to join a fabled order as she attempts to lead a hero to his critical first victory. A must-read for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Victoria Aveyard.

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
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The original heroes from The Lightning Thief are reunited for their biggest challenge yet: getting Percy to college when the gods are standing in his way.

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab
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V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, opens another door to a new fantasy series set in the dazzling world of Shades of Magic.

The September House by Carissa Orlando
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A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

Fly With Me by Andie Burke
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A sparkling and steamy opposites-attract romance, Fly with Me by Andie Burke is filled with sharp banter and that sweet, swooping feeling of finding “the one” when and where you least expect it.

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
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The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world’s best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother’s life.

Penance by Eliza Clark
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From the author of the cult hit Boy Parts comes a chilling, brilliantly told story of murder among a group of teenage girls—a powerful and disturbing novel as piercing in its portrait of young women as Emma Cline’s The Girls.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
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A small town is transformed by dark magic when a strange tree begins bearing magical apples in this new masterpiece of horror from the bestselling author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
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A spellbinding YA fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
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A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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An orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England searches for answers about her long-dead mother and uncovers shocking secrets in this immersive and atmospheric saga perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry.

This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin
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Fake dating gets a magical twist in this enchanting queer romantic comedy where a witch worries that the real feelings brewing between her and her crush were sparked by an accidental love potion, and the only way out of the disastrous spell is a healthy dose of the truth–drink up, witches.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
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A new mystery is afoot in the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
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From bestselling author Alex Grecian comes a folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts―and where death is always just around the bend.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
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Enter a land of gods and monsters, soldiers and mercenaries, secrets and wishes—the explosive #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut in a new trilogy for fans of The Witcher and Gideon the Ninth.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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From Jennifer L. Armentrout, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Blood and Ash, comes the beginning of a searing fantasy romance series for adults, Fall of Ruin and Wrath.

What September releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post September 2023 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.