It is now June – Happy Pride Month! I hope you have lots of fun, queer books you’re planning to read this month. If you’re lacking for queer books, I’ll have some suggestions for you on the blog, plus we’re running Pride in Horror over at Divination Hollow this month and Queer Your eReader – DHR’s free book blast – returns in September! So, lots going on. And although DHR has plenty of content to keep you going this month, we’re also doing something different and asking people for submissions about queer history, which is still open. If you have a person, place, or event you’d like more folks to know about, you can find a handy form to tell us all about it here.
2026 Reading Challenges
Updates: #1 / #2 / #3 / #4
Goal: 29/70 (+7)
The Divination Hollow Reviews Horror Challenge 2026
6/12 (+1) Prompts Completed
Currently Reading
Quoth the Raven – Gothic
For this one, I went with J.J.A. Harwood’s The Shadow in the Glass. It’s okay? It’s a ‘dark’ take on Cinderella, but it feels like it’s not really doing much we haven’t already seen in other ‘Cinderella’ characters. I’m just over 30% through and hoping it gets a bit more interesting.
Don’t Fear – ‘Reaper’ in the title
I wanted an audiobook for this one and settled on Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley. I’m quite enjoying it! An aging actor is haunted by the slasher movie villain he’s known for playing. About 20% in and super intrigued.
Read
With a disabled protagonist
I finally finished Duma Key! I really enjoyed it, too – it’s King at his best. Although I enjoyed it, I’m glad I’ve finished it, and I think I’ll stick to books a little on the shorter side for my physical TBR for a while.
Books to Read: You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight, All the Hearts You Eat, We Call Them Witches
Musicals Reading Challenge 2026
7/24, +1 Bonus (+3) Prompts Completed
Read
1970s: The Rocky Horror Show – Science Fiction/Double Feature – Sci-Fi
For this one, I read a book my partner has been begging me to read for years – Ahsoka! Partner is a huge Star Wars fan, and very keen for me to read some of his favourite Star Wars books, and this has been at the top of the list for a while. I haven’t actually see Clone Wars or Rebels, so some references did go over my head, but I enjoyed this and think it has made me interested in watching them.
1990s: The Muppets Christmas Carol – One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas – Something seasonal
So it might not be current seasonal, but I really wanted to use this prompt to read Three Holidays and a Wedding, which has been on my TBR for a long time! It was a bit silly but very enjoyable.
KPop Demon Hunters – Takedown – Demons/demonic
I went with The Way It Haunted Him, and really enjoyed it! It’s a fascinating, intriguing book with plenty of mystery around the characters, and the way it unfolds was enjoyable to read. Definitely recommend this!
Books to Read: London: The Biography, To The Death, Homegrown Magic
Twenty Genres in 2026
7/20 (+2) Prompts Completed
Read
Classic
I finished the audiobook for Something Wicked This Way Comes! I enjoyed this much more than I expected to, and fully see why it’s such a beloved American classic.
BIPOC
This is a crossover book – Three Holidays and a Wedding! It’s been on my TBR for so long, I added it to two challenges to make sure I actually did read it.
Books to Read: Tell Me I’m Worthless, A Thief and a Gentleman, The Diabolical Bones
Grim Readers 2026 Horror Reading Challenge
7/12 (+3) Prompts Completed
Read
Psychological Unravelling: Characters losing their grip on reality
Home Sick was fantastic – a really intriguing read with an incredibly well written main character it’s hard to like! This is a 2026 read I’ll be recommending to everyone.
Dark Academia – School, research, or literary-themed horror
I went with The Way It Haunted Him for this one, and really glad I did. An interesting, intriguing tale of a young man who picks up his dead boyfriend’s dissertation research, gaining access to an archive that contains much, much more than he bargained for.
Classic Chills: Classic or older work of horror (pre-1990)
This was another crossover book – Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. It seems like a good option for this prompt.
Books to Read: Tell Me I’m Worthless, The Fiends in the Furrows II, You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight
Netflix Movies & TV Shows
16/24 (0) Prompts Completed
My poor neglected reading challenge! I’m not too worried about it at this point though – with two of the above only being 12 prompts, I don’t think it’ll be too much longer before I finish them, and I can pick this one up again, as well as look to see where I might be able to include these books on the other challenges.
Books to Read: So You Want to Talk About Race, All That Remains, A Discovery of Witches
How has May been for you and your reading? I’m really pleased with how the last month has gone, and definitely feel like I’m on track for my overall reading goal, as well as completing the two horror challenges I’m currently taking part in. I’m already excited to see what June brings!
Unwrapping Words 