Monday Moods is a weekly bookish meme created and hosted by Unwrapping Words (aka, me!). The premise is simple: every week, there’s a new ‘mood’, ranging from tropes to genres or actual moods (happy, sad, etc). On a Monday, feel free to post about books on your TBR, books you’d recommend, or a mix – whatever you like – that fits the ‘mood’ prompt. And of course, you can use your own if you’re not fussed on a particular one!
What do you think of when you think of ‘folk’? For me, what immediately comes to mind is folk horror, but that might be because I’m currently reading an anthology of folk horror! It also makes me think of folklore, but what else am I missing? Are there any non-horror or non-folklore books you think give ‘folk’ vibes?
This Week, I’m in the Mood For…
Folk
The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts
Delyth Badder, Mark Norman
Genre: Nonfiction – History
Age: Adult
Published: 28th September, 2023
I Want to Read This Because Welsh folklore is hard to pin down – there are so many variations on similar stories, and though there’s been attempts at collecting them, they’re not always successful! I went to a talk with Delyth Badder for this book, and absolutely have full faith that I’ll come across both the famliar and unfamiliar in this book!
Night Life: A Folk Horror Poetry Collection
Alba V. Sarria
Genre: Poetry – Folk Horror
Age: Adult
Published: 11th October, 2023
I Want to Read This Because I picked this up during one of our Queer Your eReader events. I really do quite enjoy horror poetry – I think in good hands horror poetry can be a truly beautiful thing, and having read some of Sarria’s previous work, I’m definitely excited to read more!
Treasury of Folklore, Seas and Rivers: Sirens, Selkies And Ghost Ships
Dee Dee Chainey, Willow Winsham
Genre: Nonfiction – Mythology
Age: Adult
Published: 1st March, 2021
I Want to Read This Because I really do love reading about folklore, and there is a rich collection of it when it comes to the sea and rivers! I’m keen to dive in (no pun intended!) and find out more.
Undead Folk
Katherine Silva
Genre: Folk Horror
Age: Adult
Published: 1st May, 2024
I Want to Read This Because this does sound incredibly intriguing – a post-apocalyptic tale where a woman’s only companion is an undead fox. I have a strong feeling I’m going to really enjoy this!
Secret Lives of the Dead
Tim Lebbon
Genre: Folk Horror
Age: Adult
Published: 26th August, 2025
I Want to Read This Because although I have read some of Lebbon’s short stories in various anthologies, I’ve yet to read a full length work from him. This one really sounds up my street, set around a derelict country house with rumours of a bizarre curse over the valuables within. Shivers!
As always, if you have recommendations or thoughts on the books mentioned above, or simply want to share your favourite ‘folk’ books, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Unwrapping Words 