Why am I passionate about this?

On the wall in my office, I have an old newspaper article containing a recipe for Boris Karloff's guacamole. (If you're interested, the title of the article is "Boris Karloff Mad About Mexican Food.") I keep it there because it reminds me of what I love about this genre, in that monsters can contain multitudes. They're not just evil... they can also love guacamole. A good monster novel will have you both cowering in fear and feeling a pang of empathy for the creature, making it a ton of fun to read. 


I wrote

The Cryptid Club #1: Bigfoot Takes the Field

By Michael Brumm, Jeff Mack (illustrator),

Book cover of The Cryptid Club #1: Bigfoot Takes the Field

What is my book about?

Lily knows better than to listen to the gossip her little brother, Henry, has heard, but when her school newspaper…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Hyperion

Michael Brumm Why did I love this book?

My boss raved about this book so I checked it out. He was right. It’s a truly wonderful sci-fi novel featuring a creature called the Shrike (aka Lord of Pain), who is made out of knives.

The novel tells the story of 7 travelers, and each tale is more gripping, interesting, and heartbreaking than the next. There are multiple timelines, kids that grow in reverse, and, again, a creature made out of knives. Sci-fi + monsters = a pretty winning combo.

By Dan Simmons,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Hyperion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A book of mystery, legend, romance and violence.


Book cover of Who Goes There?

Michael Brumm Why did I love this book?

This book was the basis for the movie The Thing, which I love—the first movie, not the remake.

To me, this book is just an awesome setting for a monster tale. Researchers in the Antarctic trapped with a thawed-out alien creature? I mean, come on! That’s everything I want in a book. It’s a quick read, but it’s truly phenomenal… and frightening.

By John W. Campbell,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Who Goes There? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Who Goes There?, the novella that formed the basis of the film The Thing, is the John W. Campbell classic about an antarctic research camp that discovers and thaws the ancient body of a crash-landed alien.


Book cover of Hollow Kingdom

Michael Brumm Why did I love this book?

This was a Covid-read for me. We spent some of Covid in Vermont, next to the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT. If you’ve never been, it’s worth going just for this bookstore. Truly incredible.

Anyway, I saw this book in their sci-fi section and read the back copy and was hooked — a foul-mouthed talking crow, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, shambling human zombies. It’s told from the point of view of animals which have survived. There’s also a nice environmental message. It’s weird, odd, funny, insane, and delightful.

By Kira Jane Buxton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hollow Kingdom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A humorous, big-hearted romp through the apocalypse, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero. Perfect for fans of Dawn of the Dead and Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies.

'A thoroughly enjoyable account of the end of the world as we know it. The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead.' Karen Joy Fowler

'It's transformative, poignant, and funny as hell. S.T. the irrepressible, cursing crow is my new favourite apocalyptic hero.' Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H Is for Hawk

S.T. is a domesticated crow. He is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with…


Book cover of Cujo

Michael Brumm Why did I love this book?

This is really how the Disney film Old Yeller should have ended, with a rabid canine raising hell and ripping out throats. What a phenomenal book.

My first foray into the world of Stephen King. I loved it so much I tried to name my dog Cujo … but I was overruled. We settled on Otto cause it sounds sorta similar. But, again, I love this book for the same reason I love Who Goes There?—a beast is terrorizing people who are trapped and can’t flee. It’s a simple formula for monster-themed novels, but it gets me every single time. 

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Cujo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller, Cujo “hits the jugular” (The New York Times) with the story of a friendly Saint Bernard that is bitten by a bat. Get ready to meet the most hideous menace ever to terrorize the town of Castle Rock, Maine.

Outside a peaceful town in central Maine, a monster is waiting. Cujo is a two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. One day, Cujo chases a rabbit into a cave inhabited by sick bats and emerges as something new altogether.

Meanwhile, Vic and Donna Trenton, and their young son Tad, move…


Book cover of Killer Pizza

Michael Brumm Why did I love this book?

When I was writing my own kid book dealing with monsters, I picked this one up on a whim just to see how kid book authors handle monsters.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it dealt with everything I love: small towns, a gang of kids, and other worldly creatures—in this case vampire-werewolf hybrids. Think Mystic Pizza + Attack the Block. It’s exciting, monster-hunting fun.

By Greg Taylor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Killer Pizza as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Pizza you'll die for!

Toby McGill dreams of becoming a world-famous chef, but up until now, his only experience has been watching the Food Network. When Toby lands a summer job at Killer Pizza, where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, things seem perfect. His coworkers, Annabel and Strobe, are cool, and Toby loves being part of a team. But none of them are prepared for what's really going on at Killer Pizza: It's a front for a monster-hunting organization!

Learning to cook pizzas is one thing, but killing hideously terrifying monsters? That's a whole…


Explore my book 😀

The Cryptid Club #1: Bigfoot Takes the Field

By Michael Brumm, Jeff Mack (illustrator),

Book cover of The Cryptid Club #1: Bigfoot Takes the Field

What is my book about?

Lily knows better than to listen to the gossip her little brother, Henry, has heard, but when her school newspaper needs a big headline, the rumor that Bigfoot has been spotted is the best lead she’s got. But when claw marks appear on the football equipment and excessive animal hair starts clogging-up the gym showers, Lily knows she can’t be afraid. This is her opportunity to break the story wide-open. But can Lily, Henry, and Oliver, the neighbor-kid they’re babysitting, discover what Bigfoot wants before it’s too late?

Everything is not as it seems in this hilarious new graphic novel series debut by Emmy Award–winning writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Michael Brumm and bestselling illustrator Jeff Mack.

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My Year of Casual Acquaintances

By Ruth F. Stevens,

Book cover of My Year of Casual Acquaintances

Ruth F. Stevens Author Of My Year of Casual Acquaintances

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once. Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list. 

Ruth's book list on smart, quirky women facing personal struggles

What is my book about?

When Mar’s husband divorces her, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy starting over, she’s ready for new adventures—as long as she can keep things casual. Each month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant. . . and a handsome novelist who wants more than she can give. Mar learns from each encounter. But can she open herself up to true connection?

Surrounded by quirky, endearing characters, Mar navigates her…

My Year of Casual Acquaintances

By Ruth F. Stevens,

What is this book about?

"A fun, entertaining novel! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I did." -Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author

When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures-as long as she can keep things casual.

With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical…


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