08/30/2025 - Danielle's Dark Corners

Happy Saturday! We're finishing up August on a super strong note with four really amazing books to recommend. They're all very different, whether in length, style, trope, etc., but one thing they all have in common is five gleaming stars. So, let's get into it!

NOTHING IS REAL

By Kevin J. Kennedy

"This book isn't real. You aren't real. The room you are sitting in isn't real. The people you know aren't real--"

Well, it's August 30, 2025, and I am making the claim now. NOTHING IS REAL just made my number one novella of the year. This book is beyond anything I could ever want in a story. Brilliant. Terrifying. Written perfectly. It's genius, really... and that's not a term I use often or take lightly.

Kennedy takes the reader on a descent into absolute madness through journal entries that explore the meaning of life, using both the ideas of existentialism and nihilism. I read this book twice already, and I plan on reading it at least once a month until further notice. It's been a really weird year for basically everyone, and this book is exactly what I think everyone needs right now.

Usually, I'll say that I recommend a book to all horror readers. But this book? This is a book I recommend to ALL READERS in general. Like the bottom of the synopsis says... it's dark, it's told in an epistolary fashion, and it's a mystery unravelling through the exploration of different philosophies.

There are no words that I could ever say that would truly do this story justice, and there aren't enough stars available in the universe that I would slap on this book. If you liked A Short Stay in Hell, you would LOVE this book.

Releases September 16th but is available for preorder now using the link below.

Synopsis:

When author Kevin J. Kennedy began receiving unmarked boxes filled with journals and scattered notes from an unknown sender, he was baffled. But confusion soon gave way to obsession. The mysterious stranger’s story drew him in, each page revealing tantalising fragments of a man consumed by his perception of flaws in the universe—and by a haunting belief that nothing is real. As Kevin sifted through the cryptic entries, he became consumed—piecing together the puzzle, chasing the truth, and desperately trying to uncover why these journals had found their way to him.

A dark novella, told in epistolary fashion, where mystery unravels into an exploration of existentialism and nihilism.

Amazon: https://a.co/d/4HKCABj

A CONDESCENDING WOUND

By Benzo Monroe

No plan is foolproof

When I'm the fool who made it

Fuck “what ifs” and their fallout

“Unless” feels more definitive

Now I just wait out the timeline

Looking out for the signal

So it can finally end

I have been delving into a lot more poetry books lately, and this one is definitely one that will live rent free in my head for a long time. It's dark. It's sad. It's relatable. It's a gut punch while also being heart-wrenching at times. I loved the way that they were written. Monroe has a really amazing way with words, and the emotions pop right through every line on the page.

A CONDESCENDING WOUND is perfect for a binge in one sitting, or a poem a day read. This is another one I read more than once already. That's how much I enjoyed it. Highly recommend this to anyone who loves poetry, especially mixed with some seriously raw and horrific emotions. This one is also available on KU, and you can grab it using the link below.

Synopsis:

A collection of raw, unflinching, and often transgressive poetry from Benzo Monroe. Featuring a foreword by Kirsten Noelle Craig.

Amazon: https://a.co/d/0p3ER1B

ABSORBED BY EXCREMENT

By Michael Errol Swaim

"I’m just a fan. In fact, I’m your biggest fan. I have read every word you have published and more. Like I said, I want a story by you for my collection. One that’s only for me, no one else."

ABSORBED BY EXCREMENT was quite the ride! First, I really love Swaim's writing style. Something about it was just extremely satisfying to my brain. This story went in so many different directions that I did not see coming, and I was pleasantly surprised at each one. Going by just the cover, I poorly assumed I was going into another feces-centered gross-out story. And while there are plenty of gross-out elements, there is also SO much more. And it's quite the mind f***. This was the first thing I have read by Swaim. But it certainly won't be my last, and I truly look forward to seeing what he does next. There is a reason that it's currently number 1 on Godless!!

This book is available on both Godless and Amazon and can be grabbed using the links below.

Synopsis:

When the boundary between life and art collapses, is anyone safe?

Joshua Meyers’s life has not been without struggles, but he finds solace in writing extreme horror—an endeavor that hasn’t made him wealthy, not exactly. But he and his family enjoy a comfortable existence. On the surface, Joshua has everything a man could want. But underneath, his urges rage, and his cravings for debasement and debauchery border on obsession. When he finally achieves every writer’s heart’s desire—his words leaping off the page—he learns that it all comes at a cost.

Godless: Absorbed by Excrement by Michael Errol Swaim – Godless

Amazon: https://a.co/d/08Zkf5Y

THIS IS HOW WE BURN

By Michelle Von Eschen

"The dancing light eats the wood and crawls closer in a hungry bid to consume him."

WELL DAMN. I should have known, but the author and page length that my heart was going to be ripped out, then stomped on, and my brain would be in a million pieces after!! (I mean that in the best way possible, lol.)

Sitting at just under 15 pages, this story packs a hell of a punch. Due to its length, I am also keeping this review short, so I don't spoil anything.

That being said. I HIGHLY recommend running to Godless and grabbing it asap! Link below!

Synopsis:

An ancient symbol, a mission call, a fiery plague. There’s something in the flames.

Godless: This is How We Burn by Michelle von Eschen – Godless