This pick is brought to you by Marcus Parks, host of both Last Podcast on the Left and No Dogs In Space!

Eagan pulled off something incredible with this book: she set her novel in real music scenes like the Seventies punk scene in San Francisco and made them feel real. The story jumps from character to character, creating a web of social and professional interactions that shows how truly complicated, funny, and flawed the people in the music business can be. If you've ever looked at everyone at a concert instead of the person on stage and wondered what all of those people's lives are like - the staff, the crowd, the sound guy, the managers, the agents, the opening band - then this is the book for you. 

A beautifully haunting, romantically gothic, tale. The Mourning of Leone Manor is one I believe would make an excellent film adaptation one day. Hidden treasure, love, loss and a murder most foul. This supernatural historical fiction is chilling, yet cozy and one I binge read. Fans of Gothic Romance would be thrilled to add this to their TBR!

Hello loves! I just wanted to send a reminder that you can get YOUR NAME printed on the THANK YOU page at the back of the final copy of BEFORE I BOW, our next Boundless Press title!

See the example from BURN THE SEA below!

All you have to do is UPGRADE* your Bindery membership to the STAR or Galaxy tier by end of day TODAY and make sure to add your name to your account or edit it as needed to be credited properly.

It's that easy—and you get to show off to people that you helped support the book <3

Not too many more of these this year before we get into the holiday publishing lull...maybe we all can catch up on our TBRs!

But, since my job is to make sure that you have interesting books by marginalized authors on your list, here are a few more to add:

What the Forest Devours by Elaine Vilar Madruga 3.75/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you're interested in reading a story of a claustrophobic forest with Caribbean gothic influences.

Stellar Smoke by Tanais 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy stories of learning about family history that are a bit trippy.

Needlemouth by K-Ming Chang 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy weird girl horror. This one has a group of cousins.

And one I haven't gotten my hands on:

The Turning of Sally Mae by Nuzo Onoh

Why this interests me: it's described as a historical African-Wild West horror story of supernatural vengeance. I'm in!

Hi friends! I'm mostly recovered from catching a cold/throwing out my back/turning 40, so it's time to catch up on everything I let slide during that time. Let's get right into it, since there's a lot to cover. First, here's what I read over the last two weeks or so. Books marked with a * were gifted to me, and books marked with a ^ I was paid to read.

Not With A Bang by Temi Oh* - If Temi Oh has no fans, I am dead. I love her deeply emotional sci-fi that digs into the interpersonal fallout of what would in other books just be plot-plot-plot. In this story, the Minton family has sort of eye-rollingly put up with their dad becoming a doomsday prepper, but then the apocalypse really does happen. It's at a critical moment when the family is not all together at home, so they each have to invent their own plans, and then grapple with the choices they made. It's a bit along the lines of an Emily St. John Mandel book, where the sci-fi element sometimes takes a backseat. The one thing I would knock this book down for is the kind of strange perspective of the writing. Chapters are titled with different character names but it's still mostly through Briar's perspective rather than the more expected POV shifts. It took a bit to get a handle on that.

Westward Women by Alice Martin* - This book has such a good concept - women mysteriously begin to feel an urge to go west - and it's just disappointingly executed. The various women are kind of hard to tell apart (even on audio with different narrators I struggled) and somehow the story becomes all about a man. I wish this had taken a more WORLD WAR Z style approach to the story, with more narrators showing every angle of the epidemic.

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram* - I'll admit that I was dubious about this book. I didn't love the idea of spending time in the POV of a boy who said a slur at a school assembly. And yeah, it was kind of tough to be in it at times, but ultimately I'm glad I read it. Khorram is great at depicting the inner lives of boys, and the many confusing feelings of the MCs are teased out to great effect here. I liked that it really got into what makes a meaningful apology, and also that not everything was tidily happy at the end.

The Four Wives And Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires* - How on earth is so much packed into this tiny book? In under 200 pages we are gifted with comedy, drama, mystery, and so many secrets. I kind of loved how the women couldn't always articulate their reasons for living life this way, or for putting up with Richard. The chapters with the town as a Greek chorus spanning decades were particularly enjoyable, with juicy, showy sentences that were a joy to read. I don't want to talk about the actual plot too much because I think you should have the pleasure of finding that all out on your own!

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite* - This is the second novella in a cozy sci-fi mystery series, and it was such fun to be back on board the Fairweather with these characters. Somehow, a baby turns up 300 years into an interstellar trip, and that is most definitely not supposed to be able to happen. Never fear, though, Dorothy is on the case. My quibble with this installment is the same as the first - she solves it in one try. There are no red herrings or misunderstood evidence at all.

Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe* - I was afraid this book was going to be overhyped, and I'm so glad I was wrong. I flew through this, completely immersed in the dystopian world of New Found Haven. I am not usually a fan of enemies to lovers stories, but this one really works. They're actual enemies, not just "he's annoying" enemies, and you watch them actually begin to like and respect each other as the story advances. Be aware that it's extremely violent (and I do think it goes maybe one step too far at the end). There are some really good plot twists, and a couple that are maybe there just for the sake of extra twists, but I was certainly kept on the edge of my seat.

One Good Thing - Because I don't have enough hobbies and because I don't know how to have normal hobbies, I have begun to teach myself how to make nail polish. Why not learn a new thing at 40? Why not take over my spouse's workbench and make it look like Tinkerbell exploded? I may have ordered a lot of supplies and may have several ideas cooking, because LOOK! SPARKLY! YAY!

My gloved hand holding a bottle of homemade blue glittery nail polish.

Anyway, here's what Donut likes to do while I cook dinner. Onward!

Donut the orange and white cat laying belly up on the counter over the dishwasher.

Good afternoon book buddies!

I just got back from a grocery store run and about to start a pot of red beans for a hearty chili but thought I'd take a second to update you about my reading week. It's still a million degrees here in Los Angeles, but we're doing whatever we can to channel Fall.

Between Case Management week activities, playoff baseball, and another fun concert at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, I was a tad bit busy this week. I did manage to make a dent in my October TBR, but I still have a ways to go if I'm going to read all the books in my pile of possibilities.

I still haven't picked up The Next Ship Home again, but I'm hopeful that I can tackle this one this week. I really need to do better about reading my BBFL books earlier in the month, yet somehow I always wait until the last minute. Maybe next month's book will change that! Stay tuned this week for more info about our November book.

As I said last week, my paperback copy of Dracula was hurting my eyes, so I found a Kindle copy and then promptly purchased an accompanying Audible version to I could read immersively. I am LOVING this book, y'all! It's so atmospheric and the epistolary structure is helping ratchet up the tension!

The Quarter Queen took over my dog walks for the first half of the week and for good reason! If you are a fan of fantasy reads, then this is one you don't want to miss. Full of culture and strong FMC vibes, The Quarter Queen was exactly what I hoped it would be. 4⭐️s

Y'all, I am obsessed with Lonesome Dove. I managed to read 53% with my eyes only, but I finally switched to the audiobook yesterday because I didn't want to miss one single second with Call and Gus. I listened while power cleaning the house (managed to gather 5 bags of clothes and shoes to donate!!!) and haven't been able to put the audiobook down since. I love this story and will likely suffer a great book hangover when it's finally done.

ICYMI:

• Did you catch the September reading wrap-up on Youtube?

• Or maybe you prefer to see the September reading report on IG?

• Hear me gush about The Quarter Queen here

• Book Bestie members now have access to the December historical fiction heads up!

Hear It Here First:

Stay tuned this week for a series of posts about The Calamity Club, as well as my last few Netgalley reviews!

I'll also be announcing my November TBR as voted on BY YOU!

Now I'm off to dive back into Dracula for the rest of the day. Happy reading, y'all!

xoxo

c

Better late than never, right? I was neglecting my responsibilities up in the mountains last week, but I still want to give these books these flowers:

Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson 5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy sapphic stories with an underlying horror tone.

Bonobo by You-Jeung Jeung 5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy the exploration of humanity through an unusual premise (a human's soul joining a bonobo's body).

Another Name for Red by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala 4.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy Angeline Boulley's books. This is a coming of age mystery that highlights the MMIW movement.

As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers 4.25/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy sapphic science fiction. This is quieter than I expected, but enjoyable.

Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li 4/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy character-forward historical fiction where the characters aren't necessarily likeable.

Foreign by Sonora Jha 4/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy learning about living experiences in other countries through fiction.

How to Lose at Longing by AK Herman 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy the exploration of human longing. This is a short story collection.

To Bewitch a Hunter by Luciano Lamberti 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy reading translated fiction and a trippy story.

The Water House by Nneoma Ike-Njoku 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy haunted house stories where the house is merely a specter of the imagination for the first half.

This next October recommendation is one I believe to be a literary masterpiece. Love, loss, life and time are all themes well traversed throughout its pages. Perhaps I'm so drawn to this novel in particular because I heavily related to Addie's character. Her worries are ones I share and it's such a joy to see oneself reflected in a work of fiction, the knowledge there are others who have the same struggles, the same fears. That you are not alone.

Click here to join.

The Sunday Prescription

One reading topic, one week of plans, and plenty of books administered weekly for chronic readers.

Symptoms: Preventing reading burnout.

Happy Sunday everyone! As you can see from the picture above, I took a week off last week. I'm a big believer, especially when it comes to social media, in taking time away. Even if I am fully engaged in whatever I'm taking time from, it's good to give yourself mental resets. So, lets talk about avoiding burnout with reading, especially since we all engage in bookish social media!

Now we've been having some great discussions recently in our Discord server, and this topic came up. For some people, reading is such a built in part of their lives, that they need it. For some, it's more of a hobby with which they drift back and forth. Still others find it is somewhere in between. But regardless of how reading fits in your life, I do think it is good to take breaks. Now an important note - breaks don't have to mean not reading! Allow me to explain using my last week as an example.

As someone who does bookish content, a lot of my reading centers around content. I love that - I enjoy both appreciating my reads, as well as thinking about how they can fit into my content. Because of that, my reading does have a certain drive behind it, with certain schedules and deadlines (however self imposed). On top of that, I have stuff I do every wee - reading vlogs, short form, YouTube videos, this newsletter. If I'm not careful, that kind of schedule can really lead to burnout, a loss of joy in reading, and stale content.

Last week my wife and I had a planned vacation to Jamaica (my first time, and I would highly recommend). So I pre-recorded some stuff for short form, packed up some books, and took a break from everything else! So for me, the break wasn't taking a break from reading. To the contrary - I read more in a week last week than I do most weeks. But for me, the break is switching up my routine. I didn't worry about some of the content, I didn't worry about what I was reading. I read based on pure vibes. I read Carmilla, Mexican gothic, The Flame Carrier, and started both The Bone Season and The Castle and the Cloister. I read at a nice pace, I read all times of day, and just read like I had no other commitments in the world (in reality, I had very few!). By the end of the week, I was starting to brainstorm new content ideas, think about reading plans, and felt so refreshed and reinvigorated for my usual routine.

Now the important thing here is that you don't need a full vacation to do something like this. If you're making content and you're starting to feel that burnout, take a week off. People act like a week off will ruin their progress - it won't. people will still be here when you get back. If you're reading and everything is feeling stale, figure out what kind of break you need. Maybe you just need to switch up genres or styles of book, read a book that's shorter than your norm, reread a cozy favorite, or read something totally different like a graphic novel or poetry. Or maybe, you just take a break from reading for a week or two and lean in to your other hobbies and interests. If you're a mood reader but nothing is mooding, make a TBR. If you're a strict TBR person, pick a random book and blow that TBR up! And if you are a consumer of bookish social media, take some breaks from that as well. A week off will do wonders for your mind!

At the end of the day, we all love reading, but sometimes you need a bit of a mental reset. That can take multiple forms, but I think it's important to do, and will ultimately enrich your reading life.

The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing

First, let's talk Book Clubs:

• For our main book club:

  • October's book for our main book club, Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker, is churning along and there is some great discussion on Discord. Our wrap up discussion for that will be Sunday, November 8 at 3 PM EST.

  • November's book is going to be The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon. So make sure to grab that in some way! I'll post the discussion thread for that next week sometime in case anyone wants to get started early.

• For our Fable book club:

  • October's pick is Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu. I read this last week, and it was so cool to see this having read Dracula som many times before.

  • For November, we will be reading Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper. This is a standalone historical fiction that follows the meteoric rise and devastating fall of the Iceni warrior queen Boudicca through the eyes of her youngest daughter. Excited to read it, and hope to see some of you there!

For our Monthly Reading Challenges:

• October's reading challenge is going well, especially since our book club book is seasonal!

• November's reading challenge will be to finish a series. For this, you get a bonus entry for each book in a series you read. So if you read and finish a trilogy, that's three entries for the gift card! I think most of us have a series or two we should really finish!

I talked about my reading above. I'm having a ton of fun with The Bone Season, and som many of our Dark Travelers are either reading or have read this one, so the discussion is great. I'm also loving The Castle and the Cloister so far. Really excellent!

If you did not see yesterday's Instagram post, I posted a sweepstakes that is running through Tuesday for a free audiobook copy of The Butcher of Nazareth. if you're interested, head obverse and check it out on IG and follow the steps to enter.

And last but not least, be on the lookout for a new membership tier announcement this week, which will post first here on Bindery! I have a really fun idea, and am excited to share it with you all! Also going to be adding a perk or two to current tiers.

If you are not on our Discord server, you should consider hanging out! I do exclusive giveaways there, and I have some really exciting ones planned for the next few months (including a full hardcover set of the Villians series by VE Schwab and more)! I don't really do giveaways on IG/TT because I like to reward you all in our community, so be on the look out for those. We have two giveaways running right now!

Hope you all have a great week of reading and life, and I'll see you next week!

Want More In-Depth Access?

If you enjoy getting into the details with me about reading, then consider upgrading to The Dark Travelers tier! My Dark Travelers get an exclusive Discord role and channels, a weekly deep dive reading update video, early access to YouTube videos, and each month they get to pick a book for me to read. This can be a book they want to read with me, or something they want me to try for them. I then do a member's only review when I'm done. It's super fun and a great tight knit group that I really enjoy talking books with, and I'd love to have you part of it!

Consent is sexy 🔥🤌

I LOVED it when Archer asked for London's permission even before any hot scene. Most green flag ever

Dangerous Haven, follows the story of Billionaire, Hacker, Mafia leader Archer and runaway Mafia princess London. Luna Pierce has very nicely written the character backstories - they keep you engrossed in the plot.

Archer was everything that I would like in a Mafia, stalker, billionaire. He is smart, possessive, protective & most important - FEMINIST. There are these one liners that Archer says, they are cliche lines but in that moment they are toe curling and giddy.

London is one of the strongest FMC - though I would have liked a little more light on how her past affects her present. The book is good except for the third act breakup. Personally I felt it was little silly. I would have loved if they would have talked to each other than the fight they had.

Still, if you are like me, and love reading grumpy sunshine, introvert extrovert, billionaire, mafia tropes, then definitely read this one.

Also, I think this is a good book if you are new to dark Romance. The themes are not that dark , I would say on a range of light gray to black, I would give this a dark gray heart 🩶

Thank you so much Arndell for the beautiful copy and the goodies. Thank so much Luna Pierce for the wonderful story and the lovely characters

Swipe to see my day in West village and snippet from the book

Hi there book besties,

Sorry this has taken me so long, but between playoff baseball and Case Management Week, the past week was a blur. Here's the link and password to the December Historical Fiction Look Ahead. There aren't as many books on the list this month, but there are some fun stories I think you're sure to love. Stay tuned for January because it's shaping up to be quite the publication month!

I'm super eager to hear from you: which of these books are you adding to your library hold list?

https://shesbecomingbookish.com/new-historical-fiction-books-december-2026/

password: jolly

Happy reading!

xoxo

c

Happy Saturday, mis internet amigxs!

We will be chatting with our September book club selection author, Cleyvis Natera, about all things The Grand Paloma Resort, this Thursday night at 8PM EST on Zoom. The invite is below

SUBMIT A QUESTION TO CLEYVIS HERE

Use the above link to submit your questions for Cleyvis about the book. I will be closing the form on Wednesday night, October 21st.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday!

ZOOM LINK FOR CHAT

Topic: AUTHOR CHAT: Cleyvis Nater
Time: Oct 22, 2026 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 896 0782 8308
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From the Queen of 'who-done-it' comes And Then There Were None. Quite possibly my favorite of Agatha Christie's novels, And Then There Were None fools the reader at every turn. Not only was it thrilling but I was on the edge of my couch cushions during the entire read. This book thrust its hooks in me and refused to let me go until I read the last page, and yet the hooks have hold of me still, beckoning me to read once more from the beginning. It's not a proper spooky season TBR without an Agatha Christie novel to grace the stack, which is why I fully recommend one of my all time favorites.