Friends,

If you missed it, we are reading a story from NWAN Part II Back For Blood, each day this October. Technically this means we are on story 2, but the channels are open for discussion throughout the year...because I'm a frequently late person!

If you want to join in the fun, connect to our community Discord!

If you haven't grabbed a copy yet, be sure to grab using the link below! (I do get a small commission whenever you use my Bindery links!

So excited to finally dive into this one!

Sometimes I want a queer story about coming out. I want stories about fear, first recognition, complicated families, and fighting for the right to live openly. Those stories matter because many of us have lived them.

But I don’t want coming out to be the price of admission every time I open a sapphic book.

Sometimes I want to meet a woman who already knows she loves women. I want her greatest problem to involve a dragon, a murder, a haunted spaceship, a failing coffee shop, or a deeply inconvenient crush (yes I have book recs for all of the above). I want queer characters with exes, bad habits, established communities, and opinions about everything. I want queerness to shape their lives without becoming their only story.

There is a specific kind of relief in entering a world where nobody pauses to explain why two women are attracted to each other. No one demands a declaration. No one treats a kiss like a political lesson for a straight audience. The characters still struggle, but their suffering doesn’t automatically begin with who they love.

Queer normative fiction goes further than simple inclusion. In a fully queer normative world, homophobia and transphobia do not structure society. Queer relationships, genders, families, and ways of living belong to the social fabric. Authors get to ask different questions because they’re no longer required to recreate every oppression from our world.

How does inheritance work when heterosexual marriage is not the assumed foundation of family? What forms of kinship become ordinary? What language develops around gender when a binary system never holds social authority? What conflicts emerge when queerness is no longer treated as the conflict?

Not every book on this list creates a fully queer normative society. Some take place in worlds where other oppressive systems still operate, but sapphic identity is treated as an ordinary part of the characters’ lives. I separated those books because “no coming-out plot” and “no homophobia exists in the world” are related ideas, but they’re not interchangeable.

Both kinds of stories give sapphic characters room to want more than survival. They get to pursue power, make terrible choices, solve mysteries, fall in love, fail at communication, save kingdoms, and build lives. Queerness belongs to them without consuming every narrative possibility.

I want more books where sapphic characters already know who they are. I want stories where queer community exists before the first chapter. I want desire without apology and identity without an assigned lesson.

How does your reading experience change when queerness is treated as ordinary? Which book made you feel like you had entered a fully realized queer world?

Books Recommendations

The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes
The wajinru are water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African women thrown overboard during the transatlantic slave trade. Their society does not rely on cisheteronormative or monogamous structures. Gender remains fluid, relationships take different forms, and communal care shapes the culture. Yetu’s connection with Oori adds a sapphic relationship to a story about memory, trauma, and collective survival.

The Kingdom of Immortal Lovers series by Ruby Roe
Ruby Roe writes sapphic romantasy worlds where women loving women needs no defense or explanation. The Kingdom of Immortal Lovers trilogy begins with House of Crimson Hearts and continues with House of Crimson Kisses and House of Crimson Curses. Vampire Octavia and hunter Red enter a deadly competition for control of Sangui City, forcing two enemies with a forgotten history to work together. Queerness is ordinary, while blood, betrayal, ambition, desire, and supernatural politics drive the conflict. Readers who enjoy this trilogy will find the same queer normativity across Roe's other sapphic fantasy series.

The Dark Gods series by Tara Sim (sapphic relationship within the larger cast)
Beginning with The City of Dusk, this epic fantasy follows four heirs linked to the gods of life, death, light, and darkness as they fight to save their dying city. The ensemble includes characters with varied sexualities, and queerness exists without prejudice or explanation. The series is not centered on a single sapphic romance, but it belongs here because queer people occupy every level of its story, including positions of power, faith, danger, and moral complexity.

The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill
This graphic novel builds a soft fantasy world where queer identities, same-gender relationships, disability, and chosen family belong without explanation. The story centers care, tradition, memory, and intergenerational community. The full Tea Dragon series offers a strong starting place for readers seeking warmth.

The This Poison Heart duology by Kalynn Bayron (my favorite YA duology)
Briseis possesses a gift for growing plants with a single touch. After inheriting an old estate filled with poisonous botanicals and family secrets, she uncovers a connection to Greek mythology and deadly magic. Briseis has two mothers, develops a sapphic romance with the mysterious Marie, and lives in a story free from homophobia. The duology centers Black girlhood, queer family, grief, generational history, and love while allowing queerness to exist without conflict or explanation.

Homeward for a Spell by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos
Ranger Sage finally gets the chance to lead an adventuring party, only to find herself crossing a hostile winter landscape with monsters, magical danger, and Araphi, an aristocratic bard on the run. Their attraction develops inside a cozy quest full of music, flirting, and found family. Queer romance belongs naturally beside the adventure.

Her Pretty Knight by Mariah Rae Birch
This steamy fairy-tale romantasy pairs Della, a death witch posing as a princess, with Sir Galeon, the scarred knight assigned to protect her. A jealous prince, palace danger, and bodies in the library complicate their forbidden romance. The story lets two women occupy the roles of princess, witch, and shining knight without turning their queerness into the obstacle.

An Unlikely Coven by AM Kvita
Joan Greenwood returns to New York and discovers a spell has transformed an ordinary human into a powerful witch. A rescue mission, family secrets, supernatural politics, and a slow-burning sapphic connection pull her into magical chaos. Queer and BIPOC characters stand at the center of this urban fantasy about chosen family and belonging.

Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous by Autumn K. England
After escaping the mind control of an evil cult, nonbinary magic user Oaklin Nettlewood retreats to a farm to heal. Friendship, a grumpy horse, a good dog, and a gentle romance with a paladin-librarian help them return to the world. The cozy fantasy treats Oaklin's gender and queerness as ordinary while giving trauma, recovery, and community the emotional focus.

The Between Earth and Sky trilogy by Rebecca Roanhorse (sapphic relationship within the larger cast)
Beginning with Black Sun, this Indigenous-inspired epic fantasy follows people caught in prophecy, political upheaval, religious conflict, and war. Bisexual women, nonbinary people, varied pronouns, and queer relationships exist throughout Meridian without needing to justify their presence. The trilogy gives queer characters power, desire, ambition, and moral complexity on an epic scale.

For the Love of the Quest by Alexandra Ammon Parthun
Lady Edith Darling runs away to fulfill her grandmother's last wish and find Excalibur. She hires Thomasin Shaw, the feared leader of a London gang, who initially sees the wealthy lady as a possible ransom. Traps, Arthurian puzzles, criminal schemes, and attraction turn their journey into a sapphic historical romance about two women chasing treasure and choosing each other.

Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne
Torian buys an abandoned alien starship and discovers its moss is a sentient organic computer with a sharp tongue and abandonment issues. Her ex-captain Amelia, an angry immortal alien, and a growing found family join the trouble. This cozy science-fiction romance places queer relationships inside a funny space adventure about freedom, connection, and finding home.

When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson
Alexis Henderson's work belongs on any reading list for queer horror with richly drawn Black girls and women. Her 2026 YA novel When I Was Death follows Roslyn after her sister's disappearance, when a group of strange girls arrives in town and reveals a bargain with Death. Grief, girlhood, love, and mortality drive the story, making this a strong choice for readers who want a darker book this year.

Mine, Yours & Ours by Karmen Lee
This dark sapphic mafia romance sits within Lee's Pretty When Vicious world of ruthless widows, criminal dynasties, dangerous rivals, and women who refuse to surrender power. Melissa believes her husband's death has finally freed her, until his twin appears and pulls her back into the Kincaid family's orbit. The result is an enemies-to-lovers story where Black sapphic desire takes center stage in a genre often dominated by heterosexual couples.

I Accidentally Locked Down a Witch by Jessica Cage
Fitness entrepreneur Shontae Carter meets Likosa, a witch from another realm who plans to use the mysterious power in Shontae's aura to open a portal home. Their attraction disrupts the scheme and turns the fourth Accidents Happen book into a spicy sapphic paranormal rom-com. It also centers a plus-size Black woman whose strength, work, friendships, and desirability all matter.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
Gyre enters a dangerous cave system with only Em, her remote handler, controlling her suit and feeding her information. The tense relationship between the two women drives this claustrophobic science-fiction horror. Their queerness requires no explanation, though manipulation, isolation, and survival provide more than enough conflict.

Spear by Nicola Griffith
This queer Arthurian retelling follows a young woman who leaves an isolated childhood to seek a place at King Artos’s court. The court opens into a larger queer world, and the sapphic relationship grows inside a story about destiny, identity, magic, and belonging.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
Agent Fatma investigates a supernatural murder in an alternate 1912 Cairo filled with djinn, magic, airships, and political unrest. Fatma already has history with Siti when the novel begins. Their relationship belongs naturally beside the mystery rather than becoming a problem requiring explanation.

A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The first Wayfarers novel follows a mixed-species spaceship crew whose relationships challenge human assumptions about gender, sexuality, family, and intimacy. The book includes a sapphic relationship while treating queerness as part of a larger, culturally varied future.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The Locked Tomb series fills a necromantic space empire with lesbians, complicated women, devotion, rivalry, grief, and terrible decisions. Queerness needs no explanation. Readers receive murder mystery, body horror, theology, and bone magic instead of a coming-out narrative.

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark
Touraine and Luca occupy opposite sides of a colonial conflict, and their attraction becomes tangled with power, betrayal, and political violence. The fantasy world normalizes queerness, but the novel remains deeply concerned with empire, race, class, and cultural belonging.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
An imprisoned princess and a maidservant hiding forbidden power become drawn to each other while navigating empire, religious violence, revolution, and ambition. Their attraction belongs to the story without requiring a coming-out arc. The Burning Kingdoms trilogy gives sapphic women room to be strategic, furious, loving, and morally complicated.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
This epic fantasy includes a central sapphic relationship amid dragons, court politics, religion, and a threat to the world. Duty and secrecy complicate the romance, but queerness itself does not serve as the primary conflict.

Questions for the community

Which book gave you the strongest sense of living inside a queer normative world?

Do you prefer stories with no homophobia at all, or stories where homophobia exists but never controls the main character’s arc?

Which genre needs more sapphic characters whose queerness is already established?

Five books to begin with

• For cozy fantasy: Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous

• For epic fantasy: The Between Earth and Sky Trilogy (not exclusively sapphic)

• For science-fiction mystery: The Space Between Worlds

• For horror: The Luminous Dead

• For a fully queer normative fantasy world: This Poison Heart

Bindery Babes!! How is it already October? Only 3 months left in the year and we've already read so many incredible books together. I cannot wait to figure out what's next, so I'm sharing my longlist for both November and December below.

I think for November, we either want to go cozy fantasy or horror. For December, we have historically closed the year with a holiday romance, but I've thrown in a few wild cards as well.

What do you think? Drop any suggestions and additional titles you want to vote on in the comments! I clearly have more thoughts on November so please help for December especially! xx Nina

NOVEMBER

1. My Faire Lady by Haley J. Munroe 

2. Homeward For a Spell by Rebecca Podos & Jamie Pacton 

3. Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

4. She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove

5. Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

6. The Lamb by Lucy Rose

7. On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield

8. Rottenheart by Kat Dunn

9. Meet Me in the Garden by Nina Lacour

10. The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong 

11. Your Beloved Remains by Quinn Connor

12. Heap Earth Upon It by Chloe Michelle Howarth

13. Whidbey by T Kira Madden

14. We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower

15. Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

DECEMBER

1. Most Wonderful by Georgia Clark

2. I'll Get Back To You Becca Grischow 

3. I’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia Boone 

4. Yours For the Season by Kate Cochrane 

5. Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young

6. Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

I try....I reaaaaally do. But sometimes I just can't. I don't like to talk about the books I DNF online because I feel bad. That was someone's baby you know? I don't want to talk shit on someone's baby publicly. So I will talk shit on it privately here lol. JK I won't talk shit I will just tell you why I couldn't finish it. And sometimes the reason is because I thought it sucked ass. Here we go!

1. 

   Arrow by E.L Emkey

   703 page dark romance, and it was an ARC...woooops! But it was one of those super poetic dark romances where there was a lot of introspective monologue. I stopped at page 200, I COULDN'T take it anymore.

2. 

   Bad Bishop

   This book gave me the ICK. My quick take away for those who haven't read it is a barely legal girl who was known to have an intellectual disability was graped in the beginning of the book and forced to carry the child because she is in the mafia. Then she was married off to a mafia guy almost double her age. She was faking her disability and he fucks people in front of her to get her to admit it. He's only fucking people in the butt...because he has emotional issues. Blahhhhhh. Yuck IDK.....thought? I googled the ending though lol.

3. 

   This one was hard for me because I LOVE this series sooooo much! The first two, Gage and Marc about a Ruler and Marker were PHENOMENAL! I AM OBSESSED with them. This is the third book and it is about Alice's mom from the first books. Alice's mom is a bitch in the books, and it is about how she met/ made her dad and I fucking hate her mom so fucking much I had to stop reading it. I couldn't finish it. I love Abby, Abby is the dad, he is so sweet and loving and the best but the mom, I don't even remember her name because I hate her so much, is the worst and I can't.

That's it for now. I will share more later.

DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT ABBY! lol I love the author I can't hurt her feelings lol.

Byeeeeeee

Happy October everyone! 🎃🍂🍁 I am so excited to announce our October book picks that won the polls.

Our fantasy bookclub read will be The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Our Horror/thriller read will be Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

In this episode, Jordy discusses one of her favorite books of the year – Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed by S.B. West. Tune in to hear why this once villainous leader and his little hoard of goats has captured Jordy’s heart, as well as for some humorous feminist fantasy recommendations.

Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Deezer // Pocket Casts

Books/Resources Mentioned:

Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed by S.B. West 

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer 

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman 

The Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

[MINI POD] Fairytales in Their Queer Era 

[MINI POD] The Monsters Were Never the Problem

[MINI POD] Damsel? Never Heard of Her. 

Support and follow our host!

Follow Jordy: Instagram // Pagebound.co

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Hello my friends, and welcome to Trans Joy Thursday! My sincerest apologies in the radio silence last week. Last week was a bit of a mess for me. BUT, I feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready.

Why do I feel that way? Because this past weekend, I got to lead, or be part of, 6 total panels/workshops for Green Bay's UntitledTown's Book And Author Festival return. (They stopped hosting this when the pandemic hit, so this was the first year it was brought back.) I spent the weekend listening to new to me authors share their work, from literally all over the U.S., meet new readers, be in community with likeminded individuals who just get it. I met Danez Smith, the keynote speaker, and their first poem was from their book Homie - a poem dedicated to their late grandmother, who, come to find out, was also named Barbara (my grandmother's name.) I wept. Hard. And they were so gracious and kind. I have been following Danez since they wrote Black Movie for Button Poetry. It was so wonderful to be in the same room as their brilliance. I got to roam around the book fair for two days prior to my own panels/workshops. I got to hear personal stories of others and received so many hugs from audience members. It was a much needed time, no matter how busy I felt leading up to it. Thoughts and ideas can change the world, be it in books, in community, in advocacy.. What a beautiful, beautiful weekend. Here is a collage of some of the very few photos I took over the course of the 3 day event:

I hit the ground running Monday with chores, and grocery shopping, and work, but what remained was the word of the year for 2026, "Intentional." I kept coming back to that word over the weekend. What am I creating? What kind of content am I putting out? Is it to feed the algorithm? Is what I'm creating intentional for me as the creator, or you, friend, as the reader? My desire for this community is to be authentic, to be safe around one another, but also, on a much deeper level, to walk away nourished - whether that's from our books we read as a book club (I'll speak to that in a minute) or our Beyond The Rainbow chats, or how we communicate with one another here or on Discord. My dream, of course, by being here is to become an imprint that is able to bring our LGBTQIA+ stories to the forefront, yes, but also to celebrate our wins along the way and grow together as a community.

Speaking of book club, it is October 1st! Which not only means that it is the start of a new quarter (Hello Quarter 4) but it also means a new Quarterly Book Club Pick - To Our Untamed Core by Sonido Reyes (Released September 22) is our Q4 pick! We will also be speaking with Sonido in November! I'm so stoked to reread this book with you all for Q4. I love it so much!

I also want to take a minute to tell you that if you're not already on Discord, I would highly encourage you join in. I will be more active on there, and will share a lot more there than through social media. You can join Not A Phase Books Discord on either tier - paid or free.

I hope you all have such an amazing week, and I look forward to seeing you all on Discord. Take care of yourselves.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Happy 13th Anniversary & Birthday Month! We are so grateful for your VIP support in The First Editions tier, and to celebrate, we are unlocking +50 AUTOMATIC BONUS ENTRIES for you in this month’s International Giveaway! 🎉📚

🏆 PRIZE TIERS: 6 Winners Total!
🥇 1st Place: 1 Winner: 3 Wishlist Books + $20 Gift Card ☕📖
🥈 2nd Place: 2 Winners: 2 Wishlist Books + $10 Gift Card 🕯️✨
🥉 3rd Place: 3 Winners: 1 Wishlist Book 📚💗

👇 HOW TO CLAIM YOUR 50 AUTOMATIC ENTRIES:
1️⃣ Drop a LIKE on this post!
2️⃣ COMMENT below telling us your favorite bookish memory with us OR what you're currently reading!

That’s it! Your 50 extra entries will automatically be logged. Don't forget to complete the main Instagram and/or Tiktok entries on @ThePageLadies too!

📅 Deadline: October 20th at 11:59 PM EST. Open worldwide! 💗

Welcome to October & our 13th Anniversary Month & Birthday celebration! As part of The Prequels tier on Bindery, you get a special boost in our massive International Birthday & Anniversary Giveaway! 🎁

🏆 PRIZE TIERS: 6 Winners Total!
🥇 1st Place: 1 Winner: 3 Wishlist Books + $20 Gift Card ☕📖
🥈 2nd Place: 2 Winners: 2 Wishlist Books + $10 Gift Card 🕯️✨
🥉 3rd Place: 3 Winners: 1 Wishlist Book 📚💗

👇 HOW TO LOCK IN YOUR +10 EXTRA ENTRIES:
1️⃣ Drop a LIKE on this post!
2️⃣ COMMENT below with your current read OR your top favorite book trope!

Make sure you've also completed the main giveaway steps over on Instagram and/or Tiktok(@ThePageLadies)!

📅 Deadline: October 20th at 11:59 PM EST. Open worldwide! 🎃

Mention Gothic horror, and most of us immediately know the vibe. A decaying mansion. Terrible weather. A locked room. A family with approximately 400 secrets. Someone wandering down a hallway when they should absolutely be running in the opposite direction.

And yes, give me ALL of that.

But one of the reasons Gothic horror has survived for centuries is that those recognizable elements are only the surface of the genre.

Gothic horror is really good at taking something a character would rather avoid (i.e., grief, guilt, desire, family history, violence, obsession) and making it impossible to ignore.

Sometimes it does that with a ghost. Sometimes it does it with a house. And sometimes there is absolutely nothing supernatural happening.

So let's talk about what actually makes a horror novel Gothic, and why the genre can look completely different today than it did more than 250 years ago.

First: Gothic horror is OLD

The beginning of Gothic fiction is generally traced to Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764. From there, writers continued developing what we now recognize as Gothic conventions: isolated locations, threatening environments, secrets, supernatural possibilities, vulnerable characters, psychological instability, and the sense that something isn't quite right.

But here's what I find much more interesting: The genre didn't stay trapped in the castle.

• Mary Shelley used Gothic fiction to explore creation, abandonment, and responsibility in Frankenstein.

• Victorian Gothic gave us stories like Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

• Later writers proved you didn't need an ancient European castle at all.

• Shirley Jackson could make an American house terrifying.

• Daphne du Maurier could make the memory of a dead woman feel almost as present as a ghost.

• Modern Gothic writers have continued adapting those same storytelling tools to entirely different places, cultures, histories, and fears.

The scenery changed and the genre evolved with it.

Why does Gothic horror feel different from other horror?

This is probably the easiest way to understand the genre.

A lot of horror asks: What's going to happen to me? Gothic horror very often asks: What has already happened here?

That difference completely changes the reading experience. Instead of immediately introducing a threat, Gothic stories often make us investigate one.

• Why won't anyone talk about that room?

• Why does this family behave this way?

• What happened to the previous owner?

• Why does everyone in town know something our protagonist doesn't?

• Why does this place feel WRONG?

The tension comes from slowly understanding the significance of things that were already there, which is exactly why Gothic horror and slow burns work so beautifully together.

The setting has a job

This is one of my favorite things about Gothic fiction.

You can remove a random creepy house from plenty of horror novels and replace it with another creepy house without fundamentally changing the story.

That is much harder to do with great Gothic horror. The setting is usually connected to what the book is trying to explore.

This is why you'll often hear people say that the setting in Gothic fiction feels like another character. Place has historically been central to the genre, whether that's a castle, house, wilderness, school, estate, town, or something else entirely. THAT is much more important than simply having a spooky house.

The real Gothic question: What can't these characters escape?

Here's where I think Gothic horror gets especially interesting because the answer doesn't have to be a the haunted house.

A character can be trapped:

• By a marriage.

• By money.

• By social expectations.

• By family loyalty.

• By grief.

• By their own mind.

• By something their parents did.

• By something an entire community refuses to acknowledge.

Physical isolation is one way Gothic fiction creates that suffocating feeling, but psychological and social confinement can accomplish the exact same thing.

That's also one reason the genre has been so adaptable.

Modern writers can take the basic machinery of Gothic fiction and use it to explore entirely different experiences than the writers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were exploring.

And yes: sometimes the monster is metaphorical

One of my favorite things about Gothic horror is that it can make you question what kind of story you're actually reading. That ambiguity gives Gothic horror an enormous amount of room to explore psychological horror alongside supernatural horror.

It's also why you don't need ghosts, vampires, or monsters for a book to feel Gothic.

Gothic horror has always reflected what people are afraid of

This might be the most interesting part of the genre's evolution. The recognizable pieces of Gothic fiction have remained remarkably durable, but writers keep finding new things to do with them.

Modern Gothic fiction can explore race, class, gender, sexuality, colonialism, family trauma, historical violence, bodily autonomy, cultural identity, and who holds power inside supposedly "safe" spaces.

So when you read something like Mexican Gothic, you're getting recognizable Gothic ingredients (e.g., an isolated house, a disturbing family, secrets, a protagonist increasingly cut off from the outside world), but they're being used to tell a story that belongs to a much more contemporary conversation.

So how do you know if you're reading Gothic horror?

I wouldn't use a trope checklist.

A book doesn't suddenly become Gothic because someone wandered into a mansion during a thunderstorm. Instead, pay attention to the relationship between character + setting + history + fear.

Ask yourself:

• Does the setting create pressure on the characters?

• Is there something hidden that the protagonist is slowly uncovering?

• Does history meaningfully affect what's happening now?

• Are the characters trapped in some way even if the door is technically unlocked?

• Does the story prioritize atmosphere, unease, or psychological tension?

• Is the horror connected to something deeper than simply surviving a threat?

The more of those you're answering YES to, the deeper you're getting into Gothic territory.

Okay, but where should you start?

This is where I DON'T think everyone should automatically be handed The Castle of Otranto just because it came first.

Your best entry point depends on what you already like.

• If you want a classic: Dracula by Bram Stoker

• If you love haunted houses: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

• If you want something lush and modern: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• If you love psychological tension: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

• If you want historical Gothic horror: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

There isn't one version of Gothic horror. There are haunted houses and Gothic romances. Southern Gothic and psychological Gothic. Historical Gothic and contemporary Gothic. Monsters, ghosts, family secrets, unreliable narrators, isolated communities, and books where you finish the last page still wondering exactly what was real.

That's probably why we're still reading it more than 250 years later. The house was never really the point...it's what the author makes us confront once we're trapped inside.

If you want more recommendations, I have a full Gothic Horror Genre Guide breaking down the genre even further and helping you find the right Gothic read for you.

QOTD: What gets you every time in Gothic horror? Is it the atmosphere, the setting, family secrets, unreliable narrators, or that creeping feeling that something is very, very wrong?

Happy October, friends! It’s finally starting to feel like fall and I am so excited! Autumn colors are my absolute favorite! I’ve always wanted to have my color analysis done professionally, but I’ve had to settle for highly-accurate online quizzes thus far. According to their results, I am a True Autumn. This probably explains why I dread buying clothes in the spring and summer but overhaul my wardrobe when it comes to the cooler months.

I am so thrilled that my Bindery community has grown so much over these past few months! There are almost 50 of you now! Cue: raging imposter syndrome…because how is it that anyone at all cares what I have to say about books? Blows my mind.

A few weeks back, I asked you guys what it was about my Bindery page that you like and what you would like to see more of because as much as I definitely don’t mind screaming into the void, I’d rather spend my time creating content that you’ll enjoy. I learned that a lot of you are excited about book mail opportunities and Bindery exclusive giveaways - if that’s you, keep reading this newsletter 😉 It also sounds like long-form videos/vlogs are of interest, so I will keep that in mind! @backyard_bindings was the winner of the $25 gift card drawing!

Congratulations!!!

You Can Sit with Us Book Club News

• Our October group read is Song of Sunrise by Monica J. Deloy! It is the first book in the Prentice Teller Series and is described as “spicy dystopian fantasy romance.” The audiobook for Song of Sunrise will be available October 6th and I will be sure to share the links for that in Discord/Fable.

• New for October, I am adding the option to discuss our book chapter-by-chapter in the Fable app! We will still have announcements and yaps in Discord, but Fable (for now) seems to be a little more user-friendly in regards to specific, spoiler-free discussions. 

• Did you catch the Endpapers episode with Allie Samberts, author of September’s book, Not a Strong Enough Word? Listen here!

• Lastly, you said you wanted exclusive giveaways, so I’ve got one for you! I’m excited to offer a copy of Not on the Same Page, the sequel to Not a Strong Enough Word, to one of my (US based) Bindery subscribers! Comment “PICK ME” on this post to be considered! 

  

Events & Episodes

I think September has been the busiest month yet in regards to books. I told my husband that there was, at minimum, one bookish event every day in September and if there wasn’t, it was only because there were multiple events on other days.

While I was fortunate enough to tour the Libby app headquarters as well as meet Penn Cole and Jeneva Rose, I still suffered a fair amount of FOMO on account of my work schedule and grad school assignments. 

Endpapers: A Bookish Podcast now has aired five, soon to be six, episodes! I’ve talked to four authors and an indie bookstore owner so far and it has been so much fun! Upcoming guests include an audiobook narrator and a literary agent/PA/PR company owner. I am always looking for bookish industry insiders to chat with, so let me know if there is a role or individual that you’d like to hear from. I plan to record an episode with the author of the monthly You Can Sit with Us book club pick whenever possible! I aim to air episodes every other Thursday, although occasionally life gets in the way of that. I am learning so much about recording and editing! 

What’s Next?

I’m excited to have a few weeks off from school to focus on relaxing, catching up on some of my TBR, and trying some new content ideas! I’ll be heading into practicums after that short break, so we’ll have to see how I do with keeping up with reading and content with that change in routine.

Do I have any subscribers in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area? Books A Million has generously invited me to attend Ariel Lawhon’s Philadelphia tour stop to celebrate the release of The Pirate Queen and I am over the moon! I loved Frozen River and can’t wait to be surrounded by Ariel’s strong female characters once again. Tickets are available here! Let me know if you can make it so we can meet up!

ICYMI

• There’s still time to join Bindery Bingo for a chance to win a December Aardvark Book Club Box!

• I read a 5 star cozy fantasy (It’s a Bindery title ☺️)

• I read a 5 star small-town romance

• I’m trying horror!

One last thing!

I am in search of suggestions for a fantasy/fantasy romance title for December’s book club pick! If you are an Inner Circle or Producer level subscriber, you get the perk of being able to suggest book club titles. Tell me what you think we should read here!

That’s all for now! Thanks again for being here!

Xo,
Rachael

**Open to entrants aged 18+. Winner will be randomly selected from all entrants on October 14th. Must be willing to provide a US shipping address for prize delivery. Not affiliated with any publisher, PR company, author, or retailer (just me!). Void where prohibited. 

Hi Chanterelles,

First, Happy Autumn and Happy October friends! 🤎

I apologise for taking so long to get back to you guys about the giveaway. It's all sorted now and we have finished our Summer Giveaway. Our next giveaway will be in November and then that's it till January! 🥰

I wanted to get your thoughts on how we should go forward with our Discord notifications. I will be sending this as a message on Discord but wanted to give you guys an early access to vote before everyone else.

Also, I'll be announcing a few changes over the next few weeks so stay tuned to see how we're going to go forward with it all🤎