Okay, so let’s chat about The Jasad Heir.

I’ve been attempting to read this duology since last year, and when I saw the audiobook available through my library this year, I immediately borrowed it

I usually listen to audiobooks at 1.7–2.0x speed. For this one? I was basically stuck at 1.0x.

I started at 2.0x but quickly had to slow down because there was SO much new terminology, so many names, and a VERY complex world to keep track of. I had to figure out four different kingdoms, the magic system, unfamiliar names, and a story that jumps back and forth between the past and present without always clearly signaling the change.

There were definitely moments where I was like, “Wait... who is this person and WHEN are we?”

But I pushed through, and eventually, it started to click.

It was good.

I think part of my issue is that I went into this expecting more of a romantasy, when it’s really a fantasy novel with a romance woven into it.

The romance IS there, though, and it is a TRUE slow burn, which I really appreciated. Y’all know I feel like we’re losing the art of the slow burn! In this book, our characters don’t really get together until the end of the duology, so if you want instant romance, this is probably not your book.

The plot is what really drives this series forward. There were definitely times when the pacing felt too slow for me, especially when we were spending so much time on character growth and world-building.

I kept toggling between a 3.5 and 4-star rating. The writing is good. The story is interesting. I understand why people love this series.

But it just didn’t give me that “I MUST FINISH THIS BOOK OR I WILL DIE” feeling that usually gets a 5-star rating from me.

And honestly, I do wonder if part of that is just timing. I started this after going back to work AND starting school, so my brain has been occupied with approximately 47 other things. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace to fully connect with it.

I’m currently on Book 2 and still listening to the audiobook. Thankfully, I’ve gotten used to the names and terminology, so I can speed it up now that I actually understand what’s happening.

It’s still good. I just wish we got MORE of our MFC and MMC together because... hello???

Overall, I get the hype. I really do.

But for me?

It was just a good book.

Leave your thoughts below!

Another Tuesday and so another chance to introduce you to new books! These new releases are hitting shelves today, and should probably land on your TBR too.

Let us know in the comments which book release you are most excited for!

I’m switching it up a bit this week. There are a lot of new titles out today, so I focused on romances that you may not have seen on your Instagram feed. If I’ve omitted a title you feel passionate about and think this community will enjoy, please do share it in the comments!

Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted. Click through to read the post on Bindery for my full commentary.

Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee (Dell) — I am biased because I beta-read this book and make a cameo appearance. It is very funny, sexy and inventive. I would love it even if I didn’t know Laura, but I do and you should listen to our podcast episodes here and here!

10 Things I Hate About Zombies by Hazel Graves (Avon) — Hell yeah, a zombie double feature. In this rom-com our heroes accidentally cause a zombie outbreak with some mishandled mushrooms at a smoothie shop, so that’s a fun twist. 

A Study In Sparkling by Jodi McAlister (Atria) — Jodi is one of those people I feel like I know because we’ve been mutuals on social media forever. She has very good takes, and her latest romance features a heroine falling for a younger man! You may know her from her other novels An Academic Affair and Not Here to Make Friends. 

Love Like No One’s Watching by Alyssa Jarrett (indie) — The finale of Alyssa’s Glam Fam series is here! Following a humiliating breakup, a social media influencer stars in a Bachelor-esque reality dating show. Instead of crushing on any of the cast members, she falls for the CEO of the company sponsoring the program. Oopsie! I’m a big fan of Alyssa’s newsletter about the romance genre, Grumpy + Sunshine. 

A Spell of Heart & Havoc by Kristen Vale (Forever) — Sapphic/queer romantasy about a half-dwarf who infiltrates a wealthy family and falls for their spoiled daughter with a magical secret. LOOK at that beautiful cover.

Keepsakes and Kismet by Farrah Colson (indie) — Reviewers are praising this book’s representation of PTSD and touch-aversion, which I so rarely see in romance and I’m excited to read! 

Thank You for Remembering by Emily Harding (Gallery) — Amnesia romances have fallen out of fashion, but this contemporary romance looks sweet and well-executed. 

Captured By The Werewolf Highwaymen by Eva Leigh (indie) — Look, I'm not going to say no to a historical omegaverse why choose romance written by one of my favorite authors. I started reading this series on the subway and clutched my metaphorical pearls. These highwaymen fuck. I interviewed Eva about blending hist-rom and romantasy last year!

Upcoming Events:

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

10/5: I'm hosting another Romance Read-In to benefit Authors Against Book Bans at Book Club Bar in Manhattan on October 5th at 7:30pm! Tickets just went on sale here. We sold out last time, so don't hesitate. Featured authors include Shelly Jay Shore, Blair Fell, Zakiya N. Jamal, and the one and only Joanna Shupe!

Welcome back to another Read This If You Like That Series. I'm bringing you three more sets of book recs that compliment each other.

If you liked...

The Haar by David Sodergren, you should read Not Like Other Girls by A.L. Goldfuss.

Why? Both feature creatures that come from the sea and form a type of romantic relationship with a character. While The Haar features more of a positive relationship, Not Like Other Girls is more of a toxic relationship.

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy, you should read A Veritable Household Pet by Viggy Parr Hampton

Why? Both feature women who face challenges with their autonomy with threats of lobotomies.

What Hunger by Catherine Dang, you should read The Eyes Are The Best Part by Monika Kim.

Why? Both feature young women discovering their likes for the taste of "special meat" and experiencing a type of coming of rage.

HAPPY START OF LATINX HERITAGE MONTH, MIS INTERNET AMIGXS!!!

I first want to begin by wishing a Feliz Dia de la Independencia to my Costa Rican, El Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran and Nicaraguense friends! Today, I also want to send solidarity to ALL our Latine countries, many of which are experiencing a 21st century version of the imperialism that has long subjugated our countries.

Our existence IS resistance, even when the sound of celebration is only our own.

This administration has unleashed a coordinated and immoral attack on our communities here in the US, rooted in the racism and enslavement this country was founded on. In the past year, I’ve been called slurs, “reported to ICE”, and taunted more than I have in the previous 11 years I've been online combined and that was just for recommending books by Latinx authors and history. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I've been hesitant to wear my Latinx t-shirts out and about. I've whispered my Spanish while in public. I've questioned my commitment online to Latinx books. They want our fear and complicity, but I'll be damned if I'll give them mine.

Our joy IS weapon. Never forget that and never stop being proud of who WE are.

I’m so excited for the beginning of the celebrations, but I’ll be honest, you’re not going to see much different on this page. We already read Latinx 365 days of the year here on Bien Leidos.

Speaking of which, have YOU started The Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natera, our September fiction pick? Our nonfiction sidequest pick goes through October and it's The Latinx Guide to Liberation by Vanessa Pezo. Drop by Discord this month and chat these Latine books with us.

LET'S CLOSE THE PUBLISHING GAP TOGETHER!

Can you upgrade and support me at $5 a month or increase to $12 per month? I’m SOCLOSE to having my own imprint with Bindery and I’d love for that to become a reality this Latinx Heritage Month. I can only do that with your help and support. If you’ve been thinking of supporting Bien Leidos, today is the perfect day to start!

If you can't financially support today, then please SHARE Bien Leidos with your friends, colleagues and loved ones. Whether it be this newsletter or one of my social media posts today. It's through our shared community and vision that we grow and spread the word about Latinx literature!

BIEN LEIDOS BOOK CLUB T-SHIRTS

In case you missed it, WE HAVE T-SHIRTS (Lectores and Libritos members, you have a 15% off coupon code here) and they are SOOOOOO cute! These shirts are LIMITED EDITION. Sale end on September 30th.

Don't let the pink shirt I selected as a sample keep you from picking one up for yourself! I've made sure they are available in an array of colors, styles and sizes to fit all your tastes. 10% of net proceeds go towards the ILRC and all the work they're doing to support immigrants during this time.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Thank you all for voting in yesterday's poll to select which photo to use for Latinx Heritage Month. Things may look a little different when I post on socials in a bit, but just know you impacted my post with your vote and comments! ALSO....

NEW AND IMPROVED BINGO CARD!

I'll be posting more about the bingo card later this week, but here is our NEW AND IMPROVED card for you to download and use the remainder of the year.

AND NOW ON TO TODAY'S RELEASES!!!

We've got a book we missed last week plus THREE that were entered incorrectly for my spreadsheet that I missed for Lectores and Libritos members earlier this month, so LET'S GET STARTED!

Young Adult Novel In Verse

Evamar by Margarita Engle

Anger is Only A Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo (Audiobook--Elizabeth narrates the audiobook) My gushing review

NONFICITON

Storytelling: A Writing Life by Isabel Allende (Audiobook)

COOKBOOK

Foods of La Frontera: Recipes and New Taste Frontiers from Both Sides of the Border by Pati Jinich

Comemos: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Contemporary Mexican Cuisine by Alejandra Graf

TRANSLATED

Terrestrial by Cristina Rivera Garza and translated by Christina MacSweeney (Audiobook)

Silencio by Clyo Mendoza and translated by Christina McSweeney

FANTASY

Daughter of the Dark by R.J. Valdeperas (Audiobook)

HORROR

Rooted by Leopoldo Gout (Audiobook)

MIDDLE GRADE

Julieta and the Cryptic Rose by Luisana Duarte Armendariz (Audiobook)

MEMOIR

The Flowers Along The Way by Claudia Castro Luna

Bilingual Picture Book

Antonio's New Tacos by Veronica Benavides and Andres Acosta and illustrated by Addy Sonda

Young Adult Fantasy

Wolves of No World: Lobizona and Casadora Romina Garber (Audiobook Lobizona and Cazadora)

xoxo,

Carmen

Book Review

Book Info:

• Book #2 in the silvercloak saga

• Genre: Dark Fantasy (With Romantasy subplot)

• Pages: 522 pages

Ratings:

• Emotional Damage Rating 2/5

• Unputdownable/Binglable rating 3/5

• Mind Bender rating: 3,75/5

• Shock Factor Rating: 3/5

• Pacing Rating: 3/5

• Worlc Building rating: 4/5

• Spice rating 2/5

Remember that famous quote from Friends: "They don't know that we know"
That is the best way I can explain how the plot in this book was! There were secrets and plotting and scheming.

Turncloak picks up right where the first book (Silvercloak) left us. Though L.K. Steven revises what happened and who is who in the book, my little brain struggled to remember who everyone was and what happened in detail in the previous book. So with that said. I highly recommend you re-read the first book, Silvercloak, before tackling Turncloak.

My overall experience reading this book was very enjoyable and it was mostly due to Levan. This, to me, was Levan's book. I thoroughly enjoyed that we got more plot in his POV, and my heart feels a lot for him and how he desperately wants to find comfort and trust in people, and how utterly alone he feels. Every journey and choice each character makes in this book is never crystal clear or morally right (well not everyone) and it makes you think that there is always a bigger picture behind each person's actions.

L.K Steven's world-building is very intricate and detailed, so if you love world-building, this is a perfect read for you. The prose, I would like to describe was very grandiloquent (yes, I had to look up this word), which to me made me disconnect with the writing and storytelling from time to time. Pacing and plot progression-wise, compared to Silvercloak it felt a bit less progressive... I did find myself wishing things would evolve at a larger scale, but I have a feeling that in the third book, things will really kick off, it has not made me lose faith in the series

Would I recommend reading Turncloak? yes I would! The first book introduces the world and characters and the second books has us deep dive into our characters and their journeys. It's not as great as Silvercloak, but I have a feeling this second book is setting us up for something even better in the third book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

Hi friends!

I’m thrilled to share my interview with Gwenyth Reitz, author of You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker. You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker is a “swoonworthy YA supernatural romcom where two academic rivals are trapped as ghosts to haunt the same house. They'd kill each other...if they weren't already dead.” 👻

Gwenyth Reitz was born in Sri Lanka, and has lived and worked in California, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Japan, and Mongolia. When not intrepidly exploring, she writes genre-blending young adult stories with swoony romance, mystery, humor, and heart. Gwenyth now lives with her husband and two kids in New York City, where she can often be found scribbling late into the night on her rooftop like the caffeine-obsessed night owl she is. You're Dead to Me, Reed Walker is her debut novel.

Q: Where did the initial kernel of inspiration come from?

A: I was always that odd kid who would have loved to spend the night in Disney’s Haunted Mansion. In 2021, I was struck with the idea of writing about a decrepit mansion where two teen academic rivals die at their high school graduation party, but rather than follow the living, I wanted to invert the typical ghost story and follow the dead. Inspired by both the reluctant ghosts and forced proximity of Beetlejuice and the academic rivalry of Never Have I Ever, I imagined how complicated it would be to haunt a house with your nemesis. And how this would be so much more challenging if he were both super-hot and disarmingly charming, when he wasn’t being a smug, entitled twit.

Q: You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker is a bright, joyful, and hilarious romcom, but it also explores heavier topics like the weight of expectations, failure, grief, heartache, fear, anxiety, and regret. How did you approach balancing the darker and lighter themes to create an overall hopeful story?

A: As someone who has experienced grief, I wanted to explore the loss that both the living and the dead would feel in this situation. And Tessa, especially, also wrestles with her own anxiety and perfectionist tendencies. The story doesn’t shy away from the hard places, though there’s a light touch, with plenty of romance and humor to balance it out.

I think the trick is not to linger too long in any one direction. The characters feel things deeply, as they should, but they also have good senses of humor and can laugh at themselves. When thinking of the sequence of events, I tried to keep all the story threads moving between the mystery arc, the developing romance, and Tessa and Reed’s very real feelings about life moving on without them. I think this is helped by the fact that they are moving on, too. Their afterlife isn’t stasis. They’re growing, changing, finding love and each other, and ultimately feeling ready to tackle their next adventures.

Q: You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker truly put the rom in romcom. The romance, from the banter to the rivals-to-lovers tension to the delightful forced proximity, was irresistible. Would you walk us through your process for developing Tessa and Reed’s love story?

A: Writing Tessa and Reed’s enemies-to-more rivalry was so much fun. To flesh it out, it helped to give them a shared history going back to the sixth grade. Tessa has spent the past years haunted by all the ways Reed has stolen her glory by constantly snatching up the first-place trophies at spelling bees and science fairs. Rivalries also thrive on misunderstandings, and so the characters enter the story with years of assumptions about one another. However, as their walls come down, they begin to see the real person standing in front of them rather than the story they’ve told themselves.

As Tessa learns how challenging one another can be a positive force, she says, “He raises the bar, but I raise it right back.” Ultimately, they’re able to reframe their rivalry, moving from pushing each other’s buttons to pushing each other to become the best versions of themselves.

Q: You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker is told from both Tessa’s and Reed’s point of view. Would you walk us through your process for developing their distinct voices and characteristics—especially Tessa’s love of fashion and Reed’s love of guitar—and telling the story from two different perspectives?

A: When I originally conceived of and wrote You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker it was a single POV story, told from Tessa’s point of view. When Macmillan bought the book, my incredible editors hopped on a call with me and asked how I’d feel about bringing Reed’s perspective into the mix. I thought it was an inspired choice and I’m so glad we made that decision. I’ve loved writing Reed’s chapters, but it was definitely a challenge. I thought I knew him through his dialogue and presence in Tessa’s chapters, but it was much harder to get into his head and understand him from the inside out. It was also an interesting puzzle to uncover which elements of the story should be told from his point of view. Some chapters flipped from hers to his, adjusted for his voice and inner monologue, but others were written from scratch.

In the end, I truly love both Tessa and Reed. Having the opportunity to more fully explore Reed’s psyche softened me to him and helped me better understand the walls he puts up to the world and why. Plus, there’s something thrilling about writing a romance when you get to linger in both their perspectives. You can share with the reader all those moments of miscommunication and misunderstanding and how deeply they yearn for each other.

When developing Tessa and Reed, it was important to me to showcase their life and passions outside of school. Both are hardworking overachievers with hidden depth. Tessa grows up in a single-parent home where money gets tight after her father loses his job. Resourceful and creative, she thrifts and upcycles her clothes, though she jokes that her favorite thrift shop, Second Place, mirrors her unfortunate situation with Reed stealing the Valedictorian title. Meanwhile, Reed harbors his own secrets. Tessa knows he plays in a band, but she has no idea his true passion is learning flamenco guitar. Coming from a long line of Luthiers in Seville, Spain, Reed uses the instrument to connect with and honor the father he lost too soon.

Q: Tessa and Reed are ghosts for most of the story. How did you approach developing the mechanics of being a ghost—including what they could and could not do—and bonding Tessa and Reed through their shared ghostly experiences?

A: Figuring out the rules of the ghost world was a fascinating world-building challenge. I had to decide which tropes to embrace and which to subvert. Since the story uses a dual first-person POV, I needed the afterlife to feel visceral. After all, it’s hard to write a romance if your characters can’t touch. So, Tessa and Reed are solid to one another and able to sit on furniture. They still have the sensation of breathing or their hearts racing, even as they acknowledge this could merely be a habit that followed them into the afterlife. To feel their romantic tension as a reader, we need those physiological cues. But they don’t eat, they don’t sleep, and I just couldn’t bring myself to let them smell things because that felt too “of this world.”

Tessa and Reed also develop some classic ghostly abilities, like passing through walls, alongside a few unexpected powers I think will really surprise readers. No spoilers here, but those were quite fun to write. Ultimately, though, I didn’t want to magic them a way out of their problems. They have some abilities, but they also have some serious limitations. Learning to work within those boundaries or uncovering ways to channel their skills in unforeseen ways, is a lot of the fun of the book.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Tessa and Reed is how they attack the afterlife with the same gusto they brought to competing in school, determined to win. But as the story progresses, and they grow closer, they bond over their developing ghostly skills and ultimately team up to save their friends.

Q: In You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker, nothing goes as planned for Tessa or Reed. Throughout the story, they realize that they are more than their plans. How did you approach writing their development?

A: That has always been a core theme of the story for me, recognizing that all of us are more than our plans. Young people, especially, can easily engage in catastrophic thinking—"if I don’t achieve [X] by a certain time, I’ve failed”—but life rarely charts the course we expect. Tessa and Reed have the ultimate rug pulled out from under them; they die. But in that experience, and in the afterlife, they’re able to find themselves and find a deep love for each other. It may not have been the story they expected, but I truly believe they still get their HEA.

The book holds a lot: romance, mystery, rivalry, humor, paranormal adventures, and some big feelings. It’s my sincerest wish that readers find themselves both laughing and tearing up within these pages. And that they also learn to extend themselves the same grace that Tessa and Reed find in the end.

But I especially hope reader’s swoon over the fun, flirtatious banter between two academic rivals turned ghostly roommates who now must navigate the most inconvenient feelings ever.

Q: What has been one of your favorite moments as a debut author?

A: It is genuinely hard to pick a favorite moment as a debut author, but if I had to, I’d say one of the biggest joys of launching my book into the world is the reader interactions that follow. I’ve met the most incredible readers on my book tour or at signing events. Some have even cosplayed as Tessa, which blew me away. I’ve had teens reach out to me through my website to send me their fan art of Tessa and Reed, and strangers share messages about how much the book moved them. Writing can feel like such an isolated experience. We dream up these worlds in our little silos, but the story is no longer mine, it’s yours. I have been so touched to know that these characters, sprung from my imagination, have meant so much to people.

Q: After readers finish You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker, what books do you recommend they read?

A: I think a fantastic follow up book to You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker would be the charming and moving 72 Hours of You by my fellow 2026 debut, Darianne Schramm. The story follows Sydney, who is cursed to see pink death clocks hovering over people’s heads once they have only 72 hours left to live. But when the ever-optimistic and charming Peter comes into her life, they team up to help strangers make the best of their final days. Both books wrestle with themes of death and letting go, and both similarly manage to do so with a fun and humorous voice.

Another possible book to try next, and one that I’m also dying to read, is Jenny Howe’s How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House. It’s a spooky young adult romance that follows a supernatural skeptic who must team up with an amateur ghost hunter to fix up a haunted house in small-town Massachusetts. It’s similarly full of swoons and spooky season vibes and is the perfect story to dive into wrapped in a cozy sweater with a big mug of apple cider.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

A: I think one of the best things you can do as an aspiring author is to read and read widely. When I started down this path nine years ago, I was already a voracious reader of YA fiction. But as I wanted to step into writing my own stories, I began to read books with fresh and curious eyes, looking closely at the craft involved. I created my own color-coded highlighting system and would make copious notes as I went. That may not be the right path for everyone, but it certainly helped me refine my skills and style.

One of the other things that has really helped me over the years when I’ve gotten stuck or felt like my inner critic was becoming too loud, is to step away from the draft I’m working on and try the chapter again in an entirely new document. I give myself full permission to play and to fail. Somehow, when I take away the stakes of something having to be good enough to include in the novel, I find that I can approach the story with just the spirit of freedom it needs to shine.

Q: What’s up next?

A: My next book is a YA speculative romcom called Prom Anomaly. It’s for fans of The Do-Over by Lynn Painter and See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon with some of the revenge energy of John Tucker Must Die mixed in.

Here’s the pitch: A prom queen wannabe and a loner outcast are forced to relive their same disastrous prom on repeat until they do the improbable—fall in love—in this slow-burn, speculative romcom about prom, probability theory, and the last person you’d ever expect to fall for.

Thank you so much to Gwen for joining me in discussing her incredible debut here on Bindery, as well as at Annabelle’s Book Club LA in May! 💕

Good afternoon, mis internet amigxs!

I need your help! I'm working on my caption for tomorrow's Latinx Heritage Month kick-off and am having a tiny dilemma.

If you're not familiar, I have been doing these flatlays for the kick-off of Latinx Heritage Month for years. If you want to take a look, here are the past 6 years:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

And what I'm wondering is, this year, with everything going on, do I give: defiant eyebrow (A.) or joy as resistance (B.)? Let me know in the poll below.

I think I know which one I am going to choose, but would love your insight and thoughts in the comments if you have them.

You'll get the final photo and caption delivered first to your inbox tomorrow morning along with all the day's Latine releases.

Nos vemos mañana,

Carmen

Mini reviews from our contributors' recent reads

The Sea Captain's Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World by Tilar J. Mazzeo 

From Mhairie

Aside from the (deliberately) reductive title I found this non-fiction enthralling. The Sea Captain's Wife was Mary Ann Patten who, at the age of 19 and in the circumstances she was given, sailed a clipper ship around Cape Horn and safely to harbour, in Winter. And put down a mutiny while doing it. The tale is dramatic enough you'd be hard-pressed selling it to TV. Captain Mrs. Patten laid some strong groundwork for the 19th Amendment while "just doing [her] duty to [her] husband" and yet we don't hear her story anymore. This reads like a novel despite being completely true and well researched. I read it in a couple of sittings. For fans of Maritime settings, Dashka Slater and feminist history.

Content warnings from TheStorygraph: confinement, misogyny, death, terminal illness

Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono, translated by Emily Balistrieri

From Nox

Kiki is my favorite Studio Ghibli movie, so I was incredibly excited to read the book that inspired it! There are a lot of differences between the book and movie, but that’s not necessarily a negative thing. The book is told in a series of vignettes, with the majority of them being different deliveries or tasks that Kiki completes over the course of a year living in the seaside town of Koriko (which, side note, I was so excited to hear the town is called Koriko, as I love a solo TTRPG called Koriko: A Magical Year that is inspired by the book!). You see the town’s attitude about Kiki change, as well as the friends that she makes. I also loved the worldbuilding that was explored more in the book. I highly recommend Kiki’s Delivery Service: the book and the movie!

Content warnings from TheStorygraph: bullying, body shaming, pregnancy, misogyny

Chase Me if You Can By Heather Frances

From Shoshana

I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed this book. The fast-paced, engaging storyline will delight meteorology enthusiasts with the lush descriptions of clouds, tornados, and summer storms. The funny yet emotionally charged moments between Sloane and Wes are balanced by difficult family dynamics that add to the complex relationships. Great for fans of the 2025 Twister movie, Chelsea Curto, and Mason Deaver.

Content warnings from TheStorygraph: sexual content, sexism, chronic illness, car accident, emotional abuse

Hello my friends!!

The secret is out! We are publishing a cozy horror!

The votes are in and this October we will be reading:

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher.

This is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher and while the cover looks pretty freaky, the horror elements are light, I promise. It's much more gothic with creepy stuffy thrown in (cause its T Kingfisher!) but for those who are scared of the horror genre, please don't run away! This is also a novella so if you are a fast reader you can absolutely continue on in the series and chat about those books as well!

Hoping this earlier announcement helps you get your hands on a copy in time. Can't wait to discuss it with you on our Discord!

Happy Monday, friends!

I am so happy that nearly 40 of you have joined me here on Bindery! I know adding another platform when there are already so many to keep up with is a big ask, so I want to make sure that my Bindery page is worth it!

There are many features and perks that I am considering for different tiers of membership, but I want to offer the ones that are most meaningful to you!

In order to do this, I have created a short and super easy survey that will help me tailor the path of this page going forward. Please click here to submit your answers!

As a "thank you" for providing me with this data, I will be awarding one lucky winner, chosen from those who complete the survey, with a $25 gift card to either Bookshop.org or LibroFM.

Winner will be chosen on Sunday, September 20, so don't hit snooze!

Thank you for being here and I can't wait to make this site even more fun!

Giveaway is not affiliated with Bindery Books or any other publisher or retailer. Void where prohibited

Is it just me or is September flying by? This month is a huge month for me Arc wise and so far I'm keeping up! I know it's not a must to review before release date, but I try my best---especially with indie authors and publishers.

I just finished the AMAZING A Thousand Monstrous Forms by Saratoga Schaefer, which is a sapphic bluebeard retelling. I gave this one five stars. An absolute delight.

I'm finishing up Hollow Folk by Andrew K. Clark and will be reviewing this week for my featured review on Wednesday.

I'm reading the second book in the The Boogeyman Series, Becoming The Boogeyman in preperation for both the release of book three releasing October 6th, and my interview with the author coming soon. If you have any questions you would love to ask Richard Chizmar, comment down below or in our discord.

I also plan to pick up The Need by Megan Mostyn-Brown which involves "special meat" and sound super interesting.

What are you reading this week?

Here are some new releases coming out Tuesday that I have had the chance to read and want to make sure are on your radar.

Sleep Well, Mommy by Mi-ae Seo 4/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy a creepy psychological thriller translated from Korean. We're exploring what makes a serial killer, up close and personal.

Fallow by Sarah Anderson 4.25/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy absurd workplace situations and discussions of reproductive justice.

Winterveil by Ava Reid 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoyed The Naturals and Ender's Game (before you recognized the author of the latter was queerphobic). Bright teens are selected to serve their country in an alternate timeline where the Cold War didn’t end. Even better, it’s queer (take that, Orson Scott Card).

Formosa Exchange by Chong-Kai Huang (9/18 release in UK) 4/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy speculative fiction that explores other cultures. In this one, the populations of Taiwan and Cuba swap places.

And I want to include a non-fiction book that felt like it was written for me:

Damned if She Does by Sarah Stankorb 4.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you have deconstructed from evangelicalism or love those who have. This is the first book that most clearly lined out why I left the church.

Hello and happy Monday! I was on a reading tear last week. Turns out that can happen when you put the video games down for a minute, ha. Books marked with a * were gifted to me, and books marked with a ^ I was paid to read.

A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler - I'm not sure this really counts as reading a book, since it's essentially a fancy reprint of a magazine essay. But it's still quite thought provoking, with Butler writing about how no one solution will "fix" the future. The artwork in this edition is beautiful, too.

Long Division by Kiese Laymon - I REGRET PUTTING THIS BOOK OFF FOR SO LONG. It's so good. Laymon's writing is so smart, cutting, funny, devastating. This book is kind of two stories nested inside each other, and as soon as I finished part 2 I was ready to go back and reread part 1, and maybe just read the book forever in an endless loop. I can't believe this only has a 3.8 rating on Storygraph. That is INCORRECT. I am never going to stop thinking about City and his friends.

The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil Durán* - I've read a couple of Silicon Valley "tell-alls" in the last few years, so there wasn't a ton of new information for me in this book, but Durán does a great job of putting together a larger timeline rather than just following one person or company like the other books do. Previously I did not understand why there was a sudden focus on end times/the antichrist in the tech world, but after reading this I can now easily see how it was there all along. If I had a time machine, it would be a real toss up between Hitler and Peter Thiel, is all I'm saying.

She's A Doll by Barbara Truelove* - This book is bananas in the best way. It's heavy, but has the right black humor to balance that out. Basically, a woman is murdered and her ghost attaches to a porcelain doll, and she vows revenge. I found it a bit frustrating how physically limited the doll was. I expected the book to be more of a rampage, but that didn't happen until near the end. The strange relationship between Lucy and Nicola was a treat for those of us who love weird girls, though. Bonus: surprise ace rep! Double bonus: this is a Bindery publication!

Wisdom on the Rocks by Michael Penn^ - This one started out pretty interesting, setting up a satirical megacorp and a man trying to climb the ranks. He gets assigned a project that seems doomed to fail, plus partnered with a strange old man he's never even seen around the office before. However, the life lessons Morty (the old man) tries to impart are so muddled they're hard to follow. Also, the character of Morty isn't like, outright antisemitic, but he's basically three Jewish stereotypes in a trenchcoat.

Hi nerds,

We now have a functioning bookselling e-commerce solution!!! I don't know if you know this, but the bookselling software options have historically been both extremely expensive AND look like they're from the 1980's. The most popular one with indies is called Bookmanager, and not only does it have a year waitlist, it also has a 10k price tag. Not happening.

I've been stumbling along and making due with having no real way outside of Bookshop.org to sell books online for the last 3 years, but the bookselling heavens have smiled down on me and our gorgeous POS providers (Omnibus! If you're a bookseller and want me to talk your ear off about the benefits of Omnibus, hmu!) are now offering an e-comm solution as well. I feel like we're a real bookstore now.

What does this mean for you? Well, there are new and improved ways to shop and support Sunny's online now.

How do I shop online?

• Clicking the "Buy Books" button in the header on our website (sunnysbooktruck.com) will now take you to our new book shopping section.

What books can I buy online?

• All of our current, in-store book inventory is reflected on the website (!!!) AND literally any book you search for is orderable as well. Browsing the shelves you see on the left sidebar takes you to what we have in stock for each section, but you can search for any title in the searchbar in the header.

Do you offer local pickup?

• Yes! Choose local pickup at checkout, no shipping fees. We'll email you as soon as your order is ready.

How long will my order take?

• In-stock titles: Ready for pickup or shipped within 1–2 business days.

• Special orders: Typically ship or are ready for pickup within 5–7 business days. The books have to get to us before they can get to you!

When do I need to pick up my order and how do I pay?

• You're welcome to prepay online or pay when you pick up in person. We just ask that you pick up within 2 weeks of your ready notification, it helps us keep our shelves and back stock organized!

Where do I buy merch?

• All of our merch and book club orders are routed through our other main website. If you are looking to buy merch AND books, you'll have to check out twice. It's annoying, we know! We're sorry.

Wait so should we not use Bookshop.org anymore?

• We still love Bookshop.org, and they have some great seasonal sales and free shipping offers, but the truth is we get 30% of the revenue from a Bookshop sale vs 46-50% if you buy from us directly and use this new part of our site. It's up to you of course, but more of your purchase stays with us when you buy direct.

I think that's it! This is still a fairly new platform, so PLEASE let me know if you run into any kinks, but we've had a handful of orders come through already that have worked perfectly.

If you're a local custie who is used to DMing/emailing me when you put in a special order, feel free to self serve now. All of it gets fed in the backend to my publisher orders. No more "oops CJ actually forgot to put that in because shes doing 134667255 things" apology emails from me!

Alright, more to come I'm sure, but explore the site and peep some of the shoppable lists while you're at it:

Love you!!!

CJ