November has always been my favorite of the ’ber months. 🍂

There's something about this time of year that makes me want to slow down a little. The weather FINALLY starts cooling off here in South Carolina, there's good food, even better company, and everything just feels a little cozier. It's usually a quieter month for me, and honestly? I love that.

But lately, I've also been thinking a lot about community.

A little while ago, I received some pretty insanely hateful comments on YouTube. And while I know putting yourself on the internet means opening yourself up to criticism, there's a big difference between disagreeing with someone's opinion about a book and being downright cruel.

When I shared what happened on Instagram, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the love and support I received. People took time out of their days to send kind messages, share their own experiences, and remind me why I started talking about books on the internet in the first place.

And THAT is what I've been thinking about.

Because at the end of the day, I don't want to just recommend books. I want to build a space where people genuinely enjoy talking about them. Where we can have wildly different opinions about the same story and still have a fantastic conversation. Where we celebrate each other's reading wins, help each other through reading slumps, and enthusiastically convince complete strangers to add another 15 books to their TBRs. 😂

That's what I want The Reading Room to be.

I've been a little quiet here lately, but I've also been rethinking what I want this space to look like moving forward. And I've realized I don't want Bindery to be just another place where I share content you can already find on Instagram or YouTube.

I want it to feel like an actual community. A place where we can pull up a chair, grab our favorite drink, and dish about BOOKS. All the books. Across every genre.

So here's what you can expect moving forward:

📖 The Reading Journal: More candid updates about what I'm reading, what I'm loving, what's disappointing me, and everything in between. Think less polished review and more chatting with a friend.

💬 Between the Pages: Bookish discussions, unpopular opinions, reading habits, trope debates, and all those questions that deserve more than a quick Instagram comment.

📚 The TBR Table: A place to swap recommendations, discover hidden gems, and help each other figure out what to read next.

🎙️ Beyond the Episode: I'll still share some of my YouTube videos and author interviews here, but I want to take those conversations even further. Let's discuss the books, the authors, and the ideas that stick with us long after the episode ends.

☕ The Reading Room Roundtable: Monthly check-ins where we can share our favorite reads, biggest surprises, reading plans, and whatever else is happening in our bookish lives.

And here's the most important part: This community will ALWAYS be free. No paywalls, no pressure, and absolutely no reading requirements.

Whether you read 200 books a year or you're struggling to finish your first, whether you're a fantasy fanatic, a romance lover, a horror enthusiast, or someone who reads a little bit of everything, you belong here.

I want this to be a place where we can disagree without being disrespectful, get excited about the stories we love, and remember that reading is supposed to be FUN.

So, consider this our official welcome back to The Reading Room. 🖤

Let's start with a little catch-up: What are you reading right now, and how has your reading year been treating you?

I want to hear ALL about it. The five-star favorites, the disappointing reads, the unexpected discoveries, and everything in between.

I'm so glad you're here. 🖤

Here’s your weekly round-up of brand new, progressive-leaning 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.

Sunflower Season by Danica Nava (Berkley) — We stan Danica Nava!!! Her third romance is out just in time for Native American Heritage Month. What happens when a burned-out tech employee fantasizes about homesteading and buys a crumbling sunflower farm in her rural Oklahoma hometown? Who could predict that her ex-boyfriend never left and still wants to know what went wrong between them? I am tearing into Sunflower Season as soon as my pre-order arrives today.

Cut to the Ending by Maria Millage (Little, Brown & Co) —  Aspiring screenwriter Delaney gets the opportunity to write the finale of a massive fantasy franchise. But there’s a catch… she’s never seen it. Enter Max, an anxious assistant in search of his big break who knows the canon of the franchise back and forth. Friend of the pod Mallory Marlowe wrote in her blurb, “The deft knowledge of the entertainment industry make this book a masterclass in Hollywood romances. Maria Millage is about to become a shining star of her own in this genre!”

Sold to the Werewolf Highwaymen by Eva Leigh (Indie) — The third novella in Eva’s paranormal why choose erotic romance series! Eva is pumping these out and we thank her for it.

Happily Ever After the Murders by Rae Wilde (Legacy Lit) — More of a thriller than a romance, but we’ve got late-in-life lesbians on the run after committing a murder. Golden Girls meets Thelma and Louise but confirmed queer.

The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow by Caitríona Moran (G.P. Putnam's Sons) — This enemies-to-lovers romantasy caught my eye because the heroine is an abortionist accused of being a witch. Interesting to me that we're finally getting the abortion stories folks expected after the fall of Roe v. Wade and they're mostly in genres removed from our reality (i.e. speculative sci-fi Buzzard by Inez Ray, historical romance A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera).

The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams (Lake Union Publishing) — A tearjerker about a widow still learning her late husband’s secrets as she parents their teenagers alone… and falls for the gruff manager of her parents’ antique store.

Final Cut by Amy James (indie) — This M/M Formula 1 romance is the next in the Crash Test series. I have mad respect for Amy for self-publishing more books in this world after Avon didn’t pick them up. It rocks seeing traditionally published authors be so transparent about going indie.

Are You Staying, Mandy Boyle? by Melanie Moore (Blackstone Publishing) — I am always going to root for a contemporary romance about local journalism.

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs!

It is ELECTION DAY! If you read and love Latinx books, then you should vote to protect the people that write and are represented in those books. Vote against additional funding for ICE and to protect your libraries. There is SO MUCH at stake today. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

It's not too late to make a voting plan.

Not registered, 20 states and the District of Columbia offer same-day voter registration.

Hope you all had a safe Halloween and are adjusting well to the new time (if you're in the US). I was so excited to hand out books on Saturday and then it rained all night and we had ZERO trick-or-treaters. I plan on donating my extra books in an attempt to prune my library before the end of the year.

Before we got to the November and December Latine releases on my radar, I wanted to acknowledge that I can't believe the holidays and another year are right around the corner. Compiling this newsletter is a labor of love. I hope it inspires some holiday shopping for your loved ones, friends and colleagues.

NOVEMBER BOOK CLUB

We are beginning reading Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli TODAY! If you've never joined Discord book club, no worries! We're a laid back bunch. It's okay if you get started a little late. Today, we're beginning with a poll question in the chat. Join us, especially if you want to get a head start on reading more Latinx books in 2027!

As a reminder, we DO NOT have a November/December nonfiction sidequest book selected. However, we've opened up a self-study channel for anyone reading Latinx nonfiction these last couple of months of the year that wants to share with the community!

And, now, onto the next 60 days of Latinx book releases...

NOVEMBER 3rd

They Called Us Wicked by Gloria Munoz Young (Audiobook) A YA Dystopian sci-fi fantasy novel about witches, witchcraft, magic, and rebellion

Hate to Love You by Jade Hernandez (Audiobook) Book 2 of the El Rancho De Los Corazones romance series -- rivals to lovers featuring Gabriela whose family rancho is being bought by Francisco.

Secret Daughter by Veronica Gonzalez Peña (Audiobook) A novel of dislocation and psychoanalytic self-revelation, of a fragmented life, strewn from Mexico City to the American Midwest, from California to the tip of Long Island.

In The Beginning Was The Sea by Tomas Gonzalez and translated by Frank Wynne: Translated literary fiction/humor -- a couple's search for a rural paradise on the Caribbean coast takes a sinister turn in this darkly ironic modern classic.

Behind The Gate by Amparo Davila and translated by Hudson Hernan Ronsino and Mallory Craig-Kuhn: Horror short horror story collection

I'm Still Here by Marcelo Rubens Paiva and translated by Alison Entrekin & Daniel Hahn: Adapted into the Academy Award winning Film of the same name, this is the story of a boy whose father is tortured by the Brazillian dictatorship when he was 11 years old and his search for answers 25 years later.

The Perfect Gift by Julio Torres (Audiobook) In this beautifully illustrated book from a brilliantly absurd mind, Julio Torres, cult comedian, filmmaker, and former Saturday Night Live writer, brings his signature surreal humor to this creative collection of gift ideas for every person and occasion

NOVEMBER 10th

Loba by Valentina Cano Repetto (Audiobook) Isabel Cana's The Hacienda meets V. Castro's The Haunting of Alejandra in this split-timeline gothic horror set in a remote lighthouse at the edge of Uruguay

In Latin America, You Could Be Free: An African American History by Yesenia Barragan: A hemispheric history of how free and fugitive antebellum African Americans sought freedom in Latin America.

Journey: The Year That Changes Everything: 365 Daily Reflections to Build Self-Awareness and Inner Peace by Yung Pueblo (Audiobook) Journal/workbook to work on personal growth

NOVEMBER 17th

Two Can Play That Game by Zakiya N. Jamal (Audiobook) After a chance courtside encounter, a fake relationship between a rising influencer and a WNBA star gets a little too real in this swoony sapphic romance.

Post-Disaster Futures: Ruin, Repair, and Decolonial Imagination in Puerto Rico edited by Yarimar Bonilla and Isabel Guzzardo Tamargo (Audiobook) An interdisciplinary exploration of how Puerto Ricans are redefining futurity in defiance of imperial violence and infrastructural collapse

DECEMBER 1st

Till Quest Do Us Part by Ivelisse Housman (Audiobook) COZY ROMANTASY: days before her wedding to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, a queen discovers that she and her faithful knight companion remain bound by oaths sworn to one another a decade ago on the eve of a final battle and must go on more last quest to break the divine magic that still blinds them

xo,

Carmen

PS--I'm not sure if 12/1 is truly the end of Latinx releases or if there is something not updated in my spreadsheet. As I work through 2027 releases, if I find more, you'll receive a supplementary newsletter.

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs!

It is ELECTION DAY! If you read and love Latinx books, then you should vote to protect the people that write and are represented in those books. Vote against additional funding for ICE and to protect your libraries. There is SO MUCH at stake today. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

It's not too late to make a voting plan.

Not registered, 20 states and the District of Columbia offer same-day voter registration.

Hope you all had a safe Halloween and are adjusting well to the new time (if you're in the US). I was so excited to hand out books on Saturday and then it rained all night and we had ZERO trick-or-treaters. I plan on donating my extra books in an attempt to prune my library before the end of the year.

Before we got to the November and December Latine releases on my radar, I wanted to acknowledge that I can't believe the holidays and another year are right around the corner. Compiling this newsletter is a labor of love. I hope it inspires some holiday shopping for your loved ones, friends and colleagues.

SUPPORT BIEN LEIDOS!

A wonderful gift you can give yourself this holiday season is the git of Latinx books--exclusive sneak peaks, an early newsletter detailing EVERYTHING about the Latinx releases and you'll be the first to chisme. Your monthly financial support means everything in an industry that's stacked against Latinx authors. UPGRADE NOW to help support the work I do and help me become an imprint!

NOVEMBER BOOK CLUB

We are beginning reading Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli TODAY! If you've never joined Discord book club, no worries! We're a laid back bunch. It's okay if you get started a little late. Today, we're beginning with a poll question in the chat. Join us, especially if you want to get a head start on reading more Latinx books in 2027!

As a reminder, we DO NOT have a November/December nonfiction sidequest book selected. However, we've opened up a self-study channel for anyone reading Latinx nonfiction these last couple of months of the year that wants to share with the community!

And, now, onto the next 60 days of Latinx book releases...

NOVEMBER 3rd

They Called Us Wicked by Gloria Munoz Young (Audiobook)

Hate to Love You by Jade Hernandez (Audiobook)

Secret Daughter by Veronica Gonzalez Peña

In The Beginning Was The Sea by Tomas Gonzalez and translated by Frank Wynne

Behind The Gate by Amparo Davila and translated by Hudson Hernan Ronsino and Mallory Craig-Kuhn

I'm Still Here by Marcelo Rubens Paiva and translated by Alison Entrekin & Daniel Hahn

The Perfect Gift by Julio Torres (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen

Today is Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and it's one of my favorite holidays of the year. This entire season is where mentally I thrive (even if physically, I'm dealing with the October Slide), from Halloween to Samhain to Día de los Muertos, and I think that's because there is something comforting about knowing that no matter what, our ancestors have been through it, and they're here for us.

My family started celebrating Día de los Muertos when I was seven years old, which makes this my twentieth year celebrating. Even though it looks a lot different for me now, the heart of it remains the same. It's impossible to talk about this holiday without talking about the communities that have supported me, the ancestors who have raised me, everyone who has contributed to who I am as a person. My mom, in an effort to help me connect more with my Mexican heritage, found a workshop by an organization called Self-Help Graphics in East LA. We learned about the significance of the holiday, how to create tissue paper marigolds, and how to create an ofrenda. At the time, I didn't personally know anyone who had died, so the very first altar we put together was dedicated to one of my grandmother's cats who I had never met. Two weeks later, my gramps's mother, my GG, died, and she was on the altar the next year and all the years after that.

Creating an ofrenda is simultaneously an uplifting and heartbreaking activity for me, because as I have gotten older, more people have passed on and are on the altar. My grandparents, who were moreso a second pair of parents and helped raised me, died a year apart from each other. Now the only people left making ofrendas are me and my mom, over a thousand miles apart from each other but remembering the same people. There's also the knowledge that someday, I will be adding both of my parents to the altar.

The ofrenda is also a monument to everyone who has ever loved me though, and makes me reflect and think of how they have made me who I am. I wouldn't be a part of Feminist Book Club if it wasn't for my grandparents raising not just my mom but me as well with a deep sense of social justice, or a love for books and learning. I also wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the ancestors who, while not related to me, have guided who I am and given me opportunities.

This Día de los Muertos, in addition to my grandparents, Sam and Anna Quiroz, my great-grandmothers, Angela Reyna and Irma Crespin, and my childhood cat, Artimis, I remember hero of the working class and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta. I remember transgender activist and member of the Stonewall Riots, Marsha P. Johnson. I remember singer and activist Dolly Parton, whose music has always had a place in my home.

I also remember the numerous people who have been murdered by ICE, outside and inside of detention camps: Guillermo Pascual Verganza, Luis Sandoval, Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, Julian Curo-Churata, Carlos Josue Marchena-Marchena, Lian Yong Wei, Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, Prisciliana Trejo Ricano, Jesus Manuel Arenas-Silva, Adrian Andreas Florian, Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, Mamuka Artmeladze, Denny Adan Gonzales, Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, Tuan Van Bui, José Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, Royer Perez-Jimenez, Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, Emmanuel Clifford Damas, Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, Lorth Sim, Heber Sanchez Domínguez, Victor Manuel Diaz, Parady La, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Nunez, Caceres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti, and Keith Porter, and the others who have died before 2026.

I remember those who have died from gun violence, including Valentino Marcos Alvero, Hongying Jian, Yu Lun Kao, Lilan Li, Ming Wei Ma, Mymy Nhan, Muoi Dai Ung, Chia Ling Yau, Wen-Tau Yu, Xiujuan Yu, and Diana Man Ling Tom, who were killed in the 2023 Lunar New Year shooting in my hometown.

Today is Día de los Muertos, but tomorrow is Election Day, and I will be voting not just for myself, my communities, and my ancestors, but for my nieces, my godchildren, and my future descendants, because when they look back someday and put me on the ofrenda, I want to be an ancestor they can be proud of.

For members of the $25 and up tier, it's time to give your input for what you want for the winter book box, shipping in a few months. (And a reminder, if you're not in that tier yet, that you can upgrade in the next week to still qualify for the winter box!)

Who F*cked What for Halloween

I feel like this year was a little tame for Halloween. Although, somebody did fuck a corn dog, so that was new and fun. But of course, there was still the usual scarecrow and pumpkin monster for sure. So let's go through all the Halloween books I read last month and see who fucked what.

1. 1. No Bones About It - Cassandra Elizzabeth

   Woman and a 12 foot Sentient Decorative Skeleton. He communicates through his LED eyes and magically grows a baculum and pumpkin spiced cum.

2. Chillpimples: Assquatch - Whit Slorp

   This. Was. A lot. Even for me which is saying a lot. A man falls for Sasquatch but we refer to him as assquatch because he is bootylicious and releases a pheromone through farting...yuck.

3. Taken by the Scarecrow - Kitty L. Black

   Scarecrow has a corncob dick and pops his kernels off in a woman. Then he rips off a fresh corn cob to go round two.

4. These Delicious S'mores Camp Out Bisexually in My Butt - Chuck Tingle

   Camp Counselor bangs life size marshmallow, chocolate bar and graham cracker.

5. One Night in the Patch - Bethanie Loren

   Basically a pumpkin monster with a candy corn dick. He had apple cider flavored cum. Yummm.

6. Fuckin' the Pumpkin' - J.B. Carter

   Man is "blessed" with a dream girl pumpkin lady and gets to fuck her in the patch but wakes up to a pumpkin with a hole in it...

7. Oops! I Paid an Etsy Witch After Seeing a Man Made of Wicker and My House is Full of Furniture Men! - Erica Crop & Brynne Devereaux

   She fucks a wicker man, a green glass man, bread basket with baguette dick, coffee maker with a frothing wand dick, a book shelf, and they also start to fuck each other.

8. S/layed in the Woods: A Monster Rivals Romance - Latex Nova

   Basically Winter and Summer need to kill each other and try to get someone to fuck them.

9. Hollow - C.M Nascosta

   This was two stories but I only read Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horsemen. It's Ichabod and two Horesemen fucking in the showers at the polo club.

10. Corned on Fright Night - Ginger Kane

    A giant sentient corn dog squirts his mustard a little early on his maker. But they don't mind. He gets them off a little later in the hall of mirrors.

11. Pumpkin Pounder - Laura Lovely

    This was the most straightforward, girl likes to fuck read heads...and she does!

12. Corny - Sabrina Cross

    Demon gets stuck in a giant crocheted Candy corn and girl starts to hump said candy corn. She also fucks the demon in her dreams but the candy corn fucking is funnier.

Next up, stuffing!

The First Editions, your Sidelined Souls by Sarah A. Bailey reader kits are officially ready! 🎉📖

Whether you’re reading along with your book club, gathering with friends, or diving into the story on your own, we’ve created these Sidelined Souls reader guides and book club resources to help you get even more out of your reading experience.

✨ Ready to start? Tap the links to download your reader kits and get your pages turning!

Book Club Kit

Individual Member Reader Guide

Solo Reader Kit 

Buddy Reader Kit 

And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out our Sidelined Souls deep-dive book review. We’re going beyond the quick review to dig deeper into the story, themes, characters, and everything that made this book worth talking about. 💬📚

So grab your book, download your kit, and come join the conversation with The Page Ladies. Because we’re firm believers that the best part of reading a great book is having someone to talk about it with! 💕📖

Have you started Sidelined Souls yet? What are you most looking forward to discussing?

#SidelinedSouls #SarahABailey #BookClubKit #ReaderGuide #ThePageLadiesBookClub

Sometimes the person you’re trying hardest not to fall for is the person your heart never stopped choosing. 💕🌊🏈

There’s something especially irresistible about a childhood sweetheart's romance. Maybe it’s the history. Maybe it’s the familiarity. Or maybe it’s the idea that two people can spend years convincing themselves they’ve moved on while their hearts are quietly saying, Absolutely not.

That’s the emotional territory Sarah A. Bailey explores in Sidelined Souls, an emotional accidental pregnancy romance and second-chance romance set against the sun-soaked backdrop of California surf culture.

And let’s just say… Allie and Archer have a LOT of history to unpack.

🌊 The Story

Allie Evans and Archer Ramos have known each other practically their entire lives. They were childhood best friends, first loves, and eventually two people who broke each other’s hearts badly enough to decide that being friends was safer than risking their relationship again.

So naturally, they establish boundaries.

Because boundaries always work perfectly when two people are still hopelessly drawn to each other, right?

Right?

Well… not exactly. 😉

When Archer returns home to Pacific Shores for the summer, he has one major goal: stay focused on his future. After his final college football season, his dream of being drafted into the professional football league is within reach, and he cannot afford distractions.

Unfortunately for Archer, Allie Evans has always been his biggest distraction.

Allie is also trying to build a future of her own. After graduating from culinary school, she’s working as a dance instructor and trying to put her relationship with her insufferable ex-boyfriend behind her. For once, she wants to prioritize herself and figure out exactly what she wants her life to look like.

Then a routine doctor's appointment changes everything.

Allie is pregnant.

And the person she instinctively wants to tell first is the one person whose future she is afraid of disrupting.

Archer.

From that moment forward, the carefully constructed lives they’ve been building begin to shift. Their friendship changes. Their romantic history resurfaces. Their trust is tested. And the future Archer has been working toward suddenly has another set of possibilities attached to it.

What follows is a story about two people trying to figure out how to move forward when the life they planned and the life they’re actually living no longer look the same.

💕 More Than a Second-Chance Romance

One of the things we appreciated about Sidelined Souls is that the romance isn't simply about two people realizing they still have feelings for one another.

Allie and Archer already know they have feelings.

That’s the problem.

Their challenge is figuring out whether love alone is enough to build something lasting.

They have years of friendship and history between them, but history can be both a beautiful foundation and a complicated weight to carry. They know each other’s habits, fears, dreams, and weaknesses. They also know exactly where the other person has hurt them before.

That makes their relationship feel much more complicated than a typical “will they/won’t they?” romance.

The question becomes:

Can they create something new without simply falling back into the same patterns that broke them the first time?

And honestly, that is such a good book-club question.

🏈 Archer: Dreams, Pressure & the Fear of Losing It All

Archer enters the story with a very specific picture of his future.

Professional football is the dream. He has worked toward it, sacrificed for it, and spent years believing that reaching that goal is what comes next.

Then Allie’s pregnancy changes the equation.

What makes Archer’s situation particularly interesting for discussion is the pressure surrounding the choices he has to make. He isn’t simply deciding whether he loves Allie. He has to consider what kind of future he wants, what responsibilities he is ready to take on, and whether pursuing one dream means sacrificing another.

And there’s something inherently relatable about that struggle.

Most of us have experienced moments when life refuses to follow the outline we created for it. Maybe it’s a career change, a relationship ending, an unexpected opportunity, or a completely unexpected complication.

Sometimes the hardest part isn't making a decision.

It’s grieving the version of your future you thought you were going to have.

🍳 Allie: Learning to Put Herself First

Allie has dreams of her own, and we loved that her identity isn’t reduced to her relationship with Archer or her pregnancy.

She is a culinary school graduate. She teaches dance. She has recently ended a relationship that wasn't serving her. She is beginning to figure out who she is and what she wants when she isn't defining herself through someone else.

Then everything changes.

For Allie, the pregnancy brings an entirely new set of questions.

How much should she ask of Archer?

How much should she sacrifice?

What does she actually want?

And perhaps most importantly, how does she make room for someone else without losing the independence she has only just begun to claim?

Those questions give Allie’s story an emotional layer that goes beyond the romance itself.

💭 The Conversations We Had

This is where Sidelined Souls really gives a book club plenty to work with.

There are so many directions a discussion could take, including:

💕 Childhood Sweethearts & First Love
Does growing up together give a couple a stronger foundation, or can all that history make it harder to move forward?

🌊 Second Chances
When two people have already hurt each other, what has to change before trying again becomes worth the risk?

🏈 Dreams vs. Relationships
Can someone pursue a major career dream while also making room for a relationship and family? Does choosing one necessarily mean giving up the other?

🤍 Unexpected Parenthood
How does an unexpected pregnancy change the way people see themselves and their future?

🚧 Boundaries
Allie and Archer try to create rules to protect themselves. But can boundaries actually work when neither person has truly moved on?

💬 Communication & Trust
How much of a relationship’s success comes down to being willing to have the difficult conversations?

🌱 Growing Up Together vs. Growing Together
There’s a big difference between growing up alongside someone and continuing to grow with them. Which one do you think Allie and Archer have to learn?

🌴 The California Setting

The California surf-culture setting also gives the story a distinct atmosphere.

There’s something about placing an emotional romance against a sunny, coastal backdrop that creates an interesting contrast. On the surface, everything feels warm, bright, and carefree.

But underneath that sunshine are complicated choices, uncertainty, old wounds, and two people trying to determine whether their connection can survive everything life has thrown at them.

Pacific Shores becomes more than just a backdrop. It represents home, history, memories, and the place where Allie and Archer have to confront the parts of their past they've spent years avoiding.

❤️ What Makes This Story So Discussion-Worthy?

At its core, Sidelined Souls is about love, timing, friendship, trust, unexpected change, and choosing what comes next.

It asks whether knowing someone your entire life means you truly know how to love them.

It asks whether a relationship can survive when the future changes overnight.

And it asks whether two people who have already lost each other once are brave enough to risk losing each other again.

Because that's really what Allie and Archer have to decide.

They can stay safely on the sidelines.

Or they can step onto the field and risk everything.

And isn't that what makes a romance so satisfying?

We don't just want to know whether the couple will end up together.

We want to know who they will become if they do.

📚 Bring Sidelined Souls to Your Book Club

Thinking about reading Sidelined Souls with your own book club, buddy reader, or reading group?

We've got you covered!

Tap & download our FREE mini book club kits and bring a little Page Ladies fun to your next reading adventure. And if you want the full experience, join The First Editions for access to our complete book club kits designed to help you dive even deeper into the story.

From discussion questions to bookish activities and more, our kits are created to make talking about the books we love just as much fun as reading them.

Because around here, we believe a good book deserves a good conversation… and probably snacks. 😉📚

💌 A Page Ladies Thank You

A heartfelt thank-you to Book Club Cookbook, Page & Vine, and Sarah A. Bailey for sharing Sidelined Souls with us and allowing The Page Ladies Book Club to spend some time with Allie and Archer.

We loved having the opportunity to dig into their story, talk through the messy parts, debate the big choices, and explore all the questions this emotional second-chance romance brings to the table.

Thank you for giving us another story to read, discuss, and inevitably overanalyze together. That last part is basically our specialty. 💕📚

💭 Our Book Club Question for You

If you were in Allie and Archer’s position, would you believe that a lifelong connection is strong enough to survive an unexpected change in your future or would you choose to protect your own dreams first?

And perhaps the bigger question…

Do you think some first loves are meant to become second chances? 💕

#SidelinedSouls #SarahABailey #SecondChanceRomance #RomanceBookClub #ThePageLadiesBookClub

Happy November everyone! We have our winners for November reads…

For fantasy, we will be reading The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington!

Our horror pick is Nestlings by Nat Cassidy!

Make sure to click the discord icon on my page to join the discord page because this is where all the discussions happen!

This week's pick comes from the one and only Edward Larson!

David Kirby did an amazing job laying out all the events surrounding Tillikum the killer, killer whale. The book details how Tillikum was captured in Iceland, brought to Canada, and then sold off to Sea World, while he was abused every step of the way. The book is not only about Tillikum though, it also explains in great detail every other whale that Sea World has abused over the years, and details the proof of what makes Orcas such amazing, intelligent creatures that do not deserve the life of a performer in a tiny water prison. 

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

We're entering into the quieter time in the publishing calendar, but here are a few that I want you to consider putting on your TBR that release this week!

Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal 4.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy complex characters and found family.

Nordic Nightmares 4/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you're not done with spooky season. This is a collection of horror stories from authors across several Nordic countries.

Gloria Don't Speak by Lucy Apps 3.75/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you appreciate stories from underrepresented perspectives. Gloria struggles to communicate, but she wants to participate in society.

And one that I want to get my hands on:

There Used to Be People Here by Kennedy Cole

Why this interests me: it seems to be technology horror and also queer.

Hi friends! I'm combining my weekly wrap up with my end of month wrap up since they're so close together this go around. Hope you don't mind the extra long missive!

Here's what I read overall this month. Honestly, looking back at my tracker I'm surprised I read this much, given that I lost several days to the cold from hell and also the COVID booster shot. Shout out to the WNBA playoffs - after the Mystics got eliminated I still watched, but with a book in my lap because I was just rooting for everyone. I've starred my five favorites. Books marked with a * were gifted to me.

ONE YELLOW EYE by Leigh Radford*

LUCY, UNCENSORED by Teghan Hammond and Mel Hammond*

⭐ BUZZARD by Inez Ray*

THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION by qntm*

WOLF WORM by T. Kingfisher*

ESPIRITU by Aiden Thomas*

⭐ PUNISHED by Ann-Helen Laestadius*

⭐ DAGGERMOUTH by H.M. Wolfe*

NOBODY'S BABY by Olivia Waite*

⭐ THE FOUR WIVES AND FIVE DEATHS OF RICHARD MILFORD by Nafissa Thompson-Spires*

ONE WORD, SIX LETTERS by Adib Khorram*

WESTWARD WOMEN by Alice Martin*

⭐ NOT WITH A BANG by Temi Oh*

CITY OF OTHERS by Jared Poon*

On Deck for November

I'm carrying over THE GHOST BRIGADES by John Scalzi. I started a couple of books at the end of the month and couldn't get into them, so I decided to do the Scalzi because he's always a winner for me. Other books added to the TBR possibilities this month are:

SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN by John Wiswell

THE DISAPPEARERS by Marlon James

HONEY by Imani Thompson*

A WALL IS ALSO A ROAD by Annalee Newitz*

MOTHERSUCKER by Kim Bohyun*

UNFINISHED BUSINESS by Claire Osongco*

Weekly Reviews

Here are my thoughts on what I read this past week.

One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford* - A tense, painful study of grief and love in the face of zombies. Radford invites us to think about how far we would go for love, and to try to parse when exactly that drive becomes selfish. Layered in with that is a question of scientific ethics - when does breaking the rules actually become the ethical thing to do? Main character Kesta is deeply unfriendly, even mean sometimes, and she takes you with her on her descent into madness.

Buzzard by Inez Ray* - This is a story in the long tradition of reproductive health dystopias, blended with elements of evil mega-corporations and inescapable surveillance. Often, though, those novels ignore queer people and people of color, and here they are the main characters. I also appreciated the detail and care that is in the medical scenes - the reality of pregnancy and abortion care is central to the story. Also, give me more books starring angry, menopausal women, please. (PS - this is published by Bindery's own @Michael LaBorn!)

Lucy, Uncensored by Teghan Hammond and Mel Hammond* - This is a YA about a trans high school girl hoping to go to theater school with her best friend, and trying to figure out how she wants to present her identity to the world, if at all. Personally speaking, the college Lucy is interested in is based on my alma mater, a very tiny women's college, and that was just so much fun for me. I really appreciated how Lucy and the authors showed all the (ridiculous) arguments around whether trans students should be allowed at women's colleges, and how that environment can be both a safe space and a site of battle. I also liked where in the coming out timeline Lucy is - she's out, but it's still fairly new and tender. Lots of big feelings, which is the best thing about YA.

I also had one DNF - Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall*. I thought this would be a slam dunk for me despite never having read Moby Dick. I mean, make it queer and set it in space and I'm sold. But I got to about 75% through and there had been absolutely zero character development. Even the main POV character was one note. Also the narrator kept harping on about how horny this story was and it just wasn't, even though they were indeed all sleeping with each other.

One Good Thing

Honestly, it's been hard to find a good thing this week. I've been trying hard not to get too stressed out about Tuesday's election. This is the first year in a long time that I've been doing community organizing work instead of canvassing/get out the vote, and I'm panicking about it. I feel good about what I'm doing, but it's tough to feel like you've done enough.

ANYWAY, it's been another week of sports to the rescue. This past weekend, the Golden State Valkyries won their first ever WNBA championship. The Valks have only existed for TWO YEARS and they just won the whole thing. Player Tiffany Hayes said to the crowd that this is what happens when you invest in women's sports. And she's right. Give people a team, make that team welcoming and accessible, and people will turn up and turn out.

Anyway, I dogsat for a friend last weekend, so you're getting a dog photo instead of a cat photo this week.

Plum the pit bull absolutely not wanting to take a selfie with me.

Our November theme is BUILDING COMMUNITY. Community is a central part of feminism, so we wanted this month's theme to reflect that, whether it's fiction or not! Leave your suggestions below and we'll vote on our November book of the month later this week!

Hello there! Happy November!

Well today is a big day, 5 years on BookTube. I’ve come such a long way over the past 5 years and so much has happened. It’s amazing how fast time has flown. Life is starting to settle a bit. All of my app projects have been released (there’s 3 now) but the process of creating has honestly been amazing.

I’ve decided not to leave Bindery but to make a weekly commitment to check in and update what I’m reading. Once retirement happens , I wil have so much time - but I have another 1.5 years left or so. Baby steps is the way to go for me. I don’t want to take too much on. Balancing is the way for me.

I started purging things from my basement and donating the items. Putting a semi-homemade gym in my basement to get back to lifting weights, build muscle, and get back in shape. I really do miss my old gym. 😢 i can’t believe 2027 is just around the corner. I hope you are doing well. Talk to you soon!

Happy Sunday book buddies!

I debated sending this today, since some of you are Newsletter subscribers and got a long email from me already today. But I wanted to share a few things!

This week has felt a little uneventful with much less focus on reading and much more emphasis on content creation. The last week of the month is always like that for me. But I did manage to finish a few books, so let's discuss.

I finished The Next Ship Home, the BBFL Book Club book for October. Because my nights were all dedicated to editing videos I ultimately switched to the audiobook in an effort to finish with the rest of the club. Overall I found this enjoyable and highly emotional, but it did feel a bit YA at times. As I said in my Fable review, that felt authentic given the ages of the characters, but that YA vibe isn't my favorite. It was very effective in terms of emotional impact, so I definitely recommend it. 4⭐️s

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society ultimately fell a little short for me, I won't lie. The relationship between the FMC and her brother was THE big focus of the novel, and at times the author made it sound as if they were romantically connected which was ick. The mystery/suspense surrounding Jack the Ripper was effective, but I couldn't get past the whole brother/sister storyline. 3.5⭐️s

I started and very quickly finished A Pair of Aces on audio and, boy, let me tell you, that is a GOOD book! Anyone who likes books based on real women in history, especially overlooked women in history, will want to read book. The Personal Librarian wasn't my favorite, so I wasn't sure if this book would work for me. Luckily, it was a hit! 4.5⭐️s

I'm tandem reading The Shock of the Light, a debut WWII novel I'm convinced will be on the Goodreads Choice Awards list of historical fiction nominees. I'm about 25% of the way into this book, and, so far, I think my prediction is accurate. It's giving me Code Name Helene meets The Alice Network vibes.

I'm chipping away at my current Let's Go to the Library read. It's intriguing so far, and I can't wait to share my thoughts. Hint: It's a fan favorite WWI & WWII story!

ICYMI:

• The November Historical Fiction Heads Up is live! Watch on Instagram or Youtube!

• My prediction list for the 2027 Goodreads Choice Awards Historical Fiction nominees is also live! Watch on Instagram or Youtube!

Hear It Here First:

The BBFL Book Club is reading Jane Eyre in November. Please join us!

I shared my November TBR as voted on by YOU in the November newsletter this morning, but the Youtube video will go live this week so stay tuned. If you can't wait, head over to my newsletter site and sign up if you haven't already.

I'm already looking ahead at 2027, and I'm eager to hear what you would like to see more of in 2027. Share your thoughts in this new poll!

Happy reading, y'all!

xoxo

c