Hi friends!

Picture books hold a very special place in my heart, and I’m thrilled to share Issue 1 of Of Pages & Picture Books, a free guide I’ve created to uplift the picture book community and spread the word about some of the phenomenal stories awaiting little readers. Whether you’re a parent, an educator, a librarian, or just someone who loves picture books, this guide is here for you to reference while reading with little ones. Below you’ll find suggested themes to explore, activities, fun facts, inspiration, and more from nine amazing picture book authors to enhance the reading experience of their book. 🫶

• Gwei the Hungry Ghost written by Emeline Lee; illustrated by Basia Tran

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The story was inspired by the hungry ghosts of Chinese folklore. I've always been intrigued by ghost stories and was excited to write about these wandering spirits who eat and eat but never feel full. The story also features the Hungry Ghost Festival, which occurs in the seventh lunar month (around the end of summer). During this time, the realm of the living is believed to open up to visitors from the dead. Hungry ghosts can roam around in search of food, but it’s not a wholly scary time. It's also an opportunity to honor ancestors with offerings of food, incense, and burning fake money.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   One of the main themes is the idea that friendship feeds the soul. Noodles, dumplings, and egg tarts are delicious, but they can’t quite satisfy the hunger inside Gwei. Only when he shares his food and makes a friend does he finally feel fulfilled. Could you discuss a time when you gave up something you wanted to help someone else? How did you feel about it? The book also touches on honoring one's ancestors and family who’ve passed on. What are some other cultural traditions and holidays that relate to this?
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   I love so many books! But I'd say one of my favorite childhood picture books was Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola, and one of my recent favorites is Navigating Night written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Angie Kang. Strega Nona features a magical pasta pot that goes out of control, and Navigating Night explores identity, immigration, and family as a girl and her Baba make Chinese food deliveries one rainy night. Very different books, but both are wonderful!
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   Eating your favorite foods could be great way to celebrate a story about hungry ghosts! The book also features a shadow puppet show, so cutting out paper puppets might be a fun craft related to the book. If you're into origami, you could also fold paper lotus flowers to honor the practice of setting lotus lanterns afloat on rivers during the Hungry Ghost Festival. These lanterns help guide lost souls into the afterlife, as seen in the final pages of the book.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   I did a lot of research into spirits of Chinese mythology and loved learning about many strange and eerie types of ghosts. Besides hungry ghosts, water ghosts are quite fascinating. Like sirens in Greek mythology, they dwell in water and lure victims into the depths with them. Nightmare ghosts can turn into darkness itself. And tricker ghosts can shape-shift into different animal forms. More ghosts and fun facts can be found in the illustrated “Select Guide to Ghosts in Chinese Folklore” in the back of the book.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   I've always been drawn to tangible art forms, and picture books are a great example of that. Plus, it's such a privilege to create stories for the littlest of readers! Since I'm a text-only author, I also appreciate the opportunity to work with incredibly talented artists who bring my words to life. For Gwei the Hungry Ghost, I was lucky enough to collaborate with the phenomenal Basia Tran, and I'm so thrilled with how our book came out. Credit also goes to our editor, Sydnee Monday, and art director, Jasmin Rubero. Picture books are truly a team effort!

Emeline has shared a free, printable activity kit to accompany Gwei the Hungry Ghost. She is available for school and library visits (both in-person and virtual).

• Where Do Stories Live? by Meenal Patel

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The seed of this story and the title question came from a spring walk, which I find particularly awe inspiring in Minnesota where I live. During the walk I saw a grassy park covered in dandelions and had a playful conversation with my husband about dandelion lifecycles, which brought me to the title question. “Where do stories live?” took me down a rabbit hole to more questions. That rabbit hole of questions led me to think about how stories are all around us in the everyday and how we can honor the stories outside ourselves through paying attention to them.
   
   My hope is that this story invites readers to bring their own experiences, curiosities, and imaginations to the question “where do stories live?”. I hope it helps them see how stories connect us to our communities, the natural world, our cultures, and each other. And that it encourages them to continue to be curious about the stories that live around them and within themselves.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   Some of the book's themes and discussion points:
   
   Theme 1: Curiosity and Connection
   Stories live all around and within us and all of our stories are connected.

   
   Early in the story, Avni is noticing the wider world. As the story progresses, she connects the wider world to her specific experiences, objects, and relationships. In this way her expressions help her understand that stories live all around us and within us and that all the stories in our world are inextricably linked. We (nature, humans, history) are inextricably linked even as we journey through each of our unique days and lives. When we share our own stories and are curious about other peoples’ stories, it helps us understand each other and see how we are all connected.
   
   Theme 2: Expression
   Stories live all around us and we can express them in many ways.
   
   Through Masi’s (aunty's) gift of a journal, Avni explores how her stories can manifest outwardly – her expression of what she notices, collects, the connections she makes between herself and the wider world. She learns that she can tell stories through drawing and writing. There are many ways to process and express stories and each one of us has to find what feels true to ourselves. Isha’s expression unfolds as movement. She explores the idea of lifecycle through her curiosity of butterflies that she translates into a flipbook and later into a dance.

   
   Theme 3: Honoring Through Creating
   Stories live all around us and we honor them through expression.

   
   Avni is a collector. She notices the details in the world around her and when her curiosity is sparked she collects tangible things that make her wonder about the world around her. The birthday note from Masi makes her wonder if you can collect stories. But how do you collect something that is intangible? Throughout the book she explores creative expression and finds that when we create, we are connecting and honoring the things we notice and pay attention to in the world. That expression is something we leave behind, so in a way the expression of a story becomes an artifact in itself. Something that might be passed along that expresses the story to someone else.

   
   Theme 4: Cultural Threads
   Our cultural and relational histories are woven into us through everyday moments like language, dance, food, textiles, literature, art, religious rituals, and how we take care of each other.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   One of my favorites as a child was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I loved the tactile nature of the short pages and the holes in them. It's such a playful way to use the structure of a book. And I think this book inspired me to want to be a butterfly when I grew up.
   
   A recent favorite is the Chirri and Chirra series by Kaya Doi because they are so playful and imaginative in both the text and art.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   Look for the stories in their everyday lives whether that's on a walk to the park, in the objects in their homes, or in their favorite dinner. After you find a a place with a story, choose a way to tell that story. It could take many forms – a drawing, a dance, a song, in writing or telling someone the story out loud.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   While I was painting the illustrations for Where Do Stories Live?, I listened to a set of albums on repeat that put me in a focused state of mind. A lot of it was instrumental, calming, and in a variety of languages. A lot of José González, Cinematic Orchestra, Khruangbin, Arooj Aftab, Beach House. I also listened to a couple audiobooks that speak to nature in beautiful, layered ways – Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl. Both of the authors read the audio versions of their books and I loved hearing their voices with their words while I painted all the nature bits and pieces in the illustrations.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   It's an honor to get to create for kids since they are so open, imaginative, and keenly observant! Picture books offer such robust opportunities as a storytelling medium – you can express the story through the words, pictures, sound of the read aloud, and even with the structure of the book. For this particular book, the pictures are largely telling the specific story of this day long journey that the sisters are going on. I put a lot of details in the art that add layers to the story and hopefully allow readers to discover new things that bring depth the story each time they read it. And then the words are telling a broader story with the hopes that it leaves the book open enough that the reader can bring themselves into the story.

Meenal has shared free printable activity sheets for Where Do Stories Live?

• Three Pieces of Broken Glass by Emily Barth Isler; illustrated by Vesper Stamper

1. What inspired your book?

   
   Three Pieces of Broken Glass is based on a true, family story, but I didn’t get the idea to make it a picture book until many years after I first heard it! The story at the center of the book is one told to me by my husband’s grandmother, Inge Isler, about the day she was released from a work camp on the Isle of Man, in the UK, in 1939. She was only fifteen, and she had been separated from her parents in England after they all escaped the Nazis in Germany, and was alone at the work camp while her parents desperately tried to get her freed. One day, her mother dropped a cup and it broke into many pieces; her father was dismayed, but her mother believed it was a good sign, a sign that Inge would be released from the camp! Indeed, it was-- that was the day they got word their daughter was going to be freed and reunited with them in London. To this day, Inge’s two sons have kept shards of that broken cup, which the family has passed down through generations, and believes to be good luck.
   
   A few years ago, my father-in-law, Inge’s son Robert, was talking about the shard as a good luck charm, and I thought, “wow, this should be in a Children’s Book!” Not only did I want to preserve the family stories for my own kids-- Inge’s great-grandchildren-- but I wanted to write a book that would connect the larger historical stories of Jewish people forced to leave Europe before and during World War II, and to keep those memories alive in hopes we can all help to work towards making sure that those kinds of horrors never happen-- to any people-- again.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   The book explores themes such as finding meaning in our lived experiences, even the hard times; accepting that everyone makes mistakes; honoring history and the past; and keeping memories alive through storytelling. Most families or communities have stories like the ones Grandma Inge tells in the book-- the stories of how they came to be where they are, or of the journeys they embarked upon to find home, freedom, or love. These stories can be useful messages for kids just beginning to understand some of the harder parts of history: war, migration, or family separation, for example. I wanted the book to offer hope, but to also be realistic about the hard things that have happened in many families’ histories, mine included. I hope the message that kids take away from the book is of the value of learning from the past and honoring our ancestors’ stories. Finding beauty in broken things is also a universal message across cultures, so I hope that resonates for people of all backgrounds.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?

   
   I remember my parents and grandparents reading to me almost constantly as a child-- how lucky I was!-- and so many of those books have stayed with me into my own adulthood. At This Very Minute by Kathleen Rice Bowers and illustrated by Linda Shute, first published in 1983, is one that I remember vividly. It has a blend of joy and sadness-- a gentle realness about the world-- that I appreciated as a little kid. I also loved Harry the Dirty Dog, all of the Lyle, Lyle Crocodile books, and the George and Martha series. I credit those all with teaching me so much about how to write picture books! More recently, I love Our World is a Family: Our Community Can Change the World by Jennifer Jackson and Miry Whitehill, illustrated by Nomar Perez; Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp by Minoru Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, illustrated by Chris Sasaki. Both of them pair very well with Three Pieces of Broken Glass, actually, as they are all about immigrants, family stories, and the tangible memories of history we carry with us even in hard times. They are all books committed to helping readers understand their role in trying to make the world a better place for all. (Which reminds me of one of my all-time favorite picture books: Miss Rumphius! A perfect classic!)
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   If possible, this book should be read with a parent or grandparent-- I hope it will inspire elders to share family stories with the kids in their lives! In that way, it sets off a chain of storytelling. Kids love learning about their loved ones’ pasts, and I hope the book gives them the language and opportunity to ask questions.

   
   After reading the book out loud to school groups or storytime participants, I like to ask the listeners if they have any objects at home that help them remember family stories, or any treasured artifacts that have been passed down from generation to generation! I have heard some great family stories that way.

   
   Also, we are so lucky that teacher-librarian extraordinaire Jennifer LaGarde (aka librarygirl.net !) had me and Three Pieces of Broken Glass illustrator Vesper Stamper on her podcast, The Reader’s Heart, recently to talk about the book, after which she created some really awesome classroom and home activities to go along with the book!! They’re free and available here: https://www.librarygirl.net/post/the-reader-s-heart-podcast-guests-emily-barth-isler-and-vesper-stamper
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?

   
   I learned so much creating this book-- it is my first published picture book! I think the best things I learned and my favorite stories from the process all come from collaborating with the book’s amazing illustrator, Vesper Stamper! https://www.vesperillustration.com/ Vesper is a talented artist and brilliant writer herself, and she brought so much to the storytelling of this book with her gorgeous paintings. We didn’t speak or meet until long after the book was finished, as is typical for most collaborative author/illustrator relationships (most, but not all!). I was thrilled to learn after the book was published how much of her own family stories Vesper brought into her illustrations-- for example, the pink goblet in the book that the granddaughter breaks is based on a real item handed down to Vesper from her grandmother! She brought so much to the story that makes it even more meaningful!
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?

   
   I have just always loved picture books. I loved being read to as a child, and then just never stopped loving them. When I had my own kids, my favorite thing to do with them was to read to them-- I got to discover all my old favorite picture books all over again, plus to learn about new ones that came out when my kids were toddlers. Our favorites during those years include Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, still makes me cry every time), Click Clack Moo (written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin), and A Good Day by Kevin Henkes. Oh, and Hippos Go Berserk! By Sandra Boynton has one of the most inventive rhyme schemes!! And Subway by Christoph Niemann is absolutely brilliant. And One Morning in Maine is a delight.... I could go on and on with books I love!

For middle grade readers, Emily is also the author of The Color of Sound.

• The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed; illustrated by Hatem Aly

1. What inspired your book?
   
   I came up with the concept for The Book That Almost Rhymed when I was pitching a completely different manuscript to publishers. The feedback I got on the other manuscript was that it "rhymed too much", and I was having trouble selling it. My agent asked me if I wanted to write something that didn't rhyme, and I struggled to write without rhyme. The opening hook for that book stuck with me ("The other day I wrote this book. You won't believe how long it took...") and served as the launching point for the story.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   This story explores themes of sibling relationships, collaboration, and (of course) rhyme! I hope young readers are able to see each other in a new light after reading this book.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   My favorite picture books as a kid were from Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. Now, as an adult, my favorite picture book is The Giving Tree.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   I love when people come up with their own sequel to the book that almost rhymed. It's fun to see kids come up with new rhyming stories that don't quite make sense.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   I was surprised to learn that rhyme is difficult to pitch to publishers, given that it limits translation opportunities.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   I came to picture books through poetry and music. I'm not a musician, but I love the alliteration and rhythm of poetry, and picture books are an extension of that.

• Do You Know the Dark? by Roz MacLean

1. What inspired your book?
   
   I was initially inspired by the beauty of darkness as it shows up in my life. We moved out of a city to a less crowded area in recent years, and I’ve appreciated seeing the stars in the night sky. I’m also always paying attention to the moon. I like the phenomenon that happens in darkness, where my sense of self and self consciousness is much looser. The world is also more mysterious because you can’t quite make things out.
   
   I’m also really interested in the “shadow” in a psychological sense. The parts of our selves and our experiences that are called dark, because there isn’t brightness or certainty. But those dark moments can be really rich and transformative. There can be a kind of dissolving and reconfiguring. I love that in darkness we can barely see ourselves but we can see out into the universe.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   There are so many gifts in darkness. I was especially interested in rest, or being unproductive, and how necessary and generative this is. It’s easy in our hyper stimulating and demanding world to take rest for granted, but it’s so essential.
   
   I was also interested in darkness as a space of uncertainty and mystery, and how we can hold what is unknown. I think there’s a bit of surrender needed for that, which can allow for the emergence of something new or unexpected. Inner space can allow reflection and dreaming. I also wanted to have the theme of discovery and awe thread through the book.
   
   For discussion, I would recommend readers reflect on differences they notice when they are rested or not, and even think about different times of the year when days are shorter or longer. What do they need to feel a good balance?
   
   Also, readers can talk about mystery as a concept. Like some things are unknown and mysterious, but that doesn’t mean they’re negative, and maybe that’s where we can ask questions. Thinking about the stars, space, or the deep sea could be a good starting point for that.
   
   I also recommend talking about what readers like and don’t like about darkness. Readers might feel scared or anxious, and that’s ok. Holding space for all of the experiences is also very much in line with the book.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   As a kid I loved Robert Munsch’s books, especially The Paper Bag Princess. In my adult years I’ve really been loving Shaun Tan’s work. The Red Tree was a really lovely discovery for me. Working in schools I would read a lot of Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggy series with kids, and I enjoyed those a lot.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   There’s an activity kit available at mackidsschoolandlibrary.com. It includes colouring sheets, some crafts like finger and shadow puppets, telescopes, as well as a word search.
   
   It could be interesting to imagine and tell or draw about a dream you'd like to have. Star gazing is always great if possible!
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   I looooved researching the deep sea creatures. I found so many and couldn’t include them all. I also found out there’s something called Vantablack, which is the world’s darkest material. It doesn’t reflect any light!
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?

   
   I was a little bookworm as a kid, and I’ve always loved drawing and painting, so I think it was a combination of my loves. I would get really drawn into beautiful picture books and had a feeling like, “wow, a person made this.” It’s always felt magical to me, and especially after working in schools as an adult, I saw how engaging and powerful books can be for kids. So, all those things came together into a bit of a dream job.

• MORPH, The Magnificent Metamorphosis of Ernest and Moe by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (out in January 2027)

1. What inspired your book?
   

   MORPH began as a doodle of a plump green caterpillar admiring himself in a hand mirror. The first sentence, “Ernest was not comfortable in his skin” led to MORPH the Magnificent Metamorphosis of Ernest and Moe. As with most picture books, this story underwent many metamorphoses of its own. My passion for moths inspired me to do research and destined Ernest and Moe to become moths instead of butterflies.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   My favorite thing about this story is the multiple layers for conversation and meaning. It’s a friendship story that takes a deep dive into change. Is change really constant? Does everything change, or do some things never change? Can we control change? Is change interpreted in the same way by everyone? What is destiny? I also think that when one talks about change, it opens the door to discuss control. And, thus, a reader can relate to feelings of worry and anxiety— like Ernest and Moe do in my book.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   My favorite book was Never Tease a Weasel, by Jean Conder Soule and illustrated by Denman Hampson. I thought that the recent book, The Boy Who Became a Parrot by Wolverton Hill and illustrated by Laura Carlin was brilliantly enchanting in every way.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   There is moth trivia at the end of the book that I hope inspires readers to explore the real-life world of moths by observing them in nature and by reading more nonfiction books about them.
   I had so much fun making up my own moth wing patterns, shapes, antennae, colors, and sizes on the end pages. Moths are incredibly varied and they beg for artists to make up beautiful creatures of their own. I hope to have some fun craft projects on my website soon as well.
   To celebrate the publication of MORPH, I’m throwing a Moth Ball party with my local bookseller. I plan to have a few moth mask patterns on my website so kids can make and decorate their own Moth Ball Masquerade masks!
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   That there are no definitive ways to differentiate moths from butterflies. The moth world is full of exceptions. Therefore, when researching and writing factual information, the word “most” was used in “most” examples.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   I’m descended from a long line of artists and collectors. My grandmother collected picture books—treating and displaying them as if they were precious works of art. My mother inherited that appreciation and added to that a passionate belief in the importance of books, reading, and literacy.
   
   I’m captivated by the fact that picture books are an art form which combines storytelling in both the writing and visual medium. It has always been my dream to make books for young readers and I’m truly grateful for the supportive community of agents, editors, publishers, librarians, booksellers, and book lovers, that allow me to do so.

• Into the Mighty Sea written by Arlene Abundis; illustrated by Cynthia Alonso

1. What inspired your book?
   
   My debut picture book, Into the Mighty Sea, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso, is the story of a Cuban American girl named Mariel, who sees her world through colors that represent her emotional state in a social setting.
   
   She draws and paints to calm her big feelings, but when her brother rips her art, she must sail through a big sea of color or get lost in the swells.
   
   Mariel is a facet of myself as a child and it’s inspired by my journey with social anxiety.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   My work honors resilience through mental and emotional health. I write for kids who long to belong. To be a mirror that can help make sense of broken pieces, while finding beauty in them—like a kaleidoscope. Those important themes are highlighted in my book.
   
   As a child who was severely bullied in school, books were at times my only friends and a vehicle to escape my reality. I longed to see a protagonist that symbolized my unique cultural experience.
   
   Born to parents who migrated as refugees from Cuba, their suffering, oppression and diaspora, were the arbiter of all experiences and relationships. My father is also a former political prisoner so there was no going to my parent’s homeland.
   

3. What was your favorite childhood picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?

   
   The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch! In this picture book, Elizabeth was the princess who saved Prince Ronald from the dragon. This book not only made me fall in love with reading, but helped the process of coping with being bullied. It was my first personal alignment of purpose. Elizabeth’s intelligence, bravery, confidence and determination helped me cope with my struggles as I lived vicariously through her character’s message of being your own heroine.

   
   I used to dream of being the witty and courageous Paper Bag Princess. Little did I envision that my personal alignment with this book, would be the compass that navigated my path to become a children’s author.

   
   A recent favorite is In Case of Las Moscas by Jackie Morera and illustrated by Marina Ruiz Johnson.
   
   A tiny misunderstanding snowballs into a wild adventure in this playful picture book that pokes gentle fun at what's lost in translation between Spanish and English.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?

   
   I would recommend an art activity such as making a paper sail boat and then painting it while talking about what emotions and examples make us feel certain ways. This is my go to activity that I incorporate during bookstore events and school visits. It’s also a great way to incorporate social emotional learning.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?

   
   Learning how to subtly weave color therapy into my story. Researching how colors influence how we feel and behave was fascinating. It was such a psychological experience and my favorite part of writing Into the Mighty Sea.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?

   
   After staying home for over a decade to be the full-time caregiver of my children, I decided to go back to college. Initially to finish up my child development degree so I can teach again, but while taking a children’s literature class, I started a blog that connected motherhood and picture books. Something so powerful ignited within me and a dream was born. Penning my own stories with a desire to not only see my culture and childhood experiences represented in traditional publishing, but heal wounds of never quite belonging.

• I Guess I'll Go Eat Worms by Linda Liu

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The premise and title of my book I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS is inspired by this silly, somewhat morbid, nursery song I learned as a kid, whose opening lyrics go: “Nobody likes me / Everybody hates me / Guess I’ll go eat worms.” I think that song has stuck with me all these years because, aside from being an ear worm, those lyrics capture such an honest, raw emotion I’m sure every kid has felt at some point. And such honest, raw lyrics deserved a refresh for kids of today to commiserate with!
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   WORMS follows two separate characters who, unbeknownst to one another, are both suffering from loneliness and social isolation. Individually, they wallow in their self-pity and resentment toward the world—that is, until they meet each other. Oftentimes, when people feel rejected by their peers, their first instinct is to retreat into themselves. But WORMS demonstrates that only by opening yourself up and extending empathy and acceptance toward another individual can you break that never-ending loop of loneliness.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   MISS SPIDER’S TEA PARTY by David Kirk was a big comfort read of mine in elementary school. It’s about a kind but misunderstood spider who just wants to invite other insects over for a tea party, but they all assume she wants to eat them! I think it would pair nicely with WORMS—though worms are decidedly food not friends in my book!
   

   As for a recent favorite, I’d pick SPIDER IN THE WELL by Jess Hannigan (I’m sensing a spider theme…). It’s also about subverting social expectations, but in a delightfully cynical way. I’d say MISS SPIDER’S TEA PARTY, SPIDER IN THE WELL, and I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS each teach readers something different about navigating the social world using bug-driven narratives.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   On the last page of I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS, I’ve included an easy recipe for Worms ’n’ Dirt for readers who will surely be craving worms by the end of the book! The recipe serves two (you and a friend), but it’s also easy to make in batches for classrooms, birthday parties, picnics, etc. What better way to break the ice with a peer or marinate in the book’s message than over a sweet, wormy treat? I hope a lot of readers partake!
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   A fun fact about I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS is that it began as a college senior project! I had written the story and made a full dummy with finished art, and my agent Thao had actually gone wide with it when I first signed with her. Just like the characters in the book, initially nobody liked it… in fact everybody hated it! WORMS was soundly rejected by every publisher we had pitched to.
   
   Years later, I was at brunch with my team at Henry Holt (brilliant Mark Podesta, effervescent Mariam Quraishi) celebrating the release of my debut book, HIDDEN GEM. I mentioned a book idea I had that no one would take a chance on… well, they were immediately intrigued, and the rest is history! I’m ever so grateful WORMS eventually found a home, and thanks to the team, the final product turned out sooooo much better than college-me could have ever dreamed of!
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   

   Being a weird, lonely kid raised by non-English-speaking Chinese grandparents in a predominantly Caucasian American suburb, I had a hard time interacting with teachers, peers—basically the entire world around me. Picture books were both an escape from the world as well as an entry into it. Though I came to picture books through my illustration background, I’ve always been writing poems and short stories. My picture books are driven by messages I wanted to tell my past self, as well as any reader who’s gone through moments of self-doubt, fear, or uncertainty—which is everyone at some point or another! So I hope after WORMS I will have more opportunities to share those messages with you all!

• Hot Dog! The History of America's Favorite Sausage written by Christine Van Zandt; illustrated by Steven Salerno

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The idea for this book arose in a brainstorming conversation with my literary agency while talking about funny “history of” books that would align with my prior one about underpants.
   Writing about sausages fits into my background since my family is from Germany and we ate a lot of them. We had a mischievous dachshund so creating Frank de Wienerdog as the book’s narrator felt right—kids find dachshunds hilarious.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   Interconnection is the main theme. The book shows people across the globe and across time eating similar kinds of sausages. Readers can discuss how their favorite foods connect to their past and to their present.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   I loved fairy tales—and still do. Cinderella was a go-to book. I have a collection of Cinderella stories from around the globe. I enjoy how different cultures depict this story, which brings me back to interconnection.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   A delicious way to enjoy the book is to accompany it with a hot dog. Try the Curly Snake Dogs recipe in the back.
   Teachers can dive deeper into the STEM. I have a free lesson plan including geography, history, and math at LitLinks: Easy ways to connect lunch with geography, history, and math lessons - Patricia Newman.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   Since The Odyssey is in the news, I’ll share a fun fact I found when researching. One of the earliest written mentions of sausages is in that famous poem by Homer (written 750-650 BCE). Odysseus is described as “rolling around from side to side as a cook turns a sausage.”
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   When I studied picture books in college for a children’s literature class, I remembered how much I loved picture books and looked into the craft of writing one. Picture books share similarities with poetry; both require a careful selection of words. For picture books, you also need age-appropriate content and text that leaves room for art. Writing picture books is challenging (fitting together the pieces of a puzzle) and gratifying when you see your book connect with a child.

Thank you so much to these incredible authors for joining me and to all the agents, publicists, and friends who've supported me as I launch this project! Stay tuned for Issue 2! 🫶

*All of the featured books except for MORPH (January 2027) are out now. If you're a picture book author and would like to have your book(s) featured in the next issue, please reach out to me via email or DM. :)

Hey y'all,

I've been picking up a lot of nonfiction lately. Maybe it's because school is back in session and I'm just craving more and more knowledge. Maybe the nonfiction side of our book club has kicked that side into overdrive for me. Who knows?

Here's what I've been reading:

Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston

I have to pause this one often, despite how short it is. It's a very heavy read but so important. It's a detailed, first-person account of the last enslaved African that was trafficked to the United States.

How to Kill a Language by Sophia Smith Galer

The author kept popping up on my For You page on Instagram and I loved seeing what she had to say about her research process. Linguistics appeals to me in many ways, especially post-colonially, and I'm excited to get more into this one.

Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd

I started the audiobook in the car and immediately realized that I need to switch over to the physical copy because this is a book that I NEED to annotate. It'll likely be a future nonfiction book club pick because it's so well written.

Let me know what you've been reading in the comments!

XoXo,

Rae

Six readers. One missing boy. Two very different versions of the same mystery. And, naturally, six opinions.

We read Andrea Mara’s All Her Fault. Then we watched Peacock’s eight-episode mystery-thriller adaptation. And if there’s one thing we learned from comparing the two, it’s this:

Book-to-screen adaptations are guaranteed to give a book club something to argue about. 😂

Andrea Mara’s 2021 domestic thriller begins with every parent's worst nightmare.

Marissa Irvine arrives at 14 Tudor Grove expecting to pick up her young son, Milo, from his first playdate with a boy from his new school.

Except the woman who answers the door doesn't know Marissa.

She doesn't know Milo.

And she certainly doesn't have him.

From that terrifying setup, Mara builds a twisty mystery involving four women, buried secrets, suspicion, motherhood, guilt, and the question of who is actually responsible for what happened to Milo.

Then Peacock took that story and turned it into an eight-episode mystery-thriller miniseries, relocating the story from Dublin to suburban Chicago and bringing characters to life with a cast led by Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning.

So we did what any book club with strong opinions would do:

We read it. We watched it. We compared it. And then we debated it.

Here's what the six of us thought.

🚨 Before We Get Started: Spoiler Warning!

Because we're comparing the book and television adaptation, this post discusses plot developments, character changes, and differences between the two versions.

If you haven't finished both All Her Fault and the Peacock series, save this post and come back when you're ready to discuss!

📖 The Book: All Her Fault by Andrea Mara

The premise hooked us immediately.

Marissa arrives to collect Milo from his first playdate.

The wrong woman opens the door.

Milo isn't there.

And suddenly, a seemingly ordinary suburban afternoon becomes a parent's worst nightmare.

Mara takes that simple premise and slowly pulls apart the lives of the people surrounding Milo.

What initially looks like a missing-child mystery becomes something much more complicated as secrets begin surfacing and suspicion starts moving from one woman to another.

One of the things we appreciated most about the novel was how effectively Mara creates that feeling of "everyone knows something, but nobody knows everything."

We kept questioning the characters.

We kept changing our minds.

And more than once, we thought we had figured everything out.

Spoiler:

We had not.

😂

The Dublin setting also gives the novel a distinct atmosphere. There's something particularly unsettling about a seemingly safe, familiar community becoming the backdrop for a child's disappearance.

Everyone is close enough to know everyone else's business…

but apparently not close enough to know the truth.

📺 The Series: All Her Fault on Peacock

The television adaptation premiered on November 6, 2025, as an eight-episode Peacock mystery-thriller miniseries created by Megan Gallagher.

The basic premise remains intact.

Marissa Irvine, played by Sarah Snook, arrives to pick up her five-year-old son Milo from a playdate.

The woman who answers the door doesn't recognize her.

She doesn't recognize Milo.

And the nightmare begins.

But the adaptation makes some significant changes.

The biggest one?

We're no longer in Dublin.

The television series moves the story to suburban Chicago.

And that isn't the only change.

The cast includes Dakota Fanning as Jenny, Jake Lacy as Peter Irvine, Michael Peña, Sophia Lillis, Abby Elliott, Jay Ellis, and Daniel Monks, giving the series a larger ensemble through which to explore the mystery.

With eight episodes rather than a few hundred pages, the show also has room to expand relationships, develop characters, introduce additional layers, and allow the mystery to unfold at a different pace.

🇮🇪 Dublin vs. 🇺🇸 Chicago

This was one of the first things we noticed.

The novel's Dublin setting gives the story a very particular identity.

The community feels intimate, familiar, and interconnected.

The series' move to suburban Chicago changes that atmosphere.

Instead of Irish domestic suspense, the show feels more like an American suburban psychological thriller.

The six of us had mixed feelings about the change.

Some of us thought Chicago worked beautifully for television and made the story feel fresh.

Others missed the atmosphere of the book and felt that the Dublin setting was an important part of what made Mara's story distinctive.

Our consensus?

The relocation works for the adaptation, but we still have a soft spot for Dublin.

👩 Marissa Irvine: Page vs. Screen

Sarah Snook had a huge job stepping into Marissa's shoes.

This is a character who goes from an ordinary mother picking up her child to a woman thrown into an unimaginable nightmare.

The series gives us something the book can't:

a performance we can watch unfold in real time.

We get to see Marissa's fear, desperation, anger, confusion, and determination.

And Snook gives the character plenty of emotional intensity.

As a group, we thought the television version of Marissa worked particularly well because we could physically see how the disappearance changes her.

She's not simply trying to find Milo.

She's trying to make sense of a world that suddenly doesn't make sense anymore.

👩‍🦰 What About Jenny?

Dakota Fanning's Jenny was another major point of discussion for us.

The series gives Jenny and the surrounding relationships more room to develop, which creates additional opportunities to question people's motives.

And this is one place where television has a serious advantage.

On the page, we can analyze dialogue and narration.

On screen?

A character can give someone one weird look and suddenly six book club members are texting each other:

"WHY DID SHE DO THAT?"

😂

The series uses performances, facial expressions, pauses, and body language to create suspicion in ways that feel completely different from the novel.

👶 The Mystery at the Center

Despite all the changes, one thing remains the same:

Where is Milo?

That question drives both versions.

The series preserves the terrifying opening premise and uses Milo's disappearance to expose cracks in relationships that initially appear much more stable than they actually are.

But the television adaptation expands the mystery.

With eight episodes, there's more room to explore the people surrounding Marissa and the secrets that begin coming to light.

The result is less of a direct translation and more of a television interpretation of Andrea Mara's original story.

And honestly?

We think that's important when judging the adaptation.

🧩 The Biggest Difference: How the Mystery Unfolds

This is where our group opinions really started to diverge.

The book moves quickly.

The short chapters and carefully placed revelations kept several of us saying:

"Just one more chapter."

Which, as every book lover knows, is a lie.

It's never just one chapter.

😂

The television series has more breathing room.

Eight episodes mean additional character development, subplots, relationships, and revelations.

Some of us enjoyed that expanded approach.

Others felt the book's tighter pacing created more suspense.

📖 Our Book Club Take:

Book = faster, tighter, more immediately suspenseful

Series = slower, more character-focused, more expansive

Neither approach is necessarily wrong.

They're simply designed for different storytelling formats.

🔍 What We Think the Series Gets Right

✔️ The Premise

The opening kidnapping mystery remains incredibly effective.

A mother arrives to collect her child.

The child isn't there.

The person answering the door doesn't know what she's talking about.

Instant anxiety.

✔️ The Suspicion

Both versions understand that sometimes the most unsettling possibility isn't a complete stranger.

It's someone you thought you knew.

✔️ The Female Characters

We appreciated that the women aren't neatly divided into heroes and villains.

They're complicated.

They're flawed.

They're messy.

They're human.

And, occasionally, they made us want to yell at the television.

✔️ The Performances

Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning bring something different to characters we already knew from the page.

That made the adaptation interesting even when we knew where certain pieces of the story were headed.

📚 Where We Think the Book Wins

The mystery.

As a group, we felt Andrea Mara's novel had the advantage when it came to suspense and pacing.

The book keeps us moving from one suspicion to another, constantly reassessing what we think we know.

We also preferred the atmosphere of the original Dublin setting.

There is something wonderfully uncomfortable about the book's suburban community and the way everyone's lives seem interconnected.

And then there are those moments when you realize:

Oh. THAT is why that detail mattered.

We love when a thriller makes us rethink something we read 100 pages earlier.

📺 Where We Think the Series Wins

Character performances.

There's something completely different about watching a character's fear or suspicion play out on screen.

The series also has more room to develop its ensemble cast and relationships.

And let's be honest:

Sometimes watching six people try to figure out who is lying is more fun than reading six people trying to figure out who is lying.

Especially when we're watching it together.

😂

🏆 The Page Ladies Verdict

After six readers, two formats, plenty of opinions, and more than a little discussion…

📖 BOOK: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

📺 SERIES: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Our overall winner: THE BOOK. 📚

But and this is a big but we don't think that means the television series isn't worth watching.

Quite the opposite.

We think All Her Fault is an interesting example of how an adaptation can take the core DNA of a novel and reshape it for a completely different medium.

Some changes worked better for us than others.

Some of us preferred the television version of certain characters.

Some preferred the book's pacing.

Some missed Dublin.

Some enjoyed the Chicago setting.

And yes…

We absolutely argued about it.

Which is exactly what a good book club discussion should do.

📖 Should You Read the Book Before Watching?

Our answer: YES.

If you haven't read Andrea Mara's All Her Fault, we'd recommend reading it before watching the Peacock series.

That way, you get the original story, atmosphere, pacing, and character dynamics before seeing how the adaptation reshapes them.

And if you've already watched the series?

Read the book anyway.

Knowing what happens doesn't mean experiencing the story the same way.

The book has enough differences in tone, structure, and character development to make it worthwhile.

❤️ Final Thoughts from The Page Ladies

What we love most about doing a page vs. screen comparison is that there's rarely one definitive answer.

A book and its adaptation don't have to be identical to both be good.

Andrea Mara gave us a tense, twisty domestic thriller that kept us questioning the people surrounding Milo.

Peacock took that premise and created a larger, more visual mystery-thriller designed for an eight-episode television format.

For our six-member book club, the book ultimately won, but the series gave us plenty to talk about and isn't that half the fun?

Because sometimes the best book club conversations aren't the ones where everyone agrees.

They're the ones where someone says:

"Wait… YOU preferred the show?!"

And suddenly we're talking for another hour.

😂📚📺

💬 Now It's Your Turn!

Have you read Andrea Mara's All Her Fault and watched the Peacock series?

Which version did you prefer: the book or the screen adaptation?

And what was the biggest change you noticed between the two?

Tell us what you think! 👇📚📺

📌 Content Note

The Page Ladies Book Club's page vs. screen comparisons reflect the opinions of our six book club members. Individual opinions may differ, and that's part of what makes our book club discussions fun!

This is it, friends! September is the Olympics of the publishing year and this one is extra packed with heavy hitting authors. Let me know in the comments which ones you plan to pick up, or if I missed your most anticipated!

Espiritu by Aiden Thomas (9/1) - The sequel to Cemetery Boys! Ever since being sacrificed as part of a forbidden ritual, Julian has been able to see and communicate with the spirits of passed brujx. But Julian’s also seeing other things: shadows in the corner of his eyes, glowing eyes in the dark, and “dark spots” on people. Then, a strange new brujx shows up. Ángel, as a nonbinary brujx, can heal the living and release the dead, but more than that, they can also see the same dark spots as Julian.

The Disappearers by Marlon James (9/1) - In 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. The men are strangers to one another and each has a different reason for being involved. But they all share one inescapable truth: All of them are gay. One night a mob savagely attacks them, killing one of the men. For the survivors, their recovery is as much emotional as it is physical. As their bodies heal, each man grapples with the violence, the hatred, and the rage that the attack made plain.

She's A Doll by Barbara Truelove (9/8) - Lucy McQuinn has been murdered, but she’s not about to go quietly. If she doesn’t get to keep breathing, then neither does Kyle, her killer. Possessing the body of an antique doll, she sets out on a quest for revenge. But it’s hard when you’re eighteen inches tall and made of porcelain.

Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang (9/8) - College freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Then shocking news arrives: Lily’s grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history.

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (9/17) - 2031. America is at war with itself, but for the first time in weeks there is some hope: the Republic of California has been declared, the curfew in Los Angeles is lifted, and everyone in the city is going to a party. Ari, newly released from prison, arrives with her friend Gloria just as a fragile new era begins. But there are people at the party who shouldn’t be there. Something is very wrong. ICYMI! I reviewed this one in Monday's post.

Anger Is Only A Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo (9/17) - When her instinct for freedom leads to another stay in D.C. juvenile detention, Lil knows she’s lucky to just be on probation. The only person who might understand is her big brother, Aldwin. Except he’s more distant now than just the hundred miles where he’s away at college. Something’s been off with him for a couple of months, but only Lil seems to realize how important it is to get to him.

Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske (9/15) - At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam—a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future. On the first day, the exam group finds a classmate’s dead body in the exam hall.

Buzzard by Inez Ray (9/22) - In 2086, corporations are monitoring fertility. Abortion is illegal. And the last woman alive who can perform the procedure is in hiding. Seven years ago, midwife Mae Bastet was arrested for infanticide in the fractious Arizona Territory for providing health care to women in need. She was torn from her sons and sent to Buzzard - an experimental private prison deep in the Sonoran Desert, run by the paramilitary corporation Obsityan.

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw (9/29) - From the moment Scharisse Freeman ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labeled too brash and too “of the world” by church folks who grudgingly accepted her into their fold, and too holy by her estranged childhood bestie Petra. On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the final bit of validation she’s always dreamt of: a coveted invitation to participate in the First Lady USA pageant.

American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee (9/29) - Once comfortably middle class in Korea, John and Helen Koh and their three children find their lives upended, first by a shocking betrayal by John’s oldest friend, then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Desperately striving to regain their footing, they leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in Southern California—where new vistas of opportunity open up for the children as their parents, strangers in a strange land, must adjust to a new life in which their experience and education mean little, and they set their sights on whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures.

Welcome back to our weekly reading & productivity sprints! You can join me on YouTube from 6:45 - 9:00 PM pacific for two 45 minute reading sprints, with bookish chatting during our cooldowns between. This is a very casual thing--I'll be reading Score to help get it wrapped up in time for our book club discussion, but you can read anything you like, or use the time for any other kind of productivity--writing, cleaning, working, whatever you need. Feel free to hang out the whole time, or just pop in for a little bit, but I hope you'll come hang out :)

JOIN THE LIVESTREAM: https://www.youtube.com/live/ajv1ySiyR8Q

Hi everyone! I’m alive and well. I think I took a bit too much on with Bindery and everything else going on, but what can I say - I believe in what they are doing! I promise to be more present starting in September. I hope you are doing well. Thanks so much for being here with me.

Our exclusive Zoom conversation with author Tatiana Obey starts Tuesday, August 26, at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT, where Tatiana will discuss the inspiration behind the novel, her creative process, and answer your questions about the book.

We're looking forward to sharing this special event with you!

Not a BGN Sanctuary member? Don't worry! We're recording the conversation and making it available at a later date so everyone can enjoy this insightful discussion.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87899056146

Code to enter: 510600

I am... so behind on my NetGalley reviews, which means I'm attempting to write reviews for books I read several months ago, the first of which is Coldwire! I truly, truly loved this book--I'm a Chloe Gong stan until the day I die, and Coldwire is the perfect example as to why I love her work, in this compulsively readable cyberpunk dystopian novel.

The world of Coldwire is split in two: “downcountry”, or the real world, has been ravaged by climate catastrophe, and the wealthy have moved to “upcountry”, a utopic virtual reality world untouched by pollution and illness. But even upcountry cannot remain untouched by the cold war raging between rivaling nations, or the mandated enrollment of Medan war-orphans in Atahua’s military academy.

Coldwire alternates perspectives between Eirale, a graduate of the military academy and current soldier in NileCorp’s private forces, and Lia, a current student and adopted daughter of a high-ranking politician. In downcountry, Eirale is a hostage on the run with a notorious anarchist after he framed her for an assassination. In upcountry, Lia is sent to infiltrate Medulo with her academic rival as she vies for valedictorian.

I’m going to be honest: It’s been several months since I read this book, so some of the details are on the fuzzier side in my memory, but I know that I absolutely loved it. Through the characters of Eirale and Lia, we get very different perspectives on Atahua and NileCorp, upcountry and downcountry, and as the story progresses the way that their two perspectives weave into a story is so well done. I found both of their perspectives, storylines, and romantic entanglements equally compelling, and was completely hooked into this book from page one. In typical Chloe Gong fashion, while I thought that I was following the narrative, catching on to where the twists and turns of the story would take me–I was completely wrong. Once you get to the final act of this book, the reveals and twists hit you over the head one after the other for the rest of the book, and they are so well crafted and utterly mind-boggling that I was giddy on the adrenaline high of reading.

My thoughts immediately after finish the book were just: WHAT THE FUCK WHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCK, and you know what? I think that just about sums it up. I was champing at the bit for Deadlock, and I am still so excited to pick that one up soon! I can’t wait to see where the story goes after the explosive ending of Coldwire.

Rating: 5 stars

Thank you to Margaret K. Elderberry for an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

10 Books I Want to Finish Before the End of 2026

Okay y'all... I am officially making my end-of-year reading list!

These are 10 books that have been sitting on my shelves (some longer than others), and I am determined to finally read them before the year ends. Some are books I've been putting off because I know they're going to emotionally destroy me, some are comfort reads I've been saving for the right season, and some are books that I picked up because I genuinely want to learn and grow from them.

Let's see if I can actually complete this challenge. 😂

Revive Me (Book 2 of The New Haven Series)

This book has been sitting on my TBR for a while after I finished the first book in the series, Restore Me. I think I may even have a review of it on here!

The only thing stopping me from starting this one is that I know it's going to be a heavy read. It gives me very much winter vibes, like a curl-up-under-a-blanket kind of book and disappear from the world.

Also... I don't own the final book in this couple's story yet. This couple gets three books in The New Haven Series, and I only have the first two. I know myself, and I want to have the complete story before diving in.

Mayhem & The Moral

Shanora Williams has my heart when it comes to paranormal romance.

After reading The Tether Trilogy, I could not stop raving about her writing. A Black female main character, a moody love interest, parallel worlds, fated mates... I was hooked.

So, I am very excited to see what this new book has in store.

This Could Be Forever

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a while now, but Ebony LaDelle is a critically acclaimed author after her book Love Radio, so I knew I wanted to read more of her work.

I purchased this one last summer and never got around to reading it, so this is the year I finally pick it up!

Six of Crows

Apparently, I committed a heinous crime by not reading this series when I was a teenager. 😂

I read Shadow and Bone but stopped after that, so I completely missed out on this duology. I picked up Six of Crows back in February, but I just haven't found the time to start it.

However, this book WILL be finished before the end of the year. It has been waiting long enough.

Yours Truly

Honestly? I'm just trying to clear out my physical TBR with this one.

I do love Abby Jimenez, though, so I'm expecting a great read. I'm also saving this one for colder weather because the cover just screams winter to me. Maybe it's the red cover? I don't know, but it feels like a cozy winter romance.

Book Lovers

Another physical TBR cleanup book!

Emily Henry is very hit or miss for me, so I'm hoping this one lands on the "hit" side. I've heard so many good things, and I'm ready to finally see where I fall.

Salvation

I am very excited to start this next book on my journey of learning more about love, intimacy, boundaries, and relationships as a Black woman.

I've already tabbed up All About Love, and I'm ready to continue learning.

I love learning from people who have deeply researched a topic, and I'm interested in understanding more about why Black men and Black women have experienced so many struggles when it comes to love, relationships, and building healthy homes.

I want to explore how society and systemic racism have shaped these experiences and how we can continue learning to love each other more intentionally.

Communion

I have heard this one is a MUST-read.

From what I understand, this book explores why women feel so connected to love, why we yearn for it, and how we can learn to communicate, not just with others, but with ourselves.

Our minds. Our bodies. Our spiritual selves.

I love books that explore womanhood from a deeper perspective, so I am very excited for this one.

Hood Feminism

This is a banned book, so I am especially happy that I purchased a copy.

I am very interested in learning more about feminism through the lens of Black women and understanding how race, class, and gender intersect.

I want to explore feminism beyond the mainstream conversations and learn more about the experiences and perspectives that are often overlooked, like my own.

The fact that this book has faced bans and challenges because of conversations around race, intersectionality, and systemic equity honestly makes me even more curious to read it.

The Wrath Gods Reap (Book 3 of The Crucible Series)

I have been waiting for this book since last year!

I am obsessed with this series. It's a Greek mythology-inspired romance where Hades is our MMC, and our FMC is... something else. 👀

I have SO many questions, and I am beyond ready to dive back into this world.

I already know I will be listening to this one on audiobook because I need the full experience.

Now the challenge begins. 😂

Will I finish all 10 books before the end of the year?

Only time will tell...

But just know, I probably will sneak in 10 other random books that will find me when the time is right!

Are there any books you're excited to read? Comment down below!

Hello, book friends!

We have officially reached the last Pub Day of August, and apparently the publishing world has decided to send the month out with serial killers, haunted homes, murderous bears, immortal sword men, stalker cowboys, and one extremely inconvenient phone swap.

So, you know. A very normal Tuesday around here. 😂

Let’s get into it.

📚 NEW THIS WEEK

The last Pub Day of August is here! Here are the August 25 releases currently screaming the loudest from my TBR.

🔎 MYSTERY + THRILLER

They Say a Girl Died Here by Sarah Pinborough
Two women were murdered exactly three years apart in the same small town, and now Anna suspects the supposedly closed case is anything but. I already read this one, and while I loved the strange, genre-bending setup, that ending confused the hell out of me. 😂

Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier
A serial killer recants his decades-old confession, forcing two former best friends to revisit the night their friend disappeared. Five stars from me, and I especially recommend the fantastic full-cast audiobook.

The Opposite of Murder by Sophie Hannah
At 5:05 p.m., Jemma walks into a police station and says she thinks she’s going to murder someone, and at exactly 5:05, that woman is murdered elsewhere. An impossible confession AND an airtight alibi? I need answers.

Bad Intentions by Iliana Xander
Josie returns to the small town where her family has been infamous for decades, only for old secrets and new violence to start clawing their way back to the surface. Give me generational secrets and a town obsessed with the past and I’m listening.

👻 YA HORROR + THRILLER

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls by Jessica Spotswood
In 1947, two girls begin uncovering the brutal history of a home once used to hide pregnant young women, and discover that one of its former residents may never have left. Historical horror + institutional secrets + ghosts feels VERY appropriate as we creep toward fall.

Natural Selection by Clare Edge
Three teenage girls have had enough of their town’s golden boy just as a grizzly begins attacking known abusers. It’s being pitched as darkly funny feminist YA for fans of The Honeys and Wilder Girls, and the tagline “When it comes to boys and bears, always choose the bear” certainly has my attention.

🐉 FANTASY

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
A sweet scholar accidentally summons the immortal warrior trapped inside the ancient sword he’s transporting, and naturally feelings get involved. I enjoyed returning to the Swordheart world, although the pacing dragged a bit for me this time.

❤️ ROMANCE

The Phone Swap by Lia Louis
A scientist and a famous actor accidentally swap phones after a delayed flight, except he’s about to disappear onto a remote movie set for a month. Forced digital proximity is such a fun setup, and I need to know how messy this gets.

Roped by Saffron A. Kent
A college student realizes a mysterious masked cowboy is watching her, and instead of staying away, she decides to lure him out of hiding. I LOVED this one: age gap, stalker romance, warring ranches, and completely unhinged cowboy obsession.

💬 THE BOOKISH GROUP CHAT

Okay. We have several things to discuss this week.

🔪 What are the best thrillers of the 21st century?

I’m sure you’ve seen some version of The New York Times’ “50 Best Thriller Books of the 21st Century” list floating around social media already.

Hundreds of novelists, librarians, editors and book influencers weighed in to help determine which thrillers published since 2000 deserved a spot.

Which means the internet has naturally responded in the calmest and most reasonable way possible: By arguing about the list. 😂

And honestly? This is why I love these things.

I don’t necessarily need a “best books” list to perfectly match mine. Half the fun is looking at what made it, immediately identifying the glaring omissions, and then mentally constructing your own superior version.

So I want to know: If you could put ONE thriller published since 2000 on that list, what would it be?

See The New York Times’ 50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century.

🤖 What happens when an author is accused of using AI?

This piece from Miss Demeanors immediately caught my attention because we are entering a VERY strange era for writers. It looks at what authors can do if someone accuses them of using generative AI to write their book.

And one of the biggest takeaways is basically: Keep your receipts. Drafts. Version histories. Research notes. Backups. Anything that can document the actual evolution of a manuscript.

Because one of the problems with the current AI conversation is that accusations can spread incredibly quickly, while AI-detection tools themselves are far from foolproof.

Which means authors are increasingly being asked to prove a negative: How do you prove that you wrote something yourself?

That is such a bizarre position for writers to be in.

And it also gets complicated very quickly because there’s a huge difference between someone using an editing tool, an accessibility tool, a background remover, generative AI, or actually asking AI to write the work itself, and internet discourse does not always leave much room for nuance.

I’m very curious where everyone lands on this one: Do you think authors are eventually going to need to keep some kind of documented “paper trail” of their writing process?

Read “AI Accusations and What To Do If You’re Accused as an Author.”

✍️ ALSO IN THE GROUP CHAT: What actually happens at a writers conference?

I also loved this behind-the-scenes look at the Romance Writers of America Conference from Miss Demeanors. Because I think when most readers hear “writers conference,” we vaguely picture authors sitting around discussing books all day.

Which…yes. But there’s also SO much publishing business happening behind the scenes. I found it especially interesting seeing the conference through the eyes of someone coming from the mystery-writing world, because so much of what she learned crosses genre lines.

Turns out good character development remains good character development whether those characters are kissing, solving murders, fighting dragons or doing all three simultaneously.

Take an inside look at the Romance Writers of America Conference.

🎥 WANT TO UNDERSTAND FANTASY BETTER?

One of my favorite things about fantasy is also the thing that makes it completely overwhelming: Fantasy is HUGE and saying “I like fantasy” tells me almost nothing. 😂

• Do you want magical cities hidden inside our world?

• Muskets and magic?

• Monsters hiding among humans?

• A heroic warrior going on an extremely dangerous quest?

Over on YouTube, I broke down four fantasy subgenres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Flintlock Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy.

We talk about what actually defines each one, how to tell them apart, the vibes you can expect, and (most importantly) where I think you should start reading.

So if you've ever looked at the fantasy section and thought, Okay, but what kind of fantasy do I actually like? this is for you.

Watch “Fantasy Genres Explained” on my YouTube channel.

🐾 LINK’S CORNER

Link has reviewed this week’s important literary news and would like to talk about the only book that currently matters:

A novel narrated by a dog.

Paul Yoon’s Etna is told from the perspective of a dog traveling through southern Italy with her human.

Which is already enough information for Link to give it five stars.

But Yoon has also talked about the role his own dog, Oscar, played in helping him understand how to approach the world from a dog's perspective while writing the novel.

And I LOVE this concept.

Writing convincingly from an animal’s perspective feels incredibly difficult because you have to somehow give readers access to an interior world without simply making the animal feel like a human wearing a dog costume.

Meanwhile, Link has informed me that writing from a dog's perspective is actually very easy:

• Food.

• Walk.

• Squirrel.

• Food again.

• Why has the hooman been in the bathroom for four minutes? Possibly dead.

• Emergency.

• Dinner.

Hear Paul Yoon talk about Etna and the dog who helped inspire it.

That’s it for this week, and somehow that also means we have officially survived every August Pub Day.

Now I need to know: Which August 25 release are you adding to your TBR, what thriller belongs on YOUR best-of-the-century list, AND would you read an entire novel narrated by a dog?

Reply and tell me. This newsletter is basically one giant bookish group chat anyway.

Until next week,

Brittany + Link 🐾

Here's your weekly roundup of romances hitting shelves this week that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted. If there are other books out today that you think folks will enjoy, feel free to recommend them in the comments. Please click through to read the post on Bindery for my full commentary!

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel published this week. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar.]

Love Me Like a Rock Song by Shelly Jay Shore (Dell) — I loved Shelly Jay Shore’s first book Rules For Ghosting so much that I forced them to be my friend. Their sophomore novel is just as inventive and beautiful as their debut. Shelly weaves queer pop culture into Jewish folklore in this gorgeous road trip story about a singer-songwriter and a golem. Come celebrate the book with us at the Ripped Bodice next week on 9/3! Shelly was also the third ever guest on the Rebel Ever After podcast.

The Jezebel List by Alisa Dean (Alcove) — This novel about unlearning sex-negative, ultraconservative Christian fundamentalist dogma with the help of a hot documentarian sounds so good. I haven’t read much contemporary romance about healing religious trauma that doesn’t involve seducing a priest (no shade to the smutty heretics), so I’m curious to read a fresh take.

I Kissed Her First by Betty Cayouette (Saturday Books) — Betty Cayouette’s first sapphic romance! Betty’s celebrity romances are always fun; we talked about how she writes consensual and sex-positive love stories on Rebel Ever After.

Miss Beresford and the Beast by Mimi Matthews (indie) — Matthews is an auto-buy historical romance author for me. And a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I’m so there.

But I Hate Him by Page Powars (Roaring Book Press) — A new queer YA romance by the outrageously silly and clever Powars, who is one of my favorite authors on Threads.

The Marriage Rebound by Meka James (Carina Adores) — A sapphic second-chance romance between a WNBA player and her exotic dancer-turned-housewife. I’m so happy we’re getting more traditionally published queer, black basketball romances. 

Doctors' Red-Hot Rivalry by Luana DaRosa (Harlequin Medical) — The latest category romance from the prolific Brazilian author is about two specialists competing for the same job while pretending they never had a one-night-stand. 

Experiments in Offline Dating by Kat Mackenzie (Avon) — I’m hearing that this Ireland vacation enemies-to-lovers romance has great neurodivergent rep. 

The Cozy Nook Bookshop by Jeannie Chin (Forever) — For anyone craving a Hallmark-vibes small-town Vermont romance with Asian-American representation, read about a bookseller and a forest ranger falling in love.

The Cat Cafe Book Club by Rachel Rowlands (Hodder & Stoughton) — This small-town romance looks like a standard cozy autumn read, but there’s a subplot about a property developer threatening the cat cafe. According to one Goodreads user: “The book is more about corporate greed than it is about romance.” Don’t threaten me with a good time.

I have some events coming up virtually and in the NY area!

8/26: Rebel Ever After Bindery virtual launch party with special guests Adib Khorram, Laura Piper Lee, and Erin Baldwin is THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. Make sure you registered for the Zoom party!!

9/3: Launching Love Me Like a Rock Song with Shelly Jay Shore at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

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

JUST ADDED 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. We'll have several featured author guests, so far including Shelly Jay Shore and Blair Fell.

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

I'll admit, yesterday was one of the worst days I've had being a Latine creator online in a very long time. It was a day that made me want to turn off social media for good.

Between ignorant racists comparing Latine people to Frankenstein and then willfully not understanding disparities in publishing, it was both a day that made me come out of my multiple videos a day retirement AND a day that left me so exhausted, I wasn't sure I'd have the space to celebrate and attend an author event.

Much of the work I've always striven towards educating people on the latest in Latine literature, but it's obvious there are people committed to hating us--as if ICE raids and a president that started his campaign over a decade saying hateful things about Mexicans wasn't enough. Our Latine communities are scared for their lives. The snowball of racism and hatred has slid down the hill and is swallowing us whole.

All this just 3 weeks before Latine Heritage Month. It's agonizing, but we are resilient and I'm not going to let someone being loudly racist and wrong stop the celebration--whether it be this week's Latine releases or what I have planned beginning September 15th and beyond. I'll always be here cheering on Latine literature. Let the racists and the haters stay mad. I'll get louder to spite them.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT

But I cannot do all this work alone. I wish I could say that my income had a semblance of consistency, but focusing on Latine literature while this administration issues executive order after executive order targeting our communities. Corporations falling into complicity and silence, meaning they are signaling that they'll once again not celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. Being loudly political online comes with financial consequences. Many brands want apolitical creators, which I'm clearly not. I recently turned down my biggest brand deal ever because their values do not align with mine (story time coming soon on that).

If you've been considering supporting me here on Bindery, now is a great time as we gear up towards Latinx Heritage Month. I have a few things planned I'm excited to announce.

But I also understand the economy we're in and don't behoove anyone who is a free subscriber. Your subscription, at whatever level, supports me and I'm so grateful for you all being here.

If you don't have the means to support, but are on either Tik Tok and on Facebook, I'm in both platforms creator funds. Meaning: your interaction and support on those platforms helps me financially every month (although I completely understand why you WOULDN'T be on either platform!).

I want to get to this week's releases, but quickly want to share a quick photo from last night's event at Tombolo Books that refilled my cup--I got to see Cuban American author/illustrator Andre Frattino in conversation with Jared Rosello discussing Frattino's We Are Pan, a graphic novel fictionalization of the Pedro Pan flights from Cuba in the early 1960's (I told you about it on release day, June 2nd).

Literary Fiction

Crocodopolis by John Manuel Arias (Audiobook)

Dey by Edwidge Dandicat (Audiobook)

Middle Grade

No Place On Earth by Andrea Beatriz Arango (Audiobook)

Sing Me A Story: Latine Short Stories in Verse by Latine Authors, edited by Aida Salazar (Audiobook)

Don't Wake Up by Cassandra Ramos-Gomez (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen

Hey team!

This is pretty cool. The new paperback set of Red Rising arrived, just in time for when Pierce Brown comes to the UK in October! You can pre-order this set from Hodder now!

Have you read this series yet? 👀

Ed and Will

Don’t you love reading a book where the FMC isn’t 16, but 40?

Of course, no shade against a younger FMC, but as I grow older, I find myself drawn to women who have some parts of life figured out and others still beautifully undone. Women who are finding themselves again at an age society likes to label scandalous.

Vera Stein is a 40-year-old woman finally breaking the destructive patterns she formed in her youth and rediscovering herself, and that’s refreshing. She has spent most of her life living for others, and now she has decided to do something for herself. The leads and side characters are well balanced, and none of them overpower the others. I didn’t like the third-act fight very much, but the ending was good, so no complaints.

Thank you so much @andimjulie for this copy. The book is already out and available at nearest stores. 💕

#booktok #recommended