Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs!

I don't think I can keep this going weekly, but I'm feeling so hyped up about all this amazing Latine news this start of Latinx Heritage Month that I decided to summarize all the Latine Excellence I've seen this week for you, in case you missed it. This also inspired me for our November Book Club poll.

I made a video about it last week, but our very own March Bien Leidos selection, Now I Surrender by Alvaro Enrigue and translated by Natasha Wimmer was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature

Dominican writer Julian Randall was longlisted for the National Book Awards in Young People's Literature for Shook--this is a middle grade novel in verse about a young boy who is following in his father and uncle's footsteps to become a basketball player, only to find himself injured and dealing with anxiety. I loved Julian's Pilar Ramirez series and can't wait to dig into this one!

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FICTION LONGLIST

There were THREE Latine books longlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction! Before I tell you about them, I wanted to mention that there has been significant discussion online about the absence of Kin by Tayari Jones. I've been trying to find a more cogent explanation of this phenomenon, but basically, there are forces at play that keep books by Black authors, women in particularly, off of awards lists--the phenomenon of the "One Great Black Author" as well as systems seeing as "Too much success for Black women writers" that keeps committee members from voting for these books to be included on the list because they've been awarded "too many" other awards already. Of course, I always want us to strive for more Latine representation, but also understand that the same structural racism that keeps Black authors off huge awards list as the National Book Awards. We can see amazing Latinx representation this year and also acknowledge where there are momentous gaps for other marginalized groups.

I ordered a copy of Kin so I could read it before the end of the year and hope you'll consider reading and supporting it, as well.

I'm planning on reading all 3 of these Latine titles ahead of the National Book Award and since we don't have a November book picked yet, I thought we'd read one together. Check out the poll at the end of this post to select our November read!

Dèy by Edwidge Danticat (Audiobook) Taking place in Haiti, Miami, and Brooklyn, a woman whose sense of self and family are called into question when she gets caught in a random act of violence one sunny Florida day.

Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli (Audiobook) From the author of Lost Children Archive comes a story of a mother and daughter starting anew in Siciliy and a road trip about 4 generations of women.

Pretend You're Dead and I Carry You by Julian Delgado Lopera (Audiobook) Set in Colombia's queer underground scene--this story follows Ignacio and his daughter Valentina. Valentina wants answers to her mother's death and Ignacio is depressed and betrayed. Alternating between present day and the past, we begin to uncover more of what happened.

LATINE BOOK ADAPTATION NEWS!

How Not To Drown In A Glass of Water by Angie Cruz is being made into a movie with Angie writing the screenplay!! I know this was just announced, but I'm already SO, SO excited!

Chapter 11

Icarus shut the front door so hard the glass rattled in its pane, his footsteps boomed like captive thunder storming up the stairs. With a roar, he began to throw open drawers and cabinets and boxes until he found everything he could on his father’s case, on Dáire or Eilonwy or whoever they might actually be. He leaned into reception and snarled at Edith.

“I want everything we ever took from Eilonwy on this case. Every scrap of information you remember, write it down!” He punctuated his misplaced rage with a slam of his office door. 

He paused long enough to pour himself a generous drink and then began the labor of staring at scattered files, adding page after page of the Callahan murders to them. They were connected, he knew it, he could feel it. A thread of comprehension lay just outside his reach, but it was there and when he found it he would pull it so hard it would unravel the world. His whole life since he took the damned collar from those wretched priests had just been layered over and over with lies and half-truths about his father, keeping whatever the connection might be from him. He was sick of it, sick of being lied to. 

He wanted to know where his father was. He wanted to know who Eilonwy was, since it was abundantly clear she was not a Callahan. 

And who, Icarus raged to himself, the fuck is Dáire?

Maren didn’t knock, he would not have heard her over the cacophony of his own thoughts anyway. Movement caught his attention and he met her cool, level gaze. He tensed, expecting her to scold him or tell him to calm himself. Instead, she dropped some handwritten notes into his flurry of paperwork and dragged the other chair closer. 

“We knew something was wrong,” she whispered almost too quietly for him to hear. “You said so, I said so. And we let it go. We ignored our instincts.”

“And what are your instincts telling you now, Mare?” He took a long drink and slumped into the empty seat alongside her. She didn’t even chide him for the indiscretion of his too-early whiskey this time.

She shuffled some of her notes around, tucked them under other papers. There was no rhyme or reason to it, her hands didn’t want to stay still, “That Reed is reaching a point in his stories where he can no longer keep us in the dark.”

Icarus scowled and turned his glower to the window. He nodded and emptied his glass, “I’d say that’s the only true fucking thing about any of this.”

They sat in silence for a long time. The sun faded—darkness seeped into the room diffused by the frosted window glass, chasing the light out with its descent. Neither of them rose to turn on the lamps. Edith rapped on the door and opened it slowly. Icarus met her intrusion with a grunt—not an apology, but the making of one settled into the furrowed lines of his face. He looked at her, then the sheaf of paper she handed to him. 

“Everything I might remember,” she spoke hastily, cowed by his undeserved ire. “Should… should I stay longer, sirs?”

Icarus reached for the papers and took them with a heavy sigh. He tossed them on his desk and shook his head, a tired hand running over his face, “No. No, Edith, you’re alright. Get home. Be safe.” She turned to go until he lifted a hand to stop her, “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. Forgive an angry old man his idiocy?”

The older woman’s face twisted into a wry smile and she sighed, a maternal scolding in the making, “Icarus Ulrich, you are anything but an old man. It’s all our mistake, love. We bear responsibility as a team, not one man. Oíche mhaith, then.”

She gave him a tight-lipped smile and the intractable fist of guilt let him go with a wave of relief. He nodded, she returned it, and her hand found the switch before she shut the door. In the amber light of wall sconces, he watched his shadow stretch long over the faded green carpet. 

“This rug is hideous,” he muttered, Maren hummed her inattentive agreement. He turned to her and set his glass down hard, the sound drew her attention to him, “What say we pay an evening visit to an old friend? I’d love to know who the fuck The Inquisitor is.”

**

He was no fool, much as the Church might disagree. It would be a declaration of war to cross the Church threshold this evening—at least by the means he intended to do it. Icarus tossed his copy of the Pale Doctrine in a small satchel, considered his situation, and tossed in a second along with a spare silver knife—another strapped inconspicuously to his left forearm tucked into his long, black sleeve. The one in his boot, however, was steel made to fight with if it came to it. He shrugged the baldric over his shoulder and adjusted the weight of his sword across his back. His long wool coat covered the scabbard, but the hilt was impossible to hide. 

Good, he mused, tying his overlong hair in a haphazard knot at the crown of his head and swearing he would have it cut back. Let them know I mean to be answered one way or another.

Maren waited in reception, idly leaning on Edith’s desk. The layered belts cinched around her waist sagged under the weight of whatever magic salts she decided would help, a copy of the Pale Doctrine somewhere on her person he had no line of sight to. She looked nearly the same as she always did before an exorcism save for two things: the mean-looking longknife tight against her thigh and the double-barrel shotgun looped over her shoulder. 

He raised a brow at the firearm. They were rare, but not entirely unheard of. Between netherism, her salt magic, and that knife, though, he felt compelled to ask about the gun. He motioned with his chin. 

“A precaution.” She said nothing more about it and because it was her, he was satisfied.

He led the way down the stairs—tugging on gloves, holding the door, and locking the office behind him. Something about the night hanging overhead felt different. The sky was holding its infinite, blackened breath while it watched them. Whatever was happening was about to change and the fates swirling around them had no answers for what that meant. He could feel it in the chill of the air, the way the breeze could not decide to come or go, and in the otherworldly crackle of magic dancing at the edges of his skin. 

With one last look back at their darkened office, he turned up his coat collar and started towards the Church.

***

In his head, Icarus had imagined dramatically kicking open Reed’s office door and splintering the frame. He would snarl and shout and give an impassioned speech about lies and the Church and corruption. Now, standing in a nearly-empty hall of administrators shuffling files back and forth amid rows of desks and identical oil lamps, it felt a bit too dramatic even for his liking. 

“Nothing takes the wind out of your sails like a bit of paperwork,” he muttered to Maren, uneasy. They moved along the sparsely populated desks, the mundane happenings in the face of his righteous fury felt like a threat in their own way. For the first time all evening, he felt the tug of doubt at this plan.

“You can’t bring weapons into the house of the Pale God,” one of the younger priests sighted them. He stood, rigid and wide eyed. 

Maren shrugged and swung the shotgun so its stock landed in her hand. She waited—patient, still, unyielding—a predator tracking potential prey. The young man stepped to the side and out of their path. When she was satisfied, she motioned to Icarus to proceed. She didn’t  bother to give the young man a second glance when they strode past him toward the managerial offices. 

When the door slammed into the wall, Reed exclaimed, his chair scraped the floor and nearly sent him toppling over it. He stood too quickly and stumbled, catching himself on the wainscotting. It took a moment to register his unwelcome, aggressive visitors. A hand flew to his chest and pressed out an exhale of relief like air from a bellows. 

“Icarus! Pale Sons and Daughters, you scared the life out-,” he stopped, tracking the look of them both when they stepped into the dimly lit room. The threat was obvious. He adjusted his tone, face falling into something darker, and a warning filled the undertone of his words, “What on the Pale Lord’s sanctified ground of this Holy Church are you doing, Father Ulrich?”

It was always Father Ulrich when Icarus was standing at the precipice of trouble with Reed. He sneered resentfully at the formality, “Sanctified ground? That’s where we are, then? Could’ve fooled me.”

Maren shut the door and leaned back against its frame, shotgun cradled in the crook of her arm. Reed glanced at it, then her, his frown giving way to fear, “Icarus, what are you doing? What is this?”

“Have a seat, Father,” he gestured at the man’s chair and waited. 

“Icarus-”

“I said to have a fucking seat.” He snapped. Reed eased himself down into his chair, careful to keep his eye on Icarus. Icarus sat across from him and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, “I think it’s time we have a conversation.”

“What-”

“An honest one, preferably. Provided you’re even capable anymore,” he scowled, posture rounded and coiled with the urge to lash out. “Where is my father, Reed?”

“I don’t-”

“Where is my father, Reed?”

“You read-”

“Where is my father, Reed?”

A long, tight silence wound in the air between them and both men stared at each other, history after history playing out behind their eyes. A lifetime of mentorship, friendship even, boiling away under the heat of whatever the Church had kept from Icarus using Reed’s mouth to do it. 

The older priest took a slow breath through his nose and broke the thread, looking down at weathered hands interlaced on his desk. He had the heaviness of a man weighing his heart against a feather around him. Another agonized exhale took his posture with it and he slumped. Icarus, unfortunately, gave no ground in his fury. 

“At this point, I truly can say I do not know,” Reed raised tired eyes to meet his and fought the urge to wince at the fire he found there. “But I know he isn’t dead. It’s the best I can tell you.”

“Not good enough,” Icarus leaned on that feeling in his gut—the constant writhing knowledge something was only half-true that he had ignored, labeled as unearned suspicion for much too long.

Reed tightened his lips and leaned back, “There was chatter. A secret entrust from the Cardinal. Rumors he was to make contact with the Tuatha de Dannan across the Veil. He never told me anything himself, all I’ve got are rumors.”

Despite his tenacity, Icarus balked, “The Tuatha-. Across the Veil?!”

Reed nodded.

“Mortals can’t cross the Veil,” Icarus knit his brows together and leaned back, straightening. He studied Reed’s face. It dawned on him with an incredulous laugh, “Pale fucking Sons and Daugthers. You’re a score of fucking liars.” He leaned back, legs splayed, head shaking in disbelief, “There’s a way across the Veil and you cunts decided to lie about it so, what? You can keep people safe?”

The derision in his words drew a sharp look from Reed, “The Church has an obligation to stop anything coming through a tear in the Veil. We must guard it, stop people from crossing through.”

“Control what crosses through,” Maren corrected. Her voice hung in the air like the tone of a bell.

“This is bigger than either of you,” Reed hissed. Whatever airs he had at camaraderie or familiarity fell away, “I owe no divulgence of the Church’s greatest threats nor am I obliged to justify the actions of our Holy Orders to a pair of estranged priests who turned their faces from the Pale God to take up heretical magic.”

“A pair you’re happy to call on when it suits you and lie to when it doesn’t,” Icarus barked back. He got to his feet and paced briefly before jamming a finger towards him, “I ask you one more time, Reed. Where is my cunting father?!”

Reed stared up at him with a defiant anger Icarus had never been on the receiving end of before. If Reed knew anything, he had no plans to tell him. Icarus took another pacing lap and leaned against the edge of the desk. In conversation with himself, he nodded. 

“This place is a fucking stain. A mockery of the Pale God and the sacrifice of His Son,” he cut Reed’s attempted interruption off with a glance. “You sit here in this building preaching virtue and charity and truth in one hand while lying to everyone, hoarding Pale God knows what, and spinning me in circles with the other. A fucking mockery indeed. This is no holy house of the Lord. This is an abscess of secrets and lies and darkness. An infection. A rot in the binding of every copy of the Pale Doctrine that leaves its halls.”

Icarus stood tall. The distance between them was a chasm now and he had no intention of finding a way across it. Not anymore, not when everything he had trusted about Reed evaporated in a moment. 

“If Daedalus is alive,” Reed exhaled, “I do not know what’s become of him. Whoever kept communion with him has not heard from the man in years.”

That writhing in Icarus’s gut stilled—confirmation, a truth. Finally, a damned truth. At least enough of one, anyway.

“How many?” Maren interrupted. Reed startled as if he forgot she was there. She waited, then repeated her question, “Has not heard from him in how many years?”

If Reed could strike her down with a look, he was trying hard enough that it should have worked. He held his breath for a moment and glanced at her lazily held shotgun, “Five.”

Icarus rubbed his eyes. He wished dearly it had been surprise he felt, but it was not. Instead, a hollow, aching anger bordering on resignation filled his chest, “May the Stygian Lord drag your soul into shadows where the Pale God’s light can never touch.”

Reed crossed himself, “Icarus Ulrich you’ll not curse me in such a manner and invite the Stygian Lord into this place!”

“The real miracle of this fucking Church with its foundation of lies,” Icarus snarled, “is that he isn’t personally walking the halls of it already.”

There was more to ask, more to know, but Icarus couldn’t  stand it anymore. Static buzzed in his head, veins pulsed hard along his neck, his nails dug into the meat of his palms in an attempt to channel the urge to hit something. He couldn’t be here anymore—the atmosphere was too thin, his coat was too hot. Fuck answers, he needed to leave. 

He shook his head and tried to breathe through it, “Whatever you’re doing, whatever my father is doing? I will figure it out. And I will put a fucking stop to it.”

“And side with the fae?! With demons?!” Reed barked, “We work to purge them from our realm and are trying to keep anything dangerous crossing the Veil and you threaten to stop us?! Have you turned your back on the Pale God so far you would seek to make an enemy of His Church?”

Icarus turned—slow, methodical, controlled. He held Reed’s outraged stare in his, cold and storming. He seemed taller somehow, his shadow reaching higher up the wall. The image would sear into Reed’s mind and be difficult to shake, he found himself shrinking away from the former priest when the shimmering outline of feathers stretched out behind the silhouette of Icarus’s shoulders. In a blink, it was gone.

“I have never turned my back on the Pale God. Nor will I ever. His word is peace. It has always been peace. Truth, charity, love. These are all His words that live in me and through me by His grace. He saves me from the Rot brought on by the magic He allows me to reach for and do His work,” Icarus paused long enough to let the admonition hang, “I have not turned from Him. But you may want to ask yourself if you have.”

With finality, Icarus turned for the door and Maren stepped aside so he could leave. She lingered, though, and watched the old priest a while longer. Reed eventually set his sights on her and his expression softened into pity. 

“Maren,” he whispered, “you do not have to go down this path with him. You can stop him from whatever foolhardiness he intends to try. Save him from himself. Save you from himself.”

She considered him for a long time, then tilted her head in curiosity, “Oh, Father. I’m the one who made this path in the first place. I’ve just been waiting for him to follow.”

Nothing left to say, she disappeared and closed the door behind her.

Icarus needed to escape the heat boiling him alive in his own skin. He stalked down the row of desks and administrative priests pressed themselves out of his path as if they could feel what he felt—he was a furnace moving too close and they would burn if they could not get out of the way. He burst through the front doors and was greeted by a pleasant shower of cold midwinter rain. Standing on the steps, he turned his face into it with a sigh. It cooled his skin, his hair, his fury. 

Everything was breaking underneath him. Five years—not fifteen. If he wanted answers, if he wanted more, he would not get them from the Church. Frustratingly, he was starting to wonder if he would get them from the fae. Or, perhaps, something worse. 

He raised his hand and pulled the tab collar free from his throat. His fingers worked, turning it over, memorizing its weight and shape. He looked down and studied the simple white thing resting in his palm. It represented everything he had believed in about this place once, who he had been, who he thought he would become. All of it was so far away he could hardly reconcile who he was now with who that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed new exorcist was. 

The door closed behind him and Maren appeared at his side, staring down the amber-lit street and watching the raindrops flashing in the gaslight like tumbling fireflies. Icarus opened his hand and let the collar fall. It made no sound when it hit the stone. Maren reached for her own and tossed it behind her. It was symbolic anyway, she had made her peace with the loss of the Church a long time ago and wore it out of habit now. 

They watched the silent midnight street for a long time. When the rain began to ease back, Icarus had made his decision. 

“You said there’s lower chambers in the Church?” She nodded. He looked at her, resolute, “Then let’s find a way to them, shall we?”

Here we go for a quick weekly reading update and recap on what we've put away this week during my Indie September Sprint! I've been trying to read through more of my indies and I fear I have too many things on my plate that may prevent me from realizing success, but it's not going to stop me!

Anyway, let's begin.

What Blood Remembers by C. William Phillips

Full disclosure, Will is a close personal friend of mine and I love the guy a lot. He originally asked me to read this MONTHS ago before we were very close and in September I knew he had to be near the top of my list with this book.

When I tell you I was floored by this book. I never see indie thrillers and this was my first one, but now I don't think I can read any more ever. This was so good. I would put his prose in the same group as S.A. Cosby's. The story was fraught and panic-inducing, brilliantly paced, and breathless. He wrote villains you can understand, even if you don't agree with them. He also wrote heroes who were nothing heroic and a complex relationship between a young man and his father that ironed out on a road trip for revenge. This was a thriller about loss and connection and what we will do for the people we love.

I think this is a book I'm going to encourage folks to read much more often. It was nothing like what I expected in the most fun, wonderful way.

Child of the Night Guild by Andy Peloquin

Another very close, personal friend of mine! Andy is one of the most wonderful human beings I've ever met in the books space. So imagine my confusion when he decided to personally attack me with this book. Wow. What a freaking BOOK. I didn't expect this at all. The writing style, the structure, the pacing, the voice, the characters? This was so strong and so good I couldn't stop. I finished it in two days. I literally forewent my daily Malazan chapter to keep pulling apart this one.

I was engrossed completely in this grim, dark world he created where the Night Guild runs the streets and Ilana must figure out how to be of use to them or die trying. It was brutal and ruthless, but clear eyed and thoughtful. It showed the way tragedy shapes a young person and the full weight of a bitter world as it crushes someone under its foot. I cried, DM'd him about how mad I was, and then immediately began book two.

Thief of the Night Guild by Andy Peloquin

Which brings me to Book 2 of Queen of Thieves. This follow up was spectacular, it lost none of its momentum and gave me so much more of the intricacies of Ilana. It gut punched me from the outset and never let up. I held my breath, I gasped, I feared for everyone who appeared on the page, and I never once had a moment I felt lulled or could skip. Everything mattered. This is a heist book and a breathtaking adventure book and a corrupt guild politics book and a book about a woman who will survive no matter the costs. And yes, I finished it in two days.

He Who Ate The Wild by G.J. Terral

If ever there was a love letter to Princess Mononoke, this is that book. But it's also much, much more than that. While Terral has so much imagery from that movie, he also has his own story and his own beauty that he infuses so strikingly into this book. It's about Ku and his coming of age under the mantel of grief and loss, his otherness and how he is set apart from the people he desperately wants to be close to. Terral takes the landscape he created and brings it to life with effervescent language and a raw, brutal perspective on grief that I rarely get to see anywhere. As someone who recently lost a parent, this bit into pieces of me in the best possible way. I felt seen by the way he weaves a tapestry of loss and what happens to the people who are left behind in its wake.

Permutations by Jessica Coronado

I can't say I've ever sat down to read a hard sci-fi book in the indie space, but this one really got to me. Coronado built a deft, twisting story that relied on plausible science while working in philosophy, religion, and history in a way I really loved. This book made me settle under my blanket and use my brain more than I have in a while. Her explanations of theories and schools of philosophical thought were done smartly and accessibly while still continuing to trust the intellect of her readers. I watched Aiden grow while he was thrust into universe after universe in this philosophy heavy version of Dark Matter that took the journey of multiverse theory and quantum physics inward to the main character instead of outward into a story about action.

I had moments where I needed to think about it and found myself internally arguing with the philosophy or perspective, but that is the hallmark of a well communicated argument. As someone who deeply enjoys science fiction that makes me work for it, I appreciated this book a lot more than I expected to.

______________

I had a much slower reading week with a few projects coming to a head that I've hunkered down with and, honestly, I have been buried in my phone more than usual lately. I have a lot on my mind and a ton of things waking me up in the middle of the night, which makes it hard to concentrate on reading like I want to. But that's okay! I talk all the time about how fine it is to have a slight slump and, while not ideal, all of our TBRs are made up and we can take as long as we want to go through them.

Transparently, I'm working through the beta read suggestions on my completed manuscript, I'm finishing the last four chapters of my second book, I'm apartment shopping, I'm in the gym 4 days a week, I have friends I make plans with and love, I'm working through a paid writing project I hit the halfway mark on, I have a full time job, and I'm currently talking to some folks in the publishing world about some major opportunities.

I have a lot of things on my plate and I can feel myself rebelling as I sit down to read in favor of a moment of TV or catching up on an anime I want to rewatch or something—and that's alright. Life is a tide that ebbs and flows in a hundred directions. Right now, it's ebbing around my ability to sit and read. Tomorrow, that could change.

Morning book buddies!

Sending this a little late after a lie-in. I'm feeling poorly today, so I'll keep this brief.

Before we get to the books, let me tell you about last night. My guy's childhood best friend invited us to see his brother's band, The Sixties Show, down in Costa Mesa last night. It was SO FUN, and I highly recommend you go if they ever tour in your area. They played a variety of hits from the 60's, all note-for-note. 10/10 recommend.

Now for the books! I finished Stations by Louise Kennedy and have been in a reading slump ever since. It's absolutely perfect!!! If you've ever loved someone who struggled with addiction and unresolved trauma, this is the book for you. It's very character-driven and more of a stream-of-consciousness style narrative, but I think it's one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. Stay tuned for a very personal review. 5⭐️s

I also finished The Little Shop of Merry and Bright, and while it wasn't my favorite Bayliss, it definitely scratched the holiday reading itch. I loved the play on Dickens and the throwback to one of my favorite films: Mannequin. Overall, it was a cozy revenge/reclamation story that's perfect for holiday season reading. 4⭐️s

I didn't start either of the books you voted for (a tie between An Infinite Love Story & The Birthing Tree). Instead, I started two other audiobooks and can't seem to find the time to finish either. Someone on Youtube recommended The Liar's Club, a memoir by Mary Karr. I'm still early in, but I think I get why they recommended it. It's as if Meg from The Calamity Club wrote a memoir. 😳 I also started Almost Life, a sapphic love story set in the 1970s. It's giving Before Sunrise vibes, and I'm really enjoying it!

The Hacienda is super fun, but rather than finish that today, I think I'm going to do a 6-hour reading marathon and focus on my next Let's Go to the Library book. Hint: the theme is A Book Set in the 1930s, and you'll NEVER guess what I'm reading. You'll have to stay tuned to YouTube to find out.

ICYMI:

• The BBFL is currently voting on a book featuring Italian American stories in honor of Italian American Heritage and Culture month in October; go join & vote!

• Best (and Worst) of Q2 2026 + a few Mid-Year Freak Out Tag prompts

• A fun read that all perimenopausal women will enjoy

• Perfect for Fall: The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

• A series of mini-reviews featuring several past-due ARC reads

• I'm a victim of peer pressure 😜

• My nomination for Book of the Year

Hear It Here First:

My next YouTube video goes into detail about why I'm quitting NetGalley; stay tuned for that!

My 10 Before the End will be going live across all platforms, and I will need your help staying accountable this year.

Watch for a fun survey that I hope you'll help me with!

A great giveaway is coming to Facebook, so be sure you're following me there. 🙌🏻

Ok friends, gotta go start my pot of read beans and settle in with my new library book.

Happy Reading!

xoxo

c

Happy Sunday!

Quick reminder that today is the last day to submit responses for a chance to win a $25 gift card to either Bookshop(.)org or LibroFM!

Submit Here!

The survey should take less than five minutes to complete, and the information is truly valuable to me! The answers I receive will help me shape the content on this Bindery page so that it has the most value everyone!

Thank you to those who have already submitted their answers!

xo,

Rachael

The Sunday Prescription

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

Symptoms: Seasonal Reading Disorder

Happy Sunday friends! Hope everyone is having a great week, and that you are enjoying your reading in some way, shape, or form. As we are getting into fall here, the kids are going back to school, leaves are turning in my part of the world, and it's starting to be cold in the mornings. This, along with some really interesting banter on our Discord server, has me thinking about the seasons of reading, and how it is really important to embrace those seasons.

I know for me, reading definitely has a literal seasonal component. I read a ton in the summer with the kids being off of school and with vacations. My reading takes a hit in the fall when life responsibilities are building up and I'm outside more. Winter you have plenty of darkness and time to be indoors, and I read more, and then spring again it usually takes another dip as we barrel to the end of the school year.

But for all of us, reading has a more metaphorical seasonal component. One of the things that I always try to stress in my little reading community is that for me, I never want reading to eellike a chore, or a task, or a thing to simply get through so I can meet a goal or just get to the next book. It is meant to be enjoyed, and savored. Sometimes you love a book and you want to plow through it. Sometimes you love a book and you want to slow down and stay there. And it's important to let the books take you where they will. Similarly, you're going to go through periods where you go on a sci fi kick and drop your fantasy reads. Maybe you suddenly are sick of sci fi and want to read some nonfiction. Again, let your mood and the books take you where they will.

But sometimes, you just won't feel like reading, and I think it is important to remember that that is ok too! One of our Discord members just came back after being away for a few months - they were welcomed back with open arms! A few of our Discord members have been feeling a pull more to other hobbies, and that's ok too. I myself go through this, and it's part of the reason my reading is seasonal. As the weather gets cooler in the fall, I want to be out in the workshop building furniture with the windows open, making campfires and enjoying the outdoors, or going biking and hiking. So, I read a little less. Maybe I listen to a bit more audiobook wise, but I indulge those other hobbies. My Friday nights usually consist of reading in our reading room, but this week I wanted to watch a horror movie with my son. Sometimes I want to build a Lego or do a puzzle. Again, indulge those interests. Don't let reading become a chore or a job.

All of our hobbies go through seasons of intensity, and the goal should always be to enjoy your hobbies. In a reason Instagram live I did with Sarahdoesbookishstuff, we talked a bit about hustle culture and the push to monetize your hobbies. Resist this urge as much as possible! Not all of your hobbies need to turn into monetized jobs, and reading shouldn't feel like work.

So listen to your body and your brain, and incorporate reading as you see fit. And just know that around here, whether you read two books a year, two books a day, or anything in between, you are a welcome member of our community no matter what season of reading you're in!

The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing

Life is busy, and there is a ton going on! So first, let's talk Book Clubs:

• For our main book club:

  • September's book, Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, is wrapping up soon. This is a fantastic book club choice with so much to discuss!

  • October's Choice is Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. I will be posting the discussion thread on Discord for this this week sometime for anyone who wants to jump in!

• For our Fable book club:

  • September's book, Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, is wrapping up. I just finished this the other day, and it was really tremendous. A difficult, heavy read at times, but really well done.

  • October's pick is Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu. This is a sapphic vampire story that predates Dracula by 26 years, and was apparently a major inspiration for Bram Stoker!

For our Monthly Reading Challenges:

• September's challenge, Read the Opposite, runs through the end of the month. This can be a genre or author you don't normally read, a type of book you don't normally read - basically read something that is outside of your norm and pushes your reading boundaries a bit!

• October's reading challenge will be to read something seasonal. More to come on this next week!

In terms of reading, I am reading our Dark Traveler's Monthly Pick a Book, which for this month is Road of Bones by Demi Winters. This is my first dive into Romantasy (second if you count Jasad Heir), and I'm really enjoying it. I'm going to be adding a perk for our Dark Travelers, which will be a dedicated member's only review video for their monthly pick that will be more in depth! I am also listening to The Prophet of Edan by Philip Chase, book two in his Edan Trilogy, and really enjoying it.

I am finishing up a couple ARCs that will be my last for awhile. I'm reading Steadfast as Stone by Jeffrey Smith, and then Victorious by VE Schwab. After that I am going to be taking an indefinite hiatus from ARCs to allow me to focus more on buddy reads in our Discord and reading more of the books on my TBR I want to read as a mood reader!.

Hobby wise, I'll be leaning back into woodworking. With the weather cooling down, I'll be back on my mountain bike a bit more as well, and looking forward to spending time outside. I have a Lord of the Rings puzzle I started recently, and then I also recently picked up the Lord of the Rings Shire Lego set, so will be doing that as well.

And last but not least, be on the lookout for a new membership tier announcement the first week of October! I have a really fun idea, and am excited to share it with you all!

If you are not on our Discord server, you should consider hanging out! I do exclusive giveaways there, and I have some really exciting ones planned for the next few months! I don't really do giveaways on IG/TT because I like to reward you all in our community, so be on the look out for those. We have two giveaways running right now!

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

Want More In-Depth Access?

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

First Editions, your reading experience just got an upgrade! 💫

If you’re reading The Commons by Rebecca Ihim, the complete Page Ladies Book Club reader kit collection is officially available! Whether you’re gathering with the whole book club, reading with a buddy, or diving into the story completely on your own, we’ve created a kit to make your reading experience even more engaging.

✨ The Book Club Kit — Bring your group together with discussion questions, activities, themed ideas, and everything you need to turn your meeting into a memorable bookish experience.

📖 Individual Book Club Member’s Reader Guide — Your personal companion for reading, reflecting, taking notes, tracking thoughts, and coming prepared for your book club conversation.

👯 Buddy Reader Kit — Reading The Commons with a friend? This kit gives two readers a fun way to compare thoughts, discuss the story, make predictions, and connect the dots along the way.

☕ Solo Reader Kit — Reading on your own? You’re invited to the conversation, too! Use this guide to reflect on the story, dig deeper into the themes, and create your own book club experience.

Whether you’re a book club member, buddy reader, or solo reader, there’s a Page Ladies kit waiting for you. 💕📚

Ready to dive deeper into The Commons?

👉 First Editions members, tap the link to download your complete reader kits and start reading!

Book Club Kit

Individual Book Club Member Reader Guide

Buddy Reader Kit 

Solo Reader Kit 

And, of course, keep an eye out for more Page Ladies Book Club reader resources, because we believe reading the book is only the beginning. ✨

Bookish Question:

Are you reading The Commons with your book club, a reading buddy, or flying solo? And which kit are you grabbing first? 👀📖

#TheCommons #RebeccaIhim #BookClubKit #BookClub #BookishCommunity

What if being different wasn't just unpopular but dangerous?

That question sits at the heart of The Commons by Rebecca Ihim, and it gave The Page Ladies Book Club plenty to unpack.

At first glance, The Commons delivers many of the elements readers may expect from a dystopian story: a highly controlled society, an elite institution, dangerous tests, surveillance, secrets, romance, betrayal, and a protagonist who finds herself caught in a system determined to control her future.

But underneath all of that is a much bigger question:

What happens when a society decides that being “common” is more valuable than being yourself?

That question became one of the biggest threads running through our discussion.

WELCOME TO THE COMMONS

The story follows eighteen-year-old Shantavia Lerogaski, an exceptionally intelligent young woman whose very intelligence makes her a threat within a society that values conformity.

When Shantavia's sister disappears from The Commons, she has a deeply personal reason to find her way into the elite school.

Once there, however, finding her sister becomes only part of the problem.

Shantavia must navigate six dangerous tests, a highly controlled environment, uncertain alliances, and people whose motives aren't always easy to understand.

And, naturally, the deeper she gets into The Commons, the more questions arise.

For a book club, that's where things get interesting.

Because there is plenty here to question, debate, theorize about, and argue over in the most book-club-approved way possible.

SHANTAVIA: INTELLIGENCE AS BOTH GIFT AND THREAT

One of the most compelling aspects of Shantavia's character is that the quality that makes her exceptional is also the quality that makes her dangerous to the system.

She is intelligent.

She thinks independently.

She doesn't naturally fit into the mold The Commons has created.

And that creates an interesting conflict.

Normally, intelligence and individuality would be celebrated.

Here, they can make someone a target.

Our discussion kept circling back to what that means for Shantavia. She isn't simply fighting to survive a series of tests. She's navigating a system that seems to want her to become less of herself in order to succeed.

That raises a particularly uncomfortable question:

If survival requires you to suppress the qualities that make you who you are, what exactly are you surviving for?

THE WORLD OF THE COMMONS

The premise of The Commons immediately gives readers something substantial to dig into.

This isn't a society where conformity is merely encouraged.

Being “common” is measured.

Students are expected to fit a particular standard.

Individuality becomes suspicious.

And intelligence itself can become threatening.

That concept gives the setting an unsettling quality because it takes something many people experience pressure to fit in and pushes it to an extreme.

The result is a world where standing out can have serious consequences.

For our book club, that made the setting just as important to discuss as the characters.

What would happen if society decided that being different was a flaw?

Who gets to determine what “normal” looks like?

And how much control would people willingly surrender if they were promised safety in return?

Those questions extend well beyond the fictional world of The Commons.

THE SIX TESTS

The six tests give the story an additional layer of tension while also reinforcing the larger themes of the book.

Each test raises questions about what The Commons is actually trying to measure.

Is it intelligence?

Obedience?

Adaptability?

Survival?

Conformity?

Or something much more complicated?

That ambiguity makes the tests especially fun to discuss as a group because readers can interpret their purpose differently.

And, of course, every book club needs at least one question that immediately gets everyone talking:

Which test would you absolutely refuse to take?

Followed closely by:

Which one do you think you could actually survive?

We'll let everyone make their own questionable decisions there.

TRUST ISSUES: EVERYONE GETS A SIDE-EYE

If there's one thing The Commons gives readers plenty of, it's reasons to question people's motivations.

Shantavia is surrounded by characters whose intentions aren't always immediately clear, and the mystery surrounding her sister makes trust even more complicated.

When information is limited and the people around you may have their own agendas, trusting someone becomes a risk.

That made character motivations one of the more interesting areas for book-club discussion.

Who deserves Shantavia's trust?

Who doesn't?

Are certain characters protecting information for good reasons or simply protecting themselves?

And how much does fear influence the choices people make?

There is plenty of room for readers to arrive at very different conclusions.

Which is exactly what we want from a book-club conversation.

PESH ATTRACTION & COMPLICATION

Then we have Pesh.

Because apparently surviving a dangerous dystopian institution wasn't complicated enough.

Shantavia also has to navigate a dangerous attraction while trying to figure out whether Pesh is someone she can trust.

That creates an interesting tension between what Shantavia feels and what she knows.

Romance in a story like this isn't happening in a vacuum. Every relationship exists within a world of power, secrets, uncertainty, and danger.

That makes the dynamic between Shantavia and Pesh another natural conversation starter.

Can attraction cloud judgment?

Can you trust someone when you aren't sure what they want?

And is a dangerous attraction ever actually a good idea?

We suspect book clubs may have opinions on that last one.

FAMILY, SACRIFICE & THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

At the center of Shantavia's journey is her missing sister.

That personal connection gives the larger conflict emotional weight.

Shantavia isn't simply challenging The Commons because she dislikes its rules.

She's searching for someone she loves.

That makes the sacrifices she faces more meaningful because the stakes are deeply personal.

The story gives readers plenty to consider about family loyalty and the lengths someone might go to protect the people they love.

It also raises a difficult question:

How much should someone be willing to sacrifice for another person?

And perhaps even more importantly:

At what point does sacrifice become losing yourself?

CONFORMITY VS. INDIVIDUALITY

If we had to choose one theme to put at the center of a The Commons book-club discussion, this would be it.

The entire concept of being evaluated on how “common” you are creates a fascinating conflict between conformity and individuality.

The book asks readers to consider what happens when fitting in becomes more important than thinking independently.

It also challenges the idea that being accepted is automatically a good thing.

Sometimes fitting in means belonging.

Sometimes it means compromising.

And sometimes it means giving up pieces of yourself that you shouldn't have to surrender.

That tension is what makes the concept of The Commons so interesting to discuss.

THE BIG THEMES WE KEPT COMING BACK TO

Conformity

How much should society expect people to fit a predetermined standard?

Individuality

What happens when being different becomes dangerous?

Power

Who creates the rules, and who benefits from them?

Surveillance

What happens when people know they are constantly being measured and watched?

Intelligence

Why would a society view intelligence as something threatening?

Trust

How do you determine who deserves your confidence when information is controlled?

Family

What would you risk to find or protect someone you love?

Identity

How much of yourself can you sacrifice before you stop recognizing yourself?

These themes give The Commons plenty of material for a deeper book-club conversation beyond simply discussing what happened in the story.

WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT BOOK CLUB PICK?

For us, one of the biggest strengths of The Commons as a book-club selection is the number of questions it creates.

Readers can approach the story from several different angles.

You can discuss the dystopian world.

You can dissect the six tests.

You can debate character motivations.

You can talk about Shantavia's choices.

You can examine the relationship dynamics.

You can build theories.

You can argue about conformity.

You can ask whether you would survive The Commons.

And, naturally, you can spend entirely too much time deciding which characters you trust.

That's a successful book-club recipe in our opinion.

QUESTIONS TO TAKE TO YOUR BOOK CLUB

1. What makes Shantavia a threat to The Commons?

2. What does being “common” actually mean within the story?

3. Would you rather conform and survive or resist and risk everything?

4. Which of the six tests would be hardest for you?

5. What do you think the tests reveal about The Commons?

6. Who did you trust most?

7. Who did you trust least?

8. How did Shantavia's relationship with Pesh affect her choices?

9. What role does Shantavia's missing sister play in the larger story?

10. What does the book suggest about the cost of individuality?

11. How does power influence the characters' choices?

12. If you were given the opportunity to enter The Commons, would you?

OUR FINAL TAKEAWAY

The Commons by Rebecca Ihim gives readers a dystopian world built around a deceptively simple idea:

What if being ordinary was mandatory?

From Shantavia's intelligence to the six dangerous tests, from the mystery surrounding her sister to the complicated question of whom she can trust, the story gives book clubs plenty of material to unpack.

What stayed with our discussion most was the tension between survival and identity.

Because it's one thing to survive.

It's another thing to survive while remaining yourself.

And that is where The Commons gives readers something bigger to chew on than the plot alone.

This is a story that invites readers to question systems, question motivations, question conformity and, occasionally, question why we ever trusted that character in the first place.

And honestly?

That's exactly the kind of book conversation we love.

📚 KEEP CONVERSATION GOING

Want to read The Commons with us?

We've created FREE Mini Reader Kits so you can bring a little Page Ladies fun to your own reading experience.

Choose your reading style:

📖 Mini Book Club Kit
For your whole group to use together.

📝 Mini Individual Reader Guide
For readers who like to track thoughts, theories, questions, and reactions as they read.

👯 Mini Buddy Reader Kit
For two readers who want to compare theories and check in along the way.

☕ Mini Solo Reader Kit
For readers who prefer to read independently while still having prompts and activities to guide the experience.

Tap here to download your kit & start your reading adventure!

Want the full Page Ladies experience?

Join The First Editions, our paid Bindery membership, for the complete The Commons kits with expanded discussion questions, ready-to-use activities, theory tracking, recipes, reflections, and additional book-club materials.

Read it. Question it. Overthink it. Then come talk about it with us.

ONE LAST QUESTION FOR OUR READERS

If you were invited to The Commons, would you conform to survive or risk everything to remain completely yourself?

We want to know where you stand. 📚👀

Hello my dear Rebels! On Tuesday night I'm interviewing Kate Stayman-London about her new political campaign staffers enemies-to-lovers romance See You Next Tuesday. (As her hilarious marketing on Instagram has made clear, all of the characters involved are Democrats. Rest assured this is not a "crossing the aisles" conservative propaganda romance.)

Kate is also the author of Fang Fiction and One To Watch. What are you dying to know about her books?

Submit your questions in the comments by Tuesday morning 9/22 and I might ask her during an upcoming episode of Rebel Ever After.

You can purchase See You Next Tuesday in the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore here.

Hi nerds,

I told you in our last post about our new e-commerce book shopping option, and with that comes discount codes! I am happy to revamp our paid member benefits.

At $5 a month at our Supporter level, you now will get 10% off on all in-store and online shopping, both on books and merch.

At $12 a month at our Sustaining Member level, you now will get 20% off on all in-store and online shopping, both on books and merch.

If you've been thinking about upgrading to paid, even at $5 a month, I hope this gives ya the nudge to do.

There are somehow 5,702 people subscribed to this newsletter. If even 100 of you subscribed at $5 a month, we'd be able to commit a meaningful chunk of change every month to donate to the causes we care about, expand our in-store programming, throw more free events while still paying our staff to work them, and provide our shop dog Maggie with unlimited treats.

At the end of the weekend, 9/20, I will be emailing out the new discount codes to all paid members at both tiers. Consider this a membership drive baby.

While I have you, I'd love to tell you about a very cool pre-order campaign we are participating in for Buzzard by Inez Ray. Not only should Buzzard being our book club pick for November be enough to get you to pre-order, but now the publisher is donating a portion of every pre-order we generate before 9/27 to a local reproductive rights organization, the Abortion Fund of Arizona. Order the book here for pickup or to be shipped to you if you're in the US.

That's it for me today! Love you! Mean it!

CJ

Welcome back to another author interview! Today I'm joined by indie author Tori Newton. She joins me today to chat about her two books Calling Eldritch Hayes and No One Lives In Alva Anymore.

1. I always use this first question as a freebie to introduce yourself. Tell us as little or as much as you would like.

    I'm Tori, a 37-year-old (38 come December!) indie author from South Carolina. I'm SC born and raised and love drawing inspiration from my home state for nearly all my projects. I primarily write Southern Gothic horror and paranormal thrillers. When I'm not writing, I'm usually watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Daredevil, or Sons of Anarchy. Or I'm bingeing something spooky. I have three cats: Abby, Bones, and Scout and a rough collie named Jamie. They keep me on my toes and constantly vacuuming. I actually have a degree in music from the University of South Carolina (go Cocks!), where I sang opera for four years. But my degree isn't entirely going to waste. I serve as the contemporary worship leader for my church, so I'm still very much involved in music. 

2. You are the author of two books, Calling Eldritch Hayes and No One Lives In Alva Anymore. Care to tell us about them?
    Calling Eldritch Hayes was my debut novel--a paranormal thriller about a recovering alcoholic who can see spirits (no pun intended). It stems from the old wives' tale that a baby born with a veil over its face (a thin layer of placenta that has to be removed) can see into the spirit world. My maternal great-grandfather was born with one, and I've heard many stories about his gift. But Eldritch Hayes despises his ability and does everything in his power to stay away from seeing beyond the natural world. Because he doesn't just see ghosts. Eldritch can see demons, and unfortunately, one rolls into town wrapped up in the meat suit of a local contractor and has its sights set on our boy. The book tackles subjects such as religious trauma, grief, and addiction, and it has a killer soundtrack. Because I love my readers, I included a QR code in the front of the book that takes you straight to the Spotify playlist. I originally released it in May of 2024 under "Tori Lewis," but after I went back to my maiden name, I released a revised second edition July 10th of 2026. The new edition is bigger and better than the original. The perks of being self published! 

     No One Lives in Alva Anymore might be the project I'm most proud of. I really fell in love with the characters in that story, and I've missed them every second of every day since the book's completion. It's a Southern Gothic werewolf thriller about a found family of misfits in Depression Era, rural South Carolina. It's gory, suspenseful, and waaaay more romantic than initially intended, but I've learned to just let the characters do their thing at this point. Alva delves into subjects like identity, grace, and the question of "where does man end and the monster begin?" Plus, it's loaded with a whole lotta sass, courtesy of 10-year-old Bea. Though originally published in October of 2025 under "Tori Lewis," the second edition of No One Lives in Alva Anymore was rereleased under my maiden name July 10, 2026 as well. 

3. Was one harder to write than the other?

     They're both so different, but I think Alva was more challenging. There are a lot of moving parts in that book that have to line up perfectly, and since it's a period piece, a lot of research was required. Then there was that whole thing where I couldn't stop crying as I wrote the last several chapters. 

 

4. Are you working on any projects currently?

     I just started drafting my third book--working title: Ashes for Abel. It's a Faustian tale about a '90s/'00s alt rock band named (you guessed it!) Ashes for Abel. They made a deal to get to the top, skyrocketed to fame, then fell apart. But now, since '90s/y2k nostalgia is all the rage, they get pressured into reuniting for a brand-new album and a reunion tour. I'm sure it'll work out fine for them. Just as long as the entity they made the deal with doesn't decide to reappear and collect his due in the most horrific ways possible... But yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine.

     I'm also participating in a horror anthology called The Lantern Keepers: 13 Voices of Contemporary Horror. It releases November 10 and all proceeds will go to the ASPCA. 

5. In each book, which character did you resonate with the most?
    When it comes to Calling Eldritch Hayes, I'm Eldritch all the way. I actually used his story to work through some religious trauma and church hurt I experienced as a teenager and young adult. I put him through the ringer because I felt like the same had been done to me when I was younger. Eldritch helped heal some major mental and emotional wounds, and he'll always be a huge part of who I am. 

    As far as Alva goes... I am Lorabelle. And I mean that in the sense that I literally inserted my whole self into that character. If I was balancing illegal wine-making, raising a feisty, ten-year-old smart aleck, and dealing with my love interest's peculiar, monthly malady, I'd probably handle it about as well as she does. I'll leave it to the reader to decide if that's a good thing or not. 

6. Do you have any routines or rituals that help you write?
    If I'm writing in the morning, I gotta have a cup of coffee. In the evening? A glass of red wine. I honestly don't have much in the way of a routine or ritual. If I can get the doc open, I'm doing great. 

7. What have you reading lately?
    I've actually been reading a lot of non-fiction. I've been diving into one of Billy Graham's books on angels for research purposes, which has been fascinating, and I have two books on the crusades waiting in the bull pen. Since spooky season has arrived, I'll be starting my annual Dracula reading soon. 

8. Any upcoming horror books you're excited about?
    The Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong sounds like it's gonna be a wild ride; and since I'm all about terrifying Appalachia, When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel.

9. Have you watched any good spooky shows or movies lately?

    I've mostly been watching a lot of true crime docs and shows about real-life hauntings, so nothing terribly new. I've started watching my usual countdown-to-Halloween flicks, such as 2010's The Wolfman (which critics apparently hated--a fact that fills me with rage), Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, Halloween (1978), etc. But right now, I'm juggling those with yet another Sons of Anarchy rewatch. 

10. Any underrated authors/books you would love to give a shout out to?

     As far as horror goes, I recommend Abby I. Draper's upcoming release, Red Remains--a chilling novelette which mixes poetry with prose and such a beautiful way. I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this one, and it's spectacular. Here's the blurb: "The girl loves her twin brother--everyone does--but is it too much to ask for some focused attention? When a ghost-like creature brings the girl a gift on her fourteenth birthday, she doesn't care how alarming it is because it's all for her. But as the ghost learns to communicate, he demands more from the girl until he is all she knows...until everyone she loves vanishes and only red remains."

You can follow Tori on Instagram here and visit her website here.

Welcome to Weekly Book Recs, where every Friday I recommend some niche horror themed recommendations. Today we will be diving into some imaginary friend horror. This trope takes the innocence of childhood imagination and twists it into a nightmare.

READ

Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman

Eight-year-old Bela has an imaginary friend she calls Other Mommy. The more and more Bela refuses to let Other Mommy "into her heart," the more Other Mommy becomes angrier and violent.

Come Closer by Sara Gran

A woman's childhood imaginary friend returns in her dreams as an adult. Amanda begins acting erratic and violent towards those around her.

Let Him In by William Friend

After their mother passed, two twin girls start getting nightly visits from a man in their room. Their father believes this is just an imaginary friend--one the girls call Black Mamba.

I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend For $200 by Robert Brockway

A man who can see everyone else's imaginary friends begins taking hitman like contracts for adults who just can't seem to shake them.

Take your Turn, Teddy by Haley Newlin

A young boy bonds with "The Shadow" in his basement after his mother moves them to a new home.

TBR

Imaginary Fiends by Tim Seeley/Stephen Molnar

A graphic novel centering on a woman who was sent to a mental institution as a child for attempted murder after "Polly Peachpit" told her to. Now as an adult, she's offered an opportunity to work with the FBI to hunt down the parasites that prey on the minds of humans.

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

A young boy vanishes only to return days later with a voice instructing him in his head to build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas or something horrible will happen...

I somehow missed a weekly update, so we’re doing two weeks at once because September has been A LOT.

The biggest thing is that I Wish I Was a Vampire is officially out in the world! I’ve spent the last couple of weeks doing all the release stuff, taking photos, making posts, getting ready for the book event, signing books, and having the very surreal experience of seeing my spooky little vampire book actually exist. Younger me would think this is extremely cool.

I also finished the first draft of Werewolf Summer, the second Woods Bay book! It takes place about six months after Small Town Slasher, and I’m really excited about where this one is going. There are werewolves, a very 90s prom, small-town weirdness, and plenty more happening in Woods Bay that Jenna probably would have preferred not to deal with.

We also hit the one-year anniversary of the first Twisted Tales anthology, which is kind of wild considering we’re already getting ready for book three. I’ve been working behind the scenes on Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Slasher Horror Anthology, including contributor announcements and getting ready for the cover reveal.

And Death by TBR officially hit 20K followers on Instagram, which still feels a little unreal. Sales have unfortunately been pretty slow lately, so I’ve also started looking more seriously at sponsorships and paid partnerships as another way to keep the shop and press growing. I finally put together a proper media kit, started reaching out to brands, and applied to Penguin Random House’s Creator House program.

Then there’s all the stuff that doesn’t make especially exciting content: emails, graphics, book listings, marketing, upcoming releases, author stuff, publishing stuff, distribution headaches, and the approximately 900 tiny jobs involved in running a bookstore and small press while also trying to write my own books.

At this point, I am also VERY aware that my break is getting closer.

I’ve been pushing hard for months to get as much done as possible before then, and I am more than ready for some time where I’m not constantly thinking about the next deadline, release, post, edit, or email. I love what I do, but I am tired.

So that’s roughly where the last two weeks went.

A book released. A draft got finished. We hit 20K. More books are coming.

And I am officially counting down to my break.

Sometimes when I write these updates, I feel like I’m just rambling and wonder if anyone actually wants to hear all of this. But I also know so much of this work happens behind the scenes, so I’m trying to get better about sharing more of it instead of only showing up when there’s something shiny to announce.

Hopefully you don’t mind the rambling.