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

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher.

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

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

Happy Monday, friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are you reading this week?

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

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

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

Fallow by Sarah Anderson 4.25/5 stars

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

Winterveil by Ava Reid 3.5/5 stars

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

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

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

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

Damned if She Does by Sarah Stankorb 4.5/5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hi nerds,

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

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

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

How do I shop online?

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

What books can I buy online?

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

Do you offer local pickup?

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

How long will my order take?

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

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

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

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

Where do I buy merch?

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

Wait so should we not use Bookshop.org anymore?

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

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

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

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

Love you!!!

CJ

Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs,

It's Latinx Heritage Month Eve Eve and I'm getting so excited (and nervous) for the start of Latinx Heritage Month on Tuesday. You'll be receiving your usual newsletter from me on Tuesday. I'll be honest, much of my content won't change during Heritage Month itself, because here at Bien Leidos, everyday is Latinx Heritage Month.

But that doesn't mean there won't be exciting surprises, starting with...BIEN LEIDOS MERCH IS LIVE EARLY JUST FOR YOU!

While we're only launching t-shirts right now, I made sure to get them in a wide array of styles AND colors, including sweatshirts and hoodies for all style tastes.

My goal isn't just to release merch, but to raise as much as I can for the Immigration Legal Resource Center, who is doing tremendous work with provided resources for immigrants all over the US during this time of crisis. 10% of proceeds of every shirt sold will go to the ILRC.

This initial merch launch is limited and ends on September 30th, so place your shirt order SOON!

I also wanted to remind you that September 14th is designated as Support Latino Business Day! This is a community-driven initiative to support Latino businesses every September 14th to celebrate and support Latino businesses. Although it seems like they have abandoned their socials and website, I feel like it's more important than ever to shout about your favorite local Latine-owned businesses.

I'll be posting on socials tomorrow, but I wanted to share my ShopMY collection featuring some of my favorite Latiness businesses (including our Bien Leidos t-shirt at the beginning). This link is shareable, so please feel free to share far and wide.

While my ShopMy links are commission-based, none of these links provide me any commission. I just want so share the love of Latine businesses I love. I'll be adding to this collection throughout the year, so be sure to save it and check back as I build a little database of my favorites for you to shop and support Latinx businesses.

Happy Latinx Heritage Month week, mis amores,

Carmen

Hello my friends, and a very happy (first full day of NFL season) Sunday to you all!

This week we'll be highlighting and celebrating Latinx Heritage Month (It begins September 15 and goes through October 15.) Let's get into it, shall we? There's so many people, creators, authors and businesses I want to highlight and celebrate:

Let's get into it, shall we? We'll kick it off with important dates to know throughout the month long celebration:

• Sep. 14: Support Latinx Business Day

• Sep. 15: Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua

• Sep. 16: Independence Day for Mexico

• Sep. 18: Independence Day for Chile

• Sep. 21: Independence Day for Belize

• Oct. 12: Dia de la Raza (Indigenous Peoples' Day)

I wanted to shout out a few Latinx Businesses to support tomorrow (Sep. 14) for Support Latinx Business Day. This is by no means an exhaustive list - just a few I have spoken with, are friends with and/or have purchased directly from:

1. Kevin A. Creates (Website Here)

2. Midnight Koala Creates (Website Here)

3. The Bookish B (Website Here)

These Latinx businesses are not only Latinx, but are also either LGBTQIA+ or are LGBTQIA+ affirming, which is important to me, as well.

And while I also know there are so many Latinx content creators, I will always stand ten does down to support my friend, @Carmen. She has been championing the Latinx community in all ways - books, businesses, creators, clothing brands - the list goes on. If you aren't already following her, do yourself a favor and go now. She also just launched a Bien Leidos Book Club clothing line, too! I, of course, smashed the pre-order button on a hoodie. 10% of sales also go to the National Immigration Law Center, in case you needed yet another reason to support her and her work. I also am a paid subscriber on her Bien Leidos Bindery - now is the time to uplift, support, and if able, put your money where your mouth is.

Speaking of Carmen, she shared a reel on social media earlier this week or last week about how "allies" (I loathe that word) post performative book stacks about their "TBRs" but never actually read them. So today, I'm only discussing and recommending Latinx books/authors I have read to hold myself, and you as a reader, accountable. Are we all doing our due diligence? Let's tap into the authors and books, alright?

• We'll start with one of my auto-buys, one of my favorite authors that just honestly never misses. I've read everything she's written but one book: Elizabeth Acevedo. (The only book I haven't read is Family Lore, I own it, but haven't read it yet.)

• Another auto-buy for me? Aiden Thomas. Cemetery Boys will always be close to my heart, and I am currently reading Cemetery Boys: Espiritu. I have yet to read the Sunbearer Trials duology, but I also own those, as well.

• Benjamin Alire Saenz: Aristotle and Dante duology.. While I have read the first one, I haven't read the second one, but I own it. I also have the e-pub of his posthumously published book, When The World Was Happy.

• Adam Silvera. I waited and waited and waited for the Deathcast series to be completed so I could immerse myself into that story.

• Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez: Conversion Therapy Dropout. Please. Read this book.

• David Archuleta: Devout. If you can do audio, I recommend it on audio. Such a tender story.

• Sonido Reyes: To Our Untamed Core is a book I'm currently reading (This is also our Quarter 4 book club pick.)

These are just the authors/books that come to my mind off the top of my head without really thinking too much into it. But to stick with books I've read/currently reading, we'll stop there. I would highly encourage you all to support Latinx content creators already doing the work, but also to spend time researching some books to read on your own accord. I've give you a small variety of fiction and nonfiction above. Amplify these authors, books, content creators you read and follow. Share their work and stories. Buy them a treat, if able. Become part of their paid subscribers list. Support them in all ways.

As we wrap up today, please know that each week I spend time highlighting month events. I would encourage you to also research how you can learn about each week's topic more thoroughly.

I hope you all have an amazing week, my friends. Collaborators - I'll see you on Tuesday for an exclusive newsletter. If not, I will see everyone for Trans Joy Thursday, and also on Discord.

Be well, my friends.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Morning book buddies,

I'm headed out the door to go to IRL book club for the first time in a few months (took some time off after my dad passed), and I must say that I'm excited to see my bookish friends (even if I DNF'd the book 😜).

There's been A LOT happening in the SBB space this week, including some reading! Let's get into it.

First, I finished my re-read of The Story Keeper and definitely enjoyed it more the second go-round. As I said last week, I think I sped through it last time and missed some key points/Easter eggs. It was a solid 4⭐️ and perfect for anyone who enjoys mysteries/domestic suspense. I did really enjoy the story-within-the-story both times I read the book; it was a clever way to structure the book and heighten the suspense. Beware: it does have an intimate partner violence storyline which may be triggering for some.

I also finished Tenderness, the new Rowan Beaird. It was strange. Not bad strange. Just strange. The book is all about a wedding weekend following the brother of the bride and the best friend/former lover of the bride; the bride in question has just escaped the famous 70s cult Synanon, so everyone is on edge to say the least. I wanted more from the book, specifically I wanted to spend more time in the head of/story of the bride. It was a solid weird girl lit fic. 3⭐️s

I've since moved on to one of my most anticipated reads of the Fall, Stations by Louise Kennedy. I LOVE it so far! It's definitely more of a character-driven literary fiction, with very little happening outside of the heads/hearts of the characters. But, boy, is it tender and absolutely everything I want from a Louise Kennedy love story.

The Hacienda is EVERYTHING I wanted it to be and SO much more. I'm immersively reading this book with the BBFL, and it's delivering on the spook and the Latine culture. I cannot wait to see where this book is going and am eager to dive back in after book club.

I've also started MY LAST NETGALLEY read. That's right. It's going to be my last NetGalley read for a while. And luckily, it just so happens to be by one of my favorite authors. Jenny Bayliss' brand new holiday fiction, The Little Shop of Merry and Bright, is off to a great start, with a fun, modern twist on the ghost of Christmas present story (aka Dickens). I love her work and have a feeling this will be a winner.

As I said, I am phasing out NetGalley so that I can focus more on slowing down and savoring books. I will continue to read new releases, but I also want to incorporate more backlist books. I am eager to share more about the reasons behind this move in an upcoming Youtube video, so stay tuned!

ICYMI

• 80+ newly published holiday books perfect for your Christmas reading list

• paid subscribers now have access to the November historical fiction look ahead

• spend the weekend with me getting stuff done: Weekend Productivity Vlog

• the battle of the 5⭐️ books: aka the August Reading Wrapup

• I shared a Sunday 5 things for the first time in ages last weekend

• Ariel Lawhon backlist unboxing: aka the best bookmail EVER

• a fun pub-day celebration for The Pirate Queen

Hear It Here First

I'm planning another fun giveaway this week over on Facebook, so be sure you're following me there!

Stay tuned for some fun Booktube videos including my 2026 Q2 Wrapup and my 10-Before-the-End!

I went to the library yesterday to pick up books for Episode 3 of Let's Go to the Library, and I am SO EXCITED to start this book/vlog. Watch past episodes here.

Ok friends, gotta run!

Happy reading 😘

xoxo

c

I do keep vanishing and returning, but alas. I am finding balance. It's hard! Between writing my own projects - plural, I'm insane - and working on a paid freelance opportunity, it's been hard to find time to read, write a blog update daily, make video content, create reels, and do podcast and YouTube longform content.

Perhaps I have bitten off more than I can chew. So. I've been restructuring how I deliver information to people and how I maintain this space more responsibly and less erratically. Sundays are usually my big creation and writing days, so I'm going to focus on a reading recap every week and at LEAST get that out. I also plan to do my book club book posts here, too, for my classic sci fi and fantasy book club.

That will help feel less overwhelming, I think!

Anyway. To the books!

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

I can't say enough about this series. It's amazing. So well done and thoughtful with strong political thematics and crazy plot and characters. Swan is such a strong voice, I'm shocked he isn't more popular and on more lists. I am making it my mission to change that. Trials of Empire was a fantastically weird and thoughtful conclusion that wrapped up a story I couldn't put down. What began as a court intrigue book turned into a grand, epic-scale battle between the forces of good and evil. He worked in mystery and war and religion and political turmoil so well in this book that really worked for the story. The ending was perfect, but gutting in a specific way only Richard seemed to pull off perfectly. He created complex characters that were flawed, but earnest and begged the question of what it means to be good and just. The complexity of righteousness is a fantastic thing not enough authors explore.

Ebony Gate by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle

This was amazing. I don't usually gravitate to urban fantasy, but they made something so cool and fun I couldn't put it down. I described it as east Asian-inspired fantasy John Wick and that's a hill I'll die on. Emiko Soong is a fantastic FMC who is thoughtful and troubled and flawed. She's aloof by nature and trying to be better, she also is trying to find her place in the world without having to put herself back into the one full of violence. They kept so much mysterious stuff from the reader in the best way because we only know what Emiko knows, even if we suspect more. The pacing was fast and breathless without being overwhelming and it was so refreshing to see so many cool creatures and tools from other east Asian cultures we don't get to very often. This book made me lock in and I wanted to immediately pick up Pearl City, but alas... I had indies to read.

The Tethered God by Noah Brisk

Full disclosure - Noah is a close, personal friend of mine and one of the best hype dudes out there. He's really thoughtful and encouraging and pushes his friends to succeed. I wouldn't be publishing TWO books in the next few months if it wasn't for Noah's persistence. I went into TTG trying to ignore our friendship as best I could. I liked it, I thought it was a fun indie debut and a really strong one by comparison to some trad pubs I've read. When I review indies, I take a different perspective and remember the resource constraints and limitations they face that trad books don't which makes me softer on them than a trad version so keep that in mind. This was Brisk's first formal push to tell a story and I think there's only better things to come from here. He's got a tale that, while not genre redefining, is solid and well deployed. I got lost in the magic system a bit and I felt like there were times we could've pushed more emotional language to let me sit with the sense of threat in the story in places, but overall this was fun and weird and I will be reading Book 2!

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

This was the first book for the Classics Club where we read SFF classics every quarter! It's a foundational book, the cornerstone of so much fantasy it's unreal. I couldn't stop finding ways it inspired future books and it was throwing me through a loop. The Name of the Wind draws so much from this book it was actually alarming sometimes! I loved how different 1970s young adult books were to today, the genre has changed and fluctuated and moved so much that it's almost hard to see this book as a YA piece. It was dark, full of complex language, thoughtful, intense, and kind of scary. I could absolutely see this as a terrifying animated movie if Ghibli hadn't picked it up and turned it into something uniquely whimsical. There are two more in the series to read and I'm very excited to start book 2 to see where on earth she's going to take us next.

Titan's Nest by TD Orel

This book was delightful. A romp. A YA dragon book for young adults. I think there's this tendency to read YA books from an adult lens and be critical as a fully formed adult reader that's actively hurting young adult books. We are pushing young adults out of their own genre because we, adult readers, aren't growing out of YA books or are continuing to read YA books AND put adult demands on them. Read YA if you want! I fully support that! But recognize that those books aren't for you, an adult. They're for young people. Orel refused to cow to adult readers and kept this story for young people. The teenage version of him was excited about this book and you can sense it. There's lots of areas I could point to where the writing could be stronger and needed another editing pass or two, but overall this book is for young folks. Would younger Sarah love this? Yes. Would've eaten it tf up. It's no less strong than Throne of Glass. He's ambitious with the plot, creates a good magic system, is very cinematic in his style, and his teenagers behave like teenagers.

What Blood Remembers by C. William Phillips

I DM'd Will after I finished this and said "Will what the f*** was that." This was so good. I never read indies in the thriller genre, nor do I ever see them, but this was such a crazy surprise I'm floored. I loved it. This was wild and intense and emotional and thoughtful. I think this could sit next to SA Cosby on my shelf and I would argue for it. He's got such a good voice for thrillers it's crazy, I hope he does even more of them. This was about family, complex relationships, loss, and all circling drug cartels and dangerous men in a way that was realistic and jarring at the same time. He crushed it with this one.

Menilmonea by David Catuhe

This was so cute I want to die. Another indie YA fantasy story that was so much more than I expected. Catuhe crafted this unique, mysterious world with such good visuals and a fun, lyrical way of telling his story that was so effervescent and charming. I'd categorize this for 10-14 year olds, but as an adult I was enchanted by it. His mystery was good and he never sacrificed grown up themes for a young audience. He challenges folks' lexicons and puts bigger words in context in a way I loved while maintaining a whimsical adventure story around it. I thought his twist was so good and the way he fleshed out the world was creative and thoughtful! I'm surprised I don't see this in more places, honestly.

Now I'm currently reading He Who Ate the Wild and listening to Child of the Night Guild as I continue my September Indie Sprint through a bunch of indies I've had on my list and not been able to get to yet! Anything I fail to hit this month, though, WILL carry into October.

I'm still writing and still posting chapters on here for premium members - you get to participate and tell me what to change AND I have a few characters that will need names soon... just saying. My contracted project is halfway done so I should be done with that in a few weeks which will liberate me to complete my spine-building for Book 2 of The Book of Icarus! I also am posting podcast episodes with authors on my YouTube channel you can and should check out as well as recordings of all my IG live sessions for anyone who missed theirs.

I solemnly swear I will be better about weekly reading updates from here on out.

Maybe.

Probably.

I have a new set schedule going into spooky season! This will start this week. I look forward to all the recommendations and interviews!

Also follow along for more writing updates and book release info!

BIEN LEIDOS LIMITED EDITION MERCH IS LIVE!

Not only do you as Lectores and Libritos get the exclusive FIRST LOOK to shop Bien Leidos t-shirts, but you also get an exclusive 15% off coupon code.

While we're only launching t-shirts right now, I made sure to get them in an array of styles AND colors, including sweatshirts and hoodies!

Your official discount code is:

LECTORLIBRITO15

There are only as many discount codes as there are members at this level, so please don't share this code with anyone, as you'll be taking away a discount from another Lector or Librito member.

My goal isn't just to release merch, but to raise as much as I can for the Immigration Legal Resource Center, who is doing tremendous work with provided resources for immigrants all over the US during this time of crisis.

This initial merch launch is limited and ends on September 30th, so get your shirt SOON!

Finally, I've heard your call for washi tape of stickers. Requests have been noted for future merch launch!

xoxo,

Carmen

When the page meets the screen, which version tells the story best?

Welcome back to The Page Ladies Book Club's Page vs. Screen!

For this month's deep dive, we're trading our cozy reading chairs for 1920s China and taking a closer look at W. Somerset Maugham's The Painted Veil and its 2006 film adaptation starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton.

And let us just say…

This is not your typical "the book was better" situation.

Because while the book and movie tell the same basic story, they each bring something different to the table.

One gives us the messy inner workings of Kitty's mind.

The other gives us sweeping landscapes, complicated glances, emotional performances, and a whole lot of atmosphere.

So grab your copy, queue up the movie, and let's get into it.

📖 FIRST UP: THE BOOK

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

At first glance, The Painted Veil might look like a story about a troubled marriage.

And it absolutely is.

But underneath that marriage is a much bigger story about pride, betrayal, consequences, personal growth, forgiveness, and discovering who you really are when the life you've built suddenly falls apart.

Kitty Fane isn't exactly the heroine you immediately want to cheer for.

She's privileged, concerned with appearances, emotionally immature, and makes some very questionable decisions.

Then again…

That's kind of the point.

Kitty is a character who has to earn her transformation.

After her affair is discovered, she finds herself accompanying her husband Walter to a cholera-stricken area of China. Suddenly, the comfortable world she understands is gone.

And that's where things get interesting.

Because Kitty is forced to look beyond herself.

The novel gives us plenty of access to her thoughts, insecurities, resentment, guilt, and gradual awakening. Maugham doesn't rush her transformation or make it particularly comfortable.

And honestly?

We appreciate a messy character arc around here.

🎬 NOW LET'S TALK MOVIE

The Painted Veil — 2006

If the book lets us live inside Kitty's head, the movie lets us see her transformation unfold.

Naomi Watts brings an incredible amount of emotional nuance to Kitty, while Edward Norton gives Walter that quiet, restrained intensity that makes it difficult to figure out exactly what he's thinking.

And then there's the setting.

The movie is gorgeous.

The sweeping landscapes and beautiful cinematography create a striking contrast with the devastating cholera epidemic happening around the characters.

There's beauty.

There's suffering.

There's isolation.

There's tension.

And there's a marriage that is basically hanging on by a thread.

The film also makes the relationship between Kitty and Walter feel somewhat more emotionally romantic and accessible than the novel does.

And that brings us to one of our favorite parts of any Page vs. Screen discussion…

🔍 WHAT CHANGED?

Because, Page Ladies, this is where things get interesting.

👩 Kitty: Same Woman, Different Emphasis

The Kitty we meet in the book is deeply flawed, and Maugham spends considerable time allowing us to understand her thoughts and motivations.

The movie can't give us the same amount of internal narration, so much of Kitty's transformation has to come through Naomi Watts's performance.

And she makes that transformation surprisingly easy to follow.

We can see Kitty begin to recognize the world outside herself.

We can see her change.

We can see her question the person she has been.

The book lets us understand her transformation.

The movie lets us watch it happen.

🏆 Page wins: Kitty's inner thoughts

🏆 Screen wins: Kitty's emotional performance

🧊 WALTER: THE COMPLICATED HUSBAND

Walter is another character who becomes particularly interesting when you compare the two versions.

In the novel, his bitterness and emotional restraint can feel especially sharp.

He's intelligent, wounded, complicated, and not particularly interested in making himself easy to love.

The movie retains much of that emotional distance, but Edward Norton brings a vulnerability to Walter that makes the relationship feel more emotionally accessible.

And suddenly we're sitting there thinking:

"Okay… I have feelings about this man now."

Which was perhaps not the assignment.

But here we are.

🏆 Page wins: Walter's complexity

🏆 Screen wins: Walter's emotional presence

💔 THE ROMANCE: BOOK VS. MOVIE

This might be the biggest conversation for romance-loving readers.

The novel isn't really a conventional romance.

It's much more interested in human nature, marriage, betrayal, personal growth, and what happens when two people are forced to confront the truth about themselves.

The movie leans more heavily into the emotional relationship between Kitty and Walter.

That doesn't necessarily mean the movie makes their relationship "better."

It simply makes the romance more visible.

And depending on what you want from the story, you may prefer one approach over the other.

📖 The book says:

Let's examine these complicated people.

🎬 The movie says:

Let's make you FEEL these complicated people.

🌏 THE SETTING: A CHARACTER OF ITS OWN

One thing both versions do particularly well is make the setting important to the story.

The cholera epidemic isn't simply something happening in the background.

It changes the characters.

It isolates them.

It forces them into situations they would never have experienced otherwise.

The movie, however, has an obvious advantage here.

We see the landscape.

We see the villages.

We see the devastation.

We see the contrast between the breathtaking surroundings and the suffering taking place within them.

It's one of those adaptations where you can understand why filmmakers were drawn to the material.

📝 WHAT DID THE MOVIE GET RIGHT?

Quite a bit.

✨ The atmosphere
✨ The historical setting
✨ Kitty's emotional transformation
✨ The complicated marriage
✨ The emotional weight of the story
✨ The sense of isolation
✨ The themes of forgiveness and personal growth

Most importantly, the movie doesn't turn The Painted Veil into a simple happily-ever-after romance.

There are still consequences.

There is still grief.

There is still regret.

And there is still the uncomfortable reality that changing doesn't erase the mistakes you've already made.

📚 WHAT DID THE BOOK DO BETTER?

The psychology.

Hands down.

The novel has more room to explore Kitty's internal world and the complicated motivations behind her decisions.

Maugham gives readers the opportunity to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions instead of immediately moving past them.

The book also feels more morally complicated.

It doesn't necessarily tell us who to forgive.

It doesn't hand us an easy answer.

It lets us sit with the mess.

And honestly?

The mess is what makes the story memorable.

🎬 WHAT DID THE MOVIE DO BETTER?

The atmosphere and emotional immediacy.

The cinematography adds another layer to the story, and the performances give the characters an emotional presence that works differently from Maugham's prose.

The movie makes us feel the loneliness of the setting and the growing distance and eventual connection between Kitty and Walter.

It's a very different experience from reading the novel.

And that's exactly why we love doing these deep dives.

☕ THE PAGE LADIES' TAKE

Here's where we're putting down our very serious literary analysis hats for a second.

Do we think the movie replaces the book?

Nope.

Do we think you need to choose one?

Also nope.

The book and movie work best when you experience them as two interpretations of the same story.

📖 The book gives us the deeper psychological exploration.

🎬 The movie gives us the visual beauty and emotional immediacy.

The book asks us to examine Kitty.

The movie asks us to watch her change.

And somehow, experiencing both makes the story feel fuller.

🏆 PAGE VS. SCREEN SCORECARD

Okay, Page Ladies, let's settle some scores.

When it comes to character psychology, the book takes the win. Maugham gives us much more access to Kitty's thoughts, motivations, insecurities, and gradual transformation.

For Kitty's character arc, we're also giving the point to the book. Her journey feels more complicated and psychologically layered on the page.

But when it comes to emotional performances, the movie wins. Naomi Watts and Edward Norton bring a depth and vulnerability to Kitty and Walter that simply can't be replicated in the same way through prose.

For atmosphere, we're handing the crown to the screen. The cinematography, landscapes, villages, and overwhelming contrast between beauty and suffering make the setting impossible to ignore.

Historical setting? Movie. Seeing the world of the story brought to life adds an entirely different layer to the experience.

Internal character exploration? Book. No contest. Being inside Kitty's thoughts gives the novel an advantage that even the best performance can't completely replace.

Romance? Movie. The film brings the emotional connection between Kitty and Walter closer to the surface and gives their relationship a more romantic quality.

Moral complexity? Book. The novel is messier, more uncomfortable, and less interested in giving us easy answers.

And finally, for visual storytelling? That's another win for the movie. There are moments when the setting, performances, music, and cinematography communicate something that pages simply can't.

So where does that leave us?

Honestly…

We're calling it a tie. 📖🎬

The book wins when we want to dig into the characters and understand the complicated psychology behind their choices.

The movie wins when we want to experience the atmosphere, emotions, performances, and visual beauty of the story.

And maybe that's exactly what makes The Painted Veil such an interesting Page vs. Screen choice.

Neither version completely replaces the other.

They simply give us two different ways to experience the same story.

💭 WOULD WE RECOMMEND IT?

📖 Read the book if…

You love literary fiction, complicated characters, psychological depth, morally gray relationships, and stories that aren't afraid to make you uncomfortable.

🎬 Watch the movie if…

You love historical dramas, beautiful cinematography, emotional performances, complicated relationships, and atmospheric storytelling.

📖🎬 Do both if…

You love arguing with yourself about which version you liked better.

Obviously, this is our preferred option.

🪞 THE BIG QUESTION

At its heart, The Painted Veil asks whether people can truly change and whether forgiveness is possible after we've hurt someone we love.

And that question hits differently on the page than it does on the screen.

The book makes us think about Kitty's transformation.

The movie makes us feel it.

And maybe that's the real magic of a good adaptation:

It doesn't have to recreate the book perfectly.

Sometimes it just needs to give us another way to see it.

💬 PAGE LADIES, YOUR TURN!

Which version of The Painted Veil would win your vote the book or the 2006 movie? And when an adaptation changes a character or makes a story feel more romantic, do you consider that a good change or does it make you miss the original?

Tell us in the comments because you KNOW the Page Ladies are going to have thoughts. ☕📖🎬

#PageVsScreen #ThePaintedVeil #BookToMovie #BookClubDiscussion #ThePageLadiesBookClub

Chapter 9

Dáire had been a man once. Tall, lean, dark hair too long, green eyes too rich. What lived in his skin could still pass for him at first glance, until that glance lingered. The changes were subtle as if the creature inside him still shaped him. His brow was thicker than his forehead supported, nose a little flatter in its transformation into slits. Upper jaw top-heavy with more teeth than it could support, the lower unable to fully close around the thick extra canines he now possessed. Nothing about his face matched what Icarus’s animal instinct said it should.

He was broad-shouldered and muscular in a way that looked forced upon him--lumpy, misshapen, born of speed instead of deliberation. The man was taller than Icarus expected. He stood a head or so above most, but Dáire was a little over eye level to him. Skin pale, blotchy, covered in a lace of grey veins that pulsed with a faint perversion of light in time with whatever remained of his heart.

Icarus kept his eyes fixed on the creature, watching the unnatural shine in them. There was no iris or pupil, just an ink-black marble set in gray-veined sclera. In his periphery, he saw the perversion of its hands. Elongated fingers tipped with nails twice the length of any man’s he had ever seen--an ombre of white fading into a rotten brown-black. The way the lamplight bounced off of them whispered of their sharpness. 

Dáire straightened, then bent into a crouch. He snarled and scanned his opponent in haste. Calculating, he stepped back. His head cocked one way, then another, examining the priest poised before him. Thin, bloodless lips curved into a vicious predator’s grin and he straightened again to his full height. One of his disfigured hands reached and flexed towards the dark alley beside them. 

When it spoke, its voice came in a discordant whine. Two tones locked in combat, strangling each other in his speech, “The boy would like to play with swords? Then we shall play with swords.”

Icarus adjusted his grip. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Shadows. Undulating and writhing like snakes trapped in a bag. They reached and stretched into the creature’s hand, reforming and reshaping until Dáire had the shape of them he wanted. 

A lightless black sword. Straight-edged, cross-hilted, all its edges blurred where it touched the low lamplight. The creature shifted its stance into one Icarus did not know, but the threat of it was clear. It spoke again, making his ears ring.

“I have learned the art of blades for hundreds of years,” it moved, testing the edge of the perimeter. “Let us see if you might say the same.”

The abhartach launched itself at him, a striking adder. Icarus half expected the shadow blade to pass right through his until the two met in a blocking arc. Metal sang, sigils flared, and Icarus shoved hard. Dáire ground his sword when he withdrew, sparking the metal. He carried the momentum into a backhanded swing that met Icarus’s defenses again. He pressured the priest forward in a hail of fluid strikes--one after another, step after step, shoving him closer and closer to the edge of the salt ring. 

Icarus counted his steps--one, two, three, four--and ducked a hard vertical slash, darting to the side away from the edge. Dáire hissed and came for him again, a never-ending hurricane of motion. Icarus blocked again and again, stuck in a defensive loop. His arms burned furiously, a dull ache setting into his thighs as he absorbed blow after blow. He grit his teeth and pulled a hand off the hilt, flexing his palm. Blue flames coiled and he thrust the barely-formed handful of fire towards the creature. 

It scorched across Dáire’s middle and he let out a howl of surprise. It created an opening the span of two breaths. Icarus did not waste it. He rolled his wrist in an upward slash, carrying the motion into a backhanded arc. Dáire parried, Icarus spun and feinted before lashing a thrust towards him. Metal met papery flesh that parted around the thing’s shoulder. The sigils steamed, threads of ghostly blue-white light rising and straining towards their target. 

Dáire brought his sword of shadows down like a hammer against the flat of Icarus’s enchanted blade. The force of it jerked the priest nearly to his knees, tearing it free from the bloodless muscle. Dáire’s hand shot out to chase the blow, knife-sharp nails raking towards his face. Icarus dodged--barely--and felt the sting when his skin opened along his cheek. He followed the dodge into a roll in an attempt to regain his footing. 

The abhartach chuckled. The sound came out alien, something pulled out of a rift torn in the concept of noise. Its posture straightened, shoulders shrugging out tension, head rolling as if warming up for the next match. Icarus rose to his feet and kept his guard in front of him. He took a moment to glance outside the circle, seeking Maren at its edges. 

Her face was tight, drawn, glittering with sweat even in the dim light along the street. Her hands moved in a complex series of twists and patterns, then something seemed to fight back and forced her sigil to unravel. He had never really understood how it worked for her. Now, however, was not the best time to wonder. 

He flicked his attention back to the creature with a scowl, “Don’t tell me you’re tiring out already, old man.”

To his surprise, it gave him a throaty laugh that felt bizarre and genuine. It actually found him amusing. That was disconcerting. “You are a lad of impertinent countenance. I do so enjoy a spritely human.”

Icarus was very sure of the grim implication of “enjoy” in this context. Dáire lifted its hand and examined the nails it had raked across his face. To emphasize the point, a too-long tongue--thick, charcoal, a grayscale abomination of what should be a blood-flush appendage--lazily cleaned blood off. 

Icarus made a noise in disgust, “You don’t bathe often enough for that.”

The monster stiffened. So did Icarus. It stared at its fingertips as if listening to something they said in confidence. Its eyes widened, mouth arcing in what passed for a grimace of surprise. It turned its head towards him and examined him as if it had not quite seen him until that moment. 

Icarus adjusted his grip. His heart was suddenly audible in his ears. He glanced at Maren again, uncertain and unwilling to let it show. The way it watched him made his skin ripple in discomfort. It was seeing something he could not, observing a new factor that was not there before. 

It moved with blinding speed, so fast it dawned on Icarus how much it had been toying with him thus far. Irritation flared white hot before it died just as suddenly. He gasped in surprise when its face was directly in front of his. 

He threw himself back over the edge of the salt line with a second to spare. Dáire’s face was level with his, as close as the thing could get it against the barrier a toe’s width between them. Its nostrils flared, inhaling him. Icarus decided he did not enjoy being inhaled by a fae demon or whatever this thing was. 

Its face was a mask of concentration before it straightened again, shadowy sword tip dropped toward the stones. It reached towards the barrier and tapped it. Magic crackled and arced from the place it touched like lightning along the horizon, “Blood of the Deceiver.”

Icarus froze and lowered his sword, his voice barely above a whisper, “What did you say?”

The abhartach took a step back to get a better look at the priest. His appraisal was sharp, simmering with what could be rage or respect depending on what he found, “You are not him. But you carry him in you. You are of his blood.” Dáire bared sharp teeth, “Tell me where he hides and I will spare you.”

“What are you talking about?” His pulse was thunder in his ears, “Do you mean… do you mean Daedalus?”

Dáire growled and slammed a fist into the barrier, sending muted blue light spiderwebbing outward, “Speak no more of the cursed Deceiver! Tell me where he is and I will spare you, violent Father.”

“Icarus,” Maren warned from across the circle, her concentration frayed when she split her attention and the blue threads in front of her shuddered. “Do not engage him.”

He ignored her, “What of him? What do you mean by Deceiver?”

The once-man growled low in its chest and pointed the tip of the sword at the priest, “The son of the Deceiver speaks lies as his father did. We will not entreat with you. Tell me where he is!”

Icarus could not think. Twice in as many weeks his father’s name had left the mouths of fae. Not in fifteen years had he heard Daedalus’s name spoken so often since the investigation closed. It was not a coincidence, he was not foolish enough to believe in those. His hands were numb, he was too aware of his breathing. He calculated the risks before he replied. 

“I don’t know where he is,” he tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. “Why are you looking for him?”

It laughed, low and throaty and wrong, “I do not hunt the Deceiver, but if I happen upon him or his kin I am keen to extract a toll of revenge.”

“Why?” Icarus knew better than to speak to these things, but his head was foggy and spinning. He thought of his fruitless board, that pointless box from Father Reed, the bodach that taunted him in the end. All of it had resulted in helpless nothingness. No clues, no information, no forward momentum. Until now. Maybe. 

It studied him, frowning over its parted mouth. He could sense it gauging him, testing his sincerity. Then, unfortunately, it smiled. Vicious, violent, full of menace. It chuckled grimly, “The son does not know the father. Interesting.”

“Speak plainly!” Icarus snapped. His patience with whatever games were afoot in his father’s ghostly footprints had long since worn thin. He brandished his sword and let the sigils burn a little brighter, “Speak and I will make your death swift and painless.”

The thing waved a dismissive hand and shook its head, “You are as a gnat to a bull, priest. Step beyond your cowardly salt and I shall show you your insignificance.”

It stepped back towards the center of the salt circle and spread its arms wide. Blood boiled in Icarus’s veins. Heat crept along the back of his neck, radiating out of his stampeding heart. He clenched his teeth so hard he tasted iron. 

Pale God above, I am so fucking tired of this.

Dáire turned away, as though no longer perceiving Icarus as a threat to be concerned with. It made the rage and fury worse. As it paced the edges of the ring, a strangled cry so human it startled him out of his fugue. He honed in on its source. 

Eilonwy. 

He had forgotten about her. Now she stood at the edge of the circle--too close for his comfort for a person untrained in exorcism magics. She covered her mouth, eyes wide in terror. She trembled so violently he could see her fiery red curls tumbling free of their ribbon. The monster stared at her, a flicker of something like recognition in it. Its face contorted, the twisting, unmolded shape of it seemed to writhe as if in conversation with the thing living inside it.

She managed to find her voice enough to lower her hands, “What have you done to my brother?”

It exhaled hard and let out a low rumble from its chest, “I have done nothing which was not invited.”

“Invited?” Her expression shifted from terror to revelation, “Dáire asked you for this?”

“Dáire invited me. It seems he felt the power I might give him was worth the sacrifice,” it bared its teeth in a smile and studied her a few moments longer. 

Icarus seized the moment of distraction and stepped inside the barrier. He sprinted and launched himself at the creature. He slashed wildly and felt the blade bite into dead flesh. He threw a hand towards the monster and drops of faefire landed in a blistering hail on its skin. It snarled and grabbed his wrist, yanking hard, and kicked his feet out from under him. Icarus let out a cry when it twisted just at the edge of breaking bone. It slashed once, angry and unfocused. The shadow blade carved deep into Icarus’s shoulder and he howled at the sear of pain.

“Maren!” 

The abhartach let out an inhuman sound from a mouth that opened too wide, even for its offensive jaws. It held him at its mercy and whirled back to Eilonwy, eyes alight, “What would your mother say about all of this, little maiden?”

Despite the pain in his captive wrist, Icarus managed to look at the young woman. This was all going so terribly awry. And where the fuck was Maren’s sigilwork?

Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Recognition. Fear. Confusion. Outrage. 

Eilonwy’s eyes shifted to Icarus for just a split second. A moment. Enough. He saw the movement like a premonition. Her foot moved. Subtle, shielded by her heavy skirts. She reached out with the toe of her sturdy shoes. 

Then--to his horror--she scuffed the salt. 

Icarus let out a roar caught between words and sound. He thrashed his sword towards the monster, cutting deep into its thigh. It drove the thing to one knee, both of them tumbling sideways onto the cobblestones. 

Maren cried out, “Icarus, now!”

She cast the intricate, winding sigil like a net of blue light into the broken circle. It seared into the stonework. Icarus wrenched his arm free and scrambled when the thing clawed furiously for him. Blue threads rose up from the stone in tendrils of light and snared its arms, wrapped around its middle, its throat, its legs. The sword of shadows evaporated when the abhartach clawed at the magic choking its airway. It made a strangled sound when the sigil drew taut and forced its arms to its sides. 

Chest heaving, shoulder throbbing, Icarus got to his feet. He turned his face to the clouded night sky overhead and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Maren grunted, straining as she wrapped the other end of the threads around her wrists. Her heels dug into the uneven ground while the abhartach struggled against her hold.

“Do it, Icarus! For God’s sake, I had to improvise! It won’t hold!” She shouted. 

He ignored the pain and hefted his sword into one hand, looming over the restrained creature thrashing on its knees. He studied its broken, irregular face with a sneer, “Why did you call my father the Deceiver?”

“We don’t have time for this!” Maren screamed at him and tried to recenter her hold. 

The abhartach snapped its teeth at him and glared, its voice a rasp against its bonds, “Because he deceives.”

“How?”

“If you want answers, priest,” it spat the word at him, “you shall not get them from me. Ask the Inquisitor your ilk love so much.” Icarus’s face must have betrayed his ignorance. It let out a hoarse laugh, “I do not answer to you the way your Order’s chained dog does. Kill me and be done. You will have no more.”

True to its word, it went silent and Icarus knew he would not get anything else from it. His mouth twisted in frustration. So many secrets. So much obscurity. So many half-truths and obfuscation. So much of his father and so few answers. 

Before Maren could cry out again, Icarus raised his sword and sliced into the neck of the thing that had once been Dáire Callahan. Metal cleaved through muscle and bone, hitching once at the vertebrae. Its body stiffened. Head--severed at the shoulders--hit the ground with a hollow thump. The rest of it followed. 

Maren gasped and the sigil’s light evaporated in a white-blue mist. She doubled over, hands on her knees, and gulped in air like a desert would rain. He stared down at the collapsed, headless corpse. Its otherworldly features faded back into the man he once was. No blood poured from the wound, just flesh and bone that looked as though it had died some time ago. He was not really looking at Dáire, though. His attention was fixed someplace in the middle distance, lost in his own anger and swirling maelstrom of thoughts. 

Startled out of his contemplation, Icarus whirled on Eilonwy. 

Only to find nothing. She was gone.

He opened his mouth, the sound of his scolding caught in his throat and replaced with something perplexed. He turned to Maren. She stared down the darkened road for a moment, then met his eyes with a shrug. He looked back one more time and blinked like that might give him clarity. He sheathed his sword and went to his fellow heretic priest, offering a hand when she straightened. Of course, she declined. 

“I don’t know exactly how,” he stared into the dark, “but I feel like we’ve just been played.”

She rolled her shoulders with a thoughtful nod, “I’d be inclined, Father Icarus, to agree.”