In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal 4.5/5 stars

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

Nordic Nightmares 4/5 stars

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

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

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

And one that I want to get my hands on:

There Used to Be People Here by Kennedy Cole

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

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

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

ONE YELLOW EYE by Leigh Radford*

LUCY, UNCENSORED by Teghan Hammond and Mel Hammond*

⭐ BUZZARD by Inez Ray*

THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION by qntm*

WOLF WORM by T. Kingfisher*

ESPIRITU by Aiden Thomas*

⭐ PUNISHED by Ann-Helen Laestadius*

⭐ DAGGERMOUTH by H.M. Wolfe*

NOBODY'S BABY by Olivia Waite*

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

ONE WORD, SIX LETTERS by Adib Khorram*

WESTWARD WOMEN by Alice Martin*

⭐ NOT WITH A BANG by Temi Oh*

CITY OF OTHERS by Jared Poon*

On Deck for November

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

SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN by John Wiswell

THE DISAPPEARERS by Marlon James

HONEY by Imani Thompson*

A WALL IS ALSO A ROAD by Annalee Newitz*

MOTHERSUCKER by Kim Bohyun*

UNFINISHED BUSINESS by Claire Osongco*

Weekly Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

One Good Thing

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

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

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

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

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

Hello there! Happy November!

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

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

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

Happy Sunday book buddies!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ICYMI:

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

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

Hear It Here First:

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

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

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

Happy reading, y'all!

xoxo

c

Hi, it's me (and hi to all the new people!)

If you just found me, welcome!! A lot of you came over in October and I'm genuinely so excited to have you here, so before we get into books, here's my friend-dating profile:

Name: Samia
Location: Jersey City
Day job: Data analyst
Night job: Forever reader, anime watcher, manga lover
Fueled by: Sour candy and matcha, in amounts I will not be disclosing
Ideal night in: On the couch under a blanket with my heating pad and a book
Ideal night out: Ask me again when it's warm, I'm a seasonal extrovert
Red flag: My currently reading shelf is at 29 books, and when I panic about it I just start a 30th book.
Looking for: People who read a little bit of everything and want to talk about it

Here I'll be giving you recs for interesting books across every genre along with my honest thoughts on what I'm reading, and as this grows, probably some thoughts on the book industry as a whole too. At the very least, you'll hear from me once a month!

October recap

October was crazy! I went to NYCC, and since I love Naruto I made a video at one of the activations, which ended up pushing me over 5K. It made me realize that maybe people want to know more about me than just the books, so I've been letting myself be more fun and free with my content. I also started a weekly advice post for people who are just getting started, because I'm not gatekeepy and I wish someone had told me all of this when I started.

This month also had so many positive highlights in terms of personal growth. I've been focusing on my health more, trusting my instincts more, and standing up for myself more, and I'm really proud of that. It wasn't all highlights though. I had a lot of anxiety and depression this month with some personal problems going on, and finding the will to get up every day and show up was really hard. I don't think people always know that about me, that as high functioning as I am I can have really low lows, so if you're going through it right now too, you're definitely not alone. 🩷

What I read in October

Here's everything I read in October and what I thought about it!

The one I need everyone to read

An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino ★★★★½
OMG, it was so good. I read this one late as an ARC (it's already out, so you can go grab it now), and it literally stressed me out so much. It starts out so simple, but you have this foreboding anxiety the whole time that things are gonna get crazy, and it really emphasizes how a POV can give you the right information or the completely wrong information. It's definitely a psychological horror and I was obsessed with it, so if I could make everyone read one book from this month, it would be this one.

Japanese Era

I'm fully in my manga and Japanese books era right now and I feel so deeply drawn to these stories. This is the good part about being a genre fluid reader, because when I find a genre lacking I can just pivot.

Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana (the whole series)
Vol 1: ★★★★½ / Vols 2 through 9: ★★★★★ / Vol 10: ★½
This series was epic until the ending, which was so stupid and made little to no sense, and honestly it felt like the writer gave up? If you love dark romance, you should read the manga, but at the very least watch the new anime episodes each week. We're all hoping the anime changes the ending, because for once I don't want it to be exactly by the book.

Strange Pictures by Uketsu ★★★★½ and Laplace's Witch by Keigo Higashino ★★★★½
Both of these are great for anyone who wants to tickle their brain and solve a murder (or a few). They gave me the same vibe I used to get reading Goosebumps as a kid, where you feel actively engaged and you're trying to figure out what's happening the whole time, and they really make you a more active reader.

World Trigger Vol. 1 by Daisuke Ashihara ★★★★½
I'm actually rereading this one, and it's so nice to get back into the story because I love the anime a lot. It's very funny!

Spooky season

Dracula by Bram Stoker ★★★★½
I listened to the audiobook after going to the epic event Audible did for the release of their new adaptation. It was really well done and felt so immersive with the music, and the voice actors were fantastic. I took off half a star because there was a lot of gasping all the time, and at one point that started to annoy me lol.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones ★★★½
I personally didn't like the run-on sentences, and while I appreciate the story and what it was trying to say, I didn't find it that engaging while I was reading. Then I went to book club at Dungeon Books, and talking it through with everyone definitely changed my mind, so I bumped it up to a 3.5 from a 2. I liked the horror parts the most, especially the body horror, and I want to read his other books and give him another shot.

The Exorcism of Faeries by J.L. Vampa ★★★½
The last 25% was so rushed. This could have been two books, which the author announced after this first one came out, but she still tried to finish everything up in way fewer pages than it needed, and I think it should have been longer or just left us on a cliffhanger.

The rest of the stack

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro ★★★★
This was an okay book for me. I also saw an advance screening of the movie and didn't love it, and I liked the original story more.

Wench by Erynne Rivers ★★★★
A great, simple, cute romantic retelling of Robin Hood. I read it right before going to the Ren Faire, so it was such a fun vibe.

If you want more in-depth reviews of any of these, you can find me on Instagram at @bookaroundandfindout!

November plans

I'm notorious for not having a real TBR each month and just reading whatever I'm in the mood for, which is exactly how I ended up with 29 books on my currently reading shelf. So this month I'm going to try to tackle my backlog and finish some of the books I've already started. I also have a few ARCs coming out in November, and I've been really into graphic novels and manga lately, so expect more of that too.

See you next month!!

Samia

The Sunday Prescription

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

Symptoms: Fall Fever

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you are all doing well, and getting some time to read a good book this week! As you can see, where I live we are in probably my favorite time of year, as fall is in full swing. Our leaves have already peaked and are starting to drop. My house backs right up to the woods, so my views coming down the driveway or sitting on the back porch are immaculate, and it puts me in a certain kind of reading mood. As it gets dark earlier, and the world prepares for hibernation, I get in the mood for big rich fantasy books where I can just get lost.

What I think is really interesting about this is how we associate the world around us with certain things. In this case, my reading tastes and preferences change along with the seasons. Obviously, not everyone is like this, but I find myself switching things up as the year goes on.

At the end of the summer and the start of the fall, especially as we transition into September and October, I go into horror mode. I want to read everything horror, listen to horror audio books, and watch horror movies. I read and watch horror year round, but it really goes into high gear as we leave those long summer months.

Once we pass Halloween, I find myself drifting towards fantasy, and in particular epic high fantasy. Think big books, huge plots, intricate worlds, and a large cast of characters. People on the road, traveling to fight a dark lord, sitting by a campfire eating hard cheese and crusty bread. For some reason, these sorts of books seem to beg me to read them this time of year.

As we get into the winter, and especially across the new year, I still enjoy those sorts of fantasy books, but also find myself looking for mysteries, cozy fantasy, and almost YA stories. Easy to digest stuff that makes me happy when that full winter darkness kicks in. The kind of stuff that I can read next to the fire and feel safe and nostalgic.

Then comes spring and summer. In the spring, I seem to always want to integrate more sci fi into my life. I have less desire to pick up a big giant fantasy book, and start looking for more quick hit stuff. As we get into the summer, I start looking for shorter books - lit fiction, graphic novels, small standalone fantasy, magical realism. Anything that is shorter, standalone, and can be transported around easily.

So what am I most looking forward to this fall. Well, I just finished The Castle and the Cloister by Laura Weymouth, and it may be my favorite fantasy I've read this year. That one felt like fall to me. I'm also planning on reading a Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, and the last two books in The Faithful and the Fallen. A good dose of viking inspired fantasy also hits that spot for colder weather. And of course, speaking of viking inspired, I'm really interested to get to the next books in the Moonfall series by James Rollins, as well as Demi Winters' Ashen series.

How about you - do you find your reading is seasonal, are you more consistent, or are you just all over the place?

The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing

As always, life is busy! On the social media front, I just recorded an episode of Dear Doctor Fantasy, Philip Chase's YouTube series, and had such a great time chatting with him (hence no YouTube video this week!). Phillip is not only a YouTuber, but a PhD in medieval literature, and the author of The Edan Trilogy. He is such an interesting guy, and we had a great chat. That will be posted to his channel this week sometime!abaddon'sgate

Thank you to everyone who has joined on as a new member, or upgraded to our new Apothecary tier! It has been so cool to see our member community grow, and I appreciate the support so much! If you did not see last week's newsletter, The Apothecary Tier is going to be a quarterly book box that will start shipping in January 2027. Each quarter will feature a book and some extra goodies, with the following themes:

• January: Fantasy

• April: Sci Fi

• July: A surprise book/genre!

• October: Horror

Here are the details/rules for the new option:

• Obviously, you need to be comfortable sharing your shipping address with me!

• Cost is $12/month

• You must be a member for 2 months before you get your first shipment

• At the outset, I am going to offer this international as well (I ship from the US), and I will pay for the up front shipping costs. However, there may be extra import duties or costs on your end that would be your responsibility to cover.

• There will be no skips - I'm a one man show here, so skips would not be feasible. If it is a book you already have or don't want to read, you are welcome to sell or give away!

Book clubs continue on! For our main book club today marks the first day for The Demon Star, and our EWrap Up chat for Japanese Gothic will be next Sunday November 8 at 3 PM EST on our Discord. For our Fable book club, today is the first day for Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper. This is a standalone historical fiction that follows the meteoric rise and devastating fall of the Iceni warrior queen Boudicca through the eyes of her youngest daughter. Excited to read it, and hope to see some of you there!

Our Monthly Reading Challenges are wrapping up for the year here soon. Remember, to be eligible for the $25 Bookshop.org gift card, you need to either be in the StoryGraph Challenge. November's reading challenge will be to finish a series. For this, you get a bonus entry for each book in a series you read. So if you read and finish a trilogy, that's three entries for the gift card!

I just finished up The Castle and the Cloister and Absolutely loved it. I'll be starting on our two book club reads, and then after that, probably the second week of the month, I'll likely jump into our Dark Traveler's pick a book, which is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'm also listening to Abaddon's Gate on audio, book three in The Expanse, and will likely do Return to Edan by Philip Chase after that (book 3 in The Edan Trilogy).

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 Right now, as pictured above, I have a giveaway of the Villians trilogy that is exclusive for Dark travelers and Apothecaries, and then I have another one prepped for everyone on the server after that! ! 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.

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 or Apothecary tiers! 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!

The Apothecary is a quarterly book box I'm starting in January 2027! You get all the benefits of the Dark Travelers above, as well as a quarterly themed book box. Thank you to everyone who has joined already!

Happy Halloween, friends!

I'm thrilled to share my interview with Kristen Dickson, author of A Witch Lives Here. A Witch Lives Here is a "a whimsical picture book about a mysterious house in the woods full of black cats and flying brooms, and a child and dog who follow the clues to determine if a witch indeed lives there. For fans of Kiki's Delivery Service and How to Catch a Witch." It's the perfect spooky season story! 🎃

Q: A Witch Lives Here follows Felix and Spike as they investigate a mysterious house to decide if a witch truly lives there. To do so, they search for clues contained in the aptly named book, “23 Witchy Clues to Spot.” What inspired the twenty-three witchy clues?

A: Oh, the clues! I believe there was a small army of copyeditors dedicated to counting and double counting the number of clues. We didn’t want to miss one! Or count one twice! It was a big effort to keep them all straight (big shout out to the editorial team at Roaring Brook!). To answer your question, we all loved the idea of Felix treasuring witches so much that he carried his own witchy almanac – and then happened to find the perfect way to put his knowledge to the test (a tall black house in the middle of the forest)!

Q: Your words are welcoming, playful, and vibrant, delivering a heartwarming story of witchy wonder, spooky shenanigans, and friendship. Would you share your process for honing your voice and crafting joyful tales that are treats for the whole family?

A: Thank you so much for your kind words, first of all! This book was SO fun to write. I have always loved Halloween, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity to write the Halloween book of my dreams! Fun fact – this manuscript has gone through at least 20 revisions. Spike’s original name was Claude! But Felix has always been Felix, and he has always wanted to be a witch, and the house in the woods was always instrumental to his journey to become one. In fact, the ending lines (“’I wonder,’ Felix said, ‘if any witches live here.’ And they did.”) were in the manuscript from the very first draft. Like Felix, once we find our own magic, we carry it with us across every threshold.

Q: A Witch Lives Here features stunning pictures that complement the story perfectly, delivering an immersive and spellbinding reading experience. Would you walk us through the collaboration process with A Witch Lives Here’s incredible illustrator, Justine Gilbuena?

A: Isn’t Justine wonderful? This is her debut picture book! I am so honored to be a part of her first publication process, especially having seen her extraordinary talent first hand. I still get goosebumps every time I open the book, because every detail is so darn perfect and adorable. Throughout the collaboration process, it felt like Justine was constantly reaching inside my brain to bring every detail of Felix and Spike’s adventure to life. Fun fact: Felix was partly inspired by one of Justine’s illustrations from a few Halloweens back! Safe to say that Justine’s been baked into Felix and Spike’s story since the very beginning.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from A Witch Lives Here, and what did you learn by writing it?

A: It’s always wonderful to hear of little ones reading the book for the first time, or seeing pictures and videos, or experiencing it while reading it aloud to a group at storytime (nothing like real-time feedback from toddlers, ha!) But nothing beats hearing about families reading it again and again, because that’s a kid’s true stamp of approval. Fills me with joy! This book has several layers to it and can be appreciated in different ways, so my hope is readers can find something new in Felix and Spike’s story every time they open it.

Q: What is your favorite part of writing for little ones?

A: When my kids were in preschool, I hosted a weekly storytime for our neighborhood playgroup in my backyard. Each week we chose books according to different themes (Cars, Dinos, Mermaids, etc), and I quickly learned the importance of humor in capturing the attention of rambunctious four year olds! The more absurd the humor, the better – which is a very fun place to write from. I try to shape my work around the number of belly laughs it might one day receive.

Author Bio:

Kristen Dickson is the author of A Witch Lives Here and Fiona Builds A Fairy House, two picture books about marvelous houses and fantastic friends. Kristen dresses as a black cat each year for Halloween and loves finding magic in everyday things. She lives in Dallas with her family.

Thank you so much to Kristen for joining me in discussing her spook-tacular picture book! 🫶

Happy Halloween friends!

We've got a combo disability release wrap up for September and October this month! Apologies on getting a little behind on these--with the combination of traveling internationally and the start of the school year... the fall has gotten away from me. Really, I should be studying for midterms right now but one thing about me is I'll take any excuse to procrastinate.

September Releases

A Hart to Call Home by S. Sidney

romance

chronic migraine

Espíritu by Aiden Thomas

YA fantasy
ADHD

Tastes Like Summer by Caroline Frank

romance

type 1 diabetes

Feeling Like an ADHD Alien by Pina Varnel

YA graphic novel

ADHD

Keldori by Daybreak by M.T. Zimny

YA fantasy

trichotillomania

Kill Your Darlings by Yuvashri Harish

YA Horror

neurodivergence

Conflict Conclusion by D.C. Emerson

romance

PTSD

The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas

historical mystery

neurodivergence

Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young (trad pub release)

holiday romance

autism, ADHD

The Curse of Thornhollow by Valtinen Erik Karille

paranormal thriller

cane and ambulatory wheelchair user

Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee

paranormal romance

anxiety

Kiss of the Black Flame by Helen Scheurer

fantasy romance

chronic illness, chronic pain

Made Better Together by Kylie Skye

romance

PTSD

Between Heaven and Unholy by Joanna Carney

romance

anxiety

From Beijing With Love by Bei Lin

romance

OCD, anxiety

The Bone Brides by Marley Rose-Teter

horror

mental illness

October Releases

You're No Better by Andrew Joseph White

YA horror

autism

The Forest Bleeds by Rachel Kitch

horror

OCD, neurodivergence

Ideal Lost, Part One: The Shrikes by JT Wong

contemporary

depression, anxiety

Forrest and Fable by Evita Wren

romance

POTS

Boundless edited by Marieke Nijkamp

middle grade anthology

every story ft. different disabilities

How to Troll a Guy in 10 Days by Pippa Grant

romance

migraines

Bad Words by Ríoghnach Robinson

romance

depression

Big Nick Energy by Morgan Elizabeth (trad pub release)

holiday romance

migraines

Undone by Peyton Corinne

romance

mental illness

Sunflower Season by Danica Nava

romance

anxiety, panic attacks

Scorpion Deep by C.G. Drews

YA horror

autism

Victorious by V.E. Schwab

fantasy

chronic pain

Love Wants Us to Win by Jacqueline Middleton

romance

migraines

Crack the Ice by Lindsey Saenz

romance

autism, ADHD, cancer

It's that time!

October has come to a close! I hope everyone enjoyed Mazywood this month, the new horror-thriller from prolific speculative writer Tananarive Due. We have now selected our picks for November, and it is time to vote!

As fun perk this month, BGN Followers can vote on the selections! We have a number to pick from so choose wisely!

Without further ado; here are the selections. Please make sure to vote so yours is counted!

The First Editions, your next book club read just got a little easier! ✨ Our Love All the Way by Rachel Woodley book club kits are officially available, and they’re ready to help you turn your reading into a conversation worth having.

From thoughtful discussion questions to book-club-friendly activities and more, these kits are designed to help you dive deeper into the story, connect with your readers, and make your Love All the Way book club discussion even more memorable. 💕📖

✨ Ready to grab your kits?
Tap the link to download your Love All the Way book club kits!

Tap here to download your BOOK CLUB KIT

Tap here to download your INDIVIDUAL BOOK CLUB MEMBER GUIDE 

Tap here to download your BUDDY READER KIT 

Tap her to download your SOLO READER KIT 

And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out our Deep Dive Book Club Review of Love All the Way by Rachel Woodley. We’re taking a closer look at the story, themes, characters, and everything that made this book such a great conversation starter for The Page Ladies Book Club.

📖 Read. Discuss. Connect. Repeat. That’s what book club is all about. 💕

#LoveAllTheWay #RachelWoodley #BookClubKits #BookClubReads #ThePageLadiesBookClub

What happens when the one person you absolutely should NOT kiss becomes the one person you absolutely cannot stop thinking about? Add Christmas, workplace rivalry, a career-making promotion, and a whole lot of undeniable chemistry and you have Love All the Way! 🎄💋

We love a holiday rom-com that knows exactly what it’s supposed to deliver: cozy Christmas vibes, romantic tension, complicated feelings, plenty of laughs, and two people who seem determined to make falling in love as difficult as humanly possible.

Rachel Woodley gives us all of that in Love All the Way, while also giving Kennedy a journey that goes beyond simply finding her happily-ever-after.

🎄 Meet Kennedy: Career First, Feelings Later

Kennedy has worked hard to build her career, and after a messy breakup with a coworker, she has decided she is officially done mixing business and romance.

Honestly? We understand the rule.

Unfortunately for Kennedy, rules have a funny way of becoming much harder to follow when Milo enters the equation.

Milo isn't just a coworker. He's her office rival, her biggest competition for a coveted promotion, and seemingly the last person Kennedy should ever consider romantically. Their professional rivalry creates an immediate push-and-pull dynamic, because every interaction has another layer underneath it.

And then there’s that Christmas party kiss. 👀

What starts as one impulsive decision quickly becomes something neither of them can simply brush aside.

🔥 Kennedy & Milo: Rivalry With a Side of Chemistry

This is where the romance really shines.

Kennedy and Milo have the kind of dynamic rom-com readers live for: competition, frustration, banter, attraction, and two people who would probably insist they are not falling for each other while behaving like they absolutely are.

Their workplace rivalry also raises the stakes. This isn't simply a case of “Should we date?” There is a promotion involved, careers to protect, and Kennedy's very real fear of repeating the heartbreak she has already experienced.

We especially enjoyed watching Kennedy navigate that conflict between wanting to protect herself and wanting to take a chance on something real.

Because sometimes the hardest part of falling in love isn't figuring out whether you have chemistry.

It's deciding whether you're brave enough to trust it.

🎁 The Holiday Magic

Christmas is more than a backdrop here. The holiday setting gives the story that warm, festive atmosphere we want from a holiday romance while creating the perfect environment for Kennedy's emotional walls to start coming down.

Office Christmas parties, unexpected kisses, romantic tension, and the possibility of starting over? Yes, please.

There is something especially satisfying about reading a romance during the holidays because the season itself encourages characters to reflect on what and who they really want in their lives.

And Kennedy has plenty to think about.

💕 More Than Just a Workplace Romance

Underneath the banter and holiday sparkle, Love All the Way explores some wonderfully relatable questions.

What happens when a past relationship changes the way you approach future ones?

How much should career ambition influence your personal life?

Can you protect yourself from heartbreak without also protecting yourself from happiness?

And perhaps the biggest question of all: When you've been hurt before, how do you know when it's finally safe to let someone in again?

Kennedy's story makes those questions especially interesting because she isn't simply choosing between two romantic possibilities. She's deciding what kind of life she wants and whether she is willing to take a risk to have it.

📚 Why We Think This Is a Fun Book Club Pick

Love All the Way is exactly the kind of rom-com that can turn into a lively book-club conversation.

There's plenty to discuss about workplace relationships, ambition, friendship, communication, trust, boundaries, and whether Kennedy's “never date a coworker again” rule is actually a sensible boundary or an emotional reaction to being hurt.

And, of course, there is the romance.

Because let's be honest: sometimes the best book-club conversations begin with, “Okay, but what would YOU have done?” 😂

💭 Book Club Conversation Starters

❤️ Would you ever date a coworker?

🎄 Was Kennedy right to try to keep romance and her career completely separate?

🔥 When did you start believing Kennedy and Milo could actually work?

💼 Should a romantic relationship be off-limits when two people are competing for the same promotion?

💕 How much should past heartbreak influence the way we approach a new relationship?

👀 And most importantly…would you have kissed Milo at that Christmas party?

📥 Ready to Read It With Us?

We made the book-club experience easy!

Tap the link to download your free Mini Book Club Kit, Individual Book Club Member Reader Guide, Buddy-Reading Kit, or Solo Reader Kit and bring Love All the Way to your next reading adventure.

Tap here to download your MINI READER KITS

Want to go all in? Join The First Editions for access to our full book club kits and even more Page Ladies bookish goodness. 📚✨

💌 Thank you to Wattpad Books and Rachel Woodley for sharing Love All the Way with us. We loved getting cozy with this festive, chemistry-filled rom-com!

❤️ The Page Ladies Verdict

If you're looking for a cozy holiday romance with workplace rivals, undeniable chemistry, Christmas atmosphere, career ambition, and a heroine learning that protecting your heart isn't always the same thing as following it, Love All the Way deserves a spot on your holiday TBR.

Now we want to know:

Would you risk workplace romance if the chemistry was undeniable, or is dating a coworker a hard NO for you? 🎄💕

If you like the hunger games, you'll like this one.

Temo is a trans teen and he lives in a colonized world where there is the lethal tournament conducted. But when his boyfriend, Ollin, is kidnapped he would have to enter the tournament to save him.

Honestly, as a person from India, which was a British colony just 70 years ago, some of the things gave literal shivers. I could understand some of the nuances in the book.
Temo, Ollin and other characters are really well written and the world building is good. I did feel the pace could have been little quicker towards the middle.

Overall, a great YA dystopian book. Add it to your tbr!

Thank you @booksparks for sharing this beautiful copy with me.

Thank you @sonidoreyes for writing this amazing story.

#frc2026