The Ultimate This or That Bookish Showdown ☀️📚

Summer anticipation is at an all-time high, the days are beautifully long, and my reading habits are officially shifting into vacation mode.

To celebrate the changing of the seasons and clear the air before June arrives, I thought it would be a blast to do a massive This or That bookish showdown!

Below, I’ve broken down 19 ultimate bookish dilemmas into four categories: Summer Vibes, Bookish Habits, Tropes, and Mid-Year Reflections. I’ve shared my own takes, but I want to hear yours! Copy and paste the blank list from the comments section below and let me know where you stand.

Let the debates begin!

☀️ Section 1: Summer Reading Vibes

There is nothing quite like summer reading, but we all have a very specific vision of our perfect sunny reading day.

• Reading by the Pool OR Reading at the Beach?

  • My Take: The pool! I love the beach, but getting sand stuck between the pages of a paperback is my villain origin story.

• Audiobook on a road trip OR Paperback in a hammock?

  • My Take: Paperback in a hammock. Throw in a light breeze and I am in absolute heaven.

• Light Rom-Com OR Gritty Thriller?

  • My Take: The ultimate summer genre showdown! I have to go with a gritty thriller. There is something so fun about reading a spine-chilling mystery while sitting in the bright sunshine.

• Ice Cold Coffee OR Fruit Smoothie while reading?

  • My Take: Ice cold coffee, always and forever.

• Reading in the Bright Sunshine OR Reading during a Summer Thunderstorm?

  • My Take: A summer thunderstorm. Cozying up on the porch while it pours outside is unmatched.

• Bookmark OR Dog-eared pages?

  • My Take: Bookmark! Please don't hurt your books, guys! I know this one is guaranteed to start a debate in the comments!

📚 Section 2: Bookish Habits & Formats

Let’s talk about how we actually consume our stories and manage our never-ending shelves.

• Thick, 500+ Page Epic OR Short, 250 Page Novella?

  • My Take: Give me the short novella for summer. I want quick wins and fast-paced stories right now.

• Buy the Beautiful Hardback OR Wait for the Cheaper Paperback?

  • My Take: I usually wait for the cheaper paperback because they are lighter to carry around in a summer tote bag!

• Read One Book at a Time OR Be a Multi-Book Juggler?

  • My Take: Multi-book juggler. I usually have one audiobook, one e-book, and one physical book going at all times.

• Finishing a Series All at Once OR Spacing the Books Out over months?

  • My Take: Spacing them out. I like to let the world marinate a bit before jumping back in.

• Sticking Strictly to a Monthly TBR OR Mood Reading whatever you want?

  • My Take: Pure mood reading. Life is too short to force yourself to read a book you aren't in the mood for.

🏖️ Section 3: Plot & Character Tropes

Summer is prime time for predictable, comforting, and utterly addictive story tropes.

• Fake Dating OR Enemies to Lovers?

  • My Take: Enemies to Lovers is superior. The tension! The angst!

• Small Town Setting OR Big City Adventure?

  • My Take: Small town setting. Give me a quirky beach town with a local bakery and nosey neighbors.

• Only One Bed OR Forced Proximity?

  • My Take: Only One Bed. It’s a classic for a reason.

• Dual POV (Point of View) OR First-Person Narrator?

  • My Take: Dual POV. I love knowing what both characters are thinking, especially in a romance.

• The Grumpy One/Sunshine One Dynamic OR Childhood Best Friends to Lovers?

  • My Take: Grumpy/Sunshine all day long.

🗓️ Section 4: Mid-Year Reflection

We are almost halfway through the year, which means it's time to take an honest look at our shelves.

• Buying New Books OR Tackling the Backlog on your shelf?

  • My Take: I should say tackling the backlog, but let's be real I'm buying new summer releases.

• Rereading an Old Favorite OR Taking a Chance on a New Author?

  • My Take: Taking a chance on a new author.

• DNFing (Did Not Finish) a boring book immediately OR Forcing yourself to finish it?

  • My Take: I will set it aside and try again later and a lot of the time this works for me but if not I'll DNF! My summer reading time is precious!

Now It's Your Turn!

I’ve left a blank version of these prompts below. Copy it, paste all of the sections, or the ones you would like to answer into your reply, and show me your answers! Where do we agree, and where do we totally clash? Let's chat!

☀️ Section 1: Summer Reading Vibes

• Reading by the Pool OR Reading at the Beach?

• Audiobook on a road trip OR Paperback in a hammock?

• Light Rom-Com OR Gritty Thriller?

• Ice Cold Coffee OR Fruit Smoothie while reading?

• Reading in the Bright Sunshine OR Reading during a Summer Thunderstorm?

• Bookmark OR Dog-eared pages?

📚 Section 2: Bookish Habits & Formats

• Thick, 500+ Page Epic OR Short, <250 Page Novella?

• Buy the Beautiful Hardback OR Wait for the Cheaper Paperback?

• Read One Book at a Time OR Be a Multi-Book Juggler?

• Finishing a Series All at Once OR Spacing the Books Out over months?

• Sticking Strictly to a Monthly TBR OR Mood Reading whatever you want?

🏖️ Section 3: Plot & Character Tropes

• Fake Dating OR Enemies to Lovers?

• Small Town Setting OR Big City Adventure?

• Only One Bed OR Forced Proximity?

• Dual POV (Point of View) OR First-Person Narrator?

• The Grumpy One/Sunshine One Dynamic OR Childhood Best Friends to Lovers?

🗓️ Section 4: Mid-Year Reflection

• Buying New Books OR Tackling the Backlog on your shelf?

• Rereading an Old Favorite OR Taking a Chance on a New Author?

• DNFing (Did Not Finish) a boring book immediately OR Forcing yourself to finish it?

Hey y'all,

This is a friendly reminder that we'll be discussing One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad today at 1 PM EST on Discord. Can't wait to chat with y'all about it!

XoXo,

Rae

The press release for Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology has been sent out! I am finishing up editing the submissions for Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Yuletide Horror Anthology, and at the end of June, I'll have the stories from the invited authors to read and edit. It's releasing THIS November AND I am starting to contact potential authors for the next anthology.

In addition to working on these anthologies and beginning book 2 of the Woods Bay series my super secret project is a children's chapter book! I'll share more soon!

BOOKS

I'll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (relisten)
The Last Time We Drowned by Saratoga Schaefer
Kill All Wizards by Jedediah Berry

Currently reading: The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives by Barbara Truelove (I wasn't able to read print this week but I'm so grateful for audiobooks, Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne.

SHOWS
NEW
24 in 24
Next Level Chef
Widows Bay
Euphoria

FILMS - I'm on LetterBoxd - horrormaven13
Over Your Dead Body
Contact
The Mummy

Rewatches that I'm enjoying as I pretend to live in the late 90s/early 00s.

TV
Daria
Twin Peaks
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The X-Files
Law and Order: SVU
The Hills

FILMS
Promising Young Woman
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride

That's all for this week! I hope you get some time to read and watch and relax. Oh and I started a new Instagram for my personal nerdom. If you're interested my handle is: stephanieisspooky

xoxo

Spooky Girl

We made it to Friday! (Barely, over here. I've been hit with major exhaustion, so I'm resting up for Bay Area Book Festival on Sunday, where I'm moderating an Indigenous romance panel!)

I just got our preorder numbers in@ Do you want a drumroll? I'm not musically inclined.

We have climbed to 361.

I'm not going to lie you, this climb to 1,000 feels like climbing a mountain unprepared, wheezing, out of breath, cursing at the mountain!

I've heard a lot of people say (and especially early reviewers!) that they can't wait to grab a copy of What Feeds Below when it comes out. PLEASE DON'T WAIT. We want our first author to be a best seller, and pre orders are going to be what makes that happen.

If you don't want to miss a $3.99 sale, grab the ebook today! (available wherever ebooks are sold!) This is the cheapest this book is going to be. There are over 2,000 of you supporting this imprint, getting this newsletter. Only 18% of you have grabbed a copy of the book!

I told Tatiana last night that I wanted this imprint to be known for making a big bang! I want to shock and disrupt trad publishing with what we can do together as a community. We have 459 Netgalley reviews with a 5 STAR average rating. People are buzzing about this book. I want to make sure that Tatiana gets the first week she deserves: BEST SELLER. Can you help us make this happen?

If you have already preordered your copy, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

If you've already read and reviewed the book, please keep talking about it! Check out this COOL POST from one of our members <3 and dont forget to tag me

at fromthemixedupdesk

and Tatiana at thebuffwriter

Let us know down below if you've already place a preorder!!!!

What a fun, murder-filled week! After some strangely cozy weather here (SoCal loves its May Gray) the sun is out and I’m beginning to think of summer reading—including what books we should read for our Read Herring Book Club. 👀

(Hint: I’m thinking we should armchair travel to 1950s Italy, where we might just cross paths with a con man . . .)

Psst, this was also a Cluesletter week! ICYMI, here’s a link.

This week’s reads:

• The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley (finished): What a joy to read something so classically perplexing. The round robin-style format of analyzing a murder case worked very well, and I appreciated how the stakes and tension ramped up with each new person presenting their theory. I didn’t realize that the newer edition (published by the British Library Crime Classics) tacks on a new ending, written by Martin Edwards. I appreciate the creativity but I much prefer the original. This is for our Read Herring Book Club.

• Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (currently reading): Still working away at this one! I love these sheep, but I do find it occasionally difficult to parse through the clues, because we are seeing them from a sheep’s point of view (and they happen to see a lot of things as food). But I do enjoy the audio and I hope to see the film this weekend.

• It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson (currently reading): Murder mystery romance is having a moment, and I’m not complaining. This one is light and fun, and both plots (mystery + romance) are moving along nicely. The characterization feels a little all over the place, but it’s still a cute read. Keep an eye out for the next Cluesletter for more. 😉

This week’s book mail:

• The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (out June 2): Technically this is a NetGalley audiobook approval but I’m popping it in here because I’m so excited about this one! A Knives Out-style YA mystery about teen prodigies and their adoptive father? Say less.

Yours mysteriously,

Manon

Happy Friday! Here are my faves of the week - I hope you'll join my Discord server and share yours as well!

My favorite book I read this week was The Bloody and the Damned by Becca Coffindaffer.

This book reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorites, The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. A young person fighting to keep themself and their loved ones alive in a hostile environment run by the ultra rich above and the brutal gangs below - sign me up.

I loved the way Val's world slowly expanded outward over the course of the book, bringing in more people and more history as we went along. Val is an excellent morally gray protagonist (who thankfully never becomes too broody about it). It's also casually but deeply queer on multiple fronts.

The writing is blunt and fast. You'll find yourself turning the pages as fast as you can. It's categorized as YA, and while the romantic elements stay firmly in that range, it's very dark and violent, as promised by the title.

A non-bookish fave this week is that I started watching Jujutsu Kaisen and I'm obsessed. I've never been a big anime person but this is so fun (and also a little creepy, ngl). I'd love to get your recommendations for what to watch next after I blow through this series!

Hey folks,

It's time for us to vote on what we'll read as a community throughout June.

I've curated what I feel is a great selection of fiction and nonfiction works that are accessible and fun for readers at almost any level.

Take a look at the descriptions to get an idea of the available options, then cast your vote using the button below!

The Books

Elevator in Sài Gòn by Thuân - A Vietnamese woman flies to Paris after her mother dies in a freak elevator accident, then starts uncovering a secret history that stretches back to wartime Saigon. Slim, strange, and quietly devastating.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - The Joad family loads up the truck and heads west. You know this one, or think you do. Worth finding out which.

Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson A year embedded with the Oakland chapter of the Hell's Angels, written before Thompson became a brand. The reporting is sharp, the prose is feral, the ending is famously bad for him.

The Eye of the Monkey by Krisztina Tóth A Hungarian novel about a woman piecing together a fractured family history across decades of upheaval. Tóth is one of the most interesting voices working in Hungarian literature right now.

As always, we will be using ranked choice voting for our monthly read choice. If you're not familiar with ranked choice voting, simply rank the books from what you'd like to read the most to what you'd least like to read and submit your answer!

You can vote here: https://strawpoll.com/e2naXV7V0yB

Voting closes Tuesday, June 3. The read kicks off Sunday, June 8.

June's Book Club pick is Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. I am so excited to read this polarizing book about a modern day social media trad wife that is sent back in time to live in a more grueling pioneer-era.

You can join the conversation on Rootbound's discord! Just be sure to mute the chapter channels, as there will be spoilers through the last listed chapter in the channel title. The channels are now live! If you want to have a chance to vote for next month's book club pick, consider upgrading to the Moss tier. 🪨

Happy reading!!

Now that I've finally finished reading The Perfect Neighbors, let's go ahead and dive into the discussion questions!

1. Olivia spends much of the novel observing the Berkley family while hiding secrets of her own. How did your opinion of Olivia change throughout the story, and did you ultimately find her trustworthy or sympathetic?

2. The novel explores the contrast between public appearances and private realities. Which character do you think was best at maintaining a façade, and what does the book suggest about “perfect” suburban communities?

3. Tess, Ethan, and Gracie each reveal different signs that something is wrong inside the Berkley household. Which relationship or family dynamic stood out to you most, and why?

4. The story slowly builds tension before delivering several dark twists near the end. Did the pacing work for you? Were there clues you picked up on early, or did the ending completely surprise you?

5. A major theme in the book is isolation—many characters seem lonely even while surrounded by neighbors and community. How does loneliness influence the choices characters make throughout the novel?

I have recently started rewatching a lot of my favorite shows. For some I had started the series but never finished it. I thought I had seen all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I definitely hadn't. I watch some new shows but watching Buffy, The X-Files, Twin Peaks, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Daria, and more are keeping me sane right now. Nostalgic posters along with DVDs and VHS tapes are helping too. So here are 31 thoughts I had while rewatching season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show definitely is and will continue to influence my Woods Bay series including Small Town Slasher.

1. The first pilot is better than the one they went with. It matches the film the show is based on way more.

2. I will never skip this intro. It's still gold.

3. I wish we had The Bronze in my town.

4. I had the sunglasses Buffy has in The Harvest episode.

5. Ahhh early Buffy and Angel moments.

6. So that's where I got the idea of the high ponytail with a few loose strands in front of my face.

7. Adorkable Willow and her computer.

8. Love combining cheerleading with the first witch we meet on the show.

9. I want Giles' car.

10. Ahhh 1997 fashion. /chefskiss

11. I love the idea of putting a spirit into a trophy. So cool!

12. The library shots are done so well.

13. Cheerleader on fire!

14. Totally thought of Joe from You when I saw the cage in the library.

15. It's such a great twist that the mother was the one evil not the cheerleader.

16. Preying mantis sexy teacher.

17. Ewwww the sandwich scene totally reminded me of the similar scene in The Girl Who Cried Monster by R.L. Stine.

18. Even during my rewatch I was shocked by The Master.

19. Xander acting like a hyena is awesome. It also makes me want to go to the zoo.

20. One of the actresses from the Angel episode is in Dexter.

21. The chemistry between Buffy and Angel. Oh my.

22. The Willow and robot episode was just okay but fun cheesy.

23. A dummy and the organs it wants to harvest.

24. Worst nightmares coming true. That's terrifying.

25. Hey it's the girl from The Faculty.

26. Loved the dress she wore in the finale.

27. Even though you know Buffy is going to be okay it's still horrible to watch her die.

28. A short first season but still excellent.

29. I feel bad that I totally forgot about Ms. Carpenter I love her.

30. I think the white dress and leather jacket is a nod to the final showdown in the film.

31. Not one skip of the intro or outro. EGH so good!!

For those of you who didn't know, you can hit me up with book recommendations here and this one just came through the other day:

It immediately made me think of two titles:

PLAIN BAD HEROINES by Emily M. Danforth

This was an Inky Phoenix book club pick and I still think about it! A dual timeline sapphic, gothic horror that tells the story of a cursed girls' boarding school in 1902 and a modern day film adaptation of the school's history.

HUNGERSTONE by Kat Dunn

Another gothic novel, but a deliciously dark retelling of the classic vampire novella, Carmilla.

Happy reading Gabriela!

Hi folks,

Pride Month is around the corner, and the fantastic Bookasaurusbex invited me once again to provide book recs (below) for her annual Prideopoly challenge! Information on how to play here: https://prideopoly.carrd.co/

Playing isn't necessary of course, you can just use this as a handy list of recs for Pride Month - there's something for everyone! The full list is below in pictures, and below that I've written it all out in text.

Happy Pride!

Gay

More than one queer identity - The Prospects by KT Hoffman

Neurodivergent MC - The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian

Indie / Small press - 30 by Clinton W. Waters

Queer

Translated book - Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Questioning MC - Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Identity not already a prompt - Drink Up Darling by Harvey Oliver Baxter (aromantic rep, also poly), Moth Dark by Kika Hatzopoulou (genderfluid rep)

Indigiqueer rep - Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

Non-binary

Non-fiction - Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

BIPOC MC or Writer - Twice Lived by Joma West (writer)

Romance - Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

Ace

Ace book recced by a friend - Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

MC has a hobby - The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Horror or SFF - The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

Lesbian

Academia or Education - An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

Masc MC - Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Novella - Debate and Decadence by Sula Sullivan

Trans

Transfemme MC - The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy

Found Family - Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Disabled MC or writer - The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Bisexual

Bisexual man MC - So This is Ever After by FT Lukens

With a trial or contest - The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi

Poetry or verse - 100 Queer Poems edited by Mary Jean Chan & Andrew McMillan

Much love,

Disco x

Please join me in extending a huge congrats to Kristy Park Kulski, author of our Spring 27 book, CRACKS, on all of her award nominations this season

Silk and Sinew has been nominated for:

Bram Stoker award

Shirley Jackson award

British Fantasy award

Congrats, Kristy!

I cannot wait to share more about Cracks with you all! (Hoping a little cover preview coming in for paid subscribers soon!)

✨ 4/5

✨ An expanse of Blue is a heart touching, coming of age story of young Hawaiian Catholic girl living in United States. Instead of a book, it would be more fitting to call it diary of Aouli - she writes about her fears, dreams, crushes, expectations and secrets of their family.

✨ The book successfully captures many aspects of immigrants, Catholic guilt, how the issues of parents affect the kids, friendships, betrayals. As a teen, it can be so confusing; but it's all worth it when you find yourself. The book is just that.

✨ I would love to highlight that the book is published in an atypical fashion. Margins have been disregarded, spacing has been used to emphasize her mood, words repeated which almost gives a poetic effect. All these help to convey the story much better and connect with Aouli.

✨ Definitely go for it. Book is available to purchase.

✨ Author - @kauawrites

✨ Publisher - @epicreads (I received this arc as part of the Epic Insiders program. Thank you so much )

#hawaiian #story