Hi folks! I'm so excited to help reveal the cover for London Sperry's new rom-com CITY PEOPLE, publishing April 6, 2027 from Penguin Random House.

Rebel Ever After listeners will remember London from our episode last August about her debut romance PASSION PROJECT and her quest to write a self-destructive, grieving baddie who deserves love. We had a wonderfully silly conversation despite the heavy subject matter.

I asked London what the REA community will enjoy about her sophomore novel. She texted me,

"City People deals with the stories that we tell ourselves about who we are, and what it means when you start to question those stories. It’s about change and growth, but mostly, it’s about letting go. It’s also about loving your gramma.

I hope REA listeners enjoy a man who thinks consent, pet names, and being berated by unlikeable female leads are sexy; an intergenerational female-only family; and a woman who wouldn’t know what she’s avoiding if you drew a map for her."

City People is available for pre-order wherever books are sold. You can pick it up from the Rebel Ever After affiliate store here.

About the book

A woman desperate to hold onto her Brooklyn brownstone can’t ignore her chemistry with the one man standing in her way, in this poignant enemies-to-lovers rom-com by the author of Passion Project.

Teddi Cooper, third-generation New Yorker, has breathed city air since the day she was born. Her life is perfectly syncopated with the beautiful, chaotic tempo of Brooklyn, from the moment she steps out the door of the brownstone she shares with her grandmother, to the moment she falls asleep with taxi horns blaring into the frenetic night.

So when Gram announces that she’s selling the brownstone and moving to Florida, the rhythm of Teddi’s life descends into cacophony. How could Gram not see that leaving NYC would be a betrayal of their very identities? If Gram needs a reminder of who she is, Teddi will do anything to show her—including coordinating a reunion show of the Broadway musical that made Gram famous before she gave up life in the spotlight. And to lay the pressure on thick, Teddi even gets Gram’s former co-star Hal Harrison on board.

The show is barely off the ground before Teddi comes head-to-head with Hal’s talent agent Reid Fletcher, who refuses to let Hal partake. Reid is charming, smart-mouthed, and absolutely infuriating, but Teddi knows a thing or two about digging her heels in.  As Teddi squares off against Reid over email, in the theater, and even through a heated game of tennis, she’s prompted to wonder if her dogged stubbornness is holding her back. Who would she be if she wasn’t determined to control Gram’s next move, to be a New Yorker at any cost? Is it possible that her identity is larger than the city she’s built her life around? And, most frightening of all, could her new life have room in it for someone else?

July's SRG Salon was a hoot

It could've also been titled "everything is a scam (&everyone is a scammer)". We talked about:

• the world cup is not about soccer (T-Pain DoorDash tweets were fake)

• Alix Earle's Reale Actives vs Hailey Bieber's Rhode

• The "privilege" of getting to see the odyssey in imax

• bandwagon culture (exemplified by knicks merch). i hate it. I hate 'just let people like what the like' apologists. This is why we have disney adults.

• The ethics of celebs endorsing GLP-1s

• HUM by Helen Phillips came up because there's a dystopian-but-real scene where the character gets in a cab and can't mute the ads unless she pays a fee (Cat made a good point that we are basically here already paying for streaming WITH ads)

• "Low T" (as in testosterone) being totally misunderstood

• The "Enhanced Games" (where you are allowed/supposed to take performance enhancing drugs)

• the "spectrum" of authenticity-- this struck me as oxymoronic because shouldn't something either be authentic or not? how can it be semi-authentic? imagine a counterfeit handbag -- but it's made with leather from the same factory that the real ones come from, by a craftsman trained alongside the authentic craftsman. this feels like a theseus' ship for birkinheads

• so much more

It was such a fecund topic and the convos that I sat in on meandered widely--very entertaining.

Suggested media/reading

• caroline calloway's ozempic essay

• The Feed Is Fake essay in Vulture

• Publishing has a hologram problem LitHub

• reaction to the essay^^ tiktok

• Everyone is an influencer reel

• I Don’t Want to Be Friends With a Corporation Substack

• Reddit Corporate brands being “relatable” on social media and infiltrating

• Ingrid Goes West (movie starring Aubrey Plaza & Elizabeth Olsen)

• Even NFL players have to be influencers tiktok

• It’s Hard Making Friends When Everyone Wants to be Famous substack

• Elmo's Knicks PR crisis... which was just promo?

• Elmo forced to respond to criticism ... which was just ads for the world cup?

• Reaction to said criticism tiktok

• Conan on press tour culture tiktok

• Do You Have to Become a Content Creator to Make It in the Arts? substack

• Confessions of an AI Clickbait Kingpin WIRED

• Gen z knows brands are trying to be friends IG post

• Intellectual influencers, the cool vs the rich, & the allure of a private life substack

• art galleries are turning into failed luxury brands reel

• gen z does not want to be influencers anymore cosmo (if you have a WSJ subscription read this, same info)

• food influencer parody tiktok

• slop economy tiktok (this creator tries to walk a fine line between being critical vs endorsing AI)

• being part of the digital circus IG post (comments section>post)

• not every brand/celeb is a morality compass reel

Discussion questions

• What’s the most obvious ad you’ve seen recently that still worked on you?

• Is the best marketing simply content that doesn’t feel like advertising?

• Is it possible to be a sellout anymore?

• When is content just a vehicle for monetization? Marvel, Coachella, Meghan Trainor’s flop album—are these designed primarily as vehicles to sell merch/make tiktoks (or to exist as “art”)?

• What is your reaction when an influencer you like gets their first brand partnership?

• What's "wrong" with watching ads? There are entire coffee table books that treat ads as an art form.

• Does "stealth marketing" erode media literacy?

• If you enjoy the content, does it matter that it’s an ad?

• If an ad is entertaining (think: comedian podcast where they turn the ad into a bit that is actually funny), does that make it less intrusive?

• Are you more critical when individuals turn themselves into brands, or when brands try to act like people?

• Do you feel like you have “succumbed” when influencers/ads work on you?

The night before my first in-person author event, I tried to stay as busy as possible. I worked, watched distracting shows, and made graphics for social media. Basically, anything that might keep me from thinking too hard about what I had agreed to do.

I took the muscle relaxer that usually helps me sleep, but I still tossed and turned. I felt like Owen Wilson in Armageddon when he says he is 98 percent excited and 2 percent scared, or maybe 2 percent excited and 98 percent scared. That was me. I knew both feelings were in there somewhere, but I could not have told you which one was winning.

Since I am nocturnal, I woke up around noon the next day. I was more nauseous than usual and immediately started trying to get everything ready: my outfit, makeup, nausea medication, books, pens, markers, and bookmarks. I checked everything more than once because my brain had apparently decided this was the moment to stop trusting itself.

My partner and I finally left for the bookstore. The drive was about forty minutes, so I put on a Charli xcx playlist and sang the entire way there. Singing is one of the best ways I have found to calm my nervous system, and I was going to need all the help I could get.

When we arrived, it felt like there was a bowling ball sitting in my stomach. I was already dragging, so I walked around the bookstore for a while and acquired an iced latte, which was probably not the most logical treatment for anxiety and nausea, but it felt necessary.

Then it was almost time for me to be introduced.

I waited backstage and peeked out at the audience. There were about ten people, and a few of them were cradling my book in their arms.

My book.

That part still does not feel real.

I had prepared several sections to read and practiced them ahead of time, but I had not actually timed any of it. We had promoted the event as a reading, signing, and Q&A, so I assumed people would have questions and that the conversation would fill the rest of the hour.

I came out, said hello, and told everyone I would begin with a reading.

For the first few minutes, I shakily read the opening paragraphs of Hiding Lies. I had somehow forgotten exactly how dark the beginning was, so I might reconsider starting with that section in the future.

As I sat there reading, terrified and sick to my stomach, one thought became very clear:

I never wanted to do another event again.

I finished the first section and tried asking if anyone had questions.

No one answered.

I read another passage, this time from Adam’s point of view. I had not prepared anything to say about it, but I started explaining what I had been thinking while writing the scene. That broke the silence a little, but when I looked at the time, it was only 7:20.

I had no idea what I was supposed to do next.

I asked again if anyone had questions.

Crickets.

Then my partner, bless his heart, called out, “Why don’t you talk about how you wrote it?”

Something immediately changed.

I began telling everyone about the life of Hiding Lies, how the story had developed, and everything that had gone into making the book. As I spoke, I saw people smiling and nodding. My nerves started to fall away.

Questions came. Then comments. Then more questions.

What followed was forty-five minutes of an intimate, incredible conversation with readers.

People told me that my book had made them feel seen and understood. One woman in particular shared that she had experienced feelings similar to the ones I had while writing it. It was incredibly brave of her to say that in a room full of people.

I have never experienced a connection like that before.

I definitely want to experience it again.

By the end of the night, I had gone from thinking I would never do another event to immediately understanding why authors keep doing them, even when they are difficult, exhausting, expensive, and terrifying.

I am going to keep trying to arrange events, beginning here in the Pacific Northwest, where I live. I would also love to do one larger event or small tour each year. My health and finances will always have to be a major part of those decisions, and I have to be realistic about what I can manage.

But I am so grateful that I was finally able to give Hiding Lies the event it deserved.

I got to talk openly about what the book means to me. I got to hear what it meant to readers. I got to nerd out about Small Town Slasher, slashers, horror, and writing with people who genuinely wanted to be there.

For the first twenty minutes, I thought the night was confirming every fear I had.

Instead, it became one of the most meaningful experiences I have had as an author.

All, I’m so happy to share that we have hit one of our preorder goals!

We have gotten over 100 preorders at one of our indie partners: Praire Lights!

We partnered with 3 indie books stores for our preorder campaign to give away a poster of the book cover. Our goal is to achieve 100 preorders from each store! Help us support these stores!

This is such great news! If you haven’t preordered yet, please consider preordering at one of these today:

https://mystgalaxy.com/list/what-feeds-below-preorder-campaign

https://www.twistedspinebooks.com/what-feeds-below-pre-orders

It’s also incredibly important for us to get preorders at Barnes and Noble, because more preorders increase the likelihood of them stocking the book well- this can make or break a book! And the only breaking we want to do is onto a best selling list!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-feeds-below-tatiana-schlote-bonne/1148696541?ean=9781967967247

and as a reminder, if you can’t swing the $17.99 right now, the ebook is $3.99 everywhere! (Though I know you will want a physical copy once you read it!)

I would love the first book from my imprint to be a bestseller and this book deserves it!

Thank you early readers and reviewers and thank you to everyone who had already preordered!

Let me know below if you’ve already preordered or if you’re preordering right now

We're halfway through the year and our monthly themed book club! So, I decided to create a spreadsheet where everyone can share their favorite books they've read in the book club. Use it to find recommendations or if you're looking for books for specific themes.

By importing information into the spreadsheet, you're allowing me to share your recommendations in future content (Bindery, YouTube/IG/TikTok)

My only "rule" is to please make sure the books you're adding you've actually read for the book club.

LINK TO SPREADSHEET

The spreadsheet is editable for everyone. You may recommend as many books as you'd like, you'll just have to fill out the row again. If you need to know what the theme was for each month, check the second sheet.

Let me know if you need any help, have questions, and/or if you're having trouble accessing the sheet. You can comment here or ping me in Discord.

Is this the first time you're hearing about the book club? Find more information here.

The book club is run entirely in Discord. CLICK HERE to access the Discord.

Welcome to your exclusive deep dive into the mind of V.S. Lawrence. While our public teaser focused on the campy side of horror, we saved the real writerly talk and the deep cuts for our First Edition members.

In this full interview, V.S. Lawrence opens up about the heartbreak behind Just Us, Here, her squeaky wheel brainstorming process, and why she can no longer eat bologna thanks to The Outsiders. From Scooby-Doo chase music to the relatable motives of horror icons, this is the complete conversation.

1. V.S. Lawrence in Three Words

Q: For readers discovering your work for the first time, how would you describe your books in three words?

V.S. Lawrence: "Nostalgic, campy, broad."

2. Turning Fears into Fiction

Q: Your Goodreads bio mentions that you grew up being scared of everything. What are some fears that have found their way into your stories?

V.S. Lawrence: "I actually have a huge fear of fire, likely from the time I went to blow out my birthday candles when I was young and ended up catching my hair on fire instead. But fire has found its way into a couple of my books, as well as bugs. Cockroaches, spiders, maggots... all have found their way into my books and give me the creeps."

3. The Heart of Horror

Q: Horror can take many forms, from creepy and atmospheric to downright terrifying. What kind of horror do you enjoy writing most?

V.S. Lawrence: "The versatility of horror is one of my favorite things, and I've been having so much fun exploring several different types. But campy, fun horror has my heart."

4. The Spark of Just Us, Here

Q: Your upcoming novel Just Us, Here explores social media, isolation, and a farmhouse that may be hiding dark secrets. What first sparked the idea for this story?

V.S. Lawrence: "A couple of years ago I had the idea for a book where an influencer is experiencing something terrifying in front of her audience, and thought it would be so interesting to explore the idea that for so many of us, it's almost impossible to look away from a trainwreck. We see people falling apart online and feel the need to comment on it, take it all in as entertainment, and I felt that having the comment section stand in as a character almost would be a really fun way to explore that idea."

5. Why Haunted Houses Hit Different

Q: Many readers are fascinated by haunted houses and places with history. What makes a setting feel genuinely unsettling to you?

V.S. Lawrence: "Our homes are supposed to be our safe place, the place where we can relax, unwind, let our guard completely down. But when the floorboards start creaking, strange noises happen, things start moving, it rips that sense of safety right out from under you. It's also presenting us with the idea that maybe there is something after death, that maybe we leave a small piece of ourselves behind that ends up desperate to be seen and acknowledged."

6. The Allure of The Patch

Q: The Patch centers around a cursed pumpkin patch and a town haunted by its past. What drew you to that premise?

V.S. Lawrence: "I'm obsessed with pumpkin patches. It's one of my all-time favorite things to do in the fall, and when I was asked to write something for the Totally Freaked! series, I felt like the classic new kid in a new town that had some interesting beliefs surrounding a pumpkin patch would be a really fun addition to the series."

7. The Scream-to-Laugh Ratio

Q: Several of your stories seem to blend horror with humor and adventure. How do you find the balance between scares and fun?

V.S. Lawrence: "Honestly, I think horror and comedy are two sides of the same coin. Both rely on building tension and timing so that the joke or scare lands just right, resulting in either laughter or screams. I think finding the balance is similar to either straight horror or comedy; you don't want to hit the reader with scare after scare, or joke after joke. It loses its impact if it's a steady stream. But with horror and comedy, it's kind of neat because you don't always know if the tension is building to a scare or just a funny moment, and I think that makes it even more fun to write (because I don't always know, either.)"

8. The Tone of Just Us, Here

Q: If readers could only know one thing before picking up Just Us, Here, what would you want them to know?

V.S. Lawrence: "It's bleak. This book is me trying my hand at modern gothic, and so tonally it's very different from what I've put out so far. It's a slow burn and a little heartbreaking and it doesn't have a hopeful ending like many of my other books do."

9. The Brainstorming Process

Q: What does your brainstorming process look like when a new story idea first appears?

V.S. Lawrence: "A lot of times my book ideas come from a single scene that pops into my head, or just a seed of an idea, and then I try really hard to figure out how to build something up around that single image. I sit down and make a really rough outline that usually doesn't include the ending, because I always struggle with those. I'll bounce ideas off of friends or family as I work on the outline, and bulk it up as I go. Then, when I start the first draft, chunks of that outline just go right out the window as things go off the rails and I have to go back to talking through the new possible paths that the story could take until I finally get to the end. But even then I might find myself having to change the entire ending."

10. Deciding What’s Next

Q: You've written everything from ghost-hunting adventures to camp horror and cryptid chaos. How do you decide which idea to work on next?

V.S. Lawrence: "I have a million idea seeds floating around in my head and my notes app. I tell myself I'm going to work on X project next, but when it comes down to it, I have to work on the idea that's loudest. The one that keeps jumping forward, pushing images and scenes to the front. It really is a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease."

11. Publishing Surprises

Q: Looking back on your journey as an author, what has surprised you most about publishing books?

V.S. Lawrence: "How kind the horror community is. I've been welcomed so warmly by readers and authors alike and it has been such an amazing experience I never expected."

12. The Power of Nostalgia

Q: What role does nostalgia play in your writing, especially with stories like 80s Ghosts and Chalupacabra Y2K?

V.S. Lawrence: "It plays a huge role. A lot of horror readers grew up reading things like Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Point Horror, and I think many of us kind of want to recapture the feelings we had reading those books. Back when we devoured books and were rewarded with pizza and didn't have phones demanding our attention 24/7. I know for me, writing things set before we were so distracted is a way to relive those experiences, almost. Even if it's an idealized version of the past, it's a fun thing to escape into."

13. Twist Planning

Q: Do you tend to outline every twist and scare ahead of time, or do some surprises reveal themselves while you're writing?

V.S. Lawrence: "In most of my outlines I know that [something scary happens here] but it's only when I'm writing the scene that what that scary thing actually is reveals itself."

14. Creating Memorable Villains

Q: What makes a horror villain, monster, or supernatural threat memorable in your opinion?

V.S. Lawrence: "Honestly, it's the ones whose point of view is actually kind of relatable. Like, the ones I can understand why they did it. Think Carrie, Frankenstein's monster, and even Pam Voorhees."

15. Horror Shaping

Q: As a reader, what books or authors helped shape your love of horror?

V.S. Lawrence: "Definitely R.L. Stine's Goosebumps. I can vividly remember walking to the swimming pool with my sister and making up our own plot lines for new Goosebumps books."

16. Best Writing Advice

Q: What is one piece of writing advice that has stuck with you over the years?

V.S. Lawrence: "That if you want to be a good writer, you have to read. Read a lot, and read widely. I have seen firsthand how my writing and creativity improves when I'm reading voraciously."

17. The Fictional Dinner Guest

Q: If you could spend a day with one fictional character from any book, who would you choose and why?

V.S. Lawrence: "I'd love to meet Jay Gatsby and go to one of his parties! I'm not really a party girl, but I mean, a Gatsby party would be a must."

18. The Adaptation Goal

Q: Your bio says your books feel like "Scooby-Doo chase music." If one of your books were adapted into a movie, what would you hope viewers would say afterward?

V.S. Lawrence: "That was so much fun!"

19. What’s Next?

Q: What exciting projects, stories, or spooky surprises can readers look forward to from you next?

V.S. Lawrence: "I'm working on a collection of Christmas horror stories for this Christmas, and there may or may not be another slasher in the pipeline!"

Support the Author & Grab Your Copies!

Check out the links below to follow along and grab your copies:

• Official Website: vslawrence.com

• Follow on Instagram: @vslawrence.author

• Goodreads: V.S. Lawrence Author Page

Shop the Latest Releases:

• Pre-order Just Us, Here: Amazon | Signed & Special Pre-orders

• Order The Patch: Amazon | Paperback with Retro VHS Packaging

Welcome back to the blog! If you like your horror with a side of nostalgia and a dash of the "downright creepy," you are in for a treat. Today we are chatting with the brilliant V.S. Lawrence, an author who knows exactly how to turn our everyday safe spaces into heart-pounding settings.

From cursed pumpkin patches to the terrifying isolation of a viral livestream, V.S. Lawrence’s stories explore the thin line between entertainment and true terror. We sat down to discuss the upcoming novel Just Us, Here, hair-raising childhood fears, and why horror and comedy are actually best friends.

Enjoy part one of our interview below!

1. V.S. Lawrence in Three Words

Q: For readers discovering your work for the first time, how would you describe your books in three words?

V.S. Lawrence: "Nostalgic, campy, broad."

2. Turning Fears into Fiction

Q: Your Goodreads bio mentions that you grew up being scared of everything. What are some fears that have found their way into your stories?

V.S. Lawrence: "I actually have a huge fear of fire, likely from the time I went to blow out my birthday candles when I was young and ended up catching my hair on fire instead. But fire has found its way into a couple of my books, as well as bugs. Cockroaches, spiders, maggots... all have found their way into my books and give me the creeps."

3. The Heart of Horror

Q: Horror can take many forms, from creepy and atmospheric to downright terrifying. What kind of horror do you enjoy writing most?

V.S. Lawrence: "The versatility of horror is one of my favorite things, and I've been having so much fun exploring several different types. But campy, fun horror has my heart."

4. The Spark of Just Us, Here

Q: Your upcoming novel Just Us, Here explores social media, isolation, and a farmhouse that may be hiding dark secrets. What first sparked the idea for this story?

V.S. Lawrence: "A couple of years ago I had the idea for a book where an influencer is experiencing something terrifying in front of her audience, and thought it would be so interesting to explore the idea that for so many of us, it's almost impossible to look away from a trainwreck. We see people falling apart online and feel the need to comment on it, take it all in as entertainment, and I felt that having the comment section stand in as a character almost would be a really fun way to explore that idea."

5. Why Haunted Houses Hit Different

Q: Many readers are fascinated by haunted houses and places with history. What makes a setting feel genuinely unsettling to you?

V.S. Lawrence: "Our homes are supposed to be out safe place, the place where we can relax, unwind, let our guard completely down. But when the floorboards start creaking, strange noises happen, things start moving it rips that sense of safety right out from under you. It's also presenting us with the idea that maybe there is something after death, that maybe we leave a small piece of ourselves behind that ends up desperate to be seen and acknowledged."

6. The Allure of The Patch

Q: The Patch centers around a cursed pumpkin patch and a town haunted by its past. What drew you to that premise?

V.S. Lawrence: "I'm obsessed with pumpkin patches. It's one of my all-time favorite things to do in the fall, and when I was asked to write something for the Totally Freaked! series, I felt like the classic new kid in a new town that had some interesting beliefs surrounding a pumpkin patch would be a really fun addition to the series."

7. The Scream-to-Laugh Ratio

Q: Several of your stories seem to blend horror with humor and adventure. How do you find the balance between scares and fun?

V.S. Lawrence: "Honestly, I think horror and comedy are two sides of the same coin. Both rely on building tension and timing so that the joke or scare lands just right, resulting in either laughter or screams. I think finding the balance is similar to either straight horror or comedy - you don't want to hit the reader with scare after scare, or joke after joke. it looses its impact if it's a steady stream. But with horror and comedy, it's kind of neat because you don't always know if the tension is building to a scare or just a funny moment, and I think that makes it even more fun to write (because I don't always know, either.)"

Want Deeper Access? 💎

This is just a small preview of our wonderful conversation with V.S. Lawrence! Premium members of The First Editions can log in now to unlock the complete, unedited Q&A.

Support the Author & Grab Your Copies!

Don't miss out on these spine-tingling reads. Check out the links below to follow along and grab your copies:

• Official Website: vslawrence.com

• Follow on Instagram: @vslawrence.author

• Goodreads: V.S. Lawrence Author Page

Shop the Latest Releases:

• Pre-order Just Us, Here: Amazon | Signed & Special Pre-orders

• Order The Patch: Amazon | Paperback with Retro VHS Packaging

Hello Cozy Family!!

Today I’m going to be doing the first deep dive into the updated school curriculum reading list that I recently shared, starting with primary school (8 - 10 years old).

What would you add or take away from this list? Do you agree with my suggestions?

My main aim and goal with this list is to inspire and create readers earlier on. So many people find the books they read at school to be a chore and not interesting to them in the slightest. Because of that, so many people give up on reading entirely, and it is only a select few who then go to find a passion and joy in reading again in their adulthood. 

If we want to create readers at an early age, we need to find books that they will enjoy, that they can be passionate about and actively seek out the next book in the series or similar books after finishing it. We need to spark that love for reading early and then actively and continuously fan the flames of that passion with books that kids might actually be interested in. Books they can see themselves and their experiences in. Books that are fun and relatable and timely for the age that they are first picking it up. 

With that all in mind, here are my suggestions for primary school (8 - 10 years old):

• Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

• A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

• Best Friends Forever by Lisa Williamson

•  … + a graphic novel tbc (suggestions welcomed!)

Percy Jackson

In my opinion, Percy Jackson is the ultimate recommendation (for all age groups really, it’s timeless). It’s fun, it’s filled with adventure, it emphasises not using technology (something a lot of parents are, very validly, attempting to do, due to concerns surrounding the amount of technology kids are exposed to), and it is also a brilliant representation for ADHD and dyslexia. 

So many children, myself included, found themselves in the pages of this story. Connecting to the characters, wanting to go on wild adventures and quests, and loving the possibilities that the world of Percy Jackson presents to them. Demi-gods are among us and you could be one! Magic is real and in the world around us! 

The incorporation of mythology, explaining away how monsters come and go, why the average mortal wouldn’t notice them, and how heroes exist and defend us all. You could be a demi-god, you could be a hero, you could be a mortal who is clear sighted and able to see through the mist into the magical world around us all. 

The imagination, the adventure, the representation - all of this, and so much more, is why I think that every child should be introduced to the world of Percy Jackson at some point. To introduce these books in a school setting, where teachers and educators are helping to promote the use of imagination and creativity, as well as presenting children with fictional role models that might struggle with the same disabilities as they do, characters that constantly overcome all the challenges they are presented and work together through it all - it’s just so very important and something Percy Jackson does it spades!

A Kind of Spark

Speaking of representation and how important that is for children, especially young girls with autism as that is sadly something that doesn’t get diagnosed until much later in life, A Kind of Spark is another brilliant book that I would highly recommend be taught and shared with children in schools. 

Not only does it follow a young autistic girl, which is an incredibly important representation, but it also talks about the witch trials and making sure the women and girls who were persecuted are not forgotten. This book allows for an inspiring and unique look into the witch trials across history, and provides an opportunity for children to research their own local areas to discover the local history (whether that be witch trials related or not). 

Creating a memorial for the women who died in the witch trials in her local town is a passion project for the main character of this book. It opens teachers and educators to a world of possibilities, asking children to research into something they are passionate about as well. A collaborative class project to create the equivalent of the witch trials memorial that was in the book but relating to their local area or to a topic that the children have collectively decided is important to them (whether be historical, environmental, commemorating the work of someone in the community, etc).

There are so many potentials and possibilities that can come from studying A Kind of Spark!! So many wonderful lessons on community, history, and being kind to and accepting of one another. 

Best Friends Forever

This is a book that I believe is best read and studied just prior to children moving from one school to the next. In the UK, that would mean moving from primary school to secondary school (aged 10 or 11 depending on where in the year their birthday falls).

Following friend dramas and the challenges of moving schools, both incredibly scary things to children and quite literally their entire world at that point in their lives. This book shows how people grow, how cliques are formed, how friends drift apart and new friends are made. Things that can feel like the end of the world to a young child, all put into perspective and providing hope that it will all be okay. 

From just this perspective alone, I truly believe that Best Friends Forever is a book that all schools should teach, or at the very least show, to children before that absolutely terrifying change occurs of moving schools as you get older. There are many wonderful lessons, both morally and topics that can be used in the classroom, within this book, but it is the peace of mind and confronting the relating of moving schools that I think is the important reason this book should be taught at schools.

Graphic Novels 

Honestly, I am still debating which graphic novel specifically that I think should be included in this list. However, I do think it is important that a graphic novel be included. 

Not only are they another form of storytelling, which in itself is a wonderful lesson to cover in a classroom, but it is also an easier form of storytelling to consume if a child is struggling to read chapter books. Whether that struggle originates from dyslexia or attention span issues or a variety of other reasons, graphic novels are a way for children (and adults) to consume literature, use their imaginations, embrace their creativity, and find stories that grip them.

The hope is one day that passion for graphic novels might translate over into reading full length chapter books, but even if it doesn’t, reading is reading - and reading anything at all is the most important thing.

There are also infinite possibilities of combining English literature lessons with art lessons when using graphic novels. Showing children how the two forms of creativity can be combined, getting them to create their own comic strips, looking at the different art styles used in graphic novels, and so much more. 

Graphic novels are accessible and a route into reading that many overlook or look down upon, when they really shouldn’t. Reading is reading, and all reading is good. Especially if it can inspire creativity and imagination, and nurture a love for storytelling, no matter the form it is in. 

If you have suggestions for which graphic novels you think would be amazing for children to look at in schools, please do comment your recs below! I would love to look into all suggestions!

Until next time, 

Charlotte xx

Every month, one of my paid members' perks is to pick a book for me to read. This can be one they read with me, or one they want me to simply read and review. For July, I was really excited to see the group pick Headlights by CJ Leede. I had Leede on my radar, and had heard some really good things about this one in particular. A few of the members were using me as a canary in the coal mine to test this one out, and a few read along.

Anyone who has been reading my reviews over the last year knows that I have been loving stories that don't fit easily into one genre. Genre bending/genre mixing stories that do more than one thing really well have been hooking me for some reason. Headlights is my first CJ Leede book, and I was really impressed with the layers that she built in to this story, and the different genre elements of the story that helped propel this one to some weird, wild places.

I have heard this described as True Detective meets the X Files, and I think that's a reasonably fair assessment. Headlights tells the story of an agent with a traumatic past with some possible supernatural skills who gets pulled back into investigating a series of murders that he was unable to solve in the past. What begins to unfold is part detective thriller, part murder mystery, part folk horror, and part cosmic horror. It is a story about trauma and grief, nature and man's destruction of it, and the horrors of our past and how we face and reconcile who we were and are.

The book is divided into 6 parts. As I first jumped into part one, where we get Daniel's introduction, some mysterious background, and his route back into the fold of this investigation, I was a little put off by the writing. Much of the first part, especially our main character's internal monologue, is written in that staccato "Blake Crouch-esque" micro paragraphing style. I think this writing style has its place, and can be used to build some tension, but for me I only enjoy it in small doses. As with Blake Crouch, it often makes me feel like I'm reading a screenplay versus a book, and I wind up fighting with the story, trying to avoid the skimming that this style pushes me towards. I was worried at first that the rest of the book would be a dump of this style of writing.

However, as we get more into the meat of the book, this style was definitely mixed in, and I began to understand why Leede was using it. Daniel's character suffers from post traumatic stress, and is constantly questioning and fighting himself, and this micro paragraphing became a good insight into how his mind was working. When juxtaposed with the dialogue and the exposition, we get the sense of someone who is calm on the outside while a war of feelings and thoughts wages within. There was a chapter in part 4 where this technique felt a little heavy handed to me, but again overall it was used well. As someone who also deals with cPTSD myself, I thought the subject was handled well, and it was a really interesting exploration of trauma and its impacts. I can certainly relate to Daniel and how sometimes, you look calm on the outside but inside you're a mess.

The horror elements of the book were also really well done. We have supernatural elements, cosmic horror, some folk and eldritch horror mixed in, with a sprinkling of gore and body horror. The book is also a love letter to Stephen King's The Shining. Our main characters have a connection to the cosmic and supernatural and they "shine," we get a scene in the hotel that inspired the book, our main character's mom loved The Shining, and we get multiple other nods and references to the story. This creates a fun element to the story for King fans.

One of the thins that impressed me the most is how Leede built tension as the story goes on. She never resorts to using cheap scares, opting instead to constantly build the fear and horror of the story while mixing it with the mystery and tension of the crime solving elements. Ultimately, some of the horror is what we as humans are doing to nature, to our environment, and to the world around us, and how that world can fight back. We get supernatural horror elements and cosmic horror blending in as time goes on, and the interplay with these and the violent/gore horror of the murders creates a very multimodal tension and fear.

The last two parts of the book were a brilliant catharsis of all of that tension. We get the reveal about the murders, why they were happening and who did them, and what role our main characters played. We get a beautiful exploration of our main characters' relationship, especially as it relates to accepting who we are, and accepting the people we love for who they are. Leede also does a great job exploring how facing our trauma and facing the difficulties in our past and present can lead to a better understanding of self and the world around us, and bring us some peace about the less peaceful elements of our lives. This includes some exploration of family dynamics, and how our subconscious can affect our conscious being.

My only issues were some of the writing elements, as discussed above, and I did want a bit more time at the end exploring some of the horror, as well as maybe a bit more time exploring what ultimately becomes of our main characters. On the whole, however, the great elements of the book ultimately far outshined the downsides.

Overall, this was a wonderful story, and I had a ton of fun with it. I would highly recommend you check it out, especially if you like weird horror that blends genres to explore big themes. I will definitely be reading Leede's other books! And if you want to read books like this with me or pick books for me to read, make sure to check out the Dark Traveler's membership tier!

4.25/5 Stars

Format: Hardcover

Welcome back to what I'm reading this week!

Another week is here. We are getting closer and closer to fall which makes me soooo happy!

I'm currently finishing Partially Devoured by Daniel Kraus and am about 10% into The Reddening by Adam L.G. Nevill.

This week I'm reading

Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle

July is supposed to be a slow month for publishing. But that doesn't mean these July releases should be overlooked.

This month delivered some of the most quietly extraordinary fantasy releases of the year and of course they are all by women, and of course they all center women who refuse to be diminished by the worlds they inhabit. That is not a coincidence. That is what happens when you pay attention to the right voices.

Here is what you might not have known was out this month:

The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry release date: July 21

Wales, 1941. The world is at war and people everywhere have begun dreaming of King Arthur. The dreams spread like a plague, flooding sleep with visions of a returning king. But librarian Elaine Ambrose dreams of the Lady of the Lake instead and she is certain it is not a sign of salvation.

This is Arthurian legend refracted through the very real terror of WWII, written with the kind of lush, atmospheric prose that makes you feel like you are reading by candlelight in a blacked-out cottage. For anyone who has ever wanted their mythology to carry actual weight.

Misery's Wife by Joan Tierney release date: July 14

A trans woman sets out to rescue her sister from the Kingdom of Misery. She is aided by Luck's sister, Jinx — which tells you everything you need to know about how this journey is going to go.

This is a queer cli-fi reimagining of a Portuguese folktale, and it is exactly as lyrical, strange, and emotionally devastating as that description implies. Tierney writes folklore the way it was always meant to be written — as a map of what it costs to love someone and what you will burn down to bring them home.

Harbour of Hungry Ghosts by Eliza Chan release date: July 28

Opium War-era Hong Kong. The Au family are demon hunters — blessing shrines, honoring the dead, keeping their city safe from yiaoguai incursions. When British colonists disrupt the Hungry Ghost festival and Kiamling's grandmother is seized by something no one has seen before, Kiamling must lead the search with a mismatched crew of unexpected allies.

Babel meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the comparison being made and honestly it earns it. This one has the rare quality of being genuinely fun while also having something real to say about colonialism, family expectation, and what it means to be the daughter who is supposed to hold everything together.

There you have it! Three July releases. Three women. Three worlds that feel nothing like each other and everything like the kind of books Ink & Ether exists to put in your hands.

-The Keeper