Hi friends! It's time to begin populating our monthly newsletter with all the creative joy. This month's theme is: Around the Table.

Spring seems to pair beautifully with "gathering". The weather is nice, so we all begin the slow, careful tiptoe toward the outdoors. Festivals abound, grill out invitations arrive. I even like to move my reading to a local park or a friends backyard.

That's why this month I wanted to feature all the different ways we gather, whether it be virtually or in person, and why it feels so meaningful.

If you'd like to add something to our newsletter this month, here's a list of what I'd love to include:

• A recipe that feels meaningful and the story behind it.

• Anything that reflects what “gathering” looks like in your life right now, in big or small ways.

• A book, show, or piece of writing you’ve “shared at the table” with others, or that feels connective to you.

• A photo of a meal, table setting, kitchen moment, or anything that shows how you gather.

• A moment of generosity or care, like something you made, shared, or offered to someone else recently.

Ready to submit? CLICK HERE to send in your piece by April 29th and I'll do my best to include it.

I can't wait to see how you gather!
Meg

Our April 2026 Book Club Pick is The Perfect Neighbors by Jordan Cannon!

I've heard great things about this book circulating around BookTok, so I'm excited to dive into my first-ever indie thriller read!

P.S. It's available on Kindle Unlimited, in case you need even more of a reason to join 😊 Weekly reading updates and discussion questions to come soon!

Happy pub day! This week's new releases were a mix of hits, almost-hits, and one that genuinely stuck with me in a way I didn’t expect.

Let’s get into it.

🖋️ The Ending Writes Itself

Read or skip: Read, but the ending might make you mad

Rating: 4 stars

“Secrets don’t stay secret for long in publishing.”

This setup? Absolutely catnip for book lovers.

A group of authors invited to a private salon hosted by a famous writer… on an isolated Scottish island? Say less. I was in immediately. It gave me similar vibes to You Are Fatally Invited, and honestly, I didn’t mind the overlap because I love that kind of closed-circle, literary suspense.

The beginning is a bit slow, but I actually enjoyed that. Watching writers from different genres interact (the egos, the insecurities, the subtle competitiveness) was one of the strongest parts of the book. It felt very insider baseball in the best way.

But the reveal?
A little underwhelming.

And the ending… rushed. Like we sprinted to the finish line without fully earning it.

There’s a line in the book:

“Writers rarely deal in accidents. Readers don’t like them.”

And ironically, that’s kind of how the ending felt, like it didn’t fully stick the landing.

Final thought: Loved the concept and character dynamics, but I wanted a sharper, more deliberate ending.

🐺 Wolvers

Read or skip: READ!

Rating: 5 stars

This one? This one stayed with me.

An environmental thriller that somehow made me deeply emotional about a pack of wolves, which I did not have on my 2026 bingo card.

What makes this book stand out is the decision to give us the POV of the wolf pack itself. It’s such an unexpected, brilliant choice because it builds this quiet, powerful connection between reader and animal. You’re not just observing; you’re inside their world.

It immediately brought me back to my trip to Yellowstone, watching wolf packs, learning how rare and misunderstood they are. This book captures that tension perfectly: the beauty of the wolves and the very real concerns of the people living alongside them.

There’s no clear villain here. Just conflict, survival, and perspective.

Final thought: A deeply affecting, immersive read that balances heart and tension. This is the kind of book that leaves a mark.

🗡️ The Bloody and the Damned

Read or skip: Read, but be ready to be confused at the end

Rating: 4 stars

I talked about this one yesterday, but I need to expand on the ending because… it changed everything for me.

This had all the makings of a five-star read:

• brutal, morally gray MC

• oppressive, desert dystopian setting

• religious power structures + archangels

• high stakes from page one

The world-building? Incredible. The atmosphere? Heavy, immersive, and consistent.

But the ending…

Confusing. Rushed. And honestly, a little disorienting.

It felt like the story suddenly accelerated without giving key moments the space they needed to land. This easily could have been a duology (or at least a longer final act) to fully flesh out what was happening.

And that’s what makes it frustrating. Because the potential here was so high.

Final thought: A gripping, standout dystopian fantasy with an ending that didn’t quite match the strength of everything before it.

⚖️ The Concrete Alibi (audio)

Read or skip: Read if you like legal thrillers

Rating: 3.75 stars

*availble on Kindle Unlimited

First things first: the audio narration? Phenomenal.

This is a very straightforward, no-frills legal thriller. If you’re expecting the wit or humor of something like the Eddie Flynn series, this isn’t that. It leans much more grounded and procedural.

There’s a heavy focus on construction and technical details, which actually adds a layer of realism I appreciated. And I loved that our main lawyer is completely green; this is his first big case, and you feel that pressure throughout.

The characters are well-developed, the stakes are clear, and the pacing keeps things moving without unnecessary fluff.

Final thought: A solid, well-executed legal thriller, especially strong on audio.

🍋 La Dolce Veto

Read or skip: Read

Rating: 4 stars

This was such a fun, escapist romance, the kind immediately sink into.

The banter? So cute. The romance itself felt light, easy, and genuinely charming without losing emotional depth. It does have a couple of open-door scenes, but they never overshadow the story, they just add to the chemistry.

The setting really made this one for me. The rural Italian countryside felt lush, warm, and transportive in a way that made this the perfect spring/summer read. And yes… I wanted pasta the entire time.

I also loved the FMC. A woman navigating politics in a male-dominated space could have felt heavy-handed, but this struck such a good balance; it made its point without ever feeling like it was trying too hard. It just worked.

And the side characters? So well done. I especially appreciated that Izzy had a strong female friendship with another woman in politics. That added so much depth and realism to her world.

Final thought: A charming, atmospheric romance with just enough substance to ground the escapism.

✨ Overall Thoughts

This week really came down to execution.

• Strong concepts across the board

• Multiple books with incredible setups

• But a couple that didn’t quite stick the landing

And then there’s Wolvers, quietly sitting in a category of its own, reminding me that sometimes the most unexpected stories are the ones that hit the hardest.

If you’ve read any of these (or have one on your radar) tell me everything. I’m always curious what worked (or didn’t) for you 👀

Welcome to New Release Tuesday, where I round up the sci-fi (and occasional graphic novel) releases dropping this week that I think you should know about. I'm Zee, I run Tattooed Bibliophiles, and my whole thing is diversity in sci-fi — meaning if it's queer, BIPOC-authored, indie, or just something the Big 5 didn't bother to tell you about, it belongs here. New around here? Poke around. I have Harrow worthy good soup. Returning? You know the drill — let's see what dropped.

Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois (Left Unread Books of BINDERY!!!, Michael LaBorn) — This is a queer swashbuckling Caribbean fantasy by a Haitian immigrant author. This is a piratey Little Mermaid retelling where Ariel is treated as the child she actually is, and the romance is between the adults. And some of the adults are sexy bossy pirates. I read this before it was picked up by Michael's publishing house, and I loved it then. But with an absolutely STUNNING cover and the press it deserves? This is the exact kind of book that would never find you through an algorithm, would not get a Big 5 marketing push, but will probably be the one you tell everyone about in five years. This is why I'm here. This is the whole point. Is it sci-fi? Well, not really, but it's the kind of high fantasy with rich world building that sci-fi readers love, so I'm putting it here, because this is my page and I WANT TO.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu (Macmillan/Tor) — You may have heard me mention this one approximately forty seven times over the last month because I have the ARC and I cannot shut up about it. John Chu has been winning Hugos and Nebulas for short fiction for years and this is his debut novel, which means the short fiction world has been hoarding him and I am choosing to be normal about it. (I am not being normal about it.) This is actually the way of most sci-fi, and there are entire publications dedicated to publishing short sci-fi in an effort to expose the world to more of these amazing authors (check out Clarkesworld if you're interested.) So there's this mechanic who fixes the literal nuts and bolts holding the universe together, and she has a comatose mother, a sister who is literally, actively, and viciously trying to kill her, a secretive group attempting to hijack the fabric of reality, and a himbo sidekick whose cooking is described in ways that made me pause the audiobook to stare into the middle distance and think about food. Generational trauma wrapped in quantum physics with a side of dim sum. This one is worth picking up.

What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed (Macmillan/Tor) — (Can we take a moment to admire how fucking BIG this image is? Listen, I am having formatting issues today, and those are the LEAST of my issues so I'm gonna roll with it.) A doctor from a world that abolished marriage gets stranded on an alien planet where marriage is not only practiced but aggressively enforced by powerful religious authorities (sound familiar?), accompanied by a distressingly handsome translator (the word "distressingly" is doing a lot of work in that description and I respect it.) Queer MCs, absurd alien biology, completely backwards gender politics, and a plot that is essentially "what if - and hear me out - first contact - but make it a deeply personal reckoning with everything you thought you knew about how people are supposed to love each other." Described as perfect for readers of Ann Leckie and Amal El-Mohtar. I am a reader of Ann Leckie and Amal El-Mohtar. It's me. Hi. (And I'm always a problem.)

Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis (Simon & Schuster) — (Mer as in merMAID, not murDER. Judas NOOOO!) Also that is one sexy special editon. I love this place, I can say "sexy" and "murder" and "kill" without the algorithm shadow banning me...

L.D. Lewis co-founded FIYAH Literary Magazine (another of those short story publications I was talking about.) She helped build the Ignyte Awards, which are one of the most diverse and interesting genre awards in sci-fi. She has been doing the work for years while the industry did whatever the industry does (you know what it does - I mean, you're here, on Bindery, doing the work yourself just by reading this. You go bestie!) This is her debut novel and it is a bloody Little Mermaid reimagining — not the Disney version, not the one where everything is fine, but the OG one where Arielle's granddaughter Yemaya has to crawl to Ursula for help after a coup kills her entire family, accompanied by her bodyguard/fiancée. Sapphic. Dark. Debut. I'm going to go preorder this immediately and I won't be taking questions. (I also want to take a moment to point out that she is using L.D. as a pseudonym because this genre is still WHACKED. Since it's predominantly read by men, it's predominantly written by men. White men. Cishet white men. I swear to Octavia Butler if you don't go pick up some sci-fi written by some girls gays and theys I'm going to come through this screen and throw hands. (And if you are a girl/gay/they you should really be reading more sci-fi.))

Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness (PRH) — A return to the world of Chaos Walking, which if you read with your kids is either very exciting or a war crime depending on how attached they got to that series. If you haven't heard of it, it seems to have some very The Hatchet-like vibes. I've seen a ton of boys who thought they weren't into reading get very into The Hatchet, so if you have one of those (or three like me, Jod help you) it may be worth looking into. And if your household already has a Chaos Walking person in it (not the neurodivergent kind of Chaos Walking™ but the book series called Chaos Walking) well then, obviously. BTdubs, if you do have one of those Hatchet people in your house, also check out Sovereign by Jeff Hirsch, which is basically The Hatchet in Space™ (yes I'm trademarking in Space, if I had to completely rebrand I would probably "Zee in Space" and that has absolutely zero ring to it. And if you're wondering, yes I'm mutuals with the other girl on Tiktok who grabbed @tattooedbibliophile before I could, which is why I have a zero at the end on that app and none of the others. Literally, all the others. I have this screen name on every social media app there is, except Twitter, which I deleted ages ago and it was too long for them anyway.)

The Heart of the Nhaga by Lee Youngdo, translated by Anton Hur (Simon & Schuster) — First English translation of a popular Korean fantasy series, translated by Anton Hur who is himself a sci-fi author (and if you've read Babel you KNOW why that's important. And if you haven't read Babel...why bestie?) A vengeful anti-hero with a giant sword, flying manta rays with ruined cities on their backs, and corrupt society of immortal psychic reptiles....oh my. Then again, who knows. Translations can go really, really wrong. That cover though? Oh so right.

What did I miss? What's coming out this week?

See you next week. You know, if we're still surviving late stage capitalism/oligarchy.

— Zee

If you liked this and want more of whatever THIS is (unhinged book analysis, barely contained rage at the state of the world, and occasional Tamsyn Muir references and em dashes that I will never apologize for) consider subscribing for $5/month. Every cent goes to people who actually need it, because I have a day job and a cause, not a brand deal. This is my middle finger to Big 5 publishing, dressed up as a book blog. Come hold it up with me.

Today is publication day of Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois.

What I love about this book is how it talks about deconstruction. But it's also queer and has pirates and mermaids!

I was given a copy in a PR box so I now have an extra that I'd like to share with one of you!

If you would like to enter you only have to do 2 things:

• Be a member of this Ronnica Reads Bindery (at any level)

• Comment on this post with your most-recent 5-star read (or one that you really enjoyed!)

If you share this post on social media (tag me or message me so I see it!), you'll get an extra entry for each place you share it.

I'll leave this open until 10 PM Mountain on Friday, April 10th and then I'll pick a winner. Open to US residents only (hopefully I can expand where I can ship to in future giveaways!).

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

Before I start with book news, I wanted to make sure you've all seen the terrible library news coming from this administration: 125,000 libraries have been defunded AGAIN by the Trump administration and it's up to you to take action. Also, while you're calling your reps, make sure to tell them to vote NO on HR 7661, the national book ban.

We had such a lovely chat with Alvaro last night. For those that missed it, it was recorded and will be up soon.

We're currently reading The House of the Spirits this month. It's not too late to join us on Discord ahead of the Amazon Prime series premier on April 29th.

Everyone Who Is Gone is Here is our nonfiction pick that we're finishing up this month. You can check out our most recent update of book club selections in this post.

But for now, on to this week's Latine releases...

ROMANCE

How To Fake A Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt (Audiobook)

More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope (Audiobook)

PICTURE BOOK

Lucia's Goals by Angela Quezada Padron and illustrated by Christina Barragan Forshay

POETRY: April is National Poetry Month

Against Breaking: On The Power Of Poetry by Ada Limon (Audiobook)

Visitations by Julia Alvarez (Audiobook)

xoxo,

Carmen

The first quarter of 2026 is somehow over! How has your reading been so far? And what different content would like to see on here and our other channels for 2026 Quarter 2?

I don’t really do traditional reviews anymore. I just ask myself one thing… did it vibe with me?

Headlights absolutely did.

It felt like a love letter to Colorado in the same way Maeve Fly felt like one to LA. You can feel how much Leede sees the world around her and actually cares about it. The landscapes, the details, the way she writes place like it matters… because it does.

This one hurt. Like… ripped my heart out and put it back together a little wrong. I understood every choice she made as a writer, and still sat there feeling a little wrecked after.

There’s a stretch that gave me The Abyss and The X-Files energy. Those wandering, eerie, road-heavy moments where something feels just slightly off. That’s my zone.

As someone who can’t travel, this is why stories matter so much to me. Books like this take me somewhere real. Somewhere I’ve been, or somewhere I’ll never get to go. And for a little while, I’m there.

I’ve read almost 50 books already this year and I know this will be one of my top reads of 2026.

Maeve Fly still owns a permanent spot in my brain, but Headlights… yeah, this one stays with you.

If you’ve read it, tell me… did it wreck you too?

Here are some April 7th new book releases on my radar (and should be on yours!). First, the ones I've had a chance to read:

Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis 3.25/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you like fairytale retellings that are more honest about consequences than those of our youth. Eric and Ariel left their granddaughter to rule their 2 kingdoms that are falling apart...can she make things right?

Hexes of the Deadwood Forest by Agnieszka Szpila 3/5 Stars

Put this on your TBR if you want an unhinged read that doesn’t go too deep. This book features a religion that centers female pleasure like most in our world center male’s.

And the five I'm still waiting to get my hands on:

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Why it interests me: a trad wife influencer wakes up in 1855. I will be picking this up as soon as my preorder comes in.

Love by the Book by Jessica George

Why it interests me: yet another book about an author trying to find inspiration for her sophomore book. It looks to be a love story to platonic friendship.

Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han

Why it interests me: historical magical realism that explores the harms of Japanese occupation of Korea.

My Dreadful Body by Egana Djabbarova

Why it interests me: translated coming of age story set in a traditional Azerbaijani community.

Aviary by Maria Dong

Why it interests me: the main character is an undocumented immigrant in South Korea and it sounds weird. Maria Dong has shown that she can write about mental illness in Liar Dreamer Thief.

You’ve seen your favorite celebrities go on Hot Ones and almost die (or hardly break a sweat) and now you get to experience it Inky Phoenix Style! Vote below on when Susan and I should go LIVE on Zoom with our full set of Hot Ones hot sauces as we talk all things WAYWARD SOULS.

SICKOS! What are ya up to this week?! It was a somewhat slow reading week for me but I've still got a buncha updates one what I've been working on with books, shows and games, so let's boogie.

READING

REVIEW

GAMES WITHOUT RULES: THE OFTEN INTERRUPTED HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN by TAMIM ANSARY (narrative historical nonfiction)

Progress: 127/350

Only got to two chapters of this and we're now firmly in the 20th century with Amanullah attempting to transform and modernize Afghanistan. How does that work out for him? Let's find out this week, hopefully (probably not great though as Ch 14 is titled "Things Fall Apart").

THE RED WINTER by CAMERON SULLIVAN (historical fantasy)

Progress: 354/531

Took a solid chunk out of the Fiction Sickos April selection, and aside from some minor gripes this is hitting pretty well. This is the type of horror, blended with historical fantasy, that appeals to me and would likely appeal to fans of Christopher Buehlman (especially if you love Between Two Fires and/or The Blacktongue Thief).

TOKYO UENO STATION by YU MIRI (contemporary literature, fiction)

Progress: 120/180

This is a ghost sotry about a man who was basically invisible his entire life, including to his own family. Not mind-blowing so far but solid execution and hits some bleak notes well. I'm straight eyeball reading this and their are some parts where you pick up the conversations of nearby folk (not unlike The Spear Cuts Through Water) so I'd warn against doing this as audio only as I'm sure that would be confusing and difficult to track, but I could be wrong.

PREVIEW

Finishing the books I'm working on is the secondary focus, the main being continuing to read through some manuscripts submitted to our publishing imprint. There is one that I'm really enjoying and I plan on reading at least 100 pages more of that today. Hopefully it can stick the landing as it's a serious contender for a potential second acquisition. I wish I could say more but I gotta keep all that under wraps for now but stay tuned! Also I may continue on with more Berserk if I need a manga fix.

WATCHING

REVIEW

SUCCESSION - HBO MAX

Progress: Finished

Almost as satisfying as the first time, one of my faves.

FRIEREN - CRUNCHYROLL

Progress: S1E16

Took down four eps of this throughout the week and I'm continually impressed by how it's able to deliver payoffs in a variety of ways. Of the recent stretch I'd say episodes 10 and 14(!) were the high points and it seems we're moving onto a new arc now. Will continue slow burning the slow burn.

PEAKY BLINDERS - NETFLIX

Progress: S2E5

Only took down one ep of this because I prioritized author things so not much new to report here. Has anybody seen the new movie? The reviews seem solid enough but I'd appreciate some (spoiler-free) thoughts from ya if you've seen it.

GAME OF THRONES - HBO

Progress: S3E4

The Red Wedding After Party forum in Discord is up an running and re-watching this has me itching to re-read the series.

GAMING
Didn't game much at all last week other than playing 99 Nights in the Forest with the wee emperor but I do plan on continuing Assassins Creed: Valhalla.

OTHER RANDOM STUFF
Got a hand tattoo of a Fallout "mini nuke" on Friday that is still nice and angry today but the swelling is starting to subside. Thrilled with how it came out and it will look even better once it fully heals. In the pic the yellow/orange colors look a little muddied because of bruising/plasma/bleeding but that's no surprise with the beating it took. The swelling also makes the nuke head look wavy but that's all good now. Also, I would not recommend sitting 5 hours for a hand tattoo. The first few hours are tolerable but the further you get from the center the rougher it gets and it turns the last two hours into pure God-seeing hell.

That unfortunately means I have to put a hold on climbing until probably Saturday, which is a shame because I started f'n around on a V5 and came crazy close on the finishing move multiple times. I will likely need a low intensity session to feel right before trying to send it again another day and I just hope it's not reset in that span because it would be my first V5.