Last week, I collected your weirdest book recommendations. And BOY, did you all deliver!

I’ve painstakingly narrowed the choices down to a (very cool) final six, and it’s now your time to vote and choose what I read this month.

This vote is ONLY open to you, my Moonwalkers. You’ll also be the first ones to see my unfiltered thoughts. 

Some of these books are popular, and others less so. So here’s a bit about each choice so you can vote for the one that spikes your curiosity the most. 

Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta

Myung and Laleh are keepers of the whale of babel. They roam within its cosmic chambers, speak folktales of themselves, and pray to an enigmatic figure they know only as 'Great Wisa'. To Laleh, this is everything. For Myung, it is not enough.

When Myung flees the whale, she stumbles into a new universe where shapeshifting islands and ancient maps hold sway. There, she sets off on an adventure that is both tragic and transformative, for her and Laleh. For at the heart of her quest lies a mystery that has confounded scholars for centuries: the truth about the mad sisters of Esi.

Fables, dreams and myths come together in this masterful work of fantasy by acclaimed author Tashan Mehta, sweeping across three landscapes, and featuring a museum of collective memory and a festival of madness. At its core, it asks: In the devastating chaos of this world, where all is in flux and the truth ever-changing, what will you choose to hold on to?

Bestiary by K-Ming Chang

Three generations of Taiwanese American women are haunted by the myths of their homeland in this spellbinding, visceral debut about one family's queer desires, violent impulses, and buried secrets.

One evening, Mother tells Daughter a story about a tiger spirit who lived in a woman’s body. She was called Hu Gu Po, and she hungered to eat children, especially their toes. Soon afterwards, Daughter awakes with a tiger tail. And more mysterious events follow: Holes in the backyard spit up letters penned by her grandmother; a visiting aunt arrives with snakes in her belly; a brother tests the possibility of flight. All the while, Daughter is falling for Ben, a neighborhood girl with strange powers of her own. As the two young lovers translate the grandmother’s letters, Daughter begins to understand that each woman in her family embodies a myth–and that she will have to bring her family’s secrets to light in order to change their destiny.

With a poetic voice of crackling electricity, K-Ming Chang is an explosive young writer who combines the wit and fabulism of Helen Oyeyemi with the subversive storytelling of Maxine Hong Kingston. Tracing one family’s history from Taiwan to America, from Arkansas to California, Bestiary is a novel of migration, queer lineages, and girlhood.

Moonflow by Bitter Karella

Moonflow is three-time Hugo Award nominee Bitter Karella's debut horror novel-a gloriously queer and irreverent psychedelic trip into the heart of an eldritch wood and the horrors of sisterhood. Answer the call of the forest, if you dare.

I see something out there, in the woods. It does not have a face.

They call it the King's Breakfast. One bite and you can understand the full scope of the universe; one bite and you can commune with forgotten gods beyond human comprehension. And it only grows deep in the Pamogo forest, where the trees crowd so tight that the forest floor is pitch black day and night, where rumors of strange cults and disappearing hikers abound.

Sarah makes her living growing mushrooms. When a bad harvest leaves her in a desperate fix, the lure of the King's Breakfast has her journeying into those vast uncharted woods. Her only guide is the most annoying man in the world, and he's convinced there's no danger. But as they descend deeper, they realize they're not alone. Something is luring them into the heart of the forest, and they must answer its call.

There is No Antimemetics Division by qntm

An antimeme is an idea with self-censoring properties; an idea which, by its intrinsic nature, discourages or prevents people from spreading it. Antimemes are real. Think of any piece of information which you wouldn't share with anybody, like passwords, taboos and dirty secrets. Or any piece of information which would be difficult to share even if you complex equations, very boring passages of text, large blocks of random numbers, and dreams... But anomalous antimemes are another matter entirely. How do you contain something you can't record or remember? How do you fight a war against an enemy with effortless, perfect camouflage, when you can never even know that you're at war? Welcome to the Antimemetics Division. No, this is not your first day.

Human Scars on Planet Skin by Effie Joe Stock and Nathaniel Luscombe

Turr is fighting back for what was stolen from her: her body and her children living on it.

After the humans tried to colonize her, Turr was forced to resort to mass violence to reclaim her skin. But in fleeing the planet, the humans left behind a chemical disaster—the dead zone.

To bring peace and life back to herself, Turr sends out a desperate plea to two shroom people: Invidia and Clyra. Invidia, though surrounded by death, is tasked with learning how to breathe life back into the land. Clyra must lead a group of broken failed experiments through the forest, following a trail of visions. Death and uncertainty face them at every turn, but only when they’re all together can the planet truly begin to heal.

Human Scars on Planet Skin will leave you haunted by the stark realities of upsetting the balance of life, aching against the sorrow unmitigated death brings, and shivering against the horrors of being trapped within your own body. More than anything, it will leave you comforted, knowing hope always exists in the life around us, no matter how dark our surroundings may seem.

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

Escaping Exodus is a story of a young woman named Seske Kaleigh, heir to the command of a biological, city-size starship carved up from the insides of a spacefaring beast. Her clan has just now culled their latest ship and the workers are busy stripping down the bonework for building materials, rerouting the circulatory system for mass transit, and preparing the cavernous creature for the onslaught of the general populous still in stasis. It’s all a part of the cycle her clan had instituted centuries ago—excavate the new beast, expand into its barely-living carcass, extinguish its resources over the course of a decade, then escape in a highly coordinated exodus back into stasis until they cull the next beast from the diminishing herd.

And of course there wouldn’t be much of a story if things didn’t go terribly, terribly wrong.

You have one week to vote! I can’t wait to see what we choose.

XO,
Steph

Our September theme is BACK TO OUR ROOTS. Inspired by our move to Bindery and revitalizing FBC, we want to explore what it means to go back in order to move forward. Think hometown stories, multigenerational family sagas, memoirs that cover decades, whatever back to our roots means to you! Share your suggestions!

Celebrating a Cozy Summer 🌻

Hello friends! Meg here 👋!

What a lovely summer it's been! We have so much to celebrate, so much joy to spread here in the Cozy Quill. Today I plan to do just that with this edition of our Traveling Tomes newsletter.

First, did you hear the news?!

This week we announced our 2027 Cozy Quill acquisition, Ash's Airborne Apothecary by our very own, Gryffin Murphy!

See the full announcement by CLICKING HERE.

Ash's Airborne Apothecary is a cozy romantasy is full of whimsy and heart. It follows Beatrix Finch, a thief with an unusual magical curse, who joins forces with a handsome plant witch aboard his flying apothecary in a race to find a legendary healing flower. Along the way, magical adventures, found family, and an unexpected romance make Beatrix question the life she's always known. To embrace her new future, she may have to leave her old one behind.

It's such a delight and I can't wait to share more!

Speaking of sharing more...
We also had a full weekend celebrating the announcement with Gryffin during our quarterly live interview. We're entering into launch month for Twig's Traveling Tomes, so we caught up with Gryffin to discuss how she's feeling and request a little sneak peek of Ash's before we announce it to the public. You can watch that full interview by CLICKING HERE.

Another fun update for Twig's Traveling Tomes: WE GOT AN AUDIOBOOK! 🎉

We had some amazing audiobook narrators submit their auditions to us for Twigs, but when both Gryffin and I heard this specific voice, we had no doubt she was the perfect fit. I'm so happy to announce that Imogen Church (of Bridget Jones's Diary!) will be our narrator!

From the bits we've heard, she's already captured the story so well. Her sense of comic timing and whimsical vocal choices made it a no-brainer for us in our deliberation, and I couldn't be more excited to bring it to you on release day! You'll be able to pre-order/save it very soon on all audiobook formats.

And our final Twig's update...

We whipped up a special activity for you as we enter launch month! A QUIZ! 🎉 Ok, this is so much fun. Take this quiz to discover who is your ideal adventure companion in the Twig's world! Will you travel with Everett (the charming scoundrel), or Midge (our adventurous gnome)? Or maybe you'd fare better with Feralorn (a kooky wizard)? No matter who you travel with, you're sure to find a cozy adventure along the way. Take the quiz HERE!

_

Now let's talk cozy summer... 🌊

I love the idea of a cozy summer. I think the word "cozy" is most closely associated with the colder months, which makes sense. Cozy activities typically lead us inside, involve warming up in some way, etc. But I know I forget that some of my coziest memories happened in the summer!

For example, what's better than coming in from a beach day, exhausted but so happy, freshly showered, and allowing yourself a quick snooze before dinner? How about a twilight walk when the heat takes a breath and you can soak up the fun bits of a gorgeous sunset after that mid-day storm? Or popping by a u-pick farm and snagging some fresh strawberries for tonight's shortcake?

See? For me, cozy is something that can be found all year round. With that in mind, let's see how our Cozy Quill friends are getting cozy this summer...

Denise sent in this photo of the most charming bike ever, saying: "Today was the first day I biked this summer. I rode to work, then to craft night at the local yarn shop. It was a hot day but I made my own breeze and caught a little of the golden hour light on my ride. And when I got home, my kitten Candy was there to greet me."

Denise, that sounds SO cozy! Please send Candy all our snuggles, and thank you for sharing this with us!

Kimberly submitted these little bursts of joy! She says: "My garden is finally bursting with life and color. The flowers have been particularly lovely this season. I scatter flowers throughout and have marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, calendula, and nasturtiums in my garden beds. The 7-inch dahlia is the largest so far, and I have both red and blue gladiolus. They brighten up the kitchen table as I cut them to keep a vase constantly filled."

Just stunning, Kimberly! Your green thumb is such a gift. That 7-in dahlia is incredible.

Speaking of flowers, Kari sent in this beautiful summer bouquet! She says:

"Celebrated summer at a local Blueberry Festival, and my fella bought me this gorgeous bouquet from a local vendor. Summer is the best time to support local farms!"

I love a local festival in the summer, don't you? They're always a treasure trove of local flavor and I tend to come away with so much appreciation for my local farmers, small business owners, and makers.

You absolutely deserve this level of JOY, Kari! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Gryffin Murphy sent in this lovely little respite. She says: For summertime reading, I love to go outside and get into some poetry.

This summer, I've been reading a lot of Mary Oliver in particular, embracing her love for nature!

I took this photo after a caterpillar visited, journeying across the pages of a poem called "On Meditating, Sort Of." My favorite line from it is: "how wonderful to be who I am, made out of earth and water, my own thought, my own fingerprints — all that glorious, temporary stuff.""

I think I'll be mulling over that line for the rest of summer, Gryffin. This is so sweet! Thank you!

And finally, our Cozy Quill Discord moderator, Lynn (PlantyPanda), wrote a beautiful piece on her interpretation of cozy summer. Here's an excerpt:

Thank you for submitting this, Planty! It's such a lovely piece and it reminded me how the simple, small joys of summer really make it FULL. You can read the entire piece by CLICKING HERE.

__________________________________________________________________________

Thank you all for soaking in a cozy summer with us! It's been a lovely celebration and I'm just so grateful to have you here. Your support for my content, this community, and for all our authors means the WORLD. It makes a difference and changes lives.

I hope as we look toward fall that your time is filled with these slow, intentional moments of care for yourself and your people. You are loved and seen, valued and so so appreciated.

So much more to come this year!

Stay cozy, loves!

Meg

Hello Friends and Happy Tuesday to you all!

I have been part of the Bindery community since May of 2026, and I have felt nothing but support from everyone involved. That is, to me, the definition of community - to be part of something greater, to be supported, and to be surrounded by those that see your vision, amplify it, and also support YOU as a person.

With that said, Bindery also acts as a small indie publishing house for those of us that are Tastemakers and qualify for that amazing opportunity, and there are some amazing books being published through other Tastemakers this fall (and throughout the year, but I'm focusing on the upcoming fall of 2026 imprints), and I wanted to take the time to share their pages, their books, and also, support them as my Tastemaker companions. Community is not competition. It isn't a race, it's a shared vision, and I absolutely love seeing people succeed. Especially when it's my book people! So, let's get to it, shall we?! Bindery sent me the Fall 2026 collection, which you can see as pictured here:

This is Bindery Books Fall Collection of 2026, and there are a total of 8 books being published through various Tastemakers right here through Bindery! Today, I wanted to take the time to highlight these books, and the Tastemakers that they are being published through. I know I'm a trans and LGBTQIA+ content creator, and I promise you I will get back to it, but I also know we read multiple genres and follow multiple people spanning several identities, genres, and backgrounds. So, my hope is that you go find your people, your next new read, and celebrate these amazing people and stories with me. In a world where people are being mean for no reason, my goal here at Not A Phase Books is to bring people together. Now, with that said, let's jump into the 4 books being published in September:

For September, there are 4 books being published. I will share the Tastemaker's name and where you can find them, the publication date, the title of the book, and of course, the author. Here they are in publication date order:

1. Twig's Traveling Tomes by Gryffin Murphy. Published on September 8th, 2026 through @Meagan Hood If you're looking for a cozy fantasy, not only is this book your cup of tea, that's also what Meagan's specialty is! Make sure you go give Meagan a follow if that's your jam!

2. She's A Doll by Barbara Truelove. Published on September 8th, 2026 through @Jaysen Headley Did someone say LGBTQIA+ horror (and humor) book? Say less. Please go give Jaysen a follow and grab this book! Also the cover? Creepy af. I know for sure my wife approves already.

3. A Complement Of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood. Published on September 22, 2026 through @Michael Kist Another fantasy? Y'all. My wife is just gonna steal my collection at this point. Marketed at humorous and epic, make sure you give Kist a follow to keep up with his adventures!

4. Buzzard by Inez Ray. Published on September 22, 2026 through @Michael LaBorn I adore following Michael on social media. He gives you behind the scenes peaks, is transparent, and honestly, hilarious as hell. This book? I'm so excited to read. Go smash the pre-order button, and give them a follow.

Four books in and I'm already wondering how mine and Alisha's TBR pile is going to survive this fall. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. We still have 4 MORE books in October publishing!!! Without further ado, here's October's books:

Are you ready to hit some more follow/pre-order buttons? Let's goooo:

1. Strange Lights by Mira Gonzalez. Published on October 6, 2026 through @Jaysen Headley. Okay, but can we stop and just look at that amazing cover? Heart eyes all day. This one is marked as a cozy fantasy, just in time for that cozy season that's slowly approaching us. (Please hurry, I'm HOT.)

2. What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne. Published October 6, 2026 through @Naomi Darling ALSO ANOTHER HEART EYES COVER? C'mon. Stop it. These artists all deserve their flowers, because just look at that detail! Marketed as Teen/YA, this book is gonna make my teen's fantasy loving heart swell (and hopefully a nice buddy read for me to join in with him on) this fall.

3. Resonant by Jeremy Jacobson. Published on October 13, 2026 through @Zoranne Host. Y'all. Tis the season for fantasy, and next up is an epic fantasy that is described as "the struggle between power and free will." Say less! Go pre-order this one!

4. Bird King Rising: Letters From Maynara Book 2 by Samantha Bansil. Published on October 13, 2026 through @Kevin T. Norman Marketed as an Asian Myth and Legend tale, with a fresh new voice in the AAPI fiction world, be sure to go support this tastemaker in addition to the author - AND, it's book 2, which means, legally, you're required to purchase and read book 1 first.. Dems' the rules. shrug

Y'all. These books are right at home in this house. There's fantasy, there's horror, there's tons of diversity, and also? All freaking small presses. THAT's a win in my book. Please remember, that when you're shopping for these books, (and/or requesting them from your local libraries, nudge, nudge) you're also buying from these presses directly, OR bookshop.org or your local indie bookstore.

I hope you all found some new to you people to support and books to pre-order/buy/request. I will see you all back here on Thursday for Trans Joy Thursday.

Until then,

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hi Friends,

not sure if you saw my TikTok update, but I was bitten by a large dog on Saturday! Bindery content will be a little slow this week unless I have any major updates.

The pain is getting a little better each day. Counting down to the weekend so I can get off of these nasty antibiotics.

It was a pretty traumatic experience and I’m pretty sad about the entire thing.

if you want to help make me feel better, you can preorder What Feeds Below (thought I would get my Joolz on, iykyk lol)

Should be back to regularly scheduled content next week.

I finally read The Secret World of Maggie Gray, and honestly… I have very mixed feelings about this one.

Disclaimer: this is a longer book review than usual because I was so conflicted.

First, I want to talk about what I loved because there were definitely things that worked for me. I enjoyed the HBCU setting, and I thought the book felt Black, like Blackiety, Black, Black. The dialogue, the way the characters interacted, and the overall vibe reminded me of conversations with cousins or friends. It had that familiar, lived-in feeling that I love.

Also, the talking cat? Absolutely hilarious. The fact that a cat was out here cussing people out made me laugh because, well… it’s a cat. A magical cat that sounds like a black man in his 30's telling someone to shut the fuck up is funny. Context matters, because a talking cat being chaotic works. A grown man speaking to women that way? Not so much.

And that’s where a lot of my issues came in.

I enjoy enemies-to-lovers and bullying tropes when they’re done well, but there’s a difference between playful rivalry and just straight-up disrespect. My biggest issue with the romance was the way the men spoke about and to the women. Once we got into calling women “bitches,” “ugly hoes,” and using degrading language, it became really hard for me to view the relationships as romantic. The tension stopped feeling like chemistry and started feeling mean.

The book also surprised me because I expected more yearning. There wasn’t necessarily a lot of spice, which isn’t a problem by itself, but when a romance is less spicy, and has a bully trope, I need that emotional build-up. You know, the longing, the tension, the feeling that these people can’t help but be drawn to each other. I just didn’t feel that here.

I also struggled with how male-centered some of the conversations felt. There were moments where friendships felt more like competition, especially around male attention. I found myself wondering why we were focusing so much on men, when these characters had just gotten to campus. I wanted more exploration of the women themselves, their friendships, their powers, their goals, and their identities outside of romance.

Plot-wise, I think the book had a lot of interesting ideas. Maggie’s background, the experiments, the First Family mystery, the ghosts, the magical world, and the different character arcs all had potential. But sometimes it felt like the story introduced ideas without giving them enough time to fully develop. I wanted more depth and more answers. I know it's a series, so I'm sure the author will find her footing and things will develop better and better as the author writes.

Overall, I don’t think this was a bad book. It was fun, chaotic, funny at times, and I actually think the world has a lot of potential. I might continue the series because I’m curious to see where things go.

But if you’re looking for a fantasy that is feminist-forward, deeply explores womanhood, or gives you complex conversations about female relationships, I don’t think this is that book. This is more of a messy, raunchy, magical college drama with a lot of chaos and deeply problematic.

For me, this was probably a 3–3.5 star read. I had fun, but I wanted more emotional depth, stronger character development, and more intentionality behind some of the choices.

I grew up on A League of Their Own. My grandma and I sat on the couch and rewatched it so many times, to the point where we were quoting it in our day to day life.

I’ve also been getting into sports recently, thanks to Ashley, a former FBC contributor who championed the WNBA here several times. Ashley got me into the WNBA, made sure I knew when the season was starting, and gave me everything I needed to know. From the WNBA, it has spiraled into women’s sports in general. So I am going to give you all the ultimate breakdown of the inaugural WPBL season.

The Teams

We have four teams, each representing their own city: Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Each time is named after a woman who left a large impact on their city, which I think is absolutely amazing.

The Boston Hunters are named after Harriot Hunt, a doctor, abolitionist, and women’s rights activist who fought hard to become a doctor. She is the founder of the Ladies in Physiology Society. Their team captain is Alli Schroder, a Canadian pitcher and firefighter.

The Los Angeles Queens are named after “The Queen of Baseball”, Lizzie Murphy. She was the first woman to play against major league players, starting in a traveling team based in Boston. Their team captain is Ashton Lansdell, but you will most likely hear people talking about Mo’ne Davis. During the first game of the WPBL, bobbleheads of Davis were given out, and she ended up scoring the first run in the league’s history.

The San Francisco Firebells get their name from “Firebelle Lil”, Lillie Hitchcock Coit. If you’ve been to San Francisco, you may have heard of Coit Tower. She left part of her estate to the city of San Francisco, and they used that money to build Coit Tower. When she was a teenager, she saw a short staffed fire engine respond to a fire, and she decided to help them. She became an honorary member of the San Francisco Fire Department. The Firebells team captain is Kelsie Whitmore, the number one pick in the first ever WPBL draft. A pitcher and an outfielder, Whitmore was the 2022 Baseball Sportswoman of the Year, when she was also playing as a designated hitter.

The New York Heights are named after Dorothy Height, a civil and women’s rights activist who was often considered a core part of the “Big Six” (civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis) but is left out due to sexism. She helped create the March on Washington, best known for the “I Have a Dream” speech. The Heights team captain is Danae Benites, who hit the first home run in the league’s history.

The Legacy

I shared all of this information because the WPBL has made legacies an integral theme in their league. The league “mascot” is Maybelle Blair, who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1948 for the Peoria Redwings. She also serves as the Honorary Chair of the WPBL Advisory Board, and threw the first pitch at the first game.

From the naming conventions of the teams to the way the league honors Blair and the AAGPBL, legacy is built into everything about the league. Players are constantly referencing the players who came before them, and I think they are doing a great job at honoring where we’ve been and inspiring where we’re going.

How The League Works

It’s important to note that unlike the NBA and WNBA, the WPBL has no association with the MLB. We are seeing several differences due to this. There are seven inning instead of nine. Players use aluminum bats instead of wooden ones. A team is made up of 15 to 25 players, which makes them on the smaller side. The most notable difference, I believe, is that all 30 games during the season are going to be played in the same stadium - Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. While teams are meant to represent the four cities (Boston, LA, San Francisco, and NYC), they will all be playing in Illinois, alternating who is considered the “home” team and “away” team. I feel like this has an impact on how people interact with the teams, which has already been affected by my next point.

How Do I Watch?

Originally, the league didn’t have a media deal, so they were going to stream all games for free on YouTube. Other women’s sports leagues have done this with great success, such as F1 Academy and the PWHL.

However, a few days before the first game, the league announced that they made a deal with ESPN Select, which costs $13 a month to watch. People were outraged. The league had been hyping up how you could watch the games for free, and now they are behind yet another paywall. Even more frustrating, the league is still streaming the games! International viewers are able to watch every game on YouTube, as originally planned.

Between the media deal and the fact that every team is playing only in Springfield, Illinois, I worry that there might be some problems connecting to loyal fans. At the same time, the league is just starting out. It makes sense to keep everything small while finding your balance. No matter what, I’m excited for what the league brings us!

I hope you find some way to support the WPBL. Which team are you supporting this season? Personally, I’m rooting for the Firebells, even though I’m from LA. Let us know your choice down in the comments!

Here's your weekly roundup of romances hitting shelves this week that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted. If there are other books out today that you think folks will enjoy, feel free to recommend them in the comments.

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel published this week. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Devil by Sierra Simone (Bloom Books) — The fourth book in the delightfully blasphemous Priest erotic romance series! I recommend checking the content warnings on Sierra's site just in case.

See You at the Sunset by Susan Lee (MIRA) – I saw Susan speak at LoveLitCon about writing HEAs for underrepresented folks and she is so damn funny.

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade (Berkley) — We always stan Olivia Dade. A new rom-com in the universe of ZOMROMCOM! Prepare yourself by listening to our episode from last summer.

Let's Kiss and Tell by Joss Richard (Viking) — A sex writer fake-dates a colleague who is reporting on a sex work scandal. You best believe they fuck. I interviewed Joss about the book (and her deranged fan-fiction origins) a few weeks ago.

Professionally Yours by Kayla Ashlyn (indie) — Small-town found-family romance about falling in love with your boss. Whom among us.

She Haunts Me Still by De Elizabeth (Dutton) — A dark academia theater new adult bisexual love triangle paranormal ROMP. I devoured this twisty turny book and haven't stopped thinking about one sex scene in particular ever since.

In What World by Bridget Morrissey (Berkley) — Sapphic enemies-to-lovers about two former high school rivals who are trying to solve a mystery and somehow alternate dimensions are involved and they meet alternate versions of themselves who are in love???

The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot (Avon) — I haven't read any of Meg Cabot's adult novels! Have folks here read them? Tell me if I should pick them up as a diehard Princess Diaries fan!

For the Love of the Quest by Alexandra Ammon Parthun (Alcove) — From the marketing copy: "The search for King Arthur’s Excalibur invites danger…and potentially love in this sapphic historical romance perfect for fans of Cat Sebastian and Freya Marske."

As a reminder, I have some events coming up in the NY area!

8/12: Celebrating Sea of Charms with Sarah Beth Durst at Northport Books in Northport, Long Island. Tickets here.

8/26: Rebel Ever After Bindery virtual launch party with special guests Adib Khorram, Laura Piper Lee, and Erin Baldwin. Join for free on Bindery to attend.

9/3: Launching Love Me Like a Rock Song with Shelly Jay Shore at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

Let's talk about annotating! Do you annotate your books? In the comments, let us know why or why not.

I occasionally annotate my books. I do like to use page flags or highlighters to mark certain moments or quotes that stand out to me. I used to do a thorough annotation by writing in the book, highlighting, and adding post-its.

Okay, things look a little different around here this week.

For a while, my Bindery page has mostly been a place to find the week’s new releases. And while I LOVE keeping you updated on all the books hitting shelves, I kept thinking… why stop there?

I spend basically my entire week talking about books anyway. I’m reading them, reviewing them, interviewing authors, falling down weird book-news rabbit holes, and occasionally explaining to my family why I absolutely DO need another book when there are already unread books all over my house.

So we’re expanding.

Every Tuesday, you’ll still get the new releases before my social media roundup goes live, but now we’re also talking about the biggest bookish stories I’ve been obsessing over, sharing pieces of my author conversations, and (because she has demanded editorial control) checking in with Link.

Basically: more books. More opinions. More fun.

Welcome to the new newsletter. 🖤

📚 NEW THIS WEEK

Another Tuesday, another completely unreasonable number of books I want to read.

Here’s what’s hitting shelves this week (all links to purchase books can be found at the bottom of this email!).

🩸 HORROR

• A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young
  An isolated Korean seaside village + an ancient plague + people transforming into monsters from the sea. This is a translated Lovecraftian horror novella, and at only 112 pages, it sounds like something you could absolutely devour in one sitting.

• Reliquary by Hannah Whitten

• The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson

⚔️ FANTASY + ROMANTASY

• Winterborne by J.D. Netto

• A Dance of Burning Blades by M. H. Ayinde (book 2)

• Splintered Kingdom by Gretchen Powell Fox (book 2)

• Dreamland by Olivie Blake

• The Silver Hand by Shawn Carpenter (book 2)

• Heavensent & Hellbent by Sara Jafari

Fantasy readers are EATING this week. A Dance of Burning Blades is the second book in M. H. Ayinde’s Invoker Trilogy, while Olivie Blake has another new release hitting shelves with Dreamland.

🔎 THRILLER + MYSTERY

• The Nobody Code by Miciah Bay Gault

• Drowning in Paper Flowers by E.L. Westbury

• Don’t Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne

• Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (book 2)

• Butcher Legacy by Alaina Urquhart (book 3)

• There Are Ghosts Here by Adrienne Tooley

• Codebreakers by Stella Sands (book 2)

The one immediately catching my attention here is The Nobody Code. A woman returns to Vermont and starts investigating whether the vigilante group she joined as a teenager (and the things they did together) are coming back to haunt her decades later. The publisher is pitching it for fans of The God of the Woods, which is obviously going to get my attention.

📖 LITERARY FICTION

• You’ll Love It Here by Natalie Sue

• Night Songs by Alli Dyer

You’ll Love It Here follows Mona after her career implodes and she reluctantly becomes the superintendent of her crumbling apartment building. Nosy neighbors + found family + a woman whose life absolutely did not go according to plan? This sounds incredibly charming.

💕 ROMANCE

• The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot (book 2)

• Counting the Days by Laura Chinn

• A Witch in Notting Hill by Alexandra Paige

Which one are you adding to your TBR? Hit reply and tell me because I need to know what everyone else is eyeing this week.

☕ THE BOOKISH GROUP CHAT

A few things happening in the book world that caught my attention this week:

• Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey takes some BIG swings from Homer. From character changes to mythology and story structure, Reader’s Digest breaks down what the movie changed from the original epic, and whether those changes actually work. Read now via Reader’s Digest.

• Ann Patchett radically decluttered her bookshelves. Yes, even sentimental and signed books. As someone who attaches approximately SO MANY memories to every book I keep, this concept is mildly horrifying to me. 😂 Read now via Good Housekeeping.

🎙️ AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: R. JOHN DINGLE

This week, I’m spotlighting thriller author R. John Dingle, whose Gus Wheeler series blends fast-paced FBI investigations, twisty cases, and something I particularly love in a thriller series: actual character evolution.

I asked John how he balances character development with the nonstop pacing readers expect from a thriller.

His answer? He learned the hard way.

“My first several books were… all plot, no character.”

Gus actually wasn’t supposed to become a recurring character at all. But as the series evolved, John had to figure out how to keep each investigation satisfying as a standalone while still allowing longtime readers to watch Gus change from book to book.

And after reading Before the Devil Knows, I can say that character growth is one of my favorite things about this series.

🎧 Listen to our full conversation on Spotify
📺 Watch the full interview on YouTube

🐾 LINK’S CORNER

Link has discovered representation in literature.

This week’s important canine literary news: Paul Yoon’s new novel Etna follows a former military dog making his way home through a war-torn country.

The entire story is told from Etna’s perspective, and reviewers have described it as a modern canine Odyssey exploring war, loyalty, memory, survival, and what it means to find your way home.

Link’s official thoughts:

Finally, a protagonist with range.

• Brave? ✅

• Loyal? ✅

• Dog? ✅

• Humans making everything unnecessarily complicated? Presumably. ✅

She has not read it, obviously, but she supports more dogs securing leading roles in publishing.

Read The New York Times review of Etna.

📖 BEFORE YOU GO...

That’s it for our first edition of the new format!

New releases will still land here every Tuesday before I share them anywhere else, but now we get to dig into everything else happening in our little corner of the book world too.

And I want this newsletter to feel like our bookish group chat, so tell me what you want to see.

Reply and tell me:

What book are you most excited about this week, and could you EVER do an Ann Patchett-level bookshelf purge?

Because personally, Link will probably learn to read before I willingly get rid of some of mine.

See you next Tuesday. 🖤📚

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

Before I begin, I wanted to acknowledge the devastation in Colombia today. As of the time I'm writing this, I don't have any resources to share, but I will be sharing on social media as soon as I've had a chance to vet aid going along.

In addition, I wanted share a resource for the Puerto Rican water crisis, if you want to donate and/or amplify.

Plentitud helps folks install filtration systems on the island

*EDIT: I had previously recommended Project PR Relief, but it has come to my attention that they might not be legit. I'll be looking further into it but wanted to err on the side of caution.

Again, I'll pass along more links on social media, as time allows.

SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB

September fiction AND nonfiction book club selections have been announced.

We're still reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and finishing up Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer this month and there is plenty of time to join in the discussion.

We've also already announced our October fiction selection, You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado.

November book club voting will be up by the end of the week--I can't believe we're already looking at books to round out the year.

Okay, I'm not crying, YOU are...so let's get started with today's releases....including one I missed in the exclusive newsletter (if you want an exclusive early newsletter, considering upgrading to Libritos or Lectores membership level).

Romance Fantasy

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook)

Short Story Collection

Pinen by Daniela Catrileo and translated by Jacob Edelstein (Audiobook)

Romance

The Replay by Leonor Soliz

Cookbook

Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking by Omi Hopper

xo,

Carmen