Are zombies coming back?

For me personally, they never left. Zombies in media have definitely played a huge factor in my horror journey. Train to Busan, Resident Evil, The Walking Dead, and more are all media that I've loved.

In honor of the release of This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers, I wanted to dive deeper into a few zombie novels that I have either loved or are high on my tbr.

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers-(currently reading)-Pitched as The Breakfast Club meets 28 Days Later, the book follows a group of teens that barricade themselves in a highschool during the zombie apocalypse. Warning, this one does dive into some heavy themes such as abuse and thoughts of suicide.

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey (read)--This one follows a world plagued by a fungal zombie apocalypse. It involves a teacher, a young girl, and the military in a journey for a cure.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (read)--In an alternate history, black girls are forced to attend a school to become "attendants" who protect white society from the undead. This book tackles racism and classicism.

One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford (tbr)--This one is a post apocalyptic novel that follows a scientist who hides her undead husband in hopes for a cure.

And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin (read)--Not a typical zombie novel. This is an apocalyptic novel that focuses on a hallucinatory virus that leads you to see everyone around you as monsters.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead (tbr)--This one follows a group of people clearing out underground manhattan of zombies and rebuilding civilization.

World War Z by Max Brooks (tbr)--A history of the zombie apocalypse told as a post war historical document.

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay (tbr)--A tense novel following a rabies-like virus. It focuses on a pediatrician who races to help her friend who is eight months pregnant and has been bitten by an infected. She must get the vaccine quick if she wants to save both her self and her unborn baby.

Agnes At The End Of The World by Kelly McWilliams (read)-- A young girl escapes a fundamentalist cult only to get throw into a pandemic in the outside world.

What’s your favorite zombie novel/movie?

Hey hi hello! Apologies on the delay here--the first week of January kicked off my busiest quarter of university so far (two STEM classes...put me out of my misery).

You can fill out the January Google Form HERE.

Bindery has also launched their own Book Rec capabilities through the Bindery website & app. You can also request your recs by clicking on the "Get a Rec" button instead. At some point I hope to switch to that completely, but I'm still trying to figure out how exactly it works so for now, please fill out the Google form if you want a guaranteed response, but feel free to also use the Get a Rec function for additional recs! I will answer them, presuming I can figure out how!

Hope 2026 treats you all well!

Enter To Win A WHAT FEEDS BELOW PR Box (once available)

Box will include a finished copy of What Feeds Below and other goodies (still to be determined, tell me your wildest PR box dreams below!)

To Enter:

1. Create a video showing us your best Void Tavern Dance (note: you don't have to be a good dancer, you just have to have fun. You can watch our fearless leader, Tatiana's dance here:

   https://www.instagram.com/p/DTeT2IBkQgF/

   https://www.tiktok.com/@thebuffwriter/video/7595026468439215415

2. Include text in video: "When this banger comes on in the Void Tavern" You can choose ANY song!

3. include the image of What Feeds Below cover in your video, post on Instagram or Tiktok or BOTH

4. tag me (fromthemixedupdesk) and author Tatiana Schlote Bonne (thebuffwriter) in your post

5. use hashtags "whatfeedsbelow" and "horrorbooks"

One winner will be selected on February 1. If we hit 20 entries, I will also make a dancing video.

ANNOUNCING OUR 2026 BOOK CLUB SEASON! 🎉

This year our focus is utilizing the library as much as possible, so we've chosen books that have released in past years to make those holds a bit shorter 🤞🤞🤞.

If you're new here, welcome! We have a free book club for our members hosted in the Cozy Quill Discord. Once you're a Bindery member, just link your Discord to that community in the account settings and you'll be good to go!

Each month, I'll create a forum for the book we're reading set in three-chapter clumps for discussion. (ie: Chapters 1-3). Feel free to pop in anytime and offer your thoughts, and be sure to engage with other readers as you go! It's a great way to make a new friend and bond over stories.

I've carefully considered our books for this year, BUT these are absolutely subject to change. My goal is always to diversify our book club offerings, so if we discover a new story here or there that would improve on that mission, we're flexible. If a change does happen, you will know months in advance.

At this time, we don't offer a virtual book club event, but if you'd like to host one let me or our Discord moderators know and we can help you set that up.

Looking forward to more cozy reading with you this year!

JANUARY: A FELLOWSHIP OF BAKERS & MAGIC

In the heart of Adenashire, where elvish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs. So, when her orc neighbor (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she'll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

Though Arleta may not yet believe in herself, she makes her way to Langheim―with the help of a very attractive woodland elf―and competes. While on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships, and potential romance, Arleta will have to decide whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize after all. But win or lose, her adventure is only beginning…

Although this book is part of a series it can only be read as a standalone. Escape to Adenashire for a delightful cozy fantasy where every twist is a treat and every turn a step closer to home.

FEBRUARY: SILVER IN THE WOOD

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

MARCH: THE GRACE OF WILD THINGS

Grace has never been good at anything except magic—not that anyone believes her. While other children are adopted from the orphanage, nobody wants Grace. So she decides to make a home for herself by running away and offering herself as an apprentice to the witch in the nearby woods. After all, who better to teach Grace to use her magic? Surely the witch can’t be that bad.

But the witch is that bad—she steals souls for spells and gobbles up hearts. So Grace offers a deal: If she can learn all 100½ spells in the witch’s grimoire, the witch will make Grace her apprentice. But if Grace fails, the witch can take her magic. The witch agrees, and soon an unexpected bond develops between them. But the spells are much harder than Grace expected, and when a monster from the witch’s past threatens the home Grace has built, she may have to sacrifice more than her magic to save it.

Inspired by Anne of Green Gables, this is a magical story of found family, loss, and the power of a girl’s imagination.

APRIL: VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS

Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.

MAY: LOVE AT FIRST LANCE

Every year, the seasonal kingdoms in the realm of Lore gather together for a tournament of whimsical games. The winner’s reward? The marriage to a member of the hosting court. When Princess Brigid of the Spring Kingdom publicly rejects the tradition of being offered as a mere prize, it has unforeseen consequences. A year later, her younger sister Blossom has been thrust into the role of the bride-to-be.

When she learns the roguish Night Prince has stepped forward to compete for Blossom's affection, Brigid takes matters into her own hands to protect her sister. In her quest to outwit unworthy suitors, she assumes a clever disguise and enters the tournament herself, prepared to throw any villainous contender from the running.

As the tournament unfolds, however, Brigid finds unexpected allies among her adversaries and discovers that true love can bloom in the most unexpected places.

JUNE: Drinks & Sinkholes

Bev may not know who she was before she showed up in the quaint village of Pigsend five years ago, but that doesn't bother her much. She's made a tidy little life for herself as the proprietor of the Weary Dragon Inn, where the most notable event is when she makes her famous rosemary bread.

But when earthquakes and sinkholes start appearing all over town, including near Bev's front door, she's got to put on her sleuthing hat to figure out what—or who—might be causing them before the entire town disappears.

Drinks and Sinkholes is the first book in the Weary Dragon Inn Series.

JULY: THE KEEPER OF LONELY SPIRITS

Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name.

After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to wander eternally far from home, with the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants.

Immortality means Peter has lost everyone he’s ever loved. And so he centers his life on the dead—until his wandering brings him to Harrington, Ohio. As he searches for a vengeful spirit, Peter’s drawn into the townsfolk’s lives, homes and troubles. For the first time in over a century, he wants something other than death.

But the people of Harrington will die someday. And he won’t.

As Harrington buckles under the weight of the supernatural, the ghost hunt pits Peter’s well-being against that of his new friends and the man he’s falling for. If he stays, he risks heartbreak. If he leaves, he risks their lives.

AUGUST: THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

SEPTEMBER: THE KEEPER OF MAGICAL THINGS

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful—to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn’t proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all: avoid complications. The Guild’s uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling’s residents—and each other—they realize the Guild’s hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle—add attraction and it might spell trouble.

OCTOBER: TWIG'S TRAVELING TOMES

Summary to be added...

NOVEMBER: WINTERFROST MARKET

At the enchanting Winterfrost Market, renowned for its Midwinter celebrations, Elsie is run off her feet at her family’s cozy traveling tea house.

But the quaint town’s festivities lose their luster when her mother fails to return from her journey to Midwinter Haven—a fairytale land in the north, rumored to be inhabited by elves, witches, and fae.

With Elsie’s worry as dark as her strongest tea, she enlists the help of the captivating tracker, Kit, to guide her northward.

Stepping beyond her comfort zone, Elsie’s eyes are opened to magic she never thought possible. But she quickly discovers that Kit has secrets and suspects he may be one of the clever fae her sister warned her about.

Is Kit her dream prince, or an enemy in disguise? To find her mother, she must be willing to gamble her heart.

It's the night before Hogswatch. And it's too quiet.

Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker... Susan the gothic governess has got to sort it out by morning, otherwise there won't be a morning. Ever again...

The 20th Discworld novel is a festive feast of darkness and Death (but with jolly robins and tinsel too). As they say: "You'd better watch out..."

Hello Friends!

Coming to drop another 10 horror books written by women that I can't wait to read this year (The Curse of Hester Gardens is a book club read!)

1. 3/17 Mother Is Watching by Karma Brown, - an art conservator’s obsession with a mysterious painting spirals into a nightmarish descent, where the line between reality and the supernatural shatters, threatening both her sanity and her life

2. 3/3 The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu, -an eerie, spellbinding novel of grief and guilt, with a razor-sharp eye for the absurdity and melancholy of the internet age.

3. 3/24 Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher, woman of science, 1800s, gothic, insects

4. 3/31 The Curse of Hester Gardens by Tamika Thompson- public housing haunted house, gun violence

5. 3/10 Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo, novella, Interview with the Vampire meets Certain Dark Things in an alternate-Brazil where brutal flesh-hungering Guls stalk the night streets and manipulate the government from their glittering cabaret

6. 3/3 When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson, YA girls doing Death's bidding

7. 3/3 Turn Off The Light by Jacquie Waters, 2 women centuries apart, beach read haunted house

8. 3/24 The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, A fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris must use her powers to divine who she can trust when an exiled Romanov princess and her brother come to her seeking answers about a decades-old mystery

9. 3/10 Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran, gothic, boarding school, queer desire

10. 3/17 Only Spell Deep by Ava Morgyn, Rebecca meet The Craft

Hey y’all

Sorry I’ve been slow on here lately, I had the plague 😷

I just wanted to give a little update on some of the audiobooks I’m reading now or have recently read.

I am going through a bit of a time right now, so I might not be so active over the next week or two. If anyone has any audiobook suggestions to get me through the black hole of my life feel free to let me know lolllll 🥴 (for context I am losing Lulu aka the only reason for my being)

** I couldn’t tag howling woman or misbehaving at the crossroads I think because they aren’t out yet?? anyway they’re available for pre-order! You can check my bookshop.