It’s time to pick our book club read for March! We have three great options lined up—a grimdark epic fantasy, a character-driven sci-fi, and a standalone fantasy romance. I’ve heard amazing things about each of these and will be so thrilled with whatever direction we decide to go in ☺️ I hope you all are having a great month! I’m not going to lie—February has been kicking my trash. But reading Red City by Marie Lu with you all has been such a highlight. I hope you’ve loved it as much as I did!

Whispers of the Storm by Z.B. Steele

Described as a moody, banter-laced, violent, and poetically framed story—“I wasn't always the monster they see me as. Half of the songs they sing are stories of my grandeur. The other half are tales of my misdeeds. The sad truth is that they're all true. So, listen to my tale and learn why it all happened. Learn the reason for the war, the reason for all the death. Listen to my tale and listen well. I won't be alive long enough to tell it again.”

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

“A dangerous cat-and-mouse quest for revenge. An empire that spans star systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret that could collapse worlds, hunted by three women with secrets of their own. All collide in this twisty, explosive space opera debut.”

The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

“In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.”

Some have you have already seen it but I'm super hyped to announce that we have a new development to announce. 2026 is the year A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood releases and to celebrate, Bindery is launching our own Kist Reads, Sickos Society book box!

This is my highest-tier membership, built for readers who love morally gray chaos, have
impeccable taste, and want to support the future of the kinds of books we actually want to exist.
Sicko Society is for readers who want to go deeper than recommendations and become part of
the inner circle supporting my creative work and the Kist Reads publishing mission.

It combines everything from my previous tiers with a quarterly book box, exclusive extras, and a
deeper way to back bold, tastemaker-led publishing.

This year’s theme is Year of the Scoundrel: a curated journey through fantasy’s most iconic
liars, thieves, con artists, criminals, and criminally charming masterminds.

Across four quarterly shipments, you’ll receive handpicked heist and/or scoundrel-centric novels, plus my personal commentary, additional online discussion, and a community-driven reading experience.

By joining Sicko Society, you:

• Support the mission of Kist Reads imprint

• Help fund the discovery, championing, and success of bold new authors

• Back ambitious editorial projects and tastemaker-led storytelling

• Get a community-driven, premium reading experience in return

Every Sicko Society member receives:

• ALL perks from previous membership tiers including advance e-books + exclusive
  advance print copies of original Kist Reads books, tour name in the "Thank You" page of
  to-be-published books

• A quarterly curated fantasy novel each quarter

• Exclusive notes and commentary from me

• Priority access to future perks and benefits

$25/month, billed monthly. Limited availability. Cancel anytime. Physical benefits unlock after 90 days. Shipping available to U.S. residents only.

Sicko Society is for readers who want to go deeper than recommendations. It’s for the people who:

• Trust my taste

• Love villain-coded characters and/or a good ol' heist vibe

• Want to support the publishing mission I’m building

• And want to be part of the inner circle shaping what comes next
  

If that’s you, welcome. Let’s cause some literary crimes together.

FAQ’s

Does Sicko Society include perks from lower tiers?

Yes. Sicko Society includes ALL perks from previous membership tiers, plus premium physical benefits and exclusives.

How much does it cost?

$25/month.

When do physical perks start?

Physical benefits unlock after 90 days of active membership.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, cancel before the next billing deadline to avoid future charges.

Can I join mid-year?

Yes, as long as you join before the cutoff date for each shipment.

Is shipping international?

Shipping is currently available to U.S. residents only. (I'm hoping this changes soon as we have wonderful folk from all over the world here and I would love to be able to include them. From a business perspective it's just not feasible right now but I promise you we will continue to revisit this)

Is this a limited program?

Yes, this is a limited pilot with capped spots while we test demand and fulfillment.

What books are planned?

• The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

• The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

• A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

I was in a reading slump.

Like, genuinely not interested in picking up a book. And instead of accepting that, my brain said, “How can we make this more fun?”

And somehow the answer was… make it more complicated. LOL.

So I started annotating more intentionally, and then I thought, if people on TikTok can make these whole reading journals, I can too. So I made one.

Nothing fancy. I decorated the cover with a few stickers. The first page explains why I started it and what my reading goals are this year. Then I listed out my TBR, which is long because I own about 40 unread books. We’re working through it.

For each book I read, I answer three questions:

• What was my initial reaction?

• What was the craft and emotional depth like?

• What themes and lingering thoughts stayed with me?

That’s it. Simple structure.

I like that I can flip through it and see a catalog of what I’ve read and what I thought about it. Is it the prettiest journal in the world? Absolutely not. But it’s mine, and I know it’ll evolve as I keep going.

In between reviews, I also added some journaling prompts for myself. Things like:

• Why did I buy the books on my shelves?

• What themes keep finding me?

• What kind of Black love feels safe to me?

• What does being a Black woman reader mean to me?

• What am I outgrowing in my reading taste?

These aren’t assignments. They’re just ways to think more intentionally.

If I’m being honest, part of this whole thing is about stopping the brain rot. I needed something tactile. Something slower. Something that gets me off social media and back into my body.

Annotating, journaling, crafting these pages, even just sitting with a prompt, has helped with that. It feels grounding. It feels regulating.

You definitely don’t have to do all this. I know I’m creating a project for myself. But if you’ve been in a reading slump or you want to dig deeper into your hobby, this might actually make it more fun.

Sometimes making it “extra” is exactly what makes it click.

My dear Froomies.

It is Friday, everyone's favorite day, and we are back to spotlight another author that is near and dear to my heart.

Drum roll please..........

ANALEIGH SBRANA!!!!!!

It truly should not come as a shock to you that I adore Analeigh. I've written analysis of both Lore of the Tides and Lore of the Wilds, both are published on here, and I have a book tree that is just her books. Safe to say, she is one of my favorites.

The moment I picked up Lore of the Wilds, or it picked me as my friend gifted me a physical copy, I was unaware that this book would spark an obsession. That I was going to be served a beautiful fantasy narrative that is imaginative, full of heart, and something that all book readers should be exposed to. We are exposed to the world of Lore through her eyes, and from the beginning, we are met with two facts:

1. The inhabitants of her town were ripped away from their world to Alytheria, and cannot leave.

2. Lore loves books and and has a vast collection of them.

While those two points may not connect on the surface, it becomes apparent to the reader that the stories are of high value because they are used as ways to teach the youth of what life was like in their rightful land. Given that this is black fantasy, the practice of elders retelling stories and becoming storykeepers is something that is important within Black History, preserving them through oral means to be used as celebrations and warnings. Beautifully described by Analeigh, we follow Lore as she carries the narratives and history throughout the first and second novel, making choices in order to make a place for her people where they can be safe.

In her second novel, we see the growth in Analeigh's writing, as well as seeing Lore through devastating lows, that also mirror Black history.

"To every Black reader who grew up looking for themselves on the fantasy shelves, this one's for you"
-Analeigh Sbrana

That is the quote that I needed in my life, and Analeigh is an author who understands the need for Blackness in Adult Fantasy. Around 6% of traditionally published authors are Black and the number is even smaller within the fantasy space. Which is abysmal.

We need more authors like Analeigh, more people like her, who fill this space with their words, creating an impact where it needs it most.

📖 Bookish This or That: Reader Habits Edition

Welcome to the edition that exposes us all.

Your trope preferences might be mysterious…But your reading habits? Absolutely incriminating!

Choose wisely. No fence-sitting allowed.

📚 Annotate Everything or Keep Books Pristine?

Are you:

▫️Highlighting every line that emotionally damages you?
▫️Using 47 tabs for “him being feral”?
▫️Writing full reactions in the margins?

Or are you:

▫️Treating your books like museum artifacts?
▫️Refusing to even crack the spine?
▫️Whispering “absolutely not” at the idea of a highlighter?

There are two kinds of readers. And they judge each other silently.

📱 Ebook or Physical?

Be honest!

▫️Kindle at 2am so no one sees what you’re reading?
▫️Adjustable font size supremacy?
▫️Three hundred books in one device like a literary goblin?

Or:

▫️Dog-eared pages.
▫️That book smell.
▫️The emotional support weight of a 500-page fantasy in your bag.

There is no wrong answer. Except maybe when your Kindle dies mid-cliffhanger!

👀 Read Spoilers First or Protect the Surprise?

Are you:

▫️Checking the last page to confirm the HEA?
▫️Scanning reviews for emotional damage warnings?
▫️Protecting your peace at all costs?

Or:

▫️Diving in blind?
▫️Living dangerously?
▫️Letting the plot emotionally ruin you in real time?

This one says a lot about your trust issues.

📖 One Book at a Time or Chaotic Multi-Reading?

Are you:

▫️Loyal. Focused. Devoted.
▫️Finishing what you start?
▫️Emotionally monogamous with your current read?

Or:

▫️Three romances.
▫️One fantasy.
▫️A random nonfiction.
▫️All at once.
▫️Depending on your mood and level of emotional stability.

Be brave.

📦 TBR Under Control or Emotional Support TBR Mountain?

Is your TBR:

▫️Curated?
▫️Organized?
▫️Realistic?

Or:

▫️A towering monument to your impulsive personality?
▫️Two hundred books deep?
▫️Growing faster than you can read?

No shame. Only honesty.

📚This is your official invitation to expose yourself in the comments.

No judgment. Okay… maybe a little!

Drop your answers below in order.

Let’s see who’s thriving and who’s drowning under an emotional support TBR mountain.

In the last two weeks I have managed to read 10 books. Of these ten books, three of them were 5 stars and one was the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read. It was so fantastic that I now want to just read non-fiction. One of my goals for 2026 was to read more non-fiction and memoirs and with three in those categories just this month, I think it’ll be possible.

Ten books, however, is a lot and I want to break it down with what I read why you should read these books.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

This was a reread but the first time I have read the new 10th Anniversary edition. I adored this series the first time I read it and rereading made me fall in love with the world and characters all over again. If you love dystopian and fantasy books mixed with a rebellion and hope that is just as likely to flourish as it is to be crushed, this is the book and the series you should be reading.

A Time of Dread and A Time of Blood by John Gwynne (5 ⭐️)

Do not be like me and finish ‘The Faithful and the Fallen’, tell yourself you will get to the next series in a world you love, and then wait over 6 months before you do. Do not do it. You will regret it. The Banished Lands are John Gwynne at his prime. Everything you loved about ‘The Faithful and the Fallen’ is once again on these pages. While you have a new cast of characters and plot, the central themes, tone, and prose that you adored is present here.

James by Percival Everett

There is a reason this book is award winning. From the prose to the narrative to the themes, every aspect of this well thought out and thought provoking. The themes of racism, slavery, ignorance, and the exploration of the perception of language made this book more intriguing than I imagined. Layered with humor and heartbreak, ‘James’ is an instant modern classic.

The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni

When I think of YA fantasy at its prime, I will forever think of this series. Up until the last page, I was rooting for these characters, wondering how the story would unfold, and be grateful for the journey I was taken on. If you want a YA fantasy series to fall in love with, this is the one for you.

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

A mesmerizing memoir that showed light on a situation we all thought we knew, but from the perspective of the hell Shari was living in, a camera still only shows so much. Though I never watched or had heard of 8 Passengers on Youtube in their prime, I was aware of the fall out and preceding arrest of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt. This memoir reaffirms my stance on why I am against family vlogging and what in this case turned into child exploitation. It was a heartbreaking and insightful memoir and one of the best I have ever read.

The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinnaman

I would like to state that I have been listening to this audiobook for about two months and only had about 3 hours left by the time February rolled around. It did not take me two months because I did not enjoy it (I really loved it), but because my fiancé and I have been listening to DCC whenever we are in the car together. That’s beside the point. The most important point here is if you haven’t read Dungeon Crawler Carl yet, what are you doing and why are you missing out on the best time of your life?

On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah-Yah Scholfield

The best way to describe this book is raw. Raw details. Raw emotions. Raw characters. Raw narrative. The writing to me was the best aspect of the story. It was lush but ominous, mixing beauty with horror in every sentence. If you want a graphic horror novel with peak writing, you have found not only an excellent debut, but the book meant for you.

And Side By Side They Wander by Molly Tanzer

In just 90 pages, you become fully immersed in the world and characters that are about to commit an art heist. It was surprising how much detail and nuance development in a short span, giving you a fully fleshed out story that makes you want even more. I would to see what Molly could do in a full fledged novel, the exploration of the characters, the philosophical undertones, and the depths of the political intrigue that was only barely touched upon. This does not come out until May, but it will be worth the quick read.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (5 ⭐️)

THIS BOOK! I rarely read non-fiction, but when it came to every aspect of this book I could not put it down. I got emotional multiple times throughout reading this, shedding tears through the last page. This was more than just a look at the injustice of the justice system in the United States, but a look at humanity, systemic racism, bias, poverty, and the violence and cruelty plaguing our justice system. It is both eye-opening and captivating, shedding light on issues that are going unchecked and repeatedly harming those who just needed a hand to help them up instead of push them down. I will be thinking about this book for a very very long time. I wish I could get everyone to read it. It inspired hope while also pointing out the tragedies that keep mercy from succeeding. Please, please read this. Whether you read non-fiction or not, it’s a book that would benefit from everyone reading.

"Everything you think you know about love is wrong ... It always falls apart, like everything, like the whole damn universe will if you leave it spinning for long enough."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 4/5
FORMAT: eBook + Physical Arc

Overall Impression: The Apple and the Pearl is a magical tale that focuses on all the characters in a ballet spanning their lives over one day and this is more of a mixture of magical realism x poetical fantasy that I thought was done in a lovely manner

Review:
The Apple and the Pearl is a tale that takes you through multiple character's point of views. It weaves their stories together and brings the magical element on the All Souls Day that we get to see through all their eyes.

I quite enjoyed this and I think Rym Kechacha did a beautiful work of intertwining all the character's lives together in a way that shows the impact of the magic, the darkness and really, life and all the struggles we deal with. While you do see the point of view from so many different characters, the story comes together in a way that lets them stand out uniquely but ties them together in that they are obliged to complete their pledges in the magical train and complete the show.

I think this one is perfect for a few different people, like those who enjoy Ballet, magical realism and beautiful lyrical prose. I enjoyed it for so many reasons, including the fact that it ponders and questions why we are the way we are and the sacrifices we are willing to make in order to get what we want. Not only that, it questions why we create art and why we continue to dedicate time, energy and effort especially when the audience in The Apple and the Pearl are not your typical ones, those that truly appreciate the beauty of your show.

I did want a little more though as there were sections that combined multiple characters and joined it from a POV of multiple casts. I felt we could have added a bit more connection and bringing them together to deliver the themes and message home. All in all, this is a beautiful, lyrical and atmospheric book that shows why we continue to make art and how that differs between each individual in here.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"By the time the city pulls away, houses replaced by stretches of bright grass, well-manicured trees, a widening road, I've stopped trying to place myself in Niawa the story. I don't belong here anymore."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: At the heart of it, A Day of Breath is Fantasy story that explores what it is like to have faith in a system vs to never believe in it and question it through an adventure of our MCs. This debut is done in a good way, combining conspiracies and relying on a system while navigating through your own personal life

Review:
A Day of Breath is a fast-paced story, that starts a bit before Day of Breath and ultimately focuses on a span of one day and how the lives of our MC changes over time. Oly, our Champion, is crowned and sent to live on the Edge so that she can protect the kingdom from the demons that come through a rift between the realms. She also experiences Anxiety and we go through it with her, see her thoughts and how she faces life as the longest standing Champion as well.

We also have Heir Fallon, one of the heirs, who we meet early on and is entirely satisfied with the system in place. He sees Oly become a Champion and then we start his adventure with the fact that he wasn't the chosen next ruler for the throne. Heir Fallon is a complicated character, one that you can see is entirely relying on the system. He fails to question why things are the way they are and is satisfied with his life as it is. Throughout the story, we see character development and see him change as he learns so many new things.

We do get to meet other MCs as well but ultimately A Day of Breath is a story about what happens when we question the system vs when we never question it and accept what we are told as facts. It is a test to see if humanity in the book can survive having their world shaken and they are left with nothing that they used to believe in. It questions whether those who rule are willing to put the community and their people first and foremost, no matter what. And finally, it questions is it worth saving what we have built and fix it or should we start from scratch?

A Day of Breath is going on my Fantasy Books list that I keep and call "Burn it all down" because ultimately it is about questioning the system you put your faith in and never fearing to do so. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book and the exploration of the characters, their own personal lives and how they fit into the bigger picture and the system itself.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"It was strange, she thought, that a person could look so lost in their own home."

GENRE: YA Fantasy with Egyptian Mythology by a SWANA Author
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: Ungodly Chaos truly lives up to the name, from chaotic adventures to being chaotic teenagers living in a chaotic world and I really enjoyed every moment of it!

Review:
Ungodly Chaos is a YA Fantasy that is set in our world and the underworld, or Duat, is a perfect balance of adventure and understanding who the MCs are as a YA book. I think the adventure was a fun, fast paced story that kept me hooked till the end of it and I wanted to see what would happen next.

We get to meet Amira and the story is mainly told from her POV but we also get a few chapters from other MCs like Kaiden, Zain and Layla (which I always enjoy as we get to see a different POV from the characters). I loved getting to know more about the different descendants described in the story, though I do wish we got more details on this.

I also really enjoyed the exploration of identity and where we fit in. As teenagers (whether you're early, mid or late teenager), fitting is and finding your place in the world is HARD. We get to see this perspective through Kaiden and Amira, who are both struggling to fit in differently. Kaiden, who has parents from different background (won't share more so as to not spoil anything), struggles with this and it comes across through the story really well. Amira, who has never really fit in anywhere, finds her own place as they go through their adventure together.

I think as a story, this dives into adventure and action while still keeping it realistic for the ages of the MCs, with their focus spread across so many things mentally. We get adventure and some Egyptian Mythology unique to the story. I can't wait to read more from the author, Selma Soren, in the future!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

Good morning, Bien Leidos!

I wanted to announce the winner of our April book club poll as well as let you know some changes to upcoming book club selections--it'll just be a change in reading order versus changing books, though so keep reading!

So the winner of our April fantasy pick was Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez! As I was putting together the post, I saw Isabel Allende's Instagram post that La Casa De Los Espiritu Spanish language television adaptation would be releasing on April 29th on Prime. For our Bien Leidos 2 year anniversary, I'd been planning to select a classic of Latine literature to read in May. In fact, I was going to be putting up a poll today, but this announcement made the answer clear to me (as did a 4 hour poll I put up on Discord--YOU REALLY NEED TO JOIN IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY), so what I did was switch up the order of our book club reads for April and May. I'll be posting the announcements in a bit on social media, but I wanted to deliver the announcements exclusively to you first.

I also wanted to remind you that we're still reading Sparks Fly this month so it's not too late to join! I'll be putting up a poll today to schedule our spoilery chat early in March.

Also, our March pick is Now I Surrender by Alvaro Enrigue. It releases March 3rd, so we'll get started with our chat a little bit later in the month since this is a new release. And in case you haven't entered, I have a MASSIVE 15 BOOK GIVEAWAY FOR NOW I SURRENDER up that ends tomorrow!

I am very much looking forward to reading all these books with you! Thank you for being a part of this amazing community!

xoxo,

Carmen