Hello, everyone!

Happy New Release Tuesday! Here are some titles we're excited about that you should definitely check out:

• Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey

• Migrant Heart by Reyna Grande

• Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger

• Abyss by Nicholas Binge

• We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

• Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Mónica Ojeda, translated by Sarah Booker

Have you read any of these? If you haven't, consider ordering them from our Bookshop.org link!

Till next time!

-Ryn

Forty Love By Jane Costello

Pub Date: 10th of May

Is it ever too late for a comeback?
I think the older you get, the more that question can sometimes brew in your brain: "Is it too late to start over, or take a different path?"… well… this book will inspire you to think differently. This warm, funny and steamy romance is the perfect summer read!

Plot:
We get to follow Jules, who’s in her late 40’s. After her husband passed away, Jules

focused on being the best mother to her daughter. However, it’s time for her daughter to leave the nest, she is off to uni and on a trip through Europe, ultimately leaving Jules alone at home.

To fill her time and also quench the worry and anxiety in her chest, she joins an amateur tennis club. Through this club she bumps into her teenage crush Sam!

With both tennis and her growing feelings for Sam, Jules goes on a journey of the difficulties of moving on and the courage to go on a different path.

Thoughts:
I thought this book was very wholesome and it genuinely made me giggle! 🤭
I also found it refreshing to read about a female protagonist in her late 40’s and the raw reality of early menopause, and how your relationship with your body changes!

The writing is easy to follow and it feels like you really get to know the characters.

The romance was nice, but I would like to say the relationship between Jules and Sam is not the main focus of the plot.

Overall I had a really good time!
So grab your bevvy and sun hat and read this book! You don’t wanna miss it! ☀️☺️

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

I'm getting ready for BookNet Fest in Orlando this weekend. I'll be on two panels that should be announced soon. Bien Leidos has a meet-up thread on Discord. If you're going, I'd love to see you!

Please note there's a poll included with this roundup...I'm very interested in your response and thoughts.

And now, here are today's releases...

NONFICITON

Migrant Heart: Reyna Grande (Audiobook)

ROMANCE

The Last Page by Katie Holt (Audiobook)

Burnout Summer Jenna Ramirez (Audiobook)

MIDDLE GRADE

Our Fair Share by Sarah Marie Jette

POETRY

Canícula / Dog Days by William Archila and Translated by Mario Zetino

WOMEN'S FICTION

Please Don't Go by E. Salvador (Audiobook)

TRANSLATED FICTION

Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Monica Ojeda

xo,

Carmen

Alright. Most of us have probably read Divergent. Maybe even the rest of the series. I stopped after Insurgent because like, mental illness was kicking my ass at the time, but I'm about to do a read with a Discord group I'm in and I'm pumped. Not to mention The Sixth Faction coming out later this year? Sign me up.

Tomorrow, May 12, is the release date for Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth. This. Book. If you read romantasy, you'll probably enjoy it. Let me speak now to those who do not typically read romantasy. A lot of you know that romance on main is not my vibe, certainly not if it's straight romance. But I was so entranced by the other aspects of this world that Veronica Roth created (the actual world, the cultures, the politics, everything) that the romance came second for me. It's dystopian, it's magical, and it's something I firmly believe you should add to your TBR. I rated it 5/5 stars. I had a great time with it and literally couldn't put it down (read almost the majority of it in 5.5 hours).

But I'm also on my Veronica Roth journey. See, I do this thing where I get really into an author's work and have to read all of their backlist before moving on. So. I've just read Carve the Mark, a YA book. Again, YA is not really my jam, but I ate. This. Up. Literally couldn't put it down! I already bought The Fates Divide so I could immediately finish the duology. I'm also working on To Clutch a Razor, which is the sequel to When Among Crows (another book of hers I adored). Chosen Ones and Poster Girl are also on deck.

All this to say: if you're looking for something with rich world building, I highly suggest you check her work out.

New release post coming tomorrow! Till next time!

-Ryn

I never knew this book was going to be this spicy when I picked it up! I BLUSHED! AND it's a cozy romantasy!

If you are a fan of Laurie Gilmore, Lana Ferguson and Why choose genre, I have the perfect recommendation for you.

Ta-dA!!

Olive, an omega, is new to the town as a the towns lighthouse keeper. She is a shy, timid girl. Little does she know an alpha is stalking her. And soon we come to know it's a pack of three Alpha's who want her as their omega. ;)

It's a fun, hot read! And available on KU!

Florals for Spring, how original 😂

Took a walk along central park lake today. And clicked these pictures. I know my selfie skills are WIP, but I felt like posting.

I am yet to watch Devil wears Prada 2. Should I?

Did I have books in my bags? Yes 🙂‍↕️
Which ones, you ask? I guess you'll have to wait and follow me if you don't already 😂

Hello nerds,

Apologies for sending this when the month is almost over, but I wanted to put you on to all of the fun events we will be having in store each month moving forward. Seeing events on social media is hit or miss, I'm glad I have this newsletter to reach you all directly. Here is what we have for the rest of May!

In Person Events

Thursday, May 14th at 6:00 PM

Join us at Sunny's for Yuma County Abolition's monthly book club. This month they are reading Let This Radicalize You. RSVP HERE.

• About the book: What fuels and sustains activism and organizing when it feels like our worlds are collapsing? Let This Radicalize You is a practical and imaginative resource for activists and organizers building power in an era of destabilization and catastrophe.

• About Yuma County Abolition: Yuma County Abolition is a grassroots, volunteer-run network dedicated to providing immediate support to our community while building long-term, self-sustaining resilience. We ground our work in solidarity, intersectionality, abolition, accountability, mutual aid, and autonomous direct action.

  Friday, May 15th at 6:00 PM
  

  

  
  

  Join us at Sunny's for an author event and poetry reading featuring Raquel Gutiérrrez. RSVP HERE.

• About the book: Southwest Reconstruction is Raquel Gutiérrez's debut poetry collection, a disquieting journey through the uncharted dreamspace of memory and loss, expulsion and shelter, family and recognition. Enacting an eclectic range of forms and echoes drawn from the relational complexities that occupy the difficult terrains of unceded land; these are critical improvisations of creation and closures of the imperceptible sense of displacement, and the interconnecting routes that map the vastness of desire to belong.

• About the author: Raquel Gutiérrez is a poet, essayist, critic, performer and the author of Brown Neon: Essays (Coffee House Press). Gutiérrez's work has been recently supported by the United States Artist Fellowship and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Fellowship. Gutiérrez has lived on unceded lands of the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui people since 2016.

  
  Thursday, May 21st at 6:00pm
  

  

  
  Join us at Sunny's for our monthly in-person event, Sunny's Salon. This months edition will be a book swap. RSVP HERE.

• About the event: We're hosting a simple book swap. Bring a book you loved (or one you're ready to pass on) and leave with something new to read. Enjoy bookish company, drinks, and discussion. The store will be 10% off for the entirety of the event.

  Online Events:

  Saturday, May 30th at 11:00 AM
  

  

  
  Join us at Sunny's us online for our monthly book club Zoom meeting. The May book is The Hill by Harriet Clark. RSVP HERE.

• About the book: After her mother is sentenced to life in a hilltop prison, Suzanna vows to return to the hill forever. An unexpectedly funny and deeply moving novel about the many ways we punish and return to each other.

• About Sunny's Book Club: Sunny’s Book Club is a monthly book club highlighting both new releases and backlist titles we love. A virtual discussion is hosted over Zoom on the last Saturday of the month. You can check out our selections each month and sign up here. You do not have to buy the book from Sunny's to participate, but we love when you do!
  

Thank you all for your support as always and hope to see you in person this month.

CJ

Love what we do? Become a paid subscriber for less than a cup of coffee a month. Your ongoing support helps us plan ahead, fund causes we care about, and create meaningful programming for our community.

As the weather gets warmer, I can't wait to be reading next to a pool. Here are some new releases that come out this week that would be great candidates, wherever you are reading!

Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey

Why it interests me: I'm always down for a new book from Sarah Gailey, especially the weird girl ones. This one seems culty? My preorder is in the mail!

We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

Why it interests me: contemporary fantasy speaking to reproductive justice.

The Bone Door by Frances White

Why it interests me: It's supposed to be queer and fat positive. It's fantasy but leans horror, so I did decide to put it on hold at my library, though fantasy hasn't been appealing lately.

Coyoteland by Vanessa Hua

Why it interests me: Contemporary fiction exploring hypocrisy in upper class progressive culture.

Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Monica Ojeda

Why it interests me: Set in the near future at a pseudo-spiritual festival.

A Siege of Owls by Uchenna Awoke

Why it interests me: clifi with magical realism set in rural West Africa.

Non-fiction

• "Algeria is Beautiful Like America" by Olivia Burton

A memoir, graphic novel that explores the rich heritage and tumultuous modern history of Algeria and its connections to Europe and colonialism.

• "The Wretched of the Earth" by Frantz Fanon

A dense, but foundational text that I think everyone should read. It's an eternal touchstone for civil rights, anti-colonialism, psychiatric studies, and Black consciousness movements around the world.

• "Inside the Battle of Algiers" by Zoha Drif

This gripping insider's account chronicles how and why a young woman in 1950s Algiers joined the armed wing of Algeria's national liberation movement to combat her country's French occupiers.

Fiction

• "A Man with No Title" by Xavier Le Clerc

Mohand-Said Ait-Taleb is an enigma. Living in France but ravaged by memories of the war in Algeria, he has withdrawn into his own world, away from his wife and children. When his son Xavier discovers articles by Albert Camus describing the appalling conditions his father grew up in, he starts to piece together the story of his life.

• "This Strange Eventful History" by Claire Messud

Over seven decades, from 1940 to 2010, the pieds-noirs Cassars live in an itinerant state—separated in the chaos of World War II, running from a complicated colonial homeland, and, after Algerian independence, without a homeland at all. This Strange Eventful History, told with historical sweep, is above all a family story.

Other

• "The Disappearance of Mr. Nobody" by Ahmed Taibaoui

A man disappears without trace and the detective in search of him finds more than he expected.

• "2084 : The End of the World" by Boualem Sansal

Tells the story of a near future in which religious extremists have established an oppressive caliphate where autonomous thought is forbidden.

🗺️If you want to see more book recommendations from all the countries in the world, check out my Reading the World Spreadsheet.

And if you want to support this project, consider becoming a paid member of my Bindery!

Sickos! Monday's are for updates so let me know what book cheeks you're spreading this week (or what you finished last week) in the comments and let's get to what I've been up to..

READING

REVIEW

PARABLE OF THE SOWER - [Parable #1] by OCTAVIA E. BUTLER (dystopian speculative fiction)

Progress: Finished

I picked up Parable of the Talents last week while finishing this, so that should tell you how much I loved our Fiction Sickos pick for this month. This is a grimdark, dystopian fan's dream, and the Discord forum was full of people commenting on how it just continues to get more dark and bleak. It's unrelenting; at no point does anything feel safe. I gotta write up my full review (I may do it w/Talents included) but yeah, this was exactly what I'd hoped it would be and I'm jazzed for Talents (which I heard is, somehow, darker).

LONDON FALLING: A MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN A GILDED CITY & A FAMILY'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH by PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE (narrative historical nonfiction)

Progress: 168/331

PRK just has a knack for weaving together multiple angles of a story and making it all work and flow. While I think I prefer stakes and subject matter of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing at this point (I'm not sure I care yet why a narcissistic, pathological liar ate it in the Thames), it's still fun watching PRK lay out this web of deception and everything around it. I do feel like PRK is leaning into the mystery bit of it with the way he's slow dripping info that could've been revealed earlier. Either way it's still a very solid read at this point and the final half may change my mind on the stated issues.

CARTHAGE'S OTHER WARS: CARTHAGINIAN WARFARE OUTSIDE THE 'PUNIC WARS' AGAINST ROME by DEXTER HOYOS (academic historical nonfiction)

Progress: 93/192

The Punic Wars are an obsession of mine but how Carthage became a superpower in the Western Mediterranean leading up to that often gets breezed through. Just finished their near 40 years of jockeying and warfare in Sicily with the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse (what a scamp). Despite several dramatic swings, it amounted to not much changing in re: territory. Ultimately though Carthage achieved its main goal of maintaining the east/west divide in Sicily, preventing Dionysius from dominating it. The next section covers their conflict with the fratricidal, tyrant-slayer Timoleon of Corinth who, IIRC, hail mary ass pounds all of Sicily.

I shared a snippet with in the history/nonfic Discord channel yesterday as I thought this Nicomo Cosca-coded moment was humorous:

WE DO NOT PART by HAN KANG (historical fiction)

Progress: 43/256

Super early doors but I'm not surprised to already feel like I'm in a fever dream with a Kang book (see: The Vegetarian). This ties into the Jeju Massacre where the South Korean government, along with support from the U.S. military, violently suppressed an uprising. So I expect it to also feel somewhat like Human Acts (which was about the later Gwangju Uprising) too as we get further in while still having this eerie, poetic quality to it.

PREVIEW

I haven't given much thought to what's next other than Butler's Talents but I have sampled some of The Roman Empire in Crisis and may make that my next nonfiction read. I'm curious how Mike Duncan will be able to mold this same period into something for a general audience because there's so many challenges around writing a complete narrative around it. I trust 'em though.

PUBLISHING IMPRINT NEWS

Getting close to knowing more about a second potential book acquisition, should know how it's trending sometime this week.

UPDATE: As soon as I published this, I checked my email, and OUR SECOND BOOK IS A GO! Final terms are agreed upon but the contract is still being finalized so I have to keep all the details confidential, but still, HUZZAH! Can't wait to share everything about this one with y'all!

Also, have you pre-ordered A Complement of Scoundrels yet?! And if you missed it, yes, the audiobook is in development!

EVERYTHING ELSE

I put on Breaking Bad in the background as I started reading the Carthage book and now I'm already at S3E3. So, I guess we're doing a second re-watch. It's one of those shows, like Mad Men or Game of Thrones, that I can randomly put on and gobble through it. Game of Thrones is kind of on hold as I usually watch it at night (don't need the wee emperor seeing all the floppy dong and breasts flapping about every 5 minutes) and despite my Flyers predictably getting bounced by the Hurricanes, I'm still all in on hockey playoffs.

Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! Me and the boys got a Switch 2 for my wife so she's now hooked on that, and I may sneak in some game time on it this week.

Got my ass kicked two sessions in a row at the climbing gym but my finger tendons are recovered and I'll hopefully be back to projecting more V4/V5 later this week.

FINAL REMINDER that I'll be at BookNet Fest in Orlando, May 15-16! Get your tickets and swing through!

We’re so excited to share that the Book Club Kit, Individual Book Club Member Reader Guides, Solo Deep-Dive Reader Kit, and Buddy Reader Kit are all NOW AVAILABLE 🌧️💙

Whether you’re:
📖 hosting your next book club meeting
📝 reading and reflecting on your own
🌊 diving deep into a solo emotional read
🤝 or sharing the experience with a reading partner

We’ve created something for every kind of reader moment.

Each kit is designed to help you go deeper into the story, connect with the characters, and make your reading experience more meaningful, immersive, and fun ✨

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Individual Book Club Member Readers Guide https://canva.link/o5b54vzrkop1q2f 

Solo Deep-Dive Reader Kit https://canva.link/na2faiin1o98uwd 

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We can’t wait to see how you bring these stories to life 💬📚

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Book Club Deep Dive & Starter Reading Kits: The Rain Catcher by Buck Turner 

If you’ve ever wondered what healing actually looks like after loss the messy, nonlinear, quietly hopeful kind this book might just stay with you longer than you expect.

Our book club took a deep dive into The Rain Catcher by Buck Turner, and this one sparked one of our most thoughtful, emotionally layered discussions yet. It’s not a flashy, plot-twist-heavy read but it is the kind of story that invites you to slow down, sit with your feelings, and really reflect.

🌊 The Heart of the Story: Grief That Lingers

At its core, The Rain Catcher is about grief but not just the initial, all-consuming kind. It explores what happens after the casseroles stop coming and the world expects you to move on. Diane’s journey feels incredibly grounded as she balances motherhood, career uncertainty, and the lingering ache of losing her husband.

What really stood out to us was how the book portrays layered grief. Just as Diane begins to open herself up to the possibility of happiness again, she’s hit with another loss. That emotional backslide felt painfully realistic, and it led to a big discussion in our group: Does grief ever truly resolve, or does it just reshape itself over time?

🎨 Second Chances & Soft Love

Enter Nathan Garner the artist with a quiet presence and a lot of patience. This isn’t an instant-love situation, and honestly, that’s what made it work for most of us. Their connection builds slowly, rooted in shared understanding rather than dramatic declarations.

Some of us loved the tenderness of their relationship, while others wished for a bit more spark or tension. But overall, we agreed that the romance serves the story’s deeper message: love doesn’t erase grief, it learns to coexist with it.

🏡 Setting as a Character

The Kitty Hawk beach setting deserves its own spotlight. The coastal atmosphere adds this reflective, almost meditative tone to the story. The ocean becomes a subtle metaphor throughout, sometimes calm, sometimes overwhelming, always present.

For our more vibe-driven readers, this was a major win. For others, it occasionally slowed the pacing. Which brings us to…

🐢 Pacing: A Love-It-or-Leave-It Element

Let’s be honest this is a slow book. If you’re going in expecting high drama or constant momentum, you might struggle. But if you’re in the mood for something introspective and character-driven, the pacing actually enhances the emotional depth.

Our club was split here:

• Half of us appreciated the deliberate, reflective storytelling

• The other half wanted a bit more plot movement to stay fully engaged

So yes, your enjoyment may depend on your reading mood.

💬 Book Club Discussion Highlights

This book gave us a lot to talk about:

• How do you know when you’re ready to move on after loss?

• Can opening yourself up to love again ever feel like a betrayal?

• Did Diane’s choices feel empowering or avoidant at times?

• Was Nathan fully developed, or more of a symbolic presence in Diane’s healing?

⭐ Final Thoughts

The Rain Catcher is a quiet, emotional read that leans heavily into themes of grief, resilience, and second chances. It’s not trying to rush you to a happily-ever-after instead, it gently reminds you that healing is uneven, love can return in unexpected ways, and sometimes survival itself is a kind of triumph.

It won’t be for everyone but for the right reader, it hits deep.

✨️Thank you The Book Club Cookbook,  Page and Vine and Buck Turner for sharing The Rain Catcher with us!

💬Bookish question: Do you prefer stories where love helps heal grief or ones where the focus stays solely on personal growth without romance?

📖🌧️ WANT THE BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE?

If you loved this deep dive and want to take your reading experience even further, we’ve created FREE starter kits just for you:

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Whether you’re reading alone, with a friend, or hosting your own book club night, these kits are designed to help you go deeper into the story, the characters, and the emotions behind every page.

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"Twenty-nine is nothing. Thirty is nothing. If I wanted to start again at fifty, I would. Time is just that - time. It dictates too much of our lives already for us to start letting it dictate what we can and can't accomplish."

GENRE: Comtep. Romance
RATING:4.75/5
FORMAT:eBook
Tropes:Enemies to lovers, Office Romance, Anxiety, Self-discovery

Review:
This one hit so close to home for me because of how Maddison is a type A personality with so many notebooks (honestly, highly relate to that) and it was such a sweet story, with character developments that I enjoyed

Quarter-Love Crisis is exactly what it is, a crisis right before Maddison hit the 30s, especially since she hasn't achieved any of her big things on her list yet and the moment it clicks in the book? It's all so worth it seeing it coming together. I think Jasmine Burke did such an amazing job of showing how sometimes, its the things we ask of ourselves that put so much pressure on us and drive us mad. This book truly captures that feeling of being in your 20s and feeling like you're truly running out of time due to anxiety, pressure and so many other things.

Watching Maddison let these notions go (especially as that's a journey I've done myself recently and still undergoing) and embrace living in the moment with the help of Aiden Edwards made the book a fun ride and I finished it in less than 24 hours (with a pause to sleep because I am too old to stay up at night now lol)

I think this was an amazing debut and I will say that, usually with single POVs, you get to focus on one character and don't really learn much about their love interest. I think Burke did a good balance in here by bringing Aiden's story without letting it out-shine Maddison's. And I loved getting to know her friends group too

I cant wait to read more by Jasmine Burke, I love Romance books set in the UK and this one was set in London plus the dynamic & writing won me over! It's a perfect book for those of us entering our 30s and realising that actually, we've just start our lives while enjoying Maddison & Aiden's relationship blossom and her friendship + family thrive!

Hey all - another delayed witchy holiday post. This one because I was moving literally on May 1st and have since been unpacking + gearing up for BookNet Fest this weekend. All of that combined with getting items needed for this specific apartment (a frustrating after-moving task), my laptop charger breaking, and Tali having a UTI and going to urgent care (she's fine now - on antibiotics)... Needless to say, I haven't been online much. And so far this year, life and external forces have prevented me from celebrating any of the wheel of the year so far this year. But I am hopeful about summer and fall, especially now that I'm settled.

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE: BELTANE

Beltane is a fire festival halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice, and in the modern definition, it represents the first spoke in the light half of the year. This is when we really start to see it warming up and spring is definitely here, even if the chill is still hanging on in your neck of the woods. Spring flowers like tulips and daffodils have sprouted and the sun continues to shine later into the day. Many people start their gardens right before or right after this time (for me in Chicago, many people consider Mother's Day to be a good marker for when to plant seedlings and have them survive). Like many of the festivals during the spring and summer months, Beltane is primarily a fertility festival. In various traditions around this time, a May Pole is danced around, which is a phallic symbol, and there are various stories of different gods and goddesses unions being celebrated around this time. But fertility can mean many things. It is primarily about growth, and now is a good time for lighting that creative spark.

For reading this month, because Beltane is the most "passionate" of the wheel of the year holidays, it is a good time to involve some romance in your life. Now, if you want to keep it simple and just read a romance book, great. But if romance isn't really your thing, you can take this whatever way you want. For non-fiction readers, engaging with the history of marriage or even about relationships outside of romantic relationships. Fiction readers also don't have to go the romance route entirely. Maybe choose a book set in a setting you find romantic, whether real or fictional.

Other than reading, you have a plethora of activities to engage in that coincide with spring. Last holiday, at Ostara, I encouraged you to start coming out of hibernation and begin the spring cleaning process. That's sometimes a long process so keep it up! With moving, I have been continuing to make adjustments to my living space and it feels very aligned with spring and nesting :) Continue to be out in nature. Get to know what birds start coming through your area at this time. Pay attention to local plants. Slow down and notice the changing weather. Do things to spark your creativity. The veil is also thinner at this time of year, much like Samhain is on the opposite side of the wheel. But this time of year, I find the veil is thinner in relation to fae and otherworld creatures vs ancestors. Both are present, I just find ancestors to be moreso in autumn. So if it aligns with you, take some time to get in touch with your local land spirits this time of year.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: SAMHAIN

Ah Samhain - the most classic of the wheel of the year holidays. This time of year is all about releasing, reaping the final harvest, and settling down into winter. The leaves are falling from trees, animals are going into hibernation, and everything is starting to slow down. This time of year is about those final preparations for winter.

Reading wise, this is a good time for finales. Finish up a series, or finally DNF something you've been hanging on to. Maybe unhaul some books that have been taking up space and don't resonate with you anymore.

Outside of reading, now is a good time to get in touch with ancestors and the past. The veil is thin at this time of year, and it is a great time for introspection and ancestor work. Take up (or return to) journaling or a tarot practice. Make plans for how you are going to lean into winter and enjoy it for what it is. Say goodbye to this years growing season and take those lessons with you.

See you all at the solstice!

Sometimes as a book reviewer, your eyes get a little bigger than your metaphorical book-digesting stomach, and you sign yourself up for an unwieldy amount of ARCs. Sometimes that person is me. I have signed up to read too many books. ALAS! I will prevail, but it does mean that my reading schedule for the next six months or so is fairly set.

Some of those books I need to get to are published by the lovely people who run this website, and I am very excited for those, but it also means that there are many a book on my physical shelf that need to be on the back burner for a while. I will try to sprinkle them in between these review copies, but I imagine the big-boy fantasy books on my list are going to be late 2026 projects at best. (With that said, my wife and I are trying to figure out how we can go to Dragonsteel Nexus this year, and I would like to finish up The Stormlight Archive before/if we go).

Anyway, here are some books I would love to get to sometime soon, and some that I will definitely get to before the end of the year.

• Speaking Bones by Ken Liu: I have been slowly making my way through the Dandelion Dynasty for the past four years or so, and frankly, the only reason I haven't finished it yet is because I don't want it to end. I maintain that Ken Liu is operating at a level so much higher than other authors that reading him feels like eating caviar or some other food that y0u only bring out for special occasions. As much as I love Sanderson and the like, Liu's world that he has built with these books is so infinitely fascinating and detailed that it's hard for me to really see anything else in the same light. These books are no easy task (see the insane list of characters that only grows bigger as the books go on), but they are among the best pieces of literature I've ever consumed, and I suggest you get on them as soon as possible. I've been on the Ken Liu train for a long time now, and it seems that others are finally catching on. Genius in motion.

• Children of Dune by Frank Herbert: In an effort to get up to speed before Denis Villenueve's Dune Part 3 comes out later this year, I have been making my way through the novels that have inspired the films. I finished Dune Messiah early this year and came away feeling like I could read all six of these bad boys. Children of Dune has been sitting by my bedside ready for me to dig into it for a couple of months now, but I probably won't get around to it until the end of the year comes closer. An absolutely lovely phenomenon it is when both the source material and adaptations are excellent.

• The Dog Stars by Peter Heller: I know almost nothing about this book, BUT, the guy who wrote it lives in my general vicinity and one of my coworkers has raved about it so I have it on a suspended hold at the library. I'm a massive fan of Station Eleven, so if this book is even remotely like S11, I know I'm in for a treat.

There are MANY more books I would love to get into sometime soon, but these ARCs are standing in the way (for now).

• A Compliment of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood

• Buzzard by Inez Ray

• Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree

• As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers

I am also trying like hell to get my hands on the new Ken Liu short story collection, The Passing of the Dragon, as well as book three in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, A Trade of Blood.

Anywho, what are you all reading? What catches your eye on the upcoming release schedule? Let me know.

Shawn

The recent online discourse surrounding R.F. Kuang's Taipei Story leaked ARC line has been heated at best, ideologically uncritical at worst. My stance on this issue is not neutral, but I can't help but notice the cyclical arguments and the demographics that comprise of each "side."

On one hand, I've seen an outpouring of support for Kuang from majority White audiences who laud her work as the pinnacle of anti-imperialist narratives in the modern canon. On the other, I've seen a majority of SWANA voices and their allies questioning the validity of including the settler-occupier identity in the narrative of the story. I've seen the valid point being made that without the full subtext, we can't draw an informed conclusion on the gravity of this choice by Kuang. I've also seen the equally valid point that normalizing settler-occupier identities of an active genocide-perpetrator is unnecessary in any capacity. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but what I've noticed from this discourse is the continued perpetration of tone and voice policing of SWANA, particularly Palestinian, voices.

Since the general elections in 2024, we've seen the genocide-apologist narrative take center stage. Folks continue to antagonize the Muslim vote who overwhelmingly supported third party candidates with the Democratic Party's handling of the genocide in Gaza as the key factor in how they casted their vote. To this day, I continue to see vitriol aimed at those who refused to be complicit (myself included) and this extends into the bookish space with ease. We see it with this particular instance when White creators thinks they have the authority to publicize their think-pieces on the subject without stopping to think about who is actually raising these concerns. In sharing your solidarity with your beloved celebrity author, have you considered the Palestinian and Muslim-diaspora voices you might be speaking over?

Some common defense arguments riddled with logical fallacies and whataboutisms I've seen in the past week have been:

• "Why don't we have the same reactions when American characters are mentioned?"

• "Not mentioning Israeli identity is erasure and erases the harm they've caused."

• "R.F. Kuang's politics have been clear, we need to trust her."

• "Everyone's cancelling R.F. Kuang meanwhile other Zionist authors get movie deals."

• "There are other authors perpetrating real harm while we argue over one line."

• "Why are we so much harder on authors of color?"

While all these statements can be dissected and analyzed individually, the greater theme I'm seeing is confusing solidarity with celebrity. And when that celebrity is an Asian author who has capitalized on stories of colonization, the question that comes to mind is are folks defending her because she's a person of color? The infantilization of Asian women has a deep legacy rooted in orientalism, and many of the arguments I see online border on this deeply racist trope. Nobody is infallible, and in pursuit of being an "ally" in her defense, many folks have subverted the values they claim to uphold.

I'd like to pose a few alternative questions.

• Why are BIPOC readers expected to stay silent when BIPOC authors make mistakes? Why are we supposed to give them more grace when we wouldn't do the same to their White counterparts?

• Why do non-BIPOC folks feel the need to intellectualize issues they have no personal stakes in?

• Is it easier to speak on declining literacy rates than it is to empathize with a Palestinian or Muslim person?

• What would your reaction be to seeing something on a page that humanizes the perpetrator of years of genocide you've watched your kin endure?

• Does your endorsement of a well-loved BIPOC author negate the remaining work you have to do in allyship?

There are the jaded and cynical parts of my mind that question whether this whole debacle was a stunt from the publisher to create more buzz around Taipei Story. While I agree that we will not have answers to our questions until we read the book, I implore the bookish space at large to take a step back and truly assess with care and nuance before jumping into the discourse.