March was a rewarding month for reading! I finished six books by and about Black and South Asian folks. Here's what I read and my thoughts:

Looking For Love In All The Haunted Places by Claire Kann

• Black Asexual• Paranormal Romance •

Looking for Love in All The Haunted Places is about a woman named Lucky Hart who has an affinity for the supernatural but most people don’t believe her. That is, until she hears about a production company struggling to keep actors in a show that takes place in a notoriously creepy, sentient Victorian named Hennessee House.

This is Lucky’s chance to conduct the type of investigations she’s been dreaming of! It just so happens that this opportunity leads to an instant connection w/ Maverick Phillips, the show-maker whose voice soothes Lucky every time she listens to his podcast. Despite this easy connection between them & exciting experiences w/ Hennessee House, Lucky realizes that she might have to fully open up in order to win over both.

I’m in love with this book! It’s mysterious, cozy, whimsical, complicated, & deep. Lucky is hilarious & self-assured. Her approach to exploring this creepy house is what makes this story so cozy. I also love Maverick because he’s attentive, emotionally honest, & values open communication. This story is addictive!

Stuck In The Country With You by Zuri Day

• Black Contemporary Romance •

Stuck In The Country With You is a cute & sexy love story about second chances & growth.

When her great uncle passes away, Genesis returns to her hometown & finds out she inherited his farm. His sons are pissed, but their father made it clear he wanted Genesis to have it. While dealing w/ this complicated family drama, Genesis realizesthat her former fling lives next door. It’s not exactly a happy reunion when she sees Jaxson again, speaking w/ her uncles but she can’t deny the attraction that still simmers within her.

I kind of liked the messiness of Genesis & Jax’s story & their chemistry was good. I appreciate the way Jax carried himself, too. I also felt like the storyline was realistic. It made sense that her great uncle would bequeath her the farm since she was the one to spend the most time w/ him. I just wish there was more clarity on what the solicitor meant by the notion that he had to guard against the sons. The pace was a little awkward toward the end & the very last word seemed out of place, too. Aside from that, it was an entertaining read!

Goddess Of The River by Vaisnavi Patel

• Hindu Epic Re-imagining •

Vaishnavi Patel’s Goddess of the River is a fascinating re-telling of some of the Mahabarata from the perspective of the goddess Ganga. For context, the Mahabarata the longest poem ever written & is one of the two foundational epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas. Patel published a retelling of the other epic, the Ramayana before this one.

In this version of the story, Ganga & her beloved godlings are curse by a powerful sage, forcing her to give birth to each of them as humans after marrying the Kuru king Shantanu. To free each of the godlings from their earthly bodies, Ganga must do the unthinkable, but Shantanu stops her before she can finish her final task.

We follow Ganga and her only living child Devavrata, later known as Bhishma, through a series of events flowing from his choice to live as a human in a world of men constantly seeking power.

Goddess of the River was just as transporting as Patel’s 1st book Kaikeyi. Although the cast of characters was a little hard to keep track of at times, I never grew tired of the story & still thought about it after it ended.

The Marriage Narrative by Claire Kann

• Queer & Neurodivergent • Black Contemporary Romance •

The Marriage Narrative is a contemporary marriage-of-convenience romance w/ a twist. We’ve got Zinnia, a successful business owner who decides that she doesn’t have to wait for love if she treats her love life like a business, too. Her Plan: to get to know people through “trategic meetings” & choose someone to get to know & marry within 30 days. Zinnia’s besties think this idea isn’t going to work but then, Zinnia meets Jordan, the owner of a coffee shop chain & the shy one of his family’s reality tv franchise. 

Since his only way to spend time w/ his family is to be on the show, Jordan agrees until production tells him to marry his ex for the plot. When Jordan meets Zinnia, he’s convinced that her marriage contract would be mutually beneficial. This isn’t Zinnia’s ideal way to start a marriage, but something about Jordan urges her to agree. Cue a much messier experience than either of them anticipated!

There’s something about the way that Clare Kann writes Romance that brings me feelings of joy, comfort, and validation. This is the second book I’ve read by her and I’m realizing that I love most of the characters because they feel real. They feel like people I might know and I also recognize some of my own tendencies and thoughts in Zinnia. 

Zinnia is outgoing, adventurous, clever, silly, but she’s also thoughtful and patient. She has her own insecurities but, when confronted by hardships, she doesn’t give up so easily. I love all of these parts of her! Her connection with Jordan felt earnest, steady, sweet, and surprisingly steamy!! I’m kind of obsessed. None of the characters are perfect, but I love the Jordan does his best to learn from his mistakes as quickly as possible without losing sight of Zinnia’s perspective. That’s hard to do irl so he’s got my stamp of approval!

I bought a copy of this book as soon as I finished listening to it. I think you’ll understand if you pick it up, too!

Son Of The Morning by Akwaeke Emezi

•Queer Black • Paranormal Romance•

In Son of the Morning, we meet Galilee Kincaid, the black sheep of a matrilineal clan outside of the city of Salvation. For as long as she can remember, Gali felt something missing, until she meets Lucifer Helel.

Lucifer is the head of security for her friend’s wealthy Nigerian family & is guarding a relic Galilee & her besties hope to see. As soon as they speak, Gali senses that he’s not human, but that doesn’t staunch her growing desire for him. Lucifer knows that Gali is also not human, a fact she’s likely unaware of. When he tells his other guards aka the princes, they decide they should destroy Galilee Kincaid. Leviathan is especially hell-bent on eliminating this threat to Luci.

Despite knowing the danger their connection puts them in, Gali & Luci can’t let go which risks shattering their world’s existence.

As you may have guessed from that description, this book is wild! I love that Galilee is a powerful Black woman w/ ride or die friends who follows her intuition. Like many of the protagonists in Emezi’s novels, Gali’s ability to let herself be vulnerable is part of what makes her powerful. She’s allowed to feel everything & so is Lucifer. Emezi also gives us a fascinating retelling of Lucifer’s fall from grace. He’s no longer this 2-D rendering of an evil biblical figure, but someone who is curious & increasingly self-aware. It’s no surprise that their passion is scorching hot! Just be prepared for the story to pick up QUICKLY after the intro.

Devil Of The Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

• Afro-Caribbean & Queer Historical Fantasy •

Devil of the Deep is a Black, queer tale you don’t want to miss!

Lu, a Lieutenant Fleet Officer is on a misson to find a powerful talisman which happens to be in the hands of a teen, runaway mermaid. On this voyage, he discovers that woman he thought dead for 5 years is alive & captaining a pirate ship. Lu is shocked that the love of his life is the notorius “Devil of the Deep” & she’s in possession of the very mermaid he’s been tracking: Pearl Highwater.

With her uncle’s help, Pearl has escaped the underwater cult followers of the sea god, unknowingly holding the key to finding her people’s lost island--A key that could unlock a world of hell for all.

Jean-Francois took me on an adventure I didn’t even know I was craving! If y’all have been searching for Caribbean/Haitian Fantasy, you need to pick up this book. It’s lush, action-packed, & has a transmasculine protagonist. Each mc gets space to grow, which I really appreciate. It’s also fantastic to read a book that depicts how diverse pirate crews were. Dive into this book ASAP!

A MODERN GOTHIC HORROR?? Say less! This is the book I am leaning towards, so I have TWO options in case you want to save it for spooky season instead.

Demons clash with inheritance claims as secrets unfold and violence is unleashed over twelve harrowing hours trapped in a house with the worst thing imaginable: family.

Fireblooms by : speculative Queer YA romance set in a town that uses technology to prevent hate speech and bullying. SPECULATIVE LGBTQ ROMANCE, COMPLEX LATINX FAMILY DYNAMICS

And I'll Take Your Eyes Out by A.M. Sosa: Debut following a queer Chicano’s cannon-shot into adulthood amidst familial turmoil and the suffocating violence of Stockton, California in the early 2000s.

We're launching a Kickstarter! We want you guys to feel better about donating to help us open the store, so we've created an all-or-nothing campaign with several tiers! As Bindery subscribers, you get to know those tiers ahead of time!

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As of now, we are awaiting the Assumed Business Name Certificate and next month will hopefully be getting our LLC registered! Then it's on to get our website back up and running under a new design.

Have you seen our post about the Libro.fm 12 audiobook giveaway in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day? Just a few steps will get you entered for this massive Golden Ticket to a whole host of great audiobooks (may I humbly recommend the Green Bone Saga?).

Till next time!

I'm starting a new series called "What I'm Reading This Week."

I'll use this to showcase what I'm currently reading/plan to pick up before the week is over.

CURRENTLY READING

I'm currently reading two books. One as an audiobook and one as an ebook.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki--The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story

There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination, but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew, and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer—the “Konkatsu Killer”—Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance, and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

Hooked by Asako Yuzuki--Eriko’s life looks perfect—from her prestigious job at a Japanese trading firm to her spotless apartment and devoted parents. Her newest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile Perch into the Japanese market, is as ambitious as she is. But beneath her flawless surface lies a consuming loneliness. Eriko has never been able to hold on to a real friend.

Enter Shoko: a popular lifestyle blogger whose work Eriko follows obsessively. Shoko lives a life of controlled chaos—messy apartment, take-out dinners, a kind, easy-going husband. She writes about daily contentment, though her fractured relationship with her father gnaws at the edges of her happiness.

When Eriko orchestrates a “chance” meeting with Shoko, the two women strike up an unlikely connection. For a fleeting moment, Eriko believes she’s finally found what she’s always longed for. But as her fascination turns to fixation and Shoko’s carefully balanced life begins to dissolve, both women are pushed to breaking points neither of them saw coming

WHAT I PLAN TO PICK UP

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed--A world-weary woman races against the clock to survive a deadly forest in this dark, otherworldly fairytale from Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author Premee Mohamed.

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.

Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past.

Dark Is Where The Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce--The woods are known as the place to avoid. What goes in, doesn’t come out.

Hazel has been gone from her small hometown of Idless in the English countryside for years. Now returned in the wake of a traumatic divorce and crumbling personal life, her simple plans are to lay low at her parents’ vacated house, reconnect with her prickly sister Cathy, and slowly get back on her feet.

She's his captive but something has come home with her.

Cathy is surprised when Hazel doesn’t show. Their relationship strained from a fallout half a decade ago, she didn’t expect them to get back into a sisterly rhythm…though she hadn’t counted on Hazel bailing, either.

But something isn’t adding up. Other people in town whisper of a threat that can’t be shaken. The woods are known for being restless. And Cathy knows the old saying.