Hi and welcome to my first ever Monthly Guide. Below I will be giving an overview on horror books releasing this month, what's on my tbr, what's on my game radar, and what's on my watch list. I'll also be providing a fun word search and some templates for instagram!

Let's kick off with what's releasing in December.

December is always a slower month for releases--which is fine for me! Gives me a chances to catch up and get ready for next year!

Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher-- Dec 1st

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt's house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there's a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena's ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena's house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn't ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can't begin to imagine. And when Selena's search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It's the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as "Snake-Eater," who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he's hell-bent on collecting everything he's owed.

Down Came The Spider by Ally Russell-- Dec 2nd

Can you outrun eight legs?

Twelve-year-old Andi loves everything about spiders — they’re endlessly fascinating creatures. So when she finds a species she’s never seen before at a classmate’s Halloween party, she’s over the moon. Until the spiders start to behave in unusual and threatening ways, that is. They can camouflage themselves incredibly well, they can jump higher than she’s ever seen, and their webs are strong. Maybe even strong enough to trap a person . . .

Andi and her friends Carly and Devon try to find an adult to help, but make a terrifying discovery: the parent chaperones have been immobilized by the spiders. As the only ones who know what’s going on, Andi, Carly, and Devon will have to take on the spiders themselves — before it’s too late!

Hinterland by Logan Spurgeon--Dec 6th

Kestrel awakes in the woods without a real name or his memories. Before him are twelve strangers, an altar on fire, and bones hanging from the trees like wind chimes. He's to be initiated into their group so they may fulfill their purpose: head to the mountain of the so-called gods, have a feast, and bring about the end of the world. Kestrel is willing to risk it all to escape, but without any memories, he knows he must play along until he finds a way out. It won't be easy. Winter is on their heels, hunters are searching for them, and the strange rituals they perform will rip his humanity from his flesh. But Kestrel isn't alone. One of the strangers claims to be his friend from before, and there are others willing to join his side and leave the wilderness...if the gods let them.

Dark Sisters by Kristi Demeester--Dec 9th

In this fiercely captivating novel, horror meets historical fiction when a curse bridges generations, binding the fates of three women. Anne Bolton, a healer facing persecution for witchcraft, bargains with a dark entity for protection—but the fire she unleashes will reverberate for centuries. Mary Shephard, a picture-perfect wife in a suffocating community, falls for Sharon and begins a forbidden affair that could destroy them both. And Camilla Burson, the rebellious daughter of a preacher, defies conformist expectations to uncover an ancient power as her father’s flock spirals into crisis.

Thats it for books releasing! Now let's talk about what's on my tbr this month. I'm planning on tackling some winter horror and Christmas horror! I also plan to sneak in some ARCs as well. I will more than likely not tackle all of these, but I'll sure try,

Christmas Horror

25 Days by Per Jacobson-- I plan to read this one like an advent calendar. A chapter a day! It sounds like fun.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger-- This one sounds like a ton of fun.

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth-- Another one that sounds like a blast!

The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davy--I love a gothic horror and this sounds right up my alley.

Snowy Horror

Thin Air by Michelle Paver-- I loved Dark Matter and would love to read this one!

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor-- I love the premise of this one and I eagerly want to read it.

The Hollows by Daniel Church--I've heard nothing but good things about this one and my bookclub on instagram chose this as our December book.

ARCS

I'm currently reading House OF Splinters by Laura Purcell

I plan to read A Veritable Household Pet by Viggy Parr Hampton as well.

Games

I just started playing Crime Scene Cleaner and am having a blast (pun intended)!

Movies/Shows

I am watching IT: Welcome To Derry and I plan to watch Stranger Things. I'll probably watch a spooky Christmas movie or too as well!.

Word search and templates

Will send these all to everyone’s emails!

What does your month entail? Anything you're super excited for?

The Page Ladies have been diving headfirst into some utterly wild, hilarious, and heartbreaking Middle Grade reads lately. Whether it's a giant space toilet, a disguised alien lunch lady, or a princess of fire, these books prove that the best adventures always have a big heart beneath the chaos.

If you need a new book that perfectly balances the zany with the genuinely moving, clear your TBR!

👽The Absurdly Hilarious Adventures

These books prove that the best humor comes when the supernatural crashes straight into the incredibly awkward reality of middle school!

🚽The Big Flush by Julie Buxbaum: Listen, a book about a giant space toilet hurtling toward Area 51 is exactly as hilariously absurd as it sounds but it's also packed with heart! We loved watching Sky Patel-Baum and her adorable alien sidekick, Elvis, crack the case before everything goes, well down the drain. This is Men in Black meets Spy Kids meets middle school awkwardness.

📱Press 1 for Invasion by J.A. Dauber: Ten-year-old Matt finds a phone that shows his crossing guard is a slimy alien monster. Naturally, things spiral from "Wait, what?!" to "Save the planet" in record time. The real hero? The lunch lady alien who’s having second thoughts about conquering Earth! Zany, funny, and full of that kind of loyalty that keeps you fighting even when the odds are stacked against you.

✨The Magical & Macabre Adventures

These novels swept us away with beautiful world-building that handles complex, real-world emotions with genuine warmth:

🕌Amir and the Jinn Princess by M.T. Khan: Think Aladdin meets Percy Jackson, layered with the rich cultural magic of Pakistan. Twelve-year-old Amir's quiet grief clashes with the chaotic energy of Shamsa, the Jinn Princess with fire in her soul. Their reluctant, sparkling partnership explores grief, identity, and a world alive with wonder and danger. Pure middle-grade gold.

🌪️The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd: This book wrapped us up like a storm that hums with secrets. It’s the kind of story that punches you right in the feelings! Roxie and Grayson, two girls struggling with shame and abandonment, collide to uncover the legend of the Witching Wind, a force that steals what people love most. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and leaves you with a swirl of hope and healing.

🍫The Page Ladies Fun Question: Between all these books, we’ve learned that the best sidekicks are either loyal aliens, sassy Jinn, or second-guessing lunch ladies.

If you were starting a middle-grade adventure team, who would you choose as your sidekick: a curious alien from Galzoria, a sassy Jinn Princess, or a reformed alien lunch lady? Tell us your pick!👇

Hi all! I’ve been doing some planning and thinking this long weekend and I wanted to work on content ideas for my Bindery! I’ve finally got my tiers figured out and am eager to share ideas with you all!

Please see the info below to find out what tier interests you the most! And these perks are not final—I will definitely add more ideas in the future. Just know this is a starting ground!

For my Free Members here are some of the perks you’ll have access to!

Monthly/yearly wraps up. You’ll get to see all the books I’ve read each month and my thoughts, along with a favorites of the year post!

Weekly themes. Every week I’ll post a theme/trope/subgenre of horror and provide some books for your reading pleasure!

Author Interviews. As long as the wonderful authors keep agreeing to Q&A’s I’ll happily keep giving you all insight into these wonderful author’s lives, thought processes, and more.

Film/show/game thoughts. Sometimes I dabble in things outside of horror fiction such as watching shows, movies, and games. I’ll use this space to update you all on what I’m watching/playing!

And all free members will still have access to our monthly bookclub.

Now the perks for my Inner Sanctum.

Director’s Cut Reviews. A deeper look into my thoughts and reactions to the books I read. This will cover a much deeper review than I post on booksta.

Monthly curated guide. Each month I’ll post an overview of what I’m looking forward to most in the book/movie/gaming world. I’ll also post what I plan to read—please note I am a mood reader and can veer very far off course.

Cursed archives. A fun behind the scenes, monthly photo dump. Here you may see the photos that didn’t make it to insta. The cute mochi (my Pom pom) pictures. And more!

Horror shorts. Not sure how often this one may surface, but every now and then I may post a horror short. A short horror story written by me. I used to dabble in writing awhile back and every now and then some ideas hit. This will be a fun place to post them.

Puzzles and templates. I’ll try to make fun crossword puzzles/word searches and send them your way. Along with monthly reading templates for you insta stories.

Reading vlog. I’ll film some exclusive reading vlogs and post them for my inner sanctum to see!

Yearly reading challenge. Inner sanctum members will gain access to an exclusive reading challenge to complete over the year!

Please comment any other perk suggestions down low! I’ll be sure to add more.

Welcome to DIRECTOR'S CUT, my new review series that lets you dive a bit deeper into my thoughts on books I'm reviewing. I'll do my best to keep everything spoiler-free here.

Today I'm diving into Laurel Hightower's latest release via Shortwave Publishing-- The Long Low Whistle. Here's some quick stats before I dive in.

Title: The Long Low Whistle

Author: Laurel Hightower

Page Count: 220

Genre: Horror

Subgenre: Grief Horror, Survival Horror

Themes/Tropes: Group goes exploring and things go bad, Small town secrets, Spooky caves/mines, Cryptids, Claustraphobia

Comps: The Descent (Movie), The Ruins (book)

Series? Part of the VHS collection via shortwave.

Setting: A Kentucky Mine

Other works by this author: Below, Day of the Door, The Silent Key, Crossroads

Now that we know the basics, let's go cave diving!

Patricia (aka Trish) has spent the past eighteen years searching for answers on her father. Tragedy struck her small town when the mine collapsed killing several people--including her father. The town tried to stick the blame on him, but Trish knows he was innocent. She desperately wants to explore the mines and prove his innocence. When she hears of a group of cryptid hunters that have found a brief clip showing what happened in the mine, Trish teams up with them to get some evidence of their own. But something is lurking down in the mines. Something deadly. Trish's curiosity may wind up costing her her life.

This was a fast paced read that kept me engaged the entire time. The only reason I didn't finish it in one go was because it was Thanksgiving and I had guests over...Plus a full belly of turkey that knocked me out later that night.

The book immediately sucks you in with Hightower's beautiful storytelling. Hightower is an expert at grief horror. Her other novel, Crossroads, was one of the best books tackling the weight of grief I've read in a while. Grief affects everyone differently. Some people shut others out and turn inward, some keep pushing on and keep themselves busy, and some, like Trish, turn toward obessesion and answers.

Losing her father became a roadblock that Trish was never able to get over. Eighteen years later she's still searching for answers. I was happy to see that by the end of the novella Trish did have her questions answered and was finally able to close that chapter of her life.

I loved the tie-in to Hightower's other novella, Below. The nod made me happy. It also tempted me to pick up the book again. Cryptids are another of Hightower's strong suits. I won't spoil what you as the reader will find down in that cave, but if you've read Below, I can say that one creature from that novella is lurking within these pages.

Just be warned that this novella is addicting. If you are looking for a quick novella you can finish in one sitting filled with cryptids and claustaphobic tunnels, look no further. This book is well worth a read!

My rating: 4.5/5

THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER Inky Phoenix Zoom Conversation

Dec 3rd, 7pm ET: JOIN HERE

I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend.

I've been in spending time in the coastal redwoods, relaxing and planning for next year.

I wanted to drop a quick note to let you all know that one of the things I am thankful for this year is all of you! because without you none of this would be possible!

Together, we have seen how traditional publishing has let writers from marginalized groups down, and this year we have seen, in many ways, how publishing in community could be the perfect response.

This year, books from Bindery imprints have made best sellers lists, made (multiple) book boxes (including Aardvark!), made the Good Reads choice awards! And we are just beginning! It's a win-win for authors who decide to work with Bindery- all of the perks of traditional publishing and not having to worry about influencer support.

I will admit that this entire experience hasn't all been easy. I thought I was going to open up to Indigenous authors and have so many submissions, I wouldn't know how to narrow it down! But it's been a challenge! And I've been doing a lot of work, that will continue into next year, to help make sure Indigenous writers know about this incredible opportunity.

The decision to open up the imprint to women writing horror was a natural one. Women have always been the heart of horror. It's time to center them.

I believe that reading is resistance. And I believe that our publishing in community is resistance. I believe that traditional publishing sleeps on the best stories, the most needed stories. I believe that together we are opening up spaces for more perspectives, more stories- better stories, stories with depth, history, humor, rage and (GASP) originality.

I am so excited for the future of this imprint. Here is what is upcoming:

The cover for our first book What Feeds Below, by Tatiana Schlote Bonne, please add on Goodreads here, is almost done, which means I can almost share it with all of you. Paid subscribers get a first look (they've already seen many of the sketches) and $12 subscribers are going to get their names on the Thank You page of the book!). I believe we will be up on Netgalley by January at the latest (hopefully sooner!)

And there's more news. But I can't share it yet. It is very hard being the biggest gossip on the planet and having the most secrets that can't be shared. :)

What's Happening In The Community

• Bookclubs are planned (being voted on) through June of next year. Will be sharing the full list soon. The book clubs (Good Day to Read Indigenous and Women in Horror) take place in the community discord.

• We are currently doing 75 BOOKED as a community. Lookout for more fun challenges come 2026! Come join us!

• More Bingo Cards are coming for next year! (Obviously, I love a Bingo!)

• Soup Readathon is happening Dec 19-21! Come share soup recipes, make some soup, get cozy and read together all weekend.

What do you want to see for the entire community in 2026?

If you are a paid subscriber, what would you like to see as paid perks in 2026?

If you are not a paid subscriber, is there a paid perk that would make you upgrade?

What kind of content would you like to see here?

I said it earlier, but this truly would not be happening without your support and that doesn't go unnoticed! I'm so very appreciative of you! I am trying to work as hard as I can to be able to publish multiple books per year, because I believe that publishing needs a revolution- and the only folks who are going to bring it is US, the readers! Thank you for all the work that you do to uplift marginalized voices.

And as always....

If you can afford to upgrade to $5 a month (roughly the cost of 2 hardcover books per year!) you will get an e*arc of all of our books.

If you can afford to upgrade to $12 or $25 (thanks, mom) a month, you get your name in the book and you get a physical arc of all of our books!

Your contribution goes directly into the production of the books! (or back into the community w/community giveaways (more giveaways ARE coming. Did I mention that I have an extra copy of The Scammer by Tiffany D Jackson)?

If you are NOT doing 75 Booked with us and can go book shopping today, consider buying from my bookshop . org, as the proceeds go to Black Walnut Books, an Indigenous owned bookstore. (If you click on any book, it will take you to my storefront, you do not need to buy one of the books listed, but I SUGGEST YOU DO!)

If you've been around here for a while, you know that in our discord channel (which you can join by heading to the membership area and joining discord), we have two book clubs:

• Cottagecore & Co: We read Cottagecore, Mushroomcore, Witchy books, Cozy and Autumnal ones

• Ifrits & Ink: We read books in relation to the SWANA region (this could be set in the region, written by an author in the region or based on a folklore from the region)

So, what is changing in Ifrits & Ink?

While we are going to be changing the book club to a non-traditional book club approach (more to come on that tomorrow) and continuing to read SWANA related fantasy books (& a few other genres), we are also going to be:

• Reading diversely and supporting marginalised communities and authors

• Joining campaigns, auctions and sharing them to support raising awareness and funds for different targeted marginalised communities

What are we doing next?

• Starting tomorrow, we are joining Read Palestine Week

• Raising awareness for Creative4Sudan campaign (all info found in this post for the auction)

• Disability December: We are going to be reading for disability December

I hope you'll join us in this journey and tag along as we build this part of the community and support all marginalised groups. Don't forget that if you join discord, check out the roles channel and select "Ifrit" to see this part of the community

Hi everyone, and thank you so much/welcome to all of you who have signed up! I am really excited to be able to engage over here and connect with other like minded book people. A few updates for you and news.

First, regarding the book club as we have discussed a bit on IG. I am planning to start in January, and the idea will be to have a book monthly, but to select the books by quarter. So we will pick books for January, February, and March here in Early December. This way, if people are utilizing libraries or are in a situation where they can't get books quickly, they can plan. I am currently taking suggestions here and in our Discord server. I will compile the suggestions, then there will be a vote over here, and the top three books selected will be our first three book club books! So if you have suggestions, leave them in the comments below.

Next, if you would like to join us in Discord, you should have gotten an invite when you signed up for Bindery,. if you did not, there is a discord social link on the main landing page. We have a good group that has already started talking books, and the more the merrier. It will ask you some questions and I have to approve the members, but this helps us keep out bots and trolls.

For December, I am going to be posting my weekly reading updates, which down the road will be for paid members, for everyone, just so you can see what that content will look like.

Finally, if you are doing any book shopping for the holidays, please consider checking out the links in my Linktree (again, link on the main landing page here and in my bios on social media). I am a Bookshop.org affiliate, and so anything you buy through that kicks back a little my way. I also have a link for Pango books, where you can get $5 off your first Pango order of $10 or more for your first order. Pango is a great place to buy used books, and you will occasionally see me post about books I am selling on there. Any books you buy by clicking through the book links here on Bindery are similar, and kick back a little bit my way. My goal is not to be constantly trying to sell people stuff, and my plans for anything I earn off of this sort of stuff is to sink it back into books and making fun book content, but of course any support is always appreciated!

That is all for now - a new reading update will be out over the weekend, and early next week expect our first book club poll to pick books for the first quarter! If you know anyone who may be interested, please of course share freely.

Howdy lil freakies!

Here's my roll-up of everything I read this month. Full spoilers and deep dive reviews can be found on my YouTube channel, but you guys get to see what I read behind the scenes!

Below is a roll-up of books with unprofessional summaries and reasoning for the rating.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks ⭐/5

A woman in her 20s crashes a local university's psychology study. The professor running the study is sketchy af, and the book follows the dynamic between these two. I feel like everyone's motives were weird/nonsensical. There was no real reason for any of it, and it ended on such an oddly hollow note.

Never Lie by Freida McFadden ⭐⭐/5

Okay, genuinely, I'm becoming a certified fan (derogatory) of Freida. The writing sucks, the plots are nonsensical but it's genuinely so entertaining. I don't get tired of these weird weird books lol. This one was about a woman and her boyfriend who get trapped in a snowstorm. Trapped where, you ask? In a famous psychologsit's house... who went missing a few months ago. And from the jump, everyone is acting sketchy and lying to eachother.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley ⭐⭐⭐/5

This one will be my first December upload on the channel! There's a wedding being held on a creepy island. The book follows the POV of various guests and talks about their relationships and how they got to this point in their lives. Everything seems like rich people messy problems, until someone comes across a dead body. The premise was awesome. Only critique was that it was a sloooooow build and in general the pacing was a little off. Other issues are spoilers, so watch the video if you want more.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer ⭐⭐⭐/5

Eve and her girlfriend buy a house to flip. One day Eve is there alone and this off-putting family knocks on the door, says that they used to live there and would love to take a look around. AND SHE LETS THEM INSIDE. Someone on Goodreads said this book was r/NoSleep coded, and I couldn't say it better. It was interesting, and then we went off the rails in a way that felt like a Jordan Peele movie, but without the right set up.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman ⭐⭐/5

Speaking of Jordan Peele... 8 year old girl tells us about her daddy, mommy and other mommy. My stomach dropped reading the description and there were a few other moments in the book that gave me that feeling, however, they were over shadowed by repetitiveness and just odd narrative choice. It's from an 8 year old, but she talked/thought like she was much younger and then her parents talked to her like she was an adult. And also the tension of WHAT other mommy is and what she looks like is immediately ruined and she wasn't scary anymore, just a weird creepy vibes rommate instead of a monster under the bed. Ya know? I don't think monsters should be described directly or in detail, that almost always kills the vibe.

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Little boy's dad turns into a wolf monster when he gets mad. One day he runs from home and runs into a woman. She takes him in and tries to protect him. It's an absolute batshit ride from there. SUCH a unique premise, fast paced, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really enjoyed this one. The ending was a little meh, but great otherwise.

Bury Our Bones in Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab ⭐⭐/5

Getting away from thriller and horror genre binge, I read this fantasy/historical fiction/toxic saphhic vampire book. That premise? Wild. Love. Sign me up. The execution? ahhhhhhh. The ending pissed me off enough to go down an entire star. But, it was a multiple timeline story that eventually interconnects and boy howdy do I eat that up lmao. The timeline, premise and general vibes really carried this book. The characters felt shallow, the pacing wasn't the best and that ending made get up and go for a walk because I was so mad and made me feel like I wasted my time.

Other News

I'll be doing a 2025 Q&A video in a few weeks. If there's anything you've ever wanted to know, ask me here!

For full spoilers and long-form deep dives of other books I read this month, check out my YouTube channel!

In November, I reviewed:

Animal Farm by George Orwell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Hooked by Emily McIntire ⭐⭐/5

Housemaid series by Freida McFadden ⭐/5

Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver ⭐⭐⭐/5

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell ⭐⭐/5

Good morning, mis Internet amigxs,

Holiday shopping season has officially begun and there are a number of ways to shop online to benefit independent bookstores while getting an excellent deal!

1. Bookshop.org has FREE SHIPPING through November 30th site wide. that includes all my curated bookshelves; PLUS they have 25% off 150+ titles handpicked by indie booksellers. Bookshop is a wonderful alternative to big retail chain online bookstores this holiday season because a portion of every purchase goes towards indie bookstores.

2. LibroFM Shop Small Audiobook Sale has begun! They have a plethora of bookseller and bestseller picks for $5.99 or less! Did you know you can gift audiobooks (in addition to monthly subscriptions)? Every purchase through libroFM benefits an indie bookstore of your choice.

3. Everything in my Pango Bookshop is currently 20% off and orders of $60 or more get free shipping! I will be adding more books this weekend and have a number of rare and special editions up for grabs!

Happy holidays!

Carmen

Today is a great day for reflection.

How many books by Indigenous authors have you read this year?

How many books by Indigenous authors have you bought this year?

I'm going to include some books that I recommend adding to your shelves today! Buy one (or a few) that sound the most interesting to you.

Instead of shopping for the best Black Friday sale, commit to supporting the work we do at this imprint for a year for $5 a month(That's the cost of two hardcover books per year).

Forget hollow land acknowledgments and show support for the people. We are still here.

Have a great holiday. How you show up matters.