Hi hi! Little bit of post holiday catch up but for December we are reading hemlock and silver by t. Kingfisher! We will be starting it Friday so you still have some time to snag a copy before we dive in.

Good morning, mis internet amigxs!

I must first apologize for being late with the newsletter for my Lectores and Libritos members, as my mom went to the emergency room on Sunday and we were there late into the night, with some follow-ups yesterday. Simultaneously, I'd had a lingering migraine that became a full-blown one last night that slowed me down quite a bit all day until it completely shut me down. It's receding now as I type this and I hope it goes away altogether soon.

I can't believe we're entering the last month of 2025. This was both the longest year of my life as well as the shortest. I'm so happy you're here and grateful for your support. This has been a year of tremendous change and your support has meant the absolute world to me. Thank you so much for being here.

For Lectores and Libritos supporters, this is the "late" version of your usual newsletter. I'm sharing all the December releases with all levels of support today in hopes of enticing those who may have been wanting to financially support Bien Leidos Bindery with the full newsletter I usually write-up for paid subscribers. There are 2 levels of paid support for this channel--$5 and $12. Please consider supporting your favorite Latine creator this holiday season or upping your support. I have several projects I'm working on simultaneously for 2026: podcast, youtube, and finally working to finalize the website where I hope to have a permanent repository of Latine book recs. These projects require tremendous amounts of time and resources aside from my usual social media posts that I could really use your help with. The first to know will always be my Lectores members (be on the lookout for some podcast guest updates soon!).

For anyone who's read this far, thank you for letting me pitch myself! Here are a few more things I'd like to remind you of:

Omar is building the first library in Gaza after the genocide and he needs your support. Donate to his fundraiser and/or amplify. You can amplify my message on Tik Tok here.

LibroFM's Shop Small Sale continues with many best selling audiobooks for $5.99 or less. You can gift these audiobooks as well, which make great stocking stuffers!

Bookshop's 25% off sale and free shipping continue through December 10th!

And now, on to all December Latine releases on my radar!

DECEMBER 2nd

Sea Salt and Coffee Beans by Grace Santamaria: Miami-set women's fiction following a Latinx woman whose navigating her career, immigration troubles, and unexpected romance.

TRANSLATED FICTION

Galapagos! by Fatima Velez and translated by Hannah Kauders: Colombian author, Fatima Velez, debut novel following a group of bohemian artists who are dying of AIDS as they embark on a surreal final voyage through the Galapagos Islands, their bodies cloaked in the skins of the dead.

The Jaguar's Roar by Micheliny Verunschk and translated by Juliana Barbassa (audiobook) The story of an Indigenous girl’s kidnapping during a colonial expedition intertwines with a young woman’s modern-day search for identity and ancestral truths. In 1817, 2 German scientists travel across Brazil and the Amazon gathering flora and fauna to bring back to Bavaria. They also brough 2 Indigenous children back with them. In this novel, Micheliny writes the fictional perspective of the Miranha girl, of the jaguar she conjures for protection, of the German scientists who determine her fate, and of the two rivers that frame her life. Intertwined in this narrative is a story of Brazil's suppression of its Indigenous history, and of a young woman named Josefa, a newcomer unmoored in the megacity of São Paulo, who identifies with the girl after seeing her image in an exhibit and tries to recover the child's voice and story.

ROMANCE

Sparks Fly by Zakiya Jamal (audiobook) An Afro-Cuban late bloomer thinks a visit to a sex club will help jump start her life, but ends up making an instant connection. When she shows up to work the next day, she discovers he's the brother of the CEO of the AI company that's trying to take over her job--things heat up in the workplace.

ANTHOLOGY

We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope edited by Karen Lord, Malka Older, et. al (audiobook) imaginative pieces from writers such as NK Jemisin, Charlie Jane Anders, Alejandro Heredia, Sam J. Miller, Nisi Shawl, and Sabrina Vourvoulias center solidarity, empathy, hope, joy, and creativity.

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

The Last Vampire by Romina Garber (audiobook) Pride and Prejudice x Crave. Austen-loving Lorena Navarro attends a new boarding school expecting to find her own Mr. Darcy, but accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire instead!

Crowdtide by Alex Aster (Audiobook) Fourth installment in the Lightlark Saga.

DECEMBER 15th

Marayrasu by Edgardo Rivera Martinez and translated by Amy Olen: First English-language short story collection from Peruvian author.

Ni De Aqui No De Allaby Jorge Xolapla-Vazquez: Memoir of filmmaker Jorge Xolapla-Vazquez, who comes to the US as a young boy and whose life is shaped by his immigration and DACA status. An ode to the power of storytelling.

xoxo,

Carmen

Hi all and welcome to my monthly wrap up! With November over--and man did it fly--it's time to talk about what I read and how I liked each book. I read a total of ten books this month! How many did you read?

Strange Houses by Uketsu-- I really enjoyed Strange Pictures by this author. Strange Houses involves a mystery that unfolds around a house's odd floor plan. What started as house hunting turns into investigating cults and murder. This one was fun! I was instantly sucked into Uketsu's mystery once again!

My Name Isn't Paul by Drew Huff-- Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers but gory and hornier. This book is weird and full of insects. It's quick, fast-paced, and honestly a good time. Huff does weird fiction so well. I read their other book Divine Flesh earlier this year and enjoyed it as well.

The Library At Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw--A dark academia book full of death, gore, and monsters. Do not eat while you're reading this book... Khaw's work is lyrical and poetically written. Just goes to show that there is beauty in terror. Dark academia is not my favorite subgenre so this one was okay for me. But I know many people who read and loved it.

The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt-- I have to admit this one was not my favorite. It had so many elements working in it's favor. A haunted farmhouse. Rural life. Humor. CHICKENs named after the Golden Girls. But for 400 pages I really don't feel like I was captivated. This is not a bad book. Just not for me--but may be for you. I MEAN CHICKENS AND GOLDEN GIRLS...

On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel--Ugh... this book had no right to rip my heart out and trample it. This book is beautiful but oh so brutal. It's not for everyone. It covers so many difficult subjects--drugs, addiction, sex work, murder, neglectful parents, rape...Oh and did I mention it's inspired by the real life unsolved crime of Chillicothe Six.

In Darkness by Alan Risi--If you are a fan of investigating the supernatural and a fun, quirky main character, you should pick this one up. Think Supernatural, The Conjuring, and The Exorcist in terms of vibes. Alex belongs to an old order that investigates and eradicate ancient creatures. He is tasked with helping a family that is being hunted by a creature targeting a young girl.

Moon Of The Crusted Snow by Waubgheshig Rice--This one left me with so many questions and I loved every second of it. Winter looms and a small northern Anishinaabe tribe loses communication with the outside world. From there, things escalate. It really goes to show how quickly the world can go to crap when structure and order are taken away.

The Me You Love In The Dark by Skottie Young--A beautiful comic that follows a struggling artist who decides to rent a haunted house to get inspired. I loved the artwork in this one. It was so colorful and vivid. And the story was quite fun!

The Long Low Whistle by Laurel Hightower--A chilling novella that deals with grief and obsession. It's perfect for fans of The Descent. It follows a woman who lost her father at a young age in a mine accident. Eighteen years later she finds a way in the mine to try and tries to figure out what really happened down there. She teams up with a group of cryptid hunters who believe there may be a beast down in the mine.I loooooved this one ! It's so tense and claustraphobic.

Hello Folks,

Women in Horror Book Club 2026 is gonna be lit! If you aren't in the club, simply connect to the Discord and join us! Book club takes place primarily in the Discord and occasionally, the authors join us for a chat! I will update these photos again once What Feeds Below and Our Cut of Salt have covers out!

CAN YOU BELIEVE TO BARGAIN WITH MORTALS HAS BEEN OUT IN THE WORLD FOR A MONTH???

It feels surreal, but she's really out there, all over the world. So I set aside today as a sort of celebratory day and there are some things I've got for you guys and some Calls To Action I have to request of you.

From me to you

First up, I just posted the public release of a previously subscriber-only podcast episode! An interview/intro with R.A. Basu! Listen to this episode of Reader Tangents here or wherever you get your podcasts

For subscribers, I just posted one of the coolest things I've ever shared on Bindery: A complete retrospective of To Bargain With Mortals. Every single step of how it went from an idea to a published novel over the course of four and a half years.
R.A. went back through years of documents to give us dates in the timeline, but also the photo the original text prompt was based on (hey there Jimin), the original Pitch Wars query letter back when it was a completely different book, and some of the older working title options (and why she hated them), all in the years before it made its way to me and we here became a part of the process.
See that post here.

And finally on my end, I have one of our last VIP Influencer mailer boxes from promoting TBWM to give away to one of you! You can see a breakdown of what's in the boxes we designed here! This post was previously posted for Subscribers in July but is now unlocked for everyone.

To win this box, just tell me in the comments here if you've had a chance to read TBWM yet or if it's in good company on your TBR! (whether you've read it or not has no bearing on your chances of winning.)
U.S. only.

And now, for a few things I'd like to ask of you.

If you haven't purchased a copy of To Bargain With Mortals yet for yourself, OR if you're planning on gifting it for the holidays, today is a great day to buy it!

Bookshop.org currently has Free Shipping (through tonight) and is a space for online book shopping that I will always recommend over Amazon because they share profits with independent bookstores!

If you HAVE read Bargain, please please please post your review! Even if you feel like you don't really have much to say in reviews or know how to write a review (there's no one right way!), even just a rating and/or a couple short and sweet thoughts is great.
Obviously the main place for sharing reviews is Goodreads (main place both for readers and for publishing as an industry), but if you've already done that, have you considered cross-sharing the review on retail sites like

Amazon (oh the duality of hating this company and yet being beholden to the position it holds with sales, it's great for ebook visibility if there are reviews here but I do not understand why Amazon doesn't just import goodreads reviews automatically since they own goodreads. Ugh, let me not get on my soapbox about this right now...)

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

And as always, I love to see whenever you guys share TBWM on socials so keep tagging me in stories and photos and videos ^_^ They make me so happy! Looking at my notifications like

OH AND ONE LAST THING!

The map lives! If you live in one of the following states, you can help us fill out a U.S. full of TBWM:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Colorado

Delaware

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nevada

New Mexico

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Utah

West Virginia

Wyoming

I'm collecting pictures of Bargain in bookstores all across the country! If you see it out in the wild, I'd love it if you could pop a photo in discord or email it to me at business@emmaskies.net

Happy one month and may TBWM have many more happy months to come <3

Hi friends! Let's talk Cozy Quill Book Club...

We're revving up for another lovely year of cozy reading! In 2026, our picks will spotlight mostly older releases that are easy to borrow, making library-centered reading our main focus. If we can do an entire year JUST supporting our local libraries, how amazing would that be?

So, as you see the choices each month, just know that is our heart behind the picks. We want to make this book club feel as accessible as possible, so let's celebrate reading stories we may have missed over the years or re-read some old faves.

If you're new to Cozy Quill, welcome! We host our book club within the discord community.

There will always be a forum created so you can pop into each chapter set and chat about what you've just read with other members. At this time, we don't host a live book club event but if anyone would like to host one, reach out. We'd love to connect you and get that started!

Here's what we're reading over the next 3 months:

DECEMBER:

"Return to the fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple…

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when nothing seems inevitable."

JANUARY:

"She doesn't need to have magic in order to be magic…

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

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

FEBRUARY:

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

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

20 Books to Cozy Up With This Holiday Season!

December is the month of magic, mystery, and cozy chaos. Whether you crave a hilarious rom-com that will make you snort hot cocoa or a chilling whodunnit set against a snowy landscape, we've wrapped up 20 books perfect for your reading list.

Get ready to curl up by the fire or the pantomime stage and dive in!

💖Holiday Chaos & Rom-Com Hijinks

If you believe the best way to win a heart is through public humiliation and town-wide spectacles, these are for you.

1. Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn

Atlas "Max" Maxheimer just wants to save his Christmas tree farm, but new-in-town Betty is opening a rival farm next door. What follows is a small-town rivals-to-lovers war involving stolen ornaments, holiday hijinks, and one suspiciously strong soda bottle. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and utterly delicious.

2. Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

Clara Davenport, tasked with solving her family company's PR nightmare, clashes immediately with Jack Kelly, the independent toymaker who thinks her company is the problem. It’s a battle of frosty demeanor versus holiday cheer, where the plan to charm the locals leads to an unexpected enemies-to-lovers thaw.

3. The Christmas Lodge by Fiona Baker

High-powered Lacy Preston inherits a sprawling old house in snowy Snowy Pine Ridge and plans to sell it immediately. But local dog-sledder Derek Morse.who almost runs her over and an abandoned puppy convinces her to stay a little longer. This is a small-town romance filled with charm, mystery, and arresting green eyes.

4. All in for Christmas by Ginny Baird

Practical Paige Pierce wonders what her life would be like if she hadn't left her college boyfriend, Dean. Thanks to a rare comet and a mysterious holiday vendor, she wakes up in an alternate reality with Dean, two kids, and a dog. This is a delightful holiday fantasy that asks: did she choose the right life?

✨Witchy Warmth & Enchanted Escapes

For those who like their holiday magic with a sprinkle of spells, sass, and cozy chaos.

5. Jingle Spells by Emily Grimoire

Delilah, a witch who hates Christmas, is forced back to her magical hometown of Oak Haven, where she runs into Jasper, a human who also hates Christmas. When chaos erupts, they must join forces. This cozy forced-proximity romance is the perfect blend of Gilmore Girls and Charmed.

6. Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross

Five sexy short stories featuring the Savoie sisters of New Orleans. Expect mischief and mayhem, from a hexed hottie to a Dirty Santa gift that leads to scorching heat, all set in a world where getting hexy for the holidays is just a normal Tuesday.

7. Season of the Witch by Sophie H. Morgan

Witch Tia Hightower must fake date her ex, Henry, at a winter house party to secure an investment. The only problem? A potion mishap erased his memory of her. Sharing a room and a bed means the snow-melting heat between them is back, but Henry’s memories could surface at any moment.

8. Christmas With The Elf King by Lenore Stutznegger

Human baker Noelle is chosen by the cold, handsome Elf King to bake for him in the Undying Lands of Ravensong. Forced to use her new baking magic to cure a curse on the land, she finds her heart thawing toward the brooding king. A perfect cozy Christmas fantasy.

🏰Gothic & Historical Holiday Haunts

When you need something atmospheric, icy, or steeped in deep secrets and mythology.

9. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

A magical debut that takes you to the edge of the Russian wilderness where winter is eternal. Vasilisa loves the chilling story of Frost, but when her new stepmother forbids honoring the household spirits, evil creeps nearer. Vasilisa must embrace her concealed, dangerous gifts to protect her family.

10. Holly by Adalyn Grace

Blythe and Aris's peaceful holidays at the mysterious Wisteria Gardens manor are shattered by restless spirits whispering dark secrets. Joined by Signa and Death, they must unravel the past before the holiday of love becomes the greatest threat. Expect dark shadows and mortal danger.

11. Sweet Silver Bells: A Gothic Holiday Romance by Elle Kaelee

A gothic holiday romance where magic and mourning meet ghosts and the haunted hush of Christmas. In 1914, Olivia is found in the woods by Hunter, a grieving schoolteacher in the present day. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window, this story is about the most powerful gift of all: a heart that still dares to hope.

12. The Duke Who Ruined Christmas by Scarlett Scott

American heiress Adelia Fox believes the arrogant Duke of Marchingham, Lionel, is a heartless monster. When she gets snowed in with the icy and disapproving duke, she finds herself trapped in a threadbare manor with a man who is maddeningly handsome. A scorching hot historical romance about an irresistible fire melting an icy duke.

🔪Murder, Mayhem, & Mysteries

For readers who prefer their winter white with a splash of blood and a puzzle to solve.

13. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called to investigate a shocking murder in the picturesque Quebec village of Three Pines during Christmas. CC de Poitiers was electrocuted on a frozen lake in front of the whole village, and yet no one saw a thing. A brilliant, compassionate mystery that digs beneath the idyllic surface.

14. The Mistletoe Murder Club by Katie Marsh

Former actress and current struggling detective Clio lands a role in the town’s Christmas pantomime, only for the esteemed director to be murdered on opening night. Clio's best chance of finding the killer? Concealing her friends in a pantomime cow costume. Hilarious, high-stakes amateur sleuthing.

15. The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah

Hercule Poirot and Inspector Catchpool celebrate New Year’s Eve on a tiny Greek island, where a chilling resolution promises to perform "the last and first death of the year." Hours later, a resident is found dead. A classic holiday mystery from the author of Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night.

16. At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Reverend Clare Fergusson and her ex-police chief husband Russ find their Christmas disrupted when a holiday parade is crashed by white supremacists. Their investigation pulls them into a parallel world of militias, machinations, and murder in the forbidding High Peaks of the Adirondacks.

17. The Witching Hour: Haunting Tales for Long Dark Nights by Various Authors

From the creators of The Haunting Season comes a brand new collection of ghostly tales perfect for the darkest time of year. Thirteen bestselling authors explore the time after midnight when darkness reigns and strange things roam the earth. Curl up with a candle, and prepare to be spooked.

🫂Love, Redemption, and Found Family

Heartwarming stories focused on second chances, emotional healing, and the power of connection.

18. Good Spirits by B.K. Borison

Nolan Callahan, the Ghost of Christmas Past, is assigned to haunt Harriet York. As they examine her past, they discover threads that bind them together, forcing them to confront what moving on truly means. A magical, spirited connection with cozy holiday charm.

19. Snowbound at Christmas by Lacy Williams, Wendy Klopfenstein, Wendy Galinetti and Traci Summeril

One Christmas snowstorm creates havoc for three couples in this anthology. Three heartwarming love stories about old feelings being rekindled, new love blooming amid blizzards, and finding a protector beneath a hard exterior. Perfect for a cozy winter's afternoon.

20. A Scottish Christmas Hideaway by Ellie Henderson

Heartbroken Jessica returns to her Scottish village home to find her brother’s former infuriating best friend, ruggedly handsome architect Reuben Campbell, everywhere she turns. They share frost-bitten walks and gingerbread disasters, but Reuben is hiding secrets. Can two people with every reason to resist give in to a second chance?

❓️Which holiday book is going straight to the top of your December TBR pile? Let us know in the comments!

Hey Booksworn,

Apologies for being absent! Ed & I have been very ill for almost a week. I am feeling on the up, so we will be a bit more active very soon. We are so excited to read The Only Good Indians for the first month EVER of the bookclub!

Truth & Courage,

Will & Ed

The 11.5 books that I read in December!

Horror book pick: Sleep Tight 1⭐️

I read this at the very beginning of the month and did not enjoy this one AT ALL. It had so many elements that I should have loved but I don’t think it was executed well. It also wasn’t scary at all. I literally couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in this book even right after I finished it nonetheless NOW. Was very disappointed since I wanted to be able to discuss this with you guys but I literally have nothing more to say about this one :/

Fantasy book pick: Malice 4.5⭐️

• I had an absolute blast with this! Definitely for my seasoned classic fantasy lovers out there! It took me like 40% of the book to actually get used to all the characters and understand where the story is going but wow that last portion of the book was action packed and insane. So many twists and turns. Filled with battles if you’re into that. I immediately jumped into book 2!

All other books

• Valor (currently reading but almost done) the second book in the faithful and the fallen and I’m absolutely loving where it’s going

• The Eyes are the Best Part 4 ⭐️

• Maeve Fly 2⭐️

• Fallen City 3.5 ⭐️

• Slewfoot 3.5 ⭐️

• What Hunger 3.5 ⭐️

• The Teacher 2 ⭐️

• The Ex 3⭐️

• The Wife Upstairs (currently reading will finish tonight)

• The Amberglow Candy Store 2⭐️

DNF

• The Night that Finds Us All

Hi folks,

The poll for our December book club book is live now, in the announcements channel of the Discotopia Discord.

This is a pretty chill book club, we’ll discuss the book via messages on Discord sometime after Christmas. The last book was Sleep Like Death, which got quite a lot of mixed reactions, which was fun!

For December I’ve tried to pick books with a vaguely cosy vibe. Do jump into the Discord and join us!

Love,

Disco

I've been meaning to read "Braiding Sweegrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer for literal years now. As someone who loves nature writing, up until now, I have never read the quintessential book of the genre. Finally, this year, I picked up Kimmerer's "The Serviceberry" and knew that I had to read everything else she's ever written as soon as possible, and so I did.

This is an absolutely brilliant and necessary book to understand our symbiotic relationship with plants and what we can do to make it more equal. This is the kind of book that will definitely change my day-to-day perspective as I walk through life. It has already made me pause and think about how I interact with the world around me. It's made me pause and take notice of the little things. I'm so grateful for that.

I'm actually glad that I read "The Serviceberry" first. I think it's a great introduction to Kimmerer's ideology and easily accessible. Then, if you enjoy it, pick up "Braiding Sweetgrass." I highly recommend reading this slowly and reading one chapter a day to let it really sit with you.

I wanted to put together some visuals showcasing my favorite quotes of the book (and to hopefully convince you to not wait like I did read this book).