Hi friends!

Quick update for our JADE CITY book talk: I need to move it to next week, at the same time and also on a Thursday (so now the 13th at 9:45am CST!). August is full of doctor appointments and I need to go over some things ahead of next week's colonoscopy.

(I am very anxious about that. Despite planning to read so many spooky, scary, silly books, I have a hunch this will be my most nerve-racking experience of the month, lol.)

That said, a week before the Summer Scare Readathon kicks off, I've finalized my TBR! And one of these 👀👀 will be our next book club pick!:

I matched them up with each of the prompts:

(Although admittedly Pumpkinheads is YA, not MG! I set myself a goal to "shop" my shelves entirely for this challenge and I've already read my friend Lindsay Puckett's MG spooky novels for this very challenge in previous years lolol. If you haven't, I would HIGHLY recommend THE GLASS WITCH and THE ODDS. This is also clearly the sign I need to buy more spooky MG novels. All my old, lost Goosebumps are weeping!)

I can't wait to get reading all these! Because of the aforementioned colonoscopy, I'll probably get a head start since I'll be in desperate need of a distraction in the days and hours before the procedure. Maybe that will give me a better chance at actually reading all nine before the Readathon ends, lol.

Do you have a favorite readathon you participate in every year? Let me know! And hope to see y'all next Thursday. Until then, happy reading. 📖

So, what have I been up to?

I took July off from social media because I was feeling burned out and needed space to reassess how I spend my time and energy. I read fewer books, but I gave more attention to each book I chose.

I spent much of the month reading nonfiction, specifically antiracist work and books about deconstructing religious trauma. I want to keep growing as a therapist and as a person. I have been committed to this work for more than 15 years, and my commitment continues.

I won’t make promises about what to expect from me online moving forward. I will say my reading has shifted almost entirely toward sapphic media, with exceptions for epic fantasy and the occasional outlier.

Speaking of epic fantasy, I read The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemison this past month, and I feel like the series altered my DNA. I’m working on a full review because I have far too many thoughts for a short post.

I’m also reading the second book in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy. The series carries many of the same anticolonial themes I loved in The Broken Earth trilogy, so I’ll share more once I finish all three books.

I’ve also been working with Frankie, my business partner, to get Bound & Breathless up and running. We hope to launch our first preorder within the next few weeks. Newsletter signups are live, and I’ll link the signup below.

At the same time, I’m figuring out what the future of my private practice looks like.

Oh, and I’m about to publish my first book. A nonfiction book. I'll talk more about that in another post as well.

https://boundandbreathless.eo.page/newsletter

It's Tuesday! Which means the publishing goddesses have delivered again. Here's what dropped today that you should know about.

Eyes of Kings by Chloe Gong

The third book in the Flesh and False Gods series. The kingdom of Talin is unraveling — a recently dethroned king is ready to go to war against the woman who took his crown, and nobody in this world is walking away clean. If you've been following this series, you already know Gong doesn't do easy endings. If you haven't started yet, this is your sign to catch up before everyone else finishes it first.

A Clash of Carnivores by Liselle Sambury

Book two in the Mastery of Monsters trilogy. A girl bonded for life to a monster has to prepare for something called the Monster's Ball, and their relationship is exactly as complicated as that sounds. YA horror that doesn't flinch. Sambury writes fear the way it's supposed to feel — visceral and personal.

Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters

A grieving teenager accidentally stumbles into the underworld while mourning his boyfriend, and has to choose between an ordinary life with his grief or a love that might undo him entirely. YA fantasy romance with real emotional weight behind it. Bring tissues.

The Lion & the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent

Opens the Bloodborn Duet, set within the wider Crowns of Nyaxia universe. If you're already living in this world, this is the one you've been waiting for.

I'm so thankful to everyone who has joined me here since my launch a few weeks ago. I'm really hopeful that we can build this up into a robust bookish community!

As a Bindery Tastemaker, I'm able to offer perks to the members of my page as well as bonus perks to those who choose to support me by joining one of the paid membership tiers. I realize that everyone's situation is different and committing to a monthly membership fee is not something everyone can do, so please know that I am so grateful you're here, even at the Follower level.

Today, I wanted to share a few things you can look forward to as a member of my Bindery community!

• You Can Sit with Us Book Club: We will be reading primarily romance, fantasy, and romantic fantasy, focusing on new-ish releases. I plan to alternate genres each month and focus on indie authors a significant amount of the time. TCSWU Book Club will be run asynchronously through Discord, so make sure you join via the link on my page so that your membership information syncs.

  August's book pick is A Tangled Magic and I am so excited because the author has agreed to a Q&A session exclusively for our book club! I am hopeful to be able to connect with authors for Q&As on a regular basis. I will also be hosting monthly Zoom calls for members who enjoy live discussions!

• Games: Bindery Bingo begins on September 1st! I will be sharing a seasonal Bingo card with instructions on how to play once the start date gets closer. Open to all Followers!

• Giveaways: I will be sharing a Bindery exclusive giveaway in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. Inner Circle and Producer level members will receive bonus giveaway entries!

• Industry Chats/Podcast Episodes: I'm very excited about this perk! It is very much in the works, but I am lining up a handful of authors and bookish folks to share their stories with our community. Access will likely be available at the Inner Circle subscription level.

That's it for today, friends! There are so many cool features here on Bindery, I hope you'll spend some time exploring. I plan on sharing a post with some of my favorite features soon!

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will do my best to find the answers!

Okay, have y'all read Kennedy Ryan's novella The Close Up?

Because it was SO good!

It was around 200 pages, so I was able to finish it quickly, and the best part? It's free on Audible!

At first, I was confused because I was like...wait, do I know these people? Iris? Why does she feel familiar?

And then I realized...Kennedy Ryan brought back characters from across her universe.

We get appearances from Iris and August, Lotus and her husband from Reel & Block Shot, other characters from the Hoops series, and even characters from the Grip series.

It honestly felt like a little reunion.

All of these characters come together for a two-week cruise celebrating Keanan's 40th birthday, and as someone who has read some of Kennedy Ryan's other books, it was so much fun seeing these characters again.

Reading about Iris again felt nostalgic, and it honestly made me want to go back and finish more of Kennedy Ryan's catalog because clearly...I have been missing out.

This is a second chance romance and our FMC is sexually confident and knows what she wants, while our MMC is a man who knows exactly what he wants and isn't afraid to pursue her.

Together? These two are explosive.

And let me tell you...

Mrs. Ryannnnn.

The spice.

The spice was SPICY. 😂

There are multiple kinks explored, and at times I will admit the spice almost overshadowed the plot because whew...Kennedy came to play.

But overall, this was such a fun, quick read. It was entertaining, nostalgic, and a great addition to Kennedy Ryan's interconnected universe.

Highly recommend!

Have y'all read The Close Up? Or do you have a favorite Kennedy Ryan book?

welcome to betty's bookish thoughts!

writing out messages like this is very new to me, but i'm excited to pour all my passion and quirks and creativity into this space. you can follow along my bookish journey, hear some authentic or unhinged thoughts and buy books via my posts. you can even join the "inner circle" but no pressure-- i'll include some exclusive content like reading and life updates. & you would have my unending gratitude for supporting my favorite hobby <3

please enjoy!

Here's your weekly roundup of romances hitting shelves this week that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted.

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel out today. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Be Still My Unbeating Heart by Josh Winning (G.P. Putnam's Sons) — Gay himbo vampire with a talking cat. Sold!

Sex Positive by Brooklyn Rose (indie) — I stumbled across this indie title while digging around for new releases and fell in love with the premise: a college student hates abstinence-only sex education and wants to launch a comprehensive sex ed program... but she's never had sex. Luckily, her hot nemesis is the campus playboy, and he's willing to lend a helping hand. Available on KU.

Embrace by Bal Khabra (Berkley) — I've never dipped my toe into this hockey romance series set in college, but folks love it.

Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt (St. Martin's Griffin) — Another author I desperately need to read but haven't gotten around to yet. Lost and Found includes very thoughtful and detailed content warnings, especially about IVF, infertility, and the death of a loved one to cancer, so read with caution.

International Relations by Zac Hammett (Slowburn/Zando) — This sounds like The Proposal but gay. Fake dating turns into a real marriage because of Visa complications.

Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters (Viking Books for Young Readers) — A Hadestown-coded YA novel by past Rebel Ever After guest.

Rogue Around the Edges by Lydia Lloyd (indie) — A new banger from one of my favorite historical romance authors. I'm about 20% in and glued to my Kindle. Lloyd is one of those indies who has more talent than most of the traditionally published authors on shelves today, sorry not sorry, I said what I said.

Ghosts That We Knew by Amity Malcom (indie) — This book cover goes so hard, y'all. A rare romance with a trans MMC. Available on KU.

WELCOME TO AUGUST, mis internet amigxs!

We're entering the month before Latinx Heritage Month which means a typhoon of books are coming your way this month. I'm SO excited to feature today's releases!

SUPPORT BIEN LEIDOS

If you'd like to receive an early newsletter of ALL the month's upcoming Latine releases (with some secret things in the works!), including a summary of each book, and/or want to support me as a creator and help me FINALLY publish a Latine book through Bindery (my literal dream!), then please consider supporting me at the Libritos or Lectores level! All your support helps me broaden my reach and supports me as a full-time content creator.

AUGUST BOOK CLUB

As a reminder, we're reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (audiobook) this month!! This noir truly captivated me and I'm so excited to chat with you on Discord about it.

We're also continuing Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer (Audiobook) for those who are on the Summer School journey with me.

VOTE FOR SEPTEMBER FICTION AND NONFICTION READS

Our September book club poll for both our fiction and nonfiction sidequest reads are up for another couple of days on both Bindery (I fixed the glitch and you can now vote twice!) AND on Discord as well if you feel passionate about one of our picks. Get your votes in before the polls close! Official announcement will be made before the end of the week!

And now onto today's Latine releases!!

Literary Fiction

Take What You Can by Naima Coster (Audiobook)

Romance

Drawn Together by Mercedes Ron (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen

Originally created by Nox Quiroz on 5 November 2025

This post may include affiliate links, which means we make a small commission on any sales. This commission helps Feminist Book Club pay our contributors, so thanks for supporting small, independent media!

I think the personal curriculum trend on TikTok is revolutionary. If you haven’t heard of it, here’s the gist: People decide to further their education and share what they want to learn about, at whatever cost they choose (or no cost, if they stick to YouTube, podcasts, and libraries). Discussions are had in the comments. Ideas, materials, and other suggestions are exchanged. Information and inspiration flows freely. It's everything that education could be. Should be.

The personal curriculum trend was popularized by creator Elizabeth Jean (@xparmesanprincessx). The idea is to create a personalized curriculum around whatever you want to learn. It can be as intense or as laid-back as you choose. Elizabeth Jean has a new curriculum each month, but many people, myself included, go by the season. It's entirely customizable to you, and many people share their curricula on TikTok, using #PersonalCurriculum or #CurriculumClub. 

I noticed this trend at a time when I had begun to wonder if I was losing my intelligence now that I was no longer in school. I’ve always prided myself on being smart, and on always learning. My grandmother never graduated high school. My mom had to go to night classes for years before she was able to get her degree. My dad never graduated college. As a result, I built my own identity around education and intelligence.

But I recently began to wonder how I could possibly continue that education post-college. I found myself wishing I had chosen to do a double major, or pick up a minor… wishing I had learned more. 

And then I saw the personal curricula on TikTok, and I realized I could continue my education, which is so integral to my development as a feminist.

Education and Feminism

Education–and who has access to it–is inherently political. Who has the funds to go to college? What educational opportunities do we have when we're young? At a time when the ten commandments are now required in some schools, and when books are being banned throughout the country, education is political.

It's important that as feminists, we are always learning. The great thing about the personal curriculum is that we can choose how we learn, and what we learn about. 

I first decided that I wanted to learn about the history of food, individual dishes, and ingredients. Eventually, I became curious about the role women have played when it comes to food, as well as the evolution of foods that were historically for poor people being turned into luxury items. I watched a Business Insider video about Michelin-star ingredients, and watched as two of those items were created in one of the poorest countries, Madagascar. What was initially a curiosity about the evolution of my favorite foods turned into research regarding the wealth inequality that comes with food, and the role women have played throughout history, often from the kitchen. 

Of course, you can choose laid-back subjects in your own curriculum. I have an entire course dedicated to the Magic Tree House books. But as feminists, it's important that we know how to learn, that we find a way to enjoy learning, and that we continue to learn. 

I mean, that's one of the joys of Feminist Book Club. I end up learning something new every month.

A Structure Of Our Own Making

I have been craving structure for my learning, but I can create one with the personal curriculum. I get to decide what I want to learn and how I will do it. 

I personally have eight different "courses" for the Fall (due to the fact that I do not work a 9-5). Every day, I pick one subject to focus on. As long as I've done something related to that subject, I've succeeded. It's low-stakes but still structured enough that my neurodivergent brain thrives.

I'm also assigning myself end-of-the-quarter "projects" to highlight my learning. There is a lot of discussion online about how having some form of output to show what you've learned is integral to the learning process. But my output varies for each subject. For my History of Food course, maybe I'll write an essay on the history of my favorite food, or maybe I'll cook a historical meal. I can create my own conlang (constructed language) for History of Language, or do an art project each week for Magic Tree House Learning. The possibilities are endless.

At the same time, personal curricula are flexible enough to account for life circumstances. I've had a concussion for the past month, and I haven't been able to focus on my curriculum. That's okay, though, because the personal curriculum is low-stakes. I can simply carry on once I am feeling better. There's a flexibility there that traditional schooling did not allow, an opportunity to make my curriculum accessible for myself, while still allowing for structure. 

People on TikTok have shared Notion templates and other suggestions on how to structure your curriculum. These resources have been incredibly helpful.

Resource Sharing and Community

The community, and the sharing of resources, has been one of my favorite things about this trend. People comment material suggestions on people's curriculum videos. Some make their own videos suggesting books, topics, courses, videos, podcasts, and more. There are discussions of the mistakes people made while creating their own curricula. There are even videos talking about how to learn! 

Resource sharing is so vital for communities to thrive, and now more than ever is the time to lean into this sharing. I have been loving the trend of creating a weekly roundup of media that was consumed this week, and I've found so many videos, books, and Substack articles to enrich my own learning. 

I think everyone should have their own version of a personal curriculum. If you want to know more about mine, you can follow my Substack, where I’ll be posting about it. I’d love to know what topics you would study. Leave a comment below!

Every week we ask our team what books they picked up throughout the week. Here's what they said: 

Reminder! The links below are affiliate links to our bookshop.org page.

Mhairie - The Resurrectionist by A Rae Dunlap

Jordy - Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

Steph - Like, Follow, Subscribe by Fortesa Latifi

Renee - Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero

Mariquita - Zeal by Morgan Jerkins

UyenThi - I'll Tell You When I'm Home by Hala Alyan

Shoshana - He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn

Rah - The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad

Nox - Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Yasi - Good Material by Dolly Alderton
 

Did you pick up any new books this week? What are you reading?

Every week we ask our team what books they picked up during the week. Here's what they said: 

Reminder: The links below are affiliate links to our bookshop.org page! 

Shoshana -  White trash warlock by David R Slayton

Jordy - An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew

Mhairie - We're Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco

Rah - Celestial Monsters by Aidan Thomas

Steph - Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung

Renee - The Bombshell by Darrow Farr

Marlena - Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

What are you reading this week? Did you pick up anything new?

Originally created by Steph Auteri on 22 October 2025

This post may include affiliate links, which means we make a small commission on any sales. This commission helps Feminist Book Club pay our contributors, so thanks for supporting small, independent media!

One of my greatest joys as Feminist Book Club's Editor-in-Chief of written content—beyond presenting you with amazing content from our amazing contributors on what's going on in our current fascist hellscape and what we can do about it—is sharing with you my favorite horror reads from the past year every October.

I know. Many have taken a break from dark fiction. After all, the world itself is dark enough.

But I find that literary horror can be a great way to explore the terrors of real life at a remove. 

The following titles are my faves from the past 12 months... because I strongly believe that every season is creepy books season. Enjoy!

Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel. This unflinching horror debut about family and obligation and resentment and trauma left me speechless. The lowdown: 25-year-old Calla has taken over the guardianship of her 16-year-old brother Jamie. Middle sibling Dre—who promised to help—always has an excuse, and Calla is overwhelmed. She feels she’s always cleaning up her brothers’ messes, and she mourns the life she could have had. Then there’s a mess that’s too big for her to fix and all three of them go on the run. But they can’t outrun problems as big as theirs.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon. This is a haunted house novel—the sort where you don’t know if the hauntings are supernatural, attributable to some more rational explanation, or all in the characters’ heads. So basically my favorite type of haunted house story. In this particular tale, the Maxwells move into an upper-middle-class gated community outside Dallas where they happen to be the only Black family. Immediately, terrible things start happening that may or may not be otherworldly. Either way, the family matriarch refuses to be pressured into giving up their home. The three Maxwell siblings eventually flee into adulthood, leaving their parents behind. But when they learn of their parents’ death, they’re compelled to return home and make sense of what really happened.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige. This one's not technically horror, but this multiple-POV mystery still gave me the chills. When a flip-flop hiker on the Appalachian Trail goes missing, people come out in droves to help. But when the search extends for longer than a week, it becomes less likely she’ll ever be found alive. The story is told through the eyes of the game warden tasked with finding her, an armchair detective living in a retirement community miles away, via interviews with other hikers, and in letters written by the hiker herself. I was riveted.

Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez. In this fever dream of a debut horror, Ingrid accepts an invitation from her childhood best friend to spend the weekend at a house in the middle of the Everglades. Sure, she hasn't heard from Mayra in years, but Ingrid feels adrift, and a change of scenery could be just what she needs. When she shows up, however, Mayra is there with her new boyfriend, who is... intense. And though the former besties attempt to settle into their old rhythms, long-buried disagreements soon resurface, and things get tense. It doesn't help that the house itself is strange, and that time seems to stretch in weird ways.

The Unveiling by Quan Barry. OMG! The latest literary horror novel by the author of We Ride Upon Sticks is finally out! In The Unveiling, a group of wealthy, mostly white tourists are cruising through Antarctica when disaster strikes, and the whole lot of them become stranded on a remote island. We watch things quickly devolve through the eyes of Striker, a Black film scout grappling with her own inner demons. 

What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher. Okay, y'all. T. Kingfisher is my favorite comedic horror writer, and I think she ends up on this list every year. This particular book is the third in her Sworn Soldier series, but I think it might be the best of the bunch, mostly because it made me LOL. Protagonist Alex Easton travels to America to help an old friend find his lost cousin, who was last seen in an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia. But this isn't your average missing persons case, and things immediately get... weird.

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry. This last one is out next month, but I can already tell you it's my favorite of Henry's ouevre. Another haunted house tale that brings all the retro suburbia nostalgia, the protagonist of Henry's latest spends her life beneath the shadow of an evil house that ate her brother and shattered her family. The house seems unstoppable, but this final girl may be the only one who can finally take it down.

Did I miss anything you think absolutely needs to be on this list??

Every week we ask our team what they're reading. Here's what they said: 

Reminder: The links below are affiliate links to our bookshop.org page!

Mariquita - Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

Shoshana - White trash warlock by David R Slayton

Steph - The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

Renee - Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal by Raquel V. Reyes

Jordy - Alchemised by SenLinYu

UyenThi - Complaint! by Sara Ahmed

Rah - The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Did you start anything new this week? What are you reading or listening to?

Every week we ask our team what books they picked up this week. Here's what they said: 

Reminder! The links below are affiliate links to our bookshop.org page! 

Ashley - Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris

Renee - To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

Jordy - Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Marhrer

Steph - Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's by Tiffany Midge

Nox - You Didn’t Hear This From Me by Kelsey McKinney 

Rah - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab

Mariquita - Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

Shoshana - Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Did you pick up anything new this week? What are you reading or listening to?

Every week we ask our team what books they picked up. Here's what they said: 

Reminder: The links below are affiliate links to our bookshop.org page. 

Jordy - Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

Yasi - 107 Days by Kamala Harris

Rah - Remain by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan

Mhairie & Shoshana- Alchemised by SenLin Yu

Steph - Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

Renee - Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Mariquita - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Ashley - Forest Euphoria by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian

Did you pick up anything new this week? What are you reading?