Hello my dearies, froomies, and lovlies!

How are you? I hope all is well for each and every one of you. I am doing well, things are starting to slow down and not be as hectic for me, but one thing that has plagued me is..

I am in a HUGE reading slump.

I have started so many books, ones that I have adored, only for them to disappear back onto my TBR shelf to be admired from afar. There is nothing wrong with the books, but I just am struggling to find something good that will stick.

Until I remembered, I work in a library.

For those who do not know, I work at an Elementary School library, so I find myself being surrounded by books 8-3 Monday through Friday. And it got me thinking.

Why am I not counting the books I read on occasion to the students?

I feel like there is a stigma, whether enforced or not, when it comes to what people count towards their goals. Hell, it is apart of that recycled (and incorrect) thought about if audiobooks count. I think that also extends towards books that are originally meant for children as well and, whether I want to or not, I have unconsciously been adhering to forgetting that these books do count and doing myself a disservice.

And I have adored the books I have been reading to the children.

It is a constant reminder to myself how much of a sponge kids are. How in love with learning, and experiencing different narratives. It is a wonder to see kids with braids see the history of how cornrows and other styles paved the freedom trails in stories like Freedom Braids. How perseverance lead Mary Walker, a formerly enslaved woman, to learn how to read at the age of 116 and making her the oldest student to learn how to read! How they learn how much change and remaining undefeated can grow their confidence to face the world, no matter the adversity. and long for change.

I truly think that we are doing a disservice to children's literature and how poignant and impactful it can be. For both kids and the inner child that sometimes gets lost as we grow up.

January hit the ground running and did not slow down. I managed to read 23 books this month, wild I know, but when the month feels like a whole year, nothing is impossible. In Pennsylvania, we got 22" of snow, nearly two feet, leaving me snowed in with only my books for a week. Basically, I lived in a reader's paradise. During this week, I finished 11 books. Looking at that number, it is even more wild to me. Of the 11 books, 3 of them reached my top 5 books of the month, including my only 5 star read of the entire month. While only one of my top 5 reads was 5 stars, I HIGHLY recommend each and every single one of these books. Add them to your TBR. Put them in your shopping cart. Move them to the top of your reading list.

Now let's get to the books:

1. Hammerfall by Rob J. Hayes

4.5⭐️

Hammerfall is a standalone novella set in the same world as the Godeater Saga. I have yet to read any of the Godeater Saga but I plan on rectifying that very very soon after being consumed by this novella. You do not need to read the rest of the saga to be able to enjoy and understand what is going on, because I haven't and I not only thoroughly enjoyed and understood what was transpiring, but I love Selitha's character so much that I she has become an all time favorite FMC. Yeah. ALL TIME FAVORITE. Selitha's arc cannot be done justice through my words. I've tried and had to erase multiple times. You really just need to read it. She overcomes, endures, and breaks in these pages. She does not wish to set aside who she has become, deciding it is better to repress who she once was for a husk of who she now is. Selitha is dealing with survivor's guilt, heartbreak, and betrayal of the worst kind, betrayal to herself. The characters are the guiding light of this story, but the world and nuances did not go unnoticed. For being a standalone and a novella at that, the world was built beautifully, capturing the magic, the richness, and the intricacies without ever once feeling like you are wading through dense waters. The hints at the further lore of the world caught my attention and has me craving more from this world, these characters, and just Hayes as a writer.

1. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

4.5⭐️

Spanning decades, Pillars of the Earth follows multiple characters throughout the building of a cathedral. You are watching your faith in humanity fall apart, hoping for just a spark to guide the rest of the way. You will feel immense hatred for certain characters (maybe a lot of characters) while also being emphatic and wishing the world for others. The political intrigue that guides this story is one of my favorite parts. Seeing the behind the scenes of the political maneuvering because of the various perspectives while also not knowing the overall outcome, genius. You are witnessing the building of a cathedral, the building of a community, and also the building of a future with one central focus. Full of history and full of life, you are swept away into the rich and compelling world of the 12th century. Follett does not shy away from certain topics, so sensitive readers beware, but the use of the vile acts make us as the reader despise characters completely. You are witnessing through this book how ambition, courage, and loyalty does not necessarily always bring good and those who deserve it the most may never find it. Even though it is a 900-page tome, there is enough action, betrayal, and hope to keep you invested until the last page.

1. Bonds of Chaos by Zack Argyle

4.5⭐️

This is the final book in the Threadlight trilogy by Zack Argyle and arguably the best of the series. Without any spoilers, I just want to emphasis how great this trilogy was. It was bathed in rich details, honing in on the imagery and the depths of the characters. I had mixed emotions towards all characters as their arcs gradually began to form, but I trusted the process and Argyle completely and it payed off. The entire trilogy is fast-paced and action packed, but it does not feel crowded in the slightest. The world-building was developed thoroughly and there never seemed to be moments of info dumping. I was able to enjoy watching the growth of the characters while also knowing and accepting that the journey they go on could lead them down a path they would not return from. These characters were the highlight of the series. They navigated turmoil in a realistic manner and acted and grew from the challenges they faced. I loved the found family and relationships that they built, letting it guide them but also ensuring it would not consume them either. I cannot recommend this series highly enough! If you love epic fantasy with high stakes, intricate world-building, and a unique magic system, this is the series for you. It deserves all the love you can give it.

1. The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

4.75⭐️

I find it hard to believe that this is a debut. Why? Because this book is nearly perfect in every single aspect. Wei wants to save herself, her family, and her village from starvation and end up becoming not just a concubine to the future emperor but the future empress. The future emperor is a violent man and to save herself and everyone else, she has to create a spell, a poem that is created out of love to bring death. It is an emotionally taxing look at humanity that is layered with complex characters and motives. As you dive into the story, you realize that every character is flawed and the balance of good and evil is on the edge of a knife. You are witnessing the loss of humanity over the course of this book, the breaking of one's soul as they pushed to the edge. Please know that this book is a dark fantasy and not a romance fantasy. There are dark themes, tones, and even graphic scenes that to put it gently, are not gentle. While a lot of trauma that Wei endures is implied or only vaguely mentioned, the weight of the trauma is evident on the page and you can feel the heaviness through the tone and prose. So I emphasis, this is not a book for every reader and every mindset. Please know going into this book, it is heavy and it can be a lot, but if you are able to read it, I highly recommend it. The magic system is unique. The world itself is vivid and lush. It is a historical fantasy at its core and is done so well. It was a haunting debut, one that will stick with me for a long long time.

1. Heart the Lover by Lily King

5⭐️

It is hard to put into words and convey my feelings towards this book. If I had to summarize, it broke me. My heart is weeping. I am changed. I will not take love for granted. I will not allow others to dictate who I should be and what I will become. Literary fiction is my home when it comes to reading and this book reminds me of WHY I love literary fiction with a burning passion. This is a book about human emotions, the types of love you see along the way, and the depths love can endure. You are witnessing how love can shape the person you become, from your first love to your deepest love, and how each creates a path for you and can still find happiness intertwined with grief. This obliterated my heart, my soul. It's a story about friendship, love, grief, and regret and how these emotions will guide you to your last breath. I read this in one sitting and then proceeded to stare at a wall for 30 minutes with tears streaming down my face (imagine Timothée Chalamet at the end of Call Me By Your Name). I was changed by this book for the better. It is one I know will be a guiding force for the rest of time.

This is only the beginning of the year and I have a feeling it is about to be the best one yet. There are so many books, series, and authors I am looking to indulge in. I have a large stack of books calling my name already. The question I am most curious about, and we won't find out until the end of the year, "Which will be my favorite?"

And now I am curious, what book was your favorite in January and do you think you know what will be your favorite for the year?

I joined Bindery because I believe that diverse voices needed to be leading the charge behind the scenes in publishing so that more diverse stories could be brought into the world.

I started with a mission to have a community dedicated to uplifting Indigenous voices and to create room for Indigenous books on shelves. While we struggled in the beginning to have people understand who Bindery was and what Bindery was and how they fit into the publishing ecosystem and just to build awareness of our imprint in general, we are finally at a place where people know who we are, the work that we do, and the dedication this imprint has to its authors and challenging the status quo. We are seeing more submissions from Indigenous authors all over the globe and I can't wait to see that grow. (there is one I'm super, super excited about and hope to get to read this week! If you pressure me, I might tell you more!)

We have expanded our booklist to include women writing horror and our first two books are in the works! What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne comes out this October! (It's finally on Edelweiss and Netgalley should be coming this month!) and Cracks in an Ocean of Glass by Kristy Park Kulski will be coming out next spring. These are two of the most unique horror books I've read in the last couple of years and I cannot wait for you to read them.

I want to take a minute to talk about the future. My goal with this imprint is to be able to share as many diverse stories and to support as many authors as I can. I want to publish more books. I want to be able to move forward with every manuscript that I love when it is submitted to me and to be frank, I don't think that can happen without your support. Paid subscriptions help to pay for the production of the books that our imprint publishes. If you would like to see more books from this imprint please consider upgrading to the $5 or $12 tier.

$5 subscribers will get e arcs to all of the books from our imprint.

$12 subscribers will get physical arcs.

I will make another post about all of the tier perks later this week (I'm also open to adding things that would make you want to become a paid member, so please drop any suggestions below!)

There are over 2,000 of you here. If every single one of you preordered WHAT FEEDS BELOW today (it's $16.73 on bookshop.org, our preferred purchasing partner, benefiting Indigenous bookstore Black Walnut Books) you could help make a serious impact on this imprint's future.

I am asking for your support because I need it. I would like to get this imprint where I know it could be.

I believe the work that we do together to uplift voices that are often left unheard is crucial and necessary in a world on fire and working against us every day and I'd like to do it long term. Thank you all so much for showing up for book club, for our authors, for the books we champion. Thank you for helping to publish stories that haunt and heal.

In other news:

Did you see me on the Tamron Hall show today talking about May Cobb? Never in a million years did I think I would make it to TV! I am waiting for them to send me a clip so I can share it with you all. NATIONAL TELEVISION! Book EMPRESS.

This year one of my goals is to do more journaling content and more long form video content

If you're on Substack follow me here

If you're on Youtube, follow me here

I owe many responses to Get A Rec, those are coming soon!

Thank you all for everything you do. I appreciate you.

As promised here is the reading schedule for belladonna

The full interview will be posted here later this month. If you would like a copy of it, please email me: manon@authorimprints.com. Thanks!

Hi folks!

I’ve had a wild reading week. I’ve been flat out at work and instead of cosying up with comfort reads, I delved into conceptual sci fi and weird horror instead. Everything I read was great though! But perhaps not for the squeamish.

There is No Antimemetics Division by qntm.

A mind-bending conceptual sci fi thriller about an organisation dealing with unknown entities that manipulate and wipe memories.

One of the best sci fi books I have EVER read. I’m still thinking about it. Confusing, enthralling, dark, funny… a masterful piece of writing.

Chomp Chomp by Azalea Crowley

A horror romance novella from one of my absolute favourite writers. An elegant Asian-American woman goes on a date in the 80s, but the evening has surprises in store…

This is a lot gorier than Azalea’s usually cute/creepy work, and I am so here for it. But be warned, it’s a… well… it’s a LOT. I had a blast though. I really am in my horror phase.

How to Cook and Eat the Rich by Sunyi Dean

A short story about cooking and eating the rich. I don’t want to say more than that other than I loved it! Very funny and I loved the format, all done in second person one-sided dialogue, which worked fantastically for the story.

And one of the coolest covers ever.

Let me know what you’re reading in the comments, or join us on the Discord!

Love,

Disco

Hello, Sickos! I'm still scrambling to catch up with content/filming after spending last week at the Rancho Mirage Writer's Festival (which was an amazing experience I'll have to tell you more about), but I do have a special giveaway for you today.

I have obtained an extra hardcover copy of our February History Book Club pick, Fear & Fury by Heather Ann Thompson. As an aside, I will also be interviewing Thompson on YouTube later this month, so I'll be able to include some questions from the community. She was also just on The Daily Show last night promoting it if you want to know more.

To enter, be a "Kist Reads" Follower, Sicko, or Mega Sicko in the US and leave a comment on this post (it can be a fire emoji or whatever, just do it so we can make the winner selection & shipping as quick as possible). I'll throw all the terms & conditions* at the bottom. Here's what she looks like:

I'll randomly draw the winner on 2/6 and reach out via email if you've won. Good luck!

Here's the blurb:

In this masterful, groundbreaking work, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Heather Ann Thompson shines surprising new light on an infamous 1984 New York subway shooting that would unveil simmering racial resentments and would lead, in unexpected ways, to a fractured future and a new era of rage and violence.

"A gripping and powerful account of one of the 20th century's most important criminal cases." --James Foreman Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Locking Up Our Own

On December 22, 1984, in a graffiti-covered New York City subway car, passengers looked on in horror as a white loner named Bernhard Goetz shot four Black teens, Darrell Cabey, Barry Allen, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur, at point-blank range. He then disappeared into a dark tunnel. After an intense manhunt, and his eventual surrender in New Hampshire, the man the tabloid media had dubbed the “Death Wish Vigilante” would become a celebrity and a hero to countless ordinary Americans who had been frustrated with the economic fallout of the Reagan 80s. Overnight, Goetz’s young victims would become villains.

Out of this dramatic moment would emerge an angry nation, in which Rupert Murdoch's New York Post and later Fox News Network stoked the fear and the fury of a stunning number of Americans.

Drawing from never-before-seen archival materials, legal files, and more, Heather Ann Thompson narrates the Bernie Goetz Subway shootings and their decades-long reverberations, while deftly recovering the lives of the boys whom too many decided didn't matter. Fear and Fury is the remarkable account and a searing indictment of a crucial turning point in American history.

*No purchase needed. Open to U.S. residents, 18+ only. Void where prohibited.
How to enter:
Open to all “Kist Reads” Bindery members - any tier (including free “Follower” members) – comment to enter (Limit 1 entry per person.)

Prize Value: $35.00
Timing: Runs 2/3/26 - 2/6/26
Winner will be selected at random and notified via email within 3 days of the giveaway’s end. The winner must respond within 3 days to claim their prize.
Other details:
By entering, you agree to these rules and all U.S. & Florida laws. No cash substitute. Sponsor not liable for entry or delivery issues.
Sponsor: Kist Reads, Sun City Center, FL • Kistreadsbooks@gmail.com

If Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score stole your heart or you know it will, this one’s for you. We’ve created a fully themed book club kit inspired by Knockemout, grumpy barbers, runaway brides, found family, and the kind of love that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. And yes, it’s available exclusively to members of The First Editions. 💙🐶

Joining The First Editions gets you access to:
✨ Our Things We Never Got Over book club kit
✨ Engaging discussion questions on grumpy/sunshine romance, family, and community
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💥Happy reading!📚💙