"Fuck the hype!" I generally exclaim when anyone recommends a book I've seen publishers promote TF out of. I want to promote books that you haven't heard of, books the Big 5 doesn't care about. Books with authors who won't get the big money spent on them because they don't have the right friends, the right family, the "people in high places" that some authors have. Rage Against the Nepo Baby I always say.

I've never done a hate read before, but there is so little being actively promoted in the Sci-fi world with all the big money being spent on Romantasy. And hey, I get it. Hard to read about dystopia when we're actively living in it. Talk about triggering.

But I miss LitRPG with a desperation. From the moment I picked up a Tad Williams book in an airport snack shop when I was 12 years old, transporting myself and my 8 year old brother 2,000 miles alone (can you believe they actually let children do that? Still blows my mind) I have adored the idea that I could get sucked out of this world and into a game.

If you remember you get a cookie, but just a few short months ago, I picked up Matt Dinniman's standalone book Operation Bounce House and well... it wasn't for me. This book was seemingly about Palestine for a while. Colonization, an entire planet framed as "terrorists" so that corporations could steal their land with the backing of the populace. And a cool premise - on another planet with regular people who are PAYING to pilot remote transformer-like kill bots instead of the state paying to fund a war. Definitely sounds like the whole Torment Nexus thing (a famous meme:)

Sci-fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale.

Tech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create the Torment Nexus.)

Like, this definitely sounds like something Silicon Valley Bros would dream up.

As a plot device, brilliant. But the whole story is very man-centric. Very little character development, no side quest plots to get me invested in the characters, and tons and tons and tons of talk about the exact gun each bot is equipped with. The ending was also predictable and boring. I wanted something deeper for a book that seemed to have a big point to make, but the author didn't quite bring it home in a way that had any sort of impact.

So why oh why did I finally give in to the Dungeon Crawler Carl propaganda? I mean, that's how propaganda works isn't it? Say something enough times and people will eventually believe it. Do I? No. Did I read it anyway? Yes. Did it have all the same issues as Operation Bounce House? Also yes.

And did I read 3 whole books into the series before finally (probably, possibly, a very unfirm maybe) throw in the towel? Yes. All you Reggies (a term I picked up from the book Mindwalker referring to regular people, which I have now adopted into my lexacon. If you are still using the term Muggle I swear to John Mercymorn I'm putting marrow in your soup) won't understand this, but I cannot DNF books. It's a very unfortunate function of my autism that I cannot start something without finishing it. It's called Autistic Inertia. Reggies can have this to an extent, but not in a disabling way. You might feel that desire for completion when you're doing a puzzle to put that last piece in. I will start painting a room and will not eat, sleep, pee, or even drink water until it's finished at 2am, and then I'll need a few days to recover from the abuse I just put myself through. The only accommodation my family has developed is my 14 year old enjoying his opportunity to righteously berate me until I go pee and drink a glass of water and eat a meal with him. And then stop me when I try to start a new project the next day. Every time I do this I laugh that I ever believed I was taking up too much space in the autistic community. As if it's a privilege I have to earn rather than the disability it feels like.

Let's jump off that infodumping train and back onto Dungeon Crawler Carl, which if you haven't heard, is a Lit RPG about a dude and his girlfriend's cat fighting their way through an alien dungeon to save themselves from the apocalypse (in which aliens have repo'd the earth for it's minerals.) On the surface, what a great premise and way to talk about how capitalism eats our world - resources and humans alike. And does Dinniman delve into that? Well yes, a bit. He could make the point a little harder to me - which is the same way I felt about Hunger Games, like Suzanne, girl, you wrote a great series talking about how the US is The Bad Place™ but some of them still don't get it, you really needed to draw those parallels more obviously for the American populace with a reading level below the 6th grade. They ain't critical-ling this reading babes.

And by book 3, he's really really focused on the game itself. There are a couple of side plots developing, but it's not enough to keep me interested. The typical structure of a series is that each book resolves the current battle while introducing a bigger baddie for the MC to fight in the overall war. In this series, we just jump down a level deeper into the game. In book 3 he builds some mistrust between the two beloved main characters, one of which is an actual cat who can talk. Listen, I truly think it was the talking cat that made me finally pick it up. But what isn't there in the third book is hope. Hope is what makes you continue. All we see is the human race being slowly genocided and no hope that anyone ever makes it to the 13th floor (the 18th has to be beat to win and save humanity. Everything and everyone in the book tells you that's never happened, not even close.) We do get a tiny bit of introspection from our main character, a coast guard by day guy who got cheated on by his girlfriend by night, and his grief of his lost world and family. But it's mostly anger sighs in patriarchy and gets a little repetitive, even though it's very little. And Carl is also called out for only liking his own ideas, and immediately dismissing any woman's idea that is presented. He has a male mentor that he values highly, but he has a cat with intelligence points WAY above his that he fails to listen to at all. And a side character that he upgrades as if she isn't a real person but a tool he can use. Yes, he gets called out. No, he does no introspection into why he does that or how to stop. He just continues on as if he's not hurting the people around him.

The whole series just feels a bit shallow to me. And here's the thing...if Carl actually takes the criticism and grows from it at some point in the series, that will be great! The gamer bro audience this series is marketed to could use that lesson. But with how it's going, I don't know if that lesson is coming, or whether Carl is going to win despite all his flaws. Which is the exact message we don't need men hearing yet again.

I put the series down. I picked up She's A Doll by Barbara Truelove.

Have you continued beyond book 3? Does Carl learn? You might convince me to continue. It won't take much, I'm fighting the autistic inertia with every ounce of my defiant PDA...

— Zee

If you liked this and want more of whatever THIS is (unhinged book analysis, barely contained rage at the state of the world, and occasional Tamsyn Muir references and em dashes and excessive parentheses that I will never apologize for) consider subscribing for $5/month. Every cent goes to people who actually need it, because I have a day job and a cause, not a brand deal. This is my middle finger to Big 5 publishing, dressed up as a book blog. Come hold em up with me.

Hello my friends, and happy Trans joy Thursday!

I'm not going to lie, today's newsletter is riddled with heavy feelings - yesterday was the 3 month mark of losing my Memaw, and I spent a lot of time yesterday reflecting on her life, our memories we made, and honestly? Just being sad and in mourning. It was definitely a heavy day, and some of that heaviness is still lingering.

With that said, I'm continuing to write to you today, because I want you to be reminded that in the face of heavy grief and feelings, there is still joy to be found. It may not feel like it, but it's there. We may have to spend a lot longer locating it, but it can be found. It reminds me of my transness - it took me a long time (roughly 30+ years) to come home to myself and feel authentically me - but as time passes, we evolve and we change. We find what makes us, us. And then we lean into it! And that, to me, is the epitome of why I write this newsletter every week. To intentionally lean in to the joys I found over the past week. To be a reminder to yourself that you are ALLOWED to be joyful in spite of the dumpster fire that may be around you. May you live in spite of this week, and every tomorrow after. You deserve that.

Some things that have brought me joy this week at a quick glance are:

1. My oldest auditioned last week for his first ever school play/musical, got a call back, and then was offered a role! He sang me a brief part of a song he will be singing and it just made my day. I love the arts (clearly) and I'm so proud that he has found something he enjoys doing. We must protect the arts at all costs so children for generations to come can have the pure excitement that he does about his play.

2. I received my signed/personalized copy of Cemetery Boys: Espiritu and it just lifted my spirits immensely that I get to immerse myself back into that story once more.

3. I get to see Don Martin IN GREEN BAY, this Saturday for his book Verity Vox And The Curse Of Foxfire. I am so excited because authors hardly come here, they usually go to Milwaukee or Madison, especially the queer authors, so I'm super stoked to get the chance to see him!

4. My pre-order from Tuma's Books of Elizabeth Acevedo's Anger Is Only A Shadow is supposed to arrive today and I cannot wait to read the physical copy - although, she narrates the audiobook, and she deserves all the awards for that!

5. I'm slowly beginning to get back into journaling again, and although it looks different for me right now, I'm still journaling, and that's still a win!

6. The weather is slowly getting cooler and our windows have been open for about a week, and I just love this time of year. It's truly my favorite.

I hope you all find moments of joy today - this week. I hope you find ways to honor yourself, your griefy/heavy feelings, and you get to relish in who you are as a human and your authenticity.

I hope you truly lean in to your joy and protect it at all costs. You deserve that for yourself.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hi my darling rebels! In case you missed it, I'm teaming up with Katherine Grant, the host of the Historical Romance Sampler, to host another benefit in support of Authors Against Book Bans.

On October 5th at 7:30pm, we are gathering at Book Club Bar in Manhattan to read romances and discuss why they are so important. We will be joined by special guest authors Shelly Jay Shore, Joanna Shupe, Zakiya N. Jamal, and Blair Fell.

Every attendee will receive a copy of our new zine about passion and censorship, as well as raffle tickets for our giveaway of many new romance novels. A big portion of the proceeds will go directly to Authors Against Book Bans, which is spearheading the fight against censorship at the state and national level.

I'm delighted to share a discount code with my Bindery subscribers: The first ten people to use the code REBEL at checkout will get 15% off!

Reserve your tickets and learn more about the event here!

I hope to see you there,

Ella

MINI POD! In this episode, Jordy and Shoshana dive into some of their favorite queer fairytale retellings, from reimagined princesses to stories that completely turn the original happily-ever-after on its head. Tune in for plenty of recommendations, a little fairytale chaos, and hopefully a few new books for your TBR!

Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Deezer // Pocket Casts

Support and follow the hosts!

Follow Jordy: Instagram // Pagebound.co

Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Secrets, Suspects & Small-Town Shadows: Inside Claire Booth’s Hank Worth Mystery Series

What happens when a small Missouri tourist town becomes the perfect breeding ground for secrets, feuds, political intrigue and murder?

Welcome to Branson, Missouri, the unforgettable setting of Claire Booth’s Hank Worth mystery series.

Known for its country music theaters, tourism, and beautiful Ozarks surroundings, Branson might seem like an unlikely backdrop for a police procedural. But according to Booth, that contrast is exactly what makes it work. With a permanent population of roughly 12,000 and millions of visitors each year, Branson gives her the best of both worlds: the intimate complications of a small town and the unpredictability of a much larger city.

In this Book Club Conversation, Claire Booth takes us behind the scenes of the Hank Worth mystery series, discussing why she chose Branson before she even created her characters, how her career as a crime reporter shaped her police procedurals, why she refuses to outline her mysteries, and how Hank, Sheila, and the rest of the cast have evolved across the series.

And if you love character-driven mysteries, small-town secrets, police procedurals, and unexpected twists, you won't want to miss this conversation.

📍 Why Branson Is the Perfect Setting for Murder

Branson doesn't simply provide the backdrop for the Hank Worth mysteries; it feels like a character in its own right.

Booth actually chose the setting before she created her characters. Her husband is from Branson, which gave her an inside connection to the unique Missouri Ozarks community.

“It is a city of about 12,000 people, but it gets 10 million tourist visits a year.”

That unusual combination gives Booth endless possibilities.

She can explore the classic elements of a small-town mystery entrenched political interests, generations-old feuds, gossip, and the feeling that everyone knows everyone while also introducing big-city complications such as traffic, outsiders, and transient visitors.

And then there is the most important ingredient for a mystery writer:

Millions of potential suspects.

With that many tourists passing through Branson, Booth has a believable and seemingly endless supply of people who can wander into Hank Worth's investigations.

As she puts it, Branson is simply “the perfect place to set a mystery series.”

🔎 Why Character Development Matters in a Mystery Series

A compelling mystery needs more than clues and a shocking reveal. For Booth, the characters are what keep readers returning book after book.

She believes that if readers don't become invested in the characters, they won't necessarily pick up the next installment.

For a series like Hank Worth's, that character investment becomes especially important because readers aren't only returning to discover who committed the crime. They're returning to find out what happens to Hank, Sheila, Sam, and the other characters they've grown attached to.

Booth describes the investigation as, in many ways, the vehicle that allows her characters to experience growth and change.

But that doesn't mean the mystery itself takes a back seat.

She still needs a strong investigation, one that puts her characters through enough hardship to challenge them and force them to evolve.

It's that combination of strong mysteries and multidimensional characters that keeps the series moving forward.

📰 From Crime Reporter to Mystery Author

Before becoming a fiction writer, Claire Booth spent years reporting on real crimes.

That experience has had a major influence on her novels, particularly when it comes to writing the nuts and bolts of police procedurals.

As a crime reporter, she learned how police investigate cases, what they consider important, and what their professional and personal lives look like.

But perhaps even more importantly, she learned about the people at the center of those crimes.

Booth interviewed victims and criminals, visited their neighborhoods, and spoke with their families.

Through that experience, she came to understand something that continues to fascinate her as a novelist:

There is always a story behind the crime.

Everyone has a reason for being where they were and doing what they were doing when they became involved in a crime whether they were the victim or the perpetrator.

That real-world understanding brings another layer of authenticity to her fictional mysteries.

🩸 Does Claire Booth Know Who the Killer Is?

Here's where Booth's writing process gets particularly interesting.

She doesn't.

When she begins a book, Booth doesn't know who the killer will be.

In fact, she doesn't outline her mysteries at all.

She simply opens the page and starts writing.

It's usually around two-thirds of the way through the book that she begins to zero in on the culprit.

For Booth, that uncertainty is part of the fun of writing.

And it can have an unexpected benefit for readers: because the killer wasn't predetermined in her mind from the beginning, the eventual reveal can feel more surprising even to the author herself.

Imagine discovering the murderer alongside your own characters.

📖 The Hank Worth Book That Surprised Her Most

Of the first eight books in the Hank Worth series, Booth says Dangerous Consequences, the fifth installment, surprised her the most.

And once again, her decision not to outline played a major role.

About halfway through the book, a character unexpectedly appeared.

Booth had originally created the character for Book Three. That character served a purpose in that story, and she had no intention of bringing him back.

Until suddenly, he walked into the sheriff's department in Dangerous Consequences.

And he stayed.

The character ultimately became absolutely key to the entire fifth book.

It's a perfect example of how Booth's organic writing process can take a story in directions she never anticipated.

👮 How Hank Worth Has Changed Over Eight Books

Hank Worth may have started the series as a competent adult with a family, a career, and a mortgage, but eight books and everything humanity has thrown at him have changed him.

Booth describes Hank as having grown considerably.

He has become more world-weary and cautious about people's true intentions, largely because of the difficult experiences he's faced throughout the series.

But those experiences have also made him more grateful for what he has.

Especially his family.

Hank has had to fight for the things that matter most to him, and that struggle has made those things even more precious.

For longtime readers, that evolution is part of the appeal of following a character across multiple mysteries. The crimes may change, but the person solving them changes, too.

💥 Meet Chief Deputy Sheila Turley

If you've read the Hank Worth mysteries, chances are you have a soft spot for Chief Deputy Sheila Turley.

And Claire Booth couldn't be happier about it.

Booth says she loves Sheila and is thrilled that readers have embraced her.

Sheila is fun to write, but she's also an incredibly important character.

She's outspoken and says exactly what she wants, even though she doesn't always have the freedom to do what she wants.

As a woman working in a male-dominated profession and a Black woman living in a majority-white region, Sheila constantly encounters limitations and barriers.

Yet she refuses to let those experiences overwhelm her or change who she is.

She's smart, competent, outspoken, and determined and sometimes she's exactly the person who needs to say what everyone else is thinking.

And, as Booth puts it, sometimes someone in her fictional Branson needs a swift verbal kick in the butt.

That's where Sheila comes in.

✍️ From Facts to Fiction: Claire Booth's Biggest Creative Shift

Moving from journalism to fiction wasn't easy.

As a journalist, Booth had spent years training herself to focus on facts.

When she first sat down to write a novel, she realized she didn't have the creative pathways needed to simply invent things.

Her brain had been trained in “fact muscles.”

She had to teach herself that it was okay to make things up.

Now?

Those creative muscles get plenty of exercise.

Booth says she's developed the neural pathways necessary for fiction, and today the transition between fact and imagination comes much more naturally.

It's a fascinating reminder that writing isn't just about having ideas it's also about training yourself to think differently.

📚 Discover the Hank Worth Mystery Series

If you love police procedurals, character-driven mysteries, small-town secrets, unexpected killers, and atmospheric settings, the Hank Worth mystery series deserves a place on your reading list.

And if you're looking for a place to start, check out Claire Booth's latest Hank Worth mystery, Hidden Currents.

🛍️ Where to Find Hidden Currents

Readers can purchase Hidden Currents from:

• Bookshop.org

• Amazon

• Barnes & Noble

• Books-A-Million

💌 Stay Connected With Claire Booth

Want to keep up with Claire Booth and hear about new releases, appearances, and other author news?

Visit her official website or sign up for her occasional newsletter through her newsletter signup.

You can also find her on:

• Instagram: @claire.booth10

• Facebook

• Goodreads

📅 Meet Claire Booth

Claire Booth will be appearing at Old Haunts Bookshop on:

Saturday, September 12 at 5:00 p.m.
8789 Auburn Folsom Rd, Suite C
Granite Bay, CA 95746

Event information and registration

💬 Book Club Conversation

Claire Booth's approach to mystery writing raises an interesting question for readers:

Would you rather read a mystery where the author carefully plans every clue and knows the killer from the beginning or one where the author discovers the killer alongside the characters?

And if you've read the Hank Worth mysteries:

Which character would you most want to see featured in their own story?

Join the conversation and tell us what you think!

📚 About Book Club Conversations

Book Club Conversations takes readers behind the pages and into the minds of the authors creating the stories we can't stop talking about. From writing inspiration and character development to research, world-building, and the secrets behind the story, we're giving readers a closer look at the people behind their next favorite books.