Hello comrades! As I write this, October is on the horizon. We are currently halfway to our goal of 100 Rebel subscribers by the end of September. On the bright side, there is no hard cap on reaching that milestone. This isn’t Kickstarter! We will reach it when we reach it. When we do, I can make my case to Bindery that the Rebel Ever After community deserves to launch our very own publishing imprint. 

To entice folks who haven’t taken the leap to subscribe yet, I have a devious proposal. Introducing the RUIN ELLA'S TBR SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE. For every marker we hit on the way to 100 Rebels, I will read and react to a… punishing book. A book I know I will not enjoy. A book I will have THOUGHTS on. 

When we reach 60 paid subscribers, I will read Purple State by Dana Perino, the Fox News host and former White House press secretary for George W. Bush.

Words cannot express how little I want to read this “across party lines” novel about a liberal PR professional from NYC who moves to Wisconsin and falls for “a big-hearted, truck-driving guy who follows hockey, not headlines.” Is it fascist propaganda? Indubitably. Will I read it for the good of publishing progressive romance novels that do not urge women to give up their values and marry men who vote against their rights? Yes, I will. 

When we reach 75 subscribers, I will read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Yes, that The Notebook.

I vaguely remember reading this book as a teenager at the public library and enjoying it a lot less without Ryan Gosling to stare at. I genuinely don’t know how this book holds up (if it ever held up??), but I trust Sparks to give me plenty of material to find frustrating. Especially because he's revealed a nasty bigoted streak.

When we reach 100 subscribers, I will read The Most Dangerous Games by MrBeast and James Patterson.

This cash grab slop is not a romance novel. That being said, it will drive me to the edge of my sanity, much to the delight of the Rebel Ever After discord community. The reviews are so bad, y'all. Just so, so bad.

Ruin my TBR pile for a good cause! You have your marching orders — subscribe if you haven’t already, recommend the podcast and the Bindery community to a friend who loves romance (or MrBeast??), and cross your fingers for my mental wellbeing. Let’s publish some books that make the world better.

(Also, just in case it needs to be said: Don't buy these books! These authors are bad people! If you want to read them with me, get them from your public library like I plan to.)

Did you know that Ezeekat Press subscribers get an EARLY copy of all of our titles? The deadline to sign up as a paid subscriber and get a copy of The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island by V.K. Ruiz is TODAY!

At the $5/month tier you will get an exclusive advance digital copy of the book, MONTHS before its publication date in December

At the $12 and $25 tier you will get an exclusive advance PHYSICAL copy and your name in the book for making it all happen, MONTHS before its publication date in December

The early reader reviews for this one are so special already. Don't miss out on being to be able to be one of the first to visit Marigold Island.

What's the book about? Here is a reminder of your new cozy fantasy obsession:

Warm and witchy, The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a cozy fantasy and slow-burn sapphic romance for fans of The Spellshop and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

A spell gone wrong leaves a witch powerless—but opens the door to a new kind of magic.

Paloma has spent a decade as a witch's apprentice, dedicating herself completely to the craft of spell casting. But even with her whole future planned, all it takes is one sneeze to send a spell awry, extinguishing her magic completely. Paloma's distraught: Without her powers, can she even call herself a witch?

At the gentle urging of her mentor, Paloma returns home to verdant, magical Marigold Island. There, she launches By the Broom, a successful courier service, and finds community in a house of other Queer misfit witches and their familiars—including a straw hat–wearing raccoon named Nori. Still, the ache of losing her powers—and her sense of self—lingers. Even a flirtation with Liss, the charming café owner whose chocolate chip cookies are literally enchanted to feel like a hug, can't quiet her grief. As she zooms around making deliveries, she can't ignore the blight creeping across the island—or the feeling that Marigold's magic is fading too.

Paloma's used to solving problems on her own. Can she learn to accept her limitations and trust her new housemates to help her save the island they all love before it's lost to them forever?

Thank you for all of your support on my imprint and for our authors, it means the world!

Jaysen

Our contributors have been busy reading some great titles!

Nox is reading Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler (our September book of the month, make sure to join our Discord to join our discussion)!

Renee is reading Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku.

Jordy is reading Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed by S.B. West (and it's hilarious).

Rah is reading Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Mhairie is reading The House of Gardenias by Isabel Canas.

Casey is reading The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo.

What book(s) have you picked up to read this week?! If you've read any of these titles, share your thoughts in the comments so we can discuss!

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