HELLO BINDERY BABES!!! Being a paid subscriber means you get all of the exclusive content related to all things Sapph-Lit, and our second book CREATIVE DIFFERENCES (fka ENCORE) finally has a COVER.

This cover has been months in the making. We got the initial sketches from the lovely illustrator Dana, which I shared with y'all in a previous post, back in February. It's been a ton of emailing and Zooming back and forth to land on composition, poses, clothing, little details, and we have the below final cover to share with you. I'm so proud of it and I cannot wait for it to be in your hands soon. ARCs are being printed as you're reading this!!!!! Upgrade your membership to the $12 tier to get a physical ARC with this stunning cover mailed right to your door <3

As always, comment below what you think! What's your favorite detail? How do you like the colors? Which character are you most excited to learn more about?

Love you all and thank you for the support ALWAYS xoxo Nina

Welcome back to the Disability Pride Readathon! I had such a blast running this last year, and I’m so excited to bring it back for Disability Pride Month 2026! The readathon this year will include: 12 main prompts and a bingo board, an international bingo raffle for a $25 giftcard, exclusive content, and more! Let's get into the details:

What Is Disability Pride Month?

July is Disability Pride Month in commemoration of the Americans With Disabilities Act which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The goal of Disability Pride is to celebrate disabled lives and challenge ableism and the stigmatization of disability.

The CDC estimates that 1 in 4 Americans have some form of disability, and WHO estimates that 1.3 billion people are disabled worldwide. Despite the widespread existence of disabled people, disability remains heavily stigmatized, and disability rights are under attack, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. As systemic ableism and discriminatory laws seek to dehumanize and further marginalize disabled voices, now more than ever, we need disability pride.

What Is the Disability Pride Readathon?

In honor of Disability Pride Month I’m hosting the Disability Pride Readathon throughout the month of July, beginning July 1st and ending July 31st. My hope for this readathon is to celebrate disability representation, disabled authors, and the disabled experience. Reading from a diverse perspective increases empathy, and reading and promoting disability representation spreads awareness and builds acceptance.

This community that I have means the absolute world to me, and as someone who is myself chronically ill and disabled, I want to use my platform to uplift disabled voices, disability representation, and promote a more accessible equitable world for disabled people and all people. Someday, I hope that this Bindery community will have enough paid subscribers to become its own publishing imprint, publishing books starring disabled main characters, all written by disabled authors. By subscribing to my Bindery for $5 a month, you help us towards that goal (and get access to exclusive content!) as well as support my ability to keep making the content that I'm so proud of. But even if the paid subscription isn't for you, joining this community on the free tier brings us closer to this goal and means the world to me!

As excited for this readathon as I am (and trust me, I am so excited!), I also know that it takes more than awareness and reading books to enact societal change, which is why I will once again be donating all of the money that I make from my Bindery subscribers during the month of July to the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD), a national disability-led disability rights organization. If you are able, I invite you to donate as well to support their work fighting for and supporting the rights of disabled Americans.

The Disability Pride Readathon will be mainly hosted in the Chronically Bookish discord server (which all members of my Bindery community have access to, whether you are a free or paid subscriber--if you are not already in the discord, you can find that link HERE) as well as here on my Bindery–entirely on the free tier. I will also, of course, be posting on my social platforms as I read, and I encourage you all to as well to help spread the word!

The readathon will include:

• A Bingo consisting of 12 main prompts and 4 free "any book" prompts

• An international raffle for those who get bingo/blackout for a $25 USD giftcard to bookshop.org (if you're in the US/UK, otherwise it will be to a bookstore in your country!)

• Exclusive content (including book recs for each prompt from disabled content creators and authors!)

• Ongoing discussion, casual reading sprints, community, and more on the Discord server!

The disabled experience is not a monolith, which is why this readathon consists of 12 prompts encouraging you to read across the expanse of what it can mean to be disabled:

1. A book with a physically disabled main character

2. A Book with a multiply-marginalized disabled main character (BIPOC disabled MC, LGBTQ+ disabled MC, etc)

3. A book recommended in the Chronically Bookish Discord server

4. A book with a visibly disabled character on the cover

5. A book where the main character has an invisibly disability

6. A book with a neurodivergent main character

7. A book set in a country other than where you live

8. A book where the main character has a sensory disability

9. A book with two or more disabled characters

10. A memoir by a disabled author

11. A self-published book

12. A book where the main character has a psychiatric disability/mental illness

These prompts can be found in the form of a Storygraph challenge HERE (please note this is UNOFFICIAL and DOES NOT count as logging your bingos!!!)

Every book read for this readathon must have a disabled main character, and while it is not strictly required, I strongly encourage you to read books by own voices and disabled authors. Audiobooks, of course, will count towards the challenge, as will graphic novels, comics, and novellas. At this time, fan fiction will not count towards the bingo, but basically anything that could be logged on GoodReads or The Storygraph will!

Bingo Rules and Guidelines

These 12 prompts plus 4 "any book" prompts in the corners make up the Disability Pride readathon bingo board! One lucky winner will receive a $25 USD giftcard to bookshop.org if they're based in the US or UK, or to a bookstore in their country if not (if all else fails... we'll do Amazon).

Each book read for the readathon can be used for up to two prompts--this means you only have to read two books to get a bingo, or six to get a blackout!

Your first Bingo = your first raffle entry

Blackout = your second raffle entry

Raffle entries will be doubled for Inner Circle members (so 2 entries for first bingo, 4 for blackout)

In order to be entered into the raffle, you must post a photo of your completed Bingo board to the #bingo channel in the Chronically Bookish Discord server. You can post as soon as you get a Bingo and then again when you get Blackout, or you can post once at the very end–your entries will be counted either way. If you’re a Bindery subscriber who doesn’t have Discord but still wants to participate, you can email your completed Bingo card to kaleyreads@gmail.com.

Thank you so much for participating in the Disability Pride Readathon and for all your support in my bookish endeavors–I cannot express how excited I am to bring this readathon back for year 2!!

Summer reading season is in full swing, and July is absolutely packed with incredible new releases! To help you stay ahead of the game, we’ve put together our ultimate Early Warning System Pre-Order Guide.

Securing your copies early is the best way to support your favorite authors and ensure these highly anticipated titles land on your doorstep the day they drop. Below, you'll find direct links to grab them from our Bookshop.org shop (to support independent bookstores!) or via our Amazon affiliate links.

✨ BONUS: Keep your eyes peeled! We have an exclusive written Q&A post coming soon featuring a couple of the brilliant authors on this list. Stay tuned so you don't miss it!

🗓️ July 1st

The Long Way Home by Renée Curtis

• Amazon | Bookshop

Golden Hour by DeAnna Kaye Fields

• Amazon

🗓️ July 7th

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

• Amazon | Bookshop

Country People by Daniel Mason

• Amazon | Bookshop

A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Bird Tribe (The Dreambird Chronicles, Book 3) by Lucinda Roy

• Amazon | Bookshop

Crash Into Me by Robinne Lee

• Amazon | Bookshop

Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson

• Amazon | Bookshop

Ungodly Rich by Katharine McGee

• Amazon | Bookshop

Helpless by Jessica Knoll

• Amazon | Bookshop

🗓️ July 13th & 14th

What The Heart Wants by Ellis Darnell (July 13)

• Amazon | Bookshop

In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Forest Becomes Her by Julie Carrick Dalton (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

Among the Thorns by Jennifer K. Lambert (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

This Changes Everything by Lisa Scottoline (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza (July 14)

• Amazon | Bookshop

🗓️ July 16th & 20th

Almost Yours by Alexandra Ayres (July 16)

• Amazon | Bookshop

All of It Was for You by K T Lee (July 20)

• Amazon | Bookshop

🗓️ July 21st

All's Fair by Natalie Marie

• Book/Paperback Link | Bookshop

• Signed Paperback Bundle | Ebook

• 📝 Don't forget to fill out the Ebook Pre-order Incentive Form!

Chasing Hartes by Madyn Rose

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Egregious Affair of a Cold-Hearted King by Kayliani Shi

• Amazon | Bookshop

Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden

• Amazon | Bookshop

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison

• Amazon | Bookshop

Song for Another Home by Bora Lee Reed

• Amazon | Bookshop

👑 Prince of Swords by Elise Kova (DELUXE EDITION)

• Features gold foil page edges, designed endpapers, 2 interior maps, a custom-stamped case, and a premium dust jacket with foil!

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

• Amazon | Bookshop

🗓️ July 24th

The Demon's Thief by M.L. Eaden

• Amazon | Bookshop

Double Interference by Madi Danielle

• Amazon | Bookshop

Just Us, Here by V S Lawrence

• Amazon | Bookshop

🗓️ July 28th & 29th

The Way Back by Marie Landry (July 28)

• Amazon | Bookshop

✨ These Godly Lies by Rachelle Raeta (DELUXE EDITION) (July 28)

• A gorgeous hardcover edition featuring sprayed edges, a case stamp, and designed endpapers!

• Amazon | Bookshop

The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge by Rachel Hore (July 28)

• Amazon | Bookshop

🌊 Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (DELUXE EDITION) (July 28)

• A gorgeous hardcover edition featuring beautiful cerulean blue sprayed edges!

• Amazon | Bookshop

Ravenous by Kresley Cole (DELUXE EDITION) (July 28)

• Amazon | Bookshop

Spellcast by Sophie Jordan (July 28)

• Amazon | Bookshop

👑 One Shattered Crown by Rebecca Zanetti (DELUXE EDITION) (July 28)

• Deluxe special edition hardcover with stenciled edges, reversible dust jacket, foil stamping, and designed endpapers! Available while supplies last.

• Amazon | Bookshop

Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel (July 28)

• Amazon | Bookshop

⚔️ Daggermouth by H. M. Wolfe (DELUXE EDITION) (July 28)

• Features gorgeous sprayed stenciled edges while supplies last, stunning endpaper art, and a never-before-seen bonus POV story!

• Amazon | Bookshop

Beta or Knot by Marina Ramwell (July 29)

• Bookshop

🗓️ Bonus Pre-Order Alert!

The Shot You Missed by Piper Hale

• Amazon

💬 Which of these are going straight to the top of your TBR? Let us know in the comments below!

Summer reading season is heating up, and July is absolutely stacked with incredible new book releases.

Our Paid Subscribers just received our complete, massive July Early Warning System Guide featuring over 40 titles, release dates, and exclusive pre-order incentive links. But because we love our entire reading community, we wanted to drop by and share a few highly anticipated highlights you definitely shouldn't miss!

Securing your copies early is the best way to support authors. Plus, these gorgeous special editions sell out incredibly fast!

✨ July Highlight Picks:

• 👑 Prince of Swords by Elise Kova (July 21) — This deluxe first edition features gold foil page edges, designed endpapers, and interior maps while supplies last!

  • Pre-Order on Amazon | Pre-Order on Bookshop.org

• ✨ These Godly Lies by Rachelle Raeta (July 28) — A stunning deluxe hardcover edition featuring gorgeous sprayed edges and a custom case stamp.

  • Pre-Order on Amazon | Pre-Order on Bookshop.org

• 📖 The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren (July 14) — The perfect addition to your poolside summer reading stack.

  • Pre-Order on Amazon | Pre-Order on Bookshop.org

Want the full list of 40+ July titles broken down by week? Come join The First Editions!

👀 Keep An Eye Out: Author Q&As Coming Soon!

We have something incredibly special lined up for you. We are sitting down with a few of the brilliant authors featured on our July list for an exclusive written Q&A session!

We’ll be diving behind the scenes of their writing processes, their inspiration, and what you can expect from their new releases. Keep your eyes on your inbox so you don't miss it when it drops!

💬 Are you planning on pre-ordering any books this month? Let us know what's on your radar in the comments!

It's been a long, tiring, but also incredibly exciting week. I've been working on the second draft to my upcoming middle grade novel, I Wish I Was a Vampire, and will have it ready for beta readers in July! It's been really freeing to write this book. I went through a lot of what the MC goes through, but I thought, "What if she had a mom who actually cared?" or "What if the girl realized having one best friend who accepts you for you is enough?" Through these characters, I'm able to have hope and closure with different times of my life.

Also, as of this afternoon I have shipped ALL of the preorders for Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology along with other pending orders. This weekend I'll be editing one of the Yuletide Horror stories, writing/editing the middle grade book, and continuing my grassroots effort to gain readers for Death by TBR Books titles. Sunday is Litha (Summer Solstice), so I'll be doing a ritual and rewatching Midsommar. I'm definitely excited for the upcoming week with the release, but also fewer packages NOT that I'm complaining over sales. I'm incredibly grateful. :)

I love the summer solstice because it gets darker and darker every day after that. Muahahaha!

BOOKS
The Elsewhere Express by Sotto Yambao
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy
How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay by Jenny Lawson
Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

Currently reading: Witch Season by Julia Bianco and Moonflow by Bitter Karella

SHOWS

NEW
MasterChef
Widows Bay
Something Bad is Going to Happen

FILMS - I'm on LetterBoxd - horrormaven13
Deep Water
Swapped

Rewatches that I'm enjoying as I pretend to live in the late 90s/early 00s.

TV
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The X-Files
Law and Order: SVU
Owl House
Cruel Summer
The Golden Girls

FILMS
Evil Dead Rises
Enough
Maternal Instinct

That's all for this week! Please share what you've been reading and watching! The next exclusive post (a week from Wednesday) will be decided by a poll. :)

xoxo

Spooky Girl

Our Bindery Bookclub is back and with it comes some fun new features!

Our book to finish out June is one that I am so proud to say has my debut short story in it! It’s a medieval horror anthology under 200 pages. It had some FANTASTIC stories in it.

Of Plagues and Blasphemy 🔔

All proceeds go to The Trevor Project ❤️

The club is available through Fable and you can comment on each story without worrying about spoilers!

Link here 🔗 https://fable.co/club/bindery-horror-bookclub-with-ashreadshorror-238137833929?invite=5207f1aa-a08c-4abc-a187-c6bc60c5b3c8&referralID=BjEDttN2kn

HERE is the link to join our community Discord server and get access to:

• book club

• unhauls

• readathons

• and general community!

Once you're in the server, message "/link" in the #welcome channel to sync your Bindery membership and get full access to the server!

https://discord.gg/THMeRKBSV5

Voting has officially begun for our July Book Club selection!

We invite you to join our Discord community to participate in lively discussions, connect with fellow readers, and share your thoughts throughout the month. For those who prefer to vote here on Bindery, we'll also be posting a poll so members can cast their votes directly on the platform.

🗳️ Voting will remain open for one week.
📖 Our group reading will begin on July 1.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback, please join our Discord and let us know. We're always happy to hear from our community.

Happy reading, and we can't wait to see which book you choose for July!

Happy Juneteenth! A highlight this week was our June pick for the Read Herring Book Club. Speaking of which, I am running a special giveaway to celebrate 1,000 followers on Instagram!

Learn more and enter here: @readherringbookclub

I really love this special edition of Murder on the Orient Express and I know you will, too. As a note, your copy of the giveaway book will be shrink wrapped and untouched.

This week’s reads:

• Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd (finished): An enjoyable return to Nora Breen and her new home in Gore-on-Sea. Excellent writing and characterization makes this a pleasure to read. The mystery is entertaining but predictable, in my opinion.

• The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada (finished): I knew from the prologue that I was going to be gripped by this one, and that feeling remained straight through the epilogue. It is now tied for my favorite Read Herring Book Club selection so far (alongside February’s Devil in a Blue Dress). A puzzling mystery, an entertaining detective, and just the right amount of emotion made this an immensely satisfying mystery. I was literally giddy when I got to the explanation of the crime.

• Breakout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon (currently reading): I am rounding the final bend on this one and have my popcorn in hand for what I hope is a dramatic conclusion. While I am enjoying the story, the audiobook narration is hit or miss (but such is the risk of multiple narrators).

This week’s book mail:

• Moriarty: The Great Chaos (Audible Original): I got a crazy PR box for this third and final installment in Audible’s Moriarty audio drama series, which stars Dominic Monaghan as James Moriarty and Phil LaMarr as Sherlock Holmes, and Sir Ben Kingsley as Moriarty’s father. Watch my unboxing on your platform of choice: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook

• The Great Game by Arvind Ethan David (out July 14): A historical mystery with a Holmesian flare in which two men, a veteran-turned-law student and a gentleman thief, investigate a series of brutal aristocratic murders in 1905 London.

• The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (out July 14): A 1940s noir novel about a handsome con man and the two women who get in his way. Say less!

• The Enigma Challenge by S.C. Godfrey (out August 11): Here is the blurb that sold me on this one: “This is what you’d get if a Dan Brown novel was rewritten by Emily Henry.” (Kirkus)

Thank you to Audible, Thomas & Mercer/Megan Beatie Communications, Del Rey, and Pamela Dorman Books/Viking Books for these gifts.

Yours mysteriously,

Manon

Hi Disco Dancers!

I have a little secret I’ve been keeping that I want to share with you. I might announce it at some point… but for now, keep it secret, keep it safe!

Scroll down…

I’ve written an MM romance! I wrote it earlier this year and I’m currently querying agents and Indie publishers. Wish me luck!

Here’s the blurb:

HIS MAJESTY’S SECRET SCANDAL is a contemporary MM romance about a Black, gay actor cast as the UK’s favourite superspy, and the handsome publicist he just can’t resist.

Samuel Joseph has just become the first Black British actor to be cast as Carter Blake. Fame, glamour, money, it’s all coming his way. There’s just one problem. He’s secretly gay, and he can’t get his publicist’s smile out of his head.

Luke Brown is done with love. Healing from a bad breakup with his cheating ex-boyfriend, he throws himself into his work. He’s excited to land his first high-profile client, the up-and-coming actor Samuel Joseph. But from the moment they meet, he knows he’s in trouble.

Amid the glamour of red carpets, celebrity parties and sun-soaked European locations, the two try, and fail, to resist their attraction. But is love worth the scandal?

Alongside the core gay romance, other representation includes: two trans side characters, a non-binary side character, an aro-ace side character, and multiple characters of colour.

It combines the secret yearning of Heated Rivalry with the showbiz glamour of The Charm Offensive and the playful banter of Red, White & Royal Blue.

I'm hoping to get it out somehow next year, to tie in with the casting of the next James Bond, ahead of the upcoming movie in 2028. I didn't write it with that in mind, and then realised - oh yeah! A new movie is coming...

In my head, the fancast for the two leads is Damson Idris and Peter Claffey (from Knight of the Seven Kingdoms).

So.. let me know - would you read a romance with these two? How does a James Bond showbiz romance sound (but use code in the comments please!)

Bye!

Disco x

I finished Queen of Shadows and I have thoughts and feelings.

First, this is absolutely the strongest book in the series so far. I really enjoyed it. Despite every criticism I have for it, I think this was such a fun read and a good time. The reason I loved it so much, however, was because of the side characters. Yes, the rumors are true. People love Throne of Glass because of the side characters and they are... correct.

I'm not a fan of Aelin as a character for a lot of reasons I'll get into later. Let's start with the fun stuff.

This was much more action-heavy and things actually happened! The writing was snappy and kept my attention the whole time. I really resonated with the new POVs and had such a good time in the other stories, especially Manon's who I think had the best arc in QoS. I love Asterin so much, too. She is fantastic. And Elide! Elide was such a sweet, soft, wonderful character to add into this book. She really softened Manon's edges in a way that I loved.

Throne of Glass is a very character-driven story, not as much plot-driven. This is NOT a bad thing or a dig. There's a reason we have both types of stories! That said, I do have some issues with the shakiness of the larger plot premise. It definitely feels like it started half-baked and now it's finally formed, but it does suffer from that earlier half-baked nature from the previous books. It coalesced in Heir of Fire and expanded in Queen of Shadows though! Still, I can see the gaps. Which is okay because let's talk about the reason I had so much fun reading this book:

The characters.

Manon is fantastic. Her arc is identical to Chaol's, which is why I will remain an ardent Chaol defender and point out that people aren't paying any attention to him as a person and what his story is meant to do. Manon and Chaol have endured the same propagandist brainwashing loyalty demands. It's not easy to break out of that and we see Manon more explicitly trying than Chaol, which I think is just a product of SJM being younger when she first wrote Chaol as a character. If it were written today, it would probably be more overt. Still, it's the same damage and the same struggle. I actually think Chaol had it worse because he does his deconstruction in isolation.

Dorian abandons Chaol without empathy or understanding for how hard all of this it on his friend's worldview after knowing him his WHOLE life. You're telling me Dorian grew up with Chaol and knows what a deeply loyal and unquestioning person he is and then resents him for being unquestioningly loyal? That's just being a bad friend if you never try to put yourself in their shoes. I hope Dorian changes my mind because I'm a bit miffed at him for a few more reasons than that.

Aelin immediately expected Chaol to drop his entire worldview, loyalty, and life and just support her unquestioningly. That's crazy. Do you understand how wild that is to expect of someone? Nobody ever expected Aelin to drop all her history and trauma for their cause, but she does that to other people? No. That's nuts. Chaol wasn't wrong for staying the path he thought was best based off of his understanding of the world.

In the end, Chaol winds up processing literally the entire destruction of what he thought to be true and the person he believed himself to be on his own. His friends who should have been there and had empathy for him demanded he just be okay with betraying his core values ditched him when he wasn't immediately like yeah sounds good. Manon had The Thirteen to help her see and understood why she couldn't just abandon her beliefs. And yet Chaol gets hated on. It's hypocrisy.

Okay! Moving along. Aedion? I love him. I'm so sorry. I know he's so toxic and I want to slap him in the mouth, but I love him. He reminds me of one of my most beloved, favorite people in my real life who I adore with my whole entire heart. Like. I was texting him paragraphs and saying "YOU" and he replied with "shut up you're so annoying" but he loves the attention so I kept doing it.

Elide? I love the introduction of Elide. She is kind and soft and still tries to find her emotional strength. I think she is such a phenomenal foil to Manon. I love her impact and how she is echoing the Crochan witch Manon regrets killing. I can't wait to see what they do with her.

Now. I'm about to make people mad.

Rowan doesn't really do anything for me. In fact, he upsets me actively because he never holds Aelin accountable for her actions or behavior. A good partner doesn't just tell you you're doing everything right and never do anything wrong. A good partner helps you see your shortcomings and your mistakes and stands by you while you experience and learn from them. Rowan is 300+ years old. He's seen kingdoms rise and fall. Yet he doesn't see the potential for ruin in Aelin never owning her shortfalls or learning from her mistakes? He just tells her she's never in the wrong? I actually find that super worrisome and detrimental to their romantic arc. It makes it unromantic to me that he doesn't see her mistakes - he's no different than Chaol idealizing her.

Also I make no apologies but I find him kind of bland and boring. His personality is be growl, am hot, have face tattoo. That's nice for a few days but I would be bored to tears if there wasn't more to a person. Still, just a first impression! There's 3 more books to go.

You're not allowed to be mad at me for this next bit.

Aelin lost me in this book. Lost me HARD. Which is a shame because Heir of Fire Aelin had started to win me to her cause. I'm sorry, she is absolutely the worst and I'm struggling to keep an open mind for her. I think my patience has thinned immeasurably because I was so hopeful for her in HOF when she really seemed to have actual growth. Then I felt it all fell apart in QOS.

First, she comes back and asks nothing about what it was like for Chaol, then decides he's to blame for Dorian being collared. Aedion had been captured, Chaol had no weapons, and Dorian was the ONLY one in that room who could've done anything to fight the king. Dorian told Chaol to run. If Chaol had stayed, what was he gonna do? Toss Sorcha's head at him and hope she was the deus ex machina he needed? No. If he had stayed, he would have been killed and Dorian STILL would have been collared. He heeded his doomed friend's perceived dying wish to flee and get out.

Aelin rails into him for not getting Dorian and Sorcha out but has NO idea that Dorian wasn't speaking to Chaol and Chaol DID try to get them out. People forget that. He attempted to tell Dorian to leave and Dorian declined to do so until Sorcha went. What was Chaol supposed to do? Kidnap a prince? Ah yes that would've been a splendid plan. Aelin would have known any of this if she had asked Chaol a single thing about how things had been for him while she was gone. She was in the woods falling in love and learning magic. He was in the sewers fighting for his life to free innocent civilians from demons.

The Arobynn of it all is where I started to get a bit frustrated. There are literally demons taking over and possessing people and an evil king bent on destroying the world, but Aelin decides to take over half the book to play games with her old master when she has several opportunities to just kill him. "She's looking for the amulet" and she could've gone to his house, killed him in his sleep, and looked for it. There were surely a dozen other ways we could've wrapped that up faster. I got frustrated because she was fixated on her revenge and not on the much more globally pressing issue of demons taking over the world.

This also feeds into my other frustration with her. She expects everyone to drop their kingdoms, lineage, trauma, heritage, etc. and rally to her because she's using her real name finally. Like. Girl. Ten years is a long time. She's made no alliance, these people don't know anything about her, she could be as hell bent on evil shit as the king is. Why would they sight unseen come to her aid? She makes no effort to build alliances and then says they deserve to die and she'll kill them all for not coming to her aid. WHAT? Diva, that's not how political maneuvering works! Like. I don't understand what she believes the impetus for everyone coming to help her is? Just because she carries the name Galathynius doesn't mean she's inherently good or noble. She is a stranger to everyone who hasn't really done anything to fight for their cause for the last decade. Why would they suddenly be unquestioningly devoted to her?

Aelin never takes accountability or ownership of her behavior. She uses her self-claimed (which is what it is!) title of Queen of Terrasen to demand respect so she doesn't have to earn it whenever it's convenient, then drops that crown whenever it demands she be held responsible or accountable. She's volatile and has a cruel streak, which triggers Chaol's VERY REAL AND VALID CONCERN that she will use magic to destroy like the king did and believe herself righteous. Which she then immediately threatens to do. Frankly, I have a lot of worries about her having powerful fire magic and no emotional self control or sense of responsibility for her behavior. It's concerning, not charming to me.

Aelin regularly dismisses and disrespects and disregards and lies to everyone around her, then is shocked they are angry at her or frustrated with her and she immediately resents them for it. She's asked to meet at X place or Y time and don't follow, then immediately ignores that and follows. She interrupts missions without knowing the first thing about the risks these people are taking or why they told her to go a different direction. She just assumes she knows better than everyone and when it makes everyone else's plans go to shit, she blames them for bad planning when it was her fault they fell apart.

The lack of accountability for her character is making me despise her. A lot. And I'm annoyed with some of the decisions SJM made in writing her. Being able to outsmart Lorcan, a 500+ year old highly trained warrior-hunter with... a spare cloak? Are we real right now? And then she fights Manon, a 500+ year old battle-trained ruthless witch and beats her with... a leg hook? My problem with this is it makes Aelin feel plot armored. The stakes don't exist. Every plan she makes and fight she gets into she's going to win by some uninspired deus ex machina so where's my reason to worry about her? It also flattens the hell out of Fae and the witches. Like. They were built up to be such powerful, formidable enemies and... they're fooled and bested by a 19 year old human girl pulling out grade-school level tricks? This means one of two things. 1: Manon and Lorcan actually aren't very good at what they're doing OR 2: Fae and witches actually aren't very formidable. Both options conflict with everything SJM built up. Both are disappointing.

I also have a big problem with this whole... hiding things from the reader bit. It's one thing to surprise an audience, it's another to fool them. The overindulged plot device of "she switched it with a fake" fell flat after the second time. We are in Aelin's head in her POV, but we aren't let into any of her plans. We never get to see the exciting stuff like HOW she does it or what the plan is or what to watch for. We're just told "It was a fake she switched and the plan was a rousing success! Ta da!". That can work once, but this happened FOUR TIMES in the book. After a while, I just don't care about her plans. I'm not a part of them, so send a carrier pigeon when it goes off perfectly without a hitch and leave me to follow Manon.

The issue is these criticisms I have of the character make her feel so... flat. Not even likably unlikeable. She's just... boring. That's my thing. After the Manon fight, my feelings about Aelin kind of collapsed. I'm bored wit her. She's choosy about when she uses her trauma to justify her actions, she never shares with the class how the plan is going and it always goes perfectly, she's the best fighter and assassin and strategist and investigator and... after a while I just don't care. There's no threat to her. She has no flaws she acknowledges or explores. I don't care about the journey because "How do they pull it off" isn't a question that ever gets engaged. I know she wants to do X thing, she doesn't show me or share with me how she's going to do it, and I'm told it went perfectly. Like... great. What's her purpose to the story then?

Finally. I swear this is finally.

I do not understand why we care about Terrasen at all.

I know it's Aelin's former kingdom, but why would everyone around her with their own kingdoms and their own people and their own obligations throw all of that in the trash to prioritize Terrasen...? Am I missing something? I know she loves her homeland, as she should! It's her homeland! But I'm unclear why Rowan and Aelin expect everyone else to do the same? What's in it for them? I don't know why Terrasen is more important than everywhere else. "It was the site of a good kingdom" like... okay? Historically, that's been the case for thousands of years in different forms around the world. There's ruins of once great kingdoms all over the place. Why Terrasen?

I'm hoping some of my questions and holes and frustrations can be addressed in Empire of Storms. I've been advised there's a good transformation for Aelin as a character in that one and I really hope it's true because right now I'm fighting not to skim her sections entirely.

I'm about 70% of the way through our June book club pick and I'm really enjoying the premise so far. I didn't realize that this book was so short (just shy of 200 pages per my Kindle), so I'm definitely getting through it faster than some of the previous books we've read. With that said, I'm not sure how the story is going to wrap up with so little remaining, but I'm trusting the process! I would love to know: How's your reading progress coming along?

Happy Friday, and happy Juneteenth! I hope you will consider donating to a Black-led cause or organization near you today, especially if you're a white person with the day off work.

My favorite read this week was Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar. I know this is quite a shock considering I have literally tattooed This Is How You Lose The Time War onto my body, lol.

This book is a short story collection, which I often have a hard time with because I want more time in each story's world. But El-Mohtar is so good at spinning up perfect, tiny little universes in just a few paragraphs. Sure, I wanted some of these to go on longer, but that's just me being greedy.

I think what draws me to her writing is how ethereal it is. The descriptions of the settings are so gorgeous, and even when the action doesn't make Earth-bound logical sense, I'm willing to follow it. That's probably actually why I'm willing to follow it, actually, because I often have no idea where things are going to go.

El-Mohtar does bring the real world into some of the stories. There are a few that focus on queer and/or Arab experiences that weave the magic into the heartbreak.

I just love her so much. I hope you'll pick this book up, even if short stories aren't usually your jam.

My non-bo0kish fave this week is that I went to my cousin's wedding last weekend. It was held up in the mountains and we stayed in a lakeside cabin, and then we danced our butts off at the reception. I just love weddings so much, especially when it's some of my favorite people getting married. I made my spouse take a zillion photos with me because we never get dressed up anymore, so please enjoy, haha.

Hi there besties,

I'm finally starting to feel the urge to write, so I think you can expect more regular updates again. In the meantime, I wanted to share a little something that I wrote a few weeks ago but didn't have the guts to press publish. Grief is weird that way. This is for anyone wondering what those first few days were like and what happened to my dad. Thanks for your patience and support. ❤️

Even the Gator Knows

This month I'll turn 46 (the oldest I've ever been 😜), and it's also the first month that I'll be parentless.

My father passed away this weekend, and I'm unwell.

I'm currently sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee from one of his favorite mugs pondering where to even begin. There is so much to do, yet I feel paralyzed. It's as if I fear disturbing anything in his space will break the spell currently allowing me to hold myself together, albeit haphazardly.

Like I told my newsletter subs, for the past 4 years he and I have become closer than ever. He relied on me for so much after my mother's passing, and, in turn, I learned to lean on him for support I once sought from her. We spoke near daily, often for extended periods of time. We spoke about everything (weather, politics, his health, my relationship, dogs, recipes, life in general), and it's those daily chats that I will miss more than anything.

Barry was a wealth of knowledge, a born teacher who never got the chance to teach. A true Renaissance man, he could literally DO anything. Sculpt, paint, draw, play music by ear, sing, build, design: he could create like no one I've ever met. Sitting here surrounded by his pottery, paintings, doodles, and instruments, I know that I have a treasure trove of memories to sort through. And that feels both exciting and overwhelming. Buried treasure that will break my heart.

I'm here in Louisiana for the week to set affairs in order and prepare the house for the next inhabitants. Seeing his space as he left it the day he went to the Emergency Room feels unreal. The half smoked cigar in the ashtray, the laundry in the hamper, the grocery list...all ripping me into tiny pieces.

The truth is we knew this was coming; he had been suffering from advanced heart failure for a long time, with his symptoms worsening significantly since February. I was here to witness that struggle recently, so I know in my heart of hearts that his passing is a blessing. He's no longer struggling to breath or walk or any of the things that we take for granted every day.

Still, the suddenness of his passing is jarring. I spoke to him in the morning, and he sounded in good spirits though a little short-winded. He volunteered to go to the Emergency Room to get checked out and within 12 hours he was gone. The worst part: I didn't make it in time to say goodbye in person. I was standing in line to board my plane at LAX when I got the text saying "he's gone." I'll be forever grateful to technology for allowing me to Facetime him so that I could tell him that I loved him (and hear it back) one last time.

My sweet little daddy is gone. And I'm not ok. Sadly, I know from experience that I will be in time. One foot in front of the other. One day at a time. Deep breath. In. Out.

And what's wild, even the gator knows. Every year, a new little alligator would turn up in the bayou out back of his house. And every year, he would throw the gator scraps so they would continue to hang around and chase off snakes. This year, he had a little 4-footer hanging around ready for a handout. He swam up the day I got here, hoping that I had something to share. He must have understood me when I told him that Dad was gone, because he hasn't been back since. Even the gator knows.

Update on the Gator

Eventually he did swim back up, almost a week later. But I'm convinced he knows. It's funny how sensitive you become to the physical world around you in those early stages grief. Everything seems so alive, pulsing with the energy you no longer have. Birds in flight, flowers in bloom...everything in nature reminding you simultaneously of the life lost and the life left to live.

If you've lost someone dear to you in the past, then you know grief is a funny thing. It's heavy, and we all need a place to put it down for a while. Writing is one of the ways I like to do that. I appreciate you giving me space to grieve and share.

xoxo

c

Hi all!

Many apologies for being MIA. I've been reading and trying to beat the heat, but I'm happy to share with you a debut that I just finished and think you should add to your TBR.

Soft Spots by Leila Renee will be published in August, and it's an incredible debut. It follows Robin, a young Black college grad who has run away from her family. In her new home, she's focused on joining a teacher program (Like Teach For America) and becoming the best English teacher she can be. She meets Naomi, her roommate and fellow corps member, and develops an intense obsession immediately. The story unfolds over the course of 5-6 months and includes Robin's struggles with leaving her family behind, the abuse she suffered while at home, the observations she makes as a new teacher, and the parallels between her life and Naomi's.

I highly recommend if you enjoy character driven stories with heavy emotional themes.

Hi, my loves!

If you've been here a minute, you know I don't resell Advanced Reader Copies I am sent — it has a seal on the cover and everything! It tells you not to!

Anywho, I prefer to share the wealth wherever I can, and that means coming to y'all first. These are all 2026 releases, and if you're interested, comment below with the title you'd like me to send you! Any that aren't claimed by Sunday will go to a Little Free Library in my area.

"If I Ruled the World" by Amy DoBois Barnett (published January 27) follows Nikki Rose as she leaves her job at a prestigious fashion magazine where she is the only Black editor to take over an up-and-coming hip hop and lifestyle magazine called Sugar. Think late-'90s New York City, self-discovery, and the cost of ambition. — I definitely recommend this one! Just not one I think I'll reread, so she needs a new home.

"Body Electric" by Manoush Zomorodi (published May 6) is a non-fiction book that explores the very real health costs of being constantly plugged in to a digital world. The author also hosts the NPR podcast of the same name, to which I have become thoroughly addicted. — I enjoyed the book, but I think I prefer the podcast!

"The Lowe Job" by Grace Alexander (published June 16) begs the question: what happens when a young woman's salacious scandal meets a talent agent/momager's ambition? Fame, fortune, family drama... and all the comes with it. The cost of notoriety is high, but the tensions between mother and daughters may be higher. — I got a final copy of this in the mail just days after the ARC came, so I plan to read it soon! Meanwhile, I don't need both.

Let me know! I'm so happy you're here.