Hey BGN friends! A quick reminder if you want to be part of our book club and vote on our June selection to get access to exclusive content and our members-only Discord, you can join the BGN Inner Circle on Bindery for FREE for your first 3 months.

Just use code BGN3FREE at the checkout. After that it's only $5/month. [CLICK HERE]

Hope to see you there!

Hello, BGN Inner Circle and Lit Lounge Members!

It's almost time to choose our next BGN Book Club read! Nominations for this month's upcoming selection will officially begin on June 17, and we'd love for you to be part of the conversation.

Paid subscribers will participate in the nomination and deliberation process, if you haven't done so already please join our Discord community, where we'll begin discussing potential book selections this week:

Join the BGN Book Club Discord:
https://discord.com/invite/rtEz3fDkPq

Gifted codes were provided last month to BGN Followers who are now a part of the Inner Circle tier. You will be eligible to vote on the titles nominated this month.

We’re excited to have your voice in the discussion. We can't wait to see which book our community selects and to read along together throughout the month.

Happy reading, and we'll see you on Discord!

Absolutely devastated and disgusted to hear the news this morning that Tor Nightfire has picked up Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell.

Felix Blackwell is a white man who decided to include Indigenous characters in his horror book, drawing heavily on Native American culture (because he talked to one person and got approval. LOL). All the Native characters in the book end up dead.

I talk about it here and

here (his reddit response WAS DISGUSTING)

Every time I do an Indigenous horror recommendation video, someone recommends this book because they think the author is Native. (because who else would have the audacity?)

Anyway, I'm unfollowing anyone supporting this book and any author who decides to blurb it is going on an automatic DO NOT READ list for me.

Disgusted with Tor Nightfire. Truly

Overall Vibe: yearning.

Final Count: 4 (plus some fics)

Love Song (4 stars)

format: audio

I knew three things. Off Campus was coming to screens soon. I did not like The Charlie Method despite being excited about the why choose. And I still had not read Love Song. I knew what I had to do, Garrett and Logan were waiting for me (because yes I read this more for the parents, we're old friends.) I definitely was slow to warm up to this story, and it's characters. I think that once you're in it, it's a really fun time but if I hadn't been a huge Off Campus fan and came with that nostalgia... I probably would not have enjoyed it as much. This was the closest we've gotten to the original Elle Kennedy flavor since The Play (yes I'm excluding The Dare, iykyk that one just didn't feel like it was in the same family as the rest).

Ride with Me (3.5 stars)

format: audio

I love Simone Soltani, and I love F1. Simone is one of the F! romance writers who you can truly tell deeply understands the sport, the politics, and the social context that she's working within. (I had the chance to meet her earlier in May and can confirm that she's a fellow true F! girlie.) I used to be a bigger marriage of convenience fan before it started to feel played out and less believable, and in the past year I've had TWO exceptions. Play Along by Liz Tomforde... and this. The YEARNING from him? The girl boss vibes from her? Idk man I ate it up it was super fun. I loved every chnace we got to be in the paddock, and I loved the FIA politics, I felt well-served and content.

Smash or Pass (5 stars)

format: physical

It's YA sapphic sports romance AND autistic rep in women? And it...nailed both. From the moment I opened this book, I felt read to FILTH and so fucking giggly about it all. Birdie nails the way young autistic women create rules, either consciously or subconsciously, to live and mask by. She also nailed how allowing ourselves to be seen, and seeing others' soft underbellies, gives us the space and conifdence to let those masks drop. Being young is HARD (being grown is hard too) and in my experience, being yourself out loud, quirks and all, not only inspires others to do the same, but creates more genuine connections. And the romance? So soft and warm but also so real. You watch a genuine friendship be built, before she ever realizes that she wants it to be more, and it felt so, so right.

I Kissed Her First (5 stars)

format: physical

I think I have a niche favorite genre. Let's call it "Gaylor Agenda". Popstar who's secretly queer and gets to have fun runaway romance with her cook from PTown who has two dads? Guys, I should have known this would be addictive. My favorite read last year was Gaylor Agenda But Documentary Filmmaker edition. The tour aspect was so gooey, I loved getting to feel the runaway travel vibe with all the destinations, posed against the rigidity of Luna's career, schedule, public persona, and "relationship" with another (male) singer. I want to read it again, immediately. I want a sequel. I WANTTTTT I YEARNNNNN

Bonus:

Reputation (CaitVi Taylor Swift/PWHL au fic) by a_pottymouthed_parrot on Ao3

because I love Taylor Swift-esque sapphic stories. And sapphic sports romance. and CaitVi.

Sickooooooos! Monday's = Weekly Checkpoint, tell me what you've been reading and plan to read in the comments and I'll let ya know what I got goin' on!

READING

REVIEW

AUGUSTUS by JOHN WILLIAMS (historical fiction)

Progress: Finished

Who could've possibly known I would've loved this?! Seriously though, I mentioned last week that I was loving, and I ended up still loving it. I can't think of any good reason to deduct any star points. I especially appreciated the way the story of Julia (Augustus' scandalized daughter) was tweaked and how we got to poke around inside her head. The final letter was so brilliantly executed so it stuck the landing perfectly as well. John Williams is 2 for 2 with me so I'll just have to keep trying him until he misses.

EMPIRES OF THE STEPPES: A HISTORY OF THE NOMADIC TRIBES WHO SHAPED CIVILIZATION by KENNETH W. HARL (historical nonfiction)

Progress: 198/410

Still having a love/hate relationship with this one for all the previous reasons plus CAN A BROTHER GET A MAP?! I'm not the best with geography so having to constantly look up places like Transoxiana or Mount Beideng is a pain in the ass. Still, when HAAAARL eventually gets on a roll and into the meat and potatoes of the story of one of these steppe empires or confederations, it's excellent for those stretches. I just finished Attila's portion so I'm going to guess the next chapter is about the power vacuum that created, the conflict among his sons, and how the Germanic vassals were like alright y'all are cooked we're outta here.

THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by SIMON JIMENEZ (fantasy)

Progress: 95/518

The Fiction Sickos Book Club pick for this month is a re-read of one of my all-timers and the confusion in the early portions the first time around is now just pure admiration for how skillfully Jimenez sets up this super odd and ambitious world/story. I understand if some of y'all bow out early as it's very much an all-or-nothing book (as we discussed during the Monthly Wrap call last night that went on for hours), but I feel bad for those that do because if this hits you when you're in the right headspace there's really nothing like it.

PREVIEW

I didn't make as much process as I thought I would with my nonfiction read so I'm hoping to finish that this week and get to the History Sickos pick for June: And the Band Played On.

After Spear Cuts, I'll likely be doing another re-read of a favorite, The Lies of Locke Lamora, as this is the first Year of the Scoundrel Book Box for the Sicko Society members and it seems most of those have been delivered (huzzah!).

Might be time to get back into Berserk?!

EVERYTHING ELSE

Better Call Saul is still my background show, I think I'm halfway through S3. I loved Killing Eve S1 so I'll be continuing on with that. I've been re-watching the hilarious Jury Duty with my wife, who hasn't seen it yet, and will be finishing S1 tonight. We also finished S2 of Four Seasons, which we loved.

I'm almost done beating all the missions again in Tropico 6 so I think I'll finish my Disco Elysium playthrough after.

Speaking of games, it's a few months out but I've linked up with another book content creator who is going full-time and we have made a handshake deal to start livestreaming some party games (think REPO, Peak, etc.) with a group of folk we've played with before. Will keep you updated there.

I got my second V5 at the climbing gym today! Progress!

And a reminder that I'll be filming a YouTube Q&A this week, and I'm giving y'all first crack and submitting your questions, which you can do here.

I had a staycation last week, so it feels like we JUST had a Tuesday new release...but here we are again!

Here are the new releases on my radar:

Headlights by CJ Leede

Why it interests me: after Maeve Fly and American Rapture, I am absolutely interested in whatever CJ puts out, and preordered this without knowing anything but the title.

Pool House by Mary HK Choi

Why it interests me: a messy mother and daughter dealing with grief. I still have Yolk on my immediate TBR, but I have high hopes for both.

Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer

Why it interests me: reproductive justice speculative fiction.

Strangers Behind Closed Doors by Catherine Adel West

Why it interests me: a mystery set in a high-end hotel.

I'll Take the Fire by Leila Slimani

Why it interests me: autobiographical novel featuring a queer Moroccan coming of age. I actually sat down to read it when I realized it was a 3rd book in a series...I will be getting to it though.

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher

Why it interests me: romantasy with dark academia vibes.

Hello, readers! 🌞📖

A brand-new month means brand-new bookish resources, and we're excited to share that the Free June Bookish Templates are now available!

Whether you're tracking your reading progress, sharing your favorite books on social media, or wrapping up your monthly reading stats, these free Canva templates are designed to help you make the most of your reading life this June.

✨ Free June Templates

Our featured June template collection is ready for you to customize and use:

Free June Templates
https://canva.link/q1p2qkkiepq3lj8

Perfect for sharing your current reads, TBR lists, reading goals, favorite book quotes, and more.

📊 June Wrap-Up Story Template

Ready to celebrate your reading accomplishments at the end of the month?

June Wrap-Up Story
https://canva.link/h9kuyq56lyzz19l

Share your monthly reading statistics, favorite books, ratings, and memorable reading moments with fellow book lovers.

📝 June Reading Log

Stay organized and keep track of every book you read this month.

June Reading Log
https://canva.link/fs1ohudz997r1wa

This easy-to-use reading tracker is perfect for recording completed books, pages read, reading goals, and more throughout June.

Happy Reading!

We love seeing how our community uses these templates, so be sure to share your completed designs, reading updates, and monthly wrap-ups with us.

Download your free June resources today and make this your best reading month yet!

❓️What book are you most excited to read in June? Let us know in the comments! 📚✨

Enjoy your new templates, happy reading and don't forget to tag us in your posts so we can celebrate your reading journey with you! 📖💙

The wait is over, book lovers! 🌞📖

Our June Bookish Templates Collection is officially ready, and we've packed it with everything you need to keep your reading life organized, engaging, and Instagram-worthy all month long.

Whether you're tracking your reading goals, sharing reviews, participating in reading challenges, or creating bookish content for your social media pages, these free Canva templates are designed to make your reading journey even more fun.

✨ June Social Media Templates

June Square Templates

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Perfect for sharing current reads, book stacks, TBR lists, reading updates, and more.

📖 Book Review Templates

Need a beautiful way to share your latest reads?

• https://canva.link/jmyci4i6bmml2zd

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These templates make it easy to create eye-catching and professional book reviews for Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and beyond.

📊 June Reading Wrap-Up Templates

Celebrate your monthly reading accomplishments with our June Wrap-Up Stories:

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• https://canva.link/h9kuyq56lyzz19l

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Share your favorite books, ratings, reading stats, and memorable literary moments from the month.

🎯 Reading Challenges

June Bingo

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Add some excitement to your reading life with our June Book Bingo challenge.

Summer Reading Challenge

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Keep the momentum going all season long with our Summer Reading Challenge designed to help you discover new books and expand your reading horizons.

📚 Fun Reader Activities

What Type of Reader Are You?

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Discover your reading personality and share your results with fellow book lovers.

Bookshelf Favorites

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Show off the books that have earned a permanent place on your shelf.

📝 June Reading Log

Track every page, book, and reading session throughout the month:

https://canva.link/fs1ohudz997r1wa

Happy Reading!

We love seeing how The First Editions community uses these templates. Be sure to share your creations, reading updates, reviews, challenge progress, and monthly wrap-ups with us.

Which June template are you most excited to use this month? Let us know in the comments and tag us in your posts so we can celebrate your reading journey with you! 📚✨

Monday again? At least we have Must Read Monday to get us through it.

Today's pick is Coming Home by Brittney Griner. This got a pretty good amount of buzz when it came out, but not as much as I think it deserved.

As you might expect, this memoir covers Griner's time spent detained in Russia. If you're unfamiliar with the event, she was traveling to play on a team there during the WNBA's offseason and had accidentally left a mostly empty weed pen in her luggage. She was held for ten months in a Russian prison.

This is a horrific read, to be clear. Griner experienced a lot of emotional and physical pain, and she doesn't sugarcoat it. She speaks about the specific dangers of being a tall, masculine Black lesbian in this situation. However, she tells the story with such clarity and care that it's impossible to put down.

This is also a story about how the general disrespect of professional women athletes led to this situation. If the WNBA had been paying players salaries commensurate with their talent, Griner would not have had to play in a shady Russian league in the offseason to stay afloat.

We're wrapping up Go Eat Worms and kicking off Ghost Beach!

Drop any discussion on Go Eat Worms down below!

And now for our kick off for Ghost Beach!

Jerry can't wait to explore the dark, spooky old cave he found down by the beach. Then the other kids tell him a story. A story about a ghost who is three hundred years old. A ghost who comes out when the moon is full. A ghost . . . who lives deep inside the cave! Jerry knows it's just another silly made-up ghost story . . . isn't it?!

You can watch the episode here.

Hello everyone and welcome back to what I'm reading this week! So sorry for the radio silence last week, but let me tell you...last week was the week from HELL at work. I came home every day EXHAUSTED and uninspired. I worked nearly 45 hours last week. Short staffed due to vacations. GOOD TIMES...

Anyway, I'm back at it this week. I have an interview with Adam Nevill in the works so stay tuned for that, along with some more book recs.

I also wanted to relaunch my book club here and was interested if anyone would be interested in joining? If so drop a comment down below!

Now on to what I'm reading this week!

Decomposition Book by Sara Van Os

A woman discovers a corpse in the woods and subsequently forms an unusual connection with the deceased through their journal.

Corpse de Ballet by Megan Kearney

A graphic novel perfect for fans of Black Swan and Suspira. A girl arrives mid year to a dancing boarding school only to find that one student went missing before she arrived.

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kenndey

I'm buddy reading this one with my friend @Death By TBR Books

A domestic housewife in the 1950s starts hearing voices from the other side from a local girl who was murdered.

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson

Seeped in Irish folklore, this novel follows a family two decades apart, all centering around a child's tv show with a sinister underlying plot.

What are you reading this week?

Sickos! I'll be filming a Q&A on YouTube this week and y'all are, hopefully, going to be the ones providing me with questions, which I will then, in turn, answer (I think that's how Q&A's go). So. Yeah. Hit me with any questions you have in the comments here, I'll pull the best ones (or ones I can answer best), and include them in the video. It can be about anything (within reason, obv). Fire away!

MONTHLY WRAP YAP...

Also for those that aren't in the Discord, we're having our Monthly Wrap live video/voice call tonight around 8pm EST. These usually go for an hour or more and we'd love to have you hang out! Be subscribed at the Sicko tier or above to unlock that Discord channel.

OTHER STUFF...

• I'll see y'all tomorrow for a Monday Reading Update on here

• Have you pre-ordered A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood yet? The kindle version is on sale for $3.99!

• We've locked down our audiobook narrator for ACoS, more on that soon but I loved their sample

• Audible is currently having their summer sale where Prime Members can get the Audible Standard Plan for 3 Months Free (#amazonaffiliate), it's a great excuse to try audiobooks if you haven't yet as you can cancel anytime

• My boss (me) approved my birthday vacation request so I'll be mostly MIA the week of 6/15. I'll have some content pre-filmed and I'll still be in the Discord hangin' out so not much will change for y'all tbh

Happy Sunday and Day 7 of Pride, friends!!

Yesterday I attended my first Pride as a vendor, and while it was a long day, I had the absolute BEST time! Thank you again to everyone who stopped by my table to say hello, grab a business card, or made a purchase. You brought a smile to my face, and I'm thankful for you. In a time where the administration is telling us not to live authentically, you showed up and showed up as YOU. and I truly loved all the smiling faces and families there.

While yesterday was such an amazing event, Wisconsin also lost a powerful voice for not only the Oneida Nation and Two Spirit community, but also the LBGTQIA2+ community for the entire state of Wisconsin - Joseph "Joe" Torres. I had the honor and privilege of serving on a panel with him at the Neville Museum a few years ago, and while it was my first speaking engagement, he helped ease my nerves with his genuineness, his laughter and his wisdom. Our interactions were always brief, but his lasting impression on every life he touched will leave such a legacy.

In honor of Joe, I have decided that for the remainder of June, including the last 2 events I will be vending at and any sales I make for this month, I will donate all proceeds to the UW-GB Pride Center to help them create a scholarship/award in honor of Joe. If you would like to donate directly, please see the attached flyer for the QR Code. From the drop down menu, please select Pride Center General Operations Fund. Or Click Here.

With this being said, I'm opening up my Merch Link again for the rest of the month for you all to shop Pride exclusives. You can find the Merch Link Here. Again, all proceeds will go to UW-GB for every sale I make this month. If you'd like to Venmo me, please reach out to me directly to contribute. I will add it to the proceeds at the end of the month.

Speaking of events, my next event will be at The Attic, June 13th, from 9a-2p, in Green Bay, with other authors and a bookish vendor! They will have an exclusive drink menu in addition to a giveaway! Here are the details:

I hope every single one of you have such an amazing, peaceful and restful Sunday. Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see all you locals next Saturday!

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Welcome back to After the Walk, where Link and I return from our weekly stroll, and I attempt to organize my thoughts about everything I've been reading.

This week felt like one of those wonderfully reading weeks where the genres couldn't have been more different. I bounced from dark-humored fantasy to historical fantasy, from psychological thriller to speculative fiction, and somehow every book ended up circling the same idea: What do we do when life refuses to go according to plan?

Some books answered that question better than others.

DNF: Sublimation

Let's start with the only book I didn't finish.

Sublimation had one of the most intriguing premises I've encountered in a while. I was genuinely invested in the concept and wanted to know where the story was going.

Unfortunately, I ended up setting it aside at 48%.

The entire novel is written in second person and rotates between multiple points of view. Every character is essentially narrating events as "you." You woke up. You drank coffee. You entered the room.

Second person is already a difficult narrative choice for me, but when multiple characters are all speaking in that same perspective, I found it increasingly difficult to stay grounded in the story.

This was very much a case of "it's not you, it's me." The premise remained compelling right up until the point I stopped reading.

Hopelessly Necromantic

The elevator pitch alone sold me on this one: A burned-out royal necromancer grieving his wife gets dragged into another kingdom-saving adventure alongside a demon recruit and an unexpectedly charming skeleton brother-in-law.

This book knows exactly what it wants to be.

The humor is relentless in the best way. Bone puns. Self-aware fantasy jokes. Characters who seem vaguely annoyed that they're trapped inside an epic fantasy quest.

Beneath all of that humor, though, sits a story about grief.

Sikras is carrying enormous emotional weight, and the novel explores what it looks like to continue living after loss. Friendship, found family, and healing all become central themes as the story unfolds.

My only criticism is that the emotional depth never quite matched the emotional potential. The ingredients were all there, but the story often skimmed the surface of ideas I wanted it to explore further.

Still, this is a charming fantasy that succeeds because of its heart as much as its humor.

Man of My Dreams

Every reader has books where they can pinpoint the exact moment things stop working.

For me, that happened about a third of the way through this novel.

The synopsis promises one mystery. The novel gradually reveals that the mystery you've been following isn't actually the mystery the book cares about.

Now, I normally love a good twist. I enjoy being surprised.

The problem wasn't that the story changed directions.

The problem was that I spent so much time investing in the first storyline that, once the switch happened, I couldn't stop wondering why I'd invested so much energy into something that ultimately felt secondary.

By the end, the novel felt like two separate books competing for space.

I suspect readers who love layered mysteries and constantly shifting narratives may enjoy this much more than I did. Unfortunately, I spent more time irritated than intrigued.

The Unicorn Hunters

At this point, I should probably stop being surprised when Katherine Arden writes something I love.

The Unicorn Hunters takes the historical figure Anne of Brittany and asks a delightful question: What if folklore, prophecy, unicorns, and magic had been woven into her story all along?

The result is exactly the sort of historical fantasy I can't resist and included magical forests, court politics, ancient legends, and clever women navigating impossible situations. Basically, real history viewed through the lens of myth.

What impressed me most was Anne herself. Arden allows her to be ambitious, stubborn, strategic, intelligent, and flawed. She feels like a real person rather than a historical symbol.

Historical fantasy can sometimes lean too heavily toward either the history or the fantasy. This book strikes an ideal balance between the two.

Also, Louis repeatedly launching himself into danger for love deserves special recognition.

Historical fantasy continues to dominate my reading year, and this may end up being one of my favorite examples of the genre.

The Break-Up Retreat

This is everything I wanted Nine Perfect Strangers to be. The plot centers around an isolated wellness retreat, a charismatic founder who feels increasingly suspicious, and an undercover journalist.

The best part was the whole cast of flawed, messy people who were trapped together in an environment that grows more unsettling with every chapter.

Camilla Sten excels at atmosphere.

Long before the bodies start dropping, there's an overwhelming sense that something is wrong. The tension builds steadily through paranoia, suspicion, and psychological unease.

I also appreciated the queer representation, which felt nuanced and naturally integrated into the story. The beginning is slower than the ending, leaning heavily into psychological suspense before transitioning into something much more explosive. Once the final act begins, the pace accelerates dramatically.

Bonus: the epilogue was fantastic.

If you enjoy Ruth Ware, Sarah Pearse, isolated settings, suspicious characters, and stories that make you question everyone's motives, this should absolutely be on your radar.

The Traveler

This is speculative fiction doing what speculative fiction does best: using impossible ideas to explore deeply human questions.

On the surface, The Traveler is a story involving time travel and futures beyond imagination.

At its core, however, it's about a father and a son. It's about the impossible balancing act of wanting what's best for your child while recognizing that their life ultimately belongs to them.

The relationship between Scott and Lyle carried the entire novel for me. Even during moments when I wasn't entirely certain I understood the mechanics of what was happening, I remained invested because I cared so deeply about the people at the center of the story.

By the end, I had tears in my eyes.

The novel occasionally becomes so ambitious that it risks overwhelming the reader, and I did find parts of the ending difficult to fully grasp. But even when I felt slightly lost, the emotional core never let me go. That's a rare accomplishment.

Final Thoughts

If I had to summarize this reading week in one sentence, it would be this: Every book was asking what happens when our plans collide with reality.

• A grieving necromancer trying to move forward.

• A queen trying to avoid a future she doesn't want.

• Characters trapped in a retreat they no longer trust.

• A father trying to protect a son across impossible stretches of time.

Even the books that didn't fully work for me were grappling with questions that lingered long after I closed them.