When I lived in Alaska, I became a foster parent. I had not planned for it. A colleague said, “you have an extra bedroom and room in your heart, what are you waiting for?” Soon after, I met my first foster daughter at a shelter for unhoused youth. That moment shifted the direction of my life. I cared for seven daughters over the next few years. I also had to confront how little I had done to challenge my own thinking. I learned there is a huge difference between knowing racism is wrong and doing the ongoing work of antiracism.

One moment still sits with me. I was in a meeting, speaking, and a Tlingit grandmother told me to stop. She said, “we don’t need the opinion of a white woman. If we want to hear from you, we will ask.” I felt the discomfort immediately. But I also knew I needed to listen.

That moment forced me to face a gap between what I believed about myself and how I was showing up. I had named social justice as a value. As a social worker, I knew it sat at the core of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Still, I had not done the deeper work. I had not examined how white supremacy shaped my assumptions, my reactions, and my sense of authority.

I started reading with intention. I learned about what colonizers did to the Tlingit people and Haida people. I read Black scholars and applied those frameworks to my work with Indigenous youth and families. I began to understand that antiracism is not about holding the right beliefs. It is about changing how you think, how you listen, and how you act.

That work requires unlearning. It requires decolonizing your thinking. White supremacy teaches you to center yourself, to assume expertise, to move quickly, to speak first. Decolonizing asks you to pause, to listen, to question where your thoughts come from, and to notice when you are reinforcing harm.

This is daily work. It does not end after reading one book. It does not hold steady when you are tired. Burnout makes it easier to slip back into default thinking. For me, that default comes from being raised white in a system built on white supremacy. I have to interrupt that pattern over and over again.

Reading plays a role in that interruption. Not as a checklist. Not as a way to feel accomplished. Reading diversely is part of antiracism because stories shape how you see the world. If most of what you read centers cisgender, heterosexual, white characters, those narratives start to feel neutral and universal. They are not. They are limited.

When you read stories by Indigenous authors, by Black authors, by queer authors, you shift what feels familiar. You build a different baseline. You begin to notice whose voices are missing and whose stories are treated as optional. You start to question why.

Reading diversely is not about exposure. It is about accountability. It is about refusing to let white supremacy define your imagination. It is about choosing to engage with perspectives that challenge your assumptions and expand your understanding of community, identity, and power.

For me, that shift changed how I show up in my work and in my life. It continues to change me.

Knowing that backstory, I’m always on the hunt for sapphic Indigenous romances and I found one, and it not only didn’t disappoint, I was blown away by how beautiful it was!

The Ways We Converge by Collins Fox is a book settles into you and stays there.

Synopsis: Juniper Banks has spent the last decade running her mom’s powwow food truck—a life far from the dreams she once had. But while serving frybread and iced tea, she’s quietly built something her Tribe’s thriving food sovereignty program. Now, with an official budget and a coveted office in the new Tribal administrative building, she’s ready to reclaim her narrative and help shape her community’s future.

Rowan Birdsong, a rising star in environmental law, never thought she’d return to the Reservation she once called home. But when her father’s health declines, Rowan steps away from her high-profile career to work as a Tribal advisor and take care of him. The last thing she expects is to cross paths with her first love—Juniper. Or maybe, deep down, it’s exactly who she hopes to see.

It’s been fifteen years since Rowan left Juniper behind, shattering their bond without explanation. Now, fate thrusts them together once more to collaborate on expanding the Tribal gardens Juniper worked so hard to establish. Juniper is furious—why is Rowan back now, and why does she have to ruin her carefully constructed plans for redemption?

At first, Juniper resolves to keep their partnership strictly professional. But as old tensions flare into fresh sparks and the truth behind Rowan’s sudden departure begins to surface, both women must decide whether they can rewrite their past—and if their paths are destined to converge after all.

The Ways We Converge is a second-chance, forced-proximity sapphic romance featuring two Indigenous leads, with plus-size and gender non-conforming representation, climate justice, food sovereignty, powwow food truck chaos, and nerds… who really like to bang (a lot, everywhere).

My Thoughts:

The first thing that stands out to me was how deeply Indigenous culture shaped every part of the story. The reader got community, responsibility, history, and daily life woven into each scene. Juniper’s work with food sovereignty grounds the narrative in something real and urgent. You see how food connects to land, identity, and survival. The story treated that connection with care and precision.

Sapphic romance rarely centers Indigenous characters, and here it was not a side note. It drove the plot. It shaped the tension. It informed how Juniper and Rowan moved through the world and how they moved toward each other. You felt the weight of being seen in a genre that often overlooks this perspective.

The environmental thread adds another layer. The focus on land stewardship and climate justice didn’t feel like a lesson. It felt lived in. The work Juniper builds and the work Rowan returns to support was central to their identities. Their professional collaboration created a layer of friction that pushed the romance forward instead of slowing it down.

There was also a powerful throughline around hair and mourning. The story spoke to the cultural significance of hair for Indigenous people and the act of cutting it as a response to grief. Rowan’s relationship to her hair mirrored her relationship to herself. She was mourning the version of herself who did not feel worthy, who could not love who she was. Leaving the Reservation became part of that process. She had to step away to understand herself, and that journey added depth to her return and to the choices she made in the present.

It had been 15 years since Juniper and Rowan had last seen each other, and the second chance arc hits with jus the right level of animosity and trepidation. There was a lot of hurt to work through from Rowan leaving so abruptly.

When the truth behind Rowan’s departure starts to unfold, the emotional payoff lands because the story took time to build it. And girl does the romance deliver. The tension, the intensity and these ladies LOVE to bang. More importantly, the spice matches the emotional depth instead of overpowring it. You get connection, desire, and vulnerability all working together.

This is a five star read I’ll think about for a long time. 

Happy pub day!! This week’s releases are absolutely stunning. We’ve got trauma-fueled thrillers, obsession-worthy leading ladies, swoony chaos, and a couple that had me side-eyeing my headphones like… are we okay?? 👀

Let’s get into it.

🎧 Audios I Binged

🖤 Victim or Villain
Read or skip: Read (especially if you love emotional thrillers with messy morality)
Rating: 4.25 stars

Gwen Kane??? I’m obsessed.

She’s smart, funny, deeply traumatized, and trying so hard to build a quiet life after surviving something horrific. And then… everything unravels. Fast.

This is one of those stories where you’re constantly asking: what would I do in her position? And the answer is never simple.

The emotional weight here really lands. You feel Gwen’s fear, her rage, her desperation to protect the one place that finally felt safe. And the romance?? Complicated in a way that actually works for the story.

Also I need to talk about the audio:
Stephanie Nemeth-Parker + Teddy Hamilton?? Immediate yes. They brought so much depth to these characters.

Final thought: A morally messy, emotionally intense thriller that keeps you locked in.

🧪 Morbid Curiosities
Read or skip: Maybe skip (or go in with tempered expectations)
Rating: 3 stars

Okay this one HURT because the premise??? Elite science institute + secret experiments + dark academia vibes in a modern setting??? I was so in.

And to be fair, there are things this does well. The science elements feel grounded, the atmosphere is tense, and the narration by Isuri Wijesundara is genuinely strong.

But the execution didn’t fully land for me. The pacing felt uneven, and I never fully connected to what was happening vs. what I wanted to be happening.

There are moments of intrigue (mutations, hidden experiments, unreliable memory 👀), but it never fully clicks into that “I can’t stop listening” mode.

Final thought: Cool concept, solid narration, but didn’t hit as hard as I needed it to.

👑 Leading Ladies I’m Obsessed With

💔 Aphrodite in Pieces
Read or skip: DEFINITELY READ
Rating: 5 stars

I will not shut up about this book. I simply won’t.

This completely redefines Aphrodite. Not just as the goddess of love, but as a woman shaped by how others see her, use her, and judge her.

It’s raw, layered, and honestly kind of devastating in the best way. The themes around internalized misogyny and how women are pitted against each other?? Yeah… it hits.

Final thought: A powerful, unforgettable reimagining that will make you rethink everything.

⚔️ Burn the Sea
Read or skip: Read
Rating: 4.5 stars

A warrior queen. Court politics. Sea monsters. Colonization tension. Say less.

Abbakka is THAT girl. Strong, strategic, and constantly forced to prove herself in a world that underestimates her. Watching her navigate power, duty, and survival was everything I wanted.

Also quick reminder: I’m going live with the author on IG 5/1 and I’m so excited for this one.

Final thought: Fierce, atmospheric, and rooted in power + resistance.

💘 Romances That Made Me Giddy

✨ The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire
Read or skip: Read
Rating: 4 stars

India Holton truly does not miss when it comes to witty chaos.

Friends-to-lovers but make it magical academia, forced proximity, and absolute banter overload. Watching Amelia and Caleb dance around their feelings while literal chaos unfolds around them?? Incredible.

Also the humor?? Top tier.

Final thought: Smart, charming, and just ridiculously fun to read.

💗 The Blind Date Agreement
Read or skip: Maybe skip if YA drama isn’t your thing
Rating: 3.75 stars

This one is messy in a very YA way.

The blind date setups were hilarious, and I did enjoy the banter, but whew… the drama. I loved to hate a certain character (you’ll know), which honestly kept me invested.

If you like high school chaos, complicated feelings, and friendship vs. romance tension, this might work for you.

Final thought: Entertaining, chaotic, and very much YA vibes.

😱 Books That Made My Heart Race

🩸 The Caretaker
Read or skip: READ (if you like being unsettled)
Rating: 5 stars

WTF did I just read.

This is one of those books that just… creeps under your skin and stays there. The premise is simple (caretaking job from Craigslist), but the execution?? Absolutely unhinged in the best way.

The tension builds so well, and by the end I was fully spiraling.

Final thought: Disturbing, addictive, and genuinely scary.

🎢 The Drop
Read or skip: Read
Rating: 4 stars

Being stuck 650 feet in the air on a roller coaster??? Immediate no.

This is such a fun, high-stakes thriller with a very contained setting and a group of characters with history (aka secrets 👀).

It’s fast-paced, anxiety-inducing, and plays really well with the “past coming back to haunt you” trope.

Final thought: Stressful in the best way. I could not look away.

🚫 The One I DNF’d

🥀 Witch Queen Rising

This one had so much potential.

The worldbuilding? Strong. The premise? Exactly my vibe. Witches, power struggles, paranormal politics?? Yes please.

But the pacing… I couldn’t do it.

At 54% in, I needed more to be happening. It felt very repetitive (meetings, calls, inner monologue), and the urgency of the stakes just wasn’t matching what was on the page.

I also struggled with the writing style; some of the descriptions pulled me out of the story instead of immersing me in it.

Final thought: A great concept that didn’t quite deliver for me, but I would consider trying book two if the pacing improves.

And that’s this week’s stack !

Some hits, some almosts, and a couple that had me questioning my life choices, but honestly?? That’s the fun of pub day.

If you’ve read any of these (or have one you’re excited for), tell me:
❓ which one is going straight to your TBR?

On the strength of community and plot twists you never expect

A bit less than two years ago in October of 2024 while I was in New York celebrating the release of the first EVER Bindery books and meeting Deena (the author of our first Boundless Press book, DUST SETTLES NORTH) for the first time and freaking out over the book being in a PW cover ad - I had the immense pleasure of also taking a call at a random coffee shop in NYC that would change my life forever.

The call was to meet Mona Tewari and discuss her incredible book, BURN THE SEA, for publication with Boundless Press.

I knew from the moment I spoke to Mona on our call that she was an author that I wanted to publish. She had such kindness to her soul and integrity to her character much like the characters of her book. I was excited by her absolute passion for this story about women who uplift each other, standing up against colonialism, and learning to be strong in more ways than one. I remember we both got a little teary over wanting to have stories out there that brown girls like us (and like Mona’s beautiful daughters) could see themselves in and know that they could be heroes too. 

BURN THE SEA is everything I love in a fantasy book - incredible characters you can’t help but root for, political machinations, epic battles, excellent twists that will leave you reeling, and just a touch of romance that will leave you longing for more. It’s a book I wish I had years ago so that I could’ve realized that I, too, was worthy of love and acceptance, and that strength comes in so many forms. That leaning on the women in your life is so important and that just because someone wants to bring you down does not mean you need to bow to their oppression. 

I love Abbakka’s story with my whole heart and I am so happy that we get to share it with you now. BURN THE SEA is out today because of YOUR unwavering support of me, this community, this imprint, and of Mona. YOU made this happen just as much as I did and I hope you are proud of that achievement and of changing so many people’s lives.

THANK YOU for everything and I hope you enjoy BURN THE SEA when you have the chance to pick it up and that you can share your love and support for it in the weeks and months and years to come 💖

Love, Jananie

Hello, everyone! Please consider pledging our Kickstarter here, and share share share!

Also, our website will be back up soon--I deactivated to do a redesign so it should be back by next week!

Thank you!

Hello, everyone!

Here are some new releases we are excited for today (remember, you can purchase these from us by using our Bookshop.org or Libro.fm links!).

• The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer (*)

• Crossroads by Laurel Hightower (**)

  * means Ryn has read an ARC and recommends!
  ** means this is a TBR book!

Independent Bookstore Day is coming up which means we'll be drawing the winner for our Libro.fm Golden Ticket on Sunday! If you cannot make it out to a physical indie bookstore, please consider using our Bookshop.org link to support us for Indie Bookstore Day!

Till next time!

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs!

I've been bursting at the seams to break this news to you...this post is coming to you from Santiago, Chilr. I'm here this week for the worldwide premiere of The House of the Spirits!

I started my trip last night and am just arriving this morning. We set-up an #✈️-Adventuras channel in Discord where I am sharing some in-real-time updates as I can, so please head over there to ask questions/get more updates this week!

BOOK CLUB POLL RESULTS

Bindery and Discord results varied greatly, so we finally decided on the following--

June Book Club Selection: And I'll Take Your Eyes Out
October Book Club Selection: You Should Have Been Nicer to my Mom

Don't forget May is Asiri and rhe Amaru and August is The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno -Garcia

We have nonfiction book club through June, Accordion Eulogies, so we'll vote on July book club after I get back. xo, Carmen

And now, onto today's Latine book releases!

APRIL 21st
TRANSLATED FICTION

Exemplary Humans by Julana Lette and translated by Zoe Perry (Audiobook)100-year old Natalia is stuck inside her house reliving her past and watching everything go on outside her window. This is a story about her past and all our futures.

LITERARY FICTION

Last Night In Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez (Audiobook) Xochitl is back with another work of literary fiction, this time, about a girl in 2007 whose life becomes ensnared in the life of her neighbor...

NONFICTION

Prophecy: Prediction Power, and the Fight for the Future from Ancient Oracle to AI Carissa Velez (Audiobook) An urgent new look at prophecies—the predictions that determine our lives, from our personal finances and the quality of our healthcare to the news and social media we consume and the products foisted upon us.

The Sun and All the Other Stars by Karla Montalván (Audiobook) Publishin both English and Spanish, intentionally creating space for bilingual readers and intergenerational conversations within Latin families. The novel follows a Cuban American muralist who begins to recognize a pattern of generational heartbreak in her family. In searching for answers, she explores past-life regression — uncovering three former lives across different eras and geographies. Through these layered timelines, the book explores love, identity, migration, memory, and the cultural threads that shape who we become.

POETRY

The Selected Poems of José Emilio Pacheco by José Emilio Pacheco and edited by George McWhirter (Audiobook)

PICTURE BOOK

Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rivals! by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo & Pat Zietlow Miller and Illustrated by Joe Cepeda

Hold by Randy Ribay and Illustrated by Zeke Peña

xoxo,

Carmen

Excited for today's Bindery haul! Straight to the top of my TBR.

Hi nerds,

It’s six days before Independent Bookstore Day, our third one at Sunny’s. I’m writing this from an airport, on my way back from a very chaotic four days in New York. I was there for my day job, bookselling at our publisher booth and helping produce our presence at a reader event (BookCon!) that brought in something like 25,000 people. Which means, naturally, it all lined up to happen the same week as IBD!

Somewhere in the middle of the event—on the floor, behind the booth, watching people move through this huge, loud, living system of books and readers and publishers, holding the very books I have spent years of my professional life on—I kept having this very simple thought:

This is what it looks like when all of this works.

Publishers making the books. Readers showing up for them. And in between, this constant, necessary act of connection: putting the right thing in the right hands.

I kept thinking about how rare it is to see the whole chain in one place like that, and how much of it actually depends on smaller, quieter spaces to hold things together day to day.

Independent bookstores are one of those spaces.

Not the scale of a convention floor. Just smaller. Closer. One book at a time, one conversation at the counter, someone coming in unsure of what they want to read and leaving with something they didn’t expect to find. That’s what Sunny’s is trying to be part of. Community!!!

And that’s what Independent Bookstore Day is, for me. Not just a celebration of bookstores, but a reminder that this whole ecosystem only exists because people keep CHOOSING it.

Sunny’s only exists because of you. The people who stop in once while they’re downtown. The people who come in every week and have a stack going at home. The people who bring their out of town friends in when they visit. The people who DM us photos of what they’re reading after they leave.

We see it all. We feel it every day. But especially this one. So this is just a thank you. For reading with us. For choosing a small bookstore when you could buy books anywhere else. For telling people about us. For coming back. For letting this place be part of your reading life. We wouldn’t be here without that.

If you’re around, come by on Saturday. Say hi. Browse. Let us put something in your hands.

We’ll be here.

Love you! Mean it!

CJ

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SICKOS, time for another Monday update! Let me know what you plan on reading this week in the comments, here's what I made progress on last week and what I've got on deck this week. Also they don't send email notifications out for this so I'll flag here that the pinned History Book Master List got a li'l facelift and some new additions a few days ago.

READING

REVIEW

ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by OMAR EL AKKAD (nonfiction polemic essays)

Progress: Finished

I finished this two weeks ago and completely forgot to include it in last week's update, that's my bad. This had so many stand out, thought-provoking quotes and it made me both uncomfortable and pissed. I found the bits about frustration with Western liberalism, especially in the form of Democratic politics, extremely relatable, putting into words something I've been feeling for over a decade. From page 124:

GAMES WITHOUT RULES: THE OFTEN INTERRUPTED HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN by TAMIM ANSARY (narrative historical nonfiction)

Progress: Finished

I've provided a few updates on this one previously and yeah this is the right book if you're looking to get a basic understanding of Afghanistan and why it's considered the "graveyard of empires". Ansary argues that Afghanistan's progress has been constantly halted by competing powers who fail to understand their complex and contradictory make-up, and he's not wrong! I did some follow up research on what has happened since this was published in 2012, including the 2021 Taliban takeover that has reimposed harsh restrictions and their 2025 clash with Pakistan, a country that spent year backing the Taliban, only to find out that (like so many others have) they will lose control of what those players become.

Basically for outsiders interfering with Afghanistan and trying to mold them to their purpose, they're this meme:

PUERTO RICO: A NATIONAL HISTORY by JORELL MELENDEZ-BADILLO (narrative history)

Progress: Finished

We're on a roll with nonfiction right now because this is exactly what I'd hoped it'd be. It's a chronological synthesis of Puerto Rico's history of colonialism (and it's many forms) and takes you pretty close to the present day. One example of where this was helpful was laying out that the political landscape, where various parties are in a three-sided tug of war over those supporting annexation, commonwealth status, or independence. It also gave me some background into the events and players (like Pedro Albizo Campos) that are featured in War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis, and helped me gain insight as to way it's such a divisive book, even amongst Puerto Ricans, as Denis is said to be clearly coming from a pro-independence perspective.

ATMOSPHERE: A LOVE STORY by TAYLOR JENKINS REID (historical fiction romance)

Progress: Finished

At this years Rancho Mirage Writers Festival I sat in on a couple panels featuring TJR and it convinced me to give her work a shot. Atmosphere was included in the RMWF care package so I figured that'd be the one to crack first. Holy shitballs, this was damn good! It wasn't at all what I expected and it gave me Emily Henry vibes in the best way. Devoured it over three sittings and the ending almost had me feeling a human emotion, which says a lot! Definitely recommend it.

DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE by MIYE LEE (cozy fantasy fiction)

Progress: Finished

I love the concept and vibe of this but it never gave me a reason to care and it has virtually no plot. I have to be a in a certain mood for that to hit and I guess I wasn't there when I read this. Still had some creative concepts and I'd bet if I were in the mood for an episodic, slice of life narrative, it would've hit better but nothing stuck to my ribs.

PREVIEW

At a weird spot where I finished everything I was working on over the past couple weeks, so I'm not sure where do go from here other than wanting to pick up We Do Not Part by Han Kang. I do have to pick out all the books for the clubs to vote on for May so maybe in that process I'll gain some clarity. Oh! That's right, I mentioned it above but perhaps War Against All Puerto Ricans will be the next nonfiction read.

PUBLISHING IMPRINT NEWS

Important meeting this week re: a potential second book acquisition! Will update more when I can.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Hockey playoffs have started and the Flyers snuck in so this is going to dominate my week, so I'll just compile the rest of the run down here. I finished S4 of Game of the Thrones and S2 of Euphoria, and outside of Frieren there's nothing I plan on watching with any kind of regularity. Not in a big gaming mood rn but that may change. The heavy scabbing phase of my hand tattoo is done, I have shed my dragon skin, and just to play it safe we are either a day or two away from going to the climbing gym again, thank heavens.

Also a reminder that I'll be at BookNet Fest in Orlando, May 15-16 as a panelist. I loved this event so much last year and I hope to see you there!

Here are some April 21st new book releases on my radar (and should be on yours!). First, the one I had a chance to read already:

Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh 5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you love literary speculative fiction. I was thrilled to get an ARC of one of my most anticipated releases, and as much as I've appreciated Sophie's other works, this has been my favorite. Our main character wake up in an alternate world where she gets to live openly with her affair partner. Themes of “what ifs”, regret, and longing are strong, as well as an exploration when each partner has different desires. 

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez 4.25/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you want to read a love letter to Brooklyn and a time capsule of 2007 (Which does not make this historical fiction...fight me). Our characters are young and MESSY, but there is still a lot of heart.

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher 4.25/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you appreciate historical folk horror. This one has deep roots in Jewish folklore, and reminds us that European antisemitism was a problem long before the Holocaust.

Honor & Heresy by Max Francis 3/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you like nerdy fantasy. Unfortunately for me, fantasy hasn't been hitting lately. I heard this billed as dark academia, but it's more dark library than academia (if that makes any sense).

And the one I'm still waiting to get my hands on:

The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen

Why it interests me: a space opera features a galactic civil war...I've been hankering for science fiction.

👑📚 Royal secrets, scandal, and murder your next book club obsession just got even better…

Attention, The First Editions! The book club kit for Royal Blood by Aimee Carter is officially LIVE! 🎉✨

If you were hooked on Evan Bright’s whirlwind journey through royal drama, media chaos, and a murder mystery that keeps you guessing, this kit is the perfect way to dive even deeper into the story.

👑 What’s Inside the Royal Blood Book Club Kit?

We’ve put together everything you need to host a discussion-worthy, drama-filled meeting:

🔍 Thought-provoking discussion questions to unpack every twist

👑 Character breakdowns because we ALL have opinions

🫖 Themes of power, identity, and loyalty to explore

🎭 Fun extras to keep your meeting engaging and interactive

📂 The Royal Dossier: A dedicated guide for each member to use while reading!

💎 Ready to take your reading experience to the next level? Tap the links below to access:

📚 The Full Book Club Kit: Everything you need to host your book club meeting.

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/4buyz4sv

✍️ The Full Solo Deep-Dive Kit: Perfect for the investigator who wants to read and reflect in solitude.

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/ythunac2

👥 The Full Buddy Reader Kit: A guide to keep you and your bestie in sync.

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/nart7ewp

📂 THE ROYAL DOSSIER: Our individual Book Club Member Kit the ultimate companion for every royal enthusiast.

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/48xknpdc

📖 Why You’ll Love It

Royal Blood is packed with scandal, secrets, and suspense, making it the perfect pick for lively discussions. From Evan’s complicated place in the royal family to the shocking twists surrounding the murder, there’s SO much to talk about. These kits help guide your conversation while still leaving room for all your wild theories and reactions 👀

❓ Bookish Question: If you uncovered a royal secret that could change everything, would you expose it or protect the crown?

If you love royal drama with a side of murder mystery, Royal Blood by Aimee Carter absolutely delivers a binge-worthy, twist-filled ride that’s hard to put down.

👑A Scandal-Filled Setup You Can’t Look Away From

At the center of the story is Evan Bright, the King of England’s illegitimate daughter, who has spent her life staying out of the spotlight. But when she’s suddenly summoned to London to spend the summer with her royal family, everything changes overnight. Her identity is exposed, the press goes wild, and she’s thrown into a world where every move is scrutinized and judged.

What makes this setup so compelling is how quickly the stakes escalate. Just as Evan is trying to navigate royal expectations, strained family dynamics, and relentless media attention, a night out turns deadly and she becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

🔍Mystery Meets Modern Monarchy

The mystery element is where this book really shines. The pacing is tight, with new clues, red herrings, and twists woven throughout the story. Every time I thought I had a clear suspect, something new would shift the narrative and make me question everything again.

What I appreciated most is how the investigation unfolds alongside the pressures of royal life. Evan isn’t just solving a murder she’s doing it while being watched by the public, criticized by the press, and surrounded by people she doesn’t fully trust. It adds an extra layer of tension that keeps the story feeling high-stakes from beginning to end.

💔A Relatable Heroine in an Unreal World

Evan is easily the standout of the novel. Despite being thrust into an overwhelming and often hostile environment, she remains grounded, resilient, and determined to prove her innocence.

Her struggle to find where she belongs caught between her normal life and the rigid expectations of royalty feels authentic and emotionally engaging. The complicated relationships within the royal family add even more depth, especially as secrets begin to surface and loyalties are tested.

🫖Secrets, Lies, and All the Royal Tea

Let’s be honest, part of the fun of Royal Blood is the sheer amount of drama. From hidden scandals to shocking revelations, the book leans fully into the intrigue of the monarchy.

Fans of real-life royal fascination or shows filled with palace drama will find plenty to love here. The story captures that mix of glamour and suffocation that comes with royal life, where appearances matter just as much as the truth, sometimes even more.

⚡Pacing & Writing Style

The writing is accessible and engaging, making this a quick and addictive read. Chapters move quickly, often ending on mini cliffhangers that make it hard to stop just one more chapter.

While the tone stays relatively light and YA-friendly, the stakes feel real enough to keep you invested. The balance between suspense, drama, and character moments is well done, even if some twists lean slightly predictable for seasoned mystery readers.

⭐Final Thoughts

Overall, Royal Blood is a fun, fast-paced YA thriller that blends royal intrigue with a compelling murder mystery. It’s the kind of book you pick up for the drama but stay for the twists and the emotional journey of its main character.

If you’re looking for:

• 👑 Royal family drama

• 🔍 A twisty, engaging mystery

• 💥 High-stakes secrets and scandals

• 💖 A strong, relatable heroine

…then this one deserves a spot on your TBR.

🎁 READY TO START YOUR INVESTIGATION? Tap the link to access our FREE Starter Kits for Royal Blood, including:

• ✍️ Solo Reader Starter Kit The Foggy London Ritual

• 👥 Buddy Read Starter Kit The 25% Suspicion Tracker

• 📚 Free Mini Book Club Kit Essential Discussion Questions

Ready to start your royal journey? Tap the link! https://tinyurl.com/yufb7w5z

💎 WANT THE FULL ROYAL TREATMENT? Upgrade your reading experience and join The First Editions and get full access to the complete library, including:

• ✨ Full Solo & Buddy Read Kits The Complete Investigation Guides

• 📖 Book Club Kit 12-Question Discussion Guide

• 🍽️ Themed Menu Full recipes for palace-inspired treats

• 🖋️ Themed Activities & Door Prizes

• 📂 THE ROYAL DOSSIER: Our signature individual Book Club Member Kit!

❓Book Club Discussion Question

If you were in Evan’s position suddenly thrust into royal life while being accused of a crime would you trust the people around you, or go it alone to uncover the truth?

Hey y'all,

I tallied up the votes between the Bindery and IG poll for May's book club pick and the winner was * drum roll *

Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen

I'm so excited to read about dragons with you this May! And that's not all, because this May we'll be experimenting with the book club by having TWO books. Call of the Dragon will be our fiction pick and our nonfiction read will be One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad!

May 18th is Haitian Flag Day so be ready to see some Haitian recs from me very soon.

XoXo,

Rae

Okay, so this week??
No misses… just vibes across the entire emotional spectrum.

Like I went from poetic, haunting horror that rewired my brain… to chaotic wedding drama… to being psychologically stressed over a Craigslist job posting.

Let’s start with Japanese Gothic because I genuinely have not stopped thinking about it.

This is easily in my top 3 books of the year, and I don’t say that lightly.

I actually reread parts of it a week later, which I almost never do, just to sit with the writing again. The prose is that good. It’s the kind of writing where you read a sentence, pause, and then go back because you need to feel it twice.

Dual timelines (1877 and 2026), and I was fully locked into both. Sen’s storyline brings this disciplined, brutal samurai world, while Lee’s is… unraveling in a way that keeps you constantly questioning what’s real.

And the horror?? It sneaks up on you. Quiet, controlled, almost beautiful… until it absolutely isn’t.

This is horror, yes, but also mythology, time loops, generational trauma, identity… all layered into something that just lingers.

I already know this is one I’ll be thinking about for years.

Save the Date was this close to a 5-star romcom for me.

Three POVs. Wedding weekend. So much chaos.

And somehow I cared about all of them??

Olivia’s storyline hit the hardest for me; that pressure of being the one who holds everything together while watching someone else live a little more freely. It felt very real.

Marigold and Hugo though?? Immediate favorites. He is a walking green flag and I will not be elaborating.

Natalie… made choices. That’s all I’ll say.

It’s messy, dramatic, a little stressful, but completely bingeable.

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton ended up being very much a “one timeline carried” situation.

The historical storyline?? Incredible. I learned so much, especially about how Barton was manipulated and then ultimately took the fall for it. It’s frustrating in a way that makes you want to keep reading.

The modern timeline took longer to hook me, and even by the end, it felt a little less fully developed.

But if you love real history + religious and political intrigue, this is worth picking up.

Deathly Fates surprised me in the best way.

YA fantasy with a priestess guiding spirits and an undead prince?? Immediately yes.

The romance is slow burn and minimal spice, but honestly that’s not the point. The emotional depth, the folklore, the themes of grief and identity… that’s what carries it.

Also the structure?? It almost feels episodic with these little side quests, and I loved how immersive that made the world feel.

And I have to mention the audiobook because it genuinely elevated everything.

The Caretaker… respectfully, no.

A woman answers a Craigslist ad to be a caretaker and I was immediately stressed.

But what makes this work is how grounded it feels. I wasn’t yelling at the main character; I understood her decisions, which somehow made it worse.

It constantly rides that line between supernatural, psychological, and “is this actually happening,” and I never fully knew what to believe.

Also… it goes to some heavy places emotionally, especially around mental health, in a way that lingers.

This one sticks with you.

The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire is exactly why I will read anything India Holton writes.

Her humor just works for me. Witty, chaotic, slightly unhinged.

We’ve got STEM women in historical settings, academic rivalries, ghosts, magic, and constant interruptions that keep the pacing so fun.

Amelia and Caleb?? Friends to lovers with that “are we enemies or just emotionally repressed” energy. The yearning is strong here.

It’s whimsical, clever, and still manages to weave in deeper themes without losing that lightness.

The Drop is basically my worst nightmare turned into a book.

Stranded at the top of a roller coaster 650 feet in the air?? Absolutely not.

But what really makes this one work is the characters, and listen… these are not good people.

Messy friendships, buried secrets, resentment that’s been building for years… and as the timelines shift, you start to understand why everything feels so tense.

It becomes less about survival and more about whether they even trust each other enough to try.

Which, honestly? Debatable.

image

So yeah… a very “every genre showed up and chose chaos” kind of week.

But also one of those weeks where you finish a book and immediately know it’s going to stay with you for a long time.

And Japanese Gothic?? Yeah… that one’s not leaving my brain anytime soon.

Happy Sunday, book besties!

I'm a little late today; I got distracted catching up with my sister while cleaning my house and watering my VERY thirsty plants (it's practically summer already here in SoCal). But better late than never, right?!

I'm pleased as punch that I finally finished a book with my eyes this past week! While I know it's only been a week or two, it feels like forever since I finished a book without any audiobook support. I often read immersively, but I only had an e-book version of The Astral Library. Luckily, the fantasy elements of the book COMPLETELY sucked me into this one.

We all know Kate Quinn as the queen of historical fiction, so it was a bit odd to pick up a fantasy KQ. But her voice and style shined through in this one, making it instantly feel comfortable to someone who's read most of her other books. I loved her spunky, foul-mouthed FMC, the world building, and the homage to some of my favorite books from childhood. It was a solid 4⭐️ for me, but some have expressed frustration with the "woke" vibes. I loved the idea of living inside a book and am struggling still with which book I choose if presented with that choice (The Sun Also Rises keeps coming to mind, but so does Still Life). Check out the full review here!

I also finished The Art of the Lie on audiobook and WOW! This one was SO twisty and delicious. Set in Georgian London, it follows a recently widowed confectioner caught in a web of lies surrounding her husband's death. This one is FULL of characters that you love to hate, and the ending was chef's kiss! It's perfect for anyone who enjoys a good twisty tale. 4.5⭐️ from me!

I polled 12.5k folks on Instagram to help me choose my next audiobook, and The Harvey Girl was the clear winner. It's about a female Pinkerton agent who goes undercover to be a Harvey Girl (waitress/hostess in a 19th century restaurant chain) to catch a killer. I have about an hour or so left of this one, and what I can say right now is that it's a bit slow but perfect for those who enjoy a whodunnit! I can see this one getting turned into a series, which I wouldn't hate.

I've read a few pages of the BBFL April book, Go as a River, and can already tell this is going to be a GREAT book. It's so beautifully written that I've gotten out the annotation supplies. It's early still, but I think we chose well.

ALL my Libby holds came in this week, so I need your help choosing my next read. I have physical and audiobook copies of House of Splinters(continuation of The Silent Companions), This Book Made Me Think of You (an emotional read about grief), The Beheading Game (a twisted Tudor fantasy), and The Sisters of Book Row (an early 20th century sister story about censorship). Which will it be? Vote in the poll below!

ICYMI:

• Come with Me to Meet Mary Kubica

• Review of The Astral Library

• Review of With Love, from Harlem

• Tour of Godmother's Bookstore

• Last week's book mail

Hear it Here First:

• My discord server is coming along! I'm putting the finishing touches on it in time for the May monthly newsletter.

• I'm revamping my TBR jar, and you're going to love it!

• I'm working on a Spring & Summer reading series that should be a hit. Stay tuned!

• Y'all voted, so I'll be vlogging my reading experience with Lonesome Dove. I better get at it!

• I'll be posting the May BBFL poll this week, so stay tuned.

Have a great week!!

xoxo

C

Happy Saturday, mis internet amigxs!

I've been bursting at the seams to break this news to you...and now that my travel plans have FINALLY been finalized, I can tell you: I'll be traveling to Santiago, Chile this week for the worldwide premiere of The House of the Spirits! This is an impossible sentence for me to write and comprehend. All the details are still falling into place, but you will be front and center with every single detail on my trip this week!

BOOK CLUB POLL

We're voting on June book club selections through tomorrow night.

And now, onto the remainder of April Latine book releases!

APRIL 21st
TRANSLATED FICTION

Exemplary Humans by Julana Lette and translated by Zoe Perry (Audiobook)100-year old Natalia is stuck inside her house reliving her past and watching everything go on outside her window. This is a story about her past and all our futures.

LITERARY FICTION

Last Night In Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez (Audiobook) Xochitl is back with another work of literary fiction, this time, about a girl in 2007 whose life becomes ensnared in the life of her neighbor...

NONFICTION

Prophecy: Prediction Power, and the Fight for the Future from Ancient Oracle to AI Carissa Velez (Audiobook) An urgent new look at prophecies—the predictions that determine our lives, from our personal finances and the quality of our healthcare to the news and social media we consume and the products foisted upon us.

The Sun and All the Other Stars by Karla Montalván (Audiobook) Publishin both English and Spanish, intentionally creating space for bilingual readers and intergenerational conversations within Latin families. The novel follows a Cuban American muralist who begins to recognize a pattern of generational heartbreak in her family. In searching for answers, she explores past-life regression — uncovering three former lives across different eras and geographies. Through these layered timelines, the book explores love, identity, migration, memory, and the cultural threads that shape who we become.

POETRY

The Selected Poems of José Emilio Pacheco by José Emilio Pacheco and edited by George McWhirter (Audiobook)

PICTURE BOOK

Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rivals! by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo & Pat Zietlow Miller and Illustrated by Joe Cepeda

Hold by Randy Ribay and Illustrated by Zeke Peña

APRIL 28th

HISTORICAL FICTION

Liar's Dice by Juliet Faithfull (Audiobook)Debut about a young teenage girl in 1970's Brazil who is torn away from her twin sister and must learn to fight for those she loves even when the odds are stacked against her

PICTURE BOOK

Mami's Magic Words by Kiara Valdes and illustrated by Richy Sánchez Ayala

What Kind of Queen? A Royal Biography of Drag Queen and Activist José Sarria by Kyle Casey Chu & Andrew W Shaffer and Illustrated by Cindy Lozito

We the People Is All the People: A Picture Book by Howard W Reeves and Illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh

Cheers,

Carmen

Yesterday I made a post on my Instagram involving Three Doppelgänger Horror Books. Today I'm featuring those books and a few more to expand your neverending tbr.

The Other by Annie Neugebauer: I recently interviewed Annie Neugerbauer on my page and had a fantastic time talking to her about this book and her other works. Link Here. The Other follows a couple who go camping/hiking with one another and run into another couple that have a similar appearance to them.

The Outside by Stephen King: A small town is shaken when the little league baseball coach gets arrested for a crime he swears he didn't commit. However several witnesses saw him at the scene of the crime. But he also has an albi at a very public conference several hours away.

Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote Bonne: A teenage streamer opens the door to something sinister when she downloads and plays a game that a fan sends her during one of her live streams. She unintentionally releases an entity that looks exactly like her and it begins doing horrible things in her name, ruining her reputation and dredging up horrors from the past.

Last To Leave The Room by Caitlin Starling: A scientist in a sinking city finds a door in her basement that leads to another version of herself. This Doppelganger begins to make her lose memories and time...

The Fisherman by John Langan: A grief horror that involves folklore, a dangerous fishing location, and sinister temptation...

Withered Hill by David Barnett: Not everything is as it seems in this delicious folk horror. Told in a dual timeline, follow Sophie before she ended up in Withered Hill, and after...