Serena’s Review: “The Book of Blood and Roses”

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Book: “The Book of Blood and Roses” by Annie Summerlee

Publishing Info: Del Rey, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: In the mists of the Scottish Highlands is a university where vampire students study alongside humans.

Rebecca Charity is a vampire hunter undercover at the university, searching for the mysterious Book of Blood and Roses, a lost compendium of ways to kill vampires. If she finds it, she’ll be one step closer to avenging her parents, who were slain by those creatures of the night.

But when Rebecca arrives, she finds something unexpected: a coffin. Her new roommate is Aliz Astra, scion of one of the most powerful vampire families… and the most beautiful woman Rebecca has ever met.

The maddeningly gorgeous Aliz is everything that Rebecca has always hated, but also everything she ever wanted, and now Rebecca doesn’t know if she wants to kiss or kill her.

When Aliz rescues her from a vampire attack one moonlit night, she accidentally makes Rebecca her familiar. Now, they must work together to break the curse, but as they get closer to solving the mystery, Rebecca and Aliz get closer, too.

But can a vampire hunter ever fall in love with a vampire?

Review: A reader’s reception of this book will largely, I believe, have to do with their feelings toward vampires. If you’re happy with the general boundaries laid out in other stories like Buffy and True Blood, then you might enjoy this. But if you’re looking for anything deeper to be added to vampire lore, or for any of your expectations for a vampire romance novel to be subverted, well…you’ll probably be a bit underwhelmed, like I was.

That’s not to say that this was a bad book. It sets out with a goal: to tell a sapphic “enemies to lovers” (hold the “enemies”) vampire story that takes place in a school setting. And it proceeds to do just that, but never much more than that. At times it felt like the author was on a personal mission to include every single piece of vampire lore in the book, with not a change made to any of them in sight. I kept waiting for what would make these vampires different from the rest, and there just wasn’t anything. Plus, if you think about it, most vampire stories only include a few of the common vampire tropes. Because, like you see when you step back and evaluate this book’s version of monsters, when you include them all (garlic, silver, sleeping in coffins, etc.), it all starts to feel a bit silly.

The romance itself was fine, though it definitely fell closer to the “instalove” side of the spectrum than not. I also think the whole “enemies” thing was fairly overblown. Not all romances need this element; indeed, the vast majority would be better to avoid it altogether unless the actual story calls for it. And even here, with the concept of a vampire and vampire hunter put together as roommates and falling in love, the “enemies” portion felt rather silly right from the start.

This wasn’t helped by the fact that I didn’t enjoy the main character. For an individual with a covert mission, she was wildly obvious at every moment in both her thoughts and actions. She was also incredibly judgmental of everyone around her. While this could have led to an interesting arc of growth and understanding, I don’t feel like this was ever accomplished. The writing was also incredibly simplistic, often relying on telling the reader exactly how our main character or those around her are feeling, rather than showing any development.

All of this comes across as rather harsh, but I think my strongest feeling when closing the book was apathy. Like I said, it’s not a bad book by any means. The story, while simple, was paced well, and I think many readers will connect with the romance more than I did. Unfortunately for me, I just wanted a bit more from a vampire romantasy.

Rating 7: Inoffensive but also not inspiring, this book included pretty much every vampire trope you can imagine while changing none of them.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Book of Blood and Roses” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Debuts and 2026 Queer SFF.

Kate’s Review: “It Rhymes With Takei”

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Book: “It Rhymes With Takei” by George Takei, Harmony Becker (Ill.), Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger

Publishing Info: Top Shelf Productions, June 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: George Takei has shown the world many faces: actor, author, outspoken activist, helmsman of the starship Enterprise, living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans, and king of social media. But until October 27, 2005, there was always one piece missing—one face he did not show the world. There was one very intimate fact about George that he never shared… and it rhymes with Takei.

Now, for the first time ever, George shares the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and the way that moment transformed everything. Following the phenomenal success of his first graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, George Takei reunites with the team of Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger for a jaw-dropping new testament. From his earliest childhood crushes and youthful experiments in the rigidly conformist 1950s, to global fame as an actor and the paralyzing fear of exposure, to the watershed moment of speaking his truth and becoming one of the most high-profile gay men on the planet, It Rhymes With Takei presents a sweeping portrait of one iconic American navigating the tides of LGBTQ+ history.

Combining historical context with intimate subjectivity, It Rhymes With Takei shows how the personal and the political have always been intertwined. Its richly emotional words and images depict the terror of entrapment even in gay community spaces, the anguish of speaking up for so many issues while remaining silent on his most personal issue, the grief of losing friends to AIDS, the joy of finding true love with Brad Altman, and the determination to declare that love openly—and legally—before the whole world.

Looking back on his own astonishing life on both sides of the closet, George Takei presents a charismatic and candid witness to how far America has come… and how precious that progress is.

Review: One of my biggest regrets at ALAAC25 was not planning well enough to be able to meet George Takei when he was there signing his most recent memoir “It Rhymes With Takei”. As someone who has loved “Star Trek” for most of my life with “The Voyage Home” being my absolute favorite “Trek” film, I’ve had a special place in my heart for him for a long time, following him as Sulu, then as an activist for LGBTQIA+ rights after he came out in 2005. I also absolutely loved his memoir “They Called Us Enemy”, which is him recollecting his time in Japanese Internment camps as a child. So when I was out at a local indie bookstore and saw “It Rhymes With Takei” for sale, I decided that I needed to guy it and finally read it. And much like “They Called Us Enemy”, I found myself really enjoying it.

While “They Called Us Enemy” is a very specific memoir by Takei, “It Rhymes With Takei” is a bit broader in scope and time, though it does have a central theme of him slowly accepting and embracing his identity as a gay man. We start with him as a preteen and then follow him up through marriage equality in this country, with Takei also talking about his experiences as a political activist, as an actor on “Star Trek” and beyond, and as a man figuring out who he is at his heart and being true to himself. I really like how candid Takei is and how he’s willing to talk about a huge swath of things about his life with lots of honesty, heart, and humor. Even though I’ve been a fan of his for years, there were so many things I never knew about him, like how he studied acting in England, or how he had a brief stint in politics and was even appointed to the Southern California Rapid Transit District. I honestly had no idea that he had been soon invested in many social justice and political issues even before he came out in response to the fight for marriage equality in California, and I found his stories to be really engaging. And yes, there are plenty of “Star Trek” stories to be found as well.

I also really appreciated how willing he was to talk about the way that his childhood in a Japanese Internment camp shaped his fears of being othered, and how it contributed to his fear of being outed as gay during a time where it would be incredibly damaging. His introspection about his love for acting and how it helped him compartmentalize the secrets he were desperate to keep was bittersweet and incredibly personal, and getting to see how he lived this whole other life as a gay man where some people knew but many did not was an at times emotional tale (I found myself tearing up while he talked about losing so many friends to AIDS, as well as him coming out to his brother, who did not take it well). Takei is able to be incredibly true to himself and talk about these experiences in a way that never feels dismissive but also feels like the genial and hopeful person that the world has come to know him to be, and I thought it balanced out very well. It was also just nice getting to see the romance between him an husband Brad.

“It Rhymes With Takei” is a heartwarming memoir that allows George Takei to share more of himself with the world on his own terms. I quite liked it.

Rating 8: A deeply personal memoir about his acting career, activism, love, and finally being able to be true to himself, “It Rhymes With Takei” is George Takei’s story on his own terms.

Reader’s Advisory:

“It Rhymes With Takei” is included on the Goodreads lists “AAPI Graphic Novels”, and “Graphic Novels Featuring LGBTIQ Themes”.

Book Club Review: “The Hacienda”

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Book: “The Hacienda” by Isabel Cañas

Publishing Info: Berkley, May 2022

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

Serena’s Thoughts

I’ve had this one on my TBR for a while now, ever since reading Kate’s review and thinking that it sounded like my sort of horror novel (that is, on the gothic side and only mildly horrific!). So when my prompt for book club was ghosts (guess whose prompt that was…), I knew that this was my opportunity, and boy did it not disappoint!

There was so much to love about this book that I’m not sure where to start. One thing really stood out, however: I don’t know enough about this location and point in history. The historical setting and events of the time played a crucial role in much of the story, and while the book didn’t go into tons of detail, I really enjoyed what we did see. For one thing, I liked the careful handling of the realities of so many revolutions. Often, they don’t end when they “end,” and there are rarely sides that are completely in the right or wrong, or who won’t switch positions on the moral compass as a conflict progresses. I didn’t expect to see these themes in a gothic ghost story, but I definitely enjoyed them!

I also really enjoyed our two main characters. Beatriz was brave but believably mystified about how to handle her increasingly terrifying prospects. And while Andres brings many answers to the situation, even he is challenged by the extreme horror of the situation before them. I really enjoyed the relationship that was built up between them, and the story took a surprisingly romantic turn toward the end of the book.

The gothic elements were also on point. The house itself was a character in and of itself (something that I think is almost a requirement for any haunted house story), and just when you think you have a handle on the mysteries, another wrench is thrown into the situation.

I really enjoyed this one! So much so that I definitely plan on checking out the other books by this author! Vampires, here I come!

Kate’s Thoughts

I still really love this book on a re-read. I was so happy that Serena picked it because going back to it with new eyes sounded like a fun time, and my opinions haven’t really changed much. It just goes to show that there’s a reason that Isabel Cañas is one of my favorite horror authors writing today.

Reading this again, I still feel like some of the strongest elements are the way that Cañas addresses the ways that European colonialism has destabilized and completely uprooted so much of the culture that Beatriz and Andres have been living within, whether it’s the realities of colorism and racism that Beatriz and other darker Mestizo characters have to deal with, or how Andres has decided to hide his brujo and healing skills by joining the Catholic Church as a priest.

And the book is still really really unnerving, with a great ghost story and a Gothic flair in a place that isn’t as expected in Gothic stories. Cañas is so good at capturing a time and place and creating unease and fear, while having many supporting players to be terrorized (or in some cases doing the terrorizing).

I really love “The Hacienda”! It absolutely holds up on a re-read and it created a lot of good discussion in our book club to boot!

Serena’s Rating 9: Just the right combination of fantastic and horrific, with a splash of historical fiction and romance to sweeten the pot!

Kate’s Rating 9 : Still so wonderfully Gothic and creepy with lots of interesting history and critique of imperialism within the aftermath of a revolution.

Book Club Questions

  1. How familiar were you with this time and place? What did you learn that was new?
  2. The various women in this book all experienced limited choices regarding their own lives and futures. What stood out to you about these women’s tales and what you have done similarly or differently?
  3. The story has a lot to say about religion, both Catholicism and author’s interpretation of local faith systems. How did religion and magic mix in this book and how well do you feel these themes were explored?
  4. This is a gothic horror novel. Did you enjoy the horror elements? What there a scene that was particularly scary to you and why?
  5. Beatriz and Padre Andres both experienced challenges in this book, ultimately turning towards one another to face their foe. Did you enjoy this relationship? How did you interpret the ending?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Hacienda” is included on the Goodreads lists 2022 Gothic and Books Set in Mexico.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Magic Fish” by Trung Le Nguyen

Serena’s Review: “Tea and Alchemy”

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Book: “Tea and Alchemy” by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Publishing Info: 47North, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: audiobook from Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Cornwall, 1854. The people of Roche have always whispered about the recluse in the black granite tower that looms above the moorland. But one young woman is driven to discover the truth behind the old tales.

Her life overshadowed by family tragedy, Mina Penrose escapes her lonely days by working at The Magpie, a cozy tearoom on the village’s edge. Lately she’s been seeing shapes in the sodden leaves that hint at the future. After one such omen, Mina stumbles upon a murdered man on the heath. Villagers immediately suspect Harker Tregarrick, a living, breathing mystery who never ventures beyond the bounds of his centuries-old estate.

Until the day after the murder, when the handsome and compelling recluse visits The Magpie…leading to a meeting that will change both their fates. Captivated by a man around whom danger and rumors of death swirl, Mina has never felt more alive. Can she uncover Harker’s heartbreaking history—and the truth about the murder—before tragedy strikes again?

Review: It’s been a few years since I read Salt & Broom, but I still remember it every once in a while when I think back on some of my favorite retellings of classic tales. That being the case, I was very excited to see another similar-sounding title coming out by this author, featuring characters with names drawing from Dracula. Is it a re-telling? No. But does it capture some of the same spirit and mix it with a sweet romance? Why yes, it does.

To that point, other than the names, the presence of something resembling a vampire—though never identified as that—and the overall gothic nature of the story, there isn’t much tying this to Dracula. And, honestly, I was fine with that, but readers will be better served going in without expectations of a re-telling. Instead, the wonderful gothic environment and the dramatic romance of it all (both location and actual love story) were more than enough to draw me in and keep me invested. Beyond that, there was a surprisingly creepy mystery at the heart of it all, one that unspooled slowly while also nicely building up the tension and horror of this being.

I also really enjoyed both of our main characters and their love story. This was a split-POV story, but erred toward more chapters from Mina’s perspective. Both perspectives were interesting. Beyond their burgeoning love story, I enjoyed following Mina’s arc as she dealt with the fraying relationship between herself and her brother. We don’t often see sibling relationships explored in this way, especially when combined with the exploration of the limited gender roles offered to each of them during this time. Given how little of the story was really dedicated to this subplot, I think it was really well done. Harker’s story was a bit more straightforward, but I enjoyed learning more about his family and his history.

My only niggling complaint would be the rather abrupt manner in which things were wrapped up in the end. The conflict itself was fairly succinct, and then some of the solutions to other challenges appeared too quickly and easily. But as I loved how it all ended up, these pacing issues were barely an issue. If you have enjoyed this author before or like gothic romances, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: Dramatic in both atmosphere and romance, this gothic fantasy is sure to please!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Tea and Alchemy” is on this Goodreads list: Fantasy/Romantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Shiny Happy People”

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Book: “Shiny Happy People” by Clay McLeod Chapman

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, November 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC at ALAAC25

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A gripping, genre-bending novel about a mysterious new drug plaguing a small town and one girl who must uncover the terrifying truth behind the haunting side effects—or she will be next.

At sixteen Kyra is still haunted by the horrors she saw as little girl living with her mother’s drug addiction. Years later, Kyra doesn’t always feel like she belongs—and disturbing dreams come to her at night.

When a new party drug makes its way to her high school, Kyra’s life becomes an actual nightmare. A challenge spreads among the students thanks to a few videos circulating—and Kyra is unable to escape the inexplicably strange side effects.

Everyone around her seems to be mysteriously changing, including the people she loves the most. Her brother has a new personality overnight. Her best friend suddenly feels like a stranger. The only other person who seems to be noticing the eeriness around them is Logan, the new boy at school. Like Kyra, he has steered clear of the party scene.

But as strange occurrences begin to turn sinister, Kyra can’t shake the feeling that something unnatural is at play . . . as if something deadly spreading is in their veins. With Logan’s help, she decides to find out exactly what is behind the mysterious drug—before they’re next. As they begin to get closer to the truth, the line between Kyra’s past and her present blurs . . . and she will need to face the terrors inside herself to save everyone.

Review: Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me an ARC at ALAAC25!

When I heard that Clay McLeod Chapman was writing a YA horror novel in 2025, my knee jerk reaction was ‘wait what?’. In part because when I think of hi as a horror author, I think of really graphic, no holds barred, visceral horror. Like VISCERAL HORROR. So the thought was a little out there to me at first. But shortly after my initial ‘um’ reaction, I thought ‘well, I bet he could do it. Probably.’ Because I do find Chapman to be such a great horror writer, even if his books have disgusted, horrified, and sometimes traumatized (kidding… kinda) me. When I read about “Shiny Happy People” I thought that it sounded pretty promising, and I was VERY interested to see how it would compare to the books he writes for an adult audience. I never should have doubted, because this book translates well for a new kind of audience while still being pretty creepy and unnerving.

This is very much an homage to “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” stories, with a fair amount of emphasis on the 1978 Version starring Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams (just look for the easter eggs!), but Chapman does a stellar job of making it feel more in tune with modern YA sensibilities. We have Kyra, a girl who had a rough start at childhood due to her mother’s drug abuse and neglect, who is now living with an adoptive family in a small town trying to just have a normal life. Until a new party drug called “Spore” starts making the rounds at her high school, and videos of her classmates taking it go viral, and seemingly improves their lives even if they seem… off. Kyra is a great choice of protagonist for a body snatchers story, as she has a traumatic past with drugs and will not be easily swayed to try anything even before it’s clear that something is up, and I enjoyed seeing her slowly piece things together as more and more people start changing. The tension as she and new kid Logan try to solve the mystery all as time is running out was well paced and taut, and even though I’m familiar with the general beats that this kind of story takes (and therefore could pinpoint what was going to most likely happen next), I still found it to be engaging and suspenseful.

But I also liked how Chapman still takes the idea of a metaphor of the pod people as insert whatever it may be here (as so many stories have had so many kinds of symbolism) and update it for a modern YA audience. Here there are some pretty clear themes about conformity, peer pressure and the need to feel included (viral video challenges on social media always seem to come from this), and drug use, as well as fears of Big Pharma and some interesting takes on gentrification. It can feel a LITTLE scattered at times, but it didn’t really bother me too much because so many of these kinds of pod person stories can speak to so many different kinds of fears, and lots of that can overlap. It’s also really fun seeing Chapman easily jump from writing some really gonzo and grotesque adult horror to a more toned down but still horrifying/in his wheelhouse brand of horror for a younger audience. It’s a testament to how talented that he is as an author.

“Shiny Happy People” is a very fun YA horror tale from one of my favorite horror authors! If you like any kind of pod person/”Invasion of the Body Snatchers” tale, this is a new one to add to the genre you should check out!

Rating 8: A fun homage to “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” packaged for a modern teen audience, “Shiny Happy People” is a departure for Clay McLeod Chapman that shows his appeal across audiences.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Shiny Happy People” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Killer Plants in Horror & Science Fiction Fantasy”.

Also…..

Just on a personal note as a lifelong Minnesotan who has lived in Minneapolis, who has friends who live in the Powderhorn neighborhood, who has people I love in South Minneapolis, I just want to say please keep Minneapolis, and Minnesota, in your thoughts. This community, this state, has been through so much pain the past few years. Please keep the loved ones of Renee Nicole Good in your thoughts, as well as the people being targeted by ICE in our neighborhoods. And if you can, please donate to the GoFundMe that is going to support Good’s child and wife.

Serena’s Review: “The Poet Empress”

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Book: “The Poet Empress” by Shen Tao

Publishing Info: Bramble, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.

Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.

But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center…at the side of a violent prince.

To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read—and composing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death…and love.

Review: Well, this was not what I expected, and probably all the better for it! This is the problem both with the user tags on Goodreads as well as with expectations regarding what certain publishing imprints are producing. Going in, I had every expectation that this book was some sort of romantasy. Perhaps less of a romantasy than others, but still solidly within that category. Not only did Goodreads tag it as a romance, but Bramble is Tor’s imprint for romance titles. And hopefully others who may go into this with those impressions take the time to stick around and appreciate what this book has to offer, even if it isn’t a romance!

So, while I did enjoy this book, it was also a challenging read. Not only does it tackle deep themes of grief, destiny, and tragedy, but the story itself spools out a slow tale, one that dedicates plenty of time to establishing its characters and stakes. And those characters are all challenging as well, in their own ways. They read very much like true, conflicted, and complicated people. Every single one of them will do things that leave the reader questioning them and their decisions. But through this slow build, once the story gets to its conclusion, the payoff is well worth the struggle.

There are also some incredibly horrific and difficult scenes in this book. The story doesn’t shy away from the darkness of this world. However, these more grim parts are nicely balanced by the beautiful, lyrical writing style and the focus on art and the power of writing and reading. What could come across as a pedantic message is instead carefully messaged into moments of truly profound insight into the importance of literacy in all of its forms.

That said, this is definitely a slower-paced book, one that expects readers to settle in and wait as all of the pieces are carefully positioned. I think this pacing works for the most part, but I do think that, combined with the misleading expectations of it being a romance novel, there are a subset of readers who may be turned off before reaching the point where this slower approach will pay off.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. “Enjoy” might be the wrong word, as so much of it was beautifully tragic. But it was definitely one of those books that I was glad I read, and that will stick with me for a bit!

Rating 8: A bit too slow and dark to fully satisfy my preferences, but it was also truly beautiful once it all came together in the end.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Poet Empress” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Debuts and Asian SSF.

Kate’s Review: “Beth Is Dead”

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Book: “Beth Is Dead” by Katie Bernet

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, January 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Beth March’s sisters will stop at nothing to track down her killer—until they begin to suspect each other—in this debut thriller that’s also a bold, contemporary reimagining of the beloved classic Little Women.

When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer. Suspects abound. There’s the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg’s manipulative best friend. Amy’s flirtatious mentor. And Beth’s lionhearted first love. But it doesn’t take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.

Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she’ll need money from her aunt—money that’s always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn’t dream of hurting her sister…but her boyfriend might have, and she’ll protect him at all costs.

Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it’s hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.

Beth’s perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy’s increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

As an elder Millennial I have a very special place in my heart for the 1994 “Little Women” film. I just love the story of the March Sisters growing up and experiencing love, loss, and growth. But I’ve always found the character of Beth to be a little twee, so good and so angelic, only to die a tragic death that is so unfair because she was just SO good. Beth has had some great performers behind her, don’t get me wrong (Claire Danes is perfection), but as a character, to me, she’s there to be a tragedy. Suffice to say, when I saw the book “Beth Is Dead” by Katie Bernet on my various social media and book feeds, it caught my eye. At first I was thinking ‘well that’s a LITTLE grotesque’, as turning a death from a weakened heart due to illness into a violent murder seemed perhaps a little crude. But, as you all know, I’m really big into thrillers and mysteries, especially if the mystery involves murder, and the idea of making “Little Women” into a modern murder mystery was just too fun. I jumped in with no expectations, but ended up really enjoying this re-imagining. And it may surprise some of you to learn that a book that makes Beth March a murder victim actually humanized her more than I’ve encountered in other adaptations and reimaginings!

They mystery at hand is what I will talk about first, just to get it all out there, because to me that was one of the weaker aspects of this novel, if ONLY because if you are familiar with the source material you will probably be able to discern what is going on for basically all of the characters. But that isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy this book, because I found it hard to put down, mostly because I wanted to see how Bernet was going to fit the themes from the original text into a 21st Century murder mystery. And overall she did it very successfully. We have the March Sisters of Jo, Meg, Amy, and yes, Beth (more on Beth in a bit) jumping from their Victorian personalities into a whole new world, but Bernet managed to fit all of them into new boxes in believable ways. For Jo we have an aspiring author who has found her voice in becoming an influencer, creating stories of her day to day life for a hungry audience. For Meg we have an Oldest Daughter Syndrome people pleaser who wants to live up to the lofty expectations of her family and herself, though she can easily be taken advantage of by those around her because of it. For Amy it’s a rebel child who stirs up trouble, dreaming of getting to Europe to pursue and artist’s life at any cost. And for Beth it’s a painfully shy girl who feels like others don’t know her so well, but aches to come out of her shell. I also really liked how in this the father isn’t a soldier who is off at war, but is an author who has taken the lives of his daughters and written a literary novel that is based on their lives, which has set off a firestorm of controversy that causes him to leave in hopes he will stop hurting his children (or perhaps in hopes it will all blow over). It’s things like this that feel like they echo the source material while feeling relevant to our modern world.

But it’s the way that Bernet tackles Beth that worked the best for me in this novel. While the crux of the story is Jo, Meg, and Amy trying to solve their sister’s murder (while also hiding their own secrets from each other), we also get flashbacks to Beth’s final months, and the road that led her to her unfortunate end. I’ve seen this kind of thing in other “Little Women” reimaginings, getting Beth’s perspective at least a little bit, but even in those that I’ve read it feels like Beth is still otherworldly and angelic in those interpretations. In this story where she is murdered, ironically enough, I felt like we actually got the most humanized version of Beth that I’ve seen put to page. She still feels true to her original characterization, preferring her piano and being introverted to being more out there, but it isn’t the only thing we learn about her. We also see her own hopes and dreams, which don’t keep her limited to being the kindest and most loved March Sister due to her inherent goodness. She doesn’t want to just be good, and I really, really liked that.

“Beth Is Dead” was entertaining and suspenseful, and it was a successful twist on a classic that has been so well loved for so many generations.

Rating 8: A fun and suspenseful modern re-imagining of a beloved classic, where sisters keep secrets and a long martyred and beloved March Sister gets a voice.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Beth Is Dead” is included in the Goodreads article “204 Retellings with New Spins on Old Stories”.

Highlights: January 2026

The kids are finally back at school and the holiday madness has concluded. Of course, now it is time for resolutions. And while everyone else focuses on fitness goals and budgeting, we’re here with our massive TBRs only ever hoping to read even MORE books in 2026 than we did in 2025! Here are a few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Poet Empress” by Shen Tao

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I feel like this one is on everyone’s list this winter. Some combination of the lovely cover art, the promise of a sprawling, political epic, and, of course, the focus on one woman’s journey to embrace reading and writing, something forbidden to them in this world. The book is being published by Bramble, a romance imprint for Tor, but looking at the book description, I’m not quite sure what to expect from this in that arena. From all accounts, it looks more like a straight forward political/historical fantasy novel. We shall see!

Book: “Dragon Cursed” by Elisa Kova

Publication Date: January 6, 2026

Why I’m Interested: While heaven knows we don’t need another dragon romantasy book right now, this one sounds interesting! Instead of yet more dragon riders, we instead have a world where people are dragon-cursed, a condition that leads them to becoming terrifying dragons themselves. And not the cuddly kinds. No, the kinds that kill everyone around them, friends, family, whomever. Of course, it being a romantasy, there’s the mysterious MMC who follows our heroine around and is likely more than he appears. But I’ve had a few fun surprises from this subgenre, so I’m hoping that this will be another one!

Book: “Enchanting the Fae Queen” by Stephanie Burgis

Publication Date: January 27, 2026

Why I’m Interested: This cover is absolutely ridiculous, and I can’t quite decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, our main character does throw literal glitter around when she performs magic. But on the other hand, well….Either way, I’m definitely excited for this one! I really enjoyed the first one in this trilogy and have since read two other novellas by this author, greatly enjoying those as well! Plus, Lorelei was an absolute delight in the first book, and I’m an absolute sucker for a “strong, stoic, and troubled” MMC, which, given our brief glimpses of the hero in the previous book, seems to be what we have here. Definitely excited to check this one out as soon as possible!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “All the Little Houses” by May Cobb

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Soapy thrillers are a favorite of mine, and this one sounds like it has all sorts of suds and drama with an eighties flair (and maybe some “Little House on the Prairie” shades?!). And while I still haven’t dove into “The Hunting Wives” or the salacious Netflix show that it inspired, I have heard a lot of talk about May Cobb and the absolutely unhinged characters she creates, so I thought that I should probably give her newest one a go and see for myself. Charleigh is a queen bee in her small Texas town, having worked her way up from humble beginnings to now being an envied wife to a wealthy husband, with a beautiful and bratty daughter to raise and social circles to maneuver. But when a new, strange, homesteading family moves to town and becomes the talk of the community, it sets off a chain of events that could ruin Charleigh and her daughter. I do love having especially ridiculous thrillers on my stack of books during the winter, so this one will hopefully be the perfect read for January.

Book: “Beth Is Dead” by Katie Bernet

Publication Date: January 6, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I really do love the 1994 film version of “Little Women”, and even used to help lead “Little Women” themed tours at the historic Victorian house that I worked at when I was with the Minnesota Historical Society. And while I do love the March sisters, I have always felt like poor Beth doesn’t have much to do outside of being angelic and then dying. But the thriller “Beth Is Dead” reimagines the story not only as a modern YA version of “Little Women”, it also makes it a murder mystery with the beloved Beth being the victim of a murder, with Jo, Meg, and Amy having to take it upon themselves to figure out what happened to their sister… and to find out if she may actually have had secrets, much like they all do. Maybe it’s a little morbid, but I’m VERY much into it.

Book: “On Sundays She Picked Flowers” by Yah-Yah Schlofield

Publication Date: January 27, 2026

Why I’m Interested: This one has been getting some hype lately from some pretty well known horror people, and while it was originally published a few years ago it is getting a re-release and it sounds likes it’s going to get the attention that it deserves. When a young woman named Jude flees her home to escape her abusive mother, she rushes into the woods and decides to move into an abandoned house with a dark history to start a new life. But years later a strane lady arrives at her doorstep, and the two women are drawn to each other. But it also awakens something dark inside of Jude. It sounds weird, creepy, Gothic, and metaphorical!

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Snake-Eater”

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Book: “Snake-Eater” by T. Kingfisher

Publishing Info: 47North, December 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley audiobook!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: When Selena travels to the remote desert town of Quartz Creek in search of her estranged Aunt Amelia, she is desperate and short of options. Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper.

On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a new resident. Out of money and ideas, Selena sees no harm staying in her aunt’s lovely house for a few weeks, tending to her garden and enjoying the strange, desolate beauty of the desert. The people are odd, but friendly, and eager to help Selena settle into her new home.

But Quartz Creek’s inhabitants share their town with others, old gods and spirits whose claim to the land long predates their human neighbours. Selena finds herself pursued by disturbing apparitions, visitations that come in the night and seem to want something from her.

Aunt Amelia owed a debt. Now her god has come to collect.

Review: I love how prolific T. Kingfisher is! Not only that, but she writes across a variety of genres, from fantasy to romance to horror! And here, while still including horror elements, she seems to be dabbling in the cozy subgenre as well! As such, this wasn’t perhaps my all-time favorite book of hers, but there was still much to enjoy!

For one thing, I very much enjoyed our main character Selena and the low-key exploration of emotionally abusive relationships and their impact on an individual’s self-esteem and ability to interact with the world. We often see examples of more overt forms of abuse, but sometimes these quieter versions are all the more horrific for the fact that they go unnoticed by others. What’s more, they are the sort where the victim often struggles to even name the reality of what’s going on, gaslighting themselves into thinking that as long as they aren’t being physically harmed, nothing could be wrong. Selena’s arc and slow recovery from this treatment was so well done.

Of course, her journey was much aided by the phenomenal cast of found family characters whom she meets and befriends in her new hometown. There was such variety and charm to all of these characters that I’d have a hard time picking a favorite! A few standouts would include the priest (a character who had some surprisingly reflective comments on religion) as well as the wacky radio DJ! I also enjoyed the villain of the story, in particular the rather tongue-in-cheek “monster romance” bits of it all!

The horror elements were quite light, so readers who enjoy Kingfisher’s darker books may need to temper their expectations here. There were a few chills here and there, but much less than in her other works. I also felt like the ultimate conflict was resolved a bit too quickly and neatly to be entirely satisfying.

Beyond that, while I think this is one of the better versions of a cozy, “day in the life” sort of book, I did struggle a bit to really invest myself in this story. Much of the page count is taken up by interactions between characters as Selena builds her found family and small, quiet moments in the desert and her home. Kingfisher is a talented author, so the character work was all high quality, but I simply enjoy more plot in my books than this sort of cozy work will often have.

Overall, this was a sweet book that explored themes of emotional abuse, religion, and personal agency. There were a few thrills here and there, but it definitely fell further on the cozy side of the spectrum. Fans of T. Kingfisher should definitely check this out, especially those who enjoy her less horrific books!

Rating 8: A lovely found family story that perfectly captures the wild strangeness of the desert, but a bit light on the plot for my particular taste.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Snake-Eater” can be found on these Goodreads lists: [ATY 2026] Bird on Cover and All the New Horror Books Arriving in December 2025.

Kate’s Review: “I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer”

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Book: “I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” by Doug Wagner & Daniel Hillyard (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Image Comics, December 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Rennie Bethary has just been accepted into New York City’s most prestigious fashion school. Her designs are daring, edgy, and singular…and made of human flesh. Did we forget to mention Rennie is a serial killer who simply wants to be a fashion designer instead? Stupid, pesky, murderous urges!

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this graphic novel!

Happy New Year everyone! 2025 was a mess in a lot of ways, but we are starting off fresh and we can only hope that we can rise above whatever the hell that was last year (though we’ve said that so many times before). But I thought that starting off with a bit of a bang would be fun, and with that I present a graphic horror/thriller novel that really caught my eye: “I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” by Doug Warner and Daniel Hillyard just sounded like a lot of campy nasty fun, as someone who likes serial killer thrillers/horror AND satires of fashion and style. I had really high hopes for this one. Unfortunately it didn’t quite match my enthusiasm.

But first the positives! The biggest positive is that the premise is such a freakin’ fun one. I love the idea of a serial killer also having a passion for fashion design and having a dream to become a designer, while also making clothing and muck out of people who are wronging her and those around her, be they her friends, or the downtrodden, or those who are victimized. It feels a bit like “Dexter” while also having a bit of an undercurrent of ‘we love women’s wrongs’ that can be kind of fun in this day and age. I also enjoyed Rennie a lot, as she feels/knows she is a full on psychopath, but manages to find at least a tiny bit of humanity in her heart while she not only pursues a passion, but also makes a human connection with her classmate Sofie, who is so lovely and friendly and serves as a fun (though perhaps a bit old hat these days) foil for our more cynical and dark protagonist.

But on the other hand, I did find the pacing to be uneven. We have a pretty slow build, watching Rennie ease into her school life while also taking out sociopaths and predators, taking a couple of issues to establish her mindset and relationship and aspirations, connecting not only with Sofie but also with various mentors or butting heads with snotty classmates. And then in the third of the book we get some wild reveals and a huge confrontation that felt incredibly rushed and didn’t feel like it paid off because of it. I will say that the big reveal DID have some hints and build up and didn’t come completely out of left field, but at the same time once we did get the reveal out it still fell a little bit flat. I think that if there had been more issues there could have been a bit more of a reveal that matched the slower pacing.

And finally, I did enjoy the artwork, finding it to be cute and kind of retro at times, while also being SUPER disgusting at others. I don’t really want to show any of that here because I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but Daniel Hillyard’s style matched the story well.

“I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” had loads of potential and a really fun protagonist, but it didn’t quite hit the levels that I hoped for. I think it’s worth checking out, but I had hoped for more.

Rating 6: The premise is so good and I really enjoyed Rennie as an anti-hero, but it built almost too slowly and then rushed through the ending.

Reader’s Advisory:

“I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of late, but if you like books about women getting grisly revenge on those who wrong them or the patriarchy this could be a good fit!