Serena’s Review: “Nightshade and Oak”

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Book: “Nightshade and Oak” by Molly O’Neill

Publishing Info: Orbit, February 2026

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

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

Book Description: When Malt, the goddess of death, is accidentally turned into a human by a wayward spell, she finds she’s ill-equipped to deal with the trials of a mortal life.

After all, why would a goddess need to know how to gather food or light a fire?

Trapped in a body that’s frustratingly feeble, she’s forced to team up with Bellis, warrior daughter of Boudicca on a perilous journey across Roman-occupied Britain to the afterlife to try to restore her powers. As animosity turns to attraction, these two very different women must learn to work together if they are to have any hope of surviving their quest.

Review:I had read and enjoyed (for the most part) the first book I read from this author. But I’ll be honest, it was the mention of Boudicca and the promise of more Welsh/British folklore that really drew me in. And while I did struggle with some tone, pacing, and character work, I was very pleased with this aspect of the story! In many ways, the story reads as historical fantasy, with the author drawing from a real-world person (Boudicca) but then extrapolating from that into a wholly imagined story revolving around her daughter.

Of course, given that Boudicca’s story is one of rebellion and warfare, the themes of this book heavily focus on the violence, loss, and tragedy of war. One of the strongest scenes in the book was actually the first chapter, where we see the remains of a battlefield through the eyes of the goddess. This was a very poignant scene and definitely set up the story well.

That said, it did lead into one of my struggle points for this read: inconsistency with regards to tone and themes. After this amazing first scene, the book takes a sharp turn towards a more cozy, travelogue sort of story, following our two characters as they traverse the land. Much of this next forty percent or so of the story was made up of these smaller, more “slice of life”-like scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the version of the book we had here. Much of this time was devoted to Mallt’s struggles to understand the ins and outs of existing as a mortal.

But then, about halfway through the book, the story took a massive shift back to the darker, more grim tones that the first chapter established. And again, I did not enjoy this portion of the book. Indeed, I think it had a lot of good things to say with these themes. However, the end result was that the pacing and tone of the story shifted entirely halfway through, which made for an awkward reading experience. Further, the very last portion of the book was made up of chapters that bounced back and forth between these cozy and darker tones, with the story feeling like it never really settled into what it wanted.

I also struggled a bit with the characters. For the most part, I really enjoyed Mallt. I thought her struggles with mortality were interesting and provided her with an excellent arc for the story. However, she also could be frustrating and annoying as she dealt with the limitations put upon her. I was also disappointed by Belis. Mostly this was because she was the sort of character I really enjoy! I love warrior woman characters, and Belis had a lot of potential. But as the story progressed, she was kind of just…there. Especially in comparison to Mallt’s more complicated character arc, Belis was unchanged and unchallenged throughout most of the book.

Overall, this was a mixed bag. I really wanted to like it more than I did. The uneven pacing and tone really threw me off, and I often found myself wanting more from the characters. However, fans of historical fantasy might still really enjoy this one!

Rating 7: While I enjoyed both the more serious historical fantasy elements as well as the cozy quest, I wasn’t sure that these two mixed particularly well here.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nightshade and Oak” can be found on this Goodreads list: Adult Queer Romantasy 2026.

Kate’s Review: “Krackle’s Last Movie”

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Book: “Krackle’s Last Movie” by Chelsea Sutton

Publishing Info: Split/Lip Press, February 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher

Where You Can Get This Book: Split/Lip Press

Book Description: When underground documentarian Minerva Krackle mysteriously disappears after an interview with the “Modern-Day Mummy of San Bernardino County,” her assistant Harper is left with a mess of footage and a tight deadline. During her review of thirty years of interviews Krackle conducted with real-life monsters—werewolves, vampires, invisible dancers, mermaids, sea monsters in the desert—Harper pieces together their links with Krackle’s disappearance and also with the tragic on-stage death of pop-magician The Great Merlan. With the help of Krackle’s former bodyguard Dr. Danger and small-town diner waitress Liz, Harper must decide whether to expose her own hidden history to finish the film, or to let Krackle’s legacy disappear right along with her.

Review: Thank you to Split/Lip Press for sending me an ARC of this novella!

I have found that a tight, easy to read and complex novella can be hard to find at times. I like short stories and novellas as quick reads, but man, sometimes the brevity can be a slight hindrance to the craft if not approached properly, especially if the premise is a bit of a leap of faith on its own. And while that kind of thing was admittedly in the back of my mind when I read up on “Krackle’s Last Movie” by Chelsea Sutton, the premise alone was enough to throw caution to the wind and check it out. Sometimes leaps of faith can be misguided, but when it comes to this novella the pay off was pretty substantial!

It was the premise that lured me in when it came into my inbox: Harper is a film assistant to a Gonzo documentarian named Minerva Krackle, whose works have focused on real life monsters (think werewolves, vampires, mermaids, etc), and who has presently been pursuing a story about a real life living mummy. After Krackle disappears during the production, Harper is left to try and piece it all back together to do her mentor proud and to get her final work out for the world to see. It’s part found footage, part monster tale, part mystery, and it combines to make a very strange and yet incredibly charming novella. I loved the interviews with the ‘monsters’, be it a couple of daffy mermaids or an affable sea monster, and I loved the way that these beings are given more relatable moments that can be very funny to very moving. It’s just such a cute idea, and the comparisons that some have made to a Guillermo del Toro film hit the nail on the head. It’s exactly the kind of fondness for the weird that his movies project, and it’s done in a way that’s compact yet very effective.

But it’s the story of outsiders finding a person who will champion them through thick and thin that really stood out to me as I read this novella. The idea of Krackle meeting these real life ‘monsters’ that are so out of the ordinary so as not to be believed, and to have a goal of telling their stories in their own words at the forefront. As Harper is piecing together these interviews as a final retrospective with the intention of giving them a voice, we see some charming, bittersweet, and sometimes cathartic sequences for the reader and Harper alike. It’s ultimately a journey of self discovery for Harper, as she herself has been suppressing her own ‘quirk’, shall we say, and as she is trying to do justice to Krackle’s vision she begins to look inward and to see her own loneliness and shame and starts to become more comfortable in her own skin. It’s a lovely and sometimes sad story arc as you watch her peel back her pain and trauma and finally start to accept who she is and always has been.

“Krackle’s Last Movie” is a whimsical and charming found footage tale that left me smiling as I was reading it. The epitome of short and sweet (with a twist of strange to even it all out).

Rating 8: A strange, dreamy, and ultimately touching story about being different, those who champion you, and finally coming to be comfortable in your own skin.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Krackle’s Last Movie” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but the comparisons to Guillermo del Toro are well earned.

Highlights: February 2026

We are in the midst of a deep freeze in Minnesota, with lots of snow, plummeting temperatures, and the lack of motivation to leave the house. I guess it’s okay that we have Valentine’s Day to look forward to for some romance time and hopefully lots of candy! And like always we have some new titles coming out this month that we can’t wait to read!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Weavingshaw” by Heba Al-Wasity

Publication Date: February 26, 2024

Why I’m Interested: The cover alone, with all of its gothic-goodness, was enough to entice my interest in this one initially! And looking further, it seems that the story may also include much more than the standard spooky house with hidden secrets. For example, the main character can see ghosts and there sounds like there is a potential love interest who buys secrets for…reasons? Color me intrigued!

Book: “Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter” by Heather Fawcett

Publication Date: February 17, 2026

Why I’m Interested: So many reasons! Not least of which is the fact that the cover features not one, but many adorable cats! And, of course, the title itself promises a cat-centric story. Beyond that, its written by the same author as the “Emily Wilde” series, one of my favorite trilogies of the last few years, from start to finish. My only question has to do with the balance between “coziness” and plot, always a struggle point for me with this subgenre. But I have high hopes!

Book: “A Rose of Blood and Binding” by Claire Legrand

Publication Date: February 24, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Well, it’s the third and final book in this trilogy. And I have to say, my biggest emotion going in is probably trepidation. There were definite points I liked in the first two books, but I’ve also struggled a lot with the portrayal of the main characters, finding them more interesting as side characters, only to then get in their head and find a completely different person (both remarkably similar to one another, mostly fueled by some level of self-hatred). So, while I have really enjoyed what we’ve seen from Mara in other books, I’m also really worried that this will go the same route where an excellent character is watered down beneath layers of misery and gloom to the point that she’s no longer recognizable as the same person as the one in other books. We shall see!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Trad Wife” by Saratoga Schaefer

Publication Date: February 10, 2026

Why I’m Interested: The trad wife/feminine alt right satire continues, and this time we are delving into pregnancy horror to go with the biting commentary! Camille is an up and coming trad wife influencer, though her engagement isn’t as high as she’d like and her husband isn’t as perfect as her social media implies. She tells herself that having a baby would be the perfect thing to fix their marriange and to boost her viewership, but conceiving isn’t coming as easily as she has hoped. So it must be divine intervention when she finds a weird old well in the woods behind her new house, and after wishing for a baby she finds herself pregnant after a very strange encounter with something otherworldly. Having a baby will surely fix all of her problems! Even if her pregnancy is weird and her urges are going to dark places… Sounds like a devilishly good time to me!

Book: “Maria the Wanted” by V. Castro

Publication Date: February 10, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Okay so admittedly Castro’s previous swing at vampire fiction felt pretty flat for me. But given that I have really enjoyed a lot of her other books I wanted to give her newest one a try, and now that the protagonist vampire is less erotic and more of an on the run thriller I’m more on board. Maria is trying to run away from some cartels that she ran afoul, but finds herself turned into a vampire whilst on the lam. Now she wants to find out what it means to be a vampire, and how she can survive in this new form. Especially since now some violent vampire thugs are on her tail as well. I have hopes that this vampire tale from V. Castro will work better and the description gives me hope.

Book: “Nowhere Burning” by Catriona Ward

Publication Date: February 24 2026

Why I’m Interested: I haven’t been as enthralled with Ward’s horror novels in the past, but I have told myself that after taking a break from the past couple I need to give it one more go in case a new premise just clicks for me. And the premise of this book is DEFINITELY interesting, feeling like a weird mix of Lost Boys and Charles Manson. Riley and her brother Oliver are running away from home, hoping to find a new home at Nowhere, a ranch once run by a strange movie star that is now a colony of feral, unrestricted children. It sounds like the freedom Riley is craving. But something else is on the ranch property, and the children who live at Nowhere are far more dangerous than Riley ever anticipated. It sounds culty and weird, and I am totally into it.

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

Serena’s Review: “Silver & Bloood”

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Book: “Silver & Blood” by Jessie Mihalik

Publishing Info: Avon, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: There’s something in the woods…

Untrained and barely armed, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forest and kill the deadly beast that has been attacking her fellow villagers as she’s the only mage available—or so she thought. When one beast turns into two, she fears her death is at hand, but unexpected aid from a scarred, strikingly handsome man with dangerous moonlit magic means a second chance at life—and an opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.

After being rescued and healed from her fight in the forest, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. Riela soon learns Garrick is not a mortal mage at all—he’s a powerful Etheri sovereign who has been locked out of his kingdom in Lohka for nearly a century, and his powers are weakening.

Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets connecting Riela’s past to Lohka, the tenuous threads of trust between them begin to fray because Riela’s life—or her death—might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost.

Review: I’ll be honest, I was sucked in on this one by the cover art. I don’t often love character art on covers, but something about this one was working for me! The book itself, while not terrible, didn’t hit quite as strongly.

I will say, it started off well. The plot takes off as if its life depends upon it, leaving the reader feeling swept along in a story that has already begun. There were numerous action scenes in the first few pages, and Riela’s POV added an intriguing element. She came across as competent, while also not slotting into the played-out “snarky badass” category. Indeed, I was pleased to see that she recognized that she was out of her depth several times early on.

Unfortunately, after the blistering pace of the first few chapters, once Riela reaches the enchanted castle and meets the MMC, the book seems to run smack-dab into a brick wall. Any pacing or tension that was built up immediately drained away, and the plot began circling the same few beats, chapter after chapter. Riela would explore the castle, look for food, have a brief interaction with the overly mysterious and withdrawn MMC, and then rinse and repeat. This took up the majority of the book, ultimately, with things only picking up again towards the final quarter of the story.

Further, once the pace slowed down and the plot became repetitive, I was left with too much time to think through the ins and outs of this world. And very quickly, much of it began to feel slightly derivative and unimaginative. I enjoyed the “Beauty and the Beast” vibes that made up the basic premise, but I was left wanting a bit more from almost every part of the book by the time we got to the end.

That said, I think the writing itself was fairly strong. Like I said, the book starts off strong, and the main character was written in a compelling manner. I didn’t hate my reading experience by any means, and I’ll definitely check out another book by this author. This just missed the mark a bit, unfortunately. That said, if you’re looking for a romantasy book that checks some familiar fairytale boxes and includes solid writing, this one might be for you!

Rating 7: While the writing and characterization were strong, there simply wasn’t enough plot or pacing to hold the story together through the lagging middle portion.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Silver & Blood” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Romantasy TBR 2026 and 2026 Fantasy Romance Releases.

Fire’s Catching: A Year with “The Hunger Games” – Introduction

It’s been eighteen years since Suzanne Collins wrote “The Hunger Games”, the smash hit literary sensation that continues to feel relevant and capture the attention of readers. This ongoing series will be a review series of both the Suzanne Collins books, as well as the film adaptations of the novels. I will post my review on the last Thursday of the month as we revisit the totalitarian world of Panem and the hope of the Mockingjay.

I first read Suzanne Collins’s novel “The Hunger Games” back in 2012, a few years after it had first come out. I hadn’t really been reading much YA fiction at that time, as my main associations to that age group were “Twilight” and “Harry Potter”, both series that didn’t interest me too much. But after hearing all the hype about “The Hunger Games” from friends and family alike (my mother was the one who said I needed to check it out, interestingly enough), I decided to give it a shot. And I ended up really liking it! I liked it so much that when the film came out later that year I told my husband that we needed to go and see it. He was skeptical, but once we came home from the movie he said ‘so…. do we own all of these books?’ And we did. Now, almost fifteen years later, I have decided that I wanted to revisit Panem, and Katniss Everdeen, and all of the victors and villains of “The Hunger Games” series.

Or, in the case of the books “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay”, read for the first time! Yes, I never actually read beyond “The Hunger Games”, having heard that the other two books in the series weren’t as good as the first book. I just told myself I’d see the movies since I really liked the first one, and I was, for the first time in my life, the one in the dark when it came to the books and the lore while my husband was the expert (this would happen again with the “Grishaverse” by Leigh Bardugo, but that’s another story for another time). So I’m going to take 2026, a year that has started with a lot of fear and uncertainty in the Twin Cities with ICE coming in and bringing violence, and instability to our immigrant communities, to revisit the entire “Hunger Games” series. It just feels like the right time to come back to it. I will first read all of the books and review them in publication order, and then I will revisit the movies, finishing off with “Sunrise on the Reaping” when it comes out this November. I’ll review, I’ll compare an contrast, and no doubt I will be feeling a certain kind of way while doing so.

So for the most part I will be doing this on the last Thursday of each month (though I will use next Thursday as my first review post just to keep the momentum going). Feel free to follow along! And may the odds be ever in your favor!!

Serena’s Review: “The Shattered King”

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Book: “The Shattered King” by Charlie N. Holmberg

Publishing Info: 47North, September 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: bought it!

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

Book Description: The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the warfront. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can.

But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is nothing like Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment―only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness―even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.

Review: I read and reviewed a book by this author back in 2017, The Paper Magician, but I’ll be honest, as much as I enjoyed that read at the time, I fell off on tracking the author further. This book only ended up on my radar because it was mentioned by a fellow reviewer who has similar taste as I do with regards to fantasy romance.

I absolutely adored this book! It’s rare that I turn the last page on a book and want to then turn around and re-read it immediately, but that was the case here. There were simply so many great things about it! But I think, looking back, one of the things I appreciated the most was the fact that books like this are proof positive that you can write a compelling romance without compromising on other important elements, notably world-building, magic systems, and complicated supporting characters. So, while the romance was one of my favorites as well, it was the strength of these three foundational elements that really raised it above the rest!

The world-building and magic in this book were fantastic. The basic concepts were familiar: magic users who fall into three categories (healing, mind-reading, compelling), who are feared and persecuted to some extent by the nations that house them. But the ways in which this magic was explored, particularly the healing abilities of our main character, were so interesting. Indeed, the author commits a fairly significant amount of page time to exploring how exactly this magic system works, with numerous scenes going into the strengths and limitations of Nym’s abilities. This devotion to detail is then paid off by incredible twists and turns that only come into play late in the book and wouldn’t have worked had the reader not been given a good understanding beforehand.

Further, I really enjoyed the political elements. Much of this was built up in this book and looks to be coming to the forefront in the sequel. But even here, what made much of these political scenes work was the fact that the author took the time to develop these secondary characters in a way that readers were given plenty of time to form opinions and theories about them and their motivations. So then when added layers are revealed or complicating factors introduced, the reader is invested enough to care what happens to them, even if they are not the main characters. Even characters that I thoroughly despised had me on the edge of my seat towards the end!

But, of course, the story really lives and dies on the strength of the romance and the two characters involved. The story is told fully from Nym’s perspective, something that I prefer! Too often I feel like the inclusion of both POVs is used as a crutch by authors to simply tell readers how both parties are feeling, rather than taking the time to show us, as is necessary when the reader only has access to one character’s inner thoughts. Beyond that, the book takes its time revealing Nym’s full history. There are many references to major events in her past, but this information is carefully doled out throughout the book. I love this approach! The author trusts that readers will be invested enough to want to get to know this character further, rather than being spoon-fed her entire history and character motivation right from the get-go.

And Renn was everything I love in a romantic lead! The story is a true slow-burn, with Renn only gradually coming to understand his own shortcomings and the reality of Nym’s experiences. But once he does, boy, is he great! This is solidly a “he falls first” romance, and the author takes full advantage of all the tension and longing that this setup allows. It’s so refreshing to read a romantic lead who is not brooding or overly secretive, but instead is direct about what he wants. And the limitations holding the relationship back are solidly grounded in the realities of the characters and the world, not clearly orchestrated angst that could be solved with a quick conversation.

I will say, the book does end on a fairly major cliffhanger! But never fear, the second book is coming out in a few short months, and I already have my e-ARC in hand! We’ll see how long I can hold out, but if things continue in this direction, I think this duology will easily earn a spot on my Top 10 for next year! If you enjoy fantasy romance with solid character work that doesn’t skimp on the actual fantasy elements, then this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 10: Absolutely brilliant! A perfect melding of the best of both worlds in the fantasy and romance genres!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Shattered King” can be found on these Goodreads lists: My favorite Medieval Fantasy novels and All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in September 2025.

Kate’s Review: “On Sundays She Picked Flowers”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

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

Publishing Info: Saga Press, 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: In this sinister and surreal Southern Gothic debut, a woman escapes into the uncanny woods of southern Georgia and must contend with ghosts, haints, and most dangerous of all, the truth about herself.

When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she’d severed her abusive mother’s hold on her. She didn’t have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own.

Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, Jude blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer.

But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline.

Haunting and thought-provoking, On Sunday She Picked Flowers explores retribution, family trauma, and the power of building oneself back up after breaking down.

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

I love stumbling upon titles that come out of nowhere for me, and that is exactly what happened with Yah-Yah Scholfield’s horror novel “On Sundays She Picked Flowers”. I saw it on various book influencer posts, and after seeing multiple people recommend it I decided to give it a go. I was intrigued by the idea of haints and a woman running away from an abusive situation, and jumped in, only to find that this book was a lot heavier than I thought it would be.

When it comes to the supernatural elements in this book, I really enjoyed the Southern Gothic feel, combining an unexpected haunted house story along with some interesting folk lore and dark romance to top it off. Our protagonist is Jude, a woman escaping her life with her abusive and violent mother Ernestine and fleeing to the backwoods of Georgia, where she finds a strange house haunted by ghosts and haints that only she can tame. A haunted house story is already great in my book, but Scholfield brought a distinctly Black and Southern vibe to it that made it stand out from other haunted house tales that I’ve read in the past. The house is menacing but doesn’t really come off as evil, and watching Jude slowly gain its trust and tame it in her own way to become an independent and confident woman that works in tandem with the beings inside was really neat. There is also the character of Nemoira, a mysterious woman who approaches Jude’s home one day, which begins a steamy and dark romance between Jude and this otherworldly stranger. This isn’t particularly romantic and has a lot of issues, but ultimately I found their romance to be incredibly interesting, even as some truths come to light that are on the more supernatural side.

But the very true horrors of this novel live within the very real horrors of reality, specifically with the themes of generational trauma, racism, and child abuse, as well as sexual assault and incest. Jude’s story is one that is at the forefront, and we are presented with a bleak and absolutely upsetting reality of her being abused by her mother Ernestine her entire life until she finally retaliates and then flees after the fact. But Scholfield doesn’t want to make it such a cut and dry situation with Jude being wholly good and Ernestine being wholly bad, managing to walk a fine line in portraying a fraught and violent relationship that has a lot of dark influences that aren’t all within the fault and control of the two people who are involved. I found the slow reveal of Ernestine’s background to be shattering, but also appreciated that there were no excuses for her behaviors. It’s a tough read to be sure, so my advice is to go in with the knowledge that there are lots of tough and triggering beats and plot points. They’re handled well, I felt, but it’s still good to know.

“On Sundays She Picked Flowers” is a harrowing horror tale that had me totally on edge as I read it. It’s a difficult one, but one I ultimately found rewarding.

Rating 8: A dark and upsetting Southern Gothic horror tale that has dark romance, generational trauma, and an interesting mythology. It chilled me to the bone.

Reader’s Advisory:

“On Sundays She Picked Flowers” is included on the Goodreads lists “Queer Horror”, and “Black Speculative Fiction”.

Not Just Books: January 2026


While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Video Game: “Hades 2”

As promised, here I am back again with the second Hades game! I’m definitely glad I played the first game before this one. Not only is it fun seeing familiar faces once again, but I find that I’m better able to jump straight into enjoying the story and characters now that I’m familiar with the general set up for the game play loop. Of course, this one amps up the entire experience in every way, with a bunch of additional tasks that can be completed at the home base (like brewing potions, growing plants, and recruiting pets as familiars!). I also really enjoyed the new characters and love interests. Icarus is still playing hard to get, so I’m still going strong, even past the True Ending. But Mel needs her romantic happy ending, so we’ll see how long this goes!

TV Show: “Pluribus”

This was kind of a no brainer for my husband and I to watch! We both really enjoyed “Better Call Saul,” so a dystopian/sci-fi featuring the same actress and creator was right up our alley! We did have some debates about the side characters and their behavior, but Carol was excellent in every way. I also thought the entire premise was very creative and surprisingly hilarious, even through some of the darker moments. That said, I’m very displeased with this crazy trend of releasing short season and then taking multiple (MULTIPLE!) years to produce a second, likely also short, season. Yes, this show had excellent production value. But let’s be real here, there’s nothing going on here that justifies wait times like this between seasons, and I truly think that these sorts of delays hurts any momentum a show likes this builds with its first season. Will I check it out? Yes. But will I be as hyped as I would be if I could watch it again next fall? Probably not.

Movie: “The Rip”

Again, on one hand, I’m always a bit skeptical of Netflix’s movies. But on the other hand…Matt Damon. Plus, it’s always fun to see him back working with Ben Affleck. Affleck is clearly talented, though I think he’s better as a director. But there is a weird thing that happens: when he acts across from Damon, he magically becomes more likable. Their chemistry is great, and that was apparent here. Much of the plot of this one is fairly predictable, but the cinematography throughout was excellent and, again, the two leads did a lot of the heavy lifting in making the experience worthwhile. If you want to watch a new action-packed thriller, this one is sure to please!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Ponies”

I’ve been a fan of Emilia Clarke since “Game of Thrones” (man that show did her character dirty, I AM A DAENERYS APOLOGIST, NOT SORRY), and when I saw that she and Haley Lu Richardson were in a new historical fiction thriller show called “Ponies” I decided that I was going to watch. Also the premise sounded good. Two CIA wives at the American Embassy in Moscow in the 1970s are just living their lives supporting their husbands… until their husbands die under incredibly suspicious circumstances in a plane crash. Bea and Twila are then recruited by the CIA to become operatives in hopes of getting more information about what happened to Tom and Chris. And since they are posing as secretaries, the thought is the KGB will never realize that they are agents (and will be ‘PONIes’, persons of no interest). It’s part spy thriller, part buddy comedy, and Clarke and Richardson have great banter and chemistry to help balance out the high spy suspense. I love both Bea and Twila, with Bea being intelligent and genuine and Twila being a sarcastic spitfire. I’m living for them and their hijinks.

TV Show: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

It’s back! Normally I give myself a little bit of time to warm up to “Drag Race” before highlighting it on the blog, as I’ve been burned before with lackluster seasons (Season 13, anyone?). But at this point in time I am just going to find joy where I can, because being in the Twin Cities right now is a big ol’ ball of terrible and stress due to a violent federal government occupation, and catty drag queens bring me joy. Stand outs for me at this point include Jane Don’t (the Seattle girls always go hard), Athena Dion (though she’s a bit of a diva, but I LOVE her looks), and Myki Meeks (just adorable). I haven’t gotten a REAL feel for the season yet after two really strong seasons that came before it, but hey, an escape is an escape.

Film: “Predator: Badlands”

I love the “Predator” movies. The original “Predator” is quite possibly my favorite Schwarzenegger film (“Running Man” comes close), and I have enjoyed many of the films in the series, even the ones that people don’t really like (I liked “Predators”, thanks!). I unfortunately didn’t get to “Predator: Badlands” in the theater like I had wanted, but I did sit down and watch it this month and I LOVED it. It follows Dek, a Yautja (aka the Predator species) who is determined to prove his might in spite of the fact he’s a runt and scorned by most of his clan. After a heartbreaking confrontation on his home world he is sent to a far off planet in exile, and decides instead to try and get the apex predator the Kalisk to prove his worth (as the Kalisk scares even the most skilled Yautjas). But the planet is hostile, and Dek will need help from an unlikely source: Thia, a broken Synth from Weyland-Yutani that is on a mission there of her own. So yes, this is a “Predator” Sci-Fi action film with lots of great mythos and fantastic action, but honestly? At it’s heart is a cozy found family story as Dek and Thia connect as outsiders and form a bond. I ADORE THIS TROPE and it works so well in this movie.

Serena’s Review: “A Heart So Green”

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Book: “A Heart So Green” by Lyra Selene

Publishing Info: Orbit, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: After the explosive finale of the Tournament of Kings, Fia and Irian manage to escape to the wildlands, dodging pursuit by her cunning sister Eala. With Fia locked in her own mind, battling a powerful celestial entity, Irian must form new alliances to come up with a plan to defeat Eala’s terrifying magic.

With both the human and fae realm under threat, Eala’s rampage must be stopped, no matter the cost. On Bealtain Eve, when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, Fia and Irian will finally face off against the swan princess and forge the ending to their love story that was written in the stars.

Previously Reviewed: “A Feather So Black” and “A Crown So Silver”

Review: Surprise! I’m back with another review for this trilogy! After my…less than enthusiastic response to book two, I was really wavering on finishing off the series. But Orbit was kind enough to send me a copy, so I thought, why the heck not. Better to be a completionist in this instance and finish up the series.

And while I still didn’t love this one, I was at least better prepared for what I could now expect and ended up enjoying it a bit more. I’ll preface the entire review by saying that I think the first book was by far the strongest and that had the trilogy lived up to that initial potential, this could have been excellent. Unfortunately, many of the choices with regards to the romance and the main character’s arc were very much not to my preference, both in the second book and this one.

This book added perspectives to the story, ending up with a total of four. On one hand, this, blessedly, meant less time spent in Fia’s mind (frustrating) or Irian’s mind (boring). However, on the other hand, neither of these added POVs felt truly necessary to the plot. Like the second book, throughout the entire reading experience I was left asking, “why?” Again, it felt like the author was padding out this book with drawn-out side quests, meandering thought spirals, and heaping piles of angst.

What it didn’t have, however, was a compelling or tied-together plot. Many of the characters and world-building points that were established in the first book were still left hanging with very little resolution here. The pacing, especially in the first half, was glacial, waiting for Fia to solve her particular quandary and being stuck in Irian’s head as he moped over her loss. Things picked up a bit after that, but even then, the plot quickly devolved into seemingly disconnected side quests. And then it ended in a surprisingly tragic and unfulfilling manner, the likes of which I think will frustrate many readers, even those who may have enjoyed book two more than me.

By the end of this one, I’m not sure if the author was pushed to extend a shorter book into a trilogy or whether she simply never had a good handle on what this story was truly meant to be about. The solid characterization and interesting world-building that were established in the first book seemed to fall off a cliff in the second book and never recovered. It almost felt like two different authors wrote the first book and then book two and three. I did bump this one up a notch from my rating for book two, mostly because I think Fia was at least somewhat improved by the end of this book. But I still found this entire trilogy to be incredibly disappointing given how much I loved the first book.

Rating 6: A truly baffling trilogy where the first book stands miles above the second two, and we are left with a tragic, confused ending to the story here in the final chapter.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Heart So Green” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Kate’s Review: “The Hostess”

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Book: “The Hostess” by Courtney Psak

Publishing Info: Hodder & Stoughton, January 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publicist

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Natalie and her husband decide to escape the city for a much-needed break. After suffering from a terrible accident, Natalie needs some time and space to recover. So when they find a gorgeous rental home on an estate in the Hamptons available at the last minute, it seems too good to be true.

The owner of the estate, Sadie, is beautiful, elegant and wealthy, and Natalie is immediately drawn to her.

But as the women begin to bond, Natalie can’t shake the feeling that Sadie is hiding something beneath her polished exterior.

When Natalie discovers that the previous guest disappeared without a trace, dark questions Who exactly is the hostess? What are her secrets? And can Natalie uncover the truth, before it’s too late?

Review: Thank you to Kaye Publicity for sending me an ARC of this novel!

It’s the dead of winter here in Minnesota, with temps dropping well below zero this weekend. In the dead of winter it’s always kind of fun to read books that have a less frigid setting, and “The Hostess” by Courtney Psak is a twisty thriller that also happens to take place in The Hamptons, a beach setting if there ever was one (though to be fair, apparently New York is also getting rocked by cold and snow this weekend, so even The Hamptons get frigid). I hadn’t ready anything by Courtney Psak before, but when this ended up in my mailbox I thought I’d give it a go. I like a suspenseful thriller with unreliable narrators, after all, and this one sounded like it would deliver on that.

We have two narrative voices in “The Hostess”. The first is that of Natalie, a woman who needs to get away from her everyday life after being in an accident that has given her mental health woes and hallucinations (though her past traumas are also causing issues). She and husband Luke luck out in renting a house in the Hamptons, with their hostess being Sadie, a wealthy and charismatic woman, who also happens to be our second narrative POV, and who has some secrets of her own. We alternate between Natalie and Sadie, slowly learning about both of them through flashbacks and the slow reveal of secrets that they are keeping. Natalie and Sadie both have interesting layers, with my opinions starting in one place for each of them and then evolving in ways that I didn’t expect.

I will say that it took a bit for me to get fully invested in this, as for whatever reason the first half it dragged a little bit as the exposition and clues were starting to be set out. There were a few red herrings that I could spot from the jump, and while I was interested to see what surprises were laying in wait, I was also kind of getting anxious to get further into the action and suspense. But that said, once things did click into place, I was pretty well pulled into the story and the mystery at hand. By the time I was getting to the final chapters I was racing through the pages to see what was going to happen, and that, to me, is what ultimately made this story worth the read, and one that would be a solid choice if you are looking for a thriller with some interesting twists and turns.

“The Hostess” is ultimately an enjoyable thriller with some interesting narrative characters. Think about picking it up if you want a mystery on a cold winter night.

Rating 7: Once the pace picked up in the last half I was pretty into it!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hostess” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but this is probably a read for Frieda McFadden fans.