Month: March 2025

Not Just Books: March 2025

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

Movie: “Conclave”

I ended up watching this one mostly for the cast, as it’s jam packed with talent. I was also intrigued by the concept itself, which follows the intrigues uncovered during a conclave as the Cardinals of the Catholic Church work to elect a new Pope. And it really delivered on most of it! I will say, I think Ralph Fiennes really carries this thing, as much of the story lives and dies around the viewers’ investment in him and his motivations. There were a bunch of great twists and turns throughout, as well. Though I will say that final twist felt a bit like it was there for shock value, but failed to deliver any actual point along with the reveal. I just wanted a bit more there. But overall, it was still a great watch!

TV Show: “Severance” Season 2

We usually highlight movies/shows/games that we enjoyed on this list. However, there’s no rule that it has to be positive! And, boy, was this not a positive experience! And look, I enjoyed the first season of this show. Sure, it was a bit pretentious at times, but the cast was likable and the concept super interesting. But man, this second season was a mess. Rev up the pretentiousness to the maximum level, reduce the amount of time focused on the core cast and instead devote entire episodes to side characters we don’t care about, and then, worst of all, spend you entire last episode with characters working their way through difficult choices only to completely undercut all of it (including characterization that goes back to the first season!!) in the last five minutes of the episode. Truly, this was a hot mess. It was badly in need of editors to rein it back in, and I now have almost zero faith that there is any true foundation or plan at the heart of this story. Sure, I’ll watch the third season. But my expectations of a satisfying conclusion are now near rock bottom.

Game: “Baldur’s Gate” – Achievement Unlocked!

So, this is both a brag and also a confession. On the bragging side, I’m super proud of myself to have finally completed my Honor Mode run of BG3. (For those who don’t know, this is the max difficulty where you only have one save file for the entire game. So if you die, that’s it. Game over. Hours wasted. Start over.) I think somewhere like 2% of players get this achievement, but that’s probably because they aren’t crazy people like me. Since then the confession, of course, is that I’ve been devoting an unhealthy amount of time to playing this game over and over. I think I’ve done four full play throughs now, including the Honor Mode one, and a few that I got halfway through before abandoning (mostly because I wasn’t enjoying my main character). It’s truly an unhealthy obsession. And now that I’ve finally checked off the hardest achievement in the game, I’ve dove straight into the world of mods and, yep, here we go again!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “The White Lotus”

Hooray, my soapy murder mystery satire show is back! After a so so first season and a great second season (at least in my opinion), the third season of “The White Lotus” is finally here and we are still following shallow and horrible wealthy people and slimy and shady ne’er-do-wells at yet another White Lotus resort, this time in Thailand! This is one of the shows my husband and I both enjoy watching as a couple, and thus far we are both enjoying the season. I’m especially enjoying Parker Posey as a constantly drugged up wealthy wife to an unraveling businessman played by Jason Isaacs, as her one liners are iconic. Though honestly my favorite is Walton Goggins’s Rick. Because oh man Walton Goggins is VERY much my cup of tea. I’m curious to see how it all pulls together by the end, and who dies as one always must on this show (please not Walton Goggins!).

TV Show: “Dark Winds”

Hooray, one of my favorite procedurals is back! I absolutely adore “Dark Winds” and the characters of Leaphorn and Chee, and they are on a new case on the Navajo Reservation, six months after the end of season 2. We find Leaphorn still a part of the Tribal Police, with Chee now back on the squad after being a PI last season, and Bernadette trying to adjust to her new border patrol job. While Leaphorn and Chee are dealing with two missing boys, Bernadette is convinced that she has found evidence of human trafficking, though her boss doesn’t really give a shit one way or the other. And there may be something supernatural afoot this time around. Zahn McClarnon is still a stellar Leaphorn, and seeing his emotional distress this season after what happened LAST season AND a missing child case (making him think of his own dead son) is a gut punch, and he’s killing it. Can’t wait to see where this goes.

TV Show: “Interview with the Vampire”

It took me a long time to finally sit down and watch season 2 of this show, and it’s not because I disliked season 1. On the contrary, I loved it. I think the reason I waited was because I knew what was coming. I was excited for some things; Théâtre de Vampires! More Armand and maybe some queer subtext with Daniel (or in this case, supertext?)! But I also knew that it meant that Claudia’s arc was going to hit, and hit hard. All that said, when I finally did sit down and watch it, I was enthralled and devoured it. I loved seeing Armand’s theater coven, I loved seeing Daniel peel back secrets between Louis and Armand, and I LOVED seeing Lestat come back. Because we knew he would. And yes, it had its emotional gut punch moments that left me sobbing. And hints to what is to come (hellooooo, Talamasca!). I really, really enjoyed Season 2 even though it was devastating in some ways. Bring on Season 3. Especially since it’s going to cover “The Vampire Lestat”.

Kate’s Review: “You Must Take Part in Revolution”

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Book: “You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel” by Melissa Chan & Badiucao (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Street Noise Books, March 2025

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

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

Book Description: From acclaimed journalist Melissa Chan and esteemed activist artist Badiucao comes a near-future graphic novel dystopia that explores technology, authoritarian government, and the lengths that one will go to in the fight for freedom.

Three idealistic youths, forever transformed by the real-world protests in Hong Kong in 2019, develop diverging beliefs about how to best fight against techno-authoritarian China. As conflict escalates and a nuclear disaster looms, is working with an increasingly fascist and non-democratic United States the answer? Andy, Maggie, and Olivia travel different paths toward transformative change, each confronting to what extent they will fight for freedom, and who they will become in doing so.

A powerful and important book about global totalitarian futures, and the costs of resistance.

Review: Thank you to Street Noise Books for sending me an eARC of this graphic novel!

When I was an undergrad at the U of MN, I had my first library job working in the Annex at Wilson Library. My duties included shelving books all throughout the library, as well as working the desk to pull materials like old journals, microfiche, and newspapers. One of my friends at the time was my coworker Hugo, who was an exchange student from Hong Kong. A few years after graduation he moved back home and we lost touch, but in the summer of 2020 he reached out during the George Floyd protests/the uprising to see how I was doing since he knew I was still living in the area. We chatted a bit, and he told me that he had been a part of the protests in Hong Kong in 2019, and gave some tips to pass on to others who were out protesting. It was interesting hearing him talk about all of that, as I certainly heard about it peripherally, but hearing about it first hand was jarring. I kept thinking about Hugo as I read Melissa Chan’s new graphic novel “You Must Take Part In Revolution”, as it has a start in 2019 Hong Kong, and then delves into a not so distant possible future where autocracy is rising across the world. So….. relevant reading to say the very least.

The first thing you need to know about this book is that it is GRIM. That isn’t meant to be a negative critique, because I think that any book talking about a totalitarian world needs to be grim on some level, and Chan feels no need to hold anything back in this possible future as China has cemented itself as an autocratic world power and a fascist United States starts to push against them in a bid for its own power. We follow three characters, all of whom bonded and became friends during the 2019 Hong Kong protests. We have Andy, who has been trying to keep his head down but has been helping resistance against the CCP in his own ways and finds himself recruited to a rebel paramilitary group . We have Maggie, who went to prison in 2019 for her part in a violent protest tactic that had severe consequences. And we have Olivia, who has some dark secrets that she is hiding after dropping off radar after the protests. One of the greatest strengths of this story is that all of these characters are well drawn out and have many layers, and while the reader could certainly have opinions and feelings about the actions they take, Chan is careful to not label any of them as doing something right or wrong, but all trying to survive in a world that is filled with horrors and complexities.

Both Chan and illustrator Badiucao have backgrounds that can lend first hand to the story being told, as Chan is a journalist and Badiucao is an activist, and their critiques of the autocratic and oppressive CCP are blistering, but they don’t stop there as the United States in this book is ALSO rather villainous. As both countries start to set their sights on Taiwan, and the fallout from that unwinds as the years pass, we see a very scary possibility that our own world could be headed in such a direction. I was chilled to the bone reading this book, and I feel like it is a must read for anyone who may be terrified about the state of things, and who are wanting to find their place in not only a new reality, but also within an urge to resist. That said, let’s go back to the grimness mentioned above. This book makes it VERY clear that there is a stark cost for anyone who wants to fight back. That isn’t to say it’s a condemnation of fighting back, because it is not at all. Chan and Badiucao are very clear that resistance against such things is necessary. But it also has no room for romanticism of revolution against a world of surveillance, greed, and corruption, and the pain and consequences are laid out in full honesty.

And finally the artwork. I was fully unfamiliar with Badiucao before reading this, though apparently he is known as Australia’s answer to Banksy. I really, REALLY liked his art style, as the visuals and unique and jarring and sharp in all the right ways for the story at hand. It brings in glimmers of humanity against a backdrop of oppression and despair.

(source: Street Noise Books)

It’s hard to stomach at times, but “You Must Participate In Revolution” is absolutely necessary reading for the times we are living in. I hope that we heed its warnings.

Rating 9: A stark warning for a possible dark future, “You Must Participate In Revolution” is a call for resistance to authoritarianism. Incredibly relevant reading.

Reader’s Advisory:

“You Must Take Part In Revolution” is included on the Goodreads list “Great Graphic Novels (Released In) 2025”.

Serena’s Review: “Faithbreaker”

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Book: “Faithbreaker” by Hannah Kaner

Publishing Info: HarperVoyager, April 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: War has come. The fire god Hseth is leading an unstoppable army south, consuming everything in her path. Middren’s only hope of survival is to unify allies and old foes against a common enemy.

Elo navigates an uneasy alliance with Arren; his friend, his enemy, and his king. Now they each must decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice to turn the tides of war.

Meanwhile, Inara joins her mother on their ship, the Silverswift, to seek aid. Still grappling with her powers, Inara must reconcile who she is and where she belongs, while Skediceth has to question if their bond will be enough to keep them safe.

Kissen has no allegiance to the old ways of Middren. But, as she tries to find her family, she is forced to question what, and whose, future she is fighting for.

Previously Reviewed: “Godkiller” and “Sunbringer”

Review: I’ll be honest, I’ve put off writing this review for a bit. On reflection, this trilogy has been a challenging experience. Mostly because the first book hit it out of the park for me, and now each subsequent book has been a step further and further away from that high. While this book does stick the landing of the overall plot itself, it wasn’t enough to temper my disappointment with various other aspects of the story.

But let’s start with the good. Like the two books before it, this one capitalizes on the intricate world-building that has been created over the course of the trilogy. There’s been excellent exploration of themes regarding religion, devotion, and the extremes to which individuals can be driven to under the influence of strong ideologies. This one continued in these veins. And, like I said, while it takes a while to get everything and everyone in place, the final confrontation and climax of the trilogy hits well.

The pacing is also fairly slow throughout. But this is true for the first two books as well, so readers should essentially expect a similar reading experience to those stories. Personally, I think the slower pacing works for the sort of story being drawn here. Never does this series claim to be an action-packed romp. But instead, it’s very character-based, and, as such, spends a lot of time in various characters’ heads exploring their personal arcs.

Now, unfortunately, we get to my complaints. First off, from the start I’ve mentioned that delicate balance that has been struck between the shared POVs. In the first book, all three POV characters were strong enough to make this approach work well. And, as they all spent the majority of their time together, these different POVs didn’t take us away from the two other characters, allowing the reader to still spend time with them all. In the second book, one of my complaints had to do with the lessening impact of these various POVs. Inara remained mostly the same, but Elo’s story took a massive dip, with much of his subplot feeling tacked on. And, in a strange turn, the excellence of Kissen’s chapters only served to further undermine the story, as it began to feel as if any chapters focused on the other two dragged even more than they should have in comparison.

Well, here, where I had so many hopes now that our main trio were finally reunited, this problem has only been expanded upon. Not only do they get immediately broken up into various groups again and sent off in different directions, but the story added in TWO more POVs. And, honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about Arren or Hestra! Not only did these chapters feel as if they were taking up precious page space from the characters I actually cared about, but in Arren’s case, the entire project behind him was DOA.

I get that the author thought that this added POV for him was necessary to attempt to make him a sympathetic character, but frankly, it was too little too late. I couldn’t simply sweep under the rug all of the actions I’d seen from this character in the first two books. Perhaps if these chapters were attempting to simply lighten opinions on him some, it would have worked. But to attempt to re-create him as a romantic interest for Elo? NO THANK YOU! I was so upset by this switch. Not only did it feel like the excellent dynamic that was created between Elo and Kissen was swept under the rug for no apparent reason (and frankly, this is the kind of stuff that just makes me furious because it makes me feel as if the author set me up for disappointment from the start), but Elo’s entire story has played out in him coming to realize what he deserves and what he doesn’t. What he absolutely doesn’t deserve is to end up with a character like Arren, who treated him so poorly and, frankly, betrayed him to a point that even if forgiveness could happen, romantic love certainly shouldn’t.

And it was more of the same for Kissen. Yes, her natural charisma as a character carried this new relationship further than my total disinterest in Elo’s relationship. But still. This felt like a late-game switch that simply wasn’t necessary and wasn’t set up to succeed. We had two entire books with plenty of other lore and action that needed to be resolved in the rather short page count of this last book. To attempt to wrap all of that up while also adding in two new relationships that only really appear in this last book? Something’s got to give, and it was with these romances.

It’s hard to be objective with this book. Once I saw where things were going with these new romances, I was so frustrated with the trilogy as a whole that I had a hard time focusing in on the rest of what the story was trying to accomplish. There was a solid ending, and one that pulled at the heartstrings in some meaningful ways. But what I loved best about this series were the three main characters. And as the trilogy wore on, it felt like more and more, that’s where the story struggled. Readers who are perhaps less invested in the main trio as a core group may enjoy this more than me. And that said, I do enjoy this author’s style of writing, so I’ll definitely check out what comes next (though, I’ll be honest, if it’s another series, I might wait for it to complete before starting up, so I know what I’m getting into. I really hate having the rug pulled out from under me, and it’s one of the few grievances that I have a hard time forgiving in authors.)

Rating 7: For me, personally, this was probably a 6. But as I know that I got caught up in my feelings, I’d say that on a whole, this one was still a solid conclusion to the trilogy, just not as good as the first book.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Faithbreaker” is on this Goodreads list: 2025 Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Kate’s Review: “This Book Will Bury Me”

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Book: “This Book Will Bury Me” by Ashley Winstead

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Landmark, March 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher.

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

Book Description: From the bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

It’s the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory…

So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don’t add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something’s not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they’ve faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap…

Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans…

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me an ARC of this novel!

I really loved Ashley Winstead’s previous novel “Midnight Is The Darkest Hour”, so much so that it made my top ten list the year it was published. I found it to be propulsive and addictive, and when I had the opportunity to read her newest book “This Book Will Bury Me” I knew that I had to take it. I was even more interested when I read the premise, as I thought that it sounded familiar, plot wise. I do enjoy thrillers that take inspiration from real life. But this one made me have to really do some introspection about that.

“This Book Will Bury Me” has a clever story structure, as it is a story within a story that has some unreliable narration and a design like it’s a tell all true crime memoir. We have Jane, a woman who, after being traumatized by her father’s sudden death when she was in her early twenties, latched onto a true crime forum and became an armchair sleuth with four other true crime aficionados. When she and this group break a case wide open, they get a lot of attention upon themselves, and then get pulled into a brutal multiple murder of some college students in Idaho (which is very clearly based on the Moscow Murders – I will talk about that in a bit). We are seeing things through the lens of a disgraced public figure trying to clear her name, which adds a mystery on top of other mysteries, and makes for a gripping narrative as we try to see if Jane and co can solve the mystery, and what happens to make them all so reviled after the fact. I found Jane to be a compelling narrator, because I found her to be incredibly sympathetic as well as incredibly maddening at times. Winstead did her due diligence of drawing out and fully backing up why Jane would have been so drawn into the world of internet crime solving, as she hasn’t had clear answers about the tragedy of her father’s natural, but incredibly traumatizing, death, and needs to find answers to other mysteries to compensate. Sure, I spotted a few twists before they were revealed, but I was having a fun enough time that it didn’t matter.

What also worked for me in this was how Winstead also takes a controversial topic like true crime, specifically internet sleuths and their assistance/meddling (depending on who you talk to) in real life cases with real life victims. Jane and her friends all seem to have the best intentions as they try to solve crimes, but it’s hard to deny that, good intentions or not, they let hubris, ego, and their own biases drive their investigations. It’s not exactly a farfetched problem given that there have been plenty of internet sleuths in real life who have put innocent people on blast and done horrific damage (I’m thinking of the Reddit Boston Marathon Bomber debacle, I’m thinking of that one TikTok woman who named a half assed theoretical suspect in the aforementioned/soon to be mentioned Moscow Murders and sent viral harassment their way ALL BASED ON TAROT READINGS, and more). I appreciated that Winstead didn’t set out to make Jane a nasty person, but a damaged person who makes some pretty big missteps, even if her intentions are pure. But it does raise a lot of questions about the people whose love of true crime goes a few steps further into actually trying to insert themselves into it, blurring the lines between a theoretical fascination and an active participant. I enjoyed that it wasn’t super black and white.

BUT. I will say that I was uncomfortable with how close and obviously ripped from the headlines this plot was to the Moscow Murders in Moscow, Idaho. Ripped from the headlines stories happen quite a bit in pop culture. “Law and Order”‘s entire franchise takes that premise and creates episodes from actual crimes that happen, for example. But I think that part of my issue here was that the initial student murders in this book felt like they were completely lifted from that specific crime, a crime that is still pretty raw and still hasn’t had true resolution or justice because the main suspect hasn’t even gone to trial yet. And I mean LIFTED. Like timelines, details of the house, details of the fallout, it felt like the first group of murdered college students in this book were carbon copies of what happened on King’s Road in 2022. Had there been some changes or tweaks it would have felt a bit better to me. For example, the second mass murder scene felt like it was inspired by Ted Bundy’s sorority house spree, but didn’t feel like I was just reading the spree with new names. On top of that, Bundy happened DECADES ago, and he was tried and convicted and executed, so the victims families had at least some sense of closure. That hasn’t happened for the families of the Moscow victims yet. So as it was it felt kind of ghoulish to me to be so close to the actrual details. Though perhaps there’s an argument to be made that it would still be ghoulish even if it had made the changes and tweaks. I guess it goes back to questions about true crime and exploitation. Which in turn may shadow the intent that I do feel like this book was going for.

SO, it’s a bit messy and complicated. As a thriller that kept me interested, I did enjoy “This Book Will Bury Me”. But, I hope that in the future authors who want to take inspiration from real victims and real crimes can make it feel a little less blatant, because if this one had done that it would have been a slam dunk. As it was, it felt murkier than I would have liked.

Rating 8: A gripping mystery with a dissection of true crime fandom gone too far, “This Book Will Bury Me” is another entertaining read from Ashley Winstead, though I am a little uneasy about how close it was to the inspiration.

Reader’s Advisory:

“This Book Will Bury Me” is included on the Goodreads list “2025 Mystery Thrillers True Crime”.

Serena’s Review: “Exquisite Ruin”

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

Book: “Exquisite Ruin” by AdriAnne May

Publishing Info: Gallery Books, March 2025

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

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

Book Description:

Review: Sadaré wakes in a labyrinth, remembering nothing except that she is a powerful sorceress. Her only companion is a hostile immortal named Daesra—beautiful, dangerous, and demonic—who bound his divine soul for power and revenge.

Despite their animosity, the two have no choice but to work together to reach the center and defeat the monster who prevents their escape. But the longer they wander, the more deadly and alive the maze becomes—and the more Sadaré finds herself drawn to Daesra in ways she can’t explain.

As sorceress and demon develop a tenuous truce, the labyrinth gives Sadaré glimpses of their shared history of passion and pain that make her question everything she knows. Unlocking the secrets of her past may be the only way to survive and heal their entwined fates—but as she learns more about the betrayals that brought them to the labyrinth, Sadaré begins to fear that the monster at the center could be Daesra … or even herself.

Review: Regardless of my “hit and miss” track record with the romantasy genre, I was immediately intrigued by this one given its ties to the Minotaur myth. What a unique story! The only other version I know of that tackles this myth was the excellent short story by Naomi Novik in her latest short story collection. Now, that entire collection was probably my favorite short story book ever, so the bar was fairly high. But still, given how rarely this tale has been adapted, I felt confident that there was still a lot of room for exploration, especially with a romance angle added on.

That said, I didn’t pay tons of attention to the summary, and when I opened it up and started reading and realized that it was an amnesia story…I was less than thrilled. Totally subjective take, but amnesia is one of my least favorite tropes. For one thing, I think it’s very rare that an author can properly pull it off, and we saw plenty of examples of this stumbling block here: Sure, Sadare claims to remember nothing, but again and again, she makes assertations about her own history/motivations/preferences that she couldn’t possibly know. It’s hard to truly write a blank slate character, as would be true of an actual amnesiac, and Sadare is definitely not it. Beyond that, I have little tolerance for much of the flip-flopping we got from her, one minute drawn to the MMC and the next fearing and hating him once again, often with little given on the page to motivate a change from one emotion to the other.

The writing was also fairly stilted and it took me a long time to get invested. I think this comes down to an over-reliance on a telling vs. showing style. Sentence after sentence begins with Sadare saying “I…” did something/said something/thought something. As this was an early version, more polishing could be done here before the finished copy comes out, but often those changes are things like missed words or spelling rather than sweeping style changes.

So far this has been rather negative, but I do want to touch on what I did like. Whenever the story was given some breathing room from the romantic tension, I liked the exploration of the original myth and their wanderings through the maze. It could feel a bit repetitive at times with dead end met after dead end. But, on the other hand, this is a story about two individuals trapped in a maze. It should feel hopeless at times!

There were the pieces of a lot of good things here. I think both Sadare and the MCC had good foundations and the world-building was also very interesting. I think this author simply still needs some room to grow as far as the actual quality of the writing itself. With a more solid grip on the basics, this could have been a great read! As it stands, I think it will definitely appeal to the romantasy readers who enjoy monster fics. But if you’re generally a fantasy reader first and foremost, this might not be for you.

Rating 7: A unique romantasy with some creative world-building, but it was held back by an overly “telling” style of writing.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Exquisite Ruin” can be found on this Goodreads list: Greco – Roman Fantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Blood On Her Tongue”

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

Book: “Blood On Her Tongue” by Johanna van Veen

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, March 2025

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

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

Book Description: The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy’s twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband’s grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister’s condition, but it’s clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah’s behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. 

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.

Review: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an ARC of this novel!

I gotta say, I love that we are kind of living in a horror lit vampire renaissance at the moment. We are getting a lot of really well done vampire stories as of late, with interesting and intriguing twists and perspectives, and “Blood On Her Tongue” by Johanna van Veen is a new tale to add to the list. I enjoyed van Veen’s previous novel “My Darling Dreadful Thing”, and when Poisoned Pen Press asked if I was interested to check this one out too I leapt at the chance. I love a Gothic story, I love a vampire story, and I couldn’t wait to see what van Veen had in store with this one. And it was overall a winner with twin sisters Sarah and Lucy, a bog body, and a nasty transformation of one twin while another has to decide if said transformation is a dealbreaker, especially with oppressive patriarchy making things all the more difficult.

The horror themes in this book were fairly unique blends of both folk horror (the idea of bog bodies being used in a supernatural way is SO great) and a take on vampirism vis a vis parasitism, and it all worked really well for me. I really enjoyed seeing the slow build up through Sarah’s deterioration, to letters that Lucy and Sarah have written each other, to Sarah’s notes in various books and research writings, and I thought that the pacing and the tension was taut and snappy. Lucy slowly realizing that her twin isn’t really her twin anymore was very nerve wracking and emotional, and van Veen isn’t afraid to have some really gnarly body horror moments as Sarah becomes more and more desiccated and monstrous in her appearance and behaviors. It’s also a more animalistic take on vampirism, bringing in some aspects of possession horror as well that blur the lines between the sub-genres and make them feel complementary to each other.

And while I was a bit flabbergasted at Lucy’s complete blind devotion to Sarah even when she was doing some REALLY crazy things (as mentioned above), I did think that van Veen did fantastic due diligence to make it fully believable that she would be terrified of Sarah being committed. As someone who used to work in a historic house with a narrative history that had a lot bleak tidbits regarding the way women were treated in a medical context, a lot of these aspects were believable and very disturbing. Whether it’s an aunt with a history of mental illness who suffered within an asylum, or the way that Sarah herself was treated as a menace when dealing with immense grief, or how Lucy and Sarah both are dismissed over and over again based solely on their genders (mostly by the men surrounding them), the way that Lucy wants to protect Sarah at all costs was wholly earned. It’s once again the real life horrors of misogyny and a lack of understanding of mental illness (and the approaches men took towards women who were suffering) that really gave this story a punch. God I wanted to throttle Sarah’s husband more and more as the story progressed. And it also raises some issues about Sarah’s transformation and the way that so many were trying to shove her away from everyone, and whether or not it was because they thought she was really dangerous, or because they thought she was becoming inconvenient.

“Blood On Her Tongue” is a savvy blend of folk horror, vampire horror, and the horrors of misogyny and ableism. I found it unnerving and deeply creepy.

Rating 8: Unsettling and angry, “Blood On Her Tongue” is a striking horror tale that has a lot to say about not only the supernatural, but also about misogyny and ableism for two sisters in the 19th Century.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Blood On Her Tongue” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror Books 2025”.

May The Books Be Ever In Your Favor: A “Hunger Games” Book List

It has been a very long while indeed since we have done a book list based on what we think characters from a beloved franchise would like to read. But with the new Suzanne Collins “Hunger Games” book “Sunrise on the Reaping” finally out, we were inspired to bring this back once again! Here are some books that we think would pair well with some of our favorite characters in Panem!

Katniss Everdeen: “The Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien

We’re pretty sure that we’ve recommended this classic fantasy to other fictional characters before, but it was just too on point to not pick it for our reluctant hero Katniss Everdeen, who ends up being the symbol of a revolution in a brutal dystopian world. Katniss and Frodo Baggins, after all, have a fair amount in common, at least in terms of how their journey progresses. Both find themselves with a huge amount of responsibility that they never wanted or anticipated, with Katniss becoming the Mockingjay and Frodo becoming the Ringbearer. Both are devoted to their loved ones, whether it’s Katniss’s fierce protectiveness over sister Prim, or Frodo’s love for his community in The Shire. And both find themselves deeply traumatized and carrying a heavy burden as their journey gets harder and harder, and more and more loss and despair is heaped upon them. But like Frodo, Katniss knows that she can’t give up, and after all is said and done, while she is still haunted by her ordeal, much like Frodo she does, ultimately, find peace.

Haymitch Abernathy: “The Simple Sabotage Field Manual” by the OSS

Haymitch Abernathy was Katniss’s mentor during her first Hunger Games, and was a winner of his own (and is the protagonist in “Sunrise on the Reaping”), and while he was helping train Katniss and Peeta, he was also working within the system to start the rebellion against Panem during “Catching Fire”. And because of his inner workings before the full on rebellion, I think that he would have found value in “The Simple Sabotage Field Manual”, a guide written by the United States OSS to resist against Nazi/authoritarian rule in Nazi occupied/ wartime Europe. It’s a quick read, with lots of practical and easy information on how to gum up the works and resist against authoritarian oppression, and it was declassified in 2008 for anyone to read. As a rebel working inside as a mentor who ends up playing a huge part in overthrowing Snow’s regime, we think this would be a good choice for him.

Johanna Mason: “Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger” by Soraya Chemaly

Johanna is one of Kate’s very favorite “Hunger Games” characters, and one of those reasons is how angry she is from the moment we meet her until the moment we say goodbye. And rightfully so! Like so many victors, she was subjected to a horrific Games, and even as victor she still lost everything and everyone important to her thanks to Snow and the Capitol. Only to be thrown into the Quarter Quell, into a rebellion, and into a hostage situation thereafter. Of COURSE she was angry. And because of that, she would probably really enjoy, or at least relate to, “Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger” by Soraya Chemaly. In this non-fiction book, Chemaly examines the reasons a woman may be enraged, from microaggressions and mild sexism that she is subjected to every day, to outright violent misogyny that leads to pain and harm. It also encourages women to turn that anger into a tool against their oppressors. And man, would Johanna REALLY love that.

Peeta Mallark: “Legends and Lattes” by Travis Baldree

Peeta is the OG soft boy king. And as such, he deserves all the nicest things, including one of the most wholesome cozy fantasies currently published! Really, I think the entire cozy fantasy genre was made for this character. And while there are plenty of books in this subgenre featuring bakeries, I thought that the coffee shop found in this one would fit just as well. Beyond the coffee/pastries of it all, I think the strong focus on re-creating a life for oneself after many previous years of violence would appeal to a character like Peeta. The found family aspect, I think, would also appeal, for a character who naturally inspired trust and friendship from others.

Coriolanus Snow: “Vicious” by V.E. Schwab

This is a quote from the book: “Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.” I mean, can that be more perfect for a character like Snow? While Snow definitely goes the straight villain route, most of the characters in this book take the anti-hero route. But as the prequel shows us, characters who turn down dark paths often have many moments when they could have chosen a different direction. The book also has a strong emphasis on themes of ambition and the risks we are willing to take in the pursuit of power. What’s more, we see what happens when these risks go wrong, and the lessons that are (and are not) learned. Themes that definitely hold true for Snow, though we know where it all leads for him, and it’s not great.

Effie Trinket: “The Selection” by Kiera Cass

Effie is an interesting character, in that she clearly cares for Katnis and Peeta in her own way and has brief heroic moments. But she’s also fully bought in to the Hunger Games system and revels in all the benefits that she reaps from her involvement in it. And, of course, she is something of a trend setter in the fashion world! That being the case, the blending of ruthless competition and glittering ballgowns found in “The Selection” would be a perfect fit for Effie! If given the choice, I’m sure she would have preferred a competition that focused on jewels and gowns all in the pursuit of a handsome prince, rather than the brutality of the Hunger Games. Rather than perhaps empathizing with the heroic main character of this trilogy, however, Effie would likely have preferred the role of the party master behind it all!

Kate’s Review: “Boy With Wings”

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Book: “Boy With Wings” by Mark Mustian

Publishing Info: Koehler Books, March 2025

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

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

Book Description: What does it mean to be different? From Mark Mustian, founder of the Word of South Festival of Literature and Music and award-winning author of the international bestseller “The Gendarme,” comes the new Southern gothic novel, “Boy With Wings”.

Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back, frightening his neighbors and leaving him struggling to find a home. Johnny ends up in a “freak show” traveling the 1930s South, where he bares his back to onlookers who come to gape and fawn. Is he a horror or an angel? Should he hide himself to live his life?

As Johnny comes to grips with his uniqueness, he embarks on a journey of love and finds the miracles that give our lives meaning. Mustian’s thrilling and emotional story of self-discovery is perfect for book clubs and fans of historical fiction.

Review: Thank you to Books Forward for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Though I fell off watching “American Horror Story” awhile ago (I think the last season I watched was “1984”), one of my favorite seasons (along with “Coven” and “Hotel”) is “Freakshow”. It was such an interesting topic to cover a freak show traveling in the American South in a post-WWII era, letting us get to know the characters and seeing the complexities within their characters and the abuses that they faced from society. I have always enjoyed a story like this, and when “Boy With Wings” ended up in the inbox I was absolutely interested in giving it a go because of that. A kid named Johnny Cruel comes of age with wing-like deformities after loss and trauma, finding his place in a traveling carnival? Why yes, that does suit my fancy!

The reason this book was so enticing to me was because of the carnival/freak show factor, as the history of traveling carnivals and freak shows is SO fascinating to me. Look, I’m the gal who absolutely loves a story about a band of freaks in a freak show BECAUSE of the idea of Othering, dehumanization, and so called ‘freaks’ finding companionship and community against the odds and the prejudices of society. And I thought that this aspect of the book was great, with Johnny becoming a star due to his deformities, feeling like he belongs even though he is being exploited by leader Tiny Tot as she makes money off of his oddities. I loved the way that Mustian shows the tenuous connections that Johnny had with other members of the circus, be it Tiny Tot’s daughter Winifred, with whom he falls in love , or Sheila, who takes him under her wing and is ultimately punished for it. I also just loved the depiction of the Great Depression Era, and felt that we got a good sense for the time and place with the hardships that everyone was feeling, especially the Black people in the Jim Crow South. Though this does lead to some very difficult to deal with moments, including racism, ableism, violence, and misogyny, all of which is depicted pretty honestly here, so know that this book definitely comes with a lot of trigger warnings.

I will say, however, that there were some structural choices that took me a bit out of the book as I was reading it. For one, we had some pretty big time jumps that split the story into different parts, and some pretty big gaps in Johnny’s experiences. Given that it was implied in at least one of these time jumps there were some pretty big developments, I was a little bummed that we didn’t get to spend as much time in these segments of his life. I don’t usually need things spelled out for me TOO much when there are time jumps, but in this book I think that the character development could have been strengthened if we had delved a little bit more, especially in that time between his time at the work camp and the traveling carnival. And along with that we had a structure that would flip flop between a third person Johnny chapter, and then a first person perspective chapter of one of the players in his life during that time. I liked the Johnny chapters just fine because it felt consistent, but the first person perspectives were hit or miss, compounded by the fact that each person only got one shot at it. Had the characters all popped a bit more or felt fully fleshed out it could have worked better, but some were interesting (Elias and Winifred stood out) while others were a bit flat.

If we had stayed with the freak show for the majority or even all of the story this would have worked better for me, but that being said I really enjoyed the time and place and themes of found family and coming of age in “Boy With Wings”.

Rating 7: A bittersweet historical fiction fantasy about an outsider looking for his place in difficult times. I do wish the pacing hadn’t been as choppy as it was with the time jumps and multiple perspectives, however.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Boy With Wings” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Circus/Carnival Books”.

Serena’s Review: “Slaying the Vampire Conqueror”

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Book: “Slaying the Vampire Conqueror” by Carissa Broadbent

Publishing Info: Bramble, March 2025

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

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

Book Description: Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street-rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust… and kill him.

Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.

Review: Bramble’s aggressive timeline to re-printing seemingly all of Carissa Broadbent’s back catalog is really biting into my plan to try and space these reads out! So, here we are, back with the latest, one that’s been out as an indie release for a while now and that I had been saving for a rainy day!

While I’ve definitely had favorites, I’ve always highly rated and greatly enjoyed Broadbent’s books, so I was excited to check this one out. I was particularly excited by the nature of this book, its being a stand-alone rather than part of a duology/trilogy, as many of her other titles are. And this one worked great in this format! The romance is a true slow burn, but one that resolves by the end of the book. The characters are strong enough to be introduced quickly and still pack a punch. And the world-building benefits from the various other books that are set in this same world, but still approachable to new readers, with few references to previous storylines.

Broadbent is one of those authors whose books seem to straddle the line between romantasy and romantic fantasy. They’re definitely romances, with a decent number of spice scenes and HEAs. But she also puts tons of effort into her world-building and magic system, and I think this gives the books good cross-over appeal to fantasy readers in general who enjoy a central love story. All of this to say, this was one of her best love stories yet!

I think the slow-burn nature of their relationship played out in the best way possible, with both characters coming in with their own goals and many pre-existing opinions about one another. But through the events of the story, their relationship begins forming first and foremost around mutual respect for one another’s abilities. Indeed, before the book spends much time at all with thoughts of romantic interest, we see several scenes instead of Sylina and Atrius admiring one another’s battle prowess. All of this ground work makes their eventual romance all the sweeter, as it feels as if it progresses at a natural and believable pace.

I also really loved Sylina as a character! The magic behind her blindness and the way that she interacts with the world was so interesting, from the details of her maneuvers while fighting to simple things like the ways that she and those like her connect with one another. As readers, its easy to have early suspicions about Sylina’s religion and the order that she works for. But the book does a great job exploring her slow path to questioning the way she has been brought up to understand the world, her views on authority and individual judgement, as well as autonomy. Throughout most all of her books, Broadbent has taken a keen look at religious extremism, often drawing neat but profound parallels to our current world, and this one is yet another example of this.

The book also doesn’t shy away from the violence and horror of the conflict brewing on the page. There’s a scene in the last third of the book that took me by surprise with just how grim it became. But, as this is a romance as well, things do get wrapped up with a nice HEA for our main characters. If you’re a fan of Broadbent’s work, then this is a must read! And if you’re looking for an easy entry point to her books, this is also a good place to start as it doesn’t commit you to more than one book!

Rating 9: Enticing and exciting! When you’re not busy swooning, you’ll be on the edge of your seat!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Slaying the Vampire Conqueror” can be found on this Goodreads list: Titles That “Slay”.

Kate’s Review: “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter”

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Book: “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones

Publishing Info: Saga Press, March 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: A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.

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

The time has finally come! We have another horror novel from Stephen Graham Jones! Jones is one of my favorite authors and any of his works are automatically most anticipated on my reading list at any given time, and this time we have “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter”. Jones had tackled slasher stories, folk horror, meta commentary, werewolves, and many more, but this time he’s once again doing something new: he is taking on a historical fiction western for this tale of terror. Oh, and also vampires. I may not be as big of a western gal, but vampires? OH YES THAT IS VERY MUCH MY JAM. And with Jones at the helm I had really, really high hopes. And once again, they were basically met because Jones is a master of the genre.

First, the structure. This is an epistolary horror/historical fiction/western novel, which is a hefty endeavor, but Jones tackles it with ease. We have a few perspectives, most of which are diary entries of a Lutheran Pastor named Arthur Beaucarne, or transcripts of a ‘confession’ by a mysterious Blackfoot named Good Stab who claims to be a vampire. It’s a slow burn at first, as we find out how Good Stab was turned into a vampire, as well as his quest for vengeance against United States soldiers for the pain and suffering that it brought down upon the Blackfoot people, the community that he was from in life. It’s a bit of a mix of reliable vs unreliable with these two men as they cobble this story together, and the epistolary style makes for a more impactful device as revelations come into clarity.

Next, I want to talk about the vampire mythos in this book. I really loved what Jones did with the world building here, as not only does it have some classic vampire elements, with blood sucking, sun sensitivity, immortality, and a descent into more feral impulses when taking the vengeance that is owed. But one of the things that stood out that made this feel more unique was that Good Stab, when trying to feed, will take on the elements of whatever creature he is feeding upon. When he, in desperation, drinks from a buffalo for example he proceeds to grow two black horns in his head. I thought that was so creative and it made the vampire themes stand out.

But what really stands out is how incredibly in depth and unflinching this story is when it comes to the manifest destiny and western expansion era of the United States, and the genocidal violence that came with it when it came to the Indigenous People across the nations. When we are learning about this time period as children in this country, in general, there are a lot of framings of heroism, grit, and steadfast ambition that built this nation from sea to shining sea. I know that when I was in grade school we learned this with SOME sprinkles of the violence against Indigenous populations (in Minnesota at my prep school we did focus on the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 in sixth grade for a unit, but even then it was pretty whitewashed), but overall it was more ‘woo, Oregon Trail, pioneers!’ at the heart of it. This book forces the reader to confront the horrendous violence that the United States military and government perpetrated against Indigenous populations, with and anchor being the Marias Massacre and the trauma and loss Good Stab endured as a member of the Blackfoot people even before he became a vampire. Jones doesn’t feel a need to cushion the blow for his readers, nor should he. And its not just in the way that he portrays the horrific violence and the fallout, but also in how Good Stab’s perspective uses terms and names from his own vocabulary as opposed to Western words (a lot of this is seen in how Good Stab refers to animals), with no reference page or glossary to be found. It made for complicated reading, but it was a fantastic choice. The real life unflinching historical horrors were so, so disturbing, and it’s important that we acknowledge the real history of this country, now more than ever, and Jones doesn’t sugar coat any of it, while also making it an emotional and devastating gut punch.

“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” is harrowing and engrossing, heavy and necessary and another great horror tale from Stephen Graham Jones. I continue to be incredibly impressed and in awe of his horror storytelling prowess.

Rating 9: A dark horror western that takes on trauma, loss, and retribution against the violent colonial system that is the United States, “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” is another evocative winner from Stephen Graham Jones.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” is included on the Goodreads lists “2025 Releases by Indigenous Authors”, and “Horror Books 2025”.