Tag: 8 Rating

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.

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

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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”.

Kate’s Review: “It Rhymes With Takei”

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

Publishing Info: Top Shelf Productions, June 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “Tea and Alchemy”

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Book: “Tea and Alchemy” by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Publishing Info: 47North, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: audiobook from Netgalley!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Kate’s Review: “Shiny Happy People”

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Book: “Shiny Happy People” by Clay McLeod Chapman

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, November 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Also…..

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

Serena’s Review: “The Poet Empress”

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Book: “The Poet Empress” by Shen Tao

Publishing Info: Bramble, January 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Kate’s Review: “Beth Is Dead”

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Book: “Beth Is Dead” by Katie Bernet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “Snake-Eater”

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Book: “Snake-Eater” by T. Kingfisher

Publishing Info: 47North, December 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley audiobook!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Kate’s Review: “The Dead Husband Cookbook”

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Book: “The Dead Husband Cookbook” by Danielle Valentine

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Landmark, August 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: She has the recipe for the perfect murder…

Maria Capello is a celebrity chef like no other. A household name, an inspiration, an icon. Her dozens of cookbooks and weekly television show, broadcast from her beautiful Italian-style kitchen, not to mention her line of bestselling supermarket sauces. And of course there’s her history. Once just the timid wife of famous chef Damien Capello, she stepped into the spotlight after Damien’s mysterious disappearance twenty years before. An event she’s never spoken about publicly until now, when it is announced that she is looking for a publisher for her memoirs.

Why is Maria willing to finally break her silence? Why does she turn down seven-figure offers from large publishing houses and sign up with a small press? And why does she do so on the condition that it is edited by Thea Woods? Thea is a lifelong fan but has never met Maria and can’t figure it out, plus she had been planning to hand in her notice that very day. But when she is invited to Maria’s remote farm to work on the manuscript, she can’t resist. After all, she may finally learn whether the rumours are that Maria killed Damien for his recipes and the legendary ‘secret ingredient’…

Review: I was kicking myself when I realized that I completely missed an opportunity to read “The Dead Husband Cookbook” by Danielle Valentine in time for the publication date. In part due to the fact that I really enjoyed Valentine’s previous book “Delicate Condition”. But also due to the fact that the premise of a celebrity chef being rumored to have murdered her husband, and potentially spilling all of the T regarding it to a desperate and ambitious editor. Oh, and the implied cannibalism. Because who doesn’t love a weird and twisted cannibal story? But I did eventually get it from the library, and when I started it I had a hard time putting it down, even in the whirlwind of the holiday season! Because “The Dead Husband Cookbook” is compulsive and incredibly addictive, and maybe I’m a weirdo for saying it, but also made me a little hungry…

Is this spoilery? Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll never tell. (source)

The premise is pretty straightforward. Thea Woods is a talented editor, but has found herself on thin ice at her publishing house due to the part she played in a pretty huge scandal that rocked the publishing world. She’s convinced she’s gong to be fired, but is shocked when she is instead requested to be the editor for the memoir of celebrity chef and powerhouse Maria Capello, who rocketed to stardom after her chef husband went missing and she followed in and improved upon his footsteps (and has been hounded by rumors and conspiracies of the role she played in the whole debacle). Thea jumps at the chance, desperate to close this deal in spite of the fact she has to go to Maria’s estate by herself and is soon drawn into weird shenanigans. The mystery at hand (did Maria murder her husband? Why did she insist upon Thea as her editor? Just what is happening at the estate?) is told through Thea’s perspective, as well as chapters from Maria’s memoir as she hands them to Thea bit by bit, and I thought that the structure was tense and intriguing, with both Thea AND Maria acting as unreliable narrators with secrets to hide and a lot to lose. The pacing is fast, there are some genuinely interesting and surprising twists, and I found myself shocked more often than not as I read through. I also really like that I found myself going back and forth in my head about whether or not Maria did, in fact, murder her husband, and I like having to really question the foundation and bare bones of a mystery like this.

But I also really liked the way that Valentine tackles themes of motherhood, the expectations of being a wife, and the way that married women and mothers have to constantly deal with frustrating expectations when it comes to how they can ‘have it all’. Whether it’s Thea who loves her child but feels like her husband doesn’t really understand the true challenges of being a mother and having a full time job, or Maria who had her own aspirations and dreams and ambitions but had to set them aside for her less talented (and caddish) husband, you find sympathy for two women who are both making terrible decisions and, in Maria’s case, possibly committing horrific acts. Valentine touched on similar issues in “Delicate Condition”, and while this one didn’t have the same level of oomph that that one had, it still had my blood boiling at times, whether it was because Thea’s husband was crumbling under the pressure of parenthood after one solitary night, or because Maria’s husband was complaining that she isn’t really fun anymore now that she’s a wife and mother while he’s running a business that she dreamed of. Feminine rage abound, and Valentine captures it quite well once again.

Oh, and yes, there are some really tasty sounding recipes in this book. I was absolutely tickled that Valentine threw in a lot of Italian dishes with some snappy/sarcastic names, and while I’m not a talented enough cook to know if they sounded like they were going to be amazing, I was, nonetheless, very interested in giving at least a few of them a whirl. The only Italian dish that I really know how to do is lasanga, but now I have some ideas to potentially try my hand at…

“The Dead Husband Cookbook” is another fun and suspenseful mystery from Danielle Valentine! I’m sorry I missed it on the first go around, and I will definitely be more in tune with what Valentine comes out with in the future!

Rating 8: A twisty mystery, a lot of righteous indignation about marriage and relationships, and some pretty fun recipes combine to make another enjoyable thriller from Danielle Valentine!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Dead Husband’s Cookbook” is included on the Goodreads list “Food-Related Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “The Things Gods Break”

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Book: “The Things Gods Break” by Abigail Owen

Publishing Info: Entangled: Red Tower Books, October 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!

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

Book Description: She has won the games of the gods, can she stand against the titans? Lyra may have survived the Crucible, but now she faces an even more dangerous test – a deadly race against time begins in Tartarus.

The games continue in the thrilling and highly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling romantasy The Games Gods Play. Welcome to Tartarus!

Previously Reviewed: “The Games Gods Play”

Review: Per my usual approach to Decembers, a notoriously light month for publishing, I’m back to checking out books that came out a few months ago that I was too busy at the time to check out! I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed “The Games Gods Play;” from the book description, it sounded like yet another tired deadly-competition romantasy novel. But instead I found an exciting, witty adventure with an actually developed romance at its heart. Yes, I had a few nitpicks with some of the magic elements, but overall, it was just a fun time all around. It did, however, end on a massive cliffhanger!

This one picks up right where the first book left off, which means readers are thrown right back into the action! I was actually a bit concerned with how this all would go. On one hand, it’s been an excellent fantasy adventure so far. But on the other, the central romance between Lyra and Hades has served as the emotional backbone of the series. So, now, with them separated, how do you maintain that relationship without immediately undercutting or making light of the dangerous and impossible-seeming circumstances that these characters have been thrown into? Well, I don’t want to get into too many details about how it all works, but I will say, I was incredibly impressed with how Owens managed this tricky threading-of-the-needle.

To my primary concern, the story in no way walks back on the true dangers of Lyra’s situation, now being stuck down in the deep depths of Tartarus, surrounded by the Titans, mad gods that the Olympians locked away thousands of years ago. But, of course, nothing is as it seems! And now, somehow this author has managed to write not only one “trials-based” fantasy novel that didn’t feel derivative or overly familiar, but has now written a sequel that heavily features another competition at its heart! Like the first book, the actual trials in these tests were incredibly creative, and Lyra didn’t simply waltz through them with ease. It’s only through grit, determination, and a growing reliance on the bonds she has with those around her that she continues forward.

What’s more, the book wisely doesn’t spend the entire story focused on these trials. Instead, the majority of the book is dedicated to fleshing out the history of the Titans and the Olympians. There were so many incredible twists and turns here, and I was impressed by how successfully the author was able to flip my emotions on a dime for many of the characters in question. By the end, there were definite tears, and not for the characters I would have expected!

And, of course, Lyra and Hades remained central to the story. Again, I can’t go into exactly how this was accomplished, but I was so impressed by the way this love story was expanded upon. Indeed, Owens actually managed to retroactively deal with and address some of the questions and problems I had with their love story in the first book! A truly impressive feat! Even without trying to keep up the intensity between two characters who are separated for almost the entire book, second books are notoriously hard for authors of romance trilogies.

All too often, the move is to introduce ridiculous and contrived angst and drama in an attempt to increase “tension” or something. For me, this usually backfires spectacularly, making me dislike one or both characters and struggle to continue. It’s all the more frustrating because it’s not like people fall in love and then all other challenges in their relationship and world magically disappear! There is plenty to explore in a new relationship without introducing ridiculousness everywhere. All that to say, hurrah for Abigail Owens for understanding this and giving readers an excellent second book in a romantasy trilogy that avoids the sillier side of angst.

Rating 9: Not only did I like this one, but it even made me like the first book more!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Things Gods Break” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Romantasy Books Arriving in October 2025.