Tag: Lists

Highlights: December 2025

Serena’s neighbors have the holiday light show up and running, and now she’s just waiting for the party busses to start rolling through. And Kate is planning for both Christmas and Hanukkah shenanigans for the month. But there are always books to keep us grounded during the nutty holiday times! Here are just some of the books we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “An Arcane Inheritance” by Kamilah Cole

Publication Date: December 30, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I’m always excited to check out more dark academic fantasy! What’s more, it’s all the more exciting to find an adult book in this genre, and a standalone to boot! It sounds like your fairly standard “girl at school discovers dark secrets and mysterious boy.” But it’s also being compared to “Babel” and “A Deadly Education,” so similarities are just a pro! I have high hopes for this one!

Book: “Tailored Realities” by Brandon Sanderson

Publication Date: December 9, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I mean, he’s a “must read” author for me, so of course I’m going to check this one out! I don’t always love short story collections, but I’ve had some good experiences reading collections from one favorite author, rather than collections of various authors. I think I’ve read a few of the stories included here, all of which I enjoyed, so I’m excited to see what else there is! I haven’t read all of his books at this point (I can’t keep up!), so hopefully I’ll be ok without prior knowledge of some of the worlds touched on in some of these stories.

Book: “Children of Fallen Gods” by Carissa Broadbent

Publication Date: December 9, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I’m so excited for this one! I really loved the first one and can’t wait to see where the story goes here in the second. But, oof! It’s over 600 pages long! On one hand, that means I must plan accordingly when scheduling out my reviews and reading for the next few weeks. But on the other hand, that means all the more page time to enjoy what I’m sure will be a fantastic sequel!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Dark Sisters” by Kristi DeMeester

Publication Date: December 9, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I have enjoyed previous works by Kristi DeMeester (I have also enjoyed the candles that she makes at her Etsy Shop Scent From Hell!), and of course I had to have her newest horror novel “Dark Sisters” on this list. It sounds a bit like generational trauma metaphor, a bit like feminine rage, and all very spooky. After a descendent summoned a dark entity for protection and strength, the repercussions tumble down through the generations. Sounds a bit witchy too to boot, and a reviewer I enjoy had mentioned something about cults as well? I’m definitely on board.

Book: “Cape Fever” by Nadia Davids

Publication Date: December 9, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I actually hadn’t heard a lot of hype about this one until I stumbled upon it randomly, then it caught my attention a bit. I admittedly probably need to do some more research on it, but the passing info I saw had my interest piqued. In the 1920s in small colonialist town in South Africa a woman named Soraya takes on the job of maid for the oddball Mrs. Hattingh. As she assists her new boss in writing letters, the two women start to develop a strange relationship that teeters towards the unsettling. I like Gothic thrillers and this one is being marketed as such, and the setting of South Africa in the 1920s (and all the warts that comes with such a setting) sounds fascinating and unique.

Book: “Watch Us Fall” by Christina Kovac

Publication Date: December 2, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Sometimes I just want a good soapy mystery, and this one sounds like it’s going to fit the bill to a t. A group of friends are living in a eclectic old house after grad school, enjoying their friendship and their lives. Until one of their boyfriends, who also happens to be an investigative reporter, goes missing. As the friends try to figure out what could have happened to him, they have to contend with secrets and betrayals as well as the police focusing in on their group as suspects themselves. Definitely sounds juicy!

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

Not Just Books: November 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

TV Show: “Slow Horses”

This show is so dang good, and I think that’s largely down to its stellar cast. The stories themselves are fun, what with following a bunch of slightly inept MI5 agents run around trying to save the day but often making it worse. But the cast! Gary Oldman is, of course, a treasure, somehow managing to make you absolutely love a character who is gross, rude, and often downright mean. But ensemble cast surrounding him all hold their own, including James Callis who is absolutely hilarious as the bumbling head of MI5 itself. Season six has already been filmed it looks like, so I can’t wait to see what these fools get up to next time!

Podcast: “Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas”

You know you’ve reached new lows (or highs??) or nerdiness when you find yourself binging episodes of a podcast with at title like that! But it’s just that fun! And funny! It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of actors and such playing D&D and making a podcast out of the experience. But everyone is hilarious and their attempts at cohesiveness as a D&D party are questionable at best leading to some truly memorably moments. Most recently, they attempted to get through combat sequence by…making soup? It was definitely as ridiculous as it sounds, and I’m here for it!

Video Game: “Persona 5”

After loving “Expedition 33,” I’ve been on the lookout for other games like it. And this game routinely comes up as a favorite turn-based JRPG. So I’ve been making my way through it these last few weeks (it’s long!). I’m definitely enjoying it, with its unique mixture of action/combat and a lot of social sim elements, but it’s also one that I would hesitate to recommend with out warning. Cuz, yeah…there are some extreme moments of male-gaze and pretty misogynistic story beats. So, I can enjoy it for what it has to offer, but it’s definitely not the sort of game that will appeal to everyone, especially those who just don’t want to deal with the slightly toxic side of gaming that is still evident in games like this.

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Frankenstein”

I love Guillermo del Toro’s films, especially his Gothic ones, so obviously I was excited for his take on “Frankenstein”. The man knows how to capture not only a vibe, but also emotional beats of tragedy and longing and existential angst. And I really enjoyed his take on the story, making it his own and conveying a story about cycles of abuse and trauma. I’ve always been pretty neutral on Oscar Isaac with little to no opinion on him, but he really brought the narcissism and hubris of Victor Frankenstein to life. Mia Goth is always iconic and I wholly enjoyed her portrayal of Elizabeth, as well as the way the del Toro makes her more in charge of her own destiny in this story (also she loves science and bugs!). And my goodness, Jacob Elordi, another person I’ve had no real opinion on, KILLED IT as The Creature. Just killed it. His movements, his mannerisms, his speech patterns, everything is so damn good and heartbreaking. And yes, it’s all vibes, not only with great casting and acting but BEAUTIFUL sets, styling, and costume design. Loved it.

TV Show: “Only Murders in the Building”

My favorite cozy mystery show is back! I mean, it’s been back, but I like to save it for November and binge it all at once, and I did just that this month. I don’t know how they keep coming up with believable and interesting murders in the same damn building, but they did it! Oliver, Charles, and Mabel are back on the case, as Lester, the beloved doorman of the Arcadia, was found dead in the building’s courtyard fountain at the end of last season (legit devastating, I loved Lester). Their investigation is rife with crazy twists (naturally), with mobsters, billionaires, secret gambling parlors, and dismembered fingers abound! I still love the chemistry between Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, and we once again have lots of great humor, some fun twists, and so many great guest stars. There was a moment where there were FOUR Academy Award winning actresses in one scene (Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dianne Wiest) and I was freaking out. God I love this show.

TV Show: “Canada’s Drag Race”

My favorite “Drag Race” spin off is back!! And while my usual watch buddy has moved to California (I miss you, David!), I am still amped to watch Brook Lynn Hytes judge a bunch of Canadian drag performers with a kind of new judging panel (well, mostly it’s just that Brad left because I imagine he’s a very in demand stylist at the moment). We are only one episode in at this point so I don’t have a FULL feel of the contestants just yet, but some are standing out for me already (PM is incredibly intriguing, as are Saltina Shaker and Mya Foxx). And I just love Brooke Lynn Hytes as the host and main judge, she’s still exquisite and just kind and insightful and supportive. I’m also hoping for some good drama this season. Because this spin off has had some GREAT drama in past seasons (Melinda Verga vs everyone, anyone?).

Another Take: Fall 2025

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

Don’t just take it from us, other readers like these books, too! And we have decided that we would like to showcase other reviewers and bloggers that have their own thoughts and feelings about books that we have loved. Here are a few of the books we’ve enjoyed recently and what other bloggers have to say about them.

Book: “The Second Death of Locke” by V. L. Bovalino

Book Description: Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier.

She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to use. Grey would do anything for Kier – be anything for him – if he would only ask.

When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into the dangerous heart of their nation’s war, Grey and Kier will need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret.

For Grey is no ordinary magical well, but heir to the lost island of Locke – the root of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her.

Serena’s Review (10 Rating)

The Quill to Live (8.5/10 Rating)

Before We Go Blog

Smexy Books (A Rating)

Book: “A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience” by Stephanie Burgis

Book Description: Margaret Dunhaven may have been forced into marriage with the sinister vampire lord of Shadowcroft Manor in order to fulfill a family obligation, but she’s not about to stay trapped there for long. The beastly man doesn’t even have any decent tea leaves in his kitchen!

However, when she realizes that she’s not the only one who’s been forced into this marital union, it’s time to join forces with her unwanted new husband. If they can combine her scholarly skills with his ancient history, then, working together, they might just manage to reclaim her inheritance, break his curse, and find their freedom.

…Just so long as they don’t fall in love along the way.

Serena’s Review (8 Rating)

Book Fever (4/5 Rating)

Books and Travelling with Lynn (4/5 Rating)

Twirling Book Princess (4.5/5 Rating)

Book: “The Everlasting” by Alix E. Harrow

Book Description: Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters―but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory―failed soldier, struggling scholar―falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives―and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend―if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Serena’s Review (10 Rating)

Nerds of a Feather Flock Together (8 Rating)

Righter of Words

Barlin’s Books

Book: “Play Nice” by Rachel Harrison

Book Description: A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parent’s messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped Alex of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, the presence in the house becomes more real, and more sinister, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.

Kate’s Review (9 Rating)

Books, Bones, & Buffy (4.5 Stars)

Wildwood Reads (5 Stars)

Always With A Book

Book: “The Scammer” by Tiffany D. Jackson

Book Description: New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another stunning, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, following a freshman girl whose college life is turned upside down when her roommate’s ex-convict brother moves into their dorm and starts controlling their every move.

Out from under her overprotective parents, Jordyn is ready to kill it in prelaw at a prestigious, historically Black university in Washington DC. When her new roommate’s brother is released from prison, the last thing Jordyn expects is to come home and find the ex-convict on their dorm room sofa. But Devonte needs a place to stay while he gets back on his feet—and how could she say no to one of her new best friends?

Devonte is older, as charming as he is intelligent, pushing every student he meets to make better choices about their young lives. But Jordyn senses something sinister beneath his friendly advice and growing group of followers. When one of Jordyn’s roommates goes missing, she must enlist the help of the university’s lone white student to uncover the mystery—or become trapped at the center of a web of lies more tangled than she can imagine.

Kate’s Review (9 Rating)

Confessions of a YA Reader (5 Stars)

Past Midnights (4 Stars)

Take Me Away (Five Sunglasses)

Book: “The Mean Ones” by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

Book Description: So what if Sadie hears talking dead animals and a strange, comforting male voice in her head? The therapist insists these are just symptoms of PTSD. It makes sense considering that she hid under the bed and watched as her best friends were slaughtered.

But the murders were seventeen years ago, back when her name was Sabrina. Now, she’s Sadie: a perfectly normal 29-year-old. She works as a physical therapist assistant and lifts weights with her boyfriend, Lucas, who’s the sweetest, most considerate man—as long as he’s not angry. But when Lucas spontaneously agrees to join a couples trip to a cabin in the woods, the visions get worse, a strange figure stalks her during the night, and that male voice in Sadie’s head keeps calling, asking her to do things she’s never fathomed.

Sadie’s not sure if it’s her paranoia or something else entirely . . . But she is sure of one thing—this time, she’s not going to sit idly by as everything starts to unravel.

Kate’s Review (10 Rating)

Book EnJenn

BookStack

Little Village

Highlights: November 2025

The holiday madness seems to start earlier and earlier each year (Serena lives across from a house that goes all out on the Christmas light display, and they were already out getting lights set up on Nov. 1!). But we are ready and able to hide from it all with our ever-growing TBR list! Here are some books we’re looking forward to checking out this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Fallen City” by Adrienne Young

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Why I’m Interested: While I’ve been enjoying Adrienne Young’s turn toward contemporary fantasy romance, I was incredibly excited to see that she was going to return to more traditional fantasy. This one looks to be a mix of a Roman setting and some sort of Romeo and Juliet retelling, from what I can glean, and I’m into it! I’ve never been led astray by this author, and I think she’s one of the better romantic fantasy writers (as opposed to romantasy) currently writing today. Can’t wait to see what she has in store next!

Book: “Murder at Donwell Abbey” by Vanessa Kelly

Publication Date: November 25, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Both of the historical mystery series I’ve been regularly reading over the last few years are Jane Austen retellings. It speaks to the strengths of Austen’s original characters that they can be picked up by so many different authors and used well! I wouldn’t have thought of it on my own, but Emma is the perfect Austen character to rewrite as an amateur sleuth. Indeed, who else would be as fully confident that she could do it so much better than the authorities—and be right, to boot! This second book moves the main mystery to Donwell Abbey, which I’m hopeful means we will get even more scenes between Emma and Knightley!

Book: “The House Saphir” by Marissa Meyer

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I really loved Marissa Meyer’s Rumpelstiltskin reimagining, so I was thrilled to see that she was returning to another fairytale. This time she’s tackling the less well-covered story of Bluebeard. Even better, from the book summary, it seems that the story will be more than a straight retelling, instead telling a new story that takes place many years after the events of the original fairytale. Given how creative her takes on previous fairytales have been, I’m super excited to see what she does with a lesser-known one like this!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Death and Dinuguan” by Mia Manansala

Publication Date: November 25, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I love the “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery” series, and I’m so happy that it’s still going strong six books in. Now we are going to join Lila with a Valentine’s Day themed mystery, a chocolatier in danger, and hopefully some delicious dessert recipes for readers to try and make! When Lila’s boyfriend’s cousin Hana moves to Shady Palms and opens her own chocolate store, Lila is excited to get to know her. Unfortunately, Hana is attacked by an unknown assailant, and left in a coma. Lila is surely on the case! I will have to decide if I showcase this close to the publication date, or save it for February. But I’m excited no matter when I eventually post my review!

Book: “Shiny Happy People” by Clay McLeod Chapman

Publication Date: November 11, 2025

Why I’m Interested: If Clay McLeod Chapman is involved I’m obviously going to be interested. But I’m even more interested because this is his first YA novel! I’m VERY curious to see what a YA Clay McLeod Chapman novel looks like. We follow Kyra, a teenager who is still dealing with the traumas of her mother’s drug addiction from years ago. When a new drug starts to circulate in her school community, she steers clear. But everyone starts to act differently, and she starts to feel like she doesn’t really know her loved ones anymore. And things just get stranger and worse. Congratulations, young adult demographic! You are about to embark into the warped mind of one of my favorite horror authors!

Book: “The Place Where They Buried Your Heart” by Christina Henry

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Even though October is over and Halloween is behind us, we all know that doesn’t stop me from getting my spooky on year round. And “The Place Where They Buried Your Heart” by Christina Henry sounds creepy and like the kind of haunted house story I absolutely adore. When Jessie was a kid there was a house on her street that everyone said was haunted. And when she dared her little brother to go inside, he never came back out. Now years later Jessie hasn’t left the street, and has a child of her own to take care of. But that house is still there, and it may still be hungry. Creepy stuff. Very interested to see where it goes.

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

Highlights: October 2025

Kate’s favorite month of the year has arrived! As well as our kids’ favorite time of year, the period of months where candy seems to be springing out of the woodwork every direction you look, starting with Halloween and not ending until, what, Valentine’s Day?? Of course, this just means we have to try to restrain ourselves from sneaking it all when they’re off to bed. But with the cooler weather, of course, comes plenty of opportunities to cozy up with some new books, so here are a few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Dealing with a Desperate Demon” by Charlotte Stein

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I leave the true spooky stuff to Kate most of the time (though I’ll make exceptions for Gothic books). So in place of any real Halloween stories, let’s check out a cozy romcom featuring, you guessed it, a demon! I read the first standalone book in this series last fall and thought it was mostly a cute, fun time. It was easy enough to guess who a few of future characters would be, so I was pleased to see that this one was going to follow the local bookstore owner we met in the first book. Excited to see how this one goes!

Book: “Daughter of No Worlds” by Carissa Broadbent

Publication Date: October 14, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Given how popular Carissa Broadbent’s “Nyaxia” series has been, I knew that my patience would eventually be rewarded and her other backlisted titles would make their way through a traditional publishing house. And lo and behold, here we are! While I have greatly enjoyed her vampire tales, I’m especially intrigued to see what she has to offer in a completely fresh world with completely fresh characters. I’m not too worried about being disappointed with this one, which is always a relief going into a new trilogy!

Book: “The Everlasting” by Alix E. Harrow

Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Here’s another title that I’m looking forward to with very few worries of disappointment! Harrow has never lead me wrong, and she’s definitely an author who has pushed the boundaries of the genres and subjects about which she has written. You never quite know what you’re going to get, but you know it’s going to be good. This one seems to be tackling time travel, a particularly tricky topic, as it’s very easy for readers to get too bogged down in the “how” of it all to truly enjoy the story. However, Harrow has a knack for writing incredibly compelling characters, and if that holds true here, I’m sure I’ll be too caught up in their story to bother overly much with the ins and outs of time travel rules.

Kate’s Pick

Book: “King Sorrow” by Joe Hill

Publication Date: October 21, 2025

Why I’m Interested: It has been SO LONG since Joe Hill has come out with a full length novel, and the wait is finally over. And it’s a HONKER of a book, clocking in at almost 900 pages! That doesn’t intimidate me, as not only do I love Joe Hill, but his new horror novel has a FREAKIN’ DRAGON at its core. Oh how I love dragons. A group of friends are bound over the years to a vengeful dragon that they pulled out of a mysterious and magical book bound in human skin, having to pick a sacrifice to King Sorrow every year lest their misdeeds bounce back against them. It’s a stunning bit of power, and as we all know, power corrupts. I love Hill’s books, I was AMPED to get a copy of this at ALAAC25 (as well as getting to have him sign it), and the time is finally here to tackle it.

Book: “Girl Dinner” by Olivie Blake

Publication Date: October 21, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This one has been on my radar for a few months now, the pastel-y cover splashed with blood really catching my eye back when I first stumbled across it. I am a huge fan of thrillers and horror novels about femininity and the expectations that come with it, and if you add in some potentially vicious sorority sisters and maybe some cannibalism (maybe? I think?) and I’m almost assuredly raring to go. Sophomore Nina is hoping to put a dismal freshman year behind her, and joining the most elite sorority on campus will surely be the thing to help her maneuver herself into better social standing. On the other side of the coin, adjunct professor Sloane is trying to adjust to being a new mother and working mom, with not as much support as she needs. Both women are hoping to live up to expectations set before them no matter the cost. Very intriguing stuff.

Book: “The Bone Thief” by Vanessa Lillie

Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I really enjoyed the first Syd Walker book “Blood Sisters” and had hoped that Vanessa Lillie would continue the series, and lo and behold she did! This time Sid Walker is investigating not only a missing girl connected to an elite summer camp, but also bones that have been going missing. And to make matters more sinister, there has been a pattern of missing Native girls that has been going back generations, with connections to a colonial historical society that has been butting heads with the tribal community for decades. I am thrilled that we have a new Syd Walker mystery on our hands, and can’t wait to read it.

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

Diving Into Sub-Genres: Werewolf Horror

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

We each have our own preferred genres of choice. Kate loves horrors and thrillers, really anything that will keep her up at night! And Serena enjoys escaping through hidden doors into realms of magic and adventure. We also read mysteries, historical fiction, graphic novels, etc. etc. And that’s not even counting the multitude of sub-genres contained within each greater genre. In this series, one of us will present a list of our favorites from within a given sub-genre of one of our greater preferred genres.

This past year I read a few werewolf horror novels. As I was reading them it occurred to me that I really haven’t read THAT MANY werewolf books over the years, probably because I’ve always been more of a vampire girl (what can I say? I’m basic). But when it was my turn to take on another sub-genre deep dive, I decided that I should take a look at werewolf horror. Because it’s not really a sub-genre in horror that gets as much attention as other monster tales.

Werewolf and shapeshifter mythology has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years. Whether it’s the story of Romulus and Remus being raised by a she wolf, or medieval trials of supposed werewolves being prosecuted and executed, or pre-Christian belief systems speaking of people who could turn into wolves, the werewolf has been with various cultures since the dawn of modern time. I’m far more familiar with werewolf movies than books, with films like “The Wolfman”, “The Howling”, “An American Werewolf in Paris”, and “Ginger Snaps” all being well loved by the horror movie community. And now I shift my attention to books, to promote the sub-genre of a monster who needs a little bit more attention! Vampires can’t have all the fun.

“The Werewolf of Paris” by Guy Endore

As mentioned above, Guy Endore’s “The Werewolf of Paris” is considered to be the “Dracula” of werewolf novels. It centers on Bertrand Caillet, a soldier during the Franco-Prussian War whose journal is found by a researcher years later, detailing his existence as a werewolf. It details his early life as a werewolf born into a werewolf family, and follows him through his adolescence and into his time in the military, where his violent urges could be used in a more constructive manner… until he is discovered. Told in a similar epistolary style as “Dracula” through journal and confession entries, “The Werewolf of Paris” hasn’t had the same staying power in the mainstream as the Count. But it’s still considered the start of the modern werewolf tale.

“Cycle of the Werewolf” by Stephen King

You know my boy Stephen was going to make this list. His novella “Cycle of the Werewolf” was a short but effective werewolf story about a small town being terrorized over the course of nine months by a mysterious wild animal, and a kid who is trying to solve what is going on. King loves having kid protagonists who are trying to solve a mystery, and he’s quite good at it, and “Cycle of the Werewolf” has Marty at the center, a disabled boy in a wheelchair who is on the hunt for the werewolf over the nine months of murders and fear, trying to figure out who in town has to be the lycanthrope menace. It was adapted into a movie called “Silver Bullet”, starring Corey Haim as Marty (may his memory be a blessing), Megan Follows as his sister (the best Anne Shirley), and Gary Busey as the wild and crazy Uncle Al (uh…. life imitates art I guess?). It’s a quick werewolf read that’s pretty straightforward, and it has the King flavor behind it.

“Mongrels” by Stephen Graham Jones

I love Stephen Graham Jones, and while it wasn’t my first read of his, it was the first one I heard of due to a friend really enjoying it. And Jones has such a unique perspective and voice in his horror stories that it’s no shock that his werewolf tale “Mongrels” is on this list. It follows an Indigenous family of werewolves that have had to stay ahead of their pasts and had to stay incognito as best they can, but the youngest member of the family is about to hit the age where they will be able to tell if he has inherited the wolf aspect of the family line. It’s part werewolf tale, part family drama, part coming of age, and Jones combines the themes to make a heartfelt and eerie tale of family and identity. But he also has some really interesting and sometimes fun werewolf lore, creating a fun mythology in a way that only Jones can.

“Such Sharp Teeth” by Rachel Harrison

I love Rachel Harrison and basically every take on a supernatural foe that she has (look for my review of her latest novel “Play Nice” during Horrorpalooza!), and her werewolf book “Such Sharp Teeth” is so on brand for her feminist and somewhat cozy horror style. “Such Sharp Teeth” follows Rory, a somewhat aimless woman who has reluctantly returned to her hometown to support her pregnant twin sister Scarlett. While there she is attacked by an unknown creature, and then as she approaches the full moon her body goes through some changes. This werewolf story does have the body horror that we come to expect from the sub-genre, but Harrison brings her personal touch to it by also exploring feminine rage, the lack of control over a body going through strange and unhinged changes, and the way that trauma can make a festering monster in all of us that will eventually have to come out.

“The Last Werewolf” by Glen Duncan

This is probably one of the more literary books on this list, and I remember when it was a pretty hot commodity at my library, being checked out a lot. I know that it is also a bit of a polarizing read, as some people thought that it was TOO literary. But I think that while we shouldn’t turn our noses up at genre fiction, it’s also cool to see a more literary authors take on more genre associated themes, so I say good on you, “The Last Werewolf”! Jake has been wandering the Earth in solitude for centuries, a werewolf with no pack, no connections, and a terrible affliction that he wishes to be rid of. While he plans his suicide, he suddenly gets pulled into the orbit of a person that he could actually find himself connecting with… Oh, and also a murder. I actually haven’t read this one, but I have read other books by Duncan (using another name) and I’m sure he did a lot of interesting stuff with it!

“The Devourers” by Indra Das

I’m ending the list with what is, to me, the most unique werewolf story on the list, taking from Indian mythology and folklore and creating a historical and present day werewolf story. A modern day college professor named Alok is living in Kolkata, India, and one night he is approached by a strange person who has quite the story to tell, and who is desperate to tell it, cobbled together from ancient parchments, notebooks, and even skins. As Alok hears the tale of a woman who is raped and impregnated by a shapeshifter from another place, and as she searches for answers and for retribution, she finds a world of monsters, shapeshifters, different cultures and societies. Alok takes down the story for the stranger, and learns of things he never thought could be true. It takes from mythologies that many Western readers may not be familiar with, and it’s relentless, gory, and unapologetic with how it tackles werewolves and shifters.

What werewolf books have you enjoyed over the years? Let us know in the comments!

Highlights: September 2025

School has at last started, though that has also highlighted once again all of the activities and scheduled events that also entails! But at least the weather has been beautiful recently, making State Fair trips a much more pleasant experience than they have been other years! Of course, we still must always make time for new books and here are a few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “A Land So Wide” by Erin A. Craig

Publication Date: Sept. 2, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I loved “The Thirteenth Child” when I read it last year! I know that Craig has also written a number of other young adult fantasy novels, though I haven’t gotten around to them yet. That said, I’ve found myself clicking more with adult fantasy recently, so I was thrilled to see she was coming out with her debut adult title this fall! The story follows a young woman who must venture far into a dangerous woods to save the man she loves. One sentence, but pretty much everything I like, right there!

Book: “The Summer War” by Naomi Novik

Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Why I’m Interested: While I’m impatiently waiting for Novik’s next full-length novel, I have been enjoying the other books we’ve gotten from her in the meantime. I really liked the collection of short stories she put out last year, which included a shortened version of “Spinning Silver.” It was really interesting noting the differences between the shorten version and the novel itself. But seeing those big differences, I was curious to see how Novik would handle writing a novella, a book with a length somewhere between short story and novel. There’s room to do more, but still not tons of space, meaning every page and scene must be utilized to its fullest! However, this author has never let me down, so I fully expect to love this one!

Book: “Wild Reverence” by Rebecca Ross

Publication Date: September 2, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Here’s another “must read” author, so it’s really no surprise to find her latest book on this list. That said, while I enjoyed the “Divine Rivals” duology, it wasn’t my favorite of Ross’s books. Yes, she broke out onto the scene with those, but I think a lot of readers are sleeping on her earlier adult fantasy novels, which I loved even more! So this book sounds like a perfect fit for me! Set in the world of “Divine Rivals” (good) but an adult, stand-alone fantasy novel (great!).

Kate’s Pick

Book: “Fiend” by Alma Katsu

Publication Date: September 16

Why I’m Interested: I feel like it’s been awhile since we’ve had an Alma Katsu novel so I am VERY excited to see that she has a new one coming out! And not only that, it sounds like it’s going to be a story that pulls from the real life inspirations of the dreadful Sackler family and a family curse that until now has been working to their advantage. It sounds a bit like Mike Flanagan’s “Fall of the House of Usher”, which has me amped because I loved that mini series. I’m also interested to see what she does with a more modern setting!

Book: “Play Nice” by Rachel Harrison

Publication Date: September 9, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This sounds a bit like influencer gilded secrecy mixed with “The Amityville Horror”, and both of those things REALLY call to me. I have loved all of Rachel Harrison’s books as they do some really cool horror things while also bringing us complicated female protagonists, and now that she’s finally tackling a haunted house (I guess we got a haunted hotel from her before) AND the traumas of a childhood that spends some time there I am just chomping at the bit. This will probably be saved for Horrorpalooza, as it sounds like it will fit in perfectly.

Book: “Road Trip with a Vampire” by Jenna Levine

Publication Date: September 23, 2025

Why I’m Interested: YAY!! Another supernatural romance novel from Jenna Levine!! And not only that, it’s following the witch that she teased in her previous book! I so thoroughly enjoyed the two previous books in the series, and I love the fact that this time we are going to be following a witch named Zelda on a road trip with a new vampire love interest. I enjoy the humor that Levine brings to these rom coms involving blood suckers, and the fact that we now have a witch thrown into the mix makes it all the more tantalizing.

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

Another Take: Summer 2025

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

Don’t just take it from us, other readers like these books, too! And we have decided that we would like to showcase other reviewers and bloggers that have their own thoughts and feelings about books that we have loved. Here are a few of the books we’ve enjoyed recently and what other bloggers have to say about them.

Book: “Anji Kills a King” by Evan Keikam

Book Description: Anji works as a castle servant, cleaning laundry for a king she hates. So when a rare opportunity presents itself, she seizes the chance to cut his throat. Then she runs for her life. In her wake, the kingdom is thrown into disarray, while a bounty bigger than anyone could imagine lands on her head.

On her heels are the fabled mercenaries of the Menagerie, whose animal-shaped masks are magical relics rumored to give them superhuman powers. It’s the Hawk who finds Anji a surly, aging swordswoman who has her own reasons for keeping Anji alive and out of the hands of her fellow bounty hunters, if only long enough to collect the reward herself.

With the rest of the Menagerie on their trail, so begins an alliance as tenuous as it is temporary—and a race against death that will decide Anji’s fate, and may change the course of a kingdom.

Serena’s Review (9 Rating)

FanFiAddict

Eater of Stories (4 Stars)

Preacher Reads

Book: “A Legionnaire’s Guide to Love and Peace” by Emily Skrutskie

Book Description: On the eve of the battle that will decide the realm of Telrus’s fate, Katrien takes a hard look at her prospects. A mere legionnaire, she and her spear will be at the fore in the morning, facing off against the Demon Lord and his wretched army, and it’s all but certain she’ll perish in the fight. But if the end of the world is mere hours away, there’s no reason not to hook up with her handsome, dedicated battle partner Emory—despite any anti-fraternization policies their centurion may have in place.

Only, the world doesn’t end the next day. Instead, an insufferable prince raised in hiding comes out of nowhere with a plucky band of heroes, defeats the Demon Lord, and seals the rift to the hellish plane. The realm is saved. The war is over. And Kat suddenly has a lot more future than she knows what to do with. It’s a future that could include Emory . . . if only he weren’t so set on staying enlisted with the very army Kat was unwillingly drafted into.

And while the Demon Lord has been destroyed, peace is still a long march away. When Kat inadvertently draws the eye of the prince, she, Emory, and the rest of their motley unit are pulled to the fore of the formation—and the heart of the danger—as the army embarks on one last campaign. The mission: laying a road as a foundation for the prince’s future rule. The real mission: scouring the last of the Demon Lord’s servants from the material plane.

As Kat and Emory work to secure a lasting peace, they’ll have to decide what they want their futures to look like—and if there’s room for love at the end of the road.

Serena’s Review (8 Rating)

BookFrenzi

The Little Fox Lair

Nerd Initiative (8 Rating)

Book: “The Jasad Crown” by Sara Hashem

Book Description: Held deep in a mountain refuge, Sylvia has been captured by the Urabi, who believe she can return their homeland to its former power. But after years of denying her legacy and a forbidden alliance with Jasad’s greatest enemy, Sylvia must win the group’s trust while struggling to keep control of both her magic and her mind.

In the rival kingdom, Arin is caught between his father’s desire to put down the brewing rebellion and the sacred edicts he’s sworn to uphold. Arin must find Sylvia before his father’s army, but his search will call into question the very core of Arin’s beliefs about his family and the destruction of Jasad.

War is inevitable and Sylvia cannot abandon her people again. The Urabi plan to raise the Jasadi fortress, and it will either kill Sylvia or destroy the humanity she’s fought so hard to protect. For the first time in her life Sylvia doesn’t just want to survive. She wants to win. The fugitive queen is ready to come home.

Serena’s Review (10 Rating)

Books are the New Black (5 Stars)

Cannonball Read

One Book More (5 Stars)

Book: “Everyone Is Lying To You” by Jo Piazza

Book Description: Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, Bex vanished, leaving Lizzie confused and devastated.

Fifteen years later, Bex is now Rebecca Sommers, a “traditional” Instagram influencer with millions of followers who salivate over her perfect life on her ranch with her five children and handsome husband, Gray. Lizzie is a struggling magazine writer, watching reels while her young children demand her attention.

One night out of the blue, Bex calls Lizzie with a career-making proposition—an exclusive interview with her about her multimillion-dollar business venture and an invitation to MomBomb, the high-profile influencing conference.

At the conference, Bex goes missing and Gray is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie finds herself plunged into the dark side of the cutthroat world of social media that includes jealousy, sordid affairs, swingers, and backstabbing. She must learn who her old friend has become and who she has double-crossed to try to find her, clear her name, and maybe even save her life.

Piazza’s master storytelling and razor-sharp insight into the world of social media brings us a pulpy, juicy, and cleverly plotted read that will have you guessing all the way through and leave you gasping for more.

Kate’s Review (9 Rating)

Really Into This

Read & Wright (5/5)

Book Reporter

Book: “Lucky Day” by Chuck Tingle

Book Description: Lucky Day is the newest novel of terror from Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Bury Your Gays, where one woman must go up against the most horrifying concept of all: nothing.

Vera is a survivor of a global catastrophe known as the Low Probability Event, but she definitely isn’t thriving. Once a passionate professor of statistics, she no longer finds meaning in anything at all.

But when problematic government agent Layne knocks on her door, she’s the only one who can help him uncover the connection between deadly spates of absurdity and an improbably lucky casino. What’s happening in Vegas isn’t staying there, and the world is at risk of another disaster.

When it comes to Chuck Tingle, the only thing more terrifying than a serious horror novel is an absurd one…

Kate’s Review (8 Rating)

FanFiAddict

Horror Bound (5/5)

Atomic Geekdom

Book: “Not Quite Dead Yet” by Holly Jackson

Book Description: In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.

She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder.

Kate’s Review (10 Rating)

Book CLB

Daydreaming Ink

Down the Book Jar

Highlights: August 2025

The mugginess continues! Serena luckily escaped back home to the West over much of July, and Kate performed her usual trick of avoiding the outdoors altogether, unless she’s poolside of course! And with the craziness of school schedules and busyness staring us down, we’re eager to bury our heads in some good books instead. Here are some titles we’re both looking forward to this month.

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Hemlock and Silver” by T. Kingfisher

Publication Date: August 19, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I love how prolific Kingfisher is! It’s always great to find another must-read author. It’s absolutely the best when that same author puts out not only one but often two or three books a year! You get so spoiled! And, while I always enjoy the horror novels that Kate and I co-review, my favorites remain her standalone fairytale stories. And here we have a re-telling of “Snow White!” The great thing about this author is that her re-tellings are often true re-tellings, with only limited call backs or the original story. Often featuring wholly new characters and an entirely new main plot. So excited to see what she does with this one!

Book: “The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk” by Carissa Broadbent

Publication Date: August 5, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Another favorite author, another highlighted title! Not only that, but this is the second book in the Shadowborn duet, and after that massive cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for this one. As it’s a romantasy, it’s pretty clear that some of the events at the end of that first book won’t stick, at least not in the way they usually do. But I’m incredibly curious to see how Broadbent resolves the very high stakes situation that has been set up! Not only for our two main characters, but for this world as a whole!

Book: “Katabasis” by R. F. Kuang

Publication Date: August 26, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Third time’s the charm! August is just a banger of a month with all of my favorite authors coming to play! But I’d also be interested in this one on its own. There have been a ton of dark academia titles recently, and even while they haven’t all been a hit, I find I still can’t resist a new entry into the subgenre. Still living off the high that was the “Scholomance” trilogy probably. Whatever it is, I’m incredibly excited to see what Kuang has to offer here. Plus, you know, the cover is incredibly cool.

Kate’s Pick

Book: “Lucky Day” by Chuck Tingle

Publication Date: August 12, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I just love Chuck Tingle, his previous two horror novels being hits for me, and therefore I was of course eager to see what he was going to come up with next! And it sounds really out there and like his most experimental novel yet! It sounds like it’s somewhat post-apocalyptic or dystopian, but mixed in with a Vegas based mystery and some kind of casino that may be leading up to ANOTHER apocalyptic event? It sounds weird, but that hasn’t ever stopped me in the past so why should it stop me now? Also I just love Tingle as an author and a person, so this one was clearly going to make my list!

Book: “What Hunger” by Catherine Dang

Publication Date: August 12, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This one caught my eye at ALA, because look at that cover!! So weird! So pretty but also unsettling! This is the second time that a book by Catherine Dang has caught my attention with a cover, and this one sounds like not only are we getting a coming of age tale with a Vietnamese American protagonist, but also perhaps something a little cannibalistic! After a horrible tragedy has thrown her family into turmoil, Ronny Nguyen now has to enter her Freshman year of high school with little guidance and lots of angst. After she is assaulted at a party and she fights back in a, shall we say ‘different’ way, she suddenly finds herself craving raw meat. And her hunger is becoming insatiable. It sounds creepy and also perhaps tinged with sadness. I’m into it.

Book: “A Game in Yellow” by Hailey Piper

Publication Date: August 12, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I discovered Hailey Piper last autumn and then I got to hear her speak at ALAAC25, and now I have her newest horror novel on my Highlights for this month because it sounds SO gripping and interesting and unique. Carmen and Blanca are in a relationship, but the passion has stalled out a bit, their usual kink filled love life feeling a bit stagnant. But when Blanca finds herself with access to the pages of a mysterious play that COULD drive the person reading it insane should they read its electrifying words for too long, the two begin to read it as ploy to spice up their love life with the danger of it. But things get strange as reality and fantasy starts to become interchangeable. Intriguing to be sure.

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

Not Just Books: July 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

Show: “Daredevil: Born Again”

While I haven’t kept up with or been overly impressed with what I’ve seen from Disney’s Marvel TV shows, I had a lot of hope for this one. I mean, I loved the first version of this show, and Disney rightly understood what they had with Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio and kept the focus largely narrowed in on these two. The show also did a great job of staying true to some of the more impactful themes from the first show (the focus on balance between vengeance and justice, largely). While I don’t think that the support cast was as good as in the first version, I was still satisfied with the new characters. All in all, it was just fun to return to this world and this story! (Plus, I now have an extra soft spot for Charlie Cox after he voiced my beloved Gustave in “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.”)

Movie: “How to Train Your Dragon”

While I’ve been to a few movies in the theater with my oldest, my youngest has been hankering for his turn! So this June we decided to all go together to the movies for the first time, and this movie came out just in time! Now, I’ve definitely started to lose patience with the endless stream of live action re-makes, but this movie is proof that it can still be a winning strategy. For one thing, the makers of this film understood the prompt: a live action REMAKE of the original. I don’t want added songs or character arcs or “interpretations” from these movies, especially not when the original story is great on its own, as these additions almost always make it worse. No, here we have almost exactly the same movie, shot by shot, only now in live action. The music is the same, the script is largely the same, we even have the same actors for certain roles. There are large chunks of this movie where you could play the original and this side by side and they would show the exact same sequence. And that’s all I want from these remakes! Also, you know, my kids had a fun time!

Movie: “The Fountain of Youth”

This is movie was pretty much exactly what it looked like: an “Indiana Jones” lite quasi sequel. And, in that light, it succeeds fairly well. There was a lot of action-adventure fun to be had throughout! The writing was definitely a bit weak at times (especially some of the explanations at the end of the movie about how everything worked). So things really lived and died based on the charisma of the actors, mostly John Krasinski. The rest of the cast was good as well, but without his natural charm, I do think this one would have verged into extreme cheese ball territory. As it is, it wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but still a fun time, especially as a summer popcorn flick!

Kate’s Picks

Film: “28 Years Later”

I remember going to see “28 Days Later” in the theater with one of my good friends from high school the summer after graduation, and we were both wholly blown away by it. I have loved this movie ever since. When I saw the trailer for “28 Years Later” with Terror Tuesday people, I was nervous, but intrigued (I really hated the previous sequel). And when Terror Tuesday went to see it in the theater, I was, once again, blown away. Set 28 years after the Rage Virus Infection’s start, Great Britain has been quarantined. Infected still roam the mainland, having become more feral but also more evolved, and some survivors live peacefully on an island off the coast. When twelve year old Spike and his father go to the mainland for his right of passage Infected hunt, he has to experience the Infected like never before, which in turn leads to a poignant coming of age tale when he returns to the mainland with his ailing mother in hopes of finding her help. Because there are rumors of a doctor nearby. Yes, the ending is jarring, I’ll admit it. But I found myself sobbing more than I would have anticipated, as this movie is, in many ways, heartfelt and beautiful and not only about zombies and the end of civilization, but also never forgetting those we love and lose at the end of all things.

TV Show: “The Gilded Age”

I still love a soap opera, and if it is all dolled up in historical fiction finery and opulence I will love it even more. That’s why I enjoyed “Downton Abbey” so much, and that’s why I enjoy “The Gilded Age” (both by Julian Fellowes, boy does he love his soapy aristocracy shenanigans!). Season 3 is finally here, and it’s already off to a very scandalous start! Bertha is haranguing daughter Gladys into marrying into a Duke’s family even though Gladys is terrified and uninterested (boy do I loathe Bertha, but I do love Carrie Coon)! Marian and Larry are having a secret courtship! Agnes is having a hard time accepting that younger sister Ada is in charge of the household now since she has a fresh inheritance and Agnes is now penniless! Peggy is perhaps finding romance?! And AUDRA MACDONALD’S VERY PRESENCE!!! Yes, this show makes me want to tear my hair out at times (I mean they REALLY want us to believe that because George Russell is a hot wife guy that his anti-labor robber baron ways are FIIIIINE), but I love the costuming, I love the time period, having worked in a historic house that was very much during this time, and I love the drama.

New Family Addition: KITTENS!

Back in March we had to say goodbye to our elderly twenty year old cat Baby, who had been with me since my husband and I were in college, along with her sister Kasha who passed in 2022. We decided that this summer was the time to add some new pets to our family. And we have started with two kittens! One belongs to my husband, the other belongs to my daughter (I intend on getting my own in a month or two, I’m being VERY picky about what I want in a cat…), and boy, I had forgotten what HOOLIGANS kittens can be. But The Beast and Betty Draper (my kid insists it’s just Betty, but given this cat’s personality it’s absoLUTEly Betty Draper in my mind) are both very cute and a lot of fun, even if they are complete menaces, like all kittens should be. And hopefully soon we will welcome our third and final kitten into the family….. We may be insane for getting a third, but hey, we wouldn’t have it any other way.