Another fun fantasy from Travis Baldree, this one is about Fern from Bookshops and Bonedust.

I went with the audio since I‘m waiting to purchase the paperback when it comes out. I have to say I wish I‘d waited to read it, as I‘m not a fan of Baldree‘s narration. It was still good, on the light side of fantasy though I think the books are getting progressively less cozy. There were quite a few battles in this one.

I really liked Zil the goblin.

Did you see? Registration is open for #AuldLangSpine2026! Go to @monalyisha to get the link, the form has the rules and guidelines. I‘m super excited to learn who my match will be this year, and to get my reading list!!

I think this is Schwab‘s best book yet. It‘s like she tried to write the perfect vampire book specifically for me. I loved this.

Could it be partially because I read and loved Ann Rice as a teen? Maybe. Could it be partially because I love a good sapphic historical fantasy? Yes probably.
Anyway, 5⭐️ for me!

@Texreader posted this sale, but be aware this is Book 2 in The Arc of the Scythe series, and you do really need to read Scythe first. For February‘s author for #authoramonth

This is some dark, grim stuff. It starts with the author investigating a suicide then immediately dives into her struggle with alcoholism, so go in prepared for an emotional ride, though Butcher also talks about using compartmentalizing and distancing as a coping mechanism.

There is posturing of being “one of the guys”, being of an older (than me) generation, and that NY/NJ bruskness, and all of those rubbed me a bit throughout.

Have you been waiting for this announcement #AuthorAMonth readers? I‘ve been excited since I started working on results and graphics yesterday. Here is our author lineup for 2026!

41 people voted this year. The author with the highest vote count was Amor Towles with 24. Then Martha Wells with 20. Many of the rest each had 19.

Is there one author or book you‘re most excited to include in your 2026 reading plan? (I‘ll comment below my tag list.)

I read The Swimmers by this author a couple months ago and @Hooked_on_books said how much she liked this one so I stacked it.

Otsuka definitely has a signature style! I liked this one more. I think audio is a great way to read these, I was able to absorb it without struggling with the flow.

It‘s told from the first person plural, or “we”. The narrators are Japanese “picture” brides shipped to the states about a century ago.

I missed reading for #CampLitsy this summer as I moved. But this got such a wave of Picks that I put the audio on hold and finally got to listen. And wow, it was really good!

I thought the format of present and flashbacks worked really well, and it was easy to slide into the main character‘s shoes (Birkenstocks!) as she tried to cross Portland on foot after an earthquake rocked the city. Oh yeah, while late term pregnant!

First snow at my new house! Happily it‘s less than an inch and the roads are fine so far.

This is a thought provoking novella of speculative fiction, set just a bit in the future. Every American gets a Universal Basic Income once a year, on the title date. Told from 4 women‘s POVs, each with a very different life circumstance. I think it‘s one of the best TOR novellas I‘ve read.

Check content warnings if needed.

Another really good book by Erdrich. I love the banter of her characters.

It‘s a really strange story- read the blurb. If you like this author I think you‘ll enjoy this one.

“When you don‘t have a mother, as I never did, you have to make one. Get yourself a piece of clay and shape in your fingers and the shape you always make will be a mother. Or press her together of mud and sticks. Sometimes a tree would do, gnarled around me. Bundles of reeds. I used a blanket rolled and bunched in the shape of her. Rags. Sometimes there was a little extra stew in the pot and I stole it and said to myself she gave it to me.”

Last call for voting for the upcoming year‘s authors for #AuthorAMonth!

I‘ll close the poll and start compiling my announcement post on Tuesday evening. Results will be announced on Wednesday!

https://forms.gle/rhjGCu4rosz1j9Qc8

I‘m really excited by the poll leaders so far!

I‘m disappointed that this didn‘t work better for me. It started pretty strong, but got really repetitive and dragged much longer than necessary.

The premise was interesting, and I loved the dark fairy tale feeling. Unfortunately it doesn‘t come close to Bunny for me though. Not sure if I‘ll read her new book, right now I‘m leaning towards no.

Charles is a very high end robot, made to be “the gentleman‘s gentle robot”, kind of a robot butler. He finds that he has murdered his master, but doesn‘t know why. He sends himself to Diagnostics to try to figure out why, and along the way finds that human society has collapsed and robots are somewhat aimlessly roaming what‘s left.

This is kind of a dystopian quest book, rather philosophical, and I really liked it. ⬇️

It‘s time, it‘s here! The poll for next year‘s #AuthorAMonth challenge! I‘ll leave it up for a week, the new list will be announced on the 12th. Who do you most hope to see on the list?

https://forms.gle/rhjGCu4rosz1j9Qc8

This memoir is mostly about addiction- be it drugs and alcohol, codependency, love and sex, or attention. The author puts it all on the table, so be prepared, it gets ugly. But it‘s also beautiful and touching and gut wrenching.

I could have done without the music between chapters and poems, but I bet it was her girlfriend‘s music, so I understand the inclusion.

I also could have done without all the faith, although I know it is important ⬇️

Welcome to November #AuthorAMonth readers! Time to pull out our Joan Didion books. What are you planning to read?

We‘re getting close to the end of the year! If you haven‘t started your Google form yet here‘s the link:

https://forms.gle/r6EydHX3GmrfYenA8

If you haven‘t started it you‘ll want to edit your copy in your Google drive.

Poll for 2026 authors is in the works! Last minute nominations can be added to my last post on this title.

November #bookspin! @TheAromaofBooks

Over the last few years I‘ve read quite a few books set on tiny remote islands, has this become a new genre? I think I‘ve liked every one I‘ve read, so I am in favor.

Set on a tiny island off the Wales coast, 18 yr old Manod lives with her father and young sister in a fishing village. A whale washes ashore, and two strangers come to study it and the villagers. Takes place just before WWII, and I felt Manod‘s yearning to escape isolation.

Happy Black Cat Day to everyone with house panthers!

Another installment of mystery and community with Mma Romatswe and friends. I love the way Mma Potikwane gently manipulates her in this one, in the sweetest and most well intended way.

I used to go to Lowe‘s Theater in Harvard Yard in Boston for the midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show as a teen. I also loved Clue and the first adaptation of IT. So of course I‘m a Tim Curry fan, and of course I got his audiobook as soon as it released.

I didn‘t know a lot about his theater career, that was nice to hear about. He reads the audio himself, which was nice but also kind of sad because he sounds quite different due to ⬇️

A book from the point of view of a zombie after the apocalypse seems like a good idea. And I found the first few pages pretty funny. Unfortunately not long after that I got really bored with it. It felt very stream-of-conscious, with not much plot. I made it to about 40%.

If this wasn‘t for book club I wouldn‘t have finished it, honestly. I found it bizarre and very difficult to follow. There were parts that I laughed about or otherwise enjoyed, and it did come together at the end in a mostly satisfying way, but it was a lot of work to get there.

It‘s time again, unbelievably, to think about next year‘s #AuthorAMonth! Please nominate authors you would like to see highlighted in the comments. I will organize them into genre categories again, I felt like that worked well for this year, so if you are inclined you can include the genre you think the author fits best (you don‘t have to, I will look them up if necessary)

Poll to follow in a week or so! (Genre List ⬇️)

Are you curious about replacement organs and transplants? Body science? Medical history? Mary Roach approaches all of this with her usual humor in this new release. I learned quite a bit as always.

@ChaoticMissAdventures here‘s my list for #10BeforeTheEnd!

Some are bookclub books, some are library holds coming up soon, all are going to get read before the end of the year!

Anyone else making a list? I‘ll check the hashtag, but feel free to tag me as well as @ChaoticMissAdventures the host!

Twins Kizzy and Lil are gathering mushrooms to make a celebration stew for their 17th birthday when they realize their Traveler family‘s caravan has been attacked and set on fire. All of the children are caught and enslaved, to be used at the whim of a cruel Settler Boyar (like a czar).

The first 2/3 were my favorite part, I didn‘t realize where the story was going or that it was a retelling, and that took a little away from it for me. Still 👍.

My grooming salon had a “staff dog color party” last night to try some creative grooming, and Sietje got glammed up for Halloween (and beyond- this is semipermanent dye so it‘ll last for months!) It‘s my first attempt at something like this and I‘m pleased with my results!

I listened to this audio this week and it was fine. Too much 🌶️ for me, but a decent m/m romance. (it‘s a book 2) It‘s from the POV of two exs as they move on after breakup.

I didn‘t like this as much as The Great Believers, but to be fair it‘s very different.

Bodie is a podcaster who focuses on true crime. She also teaches, and she‘s asked to teach a 2 week seminar at her high school, the NH boarding school where her former roommate was murdered. Of course she dips into whether that case was solved successfully.

This felt realistic with cancel culture and abuse and murder of women as a strong theme. Also 90s ⬇️

This is a quick cozy read about an 80 year old woman who finds a mouse in an abandoned aquarium and slowly befriends him. And makes some other friends along the way. Similar feel to a Backman story, but simpler. Cute.
Ann Patchett raved about it in an instagram post, and from the cover comment you can see she loved it.

This is a strange little book that‘s quite hard to describe. The first part is about the many people who swim regularly at an underground pool. I almost quit here, as I don‘t love the first person plural. But I stuck with it because it is short, and liked the second half much more. It‘s about Alice, one of the swimmers, who develops dementia.

The writing is unique and someone else said it feels distant, I have to agree.

I almost gave up on this audiobook within the first hour because I was having a hard time following which character was which. But it got easier and I‘m glad I stuck with it. It‘s heavy on heartbreak, but so beautiful. I just barely didn‘t cry at work while listening. 💔

Happy October #AuthorAMonth readers! My post is late this month as I had a visit from my sister and my Mom just moved in with me. I hope you‘ve already picked up your October author, Octavia Butler. Please take care of yourself while reading, as she goes dark and her fiction feels timely as she addresses inequality and other fights we are currently in politically.

What are you hoping to read?

(Feel free to welcome @Yenya1954 to WNC!)

There is a lot going on with the family in this book, and with the people surrounding them too. I felt it was over the top silly, but also had some heartfelt moments. I definitely laughed quite a bit.

Sietje would absolutely not want to be carried around in a baby sling, no matter how anxious I was. But she is always willing to sit with me for moral support.

Finally, a witchy book I would recommend! (I‘ve read several over the last few years that really didn‘t work for me.)

VenCo is a Maiden, Mother, Crone company tasked with overseeing the gathering of a North American Coven, the first here in a very long time. Once they are assembled, the fall of the patriarchy can begin.

I loved the diversity, the found family feel, and elder care aspect.

With my Halloween girl, Mirabel.

October #Bookspin, with a focus on my bookclub‘s topic of Something Spooky. @TheAromaofBooks

I love this author. Wow. This is my second of his in a couple months, and I will probably look into his older titles, has anyone read anything published before this one?

I really loved this. It‘s long and slow but beautiful, and Marion and his twin brother Shiva will stay with me.

I‘m starting a new book tonight, and I flipped to the back to read about the author since this is my first by him. The beginning is standard “he‘s written a lot of stuff,” but at the end it gets interesting. And really the last line wins it all for me. I‘ll probably love this based on that one line 😁.

We are nearing the end of September #AuthorAMonth readers. About a week left with Kurt Vonnegut.

October brings us to Octavia Butler, and I‘m already seeing quite a lot of people excited for her. This is her second time being on our list. 📚 Get your library holds or orders in.

A history of women‘s medicine, or of how male doctors have been dismissive of women‘s medical needs throughout history.

I spent a lot of time listening and shaking my head, angry but not surprised. The author‘s own story of having her pain dismissed at the end of the book is harrowing.

It‘s scary to know that the progress made and reproductive rights we finally laid claim to are now being chipped away and taken back. (In the US at least)

I‘m sure you‘ve seen plenty of reviews about this memoir of the author‘s time working for FB and the abuses of power of many kinds, including multiple accounts of sexual harassment from multiple high management people.

Nothing particularly surprised me, but I was simmering through the whole book, except the beginning where SWW felt like she could possibly do good with the company.

This woman has been through some stuff!

If Mount Rainier erupted and a small intentional community is trapped and cut off from the modern world, do you think Sasquatches would start stalking them?

I‘m glad my Libby hold came in time for me to read this before my bookclub this weekend. Our topic is Cryptids. 🙂👣

While I do love this author‘s writing I didn‘t connect with this book as much as some of her others. For me all of the romantic relationships got boring, as we read about the love lives of several women. They are complex characters and I think the difficulty going deep was part of the point.

This is also a pandemic book, which I don‘t mind but some might not want to experience again. TW- graphic SA and a difficult aftermath.

A beautiful memoir of a death doula. While she shares experiences from her work, I‘d say more than half of this is about Alua‘s life. Her interactions with clients and their families were touching. My favorite part was the epilogue in which she writes about her vision of what dying could be like, and how she would like to die.

This was the first of two “close my eyes and pull from my shelves” #bookspin choices this month. I switched to the audio since it was available from my library.

This is a memoir about trying to get US citizenship, about immigration and deportation. The author‘s family has experienced it all.

The author is a poet, and I didn‘t love his writing style. He switched timelines in a way that was hard to follow for me. But it‘s an important POV.

Valerie Perrin is a master of breaking my heart with lyrical, slow, emotional stories. I loved this so much! Thank you for gifting it to me @AmyG .

I don‘t think I‘ve ever connected so much with translated writing. It makes me wish my French was better so I could read something by her in the original language. Huge kudos to the translator!

I‘ll be looking to pick up Three sometime soon. And she‘s going on my auto buy list!

I loved Cantoras by Caro de Robertis, so when Libro.Fm suggested the audio of The Palace of Eros I was all in.

Eros defies Aphrodite‘s orders to use her divine arrows to create an unhappy marriage for Psyche. Instead she whisks Psyche away on the wind, to live in a palace.

The author delves into gender diversity in an interesting way, especially with gods involved. This brings the spice, queer love, and questions of what free will means.

“Where I was Root, she was Soil and I burrowed into her and found home.
Where I was River she was Riverbed, holding and shaping me at the same time.
Where I was Cloud, she was Sky, to dissolve in her was sweet annihilation.
Where I was Flame, she was Flame. Together we could have burned down the world.”

Loving this sapphic retelling of the Eros and Psyche myth! (I have no idea who photo credit should go to, I‘ve had this in my phone forever.)

For my Topics bookclub we are reading “Cryptids” in September, and this was available on audio from my library. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

Noah is 12 and trans and in deep grief over loss of his best friend Lewis. Lewis loved the legend of Mothman, so Noah starts writing to the Cryptids and leaving the letter notebook outdoors overnight. Someone seems to be reading the letters, but who?

Noah navigates school, new friends, bullies.

September is here #AuthorAMonth readers, which brings us to Kurt Vonnegut.

I‘ve only read Slaughterhouse Five. Feel free to comment your favorite titles by him or what you plan to read. I know I already asked in my last post (which you can see by going to this book title.)

The Google form has rules and prizes: https://forms.gle/1F1BmkcTBh7uPXNp9

As always let me know if you‘d like to be added or removed from the tag list. Happy reading!