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”.

Highlights: January 2026

The kids are finally back at school and the holiday madness has concluded. Of course, now it is time for resolutions. And while everyone else focuses on fitness goals and budgeting, we’re here with our massive TBRs only ever hoping to read even MORE books in 2026 than we did in 2025! Here are a few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Poet Empress” by Shen Tao

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I feel like this one is on everyone’s list this winter. Some combination of the lovely cover art, the promise of a sprawling, political epic, and, of course, the focus on one woman’s journey to embrace reading and writing, something forbidden to them in this world. The book is being published by Bramble, a romance imprint for Tor, but looking at the book description, I’m not quite sure what to expect from this in that arena. From all accounts, it looks more like a straight forward political/historical fantasy novel. We shall see!

Book: “Dragon Cursed” by Elisa Kova

Publication Date: January 6, 2026

Why I’m Interested: While heaven knows we don’t need another dragon romantasy book right now, this one sounds interesting! Instead of yet more dragon riders, we instead have a world where people are dragon-cursed, a condition that leads them to becoming terrifying dragons themselves. And not the cuddly kinds. No, the kinds that kill everyone around them, friends, family, whomever. Of course, it being a romantasy, there’s the mysterious MMC who follows our heroine around and is likely more than he appears. But I’ve had a few fun surprises from this subgenre, so I’m hoping that this will be another one!

Book: “Enchanting the Fae Queen” by Stephanie Burgis

Publication Date: January 27, 2026

Why I’m Interested: This cover is absolutely ridiculous, and I can’t quite decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, our main character does throw literal glitter around when she performs magic. But on the other hand, well….Either way, I’m definitely excited for this one! I really enjoyed the first one in this trilogy and have since read two other novellas by this author, greatly enjoying those as well! Plus, Lorelei was an absolute delight in the first book, and I’m an absolute sucker for a “strong, stoic, and troubled” MMC, which, given our brief glimpses of the hero in the previous book, seems to be what we have here. Definitely excited to check this one out as soon as possible!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “All the Little Houses” by May Cobb

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Soapy thrillers are a favorite of mine, and this one sounds like it has all sorts of suds and drama with an eighties flair (and maybe some “Little House on the Prairie” shades?!). And while I still haven’t dove into “The Hunting Wives” or the salacious Netflix show that it inspired, I have heard a lot of talk about May Cobb and the absolutely unhinged characters she creates, so I thought that I should probably give her newest one a go and see for myself. Charleigh is a queen bee in her small Texas town, having worked her way up from humble beginnings to now being an envied wife to a wealthy husband, with a beautiful and bratty daughter to raise and social circles to maneuver. But when a new, strange, homesteading family moves to town and becomes the talk of the community, it sets off a chain of events that could ruin Charleigh and her daughter. I do love having especially ridiculous thrillers on my stack of books during the winter, so this one will hopefully be the perfect read for January.

Book: “Beth Is Dead” by Katie Bernet

Publication Date: January 6, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I really do love the 1994 film version of “Little Women”, and even used to help lead “Little Women” themed tours at the historic Victorian house that I worked at when I was with the Minnesota Historical Society. And while I do love the March sisters, I have always felt like poor Beth doesn’t have much to do outside of being angelic and then dying. But the thriller “Beth Is Dead” reimagines the story not only as a modern YA version of “Little Women”, it also makes it a murder mystery with the beloved Beth being the victim of a murder, with Jo, Meg, and Amy having to take it upon themselves to figure out what happened to their sister… and to find out if she may actually have had secrets, much like they all do. Maybe it’s a little morbid, but I’m VERY much into it.

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

Publication Date: January 27, 2026

Why I’m Interested: This one has been getting some hype lately from some pretty well known horror people, and while it was originally published a few years ago it is getting a re-release and it sounds likes it’s going to get the attention that it deserves. When a young woman named Jude flees her home to escape her abusive mother, she rushes into the woods and decides to move into an abandoned house with a dark history to start a new life. But years later a strane lady arrives at her doorstep, and the two women are drawn to each other. But it also awakens something dark inside of Jude. It sounds weird, creepy, Gothic, and metaphorical!

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

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: “I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer”

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Book: “I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” by Doug Wagner & Daniel Hillyard (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Image Comics, December 2025

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

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

Book Description: Rennie Bethary has just been accepted into New York City’s most prestigious fashion school. Her designs are daring, edgy, and singular…and made of human flesh. Did we forget to mention Rennie is a serial killer who simply wants to be a fashion designer instead? Stupid, pesky, murderous urges!

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

Happy New Year everyone! 2025 was a mess in a lot of ways, but we are starting off fresh and we can only hope that we can rise above whatever the hell that was last year (though we’ve said that so many times before). But I thought that starting off with a bit of a bang would be fun, and with that I present a graphic horror/thriller novel that really caught my eye: “I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” by Doug Warner and Daniel Hillyard just sounded like a lot of campy nasty fun, as someone who likes serial killer thrillers/horror AND satires of fashion and style. I had really high hopes for this one. Unfortunately it didn’t quite match my enthusiasm.

But first the positives! The biggest positive is that the premise is such a freakin’ fun one. I love the idea of a serial killer also having a passion for fashion design and having a dream to become a designer, while also making clothing and muck out of people who are wronging her and those around her, be they her friends, or the downtrodden, or those who are victimized. It feels a bit like “Dexter” while also having a bit of an undercurrent of ‘we love women’s wrongs’ that can be kind of fun in this day and age. I also enjoyed Rennie a lot, as she feels/knows she is a full on psychopath, but manages to find at least a tiny bit of humanity in her heart while she not only pursues a passion, but also makes a human connection with her classmate Sofie, who is so lovely and friendly and serves as a fun (though perhaps a bit old hat these days) foil for our more cynical and dark protagonist.

But on the other hand, I did find the pacing to be uneven. We have a pretty slow build, watching Rennie ease into her school life while also taking out sociopaths and predators, taking a couple of issues to establish her mindset and relationship and aspirations, connecting not only with Sofie but also with various mentors or butting heads with snotty classmates. And then in the third of the book we get some wild reveals and a huge confrontation that felt incredibly rushed and didn’t feel like it paid off because of it. I will say that the big reveal DID have some hints and build up and didn’t come completely out of left field, but at the same time once we did get the reveal out it still fell a little bit flat. I think that if there had been more issues there could have been a bit more of a reveal that matched the slower pacing.

And finally, I did enjoy the artwork, finding it to be cute and kind of retro at times, while also being SUPER disgusting at others. I don’t really want to show any of that here because I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but Daniel Hillyard’s style matched the story well.

“I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” had loads of potential and a really fun protagonist, but it didn’t quite hit the levels that I hoped for. I think it’s worth checking out, but I had hoped for more.

Rating 6: The premise is so good and I really enjoyed Rennie as an anti-hero, but it built almost too slowly and then rushed through the ending.

Reader’s Advisory:

“I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of late, but if you like books about women getting grisly revenge on those who wrong them or the patriarchy this could be a good fit!

Serena’s Review: “Anathema”

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

Book: “Anathema” by Keri Lake

Publishing Info: Bloom Books, September 2025

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

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

Book Description: Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods …

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Review: This was one of those frustrating reads where I could see so much potential and, at times, was truly enjoying my reading experience! However, it was also one of those odd experiences where the phrase “less is more” comes strongly to mind.

To start with the good things, to say that this book has a vibe is an understatement. Gloom, dread, and gothic darkness permeate every scene, leaving readers with no escape from the heavy atmosphere of the book. On one hand, this can feel as heavy as it sounds, making the reading experience one that may require breaks instead of long reading sessions. But on the other hand, this strong sense of atmosphere fully drew me in, with truly lovely turns of phrase and descriptions sprinkled throughout (even if the topics of said descriptions were in themselves still quite dark).

I also liked the two main characters. With romances and romantasy novels, I often struggle to fully enjoy stories where the POV is split between the hero and the heroine. All told, I often find that I’d rather imagine the MMC’s perspective than hear it myself (too often authors make the mistake of writing men who simply lust after the heroine throughout their entire chapter, and I find this more off-putting than anything else). But in many ways, I think this book more closely aligns with a dark fantasy novel than with dark romantasy, as the romance is almost an afterthought throughout much of the story. This being the case, much of the focus of both characters’ POVs was more centered around their own arcs and story progression. They each had clear motivations of their own, focused on their various loved ones and goals. Of the two, I think I even preferred Zevander’s (hate the name though) story more, as much of his narrative was the driver behind the larger plot.

However, for all of these positives, this was one of those books where you truly felt its length. It’s a long novel, and at no point was I convinced that that page length was justified for the story we are given. From a pacing standpoint, the two main characters don’t even truly interact until nearly the middle point of the entire book, several hundred pages into the story! While they were both strong on their own, it did leave the book feeling as if it has a massive prologue tacked on before the true action picked up.

Further, while I liked the dark atmosphere, I also felt like this book was falling into what I call the “Ava Reid problem.” That is, there were many points, particularly in the first third of the book, where I felt like the author was including dark themes and scenes purely for shock value. Sure, these scenes were written in a compelling manner and were, indeed, shocking. But then the story would continue, and I would realize that that dark element was never really going to be touched on again or didn’t actually progress the story in any way. It was just darkness for darkness’ sake.

The combination of these two problems, an overly long page count and the inclusion of darker elements seemingly only in pursuit of shocking the readers, ultimately overcame my enjoyment in other areas. Frustratingly, both problems could be solved at once with some careful editing and paring down of some of these unnecessary scenes. In this way, the pacing would be fixed, the page length would feel appropriate for the story we have in the end, and the dark scenes would hit more forcibly, since they would be reduced to the ones that actually progress the story forward.

I’m curious to see what happens in the series going forward, but I will be cautious picking up the next book. A tome of this length is a commitment, and I’ll now be a bit wary going into the next that any exorbitant page length is truly deserved. That said, if you’ve enjoyed this author in the past or love dark fantasy stories, this might still be worth checking out! The writing is strong and the characters interesting. Just set aside plenty of time for it, I guess!

Rating 7: While there was a lot of promise here, I felt like the interesting story and good characters were buried under unnecessary shock content and slow pacing.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Anathema” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Original Stories . . . a Breath of Fresh Air and Magic, Adventure, Romance

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”.

Not Just Books: December 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

Video Game: “It Takes Two”

My husband and I have taken a very twisted journey through the three co-op games released by this company. We started with the prison break one, decided to skip/miss the one that actually won “Game of the Year” and then played the most recent entry, “Split Fiction,” this last spring. So here we are, finally getting to that acclaimed middle entry. It’s definitely been a fun ride! At this point, I think I mildly prefer “Split Fiction,” but part of that could come down to the fact that I can’t get past the fact that I feel like these two people are just terrible parents! There’s an entire mission where they destroy their kid’s favorite toy to make them cry! The game definitely is self-aware and leans into it all, so that makes it fun in the end. Plus, I’m sure it will end well. But either way, it’s definitely a blast as a couch co-op which is the most important part!

Movie: “Earth Girls are Easy”

You have Kate to thank (blame??) for this one! After the annual cooking making party, we all get together to watch some random movie. And this year Kate introduced us all to the absolute madness that is this movie, a real-life, actually exists movie that probably 99% of population has never heard of but that features a ridiculous cast of young up-and-comers, including Jeff Goldblum and Jim Carey. It’s too weird to even describe, but I’ll just say that not only does it include numerous shirtless-Golblum scenes, but it’s also a musical complete with plenty of singing and dancing. And, of course, said up-and-coming actors all dressed up as colorful, hairy aliens…so…yeah.

TV Show: “The Office: Superfan Episodes”

It’s probably been about 5-6 years or so since my last re-watch of this series and lo and behold! When I pulled it up the other day to play in the background while wrapping presents, I discovered that they had released new versions that extend the episodes by ten minutes or so! While I can definitely see why some of this was cut in favor of a more streamlined episode composed of the best parts, there are still some real treasures hidden in these deleted scenes. Grumpy, drunken Oscar during the Booze Cruise particularly stands out! I definitely recommend it if you’re hankering for a re-watch and have a “more the merrier” approach to things!

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Wicked: For Good”

It was my birthday at the very end of November, and my husband took me to dinner and then to see “Wicked: For Good”. Which was really the best present I could have asked for! As I mentioned when “Part One” came out, I was obsessed with “Wicked” in college, and still love the play and the characters, music, and themes. In the second movie, we have Elphaba on the run being demonized by the Wizard and Oz, while Glinda is working as his propaganda mouthpiece… And they both desperately miss each other. And while “For Good”, which adapts Act Two of the musical, has some of the same pitfalls of the source material (theater kids know that Act Two is a lot weaker than Act One), as long as you have good performers for Elphaba and Glinda it’s still going to resonate and succeed. And Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are such performers, Grande especially here (as Act Two has always been Glinda’s arc). I laughed, I cried, prevented myself from singing along lest Alamo Drafthouse kick me the hell out. And now I love that the film adaptation of one of my very favorite musicals is complete, fully intending to do a double feature when I watch going forward.

TV Show: “Heated Rivalry”

Yes, I’m on the “Heated Rivalry” train, call me predictable, that’s fine. It’s soapy, it’s sweet, it’s steamy, it’s emotional, and I’m really enjoying it (I haven’t finished it yet, I’m HOPING to get the last few eps in with David while he’s in town so I’m holding off). For those unaware, it follows two hockey players on rival teams, Shane (for Canada) and Ilya (for Russia) who are both rising stars in their own right, and who have a rivalry narrative building around them because they are both incredibly talented. But they also happen to be deeply attracted to each other, falling head over heels in a sports culture that may not understand their relationship. It’s also based on a book series, that became SO popular due to the show that the printed copies of the book basically ran out, leading to a scramble and a lack of books right at the fever pitch of the show. I THEORETICALLY have a copy on the way from a local bookstore thanks to Bookshop.org, but we will see how that shakes out. Regardless, it’s been an addictive watch.

Video Game: “Stardew Valley”

I KNOW, I KNOW. I have highlighted this game so many times here, but I’m back into a hyperfixation cycle of it at the moment, and I’m going to highlight it again. I’m still farming (this time really focusing on artisanal goods like jam and cheese), I’m still pursuing friendships and love (my farmer this time is romancing Haley, and that has been more rewarding than I anticipated actually!), and I’m enjoying building up my skills, my friendships, and strategizing when to get more animals and when to try and fix up the community center. Look, we have what is probably going to be a LONG time to wait for ConcernedApe’s new game “The Haunted Chocolatier” so if I want more super cozy and chill gameplay with thoughtful and familiar storytelling (familiar is key), this is where I’m going to be focusing my needs for the foreseeable future. And I’m also helping my daughter play her own game now, which is so adorable.

Serena’s Favorite Reads of 2025: Picks 5-1

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Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! For me, the word “favorite” is an important part of this list. As I go through the last year’s worth of reading, I often found that some books would strike particular chords within me more deeply than others, even if, quality-wise, another book might be stronger. Of course, this just makes it all that much harder to put them in any order. But here it goes! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, five through 1. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!” on Instagram!

5. “The Jasad Crown” by Sara Hashem

“The Jasad Crown” Review

I’m going to do my typical, rather cheaty thing at the end of this post where I include a bunch of runners up to this list. Most of these are sequels in series where I included the first book in a previous “Top 10” list and wanted to keep this list open to new entries, rather than just re-highlighting the same books again and again. However, I did want to include one sequel, and this is the one that really stood out this year! I loved everything about this duology: the complicated fantasy world, the action-packed adventure, and, most of all, the romance which was given the proper time and attention to be fleshed out in a believable way, something that I think is incredibly rare to find in the modern romantasy genre. If you enjoy romantasy and want a book where the author trusts her readers to stick with a story beyond just the romantic plotline, this one is for you!

4. “The Raven Scholar” by Antonia Hodgson

“The Raven Scholar” Review

Here’s another one that took me completely by surprise. I’ll be honest, this one wasn’t even on my radar until I saw that it was going to be featured in a book box. I’m so glad that I didn’t miss it! On its face, this is another magical competition book with an unlikely female hero. But it was so much more than that! I loved the detailed politics and religion of this world. And, what’s more, I loved the detailed mystery plotline, something that you rarely find in epic fantasy! What’s more, the main character was excellent and there was a sweet, if very secondary, second chance romance included. It’s definitely a door-stopper of a book, but one well worth its page count!

3. “Wild Reverence” by Rebecca Ross

“Wild Reverence” Review

It’s no surprise to find Rebecca Ross on a list like this for me! I’ve loved so many books by her that it’s almost a given that I’ll enjoy whatever she comes out with next as well. However, this one stood out to me. While I enjoyed the “Divine Rivals” duology, it wasn’t my favorite of Ross’s books up to this point. Instead, I have preferred her adult fantasy series. So this was really a perfect marriage for me! More of the “Divine Rivals” world, but packaged in a stand-alone adult fantasy novel! What’s more, this was set in the extreme past of that original duology, so while readers of “Divine Rivals” may make extra connections, this one is definitely approachable on its own! I highly recommend it!

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

“The Second Death of Locke” Review

Almost all of my favorite books include some element of romance (though I definitely fall strongly in the “fantasy romance” category vs. “romantasy” as far as my preferences go). But this one probably stands out as having one of the more central romances to the story and boy, did I love it! This will be the book I will point to as an example of true yearning and slow-burn tension for quite some time, I think. I’ll pass on the possessive alphas, the “touch her and die” machismo, and the shadow daddies. No, give me the focused, committed, “never takes his eyes off her” devotion of this romantic hero any day! This book proves that you don’t need to add ridiculous levels of contrived angst to still have a tension-filled romance! Definitely check it out if you want a fresh approach to romantic fantasy!

1.) “The Everlasting” by Alix E. Harrow

“The Everlasting” Review

I’m sure this will be showing up on many people’s “Top 10” lists; it’s just that good! This was one of those cases where I cracked it open and was immediately a bit wary as the story was being told in second person. But I had faith in Harrow’s abilities, and that faith was returned tenfold! This was a beautiful, heart-wrenching tale of history, storytelling, and the power of love. Add in a powerful lady knight and a twisty, time travel based plot, and you have a whopper of a book! I highly recommend this for pretty much any fantasy fan! D

So, there we have it, my top reads for the year! Now it’s time to cheat and include some honorable mentions that didn’t make the list. As I said above, some of these I would have included but for the fact that I listed another book in the series last year, so I didn’t want the list to get repetitive. Others were just shy of making the cut on their own, but still well worth a shout out! Here they are:

“A Drop of Corruption” Review

“Red Tempest Brother” Review

“The Liar’s Knot” Review

“The Things Gods Break” Review

“Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales” Review

What were some of your favorite reads of 2024?