Dearest Inky Phoenix Fam,

We have a special treat for y'all as a thank you for being the absolute best! Susan put together these amazing companion pieces to WAYWARD SOULS ranging from bonus essays to fascinating research on the book. Enjoy!

ACCESS BONUS CONTENT HERE

password: waywardsouls

It’s that time of the month to vote for next months book club reads! April is my birthday month, so I always like to read books that I’m anticipating will be new all time favorites!

Each person gets two votes if you wish to vote for both categories. We will have 3 fantasy and 3 thriller books to choose from. Voting will end 3/31!

This is a new series where I attempt to find as many new Tuesday releases as I can in the science fiction categories, which include speculative fiction, dystopian, time travel, robots/AI, steampunk, postapocalptic, LitRPG, ya sci-fi, LGBTQ sci-fi, afrofuturism, sci-fi horror, alien romance, and anything else I feel could be your gateway drug into the genre.

In Time With You by Kristin Dwyer (St. Martin's Press) - Time travel romance. A girl's first love drowns, and she wakes up a year before and tries to stop it from happening while falling for his best friend. Is it really sci-fi? IDK that time travel speculative fiction is technically sci-fi, but if you're a romance girlie and this is how I get you to jump into sci-fi? Call me a gateway drug pusher. Get in the spaceship bitch.

Celestian Lights by Cecile Pin (MacMillan) - An astronaut born the day Challenger fell out of the sky gets tapped by an "enterprising" billionaire (we are already suspicious, but go on...) to lead a mission to Europa, and spends the whole journey retreating into his past - relationships lost, becoming a husband and father, the usual spiral. Literary sci-fi, less hard science more human condition, which is either your thing or it isn't. Cecile Pin's previous book Wandering Souls was Women's Prize longlisted and reportedly destroyed people emotionally, so if you enjoy a book that makes you question every choice you've ever made while also being in space, this one's for you.

Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit) - Book 4 in Children of Time. Spiders in space, a mantis shrimp captain, humans trying to figure out what happened to a lost colony. If you haven't started this series and you love diverse found-family crews doing impossible things...well me either but if you have will you please tell me if it's worth starting a hugely thicc series?

Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories by Amal El-Mohtar (Macmillan) - Short story collection from the co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War. Described as "fairy tales with teeth." I was obsessed with TIHYLTTW and El-Mohtar's other work hasn't been for me but has won many awards, so I still continuously give it a chance.

Deep Black by Miles Cameron (Simon & Schuster) - Book 2 in the Arcana Imperii space opera series - being re-released with a new cover in paperback. Black MC, autistic-coded love interest, nonbinary secondary character, queernorm setting. But the author is a white Canadian dude. His name is Christian Cameron but his Sci-fi pen name is Miles Cameron. He is on Bluesky as @phokion.bsky.social so do your own research. Described as perfect for fans of Tchaikovsky and The Expanse. I've read neither...should I? Let me know.

Trace Elements by Jo Walton & Ada Palmer (Macmillan) Two award winning sci-fi authors have a conversation about modern SFF, how it's written and how it's read. So this is sort of a nonfic sci-fi subgenre. "Subjects covered include...the implicit contract between author and reader, the ways SF and fantasy disguise themselves as one another, what SF&F can learn from outside influences ranging from Shakespeare to Diderot to anime, the role of complicity in reading, the need to expand our “sphere of empathy”, and finally the need for optimism, the importance of rejecting “purity” culture, and the fact that the human story for centuries to come will be composed of hard work." This sounds like everything I stand for so I will probably read this even though a book about books is way outside my wheelhouse.

I want you to notice that instead of putting the Imprint publisher, I'm listing them under their Big 5. Why? I want to continuously drive the point home that it's a damn monopoly and the only way to fight it is to support indie presses and authors. So here is my shameless plug:

If you liked this and want more of whatever THIS is — unhinged book analysis, barely contained rage at the state of the world, and occasional Tamsyn Muir references that I will never apologize for — consider subscribing for $5/month. Every cent goes to people who actually need it, because I have a day job and a cause, not a brand deal. This is my middle finger to Big 5 publishing, dressed up as a book blog. Come hold it up with me.

Here are some March 24th and 31st new book releases on my radar (and should be on yours!). First, the ones I've had a chance to read:

Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrove 5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy messy lesbians...because us bi/pan girls can be messy too. This one goes deep with our characters.

Only a Little While Here by Maria Ospena Pizano 3.5/5 stars

Put this on your TBR if you enjoy books from unusual perspectives...this story is told through the eyes of several animals interacting with the human world.

And the six I'm still waiting to get my hands on:

Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher

Why it interests me: it's a T Kingfisher book. This is described as gothic, which always interests me.

Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin

Why it interests me: it sounds like a character-forward book about space travel.

The Dog Meows, the Cat Barks by Eka Kurniawan

Why it interests me: a translated work about an overbearing parent from a child's perspective

American Han by Lisa Lee

Why it interests me: a story of second-generation immigrants coming of age in the 1980s.

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

Why it interests me: set in a daycare center for adults with autism and other disabilities.

A Good Person by Kirsten King

Why it interests me: it is billed to be weird girl lit fic.

Hello All,

I've attached this weeks community calendar! You may notice, I moved last weeks written posts to this week! (Last week got way too busy!

Here's what you need to know!

• Fridays have been working really well for our Discord reading sprints! Hop on in the Discord and read with us Friday starting at 5pm PST.

• The last day to upgrade to get What Feed Below benefits ($5 earcs, $12, $25 physical arcs) is March 30. Do not miss this important date. You also want to make sure you have your address on the Bindery profile.

• If you missed the news I partnered with BOOK SHOP . ORG to get you a 15% discount on Must Read Indigenous books! This sale is only happening until 3/30 and only the books listed here are eligible. Use code: BSO15

• Toni Morrison read a long! Bay Area Book Festival recently invited me to a chat with Namwali Serpell for her new release On Morrison and it motivated me to read all of Morrison's work in chronological order. A few folks in the Discord said they wanted to join, so we are starting with The Bluest Eye in April alongside On Morrison.

• What Feeds Below has over 100 reviews on Netgalley and still has a 5 STAR average rating! Just a reminder, if you have not pre-order What Feeds Below yet, please do today! I know this book can make it on a best seller list if we all come together and support it! (Also, early preorders will help our imprint secure a book for Fall 2027!

• 

SICKOS! I want to know what book cheeks you’re spreading this week and I’ve got my lineup for ya below. And this is officially the new home of the Monday Reading Updates as I won’t be filming those anymore. Any tweaks/suggestions are welcome but mainly I just wanna know what you’re getting into.

READING
REVIEW
NAPOLEON: A LIFE by ANDREW ROBERTS (nonfiction, historical biography)
Progress: Finished.
Finished this THICC BOI over the weekend after having worked on it for almost three weeks. I might do a full written review of this for y’all because I find Roberts’ case of intellectual Stockholm Syndrome fascinating. It did what it said on the tin though and I have an ultimately favorable view of the book. It’s just not the mind-blowing five-star must-read that it has often been hyped to be.

HOW TO HOLD SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART by MIZUKU TSUJIMURA (contemporary fantasy/magical realism)
#2 in “The Lost Souls Series”
Progress: 175/211
I loved Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon but I am wondering if this sequel was totally necessary, despite enjoying the tie-ins from chapter 1 and the historical angle in chapter 2. Basically, there’s a go-between that allows a living person to talk with a dead person for one night, and those various meetings are told in episodes. Super cool concept and still enjoying it. Maybe the ending will slap like the last one and boost ‘er up. Should finish in tonight.

GAMES WITHOUT RULES: THE OFTEN INTERRUPTED HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN by TAMIM ANSARY (narrative historical nonfiction)
Progress: 69/350
Ansary’s Destiny Disrupted is one of my all-timers and I’ve been digging this one too. His conversational style is super easy to get into and the information is excellent. It’s simple to label Afghanistan the “graveyard of empires” and keep it moving but Ansary is currently unpacking why it’s much more nuanced than that. Will continue!

PREVIEW
A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS by GEORGE RR MARTIN (fantasy)
If you saw my top 10 favorite fantasy series of all-time video on YouTube then you know how much love I have for this world so I’m pretty jazzed up to read this one. I’m a little late to the party as it’s the March Fiction Sickos Book Club pick but manuscripts have been eating into my time when my brain is sizzling for something other than nonfiction.

I’ll probably throw in some Berserk or give something like 20th Century Boys a crack, but other than what’s noted and manuscripts, that’ll probably do ‘er for the week on the reading side.

WATCHING
REVIEW
PROJECT HAIL MARY
Amaze amaze amaze! 5* adaptation that mostly stayed faithful to the source material and nailed Rocky, which was make or break. After seeing how they shot everything I gained even more respect for it. Can’t wait to see this again.

SUCCESSION - HBO MAX
Progress: S2E8
Decided to watch this after watching the new Netflix documentary “Dynasty: The Murdochs” because while I knew there were similarities, I didn’t know how deep they ran. This is elite, modern-day King Lear stuff that I’d highly recommend.

FRIEREN - CRUNCHYROLL
Progress: S1E10
Found the next new anime I’ll obsess over! The slow roll, melancholic storytelling is pitch-perfect. Taking my time with it to fully enjoy it.

PEAKY BLINDERS - NETFLIX
Progress: S2E2
Another re-watch to work through the new movie release. I’ve watched it three times through already so, yeah, I dig it. Thinking about doing a video about WW1 tunnelers from Birmingham.

GAMING
Working on a free solo difficulty climb on Cairn, which is 10/10, the best indie game I’ve played since Disco Elysium. I’ve beat it 3 times now and still am addicted. I also downloaded Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla on PS Plus as I never completed the main storyline of that one and I needed a reason to not also buy Cairn on PS5 for late night gaming.

A COMPLEMENT OF SCOUNDRELS UPDATE
We’re putting the final, final touches on everything, including the new front/back cover designs that will include author blurbs (hopefully from John Gwynne/Nicholas Eames). Also, if you’re a Mega Sicko or above, go to your account settings and verify the name to be included in the “Thank You” page is something you’re good with being out there. Pre-orders and marking it "Want to Read" on Goodreads are both great signals to stores that they should stock it, btw :D

OTHER RANDOM STUFF
I’ve bumped up to 3x days a week at the climbing gym (part of the reason I moved the Monday updates here). Consistently sending “V3” now, which is considered the transition from beginning to intermediate level of bouldering. Getting to know other climbers has been great and everything I heard about the culture being welcoming/supportive is dead on. I’ll be posting some stuff on IG/TikTok Stories if you want to follow my progress visually. My next goal is to convince my wife that I need a more expensive pair of climbing shoes now that I have a better idea of what I need.

🚨What happens when one tiny lie turns into a full-blown nightmare you can’t escape? Because One Small Mistake proves that sometimes one bad decision is all it takes.😬

Our book club dove into One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith, and let’s just say the theories, gasps, and “WAIT… WHAT?!” moments were nonstop. Here’s what the club thought:

📚 The Plot Twist Queen: I was hooked from the start. Elodie’s desperation to prove she’s not the disappointing sister felt so real, and that drunken lie about a book deal made me cringe because I knew it was about to spiral. Watching it unravel was equal parts stressful and addictive.

🕵️ The Detective: I loved trying to piece everything together. Every time I thought I knew what happened to Elodie, the story flipped the script. Ada digging into her sister’s disappearance had me side-eyeing every single character.

😱 The Suspense Addict: This book gave me that delicious anxiety where you keep reading even though you know it’s going to get worse. Elodie’s situation just kept escalating and I couldn’t look away.

🔍 The Overthinker: Ada’s perspective really pulled me in. Her perfect life slowly cracking while she searches for the truth added another layer to the story. The deeper she looked, the darker everything got.

🍷 The Late-Night Reader: I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and suddenly it was 2 AM. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter made it impossible to stop.

📖 The Twist Hunter: The pacing was fantastic and the secrets kept coming. I loved how no one felt completely trustworthy it made the mystery even more fun to unravel.

✨Book Club Verdict: A twisty, tense thriller about lies, secrets, and the terrifying ripple effect of one bad choice. If you love suspense that keeps you guessing, this one delivers.

❓What’s your favorite thriller where one small lie spirals into a massive, life-changing disaster?

"In fact, what she most wanted, and could never before articulate, was to find the place where she made sense and help others do the same."

GENRE: Cozy Fantasy
RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: What a BEAUTIFUL story! This one is for those of us who are a little bit lost, looking for a place to call home and a community that accepts us as we are. It teaches us that we don't need to change and one day, we'll find that perfect home and found family that shows us that

Review:
Okay where do I start? I LOVED everything about The Moonsingers, from the whimsy and the tone, the themes that focus on finding yourself and your home, building a community and a small town? Plus the entire adventure of trains, telegrams & letters, folklore and so much more? I AM IN (or well, I was and then I read it and I loved it😂)

The Moonsinger is a Cozy Fantasy that focuses on so many things but ultimately, to me, it was a story about standing out in a community that never understood you and having to leave to find your home and place in the world. Ismay never fit in society and didn't understand all the unsaid rules. Because of this, she struggles to find her own community outside of her family and even then, her own family loves her but doesn't understand her.

And so Ismay moves to a smaller town for a job to fix her own situation and intends to go back but OH WHAT AN ADVENTURE SHE EXPERIENCES!!

Ismay moves to Glenmaidens and becomes a private tutor to the Underhill sisters and oh, what a lovely community they build. It's two different communities who have always been outsiders, never fitting in finding each other. Ismay leads all the three girls through different lessons and learns with them that fitting in isn't necessary when you are in a place that will accept you as you are. With that, they all find a home in each other and a community. Sometimes, you have to leave the place you grew up in and find a home somewhere else rather than work to fit yourself in somewhere you were never meant to be in.

Oh and the adventures in The Moonsingers? We have Ismay meeting Hamish Breck, finding out about the secrets that are hidden in Glenmaidens with a dose of magic and Ismay making friends and meeting new people in the community. OH and obviously, them trying to stop the train from being built where the Oak tree is!

This Cozy Fantasy is for those of us who feel a little bit lost and dont know where home is. It's for those of us who haven't found our community and feel that loneliness at not belonging where we grew up. It's a story that gives us hope that there is a place for us somewhere that will accept us as we are and people that will love us for who we are. It's a lesson that we don't need to change to fit in, we will find those who love us for who we are.

What a beautiful and lovely story. I now want to try Tablet and can't wait to acquire some!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

If your book club loves twisty thrillers, messy secrets, and stories that make you question every single character, then One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith needs to be on your reading list immediately.

This gripping suspense novel starts with something that feels harmless enough: a tiny lie told during a drunken night out. But when Elodie’s small mistake spirals into something much bigger, the consequences become darker, messier, and far more dangerous than anyone expected.

Meanwhile, her sister Ada’s seemingly perfect life starts to crack as she digs deeper into Elodie’s disappearance. The more she uncovers, the more it becomes clear that nothing and no one is exactly what it seems.

And honestly? It’s the kind of book that demands a book club discussion. The theories alone will keep your group talking all night.

What’s Inside the Book Club Kit

To make your next meeting unforgettable, I’ve put together a fully themed book club kit inspired by the suspense, secrets, and twists in the story.

When you tap the link, you’ll get access to:

📖 A full discussion guide with thought-provoking questions about the characters, themes, and shocking twists

🍸 A themed menu with recipes inspired by lies, secrets, and plot twists

🎲 Interactive book club activities including a detective board mystery game and fun lie-themed icebreakers

🎁 Themed door prize ideas perfect for thriller lovers

Basically, everything you need to turn a normal meeting into a suspense-filled book club experience.

Perfect For Book Clubs That Love…

🔎 Psychological thrillers

📚 Character-driven mysteries

😱 Plot twists you don’t see coming

🍷 Fun, interactive book club nights

If your group enjoys books that keep everyone guessing until the very last page, this one will definitely spark some lively debate.

Ready to Plan Your Book Club Night?

Whether your group is full of amateur detectives or just loves a good thriller, this kit makes hosting easy and fun.

👉 Tap the link to get the full One Small Mistake Book Club Kit and start planning your next suspense-filled book club night.

https://tinyurl.com/mu9rtydz

Trust me once your group starts sharing theories, you’ll all be wondering the same thing:

How far would you go to protect one small lie? 👀📖

"Have you ever heard of the invisible string theory? ... It's this idea that two people who are destined to be together are made up of all these invisible strings that lead them to each other."

GENRE: Romance
RATING: 4.25/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Tropes: Fake Dating, Second Chance, Popstar x Screenwriter, Slow Burn

Review:
This was an interesting, fun read and in many ways, showed us a different kind of love: The Vulnerable kind that survives outside pressure with Sienna being famous.

We basically follow along from Sienna's POV as she gets a second chance at love with Luc through a fake relationship that might become the real thing?

Sienna is a complicated character, one that the author clearly wrote to make us empathise with her yet feel frustrated at her. There were a lot of moments that I related to Sienna: how hard it is to trust people, how grief changes who you are and you lose sight of it which impacts how others see you and the inability to be able to control everything. It's also protecting yourself from hurt when its been a lifetime of them.

I think writing a character like Sienna with the focus being that she became a pop star so young and that it has dominated so much of her life making her mistrust her own judgement of people and not being able to be her own person added a depth to the story that was done beautifully.

We also get to see Sienna acknowledge her privileges and how she balances that struggle with being Burnt out from her career and we do dive into this as a theme in the book, which I enjoyed overall.

We then meet Luc and as this is Sienna's POV only, we get the entire story from her eyes. My heart did go out to Luc and the hurt they had both endured. I think I would have liked to get to know more about Luc but usually, getting to know the other MCs in a single-POV Romance tend to be a hit or miss depending on the narrative style the authors choose. We do get to see Luc is a kind MMC, one that is willing to stand with Sienna through all her journey and is willing to be there, if she'd accept him. It did hurt my heart when he got hurt, not going to lie but that is a testimony to building a connection with our MMC.

I also loved the theory of Invisible strings, how two people are destined for one another in every life no matter what. It's when Luc tells Sienna that they would have met even if she never became famous🥺

I really did enjoy Infinite Ghost and I can't wait to read more by the author! As her debut, I think this is a lovely book and I'm excited for more releases.

Thank you to the author for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

There's been some heavy news coming out of the fundamental Christian world this week. When these stories come to light, it can trigger a lot of emotions in those of us who have left high-control religion.

One thing that has helped me deconstuct from evangelicalism is (surprise, surprise) reading. Here are a few books that have helped me. First the non-fiction:

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

I read this when I was still in the evangelical church. It helped me to start to identify the way patriarchal values have influenced what I was taught to believe about Jesus.

A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings

In the church, this would be called a "powerful testimony" that highlights the harm fostered in such spaces.

Awake by Jen Hatmaker

Jen was too liberal for me when I was in the church, but reading her story of deconstructing was healing for me.

Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America by Tal Lavin

There have been a number of recent books on the Christian Right, but this one helped me process through it as a political movement.

And now some fiction books that provided healing:

Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus

Our protagonist is a teen growing up in a controlling religious family, coming to terms with her own sexuality.

American Rapture by CJ Leede

Our protagonist was raised in a controlling religious family, but now has to make it on her own in apocalyptic times.

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

At a conversion therapy camp, whose side are the demons on?

"I'm not sure I have the right words to describe it yet because "love" doesn't feel strong enough to describe what's grown between us."

GENRE: Romance
RATING:4.25/5
FORMAT:eBook Arc

Overall Impression:A Love Story that brings two people who don't believe they deserve more and has the dynamic of a Grumpy x Sunshine? I'm always in for this, especially with a soft hearted MMC that breaks through the walls of our strong willed FMC.

Review:
Selfless Love is a story about two people who find each other, bring the best out of each other and show one another that there is hope in the world for them.

You have Adhira, who is going through cancer and grieving for multiple reason. Because of a lot of different factors, she decides to tackle her treatment and struggles alone. In many ways throughout the story, we see why Adhira makes this choice and how it impacts her. A lot of it ties to the fact that she feels she is too much for everyone else and that she isn't worth being a burden to her family and friends.

Enter Elijah, who is her new flatmate and instantly recognises a lot of the signs that Adhira tries to hide and he shows up for her in ways she didnt expect or want to accept. As we slowly starts to get to know him, we see Elijah for the Golden Retriever MMC he is, how he gives and has constantly done so without receiving a lot back.

I think one of my favourite part about Selfless Love is that you get to see how both MCs help each other. Adhira is able to see that she deserves help and is not a burden. She is shown throughout the story by multiple people that just because she is different whether it is due to her neurodivergent, her newly discovered sickness and treatment or other things that have hunted her throughout life. Elijah gets to see that he can't be there for everyone without receiving anything back. You can only give so much before there is nothing left to give if you don't take care of yourself.

We also get to meet their friend group. This is book 2 in an inter-connected series but as I havent read book one, it was lovely to get to know all the side characters and made me excited to read book 1 and continue the series.

We also meet Archie and both the MCs families. Meeting Elijah's sisters was so wholesome and you see Adhira build her relationship with them throughout the story too.

And as always, I am always here for a Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic and I think this was done in a lovely way with so much pain, emotions and love. I can't wait to read more by the author and the first book in the series.

Thank you to the author and Happily Booked Arc for the Arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Is there any line that you will not cross for our freedom?"

GENRE: Fantasy with Retelling & Moroccan Mythology Folklore
RATING: 4.75/5
FORMAT: Arc (eBook & physical)

Review:
Historical Fantasy and Retellings/Mythologies as a sub-genres are one of my favourites and when you mix them together, I always know I'm going to end up loving it. In the case of Aicha here, this is a Moroccan Folklore written by an OwnVoice author and it was beautiful to see a representation of my own culture in Fantasy books.

I think the author did an amazing work of building up to that climax in the story. Perhaps it isn't the way most people would prefer in stories (which is completely valid) but to me, it was written in a way that slowly showed us all the various points that Aicha and her family are fighting for. It built the stakes and showed what life was under occupation. It showed what happens when your country is taken over by colonisation and their attempt of erasing your culture. It's the culmination of years of grief, loss and anger coming through Aicha.

You get to see Aicha in her community, with Rachid and see their love blossom in a way that it could when you're fighting for so many things. You could see Aicha and her sister, Samira, as you feel their loss after losing their mother. You see Aicha caring for her father, her friends and the community overall. And most importantly? You see Aicha's internal struggle against her rage and the monster inside her.

Essentially, Soraya Bouazzaoui wrote a story in which we get to see Moroccan culture represented through food, setting and other elements. We get to see it's beauty and what people would do to preserve their home and get it back. It shows the cost of being part of a rebellion and what everyone gives up to win against colonial powers in their own homes. It's a story of Atay, Meloui and beautiful Moroccan settings that reminds me of being in there with family, years later where we reap the reward of those who have fought before us.

Before I end this review, I do want to point out that after discussing the book with other readers who have read it, I will say that I did enjoy the narrative style in here personally but there's been a lot of discussion as to whether the rage is being told as opposed to being shown. Overall, this may not work for you if you prefer action packed stories or stories in which there is more "telling" as opposed to "showing". I think this can be very subjective, as to me, I felt we could feel Aicha's Anger and the Feminine Rage in the way she was allowed to. Aicha lives in a time where she wasn't able to express this rage and had to hide it in smaller, defiant actions or keep it entirely internal. I did feel that the way her rage was reflected throughout the story was fitting for the entire thing. I always love discussing books with others and it was interesting to see how we all interpreted the book!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy! I can't wait to read more from the author in the future.

I can't believe I forgot to share my Janurary reads with y'all! Better late than never, I guess. I read 5 books in January and most of them were audiobooks because my brain was not cooperating with reading print and e-books. Here are the books I read and my mini reviews.

The Undertakers (Murder and Magic #2) by Nicole Glover

Black American • Historical Fantasy Mystery

The Undertakers is a multi-genre adventure! 

We follow magical investigators Hetty and Benjy Rhodes, living in Philly after the Civil War, as they investigate the death of Raimond Duval. Raimond appears to have died in one of the many fires plaguing the city’s Black communities. When his son Valentine is also found dead, they suspect that this mystery is deeper than it seems.

Hetty and Benji’s investigation skills compliment one another, which makes this story entertaining. Each time I thought I’d figure out the case, another clue emerged! While I was glad that I couldn’t immediately figure out who the culprit was, I also felt like there may have been too many moving pieces. This made the pace drag a bit for me.

The Improvisers (Murder and Magic #3) by Nicole Glover

Black American • Historical Fantasy Mystery

The Improvisers is probably my favorite book of the Murder and Magic series, so far. 

Book 3 focuses on a new generation of the Rhodes family through Velma Frye, a woman of manyyyy talents. She’s a pilot, a former bootlegger, a jazz pianist & can wield celestial magic. Although her favorite thing to do is fly, Velma also works as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization. When her latest investigation leads her to a murder on her family’s stomping grounds, she realizes that she might not have to do this work alone.

I had a fun time following the twists & turns this story took! We get a look at what people thought of flying planes & exploring the arts scene for Black folks in the early 20th century United States.

Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola

Black British Contemporary Romance

Bolu Babalola’s follow-up to Honey & Spice is full of life!

I got lost in her world and forgot myself because the characters feel so true and yet, poetic. Kiki Banjo has always been relatable to me as someone who puts my whole heart into music. Her vulnerability, sharp wit, loyalty, and passion are addictive in this story. It was longer than I expected but I hardly noticed and actually got sad when I finished it.

This is romance but it is also literature! I wholeheartedly recommend this book as well as Honey & Spice to anyone looking for that 90s R&B kind of love.

Summoner's Circle by Coral Alejandra Moore

AfroLatina • New Adult Urban Fantasy

If you’re looking for an entertaining urban fantasy novel w/ a college-aged lead & non-western magic, Summoner’s Circle may be for you!

Dari Jiménez is an average student at a college in Moonlight Bay, Oregon. One day, while working in the library, she’s attacked by a mysterious creature and quickly saved by a tattooed woman with a mohawk. The woman claims that Dari has untapped powers inherited from her mother & needs to learn to harness them quickly to protect herself. In between combat sessions, classes, and work, her boyfriend Tyler is starting to suspect that she’s keeping something from him.

Summoner’s Circle is a relatively quick read packed w/ themes of self-discovery and intuition. I enjoyed the magic system & exploring Dari’s family’s past. I wish there was more on that & hoped there would be a second book because the ending is a bit open-ended.

The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall

Black & Caribbean • Middle Grade Fantasy

This middle grade/YA fantasy centers on community, resistance, and memory. I love the original storytelling that imagines Africans who freed themselves and others from their would-be enslavers and lived.

The Chainbreakers follows a young girl named Violet Moon, of the Sun People, who must rescue her father from the Children of the Shark. According to their lore, the chainmakers were cursed by the gods for their cruelty & forced to the depths of the ocean where they became Children of the Shark, creatures endlessly hungry for the souls of the chainbreakers aka The Sun People.

The actions & creativity of Violet and her crew are thrilling & sometimes playful. Her community is loving & compassionate as well as fierce. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone!

If any of these books interest you, I hope you'll check them out from your local library and/or purchase them via Bookshop.org or Libby.fm!

There's a reason why this one is one of my all time favorites! I love amusement parks and this one definitely delivers! One Day At Horrorland delivers nonstop scares and action!

Today's book recs feature some twisted amusement parks.

FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven--When a hurricane traps workers in an amusement park for over a month, it turns into a Lord Of The Flies situation.

Hide by Kirsten White-- An abandoned amusement park becomes the site of a killer contest.

Shockwaves by Matt Kurtz--An amusement park gets attacked by giant bugs and creatures in this fight for survival.

Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson-- A sleepover at an abandoned amusement park turns into a night of terror in this middle grade novel.

Bennytown by Matt Carter--A Disney like amusement park with a dark history.

Wow! That week flew by fast. 🏃🏻‍♀️ It feels like just yesterday I was telling y'all about my terrible flight back to Los Angeles (10/10 do not recommend flying right now), and here we are for another weekly update.

We'll keep this one sweet and short, because not much reading has been going on around here. Instead, I've been playing with my website, Pinterest, and prepping for the April historical fiction look-ahead. I've also posted a few things on Instagram that I'll share below. Plus, I've been posting again on TikTok, though I still refuse to add the app back to my phone.

I finished The Hired Man, the new Sandra Dallas Dust Bowl book, and, unsurprisingly, I loved it. She has a knack for character development and atmospheric storytelling that brings her books to life. I also really appreciate that her books with young characters never feel YA, which suits me just fine. I can't wait to finish prepping my Dust Bowl Historical Fiction blog post/YT video. That book will DEFINITELY make the list. 4⭐️s

With Love From Harlem was up next for me and, boy, did it blow me away! I won't lie, Reshonda Tate's debut wasn't my favorite, though I did find it enjoyable. I think I rated The Queen of Sugar Hill 3.5⭐️s, so I wasn't sure what to expect from her latest. My chief complaint about Sugar Hill was the pacing and the character's cyclical story arc, but I did really appreciate the inside view of Hattie McDaniel, the first Black woman to win an Oscar. Well, I'm happy to report that With Love, From Harlem was spectacular! I really hadn't heard of Hazel Scott before reading the book, and now I'm wondering why? Hazel was an incredibly gifted musician/performer and was one of the most famous Black women in America in her heyday. Learning about her life through Tate's eyes was really fun! So many great Black artists, writers, and activists made an appearance that I couldn't help but think about Harlem Rhapsody, one of my favorite books of 2025. I highly recommend With Love From Harlem if you enjoy fictionalized biographies. 4.75⭐️

I'm still reading Before We Were Yours and The Secret Lives of Murderer's Wives, but I'm getting close to finishing both. To be honest, I haven't been in a rush to finish a book lately, instead feeling very inspired to create, create, create. I suspect that's because I know I'll soon be traveling, so I'm trying to batch content. But I also have a LOT to say lately.

I'll finish this update with a look ahead: the April newsletter will be out soon, so that means first looks at the May Historical Fiction Heads Up blog post and a few other fun new things I have up my sleeve. If you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, I encourage you to do so. It's truly my favorite part of this whole passion project.

Until next week my friend!

This Week in SBB:

• Last, Now, Next Audiobook Edition

• The Vanishing Half book review

• Five Star Book Tag

• Sunday Morning with Me and Sandra Dallas

Hear it Here First:

My next giveaway will be a copy of In the Great Quiet, a debut novel by Laura Vogt! I'll announce it soon, so watch for that on your favorite social media channel.

The BBFL April poll hasn't closed yet, but it looks like we will be reading Go as a River. Join the club and read along if that one's still on your TBR!

xoxo

C