March was Women's History Month, and I had some great reads that I need you to read too). One was my second 5-star read of the year (and was only 164 pages).

Just a reminder, as with any other month of the year, whether it's Black History Month, Pride Month, Women's History, or any other month recognizing a marginalized group of people... these months are given these titles in order to allow for the opportunity to highlight and be intentional about celebrating them! It doesn't stop once the month is over. Keep reading diversely and continue to open up your world!

Ok, first up; I want to highlight my 5-star read, which was I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.

This book was only ~164 pages, yet it packs quite the punch. This book is a speculative dystopian work of fiction following a young women who can not remember her past and who relies on the memories of the 39 other women of varying ages who are imprisoned with her, to shape her knowledge of the world "before" and provide perspective into their imprisonment and their current existence.

I Who Have Never Men explores the world where there are no men. Initially, there were guards but they disappear and we don't see another man again. The story itself explores life without men, both through the lens of our MC who really has never known any men, and through the perspective of the 39 other women who have their memories and are able to miss the companionship and presence. One of the things I found the most interesting was in the novel was the way in which the women work together and have their small community together, while working to survive. The lack of men helps to subtlety highlight how each sex "lacks" in a way.

The novel is an incredibly moving look into a foreign world where we never know what is going on. The loneliness, despair, confusion all cut like a knife, and regularly choked me up or caused me to tear up. It is a look at the human spirit to persist, or choose not to. To survive, and how community shapes how that survival looks.

The author was a Belgian Jewish refugee. Her family fled from Belgium during the Nazi occupation, moving to Morocco, where they had built a successful business exporting fabrics and laces. The book itself never explicitly references the holocaust, but we can see the effect it had on her writing and imagery in I who have Never Known Men, especially when discussing the guards and their treatment, the prison and the various ways in which other prisoners were found. The novel was originally published in its original French and translated into English in 1997.

I'm so happy to see so many people talking about recently. The exploration of female friendships, intimacy, support, community and friendships, which are only highlighted by the setting and events, are devastatingly moving, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I can only hope that it will receive similar treatment to Lord of the Flies and get its own adaptation someday.

Burn the Sea is an upcoming novel (1st in a planned duology) which will be released on April 21, 2026. The novel explores a reimagining of the Portuguese invasion of southern India in the 1500's and the efforts of the warrior queen, Abbakka Chowta at repelling them. In Burn the Sea, the Portuguese are replaced by sea monsters half man half snake. We see her fight for her family and her country's freedom from these invaders, rising to the office of ruling, something which Abbakka's sister was born to do.

The novel features a love triangle, lush imagery, moving friendships and a look into the female support that surrounds Abbakka, and political intrigue and machinations that are essential for preserving the sanctity and freedom of Ullal.

Growing up, I devoured books about the Tudor women, Boudicca, Zenobia, and Cleopatra. The Royal Diaries were well-read in my household. This is a fictionalized version of events, but it takes heavy inspiration of the real world events that Rani Abbakka Chowta went through while fighting the Portuguese invaders. I can't wait to see what happens in book two. If you want some follow up reads to learn more about the history and events that inspired Burn the Sea, see the following:

• https://web.archive.org/web/20070807132003/http://www.boloji.com/history/028.htm

• https://kamat.com/kalranga/itihas/abbakka.htm

• Yugal Joshi (2019). Women Warriors of India. Rupa Publications. pp. 78–82. ISBN 9789353334079.

Lastly, I have to talk about The Poet Empress (one of my February reads). This was (unbelievably) a debut novel by the author, Shen Tao.

The story follows a young peasant women who finds herself as a part of the royal harem and is then set to become the future empress of her country. She is searching for a way to save her home from famine and her people from starvation. All of this leads to her being selected to become a part of the Crown Princes harem, and then later chosen as the future Empress. Her new husband, the next Emperor is a despot, with a magical penchant for violence and weapons (and several brothers with other varying magical abilities). Wei Yin, our fmc, decides she must kill him in order to bring about peace and save her country (and by extension her family), but the only way she can kill him is to write a spell. It just so happens that the only spell that can kill her husband requires that she love him. We see deep and heavy familial bonds and and the breaking of those bonds, court politics, difficult decisions, magic and lies, but also moments of kindness and empathy.

We see a young woman who is abused and hurt, but who pushes through for the love of her family and for those around her. Wei Yin is an intelligent, capable and empathetic young women. We see things through her eyes, we learn of other through her eyes. I really enjoyed the empathy that she has for those around her, but also the nuance that was a central the her character and growth.

I can not wait to see more from Shen Tao in the future because this was a wonderful and moving standalone novel.

I'm currently reading Aisha, by Soraya Bouazzaoui a novel inspired by the Moroccan warrior goddess, Aisha. The story follows a young freedom fighter and rebel who has much more under the surface than meets the eye. Literally. Coincidentally, this rebellion in this novel is also set in opposition to the Portuguese.

I love stories of strong and powerful women and I'm all the happier when they are inspired by reality, like with Rani Abbakka Chowta, who kept the Portuguese at bay from her homeland for decades.

Drop some recs for me if there are any similar stories you love that I should add to my tbr <3

It's been a while. No really, since November.

Since the new year, I have had a few life changes. One, I had a career change! Prior to that I spent time in Boston with my family for my younger cousins wedding and my birthday the next day (I miss Boston).

I've primarily been able to listen to audiobooks. I'm in a season of Malazan and Robin Hobb in that format more recently, and had a short detour into Heated Rivalry (which I DNFd but may pick up again at a later time).

Back to Malazan though. Malazan is considered by many to be one of the most intimidating fantasy series you could read. I'm here to say don't let that stop you from giving it a try. It is rich and intense and has a great depth to it that I absolutely adore, but I find it captivating and even sometimes fun! Not Deadhouse Gates (book two is brutal and I still cry thinking about it).

I was lucky enough to be able to obtain a set of the first six books in the series from The Broken Binding.

and a little moment for the covers

So I listened to the first three of these books on audio, of course on Libro, my favorite audio book platform where purchases support local indie bookstores and I actually own my books (and am not just purchasing the license to the books, unlike some big global retailers).

Unfortunately, the narrator, Ralph Lister is replaced after book three with another narrator and I am not transitioning well. Nothing against Michael Page but Ralph was just so good. I did a bit of a deep dive and found out that he was replaced because he was a union member and was more expensive so I am participating in an act of boycott 15+ years too late. Just kidding, I just can't get used to a new author yet.

Anyhow book one, Gardens of the Moon was a fun adventure introducing us to the world of Malazan.

Book two, Deadhouse Gates, is a brutal 180. Emotional and complex, it further expands the universe all while giving us a glimpse into another working limb of the Malazan Empire. We are able to see how the Empire has expanded and grew into the Empire it is while also seeing the civilizations and cultures that are both around them (unconquered) and within, adapting to fit within the Empires mold. There is a heavy influence from both the Roman and Ottoman Empires, visible in the way that once a place is conquered, the local people are set up to govern again, though they are now within the Empire itself. No spoilers but book two show a visceral and maddening look at a Malazan refugee train moving across a continent, all while attempting to survive a holy war keen on exterminating them. We also see some friendly faces from Book 1 in the only slightly, lighthearted storyline in this god damed (excellent) book.

Finally, I got to Memories of Ice which was EPIC. It had a lot of the emotional depth that Deadhouse Gates had, without nearly as much of the distressing heaviness (though there was still some of that). Memories of Ice has a bit more of the adventurous "fun" vibe that I felt in Gardens of the Moon. I was also really happy to see more of the humor that we caught glimpses of in the previous two books, giving some moments of levity and showing very real interactions where the worst possible thing you can think of can be happening to a character, and yet they still make a little quip. I've been told by quite a few people that it is the fan favorite of the series and I can see why. It brings together multiple characters with incredible arcs and plot progression, not to mention a shocking and insane final chapter. I can't wait to dive into Book 4, House of Chains, and I'm interested in seeing if the experience changes while reading a physical copy myself, vs listening to the audio for the previous three books. I will of course still hear Ralph's voice in my head.

While listening to the Malazan books, I was also reading physical copies of The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I don't want to get too much into it here because I full plan on writing a full post about it but it was incredible and I loved everything about it so much. It is without a doubt one of the best fantasy series I have ever read.

In February, I finally got around to reading The Strength of the Few, after I finished reading my physical copies of the Farseer Trilogy. Again, I don't want to get too deep into it but I did enjoy it overall and I am really excited to see where it goes. I really enjoy how Islington really gets into the nitty-gritty of good vs. evil and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and vice versa. I think we will see more of this in book three, The Justice of One.

Now, I am listening to The Liveship Traders Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I am losing my mind. I find there is more exposition in Ship of Magic which was quite a change in my opinion fromThe Farseer Trilogy. BUT also, the maddening part, I am a certified HATER of Kyle fucking Haven. It actually hurts to read anything this man does or says, and also, Keffiyah needs to grow a damn spine. Jeez. But all that to say I am still interested in the plot.

Lastly, I need to touch on the Poet Empress by Shen Tao. This debut dark fantasy novel was excellent (I read in February), and it follows a young women who is set to become the future empress of her country. She is searching for a way to save it from famine and her people from starvation, which is actually how she ended up in the Crown Princes harem and was then chose as future Empress. Her new husband, the next Emperor is a despot, with a magical penchant for violence and weapons (and several brothers with other varying magical abilities). Wei Yin decides she must kill him, but the only way she can kill him is to write a spell, and that spell requires that she love him in order to kill him. We see deep and heavy familial bonds and and the breaking of those bonds, court politics, difficult decisions, magic and lies, but also moments of kindness and empathy. I can not wait to see more from Shen Tao in the future because this was a wonderful and moving standalone novel.

That's what I've been up to recently, but next, I will be going through the Spring 2026 Bindery Arcs that I just received, starting with my most anticipated, Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari. This is a fantasy novel inspired by the Portuguese attacks on South India in the 1500's, but in this story, the Portuguese are half men and half sea creature. I've really been enjoying it so far and can't wait to see where the story goes so I can share more:)

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Mate, by Ali Hazelwood. This was a much anticipated read for me this year, as I really enjoyed Bride, something that surprised me as I am not a big romance, or even a romantasy reader. I think my friends, I just like reading monster and alien romance and the themes that are so prevalent in the genre.

Oh yeah, that's right, I also really loved Ice Planet Barbarians, an alien romance series where a group of women are kidnapped out of their homes in order to serve nefarious purposes in the intergalactic human trafficking world, until the ship they are on crashes in a remote world that happens to have hot, eight foot tall aliens. This isn't the post to give more details on plot lines and character development, among other things, but I will say... I read the first 20 books in the series in 4 weeks. Its good, and there is actually a pretty solid sci-fi subplot in the midst of all of the romance, smut, and "interspecies mating" going on. You know... fun.

Give me a romance with a human man, though, and I usually can't be bothered. I've recently been thinking about why that is. The following line of thoughts are not exactly a new conversation. They've been happening for decades, but it is an ever evolving conversation, with the continued rise in violence against women and girls globally, and the current romantic recession.

Monster/Alien romances typically have similar themes to the typical romance genre, but are often a bit more magnified due to the "monstrous" or "animaltistic" elements of the MMCs in these books (more on that later as I am certainly NOT comparing men to animals). The main male protagonists often exhibit traits such as protectiveness and care for their "woman", showing high levels of self control (when they often fall fast and hard for the FMC), thoughtfulness, and even playfulness. Women are often drawn to these stories, including myself, because of these themes. This is not necessarily because of a lack of these traits in their personal lives with personal partners... though that certainly can be the case. These novels give women the opportunity to read, almost in a Y/N, self insert type of way, about another women being cherished, supported, lusted after and loved by their partners or the potential partners that they are interested in.

Monster romances often have plot lines that revolve around the male being territorial towards their partners (the FMC) and exhibiting "anyone else touches her and you die" type energy, while also simultaneously denying themselves their own wants until they are appropriately encouraged or interest is expressed by the FMC. We see these MMCs cherish and support the women whom they are entangled with, all while simultaneously fucking them into oblivion (consensually of course).

Actually, one of the biggest appeals of books like these are plot points where MMC falls hard and fast (often before the FMC). We get to see them wanting and needing her, but struggling to remain silent, to languish while waiting for her to express some slight level of interest to where he can express his want and interest appropriately. They hold back to ensure she is comfortable, before they make their "move". (Think of Anthony Bridgerton sniffing the air after Kate walks into the house before him, that level of want and need, you can see he is desperate for her).

Books like Mate and Ice Planet Barbarians offer escapes- scenarios which show women being treasured, cherished, protected, wanted and supported. These fantasies and stories offer and show people falling in love, going through completely impossible scenarios (which are fun! don't get me wrong) and yet the real payoff is in the relationships. We see FMCs falling in love with men who display character traits such as integrity, moral codes of conduct, kindness, protectiveness and supportiveness simultaneously, without taking away her agency, along with a myriad of other qualities that not only demand respect but are also just sexy. Which reminds me of those "monstrous" and "animalistic" traits I mentioned earlier and have touched on throughout this essay of sorts.

When talking about the monstrous and animalistic aspects of the MMCs in monster/alien romance books, what I am referencing has all to do with the instinctual characteristics of animals. Think of how wolves are protective of their pack... their mates. Take wolves for example. Wolves have been known to risk their own lives in order to protect pack members from danger. In a werewolf story, like Mate, this is a trait we see in Koen, the MMC of the story. At a certain point, Serena the FMC has a plan that puts herself at risk. We see Koen get extremely upset and protective over Serena (hot, he loves her and is trying to protect her), but Serena is pretty adamant that this is something she needs to do for the greater good. Koen doesn't like it but after a solid plan is in place he begrudgingly goes along with it and helps to implement the plan in the best and safest way, thereby not taking away Serena's agency and even deferring to her own choice in the matter (also hot).

Other "animalistic" behaviors include raw lust for their partner (mate) paired with an emphasis on consent, open communication, and ensuring their partners are comfortable with any physical and emotional milestones and progressions. Partners pay attention to each other, attuned to the others body language, and both what is said an is unsaid. This doesn't mean being a mind reader, in fact I've read some books where one character calls out another for the lack of communication or shutting them out for various reasons. Everyone has baggage. Part of the appeal is having someone willing to go through it with you when you are working on it as well.

I am often reminded of friends who are currently dating today, sharing stories with me of nightmare dates. Dates where they aren't asked a single question about themselves, or dates where there is an insinuation that they are owed something for the simple act of leaving their house and having dinner or drinks or what have you. In a time when often, as Vogue said, having a boyfriend is embarrassing.. when men often see women as something less than themselves, or when women are treated as prizes and then discarded, the conversation on romance books and the themes I've just laid out are only becoming more and more relevant.

October was a busy month for me, but the four books I WAS able to read an listen to were all excellent.

Rather than going in the order I read these books, I would like to highlight Local Heavens before continuing chronologically.

Local Heavens, by K.M Fajardo- 4.5 Stars

Local Heavens was one of the audio books I was able to select during the month of October through Libro's Audio Listening Copy (ALC) program, where I am able to select up to 10 select audiobooks each month. The premise of a cyberpunk take on The Great Gatsby interested me, and I was not disappointed. Also worth mentioning is that Local Heavens is one of Bindery's recently published books, through the Inky Phoenix Imprint!

Local Heavens was a slightly slow start, but it drew me in quickly after the set up. Anyone who has read The Great Gatsby will have some familiarity with the overall story, going in to this novel, but Fajardo takes the time to set up the world and time that Local Heavens is set in. 2075 to be specific. The novel captures, if not improves the readers understanding and perception of the yearning between characters, class division and frustration of working class people, and emphasizes and writes what were queer undertones in the original, into a fully realized beautiful and tragic queer romance. Elements of the tiptoeing and tension that are seen in Pride and Prejudice between Darcy and Elizabeth also are frequently called to my mind, between multiple characters, but especially in regards to Jordan Baker and Jay Gatsby.

I'd highly recommend reading Local Heavens. I came away feeling I understood The Great Gatsby itself better. Seeing the class divides and the corporate imperialism and power is easier to grasp in a futuristic setting than the that of the original set in the era of Prohibition. I'll be thinking of this book for a while.

Assassin's Apprentice, by Robin Hobb- 5 Stars

I have been hungry for a series like The Farseer Trilogy for a while. Hobb creates a world that moves slowly, though I never felt bored. Everything, every scene, every conversation, serves a purpose, even the seemingly mundane ones. I appreciate being able to sit with the characters and getting to watch the world expand organically at a pace that does not feel rushed, an issue that seems to be prevalent in much of modern fantasy today. The royal family politics, backstabbing (though not quite as harshly portrayed as GoT, thank god) court intrigue, and magic systems are all interesting and I've already started Royal Assassin.

A Steeping of Blood, by Hafsah Faizal- 4 Stars

This is the second book of The Blood and Tea Duology. There were so many things about this book that I really loved; the vampires OF COURSE, the continued themes of found/made family, especially a crime family. The yearning is excellent, the friendships are key foundations to the plot, fighting colonialism and imperialism. The book had me all the way to the end. I'm going to make some allusions to the end of the book and try to ensure that its not spoiled if you do read this series. Consider yourself forewarned, reader. I understand the final choice by the author and why it was made, but I can't say I like it or agree with it.

When the Tides Held the Moon, by Vanessa Vida Kelley- 4 Stars

This was a lovely historic Romantasy novel, following a young metalsmith from Puerto Rico who emigrated to New York, and later finds himself working at a "freakshow" on Coney Island in the early 1900's, after helping to unknowingly capture and imprison a merman. This novel shines a light on the experiences of immigrants, and people who are and have been "othered "in society. The found family, and romance were very moving and I could not stop listening to this audiobook. The romance between Benny and Rio could have felt like a prisoner/savior situation (in a bad way) but Vanessa wrote in a way that you can truly see that Benny was almost as much of a prisoner as Rio is, and he is determined to free Rio, even though he is terribly afraid. Both of losing him, and of the consequences from the perpetrators of Rio's capture. This was a delightful romantasy novel, and the cover art is incredible.

I am super happy with all of my reads of this month and would recommend all of them.

September was a long month for me, but, I read/listened to more books than I thought!

Here are the five books I read, what I rated them, and some thought's (which I usually input to Fable right after finishing them). I try to be as spoiler free, though there may be allusions to some plot points, for those that have read the book, or prior books (in some instances).

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil- 4.5 ⭐

By V.E Schwab

This book brings to life the feeling of feminine rage and pain and love and happiness, all in one. All three women (vampires?) in the book are very different from each other and yet all three have things I admire, dislike, and more, about each. Schwab always does an incredible job setting up the stories she writers, and finished with an incredible finale. The feeling of this book reminds me of Addie, but the pacing is faster. There are more things occurring, and the faster pace really had me pulled in much quicker. Big fan of the feelings felt along this read. I love the various settings, especially Boston. I also love the jaunt through time, from the perspectives of our vampiresses. The ending was not at all what I was expecting and I loved it.

The Last Graduate- 4.25 ⭐

By Naomi Novik

I can’t even begin to explain how fun this book is. Granted, it is also a dark book. Kids are dying left and right in a "eat or be eaten" world. Literally, book two ups the stakes in heart wrenching and exciting way. These kids are always looking out for themselves in order to survive. They kind of have to. The journey of getting a bunch of scared, powerful, witch/wizard kids to work together in a world where they only know to look out for themselves.. I could literally see it (the school, the kids, the training, everything) in my minds eye. I love the dynamics with El and Orion. This is a fun and exciting young crush/romance. Novak writes the feelings of being a teenager really well. I can’t say I didn’t see the ending coming. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The build up was intense and it was a solid pay-off.

The Golden Enclaves- 4.5 ⭐

By Naomi Novik

The final installation of the trilogy had me choking up and crying by the end of the book. I genuinely didn’t not know whether this book would have a happy or sad ending (I'm not telling you either, unless you really want to know, in which case, message me). Naomi captures what it feels like to have friends and community so well. Young love, found and made family, classism, power and using it for good... Ughhh I enjoyed this series so much. The ending was really well done and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the friendships that really are the star of the series. I really would love to see an adaptation someday.

James- 5 ⭐

By Percival Everett

An incredibly moving and powerful book. I would say this is all the more moving because of the connection so many of us have to the story of Huckleberry Finn, having read it multiple times growing up. Everett uses that history and connection to really make the reader feel the horror of the things that happen to James and his various companions. This should be required reading, alongside and right after The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in every school in America. The visceral (though not overly graphic) horrors are upsetting and nausea inducing. I

It’s an incredible book. It makes you think, re-examine, think some more, feel deeply, and come away feeling angry, appalled, and upset. The story telling is masterful, truly allowing you to feel what James feels, and see things through his eyes and perspective. I can not recommend enough,

The Cat Who Saved Books- 3.75 ⭐

By Sosuke Natsukawa

A charming cozy little fantasy book about a boy, a girl, and a talking cat who go on four "trials" in order to save books. Each trial/journey acts as a parable for readers. I enjoyed them and the way they served as commentary on different observations made by the author.

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Well that's my September wrap-up. Currently working on a long form video on one of my favorite topics. I've discussed in the past but, I think its time for a re-do.