Boundless Press | Love Is a War Song

Love Is a War Song

Danica Nava

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A Muscogee pop star and a cowboy who couldn’t be more different come together to strike a deal in this new romantic comedy by Danica Nava, author of The Truth According to Ember.

Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah and dubbed her a fake. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie’s ranch in Oklahoma. Living on the rez is new to Avery—not only does she have to work in the blazing summer heat to earn her keep, but the man who runs Lottie’s horse ranch despises her and wants her gone.

Red Fox Ranch has been home to Lucas Iron Eyes since he was sixteen years old. He has lived by three rules to keep himself out of trouble: 1) preserve the culture, 2) respect the horses, and 3) stick to himself. When he is tasked with picking up Lottie’s granddaughter at the bus station, the last person he expected to see is the Avery Fox. Lucas can’t stand what she represents, but when he’s forced to work with her on the ranch, he can’t get her out of his sight—or his head. He reminds himself to keep to his rules, especially after he finds out the ranch is under threat of being shut down.

It’s clear Avery doesn’t belong here, but they form a tentative truce and make a deal: Avery will help raise funds to save the ranch, and in exchange, Lucas will show her what it really means to be an Indian. It’s purely transactional, absolutely no horsing around…but where’s the fun in that?

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Posts about this title from Boundless Press

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jun 19 2025

mid year book freakout tag 2025 | ranting about sunrise on the reaping | best & worst books so far

i love this tag so much! enjoy!

14 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Rachael's Reads\ \ Rachael\ \ • Jul 25

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You know what never gave anyone explosive diarrhea?

You know what never gave anyone explosive diarrhea? BOOKS!

These fresh greens are guaranteed parasite-free!

It's been a minute since I featured a good 'ole bookstack. I didn't realize how many green books I have on my shelves.

Books featured:

Love is a War Song @danica_nava One True Loves @tjenkinsreid The Verdant Cage @jesslourey The Book Club for Troublesome Women @mariebostwick West of Wicked @nikkistcrowe The Dead Come to Stay @b_schillace Once Upon a Mirror @cmmasonauthor Weyward @emiliahartbooks The Forgotten Midwife @lauraanthonybooks The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo @tjenkinsreid Symphony of Secrets @brendanslocumb

🗨️ What color cover dominates your shelf? Is it your favorite color?

🏷️ Green Books, Fiction Book Recommendations, Fantasy Book Recommendations, Historical Fiction Recommendations, Bookstack, Ohio Bookstagrammer, Book Influencer, Bindery Tastemaker

11 books

Won't Calm Down\ \ Maya Gabrielle\ \ • Jan 15

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So:\ \ The goal was 120. I read 99. And honestly? I'm so happy with that.\ \ This year was my best reading year by FAR in terms of how much I enjoyed everything I read. I had major changes in my life (quit my miserable job YAYYYY) which impacted my total tally (less boring office hours being choked down with 1.6 speed audiobooks in order to cope) but those are life changes I'm grateful for, and I've been able to enjoy reading physically so much more again, as well as diving back into content!\ \ Now... I am brutal with choosing favorites. These are my babies. And like, some months were almost all 5 star reads how do you choose a favorite? Anyway, here was my effort at choosing TWO top books from every month of 2025. Sometimes I succeeded. Either way- a bunch of great books and my overexcited little thoughts :)\ \ January:\ \ Gideon the Ninth\ \ I mean... c'mon. This book blew me away. Yes, it can be a slow push in like people warned, but I found it much different than other sci-fi/fantasy books where the language and world building is so confusing. It's more so that the world building is so grounded and immersive yet different from our reality that it's exercising the muscle of shifting mentally from New York in 2025 to my little space cult world, without resistance. Once you're in, you're in. I had a bit of trouble keeping track of all the necromancers and their cavaliers for a second, but every character feels so vibrant and individual. I felt like I was having personal conversations with each of them, those are my besties now. Which makes the plot HURT. The stakes had my heart beating, I was just as lost as Gideon (if only I knew how lost I'd be with Harrow...) and just as desperate to figure out the answer even when I didn't know WHY I cared. Bonus points- this is some of the funniest shit I've ever read, and I am consistently surprised by HOW funny it is while being profound a half second later. Tamsyn Muir is an evil genius. Alecto 2026 I beg. \ \ Deep End\ \ I love Ali Hazelwood, but this is probably my favorite romance from her yet. I love a sports romance (if you're new here- you'll get that quick) and I hadn't read anything with swimming or diving before, but felt like the sport aspect was really well integrated and not just an aside, which is always a priority for me. As for the rest... it was just FUN. I was giggling, I was blushing, Lukas is a gentle giant and a fierce protector all in one. I actually adored how power play and kink was involved in this book despite criticism. It wasn't dark, by any means, because for many people kink isn't leather and whips and threats. It's allowing someone to consensually take control, and often times involves people in highly self-controlled environments who relish in releasing their power. Ali got that. Aces from me, babe.\ \ February:\ \ Say A Little Prayer\ \ Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. You really spoke to the little girl in me who used to yell at people that Jesus was born in March and Santa wasn't real. Pushing against religious boundaries is HOT, especially when you allow for there to still be space to find connection to your faith and religion in a way that is authentic to you. Disclaimer: I grew up in a more conservative organized religion but not in the Church. Trying to disprove every vice by indulging in it in a way that benefits others or creates positive change- oh my god I ate it up with both hands. AND a cheeky romance with the pastor's daughter? Ugh. Yeah. Yes. Recommended to so many people who I knew would have read this under the covers in high school in order to heal. \ \ Love at First Set\ \ I put off this book for so long because I had heard mixed reviews, but I love Jennifer Dugan. And I love sports romance. And I love the gym (bookish weight lifting girlies unite). I get where some of the criticism comes from, this doesn't have some of the adrenaline you get from typical sports romance, but I knew this was the gym not a soccer pitch so my expectations were more reasonable. This was fun and flirty and at it's core was about two women pushing to better themselves- one professionally by taking steps to reach the leadership she knew she deserved, and the other both physically in the gym and emotionally in regards to romance and family.\ \ March:\ \ Single Player\ \ Y'all are NOT talking about this enough so I have to assume the people don't know? Video game developers. Choose your own adventure romance plots. Rivals to lovers. D&D campaigns. Miscommunication in a non-irritating way. EAT IT! There was a subplot that was so "I'm nonbinary but I don't have time for that because I'm at work" vibes and then of course girlfriend came in like "GET THEIR PRONOUNS RIGHT". I loved the way being nonbinary in a workplace was handled here. The tension in the rivalry really pushed through the book rather than giving up as soon as the romance was bubbling, which is how I like it. I was invested in the game they were developing, I was invested in the D&D campaign they were accidentally in together, and I was so invested in Andi finally figuring out that Cat was in fact NOT taken- shoot your shot. Being anyone other a cis het man in gaming is hard, and falling in love takes bravery. Tara Tai packed a whole lot into this, without it feeling clunky or preachy.\ \ It's a Love/Skate Relationship\ \ Hear me out- Icebreaker but it's YA, it's sapphic, and it somehow feels more competitive. I don't know if I'm allowed to call a YA book hot, but it was. This was another one where even when they were starting to gel on the ice, the undercurrent of rivalry still felt alive in a really fun way (I would argue this is what people love so much in Heated Rivalry as well). The main characters still had such earnest care for each other while having realistic reactions and insecurities for their age that complicates their actions. I enjoyed this so much and would 100% buddy read this with a young teen who wanted to feel included in the recent hype.\ \ Bonus- While We're Young\ \ My favorite YA summertime book is The Summer of Broken Rules by KL Walther, and while I've adored everything else she's written, nothing hit the same. Until this. Inspired by Ferris Bueller, and taking place in Philly (where I went to college) this was a wild runaway day off of school that had me feeling 17 again. The Philly aspects had me yearning to go back, they were so real and silly- and there's a Mets fan who needs to mention it constantly because F the Phillies? Yeah that was me for 4 years. I actually got so lost in the adventure I forgot about it's Ferris Bueller roots until a SUPER fun cameo that made me cackle. This is just pure undiluted fun.\ \ April:\ \ Gay The Pray Away\ \ I can't think about this book without getting emotional. A few chapters in, Val (a young girl in a fundamentalist Christian community) discovers One Last Stop at her local library, and with it, bisexuality. Literally- she didn't know bisexuality existed. The librarian who sees her sneak it out (obviously her mother can't see it on their library card log) gives her more recommendations and this small plot alone has me sobbing because THIS IS WHY I SCREAM ABOUT QUEER BOOKS. I'm tearing up typing this. Libraries are important. Stories and representation are IMPORTANT. Okay, enough- the books and revelations in hand, she meets a new member of the community with her own ideas, and this all together begins to help Valerie deconstruct her inherited ideology and hope for something more for herself. I think this sat with me so heavily because it's real. I have friends who deconstructed and left these communities for a shot at being themselves. I've heard their stories and sat with them while they continued to challenge ideology and learn what they were "protected" from. This book isn't loud, but the way it makes you feel is.\ \ All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey\ \ Oh? Another sapphic sports romance? Pretend to be surprised. Just know that I was messaging Kit Rosewater, crying giggling and stressing, while reading this (much to her enjoyment). I bought into this book so hard, I genuinely feared there may not be a HEA. This is all caps RIVALS who start training secretly together since they're the only two who can truly block out each other's strengths. So like, they're a perfect match. HOLLANOV COME GET YOUR KIDS. The secret relationship aspect, mixed with the folly of young adults feeling the pressure of a big scary future and big scary choices pressing up against them, makes this an incredibly engaging book that is so well written. I was blown away, and continue to be blown away. The ending felt like curling up with your partner and your best friends and knowing it was all worth it.\ \ May:\ *this was my highest ranked month of reading... also I had MONO\ \ When I Picture You\ \ Favorite book of the year. I could leave it there, but I won't. My favorite CaitVi fic (stay with me here) involves Cait being a TSwift type pop star and Vi being the scrappy newer alt queer musician. I love the "pop star facing her queerness in a female industry that still centers male audiences" plot. This is the book for the Gaylors. This is the book for anyone who's fantasized about falling for a celebrity and having a sweeping beautiful secret romance, complete with love songs written in code about how much they want you. I also had unreasonable RAGE responses toward a certain closet-keeping character BUT ITS ALL HAPPY ENDINGS HERE. If the Miss Americana doc was way gayer and filmed by said secret gay lover... this would be it.\ \ If We Were a Movie\ \ Cute? Yes. Swoony? Absolutely. Rivals to lovers where it turns out one of the rivals liked the other the entire time? Sign me up. More importantly, I loved the ensemble of supporting characters, and the backdrop of classic Black cinema. The supporting characters were all so fun, vibrant, the groupchat cracked me up consistently, and it genuinely felt like the semi-shitty Summer job coworker group that you secretly love, complete with a "butterflies in your stomach" crush who makes every shift worth it.\ \ Bonus- Rewind It Back\ \ I cried. Was not expecting to, but I cried IN THE GYM while finishing this. If you haven't read any of the Windy City series, I absolutely recommend it for an incredibly fun (straight) sports romance that nails the found family. This series includes one of the ONLY single parent trope books that I actually enjoy (I grew up with a single parent and hated her dating so no that is not cute to me usually). The whole plot for Rio, a character we saw pretty consistently up til his book, was so unexpected and wholesome. At the end, he takes a moment and appreciates the family he's built with his friends, how he got to watch them all fall in love and achieve dreams and create careers and lives, and I lose it every time. Liz Tomforde truly crafted a special moment, and a special goodbye to characters that I felt so at home with.\ \ Double Bonus- My Best Friend's Honeymoon\ \ Meryl Wilsner's horniest shit yet. I was a puddle but like... in both the emotional and the other way. I got a chance to speak to them a bit at a release event for this book and mentioned how much I adored the way that both the gender identity of the main character, and their body type, were spoken about. I feel so strongly about casually plus size or fat (they told me to say fat.) characters that are not loved despite or because of their size, and who don't center the character growth around any kind of acceptance or insecurity. Also, iconically, they say something adjacent to "my gender is loving women in a gay way" and I have used this consistently ever since. Back to the smut and romance... I choked. Casey McQuiston said they choked. Never have I heard someone refer to "wearing someone like a puppet" (think about it) over breakfast. Also butt stuff. Meryl gave us butt stuff.\ \ June:\ \ Crash Test\ \ MORE secret celebrity relationship but put it in my hyperfixation sport?! An F1 driver and an F2 driver secretly fall in love, carry out a lovely affair, and then one gets into a life threatening crash. I love how it starts with the crash, and we get to see their love story in flashbacks as they both recover, mentally and physically, from the fallout. I've seen people complain about how they aren't together- even in the same location- for much of the book, but I really have such a warm place for the fact that we see the work they both have to do in order to return to each other. The representation of how therapy works, real conversations and revelations that could happen, made me SO EXCITED- like please more healthy and normal therapy rep. Even the initial resistance to opening up on the couch was well done. If anyone thinks hockey is the bro-iest sport, you're wrong. Formula One, my love, is made for rich, cis het, conservative douche twats. Politely. While Pole Position (another gay F1 romance) is a bit sillier, this felt heavier and more grounded in what being queer and closeted in the sport may actually be like.\ \ Summer Girls\ \ This is the sweetness of young queer Summer love that I wish I'd had when I was younger. It had that "rich girl poor girl" dynamic but didn't feel played out- and also somehow made a "I was paid to be your friend" plot feel not evil? Jennifer Dugan, I kiss your pen. Also... what I wouldn't give to kiss a hot lifeguard at the top of the tower while we stare out at the ocean.\ \ Bonus- Mistakes Were Made\ \ This is my formal apology to everyone who yelled at me for refusing to read this. The idea icked me out for years. I am not a MILF- lover but I was wrong, like so so so wrong. Cassie and Erin y'all are CUTEEEEE. Yes it was steamy and fun but the way they fall for each other is so entertaining and had me rooting for them so hard???? Messy, yes, but endearing and organic, also yes. I relisten to the audiobook all the time now it's a problem.\ \ July:\ \ If Not for My Baby\ \ HOZIER LOVE STORY!!! Another musician celebrity love story, but I'm buying in HEAVY. I have friends who are in the tour business and I grew up heavily around live music so I really loved how the portrayal of tour life was pretty accurate. I got so wrapped up in the fantasy of this love, of the quiet moments and seeing the person behind the persona. I want a sequel immediately even though I have no idea what it could be about. This is also precisely how I would imagine Hozier would be as a boyfriend, sorry not sorry.\ \ Backhanded Compliments\ \ Okay so you remember those old tiktoks where people made an AU that your soulmate's name appears on your skin? Yeah that's like... the plot of this book. Except you're a famous tennis player and your soulmate's name is... your opponent's name. More secret relationships! I fear I'm noticing trends. Also more loving your rival and trying to fight it but also while sleeping with them! Navigating an overbearing dad-ager (momager but a dad?), a public rivalry/ pitting against each other for marketing, and interpersonal issues... invested. Also this poised the question I've thought of before- what happens if you're hiding a secret queer relationship but you get selected for testing? Athletes in season often have to report places they guarantee that they'll be in the case they get selected for random drug testing... what happens if you're NOT there or if your rival/lover is there WITH YOU? (I read a Hollanov fic that had this happen last week lol)\ \ August\ \ Love is a War Song\ \ Danica. MF. Nava. Who gets to claim their native heritage? What happens when you're a POC who grew up estranged from the community? How do you reconnect with that part of yourself in an authentic way, and when the very people you're trying to connect with won't stop calling you an imposter? This book handled really nuanced and poignant topics with such a well-balanced hand, mixing in a swoony soft romance, and diverse characters to show the range of ways to be Native. As Avery connects to her heritage, the reader gets to learn more about Muscogee culture, as well as the more bureaucratic elements of modern day Native identity.\ \ The Winning Formula\ \ Do I remember much of this audiobook? No. But I know I had a raging good time, felt like it was one of the most accurate Formula One books I'd read yet, gave us a female engineer who was badass and well-portrayed (look at you Brad Pitt), and it had FULL IMMERSIVE AUDIO. This means every neoom and zoom of the fast cars was heard. Radio messages SOUNDED like radio messages. It was so cool.\ \ September:\ \ Time After Time\ \ Why is no one talking about this? I'm being so serious. One girl buys a rundown house with her college fund because she feels called to it, another needs a place to stay and is great at fixing and building things. Cute. Homey. Happy. FLASHBACKS TO THE LAST TIME THEY LIVED IN THAT HOUSE TOGETHER?!?!?! Torrid doomed lesbian affair that is slowly coming back to them?!?! Finding pieces of that previous life in the house? Realizing they bound their souls together and it's finally legal for them to love each other out loud? You get the tear-inducing tragedy and the tooth-rotting happy ending all in one book. Do yourself a favor and read this YA masterpiece. \ \ Sounds Like Love\ \ The whole mind-link premise of this was so sick, even if it did take me a minute. I was bugging out but so were the main characters, which leads me to believe I reacted as Ashley Poston hoped. I love the music aspects and the audio version took it new heights- HI PATTI MURIN. The shared burden of having this song they both HAD to create gave this undercurrent of purpose to the love story and connection without creating incredible stress or threat. I feel like it made this book so cozy but also gripping at the same time.\ \ Bonus- People Watching\ \ I don't know if this was the first story I read regarding Alzheimer's and caretaker fatigue, but it is definitely the main one I will think of from this point forward. I think a lot of people, especially women, can relate to this idea that you have to build a life that allows you to care of others but winds up pinning your wings in place. Both families had such entertaining and gut wrenching dynamics. I think the heart of this book is that it felt so grounded and quiet in the love. This could easily be happening, right now, in some small town. It's everyday love, romantically, familially, and for your community, that is actually extraordinary when it's the right people.\ \ October:\ \ Nimona\ \ Me? Loving anything Nate Stevenson creates? With my Catradora tattoo? Yes. I read this after buying the anniversary edition to get signed at NYCC. I loved the movie (like- shove it down everyone's throat type love) but knew the graphic novel would be a bit different. Doesn't matter. Still cried. Read it in one sitting. I love trans and queer allegories involving monsters and shape shifters.\ \ The Rise of Kyoshi\ \ FINALLY. I love Kyoshi. This book incredibly weaves into the canon world of Avatar, while giving you a character so unexpected based on the information we know of her. Quiet, awkward, unsure, not even the Avatar when the book starts... I literally went "who tf is this she's not Kyoshi". This book lit a fire in me. This book reminds you how to fight even when you don't know how, and how to stay true to what you value and believe to be right, even when it makes no sense to anyone else. Also I have to openly admit that I am not Kyoshi, I am her pissy little firebender bodyguard/girlfriend/nuisance.\ \ November:\ \ Like a Power Play\ \ Y'all have probably heard me talk about both these books too much but I don't careeeeee. This is my fav sapphic hockey now. Yes, yay, the sports element is amazing- let me mention something else. I'm in intense pain right now. As I type this. I have a chronic illness and every joint and muscle in my hand is screaming, and I'm yearning for compression gloves. You know who wears compression gloves? Darcy, the main character who had to quit her sport due to her Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis. She also has Raynauds- something I was navigating myself while reading this. The inclusion of chronic pain, the way it can sideline your entire life and stop you from doing the things that you not only love but feel DEFINES you- it made me want to never stop reading this story. Peyton meets her with curiosity and care, even through the thick of their "hatred", as I hope all partners and friends of chronics do. Darcy and Peyton had me captivated, phone on DND, rooting for every fight and kiss and deeply meaningful but small gesture.\ \ Tip In\ \ Paige Bueckers DUUUPE. Bookish girl who falls for the star athlete. Insanely talented descriptions of not only how women's college ball functions and feeds into the draft, but how following it FEELS. The adrenaline, the social media narratives and plot lines, the on and off court interactions. I may have been totally seduced by Theo, so that's two Mayas in her book. Small confession- social media fics are some of my favorites and have been since I was, like, twelve. So the media crafting around their fake relationship was making me so giggly. I love fake dating and I love when social media is involved so WHEEEEE (idk man these two books felt like something was injected in me intravenously)\ \ December\ \ Make Room for Love\ \ I started this over the Summer and was having trouble getting into it even though I was so excited for the plot. Like... butch AND trans femme rep? Plus POC Jewish girl? I should have been eating it up- but I think this proves that sometimes it's right book wrong time. First of all, read this to learn about how to organize your own union vote today! I was so invested in the unionizing plot, seriously. The characters are so complex in their personal arcs, as well as their relationship together. I found it really refreshing in its quiet complexity. There was no big blowout, no insane intensity, just humans being flawed and hurt and reaching for each other anyway.\ \ Yours for the Season\ \ This was the sequel to Wake Up Nat & Darcy, a women's hockey/Winter Olympics book I love. This one had even less sport, though, since JT was home for the Holidays. This second chance romance was way more Hallmark vibes, and a perfect little snowy day read. It circulates around a small town couples competition involving silly winter and holiday themed challenges? Sign me up. Literally, like I wanted to compete. I was so entertained, I was kicking my feet, I wanted to punch one (1) ex husband- 10/10 experience.\ \ Bonus- Heated Rivalry (re-read from 3 years ago)\ \ I ain't saying shit. You know. Plus I made a reading vlog. \ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

2025 Top Reads of Every Month (except I hate choosing favorites)

27 books

chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Sep 15 2025

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this special edition is ugly

These covers are actually illustrated by the same artist—who is so talented—the issue with the AL cover is definitely the DESIGN choices not the art itself—cover art & cover design are actually two different things! #booktok #specialeditionbooks #loveisawarsong #romancebooks #afterlightbooks

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Bookwyrm Ink\ \ Bookwyrm Ink\ \ • Sep 7 2025

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\ \ Join for free or login](https://azthiabookwyrm.binderybooks.com/item/MsxI8Cs1Ci8FGvYgCowD/)

Booklovers Bookshop Edinburgh

If you love romance and gorgeous bookshops with a. diverse selection of books check out Book Lovers Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland

1 book

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Sep 5 2025

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Indigenous Books To Buy Today

If you think that criticizing that fraud is enough, I promise it’s not. If you read the news and had something to say about it, I encourage you to do two things: 1. Buy a couple of books off of this list and support Indigenous voices 2. Subscribe to my Bindery and support Indigenous publishing. And get recommendations like this. #indigenousbooks #indigenous #bookrecommendations

18 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Aug 27 2025

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Happy Birthday to me! Here is how to celebrate! \ \ I will be notifying the winner of The Possession of Alba Diaz this morning so check your spam folders (hopefully this email doesn't go there as well, LOL) \ \ Reminder, you still have until September 1 to enter to win a special edition box set of The Broken Earth Trilogy enter here\ \ Shop My Pango I've still got over 100 books listed. My next shipping date is next Wednesday!\ \ Buy yourself some books from my Bookshop! I've added some of my recommendations to this post, but even if you buy books I didn't mention, I will get a small percentage! \ \ Lastly, did you know the cost of an annual paid subscription of $5 a month is roughly equal to the price of two hardcover books (wow. this economy!) More paid subscribers mean we get to publish more books! \ \ I'm going out of town for Labor Day Weekend and I hope to read 3 Books! What book should be #1 on my list? Drop your recs below!

To Celebrate My Birthday, Buy Some Books!

9 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Aug 24 2025

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Author Interview: Aj Eversole Legendary Frybread Drive-in: Intertribal Stories

5 books

chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Aug 11 2025

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Bookstore Spotlight - It’s a Love Story Books & Cafe

bookstore spotlight 🫶🏻

It’s a Love Story Books & Cafe 📍 Hayden, Idaho

Have you ever been to a romance bookstore?

I’ve been visiting my grandma in Idaho this past weekend and I knew I NEEDED to stop into the new(ish) romance bookstore @itsalovestorybooks just outside of Coeur d’Alene!

The shop was so cute and the stock was incredible! I picked up a copy of Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava—which I’ve heard nothing but incredible things about—that I cannot wait to read.

I absolutely will be back next summer, and if you ever find yourself in the area it’s a must see!

#bookstagram #booksta #bookstore #indiebookstore #indiebookstores #romancebookstore #romancebooks #romancebookaddict #romancebooksofinstagram #romancebookstagram #loveisawarsong #danicanava

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Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Jul 23 2025

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Read these books if you like : Indigenous Stories

Read these books if you like (part 34): Indigenous Stories 📖 Love is a War Song by Danica Nava 📖 Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove 📖 To Shape A Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose 📖A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair 📖 Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley #indigenousboooks #bookreccomendations #boktokbookrecs #diversebooks @Random House Books @berkleypub @Union Square & Co.

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Arcane Nights Press\ \ Cassidy\ \ • Jul 22 2025

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New Book Releases July 22nd

Here’s another New Book Tuesday for you all!

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jul 21 2025

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CLOSED GIVEAWAY: LOVE IS A WAR SONG

Love is a War Song giveaway open to US and Canada

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jul 8 2025

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Ann Coulter strikes again. "We Didn't Kill Enough Indians"\ \ I'm never surprised by what comes out of that troll's mouth and I'm also never surprised by her racist followers chiming in with support. \ \ This genocidal rhetoric, though not new, is dangerous and it is important for us to denounce hate speech. \ \ It is also important to remember that Indigenous people are STILL HERE and we are still telling our stories.\ \ Support Indigenous artists, authors, creatives. \ \ I've included 10 upcoming books (or very recently released) written by Indigenous authors in this post. Check them out! Don't just add them to your TBR and never get to them, consider ordering them today!\ \ As I've mentioned previously, Pre-Orders are so important, especially for marginalized folks. High pre-order numbers can make the difference in whether or not a store like Barnes and Noble is going to stock the book (and more than one copy!)

Ann Coulter Wants Us Dead LOL

10 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Jun 29 2025

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In a world in which we’ve seen boycotts and outrage towards almost every major corporation, it’s always fascinated me that Barnes & Noble has been seemingly left untouched. Sure, the occasional online grumble will work its way through Threads or TikTok or Instagram or whatever, yet the only time I can remember an actual mobilization was against their in-house Starbucks-owned cafes.\ \ It’s shocked me the number of people I meet who have given up shopping at Amazon and Target, but still love B&N. Whenever I ask, they can never quite articulate why they give B&N a pass. It’s usually a combination of nostalgia or convenience or selection or exclusive offerings.\ \ And when it comes to “bad” corporations, Barnes & Noble really isn’t at the top of that list. They disclosed no lobbying in the 2024 election. Their CEO, James Daunt, isn’t a borderline-insane human being. Some, not me, might even argue that he’s had an overtly positive impact on the bookselling and publishing industry for decades.\ \ Yet, when we look at B&N’s actual policies and, more importantly, their impact, there’s nothing of substance. They have no public-facing statement on DEI or on book banning–they did join Penguin in opposition of Texas HB900 in 2023, but have been eerily quiet ever since–and while they claim to donate to “pre-K-12 schools and not-for-profit arts, literacy, humane and community service organizations”, they don’t appear to actively advocate for any cause.\ \ Nearly every interaction they have with any sort of cultural or political movement comes with capitalistic intent. Their website and socials boast about ‘Pride Month Reads’ and ‘Books to Read on Juneteenth’, a performance only brought out when it’s trendy or when it benefits their image. Yet, when it comes to actually supporting marginalized authors, they fail to show up.\ \ Take Danica Nava, a romance author and member of the Chickasaw Nation, for example. Her first book The Truth According to Ember was the first traditionally published romance by an Indigenous author. It received rave reviews from readers, was a USA Today bestseller, and a Goodreads Choice Nominee. In May, Nava posted on threads that her newest book Love is a War Song (7/22) had not recieved any retailer placements, meaning no big-box stores had placed a chain-wide order–this includes B&N.\ \ While she went on to confirm that a few B&N employees had reached out letting her know that they had ordered a few copies with their discretionary store budgets, there is no widespread guarantee that the book will be available or prominently promoted on release day.\ \ Nava wrote, “ Stores have and will continue to prioritize white romance, especially in (the cowboy) genre that has contributed to the erasure of my people and perpetuated harmful stereotypes for decades. My fun, hilarious romcom isn’t the right cowboy.”\ \ Pair this with the release of Oathbound (Legendborn 3) by Tracy Deonn, which was somehow still overshadowed by Onyx Storm in stores, despite being released almost 2 months later. Readers complained that stores were severely understocked, had no promotional materials or displays, and claimed that staff were almost completely uninformed about the highly-anticipated release.\ \ Additionally, just this week Publisher’s Weekly published an article about the challenges Indie Publishers have faced since Daunt took over the chain. They state that his decisions to remove “‘boring’ and ‘tedious’ books” from Barnes & Noble’s shelves disproportionately affected them vs. big 5 publishing houses. One publisher even commented that Amazon ordered 25x as many copies of a recent hardcover release than B&N’s NYC-based buyers.\ \ “Nearly every one of the dozen well-established independent publishing leaders interviewed by PW said that their business with B&N has dropped significantly since Daunt took over. Some indies said that the bookseller is no longer even their second-largest account”.\ \ And this lack of impact and support extends past authors and publishers and into the communities in which their stores operate. They’re a favorite amongst larger publishers for event stops, often beating out smaller local indies in the event request process, due to their market leverage. Yet, these events are riddled with inconsistencies in their planning, marketing, and overall experiences.\ \ Even their beloved Onyx Storm suffered from B&N’s lack of community-centricity. Many attendees of their January midnight releases complained publicly about the chain’s lack of planning, saying that they were left to wander around the store for 2 hours without food, drinks, or promised activities. B&N’s booksellers stated that corporate offices gave them no direction on these events and left them to plan and execute entirely on their own.\ \ More recently, S.A. Cosby visited B&N’s Cumberland, GA location on his King of Ashes tour. According to attendees, this event sold well over 100 tickets, but crammed attendees into a small space with only 12-13 chairs, provided no microphone to Cosby, and did not bring in a conversation partner. The latter point alone is a gross misstep in planning, especially from the perspective of an indie bookstore owner who is paying for the travel expenses for moderators and venue rentals for 4 debut author events happening at our store over the next 3 months. Details like this aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re requirements for engaging and meaningful reader-author interactions.\ \ James Daunt has made it clear that he plans on running B&N with an emphasis on profitability and sales, which is not unlike any Fortune500 CEO, so why do readers keep turning to them with expectations beyond the transactional? Why does the industry consider them a third space or a champion for readers and authors?\ \ Are they just a study in staying quiet and flying under the radar? Or are we just unwilling to view their complacency as harm?\ \ So, sure, continue to kill time in their stores or even buy books from them if you want, but don’t expect more from them than you expect from Amazon, Walmart, or Target. Stop giving them opportunities you don’t give libraries, non-profits, and community-run bookstores, and, more importantly, start holding them accountable for the ones they do get.

Barnes and Noble is not a community organization. Stop treating them like one.

4 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 24 2025

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Poll:\ \ Have you read The Truth According to Ember?\ \ GIVEAWAY! I am giving away one copy of The Truth According to Ember by @danica_nava to one lucky winner and the Foxglove special edition of The Truth According to Ember! To enter, be a free member of my Bindery and comment on the pinned post! Winners selected Sunday June 29 US ONLY.\ \ \ \ Ive confirmed a partnership for a giveaway of Love is a War song which is our bookclub read for August!

CLOSED Giveaway- The Truth According to Ember

2 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 23 2025

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16 Arcs I Received With A Zero Percent NetGalley Rating

If you want to see this entire list in one space, make sure you’re subscribed for free to my Bindery. Which arc are you stealing from me? #netgalley #arcs #bookrec

15 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jun 19 2025

i love this tag so much! enjoy!

14 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • May 26 2025

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May has been quite the interesting month in publishing, has it not? \ \ First, Conduit Books, a new imprint focused solely on Men's Tales! was announced. Because there is a lack of representation in publishing and this is it, clearly. \ \ Then, a young Australian Rugby player (think Steve Irwin meets Benson Boone), who was a former Australian Bachelor reality star debuted on Booktok to talk about fantasy books. Something unique happens on Booktok whenever a man that doesn't look like a shoe joins. A certain demographic of lonely housewife goes feral. You would think these women had never seen a man in their lives. The comments that they leave demonstrate a complete lack of respect, for anyone, but they show up and they show out IN DROVES. He amassed 100,000 followers in under three days. \ \ (I have been on booktok for a couple of years. Fighting the algorithm on a daily basis). \ \ Thunder Down Under partnered with Fable to run a book club and just yesterday that he signed a 2 book deal with Atria. That's right. He signed a 2 book deal. A fantasy series. He hasn't started writing it. \ \ It is hard not to lose all motivation when BIPOC authors and BIPOC creators do not get a fraction of this kind of attention. \ \ Many of us here at Bindery are working because we genuinely believe that we can change publishing and make an impact. (We are not aiming to change the Big 5. We are aiming to challenge them). \ \ I want to reconfirm my dedication and let you know the goals of this imprint and things that you can do today that can make a difference. \ \ Boozhoo Books is currently open to submissions from women writing horror and Indigenous authors writing YA and Adult fiction. \ \ The current Bindery model supports imprints publishing 1-2 books per year. Because I have a lot of passion and I believe in going big or going home, I'm aiming to publish 4 books per year (Ideally, a 2/2 split) How do we get there? The easy answer is paid subscribers. Paid subscriptions help fund the books. If you can afford an upgrade to any level, please help if you can. If you cannot afford to upgrade, please continue to share on social media. \ \ My goal for the year is to reach 5,000 free Bindery subscribers, with an addition 10% paid (500) (Total, 5500 subscribers). \ \ That is a big goal, but I am passionate about what Bindery is doing and I think if you're following me here that you are, too! \ \ Are you a creator or author with a newsletter or Substack? Consider asking your subscribers to join our community for free!\ \ Our community reads books by diverse authors all year long. It's not enough to read the books. We should be reviewing them (on Goodreads or Storygraph) and sharing them on social media. Look how quickly the white ladies mobilized and were able to get a non-writer a book deal? If we work together, we can help author's with talent reach more readers. \ \ I talked about this last week but I want to emphasize it again: Marginalized authors depend on pre-sales! Pre-sales send a message to publishers that readers want more of these stories. If you haven't pre-ordered the books I've added to this post, please consider pre-ordering today!\ \ Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho, the first book published under Michael Laborn's Bindery Imprint\ \ Love is a War Song by Danica Nava, Indigenous cowboy romance\ \ August Lane by Regina Black, Black small town romance about the visibility of Black women's voices in Country music\ \ Legendary Frybread Drive-in: Intertribal Stories: Indigenous YA anthology with interconnected stories of Native pride\ \ Beyond the Glittering World: An Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms , celebrating a rising generation of Native American storytellers\ \ Want to feel more connected to the community? Join the community Discord, participate in Book Clubs and Buddy Reads. \ \ Weekly Event: Tomorrow, Tuesday 5PM PST/8PM EST. Join us on Zoom for Monthly Wrap Up Yap where we all recommend books we've read this month! Hope to see you there.

How Cis Straight White Men Ruin Everything: A Love Story

5 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • May 17 2025

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How Preorders Give Power To Marginalized Voices

Why Preorders Make a Difference and Books To Preorder Today

6 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • May 13 2025

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Hi Friends,\ \ One of the things that I have been most proud of over the last year is cultivating this community of readers who are passionate about promoting and uplifting Indigenous voices.\ \ Today, I’m asking you to take action and show support.\ \ Earlier, Danica Nava, author of The Truth According To Ember and the upcoming cowboy romance Love is A War song posted the following to threads:\ \ \ \ I am not sure how this happens. I am not sure if it is a failure of the publisher. I am not sure if it’s a failure of the stores. It sounds incredibly racist, considering how popular cowboys are right now.\ \ I do know is that there are over 1,000 of you subscribed to me because you want to see a more equitable book world and each and every one of you purchasing this book right now could make a huge difference. \ \ Please buy now if you can and share this post if you can’t. \ \ (I will be posting more and uploading the Stephen Graham Jones Live by next week. I have strep throat and am barely functional)

Call To Action- Pre-Order Love Is A War Song TODAY

1 book

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 24 2025

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Indigenous Book Bingo #3!

Indigenous Book Bingo #3! My first bingo card with my imprint logo 🥰 The intent of these cards is to help people discover, read and promote Indigenous books! All of these books will be available on my dynamic bookshelf on Bindery! If you are not a member of my community on Binderu yet, please go and subscribe for free! If you can afford to support for $5 a month, please consider a paid subscription to help fund the publishing of our upcoming releases! Boozhoo Books is dedicated to uplifting and promoting Indigenous and diverse voices. (First 🔗) in bio! WIN A FREE BOOK! There is one thing I have kept consistent on all three cards and the first person to name the one I’m thinking of will get a free book! Take your guesses below! Please note these books are either already out or releasing by August. #indigenousbooks #boozhoobooks #bookrecommendations #bookbingo

25 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 21 2025

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Shelves and The City Influencers Recommend Indigenous Books (Part One)

At Shelves and the City, I asked influencers to give me an Indigenous book they would recommend! Shout out to Joshua who wasn’t the only influencers to admit he hadn’t read one, but suggested he talk about it on film! You’ll also notice a lot of repeats! Nothing wrong with that! Great books! My hope is to get people to expand and read more books by Indigenous authors. At an event with over 100 readers, I passed out about 50 book bingo cards and if you didn’t get one and were there, drop a note in our chat and I will mail you one if you want! If you aren’t a member of my reader community on Bindery, joining is free (first 🔗) and I’ll be posting about my entire SATC experience and a post with all the books mentioned here to make them easy to check out! My goal with my publishing imprint, Boozhoo Books, is to help make sure people have several options in the genres they love to read #readindigenous #shelvesandthecity #bookinfluencer #bookrecommendations @steph ✨ 📚 ✡︎ (@starrysteph) @zach•booksthatslay @aubrei @priyanka 📚✨ @Alex @Amivi⁷ @serareadthat 🌿📖🤠 @SARAH @Rae @Mari - booktok + media reviews @maya @A Very Queer Book Club @Rachel Skye @EmmaSkies @Greekchoir🧋| Bailey @IG/YT: ashunti_reads @Seth | dramakingbooks @Emma Ann (@theaceofbooks) @Joshua @Michael LaBorn

19 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 7 2025

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Hello Friends!\ \ Below find the remaining books of this year's book club! Our bookclub channels are held on discord here. In June, Stephen Graham Jones will be joining us on Zoom. Questions can now be submitted on the Discord. \ \ April: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones\ \ May: The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator's Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford Jr. \ \ June: Big Chief by Jon Hickey\ \ July: Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards\ \ August: Love is a War Song by Danica Nava\ \ Sept: Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith\ \ Oct: The Whistler by Nick Medina\ \ Nov 1 : The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie\ \ November 2: The El by Theodore C Van Alt Jr. \ \ Dec: Beyond the Glittering World: an anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms by Stacie Shannon Denetsosie, Kinsale Drake, et al\ \ If you can afford to, please pre-order or order by following the books below!

Good Day To Read Indigenous Annual Book Club List

10 books

R&R Reads\ \ Ebony\ \ • Feb 20 2025

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✨🍃2025 Anticipated Releases Post

thank goodness they extended this to have 20+ pictures

I missed some because covers have not been released yet so there will probably be a part two to this post

i am for sure going to get back to posting monthly anticipated releases on here rather than the clock app if the clock app gets deleted

#bookstagram #books #romancebooks #fantasybooks #blackauthors #diverseauthors #diversebooks #2025bookreleases

67 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Feb 14 2025

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Happy Valentine's Day, friends!\ \ Valentine's Day has always been a day to celebrate love and life. This Valentine's Day feels heavy.\ \ It has already been an incredibly difficult year and we are only just beginning. In order to survive the next four years, we cannot live in a state of perpetual fear and dread. We have to make joy for ourselves and loved ones. \ \ Today, I am going to give you two simple ways to fight back against the Trump administration. \ \ I want us to center love. Today, I want you to consider Indigenous love and how often you see Indigenous love represented in media. As you know, the first traditionally published Indigenous rom-com came out last year. Currently, it is the only Indigenous romance on shelves at bookstores. Imagine walking into a bookstore to buy a book in the genre you prefer, written by an author who shares your background and life experiences, and you had only one option. \ \ What if I want an enemies to lovers? A friends to lovers? A rom-com or historical romance? Too bad. You get what you get. We need to change this. And it's going to take work to get there. \ \ Every person deserves to see themselves represented on bookshelves. \ \ Here's what you can do today:\ \ Step One: Support Indigenous authors in publishing TODAY. Danica Nava, the author of The Truth According to Ember, the first traditionally published rom-com, has another book coming out this year! Love is a War Song is a love story about a pop star and a cowboy who couldn't be more different. I want you to pre-order this book today. You can do so by clicking the link below. If you cannot afford to pre-order today, request the book from your library. \ \ Step Two: Upgrade your membership today. Help support the work that I do. As you may have heard me say, unlike many content creators, I am not getting continued offers for paid partnerships from traditional publishers. Even supporting at the $5 tier would help tremendously.\ \ We are looking for our first Indigenous book to publish. Paid members to this community get a behind the scenes look at the publishing industry and get to participate in imprint decisions. (A great time to join, as I have an update to our search coming this weekend!). Paid members also are vital to growing our imprint. I would like to have enough paid members to be able to publish multiple books per year. I WANT AS MANY INDIGENOUS BOOKS ON THE SHELVES AS POSSIBLE and I know that you share this vision, too. \ \ Today I'd like us to choose love by taking action towards making publishing more equitable. \ \ <3 you, \ \ Naomi

How You Can Fight The Trump Administration This Valentine's Day

3 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Dec 24 2024

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2025 YA and Adult Indigenous Book Releases

quick publishing update, 2025 releases, where you can find me online

18 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Nov 19 2024

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How Traditional Publishing Fails Authors Of Color, Berkley Influencer Program Edition

I got declined from the Berkley influencer program this year and I went from grief to anger rather quickly. Read a prime example of one of the ways traditional publishing is failing marginalized authors.

3 books