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The Year of the Witching

Alexis Henderson

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A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.

In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet's word is law, Immanuelle Moore's very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.

But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches.

But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.

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Posts about this title from Boundless Press

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • May 20

[Some of you might’ve glimpsed this already on the membership page but I’m excited to share a new membership perk for Galaxy tier members — the Galaxy Book Box!!!!!!\ \ This is an exciting new perk where Galaxy members will receive curated book mailings over the next year where we explore a specific theme and dive into deeper discussion. Galaxy members who are signed up before the cutoff date each quarter(4 mailings per year) will receive the curated book plus a note from me in their mailing. These books will be accompanied by in-depth content specific to each book and the overall theme, including some literary commentary (complimentary essays/articles/criticism), annotations to refer to as you read, and my own personal opinions. I will also be scheduling zoom calls for all Galaxy members to join so we can discuss the books together.\ \ This year’s theme is inspired by the fact that I want to (hopefully!) acquire a literary/upmarket horror novel as our next Boundless Press title. I’ve been obsessed with horror in the last couple years and have been wanting to explore more titles in this genre that straddle the line between horror and female rage from the lens of BIPOC women.\ \ Devastating Women in Horror will be a journey through stories where femininity becomes monstrous, grief becomes generational, and desire, identity, and survival collide in terrifying ways.\ \ Across the year, we’ll read and discuss books exploring womanhood, cultural inheritance, bodily autonomy, family trauma, isolation, transformation, and the horror of carrying what came before you.\ \ \ \ By joining the Galaxy tier for Devastating Women in Horror, you:\ \

New Bindery Perk: Announcing the Galaxy Book Box! Upgrade or join by June 1st, 2026!

open for exciting news!!!!

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Aug 6 2022

unhauling all your favourite books + a Q&A!

Use my code STORY to get your first Book of the Month box for only $9.99! https://www.bookofthemonth.com/?utm\_source=youtube&utm\_medium=video&utm\_campaign=This\_Story\_Ain%27t\_Over

📚 join my book club 📚 read books by BIPOC each month and join me during monthly liveshows to discuss! 🤍 announcement Video: https://youtu.be/u-aI8tD1RcQ 🤍 discuss on Fable: https://l.fable.co/readincolour 🤍 discuss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readincolourbookclub/ 🤍 discuss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReadinColorClub

socials 🤍 instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisstoryaintover/ 🤍 twitter: https://twitter.com/jananiekvelu 🤍 tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisstoryaintover?lang=en 🤍 goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/thisstoryaintover

other places to find me 🤍 my website: https://www.jananiekvelu.com/ 🤍 my series # EpicBookRecs on the Epic Reads Channel: https://bit.ly/2XziOfz

discount codes 🤍 get one month FREE on Skillshare using my link: https://skl.sh/MKR96 🤍 use my code STORY to get your first Book of the Month box for only $9.99 https://www.bookofthemonth.com/?utm\_source=youtube&utm\_medium=video&utm\_campaign=This\_Story\_Ain%27t\_Over

💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

54 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • May 20

New Bindery Perk: Announcing the Galaxy Book Box! Upgrade or join by June 1st, 2026!

open for exciting news!!!!

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Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Apr 30

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💭 what’s your favorite folkloric creature or superstition?

💭 what’s your favorite folkloric creature or superstition?

here’s some FOLK HORROR to make your thursday just a little bit eerier.

📚 books mentioned: - Jackal by Erin E. Adams - The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson - The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

👗💄: - dress is from Free People, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is The Spring Symphony Palette from Dandy Lion Cosmetics - eyeshadow shimmer is a single (Mermaculate) from Half Magic - mascara is Tartlette Tubing from Tarte Cosmetics - lip combo is Suede Matte Lip Liner (Moonwalk) from NYX Cosmetics and Longhaul Longwear Lipstick (Powerhouse) from The Lip Bar - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)

thank you to Bantam Books for the gifted copy!

#folkhorror #horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @acebookspub @bantambooks @sagapressbooks @freepeople @dandylionsco @halfmagicbeauty @tartecosmetics @thelipbar

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horror books • horror books with folk elements • folkloric horror • superstition horror • ritual horror • unique books • diverse books • Ace Books • Saga Press

3 books

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Mar 31

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First, let's talk book club books. \ \ Regrettably, I DNFed The Year of the Witching. This one just was not for me. \ \ I made it to the last quarter of The Night Watchman and then was confirmed to moderate Bookcon and all plans changed. I then was confirmed to moderate Bay Area Book Festival. \ \ My immediate reading priority: read all of the panel for Bookcon, finish The Night Watchman, read April's bookclub books, start reading the panel for May!\ \ So far I've read: \ \ Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass\ \ This one was a small town thriller with a missing husband who could be an attacker, and a senior community with a podcast who helped solve it all. ADORED. \ \ Sundown Girls by LS Stratton\ \ This was a YA thriller with a supernatural bent and focus on the history of sundown towns. UNPUTDOWNABLE. Kept you guessing to the very end. \ \ How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine\ \ Also a YA thriller with slashers. Fans of My Heart is a Chainsaw will love the movie references in this one! This one also has a bit of a supernatural bent. \ \ You guys, I've already lost track of the body count! It's A LOT. \ \ I'm currently reading Who's All Going by Lisa Springer\ \ Another YA thriller! These have all been so great. This one is has influencers, a resort, a wellness cult. Hard to put down. \ \ Have you read any of these?\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

Weekly Reading Update

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Feb 28

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Bookclub just got an upgrade, and then upgrade is YOU!\ \ As you know, I run two bookclubs for this community: Good Day To Read Indigenous and Women in Horror. I love the idea of us coming together every month, and not only reading the same book, but supporting the authors! and championing these books. I'm excited that this year, we've chosen both new releases and backlist titles to read together! Imagine, what we as a community (and there are well over 2,000 of you here now!) could do for a backlist titles (AND NEW RELEASES!) if we all purchased the books and reviewed them around the same time (convincing those that follow our reviews to go out and get the books, rinse and repeat!)\ \ I believe that my chronic mood reading (my ADHD) has negatively impacted book club and so to counter that, I'm going to be making reading schedules moving forward for each club (See Below!)\ \ \ \ There will be four blocks (weeks typically) with Chapter (page) designations. There will be a Discord channel for each session. Please note: THIS MEANS SPOILERS FOR THAT SECTION. My hope is that we can all be reading at the same time (I know in reality, this won't be possible for everyone all the time, so if there are times you get behind or don't feel like keeping up, you can visit the channels whenever you'd like).\ \ I imagine our reader community discord as a space to come together to build connection, to share conversations and to share perspectives. Our community is a strong source of support for Indigenous authors and women writing horror, the voices that haunt and heal us. We are choosing to be intentional about our reading choices. These conversations matter. I'd love everyone to join in this month, in any way that makes sense for you, whether that's coming with a question, sharing a quote or passage that moved you, something that deeply unsettled you or gave you a different perspective. This year I'd like to focus on moving beyond consuming stories and toward honoring them. You all shape and strengthen this space and it's a privilege to share it with you.\ \ Beyond The Page\ \ This month, Boozhoo Books will be supporting Black Walnut Books. That means that every book purchased by clicking a book below through Bookshop (or on any post) is purchasing a book from Black Walnut Books, an Indigenous, Queer, Woman owned independent bookstore. In fact, even if you don't buy the book from the post, but click through, ANY and EVERY book that you purchase, supports this bookstore. Choosing to purchase from Indigenous owned bookstores is a way for us to support Indigenous communities beyond amplifying author's voices. I also see a small percentage from your book purchases, so not only will you receive a book (or 7, no judgment) you will be supporting an Indigenous creator and publisher, authors, bookseller, bookstore all at once. Hillary, the owner, is Southern Pomo and Coastal Miwok and a member of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. She focuses on sharing and amplifying Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Queer communities, voices and authors. If you are able to spend money on books this month, please consider purchasing books through my bookshop link below, supporting both this imprint and Black Walnut Books. Where you choose to spend your money could make a real difference, going beyond values and into action.\ \ Book reviews help authors. I encourage you to share your reviews beyond our Discord, whether that's on social media or a site like Goodreads. If you don't feel like posting a review, post a picture and of the book and tag the author (do not tag the author in reviews!). You can also tag me, so I can repost! If you end up buying your books through Black Walnut Books, tag them as well!\ \ THIS MONTH'S BOOKS\ \ Good Day to Read Indigenous\ \ Each year, this club will read a book by Louise Erdrich. This month we will be reading The Night Watchman, winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize. Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.\ \ Women in Horror\ \ This month we will be reading The Year of Witching by Alexis Henderson.\ \ In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet's word is law, Immanuelle Moore's very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.\ \ But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.\ \ Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.\ \ I can't wait for us to read March's selection together! Let me know down below what you're most looking forward to about bookclub in March!

Building Community Through Book Club

2 books

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Dec 1 2025

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[Hello Folks,\ \ Women in Horror Book Club 2026 is gonna be lit! If you aren't in the club, simply connect to the Discord and join us! Book club takes place primarily in the Discord and occasionally, the authors join us for a chat! I will update these photos again once What Feeds Below and Our Cut of Salt have covers out!\ \

Women in Horror Book Club 2026

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Aug 15 2025

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Alright I have made videos in the past for this but I wanted to really sit down and make you a list that should be required reading for spooky season. Fall vibes that will keep you cozy or terrified? Whatever you're wanting! \ \ WITCHY RECS \ \ Cackle by Rachel Harrison: The ultimate cozy read! Annie is going through a breakup and moves to a small picturesque town where she meets a woman named Sophie and the 2 form a bond. I desperately wish I could read this again for the first time! \ \ Maggies Grave by David Sodergren: A woman named Maggie Wall was murdered for being a witch in the 1600s. Now she's back for revenge. If you want INSANE body horror, pick this one up! \ \ Slewfoot by Brom: This one I may revisit this fall. Abitha's husband died under strange circumstances and now his brother is trying to come after their farm. Abitha teams up with an unlikely friend to keep her home.\ \ The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: Imanuelle has grown up in a very strict cult. She goes into the forbidden woods and finds power within herself. If you read and loved Slewfoot, you have to pick this book up! \ \ Haunted Recs \ \ The Spite House by Johnny Compton: Eric and his 2 daughters live on the run. He accepts a job to stay at a rumored haunted house. This will give him and and his daughters more stability than a life on the run. He'll find out quickly that there's definitely some fact behind these rumors.\ \ The September House by Carissa Orlando: A woman moves into her dream home and refuses to leave even though it's very haunted, the walls bleed every September, and her husband has gone missing.\ \ Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno Garcia: Noemi receives strange letters from her newly married cousin. She goes to check on her and can tell somethings off with her cousins husband's family. \ \ The Reformatory by Tananarive Due: Set in 1950's Florida where a young Black boy named Robbie gets sent to a reformatory school for defending his sister. This place is haunted by it's horrific past.\ \ CREATURE FEATURE \ \ When The Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: Jess goes home after a shift a the diner she works at and finds a child who has clearly run away and is terrified. Once his dad shows up it is CLEAR why he's so scared. At this point, this is my favorite book of the year! \ \ Eynhallow by Tim McGregor: Agnes lives on an island with her husband and 4 children. She knows that there has to be more to life than what she has been given and she may have found that in the stranger who shows up in her tiny village \ \ Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison: Rory moves back to her hometown. She goes to a bar one night and is on her way home when she's attacked by a large animal. She somehow survives and now she's seeing some changes within herself.\ \ The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn: A group of friends go on a cabin vacation where there is something in the woods waiting for them.\ \ VAMPIRES \ \ So Thirsy by Rachel Harrison: Rachel Harrison is a Vampire Diaries fan, I just know it! If you love Elijah from The Originals, READ THIS.\ \ A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson: Letters from Draculas first wife. This is stunning and atmospheric. \ \ The Southern Bookclubs Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: A group of suburban women start a book club where they read crime novels. They team up when a stranger shows up captivating their town.\ \ THRILLERS SET IN FALL \ \ Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson: Halloween night Jett is brutally attacked leaving her with a head wound that she won't survive. She can get a risky surgery with a small chance to live or she can live for the next week before she dies of aneurysm. She's decided she'll take her last week and solve her own murder. \ \ None of This is True by Lisa Jewell: Alix is a successful podcaster who interviews incredible women. Josie approaches her letting her know she hasn't done anything great, but she's about to. Alix agrees and then Josie has turned her podcast into a true crime podcast. \ \ Jackal by Erin Adams: Liz returns to her small hometown for her best friends wedding. She's tasked with watching her best friends daughter at the wedding and she goes missing. Now Liz is on hunt to find out who took her and who is responsible for young Black girls going missing in this town year after year. \ \ ON MY TBR \ \ The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia\ \ The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones\ \ We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinbrough\ \ The Good House by Tananarive Due\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

ULTIMATE SPOOKY SEASON TBR

22 books

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • May 22 2025

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Books written by women ♥️

Books written by women ♥️ #madisoncanread #horrorbooks #thrillerbooks #horrorbywomen #darkbooks #booksbywomen

20 books

Skies Press\ \ Emma\ \ • Feb 17 2025

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Genre Fiction Books by Black American Authors (My B&N had not one single table set up)

I think a few of the booksellers at this location follow me so if you see this 👀👀👀 “accidentally” send it to your manager. 🧍‍♀️ There are DOZENS of tables at this store alone and not one was set up for Black History Month when I was there twice last week. We should be celebrating black voices in publishing all the time, but to not be doing so at a bare minimum of during BHM?? There’s like 4 different subgenres of romance tables but not one Black Voices table, c’mon. Anyway here’s like 30 books I quickly pulled off my own shelf, a mix of books I’ve read and loved and books on my TBR 📚 #booktok #bookrecs #tbr #barnesandnoble #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #yabooks #bookshopping #sacramento #booktoker #emmaskiesreads #books

13 books

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Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Feb 16 2025

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Genre Fiction by Black Authors on my TBR

Genre fiction by Black authors on my TBR! And, yes, I know I still haven’t gotten to The Year of Witching yet, pls don’t yell at me.

Anyway, friendly reminder, that it doesn’t matter what kind of books you like to read, you can still read diversely. If you can’t find diverse books in the genres you prefer, then you probably aren’t following a diverse group of creators or visiting bookstores that amplify all voices. These stories are worth finding, promoting, sharing, protecting, and, obviously, reading.

4 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Oct 17 2024

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Book Swap Finds

My full stack from our book swap yesterday! I forgot to take a photo of my donation pile, but I definitely left with ones that I am way more excited about. I did pass along some very loved books that I know I will never read again and deserve a spot in someone else’s library–whoever got To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, I hope you love it as much as I did.

Do you have any favorites in this stack?

Also, check out my cute new earrings! Shout out to makers who have clip on options for those of us with metal allergies.

✨ When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya Queen ✨ The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley ✨ O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker ✨ Graceling (graphic novel adaptation) by Kristin Cashore ✨ My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino ✨ Belladonna by Adalyn Grace ✨ Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao ✨ The Year of Witching by Alexis Henderson ✨ Burial Rites by Hannah Kent ✨ Black Hole by Charles Burn

10 books

Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Oct 10 2024

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Life & Reading Update

What's been going on and what I'm currently reading

6 books

Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Oct 10 2024

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Witch Book Recommendations

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire A Sorceress Comes to Call & Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton Walker The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandana Circe by Madeline Miller Witch King by Martha Wells Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson Wicked by Gregory Maguire Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang You Cant Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne Blood & Brujas by Mikayla D. Horendo The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields #witches #witchbooks #bookish #bookclub #booktok #bookrecommendations #krystallotuslang #bookreview #bookmail #witchbookrecommendations @Bindery @Tor Publishing Group @Penguin Random House @William Morrow Books @berkleypub @Orbit Books US #Inverted

15 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 28 2024

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if you like this horror movie … read this book!

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 21 2024

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dark witchy books

dark witchy books for dark witchy times (YAY FALL).

3 books

The Black Bird Commons\ \ Tim\ \ • Sep 6 2024

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5 Sapphic Books ive loved, and 5 Sapphic Books i’m going to love

11 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 27 2024

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“Sometimes I feel like I’ve been building you a House out of my own bones. And still, you look at me with so much contempt and mistrust. You complain because there are gaps in the roof of my ribs, and you ask me to give more of myself to fill them. You want my hips to be the bowl you drink from. My shoulders, your bed. My arms, your walls. My legs, the very ground you stand on. You want your fill of my blood whenever you crave it. What more do you want from me?”\ \ ― Alexis Henderson, House of Hunger\ \ House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson, a story about a destitiute woman who chooses to become a blood maid to a wealthy countess, in the creepiest of creepy estates, was one of my favorite horror reads last year. The book had one of the greatest horror heroines I've read, Marion Shaw.\ \ This year, I am excited to get to Henderson's first novel, The Year of the Witching (Bethel 1, a series???) This story follows Immanuelle who finds her mothers diary and learns that her mother consorted with witches.\ \ I believe that Henderson writes horror in a way that is perfect for fans of fantasy looking to explore new genres. Her tales are dark, but inviting.\ \ I love everything witchy and though this seems like the perfect FALL read, I will probably end up getting to it before summer.\ \ Let me know if you have read either of these books or if you are planning to add them to your TBR?\ \ ​

Women in Horror Bookshelf: The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

2 books

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Mood Reads\ \ Hannah\ \ • Apr 23 2024

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\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://moodreads.binderybooks.com/item/8vfDlu63QpfTfwDxahqj/)

10 lyrics from "The Tortured Poets Department" & the books they remind me of

Random lyrics, random recs, all the love

12 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Oct 3 2023

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september reading wrap up

✨ september reading wrap up! what was your favorite and/or least favorite book from september?

7 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Aug 6 2022

unhauling all your favourite books + a Q&A!

other places to find me 🤍 my website: https://www.jananiekvelu.com/ 🤍 my series # EpicBookRecs on the Epic Reads Channel: https://bit.ly/2XziOfz

💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

54 books