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Yesteryear: A Novel

Caro Claire Burke

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A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1805—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive. Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the Republican equivalent of a Kennedy? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a brutal reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • May 21

Why Do Readers HATE Satire Novels? The Origins of Satire & How It's REALLY Used in Fiction

Hello everyone! By popular demand I have brought you the first in a series of video essays on various topics in the book community, literature, and art. Today, we are discussing satire novels and their literary tradition and how they are often misunderstood in our current day. I also recommend several of my favourites that you can grab below with my affiliate links!

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 10

all the books I want to read this spring 🌸📚 a long overdue book haul!

open for an exclusive giveaway! 👀

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Posts about this book from across Bindery

Mother Psycho\ \ Chloe Cole\ \ • Jul 29

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\ \ I've always loved horror movies. Before I was allowed to watch them, I'd wander the Horror aisle at my local Blockbuster and take a minute with each VHS cover, allowing myself to savor the titillating mix of curiosity and fear. When friends who hate horror movies ask me how I can sit through them, I explain that living vicariously through the characters and surviving terrifying scenarios is a balm for my anxiety.\ \ Now, as a new mom to a son, I have a different experience when it comes to identifying with fictional characters.\ \ I finally watched the much-hyped horror movie Obsession this past weekend. Before the premise kicked into gear (man is granted wish, and it goes badly like every fictional wish ever) I was already freaked out. The film's first 10 minutes introduce us to the protagonist: Bear, a scruffy, sheepish man in his early twenties. We get a glimpse into his home, his relationships, his inner life. What we see is bone-chilling. \ \ Bear lives in a home he inherited from his grandmother. It's clear from the outdated decor and dim lighting that he hasn't changed a thing about the place. He chooses to live alone in what is essentially a tomb. \ \ He has nursed a romantic fixation on his friend Nikki since high school. Now in their twenties, they spend almost every day together as co-workers and friends, but he's never shared his feelings with her. It's clear from the way he talks about this choice that he views his hesitation as reflecting how considerate and sensitive he is. He prides himself on not being pushy or aggressive. He's a Nice Guy! He doesn't do anything to hurt anyone! But that's because, uh, he doesn't do anything. His cowardice is on full display when Nikki gives him the most gentle and warm opening to share his feelings, and he STILL doesn't. Instead, he makes a doomed wish that she loved him "more than anyone in the world" and thus effectively enslaves her.\ \ I intuit that, like all the Nice Guys I've encountered, Bear believes that simply by virtue of not being an abusive bully, he is entitled to infinite reward. His own personal Hollywood happy ending. Surely his decision to refrain from being an asshole means he deserves the life of his dreams?\ \ The Nice Guy's entitlement is usually accompanied by a lack of responsibility for his feelings. If he finds himself disappointed with how long his dream life is taking to unfold, he views himself as a hapless victim of this sadness. Where did all these bad feelings come from? And, more importantly, who is going to help me with them?(In most cases, Nice Guys look to the closest attractive woman and think, "She'll cheer me up!")\ \ Okay, so Bear isn't a real person. Why do I have so much vitriol about him?\ \ It's not just that I've had my fair share of run-ins with Nice Guys in my day. It's that, as a quote unquote boy mom, I now see all male characters as omens. Beware, I think with a shudder as I watch, this what your delightful baby boy can turn into if you're not careful!\ \ In a world where Vogue published an article asking Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? and reels like this one\ \ \ \ have gone viral , I feel like raising a son has never felt more high stakes. My son cannot be a Nice Guy. An embarrassing boyfriend. A mid loser manchild. A bad guy.\ \ The specter of the bad boyfriend has loomed large in the books I've read over the last decade. Some of my favorite writing is women writers inflicting their protagonist with terrible male partners.\ \ I think of A's boyfriend C in Alexandra Kleeman's You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine. Although he isn't explicitly rude or dismissive, all of his responses to A's concerns undermine her trust in herself. Ultimately, I think he, more than her copycat roommate B, pushes her to the edges of her sanity.\ \ In Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke gave her tradwife influencer protagonist Natalie a challenging husband.\ \ In a LitHub interview, Burke explains:\ \

Since one of Natalie’s main frustrations in her life (according to her) is that she has too many masculine traits, I thought it would be really fun to give her a husband who (again, according to her) has too many feminine ones. They both are people who don’t naturally or comfortably fit into the traditional gender stereotypes, and this is an issue that plagues them increasingly throughout the book. Poor Caleb just wanted to become a kindergarten teacher! My toxic trait is loving him.\ \ I think Caleb's issues are more pernicious than gender non-conformity. He is spineless, allowing himself to be easily swayed and manipulated by anyone around him. His transformation into a domineering and abusive husband demonstrates how readily he adopts misogyny as a governing ideology.  \ \ My Favorite Bad Boyfriend Award goes to the one in Ottessa Moshfegh's short story The Weirdos. He's not only condescending and immature, but also unnervingly strange: \ \ If I turned my back during breakfast he’d say, “I noticed you spilled some of your coffee, so I wiped it up for you.” If I didn’t thank him profusely, he’d put down his fork, ask, “Was that okay?” He was a child, really. He had childish ideas. He told me he “walked like a cop,” which scared off criminals on the street at night. “Why do you think I’ve never been mugged?” He made me laugh.\ \ The narrator asserts "I hate my boyfriend" right before exhaustively detailing all of his peculiarities. She seems almost aroused by how repulsive she finds him and how unaware he is of her disdain.  \ \ My fears about my son's future are not unusual. Content about how moms are shaping their sons to be good partners has become more and more popular.\ \ \ \ I study these, taking my job to raise my son to be a vocal feminist capable of emotional regulation and domestic duties very seriously. \ \ The more energy I put into shaping my son, the more I remind myself of this other genre of content I see with increasing frequency. Perhaps you've seen it too: the viral trend "Because I didn't marry a loser."\ \ The brilliant Tracy Clark-Flory wrote about this phenomenon that she calls hetero-exceptionalism:\ \ I’ve been thinking about this concept of hetero-exceptionalism.\ \ I’m envisioning it as a variety of heteropessimism. It’s a perspective that recognizes that heteronormative love and sex can be punishing for women, while emphasizing exceptions (happy heteronormative relationships) that are attributed to men who are unicorns or women with discerning taste and romantic savvy. Crucially, it comes along with a sense of blame, specialness, and superiority, as opposed to solidarity.\ \ It is part traditional romantic fairytale around The One and Prince Charming, and part neoliberal feminism with its focus on individually navigating systemic oppression (in other words: getting yours within patriarchy).\ \ I’ve been thinking about this concept in part because I came across this from Moira Donegan:\ \ Gotta love the new genre of tweet from millennial women that's like “I can't relate to all these divorce books because unlike you losers my husband is a perfect kindly angel who does all the housework.” As if patriarchy is merely a skill issue.\ \ The genre of tweet that Donegan references is a perfect encapsulation of hetero-exceptionalism: it implicitly or explicitly paints women’s romantic and sexual unhappiness as a personal failure. That is the water in which we swim. So much hetero dating advice for women ultimately reads as instructions for personally navigating patriarchy.\ \ So much of my concern and the concern I see in my fellow boy moms' reels is heteronormative. We're worried about how our sons will show up as a partner to a woman. What if my son is gay or asexual or aromantic?\ \ Also, I recognize that I'm taking all the annoyance and frustration and disgust I feel towards Bear and other Nice Guys he reminds me of and channeling it into constructing my parenting approach. I shouldn't center my thirst for vengeance against toxic masculinity in my mothering journey…right? \ \ My biggest concern is I'm making the mistake Clark-Flory points out in her critique: focusing on an individualistic solution to a systemic problem. So I believe If I successfully complete my mission to raise my son to be a feminist and an ideal husband to a straight woman, I will have done my part in taking down the patriarchy?\ \ As I've mulled this all over, a thought buzzes around in my skull that I can't swat away: \ \ Is having a child an inherently individualistic solution?\ \ Becoming a mother has strengthened my desire to fight for justice in the world, to invest in my community, to be kinder and more empathetic to everyone I meet. But it has also sapped me of time and energy. Since giving birth, I have had to abandon everything I used to do that could potentially ask me to over-extend myself. I now pour all of my resources into one person. That's why it makes sense that my new primary mode of combatting misogyny would be mothering my son. However, I can't pretend that he alone could defeat the patriarchy. To believe this would be childish.\ \ As I've puzzled over this, I've thought about one passage from the poem _On Children_by Kahlil Gibran:\ \ You may give them your love but not your thoughts,\ \ For they have their own thoughts.\ \ You may house their bodies but not their souls,\ \ For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.\ \ (I highly recommend listening to Sweet Honey in the Rock's song of this poem.)\ \ I appreciate this poem's lesson, and I want to surrender to its wisdom. But I don't know how I can stop myself from wanting to accompany my son to the world of tomorrow. Maybe it's a deluded grasp at immortality. Maybe it's a desperate bid at feeling like I have some control. Maybe I simply can't bear the idea of being parted from him. Installing in him a strong vein of feminism feels like the only guarantee that he will carry me with him always.](https://mother-psycho.binderybooks.com/item/SCF5nkjuqbFacKXCEt1U/)

Oh Boy Mom

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Children of Diaspora\ \ Rae the Reviewer\ \ • Jul 28

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Every purchase made through @bookshop_org supports independent bookstores and here are just a few of the books you should be picking up TODAY through @bookshop_org !

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She's Becoming Bookish\ \ Carlie Dayle\ \ • Jul 22

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See It Here First: May & June Reading Wrap-Up

get a 2-for-1 reading wrap-up this month

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Death by TBR Books\ \ Stephanie\ \ • Jul 19

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This week has mostly been about the fact that Small Town Slasher releases in just over two weeks, which is both exciting and nervewrecking. I hope more preorders come in. \ \ I received another incredible blurb for the book:\ \ “Fast-paced and blood-soaked, this entertaining thrill ride is a must read for slasher fans.”\ \ —Justine Pucella Winans, award-winning author of How to Survive a Slasher\ \ I am incredibly grateful that authors I admire have taken the time to read and support this strange, bloody little book. Every time another person understands what I was trying to do with Small Town Slasher, it makes the long and often ridiculous publishing process feel a little more worthwhile.\ \ A lot of this week was spent preparing for release. I worked on promotional graphics, captions, website updates, event pitches, and all the other pieces involved in ensuring that people are aware of a book's existence when it's released. It's really challenging wearing all of the hats. Thursday is 100 days until Halloween AND the one month anniversary of Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology. If you haven't purchase your copy today and please leave a review once you read it. <3\ \ I made some significant changes to my author website, including updates to the homepage, book pages, events section, and contact page. My website has needed attention for a while, but it is difficult to stop working on the books long enough to work on the place where I am supposed to tell people about the books. It is finally doing a much better job of showing who I am, what I write, and what is coming next.\ \ I also started making a more serious attempt at TikTok.\ \ Video content does not come naturally to me, and I am still trying to understand how people find an audio, immediately know what to do with it, film something, edit it, add text, and post it. I did manage to post my first trend-based Small Town Slasher video, though, and I am working on more content for the release.\ \ I Wish I Was a Vampire has been with beta readers and my editor. The beta reading window ended Friday, which means the next stage is my editor and I sorting through the feedback and beginning the final editing process.\ \ The book releases September 15, so there is not much time between finishing Small Town Slasher release work and moving directly into final preparations for my middle grade debut.\ \ I continued reaching out to bookstores and other venues about future events.I would love to do more in-person appearances, but the financial and accessibility side has to make sense. Excitement does not pay for transportation, lodging, or the recovery time that often follows an event.\ \ I have also been exploring programming that goes beyond a standard reading and signing, including conversations about slashers, horror films, nostalgia, disability in horror, and the way movies influence my writing. I want events to feel like something people are genuinely excited to attend, not simply an author sitting behind a table hoping someone stops.\ \ I am preparing for my TBRCon panel, “Problems with the Final Girl Trope.” I am especially interested in discussing final girls who move beyond the narrow version of the trope we have seen so many times, including disabled characters and stories that allow more than one woman to survive.\ \ I also made sure to ask for the panel questions in advance. Virtual events may remove the travel, but that does not mean they are automatically accessible or easy. Knowing what I will be asked gives me time to organize my thoughts and helps me participate without spending the entire panel fighting through anxiety.\ \ Because it is Disability Pride Month, I wrote about what it means to be a disabled author. Disability affects how I write, travel, attend events, meet readers, and run Death by TBR Books. It is also woven into the stories I tell.\ \ I am proud of what I have accomplished, but I do not want to pretend that I accomplish it in the same way or at the same pace as someone who is not dealing with the same limitations. Even virtual events can be challenging. Even good days can require recovery afterward. Both things can be true: I can love this work, and it can be incredibly difficult for me to do it.\ \ When I look at the individual days from this week, it can feel like I spent most of them answering emails, changing website text, fighting with captions, or moving the same tasks from one list to another.\ \ But Small Town Slasher is nearly here.\ \ I Wish I Was a Vampire is moving through beta reading and editing.\ \ My website is substantially better.\ \ I am learning an entirely new platform, preparing for a major panel, pitching events, running a bookstore and press, and continuing to make plans for books that will not be published until next year. My youngest, Sidney, has been keeping me company while I write and edit and work on social media.\ \ \ \ BOOKS\ \ Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke\ \ The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives by Barbara Truelove\ \ The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene\ \ Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead\ \ Currently reading: The Creed Falls Massacres by Jon Cohn and starting Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison tonight!\ \ SHOWS AND FILMS\ \ I have mostly been relying on B uffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Law & Order: SVU, and my usual late 1990s and early 2000s comfort rewatches while I work.\ \ For movies watched The Bay(the new shark one) and it was pretty bad. I'm watching Obsession for the second time tonight and I've also started my rewatch of all of the Spiderman's. Also Backrooms was a wild one!\ \ That is all for this week. Please share what you have been reading and watching!\ \ xoxo\ \ Spooky Girl\ \ Join for free or login

Weekly Update: Small Town Slasher in less than 2 weeks!

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Children of Diaspora\ \ Rae the Reviewer\ \ • Jul 17

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I've been influenced!

Let me know what books you’ve picked up because of the internet

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ofpagesandprint\ \ Dahlia\ \ • Jul 1

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Hello friends!\ \ I'm so excited to share my interview with Sara, the owner of Judging By The Cover. Located in San Dimas, California, Judging By The Cover is a cozy and welcoming woman- and Latina-owned independent bookstore that champions inclusivity and community. The bookstore celebrated its first anniversary on June 6th.\ \ Q: What inspired you to open Judging By The Cover?\ \ A: The catalyst was hearing that San Dimas Cake Co. might be closing.\ \ I remember thinking it would be a shame to lose a small business, and it got me wondering what would happen to the space. I've always loved books, so I started looking into what it would take to open a bookstore. At first it was really just curiosity. I wasn't actively planning to open one, I was just exploring an idea that I couldn't get out of my head.\ \ The more research I did, the more excited I became. Not just about books, but about what an independent bookstore could mean for a community.\ \ I've worked behind a chair for years (I was and still am a full-time hairstylist, doing about 40 hours a week behind the chair), and one thing I've learned is that people are looking for connection. Some of the most meaningful conversations have happened when a service was technically over, but nobody was quite ready to leave because the conversation was too good.\ \ I realized a bookstore could create those same opportunities for connection. People come in for books, but they stay for book clubs, author events, story times, workshops, and most importantly, conversations with other readers.\ \ So while my love of books is what got me interested in opening a bookstore, creating a space where people could gather, connect, and feel welcome is what made me decide to actually do it.\ \ Q: What has been one of your favorite and one of the most unexpected moments as a new bookstore owner?\ \ A: One of my favorite things has been watching customers become friends with one another. We've had people meet at book club, exchange numbers, start attending events together, and build relationships outside of the store. That's incredibly gratifying because it means the bookstore is doing exactly what I hoped it would do.\ \ The most unexpected thing has been how quickly people made us part of their lives. We have customers who stop in every week, bring visiting friends and family, or tell us, "I was driving by and just wanted to see what was new." I knew people liked books. I didn't realize how many people were looking for a place that felt like a home away from home.\ \ Q: What books have your customers been most excited about?\ \ A: It depends on who you ask! Our customers have pretty wide-ranging tastes, which keeps things fun.\ \ Our romantasy readers are a force of nature, so authors like Callie Hart, Sophia St. Germain, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Rachel Gillig are always generating excitement. On the romance side, Abby Jimenez, Ali Hazelwood, Carley Fortune, Melissa Marr, and Lana Ferguson are always being recommended from one reader to the next. Our thriller readers are always looking for the next book that's going to keep them up way too late.\ \ One thing that makes me especially happy is seeing customers get excited about local authors. During our first year, about 10% of the books we sold were written by local authors, which is something I'm incredibly proud of. Watching readers discover authors from their own community has been an incredibly rewarding part of owning the bookstore.\ \ Q: What are some of your go-to book recommendations?\ \ A: This is the question every bookseller dreads because the answer is always, "it depends."\ \ My favorite recommendation isn't a specific book, it's the process of figuring out what someone is looking for. Two people can ask for a thriller and want two completely different experiences.\ \ That said, I find myself recommending What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall quite a bit. I loved Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke and have been putting it into a lot of readers' hands lately. And if someone wants a romance recommendation, you can expect me to recommend anything by Ali Hazelwood, Alexis Daria, or The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie.\ \ Honestly, though, if you ask me this question next week, you'll probably get a different answer. That's part of the fun.\ \ Q: What are your hopes for the future of Judging By The Cover?\ \ A: I hope we continue growing into an even bigger part of the community.\ \ Of course I'd love to bring in more authors, expand our events, support more local writers and artists, and continue introducing people to books they might not have found otherwise.\ \ But more than anything, I hope we remain a place people feel comfortable walking into.\ \ Whether you're an avid reader who finishes a hundred books a year or someone who hasn't picked up a book since high school, I want Judging By The Cover to feel like a space where you belong.\ \ If people continue to think of us as part of their routine and part of their community, I'll consider that a success.\ \ Q: What advice would you give to anyone looking to expand their bookish community?\ \ A: I'd encourage people to take a chance on attending something by themselves.\ \ That might be a book club, an author event, a writing group, or even just spending a little extra time chatting with someone at their local bookstore (hint, hint) or library.\ \ I know that can feel intimidating, but some of my favorite bookstore stories started with someone saying, "I almost didn't come tonight."\ \ As a lifelong Pride & Prejudice fan (and therefore, naturally, a Bridget Jones's Diary fan), I joke that one of my talents is making introductions. Not necessarily in the matchmaking sense, but in the "you should meet this person, and here's a thoughtful detail about them" sense. Some of the best friendships I've watched form at the bookstore started because two people realized they loved the same genre, author, or book.\ \ Books are a wonderful conversation starter. You don't have to become best friends overnight. Sometimes community starts with a single introduction and grows from there.\ \ Q: You've said that Judging By The Cover is not only a bookstore but also "a place to belong." How have you approached crafting a warm and welcoming storytelling space?\ \ A: Honestly, I think a lot of it comes down to the people.\ \ I have an incredible team, and they're genuinely warm, welcoming people. We like talking about books, we like getting to know our customers, and we care about helping people find stories they'll love. I think customers can tell the difference between someone who's being friendly because it's their job and someone who's being friendly because they genuinely enjoy connecting with people.\ \ At the same time, we've been intentional about creating a space that doesn't feel intimidating. We greet people when they come in, but we don't hover. We offer recommendations, but we don't make people feel judged for what they read. Whether your favorite book is a literary classic or a gargoyle romance, you're welcome here.\ \ I've always believed there's no right way to be a reader. Some people read a hundred books a year. Some people listen exclusively to audiobooks. Some people are just getting back into reading after years away. All of them belong here. Books bring people through the door, but it's the people inside the store who make it feel like a place to belong.\ \ Q: How do you approach curating your bookstore's selection?\ \ A: I pay attention to what customers are requesting, what people are talking about in book club, what my booksellers are recommending, what local authors are writing, and what conversations are happening in the broader book world.\ \ Of course we carry new releases and popular titles, but I also think a bookstore should create opportunities for discovery. There's something really rewarding about watching someone discover a book they never would have picked up on their own.\ \ A bookstore owner's job isn't to convince people to read what she likes. If that were the case, this store would be primarily made up of psychological thrillers, rom-coms, and the most depressing nonfiction you've ever seen. My goal is to create a collection that reflects our community, introduces readers to new voices, and gives people plenty of opportunities to discover their next favorite book.\ \ Q: Would you share more about connecting your community through your bookstore's events?\ \ A: The events have become a huge part of what makes Judging By The Cover feel like Judging By The Cover.\ \ When people think of bookstores, they often think about shelves full of books. I spend a surprising amount of time thinking about what happens beyond the shelves.\ \ That's why we host book clubs, story times, author events, workshops, book swaps, walking clubs, local author markets, and what sometimes feels like an infinite number of other events. The goal isn't just to connect people with books, it's to create opportunities for people to connect with each other.\ \ What I've learned is that books are often the starting point. Someone comes to a book club because they liked the book, but they come back because they enjoyed the conversation. Someone attends an author event and leaves with a new favorite writer, or a new friend.\ \ The best indicator that an event was successful is when it technically ended twenty minutes ago and people are still standing around talking because nobody is quite ready to leave yet. That's usually when I know we've done something right.\ \ Thank you so much to Sara for joining me in chatting about Judging By The Cover! 🫶\ \ Join for free or login

Finding Books & Belonging in this Cozy Indie Bookstore: An interview with the owner of Judging By The Cover

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Children of Diaspora\ \ Rae the Reviewer\ \ • Jun 25

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Instead of using Amazon, support indie bookstores this weekend!

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Wild Card Reads\ \ Samia (bookaroundandfindout)\ \ • Jun 17

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Crazy Women Book Recs

Some of the craziest women I've ever seen in books - from toxic to straight delulu we love to read about them but not be them!

Books I mention: -Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke - Hooked by Asako Yuzuki - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang -Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 14

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[Hi Friends,\ \ I thought I would make my May reading update public this month. I typically will keep these paid members only, mostly so I can be a little more honest than I can on social media. I'm not saying now is the time to upgrade, but today I released a WHAT FEEDS BELOW update, an update on the THIRD book from our imprint and will likely be doing a cover reveal for our second book CRACKS soon (so yeah, maybe I am saying now is the time to upgrade!)\ \ Before I get into the update: I LISTED 150 books for sale, many under $5\ \ Shot out to anyone who buys multiple books at once because I have a ton of big boxes I'm dying to get rid of!\ \ I read 15 Books in May. And got a little bit of everything this month.\ \

1. Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis\ \ \ \ This was our book club pick for Good Day To Read Indigenous and I thought it was fantastic. It's a coming of middle age story, and to be honest, I think we need many more of these! It follows Abe, a man with a debilitating autoimmune disease who in a last ditch attempt to get healed, goes back to the Rez to consult a healer. The prose here is perfection. The characters are SOMETHING ELSE. There is so much about language and love. If you didn't get a chance to read along for book club, I still suggest checking this one out.\ \ \
2. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke\ \ \ \ Well, it was a book. Anyway. There are 2 things that are true about me. One, if everyone is talking about it, I want to talk about it. And 2. I LOVE BOOKS ABOUT INFLUENCERS. This book was...fine. I was entertained for at least 65% of the book. The ending totally fell apart and pissed me off. I don't think it is worthy of all the hype, but I also don't find it interesting enough to be worthy of all the attention and criticism either.\ \
3. Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas\ \ \ \ There are times when you read a book and you know this book is going to be for me, but other people might hate it and this is definitely one of these books. It's a book for anyone who loves a book with immaculate vibes over plot. It's dark academia gothic that is impeccably written. Do we need to know what the hell is going on anyway?\ \
4. Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe\ \ \ \ TAYLOR IS A MASTER AT HORRORMANCE. This book made me want to read 10 more books just like it. Sapphic. Gory. Dark Academia. Monsters. It drops 10/20 and it is one I THINK YOU SHOULD PREORDER RIGHT NOW.\ \
5. Heartbeat Braves by Pamela Sanderson\ \ \ \ This is an Indigenous romance that centers around the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center, it's book one of a four book interconnected series. We follow Rayanne who is just trying to do a good job and make changes and then a new leader puts his nephew, Henry, is charge and Rayanne has to work with him. I usually do not care for workplace romances, but because of the unique setting and the cultural significance this one really worked for me. I enjoyed all of the characters here, so I'm looking forward to continuing the series.\ \
6. Native Love Jams by Tashia Hart\ \ \ \ Short and sweet Indigenous romance. This follows Winnow and Niigaani and they have a rough first meet, but end up working so well together. I love a book that centers on FOOD. This is a very sweet story, with memorable characters that is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny.\ \
7. When Stars Have Teeth by Dani Trujilio\ \ \ \ WHOA this Indigenous romance was STEAMY. Buffy does not want a man, but she finds one anyway. Buffy works at the Urban Indian center and just wants to get her job done but is struggling with a non-native board. Santiago is a HOT immigration lawyer. She wants a booty call. He wants BUFFY.\ \
8. The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez\ \ \ \ This is an atmospheric fantasy reimagining the golem story. It's folklore. It's sapphic. There is political intrigue and yearning. It's a moving tale with impressive prose.\ \
9. Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson\ \ \ \ HOLY SHIT. THIS IS THE BEST ROMANCE I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. This book releases October 6. PREORDER IT IMMEDIATELY. This is a romance about a book critic and a debut author who gets DESTROYED by said critic. This is ENEMIES to FRIENDS to THIS BETTER LAST FOREVER OR I WONT SURVIVE. A lot of interesting stuff about creativity, on the publishing industry, the book world, social media. I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO READ THIS. The banter. Did I mention the banter? WHEN THEY FINALLY BECOME LOVERS. OMG. Every time I put this book down, I would think about it. I will 100% reread this annually.\ \
10. We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter\ \ \ \ Karin Slaughter is the best living thriller writer. You can disagree in these comments, but you'll be wrong. Everything she writes blows me away. The twist at the end of this book. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? No, not that twist. The twist after that twist. Two teenage girls vanish. A detective with baggage thinks she's solved it. Fast forward, two more girls vanish.... but it can't be the same man? Can it? Just give Karin Slaughter the awards every time she picks up a pen. Please.\ \
11. Girl, Forgotten (Andrea Oliver #2) by Karin Slaughter\ \ \ \ So, naturally, I had to go on a Karin Slaughter binge. Who killed Emily Vaughn on prom night in 1982? All of her friends are suspects. This is a sequel to Pieces of Her and while I think they can be read as separate stories, there are connections to the first book that just make starting there worth it. PLUS, all Karin Slaughter's thrillers are to die for.\ \
12. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune\ \ \ \ Wow, I think Carley Fortune just unseated Emily Henry as my fave contemporary romance author. This book was perfection to me. A second chance romance about Persephone and Sam, told in the present and as their time as teens. All we know is they split up because of something Percy did...and MY GOD when we learn what. I thought I would hate that. I didn't. It worked so well for me. This couple. Could NOT put it down.\ \
13. Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune\ \ \ \ Decided I was going to read all of her books in pub order. This should have been a book for me. Dirty Dancing references. A couple who spends an entire day together like the Before Sunset/Sunrise movie trilogy but NO. NO. What. NO.\ \
14. The Lemon Twist by Élan Les Vies\ \ \ \ This is mystery set in the 80s that follows an ice skater suffering memory loss who gets a postcard from her sister that's been missing, with one word written on it: HELP. Lots of puzzles to solve. And a TWIST like no other.\ \
15. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune\ \ \ \ Heck yes. The joy I felt reading Every Summer After is back! This follows Lucy who falls for her best friend's brother (A trope I thought I would hate. NOPE!) They have to stay apart, but yet they hook up every year. I LOVE SUMMER ROMANCE. What can I say?\ \ \ \ \ \ Have you read any of these? What's on your June TBR?](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/vb8wwYWR4PqkMlE9vH5x/)

Everything I Read in May

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The Brothers Gwynne\ \ Ed & Will\ \ • Jun 9

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Poll:\ \ Have you read Yesteryear?\ \ \ \ Yesteryear won the vote for the book I (Will) read in June! Very different from what I usually read, but it's very well written, and I'm having a good time with it so far.\ \ Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

You Voted Yesteryear!

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Rootbound\ \ Kenzi Didericksen\ \ • May 28

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Poll:\ \ June's Book Club pick is Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. I am so excited to read this polarizing book about a modern day social media trad wife that is sent back in time to live in a more grueling pioneer-era.\ \ You can join the conversation on Rootbound's discord! Just be sure to mute the chapter channels, as there will be spoilers through the last listed chapter in the channel title. The channels are now live! If you want to have a chance to vote for next month's book club pick, consider upgrading to the Moss tier. 🪨\ \ Happy reading!!

June's Book Club Pick: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 💐

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Allen Not Ellen Reads\ \ Ellen (allennotellen)\ \ • May 28

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I can’t even remember the last time I made a monthly tbr video but here we are #maytbr #booktok #boo

I can’t even remember the last time I made a monthly tbr video but here we are #maytbr #booktok #bookish #tbrlist #mayreads

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • May 21

Why Do Readers HATE Satire Novels? The Origins of Satire & How It's REALLY Used in Fiction

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Rootbound\ \ Kenzi Didericksen\ \ • May 18

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June's Book Club Pick 🌼

Help me pick June’s book club pick! & I have a very exciting announcement 🌱🌙🕯️🌥️ #rootbound #booktok #bookish #bookclubpick

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The Brothers Gwynne\ \ Ed & Will\ \ • May 15

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Poll:\ \ VOTE (more than 1 vote allowed)\ \ Vote for one of the books Will reads in June....\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

VOTE FOR WILL'S JUNE READ

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She's Becoming Bookish\ \ Carlie Dayle\ \ • May 13

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[Poll:\ \ Did you enjoy Yesteryear?\ \ Yesteryear\ \ “A perfectly fermented version of America”\ \ Disclaimer \ \ Let me start by saying I have zero qualifications to critique a book. I read a fair few books and talk about them online, but I’m not a professional book critic. I don’t know jack about writing a book or the fancy tools professionals use to analyze a book. I know what I like and can usually articulate that in a succinct way. But something about this book sparked a fire in me (and many others) that led me down a rabbit hole that ultimately resulted in pen to paper. Now that we have the disclaimer out of the way, let’s proceed.\ \ As I mentioned, I read a fair few books, and I usually rate books based on how they make me FEEL (again, not a professional). Usually, the stronger the positive feelings, the higher the rating. With Yesteryear, I walked away with more negative vibes than positive; yet, I’m left compulsively thinking about the book. Was it brilliant? Was it lazy? Was it innovative? Was it recycled from previous works? Was it all those things? Most of all, did I like it?\ \ Let’s be real, Yesteryear is on track to be the Book of the Year. It’s one of the most talked about books I’ve encountered since starting Bookstagram six years ago, and I think it has the potential to win all the popularity contests and awards. But does it deserve the attention and praise being showered across ALL the platforms?\ \ In the author’s own words, Yesteryear is “a perfectly fermented version of America,” (4) effectively capturing the ills of our society in a short 400 pages. \ \

• • *\ \ My Immediate Reaction \ \ OK, so I finished the book in roughly 36 hours. I listened to 75% of the book as an audiobook and finished the last 25% in physical format. It’s now been more than a week since I turned the last pages, and I am still totally obsessed.\ \ It’s the first book in a very long time that I have COMPULSIVELY thought about since finishing. I’ve been obsessively consuming content about this book in an effort to 1) validate my own experience and 2) help me articulate exactly how I’m feeling. I’ve read articles, read & watched reviews, listened to podcasts, and engaged other readers in discourse all in an effort to formulate the following sentence:\ \ I am obsessed with this book.\ \ I vacillate frequently between “Is this the next Great American Novel?” and “What the fuck did I just read?”\ \ And after talking to so many other people about this book, I think that’s the consensus of most readers. Yes, there are a lot of rave reviews out there. There are also a fair few negative reviews. A lot of people hated this book. But I think the majority of people land somewhere in the middle.\ \ IF Burke purposefully set out to achieve this polarizing effect, then this book was brilliant. Mission accomplished. But that assumes Burke wrote this book with divisive (or derisive) intention. Personally, I’m leaning toward “she knew what she was doing.” And if so, I think it was kind of brilliant.\ \
• • *\ \ What Is Yesteryear Actually \ \ Before we get into some of my thoughts, let’s talk about the book itself.\ \ Yesteryear was published in April 2026, so if you find this thesis months or years from now, the whole point is to help you understand if you should drink the Kool-Aid. Honest answer: that depends. \ \ Yesteryear is contemporary literary fiction with some speculative qualities. In my opinion, it’s another victim of mismarketing, which this time is unfortunate for the reader rather than the book. Some pick up the book expecting to get a dual timeline historical fiction (no, just no) or a fast-paced thriller (also no) or a light, funny read akin to watching The Simple Life with Nicole and Pari s. All those readers will be sorely disappointed.\ \ As Jananie of This Story Ain't Over (2) so eloquently said, it’s “a chillingly, uncomfortable satire.”\ \ Described by The Guardian (3) as “high-concept,” in my (humble) opinion it’s schadenfreude, a train wreck of a story we can’t and don’t want to look away from despite a visceral reaction. We go in expecting to be able to hold the plot at a distance but ultimately end up recognizing uncomfortable truths about our current culture…and maybe ourselves. \ \ And in my opinion that’s the assignment. \ \ We aren’t supposed to get close. We aren’t supposed to connect. We aren’t supposed to empathize or relate to the characters or the story. \ \
• • *\ \ The Premise \ \ As noted in the synopsis, Natalie is a Tradwife influencer living a seemingly perfect life until “she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers.” The house looks like her house but is shabby and without charm. The children look similar to her children but aren’t. She’s married to a man that looks vaguely like her husband, but his dead, dark eyes tell her otherwise. \ \ In a desperate search for answers, she stumbles onto etching on the doorframe marking the height of various household members. The year: 1855.\ \ What happened? How did she get here?\ \ In the words of The Talking Heads, “This is not my beautiful house. This is not my beautiful wife.” (5)\ \ Now she’s forced to truly live the life that, as my new friend Harry at Harry’s Book Café (1) so eloquently noted, she’s been “cosplaying for profit.” \ \ The entire book is built around the key question: how did this happen? And ultimately, that is the question that will keep you flipping pages if you choose to read this book.\ \
• • *\ \ Natalie as a Character \ \ Let’s take a minute to dissect Natalie. The entire book is told from her point of view, so by the end of the book we’ve spent A LOT of time in her head. And, well, Natalie’s thinking is a little…how we say clinical terms, pathological. Unhinged at best.\ \ What we very soon learn after meeting Natalie is that she’s a sociopath. And what happens when you spend six to eight hours with a sociopath? Chances are you’ll recognize that you’re in the presence of a maladapted person and will likely experience a strong desire to run far, far away from said person. \ \ Burke WANTS you to feel uncomfortable with this character. Those moments when your skin is literally crawling and you’re making cringe faces, you’re experiencing what it might be like to be in the presence of a sociopath.\ \ Because you spend so much time in the mind of this truly vile character, your worldview is extremely narrow. She’s narcissistic, at times histrionic. She views herself as morally and intellectually superior. She is without compassion. She’s unable to emote and unable to empathize like a “normal” human being. Again, Natalie is a sociopath. THIS is what most readers are picking up on but just are struggling to articulate. \ \ And unlike most books where the MC attempts to understand, learn or grow, our FMC makes no attempts to do any of the above. Like a true sociopath, Natalie sees NO reason to change. The complete lack of character growth in this story is challenging for many readers. There is no warm fuzzy feeling of satisfaction at the end of this story, so know that going in.\ \ Many have criticized Burke’s lack of character development as lazy, but I think she perfectly illustrated the pathological perspective from which our FMC approaches life. Since we spend all of our time from Natalie’s narcissistic world view, our view of the other people in her life (i.e. our side characters) is heavily influenced by her lack of human decency, emotional connection, empathy, or feeling. We are being asked to see through the eyes of one of the most pathological characters ever. She has the emotional depth of a thimble, with no real capacity to connect with her fellow characters. Therefore, we feel the same lack of connection, which MANY interpret as a failure on the part of the author. There was no reason for Burke to flesh out those characters; she was writing Natalie’s story, and we’re along for the weird, wild ride. It’s not her character development that’s lacking, it’s her storytelling (more on that in a bit). \ \
• • *\ \ A Bit on Style \ \ This is Burke’s debut novel, and at times it did feel very much like a debut. It’s almost as if she threw the proverbial spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck. Her plot feels chaotic, not always well supported. Her writing style is tense, sometimes erratic. But it’s also witty, with razor sharp satire (albeit more attuned to liberal senses of humor). It’s twisted and dark throughout and purposefully designed to create conflicting feelings in readers.\ \ Burke describes the book as a very “voicey” book (4). You spend the entire book in Natalie’s head, directly exposed to her pathological thought processes. It’s written the way this character talks and thinks, even down to her tics. You feel as though you’re being swept up in Natalie’s downward spiral every single time the author repeats a word or phrase (“bark, bark, bark”), as though there’s a glitch somewhere in the wiring.\ \ This is one of the things I appreciated the most. The book is narrated to you by this character, not by the author. Natalie’s inner dialogue places you right in the moment. All of the action is happening within the character as opposed to around the character, again making for a richer experience for the reader. There’s a lot of telling rather than showing, but showing would require Natalie to critically think about her choices and actions, something totally foreign to her.\ \ I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews specific to pacing. Some people found it very propulsive, encouraging compulsive consumption of the book. Other people found it slow and tedious, with too much cyclical storytelling and jarring time shifts. At times, it feels almost dizzying.\ \ I’m of the belief that Burke set out to achieve that level of chaos. Yes, there’s a lot of tedious, mind-numbing moments followed closely by sharp shifts in time or action. I think those are intended to highlight the juxtaposition of online vs offline life and modern vs olden times, as well as to illustrate Natalie’s worsening mental health. Reflecting on this use of structure, as well as the character’s observations about her dual life, is where I believe Burke’s true message lies.\ \
• • *\ \ Caro as Natalie \ \ We already know that Burke is super smart. She’s a cohost of a podcast, Diabolical Lies, where she regularly talks politics and culture with a great degree of insight and consideration (again, albeit liberal leaning). She speaks like your super smart friend, you know the one that kind of makes you feel not so smart but you keep talking to her anyway because maybe a little of her smarts will rub off. That’s the vibe I get from Caro Claire Burke. \ \ In the Yesteryear episode of Diabolical Lies(4), Burke explains that she, like Natalie, was sort of floundering around for a while, not sure how to get where she wanted to be. And, like Natalie, it was not for lack of vision or lack of trying.\ \ By the time she sold Yesteryear, she’d already written two novels, both of which were rejected. She was freelancing, writing copy that her co-host lovingly described as beneath her (skills, intellect, etc). At some point, she created a TikTok account, where she began sharing her observations about various cultural phenomena (including TradWife culture). Suddenly, she has tens of thousands of followers seemingly overnight. A month or so later, she’s pitching this novel and the rest is history. \ \ I find it incredibly fascinating that Burke’s career very much mirrored Natalie's viral growth. I also find it entirely too coincidental to believe that Burke was not directly influenced by her meteoritic rise when conceptualizing this book. In fact, I venture to say THAT is the point of this book, not tradwives as one is led to believe after reading the synopsis. In the book, Natalie struggles to find a voice and an audience online, even attending a “how to go viral” course (which was totally a waste of HER time), only to stumble into a vortex of virality after an ultraconservative influencer showcased her profile for its portrayal of good Christian values, the ideal wife, dutiful mother, etc. \ \ Suddenly, she’s got power. And she wields that power to create a fairytale universe in which to live (or maybe hide). While I’m not saying Burke is Natalie, I am very curious if she intentionally wrote her own story but from a much more warped, twisted perspective. I think some may argue that for a debut author to be riding such a high wave of success MIGHT feel like a fairytale. She’s the next pub house darling, with multiple publishing houses vying for the rights to the book. That she gives credit to actress Anne Hathaway in the author’s notes (reportedly she bought the film rights before the book was finished) could lend one to believe the very things about this book that are sparking ire and fascination in equal measure were a purposeful money grab. I’ll leave that there for now. \ \ In the meantime, let’s hope Burke’s fairytale has a better ending. \ \
• • *\ \ Online Culture & Influencer Commentary \ \ I’ll be honest: the commentary on social media culture, influencer culture, and online culture in general were the most compelling for me. In fact, I think they were THE POINT of the book. Yesteryear is a vehicle for Burke’s statement on social media culture rather than a book about tradwives. She, like many others, may be fascinated by tradwives, but I don’t think that is what drove her to write this book. Hear me out. \ \ Natalie could’ve been ANY type of influencer. Trade tradwife trapped in a traditional nightmare for a beauty influencer who wakes up grossly disfigured and scarred. Or maybe a fitness influencer whose body is eating all her muscles. A chef who burns everything. You get the point…\ \ Tradwifery had very little to do with this book in my opinion; it was simply a vehicle to deliver the underlying parable of the dangers of influencer culture. Burke shares few insights about why tradwives are the way they are, what motivates them to live this traditional, seemingly pious lifestyle. There are hints. There’s some conversation around it. But readers walk away having learned little about tradwife culture in the end. \ \ Burke allows you to directly observe said influencer, giving you a glimpse into what influencers MAY be like. And by now, we’ve all seen enough tell-all influencer documentaries to know that once the cameras aren’t rolling, the real show begins. Burke expertly illustrates that exact experience in Yesteryear. Jekyll, meet Hyde.\ \ Whether or not that’s how Burke views all influencers, that’s for her to say. Personally, I thought it was extremely introspective, and as someone who creates content online, there were several uncomfortably relatable moments. \ \ Her introspective analysis of influencer culture is frightening, glimpsing behind the proverbial curtain to get to the ugly truth. It’s all about power. Likes are power. Fame is power. Recognition is power. And when we give ghouls power, they tend to get more ghoulish. Burke is challenging you to explore your relationship with online culture, to realize the currency of your likes while asking you to use them for something more meaningful than supporting someone’s falsehood or fairytale.  \ \ There is a portion of the book where she talks about the tedium of Natalie’s offline life. It’s messy. It’s disordered. It’s disorganized. It’s chaotic. It’s boring. In this, Burke captures the jarring nature of online vs offline life, and how frustratingly normal offline (ie real) life can be. In doing so, she highlights the motivation of consumers and the snake oil of influence that propels influencer culture, the slippery slope of fantasy.\ \
• • *\ \ Politics and Womanhood \ \ I won’t get too deep here, but I will add a few thoughts. Not so subtle hints at radical feminism, anti-feminist sentiment, conservatism, fundamental Christian beliefs, and even racist beliefs are instantly recognizable, yet are they really the point? A universe of truths about the widening gap of political beliefs lives in this novel, yet the author doesn’t bang you over the head with a viewpoint. In Burke’s own words, “it’s a book, not a policy platform.” (4)\ \ Regardless of their personal politics, most readers will read this and find off putting aspects despite being highly entertained. The satirical stance will likely be offensive for more conservative readers. Burke’s FMC is designed to be a reflection of a particular type of woman, and while satirical, it can also feel accosting, bordering on bullying to some readers. \ \ Frankly, I think it’s best suited for readers who enjoy darker, more introspective novels. Just like Severance, it’s a novel of our time…about our time. It’s not designed to be palatable to a wide audience.\ \ One thing Yesteryear does well is to depict the extraordinary weight of womanhood and the constant pressure for perfection, applicable to all women, faith or politics aside. It’s holding up a mirror to the perfectionist tendencies that we assume for the benefit of others. It’s a parable of how romanticizing the “perfect” lives of influencers can lead one down a dangerous path in pursuit of a lifestyle that exists only in a fantasy.\ \ There’s also commentary on agency that I’m not smart enough to articulate. The dinner scene in particular was an intense and heartbreaking exploration of Natalie’s complete lack of agency, perfectly capturing the caged feeling women experience in response to loss of control.\ \ And all the while, we’re slowly descending into madness alongside Natalie, fueled by anger and emotional exhaustion and driven by the duality of “online” life and the constant need to perform. Hit your mark, once again, smile for the camera, rinse and repeat.\ \
• • *\ \ Interpretation \ \ Ok, so let’s go with the “it’s brilliant” theory. What does that say about me as a reader? I actually asked myself this question over and over, particularly after an interaction with someone who hypothesized that any woman who feels this book is profound or deep is outing themselves. This same person went on to call the book, and I’m paraphrasing, mediocre at best. \ \ That exchange really took me aback. In one sense, I completely see where she’s coming from; I think there are very valid arguments about the writing, structure, and pacing that would lead one to question WHY it’s so wildly popular. Still, I found myself fascinated with the book, so much so that I began to wonder “am I a mediocre reader?” \ \ We could dialogue about this type of discourse, but we’ll save that for another episode. Needless to say, I see where she’s coming from, but I also feel like there’s enough complexity in this book that it, perhaps, lends itself to a complex response. In summary, I don’t think it’s fair to lump any one group of readers together to cast judgment on their reading and deduction skills. \ \ What Burke does TO readers was absolutely fascinating. It’s one of the most meta aspects of this book, and if purposeful, then Yesteryear is probably one of the smartest things I’ve read in a while. Most readers will be repulsed by Natalie, as they should. And while some will find sympathy for her (she’s a victim of systems designed to oppress and brainwash, blah blah blah), I doubt many will find empathy for her. And it’s THIS that I found the most interesting. We’re reading about a sociopath who lacks empathy while we fail to find any for her. It’s the same mirror that Victoria Christopher Murray held to our faces in Harlem Rhapsody, though Burke turns it up to 11. \ \ There are many loose threads in Yesteryear. A lot is left to the audience to interpret, something I’ve seen widely criticized. This left me wondering, does a book have to beat us over the head with expressed meaning or intent to be “good literature”? Or is critical thought too much to ask in the modern age?\ \ Likewise, are we allowed to have a meaningful connection with or find enjoyment in books that may not be “good literature?” Or are we somehow flawed readers for our fascination?\ \ Reading fiction is subjective. Interpretation of a book is a deeply personal experience.\ \ Who are we to say that someone’s deep meaningful experience with a book is any more or less valuable than our own? Likewise, who are we to judge others for assigning meaning in something we feel falls short of the mark. \ \ There’s no doubt about one thing: this book is highly polarizing. And, sure, there are some highly triggering themes and discourse, but what does it actually say? And, more importantly, what does it say about me if I enjoyed it? The discourse around this book IS the point in my opinion. It’s a book written to enrage and/or entertain. I don’t think it was written to be life changing literature, though the author’s life certainly did change. And for some, that’s the core issue at hand. Did she see a chance to profit on sensationalism or is she a true artist? Frankly, I think it’s a bit of both. \ \
• • *\ \ Final Thoughts \ \ I’m not as smart as I may (or may not) sound, and I don’t often do as much reflection (or writing, frankly) as I did for this book. But it feels like a moment.\ \ Is this the next Great American Novel? Maybe. \ \ I think there are some things that would qualify it as such. It takes the pulse of the times in the way many celebrated works of literature have in the past. \ \ Yesteryear is an allegory about online life, anger, perfectionism, conformity, performance, agency, and the seductive danger of idealized identities. The story is filled with foreshadowed warnings about the future state of unchecked influence. It’s a cautionary tale about being attracted to the romantic fairytale, an “ideal” state of being that forgets to find beauty in our flawed existence. It tells of the risk of holding too tightly to control at the risk of skewing your own reality, detaching from the time/space continuum of your “real” life.\ \ Especially as women.\ \ Natalie mirrors for us the dark side of the “having it all” mentality; her righteous anger and self-loathing feels all too familiar. She represents us should our morals and principles fail to guide us gently to shore.\ \ Every time I read or hear other reviews, I'm struck by one thing: I had a very different experience with this book than I normally have with fiction. I was simultaneously terrified and fascinated, deeply engrossed in the pathology of the character (what can I say…I’m a mental health professional). I thought it was brilliant, yet flawed. It’s one I struggle to recommend without a cautionary warning: read at your own risk. For me, it was a deeply unsettling meta-analysis of authenticity, control, influence, agency, and mental health that I found absolutely fascinating!\ \ It's not relatable.\ \ She’s not relatable.\ \ And if she is, God help us.\ \
• • *\ \ A Personal Note \ \ I have NOT written anything like this in years, so I hope it makes some sense. 🤣 I will be summarizing this into a Youtube and Instagram post, but I needed to share more of an in-depth analysis of my reaction to this book somewhere.\ \ If you've read this book, please let me know your thoughts either here in Bindery or message me on social media!\ \ thanks for reading ❤️\ \ xoxo\ \ C\ \ References:\ \

1. Harry's Book Cafe review\ \
2. This Story Ain't Over analysis\ \
3. Guardian review\ \
4. The Caro Episode of Diabolical Lies\ \
5. Talking Heads " This Must Be The Place"\ \ \ Join for free or login](https://shesbecomingbookish.binderybooks.com/item/I8tbWGdWRjmIAzc6XTo2/)

Exclusive to Bindery: Yesteryear - A Spoiler-Free Rumination

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She's Becoming Bookish\ \ Carlie Dayle\ \ • May 10

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[Poll:\ \ Choose my next read!\ \ \ \ Hi there besties ❤️\ \ Happy Sunday & Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!\ \ I wanted to share a few thoughts about my most recent reads and give you a sneak peek at what's coming this week in the world of SBB. \ \ First, let me just say that Yesteryear has TAKEN over my life. I binged it last Sunday and Monday and haven't stopped compulsively thinking about it since. I've written the equivalent of a 10-page paper that I will be publishing exclusively to Bindery this week, and I'm putting the finishing touches on a long-form video review for Youtube (my first ever video dedicated solely to one book) and a short-form Instagram post. I'm sure I'll edit that thesis down to a few paragraphs for a blog post at some point, but there's too many thoughts floating around in my head right now to condense it much further. For now, I'll just say that I plan to give it four starts, but I'm not convinced everyone should read it. More to come...\ \ As you requested in last week's poll, I started Mrs. Benedict Arnold, and, boy, what a treat! It's a combination of Jane Austen, Diana Gabaldon, and various Regency Romance authors I've read and enjoyed (Sophie Irwin, Manda Collins, India Holton, etc). It's packed with history but is very much a character-driven book, so the history seems more palatable. I think it will be perfect for folks who enjoy a little romance with their historical fiction. Plus, it's perfect for the upcoming 250th anniversary of America this summer. \ \ I'm back on the Go As a River bandwagon and glad that I am. I told myself to give it another shot, and surprisingly I'm enjoying it again. The surprise pregnancy trope put me off for a bit, but the character arc shifted back to an empowerment story so it's more my jam. The prose is really lovely, reminding me of some of the things I loved about Where the Lost Wander and In the Great Quiet. I should finish today, but it's looking like a solid 4⭐️ read for me. \ \ The Woman and Her Stars is my go-to-bed read, so I'm slowly plugging away (I've been so tired lately that my eyes start drooping as soon as my head hits the pillow). I'm really enjoying it and am hopeful to finish soon. Haw is a masterful storyteller, so I have a feeling it will be another 4⭐️+ for me. \ \ We've been spending a lot of time watching sports (both in person and on t.v.), having dinners with friends, and Spring cleaning. When life gets busy like this it's hard to balance it all, and naturally my content creation becomes less of a priority. I'm thinking next month will be a catch-up month for me since we have no trips and only one Dodger game. As for the rest of May, it's jam packed with trips and games. I'm headed home to Louisiana later this week, so look for a few alligator pics next week!\ \ ICYMI:\ \

• May new releases Youtube video\ \
• Monday book mail\ \
• 4 AAPI historical fiction recommendations\ \
• Tudor non-fiction recommendation\ \
• Yesteryear conversation starter \ \
• Don't forget about our Discord server!\ \ \ Hear It Here First:\ \ Again, LOTS of Yesteryear content coming very soon, as well as a sneak peek at my new historical fiction TBR jar prompts!\ \ Until next week, happy reading!\ \ xoxo\ \ C\ \ Join for free or login](https://shesbecomingbookish.binderybooks.com/item/8jylGNONM8cfG5H3btbD/)

The Weekly Reading Update: Sunday May 10

6 books

4

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 10

all the books I want to read this spring 🌸📚 a long overdue book haul!

open for an exclusive giveaway! 👀

22 books

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Sunny's Book Truck\ \ CJ\ \ • Mar 1

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Poll:\ \ April Book Club\ \ Friends! Enemies! Everyone in between!\ \ I hope you're all doing as best as you can be and taking care of yourselves. It's time to vote for the April book club!\ \ \ \ \ \ A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.\ \ My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.\ \ Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.\ \ Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.\ \ A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.\ \ \ \ In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turn to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the grave.\ \ Yetta is a bright, quick teenage girl with a wild, searching spirit. Stifled by her mother’s anxiety, her father’s rules, and the path that’s been laid out for her, she craves freedom, the edges of which she doesn’t know. But her family has reason to be cautious and restrictive. Fear has wrapped itself around their shtetl. Jews are mysteriously disappearing, and there are whispers of an impending attack. When violence comes to their door, Yetta is killed. \ \ Her father, in his grief, fumbles through his nascent knowledge of ancient texts and old magic to bring her back. By some miracle, Yetta is returned—but although she looks the same, she is not the girl she once was. Yetta senses there is a secret her family is keeping from her. The answer resides, in part, in the creature lurking in the woods beyond the shtetl―something that may be of her father’s making, and a being that has plans of its own.\ \ \ \ A taboo-bursting, personal and cultural tour through different sexual fetishes that asks: Do we have the courage to look at our desires directly, and express them unapologetically?\ \ The smell of leather. The flash of a harness. The snap of a latex glove. Welcome to the radical, vibrant world of sexual fetishists.\ \ In twenty-first-century commodity culture, we are all intimately involved with objects: we covet a Birkin bag; we keep sneakers box-fresh. We are all, in a sense, all fetishists. But occasionally this desire spills into something more subversive. Second Skin offers a tour through the materials, objects, and power dynamics commonly fetishised, unpacking their histories, their expressive potential, and the communities they give rise to. Drawing from her encounters with fellow fetishists and kinksters, it is also the story of Anastasiia Fedorova’s own journey of what it means to come to terms with one’s sexuality.\ \ Moving between memoir, cultural criticism, reportage, erotic writing, and social history, Second Skin is a researched and topical book that encourages us to rethink how we see not only our own desires, but the world that creates them.\ \ \ \ A portrait of three women connected through one man in the aftermath of his murder—a stunning literary achievement and the explosive and highly anticipated debut novel from beloved award-winning memoirist T Kira Madden. Presented as a multicast recording, this production brings each voice vividly to life, deepening the novel’s exploration of varied perspectives and interconnected lives.\ \ Birdie Chang didn’t know anything about Whidbey Island when she chose it, only that it was about as far away as she could get from her own life. She’s a woman on the run, desperate for an escape from the headlines back home and the look of concern in her girlfriend’s eyes—and from Calvin Boyer, the man who abused her as a child and who’s now resurfaced. On her way, she has an unnerving encounter with a stranger on the ferry who offers her a proposition, a sinister solution and plan for revenge.\ \ But Birdie isn’t the only girl Calvin harmed back then. There’s also Linzie King, a former reality TV star who recently wrote all about it in her bestselling memoir. Though the two women have never met, their stories intertwine. Once Birdie arrives on Whidbey, she finally cracks the book’s spine, only to find too much she recognizes in its pages. Soon after, on the other side of the country, Calvin’s loving mother, Mary-Beth, receives a shocking phone call from the police: her only son has been murdered.\ \ Calvin’s death sets into motion a series of events that sends each woman on a desperate search for answers. A complex whodunit told from alternating points of view, Whidbey is searingly perceptive and astonishingly original. Exploring the long reach of violence and our flawed systems of incarceration and rehabilitation, this is a tense and provocative debut that’s sure to incite crucial questions about the pursuit of justice and who has real power over a story: the one who lives it, or the one who tells it?\ \ Four very compelling choices! Happy voting and remember we are reading Now I Surrender by Alvaro Enrigue in March, today is your last day to sign up.\ \ Love what we do? Become a paid subscriberfor less than a cup of coffee a month. Your ongoing support helps us plan ahead, fund causes we care about, and create meaningful programming for our community.

Vote for the April book club! 🌷

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She's Becoming Bookish\ \ Carlie Dayle\ \ • Dec 15 2025

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\ \ Join for free or login](https://shesbecomingbookish.binderybooks.com/item/nFiwIXxdYMcby81d9UKL/)

What's New: Bookmail Time!!!

Nothing better than bookmail!!!

Thanks to the tagged publishers for the gifted books!

Book’s Featured 📚Yesteryear out 4/7/26 from @aaknopf 📚Last Call at the Savoy out now @grandcentralpub 📚Great Expectations (Thomas Nelson Painted Classics) out now gifted by @uplitreads and @tnzfiction 📚Daughter of Egypt out 3/24/26 from @stmartinspress 📚The Everlasting out now (UK edition featured)

Are any of these on your TBR??

#historicalfiction #historicalfictionbooks #bookmail #bookmailisthebestmail #readersofinstagram #bookblogger

5 books

Paws, Pages and Brews\ \ Sammie\ \ • Oct 14 2025

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You have to look out for this book in 2026

#booktok #yesteryear #fiction #happywifehappylife @Knopf Doubleday

1 book

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