[How it Works](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/how-it-works/) [Bookshop](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/books/bindery/) [Publishing](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/publishing/) [Team](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/team/) [Contact](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/contact/) Log in or Sign up Elatsoe Darcie Little Badger Rovina Cai Save to Your Books [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/84139/9781646142767) 100% of affiliate revenue supports Celestial One of TIME Magazine's Top 100 Fantasy Novels of All Time—Now in Paperback! Locus Award Winner—Best First Novel. A National Indie Bestseller. Nebula Award Finalist. Lodestar Award Finalist. Ignyte Award Finalist. TIME’s Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. NPR Best of the Year. Booklist’s Top 10 First Novels for Youth. A BookPage Best of the Year. Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best." PNBA Bestseller. Publishers Weekly Best of the Year. Buzzfeed's Best YA SFF of the Year. Shelf-Awareness Best of the Year. AICL Best YA of the Year. NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection. NEIBA Award Finalist. Tor Best of the Year. Kirkus Best YA of the Year. Publishers Weekly Flying Start. American Indian Youth Literature Award Finalist. > “Groundbreaking.” —TIME. > > “Deeply enjoyable from start to finish.” —NPR. > > “Utterly magical.” —SyFyWire. > > “Atmospheric and lyrical...a gorgeous work of art.” —BuzzFeed. > > “One of the best YA debuts of 2020. Read it.” —Marieke Nijkamp. > > ★ “A fresh voice and perspective.” —Booklist, starred review. > > ★ “A unique and powerful Native American voice.” –BookPage, starred review. > > ★ “A brilliant, engaging debut.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review. > > ★ “A fast-paced murder mystery.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review. > > ★ “A Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set.” —Shelf-Awareness, starred review. **A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin’s ghost and vows to unmask the murderer.** _Elatsoe_—Ellie for short—lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals—most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory of her great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and its dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious doctor stop her before she gets started? **The breathtaking debut novel from Darcie Little Badger features an asexual, Apache teen protagonist—and combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, and fantasy elements, in one of the most-talked-about books in years.** Show more Get the Bindery app * * * Posts about this title from Celestial [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • May 18](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [death books 2](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/osok5mE83cISFDtOB7E4/) let’s yap about MORE books that tackle death in a unique way! ghosts, necromancers, and unique perspectives on dying alike. 📚 books mentioned: \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta \- Haunting Melody by Chloe Spencer 👗💄: \- dress is from Selkie \- eyeshadow is Feather Matte Veil Plume Eyeshadow (Pluie Violette) from Violette FR \- eyeshadow shimmer is a Super Shock Shadow (Fairy Coded) from Colourpop (also on my lips!) \- mascara is B-Structural from Haus Labs \- lip combo is Suede Matte Lip Liner (Moonwalk) from NYX Cosmetics and Cloud Whip Lipstick (Mile High) from Colourpop \- (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 Disney Hyperion and Tiny Ghost Press / Ingram Spark for the gifted copy! #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #deathbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @levinequerido @hyperionavebooks @disneybooks @tinyghostpress @selkie @violette\_fr @colourpopcosmetics . books about death • ghost books • ghost hunter books • death ritual books • books about dying • horror book recommendations • dark fantasy books • unique books • diverse books • Levine Querido * * * 3 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Feb 13](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [animal companions!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/yX4Gtu6tqFR7ESA1RJx6/) 💭 do you have a favorite literary animal companion? the cat and bunny fur blend stuck on my microphone was honestly the perfect touch here LOL. 📚 books mentioned: \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White \- These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa 👗💄: \- dress is from Free People (rented from Nuuly) \- eyeshadow is The Spring Symphony Palette from Dandy Lion Cosmetics and In a Trance Palette from Colourpop \- eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Ocean) from Pacifica Beauty \- eyeshadow shimmer is a single (Unicorncore) from Half Magic \- lip combo is Ultra Sued Sculpting Lip Pencil (Toasty) and and Moisturegow Plumping Lip Serum (Pink Glow) from Makeup by Mario, topped with Magic Drip (Frost B\*tch) from Half Magic \- (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 Peachtree Teen and Get Underlined for the gifted copies! #animalcompanions #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @levinequerido @peachtreeteen @getunderlined @freepeople @dandylionsco @colourpopcosmetics @pacificabeauty @halfmagicbeauty @makeupbymario . animal sidekicks • animal characters in stories • books with animal companions • fantasy books • horror books • young adult SFF books • young adult horror books • book recommendations • unique book recs • diverse books • Levine Querido * * * 3 books 3 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 23 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [fragrances can 100% immerse me more in stories!!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/67wT7thPoO3lVtfA3mNI/) fragrances can 100% immerse me more in stories!! disney rides have got this down pat lol. and scent is also SUPER connected to memories, so if I read a book and associate a scent with it, that’s bonus cool. (tbh i could also do this with candles/diffuser oils that i burn while reading, but maybe that’s too niche???) 📚 books mentioned: \- Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino (Soft Spot - @phlur) \- The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (Percy - @olfactorynyc) \- The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong (Crumb Couture - @snif.co) \- Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (Missing Person - Phlur) \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (7 Summers - @dimebeautyco) 👗💄: \- fragrances listed above!! \- dress is from @anthropologie (@bhldn), rented from @nuuly \- (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 Fierce Reads, ACE, and Berkley for the gifted copies! #fantasybooks #literaryfiction #bestperfume #perfumereviews #AcePartner #BerkleyPartner #fiercereads #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #nycbookstagram @fsgbooks @fiercereads @acebookspub @berkleypub @levinequerido * * * 5 books [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 2 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/VIfKuX8LXDCnzcLZGqbf/) fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)! but i know people will still ask if there’s spice every darn time. 😭 📚 books mentioned: \- To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose \- The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings \- May a Divine Awaken by Michael Tinsley \- The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong \- The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth \- Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko \- The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan \- Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott \- The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar \- The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson \- When Among Crows by Veronica Roth \- Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier \- Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings #fantasybooks #fantasybookrecs #favoritefantasybooks #noromancebooks #nospicebooks #isitspicy #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram * * * 14 books [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jul 12 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun??](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/HdFrSCXjj4v1YNSrC92T/) reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun?? 📚 books mentioned: \- How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina Swamidoss McConigley \- The Waning by Wunmi Aramiji \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- Model Home by Rivers Solomon \- Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander \- Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones \- Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen thank you to Pantheon Books, Ingram, The Nerd Fam, and Gallery Books for the gifted copies! #readingchallenge #bookchallenge #7booksin7days #readingabookaday #readingvlog #bookreviews #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks#starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram @pantheonbooks @ingramsparkbooks @levinequerido @mcdbooks @thenerdfam @torbooks @tordotcompub @gallerybooks * * * 7 books [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jul 6 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [7 books in 7 days \| reading a book a day to catch up to my reading goal!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/piZFVi5CVq2Po57787aO/) a 7 books in 7 days reading challenge … except there’s also a labubu unboxing, a cat interview, a reader slowly perishing during a heat weave (its me; i’m the reader), and lots of other chaos. and somehow?? i pulled it off? * * * 7 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jun 28 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [please don’t forget about a-spec books this pride month!!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/h7DfjN55xzSZCAbadOTy/) please don’t forget about aro/ace books this pride month!! 📚 books mentioned: \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino \- Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White thank you to Peachtree Teen for the free copy! #acebooks #asexualbooks #arobooks #aromanticbooks #aroace #aroacebooks #pridemonthbooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks #fantasybooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @levinequerido @fsgbooks @peachtreeteen * * * 3 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • May 1 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [Hi Celestial friends!\\ \\ Three quick updates for you all today.\\ \\ First, our May book club ( **Dragonfruit** by Makiia Lucier) officially kicks off today! The forums are up and running so you can discuss with spoilers as you finish each part. \\ \\ Next, the results from our book club summer polls are in! Here's what we're reading this summer:\\ \\ June: **Elatsoe** by Darcie Little Badger\\ \\ July: **Into** **the Drowning Deep** by Mira Grant\\ \\ August: **Metal From Heaven** by August Clarke\\ \\ And last but FAR from least, **our next readathon starts on Saturday**! This is a Sat/Sun/Mon readathon where you join for as much as you can and read as much as you can. It's fun and casual and text-based.\\ \\ All of these community events take place in our Discord, so make sure you've joined (**click here**) if you haven't already. :)](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/fEFTWbwVd539SwzfG2WK/) [Book clubs and readathon updates!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/fEFTWbwVd539SwzfG2WK/) * * * 4 books 2 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Feb 9 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [ghostly crime solvers](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/M6oi1wJb6Vc2Ag8nvh1L/) ghostly crime solvers - and they’re not all human ghosts, either! 😉🐕👻 📚 books mentioned: \- Haunting Melody by Chloe Spencer \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger \- Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White #ghostbooks #mysterybooks #detectivebooks #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #bookrecommendations #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @tinyghostpress @levinequerido @peachtreeteen * * * 4 books [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jan 19 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [minimal romance sci fi & fantasy book recs](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/wUxNzP5qgqLKqhendoUR/) if you love diverse otherworldly stories and romance isn’t your thing … hey hey hey! new youtube video just dropped. (this one goes out to our almost-entirely aroace discord.) i do vibe with soulmates, but i'm just a girl who prefers her reads romance-free! * * * 5 books 2 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 21 2024](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [✨ fantasy books without (or with very little) romance!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/QuvJTvZwcgwq5TVdWKvP/) * * * 4 books Posts about this book from across Bindery [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • May 18](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [death books 2](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/osok5mE83cISFDtOB7E4/) let’s yap about MORE books that tackle death in a unique way! ghosts, necromancers, and unique perspectives on dying alike. 📚 books mentioned: \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta \- Haunting Melody by Chloe Spencer thank you to Disney Hyperion and Tiny Ghost Press / Ingram Spark for the gifted copy! . * * * 3 books 1 [Discotopia \| Diverse Books\\ \\ Disco (he/they)\\ \\ • Apr 6](https://discotopia.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [10 books for International Asexuality Day](https://discotopia.binderybooks.com/item/lfflUlN0VwtJLAh5lxgN/) 10 books with Ace and Acespec MCs & SCs for International Ace Day #booktok #ace #acespec #bookrecommendations #acerepresentation * * * 10 books 2 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Feb 13](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [animal companions!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/yX4Gtu6tqFR7ESA1RJx6/) 💭 do you have a favorite literary animal companion? the cat and bunny fur blend stuck on my microphone was honestly the perfect touch here LOL. 📚 books mentioned: \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White \- These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa thank you to Peachtree Teen and Get Underlined for the gifted copies! . * * * 3 books 3 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 23 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [fragrances can 100% immerse me more in stories!!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/67wT7thPoO3lVtfA3mNI/) (tbh i could also do this with candles/diffuser oils that i burn while reading, but maybe that’s too niche???) thank you to Fierce Reads, ACE, and Berkley for the gifted copies! * * * 5 books [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • Aug 17 2025](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Hi Friends, \\ \\ Huge win for Indigenous authors at the Hugo Awards this year!\\ \\ Darcie Little Badger won the Lodestar award for Sheine Lende (prequel to Elatsoe)\\ \\ Moniquill Blackgoose, author of To Shape A Dragon's Breath won Best New Writer\\ \\ Rebecca Roanhorse won best series for the Between Earth And Sky series!\\ \\ Congrats to all the winners! \\ \\ Check out and order the award winning books below (including a pre-order for Moniquill Blackgoose's new book!)](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/v8rBWjcvMZhlmtv4b4Wn/) [Huge Win For Indigenous Authors at The Hugos!](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/v8rBWjcvMZhlmtv4b4Wn/) * * * 7 books 8 [1](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/v8rBWjcvMZhlmtv4b4Wn/#comments) [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 2 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/VIfKuX8LXDCnzcLZGqbf/) fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)! but i know people will still ask if there’s spice every darn time. 😭 #fantasybooks #fantasybookrecs #favoritefantasybooks #noromancebooks #nospicebooks #isitspicy #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram * * * 14 books [2-Spirit Bookshelf\\ \\ (@Indigenousbookshelf)\\ \\ • Aug 1 2025](https://2spiritbookshelf.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Indigenous Books the Reservation Dogs would read 🐕📚](https://2spiritbookshelf.binderybooks.com/item/8q2pai3t3LpK4JWIl9kJ/) Indigenous Books the Reservation Dogs would read 🐕📚 This one might be a bit too niche for bookstagram but I’m hoping that at least some folks will like it! It was a challenge to make lol so many thoughts. What do you think they would read???? * * * 12 books 3 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jul 12 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun??](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/HdFrSCXjj4v1YNSrC92T/) reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun?? thank you to Pantheon Books, Ingram, The Nerd Fam, and Gallery Books for the gifted copies! * * * 7 books [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jul 6 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [7 books in 7 days \| reading a book a day to catch up to my reading goal!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/piZFVi5CVq2Po57787aO/) and somehow?? i pulled it off? * * * 7 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jun 28 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [please don’t forget about a-spec books this pride month!!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/h7DfjN55xzSZCAbadOTy/) please don’t forget about aro/ace books this pride month!! 📚 books mentioned: \- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger \- Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino \- Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White thank you to Peachtree Teen for the free copy! * * * 3 books 1 [Discotopia \| Diverse Books\\ \\ Disco (he/they)\\ \\ • May 26 2025](https://discotopia.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Hi there Disco Dancers!\\ \\ I’ve collaborated with Becklovesbooks/Bookasaurusbex to provide books recs for her June Prideopoly challenge.\\ \\ I’ll be sharing these to social media later this week, but wanted to give you first look!\\ \\ I tried to go with books that matched both the prompt and the flag for each square, and chose indie books as much as possible. I have read and highly recommend all of these. \\ \\ Full list below images!\\ \\ \\ \\ List:\\ \\ Bi fantasy - The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi\\ \\ Bi disability rep - Godkiller by Hannah Kaner \\ \\ Book in bi colours - Deceived by the Gargoyles by Lillian Lark (bi poly monster romance)\\ \\ Gay BIPOC MC/author -  The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta \\ \\ Gay romance - Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee\\ \\ Identity not a prompt - In the Care of Magic by Robin Jo Margaret (aro allo, spicy) Initiation by Alethea Faust (intersex SC, spicy)\\ \\ Indigiqueer rep - Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (asexual Lipan Apache MC)\\ \\ Asexual rep - The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz \\ \\ Asexual friends to Lovers - Must Love Cake by Azalea Crowley (novelette)\\ \\ Non-binary (indie published) - A Heart to Hold by Sula Sullivan \\ \\ Non-binary sci fi - Hammajang Luck by Makama Yamamoto\\ \\ Non-binary under 250 pages - The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo\\ \\ Pansexual with creatures - Deal with the Devil by Bex Deveau (spicy poly monster romance)\\ \\ Pansexual rep - In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland \\ \\ Trans queer joy - Rainbow Islands by Devin Harnois \\ \\ Trans rights - Chef’s Kiss by T.J. Alexander\\ \\ Trans poetry - Blood Orange by Mx Yaffa\\ \\ Lesbian mental illness rep - A Little Luck by J.A. Collignon (anxiety)\\ \\ Lesbian graphic novel - On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden \\ \\ Lesbian slow burn - The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar \\ \\ All the best,\\ \\ Disco\\ \\ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://discotopia.binderybooks.com/item/JjEVhcXjzf5z0XJjLwXW/) [First Look: Prideopoly book picks](https://discotopia.binderybooks.com/item/JjEVhcXjzf5z0XJjLwXW/) * * * 19 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • May 1 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [Book clubs and readathon updates!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/fEFTWbwVd539SwzfG2WK/) * * * 4 books 2 [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • Apr 21 2025](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Shelves and The City Influencers Recommend Indigenous Books (Part One)](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/SXAI24D8Q1KFjn3gom5Y/) At Shelves and the City, I asked influencers to give me an Indigenous book they would recommend! Shout out to Joshua who wasn’t the only influencers to admit he hadn’t read one, but suggested he talk about it on film! You’ll also notice a lot of repeats! Nothing wrong with that! Great books! My hope is to get people to expand and read more books by Indigenous authors. At an event with over 100 readers, I passed out about 50 book bingo cards and if you didn’t get one and were there, drop a note in our chat and I will mail you one if you want! If you aren’t a member of my reader community on Bindery, joining is free (first 🔗) and I’ll be posting about my entire SATC experience and a post with all the books mentioned here to make them easy to check out! My goal with my publishing imprint, Boozhoo Books, is to help make sure people have several options in the genres they love to read #readindigenous #shelvesandthecity #bookinfluencer #bookrecommendations @steph ✨ 📚 ✡︎ (@starrysteph) @zach•booksthatslay @aubrei @priyanka 📚✨ @Alex @Amivi⁷ @serareadthat 🌿📖🤠 @SARAH @Rae @Mari - booktok + media reviews @maya @A Very Queer Book Club @Rachel Skye @EmmaSkies @Greekchoir🧋\| Bailey @IG/YT: ashunti\_reads @Seth \| dramakingbooks @Emma Ann (@theaceofbooks) @Joshua @Michael LaBorn * * * 19 books 2 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Feb 9 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [ghostly crime solvers](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/M6oi1wJb6Vc2Ag8nvh1L/) ghostly crime solvers - and they’re not all human ghosts, either! 😉🐕👻 * * * 4 books [Not So Well Read\\ \\ Courtney\\ \\ • Feb 4 2025](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Rating my January Reads](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/X8cfmKWizDDi1Fq2ByOu/) A little preview of my overall thoughts about my January reads. Overall, I read some great books, though one stood out over the rest. I’ll have my full reviews for each on Bindery this week!! What was your favorite January read?? #readingwrapup #readingwrapped #whatiread #bookrec * * * 7 books 1 [Not So Well Read\\ \\ Courtney\\ \\ • Jan 26 2025](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Not gonna lie, this week was especially exhausting, for a variety of reasons.\\ \\ **This Week in the Book World:** \\ \\ **Onyx Storm.** It's here. After almost a year of pre-orders and constantly emailing my publishing reps to ensure I had enough copies, Onyx Storm is finally on shelves and here's a bit about how that journey went:\\ \\ - Midnight Releases: This week was full of nostalgia and packed bookstores–special shout out to all my fellow indie owners, I hope you all are getting some rest. While most folks seemed to have a great time at the events, there was some chatter about how disappointing the B&N events were. Shocker, that a giant corporation didn't put a ton of extra effort into creating a special community experience.\\ \\ - Target: This is by far the biggest fumble of the entire release and I'm just shocked by how this all played out. There was a last minute Target exclusive edition announced just a few short weeks ago that promised exclusive art throughout. They did not take preorders and apparently some stores got as few as 7 copies total. From what I can gather from the internet buzz folks waited in line for hours only to have the first few individuals buy all (or most) of the available copies. Those that were lucky enough to snag a copy found out that the "original" art was just slightly altered stock art.\\ \\ \\ **This week's publishing news:** \\ \\ Publishing deals I'm excited about:\\ \\ - We're getting new Rebecca Ross!! And it's set in the Divine Rivals universe!! Wild Reverence will be a standalone about a goddess and a human lord.\\ \\ - We also got an announcement about a new Sarah Beth Durst! I haven't had a chance to read The Spellshop yet, but I know it is beloved by many. This new one, Sea of Charms, is about "a sailor, a musician, a sea serpent, and a sentient shrub." Sign me up.\\ \\ - A debut that caught my eye: The Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko. Pitched as "a sapphic horror set in the Appalachian wilderness about a remote therapy camp haunted by a shadowy monster". I love nothing more than queer appalachia.\\ \\ \\ **This week's new releases:** \\ \\ - Motheater by Linda H. Codega (Adult, fantasy)\\ \\ - We Do Not Part by Han Kang (Adult, literary)\\ \\ \\ **What I read this week:** \\ \\ **Elatsoe (Finished)**\\ \\ This was such a unique take on fantasy and I loved the way it seamlessly blended all of our favorite creatures, stories, and lore into a modern world while keeping Lipan Apache history and culture front and center. My very favorite thing, however, is that we got to see a main character who is CONFIRMED asexual, rather than just one that has to be inferred. Oh, and there were so many good dogs!!!\\ \\ **Fagin the Thief (Finished)**\\ \\ This one didn't make me cry quite as hard as A Tip for the Hangman, but it got close. Epstein has the unique ability to take a well-known character from history and pull them right into the heart of a modern day reader. Fagin the Thief adds depth and richness to a the original Dickens character, casting him in a new light while still keeping the nuances of the original tale.\\ \\ **Onyx Storm(86%)**\\ \\ I heard there was a cliffhanger. I'm going to riot.\\ \\ **The Will of the Many (56%)**\\ \\ We had part 1 of our fantasy book club for Will of the Many on Monday. We were supposed to read to the 50% point, but we heard from a few folks who finished the book that something wild is about to happen. I cannot wait to keep reading and see what comes next.\\ \\ **What I bought/shelved** \\ \\ The only thing I bought was the Onyx Storm audiobook this week, but I did shelve the following:\\ \\ - Keep It In the Dark by Justin Arnold (Teen, paranormal romance)\\ \\ - When Blood Meets Earth by E.A. Noble (Adult, fantasy)\\ \\ \\ **Other musings:** \\ \\ Strongly, strongly recommend having a craft weekend with your friends where you make a charm necklaces and iron on patches on matching sweatsuits. I may not have gotten as much reading done, nor posted on insta as much as I wanted to this week, but I'm feeling rested after a very busy week.\\ \\ Last thing, I'm on Bluesky! And I'm kind of loving it! If you're not, you can follow me here.](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/NXyKlGgFK0zcvVyQu8sB/) [Weekly Wrap Up – 1.20-1.26](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/NXyKlGgFK0zcvVyQu8sB/) * * * 8 books 1 [Not So Well Read\\ \\ Courtney\\ \\ • Jan 19 2025](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Shit got weird this week... like really weird.\\ \\ **This Week in the Book World:** \\ \\ **RIP Booktok.** I was hoping you and I would get to know one another a bit better this year, but looks like fate had different ideas for us. Seriously though, the last 24 hours have been a propaganda fueled nightmare and I would like to wake up.\\ \\ **Neil Gaiman.** What is that quote about living long enough to see your heros become villains? Well that one hit real hard this week. I read half of the Vulture article, immediately wanted to throw up, and then mourned for several days. _Please, please take care of yourself if you decide to read this article._\\ \*\*Onyx Storm. \*\*I'm going to say it. Some of y'all need to chill the f\*ck out. It's literally a book. If you go into a target and swap the dust jacket on a book, that's theft. If you're digging through boxes that are unopened on the floor and causing a headache for underpaid retail workers, you're the asshole. If you're complaining about how a small business (who probably got their books on Friday) can't compete with one of the largest supply chains in the world, you're buying local for a pat on the back, not because you actually want to support local. I know someone is going to be a jerk to me this week about their book and I am going to lose it.\\ \\ Also, low key am glad that B&N finally got fined for breaking the rules, which they've been doing for YEARS.\\ \\ Also, also, people started preordering this book in like March, so watch me cackling at these videos of people crying about how they can't get a deluxe edition now. Like, friends... really?\\ \\ **This week's publishing news:** \\ \\ So many great gothic books announced this week! Here are some favs:\\ \\ - Necrogenesis by Ashia Monet's which is a dark academia gothic fantasy about a true crime fan who "resurrects a victim of a massacre to uncover what claimed the lives of six necromancy students at a secluded manor in the '70s"\\ - Bloody Mother by Kim Bohyun (translated by Archana Madhavan) about a mother-turned-vampire "fated to a lifetime of man-killing time-travel to avenge her daughter's brutal death"\\ - A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon by Hannah Reynolds's which was pitched as a " YA cozy romantasy" where a magic academy student tells suitors by telling she's engaged to a demon "only to return home and find a demon waiting for her, insisting she honor the engagement"\\ - Two books from Kawai Strong Washburn's (Sharks in the Time of Saviors)–The Names of the New World, a literary ecothriller in 4 acts; and The Horizon Thief, a "Polynesian retelling of Lord of the Flies"\\ - The Halls of the Dead by S.M. Hallow, described as "a queer, gothic romance set in Victorian London, in which a woman who has dedicated her life to protecting the necromantic secrets held in sentient grimoires bound with human skin" resurrects her murdered partner\\ \\ **This week's new releases:**\\ \\ - Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Adult, fantasy)\\ - Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (Adult, sci-fi)\\ - The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill (Adult, fiction)\\ \\ **What I read this week:** \\ \\ Elatsoe (78%)\\ \\ This has been such a fun middle-grade/teen read. I'm almost finished with the audiobook and I have LOVED the asexaual representation in this one. This one is fully focused on family and friendship, which has been so refreshing. I can't wait to finish it.\\ \\ Fagin the Thief (62%)\\ \\ I had to pause on this one this week to read my Underbrush fantasy book club pick–The Will of the Many.\\ \\ The Will of the Many (31%)\\ \\ Not going to lie, I was super intimidated by this one, but was up for the challenge when we chose it as our book club pick. I am thrilled to say that this one is actually super easy to get into. I started this one on a 7:30am flight and was almost immediately invested, which is saying a lot because I am NOT a morning person. I need to get to the halfway point of this one before meeting tomorrow, so excuse me while I read this for the rest of the evening.\\ \\ **What I bought/shelved** \\ \\ I've already posted two posts about new books in my collections, so I won't bore you with those again. If you're interested you can see my Indianapolis book haul here and my extremely exciting publisher book mail here.\\ \\ **Other musings:** \\ \\ Honestly, I'm tired. Like really tired. So, I don't really have any other thoughts. I'm sending all of you all so much love as we head into tomorrow. It's going to be an emotional rollercoaster, but we will get through it.\\ \\ See you on the other side. Take care of yourselves.](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/LrnHi4hmhZo6hZ3XVBb2/) [Weekly Wrap Up – 1.13-1.19](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/LrnHi4hmhZo6hZ3XVBb2/) * * * 5 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jan 19 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [minimal romance sci fi & fantasy book recs](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/wUxNzP5qgqLKqhendoUR/) if you love diverse otherworldly stories and romance isn’t your thing … hey hey hey! new youtube video just dropped. (this one goes out to our almost-entirely aroace discord.) i do vibe with soulmates, but i'm just a girl who prefers her reads romance-free! * * * 5 books 2 [Not So Well Read\\ \\ Courtney\\ \\ • Jan 12 2025](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Look! Week two of me doing something I said I would do! Am I... better than everyone? We shall see...\\ \\ **This Week in the Book World:** \\ \\ Fable hosted their town hall and it was... weird. There was a lot of self-promotion, a weird section where they talked about feature requests, and then very little time spent actually addressing the reason we were all there.\\ \\ Long story short, they said they're removing the AI for now. However, their founder made it very clear that they will continue to invest in AI in the future. So, while I am staying on the platform for now, that is subject to change.\\ \\ **This week's publishing news:** \\ \\ There were some great horror deals announced this week, and even some from one of my favorite new authors:\\ \\ - Donyae Coles (Midnight Rooms) announced two new horror novels. The Sunken, The Adored is a historical horror novel about a freed slave and something sinister in the canals of 1700s Venice. What Kills You is a gothic novel about a Black family and the "inescapable realities of poverty".\\ - Johnny Compton (The Spite House, Devils Kill Devils) announced a new short story collection called Midnight Somewhere.\\ - In debut news, Ruth McKell's Honey in Her Veins is described as a "cottagecore fantasy romance set in Appalachia". This one sounds absolutely incredible and I cannot wait to leanr more!\\ - And then in YA news, we had Ravenfield Hall by Leanna Renee, which was pitched as "Rebecca, but written by the Bronte Sisters" about a spirtualist, ghost ships, and robber barons. Say less.\\ \\ **This week's new releases:**\\ \\ - A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young (Adult, fiction)\\ - All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (Adult, distopian)\\ - The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan (Adult, ficiton): The Three Lives of Cate Kay is an adrenaline rush of a story that doesn't compromise on sincerity. Whether she is exploring first love, queer identity, female friendship, or self-forgiveness, Fagan leaves everything on the page and delivers a novel that demands to be deeply felt by its readers.\\ \\ **What I read this week:** \\ \\ **Immortal Dark (Finished)**\\ \\ We all know I’m forever in my vampire era–especially after seeing Nosferatu–and this is one of the most unique vampire books I’ve ever read. Immortal Dark marries dark academia with Ethiopian-inspired vampire lore. The characters, the magic system, and Uxlay University are so well thought-out and complex. Plus, this Romantasy is true enemies-to-lovers in a way that felt substantial, but didn’t cross a line too far into bully romance.\\ \\ PS: I would say this one is definitely upper YA/new adult with some content that may be a bit too much for younger teens.\\ \\ **The Sirens (Finished)**\\ \\ I adore Emilia Hart. Her debut novel, Weyward was one of my favorite debuts of the last few years, and this one was just as wonderful. A family mystery, siren lore, women protecting women, and history all wrapped into one. I just finished this one today and haven't collected my thoughts yet, so more to come!\\ \\ **Fagin the Thief (52%)**\\ \\ Similar to Emilia Hart, Allison Epstein is one of my favorite authors of the last few years. If you haven't read any of her books, I suggest starting with A Tip for the Hangman, which absolutely destroyed me emotioanlly in the same way Song of Achilles did. I'm about 52% through this one and am ready to be hurt again.\\ \\ **Elatsoe (22%)**\\ \\ I just started this one today! It's our mostly fantasy book club pick for January (join here if you w ant), which is great, because it's a backlist pick that's been on my TBR for years. I had no idea this one had so much magic in it! I thought it was just Elatsoe, but there's vampires, fae, and all kinds of other creatures. I can't wait to get further in.\\ \\ **What I bought/shelved** \\ \\ This week was all about mermaids, sirens, and selkies. I posted this thread and go so many recs that I spun up an entire list of books. You can check the full list out in this post , but here are some that I was particulary drawn to:\\ \\ - Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods (Totally forgot she had a mermaid book coming out!)\\ - In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy\\ - Called to the Deep by Desiree M. Niccoli\\ \\ This is a non-mermaid book, but here's another one I shelved the other day\\ \\ - Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson\\ \\ **Other musings:** \\ \\ In none book news, my husband and I started playing It Takes Two on xb0x and it's so fun!! We have been absolutely cackling over this one and our many failed attempts (i.e. deaths) at some of the puzzles and challenges. If you like couch co-op games, this is one of the best ones I've played in years!\\ \\ Join the Discord! It will be fun, I promise!\\ \\ Become a paid subscriber! I will appreciate you endlessly.](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/cBjVMNNcYDIzV9FQ3MrM/) [Weekly Wrap Up – 1.06-1.12](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/cBjVMNNcYDIzV9FQ3MrM/) * * * 11 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 21 2024](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [✨ fantasy books without (or with very little) romance!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/QuvJTvZwcgwq5TVdWKvP/) * * * 4 books [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • Aug 7 2024](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [This morning I announced Indigenous Book Bingo, which will run from this Friday 8/9 until the end of Native American Heritage Month 11/30.\\ \\ I have attached all of the books that are on the Bingo card for easy access.](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ZL3CIXhlh8GnteFKutAH/) [Books Included on Indigenous Book Bingo](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ZL3CIXhlh8GnteFKutAH/) Here is a list of the books included on Indigenous Book Bingo. * * * 25 books 14 [1](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ZL3CIXhlh8GnteFKutAH/#comments) [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • May 4 2024](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [\*\*My Indigenous Bookshelf \*\*\\ \\ **May 4, 2024**\\ \\ **Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger**\\ \\ **YA, Fantasy**\\ \\ **Locus Award for Best First Novel 2021**\\ \\ Elatsoe has been on my TBR for-ev-er. It's literally staring back at me right now like, IS IT TIME?\\ \\ Last month, Darcie Badger's new book, Sheine Lende, a prequel to Elatsoe was released, giving me more motivation to move it up my priority TBR. (Everyone has a TBR \_and \_a PRIORITY TBR, right?)\\ \\ Elatsoe lives in an America with magic and monsters. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down from her ancestors. Her cousin is murdered and now she needs to protect her family.\\ \\ Part fantasy, part murder mystery. Asexual main character.\\ \\ I do not have one bookish friend who doesn't LOVE this book.\\ \\ Have you read this one? If you haven't and you feel as guilty about is as I do, let's buddy read this month in the Discord.\\ \\ I am ready to dive in and read the prequel, too.\\ \\ ​](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ydvXFy3w1usVUfEEfCLa/) [My Indigenous Bookshelf 5/4/24](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ydvXFy3w1usVUfEEfCLa/) Every week I highlight a book by an Indigenous author on my TBR or Read physical bookshelf. * * * 2 books 2 [1](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ydvXFy3w1usVUfEEfCLa/#comments) [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • Apr 20 2024](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Indigenous Book Mail](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/HuduiFkxbUTUeJxUaCyh/) Click Photo To Hear More About The Books * * * 7 books 3 [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • Oct 25 2023](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Indigenous Series with New Books Releasing in 2024](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/Xil92zpX5IXrknTCP9bp/) I can't wait to finish all of these Indigenous series. Have you read any? * * * 10 books