Kurryreads | The Lamb: A Novel
Log in or Sign up
The Lamb: A Novel
Lucy Rose
Save to Your Books
100% of affiliate revenue supports Kurryreads
A TEATIME BOOK CLUB PICK
A FOLK TALE. A HORROR STORY. A LOVE STORY. AN ENCHANTMENT.
“This is the book I've been waiting for. Dark, twisted, and utterly enthralling, The Lamb is a novel I will never forget.” —Molly Aitken, author of Bright I Burn
From an incendiary new talent, a contemporary queer folktale about a mother and daughter living in the woods, for fans of Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and Julia Armfield.
Margot and Mama have lived by the forest ever since Margot can remember. When Margot is not at school, they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door. Strays, Mama calls them. People who have strayed too far from the road. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she satisfies her burning appetite by picking apart their bodies.
But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her bid for freedom.
With this gothic coming-of-age tale, debut novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.
Show more
Get the Bindery app
Posts about this title from Kurryreads
Kurryreads\ \ Kerry\ \ • Aug 14 2025
Ultimate Guide to Spooky Season Reading v2
Replying to @Kerry | Booktok 📖 Ultimate Guide to Spooky Season Reading - Version 2 📚👻🔪 Timestamps: 00:28 Stranger Than Fiction 00:39 Witchy 00:47 Creature Feature 1:03 Dark Past-Potentially Paranormal 1:14 Possession 1:19 Slashers 1:32 Haunted House 1:42 Eco Horror/Plant Horror 1:48 Supernatural 1:57 Demonic/Occult 2:06 Cosmic 2:13 Folklore 2:26 Speculative 2:35 Young Adult 2:46 Paranormal 2:55 Psychological 3:03 Crime 3:13 Historical Fiction 3:29 Cult 3:43 Vampires 3:51 Weird Girl/Feminine Rage 4:00 Sci-Fi 4:08 Cannibalism #guidetospookyseasonreading #spookyreads #horrorbooks #cultbooks #paranormalbooks #hauntedhousebooks #possessionbooks #creaturefeature #booktok #booktoker #bookrecommendations #whattoread #vampirebooks #speculativehorror #youngadulthorror #folklorebooks #ecohorrorbooks #scifihorrorbooks #slasherbooks #scarybooks
55 books
2
Posts about this book from across Bindery
Join for free
Sapph-Lit SEPTEMBER 2026 fiction book poll!
What should we read as we transition into fall? Another romance? Some lit fic? Perhaps something else entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments!
9 books
3
Basement Books\ \ Kaitlyn\ \ • Mar 2
Join for free
\ \ Some reflecitons on my reading stats this month:\ \
- This month was by far the most books I've read in a month in a long time. It was so fun just loooooving reading. It brought me so much joy.\ \
- Although most books I read this month were just okay, I still had a great time, which is all that matters.\ \ \ Favorite non-fiction book: "Original Sins" by Eve L. Ewing \ \ Synopsis: Why don’t our schools work? Eve L. Ewing tackles this question from a new angle: What if they’re actually doing what they were built to do? She argues that instead of being the great equalizer, America’s classrooms were designed to do the opposite: to maintain the nation’s inequalities. It’s a task at which they excel.\ \ Review: I'm so mad at myself because I've had an arc of this book for over a year now and it took me this long to read it. This book desperately made me want to become a teacher again and I think it's absolutely required reading for all educators. The bibiliography of this book alone is enough to recommend it--so impressive! And I got chills reading the last chapter.\ \ Favorite fiction book: "A Mouth Full of Salt" by Reem Gaafar \ \ Synopsis: " A Mouth Full of Salt" uncovers a country on the brink of seismic change as its women decide for themselves which traditions are fit for purpose – and which prophecies it’s time to rewrite\ \ Review: While the pace of the beginning of this book was a little slow, I was wholly captivated by it. Such a powerful mix of mystery, tension, and folklore. It’s an important look at Sudanese history and the racism/classism present in its past that still dictates its future. And the ending? It hit me in the chest; absolute perfection.\ \ What I’ve added to my TBR (to-be-read)\ \
- "Japan's Infamous Unit 731" by Hal Gold: This is a piece of history I knew nothing about, so naturally now I need to know everything.\ \
- " Shorelines" by Alycia Pirmohamed: A memoir that explores migration, memory, and home.\ \
- " Our Cut of Salt" by Deena Helm: A Palestinian horror from a debut author that explores the idea of home.\ \
- "Exiles" by Mason Coile: I've been coming to realize that I really like short sci-fi books, so I had to add this one to my list.](https://basementbooks.binderybooks.com/item/HxqJsMlQ89k8D9NgOiWa/)
10 books
ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Dec 5 2025
Join for free
\ \ Welcome back to another author interview! Today, I'm featuring an amazing horror writer that may be flying under your radar! Viggy Parr Hampton is the author of three published novels--with number four releasing in January.\ \ \ \ Hampton's books are A Cold Night For Alligators (Outbreak, Urban exploration, Abandoned amusement park), Much Too Vulgar (Dark Academia, Unhinged female, Dark humor), The Rotting Room (Nuns, Possession, Historical), and her book releasing in January, A Veritable Household Pet (Sisterhood, Lobotomies, Loss of autonomy).\ \ Let's dive into the interview!\ \
1. Use this first question as an introduction. Tell us a little about you and your books.\ \ I’m Viggy Parr Hampton, and I’m an epidemiologist, host of the podcast “Horror Humor Hunger,” and the author of four horror novels: A Cold Night for Alligators, Much Too Vulgar, The Rotting Room, and A Veritable Household Pet. I’m drawn to stories where the characters—especially the villains—have a lot of depth and moral ambiguity, and I definitely don’t shy away from some medical and body horror!\ \ 2. You're the author of four books now (with A Veritable Household Pet coming out in January). What has been your favorite part of your writing journey? The hardest part?\ \ My favorite part—which is also the hardest part—has been finding my voice as an author. When I was first starting out, I spent a lot of time writing short stories and practicing. It took me a few years to find my unique voice, instead of trying to write in anybody else’s style. As I continue to practice and hone my skills, I’m finding it easier and easier to tell the stories I want to tell in a way that feels most authentic to me.\ \ 3. I absolutely love how different each of your books are. What have been some of the biggest inspirations for your novels?\ \ So many of my books have been inspired by real history or my own personal experience. For example, A Cold Night for Alligators was borne out of my experience as a student research epidemiologist at the CDC; Much Too Vulgar came from my time as an undergraduate at Georgetown University; The Rotting Room was inspired by an actual room called a ‘putridarium’ from the 17th century; A Veritable Household Pet is all about the very real—and very horrifying—practice of transorbital lobotomy. I love when I can weave in as much truth as possible into a book—it makes it that much more real, and that much more terrifying!\ \ 4.While I'm not asking you to pick favorites, has there been one novel that you've written that resonated with you more?\ \ Until recently, I would have said Much Too Vulgar, simply because my main character, Keely, is a mouthpiece for all of the nasty thoughts I’ve ever had (but never acted upon!). Now, I would have to say A Veritable Household Pet, because the process of researching and writing that narrative was so surreal, so urgent, and so heavy. The subject matter is dark, but the characters are so multi-faceted that I couldn’t stop—and still can’t stop—thinking about them.\ \ 5.Do you have any writing routines or rituals that help you get in the zone?\ \ I love to listen to ASMR videos while I’m writing! Something about those ambient background noises really helps me focus.\ \ 6. 2025 has been a big year for horror. What have been some of your favorites this year?\ \ This is such a hard question! If I had to name a few, I’d say When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy, The Lamb by Lucy Rose, The Artist of Blackberry Grange by Paulette Kennedy, and This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud (I read this as an ARC, so it doesn’t actually come out until 2026!).\ \ 7. Any novels you're eager to read in 2026?\ \ So many! The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton, Headlights by CJ Leede, Play Nice by Rachel Harrison, Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang, and Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby.\ \ 8. If any of your books got adapted into a film, which one would you love to see on the screen? Do you have a dream cast?\ \ I would love to see Much Too Vulgar adapted for the screen! I think Mia Goth would make an excellent Keely, Brooke Shields would be a great Ellen Rexroth (Keely’s mother), Hailee Steinfeld could be Erica, Steve Buscemi would be Father O’Meara, and Lili Reinhart would be a great Airhead Ani!\ \ 9. Are you working on any other projects at the moment?\ \ Yes! My fifth novel, Ripped Up the Middle in Two, will be published in the fall of 2026. It’s a sort of motherhood creature feature about a postpartum mom who starts to wonder if there’s an evil fairy living in the woods that wants her baby, or if it’s all in her head.\ \ 10. Out of your four novels, which character did you connect the most with?\ \ Definitely Keely from Much Too Vulgar. But I promise I’m not nearly as mean as her!\ \ Anything you'd like to add? Drop it down here. I can't thank you enough for agreeing to this!\ \ I also have a podcast called“Horror Humor Hunger,” which is about all things horror. Each season revolves around a short story or novel of mine, and the finale is a recipe inspired by that story! I've interviewed everybody from bestselling authors and psychics to exorcists, filmmakers, jelly artists, and tabletop game developers.\ \ I’m also part of the Purgatory Media team, and I have a segment on our YouTube channel called “Tag Team Tales of Terror,” where I challenge fellow authors to create a story with me in 30-second increments based on a prompt I pull out of a hat. Here’s a recent one with Rachel Harrison! https://youtu.be/wvwJ2JhowCI\\ \ Join for free or login](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/NvdaFzYBh13Amuy2Gqhe/)
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: VIGGY PARR HAMPTON
13 books
1
ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Nov 14 2025
Join for free
\ \ It's time for another author interview! Last week we talked with author Julia Jackson about her debut novel Powder & Poison. If you haven't read that interview you definitely should! Along with my interview with Stephanie Rose.\ \ This week help me in welcoming author Kelly Dwyer! Kelly Dwyer is the author of Ghost Mother, a chilling psychological/ghost horror.\ \ \ \ The book follows Lilly Bly and her husband as they take on a fixer-upper of a house way out of their price range. After purchasing the house, Lilly discovers the house has a dark history. Strange occurrences begin happening. Lilly begins to wonder if they are real or if they are all in her head.\ \ 1. Use this first question as an introduction. Tell us a little about yourself and your book.\ \
My name is Kelly Dwyer, and I am the author of GHOST MOTHER, a psychological ghost story. I'm a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and I currently divide my time between Los Angeles, where I grew up, and Wisconsin. I am married with a young adult daughter and a really cute pug named Roman.\ \ 2. You released Ghost Mother a year ago. It was such a powerful read. What inspired you to write it?\ \ Thank you so much, Ash. :) The day my husband and I were about to close on our first house, we found out there had been a murder in it. This was in Baraboo, Wisconsin, where the Ringling Brothers were from. Their first cousins were the Gollmar Brothers, who also owned a circus. Our house (a modest Craftsman, not a run-down mansion) had been built by one of the Gollmar Brothers, and when he died, his widow lived there by herself, and used to feed transients during the Depression. One night, during a robbery gone wrong, one of these men murdered her. My husband and I had a decision to make--knowing this, should we still buy the house? We decided that since it happened so long ago (in the 1930s), and since the woman who had lived in the house seemed really nice, we would go ahead, and indeed, we never felt any sort of haunting in the eight years we lived there. But it made me think--What if there had been the kind of tragic murder there that would make someone not want to buy a house? What if someone who bought the house did feel a haunting? What kind of person would that be? It was when I reread Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" and I started imagining the ambiguity of--is the house haunted or is the protagonist losing touch with reality?--that the novel really came together for me.\ \ 3. I absolutely love the "couple moves to a new house that needs repairs in hopes it'll save their marriage' trope that is featured in Ghost Mother. What are some of your favorite horror tropes? Any favorite books that feature these tropes?\ \ Yes, it's so fun to write--and read--books that dig into tropes or put a new spin on them! When I was writing GHOST MOTHER, I read a lot of haunted house books; I think my favorites, besides James', are The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, Rebecca by Daphne du Maruier, and The Shining by Stephen King. (See The Most Classic Haunted House books by Kelly Dwyer for an article I wrote on the subject.) I was also inspired by films like "Rosemary's Baby" and the TV show "The Haunting of Hill House." I think the thing that interested me the most about that trope was the question, "What is haunting you?" Two people--as you say, in this case, a couple--could move into a house, and one person will feel haunted, while the other doesn't sense anything. Is that because one person is more open to the supernatural? Is that because ghosts seek certain people out? Or is it because someone is so haunted by their past--their losses, their traumas--that they are prone to sense a haunting where maybe there isn't one? I don't know, but I love the question, and as a writer, I love the ambiguity involved\ \ 4. What was the most difficult part of writing Ghost Mother?\ \ The most difficult part of writing GHOST MOTHER was getting the backstory of the 1950s tragedy in the house right. It had to be compelling. I knew I wanted a nod to the circus, which had been a part of our former house's history. But it also had to be thematically resonant. I wrote three completely different backstories before my agent said, "Yep, this is it." Now, looking back, it seems so obvious, but wow, it took me a while!\ \ 5. Were there any scenes or characters that were harder to write than others? Any that were easier?\ \ Getting Jack and Lilly's relationship to feel real and be complicated was a challenge for me. Bobby Shawcross was the easiest character to write! I don't know where he came from, but everything about him--his speech, his voice, his appearance--just landed in my head fully formed.\ \ 6. Were there any scenes that you had to edit out of Ghost Mother that you wish you had left in?\ \ I love this question, because the short answer is, No! I sold GHOST MOTHER at a 100 pages longer than it is now. My editor asked me to make it tighter. She didn't tell me what to cut, or suggest a word count, but I knew I wanted it to be shorter than 350 pages. (I think it came in at 336 by the end.) To cut those hundred pages, I cut any repetitious scenes, started the story moving quicker, and cut out any unnecessary backstory. At the time, I thought maybe those scenes from the past were important so that the reader could understand and sympathize with Lilly, but after I cut them, I realized that I need to write them to understand and sympathize with Lilly, but the reader didn't need to read them. My new mantra is, When in doubt, cut!\ \ 7. Do you have any other projects in the works?\ \ Yes indeed! I am working on a new novel inspired by fairy tales, Hollywood, and a mansion with a bg, dark secret. It's a lot of fun!\ \ 8. 2025 has been a great year for horror. What have been your top three reads that you've read so far?\ \ Oh, boy. So many--and I'm so behind! I'm reading The Buffalo Hunter now, and it's taking me a while, because I read and reread Stephen Graham Jones' sentences again and again. He's amazing. I also really enjoyed and admired Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, The Lamb by Lucy Rose, and--one that was written a few years ago, in 1872, but I just read for the first time-- Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. Give me a gothic lesbian vampire story set in an isolated castle and I'm in!\ \ 9. Do you have any special routines that help you get ready to write?\ \ I like to set candles, set an intention. Like Proust and Edith Wharton, I write in bed.\ \ 10. If Ghost Mother was ever adapted into a film, do you have a dream cast?\ \ GHOST MOTHER is in pre-pre-pre-pre... production, meaning, my film agent introduced me to a director I really like, and she's interested in writing the screenplay and making the film. I would love to see this novel on the screen, and I feel like there are so many women actors about Lilly's age (37 or thereabouts) who would be amazing in the role: Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman (think of her in The Black Swan), Anna Taylor-Joy... maybe Florence Pugh wouldn't be too young by the time it was cast. :) I always pictured Jack as looking like Theo James. Anybody free?\ \ 11. Bonus question from Kelly: I'd like to ask you and your readers a question now, if you don't mind. Do you like horror books about horror movies? If so, what do you like about them? If not, what do you dislike? Do you have any favorites/ any recommendations? \ \ Thanks for the question, Kelly! I am a huge fan of Hollywood horror! There are several books I just love such as Night Film, Curse of The Reaper, Burn The Negative, Silver Nitrate, and more. I'll drop a few links to posts on my instagram where I showcase some more horror set on movie screens/ hollywood.\ \ Film/Hollywood Horror\ \ Hollywood Horror\ \ Special thanks again to Kelly for taking the time to talk with me! Be sure to pick up a copy of Ghost Mother if you haven't already read it. It was one of my favorites last year!\ \ You can follow Kelly on Instagram or on her website.\ \ Join for free or login](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/7nf3tTvIGO7Y4eK8lvTb/)
14 books
3
ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Nov 7 2025
Join for free
\ \ Welcome back for another Author Interview! Last week we talked with author Stephanie Rose about her books, bookstore, and her publication press. Today we'll be talking to author Julia Jackson.\ \ \ \ Julia recently debuted her novel Powder & Poison in October. The novel follows Marie Antoinette in her first few weeks at Versailles. I was able to read an advanced copy of this book and even got the chance to blurb it! I absolutely enjoyed Powder & Poison. Julia also has a short story in the As Told Under The Moon Short Horror Story Anthology.\ \ 1. Use this question as an introduction. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your book.\ \
Hi! I'm Julia, a GOOD FOR HER horror writer who watches an unhealthy amount of ghost hunting shows and scary movies. My stories strip away the masks women wear, revealing emotional depth and damage. Some of my faves? CJ Leede, Monika Kim, Lucy Rose, Rachel Harrison & Cassandra Khaw\ \ I have some short stories in the world, was included in the Horror Writers Association's latest poetry collection, and my first book baby was born on October 16! It is called Powder & Poison and is a psychological horror following the first few weeks of Marie Antoinette's arrival at Versailles. Much like the books I love to consume, my story magnifies the atrocities against women throughout our history, leaning into Good For Her horror.\ \ 2. You released your debut novel Powder & Poison last month. Care to tell us a little about your book?\ \ My debut is finally out, and I still can't believe it! I thought I would share a bit about Powder & Poison with the dedication... \ \ To Marie, who was only 14 years old when she arrived at Versailles, forced into marrying a stranger on the same day. Tortured into perfection, she was left vulnerable and alone, like so many other girls throughout history. This book is for women like her, those who died and those who survived—we are still angry and still fighting.\ \ 3. What inspired you to write it?\ \ I have always been obsessed with history, and as I was dreaming up new story ideas I started thinking about Marie. I knew so much already about what she went through as a CHILD before she was handed over to another country, and thought THIS IS TRUE HORROR - controlling a little girl's mind and physical features to contort to expectations. I wanted to build on that horror, and suddenly, Marie was on the page.\ \ 4. I know you're currently working on another novel. Any hints on what to expect from it? Will it have a historical setting as well or a more modern day setting? When do you plan to drop the title name?\ \ I am! It is a romantic horror novella that I have been calling Project Heart. It is actually set in our contemporary world (I know, I can't believe I've ventured from historical either!)! For fans of CJ Leede and Rachel Harrison, Project Heart is a raw glimpse into the mind of a woman who turns the wounds inflicted by men into satiating her own needs by any means necessary.\ \ The title will be announced later this month! Eeee!\ \ 5. You did a fantastic job capturing Versailles! Have you ever been or do you plan to visit one day?\ \ Thank you! I have been to Versailles, and it truly is unlike anywhere else in the world. Aaaand it lends itself perfectly to a horror story full of ghosts and murder. Though I had been there, I knew there was so much more to study about the people, the rules, and the world of that time. So, I fell down a rabbit hole... a very long 6 month rabbit hole of research before I wrote a single word of Powder & Poison. I wanted the time period to be natural in the story and the only way to do that was to truly understand Versailles and the historical figures of that time.\ \ 6. Do you have a writing process? Any tips for aspiring writers?\ \ I actually created something called Channeling Story, which is a process of getting to flow state through mindfulness practices and brain science. I teach online classes and at writing retreats, and it is the best feeling in the world when writers are able to tap into their story in new ways and have huge story breakthroughs. Tips for writers: Writing is hard, you're not alone - build your community and don't lose the love of the craft that got you started in the first place.\ \ 7. What is your favorite scene in Powder & Poison?\ \ Ash...how dare you?! How does one pick a favorite child?! I will admit though, that writing the scene in the sewer below Versailles was so disgusting and vile and visceral - and I loved every minute of it.\ \ 8. What are some of your favorite horror books? Movies?\ \ Give me all the feminine rage, cannibalism, and psychological unravelling! Some of my fave books are Maeve Fly by CJ Leede, The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim, and The Lamb by Lucy Rose! I am obsessed with all ghost movies (The Others still haunts me), LOVED Pearl (Mia Goth is incredible), and I will forever be a Scream girlie.\ \ 9. Were there any songs or playlists that helped you write Powder & Poison?\ \ All sorts of Femme Fatale playlists, but one that really helped me get into my Versailles was Sun in my Mouth by Bjork. It is creepy and haunting, yet beautiful. So I listened to a lot of Bjork throughout the day to get into the right mindset, and then as I wrote I listened to the Newton Brothers.\ \ 10. Did you hit any writing blocks when writing Powder & Poison? If so, what helped you move past them?\ \ Ouuu the biggest was my confidence in writing the romance... so I got help from my community! Kristin Dwyer helped me to let go and lean into the romance, and my CP Amanda Havill Adgate obsessed over the romance thread throughout the story with me until we got it right.\ \ Please feel free to add anything else you want to say! And if you can please send over a good picture to use in the blog post! Thank you so much for your time.\ \ Our Giveaway is still open! (I've Linked for ease of access)\ \ Amanda Havill Adgate, Jess Ferguson, and I really wanted to give a platform for female identifying horror writers (because we need to hear more female voices!) so started a press called Grave Belles (@gravebelles on IG)! We will be opening submissions for A WOMAN TRAPPED anthology soon! We are looking for short stories (3-5k words) that show a woman trapped... trapped in a bad romance, trapped in a parallel universe, trapped in a buried coffin... anything that is dark and dripping with character complexity.\ \ Ash, thank you for being such a big part of this community and for supporting authors. I am so grateful! \ \ Thank you so much Julia for all your wonderful answers and advice! I appreciate you for talking with me!\ \ Please be sure to pick up a copy of Powder & Poison! It's a haunting historical fiction that's guaranteed to mess with your mind!\ \ Join us next week as I talk with author Kelly Dwyer about her book Ghost Mother!\ \ Join for free or login](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/nwXx5NREOMhfAx29QIj2/)
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Julia Jackson
6 books
2
Bookwyrm Ink\ \ Bookwyrm Ink\ \ • Oct 2 2025
Join for free
71 Books I totally recommend. 📚In song!
71 Books I totally recommend. 📚In song!
68 books
3
Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Sep 8 2025
Join for free
Disturbing books to ruin your day
Don’t say I didn’t warn you 🫣 #horrorbooks #horrorbooktok #disturbingbooks #darkfiction #madisoncanread
7 books
1
Kurryreads\ \ Kerry\ \ • Aug 14 2025
Ultimate Guide to Spooky Season Reading v2
55 books
2
Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Jun 25 2025
Join for free
I’ve read 100 books this year! My top 5 of the year so far! ✨🩷
5 books
1
Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Jun 6 2025
Join for free
Best 2025 book releases (so far)
11 books
3
Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • May 23 2025
Join for free
10 books
2
Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • May 22 2025
Join for free
This year has been THE YEAR for horror! My top thrillers is already posted! ♥️ #madisoncanread #horrorbooks #horrorbookrec #horrorbooktok #2025horrorbooks #favoritebooks #topbooks2025 #Inverted
6 books
Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Feb 9 2025
Join for free
[Whoops! A little late, but read this instead of watching The Super Bowl.\ \ This Week in the Book World: \ \ Ooohhhhh let's talk smut, because I don't know if you saw the Quill and Flame "#sickofsmut" campaign, but y'all that had me angry for days.\ \ So, in case you missed it, an indie publishing house put out a campaign of posts talking about how they were sick of smut in their romance books and that they were committed to only publishing "clean" and "PG-13" romances. Which, is fine. Because, and I cannot say this loudly enough, no one is forcing anyone to read smut. If you don't want to read smut, don't read it. It's as simple as that.\ \ As a bookstore owner, I get asked constantly for closed-door romances and I am happy to help folks find the kind of content they're comfortable with, because I believe strongly that engaging with books that sexual content should come with informed consent. \ \ However, where this whole thing really started to go downhill and, well frankly, piss me off was with the brazen smut-shaming that came with it. In case you missed the sentence above where I said that no one is forcing anyone to read smut, these folks were out here acting like they were being held at gun point and forcing to read about "body part behavior"–yes that is a direct quote. Things started to fall apart more when they started throwing around words like "safe" and "good" and "darkness" when referring to sexual content, but it REALLY, REALLY, REALLY got me when I saw the words "YA" and "NA".\ \ clears throat ALLYOUNG ADULT BOOKS ARE NOT "CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE BOOKS" AND ALL "CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE BOOKS" ARE NOT YOUNG ADULT BOOKS. Young adult books are books written for young adults. End of story. Sometimes those books contain sexual content, because–and this might blow some mind–teens need a safe, healthy way to learn and talk about and process their feelings about sex.\ \ There are tons of authors who use their books to help teens learn about things like consent, healthy relationships, bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and so much more. This is important work. And describing books written by adults for adults as "YA" simply because they don't have sexual content amongst a political backdrop of nationwide book bans, mom's for liberty, and publishers printing age labels on book covers, is nothing but dangerous. \ \ I could stand on this soapbox for the rest of the evening, so clearly this should be topic I cover more in depth later.\ \ Moving on...\ \ This week's publishing news: \ \
- We finally got an announcement for Del Sandeen's second novel! Titled, Death is my Castle, this newest horror novel is about "two sisters who inherit a house in Savannah, Georgia, only to discover that it may be haunted by the man who built it in 1910."\ \
- Dinesh Thiru, author of Into the Sunken City, announced My Killer Family Reunion, which was pitched as "Knives Out meets Never Have I Ever". Also, excited about this one, because I do feel like true "mystery" and "whodunnit" books are a gap in the teen market. Not every teen wants to read an intense thriller/true crime book.\ \
- Tehlor Mejia's Marrow, which was described as "a dark academia fantasy in which a trans 16-year-old boy finds himself way in over his head when he joins a hyper-elite school with dark, potentially supernatural secrets"\ \
- AND! We got more news about Alix E. Harrows, The Everlasting, which according to her "rhymes" with her short story The Six Deaths of the Saint. She apparently wrote the story while plotting this newest novel, and I cannot contain my excitement!\ \ \ This week's new releases: \ \
- The Lamb by Lucy Rose (Adult, Horror)\ \
- Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito (Adult, Horror)\ \
- Capitana by Cassandra James (YA, Fantasy)\ \
- Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey (Adult, Literary)\ \
- Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft (YA, Fantasy)\ \
- All Better Now by Neal Shusterman (YA, Dystopian)\ \ \ What I read this week: \ \ Listen to Your Sister (Finished)\ \ I've talked about this book a lot and I'm going to continue to talk about it, because it deserves it. Holy hell this book was so good. I was not expecting to fall as in love with this one as I did, but it struck something deep in my core. As I wrote in my mini review, Listen to Your Sister is both a love letter to oldest sisters and Black women and a vicious rejection of the expectations the world puts on them to save us over themselves. It's so timely and so heartfelt. 5 out of 5 stars.\ \ Also, it definitely reads more speculative fiction that horror, so I think it's got great crossover appeal for those of you who might be wary of scary books.\ \ Gifted & Talented (Finished)\ \ I hinted at it last time, but I'm here to confirm that Gifted & Talented is Olivie Blake's best book yet. I feel like all of her standalones throughout the last few years have been leading up to this story. When I tell you that I full-on, audibly, gasped not once, but multiple times, while reading this last night. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me send out-of-context screenshots of highlighted paragraphs to my husband. I know that her prose style is not for everyone, but wow do I love it. \ \ This one also leans way more literary fiction than fantasy. It contains magical elements, but it is way more a Succession-esque family drama than anything. Also, I posted this on BlueSky last night, but the scene where the enemies become lovers in this one was... immaculate. \ \ A Burning in the Bones (17%)\ \ This is the third and final book in The Waxways series, and all I have to say is that I am so excited. I love this series. I can't wait to keep reading.\ \ What I bought/shelved \ \ Books I bought/received this week:\ \
- The Wayways series in hardcover\ \
- The Devils by Joe Abercrombie\ \
- The Library at Hellbore by Cassandra Khaw\ \ \ Here are some books I shelved this week:\ \
- Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie\ \
- The Balance of Fates by Raquel Raelynn\ \ \ Other musings: \ \ Our February book pick is in and I'm thrilled to be reading One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake, this is the only standalone of hers that I haven't read yet, and coming off the high of Gifted & Talented I'm especially excited. Join here.](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/9bIOc0mot3P1THEQMA7a/)
14 books
Arcane Nights Press\ \ Cassidy\ \ • Feb 9 2025
Join for free
New Books Released February 4th
Some amazing books came out this past week! Check them out!
13 books
1