Madisoncanread | You Weren't Meant to Be Human: A Novel

You Weren't Meant to Be Human: A Novel

Andrew Joseph White

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Alien meets Midsommar in this chilling debut adult novel from award-winning author Andrew Joseph White about identity, survival, and transformation amidst an alien invasion in rural West Virginia.

Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia. In exchange for unwavering loyalty and fresh corpses, these hives offer a few struggling humans salvation. A fresh start. It’s an offer that none refuse.

Crane is grateful. Among his hive’s followers, Crane has found a chance to transition, to never speak again, to live a life that won’t destroy him. He even met Levi: a handsome ex-Marine and brutal killer who treats him like a real man, mostly.

But when Levi gets Crane pregnant—and the hive demands the child’s birth, no matter the cost—Crane’s desperation to make it stop will drive the community that saved him into a devastating spiral that can only end in blood.

You Weren’t Meant to Be Human is a deeply personal horror; a visceral statement about the lives of marginalized people in a hostile world, echoing the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Eric LaRocca.

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Sep 23 2025

Poll:\ \ Which book are we reading next? \ \ What should we read for our next pick? \ \ Click the book below for more of information on each pick! \ \ Update, we may be moving up to 8PM CST going forward!

What are we reading next?

4 books

Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Aug 31 2025

Poll:\ \ Do you prefer finding new releases like this or do you prefer the newsletter? \ \ September is looking like an amazing month for new book releases!\ \ September 1, 2025 \ \ The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano:\ \ Based on the true story of Margaret Jones, the first women to be found guilty of witchcraft. This wasn't on my radar at all, but it's going straight to my tbr.\ \ \ \ The Silenced by Diane Rodriguez Wallach\ \ Hazel begins researching the Oakwell Farms School for Girls when she realize this place may be seriously haunted.\ \ September 2, 2025 \ \ I Might Be In Trouble by Daniel Aleman\ \ An author, David had a stand out debut book release, and then his 2nd novel flopped. He was on top of the world and now feels like he has nothing. He ends up going on a date with his dream guy and wakes up the next morning finding him dead. Now he and his literary agent, Stacey are trying to get to the bottom of it.\ \ \ \ Discontent by Beatriz Serrano (Translated by Mara Faye Lethem)\ \ Marisa's life seems picture perfect. However, she's drowning in despair due to the pressures of corporate life. A company's annual retreat may end up exposing her.\ \ \ \ Happiness and Love by Zoe Dubno\ \ A woman has to suffer through an insufferable dinner party hosted for a newly famous actress who is very late. Once she arrives, the night seems to turn into chaos.\ \ \ \ Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley\ \ I already have this one preordered! "It's a Midsommar night's Scream in this blood-soaked thriller set at a remote healing treat." There's no way I don't love this book\ \ September 9 2025 \ \ Hot Wax by M.L. Rio\ \ At 10 years old Suzanne witness something traumatic while on tour with her fathers band and now as an adult she's trying to disappear but someone won't let her go.\ \ \ \ The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson\ \ A struggling painter is shocked when a museum shows interest in his art. He accepts the invitation to display his art in a show but he's asked something impossible while he's there.\ \ \ \ Play Nice by Rachel Harrison\ \ I CAN'T Wait for this!!! Clio seems to have the perfect life but she has a secret and that's she grew up in a possessed house. What does that mean? I'm ready to find out!\ \ \ \ The Belles by Lacey N Dunham\ \ I have a feeling this will be perfect for Bunny fans. Deena Williams is trying to fit in and ends up making friends with 5 other girls. The president's wife singles them out and names the group The Belles. Now Deena has secrets that she's trying to keep hidden.\ \ \ \ Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests by K.J. Whittle\ \ "Three courses. Seven guests. One card. It's a deadly evening they'll never forget."\ \ \ \ You Weren't Meant to be Human by Andrew Joseph White\ \ "Alien meets Midsommar" an alien invasion set in West Virginia\ \ \ \ We Are Always Tender With Our Dead by Eric LaRocca\ \ 3 faceless entities arrive on Christmas morning, changing the lives of the residents on Burnt Sparrow, New Hampshire.\ \ September 16 2025 \ \ The Whistler by Nick Medina\ \ Henry is a well loved ghost hunter, ends up getting hurt and is now in a wheelchair being taken care of my his grandparents. He's also now being haunted.\ \ \ \ Fiend by Alma Katsu\ \ The Berisha family runs the largest import-export companies in the world and it seems like all of their competitors have some sort of down fall. Never the Berisha family though. Things may take a turn for them in the end though.\ \ \ \ The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin\ \ Effie witnesses horrific violence at the hands of her parents and ends up escaping and living in the wilderness. When she realizes the only witness to a murder is a little girl who looks just like her. This forces Effie to go back to her childhood home.\ \ \ \ The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards\ \ "A dinner party in a beautiful Notting Hill townhouse turns into a sinister game, as six old friends are forced to spill their darkest secrets…or else."\ \ September 23 2025 \ \ We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad\ \ Ah!!! I can't wait for this! The sequel to Bunny!\ \ \ \ Spread Me by Sarah Gailey\ \ Kinsey works at a remote research facility and loves her job. She finds a specimen and then her life begins to spiral.\ \ September 30 2025 \ \ The Mean Ones by Tatianna Schlote-Bonne\ \ Sadie witnesses her best friends brutal murder and now, 17 years later she's dealing with some strange side effects. \ \ \ \ The Mad Wife by Meagan Church\ \ Lulu has strived to be the perfect 1950s housewife but when her new neighbor Bitsy moves in, her life begins to unravel.\ \ \ \ What Stalks The Deep by T. Kingfisher\ \ The third book in the Sworn Soldier series.

September 2025 New Releases

21 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Sarah Does Bookish Stuff\ \ Sarah\ \ • Jul 17

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I'm having a very bug girl summer, I think. First The Demon Star with its worm exorcists, and now this book. Anyway. Andrew Joseph White, what on earth did you dream up here?\ \ I was shocked and blown away by this book. I know AJW from his YA book, so this was a sharp and cutting left turn into adult horror and I think this is exactly the place he is meant to be. What a mess of a book in the best way. White gave us such a visceral, nuanced, and confrontational experience in the head of a mute, autistic, trans man named Crane.\ \ Crane is self destructive in a way I understood in my early 20s and it hurt my heart to read about a character in that same place. Crane indulges in risky, dangerous behavior including sex that blurs the line between consensual and not, emotional and not. All of it is meant to contend with mental health issues run amok, a struggle in his own skin, and him not giving himself permission to live and be someone worthy of healing. He doesn't deem himself worthy of care and thus takes off down a path of demolition that I never could have expected.\ \ Crane turns up pregnant one day. The Hive, the mass of bugs and viscera that brought a bunch of people in their worst days together in a violent patchwork found family they never chose, won't allow him to abort it. It threatens his friends, it sends a guard to keep watch on him, and it tasks his not-quite-boyfriend Levi with keeping him in line until the birth. It is just... horrific.\ \ Claustrophobic, frantic, and disgusting. Crane loses control over his body even more after already not feeling as if he has control over his body. He considers the dark side of parenthood and maternity and all of the things he's supposed to feel never coming to the surface. He tries to set other women free from this curse and protect them at the expense of himself, not sure why he even does it. He experiences resentment and hatred at the women in his life who support it, even tacitly, and lashes out.\ \ This book was about the complexity of the trans experience and the experience of a woman transitioning into a man. It was also about the betrayal of sisterhood and how our fellow women are sometimes the architects of our suffering. Women who discredit each other's identities, try and push their agendas on other women, refuse to acknowledge trans men, obsess over each other's bodies... we hurt each other and ourselves when we deny our sisters the ability to choose their own path for their body and their lives.\ \ White also shows the complex duality of living in a transmasc body. The struggle between appearing feminine and feeling masculine, the comfort of hearing your pronouns used correctly, and the personal struggle in the mirror to reconcile your body with your mind. I don't have gender dysphoria, I don't fully understand that struggle and I count myself very fortunate I feel like I am in the right body. White showed me this vulnerable, brutal window into what it's like to endure through those conflicting identities all converging on each other. How hard it is to look at yourself and not know you. I had no idea what that felt like, but damn did White really help me understand.\ \ There's a certain level of control women and trans folks do not have over their bodies. YWMTBH dives into how suffocating and frustrating that is in a real, intense way. The other thing he does, though, is he captures how no matter the restrictions - alien or government - nothing changes. Nothing. Not one thing. Crane is still trans. Crane is still autistic. Crane still doesn't want to be pregnant. Crane is still Crane, no matter how the Hive or Levi or the government try to stamp that out of him.\ \ Crane also dealt with the fear all young folks deal with and I think I would've like to see that explored a little more - the fear of telling his family because he had seen so many awful, awful endings to people who told their truth. Society and exposure to so much made him fear telling his parents anything and instead he fled and started over with the Hive. He never gave his parents a chance because we have highlighted how much hatred there is that trans people experience every day.\ \ When laws aren't working, when restrictions aren't working, we try force instead. We force trans people to be something they aren't, we force them to stay in the closet, we force them to suffer and when they die for it we consider that a job well done that they died in a body they do not want and did not fit them. Seeing this in action made Crane too afraid to go to two people who clearly loved him so much they recognized him at a gas station as a fully different version of himself.\ \ We have tried so hard to batter trans people down with hate, but we have never tried love. Of course Crane descended to the point he did. We did that to him.\ \ Another theme in this book I want to talk about is how White handled the complexity of an abusive relationship. I was in one, once. Seeing someone take that situation and portray it how White did was actually liberating and refreshing. He got it right. All of the statistics and plans and maps for how to deal with a friend in one? Correct. I got out because my friends never stopped being there for me and never let me be isolated until I was ready.\ \ He also was so good about showing how abuse isn't what you think. It's not always black eyes and bruises. It's a lack of control over your psyche, it's self doubt to the point of making decisions you'd never make in your right mind. It's about manipulation and when that doesn't work it turns into force. White showed Crane experiencing abuse in a very different way than we think of it and I thank him for that. It's not always what we think, but it's still abuse even if it doesn't leave a physical mark every time.\ \ We also got to be in the head of one of the rarest character types - a nonverbal autistic person. I don't think I've read another book that has a main character that's nonverbal and autistic. What a unique experience. The struggle of communication, not knowing how to get past his autistic meltdowns, what they look like, how they feel. This was such a book about feelings it's hard to explain. It should twist your gut and make you nauseous because some of the things we do and the ways we treat people are, actually, nauseating.\ \ Stagger, his guard, becomes a staple of the story and the effect of what it feels like to have someone with your best interests at heart after being surrounded by people who don't. It's hard for Crane at first to accept Stagger actually cares about him, but by the end he is so connected to Stagger that being without him is painful. Stagger is the bridge of well-meaning that tries so hard to do its best while still not doing enough to allow Crane to have control over his body. Wanting more and caring about him, but not interfering to protect him until the damage is done. It's all of us who have never marched, spoken out, intervened, etc. until it's already over. It isn't enough to be well meaning, even if it does help in the long term. We have to be brave and willing to put ourselves in the way to protect each other's rights to our bodies and our lives. We can't exempt ourselves because we aren't part of their group - whatever happens to one community affects us all eventually. That's what the scene with the bathtub was showing you: eventually, we are all affected by the same attacks on our neighbors.\ \ There is no escape, there is no exemption. That's why we have to stand for each other.\ \ I liked this book so much more than I expected for a book about bugs and viscera. It was haunting and gross and stark and very raw. If you're looking for a horror book that will challenge you in ways horror tends to shy away from in a serious way, this is a great place to plunge your hands into the worms and get grimy.

You Weren't Mean to Be Human and Neither Was I

1 book

DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Jul 7

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Book Review Tuesday: You Weren't Meant to be Human by Andrew Joseph White

1 book

DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Jun 10

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8 books

DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Jun 7

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[Poll:\ \ Should I give Dungeon Crawler Carl another try and read book 2?\ \ The Sunday Prescription \ \ One reading topic, one week of plans, and plenty of books administered weekly for chronic readers.\ \ \ \ Happy Sunday everyone, and welcome to the first installment of The Sunday Prescription, where each week I plan on discussing a bookish topic, my reading plans for the week, and call out some books you all should be checking out! And as always, none of my stuff is written with any kind of generative AI - it's just me rambling!\ \ My Symptoms: DNFing \ \ I've talked a bunch before both here and other platforms about DNFing books, and my general thoughts around that. And, truth be told, I think I have a pretty solid feel for how I handle individual books. But I've had a few experiences this week that have really got me thinking about my approach to a series and whether I DNF that or not. \ \ First, I saw some really interesting reels from C.J.Dennyreads and Sarahdoesbookishstuff\ \ where they discussed the price of admission for reading a series, or the idea that for some series, you need to make it through a book or two before the series "gets good." This is pretty common (Suneater, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Throne of Glass all come to mind). Now generally speaking, I usually give a series one book. One. That's it. My thought is that, if I get to the end of book one, and I absolutely hate the characters, the story, and am severely bored or angry, I should just DNF the series. Stop. Do not pass go. Do not collect any money because I don't get paid to read things I hate. And as I thought about my favorite series, I realized I loved all the book 1's. \ \ Now of course, if I can find some redeeming qualities, or see some light at the end of the tunnel, I'll keep going. However, Both Sarah and CJ made some great points and really got me thinking about this. Then I started listening to The Dragon Republlic, book 2 in The Poppy War Trilogy, and that got me thinking even more. Mild spoilers ahead for The Poppy War in the next paragraph. \ \ I've posted my review of The Poppy War on socials before, and I really struggled with Rin. I think throughout the book, she wreaked havoc on everyone around her, made frustrating decisions (even for someone her age), and showed a tendency to be a sociopath (remember in tactics when she suggested to ruin the ecology of an area of the country for decades and lose tons of civilians in the process just to win one battle? THAT'S A SOCIOPATH!). And by the end, I was like wow, this book is really just about a sociopath who gets too much power and how bad war is - I know how that works as an avid reader of history. \ \ Over the last few months I have been strongly considering DNFing the whole series, because I just thought this was a one note, one theme series, and I didn't find any of the characters interesting or compelling. Just kind of different shades of miserable. However, CJ and Sarah got me thinking about if I'm being too harsh. So I got my Libro audiobook credits, and promptly picked up the Dragon Republic. And wishing the first few chapters, this book is already showing more humanity and nuance for our characters than the entire first book, and has even made Rin redeemable for me. I was floored by how good the first six or so chapters have been. And it's made me think: should I revisit a few series I put down after book one, or start a series I have said I never would?\ \ Now this is not to say I expect every single reading experience going forward to be game changing, and I will still probably DNF some series and avoid others. But it got me thinking about how I might tweak this approach this year. It's even got me thinking about whether or not I should read book 2 of Dungeon Crawler Carl. Let me know what you think in the poll below!\ \ The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing \ \ Now as you all know, I am a feral mood reader, so my plans always reserve the right to change. However, this is what I'm reading this week:\ \

Our Sister's Keeper by Jasmine Holmes - this is a Bindery book, and I got an ARC on NetGalley. I'm going to finish the sone up as soon as I hit send on this newsletter. I have LOVED this so far. It is a souther gothic horror that focuses on a black town in Mississippi in the 1920's where the women are forced to bear the men's burdens through a mystical act, leaving the town eerily patriarchal and off. \ \
You Weren't Meant to be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Buddy reading this with a few of you all (Aiko in particular!), and have loved it so far. Body horror about a trans man in a dystopian world where cults, body horror, and the horror of existence for marginalized communities are explored. \ \
The Dragon Republic by RF Kuang - Will it turn out I love The Poppy War Trilogy?\ \
Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Ourllian - I was offered this as an ARC last week, and thought it would be cool to check out!\ \ \ I am also excited because I'm approaching 25k on Instagram, 10k on TikTok, 1500 on YouTube, and 250+ here on bindery. The support everyone has shown me in the last year has been tremendous, and I'm working on a cool giveaway to celebrate all of these milestones. So stay Tuned!\ \ Like More In-Depth Access? \ \ If you enjoy getting into the details with me about reading, then consider upgrading to The Dark Travelers tier. My Dark Travelers get an exclusive Discord role and channels, a weekly deep dive reading update video, early access to YouTube videos, and each month they get to pick a book for me to read. This can be a book they want to read with me, or something they want me to try for them. I'm running over to my bookstore today to grab this month's pick, Stoner by John Williams, and we're doing Headlights by CJ Leede in July! It's super fun and a great tight knit group that I really enjoy talking books with, and I'd love to have you part of it!\ \ Thank you as always for being here, and I hope you all have a great week of reading!\ \ Join for free or login](https://docofthedarkarts.binderybooks.com/item/wING2g2ZsTQqWB2Uh8AH/)

The Sunday Prescription: June 7, 2026

One reading topic, one week of plans, and plenty of books administered weekly for chronic readers.

7 books

DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Jun 2

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[Big thank you to everyone who participated in our reading challenge for May! The winner of the may challenge and a $25 bookshop.org (or equivalent) gift certificate is jossansten (this was the name from the StoryGrapgh challenge). I could not find that name on the Discord server, and you cannot message through StoryGrapgh, so if this is you reach out to me by Discord DM or email and we will figure out your gift card.\ \ And of course, it is now time for our June reading challenge. As always, participants are eligible for a $25 bookshop.org gift card (or equivalent if outside of the US). To be eligible, you have to either complete the challenge on StoryGraph (link below), or share what you read on our Discord chat channel for the challenge or as a comment on this post. Please choose only one method of participation, as I know some names are different between StoryGraph and Discord, and no double entries are allowed.\ \ The theme for June is to "Read with Pride," which means reading something in the realm of the LGBTQ+ community. This can be a book written by an author who is LGBTQ+, a story about LGBTQ+ characters, etc. As usual, I'm not going to police this too much! Let us know what you're thinking about reading!\ \ June Reading Challenge on StoryGraph\ \ Something to call myself out on/explain: You may notice I did not originally have themed months for black history month, women's history month, and AAPI month. This was not to intentionally exclude those communities, and I figured there would be questions as we hit June. My original idea for the first few months of the year was to help people get back into reading and so those months had some specific themes. I left some months later on in the year as a bit more vague so I could have flexibility, so we will be revisiting those groups in later months!\ \ I am looking at two books that I hope to get to:\ \

You Weren't Meant to be Human by Andrew Joseph White\ \
A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab\ \ \ Let me know what you're planning on reading this month, and thanks as always for being here!\ \ Join for free or login](https://docofthedarkarts.binderybooks.com/item/t4VuQof39DnNj6rEUr8V/)

June Reading Challenge and May Challenge Winner!

2 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • May 7

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IT’S CULT TIME!

📚 books mentioned: - The Merry Dredgers by Jeremy C. Shipp - Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Herculine by Grace Byron

👗💄: - dress is from Free People, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is Fade Into Hue Palette from Colourpop - mascara is Lash Princess False Lash (Purple) from Essence - lip combo is Lip Liner Stay-n (Clover) from and Lip Elixir (Midnight Lychee) from Sacheu Beauty - (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 Meerkat Press, Berkley Books, and Saga Press for the gifted copies!

#cultbooks #horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @meerkatpress @berkleypub @sagapressbooks @colourpopcosmetics @essence_cosmetics @sacheubeauty

cult books • books about cults • horror books • unique horror horror books • dark humor books • unique books • diverse books

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Apr 29

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CHOOSE YOUR BOOK CRISIS! (part 7!)

CHOOSE YOUR BOOK CRISIS! (part 7!) because everything i read involves terrible, terrible dangers.

📚 books mentioned: - Herculine by Grace Byron - The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu - The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner - The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo - Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker - The Redemption Center is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston

👗💄: - dress is from Amy Jane London, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is a mix of palettes from Colourpop - mascara is 4 Real from Babe Original - lip combo is Suede Matte Lip Liner (Moonwalk) from NYX Cosmetics and PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze (Cocoa) from Haus Labs - (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 Saga Press, Harper Voyager, Tor Books, Pantheon, Get Underlined, Henry Holt & Co., and Hanover Square Press/HTP Hive for the gifted copies!

#fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @harpervoyagerus @torbooks @pantheonbooks @getunderlined @henryholtbooks @hanoversquarepress @htp_hive @amyjanelondon

fantasy books • horror books • science fiction books • murder mystery books • literary fiction books • thriller books • choose your character (book edition) • unique books • diverse books

9 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Apr 25

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recommending books using their opening lines (a series!)

📚 books mentioned: - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews - A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma - The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-ran, translated by Gene Png - Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad - I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea - Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo - These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa

thank you to Saga Press, Fierce Reads, Mariner Books, Bloomsbury Books, MIRA / HTP Hive, and Get Underlined for the gifted copies!

#bookrecsfromfirstlines #bookfirstlines #bookrecs #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @fiercereads @mcdbooks @marinerbooks @bloomsburybooksus @bloomsburypublishing @groveatlantic @readmirabooks @htp_hive @getunderlined

book recs based on first lines • recommending books based on their opening lines • horror books • fantasy books • sci fi books • thriller books • literary fiction books • audiobooks • unique books • diverse books • MCD Books • Grove Atlantic

10 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Mar 31

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🏳️‍⚧️ 30 Trans Books to Read All Year 📚

Because every story matters. 🩵🩷🤍

30 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jan 7

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💭 what was your favorite horror read from last year?

if you’re wondering if it was hard to narrow these down, i initially tried to do a top 3. and then a top 5. and failed both times, so now we’re at a top 6 and even then i wanted to include more! it’s been a great few years for horror books.

📚 books mentioned: - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - The Children by Melissa Albert - Mexican Gothic bu Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Model Home by Rivers Solomon

👗💄: - eyeshadow is The Crawl Face & Eye Multi-Palette from Covergirl and The Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth Palette from Glamlite - shimmer is Lucid Dream from Ourbella - lip combo is Lip Lingerie Liner Stain (Up To No Good) from NYX Cosmetics and 3D Volumizing Lip Gloss (Cherry Cola) from Fwee - (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 Saga Press and William Morrow for the gifted copies!

#horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #besthorrorbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @williammorrowbooks @delreybooks @mcdbooks @covergirl @glamlite @ourbella.us @nyxcosmetics @fwee_makeup

horror book recommendations • best horror books of 2025 • favorite horror books • mystery and thriller books • horror book recs • diverse books • diverse horror reads • Saga Press • William Morrow • Del Rey • MCD

6 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jan 4

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top 10 books of 2025 | my favorite reads from the year

it’s time …. let me tell you all about my favorite books from 2025!

10 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jan 1

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💭 what were your favorite reads from 2025?

TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2025!! the first of my wrap up posts has ARRIVED! be on the lookout for a long form video where I go into each of these reads in depth, plus some favorites broken out into genres.

📚 books mentioned: - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez - The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko - One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi - The Children by Melissa Albert

👗💄: - dress is from Aqua (thrifted) - eyeshadow is: In A Trance Palette from Colourpop, The Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth Palette from Glamlite, and You Make Me Happy Palette from KimChi Chic Beauty - eyeliner is Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner (Sea Sparkle) from Kaleidos - shimimers are duochrome singles from Ourbella - lip combo is Lip Lingerie Liner Stain (Send Nudes) from NYX Cosmetics and Jelly Job High Shine Gloss (Honey, It’s Jelly) from NYX Cosmetics - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)

thanks to Saga Press, Tordotcom, Tor Books, Amulet Books, Knopf, Flatiron, MCD, Get Underlined, and William Morrow for the gifted copies!

#favoritebooks #readingwrapup #bestbooksof2025 #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @tordotcompub @torbooks @abramsbooks @abramskids @aaknopf @flatiron_books @mcdbooks @getunderlined @williammorrowbooks @colourpopcosmetics @glamlite @kimchichicbeauty @kaleidosmakeup @ourbella.us @nyxcosmetics

top 10 books of 2025 • favorite yearly reads • annual reading wrap up • favorite books of the year • best books of 2025 • best reads of the year • fantasy books • science fiction books • horror books • nonfiction books • diverse books

10 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Nov 24 2025

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“You Weren’t Meant to be Human” by Andrew Joseph White: Video Review 🪱🏳️‍⚧️

This is one of those books that gets under your skin, both literally and emotionally.

1 book

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 14 2025

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trans horror book recs

trans horror is simply ✨elite✨

📚 books mentioned: - The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Brook Tsai - Herculine by Grace Byron - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

👗💄: - sweater is from Farm Rio - eyeshadow (lower) is a sparklestik from Half Magic - eyeshadow (upper) is fembot from r.e.m. beauty - (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 Tor Nightfire and Saga Press for the gifted copies!

#horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #transhorror #queerhorror #transbooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #TorPartner @tornightfire @torbooks @sagapressbooks @jadedibispress @mcdbooks @farmrio @halfmagicbeauty @r.e.m.beauty

5 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 11 2025

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11/11 is 👹STEPH DAY 👹!!

📚 books mentioned: - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker - Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko - Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due - These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa

👗💄: - dress is from Chelsea Reece - eyeshadow is Mírame Eyeshadow Palette from Aora - duochrome eyeshadow is from Ourbella - (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 Tordotcom, MIRA Books/HTP Hive, Get Underlined, Flatiron, Tor Books, Saga Press, and Disney Hyperion for the gifted copies!

#fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks #bookrecs #birthdaybooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #FlatironPartner #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #TorPartner #FlatironPartner #GetUnderlinedPartner #HTPHivePartner @tordotcompub @readmirabooks @htp_hive @getunderlined @flatiron_books @torbooks @sagapressbooks @abramsbooks @aaknopf @disneybooks @mcdbooks @groveatlantic @bychelseareece @aoramakeup @ourbella_cosmetics

14 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 10 2025

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which one convinced you the most? 🙌

which one convinced you the most? 🙌 part twenty-two of one star goodreads reviews of books i enjoyed!

📚 books mentioned: - Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori - Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant - The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King - I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea - Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter

thank you to Vintage, Saga Press, Grove Press, Flatiron, and William Morrow for the gifted copies!

#onestarreviews #negativebookreview #bookreviews #goodreadsreviews #booktokhumor #nycinfluencer #nycbooktok #starrysteph #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #grovereader #FlatironPartner @ireadvintage @sagapressbooks @mcdbooks @groveatlantic @orbitbooks_us @flatiron_books @williammorrowbooks @fiercereads @harpercollins

10 books

The Moody Edit\ \ Jenn\ \ • Oct 30 2025

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[My Libby queue this week feels like a carefully balanced storm - eight books, eight moods, all orbiting different corners of curiosity, dread, and delight.\ \ Crime & Suspense\ \

The Lincoln Lawyer - legal intrigue and moral ambiguity; the tension of justice that doesn't always feel just. \ \
Killer on the Road - a psychological descent told from the mind of a killer - relentless, haunting, and disturbingly human.\ \ \ Horror & Speculative\ \
You Weren't Meant to Be Human - existential horror and identity unspooling at the edges; a story about transformation and the terror of becoming. \ \
Of Monsters and Mainframes - tech meets terror; code, consciousness, and the uncanny in our machines. \ \
The Bewitching - witchcraft, power, and superstition woven through gothic atmosphere; history's hauntings in the hands of women who won't stay silent. \ \ \ Nonfiction & Thought-Provoking\ \
The Cure for Woman - nonfiction that reclaims women's place in science; a story of medicine, defiance, and the fight to be believed. \ \ \ Whimsy & Adventure\ \
Automatic Noodle - absurdist and sharp-edged; humor that slips into something uncanny and oddly true. \ \
A Pirate's Life for Tea - cozy escapism with a wink; mischief, magic, and maritime tea parties for when you want your chaos charming. \ \ \ I've dipped into a few already, and each on carries its own current - some dark and unsettling, some sharp and clever, some quietly strange. The rest are waiting, humming at the edges of my week, promising new moods when I'm ready to sink in. \ \ Mood reading isn't about discipline or genre loyalty. It's about surrender. About knowing when you need courtroom tension over gothic curses, or when absurdism will soothe you better than a love story ever could. It's about giving your reading life permission to be a reflection of your inner weather. \ \ This is mood reading: trusting instinct, following curiosity, and letting your unread shelf become its own aesthetic. \ \ Curated chaos for the discerning reader.\ \ Curated chaos for the discerning reader.\ \ Join for free or login](https://the-moody-edit.binderybooks.com/item/h2LPXa0H5FGwzphUPlxf/)

Mood: Chaos Curated, One Loan at a Time. Eight moods, one week, and a library card with commitment issues.

8 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Oct 8 2025

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\ \ Join for free or login](https://queerasbooks.binderybooks.com/item/KjNIaVksXnDbcaebbAi1/)

“You Weren’t Meant to Be Human” by Andrew Joseph White: Review 🪱

This book will make you feel queasy, horrified, and uncomfortable in every possible way. It is a brilliant piece of horror, but one I will need a long time to recover from.

1 book

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Oct 1 2025

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horror books that you NEED TO READ.

horror books that you NEED TO READ THIS SPOOKY SEASON!!! 📚 books mentioned: - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

👗💄: - dress is from @freepeople, rented from @nuuly - eyeliner is waterproof eyeliner (maroon) from @personacosmetics - eyeshadow is brilliant eye brightener from @thrivecausemetics - shimmer is magical guardians palette from @yvaexpressions - (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 Saga Press and MIRA Books/HTP Hive for the gifted copies!

#horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #horrorbookreviews #besthorrorbooks #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #htphive #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @htp_hive @readmirabooks @htpbooks

4 books

chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Oct 1 2025

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September Disability Release Round Up

36 books

Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Sep 23 2025

What are we reading next?

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 20 2025

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🪱 worms worms worms worms worms, am i right or am i right?

📚 books mentioned: - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

👗💄: - dress is from @bardot, rented from @nuuly - purple eyeshadow is Brilliant Eye Brightener from @thrivecausemetics - purple duochrome eyeliner is from @kaleidosmakeup - (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 Saga Press for the gifted copy!

#horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #horrorbookreview #andrewjosephwhite #youwerentmeanttobehuman #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #transbooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @sagapressbooks

1 book

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 20 2025

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🍉 Read For Palestine update!

📚 books mentioned: - Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter - You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

please be sure to follow the organizers Naseerah (@opacarophvlia) and Ross (@readsbyross) for more information. their fundraiser is also in the ⛓️‍💥place on my profile.

thank you to Saga Press for the gifted copy!

#ReadForPalestine #palestinianbooks #bookrecs #literaryfiction #horrorbooks #warriorcats #romancebooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @groveatlantic @sagapressbooks @avonbooks

4 books

The Inky Phoenix\ \ Kathryn Budig\ \ • Sep 1 2025

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LOCAL HEAVENS IS AN AARDVARK PICK!

*screams*

7 books

Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Aug 31 2025

September 2025 New Releases

21 books