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Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Apr 2 2025

Academic Fantasy Book Recs!

It’s no secret that I love academic fantasy books, so after finding Blood Over Bright Haven I couldn’t help but revisit some of my favorites in the genre.

From magic school concepts to post-graduate research these scholarly fantasy books have the perfect #darkacademia or #lightacademia vibes.

Also, there are definitely at least 20 more books in this category, but these are some of the ones that I’ve loved enough to keep physical copies of ✨

#darkacademiabooks #lightacademiabooks #magicschool #fantasybookstagram #fantasybookrecs

11 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Jan 26 2025

[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

8 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Jan 19 2025

[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

5 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

The Alchemist Society\ \ Shay\ \ • Mar 17

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It's been a while. No really, since November. \ \ Since the new year, I have had a few life changes. One, I had a career change! Prior to that I spent time in Boston with my family for my younger cousins wedding and my birthday the next day (I miss Boston).\ \ I've primarily been able to listen to audiobooks. I'm in a season of Malazan and Robin Hobb in that format more recently, and had a short detour into Heated Rivalry (which I DNFd but may pick up again at a later time).\ \ Back to Malazan though. Malazan is considered by many to be one of the most intimidating fantasy series you could read. I'm here to say don't let that stop you from giving it a try. It is rich and intense and has a great depth to it that I absolutely adore, but I find it captivating and even sometimes fun! Not Deadhouse Gates (book two is brutal and I still cry thinking about it).\ \ I was lucky enough to be able to obtain a set of the first six books in the series from The Broken Binding.\ \ \ \ and a little moment for the covers\ \ \ \ So I listened to the first three of these books on audio, of course on Libro, my favorite audio book platform where purchases support local indie bookstores and I actually own my books (and am not just purchasing the license to the books, unlike some big global retailers).\ \ Unfortunately, the narrator, Ralph Lister is replaced after book three with another narrator and I am not transitioning well. Nothing against Michael Page but Ralph was just so good. I did a bit of a deep dive and found out that he was replaced because he was a union member and was more expensive so I am participating in an act of boycott 15+ years too late. Just kidding, I just can't get used to a new author yet.\ \ Anyhow book one, Gardens of the Moon was a fun adventure introducing us to the world of Malazan.\ \ \ \ Book two, Deadhouse Gates, is a brutal 180. Emotional and complex, it further expands the universe all while giving us a glimpse into another working limb of the Malazan Empire. We are able to see how the Empire has expanded and grew into the Empire it is while also seeing the civilizations and cultures that are both around them (unconquered) and within, adapting to fit within the Empires mold. There is a heavy influence from both the Roman and Ottoman Empires, visible in the way that once a place is conquered, the local people are set up to govern again, though they are now within the Empire itself. No spoilers but book two show a visceral and maddening look at a Malazan refugee train moving across a continent, all while attempting to survive a holy war keen on exterminating them. We also see some friendly faces from Book 1 in the only slightly, lighthearted storyline in this god damed (excellent) book.\ \ \ \ Finally, I got to Memories of Ice which was EPIC. It had a lot of the emotional depth that Deadhouse Gates had, without nearly as much of the distressing heaviness (though there was still some of that). Memories of Ice has a bit more of the adventurous "fun" vibe that I felt in Gardens of the Moon. I was also really happy to see more of the humor that we caught glimpses of in the previous two books, giving some moments of levity and showing very real interactions where the worst possible thing you can think of can be happening to a character, and yet they still make a little quip. I've been told by quite a few people that it is the fan favorite of the series and I can see why. It brings together multiple characters with incredible arcs and plot progression, not to mention a shocking and insane final chapter. I can't wait to dive into Book 4, House of Chains, and I'm interested in seeing if the experience changes while reading a physical copy myself, vs listening to the audio for the previous three books. I will of course still hear Ralph's voice in my head.\ \ \ \ While listening to the Malazan books, I was also reading physical copies of The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I don't want to get too much into it here because I full plan on writing a full post about it but it was incredible and I loved everything about it so much. It is without a doubt one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. \ \ \ \ In February, I finally got around to reading The Strength of the Few, after I finished reading my physical copies of the Farseer Trilogy. Again, I don't want to get too deep into it but I did enjoy it overall and I am really excited to see where it goes. I really enjoy how Islington really gets into the nitty-gritty of good vs. evil and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and vice versa. I think we will see more of this in book three, The Justice of One. \ \ \ \ Now, I am listening to The Liveship Traders Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I am losing my mind. I find there is more exposition in Ship of Magic which was quite a change in my opinion fromThe Farseer Trilogy. BUT also, the maddening part, I am a certified HATER of Kyle fucking Haven. It actually hurts to read anything this man does or says, and also, Keffiyah needs to grow a damn spine. Jeez. But all that to say I am still interested in the plot.\ \ Lastly, I need to touch on the Poet Empress by Shen Tao. This debut dark fantasy novel was excellent (I read in February), and it follows a young women who is set to become the future empress of her country. She is searching for a way to save it from famine and her people from starvation, which is actually how she ended up in the Crown Princes harem and was then chose as future Empress. Her new husband, the next Emperor is a despot, with a magical penchant for violence and weapons (and several brothers with other varying magical abilities). Wei Yin decides she must kill him, but the only way she can kill him is to write a spell, and that spell requires that she love him in order to kill him. We see deep and heavy familial bonds and and the breaking of those bonds, court politics, difficult decisions, magic and lies, but also moments of kindness and empathy. I can not wait to see more from Shen Tao in the future because this was a wonderful and moving standalone novel.\ \ \ \ That's what I've been up to recently, but next, I will be going through the Spring 2026 Bindery Arcs that I just received, starting with my most anticipated, Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari. This is a fantasy novel inspired by the Portuguese attacks on South India in the 1500's, but in this story, the Portuguese are half men and half sea creature. I've really been enjoying it so far and can't wait to see where the story goes so I can share more:)

Malazan, Robin Hobb and taking time

9 books

The Biblio(files)\ \ Brooke \ \ • Feb 6

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All the series I loved before...

tackle my long list of series i have left unfinished with me

14 books

Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Nov 30 2025

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November Reading Wrap Up

November Reading Wrap Up: 📖 Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent 📖 Hazelthorn by CG Drews 📖 And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison (out 2/26) thank you @berkleypub for the ARC 📖 The Will of the Many by James Islington 📖 Savor It by Tarah DeWitt 📖 Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt 📖 Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt (out 7/26) 📖 Minor Detail Adania Shibli 📖 My Boyfriends are All Monsters by Kimberly Lemming #readingwrapup #novemberreads #BookRecommendations #diversebooks #booktokbooks

9 books

DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Nov 25 2025

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Weekly Reading Update: 11/16 - 11/22

I had another really good reading week.

9 books

Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Nov 23 2025

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I Interviewed James Islington!

Thank you so much James for your time, and Saga Press for making this happen!

2 books

DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Nov 17 2025

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Weekly Reading Update: 11/8/25 - 11/15/25

7 books

Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Nov 10 2025

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November Book Club Double Feature!

The readers have spoken: It’s a double feature month book club!

Hierarchy book one, The Will of the Many is already out, and the second book The Strength of the Few comes out tomorrow.

Book one is a reread for me, and I have been looking forward to this next release for more than a year. The story follows a main character with a secret climbing a pyramid of power with the hope of escaping it.

Join my Bindery in the link in my bio.

2 books

Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Nov 5 2025

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November Book Club Pick Voting

Welcome to our chaotic book club! Mood readers, which book should we read together this month? Join Bindery (for free) to vote, and meet us on discord to yap!

#rachelskyereads #bookclub #moodreader

6 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Oct 31 2025

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(VIDEO) October Reading Wrap-Up w/8 Book Reviews + November Book Club Picks!

Everything I read in October with full, spoiler-free book reviews spanning science, fantasy, history genres and more! PLUS revealing The History & Fantasy Book Club picks for November and I got a new tattoo!

8 books

The Alchemist Society\ \ Shay\ \ • Oct 25 2025

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My top fantasy and sci-fi book recs

Replying to @cwillev7 My top fantasy and sci-fi book recs #tiktokbookrecscontest #books #booktok #bookish #reading

9 books

Maude's Book Club\ \ Maude\ \ • Oct 2 2025

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Interviewing James Islington!

1 book

Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Aug 19 2025

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Voting is open in discord for Septembers book club pick! I’m attaching them below for you to check out. Remember, if you’re having trouble getting in to the bindery discord channel, leave a comment here or shoot me a DM in discord.

September Book Club Voting!

6 books

Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Jul 10 2025

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SIX FANTASY BOOKS TO READ THIS SUMMER ☀️🗡️🌊

Have you read any of these?

6 books

Peppered Ink\ \ Mary\ \ • Jul 6 2025

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A lovely visit to a lovely place. 💖

@middleburg.books

2 books

Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • May 23 2025

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Favourite Reads from 2024

Your Favourite Cottagecore Witch Dares you to pick a few favourite reads from this year and comment it below so we can build a magical forest🤎🍄‍🟫🍂

I have had so many good reads towards the end of the year once I realised that I am a gothic, cottagecore and cozy fantasy kind of person. I still enjoy romantasy but I realised that I cannot solely read romantasy and ignore my favourite sub-genre! What have you realised this year from your reading habits?

Here are some favourites from this year’s read in no particular order: 🍄‍🟫 My Throat an Open Grave by @toribovalino 🍄‍🟫 Legends & Lattes by @travis_baldree 🍄‍🟫 Legacy of the Heir by @author_lauracarter 🍄‍🟫 The Bell Witches by @lindseykelk 🍄‍🟫 Once Upon an Apple by @landiwrites 🍄‍🟫 A Sorceress comes to Call by @redwombatstudio 🍄‍🟫 The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by @brightlyanna 🍄‍🟫 The Will of the Many by @jamesislington_author 🍄‍🟫 Minor Works of Meda by @juliette.caruso.author 🍄‍🟫 Nettle & bone by @redwombatstudio 🍄‍🟫 What the River Knows by @isabelwriter09 🍄‍🟫 Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by @heather_fawcett

Have you read any of them? Do we have any similar books in our list?

This lovely candle is from @midsummerchild 🤎

#cottagecorewitchy #topreads #books Cottagecore Witch Cottagecore Sabie Amber Academia Honey Academia Amber and Honey Academia Cozy Gothic Fantasy Books Cozy Games

12 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Apr 2 2025

Academic Fantasy Book Recs!

It’s no secret that I love academic fantasy books, so after finding Blood Over Bright Haven I couldn’t help but revisit some of my favorites in the genre.

From magic school concepts to post-graduate research these scholarly fantasy books have the perfect #darkacademia or #lightacademia vibes.

Also, there are definitely at least 20 more books in this category, but these are some of the ones that I’ve loved enough to keep physical copies of ✨

#darkacademiabooks #lightacademiabooks #magicschool #fantasybookstagram #fantasybookrecs

11 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Jan 26 2025

Weekly Wrap Up – 1.20-1.26

8 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Jan 19 2025

Weekly Wrap Up – 1.13-1.19

5 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Dec 10 2024

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A stack of book series that I'm continuing in 2025

These are the series of books that I started to read in 2024 and will hopefully continue to read in 2025.

5 books

Skies Press\ \ Emma\ \ • Nov 19 2024

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Mid-series cover changes; the usual, the great, and the awful

What mid-series cover change wrecked you? (This has been sitting in my drafts for more than a month and i totally forgot about it) 📚 #booktok #booktoker #darkolympus #neongods #kateerobert #alexandrabracken #silverinthebone #thewillofthemany #jamesislington #fantasybooks #romancebooks #bookcover #emmaskiesreads #books

3 books

Arcane Nights Press\ \ Cassidy\ \ • Aug 26 2024

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BookTok 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Challenge!

I’ve seen a few people do this video so I had to share mine! 5 Favorites, 4 TBR Books, 3 Go to Recs, 2 Five Star Reads, and 1 Current read.

15 books

Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Mar 30 2024

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Best reads from the Q1 of 2024

7 books

Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Mar 8 2024

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