My favorite book this month
This month, I really loved some of these books (Wickhills, Backwoods Banshee, Yield Under Great Persuasion, and The Killing of a Chestnut Tree) and really hated two of them (A Fae in Finance and Terrestrial History). This fall, I’ve unintentionally read several sequels without having read their first books: I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couple’s Therapy, The Silent Appeal, This Knight Topples Empires, and Homeward for a Spell. Only the first of these required having read the first book in the series.
Not sure what to make of my reading trends right now. I have been craving gentle stories, caring narrators, and competent protagonists.
Books I COMPLETED
I’ve included snippets from my reviews and additional thoughts.
Dog Wizard (1992) by Barbara Hambly
I barely remember anything about this book. My review was very brief and uninformative: Ugh, the ending of this book annoyed me more than the ending of book 2.
Yield Under Great Persuasion, expanded 2026 edition, by Alexandra Rowland
Re-read. M/M romance with longing, self-hatred, interfering gods, and so much therapy. I loved the new chapters. Funny and made me cry a lot.
Backwoods Banshee (10/27/26) by David R. Slayton (eARC)
Adam is both physically and mentally scarred from the events in the previous book, Redneck Revenant. When there is a supernatural attack at a concert and a friend of a friend is injured, Adam investigates how and why it happened. As always, Adam uses his empathy to solve the case, heal the injured, and prevent it from happening again.
Some new antagonists are introduced, so there should be more novels. Yay!
The Silent Appeal (8/25/26) by Janie Hallett (eARC)
A found-footage murder mystery centered on the Fariway Players and their production of Agatha Christie’s play The Hollow. Hallett keeps the reader in suspense as to who was murdered and why until the end. Though not as good as The Twyford Code, I want to read the first book.
Wickhills (9/8/26) by Premee Mohammed (eARC)
Wickhills is a weird, fantastical city where a new house may erupt from a wall like a pimple, and the streetlamps are birds. Ferec is a spy whose current mission keeps getting more complicated–a delivery turns out to be a person who is being hunted by many different groups. Trying to complete his mission, or at least stay alive, they travel through many different parts of the city, forcing Ferec to reckon with his many pasts.
It has twists and secrets and plots and politics and so many vibes.
The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City (10/20/36) by Susannah Clarke (eARC)
The city of Durham is attacked by the Fae forces–trees. When the Bishop wishes to end the siege, he has trouble finding the correct person with the proper authority so he may surrender. Told in a fable-like manner.
Fills in some of the history in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell about the beginning of the reign of John Uskglass.
A Fae in Finance (2025) by Juliet Brooks
Silly and unsatisfying fantasy where the supernatural has revealed itself to the world. All of the conflicts fizzle out. Obstacles are plot-driven and then resolved with a whimper. Tries to be a romance without resolving any of the romance plots.
The Killing of a Chestnut Tree (10/27/26) by Oliver K. Langmead (eARC)
My second favorite book I read this month. Cozy mystery featuring queer Sherlock and Holmes stand-ins. Major Sebastian Wright writes up the mysteries solved by the celebrated detective, Havelock Harper. Their newest case takes them to a remote and strange forest where words appear on the trees.
It is so gentle, so careful, so quietly joyous. There are multiple queer characters and relationships. Unlike Sherlock, Havelock is empathetic. Instead of viewing mysteries and murders as puzzles to be solved, he wants to find the truth and how to help the injured parties. He is concerned about the consequences of his actions. Sebastian is a wonderful narrator, with his own interior life.
This Knight Topples Empires (11/3/26) by Ry Herman (eARC)
Puts the fun into genderfuck. Retelling of the European folktale “The Girl Who Pretended to Be a Boy.” I chose this book on the strength of its subtitle: A Minor Character on a Major Quest: A Novel.
Terrestrial History (2025) by Joe Mungo Reed
Did not finish.
Books I’M currently reading
- Homeward for a Spell (8/18/26) by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos (eARC)
- Hell’s Heart (2026) by Alexis Hall
November TBR
Backlist
- The West Passage (2024) by Jared Pechaček
- Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde – the final book is out
- Wave Without a Shore (1981) by CJ Cherryh
Recent and Upcoming Releases That I Want to Read
December is another light month for new releases in my TBR, but January 2027 is overflowing.
- As You Wake, Break the Shell (10/13/26) by Becky Chambers
- This Crimson Ruin (12/1/26) by Rebecca Thorne
- Call Me Traitor (12/1/26) by Everina Maxwell
