Andor, A Book That Stole My Heart, Stephen Graham Jones, Witches, and Good News During Hard Times

Let’s grab seats on a bench overlooking an epic view where we can people watch while we enjoy our favorite coffee treat and have a heart-to-heart; a check-in

ANDOR:

My husband and I have been watching Andor every night. It’s so good for our souls. One of my favorite characters (who doesn’t even have much screen time but makes a lasting impression) is Nemik—wise beyond his years. I want to share this with you:

There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy.

Remember this, Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause.

Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

And remember this: the Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.

Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empires’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege.

Remember this: Try.

A BOOK THAT STOLE MY HEART

Once in a while, a book comes along and sweeps you off your feet. To Carry A Body to Its Resting Place is such a book. You can read my FULL REVIEW HERE, lucky you—we’re celebrating its release day today from SHORTWAVE PUBLISHING so grab yourself a copy! If you love horror with heart, feuding werewolves, high-stakes emotional investment, and memorable characters against a cinematic Western backdrop—do not sleep on this and the whole, Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga

STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES

Dr. Jones is on tour for The Babysitter Lives & Killer on the Road and he’s coming to Seattle! Join us at Barnes & Noble Northgate, Friday July 25th at 6 PM for a conversation, Q&A, and signing! This is a ticketed event so click HERE TO GET YOUR TICKET

WITCHES

So many amazing books out today, including THE BEWITCHING by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I loved the audiobook so much—it was part of the early listening program at Libro FM. You can read my FULL REVIEW HERE “If you enjoy dual timelines, strong female protagonists, folk magic + witchcraft, cursed families, dark academia, mysteries unfolding surrounding missing people, gothic vibes, sapphic yearning and romance, this is the book for you! Plus, it acts as a love letter to horror fiction AND it showcases Moreno-Garcia's knack for historical fiction. So, pretty much the whole package--don't miss it!”

GOOD NEWS DURING DARK TIMES

It’s easy to despair when there is so much ugliness in the world. It’s tempting to dwell on the negative and spiral into a heavy frame of mind where you catch yourself wishing for brighter days—but I think it’s good to explore joy now, especially during the hard times. I had a conversation about this with Brian Onishi + Jeffery Stoyanoff from the Horror Joy Podcast for a special series called, Meet Your Maker
We talked about how/why we find joy in Horror and expressed our feelings about some current events. My episode should be up soon—feel free to checkout the other ones while you’re bookmarking them—really good guys. I enjoyed our talk.

I have been reviewing all the brand new horror books of 2025 in an on-going article for The LineUp so be sure to CHECK THAT OUT, I’ll have July’s books up at the end of this month. I also have a FOLK HORROR SUMMER READING GUIDE out and you can expect one in the Fall for Gothic Horror.

Horror is my Happy Place <3

xx Sadie