New year, new books! This is the time of year when we make resolutions and while the cynical part of me knows most of us won't stick to them, I get a certain warm and fuzzy feeling from the optimism in the air at the turn of the calendar. I put together a separate post with my 2023 reading goals and I hope you'll share yours, too!

This month brings a bunch of new books and while there aren't many on the list, I want to note that the Harper Collins Union is still on strike as I write this. They're striking for NYC wages and an increased commitment to improving diversity at the company. The two are, of course, closely related since low wages prevent all but the economically privileged from joining and staying in the profession. You can read more, download graphics and contribute to their strike fund here. The union isn't calling for a boycott and you can support them and Harper Collins authors by shopping through their Bookshop storefront (at no extra cost to you) here.

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December is usually a wasteland for new releases from mainstream publishers and this year is no different. There are lots of indie releases, most of which are Christmassy and a couple of which I've featured here. I'm not a big holiday romance person (sorry?) so this list is short.

Though Kobo tells me it released on Nov. 30, I'd like to draw your attention to the Current anthology, a collection of new stories to benefit community groups in Jackson, Mississippi. This first volume features stories by talented A.H. Cunningham, Meka James, Dria Andersen, Karmen Lee, Jayce Ellis and Nicole Falls. I've read and enjoyed books from four of these authors, so I'll be picking this up once my book buying pause lifts in January!

I also want to note that a couple of the books in the list at the bottom are Harper Collins titles. The unionized US employees of Harper Collins have been on strike since November 10 and have asked readers to support the strike and the authors by continuing to talk about the strike and buy books, but not to generate the kind of review coverage and social media posts that HC could use to replace the work of publicity employees. I've added an asterisk next to HC titles.

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It's November! Some of my most highly anticipated books of the year release this month, so I'm excited to share a bit about three I've already read and two I'm eager to dive into. If you plan to read any of these, please find me on Instagram (@loveinpanels) or pop into Discord to tell me all about them.

Do some research and vote on the 8th. If you don't like any of your options, remember that by not voting, you're allowing other people to choose for you. It's especially important to vote in your local/down ballot races. Folks who can't vote are of course excluded from this call to action, but please feel free to badger your friends into exercising this fundamental right before we lose it.

Sending cozy thoughts and an extended spooky season to all!

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We are officially in the Spooky Season! Hocus Pocus 2 is on Disney + starting September 30, so I'm not sure why you're even reading this instead of watching the Sanderson sisters rise again. But...

If you haven't already, check out these two fun reading bingo challenges:

But Do They Bang: Bang in the Night 2: The Monster Smash - This is not all about monsters, but is really quite flexible and spooky/spoopy. Runs September 19-October 31.

Fall In Love Bingo - General fall theme, runs September 1-November 30. These are quarterly, so if you miss it you can expect one for winter afterward. (Please, I hope Jen and Aarya continue!)

 My birthday is this month, so I'm probably going to be up to some nonsense (and maybe yelling about the Supreme Court, sorry) over on Instagram where I'm @loveinpanels.

I also want to mention that October is when the majority of Christmas romances are released. Those aren't my thing, so I didn't include many on this list. They're everywhere though, so enjoy!

Happy October!

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Happy back to school/spooky season/pumpkin spice/apple season!

I am currently "between jobs," so although I'm still doing the grad school thing, I'm looking forward to taking breaks from home repair projects to write up some long-overdue reviews. Expect more things here soon, but in the meanwhile you can find me over on Instagram where I'm @loveinpanels.

September is a pretty easy-going month for books over in my personal TBR, but this list turned out pretty big!

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It's August! I've read a few and want to read a few others, so I'll be giving a few super short reviews below and then the usual list of upcoming releases. It's a big one.

Let me know what you're excited to read this month and again, if you want to join a readers-only community on Discord, I can get you an invite!

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It feels odd to send this out amid all the chaos, devastating news and ongoing systemic ills, but I guess that's the "new normal" we were all so excited to reach.

There is no easy answer, no quick fix. Most of these problems have been around for decades if not centuries and there are folks out there who've been in the work just as long. If you need to find them, let me know and I'll do my best to help. In the coming years it's going to be more important than ever to have small, mobile communities for immediate support and collaborative action. You don't have to do everything, but everyone needs to do something. Pick your thing and start training for the marathon.

A personal update - my family is moving! It's been absolutely overwhelming to finish up grad school for the year and then roll right into selling and buying a home in another state, complete with helping my  children process emotions from the move and another massive school shooting.

If you are a publicist and need my new mailing address or if you are a reader (no authors, please) and want to join a Discord community of other readers, email me at suzanne at loveinpanels dot com.

You're here for the books, so let's get to it.

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I'm at a loss for words and my personal life is in a state of upheaval, so I'm just sending rainbow vibes and a big book list. Hope you find something great to read!

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Happy May, everyone! I just finished with school for the semester and we're preparing for a big move, so things have been a bit hectic around here. I read a bunch of books out this month, however, so I've written a little about them in this post instead of highlighting my most anticipated picks like I usually do. (Probably back to normal next month.)

It's easy to sink into despair these days, but I'm really glad you're here and that we can still talk about books. It's connection, small moments and the things that bring us joy that'll carry us through. I'm wishing you a rejuvenating spring (season or water source, you choose) and maybe even a picnic with one of these new books!

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It's April 7 and I've got the April TBR post up! Yes, it's still a week late but I'm taking my wins where I can these days.

I'm excited to wrap up school for the year and get my hands in the soil. It's been a long winter and I think we all need to touch some grass.

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