At the beginning of the year, my only goal was to get through my physical TBR. That’s still part of the plan. I really do want these books read and off my shelves. But as February went on, I realized something. I genuinely love Black romance, and I want to read more of it on purpose, not just whenever it happens to land in my lap.

So I’m tweaking my reading challenge.

Instead of focusing on how many books I can get through, I’m going to read three intentional books per month. I know three doesn’t sound like a lot, but I’m deeply annotating at least two of them, maybe all three, depending on what I choose. This year I want depth, not speed.

The structure is simple.

• One nonfiction book, because I want to think more critically and learn something new.

• One Black fiction book, because I’m really interested in exploring love, softness, embodiment, and Black femininity through story.

• One curiosity or popular read, just because sometimes I want to see what everyone’s talking about.

While I’m reading, I’ll be annotating directly in the book with pen and tabs. If you need annotation supplies, they’re in my Amazon storefront. I’ll also keep bigger thematic notes in my phone when my thoughts are too long for the margins.

When I finish a book, I’ll share my notes and takeaways here. There’s no timeline and no pressure. This isn’t a formal book club. It’s just us reading with a little more intention and actually talking about what the books are doing to us.

If you’ve already read something I’m reading, comment your thoughts. If you want to read one with me, do it. And please revive the Discord because it’s way too quiet in there.

Three books a month. Deep reading. More intention. That’s the tweak.

Also, I added my current reads for the month of February so check them out! I will be discussing them later this month!

I love a good Black romance book. The kind that makes you melt a little and side-eye your own life like… okay but where is my magical man?

And fantasy has always been my favorite genre. Give me powers, chosen ones, ancient prophecies, all of it. I want drama. I want tension. I want magic in the air.

But over time I started noticing something. The books that really stuck with me were the ones where Black women were at the center of the magic and still allowed to be loved inside it. Not pushed to the sidelines. Not written as “strong” in a way that secretly means emotionally exhausted and alone. Just fully in the story. Fully desired. Fully chosen.

I don’t even think I had language for that at first. I just knew those were the books I couldn’t shut up about.

So I put together a list on the blog of 6 romantasy books by Black authors where Black women are central, magical, desired, and complicated in ways that feel real. Some are darker. Some are softer. A couple of them took over my entire personality for a solid week. A few are still on my TBR because I’m a chaotic mood reader and refuse to be managed.

If you want the full breakdown, it’s here:

Romantasy by Black Authors: Stories Where Black Women Are Magical and Loved

But I’m curious. When was the first time you read fantasy and actually felt seen? And if you haven’t yet, what kind of magical Black heroine are you still waiting for?

I’ve been sitting with my thoughts on Brimstone because I did enjoy it, and I also have some honest thoughts. This isn’t a hate post.

The Quicksilver series is good. I’m continuing the series for a reason. I just think it could’ve been stronger if it trusted itself more instead of rushing.

The banter works. The chemistry works, especially at the beginning. The found family feels real, not forced. I liked the political drama, and I honestly think the audiobook helps a lot. The voices and timing made things feel smoother and easier to enjoy.

The romance pulled me in even with the uneven pacing, but once the couple got comfortable and secure, the story didn’t really shift. Once the tension was gone, it felt like the book didn’t replace it with something else. Like I expected a different POV where we could get another couple coming to life to keep to the romantasy and tension/yearning alive. Instead we got a calm, healthy relationship, which is nice, but it can’t carry the whole story by itself.

My biggest issue was pacing. There are a lot of big ideas here, gods, rot, vampires, alchemy, politics, and they come one after another very fast. The tone gives, it wants us as readers to take this book very serious but the pacing gives, this is for a good time not a long time. It wants to feel like a big, serious fantasy story, but it moves too quickly for that. Big moments happen before we really get time to sit with the characters or fully feel what’s happening.

I liked the FMC. She’s strong, powerful, and always growing, even when she annoyed me. Where I struggled more was with some side characters, especially Dania. I get what the author might have been trying to do, but without enough background, her anger often felt random instead of understandable. Her character fell into the misogynic trope of a woman who is overly emotional and not a good decision maker. In a story that usually handles emotions well, that part felt off to me, why have a badass FMC and foil her with a woman who isn't fleshed out. Like I know Dania is the way she is because of her trauma that isn't explored in a way that would make her a understandable or likeable character (Think Johanna from Hunger Game).

The whole time, I kept thinking: what if this book had slowed down? What if the romance took longer? What if the story spread things out instead of piling them on so fast?

Even with all of that, I’m still interested. The world is cool, the story has potential, and I’ll keep reading with more realistic expectations. This book reminded me that you can enjoy something and still wish it had been handled differently.

Both can be true.

Hi babes 💕

I’m officially in my holiday romance delulu era and honestly?

The books are eating harder than the Thanksgiving plates I just survived.

So I made y’all a list because I’m generous like that 😭🎄

✨ 5 Holiday Romance Books to Read This Christmas
(and yes… they’re all free on Kindle Unlimited, because we’re saving coins)

If you’re in the mood for:

• small town chaos

• holiday spice

• men written by women (important)

• something fast and cute

• AND you’re trying to stop Amazon from taking your entire paycheck…

Go read this post, please.
Your winter TBR needs it → 5 Holiday Romance Books to Read This Christmas

Comment if you’ve read any of these so I know who to scream with.

Hey babes,

Before anything else, I just want to say thank you.
Thank you for reading with me, for being patient with me, and for holding space in this little Bindery community. When I started this, I honestly thought half the group would dip by the halfway point, but most of you stayed, and that means so much.

This was my very first time hosting a full book club, and I’ll be real… it was harder to keep up with than I expected. Between transitioning jobs, life responsibilities, and trying to give thoughtful annotations, I definitely had too much dip on my chip. I tried my best, but I know I fell behind at times. If my inconsistency made things confusing or left anyone hanging, I truly apologize.

Even still, I hope the notes I was able to give helped you think more deeply about the book, or even just added a little extra joy to your reading experience. That was always my intention, to make reading feel fun, cozy, and meaningful.

As for the Zoom session:
I’m not sure if folks still want one, but I don’t want to assume. If you’re interested, comment and let me know! If not, no worries, we can officially close this chapter here.

Looking ahead…
I would love to start a new book club round in January or February (February might be better because January is my birthday month). I want to go into the next one with more structure, more bandwidth, and a better understanding of what a book club lift actually requires from me. We’ll pick a new book, reset the vibes, and try this again with a fresh start.

As for this Bindery space:
It’s not going anywhere. I’ll keep sharing book lists, what I’m reading next, and whatever cozy, nerdy, seasonal vibes we’re all craving. Think: Christmas reads, winter favorites, and more bookish chats that don’t require strict schedules.

And yes… the Discord flopped a little, LOL. I tried, I really did, but the tech was teching and only a few people joined. I won’t say “never again,” but for now I think keeping things simple is better for all of us.

Thank you again for sticking through this first attempt with me. I learned so much, and I hope you still got something good out of being here.

Link to my final notes/annotations is below!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cLy70_goBskH6jfne5o9UOZhf_ErURZj2J9I4cUz_Bs/edit?usp=sharing

Happy reading, babes and I hope you all have an amazing Thanks Giving if I don't update before then! 💗

Hey Ya'll! 💕

Okay, so first off, sorry I missed last week’s annotation. Life was life-ing, but we’re back and catching up!
I’ve got the PDFs for Week 2 and Week 3 linked below so y’all can dive into my notes and thoughts.

The book has definitely grown a lot in these two weeks. The relationship is finally giving what it needs to give, the tension is there, the yearning is there, and it’s getting steamy in all the right ways.
We are deep in this love story now, and I’m honestly loving how it’s unfolding.

📎 Links below:

• Week 2 & 3 Annotation Guide (Chapters 12–34)

Can’t wait to hear y’all’s thoughts on these chapters and drop your favorite line or moment in the chat so we can scream together 😭💅🏽

xx,
Bri

Hey babes!

We officially finished Week One of our book club! wooot, woot! I’m so proud of us already.
I've put together a little annotation guide and recap for chapters 1–11. It breaks down my tab system, some favorite quotes, and the moments that had me gasping or highlighting like crazy.

✨ Download it here: Click Me

Take a peek before we dive into next week’s chapters, and feel free to send me your favorite quotes or theories in the group chat on Discord or in the comments below. I love seeing what sticks out to y’all! 💕

xx,
Bri