July & August 2026 Recap

Hi Ghosties!

It has been a minute. I told myself I would do my best to keep this blog updated monthly, but things have been chaotic for me. My chronic pain flared up quite a bit in the intense summer heat. I’ve also been spending a lot of time with family, and it's been healing. There’s now a little ghost in our family, and I consider myself lucky and blessed to have an adorable nephew to dote on. As things cool down and summer will soon begin its transition into autumn, I’m eager to see what this season holds for me.

Current Works in Progresses

Blood & Bone

A collection of horrifying short stories sure to give you goosebumps and the “ick”.

I’ve begun working on the fifth story in the collection. It’s giving me a little trouble as I try to venture into a type of horror that I haven’t explored yet. We’ll see what happens, but I am happy with the stories opening.

Hellbent – The Elysium Duet, Book 2

Huge update. I’ve decided on a title, “Hellbent”. I won’t be sharing any more than that for now, as I’m still focusing on my short stories and the horror anthology I’m working on. For those who have read Hotel Hell, the title serves as a perfect appetizer for what follows.

What I’m Reading

Here are the top 3 books from July and August 2026.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Set in Jim Crow Florida, this book follows a young boy named Robert Stephens Jr. as he attends a segregated reform school. I believe this book achieved its goal of horrifying readers with the reality of what happened in those schools. The book contains supernatural elements, but that isn’t what haunts me after finishing it. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, as I believe this book portrays the reality that many young boys and girls faced when sent to reform schools with respect.  Due’s author’s note explains this is a story dear to her heart, as a family member of hers once attended one of these schools. This book reminded me of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones ( I highly recommend reading this book).

Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

I don’t know how to describe this book. It tore my heart, and I sobbed for the last sixty or so pages. The prose is exquisite. I try not to annotate any of my books on the first read-through so that if I want to pass them off to someone who may enjoy them more than me, they will have an unblemished copy. But I was so taken with it I restarted the novel when I was close to a hundred pages in so that I could annotate it. This YA psychological and botanical horror contains queer, autistic, and disability representation done in a way that is authentic. It’s about grief, and love, and as someone who is AuDHD, I have never felt so seen in a book. It had such an impact on me that my little introverted self spoke to strangers on the internet about it.

If this part of the synopsis doesn’t entice you into reading this book, I’m not sure what will. “Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him."

An auto-buy author for me now.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch

After reading some very dark books, The Entanglement of Rival Wizards was the perfect palate cleanser. A witty romance that contains magical creatures with the best Dungeons and Dragons vibes. I devoured this book. It didn’t take long to finish it; if my reading journal is right, it took less than a day. This is perfect for fans of Academic Rivals to Lovers, fans of TTRPGs, and for those of you who insist on romancing the DM in every Dungeons and Dragons campaign you’ve participated in. Oh, and for my Critical Role fans out there, Sara Raasch confirmed this novel is Caleb and Essek coded.

I’ll be picking up any other magical romances this author releases.

Well, that’s all for me, folks! There's additional exciting news arriving next month!

Lots of love,

Amalia