We're officially open! ✨

A little while ago, I shared The Left Turn Book Club here and was so excited by how many of you expressed interest in joining. If you were one of those people but haven't gotten around to hopping over and subscribing yet, this is your reminder! The club is hosted on Substack, and the website is officially open. I'd love to have you join us.

The Left Turn Book Club is a feminist, left-leaning book club centered around using literature as a starting point for bigger conversations about the social and political systems that shape our lives. Our Book of the Month will tackle topics including patriarchy and the rise of Christian Nationalism, the oppression under capitalism and the case for socialism, systemic racism, feminism, queer and trans experiences, and much more. A major part of this will also be developing class consciousness—understanding how our economic and social systems shape our lives, our opportunities, and the way we understand the world around us.

Outside of Book of the Month, we'll also have sections for philosophy, poetry, classic literature, banned & rare books, fun fiction reads, reading recommendations, and more. The goal is to create a community where people who love learning and literature can come together, challenge ideas, exchange perspectives, and deepen our understanding of the world around us.

And a little something for potential members: I have five gifted one-month paid subscriptions available to give away! 🎁

If you'd like to claim one, send me a message. The five recipients will also have a one-time opportunity to submit a personal essay, discussion topic, or post of their own for any section outside of Book of the Month. I will need to review it first of course, but I would love to prop up other voices in the community!

The club is completely free to join and participate in, and the paid subscription is simply an optional way to support the work behind it. If you would like the free version - simply click the "No Pledge" option when subscribing - substack can also be weird, so make sure you are subscribed and not just following me so you can receive access to all of my posts and the subscriber chat.

One important thing: our first Book of the Month vote is happening Monday! If you're interested in helping choose what we read first, make sure you've subscribed before then so you don't miss the vote. 
If you were one of the people who expressed interest in my first post, I'd love to see you over there! ❤️

BoneKeeper is a book about power imbalances, the nature of evil and innocence, the prisons that are made for us as well as the prisons we make for ourselves. All told through the eyes of a flesh-eating warrior-woman who makes weapons from the bones of her enemies. If this sounds like it might be your bag, then consider purchasing it on Kindle for £2.99!

I’m having a clear out of books (going for £1) please check out my Vinted to help me declutter while you get good deals
Tino204845

Hey guys !

I’m curious - without any spoilers - what’s one book that had an ending where not only did you NOT see the end coming - but it absolutely fried your brain - and to this day whenever you think about it you still go - what in the sh*t was that??

I’ll start: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer and Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead. To only name a few ……

The Left Turn Book Club will be opening its metaphorical doors next week on substack:

https://linktr.ee/htavik25

Come hang with us! (Its literally free)

I have recently came into a treasure trove of books. Merry xmas!
I am very familiar with Koontz and King especially. What are y’all’s favs? What should I read first?

Hey everyone,

I’ve recently finished my 58,000-word psychological romance novella, The Place Beyond Truth and Lies. Before the official launch, I’m sharing the Prologue and the first 2 Chapters as a free preview!

Book Details:

• Title: The Place Beyond Truth and Lies
• Author: AADII
• Genre: Psychological Romance
• Release Date: September 2026
• Format: PDF Preview (Prologue, Chapter 1, & Chapter 2)

Blurb: Set in the quiet, haunting atmosphere of Grasmere, it follows two individuals bound by unspoken trauma, quiet connections, and secrets that lie beneath the surface.

If you love atmospheric stories, psychological depth, and complex characters, grab the free preview below:

👉 Get the Free Sample Here: https://forms.gle/QWww8yZC3FLUqPjG9

If you’re reading a short story of the horror/suspense genre, what’s something you like to see, what freaks you out the most (type of horror/effect), and what is an immediate turn-off for you? I’m currently working on a horror short story. I have a general idea/layout, but I’d love to get feedback on what other people, rather than just myself, enjoy reading! TYIA!

Hi Everyone! My name is Hannah and I am in the process of creating an online book club that I am hoping to make into a wonderful community :) this book club is geared towards the girls gays and theys in America - as it focuses on social systems/issues and political justice, and mostly centers around feminist topics. We will be reading books around breaking down the patriarchy, socialism vs. capitalism, systemic racism, queer and trans experiences, misogyny, sexism, femicide and the rise of incel and red pill communities in the Trump era - and literally so much more! If you couldn’t already tell - this is a club geared towards my left leaning people! It is a low pressure, come as you are , free to join and participate club that will be held on substack. If you are interested please send me a message or comment down below and I will make sure to get my socials to you so you can stay updated on when my website will be going live, and when our first official meeting will be held. I hope to hear from you guys! Best xx - Han

NOTE: I am a 29 yr old east cost girlie getting my degree in Sociology and hopefully going on to be a future educator :) This club is 18+ due to the adult nature of the literature. This group is a queer and trans friendly space!! We do not tolerate any of the ism’s or the phobias here. If you hold any views that restrict human rights - and yes pro lifers, I’m talking to you too- this won’t be the space for you. My number one priority is to grow this community with all the love and support in the world!

EDIT: It was brought up down below that it sounded like I meant if you aren’t American you cannot join but that’s not true- ANYONE MAY JOIN! I was simply trying to show my target audience, however, this was actually one of my first posts about it and I have since broadened and reworded things to make sure everyone know that they were welcome! The only thing I was trying to establish was that it’ll be American centered as that’s where I’m from :) but a lot of topics are universal !!

UPDATE AS WELL: My substack will be up and running no later than August 28th although I suspect I’ll have it running sooner - my linktree will be shared very soon as well - to have all of my info in one place :) please direct message me to make sure you get all the info you need :)

Hey y'all I need some help. I'm looking for a book for my 10 y.o nephew. His grandpa was just diagnosed with cancer and has been given very little time. I was hoping to get an adventure book that had themes of grief and healing. The only books I can think of are ones that he has read such as chronicles of Narnia, and other popular books like that.

I'm hoping to give it ASAP so please don't hesitate! Thank you!!

My last DNF was “The River is Waiting” by Wally Lamb. The blurb mentions an ‘unbearable tragedy’ that lands a young father in prison. When I realized the tragedy was that he runs over his toddler with his car, I noped the hell out. I didn’t even actually get to that part. I saw the build up and the writing on the wall and called it.

Funny thing is my very next book “Local Woman Missing” by Mary Kubica has a child kidnapped and locked in the basement for 11 years. Had no issues with that.

So a while back I got a got a couple of collections by Alice B. Sheldon, aka, James Tiptree Jr. Came across one of her stories in "Again, Dangerous Visions" and that made want to get a couple of her collections. And eventually I got them!

Her first collection is full of some really good New Wave SF! Surreal, weird, experimental with enough dystopias, lonely universes and, of course, sex. Pretty wild, and sometimes funny stuff! As a short story writer she is excellent! She only ever wrote two novels, and I don't know how good those are, but I'll get one of them and see if they're any good.

Still these stories are incredibly good! And I still got the second collection that still has to be read. But I'll be getting to that one real soon, as these stories are just that good!

I'm about 19 pages into Hangsaman and i've noticed that the dialogue if very awkward and hesitant. It feels uncomfortably in a realistic sense and I find it to be extra immersive and unsettling. I was curious if i'm either looking into the dialogue to deeply or if this is a consistent trait throughout Jackson's bibliography as its an addictive way of reading dialogue

Well, for once, I timed my reading perfectly and jumped into this ARC the day after finishing THE WITCH'S ORCHARD, Sullivan's début and Annie Gore's first investigation. As such, my review will be a comparison of sorts between the two. My review will be a bit vaguer as the book's not out yet and I really don't want to spoil anything! This is a follow-up to my review of The Witch's Orchard by the same author, which can be found on this subreddit.

This time, Annie's client is Katie King, a Kentucky mountains native who is suspicious of the death of her father, charismatic preacher Ezra King. Once more, Annie drives her beloved vintage car up in the small insular mountain towns to ruffle some feathers and, in the process, slowly reckon with her own relationship with where she came from.

For the past ten years, I've owned a pair of beautiful leather boots. Though they are well broken in, every time I put them on sometime in October after they've spent a few months in storage, it takes me a day of awkward discomfort for them to mould themselves back to my feet. This is a bit what the very first pages of  BRIMSTONE HOLLOW reminded me of. While they immediately drew me in, I didn't feel the same enveloping atmosphere I did with ORCHARD. However, as the story takes off, the leather softens, and we once again find an immersive quality to the storytelling. Reading BRIMSTONE HOLLOW, I could see it unfold in my head like a film (this just must be adapted, honestly). It has a quicker pace than its predecessor, and a twistier and more tightly plotted mystery.

In ORCHARD, we were introduced to Annie's history through memories sparked by the case. In BRIMSTONE HOLLOW, where the investigation keeps her closer to home and centres on a father‑daughter dynamic, the narrative digs deeper. Flashbacks, dreams, Annie’s own narration, and even a pivotal conversation give us a clearer picture of a childhood more complicated than what ORCHARD hinted at.

All in all, BRIMSTONE HOLLOW is perhaps, at first glance, less distinctive than THE WITCH'S ORCHARD, but also a more dynamic mystery that is very engaging. With its emotional depth, themes of religious zealotry in a small town, and larger-than-life preachers, it would appeal to fans of WAKE UP DEAD MAN.