There’s something about an Easter morning walk that feels like a reset. Quiet, reflective, a little slower than usual.

This week’s reading mirrored that in a strange way: stories about power, identity, survival, and the ways women have always had to navigate systems not built for them.

Some worked for me. Some didn’t. But all of them gave me something to sit with.

👑 The Beheading Game

Rating: 3.5 stars

Vibe: historical revenge fantasy meets literary reimagining with a hint of magic that never fully takes center stage.

The story opens exactly where you want it to: Anne Boleyn waking up after her execution, her head literally separated from her body, discarded and forgotten.

She sews her head back on (yes, truly), escapes the Tower, and sets out to kill Henry VIII before he can remarry because if Jane Seymour produces a male heir, Elizabeth loses everything.

There’s so much potential here:

• revenge-driven narrative

• exploration of class (Anne moving through London disguised as a commoner)

• unexpected relationships (including a prostitute companion)

• Arthurian legend woven into Tudor history

But the execution leans heavily into Anne’s past: her court life, her rise, her downfall.

Which means the actual “what if” premise (the revenge, the magic, the reimagining) feels like a thread rather than the backbone.

Final thought:
This is for readers who want a grounded, historical Anne with light speculative elements) not a full fantasy revenge arc.

🐫 Daughter of Egypt

Rating: 4 stars

Vibe: sweeping historical fiction with academic intrigue, dual timelines, and deeply feminist undercurrents.

This book moves between:

*1920s Egypt: the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, through the eyes of Lady Evelyn Herbert

*Ancient Egypt: the reign of Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh nearly erased from history

What makes this work so well is the mirroring.

Evelyn is navigating a male-dominated field, constantly underestimated in archaeology, while Hatshepsut, centuries earlier, wielded immense power but still had to justify her right to rule.

The themes hit hard:

• who gets credit for discovery

• who controls history

• what happens when women’s stories are intentionally erased

And layered on top of that is Egyptomania, colonial tension, and the question of who artifacts truly belong to.

Final thought:
This is historical fiction that feels both educational and emotional, the kind that lingers after you finish.

👾 The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook

(Dungeon Crawler Carl #3)

Rating: 5 stars

Vibe: chaotic, high-stakes sci-fi/fantasy with humor, heart, and absolute narrative insanity.

This installment throws Carl and Donut into:

• a reality-warping subway system (The Iron Tangle)

• shifting physics (up is down, near is far)

• increasingly dangerous dungeon levels

• and a larger, coordinated crawler alliance

What surprised me most here was character depth.

Carl is evolving in ways that feel earned (less reactive, more strategic), and it adds emotional weight to the chaos.

And Donut? Still iconic. Still carrying.

There’s also a twist tied to the larger system/game mechanics that completely reframes things, and it’s one of those moments where you immediately want to talk to someone about it.

Final thought:
This series continues to balance absurd humor with real stakes, and the audiobook narration makes it an entirely different experience.

💍 The Fourth Wife

Rating: 3.5 stars

Vibe: gothic horror rooted in real history, layered with psychological tension and religious control.

Hazel is forced into becoming the fourth wife in a polygamous Mormon marriage, and instead of separate households, all wives live together in one decaying manor.

And from the moment she arrives, something is wrong.

• the house feels alive

• there are whispers, visions, blood seeping into walls

• resentment simmers between the wives

• and her husband’s kindness feels… complicated

What elevates this is how personal it feels.

The author’s connection to Mormon history and polygamy is woven into the story in a way that adds authenticity, especially in the emotional and psychological dynamics between the women.

Final thought:
This isn’t just a haunted house story; it’s about control, autonomy, and the quiet horror of being trapped in a life you didn’t choose.

🗡️ The Bloody and the Damned

Rating: 4.25 stars

Vibe: gritty YA dystopian fantasy with religious hierarchy, survival stakes, and a morally gray assassin.

Set on a metal world where:

• the elite live in the sky

• everyone else fights for water below

• and power is tied to religion and control

We follow Val, an assassin with illegal teleportation abilities, known as The Butcher.

When their sisters are kidnapped, the story becomes a high-stakes mission that pulls them through:

• prison transports

• gang-controlled territories

• and deeper conspiracies about the world itself

What I loved:

• brutal, unapologetic FMC

• minimal romance (finally)

• strong pacing for a standalone

Where it lost me:
The ending introduces big revelations, but doesn’t fully ground them. I finished feeling more confused than satisfied.

Final thought:
If you love fast-paced dystopian with edge and attitude, this works. Just go in knowing the ending might feel rushed.

🍝 La Dolce Veto

Rating: 4 stars

Vibe: sun-soaked, escapist romance with political undertones and small-town charm.

Izzy, a disgraced congresswoman, flees to an Italian village after a scandal tanks her career.

What she finds:

• a tight-knit community

• a political conflict over development

• a grumpy (but compelling) mayor

• and a second chance at redefining her life

This balances:

• romance (banter + slow burn + light spice)

• commentary on women in politics

• found community

Without ever feeling heavy-handed.

Final thought:
This is the kind of book you read in one sitting, preferably outside, preferably with carbs.

🌿 After the Walk

This week reminded me how much I value:

• strong atmosphere

• intentional character growth

• and endings that stick the landing

Not every book gave me everything, but the variety? The range? The conversations they sparked?

That’s why I read the way I do.

If you came from Instagram: this is what I mean when I say Bindery is my full book journal. These are the thoughts that don’t fit into 60 seconds reel.

And I’m really glad you’re here 🤍