To be seen for the passion I put into what I do is so powerful and special. Humbled and honored to know Kristina and have the opportunity to read and review her landmark work this year 💜. Go find yourselves in the list, friends!

Hi BS community, I’m a humble book reviewer looking for some help 💜. Please share around if possible!

Attempting to get out of this awful writing hole I’ve been in by starting a new review for the first time in…months? Anyway, what better way than to focus on these two powerhouses? @taylorlgrothe.bsky.social @sagapressbooks.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

Another favorite for the year! Where some pregnancy horror novels have been afraid to go all the way in their critiques of the practice, White uses his adult debut to go straight for the jugular in delivering one of the most genuinely horrifying and brutal books I’ve read this year. (1/2)

For anyone who loves the 2006 remake 💜☺️

Came home last night to some awesome bookmail. Thank you to @thesuiway.bsky.social and @erewhonbooks.bsky.social for sending along this ARC of a tile I’m IMMENSELY excited for in the beginning of 2026. So pumped to dive into these pages.

Hilarious, astonishing, manic, clever, and 410% All Natual Chapman… @claymcleod.bsky.social knocks it out of the park yet again with a collection of tantalizing and poisonous appetites, brewed to test your imagination just as much as your tummy. (1/2)

Right now I need Derek Bloom, drummer of From First to Last on the 2004 album “Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount,” to perform his double-bass pedal performance on “Note to Self” on my back. Please.

I’m trying something new with reviews, just sent two authors some interview questions (with their blessing ofc), and I think I may do that from time to time, to allow the author’s voice in the review process. Who wants to get whacky questions from this gal????

I’m just seeing this and am in tears. Chuck is such a lightning bottle of a human being and to engage with his work is such a privilege and honor. And to those who sweetly commented, thank you 😭. Thank you for all you do, buckaroo 💜.

If anyone may be able to help a writer out, I will be eternally grateful 💜. Things have been hard, but I’ll be damned if that takes me down. Share this around if you can!

Howdy writer friends. I’ve been looking to see if anyone might be interested in taking a look at some of my early sketches from the fiction project, or even the short story I had published, just to get more eyes on it! If anyone happens to be interested, please let me know 💜.

Any folk horror fans out there who have read Eleanor Scott? I finally dove into the “Randall’s Round” collection and it’s an unnerving piece of folk horror history, but also serves to show how many modern movies owe to her dark dreams. Combine two of these stories and you essentially have Midsommar.

Wedding stunning for Diana and Andrew’s wedding!! (This was a moment of joy where I wasn’t crying from not being at StokerCon 😭😭🤣🤣)

Who would have thought research for the book would turn into reading an entire series by @jamesthefourth.bsky.social but here we are! I’m not sure I’d ever be able to thank the man enough for The Department of Truth.

I’ve never put stickers on a notebook before so this is new for me haha.

Pretty sure this awful moment in my life is going to spawn some…fascinating speculative poetry. Potentially.

Y’all, this review of @rachelharrison.bsky.social ‘s Play Nice is going to be the death of me. If that’s any indication for you about how excellent this book is…then I’m doing my job correctly.

Showed the roomies May (2002) tonight and I just realized we NEED a modern re-imagining with a trans girl as the lead. Like…yesterday.

I feel like every time I read V for Vendetta I get something different from it. While the graphic novel goes places politically that the movie obviously did not, it’s such a glaring piece of speculative fiction and if only people can see where we are and connect those dots.

I finally got to see Caveat after having watched and adored Oddity. Alright, I am a Damian McCarthy fangirl.

I recently returned to Substack for my review posts, so here are some of the recent ones, plus a brand new one! Head to my bio to read about some amazing books!

Oh my god, @natcassidy.bsky.social IS THAT YOU?????

I’d like to think my younger self would be over the moon to know her future self has become a full-blown, obsessive, pseudo-scholar of all things horror. Strap in, you spooky bitch, your time will come 🤣🤣🤣.

So far this year, @rebelsam94.bsky.social has definitely tested my limits of fear and discomfort with his story, “Allison’s Face” from the upcoming The Poorly Made collection. I hadn’t felt the way I did reading that story since listening to “Mr. Strings” on the NoSleep podcast.

There’s something really fun about diving into a new @rebelsam94.bsky.social book and remembering what it feels like to lose your mind after the first time. If you’re about 60% of the way through and NOT questioning your humanity? Are you even reading the book?? 🤣

I hadn’t posted it here, but I finally finished up my list of the 100 books I loved from 2024, featuring many of the fine folks here on bluesky. I would love if you gave it a read! And maybe subscribe? 🥹🥹 vi-the-librarian-reviews-musings-everything-books.ghost.io/my-100-favor...

I couldn’t think of a better guide through one of our greatest poets’ early work than Danez Smith 💜.

Send help. Pls.

The fact that Sade’s first song in fourteen years is on a compilation celebrating trans lives makes me so incredibly happy I can’t fully express it.

It’s going to be a gay ole time 😎😈.

@rachelharrison.bsky.social loves my short story and now I’m going to be really annoying about that.

@sadiehartmann.bsky.social YOU’RE IN A PHILLY FREE LIBRARY!!!!

@natcassidy.bsky.social I guess they let anyone into libraries these days, huh?

Sometimes I’m really funny.

Someday the books will get written. Someday 😭😭.

My partner got me a laptop case so I could finally put many of the stickers I’ve accrued from loves, bands, and bookish friends alike 💜. Spy @raewilde.bsky.social @clashbooks.bsky.social @tenebrouspress.bsky.social and CJ Leede, especially!

I filmed a long vid on Insta + TT celebrating 2024 horror books by transmasc authors. Please consider picking these up or spreading the word. I find transmasc authors are seldom included in LGBTQ+ round-ups or are oft-overlooked in discussions of identity in horror. These are worthy of your time.

Since I’m receiving new follows and such, I wanted to put up my Linktree here so you can follow my reviews and other goodies! linktr.ee/violetjamesm...

The time’s likely come for me to transfer over to here, honestly. Hi beloveds 💜.

So because the UK sometimes does book covers way better than us yanks, I took the advice of @katrinacarruth.bsky.social and bought two of my favorites from this year, as well as the stunning version of Kelly Link’s newest, which I have yet to read!