I am a reluctant horror fan. I’ve been a scaredy cat my whole life, with horror movies giving me nightmares for weeks. And yet, some of my favourite people love horror. So, I keep dipping my toe in the genre, despite the risks. I started by incorporating some queer horror reads around Halloween, and I was surprised to find a few I loved. Over the years, that has turned into a month-long horror reading marathon in October. Now, it’s spilling into the rest of the year, too. What can I say?: there’s nothing like a sapphic gothic novel.

At this point, I’m forced to admit that horror is one of my top genres—in fact, the majority of my most anticipated releases are horror or horror-adjacent. Here are three sapphic horror novels out in 2026 on my TBR, from a dark necromantic fantasy to a historical boarding school gothic to a YA Faustian bargain.

All Access members, read on for my most anticipated sapphic horror novels of 2026.

November 8, 2025 – February 1, 2026

December 6, 2025 – February 14, 2026

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

Community Aid Network MN Book Drive

If you’re looking for additional ways to support people in MN who are dealing with ICE making their communities unsafe, the Community Aid Network MN, which supports families in need of donated items, is running a book drive. They’re working with local schools to distribute books to kids staying at home, and they’re mostly in need of Spanish titles for ages 0-11. Find out how to donate here.

An Update On the FOURTH WING Adaptation

Michael B. Jordan, whose production company is set to produce the adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s bestselling Empyrean series for television, announced an update about the TV series, which was first announced in October 2023. Jordan said:

“We are making sure that this is going to be a[n] exciting show that delivers on all of the things the fans want and some of the things that they won’t be expecting either,” Jordan explained. “But trust me, I know how beloved this franchise IP is and we’re diligently… We’re in the lab, we’re cooking up. We got it. It’s coming. It’s early stages, but I feel how much people care about this one. It’s not lost on us.”

Yarros, who’s serving as an executive producer, has also expressed happiness about the scripts she’s read so far. Exciting news for fans, but perhaps not as exciting as getting a premiere date.

Lord Byron’s bisexuality is well known—but Byron’s archive still has the power to surprise us with new evidence about this part of his private life. Here are the first full English translations of eight letters written to Byron by his boyfriend Nicolas Giraud, with whom Byron had a not-so-secret relationship in Athens in 1810 through 1811. Giraud’s letters have not been published in full before, partly because they are difficult to decipher—they are written in misspelled and ungrammatical Italian, English, and an antiquated Greek script—and partly because they trouble Byron’s legend as a great lover of women.

As a teenager and young adult, Byron had several “unequal friendships,” as his associates dismissively called them, with other male youths. Written in the messy aftermath of the only such “friendship” that was unquestionably a sexual relationship, Giraud’s letters disclose the serious, romantic valences of Byron’s same-sex intimacies. They also reveal Byron’s private struggles during his years of fame. While performing the role of the straight heartthrob in public, Byron was concealing his more complex history—no matter the sacrifice to his feelings.

Their relationship began after twenty-one-year-old Byron fled England for a Grand Tour of the Mediterranean, escaping crushing debts and a pregnant maidservant. In Athens, Byron befriended a painter who was helping Lord Elgin remove the Parthenon marbles—a theft that Byron deplored. Still, the painter introduced Byron to Nicolas Giraud, his fifteen-year-old relative.

Another week, another round-up of library news. This week, I have library legislation updates and small actions you can take to help defend the right to read in 2026. Let’s jump in.

Maine Library Commission Rescinds Request For Paid Directors

The Maine Library Commission has rescinded its proposal that all state public libraries have paid directors and minimum hours to continue receiving access to all library services. This was something I discussed in a previous post, where I recognized that this would have a drastic impact on rural libraries; however, the thought of running a library without a paid director was mind-boggling. I hope everyone finds a better way forward.

Security Grants for Illinois Libraries

“Amid an alarming increase in threats of violence to libraries and librarians across Illinois, the Secretary of State’s office can now issue security grants for libraries throughout the state, ensuring their ability to provide a safe environment for patrons, employees and the community.” This is fantastic, and once again, I have to give a lot of kudos to our Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias, for his support of library workers. I used to work at a library that had very minimal security measures due to budget constraints, and I hope this is something they can take advantage of.

New York Governor Vetoes Right to Read Bill

Democratic New York governor Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have combatted censorship and book banning in school libraries, saying that the bill would do more “to confuse than clarify” the obligations of school librarians. She also noted that school librarians already have a large degree of control over their collections. While that may be true, I don’t understand why anyone would think vetoing this bill is a productive strategy. But that’s probably why I work in libraries and not in politics.

Defend the Right to Read In 2026

This has been making the rounds all over the internet, but make sure you read Kelly Jensen’s list of 60+ small tasks you can do this year to help defend the right to read. Even when everything feels overwhelming and hopeless, you can still have a measurable impact in your community. Pick a task and start today!

If you want me to read a thriller, tell me it’s got a long-held family secret. Tell me someone is living a lie. I will perk right up. These are the thrillers for nosy people, so if you’re nosy like me, pull up a seat. The more generations a secret can persist, the more dangerous it is and the more devastating it’s going to be when that secret finally comes to light. Those are also the secrets that more people will go to extremes to keep.

Part of why I love thrillers with secrets and lies is that they are only somewhat exaggerated versions of things that happen in real life. I can name multiple people I know whose lives were disrupted entirely by the results of a mail-order DNA analysis. Shakespeare really knew what he was talking about when he said, “The truth will out.”

I’ve picked a really snappy group of thrillers for you, but it’s not all family secrets. Sometimes academics uncover the carefully held secrets of their research subjects. Other times, people need to figure out what’s really going on at their workplaces or college campuses. But if you love an explosive truth, you’re sure to find something among these books that will intrigue you and keep you turning pages until late in the night.

I’m picky about my nonfiction reading; I prefer nonfiction books that feature somewhat unique subject matter, and if possible, will complement what I write about in my own fiction. It doesn’t have to be strictly research. There has to be a connection, however broad or vague, to what I’m writing about in some shape or form.

Bogs have always fascinated me. I grew up near Volo Bog in northwest Illinois, and I find its structure and environmental impact awe-inspiring. Additionally, there is something creepy about bogs, especially when it comes to how bodies decompose (or don’t decompose) in them. It seems I’m not the only one, either, having seen the number of bog-related fiction books being publishing lately. There’s even a term called “Bog Gothic” in literature, which is a fascinating literary subject to wade into.

To understand bogs and thereby be able to utilize them in fiction, one must have a sense of what bogs are and how important they are to the environment (and they are very important). This is what led me to Annie Proulx’s masterful Fen, Bog & Swamp.

All Access members, your exclusive content begins below.

Have you ever read a story and wished it were even scarier? Or read a classic where you wanted to dive deeper into the dark shadows hidden in the corners? Then you probably love a good horror retelling.

There are some genuinely great horror retellings coming out this year that you should consider preordering and/or adding to your library hold list. And never fear about waiting. You’re going to be treated to a couple of recommendations for books you can pick up right now.