Hey hey, Sickos! The November poll for the History Sickos Book Clubs will be live later today, and I'm going full dictator mode for the Fiction Sickos for reasons I will explain in a moment. You can go vote on the History poll in the appropriate Discord channels (scroll down #history-vote). The poll will run for 72 hours so get your vote in ASAP.

If you're not seeing the book club channels, make sure you've linked your Bindery subscription to Discord via the Account Settings page. Those vote/discussion channels unlock at the Sicko plus paid tiers, so if you're a "Follower", you'll need to upgrade. Along with the book club forums you also get access to a ton of other channels for various genres, book recommendation requests, movies/TV, buddy reads and much more.

DEAR LEADERS' FICTION BOOK CLUB PICK

There's an author who has been so generous with their time with me and it's time for me to do 'em a solid. If you've seen the finished copy of the A Complement of Scoundrels paperback (and if you haven't, wtf), you possibly noticed the blurb from John Gwynne on the cover. It's obviously a huge score to have such a respected author like Papa Gwynne call your imprint's first novel "beautifully constructed" on the cover. On top of that, I really want to read this new doggone book of his, so in November we are reading...

THE WOLVES OF WAR by JOHN GWYNNE (WOLFHEART CHRONICLES #1)

Here's the summary for it:

The Clans once lived freely, honouring their gods and traditions. Then the northern invaders unleashed a tide of blood and fire. Now the Clans are a conquered people.
Ivan cares not for wars or kings. His only concern is the safety of his family, especially his daughter Halia, whom he would protect with his life. Halia has been trapped in her own body since birth, yet at night she has dreams of running with wolves and speaking with fae creatures of the forest. Many believe her cursed, but Halia's awakening powers may be the only way she and her family can survive the coming storm.
For the wolves of war are stalking the horizon. Two princes have become mortal enemies, and an iron-toothed witch haunts the shadows. As mighty nations clash, Halia must master her strange magic to protect those she loves. To do so, she must accept a terrifying truth.
Sometimes, the only way through the darkness is to embrace it.

HISTORY SICKOS BOOK CLUB OPTIONS

And here are the four history book options we have to choose from this round...

Yakuza: A 400-Year History of the Japanese Underworld by Andrew Rankin

"... the first comprehensive history of the yakuza, from their emergence out of seventeenth-century samurai gang culture to the present day... Featuring a lively cast of extortionists, smugglers, hit men, and corporate crime lords, Yakuza is a fascinating tour of Japan’s sprawling mob syndicates and the cultural traditions with which they are so deeply intertwined."

River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads by Cat Jarman

An acclaimed bioarchaeologist, Catrine Jarman has used cutting-edge forensic techniques to spark her investigation into the history of the Vikings who came to rest in British soil... Told as a riveting history of the Vikings and the methods we use to understand them, this is a major reassessment of the fierce, often-mythologized voyagers of the North—and of the global medieval world as we know it.

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land... Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortizoffers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire... Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples’ history radically reframes US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative."

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Since it was first published in 2010, it has been cited in judicial decisions and has been adopted in campus-wide and community-wide reads; it helped inspire the creation of the Marshall Project and the new $100 million Art for Justice Fund; it has been the winner of numerous prizes, including the prestigious NAACP Image Award; and it has spent nearly 250 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list... Most important of all, it has spawned a whole generation of criminal justice reform activists and organizations motivated by Michelle Alexander’s unforgettable argument that “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.”

Happy voting, Sickos!

It’s time for a giveaway! HUZZAH!

A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood has had an incredible first two weeks out in the world, and a huge amount of that is because of this community. Y'all showed up for this book in a massive way, so I wanted to kick a little something back your way.

I have TWO Spotify audiobook codes for A Complement of Scoundrels to give away!

The audiobook was produced by Tantor Media and narrated by the wonderful Gabrielle Baker, and I’m very excited to get a couple copies into your ears.

To enter the giveaway, be a “Kist Reads” Follower, Sicko, Sicko+, Mega Sicko or Sicko Society member and leave a comment on this post. It can be an emoji or whatever, you know the drill by now. I’ll randomly draw two winners, with each winner receiving one Spotify audiobook code, and reach out via email if you’ve won.

Thank you again for everything you’ve done to help make the launch of our first Kist Reads book such a success. Also make sure to enter the giveaway for one code on IG when that drops later this week to increase your chances. Good luck, Sickos!

*Terms & conditions below.

No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited by law. Spotify audiobook code redemption is subject to Spotify audiobook availability in your country.

How to enter:
Open to all “Kist Reads” Bindery members, any tier (including free “Follower” members). Comment to enter. Limit 1 entry per person.

Prize:
Two (2) Spotify audiobook codes for A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood. Two winners will each receive one (1) code.

Timing:
Runs 10/6/26 - 10/10/26

Winner Selection & Notification:
Two winners will be selected at random and notified via email within 3 days of the giveaway’s end. Winners must respond within 3 days to claim their prize.

Other Details:
By entering, you agree to these rules and all applicable laws. No cash substitute. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, or misdirected entries, email delivery issues, or issues related to Spotify account eligibility or audiobook availability.

Sponsor:
Kist Reads, Sun City Center, FL
Kistreadsbooks@gmail.com

Hello, Sickos! The October polls for the History/Fiction Sickos Book Clubs are live! You can go vote on them in the appropriate Discord channels (scroll down and you'll see #fiction-vote and #history-vote). The polls run for 72 hours so you've got plenty of opportunity to bully and bribe.

If you're not seeing the channels, make sure you've linked your Bindery subscription to Discord via the Account Settings page. Those vote/discussion channels unlock at the Sicko plus paid tiers, so if you're a "Follower", you'll need to upgrade. Along with the book club forums you also get access to a ton of other channels for various genres, book recommendation requests, movies/TV, buddy reads and much more.

Back to the options... These are the 8 books across the 2 clubs that we're voting on.

FICTION SICKOS

Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Incarcerated people fight in televised gladiatorial matches for a chance at freedom.

James by Percival Everett

A reimagining of Huckleberry Finn that retells the journey down the Mississippi from the perspective of the enslaved Jim.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

A group of elite classics students at a New England college cross a line with deadly consequences in this dark academia novel.

She's a Doll by Barbara Truelove (a Bindery book from Ezeekat Press!)

After being murdered, a young woman possesses an antique doll and sets out for revenge against her killer.

HISTORY SICKOS

The Invention of Prehistory by Stefanos Geroulanos

How the modern idea of "prehistory" was created, and how theories about humanity's origins have been used to justify empire, racism, and violence.

Carthage Must by Destroyed by Richard Miles

The rise and destruction of Carthage, from its Phoenician origins and through the Punic Wars with Rome.

The Trojan War by Barry Strauss

A historian looks behind Homer's epics to ask what archaeology and ancient evidence can tell us about the real war that may have inspired the legend of Troy.

King of Kings by Scott Anderson

A narrative history of the 1978-1979 Iranian Revolution that brought down the Shah and transformed Iran.

That's it, go vote! (and make sure you've got your copy of A Complement of Scoundrels!)