On Loving My Partner

December 14, 2025December 14, 2025 Kara Jorgensen2 Comments

It’s a really bizarre contrast to see conservatives repeatedly attacking trans people as my partner transitions. If you don’t know, my partner and I have been together for twenty years, and together, we have grown as people while growing closer. She was very accepting and encouraging when I came out as nonbinary, and when she started exploring her gender a year or two ago, I wondered if she might also be trans. Over the course of many months, she started wearing leggings and non-masculine clothing, and near the end of 2024, she came to the realization that she was a trans woman and her transition journey began in earnest.

I have always suspected my partner was queer. She gave off major queer-coded Disney villain energy, and while she agreed she was probably demisexual, that’s where the queerness ended in her mind. She gravitated toward queer and trans people and never embodied the typical cis dude attitude or aversion to color or feminine clothing. Selfishly, I had assumed this was my f gender attitude running off on her. The more we talked about gender stuff, the more I side-eyed things she said because they were very egg-like (an egg is a trans person who doesn’t yet realize they’re trans).

“I wish I had been born a girl.”

“I don’t think I actually liked [girl from middle school]. I think I just wanted to be here.”

“I make all my characters girls, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

If you know anything about eggs, you need to let them come out of the shell on their own or with very gentle help. I waited, I listened, I suggested things she might like, and when she came out as a trans woman, it felt more like a natural progression rather than some mind-blowing revelation.

My partner has started her transition against the background of the second Trump administration. Conservatives (and some dems) have thrown transgender people under the bus, and England has done its damnedest to make trans peoples’ lives miserable. Meanwhile, I’ve watched my partner become a happier person with every passing day, and I’m more convinced than ever that hormone replacement therapy is a miracle drug. Within a week of starting estrogen and a testosterone blocker, her skin started getting softer. Other changes came rapidly, and with each one, there was a new spark of joy.

She got bras, she got a purse, she got a new coat and boots, we used a laser to remove her facial hair (a work in progress), and slowly, she started presenting even more femme before she came out to my mom and family. She was understandably nervous to tell other people, but when she did, my mom immediately started using her new name and pronouns. My partner came out to the rest of my family right before Thanksgiving, and it went well. Ever since she came out, a weight has been lifted from her. The new hormones had already bolstered her mood and chipped away at the self-loathing, but coming out freed her.

Every day I watch someone I have known for the majority of my life change and grow in ways I never thought possible. She has somehow become more herself while becoming someone new, and I am honored that I’m able to be a part of it.

I often think of the spouses or parents who treated their trans loved ones as if they died or betrayed them, and I can’t imagine that. The sheer joy rolling off my partner as she tries new things and feels more herself makes it more than clear that this is the best decision she could have made. Doing something new is scary, and more than anything, I’m proud of her for making the leap and choosing to love herself and embrace the person she was always meant to be.

I used to joke that I’m a wife guy, and now, I truly am.

10 Reasons to Read The Reanimator’s Fate

December 7, 2025December 7, 2025 Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

Now that we are less than two months away from the release of The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4), I wanted to give you a few reasons why you should read it (or look forward to it):

Community– this book has a lot of focus on community, the importance of it, the different ways we are in community with each other in small spaces and the world at large.
Cursed objects– while there aren’t any haunted dolls or cursed gems stolen during colonization, there is some new magic in the way of curses, an antiquated method of magic that packs a punch.
Books, libraries, words– last book was very textile heavy, and this book is definitely more focused on the impact of books and words and the way we contain and share knowledge.
The origins of the Paranormal Society– we finally get some more background about how the Paranormal Society came to be and how it functions as a supernatural entity. It’s a little weird.
A look to the future– this story is very much about how we impact the world around us on a micro and macro level, so with fate being involved, there’s a lot of talk about Oliver, Felipe, and Gwen’s futures.
Growing some spines– as the cover may suggest, Oliver and Felipe both grow a spine and stand up to some people, real or imagined, in order to become someone new.
Felipe confronts some inner demons– this was definitely hinted at in book 3, but Felipe is facing down more of his inner demons and finally taking them on.
Prophecies– the prophecy from “An Unexpected Evening” rears its head. If you haven’t read that short story yet, I highly recommend doing so, especially since it’s free!
Oliver gets to tell people off– I don’t know about everyone else, but I really enjoy when Oliver finally snaps and goes off on people who deserve it. In this book, we have more than Oliver pops-off incident. Conversely, he also does a lot of heavy lifting for Felipe emotionally in this book, which feels like a good balance.
This is the final novel in the Reanimator Mysteries series– while there will be a short story collection with all of the in-between stories and several brand new ones, The Reanimator’s Fate is the last big story I have planned for Oliver and Felipe, so I hope you will come and see them off.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, I hope you’ll preorder The Reanimator’s Fate, coming out on January 29th. You can get it all major retailers, and the paperback will be out in January.

Or start the series with The Reanimator’s Heart in ebook, audiobook, or paperback (and in library systems).

Monthly Review

November 2025 Wrap-Up Post

November 30, 2025November 30, 2025 Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

November has been one of those weirdly pleasant months where I start to question whether I haven’t been paying attention or if it was actually good. In the US, it feels like the tide is starting to turn, which has bolstered my spirits, and the holidays are approaching rapidly (for better or worse). Here were my goals for November:

Write 25,000 words
Reread and edit act 2
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my newsletter
Cover reveal (hopefully)
Keep up with grading
Finish Christmas shopping

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8.

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a quirky tale of goblins in the midst of an endless war against humans and elves who get transported into the middle of enemy territory only to run into a veterinarian elf and a mass murdering human.
Network Effect (#5) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, since this is the middle of the Murder Bot Diaries series, I won’t give too much away, but I absolutely love Murderbot. They are the autistic robot I love the most, and in this volume, he is forced to fight for the people he loves, grapple with his own feelings, but have no fear because ART is back!
Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher- 5 stars, a tale of desert folklore where a woman runs away from her old life only to quickly become a member of a small town inhabited by oddballs, demi gods, and desert spirits who are willing to kill for what they want.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish- 4 stars, The Holiday but gay. A Jewish woman from a small town swaps houses with a man from New Orleans who found out his boyfriend had a secret family. They find out their lives could be so much richer if they can get out of their bubble and yearn for more. Absolutely loved it.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher- 5 stars, a princess turned convent-dweller turned woman on a mission gathers a group of unlikely heroes, including a demonic chicken and a bone dog, to save her sister and her kingdom. I really love T. Kingfisher’s books, and this one was my favorite I read this month of hers.
Lovers at the Museum by Isabel Allende- 3 stars, someone recommended this to me, and while it had an air of magical realism x Piranesi, I found it a little heavy handed for my taste.
The Long Game (#4) by Ann Leckie- 4 stars, a very weird short story about an alien slug (?) who is trying to extend his life and better the lives of his people while dealing with the large and complex world of humans.
Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach (#5) by Nnedi Okorafor- 4 stars, a short story about seven people who leave earth for 10 years in order to get millions of dollars and bond with a genetically engineered spaceship. Intriguing and weird but with surprising depth for such a small package.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

Wrote a lot
Edited all of Act 1 again
Edited all of Act 2 part 1 again
Stayed on top of grading
Ran a sale/book bundle
My partner came out to my mom and extended family
Finished my Christmas shopping
Started working on my 2026 goals
Voted in my state’s gubernatorial election (dems won, yay!)
Had to pay for my meds out of pocket (boo)

Blog

Writing

This month went oddly smoothly with my writing. I feel like I hit my stride with my energy levels until the very end of the month when I mildly crashed a bit around Thanksgiving. I am trying to listen to my body and back off when necessary. I decided to do some editing instead, and I am pleased to report that the beginning of the book is in surprisingly good shape (yay). I’m really hoping that this trend of smooth writing continues into December, so I can wrap this book up without too much chaos. Wish me luck in that regard, but at least the semester is ending soon.

Hopes for December

Finish writing the book
Edit Act 2 part 2
Read 8 books
Send out newsletter
Wrap presents
Blog weekly
Post grades/finish grading
Set up Q1 and 2026 goals

the reanimator's fate · Writing

The Reanimator’s Fate Cover Reveal

November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Today is the day we have all been waiting for, the cover reveal for The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4). Crowglass Design has outdone himself with the cover for The Reanimator’s Fate! The cover is *chef kiss* and captured the strain the boys are under in the final installment of the Reanimator Mysteries series.

If you haven’t read book one, you can start the series in ebook, audiobook, or paperback, or you can grab book 2 or book 3 in any of those formats. I also have a sale going exclusively on Itch.io where you can get each ebook for $1.99 until the end of November.

The Reanimator’s Fate is the fourth book in the Reanimator Mysteries series and will be out January 29th, 2026. You can preorder the ebook now at all major retailers, and the paperback will be available in January closer to release day.

Check out the cover, current content warnings, blurb, and preorder link below:

An autistic necromancer, his undead love, and a future in peril

The Paranormal Society has been Oliver’s home for over a decade, yet he still isn’t sure where he fits. At Gwen’s suggestion, Oliver joins the mutual aid committee, but between misunderstandings, sabotage, and a life-changing proposition, Oliver once again fears he is out of his depth. At least there’s one thing he can count on: Felipe and the cases they solve together.

Felipe has always been the one everyone can depend on, but after years of bloodshed, fighting, and death, the cracks are beginning to show. The gruesome cases that once sustained him, now fill him with dread to the point that he questions how long he can keep going before he breaks. But if he isn’t a weapon, then what good is he to anyone?

A sinister plot against magical folks is unfolding, one that threatens to destroy the Paranormal Society from the inside. Can Oliver and Felipe grow into the men they were always meant to be, or will their doubt spell their doom?

CWs include but are not limited to: Murder, descriptions of corpses/autopsies, on page sexual content, ableism against autistics, suicidal ideation, violence, blood, gore, anxiety attack, medical peril

the cover for The Reanimator's Fate by Kara Jorgensen. The background is black with purple and white accents. In the center is a book with a ribcage and spine that lines up with the book spine. Around it are suns, moons, and a dagger. On either side of the book is a man reaching desperately for the man on the other side. A tether of lines joins their chests

As much as I hate to write the last novel for Oliver and Felipe, I absolutely love the cover Crowglass Design has come up with. I think he has knocked it out of the park, and I hope you all love the book as much as I do. You can preorder it at all major retailers or add it on Goodreads. The preorder link is a universal link that will take you to Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and more.

Paperbacks will be available in January closer to release day, and the audiobook will be out in spring or early summer of 2026.

There will be a book of collected short stories for Oliver, Felipe, Gwen, and several other reader favorites coming out in late 2026 as well, so stay tuned for that!

Uncategorized

What to Buy Your ND Friends

November 16, 2025November 16, 2025 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

As we head into the holiday gift-giving season, I thought I would make a list of some cool things to buy the neurodivergent in your life. I posted about this last year on Bluesky, and a lot of people found it helpful, so I thought I might share it here.

Disclaimers: the links are affiliate links, so I get a little kickback if you buy anything. Also, every neurodivergent person in your life is different. These are base ideas, not something that will appeal to everyone. The idea is that you can take these and use them as a springboard for buying things for others or padding out the gifts you plan to get them.

Silicone plate dividers– These silicone plate dividers keep your wet food and dry food from touching. They’re dishwasher safe and come in multiple colors.
A divided cereal bowl– A divided cereal bowl keeps your cereal and your milk separate. It’s a great way to avoid soggy food. Also useful for yogurt and toppings or just having chips/dip that don’t touch.
A dip holder– I promise this is the last food related one, but keeping your wets from touching your dries is always a thing. This is a little container that clips to your plate and will hold your sauce.
A weighted blanket– This one comes in lots of cute colors and patterns. I do suggest getting a cover for your weighted blanket, so you don’t need to throw a 15 lb blanket in your washing machine (it is chaos)
A duvet cover for the weighted blanket– This is so you don’t need to throw a 15 lb blanket into the washing machine (it takes FOREVER for them to dry if you do and will make your washer and dryer shake/walk, trust me this is worth it).
A shark robe/snuggie thing– If you’re friend is trans and ND, this is a silly one but trust me on it, they’ll think it’s hilarious. Plus, being able to pull a giant hood over your head is just chef kiss
The Comfy– My partner swears by the Comfy when they’re overstimulated (and perpetually cold). It’s oversized, and you can basically crawl into it or pull the hood over your head. It’s soft, warm, no weird fabrics or irritating strings.
A moon lamp– Sometimes you just need to lay in the dark with some soft colorful lighting. This lamp has a clicker with different colors. It’s very peaceful and aesthetic, especially if they’re into space stuff.
A human-sized dog bed– Do you like floor time, but you have the back/neck of a 30+ year old? Try the human sized dog bed.
A Japanese futon/tatami mat– Same idea as the human dog bed for floor time, but it’s easier to roll up and put away. It’s also more expensive, though bigger.
Color, Taste, Texture by Matthew Broberg Moffitt– A cookbook to help with someone who has food aversions/sensitivities by helping them figure out what they can/can’t tolerate and building from there.
Loop earplugs– to lessen sound without making you completely unable to hear. They come in many colors and levels of blockage.
A hug blanket– If you aren’t a fan of weighted blankets but like compression that isn’t too hot, this is a good alternative as it’s much lighter and more like a sleeve.
A timer cube– I like them for getting past bad executive dysfunction or for telling myself, I just need to clean for 15 min, etc. Caveat: the noise is hideous, like an alarm clock.
A grocery list pad for the fridge– If you forget what you’re out of, I like to put this on the fridge with a magnetic pen, so I can mark off what we’re out of when I notice. It’s a good way to avoid a 5 soy sauce bottles situation.
Safe and Sound by Mercury Stardust- Not necessarily ND specific, but I like being able to do things on my own with clear, step-by-step written instructions and accompanying videos. The Trans Handy Ma’am’s book has been helpful with basic home repair.
Noise-cancelling headphones– because noise = overstimulation. Some are far more expensive, but these are a good basic pair. They can get SUPER pricey
Other ideas:
- Buy things relating to their special interest.
- Give them a gift card to a place they like if they don’t like surprises.
- Do not buy an experience with a date unless you’ve talked to them about it before.
- More of their [nonperishable] safe food.
- Ask them what they want. We appreciate it.

Writer Rambles · Writing

Writer Rambles #2

November 9, 2025November 9, 2025 Kara Jorgensen2 Comments

You ever get mad at yourself because something that should work actually does work, so you’re mad at yourself that you put off doing it for so long. That was me this month with using sprints and giving myself concrete writing goals. I used to do this religiously, but recently, I fell off the wagon due to life, work, stress, etc. I told myself that I didn’t need to have goals because I can just write and that’s fine.

*Narrator voice* It was indeed not fine.

I started to get very down about myself because I was struggling to write consistently above a small(ish) amount per day with plenty of work days where I did nothing at all. This led to me feeling bad about myself and internally beating myself up. As you can imagine, this is counterproductive and only makes it harder to write. Not writing makes my mental health slip and my mental health slipping makes me not want to write. It can be a vicious cycle at times. Part of what was making it hard to write and stay on track was I was focusing on a minimum while trying to shoot for a maximum that was unattainable because in my head I was always playing catch-up. “My goal is x, but as long as I shoot for y, I’m okay.” This led to me hitting the smaller goal and feeling bad that I didn’t hit the bigger one. Playing catch-up constantly is stressful as hell, and when you can’t catch up because the goal was unrealistic, it makes everything worse.

In November, I vowed to not do that. I took out my blank word count tracker, set up a monthly goal that was reasonable enough for daily writing where if I missed a day, fully or partially, I could catch up in a day or two. So far, it has been working, and I’m mad at myself for not doing it sooner last month. I wish I had taken a second, regrouped, and restarted my word count goal midway through. My absolute refusal to recalibrate was my downfall, and I’m trying to be better about it because my autistic brain does not like to change or deviate from a plan once I have it in place.

If you’re curious as to what I am using right now to track all of this, I would like to warn you that I have redundancies because I’m still figuring out what my brain prefers at this point. I have a monthly sprints tracker from Sarra Cannon’s Heartbreathing resource library that I’m using to specifically track sprints each day as well as my word count. To track my overall writing goal until I finish, I’m using Pacemaker (which lowkey stresses me out a little, so I haven’t been using it as consistently), but for my monthly goal, I’m trying out TrackBear because a friend was recommending it. It’s similar to Nanowrimo’s graphs, which I think a lot of people will like. I find it less stressful to look at than Pacemaker right now. I have no idea why, but if it works, it works.

Sprinting has also helped a lot when I’m feeling resistance about writing because it is a concise amount of time that I need to work, and after that, I can be done. Often by the time I finish, I’m less stressed and can easily keep writing. I bought a timer cube to help with this as well because I had a bad habit of pausing internet-based timers. I really hate the fact that I need to work around my brain so much, but I’m trying to be kind to myself because the outside world in the US is very stressful and feeling out of control makes my anxiety so much worse.

The lesson I would like you to take away from this that took me too long to figure out is that if something isn’t working, stop and take a step back. Figure out what you need to do to regroup, be realistic with what you are capable of, and start over. You can get back on track. You just need to be flexible and allow yourself to do so.

Monthly Review

October 2025 Wrap-Up Post

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

October has been productive yet anti-climactic. It’s been one of those months where things weren’t bad, but they weren’t particularly good either. I’ve been trying to enjoy the small things more, like the leaves changing and spending time with my partner and pets. And, of course, writing. Let’s look at my goals for October again:

Write 20,000 words
Keep up with grades
Maintain my mental health
Make a dent in Christmas shopping
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my monthly newsletter
Cover reveal??

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 11 in October.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake- 4 stars, a sapphic second chance romance between childhood sweethearts set against a Hallmark style holiday matchmaking event. Of all of Blake’s books, I think this is my favorite so far, mostly due to the complexity of the characters.
Magically Generated by Jackie Lau- 4 stars, a cynical woman and a sunshine man are neighbors in the same building, and she soon learns that not only is he jolly but that he is making ice sculptures all over the city in an unbelievable way.
Queer as Folklore by Sacha Coward- 5 stars, a nonfiction book where the origins of folktales are examined for their queer roots. I loved how this book covered a wide spectrum of creatures and groups, including but not limited to vampires, werewolves, mermaids, pirates, and more much.
A Mouthful of Dust (#6) by Nghi Vo- 5 stars, Cleric Chih reaches a town known for its pork noodles only to find a story about a past famine is far more disturbing than they bargained for. This pairs very well with Eaters of the Dead by Kevin Wetmore.
Cinder House by Freya Marske- 5 stars, a Cinderella retelling where the titular character is a ghost compelled to clean who decides to have one last hurrah as a human and accidentally finds herself in a poly relationship.
What Stalks the Deep (#3) by T. Kingfisher- 5 stars, this book reminded me so much of Jordan L. Hawk’s Widdershins books. Our sworn soldier is summoned to America to help an old friend only to face down monsters in a creepy mine.
Smell by Nagabe- 4 stars, Nagabe’s work is almost always erotic, just as a heads-up. This one is two dogs with a smell kink. Yes, it’s weird. Yes, I still enjoyed it.
The Moon on a Rainy Night (#7) by Kuzushiro- 4 stars, this is a sapphic YA series featuring a hard of hearing character. The girls finally get to put on their chorus performance and work at a maid cafe at school. It’s a very cute episode where we get to see them shine and support each other.
Lore Olympus (#9) by Rachel Smythe- 4 stars, Persephone’s trial is over, and she and Hades are trying to start their life together, only Demeter is once again making things difficult.
The Ancient Magus’s Bride (#21) by Kore Yamazaki, 4 stars, we are beginning a new arc here involving dragons. I really liked this volume as it brought back some older characters. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
My Twisted Eating Disorder by Nagata Kabi- 4 stars, Kabi’s work is autobiographical and deals with her many mental health struggles as someone with an addictive personality. I would not recommend this volume if anyone has an eating disorder as it may be triggering, but it was interesting to see inside someone’s mind as they struggle with it.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

Mostly worked on The Reanimator’s Fate
Caught up on my bookkeeping
Worked with my cover designer on the TRF cover
Worked on managing my stress better
Spent a lot of time with my partner (see bullet point above, lol)
My oldest dog had a seizure (he’s okay, but it was scary)
Voted in the NJ gubernatorial election
Pulled off a successful event at work with my students
Graded a shit ton of papers
Dealt with repairmen

Blogs

September 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Project Shop My Shelves Q3 2025 Update
Spooky Season Nonfiction to Add to Your TBR
Vote, Vote, Vote!
Sent out my newsletter

Writing

I don’t want to jinx it, but writing went well in October. I managed to untangle an issue I was having and make a chunk of The Reanimator’s Fate much more focused and less clunky than I had originally planned. I don’t want to give too much away, but I really like the arc in this book, especially the emotional one. Poor Felipe is going through it, as is Oliver. It’s going to be a rough one for the boys, but they will come out of it far stronger by the end. And Gwen also plays an important role in this story as well (since I know so many of you love Gwen like I do).

Hopes for November

Write 25,000 words
Reread and edit act 2
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my newsletter
Cover reveal (hopefully)
Keep up with grading
Finish Christmas shopping

Personal Life

Vote, Vote, Vote!

October 26, 2025October 26, 2025 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

I was not planning on writing about politics today, but as I worked on a post about the Audra Winter mess (forthcoming), I couldn’t stop thinking about the gubernatorial election that is going on in my state as we speak. If you’re in New Jersey, make sure you go out and vote, preferably Democrat/Mikie Sherrill.

Sherrill was not the person I was backing in the democratic primary over the summer. She is, at best, a mid, moderate democrat. I flipflopped back and forth between Steve Fulop and Ras Baraka up until the day I filled out my ballot, and if nothing else, this primary taught me why we need ranked choice voting in New Jersey. I think, if we had it, we would have a more progressive candidate running for governor.

At the same time, it is not the time to not vote or to vote for everyone but Sherrill. Unfortunately, some elections are meh versus an absolute horror. The republican candidate has run (and lost) repeatedly, but with each campaign, he has aligned more closely with the current president’s agenda. He is anti-queer people, anti-trans people, anti-people of color (his ads are like 99% white people), anti-choice, and his ads try to paint Sherrill as an air-headed woman, which means he is misogynistic as well, big surprise.

As someone with a working uterus (unfortunately) and a partner on HRT, I am terrified that he will be elected. Sherrill has been ahead in the polls consistently but not by that much. This is certainly not a runaway, and as someone said, “Women will vote for misogynists, but misogynists will never vote for women.” New Jersey is a decently liberal state with protections for marginalized people, BUT a lot of them are only edicts from the governor, not anything codified in state law, which would make them harder to get rid of. A republican as governor could rip those protections away within days of getting into office, and I am so worried for trans people, women, anyone that ICE could target.

I think a lot of people assume New Jersey is a thoroughly blue state, but it isn’t. We have a lot of republicans, and my own town is grossly red despite how diverse it is. Because people assume New Jersey will lean democrat no matter what, the fear is that younger people won’t go out and vote. I actually gave my students off for Election Day, so they can go vote, even though we have early voting and mail-in ballots in our state. I want there to be zero excuse for them to do their civic duty. The other reason I give them off on election day is because in past years, the anxiety level has been so high that teaching them feels pointless. Between me and them, we are ten seconds from exploding, and giving them the space to vote and decompress is more important than one lesson on writing essays.

The takeaway from this is to vote with the rights of the most marginalized person you know in mind. Who will care for the sick best? Who will protect reproductive rights if someone needs an abortion? Who will protect the undocumented people in your communities the best? Who will pushback against those who want to take your rights away? And even if they aren’t the most liberal person, who won’t stand in the way if the legislature wants to be more liberal than they are? It is worth preserving what we have and striving for better than spitefully letting things go to shit because your ideal candidate isn’t running. It sucks, but when the choices are meh and horrible, meh is the ethical choice, especially if the meh candidate probably won’t stand in the way of other people’s right to have a good life.

If you’re eligible to vote in NJ, please go vote for the democratic candidates in your area, do research on your school board candidates, and encourage others to vote as well. And if you’re in NYC, vote Mamdani (because I wish he was my governor instead of your mayor).

Book Reviews

Spooky Season Nonfiction to Add to Your TBR

October 19, 2025October 19, 2025 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Since the Reanimator Mysteries sit firmly on the morbid side of research, I have acquired and read a lot of nonfiction books that are great for the Halloween season, so I thought I would share them with you in case you need a hit of spookiness before October ends or year ’round. All links below are affiliate links, so I get a tiny kickback if you buy anything with them.

Eaters of the Dead by Kevin J. Wetmore- a fantastic look at cannibalism and man-eating creatures from ancient legends to pre-modern folklore to our pop culture creatures. Wetmore sheds light on where these creatures come from and what in our psyche makes us fear being eaten or becoming man-eaters.
Calling the Spirits by Lisa Morton- a look at seances and what we now call mediumship throughout history. While far less morbid that Eaters of the Dead, Morton does a great job of linking past to present and how the rise of women in Spiritualist communities really cemented mediumship in pop culture.
Trick or Treat by Lisa Morton- Morton is very into the spooky, apparently. This is an overview of Halloween from its ancient influences to holidays or traditions that overlap and led to our modern Halloween. It dispels some Victorian myths about Halloween and creates a clearer picture of how it came to be in the US.
The Book of Halloween by Ruth Edna Kelley- Behold the originator of many of the myths. I read this before Morton’s book, and it was interesting to learn what Kelley got wrong. This Halloween book has a lot of poetry and fun tidbits like recipes from the early 1900s. It is not historically accurate, but I think it paints of fun picture of what people thought about Halloween in the early 20th century.
A Haunted History of Invisible Women by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes- A look into how the lives of women shape ghost stories and how those ghost stories get their lives incredibly wrong. It sheds light on the lives of people often left in the margins and totally left out of their own stories after death. Hieber and Janes have a second book out America’s Most Gothic, which I haven’t read yet but am looking forward to reading soon.
Vampire Forensics by Mark Collins Jenkins- This is sort of a how to spot a vampire book. It’s very accessible and what I found particularly interesting about it is the forensics behind it. Many signs of a vampire are actually normal parts of decomposition, and that is mainly what Jenkins explores. If you want to be a vampire expert like Gwen, highly recommend it.
Ghostland by Colin Dickey- I loved this book. It’s a fascinating read about the archetypes of ghost stories and how ghost stories are akin to fairytales in America. Dickey does a great job connecting the dots when it comes to trauma, warnings, sociological upheaval, and the proliferation of ghost stories. Oh, and of course, capitalism.
Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville- This was SO GOOD. It’s a book about cemeteries and how they are a reflection of the society that created them. It goes into fascinating depth about how cemeteries in America have evolved over the centuries and where they might be going in the future. For those who think cemeteries are merely hallowed ground, Melville shows they are so much more than merely plots of land. The audiobook is stellar and great for a commute read.

Project Shop My Shelves

Project Shop My Shelves: Q3 2025 Update

October 12, 2025September 28, 2025 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Back in March, I decided that I wanted to start Project Shop My Shelves (known as PSMS going forward). The goal of PSMS is to read twice as many books per month than I buy, but there are a few sub-goals that are equally important:

Don’t buy new books unless they are from marginalized authors (indie or trad)
A 2:1 ratio of old books to newly bought books every month (or more if possible)
Read through the older books to finally get them off the TBR pile
Be realistic about my enjoyment of an author and what medium I prefer to read them
Post quarterly about my progress with this project

I figured now was as good a time as any to update my progress with this self-imposed project. TL;DR: I did better this quarter, so there is hope for me. Here are my stats for the third quarter of 2025.

Stats:

July: I bought 5 ebooks, 0 ARCs, 4 physical books, 0 audiobooks. I read 9 books, 3 of which were preexisting, 1:1 bought to read ratio.

August: I bought 7 ebooks, 0 ARCs, 2 physical books, 0 audiobooks. I read 8 books, 1 of which was preexisting, 9:8 bought to read ratio.

September: I bought 4 ebooks, 0 ARCs, 5 physical books, 0 audiobooks. I read 8 books, 4 of which were preexisting, 9:8 bought to read ratio.

Not going to lie, my ratio for July would have looked MUCH worse had I counted all the books I received for my birthday as part of my purchases. I decided not to lump them into it because I didn’t buy them and couldn’t control how many I received. I mention it because I did talk about it at the end of Q2 and debated how I would count them.

Buying Books: A Breakdown

The theme of my book buying this quarter was queer and neurodivergent with a side of nonfiction. Since I’ve been hard at work on The Reanimator’s Fate, a good chunk of my purchases have been nonfiction books related to research for book 4. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole in regards to antique books, book collecting, etc. The flipside of this is that I have been loving the Murderbot books, so I bought the first six books in the series. Oops, sorry not sorry with those. July’s purchases were graphic novel heavy since several series I enjoy released new volumes that month, and of course, I bought and read them.

I tried very hard this quarter to be more mindful about what I was buying. Most of the ebooks I bought were on sale for a very good price and were books I have wanted to read or by authors I enjoy. I am trying not to get ahead of myself and buy a whole series without having read book one yet, especially if it’s by a new to me author. It’s hard sometimes to not get excited about books that sound cool or buy a whole series to support a friend. Balancing being supportive of creators I’m friends with or who are marginalized with mindless consumerism isn’t always easy for me because I know how important sales are to continuing peoples’ careers.

Reading Books: A Breakdown

My reading this quarter was heavily skewed toward a handful of authors: Martha Wells (6), Veronica Roth (3), Elizabeth Lim (3), and T. Kingfisher gets an honorable mention with 2 books read. I have been in a bit of a reading slump due to feeling mildly fried by the world and writing, so I have been gravitating toward any book that catches my interest. Unfortunately, that often meant the brand new books I just bought, like the MurderBot books and Veronica Roth’s short stories/novellas. Part of this challenge is reading the books I own rather than books I recently bought, and while I have been doing this, it hasn’t been on the forefront of my mind. Elizabeth Lim’s books do meet this criteria as they have been sitting on my TBR for over a year (oops). If you’ve ever been in a book slump, you know how fickle your reading habits can be and how hard it can be to get through books that just aren’t doing it for you at the moment.

Quarter 4 Goals/Outlook

I’m hoping to keep my buy to read ratio for Q4 at 1:1 or better. October is a month where I have quite a few preorders coming up for graphic novels and manga I enjoy. On one hand, ahhhh purchases. On the other, I tend to read them immediately, which helps keep that ratio low. The rest of the year looks pretty empty in terms of preorders because I tend to scale back on my spending before the Christmas holidays. Much like my birthday, I don’t plan to count books given to me at Christmas as part of my purchases because I can’t control the volume of books I receive. In Q4, I am hoping that I will get over my book slump and read more than I have been. Usually, my workload peaks in November, and everything eases up after that. My hope is that will help make it easier to read without feeling like pulling teeth. I’m also planning to set aside purposeful time each day for reading because once I start, it feels less onerous and does refill my well. It’s amazing how reading helps, but my brain makes it so hard to start due to being fried. I’d love to know the psychology behind that. Because I don’t have a giant stack of preorders coming, this will also force me to read books I already own (hopefully). If you follow on me on social media, you may have seen me restock my TBR coffin, and I plan to use that to help me knock my TBR down a bit.