literary gluttony

February came in quiet and left with a body count.

This month at Literary Gluttony, we leaned hard into chaos — the kind that simmers under polished marriages, the kind that festers in small towns, the kind that whispers through history and waits for the right woman to answer back.

Here’s everything that crossed my plate this month:

• We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter
• The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
• The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
• Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
• Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
• Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose
• The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree by India Hayford
• My Dark Romeo by Parker S. Huntington
• When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams
• The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

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The February Mood: Unhinged, Layered & Morally Flexible

If I had to bottle February’s energy, it would taste like secrets and saltwater.

Thrillers dominated the early stretch — small towns cracking at the seams, marriages built on rot, women who refuse to stay quiet when the past resurfaces. We Are All Guilty Here, Never Have I Ever, and Home Is Where the Bodies Are reminded me how much I love a story where tension creeps in slowly… and then refuses to leave.

Fantasy brought atmosphere and sharp edges. The Knight and the Moth delivered aching devotion wrapped in shadow, while The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook gave me chaos in the most unhinged, self-aware way possible. February said, “You want range?” And then handed me a sword and a dungeon.

Historical fiction threaded through the month like a haunting. When You Loved Me and The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree leaned into layered timelines and emotional echoes. The Lost Apothecary served quiet, simmering vengeance — the kind that lingers long after the final page.

Romance? Still here. Still dramatic. Still a little messy. From indulgent tension in My Dark Romeo to the emotional pull of Shield of Sparrows, love this month came with bite marks.

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What February Taught Me About My Reading Taste

• I will always show up for morally gray women.
• Dual timelines own a permanent piece of my heart.
• Southern undertones + buried secrets = immediate yes.
• If there’s emotional damage involved, I’m invested.

February wasn’t soft. It wasn’t light. It was layered, tense, romantic, haunted, and occasionally feral.

And honestly? That’s exactly how Literary Gluttony likes it.

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Devour or Nibble?

Devoured:
The Knight and the Moth
When You Loved Me
Home Is Where the Bodies Are

Savored:
The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
We Are All Guilty Here
The Lost Apothecary

Indulged (Delicious Junk Food Energy):
My Dark Romeo
Shield of Sparrows

Chaotic Fun I’ll Never Regret:
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook

Slow-Burn Suspense That Stuck With Me:
Never Have I Ever

February may be short, but she delivered. March, you’re on deck.