Stanza Books

09/08/2026

Rounding out my trilogy of terror( GenX, who gets that ref? )

HERCULINE, Grace Byron

Y’all know my love of this book. Here’s what I wrote about HERCULINE in our shelf-talker:

I’m tempted to call this book one part Yellowjackets, one part Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A brash, trippy confessional set in a woodsy girl-cult. But comparisons diminish Byron’s achievement. HERCULINE is by turns terrifying, funny, s*xy, entrancing, loving, and deeply personal. Byron uses simple, direct, almost Gonzo style to illustrate the character’s state of mind. Desperate, flailing, drug-fueled, plagued by demons, and weighted by religion.

At the same time, Byron drops sharp insights about her generation and unexpected metaphors that stop you in your tracks.

Byron’s crystal clear, propulsive voice draws you into the narrator, and makes her someone you really want to follow. She’s flawed, lost, and fu**ed up, but she’s also wry and worldly and has a finely-tuned bu****it detector. I had a hard time closing the book at the end and leaving the narrator behind.

Throughout, Byron’s honesty as a writer shines through. If you love dark fiction and horror, you have to read this book. If you love raw, confessional literature, you have to read this book. If you love smart-assed characters who know this world is full of s**t, you have to read this book.

Oct 2, we PRE-launch the PB, and you'll get it at Stanza before those other guys. Come to the salon and jam with these insanely talented writers!

-Mark

https://www.stanzabooks.com/salon

09/08/2026

Too many to post. Facebook was like "yo, you're too awesome, can't hang." Best to just stroll over to Stanza, maybe get a rec from Meaghan in the morning, or Andi in the afternoon, see the new rollers in the shop, etc. etc.

09/08/2026

It's Tues, and that means NEW BOOKS. Man-oh-man! Lotsa great stuff out today. Perfect excuse to pay a visit to stanza and get you some books!

09/07/2026

WOODFEAST, Meg Ripley

I am only a few chapters into this book, but had to stop and give some observations. I'm picking up whiffs of Atwood, Hawthorne, and DUNE(!), all mixed an entirely new beast.

I’m sure Meg will read this and say “DUNE? WTF, dude?” I don’t want to spoil it, but right in Chap 2, Meg introduces a character that makes you question when this story takes place, and not only what the magic is, but what the level of technology is. There is a grotesque quality that suggests unnatural systems we cannot imagine in our world. And like any good storyteller, Meg introduces this character through action propelling the story forward. It's an exceptionally well-crafted scene.

Unlike the other authors in this Salon, Meg slows down your rhythms. When I suggest Hawthorne, not only are some of the themes there, but Meg writes language that feels like it came from another time. You have to slow down, to parse out the pictures she’s painting, and to pick up on the subtle clues hinting at the wider story world.

Notes of Atwood are clear as day. But Meg mixes Puritanism with Catholicism, and tosses in just a hint of Islam in one simple physical description - at least to my eye. Diving back in, more soon...

-Mark

Get in, get NECROLOGY, and get ready for this salon Oct 2.

https://www.stanzabooks.com/salon

09/06/2026

THE MAN OF WIND AND MOSS, Alex Gonzalez

The marketing on the back of this books says Blair Witch meets Cabin in the Woods. Those are both great movies, but they both rely on gimmicks.

I don’t use that word as a negative. I’m friends with one of the Blair producers, and it redefined cinema when it came out. But it’s based on a gimmick: found footage. Likewise, Cabin in the Woods is a super fun flick, but it’s based on a gimmick: classic teen horror is orchestrated by a secret organization appeasing dark gods.

Alex’s novel is much more like recent A24 movies. Talk to Me comes to mind. Simple, direct, spare horror, with deep roots in trauma and personal pain. Alex tells his story in the purest way possible, like you’re sitting down with him. Once you meet him at this event, you’ll see just how clearly his voice comes through in the writing. It’s quite a feat as a writer. Similar to the A24 example, TMOWAM is infused with personal pain, particularly family pain, and the character’s efforts to salve that pain through found family and romantic love.

TMOWAM would also be at home among the indigenous stories in Never Whistle at Night. TMOWAM’s tragedy unfolds due to a violation, a common theme in indigenous dark fiction. Of course, this also places it in the shadow of 80s teen movies, which presented ham-fisted punishments to teens having s*x in the woods.

This book is great. Come to the Salon, meet Alex, and get a copy. I will certainly put it up for Dark Fiction vote.

Join us at the SALON OF HORRORS:
https://www.stanzabooks.com/salon

09/05/2026

https://www.stanzabooks.com/book-clubs

09/05/2026

09/02/2026

Stanza is on a mission is to help kids keep their love of books alive, and to see bookshops as magical realms, where they can lose themselves in worlds, create worlds of their own, and find their communities.

This summer, we hosted 13 young creators at the Summer COMICS Intensive. Over the course of one week, they went from zero to finished comic. They learned character, plot, conflict, visual storytelling, inking, and color. They had a special visit from a pro comics creator.

And now, we’re combining their work into one comics anthology and putting it out in the world. This event is a launch party to celebrate these young creators, view their work, and of course, get your hands on their all new comic!

Whether you have kids or not, we want to see the whole community out for this one.

Proceeds from the sale of the comic will benefit some org in town. We’re collecting opinions from the parents now, and we’ll announce at this event :)

info and RSVP: https://www.stanzabooks.com/events/comics-launch-event

09/02/2026

It's wed and that means all new comics in the shop! Cannot wait to dig into some of this stuff. Pee-Chee Archie cover? Where my GenX at?