#fortherestofus

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so you know it’s a big one — here’s what’s hitting shelves today:

🎁 For the Rest of Us – short stories celebrating holidays that aren’t Christmas. Diverse, thoughtful, and full of light in unexpected places. 🪜 The Steps – a blended family, a hidden past, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried. 🎓 When We Were Monsters – a dark academia thriller where ambition, obsession, and secrets twist dangerously together. ⛪ The Deep Well – a haunting cult narrative, told from the outside looking in. 📕 Oxford Blood – a murder mystery set among the spires and shadows of England’s most famous campus. ⛰️ Uncle Zeedie – a kid’s thriller that takes readers deep into the Welsh mountains, where danger waits around every bend. 🇬🇧 Role Model – the Prime Minister’s autistic daughter never asked for the spotlight — but the world won’t stop watching. 🌾 Thirst – folk horror with roots that go deep, twisting nature and fear into something unforgettable. ✏️ Pencil’s Best Story Ever – a delightful picture book about rolling with the punches when your story doesn’t go as planned. 👭 My Best Friend Tilly – a picture book about friendship, imagination, and remembering to include the people who matter most. 🔍 Mr Search, Mrs Find – a clever, pattern-focused take on search-and-find fun. 🔪 How to Survive a Horror Sequel – meta chills and sharp thrills in a follow-up that knows all the rules… and how to break them.

Holidays beyond Christmas — a year of stories that celebrate culture, identity, and joy.

Pre-Reading Thoughts

Most holiday collections lean hard into Christmas clichés — so a book promising Lunar New Year, Solstice, Eid, Juneteenth, Día de los Muertos and more? Yes please. A chance to learn, connect, and maybe cry a little? Sign me up.

Post-Reading

As I thought...

It’s full of heart. The premise alone was a win, but what makes it work is how personal each story feels. There's so much love for tradition, for community, and for the messiness of navigating that as a teen. Some stories are hilarious, some quietly devastating — but all are worth reading.

It surprised me by...

How few “misses” there were. Even the less standout stories still offered something: a new-to-me holiday, a great voice, a beautiful moment of connection. It’s rare for an anthology to feel this unified and well-curated.

Music Pairing

🎵 Featured Song: “Celebrate” – Anderson .Paak ft. Smokey Robinson

🎶 Vibe Album: Songs Around the World – Playing for Change

🎧 Artist Rec: Raye Zaragoza

Vibe Check

🎨 Colour Palette: Indigo, lantern orange, bright pink, warm gold

🎬 Soundtrack: Street festival drums + family karaoke + gentle candlelight

🌸 Season: All of them — it’s a full calendar

🧠 Mood: Joyous, grounded, introspective

👃 Scent: Incense, spicy food, citrus and fresh flowers

Tarot Pull

🔮 Six of Fire, Gaian Tarot

These friends have gathered to celebrate and enjoy themselves in their own way. Singing, dancing and enjoying the fire, they're celebrating life and youth. The characters in this collection are celebrating different things, but they're all celebrating.

For fans of:

📖 Blackout