Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Gothic Books

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

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This week's topic:
Halloween Freebie: My Favorite Gothic Books

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Brides by Charlotte Cross

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Have you read any of these books?

Cover Reveal: The Forgotten Bruja by Johanny Ortega

Welcome to the cover reveal of The Forgotten Bruja by Johanny Ortega. I loooove this cover. What do you think?
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The Forgotten Bruja by Johanny Ortega
Publication date: March 16 2027
Genres: Gothic, Horror

Freedom has always meant leaving.

For Isadora Espinal, escape was the only way to survive the life her mother tried to force upon her—a legacy built on silence, blind obedience, and a responsibility Isadora never agreed to carry. So she left Willowshade behind and built a future far beyond her mother’s reach.

Twelve years later, Altagracia Espinal is dead, and Isadora has been summoned home.

What awaits her is not an explanation but a trail of unfinished warnings, fractured family histories, and whispers that seem to seep from the walls themselves, blurring the line between guidance and manipulation. The deeper Isadora searches, the more she suspects her mother’s secrets were never meant to protect the family. They were meant to bind it.

Now the house remembers her. The land is watching her. And the inheritance Isadora once rejected may not allow her to leave a second time.

Set in late-1960s Ohio, The Forgotten Bruja is a slow-burn gothic horror novel steeped in Dominican folklore, Spanglish dread, and magical realism. It is a story of inherited obligation, buried history, queer love, and the devastating cost of deciding which parts of a legacy deserve to survive.

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Author Bio:

Johanny Ortega is a Dominican American author who writes across genres—blending psychological horror, literary fiction, magical realism, and thrillers that punch you right in the gut. Whether writing about haunted hills, generational trauma, or the quiet unraveling of everyday life, her stories center marginalized voices, morally complex women, and the messy truth about survival.

She is the founder of Have a Cup of Johanny, a creative platform where she blogs, podcasts, and advocates for inclusive storytelling. Her award-winning middle-grade and adult fiction has resonated with readers who crave depth, grit, and emotional honesty.

When she’s not writing, she’s raising kids in a blended military family, reading books that wreck her soul in the best way, and saying what others are afraid to.

Website / Instagram / TikTok / Goodreads

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Portraits of Eleanor by Mary Ann Cappiello

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read.
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Portraits of Eleanor: Medieval Warrior Queen by Mary Ann Cappiello

Expected publication: June 22, 2027 by Holiday House

Monster. Temptress. Murderer. Queen. Who was Eleanor of Aquitaine, really?

The juicy rumors abound: Eleanor had an affair with her uncle. Eleanor rode through town topless on a horse. Eleanor controlled her sons like puppets.

These salacious lies and half-truths about Eleanor of Aquitaine have piled up for centuries. Why? Because a woman with power threatened the status quo of medieval Europe. Can’t have that! Stifling her success, gossipy myths transformed Eleanor from a trusted mother to an adulteress, from a tough negotiator to a nightmarish shrew.

But there is a more compelling version of Eleanor’s life buried beneath these stories. In fact, the legendary Queen of England and France survived kidnapping, shipwreck, and starvation; she commanded military power and political influence throughout the 12th Century and was the wealthiest landowner in Europe. No big deal... (Actually: a really big deal!)

This sensational read tears away years of mistruths to reveal an impressive feminist icon. Full-color photographs, royal family trees, and historical artifacts are interspersed among engaging chapters that unpack the myths behind Eleanor’s legacy. Perfect for fans of Candace Fleming’s The Family Romanov or Amy Butler Greenfield’s The Woman All Spies Fear.

I've been wanting to read a nonfiction about Eleanor of Aquitaine for ages and this 2027 release looks and sounds great. I can't wait!!!

What book are you awaiting today?