Tell me if this piece from Lauren Davidson today resonates: “My husband does a lot around the house. He’s a very involved parent to our four kids. But all of the ‘extras’ fall to me, and, indeed, fall to most women in a heterosexual household. The moms are the ones wrapping birthday gifts. The moms are buying the kids’ Valentines and making sure there’s enough for the entire class. They’re coordinating soccer schedules and checking that everyone has winter coats and boots that will fit this season.”

And she’s got a big question: Why? Check it out.

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

It’s officially Spooky Season, and this read will have you shivering and checking behind shadowed doors – in the best way. From Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic, comes a slow-burning thriller and horror tale set in the heart of 1990s Mexico City, revolving around classic horror cinema.

Sound editor and horror film aficionado Montserrat is struggling to make ends meet in a film industry that ignores the talents of women in tech. When she and her lifelong friend Tristán (a movie star who fell out of favor after a deadly car accident) meet a retired horror film director who tells them about the one film he never finished, strange things start to happen to all three of them – and a series of terrors are set into motion. Why wasn’t the film ever finished? Who even wrote it? And what will happen when the final scene is finished and shown to an audience?

This was my first time reading a book by Moreno-Garcia, and I immediately understood why she’s a must-read author for so many millions of people. I fell in love with the characters, loved the description of every location and setting, and was slowly drawn into the story inch by inch. This moody, nerdy, magical, and eerie book couldn’t be more perfect for Halloween, and I’m so excited to sit down with Silvia at the end of the month and hear about how it all came about.

— Sarah Aswell, Senior Editor