Cottage in the Woods
@cottageinwood.bsky.social
🌙 Joel. Reviewer, poet, artist, chef, and Forest Monster from Wellington, NZ (he/him)
Poems in Takahē, Poetry NZ, Turbine, Tarot, The Spinoff, Semaphore, Aotearoa Yearbook, Eunoia Review, and Stone Circle.
2nd place for the 2025 Muriel's Journey Prize.
Poems in Takahē, Poetry NZ, Turbine, Tarot, The Spinoff, Semaphore, Aotearoa Yearbook, Eunoia Review, and Stone Circle.
2nd place for the 2025 Muriel's Journey Prize.
Book #89 - "Red and the Wolves" is my first ARC copy in a while. This is a dark sapphic fairytale retelling, featuring forest spirits, witches, and adorable lesbians being cozy in a cabin in the woods. Gorgeous illustrations, reminiscent of Ghibli. Definitely recommended!
Comes out Jan 13th 2026. 🐺
Comes out Jan 13th 2026. 🐺
December 9, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Book #89 - "Red and the Wolves" is my first ARC copy in a while. This is a dark sapphic fairytale retelling, featuring forest spirits, witches, and adorable lesbians being cozy in a cabin in the woods. Gorgeous illustrations, reminiscent of Ghibli. Definitely recommended!
Comes out Jan 13th 2026. 🐺
Comes out Jan 13th 2026. 🐺
Book #88 - "Around the World in 80 Plants" is a boring title for such a magical, delightful book. A deep dive into the unique, beautiful, and deadly plants of the world. Every illustration is pure art. Reading this book will reset your brain chemistry and remind you how glorious the world can be. 4🌟
December 8, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Book #88 - "Around the World in 80 Plants" is a boring title for such a magical, delightful book. A deep dive into the unique, beautiful, and deadly plants of the world. Every illustration is pure art. Reading this book will reset your brain chemistry and remind you how glorious the world can be. 4🌟
Book #87 - "We Spread" was my first DNF in a hot minute. It sounded good and I kept picking it up to try again, but I think I just wasn't in the mood for a slow, ponderous horror about aging and loneliness. At least, not right now. I seem to be gravitating to books with a bit more levity recently...
December 8, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Book #87 - "We Spread" was my first DNF in a hot minute. It sounded good and I kept picking it up to try again, but I think I just wasn't in the mood for a slow, ponderous horror about aging and loneliness. At least, not right now. I seem to be gravitating to books with a bit more levity recently...
Book #86 - "The Ballad of Black Tom" is a very popular Lovecraftian horror about a black musician who gets caught up in a world of monsters, spells, and Cthulhu cultists. I wanted to like it more than I did. Truly, it's a love letter to Lovecraft. But it was a little bit self-serious. 3 🌟
December 8, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Book #86 - "The Ballad of Black Tom" is a very popular Lovecraftian horror about a black musician who gets caught up in a world of monsters, spells, and Cthulhu cultists. I wanted to like it more than I did. Truly, it's a love letter to Lovecraft. But it was a little bit self-serious. 3 🌟
Book #85 - "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" was a good time. Not my favourite Hendrix novel, maybe even a bit too long, but it was good. Not going to lie—I found the ending a little unsatisfying, it left me with a lot of questions. But I cared about every single one of the characters by the end. 3.5 🌟
December 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Book #85 - "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" was a good time. Not my favourite Hendrix novel, maybe even a bit too long, but it was good. Not going to lie—I found the ending a little unsatisfying, it left me with a lot of questions. But I cared about every single one of the characters by the end. 3.5 🌟
Book #84 - "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" was the sapphic horror fantasy of my dreams. So, so good. Heart-wrenching and funny and cozy and gory all at the same time. One of the few books I will absolutely be reading multiple times. 5 🌟
December 8, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Book #84 - "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" was the sapphic horror fantasy of my dreams. So, so good. Heart-wrenching and funny and cozy and gory all at the same time. One of the few books I will absolutely be reading multiple times. 5 🌟
Book #83 - this book was kind of fucked up, but, like, in a good way. Is fungi horror a thing? I think it is. Well, it is now. This book was a real trip. Psychadelics. Hippie TERF cults. Woodland goddesses. Poison mushrooms. Cosmic horror. Madness. 4.5 🌟
December 8, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Book #83 - this book was kind of fucked up, but, like, in a good way. Is fungi horror a thing? I think it is. Well, it is now. This book was a real trip. Psychadelics. Hippie TERF cults. Woodland goddesses. Poison mushrooms. Cosmic horror. Madness. 4.5 🌟
#82 - "Sycorax" is a modern prequel to Shakespeare's "The Tempest," featuring the witch Sycorax as the main proragonist. Achingly beautiful. Poetic. Sad. If you need a lyrical book where every sentence is cut with a gemstone, give this a go. 4.5 🌟
December 8, 2025 at 7:51 PM
#82 - "Sycorax" is a modern prequel to Shakespeare's "The Tempest," featuring the witch Sycorax as the main proragonist. Achingly beautiful. Poetic. Sad. If you need a lyrical book where every sentence is cut with a gemstone, give this a go. 4.5 🌟
Books #76 to #81 — I enjoyed "Dungeon Crawler Carl" so much that I fell down the rabbit hole and got out the series from the library. Definitely prefer the earlier books. More lighthearted and silly. It becomes darker and more serious as the story continues. But overall, it is a silly, fun time. 4 🌟
December 8, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Books #76 to #81 — I enjoyed "Dungeon Crawler Carl" so much that I fell down the rabbit hole and got out the series from the library. Definitely prefer the earlier books. More lighthearted and silly. It becomes darker and more serious as the story continues. But overall, it is a silly, fun time. 4 🌟
"The Trouble with Tessa" is about a young filmmaker who sniffs out a fresh story in a small rural town—involving a box of old VHS tapes, an unsolved murder, and a community living in fear of something called The Bone King. I LOVED the acting, the atmosphere, and the twist at the end really got me.
December 8, 2025 at 9:22 AM
"The Trouble with Tessa" is about a young filmmaker who sniffs out a fresh story in a small rural town—involving a box of old VHS tapes, an unsolved murder, and a community living in fear of something called The Bone King. I LOVED the acting, the atmosphere, and the twist at the end really got me.
"The Wolf of Snow Hollow" is "Fargo" but with werewolves. The actors and character development really impressed me. It vasilated from funny to gory to genuinely touching. This isn't about jump scares. It is letting go of control—both in healthy ways, and monstrous ways.
December 8, 2025 at 9:16 AM
"The Wolf of Snow Hollow" is "Fargo" but with werewolves. The actors and character development really impressed me. It vasilated from funny to gory to genuinely touching. This isn't about jump scares. It is letting go of control—both in healthy ways, and monstrous ways.
Two 5 star horror flicks that kept me entertained today during my convalescence. What hidden gems!! I needed something today to scratch the folk horror itch... 👻
December 8, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Two 5 star horror flicks that kept me entertained today during my convalescence. What hidden gems!! I needed something today to scratch the folk horror itch... 👻
Days off are for baking, foraging wild herbs, cleaning linen, and dreaming of becoming a pirate 🥧 🌿
October 17, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Days off are for baking, foraging wild herbs, cleaning linen, and dreaming of becoming a pirate 🥧 🌿
Writing poems on my lunch break, because killing your co-workers is wrong.
October 13, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Writing poems on my lunch break, because killing your co-workers is wrong.
🌸 Celebrating Spring with my first breakfast of asparagus, poached eggs, avo, and homemade brown bread 🌼
October 12, 2025 at 7:36 PM
🌸 Celebrating Spring with my first breakfast of asparagus, poached eggs, avo, and homemade brown bread 🌼
Unfamiliar view from a new home office, this rougarou has a new hunting ground...
October 10, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Unfamiliar view from a new home office, this rougarou has a new hunting ground...
After a long writing hiatus, finally working on new poems...
October 8, 2025 at 7:33 PM
After a long writing hiatus, finally working on new poems...
Book #75 "The Elusive Truffle" is an autobiography of a food writer. Mirabel is on a quest to discover the traditional cuisine of France, documenting seasonal recipes, old crafts, and historic kitchen tools—before they vanish beneath a wave of quick, bland, modern food.
4 🌟
4 🌟
October 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Book #75 "The Elusive Truffle" is an autobiography of a food writer. Mirabel is on a quest to discover the traditional cuisine of France, documenting seasonal recipes, old crafts, and historic kitchen tools—before they vanish beneath a wave of quick, bland, modern food.
4 🌟
4 🌟
Book #74 "A Game in Yellow" is a cosmic horror about a play that drives people insane if they read it. Hastur, the Yellow Sign, and lost Carcossa, oh my! This was a wild ride of a book. I binged it in 2 days flat. By the end, I was already imagining what an A24 film would be like...
5 🌟
5 🌟
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Book #74 "A Game in Yellow" is a cosmic horror about a play that drives people insane if they read it. Hastur, the Yellow Sign, and lost Carcossa, oh my! This was a wild ride of a book. I binged it in 2 days flat. By the end, I was already imagining what an A24 film would be like...
5 🌟
5 🌟
Book #73 "Black River Orchard" is a botanical horror about a cursed apple orchard—and how the people who eat its fruit begin to change. This is a Big Ass Book, but the writing kept me hooked. Plus, Wendig is a master at character writing. Spooky, folkloric, and delicious.
4🌟
4🌟
October 5, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Book #73 "Black River Orchard" is a botanical horror about a cursed apple orchard—and how the people who eat its fruit begin to change. This is a Big Ass Book, but the writing kept me hooked. Plus, Wendig is a master at character writing. Spooky, folkloric, and delicious.
4🌟
4🌟
Book #72 "The Eyes Are the Best Part" is a body horror novel about a Korean American student who begins to fantasize about blue eyes—and how they'd taste. Fucking amazing, an original, witty, and uncomfortable story of a female serial killer that drips with "good for her" vibes.
5 🌟
5 🌟
October 5, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Book #72 "The Eyes Are the Best Part" is a body horror novel about a Korean American student who begins to fantasize about blue eyes—and how they'd taste. Fucking amazing, an original, witty, and uncomfortable story of a female serial killer that drips with "good for her" vibes.
5 🌟
5 🌟
I'm thinking of writing a book of poetry that places a terrible curse on whoever reads its pages, slowly driving them mad. Wonder if I should start promoting it on booktok? 😒 🤔
October 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
I'm thinking of writing a book of poetry that places a terrible curse on whoever reads its pages, slowly driving them mad. Wonder if I should start promoting it on booktok? 😒 🤔
Book #71 "Hunt for the Shadow Wolf" was an audiobook that kept me company through hours of packing house. A non-fiction book about the search for Britain's lost wolves, taking us on a journey through genetics, folklore, history, and the author's personal experience with raising captive wolves.
September 22, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Book #71 "Hunt for the Shadow Wolf" was an audiobook that kept me company through hours of packing house. A non-fiction book about the search for Britain's lost wolves, taking us on a journey through genetics, folklore, history, and the author's personal experience with raising captive wolves.
