Hello again! Another week, another bundle of stories.
| 3/29/20 | Green Red Orange | Mariana Enriquez |
| 3/29/20 | Things We Lost in the Fire | Mariana Enriquez |
| 3/30/20 | Forgotten Journey | Silvina Ocampo |
| 3/30/20 | Mildly Unhappy, With Moments of Joy | Amber Sparks |
| 3/30/20 | Birthing Stones | Daisy Johnson |
| 3/31/20 | The Apple Tree | Daphne du Maurier |
| 4/1/20 | The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window | Rachel Swirsky |
| 4/2/20 | The Mermaid in the Tree | Timothy Schaffert |
| 4/3/20 | Trick of the Light | Andrew Humphrey |
| 4/3/20 | The Cherry Tree | Melissa Blower |
| 4/4/20 | And the Carnival Leaves Town | AC Wise |
| 4/5/20 | The Climbing Rose | Heidi Amsinck |
| 4/5/20 | El Melon (The Melon) | Cynthia Pelayo |
I almost don’t want to share details of Nightjar Press, who publish very limited runs of chapbooks of uncanny tales. I frequently look at their back catalogue and get very angry about the ones I missed.
Nevertheless, Andrew Humphrey’s Trick of the Light is one of two new Nightjar publications, and I loved it. Lots of nods to MR James, a building sense of unease, a failing relationship, what’s not to love? Grab a copy while you can.
I subscribed to Nightmare Magazine earlier this year, but didn’t make the time to read any of the content. But as soon as I saw a story by AC Wise in April’s issue, I dived straight in. And holy cow, And The Carnival Leaves Town was excellent. Noir-ish, echoes of Twin Peaks, and some horrible imagery, this story immediately jumped onto my favorites list.
I started Heidi Amsinck’s collection, Last Train to Helsingor, almost two years ago, and I’ve still not finished it. Maybe I’m subconsciously savoring it. I heard her stories on BBC Radio 4, (click the link to listen) and was incredibly impressed. Her stories are creepy, brief, and incredibly well-written. The Climbing Rose is very reminiscent of Tales of the Unexpected, which is a wonderful thing.
I finished Mariana Enriquez’s Things We Lost in the Fire. Adela’s House was by far my favorite story in the collection, but make no mistake, this is an incredible collection, and I highly recommend it.
I’m not overly planning my week ahead, but I probably should. I’d like to finish Daisy Johnson’s collection, Fen. I’d like to read some more Aimee Bender, Marian Womack, Flannery O’Connor, Samantha Schweblin. I might even read some male authors!
Have a great week. Look after yourselves.
California Reading 