As it turns out, I’ve done a lot of reading since my last review round-up. Not quite sure where I found the time. But anyway, here are my favorites from the last month (hyperlinks to full reviews).
Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books by Cathy Rentzenbrink – gorgeous memoir about a life of reading.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, Ros Schwartz (Translator) – super bonkers, little-known dystopian feminist nightmare. One of my new favorites.
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter – Another dystopian nightmare. About family, motherhood, survival, friendship. Brief and gorgeous.
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott – Y’all. Do NOT sleep on this book! Puppeteer descendants of Baba Yaga, who inherit her house on chicken legs? Take. My. Money!
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson – Fellow British Northerner Winterson shares details of her brutal upbringing, and her recent mental health issues. More enjoyable than I’ve made it sound here.
Educated by Tara Westover – Look, you’ve already read this one. I don’t need to tell you how amazing this book is, or how phenomenal Westover is. Gripping.
The Half-Life of Snails by Philippa Holloway – A unique novel about family, war, and nuclear power stations. Holloway is a gorgeous writer; don’t miss this one.
I am also currently reading Fruiting Bodies, Kathryn Harlan’s short story collection, and it is incredibly strong.
My Towering TBR
My book backlog is not even funny. I have fallen a little behind in my NetGalley and Edelweiss+ reviews (apologies to any publishers reading this, please keep sending me books!).
Excitingly, I have Jess Kidd’s forthcoming novel, The Night Ship, waiting for me. I loved Things in Jars, and Himself, and I cannot wait to fall in love with Kidd’s beautiful prose all over again.
I often cite Gwendolyn Kiste’s short story collection, And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, as a masterclass in writing; The Man in the Ambry is one of the finest ghost stories you will ever read. So I cannot wait to read her new novel, Reluctant Immortals.
And the prolific A.G. Slatter is back with The Path of Thorns. I haven’t read any synopses of this book, because I want to be surprised, but you cannot go wrong with Slatter. She’s incredible.
Other exciting forthcoming books include White Horse by Erika T. Wurth, a new novel from Camilla Bruce, The Witch in the Well (Bruce’s novel, You Let Me In, is so completely underrated, and I can’t wait to read more of her work). And I am hearing so many great things about Sarah Gailey’s Just Like Home, and Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh. Oh, and Zoje Stage has TWO new books forthcoming, a novella and a novel!
Oh god, and how could I forget the most exciting new release! Camilla Grudova, author of the sublime collection The Doll’s Alphabet, has a novel coming out this summer, Children of Paradise. I’m not sure when it’s out in the US, but I have pre-ordered my copy from Blackwell’s Books in the UK, and I suggest you do the same!
It is such an exciting time to be a reader of genre fiction. Women are continuing to embrace the weird and I love it so much.
California Reading 