Elizabeth Brooks is one of my favorite authors of “normal” books. As someone who reads a lot of genre books, it takes a special writer to make me take a break from the weird. So I’m thrilled to report I thoroughly enjoyed Brooks’ latest novel, The Woman in the Sable Coat. The titular woman in … Continue reading Review: The Woman in the Sable Coat, by Elizabeth Brooks (Tin House)
Review: The Book of Love, by Kelly Link (Random House)
When I found out Kelly Link was writing a novel, I basically died. Those who have discovered the magic of Link’s short stories will understand my joy. Link hasn’t dipped her toes into novel-writing with a brief story; The Book of Love is over 600 pages long. Susannah, Mo, and Daniel have returned from the … Continue reading Review: The Book of Love, by Kelly Link (Random House)
Review: The Road from Belhaven, by Margot Livesey (Knopf)
Feminist period drama with a hint of the supernatural? Sign me up! Orphan Lizzie is growing up on a farm in Scotland with her grandparents. Her life is relatively normal, except for the fact that she occasionally gets premonitions. She never sees herself, only those around her, and the visions are seldom joyful. As if … Continue reading Review: The Road from Belhaven, by Margot Livesey (Knopf)
Review: Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, by GennaRose Nethercott (Vintage)
I fell in love with GennaRose Nethercott’s writing after reading her thrilling novel, Thistlefoot. As an avid reader of weird short stories, I grabbed Nethercott’s debut collection, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, as soon as I could. Here are my favorites: Sundown at the Eternal Staircase - The opening story establishes the tone of … Continue reading Review: Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, by GennaRose Nethercott (Vintage)
Review: Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage? (Brazos Press)
Writer Flannery O’Connor published many short stories, but only two novels before her untimely death at age 39. Thanks to academic Jessica Hooten Wilson, readers now have access to fragments of O’Connor’s incomplete novel, Why Do the Heathen Rage? Hooten Wilson has interspersed these short sections with research, insight, and speculation for a unique, enjoyable … Continue reading Review: Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage? (Brazos Press)
Review: Poor Deer, by Claire Oshetsky (Ecco)
I recommend Claire Oshetsky’s novel, Chouette, to pretty much every reader I know. It’s a weird little tale about motherhood, humanity, and an owl baby. Oshetsky’s follow-up, Poor Deer, is another strange and beautiful tale. The novel is narrated by Margaret, who, at the age of four, is involved in a horrific accident, one which … Continue reading Review: Poor Deer, by Claire Oshetsky (Ecco)
Review: The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, by Shubnum Khan (Viking)
Another unexpected, unanticipated novel knocks me off my feet and crashes into my favorite novels list. The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, the wonderfully-titled novel from South African writer Shubnum Khan, is perfect for fans of the gothic, with a hint of the supernatural. Jumping between 2014, and one hundred years earlier, we follow the … Continue reading Review: The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, by Shubnum Khan (Viking)
My Favorite Books of 2023
Read in 2022 I’ll start with some books that I had the pleasure of reading in 2022, that only came out this year. Monstrilio, by Gerardo Sámano Córdova (Zando) The Haunting of Alejandra, by V. Castro (Del Rey) White Cat, Black Dog, by Kelly Link (Random House) Lone Women, by Victor LaValle (One World) Faves … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2023
Review: The Secret Life of Insects, by Bernardo Esquinca (Valancourt)
A few years ago, I read Bernardo Esquinca’s story, Señor Ligotti, in the fantastic Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories. I am not exaggerating when I say I think about this story at least once a month. This new collection gives Esquinca many more opportunities to imprint his brand of terror onto the brain of … Continue reading Review: The Secret Life of Insects, by Bernardo Esquinca (Valancourt)
Review: Where the Dead Wait, by Ally Wilkes (Atria Books)
Yay, Ally Wilkes! Wilkes’ previous spooky novel of cold desolation, All the White Spaces, is an absolute favorite of mine, so I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on Where the Dead Wait. William Day returns from a failed and horrifying Arctic expedition to accusations of cannibalism. Men will do unspeakable things to survive, and … Continue reading Review: Where the Dead Wait, by Ally Wilkes (Atria Books)
California Reading 