I adored Jacquie Walters’ previous evil mom novel, Dearest, so I was very excited to read this. Turn Off the Light is a genius, dual timeline novel. In the present day, we have Claire and her daughter Julia visiting her dying father in her childhood home. There are especially painful memories tied to the house … Continue reading Review: Turn Off the Light, by Jacquie Walters (Little, Brown and Company)
My Week in Reading, February 27th, 2026
I am lucky enough to be reading an advance copy of Solace House, the new novel from Will Maclean (co-writer of Broken Veil, one of my favorite podcasts). It’s about a group of British students who spend their summer break clearing out some old, abandoned properties. I’m about halfway through, and it is incredibly tense. … Continue reading My Week in Reading, February 27th, 2026
My Week in Reading, February 2nd, 2026
It has been a heck of a strong week! I spent most of the week consumed by Catriona Ward’s new novel, Nowhere Burning. I am a Catriona Ward loyalist, and shun all spoilers for her books. I trust Ward, and she has fucking nailed it once again. Nowhere Burning is her best book since Sundial. … Continue reading My Week in Reading, February 2nd, 2026
Review: Beasts, by Ingvild Bjerkeland (trans. Rosie Hedger)
Beasts is a brief, gripping YA novel set in a world where most of the population has been devoured by “beasts”. Thirteen-year-old Abdi’s mother has gone missing, leaving Abdi to look after his five-year old sister, Alva. No longer safe in their home, situated in a neighborhood where people quickly turned on each other, Abdi … Continue reading Review: Beasts, by Ingvild Bjerkeland (trans. Rosie Hedger)
Review: Girls, by Annet Schaap (trans. Laura Watkinson)
I adored this translated YA collection of feminist takes on folk tales and fairy stories from Dutch author Annet Schaap, translated by Laura Watkinson. Schapp kicks things off with Mr Stiltskin, and it’s a terrific start. We follow the path of the traditional tale, but the surprise ending is absolutely perfect. Wolf, a twist on … Continue reading Review: Girls, by Annet Schaap (trans. Laura Watkinson)
Review: Sour Cherry, by Natalia Theodoridou
Sour Cherry is a modern retelling of the legend of Bluebeard, and is absolutely devastating. Our narrator is telling her son about his father, and his long, long past. The destruction that followed him, and the many wives he buried. The reader observes these women, knowing their ultimate fate, and is slowly reduced to an … Continue reading Review: Sour Cherry, by Natalia Theodoridou
Review: The Sirens, by Emilia Hart
I adored Emilia Hart’s debut Weyward, and I’m so glad that a lot of people agreed. So Hart’s follow-up, The Sirens, was an absolute must-read for me. Similar to Weyward, The Sirens juggles timelines. In 1800, sisters Mary and Eliza are aboard a convict ship to Australia, following a self-defense motivated injury to a man. … Continue reading Review: The Sirens, by Emilia Hart
Review: The Secret History of the Rape Kit, by Pagan Kennedy
The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story is an expanded version of Pagan Kennedy’s incredible NYT article from 2020. It centers mostly around Marty Goddard, the woman who invented the rape kit, despite having credit stolen, and progress impeded, by men. Through Kennedy’s research, we learn Goddard’s troubled life, her tenacity, … Continue reading Review: The Secret History of the Rape Kit, by Pagan Kennedy
Review: The Antidote, by Karen Russell
I am a huge fan of Karen Russell’s short stories (Orange World is one of my favorite collections). So I had very high expectations of The Antidote. The eponymous Antidote is a witch, who has the ability to absorb people’s memories from them, and return the memories upon demand. Unfortunately, The Antidote wakes up one … Continue reading Review: The Antidote, by Karen Russell
Review: Dorothy Parker in Hollywood, by Gail Crowther (Gallery Books)
Sigh. I love Dorothy Parker. I quote her short story, The Waltz, far too often (“I’d love to be in a midnight fire at sea” being my favorite line). But I’ve never knowingly seen any of the movies she wrote. Gail Crowther’s wonderful book not only outlines the highs and lows of Parker’s Hollywood years, … Continue reading Review: Dorothy Parker in Hollywood, by Gail Crowther (Gallery Books)
California Reading 