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 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: Northern Nights, edited by Michael Kelly (Undertow)
I have mentioned this many times before, but a new release from Undertow Publications is a cause for celebration. Northern Nights, a new anthology of Canadian fiction, is of the incredibly high caliber I have come to expect from Undertow’s output. Lovingly edited by Michael Kelly, this is a collection of uncanny darkness. Award-winning young … Continue reading Review: Northern Nights, edited by Michael Kelly (Undertow)
Review: The Bog Wife, by Kay Chronister (Counterpoint)
Meet the Haddesley family of West Virginia. Three girls, two boys, an ailing father, and a mother who has been absent for a decade. Oh, and a bog, to which they sacrifice the patriarch of the family, in exchange for a bride, for the eldest son. As the time for the sacrifice draws near, daughter … Continue reading Review: The Bog Wife, by Kay Chronister (Counterpoint)
Review: Devils Kill Devils, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
I adored Johnny Compton’s previous novel, The Spite House. His emphasis on character development and plot, resulted in an incredibly impressive, and terrifying debut. Compton’s follow-up, Devils Kill Devils, is straight-up, bat poop crazy, in an amazing way. Our protagonist, Sarita, has a literal guardian angel, Angelo. He first surfaced when she almost drowned as … Continue reading Review: Devils Kill Devils, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
Review: Canoes, by Maylis de Kerangal, translated by Jessica Moore (Archipelago)
Maylis de Kerangal’s novel Eastbound was a recent favorite of mine, and a real surprise. This beautiful collection is translated from French to English by Jessica Moore. In Bivouac, a trip to the dentist reminds a woman of a visit to Paris. It’s a great introduction to Kerangal’s vivid writing, and how she establishes a … Continue reading Review: Canoes, by Maylis de Kerangal, translated by Jessica Moore (Archipelago)
Review: Abortion, by Jessica Valenti (Crown)
I will start by saying that I could only manage one chapter of this book per night, as it made me so incredibly angry. Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win is an offshoot of Jessica Valenti’s “Abortion, Every Day” Substack, and is full of infuriating, upsetting, and incredibly vital … Continue reading Review: Abortion, by Jessica Valenti (Crown)
Review: Model Home, by Rivers Solomon (Macmillan Audio)
I cannot resist an innovative haunted house book. In recent years I’ve been so impressed by Alison Rumiftt, Clarissa Orlando, and Johnny Compton for their unique takes on a sometimes-oversubscribed genre. Now here comes Rivers Solomon, with an incredibly disturbing, intelligent interpretation of familial horrors in Model Home. When the Maxwell siblings don’t hear from … Continue reading Review: Model Home, by Rivers Solomon (Macmillan Audio)
Review: Dearest, by Jacquie Walters (Mulholland Books)
Flora has welcomed a baby girl into her family, and she’s settling into parenthood. There’s just one problem; her husband is still deployed, and she’s struggling to keep sane figuring things out by herself. Things look hopeful when Flora reaches out to her estranged mother, and her mother shows up on her doorstep, ready to … Continue reading Review: Dearest, by Jacquie Walters (Mulholland Books)
California Reading 