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)
Review: A Sunny Place for Shady People, by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell (Hogarth)
I love Mariana Enriquez so much, I’m attempting to learn Spanish so I don’t have to wait for her work to be translated. Her latest collection, A Sunny Place for Shady People, is her strongest, most disturbing collection yet. There are several strong themes in this book. The first is spirits attached to places of … Continue reading Review: A Sunny Place for Shady People, by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell (Hogarth)
Review: Haunt Sweet Home, by Sarah Pinsker (Tor Nightfire)
Like many of us, Mara is drifting through life, trying to figure out what she actually wants to “do”. Sick of sarcastic comments from her family members, she accepts a job from her cousin, working on his TV show, Haunt Sweet Home, where HGTV meets Ghost Hunters. Mara gets stuck with the night shift, creating … Continue reading Review: Haunt Sweet Home, by Sarah Pinsker (Tor Nightfire)
Review: The Night Guest, by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Nightfire)
The Night Guest is a short, sparse story set in Reykjavík, Iceland. Iðunn, our central character, wakes up each morning exhausted and covered in mysterious injuries. It is only when she starts tracking her steps that she realizes she is not only sleepwalking, but covering miles every night. Iðunn also begins an ill-advised relationship with … Continue reading Review: The Night Guest, by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Nightfire)
Review: Flowers from the Void, by Gianni Washington (Clash Books)
I am not exaggerating when I say about five stories into this collection, I reached out to the writer, Gianni Washington, and told her the stories in Flowers from the Void were “Stephen King-level great”. This is one collection worth getting excited about, my fellow short story lovers. One of the many things I loved … Continue reading Review: Flowers from the Void, by Gianni Washington (Clash Books)
Review: Vague Prophecies and Predictions, by Daisuke Shen (Clash Books)
Yay for weird short story collections! Daisuke Shen’s debut collection is full of uncanny oddities. Here are some of my favorites: The Pasture - This opening story truly kicks the door down. A group of awful young boys commit mild terror. They encounter a strange pasture of women, and it does not end well. Such … Continue reading Review: Vague Prophecies and Predictions, by Daisuke Shen (Clash Books)
Review: Mothballs, by Sole Otero (Fantagraphics)
Mothballs is a powerful graphic novel about secret family histories, conflicts between generations, and forming one’s own identity despite societal expectations. Nineteen-year-old Rocio’s grandmother Vilma dies, and Rocio inherits her house. Rocio’s relationship with her grandmother was strained; Rocio’s interest in photography, as well as other things, angered Vilma. As Rocio considers her own future, … Continue reading Review: Mothballs, by Sole Otero (Fantagraphics)
Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
I think I’ve probably said this before, but I am a T. Kingfisher loyalist, and she never disappoints. I especially love her fairy tale novels (Nettle and Bone, Thornhedge), so I was very excited for A Sorceress Comes to Call, a retelling of Grimm story, The Goose Girl. Once again, Kingfisher has created a world … Continue reading Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
Review: Wanted: Toddler’s Personal Assistant, by Stephanie Kiser (Sourcebooks)
Wanted: Toddler’s Personal Assistant is an insightful, heartfelt account of writer Kiser’s years spent as a nanny for some rich New York families. Kiser moved to New York with her friend after graduating college, and is enamored by the generous paycheck nannying can provide. But she soon discovers the real cost to her health, friendships, … Continue reading Review: Wanted: Toddler’s Personal Assistant, by Stephanie Kiser (Sourcebooks)
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