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)
Review: Chrysalis, by Anna Metcalfe (Random House)
Chrysalis is split into three sections, in which we learn about an unnamed woman from the perspective of her mother, her colleague, and a potential lover. Through their eyes, we learn about her journey from isolated childhood to unconventional social media guru. I love how the story unraveled; there are no “twists” in this Chrysalis, … Continue reading Review: Chrysalis, by Anna Metcalfe (Random House)
Review: Hazardous Spirits, by Anbara Salam (Tin House)
Another cracking “something’s not quite right” novel for 2023. Set in 1920s Edinburgh, Evelyn’s husband, Robert, has decided he can talk to the dead, and pivots from a career in accountancy to become a spiritualist medium. Evelyn and Robert become society darlings, but Evelyn is shunned by her family due to them being embarrassed by … Continue reading Review: Hazardous Spirits, by Anbara Salam (Tin House)
Review: Thornhedge, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
Whoops! I finished this audiobook in a day, completely by accident. Once I entered Toadling’s world, I couldn’t leave. And after such a short time with her, I am now bereft. T. Kingfisher nails it again with her latest novella, Thornhedge. Toadling guards a tower, the contents of which are not immediately apparent. She stands … Continue reading Review: Thornhedge, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
Review: Lone Women, by Victor LaValle (One World)
Which Victor LaValle book did you read first? Mine was The Changeling. Brutal, devastating, ambitious, and incredibly weird. It made me reassess what a literary horror novel could be. I'm excited for the TV adaptation. So of course, as soon as I had the opportunity to read LaValle’s latest book, Lone Women, I dived right … Continue reading Review: Lone Women, by Victor LaValle (One World)
Review: White Cat, Black Dog: Stories, by Kelly Link (Random House)
This is a review from 2022, that I forgot to publish! My views are still the same! For me, a new Kelly Link collection is an event. When White Cat, Black Dog hit my inbox, I gasped so loud that my husband thought we’d won the lottery. Which I kinda did (thanks, Random House!). White … Continue reading Review: White Cat, Black Dog: Stories, by Kelly Link (Random House)
Review: Good Girls Don’t Die, by Christina Henry (Berkley)
When the ARC approval for Good Girls Don’t Die hit my inbox, I put my hands in the air and exclaimed “holy shit” to my mildly terrified husband. To me, a new Christina Henry book is an event. Henry wrote two of my favorite books of the past few years (Lost Boy, and Near the … Continue reading Review: Good Girls Don’t Die, by Christina Henry (Berkley)
California Reading 