A recap of my week of reading, featuring brief reviews of what I’ve read.
My Week in Reading, January 16, 2026
I hope you’ve been able to find some peace this week. The Shadower, by Maria and Peter Hoey (published on March 24, 2026) Lindsey Chung Dates a White Boy!!!, by Asia Miller (published on May 5, 2026) I love graphic novels. I cannot draw, so I’m constantly in awe of the artistic talents of others. … Continue reading My Week in Reading, January 16, 2026
My week in Reading, January 9th, 2026
Happy New Year! Rabbit Test and Other Stories, by Samantha Mills (published on 21 April, 2026) Yes, I’m still reading a short story (almost) every day, and this collection of deeply moving tales is a great start to my 2026 efforts. I’m about halfway through this collection and nearly every story has left me in … Continue reading My week in Reading, January 9th, 2026
Review: Old Soul, by Susan Barker (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
I stupidly let Old Soul sit on my Kindle for over a year before I actually got around to reading it. I’d heard murmurings that Susan Barker’s horror novel was amazing, but I had absolutely no idea how it would consume me for the better part of a week. First off, if you haven’t read … Continue reading Review: Old Soul, by Susan Barker (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
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: 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)
California Reading 