Here’s the list, with a quick five-word summary: Because of You - Dawn French (Penguin) - Funny, entertaining, French is wonderful.Vulnerability is My Superpower - Jackie E. Davis (Andrews McMeel) - Honest, beautifully insightful, colorful comics.Piranesi - Susanna Clark (Bloomsbury) - Cosmic madness in Manchester, maybe?Two Besides: A Pair of Talking Heads - Alan Bennett … Continue reading May 2021 Round-Up
Beware the reading slump…
March has been rough. My brain flat-out gave up, and refused to participate. I found reading extremely difficult because I couldn’t focus. Maybe it was because it had been a year since the COVID crisis really blew up in Los Angeles, and I subconsciously wanted to mark the occasion with a bout of mental stillness? … Continue reading Beware the reading slump…
February Fiction Recommendations
2021 is still on its treacherous uphill climb toward who knows what, so here is some fantastic fiction to see you through the shortest month of the year. On Fragile Waves, by E. Lily Yu (Erewhon) If I haven't already convinced you that On Fragile Waves is one of the most amazing books of the … Continue reading February Fiction Recommendations
Book Review – The Atmospherians, by Alex McElroy (Atria)
I imagine it must be difficult to write fiction about issues such as toxic masculinity without being cloying, or at worst didactic. For that reason, I usually avoid works that overtly address this topic. However, I think I’ve finally found a book that covers these issues successfully, in Alex McElroy’s debut novel, The Atmospherians. Popular … Continue reading Book Review – The Atmospherians, by Alex McElroy (Atria)
Review – Revival Season, by Monica West (Simon & Schuster)
Disclaimer: This book isn't out until June! Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. This one is worth the wait, I promise! Literary coming-of-age stories with a supernatural twist are my kryptonite. Especially when it involves a teenage girl with potentially magic powers. For this reason, Revival Season was an absolute must-read as … Continue reading Review – Revival Season, by Monica West (Simon & Schuster)
Book Review – The Last Good Man, by Thomas McMullan (Bloomsbury)
I am an absolute sucker for unsettling tales set in weird little pockets of England, as I am from a very odd bit of northern England. I particularly enjoy stories of weird rituals, or backwards societies, similar to The Wicker Man, or Midsommar. Stories that are slightly unnerving, because they are dangerously on the cusp … Continue reading Book Review – The Last Good Man, by Thomas McMullan (Bloomsbury)
My Top 2020 Reads
I’ve read a lot this year. To escape from the madness of reality? Yes, absolutely. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite books that were released in 2020. Things in Jars - Jess Kidd A strong central female character, a strange kidnapping, and a thoroughly entertaining ghost? Sign me up! Also, a love story … Continue reading My Top 2020 Reads
More Reading Ramblings
Since my last update, I finished The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, and I absolutely loved it. It was genuinely terrifying; Kingfisher has a great line in creating incredibly disturbing images. My full review can be found on Goodreads, but to summarize, The Hollow Places is one of the scariest and funniest books I’ve ever read. … Continue reading More Reading Ramblings
Meanderings
I’m a bit unsettled this week. Maybe because it’s my birthday on Monday and it feels even more like a non-event than usual. I’m having trouble focusing, I’ve had a weird breathing thing that comes and goes. I know I’m not alone in this, but *waves hands* all of this is getting to me more … Continue reading Meanderings
September 2020 Reading Round-Up
A very brief breakdown of what I read in September. Lost Boy by Christina Henry (ebook) - One of my favorite books of the year. Dark and disturbing Captain Hook origin story. Fuck Peter Pan, and Tinkerbell is a snitch. Summerwater by Sarah Moss (hardcover, UK import) - An exciting read, but not as captivating as her … Continue reading September 2020 Reading Round-Up
California Reading 