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)
Autumn 2023 Reading
Like everyone else, I read The Woman in Me, by Britney Spears (and possibly Sam Lansky). I listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Michelle Williams. It was an incredibly difficult listen; ten minutes in we’d already had a graveside suicide. It is comparable to I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy, in that … Continue reading Autumn 2023 Reading
Books of my Thirties
I turn 40 tomorrow. To be honest, I feel pretty good about it. My thirties were absolutely bonkers (marriage, baby, moving to a new country), so I’m taking the time to reflect on the decade. I looked back at my trusty Goodreads, and picked a memorable book from each of the last ten years. 2013 … Continue reading Books of my Thirties
Review: We Have Always Been Who We Are, by Sofia T. Romero (Blackstone)
Sofia T. Romero’s debut collection, We Have Always Been Who We Are, contains a fantastic mix of stories. Here are my favorites: My First Confession - A weird sorority initiation ceremony including a book of secrets. It all goes wrong when an “outsider” tries to join. Ashes to Ashes - Oh my word, this was … Continue reading Review: We Have Always Been Who We Are, by Sofia T. Romero (Blackstone)
Review: Peach Pit, edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley (Dzanc Books)
In this collection of stories of “unsavory women”, beautifully edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley, there is a wide range of subjects and writers, encapsulating just how tired women are of all this nonsense. These were my favorite stories: Fuckboy Museum, by Deesha Philyaw - A great opener. A woman grows tired of the … Continue reading Review: Peach Pit, edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley (Dzanc Books)
My Month in Reading, August 2023
The books I read in August can be divided into three categories; great, amazing, and bonkers. Great Moonlit Path of Madness, by Catherine McCarthy (Nosetouch Press) My full review is here, but this is a gorgeous gothic novel. Accidental Death of An Anarchist, by Dario Fo, Franca Rame, and Tom Basden (Nick Hern Books) Basden's … Continue reading My Month in Reading, August 2023
My Week in Reading – August 14th, 2023
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been almost completely consumed by anxiety, as my daughter started first grade, in a new public school. But she’s doing great, so my brain can now focus on exciting new avenues of panic! On that note, have you seen The Bear?! Sheesh, what a show. I’m currently reading … Continue reading My Week in Reading – August 14th, 2023
California Reading 