Here's the list: The Warlock Effect, by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson (Hodder and Stoughton) Imported from the UK via Blackwell's Books. Not sure if it's getting a US release. I'm a huge Dyson/Nyman megafan, and I was sadly disappointed by this one. Poor Deer, by Claire Oshetsky (Ecco) ARC, will be published in January … Continue reading My Month in Reading, July 2023
Review: January, by Sara Gallardo, translated by Frances Riddle and Maureen Shaughnessy (Archipelago)
You don’t need me to tell you that women are still fighting for their right to bodily autonomy. And reading Sara Gallardo’s 1956 novel, January, made me so angry at the lack of progress we’ve made in almost 70 years. Translated into English for the first time by Frances Riddle and Maureen Shaughnessy, January is … Continue reading Review: January, by Sara Gallardo, translated by Frances Riddle and Maureen Shaughnessy (Archipelago)
My Favorite Books of 2023 So Far
The book I find myself thinking about the most is Self-Portrait with Nothing, by Aimee Pokwatka. It is one of the most original books I’ve ever read. I really don’t want to give too much away, but if you love parallel universe stories, this is for you. Hugely intelligent. And I just noticed Pokwatka has … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2023 So Far
Review: Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird, by Agustina Bazterrica (Scribner)
Whether or not you “enjoyed” Agustina Bazterrica’s novel, Tender is the Flesh, you cannot deny the author’s talent. Personally, I thought it was a riveting book, and I think about it at least once a week, despite reading it almost three years ago. So I was excited to get my hands on Bazterrica’s collection of … Continue reading Review: Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird, by Agustina Bazterrica (Scribner)
Review: The Book of Witches, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Harper Voyage)
The Book of Witches is a huge anthology, jam-packed full of wonderful prose and poetry from a diverse range of writers, lovingly edited by Jonathan Strahan. The quality of writing does not wain throughout, but here the following really stood out to me: The collection opens with a moving poem, Seed of Power, by Linda … Continue reading Review: The Book of Witches, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Harper Voyage)
My Month in Reading, May 2023
Oh sweet Jesus, it’s June next week. Once again, I am scrambling, trying to hack away at my pile of ARCs. All of which I willingly requested, or accepted, completely overestimating my capabilities. And today, I got rejected for an ARC I was very excited about, and I’m assuming it’s because I have a backlog … Continue reading My Month in Reading, May 2023
Review: The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)
I consider Cassandra Khaw to be the most intelligent horror writer working today. The way she crafts her stories with precision is a gift, and her latest work, The Salt Grows Heavy, is an absolute gem. Our mermaid narrator, and her Plague Doctor companion encounter a strange village, where young people are butchered in the … Continue reading Review: The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)
My Week in Reading – May 1st, 2023
Well, hello! Things are pretty mad over at Thompson Towers. I'm entering the last six months of my thirties, which is frankly unbelievable. My career has quite suddenly accelerated, which is very exciting, but a little scary. Anyhoo, there's always time for reading! Only a mere 99 years after publication, I finally read The Home-Maker … Continue reading My Week in Reading – May 1st, 2023
My Week in Reading – April 17th, 2023
Not sure if you saw the whole back and forth last week, but Scholastic booted themselves in the ass by first asking Maggie Tokuda-Hall if they could license her gorgeous book, Love in the Library, but only if she removed the references to racism in the author's note. Anyway, I read the book this week, … Continue reading My Week in Reading – April 17th, 2023
Review: No One Will Come Back for Us, by Premee Mohamed (Undertow Publications)
Premee Mohamed is one of those writers I had often heard about, but I foolishly never made the time to explore her work. However, after reading her contribution to the upcoming dark Peter Pan anthology (The Other Side of Never, Titan Books), I could no longer ignore this force. No One Will Come Back for … Continue reading Review: No One Will Come Back for Us, by Premee Mohamed (Undertow Publications)
California Reading 