Zoje Stage is a vital part of the fiction community. Her books contain seemingly domestic mysteries, but contain just enough delicious weirdness to fit comfortably into the horror category. Mothered, Stage’s pandemic novel, is her most disorientating yet, and captures the uncertainty and strangeness of the period that many would rather forget. Hairstylist Grace finds … Continue reading Review: Mothered, by Zoje Stage (Thomas and Mercer)
Review: Such Pretty Flowers, by K.L. Cerra (Random House)
On the surface, Such Pretty Flowers is a standard thriller; Holly is mourning the death of her brother, Dane, and it seems like his eccentric girlfriend, Maura is hiding something. Holly becomes suspicious, begins investigating Maura and Dane’s relationship, and uncovers something shocking. But it is the “something shocking” that sets this novel apart. Maura … Continue reading Review: Such Pretty Flowers, by K.L. Cerra (Random House)
“It rubs the lotion on its skin…”
WARNING: This post contains teeny-weeny plot details for The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, and Near the Bone by Christina Henry. I didn’t mean to read two books with themes of abduction and abuse back-to-back, but I did. Here are my highly scientific findings: I finally read The Last House on Needless … Continue reading “It rubs the lotion on its skin…”
Book Blatherings – March 31st
Book Surprises I got a lovely surprise this week. I finally bought a copy of Rachel Swirsky's collection, How the World Became Quiet. When it arrived, it was an immaculate ex-library book (which sadly looked unread), and when I opened the cover, I saw this: I love it when something secret appears in a used … Continue reading Book Blatherings – March 31st
My Week in Short Stories – March 1st to March 7th
This week, I had a couple of days where I didn't read any short stories. This has been a rarity this year, but I'm trying to get through the new David Mitchell novel, and until about halfway through, it's been a bit of a slog. Anyway, we're not here to talk about long-form literature. Let's … Continue reading My Week in Short Stories – March 1st to March 7th
Bookish Ramblings – Feb 29th
Subscription Boxes I LOVE a good subscription box. I'm lucky enough to live in a place where you can essentially get anything you want delivered to your door, so thoughtful, bespoke book services are very much my jam. I've subscribed to Powell's magnificent Indispensable for a year or so. Each box contains one gorgeous signed, … Continue reading Bookish Ramblings – Feb 29th
Book Review – No More Heroes by Stephen Thompson
No More Heroes was on one of those lists, "The Best Books of 2015 That You Haven't Read", or something. I often take offense at such lists, assuming that the writer has this wealth of knowledge that no one else could possibly possess. Anyway, it stood out because there was a quote from a reader … Continue reading Book Review – No More Heroes by Stephen Thompson
California Reading 