White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link. 4/5 I liked a lot of these tales, some of which I’ve encountered before, and was honestly kind of bored by others. I enjoyed The White Cat’s Divorce–which I also read as an …
A wonderful gothic novel and a gritty girl on Mars Read more »
The Essential Peter S. Beagle, Volume 1: Lila the Werewolf and Other Stories by Peter S. Beagle. 5/5 Jane Yolen’s utterly craven and insensitive Foreword is a disservice to Beagle’s works. Her use of the Uvalde, TX, massacre is despicable …
Book reviews: Peter S. Beagle, Indigenous fantasy, and horror Read more »
The Only Daughter by A.B. Yehoshua. 4/5 This is a bit odd. Based on the writing style, descriptions, and settings, I initially thought that this book was set in the 1950s, not the late 1990s. It’s a book about identity, …
New and dazzling poetry, an unexpected rom-com, and more Read more »
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong. 2/5 This spin-off from These Violent Delights (which I liked) and Our Violent Ends (which was an unnecessary mess of a sequel to These Violent Delights), is also mess. It doesn’t have the same …
Book reviews: psychological thrillers, witches, and twists Read more »
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott. 5/5Thistlefoot is the brilliant, clever, deeply and well thought-out magical realist book about the Jewish diaspora from Eastern Europe I have been waiting for. It’s beautifully written and original and heartbreaking and joyous. And it is …
Book reviews: My new favorite book, plus mysteries Read more »
Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros. 5/5 I loved this fantasy novel about three young people trying to find the protagonist’s unusual sister and end up creating world-shaking changes through magic and love and smart thinking. The world, its magic, and …
Book reviews: supernatural romance, the Birdverse, and more Read more »
Unravel by Amelia Loken. 5/5 Reader, I devoured this one. A disabled heroine who saves the day? Magic sewing and other kinds of needlework? Shakespeare, fairy tale, and song references? Witch trial realities? Strong women leading armies? Hell yes! Protagonist …
Book reviews: orphans, poetry, magic needlework, and monsters Read more »
Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne. 4/5 Wake the Bones is a solid example of rural horror, drawing on the constant living with life and death in the woods and fields. Protagonist Laurel and the three men who assist her …
First reviews of 2022: horror, poetry, witchcraft, and more Read more »
Petrograd by Philip Gelatt. 3/5 Petrograd is the story of the murder of Rasputin by Russian nobles. Told through sepia-toned graphics and a fast-paced series of dialogues and events, the book delves into rumors that the British SIS and its …
What got a 5/5 in 2021? Here’s the list. I acquired all of these from NetGalley; they’re listed in roughly the order I read them. Fencing With the King by Diana Abu-Jaber Oedipus Trilogy by Sophocles, trans. Bryan Doerries I …