Jennifer's back for 2024!

I’m back for 2024!

2023 was a roller coaster of a year for us. We finished up repairs for Hurricane Ian, my husband had an ankle surgery that took him out of commission for nearly two months, and we also had to say goodbye to our dear hound, Arthur. By our best guess, he was around fifteen (and we’d had him for 11 of those years). I didn’t post about it here because, simply, it was just too hard.

But, for him, a picture in memory:



He loved being at the beach--you can see it on his face. He got a bit of his youth back when we got Charlie--and he'd picked her out, so these last few years were good ones. I think I'll miss him forever.

I think it would have taken us a long time to get another dog, but even though he'd never really been able to keep up with Charlie, she missed him desperately, and we knew we couldn't wait long. Just like we'd let Arthur make the final choice about bringing her home, we waited only a few months before taking her out to look for another shelter dog to make the home complete. We/she found a big shelter mutt named Gouda, and decided to adopt him and rename him Guinness. He’s about Charlie’s age, and makes a great playmate for her, so you’ll meet him below.

Meanwhile, it’s been a super-slow year for writing. My agent and I decided to part ways (amicably), and the tension/struggle leading up to me making that decision made it hard for me to focus on writing. I’m slowly getting back into the swing of querying a new book, but querying is tougher than ever, so we’ll see how it goes. My old book is still out to a few editors through my old agent, just in case a slow-moving bite comes in. I’m also a little ways into a few different WIPs and hoping to make a lot of progress in the new year.

I did have another successful year as a freelance editor/ghostwriter/book coach, which I’m incredibly thankful for. A lot of freelancers I know had to go back to more traditional work during or after covid because their work dried up, so I count myself lucky. And I’ve really fallen in love with ghostwriting too—I just have to figure out how to better balance that against my own writing, assuming I get another big contract since my current one’s ending soon.

Oh, and then there’s reading! It looks like I’ll end up finishing up the year at right around 108 reads. Not bad! I didn’t quite make all of my challenges (especially trying to read more nonfiction), but I did pretty well.

This coming year, I’ll continue trying to do my alphabet challenge of reading through the alphabet with first letters of titles AND last names of authors (success in 2023!), the randomcat challenge (success in 2023!), the alphakit challenge (looks like I may be short by one book for 2023), the SFFKit (again, coming short by one book), and the ScaredyKit challenge (which looks like a success for 2023). I’ll also be continuing to aim for reading 24 HOWLS books with the Howl Society over the course of the year, which I did just manage this year. The one additional Cat I hope to participate in is the CalendarCat.
So, with all that said... here’s me looking forward to a less tumultuous year of writing and reading and fur-babies!

Planning 2024 Reads

This is Guinness, being closely examined by Ziva. They’ve become good pals since this was taken! And this is a good shot of his size! He’s about 70 pounds, and we think he’s got some Rottweiler and Hound (he bays like a hound!), along with some St. Bernard, because you should see the drool fly when treats come out...



I came so, so, so painfully close to meeting my goals last year, except in my plan to read more nonfiction. Here’s hoping I can make it happen this year....

February: Cradle of Ice (SFFKit)
March: Mindhunter (ScaredyKit)
September: It's Raining Frogs and Fishes (RandomCat)
December: The Darkest Night: 22 Winter Horror Stories (HOWL #3), The Absolute Book (SFFKit & 'K' AlphaKit)

Currently Reading: A Discovery of Witches, The Power of Horror, The Absolute Book, The Enigma of China

Personally completing the alphabet via titles and authors...

Title Alphabet:

A B C D E F G H I _ K L M N O P Q R S T U _ W X Y Z

Unaccounted for in plans: J (Jade War or Jarhead?), V (The Vanishing Season?)

Author Alphabet:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W _ Y Z

Looking at Publication Dates for Books Read:

1936 (1),
1942 (1),
1960 (1), 1969 (1)
1971 (1), 1972 (1), 1978 (1),
1983 (1), 1984 (1), 1985 (1), 1988 (1)
1992 (1), 1998 (1)
2000 (1), 2002 (1), 2003 (1), 2004 (1), 2006 (2), 2008 (2), 2009 (1)
2010 (5), 2011 (5), 2013 (3), 2015 (2), 2016 (2), 2017 (1), 2018 (3), 2019 (3)
2020(5), 2021 (10), 2022 (14), 2023 (13), 2024 (4)

GIVEAWAYS TO BE READ:
Millard Salter's Last Day (LT)
The Crowns of Croswald (LT)
Learning to Cry (LT)
Acheron (GR)
Code Peking Duck (LT)

HOWL Society Books! Every month, I’m waiting on staring at my screen, wondering what we’ll be reading next month after voting closes. I imagine I look about as pitiful waiting as Charlie looks with her favorite octopus. My plan is, once again, to read twenty-four, even if that means one book in a few months and three in others.



1. The Hunger by Alma Katsu (2*)
2. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (5*)
3. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (4.5*)
4. The Dybbuk by S. Ansky (4.5*)
5. Phantoms by Dean Koontz (3.5*)
6. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (5*)
7. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez (3.5*)
8. Frozen Hell by John W. Campbell, Jr. (4*)
9. Below by Laurel Hightower (4*)
10. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (3*)
11. Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley (4*)
12. Poe's Children: The New Horror: An Anthology edited by Peter Straub (2.5*)
13. Slither by Edward Lee (1.5*)
14. Never Have I Ever by Isable Yap (5*)
15. Zone One by Colson Whitehead (1.5*)
16. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman (5*)
17. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (2*)
18. Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica (2*)
19. Ubik by Philip K. Dick (3*)
20. Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs (4.5*)
21. A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock (5*)
22. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell (3.5*)
23. Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (3*)
24. Revelator by Daryl Gregory (5*)

RandomCat! What more needs to be said? But here’s a picture of Hart randomly putting Charlie in time out!



1. Murderbirds edited by Mike Jack Stoumbos (4*)
2. The Free People's Village by Sim Kern (5*)
3. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (3*)
4. Owls and Other Fantasies by Mary Oliver (4.5*)
5. Leonardo's Nephew: Essays on Art and Artists by James Fenton (4*)
6. Compass Rose by John Casey (4.5*)
7. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman (5*)
8. Alien Artifacts edited by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray (3*)
9. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (5*)
10. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (3*)
11. Karaoke Culture by Dubravka Ugresic (3*)
12.

I love the SFFKit. I came within one long book of finishing it up this year. Let’s see what happens next year. Meanwhile, I present to you a dog named Guinness who is sometimes so long that you’d think him to be right out of a sci-fi story...



1. Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames (4*)
2. The Blood Gospel by James Rollins (4.5*)
3. A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen (4.5*)
4. Forget Me Not (Systema Paradoxa Volume 10) by Carol Gyzander (3.5*)
5. Exiled Fleet by J.S. Dewes (5*)
6. Contact by Carl Sagan (3.5*)
7. Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton (3.5*)
8. Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (4*)
9. After the Dragons by Cynthia Zhang (5*)
10. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (3*)
11.
12.

The ScaredyKit. I love nothing more than curling up with a cup of coffee, Ziva on my lap and grabbing for my coffee, and diving in.



1. The Neighbors: A Gripping Psychological Thriller by Alex Witcher (5*)
2. The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (4*)
3. To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames (5*)
4. Humans are the Problem edited by Michael Cluff and Willow Becker (4*)
5. The Boys from Santa Cruz by Jonathan Nasaw (5*)
6. Another Dead Intern by Joel Spriggs (1.5*)
7. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor (4*)
8. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (4*)
9. The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp (4*)
10. Wolf Land by Jonathan Janz (4*)
11. Queer Little Nightmares edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli (3*)
12.

The CalendarCat. This was fun before, and I’m looking forward to enjoying it again! But no matter what time of year it is, our cats always consider it time for blankets, so here’s a quick peek at Ziva and Quinn.



1. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (4*)
2. Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman (3.5*)
3. Night Shift by Robin Triggs (4*)
4. Linghun by Ai Jiang (5*)
5. The Poet and the Donkey by May Sarton (4.5*)
6. Compass Rose by John Casey (4.5*)
7. The Witchery by S. Isabelle (5*)
8. A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (4.5*)
9. Anoka by Shane Hawk (4*)
10. October Dreams edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish (3*)
11. The Stranger by Albert Camus (5*)
12. The Hypnotic Tales of Rafael Sabatini edited by Donald K. Harman

And then there’s the AlphaKit—fun to make my way through, and it always helps me to choose my way through my TBR (which is harder than Guinness choosing his favorite toy)!



1. Envy the Night by Michael Koryta 'E' - 5*
2. You are My Sunshine and Other Stories by Octavia Cade 'Y' - 5*
3. The Dybbuk and Other Writings by S. Ansky 'A' - 4.5*
4. The Free People's Village by Sim Kern 'F' - 5*
5. Sick Crush by Alta Hensley 'H' - 1.5*
6. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due 'R' - 5*
7. Owls and Other Fantasies by Mary Oliver 'O' - 4.5*
8. Under the Heavens by Ruth Fox 'U' - 4*
9. The Poet and the Donkey by May Sarton 'P' - 4.5*
10. The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville 'N' - 5*
11. The Boys from Santa Cruz by Jonathan Nasaw 'B' - 5*
12. Pebble & Dove by Amy Jones 'J' - 4*
13. The Witchery by S. Isabelle 'I' - 5*
14. Contact by Carl Sagan 'S' - 3.5*
15. A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney 'G' - 4*
16. Seasons of Purgatory by Shahriar Mandanipour 'M' - 4*
17. I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura Van den Berg 'V' - 5*
18. The Watcher and Other Stories by Italo Calvino 'C' - 4*
19. Dream Rooms by River Halen 'D' - 5*
20. The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp 'T' - 4*
21. What Doesn't Kill You by Ken Brosky 'W' - 4*
22. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie 'L' - 3*
23. Queer Little Nightmares edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli 'Q' (3*)
24.

Nonfiction. I am once again going to do my best to force myself to read nonfiction. I failed miserably last year. Maybe Charlie will help me put down the remote?



1. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (3*)
2. Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake (4.5*)
3. Leonardo's Nephew: Essays on Art and Artists by James Fenton (4*)
4. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (5*)
5. Karaoke Culture by Dubravka Ugresic (3*)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

But I did manage to read twelve poetry collections last year! I want to make sure to do so again.



1. Owls and Other Fantasies by Mary Oliver (4.5*)
2. The Saint of Witches by Avra Margariti (4*)
3. The Smallest of Bones by Holly Lyn Walrath (5*)
4. Sheet Music to my Acoustic Nightmare by Stephanie M. Wytovich (4*)
5. Poems of my Night by Cynthia Pelayo (2*)
6. Dream Rooms by River Halen (5*)
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

And finally, of course I managed to read twelve books from my favorite authors in 2023, and hope to do the same in 2024. I can lap up those like Guinness laps up a Starbucks pup cup!



1. Envy the Night by Michael Koryta (5*)
2. The Free People's Village by Sim Kern (5*)
3. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due (5*)
4. The Blood Gospel by James Rollins (4.5*)
5. A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen (4.5*)
6. Leonardo's Nephew: Essays on Art and Artists by James Fenton (4*)
7. The Boys from Santa Cruz by Jonathan Nasaw (5*)
8. Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton (3.5*)
9. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman (5*)
10. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (4*)
11. The Girls in the Cabin by Caleb Stephens (5*)
12.

So sorry for your loss of Arthur; that's a lovely photo of him. But best of luck with your 2024 reading and with incorporating Guinness into the menagerie -- looks like he is already doing great!

I'm so sorry about Arthur. He looks like a great dog. What a good idea to take Charlie to find a new companion. And I do think he looks like a Guiness.

Love all the fur baby pics (especially the kitties). Good luck with your reading in 2024.

I am also very sorry to read about the loss of Arthur. It's never easy losing a loved one. Good luck with your 2024 reading and have fun caring for all your fur-babies.

Good luck with your 2024 reading and Guiness!

I'm so sorry about Arthur. He looks so happy in that beach photo. Sending cuddles to the whole pet crew.

Guinness is a great name for the new dog. It suits his colouring :) Also, Arthur was the first name of the inventor of Guinness beer!

Great categories, and good luck with your reading in 2024!

It is so hard to lose a furry companion. Even though you love the new pet, you never forget your old friend.

I'm sorry for your loss of Arthur, it's so hard to lose such an important member of the family. Guinness looks like a right goofball, and like he's fitting in already, I think he's landed on his feet with his new humans!

Happy reading with your furry crew! And fond memories of Arthur, of course.

Thank you so much, everyone. All of the messages about Arthur are really appreciated, he was such a big part of our world for so long (my husband's very first dog, ever, also). I think he'd approve of our Guinnes, though, and I'm looking forward to sharing the new reading year with you, along with new stories of our fur babies!

>17 rabbitprincess:, I didn't know that! I'll have to tell my husband, and I know he'll get a big kick out of it!

Love the pet photos! Guinness is a beauty - good choice by Charlie. Happy reading in 2024.

So sorry for your loss. That’s a great picture of Arthur—he looks so happy! I love the photos of the rest of the crew too.

Guiness has certainly landed in the proverbial catbird seat! I wish you many happy years with your long boy. Here's to 2024 being a great reading (and writing) year.

Thank you for stopping by, everyone! As things are wrapping up in 2023, I hope you're enjoying the last bits of the year and getting ready for another great year of reading!

As for me...

I'm trying to finish up The Ghost Sequences before 2024 starts, but the books that will be following me into the new year, and which I'm actively reading vs taking a break from, are A Darker Shade of Noir and From the Mouth of the Whale.

Beyond those, my plans for January include:

The Hunger by Alma Katsu (HOWL Book Club Read #1)
The Dybbuk by S. Ansky (HOWL Book Club Read #2 & 'A' AlphaKit)
Murderbirds: An Avian Anthology (RandomCat)
Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames (SFFKit)
The Neighbors by Alex Witcher (ScaredyKit)
The Blind Owl by Sadiq Hidayat (CalendarCat)
and You Are My Sunshine and Other Stories by Octavia Cade (AlphaKit 'Y')

A number of these are pretty short, so I've got my fingers crossed that I'll start the new year off by meeting my January reading goals, even with travel coming into play! We'll see how it goes...

After some travel, I've got some catching up to do!

1. A Darker Shade of Noir edited by Joyce Carol Oates

Despite the number of big names in this collection, I have to admit that it was fairly lackluster for me personally. While there were some gems in the collection--especially the works by Tananarive Due and Margaret Atwood--there were just as many stories that felt either unpolished or unedited, and a few that just didn't feel like they fit in a collection of body horror. All told, while I generally love collections put out by Akashic, I wasn't sure what to make of this one, and I doubt I'd pick up another collection edited by Oates after reading this. The stories were somehow too one-tone while also not always feeling as if they fit the theme, and I was glad to finish it up.

2. The Hunger by Alma Katsu

I've heard such fantastic things about this author, but it seems I started with the wrong book. In truth, the more I think about this one, the less I like it, and that's never a good sign.

It's a page-turner through the first third--I have to give it that much. Early on, I was fully engaged and anxious to keep going, thinking it was a fantastic way to start off a new year of reading. But then things fizzled. One problem is the number of POV characters. There are so many POVs that, unique as they are, all of the main characters come across as somewhat superficial and undeveloped simply because of the sheer number of them. You may feel truly engaged by one, and then not come across it again for another sixty or seventy pages. Similarly, there are a number of chapters devoted to exploring particular characters' histories...but since we see so little of the characters in the present, and the backstory doesn't add much which couldn't be summed up quickly, all that backstory only separates us from the readers more, making it feel as if we're getting snapshots and ideas of who these people are rather than actually being allowed to engage with them.

But perhaps that brings us to the fact that, to Katsu's way of thinking/planning, these characters are based off of real people and real history. Unfortunately, my uncharitable view is that Katsu changed so much about the characters--oh, how I'd be mad if I were one of their ancestors!--and did so little justice to the actual history which supposedly inspired this book, that the only reason I can think for her to even bother connecting this book to the history is that she wanted to 'cash in' on the historical connection. I truly can't come up with any other rationale, much as I hate to say it, because the characters are so different and this could so easily have simply been fiction without any mention of history. And, it likely would have been better...after all, part fo the problem here is that the reader loosely knows what's coming because of the history Katsu supposedly focused on, which means that plot can only hold so much mystery. Leaving a reader to focus on character development and engagement, which doesn't get us very far.

All told, I'm not sure when (or if) I'll try Katsu again. The taste in my mouth from this book is, put bluntly, one of disrespect. That she disrespected the history and the real people involved by tying this book--this work of fiction--to their names and their tragedy. And when it comes right down to it, I'm not sure why I should support an author who'd do that when I have so many other choices demanding to be read.

Obviously, this isn't one I'd recommend.

(By the way, I've got some much more positive reviews coming soon, I promise!)

3. The Neighbors: A Gripping Psychological Thriller by Alex Witcher

I picked up Witcher's work thinking that I'd just read a few chapters and then go to bed. An hour later, I re-filled my water glass and changed into pajamas...and kept reading. And reading. Until, later in the night and long past when I'd planned to go to go to bed, I finally read the last page and was able to close the book. I'm not sure any thriller has ever kept me so anxious to know what was coming, to the extent that I just didn't contemplate putting the book down--it wasn't an option.

Witcher's tight plotting combined with surprising reveals/twists and believable characters makes for a fantastic book, and I'm anxious to see what he puts out next. This was fantastic, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

>29 whitewavedarling: Glad that one delivered!

>30 RidgewayGirl:, Me too! And now I've got another author to keep looking forward to new work from :)

Meanwhile, for everyone's amusement...

I just finished explaining to our local Walgreens pharmacy that my cat Ziva is a cat. Again. And explaining that cats are not going to be covered by our health insurance, no matter how many times they try to run through the prescription and get them covered. Because, again, cat.

And when she asked if Ziva would be willing to pay the $18 for the prescription, not covered by insurance, I explained again that Ziva is a cat and thus has no money, but we as her people will gladly pay it. Because, you know, health, but she is still a cat and will as far as I know remain a cat.

I do not know how many times I have had this conversation at this point. Sigh.

>31 whitewavedarling: LOL I had no idea you could even pick up an animal's prescription at a Walgreens!

>32 christina_reads:, Sometimes! I can't remember the rationale for this one, she's been on it for so long. We used to pick up our dear Arthur's Xanax from them too, though most of our pet meds do come direct from the vet!

>29 whitewavedarling: Somebody, somewhere else recommended this. On my WL it goes. Psychological thrillers are my favorite sub-genre.

>34 Tess_W:, Let me know what you think of it when you get to it!

4. Murderbirds: Unhelpful Encyclopedia Vol. 1 edited by Mike Jack Stoumbos

This is such a fun, fantastical anthology. With a mix of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, the stories here offer an incredible variety of unique stories featuring birds of all sorts, and in ways I couldn't have imagined before picking up the book. With such unique concepts and shifts in tone and genre, it feels like there'll be something here for nearly every reader--particularly bird lovers, though, of course. Some of the stand-outs for me were "Outback Attack" by John K. Patterson, "Polly Want an Apple" by Mike Jack Stoumbos, "Felix and the Flamingo" by David Hankins, "Cheer Hawks and a Side of Murder" by Crystal Crawford, and "Falcon's Apprentice" by Jody Lynn Nye.

Absolutely recommended for all those interested.

5. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat, translated by Naveed Noori

This is a fever-dream of a dark, compelling novel, and a reading experience that sucks one in until each moment is its own small psychological impact. A novel that was banned in Hedayat's home country of Iran, the work mounts gorgeous prose, a poetic sensibility, and a sometimes-style of repetition that makes one feel as if they're being sucked into a whirlpool of a story. It's a novel to be sucked into and experience...and perhaps to be read more than once if the darkness isn't too much.

Recommended.

6. From the Mouth of the Whale by Sjon

One of the stranger works of historical fiction I've read, this stream-of-consciousness tale moves through territory of history, fable, story, poetry, and forays into the speculative at a frightening pace, but is carried along by a tough lyricism that all but demands a reader keep going. It feels like this book might be one which could benefit from a second and even a third read, but so much of what I enjoyed here was in the 'experience' and poetry of the first reading, I suspect I'm more likely to try one of Sjon's other works. This one was an interesting one, certainly, but covered so much territory that the reading felt more fragmented and wandering than I really would have liked.

I've been so busy lately, I'm a review behind and also behind on reading, but I figured it was about time to check in--albeit in a loose attempt to keep myself accountable!

The books following me from January into February include The Dybbuk and Other Writings and Bloody Rose, both of which I'm about halfway through. I started Envy the Night February 2nd, and am loosely halfway through that one too lol.

My additional loose plans for February include:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (as a HOWLS book club read)
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (as a HOWLS book club read)
Free People's Village by Sim Kern (for the RandomCat & 'F' AlphaKit)
Cradle of Ice by James Rollins (for the SFFKit)
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (for the ScaredyKit)
and Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman (for the CalendarCat)

I suspect something will end up getting left by the wayside, but I'm determined that it not be The Death of Jane Lawrence since I've already *planned* to read that book two or three times and kept on not doing it!

I'm behind on reviews again, but here's at least one as I move toward catching up:

7. Envy the Night by Michael Koryta

Koryta has become one of my favorite authors, and this thriller may not end up being my favorite, but it's still a fantastic, page-turning novel that kept me desperate to read more. His storytelling and the wonderfully believable characters he creates stand out above many of the suspense novels I pick up--they just have such depth, each story feels more real than not, as if we're seeing into a world rather than being told a short tale of one.

Absolutely recommended.

8. You Are My Sunshine and Other Stories by Octavia Cade

There is such fantastic power in Cade's writing, and this brief collection screams with passion and with stories worth whole worlds.

Stelliform Press has become a favorite of mine ever since I discovered them, and so I expected great things from this collection. Yet, I was still blown away. Cade's writing marries speculative thrills and high-concept stories with a passion for science, the environment, and the natural world. While the stories range through genres, with a few being closer to horror and many being closer to near-future sci-fi or even potentially near-future realism, they come together in a collage of insight and nuance that screams with emotional intelligence and a desperate hope for the world. Cade's natural story-telling ability is alone worth seeking out, but the ideas and characters here are so unique and real, the book is perhaps the most powerful collection I've read, and I adored it.

Some of my favorite stories in the bunch: "You are My Sunshine" (the title story), "Tidemarks", "Inside the Body of Relatives", "The Streams are Paved with Fish Traps", "Tranquility", and "You're Not the Only One".

But in truth, I'm sure I'll re-read the whole collection.

Absolutely recommended.

9. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

This is a fast-reading science-fiction thriller, and every time I picked it up, I sped forward in reading it. Without any doubt, Crouch did an absolutely stellar job with his concept, and for the most part, he made believable characters. I was rooting for the protagonist throughout, and enjoying the twists.

That said, it was an oddly stressful read because it moved so fast and things remained so desperate throughout. There were also some loose ends that I'd have preferred be cleared up, although I understand why they weren't, given the POV, and so those don't even bother me particularly. But all told, I'm not sure when/if I'll read more Crouch work. It was almost too much, too fast, and too open-ended for me to be 100% satisfied.

Still, it's a fantastic book worth reading. I'm just not sure I want more of the same flavor.

10. Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman

In the beginning, I had a hard time getting into Domestic Violets. The protagonist felt a little too crude and eye-rolly for me to particularly care about him, and the humor of the book was clearly meant to be humor, but put me off more than anything. And yet...I kept going. Perhaps because Norman's prose flowed so easily or I was curious where it was going, or perhaps just from inertia. Either way, by perhaps the midpoint, I was well enough engaged that I didn't want to put the book down and had begun to care about the characters despite myself and their floundering ways.

I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to--perhaps lovers of quirky domestic comedies in general fiction, or literary fiction on the domestic, quiet side of the aisle. In the end, I did rather enjoy it.

11. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I read American Gods when it first came out, some twenty years ago, and enjoyed it then, although I felt like quite a bit of it went over my head--perhaps because I read too fast? Reading it again some twenty years later, and reading Gaiman's preferred version that's some 12k longer than the original, I still suspect that many little details slipped by me, but I loved the journey of revisiting this book and these characters. There's something about this easy-going fantasy, traveling over endless territory and through so many gods' worlds, that is simply entrancing.

I'm not sure what genre it is, or why it is so hypnotic as it is, or even why I enjoy it so much, but I'll always recommend it.

12. The Dybbuk and Other Writings by S. Ansky

Encompassing a selection of Ansky's fiction, drama, and nonfiction, this collection is a step back through time, back to the beginning of the twentieth century and Jewish culture, life, and thought, particularly around the time of WWI. Even the fiction is so detailed, and so culture-rich, it feels as much like a peek into another time and history as it does like fiction. The standouts here are, though, Ansky's drama The Dybbuk and the English translation of a portion of his journals. The drama is as fascinating as it is powerful, and as short as it may be, the characters are built in a fashion that allows readers to fall into the drama's reality. The journals, much as the excerpt here may only be an excerpt of his much longer work, are difficult to read because of the territory of violence and poverty they cover, but also incredibly powerful, to the extent that I wish the rest of his nonfiction had been translated into English already.

I'd absolutely recommend this full collection for all those remotely interested.

13. The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

This is by far the best new gothic novel I've read in years; in fact, I'd put reading it off because I'd hit so many disappointments in the genre, but this one sucked me in almost immediately. Although the beginning was a somewhat slow start, I was still engaged and drawn in to the characters, and once the story really got going, I couldn't put the book down. Starling has such a dynamic story and characters here, with so much nuance to each plot turn and moment, I just adored it from start to finish.

This is absolutely a gothic horror novel and ghost story that I'll remember and recommend.

>46 whitewavedarling: I’ve had this on my TBR list forever. I’m glad to hear you recommend it—I’ll have to bump it up the list!

>47 Charon07:, Definitely do! I kept on planning on reading it the last two years, and kept not getting around to it. I'm so glad I finally did!

And meanwhile, as I slowly catch up on reviews...

14. Phantoms by Dean Koontz

Classic Koontz, this is one I read for the first time back in late elementary or early middle school. I've no memory of reading it back then, beyond the fact that I enjoyed it, but without question, this is one of those works I was devouring as I cemented my love of horror. Revisiting it now, some thirty years later, was everything I expected. Koontz's stories are fantastic, twisting in all the right ways and places. And although his dialogue and plenty of the exposition are fairly clunky, the book is still a fun, page-turning feast of horror.

Recommended for horror lovers.

15. Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

Reading the first book in this series, Kings of the Wyld, I fell into Eames' writing and had a difficult time putting the book down even when my eyes were crossed and my hands exhausted from holding it up. I couldn't wait to read more and see where Eames was taking us, and I felt all of the emotions one hopes for with a good book. So, with that experience in mind, I was thrilled to pick up Bloody Rose. And, admittedly, I enjoyed this book quite a bit...but it just didn't live up to Kings of the Wyld, and I can't pretend otherwise.

I think part of the fault in this book not living up to its predecessor's standard lies in the choice of narrator. While I understand Eames' choice here, Tam Hashford isn't as dynamic or sympathetic or Clay Cooper; more problematically for the reader, she just doesn't have as much struggle and depth. This isn't to say that she doesn't struggle in the book, as any good narrator would, but we don't feel the depth of her emotions or her want. We don't feel her being torn in different directions like we did with Clay Cooper, and the truth is that we're more tied to the people around her, at least emotionally, than we are to her. Or, at least, this was my experience. As much as I liked the idea, going into the book, of being tied to a young bard, her being the band's objective witness was just a bit too objective, and it didn't really feel like the book earned her end-point.

I'll still look forward to Eames' next book, but this one didn't have the same impact as the first book in the series, and since I thought the story and the writing and the humor were all as fantastic as before, I keep coming back to the narrator and how unconnected I felt emotionally. This might have been a stand-out book if not for the high standard set for the first, though.

Recommended for fans of the first in the series, though with the caveat that this one doesn't live up to the first.

16. The Free People's Village by Sim Kern

I've struggled to write a review of this queer alternate history novel, ever since I read it, and that's for one simple reason: Sim Kern is a powerhouse voice, and this is a book which everyone should be reading and talking about.

Encapsulating what's best and worst about our world, taking a real look at social justice initiatives on a local level, and building a wonderfully queer world of believable characters and meaningful interaction, this book is one of those which comes across as deceptively straight-forward and page-turning. But with each page and each emotion, the impact grows, until one wishes they could turn away from the book, with all its horror and humor, but simply cannot.

I'm not doing justice to this book, but I can tell you that it's a work of nature, and whatever Sim Kern writes next, I'll be in line for it. I hope everyone will read this book and share it with a friend, or a hundred friends. This is a book that needs to be read. But if this review leaves you thinking it's just a thought book, or just a message book, think again: the story here is as fantastic as Kern's voice, and it's the truth and the heart and the characters that make it all ring out with power.

17. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

I bought this book years ago, and although I've long since been aware that it's more travel/nature-writing than about wildlife, let alone the snow leopard in particular, I admit I was still hoping for more of a focus on wildlife. There's no denying that Matthiessen is an incredibly talented nature writer, and for what it is, I enjoyed reading about his travels and hiking, but I can't help feeling that the book is closer kin to books on spirituality and eastern philosophy than it is to anything related to nature and/or wildlife. I'm not sure if this is in the territory of the rest of Matthiessen's writing, but it's undeniable that I feel a touch misled and likely won't read his other works.

I'd recommend this for readers interested in personal spiritual journeys undertaken in nature and fans of nature-based travel writing, but that's about all I can say, I fear. It was fine, but it really wasn't for me.

18. Sick Crush by Alta Hensley

This was a fast read, but that's about the best thing I can to say about, I'm afraid. It's certainly reminded me to take that line about someone being a 'USA Today Bestselling Author' with a grain of salt since, to be honest, I can't imagine reading this and running out to buy more of Hensley's work.

All told, I just take issue with the lack of depth. The first half of this felt like a straightforward presentation of tropes and stereotypes, and when the twist came, that was a pleasant surprise...but it also felt more like the author had been playing with the reader than anything since the POV she'd chosen should have shown her hand much earlier. I hate the feeling of an author playing games with a reader instead of allowing a story to unfold naturally, twists included, so that was a major point against the book for me. But even beyond that, the way Hensley stuck to the stereotypes of the characters and didn't really show us anything more than instalove made for a fairly dry book, and characters that were difficult to believe in as the book got further in. Emotions weren't given time to develop, and we'd go from anger to forgiveness after a few frantic pages of interior monologue. That's the other issue--all of the character development depended on nothing more than frantic inner monologue, beyond fully developed scenes and the progression of any real feelings or relationship.

I've got another book by Hensley already sitting on my shelf. I'm honestly not sure I'll read it, given that it's already there, but I won't be buying more of her books.

19. Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

This is a fascinating journey into the world of fungi and nature at large. I had my favorite chapters, but truly, the whole book entranced me and left me fascinated from one page to the next. Sheldrake writes about the natural world, and fungi more specifically, with such engaging prose that it's impossible not to fall under the spell of this book.

Absolutely recommended for anyone interested in ecology, the environment, and of course fungi.

20. West Jerusalem Noir

As I write this, we're six months into Israel's full-out assault on Gaza and the Palestinian people, and to be honest, it's impossible to read this anthology right now without that context being a shadow over the stories. That's why I ended up putting off reading this arc, though I'm normally anxious to dive into a new Akashic Noir anthology as soon as it comes. That said, I did my best to separate current events from the stories I read as I moved through this anthology, and in some cases managed better than in others.

The stories that pay attention to the occupation were, for me, the most current-feeling ones, though they were often the ones that felt less 'noir' in nature. Many of these, though, felt as much like slice-of-life stories as fully built short stories in a noir anthology, and although the setting itself was brought to life over and over and over again, that sometimes seemed like the only connective tissue, even above tone and genre. And while I did enjoy a number of them, many felt somewhat unfinished or out of place.

In the end, I'm always glad to have been exposed to the new authors I find in a noir anthology from Akashic, but I'm glad this wasn't my first, or I'm not sure I'd feel the need to seek out more. I'd probably mostly recommend this anthology to readers who want to explore literature placed in Jerusalem moreso than to someone seeking a particular genre.

21. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Due has long been one of my favorite writers, and this book may be her best yet--at the very least, it is absolutely the best historical horror novel I've ever read. With haunting attention to every detail, and equal parts emotional impact and horror, this story is one that will stay with me for ages to come. Due's characters are more alive than ever--which is saying quite a bit--and even the smallest of them gets such attention as to be either heart-rending or terrifying.

I'd absolutely recommend this to any horror reader, as well as readers interested in historical fiction (haunting or otherwise) that deals with race and/or the mid-twentieth-century South.

>53 whitewavedarling: I'm putting Entangled Life on my library wishlist though it may be a long time before I get to it.

>56 hailelib:, I'm glad! It was such a fun book to read. And I'm not much for nonfiction generally, but this one was so fascinating I just kept sinking into it :)

>55 whitewavedarling: I’ve added The Reformatory to my TBR after that powerful recommendation. (BTW, your touchstone is pointing to the wrong book.)

>58 Charon07:, I'm glad to hear it--and, thank you!!! I'll fix it now :)

22. Night Shift by Robin Triggs

This wasn't the book I expected it to be, but the further I got into it, the more I enjoyed it. An old-fashioned mystery in a high-tech, high-stress environment, it ramps up more and more as a reader pursues the story, and there are some fun twists to keep it moving fast. The characters are believable and strong, as well, so while there were moments when I wished for a slightly deeper read, I ended up having a lot of fun with it.

Recommended for readers of thrillers.

23. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez

I read Enriquez's Things We Lost in the Fire when it first came out, and fell in love with her haunting brand of literary stories. When I finished the collection, I immediately searched for more...and couldn't find them.

This is Enriquez's second collection published/translated into English, but was written prior to TWLitF. I didn't realize that at first, but was glad to discover it simply because while I enjoyed most of these stories, they didn't live up to the memory of what I'd experienced in her work before. It's possible this book suffered some from me reading through all of the stories quickly, vs pacing them out, as the themes/devices got to feeling repetitive after a while, but I suspect it's simply that Enriquez grew as a writer between this, her first collection, and her second one.

I'd still recommend this one, particularly to writers new to her work, but it's her other collection that I really loved. Obviously, I'll remain on the lookout for more of her work.

24. Frozen Hell by John W. Campbell

The Thing has long been my favorite horror movie--one of my favorite movies, period--and so reading the source material for the movie was long overdue. I ended up reading this extended version which was only published more recently, long after the original WHO GOES THERE? inspired the films. This longer version of the novella, discovered among Campbell's papers at Harvard, includes a longer and more developed introductory section of three chapters that were essentially cut prior to the initial publication.

First, I want to note that the preface and introduction here are well worth reading. In discussing Campbell's history and writings, they not only give context for the work (both long and short), but offer up a fantastic reading list for any reader who came to sci-fi late (like me) and is hoping to go back and read more of the classics. The novella itself is more than worth reading, of course. From a writer's perspective, it's fascinating to look at the decisions Campbell made and wonder what changes he might have made to the early chapters if he'd chosen to publish the full novella as a work initially. Now, there's certainly good case for understanding why he made the cuts, but I was still glad to read the whole.

This novella moves fast--especially in the final few chapters--and it was sometimes difficult for me to separate my hyper-awareness/memory of the movie from the story. I think, for me, that probably made the story even more encompassing and enjoyable, and that I might have felt it read too fast otherwise. But on the whole, I loved it--it's a fantastic piece of science fiction horror, worthy of time from any lover of the genre.

Absolutely recommended.

25. Linghun by Ai Jiang

Knowing that Linghun would be focused on grief, I took far longer than I might have in getting around to reading it, but I'm so glad I finally did.

A haunting meditation, the novella Linghun is also a magical story which is as sweet as is it is horrific. For readers who've spent serious time wrapped in their own grief, there are moments where which will ring as true as any memory or moment in time, when you'll see each other in each of the characters and their flawed struggles, and too easily be able to imagine yourself ensnared in the simple traps laid out in the world Jiang builds here. Because what is so magical here--and so terrifying--is that the grief tearing at each character's fabric is just so connective that it makes each desperate situation understandable, even as different as the characters and their choices may be. As such, the novella is incredibly powerful, and with characters that will live with me for a long time yet. Even as I hated Jiang for making some of the eventual choices she made, I ended up loving the book all the more, and I suppose that goes to show the true craftsmanship here, even atop her gorgeous way with language.

The one caveat I have to give about this book: I actually went in thinking that Linghun was ONLY a novella. I didn't realize there were a few short stories included at the end of the book. The problem, simply, is that while those stories are incredible--wonderful feats of world-building and story-telling in and of themselves--they can't help paling after the depth and power encased in the fuller novella preceding them. I wish I'd known they were there and read them first, to be honest, or simply put the book down for a few weeks and then got back to them, and I think I would have appreciated them more. I'm not sure why the editors made the choice to include them after the novella, but personally, I'd suggest readers experience them seperately, either earlier or quite a bit after, so that they can receive their due attention/worth.

Either way, though, this small collection is wonderful. I'll read anything Jiang writes in the future.

>63 whitewavedarling: Great review. I’ve added Linghun to my TBR.

>64 Charon07:, I'm so glad! It's such a wonderful book.

And, meanwhile, another...

26. Owls and Other Fantasies by Mary Oliver

I return sporadically to this book when I want a sense of calm. The calm of a knowing bird's silent gaze, the calm of a swan slipping along the top of a lake, the calm of birdsong coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. There's a peace in these poems that I fall into, whether reading it in glimpses or in whole.

Nature poetry doesn't always have the power (to me) of these poems. Often enough, I grow bored or annnoyed with it seemingly trying to do more than it does, or be more than it is. Pushing language too hard and erupting overtop what it's supposedly attempting. But Oliver's poems are something else, quiet and good and easy, but still with an awareness of the larger world even as she examines the simple forms, actions, and attentions described so beautifully here.

And of course there are the essays. When I come back to this work, I say I won't cry over a re-read of "Bird", and then of course I do indeed cry over a reread of "Bird." Perhaps one day I'll look up interviews or see what she's said more about this essay and the experience driving it, or perhaps I'll just reread it again and cry again with the imagining.

The poems here are gorgeous. And in a world so dark as it can be, sometimes the simplest glimpse of a bird, as in these pages, can mean everything.

Recommended.

>63 whitewavedarling: Taking a BB for this one.

>66 lowelibrary:, I'm so glad!

>62 whitewavedarling: I may have to get Frozen Hell or at least look up Who Goes there in my books!

>68 hailelib:, I'm glad I read it! I'd originally planned on reading Who Goes There? instead, but then it became clear that the originally published novella is a bit harder to get your hands on then Frozen Hell. I did end up picking it up in a collection of Campbell's work, but since the "revision" is primarily an extension backward of the beginning/new chapters, I'm not sure whether or not I'll bother to read it--at least not any time soon, since it kind of feels like I've already read it now.

27. Under the Heavens by Ruth Fox

Fox's Under the Heavens is a blend of space opera, speculative climate fiction, and young adult dystopian. Admittedly, I went into it not realizing there'd be such a heavy YA dystopian element, and I think that's what largely threw off the fix for me. I absolutely loved the larger story and the concepts involved, but I was really in the book for the speculative climate fiction element, and the bridging of eco-fiction/biological concerns with science fiction. Instead, though, that dystopian YA and the hard space opera feel often left me feeling anxious for the story to get on with itself, and I didn't ultimately enjoy the book anywhere near as much as I'd expected to. Especially since the hard sci-fi was a little too belabored in some spots and could have used some editing down, this just wasn't what I was hopiong for.

I probably won't go on with this series, but if Fox turns to writing adult work, especially if it involves climate or marine concerns in either fashion, I'll certainly be anxious to try it.

28. To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames

To Break a Covenant blends gorgeous writing with found footage, a dangerously haunted town, wonderful atmosphere, creepy underground mine scenes, and an all-girl friend group of teenagers that reminds me of the friend group from It in the best ways possible. From the first few chapters, I was already hooked, but as I got further into the book, Ames' writing sucked me in such a way that I couldn't look away from the book. This is the first read I've had in ages which truly creeped me out, to the point that I couldn't go to bed after reading from the middle sections especially.

I want to note that I would not classify this as YA horror. There are element's of the full novel's structure which, to me, defy those genre expectations too much to be ignored--in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that's part of the reason that this book's average rating is lower than I'd expect. The protagonists are teenagers, yes, but they're adult-feeling, mature teenagers, which defies the traditional YA voice. And, of course, it IS possible for adult horror to have child or teen protagonists--just take King's books as example, not to mention Saul and other giants in the genre. So, I expect that while some marketing and readers might have seen this as YA, that's a disservice to the novel in many ways.

But truly, I could care less what you call it. If you're a horror-lover, just read it. From here on out, I'll be reading anything Ames puts out there.

29. The Saint of Witches by Avra Margariti

Horror poetry is an in-between territory balanced between conventions of the horror genre and powerful poetry. In this collection, I can't say that the balance is always spot-on--there are times when it feels like shock-tacular horror wins out over poetic instincts, and times when the sound of poetry moves away from horror--but there are so many poems here which DO exceed the expectations of that balance, it ends up being a more than worthwhile read.

My favorite poems here are the longer ones which move more into the realm of story vs siding more with the abstract. Some of my favorites: "The Thing About Stars", "Until You Reach Me", "A Flame, Snuffed", "The Toddler's Guide to Reincarnation", and "Mazzeratura or, The Penalty of the Sack"

Recommended for horror readers, with the warning only that much of this little book is incredibly dark, and packs a punch that I'm not so sure is often found in horror poetry.

30. The Smallest of Bones by Holly Lyn Walrath

This slim volume of poetry inspired by anatomy carries the same magic as Walrath's first collection, which I adored. Here, the poems slipped out into small bites and nibbles of thought and image are haunted by desire, feminism, and struggle, with each poem exhibiting something of a natural spiral of thought. The fact that the poems feel effortless is testament to Walrath's talent, and the gorgeous cover image of birds using a ribcage as a perch is the perfect lens through which to come to this collection, open-minded and open-hearted.

I'll read anything Walrath creates, and absolutely recommend this work.

31. The Blood Gospel by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

I discovered James Rollins' work while I was an undergrad in college, and he became a favorite almost immediately. His genre-blending into fun thrillers makes for fast, entertaining reading, and I just adore his storytelling. I think I put off reading this one only because I wasn't sure how a co-authored work of his would read, and of course, there are so many books that I never get around to anything as soon as I mean to anyway. In the end, though, I devoured this book--it kept me up well past when I'd normally have been sleeping on two consecutive nights, and I can't wait to dive into the sequel.

For a fast-reading horror-thriller that feels something like Indiana Jones blended in with Stephen King, this is perfect. Absolutely recommended.

>74 whitewavedarling: Taking a BB for this book.

>75 lowelibrary:, I'm glad! It was so much fun, I'll be picking up the sequel soon!

I'm already a full book into May...but realized I never even gave a beginning-of-the-month update! With good reason, though... It's been a heck of a (writing) week.

Aside from the normal work/life realities: On Monday, I was able to announce my inclusion in a short story TOC that I signed a contract for a while ago. On Tuesday, I got accepted into a separate anthology which I'd thought I was out of the running for. And...on Wednesday...I got a contract offer for a short horror novel! I'm still asking some questions and waiting on a few folks from other presses to get back to me, but it looks like my first horror novel might soon be contracted for publication :)

And, meanwhile, of course, I've been reading...

I just finished The Blood Gospel last night, and I'm loosely a hundred pages off from finishing Mike Chen's A Quantum Love Story.

Also ear-marked for this month, I've got the following books up on deck:

Below by Laurel Hightower (HOWL Book #1)
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (HOWL Book #2)
Leonardo's Nephew by James Fenton (RandomCat)
Humans are the Problem: A Monster's Anthology (ScaredyKit)
The Poet and the Donkey by May Sarton (CalendarCat & 'P' AlphaKit)
and, finally, Memory Collectors by Kim Neville (AlphaKit 'N')

>77 whitewavedarling: That is very exciting!

>77 whitewavedarling: Congratulations!

>77 whitewavedarling: Congratulations! I’ll keep an eye open for your LT author page!

>77 whitewavedarling: Such exciting writing news -- congratulations!

Thanks, all! The publishing world is so slow, it's fun to be able to celebrate when good news comes!

32. A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

I should say that I never would have read this book if it had been written by another writer. But Mike Chen's writing and storytelling are among my favorites, so I couldn't quite resist, much as I tried.

Fact 1: I'm super-picky about time travel stories. More often than not, they leave me grumbling about plot holes, with a headache, or just plain annoyed.
Fact 2: I sometimes read romance, but I avoid the more dramatic and sappy stories entirely. I much prefer action and/or humor.
Fact 3: I hated The Time Traveler's Wife so much that it's among a very short list of books which I so disliked that I not only swore off the author, but was physically mad at her for writing the book. Through angry, sobbing tears and disgust at myself for finishing the book, I swore (this was in 2010) that I'd never again read another book which tried to tackle both time travel and romance at the same time.

And I kept that promise...until this book showed up on my doorstep. You see, I'd pre-ordered it without paying much attention to the blurb, because again, it's MIKE CHEN. How could I not want to read whatever he wrote? But then I read the blurb, and put it aside. And read the blurb again a month later, and put it aside. And read the blurb again...

And I told myself, time loops aren't quite time travel, right? And I always search out books that deal with memory. And again, it's time loops, not time travel. Time loops, not time travel....

So, I read the book.

And honestly, I'm glad I did. In the end, I adored it. It was heartbreaking at so many moments--and I'm sure I'll never read it again, to be fair--and I saw some of the heartbreak coming, which made it all the harder to bear, but Chen injected enough humor and science(ish) into the work that the drama and heartbreak weren't allowed to hold the greater story back, and the story itself was pretty wonderful. It's ultimately my least favorite of Chen's works (though I've got one more to read that I'm saving for a proverbial rainy day), but I'm glad I semi-intentionally broke my promise to myself and read it. I'd certainly recommend it.

But if you think I'll ever read another book that bridges time-play (loops or travel) and romance...well, that's not happening. Not until one of my favorite authors (gulps) decides they have to write such a thing, too. Hopefully, it'll be at least another 14 years before that happens.

>83 whitewavedarling: I'm intrigued -- would you be up for sharing why you hated The Time Traveler's Wife so much? I haven't read it and have seen mixed reviews, but never such a strong negative reaction!

>84 christina_reads:, Oh gosh, I'm just going to share my old review of it here lol. I will say--I NEVER would have finished it if I'd DNF'd books back then. Now, I'm not so averse to putting down a book that feels like a waste of my time/energy, but back then, I was always determined to finish every book I started.

So, uh, the review/rant about The Time Traveler's Wife...

I'd have to say that it's been over a decade since I gave serious thought to not finishing a book--I'm meticulous about finishing books that I start. That said, I gave serious thought to throwing this book away unfinished when I was halfway through. As is, it will be the first book in years that I give away without any desire to hold it for my own library.

This may be a page-turner, but it is constantly sad, tragic, and depressing. The writing isn't bad, but it's also not anything worth reading for its own beauty and worth. Niffenegger came up with a good premise for a story, but left out those aspects which could make the book redeemable, or great.

First, the interest of a romance book comes from the characters falling in love with one another, and from conflict. Here, it is ONLY conflict. The characters are simply in love with each other, but though we see their whole relationship, we never see them fall for one another. It's circular, which I suppose was either an oversight or an easy answer from the author--either way, it's a frustration once one sees what's happening. Henry is in love with Clare because she's fallen in love with him. However, Clare is in love with Henry because he was in love with her when he met her (her having already fallen in love with him). It would be simple enough to show each character falling in love, but we see none of it. Both characters at different points are either entirely in love or simply not in love. If you think about this, you'll see it's true, though the author's fast-moving plot (however predictable it is) does a good job of masking this huge aspect that she has, simply, left unwritten and unmentioned.

Conflict, though, is everywhere, to the extent that it's nearly unbelievable that two people can be so incredibly unlucky. The circle of plot seems to be that whenever the author feels things are getting mundane, she throws in another tragedy, or another detail of an already mentioned tragedy which makes it all the more tragic. In other words, there are so many, so often, that they as single events lose their power. Additionally, the characters are ridiculously well-adjusted for having gone through all they've supposedly gone through---I have to think that Niffenegger may have been worried about the chronology and plotting of time here, but she wasn't worried about the believability of the characters or the psychology of the events and characters as presented.

I should say, I'm not opposed to tragedy, or to dark books. However, when a book is written simply to be a tear-jerker, when I feel the author is simply playing darkly with her characters and with my emotions for the heck of it as opposed to for the story, and when I feel that the tragedies separately serve no purpose, I see no purpose for the book. An author should be true to the story they create, not their own whims of destruction.

Life is too short to read a book whose sole value is painting many tragedies without tangible enough happiness to balance Anything, let alone the book. Someone might argue that the true love pictured in the book balances the sadness out, but since the author neglects to show us where that love comes from, or even how its arisen, it's difficult to find it a believable love as opposed to something that simply has to be there for the story, and so, is. I'm not sure, honestly, where all the hype came from on this book; I simply found it maudlin and depressing for the last three-hundred pages, not to mention predictable, and the pieces which I was most interested in learning were left out entirely or treated ambiguously and briefly. Certainly, the author started with a wonderful idea, but I have to say that in my opinion, she didn't do a worthwhile job with it--she simply got it done, and sold.

I don't recommend it--to anyone, and I won't be wasting my time with this author in the future.

>85 whitewavedarling: Well, that review definitely solidifies my decision not to read the book! Thanks for sharing. :)

My problem with The Time Traveler's Wife is that it was filled with time travel tropes that had long since been handled much better in other stories, and the author was too ignorant of the genre to realize that. She was presenting these stale, clumsily handled ideas as if they were dazzling inventions, and by marketing the book primarily to romance readers who didn't know the time travel genre any better than she did, she got away with it.

>86 christina_reads:, Yep, definitely a good decision lol. Even just thinking of that book raises my blood pressure, even 14 years after reading it!

>87 KeithChaffee:, That's the best answer I've heard for why it was able to gain traction and get so much attention! It would also make sense that I'd have missed something like that, as I really didn't read much sci-fi until maybe five years ago, long after I'd read that book, so I would have been focused on (all of) the other problems rather than that one!

33. Below by Laurel Hightower

This fast-paced novella has so many surprises packed into its pages, it's hard to believe so much can be packed into a short book, but Hightower's writing is tight and powerful, and she has a talent for the most haunting of scenes. Admittedly, there were moments where I wished for more description or that things had moved just a bit slower, but on the whole, I enjoyed this and I'm sure I'll seek out more of the author's writing.

Recommended for horror-lovers.

>89 whitewavedarling: Taking a BB for Below!

>90 Charon07:, I'm glad to hear it! It was a fun read :)

And now, for a book that's the complete opposite of the last one in everything but length...

34. The Poet and the Donkey by May Sarton

This is a simple, sweet novel that tells of a poet, his struggles with the muse, and a donkey named Whiffenpoof. Adding to the story are lovely little snapshot illustrations by Stefan Martin which help to bring Sarton's words to life.

It's an easy, lovely story, gorgeously written, and as calm and refreshing as a Sunday morning drive through the country, as if from another time.

Recommended for anyone interested.

35. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor

I fell into this book quickly, and adored Melchor's style and the way each chapter enmeshed us in character. And yet, ultimately, I ended up DNFing the book, just past the 75% mark (which is the latest I've ever given up on a book).

As much as the style of this book takes some getting used to, the content is often harder to take. I haven't looked up trigger warnings, but this book probably deserves pretty much all of them. And while for more than the first half of the book I felt like the writing and the topic more than warranted the depth of trauma, focus, and content, I got to a point in the book where it no longer felt justifiable. The book was getting harder to read in terms of the violence and objectionable content, and more and more, it felt like we'd veered into writing that was meant to shock more so than anything. I'm not one for shock value, or for extreme horror in general, and while I'd love the beginning of the book (despite plenty of rough content), I got to a point where I just felt more and more disgusted with the book. So, finally, I put it down.

There's a lot to love about Melchor's work here, her writing talent, and the effects achieved through character immersion and study. Even the interplay of violence, humor, and trauma. But, for me, it got to be too much, and ultimately felt like trauma piled atop of trauma and brought up over and over again for little more than shock value. Once I closed the book, I couldn't bring myself to open it up again.

This isn't actually a book I could recommend to anyone, to be honest. I've given it a three-star rating based on the first half of the book and based on the fact that I trust the judgement of friends in my book club who hold it in higher regard than I do...but I don't see myself ever recommending this one or picking up another work of Melchor's in the future, much as I can acknowledge the talent on display in the writing.

36. Humans are the Problem: A Monster's Anthology edited by Michael Cluff and Willow Becker

This is such a fun collection, and the variety of theme and monster is fantastic. Many of the stories do strike something of the same tone, so I suspect wandering through this rather than binging through story after story might make it an even more enjoyable read, but I think my only real complaint may be that the very first story--"Root Rot" by Sarah Read--is simply so fantastic that it sets an awfully high bar, and while I enjoyed the stories that came immediately after it, none of them quite lived up to Read's story, and that slowed me down quite a bit as I got into the collection. But, all that said, I think the hallmark of a great anthology is twofold: 1) You don't feel like you're reading different variations on the same stories/themes/characters over and over again (which happens far too often), and 2) You find some fantastic favorites as you read, and though every story/poem can't be a favorite, even the ones you don't love feel worth reading, barring one or two at most. And by those standards, this was absolutely a great anthology well worth the time.

And along with the aforementioned "Root Rot", I definitely found some other favorites along the way--most notably "Woof" by Patrick Barb, "On This Side of the Veil" by Gabino Iglesias, "Epic Troll" by Auston Habershaw, "The Man of Seaweed and Reeds" by Corey Farrenkopf, "The Blanch" by Dominick Cancilla, and "My Friend Nessie" by J.H. Moncrieff.

Recommended for readers who love horror shorts.

37. Leonardo's Nephew: Essays on Art and Artists by James Fenton

I discovered James Fenton through his poetry--way back in high school, in fact, when I first fell in love with his collection Out of Danger--but in the years since, I've made an effort to read his nonfiction, as well. In this collection, his thoughtful prose and compelling style once again made me glad that I put in the effort to search out his other work. In widely varying essays on both art and specific artists, this book takes us through and around a huge swath of territory, blending biography with history and with art criticism to bring artists and their worlds (and interests) to life. Journey through history in this book was, admittedly, far more enjoyable than the art history course I took, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested. It game me plenty of material to think about in my own work as a writer, as well.

Recommended.

>95 whitewavedarling: I first came across James Fenton as Redmon O'Hanlon's companion in Congo Journey, then as the author of All the Wrong Places: Adrift in the Politics of Asia. I just took the second from my shelf and found a card used as a book mark in the chapter on the fall of Saigon. The card is for Hotel Chau Au - Europa, Dalat. I was there in 1994!

I can recommend both books, though thirty years is quite a while.

>96 pamelad:, Oh, that's really need about the card! I read All the Wrong Places some time ago and really enjoyed it. I think Congo Journey will be my next nonfiction read in relation to Fenton!

38. Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist

Faerie Tale walks a fine line between dark fantasy and horror, and lands mostly outside of horror only because of its subject--which is to be taken as something of a warning for dark fantasy readers, as the gore, the trauma, and the various resolutions tread territory that's often closer to what I'd expect from horror vs fantasy.

All that said, this is a fast-paced and fairly fun read. It does read as somewhat dated--there's so much head-hopping there, I often rather wished it were written from a more contemporary style--and the women in the book are especially stereotypical (though, truth be told, most of the characters do come across as fairly superficial/undeveloped, maybe partly because there are just so many POVs here and the action takes all of the focus). But if you can get past that dated quality and just fall into enjoying the story, there's plenty of entertainment to be had here.

Will I recommend this book? To anyone interested, given the caveats, yes. Will I read more of Feist's work? Likely only if the concept really jumps out at me, as plot gets a lot more focus in this story than character, and I more often enjoy books that are at least partly driven by engagement with character.

39. Forget Me Not (Systema Paradoxa Volume 10) by Carol Gyzander

This was a fast read, and I enjoyed it more and more as I got into it, but I admit I was hoping for more. The story is incredibly simple, and while there's a nice twist to what's happening, the dialogue comes off as so stilted that it's difficult to really fall into the world of the story and engage on any level beyond presented myth. Adding to the dialogue issue is the fact that the characters are incredibly one-dimensional, drawing attention to the artificial nature of the story.

Style-wise, it just reads as more of a fable or myth than a contemporary novella/story--and that would be fine, if not for the length asking readers to engage on more of a novella/story level.

Conceptually, I enjoyed the idea here, but the presentation fell so flat for me that I'm not sure I'd read another work in the series or from the author. This probably isn't something I'd recommend unless you're specifically looking for works centered around North American cryptids and/or Lake Erie.

40. The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville

I've been meaning to read this book nearly since it came out, as speculative fiction with a focus on memory seemed right up my alley. And, in the end, I'm so glad I did.

It's possible my instincts put off my reading it because, in truth, this was a far more emotional read than I expected, and hit close to home in too many respects. As such, it wasn't an easy read for me, but as I absolutely adored it. I'd call it something of a Velveteen Rabbit for adults--and I say that lovingly--but with the requisite touches of horror, fantasy, and loss that one might expect from such a description. Neville's style and storytelling are wonderful in every way, though, and I'd absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested.

>100 whitewavedarling: Taking a BB for this one.

>101 lowelibrary:, I'm glad! It really was fantastic. I was so disappointed to look up the author and find out it's the only book she's released!

I’m taking BBs for both >98 whitewavedarling: and >100 whitewavedarling:.

>103 Charon07:, I'm glad and amused, those are such wildly different books lol.

I've fallen behind on both reading and reviewing because, as of this past Friday, we had to say goodbye to our beloved Quinn. This is a picture of her in her prime.



Quinn was my Black Friday miracle kitty. In 2017, my husband needed a new computer, but money was tight because he'd been out of work for a while, and though new work was lined up, things were still awfully tight. We decided the smart thing to do would be to take advantage of Black Friday sales, even though both of us had always been careful to avoid shopping that day.

After hours at Best Buy, with a new laptop in hand, we were in a forever-line to check out. Feeling totally overwhelmed by the crowds, I disappeared to browse dog beds at the Pet Smart next door--our sweet Arthur was in desperate need of a new bed, so it made sense. An hour or so later, though, I'd caught eyes with an older, unhealthy-looking cat in a kennel. Malnourished, sad-looking, and simply curled up in a bed. The signpost beside her kennel said that she was only 8, and named Queenie, but that her previous owners had taken her to a vet to be put to sleep because she'd 'peed on electronics'. The vet had refused because she was healthy, and so had taken ownership and gotten her to a rescue.

Money was tight, and my husband and I were leaving on Christmas vacation in three weeks. Adopting another cat made no sense. And yet I couldn't stop looking at her. I talked to the rescue worker, and told her that if she was still there after we got back from vacation, I promised I'd be there for her. I hoped she'd be adopted before then--nobody wants to see a cat sleep life away in a kennel for a month when they could have another home--but it was just bad timing. This was a no-kill rescue, so I didn't expect what the woman told me next: They didn't have a suitable foster able to take her, but Quinn (then Queenie) wasn't doing well in the kennel/Pet Smart. She needed space, quiet, and attention, and didn't have enough of either, hence her looking so malnourished. The woman told that she honestly though this sweet cat would waste away and not be around after another month, she was eating so little.

When my husband called to say he was done, I asked him to come meet the cat. All the way home, talked about the cat. And when we got home, we slept on it...and the next day, I called to ask what we had to do to adopt her. The woman at first didn't know who I was talking about, and then when I described her some more, she said, "Oh, you mean the Screamer!" (It turns out, Queenie/Quinn got very loud when morning came and she was ready for food/attention!)

We adopted her, obviously. Queenie wasn't a name either of us could live with, and we figured it couldn't have the best memories for her if her previous owners had wanted to see her put to sleep. So, we called her Quinn, thinking it was just different enough and similar enough to make sense. In our minds, we thought we might have her for six months to a year. She was that unhealthy, and it really felt like we were just bringing her home for a comfortable, final retirement. We ended up having her for a wonderful six and a half years.

Since then, she became my shadow. It took time. She was fine with our big hound, but scared of the cats (having had both of her front paws declawed). Eventually, she'd come to lounge across my foot or let our little Siamese cat groom her. The last four years or so, she's slept in bed with us every night. She remained scared of our male cat, and would yowl if she didn't feel like walking across the house to go to her favorite litter box. I'd get up and carry her across the house to avoid an accident. In the morning, she was our alarm clock, waking us for food even if the dogs were content to sleep. At night, she'd sleep at my shoulder on the back of the couch while I was reading or watching television. If my husband took a nap on the couch, she'd be on top of him.

She needed so much extra attention, I quit traveling in the summer to teach at boarding schools, but never regretted it. The house feels empty without her, particularly because it happened so fast. Almost as soon as we realized she was sick, with cancer that had already spread, we had to say goodbye.

I'm not sure when I'll be over this loss, but thank you for listening to her story.

I am sorry for your loss. Quinn was a beautiful cat and it warms the heart that she had those good years as part of your family.

I'm sorry for your loss too. You worked hard to give her a good life.

I am so sorry. What a sad and yet wonderful story.

So sorry to hear, Jennifer. It sounds like you gave her a wonderful home in her last years.

I'm so sorry you've lost Quinn. Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing her story and for giving her a loving home these last six years.

> 105 Thank you for sharing that wonderful story—condolences from me and my rescue kitties.

>105 whitewavedarling: What a beauty! I know what it's like to lose a cat you've bonded with, but what a remarkable life you let her live, full of love and security.

>105 whitewavedarling: I am very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing Quinn's story.

Thank you for the messages, everyone, and for reading our story. At times like this, it really does mean a lot to be able to share and have such a supportive community here.

>105 whitewavedarling: My sincere sympathies. I know what it’s like lose a companion who’s so close to your heart. Quinn was a quite a beauty. I’m so glad to hear about the wonderful new life you gave her after her rough start.

>105 whitewavedarling: I'm so sorry about Quinn and and am grateful to hear her story. She truly does look like royalty in that photo!

Thanks, >115 Charon07: and >116 rabbitprincess:. We're still reeling here, honestly. The messages are really appreciated--it does help to share her story.

Meanwhile, I've been reading as an escape, so there's some catch-up to list. I'm still catching up on reviews, but to give a brief update:

41. Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley (horror - 5*)
42. The Boys from Santa Cruz by Jonathan Nasaw (suspense/thriller - 5*)
43. The Exiled Fleet by J.S. Dewes (space opera - 4.5*)
44. Compass Rose by John Casey (general/lit fiction - 4*)
45. Xombies by Walter Greatshell (horror/dystopia/post-apoc - 2.5*)
46. First Thrills edited by Lee Child (short thriller stories - 3*)
47. Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare by Stephanie M. Wytovich (horror poetry - 4*)
48. Pebble & Dove by Amy Jones (general/women's fiction - 4.5*)

49. Lessons in Demoralization by Nikki R. Leigh

This horror collection is full of original concepts, fantastic horrors, and as many gory scenes as one could hope for from a book with this many stories. Many of the stories felt like they were crying out to be extended into novellas, the concepts were so rich, and if anything, I wish many of the stories had just been a bit longer to let us really live in the moments with the characters, but this collection is a lot of fun, regardless.

Definitely worth picking up if you love horror shorts!

50. The Pain Killers by John Avanzato

Avanzato's writing is a ton of fun, and I'm enjoying this series. There is quite a bit of heavy-handed humor which sometimes becomes over-the-top for me, but I also know that it's one of the things a lot of readers love about the series, so that's more of a me-thing. In this installment of the series (which can be read as a stand-alone), there are enough twists and turns to keep the action and the story moving fast, and I really enjoyed it overall, despite a few coincidences that I'd prefer have been avoided.

Definitely recommended for readers who love their suspense novels filled with humor.

Retreating into books so much this month ended up meaning that I finished out my June reads with time to spare. Now, I'm still wandering through the anthology, Poe's Children, and I've also started reading the mermaid/paranormal romance, Siren's Call.

For July, my plans include:
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap (folk horror stories)
Slither by Edward Lee (horror)
The Necromancer's House (a horror favorite re-read)
Contact by Carl Sagan (science fiction)
Another Dead Intern by Joel Spriggs (comedic paranormal)
The Witchery by S. Isabelle (YA horror/paranormal)

Definitely a month heavy on paranormals/horror, but after more gen/literary lit this past month than I necessarily meant to pick up, I think that's what my brain wants. With any luck, I'll fit in some further progress on ongoing nonfiction reads on the side.

Finally, I finished an anthology begun in early March:

51. Poe's Children: The New Horror: An Anthology edited by Peter Straub

This is a tough collection to review simply because so much depends on how you judge the whole of it--and I don't mean in terms of quality. Whatever Straub was thinking in putting it together--whether we take what we can from the overblown, condescending introduction, or think of the anthology in terms of horror, or think of it simply as an anthology of quality stories--the way we look at the whole of it matters because there is such unevenness in terms of genre. Some of the stories are undoubtedly in the realm of horror, but many others simply aren't. You might call them literary, or weird, or even dark fantasy or simply speculative, but thinking of them as horror is difficult if not impossible. Similarly, looking at them as descendants of Poe may make things clearer, but it's hard to understand why other authors wouldn't have fit in far more smoothly if that were the yardstick. And as for horror...well, if we look at the collection as horror, new or otherwise, it's difficult to know what to say since many of these stories simply don't feel up to that label if I'm being honest.

So, to take nothing but quality into account, where do we end up? Well, honestly, nowhere I particularly want to go again. The early stories in the collection are uneven at best--there's a certain lack of polish, as if too much is just left open-ended, without quite enough resolution. Worse (to me), so many of them have the same sort of lack in terms of resolution, and the same tone, that the anthology became repetitive fast--that's why I began reading it in March and finished only months later. I have to admit that I simply couldn't finish a number of the stories here--they weren't offering me enough to engage with, and they made me want nothing more than to put down the book. In fact, Straub's own story was among this number, which may say something about the editing as a whole.

There were some great stories here, but they were the ones by authors I'm already a fan of, for the most part. And those which stood out otherwise were ones which felt totally out of place in a 'horror collection'.

So, would I recommend this anthology? Probably not. There are some great stories here, but the sameness in tone and the lack of cohesiveness--in either genre or quality--make it tough to know what reader would appreciate all of the stories here, or even most of them, without growing bored and wandering off.

52. The Witchery by S. Isabelle

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed witchy YA this much, and while I've read some standouts over the years--The Scapegracers and Secret Circle series come to mind first of all--this might top the list for me now. On top of going darker than I expected for YA, Isabelle didn't veer away from the socio-political questions you'd expect to rise alongside witchery, not to mention conversations about race and violence and grief. Nothing was simple in this book, and the story (and characters) was all the better for it. I at first had a difficult time getting used to all of the different POVs, but soon they each became so distinct that it was impossible to imagine the book written in any other fashion, with each POV clearly adding not only to the complexity of the book, but to the story and the emotion of it.

I rarely move directly from one book in a series right into the next, but in this case, there's no question. I stopped reading last night only to see if the second book was out, and then order it when I discovered it was. After that, I stayed up late reading because I simply couldn't put the book down again until I'd finished.

Absolutely recommended.

53. Siren's Call by Devyn Quinn

This was not the read I was expecting. And while I enjoyed it, for what it was, I'm not surprised the rating hovers around 3 rather than being higher, given genre expectations. While this starts off as a paranormal romance, and while romance is certainly a real part of the story, the novel diverges into being more focused on suspense/adventure, with the romance taking more of a background role. On some level, it's closer to what I'd expect from romantic suspense, but even then, the romance element of the story is so quickly taken for granted, it's not a good fit. Call it a mish-mash of romance and adventure, if anything.

On the whole, I did really enjoy the writing and the characters as well as the world-building. I expect that I will go on to read the next book in the series and other work by Quinn--but I won't pick these particular books up when I'm specifically in the mood for romance.

>122 whitewavedarling: Taking a BB for this one. I like a good Witchy YA.

>124 lowelibrary:, I'm glad! The sequel is supposed to reach my hands today, and I can't wait to dive in!

54. Contact by Carl Sagan

I attempted to read this in high school, and it was one of the few books back then that I started and finally just gave up on. All these years later, I understand why, though I'm glad I finished it this time. There's more math, hypothesizing, and character work than story in this novel, and realistically, although a lot happens, it happens very slowly and without much drama of the sort that would normally keep pages turning. In some ways, it's more like reading a fictionalized biography than a novel. All that said, Sagan's writing is lovely to fall into, and considering how much math and build-up drove this novel, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I don't, however, see myself delving into more of Sagan's fiction.

55. Poems of my Night by Cynthia Pelayo

I've heard such great things about Pelayo's writing, I was excited to give her a try; given that I'm a fan of Borges, it seemed like picking up the collection she wrote in response to his work would be a great start. Unfortunately, this ended up being fairly underwhelming, and I really don't have much to say about it. There were some gorgeous lines and images scattered into the collection, but many of the poems felt unpolished/unedited, and in some cases only half-formed. I don't think there's a single poem here that really just made me stop and want to re-read it, or bookmark it to come back to later, which is certainly something I usually experience with collections.

All told, I think I'll try Pelayo's fiction, but I don't think I'll return to her poetry. Perhaps I'll give her poetry another try if her fiction really blows me away--it's possible something about this being a response to Borges so affected her drafting/work on these pieces that the book is different from her others--but this work isn't something I'd recommend or wish to return to, and I had a tough time pushing myself to finish it.

56. Frank's Bloody Books by Mack Green

Mack Green's writing is entrancing and poetic, and he brings such life to the characters and the settings--from Vietnam to the South and a dangerous oil rig job--that it's impossible not to fall into this book and get mired in the world as if one were walking through one of the swamps in the book, but in the best way possible. There's such life here, and such gorgeous writing, with a story that comes perfectly full circle, I only wish Green had many more books I could search out now that I've discovered him.

I'd absolutely recommend this to readers of general/literary fiction.

57. Slither by Edward Lee

It's difficult to know what to say about this book, aside from the fact that it's something of a pornographic mess.

The highlights--few and far between--are the passages which focus simply on science, and allow the biological questions and discussions (which should theoretically be more central to the book) to take focus, but these are so rare, they come as a pleasant surprise. And, in truth, they may or may not be all that impressive or even remotely accurate to real-world biology, but they're such a pleasant reprieve from the obsession with sex and the unlikable, immature characters, the passages are still refreshing.

But the characters are central to the book's issues. For the most part, they're drawn more like sex-obsessed, body-image-obsessed, unthinking teenagers, and it's a rare moment when any of the supposed professionals act like adults. The book's back cover blurb and even moments in the book hint that the worms are driving the preoccupation with sex--the more disgusting, the better, apparently, to the writer's way of thinking--but the problem with that is that the characters are focused on each other's bodies, and sex, even before they reach the island. And that's all aside from the fact that the characters, simply put, don't act like adult professionals. They feel more like the stereotypes you'd get if you asked 12-year-old boys to think up porn involving nerdy scientists, army guys, and a gorgeous photographer. But then again, I'm probably doing a disservice to 12-year-old boys there.

If you can't already tell, I've been left thoroughly unimpressed, and the totally out-of-left-field twist toward the end of the book didn't up my estimation. I doubt I'll be picking up another book from either the author or the publisher any time in the future.

58. Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap

Yap's worlds sucked me in immediately, and journeying into each of these stories was something akin to a trance. I've long been a fan of Small Beer Press and the single-author collections they release, but this one may end up being my favorite. The stories are steeped in the nuanced world-building and lore, and the characters bring every page to life. I can see the lack of genre throwing off all readers--many of these are the reason the term 'speculative fiction' was invented, because they simply don't fit neatly into the realm of science fiction or fantasy or horror, and rather contain a bit of everything--but I loved journeying through this book. Of course, I had my favorites--among them, "Only Unclench Your Hand", "How to Swallow the Moon", and "A Spell for Foolish Hearts"--but even in the few stories where the plots and characters just didn't engage me all that much, I still found myself compelled to keep going by Yap's gorgeous writing.

Absolutely recommended.

59. Another Dead Intern by Joel Spriggs

I had a tough time getting through this one, and the truth is that it was mostly due to a lack of editing.

The story and characters here are great, but they're undermined at every turn by a lack of development, pacing issues, and patterns of grammatical errors and typos that serve as constant distractions. I love urban fantasy, and the way worldbuilding so often gets slipped in piece by piece, surprise by surprise, is a lot of fun, but the lack of development of any of these world-building pieces, on top of a lack of character development, made most of this book one-note. And what was that one note? Jokes. Constant jokes. And I'm all for humorous SFF, but when jokes take over to the point that character interactions become repetitive, there's a lack of emotional depth or development, and the pacing keeps getting thrown off because, yet again, the characters have to joke about a side-matter for a page and a half, it's tough to have any patience or interest in those jokes, to be perfectly honest.

And when you add in an undeveloped plot, action scenes that are more joking around than action, and constant editing issues, from run-ons to straight-forward patterns of grammatical errors that any experienced editor would have caught...well, there's no two ways about it. The read becomes a slog. And while I know I'm a professional editor and get caught up on things like this more than others may, I can't ignore the issue when there are often multiple errors per page.

I may try another Spriggs book, but I don't think I could pick up another self-published one just because the lack of editing made this one so difficult to enjoy on any level.

>130 whitewavedarling: - I've recently become more interested in the small/indie press and the books they publish, and Small Beer Press is one. I've even decided to use small/indie presses as the theme next year for the book club I organize. Are you familiar with the YouTuber "Eyes on Indie"? I've gotten lots of interesting info about indie presses from her.

>132 dudes22:, I'm so glad you're looking into them! I'm not aware of that booktuber, but it's not surprising--I don't go on YouTube much. I'm very aware of indie presses because I'm in a few writing communities with folks widely publishing/reading in them, though! I'm more aware of the horror ones--Timber Ghost, Ghoulish, and Flame Tree being at the top of the list, probably. Tenebrous is making a big name for itself too, though I've found their work to be hit and miss.

My other favorite besides Small Beer is Stelliform, though. They publish climate-centric SFF, and I've yet to pick something up from them that isn't absolutely fantastic.

Are there other indie/small presses that are high on your radar right now?

>I'm not much into SFF or fantasy so those probably aren't for me. Graywolf Press is celebrating 50 years in publishing this year and Charco Press won the Republic of Consciousness prize this year. I also like Milkweed Editions. I've only started doing YouTube a few months ago - mostly looking for quilting videos. Somehow Eyes on Indie popped up. She does a video and a newsletter every month with the latest books published by indie presses. As if I'm not already overwhelmed with BBs for here on LT.

>134 dudes22:, Ah, gotcha! I know Graywolf because of their poetry collections--I don't read as much poetry as I used to, but there are so many great indie poetry presses out there! I'm aware of Milkweed, too, though I'll have to look into Charco!

60. A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

This was my first Kingfisher book, and it was so much fun, I can't wait to read another. With a great balance of humor, the uncanny, science, and nature, and characters who I couldn't help but love, the book was nothing less than compelling. My one complaint might be that the ending felt a touch rushed, but then again, that may partly be simply because I had so much fun enjoying the build-up, I wasn't ready for it to end.

Absolutely recommended.

61. A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney

I stumbled on this book while looking for horror titles that held art (in any form) as a focus, and I'm so glad I did. Gidney's prose does such gorgeous justice to the ways in which art can mean life as well as danger, be transportive as well as passion-inducing and life-saving, and even, yes, be a haunting. This is such a sneaky book--it moves almost casually, and with the way all of the characters come to life, it's easy to fall into the book and forget there's anything supernatural, those elements of the book seem so natural to the characters and life in this book. But that's part of the beauty of it--Gidney has brought to life a world in which haunting isn't something we've seen before in quite this way, and yet it and the characters feel as if they're a view into what it might very well look like in this strange world we live in. There's a reality to the book that I wasn't expecting.

I do wish it had been a lot longer, and taken readers even deeper than it does, but I'm so appreciative to have discovered this little book. Absolutely recommended, especially to those readers whose passions engage them in art of any form.

>137 whitewavedarling: Taking a BB for this. Art, a new take on haunting—it sounds irresistable.

62. Zone One by Colson Whitehead

I'd looked forward to giving Whitehead's work a try, but as much as I adore horror, I think I picked the wrong book. On the whole, I simply didn't enjoy this. While it supposedly blends horror and literary fiction, I found it to be 90% world-building, with the feel of an author describing his picture of a zombie apocalypse more than telling any sort of story. We had character, and occasional story, but more often than not, it was just world-building, and I couldn't help thinking that the author just loved the sound of his own voice. The result? Lots of gorgeous prose, but a 'story' that lacked inertia and, more often than not, left me feeling bored and somewhat annoyed that I'd bothered to pick it up.

I'll give Whitehead another try, but this was a really bad start to experiencing his work, I have to say. It's not a book I can see myself recommending to anyone.

63. Seasons of Purgatory by Shahriar Mandanipour

Exiled Iranian author Shahriar Mandanipour's stories are set in Iran, and although they're not easy reads, they offer up such powerful, wide-ranging territory that they are without doubt worth the effort and, on occasion, despair which they demand of a reader. The opening story is "Shadows of the Cave" and may stick with me the longest, alongside "If She Has No Coffin" and "King of the Graveyard"--as you may be able to tell from the titles, the stories in this collection are dark, and often anchored in loss or the violence of war. A lack of control over one's circumstances and the circumstances of loved ones haunts many of them, and Mandanipour's prose is such that layers of meaning add darkness as well as depth. It's the sort of prose that makes for powerful stories which can be read again and again, with each new read bringing further nuances of meaning and character.

Both in terms of theme and style, the book isn't an easy one, but it is one I'd recommend.

64. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman

This was a re-read for me, which tells you just how much I adore it. Full review written, but in general: If you like horror, you should be reading Buehlman. He is fantastic.

65. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

There's so much promise in the concept of this book, but in the end, I just found it incredibly disappointing. Besides being more of a slow-burn YA horror than adult horror, it all somehow comes across as incredibly casual despite the serious subjects being (theoretically) tackled. The protagonist is exactly the protagonist you'd expect in a YA horror--a bit of an outsider and super-smart and capable, with just enough self-doubt to be sympathetic, mostly--and the persona of someone who's been through a religious conversion therapy program is probably the highlight because it's so believable. However, what starts off as being believable quickly just becomes so, so repetitive. It doesn't help that Tingle seems to have wanted to add an adjective to every noun, say the same thing three or four different times when once would have done just fine, and generally fall into telling rather than showing. The slow pace of the first portion just makes it incredibly difficult to get into, and all the more so because of the voice.

But then, when the plot gets going, things don't get better. All of a sudden the pacing is incredibly rushed rather than slow, but still with the over-writing, and now with a protagonist who seems to have lost all of their self-doubt and, more and more, comes off as annoyingly perfect and capable, to an nth degree. Meanwhile, because of the protagonist's overly calm and descriptive voice, the moments which should be horrific are just...casual. Slow.

Add in other pacing issues, unanswered questions, undeveloped characters, and some plot issues, and I've been left thoroughly disappointed. I finished the book only because I was curious if it would somehow pull together and redeem itself, and because I was reading it with my book club. I can't see picking up another book from this author, and as much as I hate to say it, I feel like I'm going to have to be on the lookout for more adult titles from this publisher actually being YA in disguise. I do love YA Horror when it's done well, but this wasn't.

Not recommended.

66. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor

Okorafor's talents for world-building, character creation, and writing in general are undeniable. Her worlds virtually sing with life, and her characters are so real that a reader can't help but feel connected to them. This book is no exception to that rule. I do have to admit that I didn't enjoy it *quite* as much as I did the first two books in the series--partly, I think, because so much was packed into the book and the journey covered so much ground that there weren't as many scenes a reader really got to sink into, suspense and description at all--but the first books in the series set such a high bar, this was still well into 4-star read territory for me, and I'm so glad I finally got around to it.

I absolutely recommend the whole trilogy.

67. Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories by Agustina Bazterrica

This collection was on my radar for a while, but the sheer number of blurbs on the back of the book--combined with the fact that there was so much hype around the novel by Bazterrica--put me off, especially since I already had so many short story collections in my TBR. I finally picked it up only because my beloved book club chose it...but unfortunately, this isn't one I can recommend, and I rather wish I'd just skipped it.

Some of the concepts here are fantastic, but too many of the stories read as bare-bones rough drafts or polished depictions of concept or simple vignettes that, simply put, just don't come off as fully polished short stories capable of carrying a real impact. The most successful of the stories here, for me, suffered from being presented alongside a bunch of other stories that explored similar themes and images, making for a collection that was too one-note even when at its best. And then you had stories which touched on incredibly difficult themes, but seemed to use them for shock value or as a sort of an aside, and in a way that felt just short of offensive.

I know some of the stories here are award winners (I'm super-curious which ones, admittedly), and many of the descriptions and images read beautifully, but it too often felt like the prose was polished at a sentence level where larger development or revision should have happened prior to that point.

All told, this was a real disappointment. I'd read more of Bazterrica's work if it showed up in an anthology or magazine I was already picking up, but I don't see myself giving another collection from her a try, and I admit I'm skeptical of longer works of hers after reading this, as well.

68. I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura Van den Berg

Laura van den Berg's stories are such wonders, I fell for them one after another. Every concept, every story, brought a new world and characters to life, so much so that I felt I was falling into a much larger tale with each new entrance. Ranging from disturbing to amusing, and touching on every emotion in between and beyond, the stories here are on the weird side of literary (in a very good way), and they pack such emotional impacts that they consistently reminded how much power can come through in short fiction, and I'm only sorry I didn't get around to reading the collection earlier. Even more impressive, although van den Berg's stories here explores some similar themes and territory, there's never any feeling of repetitiveness, and while some single-author collections can become one-note when exploring similar themes, this one never falls into that danger zone.

All told, after reading this collection, I think I'll read anything else van den Berg puts out. Certainly, I'll be seeking out her already published works sooner than later, and I'd absolutely recommend this one.

>144 whitewavedarling: I've read Tender is the Flesh and in my opinion, those same issues are present in her longer work.

>146 RidgewayGirl:, That's good to know :( Thanks!

69. Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton

As much as the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series has transformed over the years, I've been there enjoying it since the very beginning. This one book won't change that, and I look forward to the next...but this is my least favorite in the installment so far.

I think it took me so long to read this one because, even from the blurb describing the plot, this one feels different. The blurb itself makes it sound as if this particular book is more family drama (well, family drama of the sort Anita Blake deals with) versus the sort of story that normally involves some sort of dangerous or suspenseful plot turn. And...that's what it is. This is a 517-page paperback, and for the first 350-400 pages, it felt a bit more like court intrigue and family drama than anything else. To the extent that suspense or danger was involved, we were in the metaphysical realm talking about powers vs a foe or any sort of mystery (discounting, again, the metaphysical). All of this material usually runs in the background, and occasionally takes centerstage, in the series, but I don't remember it ever being so much the focus for so many pages on end, to where it just became a bit repetitive, and not what I come to the series for.

The last hundred pages of the book were more what I expect, and I sped through them, taking them as a reminder of why I love this series so much. But, short of enjoying Hamilton's writing and the characters I've come to know and love, the book just wasn't as enjoyable as the others because the first 400 pages were so bogged down in more familial drama and politicking than anything else.

Longtime readers of the series will want to read this one for the writing, character development, and what I suspect is a sort of interlude preparing the way forward in terms of the various characters' powers changing, but it's certainly not the highlight of the series, and more of a very long bridge book if my suspicions are right.

70. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

This eclectic collection of novellas is both hallmark King and utterly not. The first novella is, to my memory, the first time I've read historical fiction from King--or at least historical fiction at novella length or longer, and that spent this much time in the 'historical matter' of a time. Perhaps there've been plenty taking place in the 50s/60s, but when I think of 'historical fiction', my mind goes earlier, and this certainly fits the bill with 1922 and being steeped in atmosphere from that time. I should note that this novella in particular also has quite a bit of animal gore & violence, which was admittedly hard to read and led me to stopping at a few points, powerful and interesting as the story was. The other three novellas in the collection are more what I've come to expect of King, though I wouldn't have recognized his style in "Fair Extension" if I hadn't known it was him. On the other hand, "Big Driver" and "A Good Marriage" shout that they're from King's hand with every page, theme, and thought.

All told, I got a bit weary of the last novella, "A Good Marriage," but otherwise really enjoyed this collection.

71. Anoka by Shane Hawk

Packed with vibrant images and lore-rich stories, this little collection brings new terrors with each page. I found the longer stories to be my favorites, giving me more time to really live with the characters and the situations, but Hawk's style makes for a dynamic collection that I adored falling into. I'd absolutely recommend it to horror lovers.

72. Ubik by Philip K. Dick

I read some of Philip K. Dick's shorter works when I was much, much younger, and remember wishing there were more character development, and that he would Just. Slow. Down. I wondered if I'd find more balance in his longer works, but since his concepts and ideas made more of an impact than the works themselves--and since my overall impression was that I'd rather see them in film (a first time for me saying that)--I simply never got around to it. Finally, my book club pushed me to try one of his longer works...but I have to say I'm left with the same impression.

The concept is brilliant, as are various scenes and moments, but the lack of real character development and the sheer rush of material left me wishing for a lot more from the book, and not feeling any emotional impact at all. I was reading just to read, and absorbing what was said without feeling invested.

I'm not sure whether I'll read more of Dick's writing. Conceptually, his work is brilliant, but I don't think it's for me.

73. Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

I flew through the first three books in the Percy Jackson series and then stalled out for some reason I can't quite remember. Coming back to the series, it took me a while to get into this one, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. Percy is a bit more of a perfect hero than I'd prefer, and a little bit too capable and always-ready (even if he seems to express doubts internally), but I enjoyed the story so much that I mostly got over that once the action got going. I'll certainly read the next in the series, though I'll likely take a break, especially since I so often found myself wishing that one of the other characters were the main character as I was reading this one.

Husband and I had to evacuate for Hurricane Milton--along with our five fur-babies--but I'm pleased to report that we got back over the weekend and feel exceedingly lucky. We had some damage to our fence and a few soffits that flew off, but we're otherwise in great shape. I'm glad we took the step of evacuating, though--tornadoes touched down and did damage within a mile of our house, so despite the expense/trouble, I'm so glad we were far away.

Now, to play catch-up on review...

74. The Watcher and Other Stories

The three novellas collected here offer a wide view of Calvino's talents, and all three are worlds to sink into and live in--in fascination and discomfort both. "The Watcher" feels all too present and contemporary, and "The Argentine Ant" is skin-crawling and all too real. I was less sure of what to make of "Smog" and didn't enjoy it was much as the other two, but on the whole, I'm so glad I finally got around to this collection. Certainly, I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy writers such as Calvino and Borges.

75. Dream Rooms by River Halen

The front cover quotes Chase Joynt as having said that this is "A quick-witted, momentum-filled, tender rebellion of a book"--and I can't think of any better description. With a mix of poetry and prose, Halen's words and images offer a whirlwind of heartfelt meaning that I fell into head-first and enjoyed every moment of. I believe I bought the book because of the poetry sequences--which I don't find nearly enough of--and I did love the longer works here most, but the whole collection offers layers of meaning not just in relation to trans and queer identity and thinking, but in relation to self-revelation and what it means to, simply, persist.

Absolutely recommended. This is one I'll be returning to.

76. After the Dragons by Cynthia Zhang

Stelliform Press has yet to disappoint me, but this is among my favorites yet when it comes to the books they've put out. Zhang's prose is gorgeous, and the world she's built here feels so real that it's hard to come back out of the pages and realize/believe that dragons aren't an everyday part of our lives. And yet, even with the beauty of the prose and the reality of the dragons, it's Zhang's characters which make this book such a wonder. They are anxious and real, given all of the depth one could ask for, and it's impossible to read this book without feeling as if you'd want to find yourself in the pages and wander with them, at least for a day.

Absolutely recommended.

>153 whitewavedarling: I’m so glad to hear that you weathered the hurricane and tornados relatively unscathed!

>153 whitewavedarling: So glad you weathered the hurricane safely!

>153 whitewavedarling: - Glad you made out ok.

Thank you for the well-wishes, friends!

77. The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp

This is a tough book to review. I remarked to friends early on that it felt something like a contemporary Dracula tale--with a similar pacing and formality in many ways. And yet, this is undoubtedly contemporary and can't be mistaken for anything else; the level of gore/graphic violence also speaks to a far more modern author, though as I mention that, I should also say I don't think it was overdone.

What I really struggled with here was the uneven pacing. I didn't truly sink into the book until the POV character--a hilariously greedy antiques and antiquities dealer who a reader can't help finding likeable, whether he's lusting after a young priest or ogling a particularly handsome clock--took us back in time to his first vampire hunt, and I admit that at that point the book had me hooked. Who couldn't fall in love with a vampire hunter who didn't mean to become a vampire hunter, and did so only because he was curious about their furniture? But when we did go back in time, the action and the atmosphere were incredibly page-turning.

Really, the whole book is wonderfully written. It just takes quite a bit of time for the contemporary timeline to really develop any feeling of danger or inertia--though, once it does, it doesn't stop--so the reader is relying on the power of the memories and the slow-burn build-up of what's coming, which doesn't disappoint.

All told, this did feel like an uneven read, but the wonderful writing, the memorable characters, and the overall payoff made it more than worthwhile, and I believe I'll look forward to picking up another Ben Tripp book as a result.

78. Alien Artifacts edited by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray

I read another Zombie Needs Brains anthology which completely blew me away--that one was My Batter Is Low and It Is Getting Dark (2020)--so I had high expectations of this one. Unfortunately, this particular anthology didn't come close to setting the high standard set by the publisher's more recent one. As anthologies go, it's not bad for a themed anthology, but it's also not great.

A big issue early on is repetitiveness--repetitiveness in tone, theme, voice, you name it, and this was probably the biggest disappointment since it's always what I fear from themed anthologies, but wasn't at all a problem in the other I read from ZNB. The other big issue, which came up over and over again, was a focus on concept over completeness. What I mean by that is that a good number of the stories--perhaps even the majority--seemed to be more focused on exploring a concept vs telling what felt like a complete story. As such, many of the stories felt like they ended just as they were getting interesting, with things cutting off into nothing as soon as the concept was fully explained and the reader was given a hook. It wouldn't surprise me at all if many of these authors ended up turning these 'stories' into novellas or even novels simply because what was presented here felt super-interesting conceptually, and well-written for a start, but also entirely unfinished.

I also have to note that some of the most well-known names here in the TOC ultimately offered up the least impressive stories, particularly in terms of concept and completeness, which made me wonder (not for the first time) if inviting authors to anchor a TOC is a double-edged sword, assuming you plan on accepting whatever they send in. I also have to admit to being annoyed by the inclusion of Gini Koch's "Alien Epilogue" because it's part of a larger series, and read like an out-take from the series. Although a complete story, I think only readers of her series would really appreciate it because there are so, so many characters, the first few pages are almost impossible to follow without re-reading, as the story seems to depend on you having knowledge of them already, to the extent that an intro to the story tells us where it would be placed in a series timeline. Maybe the editors expected this to sell more books, to followers of the series, but as a reader who hadn't read the series, I found it frustrating and, to be truthful, borderline offensive to unfamiliar readers and to all of the writers who went to pains to create new worlds for this story. Far from turning me on to Koch's work, it made me uninterested in reading her series as a result. It's possible that other stories from well-known authors here have similar connections--that might explain some of the lack of development--but I'm simply not sure.

All that said, there were some definite standouts in the collection. Seanan McGuire's story ended the anthology, and while it almost felt as if it suffered from the 'ends as soon as it begins' issue, it ultimately felt complete. My other favorites included James Van Pelt's "Titan Descanso," Sofie Bird's "And We Have No Words to Tell You" (probably worse the cover price all by itself, honestly), and "Pandora" by C.S. Friedman.

All told, I'll certainly read another ZNB anthology. Perhaps when this one was published, they just hadn't hit their groove yet in putting together anthologies, which could explain the big difference in quality since this was published 5 years before the other one I enjoyed so much. And as I said, at least one of these stories was such a gem that it made the whole anthology worthwhile, so that certainly says something, as well.

>153 whitewavedarling: My son left the Monday before Milton and returned to find a large tree down next to the house, but not on the house, so he and his housemates feel like they got off easy.

>162 RidgewayGirl:, Oh, I'm glad they also got lucky! These last few storms have been such horrific events for so many people.

79. Southern Gods by John Horner Jacobs

I'm not sure I'd have stumbled onto this book if not for my book club choosing it, but I'm so glad they did. This is one of the more satisfying horror reads I've read in some time, and everything came together perfectly while still offering surprising reveals nearly from start to finish. The beauty of the book is twofold, first coming by way of Jacobs' elegant, straightforward prose shifting between long, careful description and shorter, simpler prose when that's simply all that's required. Knowing when to wax poetic and when to let straightforward language do its work, each to best effect, is an art form in itself, and Jacobs has mastered it. The second beauty here is another tug-of-war, but this one between realistic scenes and simple human relationships and what can only be described as horror--i.e. gore, violence, and the supernatural having their way in a fantastically plotted horror novel.

When you add in flashes of humor, an appreciation for out-of-the-way spaces and characters, jazz, and the occult, you have one wonderful book. I can't wait to look up more of Jacobs' work.

80. October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish

After meaning to get around to this anthology for more than a decade, I've finally done it, and while I have to say it was a faster read than expected, it was also an up-and-down one...perhaps more so than I'd hope from an anthology containing so many big names.

The highlights here, for me, weren't the short stories, but the various "Halloween Memories" included as short anecdotes and stories from the authors' own lives. Many of these shorter works did more work in carrying the spirit of Halloween than the short stories themselves, though there were certainly some standouts among the stories. Unfortunately, the 'down' moments in the anthology are what I believe may stay in my mind longer--in particular, an overly long essay on Halloween films that I disagreed with on nearly every point made and an anti-abortion story by F. Paul Wilson that I only wish I could strike from my mind.

All told, I'm not sure I'd go into another anthology by these particular editors, but I'm glad to have finally gotten around to this anthology, and as I said, there were certainly some stand-out stories. The memories alone, though, I'd say, were more than worth the cost of admission.

81. What Doesn't Kill You by Ken Brosky

This is a fast-paced horror read that offers a fast-paced escape into a small-town accosted by a magnificent nightmare of a creature. As the back cover proclaims, it's part creature-feature and part survival story, and Brosky has done a fantastic job bringing it to life. I'm not sure if I loved it quite so much as I loved his earlier novel, but nevertheless, this novel sucked me in and held onto me throughout the story, and I'd absolutely recommend it. If there's a downfall, it's that the work probably has one or two many POVs included--I think I might have gotten more of an emotional impact if I'd had more time to get used to fewer characters--but on the whole, this was a fun, suitably gory read, and just perfect for reading around Halloween.

Absolutely recommended.

82. The Stranger by Albert Camus

I first read this book some twenty years ago when I was still an undergraduate, speeding through it in favor of completing the reading for my comprehensive exams. Back then, it struck me as deceptively simple, but engrossing and worth reading. All these years later, Camus' cleverness and the nature in which he pulls the reader in are what strike me, in how they demand readers open themselves to this book, and then be struck all the more by the inertia of it and the end.

I think it's something everyone should probably read--and that it's perhaps more timely than ever.

And, the final review I had to catch up on...

83. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

Smart, thoughtful, beautifully written, and utterly fascinating, this book will undoubtedly end up being one of my favorite reads of the year.

Montgomery's detailed writing about the octopus, and her various encounters and relationships with them, is nothing less than engrossing, and the narrative ends up being a powerful read that both opens up the reader to this world and sparks the imagination. This book is everything I want nonfiction to be--smart, informative, detailed in all the right places, wonderfully written, carefully researched, and nothing less than intriguing.

I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

>168 whitewavedarling: I agree! This was a lovely book, and one of my favorite nonfiction books ever. It’s become the yardstick by which I measure nature writing.

My reading has been going slowly, but this was another 5-star read...

84. A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

Until this book, I didn't know that I needed a mix of Frankenstein and Little Shop of Horrors in my life, but this wonderfully queer, cozy horror novel sucked me in and made me fall in love with it from the beginning. Medlock's characters are so real, and developed with such nuance, you feel as if you're stepping into their true world somewhere in the past. Add in Medlock's incredible talent for blending details of botany and science into his narrative so seamlessly, and worldbuilding that bridges the fantastic and the familiar in the best ways, and you have a book that is magical in the most wonderful sense. The story also kept me guessing, and one scene in particular dropped my jaw open in surprise like no book ever has before it. But in the end, I was left so wonderfully thrilled with this book, I'll read anything else Medlock brings to life.

Absolutely recommended.

85. Wolf Land by Jonathan Janz

I started out absolutely adoring this book--everything about it. The characters, the pacing, the story, everything. I'd never picked up Janz's work before--though I'd meant to for some time--and especially since I'd heard about him quite a bit, I was especially curious once I saw his warning in the beginning of the book, that the work had started off as one thing and turned into something else, and was likely darker than anything else he'd written. That didn't scare me off, though I will say that if you tend to check CWs (especially the big ones), you should definitely check them out for this book before reading. But one way or another, the book grabbed me and kept pulling me deeper.

And then...maybe a third of the way through the book...things shifted, and that's how this ended up being a 4-star read for me instead of a 5-star read. Simply put, what had been a really well-paced story with a lot of nuance all of a sudden shifted gears into one very long action scene, and while I *love* action scenes and fights, it's tough to read what amounts to an 80-page action/fight scene--even one that shifts around to various fights within the larger battle--and stay fully engaged and just as interested as before, especially when there just aren't any breaks to change tone or emotion or pace during that stretch. On one hand, I don't think the book needed to be longer than it is, and I think every fight and page within that long action scene mattered. On the other hand, though I'm not one to suggest adding filler for no reason, I suspect that the last part of this book, and thus the book as a whole, would have been a more powerful read if the fights had been broken up a bit more and we'd had some scenes that weren't so heavy on fight-or-flight violence.

This is a good time to note, by the way, that this horror novel probably has a higher body count than any other horror novel I've read, if you're looking specifically at bodies that fall on the page (i.e., not talking about hearing about a disaster killing a thousand people), and at characters who you get to know and then see fall. The gore level is also high, so take the warnings around this one seriously if any of that could bother you.

All that said, Janz is a great writer, I loved the characters and relationships here, and I have every intention of reading more of his work.

86. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Ultimately, I do think I'll remember this book, and that does say something, but it's also one that I've appreciated without enjoying, in large part due to tone.

The concept is fantastic. So, too, are the characters. I'd even say the pacing and story overall are built near impeccably. The problem for me, and what kept me from enjoying the book once I got far into it, truly came down to a one-note tone. From the first page on through the very last line, the tone is one of somewhat defeated determination. The last two lines sum it up well without really giving anything away: "Choose my aim, take one step and then the next. It had never been anything else." And truly, that's how the whole book feels. It may be a byproduct of the unique POV chosen for the work, but if that's the case, then I suppose the concept/characters are flawed, after all, given that the single-note feeling adopted throughout the book left me feeling as if, in the end, the story didn't particularly matter. That sounds flippant and dismissive, but when you're reading along with a character whose emotions and thoughts are so casually one-note, simple determination being the only emotion, without even any real feeling of hope (I'm going to take the next step, then the next, because this is what I planned to do, so this is what I'm going to do...), it's difficult to feel strongly about the outcome because even the POV doesn't seem to feel strongly about the outcome.

Truly, I can understand why this book is an award winner, but I also can't help wondering how many readers read the book like I did, pushed forward more by inertia and the drive of voices who'd told them to read it, without ever being particularly engaged or enjoying it. And I wonder how many of them wrote a review like this and never bothered to keep reading the series, as I'm sure I won't continue with the series, and likely won't give the author another try, much as I can appreciate what was created here.

87. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell

This probably isn't a collection I would have read without my book club pushing me into it, but I am ultimately glad I got around to it. The novel as well as the stories read fast, and Farrell's got a talent for character-building and suspense, though the lack of likeable characters is the one thing that really marred this read for me, as I just couldn't find it in myself to root for any of them. If the short stories at the end of this book hadn't been included, I certainly wouldn't have sought them out--I don't expect I'd want to read anything else by Farrell, truly--but I will forever remember how very different the last story in this collection was.

I'm sure some readers will love this one. The way Farrell depicted the spiralling out of control and the various characters' interior thoughts is admirable, and on the whole, there was enough humor and action to keep me entertained. For me, I just need some characters to care about, and most of the characters in this work are pretty thoroughly unlikeable.

>172 whitewavedarling: I didn’t care for this book as much as others seem to, and I’m not planning on continuing the series, but I think you’ve articulated better than I could have what it was that I didn’t like about it.

>174 Charon07:, Oh, thank you for saying so! I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it more than I did, but I appreciate your message since I wasn't at all sure I was being clear lol.

88. Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli

Three stars is probably generous for this little anthology, much as I hate to say it. There are a few fantastic stand-outs here--most notably the work of David Demchuk, Jaye Simpson, Levi Cain, Avra Margariti, and Saskia Nislow--but in large part, the stories and poems here feel more like concepts which are little more than concept pitches, without being fully developed stories, or like drafts of poems that feel full of potential with some great lines, but are yet unpolished. The writing itself, throughout the collection, is polished and often engaging, but the ideas themselves just don't feel fully fleshed out into complete stories and poems.

All told, I'm not sure whether those few stand-outs noted make me glad to have read the collection, which just left me incredibly underwhelmed, but David Demchuk's story will stay with me for some time.

89. Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

I'm glad to have read this book if only for getting a glimpse into a work that's inspired so many other writers in the years since its first publication. There's so much to be admired here conceptually that, while it was an uneven read for me and I doubt I'll be delving more into the authors' work, it did keep me engaged and ready for more. Ultimately, I wasn't particularly satisfied with the end or the read as a whole, but it was worth journeying into.

90. The Hypnotic Tales of Rafael Sabatini edited by Donald K. Hartman

These little novellas are fun and weird, quick journeys back into the beginning of the 1900s and horrors in the realm of hypnotism. Each novella is undeniably dated, but they're also kind of fascinating for what they are, and fast reads with some lovely twists involved. I'm thankful the women weren't more prominent questions--their characters are, without a doubt, the big weakness in these tales--but on the whole, I had a lot of fun reading this little book. Would I read more Sabatini? I'm not sure, though he was clearly popular and a huge influence in his time. I am glad to have stumbled on this book and all of the strange time capsules it presents for a reader's view, however.

Recommended.

91. Karaoke Culture by Dubravka Ugresic

An interesting collection of essays, Karaoke Culture revolves around the title essay and peeks into a variety of corners of pop culture, European history, reactionary politics and culture, and the occasional odd thought sparking a much shorter essay. The long title essay is without a doubt the stand-out, and it kept me most engaged and curious about where she was heading, even as I shook my head in disagreement (often--often, often, often). Ultimately, though, what made it hard for me to finish the book and made the book more of a slog than it should have been was the overall tone of Ugresic being 'above it all' and somewhat condescending to seemingly everyone. You got the feeling that if you were in conversation with her and you disagreed, she'd mentally write you off as being lesser, or at least a lesser thinker, because so much of the writing seemed to be pointed at the reader wtih a sly wink...a sort of 'You know what I mean, of course, because you're reading this essay, so we're on the same level.' Add this tone to an overarching lack of hope, and a general sense of apathy, and I struggled more and more to keep going with the essays even though the first had kept me so entertained. A lot of reviews mention Ugresic's humor, but I suppose it's just not to my taste, as while I occasionally raised an eyebrow, I found very little here to make me smile or want to seek out more of her work.

92. Revelator by Daryl Gregory

Revelator sounded intriguing from the first, but I didn't know if I'd particularly enjoy it...and yet, I'm so, so glad I picked it up. Gregory's talent for writing, for storytelling, for character creation...all of it came together to make for a powerful and haunting story that had so many nuances, I was entranced. Most telling of all: I've read so many books that go back and forth between two timelines, especially lately, and I don't remember a time when I didn't have a favorite timeline, to the extent that it was something of a let-down to go back to one of them, and a relief when I got back to the other...until now. The two timelines here were equally compelling, and they fit together flawlessly. I was always excited to get back to the other, and from page to page, I simply wanted to keep going. Gregory's writing of female characters was especially impressive, and combined with the surprising reveals, the nuanced look and tongue-in-cheek conversations regarding religion/religious thought and understanding, and the simply fascinating story, I just couldn't get enough. He also did a fantastic job of writing a younger and an older version of the same character in such a way that the maturation made sense, and you could tell from the voices that one was older and one were younger--they were clearly a mature and less-mature version of the same character. Written like that, it sounds simple, but if you've read books where you saw a writer go back and forth between two versions of the same character at different ages, you know it's far from a simple thing to pull that off believably.

In short, this is a fantastic horror novel, and will be one of my favorites of the year. I can't wait to check out more of Gregory's work.

93. The Girls in the Cabin by Caleb Stephens

I've been a fan of Caleb Stephens' writing ever since I came across his short stories, and sure enough, this novel only amplified the gorgeous power of his prose into a larger story and ever more addictive storytelling. The story here is packed with characters who are sometimes painfully easy to see as real, which only adds to the terror of the story.

That terror is something I have to touch on also... I went into this expecting a psychological thriller, but I'd be hard-pressed not to call this book horror. At the very least, it resides in a grey area between suspense and horror, with utterly terrifying scenes, characters, and twists combining with graphic violence to make for a book that, if released in theaters, would absolutely be considered horror. With that in mind, I'm tempted to say it will be too dark for plenty of thriller readers, but more than enough to satisfy horror readers who might generally forego thrillers. But, beyond genre...

What's most important here is that the family that fills these pages--families, really--offer emotional impacts that go far beyond the pages. I had to take breaks from reading just to give myself a respite from the too-real-feeling terror at times, and I have no doubt that the characters and situations here will haunt me well into the future.

Absolutely recommended.