I often dream about water. Floods, rains, storms at sea, currents of water bearing me away. Sometimes I struggle to keep my head above its surface. Occasionally I fly or sail above it. But more often than not, my dreams are watery. Susanna Clarke's long-anticipated second novel, Piranesi, fantastically combines these two elements. It has … Continue reading Uncannily Peaceful: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
It's a very bizarre thing to find yourself squeeing in the middle of a gut-wrenching and upsettingly graphic story about the bubonic plague. And yet. Here we are. Doomsday Book was published in 1992 and is the first full-length book in Connie Willis's Oxford Time Travel series. It tells the story of Kivrin Engle, a … Continue reading Fangirling with Connie Willis
September was a pretty banner month for me. For one thing, I got to attend a 10-day writing residency on an off-the-grid island, with two other writers, a wood-fired sauna, and some attendant loons and beavers. For another, I got my hands on Claire-Louise Bennett's newest book, Checkout 19. If you aren't familiar with Claire-Louise … Continue reading I Will Follow Claire-Louise Bennett Anywhere
A little cozy noir for your autumn reading pleasure, anyone? I feel like fall is the perfect time for this particular genre, with its leanings towards the shadowy, the subversive, the underworld. Even the name noir feels like it pairs well with shorter days and the smell of woodsmoke and decaying leaves. With that in … Continue reading Mixed Feelings about Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
It feels like a long moment since I've posted about one of my true loves: what Persephone Books terms "neglected classics," penned by female writers. Some may venture to call it vintage "middlebrow" fiction (but others may bare their teeth at them). Today I am delighted to be writing about Margery Sharp, who has somehow … Continue reading A Vintage Delight: The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp
Keeping in line with my inadvertent summer theme of fantasy novels, I recently turned the last page on A Deadly Education, the first book in Naomi Novik's projected Scholomance trilogy. This has been by far my favourite Naomi Novik book—for me, neither Uprooted nor Spinning Silver lived up to their hype. But this one I … Continue reading A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, Romanian folklore, and some thoughts about perfectionism
There's nothing like some good fantasy and some deeply engaging storytelling for the depths of the summer, in my humble opinion. And my latest good read not only combines both of those things, but also has a true heart of gold. The book I'm talking about is Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger. Hot Tip: Always … Continue reading Storytelling, Magic, and a Whole Lotta Heart: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
This is a small, slim book, and I read it at nights, over the course of about a week, sitting in my overly warm house during a heat wave. It was perfection. The Honey Month is a collection of poems and vignettes that envelop you in a world of sensuousness, magic, and metaphor. It balances … Continue reading Sweet, Sultry Summer Nights: The Honey Month by Amal El-Mohtar
Merriam-Webster Dictionary I don’t know about you, but I love this idea. Certain moods call for certain books, and I for one always feel better after a bit of reading. But first of all, in case it bears mentioning: Nevertheless, in the spirit of bibliotherapy, may I present my extremely unqualified “prescriptions” for books to … Continue reading A Little Bit of Bibliotherapy
Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about language. Since I am an editor, writer, book reviewer, and library branch assistant, this might not shock you. But, specifically, I have been thinking about the way in which language shapes reality, and the unconscious choices that we make with our words, … Continue reading Language Matters
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