The Monsters We Defy

This was an impulse grab from the library a week or so ago, and, after finishing it, I am thrilled by that decision. The cover is really eye-catching and after skimming the synopsis, it just felt like it would be different from anything I had really read before...which turned out to be absolutely true. Plus, I…

The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories

This is my third Aspen Words Literary Prize 2023 longlist read. And honestly so far this longlist is next level. All three (this, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water and The Town of Babylon) so far have been 5-star reads. I wasn’t planning to read the whole longlist this year, but I…

Aftershocks

This memoir is one that I have sort of had on the back burner for awhile (after seeing a glowing review around its publication from @bookofcinz), and the time was finally right. Short intro here, but really that's the whole story, so I won't belabor it. Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu “We become the stories we are…

The Swimmers

This is not a book that was originally anywhere on my radar, but after seeing how much @thestackspod loved it (and she is pretty discerning in the fiction books that get her recommendation), I decided to give it a try. Plus, it's just so small - so definitely worth the short reading time to see what…

How High We Go in the Dark

Look at this cover...gorgeous. Also, this was billed as being for fans of Station Eleven (which I loved) and Cloud Atlas (which I read a long time ago, way before I began reviewing/blogging, but do remember really enjoying). So onto my "to be read" list it went. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu “Death had…

People Person

I read Carty-Williams' debut novel, Queenie, a few years ago when it came out, and I really enjoyed the messy, genuine titular character. So this sophomore novel was on my TBR longlist as soon as I heard about it. I was actually able to grab an ARC copy from my library's "up for grabs for staff" pile…

Alif the Unseen

This is a backlist book that I have had on my TBR longer than almost any other. And every once in a while I'd remember it and be like "I should get that from the library!" and then get distracted by a shiny new release... But I found a copy of this at a local bookstore…

Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?

This book came across by radar through a single review post on IG, from @basiclandcave, back in April 2021. I have never seen it mentioned or referenced anywhere else. But it conceptually stuck with me, after reading their review, so when I saw it in the used section at a local bookstore a few weeks ago, I grabbed…

Tensorate Series

This is the most recent iteration of the "read out loud together before bed" tradition that my partner and I began a few years ago and have been surprisingly consistent with (His Dark Materials, The Witcher, and a few others...). This is the first time we have read something totally new to us both that also…

Nona the Ninth

Ever since Gideon the Ninth was published with the description "sapphic necromancers in space," I have been hardcore sold on this series. It didn't hurt that Gideon was also great. And then Harrow the Ninth, which...I've never in my life been more lost while reading a book, and yet I loved it too? So of course I bought Nona as soon as…