Books I Read in 2022
This year is starting off so much better than 2021, and my voracious reading habits reflect that. It's often hard for me to read when things around me are in shambles. Reading is a self-care activity for me, and as much as it pains me to admit, self-care is one of the first things to go out the window when I am truly stressed, feeling down, or out of sorts. I'm writing this introduction super early in the year, and in fact, today is my 33rd birthday (February 7). So far this year I have already read 6 books, plus I'm halfway through a seventh, and I started the New Year about 85% through "The Once and Future Witches" by Alix E. Harrow. See last year's blog post to see my review of that book.
I digress.
I'm already reading a lot this year and I hope this momentum can carry through 2022. We'll see!
Update: December 28, 2022. So I didn't even mention it in the introduction to this year's literary recap, but I decided about 2/3 through the year that I would like to try and read 50 books in 2022. The goal would slip in and out of my mind throughout the rest of the year, I didn't actively pursue it truth be told, but then I started my yearly tradition of signing up for the Louisville Public Library's Books and Brews 502 winter reading challenge (takes place December through February and you earn points for reading books, attending certain library events, and writing reviews of books. It takes me back to the summer reading challenges of my youth... anyone else remember reading like crazy to earn those personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut?)
Signing up for Books and Brews 502 had me thinking again about that nebulous goal of 50 books read in 2022. I counted up how many I had read so far.... and I was at 46! I was so close! So I decided to jump in and knock out those four remaining books. And here I am, triumphantly declaring that, yes, I read 50 books this year! I am currently reading book number 51 so I might even surpass my goal!
A quick recap of my reading habits since I started this tradition of tracking and reviewing all the books I read each year:
2018: 21 novels, 6 non-fiction books, and 6 graphic novels (3 of those were compendiums)
2019: 14 novels, 2 non-fiction books, and 1 short story collection
2020: 11 novels, 4 non-fiction books, and 1 graphic novel
2021: 26 novels and 7 non-fiction books
And drumroll, please, here are the totals for 2022:
43 novels
8 non-fiction
Total: 51
Yahoo, I beat my goal! By one book, but still! I've already started the novel that will likely take me into 2023 as it's a long one and I'm writing this on Dec. 30th, and I am very much looking forward to the books 2023 has in store for me. See you next year!
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
I have read quite a few of Mary Roach's books and had somehow missed the release of this one. I was gleeful to stumble across it in my library's e-book offerings and devoured it. If you've never read anything by Mary Roach, let me encourage you to do so. Her prose is witty and light, even when tackling dark and dangerous subjects. My favorite of her books that I've read is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Yes. A book about what happens to the human body after expiration. Believe it or not, Roach had me laughing out loud from such a subject. That's her power. She dives into topics with an open curiosity and we are along for the ride as she discovers so much about such interesting areas.
This book did not disappoint. Have you ever wondered if a bear can be put on trial for murder? What is really done about invasive species? How do they determine if someone was mauled by a cougar, jaguar, panther, or really large house cat? Roach finds out all this and more in an engaging and entertaining (and dare I say it) funny way. It was a great book to start the year off!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
This book kept popping up over and over in my recommended titles listings as well as prominently displayed on the first display shelf in every book store I ventured into in the past few months. I would pick it up, read the jacket paragraph, the first few sentences, then place it back down. Finally, I thought there must be something to it since it's so popular! I'm glad I took the plunge.
The premise of this novel is original, evocative, heartbreaking, and enthralling. I couldn't stop flipping pages to see what happened next. Addie is a great protagonist, and reading through her experience making a literal deal with a literal devil, and dealing with the consequences thereof, were wonderful. I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
This is another book I have to thank my library's e-book selections for. It popped up in the highly recommended section of my library's e-book collection and I gave it a glance. It hooked me immediately. This book changed my views on what makes an original. How to make decisions. How to make mistakes and when. How and when to push for change at work. And so on. I couldn't put it down and I know it will stick with me through the years. I definitely recommend this book to everyone, even if you think it might not be your kind of thing. Check it out!
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
I read The Girl on the Train and enjoyed it. It was a thriller in the vein of most all thrillers and even though the narrator wasn't relatable to me, or really even likable, I did enjoy reading that book. Into the Water fell into my lap and when I saw it was by the same author as The Girl on the Train, I decided to give it a try. Other than Laura Lippman, I don't usually enjoy thriller novels by the same author. They can come off as formulaic (not that there's anything wrong with that). Laura Lippman is also formulaic, I just happen to love her formula! But I digress...
Into the Water was interesting and very different from The Girl on the Train. It tied in elements that kept the story murky, much like river water, so that at certain points I wondered if there were witchcraft or magic involved. Maybe even ghosts. I loved all of it. I like when a novel walks that edge. I also sometimes like when they dive off that edge and go full witchcraft or paranormal, but I can also appreciate when they don't, as this book didn't. It was firmly rooted in the evils of the here and now and human nature and that can often be scarier than anything a witch can conjure.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
There were several times in this novel that I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and not necessarily in a good way. The voice of each chapter will change between characters, but it could be jarring sometime as the voice itself didn't always seem to change. The motivations of the characters could also be confusing at times and I often didn't know quite who to root for. It's essentially the story of a Black woman trying to make it in Philadelphia as a baby sitter/transcriptionist, and how she gets caught between two white people who are both determined to be the least racist white person ever. And both fail pretty hard most of the time.
I definitely enjoyed the novel, and it was a quick read. I liked seeing things through the main character's point of view, and the switching could be a turnoff as the other characters were not likable. I would give this book a solid 3/5 stars, though.
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
A movie adaptation of this book came out on Netflix and I loved it. I loved the Dolly Parton soundtrack, I loved the characters, I loved the plot. I've watched it several times. I found out it was based on a book and was not sure if I wanted to read it. Sometimes, movies ruin books or books ruin movies. But I kept coming across the book and decided to try it out and see if I liked how Willowdean sounded. Let me tell you... I loved it. Willowdean is so relatable to me! Not just because she's a bigger girl, but so much of her journey and her self-discovery is relevant to what I went through in high school. I just wish I had a hottie like Bo chasing after me....
I don't frivolously wish for sequels as I know sequels are usually never as good as the original. But I kinda want a sequel to this book! Now there are other books in the same universe, but as far as I know they are not a continuation of this story. They just involve other characters. But I want to read more of Will and Bo's adorable relationship and those hot kisses. I want to know what happens between Will and her mother. Does their relationship continue to grow, or will the next pageant season put them back at odds? What about Hannah and the rest of the misfit gang? How are Lee and the rest of the queens of the Hideaway? I could keep reading about these characters probably forever.
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
The cover for this one caught me, I won't lie. And a quote by Neil Gaiman on the cover, too? Count me in. Y'all know he's my number two favorite author of all time! This book was not my usual fare, but I have to admit, I very much enjoyed it. It's a Gothic romance set in nineteenth century Scotland about a young woman who wants to become a surgeon and a young man who robs graveyards to sell bodies to medical facilities so they can practice autopsies. A match made in... well, not Heaven, that's for sure. I did very much enjoy the book, the atmosphere of it was great and it was a bit poetic and lovely with a tragic but also hopeful ending. The heroine was spunky and alluring, I loved watching her navigate this man's world and go for what she wants and believes in and her love interest helping her find her strength and allowing her to blossom and grow as she needed.
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Mosdavsky
For my birthday this year, my husband and I took a daytrip to Nashville, Indiana. It's a quaint little tourist town that reminded me a lot of a smaller scale Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The part I loved most about it was a little bookstore called The Fallen Leaf Bookstore. The crowded aisles held books that were 'right up my alley,' everywhere I turned was a book I had either recently read and enjoyed, or one that I couldn't walk out of the store without.
All that being said, I purchased this book there, and I have to say... I was disappointed. The premise of the book was great, a group of high school kids start a club where they try to scare each other in homage to the party night that heralded Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (she was dared along with a group of writers to write a frightening short story. Frankenstein was the result). The book was a bit hammy at parts, but I did enjoy the references to slasher films and the final girl trope. Y'all should know by now that's my jam! But the book didn't grab me and keep me flipping pages out of excitement to see what happened next. The characters were flat, the plot fizzled out. I honestly finished it to justify the price tag I paid for the book.
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
This book, however, was the total opposite. I wasn't aware of the controversy surrounding this book when I found it among the popular check outs list at my library. I opened it up, read the first paragraph. Gasped, hunkered down, and couldn't stop reading. It was compelling, thrilling, chilling, eye-opening. I know there is commentary out there about a white author writing about the plight of a Mexican woman and her young son running form the cartel and making their way to the American border to seek asylum. I do seek to learn more about this topic and form an educated opinion about it.
For this book, though, I enjoyed the prose so very much, the way Cummins describes a mother's worry for her son's safety... I'm not a mother, but it choked me up. It had me feeling all the feels. The dogged way the main character pushed forward against all odds to get her and her son to safety, it was riveting! I couldn't put it down and only wanted more when I'd finished.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlyn Doughty
Caitlin Doughty is a mortician with a Youtube following. She answers questions about death and the mortuary profession with wit, wisdom, and an upbeat manner and she's very engaging. This book is a collection of questions she's been asked by kids and her answers to them. I don't consider myself a morbid person, necessarily, but I do love reading about death sometimes. We're all going to die one day, it's fascinating to learn about what happens to our bodies after we leave them. Not for the squeamish, but the book is so full of fun stories and factoids, I encourage giving it a go. And if this book has you wanting to learn even more about what happens to a body after death, definitely check out Mary Roach's Stiff. It's amazing.
Pug Actually by Matt Dunn
I'm not really a romance reader, guys. They tend to center on characters I find too flat and premises that are too thin. I've dabbled in the Outlander series, and read the occasional romance, but wouldn't consider myself a fan of the genre by any means. So why did I feel compelled to pick up a book written from the perspective of a pug named Doug who desperately wants his owner to find true love? I really can't tell you. Did I enjoy the book? I did, actually! It had some moments that were genuinely laugh out loud funny to me and it was... I don't know... freeing? Yeah, freeing, to give myself over to the total suspension of disbelief that a pug named Doug could narrate this story to me. It wasn't a mind blowing novel, it wasn't even a great romance story, but the fact that it was being told by this cute little dog made it entertaining, at the least.
Sit Stay Heal: How an Underachieving Labrador Won Our Hearts and Brought Us Together by Mel C. Miskimen
I was clearly on a dog kick and just kept the momentum going. This is a memoir about a woman who loses her mother. She and her father who trains hunting dogs handle their grief together by attempting to train her pet dog who is a bit of a lost cause. The stories are warm and funny and heartfelt and at times sad. But seeing a father and daughter bond over a dog who at time appears hopeless and yet always has a wagging tail, was a wonderful read.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray
The cover of this book caught my eye, it's a beautiful and colorful design. I liked the wording of the title, too. It was a great read about a trio of sisters, one battles an eating disorder and impending breakup with her long term girlfriend, another needs to face the traumas she endured in her childhood in order to move on, and the third is in prison for charity fraud. The two sisters out of jail have to step up and take care of the imprisoned sister's two daughters. I loved all the characters and the prose was lovely. I enjoyed this book, but I honestly wanted more from it. More story, maybe, or a sequel? I could have stayed with these characters longer.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
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I had listened to a presentation the author of this book made and knew immediately I had to get my hands on this book and read it. I plan to read Warmth of Other Suns as well. This book should be mandatory reading in US schools. It's that powerful, it's that important! I couldn't put it down. As difficult as the subject matter is, Wilkerson does an amazing job putting everything in a straightforward manner that is direct and unflinching. America is built on a caste system and those of up in the upper castes reap the benefits and don't work to dismantle it because we do benefit from it. Even if we aren't fully aware of that fact, the system was built to last. That's why I wish this book was required reading in schools. As early as possible, our citizens should be educated on the facts in this book. You must read this book.
Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
The plot of this book and its compelling characters was thrilling to read. The only negative I have about the book was the mysterious point of view that would pop up occasionally. There was a narrator that is never identified that speaks directly to the reader, using "we" and "us". I thought by the end of the book, perhaps that narrator would be revealed to be one of the title characters telling the story to us, the reader. But they are never identified and the book goes from this mysterious narrator to omniscient third person point of view without any sort of break or signal that the POV is changing. That kept knocking me out of the narrative and frankly confusing me quite a bit. I still enjoyed the book and do recommend it, but the whiplash effect of the POV changing like it does can be annoying.
Miss Subways by David Duchovny
Yes, THAT David Duchovny. The very same who portrayed everyone's favorite FBI Special Agent from the Basement: Fox Mulder. And everyone's sex-addicted train wreck writer Hank Moody. And so on. He's a great actor, is what I'm getting at. But is he a great writer? I'm currently in the throes of an X-Files watch through and have become a bit obsessed with the show and it's stars. When I listened to an interview of Duchovny's and he mentioned having written a few novels, I just had to check them out.
I scored this gem at a local bookstore for $8, and the best part? My copy is autographed, baby, and authenticated. Talk about a score! And I swear I'm not putting off telling you about the book itself, oh no. I just wanted to brag a bit that I have a Duchovny-autographed edition. All that aside, was the book good? I actually did enjoy it, I won't lie. It was reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite novels: American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman's epic novel is leagues ahead of this one, I will say, but this one has a wonderful charm to it. It exudes Duchovny, even being told from a woman's POV.
I enjoyed unwrapping the layers of this novel, what's real, what's not, is the protagonist nuts or not? The main character encounters gods and legends of old and takes so much of it in stride, it's hard to tell if she's dreaming, high, or dreaming while high. But I did enjoy the book, truly.
The X-Files: Goblins by Charles Grant
Look, I told you I was in an X-Files addiction state, didn't I? Didn't I? Well, I am, and I discovered that there are novels written within the X-Files universe and I had to dive in. I enjoyed this, it wasn't anything mind blowing, but it was a fun romp through Mulder and Scully working through a case where the locals suspect goblin creatures, but the truth is a little more... out there.
I liked the characterizations of Scully and Mulder, they felt real to the television show and that's not an easy feat. I've been hunting for more of these, but they are hard to find! I plan to check out more book stores until I find some more.
Holy Cow by David Duchovny
This book was short and sweet and, well... silly. I didn't "get" this book, if I'm completely honest about it. I guess the story of a cow who discovers that humans eat cows in America but worship them in India leads her to escaping the farm with a Jewish pig and a technologically advanced turkey who hijack a plane and that's not even the weirdest thing they do. Pig circumcision, anyone? No? Me neither.
This book was just too silly for me, and felt too much like a pro-vegan message. The only aspect of it I did like was the main character, Elsie the cow, having a female cow friend on the farm who had no interest in escaping. She was perfectly content to have her babies and eventually go to slaughter. And Elsie comes to terms with that, and supports her friend as her friend supports her endeavor to escape the farm. I could read a whole book about that dynamic, women supporting each other's dreams even if they don't agree about them. It was a fun romp, but short enough that it just escaped landing on the Did Not Finish list.
Think Again by Adam Grant
This is the second Adam Grant book I've read, and while it didn't thrill me as much as Originals did, I got a lot out of it. The book explains why we often fail to rethink our opinions, what we hold dear as infallible truths, and assumptions; and why that failure to unlearn and rethink is detrimental to us. This was an eye opening work and one I recommend everyone check out as the perspective in it is fresh and jarring and easy to follow and important. So was Originals, go read that one, too!
Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
I've read quite a few male authors at this point in the year, when I initially set out to once again, avoid them. But at least Jones isn't a white man, right? I really enjoyed All the Good Indians when I read it last year, so I've been planning to read more of his novels. This one showed up on an "If You Love the X-Files, You Should Read These" book recommendation list, so I had to check it out!
I very much enjoyed it. The prose feels very much like the 7 to 13 year old protagonist is really telling the story. The tension and anxiety and fear and excitement and bloodlust all feels so real, is just jumping off the pages. The story follows a young boy who's mother died in childbirth, so he is being raised by his grandfather and aunt and absent uncle, and then just his aunt and uncle who all happen to be werewolves. The boy longs to be one, too, but won't know until he's at least hit puberty when he may or may not go through the change. His mother wasn't a werewolf, so he very well might not be. I won't spoil anything! The writing was well paced, some of the jumping back and forth age wise (one chapter, the boy will be 7, then 13, then back to 10, then up to 16) was annoying to me, but not enough to ruin the book. It had some real original, and downright gross moments of what being an actual nomadic werewolf in modern America might be like. It was good fun, I very much enjoyed it.
The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Besides the criminal character having the last name Fox, I'm assuming it's a tribute to Fox Mulder, I don't see the Scully/Mulder dynamic at work here. Sure, there's a bit of sexual tension between the two leads, but there's not enough depth to it for me to sink into a fantasy of seeing into Mulder and Scully's hearts and minds.
It was a relatively fun read and I can see this series being something I turn to when I need a good palate cleanser, something I don't need to use much brain power for. Cheez Whiz of reading, if you will. Sometimes, one likes to attend an opera and let the beauty and talent of the music and singers overwhelm and overtake you. Other times, you want to sneak mini bottles of cheap wine into a movie theater to watch a romantic comedy because you heard at some point you get to see the hot actor's buttocks during a sex scene.
Well, this book doesn't have a sex scene (spoiler alert, but also a warning if that's what you're looking for) but it does fulfill some mindless sexual tension and humor wrapped around a fun action adventure/romantic comedy.
The Children on the Hill by JenniferMcMahon
I took a pilgrimage around my birthday to an independent bookstore about an hour's drive away from me solely because it was dog themed. Naughty Dog Books did not disappoint as it's décor included framed photos of dogs tearing up books and had it's true crime section in an actual bank vault. The clerk on duty at the time of my visit overheard me recommending some of my favorite books to my husband as I perused the shelves and she spoke up and was impressed that I knew who a few of the authors I mentioned were: Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, and more.
She asked if I had read anything by Jennifer McMahon. I mistakenly stated that I had not (I forgot The Winter People, which I had read last year was a McMahan novel). She suggested I give The Children on the Hill a try. The premise of the story was incredible interesting. The story has a split timeline, half the novel taking place during the main character's childhood, where she grew up in a house near an asylum where her grandmother and guardian was a psychologist. The other half of the novel is in present day, were the main character is a podcaster who tracks down urban legends and cryptids.
The plot sounded completely up my alley, and definitely was. I enjoyed the book a lot. Until.... a "plot twist" was revealed. Which to this day, I'm still confused about. I'm not sure if it was just over my head, or not as well written as it could have been... I'm not sure. But I'm still confused as to who exactly is who in this book, and I don't get the feeling that was intentional whatsoever. So overall, I would recommend this book if for no other reason than to see if someone can explain the twist to me in a way I'll understand. I'd like to read more McMahon, regardless!
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
My third Jones novel, and by far my favorite. This book is everything I've wanted a slasher-centered story to be. The protagonist is obsessed with slasher films, disappearing into their lore as a band-aid for her survival of trauma in her youth. She shoulders guilt of wishing a slasher would come to her town and shake up the locals. When one appears to do just that, not everything is as it seems. It's a bloody fun romp through slasher trivia, factoids, and nostalgia and I loved every second of it. The pages turned themselves and I couldn't put it down.
For fans of slasher films and horror novels, this one is a must read. I enjoyed it even more than Final Girls by Riley Sager and Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix! This is what I wanted those novels to be.
Area 51 by Robert Doherty
Picking up this book for $1 from my favorite local bookstore was certainly influenced by my X-Files mania. It's not my usual fare, at all. I'm not a scifi reader by any means, and I'm actually surprised I was able to get through this book. It was well done, the characters were compelling, the plot interesting. It moved quickly and I enjoyed my read of it, definitely. In fact, I will possibly read the sequels, as I discovered it's a whole series.
My only complaint was the lack of actual aliens. If you want scenes with little green men meeting humans or interacting with humans, you won't get it in this book. But somehow it didn't keep my frome enjoying the book! Pretty standard scifi alien schlock with characters that I was rooting for and eager to see winning against their extraterrestrial foe.
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
The framework of the story was nothing I'd read before and I very much loved it beginning to end. There were a few slower paced areas that maybe could have been trimmed, but not enough to make the story slog. It moved and moved me, and I enjoyed it!
Truly Like Lightning by David Duchovny
I suppose by this point I have to call myself a fan of Duchovny's writing. I don't have a problem with that! This book might be my favorite of his. It has that thing that can be rare, and sometimes doesn't work for me, but in this instance it did: a book comprised entirely of unlikable characters. It's impossible to root for anyone in this book, except maybe the children! All the adults have completely terrible personalities and motivations.
Sometimes books or movies or shows like that can be taxing. Rooting for someone can be what's fun about consuming a piece of media. Whether it's the underdog, the hero battling all odds, the character arc showing growth and development, whatever the case may be. But not this book! Despicable characters stay despicable throughout, and it's actually great! The book started a bit slow for me, and I struggled a bit to get into it. But once I was in, I was IN!
As with the other Duchovny novels I've read, I greatly enjoyed the prose and insight into the character's motivations and thoughts. Duchovny is nothing if not entertaining. He's funny, observant, and compelling with his writing and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I couldn't put it down!
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
This book is often referenced as being similar in tone and message to The Handmaid's Tale, the classic post-apocalyptic feminine tome by Margaret Atwood. I definitely love Atwood's work, and so was eager to read this book as everyone I mentioned it to seemed to gush about Butler's writing.
Now, keep in mind, I'm not a regular scifi reader. The post apocalyptic genre isn't one I'm incredibly familiar with, and I have to be in a certain "mood" to even get into the genre. And perhaps I wasn't as into the "mood" for this type of book as I thought I was, as it was difficult for me to finish.
Now, all the elements of the story, I loved. I loved the concept of "sharing" that the main character has, where she can feel pain inflicted on someone in her vicinity, including pain she herself inflicts on them. Such a great plot device and concept. I also enjoyed reading the character battle with the creation of her own belief system she's dubbed Earthseed. I enjoyed the poetic verses shared at the beginning of each chapter, showing the growth and evolution of her 'religion'.
But overall, I found the narrative relatively boring. It spent so much time describing actions: the group walking from one point on a highway to another, then setting up camp, then who slept where and near whom, what they ate, what they carried in their packs. I wanted to know so much more about their back stories, what compelled them to follow the main character into such an uncertain future. I needed more charisma from her, more persuasion, more personality. She can feel others' pain, I thought that would go somewhere beyond just hindering her in moments of violence throughout the novel.
So I have to say I was a bit disappointed in this one. I may read the sequel, but I'm not clambering to start it. This one wasn't for me. It won't stick to me like Handmaid's Tale or Swan Song or other apocalyptic fiction has.
Embers on the Wind by Lisa Williamson Rosenberg
I love a good ghost story, a good haunted house, a good spooky tale. And this book had all of those things. A house that served as a stop on the Underground Railroad has tragedy steeped through the blood spatter on its walls. This story takes place across time, with chapters moving back and forth between the story of enslaved people who sought refuge at the house and find horror and modern day descendants seeking connection with their sordid past. The ghosts weave through it all and even speak to the reader and to the characters. It's beautifully done, I really enjoyed devouring this one.
What solidified this as a strong read that will stay with me a while was the biographical content in the back of the book about the author. She was inspired by real events, a real house, her real past, to write this book and it shows. The care she took to tell the intertwining stories, full of fear and anguish and torment, was incredibly thoughtful and meaningful.
Highly recommend if you're looking for a book that has spooky elements, historical elements, and heartbreaking moments.
Sundial by Catriona Ward
A friend of mine was reading this book and made the claim, "I couldn't read this before bed, alone, in my house. It was scaring me!" Now, you tell me something like that and I'm scrambling to read it! However, I didn't find this book frightening, really, at all. But I definitely enjoyed the story. Unreliable narrators? You got it. Strange hippie-dippie cult family living in the desert and doing weird experiments on dogs? Absolutely. Possible child murder and/or a murderous child? Yep! Abusive spouse? Sure thing. Yep, it's a wild ride, and that's all I can say about it!
I was strapped in and holding on for dear life reading this one. While it didn't actively scare me, it definitely kept me guessing what was going to happen next. The story takes place over two time periods, and I found myself equally enjoying both periods. That's not always the case in books with flashbacks. Often times I'll favor one over the other. But in this one I was looking forward to the flashbacks each time a new chapter started and was ready for the present when it returned, the anxiety of finding out what was happening returning with fervor.
One of my favorite reads of the year, for sure. Definitely check it out if you want a wild ride with some horror elements.
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth
Until she's pulled into a parallel universe to defeat another Big Bad. The Resurrectionist. It was fascinating exploring Roth's worldbuilding and also hanging out in the mind of her main character Sloane. It was refreshing for Sloane to be Chosen, but to also completely resent it. To see her trauma, her past, affect her mental health and wellbeing... it was such a fascinating read. I definitely enjoyed this one and recommend it to anyone who might enjoy reading an anti-heroine's point of view.
It's a Plunderful Life: Gallows Bay Book One by Ginger Kidd
Y'all know I'm a sucker for a good pun, so I was drawn in by the title of this straightaway. Oh, and Ginger Kidd is a penname for a woman in my writer's group. I enjoyed this quick little romp through the life of a recently divorced forty-something with kids who goes back to the fairy tale themed amusement park her parents run only to discover that true magic lies there. As well as within her. Oh, and did I mention handsome ghost pirates scandalized by exposed female skin? This book was a super quick and fun read, with four sequels to follow!
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Wait until you hear how long the average woman spends per year trying to find a safe place to use the bathroom to attempt avoiding assault or other violence against her. What about how car safety tests don't account for the differences in men's and women's bodies,and the half-assed attempts to correct this hardly ever test for women's bodies in the driver's seats? Or how many hours of unpaid labor a women incurs by shacking up with a man? All this and more awaits you between the covers of this well-researched, and quite angry, book. Be prepared to grip the book tight and clench your teeth reading this one. But it's pertinent information and ammo for any feminist's arsenal against the patriarchy.
Shadows of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee
Out of nowhere, the urge to rewatch the Netflix prequel to the Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal came upon me. And so I did. The puppetry, the music, the sets, the plot; absolutely stunning and magical and everything I needed for an escape into visual and auditory entertainment. But it left me wanting more (WHY DID YOU CANCEL IT, NETFLIX, YOU DECADENT DEVIL AND FIEND!??!) That's when I did some Googling and discovered that there was a novelization set during the time of the Netflix series but focusing on characters that were on the periphery in the show.
This was a fun read, learning even more about the nature and culture of the Gelfling race and the creatures of Thra. The heroine at the center of the story is bold and brace, smart and strong-willed. I enjoyed reading how she overcame obstacles and was never faltering in her quest to discover what was happening to the typically peaceful creatures of Thra and the mystery surrounding her missing brother. The Skeksis are rightfully terrifying and the unfairness of the fate of the Gelfling squeezes at the reader's heart.
I feel you must have the context of the show and/or the film to get a lot out of the world of Thra, but maybe not! For a standard fantasy fan, this is tasty fare. As I am only an occasional dweller in the realm of fantasy, I managed a ton of enjoyment out of this as it only added to my love of The Dark Crystal.
Hide by Kiersten White
I don't like to be overly critical, and I have no problem admitting that sometimes an author's style just isn't for me. And this was one of those times. White's style was a bit too jumpy for me. Sometimes it changed perspectives between characters within the same paragraph. And there was a lot of 'telling and not showing'. I even clocked at least two times that the author told the reader something the character didn't know. And rather than just doing that and trusting that, yes, the reader understands what an omniscient third person narrative is, they instead chose to point it out, which took me right out of the narrative. "This was like this because of this which Character doesn't know." Of course they don't know, how would they know?
The plot was so intriguing from the jacket cover and I liked the back story of the main character and how it fueled her decisions and desires. But the connections that forged between the characters was too superficial and too fast and thus I didn't believe any of it. I wasn't emotionally tied to any of these characters and the author needed me to be for the story to be actually horrifying. The motivations of the villains wasn't heavy enough for me and in the beginning of the book versus the end, the character Linda seemed to double down on something she'd shown doubt about in the beginning. It didn't do it for me and I only finished it because it was a short read.
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
Now, in reading the premise of this novella, I gave pause because I was nervous that by making members of the KKK literal supernatural monsters, would that cheapen the true evil members of that group (and any racists anywhere) actually harbor and act upon? "Those are monsters, I'm not a monster, so..." But no. The writing makes it very clear that monsters abound under those cloaks, whether they have actual claws and ripping teeth or not.
The characters were so real, so fleshed out, each so unique in such a short time that any peril that befell them was immediately heart-pounding and knuckle biting. I was rooting for these women from the jump. Clark is clearly a talent and I look forward to reading more of their writing! There's some body horror in this, and the realities of early 20's America are never easy to face, but this book does it all so well and will stick with me for a long time.
The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink
I enjoyed this so much, it will likely be a yearly visit once I start to feel Halloween approaching on the chill of Autumn air. This could be a great book to read aloud to young ones. There were some suspenseful moments, some violence and light gore. But I could definitely see kids loving the story and relating to the characters. A modernized story along the lines of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree.
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
I enjoyed Empire of Wild so much I had to see what else Dimaline had written and I found The Marrow Thieves. I devoured this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think, it made me joyful, it made me sorrowful. It's a glorious story about a dystopian future where weather phenomenon are ruining the land and on top of that, people have lost the ability to dream. Except for a certain group: Indigenous people. They are now on the run as through horrifying experimentation it's been discovered that the ability to dream exists in the very marrow of their bones.
It's a story about identity, about family, about power, about love, about humanity. I've already started the sequel, and am sad to see there aren't more books in the series after the sequel. There are a few more books that Dimaline has written that I want to get my hands on and am excited to read.
Hunting By Stars by Cherie Dimaline
Hunting By Stars is the sequel to The Marrow Thieves. I enjoyed it a lot, as it explored even more of the downfall of civilization and exactly how those in power were brain washing (assimilating) the minority culture into their way of thinking so that they were committing atrocities against their own people. Seeing the protagonist reunited with his brother, only to find he is a high ranking pawn in the crimes against humanity was fascinating. Watching him struggle to maintain his sense of self and sanity while attempting to pull his brother out of their clutches was both fascinating and heart breaking. The determination from his group as they try to find a way to save him was just as thrilling and devastating. Truly a book and sequel that will stick with me. Incredibly engaging and well done.
The Between by Tananarive Due
I've read a few of Due's books now and I find her writing intoxicating. In The Between, we follow a man who's wife has just been appointed the first African-American judge in their city and receives hate mail. His spiraling managed to bend reality in such a way that I'm not entirely sure what did and didn't happen, and there's nothing I love more. Questioning my own sanity was invigorating. The story's twists and turns and the emerging madness of the protagonist were like whiplash, but a ride worth taking, for sure.
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Paul Tremblay has become an author I look to when I need a sure thing and this book, his most famous, probably, did not disappoint. Take the plot of The Exorcist, but make it a modern day tale of a family who turns what could be a possession by one of their children into a money grabbing scheme in the form of a reality television show. Then fast forward to the surviving daughter's adulthood and how she might reflect and recall the events of her childhood as her sister may or may not have faked a possession at the hands of her financially strapped parents looking for absolution and a paycheck. I loved this book cover to cover. A fun rehashing of demonic possession tropes, and who doesn't love a good rehashing of tried and true tropes?
Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste
I happened upon this book just scrolling through the recommended feed on my library's app and had no idea what to expect. The story centers around two women from literature lore: Lucy of Dracula fame, and Bee, a lesser known figure from Jane Eyre. In this story, the setting is 1967 Hollywood and these women are immortal because of the injustices thrust upon them by their far more famous tormentors: Dracula and Mr. Rochester. The story was a fun ride through gothic fantasy and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The heroines give it their all when they finally face the men who have made them reluctant immortals, and I was rooting for them from page one.
The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell
As anyone who knows me is well aware, I am a huge Terry Pratchett fan. His Discworld series is my all-time favorite series of books and whenever I need a comfort read, I turn to that world first. This book? I had no idea what to expect. I found it somehow in my library's app and the blurb intrigued me, so I gave it a go. It reminded me a lot of Terry Pratchett alongside a bit of Douglas Adams (who I also love). It was irreverent, ridiculous, hilarious, and... well... strange! It follows a young woman accepting a position at a local newspaper that reports on all things weird and unusual (think something like Weekly World News if it was headquartered in a small town in England). This book was literally batshit insane and I enjoyed every page! Looking forward to reading the sequel.
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
A female owned horror themed bookstore opened in my town, and you just know I had to go to its opening day, right? Unfortunately, I got there near the tail end of their opening day and not much was left, the store had been picked over! There was one book that caught my eye on the shelf however, and that was Ghost Eaters, written by a local author. I took this book with me on a trip to a lakeside cabin where I spent Halloween and the days leading up to it hanging out in seclusion and working on a novel about a teenage girl who can interact with cryptid creatures. You read that right. Regardless, I read this novel while I was there, and I very much enjoyed it! It's definitely an allegory for the dangers of addictive drug use, but told through the idea of a drug being produced that allowed one to interact with ghosts, spirits of their deceased loved ones. What lengths might one go to to spend time with someone they had lost forever? Very well written, with such a unique concept, I will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author.
The Removed by Brandon Hobson
Did you know November is Indigenous Peoples Month? My local library reminded me as on a visit, they had a display of books by Indigenous authors right inside the front door. This book jumped out to me and so I checked it out. It was a dark read about a family torn apart by an act of racially motivated violence. I'm sure if I knew more about the culture being referenced, I would have gained a lot more from this book, but even without recognizing all of the references and nods to Cherokee culture and myths, I very much enjoyed this book. The prose and pacing were great. The tragedy surrounding each member of the family cuts to the bone and chills.
Jackal by Erin E. Adams
This book was quite the ride. A young woman who faced a tragic night of violence in the woods of her hometown returns in adulthood for her best friend's wedding only to discover that Black girls are still disappearing in the woods to meet violent ends, and she's managed to lose her friend's young daughter at the wedding in the woods. In the race to find her friend's daughter, hopefully alive, a mystery is unraveled and the evil plaguing the town is met face to face. The supernatural elements in this book heightened the sense of being watched and hunted and weren't enough to ruin the suspense or thrill of this book. They only enhanced it. A fantastic read.
I've Got This Round: More Tales of Debauchery by Mamrie Hart
I've followed Mamrie Hart for many, many years, having discovered her at some point on Youtube with her "You Deserve a Drink" series. I even watched her indie film about a summer camp and found myself in tears at certain parts whether it be from laughing or getting my heart strings pulled. I read her first book, which was a gift from a co-worker at the time who knew I was a fan and she also was a fan, and the stories in the book and the manner in which they were told were equal parts shocking, hilarious, and riveting. I hadn't realized she'd written another book and stumbled across it in, of all places, a Goodwill. So of course, I snagged it and devoured it, laughing all the way. I especially enjoyed the chapter about nineties country music, because, babe, it made me the woman I am today, also.
The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge Terry Pratchett fan. I won't harp on about it for too long. If you like fantasy, British humour, word puns, and forcing yourself to think about concepts as deep as humanity, spirituality, classism, racism, and justice.... you've got to try a Discworld novel. This one was a re-read for me, and this time around I found it even more enjoyable.
My favorite Discworld character is Angua of the City Watch, and it was pleasant to see her and Carrot get some more character development and scenes where Angua explores their relationship, her own feelings and morality regarding her family's history and beliefs, and the depths to which Carrot will go to save those he loves. Of course, that's just a B plot to Captain Vimes' A plot, but there was enough of it there to satisfy me. The A plot moves quickly and ruthlessly as Vimes is forced to be an ambassador to Ankh Morpork in Uberwald. It's a total farce and lots of fun, but also has some deep thinking moments as nearly all Discworld novels do. A wonderful installation of the Discworld. Any fan would know it and any not-yet-fans just haven't read it. Yet.
Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis
A friend and I randomly decided to go to the movies and the only thing showing that looked even remotely interesting to me was Bones and All. I didn't know anything about it going in, and thoroughly enjoyed the movie, start to finish. When I found out afterward that it was based on a novel, I had to read it. It was interesting to see what was different between the novel and the movie and the changes made I thought did enhance the story for a visual/audio audience. But the novel is so well done. It's gory, bloody, and horrific at parts, but hanging out inside the mind of a sixteen year old as she makes her way in the world harboring her own monstrous nature is pretty incredible. I just wish she had met some women along the line. The story is dominated by the men she meets, and I'd love to have seen what her female relationships could have been like. I could definitely read a sequel to this book, I want to know what else happens!
The Merciless by Danielle Vega
This book was sold to me as The Craft meets Mean Girls and I was down for it. I read this in one day, and it was a very entertaining and suspenseful read. My only issue was that everything happened so quickly. And I often questioned the motivation of the main character. Not in an unreliable narrator kind of way, more in a "she's known these girls for a day... there's no way she'd already be willing to do X, Y, or Z for them" kind of way.
The main character immediately connects herself to two sanctions of girls: a trio of popular preppy girls who are into God and looking down on others, and a tattooed supposedly devil worshipping misfit. It made me wonder who was the main character? Did she not have an identity of her own? I needed more context to the relationships, more nuance to the decisions and actions the main character ultimately makes.
I will say the book was at first very tropey, very predictable, but then the twist and the ending more than made up for anything that was too cliche in the start. I liked everything that came later in the book and very much loved being left with the idea that I wasn't rooting for a single person in the whole of the narrative. Typically, I don't love those kind of books, I usually yearn for someone to root for, but I enjoyed it in this book. It kept me guessing and flipping those pages!
The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid
To finish out this year on this book feels a bit poetic, to be honest. American culture has had a bit of a reckoning over the past few years, a lot of it directed toward the falsehood of white supremacy and the patriarchy. This book is a quirky look at what might happen should all white people wake up with darker skin to the point that there are no white people left. I absolutely love this concept, because it's so radical in many ways and indulgent and shocking in other ways.
The author's style took me a minute or two to get used to, as he doesn't seem to believe in using periods, just commas, and each sentence contradicted itself to prove a point. It felt lived in, this novel, and I did appreciate how the characters weren't perfect in their responses to their world turned upside down. The racial tension is pointed out and handled, I appreciated that, and thought especially the dynamic between the main character and the janitor at the gym where he works as a trainer were poignant and spoke far more volumes than the words on the page.
I enjoyed this book and I know it will stick with me for a long time. I'd actually love to read more in this type of world, where races are truly homogenized and society has to face the repercussions and reality of that. The author was clever, because at one point it seemed that he were making the point that the world turned more violent and frightening, and in some ways it did, but then he reveals that we are getting that information filtered through an older character in the book who is getting her information from a news station (a la Fox News) and in fact, the world outside her door is pleasant and nice and wonderful. I feel I could go on and on about this book, and I do recommend it for a thought experiment.
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