A must-read for fans of horror films. Full stop. It made me reflect about why I love (and hate) some slasher movies, and it ignited in me a desire to watch some films I’ve never seen (Dead Ringers, Eyes Without a Face, and The Wolfman).
Julia Armfield’s debut novel is a slow-burn psychological suspense that examines grief, the unknown, and what lies at the bottom of our deepest, darkest fears of self and our most closely-held relationships.
Kelly Barnhill's novel When Women Were Dragons explores the ways in which women were (and are still) told to fit into certain roles, certain standards, and certain ways of living. And when they don't, those women dragon. Yes, they dragon. As in "dragon" as a verb.
Looking through the list of books I've read so far in 2022, it's pretty obvious that I've got a reading type. Yeah, I'm full-on romance reading. I *could* say that it's research for my own novel, Deckled Edges. (And it is, kind of. But it's also more.) Honestly, lounging my way through this string of... Continue Reading →
Being the fifth wheel in a group of couples is never easy. Ever. And it's certainly not easy for Margot. Her best friend is the mogul behind a Happily Ever After Dating app, and he wants nothing more than for Margot to find her soul mate. Only Margot isn't sure she believes in soul mates.... Continue Reading →
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is the magical, cozy book that you never knew you needed. And you do. You need it. When meek and mild-mannered Linus Baker is sent on a secret assignment to the house on the sea, he plans to be his meticulous self: he'll record his observations... Continue Reading →
Reading The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is like taking a crash-course in Hanukkah, in the best possible way. Yes, there are menorahs. Yes, there are latkes. Yes, there are dreidels. But what Meltzer does effortlessly is make all of the expected aspects of the eight-day festival of lights feel magical. Rachel is the Rabbi's... Continue Reading →
Have I mentioned how much I love an adult queer romance? Especially one that isn't singularly about coming out? Don't get me wrong, coming out is a HUGE part of queer folx lives, but it's not the only story that queer folx experience when it comes to love. With Payback's a Witch, the first in... Continue Reading →
I came out of a romance reading dry spell when I landed on Helen Hoang's The Heart Principle. And thank goodness; with the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer, I needed this novel to bring a little loving light into my life. Hoang doesn't disappoint: her characters deliver, and her storyline compels even... Continue Reading →
If you're looking for a novel that is intelligently written, comes replete with fully-formed characters, features memorable locations, and passes the Bechdel Test, then look no further than Sarah Penner's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary. I think it's well documented that I favor a novel with parallel narratives (see The Ex Talk and anything by... Continue Reading →
shelly. walston. writes. 