Everyone needs to go on a wild ride every now and again; this book will churn your stomach as you climb, and then drop from under you as you whoosh doEveryone needs to go on a wild ride every now and again; this book will churn your stomach as you climb, and then drop from under you as you whoosh down that rollercoaster steep drop. An unforgettable ensemble of characters, sharp-witted details, and clever plotting make this a book you won't want to put down!
Freakslaw is the name of our side-show, traveling circus type cast of characters. The author has a handy index of characters listed at the beginning of the book (but I only had to reference it a couple times, she doesn't go too crazy with too many characters all at once) - but I consider our main protagonists to be Nancy (teenage witch), Zed (cute boy who runs rides), and then two of the town kids, Derek and Ruth. Everyone else is important to the story too, but these 4 characters contribute to the majority of the interesting plot.
I won't give too much away, but Freakslaw rolls into the town of Pitlaw (book is based in Scotland) and set up the "funfair", much to the disdain of the local townspeople. What ensues is all kinds of magic and trickery, lust, wrong decisions and a wham-bam ending.
The author was SUPERB with her wit and details. So descriptive but not in an "ok she is trying too hard" type of way. It progressed very naturally and it was an easy and fun read. I loved all of the characters. I think my only minor complaint is that the ending was a bit predictable, but that's kinda how I wanted it to end. I would have been angry, I think, if it would have ended differently.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ERC!...more
It is a true gift for another human being to reach inside your head and heart, and extract the very thoughts and experiences you have kept buried for It is a true gift for another human being to reach inside your head and heart, and extract the very thoughts and experiences you have kept buried for years. Childhood trauma is a deeply private and guarded experience. Its shameful, humiliating - it isolates, it is the death of relationships and friendships. It never sleeps, its always the shadow lurking over your shoulder, the voice incessantly berating you in your head, "your not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, talented enough - not enough, not enough, not enough."
Jeanne, her sister Emma, and her mother Claire are terrorized by Louis (father and husband). Jeanne's life is defined by the abuse they all suffered throughout their lives. As she grows up, becomes a woman, has lovers, finds love - how can she let it go? How can she forgive a man that structured her whole life with pain? This is what we, the reader, are yearning to know as this deeply harrowing novel progresses.
This book is beautifully written. No question about it. It is deep, it is moving. As I stated above, if you have experienced any type of childhood trauma, you will be able to identitfy with what Jeanne goes through. Trigger warning though for those who are sensitive to abuse and deep emotional trauma.
The plot is minimal and somewhat directionless in this book, it was wholly character driven, with plot feeling almost unnecessary. The main experience is Jeanne's pain. It spoke to me in profound ways. I know not everyone is a fan of character driven books, but for me, this worked.
I was saddened by the ending, but can understand it, and empathize. Hope is a thing that one clings to, but sometimes it is not enough....more
If you had a choice between a stable marriage/career and to live a fast-paced, thrill seeking life interminably on the edge, wh3.75 stars, rounded up.
If you had a choice between a stable marriage/career and to live a fast-paced, thrill seeking life interminably on the edge, which life would you choose? This is ultimately the question that faces Andy Giles in this thrilling and erotic new novel, Fragmented, by Alex Mura.
Andy is a history teacher, but what he really wanted was to be a HISTORIAN, doing work out in the field, but instead, he settled. Settled for comfortability. Being predictable. He has a wife, Grace, who has a cold and almost clinical approach to their marriage - she works too much, texts too much, and doesn’t pay actual attention to Andy nearly enough. So when Andy stumbles into the life of a strange man he meets at a bar, he may just get the excitement he thinks he needs in his life.
Andy finds himself invited into a very exclusive club, where anything goes. As his life devolves over the course of several months, he needs to answer the question, which Andy does he want to be?
I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, as there are some twists that make this book interesting. I will say that it is very fast-paced and thrilling, and I really didn’t want to put it down, prompting me to finish it in one night. It is a shorter read, and did go by very quickly as I mentioned above. Since this was a digital ARC, there were a decent amount of editing mistakes - typos, duplicate words, etc. - but I won’t hold that against the author. I’m hopeful they were corrected before it went to print.
There were major vibes channelled here - Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 film, Eyes Wide Shut, came to mind here for me almost immediately. Yes, think erotic sex club. There are many similarities between this book and the movie I just mentioned. Psychological thriller. Check and check. But the author did push further with this scenario, and Andy makes a difficult decision towards the end of the book. The ending is also a bit open-ended, which I usually do not enjoy, but I think it worked for this story. I think the author really shined primarily with the pacing in this book, and that proved to be the strongest attribute in my eyes.
There were flaws, of course. The writing was very basic, nothing illuminating or mind-blowing. There was also a lot of repetition in different scenarios, and a particular scene at the end with Grace is particularly worth mentioning, as the scene really should have been handled better. It was almost like he didn’t know how to write the scene and just kind of ended it. It was a bit irritating. Andy was also more than a little bit of a whiny bitch at points, especially as he continued to lose himself more and more. The overuse of the words hedonism and fractured/fragmented were grating until I got to the end. I couldn’t stop seeing them once I recognized the repetitiveness that felt forced.
Overall it was still a good read, and I did enjoy it. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes a touch of erotica mixed with a good psychological thriller - both those boxes are definitely checked off here! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher/author for the digital ARC.
“It reminds me of Nikola Tesla,� I say, stretching an arm across the back of the sofa. ‘Brilliant, one of the greatest minds in history. But deeply alone. Obsessed with his work. Lived in his own head. People thought he was eccentric, but really, he was just…isolated.� “And yet, everyone remembers him.� “Exactly. He created something bigger than himself. Even if loneliness tried to define him, it didn’t succeed.�...more
"We are carried to the grave on a stream of dead days and nights. We live them and forget them. Yet who knows on which dead day or night a terrible"We are carried to the grave on a stream of dead days and nights. We live them and forget them. Yet who knows on which dead day or night a terrible change can come into a life? "
And so starts The Lowlife, by Alexander Baron, first published in 1964. This edition will be released next month by Faber Editions with a new introduction by Iain Sinclair. Thank you to Net Galley and Faber for the ERC!
Harryboy Boas (love the name) is a gambling man. He lives in a boarding house in London's lower income neighborhood, and lives day to day by the seat of his pants. Gambling, whoring, and all manner of other lowlife activities have plagued him since the age of 14. But don't be deceived, Harryboy may not know where his next meal will come from, but he does have a charm to him that wins you over and insists that you root for the "bad guy" in this engaging novel. He also reads, and philosophizes, and has a heart of gold that only a few people get to see.
Things go very wrong for Harryboy when a new family, the Deaners, move into his building. Harryboy has a strong love-hate relationship with this new family. All he wants to do is be left alone to read his books during the day (don't we ALL wish for this?), and go out to bet on the dogs at the track at night. But Gregory, the Deaners 5 yr old boy, has other plans for Harry.
Harry soon finds himself enmeshed in the lives of this new family, the weak-kneed father, Vic - who cannot stand up to his overbearing, rageful and awful wife Evelyn. (Seriously, I wanted to harm this woman, she caused me lots of angst while reading this. She's really got some serious issues.) Evelyn, the wife I just mentioned, who definitely needs some Valium, and constantly complains about all the housework she does. She's also very racist. And lastly Gregory, who is a typical 5 yr old boy, who yes, can be annoying, but ultimately just wants to be loved and cared for like any child needs and deserves.
Our tale goes on with all manner of unexpected twists and turns and becomes a thoroughly enjoyable and lovable story about the unlikeliest of characters and how he comes to care for someone other than himself. Harryboy just has this likeability to him that I found appealing from the start. Maybe it was due to the opening paragraph, which I quoted above, but I was hooked within a few pages.
The writing was simple, but well done, and there were many little philosophical gems thrown in throughout the book, which is something that I always look for and appreciate. It's honestly something that always piques my interest. I want to know that there are other people out there that think the same things I do, even if they are fictional characters. It's reassuring and comforting.
I love finding treasures like this book. I will be thinking about Harryboy for a long time. He's won a solid place in my heart....more
If you could spend time with your past and future selves, what would you say? What would you ask? Try to change? A traumatic ev3.5 stars rounded down.
If you could spend time with your past and future selves, what would you say? What would you ask? Try to change? A traumatic event as a teenager links these 3 together and forces them to view themselves in a new (and sometimes not so pleasant) light.
The opening of the book quickly introduces us to Emilia, a harried mom in her mid-forties who feels like she can't do anything right. She has a failed career, her marriage isn't doing so hot, and her pre-teen daughter is starting to prefer her phone over mom time. So it goes.
On an important historical anniversary for Emilia, she winds up stuck in an elevator with Em and Millie. With nothing to do but talk, the 3 quickly find out that they are one and the same person. (Not a spoiler, this is in the book synopsis.) What ensues are reflections and curiosities on the past, the present and the not too far off future, and coming to terms with things that can and can't be changed.
There is a steady footing between all 3 characters, giving most of them equal plot time (maybe future Emilia is a little gipped, but I can see that the author didn't want to give away TOO much of what was to come). The details were well thought out and the balance between past, present and future was well done.
I think the author took a deep delve into what shame and guilt can look like, and how overthinking can muddle everything all to bits, taking over a life, and changing its trajectory immensely. Kudos to that persistence of thought of "what if".
Lastly, I am torn between this being a good and bad thing at the same time - there was too much time spent in the elevator, and not enough time. Yes that's right. I was a little bored about a 1/3 to 1/2 way through, as details of them in the elevator seemed monotonous and were getting a bit tedious. But then it perked up, and more time was spent on the meat of what occurred in Emilia's past. Til the end, I wasn't ready for it to be over. I wanted more time in the elevator. I wanted to know if anything had changed for any of them based on the time they had just spent together. I guess it is left to our imaginations.
Favorite Quote : "It's not worth waiting around our whole lives for someone to see us for who we are and continually punish them when they don't."
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ERC....more
I consider myself to be of modest intelligence. I'm not a genius, but I'm not uneducated. I try to speak, read and write continuously in a way that hoI consider myself to be of modest intelligence. I'm not a genius, but I'm not uneducated. I try to speak, read and write continuously in a way that hopefully, challenges myself intellectually. I come from a family with poor education values, so my intelligence level, and being "smart enough" has been one of my lifelong insecurities.
I say all of this to segue into my thoughts about Andrea Long Chu's phenomenal essays book, Authority. Chu is a smarty pants. There are no two ways about it. She is sharp-tongued, cleverly witty, and concise with word choices. I thought the following while reading this book - her intelligence is astounding. Astounding! I am envious of her intelligence level. There, I said it! I know a great amount of research went into some of the essays for this book - (Chu even credits her researcher at the end) but to be able to take all of that raw material, weave it together, look at it critically, and then write cohesively on it? Again, astounding.
Chu takes us through her last 7 years or so of various essays she has written on many facets of literature, theatre, television, mental health, and gender issues. She even takes several pokes at the lowly book reviewer. She turns her keen eye on television shows such as The Last of Us, Yellow Jackets, and Yellowstone, and then turns around and criticizes the Phantom of the Opera. We hear her candid thoughts on her gender reassignment surgery, and her forays into TMS therapy prior to her bipolar II diagnosis. Her essay from n+1, "On Liking Women", is republished here in its entirety.
She looks at many authors and their works: Hanya Yanagihara, Bret Easton Ellis, Curtis Sittenfeld, Ottessa Moshfegh, Celeste Ng, Zadie Smith and Octavia Butler. My favorites were the essays on Hanya Yanagihara (she DOES put a lot of gay protagonists in her books) and Ottessa Moshfegh - I've only read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by her thus far, (which I thoroughly enjoyed) but now I am very intrigued and will be seeking out more of her work.
In her titular series of essays, Authority, she dives very deep into the history of literary criticism. In actuality, this was my least favorite of the entire collection. I recognize the importance of it, but it was rather dull and droned on maybe a bit excessively for my tastes.
I was gifted the audiobook version of this book from NetGalley and FSG (MacMillan Audio) - and I really enjoyed this version - it was read by Ms. Chu herself, and I think it added another level to the book that you might not achieve with the print version. You could hear in her voice those essays which she was most passionate about; the tonal inflections, the way she became slightly more animated with certain subjects.
I was unable to save many quotes since this was an audiobook, but I am sure like many other of my all time favorite books, I will eventually purchase a print copy and re-read. Highlighting can happen on the second go-around. The below quote did stand out to me, in both a comical and in an existentialism sort of way :
"All bodily pain begins with shock at the audacity of physical trespass. A kind of astonishment, at the frankly unbelievable insinuation that one is not, in fact, the center of the universe."
This was from her essay on her gender surgery, which was informative on the process itself. What a human being puts themselves through, just to feel something more like who they were meant to be. Much respect to the author.
Read this book. It will make you think. Really hard. And we all need more of that....more
Amal El-Mohtar weaves magic with words. Although extremely short, this was a story (fairytale/folklore novella really) that truly left me shaking my hAmal El-Mohtar weaves magic with words. Although extremely short, this was a story (fairytale/folklore novella really) that truly left me shaking my head at the ingenious and creativity that exists in someone's mind.
Esther and Ysabel are bonded sisters that live near the River Liss, near the borders of Arcadia (aka fairyland) - they weave their own brand of magic with their songs, and are beholden to the 2 giant willow trees, the Professors, that border their land. Esther is being courted by their neighbor, but her heart lies with Rin from Arcadia. What will happen when Esther makes her choice between the two?
Again this book is very short (just under 100 pages) but there is so much packed into this slim volume. Hope, love, magic, family bonds - all hold a place here. What makes this truly special, is the utterly unique world-building that the author has accomplished in such a short time. I am in love with this world, and want her to write more from it.
Read it and you will understand the beauty that lies in its words.
"But that is not the truth of grammar. There was a time when grammar was wild-when it shifted shapes and unleashed new forms out of old. Grammar, like gramarye, like grimoire. What is magic but a change in the world? What is conjugation but a transformation, one thing into another? She runs; she ran; she will run again."...more
If a book makes me cry so much that my eyes hurt and moves me so deeply that my heart aches, it's getting 5 stars. Captivating beginning, little slow If a book makes me cry so much that my eyes hurt and moves me so deeply that my heart aches, it's getting 5 stars. Captivating beginning, little slow in the middle, but heart-wrenching ending. I have nothing else but tears. That is all.
Many favorite passages from this book, but I will leave you with just this,
"It is really fucking sad that it should take loss to know the precise quality of love."...more
Thank you to Estelle for gifting me a copy of this book. Here is my honest review:
This story is based in Paris and we follow two main characters, ArnaThank you to Estelle for gifting me a copy of this book. Here is my honest review:
This story is based in Paris and we follow two main characters, Arnault and Lucy. Arnault was wrongly convicted of a crime 20+ years ago, was in jail, and in the present was released. Lucy is a lawyer that by accident, meets Arnault while he is just out of jail, living homeless on the streets and homeless camps surrounding Paris. The story progresses with different trials and tribulations that both Arnault and Lucy encounter.
The theme of homelessness permeates the book, and I feel the author did a good job describing the lives and daily trials of these people that live in and around Paris. I found this passage especially meaningful,
"And in the parallel worlds of the homeless and the homeowners, except for the rare crossovers, a member of one world had no clue about members from the other. They didn't even see themselves belonging to the same species. The laws of jungle applied in this forest of humans."
And this one,
"The problem of the homeless isn't one of shelter and hunger alone; it's also of loneliness in a world flooded with humans."
Unfortunately, I felt the book had a lot of flaws, too many to be overlooked. Tighter editing and copyediting would have made this a more solid book. Instead both were poorly executed, leaving it disjointed, hard to follow and riddled with technical flaws. There were words missing from sentences throughout the book which made it difficult to read. Was it translated to English and done so poorly? Or did the author write this with English as a second language? It is hard to tell and one can only speculate.
I felt the characters lacked depth and were underdeveloped. There were a few plot holes, or new parts of the plot that just popped out of nowhere and for no reason and with no explanation. It kept catching me off guard and making me think I had just missed something.
Overall, I think the premise was interesting, but definitely could have been executed better....more
If you, as the reader, can see the whole universe through the thoughts and musings of a fictional character, that is rare. Your life, what you have doIf you, as the reader, can see the whole universe through the thoughts and musings of a fictional character, that is rare. Your life, what you have done, what you haven't done. What you desire, the missteps you have taken, where you yet want to go with life, and who you yearn to become. When one can feel and see this, and be moved eternally, that is a success on behalf of the author.
Benedict Wells masterfully makes you feel - everything - in this book. We follow 3 siblings, Jules, Marty and Liz - through losses and joys throughout their lives. Jules (the youngest of the 3) is our main protagonist. When the 3 siblings endure loss as pre-teen and early teenagers, they must grow up, and grow apart, to be able to truly find their way back to each other. Each sibling endures various loves and losses over their lives, but Jules' relationship with Alva, his best friend from boarding school - is what drives this book from mediocre to magical.
I will warn you, the first half of this book is a bit sluggish, tedious, and dull. I felt it was nothing exceptional. However, around the halfway mark, when Jules reconnects with Alva years later, this book shines and shines and becomes something entirely different. It left me with my mind and heart very full. I find my favorite books tend to question our existence, why we are here, what is it all for - leaning towards all the tendencies of existentialism. This story will allow your mind to open, your heart to breathe and your eyes to see in a different light. Read it and enjoy.
"I mean, if you spend all your life running in the wrong direction, could it be the right one after all?"...more
Torrey Peters gives the world an education on trans culture and slang in this enthralling new book, Stag Dance, that was released on March 11th this yTorrey Peters gives the world an education on trans culture and slang in this enthralling new book, Stag Dance, that was released on March 11th this year. The book contains 3 short stories, and one novel. I loved every eye-opening one of them.
I have a few trans acquaintances, a gay son, and consider myself very open-minded. I really felt that my brain was exposed to so many little nuisances in the trans world with this book, and for that I am grateful. She questioned and pushed boundaries on a lot of gender norms.
This woman did her homework to write this book, that was evident. Not only was modern trans verbiage used, but in Stag Dance, the titular novel, she even dove into historical terminology that was truly engrossing. I was literally looking up slang words left and right, Google being my best friend while entrenched in this book’s pages. Each story focused on a different aspect of what it’s like to feel like you don’t belong in your own body. LIke you don’t feel like you belong, anywhere. Torrey challenges these thoughts, showcasing to the world that trans people are just like you, just like me - and that they do belong. And just like anyone else in this great big world, they just want to be accepted, loved and understood - also to understand and love themselves, which is something we all want.
Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones is the first story that questions what would happen if a Trans Apocalypse would wreak havoc on the planet. In the story, we follow Patient Zero, who spreads a virus that causes humans to stop producing sex hormones.
The Chaser follows our narrator, an older teenage boy, to a Quaker school in the midwest, where he questions his sexuality after becoming involved with his roommate, Robbie, and what consequences come about as a result of his taking risks sexually.
Stag Dance is our main novel, and it follows a group of lumberjacks (presumably in the 1800s from the verbiage that is used and the history behind some of the terminology) during a winter at an illegal logging camp. To help the jacks with their winter depression, the camp boss man hosts a “Stag Dance� where some of the men will volunteer to be the “women� for the night, and will be courted by the remaining men. Our narrator is nicknamed “Babe Bunyan� due to his large size, and we follow him as he comes to terms with his need to be a “skooch� (woman) for the Stag Dance. This one was a bit long, and I felt it did drone on at times. Definitely could have been shorter/had some tighter editing.
The Masker is our last story and follows the narrator who is a young crossdresser that heads to Vegas for a Trans conference. He meets an older Trans woman, and a young man, a “Masker� - both try to influence him, but he must make decisions about who he wants to become.
Torrey is an exceptional writer, and my attention was captured through all of the stories. There was not a moment I was bored or wanted it to be over (with the exception maybe of Stag Dance being a little bit too drone-y). I felt empathy for all of the main characters/narrators and was rooting for each one of them in turn. I would highly recommend this book to anyone out there, not just the LGBTQ+ community, but to anyone who has maybe ever felt like they don’t belong on this spinning round ball we call Earth. The author is spot on with her wit, intelligence and skill in writing in this trope and genre....more
3.75 Stars - Rounded Up I'm so glad this got better. The first half was pretty tedious, and frankly a little annoying with Jessie constantly going back3.75 Stars - Rounded Up I'm so glad this got better. The first half was pretty tedious, and frankly a little annoying with Jessie constantly going back and forth about W.E.B. and their relationship. Around the halfway mark, things finally started to take off with the plot, and I enjoyed the rest of the book and how it ended. Definitely deserves to be acknowledged as an important historical fiction piece. The author brings to light all of the many accomplishments of Jessie Redmon Faucet, an African American writer who was key to the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s....more
This is a protagonist that you love to hate. I was appalled at the audacity of some of her shenanigans, but then would laugh out loud at them at the sThis is a protagonist that you love to hate. I was appalled at the audacity of some of her shenanigans, but then would laugh out loud at them at the same time. Do I think this is a good way to approach a mental health crisis? (Which she was clearly experiencing.) No I do not. But as an entertaining and unique (but not very believable) approach, it held up. I do feel the ending was a bit rushed. There was so much build up and build up and build up. I feel like there should have been more, but then again, what more was there to say? I thoroughly enjoyed this, which says something, because I'm not usually a fan of privileged white girl protagonists. But alas, she won me over....more
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