RECENT READS + UPDATE
Ahoy!
This year feels both agonizingly slow and crazy fast. BUT, I did manage to move my website to a new host (Ghost!) and I won't be moving all my old blog posts over, but they can be found on my Substack. I'm still figuring out how to move over other things, such as my newsletter subscribers, but if you're so inclined, you can go ahead and resubscribe on this site as that would be incredibly helpful.
Other news: I'm still working hard on TWO novels. I hope to have one or both on submission sometime early next year. I've also got a story that's been accepted into an amazing horror anthology coming out in June called Of Dread, Decay, and Doom by Stars and Sabers. You can help us fund this project HERE which would be greatly appreciated as this is my best and most personal story. Times are tough right now for everyone, but if you're able, this is a great time to support projects being created by REAL HUMANS.
I've been spending most of my time reading and writing, and this has been an exceptionally good reading year for me. My recent favs are:
PLAY NICE by Rachel Harrison - Demons. A weird house. Complicated family dynamics. Yes please! This book hit a little close to home in some spots because of the subject matter and I really appreciate the way Rachel handled the topic. It's way more than a scary house/demon story. The characters, their relationships, and even the way they all perceive the events of their past all come together in a way that's raw and realistic and kinda gut punching. Rachel has a way of tackling tough subjects in a page turner while delivering the nuances of people who aren't perfect, have made some really poor decisions, but deserve compassion and understanding. THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC!
THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ by Isabel Cañas - I would read this again like ASAP. I practically melted into this book. It's so lush and swoony and there are some really dark moments that had me on the edge of my seat. It has my favorite kind of tension, a series of events that are totally innocent but will look super sus if they come to light (and you know they will!) and then the fallout/figuring out how the hell they're going to get out of this mess...good lord. I love this book. Also, I have a new book boyfriend and I don't care who knows it. It had me mad texting (and scaring, sorry!) someone out of pure panic because I was INVESTED. Seriously. Read it.
BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG by Kylie Lee Baker - I didn't read much about this one before I picked it up and IT WAS SO INTENSE. The pacing and writing in this book are IMHO pretty fucking perfect. It's also equally terrifying and devastating (like, REALLY TERRIFYING REALLY DEVASTATING). I always appreciate when a book is traditionally published and leaves the reader feeling like a bit of a mess. Especially considering the subject matter. The ending was one of the best I've read in a while, really hitting the nail on the head that coming out of a terrible situation doesn't mean you're okay. I've seen the cover of this floating around for a while and I'm honestly annoyed that it took me this long to pick it up.
FIEND by Alma Katsu - I read this over the course of 24 hours because I could not put it down. Talk about ENGROSSING. OMG. Alma Katsu does a really phenomenal job of building anxiety and then keeping the reader trapped in it for the entire book which was simultaneously exhausting and exhilarating. The tension did not ease up and I loved every second that shit kept hitting the fan for this family. I also really loved the way she seamlessly weaves backstory with the present day plot, and the way the reader is able to understand this family, their roles/relationships, and feel conflicted with wanting them to succeed but also face some accountability for how they've managed to keep their power. Phenomenal.
CARE AND FEEDING by Laurie Woolever - I do love a memoir, and as someone who has read all of Anthony Bourdain's books AND also thought (stupidly, at 18) that I wanted this life for myself, this has been at the top of my TBR for a while. I'm grateful that this book has made me QUITE glad that I failed miserably in my attempt to be a chef in New York. The way Anthony Bourdain glamorized the gritty lifestyle is what compelled me to pursue becoming a chef in the first place, and while the culture in Utah isn't quite as toxic as it is in the celebrity chef circles described in this book, a lot of passages re: harassment and abuse had me nodding along as my own memories resurfaced. I think the most fascinating thing about this memoir is that, if it had been written by a man, it would probably be received as this really cool rock n' roll world that the author had to muscle through in order to become somebody. But it's written by a woman who, much like me, had to navigate the industry as someone who was trying to build respect and a legit career while everyone around her saw her as their punching bag. I absolutely loved reading this and I'm so grateful that another perspective of trying to thrive in the restaurant/food industry exists. I did have a laugh at several passages, particularly when she describes reaching out to Anthony Bourdain re: a Mario Batali roast and Tony's reply was: "Every chef in New York has been waiting for an occasion where someone exposes the cloven hooves under those plastic clogs." I could literally hear his voice. Amazing.
ANYWAYS... that's it for now.
Don't forget about the evacuees in Alaska after Typhoon Halong and donating to the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund is a great way to help.
Remember: It's always a good idea to bother your senators/representatives. Here's a script re: the government shutdown that you can use today! Right this second! Wee hoo!
Take care and be kind.
