January/February 2022

Hello! I am, remarkably, still alive! But damn the past few months have been weird and busy and in many ways both good and terrible!

My big news, of course, is that I had a short story published - hop on over to the “Publications” tab to see more about that! It goes without saying that I am very excited and also very overwhelmed, and I hope to see that tab grow more and more!

Onto reviews. I still want to do them! I like doing reviews and it feels like a helpful way to prop up books that I like, as well as keeping track for myself. Here, at least, is a list of books I read these past two months with a BRIEF review. I may come back and fill these in more deeply in the future.

Leftovers from 2021

DEVOTIONS by Mary Oliver

So, I’m not the most into poetry, but I’ve liked bits and pieces of Mary Oliver’s works I’ve come across in the past. I feel like this collection gave me a good sense, and definitely opened me up to more forms of poetry. I liked it!

DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS by Nancy MacLean

This book is genuinely extremely fascinating. If you are interested in politics and the economics of them and trying to understand how we got here - read this. It’s a little terrifying, but it strikes me as desperately important.

AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Again, very important read! I like reading about history and this is obviously a vital perspective that has been missing. Need to read more focused on what we call Canada, as well.

SCATTERED MINDS by Gabor Maté

I really love Dr Maté’s work. He writes in a fairly accessible way, and with, in my opinion, a great deal of compassion towards his patients and the people whose stories he’s telling. This in particular is a really fascinating look at how ADHD functions, aided by Dr Maté himself having ADHD.

I AM STILL ALIVE by Kate Alice Marshall

Marshall’s stuff is great; I really love her ability to write suspense and mystery, and though this is slightly different from what I’ve enjoyed from her before, it’s still quite good. I loved the protagonist of this book, and though I’m not all that into “survival” type stories, this one really worked for me. Warning, though, for a lot of dog-related peril. If you are easily upset by that, this may not be the book for you.

SLIPPERY CREATURES by KJ Charles

I love this series. Post-World War 1 intrigue and mystery, starring someone who really has no business being involved. Will Darling is a really fun protagonist, stubborn and no-nonsense, and watching him play off his sneaky foil and love interest is repeatedly enjoyable, in my opinion. I whipped through this book.

January

IRON WIDOW by Xiran Jay Zhao

Sort of vaguely historically-inspired (à la THE POPPY WAR or SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN, though less, I would say, grounded in real history than either) PACIFIC RIM meets THE HANDMAID’S TALE, I was pretty easily sold on this. Generally, I liked this, and I loved the exploration of queerness and polyamory in particular. I wish that some of the relationships would have been a little bit more developed on screen.

HAIRPIN BRIDGE by Taylor Adams

Adams’ NO ESCAPE is still a standout for me in terms of suspense thrillers. This is a fairly satisfying followup; definitely lots of suspense, lots of twists and turns. I found the mystery to be a little confusing at times, but I really liked the main character, and I was willing to put up with some confusion to enjoy her journey.

THE SUGARED GAME by KJ Charles

The sequel to SLIPPERY CREATURES. I really tore through this series, to be honest, I like it a lot. All of what I said above still applies; this is an excellent follow-up, taking the characters in new yet sensible development, drawing the mystery and the tension tighter.

ALL ABOUT LOVE by bell hooks

What can I really say about this book that hasn’t been said by others? It’s by bell hooks. Read it.

ONE LAST STOP by Casey McQuiston

To be honest, I found this book a little hard to get into. It’s fairly lengthy, and a little winding. However, I would argue, it’s worth the effort I put into it. I loved in particular the elements of queer community and queer history that are wound as part of the story.

February

ATLAS OF THE HEART by Brené Brown

This is more a summary of Brené Brown’s previous works than anything else, but it’s a useful refresher and wound through with enough new information and reflections that I would say it’s still a worthwhile read. If nothing else, it’s handy to have all this info in one place.

SUBTLE BLOOD by KJ Charles

The third book in the series! Still very good, somehow still manages to build on the whole “revealed and dealt with the big bad last book” thing. The stakes are more personal, somehow, and it still extremely works as a mystery and as a romance, in my opinion.

THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE by Caitlin Starling

Interesting, if a little confusing. Which, I suppose, is a similar complaint I had about THE LUMINOUS DEAD. This is in many ways a classic gothic novel; if you liked CRIMSON PEAK, you’ll probably be into this. In my opinion, not as good as TLD, but it was an enjoyable book nonetheless.

POLYVAGAL EXERCISES FOR SAFETY AND CONNECTION by Deb Dana

Exciting title, I know. Really handy and fairly accessible book for understanding polyvagal theory, and the exercises within are pretty interesting. I’m not sure how many of them I’ll be using going forward, but only because they don’t quite fit my style and I think I can adapt existing elements.