Oops, I did it again

I know, I know, I keep promising to do this more often. But there are new meds in the mix and what was once a hobby is now part of my work day so there’s some schedule redistribution going on… All this  to say while I’m not not a resolution crone I’m going to try to give book reviewing more brain space and air time in this, the year of our Lady Gaga 2023. For real. I’m even writing this at one of my favorite coffee places while I wait for the library to open so I can pick up a hold which happens to be Natalie Haynes’ new novel: Stone Blind. 

Medusa is big right now. This is fantastic.

Okay, here we go:

My Book Club Journal: A Reading Log of THings I loved, Loathed, and Couldn’t Wait to Talk About (Weldon Owen)

I am heartily bored of my spreadsheet. It’s been an excellent and organized companion the last couple of years but surely someone who loves books and reading (two entirely different hobbies) deserves something with a little more flair in which to keep track of her conquests, new best friends, and nemeses. 

Behold Weldon Owen’s little book of wonders.

The perfectly laid out pages give readers spaces to record title, author, genre, and ample pages for detailed notes (useful for potential discussion questions, peeves, quotes, adoration, and review points). I love the cool color palette the designers chose; the blues and pinks are chill but welcoming, encourage contemplation and discussion rather than heated argument, and coordinate nicely with my bedding which is stellar because I do the majority of my reading in bed). A journal like this is also one of few places where fun fonts are cute instead of irritating and, again, kudos to graphics who were careful to choose examples that stood out but were also sharp, clean, and legible.

The only addition I’d suggest in future editions is a number spot for the reader’s roster since a fair number of people (myself included) keep track in the name of various challenges. 

I’m sure you’re wondering if you need to be in a book club to use My Book Club Journal. You do not. I am not in a book club and, in case you couldn’t tell from the above, I’m finding it eminently useful and, I’m not embarrassed to say, a lot of fun. There’s a little extra touch of satisfaction recording a newly completed book’s info in ink and hey, the world is on fire so if watching the bookmark slide a few pages closer to the end of the record makes me smile, then so be it. 

What the Hex by Jessica Claire (Berkeley, 4/4/23)

I loved Go Hex Yourself, Claire’s first book in this sexy, magical universe and I don’t really do het romance so that’s a pretty huge endorsement. Enemies to lovers is for sure one of my favorite tropes in all of it’s variations, including snark to lovers so this second book in the series was definitely an enjoyable read as well and I was thrilled to see Penny Roundtree, spell fulfillment genius and familiar-in-waiting, get her well-deserved moment as POV character. And William, well… I mean, look, who doesn’t love a crotchety warlock with a heart of gold wrongfully accused of magical crimes committing actual crimes to prove himself innocent? Everyone loves that guy. I’ve read that guy a thousand times and I still love him. I read this iteration of that guy in two sittings, and I’m a writer and artist creating while submitting, starting a business, and I have two kids who both do music, sports, and I limit their screen time. 

IKR? 

I enjoyed What the Hex a lot. It’s fun, the story moves, the dialogue is snappy, and the characters have a ton of personality. 

My only critique is that the dirty talk feels forced to the extent that a lot of the cunts and cocks and cums bounced me right out of the story. It isn’t their presence that bothered me — personally, I’m all for it provided it’s genuine and all parties consent — but it felt weird between these two and even in their interior monologues, incldued for shock value rather than as natural vocabulary. Again, I’m no bashful maiden: fuck is a perennial favorite of mine and I’ve been known to drop a c-bomb often enough that British friends have suggested I pull them for the sake of a story’s marketability. In What the Hex, though, they simply didn’t fit. 

That said, I’d still recommend Jessica Claire’s latest as a fun, filthy romance for your eyeholes.

Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 5 by Naoya Masumoto (Viz)

I will never understand why this manga isn’t a massive hit. Everyone should be talking about it. Everyone should be reading it. Maybe when the anime hits? It is definitely in my top 3 and very possibly my favorite: action, pathos, kaiju, and absolute, complete, and utter absurdity. I mean, come on!

Volume 5 introduces two new characters, Hasegama and Narumi. They’re both bonkers and I adore them both for diametrically opposed reasons. 

No spoilers. Go get it or I will mock you mercilessly. 

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro (PRH, 4/18.2)

This is, for sure, one of the weirdest fucking books I have ever read which, from me, is an endorsement. Usually. I think it is here. 

The premise of The Haunting of Alejandra is fascinating: a woman dissatisfied with her life as a stay at home mother and wife to a man who believes she should be happy being taken care of and focusing solely on him and the children, starts having terrifying visions. Seeking the assistance of a therapist who is also a curandera, Alejandra discovers that, rather than struggling with a mental illness, she is in fact the victim of a generational curse that appears in the guise of La Llarona.

Castro is a fantastic writer: the prose is stark and unforgiving. It is honest and sometimes brutal as suits the story. That, in and of itself, makes it beautiful. 

The book, however, is a mess. I’m fine with time shenanigans, disorientation, and even unreliable narration, which all make sense given a narrator who is confused and trying to reconcile her past and present, an assumption of mental illness and acceptance of the supernatural, but there are repetitions, chunks of text that are repeated at odd intervals, things that happen in nearly identical fashion that aren’t part of time skips, and just a general sense that no one bothered to edit what should be a masterpiece. I’m aware that ARCs are versions of a text sent out way before the final version is cemented and that books can go through three or even five additional revisions between ARC and publication but if that’s the case here, I think PHR did Castro a serious disservice and if it’s not… well, PRH did Castro a serious disservice.

Would I recommend The Haunting of Alejandra? To specific people with the caveat above because I think the story is stellar and the writing is bomb and the faults rest squarely on either the editor who worked on it or didn’t. Generally? I don’t think a casual reader will have the patience to untangle it and that’s really unfortunate. 

The Daughters of Izdihir by Hadeer Elsbai (Harper Collins)

I’m torn on reviewing this one because Harper Collins but I don’t think Elsbai should lose out because she signed with a publisher two years ago, especially as an AOC who wrote a non-Western historical fantasy and the world needs more of those, especially really, really excellent ones. So, with the caveat: HARPER COLLINS SUCKS!

When I picked up The Daughters of Izdihir, I knew it would be a political fantasy. I didn’t know it was going to be about the struggle for suffrage. That the story is set in a society most Americans are ignorant of, that we would never think of as experiencing such a movement, such a time, is so important to broadening our view, to reminding us to pay attention. To remind all of us that each of these fights is all of our fights. 

It is also a story of prejudice, of people hated for how they are born, for something over which they have no control but something they wouldn’t give away even if they could. Something they have learned to love about themselves, something precious. 

Like all of us, the Daughters must learn that some people will never change. 

Some people never evolve. 

But some do. 

They just need someone to light a fire under their ass (pun intended). 

And also, may I just say… women. 

The characters in this book… Sometimes, I consider looking them up on the internet because they could be real. They way Elsbai shows us bits and pieces as the story evolves, as they encounter obstacles and challenges and friends and foes… reveals their subtleties, cues us into how they learn and why, sometimes, they stand firm or stubborn… no tropes here, friends. Only individuals. 

Central to the plot, though less often to the action, the men in The Daughters of Izdihir do have dimension. Some of them even acknowledge their faults and their cowardice in doing nothing to change their bullshit behavior. Some of them work to change. Some of them even check their privilege. 

But the women… they are deep. They are dark. They are angry. Some of them hide it and boil inside. Some of them scream and set things on fire. Some are willing to march and starve until someone, anyone, acknowledges their rage and the rightness of it. Some of them smile while they drive the knife in. All of them are unabashedly who they are and Elsbai makes sure that is something for readers not to judge but to celebrate. 

Have I convinced you yet? Good. The waitlist at my library was long before The Daughters of Izdihir came in. Put yourself on that sucker post-haste. 

The Eidolon: The Magnus Academy #1 by KD Edwards (2/28/23)

The audacity, sir! I cannot believe you did the thing with the stuff and then that other thing in the place... Mmmm. Grrrrrr. 

That’s for the spoilers I’m not going to talk about because I don’t do that. It’s mean. Though I suppose this is kind of mean too. But the good kind? 

Okay. 

This is what I can and will say: I love these kids and I absolutely adored the insight into their dynamic and watching it develop further over the course of this particular story. 

The first Tarot trilogy gave us decent insight into Quinn’s Sight and his personality because Rune and Aadam interact with him so frequently but while Max and Anna have been present, and while we’ve gotten to know them, we haven’t spent nearly as much time in their heads. The Eidolon gives us a chance to follow our younger trio along on their own adventure, one we already know about which is great because forearmed lets us spend more time with Quinn, Max, and Anna. It lets us focus on them, on the decisions they make, on their motivations, on what scares them, on what risks they’re willing to take, and for whom. It gives us the opportunity to see how smart, loving, dedicated, and complex they’ve become and peek at their infinite potential. Separating the junior trio from the adults also gives the opportunity to explore how they fit together, what their responsibilities are to one another, and to understand how deeply loved they are by their trusted adults. For three traumatized kids to never, for one second, doubt Rune, Brand, and Aadam are coming for them is a testament to how hard they’ve all worked and the fact that the kids trust one another is indicative of true healing. It doesn’t always happen, but it has here. And that means anything is possible, for them and for us. 

Also, I really enjoyed them kicking ass and please, yes, I would like another. Especially Max as a slightly softer Brand Jr, that was great. 

In addition, please never, ever drop the running joke with the ferret. It is always funny and it will always be funny. In any and all timelines.

Cherry Magic Vol. 6 by Yuu Toyota (Square Enix)

I love these two fucking dumbasses with all my heart. 

That is all. 

Queenie: Godmother of Harlem by Elizabeth Colombia and Aurelie Levy (Abrams)

The Harlem Renaissance. Black art flourished. Black music drew people of all races and ethnicities to clubs in the neighborhood. And Stephanie St. Clair, an immigrant from Martinique, was queen of it all. Climbing the organized crime ladder, she was ultimately in charge of not only the Harlem numbers racket and bootlegging, she became the godmother of the Harlem Mafia. St. Clair used her profits not only to enrich herself but to support those in need in the community and to fend off the Italian Mafia for years. 

Ever heard of her? 

Nor I, until I read this gorgeous graphic history from Abrams. They always do spectacular work, but Queenie is definitely a new favorite. With some cool shaded pages and others in sepia, the book has an old-timey feel without descending into gimmick. The lines are sharp and I especially appreciate the attention given to clothing because it was so distinctive in the 30s. 

I also appreciate the very honest portrait of St. Clair; she was a gangster and, as such, did some less than savory deeds and a couple of prison terms. Those incidents are covered in just as much detail as the loans she made to community members who couldn’t pay medical bills or mortgages. As we all know, but aren’t always good at acknowledging, people can be more than one thing, even fascinating historical figures. Colombia and Levy gave readers both sides of Stephanie St. Clair, a nuanced portrait of a complicated woman.

I know there’s still a hang up about graphic histories. But if you search “Stephanie St. Clair” on Amazon, only a couple of books come up and one is from an academic press. That severely limits the number of people who have the opportunity to delve into this fascinating bit of history. Having this graphic history means a lot more access. Why not spread the knowledge around? 

The Breaker Vol. 4 by Jeon Geuk-Jin and Park Jin-Hwa (Ablaze)

These are some other dumbasses I love. 

Except Sí-Ho, who I love but who is not a dumbass. The mens would be dead so many times over without her. 

In addition, The Breaker continues my favorite genre which is: the thing that mocks itself while also being the thing it is mocking and also paying homage to the classic portrayal of said thing. Extremely difficult to do well but, when it is done well, immaculate. 

Chlorine by Jade Song (Harper Collins, 3/28/23)

Again, caveat: HARPER COLLINS SUCKS

This is another book I don’t want to go into too much detail with because spoilers, darling, and if you’re going to read it, you should experience it cover to cover on your own. Please do pay attention to the content warnings at the beginning and take them seriously. 

Review wise: I suppose I have to say this is my favorite book of 2023 so far because it’s only February 10th but it’s going to be real tough to dislodge. Virtually impossible because wow. I just… wow. Chlorine is one of the most amazing and disturbing, and gorgeous, and fucked up books I’ve read in a long time. I saw a lot of my teenage self in Ren, a self it’s taken me a long time to come to terms with and to accept; meeting her again in these pages was a reminder of both how far she’s come and how close she came to falling off the edge. It’s also a gold star for making it to 44. 

In the introduction, Jade mentions she put a lot of herself into Ren. Thank you, Jade, for sharing so much and also for the horror twist that makes this novel so fucking jacked and creepy and reminds us, Shirley Jackson style, that the most horrifying monsters are usually other people. You are a brave human and terrifying siren and I hope you never stop being either. 

Okay. All caught up. Next stop: gorgons