Killers of a Certain Age is a book about aging and killers and betrayal, but its heart is oddly wholesome and comforting. While I wouldn’t call this a cozy read, it’s one that makes me look at the people around me a little more positively—and at the objects around my house as so many potential murder weapons.
Tag Archives: Food for thought
‘American Summer’ A Nuanced Portrayal of Trauma, Humanity
While An American Summer can be hard to read at times, it’s not hopeless. Nor are the people Kotlowitz writes about reduced to stereotypes. Rather, he has clearly taken the time to build the relationships that foster vulnerability.
‘The Wager’ A Harrowing Survival Tale
In fairness, at this point, I’d read a takeout menu if David Grann wrote it. But his writing, and research, continue to be rich and compelling.
In ‘Linghun,’ Ghosts Haunt More than Houses
In Linghun, the refusal to grow after tragedy is almost tangible, bringing with it cascading tragedies. There is no happy ending with a setup like that, but there is one that is as tender as it is tough to swallow.
‘How to Be Eaten’ A Fairy-Tale Feast
Although most of the stories don’t involve talking furniture or little, burger-scented men falling from air vents, seeing stories about strangers warping and reshaping around us in ways that may or may not be true is a fact of daily life.
‘Build Your House’ Rewards Patience
There are no twists of the traditional sort in Violet Kupersmith’s debut novel, Build Your House Around My Body, but there are a stack of stories that weave themselves around each other before ultimately tying a knot that can only truly be appreciated on the reread.
‘Puppets’ a Refreshingly Light Read
Part reverse-Pinocchio, part science-fiction Stardust, Puppets is another entry into the growing cozy SFF genre that is a welcome change from the usual fare.
‘Wives’ a Strange Tale of Love and Sea Monsters
Our Wives Under the Sea is a fantastical, but uncomfortably grounded, metaphor of what happens when things don’t go as planned.
‘Bones’ a Disturbing, Enlightening Account of Violence and Injustice
Kimmerle doesn’t dwell on the violence; her focus is on telling the story without elaboration or obfuscation to best communicate her belief that every scoop of dirt contributes to long-overdue restorative justice for the dead, the broken, and their families.
‘Archive’ Alternates Between Magical and Heartbreaking
The Archive is a novel, but its parts, while interconnected, are fit together in such a way that they can be separated from each other. But all of these parts, though excellent on their own, come together to make a whole far grander than their sum.
Ring Reads 