It’s hard to pick a favorite element in this “cozy horror.” Is it the blood and gore? The love story? The neurodivergent or asexual rep? The family trauma? Somehow, it manages to be all of the above.
Tag Archives: Would read again
‘Chronicles’ An Intimate Look at One ‘Backyard’
It’s lovely and intimate to read such inner thoughts of another person. It’s intimate, too, to see Tan’s drawings improve over the years and the birds within them grow increasingly lifelike.
‘Red’ a Well-Crafted and Creepy Western
McBride’s utilization of all the elements of Weird Western really shines. From supernatural creatures to sinister humans to wild animals to the unfeeling wilds of nature, the threats are everywhere, and each is given due attention, all woven together to keep any single element from having all the fun—or bearing too much weight to make a satisfying story.
‘West’ Ponders History Through Poem and Essay
West isn’t, and cannot be, an all-encompassing history of a time and place, but it is a fascinating and weighty addition to a more comprehensive view of the region that millions of us call home.
‘Home’ More Heart than Haunted, In a Good Way
There’s just as much heart in Haunt as in any of Pinsker’s steady stream of excellent short fiction. I’d watch Haunt Sweet Home, but I liked reading about it even better.
‘Night Guest’ Preys on Fears of Self
The Night Guest is an unsettling story about who we are when our own backs are turned. In an era of butt-dialing, sleep-texting, Ambien Tweets, and the unofficial but far-reaching Mysterious Leg-Bruise Club, it’s a relatable fear.
‘Unraveling’ a Multi-Step Pandemic Project
Orenstein faces her project with a little good-natured self-deprecation. That attitude helps make each step, and misstep, feel more like a fascinating conversation than a staid travelogue or sermon.
‘Doors’ A Lovely, if Tangled, Tale
What initially seems like naivety or secondhand confessional turns out to be something far lovelier, and more than worth the time it takes to get there.
‘Fever’ a Little Known but Familiar History
In detailing this little-known series of events, Fever provides a reminder that our fraught political landscape is nothing new, nor is a swift wave that threatens to sweep society back a few decades.
‘Promises’ a Truly Golden Collection
Whether or not I was Olivarez’s target audience, I found myself profoundly moved by many poems in this collection.
Ring Reads 