short stories – Krista Beucler

February 12, 2025May 6, 2025

January 2025 Books

Books Reread

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro***
CW: trauma
Still on my reread every Percy Jackson book kick. Nico and Will must journey to Tartarus to save an old friend. You can read my original review of this book here. I think I liked this one a little more on my second read. I was just reminded about the troglodytes because I’ve read the Trials of Apollo books recently. The first time I read this book I hadn’t read those recently and I did not remember who they were. So having that context was nice.
4/5 stories for Gorgira

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich***
**Book Hangover Alert
CW: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, sex trafficking, rape, sexual harassment, racism, domestic violence, alcoholism
Still excellent. I don’t have much more to say about this than what I said in my first review. It’s Erdrich at her best. A little more serious in theme than some of her other works, but moment of her humor still shine through. I’m upping my rating of this one, I think.
5/5 blue bull costumes

Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement by Ashley Shew***
I read this very recently, but I read it again because I assigned it to my students for my English 102 class for this quarter. I think it was even better the second time, and my students have been responding really well to it. I’m upping my review for this one too.
5/5 prosthetic feet

New Books Read

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi***
Legacy of Orïsha book 3 of 3
It seems like it’s been a long time since the first two books from this series came out. And I do not remember the first two books super well. But I have to say I’m disappointed. Zélie, Tzain, Amari, and Inan must work together to face a threat from forces outside Orïsha who’ve been waiting to strike until the country is in chaos. Four first person POVs and I couldn’t tell them apart without checking the chapter heading. Barely any thoughts, feelings, or interiority coloring the way any of the characters were observing the world or what was happening. I felt like I was in a little robot screen rolling around watching what was going on. Also not great world building. Here in this third book we’ve just found out that there are more civilizations within 2000 miles of the island country we spent the first two books in. And none of the characters knew about them?? Geography education in Orïsha leaves something to be desired. Especially because the people in the 2 new countries speak the Orïshan language?? And you’re telling me the despot king from the first 2 books wouldn’t have tried to conquer these other places?? Anyway, can’t remember if the first 2 books were also bad or if I just knew less then.
2/5 dreamscapes

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer***
**Book Hangover Alert
Excellent. Author of Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer returns with a long essay focusing on how the natural world creates abundance and thrives on reciprocity and suggests a way for our human economies to mimic that structure. Like all Kimmerer’s writing, it’s hopeful, thoughtful, well-reasoned, based in both science and indigenous wisdom, and leaves me full of longing for this world that we could be living in.
4/5 serviceberries

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz*
**Book Hangover Alert
The Anatomy Duology book 1 of 2
The Drexel MFA program bought this book for me during the residency we had in New York City. When one of my cohort mates saw my choice he said “Corpses. That tracks.” So I guess I have a brand. In Edinburg in 1817, Hazel is sure she’d be an amazing surgeon, but she’s a girl and no teachers will take her on as a student. So Hazel strikes up an agreement with a dashing resurrection man so she can continue her studies. But they’ll discover a much bigger, darker plot affecting the poor of Edinburg. I loved this. It was dark and gritty but also followed a girl just trying to chase her dreams and falling in love along the way.
4.5/5 corpses

In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker
There’s a secret in Yarrow, Kentucky, a summer the whole town forgot and a death they were never able to properly grieve. Two magical families must come to terms with their connection and remember so they can heal (that was not a good blurb, I’m sorry. I don’t want to try again). I liked the magic system in this book. It was also cool to see this take on auras and the language of flowers. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like the way the flashbacks were separated from the narrative and italicized. It made the narrative flow a little clunky like they were just thrown in there. Later it made more sense because Parker wanted to make it clear to the reader what things were memories stolen by the Bonners, but I was put off by it at first, especially for memories that weren’t stolen, just flashbacks.
3.5/5 tea leaves

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong***
This was a really cool way to do a memoir. Wong writes a multimodal memoir that includes essays, podcast transcripts, photos, art, crosswords, and all kinds of other things. I’m familiar with Wong’s work, but this book made me feel like I knew her personally.
3.5/5 cats

Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern***
This is a speculative fiction short story collection that imagines a lot of different possible futures, some hopeful, some not. It’s really great. My favorite stories in the collection were “The Lost Roads,” “Real Sugar is Hard to Find,” “The Propagator,” and “Unwhole.” They’ll definitely stick with me.
4/5 obsolescent hot wheels

Chlorine by Jade Song***
**Book Hangover Alert
CW: trauma, grooming, body horror
Goodness but this was good. Swimming is Ren’s life and she’d do anything to become a mermaid and live forever in the water. Anything. Incredible prose and tension building. Super cool magical realism. I was also a swimmer, and a butterflier to boot, all through grade school so I can definitely relate to the obsessive nature of competitive swimming that Song describes.
5/5 butterfly races

Smothermoss by Alisa Alering
**Book Hangover Alert
CW: murder, hate crimes
Two women are murdered on the Appalachian Trail in the 1980s. Two local girls, sisters are pulled into the mystery, terrifyingly real and otherworldly. I loved the magical realism of this. It was also super atmospheric and did such a good job of evoking place, making the mountain almost a character in its own right.
4.5/5 rabbits

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas*
Lady Sherlock book 1 of 8
This was so fun. A spin on Sherlock Holmes, where Sherlock is actually Charlotte, a woman disgraced from society and trying to survive on her own in Victorian London. I really liked the take on Watson and I’m looking forward to reading more of these.
3.5/5 murders

The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope by Daniel Greene***
This one was dense but good. There’s a perception that access to technology or skills based training is enough to alleviate poverty and it’s often left up to schools and libraries to provide these things. Then when poverty persists, it’s blamed on individual failings or the failings of schools and libraries, not recognizing that they are criminally under resourced. Greene’s ethnography examines several sites, a school, a library, and a startup, to examine where this perception comes from and how this solution to poverty falls short. Greene’s analysis is well researched and well reasoned. Just frustrating that we’re still putting the burden of solving systemic problems like poverty on individuals and institutions like schools and libraries that can’t do everything.
3.5/5 computer men

Dinotopia by James Gurney*
Dinotopia book 1 of 4
It’s worth reading this book for the art alone. A man and his son are shipwrecked in the 1850s and eventually wash up on the shores of Dinotopia, an island where dinosaurs survived extinction and live in peace and harmony with the humans that have washed up there over the years. This was delightful, both just to look at the art and also to imagine a world where I could ride a dinosaur as public transit.
4/5 dinosaurs

*This book only includes straight white cis people. I loved Anatomy but it does only include straight white cis people. A Study in Scarlet Women is also very straight white and cis, though it does engage with themes of female agency. I had to mark Dinotopia as only including straight white cis people (there are a few people of color) but I feel compelled to add that it also includes dinosaurs.

**Book Hangover Alert indicates the kind of book that will leave you full up on love. Satisfied, but wishing the book never had to end. You’ll be laying on the floor with no idea what to do with yourself (other friends have called this feeling Good Book Depression or say that certain books necessitate Floor Time). This is the kind of book that gets its teeth in you and won’t let go easily. After the last page you’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. You’ll bother all your friends trying to get them to read it so that you won’t be alone in your Hangover.

***This book is part of my Books for a Social Conscience series! Read The Sun and the Star to see more LGBTQIA+ rep in fantasy and a nice healthy gay relationship. Read The Night Watchman to learn about the termination of Native American tribes, a very important piece of history. Read Against Technoableism for a disability studies primer. Read the Legacy of Orïsha series for a richly imagined world based on African history and mythology. Read The Serviceberry for indigenous wisdom on climate and economics. Read Year of the Tiger to learn more about one of the biggest names in disability justice. Read Real Sugar is Hard to Find for LGBTQIA+ rep in speculative fiction. Read Chlorine for a queer POC horror. Read The Promise of Access to learn more about the systemic problems related to poverty.

Reads marked as part of the Books for a Social Conscience series will regularly address topics like race and racism, colonialism and post-colonialism, LGBTQIA+ experience, feminism, BIPOC experience, social and political issues, history, identity, class, disability experience, immigration, gun violence, poverty, colorism, environmentalism, and more! The goal of these books is to diversify the stories we’re reading, grow our empathy for those who are different from us, and amplify voices who are often silenced.

June 30, 2022August 6, 2023

June 2022 Books

New Books Read

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel***
Book Hangover Alert**
Reading two books back to back with ace protagonists? Is this what representation feels like? Amazing. I adored Kaikeyi. It’s a reimagining of the classic tale of the Ramayana told from the perspective of Kaikeyi, one of Rama’s mothers (not his birth mother, but the third wife of his father). I loved the lushness of this story. I loved the exploration of Kaikeyi’s relationships, particularly with other women, and how each of the female characters was fleshed out (something I hear is missing from previous versions of the Ramayana). I recommend reading the Author’s Note, but saving it for after you’ve read the book if you’re not very familiar with the Ramayana.
4.5/5 strong bonds

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski
CW: sexual assault
People on the internet were excited about this book because it’s a reimagining of Peter Pan where “Peter is the villain!” They said it like it was a very novel idea, but if you paid attention when you read Barrie’s original, you know Peter’s always sort of been a villain. But I digress. I found this version refreshing; I liked the way the world of Neverland bled into present day. I liked the exploration of parenting shown by Holly who is always trying to protect and save both her children but doesn’t always do the right thing. One criticism: some of the flashbacks were in past tense and some were in present tense and the main action of the story was also in present tense. It bothered me that the flashbacks weren’t consistent in one tense or the other. Overall I did enjoy this book and I read it in like 2 days. The rest of this review has spoilers.

Read More: SPOILERS AHEAD

I thought it was an interesting choice by Michalski to give the final confrontation with Peter to Holly’s mother, and have Holly not even present. It struck me as a little anticlimactic. I guess I was also expecting to get a little more explanation of the Christopher Cooke/Hook and Nan characters. I don’t feel like we ever really figured out if they were from Neverland or what.

3.5/5 tinkling lights

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
CW: substance abuse
I listened to this audiobook, which I definitely recommend as the format works really well for audio and I loved the full cast interpretation. I found this book really intriguing because I had never read a book formatted like this, like a series of oral interviews. I thought it worked really well because each member of the band got to give their own perspective and memories which were often very different or disagreed entirely with other characters’.
3.5/5 album covers

Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier
CW: ableism
I’ve been meaning to read this since I went to Jamaica Inn in Cornwall in 2016. I finally did read it and it was okay. I like the way DuMaurier writes, and I enjoyed the mystery of what’s going on in the Inn, but I was disappointed by the ending. If you want to know why, you can continue reading, though there will be spoilers.

Read More: SPOILERS AHEAD

It’s common in Classics and even in more contemporary work that someone with a visible difference or disability is the villain. And here DuMaurier buys into that stereotype, making the main mastermind villain an albino vicar. Disability or physical difference and disfigurement in literature are often shorthand for moral corruption and evil. And I’m very tired of reading about that. The other thing I didn’t love about the ending was Mary ending up with Jem Merlyn. The whole book she’s like “I know Jem is bad news and I can see how he could become like his brother (the other main villain in the story), and besides I’ve decided to be single forever and own my own farm.” And then she just doesn’t? She just chooses to go with Jem?

2.5/5 smugglers

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera***
Book Hangover Alert**
CW: attempted genocide
This is the last book from my haul from the Bay Area Book Fest and it did not disappoint. It just won a Newberry medal and it deserved it. I actually read this book twice this month because I read it on my own and then I listened to it with my family driving from California to Colorado. I loved the incorporation of Mexican culture and folklore in a sci-fi story, especially since that genre has been so white for so long. I love when middle-grade authors grapple with important questions.
4/5 bioloaf cubes

Anxious People by Frederik Backman
CW: suicide, suicidal ideation
This book has the same charm, humor, and humanity of all of Backman’s works. It explores heavy and difficult topics with levity and sensitivity. It’s full of twists and turns and the way the story unfolds keeps you guessing. I love the way everything comes together at the end.
4/5 boxes of Christmas lights that aren’t bombs

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
Dresden Files book 7 of 17
I liked this one better than the last one, but really these books are pretty consistent. They’re enjoyable and don’t take a lot of extra brainpower, which is exactly what you need sometimes. I enjoyed the character of Butters and I hope we get to see him again.
3.5/5 zombies

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton***
Book Hangover Alert**
CW: lynching, anti-Black racism, n-word, sexism, sexual assault, trauma
I said above that I’d never read a book formatted like Daisy Jones and the Six. Well, this book is also formatted like that, which did at first make it seem a little less exciting and fresh. But I really liked that this book engaged more with the current events that were happening in the 1970s. It shows the collision of rock and roll and the Civil Rights Movement. I also loved how it explores the difficulties Black women still face and how white silence can be just as insidious as loud, aggressive, in your face white racism.
4/5 platform shoes

The Girl Wakes by Carmen Lau
I got this book because sometimes when you submit stories to certain presses, they ask you to pay money or get a copy of one of the books they’ve published. So this was the one I picked. It’s a collection of short stories that echo or retell dark fairytales. It does remind me of the work of Angela Carter in its darkness and subversiveness. It was enjoyable, fresh, imaginative, and the prose was clean.
3/5 gingerbread houses

Execute the Office by Colin Rafferty
A disclaimer: Colin Rafferty was one of my professors at the University of Mary Washington, so obviously I think he’s great. This is a book of creative nonfiction essays, each one addressing a different president. I loved that I learned something new about each president, but the essays weren’t purely informative; they balanced information, personal connection, and the effort to reconcile how inarguably great men also did terrible things. I love Rafferty’s lyrical style and thoughtful explorations of each of the presidents (even the somewhat unremarkable ones).
3.5/5 presidential first dances

I reviewed this book for Under the Sun. The review can be read here.

Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman
Sandman Vol 4
CW: gore
I have listened to the latest Audible Sandman collection, which does cover Season of Mists, but this was my first time reading it. This volume is mostly concerned with who will inherit Hell after Lucifer decides to leave, which was interesting but I do think I liked some of the other episodes better from previous volumes. One thing I really like about the comics that I haven’t mentioned yet is that I really like the way the artist changes the way Dream looks depending on who he’s speaking to.
3/5 keys to Hell

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
CW: racism
I always love a story about doors to other worlds. I really liked The Once and Future Witches by Harrow, but I’m not sure I liked this one quite as much. It had a little slower build up and it took me longer to get hooked. But I did still enjoy it. I really like Harrow’s writing style. I do feel like I need a spin-off series about Jane and the Leopard Women.
3.5/5 loyal dogs

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine***
CW: racism, police brutality, misogyny
As a Coloradan, I really liked seeing Denver from a historical and not whitewashed perspective. I also really liked the generational aspect of this book. I liked the focus on the female characters, however I also felt I could have had more Diego and his snakes in the book. I didn’t understand what Luz saw in David; I thought he was awful. I’m also not sure all my questions were answered by the end.
3.5/5 snakes

***This book is part of my Books for a Social Conscience. Read Kaikeyi for a feminist perspective in a classic and for ace representation. Read The Last Cuentista for Latinx representation in sci-fi. Read The Final Revival of Opal and Nev to learn about the Civil Rights Movement and racism in rock and roll. Read Woman of Light for a non-whitewashed look at the history of the west.

Reads marked as part of the Books for a Social Conscience series will regularly address topics like race and racism, colonialism and post-colonialism, LGBTQ+ experience, feminism, BIPOC experience, social and political issues, history, identity, class, disability experience, immigration, gun violence, poverty, colorism, environmentalism, and more! The goal of these books is to diversify the stories we’re reading, grow our empathy for those who are different from us, and amplify voices who are often silenced.

August 31, 2020November 12, 2021

August 2020 Books

Books Reread

Stack of 3 copies of Harry Potter book one in different editions

The illustrated Harry Potter book one is open to a picture of the Mirror of Erised, and 2 more copies of HP book 1 rest on top of it

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling*
Harry Potter book 1 of 7
I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd and I’ve read all the books so many times–well mostly I’ve listened to them a lot of times. We have all the audiobooks read by Jim Dale (my absolute favorite narrator). When each book came out my family would buy the book and the book on tape (back when there were tapes) and then by about book 5 we were buying the book on CD when it came out. This was because my older sister got to read the book first and I, not wanting to wait to read it until she was finished, would listen to the book. We’ve lately been listening to the Harry Potter at Home recordings, where actors associated with the franchise read chapters or portions of chapters. None of them were quite as good as Jim Dale, I think, but I still loved hearing the story again, and I was able to follow along in the gorgeous illustrated edition. A side note: I love illustrated books, especially when they’re not children’s books.
And yes, I’m a Slytherin.
5/5 post-carrying owls

New Books Read

The cover of Children of Virtue and Vengeance shows a black woman with white hair and gold tattoos

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adyemi ***
Legacy of Orisha book 2 of 3
I love the rich fantasy Adyemi creates in these books. The world is based in West African mythology and Yoruba language and culture. The basic conflict is between those with the ability to use magic, marked by their white hair, and those without magic. The non-magic people have been oppressing the magic-users for many years and managed to block their access to magic. Without giving away what happens in the first book, I’ll just say that the second book was also good, and I’ll definitely be reading the final installment when it comes out. This book did have a lot of conflict and a lot of the characters were annoying in that they didn’t seem to be able to listen to each other or work together, which was a bit frustrating as a reader. However, the conflict was believable and understandable. I’m definitely interested to see how Adyemi wraps everything up. I hope there’s a happy ending for both Zelie and Amari.
3/5 magical glowing auras

The cover of the Kingdom of Back shows an upside down blue tree with spindly branches below and roots above with 2 moons in the sky

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
This book was delightful. A mix of fantasy and historical fiction, it took readers back to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s childhood through the eyes of his older sister Maria Anna, or Nannerl. From history we know that Nannerl was also an accomplished pianist and prodigy in her own right. It is suspected that she wrote her own compositions but none now survive under her own name. Lu explores Nannerl’s talent for composition and weaves in the fantastical world of the Kingdom of Back. The prince of this faerie kingdom offers Nannerl her dearest wish to be remembered, but Nannerl soon finds that the price of this dream may be higher than she is willing to pay.
4.5/5 piano concertos

Cover of The Beautiful shows a silver goblet pouring out rose petals

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
Book 1 of 2
CW: murder of women, attempted rape, racism
Everyone loves a good fantasy romance set in New Orleans in the 1800s full of vampires, seedy characters, and a plucky heroine with a secret, right? Well, I do. Ahdieh’s books are so hard to put down and I just devoured this one. I’m excited to read the next one (I do love a duology). One thing I loved about the book was that it wasn’t whitewashed. Many historical fiction books ignore the people of color who lived at that time (unless it’s a slave narrative, or a book specifically about racism), so it was really refreshing to see a variety of people in Ahdieh’s book. We got the chance to examine the tensions of race and identity and what it means to be able to pass, without that being the main focus of the novel. I also loved the characters. Celine is smart and has a healthy (or perhaps not so healthy?) thrill-seeking streak. Odette is delightful and I’m definitely ready to see more of her in the next book. And of course, Bastien. Who doesn’t love a bad boy (at least in fiction, anyway–in real life they’re so disappointing)?
4.5/5 embroidered handkerchiefs

Cover of The Witches of NY shows a sepia photograph of a Victorian woman with a black box over her face, only revealing her left eye

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
CW: murder of women, religious fanaticism, torture
Another supernatural/historical fiction mash-up! I guess that was the theme this month. Set in New York in 1880, two witches run a tea shop, catering to the ladies of New York City. When they hire a new shopgirl who can see ghosts, their world is turned upside-down. I loved this feminist tale full of intrigue, science and the supernatural, and a priest convinced he’s doing the work of God by trying to eliminate witches–but instead he is helping demons. I really enjoyed it and still hoping there will be a sequel? It came out in 2014 but as far as I can tell there isn’t yet a sequel. Anyone know if there will be more Witches of New York?
4/5 ghosts

Cover of Ilustrado shows a design in white and orange on black

Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco***
Set in the Philippines, Syjuco takes readers on a wild post-modern literary ride, weaving together the story of a young writer who shares his name and an older, established Filipino writer named Crispin Salvador. After Salvador’s reported death at the beginning of the novel, Syjuco sets out to write the definitive biography of his former mentor and literary idol. Through this work we learn both about Salvador’s life, and about Syjuco’s life, as well as seeing clips from Salvador’s published works. I thought this was really interesting. The inclusion of these short pieces supposedly parts of Salvador’s novels functioned as flash fiction pieces that were able to stand on their own, but also evoked a longer work. With all the skipping around and fragmentation of the novel, I expected to be confused, but I wasn’t. I’ve only read one other book by a Filipino author (Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn) and I’d definitely be interested to read more; I like the way both novels weave together the stories of many different characters as well as exploring the socio-political happenings in the Philippines.
The New York Times wrote a much better review of Ilustrado, so feel free to read it here.
3.5/5 hits of cocaine

Cover of Grave Peril shows the silhouette of a man in a hat with a staff in a misty room

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
The Dresden Files book 3 of 17
Yet another solid installment in the life and times of Harry Dresden, wizard. It’s called Grave Peril because there are ghosts and vampires. Get it? Grave? Anyway, as ever Butcher’s books are full of action, humor, lore, and interesting characters. I especially enjoyed Micheal and Charity in this one. I also like a super gross, ugly, vile vampire (as opposed to the sparkly kind) and boy, does Butcher deliver. I’m a fan of how Dresden is developing over the course of the series. He has already grown emotionally more mature, and I hope we get to see that keep developing in the next 14 books.
3.5/5 vampires

Cover of The Illustrated Man shows a tattooed arm with lions bounding out of the tattoo

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
I’ve always enjoyed Bradbury’s work and this book was no different. The collection of short stories is structured like a nested narrative, with all the stories playing out in the tattoos on the skin of the Illustrated Man. Each story offers a glimpse of the future, full of space travel, Martians, advanced technology, and most of all the human condition. Each story had that surprise punch that is so coveted in a good short story. My favorite stories were “The Veldt,” in which a virtual reality room isn’t virtual enough, “The Other Foot,” which Bradbury had trouble getting published because it was about Black people going off to colonize Mars, “The Fox and the Forest,” which involves time travel and a chase, “The City,” which features a sinister city, and “Zero Hour” which features sinister children. My only complaint is the female characters. They aren’t many, and they’re all pretty boring (except for Mink, the child from “Zero Hour”). All the other women are wives and/or mothers who fall in to one of the following categories. 1. Frightened of something: of the technology of their house (“The Veldt”), of what will happen when the white man arrives in the rocket (“The Other Foot,” though Hettie is arguably the best of the wives), of their husband on a rocket dying (“The Rocket Man”), of being caught and sent back to the future (“The Fox in the Forest”), of Martians (“Zero Hour”), of their husband killing them (“The Illustrated Man,” though that one is warranted). 2. Nagging their husband (“The Marionettes, Inc.,” “The Rocket,” “The Illustrated Man,” and a few other instances). And I think all the rest of the stories didn’t have women in them at all, or just a passing reference to a wife or lover. I mean honestly, in the future when space travel is common, you think women aren’t going to be on the rockets?
3/5 tattoos

Cover of Night Sky with Exit Wounds shows a photo of a grandmother, mother and son

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong***
Everything Ocean Vuong writes is gorgeous. I loved his novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous because of its poetic prose. This book was his first book of poetry and it was also gorgeous, enduringly so. My favorite poems were “Aubade with Burning City,” “Notebook Fragments,” “Prayer for the Newly Damned,” and “Immigrant Haibun,” though choosing favorites of his poems is something like choosing a favorite star in the heavens. Each poem is meticulously crafted with a wonderful ear for rhythm, metaphor, imagery, and sound. He has a way of describing things we are all familiar with in a way that makes them something new to discover.
4/5 exit wounds

Cover of Gingerbread shows a crow holding a branch with an orange growing on it

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi***
This book is unlike anything else I’ve ever read, and, not to brag, but I’ve read a lot of books. Part fairytale, part dream, part mother-daughter story, the novel is filled with magical realism and is utterly unique. I love fairytale retellings, but this isn’t really one. Crumbs of Hansel and Gretel are sprinkled throughout, but I wouldn’t call it a retelling; it’s something far more original. I don’t even know how to tell you about it. NPR said it best in their review: “Trying to summarize the plot of Gingerbread is like trying to describe a strange dream you had — it’s nearly impossible to put something so odd and compelling into words that will actually convey the experience.”
4/5 gingerbread shivs

*Though I love, and will always love, the Harry Potter stories and universe, I can no longer support J. K. Rowling as a person. Trans women are women.

***This book is part of my Books for a Social Conscience series! Read Children of Virtue and Vengeance to learn more about Yoruba and West African mythology, to see Black characters in fantasy, and to see discrimination reframed based on magic use instead of race. Read Ilustrado to learn more about the socio-political state of the Philippines and how Spanish and American colonialism and post-colonialism impacted and continues to impact the Philippines. Read Night Sky with Exit Wounds to delve into poetry by a LGBTQ+ author of color and to learn more about the immigrant experience. Read Gingerbread to experience an original fairytale full of Black characters (something we so rarely see in fairytales), and to expose yourself to one of the finest emerging Black writers.
Reads marked as part of the Books for a Social Conscience series will regularly address topics like race and racism, colonialism and post-colonialism, LGBTQ+ experience, feminism, BIPOC experience, social and political issues, history, identity, class, disability experience, immigration, gun violence, poverty, colorism, environmentalism, and more! The goal of these books is to diversify the stories we’re reading, grow our empathy for those who are different from us, and amplify voices who are often silenced.