Genre: Literary Fiction Published: Hanover Square Press, October 2022 My Rating: 3/5 stars Daughters of the New Year is the own-voices literary debut novel author E.M. Tran, in which we follow five generations of Vietnamese mothers and daughters throughout their journey of migration and integration into America. Our story begins in present day New Orleans, with family matriarch Xuan Trung and her obsession with divining her family’s fortune through Vietnamese astrology. Her three daughters, Tran, Nhi, and Trieu, have little need for divinations, already feeling the pressure of balancing 2 cultures and parental expectations. Throughout the novel we make our way back through the generations, past Xuan’s history of beauty pageants, all the way to the 20th century rubber plantations, where their original American Dream began. You need only to read the backflap text to see the huge scope and brilliant set up this novel had, interweaving a generational tale with elements of Vietnamese history and mythology. Add the authors pleasant prose and a fantastic start in which these elements were introduced and set in position, and after the first few chapters I was convinced I had a 5-star read on my hands. Unfortunately, the book shows its “debut-ness” more and more the further along we get, by not quite managing to chew everything it bit off. The first half, in which we follow the three contemporary sisters and their interactions with their elderly mother, is by far the strongest part of the novel. The way the author portrayed their individual lives, as well as the cultural clashes and feelings of resentment within their family was very well done, and will resonate with many readers Yet the further we become removed from present day (and therefore perhaps the authors own experiences), the more detached I felt the narrative become. Characters began to lack depth and feel more like stereotypes than real people the further back we got. There are clear themes of generational resent and misunderstandings within the story, but at times I felt they were almost present in the authors portrayal of the characters as well. The younger generations felt written with more understanding, compassion and depth than the older ones, which was a shame. Another disappointment in the second half was that not everything that was set up at the start was followed through on. Even some things mentioned on the backflap as if they’re key plot points become lost along the way. For example: Trac’s struggle with her sexuality is prominently features in the synopsis, but gets very little mention on page. In the end, the novel as a whole was fine, but considering it had such clear potential for great I can’t deny I was left a little disappointed. Another few edits, either giving the older generations more page-time for development, or cutting them out completely for a tighter scope would’ve made for a more balanced novel. You can find this novel here on Goodreads.

Genre: Short Story Collection, Literary Horror Published: One World Publications (US) & Riverhead Books (UK), October 2022, originally published May 2015 Translation: Megan McDowell My Rating: 4.5/5 stars As with any of her previous works, I foresee Seven Empty Houses being met with mixed critiques, ranging from boring to fascinating. I fall confidently within the second camp; to me, I was engrossed, fascinated and immersed in what I find the authors best work to date. Schweblins 2015 collection, now making its debut in English translation, doesn’t contain your typical “horror” stories. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if many traditionally western readers wouldn’t place this in the horror-category at all. Within the walls of these 7 empty houses, you won’t find any ghosts, goblins or ghouls. Instead, you’ll find them haunted by a dread of another nature entirely. With Fever Dream and Mouthful of Birds, Schweblin already demonstrated her pension for domestic horror; creating dread and unease within the smallest and most mundane situation. It’s such a distinct and difficult feeling to nail but she does so perfectly within Seven Empty Houses. Each story (or house, in the case of this collection) on the surface, seems to depict an unremarkable scene. Yet each brings with them a unique atmosphere and emotion for the reader, ranging from dread to heartbreak, to vicarious shame and an almost voyeuristic sense of intruding into another’s personal space. In None of That, a woman delirious with the shock of a car-crash, enters the home of a helpful stranger, only to take off with her sugar-bowl. Her daughter tries to talk sense into her mother, following this completely irrational behaviour. In My Parents and My Children, a mother anxiety over leaving her children with her aging parents is laid bare in a literal way. In It Happens All the Time (one of the shortest and my favourite out of the stories) a woman observes a strange weekly ritual play out in her neighbour’s yard. After an emotional argument, the husband scatters their deceased sons clothing from the window, to land in the trees like rain. In Breath from the Depth, an elderly woman struggles with the deterioration and defamiliarization with her own body and memories in aging. In 2 Square Feet, a woman reminisces over the space she, her body and all her stuff take up in the world, as she’s on a night-time grocery-run for aspirin for her mother-in-law. In An Unlucky Man, a young girl, having witnessed a traumatic event, is helped out by an unfamiliar man. Is he a good Samaritan, or taking advantage of a vulnerable situation? And finally, in Out, a woman stumbles through the nightly streets in her bathrobe and slippers, in a desperate flight from her apartment, and a difficult conversation with her husband. Each of these stories will creep up on you, leaving you thinking about them long after you’ve finished, their dread growing over time. I can see this being very “niche” in its appeal, but if you’re a fan of this warping-the-mundane-style of horror, this is a masterpiece within its genre. Perfect for fans of Mouthful of Birds, Things We Say in the Dark, From the Neck Up or even In the Dream House. Many thanks to One World Publications for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. You can add this book to your Goodreads here.

Genre: Gothic Fiction, horror Published: Harper Collins UK, October 2022 My Rating: 5/5 stars “I have a ghost in my knee. There’s a small pocket just behind the kneecap and she’s hiding in there, all tucked up in the soft mattresses of cartilage. She is very small and terrified so I’m sitting with that leg straightened so I don’t disturb her. I’ve not set a word about this to anyone. They’d think I’m mad.” I don’t think I’ve read a more perfect opening-line to a gothic horror novel in long time, and The Ghost Woods only got better from that point on. An overgrown house in the woods, whispered legends of ghosts and witchcraft, a child who isn’t quite a child, and a pregnant woman sent to give birth amidst it all. If you’re still looking for your perfect Halloween-read, look no further because this is my definitive recommendation for 2022. The Story Told in dual timelines, The Ghost Woods follows two young, pregnant women’s time at Lichen Hall; an remote gothic manor in the woods that serves as a safe haven for unwed women to give birth and potentially offer up their new-borns for adoption. In 1959, 17-year old Mabel is shocked and confounded by her condition; how could she be pregnant, while she knows she’s never had sex? It must be due to the ghosts that inhabit her body… In 1965, 22-year old nurse Pearl lost everything after the “shame” of her pre-marital pregnancy got around town. Desperate, and knowing she won’t be able to take care of the baby, she turns to Lichen Hall for help. Both women soon find Lichen Hall not as safe a haven as the had hoped. Mould festers within the walls, strange apparitions lurk in the surrounding woods and the caretakers and inhabitant of the manor all seem privy to bouts of strange behaviour. Whether that be Mrs Whitlock insistence of “no medical intervention” surrounding the pregnancies, her husband’s collapse into dementia, or the strange boy with a precocious interest in mycology and botany. Both women’s stories eventually collide to unearth the secrets at the roots of Lichen Hall. What I liked I’ve been a C.J. Cooke fan ever since The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches. Both are gothic thriller/horror novels that combine a taught mystery, interesting characters and strong themes of motherhood, and both showcase the authors pension for creating unsettling imagery and vivid atmosphere perfectly. The Ghost Woods follows perfectly as the third entry in this “spiritual trilogy”, and might be my favourite thus far. On a surface level, you have a creepy tale that plays with many of the familiar tropes in horror (witches, ghosts, haunted houses, Scottish folklore etc.) and takes inspiration from the classics (Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, Frankenstein…). On a deeper level, there’s a far more disturbing and emotional story of the price of motherhood, memory, trauma and the (medical) mistreatment of women in our not too distant history. It’s clear these themes are very intentional as the author even mentions the infamous Magdalene Laundries in her authors note. It’s this subtle interweaving of “layers of horror” and emotion that sets a great horror novel apart from the bunch. I was not only on the edge of my seat, intrigued, excited and thrilled from beginning to end, but I also had plenty of food for thought left long after I’d closed the final chapter. What I didn’t like You could argue that the reveal at the end requires some suspension of disbelieve, that I can see might put some readers off. Throughout the story we’re constantly questioning whether the events at Lichen Hall are natural or supernatural in nature and the ending ultimately doesn’t quite fit neatly into either box. Because of the great set up, I was completely able to suspend my disbelieve towards the ending, but I can see it being point of contention for some. Overall, I highly recommend The Ghost Woods , especially as a companion on a dark and gloomy autumnal night. Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Back in 2020, when the trend of witch-fiction was only in its infancy, I posted a guide of witchy recommendations, divided by genre and type of magic featured. Now, two years later, the genre has only continued to expand, and quite some gems have been added in the process. As such, I felt it time for an update. Without further ado, let's revisit this topic, now updated with the best witch-releases up to January 2023. As per usual; all entries are linked to their respective Goodreads pages for your convenience. Witches in High-Fantasy - The Witchland’s series – Susan Dennard In a continent on the edge of war, two witches, each blessed with a rare type of magic, hold its fate in their hands. - The Witcher – Andrzej Sapkowski The famous fantasy by Polish author Sapkowski, featuring a supernatural monsterhunter and his interactions with a medieval world where monsters, witches and magick are real. - War of Witches – Maite Caranza A teenage girl finds herself the center of an underground war between witch-clans, as her family might be privy to the knowledge and powers to end the age-old conflict for good. - His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman After her best friend goes missing, a young girl's journey to find him being with a mysterious golden artifact, no larger than her palm. Soon, she finds herself entangled in a plot far larger than anything she could've imagined and must undertake a journey to the far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule and Gobblers take the children for nefarious purposes. - The Winternight Trilogy – Katherine Arden This acclaimed fantasy trilogy with its roots deep in Russian folklore begins with a rebelious young girl with the gift of communication with the natural spirits of her home and land, as she seeks a bargain to save her empoveraged family from a freezing-death during the upcoming winter. Gothic Witches - The Binding – Bridget Collins The story of a young womans entrence into the trade of supernatural bookbinding, in a world where a world where magic is bound memory and words. - The Lighthouse Witches – CJ Cooke Mysterious and terrible events have happened on this island. It started with a witch hunt. Now, centuries later, islanders are vanishing without explanation. Is it a coincidence, curse or something else entirely. - The Ghostwoods – CJ Cooke A mysterious house tucked away in the woods has functioned for decenia as a commune for unwed women to give birth safely to their children. Yet tales of witchcraft and hauntings from the woods plague the halls. - White is for Witching – Helen Oyeyemi Haunted house meets witchcraft, meets vampirism in this gothic tale of a woman's fraught relationship with a sentient(?) house. - The Year of the Witching - Alexis Henderson A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut. Feminist Witches - The Women Could Fly – Megan Giddings A dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in which witches are real and single women are closely monitored. - The Bass Rock - Evie Wyld Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place, to each other. - The Change – Kirsten Miller In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three different women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment… - The Mercies – Kiran Millwood Hargrave After a storm has killed off all the island's men, two women in a 1600s Norwegian coastal village struggle to survive against both natural forces and the men who have been sent to rid the community of alleged witchcraft. - The Once and Future Witches – Alix E. Harrow A historical tale that intertwines the suffragist-movement of the late 1800 with a fantastical narrative of witchcraft and magick. Small-town Thrillers featuring Witchcraft - Hex – Thomas Olde Heuvelt A genuinly unsettling horror novel based on a local legend of my personal Dutch hometown of Nijmegen/Beek. - The Witch in the Well – Camilla Bruce When two former friends reunite after decades apart, their grudges, flawed ambitions, and shared obsession swirl into an all-too-real echo of a terrible town legend. - The Glass Women – Caroline Lea Rebecca meets Burial Rights this claustrophobic thriller set against the cold background of Icelands inhospitable landscape and ancient saga's . - The Near Witch – V.E. Schwab An old story told to frighten the children of the small town of Near into obedience might hold more truth than anyone imagined. - Slewfoot - Brom Part original dark fairytale, part revenge quest; a puritarean thriller featuring demons, witchcraft and a small helping of feminist rights on the side. Teenage Witches for YA-readers - Winterwood – Shea Ernshaw A haunting romance perfect for fans of Practical Magic,where dark fairy tales and enchanted folklore collide after a boy, believed to be missing, emerges from the magical woods—and falls in love with the witch determined to unravel his secrets. - The Lost Coast – Amy Rose Capetta The spellbinding tale of six queer witches forging their own paths, shrouded in the mist, magic, and secrets of the ancient California redwoods. - Spellbook of the Lost and Found – Moira Fowley Doyle Over the courseof the summer, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. As the teens unearth an ancient spellbook and carry out a spell to return lost items, they don't anticipate the consequences. - Our Crooked Hearts – Melissa Albert A near collision with a nude young woman on a tree-lined road at night, kicks off a series of ominous events for 17-year old Ivy. When she finds out that her mother was subject to a similar series of events during her teenage years, Ivy sets off on a quest to uncover family secrets. - A Lesson in Vengeance – Victoria Lee Dark academia meets witch-craft in this fantasy-mystery about a murder at a girls boardingschool filled with secret covens and occult practices. - House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland Three young girls go missing without a trace, only to return a month later with a strange crescent scar at the base of their neck and their hair ashen white. Their father soon comes to a disturbing conclusion: whatever returned to his house, they aren’t his daughters… Ten years later, the Hollow sisters attempt to find answers as to what happened to them, when their oldest sister disappears without a trace. - Perfectly Preventable Deaths – Deidre Sullivan Fifteen-year-old twins Madeline and Catlin investigate the legend surrounding their strange isolated town, where, for the last sixty years, teenage girls have gone missing in the surrounding mountains. - Extasia – Claire Legrand With echoes of The Village, and The Witch, and strong themes of feminism, Extasia is set in a dystopian world where the few survivors live in an isolated cult-like survivors patriarchal commune. Until a dark force beneath the nearby mountain seemingly sets its sights on their male leaders. Childfriendly Witches for Middle-grade Readers - A Pinch of Magic – Michelle Harrison A spellbinding middle grade fantasy about three sisters--adventurous Betty, curious Charlie, and proper Fliss--who go on a quest to break the curse that's haunted their family for generations. - The Girl Who Drank the Moon – Kelly Barnhill Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. But the witch is nothing like the stories told about her; instead she is gentle and kind and raises one of the sacrificed girls as her own, feeding her with magic and moonlight. - The Last Windwitch – Jennifer Adams A young hedgewitch’s apprentice struggls to convince her fickle magic to actually do what it’s meant to, until she discovers her talents may lie in a different branch of magic altogether. Unfortunately, that other magic makes her a target for some powerful people, incluing the Evil Queen and her huntsman. - Witches of Willow Cove – Josh Roberts A magical middle-grade adventure about six teenage girls who discover their powers of witchcraft on their thirteenth birthday. Cosy Witches - Spells of Lost Things – Jenna Evans Welsh A poignant and romantic novel about two teens trying to find their place in the world after being unceremoniously dragged to Salem, Massachusetts, for the summer. - In the Shadow Garden – Liz Moore Three generations of empathic garden-witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this heartwarming debut. - Witches of Moonshyne Manor – Bianca Marais Five octogenarian witches end up in hot waters as they are unable to afford the mortgage on the titular manor they've made their magical safe haven. In order to preserve their way of living this coven of modern-day witches must pull of a magical heist with heavy consequences. A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches – Sangu Mandanna A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life. Tales of Bruja’s: Latinx witches - The Inheritance of Orquindea Divina – Zoraida Cordova Upon her death, a family matriarch blesses the women in her family with a set of unusual gifts and blessings. When a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line, it becomes clear that their inheritance might hold more than helpful magic after all. - The Hacienda – Isabel Canas Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches... - Cemetery Boys – Aiden Thomas When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. - Witches – Brenda Lozano The beguiling story of a young journalist whose investigation of a murder leads her to the most legendary traditional healer in all of Mexico. Own-Voice Witch-tales by black authors - Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi A runaway princess and a rebel warrior team up to reclaim the magic that was taken from their people in a bloody war that ravaged their kingdom. - Akata Witch – Nnedi Okorafor A 12-year old albino girl, who recently moved from New York City to Aba, Nigeria, has a difficult time fitting into her new enviroment. Will her latent and newly discovered powers help her build a community for herself, or isolate her even more. - Conjure Women – Afia Atakora A mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing—and for the conjuring of curses—are at the heart of this literary fiction novel set in the South, right before and after the Civil War. - Kingdom of Souls – Rena Barron Heir to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, a girl with no gifts must bargain for the power to fight her own mother’s dark schemes—even if the price is her life. Elemental & Natural Witches - They Drown Our Daughters – Katrina Monroe A woman returns to her childhood home at the shores of Cape Disappointment, and finds her family caught up in a century-old curse that haunts the local waters and has taken the lives of the women in her family for generations. Is it witchcraft, or something more "natural"? - The Nature of Witches – Rachel Griffin For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season. - The Grisha Trilogy – Leigh Bardugo A teenage orphan who grows up in the Russia-inspired land of Ravka when, discovers a dorment power she never knew she had, when trying to save her childhood best friend. Soon she becomes a target of intrigue and violence, as she might be "the Chosen One" to overcome the dark ruler. - The Fifth Season – N.K. Jemisin The highly acclaimed fantasy series set in a world where natural disasters have wrecked vast continent known as the Stillness, and the apocalyps (or in this case: change of the seasons)is immenent. It's up to our three protagonists, all oregenes - humans with the ability to manipulate the earth, to survive in this inhospitable world. Green Witches, Hedge witches and Herbal Magic - Circe – Madeline Miller A powerful, character-driven retalling of the story of the mythological witch Circe, most known for her appearance as a secondary antagonist in Homers Odyssey. - Wise Child – Monica Furlong In a remote Scottish village, nine-year-old Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, a healer and sorceress. Then Wise Child's mother, Maeve, a black witch, reappears. In choosing between Maeve and Juniper, Wise Child discovers the extent of her supernatural powers--and her true loyalties. - Wildwood Whispers – Willa Reece A heartwarming novel of hope, fate, and folk magic unfolds when a young woman travels to a sleepy southern town in the Appalachian Mountains to bury her best friend. - The Queens of Innis Lear – Tessa Gratton The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, as his three daughters prepare for a battle for succession in this fantasy-retelling of Shakespears classic King Lear. - Now She is Witch – Kirsty Logan In rich and immersive prose Kirsty Logan conjures a world of violence and beauty in which women grasp at power through witchcraft and poisons, through sexuality and childbearing, through performance and pretence, and most of all through throwing other women to the wolves. This is a witch story unlike any other. Blood-, Death- and Bone-Witches - Nettle and Bone – T Kingfisher A woman sets off to complete 3 impossible tasks, helped by a ragtag team of improbable companions in order to save her sister from an abusive marriage in this dark modern fairytale. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning. - The Price Guide to the Occult – Leslye Walton In this haunting dark tale, we follow the dynamic between a mother and daughter from a cursed family, after mother turns to black and destructive magic following the trauma that followed from said curse. - The Bone Maker – Sarah Beth Durst Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived. Haunted by the loss, one of them sets out to resurrect their fallen comrad. The Bone Witch – Rin Chupeco A girl discoveres she has a gift for necromancy, as she accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead.

Although my feelings about autumn in general are mixed at best (cold feet, arriving rain-soaked to work every day and achy joints: no thank you!), there is nothing mixed about my love of autumnal reading. That of course includes the quintessential spooky and atmospheric reads that are perfect for Halloween. It’s become a bit of a yearly tradition for me to publish a themed “Halloween special”, and this year I decided to finally bring you a list that’s been quite some time in the making. Without further ado, I present you my recommendations for my absolute favourite spooky-trope; 65 haunted recommendations, across 13 categories in The Fictionfox’s Ultimate Guide to Ghost-Stories. The Gothic Ghost pt.1: the classics - The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson An unlikely quartet of a thieving young heir, an anthropologist with an interest in the paranormal, a bohemian artist and a shy young woman with a troubled past, experience strange and unsettling happenings in a supposedly haunted manor. Is it paranormal, psychological, or something else entirely? The Haunting of Hill House is one of my personal favourite novels of all time; relying on tension and terror rather than horror. I also highly recommend the Netflix adaptation, which is very different from the book, but great in its own right. - Beloved – Tony Morrison A formerly enslaved woman and her family are haunted by the destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Beloved is a heart wrenching tale of the real-life horrors of America’s history of slavery, told with compassion and without reservations. - Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier A naïve and introverted young bride is haunted by the ghost of her new husband’s previous wife. One of the quintessential gothic ghost-stories of the last century that was far ahead of its time and holds up to be a masterpiece to this day. - The Woman in Black – Susan Hill Whilst sharing ghoststories by the hearth fire, a man recounts his horrific experiences with the titular black-clad spectre that terrorised a small English town. - Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte Part coming-of-age novel, part ghost story, and perhaps the most famous novel on this entire list. Jane Eyre tells the lifestory of our titular character from childhood into adulthood, on the haunting English moors. The Gothic Ghost pt.2: Modern adaptations - The Lighthouse Witches – C.J. Cooke Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found--but she's still the same age as when she disappeared. Rumours of witchcraft, ghosts and foundlings abound in the area, and it’s up to one woman to uncover the secrets of this place before her own family becomes entangled in the peril. - Melmoth – Sarah Perry A man discovers a curious letter in the library; a confession and a warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. A few days later, he goes missing without a trace on the streets of Prague. His level-headed friend Helen Franklin is convinced there’s a mundane explanation, and embarks on a quest for answers. - Things in Jars – Jess Kidd In Victorian England, a female detective with extraordinary powers is confronted with her most baffling case yet; the disappearance of a young girl whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors and traders of curiosities. Assisted by a colourful cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary, she embarks on a journey into the supernatural underworld of London’s collectors of curiosities. - House of Glass – Susan Fletcher Summer 1914. A young disabled woman suffering from a rare brittle-bone disease is summoned to a large stone house in Gloucestershire, in order to fill a greenhouse with exotic plants, to create a private paradise for the mysterious owner. Yet, on arrival, it quickly becomes clear that something unsettling is happening at this estate. Rumours circulate about a haunting in the gardens and empty hallways, and it’s up to Clara to find out what’s real, and what’s superstition. - The Glass Woman – Caroline Lea 1686, Iceland. An isolated windswept land haunted by a history of witch trials and ancient sagas. Rósa is sent off into a marriage of necessity to her new husband in the remote village of Stykkishólmur. Rosa feels immediately unwelcome. The villagers whisper of witchcraft and misdeeds; all of their stories having Jón at the center of them. What is Jón hiding? What’s in the attic that is so private Rosa is never allowed up there? And most importantly: what happened to Jón’s previous wife Anna, that nobody seems to dare to speak of. This modern gothic tale echoes of Rebecca and Burial Rites, and will put a chill in your bones on those cold autumnal/early winter nights. The Residential Ghost: Takes on the haunted-house-trope - House of Leaves – Mark Z. Danielewski A fragmentary tale told in alternate/experimental format about a house that measures bigger on the inside than it does on the outside and the madness and obsession that befalls the people who cross paths with it. famously divisive and ineffable in its format, but a perfect example of form matching substance with its haunting and disorienting feel. - Home Before Dark – Riley Sager 25 years ago, a young couple and their 5-year old daughter moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks later, they fled the house in terror in the dead of night, never to return. Now an adult, daughter Maggie remembers little of that night, other than what her father documented in his nonfiction bestseller House of Horrors. Maggie doubts the stories of hauntings and curses and decides to return to the House of Horrors to find out the truth about the events that transpired. - Other Words for Smoke – Sarah Maria Griffin A lone house at the end of the lane mysteriously goes up in flames, and the twin girls who stayed with the owner over the summer vanish within the blaze again. From an unknown “after”; one of the twins recounts the events lead up to the fire, and the mysterious nature of the house where she spent that faithful summer. An owl in a wall, an uncanny cat and an dark power within the house that devoured love and fear. A unique take on the haunted house that twists some tropes on its head, and managed to really unsettle me for it. - The Upstairs House – Julia Fine A young mother suffers post-partum depression, only to be additionally haunted by the judgemental ghost of the famous children’s book author she’s been writing her thesis about. Definitely a unique story and a phenomenal take on motherhood and a woman’s fraught relationship with her body and mind. - Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. Although prepared to face her cousin’s new husband, who is equally menacing and alluring, she couldn't have prepared for the oddities of High Place itself; a house that invades her dreams with visions of blood and doom and hides more than just mouldy patches within its walls. The Classically Creeper: horror-novels featuring malevolent spirits that will freak you out this fall - Later – Stephen King The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child; he can see ghosts, and no; it’s not like that movie with Bruce Willis. His unique ability of witnessing ghastly visions from those who’ve passed, makes Jamie the target for a corrupt NYPD detective, obsessed with capturing evidence about a killer beyond the grave, even if that means putting young Jamie in serious peril. - Black Mouth – Ronald Malfi A group of friends return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they first stumbled on as teenagers in this mesmerizing odyssey of terror that echoes of Stephen Kings IT, without the problematic content. - The Book of Accidents – Chuck Wendig After a young family reluctantly moves into the husbands childhood home, which was left to them in his abusive fathers’ will, soon, strange occurrences start to take place, echoing of trauma’s they thought they left behind long ago. - All’s Well – Mona Awad A darkly funny novel about a theater professor suffering chronic pain, who in the process of staging a troubled production of Shakespeare’s most maligned play, suddenly and miraculously recovers. Her recovery however, comes with a steep price: an unhealthy obsession with the titular play, and a haunting by three ghostly figures from it. - The Moor – Sam Haysom A group of teenagers exchanges ghost-stories around the campfire on their walking trip on the Moors. Soon, mysterious events start to take place; noises in the night, a severed rabbit’s foot outside a tent, a boys beginning to disappear. As panic sets in and a storm approaches, the remaining boys must band together to face a darkness not even the local ghost stories could help them predict. The Fantastical Ghost: Urban- and Epic Fantasy featuring spirits - The Monsters We Defy – Leslye Penelope A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance. - The Diviners – Libba Bray A young woman discovers her mysterious powers could help catch a killer in this stunning supernatural historical mystery set in 1920s New York City. With it’s diverse cast of lovable characters and perfect mix of feel-good and scary; The Diviners is a must-read series for any lover of urban fantasy with a supernatural twist. - Strange the Dreamer – Laini Taylor A young librarian is fascinated with the theoretical research of a mythical lost city of Weep. He is ridiculed by his fellow scholars for his "fancyful hobby", until one day a group of explorers requests is expertise. The lost city of Weep might be more real than anyone has predicted, and this team of explorers is determined to unearth it. - Sacaran Nights – Rachel Emma Shaw The ancient city of Sacara is decaying. The dead walk the streets, fungi light the night and the living will go to great lengths to protect their legacies from the corruption that lingers around every corner of their society… Dagner dreams of leaving the stink of Sacara behind forever. Instead, after the sudden passing of his father, he’s trapped by an inheritance he never wished for. A stunning independently published fantasy by one of the greatest indie-voices in fantasy horror. - Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo Alex has always been able to see ghosts, ever since a surviving an attempt on her life years ago. Now an unlikely freshman at the prestigious University of Yale, she attempts to navigate her new life at the Ivy League while tasked by her benefactor with monitoring the eight Houses of the Veil; secret societies that harbour dark occult magic and power. Although this novel didn’t click with me personally, as you can read in my review; it’s still a very beloved book that made a perfect fit for this list; hence the recommendation. Boo-hags, Spooks and ancestral spirits: ghosts from different cultures - Sorrowland – Rivers Solomon A young black mother experiences mysterious hauntings and physical mutations during her flight through the woods with her two new born children, in a desperate attempt to escape the cult she grew up in. - When the Reckoning Comes – Latanya McQueen A haunting novel about a black woman who returns to her hometown for a plantation wedding and the horror that ensues as she reconnects with the blood-soaked history of the land and the best friends she left behind. - Black Water Sister – Zen Cho Following her move back from America to Malaysia, a Chinese-Malaysian girl is haunted by the ghost of her estranged grandmother who requires her help to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the gods. Black Water Sister is a comedic, high-stakes and genuinely thrilling adventure about family and acceptance in a world full of vindictive gods, feisty ghosts, and family secrets. - The Hacienda – Isabel Canas Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches... - The Monsters We Defy – Leslye Penelope A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance. The Melancholic Ghost; spirits lamenting their losses - Watch Over Me – Nina LaCour Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes to the opportunity: living in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below. But she hadn’t known about the ghosts. A heartwarming coming of age tale of found-family, grief, resilience and healing. - The Glass Hotel – Emily St. John Mandel A haunting tale, tracing back the intersection of two seemingly disparate events–a massive Ponzi scheme collapse and the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea. The Glass Hotel is one of my all-time favourite novels, wherein the characters are haunted by the ghosts of their pasts both literally as well as metaphorically. - Me Moth – Amber McBride A teenage girl and boy, each carrying their separate griefs and trauma’s join on a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors, in this stunning novel in verse. - 10 minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World – Elif Shafak A young sex-worker is brutally murdered, her body unceremoniously dumped in a bin on the streets of Istanbul. As her brain shuts down, Leila recalls her life in its entirety. These intimate recollections – covering one woman’s life from birth to death, the family who disowned her and the friends who came to be her greatest support, against a backdrop of key moments in Turkish history. A haunting from within, like you’ve never read before. - Creatures of Passage – Morowa Yejide Nephthys Kinwell is a taxi driver of sorts in Washington, DC, ferrying ill-fated passengers in a haunted car: a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere with a ghost in the trunk. Endless rides and alcohol help her manage her grief over the death of her twin brother, Osiris, who was murdered and dumped in the Anacostia River. A stunning tale of a forgotten quadrant of Washington, DC, and the ghosts that haunt it, infused with element of both Afro-American an Egyptian mythology. - The Third Hotel – Laura van den Berg Shortly after her arrival in Havana, Cuba, a woman unexpectedly spots her husband standing outside a museum. He’s wearing a white linen suit she’s never seen before, and he’s supposed to be dead. Grief-stricken and baffled, she tails her ghost-husband through the newly tourist-filled streets of Havana, as the lines between memories and reality begin to blur more and more. The Wholesome Ghost; benevolent souls sending love from beyond - Elatsoe – Darcie Little Badger A young indigenous girl inherits the ability to raise the ghosts of dead animals from her Lipan Apache family. When her cousin becomes the victim of police violence, Elatsoe embarks on a desperate quest for answers, accompanied by the ghost of their deceased family-dog. This book has indigenous magic, a portrayal of a loving and healthy family and a ghost-springer spaniel. What more could I want?! - Under the Whispering Door – T.J. Klune When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days. - The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman A young orphan is taken in, raised and educated by the ghost in his local graveyard. The boy feels safer among the ghosts than he does in the world of the living. Afterall; that’s where the real monsters reside. Monsters like the man responsible for the death of his parents. - Secret Life of Souls – Jack Ketchum A deeply sad family drama is balanced out by the presence of worlds most wholesome dog that our protagonists come to believe might be a vessel for the soul of a deceased family member. - The Keepers of Metsan Valo – Wendy Webb After the passing of their Half Norwegian matriarch Taika, a family gathers in their family home on Lake Superior, to pay their respects and honour their (grand-)mothers final wishes. The home and its surrounding forests live and breathe the memories of their family history; from secrets kept in the dark, to benevolent spirits that light up the woods. The Aquatic Ghost: novels featuring haunted waters - They Drown Our Daughters – Katrina Monroe With a name like Cape Disappointment, what else could Meredith Strands hometown be, but haunted? Meredith never desired to return, but when a family emergency sends her and her daughter right back to the gloomy shores where she grew up, she immediately feels the pull of the waters. With coastal mists fogging up the edges, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern whether the familial curse that has lingered on the Strands is generational, psychological or supernatural in nature… - All the Murmering Bones – A.G. Slatter Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mysterious creatures that haunt the seas: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of their own freedom. - A House at the Bottom of a Lake – Josh Malerman It sounded like the perfect first date: canoeing across a chain of lakes, sandwiches and beer in the cooler. But teenagers Amelia and James discover something below the water’s surface that changes their lives forever; a haunted house at the bottom of a lake. - The Sound at the End – Kirsty Logan On a near-abandoned research base in an Arctic ice field, a skeleton crew works to ensure the centre doesn’t collapse amid treacherous storms. Officially, Trieste Grayling arrives in order to explore and film a sunken shipwreck for a documentary film; privately, she's working through a complicated grief. Trieste soon realises she's not the only one who was attracted to this intense isolation in order to escape her ghosts. - Forget the Sleepless Shores – Sonya Taaffe A collection of short stories with a central theme of haunted waters. Expect ghosts and spirits who inhabit brine, some from tears of heartache and loss, some from strange bodies of water, not necessarily found on the map. The Extraterrestrial Ghost: tales of ghosts in space - Dead Silence – S.A. Barnes A reluctant crew of space farers is sent on a salvage mission to recover an abandoned ghostship, only to find a that the haunting aboard is far from over. - The Luminous Dead – Caitlin Starling A caver on a suicide mission on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival, in which she must face not only the dark of her underground and alien surroundings, but the ghosts inside her own head that prey upon it. - We Have Always Been Here – Lena Nguyen A ship-doctor ona survey ship headed to an icy planet in an unexplored galaxy, must singlehandedly discover the source of her crew's visions of madness... or risk succumbing to it herself. - Gideon the Ninth – Tamsin Muir Described as “an adventure between lesbian necromancers in space for fans of Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight Chronicles”, I have little to add to that description. I personally haven’t read this book, and have no interest in doing so, but being the beloved sci-fi series it is, it deserved a mention on this list. The Child-friendly ghost: haunted tales for middle-grade readers - Ghostlight – Kenneth Oppel A young teens summer job scaring tourists with ghost stories of a haunted lighthouse takes a terrifying turn when he accidentally summons the spirit of a dead girl—and she has demands. . . . Kenneth Oppel is a childhood favourite author of mine, and any of his works would fit perfectly within the autumnal season. Ghostlight is his most recent release, in which he again combines spooky with heart-warming and cosy. - The Curse on Spectacle Key – Chantel Acevedo A sweetly spooky ghost story about a Cuban American boy who befriends a pair of spirits and tries to break the curse on his island home in the Floridian Keys. . . only to discover a seemingly lost piece of his family's history in the process. Probably the most wholesome out of these middle-grade stories and perfect for readers who want something slightly spooky, but not scary. - Root Magic – Eden Royce A historical ghost story set in South Carolina in the 1960s—a tale of courage, friendship, and Black Girl Magic. After the death of their beloved grandmother, the local police deputy won’t stop harassing the Turner family. Twins Jez and Jay take it upon themselves to learn their grandmothers practice of root-magic in order to protect their family from threats both supernatural and mundane. - The Language of Ghosts – Heather Fawcett Forced into exile on an enchanted, moving island, ex-princess Noa Marchena has two missions: reclaim her family’s stolen throne and ensure that the dark powers her older brother, Julian, possesses don’t go to his head in the process. An adventurous middle-grade fantasy about a princes with a talent of speaking to ghosts, and her older brother who may or may not be the “evil overlord” in the making. - Spirit Hunters – Ellen Oh After moving into a new home Harper Raine, must face down the dangerous ghosts who has set their eyes on her younger brother, with the help of her newly made friends. A genuinely spooky middle-grade read with a lot of humour, heartfelt moments, friendship and some wonderful messages about diversity and acceptance. The Teenage ghost: YA-books featuring hauntings - The Dead and the Dark – Courtney Gould The inhabitant of Snakebite, Oregon aren’t too happy about the arrival of The Paraspectors, TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have come to investigate the paranormal occurrences in their town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never believed in ghosts, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on. - White Smoke – Tiffany D. Jackson The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson. - The Saturday Night Ghost Club – Craig Davidson In this bittersweet coming-of-age story in the vein of "Stranger Things" and "Stand by Me" about a group of misfit kids who spend an unforgettable summer investigating local ghost stories and urban legends. - The Raven Cycle – Maggie Stiefvater The story of the unlikely friendship between the daughter of clairvoyant mother who sees the soon-to-be-dead, and a group of prep-school boys who become entangled in one of her premonitions. - We Speak in Storms – Natalie Lund A powerful and haunting debut novel about friendship, acceptance, and learning to let go as the balance between the living and the dead is upended within a small town, in the wake of a devastating tornado. The Bite-sized Ghost: short stories - The Haunting Season – Various authors In this collection of 8 short stories, various bestselling authors share their best short tales of ghosts and strange happenings, in the tradition of sharing ghost-stories by the heartfire. - The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night – Jen Campbell A collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls by Jen Campbell. Expect spirits in jam jars, mini-apocalypses, a girl running a coffin hotel on a remote island, and more. - When Things Get Dark – Various authors A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson by various bestselling authors. - Dead End Memories – Banana Yoshimoto Dead-End Memories collects the stories of five women who, following sudden and painful events, quietly discover their ways back to recovery. It thanks its place on this list to its first short story, which follows the daughter of a yōshoku restaurant owner encounters the ghosts of a sweet elderly couple who haven't yet realized that they have been dead for years. - Seven Emtpy Houses – Samantha Schweblin The seven houses in these seven stories are empty. Some are devoid of love or life or furniture, of people or the truth or of memories. But in Samanta Schweblin's tense, visionary tales, something always creeps back in: a ghost, a fight, trespassers, a list of things to do before you die, a child's first encounter with a dark choice or the fallibility of parents. By the Queen of the Strange and Unsettling, Samantha Schweblin. All titles are linked to their respective Goodreads-pages. Links are not affiliated. Cover-Image Credit : Su Blackwell

Genre: Horror, Short Stories Published: Titan Books, October 11th 2022 My Rating: 4/5 stars “Once upon a time, Bartholomew Olo Higgins Timothy the Third dreamed about a book that was really a house, and a house that was really a book. There were many rooms inside the house, and the book, and in each one a new friend awaited Olo. How joyous it was to visit them and play with them whenever he wanted…” This Halloween-season is going down as the Season of Malfi, as I’ve discovered a new favourite horror-author. With my experiences with Come With Me and Black Mouth still fresh in my mind, I was beyond excited to be approved for the ARC of his latest release, and it did not disappoint. Ghostwritten is a collection of 4 novella’s connected by the central motif of haunted books, all of them outstanding pieces of short horror on their own, but subtly interlinked into a cohesive whole. In The Skin of Her Teeth, an editor tracks down the author of the titular horror-story who owes her the manuscript of the upcoming film-adaptation, but has gone missing shortly before the deadline. Expecting to find him in a drunken stupor, she isn’t prepared to find his dead body instead. Seeking answers ánd her payday from this manuscript, she finds a cursed document with a deadly will of its own; a will that defies adaptation… (4/5 stars) In The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride, two brothers take on a delivery-job trafficking a strange book across country. As more and more unsettling events occur along the way, the brothers begin to suspect that what looked like a book, might be something much more dangerous and supernatural instead. (3.5/5 stars) In This Book Belongs to Olo, a lonely and slightly disturbed child recreates his life inside an usual pop-up book, with devastating consequences for the “characters” within it. (4.5/5 stars) Finally, in The Story, a woman’s unexpected suicide leads her brother down the path of an Alternate Reality Game of sorts, that she became obsessed with in her final days. A choose-your-own-adventure story that shared through the internet, that seemingly blurs the lines between fiction and reality. (4/5 stars) It's rare for me to like all novella’s/stories within a collection, but as you can tell by my ratings, Malfi has done it. With sharp prose, tight pacing and dreadful imagination; Ghostwritten makes for a fantastic collection to accompany you during the upcoming dark October nights. Many thanks to Titan Books and Tantor Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Genre: Fantasy Published: Harper Voyager, August 2022 My rating: 3.5/5 stars "Translation in it's essence, is always an act of betrayal." I unfortunately (again) am part of the minority opinion with another R.F. Kuang-novel, and nobody is more disappointed than me myself. I feel like neither this book, nor the author need much introduction at this point, so I’m keeping this first section brief. Babel is the start of Kuang’s second historical fantasy series, following the widely popular The Poppy War. This time, we leave the realm of miliary fantasy for a dark academia-setting with a magic-system based in translation and language. Robin Swift, a young orphan on the streets of Canton, China, is adopted by a wealthy English professor who offers him the opportunity that many like him would’ve killed for. A privileged life among Oxfords elite, in exchange for Robin’s full dedication to the art of studying languages in order to enrol in the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation - also known as Babel. What follows is a tale of betrayal, crushed dreams, oppressive academic pressure, colonialism and the use of translation as a tool of empire. What I liked: I enjoyed Babel infinitely more than I did The Poppy War, part due to the impressive growth in quality as a writer that Kuang shows, and partly due to the fact that the academic setting and magic-system are far more up my alley than the military-one. Although it covers many of the same story beats, themes and messages, I liked the format in which they were delivered more within Babel. First of all: I love the trope of language-based magic and I love the spin Kuang put on it. Having a keen interest in translation myself, I resonated a lot with the challenges the characters faced within it. From the struggle to put the ineffable into words, to the subtleties lost in translation, as no two word have the exact same “wordvalue” and emotional connotation to them. You can tell that this is a topic that Kuang is intimately familiar and deeply passionate about, and her enthusiasm is catching. Because of the nature of the magic system I highly recommend the audiobook; hearing the foreign languages being spoken out loud absolutely added to the experience for me, even though the pronunciation of the few Dutch words that were in it were abhorrent. I also liked the way the footnotes were handled within the audiobook, read by a different narrator, but within the actual text. Had I just read the physical book, I might have skipped many of the footnotes altogether. Another thing that Kuang is clearly intimately familiar with is the academic setting; from the physical portrayal of the streets of Oxford, to the crushing nature of academic pressure, and the intimate friendships formed under that pressure. Despite not loving the main cast on an individual basis (more on that later), I liked their interactions and the mood amongst them. It gave me vibes of Vita Nostra and a little bit of Golden Trio from a series that shall no longer be named. What I didn’t like: In short: the astounding lack of subtlety in the plot and central messages. The central statement about colonialism that is being made is a valuable one, but it’s clear from even the blurb alone what that statement will be. Over the course of almost 600 pages, it is repeated over-and-over again, without adding further nuance of deeper exploration. Repetition is another issue that this book runs into. Despite the passion for the messages and the exploration of the nuances of a language-based magic, the book could’ve benefitted from killing some of its darlings, and the third/fourth/fifth repetition of a similar thing would’ve been best left on the cutting room floor. The same lack of depth and subtlety is present within the characters. We have a very black-and-white (no pun intended!) division between the “good” and “bad” side of the argument. On the one side we have enlightened, intelligent and altruistic heroes that basically embody 21st-century ideals of inclusivity and equity, despite growing up in 19th century England. On the other hand, we have cartoonishly evil villains; all the physical embodiment of white-oppression. And I mean that physical part literally, which is where it becomes a little problematic. Our heroes are all people of colour, and literally every white character is portrayed to be a narcissistic and elitist racist. There’s a point to be made for the cultural, subconscious racism of society of the time, but still; going to this extreme with the divide feels not only counterproductive, but bordering on some prejudice in itself. There’s even a twist near the end that I won’t spoil, but which hits the final nail within this coffin and almost made me throw the book across the room. Overall, I’ve seen this book being hailed as a masterpiece, but I’d like to add the modifier of “flawed masterpiece”. As always though, take my opinions with a grain of salt and feel free to form your own, as I seem to be within the minority here.

Genre: Literary Fiction, Dystopian Published: Little Brown UK, October 2022 My Rating: 2.5/5 stars "I'll tell you. But only if you promise to remember. That she was a real person, not a poster. That she was a child. My child." After a 5-year hiatus following Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng returns with a venture into the dystopian. Being a fan of her contemporary, closeknit family stories, I was highly anticipating what Ng would do with this larger scope and premise. Although the bones of what makes Ng such a great author were there, I found this her weakest work to date. Long review incoming. The Good and The Story: Ng imagines a future America frighteningly close to our own. After The Crisis brought financial and- political instability to the country, the American government has responded with the introduction of the Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act (PACT). A law intended to bring back days of former glory, instead lead to the mistrust and repression of cultural minorities and the silencing of their voices in the form of art and writing. We follow Bird, a 12-year old Chinese-American boy who’s life has been affected by PACT in many ways. Above all, it led to him growing up without his mother Margret Miu, who became a political fugitive after her poem “Our Missing Hearts” sparked an accidental anti-PACT movement. With all her works being governmentally shredded and all trace of her removed, Bird has no way of knowing what faith befell his mother. That is until a letter arrives, containing the first clue into a daring quest to locate her. It goes without saying that there’s an important topic and message here that deserves attention, and I command any effort to speak up about it. More on this in the Ugly-section however. There is no way for me to speak to the substantive portrayal of the Chinese-American experience, and I highly encourage reading own-voices reviews for that over mine. I can speak to the way in which the story was told. The thing that stands out most was Celeste Ng signature beautiful writing, that guided us through the story. Unfortunately, her other strengths as a writer were less so on display in this one. The Bad: The main appeal to Ng’s previous work was her character work, which unfortunately didn’t live up to standards in Our Missing Hearts. The main characters were flat as a pamphlet on which the books message was distributed. Margaret makes some questionable parenting choices “in favour of the greater good”, but I felt none of her internal conflict about it. Instead, she’s portrayed as a one-dimensional good-character; a reluctant face of a revolution for us to root for. Similarly with Bird; this 12-year old boy is put through quite the ordeal, yet is all too mature and mellow about the whole thing. For the longest time, there is no resentment towards his mother, no anger, no fear. You can make the argument for keeping a brave face, but with us as the reader being in his head for most of the novel, seeing hist internal struggle would’ve helped greatly to bring these characters to life and make them less of a blank slate. “Lifeless” is also the (harsh) word I’d use to describe the worldbuilding; although you can tell there was a lot of thought behind it, the world never came to life off the page. Mostly, this was due to a of telling and absolutely no showing. Pages upon pages were filled with explanations and background on the founding and actions of PACT, yet throughout most of the story absolutely nothing occurs on page to back it. This is aggravated by some pacing-issues where the plot doesn’t kick off until about the 50%-mark, only to take up tumbling speed from there on. The disconnect and the slower pace put this book at risk for being DNF-ed before the halfway mark… The Ugly: There is no way for me to talk about the true reason this book disappointed me, without broadening the scope to “dystopia’s” in general. The genre has become quite overpopulated lately, with novel after novel piggy-backing off the same themes, whilst bringing nothing new to the table. This started with the Margaret-Atwood-lookalikes a few years ago, but has since spread to include tales of police-violence and racism in America. Where I am all for raising awareness and actually battling these horrid injustices, I feel like that’s no longer what’s happening. Within the last years, these topics have become commercialized and used as “buzz-words” to sell books. That I have a problem with. It’s also my ultimate problem with Our Missing Hearts. It’s another brick in the dystopian wall; a well-meant contribution to a valiant cause, but a quite commercial and safe one within an already saturated genre. The titular slogan was a perfect example of accidental activism and (intentionally!) echoes real-life examples such as the famous “I can’t breathe”. I wanted Celeste Ng to go there; to have that conversation with us. What I didn’t want was this sanitized, commercialised story, written for the mass-appeal of a bestseller-list, under the veil of “raising awareness”. Authors, readers, anyone… if we want these things to change, it’s time to make a change and rock the boat. Not too rehash and reread the same safe stuff over and over again, whilst making no moves forward in the process. Many thanks to Little Brown UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Find this book on Goodreads here.

Genre: Historical Fantasy Published: Redhook/Orbit Publishing, August 2022 My Rating: 5/5 stars Every so often Redhook, being the huge publisher they are, have a new release fly inexplicably and undeservingly under the radar, and I can’t for the life of me understand why. This year’s candidate is The Monster We Defy as this wonderful historical fantasy debut deserves to be read and loved by so many more people. In 1925’s Washington DC, we follow Clara Johnson, a woman with an unusual knack for seeing and communing with Enigma’s (ghosts and other spirits from “The Other Side”). What began as a gift to save Clara during her darkest moments before, has turned into a curse as her life becomes entangled and indebted to the spirits of this shadow-world. Desperate for her freedom, in many aspects of her life, Clara turns to a desperate heist to steal an artifact to release her from her curse from the most influential woman in the district. She can’t however, undertake this daring heist alone. Aided by an unlikely team of a jazz musician capable of hypnotizing with a melody, aging vaudeville actor who can change his face and many more, Clara sets off to an adventure filled with ghosts, clairvoyants, tricksters and enemies from our world and the next. What I loved: Honestly; almost everything about this book. Penelope brings to life the 1920’s Washington-setting from page one, seamlessly interweaving it with the magic based in African American mythology. The mixing of real-world cultural mythology into (urban) fantasy is a trope I adore, and it 100% worked for me in this case. The characters felt authentic in their personalities and interactions with each other, the world and the magical elements. Despite being rooted in fantasy, the novel doesn’t shy away from addressing important themes of the time, including colourism, discrimination and police violence against people of colour. It does so seamlessly and (as far as I can tell) accurately, going as far as to have the main character be based on a real historical figure. Despite these heavy themes, I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so much “fun” engaging with them as with this story. Thanks to the vivid characters, the exciting heistplot, the beautiful writing and a story that is filled with hardship but also hope, take it from a heavy lesson in history to an enjoyable tale I couldn’t put down. What I didn’t love: This is obviously a matter of personal taste, but the way the characters were introduced took some adjusting for me. We meet a large cast of characters, that took some effort to keep track off. Some of them are introduced through an almost introductory chapter on their backstory, almost like a small vignette or short-story within the larger one. It was quite the pacing shift at times, and I can see how it may take some readers out of the story for a bit. It didn’t bother me personally, and pales in comparison to all the praise I’ve already showered this book in. If you’re looking for an atmospheric Own-Voices (historical) fantasy that is a little bit The Diviners, a little bit The Conductors, and a whole lot of its own unique story; this book deserves a place on you autumn readinglist! Many thanks to Redhook Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

The month of October is packed with exciting releases, making it all too easy to forget how many great autumnally appropriate books have already been released earlier this calendar-year. If you’re overwhelmed by the choices; let me help you out. Below, I’ll recommend 10 of my favourite releases of 2022, that I think would be perfect to read during autumn. I could’ve easily doubled the length of this list, had I included all the books I haven’t yet gotten around (The Hacienda, Just Like Home, What We Harvest and The Undead Truth of Us just to name a few), but I narrowed it down to 10 I’ve finished + my current read. They have varying levels of spooks, but all embody the autumnal-vibes perfectly in my opinion. 1. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield Genre: literary horror Synopsis: Miri th inks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep-sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah is not the same. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has brought part of it back with her, onto dry land and into their home. Moving through something that only resembles normal life, Miri comes to realize that the life that they had before might be gone. Though Leah is still there, Miri can feel the woman she loves slipping from her grasp. My recommendation: 5/5 stars, the kind of weirdly unnerving that will speak to fans of Annihilation and one of my favourite reads of the year thusfar. Full review here. 2. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher Genre: horror Synopsis: When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves. Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all. My recommendation: 5/5 stars, a must-read for fans of Kingfisher ór the original Poe classic. 3. Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Rio Genre: historical fantasy Synopsis: England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness —a man made of smoke. Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a lifetime of brutality, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When two grizzled detectives are recruited to escort them north to safety, they are forced to confront the nature of difference, and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous. What follows is a journey from the gaslit streets of London, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh, where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. A journey to discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of the force that is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts. My recommendation: 4/5 stars; a delicious dark fantasy that lives and breathes with Gothic vibes. 4. The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope Genre: historical fantasy Synopsis: Washington D. C., 1925, A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance. My recommendation: 5/5 stars, one of the most underrated fantasies of the year for fans of the Conductors of The Diviners. Full review here. 5. They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe Genre: horror Synopsis: They say Cape Disappointment is haunted. That's why tourists used to flock there in droves. They'd visit the rocky shoreline under the old lighthouse's watchful eye and fish shells from the water as they pretended to spot dark shapes in the surf. Now the tourists are long gone, and when Meredith Strand and her young daughter return to Meredith's childhood home after an acrimonious split from her wife, the Cape seems more haunted by regret than any malevolent force. But her mother, suffering from early stages of Alzheimer's, is convinced the ghost stories are real. Not only is there something in the water, but it's watching them. Waiting for them. Reaching out to Meredith's daughter the way it has to every woman in their line for generations-and if Meredith isn't careful, all three women, bound by blood and heartbreak, will be lost one by one to the ocean's mournful call. My recommendation: 4/5 stars, perfect for readers who enjoy “vibes” over a fast-paced plot, and anyone looking for a creepy take on oceanic- or mermaid mythology. 6. A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross Genre: fantasy inspired by Scottish folktales Synopsis: Enchantments run deep on the magical Isle of Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armour, and the smallest cut of a knife can instil fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that live there find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home, but that mischief turns to malevolence as girls begin to go missing. Adaira, heiress of the east, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, enticing them to return the missing girls. But there’s only one bard capable of drawing the spirits forth by song: her childhood enemy Jack Tamerlaine. He hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university, but as Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than first thought and an older, darker secret lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all. My recommendation: 3.75/5 stars, this book had all the atmosphere to be the perfect read for under a blanket on a rainy day, full review here. 7. Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi Genre: horror Synopsis: For nearly two decades, Jamie Warren has been running from darkness. He's haunted by a traumatic childhood and the guilt at having disappeared from his disabled brother's life. But then a series of unusual events reunites him with his estranged brother and their childhood friends, and none of them can deny the sense of fate that has seemingly drawn them back together. Nor can they deny the memories of that summer, so long ago – the strange magic taught to them by an even stranger man, and the terrible act that has followed them all into adulthood. In the light of new danger, they must confront their past by facing their futures, and hunting down a man who may very well be a monster. My recommendation: 5/5 stars, echoes of Stephen Kings It, but without the problematic content. Full review here. 8. A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Genre: contemporary Synopsis: As one of the few remaining witches in England, the only life Mika Moon has known is one of solitude. Magic loves company, so every modern witch knows they must stay as far away from other witches, in order to prevent a massive surge of magical powers that will expose their secret society to the world. As a substitute for contact with real fellow-witches, Mika keeps an online blog where she “pretends” to be a witch, expecting nobody to take it seriously. That is until she receives a private message with a highly unusual job opportunity: “witch wanted, to tutor and teach three young witches”. Moving in to become a live-in nanny/witch-craft-teacher, Mika soon finds herself breaking all the rules she was once taught about magical safety, as well as tangled up in the lives of the children and their other caretakers. My recommendation: a must-read witchy contemporary for fans of House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door. Full review here. 9. Babel by R.F. Kuang Genre: dark academia, historical fantasy Synopsis: 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel. Babel is the world's center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel's research in foreign languages serves the Empire's quest to colonize everything it encounters. Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down? My recommendation: 3/5 stars, must-read for dark-academia fans, despite lacking a little bit of subtlety that hindered my personal enjoyment. Full review here. 10. Sundial by Catriona Ward Genre: horror Synopsis: All Rob wanted was a normal life. She almost got it, too: a husband, two kids, a nice house in the suburbs. But Rob fears for her oldest daughter, Callie, who collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her too much of the family she left behind. She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice. Callie is worried about her mother. Rob has begun to look at her strangely, and speaks of past secrets. And Callie fears that only one of them will leave Sundial alive… The mother and daughter embark on a dark, desert journey to the past in the hopes of redeeming their future. My recommendation: 4/5 stars, genuinely unnerving… Full review here. 11. The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke Genre: gothic horror, historical fiction. Synopsis: In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall. This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child. Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed. Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something. Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds – and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place. As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew – and risk what she holds most dear. My recommendation: still in the middle, but I’m completely engrossed. It’s giving me a mix of both of Cooke’s previous novels with elements of gothic classic like Rebecca and the Fall of the House of Usher.

Autumn Update: Let me start todays post off with an unpopular opinions I HATE the autumn... I know, I know; the crispy leaves, hot drinks and cosy reading times make it many booklovers favourite genre, but to me, it’s always been the worst time of year. I hate the shortening days, being cold all the time, and the dreary, rainy days that are the posterchild of Dutch autumnal weather. My disability makes cold take a larger toll on my body than average, and I find myself dreading the colder weather from the time the first leaves turn. Although winter of course comes with all the same side-effects, it at least comes with the promise of better days to come; lengthening days, a holiday break and spring around the corner to lift the mood. In all honesty; this year’s autumn-blues kicked in harder than usual. I’ve mentioned briefly in a recent post already that I’m currently not in the best place health-wise and it’s starting to take its effects on my mental wellbeing as well. I’m currently in the biggest readingslump I’ve been in for years, and trying desperately to get excited about reading or talking about any books at this point. I figured I’d help myself get started by doing a tag and putting my own spin on it. It's Finally Fall Tag/TBR: I’ll be doing the It’s Finally Fall Book-tag, with a twist. For each prompt I’ll pick not one, but two books: a fitting fall-favourite to recommend, and a book from my TBR that I think would fit the prompt. The ten books I pick as a result will function as my personal fall-TBR, to help me get back a little structure in my reading plans. Without further ado, let’s talk about the books. 1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting: Recommendation: The Queens of Innis Lear – Tessa Gratton I’m going with one of my favourite autumnal fantasies, set on an island that hums with ancient natural magic, and characters as ruthless as the tides.The Queens of Innis Lear is a loose fantasy retelling of Shakespear’s classic, in which an erratic king refuses to pick an heir for the crown between his three daughters. Tessa Gratton lush writing brings together this world and its characters to the point where you can smell the damp leaves, and feel the crisp air during your read. It’s on the more character-based, “denser” side of fantasy, and the lyrical writing has put some people off it, but to me that’s what made this novel so special. If you enjoyed lyrical fantasy like The Nightcircus or the more recently released A River Enchanted, this one might be for you. On my TBR: The Ghost Woods – C.J. Cooke Last year’s Halloween-read for me was The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke, which I devoured ravenously, so it felt only fitting to give the honours of opening this fall’s TBR to Cooke's latest release: The Ghost Woods. This book has yet to be released (I was lucky enough to get an ARC via the publisher), so I haven’t heard anything other than the synopsis. A haunted manor shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child. A woman sent there to give birth. An unexpected meeting with someone who came before, and a quest to uncover the secrets buried amongst the trees. This promises similar themes of motherhood, nature and hauntings that The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches had, so I’m very excited to see what C.J. Cooke does with this new setting and narrative. 2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief. Recommendation: Our Wives Under the Sea – Julia Armfield I have a full list of favourite grief-themed novels, but I’m giving the spotlight to one of my favourite reads of this year that not nearly enough people have picked up. Our Wives Under the Sea is a literary horror novel that ticks about all of my boxes; it centres around themes of isolation, grief, the ocean and features the psychological unravelling of our two female protagonists and the sensation of defamiliarization within their relationship. Stunning writing, atmosphere, character work and genuinely unnerved me on an almost subliminal way, that I haven’t experienced since Annihilation. On my TBR: The Undead Truth of Us – Britney S. Lewis I initially picked up this book from the New Releases Table purely based off the stunning cover, but was hooked when I heard the premise: a teenage girl, mourning the death of her mother, becomes convinced her mum has turned into a zombie, and undertakes a quest to find out why. This novel was compared to The Astonishing Colour of After (an all-time favourite of mine), and promises a culturally relevant take on the zombie mythology that I haven’t quite seen before. Although I’m not quite sure what to expect, I’m excited to find out. 3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new. Recommendation: Sitting Pretty – Rebekah Taussig Let me take this opportunity to shout out one of my all-time favourite disability reads, that is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the subject. Sitting Pretty is the memoir by author and disability advocate Rebekah Taussig in which she chronicles her experience of being young and physically disabled. From growing up as a paralyzed teen in the 90’s, to building up a life in a world that doesn’t suit your body, to becoming a parent whilst being wheelchair-bound. This book is full of relatable truths, insightful comments, but above all the radiant endurance and positivity of a genuinely wonderful and eloquent woman. Reading this book was like talking to a friend about these topics, in a way that I hadn’t had the chance to do in real life. Highly recommend to anyone, able-bodied or otherwise. On my TBR: Between Two Kingdoms – Suleika Jaouad Between Two Kingdoms has been one of the most spoken about and praised pieces of disability- and cancer-literature of recent years, and I haven’t gotten to reading it yet. This is the memoir and story of a young woman’s journey of a cancer-diagnosis, treatment, remission and everything that follows after. It’s about the misconception that “being cured” from cancer is the end of it, while in fact it’s merely the beginning of the healing process. As a young-cancer survivor who, like Suleika, statistically should’ve died from her illness and carries physical disabilities and scars to this day; I should know this like no other reader. It's that same “closeness” to the topic that’s kept me from picking it up, and I’m frankly not sure if this is the right time to do so either. I’ve decided to give it a go nonetheless and see what happens. This is either going to be a powerful cathartic experience, or an absolute nightmare. Wish me luck. 4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of. Recommendation: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches – Sangu Mandanna I could make a full list of my favourite fictional (found) families, as it’s one of my favourite tropes ever (let me know if you’d like that list). As for now, I’d like to recommend the most recent book to give me those warm fuzzy feelings The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a whimsical, witchy fantasy in the style of House in the Cerulean Sea, about Mika; a young contemporary witch who’s lived most of her life in self-imposed isolation, to hide her magic away. Her only outlet for her powers is her youtube-channel where she “pretends to be a witch” online. That all changes when she receives a message from a mysterious viewer who recognized a real witch when they saw one. They offer Mika a job as a live-in nanny and tutor to three young witches to learn them control their powers. Magical hijinx, adventures, and a whole lot of wholesomeness ensues. On my TBR: Locklands – Robert Jackson Bennett I’ve just started this novel as I’m writing this post, and despite the depth of my slump, it’s managing to evoke that feeling of returning to a group of friends that I love in this series. If you love a high-fantasy series with an intricate magic system and heist-elements (think Six of Crows or first era Mistborn), you cannot pass up on The Foundryside trilogy. We begin our story with Sanchia, a thief living from contract to contract on the streets of the merchant city of Tevanne. When she’s sent to steal an unusual target, a strange key of seemingly little value, Sanchia is unknowingly thrust into a world of alchemical magic known as scribing, that may change her future, and that of the city, for good. The series of course builds upon itself, and by the 3rd book it far extends the scope of that brief synopsis. What doesn’t change throughout is our tightknit core-cast of characters and their friendship. I have a feeling the author might break my heart with this conclusion, but I’m ready for it. 5. The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground: name a book with a cover that streams “fall”. Recommendation: Spellbook of the Lost and Found – Moira Fowley Doyle Although this book itself takes place in the late summer, you cannot tell me that this cover doesn’t fit that description perfectly. On top of that, we have an atmospheric tale of contemporary witches, spellbooks and secrets to be uncovered. It’s a book that takes some effort to keep the different storylines straight, but it’s definitely worth the trouble if you’re in the market for a witchy read. On my TBR: House of Glass – Susan Fletcher Gothic fiction and autumn are a match made in heaven, so I’m quite excited to be putting this novel on my TBR regardless. This leafy cover is only an added bonus. June 1914, Clara Waterfield is summoned to a large stone house in Gloucestershire, in order to fill a greenhouse with exotic plants from Kew Gardens, to create a private paradise for the owner of Shadowbrook. Yet, on arrival, it quickly becomes clear that something unsettling is happening at this estate. Rumours circulate about a haunting in the gardens and empty hallways of Shadowbrook Manor, and it’s up to Clara to find out what’s real, and what’s superstition. I’m told this book has vibes of Rebecca, ánd features a disabled protagonist, which we don’t see too often in gothic fiction, so I have high hopes. 6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story. Recommendation: The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman I’m sure many of you wanted me to recommend the obvious Kingkiller Chronicles, but I’m taking a different route today. The Ocean at the End of the Lane features one of my favourite tropes: a middle-aged returning to his childhood home, and reliving the strange and distorted memories of the time he spent there as a child. It’s stunningly brilliant book that captures the dreamlike (or in this case nightmarish) quality of revisiting our childhood experiences through the lens of our adult minds. It’s one of my favourite books of all time, and one of Neil Gaimans most popular works for good reason. Another book that features this trope of revisiting childhood memories with an adult outlook is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This one takes a tragic tone, rather than a horrifying one, but is equally as impactful for it. On my TBR: The First Binding – RR Virdi The First Binding is one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of the year and features (much like The Kingkiller Chronicals) a man recounting his lifestory of adventures, misfortune and legends born from his name. The blurb simply says: “All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.” If this book is even close to as good as The Name of the Wind ánd Virdi actually manages to finish this series, this is going to be an instant favourite. 7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read. Recommendation: Black Mouth – Ronald Malfi Finally, the perfect opportunity to shout out one of my newly discovered favourite horror-authors, and his latest release. Black Mouth is a small-town supernatural horror novel that with themes of grief, guilt, shame and trauma, and the ways a childhood-event can haunt a person into adulthood. We follow Jamie, a broken and struggling man who revisits his childhood hometown after the death of his mother. Here he’s reunited with the life he thought he left behind years ago; his rickety family home on the edges of the abandoned mines that surround the town, his disabled brother and his childhood friends Mia and Clay. It doesn’t take long for history to repeat itself and for strange events that happened many years ago between this group of friends to echo back into present day. Black Mouth reminded me in many ways of Stephen Kings It, but without some of the problematic content. That’s about the highest recommendation I can give a horror-novel. If you’re in the market for a young-adult novel with similar themes (a rural town surrounded by creepy, possibly haunted mines and a strong focus on family dynamic), you might like The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould. Less effective for me personally, but definitely worth a read if you’re in the market for a YA-horror. On my TBR: What Moves the Dead – T. Kingfisher Speaking of favourite horror-authors, I don’t think I can make a fall-themed post without featuring T. Kingfisher. With her atmospheric writing and talent for balancing genuinely unsettling horror with vivid characters and darkly hilarious humour, I’ve loved everything this woman has written. Luckily I have one final book by her left to read this October, and it sounds even more up my alley than her previous works. What Moves the Dead is a gothic retelling of the classic Fall of the House of Usher, featuring a team of a retired soldier, a renowned mycologist and a medical doctor, as they set out to investigate a mysterious illness that’s afflicting the people of the ancestral House of Usher. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake, and people haunted by more than just a physical affliction. 8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day. Recommendation: Leila and the Blue Fox – Kiran Millwood Hargrave “Short and heartwarming” immediately brings to mind to middle-grade for me. This October release, that I had the privilege of reading early, would fit that description perfectly. Leila and the Blue Fox is the second collaboration of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom the Freston, following Julia and the Shark. Although a complete standalone, Leila follows a similar structure of combining a layered tale of a young girl dealing with a tough personal situation at home, paralleled with a story of our natural world and one of the endangered animals within it. I have a full review up in case you want more info about the book, but I’d recommend diving in without too much upfront knowledge. Hargrave & de Frestons books are tactile experiences that combine visual and narrative storytelling to make for a completely unique experience for readers of all ages. On my TBR: Healer of the Water Monster – Bryan Young Similar to many of my favourite middle-grade stories, I’m expecting this story to warm my heart, but not before absolutely breaking it first. I don’t know too many details on this one, but I picked it up because it’s an all-time favourite of Bowties and Books, whom opinions I trust (especially when it comes to own-voice representation of cultural minorities). It’s a story of a young Navajo boy who meets and befriends a creature from his native mythology, whilst staying the summer with his Nani. It promises themes of cultural differences, mental health, grief and family love through the lens of a young boy and his faith in the stories he grew up hearing. I’m hoping it’s as wonderful and impactful as I’m anticipating it to be. 9. Fall returns every year: name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon. Elatsoe – Darcie Little Badger I love a good ghost-story in October, but my current reading-slump also has me in the mood for something wholesome. Elatsoe is one of my favourite reads of last year that combined those two elements perfectly. In this Navajo mythology inspired magical realism, we follow the titular protagonist (Eli), who has inherited the ability to raise and see the spirits of deceased animals from her native family lineage. When her beloved cousin is murdered tragically in a nearby town, Eli must put her smarts, wit and abilities to the test to find out the truth and protect her family. The particular ghost “wholesome ghost” in question is Elatsoe’s sidekick; the spirit of their family’s springer spaniel who’s hung out as a ghost-pet after its passing. What more could you want than a happy ghost-dog…? That concludes my It’s Finally Fall Recommendations, as well as my self-imposed autumnal TBR. I’d be very curious to hear what book you’re most anticipating to read this autumn. If you haven’t had enough seasonal content, I have a post on Seasonal Recommendations section up already, where I talk about my favourite autumnal tropes and recommend books based off them. Stay tuned for my upcoming post of New Releases to Read this Autumn, as well as my Halloween special, which will feature my Guide to Ghost-stories. Until then, happy reading!

Small Update Dear friends, Today, I bring you a short-form childrens non-fiction review, as well as a little update. You will not yet have noticed too much, as I’ve had a few posts planned in advance, but I haven’t been reading or writing reviews as consistently for the past few weeks. In short; I’ve had a massive set-back in physical health, and I haven’t been quite myself because of it. Reading physical books has been a struggle, and although audiobooks have been a life-saver I still find that I’m not enjoying myself as much as I usually would. I’m hoping to drag myself out of this rut soon, but please excuse any impromptu hiatuses that might occur. Without further ado, let’s get into the one thing that I have enjoyed reading this month: the illustrated Atlas of Lost Kingdoms, which I binge-read with my 7-year old niece. Review: An Atlas of Lost Kingdoms - Emily Hawkins Genre: Childrens Non-fiction Published: Quanto Publishing Group, October 2022 My rating: 5/5 stars I went through Emily Hawkins Atlas of Ocean Adventures with my nephew and niece last year and they absolutely adored it. With its beautiful illustrations and adventurous undertone, this made learning about the ocean so much fun for them. I loved seeing their enthusiasm and curiosity, but I have to say that as the adult reading with them, I didn’t get too much out of Ocean Adventures myself. Atlas of Lost Kingdoms was an entirely different story; not only did they love it, I had a blast as well. It helps that I’m a sucker for mythology and lost-world-stories already, but even I learned of some legend I hadn’t heard of before. Discover the fantastical stories behind the relatively well-known golden city of El Dorado, or the more obscure Australian ancestral Baralku; the island of the dead. All accompanied by beautiful illustrations of course, this time by Lauren Mark Bando. If you’re looking for a book to spark your kids curiosity and imagination whilst teaching them something about mythology along the way, or if you yourself want to feel like a mythical explorer for a bit: this book will be your atlas along the way. Kids-approved by my niece who is eagerly awaiting the hardback physical copy. Adult-approved by me, who hopes many parents and caregivers will share this experience with their kids. Many thanks to Quanto Publishing Group and their Wide-Eyed Division for providing me/us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and of course my niece's! You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Genre: Horror/thriller Published: Titan Books, July 2022 My Rating: 5/5 stars “I looked up at him, my vision blurry. ‘It’s Black Mouth’ I told him. ‘It marches all those old ghosts right out in front of me, same as when I was a kid. And it’s to the point where it’s getting harder and harder to tell what’s real and what’s not.’” Echoing of Stephen Kings It, Black Mouth tells a story of childhood trauma and the way guilt, grief and shame can haunt a person into adulthood. Jamie Warren has avoided looking back, ever since he left Sutton's Quay at 18 years old, leaving his family, including his disabled brother Dennis, behind. What happened between the walls of his childhood home, as well as in the abandoned shafts of Black Mouths’ mines can remain buried in the depth of his memories, as far as he’s concerned. When the death of his elderly mother forces Jamie back to his hometown, a series of strange events reunites him with his estranged brother and childhood best-friends Mia and Clay. These events become eerily reminiscent of that faithful summer many years ago; the summer they met a mysterious man in the woods, who showed them magical and disturbing things. As familiar patterns begin to repeat themselves, the four friends must, again, confront old fears they’ve harboured or buried for decades inside. Black Mouth is honestly close to my perfect kind of horror-novel. It has great, well developed characters, nail-biting tension and a finale that kept me up past my bed-time because I refused to sleep until I had answers. Do not be fooled by its almost campy motif of a carnival-magician hiding in the woods; this book takes quite a mature take on the everyday psychological horrors of life, and genuinely disturbed and hit me on an emotional level at times. A large part of that is due to the excellent main cast, which I quickly became invested in. Each of them have dealt with their shared past in different ways, yet their different paths of life seamlessly converge when the situation calls for their old friendship one final time. From my background a sensitivity reader for disability-representation, I was extra cautious about the inclusion of a disabled character as the brother of the protagonist, fearing he might be reduced to “a plot-point” in Jamie’s story, or simply monster-fodder, as has happened before in horror. I’m happy to say that the opposite was the case: Dennis was written with a lot of respect and dignity and the brotherly bond between him and Jamie was one of the emotional highlights of the story for me. The same compassion and respect is granted to the other characters and their experiences as well. Despite the heavy themes this novel deals with, the way it does so never feels exploitative, but rather like a triumph of growth and overcoming. In that regard, I’ll give it a compliment that I might be crucified for: it does so better than It. I don’t want to give anything away about the plot of this story, as I loved discovering the twists and turns through the alternating perspectives of the main cast along the way. I will that I was on the edge of my seat, especially near the end, and burned some midnight oil, unable to wait for the morning for answers. With Come With Me, as well as Black Mouth Malfi shows himself a master of psychological horror that is rooted in the deeply personal and relatable. This happens to be my favourite and puts Malfi on my to-watch-list for authors within the genre. I recommend looking up trigger-warnings if you need them, but to anyone comfortable with these topics, if handled well, I can only say: read it. You won’t be disappointed. Find this book here on Goodreads

Genre: horror/thriller Published: Titan Books, July 2021 Rating: 4/5 stars "'We will always be together, because we've always been together' you'd once told me. 'We are acting out all our moment simultaneously right now. Ghosts are timetravelers, not bound by the here and now.'" Part ghost-story, part serial-killer-hunt, Ronald Malfi plunges us into the depths of grief and a dark obsession with Come With Me. Aaron's world is brought to a crashing hold when his wife is killed in a senseless shooting, leaving him consumed by grief and longing for a life he can never return to. When looking for comfort among her things, he finds something else entirely: a motel receipt on her name that he doesn't recognise. Urged by curiosity and the need to understand his wife's life, Aaron embarks on a journey to discover what Allison had been doing in the weeks prior to her death. A journey that leads into a dark obsession that becomes as much his as it was hers. I really liked Come With Me, perhaps even more than I was anticipating to. I loved the portrayal of Aaron's grief and how it's integrated into the horror elements of the story. It makes for a more mature type of haunting, that doesn't rely on jumpscares or gore, but rather on a deeply relatable fear of loss and the emptiness that's left behind when a loved one leaves us. It also made Aaron into a layered protagonist that I quickly became involved and attached to. That attachment was very welcome during the middle-part where there was a slight dip in pacing and progression, and I wasn't as gripped by the story as I was before. Perhaps it was one red-herring too many, or perhaps it was the contrast to the absolute phenomenal beginning and ending, but it did leave me to knock 1 star off my 5-star rating. This ending definitely redeemed the story for me, and I will wholeheartedly recommend this book horror- and (supernatural)thriller fans alike. Having read and loved Malfi's latest two works in short succession now, I may have stumbled upon a new favourite author within the genre. I cannot wait to dig into his (surprisingly extensive) backlist, and will be following what he brings out next. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Genre: Horror Published: Titan Books, October 2022, (original: St. Martin's Press, October 2021) My Rating: 1/5 stars “I can think of little else,” he said, finally taking the ring from her and gently, so gently, slipping it onto her finger. “After just a few days, I find I’ve completely lost my mind over you.” For the second time, I’ve been deeply intrigued by one of Caitlin Starlings plots, only to be deeply disappointed by the execution in the end. I’m sorry to say, but I think this author and I just don’t match well… In The Death of Jane Lawrence, Starling switches out the space-setting of The Luminous Dead for another horror-staple, in the form of a gothic manor, brimming with secrets, blood and occult magic. We follow practical, level-headed Jane who enters into a marriage of convenience with renowned but reclusive surgeon Augustine Lawrence. Their marriage is sealed with the single condition that Jane must never visit Augustine’s crumbling family manor on the outskirts of town. When on their rainy wedding night, an accident leaves them both stranded on the doorstep of Lindridge Hall, Jane is confronted with a dark mystery and a side of her new husband she didn’t anticipate. What I liked: Say what you will about Starlings stories; they know how to make an entrance. We first meet our protagonists Jane and Augustine being forced to work together in his surgery when a patient is unexpectedly wheeled in for an emergency procedure. Lacking an operation assistant, Augustine asks Jane to assist him in his attempt to save this unidentified man’s life. What follows is a genuinely tense scene in which the two perform a desperate surgery to remove a strange calcified object from the man’s abdomen. It makes for a wonderful set-up to the first of many mysteries, with a great dynamic between the two main characters sizing each other up in a high-pressure situation. After this scene, I was genuinely excited to get to the rest of the story; convinced I was in for a tense and gripping ride. What I didn’t like: Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there fast. And I mean that fast part literally. Jane, who is described throughout the story as level-headed, independent and rational above all else, falls head-over-heels for the dashing doctor in one of the worst cases of insta-love I’ve encountered recently. It’s one of my biggest pet-peeves when a character that is described to be one thing (especially a feminist, independent bad-ass), suddenly flips like a leave as soon as a love-interest is involved. Relationship- and character development are essential to my enjoyment of a story, and similarly to The Luminous Dead, I found that severely lacking here. Both Jane and Augustine felt incredibly juvenile and immature for their age, which I can overlook in a book targeted at a young-adult audience, but not in a book marketed as adult gothic-horror. Additionally, the story itself became as unbalanced as the characters; trying to incorporate too many interesting ideas into what ultimately became a bit of a Frankensteinian patchwork of underdeveloped plot points and twists. The intention of creating a series mind-bending twists along the way, one following quickly after the other, were clear, yet the relentless hurry made it so none of them were developed enough to hold up to scrutiny. The entirety of the story takes place over a period of only two weeks, which feels ridiculous for the amount of progression forced into the story as well as the characters. A slower paced story with more time for development would’ve been more fitting of the gothic-genre, but also made for a better story in general. Overall, The Death of Jane Lawrence made for one of my biggest disappointments of the years thus far; starting off with a very strong hook, but sinking like a stone. Many thanks to the publisher Titan Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Genre: literary fiction Published: Charco Press, July 2021 My Rating: 4.5/5 stars "Is she still a mother now that she doesn't have a child? If it had been her who'd died, Rita would have been an orphan. What name does she have now that she's childless? Has Rita's death erased everything she was? Her illness didn't erase it. Being a mother, Elena knows, isn't changed by any illness even if it keeps you from being able to put on a jacket, or freezes your feet so that you can't move, or forces you to live with your head down, but could Rita's death have taken not only her daughter's body but also the word that names what she, Elena, is?" If nothing else, Elena Knows is one of the few books I’ve read recently that does justice to the experience of living with a debilitating illness on an every-day basis, and deserves the attention it’s gathered just for that. In this short but impactful novel, Parkinson’s Disease turns a woman’s seemingly simple travels by train from one side of town to the other, into a exhausting journey involving strict planning of train-times and medication-breaks alike. For the past few years, Elena’s life has been controlled by the late stages of her disease. She feels as if “she doesn’t have Parkinson’s; rather it has her. Her life of intermittent stillness is uprooted when the worst happens. Worse than a terminal diagnosis; Elena learns her daughter Rita has been found dead in the church belltower, dangling from a rope. The police are quick to rule it a suicide, but Elena knows differently. What I liked: The entirety of Elena Knows is structured in a unique way, yet a very familiar one to anyone suffering from a chronic illness that requires medication. Elena, dependent on her Levodopa to function properly, structures her day into medication-times. As such, her entire journey takes place over the course of a day, broken up by flashbacks of her remeniscing on the past, followed by “the second pill”. Not only the narrative, but also the pacing and cadence of the writing seem to match the rhythm of Elena’s day’s. It’s an incredible feat of writing (and translating), that alone makes it deserving of it's multiple award-nominations in my opinion. It also brings a fresh and relatable take on the representation of chronic illness that I haven’t seen before, but am glad to see now. For a novel this short, Elena Knows manages to fit a deeply impressive number of heavy themes into its pages; from motherhood, to suicide, to bodily autonomy, to disability and caregiving, and more… Although these might sound unrelated at first, leave it to Pineiro to show you exactly where they all overlap and intersect. What I didn’t like: Elena. Don’t get me wrong; it get that’s completely intentional. Elena is presented as quite the imperfect and unlikable protagonist; foul-mouthed, overly-traditionalist, set in her ways, and often judgemental and cold in her attitute towards her daughter. This might put some readers off, but ultimately worked in the books favour for me personally. Too often we see disabled characters (especially disabled women) portrayed as helpless, innocent for the reader to pity and “awww” over. I liked that Elena wasn’t presented as a pitiful old lady, who was done a disservice by life. instead she felt like a fully fleshed out, flawed character, and guess what: us disabled folks are real people too. My only true complaint with the novel was the ending, which felt very abrupt. I didn’t need full closure, as it wouldn’t have fit this particular story, but the point where we left felt a little like there might have been a final chapter missing. Overall; I highly recommend this book as a masterclass in writing-structure and short fiction, as well as a great book on the day-to-day struggle of a disablity like this one. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary Published: Orion Children's Books, October 13th 2022 My Rating: 5/5 stars Around this time last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Julia and the Shark; the first collaborative efford of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston. It combined Kiran’s powerful storytelling with Tom’s beautiful monochromatic illustrations with a single accent colour to create one of the best and most memorable middle-grade novels I’ve read recently. I remember thinking; I wouldn’t mind if the would make this a “brand”. Well, my wish was answered with this spiritual sequel, about to release on October 13th. Leila and the Blue Fox is a complete standalone story, but takes all the elements that made Julia so great, and builts upon it. Again, we have a layered tale of a young protagonist dealing with a tough personal situation at home, parallelled with a story of our natural world and one of the endangered animals within it. Again, we have stunning (equally layered) illustrations with the single accent-colour, to bring the story and atmosphere to life. And again; all these elements together add up to more than the sum of its parts, and make an impactful story about a potentially difficult topic approachable to young readers and adults alike. This time, instead of themes of mental health like in Julia’s story, Leila takes on migration; both natural- and human alike. Like Julia’s, Leila’s story begins with a scientist mother chasing the endangered animal she studies, and a daughter chasing after the connection with her mother she feels she’s losing. Leila joins along with her mother Amani on an arctic expedition following the extraordinary migration of a polar fox across well over 2000 miles. A grueling track made out of necessity for this brave little fox to survive after its home was destroyed by climat change. On a ship on the arctic seas, Leila gets the chance to spend more time with her workaholic mother, and get to know sides of her she never saw. That includes the conversations this little fox’ journey brings up; stories of a similar one Leila and Amani undertook when Leila was only a baby. One away from a war-torn country, in search of a new and safer home… Leila and the Blue Fox is an easy recommendation for me; if you’ve read and loved Julia and the Shark, you’ll be sure to love Leila’s story aswell. If you haven’t read Julia yet, but enjoy the same brand of hard-hitting middle-grade that transcends age-range as I do; I guess you have two beautiful books to add to your TBR instead of one. Many thanks to Orion for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I cannot wait to get my hands on the finished product, as I can only imagine how beautiful this book is going to be visually in it's final form. Add this book to your TBR here on Goodreads.

Genre: Literary Fiction, Dystopian Published: Pan MacMillan, August 2022 My Rating: 3.5/5 stars “This is the story of the witch who refused to burn." I seem to be of a minority opinion on this one, in not falling head over heels in love with this novel. Instead, for a novel with so much emotional potential, I felt unexpectedly mellow about it; hence my smack-down-the-middle 3 star rating. In short: The Women Could Fly is the latest addition into the quickly saturating genre of feminist dystopia’s, that fails to stick out amongst the bunch by playing it surprisingly safe. Megan Giddings’ alternate America is an authoritarian, highly patriarchal society, where women are under constant oppression and surveillance, and run the risk of being trialled as witches if they don’t conform. Especially if they happen to be single, black, poor, or otherwise “divergent” from the ideal housewife. Josephine’s mum was one of these “witches”, who disappeared and was never seen for 14 years. Was she executed as a witch, murdered or did she escape to live a life somewhere free of these societal constraints? With queer, black and single Josephine approaching the age of 30, more and more suspicious glances are being cast her way, and the answer to those questions might be the only thing that could save her. When she’s offered the opportunity to honour one last request from her mother’s will (to travel to a magical island sanctuary for witches that only presents itself once every 7 years), Jo embarks on a journey for answers. What I liked: The Women Could Fly is a feminist dystopian novel first, and a generational tale of the relationship between the women in Jo’s family secondly. It was that secondary plotline however, that drew my attention at first, and throughout offered the most powerful moments of the story. Jo’s was only 14 when her mother went missing, and as such, her mother’s absence is as much of a presence in her life as anything. This “chalk-outline-of-a-mother” shaped her teenage years, the bond with her dad, and her future relationships. As someone who lost a mother at a young age, this was where the novel shone and related to me the strongest. From trying to gleam any information about your missing parent through stories of others and mundane objects and “creating a narrative around them”, to falling in the risk of creating an idealized image in your mind: Giddings did an incredible job of writing this dynamic. I especially also loved the part of the story that take part on the island, where the ideas that Jo created about her mother are challenged. It tackles a fascinating, but scary question that many of us have asked ourselves: what if we could meet our missing loved once again for a conversation, after all these years have passed? Would it be the way we remember? Would they be the way we remember…? Unfortunately, after this section, Giddings quickly shifts focus back to society at large, which is where the story began to lose me. What I didn’t like: Despite many others calling this novel “timely”, to me it felt actually like the wrong book at the wrong time. As mentioned: I feel this particular genre is becoming quite over-saturated and I’m starting to burn out on reading the same story of “women rebelling against patriarchy” over- and over again. There was the YA-trend of “forced marriage” in the early 2010’s (think Wither), classics like The Handmaid's Tale and The Crucible, and recent big releases like The Bass Rock, Sorrowlandand one of my latest reviews: The Seawomen. The Women Could Fly feels a dime a dozen and didn’t quite manage to add anything new to the mix. I also struggled with the worldbuilding quite a bit. For starters, there are big sections of info-dumping that disrupt the pacing throughout and made the whole feel disjointed. Despite that there were still some plotholes left, especially when it came to the world at large. Many questions are left unclear: what is society like in different parts of the world? Why don’t more women simply leave the country? What exactly are the LGBTQ-implications like, since it is mentioned that only women can be witches and therefore men aren’t persecuted. But what about trans- and non-binary people? And what about same-sex couples? What about other kinds of intersectional discrimination? The painful part is that all of these questions are touched upon in the novel itself, but never explored in depth. We cannot resent the author for not thinking of these topics (after all: they are mentioned in passing), but it feels more like a namedrop than an exploration. Personally, I would’ve hoped for a bit more depth and the subsequent spice that might have come with that. Many thanks to Pan MacMillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Representation within fiction has been a huge passion of mine for as long as I've been active as a reviewer. No form of representation has had the same personal significance to me as that of disabled, (chronically) ill or divergent bodies. Growing up, illness and disability were always a big part of my life, and I've spoken about how it shaped my relationship with reading as well. My love of reading started in hospital-beds, escaping the reality of my own "stroke of bad genetic luck": a rare form of cancer as a child, the life-long chronic health-detriments that came with ánd a completely seperate progressive genetic connective-tissue-disease. I read together with my mum, who was also wheelchair-bound for as long as I can remember, and we were always on the hunt for books where we could see those parts of ourselves reflected on the pages. Unfortunately, growing up, those books were few and far between. Over the years however, I've gathered quite the collection of gems that I would love to share with anyone on a similar journey. This list has been a labour of love that has been years in the making, and will hopefully continue to grow as I read more. Some household-rules before we get into the list: - all books are linked to their respective Goodreads-pages where you can find a full synopsis, as well as trigger-warnings for all of them. Please be responsible and kind with yourself and your mental well-being. Some of these books contain heavy topics, and it is completely okay to avoid those at certain times of your life, depending on your circumstances. - I have clustered these books based on audience-age-range, with non-fiction/memoirs being a seperate category. I also seperated books featuring mental-health into a seperate category, since it's represented much more frequently nowadays than physical health, and would otherwise completely dominate the list. - the penultimate section contains books I actively recommend against, as I personally disliked (elemens of) the representation. This doesn't mean they are objectively bad books, just that I found elements of them harmful. - the books in the final section are books that are as off yet unread on my TBR-pile. I hope to get to them ASAP and will update this post once I do. If you have any recommendations for books that I should add to the list: feel free to send me a message via my site, my goodreads or my email (fictionfoxreviews@gmail.com). Adult fiction - Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies – Maddie Mortimer Genre: literary fiction Representation: cancer One line synopsis: Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies is the lyrical tale of a woman, her body and the illness that coinhabits it. Told from the perspectives of Lia herself, her daughter Iris and the (callous? Cynical? Caring…?) voice of the disease itself, we follow her life after a diagnosis of terminal cancer. A coming of age story, at the end of a life. One of my personal favourite novels of all time. - Where the Forest Meets the Stars – Glendy Vanderah Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: cancer One line synopsis: A heartwarming but not sappy story of a young woman slowly finding her way back to life, friendship, love and her job as an ornithologist in training, after the subsequent losses of her mother and her own health to breast-cancer. - Elena Knows – Claudia Pineiro Genre: mystery Representation: Parkinson’s disease, dementia One line synopsis: a desperate mothers search for answers regarding the death is complicated by her own faltering health. We follow what would for many people be an ordinary track through the streets of Buenoz Aires, but is an exhausting Odyssey fueled by the determination of a woman navigating the world with the effects of Parkinsons Disease. - The Unseen World – Liz Moore Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: Alzheimers disease (father of protagonist) One Line synopsis: years after his passing, a young woman uncovers answers and grieves about a side of the life of her eccentric late father, who she never fully got to know. - The Tidal Zone – Sarah Moss Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: Life-threatening anaphylaxis One line synopsis: A family’s life is completely upended by the sudden realization of their daughters mortality, following an unexplained life-threatening case of anaphylaxis. Each family member finds their own way with- or around this newfound uncertainty. A stunning portrait of what the realization of your health no longer being a guarantee can do to a person and their surroundings. - The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night – Jen Campbell Genre: short-stories, magical realism Representation: limb-differences/disfigurement. Own-voices One-line synopsis: a collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls. - Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit - Jen Campbell Genre: poetry magical realism Representation: limb-differences/disfigurement. EDSS1 syndrome. Own-voices One-line synopsis: poems exploring disability, storytelling, and the process of mythologising trauma. Jen Campbell writes of Victorian circus and folklore, deep seas and dark forests, discussing her own relationship with hospitals — both as a disabled person, and as an adult reflecting on childhood while going through IVF. - The Gracekeepers & The Gloaming – Kirsty Logan Genre: fantasy Representation: limb-differences/disfigurement One-line synopsis: set in a waterlogged world flooded by the ocean, we follow two protagonists; Callanish who makes a living as a Gracekeeper, administering shoreside burials to the local islanders, and North; a circus performer with floating troupe of acrobats, clowns and dancers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance. A beautiful friendship blossoms when their stories intersect - The Gray House - Mariam Petrosyan Genre: fantasy Representation: limb-difference, wheelchair use, blindness, various other disabilities. One-line synopsis: Bound to wheelchairs and dependent on prosthetic limbs, the physically disabled students living in the House are overlooked by the Outsides. Not that it matters to anyone living in the House, a hulking old structure that its residents know is alive. - Unlikely Animals - Annie Hartnett Genre: literary/contemporary fiction Representation: dementia. One-line synopsis: A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strange circumstances of her elderly dad hallucinating ghost(-animals) in his house. What follows is one-of-a-kind, tragi-comic novel of life, death, and whatever comes after - Shark Heart - Emily Habeck Genre: magical realism Representations: (fantasy) degenerative illness One-line synopsis: a heartfelt tale of a couple chronicalling the year after the husband's diagnosis with a strange affliction; one that will gradually turn him into a great white shark. - The Music of Bees - Eileen Garvin Genre: literary fiction  Representation: wheelchair use, paralysis One line synopsis: 3 strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life's curveballs, are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing--and maybe even a second chance--just when they least expect it. - Lean Fall Stand – John McGregor Genre: literary fiction Representation: stroke, aphasia One line synopsis: a (medical) emergency on a remote Antarctic expedition has farstretching consequences, reaching beyond immediate survival, and into the return home. - The Descendants - Kaui Hart Hemmings Genre: contemporary Representation: acquired brain-damage, coma One line synopsis: a portrait of an afluent father and his two daughters whom life has been turned upside down following a boating accident that left his wife in a coma, set against the contrasting backdrop of sunny Hawaiian life. - Never the Wind – Francesco Dimitri Genre: fantasy Representation: blind main character (retinitis picmentosa) One line synopsis: a gothic fantasy of family, friendship, memory, and the uncanny told from the perspective of a blind teenager. - Burntcoat – Sarah Hall Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: (long)COVID-like illness, caretaking One line synopsis: Told in dual timelines, a 59-year old artist reflects on her life and imminent death, both of which have been marked by the pandemic she survived in her twenties. - Welkom in het Rijk der Zieken – Hannah Bervoets Genre: magical realism Representation: fibromyalgia, chronic Q-fever Written by author with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome One line synopsis: a man navigates the (metaphorical) spaces of his life with a recently diagnosed chronic condition finds himself in the "Kingdom of the Ill", where he confronts other chronically ill people, and parts of himself he didn't yet know. - Unlikely Animals - Annie Hartnett Genre: magical realism Representation: neurodegenerative illness One line synopsis: A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after - Our Hideous Progeny - C.E. McGill Genre: historical fiction, Frankenstein retelling Represenation: unspecified chronic illness (likely post-viral, although not recognized in historical setting) One line synopsis: a feminist continuation of the classic story of Frankenstein, in which his great niece continues her great uncles experiments all on her own, to gain footing in the elite and male-dominated world of academia. - Nestlings - Nat Cassidy Genre: horror Represenation: paralysis, post-partum complications. This is one of the very rare examples of a wheelchair-using protagonist in horror who stands her own and isn't used as monster-fodder... One line synopsis: a new mother, newly wheelchair-bound after a traumatic birth, and her husband move into an exclusive Gothic appartment building and soon find things aren't quite what they expected... Young Adult fiction - Bridge of Clay – Markus Zusak Genre: contemporary Representation: cancer (mother of protagonist) One-line synopsis: a family of boys threatens to break apart after the death of their mother due to cancer. - Like Water – Rebecca Podos Genre: contemporary Representation: Huntington’s Disease (father of protagonist) One-line synopsis: an 18-year old girl navigates milenial anxiety, love, changing future perspectives and grief over her dads diagnosis of Huntingtons Disease. - Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses – Kristen O’Neal Genre: magical realism Representation: various chronic illnesses, own-voices One-line synopsis: Teen Wolf meets Emergency Contact in this sharply observed, hilarious, and heartwarming debut young adult novel about friendship, chronic illness, and . . . werewolves. - Breathe and Count Back from Ten - Natalia Sylvester Genre: contemporary Representation: hip-dysplasia, chronic pain own-voices One-line synopsis: Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body. - One Word Kill – Mark Lawrence Genre: fantasy/sci-fi Representation: cancer One-line synopsis: a short sci-fi whirlwind about Dungeons and Dragons, childhood cancer, friendship, time travel and so much more, all wrapped up in a neat 200 pages. - Magonia – Maria Dahvana Headley Genre: fantasy Representation: unnamed pulmonary illness One-line synopsis: Since she was a baby, Aza Ray Boyle has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name. - Where Do You See Yourself – Claire Forrest Genre: contemporary Representation: cerebral palsy + college life in wheelchair One-line synopsis: an unforgettable coming-of-age tale, a swoon-worthy romance, and much-needed disability representation in this story about a girl who's determined to follow her dreams. - Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo Genre: fantasy Representation: chronic pain, main character walks with cane One-line synopsis: A ragtag crew of outcast teens sets off to pull off an impossible heist against the backdrop of a dark fantasy inspired version of the Amsterdam Cannals. - The Diviners - Libba Bray Genre: historical fantasy Representation: post-polio paralysis One-line synopsis: after small town girl Evie O'Neill is shipped off to her uncle in New York following a scandal surrounding her unnatural gift of reading objects, she finds herself wrapped up in a supernatural crisis bigger than she imagined. Luckily, she soon finds support in a handful of fellow New Yorkers, each outcasts, each with unique talents of their own. - Cursed - Karol Ruth Silverstein Genre: contemporary Representation: Juvenile arthritis One-line synopsis: 14 year old "Ricky" Bloom, is newly diagnosed with a painful chronic illness and pretty pissed off about it. Her body hurts constantly, her family’s a mess and the boy she’s crushing on seems completely clueless. She knows nothing better than rebel at school. But when her truancy is discovered she must struggle to catch up in school to avoid a far worse horror: repeating ninth grade. - Drömfrangil - Cynthia McDonald Genre: fantasy Representation: main character is an amputee One-line synopsis: Though he doesn't know it, Marcus Talent is special. Unfortunately for Marcus, he discovers this unexpectedly when he wakes up in an unfamiliar forest, has his prosthetic arm eaten by a horrifying monster, and then wakes up in his own bed, terrified and bleeding. Middle-grade fiction - A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness Genre: magical realism Representation: cancer (mother of protagonist) - How To Disappear Completely – Ali Standish Genre: contemporary Representation: vitiligo, Alzheimers (grandmother of protagonist) - This Appearing House - Ally Malinenko Genre: contemporary Representation: childhood cancer (protagonist is a survivor) - Song for a Whale – Lynne Kelly Genre: contemporary Representation: deaf protagonist - The Island at the End of Everything - Kiran Millwood Hargrave Genre: historical fiction Representation: leprosy - Julia and the Shark – Kiran Millwood Hargrave & Tom de Freston Genre: illustrated middle-grade contemporary Representation: bipolar disorder (mother of protagonist) - The In-Between – Rebecca Ansari Genre: fantasy Representation: type I Diabetes (sister of protagonist) - Red White and Whole – Rajani LaRocca Genre: contemporary novel in verse Representation: leukemia (mother of progatonist) Own-voices - The Hour of Bees - Lindsay Eagar Genre: magical realism Representation: Alzheimers (grandfather of protagonist) - The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree – Paola Peretti Genre: contemporary Representation: Stargardts Disease, loss of vision Own-voices - The Secret of Haven Point - Lisette Auton Genre: fantasy Representation: various disabilies (including audio-visual impairments, wheelchair use, facial disfigurement and agoraphobia) Own-voices - The Girl from Earth's End - Tara Dairman Genre: fantasy Representation: wheelchair use, parent with terminal illness - What Stars are Made of – Sarah Allen Genre: contemporary Representation: Turner Syndrome Own-voice - Half Moon Summer – Elaine Summers Genre: novel in verse Representation: parent with motor neuron disease. - Kleine Sofie en Lange Wapper - Els Pelgrom (translated as Little Sophie and Lanky Flop) Genre: magical realism Representation: cancer - Ruptured - Joanne Rossmassler Fritz Genre: contemporary Representation: ruptured brain aneurysm and neuro-rehabilitation (mother of protagonist). Own-voice - Not Quite A Ghost - Anne Ursu Genre: contemporary, horror Representation: post-inflammatory illness, mentions of Long COVID Non-Fiction - Constellations – Sinéad Gleeson Genre: memoir Representation: Chronic Illness, Leukemia - Sitting Pretty – Rebekkah Taussig Genre: memoir Representation: paralysis, wheelchair use - A Face For Picasso – Ariel Henley Genre: memoir Representation: Crouzon syndrome, disfigurement - I Am, I Am I Am – Maggie O’Farrell Genre: memoir in vignets Representation: acute encephalitis, chronic illness - Some of Us Just Fall – Polly Atkin Genre: memoir Representation, Ehlers Danlos, Hemochromatosis. - Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved – Kate Bowler Genre: memoir Representation: colon cancer - When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi Genre: memoir Representation: lung cancer - The Emperor of all Maladies - Siddhartha Mukherjee Genre: medical non-fiction Representation: history of cancer - The Bright Hour – Nina Riggs Genre: memoir Representation: breast-cancer - Below the Edge of Darkness – Edith Widder Genre: non-fiction, natural biology Representation: vision-loss - Between Two Kingdoms – Suleika Jaouad Genre: memoir Representations: leukemia - The Salt Path – Raynor Winn Genre: memoir Representation: Cortico-Basal Degeneration (partner of author) - Memento Mori - Tiitu Takalo Genre: graphical memoir Representation: subarachnoid hemorrage Mental Health - The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath Genre: literary fiction/classic Representation: depression - Halibut on the Moon – David Vann Genre: literary fiction Representation: depression/bipolar disorder - Aquarium – David Vann Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: depression, PTSS and addiction - The Upstairs House – Julia Fine Genre: literary fiction/horror Representation: postpartum depression/psychosis - Piranesi – Susanna Clarke Genre: fantasy/magical realism Representation: dissociative fugue - The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett Genre: fantasy Representation: neurodiversity (likely autism-spectrum disorder, although not labled on page as such) -  Mothtown - Caroline Hardaker Genre: horror, magical realism Representation: psychosis, dissociative fugue - Transcendent Kingdom – Yaa Gyasi Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: depression and addiction - The Last True Poets of the Sea - Julia Drake Genre: YA contemporary Representation: depression (brother of protagonist) - Pet – Akwaeki Emezi Genre: magical realism Representation: selective mutism - Challenger Deep – Neal Schusterman Genre: fantasy/magical realism Representation: schizophrenia - We Are the Ants - Shan David Hutchinson Genre: magical realism Representation: depression (protagonist and boyfriend of protagonist) - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime – Mark Haddon Genre: young adult contemporary Representation: Autism - A Million Things - Emily Spurr Genre: YA contemporary Representation: hoarding, depression Books i Recommend AGAINST - The Fault in Our Stars – John Greene Genre: young adult romance Representation: cancer (both protagonists), not own-voice Recommended against for: romanticizing cancer - Lump - Nathan Whitlock Genre: literary fiction Representation: cancer, not own-voice Recommended against for: inappropriate humor at the expense of woman with cancer. - A Little Heart - Vladarg Delsat Genre: middle-grade Representation: heart-failure, wheelchair use, not own-voice Recommended against for: portraying a disabled teen as feeble, miserable and a burden to caretakers. Perpetuating the idea that "life with a disability isn't worth it". Magical healing trope. - Me Before You – Jojo Moyes Genre: contemporary Representations: caretaking for sick sister, not own-voice Recommended against for: using the trope of “sick-character being used as object of personal growth for abled-bodies protagonist”. - Roll With It – Jamie Summer Genre: middle grade contemporary Representation: cerebral palsy, wheelchair-use Recommended against for: being written by a parent of a disabled child, yet containing many harmful stereotypes, ableist language that isn’t always called out, and the strong feeling of “being a burden to your parents” (not called out!) that is very harmful to disabled children in my opinion, especially coming from a parent of one. - Before I Die – Jenny Downham Genre: Young adult contemporary Representation: terminal cancer (protagonist) Recommended against for: romanticizing cancer - Komt een Vrouw bij de Dokter - Kluun (translated as Lovelife) Genre: contemporary Representation: cancer (wife of protagonist) Recommended against for: romanticizing cancer, excusing cheating on a terminally ill spouse. - Made You Up – Francesca Zappia Genre: contemporary romance Representation: schizophrenia (protagonist) Recommended against for: romanticizing schizophrenia + being factually inaccurate. - Stravaganza – Mary Hoffman Genre: fantasy Representation: cancer Recommended against for: trope of “magical healing” - All’s Well – Mona Awad Genre: horror, magical realism Representation: chronic pain Note: Although I personally enjoyed this novel, it’s a bit of a marmite one. There’s the “magical healing trope” (although subverted), representation of medical gaslighting and body-horror element that can be triggering to some readers. The protagonist is also very unlikable, which can be misinterpreted as being “because of her chronic pain”, although I’m fairly sure that isn’t the intended message. - Chouette – Claire Oshetsky Genre: magical realism Representation: fictional illness Note: similar to All’s Well, I enjoyed this novel, but I don’t recommend it as a representation of “illness” or physical disfigurement, but more so as a portrayal of mental differences. I can see how it can be interpreted as offensive to those with intellectual disabilities or physical differences, although I don’t think this was the authors intent. Unread/On My TBR: - Moonflower – Kacen Callender Genre: middle grade magical realism Representation: depression (childhood) - The Speed of Life – Anne Pete Genre: literary fiction/contemporary Representation: Huntingtons disease - The Speed of Light - Elissa Grossell Dickley Genre: contemporary Representation: multiple sclerosis - It’s Just Nerves – Kelly Davio Genre: non-fiction Representation: myasthenia gravis - The Moth Girl – Heather Kamins Genre: magical realism Representation: fictional illness - Breathing Underwater – Sarah Allen Genre: contemporary Representation: depression - Disability Visibility – edited by Alice Wong Genre: anthology Representation: various disabilities Own Voices - Too Late to Die Young – Harriet McBryde Johnson Genre: memoir/essays Representation: spinal muscular atrophy

When the Moon was Ours - Anna-Marie Mclemore I had to start this list off with my favourite LGBTQ -author of all time. Any of AM’s novels could take this spot, as they all contain own-voice representation of LGBTQ+ characters from all across the spectrum. AM themself identifies as non-binary and pansexual and uses their own experiences, as well as those of their transgender partner, in her works. Also by the author with similar representation: Lakelore, Wild Beauty, Dark and Deepest Red and The Mirror Season. 2. On Earth we’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong Written as a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read, this stunningly written coming of age novel by poet Ocean Vuong is based off his own experiences of growing up as a gay man in a traditional Vietnamese-American family. Also by the author with similar representation: Time is a Mother and Night Sky With Exit Wounds. 3. The House in the Cerulean Sea – T.J. Klune The ultimate feel-good cosy fantasy featuring an own-voice M-M romance. Also by the author with similar representation: Under the Whispering Door 4. Our Wives Under the Sea - Julia Armfield A haunting literary novel about the dynamics of an established F-F relationship, the defamiliarising effecs of loss and grief, and what life there is in the deep deep sea. Also by the author with similar representation: Salt Slow 5. We Are the Ants – Shaun David Hutchinson A heavy but incredibly impactful coming of age novel about a teenage boy who must decide whether or not the world is worth saving, whilst also dealing with the grief over losing his ex-boyfriend to suicide. Also by the author with similar representation: Howl, The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza 6. Pet - Akwaeke Emezi A thought-provoking and haunting novel about a creature that escapes from an artist's canvas, whose talent is sniffing out monsters in a world that claims they don't exist anymore. Featuring a black, transgender protagonist, written by a black, non-binary author. Also by the author with similar representation: Freshwater, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty and Bitter. 7. The Argonauts – Maggie Nelson Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts was one of my first introductions to non-fiction about a gender-fluid relationship, as I think it was to many. For that reason, as well as the momentum it sparked, it's a modern classic in my book. 8. In The Dream House- Carmen Maria Machado Remaining within the domain of non-fiction, Carmen Maria Machado's literary memoir breaks new grounds by openly covering her experiences with an abusive same-sex relationship. It's described as "tackling a dark and difficult subject with wit, inventiveness and an inquiring spirit, and using a series of narrative tropes—including classic horror themes—to create an entirely unique piece of work which is destined to become an instant classic." I couldn't have summarised it better myself. Also by the author with similar representation: Her Body And Other Parties 9. Like Water by Rebecca Podos A gorgeously written and deeply felt literary young adult novel of identity, millennial fears, caregiving and first (F-F) love. Also by the author with similar representation: From Dust a Flame and The Wise and the Wicked. 10. We Are Okay by Nina Lacour A beautiful coming of age novel centring around grief and healing, featuring a beautiful F-F relationship. Also by the author with similar representation: Watch Over Me and Yerba Buena. 11. The Gloaming - Kirsty Logan A beautiful, slightly melancholic sea-side fantasy featuring a story of family, grief, homesickness and of course, an own-voice F-F relationship. Also by the author with similar representation: The Gracekeepers, Things We Say in the Dark and A Portable Shelter. 12. The Diviners - Libba Bray A historical, paranormal fantasy set in 1920s New York City, featuring a diverse (in every sense of the word) cast of characters. 13. Strange Creatures - Phoebe North An incredibly nuanced and compassionate portrait of grief, paracosm, and the journey onwards from trauma after a horrible event shatters the bond between an inseperable sibling pair. There's a stunning and supporting F-F relationship in here, although it's not the central focus of the novel. The author themself identifies as non-binary. 14. The Last True Poets of the Sea - Julia Drake Another one of my favourite YA-contemporary novels of recent years that checks all of my boxes (sea-setting, friendship, grief, comming of age, etc.), that also happens to feature an F-F romance. 15. King and the Dragonflies - Kacen Callender A poignant and bittersweet middle-grade novel about (queer) identity, grief and discovering your place in the world, following a boy who believes his deceased brother has transformed into a dragonfly. Also by the author with similar representation: Felix Ever After, Hurricane Child and Moonflower. 16. Elatsoe - Darcie Little Badger No sexuality is as underrepresented in YA-fiction as asexuality, which is why I adored seeing it in Elatsoe. A story packed to the brim with diversity in the broadest sense of the word, Elatsoe is one of the most lovable characters ánd novels as a whole I've read in a long time. 17. Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea - Ashley Herring Blake A heartfelt middle-grade novel about a girl navigating grief, trauma, friendship and first queer love. Also by the author with similar representation: Ivy Aberdeen's Letters to the World, Girl Made of Stars and The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. 18. The City Of Woven Streets - Emmi Itäranta A deeply dreamlike, character driven fantasy novel about body, being an outcast and finding your place in an unwelcoming world. That includes wonderful found-family vibes and a blossoming F-F relationship that I could get behind 100%. 19. Sorrowland - Rivers Solomon One of the most unique literary horror-novels I've encountered in years, featuring an intersex main character, fleeing a cultish community that refuses to let her go, with her two young children in toe. Also by the author with similar representation: An Unkindness of Ghosts. 20. The Unseen World – Liz Moore A coming of age story of a young girl raised by her eccentric socially inept single father, who directs a computer science lab in 1980s-era Boston. As her father starts to suffer from the early stages of Alzheimers disease, Ada gets to know her dad "retroactively" through the stories about his private life that surface. NB: be aware that this is one of the few books on this list that isn't own-voices as it's written by a female author, and told from the perspective of the daughter of the LGBTQ-character. If you prefere to only read own-voices, steer clear from this one, although I still think it's a phenomenal novel on multiple levels, including representation. 21. Foundry Side - Robert Jackson Bennett A high fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Mistborn, featuring a high-stakes heist plot, carried out by an ragtag cast of characters in a world featuring an almost science-based magic system with a basis in Alchemy and changing an ordinary objects material properties. The LGBTQ-element comes into play with the F-F romance between two mail characters, which is one of the few romantic sideplots in a fantasy novel that I was actually completely rooting for. NB: as with the previous entry on this list; this book is not own-voices and written by a male author. It still felt completely genuine to me however, and subverted all the "creepy-male-fantasy-vibes" I got from the likes of Jay Kristoffs depiction of F-F romances.

When it comes to magical realism and fantasy, novels that take inspiration from classic mythology or traditional folklore are like catnip to me. Often times there’s good reason for these stories to have survived as long as they did for how interesting they are, and I love to see the new spin modern authors give these tales. Unsurprisingly I’ve collected quite the collection of myth-retellings, modern fairytales, and fresh folklore from around the world on my shelves, so I did my best to bundle them into a single post; a little almanac for a mythological journey around the world. All are linked to their respective Goodreads-pages for ease of navigation. Disclaimer: please know that I am aware of the large diversity of culture within these continents. I am simply clustering them this way for navigational purposes within this post. I’m also limiting this list to books written in- or translated to English, which means not all cultures will be equally represented. If you feel like your favourite myth-retelling is missing, please be sure to recommend it to me, as I’m always down to expand my horizons. Without further ado, let’s get into the books. European Mythology Western-European o Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher o The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night – Jen Campbell o The Sister who Ate her Brother - Jen Campbell o Treacle Walker - Alan Garner o Everything Under – Daisy Johnson o The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman o The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly o House of Salt and Sorrow - Erin A. Craig o Small Favours - Erin A. Craig o Uprooted - Naomi Novik o Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik Scottish/Welsh/Irish/Celtic o A River Enchanted – Rebecca Ross o The Lighthouse Witches – CJ Cooke o The Gracekeepers – Kirsty Logan o Melmoth – Sara Perry o House of Hollow – Krysten Sutherland o The Changling - Victor Lavalle o Dark Earth – Rebecca Stott o Orla and the Wild Hunt - Anna Hoghton Classical Greek o Circe - Madeline Miller o Galetea - Madeline Miller o The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller o A Thousand Ships - Natalia Haynes o Piranesi – Susanna Clarke o Ariadne – Jennifer Saint o Elektra – Jennifer Saint o The Silence of the Girls – Pat Barker Scandinavian/Nordic o Beyond a Darkened Shore – Jessica Leake o The Wide Starlight – Nicole Lesperance o A Shiver of Snow and Sky – Lisa Luedecke o Shadow of the Gods – John Gwynne o The Witches Heart – Genevieve Gornicheck o Keepers of Metsan Valo – Wendy Webb Asian Mythology Chinese o Strange Beasts of China – Yan Ge o Descendants of the Crane – Joan He o Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Grace Lin o The Poppy War - R.F. Kuang o Daughter of the Moon Goddess - Sue Lynn Tan Indian o Kaikeyi – Vaishnavi Patel o The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida - Shehan Karunatilaka Other o Black Water Sister – Zen Cho Influences: Malaysian ghost-lore Genre: Adult fantasy o The Astonishing Color of After – Emily XR Pan Influences: Taiwanese lore Genre: YA contemporary/magical realism o The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea - Axie Oh Influences: Korean folklore Genre: YA fantasy o Six Crimson Cranes – Elizabeth Lim (Japanese) Influences: Japanese mythology Genre: YA fantasy o Spin the Dawn - Elizabeth Lim Influences: Japanese mythology Genre: YA fantasy North-American Mythology o Elatsoe – Darcie Little Badger Influences: Lipan Apache mythology Genre: YA-magical realism o A Snake Falls to Earth – Darcie Little Badger Influences: Lipan Apache mythology Genre: YA-fantasy (would work for an upper middle-grade audience as well) o Black Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse Influences: Adult fanasy Genre: precolumbian American lore o Trial of Lightning - Rebecca Roanhorse Influences: Navajo mythology Genre: Adult fantasy o Me Moth – Amber McBride Influences: Navajo creation mythology Genre: novel in verse, magical realism o American Gods – Neil Gaiman Influences: modern American, Norse Genre: urban fantasy o The City We Became – NK Jemisin Influences: creating "modern American lore" based off New-York culture Genre: urban fantasy o The Firekeepers Daughter – Angeline Boulley Influences: Ojibwe traditional healing and medicine Genre: YA-contemporary Latinx o Lakelore - Anna-Marie McLemore o The Mirror Season- Anna-Marie McLemore o Wild Beauty- Anna-Marie McLemore o Blanca y Roja - Anna-Marie McLemore o Gods of Jade and Shadow – Silvia Moreno Garcia o Lobizona - Romina Garber o The Hacienda – Isabel Canas o Each of Us a Desert – Mark Oshiro o The Last Cuentista - Donna Barba Higuerta South-American Mythology Caribbean o Root Magic – Eden Royce Influences: South-Carolina/Caribbean root-magic Genre: middle-grade historical o Popisho – Leone Ross Influences: original mythology based in island-lore Genre: magical realism o When We Were Birds – Ayanna Lloyd Banwo Influences: Rastafarian/Trinidadian ghost-lore Genre: magical realism o The Jumbies – Tracy Baptiste Influences: Caribbean folklore Genre: magical realism o Island Tales: Caribbean Folklore Stories – Amber Drappier Influences: Caribbean/Trinidadian folklore Genre: fantasy short stories African Mythology o Fresh Water – Akwaeke Emezi Influences: Nigerian Folklore Genre: magical realism o Children of the Quicksand - Efua Traoré Influences: Nigerian Folklore Genre: middle-grade fantasy o The House of Shells - Efua Traoré Influences: Nigerian Folklore Genre: middle-grade fantasy o The Deep – Rivers Solomon Influences: African lore + Eur-asian mermaid mythology Genre: adult fantasy o Black Leopard, Red Wolf - Marlon James Influences: mixed African + Aboriginal lore Genre: adult fantasy o Beasts of Prey – Ayana Gray Influences: middle African mythology Genre: YA fantasy Egyptian o Creatures of Passage – Morowa Yejide o City of Brass – SA Chakroborty o The Kane Chronicles – Rick Riorden o The Killing Moon – NK Jemisin o A Master of Djinn – P. Djeli Clarke o Jackal – Erin E. Adams Oceanean/Australian/Pasifican Mythology o Navigating the Stars: Maori Creation Myths - Witi Ihimaera o The Rain Heron - Robbie Arnott o How My Koro Became A Star - Brianne Te Paa o Kua Wheturangitia a Koro - Brianne Te Paa o Spark Hunter - Sonya Wilson o Falling into Rarohenga - Steph Matuku Hawaiian o Sharks in Times of Saviour – Kawai Strong Washburn o Hokuloa Road – Elizabeth Hand

Genre: Fantasy Published: Hodder & Stoughton, August 2022 My Rating: 4/5 stars “It’s not always enough to go looking for the place we belong, Jamie said, his eyes on the house ahead. Sometimes we need to make that place.” Practical Magic meets The House in the Cerulean Sea in this whimsical tale of found family, love and witchcraft. I don’t need a crystal ball to predict that will be a crowd-pleaser and fan-favourite for readers of T.J. Klune, Alice Hoffman or Quan Barry. As one of the few remaining witches in England, the only life Mika Moon has known is one of solitude. Magic loves company, so every modern witch knows they must stay as far away from other witches, in order to prevent a massive surge of magical powers that will expose their secret society to the world. As a substitute for contact with real fellow-witches, Mika keeps an online blog where she “pretends” to be a witch, expecting nobody to take it seriously. That is until she receives a private message with a highly unusual job opportunity: “witch wanted, to tutor and teach three young witches”. Moving in to become a live-in nanny/witch-craft-teacher, Mika soon finds herself breaking all the rules she was once taught about magical safety, as well as tangled up in the lives of the children and their other caretakers. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is delightfully whimsical in style and will most likely put a smile on the face of any reader who encounters it. Mandanna brings to life the English cottage-core-setting perfectly and sprinkles it with lovable and endearing characters, and their interactions. There’s romantic love, sisterly bonds, and the most adorable dog-companion imaginable, making it one of the easiest to love “feel-good” books of this summer. My one piece of critique is a personal one: it was a little too sickly sweet for my taste. I’m the kind of reader who loves a character that overcomes a struggle to get to their eventual goal. Here, the goals felt a little too easily achieved. For example: for a character with such deep-rooted trust-issues, stemming from an isolated childhood and being orphaned at a young age, Mika’s walls came down a little too easy, and her trust in her new family and love-interest were a little too expeditious. Although I felt the happiness of the characters, the cathartic depth of overcoming adversity was missing at times. That being said: not every novel needs to emotionally destroy the reader. Sometimes capturing happiness is as powerful as anything. I think, after the past few years we’ve had, many readers will absolutely welcome the feeling, making me feel safe to recommend this book to anyone interested. Many thanks to Hodder&Stoughton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will be released for retail on August 23rd in US and European territory. You can find it here on Goodreads.

Genre: Middle-grade historical Published: HarperCollins, May 2022 My Rating: 5/5 stars I have been a big Ali Standish-fan for years now, ever since August Isle first brought me to tears back in early 2019. She is, in my humble opinion, one of the best middle-grade authors working today, and has yet to write a single bad or even mediocre book. That record holds strong with her latest release; Yonder is Standish’s first historical middle-grade, and at the same time one of her most timely stories yet. "Every hero has a story, but not every story has a hero. Even now, after all this time, I’m still trying to figure out which one this is; a hero’s story, or a story without a hero." So begins Danny’s story, against the backdrop of his idyllic 1940’s Appalachian small town. Danny knows his story has at least two hero’s though: his father, who’s been deployed overseas to fight in the Big War, and his best friend Jack, who’s been his friend and protector since. Danny has idolized the older boy ever since he rescued two small children from drowning during the Great Flood, and relies on him for guidance in the absence of his dad more than ever. So when Jack goes missing from their small Appalachian town, Danny is determined to find him. His first clue is the message “Yonder” that Jack left behind, a reference to a hidden magical town Jack once spoke of where flocks of rainbow birds fly through the sky and they’ve never heard of war. Other leads point in a much more mundane and less darker direction; one in which he may not have known Jack as well as he thought, and in which his town is much less idyllic than it first meets the eye. Yonder is tale of friendship, challenging prejudice, owning up to your mistakes, and being the hero of your own story; in big ways or small. Thematically, there is a lot more to it than first meets the eye, and as Danny grows, and his scope of the world broadens, so does ours as the reader. This is the power of middle-grade at its finest: a story for kids and adults alike that explores a difficult situation through understandable language and relatable characters. I couldn’t recommend it any higher. Find this book on Goodreads.

Genre: Personal Memoir Published: Graywolf Press, November 2019 My Rating: 5/5 stars “Putting language to something for which you have no language is no easy feat.” In the Dream House is one of the best and most well-written memoirs I’ve ever read. Period. I might just end my review there, as there’s honestly not much more I can add; this book has all the power to speak for itself. I can however, tell you a little about what I experienced throughout my read. Mostly, it was a rapid-fire back-and-forth between visceral discomfort and absolute awe. Discomfort from the harrowing experiences Machado describes, but also from the strange feeling of “invasion of privacy” that came from reading them. I felt like a kind of voyeuristic transgression in witnessing these events that should take place in the safety and privacy of the (Dream-)house. All of that, of course, is very intentional. Awe therefore, for how Machado manages to capture that feeling, but also for the insight and openness on what must have been the most difficult and traumatic period of her life. I cannot express the amount of respect I have for anyone able to take such a visceral experience, and trap in into pages. It's a difficult book to “recommend”, as it’s such a personal account, that will lead to such a personal reading experience for everyone, based off their own experiences. As a bookreviewer, I’ll highly recommend this, as being one of the best literary memoirs I’ve ever read. As your bookish friend: I want to say the following: Read this book from a distance, when you’re out; the Dream House being only a spec on the horizon. If you’re currently living in the Dream House, or have just stepped out the door: wait a little. Close that door behind you, walk away, and find help if you need it. Take care of yourself first. As I feel about any books that deal with the subject of trauma, no matter how brilliant they are: there is no benefit in digging in actively haunted grounds. Find this book on Goodreads.

This post is part of my All-Time-Favourite-by-genre-project, in which I'll try to tackle the daunting task of identifying my all-time favourite books through multiple genre-specific lists. Each list will have a top 10 (and possible honourable mentions), and will be updated every 6-12 months, if everything goes according to plan. *Most recently updated: January 2024 The fantasy-genre is still heavily dominated by series, which can be frustrating when you’re craving fantasy, but aren’t ready to commit to a 7-book epic. Luckily, there’s still plenty of wonderful standalones out there, a few of which I have covered in part 1 to my Fantasy-Favourite series. Similar to that post, these books are listed in roughly the order in which I read them, and all of them I’ve rated anywhere between 4.5 and 5-stars. 1. The Gracekeepers and The Gloaming both by Kirsty Logan Starting off my list, I’m immediately cheating by placing two books in the spot of one. I didn’t see a better way to do so however, as both these books are some of my oldest and dearest fantasy standalones of all time, and hold a shared close place in my heart. If you’ve spent any time on my blog or talking to me about books, my love for Kirsty Logan as an author isn’t going to be a surprise to you. That love started here. The Gracekeepers is set in a world drowned by water and has strong themes of grief, isolation and mourning throughout it. The ocean has irreparably changed world, and divided its people into those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"). Callanish is a Gracekeeper, responsible for administering shoreside burials, laying the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. North is a dampling circus performer with a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance. The two of them cross paths when a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives - offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future. The Gloaming is set in the same world, on a more intimate island-setting, and can be read completely separate from The Gracekeepers. Here, where magic is more than the stuff of fairytales and folklore, we follow an unorthodox family of five in the wake of a tragedy that changed their lives forever. It’s a brilliant magical realist tale of grief, love, longing and homesickness for a place you can’t return to. I often recommend Kirsty Logans books in tandem with Emily St. John Mandel work, as both capture that stunning feeling of melancholic hope that I adored. Kirsty Logans work came to me at the exact right place and time, helping me deal with grief and change, and will for that reason always have a prominent place among my favourites. 2. Arcadia by Iain Pearce The next book on the list has nothing in common with the previous, other than the way I found it; namely based off the recommendation of one of my favourite booktubers/authors Jen Campbell. We begin our story against the backdrop of Cold-War England, where ex-spy-turned-novelist Henry Lytten is writing a fantasy novel in order to escape the troubles of his current time. He finds an unlikely confidante in Rosie, an inquisitive young neighbor who, while chasing after Lytten's cat one day, stumbles through a doorway in his cellar and into a stunning and unfamiliar bucolic landscape. A landscape remarkably similar to that of the book which Lytten has been writing. What follows is a refractory tale, part portal-fantasy, part sci-fi dystopian, part Alice Through the Looking Glass and part Cloud Atlas. Arcadia explores the magic of world-building and storytelling on an almost meta-level, but does it so effortlessly well that it never felt pretentious to me. If you enjoy stories about stories in particular, this is a modern classic you cannot pass up. 3. Circe by Madeline Miller As someone who grew up on retellings of ancient Greek mythology, and actually enjoyed Latin in grammar-school, because of its stories, there was bound to be a retelling on this list. There were plenty of options to pick from (stay tuned for my Mythology-recommendations post that will be coming soon), but the choice for Circe was an easy one. She has always been one of the most fascinating and mysterious characters in Greek Mythology to me, partly because she always appears as a secondary character in another hero’s story, but never gets her own voice. Here, Madeline Miller jumps in to change that, and does so in the best way possible. Circe is a story about Gods, mythological creatures and witchcraft, but is still one of the more personal and relatable “coming of age-fantasies” I’ve read. If you’re intimidated by the recent flood of Greek retellings and want to skip straight to the best one out there; this is the way to go in my opinion. 4. Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke Staying with “Classical Greek vibes”, we have the shortest but perhaps most complex book to describe. Piranesi is definitely more on the literary, rather than genre-fiction side of things, and is packed to the brim with mystery, atmosphere and questions, not all of which are answered throughout. I highly recommend you go into this story as blind as possible, so I’ll keep the description short. We open our story with a man only known as Piranesi, wandering the infinite corridors of The House Between its half-drowned, never-ending halls filled with classical marbled statuary however, this mysterious building is anything but a regular home. It evokes everything from Olympus to Atlantis to, most clearly, the ‘imaginary prisons’ of 18th-century titular artist. There is one other living person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person. A terrible truth begins to unravel; about The Other, The House and a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known. 5. The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton From Classical Greek influences, we move over to something more Shakespearean with this (very loose) retelling of King Lear with a more diverse, feminist and fantastical twist. My love for this novel lies in its phenomenal character work, lushly vivid insular setting, steeped in wild magic, and absolute stunning lyrical writing. As the book on this list with the lowest Goodreads-rating on average, I understand that this isn’t the biggest crowd pleaser. Tessa Gratton was done dirty by her marketers who compared this to Game of Thrones, setting completely the wrong expectations for the audience. Contrary to Martin’s brutal and fast-paced approach to hard fantasy, Gratton’s story is “softer”, more reflective and slower in pace. Luckily for me, that was exactly what I loved about it. The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained the isle of Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of lands and political unrest. The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign. But their father will not choose an heir until all the prophesised circumstances are met. Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided. 6. Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergej Dyachenkov Few subgenres have held as many disappointments to me as the dark-academia-trend that has been blowing up in previous years. Although I love it in theory, I think I may have burned myself out on so much angsty sameness. I have however had much luck with the very specific sub-subgenre of “weird academia”, that includes books like All’s Well and Bunny by Mona Awad, Middlegame by Seanan McGuire and of course Vita Nostra. Very little about this novel is traditional; from the influences of the original Russian, the disorienting setting, to its insistence not to explain or “spoon-feed” you information. After all, both you ánd the characters are smart enough to figure it out for yourselves, right…? I wouldn’t recommend Vita Nostra as a first entry into fantasy, but for you “veterans” out there who want Dark-Academia like you’ve never experienced it; this one is for you. 16-year old Sasha is vacationing with her mom at the beach, when she meets a mysterious man who makes her an unusual proposition. The next day Sacha suddenly finds herself vomiting up golden coins… This even kicks off an epic coming of age fantasy novel, involving a magical university (but not in the way you expect), strange characters that seem barely human and at times absolute mind-melting philosophy and metaphysics. 7. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune Coming of the strange and disorienting Vita Nostra, you might want to give your mind a little rest, and read some cosy fantasy. Look no further: I have just the book you need. The House in the Cerulean Sea is a whimsical tale for an adult audience that reads like middle-grade. We follow Linus; a by-the-books-caseworker, employed by the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, where he spends his days behind a desk overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. One day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management, and sent on his first field-mission to the mysterious Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. With threats of end of days, and rumours that the enigmatic caretaker Arthur Parnassus has no control over his wards, Linus must set things straight. He soon finds that the orphanages inhabitants aren’t quite what he expected, and that the word “home” means more than a word written on his files. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find nothing does the trick of “cosy-feels” like a story about found-family, and The House in the Cerulean Sea scratches that itch perfectly. Additionally the author has a second and third novel out, with very similar vibes under the titles of In the Lives of Puppets and Under the Whispering Door. If you liked one, you’ll likely enjoy the other as well. 8. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger Speaking of cosy-vibes, Elatsoe was one of my cosiest reads of last year. Similar to The House in the Cerulean Sea, it reads like a middle-grade and is packed with beautiful themes of family and belonging, but with a slightly more melancholic undertone. If that hasn’t convinced you yet; our protagonist is an asexual, Lipan- Apachean girl who has the happiest ghost-dog as a companion. What more could I want in a book…? Elatsoe is set in an America very similar to our own, but for a few small differences. This America has been physically shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. When her beloved cousin is the victim of a racially fuelled murder in their small town that wants no prying eyes, Ellie must use all her wits, skills and friends to get to the bottom of the secrets buried under her nose. 9. Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson Technically part of Brandon Sandersons overarching Cosmere Universe, Tress of the Emerald Sea is a book that stands completely on its own in both tone and story. Pitched by the author himself as his "princess-bride-story within the Cosmere Universe", this is a joyful and (dare I say) cosy fantasy that compromises none of the high-stakes and high-fantasy-elements its genre-fellows tend to do. We follow Tress, a young woman who embarks on a daring journey across the seas to rescue her best friend Charlie, who’s fallen prey to the Sorceress of the Midnight Sea. Except the seas in the Cosmere Universe, aren’t your typical bodies of water… Instead, Tress has to traverse the treacherous currents of oceans made out of fungal spores, each type of them highly toxic or volatile, responding to agitation in deadly ways. Helped along the way by a lovable cast of (pirate) characters, including a talkative rat, Tress’ adventures are some you won’t easily forget. 10. Dreams of the Dying - Nicholas Lietzau Dreams of the Dying deserves a little bit of an extra shout-out for being the only independently published book to make the list. It’s also somewhat of an outlier, as it’s technically part of a planned series, but can still be (very satisfactory) be read as a standalone. Some Skyrim-players may be familiar with this author from his brilliant work on the total conversion mod Enderal, which happens to be one of my favourite games of all time. Dreams of the Dying is set in the same world, but follows a completely standalone story. It blends fantasy, with elements of horror and brilliant character work into one of the most memorable novels I’ve ever come across. We follow Jespar, a mercenary with a haunted past, who’s taken to drifting along the Enderelean coasts and any city with a decent-sized tavern. When a mysterious, but extremely well-paying job invites him into the beautiful but dangerous archipelago of Kilay, it all seems like a dream come true. That dream soon turns out to be more of a (literal) nightmare. Wrecked by political turmoil, the tropical empire is on the edge of a civil war, and Kilay's merchant king is the only person able to prevent this catastrophe. Unfortunately he has fallen into a preternatural coma-and it's Jespar's task to figure out what or who caused it. As the investigation takes him across the archipelago and into the king's nightmares, unexpected events not only tie Jespar's own life to the mystery but also unearth inner demons he believed to be long exorcised. Brilliantly addressing themes of both political- and mental health-nature, it’s not just the wonderfully crafted characters that will occupy a space in your mind long after you turn the final page. Perhaps these books have sparked your fantasy fever, and leave you craving more. In that case, be sure to check out my Fantasy Favourites: Part 1 for some series and fantasy in other forms of media. Or maybe just get excited with me, over some books that are on my TBR, that I have a feeling might my future favourite 5-star reads as well. Honourable Mentions and 5-star predictions Never the Wind by Francesco Dimitri The main reason that this book gets an honourable mention-spot, rather than a full favourite, is that I hesitate to call it a full-on fantasy novel. It's more so a coming of age tale some influences of magical realism and gothic horror, very similar to The Ocean at the End of the Lane. That doesn't make it any less worth the read however. Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins  The Library at Mount Char is a fantasy-sci-fi-horror hybrid that I’d heard such mixed things about, yet the only thing reviewers seemed to agree on is that is it strange and quite dark, and more than a little absurdist at times. It all begins with a missing God, his not-quite-human daughter, and a regular Joe (actually named Steve) framed for his murder… What follows is a tale that is fast paced, dark, delicious and wholly unique in world, characters and story. I absolutely loved this wild ride from start to finish. From Dust a Flame by Rebecca Podos  From Dust a Flame  is a Jewish-inspired contemporary-fantasy with themes of family, self-discovery and retracing your (cultural and familial) roots at its core. We follow 17-year old Hannah and her adoptive brother Gabe, who’ve never had a place to truly call home. Every year-or-so their free-spirited mum uproots the family to move cross country; no trails left behind, no extended family to inform, and no explanations provided. That silence is forcefully broken when Hannah falls victim to a curse that mutates her body in impossible ways overnight. Their search for answers leads Gabe and Hannah down the path of her Jewish ancestry, along myths, legends and the tragic history that their family has carried for generations. The Last Memoria - Rachel Emma Shaw Similarly to Dreams of the Dying, this too is an indie-accomplishment that deserves to reach a far larger audience. In this standalone fantasy novel about memory, prejudice and more, we follow a young womans fight for survival against all odds. In a world where Memoria (humans who can steal and transfer memories by touch) are shunned and hunted for their magical ability, we follow one of the last of them, Sarilla, on the run from the king and her own past. Her plans go awry when she runs into Falon, one of her “victims”. This leads the two of them, not just into a high stakes external journey, but one of selfdiscovery on both their parts as well. Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan ver the past few years, the genre of “feminist witch fiction” has become so oversaturated that I’ve burned out on it a little bit. Leave it to one of my all-time favourite authors however, to put a spin on it that makes me adore it again. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern Although it's a fan-favourite amongst many readers, The Night Circus didn't wow me quite enough to land a full spot on the list, but is beautifully crafted enough to place itself as an honourable mention. If only because the imagery it created still lives rentfree in my mind, and it's the "circus-novel" against chich I compare all others.

Although I've talked about plenty of fantasy novel in my reviews over the past few months, it's been a long time since I've given you an update on my fantasy-favourite. A comprehensive review of all my current favourites, if you will. Today I'm here to talk about my 10 favourite fantasy-series, as off this moment in time, as well as 5 honourable mentions and 5 series on my short-term TBR that I hope will feature in the my next favourite-list. As a bonus, I'll also talk shortly about some of my fantasy-favourites from other medial, including TV, film and videogames. The following list is created in roughly the order I read them in, as I couldn't be asked to pick a favourite amongst my darlings... 1. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini The Inheritance Cycle might be a risky one to put in first place, as it's recieved so many mixed responses over the years from fantasy-readers. I've heard it called anything from "equivalent to a modern-day Tolkien" to "the most bloated, box-standard fantasy ever written", and I can sort of see the truth in all these points of view. To me however, The Inheritance Cycle will always have a special place in my heart, as it was my personal introduction into high-fantasy. For many fellow-readers the Harry Potter Series fills that role, but as a middle-schooler/pre-teen I really wasn't into that series. Instead, my best friend and I became slightly obsessed with Eragon and his adventures. I have many treasured memories talks with her about these books, playing the (pretty awful) Gameboy-game adaptation together, and later even dragging our mums into reading these books with us. Those memories make it deserving of a spot on this list, even though I'll most likely never reread the series as I don't want to risk it not holding up. Most of you will probably be familair with the story, but Eragon follows the titular farmboy, who discovered a mysterious blue stone in the forests around his village. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Eragon is thrown into his own unexpected hero's journey from thereon out, as he must develop into the role of the legendary dragon-rider he'll become. 2. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman Equally formative in my years as a younger reader was the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, which I also read together with my mum, and have many happy memories of discussing with her. Where Eragon was all about the fantasy-world and the dragons for me, His Dark Materials shone in its character-work and deeper ideas behind it. Lyra is still one of my favourite fantasy-protagonists to this day, and watching her growth throughout the series was a joy. Another contrast to Eragon is my conviction that this series holds up completely upon reread. Just don’t make the mistake of continuing the later spin-off series Secrets of the Commonwealth… Let’s all pretend that cash-grab didn’t happen. Set in a world quite similar to our own, except where a fragment of each person’s soul exists outside of their bodies in the form of a sentient animal, we follow Lyra; a smart, passionate and feisty orphan, who grew up in the care of the Oxford college’s Master. One day, she picks up hints of conversations among the academics about a controversial elementary particle known only as “Dust”, that’s seemingly more attracted to adults than to children. Soon she finds herself in over her head, in a plot involving parallel worlds, aletiometers, witches of the north and a quest to save her missing best friend from a faith worse than death. 3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor For a reader/reviewer who’s known to cringe at any sickly sweet, or god forbid, angsty romance subplots in her fantasy, you might be surprised to see this series make an appearance. With a number of tropes that I usually wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, Laini Taylor is proof that in the hands of a true master anything can work. Daughter of Smoke and Bone drew me in with its mystery (yes, I do recommend going into this series as blind as possible), and kept me hooked with its lovable and memorable characters, it’s stunning atmosphere and setting, and of course Taylors trademark lyrical writing. Don’t be like me, and let the tropes (or the alternative, blue-haired protagonist) fool you into thinking this is “just another YA-urban fantasy”. There is so much more to this story than first meets the eye, and I devoured this series with ravenous appetite. As mentioned, I want to recommend anyone to go into this series blind, so I won’t give anything away as far as the synopsis is concerned. Instead, I’ll simply quote the backflap of the book, in case you want a bit more of an idea. Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole. 4. The Diviners by Libba Bray Sticking to YA-urban fantasy, I have to mention The Diviners. Similarly to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I wasn’t expecting to love this series as much as I did, but I fell completely in love with the atmosphere, the cast of characters and their “found-family” friendship. The Diviners also was the first to introduce me to something important I had never seen before in an urban fantasy: representation. Specifically, representation of gay- and disabled characters, in a way that didn’t cast them to be the villains, victims or “someone to be saved”. Seeing these characters stand on their own, ánd being accepted into this found-family for everything they were (and not despite their orientation and/or disability), was incredibly powerful to teen-me. The Diviners to this day, still has one of my favourite casts of colourful characters, representative of many minorities without ever feeling like it’s just “a bunch of token-characters”. Every single one of them feels unique, real and well-rounded, and I came to love all of them over the course of these 4 books. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, rakish pickpockets, and something more dark altogether. Evie O’Neil is ecstatic to have exchanged her small and boring hometown for the bustling streets of the Big Apple, ready to mingle with the modern crowds. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. When the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes that she may be the only one with the means to solve the mystery, by ways of the supernatural power she’s tried to keep hidden all this time. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. Other stories involving other characters with potential occult powers of their own. 5. The Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch From hereon out, we reach my more recent reads, including some where the online book-community made me aware of their existence. As much of a sensation Locke Lamore and its sequels were in the UK and US, it didn’t seem to catch on in the Netherlands in the same way. I’ve never seen a Dutch translation of it in bookstores, and the English mass-market paperbacks seem to be banished to the bottom shelves everywhere they appear. Well it’s our loss as Dutchies for sleeping on this series, because I absolutely loved it for its combination of humour and heart, and its wonderful portrayal of a loving friendship between the two main characters. The Lies of Locke Lamora follows Locke, a quick-fingered orphan living on the streets of the island city of Camorra. Life is often short and treacherous for a street urchin, and requires thieving and schemes in order to survive. Luckily, that’s exactly what Locke does best. Over the years, Locke gathers a band of fellow-misfits and thieves around him, and grows to be the leader of the cities most infamous thieves-guild known as the Gentlemen Bastards; civilized thieves specialising in high-stakes cons. Rather than relying on brute-force, each heist is a carefully planned game of chess, with Locke as its gamemaster. All seems well, until Locke encounters a worthy foe to match his schemes, and gets wrapped up in a game that is about more than money alone. 6. Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson Similar to the previous entry, we have another epic fantasy series with a thieving street-urchin as its protagonist and a heist-plot at its core. What can I say; it’s my favourite fantasy-trope. That is largely where the similarities end however, as the other elements of these books (including my reasons for loving them) are quite different. Where the Gentlemen Bastards series is very light on the magic and heavy on the three-dimensional-chess levels of thinking, Mistborn goes in on the magic. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite fantasy authors when it comes to unique and well-thought out magic-systems, and this one is perhaps his greatest of all. The magicsystem of Mistborn focusses around Allomancy; the power to harvest magical powers from ingesting precious metals. Each metal gives the consumer a distinct ability (until of course, it is burned out), and each person has an affinity to only one type of metal. Except for the few individuals known as “Mistborn”, who have the innate ability to consume all metals and hone their powers. It's a magic-system with such clear rules and limitations, that it feels more like a science than anything supernatural, making it easier for rational-me to suspend my disbelief completely, and fall head-over-heels into the story. In a post-apocalyptic world, where The Dark Lord has won and ash fell from the sky for thousands of years, the Skaa-people have been subjected to slavery and misery for centuries. Vinn was one of them, until she was picked off the streets by the mysterious Kelsier, one of the last remaining Mistborn and leader of an underground rebellion, who sees within her the potential for magic. Can Vinn hone her powers, and change the future of the Skaa for good? 7. The Founders Trilogy Robert Jackson Bennet I will often recommend Mistborn and The Founders Trilogy in tandem, as they have a similar vibe to me, and I love them for much the same reasons. Compared to Mistborn though, people are still sleeping on this series, so I hope my recommendation will change that for at least a few of you. The Founders Trilogy too has a very unique and science-based magic system with a basis in Alchemy and changing an ordinary objects material properties. Don’t let me spoil any more of it though, as part of the fun is in figuring out this magic alongside our protagonist Sancia. Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. Her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is seemingly nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. This object could change the power dynamics of the Merchant Houses of Tevanne, and change the inhabitants way of life forever. Outlawed, and with a high bounty on her head, Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies and learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, if she wants a chance to survive, as well as prevent a magical-disaster of apocalyptic proportions from happening. 8. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames No fantasy series on this list has brought me as much unashamed joy as Kings of the Wyld did. Mixing action-packed fantasy, a lovable cast of characters and actually laugh-out-loud humour, I’ve described this series before as “A DND-campaign on crack, but in the best way possible”, and I stand by that description. Kings of the Wyld (as well as its sequel Bloody Rose) is one of the few fantasies that takes itself serious enough to deliver a story with edge-of-your-seat-action and genuine heartfelt character-moments that had me tearing up, but also not serious enough to avoid taking the piss at classic fantasy-tropes. Unlike the previous entries on this list, The Band is a series in the looser sense, in that you can read each as a standalones, but some characters will make a reappearance. I highly recommend you to read them in order however, as some of the cameo’s in Bloody Rose will have more of an impact if you know the events of Kings of the Wyld. Be aware before you start this series that the final book Outlaw Empire isn’t out yet, and is set for release for late 2023. Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best: the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld. Now their glory days have long past, and Clay and his friends have grown into old, fat, drunk (or a combination of all) dads, enjoying their homey-retirement. When one of their daughters goes missing however, the band must pull themselves together for one final adventure. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is “just a comedy at the expense of DND-archetypes grown old” though. What these characters lack in physical prowess and youth, they make up for in maturity, experience and being completely attuned and familiar with each other over the years, making them a force to be reconned with. 9. Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse Some fantasy-series take some time and investment to get into. In contrast, there are books like Black Sun that grab you from page one and don’t let you go until the last word. Between Earth and Sky is a fantasy-series that takes inspiration from pre-Colombian American mythology, and weaves a tale of different races and civilizations, forbidden arcane magic, and dead Gods. From its vivid setting, to its diverse cast characters, each with their unique set of magical skills; this felt like the epitome of everything I love in epic fantasy, whilst also being something completely unique and original. As an additional bonus: the main cast features a blind character, as well as several queer characters and POC’s. All of these minorities deal with stigma’s and prejudice against them on page, and all of it is phenomenally handled in my opinion. Our story begins in the holy city of Tova, on the cusp of the Winter Solstice. What is usually a time of celebration, is overshadowed by a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world by a yet unknown force. Meanwhile a ship docks the Tovan shores, captained by a disgraced and outlawed Teek (a sea-people known for their ability to calm the waters, as well as the worth of their bones on the black market). She carries a single passenger, a blind man, cloaked in mystery and the weighted down by the destiny that he to plunge the world into a new era. 10. Alchemical Journeys by Seanan McGuire Last but not least is The Alchemical Journeys by Seanan McGuire; a series that has as of today 2 books out, with an unknown number still to come. It might be good to note that, similar to The Band, you can read all entries as standalones, but some characters from previous books will make cameo’s within the sequels. This series has been hit or miss for many especially since it’s a far departure from her most popular series The Wayward Children. I’ve seen many reviewers like one and dislike the other, and the same was true for me: I didn’t vibe with The Wayward Children, but completely fell in love with the mind-bending and slightly absurdist Alchemical Journeys. In Middlegame, we follow Roger and Dodger, twins who grew up in separate foster families, but have always had an almost supernatural connection to each other. They don’t know it quite yet themselves, but Roger and Dodger aren’t quite human. It may explain his unlikely affinity with words and languages, and her understanding of the structure of the world through maths and numbers. When Roger and Dodger meet up as adults, they find themselves wrapped up in an plot years-long in the making. One that involves alchemical creations, impossible cities and the possibility of Godhood to be attained… Honourable mentions: - The Blood sworn Saga by John Gwynne My first honourable mention has to go to a very recent read, namely The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne. I couldn't justify giving it a full spot on my favourite list already, as I've only read book 1, but if the series continues to be as good as that one, I have high hopes. It might also be good to mention that this series isn't completed yet; the first 2 books are out, with a predicted release-scedule of 1 book per year for the rest of the series... In a norse-mythology inspired world where the Gods have driven themselves to extinction following an age of constant infighting, we follow three characters, searching for their place in the world amongs the wreckage of a fallen age. - The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss Speaking of series that aren't completed... This one is going to hurt. I truly loved The Name of the Wind when I first read it, and I liked A Wise Man's Fear well enough to be extremely excited to see how this trilogy would end. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever find out, hence why this is an honourable mention as well. You have to be okay with the possibility that this series will never be completed, before you get into it. The Name of the Wind was published in 2007, with A Wise Mans Fear following a little under 4 years later. Now, 11 years have passed and there is no sign of Doors Of Stone yet. Rothfuss has spoken out about his severe writers-block concerning, so although I want to remain optimistic, my hopes are slowly dwindling. The Kingkiller Chronicles follows the ambitious life-story of the titular character, Kvoth, as he recounts it over the course of three nights at a bar. Adventures for the ages, mysteries, and perhaps a bit of an unreliable narrator make this story one you won't be able to forget soon. - The Winnowing Flame Trilogy - Jen Williams Following series that I haven't cemented my opinion on because the author hasn't completed them yet, this one is totally on me. I am the idiot that has yet to read the final book, and I'm hoping to change that soon, so I can decide wether this series will kick one of the others out of the top 10. We begin our story in once great city of Ebora; once the home of riches, wisdom and ruling tree-gods, now fallen into derelict after a world cataclysmic event only referred to as “the Eight Rain”. We follow three protagonists; an adventurous archaeologists/explorer (think female Indiana Jones, but British), a shy outlawed witch with a tendency for setting accidental fires, and a vain but charismatic Eborean fallen from grace, who’s ego hasn’t yet had the time to catch up to his new underdog status. When a series of unusual events hints at the possibility of a looming Ninth Rain, the three of them form an unlikely expedition team as they set out to uncover the mysteries of The Eight Rain, in order prepare for what’s to come. - Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin is one of those series that haunts me. "The one that got away" amongst my favourites, if you will. Out of all the works on this list, it's the one I probably wanted to love most, but have also struggled with the most. The Broken Earth series boasts one of my favourite plots, in one of my favourite worlds, with some of my favourite characters, written in my least favourite styles. It's a problem I've had with all of N.K. Jemisins works so far: I love her ideas, but her writingstyle just doesn't work for me, which keeps her books from being favourites of mine. That being said: I love anything else about this series, and had it written in a different style or format, it might have topped this list easily. Set in a world, where earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and natural disasters are constantly taking their toll on the earth and its people, we follow three characters, earch trying to survive this hostile enviroment. All the way helped ánd hindered by their heritage of being Orogene; an oppressed race of people with the powers to manipulate the natural forced around them. - Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo & Dreamers Duology by Leigh Bardugo My final two honourable mentions didn't make the main list for the same reason: they're both duologies and therefore didn't quite belong here, nor on the standalone list. Both duologies were written for a YA-audience, but could work great for any adult readers trying to dip their toes into the genre. Six of Crows is set in the same world as Leigh Bardugo's previous and most well-known series The Grisha-verse. Six of Crows narrows the scope to Ketterdam, a Ravkan city known for its trade (both legal and illegal). We follow a ragtag group of six misfits, banding together to pull off the most ambitious heist in history. From the cold Russian/Amsterdam inspired canals of Ketterdam, we move towards the desert city of Weep, where Laini Taylors Dreamers duology is set. It all begins with a dream: a young librarian is fascinated with the theoretical research of a mythical lost city called, of which even it's name is lost to time. He is ridiculed by his fellow scholars for his "fancyful hobby", until one day a group of explorers requests is expertise. The lost city of Weep might be more real than anyone has predicted, and this team of explorers is determined to unearth it. Fantasy in Other Media Although books are the meat-and-potatoes of this blog, I personally love when other reviewers tie in some other media in their recommendations as well. I wanted to do something similar, by including some high-fantasy films/TV-series and videogames. Although the latter was easier than I thought, the former proved a bit of a struggle, so I’m hoping to get some recommendations from my audience as well. Videogames: First off, I have to mention my favourite game,-series with one of the most extensively in-depth worlds in gaming-territory out there: The Elder Scrolls. Most gamers will be familiar with this series, for its most recent entry Skyrim, as well as the MMO-RPG The Elder Scrolls Online. I’m personally partial to the single-player games, but have to admit that I’ve spent hours reading up on the in-depth lore of this series as a whole, as the worldbuilding and magic-systems are incredible. When it comes to environmental story-telling, and lore, other games should take note. Similarly I have to mention the Witcher-games, based on the books by the same name. I personally was never able to get into the books, but I adored the games, specifically The Wild Hunt. Again: storytelling, worldbuilding and character-work are on point, and if you want bang for your buck when it comes to content: The Witcher 3 and its DLC are the way to go. Lastly, I want to mention a very unique and underrated fantasy game-world; namely that of Greedfall. Because of its AA-status and mixed reviews, it flew under the radar for many, but I feel like its world is absolutely worth a shout-out. Instead of your typical “fantasy-fighter”, Greedfall is more of a “Fantasy-colonial-simulator”, as it was described by some reviewers. We play as De Sardet, a noble from the Merchant Congregation, sent out to the seemingly paradisial island of Teer Fradee, in order to establish a new colony there. They soon discover the island is already rich with culture, mysticism, nature-based magic and monsters beyond anything they could’ve anticipated. It’s up to you to bridge alliances between the different cultures, as well as find a cure for the Malichor (a supernatural curse that’s plagued the island ánd the mainland for years now) in the process. The land of Teer Fradee, the magic-system and the in-depth relationships between the different factions are what makes Greedfall worthy of a place on this list. If you enjoy high-fantasy storytelling, especially with some political intrigue, this game might be exactly what you’re looking for. Films and TV: This is where I have a confession to make, and a question for you all… I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big TV-girl, and that I’ve missed out on many of the most popular shows from recent years. Part of that was a lack of time and interest, and part of that was that I didn’t own a TV, cable-subscription or streaming-service throughout my student-years, mainly for financial reasons… Therefore I don’t have anything recent to recommend here, other than the films mentioned in my 2019-series on Book-to-movie adaptations that don’t suck. If you have any recommendations for fantasy TV-shows or series; feel free to send them my way? Of course, book recommendations are always welcome as well. Click here for Part 2: Fantasy Favourite Standalones

Genre: Speculative fiction Published: Hodder & Stoughton/Sceptre, July 2022 My Rating: 3.5/5 stars “This novel is set in the near future. However, to minimise any need for mental arithmetic on the reader’s part, sums of money are presented as if the euro has retained its 2022 value with no inflation. This is the sole aspect in which the story deviates from how things will actually unfold.” So begins one of my most anticipated summer-releases of the year. A speculative eco-thriller packed to the brim with satirical humour and brilliant ideas, that does at times overexplain its message a bit. Venomous Lumpsucker is set in a disturbingly plausible near future, ravaged by climate change and overrun by capitalist mega-corporations. With ecosystems collapsing all around, the world governments must take action in the only way they know how: by enforcing protocols and financial penalties. Enter the Extinction-credit: a price to pay when exploiting an endangered species habitat. That price increases drastically when the species in question is deemed to be “intelligent”. What began as a protective measure, soon became a buyable freepass to wipe a species off the face of the planet. After all, it’s only 13 bucks, right? Until one day in the 2030’s, a cyberattack skyrockets the price of Extinction-credits, finally forcing “big-corpo’s” attention their way. This kicks off our plot following an unlikely team of a nature-conservatists and a morally bankrupt mining executive in a wild goose-chase through weird landscapes of this ravaged world. She, on a mission to prove that the titular fish is intelligent, he on a mission to prove that it is not… There’s a lot to love about Venomous Lumpsucker, especially for fans of speculative eco-fiction (which I consider myself to be as well). The world Ned Beauman creates is incredibly well thought out: mixing the familiar with the disturbingly alien. Where once were lush eco-systems now lie toxic wastelands, and political systems built on ideologies now only thrive of monetary gain. It’s terrifying because it’s plausible… Luckily Beauman balances out these moments of acute observation about our near-future with some satirical humour that brings some light to the situation. My only big complaint with the novel is that it did, at times, overstay its welcome a bit. As interesting as Beauman’s ideas are, not all of them required a novel-length exploration. The message becomes repetitive, edging on heavy-handed and at times dissipates the plot. The same goes for some of the passages about the animals that are on the brink of extinction. As an example: there’s an extensive description of the Adelognathus marginatum; the parasitic wasp that lays its eggs inside the body of a living ant. There’s a fairly interesting metaphor in there, but a more concise reference would’ve been more powerful than the pages upon pages of back-story on this wasp that we got. Ned Beauman’s message about greed an consumerism is clear: less is sometimes more. At times throughout the novel I wished that philosophy had been implemented a little more throughout the writing as well. Overall, 3.5/5 extinction credits for the Venomous Lumpsucker; it’s very intelligent, but a little lippy indeed… Recommended for fans of Jeff Vandermeer's Hummingbird Salamander. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

My favourite readathon, the Magical Readathon hoste by Bookroast, is back in August for the Orilium Autumn Equinox. This has been the only readathon I’ve consistently participated in over the past few years, and the combination of the depth of work the creator has put into this, as well as the wonderful community it has gathered over the years, has made it a joy to join every time. Because of all the work put into the creation of this readathon, I won’t give you some pale excuse for an summary in my own words. Instead I’d like to redirect you towards G from Bookroast’s youtube channel as well as the Orilium Twitter, where she explains everything for new participants as well as returning readers. As this is Semester 2 of this years rendition, I’ll also link my previous TBR in which I talk about my overarching goals and character-build. Links to all of G’s resources including a full prompt-list, as well as my own post with suggestions for books to fulfill the more tricky ones will be linked at the bottom of this page. With all that out of the way; let’s get into a short summary of my character and her progression thus far, and my TBR that will set her on her way for Semester 2. Character Summary: Meet Lyra, hailing from a small town in the deep Wild Forests of Aeldia. She comes from a long line of passionate herbalists and apothecaries, to whom natural magic and the art of potion crafting seem second nature. However, after years of being an apothecary’s apprentice, Lyra’s ambition has outgrown their small village. Fascinated by the art of combining natural ingredients to make potions, she wants to study a similar technique on bigger scale. This sent her on her journey to the Orilium-academy with dreams of becoming an Alchemist: a highly ambitious career, in which she’ll learn to combine the very elements of nature to craft magic itself. Throughout her previous challenges (her Gear-up, the Novice Path and the Spring Semester at the Academy) she joined the Guild of the Crescent and has reached Assistant-level. Autumn Equinox challenges: To progress in her career as an Alchemist, Lyra will need to complete the following subjects: An O in Animal Studies, An O in Astrology, a D in Alchemy, a D in Inscription, a Q in Spells&Incantations, an O in Restoration, an O in Demonology and a Q in Lore. This adds up to a total of 14 books for me to complete during the months of August, which will be a challenge, but considering I’ll have a week of vacation might be doable. Prompts and TBR: Animal Studies O: Study of Familiars: a book with animal companions Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Feston When animal companions were mentioned, my mind immediately went to middle-grade, and from there to an ARC I've aquired recently that I'm paticularly excited for. Leila and the Blue Fox is the “spiritual sequel” to Julia and the Shark, in which author-illustrator couple Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom the Feston joined forced to bring the natural world of the ocean to life. In Leila and the Blue Fox, we change focus to arctic mountains and frozen oceans, following the parallel journeys Leila and the titular arctic fox, both in search of a “home” of sorts… If this is even close to as good as Julia and the Shark, I’m happy to have my emotions trampled on once again… Astronomy O: Lillivae: a book with the letter L in the title Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman There’s something about matching a clearly beautiful word like “Lillivae” with a title like “Lumpsucker” that is strangely funny to my brain. I’ve recently discovered a new-found enjoyment for speculative eco-thrillers, so the recently released Venomous Lumpsucker sounded like it might scratch that itch. Following an unlikely team of a conservationist and a corrupt capitalist mining executive on a mission to save the titular fish from extinction, this promises to be a darkly funny track through the weird and ravaged landscape of the 2030’s climate-changed world. Alchemy O: Basics of Poison: a book from someone else’s “worst-list” They Drown Our Daughters by Catrina Monroe From the same BooksandLala-video series I took her “biggest disappointment” of last month. The reasons for her disappointment (this being more of an atmospheric family story about personal haunting than an actual horror novel) made me even more excited for it. With a name like Cape Disappointment, what else could Meredith Strands hometown be, but haunted? Meredith thought she had escaped the Cape years ago, but an acrimonious split from her partner, and her elderly mums recent diagnosis of early-Alzheimers disease, sends her and her daughter right back to the gloomy shores where she grew up. Immediately, the town and its grey shores regain their grip on Meredith. With coastal mists fogging up the edges, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern whether the familial curse that has lingered on the Strands is generational, or supernatural in nature… Q: Acidic Amber: a book with an orange cover To be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers I feel like Becky Chambers barely need an introduction in the sci-fi/fantasy community these days, with her pension for writing short character-driven sci-fi novella’s that have the impact of a novel twice their length. Perfect readathon material therefore! To be Taught if Fortunate is set in a future where science has made a recent breakthrough in spaceflight, that enables the exploration of exoplanets like never before. Ariadne is one such space explorer, send on a mission to survey four exoplanets that might harbour life. She and her fellow explorers spend their time in transit in cryo-sleep periodically waking for maintenance, each time with different features and bodily characteristics as a side-effect of their suspension. Ariadne chronicles her journey through time, space and form, as she finds not only herself and the crew, but also the Earth she’s left behind become increasingly unrecognisable. D: Willoweed: a one-word title Yonder by Ali Standish I think I may have included an Ali Standish novel in all of my previous Magical Readathon TBR’s over the last few years, and I have yet to be disappointed by any of her works. Ali Standish writes hard-hitting middle-grade fiction about with a focus on themes of family, friendship and navigating difficult home-situation in many forms. Where her previous books have all taken place in contemporary times, Yonder is her first sidestep into historical middle-grade. Yonder follows the friendship between two boys, Danny and Jack, against the background of 1940’s World War II Appalachian. When Jack disappears, Danny embarks on a journey to find his best friend. His only two leads are his suspicion that Jack’s father may have been abusive towards him, and the mention of the magical place called “Yonder” that Jack used to escape to. If this is anything like Standish’s previous works, this promises to be a heartbreaking, but stunning story that might become a new favourite within the middle-grade age-range. Spells and Incantations: O: Spell of Recolour: use a colour-wheel to determine the colour of the cover of your next read Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance – Emmie Ruth Lang This was such a creative prompt that I’ve never seen in a readathon before. My colour-wheel roulette landed on "night blue"; RGB 37-040-080 for anyone who cares. It immediately reminded me of the beautiful night-sky cover of Beast of Extraordinary Circumstance. To be completely honest; this book has been on my shelves for years now, and could’ve fit the prompt for the Banishing Spell (at risk of being unhauled) or Enchanted Scroll Mending (oldest book on your TBR) as well by this point. Still, the premise remains interesting to me: a magical-realist tale of a young boy with unique powers over nature, and the way he touches the lives around him. Q: Incantation Echo: pick a book from someone else’s TBR The Women Could Fly – Megan Giddings At the time of writing this, I hadn’t seen any Orilium-specific TBR’s uploaded yet, so I picked a book from the last TBR-video I watched on Youtube, which was by Kayla from BooksandLala where she mentioned her ARC of The Women Could Fly. Since I have the same ARC that requires reviewing this month, I thought it was a perfect match. The Women Could Fly is a speculative, dystopian novel, set in a world where witches are real and women are closely monitored for “suspicious behaviour” (such as being single, God forbid…). We follow Jo, a woman at constantly at risk of being suspected of witchcraft, on her journey to discover the path of her own life. The path behind her, by researching the faith of her mother who disappeared yeas earlier without a trace, and the path before her, by finding out what she wants in life, outside of societal expectations. Inscription: O: Glyph of recollection: reread a childhood favourite The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman If the fact that I put this reread on my Master-TBR for 2022 ánd named my character after this series protagonist weren’t enough already, then this prompt pushed me over the edge to finally pick this childhood-favourite back up for a reread. Although I’m planning on rereading the entire trilogy soon, I’m not putting this 1000+ brick of a bind-up as one entry. Instead I’m only pledging to reading the first book The Golden Compass (also published under the title The Northern Lights). Hopefully the second and third will follow later this year. Q: Inking techniques: a graphic novel, comic or manga The Monstrous Dreams of Mr. Providence by Daria Schmitt I have a confession to make: I have never been able to get into manga/graphic novels. I’ve tried on multiple occasions, but I’ve never actually enjoyed a single one of them. I love illustrations and art, and wanted to like this genre, but as a form of consuming stories, it’s something that just doesn’t work for me. Originally therefore, I did the same as I did in my recommendations list, and altered this prompt to include illustrated novels as well (in fact I had Leila and the Blue Fox down for this one). Then one of my friends convinced me to try a graphic novel one last time, and I caved. So here we go, I’m trying one final time, because the illustrations looked so stunning flipping through it. I’m reading The Monstrous Dreams of Mr. Providence by Daria Schmitt, a graphic novel about the titular caretaker of a seemingly ordinary city park. Yet when night falls; the mysterious entities that make the park their home emerge, and providence must protect its visitors, despite the doubts of his corporate-minded new manager. I have no idea what to expect, so take any opinion I have on this with a huge pinch of salt, as this is about as far outside my comfort zone as I’ve ever gone for a readathon. Restoration: O: Object Restoration: a single object as the focus on the cover Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin To keep this TBR semi-manageable I knew I had to include some shorter novels as well, so I went scouring my Goodreads-shelves for a shorter book to fit this prompt. Up came Fever Dream's horse-cover by Samanta Schweblin, a story that I know very little about, but have been intrigued to read for quite some time now. Feverdream is the tale of a young woman, lying dying on a hospital bed in a rural clinic, and the boy sitting by her side. He is not her son, she is not his mother. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family. I realise this is very little to go off, but accounts of hospital-acquired deliriums are fascinating to me, especially since my time working on an ICU-ward and talking with patients about their experiences with them. I’m hoping Fever Dream will capture those vibes. Demonology: O: Imp Wrangling: a fantasy novel Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse To stick with the “theme” of fever: I’m sooo excited to finally have my hands on Fevered Star. This is the much anticipated sequel to Black Sun, one of my favourite fantasy-reads of last year, so you can bet I was going to find a way to weasel this one into my TBR somehow. Luckily, there was an easy prompt for it. To avoid any spoilers for book one, I won’t give you a synopsis, but I’ll link Black Sun as well as my thoughts on it here. Lore: O: Aeldia’s Regional Anthropology: a book that has the same colours as your country’s flag Lean Stand Fall by John McGregor This was probably the hardest prompt to match, as my flag (the Netherlands) is red, white and blue, and very few covers have all three of these colours. Eventually I found one at the library that happened to be on my TBR already: Lean Stand Fall by John McGregor. This latest release by the author of Resevoir Thirteen revolves around an arctic exploration gone horribly wrong, and the physical and emotional fallout that follows for the man involved as well as his family, who must now step into the role of caretaker. I’ve heard it to be a book about caretaking, about language and storytelling, heard it compared to Night Sleep Death The Stars by Rachel Carol Oates, and all of it combined got be even more excited to read it and find out for myself. Q: Myths of Syldoris: a story featuring betrayal In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado Another difficult prompt to fit, as I feel like knowing a book features betrayal might spoil some plot elements. However, the perfect fit did come to mind fairly quickly, as what worse form of betrayal exists than domestic/relational abuse exacted by a loved one. That is exactly what Carmen Maria Machado tackles in her memoir. Knowing that these are someone’s real experiences will give it a completely different, and difficult dimension compared to reading about fictional betrayal, but I feel up for the emotional challenge. Links to resources and references for the Magical Readathon: BookRoasts Announcement Video on Youtube Google Drive including all printables and prompt-sheets Magical Readathon Twitter Orilium Discord

Although my TBR is already complete and set, I wanted to use the Magical Readathon as an excuse to talk about some books I’ve (recently) loved as well. What better way to do that, then to give you some recommendations for some of the more specific prompts that are included in the subjects. G always does an amazing job of balancing her prompts to create a mix of highly specific and very up for interpretation. Following below is a list of the 14 subjects, and their more “specific” prompts, as well as 3 books to match the prompt that I’d recommend. All titles are linked to their respective Goodreads pages, for easy reference, and full synopsises. With that all out of the way: let's talk books: Animal Studies: Study of Familiars: a book featuring animal companions Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger recommended for: anyone who’s ever wanted to read about a ghost-dog-companion. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman recommended for: pretty much any fantasy reader! This is such a foundational part of the fantasy-cannon, that you have to at least give it a go. The “companions” in this case are actually reflections of peoples souls/personality manifesting as shapeshifting animal companions, that takes permanent form as you age. A Million Things – Emily Spurr recommended for: if you’re in the market for a good cry. In this heart-breaking, yet hopeful story, a young girl faced with a terrible tragedy, keeps herself standing against all odds with the help of her grumpy elderly neighbour and her beloved family dog. Grab your tissues, because you’ll need them. Familiar Hare: a book with a rabbits on the cover or title Note that I’m including both hare as well as rabbits, as both can be very similar looking, depending on illustration style. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher recommended for: readers in the market for a retelling of The House of Usher by one of horrors best modern authors. Rabbits by Terry Miles recommended for: fans of technothrillers and ARG’s, written in the style of Blake Crouch. Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden recommended for: literary fiction fans who enjoy a bit of magical realism and prose that boarders on poetry. Familiar Raven: a book with a raven on the cover or title Same here: I’m including both ravens as well as crows. I’m also leaving out Six of Crows and The Raven Boys, as I feel like they’re a given already… Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse recommended for: fans of epic fantasy, set in a phenomenally built world with pre-Columbian American influences. Year One by Nora Roberts recommended for: dystopian readers who aren’t over the pandemic trope yet Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro recommended for: fans of the world of Harry Potter, the vibes of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and the magical orphanage-trope of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, but aged up to an adult audience. Astronomy: Ravensparn: a story featuring archers/rangers Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames recommended for: fans of D&D, subversions of classical tropes, or a little bit of humor and a whole lot of heart in their fantasy. The Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan recommended for: fantasy readers craving the nostalgia of the good old “early days of YA-fantasy”. This sure was a foundational one for me. An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan recommended for: fans of Romeo & Juliet, or who wanted to fulfil this prompt with something other than a fantasy read. Meile: a book featuring multiple people on the cover There are too many good options for this one to feature all, but if you want some advice on where to find some; check out some (classic) fantasy covers or movie-adaptation covers, as they will often feature multiple cast members. Alchemy: Basics of Poisons: a book from someone’s “worst” list For this one, I’m giving you three of my personal worst books, that I know are very beloved by others. It pains me to “recommend” these in any way shape or form, but I know that many other readers hold these close to their hard. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig as featured in my worst of 2020-list The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid as featured in my worst of 2018-list Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire as featured in my worst of 2019-list Adidic Amber: a book with an orange cover Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power recommended for: YA-thriller readers and fans of the trope of the spooky rural village surrounded by haunted cornfields… The Martian by Andy Weir recommended for: sci-fi readers in search of a hopeful survival tale with a phenomenal snarky, inventive and resilient protagonist. Because what better to read for a book with an orange cover, than one set on the orange planet. Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to shout out this recent favourite; a lyrical literary debut about a woman’s co-inhabitation of her body with the cancer that upturned her life, and that of her family. This won’t be a recommendation for everybody, but it felt so much like a quintessential me-book, that I had to mention it. Speaking of quintessential me-books about disability/illness/body: I could also recommend Sitting Pretty, a memoir by wheelchair-using author and poet Rebekah Taussig for this prompt. Artificery: Arcane Engineering: a book featuring AI Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers recommended for: character drive sci-fi fans, in search of short and impactful fantasy. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini recommended for: sci-fi dare-devils who love to get completely lost in a story, and aren’t afraid to pick up an 800+ brick during a readathon. The Unseen World by Liz Moore recommended for: anyone who wanted to fill this prompt with something other than sci-fi: here is a heartfelt literary fiction about a girl and her father as his mind regresses due to Alzheimers disease. Conjurations: Necromancy: a book featuring necromancy House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland recommended for: fans of modern dark fairytales, looking for a short and creepy horror read. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupecko recommended for: dark-fantasy YA readers looking to start a new, underrated series. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin recommended for: fans of classic fantasy Tales of Bonefell: “bone” on the cover or in the title The Boneshard Daughter – Andrea Stewart recommended for: fans of epic fantasy. Als features a bone-dog, ánd necromancy-like magic, so could fit multiple prompts here. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor recommended for: fantasy readers who like their stories with a good helping of romance. Also anyone who wants to see the angels-and-demons trope done right for once. Bone Gap – Laura Ruby recommended for: fans of small town magical realism with vibes of The Raven Cycle. Demonology: Imp Wrangler: read a fantasy although there’s choice aplenty, I can’t pass up an opportunity to talk about some of my recent fantasy-favourites. Foundryside trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett recommended for: fans of Brandon Sanderson, looking for a fantasy trilogy with great characters and a wonderfully built fantasy world with a steampunk-ish magic system. Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne recommended for: epic fantasy readers, lovers of Norse-inspired saga’s, and Skyrim-players looking for a novel with similar vibes to that game. Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins recommended for: fans of humorous, slightly chaotic fantasy. Think: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, or anything Terry Pratchett. Inscription: Inking techniques: an illustrated book As comics/manga’s/graphic novels are a genre I’ve personally never been able to get into, I’ve altered this prompt to include illustrated works as well. If you want to similarly alter the prompt, here are some suggestions on which books to use for them. Julia and the Shark or Leila and the Blue Fox, both by Kiran Millwood Hargrave & Tom the Feston recommended for: fans of middle grade novels with themes of family and mental health, combined with an exploration of the natural world. Artstyle-wise: stunning black and white illustrations with accents of a single colour (yellow for Julia, and blue for Leia) Tales from the Inner City or The Arrival, both by Shaun Tan recommended for: fans of illustrated short-stories with themes of belonging and viewing the world through a lens different from your own. Art style-wise: multicoloured watercolour illustrations The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman recommended for: dark-fairy tale lovers, or anyone interested in the exploration of childhood memories and the way we see the world as kids (that’s what I personally loved most about this tale). Art style-wise: black and white shaded ink illustrations. Stilling the mind: a cosy read The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door, both by T.J. Klune recommended for: cosy-fantasy readers who enjoy themes of found family and a good wholesome M-M-romance. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Oseman recommended for: cosy-mystery fans, think: Miss Marple in a modern coat of paint. A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison recommended for: fans of middle-grade fantasy, like The Trials of Morrigan Crow, Frostheart, or The Girl who Drank the Moon. Any middle-grade fantasy could work for this prompt, but I wanted to shout out A Pinch of Magic in particular, because I feel like it’s an underserving underdog compared to its peers. Elemental studies: The Element of Water: Start a book with a drink This one is a little “up for interpretation”, as I feel like G just meant to have a drink whilst reading this next read. Still, I wanted to give some “drink-specific” recommendations that would be perfect to pair with their corresponding drink. Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour Not only does the cover feature a drink, this novel takes place partially inside a cocktail bar, where the two main characters meet. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel One of my favourite literary fiction novels follows a main character who is a bartender at a hotel. Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Although I personally didn’t enjoy this one, it perfectly fits this prompt and I know for a fact that it’s a bit of a darling of the book-community. Wave Manipulation: a sea setting Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armsfield recommended for: fans of literary horror, with an oceanic setting. The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake recommended for: YA contemporary readers who aren’t afraid of themes of grief, or the risk of a good book cry… The Seawomen by Chloe Timms recommended for: fans of feminist-dystopian fiction (ala The Handmade’s Tale or The Crucible), featuring mermaid-folklore with a modern coat of paint. One of my most recent oceanic-reads that I couldn’t pass up shouting out here. Lore: Ancient Caves of Daerune: a desert setting Sundial by Catriona Ward recommended for: horror readers in search of a supernatural tale that feels claustrophobic and oppressive, not only from its themes, but the squelching heat of its setting. The Desert Sky Before Us by Anne Valente recommended for: fans of roadtrip stories and explorations of sisterly bonds. The Hour of Bees by Lindsay Eagar recommended for: anyone looking for a quick but emotional middle-grade read. Psionics and Divination: Time-theory: A book featuring time-travel Dark Matter or Recursion by Blake Crouch recommend for: the quintessential mindbending-time-travel-thriller experience. The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton recommended for: murder-mystery fans, looking to dip their toes in the waters of time travel. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel recommended for: character-driven speculative fiction readers, especially those who’ve read and enjoyed St. John Mandels previous works Restoration Object restoration: a single object as the focus on the cover Middegame by Seanan McGuire recommended for: fantasy fans who love stories of alchemy, metaphysical shenanigans and slightly disturbed but lovable characters. Must be able to suspend your disbelieve and confusion in order to get into the story though. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher recommended for: fans of The Willows by Algernon Blackwood, or anyone interested in portal-fantasy meets horror. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio recommended for: fans of dark academia, or The Secret History but with younger protagonists. Shapeshifting: Formation of Wings: wings on the cover Me (Moth) by Amber McBride recommended for: fans of poetry or novels in verse. Content warning for themes of grief. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor recommended for: urban fantasy readers who enjoy their prose on lyrical side The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan recommended for: fans of magical realism featuring themes of grief, like A Monster Calls or King and the Dragonflies. Arcane Anatomy: “Anatomy” in the title Anatomy of Dreams by Chloe Benjamin recommended for: fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Immortalists, or anyone in search of a literary thriller with themes with dreams. An Anatomy of Beasts by Olivia A. Cole recommended for: YA sci-fi readers and fans of the James Cameron Avatar movies. Mind you: An Anatomy of Beasts is the sequel to A Conspiracy of Stars. The Unseen Body: A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy by Jonathan Reisman recommended for: fans of medical non-fiction I hope this list has helped at least one of you with finding the right book to add to your personal TBR. I could've honestly made this list longer, so if you're looking fo a specific recommendation, I'd love to help you out. Feel free to message me on Goodreads or my blog. Until then, happy reading.

Genre: Fantasy Published: Del Rey Books, April 2022 My Rating: 1/5 stars I really enjoyed Rory Powers unique style and her pension for nature-based body-horror in her previous works, so when I heard she was releasing an adult fantasy novel, I was beyond excited. Unfortunately In A Garden Burning Gold let me down bad, as it both lacked the unique style I was expecting, ánd distinctly failed to feel like an adult-novel. The Premise: Our story is set in a Greco-Romanian inspired world, following Rhea and Lexos; twins imbued with magical powers over the elements, seasons and stars. For centuries, their fathers iron-hand ruling has kept the country under their family’s reign. But with father becoming increasingly unhinged and surrounding countries threatening to encroach on their territory, the siblings are forced to take matters into their own hands. Soon they’re caught up in a high-stakes-game that blends the lines between political and familial intrigue, and plays them out against each other. What I liked: As you can tell from this premise: this book had so many cool ideas. Power introduces us to a setting that she’s clearly thought in depth about, and concepts that could be setting up something great. Take the nature-bound magic of one sibling “pushing forth the seasons” and the other “knitting stars into the night-sky”, combined with the more alchemical elements of building mechanical animals to manifest into life elsewhere. The “setting” for greatness is there. Unfortunately, that’s all there is. What I didn’t like: I reserve my one-star reviews for books I actively dislike, or feel like “shouldn’t exist”. This book fits the latter in the most literal sense: it shouldn’t exist as a separate book. Instead, this duology should’ve been condensed waaaay down, and all this book did over the course of almost 500 pages could (and should) have been the first three chapters of that final book. I’m not sure if this was a publishers push because duologies sell, but it felt bloated and stretched to the point where this was just worldbuilding and no plot. And not even good worldbuilding mind you… there’s a distinct lack of showing and an overabundance of telling, the world soon begins to feel like an exact replica of all the other Greco-Romanian inspired YA-fantasy worlds out there, and despite their page time, characters still have the emotional depth of cardboard cut-outs. Despite being marketed as an adult novel, this has all the hallmarks of a YA-novel: immature and naïve characters that read far younger than they’re supposed to be. Unnecessary, cringy romance plotlines. But above all: a remarkable lack of “willingness to go out there”, making this book and all its characters nothing but forgettable. It was such a departure from what I’d expected from the author, that it exaggerated my disappointment. Where Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down felt like quite unique takes on YA-horror, this was one of the most bland and vanilla takes on YA-fantasy I’ve read in a while. I won’t be continuing this duology, and I’m really hoping for a return to form from Rory Power in her next work. Not necessarily a return to the horror-genre perse, but a return to her tight pacing, sense of mystery and willingness to take a risk. And I hope her publisher will recognise that we come to Rory for her strange fantasy, not for her to write formulaic fantasy based of the latest selling tropes in YA-fantasy. Apologies for this debby-downer of a review: finishing this novel just left me with an intense feeling of “my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined”, that I haven’t had in a long time. Find this book on Goodreads

Genre: Fantasy, Horror Published: Titan Books, originally published in June 2015 Actual Rating: 4.5/5 stars “Step into the darkness with me, child... I will make of you a God.” The Library at Mount Char had become a bit of a TBR-resident, as a book I’ve been equal parts interested and intimidated by since its release. I had heard a lot of mixed things, mainly complaints about the story being too weird and hard to get into, leading me to put it off for so long. Let me tell you: I was doing myself a disservice, as this was my kind of weird. It all begins with a missing God, his not-quite-human daughter, and a regular Joe (actually named Steve) framed for his murder… What follows is a tale that is fast paced, dark, delicious and wholly unique in world, characters and story. I absolutely loved this wild ride from start to finish. Hawkins shows an incredible amount of confidence and trust in the reader from the get-go, dropping you off in medias res and leaving you little time to acclimatize to the bizarre world that is unfolding around you. No time is wasted on introductions, or explaining the rules to this strange pantheon of demi-gods he’s created, and the metaphysical game of 6D-chess they’ve been caught up in for decades. Instead he introduces the game: incomprehensible universal power. He introduces the players: the Pelapi, children of the library, each with a unique “catalogue” of skills, and each a little less (or should I say more>) than human themselves. He drops you in alongside his favourite pawn and let’s you figure the rest out for yourself. It's a risky choice (especially for a debut author!) but when done well it’s my favourite way of “worldbuilding”. And done well it was; like many other readers I was often confused, but never lost and always intrigued to see where the story would go next. “Are you a Buddhist?” “No. I’m an asshole. But I keep trying.” Apart from the plot and the world, what makes this book so memorable is its completely bonkers cast of characters. None of which are your typical fantasy-hero, and all of which you’ll either love to hate or hate to love. Take David; the hulking embodiment of combat, war and violence, all wrapped up in a pink tutu. Or Jenifer; the gentle-hearted healer who dips into her own medicine a bit too often to soothe her own pain. Or Carolyn; master of all languages (human and otherwise), who still fails spectacularly at actual communication. Or Naga; who is a moody lion… No literally; one of our more likable protagonists is an actual lion. Their interactions lead to a number of absurdist situations and dialogues that in the hands of another author might have become too cookie but, in Hawkins’ quick and effortless voice, were genuinely funny. My two complaints that robbed the book of its final half-a-star for me came to light near the end. Firstly, the final “reveal” hinges upon some wonky character-motivation that I couldn’t really understand. . Secondly, and sort of following from the first one: there’s quite a lot of violence inflicted upon the (female) characters in this story, some of which is “in the name of character-motivation”. It’s something I generally dislike, and this teetered very close to the edge there. I'm chosing to keep this review spoiler-free here, but you can find a spoiler-section within my Goodreads review if you want to know more of these issues. “Your affection is not meaningless to me, puny one. I shall devour you another day.” I’m ending my review on this quote, as it feels fitting. The Library at Mount Char is a book that doesn’t need or care for my affection and praise. It is what it is, confident in its own unique and possibly marmite character. To me it was the right kind of strange. Only one way to find out if it’s yours too… Many thanks to Titan Books for providing me with a finished copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. You can find this book here on Goodreads.

Genre: Literary Fiction Published: Picador Press, April 2015, originally published May 2010 My Rating: 4.5/5 stars "Nothing is over yet, she told herself. The cat's still inside." I’m going to keep this review fairly short, as I’ve already spread my love for Emily St. John Mandel so many times before on this site, that I feel like I’m becoming a broken record. She stands out as one of my favourite writers of all time, with her absolute mastery over the art of language, structuring, character-work and story-telling as a whole. I love her knack for stories that feel so “reaching” and yet intimate in scope; her narratives and characters appear fractured over different places in time and space, which cements the sense of quiet isolation that’s present in all her work. Yet she also manages to thread all these lines together into an interconnected story, where all the elements and details just fall into perfect place. She makes true on this books title with that, as I believe the “gun” is a reference to Chekhovs gun; a literary device that Mandel is a master of. The Singers Gun has all these elements in place, yet despite being I sold 4.5-star read, is still my least favourite Mandel thus far. It’s fully a matter of personal taste, as this particular story and characters were simply least appealing to me. Anton’s attempted escape from his criminally tied past, creates the perfect backdrop for Mandel to work her character-magic, but it’s simply a trope that I don’t tend to love personally. If you want to get into Emily St. John Mandels work (which YOU SHOULD!), and are usually more of a thriller-mystery reader, I feel like this might be your perfect entry point. If you’re an established ESJM-fan like me, you already know what you’re in for. Don’t just stick to her latest works: the “older stuff” is (almost!) just as brilliant! Find this book here on Goodreads.

With the start of July comes the (dreaded) mid-point of the year, and a good opportunity to reflect on the past months of reading. As has become tradition; I wanted to do so in the form of the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, with some questions modified a little to suit my reading-tastes better. 2022 so far has been a great year for reading. Out of the 55 books I completed as of posting this, I’ve already found more favourites than I had in the entirety of last year, and the majority of my reading has been 4- or 5-stars. Here's to hoping that the second half of the year is as good as this one, or perhaps even better. Without further ado, let’s talk about some of my highlights so far. 1. Best book you've read so far in 2022... Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield As mentioned: there were quite a few to chose from, many of which will appear in later questions. The book I went with in the end is probably one of the more controversial ones, but it was also the one that stood out most to me. Julia Armfield’s debut novel is a literary horror story featuring themes of the deep ocean, grief, loss and alienation (in an environmental, personal as well as relationship level). Following the unravelling relationship between two women after one of them returns from a deep-sea mission that ended in tragedy, this novel got under my skin and has haunted me with it melancholic and eerie beauty ever since I finished it. A full review can be found elsewhere on my blog. 2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2022... Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett I’ve put off reading the sequel to one of my favourite fantasy novels until the 3rd book was released, so I could binge the series if I needed to. Upon finally being able to read book 2 of the Foundryside Trilogy, I’m so happy I did, because I couldn’t have waited 1.5 years to continue the story from this point on. Shorefall was everything I wanted in a sequel: it expended on the characters and world, and upped the scope, whilst never losing the charm that captured me in the first place. Highly recommend this trilogy to fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb or steam-punk high fantasy in general. 3. New release you haven't read yet but want to… The Fevered star by Rebecca Roanhorse Nuclear Family by Joseph Han Yonder by Ali Standish As per usual, I could fill a complete list with these, so I’ll narrow things down to 3, divided by my most read genres. Continuing on the last question of fantasy-sequels; I haven’t yet gotten to The Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse. The dark world of Tova and its interesting characters are still fresh in my mind after reading Black Sun almost a year ago now, and I can’t wait to see where this story takes us next. For general/literary fiction, I’m hoping to get to Nuclear Family by Joseph Han soon. Described as a tragi-comedic family story about a family facing the fallout of their eldest son's attempt to run across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea, at the time of the 2018 nuclear missile-alarm. For Middle-grade/YA I have yet to read the latest release by one of my favourite hard-hitting-middle-grade-authors Ali Standish. With Yonder she makes her historical-fiction debut, telling a story of friendship against the background of WWII. 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year… What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher I’ve recently posted my top 10 most anticipated novels for the rest of this year, in case you’re looking for a more complete list, but for now I’ll mention the one that is closest on the horizon. As a retelling of the horror-classic The House of Usher by one of my favourite horror-authors T. Kingfisher, I couldn’t help myself but be excited for What Moves the Dead. Releasing later this month, the wait for this one luckily is blissfully short. 5. Biggest disappointment… The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd The Cartographers featured prominently in my most anticipated releases of 2022 at the start of this year. With its intriguing premise and the name of an author whom debut I loved, this had to be a success. Unfortunately, what was advertised as a clever mystery about missing map-makers and phantom-towns, turned out to be a clunky and plot-hole-riddled mess, as dry as the pages it writes about… My full review can be found here. 6. Biggest surprise… Sundial by Catriona Ward Honestly, I’m not sure why this was such a surprise to me: upon receiving the ARC I was expecting a fairly entertaining thriller, but nothing too special based of the description. Instead, Sundial blew me out of the water with its unsettling mystery, cindering atmosphere, and memorable characters. I found myself theorizing and reminiscing about this book long after I’d finished it, whilst also being completely satisfied with the ending. What more could I ask for in a thriller. 7. Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)… Maddie Mortimer Another contestant for my favourite read of the year so far was Maddie Mortimers debut novel Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies. I admit that this might be even more niche than Our Wives Under the Sea, considering its alternative formatting and almost poetic prose, as well as its touch subject-matter. This is a novel about cancer, but most importantly: about the body, the person and the life that this cancer inhabits, told from within. It’s a story that has to be experienced and felt rather than written about, and I highly recommend any modern fiction fan to do so. Maddie Mortimer is a name to watch, and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us. Not only is it an absolute masterpiece in writing, it’s also a novel that thematically feels very close to me. That link growing even stronger as I read it during my first months on the job as a doctor within the specialty that has always had my heart: oncology. 8. New Favourite character… To me, characters are one of the most important elements of a story, so any main character from a book I’ve mentioned as a favourite before could count for this question. The loving but almost suffocating relationship between Miri and Leah (Our Wives Under the Sea), the warmth and comfort radiating from Sara and Emilie (Yerba Buena) or Iris and Lea (Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies) as the most raw depiction of mum-and-daughter on page I’ve read, have all left a deep impression on me. As did the joy of seeing familiar characters return in the sequels I read such as Sanchia (Shorefall), Roger and Dodger (Seasonal Fears) and the cast of The Glass Hotel (Sea of Tranquillity). As for characters I haven’t talked about yet, I want to give a shout-out to Orka from Shadow of the Gods, for being one of the most well-rounded and badass female characters in epic fantasy lately. 9. A book that made you cry & a book that made you happy… Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel I’ve combined these questions together (sort of), as I immediately thought of two books that would fit either question perfectly and interchangeably. No book got actual tears out of me this year, but two left me with that tight feeling in the back of your throat, that’s melancholic but wonderful at the same time. Those same two books also brought me warm fuzzy feelings of recognition (revisiting past characters, and meeting new ones), and it’s that contrast that makes me happy about reading. Both books of them are by authors that have had a free-pass to my heart for years now, and have made me cry ánd smile with their work before. Unsurprisingly, I’m talking about Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. One of them tells a narrative of lives intertwining through time and space, the other an intimate tale of two women finding love and healing within a cocktailbar. Both of them have memorable characters and writing that resonated with me like few others. 10. A book that made you happy… Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester As a bonus entry, however, Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester made me happy, because we finally have another YA-novel with good chronic-illness/disability representations. They are still too few and far between, so any new addition to my recommendations list is worth some happiness. 11. The most beautiful book you’ve bought this year… A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross This one needs no explanation. It’s the UK hardcover edition of A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross. I’m sorry to my American followers: I truly feel you were done dirty with that original US-cover. 12. 3 books you need to read before the end of the year… Again: too many to count, but currently topping my TBR are: Build your House Around my Body by Violet Kupersmith A magical realism about two Vietnamese women who go missing decades apart. Their stories are bound by generational history, folklore and the “memories of possessed bodies and possessed lands”. I’ve been wanting to read this ever since its release in 2021, and still haven’t gotten to it. My excitement got renewed with the flood of positive reviews when it was nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction this year, so it’s high time I sink my teeth into this one. What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo A hybrid between science non-fiction and memoir about complex trauma and PTSD, and the way it shapes our lives and the bodies we inhabit. Simply on my TBR because I’m (both professionally as well as personally) deeply interested in understanding this topic. The Library At Mount Char by Scott Hawkins A bizarre fantasy/horror about a missing God, a library that holds the secrets of the universe, and an ordinary man wrapped up in a murder-incrimination, involving a colourful cast of characters that might not be entirely human… I have no idea what to expect with this one, having people hear it describe as anything from “like American Gods” to “utter nonsense”. It has intimidated me enough to become a TBR-veteran by now, so it’s high time I kick myself in the but and just get to it. I always love seeing other peoples answers to this tag, so if you’ve done it as well, feel free to share your links with me. If you haven’t done the complete tag, please let me know down below: what was your best book of 2022 so far, and what’s your most anticipated read for the rest of the year? Until next time: happy reading!

Genre: horror Published: Little Brown/Orbit UK, July 21st 2022 My Rating: 1.5/5 stars From the author of the beloved dystopian novel A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World comes a new, folklore inspired horror story, that unfortunately left me as cold and dead as the waters it centres on... Synopsis A water-borne blight hits an isolated community on a remote island on the edge of the Northern Atlantic. When ferry-services fail and all contact with the mainland is lost, a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia sets in. what is this strange affliction that is picking their community apart from the inside? Is it a biological illness, an ancient curse or something else entirely? And more importantly: can our cast of characters figure out the answers to these questions in time to escape this thread enclosing all around them? What I liked: On paper Dead Water had all the elements to be a new favourite. Isolated island setting: check. Folklore-inspired horror: check. Prioritising low-building psychological suspense over gore: double check. There’s even representation of a heroine with a physical disability and chronic pain, something I didn’t even know about before starting this read. There’s a nice sense of setting that is accentuated by the authors descriptive writing style. Overall, here was the inspiration and set-up for a wonderful novel. Unfortunately that was all this story felt like to me: a set-up that asks a lot of investment from the reader, to ultimately never get completely off the ground. What I didn’t like: This books overall downfall was its pacing, that ranges from pedestrian at best, to glacial at its worst. It takes the story about until the 60% mark to really get to the advertised plot and suspense, which for a 500+ page novel is too much time to take for a “build up”. While I’m usually all about the slow burning stories, I actually found myself bored and unmotivated to pick the book back up. My thoughts began to drift whilst reading and my investment in the characters and the mystery dwindled the further I got. Even the atmospheric descriptions I loved to start with became repetitive over time: there’s only so many times you can read about ravens before feeling like you get the point by now. Still, I was hoping for a phenomenal ending to make it worth the investment. Unfortunately; the ending was even less to my liking. At about the 90% mark, the story start to pick up in pace, feeling very unbalanced when compared to everything before it. We end with a reveal that is a (admittedly quite cool) twist on a familiar trope, followed by a deus-ex-machina solution that felt like the author didn’t know how else to get their characters out of this mess. Considering this author’s talent for creating atmosphere and the previous success of A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World, this story felt a few edits short of the version it could have been. Many thanks to Little Brown Book Group & Orbit UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Find this book on Goodreads here.

As the year draws to a mid-way point, publishers have been releasing their catalogues for the second half of 2022, showing off the exciting new stories we have to look forward to for the upcoming months. To be fair, my expectations for Q3 and Q4 weren’t too high, as almost all of my most anticipated releases for this calendar-year have either already been released, or have been pushed back to 2023. However, delving into some catalogues and hearing some other reviewers talk about their anticipated releases, put some new things on my radar that got me excited for the next few months again. Let me introduce you to the 11 books that I’m most anticipating for the second half of 2022: 1. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher Genre: horror Publication: July 12th 2022, Tor Nightfire Why I’m excited: I love The Fall of the House of Usher. I loved T Kingfishers previous horror works. A combination of those two can be nothing else but a recipe for success in my book. Bonuspoints for the excellent cover, which was designed and created by the author herself. Talking about someone who truly can do it all… Synopsis When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves. Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all. 2. Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman Genre: speculative fiction/sci-fi Publication: July 12th 2022, Soho Press Why I’m excited: bizarre-speculative-eco-fiction is one of those incredibly niche genres that I have an inexplicable fascination with. Drawn in by the strange title, captured by the synopsis that gave me major Jeff Vandermeer-vibes, and hooked by the positive reviews I’ve heard from people I trust, I’m still silently praying that my ARC gets approved by the publisher. Synopsis The near future. With tens of thousands of species dying out every year, our last hope is the biobanks, impregnable vaults where their remnants can be preserved forever. Until one day an audacious cyberattack obliterates every single one. In the aftermath, a troubled conservationist and a crooked mining exec must team up in search of the venomous lumpsucker, a lost fish that they both desperately need to save. Together, they pursue it through the weird landscapes of the 2030s - a nature reserve full of toxic waste; a floating city on the Baltic Sea; the dangerous hinterlands of a totalitarian state. And the further they go, the deeper they're drawn into the mystery of the attack on the biobanks. Who was behind it? And why would anyone do such a thing? 3. The First Binding by R.R. Virdi Genre: fantasy Publication: August 16th 2022, Tor Why I’m excited: Because the synopsis reminded me of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, and then I saw that the man himself wrote a rave-review based of an ARC he read. I tend to agree with Patrick Rothfuss’ opinions on fantasy a lot, so thought it was good, than I’ll be sure to give it a shot. Synopsis: All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first. I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I've stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I've called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster. My name is Ari. And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil. 4. Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston Genre: middle-grade fantasy Publication: August 30th 2022, Balzer and Bray Why I’m excited: I adored book one in this series, and described it as “Harry Potter meets Man in Black, but more inclusive and modern”, and I stand by that description. I couldn’t wait to see how Amari’s story would progress further, and after an extended delay, we’re finally getting to find out. Synopsis: After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze. But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about! But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind. The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse? 5. Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang Genre: fantasy Publication: August 23rd 2022, Harper Voyager Why I’m excited: I’m not going to lie: I didn’t get along with R.F. Kuang’s debut series like everybody else did. Although I liked her writing and worldbuilding, hard military-fantasy isn’t something I tend to enjoy. When I heard that Kuang was creating a completely new fantasy world, this time with an academic setting based around languages and translations, I knew I had to give her a second chance! Synopsis: 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel. Babel is the world's center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel's research in foreign languages serves the Empire's quest to colonize everything it encounters. Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down? 6. The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg Genre: fantasy Publication: September 20th 2022, Tachyon Publications Why I’m excited: Described as a fantasy rooted in the mystical cosmology, neurodiversity, and queerness, told in lyrical prose and set in an already well-developed world with lore and background. Need I say anything more? Oh, and the world is allegedly based off the mythology surrounding Atlantis. I’m sold. Synopsis: Beneath the waters by the islands of Gelle-Geu, a star sleeps restlessly. The celebrated new starkeeper Ranra Kekeri, who is preoccupied by the increasing tremors, confronts the problems left behind by her predecessor. Meanwhile, the poet Erígra Lilún, who merely wants to be left alone, is repeatedly asked by their ancestor Semberi to take over the starkeeping helm. Semberi insists upon telling Lilun mysterious tales of the deliverance of the stars by the goddess Bird. When Ranra and Lilun meet, sparks begin to fly. An unforeseen configuration of their magical deepnames illuminates the trouble under the tides. For Ranra and Lilun, their story is just beginning; for the people of Gelle-Geu, it may well be too late to save their home. 7. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng Genre: contemporary fiction Publication: October 4th 2022, Penguin Press Why I’m excited: Nobody writes contemporary Asian-American family drama with themes of immigration like Celeste Ng does, and I’ve loved everything she’s written to date. It’s been a few years since her last release, and I’ve been secretly eyeing her socials for a hint of her next work. It will finally arrive this October. Synopsis Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard University’s library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change. 8. Fairy tale by Stephen King Genre: fantasy Publication: September 6th, Scribner Why I’m excited: apparently Stephen King was inspired to write this novel during a Pandemic-slump when he asked himself “What could you write that would make you happy?”. Whatever his answer was: I want to find out. Although Kings writing is hit or miss for me, his work is almost never dull, so I’m excited to see what he does with this premise. Synopsis: Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it. Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world. King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle. 9. Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave & Tom de Feston Genre: middle-grade, illustrated fiction Publication: October 13th, Orion Children’s Books Why I’m excited: After reading its spiritual predecessor Julia and the Shark, I’ve been excited to see what natural world this duo will bring to life next. Kirans words and Toms artwork create a complementary joining that is more than the sum of its parts. Synopsis She was very tired. She lay down, her soft head on her soft paws. The sunset licked her face. The snow covered her like a blanket. Fox wakes, and begins to walk. She crosses ice and snow, over mountains and across frozen oceans, encountering bears and birds beneath the endless daylight of an Arctic summer, navigating a world that is vast, wild and wondrous. Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own - finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she'd lost, with help from a determined little fox. Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers. 10. The Cloisters by Katy Hays Genre: mystery/thriller Publication: November 1st 2022, Atria Books Why I’m excited: this book purely sold me on its synopsis and keywords. Academic mystery researching the history of fortune telling, check. Blurring the lines between the arcane and the modern, the magical and the rational, check. A deadly “treasure hunt” for a mysterious tarot deck, double check. I know nothing more about this novel than you do at this point, but the mysterious alure of that short description was enough to peak my attention. Synopsis When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination. Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs. 11. The House of Yesterday by Deepa Zargarpur Genre: contemporary fiction Publication: November 29th, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Why I’m excited: This book ticks so many of my boxes: melancholic haunted house-trope exploring grief and trauma. Themes of diversity, coming of age, family and belonging… I’m ready to have my heart broken. Synopsis: Taking inspiration from the author's own Afghan-Uzbek heritage, this contemporary YA debut is a breathtaking journey into the grief that lingers through generations of immigrant families, and what it means to confront the ghosts of your past. Struggling to deal with the pain of her parents' impending divorce, fifteen-year-old Sara is facing a world of unknowns and uncertainties. Unfortunately, the one person she could always lean on when things got hard, her beloved Bibi Jan, has become a mere echo of the grandmother she once was. And so Sara retreats into the family business, hoping a summer working on her mom's latest home renovation project will provide a distraction from her fracturing world. But the house holds more than plaster and stone. It holds secrets that have her clinging desperately to the memories of her old life. Secrets that only her Bibi Jan could have untangled. Secrets Sara is powerless to ignore as the dark truths of her family's history rise in ghostly apparitions--and with it, the realization that as much as she wants to hold onto her old life, nothing will ever be the same. Let me know what your most anticipated releases for the second half of 2022 are, and if there are any books you think I've missed for my list. Until then, happy reading, and I'll see you in the next one.