(This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine.) Akashic Books has long been at the indie forefront of interesting literature. Along with other fun releases like Simon’s Cat and Go the F—k to Sleep, they’ve expanded their stable to include books aimed at middle grade and young adult readers under their new imprint, Black Sheep. Game World by C.J. Farley is one of their first releases, and it’s a diverse, impressive world aimed at the advanced elementary school-aged reader on up to adults. My [now] 10-year-old daughter […]
A novella that doesn’t quite meet the mark
(This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine.) Written as a sequel to 2012’s Spin, Catherine McKenzie’s new novella, Spun, checks in with supporting character Amber Sheppard, two years after the last book finished. It’s a story about grief, addiction, and celebrity culture, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as its predecessor. Spin told the tale of Kate Sandford, sent to rehab to spy on It-Girl Amber Sheppard for a gossip rag, all while Kate comes to terms with her alcoholism. While light in tone […]
The sum of our experiences influences all
(This post original appear on Glorified Love Letters.) The holes in our lives require energy. Everything after must be arranged around that absence, and that effort often continues the devastation. In After I’m Gone, Laura Lippman takes the disappearance of one shady businessman, Felix Brewer, and follows the repercussions on his wife, daughters, and mistress. Facing a decade of jail time, Felix had his mistress, Julie Saxony, sneak him out of town on July 4, 1976. Ten years later, almost to the day, Julie disappears […]
Any person you see could be capable of terrible things
(This post originally appeared on Glorified Love Letters.) What makes Ciarán West’s books interesting is how they confirm that “page-turner” is not just a cover blurb cliché. Even when one might have other things they should be doing, they can be done after “one more chapter.” Girl Afraid centers around the kidnapping of Poppy Riley, daughter of a well-known actor, Tom, who is away filming. Poppy had been left in the care of Alice, her father’s trusted assistant, and Magda, the girl’s recently hired nanny. […]
Doctor Who: Last of The Gaderene by Mark Gatiss
Last of The Gaderene was first published in 2000, five years before the modern era of Doctor Who and ten years before Mark Gatiss increased his workload to include Sherlock. What I’m saying is: Mark Gatiss is a better writer now, but Last of The Gaderene is still a decent Doctor Who story. Let’s get the bad bits out of the way first