“Life is not a series of crises to be endured. Life is to be enjoyed.”
Friends, I recently read another collection of personal essays, and oh my GAWD, this one was GOOD. I really enjoy books like this, but I’ve never read one that hit so close to home before. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster was like looking into a mirror, if a book can be a mirror. Does that make sense? I don’t even care.
“The weird thing about being a victim is, no one expects it to be them. Victims are always someone else, somehow tragically naive who foolishly trust the wrong person. I’d never make bad decisions like that. I was always careful. And yet, it wasn’t enough.”
I’ve always said the hardest book reviews to write are for the books I absolutely loved, and this sentiment applied to The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly by Meredith Tate. I devoured this book in three sittings, and was totally immersed in the story from beginning to end. It’s easily one of the best YA contemporary thrillers I’ve ever read, and deals with incredibly important topics.
Before we get any further, I’ll note that the author has a list of content warnings for this book on her website.
When your sister murders three hundred people, you can’t help but wonder why—especially if you were one of the intended victims—though I do forgive her, if you can believe it. I tried my best to deny the strength of family ties when everyone was still alive, but now I realize the truth of the cliché: Blood does run thick. Even if poison trumps all.
This opening line of The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao is absolutely devastating. The book starts off by informing readers that our narrator, Gwendolyn, is the only survivor of a mass murder committed by her very own sister. Ready for some twists and turns?
“He knew it the same way the woodsman knew it, because he knew trees: but he also knew it with the knowledge of the Wild Man of Greenhollow, who felt every slow green beat of the forest’s heart.”
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh is the perfect woodland dream, filled with fae, old magic, forest folk, and love and sacrifice. It’s another wonderful novella from Tor Dot Com, and if you’re in the mood for a quick yet fully-immersive fantasy, get your hands on this book.
I’ve loved reading graphic novels for as long as I can remember, but have a hard time finding titles that are outside of the realm of superheros. When Ryan at Biblio Virgo told me to check out Bloom by Kevin Panettea and Savanna Ganucheau (illustrator), I was thrilled.
“This is a book about hope. It is a story about everyday people defending the water resources of their communities and protecting the broader human right to water by ensuring it is now and forever a public trust, one that must not be allowed to fall under private, for-profit control.”
Whose Water Is It, Anyway? by Maude Barlow is equal parts educational and frustrating. I know, that sounds weird, but I’m not quite sure how else to describe a book that goes over water privatization and commercialization, and how people are fighting back to access clean, fresh water.
“I woke to find her lying next to me, quite dead, with her throat torn out.”
I read that first line in Prosper’s Demon, by K.J. Parker, and knew right away that I was in for a wild ride. Horror stories aren’t for everyone, but if you’re in the market for a creepy book, be sure to grab a copy of this little novella as soon as you can.
