Horror, heartbreak, and folklore were big elements of the books I read in July. I read predominantly books with horror and fantasy, as well as a coming of age, a classic work, and a published journal from the early 20th century. This was one of my best reading months so far this year, because I found a few new all-time favorite books that have very much taken up residence in my heart.
I was very excited when a couple of weeks ago, author C.N. Vair dropped off an ARC of her debut folk horror novel, The Devil Knows Her Name. I devoured her book so fast, and can confirm it’s an atmospheric, multilayered, and compulsively readable slow burn horror rich with witchcraft and nature symbolism. I absolutely loved it, and find myself thinking about it and the incredible main character Tess so often since I finished it. I wrote a more extensive recommendation for this book, which you can read on the blog.
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth is the kind of book that ruined my life while reading it (and I mean that as a compliment!). In a small town in Ireland where everyone knows everyone, and the future feels predetermined by parental and societal expectations, two young girls fall in love. It’s a brutally beautiful coming of age/first love novel that explores so much through its main characters. It took me a moment to get used to the writing style, but once I did, I found this book addictive. The characters really felt like real people to me, people with emotions and flaws and reactions that were so believable. I know I’ll be rereading it throughout the years. And crying every time, I’m sure!
I listened to Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell as an audiobook this month, and after finishing it I immediately ordered myself a physical copy of it. Honeysuckle is a reimagining of the Welsh myth of the Blodeuwedd, a girl made of flowers. It’s a dark fairytale that follows a young boy named Rory, and his older sister Wynn, who live in the isolated countryside. One day, fed up with Rory pestering her to play with him all the time, Wynn makes a Blodeuwedd as a playmate for him. Rory names the flower girl Daye, and she spends every waking moment that she can by his side. Daye, being made of flora that withers and falls out of season, has to go through transitions where she is reworked at the start of each new season. As they get older, and as the lines between friendship and romance begin to blur, Daye is no longer sure what she wants. Or if she ever had any control over it in the first place. This book is possibly the most beautiful and haunting allegory for an abusive relationship that I’ve ever read; the way it sensitively tackles themes of consent, coercion, autonomy, and identity is so quietly powerful. The writing is so lyrical and entrancing, with sentences that made my heart swoon. The use of alliteration in this book really stood out to me. I’m glad that I listened to the audiobook, because the narrators were amazing and it’s a book that is breathtaking to listen to because of how poetic it is. The story made me so angry and disturbed at times, but it was so worth it. I can’t wait to come back to this book and read the physical copy as well, to let the story sink in even deeper.
Other books I read last month included:
Tillinghast by Clare Cavenagh: A quiet, slow burn literary horror novel following a New England vampire and his isolated, lonely life, until one day a young woman with his last name shows up asking questions.
The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri: A fantasy novel set in a land where tales that began centuries ago continuously repeat themselves, finding incarnates to fulfill their stories in each lifetime.
Passing by Nella Larsen: A classic novella published in the 1920’s that follows two black women that reunite after being childhood friends; they lead very different lives, and their chance meeting changes everything. July’s book club pick.
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison: A humorous, empowering vampire novel following two friends who go on a birthday getaway that takes a terrifying turn; themes of female friendship, aging, and self discovery.
Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez: A gothic, atmospheric novella about a queer Latine witch that sets out to rescue the heiress of the estate where her mother used to work, who has a mysterious curse placed upon her.
I Await the Devil’s Coming by Mary MacLane: The journal entries of a real young woman written in 1902; scandalous for her time, Mary wrote of her loneliness, her feminist ideas, and her desire for the devil to bring her happiness.
