I read six books this month, most of which I ended up not loving and weren’t stories I felt like I couldn’t put down. I did, however, really love The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw and Rites of Passage by Judith Flanders.
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw is a very gory, yet very tender horror fantasy novella that really captured my heart. It follows a mermaid, newly freed from captivity as a king’s wife, and her genderless plague doctor companion. The story is a retelling of The Little Mermaid fairy tale, with a lot more blood and viscera than the Disney version (though the original Hans Christian Anderson story is much darker and more brutal as well). I have a love lately for bizarre horror fantasy crossover novellas, and this had much the same draw to me. I really savored the reading experience of this one, not wanting the aching romance, gorgeous prose, incredible characters, and vivid imagery to end. This is definitely a book that I will be rereading and recommending to people!
Rites of Passage by Judith Flanders is a history book that explores the culture and attitudes surrounding death and mourning in Victorian England. Similar to Sarah, I’ve been wanting to fit more nonfiction books into my reading, and this is one that I’ve had on my shelf for a while and have been really wanting to get to. It was such a fascinating read, and I learned so much. It’s really made me think more about how people throughout history viewed death tells us a lot about them and their values as living people. The writing was accessible, and the photos throughout immersed me even further in the history.
Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang
A bizarre, poetic, imaginative novel that explores the relationship between two young friends who become fixated on the stray dogs in their neighborhood, and their ancestors before them.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
A horror novel about a young girl who begins to fear what she thought was a friend who lives in her closet, Other Mommy, who starts to make her presence known in other areas of the house.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
A cozy fantasy romance about a once powerful witch who lost her powers to save someone she loves, and the inn she keeps that has a way of bringing in the people that need it most.
I’ll Make a Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker
An Appalachian horror novel following a student named Zora who begins attending the prestigious Bricksbury College, which has a long and dark history that she begins to unearth.
