All Books Covered

Jacket Design: Laurent Linn

Jacket Illustration: Allison Colpoys

To be perfectly honest, I was expecting to write a very different review based on how I thought this book was going to end. Religion is a huge factor when it comes to coming out, more so if your family is actively par-taking in it. The ending was a welcome surprise. I found myself wishing their story wouldn’t end, yet I was completely satisfied. Weird, huh? I fell in love with this novel the more I read. It was sweet and wholesome, heart-breaking and tear-jerking. I couldn’t help but hope for a happy ending the further into the story I got. To face so much, to challenge everything you’ve been told for one person? That’s a lot. Yet, it fit into Autoboyography. I’m even going so far as to order my own copy from my local bookstore. I recommend this book for everyone. It’s really that kind of book.

Jacket Art: Jor-Ros

Jacket Design: Dana Li

It’s easy to make assumptions when we live in our own bubbles and refuse to leave them.

First novel I’ve held in hand since my library opened and it’s a doozy! This novel follows the MC, Jay, as he grapples with the death of his cousin in the Philippines. In case you are not aware, the current president, Duterte, has declared a War on Drugs in order to end crime in the Philippines. This has lead to thousands of deaths. Through this fictional story we learn the true history and current happenings in the Philippines, a truth that doesn’t match the stereotypes a lot of us have in our heads. This book made me incredibly angry and frustrated. That said, I know if I were in Jay’s shoes I would have acted the same (though I would probably ask too many questions too soon haha). While there is a lot of grief in this novel, there is also a lot of bonds created. Family is the most important part of healing -- in my opinion -- but how do you heal if no one is willing to acknowledge what’s happened? An eye-opening look into a culture and story we don’t often get to read, Patron Saint of Nothing is definitely recommended.

Finally, my local library is open and I can borrow physical books again! I’ve been reading a number of e-books while everything’s been locked down, but taking pictures of those books for a book blog is... difficult.

They say every person has a story; every animal, every plant, every insect does, too. But what about buildings?

If you looked at the corner shop, you would think of the old couple 

-- been here since Internment, reclaiming their home after so long --

 the veggies they sell 

-- always fresh --

and the stray cats they feed on the front stoop. But what about the building? Its cracked cement, its worn windows, and its dirty shutters. What has it seen? What does it know? If we unzipped its walls, opened its door like a heart, what would we find? Would we find pain from death, from wars long over? Or would we find joy from the simple things, like the girl with the big-wheeled bike who always stops to say hello and take in the cracked brick walls?

I’m going to be completely honest with you: Sci-fi puts me to sleep. Even if I want to pay attention to what’s happening, all the talk of wars in space and other colonies and.... I’m getting tired just writing this.

HOWEVER

This is a sci-fi book that actually drew my attention. For once, I wasn’t bored.

I was originally drawn in by the idea of a girl being completely alone in the emptiness of space. The loneliness and the anxiety of being humanity’s only hope when you’d been alone for so long? Sounds neat. But here’s the thing: this sci-fi book doesn’t shove the science down your throat. For once, I didn’t feel like I was reading some sort of futuristic textbook. For one thing, the chapters are very short, building up the the eventual joining of the two ships. You have this build up of: “They’re finally going to meet! She won’t be alone anymore!” But that’s too soft a storyline and this book wouldn’t be featured on my blog if it was soft. Of course, things are going wrong and -- if you’re like me and hyper-aware of every little thing because you read a lot of books -- you’re going to notice little things that throw off your radar. I won’t say any more on that, though, because then it would be spoilers. Highly recommend for anyone willing to give sci-fi a chance, but who fall asleep like I do through the first episode of Star Trek and is too confused about the plot of Star Wars (why are there so many movies?!) to watch it. This is sci-fi without being pushy.

What’s the best way to end 2019, hellfire of a year as it’s been? With an anthology about witches of course!

Now, this is going to be different from the other book blog posts I’ve made; firstly, I’m not including the names of the authors in my main header or in the hashtags. There’s too many and I will be doing honest reviews of all the stories, which means an author may be tagged in a negative review. No one wants that. Secondly, these are short stories, so I will be doing a blurb on what I thought of them without my usual summary. If you want to learn what it’s about, you’ll just have to read it~ Thirdly, I identify as a witch, so some of these stories speak to me more than others. With that, let’s begin.

1. “Starsong” by Tehlor Kay Mejia: I really enjoyed the more modern take on witchcraft. It’s relatively rare to hear astrology described as magic, and how the protagonist came across her abilities was definitely something of a surprise, if not totally uncommon.

2. “Afterbirth” by Andrea Cremer: I have a fascination with witch trials, as most of the people tried were actually innocent. The fact that witches exist today only proves that the magic survived, even if our ancestors didn’t. Also, the judges were biased and cruel.

3. “The Heart in Her Hands” by Tess Sharpe: Revenge and rebellion is the best way to call on magic, in my honest opinion. And let your lesbian daughter love who she loves. I’ve never been a follower of Fate, but if She acts like this then I welcome her curse.

4. “Death in the Sawtooths” by Lindsay Smith: Death has always seemed less glamorous than life, kind of like a dark reality check. And honestly, if you treated your funeral directors in real life the way the protagonist was treated in this, your dead wouldn’t have a fancy coffin to lie in. Just saying.

5. “The Truth About Queenie” by Brandy Colbert: This is the first one I have to be critical of; I felt as though the pining and unrequited love business overtook the magic and witchcraft. In fact, I didn’t know what kind of magic they could do until halfway through the story. I suppose that might have been the point as the protagonist was supposed to hide her abilities, but it felt more like I was reading a slice-of-life novel instead of a magical one.

6. “The Moonapple Menagerie” by Shveta Thakrar: This story made me insanely happy and is definitely one of my favourites. There was so much magic, so much lore, and so relatable as someone wanting to become an author (the deadlines are scary), that it easily won me over. If you don’t read any of the others (though you should), you should 110% read this one.

7. “The Legend of Stone Mary” by Robin Talley: A dead witch in a forest? I’m sold. Again, not a whole lot of magic mentioned here, but the curse was intriguing and the ending got me good.

8. “The One Who Stayed” by Nova Ren Suma: Ah yes. This one. For more sensitive readers, I want to add a trigger warning about rape. It’s clear throughout what’s going to happen without being overly dramatic about it, but it’s still something you may not want to read if you’re not good with that kind of stuff. And while I do get the sisterhood compared to covens thing, the comparing rape victims to witches thing... I’m not even going to touch that subject.

9. “Divine are the Stars” by Zoraida Córdova: Nothing is more important than family, unless that family member is a literal pile of dung that just wants your money because than screw that family member. This is an even bigger deal when the thing being passed down is love and magic, not a house and property. Of course, I’ve never had so many family members get together in one place, but I still got a warm fuzzy feeling of home when reading this (which was perfect since I was stressed about the holidays).

10. “Daughters of Baba Yaga” by Brenna Yovanoff: Another favourite! I’m a sucker for anger and people getting what they deserve. And this story threw me back into my own high school days, which only made karma that much better. I really felt like I could relate to both these witches, even if my methods weren’t quite so elaborate and our ancestral backgrounds were different.

11. “The Well Witch” by Kate Hart: Men treated witches really badly back in the day, huh? And not just witches either, but women. And some still do. But I’m getting off track. I’m not usually one for Westerns, especially since the white guy has to save the girl or help the POC or whatever. The protagonist didn’t deserve what happened to her, yet what she did made me actually clap out loud. Another favourite.

12. “Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths” by Jessica Spotswood: I don’t know if it was the author’s intention to make the sisters like the characters from “Little Women”, but that’s how I read into it. So, right off the bat I had a strong personal bias against this novel (don’t force kids to read books they don’t want to read ESPECIALLY if they won’t understand most of it). There was a moment one of the characters did something really out of character that seemed more of a method to push the plot forward, but outside of that I don’t have much to say about this one.

13. “Love Spell” by Anna-Marie McLemore: This one made me very, very happy. I’m not usually into a lot of romance stories, but this one got me hook, line, and sinker. And the fact that it was direct defiance against the church made this even sweeter.

14. “The Gherin Girls” by Emery Lord: The three sisters each having their own different form of magic and a toxic relationship that twists their abilities? Yes, please. Nothing is better than magic directly helping to solidify a character. And showing how nothing is stronger than when you’re together, even when the distance is far? The best.

15. “Why They Watch Us Burn” by Elizabeth May: This story was definitely inspired by the MeToo movement. Again, there are moments when it becomes very clear what has happened to the protagonist and her friends, which may be too much for some. Strength of will and the power of owning your name influencing magic was the perfect way to end this anthology. Never let anyone steal your identity and screw the people who blame the victims.

Originally, I thought this was a graphic novel -- which it is... kind of. There’s a comic book within the novel that ties in with the happenings in the Agony House -- and is probably why the person who recommended it thought it was a graphic novel -- but as far as I’m concerned, this is more novel than comic. Regardless, it was an enjoyable read about a family moving from Texas back to New Orleans several years after Hurricane Katrina, where they buy a very run-down house in the hopes of making a bed-and-breakfast. But things start getting weird after the house seems to be attacking them and a perfectly-kept comic is found in the attic. Although I saw the twist coming from a mile away, and thought a couple of the friendships were rather forced, the spookiness of it all kept me reading all night. There’s not really a lot more I can say without giving away a good portion of the book, but I will say this: if you’re looking for a feel-good book, and don’t mind stereotypes, this horror novel is for you.

Jacket Design by Sarah Creech

I want to start off by saying I don’t support romantic/sexual relationships between a teacher and their student. That said, Adina was very relatable in her desire to appear mature and be with an “older man”, and even though I knew how it was going to end it still hurt to read it.

However, the main theme of this novel is Huntington’s Disease, a rare degenerative disease that steals your mobility as well as your basic abilities over a course of years, and these twin girls are faced with finding out their fates on their 18th birthday. One gets it, the other doesn’t, and it tears two people already broken further apart. The guilt from the negative one, and the selfishness of the positive create this heart-wrenching story that keeps you hooked for hours (I pulled two all-nighters and I only partially regret it).

To be honest, what really drew me in to this book was its focus on Huntington’s Disease and how it affects loved ones. I remember watching a documentary on the disease a while ago -- because I’m a huge nerd for that kind of stuff -- and I jumped at the chance to read a novel on it. And I was not disappointed.

Hello! In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve started posting a couple written stories! The main point is so I’m ready for NaNoWriMo next month (which is only 11 days away?!) and so I can practice different perspectives/voices of characters. I didn’t finish last year because of writers’ block, but this year will be different! I can feel it!

Everything is blue. The cloudy sky, the cedar trees, that one low branch that always knocks against my window. Blue. But not a happy blue, more like the winter blue you see after it rains on Christmas; or the dark blue of that expensive coat you bought, only to find it's been eaten by moths while it hung in the closet. Today the world is blue.

And cold. Bone-chilling cold. The kind of cold that even your warmest blanket can't fight. Maybe it's cold because the world is blue. I'm blue, too.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock on the wall ticks five beats slower than the clock on my table. But which one is fast and which one is slow? Or are they both slow? Or are they both fast?

I like to pretend they're talking to each other. The clock on the wall speaks slow because they have trouble getting the words out, while the clock on my table talks pretty quick, even though their words get stuck sometimes. Sometimes I tick along. The clocks are my friends. I have nothing but time.

My blanket is blue. It's supposed to be red, but the sky is sad so everything has to be blue. The lady who feeds me told me that. That's why it rains. Sometimes, the sky is so sad the roads flood. I rain, too, sometimes. I wonder if I'll ever flood my room.

The lady who feeds me saw me talking with my friends once. She doesn't stay very long anymore: less than a minute, three times a day. And she doesn't talk, either. When I ask her a question, she tells me to ask the doctor; but the doctor takes so long in coming, that I forget what my question was.

Outside, it's raining. Inside, it's raining, too.

It's cold. The frost has made thorns of ice upon the bike rack and I feel sorry for the poor sap who decides to ride their bike to school. All around me children scream with excitement, their mittens sticking to metal monkeybars. I shift my feet, wishing I'd worn something more practical than jeans. The reflective stripes on my orange vest reflect the sun's light directly into my eyes, blinding me from the chaos. I back up, hoping the schoolbell rings soon. My back touches the cold brick and I lurch away, praying someone radios me inside. I'd rather deal with a pukey kid than stand out here.

I hear a commotion at the other side of the playground. A group of students gather 'round and I instantly know what's happened. I radio another supervisor to get hot water as I jog over to the growing crowd, the frost-covered woodchips crunching beneath my feet.

A young boy stands there, no more than ten, with his tongue stuck to a pole. A couple other students try to pull him back, thinking they're helping, until I tell them all to leave. I crouch beside him, using calming words and gentle gestures to keep him from crying; there's nothing worse than having your tears freeze to your face in mid-November.

The boy cries out when the water hits him, but the pain is forgotten when he's free from the pole. He runs off to join his friends who are waiting for his safe return. The vice principal makes a joke about kids and I force a smile, shivering in the cold as heat radiates off him. He offers to pour me a cup of coffee once classes start and I can already taste the beany brew on my tongue.

Above us, I find a frozen spiderweb. The frost crystals glitter and shine in the sunlight. I begin to wonder if it'll get warm enough to melt the strands or if the poor unlucky spider is doomed to lose their web. Wherever they are, I'm sure they have cold feet.

Then the bell rings and I head inside.

The chill of the September air cuts through my hand-knit cardigan, a gift from a friend whose name I've long forgotten. Grey clouds rumble overhead, threatening, but it doesn't smell like rain so I ignore them. I look beyond the tower-tall trees to the buzzing power lines no longer hidden by thick foliage.

"How long until the power poles replace the trees?" I hear her say.

My boots crunch the leaf-covered ground, a path worn down by curious on-lookers tired of the noise.

"Maybe they'll put wires through the trees to save time," she says.

The path gives way to grass, which gives way to field. The flowers come up to my knees here and I crouch down to get a better look.

"Daisies, maybe?" she whispers near my ear.

I shiver. My cardigan was not made to keep out the chill that digs deep into your bones.

Breaking a couple stems, I hold the flowers closer to the sky. The grey clouds rumble, the power poles buzz, and she grows impatient. I smile, snapping a picture of the scene. Standing, I leave the field behind for one more sparse, with flowers made of stone instead. The wind brushes my cheek and I know she's gone to wait for me there, her flowers in my hand.

Written by: @darlinglilwitch

In case you haven’t figured it out, I love anything dark and twisted. So, of course, I’m going to read Emily Carroll’s stories. And what better way to do it than in graphic novel form? Although I can’t remember the illustrator’s name -- sorry! I had to return the book to the library -- their art is fantastic. It literally brings the stories to life in all their incredibly creepy glory. It’s impossible for me to pick a favourite, but they definitely left a vivid impression in my mind. My little brother was interested in the stories -- because the first one wasn’t so bad -- but the further in we got, the clearer it was that the art style wasn’t meant for little kids. Which is a shame, because the horror stories themselves are delightful. But consider this fair warning: if you do decide to read these stories, being alone at night will be a whole lot scarier. But overall, the stories were brilliantly dark and made your skin crawl, even when you weren’t looking at the decidedly terrifying illustrations. Though I do wish the book included more of her tales -- it was rather short in my opinion.

Dawn Kurtagich is one of my favourite authors, and her first book, “The Dead House”, has a special place on my bookcase, so when I saw she had another novel out, I quickly put it on hold. Like I hoped, this is a fantastic book. As the trees come closer and the Creeper Man lurks, the house gets darker and you begin to wonder who you can trust. In typical Kurtagich fashion, we have a twist at the end that seems to come out of nowhere but fits incredibly well. Again, I was in tears and had a bad book hangover, which only proves this book was worth writing a review for. I recommend this book -- and her first one! -- to any horror fan, whether you’re a wimp like me or can handle the jumpscares.