Qbanito214's Unicorn Alley

She is a Haunting by Trang Thang Tran

Completed July 07, 2026

Genre: YA Horror

Setting: Vietnam, at the Nhà Hoa, an old French Colonial being revitalized.

Main Characters: The Nguyen Family: Jade, the protagonist, is a first generation Vietnamese American, teenage bisexual, trying to make money for college, she made a deal with her father who walked out on the family. Ma and Bren, her little brothe, are visiting Ma's side of the family while Lily and Jade are with Ba. Ba is renovating Nhà Hoa, the French Colonial his family was once servants at. The investors include Alma, this bitch has a doctorate in colonialism and her nepo baby husband Thomas, Florence, Jade's love interest, and Florence's uncle. Flo and Jade are helping with building the Nhà Hoa's digital presence. The house is alive, hungry, and manipulating the ghosts that haunt it, Cam and Marion

Summary: Jade and Ba are not on good terms, she's only there to build the website and get money for her first semester at college. The house, Nhà Hoa, is alive and feeding on those inside, but no one believes Jade but Florence. They try to hype the haunting because Ba doesn't believe her, just for things to blow up in Jade's face. As the summer progresses, Jade uncovered the history of the house, how Marion was a vicious racist and Cam suffered as her sister in law, the atrocities of the French colonizers, how Alma and the investors plan to use Nhà Hoa and how the house will feed on those who enter. Ba becomes possessed, Alma attacks Jade who beats her ass, Ma comes to the rescue hitting Ba upside the head. Jade comes out to her mother, confesses that she is the one who told Ba to leave the family, and finally to save his family Ba walks into the burning house.

Finished: 09.08.2025

Genre: True Crime

Can't have a spoiler because the case is still unsolved.

The murder of Elizabeth Short happened in Los Angeles and her body was found on January 15, 1947 in Leimert Park

Steve Hodel is a retired LAPD Detective and he builds a narrative that explains how his father, George Hodel, was The Black Dahlia Avenger and possibly the Red Lipstick Murderer and possibly linked to 30+ other Los Angeles County murders. Steve tells the story of where this depraved genius came from, child prodigy to head of Los Angeles County Office of Venereal Disease, how the Son can trace the Father's habits and movement in relation to violent crimes against women, and finally what corruption covered up the crime for decades.

No main characters- these were real people. Elizabeth Short AKA The Black Dahlia, Dr. George Hodel, his circles of friends, his victims, his partners, his kids including Tamar and the author Steve, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Mob. I'm just going to throw the degree of corruption in as it's own entity.

While some of the investigation can get dry and technical, I greatly enjoyed learning about one of Los Angeles' longest unsolved murder.

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Horror

Finished: July 15, 2025

Setting: 1989, Britain, a small town (Banathel) where tradition, ritual, and superstition carry weight. In a small house, a young girl claims to be haunted by the ghost of a witch.

Main Characters: Mina (newly graduated child psychologist), Eddie (Mina's twin brother who died when they were 14 years old), Oscar (Mina's scientist fiancee), the journalist Sam, Maggie (Sam's dead daughter), the haunted girl Alice and family (brother Billy, sister Tanzin, mother Liza, father Paul), the witch(es), the "good riddance girls"/ the women of the village (Mary, Liza, Fern, and Alice), Fern's daughter Stevie, Bert the village patriarch and his bed-ridden wife Mary.

Summary: Mina and Sam meet at grief support group, they team up to investigate is Alice haunted or mentally ill, each wanting to connect with a lost loved one (Mina's twin Eddie and Sam's daughter Maggie). 6 months ago, Alice broke a witch's bottle, unleasing the witch's ghost. What started as unexplained noises had evolved into seeing and hearing the dead... The village is now mobbing her home going to speak with the dearly departed. Crazy and unexplainable things are happening, but the village elder, Bert, is there to anchor the family back to reality. He's a patriarch figure for many women in the village, a foster father and grandfather, he cares for his sich wife Mary, a source of info and support... He's also the descendant of witch hunters. Mina finds out the truth, and with Alice and Fern, upends the village and it's lies.

The story felt basic, I don't think I'd recommend or reread. No QPOC representation. The pacing was off and left me wanting more fantasy, the witch went unnamed, and wasn't the real monster. Motifs include summer/heat, winter/cold, water, and wasps.

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Indigenous Horror

Finished: July 11, 2025

Setting: On the fictitious Takota Indian Reservation, in Louisiana. The Horne Residence. The Takota Casino, where Anna works, and the mysterious Room 808. Anna's non-Rez highschool. Set in the late 1990s. The story is told in a nonlinear manner

Main Characters: Anna Horn (17y/o) Grace (younger sister 15y/o), Robbie (younger brother), Dorothy (mother), Uncle (Ray), Anna's dad, Anna's Grandmother (Joan), Anna's Dad, Fox Ballard (nepobaby, druggie, trafficker, and Anna's boss at the Casino), the shitty white kids at school, "the rolling head," Miss Shelby (the tribe legend keeper) and the other missing girls and women of the tribe.

Summary: Anna is on a journey to find their sister, their self, and their place in the family/tribe. The story starts with Uncle Ray telling the story of the "rolling head." The impact of the Takota legend haunts Anna's childhood and shape their future. Miss Shelby goes missing, then it's Grace. They are part of a long list of missing tribe women. Anna's been working at the casino, notices something fishy and uncovers that her boss Fox is trafficking and pimping Res girls. Anna's realizes they're two spirit, what happened to Grace, and that the rolling head may be legend but that doesn't mean it's not true. Anna's becomes the Rez legendkeeper and sets up a cultural preservation center for the tribe's past, present, and future. While Grace is found and returned home, the other girls and women are not so lucky, their names are commemorated on the walls of the cultural center.

It was well written, but listening in audiobook format made the time jumps back and forth confusing. It had many heavy and serious real world problems affecting a fictional tribe. I appreciate the two spirit representation.

u/inafbl_mlk_of_books

From "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

Finished April 17, 2025

Setting: Cece is spending her first night in her new house on the edge of town. The house has no power, Cece is stuck in the dark with her batter-life dying. She's in and out of sleep/nightmare as the house and it's spirits shift through life and death.

Main Characters: Cece- her life is falling apart and this new house is hopefully a change for the better. Cece's Aunt and future roommate is moving back to town, but currently absent. This house is consistently changing and shifting. The spirits, the little girl, the old lady, the dollhouse and its magic.

Summary: It is Cece's first night in her new home. She is awoken from sleep by the song if the older ghost, she finds the little girl's doll as she searches the house. Cece gets no response from her aunt when she asks if the house has been smudged yet. Cece tries to rationalize but is confronted both ghosts and threatened with being turned into a doll. Sensing the dollhouse's connection with the house, Cece smashes into it, destroying it and its connection with the ghosts. The house acts as a chrysalis, changing Cece. She takes control, seizes power, and saves herself in spite of the threat of change, of transformation into a doll, of being unalived by the dead.

"To desire is to mourn... The feeling- of emptiness, of ruin, of impossibility- stayed inside her, no matter what she did"

Writing has unique style, the flow, allusion, comparison, simile and metaphor reinforce the idea of change

Batman: Crimson Mist by Various

Format: graphic novel

Finished: April 13, 2025

Setting: VampireBatman has been staked, Gotham is plagued by crime as villains go unchecked. Alfred removes the stake and Undead Vampire Batman is unleashed on the inhabitants of Arckham Asylum and Blackgate Penetentury. This story continues Batman and Dracula: Red Rain and Batman: Bloodstorm

Main Characters: Undead Vampire Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, Killer Croc, Two Face, Scarecrow, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Riddler, Mad Hatter, the Black Mask Gang, Victor Zsasz, and connecting to the previous stories there are mentions of Dracula, the vampire Tanya who sired Vampire Batman, Were-Catwoman, and Joker.

Summary: After the "freaks come out at night," Alfred unleashes Undead Vampire Batman, who starts hunting down, draining, and decapitating the criminals of Gotham. To survive, some of the rogues team up with Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. They set up a trap using Alfred as bait, Two Face double crosses the group, and Alfred sacrifices himself to give the villains the final "kiss of death." The Commissioner boobies the trap, not enough explosive to flood the cave in sunlight, but enough light to allow Vampire Batman to walk into the light, turning to ash, and concluding the story of vampires in Gotham.

I was not impressed with the Two Face is the villain who double crosses the group, I was surprised by everyone dies. I feel it was a missed opportunity to explore Batman and magic or the mystical.

Vlad by Carlos Fuentes

Audiobook en español

Finished March 31, 2025

Setting: Styled as a sequel to Dracula by Bran Stoker, Vlad is like Dracula does modern day Mexico City, maybe 1990s-2020s. The main character has a cellphone, BMW, and similar to Jonathan Harker, is a lawyer that procures Dracula's entry into the community.

Main Characters: Yves Navarro, lawyer, with his real estate agent wife Asuncion, their daughter Magdalena and son Didier (who died), their maid Candelaria, Yves' boss Don Eloy Zurinaga, Vlad has many names (Radu, the Impaler, Dracula) his daughter/sire Minea and Burgo El Jorobado. The Alcallaga family.

Summary: Dracula heads to the new world, a Mexico full of prey where he can get lost. Yves tells the story of how his boss tricked him into letting Dracula into his life, family, and community. Yves sets up the purchase, Asuncion finds the place, and the Alcallagas make the changes possible that would allow Vlad to flourish. Windows are bricked up, a tunnel is built between the house and garage/barn. When it's already too late, Dracula kidnaps Magdalena, she looks eeriely similar to Minea. The plan is to raise her to adulthood so that when she's turned their family will be more complete. Asuncion is tuned to take care of the child until the time is right. Yves is left mesmerized to forget that day, the home, what happened, leaving him hopeless and equally changed. Once they've disappeared he returns to his car and find a monstrosity, possibly his dead son's zombie?!?

I would recommend, sometimes you want your main character to suffer. Yves loses everything: his wife, child, friends, work, his mind. It's very gothic in that everyone suffers but the bad guy, the bourgeoisie, the parasite, the vampire.

Avatar the Last Airbender Graphic Novel

Finished March 25, 2025

Setting: the Fire Nation is rebuilding after the Hundred Years War. This story allows the reader to see the past and present of the Royal Fire Academy.

Main Characters: Fire Lord Zuko, his little sisters Azula and Kiyi, Kiyi's friend Lihua. Zuko enlists Mai to work at the school because the head mistresses (Pearl for Azula and Shihan for Kiyi), Ursa (Zuko's Mother), TaiLee, the Dai Li cameo as mercenaries.

Summary: The story opens with Queen Mother Ursa lamenting to Zuko that allowing Azula to attend the Royal Fire Academy fed her mania and derangement. Like many Fire Nation Citizens, the new headmistress, Mistress Shihan, is resistant to the new curriculum Firelord Zuko wishes to implement. He enlists Mai 1. He trusts her and 2. She's familiar with the system. When head Mistress Shihan waivers in her conviction, ex headmistress Pearl send the Dai Li to take out Shihan. Mai, Tai Lee, and Zuko save Shihan, Mai realizes she's good at teaching and she loves to teach. The flashbacks show how Mai's father manipulated her into a friendship with Azula. The Academy is a place to harness power, lil Azula is a shit and exploits to girls and engineers and Agni Kai. The scene plays out with Kiyi and Mai steps in where Shihan failed.

Love Avatar and can't get enough, loved how strength and power means different things in a post Phoenix King world for Fire Nationals. Provided back story to Mai and Azula 's friendship and aludes to and builds upon previous graphic novel stories.

U/inafbl_mlk_of_books

Format: Audiobook

Finished: August 30, 2025

Genre: multiple, Waley starts the book with a history lesson that touches on cultural myth that leads to the Mongol origin story, then into the story of Chingis Khan and finally his own original works

Setting: Written/translated/published in 1960's, Waley is known for his Japanese and Chinese translations. Waley acknowledges that some of the places no longer exist, like a lost oasis, dried up in the desert. The Mongols are nomadic, they travel between mountains and Rivers, just don't f*CK with their horses.

Main Characters: Genghis Kahn born Temujins. His mother Hoelin, father Yesugei, siblings (biological and adopted) Qasar, Hachiun, Temuge, Temulun, Behter, Belguti, enemy tribes, frenemies including Jamuka(aka the ex boyfriend, Borte the trifling wife, Jem Chingis' twink.

Summary: the Mongols are descendants for a cyclops, Temujin's forefather was the result of emasculate conception. Yesugei kidnaps Hoelin, Temujin's born holding a blood clot and there's a profetic dream, Yesugei is poisoned when arranging Temujin's marriage. The child is taken under the protection of his "Uncle." He becomes bond brothers with his "cousin" Jamuka... I read it as they were boyfriends, they share a ritual, exchange golden belts war trophies gained in battle, and horses. At some point, Borte is kidnapped, Jamuka helps Temujin get Borte back. They (Temujin and Jamuka) gift each other horses, these are very important to Mongols, and share a blanket to sleep on, one of the gifted horses is described as a unicorn. Borte gets jealous and starts talking shit, so Jamuka and Temujin separate. The Mongols elect Temujin to be Chingis Khan and he enacts Mongol Justice, meaning you say what you mean and mean what you say or the Khan takes your head. He ends up having to kill some allies because they break their word. When Temujin battles Jamuka, there's a weather wizard and his spell backfires because Temujin is divinely chosen. The end of my version skips over inheritance rights and conflicts.

I would not recommend this version as a fun read, more like a dry history book. It felt out of date, I had trouble visualizing because it was a "virtual voice" audiobook and names of people and places bled together. Don't steal a Mongol's horses. Borte could have had a husband with a husband and a think on the side, tired heifer

U/inafbl_mlk_of_books

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Finished August 4, 2025

Genre: Dystopian Future

Audiobook in Español

Setting: dystopian future, books are illegal, houses are fireproof, firemen burn contraband, there're fast cars and highways, houses have TV screen walls, and media is a distraction and people are isolated.

Main Characters: Guy Montage, Mildred/Millie Montage (Guy's Wife), Clarisse (the crazy 17y/o neighbor), Captain Bede (Montag's Fire Captain), Professor Faber, Millie's family "on the walls," the firemen, The Salamander and The Hound, the Lady that sacrificed herself with her books, the nomadic human books

Summary: Montag opens the book by burning books, on his way home he meets Clarisse which gets him thinking and then he comes home to Millie ODed. Before he was curious, but the events of the night lead to the need for answers. What is it about books that make them dangerous, books are missing and people are miserable, what's the correlation. Captain Bede and the hound/El Sabueso are suspicious, Clarisse dies run down by a car and Montag reaches out to Professor Faber for guidance. A hint of a plan develops to plant books in the firemen's houses, but Millie snitches on Montag and Captain Bede forces him to burn down his possessions. After goading Montag, Capt. Bede is burned to death and Montag goes on the run from the hound, ending up at Prof. Faber's. Montag. Montag flees to the wilderness, crossing from the concrete river of the highway (almost getting run down) to the river that almost drowns him, but also takes his scent letting him escape the hound. Montag meets the human books, war destroys the city, leaving the human books to rebuild society. There's a lot of fire and water motifs, manufactured vs natural, and isolation vs connection.

Would I recommend: it's too real for contemporary times where Americans are banning books. This was a reread but first time in español, the narrator was not very enjoyable. I got through it but it was damn depressing: they burn books, there's death, war, Montag is hunted by the hound and abandoned by Millie.

u/inafbl_mlk_of_books

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Finished August 8, 2025

Genre: Indigenous Horror

Setting: Contemporary Montana, on and off the Blackfeet Reservation. Duck Lake, where a herd of elk are massacred, is the reserved hunting grounds of the elders.

Main Characters: Spirits of the Elk, the Elk-faced woman, the Blackfeet who slaughtered the herd of Elk, Ricky Boss Ribs (murdered in front of a bar in North Dakota, he fled the Rez after his little brother Cheeto overdosed), postperson Lewis Clark (married the white woman Peta and they moved off Rez), Gabriel (Gabe) Cross (daring, boisterous, and not the brightest), Cassidy (Cass) Sees-Elk (possibly two-spirit and improving their life). Trina Trigo, Gabe's ex wife. Denorah, Gabe's daughter. Denny Peese, Denorah's stepdad and game warden. Neesh Yellowtail (the friend group's elder), his son Officer Victor Yellowtail, and grandson Nathan Yellowtail. The Crow Nation women, cousins Jolene and Shawnie, Jolene and Cass are partners, and Shawnie works with Lewis at the postal service.

Summary: The Young Blackfeet go the Elder's Hunting grounds near Duck Lack, coming on a herd of Elk, killing what they are not supposed to, including a pregnant elk-cow, resulting in a curse. The herd gets Ricky killed, Lewis loses his mind, haunted by the ghost elk-cow and gunned down on his return to the Rez. The elk-headed woman destroys Gabe and Cass when they attempt a sweat lodge ritual with the yellowtails. Then it's time to go after Denorah as retribution for the lost elk-calf.

Motifs: I didn't know basketball was so embraced by indigenous cultures, but it comes up with Lewis and Denorah. Substance use, Gabe is described as a drunk and Cheeto (Ricky's little brother) overdosed. Indigenous women and girls not being safe. The desire to leave the Rez but the Rez being an integral part of these characters lives; it's always with them. Denorah sees a basketball scholarship as a way to leave the Rez, Lewis fleeing back to the Rez, and Ricky escaping and dying off Rez. Rule on the Rez versus the white man's rule. How media and news portray "natives" versus how indigenous peoples use myth and story.

I would definitely recommend, love an author of color writing people off color, and I read Cass as two spirit for some queer representation. My favorite part was Lewis haunted and losing his sanity.

Finished March 21, 2025

Spoilers

Graphic novel

Setting: Continuation of Batman and Dracula: Red Rain. Gotham City after Batman has defeated Dracula, but has been turned by the vampire Tonya. The red rains continue, the surviving vampires move from preying on those who won't me missed to the mob families of Gotham, lead by the Joker.

Main Characters: Vampire Batman, Bruce is dead after Wayne Manor collapsed into the Batcave. Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, the Joker, the vampire Creach, the Gotham mob families/goons and the strippers they feed on. Creach has a wolf form that attacks Salina Kyle that resulta in Were-Catwoman.

Summary: Joker finds the remaining nest of vampires and guides them against the Gotham mob. Once again, the city suffers the Red Rain. Since Tonya's sacrifice and Dracula's defeat, Batman has struggled with his blood lust, Tonya's faux blood syrum isn't enough. Were-Catwoman and Vampire Batman team up against the Joker and Creach. Salina defeats Creach and takes an arrow for Vampire Batman, dying. Batman backhands Joker so hard Joker's neck breaks. Vampire Batman gives into blood lust sucking the Joker dry, instructs Commissioner Gordon and Alfred to stake him now that he's tasted human blood.

I believe the story would of benefits from turning Joker into more of a Van Helsing character, missed opportunity, but having Batman's first kill be Joker was right for the character expectations.

Finished March 17,2025

Short story from"Never Whistle at Night"

Spoilers

Genre: Indigenous Horror

Setting: Camping somewhere in North America surrounded by night, forest, and cliff. This is the location where a loved one passed, died falling off the cliff. Isolated, with poor reception. The moon is full and the wind is active. The protagonist is camping, one year after "the accident," dark, autumn, falling.

Main Characters: Keira, the mourning bride, camps on the spot Davey died on, one year ago. Keira's Dad makes a cameo call, possibly while drink, but she uses the poor reception to skirt taking to him. The mysterious old woman warning to go home and the Mother Night (Death?). The ghost of Davey, body broken by the fall, asking why Keira came.

Summary: One year after Davey's death by fall, Keira visits the spot. Camping under the full moon, she experiences visions and hears things that blend her waking, dreaming, and nightmares. Davey's voice in the wind, the tent flap and scratches enforce the belief she's not alone. She had dreamed of his spirit, smashed and broken, crawling into the tent. On the way to her truck, a mysterious older woman tells her, 'let him go, you shouldn't have come, go home," and just as suddenly as she appeared, she disappeares. She felt him, she knows he's here and decides to stay. She is started awake by the Night Mother and lured out at the mention of Davey. Keira falls to her death when Night Mother sends Davey's mangled corpse to her and he asks, "Why did you come here!"

I enjoyed: the suspense, the idea of living and dreaming and doing neither because the person you love is gone, dreams equal terror, the contrast between the mysterious older woman and the Night Mother.

Spoilers

Finished July 24, 2025

Genre: Romance

Format: Audiobook

Setting: Contemporary, written in 2021. San Francisco, CA. Cellphones and dating apps. Ducatis and Louis Vuitton. Netflix and Chill.

Main characters:

Anna Sun (Chinese-American) is a violinist who recently went viral. She is struggling with the new pressures, her boyfriend (Julian) tells her he wants an open relationship, her family provides no support (only commands, criticisms and judgement, especially her sister Pricilla), and her friends Rose and Susy (also violinist) are far away. She decides she'll try a one night stand.

Quan Diep (Thai-American) rides a motorcycle, is all tatted up, and knows kendo. This bad ass is actually a teddy bear. He used to get into fights with bullies standing up for his little brother. Now, he and his cousin Michael teach kids kendo and own a kids clothing company. He a survivor of cancer and is getting back out there after losing a ball, wants a one night stand to see if it still works.

Summary: The story tells how the two protagonists come together, but fail multiple times to have a one night stand. They fall effortlessly into an ill defined dating pattern without expectations. Anna discovers she may be on the autism spectrum and may have low support needs. Her Ba has a stroke, Julian announces they're getting married, and when Quan storms out hurt, Anna smashes her violin. Anna and Quan express their love for each other, move in together, Quan sells his clothing company, and Anna starts playing music again.

I enjoyed characters of color from an author of color, with representation of cancer survivors and the autism spectrum, but no queer representation.