#freakslaw

Due to the delightfully large volume of titles, Romances will be getting their own post later this week! Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett (January 7th) At forty, Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York City, is overworked and isolated. He spends his days immersed in the struggles of immigrants only to return to an empty apartment and occasional hook-ups with a man who wants more than Peter can give.…

April 24, 2025:

I took a chance on this and had a wonderful time!

Stories centered around circuses / carnivals can be... fraught. All the worst possible things are associated with that history, and with the concept of the "freakshow" in particular. Even the language around social outcasts of this extreme caliber is still uncomfortable, let alone the social context, let alone the historical abuses...

This book manages to balance that all absurdly well. By leaning into the menacing darkness and making some parts of the pearl-clutching true, it seems almost fair to sidestep the worst of it to have a little fun. Just by being who they are, the circusfolk are beyond the need for debating reclaimed epithets or even being polite; in that way, the reader is freed to go along with the story in the same way the characters of the town are lured away to get a little dirt on their faces. We can be a little bad, just this once ;)

The duality of lust and hatred is fully on display throughout the book, and it was intoxicating. The Fat Lady, for example, is exclusively described in sumptuous, sexual terms. Even when townsfolk openly express their disgust, there's a kind of power in her display of her Self; whether you find it shameful or awe-inspiring, it's always both. Every character holds a similar polarity, a repellent attraction, and they'll hold you right on the edge the whole way through.

Unboxing Libby by Steph Cherrywell (1st) AI meets American Girl Dolls in this quirky novel about a group of preteen androids who have been cast aside and have to make their own way in the world. Max isn’t always sweet and bubbly. That wouldn’t be an issue except for the fact that she’s programmed to be. “Max” isn’t even her real name. She’s a Libby– one of the most popular A.I.Cademy Girl social…