Moonstruck Vol. 1 is a cute but incoherent comic about a werewolf barista named Julie who lives in a world in which magical creatures abound. Julie is about to go on her second date with Selena. For reasons I failed to comprehend, Julie asks her centaur friend, Chet, to accompany her and Selena on the second date. They go to a magic show at which the magician makes Chet human and promptly disappears. The rest of … Continue reading Moonstruck, Vol 1. by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle →
I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation is exactly what it says it is – a graphic memoir in which comics illustrator Natalie Nourigat describes moving from Portland, Oregon, where she did freelance work, to Los Angeles, California, where she currently works as a storyboard artist. It’s a vibrant and personal description of how to apply for a job in animation, what the job itself is like, and how to live in L.A. on … Continue reading I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation by Natalie Nourigat →
After reading The Ravenmaster, I decided to make corvids (ravens, crows, jays, magpies, and some others) my new animal obsession. Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans is a great introduction to the behaviors of crows and ravens, specifically. It’s approachable, easy to read, and comes with lovely illustrations. It also has a lot of scientific content and it discusses the difference between anecdote and scientific observation. … Continue reading Gifts of the Crow by John Marzluff →
The best thing about The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London is that it makes you want to read more. This memoir by Christopher Skaife, Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, details Skaife’s day-to-day life with the ravens of the Tower. It’s a serious responsibility, since legend states that if the ravens abandon the Tower, then the kingdom will fall. Skaife’s narration is … Continue reading The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife →
An Inconvenient Marriage by Susanna Malcolm is a Regency marriage of convenience novel, which is normally my jam. Unfortunately the hero spends so much time with his head up his own ass that I can only assume it would take a team of highly trained medical professionals to get it back out again (Paging Dr. Nips, Dr. Nips to Proctology….). Honora Botham is an heiress of no small fortune, which means she can marry pretty much … Continue reading An Inconvenient Match by Susanna Malcolm →
This is the type of writing that gives me what I think of as “complete cellular-level stillness.” You know that feeling when you’re listening to, reading, or watching something completely extraordinary, and your entire body goes still? Maybe you have scalp tingles or you’re covered in goosebumps, but you are entirely focused on not missing a thing because it’s freaking incredible? That’s my experience with this book of essays. I’ve interviewed Dr. Cottom (Podcast Episode … Continue reading Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom →
Aww you guys – here’s another romance with a set up that is so catnippy that you’ll one-click by the end of this paragraph. Rafe is a contemporary romance about a divorced Black surgeon who needs a nanny on short notice for her twin six year old daughters. Enter Rafe, a professional nanny who has worked for several families and has glowing references. He’s also tall, covered with tattoos, ginger, bearded, and rides a motorcycle. He … Continue reading Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon →
The DNA of You and Me might just as well be called “False Equivalency: The Novel.” The description on the inside front cover leads the reader to suppose that the book is about the career choices that women have to make, especially between love and work. However, the book is actually about an obsessed woman in an emotionally abusive relationship who has to decide whether to stay in the abusive relationship or stay at a research … Continue reading The DNA of You and Me by Andrea Rothman →
TW/CW: mentions of child abuse, emotional abuse, and addiction. Ice Hot by Tracy Goodwin is a contemporary sports romance featuring a hockey-player hero and a plus-sized designer heroine. I loved the hero’s emotional fluency, but while I acknowledge the topic of the heroine’s weight was handled in a way that I was fine with, I also realize that not all readers may feel the same as me. Christian Chase is the team captain for the … Continue reading Ice Hot by Tracy Goodwin →
It’s been a few days since I finished this book, and I’m still thinking about it. I look at food trucks differently, and I think about the language of food, how food is a way of care and of expression, and how good food can overcome so many barriers. I also find myself thinking about the painful emotional journey of one of the characters survives in the course of the story, and how much that … Continue reading American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera →
I know we’re not especially far into 2019 yet, but We Set the Dark on Fire is hands down my favorite book of the year so far. It’s a YA novel about two women who are placed in competing positions inside a toxic patriarchy, then say “fuck that noise,” fall in love with each other, and help foment rebellion. It’s completely gripping, the world-building is excellent, and as a dystopian future, it feels alarmingly possible. I … Continue reading We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia →
