The Underground Railroad in this book is a literal railroad: trains, tracks, stations, conductors, the whole thing. Each state has its own lesson to learn. Each leg of the journey teaches Cora about the illusion of freedom. What struck me the most was the cycle of violence in history. I kept thinking, “Oh, that‘s like *insert historical period here*” Over and over again, we hurt each other and we‘re still doing it.

Wowzers. Tomie is an eternally-beautiful young woman who, in every new relationship, is brutally murdered. As she is hacked into pieces, each new piece regenerates, unleashing more Tomies on mankind. But who are we really mad at? Sure, Tomie is mean, often cruel, and manipulative. Does that justify her murders? Why aren‘t we side-eying her murderers too regardless of their motives? Excellent horror manga, as usual, from Junji Ito.

Lord. I was trying to find an image to share with this review and there was so much I just couldn‘t share. It‘s disturbing. It‘s upsetting. It‘s amazing. Junji Ito is absolutely worth devouring in one sitting. The fish are walking out of the ocean, but the organisms using the fish need new hosts…

I‘m revisiting some of the 1,001 books that I haven‘t read in a while (this one was last read 9 year ago). These fables are so culturally pervasive that we often quote the moral without even knowing where it originated. These fables aren‘t really about animals; they‘re about us. Some morals contradict others, but I think that‘s a lesson in itself. This is also one of the first books printed in English. Fantastic piece of human history.

What I love most about this collection is that Hearn so loved Japan and understood how culturally important it was to capture these tales as accurately as possible. He didn‘t try to Westernize anything, he wanted to bring the culture to the attention of the Western world in its true form. I love him for that. I loved reading these supernatural tales and will be seeking out more.

Holy crap on a cracker. I did not expect to adore this book. It‘s a cozy, low-stakes sci-fi that is more character-driven than plot-driven. It focuses on identity and found family. I genuinely, truly loved this. I sat up late into the night reading because I didn‘t want to leave. Becky Chambers shared Zoë van Dijk‘s artwork for the folio edition, and it is everything. So many green flags. It‘s thoughtful and thought-provoking. Beautiful.

In the opening scenes, Cora‘s sister, Delilah, is violently killed right in front of her. Much like the bat in Aesop‘s fable, neither beast nor bird, Cora is half-Asian, half-Caucasian. Who *is* she, truly? She feels untethered without Delilah. When a hungry ghost she believes to be Delilah begins dogging her, she needs to find answers for the Asian people being murdered during the pandemic. Buckle up, kids, the road is rough from here on out.

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could they didn‘t stop to think if they should.” - The great philosopher Ian Malcolm. That‘s this story. A scientist is obsessed with the “other side” and unleashes a supernatural entity on the world. Can our scientific curiosity cause more problems than it solves? I think we‘ve seen that the answer is often yes.

Unless you‘re an indigenous person in America, your ancestors are from somewhere else. Authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne wanted to establish a uniquely American voice. However, it was hard to escape their European roots. (Also, I don‘t remember if there were any POC authors/tales represented in this collection and I know they existed. So I‘ll offer up Julius Lester‘s edition of Brer Rabbit tales.) Feathertop was probably my favorite tale.

You know, these are kinda fun. It was a bit like, “What if Sherlock Holmes were into investigating the Supernatural?” My favorite was the guy who visited his old school which was a monastery, now in ruins. His old teachers are there, and they haven‘t aged. He realizes they‘re demonic monks a little too late because the dark magic ceremony is *happening* but John Silence comes to his rescue.

The entire time I‘m reading this, I kept thinking, “Oh, homeboy‘s just neurodivergent.” And that‘s what is truly unsettling about this book: how easy neurodivergence can look nefarious to the neurotypical. How you can never really know someone, not even yourself. We‘re so deeply complex; individuals with similarities. Absolutely banger of a book. Loved it. (Listed as The Outsider on the 1001 List) 247/1001 #1001Books

I will die with maybe one-ish regret: That I never could‘ve met Ambrose Bierce. This is a short freaking story and I‘m still thinking about it. Like, I want to throw up just thinking about it. I can‘t even tell you about it because you just need to read it. Consider me genuinely spooked, man. *shudders*

I think Ambrose Bierce really wanted history to know how stupidly horrifying and how horrifyingly stupid war is (specifically the Civil War). He writes the stories that have that hero‘s gleam to them and you think, “Well, that was kinda pointless, though,” and Bierce‘s ghost is sitting there like, “Right!? So why are y‘all morons still like this!?” Or however he talked. What can I say, Bierce? We‘ve learned nothing.

I mean, for starters, this book is dated. Published in 1990, people were still skeptical of DNA and digitized record systems. Hacking a computer was as easy as ordering lunch on the MCDonald‘s app. One thing Cornwell can do is write well. Did I cringe a few times, sure. But I was engaged enough to continue. I didn‘t love this one, but I understand why she was so popular.

Being in a cult and knowing you‘re in a cult can be two different things. Something has created a toxic world, but some have found shelter at the Sacred Sisterhood (but no men except Him..). As is typical with cults, there is a hierarchy, secrets, a mysterious leader. But what is the true price of shelter here? What does it really take to break free?

I‘m not sure where I‘m at with this one. I both enjoyed it and did not enjoy it at various times. I knew what had happened fairly early, but I think the point is something else. We get so stuck in our personal fable, especially when young. We try to play our part, but that‘s the problem. Life can‘t be scripted.

Why didn‘t anyone force-feed me this book earlier!? What a delight. I loved all the characters. These kids (and they are KIDS) are so complex, broken, and lovable. It‘s like if Ocean‘s 11 had a bunch of teens risking it all for a fat wad of cash and maybe also preventing genocide (or at best, a drug epidemic). You‘re left on a cliffhanger, but this is part one of a duology. I‘m excited to join the adventure.

What I thought was going to happen did indeed happen (& worse) & I wasn‘t sure I wanted to read a book with that, but I am so glad I stuck it out. The ways in which we shrink ourselves to make others happy, to keep the boat steady. The way others have ostrich syndrome. “If I can‘t see it, it can‘t have happened.” 🙄 The way we *swear* we won‘t visit our trauma on our spouses or our children, especially our children. Ah, to be so fallibly human.

A Black sheriff in a Southern town. A school shooter, a “victim” who, it turns out, has been assaulting kids, but that‘s just the first chapter (or so). What is unearthed is a team of serial killers with one member left standing and Titus has to find him before this powder keg of a town blows. Racism isn‘t always shouting the N-word. It‘s also in the micro-aggressions. That‘s what POC authors capture better than anyone (experience, unfortunately).

I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES! He is one of *the* voices for contemporary American Horror. I will tell you this: the vampire isn‘t even the scariest thing in this book. We always want to pretend, don‘t we? If we don‘t look into the past, we can just pretend it‘s behind us. How inconvenient, then, when something from that past comes back to remind you that it has teeth? This was different than his other works, but I loved it so.

Sometimes people have these carefully constructed, house-of-cards lives. Change one thing, even if it‘s a secret thing, and you‘ve upset the balance. Suddenly you can see the cracks in the plaster, the mold of neglect…A woman visits her mother‘s grave every year. One year and for subsequent years after, she takes a lover for one night. Not the same one, however. This was a fascinating character study and I‘m glad his children decided to publish.

The deadliest thing about Shirley Jackson is her ability to take the absolutely normal and make it mind-numbingly terrifying. Is that man following you on your extremely predictable walk home? What *is* your spouse thinking about while reading the paper, even though they haven‘t turned a page in a dreadfully long time…Jackson is an absolute master of horror. I‘m so glad I read these.

This is one of those horror universes that you continue to think about long after you turn the last page. A town is haunted by spirals. What could be so deadly about that!? Oh, you have no idea. NO idea. I will never look at a snail the same way again. Matter of fact, I will never *look* at a snail again…

The mystery of what happens to Ruthie is apparent to the reader early in the book. That‘s not the focus. This novel is character-driven. It‘s heavy, it‘s sad, but it‘s also so real. The deep, visible scars of what has been done to indigenous people that we just ignore as if they are not there. But Berry Pickers says, “No, you will look. This story isn‘t even that far-fetched. Look, feel, and know.” I‘ve recommended it to so many others already.

This one was a good read. Two different women, two different eras, one bloodline, one relatable story. The deep connection to nature being turned into something evil mystifies me. This is an empowering story. They didn‘t burn witches, they burned women.

Man, I don‘t even care. I have fun reading these. A friend from work felt alone in her fandom, so I told her I would read these, even though it‘s not my genre. I enjoy the world these characters live in and I‘m intrigued enough about where this story is going to keep reading. They‘re just a bit of fun and what‘s to hate about that?

This was a bit of a slow burn, but I felt it was worth it. I‘m always fascinated by human relationships, the carefully curated public persona vs the private one. What prices are we willing to pay to strengthen the future for our children? Does it work or are we just kicking the can down the road, causing unforeseen (or maybe they are foreseen) consequences? I would seek out Li‘s work again. Photo credit to imbookwild on Instagram.

I didn‘t read the first one, and that wasn‘t too much of an issue. Similar to Poirot, really. Sure, you miss a few details, but you can still follow along. If you want the coziest of mysteries, this has to be on your list. Does it make much sense? Meh, not really. But who cares!? It‘s fun, it‘s a mystery, and Vera pulls you into her orbit just as she does with everyone else. She reminded me of my Grams. I would def read more.

A solid collection of poetry, as was expected. I began collecting these during my Poetry Boot Camp class. I wanted to get an idea of what has/hasn‘t changed over the years. I‘m curious about form and how to stretch the rules without breaking them.

I had no idea about the Highland Clearances before this novel. People were being forcibly removed from their homes in the Highlands & the islands by their landlords. It‘s bleak and devastating. This novella follows John, a minister-turned-errand boy who is sent to evict Ivar, the last inhabitant on his island. John becomes injured and Ivar saves his life. Their growing bond, and the arrival of John‘s wife Mary, challenge what family really means.

A friend from work adores this series & she really wanted me to read it b/c she felt alone in her fandom. Are there flaws? Sure. Is Poppy frustrating? Yeah. But I think humans are like that too. So smart but so dumb. I appreciated the world Armentrout is building. I was invested enough to finish. Not everything has to make sense. Sometimes it‘s okay to just enjoy the ride. This was a nice, popcorn read & I will continue the series for my friend.

This book is honestly beautiful and so well-crafted. It‘s a war novel. It‘s a romance. It‘s a mystery. You have damaged souls all circling each other, scared to get too close lest they detonate like the German mines that surround them. A lovely adventure to be on, this novel. I can‘t wait to watch the movie. 246/1,001 #1001Books

As an avid fan of all things myth (from a multitude of cultures), this wasn‘t anything mind-blowing to me, but I absolutely had a good time reading it. I enjoyed her connections to modernity. I like her wit. It‘s always fun to take a feminist critique, which is what I often did with my own scholarly papers. It‘s important work, but it‘s also important to be accessible and Haynes accomplishes just that.

I read this for a work group. I didn‘t hate it, I just think the people who need to apply it the most are not the ones reading the book. This was a good read, nonetheless, and we had some great conversations because of it.

Goodreads has those little side challenges, and this was one of the qualifying books. This is not my preferred genre, so when I tell you this was a fun little smutty read, I mean it. I liked their banter, the premise was fun, it doesn‘t take itself too seriously. The Devil‘s Manor pops up in cities for centuries. Can you survive the week and earn your Devil‘s Boon? But is there more to Phantasma? Follow Ophelia to find out.

Jesmyn Ward has the gift of prose. I‘ll say that. I had a hard time putting this one down, even though it‘s a miserable subject. I can‘t add to the conversation about this novel, so I won‘t try. I‘ll only say that I will continue to read Ward‘s work.

This was a fun little read. This is a fairy tale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. What if the fairy gifts weren‘t to protect the Princess, but to protect others *from* the Princess? It really is a charming little novella. Give it a go!

People of the 1800s must have been GAGGED when this book came out. Wells takes aim at several societal institutions, which may be why it‘s hard to nail down a central theme. Also, it‘s hard to escape the times in which this book was written. That said, I think it‘s a scathing indictment of “civilized” people. For all your pretenses at being better than anyone else, your behavior is no better than an animal‘s. 245/1,001 #1001Books

What if you killed someone? What if no one knew the crime had been committed yet? With an axe hanging like a pendulum over his head (will it land, will it miss?), our narrator returns home after killing a one-night stand. How does one deal with this internal knowledge? What does it reveal about oneself? 244/1,001 #1001Books

This is a soft pick for me. I really enjoyed the storyline based on her grandfather. I didn‘t hate Patrice‘s story, I just felt it could have been its own narrative? I‘m not sure. Either way, it‘s an engrossing read. Erdrich doesn‘t miss.

Let‘s be clear: this is not close to the Disney-fied version. This story is basically, “Hey, what if we show everything that happens in nature, including Man hunting animals, in all its reality, from the *animal‘s* perspective?” And it works. This was cute, playful, maddening, and devastating. Here, read it. 📸: Instagram @ heartstriingz

Judas Priest, this novel is a tough read. This is McMurtry‘s debut novel and it is a bleak, realistic, coming-of-age tale. Life on a Texas cattle ranch isn‘t easy. There are hard lessons to learn at such a young age. Unfortunately, Hud (the biggest pile of walking excrement I‘ve ever had the misfortune of meeting on a page) teaches Lonnie every lesson the hard way. First in a trilogy.

Much like the black cake in the book, good things take time, patience, skill. A woman dies and her two children learn there was more to their mother than they could have ever imagined. I normally don‘t read sweeping family dramas, but this one needs to be on people‘s radars. It was a lovely journey.

This book was batshit. It‘s amazing. I can‘t even tell you anything about it or it will ruin it, break the spell. Look, if you‘re also a bazaar reader, dive in. If not, dive in anyway. What‘s the harm, Bunny? Don‘t you want to belong, Bunny?

I‘m late getting this up, but since my list doesn‘t change, no harm, no foul. ☺️☺️☺️ I‘m excited to figure this one out! It‘s a short month and my goal is to finish at least 4 books a month, so we shall see! Happy Reading, fellow Spinners!

My final read of 2024. I didn‘t like this one as much as I did Downpour, but I do enjoy Holmes‘ poetry style.

He killed her, but that‘s just the beginning. Robert and Gloria meet by chance and she convinces him to be her partner in a dance marathon. You get free food and a place to sleep as long as you last, plus a big payout if you win. In Great Depression-era America, that‘s a sweet deal. But Gloria wants a favor. This is bleak, American noir at its peak. 243/1,001 #1001Books

I‘m not sure how to feel here. There are two different stories. One story follows an an agent involved with the Vietnam Project, his obsession, and his descent into madness. The second story is about Jacobus Coetzee, a white settler in 18th century South Africa on a hunting expeditions that goes awry. I‘m not going to sit here and say I *enjoyed* spending time with either of these men, but I think that‘s the point. 242/1,001 #1001Books

I‘m not one of those people that can give a glittering review of poetry, but I can tell you this was a nice book with which to spend my time. There were some poems I read twice, just to let them sink in. Definitely worth the read.

Wow. I bought this at Barnes & Noble as a blind-date-with-a-book promotion. It was wrapped up and the tag said “Cain and Able-esque” which is what sold me. Bonus: Obioma teaches at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, my home state. Four brothers fish in the forbidden river. A madman spits out one of his prophecies, changing the course for the family forever after.