A moving, vibrant catalogue of one extraordinary year, and the two souls intertwined over its course. Genre-bending, intimate, and filled with soul, TA moving, vibrant catalogue of one extraordinary year, and the two souls intertwined over its course. Genre-bending, intimate, and filled with soul, The Sentence is a tragically beautiful ode to stories and reconciliation, of reformation and finding kindred spirits. It is a contemporary ghost story that has a catalogue of deeper messages, a whisper of the past, with all of its pain and regrets, but a nudge to the future with its uncertainty and promise. For bookish people who have found solace within pages, for those who hear the hidden tones in the everyday, and for those who have had both the worst and the most transformative years of their lives. ...more
A bizarre descent into madness which explores the lengths people go to in the pursuit of the ultimate creative expression. Satirical and grotesque, HaA bizarre descent into madness which explores the lengths people go to in the pursuit of the ultimate creative expression. Satirical and grotesque, Haunted is a collection of overarching stories within stories, a colorful cast of characters breaking down over their stay at a mysterious and unknowingly disastrous writing retreat. With a number of scenes that are equally memorable and cringeworthy, this is a novel that tests the boundaries of what it means to be a good writer; what is the limit between a good story and the consequences of the actions taken to produce it? For fans of dark comedy and the looming shadows of social horror, Haunted is a one-way trip into the darkest corners of the creative mind, and the ruthless chase of literary success. ...more
A stunning meditation on compassion, grief, love, and survival. A contemporary trip into Wonderland, Death Valley is equal parts funny, heartbreaking, and surreal. It confronts the nuances of anticipatory grief, loss, and the sense of familial obligation head on; it asks: what should grief look like? What is it like to accept our own mortality? What does it mean to die, and what does it mean to truly live? Are the best stories based in our own experiences, or the ones that stem from the depths of our imaginations and hearts? It is an expert exploration which affirms that there is no blueprint for the ways that we process heartbreak, the ways that we grieve not only the dead, but the living who are no longer the ones we remember, we idolize. It is an ode to the evolving, complicated beauty of love, of service, of inspiration, and a call to endure, to survive, even when the void looms just around the corner. Vivid, mesmerizing, and full of painfully, gratifyingly relatable feelings....more
A beguiling cat and mouse slow burn that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect story? Through two unreliable and unsettling narrators, How A beguiling cat and mouse slow burn that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect story? Through two unreliable and unsettling narrators, How Can I Help You is an intriguing study in what makes a monster versus what makes a muse. It is a exploration of writing both as a craft and as an outlet, a confession and an ever evolving pursuit to capture inspiration, desire, vignettes of fantasy colliding with reality. It is a quietly disturbing look into twisted minds and vague intentions, and a fascinating descent into obsession and deception. A riveting character study against a relatable and beloved backdrop: the library; where imagination leads with varying results. ...more
A stunning reflection on grief and identity. Linking cultural, historical, and personal aspects into a gorgeous family saga of trauma, desire, and literary expression. Moving, visceral, and unforgettable, Wound pulses with all the love and loss that a heart can stand to bear; it calls out to the mothers that loved us in the only ways they knew how; it meditates on the lessons that we had to learn the hard way, the people we had to lose in order to move forward. An effecting, haunting autobiographical journey that inspires art as well as one’s own unburied memories, it is an invitation to write, remember, to forgive our mothers as well as ourselves....more
A dark, sensual imagining of the creation of one of horror’s most universal masterpieces. Filled with atmospheric gothic imagery and the growing sense of displacement, grief, this novel is a compelling interpretation of the life and desires of Mary Shelley, the constraints against which she fought to express herself through her work, to explain the horrors within and around her. Winding through a path of ambition, longing, otherness, envy, the parallels to Frankenstein are a welcome examination of the ways in which we are pushed to the brink for the pursuit of creation, and the ways in which our own creations reveal our inner selves. Beautifully written and illuminating a new depth to the mother of monsters....more
A dark, chilling novel on obsession and the ethical ambiguity of true crime fascination. Told in an intimate and haunting set of perspectives, Death oA dark, chilling novel on obsession and the ethical ambiguity of true crime fascination. Told in an intimate and haunting set of perspectives, Death of a Bookseller hears from both the exploiter and the exploited, the super-fan and the defender of victims. The discussion around the ethical issues surrounding true crime as a form that dances between the lines of activism and entertainment, as well as the obsession that consumers develop with violent individuals and their crimes, is told in a deeply unsettling way; it is eye opening and uncomfortable, and is sure to open up many debates. This is also a uniquely styled tributes to bookshops as a whole, how their inner workings can sway reading trends and harbor a sanctuary for those who consider books as old friends. Overall a fresh and deeply upsetting read that is timely, compelling, and a nail biting page turner. ...more
A beguiling, original novella that explores loneliness, desire, and obsession, and how they are driven by contemporary pop culture. Surreal and lush, A beguiling, original novella that explores loneliness, desire, and obsession, and how they are driven by contemporary pop culture. Surreal and lush, Y/N is a brilliant reflection on what it means to devote oneself to art, to love, to an idea, and what happens when it all comes crashing down. It is a testament to the ways in which we build monuments out of our expectations and desires, how much we invent others to fit our own perceptions and ideas of love, and how we most often do want what is unobtainable most of all. A unique, dreamy interpretation of what it means to have a identity that is set apart from so many other lonely souls, this was compelling read. ...more
A series of musings on memory, grief, and truth. Through the reflections of Lilia and the diary entries of her forgotten and deceased lover Roland, thA series of musings on memory, grief, and truth. Through the reflections of Lilia and the diary entries of her forgotten and deceased lover Roland, this novel explores the intimate secrets and losses that we gather in life, as well as the questions of ownership of those things: who decides what is the true version of events? Who has the right to tell the story? Which things are worth revealing, and when? A snarky but heartfelt examination on how perception is such a delicate and versatile aspect of storytelling. ...more
An exhilarating mystery which blurs the line between truth and fantasy. Unsettling, suspenseful, and filled with twists and turns, Liar, Dreamer, ThieAn exhilarating mystery which blurs the line between truth and fantasy. Unsettling, suspenseful, and filled with twists and turns, Liar, Dreamer, Thief is a wild ride of vengeance, obsessions, and the need to uncover lost truths. Layered, with enchanting insights of emotion and humanity, this debut is a truly remarkable blend of imagination and the terrible reality that humans are capable of crafting. A fantastically engrossing read. ...more
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