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Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix My rating: 4 of 5 stars  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ok. I needed to take a deep breath after reading this because it is indeed a horror novel, but not in the way I expected. Yes, there is witchcraft, but that is not where the real fear lies. In fact, you could strip the entire concept of it from this novel, and it would still be horrifying. This book is full of violence: against women, against birth, against race, against age. It's terrifying in its accuracy and in its persistence, because we have not progressed very far from the era it depicts. The real horror here is not supernatural. It's systemic, historical, ongoing, and very, very real. This book made me viscerally angry. That anger that you feel deep in your chest, that is hot and roiling and chokes you. The anger that makes your eyes sting and water, and makes your throat ache. I will never forgive people who think that any of this is ever okay. Never.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller My rating: 5 of 5 stars I make it a point to always listen to memoirs. Hearing the words of the author, in their own voice, makes for a powerful read. This book is no exception, it is the standard . Chanel's voice is powerful, yet restrained. Her control here, when everything within the book is out of her control, is remarkable and really reminds you that this isn't just a story told, but an event lived through. Chanel's story is not unique, but tragically common. I am not here to discuss the plague of sexual abuse in the world, but rather some personal reflections I had while listening. This memoir does not mince words about the participation of the public in the prosecution of victims. As a society, we have become rooted to the deep bottoms of the echo chambers of our social media feeds. We form strong, unexamined, often recycled opinions without considering the real, human, consequences of those opinions. Or whether we had the right to a...

And so we move from life at Lowood, to death at Lowood, and finally to the end of Lowood. These chapters are a lot and a little all at once: disease, loss, moral lessons, and a surprising amount of quiet resilience. ✦ Resurgam — Latin for “I shall rise again.” An interesting (and deliberate) choice to carve onto Helen’s grave. It’s simple but layered. It's both a Christian sentiment and a metaphor for Jane herself. Every time she’s crushed, she rises again. Still… poor Helen. Her calm acceptance of death hits harder than I remembered. Word of the Day:    Dissipated (of a person or way of life) overindulging in sensual pleasures. (Looking at you, later chapters’ “gentlemen.”) Bessie named her daughter after Jane! I did not remember that detail. What a lovely full-circle moment. Bessie was one of the only people in Jane’s early life who showed her any real affection, so this feels like a quiet little redemption for both of them. And now, we’re finally stepping out of Lowood and ...

  Jane Eyre Ch. 4-5: • And now we’re isolating her from everyone! Lovely. Jane’s already treated like an outcast, but here it feels deliberate, almost like they want her to internalize exclusion. •  50–60% interest!  Good God! Eliza actually charges her mother interest for the "trouble"of keeping it safe. Imagine that ... a child exploiting her own mother for profit! It’s both absurd and a sharp little character sketch. Clearly, Brontë wants us to see how warped and transactional this household has become. • The little "Psalms boy" may be the only comic relief here. Clearly he’s figured out the trick to getting treats by performing piety on cue. Victorian hustle! • Aaaaand Mr. Brocklehurst enters. Ugh. Unsavory is the right word. His "religious"severity oozes hypocrisy from the start. • At least Jane gets her moment: good for her, standing up to Mrs. Reed and calling her out. It’s cathartic to watch Jane speak truth to power, even if she’s still just a chi...

  Jane Eyre Ch. 3: Guy Fawkes and a Toad • At least  someone  shows an interest in lessening childhood trauma... give the apothecary a round of applause... ✦  Reference of the Day:   Guy Fawkes  — soldier, executed via hanging (was also drawn & quartered 👀); involved in the "Gunpowder Plot" in the 1600s, a conspiracy to assassinate King James VI & I and members of the Houses of Parliament. • A  TOAD!?   First an assassin/conspirator, then a toad... these women hate Jane. • And why do they hate Jane? Why aren't they more sympathetic to her? Oh... that's right... because she's not pretty enough.  Cool...

I've been dying to do a re-read of Jane Eyre since I bought this gorgeous Painted Edition of the classic. The book made an impression on me many (10? 15?) years ago as the first classic I actually understood... and enjoyed. So while technically I know how the story ends, all the details in-between have, well... vanished . So, I'll be spreading out this read out, taking notes, and posting my thoughts chapter by chapter. Get ready! I've only just started and wow, what an opening.... Jane Eyre Ch. 1–2: Tiny Tyrants and Ghostly Gaslighting • Wow, John.... real bitch move ... What a tyrant! Bratty bully, total little despot. (Fuck the patriarchy!) • Jane reads as a melancholy child, smart, observant, and already far too aware of the cruelty around her. What she  needs  is love from the  adults  in her life, and instead she gets scorn. ✦  Word of the Day:   Ignominy  — great public shame, disgrace, or humiliation, or a specific act/situation that causes su...

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa My rating: 4 of 5 stars This quiet, gentle story about unlikely connections left a big impression on me. The writing has a meditative quality to it, that draws you in. I especially appreciated the exploration of Hansen's disease. I knew very little about it, and I found the history of it to be informative and interesting. It was masterfully woven into the narrative! My only real complaint, which isn't really a complaint at all, is the ending. I would have liked a little more resolution after becoming so invested in these characters struggles! Still, it's a lovely, thoughtful read that I'm glad I picked up! View all my reviews

So. This started out promising. I enjoyed the imagery and the overall concept. It's an interesting way to retell a classic fairy tale. But, if I'm honest, I can't really tell you what happened. I was constantly confused, and I could rarely tell who was talking, even with the narrator giving us different voices. It's beautifully written, but the only thought I consistently had throughout was, "Should I finish this?" Lines That Lingered "A robber who steals a knife and cuts himself cannot cry out against the woman who kept it sharp." Overall Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ Enjoyment:  ★★☆☆☆ Ease of Reading:  ★★☆☆☆

Book Vibe:  I’m too tired for this plotline Characters:  Rachel Price, Caleb Sanford, Jake Compton, Ilmari "Mars" Kinnunen Big sigh. This book. Let me preface this with a disclaimer. I like the “reverse harem” / “why choose?” trope. I don’t care about the order of operations: who’s with who first, how they get there, or what creative furniture is involved. I also love stupid, cheesy dialogue and over-the-top lines that make me laugh, even when they’re nowhere near smart or groundbreaking. That is  not  the problem here. The problem? Is it the sketchy doctor/patient power dynamic? No. The wet-noodle FMC? Also no. It’s that this thing is nearly 800 pages long when it maybe,  maybe , had enough story for 300. The conflict is paper-thin, and the insta-love kills any tension before it starts. If you’re going to have a woman and three men end up together, you need an actual climb to get there. We can’t all just yell  "Yay! Let’s do it!"  like horny cheerlead...

Book Vibe:  Feral raccoon in a trash can This prequel was... silly. I can usually roll with instalove, but this might have been too much even for me. It was giving "Feral Raccoon in a Trash Can" vibes. Our MMC's fixation on her sternum tattoo... sir, please calm down. If we're going for chaotic obsession, I need something actually chaotic, not just a long weekend (was it just a single night? I might have blacked out in the middle) in your hotel room. It's short, fast, and clearly only meant to set up the main book, but if this is the appetizer, I'm worried about the main course. Lines That Lingered:   "I bet she’s got more kinks than a garden hose." Overall Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ Enjoyment:  ★★☆☆☆ Ease of Reading:  ★★★☆☆