Category: Culture Consumption

Hi, lovelies. Here’s my month in books, movies, and podcasts.

Books

Set in the 1920s, Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, is about Casiopea Tun, a young woman who works as a servant for her rich family while dreaming of life beyond her grandfather’s house. She gets her chance to escape and travel, when she opens a chest in her grandfather’s room and awakens the Mayan god of death who has lain captive. Bound by blood and bone to help the god regain his throne or meet her own death, Casiopea and and the god travel across Mexico to regain his power.

I love stories of accidental adventure, of someone discovering a secret that lay buried and find themselves drawn into a dangerous adventure. Casiopea is a perfect such adventurer, sassy and brave and hungry for more in her life. Although she dreams of escape and running off to discover the world, she’s faced with her own insecurities when finally finds herself on the road — and it’s the journey that helps her to grow into her own strength. This is a fun and charming adventure, full of magic, humor, and romance. It’s delightful.

I read two phenomenal horror short story collections this month. The first, The Houseguest and Other Stories by Amparo Dávila is a beautifully unsettling collection of horror short stories (which I talked about at length in another post).

The second is Books of Blood, Vol. 1-3 by Clive Barker. I’ve known about Barker through his work in movies, but had never read any of his fiction up until this point. I honestly should have jumped on that train sooner. Barker’s stories are rich in character development and unique in their portrayal of horrors, from the depravities of human making to sympathetic and terrifying monsters of most unusual origins. Entire cities might enact ancient battles by constructing giants made from the bodies of their citizens (“In the Hills, the Cities”). A women wakes in a hospital after an attempted suicide wakes with the power to grotesquely reshape the men who try to control her (“Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament”). A charity race turns out to have greater stakes than anyone knows, with the racers literally running for their lives (“Hell’s Event”). A monster rears up from the dark of a movie theater, born from the desires of years of movie goers (“Son of Celluloid”). These stories are fantastic across the board, and I just learned that there are many more volumes of Barker’s stories, so I’ll definitely be picking those up as well.

I also read three wonderful poetry collections this month. The first was Deborah L. Davitt’s The Gates of Never, a beautifully accessible collection of poetry that explores and blends history, mythology, and magic with science and science fiction. These poems morph between being moving, irreverent, and erotic — a great collection of work. (I interviewed Davitt for the New Books in Poetry podcast, which I’ll be able to share soon.)

little ditch by Melissa Eleftherion and The Dragonfly and Other Songs of Mourning by Michelle Scalise are two stunning poetry chapbooks. little ditch looks at the intersections between the body and the natural world in order to examine issues surrounding sexual abuse, rape culture, and internalized misogyny. Dragonfly is a beautiful exploration of the horrors of mourning and childhood abuse.
Continue reading “Culture Consumption: August 2019”

Hi, lovelies. Here’s my month in books, movies, games, and podcasts.

Books

Charlie Jane Anders is now an author whose books I will buy instantly and without hesitation. Her second novel, The City in the Middle of the Night, is about humanity striving to survive on a tidal locked planet, where the same side of the plant is always facing the sun. The humans who have left the mothership have developed ways to exist in the twilight, close enough to the day to garner some warmth without burning, far enough from the night to keep from freezing. In the city of Xiosphant, the people’s lives are strictly regulated according to circadian rhythms — straying from routine or stepping out of the rules even a little bit can result in severe punishment. Sophie, a young student from the dark side of town, discovers this herself when her upper class friend Bianca steals a few food dollars. Sophie takes the blame and finds herself sent to her death in the night, where the temperatures are subzero and the dark landscape is rife with deadly wildlife. But she survives the dark with the help from a surprising and unexpected new friend.

The world building in The City in the Middle of the Night is fascinating, with portrayals of how different people approach the harsh reality of this world with dwindling resources. I imagine a vast amount of research went into understanding the science behind life surviving on a tidal locked planet, from how the atmosphere would work to the weather conditions, to the evolution of life on the world. It’s captivating.

At the heart of this story is the deep intimate relationships between the characters, the love and heartbreak that comes from being emotionally invested in another human. There is a great need to feel connected to another person, a need that is sometimes confounded by an individual’s own misperceptions in how they see the other person and how the other person may see them. Sometimes these issues can be worked through over time, reaching a point in which the relationship can be strengthened and healed despite the betrayals and misunderstandings that came before. Sometimes time reveals all the ways the relationship has been broken from the start, with love feeling more like a chain than a bond. I think this book beautifully explores all the various aspects of these relationships. It’s a strange, beautiful book.

Continue reading “Culture Consumption: April 2019”