The Mountain Goats lead singer John Darnielle is back with another nostalgic horror novel. Universal Harvester, the unrelated follow-up to Wolf in White Van, pitches readers into a VHS rental store in Iowa, where someone is taping cryptic and appalling scenes over the cassettes. Like its predecessor, Darnielle's second novel doesn't try to be flashy … Continue reading Universal Harvester: A Review
In 2003, an artist living her post-college life in New York City made it her mission to draw one thing every day. Vanessa Davis didn't always manage to meet her goals, but the resulting book, Spaniel Rage is well worth the effort. The most striking thing about Spaniel Rage is how relevant it feels today. … Continue reading Spaniel Rage: A Review
Did you know that the color orange was named for the fruit, and not the other way around? That historical quirk can make it difficult to find other words for orange. Languages other than English also use the same word to describe both the fruit and the color, and many orange pigments, such as gamboge, … Continue reading 8 Other Words for Orange
In many ways, Binti resembles the kind of "exceptional child goes to exceptional school" story that has become popular in the post-Potter age. But Nnedi Okorafor's Afrofuturist novella has much more to offer readers than a trite fantasy. It's the story of 16-year-old Binti, a member of the Himba people, who defies her family's wishes … Continue reading Binti: A Review
Claire Hutchet Bishop's The Five Chinese Brothers moves to the Pacific Northwest in this YA mystery from M.J. Beaufrand. Useless Bay introduces readers to the Gray quints --- four brothers and sister Pixie --- and the Shepherds: an ultra-wealthy family who vacation near the Grays' home on Whidbey Island. When two members of the Shepherd … Continue reading Useless Bay: A Review