Guillermo del Toro’s house is an amazing treasure trove, and I’m so glad he decided to share it with the world.

Exactly one year ago today, I went to the Bleak House exhibit in Toronto. In it was a vast collection from del Toro‘s home in Los Angeles. He has collected some amazing things: from costumes that appeared in his films, to full-size figures of legends like Lovecraft and Poe. It’s a wonderful mix of horror, literature and geeky stuff - I loved every minute of it.

This book is actually a companion piece to that exhibit. In it are large full-colour photos of some of the pieces that were on display, but also other parts of his house that didn’t make it into the tour. The text accompanying it goes into detail about his childhood obsession with monsters and how it grew into his successful directing career today. It’s actually quite insightful – he likens the idea of monsters to that ‘outsider’ feeling we’ve all felt at one point or another. And that in many cases the monsters are not really monsters, but are really the most human of us all.

I don’t think I am explaining it all that well - you really need to just read it for yourself. And if his Bleak House exhibit ever does go on tour again, I highly recommend it. This beautiful book is definitely five stars. And now I am in the mood to go back and rewatch some of his films!

Oh the nostalgia! I loved these books as a kid. I decided a walk down memory lane would be fun. Surprisingly, the story still holds up pretty well.

Scion of the Fox is Canadian YA urban fantasy. But it’s not the usual story set in Toronto or Vancouver - it’s in Winnipeg. I’ll admit, it was refreshing to read about somewhere different for once. As for the story itself, the world Beiko has built is certainly detailed and fascinating, but I feel like the execution could have used some cleaning up.

The flip between past-tense and present-tense, and then first-person and third was really off-putting - it constantly pulled me out of the story. Pacing was also a bit inconsistent, slowing down and then jumping ahead in a way that didn’t really suit the plot. This book is actually the first in a trilogy, and I have hope that the next book addresses some of these issues. It’s already out, so I plan on giving it a spin soon.

3.5/5

During a HarperCollins meet and greet, I happened to see an ARC of Pride sitting on their shelves. One glance at the summary and that was it - I needed to add it to my TBR! After waiting impatiently for months, I have finally read it - and it was definitely worth the wait!

Pride is a modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice, set in the US and featuring a POC as the main character. It’s so well done. Zuri (ZZ), her family, and her neighbourhood are so vibrant, warm and grounded. It’s excellently written and drew me in very quickly. I actually ended up reading it all in a single day.

The flow and pacing was perfect - nothing felt disjointed or drawn out. A large part of the plot focused on gentrification, and what happens to the people living in ZZ’s neighbourhood. It all starts when the Darcys build a monster house and move in. ZZ hates them immediately. She is understandably fearful of change, but at times her reaction seems a bit extreme. That was the only bit that jarred me as I was reading. Fortunately, she seemed to balance out a bit as the story progressed.

I have American Street (also by Zoboi) waiting to be read on my bookshelf. I’ll be moving it up my TBR - I can’t wait to read more of her work.