The Water Dancer is the story of a young enslaved man named Hiram with a mysterious gift connected to his missing memories of his mother. I won’t say any more about the plot because the way it unfolds is worth experiencing fresh. I read some complaints about this book that the various elements didn’t work together, or that Coates’ nonfiction is better, but for me this was a pretty much perfect book. It’s a compelling read which juxtaposes a striking portrayal of the horror of American slavery with resistance infused with breathtaking magic. I absolutely loved the voice of Hiram’s narration, his reflections on how he viewed the world at nineteen and layers of insight realized in looking back were special notes throughout.⁣⁣

Winter Counts is a 2020 debut in the crime/thriller genre which follows Virgil, a tough guy enforcer of vigilante justice on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. His latest job has him tasked with hunting down the drug dealers who’ve brought heroin to the reservation, a job which quickly becomes personal as his nephew gets involved.⁣
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It’s been ages since I’ve had the itch to read a thriller, and I was impressed with how compelling and readable this book felt without riding on flashy manipulative twists (which are great in their own right if I’m in the right mood, don’t get me wrong). To me it had a more noir feel, the slow unfolding of the plot less driving than the fantastic characters, paired with astute commentary on life on the reservation. Specifically of note is the way that the lackadaisical approach to justice taken by federal authorities who decline to prosecute felony offenses on reservations creates strife and ultimately gives rise to private vigilantes like Virgil. At the heart of this novel are the gorgeous relationships between the characters, and exploration of their relationships to Lakota traditions. I’ve never read a thriller quite like this one, and I very much recommend it to regular or reluctant readers of the genre.⁣

Cw for graphic violence and death, rape, child sexual abuse, suicide, overdose, death of a child.

I picked this book up years ago out of interest in reading Meadows’ writing and without knowing much about it, so I didn’t realize that it’s the first in a YA duology about a seventeen year old vampire named Solace. Despite not aligning much with my usual interests within the fantasy umbrella, I was pretty charmed by this book. The writing style is whimsical, and I enjoyed Solace’s journey from reluctance to accept her suspicion that she’s a vampire to totally owning it after falling in with a group of other “Rare” young people. Her group of drifter buddies, each with their own supernatural talents, are one of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel, evoking that precious feeling of finding your people for the first time as an adolescent, further sweetened by first tastes of freedom and independence. Things are complicated for Solace and her friends when mysteries of her birth are revealed, and a clandestine supernatural war comes knocking. This is a fast and fun read, I would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy or urban fantasy, especially folks who love those stories to center friendships and found family and supernatural cats.

Lilith’s Brood is a fitting title for the collection, as Dawn is the story of the relationship between a human woman named Lilith and a race of aliens called the Oankali, who travel the stars in search of other life forms to “trade” genes with, and the following novels tell the stories of Lilith’s children. The way these stories unfold is too good to spoil, so I won’t say anything more about the premise or plot.⁣
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I read Dawn back in July with a great group of sci-fi fans and I thought it was absolutely stunning. I loved the slow unfolding of Lilith’s circumstances, the worldbuilding of the Oankali race, and the strained central conflict Lilith faces between accepting or rejecting the future the Oankali seek. Months later it was a treat to finally return to Butler’s world here, and to see the unpredictable and gorgeous ways this story grows and changes. A fantastic read for anyone interested in pondering the big questions of what it means to be human.⁣
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Cw for violence, death, and rape.

A planet emerges from a distant wormhole and the scientist responsible for its discovery names it Remina after his young daughter, swiftly catapulting her to fame. But things go horribly wrong and begin to spiral out of control when it’s discovered that the planet is speeding towards Earth, devouring celestial bodies en route. Terrified for their lives, the people’s adoration of Remina and her father quickly sours and gives rise to cries for their violent deaths. This is a fast and not particularly deep read, I found some of the book became repetitive but I can hardly complain about sluggishness in a book that I read in an hour and have continued to think about ever since. A quick and dirty exploration of how human fear becomes depravity, I’d also recommend it if you’re just into a creepy planet looming large with a menacing giant eye and a planet-killing tentacle tongue.⁣
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Cw for graphic violence and death.

This book is an “autoethnographical” collection of African American folklore and hoodoo practices compiled by Hurston during travels in Florida and New Orleans. It’s unlike any collection of stories I’ve ever read, because Hurston throws the reader right into her journey, setting the scene with the activities and conversations which surround the sharing of the stories. I’m so grateful for books like this, and especially to the folks like Hurston who’ve set in writing these important oral traditions, stories that have been used to explain the way the world works for generations. I loved that Hurston included contradictory stories and the ensuing arguments about which is better. She really gave the reader a feel for the storytellers and their fondness for the stories they shared with her. This is a unique and special book, I’m so glad I read it and I look forward to more of Hurston’s writing after this introduction.

I was again blown away by Shange’s writing, and especially by the rhythm of her work. Her use of language and discussion of challenging topics and identity get me excited. Each poem in this collection was translated into Spanish, so I think it would be especially cool for someone who is fluent in both Spanish and English.⁣
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I recommend this collection especially to people who love poetry, but cw for sexual assault, including the description of the rape of a child. ⁣

Love this collection, especially my fave, the seventeenth.