November Reading

Hello all! It is mid-December when I am publishing this, and I have met my reading goal of 100 books this year. I am starting a few personal projects in the next couple of months, one of which being to grow my online presence. I have my Substack and Instagram accounts (which you can find linked both here and on my homepage). In addition to posting more consistently on those accounts, I will be launching a YouTube channel early next year. Exciting stuff. So, keep a lookout for updates on my social media and here for links and information. Without further ado, here are my November reads.

Fiction

House of the Beast by Michelle Wong

This book took a number of fascinating turns. It's got the blueprint of a classic fantasy novel; we start off with young woman, Alma, discovering she belongs to a prestigious bloodline that worships The Dread Beast, the god of death. They are the sword arm of the empire, and Alma is dragged into her cruel family's schemes. But she has a secret, an eldritch monster that is always by her side. Only Alma can see him and they become constant companions. This book has everything, "divine rituals, intense combat, and a twisted romance". This is a tale of revenge and resilience.

I'm a sucker for a god-of-death, revenge-driven-heroines, which is exactly what this book delivers. Alma's personality is odd and charming, she's standoffish and cold, which is refreshing as a female main character. I was intrigued by the odea of an entity that only she could see and interact with, and how that would pan out. I was surprised but not disappointed. It's rare for me to not see where a story is going, but I thoroughly enjoyed being semi-blindsided with a twist towards the end. Another intriguing aspect of this book is that there are illustrations throughout. Michelle Wong worked on The Legend of Korra comics, and her illustrations are a welcome addition to her engaging storytelling.

The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

I've already written a little about Isabel Cañas's writing when I recommended "The Possession of Alba Díaz". I knew I would like this novel, but I was unprepared with just how much I would like it. The way Cañas approaches writing a vampire story is fascinating, because it's not a vampire story at all. Vampires happen to be in it, and they serve as an ironclad symbol for colonialism and white settlers pushing the native Mexicans out of what would be called Texas. I loved how Cañas interpreted vampires as more like wild animals instead of intelligent humanoids. I don't want to reveal t much of the story, but our two main characters are Néstor and Nena, both being raised on Nena's family's ranch. After one traumatizing, fateful night, Nena and Néstor are separated. Years later, ranches are being taken by impending Americans, seeking to steal land for themselves. And the mysterious attacks that leave people bloodless and spiritually fractured are getting worse. Cañas uses Spanish throughout her work to add to the layers of immersion, creating a rich, vivid ambiance. I love her prose, her writing style, and her storytelling. My only gripe with the story is the trope of miscommunication/ lack of communication. I get frustrated when turmoil could easily be solved with a mature conversation, but I also understand that there really wouldn't be a story if people just sat down and hashed things out.

The Butcher's Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett by David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I love Sweeney Todd. And as soon as I saw a book dedicated to exploring Mrs. Lovett's life story, I was hooked. I appreciate any retelling that showcases the backstory of a previously unexamined character, especially if it's a woman. I did enjoy most of this book. It's written in the form of letters between the narrator and an inquisitive investigator. I had high hopes for this book, but I found that it fell flat. It was a creative interpretation of what her life could have been, but it interacted with the original story of Sweeney Todd in an odd way. It kept many of the same character names, but their roles were different within the story. It read a bit like fanfiction, which is fine, some of my favorite stories are fanfiction. But this one lost the momentum for me about halfway through, and the ending was a bit baffling. It just felt odd to me and like a cobbled together string of ideas. None of them bad ideas, but the presentation and flow were lacking. I did not particularly enjoy this book as a whole, but I still encourage anyone who enjoys the Sweeney Todd story to try it out and see what you think.

Nonfiction

The Public Library: A Photographic Essay by Robert Dawson

When my siblings and I used to play Minecraft together I would always build a library within whichever world we built together. It was always my self-appointed job to build the library. As soon as I spotted this book, I knew I needed to flip through it. I am deeply passionate about public libraries; I dedicated a whole webpage on this site to them. This book not only has beautiful photography of public libraries all over the country, but there are essays, poetry, and letters from celebrated writers. This is a work dedicated to the preservation and celebration of public libraries, and how they are crucial to our ongoing development as a community, and more importantly, as a country.

Hidden Libraries: The World's Most Unusual Book Depositories by Nancy Pearl and D.C. Helmuth

Continuing my streak of informative library focused books, this one explores libraries all over the world. It ranges from ancient libraries deep in the desert, to an architectural marvel at the heart of a city. There are even underground, moss-covered, fairy folk libraries. Just like my other nonfiction library read, it is a celebration of our most important institution. A very fun read and a good coffee table book to flip through.

Thanks for reading!