January Bookshelf — Casey Scieszka

I popped into a lot of short story collections this month: THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION edited by Rebecca Roanhorse, SEVEN EMPTY HOUSES by Samanta Schwerin, and GET IN TROUBLE by Kelly Link. All of them were spooky in their own ways which was, I guess, what I was in the mood for to kick the year off?? * shrugs *

I also read a super smart, gorgeous essay collection: THE CRANE WIFE by CJ Hauser. That title essay in particular is real banger.

As for the novels—

FIRE SEASON by Leyna Krow reminded me of Anna North’s OUTLAWED in a good way. Think Wild West with a tiny dash of magic.

I haven’t read a good old fashioned historical fiction in ages so THE MARRIAGE PLOT by Maggie O’Farrell really hit the spot. The language was delicious and it did such a good job of being way more than a spunky-princess-can’t-abide-by-the-suffocating-reality-of-court-life story. Be sure to read the afterword.

SOURDOUGH by Robin Sloan was cheery and spunky (just like his other one, MR. PENUMBRA’S 24 HOUR BOOKSTORE). Made me miss Steven’s sourdough baking! (We were on the road without his starter.)

And MILK FED by Melissa Broder was absolutely bananas and brilliant and bizarrely erotic. Who knew mother-daughter relationships, Judaism, disordered eating, and frozen yogurt could be so sexy?? Melissa Border. That’s who. (Have you read her other one THE PIECES yet? Also filed under “bananas and brilliant and bizarrely erotic”.)