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emilyinherhead's reviews
1143 reviews
Another Word for Love: A Memoir by Carvell Wallace
4.0
I loved listening to Carvell Wallace interviewed on The Stacks this past May when the book was coming out, and I knew I needed to get a copy after several of my favorite online book people started calling it one of their favorites of the year. It’s pretty weighty, but that isn’t a surprise; the first sentence of the publisher’s synopsis refers to “the struggles and beauty of growing up Black and queer in America.” And this is kind of how the book is laid out: the first part, “Stories About Loss,” focuses on the struggles and injustices Carvell faced as a young person, and then the second and third, “Stories About God” and “Stories About Reunion,” dig into the beautiful aspects glimmering amidst the hardship. And Carvell’s writing! My god. It’s gorgeous.
Every day someone tries to teach me that we are ugly. Every day I have to remember that we are not. This is why I spend so much time with my eyes closed and my face dappled by the afternoon sun. I am remembering that we are beautiful. (38-39)
Parts of this book gave me Ross Gay vibes, which is maybe the highest compliment I can offer? It’s thoughtful and genuine and meaty, and begs to be pondered and savored—the type of work that will reveal more of itself with repeated readings. I’m happy to have a copy on my shelf to revisit over time.
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt
4.0
I originally heard about this little book—extended short story? novella?—from Jeff O’Neal on the Book Riot podcast, who talked about it several different times a couple of years ago. He recommended going in cold, so I knew nothing about the actual plot, just that someone I trust had enjoyed it and talked it up. And wow! It’s a compelling story indeed. Just when I thought I had a grasp of what was going on, something happened to really rip the rug out from underneath me and completely change the tone. Jeff was right about experiencing it without knowing too much in advance, though, so I’ll avoid spoilers and simply confirm that it’s worth your time.
Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer by Rax King
3.0
This was the December pick for The Stacks book club, and I went into it knowing nothing about the author or her work. From the title and cover I expected relatively low-stakes essays about aspects of pop culture, and that’s partially what I got—one of my favorite chapters was about Rax’s genuine love of the band Creed, and her description of the cover art for their Weathered album made me laugh out loud. But there is also a lot of memoir woven throughout, and toward the end it gets a little heavier and sadder than I was prepared for. I did enjoy the collection overall, I just don’t think the packaging gives the full picture of what’s inside. If you’re interested in reading this one, I’d recommend looking up the content warnings first.
McSweeney's 60: The Photography Issue by
3.5
This issue has a special photography focus, and features the work of Holly Andres on the cover and at the beginning of every story. It’s the size of a large magazine, so the photos are really big and impressive—it was fun to examine each one in detail before launching into the corresponding piece of writing.
There aren’t any total misses in this collection, but I would say that the first four stories were my favorites:
There aren’t any total misses in this collection, but I would say that the first four stories were my favorites:
- “Variety African Healing Market” by Afabwaje Kurian
- “High Jinks” by Leigh Newman
- “The Future-Ghost of Charles Bronson at Home Depot” by Neal Hammons
- “The Tum-Boon Brigade” by Mai Nardone
James by Percival Everett
5.0
I’m so glad I finally picked this book up! Excessive hype can make me wary, but in this case I think it’s absolutely deserved.
James is, most simply, a retelling of Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written from the perspective of Jim. It’s also a commentary on some ideas that are still quite relevant, from race as performance, to human beings’ relationship with nature, to reading and writing as resistance, to the moral question of meeting violence with violence. Everett is incredibly intelligent, and it shows. The biggest strength of the book, though, is the tone of his writing—it’s light and approachable and at times flat-out funny, balancing the heavy content perfectly.
James is, most simply, a retelling of Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written from the perspective of Jim. It’s also a commentary on some ideas that are still quite relevant, from race as performance, to human beings’ relationship with nature, to reading and writing as resistance, to the moral question of meeting violence with violence. Everett is incredibly intelligent, and it shows. The biggest strength of the book, though, is the tone of his writing—it’s light and approachable and at times flat-out funny, balancing the heavy content perfectly.
TL;DR: don’t be scared off by the fact that this is a retelling of a classic, with a historical setting, that academics could probably write papers about. It’s smart, but it’s also a quick and enjoyable read, with an inviting warmth and a completely badass ending. And no, you don’t need to know anything about Huck Finn before you start. I loved every minute of this one. Highly, highly recommend.
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker
It’s about a thirty-something woman named Clove, who has a husband and two young children, an obsession with her local organic grocery store, an online shopping problem, and a very dark past. During her childhood, her father was abusive toward Clove and her mother, and they both suffered his violence and intimidation for years, until things finally came to a head and he was pushed over the railing of the family’s apartment balcony to his death. Since then, Clove has completely reinvented herself, trying desperately to escape the shadow of this horrible event, even to the point of changing her name and keeping all of this history a secret from her husband and kids. So when the past shows up looking for her, she completely panics and everything starts to unravel and fall apart. I won’t spoil anything, just… man. The tension! I guessed one of the twisty bits, but there were other revelations that surprised me, and even if you see what’s coming, it’s still really delicious to watch it all come together. The vibes reminded of Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder, mixed with something like Gillian Flynn or Liane Moriarty. If you’re into psychological spiraling and long-simmering emotional suspense, I recommend this one.
4.5
I stumbled across this book on Libby last week, checked it out on a whim, and read it right away, tearing through the last hundred pages in a single morning over coffee. What a page-turner!
It’s about a thirty-something woman named Clove, who has a husband and two young children, an obsession with her local organic grocery store, an online shopping problem, and a very dark past. During her childhood, her father was abusive toward Clove and her mother, and they both suffered his violence and intimidation for years, until things finally came to a head and he was pushed over the railing of the family’s apartment balcony to his death. Since then, Clove has completely reinvented herself, trying desperately to escape the shadow of this horrible event, even to the point of changing her name and keeping all of this history a secret from her husband and kids. So when the past shows up looking for her, she completely panics and everything starts to unravel and fall apart. I won’t spoil anything, just… man. The tension! I guessed one of the twisty bits, but there were other revelations that surprised me, and even if you see what’s coming, it’s still really delicious to watch it all come together. The vibes reminded of Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder, mixed with something like Gillian Flynn or Liane Moriarty. If you’re into psychological spiraling and long-simmering emotional suspense, I recommend this one.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Armfield is reimagining King Lear, but you don’t need to be familiar with the Shakespearean source material to understand or appreciate this story. It’s set in London during a more advanced stage of the climate crisis—everything is wet and flooded, it’s always raining, and the city’s infrastructure is struggling against the water’s effects. We follow three sisters, all queer, daughters of a famous architect, who learn of their father’s death early in the novel and are then forced together to grieve and process and handle the logistical particulars of his passing. Meanwhile they are each navigating their own careers and love lives and internal states, and as the story progresses, it becomes clear that something is happening with the house that their father left behind. I don’t know that the ending quite worked for me; the pacing really picks up in the last few chapters and I found myself a little confused with everything that was going on. But! That didn’t change how I felt about the book overall. Julia Armfield is SO good at creating atmosphere and building unease, and I know I will remember the slightly foreboding feeling of this novel for a long time to come.
4.0
I’ve been saving my early copy of Private Rites because I enjoyed Julia Armfield’s previous two books so much and knew this one would be great as well. But I finally picked it up just before release day (December 3) and as expected, it was a moody, unsettling, and memorable experience.
Armfield is reimagining King Lear, but you don’t need to be familiar with the Shakespearean source material to understand or appreciate this story. It’s set in London during a more advanced stage of the climate crisis—everything is wet and flooded, it’s always raining, and the city’s infrastructure is struggling against the water’s effects. We follow three sisters, all queer, daughters of a famous architect, who learn of their father’s death early in the novel and are then forced together to grieve and process and handle the logistical particulars of his passing. Meanwhile they are each navigating their own careers and love lives and internal states, and as the story progresses, it becomes clear that something is happening with the house that their father left behind. I don’t know that the ending quite worked for me; the pacing really picks up in the last few chapters and I found myself a little confused with everything that was going on. But! That didn’t change how I felt about the book overall. Julia Armfield is SO good at creating atmosphere and building unease, and I know I will remember the slightly foreboding feeling of this novel for a long time to come.
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich is tackling some weighty issues in this book—racism, classism, and the environment, to name a few—but what stood out to me was the tone, which felt warm and even funny at times. I didn’t always agree with the characters’ choices, and there were a few people I actively disliked, but I loved the variety and amount of different voices present here, and the rich tapestry of community that Erdrich weaves them into.
4.0
I really liked this book! There’s a whole ensemble cast of characters in the North Dakota town where the story takes place, but we’re mainly following Kismet, a young woman just out of high school, and Crystal, her mother, who works the overnight shift hauling sugar beets from local farms. A lot is going on: Kismet is getting engaged to Gary even though she seems to love someone else, Crystal is trying to make ends meet and save money for Kismet’s college education, the farmland is constantly changing with the climate, the town gossip mill is still abuzz about a horrible recent accident involving Gary and his friends when Kismet’s dad suddenly goes missing…
Louise Erdrich is tackling some weighty issues in this book—racism, classism, and the environment, to name a few—but what stood out to me was the tone, which felt warm and even funny at times. I didn’t always agree with the characters’ choices, and there were a few people I actively disliked, but I loved the variety and amount of different voices present here, and the rich tapestry of community that Erdrich weaves them into.
Luster by Raven Leilani
4.0
According to my library loan history, I first checked this book out back in May 2021. The buzz was pretty big at the time, which always piques my curiosity, but after hearing that it was about a messy twenty-something I decided it wasn’t for me and turned it back in unread. Cut to November 2024: it was chosen for The Stacks book club, I checked it out again from the library, actually read it this time, and… loved it.
Edie, the main character, is messy, sure, but not in the way I was expecting. Yes, her love life is in shambles and she isn’t doing great at her job. Yes, she ends up getting drawn into the open marriage of the older (white) man she’s been seeing, and yes, she becomes entangled with his wife and adopted (Black) daughter. On paper, girl, woof. But the mess is not shallow or frivolous like I thought it would be. Edie is an artist who thinks and feels deeply, and I loved getting to know her—she’s making mistakes, but she’s trying so hard to figure her life out. It’s impossible not to care about and root for her. Also, Raven Leilani’s writing is simply beautiful; the fact that this is a debut novel is pretty astounding. I’m so glad it showed up in my life again and I could give it the attention it deserved this time!
Edie, the main character, is messy, sure, but not in the way I was expecting. Yes, her love life is in shambles and she isn’t doing great at her job. Yes, she ends up getting drawn into the open marriage of the older (white) man she’s been seeing, and yes, she becomes entangled with his wife and adopted (Black) daughter. On paper, girl, woof. But the mess is not shallow or frivolous like I thought it would be. Edie is an artist who thinks and feels deeply, and I loved getting to know her—she’s making mistakes, but she’s trying so hard to figure her life out. It’s impossible not to care about and root for her. Also, Raven Leilani’s writing is simply beautiful; the fact that this is a debut novel is pretty astounding. I’m so glad it showed up in my life again and I could give it the attention it deserved this time!
Panpocalypse by Carley Moore
3.5
An interesting story doing some fun things with format and self-awareness!
Also, some excellent quotes:
Also, some excellent quotes:
The whole country is in massive pain, both medicated and unmedicated. Collectively we are traumatized by the legacies of genocide and slavery, and since so many white people are in denial about this trauma, the grief and pain of it, we have an increasingly unwell country. (50)
When I begin writing I am a girl with crayons and newsprint, later with a diary and a small matching pencil, and for most of my adult life, I write about girls and women. The girl is the forgotten one, so easy to dismiss. But the girl is everything. (75)
At first I worry that I’m not queer enough when I kiss the straight cis men in the park because this is a thing that bi/pan people my age often feel or have been made to feel in queer spaces—that we are not enough. But I remember that this is what I do. I am capable of loving all genders and sexualities. What a gift to the world bi/pan people are and still we get so much shit for it, and are very hard on ourselves. (156)
What is a writer anyway, but a thrower of voices? What is a mother anyway, but a liar? (165)