Jie says she once saw two girl ghosts kissing in the creek. I mishear her and think she means they were cleaning the creek. Why? I say. Jie says, Because a god made them want but didn’t give them a word for it. Bestiary (One World, a Random House imprint, 2020)is K-Ming Chang’s gritty andContinue reading “BESTIARY – K-Ming Chang”
Author Archives: Tommi Powell
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT -Rachel Mans McKenny
The Butterfly Effect, Rachel Mans McKenney (Alcove Press, Dec 08, 2020) I recently received an advanced reader’s edition of Rachel Mans McKenney’s upcoming release The Butterfly Effect. This debut novel is quite remarkable, settling about the reader like a comforting hug or a blanket made by your grandmother. It’s not artificially sweet, but rather naturallyContinue reading “THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT -Rachel Mans McKenny”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES – Alix E. Harrow
“One witch you can laugh at. Three you can burn. But what do you do with a hundred?” (469) After a fun vampire read and a delicious deal with devil, I wanted to round out October with a witch story. Alix Harrow’s highly anticipated The Once and Future Witches with its witches and suffragettes wasContinue reading “THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES – Alix E. Harrow”
THIS MOURNABLE BODY – Tsitsi Dangarembga
In 2004, I met a woman whose impact on my life has proven immeasurable beyond belief. Not long after I met Gay, she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, and I watched as she began to lose control over her muscles. One of the first things to go was her voice; she walked the hallsContinue reading “THIS MOURNABLE BODY – Tsitsi Dangarembga”
TRISTAN STRONG DESTROYS THE WORLD – Kwame Mbalia
In January of this year, I posted a review of Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. In that review, I encouraged everyone to read the book and to it in little hands. Representation matters, and the literary world needed (and still needs) that “nerdy, black kid from Chicago.” In February,Continue reading “TRISTAN STRONG DESTROYS THE WORLD – Kwame Mbalia”
THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE – V.E. Schwab
“Because happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end,” he says, “everyone wants to be remembered.” “I saw an elephant in Paris.” V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Oct 2020) certainly received a lot of hype as its publication date approached. I saw ARCs of this book EVERYWHERE. It wasContinue reading “THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE – V.E. Schwab”
METALLIC RED- Jennifer Ann Shore
“Humans were equal parts fragile and reckless, and they seemed unable to reconcile the two.” What happens if you mix a little bit of Mean Girls with a bit of Charlaine Harris and a hint of Anne Rice? You *finally* get the YA vampire book that we’ve all deserved. Yeah. I said it, and MetallicContinue reading “METALLIC RED- Jennifer Ann Shore”
THE WIVES – Tarryn Fisher
“We’re all fucked up, every single one of us, I think.” Warning: This post will contain spoilers. Confession: While I enjoy a good psychological thriller once in a blue moon (there’s a reason I read this in October!), it’s not a genre that really floats my boat. And I typically hate unreliable narrators. Bonus Confession:Continue reading “THE WIVES – Tarryn Fisher”
HEADHUNTERS ON MY DOORSTEP – J. Maarten Troost
“What did she mean with not very dangerous? ‘Mais faites attention aux requins-marteaux.’ Pay attention to the what now” The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific (2004) and Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu (2006) have long been my go-to recommendations for self-deprecating but insanelyContinue reading “HEADHUNTERS ON MY DOORSTEP – J. Maarten Troost”
UNDER THE DOME – Stephen King
“The pink stars are falling,” Aidan said. “They make lines behind them. It’s pretty. It’s scary. Everyone is watching. No treats, only tricks. Hard to breathe. He calls himself the Chef. It’s his fault. He’s the one.” I was in middle school when I read my first Stephen King novel. I selected Tommyknockers. And whileContinue reading “UNDER THE DOME – Stephen King”
A Girl Named Tommi 