The Inklings Digest 5

Current Reads

Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien De Castell. This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Haar by David Sodergren. Always a great person to go to when you’re wanting a good horror. The Final Scene by Steph Nelson. I haven’t quite started yet. I’m about a chapter into it.

Recent Reads:

Margos Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. A book looking into how society looks down on young women raising children in nontraditional households. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. There is a review on here that I encourage you to take a look at, but you can also rest assured that this is definitely a high recommendation from me. I don’t even really read contemporary fiction, so this was a pleasant surprise. Absolutely adored it.

Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I was, very luckily and thankfully, sent an ARC of Alien Clay and really, really enjoyed it. We’re on an alien planet where prisoners are forced to do the heavy lifting. We explore this world, the people who created it, and how fucked the mandate truly is. There were a few times that the book made me feel a bit dumb, but it was still an interesting and super fun ride. I do wish it had read a bit better. Our main character very casually talks about science-y things but not in the way our main character in The Martian does. They each feel like they’re along the same vein as far as talking about this information, but I much prefer how The Martian was done.

We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewar. Let me tell you, I goofed myself. I had just been saying horror books don’t really get to me. I don’t often get spooked through reading, event though it is one of my favorite genres. However. There was a scene roughly 28% through that had me a bit nervous walking through my office at work when the lights were off. Maybe it was my mindset at the time, but I still respect it.

Revenants by Mel C. Bell. This was a tiny novella, 70 pages, about zombies and handsome soldiers who know more than they’re saying. I read somewhere that this book is going to be a series of some kind, whether that’s graphic novels or something else, I can’t fully be sure. I will say this novella read exactly like that: a pitch idea for a series. And it definitely got me interested, but there is not enough there to warrant any care or something like that. I don’t even really have that many thoughts on it other than it felt like listening to someone tell me about their series’ idea.

Near The Bone by Christina Henry. I’m not sure how Sasquatch takes the backseat, but that’s okay. I had a pretty good time reading about this escape from a yucky old bitch.

Antenora by Dori Lumpkin. A great novella studying a girl who was the menace of the town. It was beautifully written and had me invested the entire time I was reading it. But, I do find myself not really enjoying short stories. I almost view them as previews for the actual story. Still a beautiful view of how religious trauma can impact people, though.

This Week’s Plans

I have not a fucking clue, to be honest. I’m definitely going to finish my current reads, but I don’t have any plans for what I’m picking up next. I think I’m in the mood for a good thriller or horror. I want something that will have me on the edge of my seat. I do think it will also be an audiobook week. But we’ll see. Thanks for tuning in and I’ll talk to ya later!