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It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside—but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond—only a glimpse—and heard a note of unearthly music.

This moment came rarely—went swiftly, leaving her breathless with the inexpressible delight of it. She could never recall it - never summon it - never pretend it; but the wonder of it stayed with her for days. It never came twice with the same thing. To-night the dark boughs against that far-off sky had given it. It had come with a high, wild note of wind in the night, with a shadow wave over a ripe field, with a greybird lighting on her window-sill in a storm, with the singing of “Holy, holy, holy” in church, with a glimpse of the kitchen fire when she had come home on a dark autumn night, with the spirit-like blue of ice palms on a twilit pane, with a felicitous new word when she was writing down a “description” of something. And always when the flash came to her Emily felt that life was a wonderful, mysterious thing of persistent beauty.

l.m. montgomery, emily of new moon (1923)

2024 book index

book info	genre	publisher summary	rating (/5) & comments
autofiction (2006) hitomi kanehara, tr. david james karashima	fiction / contemporary	"Rin is flying back from her honeymoon. She's madly in love with her husband, Shin, and the future looks rosy. This title follows Rin's life backwards through time from this moment so that we see her when she is eighteen, sixteen and finally fifteen, and a picture of the dark heart and violent past of this disturbed young woman gradually develops."	3.75/5 i liked snakes & earrings by this author because i think her female characters are pretty interesting - they're sort of unlikeable, hedonistic, detached and obsessive. same goes for this book, though some of it's too crass for me to really like. cool that it's told in reverse chronological order.
i who have never known men (1995) jacqueline harpman, tr. ros schwartz	fiction / dystopian	"Deep underground, thirty-nine women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before. As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl—the fortieth prisoner—sits alone and outcast in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground. "	5/5 haunting and beautiful; couldn't put it down until i had finished it
herbal rituals (1998) judith berger	nonfiction / herbalism	"This book records a year-long journey into the earth's natural cycles as they unfold in New York City. Each monthly section discusses one herb in detail - how and where it grows and what it does - and presents recipes for simple teas, lotions, and foods, along with rituals appropriate to the season that can bring your life back into harmony with the moods of nature."	4/5 very lovely calendar going through the months of the years and herbs associated with them; interspersed throughout with recipes, anecdotes from folklore, history, and the author's life, all poetically written. a wonderful book to read at the end of the year!
if i had your face (2024) frances cha	fiction / contemporary / literary	"A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossible standards of beauty, after-hours room salons catering to wealthy men, ruthless social hierarchies, and K-pop mania."	4/5 liked this a lot, the group of friends was so interesting and i only wish it had been longer or that the author had more books like this! miho was my favorite.
the poison thread (2018) laura purcell	fiction / horror / mystery	"Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder. When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread - because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches. The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations - of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses - will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence."	4/5 what a gem!!! i love the premise of a catholic phrenologist and a seamstress with evil powers coming together, first of all, and feel it's a perfect atmospheric gothic. interesting questions about female labor and its exploitation in victorian society (the grounding root of the horror) & awesome to read in the wintertime on a dark and cold evening.
the whispering muse (2023) laura purcell	fiction / historical / mystery	"At The Mercury Theatre in London's West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees. What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it's as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high. "	2.75/5 i had high hopes for this after reading the poison thread by the same author. the characters were interesting and the author does a good job immersing you in the world, but i only wish the resolution had been more satisfying. the second half is a little less enchanting than the first.
the premonition (1988) banana yoshimoto, tr. asa yoneda	fiction / contemporary	"Yayoi lives with her perfect, loving family – something ‘like you'd see in a Spielberg movie'. But while her parents tell happy stories of her childhood, she is increasingly haunted by the sense that she's forgotten something important about her past. Deciding to take a break, she goes to stay with her mysterious but beloved aunt Yukino, whose strange behaviour includes waking Yayoi at two in the morning to be her drinking companion, watching Friday the 13th repeatedly and throwing away all the things she wants to forget. Living a life without order, Yukino seems to be protecting herself, but beneath this facade Yayoi starts to recover lost memories, and everything she knows about her past threatens to change forever. "	3.5/5 banana yoshimoto is one of my favorite authors; i really enjoy how she approaches people living sort of strange and tragic lives with a delicate and romantic kind of treatment.. this is no different, though it's a little sparse and i wish it had some more density.
those beyond the wall (2024) micaiah johnson	fiction / contemporary	"Scales is the best at what she does: She is an enforcer who keeps the peace in Ashtown, a rough, climate-ravaged desert town. But that fragile peace is fractured when a woman is mangled and killed within Ash's borders, right in front of Scales's eyes. Even more incomprehensible is that there was seemingly no murderer. When more mutilated bodies start to turn up, both in Ashtown and in the wealthier, walled-off Wiley City, Scales is tasked with finding the cause—and putting an end to it. She teams up with a frustratingly by-the-books partner and a brusque-but-brilliant scientist in order to uncover the truth, delving into both worlds to track down the invisible killer. But what they find points to something bigger and more corrupt than they could've ever foreseen—and it could spell doom for the entire world."	3.5/5 pretty good, though i think the beginning takes its time before everything starts moving more urgently in the second half. the first book in the series i liked so much, so it was hard to rate this fairly!
the secrets of hartwood hall (2023) katie lumsden	fiction / historical / mystery	"It's 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England. But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn't quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis's widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village. Lonely and unsure whom to trust, Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But as Margaret's history threatens to catch up with her, it isn't long before she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall."	4/5 the author's debut; i thought the mystery's resolution was pretty fun and it has some nice ideas.
emily of new moon (1923) l.m. montgomery	fiction / classics / coming-of-age	"Emily Starr never knew what it was to be lonely - until her beloved father died. Now Emily's an orphan, and her mother's snobbish relatives are taking her to live with them at New Moon Farm. She's sure she won't be happy. Emily deals with stiff, stern Aunt Elizabeth and her malicious classmates by holding her head high and using her quick wit. Things begin to change when she makes friends: with Teddy, who does marvelous drawings; with Perry, who's sailed all over the world with his father yet has never been to school; and above all, with Ilse, a tomboy with a blazing temper. Amazingly, Emily finds New Moon beautiful and fascinating. With new friends and adventures, Emily might someday think of herself as Emily of New Moon."	3/5 montgomery writes about trees and the wind in such an enchanting, magical way. this book reminds me of the secret garden in that it feels like a children's gothic novel - there are a few dark elements (though maybe at the time they were just part of life). for example, ilse has a father who ignores her because of something mysterious her mother did; teddy's mother is so obsessed with him that she is violent in her jealousy toward his friends; and emily of course deals with grief and loss and mystery.
emily climbs (1925) l.m. montgomery	fiction / classics / coming-of-age	"Emily Starr was born with the desire to write. As an orphan living on New Moon Farm, writing helped her face the difficult, lonely times. But now all her friends are going away to high school in nearby Shrewsbury, and her old-fashioned, tyrannical aunt Elizabeth will only let her go if she promises to stop writing. All the same, this is the firststep in Emily's climb to success. Once in town, Emily's activities set the Shrewsbury gossips buzzing. But Emily and her friends are confident - Ilse's a born actress, Teddy's set to be a great artist, and roguish Perry has the makings of a brilliant lawyer. When Emily has her poems published and writes for the town newspaper, success seems to be on its way - and with it the first whispers of romance. Then Emily is offered a fabulous opportunity, and she must decide if she wants to change her life forever."	3/5 fun light read; wish the ending was a little different.
hippie food: how back-to-thelanders, longhairs, and revolutionaries changed the way we eat (2018) jonathan kauffman	nonfiction / history / food and drink	"From the mystical rock-and-roll cult known as the Source Family and its legendary vegetarian restaurant in Hollywood to the Diggers' brown bread in the Summer of Love to the rise of the co-op and the origins of the organic food craze, Kauffman reveals how today's quotidian whole-foods staples - including sprouts, tofu, yogurt, brown rice, and whole-grain bread - were introduced and eventually became part of our diets. From coast to coast, through Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Vermont, Kauffman tracks hippie food's journey from niche oddity to a cuisine that hit every corner of this country."	3/5 pretty enlightening and fun, though i wish it had included some more history of veganism considering it would be mentioned in passing sometimes. i also found myself wishing there had been more focus on the women in these movements; when one of the restaurants mentioned is closed, the female co-owner seems to disappear from the narrative totally, which was kind of odd.
the edible woman (1969) margaret atwood	fiction / literary	"Marian McAlpin is an 'abnormally normal' young woman, according to her friends. A recent university graduate, she crafts consumer surveys for a market research firm, maintains an uneasy truce between her flighty roommate and their prudish landlady, and goes to parties with her solidly dependable boyfriend, Peter. But after Peter proposes marriage, things take a strange turn. Suddenly empathizing with the steak in a restaurant, Marian finds she is unable to eat meat. As the days go by, her feeling of solidarity extends to other categories of food, until there is almost nothing left that she can bring herself to consume. Those around her fail to notice Marian's growing alienation - until it culminates in an act of resistance that is as startling as it is imaginative."	3.75/5 i like everything i've read from atwood, and this was an easy and beautiful read - but i was hoping for a little more from the ending.
weetzie bat (1989) francesca lia block	nonfiction / magical realism / young adult	"This coming-of-age novel follows the eponymous Weetzie Bat and her best friend Dirk as they navigate life and love in a timeless, dreamlike version of Los Angeles. When Weetzie is granted three wishes by a genie, she discovers that there are unexpected ramifications ..."	4/5 another review called this "sparkling" and i agree
witch baby (1991) francesca lia block	fiction / magical realism / young adult	"The family that took her in called her Witch Baby and raised her as their own. But even though she tried to fit in, Witch Baby never felt as though she truly belonged. So one day she packed her bat-shaped backpack, put on her black cowboy-boot roller skates, and went out into the world to find out who she really was ..."	2.75/5 some of the issues i had from the previous weetzie bat sort of come to a head here, though the underlying skeleton of block's style and magic gives some relief
popular hits of the showa era (1994) ryū murakami, tr. ralph mccarthy	fiction / literary	"In his most irreverent novel yet, Ryu Murakami creates a rivalry of epic proportions between six aimless youths and six tough-as-nails women who battle for control of a Tokyo neighborhood. At the outset, the young men seem louche but harmless, their activities limited to drinking, snacking, peering at a naked neighbor through a window, and performing karaoke. The six 'aunties' are fiercely independent career women. When one of the boys executes a lethal ambush of one of the women, chaos ensues. The women band together to find the killer and exact revenge. In turn, the boys buckle down, study physics, and plot to take out their nemeses in a single blast. Who knew that a deadly "gang war" could be such fun? Murakami builds the conflict into a hilarious, spot-on satire of modern culture and the tensions between the sexes and generations."	3.25/5 obviously i was team aunties, and i love the bizarre ugly girl character in this (she's like a specter). a little dark, but it's so over-the-top that i thought it was pretty funny...
the kamogawa food detectives (2013) hisashi kashiwai, tr. jesse kirkwood	fiction / literary / mystery	"Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason to stop by ... The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers' pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to unlocking forgotten memories and future happiness. From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love's beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future. "	3/5 pleasant light read, but i'm not sure if i would re-read
ayiti (2011) roxane gay	fiction / literary / short stories	"In Ayiti, a married couple seeking boat passage to America prepares to leave their homeland. A young woman procures a voodoo love potion to ensnare a childhood classmate. A mother takes a foreign soldier into her home as a boarder, and into her bed. And a woman conceives a daughter on the bank of a river while fleeing a horrific massacre, a daughter who later moves to America for a new life but is perpetually haunted by the mysterious scent of blood."	2.75/5 i like gay's writing, but i didn't feel particularly strongly about any of the stories in particular because of, i think, the length; so i'll try to read one of her longer works next time.
the suspicions of mr. whicher (2008) kate summerscale	nonfiction / history / true crime	"The New York Times bestselling account of the real-life murder that inspired the birth of modern detective fiction."	3.5/5 i didn't feel that the narrative compelled me one way or another about the detective mr. whicher, though he gives his namesake to it. dark and sad nonfiction; the resolution is one of those stranger-than-fiction things.
vagina obscura: an anatomical voyage (2022) rachel e. gross	nonfiction / science	"The Latin term for the female genitalia, pudendum, means "parts for which you should be ashamed." Until 1651, ovaries were called female testicles. The fallopian tubes are named for a man. Named, claimed, and shamed: Welcome to the story of the female body, as penned by men. Today, a new generation of (mostly) women scientists is finally redrawing the map. With modern tools and fresh perspectives, they're looking at the organs traditionally bound up in reproduction - the uterus, ovaries, vagina - and seeing within them a new biology of change and resilience. Through their eyes, journalist Rachel E. Gross takes readers on an anatomical odyssey to the center of this new world - a world where the uterus regrows itself, ovaries pump out fresh eggs, and the clitoris pulses beneath the surface like a shimmering pyramid of nerves. Full of wit and wonder, Vagina Obscura is a celebratory testament to how the landscape of knowledge can be rewritten to better serve everyone."	3.5/5 informative, though some parts of it were written with what seemed like a weirdly light tone considering how sad the history of this subject is. liked the illustrations
a tangled web (1931) l.m. montgomery	fiction / classics / historical	"It all begins with Great Aunt Becky and her infamous prized possession: a legendary heirloom jug. After her death, everyone wants it. But the new owner won't be named for one year ... Mayhem reigns and tables are turned in a year when everything feels topsy-turvy. One woman will lose her fianc . Two enemies since childhood will inexplicably come together. And a couple mysteriously separated on their wedding night ten years before will find a second chance at love. Then comes the night when Aunt Becky's wishes will be revealed...and the family is in for the biggest surprise of all."	3/5 quick, funny, and engaging. i didn't care for gay's plotline and margaret's was my favorite. really bizarre last chapter. in some ways i liked this because it felt like reading a book of family gossip, but i probably would have preferred if it focused on margaret entirely - she's a dreamer, poet, and old maid whose chapters remind me sort of the emily of new moon stories.
the changeover (1974) margaret mahy	fiction / fantasy / romance / young adult	"The face in the mirror. From the moment she saw it, Laura Chant knew that something dreadful was going to happen. It wasn't the first time she'd been forewarned. But never before had anything so terrible happened. The horrifyingly evil Carmody Braque touched and branded her little brother – and now Jacko was very ill, getting steadily worse. There was only one way to save him. Laura had to change over: had to release her supernatural powers. And that meant joining forces with the extraordinary and enigmatic Sorenson Carlisle ..."	3.5/5 fun read, reminded me of labyrinth (though i find david bowie pretty ugly, so i've never really cared for labyrinth, sorry). the romance is a bit creepy, but the fantasy is also creepy so that it sort of works.
how to be a victorian (2013) ruth goodman	nonfiction / history	"How To Be A Victorian is a new approach to history, a journey back in time more intimate, personal, and physical than anything before. It is one told from the inside out - how our forebears interacted with the practicalities of their world - and it's a history of those things that make up the day-to-day reality of life, matters so small and seemingly mundane that people scarcely mention them in their diaries or letters. Moving through the rhythm of the day, from waking up to the sound of a knocker-upper man poking a stick at your window, to retiring for nocturnal activities, when the door finally closes on twenty-four hours of life, this astonishing guide illuminates the overlapping worlds of health, sex, fashion, food, school, work, and play."	4/5 a page-turner, and i didn't think i really cared about the victorian age one way or another! i love the presentation of history this way, as a set of daily routines.
natural beauty (2023) ling ling huang	fiction / sci-fi / horror	"Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians — who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City. Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures—from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silk—and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and gives her a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistik's charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister."	1.5/5 unsubtle and eyeroll-worthy, i felt like it didn't understand what exactly it was trying to critique and didn't have anything groundbreaking or novel to say. if it's about racism, it feels badly done when the other asian characters aside from the protagonist are flimsy cardboard cutouts. short but a total slog to get through.
the passion of alice (1995) stephanie grant	fiction / contemporary	"After an episode of heart failure, Alice arrives in the eating disorder clinic of Seaview Hospital, where she detachedly watches a circus unfold ... starring her perfectionist mother, Syd ('she'd been a synchronized swimmer in college'), her counselors ('the therapists are like tuning forks for epiphanies'), and the resident anorexics, bulimics, and compulsive eaters. But it is newcomer Maeve Sullivan, at once raucous and tender, with her fleshy body and hedonistic appetites, who turns Alice's adventure beyond her own distorted looking glass into a new perception of herself - and who wakens an attraction that touches Alice's soul and changes her life forever."	3.5/5 the summary of this book reminded me so much of recent publications (the idea of an eating disordered woman who falls in love with a vital woman) that i was surprised it was published in 1995! i liked the core cast of mentally ill women and wished it had just been a book about them having fun together.
verdigris (2024) michele mari, tr. brian robert moore	fiction / literary	"At the tail end of the 1960s, the 13-year-old Michelino spends his summers at his grandparents' modest estate in Nasca, near Lake Maggiore, losing himself in the tales of horror, adventure, and mystery shelved in his grandfather's library. The greatest mystery he's ever encountered, however, doesn't come from a book - it's the groundskeeper, Felice, a sometimes frightening, sometimes gentle, always colourful man of uncertain age who speaks an enchanting dialect and whose memory gets worse with each passing day. When Michelino volunteers to help the old man by providing him with clever mnemonic devices to keep his memory alive, the boy soon finds himself obsessed with piecing together the eerie hodgepodge of Felice's biography ... a quest that leads to the uncovering of skeletons in Nazi uniforms in the attic, to Felice's admission that he can hear the voices of the dead, and to a new perspective on Felice's endless war against the insatiable local slugs, who are by no means merely a horticultural threat. And yet nothing could be more fascinating to Michelino than Felice's own secret origins. Where did he come from? Is he the victim or the villain of his story? Is he a noble hero, a holy fool, or perhaps the very thing that Michelino most wants and fears: a real-life monster."	4/5 liked this much more than i thought i would; fun romp
the price of salt, or carol (1952) patricia highsmith	fiction / classics / romance	"Based on a true story plucked from Highsmith's own life, The Price of Salt (or Carol) tells the riveting drama of Therese Belivet, a stage designer trapped in a department-store day job, whose routine is forever shattered by a gorgeous epiphany - the appearance of Carol Aird, a customer who comes in to buy her daughter a Christmas toy. Therese begins to gravitate toward the alluring suburban housewife, who is trapped in a marriage as stultifying as Therese's job. They fall in love and set out across the United States, ensnared by society's confines and the imminent disapproval of others, yet propelled by their infatuation. The Price of Salt is a brilliantly written story that may surprise Highsmith fans and will delight those discovering her work."	5/5 pretty much perfect; very beautifully written
fasting girls: the history of anorexia (1988) joan jacobs brumberg	nonfiction / history / psychology	"Here is a tableau of female self-denial: medieval martyrs who used starvation to demonstrate religious devotion, "wonders of science" whose families capitalized on their ability to survive on flower petals and air, silent screen stars whose strict "slimming" regimens inspired a generation. Here, too, is a fascinating look at how the cultural ramifications of the Industrial Revolution produced a disorder that continues to render privileged young women helpless. Incisive, compassionate, illuminating, Fasting Girls offers real understanding to victims and their families, clinicians, and all women who are interested in the origins and future of this complex, modern and characteristically female disease."	n/a pretty fascinating, though it definitely shows its age nearly forty years on for its discussion on contemporary issues
how to be a renaissance woman: the untold history of beauty & female creativity (2023) jill burke	nonfiction / history	"Plunge into the intimate history of cosmetics, and discover how, for centuries, women have turned to make-up as a rich source of creativity, community and resistance. The Renaissance was an era obsessed with appearances. And beauty culture from the time has left traces that give us a window into an overlooked realm of history - revealing everything from 16th-century women's body anxieties to their sophisticated botanical and chemical knowledge. 'How to be a Renaissance Woman' allows us to glimpse the world of the female artists, artisans and businesswomen carving out space for themselves, as well as those who gained power and influence in the cut-throat world of the court. In a vivid exploration women's lives, Professor Jill Burke invites us to rediscover historical cosmetic recipes and unpack the origins of the beauty ideals that are still with us today."	3.5/5 informative; a good jumping off point to read other stuff on this topic with some more detail
here one moment (2024) liane moriarty	fiction / contemporary / thriller	"Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed. Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all. How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as 'The Death Lady.' Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn't exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn't drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable. A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party. If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny? "	4/5 moriarty is perfect for when you're in a reading slump - pleasant and engaging; she was described in the summary of the book as austen-like, which i agree with!
hey, hun: sales, sisterhood, supremacy, and the other lies beyond multilevel marketing (2023) emily lynn paulson	nonfiction / business / memoir	"She signed up for the sisterhood, free cars, and the promise of a successful business of her own. Instead, she ended up with an addiction, broken friendships, and the rubble of a toppled pyramid scheme."	n/a it would probably be pretty bad, but they should make a reality tv series about mlm schemes.
the guest (2023) emma cline	fiction / contemporary / thriller	"Summer is coming to a close on the East End of Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome. A misstep at a dinner party, and the older man she's been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city. With few resources and a waterlogged phone, but gifted with an ability to navigate the desires of others, Alex stays on Long Island and drifts like a ghost through the hedged lanes, gated driveways, and sun-blasted dunes of a rarefied world that is, at first, closed to her. Propelled by desperation and a mutable sense of morality, she spends the week leading up to Labor Day moving from one place to the next, a cipher leaving destruction in her wake. "	3/5 a little generic and it would have benefitted from some more length and time spent with the characters, but the stumbling frenzy it becomes at the end gets pretty eerie
newcomer (2009) keigo higashino, tr. giles murray	fiction / mystery / thriller	"Detective Kyochiro Kaga of the Tokyo Police Department has just been transferred to a new precinct in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo. Newly arrived, but with a great deal of experience, Kaga is promptly assigned to the team investigating the murder of a woman. But the more he investigates, the greater number of potential suspects emerges. It isn't long before it seems nearly all the people living and working in the business district of Nihonbashi have a motive for murder. To prevent the murderer from eluding justice, Kaga must unravel all the secrets surrounding a complicated life. Buried somewhere in the woman's past, in her family history, and the last few days of her life is the clue that will lead to the murderer. "	2.75/5 sweet, sort of columbo-esque as another review put it, but not really what i was looking for.
men have called her crazy (2024) anna marie tendler	nonfiction / memoir	"This stunning literary self-portrait examines the unreasonable expectations and pressures women face in the 21st century. Yet overwhelming and despairing as that can feel, Tendler ultimately offers a message hope. Early in her stay in the hospital, she says, 'My wish for myself is that one day I'll reach a place where I can face hardship without trying to destroy myself.'' By the end of the book, she fulfills that wish."	n/a a lot of people seemed to have disliked this book, but i thought it was pretty par the course for a mental health memoir. some interesting ideas about misogyny that could have been explored more intently; the accounts of grooming and abuse are haunting and sad, so it's a rather bleak read.
all the lovers in the night (2011) mieko kawakami, tr. sam bett & david boyd	fiction / contemporary / literary	"Fuyuko Irie is a freelance copy editor in her mid-thirties. Working and living alone in a city where it is not easy to form new relationships, she has little regular contact with anyone other than her editor, Hijiri, a woman of the same age but with a very different disposition. When Fuyuko stops one day on a Tokyo street and notices her reflection in a storefront window, what she sees is a drab, awkward, and spiritless woman who has lacked the strength to change her life and decides to do something about it. As the long overdue change occurs, however, painful episodes from Fuyuko's past surface and her behavior slips further and further beyond the pale. All the Lovers in the Night is acute and insightful, entertaining and engaging; it will make readers laugh, and it will make them cry, but it will also remind them, as only the best books do, that sometimes the pain is worth it."	4/5 one of those stories about a delicate, lonely existence. liked the prose and the ending.
murder most unladylike (2014) robin stevens	fiction / historical / middle grade / mystery	"At Deapdean School for Girls, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have set up their own detective agency. But they are struggling to find any real crimes to investigate... (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't.) Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. To add to the mystery, when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?"	3.5/5 read for the storygraph genre challenge for a middle grade book. cute, fun setting, but the mystery is a bit lackluster - not one you can solve yourself based on clues
arsenic for tea (2015) robin stevens	fiction / historical / middle grade / mystery	"Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy's home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy's glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy's birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn't really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious. Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill - and everything points to poison. With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem - and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth . . . no matter the consequences."	3/5 ditto previous review
yuria's red string, volume 1 (2018) kiwa irie	fiction / manga	"Fifty-year-old Yuria has a quiet life teaching embroidery classes in her home, where she lives with her writer husband and his mother. Then one day her world is turned upside down when husband has a subarachnoid hemorrhage and upon arriving at the hospital, Yuria is met by a tearful young man who announces that he is her husband's lover."	3.75/5 read for the storygraph genre challenge for a manga. i liked the premise for this one and the romantic subplot was cute ...
the bear and the nightingale (2017) katherine arden	fiction / fantasy	"Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse's fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil. Then Vasya's widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya's stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village. But Vasya's stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village's defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse's most frightening tales."	3.75/5 recommended as an adult fantasy trilogy. the premise sounded interesting and i liked the establishment of the setting and touches of folklore and fairy. i felt like there was a bizarre sympathy for konstantin, who is basically a religious prosecutor figure to the witchy protagonist, and i was sorry for the stepmother, who just gets set aside as a cruel archetype in comparison. hated the dad.
the hundred waters (2022) lauren acampora	fiction / literary	"Formerly a model and photographer trying to make it in New York, Louisa Rader is back in her affluent hometown of Nearwater, Connecticut, where she's married to a successful older architect, raising a preteen daughter, and trying to vitalize the provincial local art center. As the years pass, she's grown restless in her safe and comfortable routine, haunted by the flash of the life she used to live. When intense and intriguing young artist-environmentalist Gabriel arrives in town with his aristo-cratic family, his impact on the Raders has hothouse effects. As Gabriel pushes to realize his artistic vision for the world, he pulls both Louisa and her daughter Sylvie under his spell, with consequences that disrupt the Raders' world forever."	2.5/5 i liked the paper wasp by the same author so picked this one up, but it fell a bit flat for me. premise very weirdly reminded me of "the ballad of booth" episode of desperate housewives lol so perhaps it was doomed from the start because of that.
cotillion (1953) georgette heyer	fiction / historical / romance	"Refusing her fortune-hunting suitors, Kitty Charing despairs of finding a man who would love her for herself and runs away, until the dangers of the city make her boldly propose to the elegant Mr. Standen of London."	4/5 so funny! i loved this, in my head it was animated like a retro shoujo anime ... it's like jane austen, except even more hijinks and silliness. featuring a ne'er-do-well french cousin.
my best friend's exorcism (2016) grady hendrix	fiction / horror / thriller	"The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She's moody. She's irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she's nearby. Abby's investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?"	2.5/5 i wanted to like this way more - the cover art is so pretty as a play on a vintage paperback cover! i like hendrix because he writes rather good female characters and does nice homage in his horror, but i didn't enjoy this one that much - just couldn't really get attached to the characters and the plot didn't really capture me either.
sleep, pale sister (1994) joanne harris	fiction / historical / horror	"Sleep, Pale Sister is a hypnotically atmospheric story set in nineteenth century London. When puritanical artist Henry Chester sees delicate child beauty Effie, he makes her his favorite model and, before long, his bride. But Henry, volatile and repressed, is in love with an ideal. Passive, docile, and asexual, the woman he projects onto Effie is far from the woman she really is. And when Effie begins to discover the murderous depths of Henry's hypocrisy, her latent passion will rise to the surface."	2.5/5 i liked the idea of a pre-raphaelite horror so much, but this was a bit of a disappointment. effie is barely a character, and moved by the machinations of others pretty much the entire book which is really too bad. and then you have the male characters, who are both really awful too... i thought this might be a play on effie gray and ruskin and millais, but it's not really. not really worth it.
because we are bad: ocd and a girl lost in thought (2016) lily bailey	nonfiction / health / memoir	"Charming and raw, harrowing and redemptive, Because We Are Bad is an illuminating and uplifting look into the mind and soul of an extraordinary young woman, and a startling portrait of OCD that allows us to see and understand this condition as never before."	2.5/5 just didn't get that much from it personally!
kim jiyoung, born 1982 (2016) cho nam-joo	fiction / contemporary / literary	"In a tidy apartment on the outskirts of Seoul, millennial 'everywoman' Kim Jiyoung spends her days caring for her infant daughter. But strange symptoms appear: Jiyoung begins to impersonate the voices of other women, dead and alive. As she plunges deeper into this psychosis, her concerned husband sends her to a psychiatrist. Jiyoung narrates her story to this doctor - from her birth to parents who expected a son to elementary school teachers who policed girls' outfits to male coworkers who installed hidden cameras in women's restrooms. But can her psychiatrist cure her, or even discover what truly ails her?"	4/5 very timely, depressing read
dream brother: the lives and music of jeff and tim buckley (2001) david browne	nonfiction / biography	"When Jeff Buckley drowned at the age of thirty in 1997, he not only left behind a legacy of brilliant music - he brought back haunting memories of his father, '60s troubadour Tim Buckley, a gifted musician who barely knew his son and who himself died at twenty-eight. Both father and son made transcendent music that mixed rock, jazz, and folk; both amassed a cadre of obsessive, adoring fans. This absorbing dual biography - based on interviews with more than one hundred friends, family members, and business associates as well as access to journals and unreleased recordings - tells for the first time the intriguing, often heartbreaking story of these two musicians. It offers a new understanding of the Buckleys' parallel lives - and tragedies - while exploring the changing music business between the '60s and the '90s. Finally, it tells the story of a father and son, two complex, enigmatic men who died searching for themselves and each other.	4/5 creepy, interesting, and very informative. kind of like a greek tragedy in a way
the blue castle (1926) l.m. montgomery	nonfiction / health / memoir	"Valancy Stirling is 29, unmarried, and has never been in love. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she finds her only consolation in the "forbidden" books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle - a place where all her dreams come true and she can be who she truly wants to be. After getting shocking news from the doctor, she rebels against her family and discovers a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams."	3/5 i liked valancy's inner world and her finding solace in nature books. i didn't actually like the romance part of this at all.
penance (2023) eliza clarke	fiction / contemporary	"It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrible night are now being published for the first time. That story is Penance, a dizzying feat of masterful storytelling, where Eliza Clark manoeuvres us through accounts from the inhabitants of this small seaside town. Placing us in the capable hands of journalist Alec. Z. Carelli, Clark allows him to construct what he claims is the 'definitive account' of the murder - and what led up to it. Built on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves, the result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil. The only question is: how much of it is true?."	3.25/5 just ok. some confusing choices
brokeback mountain (1997) annie proulx	fiction / romance / short stories	"Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two ranch hands, come together when they're working as sheepherder and camp tender one summer on a range above the tree line. At first, sharing an isolated tent, the attraction is casual, inevitable, but something deeper catches them that summer."	4/5 yes it's worth the hype!!!