Lots to See Here
For various reasons I won’t go into here, I’ve been spending even more time than usual reading lately. Lots to cover so I’m going to jump write in.
June 16, 2026
Like slashers with a supernatural bent? Summer Fun Massacre is for you. It even has a summer camp.
I know.
A couple things you can be sure about with Craig DiLouie: He’s going to gross you out a little, he’s going to lead you down a twisty path that’s going to surprise you at the end, and he’s going to mess with your head by leaving you unsure until the very last minute as to whether the supernatural is involved in the story or not. That last is the essential element that keeps me coming back to his stories because it is my very favorite type of horror. It’s why I love Shirley Jackson and the reason I’ve always had a penchant for the Gothic. It’s a particularly fun element in this story because it’s not only screwing with us, it’s screwing with our Deputy Do-RIght who really, really doesn’t want to believe but isn’t being given much of a choice, much to his absolute dismay.
Definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for, well, some dark summer fun. And it’s half of a duoology, unusual in the genre and I’m definitely looking forward to the second half - a Christmas story.
August 4, 2026
Yoohee runs a plant shop in a small town in South Korea. She always knows exactly which plant people need and who to keep her precious babies away from.
She also knows which men are deserving of pruning.
The book description calls Plant Lady an “ode to female rage” and it is indeed that but it’s also so much more. It reminds us that what we do matters to someone, no matter how small. That what we say matters. That our affect on the world around us is so much larger than we think it is and that the smallest comment can inflict hurts that last for years. That we need to remember to be gentle with one another. To be kind. And that being anything else can change the course of someone’s life forever.
August 11, 2026
Zahara’s sister disappears one day and, suddenly, Zahara is the only one who can remember her.
Years later, Zahara finds clues that suggest Annica does exist in a strange world of twisted history and superpowers and that if they’re reunited, it may doom the world.
The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglas is an an amazing feat of triple timelines and sisterly love across all of them, and incredible work that takes a standard sci-fi theme and elevates it into something entirely new.
You have to be good to do what Penelope has done here and I mean a top tier writer to handle the mechanics of this book and to craft a story that keeps readers interested enough to put in the effort to keep everything straight in their own heads. This is a book that takes some discipline to finish and a lot of readers, myself included, are looking for straightforward these days, for quick and easy escapes, not challenges. This challenge, however, is worth the time worth participating the creativity and the craft, let alone the fascinating details of the story.
Highly recommend.
June 9, 2026
I don’t read a ton of high fantasy these days, but when I do, I read David R. Slayton.
Full disclosure, David and I are friends, but that doesn’t mean I have to read his books. I do it because I enjoy them. I love the characters, who are snarky and weird and delightful and I love his stories, which are deep dives into mythology and parallel history with the addition of his own ideas and details.
They also happen to be gay as hell, which I love and which are great for my kids to read. Yes, gasp my kids read them too and love them. My younger child even did a project on a book from his other series White Trash Warlock for school.
In this continuation of Dark Moon, Shallow Sea, Raef and Seth are tasked with going to find Kinos, who you may remember did some horrible things to Raef in book one but has now been called to be Hierarch of the sun god. They then have to attempt to figure out how to defeat an unbeatable demon.
This one is a most excellent adventure kids, and I blew through it so fast, I was surprised when I finished. I really enjoyed being in the world again and most especially spending time with Raef - who kind of reminds me of my kids a little bit personality wise - and Seth who is seriously going through it. If you haven’t started this series yet, hit that link above, you still have time before Silent Paths of Night comes out and if you have, lucky you, you only have a couple weeks to wait for your next foray.
June 2, 2026
Hime and Akira have finally accepted themselves for who they each are and found their everlasting friendship.
I just absolutely love this book. Whether kinds are trying to accept themselves as trans or just as they are, it teaches such important lessons about loving yourself, letting yourself ask questions, trying different things, and, ultimately, being comfortable with the person you discover inside.
Remember, parents, manga and comics are a medium, not a genre and so many kids a re visual learners. Don’t be fooled by the pictures; they may learn more from a. book like I wanna be your girl! than they will listening to you or a teacher at school or from any how-to manual recommended by a parenting magazine. Give them a chance to learn their way.
June 2, 2026
Chika and Waya are nothing alike. So why do they start meeting once a week at the convenience store where Waya works evenings?
This is an adorable shojo manga that reminds us we don’t have to be alike to find one another interesting and you never know who you might befriend until you try talking. As the quiet kid in school, I would have been confused by Chika, but I think, like Waya, I would really have appreciated her efforts and would have made my own efforts in return.
You never know why people are the way they are until you get to know them and there are people in the world who just need others to take the first step. Those people are often the most observant, noticing what others like and care about the way Waya does, but are afraid to share their caring nature because they’ve been made fun of or hurt in the past; they just need a little reassurance from someone more outgoing like Chika. Our Aimless Nights serves as a great reminder that there are different kinds of people in the world and that some need a little help interacting while others are naturally outgoing and can lend that help and that quiet and standoffish aren’t the same thing at all.
Excited to see where this one goes next.
Whew. All the books that are fit to print. See you next time!