u/kepheraxx

I'm working on a hard mode, 4 star and above card.

Fulfilled: published in 1978, author is female

My rating: 4/5

Blurb:

Thirty-something Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live in a charming, peaceful suburb of the newly bustling Atlanta. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they'd believed would always remain undeveloped. Soon, though, they come to realize that more is wrong than their diminished privacy. Surely the house can't be "haunted," yet something about it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it, until the entire heart of this friendly neighborhood threatens to be torn apart.

Review:

I listened to this one on audio, the narrator's voice was perfect for Colquitt, but I did have to turn it up to 1.5x or 1.75x for trail runs. Not only because the reading of it is slow, but the author tends to ramble (much like Stephen King - not a compliment). This one was entertaining, but definitely a slow burn that could have been shorter.

Not everyone will find this a positive, but I actually really enjoyed some of the non-politically correct ways the characters reacted to some situations. I'm glad the book has not been modified to make it more palatable for modern times - I think it's important to remember how things were. That being said, everyone freaking out over something that would be not nearly such a big deal today was really funny.

Honestly, I most enjoyed this book because of how ridiculous it was. The writing was good, but the content felt like I was watching a bad B-horror movie unfold. And oh my goodness, the ending. So dramatic.

Recommended if you want something fun and can deal with some tangents.

I'm working on a hard mode, 4 star and above card.

Fulfilled: first book in the duology 'The Book of All Hours', first time reading Hal Duncan

My rating: 5/5 (my 8th 5-star read of 179 books read this year)

Blurb:

An extraordinary, incendiary debut from a rare new talent, Vellum showcases a complex and sophisticated level of writing coupled with a fecund imagination that defies description.

It's 2017 and angels and demons walk the earth. Once they were human; now they are unkin, transformed by the ancient machine-code language of reality itself. They seek The Book of All Hours, the mythical tome within which the blueprint for all reality is transcribed, which has been lost somewhere in the Vellum - the vast realm of eternity upon which our world is a mere scratch.

The Vellum, where the unkin are gathering for war.

The Vellum, where a fallen angel and a renegade devil are about to settle an age-old feud.

The Vellum, where the past, present, and future will collide with ancient worlds and myths.

And the Vellum will burn...

Review:

Forgive my language, but holy sh*t, what an achievement.

Fair warning - I love this stuff, but this book will not be for everyone. It is DENSE, and the experience of reading it is akin to navigating the Vellum that's featured in the book itself. You will need to read extremely carefully to understand what is going on, or you will have to go back and reread chapters. I recommend taking notes. This is not a quick and easy read, but it's very rewarding if you stick with it.

The amount of time and research the author must have put into this thing is astonishing.

We have ancient mythology (primarily Sumerian [the myth of Inanna] - in part one, and Greek [the myth of Prometheus] in part two, but other mythologies are explored), occult philosophy, history and reimaginings of history, technology, overlapping consciousnesses, breakdowns of reality (which is where exactly?), multiple/parallel realities, multiple identities, explorations of language, pattern repetition in events and characters (through history, myth, and the present), explorations of power and what defines freedom and the self, a refutation of the notion that suffering has meaning, and many other explorations.

Everything connects, ties together, and creates a coherent - and impactful - story.

This reminded me of "Sisyphean" by Dempow Torishima, another 5-star read this year, as far as the maximalism of the prose and the effort required to decipher the text (Vellum was a bit easier), and how rewarding a careful reading ended up being... but Vellum leans more toward hope while Sisyphean leans away from it.

I, personally, think it is 100% worth the effort and will read it again now that I know how some pieces fit together. If you are interested, I recommend reading a couple of chapters to see if it's for you.

And it's a duology, so there is a sequel ("Ink"). The duology is divided into seasons. "Vellum" covers summer (part one) and fall (part 2), "Ink" covers winter and spring. I am definitely going to read the second book, but probably not until next year.

Recommended only if wading through the above sounds appealing, lol.

I'm doing the summer reading challenge for 52 book club, which is board game. I landed on a chance card:

I need recommendations from 6 different people, one book per person. I want to stick to the genre I rolled, which is "Literary Experimental".

"Experimental fiction is a literary style that defies traditional storytelling conventions, prioritizing innovation in structure, form, and language over linear plots. These works draw attention to the reading process itself, often featuring fragmented narratives, mixed media, or unconventional grammar to challenge how readers interpret meaning."

Some examples that I have read: Slaughterhouse-Five by Vonnegut, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Calvino, Lincoln in the Bardo by Saunders, Ulysses by Joyce, A Clockwork Orange by Burgess, House of Leaves by Danielewski, The Obscene Bird of Night by Donoso, Sisyphean by Torishima

Please nothing too crazy long (500 pages max!)

I'll roll between the first 6 suggestions that I haven't read. Thank you!

My 4 star and above card is coming along nicely! This is book 12 of 25.

Fulfilled: published in 2026, debut novel

My Rating: 4.67/5

Why it Fits: This book came out in April 2026 and is Laura Cranehill's debut novel.

Blurb:

Forbidden from leaving her house from girlhood until marriage, Nicole has only her mother's lessons and what she can see from her bedroom window to draw on in forming her view of the world, and of herself. Taught that the mushrooms which cover the women in her village are repulsive and dangerous, she conforms to a rigid set of rules to protect herself and those around her.

When her wedding day arrives, Nicole moves from one prison to another—an empty mansion on the very outskirts of town belonging to the husband she’s been promised to since birth. As she haunts the edges of Silas's unknowable life and decaying home, maintaining control over her own transforming body becomes increasingly impossible. And when another wife with rebellious tendencies pays Nicole an unexpected visit, something within her cracks open. Their furtive explorations yield confusing answers, unearthing the long-buried secrets of the generations of resentful brides that came before. Unmoored, angry, and at last awakened, Nicole must reckon with who she really is, and perhaps, give in to what she truly wants.

Review:

I know it's a weird rating, but I could not decide between 4.5 and 4.75. Either way, this debut novel was a very pleasant surprise. The writing was lyrical, the atmosphere at times beautiful and at times grotesque. Although weird mushroom fiction has been done before, I don't think I've ever seen it done this *well*. Cranehill really manages to capture what it would be like to have an inherently mushroom nature driving your decisions (as opposed to a human nature). The narrative is multi-layered but coherent, surreal but grounded and well researched. If I were to give any criticism it would be vague - something to do with it being too "soft", lacking sharpness in the writing where sharpness was needed, or perhaps colloquialisms from the women that didn't match how they were written otherwise. But overall - very impressed and will look out for future novels by this author.

Very different stories on the surface, but this reminded me of Karin Tidbeck's Amatka in some ways - except I think this was better.

Recommended!

Fulfilled: main plot of the story focuses on solving a murder, main character is not a detective or private investigator

My Rating: 4.5/5

Why it Fits: The plot revolves around an elder being killed, and there are no detectives or private investigators in this story (main person investigating is a villager).

Blurb:

Solve the murder to save what's left of the world.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking.

Review:

I was a HUGE fan of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by the same author, except for the ending, and my opinion is echoed here. Both books were intriguing and masterfully written, and it's not that either ending was *bad* - I simply did not *agree* with the ideology reflected in the author's choices. This just points to the author and myself having different values, and that's totally 100% okay. Personally I would have taken it in a different direction, but I think the majority of readers will enjoy the wrap up.

The world Turton built here was fascinating - the blurb doesn't even begin to hint at what it actually is (discovering it is half the fun) - and the mystery was compelling throughout. I finished this one in one day because I had to know all the secrets and how everything was going to come together.

I think 7 1/2 Deaths was slightly better overall, but only slightly (4.75/5 vs 4.5/5), but the ending of Last Murder was more well integrated - and that might not even be fair because both books must have taken an immense planning effort, not to mention the effort to follow through without losing threads or creating plot holes. This is not a cheap thriller or a simple mystery where everything goes whackadoo at the conclusion - it's painstakingly thought out, riddled with science fiction elements, and is just an awesome twist on a genre I'm not usually that excited about.

100% recommended. Go read this book!

Fulfilled: politics central to the story, politics lower than city level

My Rating: 4.5/5

Why it Fits: The entire story focuses on the politics within one bee hive, which is definitely lower than city level.

Blurb:

Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. Yet Flora has talents that are not typical of her kin. And while mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is reassigned to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting pollen on the wing. Then she finds her way into the Queen's inner sanctum, where she discovers secrets both sublime and ominous. Enemies roam everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously guard the Hive Mind. But Flora cannot help but break the most sacred law of all, and her instinct to serve is overshadowed by a desire, as overwhelming as it is forbidden...

Review:

This was a pleasure to read and engaged me instantly; I devoured it in two days. I honestly can't see how anyone could dislike this book - it was well written, intriguing, well researched, and delightful.

Accept. Obey. Serve. There is no individuality allowed in the hive, all must conform to the hive mind and the hierarchy, but our narrator finds a way to defy her rank. If you enjoy books like Watership Down, you will love this one.

Fulfilled: author of color not living in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand

My Rating: 4.33/5

Why it Fits: Han Kang is South Korean and continues to live in South Korea. Also, while not all of her books fit under the speculative label, this one definitely does (surrealism, magical realism).

Blurb:

One winter morning in Seoul, Kyungha receives an urgent message from her friend Inseon to visit her at the hospital. Inseon has injured herself in an accident, and she begs Kyungha to return to Jeju Island, where she lives, to save her beloved pet—a white bird called Ama. A snowstorm hits the island when Kyungha arrives. She must reach Inseon’s house at all costs, but the icy wind and squalls slow her down as night begins to fall. She wonders if she will arrive in time to save the animal—or even survive the terrible cold that envelops her with every step. Lost in a world of snow, she doesn’t yet suspect the vertiginous plunge into darkness that awaits her at her friend’s house.

Blurring the boundaries between dream and reality, We Do Not Part powerfully brings to light the lost voices of the past to save them from oblivion. Both a hymn to an enduring friendship and an argument for remembering, it is the story of profound love in the face of unspeakable pain—and a celebration of life, however fragile it might be.

Review:

I loved The Vegetarian (5/5) and was definitely looking forward to reading another book by Han Kang. I did not enjoy this one as much, but that's a high bar and I was not at all disappointed. I could not decide between 4.25 and 4.5/5 so I rated in-between.

The novel is filled is with beautiful prose and meditations on friendships and history. Even before the lines between the living and the dead are blurred, Kang sets up a dream-like atmosphere of literal dreams, dream projects, and strange injuries that all tie to the (historically real) Jeju uprising and massacre. The narrative flows and it is easy to flow with it, except for some of Part Two.

So up until mid Part Two, the story was more focused on the friendship between Kyungha and Inseon, and was only incidentally related to the massacre due to a project they were planning to do together based on a recurring dream, based on the massacre. There were some tie-ins to family histories as well. Inseon had made some films interviewing people about the massacre, and had collected a lot of research - everything was well woven.

Then the book completely lost me as it shifted away from this lovely twining flow and into Kyungha just reading the interviews and articles that Inseon had collected. I found this big chunk of part two quite boring and repetitive. I know the author used first hand historical sources, but I feel like any relevant recounts could have been incorporated more poetically instead of breaking the surreal tone. I felt the same way about The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk - Kang overdoes it here in a similar way.

But by Part 3, everything I was enjoying prior was restored, and the book ended in a lovely ambiguity. It's not one I would recommend if you need closure, but if you like atmospheric slow burns with historical aspects, you might love this.

Fulfilled: translated from language I do not speak within the last 5 years

My Rating: 4/5

Why it Fits: I don't speak Danish and for hard mode the English translation was released in 2025.

Blurb: I don't want to copy/paste the blurb for this because if you're just starting the series and want to read it blind you'll get a massive spoiler. The series itself is about a woman who finds herself stuck repeating the 18th of November, but it's not a Groundhog's Day type situation at all. It has been a literary and reflective series thus far.

Review:

I loved the first book (4.5/5), the second one felt like filler building up to book 3 but was still an enjoyable read (3.75/5), and this one sits somewhere between those two.

Whereas nothing much happens in the second book (barring one exception), I felt like TOO much happened in this one and I started to lose my suspension of disbelief midway. However, by the end of the book the story had escalated enough to pique my curiosity again. It settles into itself.

I know that's vague, but that's the best I can do without spoilers. I will say I found some of the ideas mused about in this one annoying/tiring (as far as potential whys/purpose), and some more realistic. It did not go in the direction I was expecting it to, which saved it from a lower rating. I am definitely continuing the series - less excited than I was after the first book, but more excited than after the second.

I'm editing part one of my book, it's literary speculative fiction/philosophical sci fi, some elements of weird fiction, lots of ideas based in both "hard" science and metaphysics. The prose is somewhat elevated but readable (I hope!).

"Conatus" perfectly fits the idea I'm trying to get across in one of my sentences, but I'm worried that it will be a stumbling block for readers if I use it:

Still, I cannot completely tear away; conatus (or replace with “an innate inclination"?) moves me to look again.

Is this an instance where you think readers unfamiliar with the word would think "Neat, let me look that up!" or *eyeroll* "WTF does that mean?"

There are other words in the text related to philosophy, and technical words related to physics and geology, but they are in more important positions that are meant to stand out. This is just a sentence before the narrator moves on to their next action - conatus is what compels them to reexamine something.

What do you think?