What I Read In… January
I began this blog series because I think it’s interesting to see what other writers are reading, what they enjoyed and (most importantly) what they learned from reading. Be forewarned, I’m not a reviewer. That said, here’s the list for January
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Dr. Montague is an occult scholar who arranges a study at the infamous Hill House in order to find solid evidence for a real "haunting." The participants include Eleanor (a lonely woman haunted by the death of her ill mother whom she cared for), Theo (a spunky livewire who has a difficult time maintaining relationships), and Luke (a family member of the person who currently owns Hill House). They all arrive and, naturally, horrors ensue.
Luckily, I didn’t realize that the Netflix series is completely different from the novel. I loved the show, but liked not knowing what to expect. Jackson’s prose and her command over the narrative voice are both spectacular.
Her experimentation with emotion fascinated me as characters have unexpected reactions during the haunting scenes. It was an interesting way to add an extra dose of dread to the atmosphere. It isn’t as plot heavy as I had hoped and feels rather short, but the characters and the way Jackson draws them into conflict were incredible. A horror/gothic classic for a reason.
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Evelyn Caldwell is a genetic researcher who’s perfected the art of cloning. Her ex-husband also stole her research to create a clone of her, Martine. When Martine murders said ex-husband, Evelyn and Martine must work together to cover the murder up or else Evelyn’s career will go up in smoke.
This was an instant buy for me given the blurb. Ex-husband, clone, and murder? Sounded like an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, which is exactly what I was dying to read (and am still dying to read). Sarah Gailey's writing is incredibly beautiful and they unflinchingly explored the complicated emotions of victims and survivors in this story about grooming, abuse, and identity. Seriously, Sarah can WRITE. That said, if I learned anything, it’s that the marketing of a novel is vital.
This wasn’t at all the thriller I expected and I wasn’t in the headspace for something so emotional, so didn’t quite connect the way I would have if I had picked it up another time. That said, it’s on my shelf to re-read another day when I’m in the mood for an emotionally dense novel with lush prose.
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
A dual timeline family saga centered around the Birds whose matriarch, Lorelei, is a hoarder. In the present timeline, Lorelei has recently passed away and the eldest daughter, Megan, is left to deal with the insanity that is her mother's hoard. The past timeline navigates the family's history, a tragedy that irrevocably changes them, and the secrets that drive them apart.
This novel is a masterclass in using multi-POV to interweave family drama and build suspense. With all of the juicy secrets Jewell created, I breezed through two hundred pages in one day simply so I could get to the revelation scene (which was explosive and perfectly rendered). Jewell strung so many more mysteries and drama throughout those two hundred pages, that I was absolutely riveted the entire time.
On top of that, this is an excellent lesson in portraying an oft exploited mental illness with the utmost empathy. I admire Jewell so much for the research she did to understand a character like Lorelei. I applaud her for choosing to show the humanity rather than the horror, which the hoarding reality shows are all too eager to exploit for ratings. One of my top reads of the month and converted me to an official Lisa Jewell stan.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Noemi is a socialite in 1950s Mexico City. Her father offers to support her to attend university to pursue anthropology on one condition, that she travel to High Place to check on her cousin Catalina. Catalina has sent Noemi's father a concerning letter and appears to be mentally unwell, but her husband Virgil refuses to let her see a psychiatrist. Off Noemi goes. High Place is a mansion on a remote mountain belonging to the Doyle family who once ran a profitable silver mine. Noemi quickly finds she is treated more like a prisoner than a guest.
If you want to learn how to write a modern gothic, this is the place to start. The atmosphere, the mystery, the prose, the slow-burn romance, it was all a big YES for me.
I’ve been big on paying attention to how authors handle emotion recently and I loved how Moreno-Garcia reigned in Noemi's reaction to her treatment at High Place. Most of the time, her anger felt rather subdued. I thought it was a surprising but effective choice, as her subdued emotional reactions gave me more space to be outraged on her behalf. The midpoint twist was such a weird, wtf moment that felt like a risk and may have turned away readers who aren’t used to weird horror, but Moreno-Garcia went for it and, man, it paid off for me. Lesson: TAKE THOSE RISKS.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The unnamed protagonist in REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier marries widower Maxim de Winter after a whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo. Upon returning to his home, Manderley, she discovers that his dead wife, the titular Rebecca, haunts their marriage.
A well-written suspense that turns the structure of the traditional murder mystery on its head. For the last third of the book, I found myself utterly gripped with what would become of the protagonist and Maxim. The final twist involving Rebecca's death was surprising and I loved how it only cast more questions instead of really resolving anything, allowing the reader to end the book and wonder.
I thought du Maurier did some interesting work with the unnamed protagonist. Personally, I love an unlikeable protagonist, but those protagonists are unlikeable for obvious, often abhorrent reasons (psychopaths like Gone Girl’s Amy).
The unnamed protagonist in Rebecca, however, was unlikeable (to me) for entirely different reasons. Her incessant insecurity was frustrating and her abject sensitivity felt, at times, confounding. For much of the novel, I thought she was rather melodramatic and that the antagonism she felt from Mrs. Danvers might have been completely imagined on her part. Yet, the surprise that unfolded from that seedling of doubt du Maurier planted was delicious. For me, it was an unusual experience, reading and constantly being at odds with the protagonist. By the end, it totally paid off.
The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
Chelsea Martin is a wife and mother of seventeen-year-old Ella and five-year-old Brooklyn, with a nasty secret: her husband, David, abuses her regularly. However, a new pandemic has broken. Infected persons blackout and rampage, often leaving someone dead by the time they come to. The government has created a hotline for civilians to report infected persons, which swiftly results in the infected person being taken to government-facilitated quarantine cells. Chelsea sees the perfect opportunity to finally get rid of her husband. Once gone, though, Chelsea finds life is harder than she expected. When she becomes infected, her and her girls are forced apart and they each find themselves on their own off-the-rails adventure.
This is a new release that I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher. I appreciated the content warning at the beginning of this novel. Be forewarned, there are heavy depictions of domestic violence in this as well as one scene of animal abuse.
The choice to provide three distinct POVs from Chelsea, Ella and Chelsea's mother, Patricia, was fantastic and paid off in the end. It was a brilliant examination of how abuse and trauma are inherited generation to generation and the reasons young women such as Chelsea fall for abusers. Dawson also wove great character arcs for the three of them and though the middle felt a bit bulky, the ending was great and well worth the read. This was also another case of an author taking risks. The plot gets zany, but I was here for it!
Someone To Share My Nightmares by Sonora Taylor
I’m making it a point to read at least one collection of short stories each month. Taylor’s collection was everything I needed right now. The blend of romance and erotica with horror tropes was *chef's kiss* AMAZING. For me, this was an absolute banger and taught me one important thing: WRITE WHAT YOU WANT TO READ. Because, I promise, someone else out there wants to read it too. A quick rundown of my favorite stories:
Someone To Share My Nightmares - Kristin lives in a small North Carolina town where her favorite horror director has recently died in the very woods that haunt Kristin's nightmares. When she meets the star of the film that is no longer shooting, Joshua, romance and horror ensue. The creepy setting, the spicy scenes, the achingly gorgeous love interest, and the brutal deaths. MORE OF THIS PLEASE HORROR WRITERS.
You Promised Forever - Carrie agreed to become immortal after falling in love with vampire, Cody. She questions her choice as she discovers happily forever after isn't all she thought it would be. Vampires they might be, but still their relationship is plagued with the everyday quarrels any long-term human couple faces. I absolutely loved this examination of love, relationships, and the things we sacrifice for them. I'm all for an honest portrait of love through a well-loved genre trope.
'Tis Better To Want - Ummm... Did you know Krampus was hot? Because I did not and now I need to get on his naughty list because this story was IT. Lydia has a bit of a rebellious streak. When she meets the Christmas demon and sees his crimson cleft chin (drooling), she must have him. The erotic scene in this had me giggling behind my hand it was SO good. If you like steam, you definitely need this short story in your life.
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
This has been on my TBR for nearly a year and I read it after, finally, finding it at my local bookstore here in Dubai. Elin Warner is a UK police detective on the brink of retiring after a traumatic chase with a murderer sent her off-the-rails. She’s on holiday for her brother’s engagement celebration at a posh hotel recently converted from a historical sanatorium (read: mental asylum). When her brother’s fiancé goes missing, a hotel maid is found murdered, and local police are prevented from investigating thanks to an avalanche, Elin is forced out of her early retirement and takes charge.
This is a great novel to study for anyone who wants to write a contained murder mystery. The detective with a troubled past, the setting and the way it locks all of the characters in with the killer, the constant twists, all of it was cleanly done. It hits all of the right genre beats.
Additionally, it taught me a bit more about what I want to read and write. As well-paced and well-written as it was, I like my thrillers dark, gruesome, and a bit fucked up. If it doesn’t make me drop my jaw and gasp because of something shocking or appalling, is it really a thriller?
I’ve been dying to read just that all month and none of the thrillers I picked up quite hit the note I was looking for (I’m thinking Gone Girl, Verity, and Postmortem). If you have any recommendations for a thriller that does, drop them below. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter and Crash by J.G. Ballard are next on my list because I was promised they will shock and appall me.
