Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus
I’m a big fan of Jamie Loftus’s work in the podcast sphere, so I’ve had a hold on the audio of RAW DOG since it came out. Finally it was my turn! Tragically, I had a weird download and some of the book was clipped out in the beginning. But I was too impatient to re-download and felt guilty hanging onto such a popular book for a long time. So I didn’t reread – it’s possible I missed some stuff. The book starts out with […]
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc
Amanda Leduc grew up on Disney just like many kids of my generation. But she grew up experiencing it quite uniquely. Leduc has cerebral palsy, so a world where beauty is judged by perfect dainty feet and graceful dancing is a world that doesn’t celebrate her. Disfigured is part memoir, part fairy tale study, and a beautiful thesis for disability justice. Leduc shares her extremely personal experience of being diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a young girl, of navigating bullying and crises of confidence through […]
The Girl From the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
Fifteen year old Morgan lives on a small Canadian island, where she spends her days hiding her true self from her three girlfriends. Home life isn’t much better, as her single mom and ornery brother also don’t seem to understand her. When Morgan meets a mysterious, beautiful tween named Keltie, her life becomes more interesting and more complicated. Morgan likes Keltie a lot, and Keltie unabashedly is affectionate to Morgan. But Keltie doesn’t understand Morgan’s need for secrecy. Add into the fact that Keltie is […]
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
As soon as I got an audience telling dark fairy tales online, people were recommending Angela Carter’s brilliant The Bloody Chamber to me. In fact, one follower loves it so much, they sent me a copy! Thank you to them. I really loved Carter’s literary take on popular fairy tales. Many short stories are direct twists on familiar tales (Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood) but others feel like original tales based on common motifs and characters (like “The Lady of the House of […]
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Cinderella gets a Handmaid’s Tale twist for a YA Audience in Bayron’s book, with a queer protagonist too! It has been 200 years since Cinderella got her “Happily Ever After” in the kingdom of Lille. Her story is now essentially the kingdom’s Bible, but very few people in Lille get to share in a happily ever after of their own. The kingdom is ruled by a cruel king, whose rulebook is a patriarchal nightmare. Curfews for female residents and no freedoms of which to speak; […]
Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
This is a happy dog story! Malian (which is pronounced “Mary-Ann” in Wabanaki language) is visiting her grandparents on their Wabanaki reservation when shelter-in-place orders go into effect for the COVID-19 pandemic. What was supposed to be a brief visit becomes a long stay, with Malian trying to keep up with Zoom middle school on the rez’s spotty wi-fi and trying to keep her elderly family members safe. Malian isn’t the only unexpected visitor to the rez; a beautiful, mysterious dog shows up and makes […]
