The Changeling by Victor Lavalle
Read as part of CBR13bingo: myth I made it a point to know as little about this book going in. I knew that it was a fantasy set in a mythical New York City that involved a family. That was it. And I think that’s the best way to read this book. There is something horrifying that happens in the first third (or does it?) that made it difficult to read but Victor LaValle’s writing style is easy enough to fall in and out of. […]
Deerskin by Robin McKinley
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
well, not exactly. What we have here are two retellings of classic fairy tales: Charles Perrault’s deeply upsetting Donkeyskin (recently reviewed by our very own BlackRaven) and Hans Christian Andersen’s also unsettling The Little Mermaid. Both of these entries are picks for our upcoming #cannonbookclub event- and I’ll be discussing Deerskin further during our Zoom- but in the meantime, let these two help you choose your pick(s)! Also- both of these tales of girls on the cusp of womanhood have been reclaimed and retold by women. […]
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
BINGO – MYTHIC Angrboda is a thrice burned witch, and a thrice survived witch at that. She once was a seer for the gods, but she was ultimately burned for refusing to tell Odin, king of the gods, of knowledge beyond what anyone should know. After burning thrice and surviving, she escapes to the woods but leaves her heart on the pyre. She finds a cave and makes a home for herself. She strikes up a friendship and trading partnership with a giantess name Skadi […]
The Portrait of a Mirror by A. Natasha Joukovsky
What if A.S. Byatt’s Possession popped up again in the internet age? The Portrait of a Mirror answers that question with a heaping helping of Greek mythology to boot. Diana, Wes, Dale, and Vivien are spoiled obsessives staring at themselves into eternity. They are slimy people, but you know what? I don’t care! I want them to be happy in their clandestine adventures, and I want them to be miserable in their public falling outs! Wes and Diana are married. Their relationship is a constant sparring match that […]
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is a book, like The Lord of the Rings, that I think I will appreciate more each time I read it. The only time I’d read it before this was my senior year of high school during the height of my LOTR fervor, and it entirely overwhelmed me. I remember I had to have a notebook near me while reading on which I drew a lot of family trees. I had a need to keep all the elves and endless descendants of Beor straight. […]
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Selene is an off-the-books PI who protects women in NYC. It is her sworn-duty to help those in need since she isn’t just a former police officer but also happens to be the goddess Artemis. Her powers are waning, as are the powers of most of the pantheon, but Selene pushes onward doing what she can to keep women safe. But she can’t save everyone; a woman is found murdered in Central Park. Upon further investigation into the details of the crime, Selene realizes there […]
