Day 1,832, Quasi-Quarantine: Close-Knit Team Of Deaf Gridders Meets All Challenges In Inspiring "The Boys Of Riverside"

 

“It is sometimes said that blindness separates you from things while deafness separates you from people. The aphorism needs a crucial caveat. Deafness does not separate deaf people from one another. It brings them together.”

Thomas Fuller complemented an incredible story with meticulous research in constructing "The Boys of Riverside." The tale benefited immensely from the author's examination of the history and contemporary status of Deaf Culture.

There were some odd moments, including when the losing team in the championship game accused Riverside players of not being deaf. The situation seemed to call for some follow-up by the author, but none was forthcoming.

While it was clear that parts of the TV version of the story were dictated by ESPN for maximum Disney-fication, it was clear in print that there was nothing inauthentic about this dedicated group of students and coaches. "The Boys of Riverside" was emotional, inspiring, and celebratory -- needed sentiments these and all days.

Limerick Friday #632: State Wades Into The Post-Keatts Era -- Day 1,828

It's the game that's now played

Everyone deserves to get paid

Adjust to the times

Or pinch all your dimes

Bring on the era of Will Wade

Create your own board for chess

To stay above the mess

Stay one move ahead

And make your own bed

If they're going to pay you less

UNC made the dance

To the glee of sycophants

The fraud persists

Local bias insists

'Tis the season for hypocritical rants

Another place progress did defeat

Raleigh mistakes on repeat

But don't you dare worry

It's part of my origin story

I'll always meet you down on 42nd Street

"Severance" is right up my alley

A blend of irony and reality

This season's gone deep

To make you laugh and weep

Not sure if I'm ready for the finale

Last time ...

Day 1,827, Quasi-Quarantine: "Kill Joy" Is A Fun Prequel To Murder-Mystery Trilogy

 

Serving as a prequel to Holly Jackson's "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" trilogy ("A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," "Good Girl, Bad Blood," and "As Good as Dead"), "Kill Joy" offers a clever way to sketch some of Pippa Fitz-Amobi's character and provide context for the future choices she'll make.

“Cara shuddered. ‘Urgh, I hate the word moist.’”

Attending a murder-mystery birthday party, Pip and her friends are taken to 1920s Scotland. As the game escalates, she delves deeper into her assigned character and methodically plots out clues and suspicions.

Jackson's novella is an absorbing, short read -- complete with a reference to Stephen King's "It." While not essential to the ensuing trilogy, it does an admirable job of helping to set the scene.

Day 1,825, Quasi-Quarantine: Budding Terror Of AI The Central Theme Of Poignant (But Slow) "The Hum"

 

“‘Sy,’ she said, going over to the table. ‘What’s this?’

He glanced at the paper.

‘It’s a circle of death,’ he said matter-of-factly.

‘A circle of death?’

‘It goes around and around, even after you’re dead,’ he said.”

"Hum" is not for the faint of heart, as Helen Phillips's tale is marked by fatalism and foreboding. The short sentences, bizarre sex scenes, and persistently weird familial undertones create a jarring reading experience -- the prose equivalent of the uncanny valley.

Which is prescient, since artificial intelligence is a core theme of the novel. For good measure, a sprinkling of late-stage capitalism, global warming, and technological servitude (in both directions) permeate the book, making the bright moments difficult to find.

“There was a full instant between seeing the children and reaching for her phantom limb to document the children.”

Some balky rhythm made "Hum" difficult to get into initially. The slow pacing persists until the end of part two, when the story really seems to find its action. The novel finds its heart toward the end, when maternal protection and palpable connections combine to offer rays of hope.

“Their whole lives she had been telling them no, don’t roam, stay close. She had sold her face so she could bring them here so they could do just this.”

Day 1,821, Quasi-Quarantine: Unique Formats, Styles Mark "The Best American Mystery And Suspense 2024"

 

“Maybe some people can live the life they’re given, but some of us have to escape some way – for some people that’s by staring at a wall and for others that’s bringing the pain to others and making them look at it.” 

~ “Will I See the Birds When I Am Gone”

With a focus on unexpected and unique formats, the short stories in "The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024" can be difficult and challenging to read. However, standouts like "Scarlet Ribbons" (by Megan Abbott), "For I Hungered, and Ye Gave Me" (by Barrett Bowlin), "Just a Girl" (by Alyssa Cole), "Will I See the Birds When I Am Gone?" (by Stanton McCaffery), and "Book of Ruth" (Mary Thorson) made the effort incredibly worthwhile.

“The best men, he thought, didn’t command their fellow man from a giant domed building. The best men disregarded the commands of those who sought power and control and instead basked in the plenitude of life and the abundance that this world offered, in all its forms.” 

~ “Lovely and Useless Things”

Perhaps the highlights here are Jordan Harper's "My Savage Year" and Bobby Mathews's "The Funeral Suit," both employing understated, atmospheric writing to paint vivid pictures in a finite amount of space. 

“‘Terror’s what you feel when you’re running from the wolf,’ I told her. ‘Horror’s what you feel while you watch the wolf feeding on your guts. Showing you what you’re really made of.’” 

~ “My Savage Year”

Series editor Steph Cha and version editor S.A. Cosby -- a favorite in his own right from works like "All the Sinners Bleed" and "Razorblade Tears" -- have done a phenomenal job curating this collection, which represents a kaleidoscope of writing styles and approaches.

“What’s the best way to change Emerson’s body from alive to dead? That was the problem before me: a man who ought to be a corpse.” 

~ “The Body Farm”

Scooter & Hum's Top Five Books Of The Year 2024

 

After reading 41 books and some 14,638 pages in 2024, here was the top five I read this year (ask me tomorrow and it'll be different). I probably say this every year, but nailing down a top five was near impossible. And on a side note, I've made a mental note to re-evaluate how often I'm using the word "stunning" in my reviews (a good problem to have).

Without further ado ...

1: "Prophet Song," by Paul Lynch

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Stunning tale of dystopian Ireland is immersive, terrifying, and exhausting, featuring almost overwhelming grief, tragedy.

Passages to Remember: 

“I wish you would listen to me, Aine says, history is a silent record of people who did not know when to leave.”

“I should have known this would happen, he says, I should have known but I shut my eyes, I loved her once you know, I really did love her, I still do love her, oh– tell me, where did the love go, tell me that, I can’t remember where things go anymore, where does all our love go when once we held it beating in our hand?”

“Watching them all now with this feeling of the moment vanishing, knowing she will remember them like this, her children seated around the table, sensing the wheel of disorder coming loose into spin.”

“Sooner or later pain becomes too great for fear and when the people’s fear has gone the regime will have to go.”

2. "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," by Michael Chabon

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Beautiful novel captures the pursuit of love, identity, and belonging in 1940s New York City.

Passages to Remember: 

“Joe, on the floor, was aware for a moment that he was lying on a sour-smelling oval braided rug, in an apartment recently vacated by a girl who had impressed him, in the few instants of their acquaintance, as the most beautiful he had ever seen in his life, in a building whose face he had scaled so that he could begin to produce comic books for a company that sold farting pillows, in Manhattan, New York, where he had come by way of Lithuania, Siberia, and Japan.”

“The sound of their raised voices carries up through the complicated antique ductwork of the grand old theater, rising and echoing through the pipes until it emerges through a grate in the sidewalk, where it can be heard clearly by a couple of young men who are walking past, their collars raised against the cold October night, dreaming their elaborate dream,wishing their wish, teasing their golem into life.”

“It was marvelous that in this big town he had managed to rediscover, a year later, the girl with the miraculous behind.”

“The newspaper articles that Joe had read about the upcoming Senate investigation into comic books always cited ‘escapism’ among the litany of injurious consequences of their reading, and dwelled on the pernicious effects on young minds, of satisfying the desire to escape. As if there could be any more noble or necessary service in life.”

3. "James," by Percival Everett

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Inspired reimagining of "Huckleberry Finn" sets emotions aswirl like the water of the Mississippi River.

Passages to Remember: 

“I don’t see no profit in askin’ for stuff just so I don’t get it and learn a lesson ‘bout not gettin’ what I asked fer. What kinda sense does that make? Might as well pray to that board there.”

“‘To fight in a war,’ he said. ‘Can you imagine?’

‘Would that mean facing death every day and doing what other people tell you to do?’ I asked.

‘I reckon.’

‘Yes, Huck, I can imagine.’”

“I hated the world that wouldn’t let me apply justice without the certain retaliation of injustice.”

“My name is James. I’m going to get my family. You can come with me or you can stay here. You can come and try freedom or you can stay here. You can die with me trying to find freedom or you can stay here and be dead anyway. My name is James.” 

4. "Clear," by Carys Davies

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Remote Scottish island provides moody backdrop for beautiful tale of cloistered loneliness and unexpected hope.

Passages to Remember: 

“How is it, she thought, we never see the big things coming?”

“He remembered the strange hand movements his visitor had made in the beginning, and how he’d ignored them, not wanting to know why he was here because that would involve thinking about how long he would stay and when he would leave, and from the moment John Ferguson had looked him squarely in the face and the wave of emotion had crashed over him and almost drowned him, he’d never wanted to think about him not being here anymore.”

“‘Forgive me,’ he whispered, hardly knowing who he was talking to, only knowing that he was guilty.”

5. "The Passenger," by Cormac McCarthy

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Sophisticated meditation on grief spans Gulf Coast and an unforgettable cast of characters -- and mysteries.

Passages to Remember: 

“Grief is the stuff of life. A life without grief is no life at all. But regret is a prison. Some part of you which you deeply value lies forever impaled at a crossroads you can no longer find and never forget.”

“Something on the road. Something coming. Some sweatsoaked beast, some hooded and wheezing abhorrence trundle upon the footpath. Just the faintest movement of the air like a gradient of ill come unshelved and drifting toward her lonely outpost.”

“You want to know when was the last time I saw anybody. I could ask you when was the last time you didnt see anybody. When was the last time you just sat by yourself. Watched it get dark. Watched it get light. Thought about your life. Where you’d been and where you were goin. Was there a reason for any of it.”

“The problem is that what drives the tale will not survive the tale. As the room dims and the sound of voices fades you understand that the world and all in it will soon cease to be. You believe that it will begin again. You point to other lives. But their world was never yours.”

Narrow Misses (in 15 words or less):

"Rules of Civility," by Amor Towles: Beautiful imagery, rhythmic pacing mark tale of coming of age in late-1930s New York. 

"Among the Thugs," by Bill Buford: Stunning depiction of football hooliganism explores disenfranchisement, mob mentality, and what propels disturbing lad culture.

"The Bee Sting," by Paul Murray: Cloistered Ireland backdrops wide-ranging tale of hidden identities, stagnant lives, looming regrets, misunderstood loves.

"You Like It Darker," by Stephen King: Extrasensory perception, visions, Covid battle for top billing in one more King short-story masterpiece.

"Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop," by Hwang Bo-Reum: Big heart drives feel-good read about the ripple effects of Seoul bookshop with soul.

"The Barn," by Wright Thompson: Native Mississippian digs deep to unearth the historical inevitability of Emmett Till's murder and whitewashing.

"Trespasses," by Louise Kennedy: Hypocrisy, religion, and violence backdrop an illicit love affair set against backdrop of the Troubles.

"Shadow Divers," by Robert Kurson: Intensity, conflict, danger, mystery, and history collide at 230 feet deep in mesmerizing true story.

"Table for Two," by Amor Towles: Absorbing, touching collection of short stories and a novelette span a number of genres, eras.

Honorable Mention (in 10 words or less):

"The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store," by James McBride: Culture clash in 1930s Pennsylvania spurs unlikely alliances, needed hope.

"Our Share of Night," by Mariana Enriquez: Haunting tale of dark magic captivates while documenting sprawling vision.

"Chain-Gang All Stars," by Nana Kwame Adjlei-Brenyah: "Gladiator" meets reality TV for coerced prisoners in provocative read.

"Berry Pickers," by Amanda Peters: Atmospheric Northeast backdrops story of loss, redemption for indigenous family.

"Loudermilk," by Lucy Ives: Midwest writer workshop reveals memorable characters and questions of authenticity.

"Just Kids," by Patti Smith: Tale of 1970s NYC culture is gritty, melancholy, and celebratory.

"Zone One," by Colson Whitehead: Surprising take on zombie apocalypse shows a master at work.

"Stella Maris," by Cormac McCarthy: Esoteric contemplations of math, philosophy, science, morality in McCarthy's coda.

"Arrowsmith," by Sinclair Lewis: Social climbing conflicts with scientific rigor in Roaring Twenties America.

"All the Sinners Bleed," by S.A. Cosby: Southern noir tackles racism, grief, religion in serial killer form.

"Wrong Way," by Joanne McNeill: Meandering examination of automation and its impact on worker dignity.

Notable (in 7 words or less):

"Last Best Hope," by George Packer: Attempt to explain America meanders into silence.

"The Guest," by Emma Cline: Serial thief/sex worker explores value concept.

"Think Again," by Adam Grant: Power of rethinking reinforced by visual cues.

"The Best American Short Stories of 2019," curated by Anthony Doerr: Diverse adolescent struggles dominate notable short stories.

"Godwin," by Joseph O'Neill: Midlife crisis drives quest for football prodigy.

"A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," by Holly Jackson: School project becomes fast-paced murder investigation.

"Yellowface," by R.F. Kuang: Culture exploration marred by one-dimensional characters.

"The Last Song: Words for Frightened Rabbit," edited by Aaron Kent and Maria Sledmere: Moving tribute to iconic band Frightened Rabbit.

"Steal Like an Artist," by Austin Kleon: Image-intensive book becomes lengthy motivational poster.

The Rest (in 5 words or less):

"Entitlement," by Rumaan Alam: Skin-deep NYC-dreams exploration.

"It. Goes. So. Fast," by Mary Louise Kelly: Bittersweet memoir of fleeting parenthood.

"Great Expectations," by Vinson Cunningham: Unfocused coming-of-age tale.

"As Good as Dead," by Holly Jackson: Trilogy finale adapts darker tone.

"Good Girl, Bad Blood," by Holly Jackson: Sequel features true-crime podcasting.

"The Cruel Prince," by Holly Black: Modern-medieval mix tackles identity.

"World Made By Hand," by James Howard Kunstler: Dystopian MAGA fantasy world depiction.

Day 1, 814, Quasi-Quarantine: "Brothers" Explores The Bond Of Music In Emotional Tale With Sudden Ending

 

“We’re not a rock band. We’re a rock ‘n’ roll band. Alex is the rock. I’m the roll.”

A surprisingly poignant and emotional read, "Brothers" explores the indelible bond between Alex and Eddie Van Halen, the founders of the seminal, eponymic rock band. 

Alex writes about his family's emigration from Holland, the early days in America, and the constant toil to go from club band to one of the largest musical acts in the world.

“You remember how freeing it was to wake up in the back of that bus and find the sun rising over a new city? The slate is wiped clean and you’re reborn in every place – you’ve got a whole new shot at life! Sure, wherever you go, there you are, and so on, but for the audience it’s a whole new you. The gig in San Antonio wasn’t up to snuff? Nobody knows that in Albuquerque. It was like the day before had never happened.”

"Brothers" can get grandiose and relies heavily on other books and interviews. Somewhat disappointingly, the work also wraps quickly, essentially ending after David Lee Roth left the band and skipping over the final 35 years of Eddie's life. 

“Marriage is easy compared to keeping four grown men together through year after year of nonstop traveling, performing, promoting, and recording. Especially when one of them is your younger brother and another is an egomaniac!”

Still, "Brothers" works best as an examination of the meaning of brotherhood, family ... and grief.

“Paul McCartney said something else I like: ‘The Beatles were brothers arguing. That’s what families do.’

“I’ll see you again, Ed.

“And when I do, I’m going to kick your ass.

Love,

Al”

Day 1,810, Quasi-Quarantine: A Second Season Of "Andor" Is The Resistance We All Need

The extent to which I miss "Andor" has not abated much in the past two and a half years.

As if the universe knew how much the world at large needs an inspirational (if fictional) story of rebel uprising against an evil empire, Disney provides.

The second season of "Andor" returns on April 22.

Let's fucking do this.

Limerick Friday #631: Steaming Pile Of Keatts Manages To Destroy Every Last Shred Of Final Four Goodwill -- Day 1,807

Keatts should have a small amount of fear

For State's tumble to the rear 

The play is too brutal to bear

The fans even struggle to care

Hell, I've turned off two games this year

Entitlement across the team

Solipsism a constant theme

Favoritism a leadership pillar

Management by marketing filler

Fire up every tiny violin meme

Headlines you can't comprehend

Hope you can't even pretend

Ignorance to the core

The evil is what matters more

As our society continues to descend

Every day another lost player

Fans should probably say a prayer

You know it's baseball season

When the Mets have injuries beyond reason

An onion peeled layer by layer

"White Lotus" season three

Is finally winning over me

Was on the fence for a while

But the end of epi two made me smile

Mostly because of "Tune in Tokyo" Chelsea

Last time ...

Day 1,804, Quasi-Quarantine: A Stunning Re-Interpretation Of Literary Canon, "James" Sets Emotions Aswirl

 

“‘You can write.’ It was not a question or an accusation, more a discovery, perhaps a call to duty.

‘I can write,’ I said.

‘Then you had best write.’

‘I will,’ I said.”

A stunning work that manages to blend humor and terror in an accessible way, this work showcases Percival Everett at his very best. Coming on the heels of the incredible novel "The Trees," "James" was understandably named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

“After being cruel, the most notable white attribute was gullibility.”

“These white men scared me. They scared me because they weren’t invested in my being afraid of them.”

A reimagining of "Huckleberry Finn," this novel creates agency for Jim, showing how he must signify his status through a slave filter to keep his oppressors comfortable. 

“I hated the world that wouldn’t let me apply justice without the certain retaliation of injustice.”

“‘Religion is just a controlling tool they employ and adhere to when convenient.’”

Through interactions with confused (Norman), lost (Sammy), and torn (Huck) souls, James traverses the Mississippi River trying to find his family, his freedom, and his voice.

“On occasion, as we traveled at night, the river was all ours. It was a vast highway to a scary nowhere.”

Some escapades can feel slightly abbreviated, and a revelation about the relationship between Huck and Jim that emerges at the end may have deserved a little more time and attention.

However, the ability to shift between genres and weave satire in seamlessly is an Everett trademark, and those gifts are demonstrated to their utmost here.

“‘Folks be funny lak dat. Dey takes the lies dey want and throws away the truths dat scares ‘em.’”

Emotional and evocative, funny and fraught, infuriating and informative, "James" is essential reading -- and so is Percival Everett.

“‘Who the hell are you?’ he asked. He pointed his gun at me.

“I pointed my pistol at him. ‘I am the angel of death, come to offer sweet justice in the night,’ I said. 

‘I am a sign. I am your future. I am James.’”

Limerick Friday #630: It's Been A Month And Nothing Is OK -- Day 1,800

 

While our reps cower

The tools have seized power

Brain cells are lacking

And the crimes are stacking

Locked away in the Irony Tower

For years, they've been stuck in a mire

No matter the talent they did acquire

Culture change needed

With Ben Johnson, they heeded

Did the Bears just nail a coach hire?

Ethics never matter to ESPN

Hypocrisy is a matter of when

Kirk Herbstreit crying on air?

Because OSU won the title, I swear

Journalism just died yet again

"Loudermilk" a breath of fresh air

I giggle at almost every swear

But not just raunchy and overdone

It's got a heart as big as the sun

The emotions for which I did not prepare

As winter storms clear

Spring training is here

As the Mets chase a pennant

Getting used to Soto will take a minute

For Iglesias, I do shed a tear

Last time ...

Day 1,799, Quasi-Quarantine: "As Good As Dead" Serves As Darkest Installment And Finale Of Memorable Trilogy

 

“Is it normal for one person to have this many enemies? I’m the problem, aren’t I?

“How did it get so late already?

“I understand why they all hate me.

“I might hate me too.”

The third installment in the "Good Girl's Guide to Murder" series, "As Good As Dead" is decidedly darker and more disturbing. In the follow-up to "Good Girl, Bad Blood," Holly Jackson puts Pip Fitz-Amobi into increasingly intense and no-win situations.

Our protagonist makes impossible decisions, endures self-loathing, and floats through much of the story in a dream state due to insomnia. Along the way, Jackson cleverly weaves in discussion of police misconduct and the broader problem of false confessions.

"As Good As Dead" raises a lot of troubling moral questions and ventures somewhat beyond the edges of traditional YA material, but serves as a fitting coda to an absorbing trilogy -- and a fascinating lead character.

“She cried and she let herself cry, a few minutes to grieve for the girl she could never be again.”

Day 1,798, Quasi-Quarantine: "Just Kids" A Gritty, Melancholy, Celebratory View Of 1970s NYC Art Culture

“It is said that children do not distinguish between living and inanimate objects; I believe they do. A child imparts a doll or tin soldier with magical life-breath. The artist animates his work as the child his toys.”

Gritty but emotional, "Just Kids" is the improbably tale of love between Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe as they struggle with identity and aspiration in New York City. Smith paints a compelling portrait of the journey from homelessness to fame for the duo, inseparable despite a myriad of differences.

“It was a good day to arrive in New York City. No one expected me. Everything awaited me.”

This book had been on my to-read list for years, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Smith's combination of courage and naivete is something to behold, and her brushes with era icons like Andy Warhol lent even more depth to the story.

“I didn’t feel for Warhol the way Robert did. His work reflected a culture I wanted to avoid. I hated the soup and felt little for the can. I preferred an artist who transformed his time, not mirrored it.”

The author obscures a number of conversations early in the book related to her family and her escape to New York, but finds her voice in documenting the litany of coincidences that allowed her to find Robert, her path, and her future.

“But secretly I knew I had been transformed, moved by the revelation that human beings create art, that to be an artist was to see what others could not.”

“I learned from him that often contradiction is the clearest way to the truth.”

Melancholy, sweet, and heartbreaking, "Just Kids" has gaps like any tale of life, but is essential reading for anyone interested in the culture and climate of 1970s NYC and how cosmic twins can find one another in its shadows and alleys.

“We were as Hansel and Gretel and we ventured out into the black forest of the world. There were temptations and witches and demons we never dreamed of and there was splendor we only partially imagined. No one could speak for these two young people nor tell with any truth of their days and nights together. Only Robert and I could tell it. Our story, as he called it. And, having gone, he left the task to me to tell it to you.”

Day 1,796, Quasi-Quarantine: "Chain-Gang All-Stars" Is A Thought-Provoking Examination Of The Cyclical Connection Between Incarceration And Entertainment

 

“Sometimes I’m sure I can’t be killed. Sometimes I’m not sure if I’ve already died.”

Nana Kwame Adjlei-Brenyah's all-too-real tale of prisoners fighting for their lives in gladiator-style made-for-TV events is both compelling and heartbreaking. "Chain-Gang All-Stars" is vividly realized, while also weaving in citations about incarceration in the United States.

“It was hard to forget the things that hurt you. You didn’t often forget the shape of your cage.”

The coerced battle to the death for "Blood Points" (value: one one-thousandth of one cent), so the sheer violence can be hard to take at times.

“Some truly didn’t think about the fact that men and women were being murdered every day by the same government their children pledged allegiance to at school.”

The book can also be difficult to follow at first as perspectives change, and the sheer number of characters can make it difficult to follow on occasion. 

“Because he was ruined he ruined and was ruined further.”

While the Thurwar-Staxxx throughline was compelling, "Chain-Gang All-Stars" may have benefited from more time dedicated to the Simon J. Craft storyline, which served to humanize the reality-show elements of the plot.

“ … As always, the massive violence of the state was ‘justice,’ was ‘law and order,’ and resistance to perpetual violence was an act of terror. It would have been funny if there weren’t so much blood everywhere.”

“The police begged again for peace as they rolled their tanks forward.”

The novel ends in a slightly ambiguous fashion befitting the overall arc of "Chain-Gang All-Stars." The overall read was brutal, but the underlying message is resonant and important.

“I thought of how the world can be anything and how sad it is that it’s this.”

Day 1,793, Quasi-Quarantine: "The Guest" Explores Concepts Of Value, Belonging Among The Insufferable 1%

 

“Hundreds of years ago, their parents might have abandoned their babies in the woods. Instead, the neglect was stretched out over many years, a slow-motion withering. The kids were still abandoned, still neglected in the woods, but the forest was lovely.”

This novel explores sexuality, caste systems, the service economy, and privilege in a way that is slightly undercut by an unreliable narrator. The protagonist of "The Guest," Alex, is a blank slate the reader can imprint any number of "struggles" onto, with the lack of an origin story guiding these examinations.

“The thrill was familiar. The giddy anxiety of watching yourself and waiting to see what you would do next.”

From kleptomania to nymphomania to impulse control, Alex resists categorization in what seems to be a highly conscious choice by Emma Kline. However, where the book's intent seems to be to portray Alex as complicated and misunderstood, the overall effect leans hard toward intentionally confusing.

“She’d been almost jealous of the people she’d known in the city who’d totally cracked up, spiraled into some other realm. It was a relief to have the option to fully peace out of reality.”

"The Guest" is undeniably engrossing, leading to a manic read that matches the story's rhythm and pace. While readers may find themselves wanting more interiority from the serial thief/sex worker Alex, Cline withholds it in a way that can foster frustration -- balanced against absorption.

“The appearance of calm demanded an endless campaign of violent intervention.”

Day 1,791, Quasi-Quarantine: All Themes Welcome In Southern Gothic Noir Entry "All The Sinners Bleed"

“The South doesn’t change … just the names and the dates and the faces. And sometimes even those don’t change, not really. Sometimes it’s the same day and the same faces waiting for you when you close your eyes.

“Waiting for you in the dark.”

S.A. Cosby continues his string of intense Southern noir novels with "All the Sinners Bleed," a worthy successor to "Blacktop Wasteland" and "Razorblade Tears." His latest features a demonic serial killer terrorizing a small community in southeastern Virginia.

“The ability of one human to visit depravity upon another was as boundless as the sea and as varied as there were grains of sand on the beach.”

The book has good pacing that is only slightly challenged by a couple of bizarre scenes that just don't work and some super-long sentences. Oddly, there were also a few too many dragon similes -- four, to be exact.

"All the Sinners Bleed" tackles racism, grief, and religious zealotry -- weighty themes that can feel overwhelming in the same tale, but coalesce fairly well in Cosby's hands. For entertainment relief, the Raleigh-based band American Aquarium gets a notable mention.

“I could also have monkeys fly out of my butt. Don’t mean I’m gonna start buying bananas for toilet paper.”

Cosby's work is intense, but not overly challenging. These days, that's a feature and not a bug, as books that demand too much mentally or emotionally can feel overwhelming.

“ … But that was the thing about violence. It didn’t always wait for an invitation. Sometimes it saw a crack in the dam and then it flooded the whole valley.”

The ending is solid and the story is timely. Cosby knows grittiness, and he nails it again in "All the Sinners Bleed."

“It occurred to him no place was more confused by its past or more terrified of the future than the South.”

Day 1,789, Quasi-Quarantine: Themes Of Love, Identity, Belonging Fuel Unforgettable "The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay"

“Joe, on the floor, was aware for a moment that he was lying on a sour-smelling oval braided rug, in an apartment recently vacated by a girl who had impressed him, in the few instants of their acquaintance, as the most beautiful he had ever seen in his life, in a building whose face he had scaled so that he could begin to produce comic books for a company that sold farting pillows, in Manhattan, New York, where he had come by way of Lithuania, Siberia, and Japan.”

Stunning in its breadth, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" pulled off the truly impressive feat of being a novel of 700 pages that left you wanting more.

“‘There is only one sure means in life,’ Deasey said, ‘of ensuring that you are not ground into paste by disappointment, futility, and disillusion. And that is always to ensure, to the utmost of your ability, that you are doing it solely for the money.’”

Michael Chabon's New York City of the 1940s is full of hope and despair, opportunity and obstacle, love and pain. The author has created vivid backdrops, rich back stories, and engrossing historical context to populate this terrain.

“The sound of their raised voices carries up through the complicated antique ductwork of the grand old theater, rising and echoing through the pipes until it emerges through a grate in the sidewalk, where it can be heard clearly by a couple of young men who are walking past, their collars raised against the cold October night, dreaming their elaborate dream,wishing their wish, teasing their golem into life.”

Chabon's prose manages to be sentimental, hysterical, beautiful, and moving all at the same time. True-to-life dialogue colors in real depth for Sam Clay and Joe Kavalieri, making them relatable and extraordinary.

“It was marvelous that in this big town he had managed to rediscover, a year later, the girl with the miraculous behind.”

“ … There was a general impression of imminent catastrophe and red lipstick.”

The author has fun with many offshoots of the main storyline, particularly with a fraught Antarctic adventure. Chabon turns Kavalier & Clay into manifestations of the comics they create -- building a stunning, accessible, and compelling novel along the way.

“He had escaped, in his life, from ropes, chains, boxes, bags, and crates, from handcuffs and shackles, from countries and regimes, from the arms of a woman who loved him, from crashed airplanes and an opiate addiction and from an entire frozen continent intent on causing his death.”