On My Shelves This Week: Historic Horror, Loneliness & Gifted Women |

What a wonderful week of reading! Talk about an eclectic selection of books!

Books Read This Week

Wilder Women by Ruth Emmie Lang: Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago, leaving her two daughters behind. The daughters have been separated; Zadie lives on her own and Finn has spent the last few years in a loving foster home. Reunited at Finn’s high school graduation party, the sisters plan to go on a beach trip to reconnect. Both Wilder girls have special abilities; Zadie has psychic abilities and Finn can see the echoes of others’ memories. Their trip changes when Finn experiences one of the strongest “echoes” of her life, leaving her with the feeling that their mother wanted to be found. Using these “echoes,” the two embark on a journey across the country to retrace their mother’s footsteps. As Finn dives deeper into these echoes, she finds it harder to pull herself from the past. She’s the only way they’ll find their mother, but in doing so will she loose herself?

READ IT! I loved following Zadie and Finn on their journey. It was more than just a physical journey, but a mental and emotional one as well. They both believe their mother left them out of selfishness, but at each step on their journey they learn more about her and, in turn, themselves.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle: The year is 1915. Adelaide Henry’s parents have been killed, and she must flee California. She heads to Montana to become one of the “lone women” taking advantage of the government’s offer for anyone to own land as long as they settle on it. The only thing she travels with is an enormous steamer trunk that must remain locked at all times. As Adelaide builds her homestead, she begins to forget about the secrets in her past that lead to her current situation. Secrets can’t remain locked up forever, and soon Adelaide must accept that what she thought was a curse may be her salvation.

READ IT! I admit, horror set in the American West has traditionally not been my thing. Reading Alma Katsu’s THE HUNGER a few years ago opened my eyes to a completely new element of horror fiction and I’ve been sold since! LaValle crafts a truly chilling horror scene in cold & remote Montana and I was captivated after reading just a few pages.

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado: Jon Gutierrez is a police investigator in the city of Bilbao, Spain. A career-ending decision may also land him in prison. Instead, he’s contacted by a secret organization that leads criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature. Think of those crimes that people in power don’t want to show up on the nightly news. This organization wants him to bring a detective out of self-imposed retirement. Antonia Scott is a legendary detective with an almost supernatural ability to solve murders. She’s been unable to recover from a personal trauma, but only she can form a connection between two seemingly unrelated cases involving some of the most powerful people in Spain.

READ IT! I was looking for a quick, fast-paced thriller and this certainly fit the bill! The comparison Lisbeth Salander nearly dissuaded me from reading this one, but I’m glad I gave it a try. Antonia’s backstory is truly jawdropping; I’m glad to read this isn’t the last we’ll hear of this unusual pairing!

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout: Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters are living in Mexico while she oversees the renovation of an ancient church. The abbey is being turned into a posh hotel. Carmen hopes this trip will allow her and her girls to reconnect with their roots. The role isn’t exactly stress-free for Carmen. The laborers don’t respect her since she’s a woman and is forced to deal with local corruption. They can’t walk down the street without seeing posters of missing young girls so she must juggle her families safety with her need to complete this job. An accident on site unearths a room that doesn’t show up on the abbey’s floorplans. Inside, they find artifacts that date back centuries. There’s a reason these were hidden. Unfortunately, the accident damages Carmen’s reputation and she and her daughters return to the States. Something follows, something so dark and ancient they might not be able to stop it.

READ IT! As an avid reader of horror, I’m always on the lookout for a fresh new voice, horror unlike anything I’ve read before. This one is absolutely brilliant. Vengeful spirits. Hidden rooms. Ancient artifacts. Sign me up! Also, I carried this book into the salon with me for a hair appointment. The looks I got after they saw the cover. I have no shame in my horror-loving game!

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke: Loneliness is a silent epidemic. Unfortunately, it’s not one we often talk about. Anyone can be a victim. Rather than shaming it as our society has traditionally done, Radtke gives it the attention it deserves. Using emotionally-charged drawings, Radtke highlights examples of how and why we are drawn to interactions with others and what happens when that exposure to others is revoked.

DON’T JUST READ IT. BUY IT. SHARE IT. This is the book everyone should be reading. How many times have we looked on someone, an individual, and assumed they were lonely because they were solitary? Or sat in a crowded room and felt empty? Radtke presents loneliness, specifically American loneliness, in a way you can’t overlook or ignore. I found myself stunned and gasping as I turned the pages. I read this book days ago and I can’t seem to stop thinking about it and sharing it. Undoubtedly it will top my favorites of the year. I can honestly say I haven’t read anything like it!

COMING UP ON MY SHELVES THIS WEEK: