Book Review: Cousins by Aurora Venturini

I picked this one up for the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do  - HRCYED 2026 

Once of the challenges is to read books with relatives in the title. Voila. 

THIS is a fantastic book, and I am glad I did have the prompt.  I am overall not finding the HRCYED to really be encouraging me to read more diversely or find new books.  Instead I find I am pocking around seeing what might fit what challenge and that is less fun than I expected.  The challenges involve things like "Weather on the cover"  which... well... isn't really that inspiring.  I hoped this would really lean into reading more diversely, but it's very easy to ignore that part and just read books with weather on the cover that are all romances, set in comfortable cozy small towns, or books with relatives in the title that are not at all diverse. So, will I do it again?  Right now I am thinking No  because I've picked up so many books to fulfill prompts that were particularly bad books. 

However, Cousins  is a wonderfully surprising small novel.  Translated From Spanish, this is an Argentinian author that published this in 2007 at the age of 85. 

I loved it.  The writing style is unique. The story is unique, and dark and funny all at the same time. I found myself alternately troubled, then giggling, then surprised all within about 200 pages. 

Without spoilers, our main character is Yuna and she reflects so many feelings over time that I could heavily relate to. She's disabled by a lisp, but she takes heart that at least she isn't in a chair like her disabled sister.  over time, she takes some art lessons, and while her family scoffs, her teacher sees her promise and sets her on a path towards her own independence through her skills.  Yuna narrates all the events she and her cousins experience in a straightforward and factual manner and her narration style improves as she ages and works to further educate herself.  Along the way, Yuna is witness to numerous tragedies that befall young women across the globe. 

There is SO MUCH to un pack and pick apart in these 200 pages. 

\There are family relations, obligations, friendships. There are power imbalances, and coming of age moments.  There's family expectations, and the behavior of women among themselves... and more. 

I did love this entire experience. I feel it is BEST on Audio book - especially as the unusual punctuation can just drive a person wild.  PERFECT BOOK CLUB BOOK for gen Z, but be cautious of triggers. 

STATS

First Published:  2007

Pages: 206

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes 6 hrs

Trigger Warnings: disability, SA, pregnancy, abortion, Child abuse, poverty, blood, feces, and urine mentions. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Freedom's Daughters by Celeste Headlee

 When I saw That Celeste Headlee had a new book out, and it was on NetGalley- I simply hit the request button. No questions asked. Headlee spoke at one of our infection prevention conferences about how to have difficult conversations- her talk was from her book "We need to talk" of course. She was marvelous and we all still talk about her presentation from time to time.

I am continuing to have some issues with images loading here on Blogger. So if someone can help, that would be great, I am getting no help with the "help articles" 

Moving back to this very important and interesting book!

Headlee’s book brings history to life. The history that she shares is the history is many people are currently trying to erase, ignore or push down into obscurity. All of this is important, but the key piece here is that she makes it readable and relatable. Drawing from a decade of research she skillfully combines relatable family stories with the events of time times and brings it all together for readers.

I was only sad about having a digital copy because I had a lot of notes to take and areas I want to underline with exclamation points. Flatiron, I am so grateful for the e-copy, but I am gonna have to get the physical copy as soon as it comes out, of course!!.

I did receive an advanced listener copy as well from MacMillan Audio and I combined my reading with listening. Narrated by Headlee herself, this was fabulous. Headlee is a great communicator and I felt like the audio did enhance my read of the entire book.  It was great to do an immersive read. Having the author narrate meant that I was sure correct emphasis was placed where the author had intended.  AND, unlike some authors who really aren't also speakers- Headlee is a communicator.  Loved this. 

STATS

First Published:  10/06/2026

Pages: 320

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes 

Trigger Warnings: Education, Feminism (are these triggers?) 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Hallowed Bones by Lucy Smoke

 I have been reading a really fun amount of Horror and Ghost stories for Spooky Season (and beyond really, I've been just marinating in the stuff, and I love it.) 

When I saw that Lucy Smoke has a new book coming out- Hallowed Bones- a Reverse Harem style novel set in the Salem area, possibly involving witches, I thought to myself - SELF, let's go take a listen to the audio book! 

Lucy Smoke's latest release is Married to the Mafia, and I LOVED that novel.  It had everything I wanted in a Mafia romance.  So I was excited to see what Lucy would do with RH. 

. 

This is a RH that will satisfy and interest most RH, romantasy readers. 

It does fall into and rely on the usual romantasy tropes.  Our FMC is a damaged but incredibly strong (and beautiful) woman. She doesn't know her power, so it is going to take a few (also damaged and incredibly strong and beautiful) men to help her along. 

There is a lot of "popping of the P"  and use of the word "Nope"  (so that the characters can Pop the P) but if one disregards this particularly odd microtrope- the book is solid, if predictable.  Apologies to any readers who live for the "I popped the P"  I have seen this in so many romance books in the past 3 years particularly, that it is incredibly unoriginal, and is sort of like literary fingernails on chalk boards-I'm sure someone does this in real life, but it isn't the cute/sassy that it's intended to be anymore. I admit, if I was giving a star rating it would drop a bit just because of that. 

So.... Our main character ends up at a sort of Supernatural college, after she's orphaned and her Aunt is a mean auntie who doesn't want anything to do with her. 

Her parents died in a horrific fire.  Since then she has been plagued with nightmares, and mental health issues. Upon arrival the Sons of Salem take a keen interest in her.  They are of course, a mixed bag of broody, golden retriever, nerdy intellect and fit and sociable. Turns out, they have been waiting for her.  She didn't know it and they didn't know it but it's happened! 

    For me within a few chapters, I could see the plot unrolling and there were very few surprises.  I was a bit disappointed in the incredibly slow build up leading to a cliffhanger.   I would read the second book.  I do think this will please most romantasy readers, as a casual read.  I just can not say that I felt it was high on the originality list. 

The narration was TOP NOTCH and really brought up my enjoyment of the story. I loved the multiple narrators and felt that the style enhanced my enjoyment of this book! Kudos To Macmillan Audio for an excellent production. 

STATS

First Published:  10/06/2026

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes 12.5 hours 

Trigger Warnings:  Sex, alcohol, supernatural creatures, parental death, mental health, references to child abuse. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Resident Punk By Legs McNeil

  This is such a fun book! I found myself compulsively listening to it. 

I have always been fascinated by the Punk scene.  I was born too late for it, but- everyone I've ever met who was seriously Punk with a capital P was wildly creative, vibrant and totally interesting. Legs McNeil- the "resident Punk"  was part of the start of all of it.  He narrates through Crispin Kott the story of both his life, which is irrevocably intertwined with the punk movement of the 1970's. 

Brilliance Audio generously shared an advanced copy of the audiobook, and with narration by Mark Engelhardt, I actually sort of felt like I was basically in a casual conversation with McNeil himself.  I did check a few times because the narration was so natural I thought maybe it was McNeil doing the narration. 

Readers are given stories of McNeil's upbringing, and also many non published stories of the movers and shakers in the Punk scene, Joey Ramone, The Dictators, Elvis Costello, Poly Styrene and more.  

This is a great production, and I found myself continuing to think - just a few more minutes- every time I was going to put away my headphones. Some have called Legs the coolest guy in the room and I'm starting to believe it. 

Put this on your list if you'd enjoy a memoir with a few tales that read like fiction but are true indeed. 

STATS

First Published:  9/15/2026

Pages: 308

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings:  Sex, drugs and rock and roll. Medical details, vomit. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly) 

Book Review: Rooted By Leopoldo Gout

 I saw this book on Net Galley and was immediately smitten with the cover. It is both terrifying and compelling to me.  Unfortunately I had requested a few too many "Eyeball" reader copies, but when I saw the audio from Spotify, I RAN for it so so fast. 

 I have been burned a few times by covers, so I did look at the blurb. AND, YES I did want to read a book involving an ancient Aztec God called The Flayed One.  I mean, really...releasing in early fall, this is PRIME Autumnal reading material.  The leaves crunching under my feet, chilly mornings with fog rolling in, and cold nights with a crackling fire. 

Yes... it is true... I live in the subtropics and my Autumn so far has been trips to the pool, lots of sunscreen and humidity and torrential afternoon storms. SO I NEED MY CHILLING BOOKS MORE THAN EVER! And this one really felt like exactly how I like my horror-  ancient terrifying beings, a confused modern story line, and very well developed characters. 

Please let me know if you can see the photo, I am not seeing them, but I can see that I inserted it. I may need to do an update. 

ANYWAY. 

After Hollow Folk, I was not sure that anything could top that for a spooky horror read.  I think Rooted is on par with Hollow Folk and possibly, a bit better- definitely a bit better editing if you ask me. 

Without any spoilers- we join Aurora, and her ex boyfriend as they work together as a team to repatriate Mexican artifacts to their rightful place. It's a bit unclear where the artifacts have been, but some appear to have been living, and wreaking havoc in Spain for centuries. One of the artifacts is a mysterious status of the Flayed one- an Aztec god who would flay parts of his body off for seeds and nutrients for the soil. It sounds creepy- and honestly it really is creepy. I suggest a bit of a google of this one.  I went down a rabbit hole and I am grateful to the author because that was one amazing and cool rabbit hole. 

Things in Mexico City aren't right.  Aurora herself was prone to odd hallucinations and headaches as a child, and with her main narration, readers aren't ever sure if she is having a breakdown or, if unusual plants are really sprouting across the pavement. As she is doing her best to complete the work, navigate her ill mother and her ex boyfriend she becomes increasingly disturbed.  The museum artifacts seem to be almost speaking to her, and she has found documents at her childhood home that indicate she may not be exactly who she believed herself to be. 

As Aurora unravels, and the story picks up steam readers can expect botanical horror, body horror, secrets unveiled all occurring at a rapid pace.  Gout leads the reader to one conclusion only to pivot to one that is broader and more astounding.  I loved it! 

Krysta Gonzalez is the narrator, and I appreciated that she took on a tough task of voicing Aurora at many ages and life stages. Her narration was smooth and pleasant to listen to- in fact, I finished this book in about 3 days - a record for me. 

The cover was done by  João Ruas | IG: @feral_kid

Cover design by Esther S. Kim.  Both deserve a lot of credit as the book is one that grabs the eye immediately. 

STATS

First Published:  9/15/2026

Pages: 288

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings: racism, supernatural occurrences, body horror, death of child, death of parent, accidental patricide, ancient Gods, botanical horror, mental health, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: Soul Proprietor by Stephanie Vance

  I saw this book on Net Galley and I loved the concept immediately. It seemed like a great book for upcoming spooky season.  I have been reading a lot of very eerie books, but nothing that had any bit of comedy about them, and this seemed to fit the bill.  Thank you so much to net Galley and Girl Friday for the Advanced Copy! 

I do love a good cover, and this one- has a great cover.  No doubt about it. 

In short, readers meet Tiffani - who is a highly motivated salesperson in the underworld.  What's she selling? Soul rentals. Tiffani is on her way up (or is it down?) as she racks up sales/rentals.  I never quite understood why a human would want to rent a different soul, but it seemed to be so they could gain a different sort of confidence. 

Tiffani, in her rush, accidently rents out a "recalled" soul, and chaos ensues as she attempts to recover the soul. The novel is funny and fast paced with a well imagined world (complete with Hell hounds that must lay on asbestos mats!) and could lead to lots of discussions on capitalism, and values inbetween the giggles. 

  For me this is a great book for spooky season, that balances out all of the unsettling eerie novels, giving readers a fun read that encompasses spooky season with a grin and a laugh. 

STATS

First Published:  9/22/26

Pages: 368

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings: racism, occult, supernatural occurrences, ghosts, witches, alcohol use, incest. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia

    I have slept on Silvia Moreno-Garcia.  

Snoozed. 

Deep sleep.   Sleep walked. 

I knew her book Mexican Gothic was WILDLY popular, and probably because of that, I avoided it a bit. 

In truth, it became a book that a lot of "book tok girls" pointed to when explaining they read diversely. Mexican Gothic stood there, stalwart, all over book tok, in a pile of otherwise milk-toast books.  So I was a little bit.. skeptical. 

Secondly, Moreno-Garcia blurbed a certain book as a critical book in Mexican Horror history and I loathed that book, so I was sort of questioning a few things there. 

But a friend of mine saw the cover of The Bewitching, stated it was "calling her" and I bought it as a gift for her, and then decided, what the heck- and read it myself as well. 

Holy Heck!  This was a delightful, and easy read!  I can see why Moreno-Garcia's work is popular.  This is definitely a horror story, but, it's horror that is approachable for non- horror readers.  There are elements of historical fiction, multigenerational family sagas, folklore and the true horror of being a graduate student!  And yes, this is a book that Book Clubs across the world would enjoy for the Autumn and Spooky season. It has just enough scariness, to thrill, but not enough to truly unsettle the reader. 

No Spoilers-  Readers are given a generational tale that crosses over time and place starting off at a small New England college in the 1930's, moving to a Mexican farm in the early 1900's and planting itself firmly in recent past. Each story line has a strong and clever female protagonist who must work against the supernatural - and societal expectations.  For me the most enjoyable timeline was the 1930's but I see other reviewers liking others just as well.  I especially appreciated that the moves between times was seamless. Minerva, the main main character in the near present day- is the anchor between the other time lines, as she works to unravel a mystery that involves the college's past and her past as well. 

 While this novel has twists and turns, I do feel like an astute reader can easily see the changes coming as Moreno-Garcia forecasts and foreshadows heavily.  This isn't a book you want to read for "Gotcha" moments. It does have a satisfying ending, and has me interested in reading more of Moreno-Garcia's work. 

My absolute favorite thing about this book - the EASTER EGGS-  Moreno-Garcia playfully has inserted multiple easter eggs- references to multiple contemporary horror authors - you should see how many you can count. I got 5.  I think there are more. 

i did get this on Audio. Gisela Chipe was the narrator.  SHE WAS STELLAR.  I especially enjoyed the particular accents she employed, which made it very easy to tell which timeline I was entering into. She even got the sort of odd 1930-1940's telecaster type accent just right. 

Have you read this one?  let me know in the comments. 

STATS

First Published:  7/15/2025

Pages: 368

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings: racism, occult, supernatural occurrences, ghosts, witches, alcohol use, incest. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones

 I hit request SO FAST On this one, because I am definitely down with anything SGJ creates  (ok withe notable exception of Zombie Bakeoff) . I was thrilled to get an approval from Saga Press on Netgalley. 

This book is definitely classic Stephen Graham Jones, but also- a bit different. 

Its the same grit and real feeling but it moves along at a different pace, so if you were expecting a slow build up to a wild crescendo fo a finish, just get ready for a fast ride most of the way through. 

This is sort of a sequel to The only Good Indians, which seemed fairly complete in itself.  That said, sometimes characters just want to do more in the world, so- Have at it Mr. Jones. 

Nate, our main guy- the one that apparently wanted to do more in the world- is on a mission.  One that seems pretty straightforward. He, and some others, travel cross country to rescue the bones of a Blackfeet boy who was murdered at the Carlisle Indian School. 

So- that hits home for me. I did indeed grow up 11 miles from the Carlisle.  Growing up - it was talked about- lots of stuff in the area is named for Jim Thorpe, and we knew about it. We really didn't KNOW about it however, until later.  So, any time my home area is written about, I tend to feel a certain way, and I do find myself VERY invested in the novel. So, I may not be entirely objective. 

But Nate;s objective is simple... rescue these bones.  Of course... this is a horror novel, and the horror of the Carlisle Indian School is not enough, something horrendous seems to have escaped through the bones. 

What happens next?  Well, reader friends you will want to put this on pre-order to find out. 

 STATS

First Published:  October 13, 2026

Pages: 416

Available as an Audio Book :  Hopefully? 

Trigger Warnings: racism, transphobia, death, violence, death of parent, murder, injury with detail, vomit, body horror 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: A Past without Pictures by Jonathan Ames

 

Detective Noir isn't my favorite genre, but- I like to dip into it from time to time. It's a fairly specific type of genre, so it is interesting to see what authors do within the parameters. 

 When I saw this very 1970's looking cover on Net Galley and a new to me author, I thought well, why not? 

Readers are given a tale of Maria, a Cop who's just made Detective.  After a disastrous first night, she wakes to a phone call summoning her to settle the estate of a father she barely knows.   She is one tough cookie, as all noir detectives are, but she's also broken and busted- of course. 

When she arrive in a backwater town, her detective senses tell her immediately that something is fishy about her Dad's passing. She buckles down to figure it out. We are taken on a fast paced wild ride that highlights the foibles and follies of small town living. As Maria sorts through this unpredictable series of events with skill, she comes to realize more and more about her estranged father, and perhaps more about herself as well. 

      I enjoyed this novella. At about 5 hours on audio, I thought it was a perfect "airport book"  one you can easily consume in a typical day through some airports. It has been praised for having a sparse style, and I have to say I didn't find the style to be particularly sparse. I did feel that Ames uses every word with deliberation and each word had a purpose. 

    Dina Perlman narrated and I was SO appreciative of her very smooth narration. She took me through this story without any frills and I hope I get the chance to listen to more of her narration. Excellent. 

 STATS

First Published:  September 2026

Pages: 192

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes ~ 5.5 hrs 

Trigger Warnings: violence, drug use, guns, racism, sexual content, Death of child, death of parent, alcohol use.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)