Book Review: Said the Dead by Doireann Ni Ghriofa

 

This book is a treasure.  It is an excellent combination of an interesting topic, brilliant writing, and clever imagination. 

In this mixed genre book readers experience something magical- part memoir, part history and part imaginative fiction, this mash up works to transport a reader across decades. 

In Cork, Ireland, a derelict Victorian mental hospital is being converted into modern apartments. Our writer, calling themselves "the reader" throughout, is inexplicably drawn to this building and it's history. 

The building itself seems to have called to her. 

Our modern reader takes on a task to discover what she can about the buildings inhabitants, the residents, workers and physicians all come under her careful scrutiny.  No stone is left unturned to discover the voices of these people- previously unheard. In this way, the inhabitants of this building are laid to rest as a new generation and building take over. 

The reader continues to live in the modern world, but is increasingly also "in" this Victorian timeframe, experiencing the daily lives of the mental hospital. 

The lines between past and present seem blurred, and as a reader myself, I did start to question the sanity

of "the reader" 

The reader does indeed follow the threads of existence to the very end, to give closure to all of us readers, and perhaps herself. 

      I had an advanced copy of this on Audio- as well as an Electronic version, and I read the entire thing immersively.  Highly recommend.  The audio is narrated by the author, so every phrase, and every inflection seem so pointed and perfect allowing a certain atmosphere to be created.  The print novel has actual photos from this asylum, which further immerse readers, and helped me to understand exactly how "the reader" could be so drawn to these persons, long dead, who spoke to her through history, photos and the barest of physical artifacts found at the demolition site! 

 

I did not expect to love this book, but by the end I was entranced.  This one is a must read. 

It asks focus and attention from the reader, but the reward is immense! 

Vibes alone- 5 stars! 

First Published :  9/2/26

Pages: 368

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes  ~ 9 hr 

Trigger Warnings: Death, misogyny, Irish politics, mistreatment, mental health,  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: The Summer of the Serpent By Cecilia Eudave

    As a reader I am gravitating more and more to horror.  I think this is because there is always something interesting going on in horror. 

  I initially was avoiding horror because I really don't need any adrenaline rushes and perhaps I was just not interested in cathartic reading experiences.  

But Horror to me is so much more. I have been fascinated to read horror novels from other cultures, as they offer such an amazing view into that culture- and it's interesting to see what transcends borders in horror and what needs footnotes for outsiders to fully grasp the horror. 

With all that in mind, I boldly sailed into The Summer of the Serpent by Cecilia Eudave.  As an added bonus, this is a book in translation, and I really want to beef up these books in my list.  In hindsight, I would have probably not read this book if I knew that the animal cruelty  and child abuse would be so prominent in parts of the book. This for me was so very difficult to listen to and although it was not extraordinarily graphic or grotesque in any sort of splatter punk way, it was a tough one to read through. Others may not find this as horrifying as I did, but HELP A READER OUT! 

This novel is only 144 pages. In this brief encounter, the reader is able to experience so many things about the sweltering summer of 1977 in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

   It feels as if this is more of a collection of vignettes with points of view from all angles, all experiencing the same time and space, but somehow, having wildly divergent experiences and emotions all tied up together. If you have ever sat around with siblings and recounted a monumental family trip  and realized that even though you were all there, on that trip, together, each one of you has a different memory- this is exactly how reading this felt. I was immersed in this sensation of a fever dream that often overtook my childhood summer days, and although my circumstances were different, these vignettes did bring back my childhood summers- to an extent. I want to read more from this author, but I will be a bit cautious about the content! 

First Published :  6/30/2026

Pages: 144

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings: Death,  ghosts,  reference to child SA, Animal cruelty (not vague),  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Palaces of the Crows by Ray Nayler

 I had the opportunity to read/listen and review the Palaces of the Crows by Ray Nayler - produced by Macmillan Audio. 

   This was my first book by Ray Nayler, and it was INTENSE. I am not entirely sure it is representative of his other works, but I do intend to check out more from him. 

This book is really quite unique and I noted several folks doing reviews didn't finish it. Crows, and Crow friends are kind of a hot commodity in the Book tok world  So perhaps readers were expecting one thing, and got something different. I personally initially ignored this one because I am wholly exhausted from the onslaught of World War Two historic fiction. In the current climate, it makes me feel some kind of way. that said, I'm glad that I took this one on, because it fed a piece of my soul. 

For me, this was a book that grew on me. The initial chapters- which introduced us to the main characters were admittedly not the most engaging/easy to follow, AND, they introduced readers to a bit of a bleak landscape and situation, which at times overwhelmed me with a sense of doom, and dread. As much as I didn't enjoy that, I have to hand it to Nayler.  I was immersed.  I listened to this as part of my daily commute and at the beginning found that I often walked into my house after my commute home with a severe sense of dread.  I finally fully comprehended that my entire sense of dread was Audiobook induced, and I started to enjoy Nayler's work more. 

     The basic premise - without any spoilers-  is 4 young people find themselves sandwiched between the German troops,  and the Red Army troops in a forest during WWII. They didn't know each other "before"  and their alliance seems to be one of the most unlikely ever. These children band together and are helped by a variety flora, fauna, and some humans.  But they are especially helped by a band of highly intelligent crows that one of them had befriended over the years. This survival story unfolds into a panorama of survival through mutual aid, loyalty, storytelling and a unique human/animal relationship. 

I stuck with this book, despite also not really vibing with the first part because I was curious about why Nayler had taken on this topic and decided to tell this story. I feel that it's worth it for the "third act" if you will which shows the eventual resolution of the desperate situation the characters began in and gave me a unique view on power, people in power, and the motivations of those who seek, obtain and maintain power. The choices made by the young persons- if they can be called choices- were heart wrenching. If someone had told me I'd be sobbing at any time reading a Ray Nayler novel, I would not have believed it, but I actually did shed a tear or two. The third portion of the novel really hits home. 

 This was narrated by Eunice Wong,  who showcased her talent to take on this project and deliver a reading that was clear, but also reflected many difficult emotions throughout the novel. 

This is a unique book, one that transported me to a very uncomfortable spot, but also left me with many small gifts and realizations.  I recommend it for readers particularly interested in difficult choices, mutual aid, and of course, human/animal relationships. 

First Published :  5/19/26

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~ 8 hours

Trigger Warnings:  War, death, violence, extreme cold, parental loss, loss of identity  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book review : To The Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

  Oh My Gosh, so I assumed this was going to be a book for me, in fact, I was fully prepared to LOVE love this book to the ends of the earth.  To the Moon and Back, indeed. 

    Obviously I'm telling you this because, spoiler.  I did not love this book that much, maybe to Tallahassee and back.  

This is a complicated story of a a young woman who has worked her entire life to become an astronaut. As readers follow her journey, they move through her life and grapple with her character as she decides what it means to be a Cherokee, a scientist, a lesbian and a sister, aunt and daughter, and indeed, there is more. It is a very ambitious novel addressing identity, family, obligations and ambitious and belonging. 

   In the end I struggled with this one. On one hand I was very invested in the main character getting to space. On the other, I was somehow not invested in chapters and chapters and chapters of relationship drama.  Be it from her Mother, her sister or her girlfriend, it eventually felt overplayed.  I know that some people's lives are indeed like that, but at one point if I wasn't 3 hrs to the end, I would have just DNF the whole thing. 

   Despite me not really enjoying the novel, I think it is well written and for many this is one they might want to read. In general picks from Reese's book club tend to be very readable  I am a bit embarrassed to admit, I just had to look up exactly who Reese is and after looking over her picks, this one seems like one of the more adventurous picks. The rest that I viewed, seemed to be sort of safe book club picks.  This one was more on the wild side, and, with her cinematic background, I can entirely entirely see this book being made into a mini-series - the amount of family drama would draw in quite the audience. I did enjoy that it was written as a contemporary novel and that made it feel quite real.  Characters were well fleshed out though none were particularly likeable to me. 

So... would I recommend this novel?  Possibly. I would not recommend it to just anyone, but for the right person, this will be a 5 star read. 

For me it was about a 3.25  but that's all based on vibes alone. 

First Published :  9/2/25

Pages: 448

Available as an Audio Book : Yes   ~ 14 hrs

Trigger Warnings:  poverty, racism, classism, domestic violence, medical issues, body horror, slavery, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review Waterline by Aram Mrjoian

 

Obviously, it is still 2025 and I am still reading on the theme of Water.  I'm not sure where this is getting me, the theme, that is, but I am definitely picking up books I might have otherwise ignored.  This one was difficult to ignore because of the bright colors used on the cover. 

Secondarily, I wanted to read this because I had a good friend in my first two years of college who was Armenian.  Her mother often discussed this genocide which, of course, I had not heard about. Her mother always reminded us that "You can't give up because you don't know what will happen tomorrow"  this is in very stark contrast to my Mom who would wonder and worry incessantly about what could happen tomorrow. So, it's stuck with me. 

The novel, however... 

Has nothing to do with my college friend beyond the fact that both my friend and the novel characters were both affected by the Armenian genocide. Or maybe, if I spoke with her today I'd find out it had EVERYTHING to do with her, who knows.  

     

    For me this is an astounding work of fiction, that I think, is advertised as something that is maybe isn't. 

What I thought I was going to get- a deep look at the generational trauma of the Armenian genocide and how it affects persons today. 

What I feel I got?- A deep look at grief  and the effects of suicide within a close knit family, with a nod to generational trauma related in this case to the Armenian genocide. 

    Both of these are things worth writing about, but as I read through this book, I definitely felt that they were two different things  and that reviewers were leaning into the historical aspect very heavily, when the book just touches on it as part of the family lore. Mrjoian says that he intended that less than 10% of the novel be focused on the genocide - which I believe he achieved. The genocide itself was like a ghostly spectre sort of hovering about throughout all of the characters we are introduced to- in one way or another.  Reviewers, however, really pushed the genocide connection which lead me to think that I would be getting chunks and chunks of history. 

For me, this was a novel of a portrait of deep grief and the way a family processed this grief in the modern era. The author explores different ways to process (or not process) grief and loss and leaves space for readers to recognize themselves in characters and processes. Some characters drink, others find release in movement (hiking, swimming, sex, exercise classes) while others power forward and only melt down when it all becomes too much. The knowledge of the genocide seeps in at the corners of their minds, and affects the choices they make in grief, but a glaring direct connection isn't present- which is likely the point. Perhaps, generational trauma isn't a sledgehammer exactly, but more of an insidious process that finds us and creates core expectations and beliefs that we'd be hard pressed to explain. 

   This is a worthy read, but I can't say it would be one if you wanted to learn exact details of the Armenian Genocide. The writing is gorgeous and to the point and I'd gladly read another work by Mrjoian any time- but I might check into the topic a wee bit more deeply before diving in!

STATS

First Published : June 3, 2025 

Pages: 288

Available as an Audio Book : yes

Trigger Warnings: suicide, generational trauma, genocide, alcohol and drug use, revenge porn, infidelity, as always this is likely not a complete list, so please read responsibly. 

 

Book Review: All the Water in the World By Eiren Caffall 4.25/5 stars

 All the Water in the World is a new novel (published January 2025) that I immediately put on hold at the library. It fit so well into my water theme! It fits well in March- women's month- as the author Eiren Caffall is a woman. AND, the main character is also female AND - the narrator for the audiobook is fantastic Eunice Wong! so... how did I feel about this? 

Well, I really liked this book a lot! I would not have picked it up- but for the water theme, and I am glad I did. (the benefit of having a theme right here..) In Short we have:

-Original plot/narrative

-Coming of age

-Climate fiction  "Cli-fi" if you will

-Great narration   

No Spoiler summary: . 

Nonie is a young girl who has lived most of her life on top of the NY museum of natural History because water has flooded most ground making it less livable and not always safe. She's an unusual child, one that readers may or may not recognize themselves in, depending on the reader.  After a particularly bad flooding, Nonie and her family make a journey north to find drier ground. As one might imagine, the journey is adventure and peril in equal measure, and it's also a bit of a coming of age for Nonie as she must face loss, make decisions, and learns that some things that look safe are really just menace in disguise. 

What happens for Nonie and her family? Well, that would be the spoiler part. 

 This book was inspired by museum curators in Iraq and Leningrad during times of war, who worked to preserve history for future generations.  Interestingly, this really isn't the main focus of the book and I appreciated how the author took that inspiration and then moved into a different, but related direction. Curators preserved items of significance in hopes that future generations would be able to enjoy and learn from them and that the items would remains touchpoints for community.  While Nonie isn't dragging the blue whale up the coast, she's learning and deciding about different ways people can act in times of disaster, and which way might create the most success for everyone involved. 

When I started reading, I was intrigued as the entire setting of the book was quirky and odd, but I wasn't truly invested I kept reminding myself I was just reading for the water theme, but then, suddenly, at about 35-40% in to the book, I couldn't put it down! And to be honest, it was moving a bit slow up to that point, so while the build up and end was great in hindsight, in the midpoint, I wasn't so sure.  I was sneaking in bits of the audio at the oddest times, making sure things were going like I wanted them to for Nonie. ( but oh they didn't always go the way I hoped!)  I enjoyed a tour of the New York area of the future and while the author is not NY based, she had a good grasp of the areas, and I love love loved that!  The plotting was really very good, and the build-up  and crescendo was great- especially as this is a debut novel for Caffall. I have to admit there was a moment when I felt certain that things would not end very well, but the author skillfully brings us to a gentle conclusion that's hopeful but realistic - something we need in our current times. 

This is NOT a 'Romantasy'  and thank goodness for that, it was such a relief to read a book that didn't have a recycled plot. So if you enjoy literary fiction, and are looking for a book that's engaging with the issues of the day and interpersonal dynamics, I highly recommend picking this up.  It is dubbed as a thriller, and I didn't really find it to be thriller-y at all, so if you want a thriller, this probably is not the book for you. There is a gentleness in the writing that is maybe at odds with the topic, but at the same time, for me, just sort of fit the narrative especially coming from a child's POV.  I do recommend the audiobook because Eunice Wong is an excellent narrator, she brings the story to life, no matter what the topic. 

This book does have some mixed reviews, and I suspect people were expecting something more "action-packed" for me the perspective of Nonie was fabulous- and really captured my experiences of being that age (though thankfully I was not living on top of a museum canoeing through the Hudson in dirty foul water)  I hope you'll give this book a try, and let me know your thoughts.  This is one I am definitely suggesting for the book club! 

STATS

First Published 2025

Pages: 304

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  Medical situations, Storms, child death, death, gun violence, parent death, racism,   

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review One Hundred Shadows By Hwang Jungeun 3.75/5 Stars

 This novella is really a work of art. I was attracted to the book by the cover, and the description made me think this would be a bit of a jaunt through horror. 

Well...

The cover is beautiful and the writing is gorgeous...

The story, really is not a jaunt through horror.

It has some moments, but no it's not that. 

   Firstly,  it helps to read this book in context.  The author Hwang Jungeun notes that they were inspired by the Yongson tragedy of 2009.   I am embarrassed to say that I had to look this up- I had no recollection of this.  That spiraled into what was I doing in 2009...and ah yes,  that was a LONG time ago and most Americans were focused on financial news, the death of Michael Jackson, and Obama's first term.  

I was unaware of this context and jumped in blind  to a story where Eungyo and Mujae are lost in the woods.  I really thought some amazing creature was going to stalk them, but no... Eungyo starts to see her shadow rising and she fights not to follow it away. These two both work in an electronic market in a derelict area of Seoul. Eungyo describes her day to day life and interactions and notes that many people have started to see their shadows rising.  They are cautioned not to follow.  We get lots of stories about people who did give in to their shadow and their definite decline.  The buildings they work in are scheduled for demolition, and the occupants seem unphased, and unbothered, there's no great plan to migrate, just a stoic acceptance. As the process begins, nothing seems to really change, and the story sort of fades out with Eungyo and Mujae taking a trip that ends in a darkness, with a choice by Eungyo that propels them towards community and life. 

   This is a great little piece of literature that allows a reader to really explore different topics.  There's community, corporate greed/takeover, a delightful interaction where Eungyo and Mujae discuss that their area is considered a slum,  which is not how they see it at all, set against a somewhat bleak background. lots to talk about for the right book club.  Lots to avoid for the wrong book club.  

  As a whole,  The writing is gorgeous, even through translation, I really enjoyed reading the entire book.  It really is a mood piece, as there is not a plot with a beginning, middle and end, we are sort of invited in to observe this life, and then gently escorted out, leaving a reader to do the work of coming to their own conclusions. For me, even though I know the beauty of this is that the work can be interpreted in many ways, and that the reader interaction with the writing is the final step in the process, my pea-brain just wants to know...  

   Great book for the right book club, people interested in Korean life and culture, people wanting to read good books in translation, and those who tolerate those vague endings better than I do! 

STATS

First Published 2010 (Korean)

First Published in English 2016 (I may be wrong on this but it's what I found) 

Pages: 192

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  Death of parent, death, classism 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Skull Water By Heinz Insu Fenkl 3.25/5 Stars

Skull Water by Heinz Insu Fenkl was a book my local library had, and, being a spooky kind of person, I was entranced by the cover, and the title.  I may have gotten more than expected!

Firstly, as I perused several other reviews by people more literary than me, I started to see the words that are frequently brought out when a novel defies conventional norms "Sweeping" "ambitious"  "courageous" So, to be honest,  I did not find this to be exactly "Sweeping" Nor did it seem "ambitious" or full of courage.  It really seemed as if Fenkl had a story within him that needed to be told, and thus, he was getting it out there. 

  In short, Fenkl takes us between two timelines that are interconnected, Big Uncles timeline during the Korean Civil War, and Insu's timeline in 1970's Korea. 

Insu has lived in many countries as he is the son of an Serviceman in the American Army, but his mother is Korean, so he is adept at straddling both worlds.  He visits his Big Uncle, who has a gangrenous foot, and learns that "Skull Water" could be a cure for is ailment.

(Now, I've searched the interwebs and I can't find out too much about this Korean Myth, so I'm not sure if it is one that's super widespread.  But I suppose, it's also one that people might not be wanting to talk about as it involves somehow aging a newly dead body and then drinking what's in the skull? YIKES!) DO NOT DO THIS - it seems fraught with infectious problems, plus there is no proof it works. 

Insu decides, with his friends that they will be getting some skull water.  We follow him as he travels about the black market in Sinchon, camps out in forbidden areas and experiences a terrifying ancestral ghost while he is also preparing to go back to the US so his father, who is ill can receive medical treatment.  Insu  knows without a doubt that his father is dying, but he never really confronts that fact full on.  It's more of a shadow over everything.   Will he obtain this Skull Water? Will Big Uncle be cured? What will become of his friends? If you read, you'll find out all of this, and more. 

Overall, this is a coming of age story for both Insu our main character, but possibly also in part for South Korea. Both Insu and S. Korea were experiencing this blending and clashing  of American and Korean culture in the 1970's. (Did this really Happen?  YES, yes it did,  the war was "over"  but the American influence was not, click link for videos and discussion).  I don't think I realized how many troops were still in S. Korea in the 1970's   and remain there today as this area is hard to demilitarize.  Not my specialty. 

  I felt like this book really hits home in the way it describes how  war really just upended societies, and forever changes the dynamics of life. As I read about Insu making deals with government cheese and medical supplies, all while absorbing legends and folk beliefs and making sure to use auspicious numbers, I was struck at how delicate this coming together could really be, and how unique it is- outside of this reality, it would be hard to explain to anyone, while we all have similar emotions, we don't all have similar experiences.  

Towards the end of the novel, Insu visits with a monk and this is probably the best part of the book where he and the monk discuss karma, and outcomes. It doesn't really quite fit with the rest of the book, but I feel like that may also be part of what's being conveyed  Lots of things didn't exactly FIT as an ordered society, but they all had a place in that point in time.  One thing I did not like, and this is just me, is that while the author kind of ties up the ends of Insu's pals lives, his is left fairly open ended, leaving me to just want to KNOW... What happened after Insu went to California? Did he ever go? 

So... for me this was worth the read, I hesitate to recommend it to just anyone, due to some graphic animal abuse discussion/description.   But for readers interested in Korea, coming of age, and Military child experiences, this might be one for you!

STATS

First Published 2023

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  sexism, war, animal abuse, child SA, SA, drug use, alcohol, death  

(this is not a full list, read responsibly) 

Book Review: And Then She Fell, by Alicia Elliott 4.5/5 Stars

 

As I tend to do, I've veered off a bit from my Water theme, but in all fairness, I started this one prior to deciding on a theme. 

   This book is a wild wild ride. 

I did a little bit of examining other folks reviews before I started mine because I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it. Oddly one of the biggest complaints was a very abrupt point of view change that occurs in the latter part of the book.   I puzzled on this because lots of books have POV changes and this one certainly wasn't confusing at all. Some of the concepts that the POV change introduced were unique, but...I think, people were just feeling uncomfortable with some of the things brought up by our main character Alice, that they seized on something that was socially appropriate to challenge. 

   In summary (no real spoilers), Alice is a new Mom (a Mohawk woman raised on Six Nations) living in a upscale white Toronto neighborhood.  Like many new Moms, she's exhausted and although a lot of people are well meaning and trying to be helpful, she's noticing their major shortcomings.  In these moments, I felt that a lot of readers (myself included) might have seen themselves and found themselves lacking.  SO UNCOMFORTABLE.  I did take a few moments to really see myself from Alice's point of view, and then try to adjust my own perceptions. I'd like to think I learned some things. 

Alice has support, but it isn't the support she needs,  (and truly one issue I think a lot of new mothers face is that people only offer things they want to offer, not always what's needed- this could be said for folks suffering many sorts of stressors or crises.) She breaks down, and this is where this dreaded POV switch occurs. 

 In this point of view switch, something amazing happens and the reader is immersed in an alternative environment/universe if you will, leading to an exploration of what might have been or what could be. The conclusion brings the reader to a realization that no life is truly fully full of comfort or ease, and that all options and choices will encompass various hardships.   

This is all done with the help of a cockroach, and the story of Skywoman. 

This was the debut novel for Alicia Elliott, who is a Mohawk woman and based on reading a few interviews it seems she did gain inspiration for much of the novel from various personal experiences. 

The gorgeous cover design was done by Chippewar, and they are worth checking out here  I note that this book has had a few covers, so I hope I'm crediting the right artist with the correct cover, feel free to correct if you know otherwise, I can easily edit. 

As a book that addresses many women's issues, mental health, and Indigenous issues,  it shines as a debut, and I'm interested in reading more from this author.   

Let me know if you've read this and what your thoughts are!