Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer

3/5 stars

What's it about? in VanderMeer’s first novel, Nicolas meets the seemingly omniscient bioneer Quinn, setting off a chain of events that will affect the lives of his twin sister Nicola and Shadrach, her former lover. A gruesome thriller of beauty.

How’d I find it? I was strolling the shelves at Greedy Reads in Remington and picked up this copy.

Who will enjoy this book? This is Philip K. Dick mixed with Cronenberg body horror. You’ll like it, I swear!

What stood out? As I do in all my reviews of his work, I must praise VanderMeer’s gorgeous writing; his descriptions make even the grotesque seem sumptuous. The five stories that follow the novel round out VanderMeer’s world-building, and I can say I enjoyed the stories all the more for having already spent many pages in Veniss, corrupt city of the future.

Which line made me feel something? From the story “Detectives and Cadavers:” “I walked until I could hear it clearly: a chorus of reed-thin voices that reminded me of whale-song, of wind through hollow glass.”

Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle

3/5 stars

What's it about? The fourth book of the Time Quintet focuses on twins Sandy and Dennys Murray, who accidentally transport themselves to a remote desert civilization where they meet Noah, a man they recognize might one day build a boat.

How’d I find it? An English teacher took me to meet L’Engle when I was in sixth grade. L’Engle’s inscription in my copy of A Ring of Endless Light reads “Be a Light Bearer.”

Who will enjoy this book? Like I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, the Time Quintet offers wholesome fantasy for young readers. Many Waters nods to the Old Testament while maintaining the universality of the book’s themes.

What stood out? As in all her fiction, L’Engle dispenses with the rules of the universe as we know them and creates her own realities. In Many Waters this takes the form of the seraphim and nephilim, angels that move among the humans and shape their destinies. Don’t worry, there are also unicorns.

Which line made me feel something? L’Engle’s vision of a higher power is certainly romantic: “All the raging of creation, the continuing hydrogen explosions on the countless suns, the heaving of planetary bodies, all was enfolded in a patient, waiting love.”

Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer

5/5 stars

What's it about? At long last it’s here—and it’s real good. In this prequel to the Southern Reach series, we return to the Forgotten Coast at three points in its history: twenty years before Area X, eighteen months before Area X, and at the start of Central’s first expedition (in a section narrated by Lowry, its only survivor). Absolution introduces Old Jim, the piano player at the village bar, and lifts the curtain on Central’s nefarious dealings that brought about Area X. VanderMeer cranks up the horror in this installment; “Dead Town,” the book’s first section, will ruin white rabbits for you.

How’d I find it? I couldn’t wait for the release of Absolution. In fact, I attended the book launch at Powell’s and asked VanderMeer if this book would be as weird as Dead Astronauts. “Weird, but in a different way,” he said. Indeed—I haven’t read anything quite like Absolution.

Who will enjoy this book? Lovers of Alex Garland, who directed the film adaptation of Annihilation, the first book of the series, will appreciate the creepiness and tension in VanderMeer’s work.

What stood out? The book’s three sections read like linked novellas, each with a distinct perspective on the mystery of Area X. I came away wanting to revisit the whole series (a massive feat for a prequel) to see how the reveals influenced my appreciation of the other books. Absolution is all momentum and culminates in Lowry’s account of the first expedition, a foulmouthed, drug-addled rant that leaves the reader as twitchy and anxious as Lowry himself. VanderMeer keeps his readers in the palm of his hand, and it’s a wild ride, even knowing how the story ends.

Which line made me feel something? “Worse, because too often there was so little emotion there, or the emotion flared up again raw, and then banked almost into ash, and wasn’t that awful? Wasn’t that the wrong kind of oblivion? While thinking, If you cut someone out of your life that way, hadn’t you become, for a time, a kind of monster? DIdn’t that deserve the ash?”

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

4/5 stars

What's it about? Bounty hunter Rick Deckard wants a real animal, and to get one, he needs to “retire” as many androids as possible and collect the spoils. When Rick is tasked with eliminating a group of Nexus-6 androids, he begins to question the nature of the soul.

How’d I find it? I credit the shelves of Powell’s. This cover caught my eye.

Who will enjoy this book? I mean, if you enjoyed Blade Runner…

What stood out? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has the noir undercurrents of a Chandler novel, while trudging through the miseries of nuclear aftermath. Tiny twists abound. Through it all, the characters interrogate the larger questions, which makes this novel ambitious beyond its carefully plotted intrigue. Extra points for sticking the landing.

Which line made me feel something? “Alive! He had often felt its austere approach before; when it came it burst in without subtlety, evidently unable to wait. The silence of the world could not rein back its greed.”

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle

4/5 stars

What's it about? In the third installment of L’Engle’s Time Quintet, the Murry family gathers for Thanksgiving, joined by an adult Meg, pregnant with her and Calvin’s first child, and her withdrawn mother-in-law Mrs. O’Keefe. Nuclear war threatens, and a teenage Charles Wallace and the unicorn Gaudior are enlisted to ride the wind through time to undo the history that will lead a South American dictator to end the world. Mrs. O’Keefe may just be the key.

How’d I find it? I’ve already reread A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, and both brought me much joy. It’s been a special endeavor to collect books that I adored in childhood and admire the excellent writing out there for young people.

Who will enjoy this book? The Time Quintet centers on the power of love to overcome evil, so if you want a well-written, feel-good story with a speculative twist, you can’t go wrong with these books. Think David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks for kids.

What stood out? The cozy nature of this family, with their Bunsen burner meals and shabby quilts, always invites in the reader. I relish their quick embrace of oddities, such as personal calls from the President and animals that appear in the middle of the night. Beyond the usual fun of spending time with the Murrys, L’Engle outdoes herself in the chapters in which Charles Wallace goes “Within” Brandon Llawcae and Matthew Maddox. She handles descriptions of interactions between indigenous Americans and colonizers gracefully, though her Christian bias sometimes reveals itself.

Which line made me feel something? I loved the thinking of the People of the Wind, who know only good: “When was always Now, for there was little looking either backward or forward in this young world. If Now was good, yesterday, though a pleasurable dream, was not necessary. If Now was good, tomorrow would likely continue to be so.”

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

5/5 stars

What's it about? In the second installment of the Time Quintet, Meg Murry must team up with Calvin, her nemesis/old principal Mr. Jenkins, and some mysterious new partners to pass a series of tests that determine the fate of a rapidly ailing Charles Wallace. A perfect little book that explores the miracle of being with whimsy and wisdom.

How’d I find it? Since rereading A Wrinkle in Time, I’ve been excited to see what the Murrys get into next.

Who will enjoy this book? Reading Madeleine L’Engle is like being in front of a cozy fire on a drizzly winter day, all warmth and weight. If you relish such a tone (for me, it’s like an injection of Christmas spirit), this book is for you. Think Everything Everywhere All at Once.

What stood out? L’Engle pitches out the rules of reality as we know it and writes a more daring, imaginative possibility. The mysterious farandolae, the mattered form of a cherubim, the song of the universe—delights for the mind. The fascinating cast, including the terrifying and annihilating Echthroi, propels with velocity this quest that is just as much physical as spiritual. Meg is a Namer!

Which line made me feel something? Mr. Murry makes a brief cameo to deliver this whopper on hope: “There are still stars which move in ordered and beautiful rhythm. There are still people in this world who keep promises.”

The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe by D. G. Compton

3/5 stars

What's it about? In a future where death by disease has been eradicated, Katherine Mortenhoe learns that she has a terminal case of sensory overload. While Katherine tries to reckon with her impending death, the showrunner behind the Human Destiny program secretly captures it all with the help of one special journalist. How real is Katherine’s experience? How do we judge our lives in the context of an ugly world? A novel that asks important questions for readers in 2025.

How’d I find it? When I want to treat myself, this is what I do: I stroll into Powell’s after lunch and scan the new arrivals, then wander through the shelves of my favorite sections (poetry, mid-grade fiction, foreign language, and horror). I find something (on this particular day, The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe) and sit myself down in the attached café for a cider and reading sesh.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of the show UnREAL and Black Mirror should pick this one up.

What stood out? Compton did an eerie job of describing a society in which suffering is entertainment. Though written in 1974, the themes of surveillance and privacy feel timely for our present, in which we’re constantly bombarded with content and reality TV shows like The Bachelor are under scrutiny for their producing practices. Compton includes a dash of poignancy with a Citizen Kane “rosebud” moment that nods to the bigger questions of existence. The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe may be a quieter book than The Hunger Games or Chain-Gang All-Stars, but it has something to say.

Which line made me feel something? “…she’d crawled out of antediluvian mud on the legs of curiosity, and descended from ancient trees in search of something more than survival.”

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

3/5 stars

What's it about? Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry and her savant baby brother Charles Wallace embark on a mission to find their long-missing father, with the guidance of the enigmatic Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit and the support of smart, athletic Calvin. The quest has a far more complicated objective: to save the world from Evil.

How’d I find it? Though I rarely reread anything, I’ve recently had a hankering to revisit books I loved as a child. I met Madeleine L’Engle when I was eleven and was in awe of her. A Wrinkle in Time was the first of her books I encountered.

Who will enjoy this book? This book is perfect for young readers interested in probing bigger questions about purpose and goodness.

What stood out? The eerie monotony of the planet Camazotz and the healing love of Aunt Beast hold special places in my literary education; the story abounds with similar treasures. A Christian undercurrent that was invisible to me as a child runs through A Wrinkle in Time, and it admittedly smacked of another agenda that I found less savory in this reread. I wish the rescue of Charles Wallace was less rushed after such a paced build to the climax, but this is a small gripe in a story that sparkles with ingenuity.

Which line made me feel something? This conversation between Meg and her mother: “‘Do you think things always have an explanation?’ ‘Yes. I believe that they do. But I think that with our human limitations we’re not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean that the explanation doesn’t exist.’”

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin, Translated by Megan McDowell

5/5 stars

What's it about? A new technology is sweeping the world. Kentukis, cute pet robots controlled by anonymous human users, offer companionship to their keepers and an intimate relationship with a stranger to their dwellers. What might such privileged access cost us? Can privacy exist in a world where someone is always watching? A genius novel about connection.

How’d I find it? Samanta Schweblin’s prowess ensures that every book she puts out is a winner. I picked up my copy at Powell’s. I mean, look at that cover!

Who will enjoy this book? I was heavily reminded of the charming stories in Out There by Kate Folk while reading Little Eyes. Another short and creepy read that features tech gone bad? This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno.

What stood out? Schweblin structures the novel in vignettes, using locations as chapter titles. The effect turns the book into pins in a map, a book-length collection of reels. My favorite storyline: Emilia, a single woman in Lima whose son gifts her the chance to be a dweller, becomes so attached to her German keeper that she pushes the boundaries of her role as household rabbit. Little Eyes feels like a warning from the future, one that clearly ruffled me, as I’m composing this review in incognito mode.

Which line made me feel something? In a chapter focused on Alina, the bored partner of an artist: “Why were the stories about kentukis so small, so minutely intimate, stingy, and predictable? So desperately human and quotidian…Sven would never change his art for her. Nor would she change, for anyone, her state of existential fragmentation. Everything faded.”

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? Thanks to this bookstagrammer, I get all kinds of great recommendations for reads off the beaten path.

Why not 3 or more stars? I Who Have Never Known Men has a fascinating premise: a young girl and 39 women are imprisoned for years in an underground cage patrolled by guards, and no one knows why or how they got there. Once they escape to the desolate world above, the story spins its wheels for the rest of this short and nightmarish novel, stalling at any moment that threatens momentum. Harpman’s commitment to letting the reader marinate in uncertainty is quite the tease and memorable indeed.