The Literary Dismemberment

      " Almost every woman I have ever met has a secret belief  that she is just on the edge of madness, that there is some deep, crazy part within her, that she must be on guard constantly against 'losing control' 一of her temper, of her appetite, of her sexuality, of her feelings, of her ambition, of her secret fantasies, of her mind." 一(Elana Dykewomon)     This quote came to mind once I finished Hungerstone. What drew me into this book in the first place was that it's a queer retelling of Carmella. And, while that is precisely what it is, this book expands and focuses on Lenore, our main character.      Lenore has been the perfect wife to her husband, Henry, for ten years when we meet her. It's the height of the Industrial Revolution, and her husband owns a steelworks.     Eleven years before Bram Stoker's Dracula, there was Carmella. A female vampire that only fed upon women's breasts. The original work is ripe for a more height...

      Sapphic romance, spiders, and a missing memory. Who wouldn't want to read that?     But Not Too Bold is a fun novella about Dália, the recently promoted keeper of keys, helping the Lady of the Capricious House, 一Anatema, find out who stole her 'memories'.  While also surviving the Lady's growing affections for her.      Oh yes, and Anatema is a giant humanoid spider. What fun!     And I don't mean a centaur situation. Where the bottom half is a spider, and the upper half is a human-looking woman. She has six arms, a spider-like face, and spider-like legs; she's huge and terrifying.  And she eats people.      That's how Dália takes on the role after her mentor since childhood, is eaten one night. This is also how the book opens.      We find that Anatema weaves memories, like a diorama or dollhouse, mostly of her past brides. Anatema cannot resist beautiful women. She gives them whatever they ...

      Have you ever read a book and thought, 'I could have done this better.'      Well, this is the thought that crossed my mind once I finished What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo.      But don't get me wrong, I actually really like this book. I first read it as a paperback that I bought in Bar Harbor, Maine. We went there in the summer, and I had never been there before, but the town was a blast. Tons of little shops that we explored after eating the best lobster rolls at a restaurant that had seating on the docks. It was also blueberry season. The people I was with don't like blueberries, but I love them, so I enjoyed a slice of blueberry pie I bought at a blueberry stand on the water, while walking the main streets of Bar Harbor.      I still dream of this blueberry pie. I plan to return one day.      Among the candy, souvenir, and jewelry shops was a bookstore. The doors were wide open, like a mouth through which ...

       This book has a bizarre place scratching at the back of my brain. Despite everything, this book has sat with me. It's been two years since I read this book. And I have only read this book once. I don't even own this book anymore. I donated it.      Yet, it still haunts me.      This book stirred something so profound in me that I created a Goodreads account to talk about it.      But I've had time to think about this book, and my thoughts have changed. And since this was the book that started me on my book-reviewing journey, what better book to post about first?  💀💀💀 Spoilers Ahead 💀💀💀     I think I like the idea of this book better than the execution.      The cover captured my attention, and the description hooked me. An isolated house, a missing 13-year-old sister, and monsters? Totally up my alley. Add in a toxic sister relationship to spice things up, and you've sold me. ...