Although slow to get going, Dark Rise ably sets the scene for CS Pacat’s YA fantasy trilogy.
Author: James Whitmore
I am a writer based in Melbourne. I’m interested in nature and the environment, and queer books.
Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Narnia, Philip Pulman’s multiverse, David Mitchell’s “metanovel”, Hogwarts … English writing is full of people disappearing through portals into other … More
Review: Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor
Brandon Taylor continues to explore Black, queer Midwest life.
Best books I’ve read 2021
My reading highlights of the year!
Review: Permafrost by SJ Norman
A collection of haunted stories that unsettle like the melting permafrost of the title.
Review: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (translated by David McDuff)
A deep dive into the glorious decline of Russian society.
Review: Good Indian Daughter by Ruhi Lee
Lee’s memoir is a complicated depiction of parents and parenting.
Review: In The Woods by Tana French
A twisty, effective crime novel.
Review: At Night All Blood Is Black by David Diop (translated by Anna Moschovakis)
A potent depiction of war.
Review: The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
A grim, aching study of women’s guilt and men’s rage.
The Library Is Open 