salt slow

This little book by Julia Armfield has a lot to offer. Nine short stories all with a shade of the Gothic or the macabre about them as they explore different comings, goings and phases in women’s lives. All are well-written, clever and engaging. These are stories that can make you ache with feeling.

There are romantic relationships – queer and straight – that are fraught with difficulties, pain and loss. There are sisterly relationships; both affirming and fractious. There is a hint of the monstrous in each story, which seems to make each one evermore human.

The missing star between 4 and 5 is simply because some of the stories didn’t hit 5/5 for me, personally, and you should definitely read salt slow for yourself as they may resonate with you perfectly.

4/5

 

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (sneak peek)

This was the first ~300 pages of upcoming novel by Christopher Paolini (of Eragon fame) – not a long enough review to warrant its own post but definitely a title to keep an eye out for later this year!

This ‘sneak peek’ was excellent and I’m excited for the full book’s release this September. It is a brilliant start to a story I really want to keep reading and I’m now a little dismayed I have to wait another 3 and a half months to see where Kira is taken next. This feels like the beginning to an epic tale and I cannot wait to jump back in.

5/5