I liked The Twisted Ones quite a bit, but I think the version of this book I liked the most was the one where I had absolutely no idea what was waiting in the woods. That uncertainty is where T. Kingfisher is at her best. A strange journal. Unsettling figures standing among the trees. A…
Tag: novel
Southern Reads: The Elementals
There are plenty of horror novels that try to make you afraid of the dark. The Elementals does something much more interesting: it makes broad daylight feel dangerous. Michael McDowell’s 1981 Southern Gothic novel takes the things that should feel familiar and almost comforting about a summer on the Gulf Coast—the beach, the heat, old…
Southern Reads: Demon Copperhead
Some books entertain you. Some books educate you. And some books grab you by the collar and refuse to let you look away. Demon Copperhead is that third kind. Barbara Kingsolver’s 2022 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel drops the reader into Lee County, Virginia — deep in southern Appalachia — and tells the story of Damon Fields,…
Southern Reads: Heaven, My Home
Sequels are a tricky thing. They carry the weight of expectation, the shadow of their predecessor looming large over every page. Heaven, My Home, the follow-up to Attica Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird, is a strong novel in its own right, but does it quite match the power and punch of its predecessor? That’s where opinions start…
Southern Reads: Exploring Brian Panowich’s Gritty Southern Crime Trilogy: Bull Mountain, Like Lions, and Hard Cash Valley
Brian Panowich’s trilogy—comprising “Bull Mountain,” “Like Lions,” and “Hard Cash Valley”—is a compelling saga of Southern noir, where crime, family loyalty, and the rugged landscape of North Georgia intertwine. Each novel stands on its own as a gritty, suspenseful story, but together, they form a rich, interconnected narrative that delves deep into the dynamics of…