Book Review: False Bingo by Jac Jemc

False Bingo: Stories

False Bingo: Stories by Jac Jemc

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jac Jemc’s short story collection is just sensational. These stories are tied together by strokes of odd happenstance that whittle change into the lives of their characters. Surprising, uncanny, funny, and dark, these stories are all about people we recognize. Strange as they may be, we’ve all met them and we’ve all privately wondered, “What’s it like to be that person?” This book offers one set of answers, shining Jemc’s unique light on the human experience. Such talent!



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Book Review: How to Think Like a Fish by Jeremy Wade

How to Think Like a Fish: And Other Lessons from a Lifetime in Angling

How to Think Like a Fish: And Other Lessons from a Lifetime in Angling by Jeremy Wade

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is everything I hoped it might be and more. Jeremy Wade’s voice, experience, and specialty are each one of the most unique you’re liable to find. In this superbly fishy little volume, Wade plumbs the depths (forgive me) of the peculiar obsession involved in perfecting one’s craft. There are spectacular fish stories and practical tips, but what’s best is the philosophical underpinning and gentle humor that make this book far more beautiful than a simple angler’s guide.



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Book Review: We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu

We Were Restless Things

We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu boldly goes where YA rarely does–into fabulism, into difficult conversations about sexuality, and into visual narrative, all while slowly revealing the mysteries of the dangerous, sentient woods of Shivery, Minnesota. I love seeing fiction for young adults that treats them with respect, and this book honors the many wonders and troubles of learning to know oneself. The supernatural elements in this novel unite to create what we slowly understand to be a psychological landscape as much as a physical one.



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