Ito Romo’s Filth Eaters explores fascinating ideas about Meso-American vampires and ancestral memory, but flat characters, rushed storytelling, and dry prose undermine its potential.
Before Dracula: The Birth of the Literary Vampire
Before Dracula, literary vampires like Lord Ruthven and Carmilla transformed the vampire into a seductive symbol of social, sexual, and cultural anxiety.
I Hated the Book, But I Went Anyway On making friends as an adult in a new city
Making friends as an adult is awkward, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright ridiculous. A reflection on friendship, loneliness, and starting over in a new city.
Stoner by John Williams | Finding Meaning in an Ordinary Life
My review of Stoner by John Williams, exploring why this quiet literary classic remains one of the most moving novels about purpose, love, and ordinary lives.
Buzzard by Inez Ray Review: A Chilling Dystopian Debut
My review of Buzzard by Inez Ray, a timely dystopian novel that explores reproductive rights, propaganda, and how ordinary people become complicit in authoritarian systems.
Last Summer in the City Review: Living in the Leftovers of Postwar Italy
Last Summer in the City follows a young man drifting through 1960s Rome, but beneath its languid romance lies a meditation on postwar identity, inherited trauma, and the search for meaning.
June Reading Recap
June is a dangerously beautiful month. Flowers are in full bloom, the days stretch past 8pm, and my favorite summer fruit – strawberries – finally return. Summer is the season when it feels like anything is possible. As the month has progressed, I’ve felt my anxiety gradually slip away. If contentment is something worth striving…
Milkteeth by Caitlin Starling: Book Review
My review of Milkteeth by Caitlin Starling, a vampire horror novella exploring motherhood, labor, and bodily transformation.
Before Dracula: The Origins of the Vampire
Before Dracula and Twilight, vampires were feared as plague-bearing corpses. Explore the history and folklore behind the vampire myth.
May Reading Recap
My May reading recap: reflections on the month and short reviews of the novels I read this month.