Veins by Drew.
Drew is the creator of the Toothpaste for Dinner and Married to the Sea comic, which is why I read it in the first place, but it perfectly fit my style preference of a bit weird, a bit disturbing, and a bit darkly funny.
DruryLaneMuffins on
Alright, full disclosure, I know the person who wrote this book personally, which I know might make me biased, but stick with me, because I genuinely think this book deserves more attention than it’s getting, and I’ll explain why.
‘Less Than’ by A.D. Long
It has a dozen or so reviews on GoodReads, but they’re all things like:
“It is such a well written book on a terribly difficult subject.”
“This book reminded me of some of the very clients I met during my time in mental health and it reminded me that stories like these are uncomfortable but are also important, reading is the ultimate lesson in empathy and Long writes a book that evokes this in spades.”
“This will make you confront your own stigmatizing views (which you may not even realize you hold) & rethink your narrative around people who use drugs.”
“This is a mind-blowing look at addiction from the users standpoint. Brush off your thoughts about what an addict is and open your mind to this viewpoint. Excellent awakening for me.”
And that’s exactly why I think this book deserves more attention. This is one of those stories that will rip your heart out, will stick with you long after you put it down, that has the power to change the way you think — and I can’t say I’ve read many other novels that have had that effect on me. It’s not an easy read, but it’s well worth it.
I have tons! I’ve taken on a challenge to read 100 lesser-known books in the mystery/thriller/crime genre and post mini-reviews here. Here are the links to the posts with reviews of the books I’ve read so far.
I hope you’ll find something you like! Sorry for formatting, I’m on my phone
KatJen76 on
Ecstasy Club by Douglas Rushkoff never had a huge audience and I think is largely forgotten, but it’s a fun look at 90s utopian rave culture and at cults and how they form. I enjoyed it for the diversity of characters, the fantasy of starting a club with a purpose in a run-down factory with your friends, and the questions it grapples with. Part of my core library for sure.
razmiccacti on
On Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon (632 ratings 4.30)
This is a heart wrenching, powerful, and ultimately hopeful coming of age story about a young intersex girl who was misgendered at birth and needs to take her life into her own hands to escape from home and become herself. It’s not all doom and gloom, there’s sweet moments with her twin sister, a crush on a boarding school roommate, and found family
The story is set in Nigeria in the 1990s and has conversations on identity, culture, and religion blending modern, medical, and folklore practices often in ways that will surprise you.
The book is excellently written with rich dialogue, deeply insightful character development, and good pacing. Very important and impactful book
*The Memory Theater* by Karin Tidbeck is wonderfully bizarre and expertly written. A “portal” story that is refreshing and different than others of that same genre. Both magical realism and weird fiction. The same author is also known for extremely strange short story collections.
*The Past Is Red* was one of my favorite reads from 2022. It’s a dystopian tale where the world has been covered in water and people live on floating trash islands. It’s humorous, sweet, weird, clever, and a bit poignant when you least expect it. Fast and easy read that took me by surprise.
*Monstrilio* by Gerardo Samano Cordova is an absolutely charming and strange work of weird fiction. Starts with the story of a young woman whose son has died. She removes his lung and keeps a piece. The story follows the unusual story of what happens next and then changes perspective to her best friend, her husband, and then…. The lung.
dondeestalalechuga on
Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel (161 ratings) – literary fiction, about an Irish trans woman living in Copenhagen whose ex-girlfriend unexpectedly visits for the weekend. It’s beautifully written and one of those books that’s just an intimate little slice of a short time in the characters’ lives.
The Brontës Went to Woolworths by Rachel Ferguson (682 ratings) – eccentric, charming 1930s novel about a family of sisters who sort of have a group of collective imaginary friends. Very funny in a Nancy Mitford sort of way but a bit less sharp and more warm-hearted.
codeninjagirl on
**Every Day Is for the Thief** by Teju Cole. Very vivid account of modern Nigeria, in between travelogue and fiction.
**Man V. Nature** by Diane Cook. I like this genre – weird fiction, some apocalyptic with good prose and great allusions.
**The Carpet Makers** – Unique story, good prose and the inherent message is impactful
**All the Names They Used for God** by Anjali Sachdeva. Good range of unique diverse stories
Kelpie-Cat on
*Take Us To Your Chief and Other Stories* by Drew Hayden Taylor (sci-fi). Great short story collection of sci-fi tales from an Indigenous perspective, ranging from the funny to the poignant.
*Barbary* by Vonda McIntyre (sci-fi, middle grade). Really sweet and thoughtful day-after-tomorrow sci-fi about a girl whose new foster home is a space station where cats aren’t allowed, but she smuggles her kitten on board anyway.
*Thank You, Mr. Nixon* by Gish Jen (historical fiction). Amazing collection of short stories, loosely connected, about the experiences of Chinese diaspora after Nixon visits China.
*Today I Am Carey* by Martin L. Shoemaker (sci-fi). Moving novel about an android developed to help people with dementia. I’ve never read anything like it.
*The Adorned Body: Mapping Ancient Maya Dress* ed. Nicholas Carter et al (archaeology, history). I’m a nerd for clothing history so this book is great.
*Why You Can’t Teach United States History Without American Indians* ed. Susan Sleeper-Smith et al (history). Mind-blowing book about all the ways Native Americans have been involved in parts of US history they’re not usually included in mainstream retellings of.
*Bright Morning Star* by Simon Morden (sci-fi). Interesting little sci-fi book about a robot landing on Earth. If you’re interested in non-human protagonists, I’d recommend checking it out.
*The Secret of the Blue Glass* by Tomiko Inui (historical fiction, middle grade). This book is very Studio Ghibli. It’s like the Borrowers, about tiny people, who are taken care of by Japanese children during WWII.
*The Laws of Evening: Stories* by Mary Yukari Waters (historical fiction). Meditative collection of short stories dealing with the war generation of Japanese women.
*Digging Stars* by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (contemporary fiction). This book was advertised as sci-fi but it’s not really sci-fi. It’s a really interesting character study of a Zimbabwean scientist who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps as a pioneering student of Bantu astronomy, but learns things about her father’s legacy that makes her question her dream to come to America.
mytsogan_ on
The dismembered by Johnathan Janz. One of the only gothic novels I’ve been able to instantly get into and enjoy the story. Just enough old English to submerse you, without making it a pain to read.
avidreader_1410 on
Three that come to mind immediately because I mentioned them a lot and gave them all 5 stars
The Cellar, by Minette Walters – This was very different from her other books, a creepy thriller that was almost horror. Characters that were not the same ones I see in every psychological thriller, really tense.
Death in Bloodhound Red, by Virginia Lanier – This was written in the 90s, and was the beginning of a series – sadly it ended when Lanier (who was in her mid 60s when she wrote the first book) passed away. The MC is a woman who trains bloodhounds for search and rescue, the setting is rural southeast and the tone is funny, sassy and smart.
Hidden Fires: A Holmes Before Baker Street Adventure, by Jane Rubino – I am a Sherlock Holmes fan so there may be biased here, but this is one of the books I read in a sitting. Great characters, several plot twists and an interesting take on Holmes a few years before he met Watson.
Readsumthing on
Goodreads 277 reviews for book 1, also one of my favorite. The Exordium series beginning with The Phoenix in Flight by Sherwood Smith and Dave Trowbridge. It’s a space opera. I originally read it in the 90s and Smith rewrote/vamped/rereleased in in 2011.
From the book blurb:
Smith and Trowbridge describe the flavor of their five-book space opera Exordium as a cross between Star Wars and Dangerous Liaisons with a touch of the Three Stooges. With its fast-moving blend of humor and horror, of high-tech skiffy and the deep places of the human heart, The Phoenix in Flight launches the reader into a complex, multi-layered universe as Brandon nyr-Arkad, dissolute youngest son of the ruler of the Thousand Suns, abandons the life of service planned for him and flees into the lawless Rift.
Only slowly does he discover that the world he rejected now lies in smoking ruins as the ritual vengeance of Jerrode Eusabian against Brandon’s father, twenty years in preparation, culminates in an explosion of interstellar violence. With both his brothers dead and his father the Panarch imprisoned, Brandon becomes the Panarchy’s last hope.
12 Comments
Veins by Drew.
Drew is the creator of the Toothpaste for Dinner and Married to the Sea comic, which is why I read it in the first place, but it perfectly fit my style preference of a bit weird, a bit disturbing, and a bit darkly funny.
Alright, full disclosure, I know the person who wrote this book personally, which I know might make me biased, but stick with me, because I genuinely think this book deserves more attention than it’s getting, and I’ll explain why.
‘Less Than’ by A.D. Long
It has a dozen or so reviews on GoodReads, but they’re all things like:
“It is such a well written book on a terribly difficult subject.”
“This book reminded me of some of the very clients I met during my time in mental health and it reminded me that stories like these are uncomfortable but are also important, reading is the ultimate lesson in empathy and Long writes a book that evokes this in spades.”
“This will make you confront your own stigmatizing views (which you may not even realize you hold) & rethink your narrative around people who use drugs.”
“This is a mind-blowing look at addiction from the users standpoint. Brush off your thoughts about what an addict is and open your mind to this viewpoint. Excellent awakening for me.”
And that’s exactly why I think this book deserves more attention. This is one of those stories that will rip your heart out, will stick with you long after you put it down, that has the power to change the way you think — and I can’t say I’ve read many other novels that have had that effect on me. It’s not an easy read, but it’s well worth it.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197007214-less-than
I have tons! I’ve taken on a challenge to read 100 lesser-known books in the mystery/thriller/crime genre and post mini-reviews here. Here are the links to the posts with reviews of the books I’ve read so far.
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/s/MQzh5I7isU
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/s/1kUJSJHN54
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/s/effn60fDbI
There’s one book that I dedicated a separate review to; it’s literary fiction. You can find the link to the review here.
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/s/lVqdTjx9Np
Link to Goodreads page https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12530283-the-master-blaster
I hope you’ll find something you like! Sorry for formatting, I’m on my phone
Ecstasy Club by Douglas Rushkoff never had a huge audience and I think is largely forgotten, but it’s a fun look at 90s utopian rave culture and at cults and how they form. I enjoyed it for the diversity of characters, the fantasy of starting a club with a purpose in a run-down factory with your friends, and the questions it grapples with. Part of my core library for sure.
On Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon (632 ratings 4.30)
This is a heart wrenching, powerful, and ultimately hopeful coming of age story about a young intersex girl who was misgendered at birth and needs to take her life into her own hands to escape from home and become herself. It’s not all doom and gloom, there’s sweet moments with her twin sister, a crush on a boarding school roommate, and found family
The story is set in Nigeria in the 1990s and has conversations on identity, culture, and religion blending modern, medical, and folklore practices often in ways that will surprise you.
The book is excellently written with rich dialogue, deeply insightful character development, and good pacing. Very important and impactful book
Lots of graphic trigger warnings
(Which you can see on the storygraph page for this title under content warnings https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/e8720676-3aa3-4732-a721-43c83ac97ccb)
*The Memory Theater* by Karin Tidbeck is wonderfully bizarre and expertly written. A “portal” story that is refreshing and different than others of that same genre. Both magical realism and weird fiction. The same author is also known for extremely strange short story collections.
*The Past Is Red* was one of my favorite reads from 2022. It’s a dystopian tale where the world has been covered in water and people live on floating trash islands. It’s humorous, sweet, weird, clever, and a bit poignant when you least expect it. Fast and easy read that took me by surprise.
*Monstrilio* by Gerardo Samano Cordova is an absolutely charming and strange work of weird fiction. Starts with the story of a young woman whose son has died. She removes his lung and keeps a piece. The story follows the unusual story of what happens next and then changes perspective to her best friend, her husband, and then…. The lung.
Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel (161 ratings) – literary fiction, about an Irish trans woman living in Copenhagen whose ex-girlfriend unexpectedly visits for the weekend. It’s beautifully written and one of those books that’s just an intimate little slice of a short time in the characters’ lives.
The Brontës Went to Woolworths by Rachel Ferguson (682 ratings) – eccentric, charming 1930s novel about a family of sisters who sort of have a group of collective imaginary friends. Very funny in a Nancy Mitford sort of way but a bit less sharp and more warm-hearted.
**Every Day Is for the Thief** by Teju Cole. Very vivid account of modern Nigeria, in between travelogue and fiction.
**Man V. Nature** by Diane Cook. I like this genre – weird fiction, some apocalyptic with good prose and great allusions.
**The Carpet Makers** – Unique story, good prose and the inherent message is impactful
**All the Names They Used for God** by Anjali Sachdeva. Good range of unique diverse stories
*Take Us To Your Chief and Other Stories* by Drew Hayden Taylor (sci-fi). Great short story collection of sci-fi tales from an Indigenous perspective, ranging from the funny to the poignant.
*Barbary* by Vonda McIntyre (sci-fi, middle grade). Really sweet and thoughtful day-after-tomorrow sci-fi about a girl whose new foster home is a space station where cats aren’t allowed, but she smuggles her kitten on board anyway.
*Thank You, Mr. Nixon* by Gish Jen (historical fiction). Amazing collection of short stories, loosely connected, about the experiences of Chinese diaspora after Nixon visits China.
*Today I Am Carey* by Martin L. Shoemaker (sci-fi). Moving novel about an android developed to help people with dementia. I’ve never read anything like it.
*The Adorned Body: Mapping Ancient Maya Dress* ed. Nicholas Carter et al (archaeology, history). I’m a nerd for clothing history so this book is great.
*Why You Can’t Teach United States History Without American Indians* ed. Susan Sleeper-Smith et al (history). Mind-blowing book about all the ways Native Americans have been involved in parts of US history they’re not usually included in mainstream retellings of.
*Bright Morning Star* by Simon Morden (sci-fi). Interesting little sci-fi book about a robot landing on Earth. If you’re interested in non-human protagonists, I’d recommend checking it out.
*The Secret of the Blue Glass* by Tomiko Inui (historical fiction, middle grade). This book is very Studio Ghibli. It’s like the Borrowers, about tiny people, who are taken care of by Japanese children during WWII.
*The Laws of Evening: Stories* by Mary Yukari Waters (historical fiction). Meditative collection of short stories dealing with the war generation of Japanese women.
*Digging Stars* by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (contemporary fiction). This book was advertised as sci-fi but it’s not really sci-fi. It’s a really interesting character study of a Zimbabwean scientist who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps as a pioneering student of Bantu astronomy, but learns things about her father’s legacy that makes her question her dream to come to America.
The dismembered by Johnathan Janz. One of the only gothic novels I’ve been able to instantly get into and enjoy the story. Just enough old English to submerse you, without making it a pain to read.
Three that come to mind immediately because I mentioned them a lot and gave them all 5 stars
The Cellar, by Minette Walters – This was very different from her other books, a creepy thriller that was almost horror. Characters that were not the same ones I see in every psychological thriller, really tense.
Death in Bloodhound Red, by Virginia Lanier – This was written in the 90s, and was the beginning of a series – sadly it ended when Lanier (who was in her mid 60s when she wrote the first book) passed away. The MC is a woman who trains bloodhounds for search and rescue, the setting is rural southeast and the tone is funny, sassy and smart.
Hidden Fires: A Holmes Before Baker Street Adventure, by Jane Rubino – I am a Sherlock Holmes fan so there may be biased here, but this is one of the books I read in a sitting. Great characters, several plot twists and an interesting take on Holmes a few years before he met Watson.
Goodreads 277 reviews for book 1, also one of my favorite. The Exordium series beginning with The Phoenix in Flight by Sherwood Smith and Dave Trowbridge. It’s a space opera. I originally read it in the 90s and Smith rewrote/vamped/rereleased in in 2011.
From the book blurb:
Smith and Trowbridge describe the flavor of their five-book space opera Exordium as a cross between Star Wars and Dangerous Liaisons with a touch of the Three Stooges. With its fast-moving blend of humor and horror, of high-tech skiffy and the deep places of the human heart, The Phoenix in Flight launches the reader into a complex, multi-layered universe as Brandon nyr-Arkad, dissolute youngest son of the ruler of the Thousand Suns, abandons the life of service planned for him and flees into the lawless Rift.
Only slowly does he discover that the world he rejected now lies in smoking ruins as the ritual vengeance of Jerrode Eusabian against Brandon’s father, twenty years in preparation, culminates in an explosion of interstellar violence. With both his brothers dead and his father the Panarch imprisoned, Brandon becomes the Panarchy’s last hope.