The Books I'm Reading Now
I'm reading All the Colors of the Dark, the newest novel by Chris Whitaker (We Begin at the End); I'm listening to In Memoriam, a historical fiction LGBTQ love story set in World War I from Alice Winn; and I'm reading Elliott Gish's fascinating gothic horror feminist historical fiction, Grey Dog.
What are you reading these days, bookworms?
01 All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Chris Whitaker's novel All the Colors of the Dark builds a story of a deep friendship between two young outcasts in small-town Monta Clare, Missouri: Patch, a pirate-playing young man missing one eye, whose mother is unreliable and a substance abuser; and Saint, a tomboy raised by her fearless grandmother.
A kidnaper and serial killer intrudes on the quiet community and directly impacts Patch and Saint. The horrifying crimes seems to be motivated by religious fanaticism, and both Patch and Saint's futures are shaped by their ties to the darkly disturbing events.
I received a prepublication edition of this title, which was published June 25, courtesy of NetGalley and Crown Publishing.
Chris Whitaker is also the author of We Begin at the End, a novel I adored.
02 In Memoriam by Alice Winn
Alice Winn's gorgeous, brutal, captivating historical fiction In Memoriam is set during World War I.
Henry Gaunt, Sydney Ellwood, and their classmates came as young boys to their sometimes claustrophobic, cruel, and lonely English boarding school; now that they're close to the end of their schooling, they are playful, treasuring each other's friendships.
But by 1914, World War I is drawing most of these young boys into a swirl of wartime horrors. Tragedy and looming doom are twisted through this story of a hard-fought love story between Gaunt and Ellwood.
The wartime mud, endless slog, relentless death, and mostly pointless-seeming pushing onward toward mutual destruction--all of this serves as a backdrop for a heartwarming, heartbreaking story of friendship and love.
You might also be interested in these Bossy reviews of books set during World War I.
I'm listening to In Memoriam as an audiobook.
03 Grey Dog by Elliott Gish
It's 1901, and Ada Byrd has accepted a teaching position in a rural community following a scandal and abrupt departure from her last post. Her cruel, controlling father is high up in the school board, so while he lords over her this "favor" of a new role, he also forces her to be a teacher in the first place.
Ada boards with a staid, kind, slightly boring couple and befriends the minister's wife. She's determined not to make any waves. But a young, half-feral female student and a shockingly unorthodox widow both seem to hold mysterious secrets--and both intrigue Ada.
A haunting power seems to swirl through the small village, both disturbing and intriguing Ada. And the more often she encounters it, the more difficult it becomes for Ada to check her temper, her opinions, her yearning for freedom, and her desire to speak her mind.
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