The Salt Grows Heavy follows a silent mermaid, abused and tired of captivity, who leaves her castle to wander the dying the world. Her daughters, thousands of horrible teeth-filled creatures roam what’s left of the world. The mermaid finds companionship in an androgenous plague doctor, who’s spend their life being pulled apart and pieced back together. What kind of chaos will the two get into together?
“Female psychopaths, researchers eventually realized, don't present like the males. To which I respond: No shit. We women have an emotional wiliness that shellacs us in glossy patina of caring. We have been raised to take interest in promoting healthy interior lives of other humans; preparation, I suppose, for taking on the emotional labor of motherhood - or marriage; either way, really. Few women come into maturity unscathed by the suffocating pink press of girlhood, and even psychopaths are touched by the long, frilly arm of feminine expectations.
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton was one of if not the hardest books I’ve ever read. This book is about Adeline a girl who is moving into her grandmother's old mansion, when she finds out about her great-grandmother and her death she becomes intrigued because not only did her great-grandmother have a stalker, but now Adeline has one too. She becomes intrigued by who her stalker is and what he wants. But there is something more sinister behind him, and she is both scared and thrilled to discover it.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is an apocalyptic dystopian novel, McCarty is able to present a bleak and death-ridden world like no other that uses vivid imagery and extensive world-building to create a real sense of hopelessness. A father and son travel across the desolate world following the road seeking a warmer climate facing the “bad people’ along the way with close calls and showing the true horrors of the wasteland, cannibals, marauders, and a constant struggle for supplies and safety.
Frankenstein is a book following the life of the scientist Victor Frankenstein. He creates a monster with a horrifying appearance and a conscience which he immediately abandons upon its awakening. He continues to be haunted by his creation, and the story follows the many encounters Frankenstein and his monster have. Frankenstein ultimately has to grapple with the morality behind creating life as he continues to face the consequences of doing so.
Hellboy, the Complete Short Stories. Volume 2 is an anthology of various comics released in between the main series and usually takes place prior to the first volume. Now, this collection isn’t quite as strong as the first, but it’s still a solid read. The story featuring Baba Yaga is pretty solid, especially because of the consequences it has on the main series. You don’t necessarily have to have read the first volume, or even any other Hellboy story, but it is recommended.
After decades of captivity, Morpheus of the endless, the embodiment of dreams, finds his realm is disrepair. In order to restore himself and his kingdom to its former glory, he must first find his objects of power, which causes him to cross paths with characters from the mystical corner of the DC universe, and find a little of his own humanity.
Summary: Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa is a collection of interconnected short stories that dive into the complexities of human relationships and the dark aspects of life. The narratives are tied together through recurring characters and subtle connections, creating a lot of psychological suspense and unsettling events. Ogawa's writing explores themes of revenge and obsession. With each story revealing the complexities of the characters' lives and their intertwined fates.
The Third Twin by Cynthia James Omololu is a mystery thriller about 2 identical twins who have to figure out why their dates keep turning up dead. Ava and Alexa (Lexi) are seniors who are part of a relatively wealthy family in California. When they were younger, the twins made up an imaginary third twin named Alicia who was blamed for their naughty actions. However, when they got older Ava and Lexi decided to date and dump boys with the persona of Alicia.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic that brilliantly mixes big ideas like the ethics of science, the consequences of playing God, and deep human emotions. Shelley tells a story that's not just about what happens when science goes too far, but also about the intense sadness and loneliness felt by the monster, a result of science without limits.
