Vox by Christina Dalcher

Vox by Christina Dalcher

This was definitely a fascinating and all-too-real premise. It was a quick read, but some parts seemed a little cobbled together or glossed over. I felt like things cropped up that almost seemed too simple. With this seeming closer and closer to our reality here in the United States, I thought the ending was a bit too clean. However, as I got closer and closer to the end, I really wondered how the author was going to wrap it up, so I guess some quick action had to be taken regardless.

I also thought it was a letdown that basically, men saved things in the end, after being focused on women for so much of the book. I also thought the focus on Jean's affair was a bit much. It kept things very man-centric, which I think took away from the power of the book. I understand that, even when oppressed this way, some women might still seek out men, and "not all men" are bad, but it felt like she was depending on him and his escape (in more ways than one) too heavily, and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Not to be petty, but on a similar note, one line in particular ripped me from the story and made me go back to the title page to double-check it was written by a woman: “Lin’s breasts and ass make me look like a Peter Paul Rubens model.” Like, I get what she’s conveying, but… why? I’m a woman and can’t recall ever comparing myself to someone in that way. It just seemed like a literary man trying to duck under the usual way male writers describe women’s bodies.

That said, I have to be fair and mention there were some really thoughtful sentences as well. Also, as a flash fiction writer myself, I loved the author's note about how the idea started as a flash fiction piece, then morphed into a short story, and finally became a novel.

Most of all, this book will stick with me because it was written in 2018, which I realize was during Tr*mp's first term and things were bad then as well, but it seems even closer to happening at this point. At a time when so many things are aging like milk, this one seems more like it's predicting the future.

How to Love a Black Hole by Rebecca Fishow

How to Love a Black Hole by Rebecca Fishow

I reviewed Rebecca Fishow's latest collection for MicroLit Almanac - read it here!

How to Love a Black Hole is a haunting, profoundly emotional collection that explores the fragility of human relationships, the weight of trauma, and the search for meaning in a world often defined by contradictions. Each story in the collection leaves a lasting impression, lingering in the mind long after you turn the final page. Fishow’s writing is surreal yet grounded, rich in symbolism and vivid description that blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural.

So as Not to Die Alone by Lisa Johnson Mitchell

 The book club I run with two friends focuses on short fiction - typically flash fiction in chapbook or novella-in-flash form. These books come from independent presses, so it's basically the opposite of the big-name children's/YA/adult books I share on this blog. However, I love shining a spotlight on good writing no matter what form it's in. And if I help other people discover flash, small presses, or specific authors, then YAY! Win-win!

Since I love this form, I like to write reviews of the books to help spread the word. This month, I reviewed So as Not to Die Alone by Lisa Johnson Mitchell.

In So as Not to Die Alone, Lisa Johnson Mitchell shares stories of people yearning for a human connection to, arguably, not die alone. The stories are filled with quirky characters who are off-putting yet endearing and full of potential. 

The characters show the author’s skill in capturing the complexities of the human experience with compassion. Each person is portrayed with depth and subtlety as they carry their own burdens, allowing readers to empathize with their struggles and root for them despite their flaws. 

Read the full review here.

Gridlock by Brett Biebel

The book club I run with two friends focuses on short fiction - typically flash fiction in chapbook or novella-in-flash form. These books come from independent presses, so it's basically the opposite of the big-name children's/YA/adult books I share on this blog. However, I love shining a spotlight on good writing no matter what form it's in. And if I help other people discover flash, small presses, or specific authors, then YAY! Win-win!

Since I love this form, I like to write reviews of the books to help spread the word. This month, I reviewed Gridlock by Brett Biebel.

Brett Biebel’s stories always have a deep sense of place, and that is true in Gridlock, even when the place is a 200-mile-long traffic jam. His latest collection explores the kaleidoscopic view of the human condition through a satirical yet poignant exploration of the American experience.

The collection starts with the contained setting of the congestion on I-94 before taking “an on-ramp to America and all the little shards that might somewhere still be left.” That includes a group of roommates who pool their resources to invest in a robot sex doll, a University of Minnesota student who hacks the United Nations website, and a community of men who move into stadiums and post about their lifestyle on Reddit.

Read the full review here.

A Brief Natural History of Women by Sarah Freligh

The book club I run with two friends focuses on short fiction - typically flash fiction in chapbook or novella-in-flash form. These books come from independent presses, so it's basically the opposite of the big-name children's/YA/adult books I share on this blog. However, I love shining a spotlight on good writing no matter what form it's in. And if I help other people discover flash, small presses, or specific authors, then YAY! Win-win!

Since I love this form, I like to write reviews of the books to help spread the word. This month, I reviewed A Brief Natural History of Women by Sarah Freligh.

“You Come Here Often / And often alone” but you won’t feel that way after diving into the first story in Sarah Freligh’s collection A Brief Natural History of Women. These twenty-three pieces examine women’s lives through their relationships with men, mothers, friends, children, and alcohol. You may be a singular reader but the “we” of characters addressing everyday issues like lipstick, kissing, reputation, and pregnancy welcomes and understands flawed, realistic people in ways society often overlooks.

Read the full review here.

Flash Writing: Digital Plays

I'm a fan of all this "you don't have to do all the things" support being posted during this time. It's been hard to push myself to even read at night; after working so hard during the day (at my job and "teaching"/parenting), I just want to zone out before I fall to sleep at 1am.

But also, I am a person who thrives with deadlines. I am the person who had a few weeks to write an outline for her book, and did it in a couple of days. I had almost a year to write the book, but just worked on it here and there until it was down to the wire. I pulled all-nighters before college papers and presentations were due. It's just how I work best, so I'm excited that Playhouse on the Square is doing Flash Writing: A Digital Play Festival. This is a weekly themed writing contest with very brief requirements and very short deadlines, aka right up my alley. At the end of the week, submissions are read by actors on video posted to the Playhouse Facebook page. Then it starts all over again.

Week One's theme was "I dreamed that I..." Click below to view my submission, read (a million times better than I heard it in my head when I wrote it) by Eileen Peterson.