Pleasant Nights

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m a big fan of science fiction set in our actual world. A dose of fantasy, a pinch of magical realism, and I’m good. However, this book just didn’t come together for me, even though the concept was great.

Alex is a young girl when the Mass Dragoning happens in 1955. Over 600,000 women turn into dragons and fly away. Some stay and try to continue living their lives, since they can still speak, but most take to the skies, leaving their families behind. Alex’s aunt is one of those women, so Alex’s family takes her daughter, Beatrice, in as their own. All things dragon have become taboo, so even though Alex is brilliant, she’s very much in the dark about dragons, the women, and the situation in general.

As Alex ages, her mother dies, and her father practically abandons her and Beatrice, leaving Alex to fend for herself while managing Beatrice, who is dragon-obsessed. I wanted to love this book because the story was beautiful, but I was just bored a lot of the time. I wish Alex’s childhood were about half the book and her adulthood the other half, but it was all childhood.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I enjoyed The Hunger, and Alma Katsu is one of the best historical fiction horror writers out there. Fun fact, at this year’s StokerCon, my buddy was sitting next to her at the dinner. She didn’t want her dessert, so he brought it to me. Delicious!

This book is set during WWII and follows several characters through a mysterious disease that most people blame on the Japanese, who are imprisoned in the internment camps. Meiko and her daughter were taken from their home after Meiko’s husband enlisted in the Air Force. The disease starts much like a cold but progresses to violence and death, causing many white people to treat the Japanese even worse. Mysterious doctors arrive, but they seem even worse.

What was really great about this story was how Katsu blends the real horror of the camps with the supernatural of Japanese demons and yokai. Meiko and a few other skeptics have to figure out what the disease is, where it is coming from, and how to stop it. Really enjoyed this one!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’ve never read a more perfect capture of the experience of motherhood. Let me say, this version isn’t me. I didn’t relate to Alejandra in that way. However, she is absolutely someone I know. It was eerie how spot on this book was. Not only do we follow Alejandra’s haunting, but her female ancestors are haunted, as well.

La Llorona is a Mexican folk demon that is haunting Alejandra. As it grows stronger, preying even upon her children, Alejandra needs to kill the demon to protect those she loves. She also has her lineage to pull from to support her. Recently reconnected with her birth mother, Alejandra learns that her mother has a connection with the demon.

The story mostly follows Alejandra, but several chapters are about her mother, grandmother, and other ancestors. The reader goes back in time to learn the origin of La Llorona and how it is attached to the family. I absolutely loved this book, and I was so proud of Alejandra for facing the most difficult of circumstances.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I was old enough to remember the Waco siege and what a massive debacle it was. And I have watched various documentaries about it, but this is the first book I’ve read about the situation and the leader of the Branch Dividians.

The book covers the entire life of David Koresh, who was born Vernon Howell. Vernon was mostly awkward, unliked, and unwanted. His grandmother loved him, but he was born out of wedlock into a Seventh-day Adventist family. His mother loved him, but from a distance. He had learning disabilities and just never fit in, except at church.

Religion was formative for Vernon, but as he grew up, his views became more extreme, leading him to change his name and become the leader of an already-established cult. Not much surprised me about the Davidians and the siege, as I’ve learned so much already, but this book did a great job of covering it, as well. As hard to read as this book was due to the tragic ending of so many lives, it was well-researched and interesting.