Book Review- Agustina Bazterrica's Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories

Thank you to Scribner for the arc of Agustina Bazterrica’s Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories.

In her horror collection, Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories, Argentinian author Agustina Bazterrica writes unsettling and downright shocking stories. Bazterrica has a quirky, dark sense of humor and a feminist bent. One of my favorite stories involves a young girl that warns a sexual predator that she has a rabbit named Roberto that lives between her legs. Of course, he does not believe her and when he attacks her, he meets Roberto.

The most shocking and unusual story is The Continuous Equality of the Circumference, where a woman desires to turn herself into a circle. A circle. An actual circle. She physically alters her body to become a circle. It’s absolutely bonkers and filled with imagery that stuck with me long after finishing the story.

I work at a bookstore and Bazterrica’s bestseller, Tender is the Flesh, has long caught my eye. I have not read it yet, but it is on my list. I jumped at the chance to get an arc of Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird. I’ve confirmed my suspicions that I would like Bazterrica’s style.

I think it’s also important to read outside of ones own language and culture. Originally written in Spanish, this is a translated work. I wish I was skilled enough to read it in its native language, however, even if you need to read a translation, I think there is value in experiencing works from other countries. The themes and way of storytelling can vary culture to culture, and this is just an interesting way to gain new perspectives.

If you like horror (gruesome horror) and short stories, make sure to add Bazterrica’s Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird to your reading list.

Book Review- Jen Sookfong Lee's SuperFan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart

Thank you to Libro FM for the audio arc of Jen Sookfong Lee’s memoir, Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart.

In her essay collection, Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart, Jen Sookfong Lee relates her love of pop culture with aspects of her own life. Lee was the youngest of five girls born in Canada to Chinese immigrants who settled in Vancouver. As first generation Canadians, Lee and her sisters struggled with a cultural identity that was different from their parents, yet also not reflected in white dominant mainstream pop culture. Lee’s essays capture this aspect of being caught in the middle and not quite knowing where she fit in.

When Lee was a child, her beloved father passed away from cancer. His death dramatically changed their family dynamics with Lee’s mother becoming increasingly distant and her older sisters starting to leave the home. Lee and her sisters struggled to connect with their mother, who could be quite critical and hostile towards her daughters. Lee also is the daughter who bucks against traditions and expectations, adding to the conflict with her mother.

The essay that stood out to me the most was Lee explaining her negative reaction to The Joy Luck Club when it was released in the 90’s. A reaction, that was not shared with her fellow Asian-Canadian friends, as they watched the movie in theaters as a teenager. I’m just a year younger than Lee and I remember watching this movie with my friend in the theatre, I am white and she is Chinese-American. I don’t remember her reaction to it, but now I’m inclined to share Lee’s essay and hear my friend’s thoughts. I didn’t really think of it at the time, but Lee is right when mentioning that Amy Tan’s writing was one of the few Chinese-American authors that broke through to mainstream pop culture. Even now, as pop culture becomes increasingly diverse, it’s still white dominated.

SuperFan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart is an outstanding essay collection that covers several issues. Lee shares many intimate details of her family and adult relationships, making this a very personal essay collection. My background may be very different from Lee’s, but I related to her push to forge her own path, even if it wasn’t what her family expected or wanted. I highly recommend Superfan, especially if you’re a Gen-X kid.

Book Review- M. Rickert's Lucky Girl

In a quiet diner four strangers meet as the restaurant is closing, they decide to spend Christmas together, rather than alone. Ro, a struggling writer, invites the group back to her house and as their evening progresses, they pass the time telling ghost stories. Although they do not keep in close contact throughout the year, they plan to meet up for the following holiday, only to learn that a tragedy has befallen a member of their little group. Could the horrors from the stories they told be impacting their real lives?

A friend loaned this quirky, creepy book to me over the winter. The full title is the best, Lucky Girl: How I Became a Horror Writer. A Krampus Story. There is so much to unpack with the title and spoiler alert, Krampus does come into play. Oddly enough, I think the most unsettling part of the story was the beginning, when the strangers are meeting at the diner. The tone was immediately set for “something bad is going to happen.” I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be open to connecting with strangers or helping lonely people during the holidays, but this is an odd bunch.

If you like a little horror with your Christmas, M. Rickerts’s Lucky Girl is a great choice. It’s a tension filled, spine-chilling ride.