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Air date: Aug. 4, 2024
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Episode 62 - Air date: August 4, 2024
JESSICA:
Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.
Today's reading recommendations are both single-word titles in a supernatural realm.
First, we’re going to hear from Emily, library associate at the Marysville Library, for a story of transformation. Go ahead, Emily.
EMILY
“Tear” is a disorienting gothic horror novel that begs for discussion. Drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley, Shirley Jackson, and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” author Erica McKeen tells the unsettling tale of a young woman on the verge of becoming a ghost.
We first encounter Frances in the basement of a house she shares with three other college seniors. It’s not yet clear how long she’s been alone in this basement or why, but the isolation and claustrophobic darkness are undoubtedly taking a toll. As she drifts through the narrow halls of her own oubliette, figures appear to her in the shadows, scratching comes from the walls, and she loses both her sense of and place in time.
Both Frances and her story unravel through scattered memories, each one centering on a relationship. From her flawed family, emotionally abusive childhood friends, and oddly absent housemates, the reader’s understanding of Frances grows gradually but relentlessly, like mold.
While a slow burn isn’t always my thing, McKeen’s use of precise sensory details —textures, smells, and even air pressure — kept me engrossed and grounded as the overall story became increasingly hallucinatory. And the building pressure pays off with an explosive and wildly different third act. I’m not going to give it away, but let’s say Frances’s ultimate transformation takes a far more visceral and dangerous form than a ghost.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Emily! This book sounds eerily wonderful.
Next, let’s take flight to a world of magical adventure with Madeline, librarian at the Marysville Library. Over to you, Madeline.
MADELINE:
I am reader who loves stories about history, feminism, and magic, and generally, I avoid sports narratives at all costs. But “Brooms,” by author Jasmine Walls and Seattle illustrator Teo DuVall, gives us the most exciting story of rebellion and witchcraft in an underground broom racing ring.
“Brooms” follows the Night Storms, a six-woman team who compete in high-speed broom races for cash prizes (and notoriety). But this is Jim Crow, and for Indigenous people, Black people, and people of color, practicing magic is illegal and broom racing is banned. In the glittering and secret world of the racers, teams evade the authorities and race by night. They fly though the darkness in the Mississippi woods, casting spells to knock other racers off course and pulling stunts to speed ahead. With a race on the horizon that will boost them to the national circuit, they must outsmart scheming competitors and tap into ancient magic to keep their community safe.
In this graphic novel, sparse illustrations keep the pace moving fast, but the colors feel like looking at something luminous and magical. I also loved these characters: every one of the Night Racers has a story that makes them so easy to root for. “Brooms” is a historical fiction graphic novel that reads like a witchy “Fast and the Furious,” and I know it will be a blockbuster of your summer reading list.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Madeline! It’s great that diversity and disability are represented in this book naturally, without being the sole focus of a character's identity.
Our recommendations this week are: “Tear” by Erica McKeen and “Brooms” by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall.
Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.
Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.
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