February (and much of March) has been a very busy time for the editorial team, from attending events for the York Lit Fest, undertaking projects like Beyond the Walls, the Folklore Anthology, and the York Literary Review, and of course reading your wonderful submissions!
Amidst all the excitement, we still found time to relax with some great books. From feminist retellings to memoirs to gothic pirates, and from new releases to modern crime classics, we read widely in February – we’re confident you’ll find something here to pique your interest…
Editor: Rosie
Book: The Mercies by Karen Millwood Hargrave
Genre: Historical fiction / LGBTQ+
Page Count: 345
Favourite quote: “It is knowing that all your joy is bound up in another, and to be parted from it would be to live without light for the rest of your days”
Rating: 4/5
In a 1600s fishing village in Norway, a sudden disastrous storm wipes out the male population. The women who are left behind must grapple with the loss of their husbands, fathers, and sons, whilst attempting to keep the village running smoothly. Rivalries begin between the pious and conservative women, and those who step into the men’s shoes to keep the village fed and protected. This determination for survival demands the women to go against societal expectations, bringing about a further threat by highlighting the island as an alleged sight of witchcraft. This threat comes to a head when sinister male figures arrive on the island, determined to rid the land of this supposed witchcraft through brutal methods. This story is inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1620 witch trials and shines a light on the strength of this community of women.
The Mercies is a beautiful yet enraging feminist novel, highlighting the sheer frustration of the mistreatment of women during the witch trials. The book grapples with true evil in the punishment of these women and also touches upon a stark ignorance and abhorrence towards religions outside of Protestantism. Despite these themes though, we are also given insight into a community of strong-minded women who demonstrate a great connection and understanding of the natural world. The friendships between these women are comforting and empowering, much like the romantic relationship that arises outside of the male-dominated society of the time. One woman, Ursa, was particularly interesting to read about, having married the sinister ‘witch-hunter’ figure of Absalom Cornet and traveling to Vardø with him. Her gradual understanding of marriage, and what it means to be a woman in this landscape is heartbreaking, yet her character brings light and love to an otherwise dismal and cold environment.
Overall, The Mercies is a beautiful book about women existing in a seemingly impossible situation, and how this existence and survival ironically brings about their doom. The writing style is engaging and tense, and I simply could not stop reading. Some of the plot points could have been further developed in my opinion, but this book was still an amazing read with lots to unpack.
Editor: Luciana
Book: Galatea by Madeline Miller
Genre/category: Greek mythology, retelling
Page count (including epilogue and acknowledgments): 80
Favourite quote: “Everyone looked at me because I was the most beautiful woman in the town. I don’t say this to boast because there is nothing in it to boast of. It was nothing I did myself.”
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: In ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece — the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen — the gift of life. Now his wife, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence.
In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost… (Goodreads)
This is a short novella perfect to read in one sitting. Reimagining the lesser-known Greek story of Pygmalion, a sculptor who carves his perfect woman to life, Galatea is a feminist story that allows us to look at it from a perspective that breaks some of the misogynistic misconceptions from the mythology. We get Galatea’s point of view, who is the beautiful statue brought to life trying to get her daughter back and escape her husband. This makes her more human as we are able to see and understand her emotions. She doesn’t know a lot about the world but can notice that Pygmalion is not a good person. The themes treated in this story, such as oppression, the male gaze, objectification, and motherhood as resistance are still very relevant to this day, and have been present throughout history. Madeline Miller is a gifted author that can convey so many feelings into her words, even if the word count is minimal. If this was a 500-page book I would still eat it up.
Editor: Brigitta
Book: Pity by Andrew McMillan
Genre: Literary Fiction
Page count: 171
Favourite Quote: “The village, on their shoulder now, still asleep, not watching the migration of tired bodies. One of the men said he thought he could hear the coal laughing. Another man told him to stop talking daft. And beneath their feet, a mile down, ancient trees, forced smaller by millennia of pressure, waiting to be brought back into the sun.”
Rating: 5/5
Pity is Andrew McMillan’s recent debut novel, set across three generations of a family in a former mining town in South Yorkshire. The novel is split into various points-of-view, including the grandfather, father, uncle, and son within the central family, and the ‘fieldnotes’ of academics who have come to the town to research the collective trauma caused by a past mining disaster.
McMillan started his literary career as a poet and now has three acclaimed collections under his belt, and this shows in both the writing style and structure of Pity. McMillan’s prose is careful and beautiful, with a clear rhythm in his more descriptive passages. The way each short chapter jumps between different characters and concepts, which come together to gesture towards the novel’s central themes, reminded me of the way poetry collections often work. However, this structure also works perfectly to represent the collective, unspoken trauma which the novel explores, alongside the point which one academic makes, that history is not just specific events but “also tens of thousands of people, just trying to live.” (Pity, Fieldnotes: On Leaving, 158).
Pity is a very short book, but within it, McMillan manages to thoroughly explore masculinity, sexuality, place, and community with both delicacy and precision. His characters differ greatly in their interpretations and performances of masculinity, but each one feels real, and like they are written with great care. Overall, Pity is a wonderfully written novel, and one with a particularly powerful voice amongst current conversations about manhood, sexuality, and perceptions of the North.
Editor: Becca
Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Genre: Thriller
Page count: 493
Rating: 4/5
This month I have stepped out of my comfort zone completely and chosen to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Thrillers are not usually my cup of tea, that being said, this book has drawn me in from the very first page. Where is Amy Dunne? What happened on the morning of her 5th Wedding anniversary? Does her husband have anything to do with her disappearance? These are questions that have been swimming around in my head since I started reading this captivating and chilling novel. Now I am over halfway through, the urge to keep reading whenever I can has become all consuming. I NEED to know the answers! Having never read a Gillian Flynn novel before, I was exceptionally impressed by her writing style. The dual POV narrative and the back and forth time frame are both brilliant techniques in forming the tone and style of this dark mystery thriller. Like I mentioned before, I usually stray from this kind of story, choosing to relish in the comfort of a dreamy romance or more recently an emotive memoir – both of which completely contrast the thriller genre. However for my first time testing the waters, I feel absolutely positive that Gone Girl was the right choice to feel more encapsulated in what makes a thrillers so powerful and addictive to those who read them. I can admit I am definitely late to the party when it comes to reading this bestseller as it did originally come out more than 10 years ago. Nevertheless, this book remains timeless in its narrative, striking in its diction and overall compelling in its furtive characters. I cannot wait to discover the truth behind what happened to Amy Dunne!
Editor: Rachel
Book: Love & The Grave by S M Mitchell
Genre: Dark Romance set in a Fantasy setting
Page count: 280
Favourite Quote: From the blurb: “They would die for love, but they’d rather kill everyone else instead …”
“The walls that surrounded Vivienne’s family estate were high and covered in ivy. The brick had crumbled in places after two hundred years of being battered by wind and rain. Julian scaled the wall slowly, taking care where he put his feet so as not to slip on the wet stone.”
Rating: 5/5
This is the third book published by the writer, and my friend, Sophie Mitchell. It’s part of the Tales from the Western Tides series (which I would also recommend) and follows side characters that appear in the second book of the series The Wayward Damned.
In the Western Tides, which is inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Mitchell sets her gothic version of Romeo and Juliet. Combined with the inspiration of JD and Veronica from the cult classic film Heathers, we meet the characters of Julian and Vivienne. Both are destined to be part of a smuggling crew in Wayward, we meet them in this book during their young teenage years as they hide their forbidden love from their families. Both in difficult family situations where neglect and abuse are rampant, they long to escape. Their initial attempts are through work and saving money, but quickly events set into motion a kill that ignites a bloodlust in them. Queue the pair running away and getting into further scrapes.
I enjoyed reading this and all the references made to Romeo and Juliet. It was also fun to read the finished product after beta reading the novel as it was in progress.
As you can probably surmise, there are a few warnings that come with this book, which are mentioned in the author’s note before page 1, for:
- Swearing
- Sex
- Death/murder
- Blood
- Violence
- Mental illness
- Emotional and physical abuse
- Mutilation
If you like the sound of the world, but less of the adult nature, you can read the first two books The Bloody Maiden and The Wayward Damned which follow the character of Prudence as she goes from the life of a barmaid to a pirate. The third and final book of this series will be released in May.
Editor: Anna
Book: Room to Dream by David Lynch
Genre: Memoir
Page count: 506
Rating: 5/5
David Lynch’s memoir Room to Dream takes readers on a journey through each of Lynch’s films, projects, and career moves. We are given insight into the inspiration behind his creations, aspects of his personal life, and what film making and creation means to him. I’ve had this book for a while and occasionally dipped in and out of it, but since Lynch’s death in mid January, I decided to sit down and engage with it; watching Lynch’s filmography alongside reading the book. Each chapter focuses on a different project of his, and they are recounted through interviews, research, and Lynch’s own words. It is a book that has inspired me creatively, for having the chance to be inside the mind of someone as profound as David Lynch has enabled me to look at the world differently. He is modest and honest, and he explains the wonders that coincidences can offer when it comes to writing and creating. Additionally, Lynch does not shy from explaining his struggles and times when things haven’t gone as planned. You can feel his passion through the pages, and I would recommend this book to any writer or creator, for Lynch’s ability to define his own genre of film should be studied by anyone interested in the sector, and his films are undeniably pure works of art.