We at WWAC have had an intense start to our winter reading, with a lot of heavy hitting books! Alenka’s immersed in books about incarceration while Christa’s reading YA speculative fiction to consider for a CYBILS award. Louis is appreciating Yellowface on audio and Kathryn’s fascinated by the short stories of Vandana Singh. Meanwhile, Masha…
WWAC Reads Books! October Brought Intense Immersion into Other Worlds
In this month’s WWAC Reads Books, we at WWAC indulge our legendary good taste in exploring other worlds, both far in the future and an invented past, in science fiction and fantasy that sucks you in.
REVIEW: Emily Carroll’s A Guest in the House Beckons with Gothic Fantasies
The genre of gothic horror is replete with imagery from an imagined past of crumbling castles and abandoned graveyards. Even in the Victorian era, whose media culture evinced a strong interest in the gothic, these spooky stories were often set in isolated country manors far away from the innovations of modern society. The past, after…
ROUNDTABLE: WWAC Reads Books! September Brought us Deep Satisfaction and Teen Thrills
The back-to-school vibes caught us in September, as a lot of WWAC Readers enjoyed books about teens this month! We’ve got horror, adventure, romance, nuanced fantasy world-building, and a philosophical look at bookselling and society. And as always, we’ve got magnificent taste.
WWAC Reads Books! August Brought Romance, Trans Poetry and Gripping Twists
This month we read and enjoyed eclectically: everything from classic fantasy adventure, to trans poetry, to young adult romance, to creepy fairy tale reboot and to contemporary suspense. Whatever your taste, our August reading has you covered!
REVIEW: The Hills of Estrella Roja Embarks on a Spooky Southwest Gothic Adventure
Ashley Robin Franklin’s The Hills of Estrella Roja follows two teens on a search for cryptids around a border town in southwestern Texas. Kat is creating content for a podcast, while Mari is attempting to bring family secrets to light. As they navigate a gorgeous desert landscape, the two young women nurture a budding friendship…
REVIEW: Mamo Explores the Darker Side of Witchy Traditions
Sas Milledge’s graphic novel Mamo embraces the cottagecore aesthetic. Its pages are filled with lush rural landscapes, small magical adventures, and quaint witchcraft traditions. At the same time, Milledge directs a challenge toward the concept of “tradition” by showing how a conservative mindset can hurt people who don’t fit neatly into models established in the…
REVIEW: River’s Edge Reflects Gritty Millennial Malaise
Kyoko Okazaki’s graphic novel River’s Edge is a gritty foray into the lives of teenagers with nothing to lose. Originally serialized between 1993 and 1994 in the women’s fashion magazine Monthly Cutie, this powerful work by an influential artist has been released in a handsome edition by Kodansha USA with an excellent translation by Alexa…
ROUNDTABLE: WWAC Reads Books! July brought us nostalgia, mutual aid insights, and appreciation for rereads
Well, it’s hot and humid here in the U.S. Northeast, a perfect time to lounge with a book in the shade. This month, WWAC contributors have read the latest by speculative fiction Grand Master Connie Willis, gained a close-up look at Mutual Aid maven Miss Major, and gained a new appreciation for older speculative fiction…
ROUNDTABLE: WWAC Reads Books! June Brings Resistance, David Levithan, and Fantasy Romance
This month at WWAC, we’ve sauntered into summer with a collection of fantastic reads, from gripping middle grades fiction, to a new high fantasy from Martha Wells, to a winner of the Booker Prize, to a politically progressive anthology, and points beyond. Read on for a number of ways (the number is eight) to expand…
ROUNDTABLE: Pride Month, Manga Edition
Welcome to the WWAC Pride Month LGBTQ+ manga roundtable! Our manga-loving contributors sat down to talk about their favorite series, trends in LGBTQ+ manga, LGBT content in manga overall, and what we’re looking forward to this pride month.
REVIEW: Space Trash Stages a Lunarpunk Rebellion
Jenn Woodall’s Space Trash is a colorful riot of individuality railing against the capitalist underpinnings of space colonization. For the students attending high school in a sealed dome in the twenty-second century, the fantasy of living on the moon is an unpleasantly gritty reality. These young women’s minor acts of rebellion against an unfair system…