I’ve been reading quite a bit lately and got ahead of myself, so I’m trying a reading roundup/“books in brief” for this latest.

I received Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester in a family book exchange at Christmas from my in-laws. (Hi Kate!) I describe this book as “feminist Stephen King,” and I found it deliciously addictive and difficult to put down. Dark Sisters interweaves three timelines of women in an Atlanta suburb built around a sinister, cult-like church. The town has a gnarly old oak tree, a creepy legend of demon sisters, and a gruesome illness that only afflicts women. I’m not much of a horror reader, but I could be if it’s always like this!

Maggie Nelson is such a singular critic, poet, and essayist. Her memoir The Red Parts is, I believe, the best piece of American true crime writing. Nelson is brilliant and feminist and sharp, yet even she is not immune from Swiftiedom. (But who am I to judge? I am also known to enjoy the music of Ms. Swift.) In The Slicks, Nelson makes some insightful comparisons between Taylor Swift and Sylvia Plath – their ambition, their sad girl schtick, their literary opulence. Nelson wrote The Slicks in 2024, just after the release of The Tortured Poets Department, and I’m not sure some of Nelson’s assertions about Swift still work in the Showgirl era. But Nelson remains a master of the essay, and I appreciated her turn toward pop culture and poetry.

The Whole Enchilada by Daniela Quirke is partly set in the Austin of the 90s. A 23-year-old woman works in a 6th Street bar and is trying to make a life for herself, but she’s aimless and introverted. Then she meets an alien who talks (intentionally) like Joan Rivers. What ensues next is an odd couple road trip to Marfa, and this human-alien relationship deepens as they get in and out of some scrapes across Texas. It all culminates in a trippy moment that is both silly and profound. I found this novel sweet and fun, and I love when I stumble upon an unexpected indie gem.

I’m still working my way through my reread of Wuthering Heights. Have you seen the movie yet? I have SO many thoughts!