Depeche Mode (2024) Reading Challenge

I really love reading challenges because of the way it stretches your reading comfort zone, but I've always sucked at actually completing them.

In 2015, over at Goodreads, we kicked off our most outrageous challenge ever, borrowing The Beatles Reading Challenge from another group I was a part of, which had turned their songs into reading tasks. And in 2016, we whipped up The REM Reading Challenge. (I really sucked at this one. I couldn't even complete one album, but man was it fun trying!). And then to honor David Bowie's passing, in 2017 we pulled together the Bowie Reading Challenge! In 2018 I decided to take a break from our music theme and challenged everyone to read whatever the fuck they wanted in our RWTFYW challenge. The only rule was that there were no rules : ) In 2019 I spread my love of Guster around, 2020 was all about Ani DiFranco, 2021 had us fan girling over PJ Harvey, and 2022 continued the female artist love with our Liz Phair challenge (I sucked at this one too, didn't complete one album but came soooo close for so many!). 2023 had me returning to my 80s roots and we concocted The Cure challenge, which was my most successful to date! I completed a total of 5 full albums!!)

for 2024 I'm going to keep the love of the classic alternative music going and am thrilled to annouce that we're hosting The Depeche Mode Reading Challenge!

I became obsessed with them when Violator dropped. It's one of the few "perfect" albums I've ever listened to. Though before I played that cassette on an endless loop, I remember first hearing them when I was visiting my dad's girlfriend's house back in middle school. Her daughter was a few years older, and much much cooler, than me and was cranking out one of their earlier records. It was so much deeper and different from what I had been currently listening to back then but I was smitten. 

Whether you know and love Depeche Mode or this is the first time you are hearing of them (I mean it's possible, right? They haven't had a new album drop in almost 7 years), what I think is most cool about these kinds of reading challenges... is that you don't even have to be a fan of the musicians to participate. You just have to be a fan of READING!!

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Depeche Mode (2024) Reading Challenge

(click through to create yours!)

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So here's how this works:


*The goal is to cross off as many of Depeche Mode's songs as you can throughout the course of 2024.

You can challenge yourself to complete one entire album, focus on completing one decades-worth of albums, or build your own challenge by hitting your favorite song titles... it's totally up to you!

*You cross off the songs by reading a book that meets the criteria listed after each song title.

If the book meets multiple reading tasks, cool! You can apply it to multiple song titles, OR you can make the reading challenge more challenging by limiting yourself to one song title per book.

*There may be built in redundancy with some of the tasks.

They are repetitive on purpose, to give you an opportunity to read more than one type of book and still get credit for completing a task. (Sneaky, I know!)

*Please copy and paste the entire list, or your customized challenge list, into your own thread in this goodreads folder and strike through the song titles as you complete them, OR, you can simply copy and paste each song title and its criteria from the master list here as you complete it. (obviously put your name in the thread title so we know whose challenge it is).

*Do not add your list directly to Rule and List thread.

*YOU MUST LIST THE BOOK TITLE AND AUTHOR that coincides with the song as you complete it for the challenge so we know what you read!


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An example of a completed song title task in your Challenge thread would look like this:

““This Bouquet” – Read a book that features flowers on the cover - The Distance from Four Points by Margo Orlando Littell

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Aaaaannnnnnnddddddd here's the list:

A total of 15 studio albums and 165 total songs tasks! 

Speak & Spell (1981)

“New Life “ – Read a book that was published in the 1900’s but feels like it was written now

“Puppets” – Read a book that features puppets, ventriloquist dummies, or marionettes

“Dreaming of Me” – Read a book that you were dying to get your hands on and take credit for it here

“Boys Say Go!” – Read a “manly” “dude” book

“Nodisco” – Read a book with a strange title

“What’s Your Name?” –  Read a book with a person’s name in the title

“Photographic” – If you read a book that has burned its words onto your brain or contained very graphic scenes, take credit for it here

“Tora! Tora! Tora! – Read a translated book

“Big Muff” – If you read a book that’s a bit of a mess, or feels clumsy, take credit for it here

“Any Second Now (voices)” – If you read a book that kept you waiting for the twist, take credit for it here

“Just Can’t Get Enough” – Read a book in a genre you just can’t get enough of

 

A Broken Frame (1982)

“Leave in Silence” – DNF a book and take credit for it here

“My Secret Garden” – Read a book that’s considered a guilty pleasure

“Monument” – Read a historical fiction book

“Nothing to Fear” – Read a book that you're afraid will creep you out a bit

“See You” – Read a book written in second person

“Satellite” – Read a book that takes place in space

“The Meaning of Love” - Read a rom-com, or a book that revolves around love

“Further Excerpts From: My Secret Garden” – Read the sequel or prequel to a book you’ve already read

“A Photograph of You” – Read a book with a person on the cover

“Shouldn’t Have Done That” – Read a book you DNFd in the past and give it one more chance

“The Sun & the Rainfall” -  Read a cli-fi book

 

 

Construction Time Again (1983)

“Love, in Itself” – Pick up a book by an auto-buy author, and without reading the jacket copy just jump right in and read it

“More Than a Party” – Get on the bus and read a big buzz book

“Pipeline” – Read an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) and take credit for it here

“Everything Counts” – Read whatever you want and take credit for it here

“Two Minute Warning” – Read a book in which the apocalypse or world-ending event is currently happening

“Shame” – Read a book that you’d be ashamed to be seen reading

“The Landscape is Changing” – Stretch your comfort zone and read a book in a genre you haven’t read yet

“Told You So” – Read a book someone recommended to you because they knew you’d love it

“And Then…” – If you read a book that ends on a cliffhanger or seems to not resolve itself, take credit for it here

 

Some Great Reward (1984)

“Something to Do” – Ignore all of your chores/errands and read a book instead, then take credit for it here

“Lie to Me” – Finally read that book you’ve been telling people you’ll get to

“People are People” – Read a book by someone who is different than you (nationality, religion, ability, gender, etc)

“It Doesn’t Matter” – Read a book that features friendship or unrequited love

“Stories of Old” – Read a classic!

“Somebody” – Read a book with a one word title

“Master and Servant” – Read a book that involves weird relationship dynamics

“If You Want” – Run out and buy that book you’ve been thinking of getting, then read it and take credit for it here

“Blasphemous Rumours” – Read a really popular book and take credit for it here if you didn’t like it and don’t get what all the buzz was about

 

 

Black Celebration (1986)

“Black Celebration” – Read a book in which the protagonist overcomes a great obstacle or evil

“Fly on the Windscreen” – Read a book that features bugs/insects on the cover or in its pages

“A Question of Lust” – Read a book by an author that you have a crush on

“Sometimes” – If you read a book that leaves you questioning everything, take credit for it here

“It Doesn’t Matter Two” – Read a book that makes you feel all the feels

“A Question of Time” – Read a book that has 400 pages or more

“Stripped” – Read a book with really short, sparce writing

“Here is the House” – Read a book that prominently features a house (bonus points if it’s haunted!)

“World Full of Nothing” – Read a post apocalyptic book

“Dressed in Black” – Read a book that features a funeral or the death of a main character

“New Dress” – read a brand new, just published book

 

Music for the Masses (1987)

“Never Let Me Down Again” – Read a book in a genre you don’t typically enjoy

“The Things You Said” – If you read a book that’s incredibly quote-worthy, take credit for it here

“Strangelove” – Read a book that’s considered weird fiction

“Sacred” – Read a book that features religion or a conspiracy theory

“Little 5” – Read a book with a number in the title

“Behind the Wheel” – Read a book while on a road trip or that features a road trip

“I Want You Now” – Give yourself permission to be a mood reader and read whatever you want, then take credit for it here

“To Have and to Hold” – Read a physical book

“Nothing” – Read a book that was gifted to you

“Pimpf” – Read a book with a nonsensical title

 

Violator (1990)

“World in My Eyes” – Read a book written in first person

“Sweetest Perfection” – Save this task for the best book you’ve read this year

“Personal Jesus” – If you read a book that touches you in ways you hadn’t expected, take credit for it here

“Halo” – Read a book that you thought was a perfect 5 star read

“Waiting for the Night” – Read a book that takes place at night

“Enjoy the Silence” – Take a break from everyone, go ahead, shut yourself away somewhere and read in silence for a while, then take credit for it here when you finish it

“Policy of Truth” – Read a true crime or non fiction book

“Blue Dress” – Read a book with a blue cover

“Clean” – Read a book that deals with drugs/drug abuse

 

Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)

“I Feel You” – Read a book that has deckled edges or an embossed cover

“Walking in My Shoes” – Read a book written by an author from a culture different than your own

“Condemnation” – If you read a book that has ruined you and convinced you to never read another book by that author again, take credit for it here

“Mercy in You” – Read a book in which the main character requires forgiveness

“Judas” – Read a book set in really harsh conditions

“In Your Room” – If you read a book that takes your breath away, take credit for it here

“Get Right with Me” – Give an author another try, pick up a different book by them, go on… give it a shot

“Rush” – If you read a book and found yourself skimming to get to the good parts, take credit here

“One Caress” – Read a book that feels extremely vulnerable and tender

“Higher Love” – Read a book that contains gorgeous end papers

 

Ultra (1997)

“Barrel of a Gun” –Read a book that contains violence

“The Love Thieves” – Read a book that stole your heart

“Home” – Read a book in which the protagonist returns to their hometown

“It’s No Good” – Read a book you should have DNFd but didn’t and now you regret it

“Uselink” – Read a book that contains very little dialogue

“Useless” – Read a book that was pure brain candy

“Sister of the Night” – Read a book that features vampires or werewolves

“Jazz Thieves” – Read a book that focuses on music or was written by a musician

“Freestate” – Read a book that doesn’t seem to fit into any specific genre

“The Bottom Line” – Read the book that is currently at the bottom of your TBR

“Insight” – Read a book that taught you something

 

 

Exciter (2001)

“Dream On” – Read a book in which the main character(s) get what’s coming to them

“Shine” – Read a book with a yellow cover or sparkly cover

“The Sweetest Condition” – Read a book that focuses on a mental condition or disability

“When the Body Speaks” – Read a book that features body horror

“The Dead of Night” – Read a book where all the action takes place at night

“Lovetheme” – Read a book that’s told in a non traditional way (found footage, post it notes, texts, emails, etc)

“Freelove” – Read a book that features a unique kind of love

“Comatose” – Read a book that knocked you dead

“I Feel Loved” – Gift a copy of your favorite book to someone and take credit for it here

“Breathe” – Read a post-pandemic novel

“Easy Tiger” – Read a book that prominently features an animal

“I Am You” – Read a book in which you totally relate to one of the characters

“Goodnight Lovers” – Stay up all night reading a book and take credit for it here

 

Playing the Angel (2005)

“A Pain That I’m Used To” – Read a book in the same position for so long that your arms/legs start to hurt

“John the Revelator” – Read a book in which you didn’t figure out the ending until the very end

“Suffer Well” – If you read a book and thought about DNFing it but didn’t and ended up liking it, take credit for it here

“The Sinner in Me” – Read a book that features gods or angels and devils

“Precious” – Read someone else’s favorite book and take credit for it here

“Macro” – Read an epic novel, one that spans multiple generations or takes place over many years

“I Want it All” – Read a book that you own in multiple formats or have multiple editions of

“Nothing’s Impossible” – Read a bizarro book

“Introspectre” – Read a book that contains illustrations or graphics throughout

“Damaged People” – Read a book that features characters who are seriously F’d up

“Lilian” – Read a book written by someone who identifies as female

“The Darkest Star” – Read a book that is super dark and heavy

 

Sounds of the Universe (2009)

“In Chains” – Read a story that features prison or a character who is in trouble with the law

“Hole to Feed” – Read a book that features food on the cover or is food focused

“Wrong” – Read a book where you guessed the ending wrong

“Fragile Tension” – Read a psychological thriller

“Little Soul” – Read a chapbook

“In Sympathy” – Host a read-a-long / buddy read and take credit for that book here

“Peace” – Read a book about war or fighting

“Come Back” – Reread a book

“Spacewalker” – Read a sci-fi book

“Perfect” – If you read a five star book, take credit for it here

“Miles Away/The Truth Is” – Read a book that’s set in a different country

“Jezebel” – Read a book that features a crafty, deceptive female protag

“Corrupt” – read a crime non/fiction book

 

Delta Machine (2013)

“Welcome to My World” – Read a book that takes place on or around another planet

“Angel” – Read a book with religion in it

“Heaven” – Read a book in your favorite reading spot and take credit for it here

“Secret to End” – Read a book by an author who published under a pseudonym

“My Little Universe” – Read a book that’s under 100 pages

“Slow” – Read a book that took forever to get going

“Broken” – Read a used book (the more beat up the better)

“The Child Inside” – Read a YA book or a book that features a child protagonist

“Soft Touch/Raw Nerve” – Read a book that really pissed you off and take credit for it here

“Should Be Higher” – Read a book that you thought more people should be reading

“Alone” – Read a book that could be considered isolation fiction

“Soothe My Soul” – Read a book in your go-to genre

“Goodbye” – Read the last book published in an author’s bibliography

 

Spirit (2017)

“Going Backwards” – Read a book that was originally published in the eighties or earlier

“Where’s the Revolution” – Read a dystopian novel or a novel in which the people revolt

“The Worst Crime” – Watch the movie BEFORE you read the book it was based on and take credit for it here

“Scum” – Read a book that features the most cringe character(s)

“You Move” – Read a travel themed book

“Cover Me” – Save this space for the book with the best cover you’ve read this year

“Eternal” – Read a book that is set in an unknown time/period or that features time jumps/time travel

“Poison Heart” – Read a book that features an evil or morally grey protagonist

“So Much Love” – Read a book by your favorite author

“No More (This is the Last Time)” – Read another book by an author you read before and didn’t like

“Fail” – Read a book in which nothing seems to go right for the main character

 

Memento Mori (2023)

“My Cosmos is Mine” – Read a space opera

“Wagging Tongue” – Read a book that could have benefited from being shorter

“Ghosts Again” – Read a book that features ghosts

“Don’t Say You Love Me” – If you read a book and rate it less than 3 stars, take credit for it here

“My Favorite Singer” – Read a book that fits one of our previous years’ book challenges and take credit for it here

“Soul With Me” – Read a book about a haunting or possession

“Caroline’s Monkey” – Read a book that features a wild animal

“Before we Drown” – Read a book that takes place on or near the water

“People Are Good” – Read a book that has a high star rating on goodreads

“Always You” – Read two books back to back by the same author and take credit for it here

“Never Let Me Go” – Read a book that is absolutely unputdownable

“Speak to Me” – Read an audiobook

 

 

 

 

The 40 But 10 Interview Series: Nikki Dudley

 

I had decided to retire the literary Would You Rather series, but didn't want to stop interviews on the site all together. Instead, I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Today, we are joiend by Nikki Dudley. Nikki is managing editor of streetcake magazine and also runs the streetcake writing prize. Her pamphlet 'I'd better let you go' and collection 'Fanny B. Mine' are out with Beir Bua Press. She has forthcoming work with Hem Press. She is the winner of the Virginia Prize 2020 and her second novel, Volta was published in May 2021. Her website is: nikkidudleywriter.com

Why do you write?

I write because it helps me process things and explore interesting ideas. When I don’t write, lots of ideas float around in my mind and I have such an urge to get them down on paper! I love the freedom writing gives me to explore strange ideas, emotions, relationships and more.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I look after my kids, play netball, watch films, read a lot of poetry and some fiction, go for walks, spend time with my partner, and eat nice food!

What’s your kryptonite as a writer?

Research! I’ve definitely gotten better at it now but I think it was lacking from my earlier work. Now, I try to write the novel, then go back and address the gaps in my knowledge by asking people. I’m less afraid to show people my writing now and I think it gets stronger when you show trusted people your writing and ask for feedback/help. Often, you have friends who have amazing knowledge you can tap into.

What’s the best money you’ve ever spent as a writer?

Definitely feedback and workshops. When another writer presents tasks, it can lead to new ideas and perspectives. Feedback is also invaluable – they catch errors, point out inconsistencies and sometimes, they can even cement your own ideas if you disagree with them! Studying creative writing at university was also money well spent for me because it gave me better confidence and exposed me to new ideas I never would have discovered on my own.

Describe your book in three words.

Misleading. Exploratory. Psychological.

 

If you could cast your characters in a movie, which actors would play them and why?

Oh, I did this on Twitter before! I would definitely cast Florence Pugh as Briony, who is accused of committing a crime she can’t remember. I think she would be amazing in that role. For SJ, the lawyer asked to defend her, I think someone like Taron Egerton or Daniel Kaluuya would be perfect for the duality of this character. As for Mari, it would have to be someone like Morfydd Clark or Gal Gadot maybe – someone who could be really warm, firm and also play a bit of suspicion.

If you could spend the day with another author, who would you choose and why?

I would love to meet Charles Yu. He’s written some of the strangest and most interesting stories and novels. I’d love to chat through his brilliant ideas and ask him how he works through them to make them into his final pieces.

What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

I love Ruth Dugdall for her thrillers. One of my favourite books of all time is Catch-22 for the absurdity. I love The Great Gatsby for its tragedy. I love Attachments for its humour and hope. I also really love translated fiction, usually Japanese books, that always go in weird directions I never envisioned, such as Haruki Murakami’s books, Strangers by Taichi Yamada and I’m a big fan of Yoko Ogawa. Lastly, I love odd books like Andrey Kurkov’s Death and the Penguin.

What’s the single best line you’ve ever read?

This isn’t the best I’ve ever read but I love a first line that pulls you in. So, I’m going to say one of the best lines for that is Charles Yu’s first line of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe:

When it happens, this is what happens: I shoot myself.

Do you think you’d live long in a zombie apocalypse?

I would probably die immediately because I’d try to help someone and I’d get bitten! Or I would use my hardy skills from growing up with 3 brothers and manage to stay alive for a while, climb my way to safety and search out other humans to keep me company.  

 

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When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, a straightforward crime soon turns into a baffling mystery.

Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion - and the body count - rises, he's forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent.

Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

buy a copy here

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Volta-Dudley/dp/191243055X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TUS8HGGKACXG&keywords=volta+nikki+dudley&qid=1672693230&sprefix=volta+nikki%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1

The 40 But 10 Interview Series: Lynne Jensen Lampe

 

I had decided to retire the literary Would You Rather series, but didn't want to stop interviews on the site all together. Instead, I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Today we are joined by Lynne Jensen Lampe. Lynne’s debut collection, Talk Smack to a Hurricane (Ice Floe Press, 2022) concerns mother-daughter relationships, mental illness, and antisemitism. Her poems appear in many journals, including THRUSH, Figure 1, and Yemassee. A finalist for the 2020 Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize and Best of the Net nominee, she lives with her husband and two dogs in mid-Missouri, where she edits academic research. Visit her at https://lynnejensenlampe.com; on Twitter @LJensenLampe; or IG @lynnejensenlampe

What’s something that’s true about you but no one believes?

I’m an introvert. But I love to be hospitable and help people feel comfortable and my day jobs have often been people-oriented: counselor, teacher, receptionist, activist. And sometimes I’m social to avoid a difficult spot of writing!

What’s your kryptonite as a writer?

Perfectionism. It stunts creativity. My paying job is editing, and sometimes I edit my work before or as I’m writing it. Not helpful! I write poetry, and perfectionism can keep me from writing long enough to have something to work with, to find the truth of the poem.

What’s the best money you’ve ever spent as a writer?

Can I list two things? The first is when I took an online class through The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis: “Poems as Paper Airplanes” (taught by Sarah Sadie). It was my first workshop in several decades and instrumental in me truly feeling like a poet. The second was buying Gregory Orr’s craft book “A Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry.” He talks about order and disorder in poetry, but his words can be applied to other things too. It changed my life and helped me dig deep into my relationship with my mother as I wrote Talk Smack to a Hurricane.

Describe your book in three words.

Honest. Difficult. Imagistic.

If you could spend the day with another author, who would you choose and why?

I picked this question because it’s fun to think about, but it’s also hard to choose! Dorianne Laux, because she’s creative, down to earth, can write poems about anything and likes to play. Also Hannah Grieco, who absolutely intrigues me with her forthright style, broad subject matter, and ability to share the personal without giving herself away.

What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

The list might change according to the day! Books: 101 Dalmatians. Wildwood, book 1 of the Wildwood Chronicles by Colin Meloy. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Blue Yodel by Ansel Elkins. Authors: Joan Aiken. Damon Runyon, partly because my grandpa introduced me to his stories. Also, one of the few albums my family owned was the soundtrack to Guys and Dolls, which was based on his characters.

What are you currently reading?

The Map of Undoing, the debut poetry collection from Alicia Elkort and Murder on Black Swan Lane, the first of a mystery series by Andrea Penrose.

Are you a toilet paper over or under kind of person?

Over. Definitely over.

If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?

My great-grandma’s blintzes. That would be the best last taste no matter how I was dying.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?

That being liked by everyone is impossible. Overrated. Limiting. So is “be like”—as in “I want to be like __________” or “Why can’t you be like __________?” I always wanted to be someone else, more glamorous, thinner, less bookish, less think-y. I wanted to be wanted—desired—and once I started a friendship or sweetheart thing, I didn’t want to leave that person’s sphere. I declined an internship because it meant being away. I wasn’t afraid of missing my friends. I was afraid they’d forget me. This kind of thinking tries to sneak in sometimes even now, but I shut it down.

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In her first collection, Lynne Jensen Lampe uses vivid imagery, startling sonics, and odd juxtapositions to explore a tender and volatile mother-daughter relationship that fed love as well as insecurities. These poems deal intimately and specifically with the impact of a mother’s severe mental illness. Which mother-version should the daughter believe? What happens to anger when no one’s to blame? Does psychiatry allow a woman her power and personhood? More than personal history, Talk Smack to a Hurricane includes details of 1883 asylum records, lobotomies, even 1960s fashion icons. In examining family heritage and the quest for identity, the collection also fights both shame and stigma.

 

“A work of deep reconciliation formed through deft lyricism and a rigorous poetics of restorative possibilities of profound love.”—Heathen, author of Outskirts

 

“Talk Smack to a Hurricane urgently searches memory…the poems in the book are like spells cast against ghosts.”—Ed Skoog, author of Travelers Leaving for the City

 

Buy a copy

 https://icefloepress.net/talk-smack-to-a-hurricane-lynne-jensen-lampe/

 

The 40 But 10 Interview Series: James Dickson

 

I had decided to retire the literary Would You Rather series, but didn't want to stop interviews on the site all together. Instead, I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Joining us today is James Dickson, Poet, teacher, eater of too much food, Author of Some Sweet Vandal, available from Kelsay Books.

Why do you write?

I can’t help it.  It’s like biting my fingernails. 

 

What do you do when you’re not writing?

My day job is teaching high school English, which I’ve done for 22 years. 

 

What’s your kryptonite as a writer?

Fatigue. 

 

Describe your book poorly.

Dead teenagers.

 

If you could spend the day with another author, who would you choose and why?

Langston Hughes.  He was my gateway poet, and I’d like to cook him dinner to show my gratitude.

 

What are you currently reading?

Volume 1 of Blyth’s haiku anthology and student essays.  Always student essays. 

 

What’s the one book someone else wrote that you wish you had written?

Most of the books I’ve read fall into this category, but one title in particular is CD Wright’s The Poet, the Lion. . .   The wildness of that book is awe-inspiring.  Rita Dove is another poet who induces both great admiration and jealousy from me.    

 

What’s the single best line you’ve ever read?

“Small, close sounds, and coolness touched her.”  From Eudora Welty’s short story “A Curtain of Green.”  I’ve never heard a better description of incoming rain.

 

You have to choose an animal or cartoon character that best represents you. Which is it and why?

I’ve been compared to Uncle Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I’m ok with this.  I drink a lot of tea, am generally laid back, and truly enjoy a good meal. 

 

 

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what’s the one book you wish you had with you?

Paradise Lost.  There’s always something new when I read it. It’s so pretty, so layered, so lovely. 

Too often, contemporary poetry presents itself as a document of truth and beauty, but here in James Dickson’s excellent collection Some Sweet Vandal, we’re treated to a more realistic and nuanced worldview: the landscape described by an eye that sees the entire panorama and understands that scars and broken flowers can be as beautiful as any pastoral setting. If beauty is the beginning of terror, these intricately crafted poems remind us of what happens when angels open their mouths to speak, that poetry can be the place where healing begins, and that sometimes it is our words that bind our experiences together into a slender yet elegant ray of longing and melancholy that makes art out of our darkest experiences.

 

buy a copy here

https://kelsaybooks.com/products/some-sweet-vandal

Tis the Season: Foundations by Abigial Stewart

 

Abigial Stewart's novel Foundations released on March 10th. 

Go and grab yourself a copy!

 

Extra Dry Vodka Martini, Please

 

A steely-eyed, feminist, multi-generational novel, Foundations is told in three parts following the lives of three women all living in the same Dallas house in different eras, whose experiences parallel the history of women's rights struggles in the American south.

The drink I chose to represent Foundations is an extra dry vodka martini with a twist. It encapsulates the effortlessly chic food and drink pairings of Bunny, the Hollywood glamour of Jessica, and it pairs well with fermented food, which I think Amanda would appreciate, or perhaps not. 

 

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Excerpt 

 

That night, her husband made a rare appearance at home, expecting dinner. Bunny hadn’t gone shopping, so she cooked a large sirloin steak that she’d stashed in the freezer and two baked potatoes with sour cream. 

“Don’t you want a steak?”

“Oh, no. I’m not hungry.” 

Her husband nodded in an approving manner, he liked that his wife kept trim. Bunny watched her husband eat bite after bite of the medium rare meat until he placed his hands on his stomach and leaned back, his baser urges satisfied. 

She poured them both another glass of wine. He smiled at her almost beatifically, like she embodied every angel in the heavens.  

“May I see your palm?” 

He held out his large hand unquestionably, taking a gulp of wine as he did so.

His palm held none of the delicate whorls her sister Rose's possessed. It was thick and meaty, deeply lined like the dog-eared corner of a book. Her eyes went directly to his sun line, a broad crease that indicated burnout, a failure perhaps in his career. She looked away. Upon seeing his lifeline, which was so broken it resembled Morse code, Bunny panicked and instead brought his hand to her cheek, then her breast. Her heart thudded against the cage of her chest not from desire, but from knowing too much. 

He mistook her trembling limbs for a demure ardor and led her to the bedroom where Bunny fell into the bed like a stone and he sweated over her, smelling of meat. He almost overslept the next morning and chided her gently on his way out the door. 

Bunny resolved to return her palmistry book to the library that morning. 

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Blurbs

"I devoured the hell out of this wonderful novel about three different women in the same house across the decades, dealing with unhappiness and doubt in their own, often wild ways. I loved the careful, compassionate way Stewart crafted these characters - it drew me in completely to their stories."
— Amber Sparks, author of And I Do Not Forgive You

"Was loneliness an emergency?" Abigail Stewart asks in this novel, rich in atmosphere and detail... As Stewart explores repetitions and recurrences over time, you keenly care about these characters who are linked by one particular house that may or may not be able to contain their desires and their dreams." —  Deborah Shapiro, author of Consolation

 

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Abigail Stewart is a fiction writer from Berkeley, California. She is the author of two novels, The Drowned Woman and Foundations, as well as a short story collection, Assemblage. You can find her at helloabigailstewart.com 

Tis The Season: Verushka by Jan Stinchcomb

 

Jan Stinchcomb's novel Verushka released on July 7th. 

You can grab yourself a copy here. 

Black Tea

In VERUSHKA, a multi-POV family novel, a young woman squares off against the villain who has been plaguing her loved ones for generations.

 

Black tea is more than a favorite drink in this book: it is central to the action. There are two high-stakes "tea parties" that decide the fate of young Devon and her family.

There is no recipe! Any black tea will do, but I suggest a breakfast tea or Earl Grey. It is best served with a side of sour cherries, also important in the novel, since Verushka prepares a sour cherry cake to seduce one of her victims. (It should be noted that Verushka is one of those cooks who never seems to need a recipe.) A word of warning: be prepared in case the tea transforms in your mouth. You may need to run.

 

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Excerpt / Invitation to drink:

 

            A small circular table appears with two beautiful little chairs. There is a pot in the center of the table and two teacups. It looks a lot like Devon’s set but this one must be hundreds of years old, a real grown-up tea set, white with blue flowers. The flowers, Devon can see, are exactly like the ones that captivated Henry on his first visit to the hut.

 

            “This is how we play,” the Lady says. “I will pour the tea and then we drink. If the tea turns to blood in your mouth, you are the winner and Bear is yours.”

 

            They all sit down. Devon looks at Bear and sees the two most worried eyes in the world. She knows she cannot speak to him in front of the Lady. There is nothing left but to go forward even though this does not sound fair. The dread grows within Devon’s heart and will soon be big enough to make her burst, but surely Bear is meant to remain hers.

 

            The Lady pours a cup of black tea for Devon and then one for herself. She gives Devon her cup. She never stops smiling.

 

            “Are you ready?”

 

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What Readers Have to Say

 

Verushka is more than a fairy tale; it weaves a raw emotional tale of motherhood, adolescence, and rebellion that transcends generations while gripping the reader and never letting go. (Nico Bell, author of Static Screams)

 

Stinchcomb's debut novel is a magical, thrilling exploration of mothers and monsters, woven with the stark, secret language of the old tales and the gorgeous sensibilities of the contemporary. An exquisite story that will stay with me long after I put it down, like a dream, or a nightmare, staring through the window in the darkest hour of the night. (A.A. Balaskovits, author of Magic for Unlucky Girls and Strange Folk You'll Never Meet)

 

In this slow burn horror with a dark fantasy feel, we follow different generations in the family, gradually uncovering the story behind what's happening as we get flashbacks to strategic points in time. Rather than sticking to a chronological time-line, Jan gives us the fallout first to show the escalation of tragedies. We take a turn into dark fantasy as we learn who exactly Verushka is, and what her motives are. (Tasha Reynolds, The Sinister Scoop)

 

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Jan Stinchcomb is the author of Verushka (JournalStone), The Kelping (Unnerving), The Blood Trail (Red Bird Chapbooks) and Find the Girl (Main Street Rag). Her stories have appeared in Bourbon Penn, Maudlin House and Gamut Magazine, among other places. A Pushcart nominee, she is featured in Best Microfiction 2020 and The Best SmallFictions 2018 & 2021. She lives in Southern California with her family and is an associate fiction editor for Atticus Review. Find her at janstinchcomb.com; Twitter: @janstinchcomb; Instagram: @jan_stinchcomb; Bluesky: @janstinchcomb.bsky.social

The 40 But 10 Interview Series: Tanya Sangpun Thamkruphat

 

I had decided to retire the literary Would You Rather series, but didn't want to stop interviews on the site all together. Instead, I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Today we are joined by Tanya Sangpun Thamkruphat. Tanya is a Thai-Vietnamese American writer. She’s the author of the poetry chapbooks, Em(body)ment of Wonder (Raine Publishing) and It Wasn’t a Dream (Fahmidan Publishing & Co.). Her writing appears in The Orange County Register, Button Poetry, Brazos River Review, Honey Literary, and elsewhere.

Why do you write?

Writing has always been my source of therapy for as long as I can remember, but it has also been a way to bring joy into my life. Building something grand from nothing has always fascinated me.

What made you start writing?

I love reading books since I was young, and I was fascinated with how authors could build amazing worlds all with their imagination. I wanted that kind of power.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I’m usually reading (I have at least 5-6 books at any time in my reading queue), spending time with my feline overlords and loved ones, snacking, or binge-watching TV shows or movies.

Describe your book in three words.

It Wasn’t a Dream could be described as magical, entertaining, and empowering.

If you could spend the day with another author, who would you choose and why?

Neil Gaiman! He’s my favorite author. I’ve read everything of his and I love his style of storytelling. He has such an array of fascinating stories. I would love to sit and talk to him about what’s reading, what inspires his stories, and just talk about what he does for fun in his spare time.

What is your favorite way to waste time?

I love to binge watch TV shows and movies while feasting on comfort foods and snacks.

What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

Some include Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21^st Century by Kim Fu, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, and The Fire Eater by Jose Hernandez Diaz.

What are you currently reading?

Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada (translated by Margaret MItsutani), Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (translated by Anton Hur), The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo (translated by Chi-Young Kim), The People Who Report More Stress by Alejandro Varela, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig, Happily by Sabrina Orah Mark, and Lone Women by Victor LaValle.

What’s on your literary bucket list?

When I finally move into a house, I want one room dedicated as a reading room and library.

What scares you the most?

Small talk.

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"In Tanya Sangpun Thamkruphat’s collection, It Wasn’t a Dream, the surreal and the magical take center stage: in the everyday. We find a charming wolf with an entourage of children, a balloon artist touring the world, a good Samaritan farmer who is rewarded by a grateful alien—nothing is impossible in these prose poems. In order to make otherwise bizarre phenomena relatable and palpable, Thamkruphat unleashes a charming, accessible style and narrative approach which brings the fantastical and the ethereal down to earth. This is innovative, memorable work!

– Jose Hernandez Diaz, author of The Fire Eater and Bad Mexican, Bad American

buy a copy 

https://www.fahmidan.net/it-wasnt-a-dream-digital-chapbook