Based more on Persian folklore, Whichwood tells the story of Layla, a mordeshoor who washes the dead and sends their spirits off to the next world. And by washing the dead, I mean that she washes the bodies in a tub, hangs them on a clothesline to dry, and then plucks a rose petal out of her mouth.
A noir poem set in downtown Cairo, The Apartment in Bab el-Louk is a vignette of observations and thoughts of a recluse who peeps through their window at men yelling in the street or scurries through their neighborhood when needed.
Her aim: to be smart about your money and live the best life you can - all in style, all within budget, and all without missing out on the bubbly.
A coming-of-age, quirky story about the Brontes' last surviving ancestor, and the scavenger hunt her dead father sets for her from beyond the grave.
What was most interesting was how Marguerite settled into her life as the wife of an Arab. She learned Arabic, respected the customs, and settled in living in the wadi, or valley, including using donkeys, selling items to tourists, and climbing up the jabal, or mountain.
I was in a fantasy reading slump for months - and The Phantom Forest pulled me out of it.
Beta readers are meant to edit your work. They can focus on different things, depending on their skill level and your needs/desires. But one thing's for sure: a good beta reader is worth their weight in gold.
Anticipated Fall Reads 2020
I love how the couple grows--of course, it's all cliche, he being a reserved, brooding man, and she a friendly, bubbly woman. But there's something about the two of them together that had me reading the book all day long. And of course, there's drama. And the drama really spiced things up a bit.
It's part coming-of-age, part feminine awakening.
