esckeyes

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

use, and i cannot stress this enough, thriftbooks

[esckeyes]

you think you’re going to have a normal field trip and she shows up wyd (cw *slight* flashing images)

✦ find me on instagram @the.flightless.artist ✦

[esckeyes]

it is a truth universally acknowledged that having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

Oh what's that? You only read books with lots of "spice" in them? Well then I've got a great one for you, practically the whole plot revolves around "spice". Ahem. In the week before the departure to Arrakis,

[esckeyes]

José Guadalupe Posada was a popular Mexican printmaker now mostly remembered for his satirical calaveras (skeletons), but we love this awesome rooster from the Open Metropolitan Museum of Art collection on JSTOR!

If you want to see more of his work, including his many calaveras, demons, and drunks (warning, much of it features graphic violence!), you can find more than 500 free images on JSTOR.

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

Book Banning is just another form of Bullying...

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

There are always two sides to a story. This dark and twisted reimagining of Cinderella, told from her stepsister's POV, is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik.

Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m. 

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free. 

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away—until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.   

With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.

Review:

A dark horror reimagining of Cinderella from her stepsister's POV. You've heard of having a monster of a step-sibling... except what if she was a literal horrifying monster that is barely contained and if she were to get out she'd kill people? Cinderella might look like a doll with beautiful looks and charm but beneath that is a horrifying monster complete with blood curling screams, mind control powers, tentacles and claws. When Eunice's mother marries a new man and he brings his daughter Cinderella into the new family, Eunice was excited to have a new step-sibling only she never expected a literal monster to be in her family. Her new stepfather now has made Eunice part of guarding Cinderella and now Eunice has to keep Cinderella locked in the cellar and make sure she is controlled, or else bodies will start dropping. Cinderella's care is demanding and Eunice has to look after her own sister and mother from Cinderella. Yet as the years go on all Eunice yearns for is escape and when she runs into a prince who seems to fall for her, it might be the perfect chance... but fate has other plans for her and with a step-sibling trying to claw her way out, Eunice has her work cut out for her. This was such a dun retelling of the classic and leans in on the horror and toxic family dynamics. I loved the twist and turns and Eunice was such an interesting character to read from. Cinderella was a literal horror monster and she made this book such a fun horror read. I would absolutely recommend this book for spooky season!!

Release Date: September 24,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[esckeyes]

if you haven't seen edward gorey's illustration of the brontë sisters you really should

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

[esckeyes]

Incorrect Quotes: Jane Eyre (71/?)

[esckeyes]

Can a white, Jewish male get an agent from querying today? Many agents ask for LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC writers. Anti-Semitism has been rampant since the previous October 7th. I've read most agents get 5000 queries a year and accept 2 to 3 new writers. Agents have told me my query package is "compelling and well written," "an interesting project," and "very strong," but follow that up with, "doesn't currently fit my list." Does querying not work for a white Jewish male writer? Your thoughts, please.

A 2020 study of books published by the major NYC publishers found that 95% were written by white people. Though I have never seen a study that broke down the religion of authors, the complaints of white people or men not being published any longer are greatly exaggerated.

I don't know anything about your manuscript or what genre it is. But it sounds to me like you write well and have good ideas but that this manuscript is not standing out. It might be time to start a new project?