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Devouring Tomorrow by Jess Dupuis and A.G. Pasquella

“You’re not going to have Roast Brad Pitt at the holidays?”

✮ 4 out of 5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for the free ARC of this book.

Devouring Tomorrow is an anthology of speculative fiction regarding food in the future. The book contains 16 short stories revolving around differing dystopian futures with a food-insecure focus. The stories differs from extinction, new innovations for the future, cannibalism and how our culture is shaped by food.

Some years back I read Eating to Extinction by Dan Saladino; A non-fiction about some of the dangers our food sources face in our current use of the world. Food has always been an interest of mine; both on a cultural level, but also on a culinary level, so I was very intrigued by Devouring Tomorrow, and what it had to offer.

The thing I really enjoy about short stories is, that it’s a fun way to explore a bigger subject or an interesting take, without dragging it out too much. On the other hand I find a collection of short stories extremely hard to write a review on, because they differ a lot in writing style and plot; Some of the stories are more beloved than others. I did, however, love a lot of stories in this collection, and I found the premises very interesting and unique. One worry while reading an anthology from different authors is that some of the stories will be similar, but while some of these stories might’ve started with the same premise, they’re all executed in a way that makes them fully their own. Most of the stories are well written and well polished for the execution that’s a good story worthy.

I read “Pleased to meet you” by Catherine Bush back in October last year, and while it’s taken me a while to come back to finish up this book, my mind has sometimes wandered back to this story in the meantime. It’s like a friend that’s going to stay with me. The quote in the start of my review is from “Succulent” by Elan Mastai.

Short stories are a double-edged sword, and while I love a lot about the format, I also wanted for some of these stories to be longer. Because all of the short stories are standalones with their own premise, I also wanted more of a red thread that would’ve made it possible for me as a reader to better expect what tone the next story would be. Some of the short stories are kind of light-hearted, while others get very dark and dystopian, but it wasn’t always easy to determine what the next one would be.

If you enjoy stories with food in focus, I would recommend picking up this book for the different premises playing with the future of food. If you like dystopian futures, and just want bite-sized tasters of it, then this book is also worth picking up.

Devouring Tomorrow releases on April 22nd 2025.

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For those who seek magic within the pages of a book.

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Reading books is so much better when you don't have annoying bitches in your ear telling you how horrible the book is and what “good” books you should read instead

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[oflawandlibraries]

New beginnings

The worst part of anything is starting. When an idea pops up it is always closely followed by hopes and expectations for the future.

For me it also means trying to get the perfect start on something new. Which honestly is a weird idea to have, because no one will ever have the perfect beginning. Experience will always mean feedback on what you've done and what you're going to do, and that usually also means you would have done things differently if you could start over.

This is not a place for me to start over, but a place for me to expand and grow my bookish hobby. On this day I have been on Bookstagram for 3 years (same handle), but I feel like I need the space to be able to create and consume more in-depth bookish stuff that isn't just pretty pictures and algorithm feeding. I have wanted a place to be able to make longer ramblings, but also a space for more capacity for different formats. This is simply me coming back to a known place to fulfil that specific need.

✎ About me I'm a 27 year old Dane, who has been reading since forever. One of my strongest core memories is reading Twilight on my 12th birthday and I absolutely enjoyed it; both book and the day. When I am not reading I am nerding dogs, especially my own Japanese Spitz, being a wannabe foodie or enjoying some time with my boyfriend. I am a simple homebody.

I got my law degree a little under a year ago, and have since then worked with what I would define as my dream job in a down to earth environment. Being out of the hellhole that is the inconsistency of a student's work schedule and instead having a consistent work week also means I have an easier time being consistent (at least in theory).

✎ Reading habits I love describing my reading habits, because every time I think I have nailed it I usually try to switch it up a little because the books get too similar. This year I am focusing on getting more diverse reads into my sphere; when the world is burning I will choose compassion and focus on practicing the future I still hope is possible for all of us.

Right now I am very much into everything cosy, and cosy fantasy is an exceptional get away drug for real life world events. A lot of my reads do also gravitate towards the fantasy genre in some form; both the romantic, the modern and the traditional kind.

On the other hand I also love picking up a nonfiction sometimes, and I have found a new love in short story collections; they give the capacity to experience a lot of ideas and explore new genres without the biggest commitment in the world.

✎ The future And then there's the expectations for, what I want to expand this little space on the internet with. I am hoping for this to be a better place for more in-depth book reviews, longer posts on books in general, thematic posts and general book blogging. Idk man, right now I just wanted more space for stuff to do and to write stuff out. We'll see if that continues.