by Nick Gardner

Indie lit has always been counterculture.

It would honestly be nuts for a small press to open their door to submissions without the desire to fight the status quo. The very idea of indie lit is anticapitalist (small presses probably won’t get you rich), anti-establishment (the “Big Five” can eat it), and, for the most part, small presses like fiction that breaks the rules. But what makes a book punk-as-fuck goes beyond the author’s antiauthoritarian leanings. It must have some other pull. It needs music.

While this list is far from exhaustive, it focuses on books of literary fiction that don’t just have that punk fierceness, that blatant challenging of authority, but those that also have the music.

Think Bad Brains, Buzzcocks, Pere Ubu. You can get behind the lyrics, the message, the ethos, the power, but a punk group is nothing if the sound doesn’t make you want to mosh. That’s what makes these specific literary fiction authors stand out: not only the shared goal of challenging the way the reader sees the world, but also an understanding of the aesthetic necessary to keep a reader glued to the page. 

Here are 7 literary fiction books that challenge the status quo.

(Book lists on Independent Book Review are chosen by very picky people. As affiliates, we earn a commission on books you purchase through our links.)

1. Someone Who Isn’t Me

Author: Geoff Rickly

Publisher: Rose Books (2023)

Print Length: 258 pages

ISBN: 9798987581827

Asterism

Amazon

Okay, some can argue that he’s more post-hardcore than punk, but Geoff Rickly’s debut novel, Someone Who Isn’t Me, hums with musical prose that rivals the best lyrical writers of literary fiction.

A heroin addict and lead singer, the protagonist, Geoff, seeks sobriety through the psychedelic drug Ibogaine. His trip sends him on a psychic spiral through his guilt-laden past, forcing him to contend with the person he has become. Rickly depicts Geoff’s wild tour across the United States, not holding back on the bickering or the drugs. It’s a dirty novel in the way that addiction can be dirty. But it also breaks the trend of stories about addiction. Refusing to pause on the fallout, Rickly writes beyond into recovery and hope. 

2. No Names

Author: Greg Hewett

Publisher: Coffee House Press (April 2025)

Print Length: 352 pages

ISBN: 9781566897259

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Greg Hewett’s No Names is by far the slowest moving of the works of literary fiction in this list. Think Sleep’s Dopesmoker. Okay, maybe it’s doom metal. Whatever the case, punk is the root.

As Hewett skips around from POV to POV, a large focus is a punk band called, of course, The No Names, and the sketchy European tour that ended the band. But there’s also quite a bit of classical music in the background, as well as a long exploration of friendships entangled with sexual experimentation. Maybe the end drags on a bit longer than expected, but the prose holds up, a song that slowly diminishes rather than ending with a crash. 

Looking for more literary fiction recommendations? Check out our best books of 2024!

3. Earth Angel

Author: Madeline Cash

Publisher: CLASH Books (April 18, 2023)

Print Length: 152 pages

ISBN: 9781955904698

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Easy to read cover-to-cover in a single sitting, Earth Angel is all power chords, heavy and fast. Cash’s sentences are short and piercing and her endings cut to nothing rather than attempting a summation or even a meaning. Because everything is meaningless, right? 

Think Biblical plagues, Isis recruits, childless millennials and millennials with children that they’re not quite sure what to do with. Think designer drugs, broke city dwellers, homicidal fantasies, porn. Maybe Earth Angel is too modern to hold to the ‘80s DIY ethos, but it’s still counterculture AF. It still questions authority, culture, and god. It’s a witty collection for confused kids who definitely don’t want to grow up.

4. Scumbag Summer

Author: Jillian Luft

Publisher: House of Vlad Press (June 2024)

Print Length: 192 pages

ISBN: 9798320644059

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More sex, more drugs, more blood and fallout, Scumbag Summer explores smoky bowling alleys and dive bars, the crass scenery of Orlando. Though she’s a college grad, the protagonist seems intent on continuing her nihilistic young-adulthood, refusing to settle into any kind of square, middle class grind.

Orlando for her is No Doz and 7 layer burritos, and as she lodges herself more deeply into the dumpster fire, she spots the pages with social commentary, a distrust of wealth and power and an understanding of  “trash culture,” of those stuck in on the lower rungs of the social hierarchy who sometimes can’t even imagine the climb. Scumbag Summer also contains one of the most punk lines I’ve ever read: “Love is a friendly butcher.”

5. Ghosts of East Baltimore

Author: David Simmons

Publisher: Broken River Books (2022)

Print Length: 202 pages

ISBN: 9781940885544

Amazon

A Baltimore native with a deep understanding of the underground, David Simmons shrugs off the rules in his debut literary crime thriller. As with the other books on this list, there’s a unique and manic music behind Simmons’ prose. It’s rough music, blasted loud. I mean what’s more punk than a protagonist named Worm who gets out of prison to find that he’s the only one who can take out a drug ring smuggling dangerous chemicals into his community?

Simmons raises the bar for punk AF literature with his cutting social commentary, including “crack epidemic” history lessons and a deep understanding of Baltimore’s crime and corruption-ridden past. 

6. Hellions

Author: Julia Elliott

Publisher: Tin House Books (April 15, 2025)

Print Length: 272 pages

ISBN: 9781963108064

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Witches, Cryptids, Ghosts, and other supernatural entities plague the pages of Julia Elliott’s strange collection of longer short fiction. No flash stories here. But just like when you enter a DIY venue and feel surrounded by like minds, the pages of Hellions is a comforting place for those who have normalized the weird.

In “The Maiden,” a community trampoline allows a witchy girl to show up the popular kids with her otherworldly acrobatics before disappearing to her woodland squat. And in “Hellion,” a tough twelve-year-old tames an alligator. Elliott’s stories are filled with loners and weirdos outperforming their normative peers and youngsters challenging their parents’ conservative ideals. What’s more punk than that?

7. Hey You Assholes

Author: Kyle Seibel

Publisher: CLASH Books (March 25, 2025)

Print Length: 272 pages

ISBN: 9781960988393

Bookshop

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Seibel’s story of trying to publish this debut book of short literary fiction, Hey You Assholes is filled with almost as many bizarre twists as the book itself. It reminds me of a 21st century reenactment of ‘80s punk bands banging down doors to book a studio or distro a record. He couldn’t have found a better home for his book than Clash Books, a publisher of some of the strangest and most energetic fiction on the market. Energetic is the word, because even the longer stories don’t stop driving. ThinkLandowner Plays Dopesmoker 666% Faster and with No Distortion.

Hey You Assholes is a deep dive into the lives of unpopular people: soft-hearted alcoholics, wiley factory workers, and Navy veterans who feel forever lost at sea. None of Seibel’s characters have money or power and they definitely don’t have any respect for The Man. 

Want some thrills in your bookshelf? Check out the best indie thrillers!

About the Author

Nick Gardner is a writer, teacher, and critic who has worked as a winemaker, chef, painter, shoe salesman, and addiction counselor. His latest collection of stories from the Rust Belt, Delinquents And Other Escape Attempts, is out now from Madrona Books. He lives in Ohio and Washington, DC and works as a beer and wine monger in Maryland.

Thank you for reading Nick Gardner’s “Literary Fiction Books That Are Punk AF!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

A convention-breaking novel that explores the intricacies of human experience

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul, a young doctor working in an intensive care unit, discovers a piece of writing online. Touting itself as a New World Storyline, it grows and changes as people around the world interact with it.

In this New World book, an author, a musician, and the doctor begin a dialogue about the state of the world. They lament the formulaic nature of stories, bitterly reject the palatable scene that is now music, question the ethics of medicine, and discuss the state of the world.

As this novel progresses, more people arrive to partake in the discussion. Between shifts at the increasingly overrun hospital, Paul realizes that he is becoming a part of this strange new story. As others get caught up in the narrative, it becomes clear that the story is closer to his reality than he might have expected. And that it has the power to change everyone who encounters it.

The Other Book is an experimental work that draws on existing literature to showcase something new. Layers of rich intertextuality are woven through the discussions in this novel. It draws from sources that are both ancient and contemporary, from as far back as Gilgamesh, the Bible, and Norse Mythology to books like Sophie’s Choice.

The perpetual question posed in these pages is, what makes a book? Or, perhaps more specifically, what makes a story? Is a dialogue held by several people on the nature of the world, and of the Arts, considered one? This question permeates through the text, as there’s no clear answer.

While The Other Book is experimental, it builds on existing narrative forms. The novel within the novel is written in a similar way to a script but is more analogous to current online stories told through a series of screenshotted message exchanges. In a modern sense, this could be considered an epistolary. The characters within the pages write to each other, and the interactions become the body of the text. A perpetual, ongoing story that shifts to new characters but seemingly is without end.

The prose in The Other Book can be difficult. This is partially because the descriptive language is stylized, formal, and challenging rather than conversational. The issue this poses is that we need to comprehend the ideas being explored in order for the experiment to land. There’s also a white page problem happening in The Other Book —not much description to ground readers into the novel. There’s the feeling of reaching around in the dark, looking for a marker to orientate yourself. Instead, we find difficult to decipher dialogue happening in a vacuum.

This is a creative philosophical journey that probes at the heart of what makes us human. An ultra-modern take on traditional storytelling conventions, it opens readers to the possibility of seeing an old story with fresh eyes. The Other Book is a read that hosts a wide range of interesting discussions.

Thank you for reading Joelene Pynnonen’s book review of The Other Book by Alexey L. Kovalev! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph

A dynamic coming-of-age adventure in Wonderland

Two young royals must leave their home—what we know as Wonderland, and they call Brigantia—to find someone who can rescue their homeland from a mysterious, powerful, rapidly expanding darkness.

You don’t need to be deep into the Alice in Wonderland lore to understand or enjoy this story, but if you are, you’re about to have a blast. Author W.A. Simpson has transformed this world into something new, interesting, and totally dynamic.

In this world, Alice is known as “the Heroine,” and her adventures form the base of local legends. This isn’t her story, even if she does show up at the end. Our protagonists are Faith and Rowan, and the story is told from their alternating perspectives. Faith, the titular Hatter’s daughter, lives a charmed life in Simpson’s interpretation of Wonderland. Brave and bookish Rowan, the Prince of Hearts, is the son of the Queen and King of Hearts. Unlike Faith and “unlike the rest of his family, Rowan desired to explore what lay beyond the borders of Brigantia.” The Hatter is Faith’s adoring, supportive father; the Cheshire Cat, whose fur tickles Rowan’s nose into sneezing, appears as a helper when needed.

We meet Faith on her birthday—literally, the story opens on the day of her birth, during which she remembers being held by her mother and almost immediately sent down into what we know as Wonderland to live with The Hatter.

The story jumps to Faith’s 21st birthday, which is (at first) another perfect day in her perfect world. But then everything changes: Faith has a dream, a vision of a future where something dark is trying to invade Brigantia, and the natural world is crying out for her help. She isn’t certain what it is, and she’s not sure why she’s the vessel to deliver this message and carry the responsibility of rescuing Brigantia, but she knows that it is urgent and important. 

At the beginning of this story, when all she had to worry about was which of the royals from other palaces would be attending her birthday party, she realized that there was only “one person she really wanted to be there. Rowan, Prince of Hearts, son of the Queen and King of Hearts.”

Both of them, it turns out, individually inspired by a love of their homeland, embark on the same adventure. Lucky for us, they reunite along the way. Together, they discover a dark magic that has turned crops to poison, put people into a permanent slumber, and radiates a putrid smell that lingers. The effects are like a decay in the once-idealistic Brigantia, turning not only their plants to death, but the eyes and hearts of people to black sludge. It even happens to Rowan at a point, when he’s caught up in a fierce spell of anger and catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror: “His eyes were coal-black in their sockets. Rowan cried out, filled with fear and surprise.” 

Their partnership is so authentic. It feels true to the experience of reconnecting with someone at that age after so long, equipped with the same ego and attitudes that arise with the way they were both raised. And yet it still feels so honest in that they genuinely want to reunite and trust each other.

Both Faith and Rowan gain wisdom, courage, and more independence as they go through the trials and tricks the darkness throws at them. There’s a really fun dynamic at first where they’re interested in seeing each other again but also find the other person annoying. Still, they’re both mature enough to put their kingdoms first and move past the annoyance to solve the problem plaguing their home.

I loved reading their relationship strengthening and them growing more protective over each other (in equal measures). It’s a union between two brave young people but also of two loving families who love their kids. It’s satisfactory in a way that will appeal to readers who love an adventure and aren’t interested in investing too deeply in a romance plot—though readers who want a blossoming romance won’t be disappointed either. 

Author W. A. Simpson made sure to include laugh-out-loud funny moments, too: Faith and Rowan have lived quite an isolated life, raised in palaces and never having left Brigantia, which apparently has meant they never tasted spicy food. It’s genuinely hilarious when, “‘He could swear his tongue was on fire. ‘How do we stop this?’” I giggled more than a few times along the way, from heading out to find Alice, their Heroine, without knowing anything else and expecting to find her, to Faith having never opened a faucet before. This is the first time in twenty-one years that Faith must fend for herself at home, and she’s stunned by the way she can get water of two different temperatures from different levels. The possibility of this seems almost another feature from a new magic.

This is an effortless and believable read. Whether we’re exploring Faith’s perspective on her adoptive home, Rowan’s perspective on his father’s behavior around his all-powerful mother, or their shared narration on the rot, we’re discovering what feels like truth. Simpson explores themes of men who can’t (or won’t) control their emotions, to the detriment of kingdoms, and women who break all the rules they’ve known to save as many people as they can. There are family dynamics of various types, and there’s joy in the angles of reference to Alice in Wonderland. 

Shocking plot twists await in the second half of the book too, right until the very end. The Hatter’s Daughter is a breeze to read, complete with the whirlwinds of a dynamic leading couple. I loved every minute of it!

Thank you for reading Andrea Marks-Joseph’s book review of The Hatter’s Daughter by W.A. Simpson! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Frankie Martinez

A compelling, classic-feeling time travel novel with intriguing politics, a secret spy, and waking up 18 again

In the year 2020, an unnamed man living in Wonder Lake, Illinois undergoes a strange phenomenon. After a completely normal day of work, chatting with his girlfriend Leigh, and caring for his dog, the man goes to sleep. But when he wakes up, he knows that something is wrong even without opening his eyes. 

When he does, he sees his brother Joseph asleep in a twin bed across from him, though he hasn’t shared a room with his brother since high school. As the strange feeling increases, the man notices other changes; his tattoos are gone, and he finds a silver flip phone by his bedside instead of a smart phone. When he gets out of bed, he finds his 1995 Pontiac Gran Am sitting in the driveway. This is when he realizes he’s back in high school: “Jesus fuck.”With absolutely no idea what is happening to him, the man starts his own investigation into the reason why his 32-year-old consciousness has traveled back in time, hoping that backtracking to his future home will lead to answers. 

Meanwhile, in the basement of a normal office building in 2020, security guard and glorified equipment manager Javier Del Carmen of Strategic Anomaly Observation Control notices a blinking orange light on the machines he is supposed to be watching over. These machines, which are supposed to monitor for anomalies in time and space as part of a research group called Project Outrigger, have detected an anomaly—the first and only time-space anomaly since the division’s founding in 1990. 

The team at Project Outrigger scramble to observe the anomaly and figure out how it happened, while legacy researcher H.S. Baumann conspires behind the scenes to get his hands on the technology that did the job. 

A story told between multiple perspectives and periods of time, Travel is a sci-fi thriller about a man trying desperately to get back to his own time period, all while his fate rests in the hands of an organization that has become entangled in politics and potential conspiracy, of which he has no part. 

This classic sci-fi premise starts with an en-medias res beginning, mysterious gadgets with blinking lights and laser beams, and secret basement laboratories, but the interpersonal dynamics within the scientists at Project Outrigger give the novel its most compelling edge. 

While multiple perspectives appear in the sections that focus on Project Outrigger’s activities in 2020, Javier’s perspective dominates most of these sections. While the Outrigger team argue about what to do with the time machine they’ve discovered, Javier reveals a secret background that results in some seriously mysterious intrigue and fun action sequences in the latter half of the novel. Javier is also the only person who seems to have a bit of humanity in him, showing concern for the unnamed man who was sent back in time by watching over him and feeding his dog. Baumann’s sections are also especially interesting with their history of time travel research.

The other half of the novel is focused on the first-person perspective of the unnamed narrator. These scenes are especially cinematic in their vivid detail and high emotion, but some of that narrator’s characterization leaves some to be desired. His story is highly focused on the present problem of trying to get back to his own timeline, resulting in a narrative that seems to leave little room for agency or difficult choices that would give more hints to who he is as a person.

Travel introduces many mysteries; a teacher lost in the past, a spy, and the secrets of time travel hidden in a strange machine that only one person seems to understand. After finishing, one thing is clear: If answers can be found, it can only be done with the passage of time. 

Thank you for reading Frankie Martinez’s book review of Travel (Project Outrigger) by Kevin Rowlett! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Tomi Alo

A heartfelt reminder that even the iciest hearts melt in the warmth of true love

Dr. Charlie Kriel has spent years guarding her heart, burying herself in work, and avoiding any emotional entanglements, especially when it comes to children. But her carefully built walls start to crack when she meets curious eleven-year-old Emilia and her irresistible yet emotionally distant father, Dr. Thomas Ribeiro. A skilled anesthetist with a reputation for being as cold as the operating room he works in, Thomas has his own reasons for keeping love at bay.

Set against a rich, engaging medical drama backdrop, Prescription for a Frozen Heart follows Charlie and Thomas, two emotionally scarred hearts, as they navigate their fears, past wounds, and undeniable attraction. As their relationship deepens, Charlie is forced to confront her longing for a family, while Thomas must decide if he’s willing to open his heart and be honest with the people who matter most.

Trust is the foundation of every new relationship, but are these two different yet similar souls ready to lay themselves bare? Or will fear keep them from embracing the love that fate has placed in their path? 

Prescription for a Frozen Heart is a sweet, heartwarming romance about healing, survival, and second chances. The novel is light, fun, and includes so much of what romance readers look for: chemistry, love, tenderness, found family, and a happily ever after.

Duffett creates a world where vulnerability and strength coexist. Charlie and Thomas’s story isn’t just about falling in love but also about finding the courage to move on and let go of the past. I love that Duffett gives both characters the space to grow, heal, and embrace the happiness they deserve. She also lightly touches on  the challenges women struggling with infertility face in the workplace and society in general, which adds more depth to the story. 

Another thing Duffett does well is seamlessly integrating the setting of the novel with the story, allowing readers to watch these brilliant medical professionals in action as they go through their daily, demanding work routines and interact with the patients they save along the way. 

The novel’s pacing does tend to drag a little, especially halfway through the book, with repetitive scenes from the past. The back and forth, coupled with Thomas’s indecisiveness, can become somewhat tiring too, as it feels out of character for someone in their mid-40s. I guess I hoped for more decisiveness and not to slow down the story too much.

Prescription for a Frozen Heart is ultimately a beautifully written story that embodies resilience and showcases love’s ability to mend old wounds. It’s a touching, feel-good romance that reminds us that even the coldest hearts can thaw with the right person.

Thank you for reading Tomi Alo’s book review of Prescription for a Frozen Heart by Jo-Anne Duffett! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by John M. Murray

A moving tale about seeking acceptance and self in a late 20th century rural town

A trauma-stricken young woman turns to religion, and her young son becomes a cowboy to find his true self in The Gift. The two of them may clash, but it results in an unforgettable tale of faith, sexuality, and how different people struggle to find acceptance.

Pansy did not lead an easy life. After her mother was murdered by her father, the police sent her to an unknown uncle. She mistakes lust for love and tries to force a young man, Ace, into marriage only to have him steal half her money and vanish. 

Alone, lost, and pregnant, she turns to the only people willing to take her: the Jehovah’s Witnesses. She’s given a run-down shack to raise her son and does her best, but she falls too deep into the extreme tenets of her religion. Her son William grows up under the kind care of his neighbor who teaches him the rugged ways of cowboy culture. William soon realizes he’s gay, but the rural community teaches him to keep that side secret.

This book is simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming, especially William’s story. The rancher, Steve, embodies a healthy model of masculinity, and he teaches William not just about cowboy work but life. The unusual father-son dynamic provides a satisfying relationship of one man trying to help the next generation without forcing William into something he’s not. William tries to be his true self but grapples with society’s disdain toward him. He’s not perfect, he makes mistakes, both in romance and life, but at least he is trying.

Much of the book is about Pansy—her childhood, the early days of her life as a single mother—which is unfortunate. Since Pansy is taught the world is just about to end, she is sometimes acts a hateful woman who uses religion as an excuse for her life not going well. She was a good mother while William was a child, but as he becomes independent, she grows distant. The lengthy focus on Pansy’s life feels like it sidetracks the story of how William grew up and how those experiences shaped him.

Still, The Gift is a fascinating snapshot of two people as they try to find acceptance. Both people, limited by the social mores of the time, discover the painful limits of staying true to themselves. While the story is focused on the religious and sexuality aspects, the spotlight is on the very human need to belong.

Thank you for reading John M. Murray’s book review of The Gift by Scott Terry! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser

A family is forced to face their longstanding issues in this emotionally fraught novel. 

Family tensions boil over when three sons return to their parents’ lake house at their father’s cryptic request in James Gilbert’s Reunion By the Lake. 

Family patriarch Richard Collins knows it is time for him to get his affairs in order, as his health is failing fast. He has summoned his sons Seth, Deck, and Nick to visit and plans on letting them know that not only is he nearing the end of his life, but he has made a decision that will impact all of them after he is gone. 

Richard directs a lot of anger toward his sons, as they have not lived up to his high expectations. The pressure they felt growing up has impacted their paths into adulthood. 

Seth, the adopted eldest (as no one has ever let him forget), has found a wife and religion, but his career is nonexistent. Deck is successful but has not been able to commit to a relationship. Lastly, the youngest Nick is a mediocre cellist with an open secret he cannot find the strength to confirm. Gilbert introduces all three individually and paints a realistic portrait of fractured sibling relationships born out of toxic family dynamics. 

As the story unfolds, more is revealed about the relationships within the family, and it is easy to see how they have become so fractured. Seth is an especially intriguing character; he first comes across as an unstable conspiracy theorist but develops much beyond that. His ability to look for the good in others gives him depth, while his brothers seem to fade into the background. It rings true that some characters grow throughout, while others stubbornly refuse. 

The overall toxicity stems from their father, a compelling and believable character who values success and wealth above all. His focus on his definition of achievement stands in his way, and the disconnect he and his wife Grace feel about their children is a heartbreaking one. Grace is a tragic figure, as she allows Richard to rule their house cruelly and loses her voice in the process, but there are glimmers of the stronger person she keeps tamped down. The tension between them is palpable and drives the story forward; their love has devolved into one of obligation, and Gilbert captures this well. 

Gilbert has done a lovely job weaving an intricate tale that showcases the complexity of family dynamics. While the plot moves forward deliberately, the book itself manages to be a quick read, and this is due to its smooth storytelling. Reunion by the Lake is a familiar and honest tale that rewards its audience. 

Thank you for reading Elizabeth Reiser’s book review of Reunion by the Lake by James Gilbert! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Eric Mayrhofer

Spirits prowl at the corners, but tender vulnerability and small rebellions make the haunting, beating heart of Nancy McCabe’s middle-grade novel.

Anny, the main character of Nancy McCabe’s Fires Burning Underground, has grown up on a collection of the books her mother loved as a child—shelves of Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables. But oh, how I wish she could find a book about pirates, about their rebelliousness and their bravery; their stories might embolden her. She deserves all the encouragement and love in the world as she moves through McCabe’s lovely, thoughtful story and starts coming into her own.

When the book opens, Anny is facing a multitude of problems. First, she finds out that Robert, a boy who asked her out once, has died. Then, his passing triggers big questions; she says, “I keep having random inappropriate thoughts, like maybe Robert might have been the person who would have helped me figure out if I’m gay or straight.” And all of that is before leaving homeschool and starting public school, where “it’s as if everyone else has known each other forever.” 

When she meets Larissa, however, she discovers a kindred spirit beyond the wall of her home. Larissa is fascinated with the paranormal, and as she draws Anny into her explorations of clairvoyance, telepathy, and the beyond, Anny begins pushing back on everything she has ever known.

Throughout the book, Anny’s random thoughts might surprise her, but feel true and universal; it’s so natural for someone else’s death to make us turn inward, to look at how we’re living our own lives. In a religiously dominated household, her inability to find space for herself also rings true. 

More interesting, however, are the small ways that Anny’s venturing into the world threatens a status quo quietly dominated by religious conservatism. When she brings Larissa home for the first time, she notices that “Mom smiles stiffly. I get the feeling that she’s made up her mind not to like Larissa…Mom is all bulgy and embarrassing, so I don’t know why she’s so judgy.” Her mother balks at Larissa exposing her to Ouija boards, warning that they can expose Anny to demons, and making her concerned. Anny notices later, though, that “in the bright, noisy cafeteria, my uneasiness seems kind of dopey.” Leaving her home environment, seeing new perspectives, and letting new voices into her life helps her see, in small ways, that not everything she’s been taught should be trusted.

But most interesting of all is the use of the supernatural as a symbol for personal power. With each experiment, Anny pushes back a little more against the world she has been brought up in and explores a little more deeply into her nature. As they start practicing mind reading, Larissa says, “ESP is like that. You have to practice a while every day to keep your talent active.” The same is true of self-discovery and self-determination—especially for queer children—it takes constant practice to be fully yourself when it may seem the rest of the world is telling you your truth is wrong. 

It’s a tale of empowerment with emotion that runs deep, rendered with grace, empathy, and a brave little girl that will haunt readers long after they leave her on the final page.

Thank you for reading Eric Mayrhofer’s book review of Fires Burning Underground by Nancy McCabe! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by S.A. Evans

A journey through parenthood in lyrical sentimentality

Songs My Mother Taught Me is a thoughtful exploration of family dynamics and the value of life lessons being passed down through the generations. 

The story is set up with Kim, a cellist-turned-lawyer, who finds life not quite as she dreamed, especially after she becomes pregnant to an abusive man. Her journey (and her friends’ and family’s journeys) move through the ups and downs of life—things that remind her of the songs her mother taught her over the years.

Now divorced from her abusive ex-husband Larry, Kim is standing at an airport with her young son Nathan as she prepares him for his court-ordered trip to his father’s house. To retain some control over the situation, Larry has managed to get custody visits with his son. 

Since Larry can’t be bothered to pick his son up from the airport himself, he has his long-term fiancé Leeza do it for him. Once Nathan is in the arms of Leeza, Kim remains at the airport to gather herself.

“You can never make people do the right thing all the time, even when you spell it out. They just don’t notice, or don’t care.” 

From there, Kim tries to steady herself and make sense of the world around her and how she got here. In flashbacks, we see Kim’s family history with her older sister Karen and their mother Bobbie. Bobbie had been critical of Kim’s life choices, and Karen believes it’s because Kim and their mother are so similar.

The plot really picks up when, during the divorce process with Larry, she starts to date John. Soon enough, Kim and John are engaged over the phone and get married three weeks later. The plot jumps back and forth in time and ultimately sees Kim adjusting to new changes as her family grows, as their careers change, and as the people around them weave in and out of their lives. John and Kim have each other and their children. Together they can face anything. Seems pretty nice, right?

The sentimentality is what really drives this novel—it’s a fantastic feeling when concerning family dynamics and navigating life as a unit. Part two sees those sentimental moments kick up into high gear. I went from feeling slightly indifferent to feeling so much sadness for the family and wanting nothing more for them than to find a way to heal and come back together from it. 

Another thing this book does well are the songs themselves. Since music is a big part of Kim, Karen, and Bobbie’s lives to varying degrees, lessons are called songs. When Nathan is still young and adjusting to the custody visits with Larry, Kim remembers the song, “The truth of the matter was that motherhood was an education in all things in life against which you could not protect your child—which was most of them.” 

Kim sees John as a reliable and steady force in her life—“In our ocean bedroom, we were a little raft in calm seas, and he was my anchor” —but once we get to the end of part one, we witness a moment where she allows herself to think more fully about the marriage (that she refers to as a “real marriage”). 

Kim thinks to herself, “No matter how long you’ve been married, there was a whole swath of your life forever cloaked from your spouse, a private universe, richly stocked and peopled, that you could never share.” This thought foreshadows how Kim will think of their marriage going forward, and it’s complemented by the song Bobbie sung years ago, “So much of marriage is dumb luck.” Through these very real feeling characters, readers see how you can lose yourself in marriage and how hard it can be to keep a family together in the face of tragedy and change.

The structure of the novel did find me lost a few times, unsure whether I was in the present or past or how much time had gone by since the last scene or chapter. Since the story is told over so many years, it amounts to a lot of time jumps and a lot of characters as well.

Songs My Mother Taught Me is a moving story of parenthood. I’ve never felt so much of a parent’s struggle in a book like I have with this one. This novel demonstrates the complexity of familial connections and how they impact us well into adulthood and parenthood.

If you love literary fiction that makes you want to reach through the pages and give the characters a great big hug, definitely check out Songs My Mother Taught Me.

Thank you for reading S.A. Evans’s book review of Songs My Mother Taught Me by Helen Winslow Black! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Lauren Hayataka

Love, duty, and ambition collide in a narrative that refuses to overlook the women behind the crown.

The Duty of Women thrusts readers back into the nerve-racking corridors of Henry VIII’s court at the height of Anne Boleyn’s dazzling yet fraught reign. 

Narrated by Kat Cooke, who reveals her story to her daughter, the novel explores the sacrifices and compromises demanded of women in King Henry VIII’s court. Kat, Henry’s unacknowledged daughter with Katherine of Aragon, keeps her lineage concealed at Thomas Cromwell’s behest while trying to preserve her marriage to Will Cooke, a man increasingly caught up in Cromwell’s ambitions.

Willcocks offers an accessible glimpse into familiar Tudor milestones—Anne Boleyn’s push for religious reform, Henry’s determination for a male heir, and Jane Seymour’s emergence—while shedding light on often-overlooked nuances. Anne Boleyn, depicted as a woman driven by ambition and conviction, starkly contrasts the devoutly dutiful Katherine of Aragon. Both suffer under Henry’s shifting affection, and Kat, caught in the middle, provides a compassionate, feminine perspective rather than through a heavy political lens. 

Throughout, Kat’s story brims with personal cost—her uncertain marriage to Will, her discreet flirtation with Thomas Wyatt, and her hidden resentment toward her father, the King. The consequences of disobeying Henry are painfully clear, and Kat, like all women at court, is forced to yield her pride to appease him. She can do nothing else unless she wishes to lose the little safety and security she and her husband have. To her daughter, Kat makes the pitiful observation: “Sometimes it seemed that no matter what you had, or where you were born, an ordinary, stable life was only a pleasant dream.” 

No one understands this concept more than Anne Boleyn, portrayed as calculating as she is vulnerable, acutely aware that the king’s love is her only protection. Without it, Anne will find herself in the same position as her rival. And Kat sees the pitiful fall of both women; her mother dying from a broken heart in a damp castle and the wrongful execution of Anne and the men who adore her. She also sees the rise of her once friend, Jane Seymour, who is helpless to oppose her father’s ambitions and utterly terrified of her new husband: King Henry VIII. 

All around Kat are a swirl of familiar faces: Lady Willoughby, her mother’s dearest friend; Thomas Wyatt, Anne’s childhood lover and court favorite for his poetry; and Tom, her father-in-law who is weary and grey, yet gentle and kind. There are new faces too, as Anne has a daughter, Princess Elizabeth bursting into the world, the flirtatious and flattering musician, Mark Smeaton, and Kat becomes dear friends with Mistress Ashdown, or “Meady,” Jane Seymour’s former nursemaid. Kat’s relationships are at the forefront of the novel, grounding it in human emotion.  

This works in the novel’s favor as the pace moves quickly without lingering on the minutiae of court politics. Throughout The Duty of Women, Kat wrestles with the increasing burdens on her: her hidden birthright, strained marriage, and loyalty to a court forever shifting beneath her feet. While, at times, the novel leans heavily into contemporary ideals, Willcocks brings the era alive in a richly accessible way. 

This is an intimate, human portrayal of Tudor life that underscores how a single woman’s resolve can echo amid the clamor of royal ambitions—and how, sometimes, survival itself is the lasting victory.

Thank you for reading Lauren Hayataka’s book review of The Duty of Women by Caroline Willcocks! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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