#willow heath

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Managing and Other Lies by Willow Heath

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Voting ended onMay 7

An unsettling collection of queer horror stories that takes readers on a dark journey down desolate country roads, through the vacant halls of Gothic homes, and into the dark heart of modern-day Britain. These are Kafkaesque tales of loneliness, brutality, and paranoia. In a labyrinthine house at the edge of a quiet English village, a hollowed-out and anxious housekeeper works to keep the place tidy while writing religiously in their diary. After settling into a routine, they meet a secretive and seductive woman living in a room upstairs who promises them a better life. All she asks for in return are a few parts and pieces. Faye is a YouTuber who enjoys reviewing movies. When she takes pity on a lonely and obsessive fan, she finds herself falling into something dark and deeply distressing. Cassandra only has one person left to come out her mother, and she has decided to do so during a weekend visit. But her mother offers Cassandra no love or understanding, and making matters worse is the threatening ghost of a man that only Cassandra can see. Trans teen runaway Mel is hitchhiking, hoping to reach London, when she is picked up by a woman who seems at first to be a kindred spirit, but there is something gnarled and twisted hidden beneath the surface. A young couple recently had a baby together, but the baby is very sick; its body is changing—mutating—and they need to find out why before it's too late. After the death of her husband, an abused woman is suddenly liberated and makes plans to start her life anew, but she may not get to experience the freedom she hopes for.

Mod opinion: I haven't read this short story collection yet, but it is on my tbr and I'd like to check it out someday.

[transbookoftheday]

Managing and Other Lies by Willow Heath

An unsettling collection of queer horror stories that takes readers on a dark journey down desolate country roads, through the vacant halls of Gothic homes, and into the dark heart of modern-day Britain. These are Kafkaesque tales of loneliness, brutality, and paranoia.

In a labyrinthine house at the edge of a quiet English village, a hollowed-out and anxious housekeeper works to keep the place tidy while writing religiously in their diary. After settling into a routine, they meet a secretive and seductive woman living in a room upstairs who promises them a better life. All she asks for in return are a few parts and pieces.

Faye is a YouTuber who enjoys reviewing movies. When she takes pity on a lonely and obsessive fan, she finds herself falling into something dark and deeply distressing.

Cassandra only has one person left to come out to: her mother, and she has decided to do so during a weekend visit. But her mother offers Cassandra no love or understanding, and making matters worse is the threatening ghost of a man that only Cassandra can see.

Trans teen runaway Mel is hitchhiking, hoping to reach London, when she is picked up by a woman who seems at first to be a kindred spirit, but there is something gnarled and twisted hidden beneath the surface.

A young couple recently had a baby together, but the baby is very sick; its body is changing—mutating—and they need to find out why before it's too late.

After the death of her husband, an abused woman is suddenly liberated and makes plans to start her life anew, but she may not get to experience the freedom she hopes for.

[amaliazeichnerin]

Review: „Managing and other Lies“ by Willow Heath (queer horror short stories)

Very recommendable queer horror, mostly with trans and nonbinary protagonists. I think these stories can also be seen as metaphors of trans and queer life experiences.

At the end of this review, I have some content warnings. If you do not want to read these, please skip the last paragraph. (Blurb in picture 2)

Managing This horror story collection starts with a longer story or novella. A house manager who is trans has strange encounters with a man and a woman in an old mysterious house and this leads to some bloody body horror incidents. You could argue that another protagonist is the house itself which is sometimes described as if it was a living being.

Chloe.Claire1 This is basically an exchange between a film essayist and blogger and one of their followers. The film essayist is trans and Chloe is nonbinary. Both bond a bit about their struggles with gender identity and the transphobia that they experience. There is a truly scary twist and the ending is open. Which can lead to all sorts of frightening thoughts about how this story might go on.

A Mother’s Love This is not a short story, but a short stage play. Cassandra tries to come out as trans to her mother, but it’s not going well and that’s only the start of a horrific encounter.

We Understand Each Other Perfectly Mel wants to hitchhike to London, but the friendly woman who picks her up is not what she seems to be … and I didn’t see that terrifying plot twist coming.

Baby A trans parent and their partner worry about a strange sickness of their child. Again, a story with body horror, but that is not all. This story is completely told with a conversation between the two parents.

Little Blue Sticky Notes I cannot say much about the plot here because of spoilers, but I liked the plot twist very much.

Content Warnings for this book: body horror, transphobia, misgendering, TERFs, deadnaming, mentioning of su*cidal thoughts, s6xual assault

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Willow Heath on social media: https://linktr.ee/willheath

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Soup Club by Caroline Wright

80 Cozy Recipes for Creative Plant-Based Soups and Stews to Share

 Soup has been said to heal and is thought to contain properties that strengthen the body. As I read about the author of this book and how soup became a big part of her life, I began to think about not only the ingredients that are prepared, measured perfectly, and cooked according to directions but also spent some time thinking about what else might go into the pot besides the ingredients. Perhaps it is possible to add not only spice that adds flavor but also a dollop or more of positive energy some might refer to as kitchen witchery or prayer thus imbuing the final product with even more healing potential.  If so, then it is my guess that the many soup gifts that arrived on this author’s doorstep were probably a great addition to the medical treatment she received as she dealt with her cancer diagnosis.  

 What I Liked:

* The personal touch of Caroline’s story and why soup became important to her

* The watercolor illustrations

* The photos of the author and her family

* The reason that soup became important and continues to be important to the author

* That the recipes are all plant based

* The simple precise easy to follow recipe instructions

* That the ingredients are easy to find and common around the world

* That there were also some recipes for bread, salad and a sweet

* That instapot/pressure cooker variations to recipes were provided at the end of the book

* That there were recipes to make seasoning blends used in the recipes

* That though ingredients were sometimes similar the recipes were all different and sounded tasty

* That there was more than one recipe I would like to make

 What I didn’t like:

* Not having a hard copy to cook from immediately.

* That nutritional information was not provided…this is one thing that helps me decide whether or not to buy a cookbook.

 Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I like to own this book? Yes

Would I consider buying it to give someone else? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for the ARC- This is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

      BLURB

 The origin story along with creative vegan soup and stew recipes from the Seattle-based community soup club run by cookbook author Caroline Wright. After a devastating brain cancer diagnosis, Caroline Wright told some new friends she was craving homemade soup, then found soup on her doorstep every day for months. She survived with a deep gratitude for soup and her community. In thanks and in their honor, she decided to start a weekly soup club delivering her own original healthful soup recipes to her friend’s porches. Caroline’s creative spirit and enthusiasm spread, along with the word of her club, and she soon was building a large community of soup enthusiasts inspired by her story. Soup Club is unlike any other soup book. Caroline’s collection of recipes along with artwork, photography, and haiku from her members, tell a moving story of community, love, and health at its center. This unique cookbook proves that soup can be more than a filling meal, but also a mood and a feeling. Every soup can be made on the stove top and Instant Pot. The recipes are all vegan and gluten-free and include: Catalan Chickpea Stew with Spinach Jamaican Pumpkin and Red Pea Soup Split Pea Soup with Roasted Kale West African Vegetable Stew

About the Author

Caroline Wright is a cookbook author, former food television producer and veteran of Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Her recipes and articles appear regularly online and in national lifestyle publications, including Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Food Network, Every Day with Rachael Ray, The Kitchn, and Food52. Wright is the author of four cookbooks that range from cakes to Catalan cuisine, though her passion for community and storytelling is woven throughout each book. Her terminal brain cancer diagnosis in 2017 shifted her career to focus on her health and young sons, for whom she also authored the noteworthy children’s book, Lasting Love, about her enduring love after death. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her family.

About the Illustrator

Willow Heath is a second-generation artist and first-time cookbook illustrator. She teaches illustration, watercolor, and portrait art at numerous Seattle schools, including Gage Academy of Art and Pratt Fine Arts Center. She and Caroline worked together on Caroline’s picture book, Lasting Love. Instagram @willowheath willowheath.com

[willowheath]

Sometimes the most simple and spontaneous approach to a painting has the most rewarding of outcomes.