Tag Archives: Isabel Cañas

Weekend Reads: Cottage Core Vibes

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to April! I can’t believe it is already April. Time waits for no man, eh? It’s a new month and the end of the week, so I’m back with another weekend reads that has suggestions for this month’s TBR Project Book Club on Fable. The TBR project is our book club with a twist: everyone reads their own selection! The catch is that it has to be something off your TBR. Every month, we pick a theme, you pick a book, and we cheer each other on and discuss our picks (no spoilers) on Fable.

After last month’s theme of Stories that were meant to stay fiction a.k.a. it was a story, not a suggestion, we thought this month we’d shoot for something lighter. I was thinking something Springy, maybe something pastoral and Beth suggested Cottage Core. The idea here is to pick something that is home-centered, chill, maybe a little bucolic, maybe a little slice-of-life. This is a good theme for that classic you’ve always wanted to get to but never had or that one romance novel you’ve been saving for just the right time. If you needed a sign, this is it! So, without further ado, here are four picks for you to consider.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

An all-time fave here at Stacks, Beth and I have both read this multiple times. It follows the adventures of Heathcliffe as he meets a girl, loves a girl, loses a girl, and then proceeds to mess up both his life and hers! It is terrible people doing horrible things to each other and I know that doesn’t sound like a recommendation, but it is. If you like messy people, reality TV, and gossip columns and you haven’t read this yet, this is a classic for you.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

This one has already made an appearance in weekend reads, but I’d be remiss in not mentioning it because it is my pick for this month! Beth read it an age ago and lent me her copy, and it is time I read it, too. I’m promised adventures, romance, hijinks, flying houses, and piracy. It is not necessarily the pastoral notion I first envisioned, but from the cover it seems like it’ll fit the bill. (And, yes, I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but… I’m also judging it by Beth’s recommendation. So, I think I’m all good.)

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

If you’re feeling the pastoral, country vibes of the theme, but you’re not excited for something soft and romantic, then I’d like to recommend some gothic horror to you. Set in the time after Mexico’s war for Independence, Beatriz moves to the countryside to her new husband’s pulque-producing estate. She has big plans about being the lady of the house and making her mark, but house itself has some other ideas. Interesting characters, good atmosphere, chilling and creepy moments. This is a fun one.

Get a life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Last but absolutely not least, if you’re feeling the slice-of-life, soft home vibes, but you aren’t feeling the country aspects of the theme, try Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Part of the Brown sisters series, this installment follows eldest sister Chloe Brown as she decides to get a life. Chloe is thoughtful, hardworking, and serious and so she makes herself a to-do list of life-getting goals. This book was so cute. Chloe is wonderful and relatable. Red is also great. Chloe’s family are a hoot. I absolutely love this series and I think you will, too.

So, there you go. Some recs to start your weekend off right. Let us know what your favorite books with cottage core vibes are in the comments!

Weekend Reads: Gross Vampires

Posted on by
Reply

Beth and I recently saw Nosferatu, and it got me thinking about vampire media. I’ve noticed three distinct types of vampire offerings: campy vamps, sexy, vamps, and seriously disgusting vamps. Nosferatu, I think, straddles the line a bit between disgusting and sexy? He’s got that vampy charisma, but he also has somehow both dry and gushy corpse vibes. With that in mind, here are some recommendations of gross vampires you can check out if you’re looking for a new book to dive into this weeked.

The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The Strain follows the story of Ephraim Goodweather, Abraham Setrakian, and others as they battle a plague of vampires that begins with an airplane landing mysteriously at JFK with no damage but also almost no survivors. The vampires cannot be mistaken for your sexy True Blood or Twilight Vamps. It is the first in a trilogy that is intense, heart-pounding, and an interesting take on vampire mythology. It is also a TV series, if you’re not looking for a book, but would like some vampire content.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Sunshine is a favorite here at Stacks Exceed Life Expectancy. I think both of us have read it multiple times. Set in a world of magic, it follows the story of Rae “Sunshine” Seddon and her unlikely compatriot, the vampire Constantine as they join forces to fight other vampires. These vampires aren’t gross in the way that Del Toro and Hogan’s vampires are, but they are decidedly more dangerous and less fun than other modern takes on vampires. This one is so good, y’all.

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

They come at night.They are shrouded in mist. They leave you with a fever that portends death. This one is set in Texas before Texas was a U.S. state. It has cowboys. it has Anglos coming in and making trouble. It is historical fiction as well as a vampire novel and it was so good. Oh, and it has a love story. So, even if you still want that bit of romance with your gross vamps, you get it. I really enjoyed this one and the audiobook has a solid narration.

Do you have a favorite unsexy vampire novel? Sound off in the comments!

Kate’s Favorite Books of the Year!

Posted on by
Reply

This has been a wild year of reading for me! I have done so much of it for fun! During COVID, I lost a bit of my desire to pick up books. There is still a bit of that resistance there, but with a combination of some great series, letting my whims take me, excellent recommendations from people in my life, and audiobooks, Ive managed to get back to being a reader! Alright! Let’s do this!

Best Non-Fiction: Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

I didn’t read a lot of non-fiction for fun and, funnily, they were all memoirs. Readme.txt by Chelsea Manning and Consent by Jill Ciment were excellent, and they have both brought up important topics that need to be considered and discussed, but Nanette gets the nod here for a combination of also touching on important topics that need to be considered and discussed, emotional resonance and Gadsby’s audio narration. This one had me in tears, both from happiness and sadness. It was a great read.

Best Book I picked up on a Whim: Yolk by Mary H.k. Choi

Screenshot

I don’t know I can really say this was on a whim. I put it in my library want list on a whim ages ago and when my library finally got it, I was first in line. This is a story of sisterhood and family. It is also the story of growing up Asian-American and navigating multiple sets of cultural expectations while also trying to figure out who you are. Some of the story felt so relatable and some of it felt like a brand new experience for me. I love how stories can be both mirrors and windows. Anyway, this was at times thoughtful, funny, and sad and I loved the growth journey the characters went on.

Best Bestseller I’ve had on My List for Ages: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Y’all this book was so good, seamlessly interweaving multiple tales of motherhood and family highlighting different kinds of conflicts that arise from differences in income, ethnicity, and race. I couldn’t put it down and I needed to know what happened next! The characters were well-written, the plot contained surprises. I really loved this one.

Book a Friend Recommended: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Starless Sea is stories within stories within stories. I loved Zachary, the main character. He was thoughtful and interesting and I was happy to have him as a companion on this journey of so many twists and turns. Putting it over the top in this category is the multiple excellent narrations, including a performance from one of my favorite audiobook readers, Bahni Turpin.

Best Book that has been on my Shelf and I finally Read this Year: The Queer Principles of Kitt Webb by Cat Sebastian

This romance novel was a delight! I tore through it and finished it in time to pick up its sequel at the same independent bookshop I bought it at, The Ripped Bodice! 10/10. bookshop and 10/10 novel I took too long getting to. I liked the characters, I liked the intrigue, I liked the spice, I liked the ending. This was wonderful!

Best Series (Plural) I started this Year: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik, and This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

I started so many good ones this year. Kitt Webb, of course. But also the Gideon the Ninth series, Spoiler Alert, This Poison Heart, His Majesty’s Dragon , Renegades , The Beautiful , The Brown Sisters and Three-Body Problem . Since most of these I either binged (The Gideon books and the Poison Heart) or I completely finished (Kitt Webb, Three-Body Problem) it is fair to say I enjoyed all of them. But there were some stand outs.

Part sci/fi and Part fantasy, these books have mystery, sword play, and fiery heroines that are delightful.

An Alternative history with dragons! Temeraire was described to me as the best baby boy of characters before I read it and I couldn’t agree more. I want nothing but the best for this sweet dragon and his handler Laurence, who find themselves in the middle of a war between England and Napoleon’s France. The only reason I haven’t gotten to the rest of the series is that the other books in my library hold queue keep getting in my way.

I was so taken in by Briseis and her moms and the mystery at the heart of these books that having to wait for the second one to come available at the library was torture. Briseis is a wonderful heroine and these books interweave myth with the modern in a really fun way.

Honorable Mention, Best Book about a House: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

I read a lot of books this year that featured houses. A House with Good Bones, The House Across the Lake , and Nothing But Blackened Teeth just to pick a few. But Cañas’s gothic novel set after Mexico’s war for independence scratched all the itches for the gothic horror genre. Beatriz is an interesting narrator, although not as naive as you’d expect and that was a nice twist. I enjoyed this immensely and would definitely recommend it.

This has been a great year for reading and I already have things queued up for the new year (including reviews of things I started this year, but haven’t posted yet!) Beth and I hope you have a Happy New Year and we hope to see you in 2025 for more from our endless stacks!

Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Posted on by
2

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas is a gothic horror delight. Set in the time after the Mexican war for independence, we follow Beatriz as she moves into in her new husband’s pulque-producing hacienda. She is the second wife of the Rodolfo, who’s previous wife died under mysterious circumstances. Everyone seems to have a different story about how his first wife died. The war was hard on Beatriz and her family, but she sees this marriage as a way to change her and her family’s fortunes. It also follows Andres, a local priest who was raised on the Hacienda but for unknown reasons has been banished. Beatriz finds the house to be fine, if neglected at first, but increasingly sinister as the novel progresses. She finds Rodolfo’s sister, an unexpected addition to the property, to be unsettling at best and actively working to undermine her at worst. She must call on the help of Andres and solve the mystery of the house before she becomes another one of its victims.

I enjoyed the setting of this immensely. I know a little bit about Mexico’s history and I loved the idea and the execution of a story with the foreboding home, mysterious husband, a first wife, etc. set in this period of post-war turmoil. This is set in a period of Mexican history where there were a lot of different factions and uncertainties, which was perfect for setting up the characters. It gave the typical elements of gothic horror another layer where we were also looking at the horrors of colonialism. Cañas is a Mexican-American author and says in an author’s note that she picked this time period and wrote these characters in part to fill a gap that she had found in this genre. She had never read stories about women like her. In that same author’s note, she also recommends history readings, in case you are further interested in the time period. I very much appreciate that.

This was really good and if you like gothic horror/romance elements, then I recommend this! Another great find at my local library!

What I’m Reading Now: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Posted on by
Reply

I realized that I didn’t read as many books in May as I had in previous months this year. So, I thought about why. In my off time, I binged some shows and played games on my phone, completely checking out. Since that’s not really restful, I decided I needed to find something to encourage me towards less screen time. The library to the rescue. I’ve checked out an actual physical book with a due date in three weeks. I’ll actually have to read. I liked Vampires of El Norte, so I’m excited for this one.

Quick Review: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (read by Jose Nateras and Krysta Gonzales)

Posted on by
2

This is another one from my local public library and it was suggested by a friend. Set in the 1840s, Nena, a daughter of a rancher, must fight to help save her family’s ranch from both encroaching Anglos but also from other more sinister threats. Something is hunting the vaqueros, other ranch workers, and the cattle. Something that leaves them either with a terrible sickness that looks like death or leaves them dry husks.

Néstor is Nena’s childhood best friend. Following an encounter with the mysterious monsters one night, he believes Nena is dead and he flees the ranch, ashamed that he could not save her.

When the United States invades Mexico, Nena’s father and the other ranchers come together to send young men to fight as auxiliary support for Mexico. Nena, who has been learning to be a curandero, volunteers to go with the men to help with the wounded. Her father agrees under one condition, that she agree to get married to a man of his choosing once they return.

Néstor returns at the request of his uncle to join the auxiliary cavalry. Nena and Néstor are reunited after a near decade apart and at the worst possible time. Can they survive the war? Can they survive the monsters? Can they forgive the past? And what about Nena’s promise to her father?

I loved the cowboys and monsters of this. The vampires were the scary kind and not the sexy kind. Nena and Néstor were both likable characters and there interactions were fun. The novel was reasonably fast-paced and it painted a picture of 1840s from a perspective I haven’t got to read, that of the Mexicans coming into contact with white Americans as Texas became a republic and then a state. Nateras and Gonzales did an excellent job switching off narrating chapters from either Néstor’s or Nena’s perspective. I would definitely recommend this one!