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Modern Folklore Novellas

Novellas seem to go largely unnoticed among publishers. Yet these short works of fiction are often favored by writers and readers. Almost the Goldilocks of books. Long enough to be engrossing, yet not so long as to consume a month or longer of reading time. But a perusal through any bookstore will reveal precious few of these gems. There have been commercial reasons for that for traditional publishing. But in this age of advanced book production technology, most of those reasons no longer hold true.

To this end, Modern Folklore Press plans to bring more novellas to market. Not a specialized imprint, but simply an approach to publishing novels which includes the shorter form.

Coming later this year are novellas from new author, K.S. Blake: prequels to the their forthcoming Fallen Cities epic fantasy trilogy. And expect at least one novella from Kevin J. Fellows, author of At the End of the World.

More details to come regarding each book.

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March 2023 TBR Additions

A short list this month. Most releases during February and March didn’t quite intrigue me. Maybe it’s just a slow time in publishing.

White Cat, Black Dog: Stories

By Kelly Link

From the publisher:

Finding seeds of inspiration in the Brothers Grimm, seventeenth-century French lore, and Scottish ballads, Kelly Link spins classic fairy tales into utterly original stories of seekers–characters on the hunt for love, connection, revenge, or their own sense of purpose.

The Island of Missing Trees

By Elif Shafak

From the publisher:

Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures. The tree is there when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, and when the teenagers vanish.

Monstrilio

By Girardo Sámano Córdova

From the publisher:

Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago’s lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family’s decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses–though curbed by his biological and chosen family’s communal care–threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life.

See the full list of books in our virtual store in partnership with Bookshop.org.

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February 2023 TBR Additions

Just under the deadline. Another round of catching up. These titles aren’t new to the world, but they may be new to you.

Moon Witch, Spider King

By Marlon James

From the publisher:

The second book in James’s Dark Star trilogy. Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, it is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story

From the publisher:

This is a book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and construction–and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life.

The Actual Star

By Monica Byrne

From the publisher:

David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas meets Octavia Butler’s Earthseed series, as acclaimed author Monica Byrne (The Girl in the Road) crafts an unforgettable piece of speculative fiction about where humanity came from, where we are now, and where we’re going–and how, in every age, the same forces that drive us apart also bind us together.

See the full list of books in our virtual store in partnership with Bookshop.org.

Links on this page are affiliate links. Modern Folklore Press earns a small commission from each sale.

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January TBR Additions

This month’s additions to the TBR list consists mostly of titles to catch up on. It seems the second half of 2022 was filled with many more interesting books than the first half of the year. An opposite reaction, I feel, from 2021.

I’ve been reading McCracken’s short story collection, Here’s your Hat What’s Your Hurry and I’m quite enjoying it. When I noticed she has a new novel, I had to put it on the list.

From the Publisher: The Hero of This Book is a searing examination of grief and renewal, and of a deeply felt relationship between a child and her parents. What begins as a question of filial devotion ultimately becomes a lesson in what it means to write. At once comic and heartbreaking, with prose that delights at every turn, this is a novel of such piercing love and tenderness that we are reminded that art is what remains when all else falls away.

I’ve been a fan of Matthew Zapruder’s ability to talk about poetry as much as I’m a fan of his poetry. I’m looking forward to his selection for this collection.

From the Publisher: Chosen from print and online magazines, from the popular to the little-known, the selection is sure to capture the attention of both Best American Poetry loyalists and newcomers to the series.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a solid Science Fiction novel and this one, blending a historical setting to retell a classic of the genre caught my attention immediately.

From the Publisher: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

See the full list of books added to the TBR in our virtual store in partnership with Bookshop.org.

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Favorite Reads of 2022

Last year was full of poetry, fantastic (and fantastical) novels, and inspiring non-fiction. These are our favorite books we read in 2022. Note, they were not all published during the year.

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What were your favorite books of the year?