Not So Well Read | Mermaids, sirens, and selkies

Mermaids, sirens, and selkies

Current literary obsession: mermaids, sirens, and selkies.

Not sure why, but I’ve recently become obsessed with stories about women and the sea. I’ve...Show more

My Recs:

These are books that I've either read, authors I love, or ones that are on my TBR already.

• The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey (Lit fic, mermaids)
• The Hidden by Melanie Golding (Thriller, selkies)
• Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (Horror, mermaids)
• The Sirens by Emilia Hart (Lit fic, sirens)
• Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (Lit fic, ocean)
• A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland (Lit fic, selkies)
• The Deep by Rivers Solomon (Fantasy, mermaids)
• The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Kaw (Dark fantasy, mermaids)
• To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (Teen fantasy, sirens)
• Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods (Fantasy, mermaids)

Threads Recs:

These were recommended by followers on threads! I haven't read all of these, nor have I even heard of all of them. This is not an official endorsement, so, as always, do your own research before reading.

And since I can't really tag all of these without overwhelming my Bindery shelf, here is a Fable list with all the community recs: Fable List

• Kiss of the Selkie by Tessonia Odette (Fantasy, selkie)
• The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K. Fry (Middle grade, selkie)
• Son of the Siren by Kristina Elyse Butke (Fantasy, sirens)
• The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan (Fantasy, selkies)
• Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb (Dark fantasy, mermaid)
• In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy (Romantasy, sirens)
• The Seas by Samantha Hunt (Fantasy, mermaids)
• American Mermaid by Julia Langbein (Lit fic, mermaids)
• All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter (Fantasy, mermaids)
• Nothing Bad Happens Here by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (Teen thriller, ??)
• Ingo by Helen Dunmore (Middle grade, mermaids)
• The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff (Fantasy, selkies)
• Fish Out of Water by Mary anice Davidson (Romantasy, mermaids)
• Oceansong by C.W. Rose (Romance, mermaids)
• The Haven Cove by Desirée M. Niccoli (Romance, mermaids)
• The Blue Salt Road by Joanne Harris (Fantasy, selkies)
• Sealskin by Su Bristow (Fantasy, selkies)
• The People of the Sea by David Thomson (Folklore, selkies)
• Call of the Sea by Kate Schumacher (Romantasy, sirens/mermaids)
• Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell (Retelling, mermaids)
• Out of the Blue by Jason June (Romance, mermaids)
• The Mermaid's Daughter by Ann Claycomb (Fantasy, mermaids)

This Week in the Book World:

Fable hosted their town hall and it was... weird. There was a lot of self-promotion, a weird section where they talked about feature requests, and then very little time spent actually addressing the reason we were all there.

Long story short, they said they're removing the AI for now. However, their founder made it very clear that they will continue to invest in AI in the future. So, while I am staying on the platform for now, that is subject to change.

This week's new releases:

• A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young (Adult, fiction)
• All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (Adult, dystopian)
• The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan (Adult, fiction): The Three Lives of Cate Kay is an adrenaline rush of a story that doesn't compromise on sincerity. Whether she is exploring first love, queer identity, female friendship, or self-forgiveness, Fagan leaves everything on the page and delivers a novel that demands to be deeply felt by its readers.

What I read this week:

• Immortal Dark (Finished)
  We all know I’m forever in my vampire era–especially after seeing Nosferatu–and this is one of the most unique vampire books I’ve ever read. Immortal Dark marries dark academia with Ethiopian-inspired vampire lore. The characters, the magic system, and Uxlay University are so well thought-out and complex. Plus, this Romantasy is true enemies-to-lovers in a way that felt substantial, but didn’t cross a line too far into bully romance.

• The Sirens (Finished)
  I adore Emilia Hart. Her debut novel, Weyward was one of my favorite debuts of the last few years, and this one was just as wonderful. A family mystery, siren lore, women protecting women, and history all wrapped into one. I just finished this one today and haven't collected my thoughts yet, so more to come!

• Fagin the Thief (52%)
  Similar to Emilia Hart, Allison Epstein is one of my favorite authors of the last few years. If you haven't read any of her books, I suggest starting with A Tip for the Hangman, which absolutely destroyed me emotionally in the same way Song of Achilles did. I'm about 52% through this one and am ready to be hurt again.

• Elatsoe (22%)
  I just started this one today! It's our mostly fantasy book club pick for January, which is great, because it's a backlist pick that's been on my TBR for years. I had no idea this one had so much magic in it! I thought it was just Elatsoe, but there's vampires, fae, and all kinds of other creatures. I can't wait to get further in.

Other musings:

In none book news, my husband and I started playing It Takes Two on Xbox and it's so fun!! We have been absolutely cackling over this one and our many failed attempts (i.e. deaths) at some of the puzzles and challenges. If you like couch co-op games, this is one of the best ones I've played in years!