Liz Vaughan

Hello, welcome to my first blog post! I’m Liz, a fiction writer, editor, and MFA student. I love reading and talking about books, if you couldn’t guess from that list of descriptions.

During my final year as an undergrad at UNC Chapel Hill, I worked at a local independent bookstore, Epilogue. Though I was primarily a barista, I was lucky enough to have access to the store’s incoming ARCs. I’d frequently handwrite review cards for books in the inventory, so that readers perusing the store could see first-hand recommendations for titles throughout the shelves. My friend Catherine (@phantasmagirlia on book social media; her review cards were infinitely more elegant & aesthetic than everyone else’s) worked at Epilogue as a bookseller, and she’d often arrange displays of our staff recs. Seeing customers purchase books because of my review cards was always a wonderful feeling, because it meant our work was supporting authors as well as promoting reading in the local community.

Many of the cards I wrote are still on the shelves of Epilogue. However, I took a picture each time I finished one, to preserve the review in case the physical card ever went missing. I thought I would finally share them all online, so that they might have the same effect digitally.

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

In this lush historical horror-romance, predatory vampires and U.S. soldiers stalk the residents of the 1840s Mexican chaparral, while two long-lost childhood friends learn to trust each other again. This book combines eerie dread with incisive commentary on imperialism and class-based oppression, but its heart is the tumultuous relationship between the two narrators. Readers looking for Halloween reads with plenty of drama, purpose, and Gothic ambience will enjoy this book!

The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta

I first read this book when I was in high school, soon after it was published, and it’s stuck with me since then—because The Heartbreak Bakery is as sweet and warm as a homemade cinnamon roll. With plenty of baking magic, cute T4T romance, and an emphasis on queer community and relationships of all kinds, this book is perfect if you’re looking for a cozy YA contemporary fantasy. There are even recipes throughout, for all of the delicious baked goods mentioned!

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

In this stunning sequel to a brilliant debut, Bree Matthews finds herself with unique, dangerous magic she can’t control; allies she may not be able to trust; and a court of treacherous Legendborn who refuse to recognize the merit of her power. Every page of this book’s length is earned through its twisty plot, captivating characters, and nonstop emotional resonance. This series is a masterpiece—Deonn expertly weaves themes of generational trauma, grief and healing, and institutional racism into an unforgettable YA epic. I can’t recommend The Legendborn Cycle enough!

Palestine +100 , edited by Basma Ghalayini

This science fiction anthology is compelling, imaginative, and deeply important. Each story is set in the year 2048, a century after the Nakba massacre, envisioning futures both dystopian and hopeful yet flawed. The stories incorporate sci-fi staples like virtual reality, climate apocalypse, and alien visitation in order to explore themes of collective memory, trauma, resistance, and hope in a specifically Palestinian context. They’re thoughtful and kind in how they’re written, but unafraid to depict the horrific realities of colonialist occupation. If you’re looking to learn more history while also supporting Palestinian art, this anthology would be a wonderful book to choose.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

In this clever, half-absurd, and all-horrific novel, an assortment of unmarried, pregnant teenage girls in the 1970s South are abandoned by their families and society and sent to a Home for Unwed Mothers to have—and eventually, inevitably surrender—their babies. To fight back, some turn to their final option at having a say in their fate: witchcraft. This story is deeply empathetic to its protagonist, not shy about exposing the horrors of misogyny. Its wry and campy tone will keep you entertained throughout the whole book. It’s also full of gore and reproductive body horror—not for the faint of heart!

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

When the widow Halla discovers that the sword she’s inherited is magical—in fact, it’s an imposing ancient, timeless soldier named Sarkis—she begins a quest of a kind she never dared to imagine. Swordheart is a cozy fantasy romance that doesn’t neglect worldbuilding. The protagonists’ voices are charming, silly, and unique, without sacrificing any of the story’s tension; if you’ve read Kingfisher before, you can anticipate her signature compelling characterization and clear, humorous prose. The romance between Halla and Sarkis is the heart of the book, and it’s a fun back-and-forth that you’ll enjoy the whole time it unfolds. If you’re looking for a book with plenty of magic, humor, and (of course) swordfighting, Swordheart is for you!

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

This philosophical sci-fi novel is a classic for a reason—many of them, actually. I read it last summer and it changed the way I think about our society forever, for the better. The plot follows Shevek, a brilliant physicist, as he visits the neighboring capitalistic planet as a controversial ambassador, unsanctioned by his people. This story is interspersed with chapters of Shevek’s coming-of-age on the planet Anarres, an impoverished but free anarchist society borne from revolution. This novel asks, what is our purpose as humans if not to act in solidarity and mutual aid? And could we ever be done creating a better world?

Unsex Me Here by Aurora Mattia

This book is phenomenal, in the sense that it’s unlike any other experience I’ve encountered. It’s strikingly beautiful, unapologetically tragic, and exists thoroughly for itself, not any reader’s catharsis. Mattia weaves figures from her own life into stories that blur and break the lines between fiction and nonfiction, fantasy and realism. She bends genre as if it’s clay, as if her typewriter molds opals and faceted diamonds. Each sentence is beautiful and revelatory, their content profoundly intimate. The book ends with a printed interview with Mattia that further discusses her process. Read this collection if you want a book that will change you. It’s an unmissable work of transfeminine literature, and Mattia is a writer of unparalleled skill.

Crocosmia by Miranda Mellis

One day, seven cruel, capitalist heads of state are mysteriously, magically decapitated. In the wake of their deaths, seven skyscraper-tall red flowers bloom, and the world undergoes a Great Turning towards a kinder, reparative, sustainable mode of living. Crocosmia follows Maya, an introverted woman who believes her mother Jane caused the Great Turning. Slowly, thoughtfully, and introspectively, Maya explores her memories of her childhood at an anarchist convent, in college classrooms, and a forest bungalow, before Jane disappeared. It’s a fable about ecological healing, knowledge and epistemology, and whether violence is necessary for social change.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

“Why did she relish the succulent taste of cruelty in her mouth even as it turned her stomach?” 1950s Hollywood is full of as much callousness and racism as glamour and myth-making potential in this novel, which follows two women trying to make names for themselves as actresses in an in-progress Biblical film with the same title. Vera is an artistic, sensitive Mexican immigrant playing the lead role, while volatile, selfish Nancy latches onto her as an object of envy. The story of Princess Salome is woven throughout, and viewed differently by ever character. Passion, ambition, and treachery clash in this languid, tragic, complex historical fiction novel.

The Floating World by Axie Oh

Set in a lush, expansive fantasy world inspired by Korean mythology, this YA novel follows Ren, an acrobat with a secret past, and Sunho, an ex-soldier who barely remembers his own past. After an attack by a mysterious, terrifying demon, Ren embarks on a quest across the country while pursued by mercenaries hired by the powerful Sareniyan Empire—including Sunho. Their friendship quickly becomes the only thing either of them can rely on. The anti-imperial themes are exemplified by the setting—Sareniya literally floats above the Under World, which is cast in perpetual shadow (very similar to Arcane!). If you’re looking for a heartfelt YA fantasy with beautiful worldbuilding, this book would be a great choice!

The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach

This wry, sprawling Indigenous eco-fantasy is great for fans of Gideon the Ninth or Black Sun! This book is endlessly inventive and complex, combining detective mystery with mythology with apocalyptic biopunk body horror. You’ll love the cast of charming, magical characters, their living city, and their ship of queer pirates.

What Wakes The Bells by Elle Tesch

The most striking part of this YA Gothic fantasy is the prose—vivid and elegant, it’s a joy to read. The next most exciting aspect is the worldbuilding. Living cities, eldritch Saints, millennia-long cycles of forgotten mythology; it honestly gave me everything I wanted, in a captivating confluence of genre and aesthetic. Also, there’s well-written demisexual representation! I recommend if you’re looking for a unique YA fantasy novel.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

I am enamored with this book. Through the experiences of the transmasculine protagonist, Silas, White eloquently depicts the rage and despair that accompanies being forced into a social role that doesn’t fit, the joy of being recognized for who you are, while leaving space for the confusion of not always knowing who exactly that is. It isn’t an easy emotional experience, but it’s a very affirming one; plus, there’s a T4T romance I cried over. This Victorian Gothic horror novel crawls inside a patriarchal culture and eviscerates it from within. If you’re looking for an intense but heartfelt YA book with themes of queer liberation (and also ghosts), you won’t regret picking this one up.

Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell

If The Witcher had a cozy, hopeful energy—but exactly the same amount of violence and body horror—and was written in a comedic tone reminiscient of Tamsyn Muir, you might get something like this book. But not quite, because Someone You Can Build A Nest In is unlike anything you’ve ever read. Campy, sweet, and gory, this exploration of cyclical trauma follows Shesheshen, a carnivorous shapeshifting monster, as she falls in love with a human monster hunter named Homily. Their relationship helps her to learn that being a monster and being a good person aren’t mutually exclusive. If you like horror-comedy-fantasy-romance (with asexual representation!) don’t overlook this book.

Thanks for reading this list! I hope you’re inspired to pick up a new book. If you’ve read any of these, or have any recommendations for me to read next, feel free to comment with your own thoughts. In the meantime, you can subscribe to my newsletter to receive more reviews, conversations about publishing, and updates on my writing career.