Cultish

 

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell, 310 pages

When he was a young man, Amanda Montell's father escaped from a cult. Growing up hearing his stories instilled in her an above average interest in cults, an interest she channeled into research on what makes a cult, where they draw their power, and what kinds of things unite them. What she found at the key to manufacturing the kind of intense communities and us-vs-them attitudes common in cults is language. She explores not only the kinds of huge and dangerous cults people think of when they hear the word (Jonestown, Heaven's Gate, Scientology, etc), but also the much more normalized organizations that use the exact same tricks of language (MLM schemes, "cult" fitness studies, Instagram spiritualists), giving a very clear picture of how exactly these linguistic traps work, and making it very obvious how easily anyone could fall into a cultish situation. 

I found this book insightful, thoroughly researched, and well-presented. I noted a few times when I was listening that some of the things she describes are also true of literally any close community, but Montell herself is also good at noticing such things and approaching them with nuance. The book is funny and consumable, while still treating serious tragedies with a sense of gravity and respect. I consider myself thoroughly impressed. 

 

Maus I

 

Maus: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman, 159 pages.

I read Spiegelman's famous graphic novel for the first time recently, and despite hearing plenty about it still found myself described. The comic weaves together his father's experiences during the holocaust with their troubled relationship in the present day, in a way that make both feel eminently personal. Spiegelman doesn't shy away from anyone's flaws, nor does he shy away from the multitude of small, everyday horrors of the holocaust. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this modern classic, and will definitely pick up the second half of the story soon.

Your Song Changed My Life: From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It By Bob Boilen

Your Song Changed My Life: From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It

, 288 pages

The author, a music journalist for NPR, interviews various musicians about how they got interested in music and found their respective styles. I give it an emphatic “meh”. It felt like reading a podcast, and I’m curious why the author created it in this format. It might have been more interesting if the artists included had appealed to a wider range of audiences, and hadn’t been so NPR-coded.

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel, 320 pages

This is nonfiction, a combination of textile history and journalism(ish) regarding how textiles are changing in the present day. The author selects advances in chemistry, commerce, mathematics, and engineering that were driven by economic demand for better textiles. For instance, much of the math that would one day be applied to computer science began as patterns for weaving, and the consumer desire for bright colors that wouldn’t fade with washing led to advances in ancient chemistry.

This was a fun audiobook! It was episodic and the right balance of light-hearted and interesting, which made it ideal for listening while doing chores, etc. I recommend if you’re casually interested in textiles, or enjoy reading Popular Science or Popular Mechanics.

The Undressed Art: Why We Draw by Peter Steinhart

The Undressed Art: Why We Draw by Peter Steinhart, 272 pages

A patron recommended this collection of essays to me a while back. These are reflective musings on how drawing makes us feel, what it does to our brains, and the experiences of people who draw and are drawn.

I give TUA:WWD an emphatic “Sure it’s pretty good, check it out if that’s the kind of thing you like”. I found the most interesting bit to be about how the business of modelling for artists has changed over the years.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (2011), 512 pages

I started this book many years ago and had a hard time getting into it. Mostly because the first long bit was not particularly revelatory and information I was already familiar with. For reasons unknown (as I was absent that meeting), my book club chose this book for October. So, I have now officially read the whole thing. This book is paradoxically both brief and expansive. You really can't sum up all of humankind in 500 pages, but the author does give you a lot to think about and makes interesting connections on how Sapiens went from foragers to empire builders. It is a fascinating read as it touches upon Sapiens' ability to imagine, develop religion, explore, innovate and potentially self-destruct. I would be curious (and maybe Harari has already written about this) about the author's thoughts in today's current clients. I know he has written a second book and perhaps I will read it, but that came out in 2015 and a lot has already changed. 

Main Characters

 

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer, 398 pages

A story of two people falling in love and their trials of life, but told from perspectives of everyone but the main characters. A barista, a downstairs neighbor, a best friend, a mother… the list goes on. 

This story was great, and the writing was so unique as you never got to read Clara or Seb’s thoughts, making all accounts of their relationship honest and blunt. I really have never read a book like this. It was difficult to support many of the main characters decisions, and as the book went on some parts felt too drawn out and I got tired of their choices by the end. Despite this, the writing was great and other relationships built in the story were beautiful to follow in addition to the main characters relationship. 

The Devil Three Times

 

The Devil Three Times by Ricky Fayne, 416 pages.

When the devil gets to feeling homesick, he asks his brother Jesus to put in a good word for him with their father. Jesus says he's willing to help him out if the devil will help him by putting his efforts to stopping the horror of slavery. So off the devil goes to a slave ship coming over from Africa, where he finds a woman stolen from her home with only the ghost of her dead sister to talk to. Through the generations the devil will go to her and her descendants in their time of need, long after slavery ends (although that does not save them from the racism of a former plantation town in West Tennessee), each generation with unique problems that often too unlike that of their forebears. 

Despite how that summery sounds, this book was a lot more historical fiction than magical realism. It is difficult to summarize, because there are so many characters in this book doing so many unrelated things, with most of the through-line being that they are all family, but I found the historical writing very solid throughout, and it kept me engaged. The synopsis mentions that this book draws on the spiritual traditions and oral history of the Black diaspora; so I picked up the audiobook, and I think it made the experience of reading this even stronger. I definitely recommend it. 

Roots of Madness

Roots of Madness by Stephanie Williams with art by Letizia Cadonici (2026) 144 pages

I am still reading, but I have been struggling to find time to write for the blog here. Roots of Madness is a brand new book that I read in just a couple days, and I had to share my excitement. The synopsis of this book with supernatural horror mixed with  a historical setting inspired by the life of Madam CJ Walker intrigued me. I met the author Stephanie Williams at a recent comic con and have been waiting for this trade paperback collecting the six comic issues into a single book. This year, Williams was nominated for an Eisner Award for writing this and other comics. 

Black generational knowledge about natural medicines have been passed down to character Etta Knight. She grows to love botany and chemistry. Like Frankenstein, she is full of ambition and wants to push the bounds of science despite many people warning her to be cautious. A mysterious Meridian Fellowship offers resources and opportunities to advance her knowledge. "Some knowledge takes time to carry," but Etta feels she is ready. A special plant with healing properties seems to hold a lot of promising applications. Little does she know there is an alien hivemind at work trying to control the situation. I love the art throughout this graphic novel. Many characters' eyes are penetrating in various colors. And the alien tendrils have such a creepiness.

How To Seal Your Own Fate

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (2025) 309 pages

Like the first book in the Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series, How to Solve Your Own Murder, this book alternates between the past (1960s) and the present day. In the first book, Annie solved the murder of her mother's aunt Frances, a woman Annie never met, and was bequeathed the estate that Frances and her husband had lived on, Gravesdown Hall.

Annie is now trying to figure out how to fit into the village better, and is approached by Peony Lane, an old woman who had given Frances a fateful fortune years ago. When Peony Lane is later found murdered in Gravesdown Hall, Annie and her friend from London try to solve this case too. Meanwhile, Annie is learning from Frances's diaries about another murder that happened in the past, one which has some connections to the present.

The characterizations are mostly good, although a few are a bit stereotypical. Also, the wrap-up of the murder was a bit too drawn out for my taste. 

There is another book in this series now and I'm a bit torn whether to read it. However, some ureconciled tidbits in Annie's life are tempting me, so it'll probably happen eventually.