Bookish Thoughts

I read Silvia Moreno-Garcia's first book, Signal to Noise , years ago and loved it. She's been releasing new books steadily since then, with a slowly growing profile. I kept meaning to pick up another of her books, which are always interesting Mexican twists on western classics. Then Mexican Gothic came out to huge acclaim and everyone everywhere was excited about it. I actually got a bit lucky, getting it as early as I did. After my husband passed, a friend signed me up for The Bloggess's book club. She sends out a new book every month, and I was just under the wire to receive this one. It was a wonderful surprise in a not-so-great year. This book was fantastic. So good that I ended up staying up way too late to finish it. It was smart and creepy and it renewed my desire to read everything Moreno-Garcia has ever written. She's a fantastic author who keeps getting better, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Signal to Noise  is probably the closest I'm ever going to get to a musical in book form. (Well, until ebook technology and creativity mesh in exciting new ways that have to happen sooner or later). The story is about Meche, who is obsessed with music and, thanks to her DJ father, has a deep knowledge of a number of genres. She plays music constantly, flipping around to find a song that matches her mood. I knew most of the songs she referenced well enough to hear them in my head. More than once, I put the book down long enough to pull up the appropriate song on youtube so it could be the background for the scene I was reading. It made the whole experience much richer. The story is split into two timelines. In 1988, Meche is a high schooler in Mexico City, hanging out with her fellow misfit friends and discovering the magic of music. And I mean literal magic. When they find the right record, they can make things happen, punishing their enemies, healing their friends, and coming ac...