One of my favorite podcasts, The Incomparable, recently covered this book, describing it as a crazy mix of genres and ideas that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.

That convinced me to give the book a try, and that description holds up. There’s a woman who’s sold her soul to a demon; a family of extraterrestrial refugees running a donut shop; a trans girl escaping from abuse; love for video game music; a deep respect for food, classical music, and violin construction; and so much that doesn’t seem to all fit in the same story but does anyway.

I appreciated how queer the book is, how it celebrates human tradition and culture, and how clever and careful it is with its story.

• Light from Uncommon Stars
• Ryka Aoki
• The Incomparable
• LGBTQ