The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

June 20, 2025

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

At the edge of Chicago, there is a Station with a lighthouse that guides the dead to the afterlife. Nera is the daughter and apprentice of Harosen, the ferryman who takes souls across Lake Michigan to the Veil, the entrance to the afterlife. Their dogs guide the souls to the Station and stay with them as they cross over, but some souls don’t want to leave the station, choosing to wait for a loved one. Others fear even beginning the journey, becoming wandering Haunts. When a living woman named Charlie is somehow able to cross the portal to the Station looking for her dead sister, Nera is forced to confront how little she knows about the Station, the city, and her own life.

Let me start by saying, the dogs are the best part! I really wanted to like this more than I did. The first half went quickly, but the second part dragged. Charlie is looking for her dead sister but it takes forever for her to actually get started, and then she gets her answer in one sentence. The waystation is wonderfully creative, as are the dogs and the souls waiting for loved ones. Marketed as a queer fantasy about love and grief, which I think is a fair description. Fans of TJ Klune’s Under the Whispering Door may enjoy it, but I found this to be far darker. Klune’s novel is much sweeter and warmer. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The pumping station out in Lake Michigan - I wonder if this gave the author for the idea of a gateway to the afterlife out in the middle of the lake

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

May 24, 2024

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Wallace Price is having a really bad day. When he dies suddenly and pops into his own funeral, he starts to realize what others really thought of him. Worse yet, there is a Reaper waiting to herd him to the afterlife. Wallace realizes that he was so focused on growing his law firm and being ruthless, that he never really lived life.

This title was one of my choices for Pride Month. I love TJ Klune's previous novel The House in the Cerulean Sea, and while this one isn't quite that good, it's still pretty damned good. Considering the subject is death, it balances the ultimate heavy topic with humor, kindness, and wonderful characters, including a charming dog named Apollo. In the acknowledgments, the author notes that this was a very personal book for him to write (yes, I do read the acknowledgments at the end of every book, and you should, too). Take a good look at the fantastic cover, also keep some tissues handy. Recommended for readers who enjoy fantasy with a whimsical slant.

The Seven Moon of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

December 1, 2022

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

Maali Almeida (photographer, gambling addict, promiscuous gay man) wakes up in what appears to be a government office, to find out that he is dead and his dismembered body has been thrown in Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). He has no idea who killed him (although he has an idea why), and he learns that he has seven days (moons) to get any answers to his questions, including contacting his lover and his best friend about some explosive photos that he took.

Winner of the 2022 Man Booker Prize and deservedly so. There are threads of folklore as well as hints of books like Lincoln in the Bardo (George Saunders), A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry), and Elsewhere (Gabrielle Zevin). You also learn a lot about Sri Lankan politics and the civil war along the way. BTW, I knew who the King and Queen were long before the characters realized. Highly recommended, although not for everyone since the style is somewhat experimental.

Colombo, Sri Lanka, capitol city of Sri Lanka

Beira Lake, which figures prominently in the novel

Soldier in Sri Lankan civil war