Picked this collection of short stories and poems up from recognizing the story "Jackalope Wives" which I read in a different anthology years ago and loved. It's a solid collection of stories and I was really happy to find out that Kingfisher decided to revisit Grandma Harken in "The Tomato Thief". I love the mythology that she has built out with the magical spirits and presences that inhabit the desert. The train gods were a really neat concept that I enjoyed quite a bit. Kingfisher has a way with her stories of writing in a style that feels like one of the characters in said story is recounting the story to someone else. They feel conversational and casual in a way that I am quite jealous of, honestly. Other notable favorites include "Wooden Feathers", "Bird Bones", "Razorback", and "Let Pass The Horses Black" Lots of stories that focus on birds, fae spirits, nature, and older women getting stuff done. If any of that sounds interesting to you, I think it's worth checking out.
- Michael Miele