The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Engadget’s weekend reading roundup by Cheyenne MacDonald, published August 31, 2024, recommends three picks: Kailee Pedersen’s novel Sacrificial Animals, Iris Gottlieb’s illustrated nonfiction book Trash Talk, and the Image Comics series Convert. Two of them are fiction with a strong sense of place and mood, and the third is an explanatory book about garbage. Here is what each one offers, who each will suit, and what the 2024 article does and does not tell you about them.
The three recommendations
Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen
This is the roundup’s lead pick, and it is rural, slow-burn horror. Brothers Nick and Joshua Morrow return to their family’s Nebraska farm after years away from their abusive father. Old family trauma resurfaces as supernatural forces take root on the land. The novel moves between “Then” and “Now”: the brothers’ childhood under a violent, racist father, and their return after learning he is dying.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Time's Convert: A Novel | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
The Last Convert: A Novel | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Convert: A Novel | $14.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Convert | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Last Convert of John Harper | $3.99 | Buy on Amazon |
MacDonald says the book weaves in Chinese mythology and builds a folkloric feel through flowery language, the absence of quotation marks, and brutality. The article also warns readers who want to avoid spoilers to skip the book’s blurb.
Who it suits: readers drawn to rural horror, fraught family histories, and supernatural stories rooted in myth. Set expectations: family abuse and violence are central to the story, not background detail.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
Trash Talk: An Eye-Opening Exploration of Our Planet’s Dirtiest Problem by Iris Gottlieb
The roundup’s nonfiction selection is an illustrated introduction to global trash production and management. It covers what happens to garbage after it is thrown away, which makes it a different kind of read from the two fiction picks. It is a good fit for someone who wants a visual, explanatory book about waste systems rather than a story.
Convert by John Arcudi and Savannah Finley
Convert is a new science-fiction and fantasy series from Image Comics, and the article discusses issue #1. John Arcudi is credited as writer, Savannah Finley as artist, Miguel Co as colorist, and Michael Heisler as letterer. The story follows science officer Orrin Kutela, stranded on a distant planet, starving, and haunted by his dead crew, who makes an astonishing discovery there.
Rank #2
MacDonald dwells on the alien vegetation and compares the atmosphere to Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach / Area X books, while noting that the comic goes its own way. That comparison is the reviewer’s framing, not a claim of any connection between the works.
Who it suits: readers who want a visually led survival story on a strange alien world. Because it is a serialized comic, the picture of the story builds across issues.
Rank #3
How the picks compare
| Pick | Creator(s) | Format | Mood and subject | Price and reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacrificial Animals | Kailee Pedersen | Novel | Rural, slow-burn horror; family abuse; Chinese mythology | Not stated in the 2024 article |
| Trash Talk | Iris Gottlieb | Illustrated nonfiction book | Explanatory; global trash production, management, and disposal | Not stated in the 2024 article |
| Convert (issue #1) | John Arcudi (writer), Savannah Finley (art), Miguel Co (colors), Michael Heisler (lettering) | Serialized comic from Image Comics | Science fiction and fantasy; stranded survivor; alien planet | Not stated in the 2024 article |
Which one to pick
- Choose Sacrificial Animals if you want a longer, immersive read with dark family drama and myth-inflected horror.
- Choose Convert if you prefer shorter, visual installments and a survival story set on an alien world.
- Choose Trash Talk if your interest is factual and you want an illustrated introduction to waste and what happens to it after disposal.
Timing and availability
The article is dated August 31, 2024, and its recommendations describe the books and comics as they were then. The article also mentions that issue #2 of Convert was due on September 25. That is a 2024 date. It does not show the current publication status of the series, and it is not a schedule for later issues.
The 2024 article gives no current prices, reading times, edition formats, or retail availability for any of the three picks. Check current listings from the publisher or a retailer before buying, since editions and stock can change after the article’s date.
Rank #4
- Launch Date: 3-5-25
The article also says Engadget may earn a commission on purchases made through its links. Nothing in the piece changes the content of these descriptions.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
