When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had … Continue reading The Poppy War →
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Lost Stars and Bloodline comes a thrilling sci-fi adventure that Kass Morgan, bestselling author of The 100 series, calls “startlingly original and achingly romantic…nothing short of masterful.” She’s a soldier — Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel. He’s a machine — Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel’s advanced programming has begun … Continue reading Defy the Stars →
Trained since childhood in advanced biocyph seed technology by the all-powerful Crib empire, Edie’s mission is to terraform alien worlds while her masters bleed the outlawed Fringe populations dry. When renegade mercenaries kidnap Edie, she’s not entirely sure it’s a bad thing . . . until they leash her to a bodyguard, Finn—a former freedom fighter-turned-slave, beaten down but never broken. If Edie strays from Finn’s side, he dies. If she doesn’t cooperate, the pirates … Continue reading Song of Scarabaeus →
A former ocean scientist goes in pursuit of the slippery story of jellyfish, rediscovering her passion for marine science and the sea’s imperiled ecosystems. Jellyfish are an enigma. They have no centralized brain, but they see and feel and react to their environment in complex ways. They look simple, yet their propulsion systems are so advanced engineers are just learning how to mimic them. They produce some of the deadliest toxins on the planet and … Continue reading Spineless →
This is a difficult book to grade. I finished it because I wanted to see what happened. At the same time, I was easily distracted while reading because I got bored being told everything. I was curious about the rules of the magic and the roles of difference characters, but I was also really uneasy and at times repulsed by the portrayal of those characters. Some existed without connection to context or larger meaning, even … Continue reading Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge →
If the weather is turning colder where you are, and you’re thinking warm beverages and needlework sound like a perfect afternoon, come on over and sit with me. I have a round up of some adorable bookish and fall themed cross stitch patterns for us! Let’s start with autumn because cross stitch pattern creators are hilarious. At This Point, My Blood Type is Pumpkin Spice, LeXStitchDesigns, $4 PDF download The same store also has this … Continue reading Pumpkin Spice and Needles: Bookish Autumn Cross Stitch Patterns →
Hi there! You know what you need? Some Cover Snark! As always, please don’t read while drinking your morning coffee or inhaling a croissant. From She-Kilian: “What the hell is going on? Is this some new medical treatment? Or some new weight-loss technique to burn off the love handles? Where is that fire coming from?” Redheadedgirl: Isn’t that much definition on the abs a sign of dehydration? Sarah: When the burning, itching, and soreness flare … Continue reading Cover Snark: Fungus Friends →
This guest review from S.M. Lundberg is a perfect tie in to our recent guest rant on academic heroine, as the heroine works in a STEM field! S.M.’s a recovering journalist turned tech support and hobby writer. She got started with romance novels as a teenager, sneaking paperbacks in and out of her mom’s closet (sorry, Mom). Now she proudly reads romance novels while enjoying a happily ever after with her husband and four kids (she … Continue reading Guest Review: Remedial Rocket Science by Susanna Nix →
We may long for wholeness, suggests Jon Kabat-Zinn, but the truth is that it is already here and already ours. The practice of mindfulness holds the possibility of not just a fleeting sense of contentment, but a true embracing of a deeper unity that envelops and permeates our lives. With Mindfulness for Beginners you are invited to learn how to transform your relationship to the way you think, feel, love, work, and play-and thereby awaken … Continue reading Mindfulness for Beginners →
No Mistress of Mine is the fourth book in the An American Heiress in London series and is second-chance-at-love catnip with competence porn sprinkles on top. It isn’t necessary to read the other books in the series in order to follow and enjoy this one. And, unusually, this book takes place in 1892 – shout-out to late Victorian industry! Our stars, Denys (a British lord) and Lola (an American cancan/music hall star) have quite the … Continue reading No Mistress of Mine by Laura Lee Guhrke →
I’ve been using a new social media campaign tool called MissingLettr, and currently they are running a deal where new subscribers get six months for the price of one. There are three price tiers, and I’ll get to the particulars in a moment. NB: the links in this post are affiliate coded, which means if you choose to subscribe, I will receive a percentage at no extra cost to you. That said, I’d recommend MissingLettr … Continue reading MissingLettr Social Media Campaigns: 6 Months for the Price of 1 →
