I never thought I’d recommend a book because the hero grudgingly performs eulogies at doll funerals, but here we are. My life is weird sometimes. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare is so absolutely delightful that this review will consist almost entirely of squee. It will be laden with GIFs. I am basically incapable of talking about this book without my voice getting really high and squeaky. It’s like when I talk about puppies. That’s … Continue reading The Governess Game by Tessa Dare →
I first heard about Kiss the Sky at RT where the author described it as the story of two people falling in love while climbing (and surviving) K2. I’m pretty sure Amanda tweeted a photo of me one-click buying it right there. I love disaster/survival stories, especially stories set in extreme locations. I’ve read a lot of non-fiction about K2 and Everest (which is now unfortunately a literal poo disaster). I’m fascinated with the Dyatlov Pass … Continue reading Kiss the Sky by MK Schiller →
There’s such a wonderful feeling in discovering a new author that works for you and realizing they have this whole backlist to dive into. It’s like when you treat yourself to a fancy coffee on a frigid day and the first blast of heat and caffeine and sugar hits you, and you’re just warm and happy. That happened to me this weekend with Sarah Maine. I picked up Women of the Dunes because it featured an … Continue reading Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine →
I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut, so I decided that I should try something completely different to break my cycle of ennui. It worked. First off, Contagion isn’t a romance (as you can probably tell from the cover). It’s a YA SciFi/Horror novel about a ragtag team sent to investigate a distress call from a drill site on a remote planet. If you’re like, “Oh hey, I’ve seen this movie. I know how … Continue reading Contagion by Erin Bowman →
Finally, finally after weeks of cheesy dates and toxic male behavior (and one interaction with Wayne Newton that was super confusing and distressing), we are at the end of Becca’s “journey.” That’s right. Tonight is The Bachelorette season finale. And it’s three hours long. That’s right. Three. Fucking. Hours. FML. I don’t even know how they’re going to fill three hours. We’re down to two dudes, Blake and Garrett, and honestly they’re so alike that Becca could … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette – Episode 11: FML →
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs was getting a lot of love on Twitter and Instagram, and I can understand why. This paleontological history is told with warmth and humor; it’s eminently readable, never dry, and full of fascinating information. Brusatte, a paleontologist, answers questions like: how did sauropods get so big?; what kind of parents were dinosaurs?; and how smart was a T Rex? This is the type of book that works well … Continue reading The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte →
Siren’s Tide is the first book in the Sea King’s Daughter novella series that follows six mermaid sisters. I thought the novella was a little rushed and uneven, and while it sets up the world for the remaining five books, it didn’t do a great job of capturing my imagination. Ianthe Liakos is a mermaid and paranormal investigator (she looks human when she’s not in the water). She’s working in DC with her assistant/friend the … Continue reading Siren’s Tide by Philippa Ballantine →
I tend to have very girdy loins when it comes to dark and twisted fiction, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that The Forgotten Girls was a little too disturbing for me.TW/CW: discussions of sexual abuse and rape. The seventh book in the Louise Rick series can be read as a stand alone and centers around a Danish investigator (Louise Rick) who heads up a Missing Persons Deptartment. When the body of a woman is … Continue reading The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel →
Bed of Flowers is a historical that has a lot of things going for it: it’s got a loveably grumpy hero, it depicts female friendships, and it features secondary characters of color. I appreciated all of those elements, and I liked the vaguely gothic feel it had. I really, really enjoyed this book, but I have to admit the ending was a little weak. That said, I was willing to overlook it because my experience … Continue reading Bed of Flowers by Erin Satie →
For the first three-quarters of the book, Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber was the gentle, reassuring romance I needed. Near the end I struggled with the treatment of a secondary character who suffers from mental health issues enough that it soured the book a bit for me. It still enjoyed it, but that short section frustrated me enough that it disrupted the overall romance. The book opens after tragedy strikes. Annie Marlow, a physician’s … Continue reading Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber →
Happy Monday! It’s the night when I watch The Bachelorette so you don’t have to. I could be watching shark week and learning cool facts (sharks have two penises; they’re called claspers), but I’m not. I’m here. Watching Fantasy Suites night. After much rum, repeated tests of my fortitude and several “WTF” gifs, we are finally on the homestretch here. We’re down to three dudes and tonight is the night where (I’m not making this … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette – Episode 9: Bang Bang Rooms →
