Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh is a gorgeous novella that feels somewhere between fairy tale and myth, only it’s the kind of myth that is probably true. One comes away from reading it with the feeling that yes, this is what happens in the woods, and also feeling both eager and afraid to go for a walk in the woods and perhaps lose oneself there. It’s very hard to say much about the … Continue reading Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
In Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the heroine is mesmerized by the scandalous gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho. Readers, I read that novel. My paperback Oxford World’s Classics edition (1998) of The Mysteries of Udolpho is 679 pages long, not counting introduction and notes. That’s a lot of mysteries. I read this so you don’t have to. SPOILERS AHEAD. The Mysteries of Udolpho was a huge hit for author Ann Radcliffe when it first came out in … Continue reading The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Cranky Ladies of History is an anthology of short fiction about real historical women who were angry and did things with that anger. Some of these things were spectacular, and some were just spectacularly appalling (looking at you, Erszebet Báthory) (but not looking too closely, because I really don’t want to provoke you), but it makes for a fascinating anthology theme, tailor-made for fans of Carrie’s ‘Kickass Women in History’ series. In the introduction, Tansy … Continue reading Cranky Ladies of History edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts and Tehani Croft Wessely
Note: This review contains minimal spoilers for the first book A Spark of White Fire. The YA SFF trilogy must be read in order. If this review piques your interest, then I recommend that you start with the previous book. If someone asked me what the happiest event of my life has been up to this point, I’d point to the moment when my parents decided to leave Asia and relocate our family to the … Continue reading A House of Rage and Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna
CW/TW: Sexual harassment Some of you know that I’ve been doing guest reviews here at SBTB for a couple of years. So when it came time to choose a book for my first review as an official part of the team, I knew it had to be this one. It’s my favourite book of all time and to read it is to know me, so what better way to introduce myself? Jill “Friday” Fryman is … Continue reading Hoosier Daddy by Ann McMan & Salem West
This guest review is from Lisa the Librarian: Yes, I’m a librarian, and yes, being surrounded by books all day long is great. But it’s not “I-can-just-read-all-day” great as many people seem to assume. Oh, how I wish that were a thing! I would spend my days reading Regencies, funny contemporaries, cowboy romances, and all the other beautiful books I see every day. My favorite authors include Loretta Chase, Tessa Dare, Kristan Higgins, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, … Continue reading Guest Review: Squee Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Look for something new to watch on Netflix? Yes? Then read this squee from Darbi Bradley! You can find Darbi on Twitter (@darbibradley). She is a romance reader from Toronto, Canada currently living in Washington, DC. She hasn’t thought about moving home since November 2016. Not once… … Right at this moment, I’m on my couch in my pjs. It’s a rainy Friday night, and I’m about three-quarters of the way through a deeply mediocre … Continue reading Guest Squee: Someone Great
My Boyfriend is a Bear is a graphic novel about a woman whose boyfriend is a bear. Not a shifter, but rather an actual, non-metaphorical bear. They meet when the narrator, Nora, goes on a camping trip with a soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend who berates her for bringing fashion magazines with her (he thinks she should read “London or Kerouac”). Nora marches off to the woods and buries her magazines. She goes home to LA, dumps the boyfriend, … Continue reading My Boyfriend is a Bear by Pamela Ribon and Cat Farris
NB: We have a suspicion that many of the Bitchery are Buffy fans, which means this squee is in good company. This review from Crystal Anne With An E was originally graded “A with Extra Squee Because Buffy,” but we felt bumping up up to a full on squee was fair. Crystal reads a lot, cross-stitches, and is an autism consultant by day and goes to library school by night. She is a Hufflepuff. … … Continue reading Guest Squee: Slayer by Kiersten White
I know I’m late to the party (again) but I finally read the first volume of Rainbow Rowell’s Runaways comic book series and I have to share the Squee! Volume #1: Find Your Way Home collects Issues #1-6 of Rowell’s run. I loved this comic when it first originated with Brian K. Vaughan as the writer. I followed his stories and the subsequent Joss Whedon run but stopped after the Whedon run concluded. I’m overjoyed that Rainbow … Continue reading Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell and Kria Anka
Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein is an erotic romance with a Gothic twist, and it is pure unadulterated Elyse-bait. Please prepare for Squee. We have Squee inbound, so take cover and bring snacks. We might be here awhile. We have a recluse hero with an unbearably sexy voice and impressive lexicon, we have a Gothic mansion, and we have lots of sexy times that turn into something poignant. More than that, we have a Dom … Continue reading Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein
