TL;DR: The new Murderbot book, System Collapse, is very, very good and if you were a fan of the other books in the series you’ll likely enjoy this one just as much. A small piece of framework for this review to better understand the praise that is about to erupt: I have been having a lot of trouble reading text. This has been happening intermittently for a few months now, but has been much more … Continue reading System Collapse by Martha Wells
This is my first Katee Robert book and it won’t be my last. I’m already desperate for the next in the series! Evelyn is a witch with a penchant for theft. Raised by Bunny, her grandmother, she learnt a very particular worldview and the morals that go with it. Those morals include allowing theft if someone is rich, or rude, or has just hurt your feelings, which Lizzie, her situationship, just did. Evelyn spends the … Continue reading Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert
With the exception of Laura Griffin and Rachel Reid, I don’t really do multiple reviews for an author. Well, I need to add a third name to that list: Alice Coldbreath. I reviewed Wed by Proxy as it scratched an itch that I didn’t know could be scratched. I have now worked my way through most of the Brides of Karadok series and despite loving every single book (they’re all so unique in their premises … Continue reading An Inconvenient Vow by Alice Coldbreath
A Haunting on the Hill is a horror novel set in the same mansion as Shirley Jackson’s classic The Haunting of Hill House. There are brief references to the events in Jackson’s novel and a snippet of her dialogue, but those were the only things connecting the two books. For me, this was an excellent, creepy book that worked well as a standalone, but I think people especially nostalgic for The Haunting of Hill House … Continue reading A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
My Goodness, what have I become? There was a time when I was positively oozing the milk of human kindness. I was so full of empathy that I couldn’t bear to read about a character losing so much as a drop of blood. And yet, somehow, I’ve turned into a person who reacts to a scene of a character’s face being scoured off by tentacles with teeth by chirping, “Oooh! Carnage!” If this is relatable … Continue reading The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
I said in Whatcha Reading about reading Lavender’s Blue, “In some ways my brain feels like I am putting on clothing from two jobs ago that fit but feel strange and familiar at the same time.” Now that I’ve finished it and sat with my thoughts and tried (several times) to write out a longer impression, I agree with my earlier assessment that it is both strange and familiar, but disagree with the idea that … Continue reading Lavender’s Blue by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
If you are even remotely on bookish social media, then you are aware of Fourth Wing. It’s been much-hyped and sold out and everywhere I look online there are rave reviews for this YA-fantasy-romance. I am not here to yuck anyone’s yum. If you read Fourth Wing and you loved it, I am totally happy for you. I want people to love what they read. This was not a book that worked for me, though, … Continue reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
The Bookshop and the Barbarian is a sweet, funny fantasy/romance story. It’s advertised as “cozy” and it is. It’s pure comfort and whimsy with a happy ending for all. Even the villain has a cozy side. So, if you like cozy stories then curl yourself up with a cup of tea and enjoy. If not, feel free to take a drink every time I type the word “cozy.” Maribella Waters rides into the town of … Continue reading The Bookshop and the Barbarian by Morgan Stang
CW: Homophobia Blackward is a graphic novel that snuck up on me. I was excited to read a story about a group of Black, queer friends and was thrilled to end up with that, plus a beautiful message about how you can’t build a community without help. Eight years prior to the main story, Lika, Amor, Tony, and Lala met at a reading camp at their local community center. Today, they still hang out at … Continue reading Blackward by Lawrence Lindell
I’m generally a fan of Rachel Harrison’s horror novels. They tend to offer up commentary on things like toxic friendships, trauma, and complicated family dynamics in this darkly comedic, hyperbolic package. When I heard this blended the prodigal daughter of a cult with the catharsis of rebuilding after escaping a narcissistic mother, it jumped to the top of my TBR pile. Unfortunately, it loses some momentum at the halfway point. While I could have used … Continue reading Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
Do not fear the page length of The Good Ally, which, in paperback form, is enormous. The book has a generous font size, it’s easy to read in terms of language, and the author, Nova Reid, is firm but empathetic in her approach to those of us who want to be actively and effectively anti-racist but may find ourselves sidelined by ignorance, fear, shame, and our own internalized White supremacy. Even if you’ve done a … Continue reading The Good Ally by Nova Reid
