The nitty-gritty: This story had some wonderfully magical elements and compelling characters, but as a whole it didn’t quite work for me. “You were a mermaid, weren’t you? That’s what Nadya said.” “I still am,” said Cora. “I just have my scales under my skin for now.” It pains me to admit that I didn’t […]
Before I begin my real review, I’m going to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And that is, I want to compile all the “notes” I took on my Kindle while reading this book. Together, they form a sort-of review, an overall impression of this very strange story. So forgive me […]
The nitty-gritty: A short but thought-provoking and dark retelling of the story of Moses. Many of you are familiar with Serial Box, the company that has put serial storytelling back on the map, with recent stories like Bookburners, Tremontaine and The Witch Who Came in from the Cold. They offer short weekly “episodes” written by […]
The nitty-gritty: A beautifully written and conceived tale of rival magicians, but with too many characters and ideas, it just seemed too big for a single volume. I have to admit it was my husband who “got” the title of this book. He took one look at the cover and said, “An Unkindness of Magicians. […]
The nitty-gritty: A compulsively readable tale about the hidden lives of one married couple. Best Day Ever was just what I needed. I’ve been surviving on a steady diet of science fiction and fantasy for the last six years, so it was a nice change of pace to read a contemporary thriller for a change. […]
The nitty-gritty: A modern-day supernatural mystery cloaked in Victorian garb, with monsters. When I first saw the cover of Strange Practice, I knew it was going to be different from other books I’ve read. This is exactly the kind of cover that grabs my attention: quirky, brightly colored, and there is obviously an interesting story […]
The nitty-gritty: A visceral and bloody tale of a power struggle between two vampires. On the train, in the tunnels, it is quiet. Nearly last train. Everyone is detritus. As is she. She closes her eyes and floats. Her hands are getting colder. Her heart feels weak. Her wrist aches. Throbs. Insistently. She goes to […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced adventure in space with some cool world-building ideas, but with too much of an emphasis on the romance, it lost me in the second half. Color me conflicted. I read lots of enthusiastic reviews of Shadow Run before I dove in, and based on its high ratings on Goodreads, I was […]
The nitty-gritty: Not my favorite of the books so far, but still a very funny and imaginative installment in the Sin du Jour series. At some point I thought maybe Matt Wallace’s series would start to feel “been there, done that,” but thankfully, he seems to have an unlimited supply of humorous fodder up his sleeves, […]
The nitty-gritty: More Alice in Wonderland than The Night Circus, Garber’s debut is full of atmosphere and magic, but left me confused and scratching my head as well. I was so excited when I won a copy of Caraval from Goodreads, and I was even more excited when I got my act together and read […]