The nitty-gritty: Truth and fiction blur together in Catriona’s Ward’s latest, a complex tale about death, love and stories. “Friends can break your heart, it seems, just like love.” I never know what to expect from a new Catriona Ward book, other than it’s sure to be complex and different, and Looking Glass Sound is […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark, twisty tale about pregnancy, with horrors both real and imagined, Delicate Condition should be on every thriller fan’s TBR. “My favorite superstition is the one that says more women deliver during a full moon than at any other time of the month. Transforming into mothers instead of wolves. Howling like wild […]
The nitty-gritty: Folk magic and relatable characters are front and center in Willa Reece’s latest Morgan’s Gap story. “Community was like wildwood magic, a precious gossamer thing, light and fleeting, which could easily slip from your grasp.” Wildwood Magic is set in the same small rural town of Morgan’s Gap, Virginia that Wildwood Whispers was […]
The nitty-gritty: Sweet, emotional and at times heartbreaking, Thornhedge is a perfect, feel-good fairy tale. “You could not hate a child—only a monster would hate a child—but the child was a monster in the shape of a child, an elfin creature whose power was only contained by her youth and her unfamiliarity with the world.” […]
The nitty-gritty: With colorful characters and an intriguing setting, What Never Happened is a fun mystery with some great twists. Rachel Howzell Hall is a new author for me, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read her latest book. This was a fun, boisterous, guilty pleasure of a story. It’s not perfect, […]
The nitty-gritty: Dreamy, evocative writing and emotional themes make this an intriguing tale, but I didn’t enjoy the ending at all. “There are two kinds of family,” his father says. “The kind you share genes with, and the kind you welcome into your heart.” Please note, spoilers about the dog ahead. I’m so sad that […]
The nitty-gritty: Chuck Tingle tackles some big themes in his latest, a fun, entertaining and heartfelt story about being yourself. “This is my parents’ worst nightmare,” I announce, gazing at the living room ceiling with a pillow behind my head. “Their gay daughter and her lesbian girlfriend in a spooky old farmhouse doing drugs with […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of fascinating history, slow build suspense, and two unforgettable main characters, Silver Nitrate is a must read for Silvia Moreno-Garcia fans. “Editing was changing. The Moviola and the Steenbeck machines were yielding space to video monitors, tapes, and computers. Beyond the Yellow Door was an item from another era; it enchanted her […]
The nitty-gritty: Yume Kitasei tackles the “survival in space” trope but adds emotional themes as well in this stellar debut novel. “What was it about mothers, that they could know you so well? And not know you at all.” The Deep Sky is an exquisitely written SF debut, and I absolutely loved it. This is […]
The nitty-gritty: Engaging characters, romance, intrigue and dragons make Claws and Contrivances another delightful entry in Stephanie Burgis’s Regency Dragons series. “It has been delightful to meet you, Mr. Aubrey. I shall look forward to meeting you again, for the first time. Just remember: you’ve never seen me before!” I’ve been a fan of Stephanie […]