The nitty-gritty: Slow burn suspense, mystery and an atmospheric setting make Lute a thoroughly compelling read, despite uneven and puzzling world building elements. This is one of those books that completely sucked me in, but after I had some time to think about it later, I started to have a lot of questions. Like many […]
The nitty-gritty: A garden full of poisonous delights, the stories in Effects Vary will catch you off guard and change the way you think about horror. You can tell from the disturbing cover art that this isn’t going to be your usual collection of short fiction. Effects Vary contains twenty-two short stories, and it’s one […]
The nitty-gritty: A lush, bloody, sweeping saga of an unusual relationship that spans centuries. “Love makes monsters of us, Constanta, and not everyone is cut out for monstrosity.” I’ve been eyeing A Dowry of Blood ever since the self-published edition made a splash on social media, but it went out of print before I could […]
The nitty-gritty: Creepy and unsettling, thrilling and terrifying, Gallows Hill is the perfect story to read with the lights off—if you dare. “”It might be easier to go over everything in three parts,’ Kant said. ‘Before the bells. After the bells. And once they’re in the house.’” I’m so glad I’ve finally read my first […]
The nitty-gritty: Six Feet Under meets You’ve Got Mail in Megan Bannen’s outrageously funny fantasy rom-com, complete with zombies, human-sized animal mail carriers, and a host of quirky, lovable characters. Well, this was a delightful surprise! Humor can be hit or miss for me, but I’m thrilled to say Megan Bannen’s humor is just my […]
The nitty-gritty: Clever, outrageous, emotional, shocking and just plain entertaining, Daisy Darker is this summer’s must read thriller. “I think most murder mysteries are overrated,” Nana says. “There are much cleverer ways to end a person than killing them.” Alice Feeney has just rocketed to the top of my favorite authors list, and I’m so […]
The nitty-gritty: A cleverly constructed thriller with plenty of high school drama makes this a perfect summer read for teens. Despite my reluctance to read YA these days, I have to admit I had a blast with We Made It All Up. And yes, the book has the usual YA shenanigans like relationship drama, bullying, […]
The nitty-gritty: Gailey’s latest is delightfully unsettling, with unexpected twists, dangerous characters and ominous secrets. “The outside of Vera was shaped like the inside of this house. This was the house her father had built with his two strong hands. This was the goldfish tank where she’d grown to the size she would always be, […]
The nitty-gritty: A weird and wonderful trip through space, blasting with loud music, fabulous outfits and of course, giant killer mechas, August Kitko and the Mechas from Space is a wild ride from start to finish. “Fashion is always intentional, and Ardent has carefully selected their cataclysmic attire for maximum mobility. They tug at the […]
The nitty-gritty: Dex and Mosscap contemplate life while traveling the countryside in this lovely follow-up to A Psalm for the Wild-Built. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy continues the feel-good adventures of Sibling Dex and his robot companion Mosscap. The story picks up right after the events of A Psalm for the Wild-Built, so I encourage […]