The nitty-gritty: A fun, laugh-out-loud contemporary take on Sleeping Beauty, with a feminist sensibility, that made me cheer. I’m a huge fan of Alix E. Harrow’s novels, so I was quite curious to see what she would do with the novella format. And I’m happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this! A Spindle Splintered […]
The nitty-gritty: A bloody homage to the slasher film, My Heart is a Chainsaw is a slow build tale with an over-the-top ending that ultimately won me over. This is my fourth Stephen Graham Jones book, and I can now say without a doubt that even when he writes a book that doesn’t completely work […]
The nitty-gritty: The Offset presents a grim future, but gives readers plenty of food for thought. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but it ended up surprising me in many ways. This is a dark, gritty look at a future where things are so bad that extreme measures […]
The nitty-gritty: Kira Jane Buxton does it again in this funny and poignant follow up to Hollow Kingdom, a unique genre mash-up that made me laugh and cry. I had been wrong to call Dee a flower. Dee was not a flower; she was a fucking weed. Beautiful and tenacious as a tiger. Misunderstood and […]
The nitty-gritty: A suspenseful thriller set in the Grand Canyon, Getaway is equal parts tension and solid character development. This is my second book by Zoje Stage, and she’s become a “must read” author for me. Getaway was not quite what I expected—and that’s OK. I enjoy the fact that Stage always seems to surprise […]
The nitty-gritty: A creepy, disturbing tale perfect for fans of twisty, psychological horror. I couldn’t put it down! All storytellers are liars, but Catriona Ward is a particularly good one. I have been lied to in the best possible way and I enjoyed every single moment. The Last House on Needless Street is surrounded by […]
The nitty-gritty: Fragments of an old, dead world become something quite new in this emotional and surprisingly hopeful post apocalyptic tale. Catherynne M. Valente is truly one of a kind. I have never read another author that comes close to matching her whimsical writing style, so when I picked up The Past is Red, I […]
The nitty-gritty: A gentle, contemplative tale involving a journey, a robot and tea. This was my first Becky Chambers book, and of course now I want to go back and read her Wayfarers series. What a delightful, feel good story this was! Chambers packs a lot of heart, humor and wisdom into less than 150 […]
The nitty-gritty: Lush, beautiful writing couldn’t quite make up for a lack of consistent pacing, so unfortunately this book didn’t quite work for me. I’m sad to say I really struggled with this book, although there were elements I really enjoyed, so in the end, this was a mixed bag for me. For the Wolf […]
The nitty-gritty: Violent and disturbing, To Dust You Shall Return is a relentless but compelling mystery about a small town full of big secrets. She thought of Kate, and finally understood her sister’s misery outside of Harlow. All the Jarvis girls had done was trade one brand of fear for another, and the fear’s beating […]