The nitty-gritty: Despite a couple of intriguing mysteries and an atmospheric setting, Summer Sons ended up being a disappointing read. The description and early blurbs for Summer Sons promised a queer, spooky, Southern Gothic ghost story, and the creepy cover made it even more appealing to me. And while it’s unabashedly queer and creepy and atmospheric […]
The nitty-gritty: A clever and surprising mystery steeped in myth, Comfort Me With Apples is told in Catherynne M. Valente’s unique style. If there’s one thing I can count on with Catherynne M. Valente, it’s that she always surprises me. Her stories are not your normal, run of the mill variety. Rather, she creates scenarios […]
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 […]