The nitty-gritty: An unsettling and suspenseful ghost story with subtle horror elements. I’m so glad I had the chance to read Wonderland, a slow burn horror story that turned out to be a nice change of pace. I heard lots of buzz about Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth when it came out last year, but I […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast and furious sci-fi adventure/romance with plenty of action and even some emotional character development. Who can resist a cover with a bad-ass female mercenary standing on a pile of books while the world falls to pieces behind her? Certainly not me, which is one reason I was excited to pick up […]
The nitty-gritty: Flyaway is dripping with style and atmosphere, but the plot and characters fell flat for me. Howling wilderness, my mother had once called the bush beyond town. Dad had laughed. My heart sat high in my chest. I was more alive and more scared than I had been for years. Ahead of us, […]
The nitty-gritty: A perfect mix of history and mystery, Opium and Absinthe was both engaging and informative. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, so I was delighted to discover that I loved reading about New York City in 1899. Kang builds her fascinating, multilayered story around several historical events: first, the publication of […]
The nitty-gritty: Cheryl Low delivers yet another bloody good horror story, complete with vengeful ghosts and buried family secrets. Cheryl Low’s latest horror novella was a perfect distraction from real life, a combination of ghostly hauntings, twisted family secrets, mysteries and even an unexpected love story. All of these elements come together in a short, […]
The nitty-gritty: A lighthearted, humorous “found family” story with plenty of laughs and even a few sweet moments. I enjoyed this unexpectedly humorous and touching novella, even though it didn’t really rock my world. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water is Zen Cho’s ode to the Chinese wuxia genre of martial arts […]
The nitty-gritty: Ambitious and complex, We Ride the Storm, although beloved by many readers, didn’t quite work for me. There has been a lot of hype surrounding We Ride the Storm, and tons of 4 and 5 star reviews on Goodreads. But this time the hype backfired for me, and I ended up really struggling […]
The nitty-gritty: An unflinching look at cultural identity, revenge, and the horrors we bring upon ourselves, The Only Good Indians is one of the best SFF books of the year. You may have already read some rave reviews for The Only Good Indians, and now you’re about to read another one. Everything you’ve heard is […]
The nitty-gritty: A sweet and funny story filled with friendship, family and a little romance. And plenty of sci-fi pop culture name dropping! Bookish and the Beast is another fun entry into Ashley Poston’s lively Once Upon a Con series, where each book takes on a traditional fairy tale and spins it into a modern […]
The nitty-gritty: Big ideas, big dinos and lots of thoughtful commentary, Hella was an odd combination of quick thrills, fascinating facts and very uneven pacing. I had high hopes for Hella, and although it started off with lots of promise, halfway through the book I realized that there were several problematic elements that would ultimately […]