The nitty-gritty: More Alice in Wonderland than The Night Circus, Garber’s debut is full of atmosphere and magic, but left me confused and scratching my head as well. I was so excited when I won a copy of Caraval from Goodreads, and I was even more excited when I got my act together and read […]
The nitty-gritty: A clever, inter-dimensional homage to Lovecraft & Co., with lots of action, snark and humor. So here’s the thing. When I set off after the guy who stole the spear, I really didn’t expect to end the night chained to an altar in the ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral while my blood is […]
The nitty-gritty: Another winning story from Burgis, filled with political schemes, historical intrigue and plenty of secrets. I really enjoyed Burgis’ Masks and Shadows earlier this year, and so I didn’t hesitate at all when I was offered a review copy of Congress of Secrets. Burgis sets her latest in 1814 Vienna, during the famous […]
The nitty-gritty: An fantastic, action-packed follow-up to Time Salvager, full of complex characters and relationships, and yes, some time travel! I’m always happy to read a Wesley Chu book, especially since he’s the author of one of my favorite science fiction series, the Tao books. And I always love when a favorite author ventures out and […]
The nitty-gritty: Another page turner from Emma Newman, an addictive mystery full of twists and turns, set in a future full of scary possibilities. I enjoyed Planetfall last year, which I read during Sci-Fi Month 2015, but I was stunned by how much more I loved After Atlas, a “companion” novel which takes place in […]
Translated by Deborah Boliver Boehm The nitty-gritty: An atmospheric and creepy ghost story that kept me turning the pages, but ultimately suffered from awkward writing and plotting. I thought it would be nice to close out the month with a ghost story, especially since today is Halloween! I was initially drawn to The Graveyard Apartment […]
The nitty-gritty: A beautifully written and powerful story about death and the inescapable bonds of family. Most things in life change gradually. Events creep up on you from behind just like the language. You barely notice the beginnings; it’s only when things go terribly wrong that we wipe the sleep from our eyes and wail […]
The nitty-gritty: A hilarious romp through the weird world of a Lovecraft convention, narrated by a murder victim and full of strange characters. The crowd drank with an intensity that only comes with the combination of free alcohol, unsuccessful writers, and high stress. Colleen took sips, and the booze flooded her veins. Raul, as it […]
The nitty-gritty: Hogwarts for assassins! A fantastic start to a new series by one of my favorite authors. Some of you may know I’m a huge fan of Jay Kristoff’s The Lotus War trilogy, and so it was with much excitement that I started reading his newest series. There are many similarities between the two, […]
The nitty-gritty: An addictive and thrilling story that melds physics, science fiction, and edge-of-your-seat action with an unexpectedly thoughtful meditation on the choices we make in life. Most astrophysicists believe that the force holding stars and galaxies together—the thing that makes our whole universe work—comes from a theoretical substance we can’t measure or observe directly. […]