The nitty-gritty: Evocative writing, authentic historical details and complex characters make Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest a must read. “Montgomery was like a chipped piece of pottery. She couldn’t imagine he’d ever been whole, and his eyes, when they glanced at her, were watery gray. Not green and lush and full of promise like Eduardo’s, but the […]
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 […]
The nitty-gritty: Four childhood friends are forced to confront the past in Ronald Malfi’s latest, an epic, nightmarish tale with unforgettable characters. “Do you want to see a magic trick?” After absolutely loving Come With Me last year (which made my top five books of 2021), I was both excited and hesitant to read Ronald Malfi’s […]
The nitty-gritty: A creepy and atmospheric retelling that pays homage to the original story while adding many unique elements, What Moves the Dead induces both laughter and dread, often in the same paragraph. “The mushroom’s gills were the deep-red color of severed muscle, the almost-violet shade that contrasts so dreadfully with the pale pink of […]
The nitty-gritty: Killer dinosaurs and Old West shootouts come together in this bloody and highly entertaining story. One of my favorite fantasy subgenres is “weird western,” and I can definitely say that Pteranodon Canyon fits the bill if you enjoy weird westerns as well. And what could be weirder than an alternate universe set in […]
The nitty-gritty: Even though the story didn’t feel as polished as his others books, Upgrade has some nail-biting action scenes and plenty of emotional moments. Blake Crouch’s Recursion and Dark Matter were both five star reads for me, and so I was expecting and hoping to love Upgrade just as much. Maybe it’s because it […]
The nitty-gritty: Cozy mystery, humor and futuristic sci-fi combine to make Eddie Robson’s latest a uniquely fun read. Reading an Eddie Robson book is such a joy. I absolutely love his writing style, his subtle humor and the interesting characters who populate his stories. Last year I read Hearts of Oak and loved Robson’s quirky […]
The nitty-gritty: Eric LaRocca’s strange brand of horror is in full force in We Can Never Leave This Place, an emotional and at times upsetting glimpse into a young girl’s dangerous world. If there’s one thing you can count on with an Eric LaRocca book, it’s to expect the unexpected. We Can Never Leave This […]