The nitty-gritty: As twisty and complex as Shakespeare, this story surprised me in every way possible. This is definitely one of 2017’s “must reads!” When Curtis Craddock asked me if I’d like a copy of his debut to read and review, I didn’t know much about it at the time. But I’m ecstatic that I […]
The nitty-gritty: Belcher is in high form with this epic adventure tale that spans generations, a story that puts its female characters front and center. Stand back, men! It’s always a pleasure to read a new R.S. Belcher story, and it’s even more exciting when that story is set in one of my favorite universes, […]
The nitty-gritty: A bleak and violent story, made beautiful by exquisite writing and an irresistible female voice. I hope you grow up to be a wild one, that you learn to spit and curse and shoot a gun. This country is not kind to soft women. This book came out of nowhere, but when fellow […]
The nitty-gritty: Just as magical the second time around, this award-winning classic fantasy tale is a must read for ALL fans of the genre. “The men of this town gave me spirits and let me drink till I was asleep, and then they took my armor away from me. If I knew where they keep […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark retelling of Peter Pan, steeped in loss and heartbreak, with thrilling action and lots of surprises. We were still children, for all that we thought we weren’t. We were in that in-between place, the twilight between childish things and grown-up things. Childhood still held out a friendly hand to us, if […]
The nitty-gritty: Like all the best fairy tales, this story is both magical and foreboding, a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of gender stereotyping, told as only Seanan McGuire can. Just as she did in Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire captures a mood of nostalgia and sadness in her follow-up, Down Among the Sticks […]
The nitty-gritty: A powerful collection of loosely tied together stories of the women who fell in love with superheroes—and died because of it. I never wanted children. Let’s get that straight up top. All I ever wanted to do was to drink beer, play my horn, and ride mutant armadillos till the end of the […]
The nitty-gritty: Magical and unique, this story takes the idea of dreams and nightmares to new heights, told in Laini Taylor’s trademark lilting prose. It’s always hard for me to squeeze non-review books into my reading schedule, so I was thrilled when a publicist offered me a copy of Strange the Dreamer, even though it […]
The nitty-gritty: Clever, exciting, irreverent, hysterically funny and surprisingly emotional, Kings of the Wyld is a must-read for EVERYONE. “Castia needs fighters!” [Gabe] shouted above the thunder of stamping feet. “It needs great and glorious bands!” he yelled over the percussive crash of sword and shield. “Castia needs heroes!” he roared, and they roared back […]
The nitty-gritty: A lushly written retelling of The Tempest, filled with emotion and complex characters. I gather flowers from the gardens and the fields, and put them on Miranda’s window-ledge when she is not there. I love you, the flowers say. Ariel, that Ariel, does frown at the flowers, but Master has said nothing to […]