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: 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: Shipwrecks, sea monsters, and an engaging bunch of characters come together in this fantastic YA debut, full of thrills and plenty of mystery. Hi Dad, I’m going to write you until this pencil wears out. Until all of me wears out. I’m not sure what’s real and what’s not anymore, but these words, […]
The nitty-gritty: Six high school friends with magical abilities get into a heap of trouble in Gailey’s first foray into young adult fiction. Sarah Gailey is a rockstar in publishing these days, with no less than four new books published within a span of less than two years. In their latest, they dip their toes […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark and dangerous tale filled with monsters, magic and hard choices. A mystium is a crossbreed between a mysting and a mortal. Incredibly rare, as most mystings and mortals are not a reproductive match. One can only assume violence to be involved in their creation. The Will and the Wilds is a […]
The nitty-gritty: Kiersten White’s Buffyverse series wraps up nicely with Chosen, despite a few uneven plot points, and our favorite characters are back with plenty of snarky humor and Buffy Easter eggs. “Anyway, you should have said you were a Slayer. Slayers and I go way back. Here.” He pulls out one of his cards, […]
The nitty-gritty: Evocative world-building combined with an overstuffed plot left me with mixed feelings about this YA fantasy debut. I had read some glowing reviews of The House of Salt and Sorrow, so I jumped into this with rather high expectations. Unfortunately, even though there is a lot to love about this book, as a […]
The nitty-gritty: Although atmospheric and well written, Five Midnights just didn’t provide the suspense and horror I was hoping for. Five Midnights didn’t quite live up to my expectations, although there were elements that I really enjoyed. But some elements just didn’t mesh for me and I ended up feeling ambivalent at the end. However, […]
The nitty-gritty: Action packed space opera with a well-rounded ensemble cast, Aurora Rising is another winner from the unstoppable writing duo of Kristoff and Kaufman. Having read and loved the marvelous Illuminae Files series, you can bet I was excited to see what Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff would cook up next, and I’m happy […]
The nitty-gritty: A feel-good, funny tale full of cosplay, romance and self discovery. There are stories that you tell and stories that tell things to you; stories that win awards and stories that win hearts. Sometimes the stories you want aren’t the ones you need, and the ones you need are the ones you never […]