The nitty-gritty: A story told by a unique protagonist, Once Was Willem shines with well drawn characters, magic and found family. “Gird yourself, therefore. I speak of monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men. I speak also of secret things, of that which lies beneath us and that which impends […]
The nitty-gritty: John Scalzi takes an absurd idea and adds humor, heart and thoughtful commentary about life in this fast-paced, engaging “what if” story. You can always count on John Scalzi to come up with fresh ideas, even if they’re waaay out there (literally, in this case), and that’s what you get with When the […]
The nitty-gritty: Sara Raasch brings the enemies-to-lovers trope to life in this laugh-out-loud, sexy and heartfelt entry in her binge-worthy Royals & Romance series. I’m loving this holiday-centric romance series, and the second book, Go Luck Yourself, is another fun entry. In The Nightmare Before Kissmass, we met Coal and Kris, heirs to the Christmas […]
The nitty-gritty: A generation ship is the setting for this cozy space mystery, a series opener that explores memories and leaving home. Murder By Memory is a fun, imaginative generation ship story with an intriguing mystery at the center and the perfect book to curl up with for a couple of hours. This is my […]
The nitty-gritty: Epic in scope but somehow intimate as well, Future’s Edge is an end-of-the-world tale with heart and hope. “The fall of Earth was both sudden and protracted. Ships filled with Cutters shimmered into existence above the planet. They looked like flowers fashioned from glass and filigree, with components whose geometries seemed to overlap […]
The nitty-gritty: An intriguing mystery that focuses on the emotional relationships between the characters, The Third Rule of Time Travel is a different take on the time travel trope. Philip Fracassi, who is known for writing horror, turns to science fiction in his latest, a twisty, thought provoking time travel story. Time travel is a […]
The nitty-gritty: A grim, bloody delight with pitch perfect black humor, Victorian Psycho will make you gasp and laugh in the same breath. “Mother first tried to kill me when I was thirteen months old. ‘You learned to walk so fast,’ she told me later. ‘I thought I might as well stop you while I […]
The nitty-gritty: Adventure, danger, magic and a touch of romance, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales brings all these elements and more together in this satisfying series conclusion. “I must write it down. For it is in writing that I will discover a way out. A door within the story. There is one. It cannot […]
The nitty-gritty: Found family, tense action and otherworldly elements combine in this engaging and funny story with big ideas. For my first T.J. Klune book, I think this was a great place to start. Of course, I have nothing to compare it to, but I absolutely loved The Bones Beneath My Skin, even though Klune’s […]
The nitty-gritty: Funny and heartwarming, Kira Jane Buxton takes on truffles and Tuscany in this worthy follow-up to her beloved Hollow Kingdom series. After loving the brilliant Hollow Kingdom, I was a bit leery to read Tartufo, a straight-up piece of literary fiction that didn’t have the speculative elements I usually look for in my […]