The nitty-gritty: Mystery, romance and quirky characters make this a must read for readers who love their stories chock full of humor and hijinks. Once in a while I step outside my usual genres and try something different, and the end of the year/holiday season seemed like the perfect time for that. Definitely Maybe Not […]
The nitty-gritty: Seanan McGuire’s long running series returns to its roots in this latest entry, where those who are “sure” can find their real homes behind magical doors. Seanan McGuire’s eleventh book in her popular Wayward Children series is almost like a reunion. If you’ve been missing some of your favorite characters from other books, […]
The nitty-gritty: Storms—both literal and metaphorical—are center stage in Rachel Hawkins’ latest, a multi-layered thriller with well drawn characters and deeply buried secrets. “What I found was something deeper, stranger, and far more twisted than I ever could have guessed. St. Medard’s Bay wasn’t a town with one mystery—they were many, coiled around one another […]
The nitty-gritty: Unique ideas and a strong first half weren’t enough to save this ultimately confusing murder mystery set aboard a UFO. 30Seven should have worked for me—on paper it’s everything I love in a science fiction horror story. But despite a strong start, it devolved into a messy, over-stuffed tale with a bunch of […]
The nitty-gritty: A quirky, feel-good story full of gods, scorpions and lovable characters, Snake-Eater is the perfect cozy end-of-the-year tale. “On the radio, a song was abruptly interrupted by DJ Raven announcing that the aliens had been in contact again and they had agreed to postpone the invasion if Raven played more Alice Cooper. ‘I […]
The nitty-gritty: An epic tale of valor and love, The Everlasting will sweep readers off their feet with its intricately plotted story, high emotions and unexpected twists. “My pen was a hollow reed, clumsily cut, and my ink was gummy brown, but the words came easier than I expected. Like the lines of a poem […]
The nitty-gritty: Social media, cancel culture and a ghostly stalker merge in this interesting but uneven thriller. “Some secrets don’t live on the tongue, but the back of the throat, where they have to be swallowed again and again, a hundred times a day.” You Watched In Silence is a queer mystery/thriller with just a […]
The nitty-gritty: Stellar writing and characterization, imaginative world-building and unexpected emotional gut-punches make Outlaw Planet an unforgettable epic sci-fi adventure. “I made my life into a story and threw it into the well of my children’s hind-brains, so deep I couldn’t hear the splash when it hit. Some day they’ll need me, the story goes, […]
The nitty-gritty: A powerful grimoire is the catalyst for this magical, funny, feel-good fantasy. “Olive wore black sunglasses and a black trench coat over another completely black outfit. I wondered briefly what her closet looked like. I suspect it was like a small black hole. She could reach in and pull out anything, knowing it […]
The nitty-gritty: A mysterious, secluded house traps a group of teens in this atmospheric, if somewhat uneven, YA horror story. The Devouring Light had some very creepy and disturbing scenes, and in that respect it succeeded. However, it also fell into some well tread YA tropes, and I didn’t care much for the characters, so […]