The nitty-gritty: Rob Hart delivers a thrilling assassin story with heart, humor and unforgettable characters. Who knew that a story about a deadly assassin who is trying to quit killing people would turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year? Assassins Anonymous surprised me in every possible way, and I can’t […]
The nitty-gritty: An imaginative take on the cursed movie trope, How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive is a bloody, shocking and surprisingly humorous story about a director who is determined to make the perfect horror movie. “Now that is how you make a killing, baby.” – Max Maurey There’s been a slew of […]
The nitty-gritty: A short novella full of big ideas, Exploded Remnants didn’t quite live up to its potential. Unexploded Remnants had a lot of good ideas, but overall the execution didn’t really work for me. I also struggled with the awkward writing style at times. This is a book full of big ideas in barely […]
The nitty-gritty: Heists, found family and deep space adventure come together in Yume Kitasei’s thrilling space opera. Yume Kitasei has done it again—her sophomore book, after last year’s wonderful The Deep Sky, is just as imaginative and well written, and I may have loved it even more. As the author herself says, this is a […]
The nitty-gritty: Snappy dialog and plenty of action (and yes, romance) make Fiasco an excellent sequel that’s tons of fun. “My mother has a blaster taped to her thigh under her skirt and a knife in her bra. I didn’t even give her the knife. She just carries one there. And because she has voluminous […]
The nitty-gritty: Eerie and atmospheric, Small Town Horror combines slow burn horror with shocking twists. Ronald Malfi tackles a tried and true horror trope but gives his readers some fun twists in his latest, a creepy and atmospheric story that had me jumping at shadows. The often used story of “childhood friends reunite as adults […]
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, complex and magical journey through one family’s odd history, A House Like An Accordion captivated me with its unique ideas and emotional family connections. “Be mindful of the act of creation, and of creating. It carries great beauty, but it exacts a cost.” Every once in a while you read a […]
The nitty-gritty: An interesting premise is bogged down with annoying characters and a simplistic plot that didn’t always make sense. I’m sad to say The Honey Witch didn’t really work for me, although many readers loved it, so it’s most likely a case of “it isn’t you, it’s me.” This book felt very young, despite […]
The nitty-gritty: Alice Feeney explores mother/daughter relationships in this highly entertaining mystery, full of twists and plenty of emotion. “My daughter is the villain in my life, and I am the villain in hers. We both believe our stories are true.” After absolutely loving Daisy Darker, I couldn’t wait to read something else by Alice […]
The nitty-gritty: An old friendship is tested after a bad decision is made, in this fun, twisty psychological thriller. I’m always up for a good twisty thriller, and A Friend Indeed was a pleasant surprise! If you enjoy stories filled with unreliable characters and complex friendships, you will probably enjoy this as well. The story […]