Author Archives : Merrin

Book Club Discussion: The Silent Companions


Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that is voted on by YOU, our readers. Following a short review, please feel free to discuss the book in the comments! The Silent Companions (2018) Author: Laura Purcell Pages: 315 (Kindle) Publisher: Penguin Why I nominated this for book club:…

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Book Club: November Selection and December Poll


Your November selection for a published NaNoWriMo project is . . . Cinder By: Marissa Meyer Discussion date: 11/23/18* *Yes, this is Black Friday. But since this is a discussion on the internet and not in person, please feel free to read the book and participate at any time. The premise: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New…

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Book Club Discussion: The Last Unicorn


Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that is voted on by YOU, our readers. Following a short review, please feel free to discuss the book in the comments! The Last Unicorn (1968) Author: Peter S. Beagle Pages: 294 Publisher: Roc Why I nominated this for book club:…

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Sentient Cities and Cyber Dreams: Reviews of a Selection of the Short Works of NK Jemisin


Back in January, I made a resolution to read the entire works of NK Jemisin, which actually began in late 2017 with her Mass Effect Andromeda tie-in novel and continued with the Inheritance Trilogy. It’s August, friends, and time is running out. Because all of her books are on wait lists at the library and have been for months, today…

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Book Club: October Selection and November Poll


Our spooky selection for October’s book club issssssssssss . . . The Silent Companions Author: Laura Purcell Discussion Date: 10/26/18 The premise: Some doors are locked for a reason. When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But pregnant and widowed just weeks after their wedding, with her new servants…

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Roadtrip Straight to Hell: A Review of How It Ends


You know how it is: you sit down after a long day and some disappointing news about how much fixing your air conditioner is going to cost, and you just want to be transported from worrying about the cares of your life and instead would like to worry about the cares of someone else’s life for a while. It could…

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Book Club Discussion: Among Others


Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that is voted on by YOU, our readers. Following a short review, please feel free to discuss the book in the comments! Among Others (2011) Author: Jo Walton Pages: 304 (Trade Paperback) Publisher: Tor Why I nominated this for book club:…

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Reading the 2018 Hugos: The Short Story Category


Hugo voting is over and the winners will shortly be announced. So I’m getting in just under the wire with a review of the short stories! Reading this category is something of a challenge to myself, as I don’t read enough short fiction in general. I’ve talked about these in ballot order and have not spoiled the ending for any…

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A Clash of Warships: A Review of The Sea Queen


The Sea Queen (2018) Written by: Linnea Hartsuyker Genre: Fantasy Pages: 446 (Hardcover) Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. Why I chose it: I connected with the author on twitter and was offered a free copy. The premise: Six years after The Half-Drowned King, Ragnvald…

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