September 24, 2020
I’m generally not one to read poetry, so I wanted to reach beyond my comfort zone and dive into a collection for the first time. The major conceit of Burials, as listed in its premise — “the narrative of those whose voices have been taken away” — also greatly intrigued me. I’m happy to read a work that challenges me…
September 22, 2020
I fell down a rabbit hole of reading lists about diverse books when the colorful color of The House in the Cerulean Sea caught my eye. I noticed that the book is set in a home for magical children, which reminded me of one of my favorite series, Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I also want to…
August 28, 2020
I first read Weaveworld in high school in 1988. I think it was the third Clive Barker book I read, with The Damnation Game being the first. At the time, a friend of mine volunteered at our local library and wanted to impress me, so he snagged an audio copy of The Damnation Game. I think I still have the…
August 6, 2020
When I finished reading Borne, I was pretty smitten with the world and characters that Jeff VanderMeer had created (I’m still smitten, to be honest, and it’s on my list of books to buy for when I have room on my shelves again). Eventually, I learned of this short story set in the same universe. When I had a little…
August 4, 2020
I hate novellas. I very rarely ever feel that this length of book properly tells a story. However, I kept reading fantastic reviews for Follow Me to Ground. Then my favorite blogger, Jenny Lawson aka The Bloggess, chose it for her book club. Lawson finds humor in difficult situations, like her offbeat upbringing and struggle with mental illness, so I…
July 31, 2020
I first decided to read Lovecraft Country back in 2018 for no particular reason. I was scrolling through the titles languishing on my Kindle for something new to read and randomly stabbed the screen when I came across this particular title. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting; indeed, I cannot remember why I even purchased this book. Reading it…
July 23, 2020
At the end of The Book Charmer, there was a snippet of Karen Hawkin’s e-novella, Love in the Afternoon. I gave it a quick skim, learning only that a) a ghost was involved and b) dude ghost was in a bathtub wearing a blonde wig and bothering the other dude that lived in the house. What even? So, I figured…
July 16, 2020
Ninety percent of the books I find these days are when I’m working at the bookstore. Usually, when pulling returns. You take so many of them out, it’s impossible not to look at them. Inevitably you’re going to come across one that catches your interest, leading to reading the book’s blurb, and then adding it to your reading list. Thus,…
July 14, 2020
Editor’s note: We haven’t officially discussed many of the Hugo nominations this year, but our fabulous Merrin wanted to tackle the short stories. Who were we to say no! Merrin has covered this particular category of the Hugos twice before, so she knows her stuff. Handy links have been provided for your own reading enjoyment, and you should definitely check…
July 8, 2020
I’ve mentioned before, I really enjoy Nicole Givens Kurtz‘s work. When the opportunity came up to get an early look at her newest book, I jumped at it! The cover is gorgeous, and the plot summary had me ready to dive into this new world! Kill Three Birds (2020) Written by: Nicole Givens Kurtz Genre: Fantasy/Mystery Series: Kingdom of Aves…