Tag: reading

Do Not Look Back, My Lion by Alix E. Harrow

November 22, 2019

Told in Harrow’s always stunning prose, Do Not Look Back, My Lion tells a heart-rending tale of love and sacrifice. She uses gender, title, and reader expectation to create a society that’s both foreign and familiar. Husband has become a role divorced from gender, even as wife has remained a status limited to women. Women are not only the givers of life, but also the takers.  … More Do Not Look Back, My Lion by Alix E. Harrow

The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

November 20, 2019

The Vine Witch is steeped in the soil of the Chanceaux Valley, an area made famous for its wine. It seeks to transport you and all of your senses such that you feel the grapes, the vines, smell the rich scent of soil, and the fragrance of the aging barrels tucked away in the ancient wine cellars. The novel takes place during the turn of the century just as the automobile & airplanes have become established into public knowledge, giving the novel a wonderful sense of the old coming into first contact with the new more modern ways of doing things. Wine making acts as a bridge between the two – it’s a tradition that spans generations, even as it finds itself in a new, more modern era. … More The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

November 18, 2019

I read this book shortly after a trip down to visit my parents and step-siblings in Florida. I had thrown a request up on Reddit’s r/Fantasy board seeking a book with a married couple who are just genuinely good to one another, and this absolutely delivered on this front. The Calculating Stars is a reminder to the reader that couples who genuinely care and hold respect for one another do exist, which is just such a lovely thing in a world filled with books focused on strife. It was also lovely to have a book about two people who are truly a team, where they start out together and finish together. This wasn’t a book about dating or will-they-won’t-they. It was a book about two people who are completely in love with each other and want to support each other.  … More The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North

November 11, 2019

I’m convinced: it’s literally impossible for Claire North to write a bad book. I think she’s just genuinely incapable of anything less than excellence. When she writes a sentence, it just comes out good. Every single time. Of this I am certain. Alternatively, there’s the much more mundane and likely scenario: she’s very, very good at proofing, has a wonderful editor and team behind her, and has honed her craft over many years and novels. However her frankly gorgeous writing originates, the result is the same: yet another brilliant novel being gifted to the world.  … More The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North

Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker

November 8, 2019

Sarah Pinsker eases you in to an unexpected future in her short story, Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea. It begins with a woman living alone along the beach; Bay scavenges that which washes ashore for a living. She uses the flotsam and jetsam that falls overboard from the large cruise ships which now dominate the seas to sustain her meager lifestyle. One day, it’s not a few odds and ends of supplies which wash ashore… but rather a young rock star. A bassist.  … More Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker

Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

November 6, 2019

Queen of the Conquered forces an uncomfortable and often alarming perspective onto the reader, casting them in the role of both the oppressor and the oppressed with masterful control. Callender has added a work of incredible cultural depth and import to the SFF canon. Put simply, this is required reading for anyone with even a speck of interest in the complex social and racial issues that remain ingrained within our society. … More Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

October Reading Wrap-Up

November 1, 2019

Happy Halloween, all! I hope everyone had a great time either dressing up, seeing all the kiddos dressed up, or simply indulging in a wide variety of candy and other treats. Personally, I ended up celebrating at home avoiding the drunken crowds with some dirt cheap Chinese food and Netflix… but both my cats are black, and therefore Halloween themed – so I think I’m good. 

October, as usual, had some greats and some flops. See below for the highlights! … More October Reading Wrap-Up

The Thing in the Walls Wants Your Small Change by Virginia M. Mohlere

November 1, 2019

Mohlere takes Caro’s story across many facets of her life, painting with a broad, abstract brush to fill in the details that can’t fit into a short story. We see her painful family situation, we see the hurt in her soul when she sees a family she could have had. Most importantly, we also see her redemption. We see the power of care and loyalty in those we love. I would highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a little chicken soup for the soul. … More The Thing in the Walls Wants Your Small Change by Virginia M. Mohlere