May 2021 – Looking For a Good Book

May 31, 2021

DISASTER INC. – graphic novel

GRAPHIC NOVEL WEEK Some people prefer to take the ‘off the beaten path’ tours and see some unconventional sites. That’s what happens here in the graphic novel Disaster, Inc., written by Joe Harris and illustrated by Sebastián Píriz. In 2011 one of the worst earthquakes in Japan history caused three of the four nuclear reactors in Continue reading

GRAPHIC NOVEL

2 Stars, Graphic Novels

May 28, 2021

THE WILL AND THE WILDS – Charlie N. Holmberg

Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Will and the Wilds is a fantasy that feels deeply rooted in mythology and the tradition of storytelling. Enna lives with her father at the edge of the wildwood – a border to the land of monsters. She was raised to exercise great caution when dealing with Mystings – a part demon, part Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized, YA

4 stars, SF/Fantasy, YA

May 26, 2021

THE EARLY SHORT STORIES OF F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

Sometimes I read a ‘classic’ author and I wonder why the heck anyone thinks it’s still worth reading, and other times I will read a ‘classic’ author and realize that the author is still relevant and accessible and well worth reading. This collection of early short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald fits comfortably in the Continue reading

SHORT FICTION

4 stars, Literature, Short Stories

May 24, 2021

THE REAL VALKYRIE – Nancy Marie Brown

Vikings and Valkyries – these two words can conjure up a lot of images, especially today with the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the real Vikings and Valkyries (real Valkyries?) were much more interesting, and although the Vikings we are referencing here were alive more than one thousand years ago. Even so, we’re Continue reading

HISTORICAL FICTION, NON-FICTION

5 Stars, Historical Fiction, History

May 21, 2021

DEAD SPRINT – Caroline Fardig

Ellie Matthews is a criminalist, in a personal relationship with FBI Agent Vic Manetti. The two have just started running together, but their first competitive race is cut short with the discovery of a body of a runner murdered the night before. The local sheriff’s department asks for Ellie’s help again (her last case was Continue reading

MYSTERY

5 Stars, Mystery

May 19, 2021

THE SECOND BELL – Gabriela Houston

This is definitely one of the more original fantasy stories I’ve read in awhile. In a remote community in the mountains is a village. Sometimes the children born here are born with two hearts. A child born this way is called a ‘striga’ – considered to be demons. When discovered, the child is abandoned at Continue reading

SF/FANTASY

3 Stars, Folklore, SF/Fantasy

May 17, 2021

THE DISPATCHER – John Scalzi

In the not too distant future, it will become nearly impossible to kill someone. 99.9% of the time, when someone is intentionally killed, they come back – their bodies disappear from where they were “killed” and reappear at their home, naked, in bed. Only death by natural causes or true accidents are otherwise permanent. No Continue reading

MYSTERY, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Mystery, science fiction

May 14, 2021

THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES – Grady Hendrix

One of the things that makes reading Grady Hendrix absolutely delicious is that Hendrix gives us a really normal story with really normal people but then things start to slide sideways. It’s a slow process – so slow you probably can’t pinpoint exactly when the slide began (and probably, the slide began before the first Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, Uncategorized

5 Stars, Horror/Dark Fantasy

May 12, 2021

LAUGHTER AT THE ACADEMY – Seanan McGuire

I really do enjoy short stories, and when a book is a collection of short works by one of my favorite fantasy authors I’m really interested. Laughter at the Academy is a collection of short works by Seanan McGuire, author of the October Daye series, Wayward Children series, Ghost Roads series, InCryptid series, and more! Like nearly Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, SHORT FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, SF/Fantasy, Short Stories, Short Story Collection

May 10, 2021

GUNPOWDER EXPRESS – Brett Cogburn

Everyone in the Arizona Territory who eyes an easy way to make a payout knows that Vulture City is the home to a prosperous gold mine. Nearly every stagecoach attempting to deliver the gold to the railroad at Maricopa has been ambushed on the trail–a trail known as the Gunpowder Express. No one wants to ride Continue reading

Uncategorized, WESTERN

4 stars, Western

May 7, 2021

THE BROKEN HEAVENS – Kameron Hurley

Invaders from a parallel world, the Tai Kao have decimated the Dhai nation with their constant onslaught. The Tai Kao leader, Kirana, establishes a base in the temple of Oma and instructs her advisors to see if they can find a way to close the portal between the worlds. But it doesn’t go well. Now, Continue reading

SF/FANTASY

3 Stars, SF/Fantasy

May 5, 2021

CIRCLE OF STONES – Suzanne Alyssa Andrew

This is a story of Nik, an art student, and his girlfriend Jennifer, a dancer. Like many eccentric artists, Nik is obsessive – especially when it comes to painting his dancer girlfriend. On the day Jennifer goes missing, Nik’s world falls apart. With few clues to Jennifer’s past, Nik begins a cross-country trip to find Continue reading

OTHER, Uncategorized

3 Stars, Literature