August 2022 – Looking For a Good Book

August 31, 2022

THE CALCULATING STARS – Mary Robinette Kowal

In 1952 a meteorite fell to earth, destroying most of the east coast of the United States. The resulting cataclysm made much of the earth inhospitable. But unlike the dinosaurs who faced a similar event a millennia ago, humans find ways to overcome such devastation. In the U.S., this has called for an increase in Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

August 29, 2022

DAMNIFICADOS – JJ Amaworo Wilson

In the heart of a large city in a Latin American country is a once-abandoned high-rise tower. It is now filled with squatters – families with nowhere else to as well as loners just looking for a safe place to dwell. These are the ‘damnificados’ – the unwanted; those damned to dwell where no one Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

5 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Literature, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

August 26, 2022

SHADE OF PALE – Greg Kihn

Jukes Wahler is a psychiatrist working in Manhattan – a city filled with people who could use his services, but is he soon to be in need of a psychiatrist himself? One day, while looking out through a deli window, Jukes sees a tremendously beautiful redheaded woman walking past. She turn to look at him Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, MYSTERY, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Mystery, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

August 24, 2022

THE MUFFIA – Ann Royal Nicholas

Madelyn (Maddie) Scott-Crane is a single mom who has had 22 months of self-imposed abstinence. She is a member of a ladies book club who call themselves The Muffia (though The Cliterati had been a name under consideration). They tend to read some racy books and talk a lot about who’s getting regular sex and Continue reading

OTHER, ROMANCE, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, Sex

August 22, 2022

THE GREAT ZOO OF CHINA – Matthew Reilly

The Chinese are nothing if they are not good at keeping secrets. For forty years they have been preparing a zoo – a zoo unlike any other in the world with only one animal. As the Chinese government prepares to finally open this special zoo to the public, they first invite some Western reporters and Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

August 18, 2022

WRITERS & THINKERS – Daniel Fuchs

Well … this was … interesting. When I was in college (some 40 years ago!) I really enjoyed reading literary criticism. Researching an author and/or a book and writing papers was one of my favorite parts of getting an English degree (minor). When I saw this book, Writers & Thinkers by Daniel Fuchs, those happy memories came Continue reading

NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

2 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, essays, non-fiction, Reviews

August 16, 2022

BUTTS: A BACKSTORY – Heather Radke

The human butt…. We have a complicated relationship with butts. We obsess over them, we admire them, we assess and critique them and are often complaining about our own while toning them and trying to make them attractive to others. But what is the butt really about? Author Heather Radke explores some historical significance in Continue reading

NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, non-fiction, Reviews

August 12, 2022

50 BELOW ZERO – Robert Munsch

Jason just wants to curl up in a cozy place to sleep, but his father is a sleep-walker and Jason has to rescue his dad from some unusual and potentially dangerous locations at night – such as outside where it is 50 degrees below zero! But early in the morning, when Jason’s mother walks into Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews

August 10, 2022

THE DARKNESS KNOWS – Arnaldur Indridason

Inside the glacier Langjökull, a body is discovered. It appears to be that of a business man who went missing thirty years prior. At that time a massive search had been conducted and one of the man’s business associates had been suspected of foul play, but there was never enough evidence to charge him with anything. Continue reading

MYSTERY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mystery, Reviews

August 8, 2022

TARZAN: THE NEW ADVENTURES – Roy Thomas

If any of my local Sunday newspapers printed a color comic like this … Tarzan: The New Adventures, written by comic author/legend Roy Thomas, then I’d be a subscriber in a heartbeat! But while the format of all the installments in this book look very much like a Sunday color comic, these adventures were only Continue reading

GRAPHIC NOVEL, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Graphic Novels, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

August 5, 2022

CITY OF MAGIC – Avi

It is 1492 and King Claudio has heard that someone in Venice has written a manuscript that explains a magical method for making money. King Claudio then orders Magnus the Magnificent (and Fabrizio, Magnus’s assistant) to go to Venice and steal the manuscript. To fail will mean death, but Venice doesn’t look kindly on magic or magicians and to Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, Uncategorized, YA

5 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Middle Grade, Reviews, Young Adult

August 3, 2022

BORN TO THE DARK – Ramsey Campbell

It’s been a bit more than thirty years since the events of the first book in Ramsey Campbell’s The Three Births of Daoloth series (this is the second book in the series). Dominic Sheldrake is now married and has a son of his own and he’s hoping he can finally put the incidents with Christian Noble behind Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reviews