Two more short reviews of two horror reads this Halloween season. Between NOW and THEN: the same family, the same home, different ghosts. Back in 1976, Loo and Bee are the two closest sisters in a family of five…
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6 Rated Books 7 Rated Books Book Reviews
Halloween Reads: Bad Institutes for Gifted Children (THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King, INSPECTION by Josh Malerman)
It’s officially Halloween season, which means I’ve been diving deep into the horror canon–this spooky season, I found myself drawn to two different novels about gifted children and the adults experimenting on them: Josh Malerman’s Inspection and Stephen King’s…
A gravedigger, a mapmaker and a fiercely protective dead goat go on a dangerous quest to save the(ir) world. In the small, remote village of Colbren, seventeen-year-old Ryn is a gravedigger, her profession by blood and by heart. She…
Three Horror books for this Halloween season, all three featuring twins, queer girls, witches, and a plethora of monsters. In Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin, twins Mae and Rossa spend some time with their aunt Rita…
Title: Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All Author: Laura Ruby Genre: Magic Realism, YA. Publisher: Balzer + Bray Publication date: October 1 2019Hardcover: 384 pages When Frankie’s mother died and her father left her and her siblings at an…
Title: The Twisted Ones Author: T. Kingfisher Genre: Horror Publisher: Saga PressPublication date: October 1 2019Hardcover: 400 pages When a young woman clears out her deceased grandmother’s home in rural North Carolina, she finds long-hidden secrets about a strange…
Title: Steel Crow Saga Author: Paul Krueger Genre: Epic Fantasy Publisher: Del ReyPublication date: September 24 2019Hardcover: 528 pages Four destinies collide in a unique fantasy world of war and wonders, where empire is won with enchanted steel and…
5 Rated Books 7 Rated Books Book Reviews
Two Books: Jelly by Clare Rees and The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes
These books could not have been more different from one another but you know I like some variety in my book diet. First up, Jelly by Clare Rees has the most ridiculous premise imaginable and I loved it for…
Title: The Swallows Author: Lisa Lutz Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Ballantine BooksPublication date: August 13 2019Hardcover: 368 pages What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want? It starts with this simple writing prompt from…
Title: Gideon the Ninth Author: Tamsyn Muir Genre: Science Fiction + Fantasy + Murder Mystery Publisher: Tor.comPublication date: September 10 2019Hardcover: 448 pages The Emperor needs necromancers.The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and…
Title: The Liars of Mariposa Island Author: Jennifer Mathieu Genre: Historical YA Publisher: Roaring Book PressPublication date: September 17 2019Hardcover: 256 pages From the author of Moxie comes a stunning novel told in three voices about the lies families tell to…
Title: Missing Person Author: Sarah Lotz Genre: Thriller Publisher: Mulholland BooksPublication date: September 3 2019Hardcover: 480 pages Reclusive bookseller Shaun Ryan has always believed that his uncle Teddy died in a car accident twenty years ago. Then he learns the truth: Teddy fled…
Title: To Be Taught, If Fortunate Author: Becky Chambers Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton UK / Haper Voyager USPublication date: August 8 / September 3 2019Hardcover: 135 pages In her new novella, Sunday Times best-selling author Becky Chambers imagines a future…
It’s Friday and we are over at Kirkus – for the last time. Kirkus are launching a new website and they will be discontinuing the columns. It’s been a huge pleasure to work with them for the past 7…
I’ve been busy this summer, reading thrillers – most of them, I am happy to report, fantastic! I’ve listened to the audiobook of Something in the Water, written and narrated by Catherine Steadman and right off the bat, I…
Title: All the Bad Apples Author: Moïra Fowley-Doyle Genre: YA, Magical Realism Publisher: Penguin UK / Kathy Dawson Books USPublication date: August 1 / August 27 2019Hardcover: 352 pages When Deena’s wild and mysterious sister Mandy disappears – presumed dead – her family…
It’s Friday and we are over at Kirkus – Ana read the debut novel by Arkady Martine, A Memory Called Empire. She loved it! Go over there for the full review.…
5 Rated Books 7 Rated Books 8 Rated Books Book Reviews
YA Round-up: The Best Lies, The Kingdom and Girls with Sharp Sticks.
TW: abuse, rape. Debut YA thriller The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu is a portrayal of a toxic friendship, abuse cycles and the frayed, complex in-betweens. It opens with the death of Remy’s beloved boyfriend Jack. Remy is a…
Title: Wilder Girls Author: Rory Power Genre: Horror, YA Publisher: Delacorte Press Publication Date: July 7 2019 Hardcover: 368 Pages It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and…
Trigger warning: rape. Touted as a feminist thriller for the #metoo era, Whisper Network by Chandler Baker is an unflinching portrayal of sexual abuse in the workplace. Featuring a narrative that alternates between its four main female characters, the…
Hello friends! It’s Friday and Ana is over at Kirkus with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new novel, Gods of Jade and Shadow. I loved this book so goddamn much. Go over there for the full scoop.…
9 Rated Books Book Reviews Smuggler Army
Series Review: THE VELA by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon and SL Huang
Today, we are giving the floor over to Charles Payseur, a member of our Smuggler Army with his regular column X Marks the Story with his review of Serial Box Publishing’s series The Vela by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon…
The Rise of Kyoshi is more than a worthy companion to the series – it is essential read for anyone who loves the Avatar world. …
9 Rated Books Book Reviews Kirkus
Over at Kirkus: THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
We are over at Kirkus today for our regular column! It’s Ana’s turn today, with her review of the highly anticipated (and much buzzed about) This Is How You Lose The Time War–the new joint effort from powerhouse SFF…
Title: The Gone World Author: Tom Sweterlitsch Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s SonsPublication Date: February 2019Paperback: 400 pages “I promise you have never read a story like this.”—Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter Inception meets True Detective in…
