I loved this book. I already thought Schwab was great, but this book combines so many things I love – history, travel, France – and it’s really character/relationship driven. The story is complicated, and there were lots of times I found myself trying to poke holes in the logistics of it all. But it’s worth…
I liked everything about Harrow’s new novel, a story that blends the mythology of Grimm’s fairy tales with historical misogyny. The Eastwood sisters Beatrice, Agnes, and Juniper haven’t seen each other for seven years. The two elder sisters fled the family farm because of their abusive father, and the youngest, Juniper, has been scarred by…
If you’re a fan of gothic horror, you will love this book. I’m not a huge fan of the gothic novel, although I did enjoy Rebecca and I like seeing how other authors take on this genre. I read it mainly because it’s by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, who wrote the fantastic Gods of Jade and Shadow. I…
I read this book for the Read Harder 2019 Challenge. I needed an #ownvoices book set in Oceania: the #ownvoices part means by an indigenous author, and Oceania is Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific islands. The Things She’s Seen is by brother and sister Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, from the Palyku people of…
Recently, BookRiot posted this list of 50 Must-Read Fantasy Books by Women. https://bookriot.com/2019/07/25/fantasy-books-by-women/. Like most readers, I love a good list, and I’ve read a lot of the books on this list. If you’re a fantasy reader and you’re looking for a few good books, check it out, and let me know what books on the…
July was a pretty heavy reading month, but this book was pure fun and I enjoyed every bit of it. Moreno-Garcia’s novel is set in 1920’s Mexico, where Casiopea, a young woman in Yucatan, is struggling in her oppressive grandfather’s home. It begins as a Cinderella story — Casiopea and her mother are poor relations,…
This year I read nearly all of the Hugo nominees for best novel and best novella, because my husband and I get to vote for the winners. Voting closes at the end of this month and the results will be announced at WorldCon at the awards ceremony August 18 (we bought a non-attending ticket so…
This year my husband signed up to vote in the Hugo Awards, and together we’re reading as many of the nominees as possible. Voting runs from May 11 to July 31, and the awards are announced in August at WorldCon in Dublin. As described on their website, the Hugo awards are awards for excellence in…
I loved this debut fantasy novel by Tasha Suri. It’s well-written and creates a fascinating world with a terrifying villain. It’s inspired by the Mughal Empire of India, something I knew absolutely nothing about before reading this book — which is why fiction by diverse writers is so important. Suri brings cultural references and perspectives to…
I loved this book, set in 18th century England, about a lonely merchant who comes upon a mermaid that changes his life. Gowar’s debut novel is one of those rare books you can’t possibly categorize – is it historical fiction, fantasy, romance, or just literature? I heard of this book when it was nominated and…
It’s a few weeks until Halloween, but here are some of the RIP-themed books I’ve read lately. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: I loved this book by Justina Ireland; it’s one of the rare YA fantasy novels that felt really thoughtful and raised interesting issues, at the same time providing an exciting and very creepy…
One of my favorite annual blog events is Readers Imbibing Peril, or RIP. Because let’s face it, the real world is scary enough. This event runs from September 1 to October 31, and is all about reading things that are spooky, whether they are mystery, horror, thriller, fantasy, or supernatural. R.I.P. XIII is a fun way…
The Book Stop 