Instead of reading the series I’m already into, I started three more series last month. All worth checking out, but at the top of my list goes this novella: All Systems Red by Martha Wells The first novella in the Murderbot series, it’s won the Nebula Award, the Alex Award, and is a finalist for…
Today’s reviews are about two books on the Nebula Award finalist list. The Nebula Awards recognize the best works of science fiction and fantasy published in the United States as selected by members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly Amberlough is a difficult-to-categorize book. I was expecting science…
This book is an often-disturbing look at some classic children’s tales. If you’ve read much children’s literature, you know many of these stories are pretty creepy to begin with, like Grimm’s Cinderella where the sisters cut off their toes and heels to fit in the slippers, and Snow White where the evil queen is forced…
Last month I read the final book in two trilogies, and I began a new one (that is really an old one). I’ll start with the new one. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler Octavia Butler is such a fantastic writer. She wrote one of my favorite books this year, Bloodchild. This one, Parable…
I read these books in September but didn’t have a chance to post any reviews, so now here we are at Halloween and these are three perfect Halloween-time reads. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire This series has been around for a while (since 2009), and most urban fantasy readers already know of Seanan McGuire. …
Last month I wrote about Daniel Price and an article he wrote in Literary Hub about developing strong, non-sexist female characters and how he responded to criticism of his novel The Flight of the Silvers. After he solicited additional input from one of his readers, he writes that he took that input and applied it…
Here are three more science fiction and fantasy mini-reviews, brought to you by the 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Since it’s pretty difficult to review books that are part of series, I’m keeping these short. I recommend all three if you’re looking for good, but not too heavy, summer reads. Good Omens: The Nice and…
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis I’ve been wanting to read something by Connie Willis for a while now. In April I went to an exhibit of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle at the Museum of Pop Culture, and Willis was one of the female authors featured. To Say…
Set in 1812, Arabella is a young woman who has grown up on Mars but now is expected to marry and live the life of a society woman in England. That doesn’t go over so well, and Arabella is desperate for the freedoms she enjoyed as a child. When her brother’s life is threatened, she…
My husband and I disagree about Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series. He wanted to like them but didn’t find that the alternative history involving the dragons made sense, and that bothered him enough that he didn’t continue reading. The issue is basically this: a world where dragons exist would be radically different, and yet the Napoleonic…
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith I approached this book with some trepidation, because the reviews said it was more gruesome than the other two (and I found book two pretty gruesome). This book is definitely disturbing, and it’s more disturbing than book two because this one’s about a serial killer who stalks women and…
I really liked this novel by Anders (novelist and editor of i09) because it mixes science fiction and fantasy, engaging the two in a sort of debate: which is more powerful, magic or science, and can they peacefully co-exist? It’s the story of two life-long friends, and occasional enemies, Laurence and Patricia. Patricia is drawn…
The Book Stop 