This summer I read 21 books for the 20 Books of Summer, hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. From my original list, I read 11 books, which isn’t bad since I rarely stick too closely to my TBR lists. I reviewed 14 of these books (though some in mini-reviews). Lafayette in the Somewhat United States…
It’s tempting to compare this book to What it Means When A Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah. Both are debut short story collections from diverse authors, and both blend contemporary and speculative fiction. I enjoyed both, and I’m not a big reader of short stories normally, but I’m coming to appreciate…
I loved this book of short stories. Arimah has a really vivid way of telling a story, and her stories covered a wide range of issues and genres. The title story was one of the most interesting. The narrator is a mathematician in a future post-apocalyptic world where most of the continents are now underwater. …
This book about a series of murders on the Osage reservation in the 1920’s was incredibly powerful. At first you may wonder why this particular murder of a woman in Oklahoma matters. And by the end of the book (as in Just Mercy) you see why it matters very much. Maybe one murder is never…
For the last few years, Cathy at 746 Books has hosted the 20 Books of Summer challenge. You make a list of 20 books and try to read them between June 1 and September 1. In past years, I’ve had no trouble reading 20 books in 3 months, the issue is more can I read…
I love this series, which is about a real-life woman in the 1910’s who was one of the first female deputy sheriffs. Amy Stewart builds the novels in this series around actual people and events and she ends each one with a description of her research. If you haven’t read the series, but like historical…
Sadly, my favorite season is coming to a close, and with it, the 20 Books of Summer Challenge hosted by 746 Books. I started off strong, fell off the list in July, and here’s how I ended up. Total books read this summer: 22 Books read from 20 Books of Summer Challenge List: 15 Books…
I found this book about a marriage in Nigeria fascinating and meaningful, although it wasn’t quite what I expected. The story begins with a married couple who now live apart. Yejide is going to see her husband after many years for his father’s funeral. Then the story takes us back to the early years of…
This summer I’ve been reading a lot of great science fiction and fantasy. This batch is all science fiction, although I’m finding the distinction is somewhat blurred in a lot of what I read. I suppose that’s because I don’t read too much traditional science fiction (which I think of as relying on technological and…
This month I torpedoed my 20 Books of Summer list by signing up for a pile of NetGalleys and ARCs. I’m not saying I regret those reads, which were quite good; something just made me go “off-list” this month. Otherwise, my July was all about my sister – I got to visit her in Wisconsin…
I liked this book a lot more than I expected to, and I find myself referring to it often. It’s well-written and Vance tells his story in an engaging and meaningful way. More importantly, he humanizes the people living in the Appalachian area while not idealizing them. In fact, he argues very clearly that this…
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…
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