Hitting all the high notes
There's a trope in the romance genre that almost always entertains me. And there is an author who does likewise. So you can imagine my happiness when I realized that After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long has both.
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Posts by Jane J
Saving Godzilla?
I've been waiting to tell you about John Scalzi's forthcoming title for a while now as it was just the antidote I needed for a reading slump. At the time most things I'd been reading were eliciting a tepid, 'ah it was fine' response. And then came the Kaiju. Not only were they a saving grace for me, but based on the author note included in the book, were one for Scalzi as well. He'd been struggling with another book as the pandemic worsened and just couldn't make progress when the idea for this story popped into his head.
Edwardian era magic
There are some books that make me feel like I'm smiling from the first page to the last. I finish the book and immediately want to tell everyone about the delight I had in reading it (I think I've already mentioned it to multiple co-workers). Such was the case with A Marvellous Light, a debut queer fantasy novel full of "magic, contracts, and conspiracies".
50 Fabulous Favorites
In their summer reading poll this year NPR decided to focus on the past decade of science fiction and fantasy writing. They first elicited votes from readers and then had a panel of expert judges curate the final list of 50 titles. The result is about as good as it gets if you're looking for "recommended" reads in these genres.
Something in the shadows
In her latest standalone thriller Stevens uses the true story of murders of indigenous women along Highway 16 (aka the Highway of Tears) in British Columbia as a jumping off point. At the heart of this novel are two young women whose lives entwine and overlap within a dark and violent set of events in the small town of Cold Creek, BC. Hailey McBride is seventeen years old and has just lost her only remaining parent, her dad.
Working the lines
The other night I was reading on my tablet and realized it needed charging. But I still wanted to be reading. So I picked Linesman from my pile of library books and thought 'I'll just read it for a while and then head to bed'. Best laid plans. A few hours later (at 4:30 in the morning!) I turned the last page and immediately went to the LINKcat app on my phone to put book two in the series (Alliance) on hold. I love when that happens with a book, especially one I had no expectations of going in.
It's a scholarship program, darn it!
Charlotte Gorman and her twin Ginny could not be more different. Where Charlotte favors Harry Potter t-shirts and jeans, Ginny wouldn't be caught out in public (or on her Instagram feed) in anything less then full makeup and fashion-forward outfits. And where Charlotte is an elementary school librarian, Ginny is a beauty pageant professional. And it's at Ginny's latest pageant, Miss American Treasure, where their two disparate lives collide.
Starring in her own story
Hattie Greenfield has, with her friends, been part of the suffragist movement in London. But until now her participation has been on the fringes and, let's face it, a bit half-hearted. Yes she supports the general idea that women should have more rights, but she's never sure just how far to push things. So when a personal adventure lands her in a rushed marriage to financier Lucian Blackstone, Hattie is more than a little stunned and very unhappy. The powerful, agressive Scottish businessman is the last person she would have chosen.
Doing justice
Sometimes when I read a book that is stellar I'm a little nervous about writing a review. I fear that I will not be able to capture the magic of the book and do it justice. Razorblade Tears is just such a book. And yet here I am and here's the deal: It's a book that is getting all the buzz, being named on all the "best of the year so far" lists, and will definitely be an award-winner (in fact it may already be nominated for something). So whatever I write here, know that this is a book you should read.
Fate of empires
In the first book of what will be the Burning Kingdoms trilogy Tasha Suri takes the reader into a intricately built and richly detailed fantasy world based on the history and epics of India. She centers her story of empires and colonialism on two strong young women who find that their "destinies [will] become irrevocably tangled".