Gah, combo breaker! I was doing so well updating these weekly. But here's my excuse: Nothing major, I just missed a step in my Escher painting house and crumpled. Anyhoo... Mister Magic I did a little squeak of joy when my ARC request was approved for Kiersten White's latest novel. Her previous adult novel, Hide, … Continue reading My Week in Reading – Feb. 23rd, 2023
Review: Lost Places, by Sarah Pinsker (Small Beer Press)
If you’re not already familiar with Sarah Pinkser’s work, then heave yourself out from under that giant rock, and brace yourself. Lost Places is Pinsker’s latest collection of stories, all of which are beautiful in their own way. The collection starts with Two Truths and a Lie, Pinsker’s amazing Nebula and Hugo-winning novelette, about a … Continue reading Review: Lost Places, by Sarah Pinsker (Small Beer Press)
Review: Sister, Maiden, Monster, by Lucy A. Snyder (Tor Nightfire)
No matter how awful your experience of COVID-19 was, in Sister, Maiden, Monster, Lucy A. Snyder goes all out to speculate how it could have been so, so much worse. Sister, Maiden, Monster follows the progress of a deadly pandemic, from the perspective of three different women. Erin, recently engaged to Gregory, is quarantined due … Continue reading Review: Sister, Maiden, Monster, by Lucy A. Snyder (Tor Nightfire)
My Week in Reading – Feb. 14th, 2023
Happy Valentine’s Day! Unfortunately, my husband gave up on buying books for me many years ago, so no exciting gift news to share. Let's get to the good stuff. Episode Thirteen Riding high on the wave of awesomeness that is Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House, I decided to give another male-authored modern horror … Continue reading My Week in Reading – Feb. 14th, 2023
My Week in Reading – Feb. 7th, 2023
How to Sell a Haunted House Oh my sweet lord, this book! Grady Hendrix has written so completely disturbing and hilarious. What a ride! Hendrix really takes the time to establish his characters before launching into all-out mayhem; it's an incredibly well-written novel. There was a moment when I literally screamed "OH NO!" I listened … Continue reading My Week in Reading – Feb. 7th, 2023
My Week in Reading – Jan. 31st, 2023
I'll be honest, reading has been slooooooow this week. I'm pretty stressed out about various life things. Reading is my safe space, but sometimes my brain just says, "nope". Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar After their 2021 entertaining/depressing book, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, these amazing sisters are back with The World Record … Continue reading My Week in Reading – Jan. 31st, 2023
Review: The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, by Tananarive Due (Akashic)
New Tananarive Due book klaxon!! Okay, some of these stories have already been published elsewhere, but any new work from Due is cause for celebration. Due has broken this work into sections; Wishes, The Gracetown Stories, The Nayima Stories, and Future Shock. The Wishes section contains my favorite stories; tales with a hint of the … Continue reading Review: The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, by Tananarive Due (Akashic)
Listen for the Screams – My Favorite Free Audio Horror
If you're anything like me, you need something to block out the voices in your head as you go about your daily business. Luckily for you, I've sourced the best in free, quality horror to replace your internal monologue with unsettling tales. The Hotel - Daisy Johnson I think about Daisy Johnson's debut novel, Everything … Continue reading Listen for the Screams – My Favorite Free Audio Horror
Review: The Spite House, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
There are so many delicious things in the plot synopsis for The Spite House, that I found it completely impossible to resist. A man fleeing his life under mysterious circumstances with his two daughters in tow - check! A job offer to stay in an old house with “pronounced paranormal activity” - big check! An … Continue reading Review: The Spite House, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
My Favorite Books of 2022
My reading year has been a bit of a strange one. Around September I started to get a bit of reader burnout, and I felt like finishing a book became more important to me than actually enjoying the experience of reading. I don’t actually remember reading some of the books on my Goodreads, but apparently … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2022
California Reading 