Month: November 2019

— Adult, book review —

Deathless by Catherine M. Valente (Review)

November 28, 2019

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century… Read More Deathless by Catherine M. Valente (Review)

— book review, nonfiction —

The Illustrated Bestiary by Maia Toll (Review)

November 26, 2019

Author and spiritual wellness guide Maia Toll turns the insight and wisdom that birthed The Illustrated Crystallary and The Illustrated Herbiary — her best-selling volume on the mystical power of plants — to the mysteries of the animal kingdom. She profiles the mystical, meaningful traits of 36 powerful animals and explores how those traits can guide our intentions, inform our actions, and offer wisdom and insight… Read More The Illustrated Bestiary by Maia Toll (Review)

— Adult, book review —

The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire (Review)

November 25, 2019

Hundreds of years ago, the Selkies made a deal with the sea witch: they would have the sea for as long as she allowed it, and when the time came, she would call in all their debts at once. Many people assumed that day would never come. Those people were wrong. When the Luidaeg—October “Toby” Daye’s oldest and most dangerous ally—tells her the time has come for the Selkies to fulfill their side of the bargain, and that Toby must be a part of the process, Toby can’t refuse. Literally… Read More The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire (Review)

— ARC review, book review, young adult —

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh (ARC Review)

November 24, 2019

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret… Read More The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh (ARC Review)

— book review, nonfiction —

The Vagina Bible by Jen Gunter (Review)

November 23, 2019

So many important questions, so much convincing, confusing, contradictory misinformation! In this age of click bait, pseudoscience, and celebrity-endorsed products, it’s easy to be overwhelmed–whether it’s websites, advice from well-meaning friends, uneducated partners, and even healthcare providers. So how do you separate facts from fiction? OB-GYN Jen Gunter, an expert on women’s health–and the internet’s most popular go-to doc–comes to the rescue with a book that debunks the myths and educates and empowers women… Read More The Vagina Bible by Jen Gunter (Review)

— book review, comic/graphic novel, young adult —

Topside by J.N. Monk & Harry Bogosian (Review)

November 23, 2019

When Jo, a headstrong maintenance technician, makes an error that destabilizes her planet’s core, she only knows one way to fix things: leaving her underground home for a trip to the planet’s dangerous, unruly surface. Soon she’s wandering through deserts, riding on the backs of giant beasts, and cutting deals with con artists and bounty hunters. Meanwhile, agents of the core are in hot pursuit. J. N. Monk and Harry Bogosian (co-creators of the web-comic StarHammer) present a wild outer-space fantasy about fixing your mistakes and the friends you meet along the way… Read More Topside by J.N. Monk & Harry Bogosian (Review)

— ARC review, book review, young adult —

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler (ARC Review)

November 21, 2019

Thirteen of YA’s most celebrated names reimagine Edgar Allan Poe’s most surprising, unsettling, and popular tales for a new generation. Edgar Allan Poe may be a hundred and fifty years beyond this world, but the themes of his beloved works have much in common with modern young adult fiction. Whether the stories are familiar to readers or discovered for the first time, readers will revel in Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales, and how they’ve been brought to life in 13 unique and unforgettable ways… Read More His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler (ARC Review)

— Adult, ARC review, book review —

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (ARC Review)

November 19, 2019

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?… Read More Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (ARC Review)

— ARC review, book review, young adult —

Lifestyles of Gods & Monsters by Emily Roberson (ARC Review)

November 18, 2019

Sixteen-year-old Ariadne’s whole life is curated and shared with the world. Her royal family’s entertainment empire is beloved by the tabloids, all over social media, and the hottest thing on television. The biggest moneymaker? The Labyrinth Contest, a TV extravaganza in which Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill a monster. To win means endless glory; to lose means death. In ten seasons, no one has ever won… Read More Lifestyles of Gods & Monsters by Emily Roberson (ARC Review)