Sensor by Junji Ito
It was Saturday and I had two options, stay at home and do laundry and not get any reading done, or take an hour or two at the library and try and get some reading done. Besides, I had to pick up some interlibrary loans anyway. I picked the library (now, you need to understand that I work at an independent bookstore, where I have access to free books, usually brand new, never touched reader copies, not like that library version of Nimona that had […]
Nimona by N.D Stevenson
I first read Nimona by N.D Stevenson in 2019 (but my version had their dead name). My main takeaway from this recent read was how the theme itself has not changed, but our perceptions of it might have. I know mine did. I didn’t even know what a dead name was four years ago. It would never have occurred to me that it is harmful to misgender or dead-name someone. In those few years, a lot has happened, and I hope I have grown past […]
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Witches keep to themselves for their own good. Mingling with other witches is an invitation for trouble and against the rules. At least that’s what Mika has always been told. And she’s used to it; like all witches, Mika’s an orphan and was raised by a succession of nannies and tutors. Her only contact with other witches is on the third Thursday of every third month. However, when she gets a message online asking her to come and tutor three young witches at Nowhere House, […]
The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
Bingo 12: Dwelling There’s a probably slightly magically sentient house in this novel, both in the title The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, and in the background as a character, but mostly as a big part of the setting. The magic manor is only one of many many tropes in this novel, to the point where I’m not sure whether this whole novel is full of clichés or it’s actually mildly ironically self-aware. There’s a sisterhood of witches with the leader type (Queenie), the sexy one […]
Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez
I really enjoyed Angelina Lopez’ Filthy Rich series, starting with Lush Money. She captured that soap opera decadence of jet setting billionaires and royalty while keeping her stories grounded in relatable emotion and centering the books on strong Hispanic women. With her Milagro Street series, she is focused on regular everyday-ish people rather than billionaires and royalty. The smaller scale feels more emotionally powerful. Lopez has said that in writing about the Mexican-American communities of Southeastern Kansas, that she is telling the stories of her heart. […]
King of Scars (King of Scars #1) by Leigh Bardugo
CBR Bingo – On The Road I don’t read a lot of YA but a good friend of mine and many members of the CBR community have raved about Bardugo’s world, so I’m in for the long haul. If you’re new to it, a piece of advice. I was told to ignore chronological order when beginning because the Six of Crows duology is so much better than the original Shadow and Bone trilogy. I was skeptical but heeded that advice and I’m glad I did […]
