Bibliocity

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune My rating: 5 of 5 stars On the back of the book, Gail Carriger's review compares the book to a combination of 1984, The Umbrella Academy and Douglas Adams. I think this is pretty apt, but I'm glad it's followed by Seanan McGuire's comments: "Sweet, comforting, and kind, this book is very close to perfect. I cannot recommend it highly enough." For those of you who appreciate a tale well told, and are interested in justice for the oppressed, you'll probably love this book. View all my reviews

Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater My rating: 5 of 5 stars I purchased the first two Regency Faerie Tales as a set, so after enjoying book #1 so much, I dove directly into book #2. I love the book, but I have to say that Ms. Atwater's Afterword made it even better. Make sure to read it! View all my reviews

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater My rating: 5 of 5 stars This the most refreshingly clever and thoughtful fairy tale that I've had the pleasure of reading for some time. Our heroine Dora, in a childhood incident, lost half her soul to a faerie lord. Dora's cousin Vanessa saved her from losing her entire soul by stabbing the elf with a pair of iron embroidery shears. Fast forward a decade or so, and we see that Dora, once a lively child, has developed into half a person -- Dora lacks the emotional connection or attention to propriety of a "normal" girl. In consequence, Vanessa engineers the girls' entry into the London season -- Auntie Frances is more than willing to expose Vanessa, at least, to potential suitors, and Vanessa knows that in London she and Dora may cross paths with the Lord Sorcier. Maybe he will be able to lift Dora's curse. I recommend this book to fantasy fans of Ella, Enchanted and Howl's Moving Castle, as...

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I've been hearing about Georgette Heyer for a while and decided to have a go. It's a historical fiction set in Georgian England -- so you'll hear references to powdered wigs and jeweled slippers. The story follows the youngest and most precocious of three aristocratic daughters, Horatia. In a loving but artless fashion that underlines her youth, Horatia offers herself in marriage to her sister Elizabeth's suitor, Earl Rule, so that Elizabeth can marry the man she loves. Earl Rule accepts, and the reader is led on a string of plots, intrigues, and humorous/dangerous adventures that turn a marriage of convenience into something else. If you like Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel, you'll enjoy this one. I loved the comic touches. It's a clean read with some references and attempts at ravishment and rapine. View all my reviews

Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my first exposure to Paul Yoon, and not my last. I had absolutely no idea that such devastation ripped Laos apart, no clue at all about any of the history of this war-ravaged land. Mr. Yoon notes in his acknowledgements that President Barack Obama visited Laos and "acknowledged America's role in the war and committed further support in safely removing, and disposing of, the UXOs that still remain throughout the country." The book is divided by narrators; each narrator tells in his or her words what happened to them when they were young and orphans in a country riddled with unexploded "bombies" -- baseball-sized ordinance that when stepped on or driven over, would maim and kill. The three main characters assist at a mansion-turned-hospital, and the stories follow them through the nightmare landscape of assisting surgeries, riding motorcycles through safe zones, dodgin...

Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is a just-right fantasy for those of you who appreciate a clean read. Very light romance -- one kissing scene that's pretty tame, and flirting with a little heat. It's an inventive tale about a group of women (bone criers) whose job it is to ferry the dead to the afterlife with a special bone flute. In order to be able to ferry the dead, they must have special skills; these are gathered by making kills and joining one's blood with the essence of the animal through its bones, which then grant the bone crier the ability to see the dead and the strength to ferry them. Part of the initiation into the job of ferrier requires yet one more sacrifice -- the life of the postulant's amouré (one true love). Aliesse is the heir of the bone crier matrone (head of the clan), and her best friend is Sabine. Aliesse has her three animal bones, and it's time to meet her amour...

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another action-packed series starter from SJM. The narrator is a post-college half-fae, half-human female living in a tough world. She's lost a lot, and loses more as the book progresses, but gains so much and kicks a** doing it. Looking forward to #2. The book references sexual exploits, alcohol and drug abuse/overuse/recreational use, and contains 2 steamy sex scenes for those of you who appreciate the caution/invitation. If you liked the Throne of Glass series, you'll like the action and violence and character development. I wouldn't call this a YA book, though. More up there with the Court of Thorns and Roses series in terms of adult themes. Some great plot twists and turns -- definitely didn't see a few of those coming. View all my reviews

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rin Chupeco created a very thickly populated (fantasy world,characters) first book in a series here. I had some trouble with lack of character development -- maybe too many characters and too much going on for my brain to process. I really like the concept of an alternate reality that is is rich in fairy tale history, and I really appreciate Ms. Chupeco's diverse cast and her drawing from so many different rich cultural sources. Thanks for that. I am looking forward to book 2, hoping that I get to see more into the hearts of the characters. View all my reviews

Burn by Patrick Ness My rating: 4 of 5 stars Yet again, Mr. Ness does not disappoint. This was such a great start to a series. We have 1950s Washington, 1950s bigotry, dragons, dragon-loving cults, Sputnik and prophecies. I loved the point at which my expectations were blown away by a surprising turn of events that really deepened and opened up the story. View all my reviews

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger My rating: 4 of 5 stars Elatsoe has a ghost dog and lives in an America where myth is just another part of reality. I really appreciated the novel for its fresh ideas and the focus on family (present and past) and community. If you like mysteries and ghost stories, you'll enjoy this clean read. View all my reviews

Skyhunter by Marie Lu My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a great beginning to another series from Marie Lu. Lots of action/adventure, and Ms. Lu does a fantastic job of building connection to the characters. The heroine Talin is a refugee who has been allowed to join the Maran Strikers, an elite band of warriors whose task it is to defend Mara from the Federation, especially the Federation's mutant Ghosts. Early in the novel, Talin's place as a Striker is challenged first by sorrow and second by the unexpected. The book was un-put-downable. For fans of Marie Lu, this one does not disappoint. If you like Sanderson's Steelheart, Brown's Red Rising, Roth's Divergent, Collins' Hunger Games, and other series in the action/adventure/fantasy/sci fi genres, you'll enjoy this one. Unfortunately for me, the next book in the series doesn't release until September 2021. View all my reviews

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh my gosh, this book was so good. Totally worth waiting several weeks for my library copy. I am so thankful for the care and tenderness with which Ms. O'Farrell treated her characters. Having 3 boys of my own probably meant that I cried more than your average reader, but thank you, thank you for all the beautiful words you used to tell this story, Ms. O'Farrell. View all my reviews

Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang My rating: 4 of 5 stars Loved this book, loved seeing the world through the narrator's eyes -- not fitting in (Are you Asian? Chinese? American? How narrow is the fence that you're balancing on?), dating a white guy, job discrimination, moving to Ithaca, NY from the Bay Area and trying to find meaning in it all... View all my reviews

The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman My rating: 4 of 5 stars These are such fun books. Love the characters, action, plot twists. In this one, we run into old foes and have to defeat them all over again, and our heroine discovers more about her origins. I like the new Fae librarian assistant, Catherine. Yes, things move quickly. Yes, it's action-packed and the character development might suffer a little as a result, but those of you who've read them all know them by now, which allows Cogman to move the plot forward at a canter. If you like steampunk, alternate universes, and librarians with all the mad skillz, you'll love this series. View all my reviews