All authors recreate worlds with their fiction, but fantasy writers build new worlds from within their own mind. But what about the feat of taking the real world and generating a world that exists right alongside it? That’s what Olivie Blake does in her debut novel, The Atlas Six, a mesmeric story with the world of magic co-existing alongside we boring mortals (but not in Harry ... Read More...
Under the Whispering Door
I wasn’t planning on it, but this is going to be a week of reviewing fantastical fiction. On Monday I discussed Cloud Cuckoo Land and today I’m back with Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune. It’s the story of Wallace Price, an astute and successful lawyer, who also happens to be a fairly terrible person (insert lawyer joke here). He dies of a sudden heart attack and finds ... Read More...
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Often when it’s time to begin a book review I try and draw from the facts—plot, place, biographical details. Because I read so much (and don’t have the discipline I should) specifics tend to blur by the time I sit down to write so in starting there I bring the book back to me. All of that is moot when it comes to novels like The House in the Cerulean Sea. I can sum up the book ... Read More...
Six Best Books of 2020
In the same way 2020 turned life upside-down it had the same impact on people’s reading. For me, I read more nonfiction than ever before—from 11% up to 20%. Even more surprising, after reviewing my 2020 book ratings I saw how varied my favorite reading ended up being. Here are the six best new releases of 2020 covering six genres. Enjoy! REALITY If I were to pick ... Read More...
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Last week I wished for a big, immersive book to keep my mind far away from reality. Thanks to a recommendation from my friend, Susie, I got it. And, once again, in the way of the bookish universe, it was about making a wish. Or, at the very least: Be careful what you wish for. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a novel that spans 300 years in a mere 400 pages and makes the ... Read More...
