The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher Adventure Fantasy Retelling of the Snow Queen Romance * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) In her author’s note, T. Kingfisher says this has its roots Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” but it’s much more palatable. “Hans Christian Andersen was a weird dude…His idea of a happy ending is that everybody died attended by angels (or if you are very fortunate, in church with your feet … Read more
Toto by AJ Hackwith Fantasy Retelling * * * Stars (Pretty good) The Wizard of Oz from Toto’s point of view (with nods to current culture trends). This is a breezy read in some ways – just touching upon a lot of plot points that receive more attention in L. Frank Baum’s books/the movie. But the characters offer up a lot of surprises – the Scarecrow wasn’t always thus and is a magic practitioner in … Read more
I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle Dragons Fantasy Funny Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Princess Cerise is Exhausted from interviewing a never-ending succession of princes (all vying for her hand) until she meets Prince Reginald in the forest one day and finds herself completely smitten. She rushes home to put the castle in order before his arrival and entreats her father to bring in the dragon exterminator, as their accommodations … Read more
Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch Mystery * * * Stars (Pretty good) Penny loved her pony more than anything else, but she is separated from him at the age of 12 when a murder causes her family to move across the country and she’s forced to sell him. The pony is super salty about his treatment afterwards and vows to find Penny and get revenge. But in the telling of the story of Penny’s ultimate … Read more
Dungeon Crawler Carl Dungeon Crawler Carl #1 by Matt Dinniman Adventure Fantasy Science Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Earth has been repossessed by aliens for its minerals, and anyone who was inside some kind of structure when the aliens showed up is immediately crushed out of existence. Any remaining humans have been invited to participate in a dungeon crawling game for their survival and the rest of the universe’s entertainment, as their progress … Read more
The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry Fantasy * * * * Stars (Great!) Biddy (Bridget) was orphaned as an infant and raised by a mage on a magical island (Hy Brasil) that most people don’t believe exist. She’s seventeen now, and getting kind of antsy to leave her home and see what the rest of the world (ideally, London) is like. Rowan, the mage who took her in, keeps promising that he’ll take her there … Read more
The Talk by Darrin Bell Autobiography Biography Graphic Novel * * * * Stars (Great!) Darrin Bell (winner of the 2019 Pulitzer prize for his editorial cartooning) writes (and draws) about his experiences growing up Black. His Black father didn’t know how to talk to him about being Black, and eventually left. His White mother couldn’t completely understand, but she always came out swinging in Bell’s defense whenever she heard about any injustices, racism, bullying, … Read more
Starter Villain by John Scalzi Science Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Charlie moved back home to Barrington, IL to take care of his sick father who passed away not too long ago, leaving his home/estate to be split amongst his children. Charlie’s siblings would like him to vacate the house so they can collect their share. And they get their wish when it suddenly explodes. But that’s getting ahead of things. Just … Read more
Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA by Kirk Goldsberry Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Sprawlball will change the way readers watch basketball. A lean on statistics more recently in more recent years has been confusing. However, this book perfectly explains exactly how basketball has changed. The stretch four and spacing is well described and not only told to readers, but is shown to the readers. … Read more
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Fantasy Psychological Science Fiction Supernatural Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The café Funiculi Funicula allows its patrons to travel back in time. By sitting in a particular seat in the café, you follow the stories of “The Lovers, “Husband and Wife,” “The Sisters,” or “Mother and Child.” Whether they travel back to convince their husband or try to reconnect with their lover with … Read more