They’re just what I’ve felt like recently. We’ve all had a bit too much real life lately, so why not? A bit of lighthearted murder, set in a quaint town with an eclectic and entertaining cast of characters. A quirky main character acting as amateur sleuth, and with a slow-burn love interest. A trail of … Continue reading Cosy up with a cosy mystery
Duelling in full armour one minute and embroidering flowers into a fine coat the next, this is a story of parallels and opposites, destiny and agency, nature and nurture. The Symmetry of Stars by Alex Myers follows two sets of twins, each pair the champions of opposing gods vying for control of the world. From … Continue reading The Symmetry of Stars
NPR kicked off their summer reader poll results with the question at the heart of science fiction and fantasy: “what if?” They’ve pulled together a bang up-to-date list of “Your 50 Favorite Sci-Fi And Fantasy Books Of The Past Decade” which reads like a who’s who of my book shelf and bedside reading pile. I … Continue reading Summer reader poll: 50 fave SFF books 2011-2021
Do you remember something like this from Pride? We had huge uptake last time, so when I saw they were pulling together a bunch of romantic comedies I had to get involved! This batch of books has mostly a mix of ladies and gents, so if you’re only after the gents this might not be … Continue reading Win this big bunch of romcom reads
The Story of Silence by Alex Myers is a beautiful book, a fairy tale that’s full of heart, a joy to read. The Goodreads description‘s first paragraph sold me right away, rounded out with the perfect comparison titles: A knightly fairy tale of royalty and dragons, of midwives with secrets and dashing strangers in dark … Continue reading The Story of Silence
I know for many, June is the start of summer, pride month, etc. But for us in the southern hemisphere, it’s all the other way around. This week has been the coldest (nudging up against zero) and darkest (shortest day!) this year for me. So, that means less time outside, and more time for snuggling … Continue reading Winter reading and streaming
Gays, laughs, books – triple threat! I’ve hooked up with these authors to help promote each others’ books. Check out these two gay books for sale on Amazon, and a big bundle of over 30 comedies (including a mix of free previews and full books). If you give any a shot, let me know how … Continue reading Two gay reads and a big bundle of comedies
TLDR: I tore through Project Hail Mary, the latest scifi thriller from Andy Weir (author of The Martian and Artemis), turning the final page a couple of hours before we were treated to a blood supermoon. As with The Martian and Artemis, Andy Weir has infused Project Hail Mary with mystery, scientific curiosity, humour, and … Continue reading Project Hail Mary and a total eclipse of the Moon
TLDR: Robot hacks itself and watches soap operas, but the inconvenient humans keep endangering themselves. This science fiction series by Martha Wells is the most heartwarming, humane, and hilarious treatment of artificial intelligence I have come across. The prickly and sarcastic Security Unit – which secretly refers to itself as Murderbot – has hacked the … Continue reading The Murderbot Diaries
This story bowled me over. Alix E Harrow builds a fascinating and strange world, breaking your heart in only a handful of pages. Set on a world straddling the Mississippi River, with the civilised East determined to subdue, stabilise, and settle the wild and ever-changing West. This is not the analogy of the Wild West … Continue reading The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage
