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Review: Not Quite Human (Not Quite #1) by Kaye Draper
Kaye Draper’s latest urban fantasy/romance series is going to be another hit for me, I think. This author includes a note in her book blurbs about being tired of tropes, and she puts her money where her mouth is — once again, the characters in this story were unique, fascinating, and flawed. As an added…
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Review: The Natural History of Unicorns by Chris Lavers
I like to support museum gift shops, and this was an easy buy at the Met Cloisters in New York City where I saw one of the unicorn tapestries referenced in this book. (I’ve also seen the unicorn tapestries in Paris at the Musée de Cluny, which was equally a treat.) I did not actually…
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Review: Charmed City by Michelle D. Sonnier
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased a hardcopy version of this collection for full price. I picked up this collection at one of the first conventions I ever attended, out near Pittsburgh, because I work in Baltimore proper and live near the city. Baltimore is a shared setting for these stories,…
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April Wrap-Up & May Goals
/looks around Wow, it’s been a month. So, nothing’s really changed around here. I’m still working from home. I’m still reading a lot and playing too much World of Warcraft. Despite my introvert tendencies, I’ve now missed two conferences, and I miss hanging out with people in person. I have not yet grown my own…
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Review: Fates, Fins, and Fangs (Gods & Demons #1) by Kaye Draper
I tore through the Gesa’s Menagerie series while home sick a few months ago, so it seems appropriate that I would start this next series while working full-time from home during a pandemic. This novella was a wonderful afternoon of escape, full of intriguing characters and excitement. The author states that this can be read…
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Review: Zatanna and the House of Secrets by Matthew Cody & Yoshi Yoshitani
My knowledge of Zatanna the DC superhero extends to a vague recollection of her being some sort of magician. So this was a fun middle-grade graphic novel to read as a cute stand-alone, which it totally works as. Zatanna is the quintessential young teenager, discovering herself as she hurtles toward adulthood. Cody takes one of…
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Review: The Dragon Mistress: Book 4 (Eburosi Chronicles #11) by R.A. Steffan
As is typical for me with the books in this series, I devoured this installment in a single evening. This story does an excellent job of tying up multiple story lines and plot points, beyond the obvious of the overall “get Rayth’s throne back from his evil brother.” Frella finally bonds with her dragon and…
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Review: A Furnace Sealed (Adventures of Bram Gold #1) by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased a hardcopy version of this book for full price. Sometimes a book is really easy to review. I started it about an hour before I went out with friends for the night. I spent the entire evening wishing I was back home reading the book.…
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Review: Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
This is the sort of book that gets put into print and then quickly discounted and delegated to the clearance section of a big name bookstore (which is exactly where I bought it). It’s not a strictly historical text, it’s not a feminist treatise, and it’s not going to tell you anything new about the…
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Review: Bloodline (Star Wars) by Claudia Gray
This book is an exciting political thriller that just happens to take place in the Star Wars universe starring both new and familiar faces. It includes plenty of intrigue, instances of excitement, and brief moments of lovely characterization. And while it features half a dozen point of view characters, the chief of those is Senator…
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Review: Ancillary Mercy (Imperial Radch #3) by Ann Leckie
It had been a long time since I read the first two books in this trilogy, so I’d forgotten a lot of the minor details. This story picks up pretty immediately where the previous left off, but I was able to slip right back into the action with only a few minor hiccups. This remains…
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Review: Nasty: Fetish Fights Back edited by Anna Yeatts & Chris Phillips
Disclaimer: I am acquaintances with the editors and friends or acquaintances with many of the authors; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. Favorite Stories “Aural Sex” by Jaye Wells: The unexpected love story between two intriguing characters amidst this collection of kink and fetish. Almost doesn’t fit, but so well written that I…
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Review: The Chef's Cutie (River Hill #5) by Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley
Disclaimer: I am friends with the authors; I received an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. This was a satisfying conclusion to the series of love stories in the town of River Hill! Max certainly waited long enough for his happily ever after as he fed all of the couples springing up around…
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Review: The Enterprise War (Star Trek: Discovery) by John Jackson Miller
Where was the Enterprise during season 1 of Discovery? There was a war on, after all! This book does a great job answering that question. Miller brings the Enterprise crew alive, from the senior command staff to those usually relegated to the lower decks. He does an especially good job with Anson Mount’s Captain Pike…
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Review: Resort to Love (Paradise Key #3) by Priscilla Oliveras
Disclaimer: I am acquaintances with the author; however, I purchased the hardcopy of this book for full price. It was so easy to fall into Sofia’s life and connect with her story. Oliveras has an obvious talent for crafting a well-rounded character that is more than just her love life. I supported Sofia’s long-term goals…
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Review: Q & A (Star Trek: The Next Generation) by Keith R. A. DeCandido
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this paperback at full price. This twentieth-anniversary celebration of Star Trek: The Next Generation novel is a fitting tribute to the lasting mark Q has left on the franchise. And I can’t think of a better writer to infuse Q’s ridiculousness into text form. This…
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Review: Silver Shark (Kinsmen #2) by Ilona Andrews
I enjoyed this Kinsmen tale much more than the first. While this book is a romance, it certainly doesn’t start out feeling that way. I’d even argue that this is a solid science-fiction story that just happens to include romantic elements as part of the plot. The world-building regarding Claire’s home planet and how psychers…
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Review: Midnight Riot (Rivers of London #1) by Ben Aaronovitch
I devoured this book so quickly, because it had me so absorbed, that I only took one note on my phone about it. “Great example of environment as character.” London itself comes alive in this combination urban fantasy and police procedural that the city is as much a character as Peter, his mentor Nightingale, or…
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Review: Consequence (Dark Tyrant #2) by C.R. Langille
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased a hardcopy version of this book for full price. This book picks up immediately after the events of Canyon Shadows, but is easily read as a stand-alone. It immediately grabbed me and sucked me in, with events that are all present-day and much narrower in…
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Review: Honor Reclaimed (HORNET #2) by Tonya Burrows
Disclaimer: I am acquaintances with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. With so many characters introduced in the first HORNET book, I was a bit bummed to realize that the hero of the second installment of this fun series was a brand-new teammate. However, Seth is a compelling character for multiple…
