Clad in Gossamer by Nancy Kress

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Clad in Gossamer
Author: Nancy Kress
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

Thoughts

This was an absolutely brilliant spin on the Emperor’s New Clothes. Honestly, there was a little surprise around every corner, and I was never completely sure of what to expect from one moment to the next. Yet, it still kind of captured the themes of the original, exactly what I tend to enjoy within a retelling.

I love that the Prince in this tried to upstage and destroy his brother, and in doing so, managed to destroy himself. Again, I was constantly surprised about what was going to happen next and how it was going to work out. But, mostly I just really enjoyed that the more you got to know and dislike the prince, the more you realised what a hole he was potentially digging himself.

There were so many layers to this short story, and I love that no matter how many times you read it, you’re going to find an extra moment to notice and interpret. I particularly loved how perceptions and interpretations can be so wrong. Specifically the Prince’s misunderstanding of the women within this story and how their actions were so seriously misunderstood.

I absolutely adored this short story, and thought that it was brilliantly executed. Definitely one that I’ll read again in the future.

<- The Vanishing VirginPrecious ->

Image source: Wikipedia

Crave This! by Tasha Black

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Crave This!
Author: Tasha Black
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

This was one of those books that I really enjoyed, but I have no urge to dive further into the series. It’s a very sweet one-night-stand / fated mates / secret baby kind of story. And, although I didn’t necessarily agree with some of Sarah’s decisions, ultimately everyone got out of this story with a lovely little happily ever after. I also liked the idea of 300 moons before the shifters were able to greet their animal. But, it was a little bit simplistic as well. I need a little more character growth to my characters. Thus, as much as I enjoyed this, I don’t have much to say, nor will I read anymore Tasha Black.

<- More paranormal romanceMore shapeshifters ->

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37561299-crave-thisImage source: Goodreads

The Boys of Goose Hill by Charles de Lint

Book Review
Overview

Title: The Boys of Goose Hill
Author: Charles de Lint
In: The Faery Reel (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Poetry
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Poem
Year: 2004

Thoughts

I really loved this poem, and thought that it was a great way to start off the The Faery Reel collection. It was a wonderfully lyrical poem which focused on the more traditional views of the fae. And not the kind, generous ones. The ones that make you know that you should never invite the fae into your home and lives.

One of my favourite things about reading poetry is the beautiful cadence and lilt that some poems have to them. De Lint manages to create a beautiful flow to this story that made me read this poem about three times before turning to the next piece of prose in this collection.

This was an incredibly fun and enjoyable read. One that I will most definitely read again in the future.

<- The Faery ReelCatnyp ->

Image source: Amazon

The Beast by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for green monkey dreams isobelle carmody book cover

Title: The Beast
Author: Isobelle Carmody
In: Green Monkey Dreams (Isobelle Carmody)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Dystopia
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1996

Thoughts

This short story was incredibly dark and uncomfortable. Which is honestly a bit of why I like Isobelle Carmody, and I’m finding that within the Green Monkey Dreams collection, the stories are particularly dark and uncomfortable. The reason that they strike this tone with me – because, they make me think about the current state of the world and just completely freak me out.

I love that this short story focuses on the darkness that seems to be inherent in humanity. And how our very actions are a form of cannibalisation. Or at least, that’s what I got out of this story. It might be the scary times that we currently find ourselves in, but there is something just… self-destructive about our actions, and this story of The Beast focuses on this.

At first, I thought that the beast within this story was going to be an external creature. One that is preying upon those left behind after the apocalypse. Instead, it’s the beast within the narrator. Which, somehow was all that much more terrifying. It made me incredibly uncomfortable as I realised just how… beastly the beast was. Which is sometimes, honestly, why I read short stories.

Throughout all of the darkness in this story, I like that there was the underlying thread of hope throughout. It might have been a dark story overall, but there is that sense of hope. Hope for the future and redemption, even when everything is dark.

<- RoachesThe Lemming Factor ->

Image source: Allen & Unwin

Any Way the Wind Blows by Seanan McGuire

Book Review,
Overview

Title: Any Way the Wind Blows
Author: Seanan McGuire
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Science fiction
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2019

Thoughts

This is a fun short story – it’s a bit of a departure from the ordinary world into something that’s a little extraordinary. And, as with all McGuire books on my shelves, I enjoyed this thoroughly. Particularly as it packs a whole lot of information into very few pages – I mean, there’s literally a whole world created in about 50 pages. That takes a lot of talent, and makes it very interesting.

I love the idea of an airbus transporting between layers of reality. Layers which are overlapping, mostly I just loved the idea of reality as a baklava. And now, everytime I think of this story, I think of food. And reality. And time travel…

<- More Seanan McGuireMore science fiction ->

Image source: Macmillian Publishers

Reading Update as of Early April 2024

Book Review

It’s been a bit of a few months, new baby, the Terrible Twos and a sick father. But, it’s meant a fair bit of reading and some really enjoyable, light reads. There’s nothing like a good book at the end of a hard day to help you drift off. And the fact that even a lot of these ‘light reads’ talked about some serious issues… bloody brilliant!

Series

Short story collections

Standalones – Novel

Standalones – Novella

Standalones – Short stories

The Unicorn Herd by Arizona Tape

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: The Unicorn Herd
Author: Arizona Tape
Series: The Griffin Sanctuary #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, LGBTQI, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I honestly just read this because I’m going through the alphabet when I’m picking books at the moment (I have no idea why). So, of the “U” books, this one looked like the most fun (and I’ve enjoyed my forays into Tape’s writing before). And wow, am I glad that I picked this story. It was a great read, and the premise of being a keeper at a paranormal zoo – I seriously need more! I honestly couldn’t put this down, not just for the joy of meeting the different characters, but I loved the day to day reality of being an apprentice zookeeper.

As I was reading this, I was really worried that this was going to be a series that follows a different couple each book – I hadn’t really read much about the series overall. And, I’m glad to say that that’s not the case. Rather, at the conclusion of this, Charlotte is poised to continue her awesome work and continuing to make the relationships that I really enjoyed throughout. Plus, there are more animals to discover and fall in love with.

Although I primarily fixated on the animals in this story, because I’m animal obsessed, I also loved the development of the characters. I love that when Charlotte’s love interest reveals that she is interested, she reminds Charlotte to not just make assumptions. We’re all guilty of it, and I loved that gentle way that Charlotte is reminded to stop and think about what she is assuming. And how both the women are able to build themselves up together, even if they have a bit of a rougher start to their relationship.

The Unicorn Herd was a beautiful story and one that left me feeling content and happy after I finished the final page. It was a fairly quick and easy read, but that’s sometimes all that you need. And I’m glad that I had the privilege of diving into this world. Being swept away in the fantastic world building of Tape and just finding yet another enjoyable series to leave on my TBR.

<- The Fairy FestivalThe Phoenix Nest ->

Image source: Amazon

The Griffin Mission by Arizona Tape

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: The Griffin Mission
Author: Arizona Tape
Series: The Griffin Sanctuary #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, LGBTQI, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2021

Thoughts

This was a very short and easy read, one that told the tale of how the Griffin Sanctuary came about. The founders, Ella and Starlise were introduced to my knowledge in The Unicorn Herd (because I read this first), so it was fun to see how they fell for each other and created the sanctuary. Plus, there is some massive fangirling about the couple and their dedication to animals in The Unicorn Herd, so I kind of liked reading about the very beginning of all of this.

The Griffin Mission also gave more context to the world building of the Griffin Sanctuary. I thought it was a world that was nestled just beneath our own and existed side by side – because most of the fantasy genred books I read tend to do this. Instead, it’s actually based in a parallel world. One that works much like ours, but with some differences. I actually quite enjoyed the way in which this worked. Plus, the idea of portals between worlds and the fact that there are those who just stumble onto them sometimes.

Alongside the cute little romance and world building, I mostly just loved the idea of griffins. I love how Tape has taken a paranormal creature that pops up into a lot of stories and just kind of expanded on them. Like all animals, she’s given them different species and subspecies. Each with their own unique challenges and needs. Something that was ridiculously cute and adorable, plus, it made the whole idea of a paranormal sanctuary even more appealing. And now I can’t wait to read more of this series again.

<- More Arizona TapeThe Fairy Festival ->

Image source: eBay

Flirting with the Scrooge by Gia Stevens

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Flirting with the Scrooge
Author: Gia Stevens
Series: Harbor Highlands #6
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

Grumpy-sunshine romances are always a well-loved trope in my bookshelves. And I love that this is a Scrooge-Christmas lover romance. I’m absolutely obsessed with the idea of someone who is Christmas obsessed ending up with someone who is completely against it. It might be the final book in this series (currently), but it was a great introduction to the Harbor Highlands for me. One that has made me dive into the rest of the series with gusto.

On top of the wonderful tropes in this story that I seriously appreciated, is the fact that the male lead is a hidden rockstar. It’s an intriguing plot device, although at first, it does make him act like a bit of a douche canoe. I mean, he is an absolute tosser to Tatum when they first meet. But, luckily, reading this from his point of view, lets you understand just why he is such a fool.

Tatum’s relationship with her sister is absolutely brilliant. I love that her and Olivia are obviously best friends, and they constantly have each others’ back. Plus, both the sisters have a whole lot of attitude and spunk. It’s always nice to read a book that has well-written female relationships. Ones that aren’t competitive and negative, but rather, the ones that are supportive and loving.

I always like to spend my December reading Christmas stories – it is helpful to get into the spirit. But, this was definitely the most Christmassy story that I’ve read in a while. It was fun and light. Filled with characters I couldn’t help but feel connected with. And now I want to know more about the other characters that make up the Harbor Highlands series, and their romances.

<- Flirting with the Bad BoyMore Gia Stevens ->

Image source: Goodreads

Flirting with My Best Friend by Gia Stevens

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Flirting with My Best Friend
Author: Gia Stevens
Series: Harbor Highlands #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I was wondering how Liana would finally commit to her best friend, particularly since the hints of their infatuation with each other are there from the very beginning. The driver that made Liana finally take the plunge really wasn’t a good thing, and there is a bit of a trigger warning attached. However, it was nice how that moment was built up to. So, although it was not a great situation, it was a really good story.

I really enjoyed reading the falling of this couple from both points of view. Particularly that, throughout this novella, they both slowly realise their feelings. Instead of having one part of the couple pining after the other the whole time – they both slowly realise that their friendship is worth something slightly different. It also introduces Liana’s brother, the hero of Flirting with the Playboy, who I can’t wait to read more about.

This was a really cutesy little college romance with all of the fun vibes. There are so many aspects of this story that left me smiling, and it was a really lovely way to spend the evening.

<- More Gia StevensFlirting with the Playboy ->

Image source: Amazon