The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: The Coldest Spot in the Universe
Author: Samira Ahmed
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

Thoughts

This was not a good short story to read when being pregnant and about to give birth. Mostly because it’s dystopian and about the end of life as we know it. And there’s death, and children. And honestly, just writing this review makes me incredibly sad. But that also shows you just how good this story is.

One of the aspects if this that really hit is that, according to this story, the end of days isn’t far away. Rather, it is only in 8 years. And it’s terrifying because I really don’t think it’s that far-fetched of an idea. The way and the how might be vague, but that very vagueness just makes it all that much more terrifying.

I did love this short story, even though it made me cry. I love that it’s about two girls, existing 100 years apart. One telling the story of her life, the other discovering it. And, although it’s not necessarily a happy story, it does highlight the hope and beauty of humanity. Whilst also reminding us of the dangers of our greed and pride.

<- UnmoorThe Beginning of Monsters ->

Image source: Goodreads

Caitlin and the Mirror Witch by Mari Ann Caudill

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Caitlin and the Mirror Witch
Author: Mari Ann Caudill
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Slow,
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2021

Thoughts

This was a pretty easy read. One that I enjoyed, but wouldn’t necessarily dive into again. Enjoyable, but not loveable is what I’d classify this as. Mostly because it was kind of predictable, and didn’t have anything that made me fall madly in love with it. It wasn’t deplorable, and it was well written though.

The very premise of this story, that a bad witch in a mirror tricks a girl into a spell, and she needs true love’s kiss to break it… I don’t know, I read a lot, so this felt entirely over done. Most of the time when I read a story with this kind of premise, there’s a bit of character growth. Or some kind of twist. Or a great world built around a fairly common fairy tale story line. I’m not sure if it was my mood when reading this, or the length of the story, but there was none of this.

All in all, this was a nice happily ever after story and a quick read. One that I wouldn’t suggest people don’t read, but I definitely have far more engaging stories on my shelves.

<- More fantasyMore medieval fantasy ->

Image source: Kobo

The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: The Beginning of Monsters
Author: Tessa Gratton
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Monsters, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

Thoughts

I absolutely loved this short story. it was absolutely freaking brilliant, and totally unexpected. Every time I thought that the story line would go in one direction, it flipped and went in another. Not always the polar opposite to what I expected, but definitely not in a trajectory that I had anticipated. And I think that it did this about three or four times in not very many pages.

The unpredictableness of this tale is one of the things that I loved. Another aspect was that this was set in a non-binary culture. Instead of there just being two genders (and yes, I recognise that there are many more, but others don’t, and that’s not the rabbit hole to go down today), this story was set in a world that had four genders. Or at least, there were four that I picked up on. It felt a little like there could be a whole lot more flexibility than just those four to be honest.

It might have taken me a little while to get used to the different terms of an and az as gender terms. Actually, the first few times I thought that it was a typo. Which just goes to show how damn ingrained him and her are in our society, and how much work I have to remove my own binary understandings. But, having different terms like in this story is a great way to expand on that idea. A very inclusive and wonderful way to introduce to a new generation that genders and identity are a lot more flexible than some would have you believe.

Gender discussions aside (and I am one who will talk about this all day long), the main story line is about two questions… ‘what is a human?’ and ‘where is the line?’. I love that you start off thinking one group of people and their ideas are the monsters… but by the end of it, you’re really not sure. And even writing this review and seriously thinking about it… I don’t know whether the main character ended up on the side of good, or the side of monsters.

<- The Coldest Spot in the UniverseLonger Than the Threads of Time ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Bedroom Light by Jeffrey Ford

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: The Bedroom Light
Author: Jeffrey Ford
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow) & Inferno (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

Thoughts

This short story felt kind of incredibly creepy, but also not at all at moments. It had that really vague and haunting feel to it. But, I was honestly kind of anticipating a death. Or at least the heavy hinting of a death in it. Maybe it will have a bit more clarity if I read it again…

Everything that was “haunting” and creepy within this story was very easily explained away by normalcy. It did kill a bit of the mood for me, but also highlighted how easily we explain things away. Again, still not sure if this was supposed to be a haunting, a demon child, or people’s paranoia…

The lights flickering in the bedroom were probably the bit that stuck with me the most in this short story. I’m really glad I didn’t read it late at night… before turning off my own bedroom lights.

<- Hula VilleSpectral Evidence ->

Image source: Amazon

Bad Bridesmaid by Portia MacIntosh

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Bad Bridesmaid
Author: Portia MacIntosh
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Family
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2014

Thoughts

The reason I marked this kind of low in the star factor is that, even though I enjoyed this story, I had some serious issues with some of the family dynamics throughout. I mean, it’s obvious that MacIntosh wants to create a story about a dysfunctional family. But what she created wasn’t dysfunctional. It was downright abusive. And honestly, the bit that made me drastically rate down a book that I otherwise enjoyed was that I was seriously pissed off that in the end, everything was forgiven. There was a lot that shouldn’t have been forgiven.

Mia, as the lead, is kind of sympathetic in the fact that, like I said, her family is filled with arseholes. But, that excuse kind of gets a bit old. I mean, aspects of her personality are sympathetic, but I also found her really whiney and kind of boring at times. There was so much potential for growth in her, and I loved that for the first half. But then, she didn’t really have all that much growth. I did love her she floundered from one epic fail to the other though. It was kind of hilarious if I’m being honest.

Then there was Leo. He was actually kind of sweet, and a lot of what I’m generally looking for in a lead male of a good romance. But, again, there were a few issues. He spends the whole time telling Mia that he doesn’t want a relationship, and just wants a good romp in the sheets. But, it’s obvious from the very beginning that he does want a relationship. And then, he actually admits that that’s what he wants. It’s a little bit, annoyingly deceitful. And yet, like with Mia, I still actually liked him.

So there were a lot of serious issues with this story which would normally lead me to DNF this book. Yet, I actually really enjoyed it. There is something very talented about MacIntosh and how beautifully she is able to craft her stories. It turns something that has points to rant and rave about into a story that I would still read again in the future.

<- The Accidental HoneymoonBetter Off Wed ->

Image source: Amazon

The Accidental Duchess by Sandy Blair

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: The Accidental Duchess
Author: Sandy Blair
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2013

Thoughts

The Accidental Duchess is a pleasant historical romance and a great novella to transport you away for an hour or so. I love that in just a few chapters, Blair is able to not only create a lovely romance, but also a whole cast of characters with a lot of development.

Every story has a catalyst of change. And I love that this all starts because Rachael breaks into a house to stop herself from, you know, freezing to death. And then she meets Connor who is kind of a knob to be honest. But he grew on me enough that I liked the happy ending.

Not only is this a fun romance, but there is a lot of backstory of Connor’s mother is so brilliantly done. It’s hard to turn someone from a villain to a relatable secondary character in less than 20 chapters. But Blair manages it beautifully. It’s also a bit heartbreaking, because this is actually a backstory for women that is still happening today.

I seriously enjoyed this novella. But I also got quote distracted by all of the talk throughout of baking. That made me kind of hungry if I’m being honest… it made me want to bake decadent goodies in the middle of the night when I was reading this.

<- More Sandy BlairA Highlander for Christmas ->

Image source: Amazon

A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

Book Review, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: A Universe of Wishes
Author: Dhonielle Clayton, Tara Sim, Natalie C. Parker, Libba Bray, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kwame Mbalia, V.E. Schwab, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nic Stone, Jenni Balch, Mark Oshiro, Samira Ahmed, Tessa Gratton, Zoraida Cordova & Tochi Onyebuchi
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: LGBTQI, Short story collections, Young adult
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

Thoughts

A Universe of Wishes is a fantastic and brilliant anthology. One I really, really enjoyed. And one that introduced me to a whole lot more authors that I plan to add to my shelves. It was a fun and unique collection that gave the reader a whole lot of diversity, not only in tales and styles, but also in lead characters.

I loved that this is an #OwnVoices collection, and now I’m going to add more such collections to my shelves. I love having non-white leads in my stories. And this has given me a taste of a whole range of new authors and cultures. Something that I really love when reading – discovering the unknown.

This anthology runs the gambit of genres and styles. The only thing all of the stories have in common is that they are thoroughly enjoyable and I loved them. I look forward to reading this anthology again and again and again in the future.

<- HabibiA Universe of Wishes ->

Image source: Goodreads

Murder and Mayhem in Muskego edited by Jon & Ruth Jordan

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Overview
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego: Jordan, Jon & Ruth, Phillips, Gary, Richardson, Kat: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego
Author: Jon Jordan, Ruth Jordan, Megan Abbott, Dana Cameron, Reed Farrel Coleman, Hilary Davidson, Sean Doolittle, J.M. Edwards, Andrew Grant, Ted Hertel, Jr., Chris F. Holm, Brad Parks, Gary Phillips, Kat Richardson, Greg Rucka, Marcus Sakey, Tom Schreck, Nathan Banks, Zoe Sharp, Bryan VanMeter & Jeri Westerson
In: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Jon & Ruth Jordan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Mystery, Short story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Year: 2012

Thoughts

I loved this collection, it is very aptly named – truly a collection of murder and mayhem. Hilariously so if I’m being honest. Alright, some of the stories aren’t all that hilarious – because they are somewhat disturbed. But, still, this was a fantastic collection. One that I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to reading again in the future.

Although there were a few mystical stories in this collection, the majority were contemporary tales. That definitely made them more relatable and kind of disturbing. I did like that there were the occasional paranormal stories though. They just added a little bit of variety, and some unexpected twists to the tales throughout this collection. Although, they pretty much all dealt with murder, regardless of what kind of genre they sat within.

I loved that pretty much every story in this collection is filled with chaos, and some pretty serious horribleness being planned. In one way or another. I mean, it wouldn’t be a anthology of murder stories if they weren’t planned… that’d be manslaughter. Admittedly, there were one or two stories that didn’t fit the mould. But the majority were deliciously filled with horrible acts.

Honestly, I really enjoyed this anthology. Maybe not every story was my cup of tea, and it wasn’t my favourite anthology ever. But it was still enjoyable. And one I plan to keep on my shelves so that I can read it again in the future!

<- Universal DonorHollywood Lanes ->

Image source: Amazon

Huntress by Christine Warren, Marjorie M. Liu, Caitlin Kittredge & Jenna Maclaine

Book Review, , , , , , , , ,
Overview

Title: Huntress
Author: Christine Warren, Marjorie M. Liu, Caitlin Kittredge & Jenna Maclaine
In: Huntress (Christine Warren, Marjorie M. Liu, Caitlin Kittredge & Jenna Maclaine)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology, eBook
Year: 2009

Thoughts

This is an absolutely fantastic collection. I loved all of the stories, loved the theme. And just all in all had a great time reading this. To be fair, I’ve actually read all four of the authors featured in this anthology at some point in the past. So it was going to be a pretty good bet that I would enjoy this… a lot.

The common thread of strong women hunting and being just all around kickass was another moment that just cemented my enjoyment of this collection. I’m always a fan of women who kick butt and take names. When that is placed within an urban fantasy setting, I tend to dive into it with even more aplomb. It’s nice to depart reality for a while as a strong woman takes charge…

Each of these novellas is part of a bigger, enjoyable series. I might not have all of them on my shelves… but I probably will soon. They give you a taste of these wonderfully crafted worlds without giving too much away. Plus, they are completely readable as standalone stories, if you feel like you don’t necessarily want to start yet another series.

A fantastic anthology, one I will read again and again. A good way to spend a few hours drifting off from reality.

<- Sin SlayerDevil’s Bargain ->

Image source: Amazon

Teeth edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

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Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: Teeth: Vampire Tales
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Genevieve Valentine, Steve Berman, Christopher Barzak, Neil Gaiman, Delia Sherman, Garth Nix, Suzy McKee Charnas, Kaaron Warren, Cecil Castellucci, Jeffrey Ford, Nathan Ballingrud, Kathe Koja, Catherynne M. Valente, Melissa Marr, Ellen Kushner, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Lucius Shepard, Emma Bull & Tanith Lee
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology, eBook
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011

Thoughts

This is one of those collections that I’ve stopped and started multiple times. Because sometimes that’s what I do with a short story collection. And yet, I have enjoyed reading it almost every step of the way. There’s always something fun and interesting about a collection edited by Ellen Datlow.

Vampire stories are one of those things that I’m very much on the fence about. I mean, I often enjoy them. But because of the naughties, they became something that was slightly overdone. Probably one of the reasons this book came in and out of my shelves so much – I enjoyed it but didn’t want to overdo it either.

The stories in this run the gambit of vampire characterisation. Some are classical. Some are romantic. Some are just a little bit bizarre. But every story was fun and worth reading again.

<- The PumaThings to Know About Being Dead ->

Image source: HarperCollins