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Amrita by Banana Yoshimoto
Over the last couple of years, I have made slow but steady progress reading my way through Banana Yoshimoto’s oeuvre. Amrita marks the thirteenth work that I have read by her and, as in many ways, it exhibits many textbook Yoshimoto traits: an atypical family unity, an irreverently optimistic tone (regardless of the subject matter),…
1990s, 1st pov, 3 STARS, abuse, Adult, adulthood, amnesia, Amrita, アムリタ, Banana Yoshimoto, celebrities, Contemporary, existentialism, female authors, GRIEF, japan, JAPANESE AUTHOR, KIDS WITH POWERS, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, Longing, MAGICAL REALISM, MEMORY, mumblecore, navel gazing, no plot just vibes, POWERS, published in 1994, read in 2022, ROMANCE, siblings, SLICE OF LIFE, slow pacing, surreal, TRANSLATED FICTION -
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
In many ways The Monsters We Defy delivers on its premise: we follow a ‘ragtag’ crew as they prepare and execute a heist to save themselves and their community. It did manage to hold my attention and even delivered some fairly entertaining scenes and/or dazzling descriptions, and I can see this appealing to fans of…
1920s, 20th century, actors, Adult, adventure, America, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Black & Black heritage authors, FANTASY, female authors, ghosts/spirits, heist, HISTORICAL FICTION, insta love, Leslye Penelope, lgbtq+ side, m/m side, MYSTERY, occult, PARANORMAL, POWERS, published in 2022, queer side characters, read in 2022, ROMANCE, seances, spiritualism, The Monsters We Defy, URBAN FANTASY, Washington DC -
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez
“You have something of mine, I passed on something of me to you, and hopefully it isn’t cursed, I don’t know if I can leave you something that isn’t dirty, that isn’t dark, our share of night” Although I have previously quoted Lady Gaga’s iconic “talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same,…
1980s, 1990s, 4 STARS, abuse, Adult, ALIENATION, all of the trigger warnings, argentina, argentinian author, atmospheric, big books, BISEXUAL/PANSEXUAL, boyhood, child abuse, CHILDHOOD, coming of age, creepy setting, cults, dark, DEATH, england, FANTASY, fathers & sons, female authors, friendships, gay side characters, graphic content, GRIEF, grotesque, growing up, GUILT, haunted house, HISTORICAL FICTION, HORROR, illness, latin america, lgbtq+, loneliness, Mariana Enríquez, missing girls, missing persons, morality, occult, orphans, otherness, Our Share of Night, parallel universes, PARANORMAL, POWERS, published in 2019, queer, read in 2022, road trip, sexual assault/abuse/rape, strong sense of place, summer reads, SUPERNATURAL, toxic relationships, tragedy, TRANSLATED FICTION, trauma, unrequited love, violence -
Later by Stephen King
Did I finish this in a day? I sure did. Stephen King simply excels at writing ‘kids with powers’. This is the 14th novel I’ve read by him and it deepened my already deep appreciation of him. The prose, characters, themes, and atmosphere in Later are pure King. Yet, while he has written more than…
1st pov, 2000s, 2010s, 4 STARS, abuse, addiction, Adult, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, books about books, books about writers, boyhood, CHILDHOOD, CRIME, DEATH, f/f side, favourite authors, ghosts/spirits, great storytelling, growing up, HORROR, illness, KIDS WITH POWERS, Later, lesbian side characters, lgbtq+ side, male authors, mothers & sons, NEW YORK, PARANORMAL, POWERS, published in 2021, read in 2021, STEPHEN KING, SUPERNATURAL, THRILLER, violence -
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
“Fear of death is a powerful weapon.” Remote Control is Afrofuturism at its best. Nnedi Okorafor seamlessly blends folklore elements and aesthetics with sci-fi ones, delivering a unique and intriguing piece of speculative fiction. Set in Ghana, Remote Control opens in medias res: the appearance of Sankofa, a fourteen-year girl, and her companion, a fox,…
3.5 STARS, 3rd pov, Adult, afrofuturism, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, Black & Black heritage authors, Booklr, curses, DEATH, dystopia, FANTASY, female authors, FOLKLORE, futuristic, Ghana, KIDS WITH POWERS, myths, nigerian american author, NNEDI OKORAFOR, NOVELLA/SHORT STORY, POWERS, published in 2021, read in 2021, Remote Control, road trip, SCI-FI, SPECULATIVE FICTION, survival, TOR novella, travel, witchcraft -
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Three years after I purchased my copy of The Stone Sky I finally got round to reading it. I’m not sure why it took me so long but I thought it best to re-read the first two instalments before approaching its final chapter. As I loved re-reading The Fifth Season and The Obelisk Gate I…
3 STARS, Adult, afrofuturism, apocalyptic, Black & Black heritage authors, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), environmental, fantastic worldbuilding, FANTASY, favourite authors, female authors, high fantasy, lgbtq+ side, MAGIC, morality, mothers & daughters, N.K. Jemisin, nature, philosophical, POWERS, PUBLISHED IN 2017, read in 2020, SCI-FI, social issues, SPECULATIVE FICTION, The Broken Earth, The Stone Sky, trans side characters -
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
“Alas: in the Stillness, destroying mountains is as easy as an orogene toddler’s temper tantrum. Destroying a people takes only a bit more effort.” Now this is how you write a sequel.Jemisin has done it again. This series is simply spectacular. “It’s not hate that you’re seeing. Hate requires emotion. What this woman has simply…
5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, afrofuturism, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Black & Black heritage authors, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), environmental, fantastic worldbuilding, FANTASY, favourite authors, FOLKLORE, high fantasy, lgbtq+ side, MAGIC, morality, mothers & daughters, N.K. Jemisin, nature, philosophical, POWERS, published in 2016, queer side characters, re-reads, read in 2016, read in 2020, SCI-FI, SPECULATIVE FICTION, survival, The Broken Earth, The Obelisk Gate, trans side characters -
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune — book review
“He was here to observe and nothing more. He couldn’t influence the orphanage. It wouldn’t be proper. The RULES AND REGULATIONS were specific about such matters.” The House in the Cerulean Sea tells an equal parts heartwarming and silly tale. The world in this novel is fairly reminiscent of our own one however its pages…
3.25 stars, Adult, AMERICAN AUTHOR, cheesy, FANTASY, fatherhood, found family, HUMOR, KIDS WITH POWERS, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, light reads, m/m, MAGIC, male authors, PARANORMAL, parenting, POWERS, published in 2020, queer, read in 2020, ROMANCE, SPECULATIVE FICTION, T.J. Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea, uplifting reads, URBAN FANTASY -
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin — book review
Rusting Earth…The Fifth Season is a spectacular read. “This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another. This has happened before, after all.” Reviewing The Fifth Season is no small feat. We have N.K. Jemisin’s writing style, her intricate and all-encompassing world-building, and her unflinching and emotionally…
5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, action, adrenaline fuelled reads, Adult, apocalyptic, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), environmental, fantastic worldbuilding, favourite authors, female authors, FOLKLORE, gay side characters, GRIEF, high fantasy, hugo winners, lgbtq+ side, morality, motherhood, mothers & daughters, myths, N.K. Jemisin, nature, philosophical, post-apocalyptic, POWERS, queer side characters, re-reads, read in 2016, read in 2020, revenge, REVIEWS, SCI-FI, social issues, SPECULATIVE FICTION, survival, terrific prose, The Fifth Season, tragedy, trans side characters, trauma, violence -
The King of Crows by Libba Bray — book review
I hate to say it, or write it, but The King of Crows wasn’t a very satisfying conclusion to The Diviners series. “Who got to decide what made somebody an American? America, the ideal of it at least, was its own form of elusive magic.” While it isn’t as drawn-out as the finale to the…
1920s, 3 STARS, 3rd pov, ace, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, big books, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Dreams, f/f side, FANTASY, favourite authors, found family, friendships, gay, ghosts, ghosts/spirits, KIDS WITH POWERS, lgbtq+, LIBBA BRAY, m/m side, MAGIC, Nebraska, netgalley, Neurodiversity, NEW YORK, occult, PARANORMAL, POWERS, published in 2020, queer, read in 2020, road trip, spiritualism, SUPERNATURAL, tarots, THE DIVINERS, THE DIVINERS SERIES, The King of Crows, travel, YOUNG ADULT
luce [is reading] 