I've been a fan of Rainbow Rowell for a long time. She is one of my all-time favourite comfort-read authors, and Fangirl has long been my number one pick of her books (I wrote one of my first blog posts about it). However, these days the Simon Snow trilogy has elbowed its way to the … Continue reading In Which I Talk at Length About Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow Trilogy, and Eat Sour Cherry Scones
In an abandoned royal compound surrounded by haunted birch barrens and a glowing lake, an old peasant woman spins stories. A young cleric listens, and writes records. A magical bird listens, and remembers. The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo is a small and perfectly spare novella. In spite of its brevity, it … Continue reading Come for the Intrigue, Stay for the Impeccability: The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
I've been somewhat immersed in the Brontës for the past month. I didn't mean to be, but it all started with a podcast and it snowballed from there. The podcast in question is On Eyre from Hot and Bothered (a Not Sorry Production). The hosts Vanessa Zoltan and Lauren Sandler do a thorough and wonderful … Continue reading A Brontëful Season
I often dream about water. Floods, rains, storms at sea, currents of water bearing me away. Sometimes I struggle to keep my head above its surface. Occasionally I fly or sail above it. But more often than not, my dreams are watery. Susanna Clarke's long-anticipated second novel, Piranesi, fantastically combines these two elements. It has … Continue reading Uncannily Peaceful: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Keeping in line with my inadvertent summer theme of fantasy novels, I recently turned the last page on A Deadly Education, the first book in Naomi Novik's projected Scholomance trilogy. This has been by far my favourite Naomi Novik book—for me, neither Uprooted nor Spinning Silver lived up to their hype. But this one I … Continue reading A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, Romanian folklore, and some thoughts about perfectionism
There's nothing like some good fantasy and some deeply engaging storytelling for the depths of the summer, in my humble opinion. And my latest good read not only combines both of those things, but also has a true heart of gold. The book I'm talking about is Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger. Hot Tip: Always … Continue reading Storytelling, Magic, and a Whole Lotta Heart: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
I have a real THING about book titles. If I love it, I love it. If I hate it, well...I just might not read the book. There is no rhyme or reason to my whims about book titles. Some of my favourites are short, some are long, some are metaphorical or allegorical, some are literal. … Continue reading Bandits, Votaries, and Found Family: The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
It's not very often that I will write a post about an "it" book of the season. But it's good to be flexible, ya know? And so today I am bringing you my thoughts about Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse. I'll admit to having some mixed feelings when I heard about this book. Sure, it … Continue reading Between Earth and Sky #1: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
I do love a book full of magic. And perhaps especially so when the magic is not so showy and centre-stage. Don't get me wrong—I'm not opposed to a romp filled with wizards and dragons—but sometimes when a story very subtly weaves in a few strands of the magical or the otherworldly, it makes those … Continue reading The Subtle Magic of The River Midnight
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