Wow, this seems to be my year for catching up on older Hugo Award winners that I thought I’d never get to. After discoving that the Vorkosigan Saga is, indeed, pretty cool and everyone was right about that, I dove straight into one of the most mentioned award winners of science fiction, knowing very little about it. And that worked out quite well. A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ by Walter M. Miller Jr. Published: Bantam Spectra, 1959 Ebook: 354 pages Standalone My rating: 7.25/10 Opening line: Brother Francis Gerard of Utah might never have discovered the blessed documents, had it not been for the p ..read more

I was positively surprised by Jay Kristoff’s version of vampires and the dark and sinister world they inhabit. So instead of waiting forever to pick up the sequel, I kicked myself in the butt and got right to it. My gorgeous edition may have helped a little. I’m going to post some pictures of this stunner at the end of this post. It’s just too pretty not to brag. EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED by Jay Kristoff Published: Harper Voyager, 2024 Hardcover: 646 pages Audiobook: 31 hours, 34 minutes Narrated by: Damian Lynch, Shakira Shute Series: Empire of the Vampire #2 My rating: 6.5/10 Opening line: The d ..read more

Phew, I’m on a roll when it comes to reading and catching up on reviews a bit, but I also suffer from quite a bit of reading-induced stress. What with readathons meeting award voting deadlines meeting my ever changing moods, it’s hard to feel like I am getting anything done. Oh yes, and let’s not forget library holds that always, always come in at the most inconvenient time. Quickie News Hugo Award voting is open! I have a lot of reading to catch up on but I’ve already filled in the categories as far as I could and hit that save button, because that’s just the kind of anxiety-filled, excited ..read more

This is possibly the one SF series I have put off for the longest time. First of all, its length and the amount of volumes was daunting, but secondly, the reading order and various omnibuses out there just made the whole endeavour feel like too much work. Cue the Sword & Laser podcast (yes, I’m still a loyal listener, after all these years) and their March Madness, which brought forth the winning book, one omnibus of two Vorkosigan Saga novels, which I then finally proceded to read. CORDELIA’S HONOR by Lois McMaster Bujold Published (as ominbus): Baen, 2000 Ebook: 641 pages Series: The Vo ..read more

This is going to be such a difficult review to write, for various reasons. So let me say this first: I really liked this book, even though I think I probably didn’t understand all of it. Maybe even a lot of it. But whatever I say beneath the cut, let me recommend this to you, especially as an audiobook, which helps keep the POVs apart a little better. Now, on to me trying to collect and order my thoughts. GOLIATH by Tochi Onyebuchi Published: Tordotcom, 2022 Ebook: 336 pages Audiobook: 12 hours, 20 minutes Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White, JD Jackson, Juliana Vélez, Kevin R. Free, Nidra Sous L ..read more

I find it very cool that a Nobel Prize winning author keeps coming back to speculative fiction. I first read Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day years ago (adored it!), then went on to his novel Never Let Me Go which was already very much in the realm of science fiction, even if it was subtly done. Now, with Klara, there’s no hiding the SF and, it appears, no wish to. Which makes me happy. Also, it happens to be excellently written and offer food for thought. KLARA AND THE SUN by Kazuo Ishiguro Published: Knopf, 2021 Ebook: 418 pages Standalone My rating: 7.5/10 Opening line: When we were new ..read more

It may only be Travis Baldree’s second book, but his name is becoming synonymous with “cozy fantasy” and I find that very comforting. Whenever I need a dose of… well, this, I can rest assured that a Travis Baldree book will do the job. So lean back, relax, and take a trip down memory lane as we explore Viv’s past, long before she opened that adorable café and got us all hyped up about an entire sub-genre. BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST by Travis Baldree narrated by Travis Baldree Published: Tor, 2023 ebook: 339 pages Audiobook: 8 hours Series: Legends & Lattes #0 My rating: 7/10 Opening line ..read more

It’s been a hot minute since I made any effort to read the books on that old NPR’s Top 100 SFF novels list. I honestly don’t have much ambition to finish that particular list anymore (too many old-timey fantasies are just so disappointing, why should I torture myself with them?), but there’s always room for a little Star Wars. And when you hand the boyfriend your TBR, it’s not only possible, but quite likely, he’s going to gravitate towards the Star Wars book. And here we are, with me finally reading the Thrawn Trilogy (no longer canon). HEIR TO THE EMPIRE by Timothy Zahn Published: Bantam Sp ..read more

Joan He is one of my favorite underrated/underknown writers. When she burst into my reading life with Descendant of the Crane, I was so relieved that YA fantasy could still do such new and refreshing things (and with so many plot twists!). Then The Ones We’re Meant to Find hit home in a different way, but had me equally enraptured. Of course I couldn’t stay away from her duology, retelling The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The only reason I waited so long to read the first part is so I wouldn’t have to wait long for the second one. I am patting myself on the back now, because that was a smart ..read more

I am on a roll here. But hey, with the Hugo finalists out in the world, I always get this boost of motivation. And since we’re all home sick at the moment, my toddler’s attention is no longer focused on me 100% of the time, only about 85%. Which means, time to catch up on reviews, yay! Nghi Vo’s 2023 instalment in the Singing Hills Cycle was one of my two favorites. And seeing how they are all great, that really means something. MAMMOTHS AT THE GATES by Nghi Vo Published: Tordotcom, 2023 Ebook: 123 pages Series: The Singing Hills Cycle #4 My rating: 8/10 Opening line: “—and that was how we go ..read more