Book Reviews
This is the main category for my book reviews. Every book I've reviewed will be listed in this category. If you wish to fine-tune your search, try searching by a specific category, such as cookbooks, fantasy, historical fiction, etc. (the category list is at the bottom of this page).
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Book Review: The Dragon Eater
My reaction to reading this title was, “I have so many questions already.” The rest of the back cover blurb didn’t help that problem much. In fact, it raised many more.
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Book Review: No Whisk, No Reward
This short prequel is a nice little read that cleverly accomplishes four important jobs.
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Book Review: Tempus Fugit – The Engagement Ring
Bravely written in second person, past tense, Jules Pelarski’s The Engagement Ring addresses you, the reader, as the protagonist. You’ll be told what’s happening to you and what’s going on all around you…
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Book Review: We Hope for Better Things
Having previously read three books by this author, I trusted her storytelling skills to thread together three stories set in different times - the American civil war, 1967 Detroit riots, and present day.
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Book Review: Nunslinger Book Three: A Pilgrim and a Stranger
Episode three keeps the tension high and the situation dismal. Abe and Sister Josephine are battling their toughest enemy yet - winter in the Sierra Nevada mountains. But at least they have a…
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Book Review: Skilletheads: The Complete Guide to Restoring, Repairing, and Replacing Cast-Iron Cookware
There's no pleasure that can compare to searing a good steak in a hot, well-seasoned cast iron skillet... unless it's pulling a skillet full of freshly baked, buttery drop biscuits out of a…
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Book Review: Fragile Cargo
By request of the publisher, I will update this space with my review on February 14, 2023, the release date of the book.
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Book Review: Frontier
Told in a series of vignettes and interludes, the story begins in the future on a ruined, mostly-abandoned Earth. The sparse population that remains struggles to survive in spite of a corrupt justice…
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Book Review: Dear Lord Akeldama & Parasolverse Ephemera
Lord Akeldama takes center stage (because of course he does), answering questions posed by real readers of the books set in Gail Carriger's Parasolverse.
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Book Review: The Princess Bride: The Official Cookbook
The Princess Bride Cookbook: the Official Cookbook by Jenn Fujikawa My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world… except for a nice MLT. Mutton, lettuce,…
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Book Review: One Giant Leap
One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner My rating: 5 of 5 stars “I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.” is how Finley “Fin”…
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Book Review: Leaning toward Light: Poems from the Garden for Growth and Wholeness
When it's too cold or rainy to work with the soil, I enjoy staying indoors with a good book. Leaning toward Light is a lovely rainy-day read for any gardener.
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Book Review: Fandom Acts of Kindness
Fandom Acts of Kindness by Tanya Cook My rating: 5 of 5 stars Fandom Acts of Kindness is a resource guide to fandom-based activism, backlit with bright optimism, warmed by acceptance, and chock-full…
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Book Review: A Most Agreeable Murder
A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales My rating: 5 of 5 stars A wickedly witty sendup of Regency and Victorian era novels, with a splash of Clue (the movie) thrown in for…
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Book Review: U.S. Mail by Pneumatic Tube
This is a very short read, just a short paper really, but every word of it is jam-packed with information about how the US mail could have been delivered.
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Book Review: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
In Mona's world, wizards exist, each with a distinct specialty. Mona's specialty is, well, bread. Actually, she always just says 'bread', but wait till you see what she can do with gingerbread men.
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Book Review: The Swedish Art of Aging Well: Life Advice from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You
The synopsis calls this book 'Wise, funny, and practical'. After reading it, I would call it 'One woman's memoirs and ponderings on aging'.
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Book Review: Nunslinger Book Two: The Good, the Bad and the Penitent
Nunslinger Book 2: The Good, the Bad and the Penitent by Stark Holborn My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sister Thomas Josephine’s adventure’s continue in Book Two of the Nunslinger saga. As always,…
- Anthology, Book Reviews, Dystopian, Fantasy, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction
Book Review: Bioluminescent: A Lunarpunk Anthology
I've highlighted my own standout tales. Your favorites will be your own to choose. Each story or poem has its own personality - the theme is often interpreted very loosely, which I like.
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Book Review: Corner
A tiny treasure that I hope will be read by many, many children!
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Book Review: Flare, Corona
Having previously read The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, I felt a familiar sensation as I slipped into that uneasy, tissue-paper-thin comfort zone that Jeannine transports readers to so unnervingly well. Just a glance at…
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Book Review: Acorn
I've been a dedicated reader of the Magnificent Devices series ever since the beginning. It's always fun when a new volume arrives, and Acorn is no exception.
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Book Review: Nunslinger, Book One
This rousing story is written in colorful, authentic language that easily coaxes mental imagery in the reader's mind.
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Book Review: Hurling Words into Darkness: A Book Doctor’s Dose of Brain Science for Writers
If you're looking for guidance and inspiration beyond the mechanics of writing, this is a good read to help round out your knowledge and expertise
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Book Review: OMFG Bees!
his marvelous book is chock-full of happy drawings of bees, easy to understand information and descriptions of bees, and is just generally really excited about bees.
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Book Review: NetGalley’s Book Advocate Toolkit
I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for anything called a 'toolkit'. This appeals to my self-taught, DIY driven nature.
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Book Review: Avocado Anxiety
I gobbled up this book in one sitting - and then trotted out to the kitchen to inventory my fresh veggies.
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Book Review: Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain
Well, I'm certainly going to need a fluffy, hopeful story for a chaser to this, but I'm glad I read it.
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Book Review: Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.
Last year I bookmarked Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. at Uncanny's website, dropping the link into my browser's 'to read' folder. Unfortunately, I had so many things saved to read that this story ended up…
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Book Review: Save the World
Having previously enjoyed Fix the World, I picked up its sister-book. The stories are very diverse, with some ideas I'd never entertained before.