“There was something sad about leaving your sadness behind.” — Aja Gabel, Lightbreakers If you could travel back in time to visit a loved one that you had lost, would you? Aja Gabel examines this loaded question in her second novel, Lightbreakers. Following three individuals bound by grief, this work of literary science fiction transcends…
Climate fiction is having a moment, isn’t it? Stories of near-futures beset by ecological disasters – and the characters who struggle to navigate them – are on every bestseller and big awards list. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or just starting out, Yume Kitasei’s latest novel, Saltcrop, is not to be missed. With…
"Let's be serious, said Taku. Just for a second. You said she's getting older, right? Does she need help? Ha, said the son. Not from me. What makes you say that? Please. I've never met anyone more self-sufficient. Then it's obvious, said Taku. She must care for you." Bryan Washington, Palaver, pg. 17 By…
“No one needed a magic wardrobe that opened to Narnia if they had a library card; if you had a library card, you had a thousand magic wardrobes to choose from, ten thousand….A library card was as good as a sword drawn from a stone” - King Sorrow, by Joe Hill Warning: This book…
“I think it’s the only form of hope we have. For our survival, I mean. What good is any other virtue without love?” - Lily King, Heart the Lover There are novels that affect you, and then there are novels that move you. I can say with certainty that, for me, Heart the Lover belongs…
"The land in Alabama is made up of layers of soil tinted red and brown and black, enriched with clay, sand, iron, and the remains of whoever lived on and fought to stay on it at the time. A primary reason hazard-yellow and hell-red signs gleam from the creamy earth and from the peeling bases…
To be honest, Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye did not initially strike me as a page turner. The book follows two families in small-town Ohio from World War II through the early 1970s. On V-E day, a spontaneous celebratory kiss between Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt – each married to someone else – sets off a chain…
Julie Olivia's latest novel, If It Makes You Happy, is a heartfelt romance infused with small-town warmth, emotional depth, and just the right dose of '90s nostalgia. Set against the backdrop of Copper Run, Vermont—a town that could easily stand in for Stars Hollow—this cozy fall book is certain to charm romance readers and just…
It’s getting to be that time of year again. No, not Pumpkin Spice Latte season; horror season. And have I got a creepy, eerie, spine tingling (with just a touch of blood) read for you. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest, The Bewitching, is a multi-generational horror, history, and culture lesson. Spanning nearly 100 years and narrated…
"No one will sing about me. What I make, fire will burn or time will wear away. When I’m gone, no praise or blame will attach to my story. To me, that’s peace. I’ve lived lightly on the earth." - Anna North, Bog Queen Bog Queen defies categorization, unless you were describing a book tailor-made…
