There has to be something in the water at some writer’s retreat somewhere that is quietly, magically morphing normal humans into the best kind of authors. How else do you explain the emergence of Drew Hayes, Rachel Aaron, Dennis E. Taylor, and Scott Meyer all at around the same time?…
Full disclosure, I love Rachel Aaron – no, not personally, we’re not that close – I just love the way she approaches fiction. Her characters are vivid, unique, and relatable, even when they’re demons from hell. She knows how to make you care about a slacker dragon boi or an…
by Daryl Gregory Harrison Squared Audio books are tough. First, they’re expensive so I often take a chance on the Audible Daily Deal just because they are such a good deal. After all, I go through dozens of books a year in audio format and I can’t afford to spend…
by Charlie N. Holmberg Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet Why do I keep doing this to myself? I am positive that Charlie Holmberg is a delightful person. She’s probably very kind and loves her family and is nice to puppies and all of that. I have no beef with her, I…
by April Daniels Dreadnought Danny Tozer is transgender. That’s cool, but I wouldn’t have read this book if that had been the focus. I was drawn in by the superhero plot and I appreciated that the gender issues were only part of the character development. As I told a coworker,…
by Robin McKinley The Hero and the Crown Aerin is mentioned over and over again in The Blue Sword as Harry learns to wield her predecessor’s weapon. This is Aerin’s tale, set many years before the happenings in The Blue Sword to which it is a prequel. Aerin is the…
by Robin McKinley The Blue Sword This was the second Robin McKinley book I read, including Beauty, and I had forgotten how good it was. It is set on a earth-like world with many parallels but with a bit of magic. Harry is from Homeland, a thinly-disguised Great Britain, and…
by Victoria Laurie When One of the best things about Audible is that I am exposed to books I would have never found without it. When is one of those books and I’m so glad it came up on a Daily Deal. It is about a girl, Maddie, who sees…
by Charlie N. Holmberg The Master Magician I remember being disappointed in The Paper Magician. It had come with a strong recommendation and I had great expectations for it, expectations that I felt were largely left unfulfilled. I swore I wouldn’t read the next book in the series but then…
by Drew Hayes Second Hand Curses Drew Hayes is literary Xanax. Now, before you get offended on his behalf, let me explain. I deal with a lot of stress in my life right now. My father died in January after a long, protracted fight with Alzheimer’s. My mom and…
