I read and review books on a more or less regular basis. At B&N’s SciFi & Fantasy Blog I especially focus on speculative fiction short story collections and short story anthologies. Occasionally, I also review books here on my blog: read them here.
- My older book reviews can be found here.
- My monthly short fiction roundups on the blog.
- My columns at B&N SciFi & Fantasy Blog.
I try to keep my Goodreads lists updated:
Currently reading:
Books I’ve read & rated:
My To-Read Shelf:
Updated August 28, 2017.
Ligatures, by Sara Rich. Read my review on Goodreads.
An Oath of Dogs, by Wendy N. Wagner. Read my review on Goodreads.
Corpselight, by Angela Slatter. Read my review on Goodreads.
The Red-rimmed Eyes of Tóu Mǎ, by Aidan Moher. Read my review at Goodreads.
Ripper, by Angela Slatter. Read my review at Goodreads.
Beneath, by Kristi DeMeester. Read my review at Goodreads.
The Thing In The Ice, by E. Catherine Tobler. Read my review at Goodreads.
D’Arc, by Robert Repino. Read my review at Goodreads.
Killing Gravity, by Corey J. White. Read my review at Goodreads.
Neither Here Nor There, by Cat Rambo. Read my review.
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, by Gwendolyn Kiste. Read my review.
Speaking to Skull Kings and Other Stories, by Emily B. Cataneo. Read my review.
The Evil Wizard Smallbone, by Delia Sherman. Read my review at Goodreads.
Infomocracy, by Malka Older. Read my review.
The Builders, by Daniel Polansky. Read my review at Goodreads.
Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor. Read my review at Goodreads.
Sourdough And Other Stories, by Angela Slatter. Read my review at Goodreads.
The Devourers, by Indra Das. Read my review at Goodreads.
Binti: Home, by Nnedi Okorafor. Read my review at Goodreads.
Mongrels, by Stephen Graham Jones. Read my review at Goodreads.
The Bitterwood Bible, by Angela Slatter. Read my review at Goodreads.
Ink, by Sabrina Vourvoulias. “The stories and voices of several characters weave and twine together in the telling of “Ink”, and each story and character grabbed a piece of my heart.” Read my review at Goodreads.
The Gates of Hell, by Michael Livingston. A terrific sequel to “The Shards of Heaven” – a must-read for fans of historical fiction and alternate history. Read my review at Goodreads.
Culdesac, by Robert Repino. Read my review at Goodreads.
Cloudbound, by Fran Wilde. A stunning sequel to ‘Updraft’. Read my review at Goodreads.
A Taste of Honey, by Kai Ashante Wilson. Read my review.
Vigil, by Angela Slatter. Read my review.
The Obelisk Gate, by N.K. Jemisin. Five frigging stars. Just read this series as soon as you can. It is jaw-droppingly, mind-blowingly awesome.
The Spider, by Maria Savva: read my review.
Machinations, by Hayley Stone: “Fast-paced, well-written, and post-apocalyptic with a sense of humour and humanity” – read my review at Goodreads.
The Lilies of Dawn, by Vanessa Fogg: read my review.
Lament for the Afterlife
The Kraken Sea, by E. Catherine Tobler. Read my review.
Smoke, by Dan Vyleta. “‘Smoke’ is a strange and engaging read: it feels like a blend of Dickens and Philip Pullman – with the raw, visceral depictions of Dickensian England (poverty, class divisions, petticoats, manors) mixing with an alternate history / fantasy storyline.” Read my review at Goodreads.
Uprooted, by Naomi Novik. Read my review.
The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth)
Glitch Rain, by Alex Livingston. “…a fast-paced and very entertaining action sci-fi story…” Read my review at Goodreads.
DESERT STAR (The Desert Series Book 2), by Lisette Brodey A terrific followup to Brodey’s Mystical High, this book blends real world issues like bullying, friendship, love, and family with a paranormal twist. Read my review at Goodreads.
Four Horrifying Tales, by Angela Slatter. “…fantasy, fairytale and horror, all woven into one, with a stitch of sadness and sometimes black humour running through it all”. Read my review at Goodreads.
The Jewel And Her Lapidary, by Fran Wilde. Read my review.
The Prodigal’s Foole, by R.B. Wood. “…fast-paced, entertaining, with a whole lot of diabolical chills and a self-deprecating and often rather funny protagonist…”. Read my review at Goodreads.
Last Dragon, by J.M. McDermott. “…a beautifully written, often mesmerizing tale…”. Read my review at Goodreads.
Seal of a Monk, by Eden Baylee. “…grips you from the first page, and ratchets up the tension skilfully throughout the story”. Read my review at Goodreads.
Shadow & Claw: The First Half of ‘The Book of the New Sun’, by Gene Wolfe: “an utterly insane and brilliant book”. Read my review at Goodreads.
An Occupation of Angels, by Lavie Tidhar. Read my review at Goodreads.
LOST AND FOUND, by Maria Savva. Piercing and compelling short stories about life and love. Read my review at Goodreads.
MYSTICAL HIGH (The Desert Series Book 1)
The Dinosaur Lords: A Novel, by Victor Milan. “…a lush, wild, and sprawling fantasy epic set in an intoxicatingly rich alternate world, but I also found it problematic”. Read my review at Goodreads.
Mort(e), by Robert Repino. Read my review.
The Only Living Boy #1: Prisoner of the Patchwork Planet, by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis. Read my review at Goodreads.
The Ballad of Black Tom
Tales From The Mists: Thrilling Short Stories of the Strange
Best of Apex Magazine
Updraft, by Fran Wilde – read my review.
Going Down
Beyond the Veil – Omnibus Edition
Mind of My Mind: Patternist, Book 2, by Octavia E. Butler: “This is a story that tweaks and scratches and rips into you with questions about slavery, dependence, love, loyalty, the value of human emotions and human life.” Read my review at Goodreads.
On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft
The Shards of Heaven
Pathfinder Tales: Bloodbound
The Guardian’s Apprentice (Beyond the Veil Book 1), by J. Michael Radcliffe – read my review.
The Story of Kullervo, by J.R.R. Tolkien: “I wish it had been marketed as an exploration of Tolkien’s writing, rather than a stand-alone story”. Read my review at Goodreads.
You Have Never Been Here: New and Selected Stories
Wings of Fire Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy
The Fox and the Star
Frostbite – The Dragon that Saved Christmas
Wild Seed (The Patternist Series Book 1), by Octavia E. Butler: read my review.
Nocturnal Embers, by Helle Gade: “passionate and vivid, communicating deep and raw emotion” – read my review at Goodreads.
Tales From The Cacao Tree (Mind’s Eye Series Book 4), by Darcia Helle (Author), Maria Savva (Author), Julie Elizabeth Powell (Author), J. Michael Radcliffe (Author), Ben Ditmar (Author), Helle Gade (Author), Richard Weatherly (Author), Robert Helle (Editor): read my review.
Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth, by Warsan Shire: read my review at Goodreads.
Super Bass: A Tor.Com Original, by Kai Ashante Wilson: read my review at Goodreads.
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, by Kai Ashante Wilson: read my review
The Devil in America: A Tor.Com Original, by Kai Ashante Wilson: “a mesmerizing and heart-breaking story…I absolutely loved it, even though it just about ripped me apart as I read it” – read my review at Goodreads.
Of Sorrow and Such, by Angela Slatter: read my review.
Shadowshaper, by Daniel José Older: read my review.
Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered, by Austin Kleon: read my review.
The Fairy In The Tale, by Julie Elizabeth Powell: “…a lovely story, taking place in Julie Elizabeth Powell’s vividly imagined fairy world. Powell’s writing is fresh and lively, with a lot of wisdom and a lot of laughter mingled together…” Read my review.
Zombie Housewives, by Ami Blackwelder: “a hilarious romp through a the suddenly zombified lives of three housewives” – read my review.
A Time to Tell, by Maria Savva: read my review.
Touch of Darkness, by J. Michael Radcliffe: “Radcliffe mixes the pantheon and mythology of ancient Egypt with some freshly imagined fantasy and magic-elements, making for a thoroughly captivating world”. Full review.
Binti, by Nnedi Okorafor: read my review.
Dark Orbit, by Carolyn Ives Gilman: read my review.
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, by Alexandra Horowitz: “This is a thoroughly delightful and very interesting book about dogs. It’s not the usual “how to get your dog to behave and to x, y, z”. Instead, this book is about how dogs see and experience the world, how they interact with other dogs and humans, and what sets them apart from many other animals, both wild and domesticated.” Read my full review.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai: read my review.
Beneath the Darkness, by Jay Finn: “spine-chilling… he has a real gift for creating a sense of place and a mood quickly and effectively” Read my full review.
The Dark Forest, by Cixin Liu. Read my full review.
Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense, by Darcia Helle: “…a dark and twisted and absolutely engrossing trip into the minds and circumstances of several people who are all, one way or another, in pretty dire straits…” Readmy full review.
Gone, by Julie Elizabeth Powell. “…a wonderful, trippy, mind-bending, and deeply touching story…’Gone’ is a moving and original story that is part fairy-tale, part fantasy, part a journey through grief and fear, part spiritual quest.” Read my full review.
Nights Gone By, by Jason McIntyre: my review.
Joni Mitchell – In Her Own Words, by Joni Mitchell and Malka Marom: my review.
The short story collection Midnight and Moonshine, by Lisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter: my review.
The Daughter of Odren, by Ursula K. Le Guin: “Beautifully crafted prose, a story that twists and turns in unexpected ways, and a sharp eye for the dark and light and shades of grey of human nature: all the hallmarks of Le Guin’s writing can be found here. Definitely a terrific short-read.” My review here.
Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle Book 1), by Christopher Paolini: my review here.
Soldier of Arete, by Gene Wolfe (the sequel to Wolfe’s Soldier of the Mist: I reviewed that book here): my review is here.
Night Poems, by Ben Ditmars: “Night Poems is beautifully written, and every poem contains a vast depth of meaning and emotion, expressed in very few words”. Read my review at Goodreads.
Ravenswynd Legends (Ravenswynd Series) Book 1, by Sharon Ricklin Jones: “This vampire romance novel is a definite page-turner” – read my full review here.
Maria Haskins 