Megan

This book is the third in the Locked Tomb series. These books are set in a universe run on the powers of necromancy. While there is some inter-galactic battle, the primary driver of the plot is the relationships and intrigue between the characters. The characters are so well written, often dark and also often hilariously sarcastic. In fact, the “twist” of this book is introducing a character who is sweet and naive (and really, really, delightfully weird). Like other books in this series, it took me a bit to get into this book, but once it got going I was hooked - and now that I'm finished I'll be thinking about it for the next few days.

If you are a sci-fi/fantasy reader and have not started this series yet, you really should. (Gideon the Ninth is the first in the series) The series is original and inventive and does a great job of balancing dark with a dose of humor. The richness and depth of this world is amazing... although it can sometimes drift into being too complicated. I definitely had to read this book with the synopsis of the first two books open on a wikipedia page. When the last book comes out (scheduled for later this year!) I will probably do a full re-read so I can keep the thread of who everyone is. That is the only (really minor) thing that keeps this from a full five stars.

This was the September read for the Sword and Laser podcast. The book opens with our protagonist as one of the few humans left after aliens destroy the Earth. She lives on a small space station with a community of other humans who are determined to have revenge. This is one of those stories where you are dropped into the middle of action, and need to learn as you go along. I think the author uses this style particularly well, as you learn more about the world both through the author and also through the eyes and experiences of our protagonist.

This book explores ideas around brainwashing, radicalization and fascism in a way that is surprisingly enjoyable and fun to read. Initially our narrator is both unreliable and somewhat unlikeable, but just give her a chance to grow on you. Also think about reading this if you're a fan of parallel universes, time travel, and/or artificial intelligence.

This novella is the fourth in the Singing Hills Cycle, which makes this another series I'm caught up on! (yay!) (Only temporarily, though - there is a 5th book set to release next year and apparently 2-3 more planned after that??)

These stories take place in a world that feels like it could be imperial China, but with magic. We follow the cleric Chih, whose goal is to collect stories from wherever they may find them. This book is somewhat different in that we follow Chih home and get to learn about the place they come from. It is also a story about grief and loss and the ways in which we manage those feelings.

I really enjoy these books, the author does a great job of packing an impactful story into a small package. The author says you can read these books in any order, so if you see one I'd advise giving it a try.

Like the first book in this series, this book was fast-paced and kept me interested in what was going to happen next. One of the things I like most about sci-fi as a genre is its ability to help the reader think about the human condition through a different lens. The author does a great job of using this to explore the nature of relationships, attachment, and truama. Her efforts to provide commentary on current social events, though, are a little too on the nose for my personal preference. However, that's a minor quibble and I'll definitely be reading the next one whenever it arrives.

Nettle and Bone was my February read for the Sword and Laser podcast. This book was DELIGHTFUL. It's a fantasy/fairy tale very much in a similar lane to Naomi Novak's Spinning Silver. Not only is the story interesting, the characters are surprising, and the book has a dry humor that I just loved. I deeply wish this book was a part of a series, but that does not appear to be the case. So, lacking that, I'll simply have to read more by this author.

This book was the August read for the Sword and Laser podcast. Set in what feels like ancient/mythical China, the bulk of the story follows two warriors who must free and return the Empress (who is also the moon) to her home. It is a story of battles and intrigue and the relationships between our warriors and the Empress. What makes this novel different is the story structure. While you are following the main story, you are also following the story of a magical theater which is showing a play of this story, and you are also in the personal life of one of the members of the audience in the play.

You know how some books are really easy and just fly by? Popcorn/beach reads? Yeah, this was not that. Which is not to say that the book was not good. It's just....thick. It took me a while to really get into the book, although once I was in I was invested. The prose is very pretty, and the unusual structure is a nice departure (although again requires a bit of concentration). I'm glad I read it, totally recommend it, just don't expect to fly through this one in a few days.

Woot! Another series finished! This was the third book of the Scholomance series. In this book we get to see our protagonist leave her magical school and confront the realities of the world outside (including a few prophecies/mysteries that have been floating around for most of the series). This book was really action from the very first page, it definitely kept me wanting to turn pages.

This has been a great, fun series, and a must-read if you're into the whole dark academia vibe. Landing the ending to a series is always difficult, but I'm 95% satisfied with how this one turned out. (It got a tiny bit too into the weeds about how some of the pieces of magic worked for my personal preference, and I was sad to “lose” the school as a major character in this book.) Strong recommend, and looking forward to reading more Naomi Novik!

The Last Graduate is the second book in the Scholomance trilogy. I had really enjoyed the first book during this summer, and I was looking forward to continuing this series (before I forgot everything that happened in the first book)!

The second installment was also quite enjoyable! I think middle-of-series books are harder to make more interesting - you're not fully in world-building mode, and you can't quite bring everything to a nice conclusion. However, my two favorite characters (the snarky, loner protagonist and the equally sarcastic school itself) both were able to continue to grow as characters, and able to throw a few curve balls as well. Both book one and book two end on cliffhangers, so I'm really glad that I started this series after it was finished because boy would I be mad if I had to wait to find out what happens next! I have a few other books in line but I think the third installment in this series will find its way into my hand relatively quickly.

I love this book. If you haven't read The Thursday Murder Club, you really should. And then read this one. A gang of senior citizens solving murders from their retirement community - it sounds like an odd concept but it is written so well, and with so much heart and humor. I love all these characters and cannot wait to read the third book!

This book was such a fun and quick read! A fantasy novel in which the primary mode of magic use (at least by our protagonist) is through baking?? Weaponized sourdough starter?!? A gingerbread man familiar?!! I mean, has a book ever been more made for me? This book read much more YA than the other book I have read by this author (T. Kingfisher is a pseudonym for children's author Ursula Vernon), but I don't see that as a bad thing at all. I'm also certain that non-bakers would enjoy this book as well - but if you too have a personal relationship with a sourdough starter, you should probably check this one out!

The Four Winds is a story about The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. If you're thinking, “oof, sounds heavy!” you'd be right. I mean, how does one write a happy and uplifting story about the Great Depression? And yet, this is written beautifully, with so much hope and growth and human goodness that it is well worth the read.

As a fun side note - I brought this book along recently to a doctor appointment where I knew I'd be spending a chunk of time in a waiting room. The nurse behind the desk saw what I was reading and said, “Oh, I've read that book! It's so good. Brave of you to read it in a public place, though - be sure to sit next to the Kleenex!”

This is a YA sci-fi novel that takes Imperial China and puts it into a very tech-forward future. Our protagonist is a re-imagined version of Empress Wu, the only female Chinese empress. The world is at war with a mysterious alien presence, and they fight in giant mechanized animal-shaped structures called Chrysalises. For a reader of my age, it brought up lots of Power Ranger/Transformer vibes. But, of course, there are also enemies within a pretty messed-up military structure.

It's a bit hard to describe the mood of this book, but I will say it feels like it would translate really well into anime or manga. Very fast-paced with some pretty dramatic moments, some of which really did catch me off-guard. I thought I knew what direction this story was going to go in until a Big Event about a quarter of the way through, so that was fun. (I did see the Big Surprise at the end about a mile away, though.) It is also a pretty straightforward look at misogyny and how it impacts both men and women. Overall, I really liked it and have already told K she should read it.

The author of this book is Native American, and it takes place on and near a reservation in northern Michigan. The reservation has been plagued with rising drug use and deaths, and our protagonist gets thrown into the middle of figuring out who is responsible for all the harm that is affecting her community. The writing is very suspenseful, and there were lots of fun twists and turns along the way.

The absolute best part about this book is the immersion on modern Native American culture. There is so much beauty and also acknowledgement of pain and suffering. My only minor quibble is that this book is YA and I could feel that at points (a few of the plot twists were pretty obvious, and some of the scientific/forensic concepts were over-explained). All in all, though, a good read!

This is my February book recommended by a friend. This is a great, action-packed sci-fi first contact story. I sat down Sunday afternoon to read the first few chapters and ended up reading the first half of the book. It is set during the 2007 economic collapse and it was fun to see those events re-interpreted through this lens. This book only misses five stars just slightly because I thought parts of the ending were a bit too trite/predictable. But I already have the sequel on hold and am excited to see where the story goes next.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is my 50th book for this year!! I may sneak in one more before the new year, but I sort of want to leave it here because 50 is a great number and this was a great book! E read it a while ago and recommended it to me, and I’m so glad he did.

In mid 1700s France, Adeline LaRue makes a deal with the devil. She wants to experience more of life and in exchange for her soul she is able to live as long as she wants…but there is a catch. She is unable to leave a mark in the world. People will interact with her, but once she leaves their sight she is forgotten. Until one day, nearly 300 years later….someone remembers her.

This is a really sweet story about love and loss and what makes life worth living. Highly recommend! (And, for those following at home, this fits for prompt 35 for the Popsugar reading challenge - a book centering LGBTQ characters that is not about coming out.)

5

The girls and I headed to Iowa for a visit this weekend, so I had a project of finding a good audio book that would be acceptable to all and fit in the time frame we had. And this book was a great success all around! I have read at least one other book by this author and had really enjoyed it, and I know I've had this book on my TBR for a while.

In what is now a delightfully standard set up, we find ourselves in a school for magical children. This school floats in a void, and there are no adults present. It has been built to protect the teens from evil magical beings, who are very tempted by what seems like their magical puberty. While the school offers some protection, it is still pretty tough in there, and the kids learn directly from the school while preparing to fight their way out when they “graduate.” Our protagonist is an outsider who is trying to figure out how to survive the next few years ahead.

While the bones of the plot are perhaps not the most original, the details are absolutely great. I loved the description of the slightly sadistic school and our delightfully sarcastic protagonist. The mash up between life-and-death struggle with what feels like really normal high school issues of who likes who is done very well. The book is YA but did not feel “too young” for me to enjoy as an adult. It is another series (why are they all series?!?!?) but after I get through the rather alarming pile that has suddenly appeared at the library for me (why do all the holds show up at the same time?!?!?) I will be putting the next two books high on my list to get through.

Finished my first book in 2025! Since I’m getting sucked into the Popsugar challenge, I decided to get what seems like the worst prompt out of the way - a book rated less than three stars on Goodreads. Plus this was an easy decision because as far as I can tell it was the ONLY book on my TBR that was rated under three stars?!? (I must have good/boring taste….)

This book is a dark academia thriller, and honestly I didn’t hate it. I was interested in the characters and while most of the plot was pretty predictable, there were a few fun moments in there. Might be a good rec if you have a tween/young teen reader who is into darker stories.

As the title suggests, Oona is living her life out of order. Every New Year's Eve she jumps to a different year of her life. She might be 21 internally but 54 externally or vice versa. To me it reads like a sweet coming of age story, but with the added fun of time travel. Like many time travel books, you really can't think too hard about the specifics of it all, or you'll get a headache. Just allow the magic to happen. I laughed, I cried, definitely a worthy read.

This book is the June read for the Sword and Laser podcast. The Sword of Kaigen is a fantasy war story set in a country that feels very similar to Japan. The plot follows a traditional warrior family who are trying to make their family customs and traditions stay true while technology begins to appear in their lives. The various warrior societies have access to magic connected to various elemental forces (water, fire, air, etc). (If you mash up a samurai story with The Last Airbender you're probably in about the right zone.) We follow a few of the family members in particular and in so doing learn about the world and the particular family dynamics.

I seem to have been on a streak of somewhat dark books, and this one is no exception. Obviously, when the title involves the words “sword” and “war story,” you should probably expect some violence is going to be included. In general, I liked this book, and it managed to really surprise me a few times. But there were a few issues with the plot/writing that were a bit heavy/clumsy and took me out of the story at times. Overall, though, a good book!

This was a neat memoir (if that's still the right word to use for a young adult??) of a comedian/performer/person with autism. If you are curious about the spectrum and are looking for a good point of entry into learning more, this book would be a good place to start. This would be especially appropriate for a teen who is looking to understand this world. Mostly autobiography with some education thrown in. And of course it's always fascinating to just read what life is like for someone whose brain is wired differently from mine.

If you're interested in a slightly deeper (but still super interesting and well written) book about ASD, I always recommend Neurotribes.

This is a good, but not great, sci-fi. Future humans have decided to experiment with evolution on a far-away planet, and end up nurturing a civilization of intelligent spiders. The author does some interesting things to allow continuity of characters while also telling a story about generations of evolution, and the overall points being made are good, but pretty unsubtle. I liked the book...but probably also won't be running out for the sequel.

Cursed Bunny was the July read for the Sword and Laser podcast. This book is a collection of short stories originally written in Korean and then translated to English. The stories cover a variety of genres/themes, although most of them land somewhere in the horror/fantasy/sci-fi zone. They are all creepy and dark in some way.

I have to say this was not really for me. Intellectually I can appreciate the work and the message of many of the stories, and a couple of them did grab me. Many of the other stories, though, my response was something like: “Huh. That was weird.” This would be a great choice for a literature class (I know there are lots of interesting metaphors hanging out in there!) - but not something I would just pick up for fun. Your mileage may vary, though! If stories of talking feces and murderous lamps seem up your alley- this could be the book for you!