Time and Time Again, by Chatham Greenfield
A fat teenager with a chronic illness is caught in a time loop alone, until something changes and her former best friend/long-time crush joins her in repeating August 6. Cute story. Has so much representation (gay, disability, fat) but none of it feels crammed in. Nice, cozy read.
The Fox Wife, by Yangsze Choo
Gorgeous tale of a fox spirit of Chinese mythology navigating the human world as she is out for revenge for the death of her child. She gets wrapped up in drama created by another fox spirit and must come to terms with whether or not revenge is worth her future. Loved this story. Smart, well-executed, and with just the right amount of tension. Plus a satisfying ending.
The Forest of a Thousand Eyes, by Frances Hardinge
This is another short illustrated tale from Hardinge and I loved it. Haunting tale of a world overtaken a quick-growing forest with large dangerous fauna. Humans live in the wreckage of a giant fortress wall created to keep the forest at bay, and are isolated from one another by the forest floor. Feather gets duped by a wanderer and is stranded outside her community. She makes her way on the broken bits of the wall finding other communities and her way home. I don’t know what it is about this story that I love so much. Read it and find out for yourself.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, P. Djèlí Clark
I’ve really gotten into this author. I love his world-building. The assassins in this story are, indeed, dead. When they die, they are resurrected to serve their goddess as killers for hire, but with no memory of who they were. Eveen is one of the best. So when she is assigned the task of killing someone who may or may not be her younger self, she has to go against the assassin’s code to find out who wants her dead. Steampunk at its best.
Snuff, by Terry Pratchett
The last book in The Watch subseries of Discworld novels, finishing off my year-long reread of the six books in the series. (Only five really as I didn’t reread Men At Arms having reread that one recently.) This book is such a satisfying story with all my favorite characters. Sam Vimes is one of the most complex heroes of literature.
Lady Eve’s Last Con, by Rebecca Fraimow
A take on the well-known Barbara Stanwyck/Henry Fonda film, The Lady Eve, this story is set in the future on a space station where the Haves and Have-nots are becoming more and more separated. Instead of the con artist going directly after the man who wronged her, the sister, Ruth, goes after the man who hurt her sister, Esteban. Complications arise when Ruth finds herself attracted to Estaban’s sister. Really enjoyed this fast-paced rom-com. Looking forward to more from this author.
The Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
I didn’t mean to reread another Sir Terry book this month, but what is Roundworld’s Christmas without Discworld’s Hogwatch? Beautiful tale of what belief is and what it means to humans.
Everyone in my Family Has Killed Somone, by Benjamin Stevenson
Another relisten. December was crazy busy for me and I needed something that wouldn’t stress me out. Such a great premise, such a funny narrator, and a darned good mystery.
The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay
This has long been on my TBR list and I’m glad I finally got to it. Disturbing, but ultimately thoughtful. (TW: child death) Eric and Andrew take their young daughter, Wen, to rural New Hampshire for an internet-free vacation. A few days in four strangers arrive telling the family that they have to kill one of the three in order to stop the apocalypse. I zipped right through this one as it was so compelling. Excellent horror.
A fat teenager with a chronic illness is caught in a time loop alone, until something changes and her former best friend/long-time crush joins her in repeating August 6. Cute story. Has so much representation (gay, disability, fat) but none of it feels crammed in. Nice, cozy read.
The Fox Wife, by Yangsze Choo
Gorgeous tale of a fox spirit of Chinese mythology navigating the human world as she is out for revenge for the death of her child. She gets wrapped up in drama created by another fox spirit and must come to terms with whether or not revenge is worth her future. Loved this story. Smart, well-executed, and with just the right amount of tension. Plus a satisfying ending.
The Forest of a Thousand Eyes, by Frances Hardinge
This is another short illustrated tale from Hardinge and I loved it. Haunting tale of a world overtaken a quick-growing forest with large dangerous fauna. Humans live in the wreckage of a giant fortress wall created to keep the forest at bay, and are isolated from one another by the forest floor. Feather gets duped by a wanderer and is stranded outside her community. She makes her way on the broken bits of the wall finding other communities and her way home. I don’t know what it is about this story that I love so much. Read it and find out for yourself.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, P. Djèlí Clark
I’ve really gotten into this author. I love his world-building. The assassins in this story are, indeed, dead. When they die, they are resurrected to serve their goddess as killers for hire, but with no memory of who they were. Eveen is one of the best. So when she is assigned the task of killing someone who may or may not be her younger self, she has to go against the assassin’s code to find out who wants her dead. Steampunk at its best.
Snuff, by Terry Pratchett
The last book in The Watch subseries of Discworld novels, finishing off my year-long reread of the six books in the series. (Only five really as I didn’t reread Men At Arms having reread that one recently.) This book is such a satisfying story with all my favorite characters. Sam Vimes is one of the most complex heroes of literature.
Lady Eve’s Last Con, by Rebecca Fraimow
A take on the well-known Barbara Stanwyck/Henry Fonda film, The Lady Eve, this story is set in the future on a space station where the Haves and Have-nots are becoming more and more separated. Instead of the con artist going directly after the man who wronged her, the sister, Ruth, goes after the man who hurt her sister, Esteban. Complications arise when Ruth finds herself attracted to Estaban’s sister. Really enjoyed this fast-paced rom-com. Looking forward to more from this author.
The Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
I didn’t mean to reread another Sir Terry book this month, but what is Roundworld’s Christmas without Discworld’s Hogwatch? Beautiful tale of what belief is and what it means to humans.
Everyone in my Family Has Killed Somone, by Benjamin Stevenson
Another relisten. December was crazy busy for me and I needed something that wouldn’t stress me out. Such a great premise, such a funny narrator, and a darned good mystery.
The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay
This has long been on my TBR list and I’m glad I finally got to it. Disturbing, but ultimately thoughtful. (TW: child death) Eric and Andrew take their young daughter, Wen, to rural New Hampshire for an internet-free vacation. A few days in four strangers arrive telling the family that they have to kill one of the three in order to stop the apocalypse. I zipped right through this one as it was so compelling. Excellent horror.
