A gripping display of world-building and personality. Shadows that reach beyond the page and into what it is to face death amongst life and life amongst death.

A gripping tale of love and loss, with themes that gracefully handle morality and magic.

“For a brief moment, she also wondered if people had titles on their spines. If bodies were the books of our lives, what would her spine say?”

A novel short in length but rich in content, a small glimpse into an alternate world history.

Another stunning mystery from Stuart Turton. The amount of gears all turning together to propel the pieces of the story onward are pleasantly dizzying.

“So this is how men go to the devil, he thought bitterly. Cap in hand and short of hope, all their prayers gone unanswered.”

A must read, a skillfully executed narrative of one example of the daily tragedies occurring along the United States / Mexico border.

Though each vignette is different, by the end of the collection the cities all blur together. This may be the intention, symbolically, but it makes finishing the book a challenge.

“The weak shouldn‘t have to fear the powerful, and the powerful shouldn‘t simply be allowed to take what they wanted without consequence. Power should be a burden, not a shield. It should be used to everyone‘s betterment, not merely for the person who wielded it.”

“I‘ll not have some bastard drown me before the governor general hangs me.”

“For the most part, they investigated thefts and murders, crimes long committed and easily understood. It was like arriving to the theater after the performance had ended and being asked to work out the story using pieces of discarded script and the props left on stage. But here was a crime not yet undertaken, a chance to save lives rather than avenge them.”

A suspenseful tale woven from the lives of three women dedicated to helping one another, even beyond the bridge of two hundred years. Beautifully develops two different timelines in a way that feels seamless.

Haig has a distinctive way of crafting prose to elicit examination of one‘s outlook on reality, and this novel is no exception. Although the ending is somewhat predictable the journey is pleasant and inspiring.

“Happy moments can turn into pain, given time.”

A uniquely captivating read and a marvel of world building, not a page passes by without the plot slowly creeping in like the tides. The ending was satisfying without feeling as though it were grasping for a happy ending.

A fascinating dive into the effects of performative masculinity on the life of a young man trying to find his way in the world.

A thrilling delve into sci fi, a universe familiar and yet unknown. A gripping reimagining of A Journey to the Center of the Earth.

“The passage of time became complicated, hard to parse. Breaths, heartbeats, motion. The throb in his wounded jaw. What did all mean? We descend all the time, and the bottom of the ocean is called death.”

A stunning piece of speculative fiction, the familiarity of the society within the novel is unnerving when paired with the shocking actions and ideologies the people within Gilead had grown accustomed to.

A charming book spiraling through a fantastical and familiar world of magic and murder. The characters are unique and captivating and are by far the most intriguing part of the novel.

I considered this novel a classic before ever opening it, and I was proven correct. The strong symbolism carries the story through war and the aftermath of war on a soldier‘s psyche.

“I think that it is all that matters in this world. It does not matter what you are as long as you love and are loved.”

A fascinating foray into a world wrecked by chaos, explored through the experiences of a regular man in quite irregular circumstances. The writing style took some getting used to, but it was a satisfying read.

This book was as captivating as it was chilling. A moving piece that highlights the effects of internalized racism on a young girl.

A fascinating and gripping novel that delves into the restless mind of a soldier who never truly left the fight. Symbolically located on a solitary vessel somewhere past nowhere in the middle of space, the man who tried to isolate himself to cope with PTSD is forced into reckoning with his desire to be heard and understood.

“This is the thing about being a hero: It‘s all about when you get your picture taken. I‘ll be a hero for the rest of my life, I suppose. So long as I spend it in here with the door shut, hugging my knees, and staying away from anymore cameras.”

I wasn‘t sure how this trilogy was going to end but I was incredibly pleased. Three books of fantastic world-building and character development culminated into a wrenching last stand for the Library we‘ve come to love. The themes in this trilogy are poignant and sure to leave a lasting impression.

“Even the battles you lost are worthy,” Bjorn said. “Winning doesn‘t make a warrior, trying to live does that.”

A fascinating perspective on time travel. The pacing is very fast, and oftentimes felt rushed, but the unique storyline and charming characters carried it along.

The sequel that pulled the first book together, I wish I had been able to read the two back to back. This novel makes Crier‘s War feel like a backstory to the main event.

A fascinating take on Peter Pan, it provides a sort of closure in a world of eternities.

The novel winds through a maze of a mansion darkened with secrets and the unknown. The disquieting atmosphere was brilliantly woven into every word and wall.

A quick but enlightening read, a tale woven with tales. The heaviest stories are heavier when bore alone, and are made lighter once told.

An absolute whirlwind, a novel that starts on the path of normalcy but slowly delves into the realm of magic. As Wil rediscovers his imagination the world becomes more mystical, and the author toys with time and magic in a uniquely elaborate way. The world developed by the end of the novel is a triumph of creativity and wonder.

“Who has time to fight the system when the system is smarter and richer than we are?”

“Tuesday scowled back at Wil, but he had already made his decision - he was going to seize the day, preferably by the unmentionables.”

“But as he climbed the stairs past three or four indifferent masses of feline fur, he sensed his thoughts were stubbornly refusing to cooperate. He felt as if he were trying to shepherd them with, say, a fire-breathing troll as opposed to, say, a metaphorical border collie. And thoughts, like sheep, usually won‘t respond to any kind of herding under those types of circumstance.”

“I feel like a fish that just jumped off the side of a fishing boat, and accidentally landed in a stray net that a previous fisherman hung out to dry. Either you‘re trying to catch me on purpose, Mr. Dinsdale, or I‘m trying to be caught by mistake. I‘m cold, and it‘s snowing, and my coffee has worn off. I don‘t know where I am or why I am. Does that about cover it for you?”

Every twist and turn comes precisely when you‘re hoping for something new. The unraveling of the secrets kept by multiple people in a web of events spanning a lifetime is done carefully, as though with empathetic gentleness for the characters involved. The symbolism in the novel is forward in a way thats welcome alongside the various characters‘ involvements in the arts. A stunning read.

I tried desperately to enjoy this book. The plot had a lot of potential, but the execution was lackluster at best and grating at worst. Everything from the characters to the setting were underdeveloped, which made the short book drag. Even by chapter 10/16 I could not muster curiosity for the ending, let alone stomach reading another six chapters. Maybe someday I‘ll finish it, but probably not.

A delightful read, an ode to memories of youth long forgotten and seldom remembered. The carefree days of the past bubbling into the present make the fantastical characters and events feel like your own hazily remembered magical childhood mixed with the contrasting adulthood nobody notices themselves entering.

“The past never is. The future never was. The present I‘ll grant you, but hardly. No one notices it.”

Beautifully written and far too short, I found myself aching for more. The characters are dynamic and real, even the nonhuman characters feel unnervingly human. This book certainly does not stand on its own like some series books do, but the sequel will hopefully tie the loose ends.

One of the most gripping murder mysteries I‘ve encountered, with twists and knots that untangle and retangle themselves. Certainly not a mystery to be solved in the first few pages, every drop of every character plays a role in the ongoing misadventure at Blackheath.

“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?

This lost, I decide. Precisely this lost.”

Full of messy mysteries that spin together flawlessly. Plague Child is a journey through the tumultuous adventures of Thomas Neave to find his family, and to find himself, amidst the underlying conditions of his very existence of which he becomes increasingly aware. A fascinating read, it stands out among other journeys of self-discovery.

This series has solidified its place as one of my absolute favorites. The entanglement of different motives and characters is brilliant, and no thread of plot goes unappreciated by the conclusion. This book left me wishing I had waited for the next book to come out before reading it, the wait will be excruciating. Highly recommended.

A stunning book that weaves its thread through centuries and manages to tie a bow at the end. Inspiring.