AN UNKINDNESS OF MAGICIANS by Kat Howard is a dark & atmospheric contemporary fantasy that incorporates thriller elements. It had me glued to the page.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/05/14/an-unkindness-of-magicians-by-kat-howar...

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits on SFF & romance I've found and share them with you over tea.

In today's news the Hugo Awards are now open for voting. Ticonderoga Publications are looking for stories for their Year's Best anthology. And Bren McDibble wins the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature.

Full details at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/05/11/loose-leaf-links-61/

This week I'm over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show with a review of IN THE DARK SPACES by Cally Black. This award-winning YA sci-fi horror is a beautifully poignant story that deals with some big issues in an accessible way. Readers should be aware it is a very dark story, but it retains threads of hope and kindness.

Full review at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blogposts/reviews/bookreviews/reviewinthedarkspaces/

Um, so I did a lot of reading this month. In fact, I don't think I've read this much since I last judged the Aurealis Awards. I might have been a bit excited about the Hugo Awards. Or doing some heavy-duty procrastination. Or maybe both.

Check out my full report at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/05/04/mt-tbr-report-april-2018/

Anyone else preparing for the Hugos?

THE BEAST'S HEART by Leife Shallcross is a retelling of a classic fairytale. It manages to walk the line between honouring many of the traditional elements of the story and bringing some fresh twists.

Check out my full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/30/the-beasts-heart-by-leife-shallcross/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits on SFF & romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, the Organisation for Transformative Works is having a membership drive. Emma Newman discusses anxiety and book launches. And Orbit Books have announced a forthcoming fantasy novel from Ann Leckie.

Details at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/23/loose-leaf-links-60/

Dewey's 24-hour #readathon kicks off next weekend and I am in! I'm planning to tackle some reading for the Hugo Awards & will be co-hosting the readathon for a few hours.

How about you? Are you signed up for the readathon? There's still time if you haven't!

http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/20/prep-deweys-april-2018/

Take Sherlock Holmes. Make him a Latina railcar pirate in a steampunk Denver where the dead are at risk of rising again and you have MURDER ON THE TITANIA. This collection of novellas is a fun read that does a wonderful job of paying homage to classic mysteries while subverting problematic elements.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/16/murder-on-the-titania-by-alex-acks/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, the Science Fiction Poetry Association has released the candidates for the 2018 Rhysling Award. And Dewey's readathon are taking sign-ups for their next event.

Details at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/13/loose-leaf-links-59/

This week I'm over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show with a review of CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi. If you are looking for an Afrofuturistic spin on Avatar: The Last Airbender, this book is for you.

Check out my full review at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blogposts/reviews/bookreviews/reviewchildrenbloodbone...

Once again, I came super close to breaking even on my acquisitions this month. There was so much great reading!

For the full report and to take a peek at what I've been reading, check out
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/06/mt-tbr-report-march-2018/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

It has been a big weekend for awards. Winners of the Aurealis Awards, the Ditmar Awards and the Sir Julius Vogel Awards were announced, as well as the shortlist for the Hugos and the RITAs.

Details at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/04/02/loose-leaf-links-58/

THE SISTERS MEDEROS by Patrice Sarath is a historical-inspired fantasy about two sisters seeking revenge for the fall of their House. Although it had lots of exciting elements (extravagant parties! Wild magic! Secret identities!), it ultimately fails to blend them into a solid story.

Check out my full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/03/30/the-sisters-mederos-by-patrice-sarath/

ICE WOLVES is Amie Kaufman's first solo novel. It's a middle-grade fantasy about a pair of orphaned twins who find themselves in opposite camps of shapeshifters. Although I found it entertaining enough, it wasn't particularly memorable.

Check out the full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/03/26/ice-wolves-by-amie-kaufman/

Bren MacDibble's HOW TO BEE is a middle grade novel that looks at what the future might be like if bees died out. It is both heartwrenching and hopeful, and very much deserves its Ditmar nomination for Best Novel.

ECHOES OF UNDERSTOREY is the second in Thoraiya Dyer's unconventional epic fantasy series Titan's Forest. This new instalment adds to the already amazing worldbuilding and offers us a new protagonist who must become a bridge between worlds.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/03/19/echoes-of-understorey-by-thoraiya-dyer/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, controversy has flared over the new Hugo-related award for YA. And The Ripped Bodice release their second annual report on the state of diversity in the romance genre.

Details at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/03/09/loose-leaf-links-57/

This week I'm over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show with a review of TESS OF THE ROAD by Rachel Hartman. This is a powerful young adult novel that deals with some serious issues and wears its feminist heart on its sleeve.

Check out my full review at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blogposts/reviews/bookreviews/reviewtessroad-byhartma...

I came so close to breaking even with my acquisitions this month. Just one book short! Still, I'm pleased about how I'm going with my yearly reading goals.

Check out my full report and to take a peek at what I've been reading at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/03/02/mt-tbr-report-february-2018/

How are you going with your reading goals?

THE BELLES by Dhonielle Clayton is a YA fantasy with an edge of horror. Although it does a good job of evoking a lush, visual setting, it has a few flaws that ultimately left me feeling ambivalent.

Check out full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/26/the-belles-by-dhonielle-clayton/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits & pieces on SFF & romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In news, awards season is in full swing with shortlists being announced for the Aurealis, the Ditmars & the Nebulas. And Tor .com have announced another 5 novellas in the Wayward Children series.

Check out the full report at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/23/loose-leaf-links-56/

UNEARTHED by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner is a fast-paced YA adventure set in space. It manages to balance action and explosions with romance in cinematic style. Lots of fun, but watch out for the cliffhanger!

Check out my full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/19/unearthed-by-amie-kaufman/

The Down Under Fan Fund is designed to promote connections between fandoms in Australasia and North America. This year DUFF will send one delegate from Australiasia to Worldcon in San Jose in August. Voting is open to all interested fans, regardless of nationality. It closes 31 March.

Today I have an interview with candidate Marlee Jane Ward at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/16/duff-interview-marlee-jane-ward/

HUNGER MAKES THE WOLF and BLOOD BINDS THE PACK by Alex Wells are an addictive duology that roll sci-fi, fantasy and Western all into one. These books do a great job with diversity and stomp all over the trope of the Lone Gunman. I loved them to pieces.

Check out my full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/12/blood-binds-the-pack-by-alex-wells/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on SFF & romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, nominations are open for the Australian Shadow Awards. Locus have released their 2017 Recommended Reading List. And horror writer Kaaron Warren is publishing a new book.

Details at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/09/loose-leaf-links-55/

Markswoman is very much a debut novel. It does some interesting things with its world-building, pushing back against racist & sexist stereotypes. However, it suffers from some pacing issues.

See my full review at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blogposts/reviews/bookreviews/reviewmarkswomanmehrotr...

2018 got off to a slow start for me, reading-wise. We were a week into the year before I managed to finish my first book.

Yet, despite the slow start, I still managed to read an average number of books for the month. And, better still, I broke even with my acquisitions, as was my goal for the year. Hopefully, I can continue the trend.

Check out my full report at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/02/02/mt-tbr-report-january-2018/

IRONHEART by Jodi McAlister is the second in a contemporary fantasy YA trilogy. It continues to subvert genre expectations by showing the problems with lone wolves and by promoting healthy relationships. Plus it has evil faeries galore!

Check out my full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/29/ironheart-by-jodi-mcalister/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, the BookTubeSFF Awards are open for nominations. And IFWG Publishing have acquired a new novel by Gillian Polack.

Details at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/26/loose-leaf-links-54/

THE CITY OF BRASS by S.A. Chakraborty is a historical fantasy featuring Muslim protagonists, a cast of djinn and a city rife with rebellion. At 500+ pages, I was a little intimidated to start with. However, it proved to be a delight from beginning to end and I tore through it in no time. Highly recommended.

Check out my full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/22/city-of-brass-s-a-chakraborty/

Now that 2018 has arrived, the SFF community is gearing up for the 2017 awards season. To assist with the nominating process, I thought I'd share a list of works I've reviewed that are eligible.

Check out the list at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/19/2017-awards-eligibility/

Round 21 of #BoutofBooks took place last week. I didn't quite make it through three books, but I did read over 1000 pages, so I was pretty happy.

Check out my full report at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/17/bout-of-books-21/

BINTI: THE NIGHT MASQUERADE is the conclusion to Nnedi Okorafor's spell-binding series of sci-fi novellas. It explores what it means to embody conflicting identities and to act in good faith. There were some twists that didn't entirely work for me, but overall it brought the series to a satisfying conclusion.

Check out the full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/15/binti-the-night-masquerade-nnedi-okoraf...

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, there are a ton of awards open for nominations, including the Ditmars and the Norma K. Hemming. And the Australasian Horror Writers Association is making a comeback.

Details at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/12/loose-leaf-links-53/

Round 21 of #boutofbooks kicks off on 8 January and I have signed up. I'm hoping to get through at least three books, though THE CITY OF BRASS looks kind of chunky!

It's not too late to sign up if you'd like to join in. Check out my post for more details.

In the meantime, what's on your TBR pile this week?

http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/05/bout-of-books-21-sign-up/

Happy New Year! I hope those of you celebrating had wonderful holidays.

Earl Grey Editing is back up and running for the year. In my first post for 2018, I take a look at my reading stats for December and last year as a whole.

Check out the full report and take a peek at what I've been reading at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2018/01/03/mt-tbr-report-december-2017-yearly-wrap...

With Christmas now less than a week away, Earl Grey Editing is shutting down for the year. You may still see me around Instagram a bit (maybe). However, there won't be any more blog posts until 3 January.

So before I go, I thought I'd share my favourite reads from this year.

Photography has been a key part of the Earl Grey Editing blog. Today I share 20 of my favourite photos of this year: 10 from the blog and 10 from my personal album.

http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/12/15/my-favourite-photos-of-2017/

UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN by Jeannette Ng is is a Gothic-inspired novel that blends the fae with Christian theology while simultaneously undermining traditional narratives of colonialism. While it makes for a fascinating story, there are certain twists that mean it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/12/11/under-the-pendulum-sun-by-jeannette-ng/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In news, nominations are open for the Vogels, the BSFA, and the Tiptree.

http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/12/08/loose-leaf-links-52/ ‎

PHANTOM SPIES by Dawn Meredith is a middle grade sci-fi thriller. Although fast-paced and fun, a weak theme lets it down.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/12/06/phantom-spies-by-dawn-meredith/

My very first review for the Skiffy and Fanty Show went up yesterday. I'm taking a look at THE DARK DAYS CLUB by Alison Goodman. It's a Regency fantasy that is firmly grounded in its setting and is a sheer delight to read.

Check out the full review at
http://skiffyandfanty.com/2017/12/02/reviewdarkdaysclubgoodman/

November goes down as my worst month for reading this year. Bring on the summer holidays!

Check out my full report and take a peek at what I've been reading at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/12/01/mt-tbr-report-november-2017/

THE TIME OF THE STRIPES is a sci-fi suspense about the fallout after alien first contact. It explores the human tendency to create divisions and persecution.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/11/27/the-time-of-the-stripes/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In news, the inaugural Nommo Awards for African speculative fiction were presented. And A.C. Wise is collecting a list of eligible nominees for the Hugos and the Nebulas.

http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/11/24/loose-leaf-links-51/af-links-51/

NOT YOUR VILLAIN by C.B. Lee is a superhero YA novel featuring a transgender protagonist. It's a delightful read, despite one or two flaws.

Check out my full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/11/20/not-your-villain-by-c-b-lee/

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I've come across and share them with you over tea.

In today's news, the World Fantasy Awards were announced. A new anthology about battle poets is being Kickstarted. And Maggie Stiefvater speaks out about the effect of digital piracy on her career.

Details at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/11/10/loose-leaf-links-50/

ONE DARK THRONE by Kendare Blake is a dark YA fantasy with Gothic influences. Although it had an interesting premise, it did disappointingly little with it.

Check the full review at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/11/06/one-dark-throne-by-kendare-blake/

With two months left to go, I think I can give up on any vague hope I had of breaking even on Mt TBR this year.

Check the full report of my reading for October at http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/11/03/mt-tbr-report-october-2017/

PROVENANCE by Ann Leckie is a thoughtful, nuanced sci-fi novel which touches on ambition, family and authenticity. Highly recommended.

Check out the full review at
http://earlgreyediting.com.au/2017/10/30/provenance-by-ann-leckie/