Somehow, this series just keeps getting better! Dinniman continues to expand on the lore and the politics as the action ramps up the deeper we get in the dungeon.

While the humor remains through much of this book, we also get more of the deeper emotional moments, including a few that left me absolutely reeling.

As always, I finished this one and had to dive straight into the next book!

I was pleasantly surprised a book written by four authors in parts read so seamless to me!

This sci fi tale follows a unique and rather morally grey MC through a mission complicated by lies and political machinations. It touches on everything from greed, xenophobia, and isolationism, to cultural erasure and the destruction of family, and comes together as a spectacular story of strength and perseverance, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

If The Spellshop was a fuzzy blanket for my spirit, this book was a gentle hearthfire, warming right down to the depths of me.

In this book, we get to meet Terlu Perna, who created the sentient talking spider plant, Kaz, and paid a steep price for it.

From forgiveness and redemption to self-discovery and healing, Durst covers a range of topics without straying from her characteristic cozy style and stunning imagery.

100% recommend!

This picks up where the first book left off and follows our protagonist as the world around her continues to devolve into further into violence and chaos. There are more events that feel uncomfortably prophetic, as well.

Dark, thoughtful, compelling, and haunting: this book and the prior one are two of the books I tend to think everyone should read.

When three strangers of different species are trapped at something like a small galactic motel, they find themselves getting to know each other while dealing with all the frustrations of their situation.

Chambers shines a light on learning to respect and embrace differences and how diversity can be a strength in this final entry to her Wayfarer series.

Beautiful, thoughtful, cozy, and uplifting: in my experience, Chambers never disappoints!

I picked this up based on a recommendation, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.

This is a unique time travel story, published in the 90s, but set in a near future pandemic that feels eerily prophetic, while paralleling a story set in an outbreak of illness in the 14th century.

Part sci fi, part historical fiction, part tragedy, overall, this book examines how human circumstances change, but love, fear, hope, and mourning still remain.

The final book in the series, we finally get to see all of the secrets brought to light, and a resolution to the situation with the council.

I will admit, I still had issues with the pacing at times, and I got frustrated with our main characters quite often, but overall I still mostly enjoyed this series.

Scalzi seems to love to throw his characters into unique and unexpected circumstances and then venture even further into thought experiment territory from there!

While this one is absolutely still infused with his trademark humor, it also takes on a somewhat more introspective tone that I enjoyed, as well.

Overall, anther hit from an author who has become a personal favorite!

The wild ride continues in this book as we delve farther into the Dungeon Crawler world, both inside the dungeon and behind the scenes.

The unique mix of fast-paced action, dark humor, a plot layered with machinations, and deeply emotional moments continues to keep me absolutely captivated with this series.

This book continues to follow Alex Easton through the dark and atmospheric world Kingfisher has created, as another unsettling mystery comes to light.

While I didn't feel this quite reached the level of What Moves the Dead, it was still a very good book, weaving the character's internal and external struggles together into a truly eerie read.

Part coming-of-age story, part sweeping allegory, this book explores gender roles and expectations, oppression and marginalization, and how we deal with trauma and our own history, even when that history is hard to face.

While there were times I struggled a bit with the pacing, overall I found this to be a unique, fiercely feminist story that hits on some very pertinent and timely issues.

I'm going to say something that may be surprising, considering the acclaim this book has gotten, but I had a hard time getting into this one. The pacing just felt off and the flashbacks seemed intrusive at times.

However, this did have some great characters and world building, and the plot was unique and interesting. I'm calling it a pick overall, but I'm not sure if I'll be continuing the series or not.

This was a really hard questionfor me. I had a lot of favorites through childhood. Out of all of them, though, this was probably the one I was obsessed with the longest!

#SundayFunday

@BookMarkTavern

While I feel like this one didn't quite live up to the first book in the series, I still enjoyed it.

The pace is significantly slower in this book, and it definitely took me longer to read, but it also brought in more history and detail, creating something really beautiful.

Overall, this was absolutely still a pick that left me more than ready to pick up the third and final book.

Please excuse the peripheral clutter and poor lighting. I was just so excited to share my surprise belated birthday gift from my partner's mom.

I've always wanted a rotating book shelf! 😊

And I can absolutely always use more book storage! 😉

I'm having a hard time describing the way this book punched me in the gut and left me breathless.

Reading this in the present day, when it was published in the mid 90s, is downright eerie. Butler saw the writing on the wall and created a near future dystopia that feels far too close to reality at times.

Woven through with social commentary, this book is an incredibly powerful, haunting read that I 100% recommend.

This book was like a fuzzy blanket for my spirit right now.

This cozy fantasy follows an antisocial academic who is forced to leave everything she knows and start over with just some forbidden magic and her sentient talking spider plant assistant.

The characters and setting and creatures were so absolutely enchanting, I didn't want the story to ever end!

This dark and atmospheric retelling is unconventional and thought provoking, focusing on one young woman's experience trying to carve out a place for herself in a world firmly in the clutches of powerful men who distrust her.

I do understand the serious concerns with the use and portrayal of language and culture in this book, but I still think it is worth a read.

In this entry to the series, Chambers somehow manages to take an alien species's sociological study of a subset of humans in space and turn it into something both cozy and compelling, even with a narrative that is more introspective than plot driven.

Overall, I was not entirely surprised to find this another beautiful, heartwarming, thought-provoking exploration of possibility. I've come to expect no less from the Wayfarer series!

This is another delightfully silly, spicy romantasy that will just take you away for a bit.

This book had me laughing to the point I may or may not have snorted. 😳 And there's one particular moment, which I will not spoil by saying too much, that I actually cackled. I do not typically cackle! 😆

The books in this series are 100% pure fluff, but in a fabulous way, and honestly, I think most people can use a bit of fluff in their life right now!

I doubt I could say anything about this book that hasn't already been said, but I'll give my two cents anyway.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. It engaged both my brain and my heart to the fullest degree and left me absolutely reeling, in a good way.

The characters, the writing, the twists of the fantastic plot: it all comes together to create an absolutely stunning work of fiction!

This was a solid follow-up to the previous book, bringing in couple of new characters that challenge the protagonist both in the race and in other, less material ways. Unfortunately, there are also some more sinister elements involved, and things get complicated.

Overall, this was another fast-paced story that I read in a day and quite enjoyed. I'm looking forward to seeing the series continue.

A unique murder mystery set in a well-developed fantasy world, this book intrigued me right from the start.

While the characters are undeniably inspired by Sherlock Holmes, the author makes them his own in endearing ways. Then he drops them smack dab in the middle of a puzzle that sank it's claws into me and did not let go!

A good time all around!

Scalzi returns to the world of Hadens for another near future sci fi mystery masterpiece, this time turning his attention to corruption in sports, and further, just industries where people are commodities and the almighty dollar always comes first.

Great characters, quick pacing, and a unique storyline come together with Scalzi's signature humor to make for a stellar read!

Carl's adventure continues in this volume as we get to see more of how our characters are growing and changing, and how their relationships are evolving, as well. This one also hits the reader with some really, surprisingly emotional moments.

Overall, I'd say this book not only continued the momentum of the first two books, I think it actually accelerated the pace. I had to pick up the next book the moment I finished it!

This one was very hard to pin down for me. I'm calling it a soft pick, but just barely.

The character concepts and the premise were unique enough to hold my attention and keep me reading, but the narrative did fall prey to over-explanation in many places, and yet it also had several elements that were a bit confusing and under explained.

I'm still undecided about whether or not I will pick up the next book.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this, but it definitely threw me some curveballs!

I liked the main character right from the start, and the combination of snarky, cynical humor sprinkled liberally with an interesting mix of innuendo and science and engineering jargon made for a unique narrative as the story ramped up into a fast-paced lunar heist.

I know this one tends to garner mixed reviews, but personally, I enjoyed the heck out of it!

I hadn't intended to pick up this series, but I stumbled across secondhand copies at a great price and decided to give them a try.

Yes, this is a silly, spicy romantasy where some plot points are glossed over rather than being fully explained, but if you can just fully suspend your disbelief and allow yourself to go along for the ride, it can be rollicking good time.

We are home from the hospital and in recovery mode today!

While running errands, I stopped at my favorite Indie book store and picked up the tagged book to add to my overcrowded TBR shelves, pictured above, as a little pick me up after the stress of the last few days.

After all, there's no such thing as too many books, right? 😁

Thank goodness for the distraction of a good book!

My partner had surgery today, and this was one of the three I brought with me to try to keep me occupied.

Luckily, all went well, and they should be calling me back to post op with him soon. Just going to work on one more chapter in the meantime.

This was so wildly different from the previous books in the series, yet I loved it just as much!

Rather than the frenetic action of the prior books, this starts out slow and oddly gentle, easing into the story before the puzzle pieces start to fall into place and Muir starts hitting the reader with her signature gut-punch info bombs.

I found myself blown away by this one, and I cannot wait to see how this series goes from here!

The over-the-top, absurdly weird and violent fun continues as Carl and Princess Donut move on to the next floor, and the stakes get higher.

This book starts to venture more into the realm of heavier topics, touching on everything from neglect, abuse, and trauma, to things like seeing the “humanity“ in others, despite their differences.

Also, we get the first appearance of Mongo! (IYKYK)

Definitely an all around good time!

This is another one I'm calling a soft pick.

I did enjoy it overall, but the pacing could have used some work, and the characters absolutely could have been fleshed out more. Nonetheless, the story was still compelling, and the magic system was intriguing.

I enjoyed it enough that I did pick up the second book, but I probably won't start it for a while.

Rachel Harrison's feminist horror has made her one of my favorites for autumn reading. She has a way of mixing somewhat sardonic humor into otherwise gruesome horror that I find unique and compelling, and her characters are always eminently relatable.

This particular book takes on issues of identity, family estrangement, and religious trauma with Harrison's signature wit and thought provoking prose.

100% recommend!

Everyone's favorite construct is back in action and this entry in the series dives even further down the rabbit hole of human emotion and experience through their eyes. While Murderbot may not be or want to be fully human, their pesky cloned human neural tissue still experiences things like trauma, and they've got to learn to deal with it.

This is another absolute delight of a story that left me simultaneously satisfied, but still wanting more!

Stepping aside from catching up on reviews for a minute to bring up some old favorites: I've loved the works of Madeleine L'Engle almost as long as I can remember.

I feel like a lot of readers are familiar with the first three books of her Murray series, most often referred to as the Wrinkle in Time books, but I rarely hear people mention any of her other books.

Anyone else have favorites of hers outside the big three?

I randomly picked up this book from the author herself at a convention this summer, and then I went back to my hotel room that evening and read the entire thing, cover to cover, in one night!

This is an action-packed story woven through with themes of loss and redemption. It was so good, I went back to the convention the next day and bought both the sequel and another of the author's books.

I'm always surprised I don't hear more about this book when John Scalzi is discussed. It is a fast-paced, well-crafted near future sci fi mystery utilizing Scalzi‘s signature wit and snark to explore some big ideas, ranging from human interaction with technology and ways of dealing with disability, to general issues of inequality. And if you like audiobooks, I absolutely recommend the Wil Wheaton version.

This is a bit of a hard one for me.

It was a pick for me because I still enjoyed the ride, the characters, the lush world, and the new revelations... but at the same time, I do understand why a lot of Stormlight fans struggled with this one. It felt a little heavy handed at times and the ending didn't have the payoff a lot of readers hoped for.

But personally, I still enjoyed every moment.

I sometimes find it hard to review a book this far into a series.

For those familiar with the series: this book continues to follow our beloved protagonist as she tries to keep Cincinnati's supernatural community from going off the rails again.

Full of Harrison's signature wit, unique characters, and stunning world building, I'd call this another strong entry in the series.

If you enjoy urban fantasy, at all, I highly recommend The Hollows!

I was oddly reluctant to pick up this book, I think because it had been so hyped up, I was afraid it could never live up to those expectations.

I. Was. WRONG.

Weir manages to weave together threads of scientific ingenuity and humor with the main character's indomitable will to survive, and creates a story unlike any other I've come across so far.

Much like the first book in the series, this book revels in its own silliness, but in a fun way that mostly took me along for the ride. Sure, there's angst, some general chaos, and, to be entirely honest, the ending could have been stronger, but overall, it was a rollicking good time.

It took me far to long to get around to anything by Octavia Butler, but I'm glad I picked this as my starting point. The gorgeous world building and wonderful characters are woven together with insightful social commentary and a gentle pace that allows the reader to really savor every moment of this book.

Once again, I found myself completely drawn into the world of my favorite socially anxious construct!

This time, Murderbot gets to head up the investigation of an actual murder, and does so with their usual delightfully snarky commentary.

Great pacing, fun characters, and a satisfying ending: overall another all around fun entry to this beloved series!

This book frankly surprised the hell out of me.

The story is populated by fun, unique characters on an insane journey, topped off with irreverence, witty banter, dark humor, and lots of fun, random pop culture references.

It is also one of the most truly laugh out loud funny things I have ever read in my life, but in just about the darkest way possible.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

It had been a while since I read a book that truly unsettled me, but this one absolutely hit the mark.

This book takes Appalachian folklore, mixes it in with a pinch of old world British folklore, and then slowly amps up the pace and the creep factor until you realize the water is about to boil, and you are the frog.

Definitely a good one to pick up for the upcoming Spooky Season!

I am always up for an Arthur retelling, and this one is unique, starting out after Arthur's death. Yet it also harkens back to some of the older tales with its almost episodic structure.

It is anachronistic (plate armor in the 5th century, among other things), but at least the author acknowledges it in his closing note.

Overall, this was an interesting read, and I'd recommend it for anyone with a fondness for all things King Arthur.

Found family, artificial intelligence, wild space hijinks, and monsters, all wrapped up in a murder/massacre mystery: this is a book that fully embraces its own strangeness, and it will absolutely take you right along for the ride, if you let it!

Overall, I'm calling this a pick, but kind of a soft pick.

This one is definitely what I would call a light read, with a bit of a YA feel, but a little more spice. It's a fun romp, laced with both humor and sadness, as we see our “heroes“ struggling with the aftermath of their prior adventure.

I picked this up on a whim, and I'm so glad I did!

This book takes both found family and creating community to a new place, while simultaneously digging into issues of othering, discrimination, and the possible future of AI.

The characters, the setting, and the writing were all on point and overall, it packed a lot into a short book!