When a Goat Talks You Should Listen
Kill the Farm Boy (The Tales of Pell #1) by Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne
There is something about a talking goat in a fantasy novel that sets the stage for shenanigans. But Shenanigans are just one of the reasons I adore Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. Also, I’m reasonably sure these two were a part of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and they got kicked unceremoniously.
A Smart Re-imagined Fairytale
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
My previous encounter with a retelling of a fairytale left me feeling as though molten anger was seeping from every pore. I honestly thought it would be a while before I trusted myself to try another. Thankfully, I listen to The Overdue Podcast and they were able to convince me that Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik was not only a great retelling but just a great story overall. Because of this it was one of my first selections for my BoTM subscription.
When The Third Policeman Tells You About a Bicycle
The Third Policeman: A Novel by Flann O’Brien
There are books that exist to confuse and bemuse and I find it a treat whenever I encounter just such a book. The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien was not at all what I had expected and I mean that in a good way…I think.
One Man’s Path to Enlightenment Is Actually Drug Haze
The Sun Temple by B.F. Spath
***A huge thank you goes directly to the Author, B.F. Spath, who entrusted me with a copy of his novel in exchange for an honest review***
As a high school emo kid I remember wanting to prove that I understood deep meaningful literature. I too wanted to go on a journey of enlightenment through the pages of books. Others might have a hard time understanding, but I wouldn’t. I would “get it.” My first and only deep dive into this was when I attempted to read Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. I made it five pages before I realized, “hmmm, I really don’t get this.” Then I proceeded to put it on my bookshelf and have not touched it for years. I feel like B.F. Spath‘s The Sun Temple is in the same vein, but the difference here is I actually read a bit further.
The Sandman My Old Friend, Darkness Comes Again
The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Sam Keith & Mike Dringenberg
There is an endless love in my soul for Neil Gaiman. He is everything I would love to be as a writer. Even still, I have never once picked up a copy of The Sandman – until now. Though I’ll admit picking up a graphic novel is covered in the shadow of bad graphic novels of the past. What I love about Gaiman is his ability to make a dark story seem light. There is always an element of darkness, but never fear and I appreciate that this is a feeling unique to his stories. Vol 1 of The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes did not differ from this.
F/K/A USA by Reed King
***Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review***
There was a time that I was really into Dystopian Novels. They presented a “world after” that could be either horrifying, struggling, or uplifting in the face of change. (Most were horrifying). I can understand that and find the entertainment/learning value in novels that represent all that is bad about our world eventually destroying it. What makes F/K/A USA by Reed King different from these is that it adds a touch of humor and, for lack of a better way to describe it, a sense of the humanity the characters are striving to save.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
As a book reader there are times that I wish the world I was reading was the world I was living in. The vast differences in characters, ambitions, dreams, abilities, and above all magic that they have makes the real world seem dull in comparison. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is one of those books.
The Year the Swans Came by Barbara Spencer
***Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
I’m going to make this clear from the beginning. This is not a fantasy book. It is a surrealistic story at best and a jumbled mess at worst. I say this as someone who remained hopeful until the bitter end. Despite the characters just being down right horrible and the “fantasy” elements coming so late in the book that I completely forgot that was supposed to be a thing, I somehow managed to continue with a small shred of hope that I would get the answers I was so desperately seeking from this book. However, The Year the Swans Came by Barbara Spencer left me feeling upset and unfulfilled.
If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For by Jamie Tworkowski
It’s hard to claim this book as anything but intense, but I think that is it’s intention. It is meant to make you think and more importantly it wants you to feel – something, which I think in my case it succeeded on that front.
For those who aren’t aware Jamie Tworkowski is the writer most well known for his story To Write Love on Her Arms, which gave way for a non-profit organization of the same name. It’s message is simple, yet profound. We are here, Hope is real, Help is real, Your Story is important. They help with the difficulties of depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. And If You Feel Too Much is Tworkowski’s fist full length book.
February BoTM & Gallifrey One Haul (Book Mail #4)
It is such a cliche to say that it’s been a rough two weeks, but for me it has been a rough two weeks.
Two weeks ago I attended the Doctor Who convention Gallifrey One in Los Angeles and if you are a Doctor Who fan and have never been to this amazing experience I would suggest re-evaluating your priorities and try to attend next year. It truly is the place to be for all American fans of the beloved BBC show.
Following that terrific weekend I was put out with a hard case of Con Crud (the cold that proceeds a non-stop nerd convention). To be honest I am still not completely over it, coughs linger. This is the main reason that the last two weeks have been rough, that and other personal reasons that I won’t go into here.
The point I am trying to make is that during this two week time period I have acquired a stack of books and I now have the energy to post and share them with you.
