An avid sci-fi and fantasy reader who sometimes does historical fiction or even mainstream.
You might notice that most of my reviews are 5 stars. That's because if I start reading a book that doesn't engage me, I stop reading it. Life is too short. I've realized that it's not fair to review a book I haven't read and nobody really needs to hear why I didn't get into a book especially when they might like it.
My goals with reviews are to be brief and give other potential readers an idea of why they might like the book. I leave it to the marketing people and other reviewers to describe the plots.
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Two time-traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange …
I don't know if this was fantasy or science fiction. It was maybe weirder than I'm ready for.
Ben Aaronovitch: Foxglove Summer (2014)
When two young girls go missing in rural Herefordshire, police constable and wizard-in-training Peter Grant is sent out of London …
In the distant future, Surplus arrives in China dressed as a Mongolian shaman, leading a …
I love Darger and Surplus.
If you like a weird post-post-apocalyptic future like out Gene Wolfe's [b:The Shadow of the Torturer|60211|The Shadow of the Torturer (The Book of the New Sun, #1)|Gene Wolfe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1329650008l/60211.SX50.jpg|762497], and you like lovable rogue conmen, you have to read Swanwick's Darger and Surplus stories.
"Iron Druid Atticus O'Sullivan, hero of Kevin Hearne's epic New York Times bestselling urban fantasy …
Have I mentioned the talking dog in this series? We get a second talking dog!
Emma Donoghue is a guaranteed good read.
What set this one apart for me is
- it had the type of characters you don't see many stories about, and
- the two main characters aren't that nice, but you wind up liking them anyway.
As seneschal to High King Cardan, Jude must fight to keep control of the Faerie …
I was almost inclined not to read this because the fairyland our human heroine is navigating is not a fun place to be.
But this is a good story.
Emma Donoghue is a guaranteed good read.
What set this one apart for me is
- it had the type of characters you don't see many stories about, and
- the two main characters aren't that nice, but you wind up liking them anyway.
Two time-traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange …
I don't know if this was fantasy or science fiction. It was maybe weirder than I'm ready for.
The Peter Grant stories are consistent fun for people who like urban fantasy and police procedurals.
Ivy Gamble has never wanted to be magic. She is perfectly happy with her life …
I'm not super-big on mysteries, but a I found this story about a non-magic person surrounded by magicians engaging.
Good goofy fun and set in the world of high pressure modern kitchens without anyone as annoying as that Ramsay guy.
A fun read where you can feel confident that some surprises are in store but nothing truly awful will happen.
"The greatest philosopher of all time is offering to sell his soul to the Devil. …
A fun, brief read.
I should probably read it again sometime, because I'm not sure what really happened.
"This hilarious and action-packed urban fantasy series is set in a modern world in which all the gods of every …
This is apparently autobiography. So, we learn that Ms Dumont went to law school. I always feel sad when I learn that someone went to law school but didn't stay with the law.
But if they're going to write engaging books that let us learn about people we don't learn enough about, I'm just glad that their path took them to where they are.
And get this, she does standup comedy. There's an audio clip at:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/laughoutloud/dawn-dumont-at-the-turtle-island-too-gala-a-celebration-of-aboriginal-comedy-1.1742517