Shouty personNew month, new book thread!
My first book in March was Fractured Sentinel by Dave Walsh.
Inclusive and accepting space opera – with a touch of eldritch horror.
But it direct from the author: https://dvewlsh.com/books/fractured-sentinel/
Book no. 2 for March was Feminist, Queer, Crip by Alison Kafer.
A dozen years old but very timely in the approaches we can take to address systemic inequalities.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/692aa9ab-7109-4073-be28-d677a72b8bb8?redirect=true
Book no. 3 was Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala.
Another fun mystery from Manansala – guaranteed to make you hungry.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1adec642-56cb-4d70-a28a-ca47b59cf2da
Book no. 4 was Be Who You Are to Get What You Want: Negotiating to Win, Whoever You Are by Damali Peterman
Helping you get at least some of you want in every conversation by understanding what the other person wants.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/070af4eb-0b5b-4281-a624-5448ded6b141?redirect=true
Book no. 5 was Outback by Patricia Wolf.
I really enjoyed this moody police procedural set in isolated rural Australia.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/65b8b329-fd86-45fc-bab3-28e59af015fb
Book no. 6 was Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan.
Perfect for fans of epic stories. This one was longer and more complex than I think is ideal, but I adored the inclusivity and the cosy vibes.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/bc995fd1-aa70-4684-ad05-c43c2c7c4f05
Book no. 7 was Paying It Forward by Josh Littlejohn.
This book has merit – but the mix feels off. You get a little bit about why social entrepreneurship is needed. Then it’s all about all the famous people the author has charmed into supporting his causes.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7a30ee7d-32ea-4b8c-9ff1-ddebe9417c77?redirect=true
Book no. 8 was Toto by A.J. Hackwith.
Pure ridiculousness. Sassy, sarcastic, and adorable.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/30e9fcf1-753c-47b4-b790-0fdd4da18a56
Book no. 9 was Star Pattern Traveller by Joyce Chng.
Accidental first contact story turns into a (sort of) forbidden love story.
Get it direct from the author: https://blackwolfsings.itch.io/star-pattern-traveller
Book no. 10 was Abolition Democracy: Beyond Prisons, Torture, and Empire by Angela Y. Davis.
Yowzers! Powerful and timely. And a reminder that we can all do better. Together, change is possible.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/29d3c42b-5252-4355-b423-0c91035364c5
Book no. 11 was An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris.
I read a lot of ‘women who kill’ books. Like, a LOT. But this one was dark.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c75841b4-a9d1-4530-833e-03d359f9458e
Book no. 12 was When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
Cleric Shih is back on the road. This time, they encounter three tigers. While the tigers decide whether or not to eat Shih and their friends, they swap stories.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/aa8b0bd3-b8d8-4b83-b0c4-b909fba72284
Book no. 13 was I'm Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Vera Wong book, so I keep reading more of Sutanto's work hoping it'll be like that. Except her other works are very much not that.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/595f74a9-8312-4b70-809a-91b5ecf0b402
Book no. 14 was The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong.
A magical restaurant in the heart of Toronto. I think I’d like to read more of this series.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/63e7be75-0903-4d91-97bd-75cdab074810
Book no. 15 was Perils and Potions by S. Usher Evans.
This whole series is my literary comfort food.
Americans can buy the series direct: https://www.sgr-pub.com/cozy/the-weary-dragon-inn-series/wdi-bundles/
The rest of us can get the books from retailers everywhere.
Book no. 16 was Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney.
After his wife disappears, Grady is bereft. Then he’s given the opportunity to write his next book on an isolated Scottish island. But all is not as it seems.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/fdf9262b-2502-4e97-8338-3aed2d626139?redirect=true
Book no. 17 was The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark.
When Creeper overhears an important secrets, she thinks it’s her ticket out of New Orleans.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/8112dde1-48b1-4582-b7de-6853f7912bd1?redirect=true
Book no. 18 was The Languid Belly of the Beast by J.S. Carter Gilson.
I’m loving this little series. Fast-paced sci-fi series full of hope and acceptance in a dark, oppressive world.
Get it direct from the author: https://jscartergilson.com/wp/product/the-languid-belly-of-the-beast-epub/
Book no. 19 was Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange.
The first third of the book follows a family through multiple generations over about a century. The rest follows a bunch of contemporary characters going through a trauma.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/33a5cf1e-4dac-437a-8fd2-ff69ad10c64e
Book no. 20 was How To Get Away With Murder by Tam Barnett.
Kell is a deeply damaged young woman obsessed with murder. But when a serial killer is targeting her local community, she doesn’t know whether she’s killer or not.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e2747933-afbb-4023-b3a8-55c2b8f1f132
Book no. 21 was Gender Euphoria by Laura Kate Dale and others.
29 (I think) stories of finding joy in transition. The nonbinary ones resonated most with me. Funny that.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/95cd28a0-de18-437a-9ba2-8ccd694f87ee?redirect=true
Book no. 22 was Body Language by A.K. Turner
Engaging characters, a compelling mystery, a tight storyline … and little hints of the paranormal. And the cat lives.
Also, this cover is awful. The North American one converts a much better sense of the atmosphere. This one just looks like a generic thriller set literally anywhere.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/0b65d2cd-a1f6-4e24-ac25-8463c9fd2ce7
Book no. 23 was Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars by Kate Greene.
Kate Greene was one of 6 people who locked themselves into a dome for 4 months as part of a Mars simulation. These are her stories.
Very short review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/0b664845-1f38-4cf4-ab95-b1befb8302f4?redirect=true
Book no. 24 was Paradise by Patricia Wolf
After the injuries he sustained in the previous book, Lucas is on extended leave. Then he finds himself drawn into another complex murder case.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/bf60e840-6739-493f-a801-5f22e601dc57?redirect=true
Book no. 25 was Credo's Hope by Alison Naomi Holt.
You know all those classic buddy cop films, yeah? Now imagine all the central characters are women.
Buy it direct from the author: https://alisonholtbooks.com/products/credos-hope-alex-wolfe-mysteries-book-1-audiobook
luna (tangleofthorns)@clacksee @bookstodon ooh, this sounds right up my alley
Michael Vilain@clacksee @bookstodon @lgbtqbookstodon recently dove into JAMES which is Huckleberry Finn from slave Jim's POV. Amongst themselves, the slaves revert to regular English. Speaking to white folk, they code switch to slave talk. Interesting premise but I couldn't finish it. YMMV.
gary