Review — The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook by ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak

A picnic on a checked blanket witha farmhouse in the background. The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook
By: ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Rating:


Cookbooks are more than just their recipes, and The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook certainly has a whole lot of packed into a trim 192-page package. This cookbook is an official cookbook based on the beloved farming-sim game Stardew Valley and is co-authored by Ryan Novak and the video game’s creator ConcernedApe.

Review — Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia

Of Cattle and Men
By: Ana Paula Maia
Translator: Zoe Perry
Release Date: April 11, 2023
Publisher: Charco Press
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


[drocap type=secondary] Award-winning author Ana Paula Maia’s novella Of Cattle and Men, translated from the original Portuguese by Zoe Perry, is an engrossing read that’s impossible to put down. Published in English in April 2023, the novella brings together themes of isolation, death, and slaughter into a slim volume that lingers long after the last page.[/dropcap]

Review — Cosplay: A History by Andrew Liptak

Front cover of the book Cosplay: A HIstory by Andrew Liptak Cosplay: A History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories To Life
By: Andrew Liptak
Release Date: June 28, 2022
Publisher: Saga Press
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Andrew Liptak’s newest work is an incredibly comprehensive, momentous celebration and history of cosplay. Cosplay: A History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life is a beautifully realized history of cosplay, largely from the gaze of the science fiction community in the US.

Blog Tour — The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning

The Shadow Glass
By: Josh Winning
Release Date: March 22, 2022
Publisher: Titan Books
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


New standalone fantasy novel The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning is a surefire hit for fans of The Dark Crystal, stories that explore loss, and high-stakes adventures. This novel is, first and foremost, a love letter to fantasy movies involving puppets, with The Dark Crystal at the top of the list. Yet, this is a case of a story being so much more than the sum of its parts, the sort of story that comes to life, leaps off the page, and lingers long after you’ve read the final page.

Review Pennyblade by J.L. Worrad

Banner showing the front cover of Pennyblade and blog tour dates and blogs Pennyblade
By: J.L.Worrad
Release Date: March 15, 2022
Publisher: Titan Books
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Pennyblade is a new standalone novel from author and screenplay writer J.L. Worrad. This is a low fantasy, a story definitively set in a world that is not our own but one with little of the intense, formal magic systems so often found in the genre. Instead, what we have is a plot driven by politics, old families vying for power, and whispers of an old, terrifying being that may be all too real.

Review — Stars and Bones: A Continuance Novel by Gareth Powell

space ship flying in front of a sun Stars and Bones
By: Gareth L. Powell
Illustrator: Julia Lloyd (Cover Design); Shutterstock (Images)
Release Date: February 15, 2022
Publisher: Titan Books
Series: Stars and Bones
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Multi-BSFA-award-winning author Gareth L. Powell brings us a new science fiction novel in the form of Stars and Bones: A Continuance Novel. Set in an entirely new universe from the previous Embers of War series, this novel sees sentient spaceships, incredible arks carrying humanity through the skies, unknown worlds, and a healthy dose of cosmic horror. Shown most of all, perhaps, is Powell’s unparalleled ability to create fascinating sentient spacecraft—and a truly incredible knack for finding the best names for them.

Review — Lacuna by Fiona Snyckers

The front cover of the book Lacuna by Fiona Snyckers, featuring the image of a dog Lacuna
By: Fiona Snyckers
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Publisher: Europa Editions
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


If author J.M. Coetzee’s award-winning novel Disgrace is mentioned in a room full of people, it will certainly become the topic of hot debate, despite it being released several decades ago. Literary responses to this work aren’t short in number, but standing out among them is Fiona Snyckers’s novel Lacuna.

Review – The Dating Dilemma (Mile High Firefighters #2)

The Dating Dilemma The Dating Dilemma (Mile High Firefighters #2)
By: Mariah Ankenman
Website: https://mariahankenman.com/
Release Date: January 24th, 2022
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)
Series: Mile High Firefighters #2
Rating:


Let me begin by saying this: sometimes you just need a fun, light, cute story when the real world sucks. Given how the real world has sucked the last couple years I was definitely in the mood for something sweet and, after having stumbled across Mariah Ankenman’s Instagram a while back, I found her to be an author worth following, not only because of her works but because she wants to have fun while writing and while talking about her works/ writing them. She makes fun of herself, she makes fun of people who look down on romance novels and she tells the realities of writing and publishing books. What more could a reader/ wannabe author want from a fellow author’s page?

Through my adventures of following Mariah I saw she posted about The Dating Dilemma being available for ARC readers through NetGalley and I immediately went to NetGalley and requested the chance to read it. Once given the chance I dove into it and finished the story in a little more than a day (mostly because, apparently, I need sleep.)

While, yes, Mariah’s novel about Lexi, a youth center worker, and Dyson, a gorgeous firefighter with a wounded heart, is the epitome of sugary-sweetness, Hallmark movie level heart-tugs and a mix of spicy goodness, the story itself is complete and strong. While this is number two in the series (I haven’t read number one yet but I will be going back) I didn’t need to read book number one to understand book number two. The world and spaces within it that these two characters inhabit was complete, fleshed out and with enough layers that I could attach myself to the characters quickly without feeling like I was missing out on some details.

If you’re looking for a sweet story, wish some heat and a nice cast of characters definitely check out The Dating Dilemma.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mariah Ankenman, and Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy of The Dating Dilemma.

Review – Aliya Whiteley’s From the Neck Up

Book cover featuring a wooden head with mushrooms growing out of it From the Neck Up
By: Aliya Whiteley
Release Date: September 14, 2021
Publisher: Titan Books
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Award-winning author Aliya Whiteley is certainly no stranger to horror. Her latest collection of short fiction, From the Neck Up, is another foray into this familiar land that marries horror with the uncanny. Sixteen wonderful tales comprise this collection, with something for every reader.