May and June 2026 Reading Wrap Up

19 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Wow, I have fallen so behind on my book blogging and reviews here, but it’s not too late to look back at what I read in the past few months (is it?). I was excited to get to a classic science fiction book that has been on my shelves for several years. I had one book (novella) to read for a book club, and if I had to pick an inadvertent theme for May, it would have been detectives in science fiction and fantasy.

My problems began in June and I’m not sure what happened, other than travel plans and escalating summer chaos at work. I still made progress for June with another book club read and then a new book courtesy of Net Galley.

If you’d like to pick up any of these books and support my blog at the same time you can click on any of the book links in this post.

Book cover for 'Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight' by Don Bassingthwaite featuring a vintage-style illustration of a man with a shocked expression against a colorful background.
Book cover for 'The Martian Chronicles' by Ray Bradbury featuring surreal art of two humanoid figures seated beside a pool on a red Martian landscape with towering structures in the background.
Cover of 'The Mimicking of Known Successes' by Malka Older, featuring two silhouetted figures against an orange and yellow abstract background with stars and shapes.
Book cover of 'Seveneves' by Neal Stephenson featuring an eye and a blue starburst design.

Books I read in May (1,450 pages):

  • Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight by Don Bassingthwaite was received as a gift and is a short story collection of detective-esque fiction all involving fantasy and horror tropes – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury is that classic science fiction book I mentioned above – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older was the book club pick and was a science fiction detective story – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Seveneves by Neal Stephenson is an exceedingly long science fiction novel that took me too long to finish – ⭐⭐⭐
Book cover of 'The Enchanted Greenhouse' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a mystical greenhouse surrounded by snow and vibrant colors, with a cat and an owl in the foreground.
Book cover for 'Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon' by Annie Mare, featuring whimsical typography and a colorful design with plants and furniture.

Books I read in June (759 pages):

Normally I’d follow this section with a list of the books I’m currently reading. However, since I’m writing this in August, I have already finished those books and will have those in my next post.

Book cover for 'Quicksilver' by Callie Hart featuring a young man in armor with a somber expression, surrounded by a mystical forest, and adorned with butterflies.
Book cover of 'Steelborn' by Taylor J. Larue featuring a young woman with flowing red hair and a sword, set against an ornate floral background.
A dark, atmospheric illustration featuring a figure in a red cloak standing in front of an ornate, skeletal gate leading to a gothic castle, with dramatic trees and a misty backdrop.
Book cover of 'The Tapestry of Fate' by Shannon Chakraborty, featuring intricate illustrations of mythical creatures, a compass, and ornate decorative elements.

Other books I had hoped to get to recently:

  • Quicksilver by Callie Hart keeps popping up on my list of books-to-read. I carried it around on a trip (in case my Kindle died), but didn’t start it.
  • Steelborn by Taylor J. LaRue sounds like something I should love, but I didn’t have enough time to get to it.
  • Alchemised by SenLinYu will keep recurring on my list until I have time one month. This one is really long, but some friends have loved it.
  • The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty is the latest in The Adventures of Anima El-Sirafi series. This author is one who qualifies for my buy immediately short list, so I had to pick up a special edition of it.

New books acquired in May (4 allowed):

  • Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver is the much-needed sequel to Artifical Wisdom which I reviewed here. This one was also given to me by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
  • The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older was a novella I had to pick up for a book club discussion.
  • Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni (Fairy Loot) – I’ve heard mixed reviews about this one.
  • The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty – As noted already, I had to order a special edition from Waterstones to get the cover I preferred.
Book cover of 'Infinite Wisdom' by Thomas R. Weaver, featuring a statue with a skull and colorful paint drips, against a black background with the tagline 'Truth has a cost.'
Book cover for 'The Mimicking of Known Successes' by Malka Older, featuring two silhouetted figures against a vibrant orange background with abstract patterns and stars.
Book cover for 'Deathbringer' by Sonia Tagliajeni, featuring a golden phoenix and red roses against a dark background.
Book cover for 'The Tapestry of Fate' by Shannon Chakraborty, featuring intricate designs, mythical creatures, and vibrant colors.

New books acquired in June (3 allowed):

  • The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden (Fairy Loot) looks like a fascinating book and I’ve wanted to read something by this author for a while. I added it to an upcoming book club discussion.
  • The Strength of the Few by James Islington is the sequel to The Will of the Many which I read earlier this year and loved. Spoiler – this second book was also amazing! The final book is due out in about six months.
  • A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett is the sequel to The Tainted Cup which I read in April and enjoyed a lot.
  • The Incandescent by Emily Tesh is a stand-alone fantasy academia novel told from the perspective of the teachers and I loved the other book I read by this author (Some Desperate Glory).
Book cover for 'The Unicorn Hunters' by Katherine Arden featuring a young girl standing in a sunlit, enchanted garden with a unicorn in the background.
Book cover of 'The Strength of the Few' by James Islington, featuring a dark pyramid in the background with abstract figures floating around it in a surreal landscape.
Cover of the book 'A Drop of Corruption' by Robert Jackson Bennett, featuring dark background with stylized plants and decorative elements.
Book cover of 'The Incandescent' by Emily Tesh, featuring a stylized phoenix design in gold and orange against a black background, with decorative celestial elements and a quote from Tasha Suri.

Ooops, I went out of my allowance! I blame this on my travel to Portland, Oregon where I had to visit Powell’s Books. How could I not buy more books at this amazing place? This is where I picked up A Drop of Corruption and The Incandescent.

A bookstore interior showcasing a wooden bookshelf filled with colorful book covers, while customers browse the aisles. A cart with books is visible in the foreground.
Entrance to the Rare Book Room in a bookstore, featuring a colorful sign above the door and wooden shelves displaying various books and items.
FAQ sign for Rare Book Room detailing what makes a book rare, the oldest book in the collection, care tips for rare books, and information about Powell's most expensive book.
Map of Powell's City of Books showing different levels and sections, including color-coded categories for various genres and areas like cashier, information, and café.

That wraps up this update and I hope to be more consistent with posts here as the summer wraps up.

What are you currently reading? Have you had more or less time to read over the summer than you would have liked? Let me know in the comments.

Book Review – Sistersong

08 May 2026 2 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I ended up acquiring Sistersong by Lucy Holland when the Science Fiction Book Club closed operations and had amazing deals on books (paid link). I didn’t know much about this story or author before reading it. Find out what I thought below.

Book cover of 'Sistersong' by Lucy Holland featuring stylized hands, a harp, and decorative elements inspired by British folklore.
I read the hardcover edition.

Here is the blurb:

In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind, the roots of the trees, and the curl of the grass. King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three children. Riva can cure others, but can’t seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be accepted for who he truly is—the king’s son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding adventure.

All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky. It brings with it Myrdhin, meddler and magician. And Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.

Riva, Keyne and Sinne—three siblings entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths.

Their story will shape the destiny of Britain.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This novel is based on the British folk ballad, The Twa Sisters, which has been retold in several other pieces of fiction, as well as a variety of musical styles, and even a quest in The Witcher video game. I was able to easily find a folk version to listen to by searching on Spotify.

This novel feels like historical fiction because it is set in a version of the Saxon realms before England existed, but it also incorporates a good amount of myth and magic. Yet this magic is fading as the new religion of Christianity spreads through the land, and this idea of competing religions is a major theme throughout the book.

This book is also about the relationships between the three sisters. Each one is a distinct person, and the novel explores gender roles and gender identity in this patriarchal society. The sisters all have limitations to their power and goals and each faces this as the story evolves.

I enjoyed this book and found that the story slowly built tension and I was not sure who to cheer for or who to trust. The book has a satisfying, if not altogether happy, ending. It’s a novel that is built to clearly be a stand-alone novel, so the plot threads are all brought together by the end and character arcs are resolved. I’m happy I chose to read this one and I’d consider reading another novel by this author.

What historical fantasy books have you read and enjoyed? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – The Kaiju Preservation Society

05 May 2026 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I have enjoyed a couple of other books by John Scalzi, so I was excited to start The Kaiju Preservation Society last year (paid link). I didn’t know much about the premise so I went into this read blind. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Wil Wheaton.

I previously reviewed Starter Villain by the author and you can find my review of it here, and a purchase link here.

A close-up image of a weathered identification tag displaying the title 'The Kaiju Preservation Society' by John Scalzi, with a quote from Joe Hill, set against a background of green foliage and pine needles.
I listened to the audiobook edition.

Here is the blurb:

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.

It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that’s found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too–and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

⭐⭐⭐

Like other books by John Scalzi, this was an easy read (and listen) and started quickly by putting the protagonist in a tough situation and throwing him into a series of surprising events.

Jamie learns that the Kaiju Preservation Society (or KPS) takes care of gigantic Godzilla-esque creatures on an alternate Earth. His experience as a food delivery driver is ironically being put to use in his new role as a messenger with the KPS. He works hard and is excited to be able to help. Most of the story in the first part of this book shows Jamie experiencing the reveal of the secrets of Kaiju-Earth.

The biology of the kaiju was inventive and surprising, but also features in an important way as the plot develops. Even weapons training is a fun (which is synonymous with dangerous) excursion, at least for the trainers.

One of the weaknesses of this book was that all of the young scientists felt like the same character to me. Scalzi tries to give them quirks to set them apart, but this didn’t help enough. My favorite character was Martin, the helicopter pilot who takes Jamie and crew out to see one of the local kaiju, Bella. He becomes a pivotal character and his daring and skilled piloting is critical to the story.

While I enjoyed the ideas in this book, for most of the story it lacked conflict. Jamie visits Kaiju-Earth and sees the sights, but nothing goes wrong until very close to the end of the novel. The story generally lacks an antagonist and then rushes to fill that gap with a flurry of action in the final quarter of the book. I wish that the story had been more evenly paced.

Wil Wheaton as narrator is a hit, of course. He does the narration on many of Scalzi’s books, but I have also listened to him on Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (paid link).

Have you read other books that feature kaiju? Let me know about them in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

March / April 2026 Reading Wrap Up

01 May 2026 3 Comments

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Somehow April got away from me and I didn’t have a chance to do my monthly summary post for March sooner. That means that I’m going to lump the two months together for one giant post. In total I did fairly well in my reading, with four books read in March and five for April. While I’m not meeting my goal of six books per month, I am making steady progress through my pile of books.

Also – if you’d like to pick up any of these books and support my blog at the same time you can click on any of the book links in this post.

Book cover of 'Grievar's Blood' by Alexander Darwin, featuring a futuristic design with a silhouetted figure in combat, set against a blue background.
Cover of the book 'The Everlasting' by Alix E. Harrow featuring a floral design, a sword, and a face in the background.
Cover of the book 'The Faraway Inn' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a whimsical illustration of an inn surrounded by colorful flowers and magical elements.
Book cover of 'The Children of Húrin' by J.R.R. Tolkien featuring a figure in armor holding a sword, overlooking a landscape.

Read in March (1,375 pages):

  • Grievar’s Blood by Alexander Darwin is the second book in The Combat Codes series and I listened to this as an audiobook – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow is a stand-alone fantasy novel I had been looking forward to – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst is a YA cozy fantasy novel that I received courtesy of Net Galley for review – ⭐⭐⭐
  • The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien is a short novel that I started for Tolkien Reading Day this year – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cover of 'An Echo in the Bone' by Diana Gabaldon, featuring a dark blue background with a leaf design and text about the book and its author.
Book cover for 'The Tainted Cup' by Robert Jackson Bennett, featuring decorative gold illustrations of flowers and a cup, surrounded by a dark blue background and green vine accents.
Book cover for 'Dreadful' by Caitlin Rozakis featuring a gothic-style house, swirling tentacles, and stacks of books on display.
Cover image for 'The Time Traveler's Passport', featuring the title in bold colors and the tagline 'Six short stories. Infinite possibilities.' Listed authors include John Scalzi, R. F. Kuang, Peng Shepherd, Kaliane Bradley, Olivie Blake, and P. Djèlí Clark. 'Only from Audible' is highlighted in yellow.
Book cover of 'The Windup Girl' by Paolo Bacigalupi, featuring a dystopian cityscape with a blend of futuristic skyscrapers and a crowded marketplace. An elephant is depicted in the foreground, emphasizing a contrast between technology and nature.

Read in April (1,957+ pages):

  • An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon is the sixth book in the Outlander series and was a solid installment – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a book I didn’t get to in time for a book club discussion but still wanted to read – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis was a fun stand-alone fantasy tale that I read for a book club discussion – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Time Traveler’s Passport Collection by John Scalzi and others is an audiobook-only collection of time travel themed stories – ⭐⭐⭐
  • The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi – I just finished this one last night for an upcoming book club discussion. This book had been on my list for quite a while. It is a book that required careful reading, but I enjoyed it a lot – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book cover of 'Seveneves' by Neal Stephenson featuring a close-up of an eye with a blue light reflection, and text indicating the author and title.
Book cover of 'Written in My Own Heart's Blood' by Diana Gabaldon featuring the title and author's name, with a wax seal design.

Reading now:

  • Seveneves by Neal Stephenson – I’m having a hard time getting through this one with a lot of technological descriptions that don’t add a lot for me. I’m undecided if I’ll finish it. I’m almost halfway through a massive 872 pages.
  • Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon – This is book #8 in the series and I just started it within the past few days.

Another reading event that happened in the last two months was that I got a new Kindle! My old one went missing for a couple of weeks, and while it did eventually turn up, I was convinced that I had lost it. My husband picked the new one out for me because he saw that the Kindle Paperwhite was available in my favorite color – red! While I can’t find a link to that color to show you right now, there are some other pretty colors available (paid link).

Book cover of 'A Court of Frost and Starlight' by Sarah J. Maas, featuring a woman with long red hair, wearing a shimmering dress and intricate jewelry, with stylized decorative elements in the background.
Cover of the book 'The Path of Daggers' by Robert Jordan, featuring a king on horseback surrounded by soldiers carrying banners.

Other books I had hoped to get to in April:

  • A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas – I expect this to be a fast read, but I just couldn’t get to it this month.
  • The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan – This is book 8 in The Wheel of Time series, and at 685 pages, I couldn’t make myself start this until I finish Seveneves.
Book cover for 'Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight' by Don Bassingthwaite featuring a dramatic shadow and a stylized illustration of a man with an expressive face.
Book cover of 'The Martian Chronicles' by Ray Bradbury featuring two humanoid figures sitting near a body of water on a red Martian landscape with tall structures in the background.
Book cover of 'The Enchanted Greenhouse' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a whimsical, colorful greenhouse in a snowy landscape, with a black cat and magical elements.
Book cover for 'The Mimicking of Known Successes' by Malka Older, featuring two silhouettes walking against a gradient orange background with abstract shapes and stars.
Book cover of 'Steelborn' by Taylor J. Larue featuring a woman with long red hair and a sword against a floral patterned background.
Book cover for 'Quicksilver' by Callie Hart featuring a young man in a dark fantasy setting, wearing armor, with a solemn expression and a tear, surrounded by mystical butterflies and a moonlit backdrop.

Books I’m planning to read in May:

  • Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight by Don Bassingthwaite – This book came to me as a gift from a friend and looks like fun!
  • The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury – Somehow I’ve never read this classic science fiction work, and it is an upcoming book club read.
  • The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst – This is the next book in the Spellshop series. I reviewed the first one here.
  • The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older – This book is another upcoming book club selection. I’ve never read anything by this author.
  • Steelborn by Taylor J. LaRue – I picked this ARC e-book up as part of a giveaway. The premise sounds great!
  • Quicksilver by Callie Hart – Since I didn’t get to this book earlier in the year, I’m bringing it back into the queue for May.
Book cover of 'Weavingshaw' by Heba Al-Wasity, featuring a dark castle silhouette with a figure in the foreground and an ominous background.
Book cover for 'The Last Starborn Seer' by Venetia Constantine featuring a mystical female character with long hair, wearing a blue gown, holding a crystal staff, set against a starry blue background with planets.
Book cover of 'Steelborn' by Taylor J. Larue, featuring a woman with red hair holding a sword against a decorative floral background.
Cover art for 'Unidentified Funny Objects 10', featuring a whimsical scene of a girl in a hat being lifted by a spaceship, with aliens and a futuristic landscape in the background.
Book cover for 'Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight' by Don Bassingthwaite, featuring a vintage illustration of a man in a suit with a concerned expression, and a colorful shadowy figure in the background.
Book cover of 'Starside' by Alex Aster featuring a sword with a glowing background and the tagline 'Claim Your Sword, Claim Your Fate'.

New books acquired in March and April:

Uh oh – I ended up with six new books when my new rule for the year said that I can only acquire four! I suppose that the first one on here shouldn’t count because it was the delayed February order from Fairy Loot which I didn’t make up for with another book at that ime. I had forgotten that I backed UFO 10 on Kickstarter, and then when I clicked on Steelborn for the giveaway, I had thought that only gave me a chance to win the book rather than gifting me the book immediately. At least two of these are e-books and won’t take up room on my shelves.

Overall I think that my reading for the year is going well. I made some changes to my cell phone that limit how much time I can spend on social media and gaming apps, and I think that has really helped me to focus on more important things. Do you have tips or strategies that help you to read more? Let me know in the comments.

Book Review – The Faraway Inn

13 Apr 2026 3 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I reviewed The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst in my previous post and I wanted to follow that up with a review of the new YA cozy fantasy novel by the same author, The Faraway Inn (paid links). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Faraway Inn was just published on March 31, 2026.

Book cover for 'The Faraway Inn' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a whimsical, illuminated inn surrounded by flowers and greenery, with elegant text at the top.
I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

After a devastating heartbreak, a teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn–but this fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret–in this cozy and irresistable new fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

Sixteen-year-old Calisa is desperate for a change of scenery after her lying ex ruins her perfect Brooklyn summer. When her parents suggest she head to rural Vermont to help her great-aunt run her cozy bed and breakfast for a few months, she jumps at the chance.

But when Calisa arrives at the B&B, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn with only a handful of guests. And to make matters worse, upon meeting with her great-aunt it quickly becomes clear that Calisa was not invited. Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn…even if it is clear she needs the help.

To earn her keep, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the more it becomes evident that there is something strange about the B&B—and its residents. Something almost…otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth of it, and her aunt, before it’s too late.

I believe that this book is being presented as a YA novel, and I think it does fit that description. Calisa, the protagonist, is a sixteen-year-old who is having some common problems for a teenager. Following the author’s recent trend in her writing, this is also a cozy fantasy story, or one in which the stakes are generally low. That doesn’t mean that nothing important happens to the characters in such a story, but rather that the world isn’t going to end (or similar catastrophe) if the protagonist fails to meet their goal.

This book was easy to read as long as I didn’t stop to think about the details of the story very much. Calisa finds herself at a magical inn that is run by her reclusive aunt, with the help of a teenage handyman, Jack. Jack’s dad is missing, only a few guests are booking rooms, and the inn is in a state of serious disrepair. In an attempt to ingratiate herself with her aunt and because she genuinely wants to help, Calisa starts to clean and cook for the guests.

As Calisa takes a more active role at the inn, I had to wonder how the place functioned at all before her arrival. Auntie Zee was too much of an enigma and was not present enough for me to believe that she had even managed to provide for the minimal guests who were present. She was the one character that I didn’t find believable in this book. However I did enjoy the secondary characters, particularly one guest who had an odd affinity for trees and shrubs.

This book is also a light romance, and while it follows a predictable pattern for that genre, it wasn’t the main plot of the book. The level of spiciness was low, for those who rank that kind of thing (fitting with this being a YA book). I found the small magical items around the inn to be creative and engaging. My favorites were the firebird who lit the fireplaces and helped with communication, and the tea set that always seemed to know when it was needed.

The Faraway Inn is a stand-alone novel and can be read quickly. I’m planning to read a couple more of this author’s books throughout this year.

Have you read other cozy fantasy novels? Which were your favorites? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – The Spellshop

26 Mar 2026 2 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

I listened to the audiobook edition of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst last summer without knowing much about it going in (paid link). This book that is considered part of the new trend of “cozy fantasy” novels. I’ve enjoyed a few books like this already so read on below to see what I thought of this one.

A whimsical and colorful illustration of a magical cottage surrounded by lush greenery and flowers, with sunlight filtering through the trees, featuring the title 'the Spellshop' by Sarah Beth Durst.
I listened to the audiobook edition.

Here is the blurb:

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.

I enjoyed this book a lot and finished it quickly. The protagonist instantly inspires sympathy as she flees from an empire under attack and steals saves several spellbooks to keep them safe. Who wouldn’t try to save the library books they’ve been caring for under such dire circumstances?

It is clear early on that this book is also a light romance, with a single and handsome merhorse wrangler appearing frequently to offer help to the new inhabitant of the island. Besides the romance aspect, this story also features found family, and a small community that stands up for its own people. The writing style was easy to read, although I did listen to the audiobook, and that format often makes for an easier experience for many books for me.

I also loved the sidekicks and humor in this story. Caz the sentient spider plant provides a way for Kiela to have someone else to speak with as she fights to stay isolated in her new home. This allows the author to minimize inner monologues but many still slip through and Kiela’s voice is a bit annoying at times.

Kiela’s baking and spellcraft overlapped and made for a fun combination that made me wish that I had some of her creations to snack on. Of course magic never quite works the way the user anticipates and this provides some intriguing effects that moved the plot forward.

This is the type of fantasy story that perhaps would not stand up to close inspection. The way that magic works is more arbitrary than in other genre series, and the politics that are crucial in driving Kiela to flee with her books initially don’t have a huge impact on her new home. Yet this novel fills a niche for someone looking for an escapist tale that is easy to follow and finds a happy ending. I also loved the cover — yes, there are winged cats.

The Spellshop is a stand-alone novel, although there are more books set in the same world that I have yet to read.

Have you read any cozy fantasy books? Which would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

February 2026 Reading Wrap Up

19 Mar 2026 2 Comments

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I haven’t been doing as well on my reading recently. I’d like to think my struggle in February had something to do with it being a short month, but actually the month simply slipped by and I wasn’t able to focus as much on my reading as I may have liked. As I sit here in mid-March I’m still struggling to get through books, but that will be an update for a future post.

Book cover for 'The Will of the Many' by James Islington, featuring ancient Greek-style pillars and a dark blue background.
Cover of the book 'Pilgrimage' by Zenna Henderson, featuring a man in a straw hat standing near a farm house with a UFO in the sky.

These are the two books that I read in February. Both were for book club discussions, but I hadn’t finished The Will of the Many in time to make that talk. I actually didn’t finish Pilgrimage: The Book of the People, but gave up on it about halfway through (paid links). I’ll work on getting reviews of these up soon, but here are my star ratings for them:

  • The Will of the Many by James Islington – ★★★★★
  • Pilgrimage: The Book of the People by Zenna Henderson – ★★
Book cover of 'The Everlasting' by Alix E. Harrow featuring intricate floral designs and a central sword element.
Book cover for 'Grievar's Blood' by Alexander Darwin, featuring a central depiction of a humanoid figure and a blue background.
Book cover of 'An Echo in the Bone' by Diana Gabaldon featuring a dark blue background with a leaf design and text indicating it is an international bestseller.

I did make more progress on the books I had wanted to read for February, but just didn’t finish them. I’m more than halfway through The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. I decided to take a break from the Outlander saga audiobooks and listened to Grievar’s Blood by Alexander Darwin. This is book 2 in The Combat Codes series and I have finished it now, just not in February. I have already returned to book 7 of the Outlander series – I’m sitting at roughly the halfway point in An Echo in the Bone, with a little over 18 hours left to go (paid links).

Cover of the science fiction novel 'A Fire Upon The Deep' by Vernor Vinge, featuring bold text and a futuristic spaceship design.
Book cover of 'The Tainted Cup' by Robert Jackson Bennett, featuring a dark blue background with intricate gold designs, flowers, and a cup illustration.
Cover of 'The Faraway Inn' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a whimsical illustration of a cozy inn surrounded by flowers and mystical elements.

Looking back at the books I had planned to read for February, the only ones I didn’t get to were A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, and The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst. I’ve moved two of these onto my to-be-read list for March, but if I don’t get to them then, they’ll have to be pushed further down in my never-ending pile.

Next up are my reading plans for March where I get to pick six books!

Book cover for 'The Faraway Inn' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a whimsical inn surrounded by flowers and a mystical atmosphere.
Book cover of 'Seveneves' by Neal Stephenson, featuring a detailed illustration of an eye with a blue glowing element in the center.
Cover of the book 'Dreadful' by Caitlin Rozakis featuring a black castle with swirling tendrils and an open book on a stack of books in front of it, set against a red background.
Cover of the book 'The Tainted Cup' by Robert Jackson Bennett, featuring a dark background with gold illustrations of flowers and a cup, symbolizing themes of mystery and intrigue.
Book cover of 'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' by V.E. Schwab, featuring stylized yellow text and a dark background with floral elements.
Book cover of 'Written in My Own Heart's Blood' by Diana Gabaldon, featuring a wax seal and bold red title on a light background.

By the time I get this post published I expect that I will have started The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst. This is an ARC from Net Galley, so I need to read and review this one soon. Probably next up will be Seveneves by Neal Stephenson because it is long (872 pages), and it is for a book club discussion mid-April. If I am making good progress on that one, then I’ll probably start either Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis (another book club choice) or The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. If my reading goes spectacularly well then maybe I’ll get to the last two on this list: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon (paid links).

I’m doing well with sticking to my new book acquisition rule. Since I read five books in January, that meant that I could pick up four new ones in February. My Fairy Loot subscription book went missing (but still may turn up). I had left a spot open for it on my list and then the other three books that I acquired were:

Cover of the book 'The Tainted Cup' by Robert Jackson Bennett, featuring floral and vine illustrations with a dark blue background and gold accents.
Book cover of 'Seveneves' by Neal Stephenson featuring an eye with a blue light and the text 'SEVENEVES' and 'A Novel'.
Book cover of 'Sea of Charms' by Sarah Beth Durst, featuring a colorful garden pathway leading to the ocean with a sailboat in the background.
  • The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
  • Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
  • Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

The publisher (Bramble) was kind enough to approve an ARC of Sea of Charms for me. I enjoyed the first book in this series – The Spellshop – by Sarah Beth Durst, but haven’t reviewed it here yet so that will be one of the next reviews that I write (paid links).

Unfortunately my new book acquisition rule means that I can only pick up one new book in March. I’ll have to choose carefully!

Book Review – Katabasis

20 Feb 2026 3 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I loved the two other books by R.F. Kuang that I read, so when I heard that she had a dark academia book coming out, I pre-ordered it. Then I received a prettier copy of Katabasis through the monthly subscription service Fairy Loot (paid link). Did the book live up to the hype I’d built in my head for it? Read on below to find out.

Here are my reviews of the other two books by R.F. Kuang that I’ve read:

  • Babel – review here / purchase here
  • Yellowface – review here / purchase here
I read the Fairy Loot special edition.

Here is the blurb:

Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The beginning of Katabasis delves immediately into Alice Law’s attempt to transport herself into Hell in the pursuit of her advisor whom she believes she accidentally killed. The magic in this world is build upon the concepts of logic and mathematical paradoxes, with each use requiring the drawing of mystical figures with special chalk. Like in Babel, the story takes place in our world but with a minor change. The magic in Katabasis is used for mostly scholarly purposes and an occasional show and has neither influenced great events nor been a fixture in mainstream society.

Unfortunately this novel didn’t draw me in as much as the author’s other works. The structure reminded me heavily of Dante’s Inferno, and there are certainly references to that classic work. However there are also tons of other scholarly literary references that I didn’t understand that presumably added to the depth of this story. For myself, I could follow the main thrust of the plot and Alice’s interactions with fellow student Peter, but any deeper themes that the novel was trying to convey were lost on me. I suspect that much of this book was influenced by the author’s own graduate school studies, so perhaps someone more knowledgeable in that arena may get more from this book.

The structure of the novel uses flashbacks heavily to explain Alice and Peter’s reasons for traveling to Hell, as well as their past relationship and their interactions with Professor Grimes. This worked well and gave me a nice reprieve from the depressing monotony of journey in the underworld.

This is a stand-alone novel and I’m glad that I read it, but it will sit on my list as my least favorite of R.F. Kuang’s books so far. I also thought it odd that the title is never explained within the text. I had to look it up – katabasis is a term for a descent into the underworld in classic mythology and literature, so that’s appropriate.

Have you read any of R.F. Kuang’s other books? Which one was your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – Slow Gods

17 Feb 2026 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

I had never read anything by author Claire North, but I saw Slow Gods offered on Net Galley and thought that the premise of this new science fiction book sounded terrific (paid link). The cover was great too. Fortunately, I received a copy, so you can read on below to see what I thought.

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I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

From one of the most original and dazzling voices in speculative fiction comes an intergalactic tale of conspiracy, war and the fall of empires.

My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one out there in deep-space, in the pilot’s chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I’ve lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?

Rating: ★★★☆☆

When I read this book, I found that the most interesting aspect of the premise was something that was not included in the blurb above. An enigmatic alien god-like race called the Slow are known for making accurate predictions about events in the galaxy. When they send out an alarm that a specific star will go supernova and destroy dozens of inhabited worlds, you would think that all the planets would take them seriously. However, the disaster is over a hundred years away, and the repressive government of the Shine doesn’t even want their people to know about the prediction and tries to erase the message from the Slow. Other worlds make plans for evacuation, but it’s tough to relocate the entire population of a world and some will inevitably be left behind. This entire situation and the dilemmas involved created the best parts of this book.

The main character, Mawukana na-Vdnaze (Maw), has undergone a strange transformation after being forced to pilot a ship as a form of punishment by the Shine. He is killed yet somehow reformed into someone who is not quite human and can harness the power of a sort of darkness that exists in arc space. He can no longer die and does not age, and he also never suffers from the inevitable psychosis that affects arc space pilots.

Despite these interesting ideas, the story in Slow Gods dragged and it was tough to figure out what the main thrust of the plot was supposed to be. Maw becomes involved in the evacuation of the planet of Adjumir where he tries to rescue someone he met briefly on an earlier excursion. He unconvincingly fell in love with this antiquarian after a brief tryst decades earlier. The Adjumiri also use a variety of odd pronouns which I stumbled over every time one came up. I never understood the differences between them and I thought that the author could have gotten their point across in a more concise way in this respect.

Maw does provide an interesting character study. He is someone who is happy to have escaped one of the worlds of the Shine and a person who becomes inexplicably violent when the Dark takes him. He has some fascinating interactions with one antagonist in the story near the end of the book. However, I felt like this novel suffered from focusing too much on his character and not enough on the events around him. I think that some readers will love this book, but overall it wasn’t for me.

I also felt like this book was only the beginning of a larger series and didn’t wrap up anything like a stand alone novel should. However, it is noted to be a single volume with no sequels planned that I can find.

Thanks again to Net Galley and the publisher, Orbit, for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Have you read anything by Claire North? I’d try something else by this author. Which other book would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – Detour

06 Feb 2026 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , ,

Detour is a science fiction novel by co-authors Jeff Rake and Rob Hart. I received a copy courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher (Random House Worlds) in return for an honest review (paid link). You can read what I thought below.

I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier.

But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes.

When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled.

Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they’re willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book initially caught my attention because it featured a crew of astronauts as the main characters. However, this was a large part of why this story didn’t work for me. The professional NASA astronauts on the crew had previous spaceflight experience, but their training for the mission to fly around Titan on a new spacecraft was minimal to non-existent. Three civilians were also selected, but no screening for medical conditions or psychiatric testing was shown. These would have been particularly important aspects to consider for a mission that was expected to last two years.

The commander of the mission turns out to be a known alcoholic, and his colleagues at NASA cover for him constantly, even when he tries to distill alcohol from mouthwash in the middle of the mission after drinking all the alcohol that NASA sent along with them (LOL). One of the civilians is socially awkward and claustrophobic, which is also not a great combination aboard a spacecraft. Another one gets into a fistfight with another crewmember before they even leave Earth.

I found the pacing odd, with roughly the first half of the book being taken up by introductions of the characters. Once they finally arrive near Titan, the ship circles the moon and then comes home. No direct input from any of the astronauts was performed, bringing up the question of why a manned mission was even necessary. Of course there is a strange explosion on the ship when they are at Titan and they lose most (but not all) of their communication ability after that point. Unfortunately the nature of that explosion isn’t really investigated and by the end of the book it is clear that this is going to be the first of a series. The book ends on a cliffhanger and gives no answers to their situation.

The action that opened the novel was exciting and hooked me on the book enough to finish it despite the flaws in characterization and mission logic. The best part of the book occurs in the last third, when more action happens. The prose was also easy to read and I liked the cover.

While the premise of this book held potential for an exciting and intriguing story, I don’t plan to be reading more in this series.

Have you read any books lately that were disappointing? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

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