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 In a post-apocalyptic world (a result of significant climate crisis), a pair of step-siblings must navigate a newly dangerous world and find some kind of long-term safety. They connect with a theatre troupe - safety in numbers - and work their way toward 'Sanctuary' where they should find safety and perhaps relatives. But it's a dangerous journey as lawlessness reigns and ruthless bands of thugs are looking to take whatever they can, including people. The journey becomes a metaphor for one of the siblings who is on a personal journey as well, struggling to understand their own sexual identity, coming to terms with and admitting to those around them, that they are trans. I think it's important that young readers who struggle with their sexual identity have books and characters that they can identify with. In this sense, this book works quite nicely.  It's an important part of the character development, but it's not the focus of the story which is appreciated. Bu

 High on a mountain live two girls, Clara and Maren - sisters by association rather than birth. Their guardian (for they are both foundlings) is known as 'Auntie.' During the day, they collect herbs for Auntie and in the evenings she tells the sisters fairy tales, filling their heads with stories of witches and fairies and faraway, magical lands. One day Clara believes she sees scales just under the surface of Maren's skin. Maren is becoming a mermaid, just as in some of Auntie's stories! If Maren is becoming a mermaid, what does that mean for Clara? Clara tries not to think about it too much. What's most important is getting Maren to the ocean - not an easy trip from the mountains. But Maren could die if she doesn't get to water, so the girls (an friend of theirs) head for the shore. There will be obstacles in their way, however (like a nasty troupe of actors), with Maren growing weaker with each passing moment. I don't remember where I got this book but th

It is 1926 and London is still reeling from the Great War, but it is the age of jazz, booze, and gaiety as the people find ways to enjoy life after so much death. SoHo is where the liveliest action happens and it's there that Nellie Coker, ambitious and cut-throat nightclub owner takes charge.  She will do anything and everything so that her six children can get ahead in life. But Nellie isn't subtle about anything she does and her ruthlessness may be the death of her. Steamrolling through life will bring about more than a few enemies who don't like being pushed out of the way.  And the best way to hurt Nellie Coker is stop her children from getting ahead. The Roaring Twenties are in full steam and Nellie is the lion roaring loudest. I've never read anything by Kate Atkinson prior to this, but I've seen her name as I've browsed the book stores. I don't know if this is the sort of book she usually tends to write (historical fiction/mystery) but I enjoy this t

This book is so ... shall we say 'unique' ... that I find it too difficult to synopsize, so we'll just let the author/publisher do it.  Here is the (edited) description from Goodreads: Under the looming judgment of Adrash and his ultimate weapon—a string of spinning spheres beside the moon known as The Needle—warring factions of white and black suits prove their opposition to the orbiting god with the great fighting tournament of Danoor, on the far side of Jeroun’s only inhabitable continent. From the Thirteenth Order of Black Suits comes Vedas, a young master of martial arts, laden with guilt over the death of one of his students. Traveling with him are Churls, a warrior woman and mercenary haunted by the ghost of her daughter, and Berun, a constructed man made of modular spheres possessed by the foul spirit of his creator. Together they must brave their own demons.... On the other side of the world, unbeknownst to the travelers, Ebn and Pol of the Royal Outbound Mages (as

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby has become the newest Auditor for Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. He will be enforcing the laws of magic - which sounds exciting, but for Grimshaw, who struggled with his Auditor tests, it's pretty dull work. He is routinely passed over for the interesting jobs and sent to handle the common magical mishaps. To get out of his daily grind, Grimshaw finagles a job away from a friend to discover the origin of a strange, unfinished ritual. He enlists the help of Leslie Mayflower, a once retired Huntsman now working again because this current situation is similar to something Mayflower dealt with two decades prior. If the ritual is completed it would be disastrous, but getting to the root of the problem will not be easy for Grimsby and Mayflower. Much like the first book in this series ( Dead Man's Hand ), the characters of Grimsby and Mayflower are what makes this worth reading.  Their give and take, trust and distrust, and the yin and yang of ne

 I have not been this excited about a Conan graphic novel or comic book since the 1970's! The story is set early in Conan's life (it's his first encounter with Thulsa Doom) but it is not (thankfully) an 'origin' story. Even so, those not familiar with the character will get a good understanding of who Conan is. While visiting a small village, Conan encounters a Pict warrior scout. But before he can dispose of her, a horde of zombies invades and he and the Pict are the only survivors (by fighting together). They come to trust one another, warily. But Conan wants to get to Cimmeria, his home, before the zombies do.   There is fighting, there is magic, there are some unexpected surprises, and there is sex/love-making along the way. Jim Zub is the author here and does a really fine job of giving us (those of us long familiar with the character) the Conan that we want - not quite a superhero but a man who doesn't take shit from anyone and who has the strength and dex

 Jim Finch left his home, Featherville, over a year ago.  He's back now but he's returned to a community that doesn't really resemble what he left.  Some squatters (or 'nesters') have moved into the valley. They are settling on ranch land and trying to claim it as their own. Sam Broadner might be one of the worst of the nesters - he's a greedy man looking to wrest control of as much land as he possibly can. Broadner isn't Finch's only problem.  Finch is the ward for a young woman, Sheila, who has told Finch that she has romantic feelings toward him.  He, however, doesn't return those feelings and now she feels jilted and angry.  To 'get back' at him, Sheila begins to sell her half the ranch putting Finch's control of the area at great risk.  But her boldest move is to marry Finch's worst enemy, a man by the name of Felderman. Somehow, Finch needs to keep one eye close to home and another on the threats in the surrounding area. I found

In the rural town of Harrow there is an orchard. An unusual orchard with seven unusual trees. The trees produce an apple that is such a deep red as to be almost black. The taste of the apple is incredibly sweet and eating an apple from one of these trees will have you wanting another. And then another. To say they are addicting is to understate their power. One person knows the secrets of the orchard and one fall, just at harvest time, a stranger arrives in Harrow and the magic in the apples is revealed and those rare few who haven't taken a bite of the precious fruit will find themselves in mortal danger. I will admit from the start that I am not particularly objective because I really like Chuck Wendig's writing. It is just the right shade of dark and dreadful. Wendig gets just every part of this story just right. The characters are to die for (pun intended). Everyone here is carrying baggage. We may not see it or be privy to it, but we can sense it's there by the way the

Returning to her London flat one night, Lauren is greeted at the door by her loving husband, Michael. It would normally be very nice - but Lauren isn't married. At least she doesn't remember being married. Yet the photos around the flat, and the photos and messages on her phone all suggest that she's been married to Michael for years. When Michael goes up to the attic to change a lightbulb, he never returns. Instead, another man emerges as her husband, and her flat and her phone all indicate that they've been married for years. Lauren comes to realize that there is something unique and strange happening with her attic, giving her new husbands any time one passes through the opening barrier. And it is only the husband who change. And thus begins a years-long rotation of husbands into and out of Lauren's life. Some are downright frightening, some she can't imagine ever marrying in the first place. Some are quite acceptable but ... could there be a better one out t

 It is not uncommon to see books about early days of popular entertainment, There are some wonderful histories of the early days of television, and there have been several histories of the early days of televised science fiction. This is the first book that I have seen dedicated solely to Science Fiction Theatre. Science Fiction Theatre was an anthology television series that ran two seasons from 1955-1956. I almost used the adjective "innovative" but honestly, just about any television show from the mid-1950's could be considered innovative. Although the series isn't as familiar to science fiction fans and television fans as other, often syndicated shows, the series was clearly inspiration for programs such as The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, though the latter two have more name recognition. And while I recently listened to a podcast giving a lot of credit to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for being rather progressive with getting shows into syndication,

I'll be right up front and admit that I was seriously disappointed that this wasn't a sci-fi/fantasy YA books.  Summer on the Moon , and there's a huge moon right there on the cover.  I thought we were going to get a youngster's story being bored and alone on the moon.  I was so sure of it, that I was a quarter of the way through, wondering when they were going to go to the moon, before I realized that Moon Ridge Estates was a standard, rural community.   Thirteen year old Socko is hanging around with his best friend Damien during their summer vacation. They look for ways to entertain themselves while avoiding the local, neighborhood gang.  Socko's grandfather announces to Socko and his mom, that he's decided to buy a house in a new, suburban development. Socko's mom is excited, but Socko doesn't look forward to leaving his best friend behind. The development, Moon Ridge Estates, is nothing like Socko had imagined.  The development failed before it ever