Category: Fiction

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Pod by Laline Paull

Pod by Laline Paull

Release Date: February 7

Laline Paull returns with an immersive new novel about the ocean world as told through the eyes of two different dolphin pods: spinner dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins.

Ea is more than just a spinner dolphin. Ea is different. In this story, she has an identity. She has an acoustic disability that makes her unable to spin like the other dolphins in her pod, and she is ultimately on a journey of self-understanding and acceptance. As her inner struggles become more complex, she must also grapple with the changing of her world when she is uprooted from everything and everyone she knows. When catastrophe befalls her family and Ea knows she is partly to blame, she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice and leave the pod.

The ocean is a place of peace and calm. Until ocean demons and pollution threaten the oceans’ way of thriving. As Ea ventures into the vast, she finds danger lurking everywhere. The ocean itself seems to be changing; creatures are mutating, demonic noises pierce the depths, and entire species of fish disappear into the sky above.

I would describe it as scientific fiction, but I wouldn’t exactly call it sci-fi… I would call it cli-fi (climate fiction) because, though it is the story of dolphins, it is also the story of the whole ocean, and how the careless and cruel actions of humans put entire ecosystems at risk.

A diverse cast of sea creatures from dolphins and whales to pufferfish create an incredibly unique POV. Writing the main characters as dolphins and other marine animals draws comparisons between animals and humans, suggesting that we’re all the same— we, all of us are living beings.

This is a musical story, full of sound and space. Because dolphins use sonar, sound and music are strong themes in this book. Beautiful imagery and stunning ocean settings make this a perfect blend of reality and fiction. I loved how musical prose is woven so intricately with scientific fact, and I love this author because she has an amazing way of educating readers about the ocean while entertaining them at the same time.

TW: rape, sexual assault, death

Thank you so much to Pegasus Books for sending me an early copy to read and review. I love Laline Paull, and this is a new favorite of mine!

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Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander

“𝑇𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒.”

Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander

Domestic Fiction

This story opens with Meredith Maggs, who hasn’t left her home in 1,214 days. She likes books, jigsaw puzzles, and baking with her cat. She works remote, interacts with others online, and has a small circle of friends and delivery drivers that help her out—by bringing her groceries, taking her cat to the vet, and checking in on her. She suffers from panic attacks, struggles with anxiety and depression, and her past trauma has forced her into a self-imposed isolation. Her small circle of familiar people and predictable situations are what help her manage.

As the story unfolds we learn more about her trauma, which sheds light on why she relates to the world in the way that she does. Though she is haunted by her past, this is the story of her overcoming, and by the end of the novel Meredith is able to grow and clear the ghosts from her closet. Scary, new, unfamiliar circumstances force Meredith out of her comfort zone, and time and time again she rises and meets challenges head-on until she is able to take back control of her life.

This story is heavily character driven. It centers around Meredith, her thoughts, her fears, her pain, and her hero’s journey.

As a socially anxious introvert myself, I found her to be very relateable. The moments where she doesn’t want to leave the house, or answer the door, or have any interaction with anyone… those were some of my favorite moments.

Thank you to the author Claire Alexander and Grand Central Publishing for sending me an ARC of this title! All opinions are my own.

TW: rape, self-harm, trauma

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The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Set in the Mexican Yucatán, this is a story about a mad scientist, his human-hybrid creations, and his insidious intentions. It is also an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, but with a fresh feminist perspective.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Historical Fiction | Science Fiction | Horror

Doctor Moreau is a man of science and a purported man of God. Ironically, and hypocritically, though, he uses scientific experiments to play god over his creations, animal-human hybrids who he and his patron hope to use for slave labor. When the doctors daughter Carlotta starts asking questions about the world she has always known, she discovers a tangled web of secrets and lies—and must decide which side she wants to be on.

“Her whole life had been a pretty fiction, a story the doctor had spun.”

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

In SMG style, this story is oozing with gothic language, vintage fashion, complex characters, fast-paced action, and sizzling romance.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto-buy authors because everything she writes is golden. She uses beautiful images and paints stunning magical settings just with a few words. I love her style, and The Daughter of Dr. Moreau is as good as Moreno-Garcia’s previous works. I especially loved Mexican Gothic, and Gods of Jade and Shadow. This is yet another great and amazing tale from one of the greatest storytellers of our Generation.

Thank you to Netgalley for gifting me an eARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Marple: 12 New Mysteries

For the first time in 45 years, Agatha Christie’s beloved character Miss Marple returns to the page for a globe-trotting tour of crime and detection. This wonderful collection is written by all of the newest greats: Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware join Agatha Christie to create a new compendium of Miss Marple’s adventures.

Agatha Christie is quite literally the best-selling novelist of all time (outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare). She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, 19 of which feature Miss Jane Marple as the MC. She is one of Christie’s best-known characters. Because she has such a strong personality and style, it is difficult to replicate her character in a way that stays true to Agatha Christie.

Unfortunately for me, I did not love it as a collection. I really wanted to like it. I tried for a few weeks to read this and set it aside each time, hoping it would get better, and it never did. I really wanted to DNF it, but because I like some of the authors I decided to push through, and luckily libro.fm came through with a September ALC, so I was able to finish it on audio. I think that the authors had a hard time duplicating her character at best, and disrespectfully bungled her character at worst. Though there were a couple of standout stories that I did enjoy: Jean Kwok’s The Jade Emperess, Naomi Alderman’s The Open Mind, and Natalie Haynes’ The Unravelling were among my favorites.

Because each author has their own idea of Miss Marple, IMO, they did not align with the real Miss Marple, or with Agatha Christies writing. There was too much variety for me to believe it was the same character, and each author’s creative liberties clashed too much to be a cohesive collection. The essence of Miss Marple herself became muddled, as if there were too many cooks in the kitchen. This is the limitation with short story collections, and sadly it just wasn’t for me.

While some of the stories may have been “fine”, all this collection of stories did was prove that Miss Marple could only be written by Agatha Christie.

Thank you to William Morrow – HarperCollins for sending me an Advance Reading Copy of this title. All opinions are my own.

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Marionette by Antonia Rachel Ward

Marionette by Antonia Rachel Ward is an erotic horror novella inspired by traditional folk tales and set in fin de siècle Paris.

Fleeing a life of poverty and prostitution, exotic dancer Cece Dulac agrees to play assistant for an erotic séance hosted by mesmerist Monsieur Rossignol. As the séance plunges into perversion, Cece falls prey to Rossignol’s hypnotic power and becomes possessed by a malevolent spirit and a cursed gemstone.

George Dashwood, an aspiring artist, witnesses the séance and fears for Cece. He seeks her out and she seduces him, but she is no longer herself. The spirit controlling her forces her to commit increasingly depraved acts. When the spirit’s desire for revenge escalates to murder, George and Cece must find a way to break Rossignol’s spell before Cece’s soul is condemned forever.

I found this book devilish, depraved, and delicious.

Thank you to Brigids Gate Press for sending me an Advance Reading Copy of this title. All opinions are my own.

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Honeycomb by Joanne Harris

Honeycomb is a sweeping grand tale, made up of many smaller ones, each woven together like the threads of a spiders web.

“But certain dreams thrive best in the waking world, and these are among the most powerful.”

Dreams of the Barefoot Princess

Long ago and far away, in the dreamy world of magical fae and honeybees, the Lacewing King and the Spider Queen spin a tale of love and trechary that spans across worlds.

“For, as the Honeycomb Queen had said, love is often half-sweetness, half-sting, and he had been stung once too often.”

The Honeycomb Child

The story is so beautifully written.  It’s a fantasy. It’s horror. It’s mythology and fairytales at their best. I would describe it as Grimms Fairytales meets Aesops Fables, and I loved the imagery and the world building.

“For the midwife had realized that she was among the Silken Folk; weavers of glamours, spinners of tales, most dangerous of the Faerie.”

The Midwife

Short meaningful stories—each their own stand-alone tale, and still part of the grander story—show how all beings are connected, from the grandest of kings of the smallest of bees. All of the characters circle back to the beginning, each conneted to each other in smalls ways that arent always realized until later in the story.

Though the book is laregly a collection of shorts, there is a main storyline that shows up every few chapters or so: the tale of The Lacewing King. a cruel, thoughtless, trickster. Honeycomb follows his heros journey and character development, from his mischievous childhood adventures, to his outwitting of villanious foes, and his many disasters in love. His often careless choices will have dire consequences for both his own fate and the fates of those around him.

Some of my favorite chapters included: The Watcher and the Glass—; The Gardener—an instance of giving an inch and taking a mile; The Girl Who Never Smiled—; and The Sparrow—a story tha

I did not want to put this down! It was magical, beautiful, and haunting. Easily my favorite book of the year so far.

“Now you have made me believe again that stories are real, and that dreams can come true.”

Dreams of the Barefoot Princess

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Crime Writer by Dime Sheppard

If you have ever suffered from writer’s block, you will understand exactly what Evie is going through. Her published novels seem to mock her as she struggles to write her next book. And having the pressure of being overdue for her deadline (all the while juggling a wedding and facing family pressure to take a break from writing) is not helping matters.

She is running on tea and licorice. She recites affirmations for creativity and waits for inspiration to strike during cardio. She is willing to try almost anything to spark her creativity (cardio, meditations, affirmations, coffee…) but nothing seems to help her out of her writing rut. And it seems as if her characters are feeding on her energy; they are as tired as Evie is after 15 books of danger and mysteries.

As the story goes on, we learn more about Evie and her characters. Writing drama is great fun for readers, but, looking at things from the characters’ perspectives, drama is less fun. Evie’s characters are getting out of control. She is finding it harder and harder to control the story: her characters are rebelling, because they have been through a lot of drama. 

And then, one night, the lines between fiction and reality cross. One of her characters comes to life, and is standing right in her kitchen, in the flesh. Soon, a disturbingly familiar homicide surfaces, and it seems as if more of her fictional characters have crossed over into reality. In which case, Evie is in a lot of real-life trouble. If she’s going to survive (or even just get her life back to normal), Evie has some choices to make, and she has to make them fast. 

More than just a fun read, this book suggests that the stories authors write carry over into their real lives. It raises questions on existence: what makes a story real?

“‘But they’re not there,’ he argued. ‘They don’t exist.’ Daniel is very practical.

‘They do exist,’ I argued back. ‘Just not here, exactly.'”

Fiction, no matter how surreal or otherworldly, is a response to reality. So even though the characters Evie writes may not be real in the physical sense, they are real to Evie, and to her readers. A part of Evie exists in her characters, as do the characters live within Evie. They are her creations, they are a part of her story.

“‘But they exist to me, and when people read my books they exist to them, too.’”

This novel is perfect for crime and mystery fans. Filled with drama and excitement, this book will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end!

Crime Writer is available now at all major book retailers.

Thank you to Dime Sheppard for sending me an early copy of Crime Writer! All opinions are my own.

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Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry is a bookish rivals-to-lovers rom-com that is full of fun surprises and twists. Nora and Libby, two book-loving sisters, plan a summer getaway to a picturesque cottage in the slow and sleepy town of Sunshine Falls. But instead of getting a relaxing vacay away from the work, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a rival editor from back in the city.

Forget the grumpy/sunshine trope… this grumpy/grumpy duo are perfect for each other! Nora is complex, deep, funny, and relatable. And Charlie is always saying all the right things, in a good way. I loved them together. Their deadpan humor and teasing banter are so cute, and I love their chemistry as a couple.

I think a lot of readers love books about books, myself included. And with such a bookish title, this title is basically irresistible. The title Book Lovers hints at some subtle details of the story, and there are plenty of literary references to romance authors, tropes, archetypes, and specific books throughout the story. The two main characters even wear the same gender neutral cologne, a scent that is just called “book”.

Modern and fresh, this is a must-read for rom-com lovers.

Thank you to Libro.fm for providing me a free ALC of this title. All opinions are my own.

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I, Antigone

As a classicist, I am a big fan of Greek myth retellings, and I am happy for every chance I get to read them. In I, Antigone, Carlo Gébler paints a beautiful picture of a world filled with Kings and Queens of the ages, and brings a new twist to one of the oldest stories in the world, the story of Thebes. If you thought you knew the whole story, think again.

Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays, Antigone is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written. The play expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and I, Antigone is written in the same spirit for a modern audience.

Most modern myths have many versions and variations, and will pull from various sources like Ovid, Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles. I was interested to see which myths Carlo Gébler would include in Antigone’s world. I was excited to find the author took inspiration from various sources and included many gods and goddesses into the story, all while giving them a modern spin.

With this books we get many stories in one. Many myths make up the grander tale of the Greek king, Oedipus. Within the story of Oedipus, we also get the stories of Europa and the bull; their children Minos and Adamanthus; Cadmus’ search for his sister Europa, and his founding the founding of the great city Thebes; how Cadmus’ great-grandson Laius became king at Thebes, and how he brought a great curse upon his line.

Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and I, Antigone is a great read for fans of Madeline Miller and Scarlett St. Claire.

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The Employees by Olga Ravn

It’s hard to describe this work because it is so meta. It is a really little book that tackles a really big topic: Existence. Less than 135 pages encapsulates the human experience and asks what is it that really makes us alive.

“Is it a question of name? Could I be a human if you called me one?”

“I have never not been employed. I was made for work.” Literally, because employees on the Six Thousand Ship are basically robots that were created for work, humanoids coexisting beside real humans who have been in space for so long they have forgotten their humanity. Both seem to be adopting traits of the other: the humans are becoming more like the employees, and the employees are learning how to be human. And what happens when a humanoid begins feeling emotions? Crying? Showing desire, fear, and anger?

“I feel a similar longing to be human.”

“‘I hate interface,’ my humanoid co-worker said the other day.” But how can a humanoid have feelings that were never programmed into their being? And still, the employees are seen developing “strategies in dealing with emotional and relational challenges,” raising questions like can computers learn to program themselves?

“Am I human or humanoid?”

And for the crew, when the lines of reality blur, they begin to question everything. “I started to wonder who I actually am here. An employee, a human, a programmer, Cadet 17 of the Six Thousand Ship.”

“I don’t know if I’m human anymore. Am I human?”

This is an extremely relevant message for today’s world, where the lines between reality are beginning to blur with technology and social media.

“Tell me, did you plant this perception of me? Or did this image come up from inside me, if it’s own accord?”

In a larger sense, this work poses a metaquestion — is it ethical to play god over our creations? Where is the line drawn between human and inhuman? Can computers and robots learn to gain consciousness, will they eventually become human? And what happens if they can, or when they do? On the flip side, are humans becoming more robotic, and how will it impact our future?

“There’s humans, and then there’s humanoids. Those who were born and those who were made. Those who are going to die and those who aren’t.”

If you like Brave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Anthem, you should read The Employees.

Thank you to Book*hug Press for sending me a free Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of this title. All opinions are my own.

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A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson

This book reimagines the lives of Dracula’s brides, and tells the story from their perspective. Reminiscent of a love letter from the past, the language and imagery is dark and hauntingly beautiful.

Part 1 is eerily relevant reading during this pandemic. “Plaugetime is different. It stretches and looms.” When she talks about the ways the plague affected their community, I was reminded of the current Coronacirus epidemic and I felt more connected to history. “The world we had all known, it seemed, was drawing to a close.” Pandemics are nothing new: humans have been surviving deadly epidemics for centuries. And we always manage to come together to fight the problem as one collective group, overcome the hardships we face, and ultimately survive.

“Those years are a dark smear across my memory, everything feels blurry and hollow. Plague drains not only victims, but while cities of life. It freezes trade, decays parishes, forbids lovemaking, turns childbearing into a dance with death. Most of all, it steals time.”

Continue reading “A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson”
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A Lobizona Reading List

I love when books name-drop other books. Not only is it a great way to introduce readers to classics, but it instantly forges connections between the works, and it is like the authors are having a conversation with each other. By mentioning another work, you  instantly draw similar themes to mind, and in that way one author responds to another’s ideas. 

lobizonaThis book did an amazing job with this. Romina Garber used Lobizona as a platform for introducing young readers to Latin classics, and I will be looking forward to more book recommendations in the next installment of the series, Cazadora, which is set to be released in August.

“Falling hopelessly into the world of a story was always my favorite feeling.”

Manu’s character is very well-read. Her homeschooling allowed her plenty of time and enough freedom to read through both a traditional course list of white-washed classics, as well as Perla’s essential Latinx recommendations (with room to spare for Harry Potter!). For a teen, that is pretty diverse.

As I was reading, I thought it would be so fun to join a book club with Manu! So I put together a list of all of Manuela’s favorites. Keep reading to find out what Manu is reading — but be careful, because they are all still banned in Lunaris!

cienanosOne Hundred Years of Solitude

“I’ve been trying to read Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece as slowly as possible so I can relish the writing, but it’s so good that I’m already two-thirds of the way through.”

First of all, this specific quote is relatable AF. I can’t even count how many times I have had this experience while reading! And I love that I can connect with Manu’s character over our love of books.

Second, I love that this book is referenced so many times. The hidden town of Macondo is a great parallel for the secret world of Lunaris. For years the town is solitary and unconnected to the outside world, similar to Manu’s sheltered upbringing. Inevitably, Macondo becomes exposed to the outside world, again like Manu. Eventually, Manu and Lunaris’ secrets are revealed, and I won’t spoil the endings, but I can see some foreshadowing happening here!

Continue reading “A Lobizona Reading List”

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