Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m crying. Maybe I should wait to write a review, but I won’t. I want to give this book more than five stars, but I suppose five will do.
There was so much beauty in this book, and the ending was gorgeous with a tinge of bittersweet, and I felt like I was home in some of these story places. I only hope the turtles don’t miss her too much there at the end.
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wish I could read this book again for the first time. It was beautiful and real, even the magic. I loved all the 80s music references (and I see that we were sorely deprived by not getting to know about all of the Latin artists that were making music at that time–I have some music shopping to do!). The characters felt like people I know, and I loved all of the details of everyone’s lives. I was living in that world from the first page.
Alternate Routes by Tim Powers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was weird and glorious and twisty and genuinely fun. It went on all sorts of oddball, fascinating, incredible turns the way only Tim Powers can do, and it is now my absolute favorite of his books!
The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a wonderful cozy paranormal story. I loved every bit of it. Mysteries and ghosts and some quirky characters. I will definitely be visiting this world again. Also, while a primary mystery was solved so there was a satisfying conclusion, there were so many other things left open for me to wonder about! It was very well done and has me very excited to read more and find out what’s going to happen with some of those ongoing mysteries and problems.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved the rhythm of the language in this story. It was like a fairytale in so many ways, and yet it was much richer than that. And I loved finding out how Jack and Jill ended up at the school. There’s so much in the first book that has more weight now. I will probably have to reread it.
What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It was wonderful to spend some time in one of my favorite fiction universes, and getting to know Abigail better was great. I cannot wait to see what she gets up to as she gets older! The foxes were a delight, too, and I really enjoyed getting a peek into their operations. And I wonder if Nightingale has any clue about her perception of their conversation at the end.
The only criticism I have is what Abigail said to Simon’s mother at the end. I didn’t catch that about Simon at all; I went over a lot of things and tried to make it fit, but I felt like Abigail’s comments about Simon came out of nowhere in a lot of ways. Although in hindsight I could sort of retrofit it, that felt more like a surprise twist than something that was really set up ahead of time. But this was fairly minor overall and didn’t detract from the story–I still loved it as I always do with these stories.
Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was so good! It was set up like an old horror movie with the eerie atmosphere, and then it unraveled into something much deeper. And the ending was so satisfying! I thought we had a tragedy, but those last pages! I am so happy with where this went. All sorts of unexpected turns but with enough hints in hindsight that nothing seemed like it didn’t belong.
The Secrets of Mystic Springs by Mona Marple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was another fun read. I enjoy the town and the characters both human and ghostly. My one wish is that there would be less focus on Connie’s weight (she’s the main character). I don’t feel like we need her to be a large woman who constantly worries about her weight and how she looks and feels (when hugging) to other people, etc. I don’t feel like it adds anything to the stories, and I wish it wasn’t there.
The Ghosts of Mystic Springs by Mona Marple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this book! I’m surprised by how much I liked it. I thought it was going to be a bit of a surface glitz sort of book, fun and fast and easy but without much depth. I was wrong. There were depths to the characters and plot bits that surprised me, and it was thoroughly engaging. I’m reading the next in the series right away, and maybe more after that, too. This was a wonderful reading surprise.
Midnight Movie by J.L. Bryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was my favorite one by far. I loved the drive-in setting and the fun old Hollywood tidbits. This was a great, fun read.