Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea (pub. May 30, 2023) by Rita Chang-Eppig is a thoughtful historical novel about life and piracy as experienced by one woman–Shek Yeung–based on the real-life pirate queen who commanded a confederation of pirates in the South China Sea in the early 1800s. As the novel opens, ShekContinue reading “Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea”
Tag Archives: weight neutral
Hope and Glory
Recommend if you’re interested in a family drama set in London with a Nigerian-British family and a sister who’s just come home after her father has died and her family has fallen apart.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Beautifully written, full of quotable lines, Zevin has created a story about the art of making games that also deals with grief and the heartache of the world, and how to keep making art through it all.
The Dark Side of the Road
Interested in a Christmastime locked-room manor house mystery with both science fiction and supernatural elements? Look no further.
Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe
This is an OK, weight-neutral chick lit read lacking in racial representation but set in a southern town. Where are the black people?
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
I was completely enthralled by The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019) by Alix E. Harrow from very nearly the first page. Set in the late 1800s, January is a teenager cared for by a guardian, Mr. Locke, because her father is always traveling on expeditions for him. His house is filled with wondrous thingsContinue reading “The Ten Thousand Doors of January”
The Once and Future Witches
I absolutely loved The Once and Future Witches (2020) by Alix E. Harrow! From very near the first page, I was enthralled, I marked my first quote on page 12. (Marking a quote early on is usually a very good sign.) Juniper, Agnes, and Bella are three sisters separated for many years, but they nowContinue reading “The Once and Future Witches”
The Book of Etta
The Book of Etta (2017) by Meg Elison is the second book in The Road to Nowhere series, which begins with The Book of the Unnamed Midwife. We meet Etta/ Eddy, a daughter of Nowhere, the town the Unnamed had come to after her long journey. Etta goes by Eddy when she is out raiding,Continue reading “The Book of Etta”
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (2021) by Elle Cosimano is the first installment in a widely-popular comic thriller/mystery series (the third book is expected in January 2023) in which we meet divorced mother of two, writer Finlay Donovan. After a rushed meeting with her editor, Finlay is mistaken for a hit woman, and decides toContinue reading “Finlay Donovan Is Killing It”
Operation Redwood
I read Operation Redwood (2010) by S. Terrell French as a result of one of my other book-related labors of love–being steward of a Little Free Library. I bought it with a bunch of other middle-grade and children’s books in a $7 per bag library sale, and when I was sorting, I had to putContinue reading “Operation Redwood”