Micro reviews from September:

The Book That Got Away:

Blood Over Bright Haven by M L Wang. This book has been on my TBR for a while, and I’ve actually had it in my hands twice. The first time, it was the self pub trade paperback and… the print was too tiny to suit me. The second time, I got my hands on the hardback from the publishers and… I just ran out of time to finish it before the library wanted it back. The third time may be the charm. I do like Sciona and Thomil (what I’ve seen of them so far), and of course, I appreciate the story of a woman struggling to make her mark in male-dominated academia.

The Book That I Loved:

The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison. So, yeah, this is the hold book that came in while I was supposed to be reading Blood Over Bright Haven, and well, I just adore this series so, Bright Haven got shunted aside. Addison is just such a meticulous writer and things always feel so… sensible. This is my kind of “cozy” fantasy, one wrapped around a series of murders, politics, and at the core, a weird sort of celebration about just being a good, upright person who tries their best. Loved it.

The Books That I Want to Add to My Shelves:

Charlotte Vassell’s Caius Beauchamp mysteries: The Other Half & The In Crowd. I am getting so picky! To be fair, I have been reading obsessively for several decades now. I am allowed to be picky. I am so out of shelf space that it is absurd; I have stopped buying books in general (so, you know, only a dozen or so a year). But I really love this series and want to be able to reread them on a whim.

The characters are appealing, but primarily it’s about Vassell’s narrative voice. She’s wry, often scathing, but just as likely to turn that judgment back in on itself. Her characters might look at some trendy café and be snobbish about it, then just as quickly acknowledge that yeah, their mum might love it, and they’ll take her for a treat. And the plots are solid! All around pleasures to read.

The Book That I Noped Out of.

All The White Spaces – Ally Wilkes

I DNF a lot of books and many times there’s nothing objectively wrong with them. Sometimes they’re just hitting me in the wrong mood. Sometimes they’re just too familiar (decades of reading!) Sometimes, I just don’t click with the author. Here, it was primarily that I had recently read Dark Matter by Michelle Paver, and while they are two separate books, they have enough in common that I just didn’t want to finish this one.

The Book(s) That I am Eagerly Anticipating:

Okay, so everyone knows I am a Martha Wells fan. Obviously, I am lined up and ready with cash in hand for Queen Demon! Witch King wasn’t my favorite book of hers, but I did find the world fascinating. I can’t wait to see how she expands on it.

Also of note, T. Kingfisher’s What Stalks the Deep. Another Sworn Soldier novella? Hell, yeah!