A Closed and Common Orbit (2016) – Becky Chambers

I couldn’t wait. I had to dig into the second book of the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. The first book was just so powerful in its portrayal of friendships and family set against the stars and sensibilities of space opera. I didn’t want to wait and read something else, I had to devour the…

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (2014) – Becky Chambers

When I get into a book that I’m really enjoying reading it gets to the point that I see it all in my mind’s eye. Some books not only get the theater of the mind rolling, but make me feel at home and comfortable with the characters and the environment within pages of starting and…

Forever and a Day (2018) – Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz delivers another fast-paced 007 spy thriller with some material written by the series creator Ian Fleming. Set just before the events of the novel, Casino Royale, the story follows James Bond as he gets his two assigned kills to get his Double-O number, and throws him into a case that helps shape the…

Star Wars: The Crystal Star (1994) – Vonda N. McIntyre

I should have listened to my inner voice on this one. I couldn’t recall much of The Crystal Star as I hadn’t read it since it came out in 1994, but I remembered I didn’t care for it a lot. And that’s weird, because generally I like Vonda N. McIntyre’s work. She wrote the novelizations…

Trigger Mortis (2015) – Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz takes over the 007 mantle with his novel Trigger Mortis. Using some material written by Ian Fleming, Horowitz sets his novel two weeks after the events of Goldfinger, the book not the film, in 1957. James Bond has returned to the UK, accompanied by Pussy Galore, though that’s not going to turn out…

Little Eve (2018) – Catriona Ward

I loved Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street so when a friend asked me to dive into Little Eve, I was more than willing to. Gothic in the truest sense of the word, Little Eve is filled with gloom, mystery and hints of horror. Set on a tiny Scottish island, the story moves between…

The Mistletoe Mystery (2024) – Nita Prose

I absolutely loved Nita Prose’s The Maid and The Mystery Guest. I love her writing style, I love the way she creates her story and mystery and the characters she’s created, over the course of two books have become friends. So, when I heard there was a Christmas novella, The Mistletoe Mystery, I wanted to…

Star Wars: Champions of the Force (1994) – Kevin J. Anderson

This week, I finish off Anderson’s Jedi Academy Trilogy, which I haven’t read since it came out, thirty years ago!! WOW! And yet I remember picking it up on the day of release, I remember throwing on some John Williams, and diving into the story to see how the author wrapped up his tale. Luke…

Over Sea, Under Stone (1965) – Susan Cooper

I found this book on a list of fantasy series. I had never heard of it, and while it claims to be a young adult series, the main characters are all children, it’s a damned entertaining ride, and sets up the adventure that will sprawl over five novels. Simon, his sister Jane, and younger brother,…