Beware of the book dragon!

Ever wanted to read a collection of stories that were based in a place that feels like one we know, but not quite as we know it? How about an interesting take on science fiction and cyberpunk? Robot Artists and Black Swans by Bruce Sterling is an interesting take on both concepts. This book has an interesting quirk as it is written through Bruce Sterling’s alter ego (or should I dare say alternate universe version), Bruno Argento. This is rather interesting, and I have not seen anything done quite like this before - maybe it is a quirk to intrigue the market? The stories range from historical to somewhat futuristic, and all predominantly set in Italy, which makes the alternate universe/alter ego seem to be more believable. The writing is not dense, and felt definitely more snappy than the standard science fiction novel that we’re all used to. The book is split into seven short stories that I felt were separate, but also not separate at the same time. This intrigued me, as most short st...

 Howdy y'all!! This week I listened to 1 book. Sometimes life gets in the way, and that's okay! Star rating for the title: The Happiest Refugee: 4/5  Until next week, toodles! <3

Howdy y'all!! This fortnight I've read/listened to 7 books. Three were physical, two were eBooks, and two were audiobooks. Star ratings for these titles: The Other Side of the Sky: 4/5 Even if We Break: 3/5 Catch Lili Too: 3.5/5 I Was Born for this: 4.5/5 Victories Greater than Death: 4.25/5 Salt: 4/5 Crier's War: 4/5 Until next week, toodles! <3

 This is a book that honestly slaps. It has a queer romance, it has space, it has aliens. It's everything I desire in a book. I really loved this book, even though some of the character names made my brain-voice tongue tied at times (am I the only one that has a brain-voice for reading?), but that's a personal thing. I loved the space chases, the DNA spoofing, and the cloning. It was absolutely great. Definitely a book I was kicking myself for not reading fast enough, honestly! Rating: 4.25/5  Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC!

This book is wonderfully filled with several fantastical characters, and with different LGBTQIA+ representation (which I appreciated).  I enjoyed the grisly bits, and the gore didn't make me shy away.  I'm definitely here for all the existential dread too, to be honest with you! It was definitely interesting all around, including having the immortal siren there too. Rating: 3.5/5  Thanks to the author for a copy of this title!

 Want a raw and gripping, yet thought provoking contemporary read? Look no further, The Gaps by Leanne Hall is here for you! A new young adult, #LoveOzYA title, and still leaving me with the chills - this is not one to forget anytime soon. Starting with the abduction of Yin Mitchell, a girl who studied at a ritzy private school, we see multiple points of views from girls who also studied at the same school. Once the news breaks of the abduction, conspiracy theories and suspicion of several males connected with the school arise.  Chloe and Natalia’s voices were distinct, but both were raw with emotions. Fear and worry were both a common theme when reading both perspectives. Not only were the two voices different, there were differences in personalities and social status - one meaning to be rich and somewhat well known in the school, and the other less well-off and new to the school. I loved this contrast, as it reflects real life, where there are different ‘classes’ of people i...

There are many content warnings for this book including torture and violence.  Despite the torture, I enjoyed this book and devoured it in a few sittings. The characters were interesting and that plot twist at the end. I found the pacing to be perfect and kept me engaged. The plot was dark, something I haven't seen in a while tbh. Rating: 4/5 Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a review!

Howdy folx!! This week I've read/listened to 3 books. All three were eBooks. Star ratings for these titles: PEN anthology of Aboriginal Literature: 4/5 The Prison Healer: 4/5 The Girl in the Sunflower Dress: 5/5 Until next week, toodles! <3