Finally managed to get around to another Nebula nominated book, and THE POPPY WAR by R.F. Kuang is a marvelous debut, that is layered in all the right ways. I listened to it on audio book, narrated by the perfect Emily Woo Zeller and it is a riiiide. Content warnings: sexual assault, rape, extreme violence, … Continue reading The Poppy War
Author: PylesofBooks
Review: The Armored Saint
THE ARMORED SAINT by Myke Cole was one of the last books I read last year. It's a romping mix of steampunk and fantasy that feels as brutal as the game DIABLO, yet remains tender in the quieter moments. It was a fun, brief read and I cannot wait to get back to this world. … Continue reading Review: The Armored Saint
Review: The Deep
This was my first finished read of 2020, which seems oddly approriate for a myriad of reasons. THE DEEP by Rivers Solomon (with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes of clipping), is a quietly intimate, fantastical dive into the ocean of memory and generational wounds. We begin with Yetu, who holds the memories of … Continue reading Review: The Deep
Life Update: Quick Reflection on 2019 and Looking Ahead in 2020
So, after a long silence - I am finally back! I'm sorry for the lack of communication, but there was a much needed mental health break that needed to happen in December and I've been taking my time in recent weeks to have a full brain reset to prepare for the coming year. What's happening … Continue reading Life Update: Quick Reflection on 2019 and Looking Ahead in 2020
Musical Moods for 2019
So, its that time of year that I tend to do wrap ups and other things, but for the first time, I'm going to highlight what I listened to, since I tend to listen to a lot of things when I write. It's one part focusing, one part inspiration. I listen to both songs with … Continue reading Musical Moods for 2019
Review: Snow Over Utopia
I read a lot of books throughout the year, but there are only a handful that make me take a step back and say "What the F." SNOW OVER UTOPIA by Rudolfo A. Serna was one of those books. Loaded to the very brim with genre-melded, blended goodness, and richly poetic prose, Serna challenges the … Continue reading Review: Snow Over Utopia
Review: The Violent Bear It Away
I'll come clean and say that I haven't been reading any books for my local men's book club over the past few months, but I could not stop myself when they chose a Flannery O'Connor novel, THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY. There's so much that has been said about this novel already, but I can't … Continue reading Review: The Violent Bear It Away
Review: Record of a Spaceborn Few
I've been reading the Wayfair's series over the past few months and I finally got around to wrapping up the last in this loose trilogy of books. The Hugo nominated, RECORD OF A SPACEBORN FEW by Becky Chambers, feels like both an homage to humanity and a hopeful look to the future. The Exodus Fleet … Continue reading Review: Record of a Spaceborn Few
Book Release: Apocalypse
Another month, another Black Hare Press anthology drops! This one is filled with all kinds of world ending calamities and both figurative and literal fallout. I experimented with a couple different forms of narrative for my handful of drabbles. They range from climate change catastrophes, to the quiet struggle of surviving amidst complete annihilation. The list … Continue reading Book Release: Apocalypse
Review: Semiosis
This one had been on my TBR list for a while, and I finally got around to it, and it is a strange and wonderful ride! SEMIOSIS by Sue Burke, her debut and Arthur C. Clarke Award nominated novel, is pure brilliance. When human colonists, who seek to flee Earth's violent ways settle on a … Continue reading Review: Semiosis
