Heroic Hearts, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Hughes

Another strong anthology outing from Butcher and Hughes. I enjoyed this more than the previous anthology (Shadowed Souls) simply because more of the settings and characters were familiar to me. I appreciated that the heroes tended to be side or completely new characters, either giving backstory or fleshing out familiar worlds a little more.

All the stories are well-written, a nice mix of "oh, yes, I enjoy this author/world" and "this is new to me" Definitely worth picking up!

And a new "Asil Dates" story is the cherry on top!

#HeroicHearts #NetGalley

I recieved a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

I will admit that I put this down about halfway through because I thought I knew how it would end and I wasn't a fan of that -- even though I thought the writing was well done. Then I forced myself to pick it up again and finish it and I was shocked by how it turned out. I'm very glad that I finished this, I couldn't put it down once I started again.

Without giving away any of the twists, this is almost a deconstruction of the serial killer genre. It will break your heart before you turn the final page and stick with you for a long time. Definitely will be recommending this one!

#TheLastHouseonNeedlessStreet #NetGalley

I recieved a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire

I actually went back and reread Imaginary Numbers before I reread Calculated Risks. (I was 99.9% that I'd already reviewed Calculated Risks, but the NetGalley shelf doesn't lie. Oops.)

I did this because it's never a bad idea to reread Seanan McGuire and also because when I realized that I hadn't posted a review yet, I realized that while I remembered the broad outlines of the plot (oh, SARAH!!!), some of the finer points escaped me. So, reread Sarah's books.

Seanan McGuire just keeps piling mythology and backstory into the InCryptid universe and I am a fan of that. Sarah has been a background character since book 1 and it's interesting to see some familiar scenes through her eyes. She will also break your heart during this sequence. Some of the interplay between Sarah, Annie and Artie really hit home after losing my mother to dementia earlier this year and watching her decline and lose her memories of so many things -- including the people she loved.

Absolutely a worthwhile way to spend a hot summer afternoon and I'm very much looking forward to the next one!

#CalculatedRisks #NetGalley

I recieved a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Knit 2 Socks in 1 by Safiyyah Talley

I have been struggling with sock knitting for longer than I'd like to admit and am always on the lookout for a different way to knit socks, hoping that something with help.

I really thought that this method was one that I'd seen before, so it was a pleasant surprise when it turned out to be completely different. I'm used to "knit two socks at once on one very long circular needle" and this is literally "knit two socks in a long tube, making use of lifelines".. I've skimmed over the method quickly but will definitely be going back and rereading carefully as it looks like something that might work for me.

Talley's method looks easy enough to follow, I'd put it at about "advanced beginner/intermediate" level knitters. I didn't catch any glaring errors on the first read, and will watch for any errata published.

This book will be added to my list of knitting books to actually buy, not just borrow from the library.

I recived a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#Knit2Socksin1 #NetGalley