The Bones Beneath My Skin by T. J. Klune

I loved this SO MUCH! I literally could not put it down once I started. You’ll fall in love with Nate, Alex and Artemis, I promise.

This sci-fi novel dissects found family and what it means to be human. From what I remember, Nate’s coming out to his parents happened all too often (and still does, sadly) in the nineties.

I’d highly, highly recommend this for older teens (one spicy scene) and up. It’s so wonderful.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Nadya’s story will break your heart. McGuire deftly dissects foreign adoption, the agency of children and once again, how even the best intentioned parents can really screw up their kids.

This series is gentle while laying some uncomfortable truths about parenting out on the table. I know I’ve squirmed some while reading. Recommended for teens (tweens might enjoy it, but may be a little young for the subject matter), as always, don’t start the series with this one. It’s fairly stand alone, but the world will be richer if you start with the first book.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi

This book is bonkers. Scalzi throws all the rules about science out the window (except he kind of doesn’t, which makes it even more bonkers) and I LOVED IT.

Something happens to the moon, something truly bizarre, and we explore this through the eyes of many witnesses. (think World War Z only no zombies) Each chapter is a different person’s perspective on the Event, some are directly involved, some are on the peripheral.

I couldn’t put it down. Recommended for tweens and up.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North

This is a lovely re-romance? I’m not sure what the term is for second chance romance (maybe that’s it, oh well, too late now) novels. I really loved how the importance of communication was highlighted, and how to step outside the box of ‘normal’ communication. Also loved how North subtly made it clear that this was a novel set in Canada. (I understand why Stellar did what she did, I live in Alberta.)

The Witch's Book of Spells by Lindsay Squire

A good resource for spell casting. Nicely grouped together, well laid out and good graphics. None of the ingredients are too esoteric, but you might want to make a list and hit up a good occult shop before starting. Squire does list correspondences, which is handy. One thing, many of her incense recipes require use of a charcoal disk to use, if that’s not your thing (it isn’t mine), try and find stick or cone incense. I was also quite happy to see "smoke cleansing" instead of smudging.

I'd recommend this book for anyone who'd like to start a spell library.

Witch in Darkness by Kelly-Ann Maddox

This is an incredible book. Maddox writes about ‘witching through the bad times’ but much of her advice would be applicable to anyone going through a hard time. She explores hard issues – grief, grieving, addiction – from a witches’ perspective, but I would not hesitate to hand this to someone looking for help even if they weren’t a witch. (I would ask a few questions first, just to gauge how well it might work for them.)

This book has earned a place on my bookshelf and I’ll be referring back to it often. Recommended for anyone who is hurting.

Bad Witches by H. B. Akumiah

This was a romp of a book. The years after graduating college/university are hard enough – all of a sudden you’re a real adult! Jobs! Partners! (or lack thereof) Bills! – without adding in finding out you’re a witch.

I loved this book. I’m a few (ahem!) years from that time in my life, but I do remember it well. Akumiah captures that shivery, oh-god-I’m-a-grownup feeling exquisitely. I would have loved to have girlfriends like Maya, Gabbie and Delali.

Recommended for older teens and up. I’ll be looking for the sequel – I have to find out what happens!

The Green Witch's Herb and Plant Encyclopedia by Rowan Morgana

Don't buy this book. For starters, it is a very basic introduction to green witchery which has been done better elsewhere. There's a few spells, but again, nothing groundbreaking. Morgana also encourages wild foraging, which is fine for some plants, but not for others. She does encourage you to utilize findaforager.com to find a local foraging group and to ask permission of the landowner before going out.

However. She also is a little loosey-goosey with toxicity warnings -- one ritual calls for foxglove flowers to be placed around an altar with no warning for toxicity or suggestions to use gloves to handle the flowers. She suggests that African violets are edible -- nontoxic does not mean edible. (Thanks to another reviewer on Goodreads who pointed this out.)

I was also 99% sure that she had talked about smudging with either sage or sweetgrass, but I can't find the mention now. Anyways, the act of smudging is a closed practice, if you want to burn some sage, grow some in your garden and work with that.

Apparently, I have feelings about this. I would read Arin Murphy-Hiscock or Amy Blackthorn for green witchery. Scott Cunningham also has an encyclopedia of herbs.

I recieved an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

This is another entry in the “queer couples work through trauma through politics” and I LOVED IT SO MUCH! We really need to name this subgenre because when it works, it works so well.

Edging more into the sword part of ‘sword and sorcery’ fantasy, swords and swordcraft are an integral part of the plot.

Definitely recommended, it’s a little spicy in a couple parts, so I would say older (17ish probably) teens and up.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

#Swordcrossed #NetGalley

Two Needles, Many Knits by Quayln Stark

This is a solid, basic knitting book. Brand new knitters will learn skills and stitches as they progress through the patterns as each pattern builds on the one before in an organic fashion. The patterns are fairly basic, but experienced knitters may find variations of old favorites to try out. (There’s a lovely sweater pattern I’m saving for later!) Clear instructions and pictures make this a good addition to your knitting library.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to knit or anyone who is looking for patterns.

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

Genoveva Dimova has written a smart, captivating fantasy that borrows heavily from Russian/Slavic mythology.

Witch Kosara bargains away her shadow and must go on a quest to get it back before shadow sickness overwhelms her. Her quest will lead her to a way to save her city and get revenge on her powerful ex-lover.

I really liked this and will be looking for the conclusion to the duology. I’d recommend this to mid-teens and up, there’s some fairly adult themes but nothing terribly overt.

Time's Agent by Brenda Peynado

A melancholy exploration of love, guilt and grief, Time’s Agent will stay with you.

Ways into what are called Pocket Worlds (PW) are popping up everywhere. Archaeologist Raquel and her wife Marlena have been exploring them, to catalogue extinct flora and fauna and look for evidence of the Taino peoples.

Raquel and Marlena are both trapped in a long time dilation world and while in it, capitalism and climate change take over.

Recommended for thoughtful teens and up.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

I am not familiar with Regency romances at all (I think I’ve read one. Maybe two.) but I think I would have read far more of them if T. Kingfisher was writing them.

This is an absolute gem of a book. It mashes up fairy tales, Regency and low key horror and what comes out is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s hard to explain why this is so good, but trust me, it really really is.

A retelling of "The Goose Girl", Kingfisher has an absolute knack for reimagining fairy tales and genre mixing. Recommended for tweens (depending on the tween) and up.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Sarah Beth Durst said in the afterword that she wanted to write ‘a warm hug of a book’ and she knocked it out of the park.

Librarian Kiela flees the Great Library of Alyssium with her assistant Caz (who is hilarious and unexpected) when revolutionaries take control of the city and set fire to the Library. (NGL, did not approve of this bit, but plot, so whaddya gonna do?) With the few crates of spellbooks she managed to save, she and Caz sail to the only place of safety she can think of – her childhood home.

This is absolutely lovely. It’s sweet without being twee, romantic without being cloying. Cozy fantasy at its best! Halfway through reading this, I realized that it was now on my list of ‘books to read when things are not going well in my world and I need comfort’.

Recommended for everyone (some tweens would love this, I would think), go read it, you’ll love it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

Rowland has delivered a hilarious romp for fans of Our Flag Means Death and One Piece. There are pirates and unrequited love (and a fair bit of steamy scenes). Treasure and sea creatures and ships.

It’s all good and I chuckled my way through this. I really liked this universe and wouldn’t mind spend-ing more time here.

Recommended for older teens and up.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons

Matthew Lyons has written a tight, terrifying horror/thriller (holler? I’ll workshop it).

A botched robbery forces career criminal Anne Heller and companions to flee, and the only place she can think of to go is her childhood home – which she and her mother fled one night with tragic conse-quences. This choice leads her and her companions to dig into just why she and her mother had to flee and what her mother was running from.

I loved this book. The horror and thriller aspects are perfectly balanced and the plot moves at break-neck speed. (Although I think I need to stop reading horror set in rural areas, now that I’ve moved back to a rural area.)

Absolutely recommend this to older teens and up.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

There seems to be a sub-genre of “traumatized queer couples engage in politics, mostly feudal adjacent” popping up in SF/F and I am HERE FOR IT. (See also Everina Maxwell, Foz Meadows and Freya Marske)

TSoTB is soaked in trauma (Samotin provides trigger warnings at the beginning, and you should heed them) but it doesn’t feel exploitative at all. Every horrible thing that happens propels the story forward or provides explanations for why the characters behave the way they do. Set in a feudal Russian-esque world, Jewish mythology underpins the story and provides mystical explanations and background.

The novel ends on a cliffhanger, and book 2 is scheduled to be published in 2025. I will definitely be looking for it.

Recommended for older teens and up and again, please heed the trigger warnings.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire

I will never not be delighted to read an InCryptid novel and Aftermarket Afterlife was no exception.

Mary Dunlavy is a ghost. Mary Dunlavy is also the Price family babysitter. I loved seeing the Price family through Mary’s eyes, it’s a unique perspective on the family we’ve come to know and love over the years. Sad things happen but they’re not shoehorned in, they do serve the plot, so I was mostly ok with them.

Recommended for teens and up (tweens depending on said tween).

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

#AftermarketAftermath #NetGalley

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr

Melissa Marr sets up a conflict that you want to see resolved in Remedial Magic. The premise is fairly simple – magic is real, witches live in a city hidden from mundanes but there is an ecological disaster happening, threatening said city.

We follow four new witches as they decide whether or not to stay in the city and older residents as motives are explored, and potential relationships (both gay and straight) develop in fits and starts. The point of view shifts between characters with each chapter so we get to know all main characters. The ending is a real cliffhanger and I will be looking for the next book!

Recommended for older teens and up. I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

#RemedialMagic #NetGalley

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

This is a lovely meditation on grief and how each person processes it differently. Each grief situation is shown to be just as valid as another – nothing is made to feel lesser. It’s also how adults should relate to each other in real life and a romance that ends very happily. (There’s also a sadly real situation on how women move through the world.)

I learned more about geocaching, which I’d been somewhat aware of for years, but didn’t realize that a) it was still a thing and b) the rules around it. If I was more of a hiker, I’d try it myself.

I really liked this and thought that everything was handled deftly and loved the conclusion.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#TrailOfLostHearts #NetGalley

Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell

The sequel to “The Prince and the Apocalypse”, “Heir, Apparently” wraps everything up satisfactorily.

There were a few things I kind of had to handwave away under “it makes the plot go”, but overall, this was a sweet romance that leaves you with a happy ever after. In the end, conflicts are resolved by communication, which is refreshing.

Recommended for teen readers and up (possibly tween, depending on said tween), I’ll be watching for McDowell’s next book.

I received a free ARC for my unbiased opinion from NetGalley.

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

I loved this book. I find that with most of the historical novels coming out lately that I’ve read, I tend to get turned off by the ‘hand-waving’ of consequences for breaking the social mores of the time. (This is also why I couldn’t watch a very popular Canadian mystery series – I tried watching a couple episodes with my mom and found myself gibbering at the screen.)

BUT I DIGRESS. The characters in this book are well aware of both the social mores and the consequences for breaking them. Even in 1919, class and sex mattered far more than we can understand on a gut level. So it was refreshing to read a novel that understood that.

The plot also made sense and it’s just a nice book all around. (That is not derogatory at all. Sometimes you just want ‘nice’ and low stakes.)

Definitely recommend this!

I recieved a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

#TheHazelbourneLadiesMotorcycleandFlyingClub #NetGalley

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

The second book in T. Kingfisher's Sworn Soldier series (which I devoutly hope she continues with! Everyone in these books is delightful – even [especially?] the horse!)

Anyways.

I loved this sequel. This one is not based on anything specific (like What Moves the Dead was based on The Fall of the House of Usher) as far as I can tell, it’s more generic Eastern European mythology. Which absolutely works! I like the moving away from a specific source material and more into the exploration of this particular world.

This will absolutely keep your interest and keep you turning pages to find out what happens.

Nicely atmospheric and more creepy than scary, I would not hesitate to hand this to a teen (perhaps even a tween reader, depending on said tween) reader.

I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

#WhatFeastsatNight #NetGalley.

Wild Spaces by S. L. Coney

Wild Spaces can be described as a coming of age story crossed with Cthulu. Which is kind of deeply disturbing on one level, but on another level is kind of awesome.

An intimate look at both childhood and childhood trauma and the gradual unpacking and understanding of same, Wild Spaces lulls you into a sense of “oh yes, I know where this is going even if it’s going to lead me down a path that is not my favorite, I still know the turns” before taking a hard turn off the path and into the woods. Suitable for early teens (some of the trauma may disturb more sensitive readers) and up.

I adored this probably beyond all reason.

#WildSpaces #NetGalley

System Collapse by Martha Wells

The 8th (!) in the Murderbot series, System Collapse follows Murderbot on her quest to keep the stupid humans from doing stupid things. They are somewhat successful, in that nobody dies.

One of the things that I love about this series is Wells’ complete cynicism re: capitalism and how big companies treat their workers. Another thing I truly love is Murderbot's reluctant affection for the people who insist on hanging out with them and caring about them. (The audacity!)

Hard sci-fi but still with a trace of hand-waving the science, it’s definitely worth picking up.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#SystemCollapse #NetGalley