Review: Thin Air

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Thin AirThin Air by Michelle Paver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A suspenseful, atmospheric horror set in the Himalayas in the 1930s. The story follows Doctor Stephen Pearce, a last minute replacement on an expedition to climb Kangchenjunga, back then believed to be the highest peak in the world.

A malaise seems to follow Stephen, in the beginning seemingly only due to the bad weather, his love/hate relationship with his brother Kits, and troubles he left behind in London. But … (Read more)

Review: Castle Hangnail, by Ursula Vernon

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Castle HangnailCastle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haunted castles! Stitched-up minions! Walking suits of armour! Bats! donkeys! Several kinds of not-quite-dragons! And a 12-year old Wicked Witch who isn’t exactly who she says she is. These are the ingredients of Ursula Vernon’s latest novel and all I can say is I need a sequel now.

If you read my other reviews you already know what I love about Ursula’s books: the humour, the clever resolutions, … (Read more)

Review: Ready Player One

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Player one Player one by Ernest Cline

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars, really.
Before elaborating, I’m going to quote from two other reviews here on Goodreads because I think they summarize my opinion quite well.
Flannery: “This book is nostalgia porn.”
William Cline: “Ready Player One doesn’t draw from 1980s popular culture; it just name-drops it all over the place.”

First things first: I liked Ready Player One, it’s a solid first book, and I’m curious of what else … (Read more)

Review: The Boy Who Lost Fairyland

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The Boy Who Lost FairylandThe Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m kinda conflicted about this one, and it makes me sad, since I wanted to love it so much.

It’s not the change in characters so late in the series (only one more book to go): Hawthorn and Tamburlaine are lovely, especially the little troll’s struggle to understand human society and all its little quirks and unspoken rules that make absolutely no sense.

It’s not … (Read more)

Review: The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

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The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Part autobiography, part business insider, part long-form blog post, The Art of Asking is an insightful slice into Amanda Palmer’s mind and her relationship with the fans.

While inspired by her TED talk on the same topic, this book is (thankfully) not really a business model. Unlike those self-help books that try to translate life experiences … (Read more)

Review: Conservation of Shadows

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Conservation of Shadows
Conservation of Shadows by Yoon Ha Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All right, the important bits first: if you haven’t read this book yet DO IT DO IT NOWWWWWWW. Ahem.

The only word that comes to describe this collection of short stories by Yoon Ha Lee is “astounding”. The author’s prose is rich and succulent, each phrase a meal in itself, at times reminding me of Borges and Cat Valente.

Most of the stories in the collection are … (Read more)