Category Archives: Book Reviews

In Which Marion Does a Bad Thing

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Marion

I did a bad thing, and I still feel the effects of it hours later. I hope I bounce back, but this may have traumatized me for life. (Trigger warning for icky sexual material.) You know how in horror movies … Continue reading →

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Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Marion

I recently posted a review of a book by Quentin Bates in which I lamented the fact that the writer did not choose to immerse us in his setting (Iceland). At the other end of the immersion continuum is Ann … Continue reading →

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Frozen Out: it Left Me Cold

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Marion

Quentin Bates is a British writer who has written a mystery series set in Iceland. Bates lived in Iceland for ten years during the 80s/90s, and he and his wife live there part time now. He has translated several Icelandic … Continue reading →

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Girls Burn Brighter, by Shobha Rao

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Marion

The heart of Shobha Rao’s debut novel is the friendship between two girls, Poornima and Savitha. That friendship and the memory of it nourishes them and gives them dreams. The question is whether it is enough to ensure their physical … Continue reading →

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If You Like Fantasy, or Love Language, You Should Read The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Marion

Don’t take my word for it. Read Jana’s review. I’ll be adding my thoughts to hers in the next few days, but I wanted to leave a note about the book here because it is so beguiling and good. The … Continue reading →

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Trail of Lightning

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Marion

Last year Rebecca Roanhorse won both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards for her short story “Welcome to your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM.” Her first novel, Trail of Lightning, is out, published by Saga Press. I loved the book’s action, its … Continue reading →

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The Scandalous Poet’s Daughter

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Marion

Sometimes a well-written book fails to satisfy simply because it isn’t what the reader wanted or expected. This was largely, but not entirely, the case for me with Jennifer Chiaverini’s book Enchantress of Numbers. I bought the book at Book … Continue reading →

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Lethal White; Lethally Boring

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Marion

Lethal White is the fourth Cormoran Strike mystery novel by Robert Galbraith, a pseudonym for a fairly well-known fantasy writer, J.K. Rowling. Rowling left behind the YA world of Harry Potter (you may have heard of him) and started writing … Continue reading →

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Circe by Madeline Miller

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Marion

Spoiler Alert: May contain mild spoilers. If you enjoy retelling of Greek and Roman myths, then Madeline Miller’s luminous novel Circe may be for you. Miller’s story spans thousands of years, a tale told from the point of view of … Continue reading →

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Boomtown by Sam Anderson: A Biography of the American Spirit

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Marion

I had an idea for a long, self-involved post about me for New Year’s. I’m still going to write and post it, but I’m scheduling it for January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. So here’s a short rave – … Continue reading →

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