On the Relevance of The Handmaid’s Tale — A Book Published More Than Three Decades Ago!

The Prose Books set in post-apocalyptic settings usually have an ominous feeling about them. You will start to get that vibe from the very first line. The Handmaid’s Tale (THT) wasn’t different in that regard. Consider the following lines and you will see what I mean: “We slept in what had once been the gymnasium….

August 2018 — A Wrap-Up

Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas This series is light, entertaining, and satisfies all my once-in-a-blue-moon romance cravings. I know the setting and the characters are familiar. While they may be cut out from the same stencil: the guys are manly and stubborn and the ladies are quirky and non-traditional. These books are still fun…

Reading Anniversaries & First-in-a-Series — May Edition

 2017 The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris My review said it all but if it didn’t, check out my love for Loki here!   The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood My review can be found here.   2015 The Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milán  Find the review here! 2013 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan The Percy Jackson series remains…

July 2018 — A Wrap Up

Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs “Silver” I finally learned how Samuel and Bran became werewolves. The story is dark and violent but that seems fitting. “Roses in Winter” Asil, an aging werewolf in the Marrok’s pack is more man than beast. An innocent girl, Kara, begins to change all that….

I Review Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

I started reading this book at a weird time in my life. A loss that I’m still grieving and new changes make for bad companions. Those reasons could be why I enjoyed reading this book much more than I should have. You’ll see what I mean when I share the two contrasting views that I…

Reading Anniversaries & First-in-a-Series — April Edition

I know I am way behind schedule but I have been really busy what with switching jobs, earning money, and losing an important my mamujan (maternal uncle) to Parkinson’s! Please bear with me… 2014 Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews So, this is weird. I didn’t have many good reads during the past Aprils. Hopefully,…

June 2018 — A Wrap Up

Shaman Rises by C. E. Murphy Read my series review here. Meanwhile here are two of my fave quotes from the last book: Don’t you just love it when a favorite author of yours quotes/alludes to the work of another favorite author?   I saw Morrison’s face twitch like he couldn’t believe I was baiting…

The Walker Papers Series by C.E. Murphy Comes to an End

I started reading this series back in 2012. Now that I have finished it, I am going to miss reading about Joanne’s road to self-discovery and some amazing male characters — who didn’t take over her story or act like assholes. Here is an infographic on why I loved this series the way I did:…

May 2018 — A Wrap Up

Vamps and the City by Kerrelyn Sparks A pleasant surprise! I was expecting the lead couple would jump into bed immediately but I liked how the author took time to let the relationship develop. I also appreciated how they were willing to sacrifice their vamp/human nature for each other but decided on a compromise. I will definitely…

Tell Me A Story…

I am calling this one, Of Martyrs and Mere Mortals Disclaimer: This story is about individual grief and loss of a loved one. It is NOT an attempt at dissing the military or the respect given to martyrdom in Islam.  “Hush, sweetheart. Not so loud. It hurts the departed when you cry like that”, was…

April 2018 — A Wrap Up

Out for Blood by Kristen Painter This series has many flaws but since I have read the first few books I am going to see it through. While it is true that I have been spacing them out, so I could have missed it but I kept searching for a bigger picture or an overarching…

Tell Me A Story…

So, my girl Icks and I were talking when we came up with this crazy idea. It isn’t crazy because it hasn’t been done before. It is pedestrian in its approach if you look at it like that. What is crazy about it is that we hope to keep doing this regularly. Or that we…

The 6th and Last Update for Readthon’18