Book I read: 84 (Here they are in case you are interested… and just for fun, here is my Goodreads Year in Books.) Reviews I wrote: 51. And another one that I wrote in 2021 but won’t drop until tomorrow which is 2022, so… yeah. Here they all are in a big ol’ list ifContinue reading “2021 By The Numbers”
Author Archives: kayliametcalfe
Book Review: Once There Were Wolves
This beautifully written novel is about what is wild and what we should fear. In the hands of a less skilled author, the connective tissue between the multiple plot lines would have been stretched too thin or been too tenuous to hold together. McConaghy, however, does a wonderful job of bringing her themes through all the various plot points and builds connections around them. What is wild vs civilized? How does the struggle between the two inform and reflect in our sense of family, community, fear of the unknown, and the question of how far we will go to protect what we hold dear?
Book Review: Fire and Hemlock
I found it disjointed, long, confusing, and a bit cringe. The story is interesting but it gets really lost in the weeds. The devices of the double past and the withholding of information from the protagonist/audience wear really thin. The resolution is not quite worthy of the build-up.
Book Review: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries 1)
This is a very short tightly written hard sci-fi genre novella that is totally worth your time.
Book Review: Half Sick of Shadows
A feminist retelling of the Arthurian legend from the Elaine (Elaine the Mad or The Lady of Shalott) this book is dark, beautiful, surprising, and wonderful.
Book Review: The New Me
It’s going to be a short review this week y’all. This book sucked.
Book Review: Quiet Until The Thaw
In which I take 900 words to tell you that there are other better books out there that don’t have the cultural appropriation baggage.
Book Review: The Perishing
It’s speculative fiction but the rules of the “speculation” part are never clearly stated or understood by the characters. Very frustrating. I really liked the concept and I really wanted to love this book. And yet.
Book Review: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Biff is an asshat, a self-serving narcissist who exemplifies low-brow adolescent bro behavior. He finds himself endlessly amusing and the “jokes” are a mile a minute with only a few passages that aren’t over the top or played for humor. As schticks go, this one wore very thin very fast.
Book Review: The Midnight Library
The sort of book perfect for a rainy day and a cup of tea. But be warned, it might give you complex dreams or feelings of “what if….” especially if you too are in the middle section of your life.