Book reviews and more!

TERMS OF SERVICE by Craig W. Stanfill

June 14, 2021

IN A REGIMENTED FUTURE CONTROLLED by AIs, monocorporations, and a draconian surveillance state, one person tries to choose freedom. Fascinating worldbuilding, timely parable. SOLID B

TERMS OF SERVICE: SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
Bad Rooster Press
2021

Grade: SOLID B

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CONSENT by Annabel Lyon

June 12, 2021

DAZZLING, UNSETTLING NOVEL about two women, brought together by chance, who share deep bonds of grief and guilt. All the creepiness of the best Simenon, but with a feminist edge. A MINUS

CONSENT
Knopf
2021

Grade: A MINUS

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MONKEY BOY by Francisco Goldman

June 10, 2021

COMING TO TERMS WITH a brutal childhood, a tension between two ethnic and religious identities, and the pull of two homelands, a writer rediscovers old loves at the beginning of a new one. Heartfelt portrayal of a particularly masculine crisis. B PLUS

MONKEY BOY
Grove Press
2021

Grade: B PLUS

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SCORCHED EARTH (THE HALO TRILOGY BOOK 2) by Kathleen McFall

June 7, 2021

A DESTROYED EARTH, A MARS haven for the privileged few, and a universal surveillance culture fighting against a ragtag resistance. In the midst of this, a classic noir mystery starring a tough, wiseass cop. Great worldbuilding, great fun. B PLUS

SCORCHED EARTH (THE HALO TRILOGY BOOK 2)
Pumpjack Press
2021

Grade: B PLUS

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A GHOST IN THE THROAT by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

June 5, 2021

ENCHANTED BY A POEM, an Irish poet devotes years to researching the life of its 18th century author, despite all the ways she was erased by history. Gorgeous, moving book combines the writer’s own life with that of her long-ago muse. A MINUS

A GHOST IN THE THROAT
Biblioasis
2021

Grade: A MINUS

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PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS by Brian Broome

June 3, 2021

DEVASTATINGLY HONEST, SEARING memoir traces how a Black poet’s life was shaped by racism, homophobia, heartbreak, loneliness, but above all by the impossible demands US society creates around Black masculinity. B PLUS

PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS
Mariner Books
2021

Grade: B PLUS

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THE BRIDESMAID by Nina Manning

May 31, 2021

FRIENDSHIP, SECRETS, AND LIES: as a woman’s wedding approaches, her bridesmaid, an old friend from childhood, plans to reveal a devastating truth. Sleek English psychological thriller. SOLID B

THE BRIDESMAID: THE ADDICTIVE NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IN 2021
Boldwood Books
2021

Grade: SOLID B

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THE REMOVED by Brandon Hobson

May 29, 2021

A CHEROKEE FAMILY SHATTERED by loss draws closer amid the memories of their dead and the power of their history and spiritual tradition. Lovely, dreamlike, wrenching novel. B PLUS

THE REMOVED
Ecco
2021

Grade: B PLUS

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HYPE by Gabrielle Bluestone

May 27, 2021

INTERNET-ENABLED SCAMMING: from the Fyre Festival to “influencer” shenanigans, how hype culture, social media, and the post-truth society are opening new frontiers of grifting. B PLUS

HYPE
Hanover Square Press
2021

Grade: B PLUS

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THOSE WONDERFUL TOYS by Hunter Blain

May 24, 2021

CRISP, ACTION-PACKED PARANORMAL adventure features lots of fighting, intriguing creatures from fae to werewolves, and a badass vampire hero whose wisecracks never stop. Fun especially for Jim Butcher fans. SOLID B

THOSE WONDERFUL TOYS: PRETERNATURAL CHRONICLES BOOK 7 (THE PRETERNATURAL CHRONICLES)
Argento Publishing
2021

Grade: SOLID B

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