“The High Couch of Silistra” by Janet Morris

I think that, like a lot of readers, I didn’t quite know what to make of this book. Is it a brilliant examination of sexuality and gender, or a highly disturbing portrayal of rape fantasies? The answer is probably: both. In any case, it will certainly make you think hard about sex, gender, and consent. […]

“The Trailer Park Princess and the Middle Finger of Fate” by Kim Hunt Harris

Following the success of the Stephanie Plum series (of which I am a huge, huge, HUGE fan!), there has been an explosion of what you might call “sassy/cozy” mysteries and thrillers. This book follows (closely) in Plum’s footsteps, but it’s managed to carve out a unique niche for itself, both because of the setting (Texas […]

“Jockeys and Jewels” by Bev Pettersen

The comparisons with Dick Francis are going to be inevitable with this book, so I’ll just get them out of the way right off the bat. This isn’t Dick Francis, but as a huge Francis fan I still found it very enjoyable. It’s similar in many ways but with a distinct romance angle to it […]

“The Alien Club” by JC Andrijeski

So, first things first: there is a total absence of sex in this story. Yes, it’s set in a sex club, but it turns out that the aliens are there for something else entirely. This is actually a really beautiful story about a far future when the earth has been completely polluted. Suki, the main […]

“The Wishsong of Shannara” by Terry Brooks

In “The Wishsong of Shannara,” we see Brooks continue to evolve as an author. Most notable for me in this book are the character depictions: each character is clearly and distinctly defined. Brin is haunted and conflicted, stalked by premonitions that read like depression; Rone is bold and eager, but blind to the problems of […]

“Abiku” by Elizabeth Salawu

“Abiku” is the story of Dayo, a young biracial Nigerian-German woman who discovers she is able to see into the world of the gods. Soon she is caught up in relationship with a god, and discovers that she is more than who she thought she was… This story deserves major props for its concept, which […]

“The Elfstones of Shannara” by Terry Brooks

In “The Elfstones of Shannara” we see the maturation of Brooks’s talent. While “The Sword of Shannara” is impressive largely because of the position it occupies in the development of epic fantasy, reading as an early, if talented, effort, “Elfstones” is a thrilling fantasy tale with developed thematic motifs, characters that stand out as individuals, […]

“Everything Stolen” by Sophia Scarlet–Currently 99c!

“Everything Stolen” is a tightly written, solidly plotted erotic thriller with a twist–actually, a couple of twists. Jeremy wakes up from a 4-year coma, only to discover that the woman he loves has had his child–and married someone he’s always disliked as well. Sylvie is torn between the life she’s built since Jeremy’s disappearance, including […]

“The Sword of Shannara” by Terry Brooks

How to review “The Sword of Shannara”? How does one even give it a star rating? It bestrides the genre of epic fantasy like a Colossus and yet, in my opinion, is considerably weaker than Brooks’s later work, even as it broke new territory for fantasy and formed the basis for one of the most […]

James Falen’s Translation of “Eugene Onegin”

Having only ever read EO in the original, I admit that I approached this translation with trepidation. I chose it for my Masterworks in Russian Literature class because I’d heard it was the best of the available translations; having only read excerpts of others I can’t judge completely, but this translation is certainly masterful on […]