Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel by Travis Baldree

I first heard about Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes from Seanan McGuire’s Twitter account. She often would talk about upcoming books that she loved, and she described it in such a way that I was very much looking forward to reading it. 

It didn’t disappoint- it was a very nice, sweet, cozy story, and I really enjoyed it. It might have bordered on being too twee, and the inventions of cinnamon rolls and other coffee shop staples felt a tad too convenient at times, but that didn’t detract from the joys of the book. 

So I was overjoyed when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an eARC of the graphic novel version of the same story. It had everything that made me love the original book all gussied up with delightful artwork. Couldn’t recommend more!

A Wall is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz

Annalee Newitz is a favorite author of mine - I have enjoyed both their fiction and nonfiction in the past, going back to their io9 days, and I also enjoyed their podcast with Charlie Jane Anders. 

I thought they did a masterful job creating the robot protagonist Paladin in their debut novel Autonomous, and I adored Automatic Noodle, although I didn’t enjoy Terraformers nearly as much. I figured that maybe I just prefer their robot stories. 

So I was intrigued when I received a copy of their new book A Wall Is Also A Road from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not disappointed - instead I was bowled away. 

I hadn’t read any blurbs or other reviews before I started reading this book so I was surprised and delighted when I found out when and where it was taking place. The protagonist is a unicellular graduate student in a far part of the galaxy.  As part of their field research, they end up SPOILER ALERT in Pompeii a few years before Vesuvius erupts. It is clear that the author used a great deal of the research they did for their ancient cities non-fiction book in crafting a vibrant, lived in Pompeii. 

This is not one of those books about having to outrace lava flows or stop the eruption. This is a book about growing up and growing into yourself and learning about who you are when you learn about the world.  I savored every moment of it and will put it on my Hugo ballot next year for sure. 

Bromantasy by Máire Roche

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover! I saw this book cover and booked title on NetGalley and smashed the request button rapidly. I never read romance novels in the past, but I have really begun to enjoy the cozy vibes of romantasy. Some T. Kingfisher books I think fit into that category, as do some Sarah Beth Durst novels I have enjoyed, so I was primed to pick up what Bromantasy was laying down. Were there tropes? Of course. But they were done really really well! The characters were fun and delightful and I’m so happy I got to enjoy it!

Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree

 

I first heard about Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes from Seanan McGuire’s Twitter account. She often would talk about upcoming books that she loved, and she described it in such a way that I was very much looking forward to reading it. 

It didn’t disappoint- it was a very nice, sweet, cozy story, and I really enjoyed it. It might have bordered on being too twee, and the inventions of cinnamon rolls and other coffee shop staples felt a tad too convenient at times, but that didn’t detract from the joys of the book. 

I enjoyed the other two books in this universe to varying degrees, and I was really delighted by the graphic novel version of the first book. 

So I was pleased when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an advance copy of Tales from the Territory, a collection of short fiction set in the same world. Some of these pieces provide backstory for some of the characters, and the final story moved the overall story of Viv forward a bit. That one was clearly my favorite, but I enjoyed each of them.  It’s always fun to go back to this cozy world.

Letters from an Imaginary Country by Theodora Goss

I have repeatedly said that I much prefer single author short story collections to anthologies because, among other things, the quality of the work is usually more consistent and there’s less tonal whiplash. However, even in the best collections, there are often stories that are weaker or don’t work as well for an individual reader.  But sometimes, once in a blue moon, you get a collection where every story is amazing. Letters from an Imaginary Country by Theodora Goss is one of those rare collections. 

I first encountered Theodora Goss with her Athena Club series, which I adored. I still remember the first time I read them, rocking my baby to sleep in a beachside hotel and then sneaking out to the terrace to read and listen to the ocean. 

The tales in this short story collection felt magical in just the same way. The final story was mesmerizing and haunting and I absolutely adored the footnotes.  Highly recommended!

I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Forged in FIYAH Anthology

I don’t always love anthologies. The tonal shifts can cause whiplash and I always prefer single author short story collections. But I was intrigued when I saw the Forged In FIYAH anthology on NetGalley because I had never read the magazine but I had heard lots of good things about it and knew it had been nominated for the Hugo Award several times (and won once). I was happy to get an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

At first I really thought I didn’t like this book - the first several stories were not enjoyable, with too many uses of the n-word and too much drug use for my taste. There were also some protagonists I didn’t care for; in one story the protagonist entered someone’s mortuary smoking MJ with an unleashed dog, for example. But I kept reading and later stories in the book were excellent- there was a fascinating vampire story that I keep thinking about. All in all, an interesting read. 

Seasons of Glass and Iron By Amal El-Mohtar

 

I really enjoyed This is How You Lose the Time War (I read it when it came out, years before Bigolas Dickolas) so I was excited when I heard that Amal El-Mohtar had her first short story collection coming out. I have often said that I much prefer single offer short story collections to anthologies because, among other things, the quality of the work is usually more consistent and there’s less tonal whiplash. 

This collection was delightful and very enjoyable. Some of the stories were not to my taste, but on the whole I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoyed her last book, The River Has Roots. 

I listened to this book at 2x speed.