sashahc's reviews
189 reviews

Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Just read Cat Sebastian’s “Two Rogues Make a Right”, a very sweet queer Regency romance of two cranky best friends with compatible PTSD falling in love.  A+ believable bickering.  Excellent pandemic fare. 
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

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dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I just finished “The Echo Wife” by Sarah Gailey.  I don’t know if I’ve ever read a main character so simultaneously horrifying and compelling.  There was nothing heart warming about this book, and it uncomfortably plausible near future SFF, but it was really good and I stayed up way too late reading it. 
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

MOAR BOOKS.  I just finished reading “How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland.  Beautifully written, a smart, fun, wry, and self aware main character, and some gentle magical realism.  ALSO, a whole bucket of trigger warnings (I’m sure you can find a list somewhere), teenage angst, and awkward romance.  Recommended if you are in the mood for such things. 
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just finished “Piranesi” by Susanna Clarke.  One of the most original books I’ve read in a long time.  A dive into memory, place, belief, and personhood.  It felt like a lucid dream crossed with a mystery novel.  Highly recommend. 
Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 I just finished reading CM Waggoner’s ”Unnatural Magic.”  Wonderful world building, unique love affair, mathematical magic, gender politics, culture clashes, and a murder mystery.  Plus characters you’ll want to visit with.  Very recommend.
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I read a thing!  Just finished Freya Marske’s “A Marvellous Light.”   This book has it all.  Magical conspiracies!  Sweet queer romance and sexy times!  William Morris wallpaper and murderous hedges!  Good (and bad) manners and complicated siblings!  I can’t wait for the next one.  
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Just finished Alexis Hall's "The Affair of the Mysterious Letter" and thoroughly enjoyed it.  An alternate universe Sherlock Holmes (Shaharazad Haas & John Wyndham) with more creepy myth and magic than you can throw a stick at.  They live at 221b Martyr's Walk and their landlady is a Mrs. Hive, a sentient collective of bees inhabiting a slowly rotting corpse.  Casual queer and trans rep, witty banter, and fisticuffs.  Highly recommend.  
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

For some reason, no one ever told me about Karen Lord’s “The Best of all Possible Worlds.”  What a lovely cozy sci fi.  It’s a character study, a travelogue, a disaster recovery, and a gentle romance.  Highly recommend.
We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just finished Sarah Pinsker’s “We Are Satellites.”   Its a great near-future story of family, new technology, caring for one another and our definitions of normal.  I loved how it constantly sidestepped tropes, and A+ casual queer and trans rep.  Highly recommend. #book
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The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

BOOK TIME!   Okay, it’s 2am and I’m wondering if I *really* need to be sentient tomorrow or if I can stay up all night reading this beautiful gentle 900 page fantasy novel with almost no plot about a secretary and his magical emperor who fall deeply into friendship and make the world a better place with things like universal basic income and civil service reform .  And then maybe I’ll skip work tomorrow to devour everything else the author has written.

So what I’m saying is that you should read Victoria Goddard’s “Hands of the Emperor.” #book