Review of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami is a standalone literary science fiction novel set in a version of the not-too-distant future where the Risk Assessment Administration monitors data to evaluate the likelihood that an individual will commit a crime. It’s a chillingly plausible story that will likely make you wish to go off the grid completely, and I thought it was excellent at creating a future that seems possible based on […]
Review of The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The Knight and the Moth is the first book in The Stonewater Kingdom, a new gothic/romantic fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gillig. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 because One Dark Window, the author’s debut novel and the first book in The Shepherd King duology, was a fun, difficult-to-put-down story—and, as such, was one of my favorite books of 2022. Unfortunately, I was […]
Review of The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When I first heard about The River Has Roots, I was simultaneously intrigued by it and hesitant to read it. The idea of a story about Faerie and sisters based on a murder ballad appealed to me, but my only previous experience with Amal El-Mohtar’s work was a sample from the novella she co-authored, This Is How You Lose the Time War—a book that for all its awards and accolades has […]
Review of Mother of Rome by Lauren J. A. Bear
As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Book Description: A powerful and fierce reimagining of the earliest Roman legend: the twins, Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of history’s greatest empire, and the woman whose sacrifice made it all possible. The names Romulus and Remus may be immortalized in map and stone and chronicle, but their mother exists only as a preface to her sons’ journey, the princess turned oath-breaking priestess, condemned to death alongside her children. But she […]
Review of The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
As an Amazon Associate and Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Book Description: In this sweeping epic fantasy comes a story of magic, betrayal, love, and loyalty, where two sisters will clash on opposite sides of a war against the gods. A divine war shattered the world leaving humanity in ruins. Desperate for hope, they struck a deal with the devious god Kluehnn: He would restore the world to its former glory, but at a price so steep it […]
Review of The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
As an Amazon Associate and Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong’s debut novel, is a standalone cozy fantasy book following a traveling seer who tells of small events that will come to pass rather than dramatic, life-changing ones. It’s a warm, feel-good story about creating found family and doing as much good as one possibly can, and it may be a great book for readers looking for hope and happiness right now. […]
