Living alone in her late mother’s house in Zwolle, Isabel is a quiet and fiercely guarded woman. An uncle bequeathed the house to the family with the understanding that whenever Isabel’s brother Louis married, he would inherit it. Isabel resides there now under a type of suspended claim—that of a caretaker, but not owner. LouisRead More
A Cyberpunk Heist: Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto Review
I picked up Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto during the Trans Rights Readathon, as the dramatic setup for this cyberpunk heist novel compelled me. It ended up being one of the most memorable stories I read for the event. Edie’s last heist ended with them being sold out by their childhood friend, Angel, and spending eight yearsRead More
An Underground GSA at Catholic School: Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju Review
When Cassie was in elementary school, she made friends with Ben, a ballet dancer who seemed unrestrained by gender norms. They quickly became inseparable, and in the world they created together at the creek, Cassie began to face her own queerness—until they were caught by judgmental classmates, and Cassie betrayed Ben. He left for anotherRead More
A Queer, Anti-Colonial Sci-Fi Novella: Countess by Suzan Palumbo
This review contains spoilers. Countess by Suzan Palumbo is a short science fiction novel that is a love story to the West Indies and its people even lightyears and generations away from the islands of Earth. It follows Virika Sameroo, a soldier for the Æcerbot Empire that controls and subjugates people like Virika just as theRead More
Alexandria Bellefleur Continues to Make Seattle the Romance Capital with The Fiancée Farce
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link In a year of reading romance novels, I have learned a lot about the genre. First, and most importantly, I enjoy it so much that I usually read an entire novel within a single twenty-four hour period. Another thing that I have noticed—something that threatens to temper that enjoyment from time toRead More