New Suns-Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color By Nisi Shawl (2019) Simon and Schuster I was excited when I saw this book was available for review. It’s the crossroads of two personal favorites—short stories and speculative fiction. If that second term is unfamiliar to you I first came across it in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s... Continue Reading →

(How's this for the perfect Valentine's Day topic?  LOL) What do you do when you read a book that everyone says is a classic, but you didn’t like it at all? People whose opinion you respect rave about the book, but you don’t see it. Here’s my advice for the situation. Go ahead and hate... Continue Reading →

Jimmy Buffett—A Good Life All the Way Ryan White (2017) Hippie. Millionaire. Beach Bum. Rock Star. Pirate. Folk Singer. Drunkard. Philosopher. Legend. Jimmy Buffett is a little of all those things but none of them describe him in full. That’s the challenge. His music spans genres – rock, country, with flavors from New Orleans and the Caribbean... Continue Reading →

Along the course of a lifetime of reading, some stories have a greater effect than others. These are the writings that changed me. 1: Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allen Poe – The story that made me fall in love with short stories. It began my journey to understand that storytelling was more than just telling... Continue Reading →

Trafalgar by Nicholas Best (2018) - One of the greatest sea battles in history is placed within its full historical context and introduces us to the actors in very human terms I will get my only quibble with this book out of the way first. The subtitle, “The Untold Story” borders on the absurd. I... Continue Reading →

Every year I try to keep my reading list varied. I get bored reading the same kinds of things over and over. So when I assemble a list of what to read I try to include older works I've never read, recent books, and Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of books that are about to be... Continue Reading →

This post is part of a year-long series about short stories.  Read about my "Year of the Short Story" HERE. Best Short Stories of 2008 with guest editor Salmon Rushdie and Heidi Pitlor Most of the collections I've read this year have been works by single authors. This one collects some of the best writing... Continue Reading →

Invasive by Chuck Wendig (2016) – A new breed of aggressive ants kill a man in rural New York State. FBI futurist Hannah Stander gets called in to try and discover what happened. The answer will take her halfway around the world and to the doorstep of the world’s end. Chuck Wendig, NY Times best-selling... Continue Reading →

This post is part of a year-long series about short stories.  Read about my "Year of the Short Story" HERE. Wait Till You See Me Dance by Deb Olin Unferth (2017) The collection struck me in a way none of the others in this series have. Olin Unferth walks a difficult line with these 30... Continue Reading →