Tag Archives: reading challenge

#TBRChallenge – Lies: The Conductors by Nicole Glover

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

I chose The Conductors by Nicole Glover for the “Lies” theme because it’s a murder mystery. However, it turned out to fit the theme in other ways as well: many of the suspects rewrote themselves and their lives to some … Continue reading →

Posted in philadelphia, sf/f | Tagged | 1 Comment

#TBRChallenge – Exile by Lisa Bradley

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Exile by Lisa Bradley is a post-apocalyptic, character-driven science fiction novel which I bought because I had met and liked the author. The apocalypse in this novel was local, affecting people living nearby with uncontrollable, violent rage. The federal government … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f | Tagged | 2 Comments

#TBRChallenge – Animals: Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend by Joe Drape

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

And now for something completely different! I went with horse racing as the sport for this month’s theme. Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend by Joe Drape is a biography of Black jockey Jimmy Winkfield (1882 – … Continue reading →

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#TBRChallenge – Blue Collar: Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart is one of those books I pre-ordered and then kept on my TBR for years afterward. Stewart is one of my all-time favorite fantasy writers, but he has gotten away from writing novels in recent … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f | Tagged | 3 Comments

#TBRChallenge – Vintage: Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

On one of the few occasions when I met the late Ursula K. LeGuin, I asked if she would recommend me a book to read. She suggested Lolly Willowes: Or the Loving Huntsman by Sylvia Townsend Warner, published in 1926. … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f, women | Tagged | 1 Comment

#TBRChallenge – After the War: The Great Silence by Juliet Nicolson

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson is nonfiction about, well, the time after the First World War. I took this month’s theme very literally! … Continue reading →

Posted in nonfiction, research, wwi | Tagged | 1 Comment

#TBRChallenge – Tales of Old: Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson is set in New York City before the United States has entered World War Two; it seems to be an alternate history in subtle ways. In this world, people of color with mystical/magical … Continue reading →

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#TBRChallenge – Location, Location, Location: A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney was on my TBR for two reasons: first, I know the author, and second, I knew it involved at least one fictional quilter, and I love reading about quilting. It’s mostly a ghost … Continue reading →

Posted in lgbtqia+, sf/f | Tagged | 2 Comments

#TBRChallenge – Grumpy: Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki blends: a detailed portrayal of a particular mostly-Asian neighborhood in California; the competitive world of classical music, including performers and luthiers; a transgender queer violinist; lots of lovingly described food; and Faustian bargains … Continue reading →

Posted in lgbtqia+, sf/f | Tagged | 5 Comments

#TBRChallenge – Fairy Tale: Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise is in conversation with Peter Pan, a story so familiar and entrenched in general English-speaking cultural consciousness that I’m counting it as fitting the fairy tale theme. Peter Pan is easily read as extremely creepy, … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f, wwi | Tagged | 5 Comments