narfna – Page 42 – Cannonball Read 17

I do love the cover of this book, especially paired with the title. It makes me laugh.

The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver

February 1, 2023 by narfna Leave a Comment

This was a cute story and well written, but I didn’t connect to it emotionally as much as I did with Deaver’s first book, I Wish You All the Best. Deaver still plays with themes of gender nonconformity and coming of age while queer and discovering your sexuality and gender identity, but their main character is a much more difficult and complicated person (read: kind of an asshole). This is also a romance, though as with their first book, the main character’s emotional growth is […]

“She checked underneath the sink but didn’t see anything that might destroy an evil puppet.”

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

January 31, 2023 by narfna 7 Comments

It’s been a couple of weeks now since I read this, and it’s only gotten better in my memory. I was originally hemming and hawing about whether or not my initial inclination to give this five stars was the right thing to do, but no, I was right. This book deserves five stars. I’ll get into specifics in the next paragraph, but for now if you want to go in cold on this one but still have an idea of what you’re in for, the […]

The women of The Odyssey, except eighteen years afterwards, as narrated by Hera.

Ithaca (The Songs of Penelope, #1) by Claire North

January 31, 2023 by narfna 2 Comments

I really, really liked this! Claire North’s writing style translated extremely well to retelling Greek mythology. The undercurrent of female rage and sorrow was pleasing and upsetting at the same time. It’s also darkly funny. I almost feel like I want to re-read this before I write a review so I can get my thoughts more in order, but nobody has time for that. Or, maybe some people do, but I don’t know who they are. I just feel like it was so well done! […]

CBR15 Passport! Book #1 – A book that is Not For Moi.

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden

January 31, 2023 by narfna 9 Comments

Oof, this was not for me. Like, so not for me that I maybe shouldn’t even be writing a review, because my brain just bounced off this after about ten pages and then just kept bouncing harder and harder. This is a speculative fiction, experimental novel by British poet Salena Godden about an anthropomorphized version of Death (here called Mrs. Death, personified by an older Black woman) and her connections to/conversations with a person called Wolf. In addition to the the prose actually feeling like […]

A literary murder mystery that didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly

January 30, 2023 by narfna Leave a Comment

I was doing so good in the first of January at being on top of my reviews, and then I hit this book, and the mehness of it has caused a back-up that I’m trying to get back under control before February hits. Anyway, I was really excited about this book, but it didn’t quite do it for me. It was perfectly fine! But I will never read it again (a litmus test I have been using more and more when deciding if I want […]

“They were pilgrims. They were cosmonauts. They were as good as dead.”

Hell Bent (Alex Stern, #2) by Leigh Bardugo

January 26, 2023 by narfna 2 Comments

Just like with the first book, I feel like I need to turn around and read this again from the beginning to really get a handle on my feelings about what happened. This book is even more intense, and is basically non-stop plot for its entirety. And, once again, Bardugo doesn’t write linearly, which adds an additional layer of intrigue and makes you want to turn the pages faster because she knows what to tease and when to explain. Yeah, it was really good. Spoilers […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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