Weekly Roundup

This week I’ve finished two books, started two more, and read one short story from The Big Book of Modern Fantasy. I also posted two reviews, with one of my SPFBO reviews making its way onto The Fantasy Inn. Read on to find out more.

This Week’s Posts:

Tuesday: Quick Book Review: Priory of the Orange Tree

Thursday: Book Review: The Liar of Red Valley

Saturday: SPFBO Review: The Rave (on The Fantasy Inn)

This Week’s Reading:

This week I finished The Masters by Ricardo Pinto. The ending was a little anti-climactic, and despite some strong worldbuilding and sense of place, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series. It’s perhaps a little too dark for my liking.

I also finished Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire, which was a fun pulpy urban fantasy that veered nicely away from vampires, werewolves and the usual nasties. Urban fantasy from a cryptozoological angle is a cool idea, and while the execution wasn’t quite there for me, I still had fun with it, and might take a look at the next book in the series at some point.

I’ve been slowly making my way through The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft, and it’s been mostly great so far. I really don’t want this series to end!

Because I apparently can’t stop myself from starting books at the moment, I’ve also started reading The Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos Hernández, a short story collection, as well as Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney, a quirky fantasy about a young necromancer. AND I’ve started reading one of the stories in the Black Stars series of Amazon Original Stories, highlighting black voices in SFF.

Any other book I was reading is on hold for now.

The Slow Read Through The Big Book Of Modern Fantasy

In which I read and review at least one short story a week from The Big Book of Modern Fantasy, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer.

Cronopios and Famas by Julio Cortazar: Less a short story and more a collection of absurdist observations about three fictional groups of people with peculiar characteristics. Some I found baffling, many I found incredibly amusing, and others still thought provoking. It grew on me as I read them. 4/5

Movie/TV Thoughts:

None this week – next week, Bond.

Next Week’s Posts:

Next week I’ll probably post my reviews of The Light Brigade and Iron Prince. Also coming are my last two full reviews for this round of SPFBO on The Fantasy Inn website.

Next Week’s TBR Shortlist (Not including SPFBO books):

This week I didn’t pick up anything from my TBR shortlist.

Here’s a link to my last Weekly Roundup, if you wish to compare the two. The book in the top row with a blank cover is In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire, while the book on the bottom row with a blank cover is an arc of The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart.

As usual, let me know if there’s anything there you’d recommend!