Happy debut day to Let The Mountains Be My Grave by Francesca Tacchi! I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of this Nazi-killing historical fantasy novella where the partisans get by with a little help from Etruscan gods.
Join me in celebrating this release with an interview with the author, where xe discusses the inspiration behind the novella, the kinds of research xe did, the fun xe had writing it, and what Tacchi is working on next.
Happy UK debut day to Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings! A fun space heist that leads to the trappings of two ships in a time rift. There’s a Miguel-and-Tulio dynamic between the captains of the Jonah, plus compelling history fanning from the cast of the Gallion. It’s a fun space opera about people trying their best to preserve the future and then some.
Join me in welcoming this book with Ren Hutchings. She talks about bringing the Jonah and the Gallion together, fabricating a galaxy-sized collective mythos, the evolutions this story has taken, and what she’s working on next.
Read an eARC from NetGalley Content warning: Homophobia, anti-Asian racism, murder, sexism, violence
In an magical alternate history of old Hollywood, magic is very real and the studio heads are literal monsters. All Luli Wei is to be a star, under three conditions: no maids, no funny accidents, and no fainting, in order to carve out her own career. She will stop at nothing to get the recognition she thinks she deserves, no matter the cost.
A world of magic and fey wrapped up in the glamour of the 1920’s, an immersive, sensual experience that’s equal parts dark and fabulous.
Read a physical ARC Content warning: Murder, drug overdose, homophobic bullying, bullying, blackmail, attempted murder
In Dead End Girls, Maude wants to quit her life, but not in a way that prevents her from further participating. She has a plan to fake her death, but when her step-cousin, Frankie, catches onto the plan, she wants in. What then starts is a journey of being gay, doing crime and self-discovery as the two girls sprint away from their families and towards something else.
Exciting, unexpectedly tender, and a wild ride from start to finish.
Happy YA debut day to The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor. This book requires major tissues, as we watch the titular character move into a new school around people who get them all while haunted by personal trauma and the ghost of a teen murdered thirty years prior.
Join me in welcoming this book with an interview with the author. Like Sam, Maya MacGregor is non-binary and autistic, and they took the time to share with me the inspiration for the story and the back stories found within, a sneak peek at their next project, and what’s on their TBR.
Where did April go? This month seems to have blown by really fast, and I can’t even articulate exactly why. I didn’t do any traveling, taxes were an exciting, I turned around a short story in what-feels-like a short amount of time, and got a lot of work done on the revision. I’ve also gotten back to tri-weekly workouts which has been really good for my energy levels. A productive month, even if the productivity wasn’t exactly linear.
I did two blog interviews, which you can find here:
Read an eARC from the author Content warning: Planetcide, murder, blackmail, physical assault
Under Fortunate Stars is a heisty space opera in which two crews, one from the past and one from the future, find themselves trapped in a rift. With fuel and resources running out and the slow crawl of history catching up with them, this story has excellent pacing and galaxy-sized world-building with snark and mistrust found around every corner.
An interview of the author will be hosted here on the UK release date of May 12th, 2022.
Happy release day to I Am The Ghost In Your House! This is a tender, melancholy story about an invisible girl who wants to have a normal teenage life. Taking place in Pittsburgh, Pie hopes to see the girl whose house she haunted a few years prior. It’s a read perfect for Halloween.
Join me in celebrating this release with this interview with the author, Mar Romasco-Moore. Find out more about the origin of this tale, how Romasco-Moore put together the flashbacks, and what they’re working on next.
Read an eARC from NetGalley Content warning: hate crime, homophobia, misgendering (challenged), racism, stalking, murder, anaphylaxis, death of a child, PTSD, anxiety
Autistic, non-binary Sam Sylvester left Montana with their single dad, Junius, after nearly escaping a hate crime with their life. They move into the former home of Billy Clement, a teen who died of an allergic reaction thirty years prior. Sam collects half-lived lives, stories about teens who didn’t live to nineteen. They take the opportunity for not only a fresh start but also to solve the murder with their group of queer friends. But when they get closer to the truth, someone works really hard not to ensure they don’t reach it.
With an excellent, multi-dimensional cast and incredible exploration of chosen family, this mystery will tug at the heartstrings and frazzle the nerves until its very deserved happy-for-now ending.
I am so excited to have the author on my blog on May 3rd, release date.
Genre: Adult Romance Year Release: 2022 Source: Library Audiobook
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Listened to the audiobook Content warnings: sexual harassment (challenged), homophobia (challenged), anxiety, car accident, vomiting
Some of my recent reads flattened me emotionally, so I sought some lighter fare. Thankfully, my hold from the library lifted, and I got to read a romance novel. This one is about Hudson and Kian, who are exes. As the title suggests, Kian thinks he’s healed from the heartbreak, but then Hudson invites him as his plus one to a wedding at his family’s estate. Wedding hijinks, pop culture references, and second chances ensue.
A steamy romance between two gay men of color as they overcome their own insecurities to find support in each other, regardless their past.
Jo Writes Fantasy 