I was immediately smitten with Helen Lamb's Three Kinds of Kissing the moment its publication was announced by Vagabond Voices online. From its fantastic cover art to its intriguing summary, I knew it needed to be at the top of my tbr pile. Now, imagine my delight when I went into Blackwell's in search of... Continue Reading →

When you pick up a thriller, it will generally tell you that it is guaranteed to be "the most chilling book of the year," but most seem to fall short on that claim. It's a situation that always leaves me feeling like I've been cheated out of a good scare or a heart-stopping series of... Continue Reading →

I've been wanting to read Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine for quite some time now, but never got around to it until recently (thank you transatlantic flight). From the moment Eleanor introduced herself in her own quirky manner, I was hooked. It's not too often you find characters like Eleanor in the typical... Continue Reading →

I love nothing more than a book that can send a chill down my spine without having to rely on being overly gruesome and grotesque. For me, I want a book that can steadily build its thrill factor and keep my heart racing without trying too hard. I know horror isn't for everyone, but I... Continue Reading →

Poignant, and often heart wrenching, Lynn Michell's The Red Beach Hut follows two outcasts as they form an unlikely friendship that brings hope and healing along the lonely coastline of an English beach. Abbott is a youth worker on the run from what he believes is a homophobic cyber attack and a looming mistake from... Continue Reading →

Several months ago, I received a lovely package from Vagabond Voices (a Glasgow-based publisher) containing four poetry books. Of the four, Theresa Muñoz's Settle was my first choice and I've continued to return to her words on more than one occasion. In her debut book of poetry, Muñoz works through the themes of migration and technology.... Continue Reading →

It's not very often that I choose to review a non-fiction book, but Susan Hawthorne's Bibliodiversity: A Manifesto for Independent Publishing was too good to keep to myself. If you're not familiar with the term "bibliodiversity," don't worry. I wasn't either until I came across this book while researching sources for a project I was... Continue Reading →

I've never been much of a graphic novel reader, but there's something about Emily Carroll's Through the Woods that enchanted me from the start. This book first made its way to me via my Secret Santa over the Christmas holidays. It was the eye-catching cover that drew me in and the spine shivering tales that... Continue Reading →

Yesterday, as I was speaking with two Texas Tech University librarians, the topic of libraries as author and publisher came up. This was a new concept for me as I've never thought of libraries that way. In fact, it's an idea that seems almost foreign as libraries tend to only be seen as community centers,... Continue Reading →