BookShelfie Reviews

The Firefly’s Strain by Eric Felizardo is a mature, character-driven literary drama set in Brooklyn that sits comfortably in the tradition of serious American fiction. In my opinion, the cover ....

The Firefly’s Strain by Eric Felizardo is a mature, character-driven literary drama set in Brooklyn that sits comfortably in the tradition of serious American fiction. In my opinion, the cover art does not really fit the book, which gives more fantasy or children’s book fiction ....

The Firefly’s Strain by Eric Felizardo is a mature, character-driven literary drama set in Brooklyn that sits comfortably in the tradition of serious American fiction. In my opinion, the cover art does not really fit the book, which gives more fantasy or children’s book fiction vibes. Readers who go in expecting something breezy or childish […]

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Before the story even begins, author Jade Daimao offers readers a content warning covering graphic violence, strong language, drug use, panic attacks, sexual themes, death, and familial abuse. It’s a ....

Before the story even begins, author Jade Daimao offers readers a content warning covering graphic violence, strong language, drug use, panic attacks, sexual themes, death, and familial abuse. It’s a considerate gesture, and one that sets the tone for what follows: a dark, propulsive YA-leaning ....

Before the story even begins, author Jade Daimao offers readers a content warning covering graphic violence, strong language, drug use, panic attacks, sexual themes, death, and familial abuse. It’s a considerate gesture, and one that sets the tone for what follows: a dark, propulsive YA-leaning supernatural thriller that doesn’t shy away from the uglier sides […]

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Wes Davis opens his Las Vegas thriller with a scene designed to pull you in and refuse to let go. Real estate agent Alex Styles arrives at Casa Sunset, a ....

Wes Davis opens his Las Vegas thriller with a scene designed to pull you in and refuse to let go. Real estate agent Alex Styles arrives at Casa Sunset, a 12,000-square-foot contemporary megamansion perched on a mesa overlooking the valley, with a resort-quality pool, sweeping ....

Wes Davis opens his Las Vegas thriller with a scene designed to pull you in and refuse to let go. Real estate agent Alex Styles arrives at Casa Sunset, a 12,000-square-foot contemporary megamansion perched on a mesa overlooking the valley, with a resort-quality pool, sweeping views of Lake Mead, and an extensive art collection, only […]

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Bottles & Waves is an intimate, stream-of-consciousness memoir that chronicles author Kian Kassam’s struggle with regret, procrastination, and self-doubt during a transformative trip to Hawaii. At just 42 pages, the ....

Bottles & Waves is an intimate, stream-of-consciousness memoir that chronicles author Kian Kassam’s struggle with regret, procrastination, and self-doubt during a transformative trip to Hawaii. At just 42 pages, the book delivers moments of insight and vulnerable self-reflection, but ultimately feels more like a personal ....

Bottles & Waves is an intimate, stream-of-consciousness memoir that chronicles author Kian Kassam’s struggle with regret, procrastination, and self-doubt during a transformative trip to Hawaii. At just 42 pages, the book delivers moments of insight and vulnerable self-reflection, but ultimately feels more like a personal journal than a cohesive work meant for a wider audience. […]

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Caenogenesis is the debut novel by Tasha He, a dystopian sci-fi epic set in Ignis, a city-state after a nuclear war. Book 1 of The Gemini Files, the title may ....

Caenogenesis is the debut novel by Tasha He, a dystopian sci-fi epic set in Ignis, a city-state after a nuclear war. Book 1 of The Gemini Files, the title may seem a slightly confusing choice at first, but it apparently refers to developmental changes that ....

Caenogenesis is the debut novel by Tasha He, a dystopian sci-fi epic set in Ignis, a city-state after a nuclear war. Book 1 of The Gemini Files, the title may seem a slightly confusing choice at first, but it apparently refers to developmental changes that deviate from ancestral evolution, essentially, abnormal development. I’ll be honest, […]

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It’s not every day you read a book with weapon-wielding dinosaurs on the cover, but it perfectly captures the bizarre, compelling blend of primal survival and lizards that defines this ....

It’s not every day you read a book with weapon-wielding dinosaurs on the cover, but it perfectly captures the bizarre, compelling blend of primal survival and lizards that defines this story. The Trial of Vivex appears to be a Royal Road web serial adapted into ....

It’s not every day you read a book with weapon-wielding dinosaurs on the cover, but it perfectly captures the bizarre, compelling blend of primal survival and lizards that defines this story. The Trial of Vivex appears to be a Royal Road web serial adapted into a novel format, published under the pseudonym Xyne. The author […]

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Living With Annie is brilliant, unsettling science fiction that blends medical thriller, sci-fi and love story into something genuinely original. If Black Mirror did a book club with Kazuo Ishiguro ....

Living With Annie is brilliant, unsettling science fiction that blends medical thriller, sci-fi and love story into something genuinely original. If Black Mirror did a book club with Kazuo Ishiguro and Jeff VanderMeer, this would be the assigned reading. Don’t be misled by the title, ....

Living With Annie is brilliant, unsettling science fiction that blends medical thriller, sci-fi and love story into something genuinely original. If Black Mirror did a book club with Kazuo Ishiguro and Jeff VanderMeer, this would be the assigned reading. Don’t be misled by the title, as I was. This book has absolutely nothing to do […]

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To Conquer Death is an epic historical fantasy set in ancient Egypt that asks a genuinely unsettling question: what happens when death itself begins to fail? Author Richard H. Moon ....

To Conquer Death is an epic historical fantasy set in ancient Egypt that asks a genuinely unsettling question: what happens when death itself begins to fail? Author Richard H. Moon brings his evident passion for Egyptian mythology and Bronze Age history to this substantial novel, ....

To Conquer Death is an epic historical fantasy set in ancient Egypt that asks a genuinely unsettling question: what happens when death itself begins to fail? Author Richard H. Moon brings his evident passion for Egyptian mythology and Bronze Age history to this substantial novel, which explores the cost of trying to control the uncontrollable. […]

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Going by the cover, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I picked up The Blood Between Us by Filipino author Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros. As it turns out, ....

Going by the cover, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I picked up The Blood Between Us by Filipino author Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros. As it turns out, this is a dark romantic thriller that tackles some tough questions and thought-provoking plotlines surrounding ....

Going by the cover, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I picked up The Blood Between Us by Filipino author Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros. As it turns out, this is a dark romantic thriller that tackles some tough questions and thought-provoking plotlines surrounding revenge and forgiveness. I would say it’s probably written primarily […]

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Coal Dust on Purple Asters is a slim collection, containing just three interconnected stories, and yet a whole movie script could probably be written for each of the stories. Set ....

Coal Dust on Purple Asters is a slim collection, containing just three interconnected stories, and yet a whole movie script could probably be written for each of the stories. Set in fictional Burfield County in the Kentucky coalfields, Jeffrey L. Carrier’s trilogy spans the Great ....

Coal Dust on Purple Asters is a slim collection, containing just three interconnected stories, and yet a whole movie script could probably be written for each of the stories. Set in fictional Burfield County in the Kentucky coalfields, Jeffrey L. Carrier’s trilogy spans the Great Depression, and asks questions about poverty and survival that feel as […]

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The Zodiac Proposition: PIG by Jelani King is an ambitious dark fantasy that introduces a world of pirates, witches and treasure. At its core, this is a story about three ....

The Zodiac Proposition: PIG by Jelani King is an ambitious dark fantasy that introduces a world of pirates, witches and treasure. At its core, this is a story about three teenagers, Jaden, William, and Alicia, and their adventures on a mysterious island. On this (seemingly ....

The Zodiac Proposition: PIG by Jelani King is an ambitious dark fantasy that introduces a world of pirates, witches and treasure. At its core, this is a story about three teenagers, Jaden, William, and Alicia, and their adventures on a mysterious island. On this (seemingly nameless) island, pirates are a daily fact of life and […]

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Circle of Peace is a Greek mythology retelling that reimagines the world of Olympus through the eyes of Perse, Queen of the sun god Helios. Thessaloniki-born author Sophia Kouidou-Giles brings ....

Circle of Peace is a Greek mythology retelling that reimagines the world of Olympus through the eyes of Perse, Queen of the sun god Helios. Thessaloniki-born author Sophia Kouidou-Giles brings her deep knowledge of Greek culture and mythology to this substantial novella, which explores the ....

Circle of Peace is a Greek mythology retelling that reimagines the world of Olympus through the eyes of Perse, Queen of the sun god Helios. Thessaloniki-born author Sophia Kouidou-Giles brings her deep knowledge of Greek culture and mythology to this substantial novella, which explores the possibility of peace in a world ruled by divine authority. […]

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