Title: The Omega Archives Author: Erik Melendez Publisher: Self-published Publication date: December 1, 2019 Genre: YA, Science Fiction Summary: Born with scientifically engineered mutated genes into a training facility, Alex is anything but a normal teenager. When the facility is attacked and everyone either killed or taken, Alex is the sole survivor. Adopted by loving and patient parents who work hard to remediate him and assimilate him into normal society, Alex just tries to live a normal life. But he and his town are attacked and he ends up being recruited by a counter-terrorist group searching for the mastermind behind the attack on the training facility. And Alex will do anything he can to find answers…
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Book Review: Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman
Title: Mr. Nobody Author: Catherine Steadman Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Publication date: January 7, 2020 Genre: Mystery and Thriller Summary: With just a name written on his hand, The Man regains consciousness on a British beach with no memory of who he was or is. In London, neuropsychiatrist Emma Lewis is hoping that his case will make her career. But the patient brings her back to her childhood home, and a horrific past that led to her and her family relocating and changing their names. As she fights to hide her identity and he struggles to regain his, their presents collide. My thoughts on this book are completely scattered. I’m not sure what,…
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Book Review: The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman
Title: The Secret Chapter Author: Genevieve Cogman Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group – Ace Publication date: January 7, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Librarian Irene is summoned to the Library and tasked with negotiating with a Fae for a very specific book needed to stabilize a world Irene has fond memories of. Accompanied by the dragon prince Kai, in human form, the two travel to the Caribbean and find themselves part of an unlikely team comprised of Fae, dragons, and a Librarian charged with stealing a painting from a museum in Vienna on yet another world. Promised anything as a reward, the group sets off to a world where supernatural beings are actively hunted and a trio of…
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The Books I Reviewed in 2019
Do note that I said reviewed in the title and not read. I did read some of the books I reviewed in January back in December of 2018 and I am still reading books (of course I am), but those reviews won’t be posted until January and February of next year. I honestly can’t remember which books I started reading this past January, so I’m forced to simply talk about the books I reviewed over the past year. The Stats in Paragraph Form Because I Prefer Words to Numbers I wish I knew how many books I have actually read this year as I’m curious to see how close I…
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Book Review: The Cosmic Misfortunes of the Furious Ginger by S. J. Maddock
Title: The Cosmic Misfortunes of the Furious Ginger Author: S. J. Maddock Publisher: Self-published Publication date: August 29, 2019 Genre: Science Fiction Summary: Ginger-haired Kimchi McQuade is a lackluster longevity scientist seeking the key to immortality. Due to his research interest, he is quickly tapped by the mysterious Order of the Moon Rabbit to meet with Dr. Daitsuke Endo, another longevity scientist of great renown. However, he arrives to find Endo dead. The mysterious Zeus, who arranged for his visit in the first place, alerts him to danger and sends him careening on a journey that takes him from Japan to Korea to Russia to Mars, and straight into the hands of the enemy, the Skolkovo…
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Book Review: Freefall: A Divine Comedy by Lily Iona MacKenzie
Title: Freefall: A Divine Comedy Author: Lily Iona MacKenzie Publisher: Pen-L Publishing Publication date: January 1, 2019 Genre: Women’s Fiction, Humor Summary: Nearly 60, installation artist Tillie Bloom reunites with her three friends: Sybil, Daddy, and Moll. They converge on Sybil’s vacation home in Whistler, British Columbia after spending years apart, letting time and distance get in the way of their friendship. Faced with turning 60, they reflect on their coming of age in the ’50s and ’60s, discover what each has been up to over the years, and come face to face with a bear and survive, more or less, to tell the tale. As their reunion closes, Tillie manages to convince them to travel…
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Novella Review: The Last Stand by Paris Hansch
Title: The Last Stand (Empire of the Dragon Gods Book 0) Author: Paris Hansch Publisher: Origin Publications Publication date: July 1, 2019 Genre: Fantasy Summary: It should be a joyous day as head priestess Celia is about to raise five new priestesses, including her own daughter. But she carries a dark secret. Recently, she traveled to meet with the empress, only for the empress to turn on her and her people, those who can use the spirit arts. Now she’s faced with remaining loyal despite her empress’s hatred or taking a final stand against the empress she has sworn loyalty to. This is an interesting start to a greater series. It is a novella that…
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Book Review: The Dragon’s Banker by Scott Warren
Title: The Dragon’s Banker Author: Scott Warren Publisher: Self-published Publication date: September 25, 2019 Genre: Fantasy Summary: After losing much of Lord Brackwaldt’s fortune, Sailor Kelstern, of Kelstern Merchant Banking, is stuck taking on risky ventures as the Royal Mint starts to roll out paper currency to replace the gold and silver, the currency of dragons. When Sailor is hired by a dragon to ensure he remains the wealthiest being with the new money at the end of two years’ time, he has no choice but to work his hardest, create a company practically from scratch, and make sure it flourishes. Unfortunately, someone is working hard against him. And the time is quickly ticking…
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Author Interview: Jenni Dunlap
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to host Jenni Dunlap, blogger at Housewife Hustle and author of the self-help book Eat the Damn Muffin. Jenni blogs over at Housewife Hustle, where she talks about motherhood, body and sex positivity, mental health, wellness, and general lifestyle topics. Over the past year, she has written increasingly more about body confidence and has stressed the importance of every person, regardless of size, feeling confident in their body. This has culminated in her first book, Eat the Damn Muffin, which will see a second, paperback volume this fall. What sparked your body positivity journey, and what has it been like? My body positive journey was sparked by…
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Book Review: Not A Clue by Chloe Delaume
Title: Not a Clue Author: Chloe Delaume Publisher: University of Nebraska Press Publication date: April 1, 2019 Genre: Fiction, translated from French Summary: Translated from the original French, Not a Clue is a life size game of Clue involving six psychiatric patients. Each character takes on the persona of one of the Clue pieces, is placed in one of the rooms on the board, and has possession of one weapon. Each are accused of killing Dr. Black. As a fan of the game Clue, I was thrilled for the chance to review a copy of Not a Clue, which is set to be released December 1, 2018. I was expecting…
