2020 was an up and down year for me and YA fantasy. Some were great, and some were terrible-- nearly enough to turn me off that particular set altogether. But there were enough that I haven't written off YA fantasy. So in no particular order, here are the best YA fantasy novels I read in … Continue reading Best Books of 2020: YA Fantasy
Author: Kim @ Traveling in Books
Best Books of 2020: Historical Fiction
After Science Fiction and Fantasy, historical fiction is my favorite genre. That said, I'm picky about what I read. I want historical fiction to transport me to another time and place, not give me modern-seeming characters dressed in period clothes. So while I went through a host of so-so historical fiction novels, there were a … Continue reading Best Books of 2020: Historical Fiction
Sunday Sum-up, January 3, 2020
Happy Birthday to J.R.R. Tolkien! The Professor was born on this day in 1892 in Orange Free State in what is now South Africa. Thought I spent yet another holiday at home alone, it was a pretty okay evening. I made plokkfiskur again, watched The Fellowship of the Ring, and finished reading The Return of … Continue reading Sunday Sum-up, January 3, 2020
Best Books of 2020: Nonfiction
Though nonfiction is often regarded as dry and dull, the best nonfiction books are as interesting as the best novels. And the cool thing is that the stories are true. According to my StoryGraph information I read thirty-seven nonfiction books in 2020, ranging from a book about how the language use on the internet changes … Continue reading Best Books of 2020: Nonfiction
Top Ten Photos of 2020
Last year (it sounds so good to be able to say of 2020, "that was last year"), I completed my second Photo 365 challenge. And yes, I know it should have been a Photo 366, as 2020 was a leap year but I accidentally skipped August 24th. The good news is that I still completed … Continue reading Top Ten Photos of 2020
State of the ARC: December, 2020
State of the ARC is a meme hosted by Avalinah’s Books in which we round up our ARCs and attempt to wrangle them into something approaching order. Sometimes it’s like herding cats. I've had a nice break from reading ARCs lately, and while I found a few more to add to my NetGalley shelf, I … Continue reading State of the ARC: December, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up, December 27, 2020
It's the last Sunday Sum-Up of 2020. Here's to hoping that 2021 is a better year than 2020 was. I had a good Christmas, as far as Zoom Christmases go. We got online together around 9:30 on Christmas morning, and once my parents got their laptop oriented so that they weren't silhouetted by the sun's … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up, December 27, 2020
Happy Solstice
Today, December 21, marks the Winter Solstice and year's long night. Tonight, I will be making soup and mulled wine. There will be candles, music, and perhaps a bit of reading from Neil Gaiman's book, Norse Mythology as I mark the longest night of the year. There will also be music, particularly an album or … Continue reading Happy Solstice
Sunday Sum-Up: December 20, 2020
Fall and winter are popular times for baking. And sometimes people are passionate about getting just the right ingredients. Do you know how I know that? Because when I went grocery shopping the other day, I needed to pick up buttermilk for the Irish soda bread I plan to make later today. I wandered to … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: December 20, 2020
Book Review: Promise of Blood
Promise of Blood (The Powder Mage Trilogy #1) by Brian McClellanFantasy545 pagesPublished April, 2013, by Orbit "The age of kings is dead," Field Marshal Tamas declares at the beginning of Promise of Blood, after he stages a bloody coup that brings and end to the corrupt and inept monarchy that enriched itself while allowing the … Continue reading Book Review: Promise of Blood
