Mel The Bookworm

[LAST WEEK IN BOOKS] Taika Waititi? I Guess So…

I haven’t done a Last Week In Books post in almost a year. I stopped because my time has been at a bit of a premium–since landing back in America I’ve been working full time as well as trying to improve my own writing to the point where it’s publishable and in actual books thatContinue reading “[LAST WEEK IN BOOKS] Taika Waititi? I Guess So…”

[READING CHALLENGE] Diversity is Scary!

(Click here to jump[scare] straight to the booklist.) Welcome to October, fellow readers. With Halloween coming up, I think it’s a good time for spooky diverse reads. For much of modern horror history, difference often was the horror. Now, diverse writers are turning those tropes on their heads and giving us nuanced takes on fearContinue reading “[READING CHALLENGE] Diversity is Scary!”

[REVIEW] The Ballad of Perilous Graves, by Alex Jennings

(Buy this book here.) (Disclosure: I met Alex aka @magicknegro at Under The Volcano 2022 and have been known to message him whiny existential writer complaints on occasion. This is still an honest review and I bought my own copy of this book because Paying Writers Cures Foolishness.) The publisher blurbs for this book allContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Ballad of Perilous Graves, by Alex Jennings”

[READING CHALLENGE] Read Some Real American History

(If you’re just here for the booklist, click HERE. Thanks! ) So I’ve been back in the US for a year now. There’s a lot going on here at the moment, and a lot of America’s current problems are directly related to history. This isn’t a surprise to any thinking person. Our current hot buttonContinue reading “[READING CHALLENGE] Read Some Real American History”

[REVIEW] Fevered Star, by Rebecca Roanhorse

The black and white cover of Fevered Star is seen from above resting in the lap of a woman in a pink and white striped summer dress, a Thai iced tea with boba balanced on one knee.

(Buy this book!) Let me just rip the band-aid off; meh. I wanted to love this book because of what it is. I love fantasy that steps away from the hoary old medieval Europe tropes. This series, set in a world based on pre-Columbian South American cultures, follows a clash between age-old forces of lightContinue reading “[REVIEW] Fevered Star, by Rebecca Roanhorse”

[REVIEW] Making A Scene, by Constance Wu

The bright red book cover of Making A Scene by Constance Wu, who is depicted in black silhouette. The background is the interior of a non-descript, grimy subway car during a morning commute. A Black woman(Mel's) hand holds the book.

(Pre-order this book!) I’m not really into celebrity culture and I’m not sure I would have read this if Scribner Books hadn’t kindly sent me an ARC. But I’m SO glad they did. What I thought about Constance Wu before reading this: Um…she was good in Crazy Rich Asians I guess. She was the momContinue reading “[REVIEW] Making A Scene, by Constance Wu”

[READING CHALLENGE] Kill Your #TBR!

Holy crap, how it is already August? I moved back to America ELEVEN MONTHS AGO and I honestly have no idea what’s going on here, still. What I do know is that I’ve amassed and imported an astonishing number of books that I intend to read. I haven’t made a big deal of it, butContinue reading “[READING CHALLENGE] Kill Your #TBR!”

[REVIEW] Tender Is The Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Susan Moses

(Buy this book here.) (This book is one long content warning. If you’re sensitive to violence or gore, don’t read it or this review.) This book is disgusting. Let’s just start there. No, really. This Argentinian dystopian horror takes place in a very near future where it’s become impossible to eat animal meat due toContinue reading “[REVIEW] Tender Is The Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Susan Moses”

[REVIEW] The Brown Sisters Trilogy, by Talia Hibbert

(Buy these books!) I love a British rom-com. I also love an #ownnormal story, and I have a special place in my heart for hot summer beach reads. The Brown Sisters’ romances(Get A Life, Chloe Brown; Take A Hint, Dani Brown; and Act Your Age, Eve Brown) deliver all of the above and more. AllContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Brown Sisters Trilogy, by Talia Hibbert”

[REVIEW] Girl’s Weekend, by C.M. Nascosta

(Buy this book.) Yo…what did I just read? What the hell did I just read? …and why did I enjoy it so much? Lurielle, Silva and Ris are elves. Not the type who wield magic and go on quests, though–no, these elvin lasses have good degrees, engineering jobs and nice condos in a comfortable, progressive,Continue reading “[REVIEW] Girl’s Weekend, by C.M. Nascosta”