Category Archives: Year

Nothing to Lose, by Alex Flinn

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Thistle

Michael ran away a year ago and has been working with a traveling carnival ever since. Now he’s back in his home town, hoping no one recognizes him. Unfortunately, his mother is on trial for killing her abusive husband, Michael’s … Continue reading →

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Caffeine, by Michael Pollan (audio)

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Thistle

Well this is apropos, listening to a book on the history and science of caffeine while doing my own experiments with the stuff. This short book – what’s the novella equivalent of nonfiction? – discusses how the human race discovered … Continue reading →

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A Beginning at the End, by Mike Chen

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Thistle

Six years after the End of the World – a virulent strain of flu wiping out most of the world’s population – the world is in shambles. There are tentative pockets of humanity clustered together with the loosest attempts at … Continue reading →

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The First Girl Child, by Amy Harmon (audio)

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Thistle

From Goodreads: Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, … Continue reading →

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The Hand on the Wall, by Maureen Johnson (audio)

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Thistle

Note: This is the third and final book of the Truly Devious series, following Truly Devious and The Vanishing Stair. This review will contain spoilers for books 1 and 2 but not for The Hand on the Wall. From Goodreads: … Continue reading →

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The Family Upstairs, by Lisa Jewell

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Thistle

When Libby Jones discovers that her birth parents have left her a house on her 25th birthday, she doesn’t know what to think. Then the house turns out to be dark, oppressive, and creepy. And that’s before she reads the … Continue reading →

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There Will Come a Darkness, by Katy Rose Pool

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Thistle

A hundred years ago, the last of the prophets disappeared. Society has corrupted, religions have splintered, and a new zealot known as the Hierophant is preaching the destruction of all who are graced with magic. Now a new prophet has … Continue reading →

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Here and Now and Then, by Mike Chen

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Thistle

Kin is a time-traveling agent helping to capture inter-time criminals. One one mission, he’s stranded in 1996 with no way to contact his rescue crew. As hope of rescue drains away, so does his memory of his life in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2019, Adult, Prose | Tagged | 1 Comment

Starsight, by Brandon Sanderson (audio)

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Thistle

In this sequel to Skyward, Spensa is trying to learn about her lineage and the ancient potential for magic that she’s inherited. Unfortunately, her planet’s prison guards are getting more violent by the day. It seems that soon they’ll decide … Continue reading →

Posted in 2019, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Strange Planet, by Nathan Pyle

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Thistle

I think most people will recognize the cover art of this book – if not the specific picture, then the style of it. Strange Planet (the comic) has been around quite some time, though I’m not sure of specifics. All … Continue reading →

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