Red Glove is promoted as a YA novel, although I’d put it more at the 18 year old to adult end of the spectrum than the 13-16 year old range. If your kids are old enough to watch the “Sopranos” or “The Riches” and they like those shows, then this is the right book. Much like those shows, Red Glove contrasts the supposed glamour of a criminal lifestyle with the pain it causes our hero. A younger reader might only see the glamour and magic and miss the misery.
Reviews
Review: “Thirteenth Child” by Patricia C. Wrede
Thirteenth Child is a YA novel and in this novel Patricia C Wrede crafts a story that may remind you of Orson Scott Card’s “Seventh Son” series. In this case, the hero is a young girl named “Eff” coming to grips with her magical heritage.
Review: “Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel”
A steampunk-mystery-romance (it certainly spans multiple genres); Phoenix Rising is a light-hearted confection of a novel. The novel features the pairing of Eliza D Braun and Wellington Books* leading to the duo of Books and Braun.
Review: “Star Wars: Red Harvest”
Following the success of last year’s “Death Troopers,” “Red Harvest” gives us another zombie/”Star Wars” mash-up.
This time instead of zombies attacking and eating the brains of storm troopers, it’s the Jedi taking on zombies.
Review: “Feed” by Mira Grant
“Feed” is fascinating, compelling and while it runs for close to 600 pages, the novel never feels long or drawn out. Grant expertly sets up the world within the first 100 pages and then slowly begins to examine the implications of what we’ve learned about her universe over the rest of the novel.
Review: “The Prisoner” by Carlos J. Cortes
As a good thriller does, the book proceeds at a brisk pace, only slightly slowed when one of the characters begins to expound on how easily personal freedom was lost in this near future America. I might not have noticed this, except my previous reading with Suarez and Doctorow had already covered this topic pretty extensively.
Review: “Omnitopia Dawn” by Diane Duane
This was a refreshing read. A.I. has been through the ringer when it comes to scenarios, but Diane Duane brought something new to the table. It’s fascinating to see such an expansive game from multiple points of view – the players, the creators, etc.
Review: “Troubled Waters” by Sharon Shinn
I plunged right into Troubled Waters and when I finished it, I started all over again and re-read it once more. I often re-read a book for reviews, but seldom back to back. Troubled Waters was just that good.
Sharon Shinn’s books are always very enjoyable, readable romantic fantasies. But I think that Troubled Waters marks a new development for her.
Review: “Star Wars: Crosscurrent” by Paul S. Kemp
Crosscurrent is smartly written, with a timeline just jumpy enough to keep you intrigued, and a cast of characters that make you care what happens to them.
Review: “Star Wars: Death Troopers” by Joe Schreiber
In the limitless reaches of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, it’s quite shocking to consider that zombies do not appear more often. Well, until now. In Death Troopers, the horror of the undead is brought to the population of an Imperial prison barge, in particular two young brothers, the chief medical officer, and a couple familiar faces I won’t spoil.
Review: “Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar”
Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books are the reader’s equivalent of coming home after a long day; putting on your pj’s and eating cereal for dinner. It’s simple and sometimes intensely comforting. As a reader, the structure of a Valdemar book is highly predictable and that is part of their appeal.
So, this book of short stories is a great way to shake things up.
Review: “Dust” by Joan Frances Turner
In Dust we get to experience zombie matters from the eyes of the source, as it were, and what a strange experience it is. The undead are not romanticized in this novel, so you might not want to eat before or during your reading session. Nausea may ensue.
Review: “Soulless” by Gail Carriger
I returned from holidays to one of the worst fates that can happen to a book nerd -– a sewer backup. As I looked at the empty space where our bookshelves used to be, I realized I needed immediate cheering up. Fortunately, Gail Carriger’s Soulless was in my To Be Read pile, above the high water mark.
Review: “Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void” by Mary Roach
Science fiction movies and novels dealing with long exploration missions to deep space rarely deal with the complexities of our bodies surviving during the long journey through space.
Review: “Night of the Living Trekkies”
Ever since zombies invaded the pages of Jane Austen with great success, publishers have been searching for the next great mash-up novel. Earlier this year, we got “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter,” a funny take on the historical biography that asked what if Honest Abe was really a vampire slayer? On the other end of the spectrum is the Hugo-nominated zombie/steampunk novel “Boneshaker.”
