Ohhhh this was so much fun to read! Time travel, witches, unexpected Viking raids, historical fun facts, and just enough hints of romance to keep me hooked through all 752 pages of it. If there's a sequel, sign me up!

So excited to finally get into this!!!

A terrific addition to the world of The Girl with All the Gifts! A small ragtag group of scientists and soldiers forge out into the plague-ravaged world to find a cure, and get more than what they bargained for. As with any of this type of story, survival isn't guaranteed and I was surprised to see which characters made it to the end. It's fascinating, cynical balance between nerve-wracking action and character study. Absolutely worth reading.

Why don't people talk about Megan Whalen Turner more? Thick as Thieves delivers on the sly, subtle wit and the clever political machinations that we've grown to expect from the Queen's Thief series. If I were to compare it to the other books, I might say that it may lose something for the comparative lack of Gen and Attolia, but I respect the risk of telling a great buddy adventure story from Kemet's new and fascinating perspective.

Not that I'm any expert on the ways of the obscenely wealthy, but in what universe would a scion of the Manila socialite scene ever unironically say this 😑

Donated some books yesterday and I feel like I cleansed my soul and saved the world 💪🏽 Hope they end up in good hands!

My favorite travel buddy yet!

Inspiring, honest, and crackling with a relatable exasperation at the many ways the world needs to wake up from its delusions. I'd give every misogynist jerk I know a copy of this book if I could be assured that they'd read it, because Hurley discusses issues with sincerity and wonderful common sense. She also talks about the incredible, exhausting struggle of writing and yet I feel a little bit like I can take on the world now. Good stuff.

As with any collection of shorts, not all are equal, but every story was enchanting. Yolen's takes on various beloved properties (Arthurian legend, Wonderland, etc) were fantastically inventive: Alice faces off against the Jabberwock, the Lost Girls go on strike, Robin Hood's real origin story and more! I hope she gets around to writing the full story of Evian Steel (girls forging magic Arthurian swords), because as a proof of concept, I'm SOLD!

Being a tale of the many reincarnations of Milo as he strives to reach Perfection, there are multiple starts and stops as he begins each new life (as a man, a woman, a gnat, etc). It takes some getting used to, and some lives are more interesting than others. But Reincarnation Blues is a fun and wildly imaginative read that raises questions about what it takes to live a perfectly happy life.

Up next!

Ahh those crazy Romans. If you ever wondered (as Mary Beard) did how a small village in the quarrelsome Italian peninsula became a sprawling empire, read this book. Beard strings together a fascinating and coherent narrative of Roman politics, economies, and cultural lore. My favorites were the stories of day-to-day Roman life, but let's face it, we're all here for those stories of mad imperial excess and shenanigans and Beard does not disappoint.

'They called it, in ignorance, "civilisation", but it was really part of their enslavement'...

Had to take a break to marvel at the fact that one of the world's most infamous bad guys was immortalized in history with the nickname "Baby Boots." Gotta love these Romans.

some light reading on set 🎥