Yolanda Sfetsos's Blog, page 23

Where did July go?

 

Hey! How are you today? Can you believe this month is almost over? Personally, I think July went a bit too fast. Not sure why, but that's just how it feels to me. 😬

Well, we're currently in the middle of winter, but you wouldn't know it because the weather has been quite warm. Sure, it's still cold in the morning and at night, but the days are quite warm. 

I usually take it easy in July. Mainly because it's my birthday month. I ended up doing a bit of reading, a bit of subbing, and a lot of think...

SILVER NITRATE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She's a talented sound editor, but she's left out of the boys' club running the film industry in '90s Mexico City. And she's all but invisible to her best friend Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, even though she's been in love with him since childhood.
Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives - even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing...

I AM AI by Ai Jiang

 

I Am AI: A Novelette by Ai Jiang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A few weeks ago, I was very lucky and won a copy of this adorable novelette. I've been itching to read it since it arrived and tonight, I finally got the chance to sit down and enjoy it.

Okay, let me make something clear about my use of the word adorable. The subject matter isn't what's adorable, it's the actual book. Not only is the cover bright and gorgeous, but the actual paperback is small and very aesthetically pleasing. I also consid...

ALIVE UNDEAD by Brian Bowyer

 

Alive Undead by Brian Bowyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love vampires in all of their undead glory, so when I found out that Brian Bowyer had a vamp story available, I couldn't wait to check it out.

Valkolar is a very old vampire. Delarosa is a faithless priest. Jamie and Kirsten are young lovers looking for music and adventure. Olivia and Sirius are gifted undead children living their lives recklessly. Naomi is an ambitious musician with an alcohol problem. Mohammed stalks the night. And Rosalie...

THE DISMEMBERED by Jonathan Janz

 

The Dismembered by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm going to start this review by saying that I love the cover for this novella. It reminds me of those old gothic covers from yesteryear, but also totally captures the story vibes.

Arthur Pearce is an American writer who has escaped to England because his marriage fell apart. But his plans to write a new novel change during a chance meeting with Sarah Coyle. A stranger who asks for his help, and her strange situation captures his imaginat...

June Update!

Hey! How are you today? What have you been up to? Can you believe we're halfway into 2023 already?!

Yikes. Where does the time go, right?

In Oz, June means winter, and you (probably) already know this is my least favourite season. 😫 I have to admit that it took longer than usual for the cold to settle in but now that it's here, it's seeping into my bones. FFS. I hate feeling cold. I much prefer spring and summer. Autumn used to be nice, too. But now the seasons are all muddled up anyway.

On to othe...

EERIELLA: SUPER-FIEND by Sophie Ingley

 

Eeriella: Super-Fiend! by Sophie Ingley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was really looking forward to reading this story because I love the cover and the concept sounded so cool.

After a really bad night, in which Ella gets dumped by her girlfriend and gets so drunk she doesn't remember a single thing, she wakes up the next day without a hangover. But there's a painful, lumpy growth on her knee. One that slowly transforms her into something else...

Well, this gory and bloody novelette turned out to be...

THE HIBISCUS AND THE GRAVE by Wendy Dalrymple

 

The Hibiscus and the Grave by Wendy Dalrymple
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Firstly, I want to thank the author for sending me an ARC of this lovely book. I really like the cover, because it totally matches the story.

In 1920, a new governess arrives at Hibiscus House, an estate on Tybee Island, GA. As soon as she gets there, she has a good feeling about the place and instantly likes the little girl she'll be looking after. She even likes the owner of the estate, but it doesn't take long before strang...

BELOW ECONOMIC THRESHOLDS by Adam Hulse

 

Below Economic Thresholds by Adam Hulse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here's another novella I've been looking forward to getting stuck into that didn't disappoint.

After a brutal civil war, demons stalk the slums where the starving people are trying to survive. Kurt works for the Agency to get rid of the demonic pests stalking the buildings, and his payment is barely enough to feed him. But when he stumbles on a plan to rebel, Kurt gets caught up in a fight he can't walk away from...

Well, this is a f...

28 DAYS SASSIER by Damien Casey

 

28 Days Sassier by Damien Casey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had my eye on this novella for a while, so I'm glad I finally got the chance to check it out.

Jim Tiptree is the last man on Earth. It was just his luck to be left behind when humans escaped to another dimension after a goblin invasion. As the lonely days go by, he slowly realises that he's actually not the last one left on Earth. There's also Bigfoot...

OMG. This book is hilarious. I couldn't stop cackling because it was just SO MUCH ...