Yolanda Sfetsos's Blog, page 24

D&D DUNGEON CLUB: ROLL CALL by Molly Knox Ostertag

 

Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I'm not a huge D&D fan and have never actually played the game. But between Stranger Things and the Dungeons & Dragons movie, I've managed to enjoy D&D from an outsider's perspective.

So when we found this graphic novel for a bargain price over the weekend, we picked it up. And I thought I'd give it a go.

Olivia and Jess are best friends who attend middle school. They're also D&D fans a...

E.T. by Arie Kaplan & Chris Fennell + JAWS by Geof Smith & Kaysi Smith + BACK TO THE FUTURE by Arie Kaplan & Meg Dunn

 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Funko Pop!) by Arie Kaplan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was really young when E.T. was released back in the 80s, and I went to the cinema to watch the movie. I never forgot this adorable alien, or the human friends who loved him enough to help him find his way home. 😢

The story contained within the pages of this adorable Little Golden Book might be simplified, but it still captures the magic and wonder that E.T. always brings out in me. The illustrations are beautiful an...

A little (unexpected) writing...

 

How are you today?

Well, I didn't expect to be posting any sort of update this early in the month, but productivity hits when it wants to. LOL.

As the title states, I wasn't planning on starting a new writing project this month. Instead, my plan was to revise the novella I wrote in June. I mean, I would still like to tackle this revision, but had to push it back a bit.

During one of my daily afternoon walks a few weeks ago, a new story idea struck. It's an unexpected tale that came out of nowhere....

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...