Isaiah Roby's Blog: MI Book Reviews, page 9

Come As You Are

“Hot on the heels of a broken heart, Everett “Evie” Riley arrives at Camden Academy ready for a new beginning – one far away from her cheating ex-boyfriend, the sister who stole him, and the best friend who let it happen. But her fresh start is stopped in its tracks when she’s accidentally placed in an all-boys dorm, with no choice but to stay.

When rumors and gossip about Evie’s housing predicament spread like wildfire, she decides the only way to survive is to lean into her questionable new...

When the Third Moon Rises

This could have been fun, but wasn’t.
There were some cool ideas for the aliens, but it was all surface level and refused to add any depth or put any more than surface thoughts into the worldbuilding.

After becoming the victim of an alien abduction, Rex finds himself in a whole other world—literally. Following being sold by his captors, he enters an intergalactic auction, where species across the universe can be bought for every purpose imaginable. With a final bid to seal his fate, Rex soon ...

To Go On Living

“Set in rural Armenia in the aftermath of war, Narine Abgaryan’s haunting short stories show people finding hope and purpose again. Named “one of Europe’s most exciting authors” by the Guardian, Narine Abgaryan has written a dozen books which have collectively sold over 1.35 million copies. To Go On Living comes directly from her experiences coming of age during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. Set in an Armenian moutain village, thirty-one linked short stories tra...

“Set in rural Armenia in the aftermath of war, Narine Abg...

“Set in rural Armenia in the aftermath of war, Narine Abgaryan’s haunting short stories show people finding hope and purpose again. Named “one of Europe’s most exciting authors” by the Guardian, Narine Abgaryan has written a dozen books which have collectively sold over 1.35 million copies. To Go On Living comes directly from her experiences coming of age during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. Set in an Armenian moutain village, thirty-one linked short stories tra...

A Date with the Fairy Drag Queen

“Saskia Nash’s world is turned upside down when her single-parent father tears her from an idyllic childhood in Germany-leaving behind the memories of her dead mother and the protection of her beloved Opa-for a teaching position at a small Jesuit college on the East Coast. A misfit in a strange land, struggling to learn the language and customs of a good American girl, Saskia struggles with issues of belonging, sexual identity, and faith. She’s drawn to the progressive spirituality of the Jesuit...

The Listeners

I was super excited to see Stiefvater doing an adult book, and while I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction (this is set in 1942), the setup of the manager of a luxury hotel with magical water having to deal with hosting Axis power diplomats (including Nazis) was instantly intriguing to me.

The extraordinary, genre-defying debut adult novel by the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

AT THE AVALLON, REAL POWER COMES TO THOSE WHO WATCH AND LISTEN…
High in the Appalach...

The Word for World is Forest

Impactful Sci-Fi novella about imperialism, colonialism, and the price of resistance.

Winner of the 1973 Hugo award for Best Novella, and nominated for many others, The Word for World is Forest is part of Le Guin’s ‘Hainish Cycle’. It explores a future history of Earth and pacifistic ideals in its depictions of violence, colonialism and resistance.

A world of peaceful aliens conquered by bloodthirsty yumens, their existence is irrevocably altered. Forced into servitude, the Athsheans find the...

Bond Strength

“Declan’s avoided Noah since high school. Noah’s pined for Declan just as long. However, one power outage will illuminate everything keeping them in the dark…
Declan

I can’t stand Noah Langston. Ever since my former best friend and I drifted in high school, I’ve kept my distance. I’m content sticking to my cycle—the day job, my inventions, and a string of failed dates. Well, maybe not content, but my routine is adequate. Yet recently, Noah’s appearing everywhere. At the same bars, parties, and...

Heat Transfer

“Cor’s crush on the straight boy in sword fighting class has been unrequited, but with one crossed sword, that’s all about to change…

Cor

From the second I showed up for sword fighting class, Felix grabbed my attention. Yet not only was he straight, but he also had a girlfriend. However, the more we hang, the more I can’t help but hang on his every word, every look. And when he ends up newly single, I can’t stop my hopes from running rampant.

Felix

I’ve been accused of talking about ...

Death of the Author

What a stunning book!

The future of storytelling is here.

Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she’s suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister’s wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she’s not sure what comes next.
In her hotel room that night, she takes the risk that will define her life – she decides to write a book VERY unlike her others....