Category Archives: Awesome

Things to read if you loved Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman

Posted on 26/10/2025 by Roseanna

First up, congrats on your amazing taste in books! High five. But alas, assuming you have already burned through Fellman’s back catalogue (if you haven’t, why not, fix that, and then come flail at me about The Breath of the … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Not A Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

When There Are Wolves Again – E. J. Swift

Posted on 08/10/2025 by Roseanna

The new novel from the author of The Coral Bones, When There Are Wolves Again follows two women in Britain from the present, stretching out across the years into the future of the late 21st century. One of the women … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Private Rites – Julia Armfield

Posted on 29/12/2024 by Roseanna

My overwhelming impression of this book is rain. Constant, undramatic, pervasive, it haunts the margins of the story so effectively that it has overwhelmed my memory of it, forming a damp sheen over the foregrounded aspects of the story. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Horror, Literary, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Three Eight One – Aliya Whiteley

Posted on 22/12/2024 by Roseanna

Three Eight One by Aliya Whiteley is the story of Fairly, a young girl setting out on a quest away from home for the first time, on something called the Horned Road. The story comes with annotations by a reader … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Breath of the Sun – Isaac R. Fellman

Posted on 30/11/2024 by Roseanna

One of the questions on the little slips of paper through which our book club runs asks: Was the author better at describing the concrete or the abstract? Did the use of description affect your reading of the book? Obviously, … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Fantasy | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Posted on 21/09/2024 by Roseanna

When you say of a book “oh it’s doing a lot of things”, that’s normally at least a subtle burn, a mild sass. The implication is one of too many balls juggled, and thus at least a couple dropped. But … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Else, Literary, Romance, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

These Burning Stars – Bethany Jacobs

Posted on 05/09/2024 by Roseanna

It says something about where we are in SF, that an author can just say “jump gates”, never explain them, and expect the reader to follow along just fine. It also says something about what the author is – and … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Hugo Ballot Novels – Top Two

Posted on 06/07/2024 by Roseanna

Another disappointing review this is going to be, because I’ve actually reviewed both of my top two before. I know, I suck. Or… well. I suck, because I’m great, by which I mean an early adopter. I read Some Desperate … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Fantasy, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Six from Six – Best Books of the First Half of the Year

Posted on 02/07/2024 by Roseanna

We interrupt my Hugo chatter briefly, because we are now half way through the year, to which I say “fuck, what, really? Already?? Surely not???”. The linear passage of time once again confounds me. But anyway, arbitrary designations of our … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Else, Not A Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Hands of the Emperor – Victoria Goddard

Posted on 27/10/2023 by Roseanna

Eight separate people told me that I, me specifically, should read this book. I don’t honestly get recommended a tonne of books anyway (possibly not unreasonably, a lot of my friends assume I’ve heard of the books I’ll want to … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment