Fiction
The Pond's Whisper
The man sat by the pond, staring at the glassy surface that shimmered beneath the soft glow of the evening sun. The day had been long, and the weight of unanswered questions clung to his shoulders. Life had become a series of blurred motions—work, eat, sleep—over and over. He felt adrift, like a leaf carried on a river, going somewhere, but nowhere in particular.
By Atif Moin Siddiqui2 years ago in BookClub
Ravissant - Chapter 1
Three girls all in white were giggling at the edge of the forest, close to the Golden Sea. They were drinking nectar from the blooming flowers near the Silver Rock. It was no ordinary nectar. It is the nectar that is the source of the immortality of the beings living in Omnia.
By Joie Gahum2 years ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout (The First Nero Wolfe Mystery)
This was my introduction to a new author and new detective, courtesy of my good friend on Vocal, John Cox, who recommended Stout's books. He was right to as well, as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: The Power by Naomi Alderman
A lady in a charity shop told me, on scanning The Power, that it was a good read and on the recommendation of a stranger, it went immediately to the top of my reading pile. It is, it is fair to say, a powerhouse of a novel and there was no pun intended there, sincerely.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson
This book starts with our heroine, the knowledge-hungry and extremely intelligent, Nombeko, a black girl in apartheid South Africa who is surviving but barely, alongside a mother who has no eagerness to live. Eventually, Nombeko has to find her way on her own.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in BookClub
Stephen King & the Ambiguously Gay Trope 3
Stephen King is the author of sixty-plus novels and over two hundred short stories ranging from downright horror to thriller to the occasional Hard Case crime. Over the years the storyteller has developed a knack for specific tropes, enough to fill a bingo card if one is up to the game. As previously discussed on this profile in articles entitled, ‘Stephen King & The Ambiguously Gay Trope’ & ‘Stephen King & The Ambiguously Gay Trope: The Sequel’, one of the writers' most prominent motifs is the special bond shared between two significantly close friends who act as featured players in the story. King’s efforts to express just how close, familiar, or even just plain engrossed these characters are with the other always lead to a largely accidental, but phenomenal all the same, LGBTQIA+ lens to look through. Looking at a whole new set of characters from three King novels; ‘Cell’, ‘Wolves of the Calla’, and ‘Carrie’, it becomes clearer and clearer that said lens can be looked through for a crazy number of King’s books.
By Jaime Burbatt2 years ago in BookClub
Book Spotlight: Anathema and Tidbit by Stephanie Barr
Rejected even by her own kind, Anathema, the albino dragon, always thought she’d live her centuries alone until, on a whim—on a compulsion—she rescued a tiny black kitten from certain death. She could never have guessed what his companionship would mean for her. More, she could never have predicted the impact sharing her life with him would have on her and so many others. Or the powerful persona lurking in that tiny feline morsel she called Tidbit.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Book Spotlight: All In by Russell Isler
What dies in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Vampire playboy Eddy Fry has spent years living it up, so to speak, in Las Vegas. In all those decades, not once has he met another of his kind. Until tonight. Eddy learns that, not only are there other vampires out there, the one after him is older and much more powerful than he is. As if that wasn't bad enough, she’s got a small army of supernatural creatures at her beck and call. In a flash, she’s muscled him out of the casino he calls home and left him with an offer he can’t refuse. Out-gunned and out of his depth, Eddy will need to find his own allies, allies who know their way around this whacked-out supernatural world he’s been ignoring for so long. Otherwise, he might just see his first sunrise in years…
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Book Spotlight: Agent. Mother. Other. by Sharn Lee
An ex-covert agent. A loving mother. An unknown power. Rachel’s tranquil life on the terraformed planet of Tir-na shatters when her twenty-year-old son vanishes without a trace. With no ransom demands or clues, she must confront her past and re-enter the treacherous world of the Agency she once abandoned. In a high-stakes race against time, Rachel relies on her deadly agent skills and unlocks forgotten powers, embracing the shocking truth of her past. From the plant-covered solar-punk city of Crayn to a nomadic metropolis built upon colossal wheels, relentlessly rolling across The Wastes, her unwavering love drives her to unimaginable lengths. As the seconds tick away, can Rachel rewrite her destiny and shield her family from an impending threat? Will her rekindled abilities be enough to save her son, or will they be her ultimate downfall? Prepare for a pulse-pounding journey of sacrifice, redemption, and the indomitable spirit of a mother fighting against all odds. Secrets will be unveiled, alliances will be tested, and in the midst of peril, the true impact of the past will be revealed. If you crave thrilling science fiction tales featuring kick-ass women protagonists, rife with covert agents, corrupt corporations, secret bases, underground societies, drug dens, and deadly drone bots, then prepare for an exhilarating ride unlike any other. Get ready to immerse yourself in a world where love knows no bounds and danger lurks at every turn.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Book Spotlight: Accrue's End: Affliction by E.R. Smo
His parents were heroes, and now he may get his chance to be one. Whether he’s ready or not. When Kyo’s godfather is infected by the corruption-a spreading affliction that turns people into murderous shadow monsters, he goes to the only mages who can help. But the duo are not the kindly healers they appear. Kyo stumbles upon the victims of their manipulation and necromancy magics, and during the confrontation, the pair vanish with his godfather as a hostage. Desperate to reclaim his family, Kyo gives chase, but his first encounter teaches him he won’t defeat them alone. With the help of an anxiety-ridden cleric, a runaway princess, a fatherly stowaway, and a ten-year-old with the power to summon gods, he sets out to stop the mages before they turn the entire world into living dead and ravenous shades.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
