Fiction
The Last Tree
Once upon a time, in a world not too different from our own, the Earth was in peril. Cities sprawled across landscapes, their concrete fingers choking the life out of nature. Pollution stained the skies, and the once vibrant forests were reduced to mere memories, lost in the pages of history.
Christina YanPublished 8 days ago in BookClubInk on Starlight
Amara, a seasoned cartographer with ink-stained fingers and a thirst for the unknown, stumbled upon a weathered parchment tucked within a dusty tome. It depicted a swirling vortex, an impossible gateway rumored to lead to the Celestial Cartography, a mythical archive charted by constellations. The thought of such a place, a library woven from starlight, ignited a spark within her.
ANNA CORALPublished 10 days ago in BookClubReview: The Mermaid Chair By Sue Monk Kidd
I give this story 5 stars, not just for the complex characters and powerful emotional plot, but also for the author's very own talent.
Vendela FalconPublished 10 days ago in BookClubWhispers in the Red Dust
Once upon a time Dr. Anya Petrova squinted at the Martian sunrise, the thin atmosphere turning the horizon a pale, bruised purple. Ten years. Ten years since she'd left the vibrant blue of Earth for the rusty red of Mars. Back then, she'd been filled with a fierce pioneer spirit, the first botanist on a fledgling colony. Now, a creeping loneliness gnawed at her.
ANNA CORALPublished 10 days ago in BookClubDaughter of the Desert Moon
Once upon a time the desert wind whispered secrets through the gnarled branches of the old mesquite tree. Elara, perched on a lower limb, hugged her shawl tighter, its worn fabric offering scant protection against the chill of the approaching night. Below, the parched earth stretched into an endless expanse, dotted with the silhouettes of cacti reaching skeletal fingers towards the dying sun. Hunger gnawed at her belly, a constant companion these past few days.
ANNA CORALPublished 10 days ago in BookClubRachel Reviews: Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann
I am guilty of judging a book by its cover, I will admit. And what a cover this book has with its beautiful women and its vintage feel and its art deco lettering, and of course the bright, bright red which ties in with the book's title.
Rachel DeemingPublished 11 days ago in BookClub"The Ghost Tree": A Classic Coming-of-Age Horror Novel
Missing dead girls. A monster in the woods. Witches and curses. Visions of murders. Small town secrets. I don’t usually buy books at a bookstore without reading reviews, but as a horror fan the story’s elements and premise led me to believe I’d enjoy this novel. And my first impression proved to be right.
J. S. WongPublished 13 days ago in BookClubBook Review: The Theatre of Glass and Shadows by Anne Corlett
Sometimes the greatest spectacle hides the darkest secrets . . . In an alternate London, the city's Theatre District is a walled area south of the river where an immersive production - the Show - has been running for centuries, growing ever bigger, more sprawling and lavish. The Show is open to anyone who can afford a ticket but the District itself is a closed world; even the police have no jurisdiction within its walls. Juliet's mother died when she was a baby. Brought up by her emotionally distant father and even more distant stepmother, she has never felt wanted. It's only when her father passes away that Juliet - now nineteen - learns her birth was registered in the District. Desperate to belong somewhere at last, she travels to London where she hopes to unearth the truth about her identity, her mother's death and her father's years of silence - and claim her birthright. But in the District, there is only one central truth: the Show must go on. And in a world where illusions abound, and powerful men control the narrative, Juliet has no idea of just how far some will go to ensure certain stories are never told . . . For fans of The Miniaturist and The Doll Factory, The Theatre of Glass and Shadows is a place where nothing is as it seems.
Marie SinadjanPublished 13 days ago in BookClubBook Review: Snowblooded by Emma Sterner-Radley
Valour and Petrichor are esteemed members of the Order of Axsten, an assassin’s guild tasked with keeping order in the rough city of Vinterstock. Plucked from the streets as children and raised to compete for their guild’s approval, Valour uses her brawn to survive, while Petrichor strives to be a gentleman assassin. When they’re given their biggest job yet—to kill Brandquist, the mysterious leader of the city's illegal magic trade—it’s a recipe for disaster. If they can quell their rivalry long enough, the reward will be enough to settle their debts with the Order and start new lives. If this job wasn’t dangerous enough, Valour is saddled with protecting the aristocrat, Ingrid Rytterdahl. Valour finds her dangerously attractive, but Petrichor can’t wait to be rid of them both. He begrudgingly accepts Ingrid’s knowledge and connections as they navigate the city’s criminal underbelly in pursuit of Brandquist. As secrets bubble to the surface, the duo must outwit the thugs on their tail, keep Ingrid alive, and—hardest of all—work together without murdering each other.
Marie SinadjanPublished 13 days ago in BookClubAshoka-the Great Emperor
Unveiling the Enigma: Ashoka's Secret Society and the Legacy of Ancient Knowledge Emperor Ashoka the Great, a pivotal figure in Indian history, is renowned for his conversion to Buddhism and his pillars inscribed with moral edicts. But whispers linger about a lesser-known aspect of his reign – the legendary "Nine Unknown."
Why You Definitely Can't Survive a Nuclear Winter
The world looked totally different after the atomic war - a place, where people just wiped out and where nature reclaimed its rights over the remnants of once proud civilization: ruins were the only trace of the former order of things. A few moments later, Mason became a witness of the catastrophic sight of a radioactive canyon, where the only thing that was left was a ruined world unable to rise from ashes of an atomic bomb.
Amine OubihPublished 14 days ago in BookClubMother's Love
"Mother" is a very magical word. The sweetest word in the world is 'Mother', which contains all the happiness, joy, love and all illusions of the world. This is the only word in the world, the recollection of which all kinds of sorrows vanish in a moment. And in a moment the soul is filled with peace.
Yahya MahmudPublished 14 days ago in BookClub