Book Wyrm

Interesting Books to Be Released In April

Some months it feels difficult to find any books to get excited about, and other months you can’t help but think “when it rains, it pours” because you’re fair drowning in exciting New Releases. April is definitely in the latter category this year, and with so much time to spend at home I can only say thank goodness, for the diversion, for the entertainment, for the lessons, and for the hope that literature brings.

Keep scrolling to see which books we’re excited about this month, and consider adding some to your “to read” list. If you do read any of these, remember to come back and let us know what you thought! And of course, comment below with any April books you’re excited about that we may have missed.

April 6, 2020 0 comment

2020 Byron Horror Literary Fiction

The Vegetarian ~ A Review

written by Byron

This was the body of a beautiful young woman, conventionally an object of desire, and yet it was a body from which all desire had been eliminated.

I really liked Parasite, the Korean film that won Academy Award for Best Picture. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It made me want to explore more Korean art, including Korean literature. I read a few lists (provided by google searches) of “great Korean literature.” One book was consistently (and prominently) featured in every list: The Vegetarian by Han Kang. So I bought it.

The Vegetarian was one of the strangest, powerfully thought-provoking novels I’ve read in a long, long time.

April 4, 2020 0 comment

Ardis Ardis's Favorite Books Award Winners Books Reviews Science Fiction

Velocity Weapon is Fun and Brilliant

written by Ardis

Don’t forget to check out my Book Club Discussion Questions for Velocity Weapon, but beware – all Discussion Question posts are full of spoilers.

Biran flicked his gaze to a small collection of family items the decorating crew had nailed to his foyer wall, and zeroed in on one picture: Sanda, on the day they promoted her to captain of her gunship. Her grin wide, prideful. One arm slung, protectively, around Brian’s shoulders. She’d always looked out for him. Made a career of it.
His turn.

I knew when I picked it up that Velocity Weapon would be firmly in my wheelhouse. A space opera promising mystery, tragedy, epic intergalactic politics, and rogue AI? I’m 100% in. My buy-in was cemented when I saw that Noumenon’s author Marina J. Lostetter had provided a glowing quote for the back cover.

Even with hopes this high, I was blown away by all Velocity Weapon had to offer.

April 2, 2020 1 comment

Ardis Books Literary Fiction Reviews Science Fiction

The Little Animals

written by Ardis

He is not making much headway, and Leeuwenhoek passes him by like a meteor, cutting a swathe through the milling necks. He looks back to see Vermeer standing, doffing his cap, whether to a goose or a person he cannot see, a dark blot in the midst of a rippling, cacophonous, white canvas.

Sarah Tolmie’s The Little Animals is billed as a scifi historical fiction about a dude who discovers tiny animals and has to deal with that knowledge. Tiny animals? I’m in!

What was apparent to everyone but me (I have since gathered) is that the “tiny animals” he’s discovered are microscopic organisms. It’s cool, but I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t a little disappointed not to be reading about, like, really small elephants and stuff.

Once I accepted my loss, I had to admit that the story I was reading was actually very cool in its own right.

April 1, 2020 0 comment

2020 Byron Literary Fiction Reviews

Weather ~ A Review

written by Byron

Anytime I think I am a semidecent person, I remember this story someone told me once about her ex-husband. He was always late getting home. He never came home when he said he would, and I thought I knew this story before she told it, but I was wrong. It was just that he had a rule that if anyone asked him for help he would pause to see what that person needed. And then he would try to get them that thing if he could. Sometimes it was money, sometimes food; once a man needed a belt and he gave him his. The reason he was always late was that his office was next door to Penn Station. They broke up because he was a mean drunk, but still.

A couple of months ago, I read Dept. of Speculation, a fantastic novel by Jenny Offill. When I discovered that the author was releasing a new book this year, I immediately preordered it. That new book is Weather.

It’s pretty good.

March 21, 2020 1 comment

Buyer Guide

Interesting Books Released in March 2020

written by Official Decree

A new month means new books! These are the upcoming releases that we are excited about for March 2020:

Byron’s Picks

The Glass Hotel ~ Emily St. John Mandel (Release Date March 24, 2020)

I adored Station Eleven, a previous novel by the author. In that novel, she incorporated beautiful prose and sensitive character exploration into a post-apocalyptic setting typically reserved for pulp-y genre fiction. I cannot wait to see what she does in this book, which apparently involves a Ponzi scheme and ghosts.

The Story of More ~ Hope Jahren (Release Date March 2, 2020)

I loved Lab Girl, the author’s memoir about her life in science. She is a terrific writer, and the memoir was filled with beautiful prose and page-turning, moving passages. So when I got an email a few days ago informing me that Jahren was releasing a new book about climate change, I was immediately on board. I don’t know much about the subject, and she’s the author I want telling me all about it.

Ardis’ Picks

The Mirror & the Light ~ Hilary Mantel (Release Date March 10, 2020)

This historical fiction set in the court of King Henry VIII, The Mirror & The Light concludes Mantel’s multi-award winning Wolf Hall trilogy. I’ve been looking for more high-quality historical fiction and this seems sure to deliver.

March 10, 2020 0 comment

Byron Horror Reviews

The Twisted Ones ~ A Review

written by Byron

A semi came screaming around a bend in the road, interrupting my thoughts and reminding me suddenly of why walking by the side of the road on a country lane was best reserved for historical romance and Led Zeppelin songs.

The Twisted Ones is a book by T. Kingfisher, a pen name of Ursula Vernon, an author that I absolutely love. I bought this book because it had her name on it; I didn’t know anything else about it except that the cover looked kinda scary.

The book IS kinda scary. It’s also funny and clever, like all of Ursula Vernon’s work. I’m glad I bought it!

March 8, 2020 0 comment

Ardis Ardis's Lists Award Winners Books Literary Fiction Science Fiction Short Story Collection

The Philip K. Dick Award, 2020

written by Ardis

Each year the Philip K. Dick award is given to “the best science fiction paperback novel published in the United States in the previous calendar year” at Norwescon. This year, the award ceremony will take place in Seattle, WA, on April 10th.

Between now and then, I will be working to read and review all of the nominees. Hopefully, I’ll have time to circle back before the ceremony and update this list with my bet (and my vote), but if the past is any indication I’ll be reading down to the wire.

For now, read on for a little about each book as a nominee. One by one I’ll add review links to this page, so if you’re following along (or reading along), be sure to bookmark this page and check back for the latest updates.

February 18, 2020 0 comment

2020 Byron Literary Fiction Reviews

American Dirt is not a good book (A Review)

written by Byron

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins has a lot of buzz. It’s a selection of Oprah’s Book Club. It was the Amazon January 2020 Spotlight Pick. My local Barnes and Noble made it a monthly book club selection. I included it on our list of intriguing January-released books.

I read it. It turned out to be … not very good. How did this book get so much hype?

February 16, 2020 0 comment

2020 Ardis Books Literary Fiction Reviews

Dear Edward

written by Ardis

“Are you ok?” … “How’s the pain?” … “How’re you doing?”
Edward is unable to answer any of these questions. He can’t consider how he’s feeling; that door is far too dangerous to open. He tries to stay away from thoughts and emotions, as if they’re furniture he can skirt past in a room.

Going into a book bracing for overwhelming tragedy is always hard. Contemporary, realistic grave tragedy must be difficult to write, and is certainly difficult to read.

That is exactly what you have to do when you crack the spine on Dear Edward, which follows a young boy after he becomes the sole survivor of a terrible plane crash.

February 11, 2020 0 comment

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