Carnivals and Thieves (recent reads)

I’ve read a couple books lately that are worth a mention here, but that I’m apparently not going to write a full review of any time soon. Because I don’t want to forget them, and I’d like to give them a little attention, you’re getting some super short reviews.

First, Carniepunk is a collection of short stories in a genre that is completely new to me. I requested  it from Net Galley because it had a story from Rachel Caine and because I’ve been vaguely interested in steampunk. I read a good number of stories from it and while I did not finish it, I suspect that many of you would enjoy it. All of the stories take place in a carnival (not the same carnival) and have just a touch of that creepy magic/ otherworldness that urban fantasy authors like Rachel Caine, Jim Butcher and Simon R Green are so good at.  I did enjoy the stories I read, but they were a little darker than I typically am drawn to.

Next up, Jill Shalvis’ It Had to Be You. Guys, you know I love Lucky Harbor. This was no exception. Someone in Lucky Harbor has stolen a lot of money and it looks like it was Ali Winters. Ali finds herself dumped, homeless, and with all the town looking at her. Luckily for her, her ex-landlord Luke shows up and has some faith in her, and the skills to help her out of trouble.  Ali is adorable. She is flawed, she gets angry, but she refuses to get depressed. It’s not high literature, but it’s a solid addition to Lucky Harbor and I’ll keep reading the series, of course. You can read my thoughts on the rest of the books here.

Coming soon: my reviews of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and This Song Will Save Your Life! Both excellent, and deserving of full reviews.