Book Review

The Psychology of Time Travel: #SciFi Worth Reading #BookReview #sciencefiction #booklover

best in science fiction booksThe Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas.

The story begins with four women, who invent time travel. The human trials are done by the scientists. They take all the risk as to whether it is safe. Everything goes fantastic until they do an interview for a worldwide broadcast and one of their fellow travelers has a bit of a breakdown. This is the little grain of sand that sends the novel spinning.

There is a thoughtful exploration of how time travel affects different travelers and how the woman in charge tries to prevent any further embarrassments. By trying to prevent any further mental issues, the preventions appear to cause more of them. Then there is the murder. Ooo! This mystery keeps driving the plot forward even as we sometimes jump back in time.

The author caught my attention early on and held it. Besides showing the effects of time travel through various perspectives, there’s also the murder mystery wrapped up in it all. The first question that has to be answered is, who is the body?

Well-written with interesting characters and cleverly plotted, this novel is well worth reading. The almost entirely female cast was a pleasant surprise as well. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it.

Here’s the official description for the Psychology of Time Travel:

In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history.

Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?

Traversing the decades and told from alternating perspectives, The Psychology of Time Travel introduces a fabulous new voice in fiction and a new must-read for fans of speculative fiction and women’s fiction alike.

 

 

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Fantasy Worth Reading: Something from the Nightside #BookReview #fantasybooks

best-selling fantasy novel Something from the NIghtsideSomething from the Nightside by Simon R. Green is another novel I devoured in a mere few hours. It’s hard-boiled detective meets Neverwhere, and it’s a wonderful treat. Don’t deprive yourself of this gem.

The voice of the main character, John Taylor, is strong and bleeds atmosphere into every paragraph. The Nightside’s dark alleys, neon-lit streets, and eerie locales are described with such detail that they almost become characters themselves. The author’s atmospheric prose adds depth and richness to the narrative, making the Nightside a place readers can visualize and get lost in.

Nightside is a realm within London filled with darkness and mystery. Mostly darkness. It’s always 3:00 a.m. there and is populated by the bizarre and disturbing. John Taylor swore five years ago he’d never go back, but a rich lady walks into his office when he’s desperate for money. She needs him to find her runaway teenage daughter. He has a magical gift, a third eye, which makes him an expert at finding things in the Nightside. Only, something is blocking his sight. That’s never happened before.

The plot twists into creative and imaginative jaunts that made it unpredictable in the best of ways. The final twists were delicious. I will certainly be acquiring more books in this series. Highly recommended and it gets beyond five stars from me.

Here’s the blurb:

Taylor is the name, John Taylor. My card says I’m a detective, but what I really am is an expert on finding lost things. It’s part of the gift I was born with as a child of the Nightside.

I left there a long time ago, with my skin and sanity barely intact. Now I make my living in the sunlit streets of London. But business has been slow lately, so when Joanna Barrett showed up at my door, reeking of wealth, asking me to find her runaway teenage daughter, I didn’t say no.

Then I found out exactly where the girl had gone.

The Nightside. That square mile of Hell in the middle of the city, where it’s always three A.M. Where you can walk beside myths and drink with monsters. Where nothing is what it seems and everything is possible.

I swore I’d never return. But there’s a kid in danger and a woman depending on me. So I have no choice—I’m going home.

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#Sci-Fi Worth Reading: All Fools Day #BookReview #BookTwitter

As the weather goes crazy, read some great and funky sci-fi!

All Fool’s Day by Edmund Cooper was a great find. This worthwhile novel was recommended to me by another sci-fi lover on Instagram. I review a lot more books on Instagram and more than sci-fi and fantasy. If you want, follow me on Instagram! We’ll chat about books.

Anyway, Cooper is an author from the 1960s I never heard of. I’m glad that error has been remedied.  The Edinburgh Evening News had this to say about All Fool’s Day: The wackiest book of the year — this tragic, ingenious and entertaining novel. 

Wacky? That’s like a calling card to me. This was good writing and a very original story. The main character is a reluctant hero (one of my favorite tropes) and not very likeable. Yet, Cooper kept me engaged and reading.

The premise is the sun starts having sun spots that put out a strange and new kind of radiation that makes people want to kill themselves. The only people immune are those with different minds – the geniuses, the crazy, the neurodivergent, the psychopaths, etc… Yeah, it’s a nutty plot idea, but it makes sense in the story and Cooper writes it well.

The writing is old-fashioned to what’s currently in vogue (third person omniscient), but the story is compelling and keeps moving forward. With packs of murdersome rats, dogs, cats, and pigs, it was a compelling read about how the transnormals face the end of civilization.

Here’s the blurb:

Summer 1971. A marvellous spell of weather, idyllic in its warmth. But new sun-spots had appeared; and with their appearance came a significant increase in the suicide rate. The wonderful summer continued for a decade: simultaneously Radiant Suicide reached endemic proportions, the only people to escape its effects being the supposed transnormals, the obsessionals, the eccentrics and the psychopaths. These were to be the only remnants of the ancient ‘homo sapiens’ . . .

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#SciFi Worth Reading: Cake Eater by Allyson Dahlin #BookReview #BookTwitter

Cake Eater is Sci-Fi worth reading. Five plus stars for a book I fell in love with!

Sci-Fi worth reading

Set in the year 3070, this novel is a retelling of Marie Antoinette’s story. I instantly related to Marie trying to exert control over her life. Only seventeen, she flies off to Franc to marry the dauphin, Louis. They’ve never met, but she’s prepared to do her duty. Sheltered and naive, she’s not prepared for much else.

She gives up her name, her home, her family, her dog, and even her clothes to become a wife and Marie. Nothing remains of her and her past, so she does her best to find herself, a way to fit in, and a way to still be Maria.  I found this book charming and enchanting. Marie immersed me into her life at Versailles and her struggle to be less lonely. This book had lots of feels, a young woman trying to figure out who she is, a struggling romance, and a sinister underlying plot. And, it made me cry. Not many books affect me that way.

If I had read the blurb, I never would have chosen this book myself. It was recommended and I’m thankful to that person for recommending it. I had a hard time putting this book down and am sorry Allyson doesn’t have any more books out. I really loved this book.

Here’s the blurb:

The year is 3070, and Marie Antoinette has just arrived at the glittering, thrilling palace of Versailles to marry the shy, soft-spoken Louis-Auguste.

But beneath the luxurious world lies a sinister underbelly and an uncompromising elite who want to keep Marie and Louis pawns in a deadly game.

Will history repeat itself? Or will these doomed lovers outwit their enemies and escape their grisly fate?

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Fantasy Worth Reading: Legends & Lattes #BookReview #fantasybooks

I loved Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldress so much, I’ve read it 3 times. I even pre-ordered his next book, which is due out in November.

A cozy fantasy about an orc named Viv, who is pursuing her happily ever after, I was glued to the page from the moment I started. There’s a little magic and a little mystery, but mostly there’s charm. This book had me tearing through the pages, and I finished it in a mere few hours.  What’s so captivating about it? Everyone can relate to the pursuit of a dream and taking a chance on yourself.

This book was recommended by my library staff, so I’m not the only one who fell in love with it. The novel showcases the author’s ability to craft a richly imagined world, populated by memorable characters filled with heart. Viv often doubts and second-guesses herself, and the city has never heard of coffee. So, she has an uphill battle to get customers.

The pages are like a warm hug as Viv hangs up her sword and purchases a coffee machine. Never have I ever been so entranced by the creation of baked goods and whether a fantasy city will want coffee. I hung on every word. A simply marvelous novel, and highly, highly recommended. I give it more than 5 stars. It’s rare for me to read a book this fast since becoming an adult.

Here’s the blurb:

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

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#SciFi Worth Reading: Mintari A World of Dinosaurs #BookReview #scifibooks

In the captivating world of Mintari by Daniel Arenson, readers are transported to a remote planet where dinosaurs roam once again. This thrilling dinosaur adventure captures the imagination, reminiscent of the excitement and wonder sparked by Jurassic Park. From the pristine landscapes to the heroic endeavors of Jurassic Joe, Arenson’s storytelling prowess brings to life a world teeming with ancient beasts and danger.

I love my dinosaur stories and, honestly, most disappoint me. Mintari didn’t. At the heart of the story is Jurassic Joe, a legendary figure known as a defender of dinosaurs and a relentless foe of poachers. As a semi-mythical ranger who resides in the untamed wilderness of Mintari, Jurassic Joe embodies the spirit of adventure and heroism. Tragedy has Joe wallowing in a cave, nursing his pain.

Meanwhile, Simone LaRue needs to jumpstart her floundering journalism career and flies off to Mintari to find Jurassic Joe. Getting the scoop on him will get her back in everyone’s good graces. Only, she is unaware that she is being used by a ruthless businessman – Joe’s estranged father.

The backstory of each of the main characters is complicated and intricately woven so that they collide. With lots of dino action and bad guys worth hating, Mintari was a novel I enjoyed. Here’s the blurb:

Dinosaurs. Majestic giants. They’ve captured our imagination for generations. On planet Mintari, they live again.

Mintari is far from Earth. Wild. Pristine. A world where triceratops herd across grasslands, pterosaurs soar over golden mountains, and T-rexes prowl the misty forests.

But these magnificent beasts might soon disappear. And only one man can save them.

They call him Jurassic Joe. A semi-mythical figure. A ranger who lives in the wilderness of Mintari. Defender of dinosaurs. Bane of poachers. Folk hero. But is he real?

He better be. Because big game hunters are landing on Mintari. A lot of them. It will take a hero to stop them. And they must be stopped. Or the dinosaurs of Mintari will be lost forever.

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