Published in 1978, THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS is credited with launching the shinhonkaku movement, a return to Golden Age style plotting and clue provision for the reader to discover along the way. It's often described as a subgenre of the honkaku style - which can best be described as whodunit's rather than why or howdunits.
Today's review! Luck of the Draw by Addison Albright:
"This well-written story is lovely: there are some worrying moments, but then there's is a happy ever after... I recommend the book - it blends MM romance with a well-realised fantasy world. "
@bookstodon Are you in the mood to read something which plays with form and style? HANGMAN, by Maya Binyam might be for you. It is one of those novels where you both wonder what the heck is going on, and where in the world you're headed, until it all comes together. I really enjoyed it, like nothing else I've read this year. And it's under 200 pages.
My full review: This novel is deftly, smartly written, and demonstrates a paradox about the nature of life itself, which is that it is equally obscured when the lens is too wide, as it is when the lens is too close to its subject.
The story is told via the narrator's journey, but that's not really the heart of this story. The author's delivery has a funhouse, "there but not there," stretched and surreal feel. There are very real observations, however, and they are all deeply political. It's like a mashup of Kathryn Davis and Helen Oyeyemi books, with an even deeper level of social commentary.
I enjoyed the experimental nature of this short, but impactful novel.
And that ending?!? I'm so glad I didn't put it together until the last minute.
This book satisfied my need for something completely different, where the author takes chances. I will gladly read anything Maya Binyam writes.
CON ARTISTS, CRYPTIDS, AND A CARNIVAL with some hidden secrets converge on rural West Virginia in this stylish noir thriller, part of a multi-book anthology series. Smart, atmospheric writing. B PLUS
I reviewed The Graveyard Shift by Maria Lewis for Grimdark Magazine! A late-night radio host finds herself targeted by a Scream-style slasher. Fast and fun, but maybe a bit too light-hearted?
📚 Just got done #reading Shadow and Bone, the first #novel in the #Grishaverse trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.
I read this after seeing the TV show and reading Six of Crows, but it was awesome to see the foundations of how the entire universe of the #Grisha started!
Today's queer indie author review! Bite Club by Eule Grey:
Gordon: "Intense, at times bizarre, and emotionally powerful... “leaves the reader not only with a desire to read other pieces by this author. Five stars."
A MEDITATION ON FAMILY, HERITAGE, identity, and self-creation by a writer who is an enrolled member of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe of the Pacific Northwest. Insightful observations weave deftly with personal reimagining of Indigenous myths. B PLUS
My #bookreview is brief/won't spoil, to spread good, great, & spectacular #horror#books far & wide.
A varied, engrossing anthology of Dream Horror, NEVER WAKE assembles nightmarish visions & fantasical works of imagination to haunt your waking hours. These liminal tales effectively capture the weird, unreal, surreal, horrific (& sometimes dangerous-seeming) nature of slumber. (Crystal Lake)
Today's queer small press review! Apprentice's Luck" by K.L. Noone:
"A gentle tale about a young magician coming into his power, and finding love along the way. Throw in a little court intrigue and a plot to overthrow a good ruler, and it's quite an enjoyable read."
This diary of autistic teen Dara McAnulty chronicles a year in his life in Northern Ireland, focussing on nature outings with his family and his naturalistic observations close to home.
Initially I felt like not enough was happening, the writing was too descriptive and at the same time too distant and repetitive. But somewhere along the way Dara's writing became a sort of comfort blanket, perfect for reading right before bed. I really enjoyed reading about Dara's passion for nature and I found myself becoming more observant on my own hikes because of it. What I maybe loved even more was the way Dara writes about his family; it is clear how much they all love each other.
Hello, Mastofriends! @Princejvstin has today's review over on Nerds of a Feather, of a historical biography of Suleyman the Magnificent, constructed to feel reminiscent of a fantasy narrative, with a rich and textured sense of place and time and politics and power, even if the actual rendering of Suleyman himself is less developed.
GRIM, STYLISH THRILLER set at a posh girls’ boarding school has a vivid sense of place and some memorable characterizations as well as a propulsive, high-energy plot. B PLUS