Taven Moore

I'm cheating a little and posting a book AFTER I've read it ... but I wanted to make sure it was a good one. The fun thing about this one is that it's a book of short stories! So even if you don't like all of them (which I did not) you are almost certain to love some of them (which I most definitely did!). Many many thanks to Faith Williams for rising to the challenge of suggesting it for me. The Starlit Wood Packed with award-winning authors, this anthology explores an array of fairy tales in startling and innovative ways, in genres and settings both traditional and unusual, including science fiction, western, and post-apocalyptic as well as traditional fantasy and contemporary horror. The first and last stories were predictably my favorites, but it was super fascinating to read through all of the different genres, styles, and interpretations. Even if a particular story wasn't to my liking, I still learned a lot from reading them. My favorites included ...

This post was inspired by February's reading -- Ready Player One. This post is spoiler-free, but the comments may not be. You have been warned. I recommend it. I did feel the first half was a little slow, but the second half made up for it and the concept was brilliant. Concept As it happens, the "concept" is what I want to talk to you about. As writers, we often find a great "what if" and want to roll with it. What if Vampires took over after World War 1 and now people are raised as cattle in "pleasant" camps? What if there is a magic key that turns any locked doorway into a portal to a magical land? What if a teenager discovers that she is actually half-unicorn on her 16th birthday? In the case of Ready Player One, you could say, "What if the real world was horrible so most people escaped into a virtual reality realm for their everyday lives?" That's a great idea, and the author does a fantastic job with it. The book...

Quick post to not only let you know that I'm not dead, but also introduce my personal reading assignment for March. Envy of Angels, by Matt Wallace . In New York, eating out can be hell.  Everyone loves a well-catered event, and the supernatural community is no different, but where do demons go to satisfy their culinary cravings?  Welcome to Sin du Jour - where devils on horseback are the clients, not the dish. The series was pitched to me by a podcast as a heist story where instead of the crew being criminals and thieves ... they're chefs trying to make a crazy-awesome meal. That sounds absolutely up my alley, so I added it to my reading list immediately. I'd love it if anyone had time to add it to theirs!

I remember fondly the days when I not only did not have to PLAN for books, books just sort of happened to me. Alas, adulthood is fast upon me and time for reading must be carved out by my very fingernails. This month, I'm reading Ready Player One, by Ernest Kline . I'm not quite halfway through it (so this notification to YOU, dear friends, is a bit postmature. Is that a word? It should be a word). In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.   But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade...