Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter
4/5
Aja moved to the small town of Greenbelt, South Carolina for a quieter home to get a handle on her anxiety, but so far her only social interaction happens every Wednesday night at bingo with the over 50 crowd. Walker couldn’t get away from his childhood trauma in Greenbelt fast enough when he graduated from high school, but when his Gram breaks both her arms, he comes home to help her around the house and at to play bingo for her on Wednesday nights, where he meets her bingo friend, Aja.
I thought this was an incredibly good small town romance with devastatingly accurate descriptions of anxiety. Some of Walker’s lines were a little cheesy, but I enjoyed it overall.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
5/5
A wonderful, meditative conclusion to the Monk and Robot duology. (At least, I assume it’s a conclusion.) Dex and Mosscap are such a lovely pair, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them explore civilization and society together. And the ending was so perfect. It’s another soft, comforting sci-fi read.
We also have a full review of the previous book Becky Chambers’ Monk & Robot series, A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
4/5
Fungal horror takes center stage in this reimagining of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. I loved the history and culture Kingfisher crested in this story and all the humor woven in amongst the horror. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Be ready for lots of body horror and dead animals.
TW: mentions of suicide, animal dissection, and murder
The Crane Wife, Stuck with Him, August Kitko and the Mechas from Space
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers to ARCs of the books for review.