Review: We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope

We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope by Karen Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope edited by Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older from Saga Press via NetGalley.  This book will be published around December 2, 2025.

Here's the truth.  I will read anything that Annalee Newitz is involved with period.  I love their writing, fiction and nonfiction.  When I saw that Annalee was partnering with Karen Lord and Malka Older to edit the anthology, We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope, I knew I had to get my hands on this book immediately.  Karen Lord is another favorite of mine.  While I was living in Barbados, I kept hoping I would meet her.  I didn't, but I did adopt two cats remind me daily of the island.  

Fawning out of the way, this collection of stories is exactly what so many of us need right now.  Having writers pair up with activists to reflect stories of what the world could be was a brilliant idea.  Each story offers a unique perspective on making a difference through collective action.   At the end of each fictional story, there is an explanation of the activist that inspired the story.  There are also some nonfiction interviews with activists.  If you are looking for ways to get involved, I would be shocked if you couldn't find something to inspire you in here.  If you find reading or hearing the news currently to be incredibly depressing, you owe it to yourself to give this a read.  

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Review: Operation Bounce House

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman from Berkley Publishing Group/Ace via NetGalley.  This book will be published around February 10, 2026.

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman is not part of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series in case you were wondering.  This is a whole new world although there are elements you may recognize.  Music and animals are still important.  We still get humor and death.  If you need an emotional roller coaster, you got it.  Operation Bounce House is a game that allows you to kill "terrorists" without leaving the comfort of your home. It is a first person shooter mixed with reality.  As a gamer, I like to believe I would not participate in Operation Bounce House.  Sadly, I think we now live in a world where a lot of people would and not even think twice.  With the help of technology feeding them a convenient world view that stokes xenophobia, they would even believe they were heroes doing everyone a favor.  It is eerily familiar.  

On a brighter note, I loved the transcripts of scenes from the documentary that accompany each day of Operation Bounce House.  It was really moving.  Maybe the film will be leaked someday for us to watch.

Bonus points for Cindy and her chickens.  I still think there is more to their story and hope we get the rest of it at some point!

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Review: Evil Bones

Evil Bones by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Evil Bones by Kathy Reichs from Scribner via NetGalley.  This book will be published around November 18, 2025.

Evil Bones is the 24th book in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs.  If you have never read this series, you could read this book on its own.  There are references to previous stories but nothing that would hinder finishing this or picking up one of those after reading this one.  Also, there is enough information about all the characters to understand who they are and why they are included.  

Of all 24 books, this was the most tense for me to read.  I don't do well with animals coming to any harm.  When Temperance is called to a case of someone decorating and displaying animal skulls, I wasn't sure I would be able to read the whole thing.  The thing that kept me going was knowing that there might be justice for these creatures.  I won't be spoiling anything to say the animal displays are only the beginning of a very sick game.  I was very nervous that some beloved characters would not make it out alive.  There were a lot of excellent suspects.  It was stressful through the very end.  If you are looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, give this a read.

Bonus points for Birdie and all the other animals in the book.  I was very, very sad.  

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Review: Summer Fruit

Summer Fruit by Renee Humphrey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I met Renee Humphrey at a convention recently.  She had Summer Fruit displayed at her table, but the cover made me think "romance" which is not generally my thing.  After talking to her though, I decided to give the book a shot.  She was right that it doesn't fit neatly into any genre.  There is a little bit of romance, some mystery, and wolves.  I was really into the wolves because they don't get a fair shake.  If I had the money Jack, one of the main characters, has, I would also be pouring it into conservation and rescue efforts.  I was also really fascinated by the Nagual mythos.  It does make you wonder a bit why so many cultures have shapeshifters.  The characters in Summer Fruit have flaws, and some are deeply unlikeable.  Most are doing the best they can, but everyone could use some therapy.  If you like wolves, but are somewhat iffy on people, this book may appeal to you.  

My only cautionary note is if you are squeamish about animal suffering like I am, there are a few parts of the book that you may want to speed read through.  It wasn't gratuitous or so much that I had to put the book down, but it is in there.  

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Review: Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It

Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux via NetGalley.  This book is currently available.  

The irony of promoting Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook is not lost on me.  At the same time, it is essential because if you are reading this review right now, you should be reading this book instead.  You may have already heard about enshittification.  If you stay up on tech news, some of the examples won't come as any surprise.  I stay fairly current and yet, some of the things tech companies are currently doing shocked me.  I didn't realize we were in THAT deep.  The great thing about this is Doctorow makes the concepts easy enough to understand that you don't need to know anything about technology to educate yourself.  And you should educate yourself if for no other reason than to know how your personal information is used by tech companies.  

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Review: They Tried Their Best

They Tried Their Best by Kimlyn Stanyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of They Tried Their Best by Kimlyn Stanyon from the author via NetGalley.  The book is available now.

I don't always read books just because of their cover, but I did in the case of They Tried Their Best by Kimlyn Stanyon.  It is a beautiful cover!  Yes, I was swayed by the dogs.  I have a type.  This is a novella that is billed as experimental and weird.  I didn't find it that weird at all.  That may say something about me. As a single woman, I could completely relate to the interactions the narrator has with the men in her life.  That part felt very real.  It probably isn't a bad idea to think about building a bunker now too.  There is a twist that I won't give away.  I think that might be the "weird" part.  I liked it.  I appreciated the illustration at the end.  Cute!  If you are looking for something different that you can read in a sitting or two, check this out.  It is cozy dystopia.

Bonus points for Honey, Boo, and not selling out your best friends to save yourself. That would have been my condition too.  

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Review: My Year of Really Bad Dates: A Memoir

My Year of Really Bad Dates: A Memoir by Rachel Lithgow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of My Year of Really Bad Dates: A Memoir by Rachel Lithgow from She Writes Press via NetGalley.  It will be published around November 11, 2025.

My Year of Really Bad Dates: A Memoir by Rachel Lithgow is a snapshot of her life as she navigates divorcing, raising children, and trying to get back on the dating scene.  Rachel just confirms my experience with dating at this age.  It sucks.  I also realized that bad dates are almost tropes themselves.  They are universal stories.  I think I have dated some version of every guy she mentioned.  Ugh.  Still, I give her props for sticking with it and for also getting out of the unhealthy.  If you need to laugh rather than cry about your own dating journey, you might want to pick this up.

Bonus points for a cute cat on the cover.  As a crazy cat (and dog) lady, I will say it is not as bad as Rachel thinks.  

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