Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: Between Venus and Mars

Title: Between Venus and Mars
Author: S.C. Mitchell

Book Riot Challenge Category: one-sitting book

I signed up to review this book for a virtual tour with Goddess Fish promotions over on my book blog. As it turns out, my boyfriend decided to put modular shelving in our closet the other night, and I had some free time. I figured I’d start this book while he worked and finish later. Either the shelving took him a really long time, or I flew through this. Whatever the case, it was done in one sitting.

I’ve been on a science fiction kick lately. Science fiction romance is probably my favorite romance subgenre, so this was such a treat. Between Venus and Mars didn’t disappoint my scifi addiction. In addition, the romance plot was beautiful, and the humor was hilarious. Zana is the bff I never knew I wanted. She’s smart, quick on her feet, and curses like a sailor. Kyle is hot and protective without being over bearing. He’s also got a superb sense of humor on him. Together, they were an award-winning couple.

The world (or should I say universe) Mitchell built was really interesting. Earth has been abandoned for hundreds of years. It’s only inhabitants now are livestock and sentient kangaroo-type creatures. Zana travels there to bring back animals for her starving people to both eat and care for. Kyle is accidentally summoned, naked, to Earth by Zana touching the Soul Mate Tree, a mystical tree that unites people who are meant to be together. Poor Kyle just happened to be in the shower when love called. From cover to cover, Between Venus and Mars kept me entertained with snappy dialogue, fast-paced action sequences, and sweet-and-spicy romance. It’s really no wonder I finished it in one sitting.

Read Harder: HEART OF IRON by Ashley Poston

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read Harder Challenge: new-to-you ya or mg series

I first heard of Ashley Poston when Geekerella came across my radar. A modern Cinderella retelling about a geek girl and a movie star steeped in fandom? Yes, please. I read Geekerella very soon after discovering it. It wasn’t the geekily ever after/all my dreams came true I hoped it would be, but still, I enjoyed it. Poston went on my watch list.

At the beginning of February, Goodreads sent me the new books from authors you’ve read email for the month. Poston was right at the top with Heart of Iron. The premise looked intriguing, so I decided I’d try it when it came out at the end of the month.

And I’m glad I did. I’ve been on an intensive world-building kick lately, and Heart of Iron delivers in spades. The political setup of the universe, the descriptions of ships and planets, the entire goddess mythology—it was all so well done. Going in, I didn’t realize this was a series. Based on that and from the description, I expected a first-person narration from Ana with many declarations of undying love set against a scifi background. What I got was so much more than the romance I thought. Ana is just one of many points of view in this complex and brilliant tale. Everyone has something to lose, down to the most side minor characters, and the ending left me startled breathless at how this could even happen.

The characters in Heart of Iron are so real. Even D09, the Metal who supposedly cannot feel emotions (who can obviously feel emotions), is exquisitely three-dimensional. Ana’s crew is family, if not by blood, and their bonds are felt so strongly. Side note: I really want the captain’s hair.

Rob goes through such a transformation in this story, dealing with hard truths and really finding his own. I wanted to kill his mother and, for that matter, all the villains. They were terrible, horrible people I got behind hating easily. The lengths some of them went to…I won’t spoil. Just be prepared to glare a lot.

So, now that I know this is a series, I’m eagerly anticipating the next one.

And for my dopy moment of the month, I totally did not realize this was an Anastasia retelling until I saw something on Twitter. So, if you enjoy this, also read the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, which I realized were retellings before reading them. Carry on.




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Read Harder: THE PLOT IS MURDER by V.M. Burns

The Plot Is Murder by V.M. Burns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read Harder Challenge Category: a mystery written by a person of color or lgtbq author

I’d had The Plot is Murder on my TBR since before it hit shelves. Burns and I are both graduates of Seton Hill University’s MFA in Writing Popular Fiction program, and I love seeing my fellow #shuwpf-ers become published authors. Throw in that this is a charming cozy mystery about a book lover who wants to open a bookstore, and you had me at hello. Mysteries aren’t my most common reading stomping grounds. The ones that grab me are light on the violence and of the following type: a). British in nature (i.e. Rhys Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness series); b). involve music/theatre (such as Joelle Charbonneau’s Glee Club books), and c). about books—hence, The Plot is Murder.

And Burns did not disappoint me. There are books! And Samantha Washington, our resident bookshop owner/protagonist, is a character I can get behind. Her voice is sharp and fun while also being heavily emotional. She’s still struggling with her late husband’s death, and opening her bookstore is the dream she wants to come true in his honor. Unfortunately, dead bodies don’t want the dream to succeed. But some amateur sleuthing combined with old-fashioned determination are on Samantha’s side.

And then there’s the clan of old ladies who are dead-set (pun intended) on helping Samantha solve the case. They are a riot and surprisingly useful in the murder-solving department. They know their strengths. When they decide to go somewhere, they are on the clock and doing whatever they’re best at to get info. It was a joy to watch this gaggle of gals participate in the case.

A bonus with this book is it’s Michigan setting. Being a new resident of the Great Lakes State—and having an S.O. who grew up here, moved for work, and has now moved back—I’m now interested in books set in my new home turf, as it were. Though, I asked my boyfriend and googled the book’s setting of North Harbor. The boyfriend says it’s not a real city, and google didn’t find it. Despite this, The Plot is Murder set me smack dab on the hand. Michiganders, you know what I mean, apparently.


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Read Harder Challenge: THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge Category: A book set in or about one of the BRICS countries (Russia)

I put this book on my to-read shelf toward the end of last year. I may have had plans to read it sooner, but when I caught wind of Read Harder and saw the BRICS countries category, I put it off until this year.

In a few words—beautiful, lyrical, haunting. From page one, Arden swept me into Russian myth and folklore. So many fascinating things. So much going on. So expertly woven into history in a plausible way. The Goodreads blurb says this book is for fans of Erin Morgenstern’s THE NIGHT CURCUS. I didn’t fall head over heels for this quite like I did for NIGHT CIRCUS, but Arden’s lush descriptions, rich story, and real characters drew me in.

Vasya (Vasilisa) is the wild-child heroine I can’t help but cheer for. The lengths she goes to in order to protect her family tugged at my heartstrings. Watching her grow stronger through the story was a treat, and her ending left me satisfied. It was what I wanted before I realized I wanted it. And there are sequels, THE GIRL IN THE TOWER and WINTER OF THE WITCH, which continues Vasya’s story. I’ll have to read it at some point.

Other authors I’d recommend after reading Katherine Arden: Alice Hoffman (THE RULES OF MAGIC), David Mitchell (SLADE HOUSE)





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