Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett ~ a Review

by MK French

In the city of Tevanne, the four Guild Houses own approximately 80% of the city property and function almost like city-states. The remaining 20% are the Commons, where those that don't belong to a Guild House live. There are no laws to protect the people, and it is in this place where Sancia Grado lives as a thief with extraordinary abilities. She stole an item from the docks, and it turns out to be more than an ordinary magical technological item. This one isn't scrived with the usual magical languages and is able to overwrite the magic the Guild Houses use. That would allow it to control all of reality if Sancia hands it over. When she decides not to fulfill the job, she has to collect allies and figure out a way to survive in Tevanne.

Rush by Lisa Patton ~ a Review #MondayBlogs

by Susan Roberts

Setting - Alpha Delta Beta sorority at Ole Miss University in Oxford, Mississippi.
438 sorority sisters - 437 white and one black

Miss Pearl is a black domestic worker at the sorority house but more importantly, she is the heart of the house - the girls rely on her for advice and for motherly love. When Miss Pearl is faced with blatant discrimination, the sorority sisters have to decide whether to take a stand or let things stay as they are.

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal ~ an @Audible_com Review

by Donna Huber




I was a bit apprehensive when I chose The Calculating Stars as it is an alternate history novel set in the 1950s, but, wow, it was so much better than I had expected.

Zone 23 by CJ Hopkins ~ a Review

by MK French

In a post-apocalyptic world, all dissent and nonconformity have been declared anomalies that need to be genetically modified. This is to maintain peace in the corporate controlled world of 2610. Any variation from a peaceful and average existence is further medicated, and the surveillance and reporting sent those unresponsive to "pharmatherapy" to different zones, quarantining them far from those that were variant-positive.

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

This was an interesting look at how you can love and hate a sibling at the same time and about the bond between sisters. I had a bit of trouble with this book as I have a fantastic relationship with my sisters and had trouble imagining the love/hate relationship that the two sisters in this novel had. Plus I really didn't like either sister and found both of them to be very difficult to feel any sympathy for. That said, I found this an interesting look at how secrets can ruin a relationship even among sisters.

Infidelity by @AnnPearlman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Infidelity is a well-written, emotional memoir, but to be honest it probably wouldn't have been a book I picked up for myself because of the subject matter. As a person with trust issues, it confirmed that I couldn't marry.