Reading | Metaphors and Moonlight

Bookish Musings: Unhappy Endings

Most people enjoy a happy ending, but unhappy endings tend to be pretty controversial. I do like a good happy ending, but I also like a good unhappy one. Not every time. But sometimes. So I wanted to talk about why I like them, and also what I think makes for a good unhappy or bittersweet ending. (Don't worry, I've avoided mentioning any specific books, so there are no spoilers! Though I am...

Book Review: Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms (Fae & Human Relations Book 1) by Sarah Wallace & S.O. Callahan [Audiobook]

Roger (human) and Wyn (fae) have know each other since childhood but never gotten along, so neither is happy when they're assigned to work together on a magic project for the Council. An incorrect engagement announcement complicates things further... until the men realize they may have been wrong about each...

Book Review: The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa [Audiobook]

Dami is a demon who doesn't want to be a demon, so when they learn they can become human by canceling all the deals they currently have, they set out to do that. But if Silas's deal is canceled, he'll die, so first Dami and Silas will have to travel to a mysterious island to break a...

Book Review: Trespass Against Us by Leon Kemp [Audiobook]

Two years ago, four teens went to a haunted house and only three left, but Ethan's body was never found. When a famous team of ghost hunters asks the teens to go back, Riley reluctantly agrees in the hopes of finding his missing boyfriend, but the ghosts aren't done with them, and things quickly take a turn for the worse, much as they did the first...

Book Review: The Last Light Left Burning (All That’s Left in the World Book 2) by Erik J. Brown [Audiobook]

Andrew and Jamie have joined a settlement trying to rebuild in the post-apocalyptic world, but while Andrew has started making the place a home, Jamie still wants to leave. When things start going wrong, survival becomes priority again, but they'll still have to decide what's most important to...

Book Review: The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance Book 1) by Sara Raasch [Audiobook]

The prince of Christmas is forced into an arranged marriage with his best friend, and then the prince of Halloween shows up to vie for her hand as well. But none of them actually wants this, because the two men would rather be with each other and fix the damage being done to the...

Book Review: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White [Audiobook]

Ganymedes is forced to go on a 12-day ship voyage with the 11 other Blessed heirs of the provinces who all hate him, and they don't even know his secret: he has no magical ability. But when the murders start, he's determined to find the killer and bring justice to the...

Book Review: A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey [Audiobook]

Deri is indentured to a merchant at the goblin market and desperately wants out of his contract, and he just might have it when he makes the deal of a lifetime. But using his prize will be more complicated than he realizes, especially when he falls for a human boy indentured to a workhouse who also needs out of his...

Bookish Musings: AI Book Covers

I'm seeing more and more book covers with AI art lately, and it saddens me. And I don't know how to fix the problem. I'm mostly seeing it in indie and self-published books, presumably because those have smaller budgets. (If big publishers are doing this, they really have no excuse.) And I know writing books is hard work and can be really expensive, especially for small presses and self-pub...

Book Review: Gravity Lost (Ambit’s Run Book 2) by L.M. Sagas [Audiobook]

When a new problem arises, Jal reluctantly turns to the Ambit crew for help, even though he doesn't want them mixed up in trouble too. But they find themselves in the middle of a bigger mystery than they...