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Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts
J. K. Rowling | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
8.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
A short non-fiction ebook that draws comparisons from the magic written by J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series to the historical myths and folklore from which it's based. Invisiability, transforming into a creature, and warding off evil are just a few of the topics you'll find in this book.

I found this to be a fascinating read and would recommend it to any fans of Harry Potter who are interested in Mythology and Folklore.
  
    The Wicked Library

    The Wicked Library

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    Podcast

    The Wicked Library is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to bringing you stories of horror by the newest...

Why Visit America
Why Visit America
Matthew Baker | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really do enjoy a good short story, and this book certainly delivers in spades on that count. Quirky, dark, thought provoking, touching on pretty much ALL the genres. All of the stories are about possible versions of the US, some are more positive than others. This is well worth a read, but be warned: it’s bizarre and offbeat, which is a big plus where I’m concerned.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole who serialised this book.
  
Bare-Knuckle Love (Rabid Mongrels MC #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've been having a hard time getting into books lately--both paperback and e-book--so I decided to go and download some free short stories of Amazon, and this was one of them.

Admittedly, I'm a little wary of what they might be like. I've read some good freebies and I've read some pretty bad freebies. Luckily this falls into the first category for me.

First off, it made me cry twice. That very rarely happens in most M/M stories I read and the fact that it's rather dark in places--more like patches--makes it extra unusual. But I really liked their story and how their romance came about. Anyway, the first time was the dog thing. The second, it was Jason's thought in the last fight.

Secondly. There was a darkness to it but I really liked Hyde. The way he sort of tried to stop too bad a thing happening to Jason after he lost them the money made me melt a little. It was sweet. He might have been President of the MC but he wasn't an altogether bad guy.

Thirdly. Just how despite it being a short story I was a sucker for the romance between these two guys.

I look forward to more instalments with these two.
  
I suppose it must be obvious to anyone who reads my reviews that I enjoy Laura Anne Gilman's writing. I've only read every one of her Retrievers series as well as every one of her short stories sold via <a href="http://fictionwise.com/">Fictionwise</a>; (including some that I'd already read in various anthologies, but I didn't want to miss anything). I've been waiting anxiously for <i>Hard Magic</i>, the first in the new Paranormal Scene Investigations series, and it did not disappoint me in the least.

If you've read the Retrievers books, you'll recognize the main character, Bonnie Torres, immediately as Wren Valere's neighbor. If you haven't read that series, don't worry - they aren't required to enjoy this book.

I do, however, recommend hunting down the short story "Illumination," which is referred to several times during the novel. It's in the anthology [b:Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy|3395318|Unusual Suspects Stories of Mystery & Fantasy|Dana Stabenow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1243223215s/3395318.jpg|3435306]. It isn't strictly required, but I think it would help.

If you've ever enjoyed CSI or any similar show, I think you'll really enjoy <i>Hard Magic</i> even more than others will. Bonnie and her coworkers are trying to reinvent all of the forensic science that those shows take for granted from scratch, from a magical perspective. It's fascinating to me, and I would have been happier with more geeking.

I'm really looking forward to book two!
  
My Mess Is A Bit Of A Life
My Mess Is A Bit Of A Life
Georgia Pritchett | 2021 | Humor & Comedy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I didn’t know what to expect of this book with it being a book about someone’s journey with anxiety, but I definitely didn’t think it would be as funny as it is.
Georgia Pritchett writes little anxious anecdotes from her life beginning in nursery. They are all written with Georgia’s humour prominent throughout the book, even the heartbreaking anecdotes still have some humour sprinkled into them. Reading through them, some are completely relatable and others not so much, but all completely believable.
The chapters are extremely short, some only a paragraph or two long. And while it might annoy some people, I loved this style as it showed that we were onto the next little anecdote and was quite easy to follow. But for me, with the chapters being short it just meant that I wanted to carry on reading… “just one more chapter” turned into the whole book!
I read this in an afternoon because it was such an easy and pleasant read (despite the subjects touched upon not being pleasant) and it was nice to read about the life that Georgia has had and the accomplishments despite her being a woman in a man’s world.
I will be recommending this to anyone that will listen, and will probably pick it up again at some point in the near future.
Thank you to Pigeonhole and Georgia Pritchett for the chance to read this page turner!
  
The Christmas Caper
The Christmas Caper
Gigi Pandian | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Museum Robbery at Christmas
Tempest Raj and her family are reviving a Christmas tradition this year – Christmas in Scotland. Her grandparents have even booked a flat with a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle. However, a reunion with a family friend present Tempest with a puzzle to solve. The local museum was robbed recently, and no one can figure out how the thieves pulled it off. The friend has a connection to the museum and asks Tempest to see if she can figure out how the thieves pulled it off. Will Tempest’s background as a magician help solve the puzzle?

When I learned about this story, I immediate snagged it to read during December. It was exactly what I expected, a fun, short read. I finished it in under an hour. As a result, the story is a bit straight forward, but that’s not really a complaint. More an observation. While we don’t see all the characters we met in the first book, it was fun catching up with some of them again. The new characters work for the story here. While this does fit between the first and second novels in the series, you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this book. Speaking of enjoying, there are two recipes at the end that sound delicious. If you are looking for a short story to read in December, you’ll be glad you snagged this one.