Robin's Picks

A passionate reader ever since she first read the Lord of the Rings trilogy in childhood, Robin is currently working towards her BA in marketing with a minor in english, and blogs about books on the side. She considers a day without reading not well spent, knows an exorbitant amount of Middle Earth history, and is constantly seeking out new fantasy and romance series to yell about.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Robin
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Silver Nitrate (Hardcover)

By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593355367
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Del Rey - July 18th, 2023

Silvia Moreno-Garcia transports readers to the silver screen with a heart-pounding thriller that subtly blends the history of cinema with a deep dive into Mexican horror and Nazi occultism. When I first read about Silvia’s newest thriller, I was more than ready to navigate curses and brave new horrors to experience a new book from one of my favorite authors. Silver Nitrate gradually drives the knife in, with a slow-building narrative that never quite makes you feel on solid ground. With all the feels of a cult classic and a unique historical context, it’s everything I love about Silvia and her best novel yet!

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

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Robin
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Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Paperback)

By Ashley Herring Blake
$18.00
ISBN: 9780593550571
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Berkley - October 24th, 2023

 

The final book in the Bright Falls series and my absolute favorite! Ashley Herring Blake is back with a queer twist on Shakespeare and fake dating with cynical Iris Kelly finally meeting her match. This luminous queer romance had me from its very first pages. I love disaster meet cutes and boy did these two have one. By far one of my favorite romances of 2023. It's hot as hell, especially vulnerable, and just so lovely. I’m going to keep coming back to this one now and forever.

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard

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Robin
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Always Be My Duchess (Taming of the Dukes #1) (Mass Market)

By Amalie Howard
$8.99
ISBN: 9781538737729
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Forever - April 11th, 2023

A talented ballerina and a grumpy duke with a passion for piano initiate a fake engagement that threatens to become real amidst growing feelings. Amalie Howard made me swoon with this one. Effortlessly beautiful writing and the kind of unhinged yearning you can only get from a really good historical romance. God I just loved the main pairing here. Geneviève was so honest and the way she took charge had me dying. Lysander seemed really cold and aloof, but he's exactly the opposite. This book was just lovely. Perfect for those looking to re-experience Bridgerton season two.

Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

 

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Untethered Sky (Hardcover)

By Fonda Lee
$22.99
ISBN: 9781250842466
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Tordotcom - April 11th, 2023

It shall come as no surprise that Fonda Lee has written another book that I’m completely obsessed with. Untethered Sky follows a young woman consumed by vengeance, and her career path as a Ruhker, trainers of the giant predator birds that are taught to hunt the very Manticores that destroyed her family. This extraordinary novella confronts the limitations of obsession and the one-sided love between man and predator. Through the partnership between Ruhker and fledgling, Lee tries the bounds of love and loyalty, against inner nature.

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

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Robin

 

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Symphony of Secrets: A novel (Hardcover)

By Brendan Slocumb
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593315446
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Anchor - April 18th, 2023

Slocumb once again showcases his tremendous knowledge of music with this thriller turned historical mirror into the 1900’s –where musicians had very little leverage, and Black musicians had even less. The narrative slowly undertakes you, enfolding into a visceral portrait of greed, white saviorism, and how the overlooked can truly triumph. This is a ballad to the overlooked and the voiceless and one of the best books I've read all year.

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould

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Robin

 

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Where Echoes Die: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Courtney Gould
$20.00
ISBN: 9781250825797
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Wednesday Books - June 20th, 2023

Courtney Gould has written another sapphic masterpiece, about strange towns, sisterhood, and the relentless hold of grief. Wandering the backroads south to Arizona, Gould draws us into the mind of Beck Birsching, a grieving young girl trying to piece together the legacy of her deceased mother while struggling to keep herself together. Where Echoes Die breaches the past to prove the longevity of grief upon generations, and the universal struggle of the human experience. I’ll be keeping a weather eye out for more weird towns and badass Lesbians from Courtney Gould and basically anything she does next.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

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Robin

 

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The Salt Grows Heavy (Hardcover)

By Cassandra Khaw
$21.99
ISBN: 9781250830913
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Tor Nightfire - May 2nd, 2023

 

An utterly gruesome tale tracking a mermaid who destroyed her husband and his kingdom, and a plague doctor as they wander an entangled forest. Cassandra Khaw delivers easily the most horrific and violent novella I have ever read. There’s a dangerous underbelly to its language that slowly ensnares you at its surface, and once beneath, morphs into something truly terrifying. This little novella is bone chilling with a side of revenge (and who doesn't love that). The Salt Grows Heavy is the perfect novella for horror and bloodthirsty mermaid fans.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Reviewed by: 
Robin

 

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The Salt Grows Heavy By Cassandra Khaw Cover Image

The Salt Grows Heavy (Hardcover)

By Cassandra Khaw
$21.99
ISBN: 9781250830913
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Tor Nightfire - May 2nd, 2023

 

An utterly gruesome tale tracking a mermaid who destroyed her husband and his kingdom, and a plague doctor as they wander an entangled forest. Cassandra Khaw delivers easily the most horrific and violent novella I have ever read. There’s a dangerous underbelly to its language that slowly ensnares you at its surface, and once beneath, morphs into something truly terrifying. This little novella is bone chilling with a side of revenge (and who doesn't love that). The Salt Grows Heavy is the perfect novella for horror and bloodthirsty mermaid fans.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Reviewed by: 
Robin

 

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The Salt Grows Heavy By Cassandra Khaw Cover Image

The Salt Grows Heavy (Hardcover)

By Cassandra Khaw
$21.99
ISBN: 9781250830913
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Tor Nightfire - May 2nd, 2023

 

An utterly gruesome tale tracking a mermaid who destroyed her husband and his kingdom, and a plague doctor as they wander an entangled forest. Cassandra Khaw delivers easily the most horrific and violent novella I have ever read. There’s a dangerous underbelly to its language that slowly ensnares you at its surface, and once beneath, morphs into something truly terrifying. This little novella is bone chilling with a side of revenge (and who doesn't love that). The Salt Grows Heavy is the perfect novella for horror and bloodthirsty mermaid fans.

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