Scheherazade (A Tale from the Arabian Nights) by Albert Seligman

January 5, 2026 By 2 Comments


Scheherazade (A Tale from the Arabian Nights) by Albert Seligman
Publisher: Dulacebooks
Genre: Young Adult (14-18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dulacebooks’ new Arabian Nights series presents these tales decorated with the illustrations from the original editions of the Victorian and Golden Age. Over fifty different illustrators’ versions of these stories are reproduced here, fully restored and many in full color. These are the finest examples of the artists and illustrators of the Arabian Nights, including-

Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, René Bull , Maxfield Parrish, William H Robinson, Thomas H Robinson, Charles Robinson, Thomas Mackenzie, Walter Crane, Louis Rhead, Helen Stratton, Virginia Frances Sterrett, Elizabeth Mackinstry, John Gilbert, HJ Ford, Edward J Detmold, Eric Pape, AE Jackson, Willy Pogany, Milo Winter, Monroe S Orr, Charles Folkard, Walter Paget, William Stang, JD Batten, Frances Brundage, Gustav Dore, FOC Darley, William Harvey, the Brothers Dalziel, and many others.

The first book in the series is how the 1001 nights begin, with Scheherazade and her sister weaving the tales to her new husband Schahriar, the Sultan. The Tales in this edition are:

The Sultan and his Vow

The Fable of the Ass, the Ox, and the Laborer

The Story of the Merchant and the Genie

The History of the First Old Man and the Hind

The History of the Second Old Man and the two Black Dog

Words are one of the most powerful weapons that exist.

One of the many reasons why I’m always excited to read Mr. Seligman’s latest work is that it gives me the opportunity to explore older or ancient cultures and other pieces of the past that are rarely if ever covered in the average history class. I loved reading these legends and stories and poring over the beautiful artworks that were created to illustrate important scenes in them. One can learn so much about a culture by pay attention to the values shared in their literature and how their characters respond to the usual, and in some cases not so usual, challenges in life.

The relationships between the various characters were nuanced and fascinating. As the social conventions of this culture were rarely if ever spelled out clearly, I had to read between the lines to understand why certain characters behaved the way they did or what they hoped to accomplish by telling stories that often ended with cliffhangers until it was time to share the next instalment in that series.

I also adored the story within a story format of this piece. The beginning and end described a character who decided to tell these tales in an attempt to convince his daughter to change their mind about a potentially deadly life decision. Other readers should find out for themselves exactly what that choice was, but I thought it was a clever way to explain why someone would suddenly want to tell so many old legends in a row.

Scheherazade – A Tale From the Arabian Nights was truly magical.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Framed for Murder by Marla A. White

December 17, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Framed for Murder by Marla A. White
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

After a life-changing injury, Mel O’Rourke trades in her badge for bed sheets, running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. Her peaceful life is interrupted when an old frenemy, the notorious and charismatic cat burglar, Poppy Phillips, shows up on her doorstep, claiming she’s been framed for murder. While she’s broken plenty of laws, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone. Good thing she’s a better detective than she is a cook as she sets out to prove Poppy’s innocence.

The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

Once a cop always a cop or it seems to be that way for Mel who is now running what you might call a family-owned B&B in Pine Cove. When the head of a big oil corporation is found dead and it is rumored that he had the magic potion to clean up oil spills, many suspects came to light, but Poppy was certain the cops would be sure it was her. She went straight to the honest cop she knew to help her out. Thus began the friendship/frenemy-ship Mel never thought could happen.

This is the first book I have read by Marla White. It was cute. It reads fast and I will tell you first-hand the characters and their antics will win you over immediately. There’s Poppy with her British accent, Grandma O insulting every customer that comes into the B&B, an adorable brother, and a handsome restauranteur and chef. Well, you get my drift. They are all a bit quirky and somehow it all falls together to make an easy-to-read, pleasant cozy mystery. I sure hope there will be more action in Pine Cove.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

December 8, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Publisher: Grove Press
Genre: Holiday, Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

Sweet and yet thoughtful or short and sweet. That would be my description of this little book. Not much needs to be said about this delightful book. It’s a perfect read for the Christmas holidays. It needs to be shared with all of your loved ones.

Small Things Like These was chosen as an Oprah’s Book Club Pick in 2024. It’s a novella, only 114 pages. It’s based in Ireland. A story composed of hardworking, faith-following religious folk and a man who sees he must do what has to be done. But even though he can “see the right-thing” that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to consider all the consequences to his loved ones and those around him.

A deep and yet poignant story. A beautiful tale to read. What a wonderful Christmas gift this would be.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher

December 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Publisher: 47 North
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

Selena has nothing to lose. Ditching her partner and taking nothing but the clothes on her back and her ever-faithful dog, Copper, she chooses to start a new life and find whatever it is that she’s been missing. But when she arrives in Quartz Creek, she discovers her only connection to the town has died. Does she stay and try to make it work? Or does she go back to Walter and admit defeat?

Since this was my first T. Kingfisher novel, I honestly had no idea what to expect. What I got, however, was a dark fantasy bordering on horror at times, with more humor than you would imagine. Copper, the black lab, is the source of most of this humor, as labs often are. Grandma Billy, also, is good for a chuckle just when things start to get intense. Thankfully, we had the calming presence of Father Aguirre for when things got truly crazy.

Selena was one of the more interesting characters, in my opinion. Her ex, Walter, was controlling and constantly made her doubt herself. Watching her deconstruct and discover the truth was something special. That moment when she began to realize that Walter’s reality and hers were two different things really stood out.

As someone who has spent most of her life in the desert, everything about this book appealed to me. The bleakness and beauty of the southwest, the native beliefs, and of course, that a road runner was at the forefront of the story. These little birds have fascinated me since I was a child, and it makes me sad that I rarely see them these days. Quartz Creek might seem like a dying town, but there is absolutely more to this sleepy little village than meets the eye. I look forward to reading more of T. Kingfisher’s books in the future. This one certainly lived up to the hype for me.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Pits: Life Literally Bit Me in the Ass (a memoir) by Cheryl Edwards

November 17, 2025 By 1 Comment


The Pits: Life Literally Bit Me in the Ass (a memoir) by Cheryl Edwards
Publisher: Huber House Press LLC
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Cheryl Edwards’s life takes a terrifying turn when she is viciously attacked by three pit bulls, and nothing goes according to plan when it comes to escaping, finding help, and recovering.

Once a happy dog-loving gym rat who swam with sharks and skydived, she’s now afraid of skiing, snakes, and senior schnauzers. With her life in the pits, she copes like any other Gen Xer and the only way she knows how: with pigheaded determination, sarcasm, and humor. Needless to say, the results vary.

Cheryl wants nothing more than to be normal again, but after therapist number three informs her that she hadn’t been normal to begin with, she’s forced to confront her past in order to make the most of her future.

This gripping memoir isn’t just a cautionary tale for dog owners and pet sitters; it’s a thank-you letter to her husband, a guide to treating victims, and a testament to friendship.

Courage comes in many forms.

Ms. Edward’s conversational writing style was the perfect fit for this memoir. Even though I’ve never actually met her, in some ways it still felt like I was sitting down with an old friend to get a detailed update on her life as I read. Her warm and easy-going narrative was occasionally punctuated by funny moments that I never would have expected to read in a book about a vicious, unprovoked attack by three dogs.

My favourite passages were the ones that described the parts of recovery that might not be the first thing to cross someone’s mind when they think about the practicalities of healing from so many bites. For example, the author had a terrible time convincing her insurance company to cover many of the bills that resulted not only from her attack but also from the physical therapy and other medical costs in the weeks, months, and years to follow. Her mental health was negatively affected in completely understandable ways as well as she dealt with the horrific trauma of that day. These sections were an excellent reminder of just how long healing can take as well as how much of it involves things that outsiders might not understand. Compassion is key whether someone is the victim of such an attack or a friend or loved one who is trying to help. I’ll leave it up to other readers to absorb the rest of the lessons she learned as a result of these experiences, but there was plenty of material here to work with for people from every walk of life.

The author’s reactions to the dogs who attacked her was what ultimately encouraged me to give this a glowing five-star read. That is to say, I was impressed with how she responded to the thought of discussing their future once the danger was finished and she’d received appropriate medical care for her many injuries. That isn’t a topic I can go into great detail about without sharing spoilers, but it was what solidified this into a must-read for me.

The Pits: Life Literally Bit Me in the Ass overflowed with hope, forgiveness, and kindness. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Crucifix by Naomi Cashman

November 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Crucifix by Naomi Cashman
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

There are always two sides to everyone … Some people are just good at keeping their sinful side hidden.

Something dark and sinister lurks in the musty hallways and abandoned rooms of the Convent of Mercy. The now defunct orphanage, with its history of odd occurrences and murderous deeds, draws tourists with a taste for the macabre. But what if the stories that have been whispered about by the locals are true?

In 1865, orphaned Katherine is sent to live at the convent where fear rules. Nobody will speak of the odd occurrences – an organ playing in the dead of night; fresh graves dug beneath her window; and the Reverend Mother’s bizarre obsession with an ornate crucifix. Worse still, girls who are summoned to her office are never seen again. And when Katherine attracts the attention of the malevolent Sister Nora, her survival seems unlikely.

Katherine’s quest to uncover the truth exposes her to unspeakable evil. Will she resist the darkness that festers in her soul or will she succumb to the unholy power of the crucifix?

Evil wears many faces.

I loved the character development in this novel, especially when it came to how my opinion changed about the various characters as I learned more about them. It’s not easy to write an antagonist whose motives are understandable and whose personality is well-rounded enough for a reader to find something likeable about them, so kudos to Ms. Cashman for making this look so effortless.

The plot twists were equally well written. Where I thought the storyline was going to go in the first scene didn’t necessarily match what happened, and it was fun to be surprised a few times as Katherine learned more about her new home and tried to avoid the horrors lurking there. The foreshadowing nudged me in the right direction without being too obvious about what was coming, although once I looked back at the signs, I found a few that I should have paid closer attention to. It’s amusing when this happens, and I will definitely keep an eye out for future works from this author.

Knowing that the setting was inspired by a real convent only made this an even more immersive and frightening read for me. Horror is scariest when there’s a sliver of truth embedded in it in my opinion, and I eagerly read more about the original Convent of Mercy in Ireland between reading more chapters about the fictional one. This wasn’t necessary in order to understand the plot, but it’s definitely something I recommend to anyone else who also happens to enjoy learning about history.

The Crucifix made me wish for a sequel about the terrifying Convent of Mercy.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Family Feud by Daniel Kowalski

November 6, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Family Feud by Daniel Kowalski
Publisher: Lunch Bar Media
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

An exciting domestic thriller full of psychological suspense, family drama, and mystery. Set on a secluded estate, this is a novel full of deceit, betrayal, and a web of lies all spun around a pulse-pounding gripping narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat when one dark secret reveals an even larger one.

In ‘Family Feud’, the idyllic facade of Kelly and Joe McCarthy’s suburban life shatters when Kelly, the quintessential supermom, mysteriously disappears, only to reappear unharmed weeks later unharmed. Relieved but wary, her husband Joe, a former military man turned security expert, senses that something is amiss as Kelly’s account of her abduction raises more questions than answers.

As the family attempts to resume normalcy, Joe’s concerns deepen when strange occurrences plague their lives, indicating that Kelly’s ordeal may not be over. With their safety threatened and trust shattered, Joe takes drastic measures to protect his loved ones, including relocating them to a secluded estate.

But danger lurks closer than they realize, and Joe soon finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and betrayal that threatens to tear their family apart. As dark secrets come to light and tensions reach a boiling point, Joe must confront the ultimate truth—an enemy within their midst.

‘Family Feud’ is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the complexities of family dynamics, trust, and the lengths one will go to protect those they love. With its pulse-pounding suspense and unforeseeable twists, this novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final, shocking revelation.

Sometimes people lead normal lives and yet, truly, their life isn’t normal at all. That’s what happened when Kelly got snatched off the street and two people put a bag over her head in this story.

The beginning of this book is about an abduction as you can tell from my intro, but it is anything but about that overall. This is truly your crime thriller, and it had me turning pages as fast as possible. There’s a lot in this story, some love, some fights, some disbelief, some secrets and some things the characters wish they’d never found out.

And this author, Daniel Kowalski, seems to be able to bring them all to life. His dialog makes you feel as if some things are really happening. This was like a television show. Twice I gasped and put my hand to my mouth and scared my husband to death. It was as if I was watching action, not just reading it. I’ve read that the author is not only a writer of books but also a screen writer. Maybe that’s where his talent for vivid scenery in writing comes from.

I noticed there is only one more book by this author. I’ll read it for sure but hope there will be more.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Gifts Between Us by C.C. Adams

October 30, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Gifts Between Us by C.C. Adams
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Elderly Londoner Augustus has lived a long, miserable life. Having driven his few remaining loved ones away years ago, he now whiles away his time drinking rum and hoping for the end.

One night his death wish is nearly granted by a mugger, but a local youth called Michael intervenes. Much to the old man’s horror (and fascination) Michael promptly begins to devour the mugger’s body.

Slowly, Augustus and his mysterious saviour form an unlikely friendship, one built on sharing the gifts of trust, camaraderie, and acceptance.

And one last gift: a secret. It is the cause of Michael’s cannibalistic nature. And, perhaps, a reason for Augustus to go on living…

Second chances are nothing to sneeze at.

This was an excellent example of how to create deeply unlikeable but still compelling characters. Neither Michael nor Augustus were men I’d ever want to cross paths with, especially in a deserted alley after sunset, and yet I was fascinated by their terrifying secrets and how well they kept them hidden. Anyone who walked past them on the street would have no idea what lay behind their calm and unassuming personas which only made the later events in their lives even more frightening.

The horror in this novella was grisly and violent. It’s not something I’d recommend to the faint of heart, and yet every one of those scenes was critical in order to understand the final one. One must know exactly what these characters have been capable of in the past in order to be prepared for their futures. I thought the scenes that described how Michael had turned into the person Augustus knew were especially important given what they shared about his personality and character before the plot escalated.

Creativity is something I look for in every tale I review, and it revealed itself early here. The plot twists weren’t that common for this genre in my experience, but they worked beautifully with the established character development to create something I couldn’t possibly stop reading. I loved being surprised by where the storyline was headed next and will definitely keep an eye out for more of Mr. Adams’ work in the future.

Gifts Between Us was deliciously scary.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

Movie Review: Sinners

October 27, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Sinners
Writers: Ryan Coogler
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Saul Williams, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Andrene Ward-Hammond, and Jack O’Connell
Publisher: Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars (10 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Horror and history are the perfect match.

The character development was everything I hoped it would be. Both the protagonists and the vampiric antagonists were well-rounded individuals who all had their own virtues and vices. They genuinely felt like real people – or real former people – to me who sometimes made terrible mistakes only to reveal wholesome aspects of their personalities that I found relatable and understandable a few scenes later. Sympathizing with vampires or other creatures of the night isn’t something I generally do, but I thought they made some intelligent points about the advantages of joining them and had a much clearer understanding of how the world should work than some of the human characters did.

I loved the way the director wove sharp social commentary about race, colonialism, and how those in power can manipulate things that are supposed to be good for malicious purposes into what was already an exciting vampire movie. This film could be interpreted in multiple ways that each stood on their own merits but also created an even more compelling story if they were layered on top of each other. That isn’t an easy feat to accomplish! It was one of my major reasons for choosing a perfect rating, and I would have given it even more stars if such a thing were possible.

Not every question I had about the characters or plot was answered which I consider to be a huge asset of this story. There were some scenes that were either partially explained or more or less left hanging, especially when it came to the behavior of the vampires in the last twenty minutes. Thinking about possible explanations for their poor choices in those moments made me want to rewatch this to see if there are additional hints about why this happened that I may have missed. I already have a few theories about why it was written that way and thought allowing the audience to come up with our own ideas made those scenes even more powerful.

There wasn’t a single thing I’d change about Sinners. It was memorable and thought provoking from every angle.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , , ,

Raven by Will Okati

October 20, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Raven by Will Okati
Jack-O-Lanterns
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Holiday, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

On All Hallows’ Eve, when spirits walk the earth, Leonard goes to Andrew for their yearly tryst. The lovers spend all their time waiting for their one chance to be together and seize it with both hands.

One night is never enough time.

I loved the character development in this piece. Leonard and Andrew were only able to share a small portion of their lives together for reasons that were explained later on in this tale, but the limited amount of time they could have together was described in detail and told me everything I needed to know about their personalities as well as the special connection between them. A little goes a long way sometimes.

The loving relationship between these characters only made their one annual night together even hotter. There was so much time to build up their emotional and sexual longing for one another that it was impossible to resist each other once Halloween arrived yet again. Honestly, I’m hoping for both a prequel and a sequel to this in order to get to know these characters even better, although of course I have no idea if such things are in the works behind the scenes.

It was only when I read the last few paragraphs that I realized there was another possible interpretation to this tale. Obviously, other readers should discover that for themselves and make up their own minds about which way the ending should be interpreted but having that twist was what convinced me to go for a full five-star rating due to how much depth it added to the storyline. Bravo for ending on such a high note, Mr. Okati! Raven was the perfect erotic read for Halloween.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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