Movie Review: Gunyo Cholo: The Dress

October 13, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Gunyo Cholo: The Dress
Writers: Samudra Bhatta, Najir Husen, V. Vansay Zanubon
Director: Samudra Bhatta
Starring: Ip Acharya, Nisha Bajhgain, Prasamsha Bhatta
Publisher: Anupheap Productions, Sabsung Studios, Sky Ocean Entertainment
Genre: LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars (10 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dev/Gulabi, the only son of a retired Army General, is disowned for wanting to transition. Fleeing her village for Kathmandu, she finds belonging in the trans community and fights for acceptance in a hostile society.

Acceptance is everything.

I was mesmerized by the early experiences in a rural and sometimes intolerant community that shaped Dev (who later changed her name to Gulabi) into the woman she became. Few things in life are completely harmful or helpful, so I appreciated the quiet, happy moments with the family that were included between scenes that showed how her first explorations of her gender identity were misunderstood and feared.

What the love of a family can look like was another theme that was heavily explored in this film. Whether with biological relatives, chosen relatives, or some combination of the two, everyone has occasional disagreements with the people they consider to be kin along with the happy moments they also shared. There were times when I blinked away tears as Gulabi faced disappointment in these relationships and other scenes where I quietly cheered as she found new ways to balance her responsibilities to both herself and to those she deeply loved.

The ending was ultimately what convinced me to choose a perfect rating. It wove all of the themes together perfectly while also resolving the major conflicts in both realistic and heartwarming ways. Obviously, I can’t go into too much detail about what happens in those scenes, but I wouldn’t have changed a single moment in them. They showcased the personalities of all of the characters nicely and gave this viewer a chance to say goodbye and feel satisfied with what I had just seen.

Gunyo Cholo: The Dress was a beautiful and emotional tale.

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

Lani’s Adoption Day by Susan Coryell

September 30, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Lani’s Adoption Day by Susan Coryell
Publisher: Golden Bridges Publishing/Little Sister Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Five-year-old Lani, adopted in infancy from Japan, lives with her Hawaii mixed-race family. Though festive, her adoption day celebration brings Lani’s focus to an ongoing concern: Has my mother in Japan forgotten me? Lani seeks reassurance that her birth mom remembers-both her and her special day. Realizing the depth of Lani’s perturbation, knowing it can affect their relationship both now and in the future, her family finds ways to put to rest her worries, while emphasizing Lani’s importance to their family. Using a book she has received as an adoption-day gift, Mommy, Daddy and sister Vivi help Lani learn about her Japanese heritage, pointing out that her adoptive Hawaiian family is mixed-race, a positive example of modern-day diversity. With her worries soothed, Lani dreams that night of the meeting/melding of Japanese and Hawaiian-American cultures.

Adoption has many faces.

Lani’s curiosity about her past as she grew old enough to ask some deeper questions about her birth mother was completely understandable. I loved the compassionate and open-hearted way her adoptive parents responded to her and tried to keep her connected to her culture through food, books, language lessons, and more. It made me wonder what other tools they’d use as she grew older to encourage her to spend even more time learning about Japan.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this picture book was how open-ended it was. Not every family knows all of the details about why their child or children were placed for adoption or how the birth family is currently doing for a wide variety of reasons. Living in that grey area whether temporarily or permanently isn’t always easy, but it is a reality that many kids grow up in. There was plenty of space here to imagine a variety of possibilities for her life which makes this a good read for anyone who is in a similar situation.

The sibling relationship between the main character and Vivi was also delightful. They had a warm and close relationship that showed up in all sorts of subtle and wonderful ways as they enjoyed Lani’s beach party to celebrate the anniversary of her adoption. It made me wish I could read a sequel that followed them as they grew a little older and were able to have more complex conversations about their relationship. I always enjoy seeing siblings get along well in picture books.

Lani’s Adoption Day was heartwarming.

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

Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond

September 12, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves – 150 years before the Civil War?

In the Province of Carolina, 1710, freedom seems unattainable for Willie, for his beloved Gertie, and for their unborn child. They live, suffer, and toil under their brutal master, James “Big Jim” Barrow, whose grand plantation was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of the enslaved. To flee this hell on earth is be hunted and killed. Until one strange night Willie is offered a dark hope by Rafazi, an enigmatic slave with an irresistible and blood-chilling path to liberation.

Hailing from the Kingdom of Ghana, Rafazi is the lone survivor of the Ramanga, an African vampire tribe rendered nearly extinct by plague. Rafazi has roamed the world for centuries with an undying desire to replenish the power that once defined his heritage. In Willie, Rafazi has found his first biddable subject to be turned and to help in a hungry revolt. And Willie desires nothing more than to free his people from malicious bondage. Whatever it takes.

One by one, as an army of blood slaves thirsting for revenge is gathered, the headstrong Gertie fears that no good can come from the vampiric legacy that courses through Rafazi’s veins. Willie knows that only evil can fight evil. And when the woman he loves stands between the reemergence of the Ramanga and the justified slaughter of the oppressors, Willie must make an irreversible decision. Only one thing is certain: on the Barrow plantation, and beyond, blood will spill.

Part historical drama, part supernatural horror, and part alternate history, Blood Slaves is an ingenuous and defiant new creation myth of the vampire, one rooted in both justice and the sometimes-violent means necessary to achieve it.

If given the chance to fight for freedom from slavery, what would you be willing to sacrifice to achieve it?

Markus Redmond’s exceptional storytelling seamlessly blends American history with supernatural horror in a deeply satisfying fight for freedom. I kept telling everyone they had to get a copy of this book the moment it released. I am convinced this would be incredible as either a movie or a TV series. It has everything: love, betrayal, plenty of action, and a classic good-versus-evil theme.

Blood Slaves is a tough read at times, but a necessary one. It’s much more than just a book about vampires and slaves; it’s thought-provoking and opens up vital discussions. I appreciated the way Redmond explores the differing opinions among slave owners and the complex arguments among the enslaved. Even though Robert Callowhill, James Barrow’s (Big Jim) house guest, owned slaves, he didn’t share Big Jim’s particularly vicious justifications for slavery. The novel delves into the difficult question of violence versus non-violence, and the multifaceted nature of freedom and its cost. Gertie’s verbal stance, weighing enslavement by white men against enslavement to blood, and questioning if being undead equates to true freedom, is particularly compelling. If you had the opportunity to fight for freedom from slavery, would you do so, and to what extent?

I also appreciated Redmond’s portrayal of Rafazi, who admitted his fear and acknowledged that, while not a natural leader himself, he recognizes and respects Willie/Kwadzo’s leadership. I like Redmond’s inclusion of how the enslaved people honored and shared the land with the Indigenous people. I felt that the violence and revenge in this story were not portrayed as the actions of heartless killers, but of a need to survive and change the narrative of the mistreatment of humans for the color of their skin.

Redmond also raises important points about the significance of identity and heritage, and how profoundly the loss of one’s birth name, as experienced by Willie and the other enslaved, can impact a person.

Redmond successfully built the Barrow Plantation, vividly depicting the plantation, the lives of the slaves, and the characters. I found it interesting how little Big Jim valued his chief overseer, Monroe Washington, almost less than his slaves, and how that dynamic fueled Monroe’s hatred for Willie. Redmond also provides a rich history of the Ramanga Tribe, and through Rafazi, we learn about the nature of their blood and how humans respond to it.

From every angle, the story maintains a compelling and intriguing pace, building towards the action and rebellion. Readers seeking a traditional vampire story may not find this book to their taste. But those who enjoy historical fiction with an alternative blend of supernatural horror will find Blood Slaves full of depth, entertainment, and characters that readers will both love and hate.

This novel receives my highest recommendation for readers willing to engage with challenging themes presented without sugar-coating. Potential readers should be aware that the story is set in 1710 in the province of Carolina. It contains triggers and content warnings, including violence, blood/gore, murder, abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse, racism, hate speech, racial slurs, and systemic racism.

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

Hotel Spacious by J.S. Frankel

September 2, 2025 By 2 Comments


Hotel Spacious by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An asteroid in a distant galaxy, a secret recipe, and an animal that has a certain magical quality to it. For Vern Nilsson, working as a bellhop at a hotel on that asteroid is one thing. Risking his life to find that recipe is another story altogether.

Vern Nilsson needs a summer job, and he finds one on Hotel Spacious, a hotel on a manmade asteroid in a distant galaxy. Built by the Borne, a benevolent race, Hotel Spacious offers a place for aliens of all sorts to relax.

Except Vern, who’s on call as a bellhop, dishwasher, and all-around gofer twenty-four-seven. The only saving grace from his job is meeting Dinarra—nicknamed Dee—a tiger-woman who has the same job that he has. Never mind that her parents are against it. Interspecies relationships rock.

Relationships aside, murder rears its ugly head. It seems that the murderer is after a secret recipe and a rare animal. If the animal is prepared correctly, it can confer God-like powers upon the eater.

Vern and Dee begin their own investigation, but by the time they discover the truth, it may be too late.

Not every summer job is as exciting as this one.

There were exactly enough details shared about the setting to keep my interest levels high. I especially appreciated how the author trusted his audience to fill in the smaller details about what it was like to visit, stay, or work at this hotel filled with aliens of all shapes and sizes. It made it easier for me to daydream about this topic during reading breaks because not all of my questions were answered. When done with care, ambiguity is a wonderful invitation for a reader to help create their own unique version of the author’s world and characters.

I enjoyed the fact that so many different genres were included in this book. The plot was romantic in some scenes only to switch to the fantasy, young adult, or mystery genres in others. This kept me on my toes as I was reading as I was never quite sure which direction it would meander into next. It takes courage and skill to play around with writing styles and reader’s expectations like that, and it’s one of the many reasons why Mr. Frankel is on my list of authors whose stories I automatically request every time he submits something new to Long and Short Reviews. A storyteller has to be quite knowledgeable about the genres they write in order to pull this off successfully, after all.

If I had to make a guess about Mr. Frankel’s personal life, I’d say that he has probably worked in the service industry at some point. Vern’s wide variety of experiences with the hotel guests and employees made me smile and nod my head as I read because of how true to life these scenes were. Some guests were perfectly sweet and gentle while others could be rather challenging at times…or worse! The main character never knew how he would be treated from one moment to the next or what hijinks might be happening just out of his view, and this made it tricky to find good stopping points while I was reading. It was engrossing from beginning to end.

Hotel Spacious had something spectacular for many different types of readers in his tale.

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

Pop Tarts and Mistletoe by S.L. Sterling

September 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Pop Tarts and Mistletoe by S.L. Sterling
The Happy Holidates Series Book 1
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Being stuck at the airport wasn’t part of my holiday plans.

I was on my way to stay with my best friend and his family for the holidays when a freak snowstorm hit. Now I’m stuck, all planes are grounded, and there are no hotel rooms available. I also have no clue of when I’d be able to get on another plane, so here I sit.

Then I saw her.

She stood in front of a vending machine, scrounging through her purse. When she found her last bit of change, she carefully made her selection. A disappointed look came over her face and she began to punch and kick the vending machine trying to get whatever she’d selected to drop. When it did, she threw her hands in the air as if she’d just made the winning touchdown. Then she bent down and pulled out a package of pop tarts. Pop tarts? Who buys pop tarts from a vending machine?

She was feisty and cute, and I knew I needed to meet her. So, I invited her to sit with me. The night passed quickly, with flights heading out the next morning. It was then I realized I’d missed an opportunity as I watched her disappear into the airport crowd.

However, Father Christmas smiled down on me once again when I discovered that the beautiful holiday angel, I’d met earlier was my best friends sister, and I only had a few days to make her mine.

Oh, my cuteness—Pop Tarts and Mistletoe was a wicked fun holiday treat! This short novel made my heart feel all gushy and left a goofy smile plastered on my face. I totally want to re-read it just to get that happy-ever-after glow all over again. A Pop-Tart! As a plot thread! So unique, so unexpected—and so perfectly delightful. If the synopsis pulls you in like it did me, go ahead and start reading. Just be warned: it’s too delicious to put down until you finish it.

Maya, the heroine, was laugh-out-loud hilarious. I could totally relate to her—I’ve beat up a vending machine or two in my college days myself. And yes, strawberry frosted Pop-Tarts are the best! Also, who drinks eggnog without rum? (Not me.) I won’t spoil anything, but her brother gave her a childhood nickname that had me howling when I read why. It reminded me of my own brother, and the family dynamics were spot on and so much fun.

Now Liam—the leading man—was 100% my kind of book boyfriend. I adored him from the moment he met Maya at the airport, but I fell head over heels at the Christmas festival. (You’ll know why when you read it.) He’s sincere, romantic, and totally transparent—no mind games, just honesty and heart. The chemistry between Maya and Liam? Hot enough to warm an entire horse-drawn sleigh ride in the dead of winter. Forget coats, the steam between these two was more than enough.

It took Maya a hot minute to realize Liam was the one, but when she did…? Chef’s kiss. I felt so completely satisfied and happy. I also loved the setup for book two—it’s a romance between Maya’s brother and her best friend, and now I have to know how that story plays out.

This was my first read by S.L. Sterling, and it definitely won’t be my last. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Pop Tarts and Mistletoe, and for that reason alone, I whole pop tart-ly recommend it!

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

Menagerie in the Dark-Stories by Chris Kauzlarich

August 26, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Menagerie in the Dark-Stories by Chris Kauzlarich
Publisher: Phantom Quill Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Holiday, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Life often appears darkest just before the dawn of a new day.

In Menagerie in the Dark, Chris Kauzlarich immerses us in a speculative journey that explores the darker aspects of the human condition before bringing us back to the surface with the light of a new day. Through fourteen stories, this menagerie of characters faces trials of sorrow, death, loneliness, regret, deception, murder, delight, wonderment, and bliss, revealing what will either strengthen them enough to survive or plunge them to their demise. A boy’s home burns down, forcing him to confront a terrifying new world. A man enters a door where he witnesses his wife’s death, leaving him devastated; yet, he cannot stop returning to the scene, convinced he can save her. A nurse’s patients continue to perish under her care, but she harbors a dark secret—an administered cocktail for nefarious purposes.

These and other stories will stretch the limits of your emotions, from heartbreak to horror, leaving you yearning for more.

Fear comes in many mysterious forms.

Katelyn was in severe pain and desperately seeking more medication in “Echoes.” What I found most interesting about her tale was how many different ways it could be interpreted. Yes, she had a back injury that could explain why she needed her pain pills so regularly, but she also showed some signs that her reliance on them had possibly grown past what they were originally prescribed for. There were also inconsistencies in her memories that had multiple possible meanings as well. Other readers should decide for themselves which explanations they think fit the clues best, but I sure enjoyed the process of coming up with my own theories.

I loved the twist on what zombies are like in “Scalpel.” This was actually one of the biggest reasons why I chose a full five-star rating for this collection as the cause of the outbreak was as creative as it was original. It’s not easy to surprise me with this subgenre, so I must tip my cap to the author for pulling it off and making horror feel so relevant to life in 2025. The references that were included about current events from the past several years not only fit into the storyline nicely, they also made me chuckle in a few places which isn’t easy to do when I’m simultaneously scared.

While they were walking around trick-or-treating, Connor told his friends a terrifying local legend about a supernatural killer in “The Legend of Chucky Mudd.” What made the tale even more memorable was that the main character lived in the same house Chucky used to live in! I enjoyed seeing how Connor’s friends reacted to this conversation and how they changed their Halloween plans as a result of it. These scenes reminded me of things like Bloody Mary that used to scare me as a kid, although, of course, these characters were in serious danger and didn’t realize what their games were going to lead to. This was deliciously spooky, just the right amount of gory, and made me want a sequel.

Menagerie in the Dark was a perfectly balanced mixture of genres.

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

Being Broken – Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse by Geoffrey R. Jonas

August 22, 2025 By 2 Comments


Being Broken – Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse by Geoffrey R. Jonas
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A young woman dies alone in a hotel room, her fentanyl-poisoned cocaine still on the desk. She had been missing for nearly 2 weeks. Social Services had been trying to find a place for her to live with her 3-year-old son, whom she had left with her parents. Six months later her father fights for his life in intensive care, but succumbs to his illness because of a lifelong use of alcohol and tobacco. A month after his death her mother is assessed by doctors to be unable to care for herself because of her Alzheimer’s and mental health issues brought on by benzodiazepine and alcohol addiction.

The son, brother, stepson is the only one left to pick up the pieces. He begins a journey of the self and finds out the truth of his family. After going over letters, notes, emails, videos, and text messages, he uncovers a disturbing picture of the abuse his sister suffered at the hands of their parents. He also begins to better understand his own struggles with mental health and substance addiction because of the trauma and abuse he also suffered from their parents.

Follow the son as he looks through his family history to discover the generational abuse that trickled down through the years. Learn about how parents who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder emotionally abuse and manipulate their children. See how the abuse and trauma becomes mental illness in the abused, and how they fall into vicious traps of addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Witness the transformational change of the son as he works on the recovery of his inner child and tries to become the man he was meant to be.

Every choice has consequences, and some terrible choices echo through families for generations.

I appreciated the author’s thoughts about how medical providers and society in general could improve the way they treat people who are struggling with mental illness, domestic abuse, trauma, and Substance Use Disorder. His ideas were sensible and included plenty of straightforward advice on everything from changing the way one thinks of someone who is struggling with these challenges to ideas for legislation that could make treatment and recovery easier for this population as well. These are not easy problems to fix by any means, but there are things people from every walk of life can do to make the world slightly better for everyone affected by the sorts of things that Mr. Jonas experienced as a child, teen, and young adult.

While I loved this book in general, my all-time favorite scenes were the ones that showed how people who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder can manipulate nearly any conversation or situation to their own benefit, especially in cases when their victims are not already well-versed in how this disorder can destroy relationships. This isn’t always an easy topic to talk about, so I appreciated the care the author took in describing what his childhood was like without demonizing anyone or downplaying the deep trauma this mental illness caused in his life. It was a delicate balance to maintain, but it added extra layers to his story that were necessary in order to understand why everything unfolded the way it did.

One of the most remarkable things about this memoir was how brutally honest Mr. Jonas was about his faults. He shared multiple stories about things he had done that hurt other people or, in a couple of cases, animals without making any excuses for his choices or softening the blow by passing the blame to others. This is a difficult thing for many people to do, especially for someone who had such a traumatic start to life, so I have to commend him for doing all of the hard work that is necessary in order for a person to not only face up to their worst moments in life but also to genuinely apologize for them. He is a talented writer, and I hope to read more of his work in the future.

Being Broken – Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse was exactly what it needed to be in order to tell this tale.

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

Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald

August 15, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rate: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

April, a smart and lonely tech worker, worries work from home has gotten out of hand: She’s left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her Seattle neighborhood bookstore who has a gentle smile and looks great in flannel. But thanks to fate, Laura—a busy single mom who had given up on love—buys the book, finds the note, and thinks Westley has left it for her. A handsome man who loves books seems like just the plot twist she has been looking for.

Meanwhile, Westley—not the most perceptive—is too distracted by the movie filming at the store and the ambition it’s unlocked in him to notice either of the two women. But as April and Laura’s anonymous correspondence continues back and forth, their mundane routines are challenged, sparking a glimmer of hope. Is a happy ending in the cards for them?

Moira MacDonald’s new ‘Storybook Ending‘ is a fun twist on that shy-person’s bold attempt at a romance.

It might not seem bold to some, but “officially-lonely” April, decides to take a leap she almost immediately regrets. She sends a note to a handsome gentleman, of not-quite her acquaintance.

To her surprise and delight, she is answered. Oh, it might seem she was not especially daring, as her venture kicks off in the perfect place for her: A bookstore. An utterly charming new-and-used bookstore, inhabited by a truly pleasant, patient, and this mildly handsome man.

The setting is just right, the character, just right…and then there is Laura. Whoops, this adds a twist! We, the reader, are in the know from the start, and can see this is not headed in the way April believes. In fact, we might well believe that we can, where this is headed.

This is no silly rom com, however. It’s more of a fascinating psychological plunge into the lives of several people. It is an exploration. The introspective characters allow us to see developments, not only in the action, but each little step that the characters take. Each decision, each well-thought out, overly considered and very analyzed moment in each of their lives is revealed to us. It is not long before we feel we know them, and I have to admit, are firmly tied to each of them. It is hard to believe that this will work out well for all of them (or even, at times, any of them) but you will find yourself trying to imagine some way this will work out for all.

The very likable characters carry this story, at least at first. Curiosity builds, even though these seem like such ordinary lives.

Throughout, there is a thoughtful tone, a slow but hopeful pace, and a sense of something coming, something that, the more we read, the more we find we must know.

Ms. MacDonald’s writing is beautiful; her character studies are like written portraits. I found Storybook Ending to be utterly unlike anything I expected, and I heartily recommend it to all.

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

Movie Review: Murderbot

August 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Murderbot
From AppleTV+
Writers: Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz
Directors: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz, Andrew Milano, David S. Goyer, and Keith Levine
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tamara Podemski, and Tattiawna Jones
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ
Rating: 5 Stars (10 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

A security android struggles with emotions and free will while balancing dangerous missions and desire for isolation, evading detection of its self-hacking as it finds its place.

Safety is no laughing matter…but just about everything else is!

As someone who has yet to read “All Systems Red,” the book by Martha Wells that this series is based upon, I started watching with only the vaguest notion that the plot had something to do with a robot. Immediately, I felt empathy for Security Unit 238776431, or SecUnit as he preferred to be called. This was a show that doesn’t require any previous knowledge of the characters or plot to be funny, relatable, or surprising, although I’d love to hear from viewers who did know what to expect in advance to see what they thought of the small screen adaptation of it.

SecUnit’s understanding of human culture kept me guessing from the first episode of season one to the last one. He was grossed out by simple things like hugging or kissing but generally unmoved by violence unless one of his clients was in immediate danger. These contractions only made him more interesting to me as I never quite knew how he was going to react to any given situation. He didn’t have a human mind, and it showed in all sorts of surprising ways.

I loved the offbeat humor in this series. Not only did it highlight the many differences between humans and sentient robots, it also provided relief from the dramatic scenes. It’s not always easy to balance the two, especially with shows that include as many gun battles and other dangerous moments as this one does, but when it’s done right it’s a great way to draw in a wide variety of audiences and give everyone something to enjoy.

Murderbot made me want to dive even more deeply into this universe.

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

The Song of Achilles By Madeline Miller

August 7, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Song of Achilles By Madeline Miller
Publisher: Ecco
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.

Oh my, what a story. A story I did not think I would enjoy. It sure turned out very different than I thought. This book, The Story of Achilles, is a sort of adaptation of the Iliad/Odyssey. A Homeresque story made, well, readable in my mind.

This story shares some of the same characters as The Iliad, but I never once felt like I was wading or struggling through the heavy language of Homer’s book. This was so flowing, such a strong story and vivid too. There is a bit of everything in Madeline Miller’s book. The tale is filled with Greek mythology, the lives of the wealthy and the gluttonous, as well as the tender lives of those struggling to care about one another in a world of war and death.

We’re discussing a book with over a million ratings on Goodreads. An author with many other best sellers. If this all sounds dramatic, I meant for it to have that effect. This is a five-star read that made me cry and yet set my heart on fire all in the same 300+ pages.

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