Wombling Along

Hellooo!!!

it’s been let’s say a less than optimum week with me still being a little under the weather and work being quite busy. I suspect this may be an update for a few weeks while I await some test results but Doctor seems relaxed it’s not too serious. A weekend hopefully without major incident is much needed!

So welcome to Wombling Along the blog’s weekend supplement of reviews and online articles I saw and thought others may be interested in.

Reviews

A Literary Escape is fascinated by The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell

https://aliteraryescape.com/2025/11/10/the-white-octopus-hotel/

Nerds of A Feather has a well balanced look at Hymn To Dionysus by Natasha Pulley

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/11/review-hymn-to-dionysus-by-natasha.html?m=1

Ancillary Review of Books does a really interesting double header of a review with non-fiction Dispelling Fantasies by Joy Sanchez-Taylor and Harmattan Season by Tonyi Onyebuchi which makes me keen to get to both

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/11/12/snap-criticism-sanchez-taylor-and-onyebuchi/

Reactor has a new Hidden Gems book club starting with Mary Doria Russell’s Children of God - I’ve catching up to do!

https://reactormag.com/mary-doria-russells-children-of-god-is-a-perfect-sequel/

Fan fi Addict really advance booktempts Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward out next year

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-nowhere-burning-by-catriona-ward/

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub adds to the aclaim being given to The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2025/11/11/book-review-the-everlasting-by-alix-e-harrow/

Strange Horizons reviews the reviewer with Colourfields by Paul Kincaid

http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/colourfields-by-paul-kincaid/

And really puts Esperance by Adam Oyebanji on my radar

http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/esperance-by-adam-oyebanji/

Jam Reads sets the pace with three reviews The Whisper of Stars by Cristin Williams

https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-whisper-of-stars-by-cristin-williams

Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky

https://jamreads.com/reviews/lives-of-bitter-rain-the-tyrant-philosophers-25-by-adrian-tchaikovsky

And makes me really hope The Isle In The Silver Sea by Tasha Suri and I get some reading time soon

https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-isle-in-the-silver-sea-by-tasha-suri

Gingernuts of Horror adds to those impressed by the southern gothic awaiting in Psychopomp and Circumstance by Eden Royce

https://gnofhorror.com/psychopomp-circumstance-review-eden-royce-review/

Lady Business is Booktempting hard with The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott. This duology awaits me

https://ladybusiness.dreamwidth.org/2025/11/11/the-nameless-land-by-kate-elliott.html

The Fantasy Hive looks at Made Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky

https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2025/11/made-things-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-book-review/

Book Jockey Alex looks at The Best Weird Fiction of the Year Vol 1 edited by Michael Kelly

https://bookjockeyalex.com/2025/11/14/review-the-best-weird-fiction-of-the-year-volume-1-curated-by-michael-kelly/

And In Other News

I liked this essay from Max Gladstone about the Internet and our attention spans. Which is real food for thought and adds to why I’m doing this feature.

https://maxgladstone.substack.com/p/visits-from-the-ahem-squad?r=20r6t&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

Witty and Sarcatsic Bookclub looked at how to celebrate Bram Stoker’s birthday so while late who could resist!

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2025/11/08/guest-post-eight-ways-to-celebrate-bram-stoker-on-his-november-8th-birthday-by-lindaann-loschiavo/

Reactor explores books using Southern Gothic

https://reactormag.com/five-southern-gothic-books-about-generational-trauma-that-you-probably-havent-read/

Renay has a look at latest likely Hugo nominations

https://www.tumblr.com/heyheyrenay/800089588382187520/spoiler-alert-i-received-calendar-alerts-for

Vajra Chandrasekera winner of the Le Guin prize has an interview well worth reading

https://reactormag.com/author-interviews-vajra-chandrasekera-rakesfall/

And also on their own blog this fascinating essay which is going to make you be wary of wallpaper

https://vajra.me/2025/11/11/creeping-by-daylight/

Ruadan Books has a great investigation of how horror has capitalists in its sights

https://ruadanbooks.com/when-eat-the-rich-is-not-enough-horror-meets-late-stage-capitalism/

Charlie Jane Anders looking back the suck fairy and the way our view of culture changes over time. I forever distrusting of nostalgia really liked this

https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/why-the-suck-fairy-exists/

This essay explores streaming and capitalism which is well worth a read. While the focus for music I think other media worth thinking about this

https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/the-same-stream-twice/

and I really loved this call to arms about why AI cannot write like a human

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/literature-is-not-a-vibe-on-chatgpt-and-the-humanities/

Round Ups

Gav Reads has a weekly summary with books coming out too

https://gavreads.co.uk/2025/11/09/sunday-summary-9-nov-25/

As always for more excellent reviews and more look at Renay’s Intergalactic Mixtape

https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-28/

And finally

Chuck Wendig confirms with this that Americans have some food issues

https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2025/11/09/in-which-i-eat-the-food-crime-known-as-kraft-apple-pie-mac-cheese/

And finally finally next year’s Fantasycon is in Glasgow and the British Fantasy Society to tempt us have created a music video. Worldcon, Eastercon and all other cons you have been set a high bar now

https://youtu.be/J8Q8uB0brq4?si=4b1AkHJkEaVNUyEW

Have a great weekend, stay safe and happy reading!