Wombling Along

reviews

Dec 13

Hellooo!!

Welcome to the weekend and like many people in the UK it’s getting a weird mix of super busy as many workplaces hurtle towards the holidays and this week and next week mix preparation for Christmas and getting all the 2025 work done! I’ve not been online much or reading that much so this is going to be a short Wombling Along. A lot of rest though is incoming and I can’t wait!

Reviews

I liked this tempting review of Made Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky in SFFworld

https://www.sffworld.com/2025/12/made-things-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/

Locus has this interesting review reminding us anthologies are often gaining reading experience as to what die and does not work with a reader. This loos at Between Worlds edited by Gautam Bhatia which is in my holiday reading list

https://locusmag.com/review/between-worlds-by-gautam-bhatia-ed-review-by-niall-harrison/

I was fascinated by this review of The Wall by Marlen Haushofer

https://rohanmaitzen.com/2025/12/05/far-from-myself-marlen-haushofer-the-wall/

Jamreads keeps up the pace and quality looking at the gigantic fantasy The Shipwright and The Shroudwesver by Rafael Torrubia

https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-shipwright-and-the-shroudweaver-by-rafael-torrubia

And then for good measure Slow Gods by Claire North

https://jamreads.com/reviews/slow-gods-by-claire-north

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub mixes the traditional theme of winter and ghosts stories with this haunting anthology The Winter Spirits

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2025/12/07/reposted-book-review-the-winter-spirits-ghostly-tales-for-frosty-nights/

Lois also has this interesting review of The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon Ran

https://locusmag.com/review/the-midnight-shift-by-cheon-seon-ran-review-by-ian-mond/

Strange Horizons tempts me even more to read Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings

http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/honeyeater-by-kathleen-jennings/

Nerds of a Feather has this review of Babylonia by Constaza Casati that also looks into how myth and real history are being used by the author

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/12/book-review-babylonia-by-constanza.html?m=1

Strange Horizons picks up Black Hole Heart and Other Stores by KA Terynna and the way the variety of stories is explored here is really well done

http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/black-hole-heart-and-other-stories-by-k-a-teryna-translated-by-alex-shvartsman-2/

This book I’ve definitely seen mixed reactions to but I like the even handedness of how The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson is reviewed here

http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/the-macabre-by-kosoko-jackson/

Reviews Are often about explaining why something stands out and is worth your attention for the last this week Reading The End takes to TV and this great reviews explores how a drama’s use of sex scenes is actually being used to build the wider themes, characters and plots.

https://readingtheend.com/2025/12/10/anatomy-of-a-sex-scene-heated-rivalry-edition/

Best of 2025

Gingernuts of Horror has a look at Best middle grade horror

https://gnofhorror.com/best-middle-grade-horror-books-of-2025/

In other news

Reactor has this essay by Kristen Latterson that mixes Ronantasy, happy ever afters and Le Guin’s story Solitufe and is a fascinating read

https://reactormag.com/avoid-magic-le-guins-case-for-solitude-in-the-era-of-romantasy/

Gingernuts of Horror has this explanation of the power unseen terrors cause us

https://gnofhorror.com/unseen-terrors-the-monsters-in-our-minds/

This time of year is noisy in so many ways and a little peace is needed this Film Storie piece of mental health is quite useful

https://filmstories.co.uk/features/mental-health-wellbeing-matters-voice-in-my-head/

Found cool books? Then this year why not nominate for the Le Guin Award?