Wombling Along!
Hellooo!
Welcome to Wombling Along the blog’s weekend supplement where I gather up reviews and other things caught online for your perusal with a cuppa.
It was a very busy week of deadlines and I’ll just say it felt longer. But a lovely sunny day gardening and reading can make everything a lot more relaxing! I plan to use the next two days for more of the same but now with some reviews to get written
Now onwards!
Reviews
Harare Review of Books has some intriguing non fiction to look at in the form of Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think by Ainehi Edoro
https://hararereview.com/2026/05/23/forest-imaginaries-how-african-novels-think-x-ainehi-edoro/
And my imminent read appears the right choice as they review The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed
https://hararereview.com/2026/05/18/the-republic-of-memory-x-mahmud-el-sayed/
Gingernuts of Horror tempts me mightily with The Sourdough Compendium by AG Slatter
https://gnofhorror.com/the-sourdough-compendium-review-a-g-slatter/
Does it again with These Familiar Walls by CJ Dotson
https://gnofhorror.com/these-familiar-walls-review-c-j-dotson/
Strange Horizons reminds me I need to get to this series with the third book The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older
And tempts me with The Midnihht Shift by Cheon Seon Ran translated by Gene Png
Ancillary Review of Books takes us to an unusual reading experience with this review of Geoffrey D. Morrison’s The Coffin of Honey
https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/05/22/recognizable-inside-the-unrecognizable/
And a sobering study of the darker Side of worldbuilding with Reactionary Worldbuilding edited by Anindita Banerjee, Sherryl Vint, David M. Higgins, and Jordan S. Carroll
https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/05/20/weaponizing-wonder/
Autumn is Reading really enjoyed The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
https://autumnisforreading.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-only-good-indians-stephen-graham.html
Locus is impressed by The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann
https://locusmag.com/review/the-beheading-game-by-rebecca-lehmann-review-by-colleen-mondor/
But gives a balanced review of The Many by Sylvain Neuvel
https://locusmag.com/review/the-many-by-sylvain-neuvel-review-by-niall-harrison/
And puts on my radar River of Bones and Other Stories by Rebecca Roanhorse
https://locusmag.com/review/river-of-bones-by-rebecca-roanhorse-review-by-alex-brown/
While strong Booktempting is used with Centraeuropa by Vicente Luis Mora
https://locusmag.com/review/centroeuropa-by-vicente-luis-mora-review-by-jake-casella-brookins/
Nerds of a Feather really enjoys Breath and Bone by K V Johansen
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/05/book-review-breath-and-bone-by-k-v.html
Fantasy Book Nerd is impressed by Dollface by Lindy Ryan as slashers come back into fashion
https://www.fantasybooknerd.com/2026/05/book-review-dollface-lindy-ryan.html
Gav Reads enjoyed Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz lot
https://gavreads.co.uk/2026/05/21/review-automatic-noodle-by-annalee-newitz-2025/
Blue Book Balloon is impressed by Mortedant’s Peril by R J Barker
http://bluebookballoon.blogspot.com/2026/05/review-mortedants-peril-by-rj-barker.html
Reactor enters the Weird with Florence McLandburgh’s “The Automaton Ear”
https://reactormag.com/i-heard-it-through-the-grapevine-florence-mclandburghs-the-automaton-ear/
Jam Reads finishing meeting Micah Grey with Masquerade by LR Lam
https://jamreads.com/reviews/masquerade-micah-grey-3-by-lr-lam
The Book Wyrm’s Hoard is very impressed by The Girl With A Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean
https://thebookwyrmshoard8.wordpress.com/2026/05/19/the-girl-with-a-thousand-faces-by-sunyi-dean/
Skiffy and Fanty takes us on a heist via Side By Side They Wander by Molly Tanzer
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-and-side-by-side-they-wander-by-molly-tanzer/
They also enjoyed Mortedant’s April by R J Barker
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/review-mortedants-peril-by-r-j-barker/
Unofficial Hugo Book Ckub looks at how Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky evolves the series
http://hugoclub.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-bleak-prospect-of-survival-of.html
Tar Volon dives into The Language of Liars by S L Huang and is very impressed
https://www.tarvolon.com/2026/05/19/sci-fi-novella-review-the-language-of-liars-by-s-l-huang/
the Wrong Questions continues the Lord of the Rings reread with the Council of Elrond
http://wrongquestions.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-great-tolkien-reread-council-of.html
While A Reader of Else reaches Faramir in theirs
In other News
Ancillary Review of Books starts a new serve for reviewers talking about reviewing and here lots of good discussion on spoilers - food for thought and perhaps more blogs?!
https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/05/21/rev-on-rev-spoilers/
The British Fantasy Awards have released their shortlists
https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-54/
Small Planet is a new magazine dedicated to translated fiction
https://www.sfintranslation.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SMALL-PLANET-issue-1-May-2026.pdf
Lady Business compete debates about how Tor dominates the shortlists for novellas
As always Dive into Renay’s essential Intergalactic Mixtape
https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-54/
Have a great weekend and I leave you with Agatha Christie (centre) on roller skates
See you soon!
