Wombling Along!

Hellllooooo!

It is done! I have finished work and have a lovely 11 days off in a row! Safe to say I am more than ready for a break. We are off to Sicily later this week and the important question of how many books to take is debated. Curse you luggage allowances! Been a blurry week getting stuff done and so reading has been very stop start

Ahem got some Hugo novels to finish and some great review books. My aim is to recharge and then play catch up on reviews but also next award will be some BfS categories and the Le Guin. And quite a few book emails I can finally reply to and….Yes I am on holiday why do you ask?

Now enough of my wittering let’s get other people to tempt you!

Reviews

Jam Reads enjoys fantasy noir with The Dead Don’t Lie by Stephen Aryan

https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-dead-dont-lie-the-blackstone-files-2-by-stephen-aryan

And very impressed by The Red Sacrement by Sarah Hinckley

https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-red-sacrament-by-sara-hinckley

Prospective Culture reach Rivendell in their Rings re-read

https://prospectiveculture.wordpress.com/2026/07/17/50-year-reread-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-7-strange-country-rivendell-and-lorien-elrond-and-galadriel/

Gav Reads is entirely won over by The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by CM Waggoner

https://gavreads.co.uk/2026/07/18/review-the-somewhat-wicked-witch-of-brigandale-by-c-m-waggoner-2026/

At Locus a thrilled review of Plastic, Prism, Void by Violet Allen

https://locusmag.com/review/plastic-prism-void-by-violet-allen-review-by-abigail-nussbaum/

And an unusual tale with added tine travel in Holloway by Elana J Arnold

https://locusmag.com/review/holloway-by-elana-k-arnold-review-by-colleen-mondor/

And impressed by Absence by Andrew Dana Hudson

https://locusmag.com/review/absence-by-andrew-dana-hudson-review-by-abigail-nussbaum/

Fiction Fan Blog has a delight reading Tye Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson

https://fictionfanblog.wordpress.com/2026/07/20/review-the-testament-of-gideon-mack-by-james-robertson-scottish-fiction/

Ancillary Review of Books is very taken by The Mulai by Munir Machemi

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/07/20/spirals-of-meaning/

An Enduring Romantic is fascinated by the dystopia of Womb City by Tloto Tsamaases

https://anenduringromantic.wordpress.com/2026/07/20/like-an-eclipse-in-reverse-tlotlo-tsamaases-womb-city/

Tar Volon catches up on short fiction

https://www.tarvolon.com/2026/07/21/tar-vol-reads-a-magazine-or-two-reviews-of-clarkesworld-and-giganotosaurus-july-2026/

Stewart Hotston is impressed by The Gods Must Burn by T R Moore

https://stewarthotston.com/2026/07/21/the-gods-must-burn/

Reactor selects their best short stories found in June

https://reactormag.com/must-read-short-speculative-fiction-june-2026/

They also interest me with Canon by Paige Lewis

https://reactormag.com/book-review-canon-by-paige-lewis/

And weirdness and mystery combine in The Door in Penrose Forest

https://reactormag.com/book-review-the-door-in-penrose-forest-by-sean-david-robinson/

Fan Fi Addict is entranced by The Minimalist by Kailee Pederson

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-minimalist-by-kailee-pedersen/

Gingernuts of Horror talks in their review of Preaching to the Choir by Adrian Tchaikovsky why they also see his relationship to horror writing

https://gnofhorror.com/adrian-tchaikovsky-preaching-to-the-choir-preview/

They also have look at Great Gatsby themed horror with These Gilded Ghostly Hearts by Gwendolyn Kiste

https://gnofhorror.com/in-these-gilded-ghostly-hearts-gwendolyn-kiste/

Pots and Plots is very happy with The Knights Watch by Thomas D Lee

https://potsandplots.blog/2026/07/22/the-knight-watch-by-thomas-d-lee-knights-vs-nazis/

Blogging With Dragons explains their mixed reaction to The Witch Below Tge Dreaming by H G Parry

https://bloggingwithdragons.com/book-review-the-witch-below-the-dreaming-wood/

While Becky’s Book Blog is much happier with it!

https://crooksbooks.blog/2026/07/23/the-witch-below-the-dreaming-wood-by-h-g-parry-arc-review/

Darker Times has a great and powerful review of Unamed Bones by Lora Senf

https://www.darkertimes.com/motel-of-the-mind-lora-senfs-unnamed-bones/

Nerds of a Feather really enjoyed Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/08/review-drop-of-corruption-by-robert.html

In Other News

Ruadan Books host this essay about writing and music

https://ruadanbooks.com/museical-writing/

The Otherwise Jury have announced their jury!

https://otherwiseaward.org/2026/07/introducing-the-2026-awards-jury

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub is doing great things to support Self Published Authors

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2026/07/10/announcement-repost-self-published-authors-appreciation-week-2026/

Dinipanda Reads talks about children fantasy concepts appearing in adult fiction

https://dinipandareads.com/2026/07/20/fantasy-with-friends-childrens-fantasy-concepts-in-adult-fantasy/

At Gingernuts of Horror a school librarian talks about picking horror books

https://gnofhorror.com/the-kids-are-alright-horror-books-for-11-12-part-2/

There are many Odyssey hot takes but this 2018 Reactor interview with Emily Wilson looks at translation

https://reactormag.com/all-the-voices-of-the-odyssey-emily-wilson-on-language-translation-and-culture/

And with humour explores the topic of author headshots

https://gnofhorror.com/the-horror-author-headshots-a-field-guide/

The latest Words for Worlds is out

https://gautambhatia.substack.com/p/words-for-worlds-issue-127

Also tuck into this excellent The Full Lid

https://mailchi.mp/02edb0241a93/the-full-lid-12th-june-17249306

And never forget more great stuff awaits in Renay’s indispensable Intergalactic Mixtape

https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-63/

Have a lovely weekend, keep reading and I will see you soon!