Mini-Me: Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire

{Since I'm having such a hard time jumping back into reviewing lately, I thought I'd do a quick look back at a book I read a couple months ago.}

When Alex Price agreed to go to Ohio to oversee a basilisk breeding program and assist in the recovery of his psychic cousin, he didn't expect people to start dropping dead. But bodies are cropping up at the zoo where he works, and his girlfriend—Shelby Tanner, an Australian zoologist with a fondness for big cats—is starting to get suspicious.

Worse yet, the bodies have all been turned partially to stone...

The third book in the InCryptid series takes us to a new location and a new member of the family, as Alex tries to balance life, work, and the strong desire not to become a piece of garden statuary. Old friends and new are on the scene, and danger lurks around every corner.

Of course, so do the talking mice.
~~

One of the best things Seanan McGuire ever did for my sanity was write a whole blog post about why she chooses not to include sexual violence in her books. It means that when I'm feeling down or want to read something that's multi-layered with a complicated and possibly dystopian setting, I don't have to spend the whole time preparing myself for something that'll give me nightmares. There are quite enough terrible things happening in the world right now, I don't need it in my books too.

Instead when I read something like Half-Off Ragnarok I can concentrate on the characters and the relationship building, and the hidden connections that I haven't deciphered yet that make the "who dunnit" clear. Or the fact that Shelby actually went off to rescue Alex from himself only to find a completely different situation than the one she was prepared for. REGARDLESS, it's all awesome and I highly recommend this series - which I think might be kind of important to read in order as some things happened in Midnight Blue-Light Special that pick up here.

June in Review

And now it's July! The world continues to move at super speed so I'll refrain from complaining about it, ok? But maybe you can pretend I did so we can all feel the catharsis that only comes from complaining about things we can't change and that seem to get worse as we get older, lol. I didn't read a lot of new books this month but I reread Shield of Winter possibly 8-10 times so I think I'm going to just call it a draw.

Lady Wild by Máire Claremont (B)
Count on Me by Lauren Dane (B)
Never Enough by Lauren Dane
Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh
Pia Saves the Day by Thea Harrison (A)
Peanut Goes to School by Thea Harrison

My favorite of the month is actually a tie, despite the many times I read SoW, because Pia Saves the Day was just so good! 

Links I Love

//"D.I.Y. Book Clutch" - so cool! And surprisingly easy? Well it looks that way anyway so I think I want to give it a try.

//No should be surprised that I want one of these Scarves Printed With Pages From Your Favorite Books. What a perfectly apropos fashion statement!

//"First Trailer For The New Sailor Moon Anime Shows Off Her New Look"

//"Photos: The Jazz Age Lawn Party Takes Governors Island Back In Time" - I always say I'm going to do this one year and so far that just hasn't happened. But look at these outfits - I want to fit in there!

//"One of America's Favorite Comics Just Took a Huge Step Forward for Diversity" - I never read Archie but I love the fact that they're taking steps to become more inclusive and welcome of the diversity that actually exists in the world.

//Whoa Disney, watch out, cause I think these Rejected Princesses might be coming after your thrown.

//It's not nearly cold enough for me to pretend I need a hoody from Rarity's Boutique but this Totoro one is calling my name!

//I've already got some outfits in mind for DragonCon this year but next year I may have to convince my friends that Retro Sailor Moon is the way to go.