Tamsyn Muir's next book is not the next Locked Tomb novel

It's an expanded edition of her novella "Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower." (I enjoyed the book/audiobook.)

Isabel Fall's "I sexually identify as an attack helicopter" is back online

Intense, vivid thriller. (Website says it's not associated with the author or original publisher)

Wild covers and plot summaries for the "TNT" series of novels

Currently reorganising my paperbacks and came across my TNT collection - aka the wildest, most ridiculous and over-the-top men’s adventure series ever published. Let the synopses give you a taste of what’s inside:

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— Steven Sheil (@scsheil.bsky.social) July 30, 2026 at 1:58 PM

More in the thread, including excerpts and comic book pages.


And speaking of pulpy covers:

Also, to buy Roseville Beach! plusoneexp.com/products/moo...

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— Richard @ R. Rook 🔜 Sleep (@rrookstudio.bsky.social) June 30, 2026 at 5:28 PM

I enjoyed the 1952 novella "Travel Light" about an orphaned girl who loathes heroes and is beloved by Odin

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I read it after reading this article by Duncan Fyfe about its rediscovery:

Travel Light gets better with distance. The more time that passes since the publication of the 1952 novel, the more likely a reader will apprehend it with wonder. The book is astonishing, but you’ve probably never heard of it. Its author, Naomi Mitchison, is even more astonishing, but you’ve probably never heard of her either. Most of all, the reader will wonder, how has this novel been out there for 70 years without having become a canonical text for every bookish child in the world?

37% off right now at Amazon, although I used the Libby app.

Wonderful site dedicated to psychedelic art from the 60's and 70's

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The "If" endpapers are from the book "If Apples Had Teeth"--lots and lots more scanned art from books and games and more at the site.

I enjoyed these two reviews of Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun series, as well as this short story set in the universe

I finally finished the four books, and sought out commentary. I think this one is basically right--the books are great fun, and basically answer all important questions and there's no need to overthink them. But this one is also at least somewhat true, if you want everything answered, you'll probably be frustrated. (My guess as to why the narrator was telling the story was wrong, which wasn't surprising, since unpredictability was what I liked most about the books.)

Also while looking for discussion about the series, I found and enjoyed "The She-Wolf’s Hidden Grin" a short story by Michael Swanwick, apparently inspired by later books written by Wolfe. (Good story, but it's much darker in tone than The Book of the New Sun.)

Stalactite and Stalagmite scuptures

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Based on Drew Beckmeyer's charming illustrated book "Stalactite and Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave," available at Amazon, and I found in the Libby app.

Preorder Ann Leckie's excellent new novel "Radiant Star" and get it signed and personalized

Signed and personalized copies are available here. 

For those not familiar, Ann Leckie has written a series of science fiction novels focusing on an intergalactic empire crumbling under its own weight as it's forced to confront its history of atrocities. The first three novels (Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, Ancillary Mercy) form a trilogy of utopian science fiction (think Star Trek the Next Generation with a dash of Master and Commander). Lots of philosophical discussions about racism, individuality, and free will, punctuated by super-slick violence between warriors with personal force fields, and spaceships enhanced by AIs. The protagonist and their allies are highly-competent and committed to justice.

Radiant Star is the latest novel taking place in the same universe. The events of the other books trigger a cascading series of failures in the remote city of Ooioiaa, exposing the local religious, mercantile, and political elites as pathetically venal and incompetent.

There is no super skilled hero operating here to save the city from collapse. Instead Radiant Star is a page-turner about human frailty, and the small acts of desperate heroism and generosity that seem pointless in the moment, but just might add up to salvation. (And if what you really want is an AI that is quite possibly insane, there is indeed one operating in the margins of the story. It collects things.) 

Radiant Star is available for preorder now. The audiobooks in the series are performed by Adjoa Andoh, and are also excellent. Enjoy them for free in the Libby app.

Madeline Miller's new book is up for preorder

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From the Amazon listing:

Mestra, daughter of the King of Thessaly, is granted a unique gift by Poseidon: the ability to transform into any being she can imagine.

Her father, on the other hand, is cursed: As punishment for disrespecting the goddess Demeter, he is in possession of an unnatural, insatiable hunger.

Devoted Mestra suggests using her new gift to help her father. But if his hunger is bottomless, how much will he take from her? Soon she must decide: Will she keep helping her father survive, or finally break free?

Speaking of Miller, I recently listened to the audiobooks of Song of Achilles (performed by Frazer Douglas) and Galatea (performed by Ruth Wilson). Both readings are great, and I found them in the Libby app.

A themed briefcase celebrating Qntm's excellent novel "There is no Antimemetics Division"

Received an absolutely amazing mysterious delivery

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— qntm (@qntm.org) January 9, 2026 at 12:35 PM

This was a Christmas gift from Editorial Hidra who are publishing the Spanish translation of THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION which is available now! Thank you so much! Major high effort, hugely flattering, I'm a little stunned

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— qntm (@qntm.org) January 9, 2026 at 12:37 PM

On the one hand, this is amazing, fantastic work. On the other - where are the puzzles?

— Rory (@baronwr.bsky.social) January 9, 2026 at 12:56 PM

Well I have a highly limited command of Spanish so in a way the whole thing is a puzzle

— qntm (@qntm.org) January 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM

I loved Gene Wolfe's novel "The Shadow of the Torturer," and can't believe I've never read any of his books before

The first book in a long series, it starts simply enough--a young teen sees a legendary outlaw and in a moment of unplanned bravery saves him from overwhelming odds in a swordfight. That little act of rebellion is the first of many swashbuckling adventures in a strange new world of savagery, sorcery and super science (alleged acts? The narrator seems to be dishonest? unreliable? dumb? time-addled?). I don't know that I've ever read  a novel where each chapter was so satisfying as the distinct adventure in a serial and deserving of a lurid cover image. The novel is available at Amazon in various collections, but I read it in the Libby app.

His obituary in the NY Times quotes an interview in which he described his writing style (and summarizes the feel of The Shadow of the Torturer): 

“There’s a wonderful ‘Peanuts’ cartoon that pretty much describes what I’m talking about,” he said. “Snoopy is on the top of his doghouse and he writes something like: ‘A frigate appeared on the edge of the horizon. The king’s extravagances were bankrupting the people. A shot rang out. The dulcet voice of a guitar sounded at the window.’ Then he turns and looks at the reader and says, ‘In the last chapter I’m going to pull all this together!’"

(Best I could tell, he was describing Peanuts in general and a page from "Snoopy and 'It was a Dark and Stormy Night'")

Romantasy novel printed with garlic-infused ink as a cross-promotion with Hellman's mayo

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50 copies left when I checked:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a captivating dark fantasy that will transport you to a world of ancient magic, forbidden love, and dangerous secrets.

In collaboration with Hellmann's Mayonnaise, the first-of-its-kind special edition of "The Primal of Blood and Bone" is inspired by the garlicky goodness of Hellmann's Garlic Aioli. This exclusive edition is printed with garlic-infused ink, designed to ward off bloodthirsty monsters, like the Craven.

I enjoyed this review of the new collection of short stories inspired by Stephen King's "The Stand"

Although the collection is apparently lackluster.

Slate's "The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years"

Diverse list and, thankfully, not a slide show. The Looking at Picture Books newsletter discussed some of the books in greater detail.

There’s a new picture-book version of “Hansel and Gretel,” written by Stephen King, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak, but...

Per this review by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, it's disappointing.

Sendak died in 2012; the book uses his designs for a 1997 staging of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera. 

...

On these spreads, the book really stops working like a picture book and becomes something less interesting. Sendak’s art is mere ornament, a decoration for a narrative that’s occurring only in prose. It feels like King had a story he wanted to tell but there was no art to match it, so it just got stuck under a tree proscenium

Lots of images from the book at the link, and their newsletter suggests books about Sendak’s theater designs. 

(Here's the Amazon preorder for the new book, and for "Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet.")

This vintage kids book is a fun reminder of life before smartphones

This particular page is some charming condensed advice about book plots:

I love this advice from Ruth Krauss on "How to write a book."
(illustration by Crockett Johnson) pic.twitter.com/zALEOaD94o

— Into The Forest Dark (@ElliottBlackwe3) January 14, 2023

But wow, the rest of the book is about the horrors of life before smartphones. Via Jon Klassen's Substack about children's books.

Adrian Tchaikovsky's novel "Alien Clay" is terrific from start to finish and is $2.99 right now

A body horror thriller about crash landing on an alien planet, told by an unreliable narrator (don't spoil it for yourself, avoid learning more before you read it). On sale for $2.99 right now at Amazon.

Wonderful audiobook for Tamsyn Muir's "Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower"

A princess with no real skills is imprisoned by a witch atop a tower packed with monsters, and realizes no one is coming to save her. Performed by Moira Quirk. Available at Amazon, although I listened to it in Libby.

Folio Society made a deluxe illustrated edition of The Culture novel Use of Weapons

Lots of illustrations posted here. The cover should have been the simple chair that inexplicably sets him off. 

The Wikipedia entry for the book says, "According to Banks, he wrote a much longer version of the book in 1974, long before any of his books (science fiction or otherwise) were published. The book had an even more complicated structure ('It was impossible to comprehend without thinking in six dimensions')"

(My favorite Culture novel is Matter, but this one is good too)

Premee Mohamed's "The Butcher of the Forest" is fabulous

Horror fantasy about a woman forced to enter a terrifying forest. Starts at a sprint and doesn't let up. (Amazon link, although I read in the Libby app.)