Behind Blue Eyes

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley . I really have mixed feelings here. This book took me two months to read, but it wasn't the fault of the writing. Initially I had a tough time getting hooked, but then I was definitely all-in for awhile. Personal events kept me from staying on track though, and by the end I was having difficulty focusing on the fine details. That said, the worldbuilding here is phenomenal. There were some early action scenes where I could vividly picture the events through the author's prose, and it really came to life in those moments. The last 20% or so I found hard to visualize and focus, but as I mentioned before that may be in part at least to personal distractions keeping me off track. I do think this is an author to watch, as it was my second novel to read from him. View all my reviews

Mistletoe & Magic: A YA Books Central Holiday Anthology by Melissa A. Craven My rating: 0 of 5 stars So far I've only read the story by Angela N. Blount , titled "Young Saint Nicholas". I picked this up as this author is a friend of mine, and I am a huge fan of her work. Yes, I know I just said she was a friend so there might be some bias, but trust me this lady can write compelling stories. I've read everything she has published (and even one that hasn't ;)) and I'd be a fan even if I hadn't met her on Goodreads. That said, this particular story is wonderful. It's quite different from other work Blount has published, but it doesn't suffer for that. This is a story of a future otherworld version of Saint Nick. I understand that it is a glimpse into his world and that there is much more to come later. As a taste, this was fantastic. It was enough to enjoy for the moment, yet make certain that I will scoop up a