Tag: R. Cooper

#AmReading

#AmReading, Ally is reading.

This week, alien/human, d/s, m/m (with tail-sex); m/m guardian spirit cop pines after falling apart young man; and a tentative sapphic slow-burn with menopausal werewolves.

Claimings Series by Lyn Gala
Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala

This is a five books series top and tailed (geddit?!) by  a free prequel and a collection of short stories. I was a bit nervy about dipping my toe into the universe to start with…the relationship between Ondry and Liam is a sub/dom one, which would usually put me off picking up a book because they are rarely, in my opinion, done well. However…it’s Lyn Gala, so big plus. And it turns out to be an unusual and satisfying take on the dynamic. I found myself sucked right into the universe, the love story between the human and alien MCs and the alien psychology. The world-building is brilliant. It’s a lovely, absorbing series and I really recommend having a look.

His Mossy Boy by R. Cooper
His Mossy Boy by R. Cooper

I guess I should just start a weekly homage to R. Cooper spot on the blog. This is part of the Beings in Love series and it’s the first one I’ve read. It’s a sweet story about misfit Martin, who controls his misery with booze and drugs. Somehow though, Ian, the town’s quiet, unassuming deputy is always there to collect him up and put him on his feet again, sometimes literally. You’ll have to read the story to find out who or what Ian is. I think I’d have benefited from reading Treasure for Treasure first, but I’m looking forward to reading that next!

Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff
Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff

I’m having a re-read of this before I plunge into the recently released sequel. For some of the women of Wolf’s Point, menopause not only comes with hot flashes, it comes with lycanthropy. And to cap it all, Becca’s husband dumps her and she starts to have feelings for another woman. Becca is just so normal–bemused, annoyed and frightened. She struck a chord with me because I feel like that about the change even without the werewolf thing. No arguments about whether or not you can have the window open if you can transform into a tall, clawed, furry monster. It’s got elements of thriller as well as a tentative romance and none of the stuff about fated mates or anything like that. The women are chosen by the land as guardians. Hard recommend.

That’s the lot!

#AmReading

#AmReading, Ally is reading.

This week, some sci-fi with The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal; and two gay romances, Green Tea and Pink Apples, a short, sweet contemporary from R. Cooper and the werewolfy Night Shift Series from T. A. Moore.

The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut Universe #1) by Mary Robinette Kowal
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. A Lady Astronaut Novel.

The premis of this story is that a metorite hits Earth in the 1950s. It asks the question what happens next?

It’s told from the POV of a well off, educated, married female pilot with wartime flying experience.
I found it fascinating. I was irritated on behalf of the MC by the intrangency of the male establishment in recognising the skills and experience women could bring to the operation to save the earth’s population. And I was cross about the assumptions made about their competence.

I was completely sucked in by the question of how a situation like this would have been dealt with given the tech of seventy years ago. I have always been told–and believe–that the perfect sci-fi story takes one or two aspects of life as we know it and asks what if? And this book does it perfectly.

It’s probably the only historical science fiction story I’ve ever read and I recommend it!

Green Tea and Pink Apples by R. Cooper
Green Tea and Pink Apples by R. Cooper

Another comforting read from R. Cooper, who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite writers.

This is a gentle short contemporary about two men who have known each other for years and who finally find their way toward each other. It’s a beautifully drawn picture of perfectly ordinary humanity and I loved it. Everything I read by this author makes me like their work more.

The Night Shift series by T. A. Moore
Shift Work by TA Moore. Night Shift #1

I’ve read the first two of these in quick succession this week. They’re definitely not stand alone – they both end on cliffhangers, so if that bugs you, steer well clear. I really liked the format though, it has the feel of a newspaper or TV tune-in-next-week serial that worked very well for me.

The world is a reversal of the usual small population of werewolves universe. Wolves are in the majority, and the Night Shift, where one of our MCs works, are all drawn from the twenty percent of the population who are null and stay sensible instead of changing. Wolves have no memory of the savage things they do over the nights of the full moon, which can include eating their spouse and children. Of course, our MC falls for a wolf, who is also an asshole in human form. They are thrown together in an attempt to solve police corruption, against a background of unsupportive colleagues and lots of snark.

I loved the world-building, which is steady and leaves a lot behind the scenes that is drip-fed in. I am having a mild amount of trouble suspending my disbelief about how society evolved to the point where they have mobile phones etc if most of the population are busy tearing each other apart for a few nights every month, but not to the point of it stopping me really enjoying the story!

The third one is out later this month and I’m really looking forward to it. Recommend!

That’s the lot for this time. Happy reading!