Moss'd in Space

Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne, 368 pages

For years, Torian has been saving up her meager pay to buy a spaceship, which she plans on using to take her sister to a human planet where scientists can help cure her sister's chronic pulmonary condition. When she finally gets to buy a spaceship, it turns out the only one she can afford is an alien ship that's been hanging around the dock for a century, and is covered in moss. Still, she can work with that. But then she learns that the moss is actually an organic computer with abandonment issues and way more sarcasm than anyone Torian has ever met. Seems like an excellent setup for some problematic hijinks.

I absolutely loved Thorne's Tomes & Tea cozy fantasy series, and I'm thrilled that she's taking things into space (but keeping the pirates, because duh). Moss is an amazing character, Torian's just reckless enough, and all of the supporting characters are fantastic. I loved this series-starting science fiction, and I can't wait to read more of Torian and Moss's adventures.

*This book will be published July 7, 2026.

How to Get Away with Murder

How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson, 368 pages

Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen is reluctant about going back to work following a traumatic experience more than six months ago. But when a teen girl is murdered in a park near Samantha's house, she's determined to help solve the crime. Complicating matters is of a "self-help" book called How to Get Away with Murder by a man going by the pseudonym Denver Brady that is found with the body. Brady professes to be a serial killer, and chapter by chapter, tells his readers how to kill and not get caught. Was the girl's murder another one of Brady's? Is it the work of a copycat? Or is the book's presence at the crime scene simply misdirection?

This was an intriguing premise, especially as Samantha's investigation is interspersed with chapters from Brady's book, and kept my interest through the bulk of the story. However, the end got a bit convoluted for my taste, and honestly, kept it from sticking in my brain for more than a week or so after reading it. OK, but nothing amazing.

Josephine Baker and Orlando

 Josephine Baker by José-Louis Bocquet with art by Catel (2017) 568 pages

I like that this writer/artist pair make hefty graphic bios. I previously read their graphic biography about Alice Guy. They are able to include so many details and episodes from Josephine's life. I've previously read the biography about Josephine's espionage work for the British and French Resistance during WWII. This graphic book provides a lot more depth about her early life and her work as an entertainer. The WWII period, by contrast, is quite brief. Her later life related to her raising the "Rainbow Tribe" of orphans was fascinating too. The biographical notes at the end on secondary historical figures that crossed paths with Josephine are extensive. In fact, I thought some did not need to be included, since they barely played a role in her story.

Orlando adapted by Susanne Kuhlendahl (2026) 224 pages

I really enjoyed Sally Potter's movie version of Orlando. And this is one of two graphic novel adaptations of Virginia Woolf's queer story coming out this year. I had not read any Woolf novels in school, so it is only through recent Wiki research that I learned Woolf is part of the Modernist literary movement with "stream of consciousness" passages. Kuhlendahl's adaptation definitely keeps this style front and center. However, instead of Orlando breaking the fourth wall like in the movie, Woolf, the "biographer," is present on the page and comments on being a biographer of this character. There is no scientific or magical explanation for how Orlando is able to live more than 300 years, nor for how Orlando transforms from a man into a woman. We are simply asked to ponder "what if" this is true. The story is episodic with changing art styles. It is full of commentary on gender, poetry, love and life, and changing fashions. I thought the chapter set in the Victorian 19th century was the weakest part and the finale set in the early 20th century (Woolf's era), while things truly move at a faster pace, still felt rushed after the depth of the earlier historical periods.

Midwives

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian (1997) 374 pages

Sibyl Danforth is a midwife, living and working in rural Vermont. When something goes terribly wrong during one of her deliveries, on a winter night when the roads have become impassable, she is accused of murder. It's a subject that's fraught with emotion, and is told from the point of view of Sibyl's 14-year-old daughter Connie, with snippets of Sibyl's own voice in journal entries at the beginning of most chapters.

I had never read Chris Bohjalian before, and was directed to this novel as a good place to start. Even though I knew the subject was difficult, when I read a few "test" pages, his writing pulled me in, with no backing away.

Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, 320 pages

This book has been reviewed and recapped by lots of UCPL staffers in the past, most recently by Regan, who read it for Orcs & Aliens (just like I did) and wrote an excellent summary and review that you can see here. I will say that I listened to this book, which was read by a full cast, and really brought to life the transcripts and journal entries that comprised the book. Interestingly, the people in Orcs & Aliens who read the physical book didn't seem to enjoy it as much, which says a lot about the quality of the audio production. It's thrilling and keeps you guessing, and I definitely loved it. I'll be listening to the rest of the trilogy in the near future.

The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag, 480 pages

Mags is a teenager with some very adult problems on her hands — she's the primary caregiver for her ailing grandmother while juggling work and school too and her kinda-relationship with a girl must be hidden from the girl's boyfriend. Oh yeah, there's also a secret monster in the basement that leaves her bleeding and exhausted every night, and could kill people if it got out. But when a childhood friend returns, Mags finally gets some of the support she needs, and she begins to realize that things don't have to be the way they are.

This graphic novel beautifully tells a complex story of identity, family prejudice, and finding comfort with who you are. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is so thought-provoking (and is obviously so personal to Ostertag) that I'm still turning it over in my mind more than a month after reading it. Highly recommended.

Deep End

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, 464 pages

Competitive diver Scarlett has no time for anything but school and recovering from an injury that almost ended her career. Extremely disciplined world champion swimmer Lukas has been dating Scarlett's dive team captain for ages, at least publicly. In private, Lukas' "girlfriend" is more interested in dating around, and suggests that Lukas and Scarlett hook up, since both are more into kink than she is. What starts as a sex-only arrangement, however, soon becomes something more, as Scarlett and Lukas spend more time together in bed and at the pool, though the situation is complex, especially when Scarlett's captain doesn't want to fully let go of Lukas.

This is a pretty spicy college romance, though it's done incredibly well, as it shows the more emotional and intellectual side of a kink-centric relationship than often appears in romance novels. I honestly didn't think I'd like this one as much as I did, as I didn't expect that level of emotional complexity. Another good one from Hazelwood.

Trust Me On This

Trust Me On This by Lauren Parvizi, 367 pages

Two long-estranged half-sisters have both been summoned to Seattle to have one last visit with their dying father, a man who doted on one daughter and largely ignored the other. Both have issues and strange baggage (both literal and emotional) to deal with on the road, but reluctantly find themselves re-connecting.

I'll be honest: I read this book more than a month ago, and I only remembered reading it because it was on my list of stuff to blog about. I obviously can't remember much (including character names), and the plot apparently wasn't my cup of tea, though there is a... cat?... that I vaguely remember enjoying. That said, the only thing I can remember better than books I love are ones I absolutely hate, which means that this one was pretty middle-of-the-road, AKA there are worse books out there. 

Slayers of Old

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines, 352 pages

When they were teens, Jenny, Annette, and Temple were all Chosen Ones, tasked with defeating evil as a hunter of Artemis, a half-succubus, and a wizard, respectively. But now they're all much older and have put their battle days behind them, choosing to run a secondhand bookstore in Salem. Of course, evil has decided it's not quite done with them, and when locals start summoning ancient magical creatures, the trio must get back in the saddle to once again vanquish demons and secure the safety of Salem.

Blurbs about this book describe it as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Golden Girls," and boy howdy, is that correct. It's a ton of fun, and has lots of nods to the Slayer, though knowing Buffy isn't a requirement for enjoying this book. A great time and hopefully the first of many featuring Jenny, Annette, and Temple.

Spider to the Fly

Spider to the Fly by James Markert, 352 pages

Ellie Isles was a regular suburban mom until a serial killer murdered a stranger who was identical to Ellie. Equally fascinated and horrified by the coincidence, Ellie started her own investigations into the killer known as the Spider, who left victims scattered alongside I-64, and wrote a bestselling true crime book about her experience. Four years later, the killer is still at large and more victims keep appearing, but Ellie has created an online following that's helping her get ahead of the Spider, and helping her remember some long-buried memories that may shed some light on the case.

The premise of this book is intriguing and it definitely is a wild ride. However, I found a lot of the final twists to be a bit over-the-top — it almost feels like two books smushed into one. Still, if you want a quick and terrifying thriller, give this one a go. Just don't hurt yourself rolling your eyes at the way-too-convenient conclusion.