For the first time ever, I have had to post a few reviews only on Goodreads because I have run out of time, so check that out, yeah? Anyway, these are the ones I had the most to say about, so either really good, or… less so. You know how it is.

One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson
Meet Me at Blue Hour by Sarah Suk
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
Joan of Apocalypse by Chloe Lukas
Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
Dissolution by Nicholas Binge
When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory

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One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson
Published by Tachyon Publications on April 1, 2025
Pages: 196
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Trapped in a child’s body, a resourceful woman risks death by deletion from a simulated world. With her debut novella for adults, Mary G. Thompson (Wuftoom) has crafted a taut, ultimately hopeful story that deftly explores identity and autonomy.

“Brilliant and beautiful! One Level Down is a perfectly executed gem of a book. Deeply satisfying and completely mesmerizing, it’s full of depth, heart, and thought. A remarkable achievement!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her “Daddy” has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous.

Ella’s very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her.
But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot make the technician help her, the only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.

Here’s a fun story, I read this whole book on my way to Conageddon. It was a wonderful book that started off a wonderful weekend, let’s pretend they are somehow connected, yeah?

At first I was a little worried that this would be icky weird, but I promise it was not! It was just good-weird, which we all love, right? What if everything was just a simulation? Only, even in a simulation, sometimes the wrong dude is in charge (and he is probably some terrible white guy who is not really smart but thinks he is and he just ends up ruining everything, sounds familiar…). And Ella has to bear the brunt of it, being the perma-daughter to this madman.

It is as thought-provoking as I’d hoped, if not even more so. I mean, haven’t we all wondered if we were secretly stuck in a simulation? (And like, not a well-organized one at that.) It is likely a more helpless feeling than things just being all random, honestly. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all! Plus, the story itself is so entertaining and readable, because obviously you need to know what becomes of Ella, how things got to this point, etc. So many questions! And they’re all answered satisfactorily, though the author does leave room for revisiting the world someday, which she mentions she’d like to do (and I would like her to, also).

Bottom Line: One of my favorites of the year so far, incredibly thought provoking while still being immersively entertaining.

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Meet Me at Blue Hour by Sarah Suk
Published by Quill Tree Books on April 1, 2025
Pages: 288
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Past Lives in this gripping, emotional story of two childhood friends navigating the fallout of one erasing their memory of the other, from acclaimed author Sarah Suk.

Seventeen-year-old Yena Bae is spending the summer in Busan, South Korea, working at her mom’s memory-erasing clinic. She feels lost and disconnected from people, something she’s felt ever since her best friend, Lucas, moved away four years ago without a word, leaving her in limbo.

Eighteen-year-old Lucas Pak is also in Busan for the summer, visiting his grandpa, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. But he isn’t just here for a regular visit—he’s determined to get his beloved grandpa into the new study running at the clinic, a trial program seeking to restore lost memories.

When Yena runs into Lucas again, she’s shocked to see him and even more shocked to discover that he doesn’t remember a thing about her. He’s completely erased her from his memories, and she has no idea why.

As the two reconnect, they unravel the mystery and heartache of what happened between them all those years ago—and must now reckon with whether they can forge a new beginning together.

This was such a lovely story! The story is basically a  contemporary with a speculative twist- what would happen if someone erased you from their memory… and then you saw them again? Well, this is what main character Yena is facing when she spends the summer with her mom in Busan. Thing is, her mom isn’t just her mom, she’s the doctor behind this memory erasing business. And guess who else is in town? Yena’s former bestie Lucas, who she hasn’t seen in years, since he basically ghosted her. And while we’re guessing stuff, guess who has no memory whatsoever of Yena’s existence? Yep, the aforementioned bestie! So let’s just say, the summer should be interesting!

It was a very heartfelt story, with tons of family bonds to be explored for both Yena and Lucas, as well as a lot of thought provoking talk about memory and the ethics of all of that stuff. And of course, we are taken on the journey of Yena and Lucas being re-introduced, at least for Lucas. I adored this book, and loved how much emotion there was, and how thought provoking it was, and how much character development there was.

Bottom Line: Emotional and thought provoking and full of heart. A win. 

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When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
Published by Tor Books on March 25, 2025
Pages: 326
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

From the New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain comes an entirely serious take on a distinctly unserious subject: what would really happen if suddenly the moon were replaced by a giant wheel of cheese.

It's a whole new moooooon.

One day soon, suddenly and without explanation, the moon as we know it is replaced with an orb of cheese with the exact same mass. Through the length of an entire lunar cycle, from new moon to a spectacular and possibly final solar eclipse, we follow multiple characters -- schoolkids and scientists, billionaires and workers, preachers and politicians -- as they confront the strange new world they live in, and the absurd, impossible moon that now hangs above all their lives.

Oh this was so goofy, but in a good way? And it could have been too goofy, too out there because well, the moon is cheese, friends. The moon is cheese. The thing is, the characters acknowledge how absolutely batshit this is, and how little sense it makes, and they are as befuddled as we the reader are. That makes it so much more palatable. Also, it was far more heartfelt than I’d expected, too. Good surprise, that.

It’s told in a vignette style, popping into the lives of folks who are dealing with the moon-cheese aftermath. From random civilians to astronauts to world leaders to feuding cheese shop owning brothers,  we encounter so many folks who are dealing with the fallout- because honestly who isn’t dealing with the fallout of the world as they knew it potentially falling apart? And the ending was kind of perfect, tbh. I didn’t see things working out the way they did, but man, I loved it. Pacing was a little slow at times, but it was very much worth the journey!

Bottom Line:  Who knew that the cheese moon could bring so many cool stories, once you go ahead and suspend your disbelief.

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Joan of Apocalypse by Chloe Lukas
Published by Chloe Lukas on March 25, 2025
Pages: 365
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Now on Kindle Unlimited!

For fans of Fleabag and Shaun of the Dead, buckle up for a darkly comedic, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride that delivers apocalyptic chaos, a twisted romance for the ages, and an unforgettable anti-heroine you’ll either want to kill or kiss.

Joan, a struggling actress, is desperate for her first callback after a decade of rejection. When a chance to star alongside Hollywood’s hottest actor finally comes her way, she sees it as her ticket to dump her deadbeat boyfriend and take control of her life. Instead, she finds herself trapped in an underground vault with him during a cringe-worthy listening party for a 1980s glam metal band. As if that weren’t enough, a zombie apocalypse erupts above, throwing the world into chaos.

Indefinitely trapped in the vault, Joan watches her dreams crumble before her eyes. Forced to rely on her wits—and an oddly lethal talent with an ax—she must escape and navigate the deadly world above. Her only ally is Ryan from the party, whose maddeningly good looks complicate everything. As their fragile alliance deepens and secrets unravel, Joan faces more than just her dreams of stardom—she must confront unsettling truths about herself, her growing feelings for Ryan, and the unthinkable, pulling her in unexpected directions.

Bold, original, wickedly funny, and packed with explosive action and unexpected heart, this unconventional love story asks: Is the zombie apocalypse the end—or just the universe’s brutal way of telling Joan she should rethink her acting career?

I have a lot, and I mean a lot of mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, it is quirky and zombieriffic, and full of the apocalypse fun I love. On the other, Joan is the most grating, mind-numbingly awful character I have ever read about and the only reason I finished the book is because I was really, really hoping she’d be eaten by zombies.

The Good:

It’s a fast-paced, quick read, and it certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. I like that! The apocalypse itself started out very promising- Joan was with this awful boyfriend at a hilariously bad wayyy-past-their-prime hair band show. I mean how can you not love that, right? And of course, the action is there because, hello, zombies. I did enjoy the racing through Los Angeles, and the idea of a struggling actress worrying about her audition in the midst of the thing. I even liked the dude she was running with. But…

The Bad:

Okay, I lied a little, I also wanted to finish in hopes for some tiny bit of character growth from Joan. Or the zombie devouring, honestly I was fine with either. But alas, friends. She had no personality, just vapid awfulness. She was just a bad, bad person, and for no reason that I could discern. None of her decisions made a lick of sense either, so not only was she a crappy person, she was a stupid one to boot. It is just so hard reading a book where the main character is infuriating at every single turn, and you can’t even pinpoint a reason. In fairness to the author, I am starting to think that is how a large majority of society is as well, but I also strongly dislike our real-life dystopian nightmare, so. My ruling stands.

Bottom Line: Fun premise and fast-paced, I just hated Joan so much that it was hard to stay invested.

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Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
Published by Tor Nightfire on April 8, 2025
Pages: 304
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Cold Eternity, the newest space horror novel from the author of Dead Silence and Ghost Station, blends the dystopian dread of Severance with the catastrophic approach to AI from M3gan.

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge housing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most wealthy citizens. The ship and its cryo program are long defunct, but Halley starts to think she sees figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents. It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from….

So this was pretty cool! (Sorry, had to heh.) Anyway, I loooove the premise. Very The 100 Seasons 5-6, always here for that. Plus, it’s just plain thought provoking- if you could, would you freeze yourself in hopes for cures and what not? I would, tbh, because death is scary but that isn’t what we’re here to discuss.

The atmosphere is on point, and I was absolutely invested in Halley, what the heck she’s running from, and what on not Earth is happening on this ship! It’s very readable from all those perspectives. Honestly, the only thing that didn’t quite work for me is that it is very… isolated. Which I get, it lends to the ambiance, right? Wouldn’t be so creepy if Halley was among friends, eh? But the lack of characters gets to be a little grating at times, which is why I am docking a star. I did still really enjoy it, but it did lack whatever it is we get from character interactions. That isn’t eloquent, but alas, the point stands.

Bottom Line: Exciting and atmospheric with a very cool premise, just could have used a few more characters for me!

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Dissolution by Nicholas Binge
Published by Riverhead Books on March 25, 2025
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

A woman dives into her husband's memories to uncover a decades-old feud threatening reality itself in this staggering technothriller from the bestselling author of Ascension.

Maggie Webb has lived the last decade caring for elderly husband, Stanley, as memory loss gradually erases all the beautiful moments they created together. It's the loneliest she's ever felt in her life.

When a mysterious stranger named Hassan appears at her door, he reveals a shocking truth: Stanley isn't losing his memories. Someone is actively removing them to hide a long-buried secret from coming to light. If Maggie does what she's told, she can reverse it. She can get her husband back.

Led by Hassan and his technological marvels, Maggie breaks into her husband's mind, probing the depths of his past in an effort to save him. The deeper she dives, the more she unravels a mystery spanning continents and centuries, each layer more complex than the last.

But Hassan cannot be trusted. Not just memories are disappearing, but pieces of reality itself. If Maggie cannot find out what Stanley did all those years ago, and what Hassan is after now, she risks far more than her husband's life. The very course of human history hangs in the balance.

Oof, this one hurt my heart in a lot of places. Maggie is trying to save her husband, Stanley. And as we read about Maggie’s desperation to get Stanley back, I could not help but be heartbroken thinking about my own mom, feeling so very heartbroken to have lost her husband Stanley. So on a personal level, this was a rough one. But when I was able to come to terms with all of that, it was a very entertaining story!

First, can I just say that I loved that the protagonist is an elderly lady? Like how often does that happen? And she is awesome. Loved her desperately. More of that, please and thank you! I also really enjoyed that we got to see the history of how Maggie and Stanley reached this point, and there are a lot of great twists and turns that led us there. I will say, my one minor gripe was that some of the scenes from Stanley’s boarding school days got a little long, and maybe a wee bit boring. But! This is not most of the book, just a minor thing.

It takes a lot of turns I didn’t expect, and had my jaw on the floor in places. It was also incredibly heartfelt and emotional, which I don’t think I expected with all the thrilling sci-fi bits, but tucked into all of it was some really great commentary on life. It made my heart both sad and happy, in the best of ways.

Bottom Line: This was more than just an exciting sci-fi book (though it was that, too!)- it was a

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When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
Published by Saga Press on April 1, 2025
Pages: 464
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

From multiple award-winning author Daryl Gregory comes a madcap adventure following two friends on a cross-country bus tour through the mind-boggling glitches in their simulated world as they grapple with love, family, secrets, and the very nature of reality in a simulation.

JP and Dulin have been the best of friends for decades. When JP finds out his cancer has aggressively returned, Dulin decides it’s the perfect time for one last a week-long bus tour of North America’s Impossibles, the physics-defying glitches and geographic miracles that started cropping up seven years earlier—right after the Announcement that revealed our world to be merely a digital simulacrum. The outing, courtesy of Canterbury Trails Tours, promises the trip of a (not completely real) lifetime in a (not completely deluxe) coach.

Their fellow passengers are 21st-century pilgrims, each of them on the tour for their own reasons. There’s a nun hunting for an absent God, a pregnant influencer determined to make her child too famous to be deleted, a crew of horny octogenarians living each day like it’s their last, and a professor on the run from leather-clad sociopaths who take The Matrix as scripture. Each stop on this trip is stranger than the last—a Tunnel outside of time, a zero gravity Geyser, the compound of motivational-speaking avatar—with everyone barreling toward the tour’s iconic final stop Ghost City, where unbeknownst to our travelers the answer to who is running the simulation may await.

When We Were Real is a tour-de-force and exploration of what really matters, even in an artificial world.

Oh look, another “life is a simulation” book, y’all! This was a trip- literally and figuratively. We meet a group of folks who are heading out to visit… well, it’s sort of like the Seven Wonders of the World, but more like The Weirdest Junk in the Simulated World. Basically, these are glitches that make no sense, but are proof that the world is no longer “real”. And so, there are tour companies making bank taking folks on tours there, because of course there are. Capitalism is still king even in a fake world, sigh.

We follow a very motley crew on this bus trip- two nuns and a rabbi (the jokes practically write themselves), two middle-aged male besties, a pregnant teen influencer, a podcaster and his reluctant son, honeymooners from Germany, a loner, and a group of randy octogenarians. They all have reasons for being on this trip, which is lead by a tour guide who has never guided, and a bus driver who is just… over it. And then someone else joins the band, and the whole thing goes from strange to bonkers.

This is a really fun journey, getting to know all these passengers. They are all grappling with the whole “world being fake” thing, which is entertaining, and also a lot of very heavy life stuff, which is less fun but also very poignant. There are also a lot of exciting moments on the journey too, lest you think it is too slow. Overall, it was a really fun adventure!

Bottom Line:   A quirky, entertaining road trip with some very cool twists and incredible characters!

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!