Heather, Author at Not a Novel Concept

Cover of "Cosmoknights," with text at bottom against a black background, and in the center an image of the 3 main characters. In the top center is a large blue, gloved fist holding a locket, against the background of a pink sky and bordered by white swords.

Cosmoknights v. 1 by Hannah Templer

September 17, 2021September 15, 2021 Heather

If you like sapphic stories of scrappy underdogs taking down the powers that be; high-stakes, women-centered mech battles; princesses who rescue themselves; small-town mechanic girls with lots of gumption to make it in the big city/off-world arena; potential long-lost-friends-to-sapphic-lovers setups; or sexy lady spies, definitely give this a shot.

Cover of "Home Before Dark," with title and author Riley Sager's name in bold yellow font over a green-tinted photo of a chandelier attached to a ceiling

Thriller Thursdays

Riley Sager: A Breakdown

September 16, 2021September 12, 2021 Heather

After going full Tazmanian Devil on Sager’s first 4 books, I couldn’t fully differentiate between them, and, much like Taz, I was left with the overwhelming need to spit all my takes out at once. Here they are. Spoilers: in Sager’s worlds, white isn’t just the default…it’s the only option.

Cover of "Small Favors," with the title and author Erin A. Craig's name in black font, with honey spilling off some letters, against a background of close-up flowers and bees. The color palette is mainly yellows and pinks, with some white and orange.

Tib's Cranky Corner

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

September 15, 2021September 12, 2021 Heather

An interesting enough first half that spiraled out of control and ended with some squicky YA tropes. I was massively disappointed.

Cover of "The Lamb will Slaughter the Lion," with title and author Margaret Killjoy's name in black text over a blue water image. In the water is reflected an upside-down deer-demon, with huge antlers and red eyes.

Tor Tuesdays

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy

September 14, 2021September 12, 2021 Heather

This book positively DEMANDED my attention. From the portentous inverted title to the punk fantasy-horror synopsis, I was primed for greatness, and that’s precisely what I got.

Cover of "Foul is Fair," with title in large white font over a colorblocked image of a light-skinned femme person, with short black hair and a bold red lip, framed with yellow on top, green on the left, and red underneath. A splash of red, like blood-splatter, interrupts the green and the title.

Angry Girls and Furious Femmes

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

September 13, 2021September 12, 2021 Heather

The book is fucking dazzling. Read it (as long as you’re ok with a rape-revenge plot that’s truly empowering and not some misogynist torture porn shit or self-abnegating morality play.

the cover of "The Tea Dragon Festival," with yellow cursive font over the top of an illustration from the graphic novel: A darker-skinned femme person, wearing a large straw sun hat, purple short pants, and cream top, carrying a messenger bag, greets a large orange dragon, with white wings and a green outfit. They are standing in a field of red, orange, and yellow flowers, with trees and mountains in the background against a blue sky.

Skittles' Cozy Corner

The Tea Dragon Festival by Kay O’Neill

September 11, 2021September 9, 2021 Heather

This delightful sequel to The Tea Dragon Society is actually a prequel that gives us an extra-long peek into the world of the tea dragons when Erik and Hesekiel, who are old men in book one, were just starting out as an adventuring couple. It focuses on Erik’s nibling, Rinn, and an ancient village guardian Rinn wakes up and befriends (the full-sized dragon Aedhan).

Cover of "Off the Record" with title and author Camvryn Garrett's name over a centered illustration of a femme Black teen with a short Afro, bold red lipstick, an assertive gaze, and wearing a peach tank. In the background are newspaper clippings. The tagline reads "A story too explosive to keep quiet."

OH YEAH!! Fridays

Off the Record by Camryn Garrett

September 10, 2021September 6, 2021 Heather

This book contains one of the sweetest and most endearing YA romances that I’ve read in a very long time. Overall, it was a joy to read, despite its heavy themes at times. Garrett manages to weave a glorious wish-fulfillment plot about young Black (bisexual) women taking down a powerful serial sexual abuser with a joyful Black-movie-star-meets-brilliant-plus-sized-journalist romance. It gives Black love AND Black-led-and-centered justice. I LOVED it, and it’s so needed.

Cover of "The Burning Girls" with title and author C. J. Tudor's name in orange text over a white background, with a cutout illustration of orange and black flames engulfing a white church in the center

Thriller Thursdays

The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

September 9, 2021September 6, 2021 Heather

This was my first CJ Tudor book, and I stayed up most of the night to finish it, so it clearly worked for me, on the whole. The ending was more satisfying than most thrillers I’ve read, though it did suffer from contemporary-thriller syndrome, where there practically have to be more twists than pages. Some of these twists were fun, some were ridiculous, and some were problematic, but there were definitely A LOT of them.

Cover of "The Hiding Place" with title and author C. J. Tudor's name in red text over an empty white room, in shadow, with an open window shutter, edge of a bedframe, and playing cards scattered across the floor.

Tib's Cranky Corner

The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

September 8, 2021September 6, 2021 Heather

Here, as with The Chalk Man, Tudor’s still ‘doing’ Stephen King in some ways, but prime King was rarely this bleak. The whole damn setting and tone were bleak as fuck, and I definitely don’t read thrillers OR horror for bleak shit.

Cover for "A Psalm for the Wild-Built: A Monk and Robot Book," with title and author Becky Chambers' name over an earth-tone background of greenery and brown and yellow leaves, with dirt paths wending throughout from the top to bottom. At the top left corner there's a robot, and in the bottom right there's a person sitting on an old-fashioned cart.

Tor Tuesdays

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Heather

Reading this is like experiencing the most perfect, anxiety-free day: laying on a blanket outside in the shade of a massive tree, grass everywhere and wind gently blowing; or cuddling up in the Fall with a cat [or six…], a blanket, and some herbal tea; or sitting in front of the fireplace in the middle of winter with the smell of gently burning embers lulling you to sleep. If you’re into calm, quietly funny stories with true cottagecore vibes, or if you like weird friendships developed over lengthy conversations, read this.

Author: Heather