Doreen Sheridan

Professional book critic, amateur cellist, full-time polymath. Occasional game designer, perpetual game enthusiast. Mom of 3. Arsenal till I die. I like a good story. My other mystery reviews can be found here: https://www.criminalelement.com/author/dvaleris/

Most commented posts

  1. Deathless (Leningrad Diptych #1) by Catherynne M. Valente — 12 comments
  2. Sweet Tea by Piper Huguley — 7 comments
  3. I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley — 6 comments
  4. A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1) by Arkady Martine — 6 comments
  5. Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich — 5 comments

Author's posts

Marvel’s Black Panther: The Official Wakanda Cookbook by Nyanyika Banda

with a really terrific forward by Jesse J Holland. “The food of Wakanda is like nowhere else and simultaneously everywhere one could travel in the universe, because Wakanda lives in the heart of everyone.” These are the opening words of the fictional Ndi Chikondi, Executive Chef of the Royal Palace of Wakanda, in the introduction …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/14/marvels-black-panther-the-official-wakanda-cookbook-by-nyanyika-banda/

Still Just A Geek: An Annotated Collection Of Musings by Wil Wheaton

I make it a habit of avoiding memoirs published by men in their 30s, so never got around to reading Wil Wheaton’s Just A Geek, despite it seeming squarely in my wheelhouse. Reading this annotated version drove home to me how wise that policy continues to be, despite the many interests the author and I …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/13/still-just-a-geek-an-annotated-collection-of-musings-by-wil-wheaton/

World Class by Jay Sandlin, Patrick Mulholland, Rebecca Nalty & Justin Birch

Adrian “The Colombian Cannon” Molina is obsessed with football and dreams of being recruited to Nottingham FC. He knows he has talent, but he also knows he has a lot of work to do despite being a part of the Bogota Condors, Colombia’s premier U17 football team. During an exhibition match against England’s Regents United, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/12/world-class-by-jay-sandlin-patrick-mulholland-rebecca-nalty-justin-birch/

Appraise Her by Paula Priamos

Tia Drakos is a Los Angeles real estate appraiser who, once upon a time, worked with the police as a handwriting analyst. She’s initially surprised when an old friend, Elise Davis, contacts her about appraising the home Elise grew up in. As the daughter of Hollywood royalty Carson Davis, and a fairly successful businesswoman in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/11/appraise-her-by-paula-priamos/

Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

Oof, this is a gut punch of a book, that tackles not only how racism affects high school athletes but also how relationships fade away as graduation and college loom nearer. Eleanor “Leni” Greenberg and Chanel “Nelly” Irons are best friends and members of their high school’s competitive cheerleading team. In the summer leading up …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/08/why-we-fly-by-kimberly-jones-gilly-segal/

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

Hey, I finally got around to reading the oldest book on my NetGalley list! This is how rich and miserable my reading backlog has been: I verily feel like King Midas on the days I don’t feel like Ado Annie. But enough with my random allusions: how is the book, Doreen? (Forgive me, I’m a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/05/exhalation-by-ted-chiang/

The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning

This homage to the kids’ dark fantasy movies and series of the 1980s is perfect for what it is, and perhaps even better than it has any business being. Jack Corman wants nothing to do with The Shadow Glass, the cult puppet movie created by his father Bob in the 80s. TSG bombed at the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/04/01/the-shadow-glass-by-josh-winning/

The Loud House #15: The Missing Linc by The Loud House Creative Team

Another cute if slight installment of the Loud House comics series, based on the hit Nickelodeon cartoon. This fifteenth volume of the ongoing series is loosely based on the theme of Lost And Found, with Lincoln’s absence in the first and longest vignette sending his loving sisters on a frenzied search for him. Other of …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/03/30/the-loud-house-15-the-missing-linc-by-the-loud-house-creative-team/

When Things Get Dark edited by Ellen Datlow

I am genuinely impressed by the way this collection invokes the spirit of Shirley Jackson. So many of the stories read as if they might have come from her pen, so seamlessly do they fit into the dark atmosphere engendered by stories such as The Haunting Of Hill House, The Lottery and We Have Always …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/03/24/when-things-get-dark-edited-by-ellen-datlow/

Geronimo Stilton Reporter #10: Blackrat’s Treasure by Geronimo Stilton

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the clever plot twist of this volume, and definitely recommend this book for good all-ages fun. Our title character is a workaholic reporter turned editor with way too many stories to write (and, boy, do I sympathize!) His relatives and co-workers, Benjamin, Thea and Trap, coax him out of …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/03/22/geronimo-stilton-reporter-10-blackrats-treasure-by-geronimo-stilton/