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

The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

Y’all. Y’ALL. I was barely thirty pages into this book and I wanted to take up my sword and shield and fight to the death for Britney. And I know that autobiographies aren’t gospel: they’re always going to tell you only one point of view. But damn, y’all. Even if she was exaggerating (and I’ll …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/01/11/the-woman-in-me-by-britney-spears/

City Of Betrayal by Victoria Thompson

Hunh, this had better not be the last book in the Counterfeit Lady series, as seemed to be hinted at in the afterword. I understand how this seventh volume would be a thematically appropriate story to finish on, but it absolutely lacked the larger part of why so many readers, myself included, have adored these …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/01/10/city-of-betrayal-by-victoria-thompson/

Divine Deco Tarot by Gerta Oparaku Egy

I have been trying really hard not to buy more Tarot decks, but the moment I saw the graceful figures Gerta Oparaku Egy uses on her cards, I knew I had to own this one. This deck was inspired by three disparate influences that resonate deeply with me. The first and most obvious is dance, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/01/09/divine-deco-tarot-by-gerta-oparaku-egy/

The Case Of The Missing Piece (Bad Machinery #9) by John Allison

(this review was originally written before the turn of the year, so apologies for some end of 2023 recap misery near the bottom there.) As is tradition, I took some time out of my day this past Christmas to sit down and read another installment of my beloved Bad Machinery series by John Allison. I’m …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/01/08/the-case-of-the-missing-piece-bad-machinery-9-by-john-allison/

The Mocktail Club by Derick Santiago

What a perfect time to be able to dive into a gorgeous book of alcohol-free but still very sophisticated beverages for adults! Just in time for Dry January comes a slender but glamorous tome explaining how to create delightfully nonalcoholic twists on several classic drinks recipes, while also introducing new favorites to the home bartender’s …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/01/04/the-mocktail-club-by-derick-santiago/

Looking Back On 2023

Happy New Year, friends and readers! I decided to start this year with a recap post on my very first day back at work, instead of struggle bugging with it for a few days like I have in years past, lol. Part of this may be due to how eager I am for 2024 to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/01/02/looking-back-on-2023/

Just SNOW Already! by Howard McWilliam

This book is an utter delight! Just SNOW Already! masterfully combines straightforward prose with the slyest, most charming illustrations to tell an entirely different, layered tale of anticipation and of (hopefully) not neglecting all the wonderful things already taking place while you’re waiting for something “better” to happen. Our unnamed protagonist is a young boy …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/12/27/just-snow-already-by-howard-mcwilliam/

Long Chills And Case Dough by Brandon Sanderson

Given the way this year has been going, it seemed only fitting to (finally, belatedly) start my Year Of Sanderson with the last book released as part of his gargantuan Kickstarter. And let’s be honest, I likely won’t finish reading the other four books he sent out by the end of the calendar year. Fortunately, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/12/22/long-chills-and-case-dough-by-brandon-sanderson/

Mya McLure, The Brave Science Girl: The Toad Cave by Douglas Haddad & Jennifer Ball-Cordero

Mya McLure is a young environmentalist who knows that making an impact requires efforts both personal and political. While she leads her classmates in petitioning local government to stop cutting down trees, she also finds herself faced with a much less public dilemma, as a large number of toads come to her home in search …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/12/21/mya-mclure-the-brave-science-girl-the-toad-cave-by-douglas-haddad-jennifer-ball-cordero/

The Eight Knights Of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman & Galia Bernstein

This was a weird one for me. On the one hand, hurray for good deeds and celebrating Hanukkah! The titular Eight Knights of Hanukkah are the children of Lady Sadie, tasked with safeguarding the kingdom from a dragon named Dreadful who keeps interrupting everyone’s preparations for the big celebration. Her Ladyship tells her children to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/12/15/the-eight-knights-of-hanukkah-by-leslie-kimmelman-galia-bernstein/