Charming and unexpected
SFF Cons
Last weekend was WorldCon in Anaheim Los Angeles. I was able to attend in person for 2 days! I caught up with some old friends and went to some great panels. There was also a fitness expo/zumba workshop happening at the Anaheim Convention Center. In some cases, it was difficult to pick out who was attending which event.
I feel like I’ve been in a nostalgia haze, remembering other SFF cons I have attended. Which primed me to instantly purchase The Best of CJ Cherryh by DAW Books Humble Bundle. She was the Guest-of-Honor at my first ever con–OKon in 198-. I also met Suzette Haden Elgin, Bob Aspirin, and Phil Foglio. Yes, I’ve already started pricing out more purchases.
Books I COMPLETED
I read all of the Hugo nominees for novelette and short story. I am so happy that “Never Eaten Vegetables” by HH Pak won for Best Novelette. I felt it was a stacked list. None of the short stories impressed me.
I’ve included snippets from my reviews and additional thoughts.
The Space Cat (2025) by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford
Very cute slice-of-life comic written from a cat’s perspective. The cat has adventures with her spaceship, her humans, and other cats.
The River Has Roots (2025) by Amal el-Mohtar
Fairy tale retelling featuring linguistic-based magic and lots of wordplay.
I wish I had known that going in. I didn’t read this for the longest time because the publisher’s summary left me cold AND because people really, really, really loved it. I needed to recalibrate any expectations.
I may listen to the audiobook, which apparently has singing.
The Incandescent (2025) by Emily Tesh
Set at a magical school from a teacher/administrator’s POV. Refreshing. I liked the main character, Saffy, a 30-something who lived like a 50-something. However. Halfway through the book, though, I had to take a break because I kept yelling at her: Don’t you see what is going on???
Glad I finished it.
The Dungeon Book (8/11/26) by Gareth Hanrahan (eARC)
Cornelius, a talking skull, tells the story of Bait, a human girl raised by goblins in the Dungeon. She may or may not be a lost princess. A dragon wants to eat her and a minotaur wants to protect her. People keep trying to push Bait into a life that she does not want.
Sort of a mix between Princess Mononoke and Dungeon Meshi, from the perspective of the monsters. Sweet and sad.
Magical Cheese Emporium (1/19/27) by Sarah Beth Durst (eARC)
This book has a super slow burn of true friends to lovers plot. It also reckons with empire, colonialization, and the importance of stories. Unfortunately, it also has characters figure out how to create modern devices and business trends with too much ease. (Eloren’s non-cheese project reminded me too much of what I did not like about Legends & Lattes.)
Still waiting for a queer pairing between the main characters. Maybe next time?
Books I’M currently reading
- I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy (8/18/26) by Kimberly Lemming (eARC)
September TBR
Backlist
- The West Passage (2024) by Jared Pechaček
- Absolute Martian Manhunter (2025) by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez
- Wave Without a Shore (1981) by CJ Cherryh
Recent and Upcoming Releases That I Want to Read
- Wickhills (9/8/26) by Premee Mohammed
- Bodies of Magic (9/15/26) by Freya Marske
- Spellstruck (9/29/26) by Martha Waters
- The Unhaunting (9/29/26) by Micaiah Johnson
