COLD ETERNITY by S.A. Barnes 

I think this might be my favourite of the three space horrors I read by S.A. Barnes. Halley is searching for a place to hide out and ends up on a space barge containing cryogenically frozen beings hoping to circumvent death. 

But there are things happening on the barge that make Halley question her own sanity, from finger bones and strange noises to glitchy AI holograms and missing bodies.

As Halley tries to solve the mysteries of the barge, she learns the truth is much more frightening than she expected. And she is highly unlikely to ever leave. If she survives another day.

This book is quite the thrill ride from beginning to end, and the truth was much more gruesome and messed up than what I expected. Halley's back story was well-developed and the other characters were creepy, even those I liked. 

I definitely look forward to more by S.A. Barnes! 

GAME CHANGER by Rachel Reid

I grew up in a hockey town and went to school with a lot of hockey players, some of whom went further than playing for the local Jr. B team. Because of that, I was never interested in reading a hockey romance. Then the TV show, Heated Rivalry came along, and I loved it! And as an author, I wanted to read the source material, so I bought the first six books in the series.

While Scott and Kip's story isn't exactly the same in the book as it is on screen, I thoroughly enjoyed reading how their relationship developed, while witnessing the passion between them and the struggles they faced. Even though both are super sweet characters with some amazing friends and family members, the beginning of their relationship is quite a roller coaster ride. It all felt very real as though it played out in real life. I truly enjoyed Game Changer and look forward to Heated Rivalry next!

HEATED RIVALRY by Rachel Reid

As with Game Changer, I read Heated Rivalry after watching the show on Crave. A great book! I'm so glad Rachel Reid wrote it and that Jacob Tierney enjoyed it and decided to turn it into a series that closely followed the book. It was interesting to note the slight changes in how Shane and Ilya's story started between the two, and to catch further glimpses into their relationship that we didn't see in the show. I definitely look forward to more of Shane and Ilya's story in The Long Game and Unrivaled, as well as other books in the Game Changers series.

AURORA BLAZING by Jessie Mihalik

Aurora Blazing is a fast-paced space adventure with a slow burn romance that could almost be considered a second-chance romance. It is engaging with wonderful characters and a happily for now ending that suits both characters well.

Bianca is a one of the House von Hasenberg daughters and she is still recovering from the sudden death of her husband and the experiments he performed on her. When her brother is abducted with no hints as to who took him, she uses her connections and her other new abilities to search along with her siblings for any clues to his whereabouts. But the information she seeks requires a personal touch, which is hard to get when she's constantly under surveillance. She sneaks past the house security and flees to find her brother. But Ian, the House's director of security is after her to bring her back home. It's bad enough that Ian won't give her a chance to help, but he is also the man who broke her heart before her arranged marriage.

Aurora Blazing is Bianca's race to escape Ian, find her brother, and then ignore her increasing attraction to Ian when he does manage to catch up to her.

While a complete romance story, Aurora Blazing is part of an overall series arc that started with Polaris Rising.

PALESTINE by Joe Sacco
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This graphic novel was hard to read because of the gritty and honest details about what life was like for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza at the time. And that much harder knowing how the occupation has escalated into forced starvation and so much more since the early 1990s when Joe Sacco penned this work. It gives an honest account of his time there and his interactions with so many Palestinians and even some Israelis, regarding everyday life, their views on each other, the idea of peace, and what they hope for in the future. Quite a different viewpoint from what the mainstream media has portrayed for my entire life. One of my favourite quotes comes from page 282, "Ultimately, I don't think peace is about whether there should be one state or two... The point is whether the two peoples can live side by side as equals." Even though this was hard to read, I believe Palestine to be an important read for everyone, the same as another graphic novel about mice.

RELIC by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 

This was a reread for me, something I don't do very often since I'm a slower reader. This was also the book that got me reading more of the Pendergast series as well as other books by the individual authors. Going into it, I remembered some parts of it, but it had been two decades since I read the story. Relic starts a bit slow in order to establish the background story, the setting, and all the characters. Once the action starts, it's a wild and tense ride! And this is still a book I highly recommend. 

THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER by Danica Nava

This was a cute, fun story about a forbidden workplace romance, and many other lies that eventually catch up to the main character. With the MC and her love interest both being Native American, the story does also touch on Native issues. I found there were done in a realistic way that only added to the story. If you enjoy forbidden romances, workplace romances, only one bed, and lots of family fun and drama, The Truth According to Ember is a great choice!

ARRIVAL by Veronica Scott

When I first learned Veronica Scott was writing about zombies, I knew I had to read this book. And I found it interesting how it's a new series while also being set in her Sectors Universe. Arrival is a suspenseful story about a newly licensed doctor returning to her home planet to practice medicine there. She arrives at the same time as a "retired" military team, but nothing on the planet is anything like they expected. The planet has been decimated by a virus, killing some and turning others into mindless versions of their former selves, craving human flesh. Being the first book in the series, it introduces Melly, Jeff, Cody, Zach, Samms, and Trent. Plus some others they find on their journey. While there is a bigger mission for the series, Arrival takes us from the moment everyone reaches Randal Four through the journey to Melly's childhood home. Of course, the journey isn't easy with hoards of zombies and raiders along the way, but it does also give us some more intimate moments between Melly and Jeff as they fall in love.

GHOST STATION by S.A. Barnes

I never expected to love space horror as much as I do, and it's thanks to S.A. Barnes. After reading and loving Dead Silence, I bought Ghost Station and pre-ordered Cold Eternity (now out). Ghost Station is about Psychologist, Dr. Ophelia Bray, who is trying to escape her family name while also helping people deal with ERS, a psychological disorder that has a very personal connection to her. It is more prevalent in those who spend a lot of time in space, away from their families, so she joins a crew that are set to explore an abandoned planet. But the crew are not very accepting of her help and guidance. When they reach the planet, there's something off about the station they are staying in and they discover things about the planet never mentioned in the reports from years beforehand. As the secrets of what really happened to the last crew on the planet are discovered, the new crew must deal with the brutal murder of one of their own along with figuring out who did it. Because of the MC's past and genetics, she's not sure she's entirely innocent in all of it. Yet, she's also key to figuring out what is going on. Ghost Station is a space horror, but also explores the definition of life along with how our family shapes us into who we are and whether we have a choice in that. There are some commonalities between Dead Silence and Ghost Station, but much of that relates to having a woman main character who is doubted by the crew as well as by herself, something many women can relate to. I really enjoyed Ghost Station, and I look forward to reading Cold Eternity and more by S.A. Barnes. 

EXTINCTION by Douglas Preston

I have been reading books by Douglas Preston for many years now, both on his own and with Lincoln Child, and this book did not disappoint. Extinction starts with the murder of a young couple and their unborn child at a type of elite resort where wooly mammoths and other once extinct creatures from the same time period have been brought back to life. Cash, from the CBI, and Colcord, the county sheriff, investigate the case, believing it to be the work of an environmental group who objects to the idea of de-extincting creatures for the elite to enjoy and profit from. But there is so much more going on in the labs in the Erebus mountains. And the truth ends up costing many their lives. This was an exciting read with many character point of views, some being great and others loathsome. Karma seemed to get many in the end. It is recognizably reminiscent of Jurassic Park with the ethical dilemma as to whether we should bring back extinct creatures as all, but takes it a step further, which isn't revealed until near the end. My only issue with this story was Cash's internal thoughts. It would be nice if the author had a woman help him edit them to be more realistic to a woman in law enforcement and all the misogyny she would deal with on a daily basis. There's some there, but it's very glossed over. I do look forward to reading the next book in the series when it releases.