Review: RomZomCom, edited by Stewart Hotston

Every story in this fun anthology has romance, comedy (or at least humor of various sorts), and zombies. I wouldn't have sought out this combination, since I don't normally think of romance and comedy with (un)dead people, but a couple of my friends really liked this book so I checked it out.

The first story, "Generation Z" by Bear Weiter, set a good tone for the rest of the book, with its clever, tongue in cheek awareness of human (and undead) nature. The dialogue in "Faye of the Dead" by Holly Quinn was perfect, as her pizza server heroine describes her life and her priorities. "Living Dead in Miami" by Jeannie Warner made good use of the internet as a story medium as her main character's emotional life pulls her through the zombie outbreak she's part of. These were my favorites, but the others didn't disappoint.

This is a fun anthology, and I hear there's even a sequel. My one complaint is that there are a number of typos and misspellings throughout the version I read (Kindle), though the stories themselves were tight and interesting. I recommend it.
(4 stars)

Review: 2015 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide, edited by Corie and Sean Weaver

When I was 10 years old I would have stayed up all night reading this book. The stories are varied, from a steampunk mystery to alien pets, from aliens visiting earth to humans visiting space, with families of all ages and types, yet each story is about a young person having an adventure. Standouts are Jeannie Warner's take on Oliver Twist, Eric Del Carlo's post-pandemic survivors, and Deborah Walker's solution to gender imbalance. I loved this anthology, and am looking forward to the 2016 Guide.
(5 stars)

Review: Bitter Waters, by Chaz Brenchley

Chaz Brenchley hails from Newcastle Upon Tyne near the shores of the North Sea, and the river and sea inform the stories in this collection. From a mystery set aboard a river barge manned by an unlikely group of young men to pirates seeking an island-sized turtle, the salt of the sea mixes with the salt of tears. The character Quin appears in a few of these stories, an educated, witty man who has been struck down with AIDS, who is surrounded by a group of young men who care for him. In contrast is another recurring character, sailor Martin, wise and powerful and dealing with the fate he's delivered.

My favorite story must be "Keep the Aspidochelone Floating", though "In the Night Street Baths" (which uses characters from his "Bridge of Dreams" and "River of the World" novels) was a delightful surprise, and the stories about Quin brought both a tear and a shudder.

This is a powerful, eclectic collection well worth your time.
(5 stars)