Rainey Morehouse

@infomancer

Librarian geek who likes most cats more than most people. (She/her, ace) Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

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Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Jul 15

I read “Valet” by J.P. Lacrampe. In this mildly dystopian science fiction take on Jeeves and Wooster, Cy the robot valet is tasked with convincing his owner’s 35-year-old son to get his act together, complicated by intense sibling rivalry, corporate conspiracies, and a rogue valet. So great!!

Cover art for J.P. Lacrampe’s “Valet”. Against a bright orange background, the well-dressed chest of a male valet appears framed in a card. An extension cord, plugged in, appears over one shoulder and digital numbers appear over his pocket. A small figure of a dog appears in one corner.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Jul 15

I read “Spirits Rising”, the first in a series of (non-) urban fantasy novellas by Krista D. Ball. Set in the St. Anthony / L’Anse aux Meadows area of Newfoundland and Labrador, it shows a strong sense of place. I’m charmed by the protagonist’s elderly neighbour 😊

Cover art for Krista D. Ball’s “Spirits Rising”. In the foreground, a lit candle is in an old-fashion lantern. The background is a graveyard rendered in shades of blue. A pentagram is visible on the ground and a bat flies against a large full moon.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Jul 9

I read Evelyn Clarke’s “The Ending Writes Itself”, and—with every compliment intended—what the hell was that?! Six authors travel to a remote island off the coast of Scotland to attend a famed reclusive author’s retreat. Action ensues. Amazing and recommended!

Cover art for Evelyn Clarke’s “The Ending Writes Itself”. The cover features a red keyhole with a view of a large house with in. The keyhole is set within a red frame, and a red drop of blood drips down the top left corner of the cover.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Jun 6

Literary science fiction is not my favourite subgenre, but Richard Powers’ “Bewilderment” blew me away. It deals with ecological collapse, childhood neurodivergence, grief, and science vs. politics. (The treatment of American politics felt so current that I double-checked the copyright date twice)

Cover art for Richard Powers’ “Bewilderment”. A warm orange and purple sunset is in the background with dark trees silhouetted in the foreground.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· May 27

I read Suzanne Palmer’s “Ode to the Half-Broken” in advance via NetGalley. It was released today. Robot-focused apocalyptic hopepunk may be my favourite sub-subgenre of science fiction and *I LOVED THIS*. This has adventure, intrigue, found-family, and an exploration of The Collapse via flashback

Cover art for Suzanne Palmer’s “Ode to the Half-Broken”. A large, rugged robot and a small dog walk through an enormous canyon—possibly a ruined cityscape—rendered in muted greens and a sandy brown sky.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Apr 12

I read Matt Dinneman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl”, specifically the audiobook narrated by Jeff Hays. This is a good example of the value in meeting a book where it is: the premise of running through an alien-run, post-apocalyptic, high-stakes RPG dungeon (with a cat) sounds ridiculous and is *AMAZING*!

Cover art for the audiobook edition of Matt Dinneman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl”. A large athletic man clad in a leather jacket and boxer shorts (with hearts) and a Persian cat run from goblins driving a spiky contraption. The tagline reads “The Apocalypse Will Be Televised”.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Apr 9

Reena McCarty’s “The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains” was released this week and I read it in advance via NetGalley. It is a richly drawn and intense fantasy, full of political intrigue. I admired the world-building and history that grounded the story and the complex interpersonal dynamics

Cover art for Reena McCarty’s “The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains”. The title appears on a parchment scroll, with florals and pine cones surrounding it. Below is a stone henge.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Mar 25

Uzma Jalaluddin’s “Moonlight Murder”, the sequel to her “Detective Aunty”, is coming out at the end of the month and I read it in advance via NetGalley. I enjoyed returning to the setting in Toronto’s Golden Crescent neighbourhood and revisiting Kausar’s family, friends, and community ❤️

Cover art for Uzma Jalaluddin’s “Moonlight Murder”. A full moon against a dark blue sky appears in the upper left corner. The lower half is a paler blue scarf with gold accents that morphs into a pool of water. A woman’s hand with a gold bangle and a ring on the forefinger grips the scarf. Text “A Detective Aunty Novel” appears under the title.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Mar 20

I read Annalee Newitz’s “Autonomous” and I’m so glad I did! A reading challenge had a prompt to go on social media and read the first book you encountered. How did that give me a 5-star reading experience?! Deals with pharmaceutical patents (and piracy), corporate corruption, and robot rights

Cover art for Annalee Newitz’s “Autonomous”. On a dark teal background, there is a robotic arm. A lime green chain extends from the edge of the cover and on the rectangle that would be the shackle on the robot arm, it reads “a novel”.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Mar 14

I read Benjamin Stevenson’s “Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret”, a holiday novella in his Ernest Cunningham series. I thought this was great! While I did not take the suggestion to read it over 24 days, the advent structure suited the storytelling style very well.

Cover art for Benjamin Stevenson’s “Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret”. The cover is made up like a red advent calendar with numbered doors. The open doors show illustrations of a mug with a poison symbol, a gun, blood-splattered mittens, a throwing star, a grenade, the words “a festive mystery”, an axe, and a straight razor. Six bullet holes are also printed on the cover.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Mar 12

I read T. Kingfisher’s “Wolf Worm” (24 March 2026) in advance via NetGalley. A scientific illustrator comes to a 1899 North Carolina manor house to illustrate the reclusive owner’s work on parasitic insects. I loved the characters, but I learned so much that I never wanted to know about insects!

Cover art for T. Kingfisher’s “Wolf Worm”. The title appears in white caps against a black background. An intricate, but somehow threatening, drawing of a plant—including flowers, leaves, and its root system—winds around the title.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Mar 8

I read “As the Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories”, an anthology edited by Terese Mason Pierre. I enjoyed this, and was particularly impressed by “Peak Day” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa and “The Hole in the Middle of the World” by Chinelo Onwualu.

Cover art for “As the Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories”. A blue-red stereoscopic image of a fly appears on a black background.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 24

I read “Brownstone” by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia. In this YA coming of age graphic novel, a young teenager spends the summer with the Guatemalan father she never knew, renovating a Brooklyn brownstone and connecting with her heritage. I loved it!

Cover art for “Brownstone” by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia. A massively oversized figure of a young girl with wavy dark hair reclines against a Brooklyn brownstone, as if it were a desk. The colour scheme is muted earth tones.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 21

I read “The Space Cat” by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford. This middle grade graphic novel features the adventures of Periwinkle the cat in space and in Nigeria. Fun with gorgeous art work!

Cover art for “The Space Cat” by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford. Against a vividly blue night scape, an oriental cat with blue eyes is draped over the title words.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 21

I read Benjamin Stevenson’s “Everyone on This Train is a Suspect”, the second in the Ernest Cunningham series. “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” did not work for me, but this one hit much better! I went with the flow, rather than trying to beat the narrator to the end, which may have helped

Cover art for Benjamin Stevenson’s “Everyone on This Train is a Suspect”. Against a red background, a stylized silhouette of a train sits on a railroad. Silhouetted motifs of a knife, sword, bottle of poison, axe, and pistol also appear.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 17

Heather Fawcett’s “Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter” was released today and I was lucky enough to read it in advance via NetGalley. I fell in love with the cover immediately and knew I’d enjoy the cats and Fawcett’s characters. But I was surprised how well the setting in 1920s Montreal worked! ❤️

Cover art for Heather Fawcett’s “Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter”. Within an art nouveau frame, about a dozen cats frolic on bookshelves, among a variety of books and curios.The colour scheme is predominantly tan and brown, with touches of blue, purple, and burgundy.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 16

I read Rachel Gillig’s “One Dark Window” and I enjoyed it. It is richly atmospheric with a unique card-based magic system. Each Tarot-like card has paired gifts and curses and the story revolves around a quest to reunite the cards into one deck. This is the first volume of the Shepherd King duology.

Cover art for Rachel Gillig’s “One Dark Window”. A small female figure in red stands on a bridge between two imposing towers and smoke billows around her. The misty background is rendered in shades of teal and the corners of the image are filigreed in gold. The tagline of the book is MAIDEN. MONSTER. MARTYR.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 13

I read the audiobook of Mariana Enrìquez’s “Somebody is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys”. It is a collection of travel essays focused on visits to cemeteries around the world. I enjoyed it and recommend it 😊

Cover art of the audiobook edition of Mariana Enrìquez’s “Somebody is Walking on Your Grave”. A magenta angel robed in bright blue is draped over a tombstone reading ‘my cemetery journeys’.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 6

I read Libby Page’s “This Book Made Me Think of You” in advance via NetGalley. A young widow is gifted a year’s worth of books from her late husband and rediscovers her love of reading. I love a book about the power of books and I found this story warm and comforting 🥰

Cover art for Libby Page’s “This Book Made Me Think of You”. A stylized stack of books appears on a bright teal background, with each word of the title on a different spine. The vibe is very cozy!

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 6

Molly O’Neill’s “Nightshade and Oak” came out earlier this week and I read it in advance via NetGalley. Mallt, a goddess of death, is accidentally turned human by a wayward spell and teams up with Boudicca’s warrior daughter to attempt to restore her power. I loved the setting and use of mythology.

Cover art for Molly O’Neill’s “Nightshade and Oak”. Against a plant-covered background, two women are pictured, one head up and one head down, like a playing card.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Feb 5

I was blown away by Charlotte Bond’s fantasy novella “The Fireborne Blade”. I chose it from a list of recent titles featuring lady knights and was very impressed by the rich world building and incredible plot. I enjoyed the way current events and flashbacks are interspersed with historical accounts.

Cover art for Charlotte Bond’s “The Fireborne Blade”. A tall woman in light armour holds a sword in her hands, parallel to the ground. Behind her, a white dragon—much larger than her—is curled in a stony cave.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Jan 4

I read Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”. In four connected stories, people get the chance to time travel for the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. The first story in particular did not land for me. The others were better, but this will not be a favourite.

Cover art for Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”. The top of the cover is a textured teal, with the bottom white. In the foreground, there are a café table set with coffee cups and a lamp, two chairs, and a black cat. (There is no cat in the story.)

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Jan 3

My first book of 2026 is Antonia Hodgson’s “The Raven Scholar”. The socially isolated High Scholar must unexpectedly take part in a competition to select the next emperor, while she investigates the murder of the original Raven champion. I was blown away by the world-building and character work!

Cover art for Antonia Hodgson’s “The Raven Scholar”. A silver line drawing of a raven appears on a purple background.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Oct 21

I read Jim C. Hines’ “Slayers of Old” in advance via NetGalley. It will be published tomorrow in time for spooky season! If you are of the Buffy generation, this tale of three retired paranormal hunters will appeal to you! 😀

Cover art for Jim C. Hines’ “Slayers of Old”. An older figure with a cane is pictured from the torso down, with a dark shirt, mustard pants, brown shoes, and a white belt. An eldritch black cat with tentacles and multiple eyes weaves between the figure’s feet.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Oct 3

I was *so* ready for spooky season! I read KJ Charles’ “All of Us Murderers” in advance via NetGalley and sold it over lunch to Collections Management: “I started it after work last night and I’m 75% done”. A gothic mystery featuring a 2SLGBTQIA+ POV character with ADHD. I finished it over lunch 😊

A murky green and blue cover from KJ Charles. Two male figures in the foreground are overshadowed by gothic architecture in the background

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Aug 20

I want to *live* in the cover of Heather Fawcett’s February 2026 release “Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter”.

Cover art for Heather Fawcett’s “Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter”. An art deco inspired array of cats and books on shelves, rendered in blues, tans, browns, and burgundy. There are an exceptional number of cats 🥰

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Aug 4

I read Premee Mohamed’s post-apocalyptic novella “The Annual Migration of Clouds” for my in-person book club. A deep and poetic consideration of climate change, set in Alberta.

Cover art for Premee Mohamed’s “The Annual Migration of Clouds”. A black and white bird—possibly a magpie?—has its wings partially spread, on a warm cream background.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Aug 4

I read Annalee Newitz’s “Automatic Noodle” in advance via NetGalley. A robot team reboot in post apocalyptic San Fran to discover that their ghost kitchen has been shuttered. Deciding to restart the restaurant with significantly better food, their success is threatened by a robophobic campaign.

Cover art for “Automatic Noodle” by Annalee Newitz. A giant robot hand uses chopsticks to hold up thick noodles, while various smaller robots are clustered around a building. The colours are day-glo bright.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Aug 4

I read “Of Monsters and Mainframes” by Barbara Truelove. The AI spaceship Demeter awakes approaching her destination and discovers all her passengers are dead. This ridiculously delightful romp features unknown vampires, werewolves, and other paranormal creatures in a science fiction world.

Cover art for Barbara Truelove’s “Of Monsters and Mainframes”. On a black background flecked with stars, an enormous fanged mouth rendered in rainbow colours. A spaceship wends its way through the fangs.

Rainey Morehouse@infomancer· Aug 4

I read “Shorted” by Alex Irvine, a novelette recently published on Reactor. A social media influencer in a near-future dystopia seeks to solve his own murder. reactormag.com/shorted-alex...