Celeste, Author at A Literary Escape

SFINCS Review: Once We Flew by Nikky Lee

Published on February 23, 2025February 23, 2025 by Celeste2 Comments

Today’s review is about ONCE WE FLEW by Nikky Lee. It’s a standalone science fiction novella in which humans have crashed on a desert planet with no way back home.

This review is brought to you by my participation in the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS). SFINCS, pronounced “sphinx”, is a yearly competition to recognize, honor, and celebrate the talent and creativity present in the indie community. It’s a sister competition to both SPFBO and SPSFC, and it highlights greatness in the novella format in all areas of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc.). I am part of Team Behind the Musings. You can find out more about us here.

Author: Nikky Lee
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Caelestis Books
Publish Date: November 14, 2023
Print Length: 108
Purchase: Amazon

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WWW Wednesday: February 19, 2025

Published on February 19, 2025February 18, 2025 by Celeste14 Comments

I’m making slow and steady progress with my February TBR. My last priority read of the month is almost done. Then I can bounce to more mood reading!

WWW Wednesday was revived and hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. The idea is to answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses.

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

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Maya and Natasha by Elyse Durham

Published on February 17, 2025February 10, 2025 by Celeste6 Comments

Today’s review is about MAYA & NATASHA by Elyse Durham. It’s a historical fiction set in early Soviet era Russia. Twin sisters Maya and Natasha both hope to graduate and become ballerinas at the Kirov Ballet. But a set of circumstances results in one sister trying to change fate, which upends both their lives.

Author: Elyse Durham
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Mariner Books
Publish Date: February 18, 2025
Print Length: 384

Want to support local bookstores? Buy a copy of Maya & Natasha on Bookshop.org!*

*These are not affiliate links and I do not make a commission from any purchase made using these links.

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STEMinist Romance Books

Published on February 14, 2025February 10, 2025 by Celeste24 Comments

Outside of fantasy, I don’t typically read a lot of romance books. However, when I do, I tend to gravitate toward STEMinist romance books. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEMinist combines STEM with the concept of feminism. In other words, a STEMinist is someone who supports gender equity in STEM, which are fields typically dominated by men.

Lately, author Ali Hazelwood has put STEMinist romance books on the map. She probably isn’t the first author to publish these types of books, but her recent works certainly increased their popularity. So, in the spirit of STEMinism, here’s a list of STEMinist romance books to dig in to. This list focuses on STEMinist romance books where the women are in the STEM field. The last category of STEMinist-adjacent books includes romances that contain STEM elements. However, either the female main character does not have a STEM job or the topic is tangential to STEM (e.g., gaming). Let me know some of your favorites in the comments!

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WWW Wednesday: February 12, 2025

Published on February 12, 2025February 11, 2025 by Celeste6 Comments

I didn’t think I’d get around to a WWW Wednesday again until next week. But my recovery is going really well so far and I hope it continues to trend in that direction. While I feel mostly “up and at ’em,” typically in the mornings, I’m still not 100%. I have been working a few hours each day so far this week despite scheduling this whole week off, if that’s an indicator of anything! Anyway, let’s get on with it…

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Continue reading →