History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To, March 2022 Edition

| March 2, 2022

Reading: Books to review, and The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry. Watching: We’re getting back into some of the shows we’d put aside when other shows dropped in full. So it’s some Hanna, some Nancy Drew, and whatever else we’re feeling like. Listening To: It’s mostly Stray Kids right now, to be honest. Though there are some […]

TV Recommendation: Peacemaker

| February 23, 2022

We’ve been watching Peacemaker on HBO Max, which originally was a show we weren’t so sure about. John Cena’s Peacemaker character in The Suicide Squad was kind of a jerk. But we like John Cena as a human being (he seems smart, articulate, and kind, despite some of his in-ring antics and roles he’s played), so we […]

Review of Against the Grain by Melanie Harding-Shaw

| February 16, 2022

Against the Grain by Melanie Harding-Shaw is a lovely urban fantasy novella about magic, romance, and celiac/coeliac disease. Told from the perspective of Trinity, a coeliac witch who believes she’s cursed when it comes to matters of love and romance, it’s a quick-paced story set against a glorious New Zealand backdrop. Trinity has always has […]

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To, February 2022

| February 2, 2022

Reading: I’ve got a few new books I’m reading for reviews these days–one anthology and one novel. Reviews for those will be popping up next month! Watching: We cruised through The Witcher season 2, though we wish we hadn’t finished it quite so quickly, knowing how much of a wait there will be before we get […]

Review of The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller

| January 26, 2022

The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller (Tor Books, 2022) is a ornate and lovely Gothic tale of intrigue, mystery, and lasting trauma. With a fantastical premise and world, the gorgeous prose will keep you glued to this book all the way through. The book revolves around Charm, the Emperor’s mistress and proprietress of a […]

Review of The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes Book 1) by Nancy Springer

| January 19, 2022

The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first book in the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer (Penguin Young Readers Group, 2007), which was the inspiration for the Enola Holmes movie on Netflix in 2020. And while the basic premise between this middle grade book and the movie is similar, there are also distinct differences […]

Review of Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

| December 29, 2021

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (Razorbill, 2017) is a gorgeous young adult fantasy novel touching on power and inequity with an epic background of magic. The protagonist, Taj, is an aki who is able to eat the sins of other people to keep them pure. He’s recognized by his peers as being one […]

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To, December 2021

| December 8, 2021

Reading: Books for reviews, mostly. Not as much as I’d like to be reading, either. Watching: We recently watched the new Dune movie and loved that. We also flew through the first season of The Witcher, and we’re looking forward to the second season. We’ve started on Hawkeye (I adore Kate Bishop so much!). And we’re watching the […]

Horror Video Games with Good Story

| December 1, 2021

If you’re looking for a spooky horror video game to play, check out this list of 15 horror games with good story. I’m not a huge video gamer, but of course I’m familiar with Resident Evil and Silent Hill, both of which have specific titles on this list. I’ve also heard good stuff about Alan […]

Review of You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

| November 24, 2021

You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo (Tor Books, 2021) is a action-packed sci-fi novel of found family, peril, and cooking, blended together in a remarkable and entertaining way. Niko and her restaurant staff are military veterans who managed to break away from their old lives by convincing the military that Niko is a culinary artist. […]