Mooncakes

 Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu, 255 pages.

This paranormal romance centers on Nova, a hard of hearing witch, and Tam, a nonbinary werewolf. Nova and her grandmothers run a bookshop cafe that also seems to double as a center for magical research. The action starts when Tam comes back to town, chasing a cult who are intent on using their wolf magic for nefarious purposes. Soon they are staying with childhood friend (and crush) Nova, and their bond quickly deepens to romance.

While I did enjoy this comic, it was not at all the fluffy bakery story I was expecting from the cover. It's really more of a mystery/action type story, with the titular mooncakes only being mentioned in passing. Still fun and very sweet, but not quite what I was hoping for.

How to Order the Universe

How to Order the Universe by Maria Jose Ferrada, 175 pages

In 1970s Chile, M is a young girl who idolizes her salesman father, D, doing whatever she can to spend time with him on sales calls. As they grow closer, M starts skipping school to help out her dad, as he's found that a cute kid can really help move the product and she loves meeting the people he interacts with. One of those people, E, is a mysterious photographer, whose involvement in their lives threatens to upend a lifestyle that M has come to love.

What a quirky, haunting, and ultimately unsettling novella. With a tip of a hat to Paper Moon, Ferrada's sparse writing and characterization of M is pitch perfect. Well worth the short while it will take to read.

While Justice Sleeps

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams, 384 pages

Avery Keene is a second-year clerk for Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn, just trying to survive she can start searching for jobs after the term ends in June. But Wynn has different plans for her. Just as the court is preparing to release its final decisions (including one in which Wynn is the swing vote), Wynn slips into a coma and Avery learns that, inexplicably, she's been named as his legal guardian and given power of attorney over his life. He's also managed to pass along a few pieces to a puzzle that he thought would uncover an explosive political scandal. While Avery tries to determine if he's right or simply paranoid and senile, the FBI, Homeland Security, the White House, and the media are all banging down her door...and someone seems desperate to stop Avery's investigations.

This is a great political thriller that weaves together recent Supreme Court concerns, biotech innovations, addiction, and legal challenges, all with a well-realized cast of characters and a fast pace (slowed down only by a few sections of legalese). My only question: is there anything Stacey Abrams CAN'T do? Because she sure can write a fantastic thriller.

*This title has not yet been published. It is scheduled for release May 11, 2021.

The Heiress Hunt

The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe, 384 pages

When Harrison Archer's family tells him he must marry to secure the family fortune, he's reluctant to do so...until he learns that his lifelong friend, Maddie Webster, is still unmarried three years after her debut. But she's about to become engaged to a duke. Harrison comes up with a plot to ask Maddie for her assistance finding a bride, with the true goal being her hand in marriage. While Maddie's happy to see her old friend and help him with his quest (or what she thinks is his quest), she's surprised by the new feelings she has for him, after not seeing him for three years.

This is a classic friends-to-lovers story, and it's definitely a steamy one. I liked Maddie's directness, as well as her non-traditional penchant for competitive tennis (scandalous for a society lady to sweat like that in public!). The one thing that bugged me was the conflict between them — if they've been friends for so long and Maddie's so direct in her nature, couldn't they just talk this out? But then we wouldn't have the book... oh well. It was fun!

The Conductors

The Conductors by Nicole Glover, 422 pages

During the war, Hetty and her husband Benjy used their celestial magic skills to help slaves escape to freedom. Now that the war is over, they've settled in Philadelphia, where they take on investigative cases ranging from finding loved ones to dealing with the odd dead body. When the body of a prominent member of the Philadelphia Black community turns up with a cursed sigil carved into his body, Hetty and Benjy are on the case, one that makes them suspect everyone around them.

This was an intriguing premise for a novel, and I love that Glover used the same constellations that helped so many escape slavery as the basis for her magical ideas. Honestly, I would have loved to get more detail about that practice. Instead, Glover seemed to try to juggle too many ideas and plotlines, making the fantasy element suffer. As such, this one's hard to categorize: it's a historical mystery with fantasy elements? Not bad, but also not the best fantasy I've read recently.

Killer Content

Killer Content by Olivia Blacke, 289 pages

Odessa is a recent Brooklyn transplant, still dealing with the culture shock of moving to a bustling urban environment from her sleepy Louisiana hometown, when a fellow waitress at the cafe/bookstore where she works dies in a VERY public manner. While Odessa's friends and the police are convinced her friend's death was an accident, that doesn't feel right to true-crime-podcast-obsessed Odessa, and she begins to dig into her pal's life in the hopes of doing her justice.

The idea of a cozy mystery set in Brooklyn is fresh and appealing, and the dog-like cat Rufus and bookstore mutt Huckleberry are charming. But Odessa's penchant for over-explaining hipstery Williamsburg (I think we're all pretty familiar with the whole eat local thing and craft breweries by now) and using millennial slang, as well as the nearly constant reminder of her southern background, grated on me too much for me to really enjoy this one. (Also, the pinks/oranges/greens on the cover made my colorblind husband ill. Not super helpful design work.) Meh.

The island of sea women, by Lisa See

The large South Korean island of Jeju lies south of the mainland in a semi-tropical area.  Like the rest of Korea, it has had a long and troubled history with its Japanese neighbors who occupied Korea for many years before the end of World War II.  This history is mixed into the story of a family of haenoyeo divers, women who free-dive without any artificial breathing apparatus in the waters off the coast of Jeju.  The divers support their families by harvesting the sea of its shellfish, octopi, and seaweeds while the men stay at home tending the children and hanging out under the village trees.  It’s a hard life and missteps underwater can be deadly. However, the special bonds between the women in this matrifocal society and their central importance to their culture are unique. Two friends grow up together – Young-sook, whose mother is teaching her to dive, and Mi-ja, an orphan whose father was a Japanese collaborator. Therefore, she is a social outcast.  Mi-ja has been taken in, reluctantly, by her aunt and uncle, who are abusive.  Young-sook’s mother and family become her salvation and teach her diving skills as well offering her support.  Closer than sisters, the two young girls will be driven apart in their early twenties, shortly after both marry, by civil and global wars and heart-breaking misunderstandings.  The novel is a fascinating glimpse into the lives and shamanist traditions of the haenoyeo, who are fast disappearing, and the complex political situation during the years between the World War II and present day.  It’s a difficult book to read since the brutality of war times are graphically depicted and have tragic effects on the main characters.  365 pp. 

Beartown

 Beartown by Frederik Backman (2016, translation 2017) 418 pages

Even if you don't especially care for hockey, this book, set in wintery Sweden, will draw you in with its superbly believable characters and compelling storytelling. The Andersson family is shown in depth: Peter, the dad, was a professional hockey player whose injuries aborted his NHL career. He and his wife Kira, an attorney, are raising their two children in the small town of Beartown, where Peter grew up and is now general manager of the Beartown Ice Hockey Club. The town and the Club are both struggling as store closings and factory layoffs reduce the population. The junior hockey team has been thriving, though, and it is the fervent hope that a win in the upcoming semifinals and then finals will help put Beartown back on the map. 

Kevin, seventeen and a top player, has been single-mindedly honing his hockey skills for over a decade, in spite of‒or because of‒his rich parents' lack of attention. Benji's seventeen, smokes a lot of weed and is late for school, but he's forgiven because he spends his ice time protecting Kevin from hits. Amat is fifteen and poor, a player on the slightly younger boys team. He skates his heart out every morning before school after helping his mother clean in the arena, and is one of the fastest skaters around. Peter's daughter, Maya, fifteen, has little interest in hockey; she wants only to play her guitar and spend time with her best friend Ana, while dreaming about Kevin, while Amat, in turn, pines for her. The Club Board now wants Peter to replace his mentor, the coach for the A-Team, with the Junior coach, which he's finding a difficult task. All of these pieces, and many more, shape a riveting storyline. When Peter's daughter Maya is raped by a hockey player, the town chooses up sides. Serious topics are handled with realism and compassion, and kept me on edge until the last page.

Winter's Orbit

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell, 430 pages

When Prince Kiem is called into the Iskat Emperor's room, he isn't completely surprised by the order to marry for diplomatic reasons. He is, however, surprised to be marrying Count Jainan — a man from the foreign planet Thea, and one whose previous partner (Kiem's cousin) died just a month before — just one day later. The reason for this rush is the upcoming re-signing of the Resolution, a 20-year treaty that will guarantee peace within the sector of space in which Iskat and Thea exist. Serious and intelligent, Jainan is everything that charming Kiem isn't, and as the two ease into their marriage, they begin to realize that Jainan's first husband may have been murdered, and the man certainly wasn't who he seemed to the public.

This is a fun read that combines a love story with plenty of political intrigue, and Maxwell does justice to both parts equally, which is no mean feat. It's almost like reading a lighter version of the award-winning A Memory Called Empire (which should be taken as a compliment). Definitely recommended.

Pretty Little Wife

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane, 402 pages

While it looks great from the outside, Lila and Aaron's marriage is rotten to the core. Aaron constantly subjects Lila to emotional and verbal abuse that eventually turns physical, and Lila has discovered some fairly horrible habits of Aaron's, that could land him in jail if the info gets out. So when Aaron goes missing, the rest of the community is concerned. Lila, however, is frantic — after all, she killed him, and dead guys don't just walk away, do they?

It's an interesting premise, and Kane does a good job of creating suspense and shifting suspicions. There are, however, absolutely ZERO likeable characters in this book, so keep that in mind if you pick it up. Fans of Gone Girl would probably enjoy this one.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict, 272 pages

In December of 1926, in an event that could have been torn from one of her own books, Agatha Christie vanished, leaving behind only her abandoned car. Eleven days later, she mysteriously turned up, safe and sound, with no memory of the preceding week and a half. No further explanation has ever arisen. This is all true. 

In The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Benedict presents her theory for those mysterious days, creating a captivating tale of love gone sour and a woman desperate to live on her own terms. Through chapters that bounce back and forth between 1926 and the early days of the author's marriage to Mr. Christie, readers are treated to a twisty potential answer that makes us question everything. An excellent story, and sure to please Christie's fans.

The Weight of Feathers

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore, 319 pages.

This Romeo and Juliet-esque story follows two families of traveling performers, the Corbeau and Paloma (crows and doves), who have had a bitter, dangerous rivalry for the last twenty years. The Corbeaus perform as fairies, dancing in the highest branches, and the Palomas perform as mermaids. Both families have just enough magic to make this novel magical realism. After accidentally saving each other on various occasions (without ever learning the other's name) Cluck Corbeau and Lace Paloma are pushed into contact with each other, the only non-violent contact their families have had for years. Both Cluck and Lace are undervalued members of their own families, who the novel spends a lot of time making clear are much more alike than not. Romantic feelings quickly start to develop.

Reading this book is an interesting experience. There were many things that weren't done particularly well: the plot was fairly predictable, the romance seemed in both cases to have very little to do with the other person, there are some details that make me personally pretty uncomfortable (most of which veer into spoiler territory), and I found the ending extremely unsatisfying; yet, overall I still enjoyed reading this book. I believe that it is mostly because the concept is strong enough to carry it through the patches of sub-par writing. The pov characters were strong and the prose itself was quite good, which made this a fun book to read, and I think I'll be thinking of this world for a while.

Interior Chinatown

 

Interior Chinatown / Charles Yu, read by Joel de la Fuente, 270 pgs.

A National Book Award winner, Charles Yu has written a screenplay about a television show that is shown from the point of view of a minor character played by Willis Wu. That sounds confusing...and it is if you think about it. Best not to think and just start reading.  It all makes sense in a way that will amaze you as you go along.  Why are Asians often not seen as American?  How do you go from the guy playing the Generic Asian Guy dead body on a show to Kung Fu Guy? Is that what you should aspire to? Isn't that what every Asian guy wants?  

The audio version is terrific. FYI - the narrator has appeared in 52 episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

A long petal of the sea, by Isabel Allende

I loved Allende’s first and probably most famous novel, The house of the spirits.  I have read several later ones as well, but I have never found that she equaled that first amazing book.  The title of her latest book, which refers to the shape of his home country, Chile, is a line by Pablo Neruda, the famous poet and Nobel Laureate.  He figures in the novel as well, as a revolutionary, poet, and diplomat.  It was as a diplomat that Neruda financed a boat called the Winnipeg which he used to transport Republican refugees from concentration camps in France after their defeat in the Spanish Civil War.  In this fictional retelling of the event, among these refugees are Victor Dalmau, who although not fully trained served as a doctor, and Roser, the pregnant fiancée of his brother, Guillem, who has died in the conflict.  To emigrate, the two must marry.  It is a historical novel, with the emphasis on historical.  One learns a great deal about the Spanish Civil War, the Winnipeg’s journey, the political climate in Chile, and the rise of Pinochet.  Being sadly ignorant of much of this history, I had to keep looking things up, which made the book more interesting as history than fiction.  As Roser and Victor spend the next half-century in their arranged marriage, moving from Spain, to France, to Chile, to Venezuela and back to Chile, they come to love one another deeply.  But to some extent, their story is merely window-dressing for Allende’s deeper interest in the events that shape them.  318 pp. 

Landslide, by Susan Conely

In an echo of the movie Dirty Dancing, Jill and her husband Kit met at a kids’ camp where they both had summer jobs.  Although Jill is college-educated and a struggling documentary filmmaker and Kit is a fisherman like his ancestors before him, they aren’t as ill-matched as that might seem.  Both grew up in small town Maine in humble homes and they share a deep love for the area.  They have two teenaged sons. Charlie at seventeen is involved in his first serious relationship, while Sam is struggling with just about everything after his closest friend fell to his death in an accident two years earlier when he was just thirteen.  Jill refers to her sons as “the wolves,” particularly as she has been a single parent while Kit is away in Nova Scotia for three months trying to make more money as fishing plays out in Maine.  This stretches into an unknown separation when Kit is seriously injured when the boat’s motor explodes in Canadian waters and he is hospitalized a seven-hour drive away.  This novel treats the family dynamics so well while bringing in the external concerns that also strain it, climate change and the slow death of independent fishing, and the presence and temptation of drugs in this rural and poor area.  But primarily it is the story of Jill and Kit’s marriage.  Well-done.  263 pp. 

Clutter

 

Clutter: an untidy history / Jennifer Howard, 176 pgs.

Prompted by her mom moving to an assisted living facility, the author finds herself with a two year project...to clear out her mom's home.  Yes, she knew her mom had a problem but realizing the time and energy it would take to clear things out sent her down the path of finding out more.  How do so many of us find ourselves in this situation?  How can you work your way out of it? How has "decluttering" and "minimalist living" become huge industries?  Part of it is human nature, of course.  Part is society and the was we have learned to live with so many things.  I could relate so much to the authors feelings of guilt and horror while confronting the "stuff" while being overwhelmed. This book actually made me feel better about it all.

The Unwinding of the Miracle

 The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After, by Julie Yip-Williams (2019) 315 pages

Julie Yip-Williams was born blind to Chinese parents in Vietnam not long after the fall of Saigon in 1975. When her family was able to get out of Vietnam, they came to the United States where doctors were able to help Julie's vision somewhat by removing cataracts from the four-year-old child. She remained legally blind, though, and always tried to compensate for it by becoming a high-achiever, eventually graduating from Harvard Law School.

At age 37, married to another attorney and mother to two young daughters, she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. This book traces her whole life, including her medical and psychological journey as she deals with cancer. She wasn't brought up with religion, but one sees hints of spiritual thinking intertwined with her realism. Being invited into her thinking sometimes felt intrusive and other times felt like a privilege. Gut-wrenchingly honest.

Dearly

 Dearly by Margaret Atwood, 124 pages.

This was the first poetry I read by Margaret Atwood and I adored it. This collection is less thematically linked than many books of poetry I've read, with the most obvious linking "theme" being the feelings of empathy and anxiety that permeate these poems. The way Atwood uses words seems to elevate them to something greater than themselves, to something that sounds so distinct from everyday language that it is just a little magical. I would recommend in particular "Plasticene Suite" and "Oh Children."

 

How to Fail at Flirting

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams, 343 pages

Naya is an education professor at Thurmond University, almost ready for tenure and concerned that her department will be cut in some restructuring. She's also several years out of an abusive relationship, and afraid to try again with someone new. Nudged on by her friends, she heads out for an evening on the town, and meets Jake, a handsome man with a penchant for puns and bad jokes who is in town for a friend's wedding. Despite her intention to make this a short-lived fling, the sparks fly and Naya is entranced.

The chemistry between Naya and Jake is palpable throughout this book, and makes it a quick and easy read. However, the way Naya's previous relationship is discussed and treated is a bit odd, particularly when it comes to Naya's otherwise-understanding friends. That element is what keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending it.

Big Girl Small Town

Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen, 311 pages

Majella has rarely left the small town where she lives in Northern Ireland. She works at the local chip shop (the Catholic one, not the Protestant one on the other side of town), and lives with her alcoholic mother, and that's the way it's been since her da mysteriously disappeared a decade earlier. The book starts just after Majella's gran died following a horrific attack in her rural home, and though Majella is still going about business as usual, tallying up all her many dislikes and (many fewer) likes as she goes about her day, to the reader, it's obvious that there's some processing going on.

This debut novel is a detailed look at  life in a small, poverty-stricken town, still dealing with the aftermath of the Troubles. It's a bit like an odd mix of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Nina Stibbe's Paradise Lodge, and the Netflix TV show Derry Girls — three creations that have very little in common. But somehow it works.

Fireheart Tiger

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard, 103 pages

A few years after a fire burned down the palace where she'd been sent as a hostage, Princess Thanh has returned home to her mother and, despite her mother's expectations, is ready to begin diplomatic work for her country. Thanh, however, is taken by surprise when her first negotiation is with Princess Eldris, with whom Thanh had a brief affair before Eldris's palace burned down. Suddenly, her romantic and diplomatic plans are intertwined, and there may be some magical complications.

For such a short story, this world is very well-created, though I felt like the magical elements and relationships could have benefited from more development. That said, it's a solid quick read

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales

 Irish Fairy and Folk Tales by Various, 134 pages

I picked up a copy of this book and Barnes and Noble years ago (because it was beautiful) and had never gotten around to reading it. So when Saint Patrick's Day came around this year it seemed like a good time to finally get around to it. 

The stories in this book are simultaneously older and less old than I had expected. The collection consists of mostly 19th and early 20th century sources (including a few from Lady Wilde, although surprisingly none from Yeats), and many of the stories seem to be more or less contemporary to their recording. 

Some of the tellers are more talented than others. I enjoyed in particular the stories of Lady Wilde, and was not nearly as impressed by T. Crofton Crocker, who sprinkles small snippets of quotations randomly throughout his recordings. I enjoyed many of the stories, although there were less fairies than the title would have led me to believe.

The cousins

 

The cousins / Karen M. McManus, read by a cast, 325 pgs.

I enjoyed this YA title about adult children who had been disowned by their very wealthy mother.  Now their kids get called to the home town to work for a summer and meet their granny.  The cousins don't really know each other but bond fairly quickly.  The whole arrangement is odd and everyone has something they are hiding.  I love the dysfunctional family aspects of this story.  It is easy to relate to the main characters.  It is an entertaining if not completely unrealistic read. The audio is well done by a cast that helps you identify each character.

The Midnight Library

 

The Midnight Library / Matt Haig, read by Carey Mulligan, 288 pgs.

Nora has a pretty crappy life and she knows it.  She suffers from "situational depression" and at some point, the situation leads her to decide to kill herself.  Somehow she ends up at the midnight library, staffed by her former school librarian.  At the library, she can choose any book.  They are all versions of her life.  She gets transported to that life and stays until she rejects it and then ends up back at the library.  At first, she is not amused.  She wants to dies, death is the goal, not more living.  But she has regrets and is curious to see what would happen had she not done certain things.  She is out there making choices about which life for quite some time.  She tries out a lot of things...what if she HAD married Dan, visited her girlfriend in Australia, made it big as a rock star, ended up an Olympic athlete? She gets to test out all of these things and more.  An interesting concept that is not horribly done but you should have no problem predicting the ending after about the first 20 pages.    

Container Gardener's Handbook

 Container Gardener's Handbook by Frances Tophill, 157 pages. 

I got checked out this book, and a number of similar ones, because it's Spring and I am so excited to start growing things again! I've been growing things, mostly herbs and vegetables, in containers for a number of years, but I've always sort of played it by ear. This year I thought it would be fun to try and read up on what I should  be doing.

This book did not quite suit my purposes. It is much more focused on the aesthetics of a container garden than the how-to's that I would expect from something labeled a handbook. I would say this is a guide book to designing a fashionable garden more than any sort of growing guide.

That being said, there are some really cute project ideas in here! I love the succulent picture frame and will likely try making one of my own! Interspersed with these really cute projects are several projects that I suspect would look more like plants had started sprouting in the kind of debris that accumulates around an abandoned house. Still, it is a fun book to flip through for ideas. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, 448 pages.

Addie LaRue was born in rural France in 1714, and has felt trapped by her small existence for her whole life. So on the night of the wedding she doesn't want she violates the warning her mentor gave her and prays to the kind of old god who answers after dark. She wishes for freedom and time, and trades her soul to get them (to be collected only when she doesn't want it anymore). Like most Faustian bargains, this her wish turns out to be more curse than gift, as the god she prays to decides that the truest freedom is in not being remembered, and everyone forgets her as soon as they break line of sight.

The narrative twines between Addie's long 300 year history and her life in modern NYC, where she finally meets someone who can remember her. The plot from there is not hard to guess. 

Overall I truly enjoyed this book, but I have a hard time describing why. The plot isn't bad, but it's hardly anything groundbreaking. I liked the characters, but I wouldn't consider them particularly exceptional either. And yet the experience of reading this book was still something exceptional. For me, it created a very engaging emotional experience the whole time I was reading this novel, and I had a hard time putting it down. The tone is simultaneously yearning and joyful, cerebral and emotional. It is a beautiful exploration of what makes life worth living, and invites the reader to look at the experience of life with fresh wonder.

The Four Winds

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, 454 pages

City girl Elsa Wolcott has been unloved and ignored for her entire life when she unexpectedly ends up pregnant and married to a farmer. As out-of-place as she feels at first, the farm and her in-laws soon become the sort of loving home she never had before. Yet times are tough in the early 1930s, with a never-ending drought and dust storms that drive her husband to leave for (theoretically) greener pastures. But Elsa can't leave the land and people she's come to love, despite the harm it's doing to her children and herself.

This is a beautifully written and evocative story of Midwestern farmers and migrant workers. Hannah's depictions of both the horrendous conditions and mental strength, the fight for rights and the oppression, echoes through the years and is particularly prescient today. An amazing book. No wonder there's such a long hold list for this one.

Not My Boy

Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons, 260 pages

Freshly divorced Hannah has just moved into her sister's tony neighborhood when a six-year-old girl goes missing. Hannah's awkward son Miles quickly becomes a suspect, as does her brother-in-law, a situation that pits the usually-close sisters against one another.

This book has all the right ingredients to make a nail-biting thriller — great setting, lots of potential suspects, a wealth of buried secrets — but just wasn't quite baked properly. There were several elements that were hinted at throughout the book that never coalesced. Unfortunately, it ended up being a thriller without thrills.

Smoke

 

Smoke: an IQ novel / Joe Ide, narrated by Zino Robinson 320 pgs.

This is the fifth book in the series.  IQ is on the run from a lot of bad people who are looking for him.  He finds himself with a huge case of PTSD, away from Ruffin (his dog) and his girlfriend Grace.  But even though he is away, we keep up with all of the characters that we know and love. Deronda, Cherise and Dotson's stories all move forward while IQ finds it hard to stay away from the crime stuff. Even though he is supposed to be recovering, he ends up involved in a serial killer drama when he meets up with Billy, a young guy who has escaped from a "mental health facility" so he can help his friend Ava track the man who murdered her twin sister.  IQ is hesitant to get involved but also can't really help himself.  

Ide does a good job invoking the hood and I feel like I recognize the recurring characters. Although the stories seem more and more unlikely, it is fun to watch the characters handle these very outrageous situations.

The Liar's Dictionary

The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams, 270 pages

In 1899, a bored lexicographer working for the upcoming Swansby's Encyclopaedic Dictionary experiences a bit of drama that inspires him to coin a flurry of neologisms for inclusion in the dictionary. His actions, however, are not discovered until more than a century later, when an intern working for Swansby's is assigned to hunt down the fake words before they — and the soon-to-be-digitized dictionary — become the laughingstocks of the reference world.

This is a quirky novel, full of fun wordplay and two somewhat similar (though definitely not entirely parallel) stories. I particularly enjoyed the older storyline, as Winceworth seemed quite the peculiar fellow, and I would have loved to read more about him. A fun read for lovers of obscure words.

Wolf-Speaker

 Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce, 182 pages.

Continuing my re-read of The Immortals quartet is book 2, Wolf-Speaker. Many of the strengths of this book are the same as the strengths of the first book in the series. It is light and fun and there are lots of animals to befriend and magic to do.

In this installment Daine goes back to a village in the mountains not far from the home she had to flee. People have been disappearing, and it quickly becomes obvious that treason is afoot. 

This book is a little weaker than the first one, in that that is essentially the entire plot. There are very few twists or turns beyond mastering new powers to try to stop the treason. It's not a terribly sophisticated book, but it is still a fun read for younger readers.

A History of Kindness

 A History of Kindness by Linda Hogan, 142 pages. 

This collection of poems by Linda Hogan is mostly interested in exploring individual and cultural heritage, as well as the interactions both between humans and between humans and the natural world. 

I had previously read and greatly enjoyed Dwellings, an essay collection by this same author, so I was very excited to get my hands on this book! Unfortunately, I found that I don't enjoy Hogan's poetry nearly as much as her prose. I found many of the poems sort of dense and hard to follow, and had a really hard time staying engaged in this collection. 

I believe that people who enjoy poetry that further removed from standard grammar may enjoys this collection more than I did. It seems there were interesting themes threaded through this collection, but I couldn't get through the language enough to appreciate them.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

 The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey (2020) 339 pages

Missy Carmichael, a retired librarian whose 79th birthday looms, is lonely. Her large home is empty now; she'd spent time caring for her husband Leo during his illness. She and her daughter had never been close and were now estranged. Her son had moved with his wife and young son to Australia, breaking Missy's heart. She's both prim and shy, but because she wants to have something to write about when she emails her son, she forces herself out of bed and into the park on a cold winter day. Destiny meets her in a form of a child about her grandson's age (Otis, who Missy can't stop watching), his mother, Angela (a freelance journalist who frequently curses), Sylvie (a nurturing middle-aged woman), and later, Bob (a dog).

Even as Missy's world grows, she still holds back. She's got secrets she can't share. The author tantalizes us, giving just a tidbit here or there. We learn about Missy's youth during WWII and her college days as she earned a degree in Classics. We also learn about Leo, a professor adored by his students, but often absent from his family; a man who didn't verbalize love for his wife. Missy saw his faults but stayed loyal. Missy's past and present are equally compelling, as concerns grow about her future.

I didn't want this book—a debut novel—to end. I loved it and will watching for more by this author.

How to Catch a Queen

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole, 371 pages

When Sanyu's father dies, he is both king of Njaza and husband to Shanti, the queen that was chosen for him at the last minute. For Shanti, it seems like a dream come true, as she's always wanted to be a queen so that she could help inspire change and lead her people. But tradition in Njaza puts the queen in a quiet corner of the palace, leaving everything up to the king, who must rule with an iron fist and show nothing but strength, something that intimidates Sanyu nearly as much as his late father's advisor, Musoke, does. With just a four-month marriage trial, Shanti has a short deadline and a long to-do list to make her mark on Sanyu and Njaza's outdated traditions.

I generally love Cole's royal romance novels, so the relative lack of chemistry between Shanti and Sanyu was fairly disappointing this time around. Perhaps that's due to the separation that takes place between the characters for a large portion of the book, but this just didn't live up to Cole's previous romances. Their individual problems felt relatable, but there was just no sizzle. *sigh*

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, 399 pages

January Scaller lives a peculiar life. Her mother died when she was a baby, and she lives in the museum-like home of Mr. Locke while her father travels the world seeking out oddities for Mr. Locke's collection. She'd love to travel with her dad and explore the world, but he says it's too dangerous, though January does occasionally gets to travel with Mr. Locke. It's on one of these journeys that she discovers a Door, an unexplained portal to a world that smells of the seaside, despite her previous location in Kentucky. Though she eventually forgets about that experience, she later stumbles upon a book that discusses the nature of Doors, making that memory resurface and revealing more about her father's mysterious wanderings.

This is a captivating, beautifully written novel that muses on escape, homesickness, love, memory, and much much more. I can't wait to talk about it with the Orcs & Aliens tonight!

Wild Magic

 Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce, 260 pages

I had been reading a lot of dense nonfiction recently, so I thought a nice jaunt into nostalgic fantasy would be a nice break. "A nice jaunt into nostalgic fantasy" is also the best way to describe this book. This is the first book of The Immortals quartet, and follows Daine, who has a magical connection to animals.

A young girl with animal powers in a magical kingdom is a whole genre for girls, and this novel is really a perfect embodiment. It's a fun little adventure to help save the kingdom, learn magic, and make animal friends, and I would definitely recommend it as a light read.

Just Eat

 

Just Eat: One reporter's search for a weight-loss regimen that works / Barry Estabrook, 242 pgs.

Estabrook got the word from his doc, all his numbers were bad and changes had to be made.  Needing to lose 40 pounds, Estabrook started a round-robin trial of diets and learning more about how to improve his health.  After losing the pounds SEVERAL times but always gaining them back, he finally found a method that worked for him.  As expected, a restrictive diet can certainly improve health and lead to losing pounds, the restrictions are often too difficult for people to keep indefinitely.  Life-style changes that are sustainable are more likely to have a better effect.  It was interesting learning about Estabrook's journey and how well he could follow just about any diet...for a couple of months. He really has a great way of telling his story and is very honest about his struggles while filling us in on the history of diets and taking you through the current fads and why there is less obesity in some other countries.

Outer Darkness: Volume 2

 

Outer Darkness: Volume 2: Castrophany of Hate / John Layman and Afu Chan, 144 pgs.

Continuing on the mission, the spaceship Charon faces a lot of setbacks including aliens hauntings, sorcery and hatred.  This leads to a lot of fighting, backstabbing and scheming.  In other words, an awesome ride.  Captain Riggs is perhaps the only thing that brings the crew together.  They all agree that they hate him and want him gone.  This isn't kept from him.  Everyone is plotting or supporting someone else's plan, it is sometimes hard to follow. You always get the basic meaning...everyone wants the captain gone.  Chan's artwork is fabulous.

Inclusify

 

Inclusify: the power of uniquness and belonging to build innovative teams / Stefanie K. Johnson, 288 pgs.

There are many good points in this book about how we might think we are conscious about including everyone and working towards a more diverse work place but then there are lots of examples of leaders who aren't quite there yet. The book starts out telling why we should be striving for diversity then moves to specific leadership types who are on the path but need a little more work.  She gives strategies and examples and has done the research. Important for leaders in all areas to be aware of these issues, especially those in the work place.

The Ex Talk

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (2021) 338 pages

Shay Goldstein is twenty-nine and has worked as a producer in public radio for 10 years. Dominic Yun, twenty-five, has joined the station after receiving his master's degree in journalism from Northwestern. He seems a bit full of himself, always mentioning his degree. She is competent, but feels that he looks down on her. 

When the cash-strapped station decides it needs a new program to draw in more listeners, their boss has them create a fake former relationship for a weekly show which they will co-host, where they will talk about what failed in their relationship. It's a lie, but the show is a success. When Shay and Dominic begin to actually experience interest in each other, everything gets topsy-turvy. They want to continue their careers, but not lose their budding relationship. Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, the author threw another wrench in it!

Lab Girl

 Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (2016) 290 pages

Hope Jahren's book, Lab Girl, takes us through her life from the time she was a small child playing in her father's lab in Minnesota until more recent times as a scientist in Hawaii. Her successes, failures, humor and vulnerability are all depicted, as is her long collaboration/friendship with Bill, whom she met while they were students at Berkeley, where she earned her PhD.

Just as fascinating as her life are her stories about trees, leaves, soils and more. Her words flow as she describes biological wonders that are all around us, in words that a non-scientist can appreciate.

Girl A, by Abigail Dean

This debut novel is in the spirit of a couple of other books with “girl” in the title – Gone girl, by Gillian Flynn, and The girl on the train, by Paula Hawkins.  It also draws from the recent case of a family whose many children were kept in captivity for years without detection, and reminiscent of Room, by Emma Donoghue.  Girl A is Alexandria Gracie, now known as Lex.  She is the eldest girl in a family of six, perhaps seven, children, and when she escapes her chains and finds help from a neighbor, the whole horror of the Gracie household comes to light.  The father, a self-proclaimed pastor of his own church and driving force behind their captivity, commits suicide, but the mother is caught and imprisoned.  As the book opens, the mother has just died in prison and named Lex as executor of her estate -- $20,000 dollars and the abandoned house at 11 Moorwoods Road, which are to be divided among the siblings.  This duty will force Lex to revisit not only her awful past, but contact her older brother and younger siblings who have complicated relationships, alliances, and residual trauma.  The book is well-written and very involving, but those troubled by cruelty to children and the long term effects may find it a disturbing read.  342 pp.

The last detective, by Peter Lovesey

Written in 1991, this mystery’s protagonist, Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond, has recently been transferred to a bit of a backwater near Bristol after being tarnished by criticism that he had forced a confession from a murder suspect.  Diamond is old school at a time when technology is beginning to take over much of the work formerly done with hard work and shoe leather and he’s not happy about the change.  When the naked body of a young woman is found in a lake after a few weeks of submersion, it takes some time to identify her as the former star of a popular BBC series.  She and her husband live together but have largely separate lives, so the fact that she’d gone missing hadn’t been reported.  As Diamond seeks to unravel what happened to her and why, he is drawn into a complicated web including the husband, an Austin scholar recently appointed as head of the newly formed English Department of a local college; a boy the husband saves from an accidental drowning and his single mother; skullduggery in the city of Bath’s famous Roman baths; cocaine dealing, newly discovered letters written by Jane Austin, and more.  In the end, old school triumphs – sort of.  An interesting period piece.  I hadn’t read this prolific author’s works previously.  331 pp.

The best of me, by David Sedaris

 A big collection of Sedaris’s writing which includes a lot of essays I hadn’t read before.  Missing is the famous one about him as a Santa’s elf at Christmastime.  Some are hilarious, some sad, and some – this is the Sedaris family after all – disturbing.  If you enjoy his writing, this is a treat.  400 pp.

A Promised Land

 

A Promised Land / Barack Obama, read by the author, 751 pgs.

Yes, it is LONG but once I started, I could not stop.  Listening to Obama's voice with all of the correct emphasis was mesmerizing.  I enjoyed all of the 29 hours and 10 minutes of it. Looking forward to the next volume.

Iza's Ballad

 Iza's Ballad / Magda Szabo, trans. by George Szirtes, 327 pp.

I am a huge fan of Szabo's and I can't exactly explain why.  She published many novels in her native Hungarian in the middle of the last century, and I gather she was quite famous in her home country after a period in which her work was repressed for political reasons.  

Iza is the talented, ambitious, ultra-competent daughter of good, loving parents who spent their lives in a modest village.  When Iza's father dies, she decides to bring her beloved mother Ettie to live with her in Pest, where she has a sleek, modern apartment thanks to her successful medical career.  But Ettie is bewildered by the modernity of Iza's life, fearing to touch electrical appliances and easily bossed around by the paid housekeeper.  The tension between mother and daughter is beautifully rendered.  Iza herself remains a bit of a mystery, perhaps most of all to herself.  

February totals

Christa  12/2616

Jan  2/488

Kara  8/2856

Linda  3/985

TOTAL: 25/6945

The Miser of Mayfair

The Miser of Mayfair by Marion Chesney (M.C. Beaton), 167 pages

When Roderick Sinclair's wealthy older brother dies and the will is read, Sinclair is dismayed to learn that he's been left only the custody of Fiona, his brother's teenage ward. With only Fiona's good looks and only a bit of money to his name, Sinclair decides to take Fiona to London for the season, in the hopes of marrying her off to a wealthy aristocrat. But how to explain their outdated clothes and residence in a supposedly cursed rental home? Lovely Fiona, who is much smarter than she leads on, lets it slip that her "father" is a wretched miser, who wants to hide his wealth to avoid suitors who are only interested in the Sinclair money.

Again, Chesney/Beaton does a lovely job skewering the London society, while creating a playful and light tale. So much fun!

Lady Fortescue Steps Out

Lady Fortescue Steps Out by Marion Chesney (M.C. Beaton), 152 pages

At the ripe old age of 70, Lady Fortescue is one of the "genteel poor" of Regency-era London. She's an aristocrat, but by having outlived all ten of her children, as well as her husband, she has a stately London home but no money to her name, selling jewelry, trinkets, and even furniture to remain warm and fed. During a walk in Hyde Park one day (this fashionable occupation still available because there is no charge to take the air in the park), Lady Fortescue stumbles across a similarly poor and hungry aristocrat. As the two get to know each other, they contrive to meet with other "poor relations" to pool their resources and, eventually, run a hotel, with the hopes that their distant relatives will be so shocked to have a relative in trade (the scandal!) that someone will buy out the business and once again set them up for the lives of leisure they once enjoyed.

Having never read M.C. Beaton (or Marion Chesney, as she's referred to here), I expected either romance or mystery, and this was neither. But it was great fun, with plenty of humor at the expense of the high society marriage market. A perfect light read (or listen, as I did with the audiobook) for the weekend.