Bloodline

Bloodline by Jess Lourey, 331 pages

After being mugged in Minneapolis, pregnant journalist Joan Harken has been whisked away from the dangerous city by her fiance, Deck, who's convinced that his idyllic hometown of Lilydale is the perfect safe haven for their burgeoning family. While Joan is cautiously excited to put down some roots, something about Lilydale seems...off. The neighbors on Mill Street are just a bit too nice, and everybody (and I do mean *everybody*) seems to know Joan's business. The longer she spends in Lilydale, the more sinister everything seems, and weirdly, the more interested the longtime residents are in Joan's baby.

This is like an odd mashup of Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby, with a bit of that really disturbing "Home" episode of X-Files thrown in for extra creepiness. It was a fast and disturbing read, though not a particularly fantastic one.

The Apocalypse Seven

The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette, 384 pages

When Robbie wakes up the morning after his first college party at Harvard, the dorm is so quiet he's sure he's slept through his classes. Turns out it's quiet because nobody else is there. Everyone is simply gone, and Robbie keeps finding other strange things — crumbling buildings, empty supermarkets, overgrown plants, a TON of wildlife that usually isn't in Cambridge. When he eventually does find a few other people, they band together in a joint effort of survival and solving the mystery of what is going on.

Doucette does a pretty good job of incorporating the realities of regular people facing brutal survival situations, something that isn't always realistically portrayed. I particularly liked his inclusion of a blind woman, whose disabilities and strengths were even more pronounced in a difficult situation. That said, there are some definite problems (such as the assumption that a random public library would have a large Braille section — those books are both huge and expensive!) and a somewhat disappointing ending. The first 90% of the book is great though; just wish he could've finished as strong as he started.

Malibu Rising

 

Malibu Rising / Taylor Jenkins Reid, read by Julia Whelan, 369 pgs.

Ouch...the last book was sooo good.  But Malibu Rising is just mediocre.  I usually love a good dysfunctional family but everyone here is saintly or horrible and not fleshed out enough to care about.  Mostly a tale of 4 siblings who were left on their own when their mom died to young, their famous dad abandoned them YEARS ago and they are too proud to force him to pony up.  They manage on their own and are planning their annual blow out party and unexpectedly their dad shows up.  Yes, this is about a thin a plot as you can imagine and you are hoping for more but 369 well read pages go by and you never really get more.  Skip this one and listen to "Daisy Jones and the Six" instead.

Sharks in the time of saviors

 

Sharks in the time of Saviors / Kawai Strong Washburn, 376 pgs. read by a cast

A struggling but loving family takes a vacation and the seven year old son falls overboard. Sharks churn the water and the worst is expected but instead the boy is returned to his mother in the jaws of the natural predator.  How is this possible?  What other gifts are in store for the family?  For that particular son?  The two other siblings feel like the focus is never on them but they manage to become accomplished in their respective areas while feeling somewhat neglected.  The family dynamics change as everyone struggles and the chosen son experiences heartbreaking failure.  The setting in Hawaii is almost a character in this book that includes some magical realism but remains focused on the strong relationships of the family.

The audio book is well done with a cast bringing each distinct voice to life.

Seven Days in June

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams, 328 pages

When they were 17, Eva and Shane had a drug-fueled torrid week that left them both emotionally scarred from their rapid-fire intense love. Fifteen years later, Eva is both the single mom of a precocious 12-year-old and the author of an erotic series of novels about the forbidden love between a vampire and a witch. Meanwhile, Shane is both the reclusive author of a handful of critically acclaimed literary novels and a recovering alcoholic. A chance meeting at an author panel kicks off a week of getting to know each other again, both the good and the bad.

What a refreshing addition to the romance genre. Shane and Eva are complex people with difficult pasts and a LOT of baggage to deal with. But these elements don't detract from their chemistry or the steamy love affair that they embark upon. Without giving anything away, I'll also say that I LOVE the way this book ended. Well worth a read, even if you're not a romance fan.

After Alice Fell

After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore, 272 pages

Returning home after serving as nurse during the Civil War, Marion is surprised to discover that her brother and sister-in-law had Marion's troubled younger sister Alice committed to an asylum, where she recently died. And it was no normal death — officially, Alice's fall from the roof was an accident, but the doctors at the asylum say it was actually suicide. But Marion has strong suspicions that someone pushed Alice, and is determined to learn the truth. Unfortunately, someone is just as determined to keep Marion from digging around, and Marion may be in danger.

This is an excellent example of a historical thriller. The historical details are spot-on and truly place the reader in Reconstruction-era New England, while the plot is gothic and creepy and full of non-stop twists and danger. A wonderful mix of history and thrills.

The Things We Leave Unfinished

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros, 429 pages

During World War II, British debutante Scarlett fell desperately in love with an American flying ace, Jameson. After moving to Colorado with their young son, Scarlett became a bestselling romance author, despite the sad ending to her own love story. Some 70 years later, Scarlett's great-granddaughter Georgia is grudgingly working with top writer Noah Harrison to finish Scarlett's final unfinished novel, which happens to be her own story with Jameson. Known for his heartbreaking "poignant"endings to romantic stories, Noah is determined to give Scarlett and Jameson the happily-ever-after they deserve (and Scarlett's readers have come to expect), while recently-divorced Georgia wants something truer to life. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this dual-timeline romance novel, which I expected to be sappy and weepy (I mean, look at that cover!). It was certainly emotional and came with a heavy heap of generational drama. But it also had a lovely twist and featured a pair of relationships that I could really get behind. Guess this one proves the old adage: don't judge a book by its cover.

Northern Spy

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry, 278 pages

The Troubles in Northern Ireland have long been over, but the IRA hasn't let up on fighting against the English. As a BBC producer in Belfast, Tessa is well aware of the dangerous power of the IRA, so when her sister Marian is discovered participating in an armed robbery with IRA members, she immediately fears that Marian has been kidnapped and forced to participate. However, the police are convinced that Marian has joined the rebellion, and as she learns more, Tessa begins to have her own suspicions about Marian's role in the robbery. Soon, Tessa must reckon with the idea of having a sister as an IRA member — and whether she herself wants to be enlisted to inform on the powerful resistance group.

This is a well-woven thriller that perfectly balances the concerns a mother has for her child's future (does she really want him growing up in a Belfast that's held hostage by possible bombings from the IRA?) and her family's present (if she gets involved now, will her family even have a future?). The danger is real, the characters are complex, and the whole book is fantastic.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel, 384 pages

During World War II, thousands of Jews in Eastern Europe escaped the horrors of the ghettos and concentration camps by hiding in the dense forests of their homelands. The Forest of Vanishing Stars sheds a light on that harrowing experience by focusing on a girl named Yona, who was raised in the forest by the old woman that kidnapped her as a toddler. After the old woman's death, Yona breaks away from the solitary life when she discovers small groups of escaped Jews struggling to survive. Over the course of the war, she helps them stay healthy and avoid Nazi patrols, foraging for food and stealing necessities from neighboring villages.

Told in a way that skirts the line between folktale and historical fiction, this is a compelling and beautifully told story of World War II, and one that is rarely highlighted. Well worth a read.

*This book will be published July 8, 2021.

To die but once, by Jacqueline Winspear

World War II is ramping up – France falls, and the Germans are pushing the British Expeditionary Force to the sea at Dunkirk.  Against this backdrop, Maisie Dobbs and her assistant, Billy, take on a pro-bono case for a local pub owner.  His fifteen-year-old son, Joe, has secured a position in a protected occupation, which could keep him safe from the army.  But he dies anyway, of a fall from a high place after complaining of severe headaches.  These headaches are probably caused by fumes from the strong fire-retardant paint that he and others employed by the Yates painting firm are applying to airfield buildings around the countryside.  This investigation will lead Maisie into ties to a local crime family.  As always, there are interesting backstories involving recurring characters, which is one of the real pleasures of this series.  Her friend, Priscilla, having named her three teenaged sons after the brothers she lost in World War I, stands to lose these sons as well.  One is old enough to serve and is training to be a fighter pilot in the RAF.  The middle son, still too young, goes off without telling his parents to sail to Dunkirk with his friend Gordon on the yacht owned by his family. They have answered the call for all privately owned small and large boats to help save those stranded there.  Meanwhile, Billy, a maimed veteran of the earlier war, has his own son overseas in France and he is among those at Dunkirk.  Maisie is pursuing adopting Anna, the young evacuee that she and her family are sheltering in the Kent countryside.  While I write this, we are having floors refinished in our house, so I feel young Joe’s headache coming on!  325 pp.

Girls with Bright Futures

Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier & Wendy Katzman, 387 pages

The early admissions college application deadline is coming up fast, and the seniors of the exclusive Elliott Bay Academy are majorly stressed out in their application preparations. Well, at least their parents are. Tech mogul Alicia Stone is determined that her daughter, Brooke, will get early admission to her alma mater, Stanford. It doesn't matter how much it costs in donations to the university ($15 million, most recently) or that Brooke really doesn't want to go — Alicia has decided, and that's final. But with only one more slot for an EBA grad at Stanford, Brooke has some serious competition in Krissie (whose mom, Kelly, may not have Alicia's financial pull, but certainly doesn't mind stooping to cyberstalking and spreading rumors about other seniors) and Winnie (who legitimately wants to go and has the grades to do it, but whose mom, Maren, is Alicia's personal assistant). But when Winnie ends up in the hospital after a hit-and-run just days before the application deadline, one has to wonder: did Alicia or Kelly take things too far?

No doubt inspired by the college admissions scandals that hit Hollywood a few years back, this is a compelling plot set in the world of insanely competitive uber-rich parents...and the kids they're dragging along for the ride. Aside from Maren, it's hard to find likeable characters among the adults in this novel, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. For those who enjoy Maria Semple's books, but think that the snooty parents in those just have a few too many scruples.

Doors of Sleep

Doors of Sleep by Tim Pratt, 266 pages

Zaxony has an odd condition: every time he falls asleep, he transports to another world in the multiverse. Since this mysteriously started happening, he's been to more than 1000 worlds, and never, to his knowledge, the same one twice. He can take someone with him, so long as they're holding onto one another when they doze off, so over the course of time, he's had a handful of companions along for the ride, at least until they got tired of the lifestyle. One of these companions is a mad scientist bent on multiverse domination called The Proctor, who has figured out how to use Zax's blood to harness those abilities, but is only able to travel on the same path as Zax, with no steering toward other places. But how can Zax defeat The Proctor's mad schemes when he's never able to stay somewhere long enough?

Pratt is very imaginative, and creates these very cool, very weird worlds in the space of a few sentences. But let's face it, there's a better kindness-powered companion-bringing world-hopper in science fiction already, and that's Doctor Who. This would be a great book if Doctor Who hadn't been on the air for more than half a century, but unfortunately for Tim Pratt, the Doctor has been fighting off megalomaniacs like The Master The Proctor for years.

When the Stars Go Dark

 When the Stars Go Dark / Paula McLain, 370 pp.

Anna Hart is a San Francisco detective who specializes in missing persons cases, particularly those of young women.  She has an extremely complex past herself, including both childhood and recent trauma.  The plot revolves around three separate cases of young missing girls in northern California in the area around Mendocino.  (a locale which, thanks to McLain, I now want to add to my travel bucket list).  I was less impressed by the plot than I was by the astute psychological perspective McLain brought to the stories of these young women, and how past trauma may amplify vulnerability to predators.  Compassionate and smart, and very fast moving.

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis

 

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Edited by Drs. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson. One World, 2020. 448 pp.

In this FABULOUS collection of essays, poetry, and illustration, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Wilkinson have collected wisdom from women (some famous, some little known) all over the world to address climate change in all its forms. Here you'll find doctors to journalists, models to attorneys, young and old from many races and backgrounds and activists all, expressing their hopes and fears about the crisis we face on Earth. The collection is structured in a very organic way (surprise, surprise!) starting from Root and ending with Rise, to provide a context and leave readers feeling empowered and inspired themselves to continue on their journey.

I first learned about this book when listening to the podcast How to Save a Planet, which is co-hosted by Dr. Johnson, and readers/listeners will find a pleasant overlap. I can confidently say that I learned something new or felt something new in every essay, and I am certain I will draw inspiration from it for some time to come. I am excited to have a new roster of organizations and media to further explore to continue action as a globally-conscious citizen.

One Last Stop

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, 422 pages

New Orleans native August Landry is brand new to Brooklyn, not quite sure if she's going to finally find a place that works for her after striking out at various cities and colleges across the country. Once she finds a quirky set of roommates though, they quickly adopt her, despite her best attempts to stay aloof. Then there's a girl that August met on the Q line one morning, and she always seems to be there, no matter the time of day, and August has never seen her get off the subway. The girl, Jane, is a mystery to August, but one so beguiling that August can't help but be pulled in — and she hopes Jane's as attracted to her as she is to Jane.

Anyone who's read McQuiston's debut novel Red, White, and Royal Blue knows that she can write a steamy and emotionally gripping romance. While this book has those, it also allows her to branch out into science fiction and personal growth elements, both of which are woven in wonderfully. I love the celebration of queer culture and drag, and I always love a good found family. This is an enchanting novel and I totally get why there's a sizeable hold list. You should get on it too, if you're not already.

The Rose Code

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, 624 pages

During World War II, Great Britain put thousands of great minds to work at Bletchley Park, a bland manor that served as the headquarters for those who cracked the coded messages sent by the German and Italian armed forces. This novel outlines the experiences of three women — tri-lingual debutante Osla; tall, ambitious Mab; and shy, sheltered village spinster Beth — during their time working at Bletchley Park, as well as after, when one of them believes that she has proof of a traitor amongst the codebreakers. 

It's a fascinating story of at-home heroism, complete with building tension in the form of races to decrypt messages; personal growth away from tyrannous parents; and even the elegance of a long romance with Prince Philip. I don't want to like World War II historical fiction novels (because there are a TON of them), but darn it, this one's too good not to like.

The Push

The Push by Ashley Audrain, 307 pages

Stay-at-home mom Blythe comes from a long line of bad mothers, so when she can't connect with her daughter, Violet, she's afraid that the curse has continued with her. While Violet gets along just fine with her husband — clings to him and has him wrapped around her finger, actually — it seems like Blythe can do nothing to get her daughter to warm up to her. Perhaps something is wrong with Violet? Unfortunately, Blythe's husband doesn't seem to understand, and thinks that she's overreacting. But as incidents mount up, Blythe can't get rid of the niggling though that she's raising a psychopath.

Holy cow is this a creepy book! Audrain hits the doubts and fears of motherhood with such precision and detail, and the relationships with such delicacy, that it's hard to tell, even 3/4 of the way through the book, who's sane, who's overreacting, and who's to blame. Not something I'd recommend for new mothers, but if you want to be royally unsettled, this is a good one to pick up.

The Album of Dr. Moreau

The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory, 176 pages

It's 2001 and the WyldBoyz are unlike any other boy band on the pre-teen scene. Yes, they have dreamy harmonies and the traditional stereotypical roles (there's the cute one, the smart one, the shy one, the bad boy...you know the drill), but these Boyz have one thing that really sets them apart from their Backstreet counterparts: they're all part-animal, part-human hybrids. Yup, they really are a bonobo, bat, ocelot, elephant, and pangolin, but each with some human mixed in. When this story starts, they're at the height of fame, and just wrapped up their tour with a wild penthouse party in Las Vegas when they wake up with nasty hangovers and a brutally murdered manager named Dr. M. Suddenly, they're all under suspicion for his murder, and the lead detective must balance her investigation with her tween daughter's love of the band.

This novella is a riot of animal puns, boy band references, and a solid murder mystery full of callbacks to the classics. There's also plenty of ethical stuff to consider as well, given the band's background and unknown future. A fantastic book and not a long read. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

The Girl in the Painting

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper, 375 pages

Orphan Jane Piper has lived with siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn since she was a young girl and they learned of her advanced math capabilities. They arrived in Australia some 50 years earlier, penniless and with only their intelligence to get by, so they felt the need to help those in similar situations. Everything seems to be going swimmingly until Jane and Elizabeth visit a traveling exhibition that causes Elizabeth to suffer a panic attack. As Jane begins to search for clues to what triggered the attack, Elizabeth begins to suspect that she doesn't know herself nearly as well as she thought she did.

This was an excellent, well-woven mystery that sheds light on the immigration situation at the turn of the 19th Century, as well as the Australian gold rush and other elements. I particularly enjoyed seeing strong female characters fighting against the status quo in everyday ways. A fun, propulsive story.

Fortune Favors the Dead

 Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood, 321 pages.

The first sentence of this book description reads "It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost," and since pretty much every word in that sentence is exactly the kind of thing I'm interested in I pretty much immediately had to read it. This story, despite being the first in the series, takes place a few years after Lillian Pentecost takes on Will Parker as her assistant, since her Multiple Sclerosis is slowing her down too much to do all of her own leg work. This particular caper is an old-school locked room murder mystery, wherein a steel magnate's widow is bludgeoned to death at her own Halloween party, in the same room her husband killed himself the year before.

This was an extremely fun mystery that was carried in it's heavier moments by how much all of the characters, major and otherwise, cared about their loved ones. Will is also an extremely strong character, and I really look forward to reading more of her adventures.

Rules of Civility

 Rules of Civility / Amor Towles, read by Rebecca Lowman, 335 pp.

In 1938 New York, Katey Kontent works in the typing pool of a Manhattan law firm while making the most of New York nightlife with the other residents of the boardinghouse she dwells in.  When she meets a charming and successful young banker, her life course is altered.

On one hand this is Katey's coming of age story, set in lavish period detail.  It's also an explicit examination of wealth and its meanings, and how much we should allow materialism to influence our choices, which strikes me as thematically similar to Towles' second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow.  

Nine Perfect Strangers

 

Nine Perfect Strangers / Liane Moriarty, read by Caroline Lee, 453 pp.

Because Moriarty's books are so popular I assumed that I couldn't possibly like them.  Yes, I'm a snob.  In fact, I found Nine Perfect Strangers a delightful listen, smart, funny and moving.  And Caroline Lee has just jumped to the top of my list of favorite readers.

Tranquillum House is a luxurious wellness retreat center somewhere in rural Australia.  When Frances Welty, middle-aged writer of romance novels at a professional and personal nadir, arrives for some much-needed rest and relaxation she finds the spa's methods more unconventional than anticipated.  

The story boasts a wonderful cast of characters, terrific humor, and some genuine mystery and suspense.  

Early morning riser, by Katherine Heiny

Jane has moved to Boyne City, a small community in northern Michigan on the lake.  She’s been teaching three years before relocating to teach second grade at the town's school.  She immediately meets Duncan.  He’s a charmer and their attraction is immediate.  Soon they are a couple even though Duncan is in his early forties and Jane is in her twenties.  But to her dismay, Duncan has seemingly slept with most of the eligible (or not) women in town and surrounding communities.  Somehow, most seem to regard him with considerable affection even after he moves on.  He also is still close to is ex-wife Aggie, often helping her out with things beyond the capabilities of her rather strange and hapless second husband, Gary.  Duncan’s not the marrying kind, probably as a result.  Regardless of these complications, Jane and Duncan are happy together for a while.  Then tragedy strikes. Jane’s difficult mother is visiting them.  She offers to drive the mother of Duncan’s assistant, Jimmy, home from a dinner party at their house.  Jimmy's mother is killed in an accident.  Jimmy has limited capabilities to live independently, and ultimately will become part of the extended family Jane and Duncan form.  A witty and quite charming book about what it means to be “family,” filled with many memorable characters – Frieda with her mandolin; the femme fatale, Raylene; Jane’s awful mother -- sharply but compassionately, drawn. 317 pp.

The Friend Zone

 The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (2019) 367 pages

Kristen is running a successful niche pet supply company called Doglet Nation through the Internet. She's also waiting for her boyfriend to finish his deployment in the military and move in with her. Unfortunately, uterine fibroids are making her life hell, so she's got a hysterectomy scheduled for shortly after her best friend Sloan's wedding in a few weeks. When she meets the groom's best man, Josh, they have an instant attraction for each other. But when she learns that Josh wants a houseful of children which she can't provide for him, she forces herself to consider Josh as just a friend, even though it's clear that he's much more compatible to her than her boyfriend is.

There were several points in this novel when I just wanted to reach into the book and shake her, to have her really open up to Josh. But I can get that she didn't want him to give up his dream for children on her account, and then later blame her. The chapters are divided into Kristen and Josh's points of view, and the character development is solid. Can love win out, or is it best to be practical? 

The Children's Train

 

The Children's Train: a Novel / Viola Ardone, trans. by Clarissa Botsford, 295 pp.

Based on true events in postwar Italy which saw the transport of Italian children from the impoverished south to families in the wealthier north for temporary or permanent foster care arrangements.  This is the story of Amerigo, a young boy from Naples whose mother is loving but distant and whose father is absent, perhaps in America.  Amerigo doesn't go to school, seldom wears shoes, and is always more or less hungry.  An Italian communist group organizes his journey to a comfortable family in Modena, where he learns to play the violin and excels at school.  His problems arise when it is time to go home and he realizes he no longer knows where he belongs.

Interesting historical fiction which didn't quite grip emotionally.

Seating arrangements, by Maggie Shipstead

There's always a considerable amount of drama involved around a wedding.  Shipstead’s considerable talents are a bit wasted on her cast of characters. It's hard to get too concerned about the fortunes of a wealthy white family and their angst.  A very pregnant Daphne Van Meter is about to marry the scion of the Duff family at her family’s summer place on Waskeke, an island off New England.  As the book opens, her striver father, Winn, is leaving for the drive up to Waskeke. He’s the kind of man who wears needlepoint belts, while other characters wear “ironic” clothing featuring whales.  But a real, quite dead, whale will feature prominently by the end of this chaotic weekend.  Winn's younger daughter, Livia, has recently had her heart broken when another wealthy young son of the island, Teddy Fenn, dumped her after she became pregnant and aborted the child.  She grumps and sulks around feeling very sorry for herself, particularly after making a fool of herself at Teddy’s club while drunk. Teddy’s father, in turn, seems to be standing between Winn and his long-sought membership in the island’s exclusive golf club.  In many respects, the main character is poor Winn, married to his pleasant but unexciting wife, Biddy, who has developed a seemingly insatiable passion for one of Daphne’s bridesmaids, the alluring and lusty Agatha.  Misunderstandings and unfortunate coincidences drive the plot.  That said, it is an amusing send up of a certain class of Americans and a lot of fun to read, a diverting summer beach read that makes one glad to be merely middle-class.  299 pp.

Smoke

Smoke by Joe Ide, 323 pages

After a slew of dangerous, high-tension situations Isaiah "IQ" Quintabe is ready for a break from the real world and heads out of Sacramento for a taste of small-town life. Unfortunately, the danger seems determined to follow him in the form of an escaped psych inmate, a pair of ex-cons who may also be serial killers, and a cop who seems much more interested in the new Black guy in town than an actual threat to his community. Meanwhile, Isaiah's friends have their own dramas to deal with: Dodson's wife, Cherise, has gotten fed up with her husband's "street" antics and secured him an internship at an advertising agency; Deronda's baby daddy has popped up demanding partial custody — or half her successful food truck business; and Isaiah's ex-girlfriend Grace is being stalked by a creepy guy who thinks she'll lead him to IQ.

This is a great mix of storylines and characters, and Ide weaves them together well. My biggest complaint is directed at myself: why did I have to read this before any of the other IQ books? I can tell from this one that I'd love them, and I'm sure they'd provide plenty of the necessary backstory that was missing here. Guess I'll have to move them up my TBR list before the next IQ novel comes out...

Remote Control

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor, 159 pages

In a futuristic Ghana, a young girl named Sankofa wanders the countryside, bringing Death with her. While stories about her precede her, none of them are really true. Remote Control is the story of how she came went from being a malaria-stricken girl named Fatima to the deadly and sometimes-green-glowing Sankofa and the few kind people she meets along the way.

This is a short, science fiction fable that's as much about how we treat those we do not know or understand as it is about a girl's grief and confusion. Okorafor's writing is absolutely beautiful, and I'd love to see more of this world in the future.

The Woman in Cabin 10

 

The Woman in Cabin 10 / Ruth Ware, 340 pp., read by Imogen Church

Lo Blacklock is a young travel reporter assigned to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury Scandinavian cruise line.  A close second to One by One, this one offers an especially satisfying ending.

In a Dark, Dark Wood

 

In a Dark, Dark Wood / Ruth Ware, 340 pp., read by Imogen Church

A 'hen weekend' in a luxurious country house turns bizarre when unexplained footsteps appear in the snow outside.

The Lying Game

The Lying Game / Ruth Ware, 370 pp., read by Imogen Church

Four best friends reconvene for a reunion at their boarding school where they spent their formative years hated by their classmates for their clique-y game of, well, lying.  Things get interesting when a murdered sheep is found on the property of one of the four just before the reunion is set to begin.

One by One

 

One by One / Ruth Ware, 372 pp., read by Imogen Church

My favorite of Ware's, this tale set in an exclusive Alpine ski lodge ably pays homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and other locked-room mysteries.  In this case, a group of tech execs on corporate retreat are trapped by an avalanche.  But the real danger lies indoors as One by One the guests begin to die...

Lots of action and I-didn't-see-that-coming twists combine to make a great listen.

The Turn of the Key

 The Turn of the Key / Ruth Ware, 336 pp., read by Imogen Church

Ruth Ware's audiobooks became my go-to listen through the pandemic winter.  Each title is a standalone, but the similarities among the titles and the consistent solid reading by Church make them feel almost like a series.

In each we have a young woman with a past full of secrets, many of which remain hidden from the reader until late in the narrative.  These main characters are launched into danger quickly (and plausibly) by characters with secrets more nefarious than their own.  A nice variety of settings, careful plotting, and attention to loose ends and the tying up thereof deliver diverting listens.

The Turn of the Key features Rowan and an exciting new nanny job in a remote Scottish manor tricked out with the latest in smarthome tech.  The nearest neighbors are miles away, the husband's got a sketchy demeanor, and with cameras, intercoms, automatic locks and lighting fit for Ft. Knox, what could possibly go wrong? 

The Bromance Book Club

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (2019) 339 pages

Gavin is a major league baseball player whose marriage is in trouble. Thea, his wife, made an admission to him which crumbled his sexual confidence, and instead of talking, he clammed up. He spent a month in the guest room and finally moved out. She wants a divorce, fed up with the life that baseball wives have to endure, her own dreams deferred, and a husband that has just proven that men cannot be trusted to stay and work things out. Gavin hits bottom, drinking himself into stupidity after moving into a cheap hotel. A group of his baseball team friends intervene. When Gavin tells them that he wants to save his marriage, his friends counsel him to win back his wife using a romance novel as a guide. The novel pivots between Gavin's and Thea's points of view, along with a storyline from a romance novel that Gavin's friends think mirrors the issues in the marriage. The result is a merry-go-round of relationship ups and downs: Will Thea even give Gavin another chance? Will Gavin quit saying things that make the situation worse? Will Thea's sister quit encouraging her to file for divorce? I had to see how it ended.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

 The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, 513 pages.

Henry "Monty" Montague is a known rake, known for an overindulgence in drinking, gambling, and general carousing with people of all genders. The next year is meant to be the best of his life, as he embarks on the Grand Tour across Europe with his best friend Percy, who he's been in love with for years, and his little sister, who they are meant to be dropping off at finishing school in France. A year seeing the world with his abusive father a continent away sounds like a dream come true and Monty is determined to enjoy it, even if at the end he has to leave Percy in Holland and won't get to see him constantly anymore. However, when one of Monty's impulsive actions turn their tour into something from an adventure novel things get more dangerous than he had ever expected. 

This is an extremely fun book. As much as Monty can be insufferable and self-centered at times, he is still absolutely a sympathetic character who goes through a lot of growth over the course of the novel. That being said, I liked almost all of the supporting characters more than Monty himself, and watching them interact was a lot of fun. I believe this is the first novel I've read about the Grand Tour, but it's practically made for a fun adventure like this.

River of Teeth

 River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey, 114 pages.

In 1910 a bill was proposed that sought to fix America's meat shortage by importing hippopotamuses into the bayous of Louisiana, fixing an invasive plant problem at the same time. This extremely fun fact is the basis of Sarah Gailey's delightful novella, River of Teeth, which takes this idea and runs with it. Then again, I'm not sure there's any way to take the premise "hippopotamus cowboys" and make it not fun.

The novella follows Winslow Houndstooth and the team of ne'er-do-wells he gathers to fulfill a government contract to take care of the feral hippo problem. Said crew is extremely diverse and fun to watch. Every one is a character, and not just in the sense that they're in a book. The story reads somewhere between revenge tale and heist, with other elements thrown in to keep things exciting. This story is what I would describe as a romp, often with high-stakes and lots of adventure. I would absolutely recommend it.

Hana Khan Carries On

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin, 350 pages

Hana Khan is a young Muslim woman in Toronto, working three jobs (though only one that pays anything) in order to help her family's halal restaurant while pursuing her dream of a career in radio broadcasting. She's recently started an anonymous podcast in which she muses about being the daughter of Muslim immigrants and quickly gains a devoted, but equally anonymous, fan known only by "StanleyP." As their friendship moves from the comments sections to direct messaging, Hana finds herself wanting to make this relationship real. In the meantime, she's stuck in an internship where she's expected to speak for all Muslims, while simultaneously trying to save her family's restaurant from going under as a new halal restaurant (owned by dreamy Vancouver transplant Aydin) gets ready to open down the block.

This is Jalaluddin's second novel, after Ayesha at Last, and both are excellent examples of romance novels that focus on the emotional and personality connection rather than the physical. I mean, there's not a single kiss in this book! But it still has all of the heart and romantic tension of any other romance novel, while serving up something that's true to the hajib-wearing main characters. I love the way that the relationships are presented, as well as the growth in the main characters in very realistic situations. Even if you're not a romance reader, it's worth a try.

Vera

Vera by Carol Edgarian, 317 pages

Vera Johnson is 15 years old when the 1906 earthquake decimates her hometown of San Francisco. Because she's the daughter of an influential and notorious madam, Vera and her foster sister Pie have the connections to figure out a way to keep out of the worst post-quake situations, but still their future is uncertain. This is the story of how they learn to survive, and how Vera learns how to use what few gifts she was given by her mother and unknown father.

This may be the first historical fiction I've read about the 1906 quake, and it certainly covers the gamut of what was going on at the time, from Chinatown to Nob Hill. Before reading this, I wasn't aware of the extent of the damage, nor how quickly it occurred or how the corrupt city government impacted it. An intriguing coming-of-age story with an interesting disaster backdrop.

The Corpse Flower

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock, 336 pages

Three years ago, Anna Kiel brutally, and seemly randomly, murdered a successful lawyer in his home, and she's been on the run since. Now she's resurfacing by sending Copenhagen journalist Heloise Kaldan cryptic letters that imply a connection between Anna, Heloise, and the murder victim. Unfortunately, Heloise has no clue as to what that connection may be. However, she's going to have to figure it out, as the letters are piling up, and things are getting dangerous for Heloise.

This is a fast-moving mystery/thriller for fans of Jo Nesbo, Stieg Larsson, and Henning Mankell. Lots of tension and action, and the way the reader's opinion of Anna and Heloise change throughout the book is particularly well done. 

*This book is due to be published Oct. 21, 2021.

Plaster and Poison

 Plaster and Poison by Jennie Bentley (2010) 294 pages

Avery is a textile designer who came to Maine to deal with the house she inherited from an aunt who lived in the small town of  Waterfield. When Avery met Derek, a renovation expert (and former MD), she ended up staying and teaming up with him to renovate houses. In this book, the third in the series, they are working to transform a carriage house into a home for their friend Kate, who owns a bed and breakfast business and who is soon to marry Wayne, the police chief. When the father of Kate's daughter shows up in town, and later shows up dead in the carriage house, suspicion is aimed all directions: Kate, Wayne, Kate's daughter, and more. Meanwhile, Avery's mother and stepfather come to stay at the B&B. Derek's sister disappears, and it's not at all clear whether she has left on her own or by force and whether her absence to related to the murder. Leave it to the spunky Avery and her friends and mother to delve into the multiple cases. It's a quick read.

We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep

We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart, 168 pages

Remy is one of a handful of choristers on the submarine Leviathan, the only safe place for the faithful in a post-nuclear world. The "Topsiders" are all at war, fighting for resources, and the crew of the Leviathan must survive on the few things they can gather from the ocean, or steal from military ships above. Or at least, that's what Remy's been taught. But there are also secrets aboard the Leviathan, including the fact that Remy is a girl — the only one on board, brought because of her angelic voice — and as she learns more, she begins to doubt the stories she's been told.

A blurb on the cover of this book refers to it as "claustrophobic suspense," which I completely agree with. While the plot is something that can easily be compared to suspense and even dystopian young adult novels, the submarine aspect lends to a tighter sense of being trapped (both mentally and physically) than I've read in a long time. It's an intriguing story, and well worth the short time it'll take to read it.

The Hour of the Witch

The Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian, 405 pages

In 17th Century Boston, unhappily married women have very few options when it comes to divorcing their husbands, particularly when the man has not been unfaithful or deserted her. But that's exactly what Mary Deerfield would like to do after five years of increasingly violent outbursts from her much-older husband Thomas. The final straw comes when Thomas takes one of the newfangled three-tined forks (meant for eating, not carving, and imported by Mary's father) and stabs it through her hand. But even with an injured hand, the divorce trial is difficult, particularly since so many of the Puritan magistrates see the weapon as "the Devil's tines" rather than an eating utensil. Mary must walk a fine line to seek an end to her marriage without bringing a charge of witchcraft down upon her head.

This is a fascinating exploration of the limitations upon women in the 1600s, as well as a pointed look at how little things have changed over the past 400 years. It's well-researched, well-written, and has a compelling plot that moves it along much faster than your average 400-page historical fiction novel. No wonder it has so many people waiting for it at UCPL!

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert, 375 pages

As the youngest Brown sister, Eve is also the flightiest, hopping from one career path to the next, living off her trust fund until her parents cut her off, claiming that the time has come for Eve to settle down and apply herself. In a fit of frustration, Eve climbs in her car and drives off, stumbling across a small B&B that is holding open interviews for a chef — so OF COURSE she gives it a shot. While B&B owner Jacob is not impressed by her casual manner, he's also desperate, and after initially rejecting her, he chases after her, only for her to hit him with her car. Somehow, she still manages to end up working at the B&B, sparks fly, etc etc

Only now, while writing that summary, do I realize how ridiculous this whole book is. I absolutely loved Hibbert's first two books in the Brown sisters series, and I had very high hopes for this one. While the presence of an autistic main character in a romance novel is refreshing, it's not handled particularly well (more stereotypes than anything), which also causes problems. Read the first two Hibbert books (Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Take a Hint, Dani Brown), leave this one on the shelf, and keep your fingers crossed for her next title.

Slough House

Slough House by Mick Herron, 301 pages

Slough House is known among British spies as the bottom-of-the-barrel, punishment-assignment office for those who have royally screwed up in the more legitimate spy offices. But it seems that someone is tailing the current members of Slough House and killing off what former members still survive. It's possible that these actions are retaliation for the assassination of a Russian spy in Moscow, but why would anyone go after the bottom of the barrel? Throw in some alt-right agitators and some questionable back-office dealings with the media, and we've got a simmering stew that's ready to boil over.

Slough House (both the book and the office) is full of...oh, let's go with "vibrant"...characters, and the plot, once you get into it, is wonderfully topical and twisty. But this is the seventh book in a series, which is definitely not the point to jump in. If you do that (like I did), you'll spend the first 75 pages or so flailing around in your attempt to figure out who's who and guess at backstories. Learn from my mistake and start with book one, Slow Horses.

Arsenic and Adobo

 Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, 336 pages.

Lila Macapagal's life is starting to look like a rom-com. After she catches her terrible fiance cheating on her in the big city she moves back to her tiny hometown in Illinois to help her aunt save her failing restaurant. She also has to deal with meddling, match-making aunties and old and new crushes. Of course her food-critic ex-boyfriend being murdered in her family's restaurant throws a wrench in the genre. 

Now Lila has to solve the crime before she, the prime suspect, goes to jail for it. Luckily, the tight-knit Filipino community in Shady Palms, Illinois is ready to help, and Lila will meet a really fun cast of diverse characters in the course of her investigation.

I don't read much in the cozy mystery genre, but I really enjoyed this book. It was really funny, and I loved Lila's voice throughout. I also really appreciate the recipes in the back, and there's definitely some I want to try (if only I could stand the smell of bananas enough to make banana bread!). I'm definitely looking forward to the second book in the series next year!

Project Hail Mary

 

Project Hail Mary / Andy Weir, 476 pg.

Hell YES, Andy Weir is back!  Author of The Martian returns with his third book after a middling second book and all I can do is say Hail Mary!  This book is great. Our protagonist wakes up on a space ship on his way to save the world.  He can't remember much after being in a coma for several years of travel, unfortunately his fellow crew members did not survive.  Out there by himself, he is trying to find a solution to the problem of our sun being eaten.  In so many ways, the next sentences could be a spoiler.  Instead, I will tell you that there is a lot of fairly plausible science and a heart warming friendship in this story told in present day with flash backs to how we got there.  Fascinating stuff!

The Premonition

 

The premonition: a pandemic story / Michael Lewis, 319 pgs.

Hmmm, I wonder how this story will end up?  A book by Michael Lewis is always a treat. He can bring the humanity to anything terrible and there is plenty of terrible here.  No, this isn't a big expose of the previous administration or individual failure, it really shines a light on the system that was supposed to work but is set up to fail.  Public health is is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. There is a system in the U.S. and it is not impressive.  It is poorly designed and poorly funded, and yet there are people out there giving it their all.  The perspective is interesting.  The gaps are wide.  How are we going to fix this?

The Echo Wife

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, 256 pages

Just after receiving a prestigious prize for her work on cloning, Evelyn learns that her ex-husband, Nathan's, new wife, Martine, is pregnant. While this would be upsetting for many, Evelyn's particularly angry because Martine shouldn't be able to get pregnant, as she's a clone. One that Evelyn's ex made and based on Evelyn (but without the "disagreeable" parts, of course). But when Martine accidentally kills Nathan during an argument, Evelyn grudgingly gets involved in helping Martine cover up the murder, risking her career in the process.

Clone novels always introduce an element of ethical debate, and The Echo Wife is no different. What makes this one stand out, however, is the multiple layers of ethics up for debate. Are clones people or tools? Can a woman who was programmed to want a child and be subservient to her husband really make an autonomous decision to have the child? Can a clone be blamed for the crimes of its source human? Gailey is an angry person, and in this book, their anger crystallizes into a wonderfully told, taut drama solidly based in science fiction. This will make a wonderful book group title.

May totals

A bit late, but here they are!

Christa 9/2507

Jan 5/1522

Kara 12/3979

Linda 3/1002

Regan 11/2607

Total: 40/11,617

The Guest List

 The Guest List by Lucy Foley (2020) 313 pages

Jules, a successful online magazine publisher is set to marry Will, an up-and-coming reality television star. Their opulent wedding is to take place on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, at a castle-like estate owned by Aoife, a wedding planner, and her husband Freddy, a chef. The members of the wedding party and the guests include Jules's half sister Olivia, Jules's best friend Charlie and his wife Hannah, Will's best man Johnno, and the four ushers, all of whom went to boarding school with Will and Johnno. Secrets abound in this group. And as happy as the beautiful bridal couple seem, Jules finds herself obsessing about an anonymous note she received, telling her not to marry Will, that he is a cheat and a liar.

The story is structured in a series of time shifts. It starts at the moment in the huge outdoor reception tent when a storm has caused the power to fail, and brings us back in time in certain characters' lives to set the stage, and then advances the plot until we're back at "now." We know from the beginning that someone will die and someone is a murderer. (It's not a spoiler; it's on the book flap!) As the story and the suspense build, it's clear that the victim and the murderer could be anyone!

Wild Women and the Blues

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bruce, 377 pages

In 1925, chorus girl Honoree Dalcour is ready to move on up from dancing at the neighborhood speakeasy to performing at the Dreamland Cafe, the hottest black-and-tan club on Chicago's Stroll, where she has the opportunity to meet some of the most influential Black voices of the era, including Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. Ninety years later, film student Sawyer Hayes is finishing his thesis on Micheaux when he ends up at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree, hoping that she can tell him a bit more about her experiences. But what she slowly reveals over the course of many interviews is not at all what Sawyer was expecting.

It's hard to believe that this well-researched, tightly-woven tale of gangsters, chorus girls, gambling, and ambition is a debut novel. While I have a few quibbles (the historical part is MUCH more compelling than the modern stuff), overall it's fantastic. I can't wait to see what Bruce brings us in the future.

The Falling in Love Montage

 The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth, 368 pages.

Saoirse has just finished her final exams before going off to college and is still reeling after her long-term girlfriend left her. So now she only kisses straight girls, because she's not looking for a relationship. Saoirse doesn't believe in love, especially not for her. She's believes she only has so much time before early onset dementia strikes and leaves her unable to remember anything she worked for or anyone she loves, just like her mother. 

Then she meets Ruby at a party and starts bending her own rules. After all, not every relationship has to be serious. What if she got into a relationship with a set end date, like a few months later when Ruby goes back to England? She and Ruby decide to do only the fun montage parts of a rom-coms that Ruby loves, with none of the feelings or commitment. Naturally they fall in love instead.

I absolutely loved this book. It managed to be simultaneously extremely fun and very sincere. The chemistry between Saoirse and Ruby was very good, and there were a lot of scenes that were unbelievably sweet. But more than that, I liked that, despite being a romance, this book wasn't only about them. This book starts with Saoirse desperately lonely, having pushed away her only friends after her break-up, grieving the loss of her mother (even though she is still alive), and isolated from her father since she feels he abandoned her mother to an assisted living facility and is now "cheating on her" with a new girlfriend. Over the course of the novel Saoirse doesn't only build a relationship with Ruby, she also slowly allows both new and old friends to come back into her life, and allows herself to rebuild a (new, much more emotionally open) relationship with her father and new stepmother. There are small moments throughout where she, ever so slowly, begins to learn lessons and heal. Ultimately it is extremely gratifying to see Saoirse mature and be surrounded by people who care about her. Broadly speaking, as she learns how to make herself believe that life is worth living, no matter what may happen in the future. Definitely worth a quick read.

In the Garden of Spite

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce, 465 pages

When she was a teen in Norway, Little Brunhilde was brutally beaten by a man who had impregnated her. Since she was a servant at his fancy home, she had little chance for retribution. Except, that is, to slowly poison him to death, which she did while waiting to immigrate to America. Once she arrived with her kind sister Nellie (formerly Big Brunhilde), Little Brunhilde renamed herself Belle and hoped for a fresh new start with a wealthy Christian man. Unfortunately, he didn't live up to her standards, and she returned to her old method of dealing with unpleasant men. And then, well, she developed something of a taste for murder, though she convinced her foster children and her sister that all was well, despite their suspicions.

I absolutely loved Bruce's chilling and haunting You Let Me In, and was hoping for a similar atmospheric creepfest here. Unfortunately, the attempt at providing empathy for the actual real-life serial killer Belle Gunness falls flat for me. Instead, it comes across as a justification for her cruelty and the gaslighting of her sister. It was chilling, yes, but with the slow dreadful march toward the inevitable finish, this wasn't quite the historical thriller I thought it might be.