Postcards from the Edge

Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher (1987) 226 pages

Carrie Fisher herself narrates the semi-autobiographical novel on audiobook, and I borrowed it through Hoopla. It starts with the character Suzanne Vale in drug rehab, then continues with her trials and tribulations dating and working as an actress in Hollywood in the '80s. There are few jokes, but there are outrageous situations. Suzanne has a funny, neurotic way of looking at the world. She draws some weird and humorous similes. Next I'm curious to see the movie starring Meryl Streep based on this.
 

The Wager

 The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann, 352 pages.

In 1740 The Wager left England with a fleet of other British warships to hunt Spanish treasure vessels in the South Seas. Two years later a tattered boat packed with 30 dying men washed up on the coast of Brazil. The tales the shipwrecked sailors told of their troubles entranced people for miles around, and the men were hailed as heroes. But then, six months later, another ramshackle boat carrying only a few men washed up off the coast of Chile with a grave accusation, the first group of men were mutineers and should be hung for their crimes. 

Grann covers the whole story, from the building of the ship to the court martial that would decide every survivor's fate, with both astounding historical detail and driving narrative force. I felt on the edge of my seat for most of the story, which is astounding for a nonfiction account of an event that happened nearly 300 years ago. Even more astounding is that he managed to pull turning real events into a thrilling story with very little speculation, relying heavily on the many first-hand accounts the survivors wrote after they got back in an attempt to shift the narrative in their favor. I was really impressed by this book, and am definitely planning on picking up more by the author.

Sister Outsider

 Sister Outsider:Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde, 192 pages.

This collection contains essays and speeches by poet Audre Lorde. Most of the collection is about intersectional feminism, especially relating to Lorde's identity as a black woman and a woman attracted to women. As with any social commentary 30-40 years out of date, some parts hold up better than others. Parts of what Lorde says are still dishearteningly relevant, and parts (like a travelogue/defense of the Soviet Union) are really more relevant to the 80s, when the collection was published. I found some of her arguments a little simplistic and gender essentialist, but others were very compelling and complex. Regardless, it is really interesting to read this snapshot of social issues.

Change of Plans

Change of Plans by Dylan Newton (2023) 352 pages

Bryce was chosen by her brother and his wife to be the guardian of their children if the unthinkable happened. And then the unthinkable did happen. Bryce, who was a chef in Florida, immediately uprooted and came to the small town in New York where the children and their mother's parents live. She's finding that parenting three girls, aged 5, 8, and 11 is not easy, but she's determined to raise the girls, even though it means opposing the children's grandparents, who have more financial resources and who also want custody.

Meanwhile, Ryker is finding it hard to adjust to life outside the military, along with his prosthetic leg, even though it's been some years. His PTSD flares at times and his leg is causing him pain. He's running an auto shop while trying to avoid his extended family, not wanting them to worry about him.

When Bryce and Ryker meet, the attraction is immediate. Ryker likes the fact that Bryce asks about his missing leg, rather than ignores it. Bryce likes the fact that Ryker came to her rescue when one of her nieces got caught under a grocery store shelf in a bizarre mishap. But as is often the case, this romance is a "Will they get together or not?" kind of plot, where we wish that Ryker could just communicate better, but we understand that his wartime experience has put him in a tough place.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell  208 pp.

This book is exactly what the title says, a compendium of odd things said to booksellers in their stores. Jen Campbell started a blog of just those comments and was approached to turn it into a book. She also solicited things said to other booksellers in England and other countries, including the U.S. Not surprisingly many of the comments are the same as some we hear in the library. Some are amusing, perplexing, concerning, and/or just plain weird. A nice light read that can be finished quickly.

* * * * *

"Customer: Do you have a book that lists aphrodisiacs? I have a date on Friday."

* * * * *

"Customer: Do you sell used E-books?

Bookseller: (laughing) No.

Customer: (angrily) Why not?"

The Night Library of Sterendach

The Night Library of Sterendach by Jessica Levai, 134 pages

The Hellers have fought the local vampires for generations, although a precarious truce has kept both the vampires and the Hellers from offing each other for the past 50 years. When Kunigunde was 7, her grandmother (the main Heller vampire hunter these days) took her to meet the vampire lord (I guess to further seal the truce and let young Kunigunde meet her foe? The reasoning isn't entirely clear.) Anyway, Kunigunde immediately falls in love with the vampire's library (like anyone would), and when she meets him again later, falls for the vampire himself. Much drama ensues.

The subtitle of this book is "a vampire opera in verse," so it's a 134-page epic poem that definitely has all the melodrama that an opera requires. It's a classic vampire story though, so if you're in the market for that, it's quick and worth a read. 

First Person Singular

First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami, 245 pages

In this collection of short stories, Murakami offers up eight tales ranging from what could be an essay about the author's love of baseball to the story of a lonely monkey that works in a remote hotel. They all have a bit of a twist that make the reader wonder exactly how much truth is hidden within the story, and if so, what that truth might be. It's an excellent collection, full of Murakami's trademark writing style. Highly recommended.

The Fellowship of the Ring

 

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954) 404 Pages

One of the greatest to ever do it, in my opinion.

Frodo, a Hobbit, is given a most important task: take a magical ring essentially to the ends of world, and throw it in a volcano. He is accompanied by 8 friends, some of whom are hobbits, elf, man, wizard, and dwarf. 19 rings of power were forged. 3 for elves, 7 for the dwarves, 9 for men. The One ring was forged by Sauron at Mount Doom. "One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them" is the ominous inscription on the One ring. This magical ring is more than just pure power. It poisons the minds of those who find it. It also searches out for it's one true master, Sauron. Sauron was once defeated but is rising in power again. His minions, Orcs and other dark beings of middle earth are all prowling looking for the ring. Rumors fly that it is held by a hobbit from the Shire, they know his name. Frodo must quickly leave with his companions in order to set upon the task. At the beginning of the journey, the hobbits encounter many close calls but are saved by a man named Tom Bombadil. They get to the town Bree and receive a letter from the wizard Gandalf instructing them that a ranger named Strider is to be their guide to the elves. They are discovered by the black riders, also known as the Ringwraiths or Nazgul, who are the 9 men who were corrupted by the rings of power. Frodo is stabbed with an enchanted blade and almost perishes, but is saved and wakes up in Rivendell, where some of the elves live. Elrond, an elf uses his healing magic to save Frodo. The company turns into a council in Rivendell and debate the future of the ring. They mostly all agree that it should be destroyed and Frodo is the only one to agree to carry this dark burden into to Mordor. A company of dwarf, hobbits, elf, man and wizard mentioned earlier are tasked with helping Frodo with his task. They are now called the Fellowship of the Ring. As they leave Rivendell, they attempt crossing the Caradhras, a mountain pass, but are blocked and nearly buried by an unnatural snowstorm, and must turn back. They finally choose to go the way of Moria, the old Dwarven city and mine beneath the mountains. While in Moria, the company are set upon by orcs and a monster known as the Balrog. In order to escape, Gandalf uses all his power to defeat the Balrog but is thrown into the depths of Khazad Dun with it. The company greatly grieves the loss of the wise Gandalf but must continue on in their journey. They then make it to the forest of Lothlorien, where the beautiful Galadriel, an elf rules. She shelters them, gives them precious gifts for their journey. Because the ring itself is trying to get back to its creator, people who are near it can be affected by it's power. Boromir is feeling those effects and attempts to get Frodo to give it to him. Frodo becomes scared and puts on the ring to escape Boromir, takes a boat and decides he must go on by himself. He is almost away when his most trusted friend, Sam Gamgee chases after him in the water. Frodo and Sam continue on while the rest of the company must help them in other ways.

Carmilla

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872) 108 Pages

A vampiric novel predating Bram Stoker's Dracula.

My Roommate is a Vampire

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (2023) 

I got caught by the catchy title while I was looking for some light reading, and I found it in this romance novel. Cassie has a Master's degree in art, but her specialty is creating art using trash, which doesn't attract the job she wants as an art teacher. She has pieced together an existence with a couple of part-time gigs, but living in Chicago is expensive and she's about to be evicted when she decides to consider an sharing an apartment with very cheap rent. What's wrong with the place? Nothing, if you don't mind living with a vampire named Frederick J. Fitzwilliam, who had spent the last one hundred years in a coma and now wants to learn how to fit in in the modern world. It was fun to see where the author went with this idea in her debut novel.

The Future

The Future by Naomi Alderman, 415 pages

In the near future, three tech billionaires have determined that when the apocalypse inevitably brings the end of civilization, the three of them should be saved to help reboot the world. (They have the brains and inclinations to do so after all.) Their super-secret warning system, their network of secret bunkers, and years of preparation make them sure that they and their chosen companions will be able to survive the end of times, no matter what sort of disaster it is. Meanwhile, internet-famous survivalist Lai Zhen is fleeing from an assassin in Singapore when her wearable tech starts offering her guidance to escape, revealing a mysterious bit of software that seems to be able to predict the future. And then there's Martha Einkorn, a woman who grew up in an apocalypse cult led by her father and ended up as the assistant to one of the aforementioned tech billionaires. From her place near the head of a social media empire, Martha can see that the parables she learned throughout her childhood are becoming truer and truer, and she's no longer sure how far off her father's prophecies are.

In a lot of ways, this book is almost too realistic — the tech billionaires intent on saving themselves, the data-mining capabilities of the online lives we live, even the online survivalists forums ring VERY true to today's world. But Alderman pushes things a bit farther, and I mean that in a very good way. This is a fast-paced, compelling novel with complex characters and ideas, but one that makes you think HARD about the present and the future. I have very few quibbles with the book (and none that I can discuss here, as they're major spoilers), but even with those, I'm confident in saying this is one of the best books I've read this year. Fantastic read.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, 338 pages

In the 1920s, a series of murders in Osage County brought the attention of the fledgling Bureau of Investigation. The people being killed were all Osage tribal members, and all of them wealthy from the mineral rights they held over the Osage tribal lands, which at the time were rich with oil. Killers of the Flower Moon details several of the murders, the many failed investigations, and the finally successful investigation that led to the conviction of one of the more notorious killers. While doing that, the book also shows how the prejudices of the era (some that are sadly still with us) impacted generations of the Osage. This is a fascinating historical true crime book, well worth a read, and I'm kicking myself for not reading it before now.

Midnight Riot

 

Midnight Riot (Rivers of London Series #1) by Ben Aaronovitch 384 pp.

I just discovered this series which has been around for more than a decade. I will definitely be reading more of them. It all begins when a man trips over a headless body in front of a church in London's Covent Garden. Probationary police officer Peter Grant takes a witness statement from what turns out to be a ghost. Soon Grant has been assigned to work with Chief Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in Britain. Grant becomes Nightingale's apprentice wizard and has to deal with more ghosts, vampires, the warring God and Goddess of the River Thames and an assortment of supernatural events and creatures which lead to a riot at the the opera house at Covent Garden. After Nightingale is injured and Grant's fellow officer/girlfriend is possessed it falls on the apprentice wizard to track down and eliminate the cause. The plot is great, the characters are interesting, and the action is fast moving. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, does a great job. During the heavy action he even reads it in a breathless way which adds much to the story. 

Dr. Seuss Goes to War

Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of  Theodor Seuss Geisel by Richard H. Minear  326 pp.

Long before he was known for The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss was an illustrator for magazines and advertisements. While working for a periodical called PM during the build up to throughout World War II, he created political cartoons about the war. The author gives background commentary about Seuss's career and the evolution of the cartoons. I can't say I agree with all of his opinions and they frequently became tiresome to read. The cartoons are the high point in this book. Seeing the cartoons as they were published, with their racist depictions of the Japanese, the illustrated buffoonery of politicians, and depictions of Hitler, Mussolini, and others was very interesting. Everyone, including the American people who opposed the war, were fair game in his cartoons and should be read while always remembering this was wartime.

The Ghosts of Eden Park

The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America by Karen Abbott  405 pp.

The lengthy title lays out the story in this book. After the passage of Prohibition, lawyer George Remus stops practicing law to begin distributing liquor. In two short years he became a multi-millionaire with an elaborate mansion in Cincinnati, a beautiful wife he spoils with the fruits of his illegally gotten gains, and a Federal Prosecutor who is determined to bring him down. The prosecutor, a rare woman in that position, enlists one of the Prohibition Agents to assist her. However, the agent has an affair with Isobel Remus which leads to her death by the hand of her husband. This account of Remus's shady dealings, arrests, trials, and ultimate downfall. Usually when you think of bootleggers Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and their ilk come to mind. Remus was a different sort, unconnected to big organized crime. It's an interesting story and one that is not as well known as the crimes of the big boys. 

The Bill of Obligations

 The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Good Habits of Good Citizens, by Richard Haas, 217 pgs. 

Democracy? More like demo-crazy, am I right? Thanks to authoritarian-leaning groups making bold power-grabs recently, I've learned a lot more about the state and history of democracy in the last few years than in my entire lifetime. While there's a deluge of political books these days, this one stands apart as it highlights some of the commonalities we share as countrymen and offers suggestions for maintaining those qualities, thus strengthening our mutual bonds as citizens and the country's writ large. None of the suggestions here are very partisan, rather they're very basic and commonsense measures that a majority of people can agree with. Haas served in the Pentagon and State Department under Republican and Democratic presidents and knows what makes good policy, both foreign and domestic. The obligations range from being informed and getting involved, to promoting the common good and improving our civics curriculums. I could definitely see an abridged version of this for teens being a good introduction to Civics 101. Highly recommended and a quick read for anyone feeling anxious about the country's future. 

Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird

 Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird: Stories, by Agustina Bazterrica, 154 pgs. 

I've evolved from a fiction reader to more of a non-fiction reader as I've gotten older, but I've always been a big fan of short stories--there is an art to them. Short stories force authors to do more with less, produce more dramatic characters and convince readers of setting and place quickly. In short (lol), they can be kind of a wild rollercoaster ride when done well. This newest collection, by Argentinian writer Agustina Bazterrica, checks all of those boxes. If you like dark humor with a shot of magical realism, this is your bag. Centered in the tradition of similar authors like Borges, Bazterrica has become a literary fixture in the Brazilian creative scene since her cult novel, Tender is the Flesh (yep, you guessed it--it's about cannibalism). These stories are terse, yet powerful, and shocking moments abound: a taxi driver who may or may not be a serial killer, a little girl coming of age with a surprising secret, the fixation of a dead body just after committing suicide--Bazterrica's stories start in a dreamlike trance and take you places you're not sure you should go. 

The Fun Widow's Book Tour

The Fun Widow's Book Tour by Zoe Fishman (2023) 252 pages

Mia is a fiction writer with two young sons who was widowed about 3 years ago. In a tribute to her husband's memory, her latest book is a memoir. Reviews haven't been too positive - some reviewers are lamenting that she hasn't put enough of herself into the book. Others readers miss the humor that was in her fiction but not in this memoir.

Her three best friends, who all live out of town, got her through the first years after her husband's sudden death, and they are now working to help Mia get her book at least a bit more publicity by setting up small events in each of their cities. More important to Mia, though, is the state of her friends' relationships to their own significant others. She's trying to be a fixer. She's also navigating her relationship to her father who's been married to his second wife for a few years, after himself being widowed.

This was a very fast read, and as I discovered in the acknowledgements, the book is somewhat autobiographical for this author.

Mrs. Pargeter's Patio

Mrs. Pargeter's Patio by Simon Brett (2023) 184 pages

Mrs. Pargeter, a widow who is blissfully unaware that her husband  may have dabbled in some illegal activities during his life, finds a skull with a bullet hole in it when a paving slab from her mansion's patio cracks in two as she walks across it. A resourceful woman, Mrs. Pargeter consults with some of the numerous aides who had been deeply trusted by her husband. All of them would do anything to help her. The characters are rather caricatured, with nicknames that are memorable. For example, Fixin' Nixon could get appointments or tickets on short notice or even if sold out, Tina the Transformer could temporarily change someone's appearance to hide their identity, Keyhole Crabbe could get into any building or safe, etc.

Mrs. Pargeter is also using her husband's contacts to locate the father of Kirstie, her gardener, who hasn't seen her father since he disappeared on her ninth birthday. As that investigation deepens, Kirstie's father seems to figure into the patio investigation. The police investigation is taking forever, but Mrs. Pargeter and her crew independently discover whose body was deposited under her patio as it was being built, why he was murdered, and the scope of a whole related web of the underworld. Mrs. Pargeter is hoping against hope that Kirstie's father is still alive and that he wasn't the murderer.

This story is light, quick, and humorous in its droll way.

Iron Flame

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, 623 pages

**Spoilers for Fourth Wing below**

In this highly anticipated sequel to the buzzy Fourth Wing, Violet Sorrengail is grappling with the many revelations of the past few months: that dark wizard venin actually exist, and that the government her mother is so intrinsically tied to is actively denying that fact while leaving civilians as defenseless fodder; that her long-dead brother Brennan is actually alive and a leader in the secret rebellion against the government; and that Xaden, the man who she finally learned to trust as much as she loves, knew about all of this and didn't tell her. And while she comes to term with all of it, she has to keep moving and learning, because the threats from both the venin and the government aren't stopping anytime soon, leaving Violet with little notion of who to trust, how much, and with what information.

A lot of times, there's a bit of a sophomore slump in these series, but Yarros does an excellent job of keeping up the pace and the interest in this book without making the twists seem contrived. Of course it had to end on a cliffhanger, so I know I'm not the only one who's looking forward to the next installment in this series.

The Mimicking of Known Successes

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older, 169 pages

When a man goes missing from a remote station on Jupiter, Inspector Mossa is tasked with finding out what happened. The investigation leads her to the apartments of her ex, Pleiti, a scholar of Earth culture before humanity's exodus, who must help Mossa connect with academics from a vast range of specialties, including Jupiter geography and Earth biology.

Despite being set on Jupiter, this book is a pretty straightforward gaslamp mystery with a dogged investigator and her intelligent assistant tagging along on the adventure. A very enjoyable book, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Our Share of Night

 Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, 736 pages.

The Order has been worshiping The Darkness for centuries, making terrible offerings of torture and murder to further their own power and fortunes. Juan Peterson is their most recent unwilling prophet, called a medium, who serves as an avatar for the power during their terrible rituals. But Juan has a son, and while The Order is determined that Gaspar will be his heir, Juan is even more determined that his son will have nothing to do with the ghosts and dark rituals. 

It is hard to summarize the plot of this book because it is sprawling and non-continuous. The book is divided into five parts, most with a different protagonist or protagonists. Four of the five take place in Argentina, and one in England, and the sections move back and forth in time. I found this division to be one of the weaker parts of the book. I found this novel shockingly lacking in momentum, which is a major problem for a book this large. Part of the problem was the leisurely pace of the plot, where very often nothing in particular is happening, and part of the problem is that every time the story starts to build any momentum it is often interrupted for something totally unrelated. It probably also doesn't help that, with the way the book is ordered, generally the audience knows much more about everything than any of the characters, so there are very few mysteries to resolve. I personally found that Enriquez's very good prose and the interesting elements of horror placed during the military dictatorship in Argentina unfortunately weren't enough to make up for the weak plot and characters. It feels like this book might be really good for someone, but I can't quite figure out enough of what it's goals were to figure out if it met any of them. 

The Midnight Bargain

 The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk, 384 pages.

Kara got to this review first here and I entirely agree with her. I was really pleasantly surprised by just how much I liked this book. It had enough formal elements and problems to feel like it really inhabited it's pseudo-Victorian setting, but it also wasn't too stuffy. I was also pleasantly surprised that the setting took the time to do some actual world building when I was only expecting a slightly reskinned England. The stakes felt real and the problems difficult. I completely agree with Kara that the plot wrapped up too perfectly in a way that was pretty unbelievable (and had some unaddressed issues), but I'm willing to set aside my disbelief for a happy ending from time-to-time. I definitely feel like there's a lot to talk about here, and I'm really excited to discuss this book with Orcs and Aliens tonight.

The Courage to Be Disliked

The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Funitake Koga (2013) 270 pages

Very readable book that uses theories of psychologist Alfred Adler to show how to change one's life. The theories are done in the form of five dialogues between a philosopher and a young man, with some useful repetition to help the ideas stick.

Some of the ideas that form these theories: 

• one's life is not determined by one's experiences, including trauma 
• people can change when they're unhappy, but they often find use in NOT changing
• wanting recognition, or living to satisfy others' expectations causes one to be unfree and unhappy
• one gains happiness with contributions to others

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutano (2023) 338 pages

Vera Wong Zhuzhu lives above her little tea shop in San Francisco's Chinatown, and has very few customers. However, the sixty-something widow DOES have a spunky, pushy attitude. When she finds a dead man in her tea shop one morning, she calls the police, but doesn't trust them to solve the murder. She puts an obituary in the local paper, and posts about it on TikTok and Twitter, believing that the killer will return to the scene of the crime. Before long, she has snared people who have come and paused outside the tea shop. As each comes, she brings them in to give them her excellent tea. She gathers them all together at the home of the dead man's widow, feeding them and learning about them, and especially gravitating towards the dead man's tiny child, bringing the clingy tot out of her shell. One thing that is clear almost immediately is that the dead man was strongly disliked. The people Vera has gathered all have their secrets. She lets them know that she considers them all suspects, but there's something about her that the suspects like, in spite of that.

This story has everything: murder, anger, good people who feel bad, people who feel stuck, people who look guilty but aren't, people who find "family" outside their family, good Chinese cooking, comforting tea, reunions, and a good share of humor. Lovely story!

October totals plus NEW WILD CARDS!!

Yes, that's right — we've finally pulled ourselves together enough to come up with some wild card categories for the 2023-24 blogging year (we're only two months in, it's not that bad!) So for this year, the wild cards are:

• Books with a time in the title (has to be a time of day — noon, midnight, dawn, 6:41 — and the word "time" doesn't count)
• Authors whose names end in a vowel (last names, and yes, Y counts as a vowel)

If you need reminding throughout the year, remember that there is a Wild Card tab on the blog home page, which explains the categories. If you have questions, ask Kara or Regan. 

On to the totals!

Byron: 5 books/1508 pages

Jan: 7 books/2427 pages

Kara: 15 books/5195 pages

Karen: 12 books/3304 pages

Kathleen: 4 books/1547 pages

Kevin: 2 books/493 pages

Regan: 8 books/2350 pages

TOTAL: 53 books/16,824 pages

Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, 340 pages

With a sick dad and an absent mother, Evie is the sole provider for her household and after the last one was all kinds of horrible, she's desperate for a new job. When she quite literally runs into The Villain — the infamous evildoer that has been terrorizing Rennedawn for the past decade — and he offers her a job as his personal assistant, she doesn't have much choice but to take it. And surprisingly, it's a decent job, with excellent pay and benefits. But there's also a mole in The Villain's evil empire, and Evie must figure out who it is before they all end up dead.

This superfun book is kind of like a mix between Nimona and Hench, but with a bit of a romance plot thrown in. It's light, it's funny, and the characters are fantastic. My only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger and the second book doesn't come out until next year. 

If We're Being Honest

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook (2023) 297 pages

In small town Georgia, a beloved old man, Gerry, has died. His family members, who have gathered for the funeral, are staying in town for a week since they were going to come for a dear neighbor's wedding anyway. And what a week it is! Gerry's best friend, Fred, makes a startling announcement at the funeral while giving the eulogy. As the bereaved deal with that and all the regular issues a close extended family can have — unexpected pregnancy, drama queens, heartbreak, identity issues, clueless spouse issues, etc. — it is as if we're watching real people live and try to figure out what they're doing throughout the ups and downs.

The cast of characters includes Gerry's wife and three children and four adult grandchildren, along with significant others. I really got wrapped up in the story.

Confessions of a Bookseller

Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell 323 pp.

This book isn't so much "confessions" as it is a diary of the day-to-day goings on in the life of a man running the second largest used bookshop in a small town in Scotland. Besides a running tally of the days online orders and in person sales, Bythell relates the day to day activities, frustrations, and encounters during a year in his shop. There are a variety of characters who work in or frequent the shop, some who are serious and others perplexing. The winter months are relatively slow while the other seasons are much more active due to special events and book festivals. While I didn't find this book particularly engrossing, apparently some liked it so much there was talk of making it into a television series. There is a sequel of sorts called Diary of a Bookseller but I don't know if I'm interested in it enough to read it.

The Midnight Bargain

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk, 375 pages

Beatrice is entering her first season on the marriage market, though the last thing she wants is to get married. Marriage means giving up her innate magical abilities, something she loves and feels would be much more useful to her family than a loveless, magic-less marriage, especially if she's able to make the great bargain: summoning and harnessing a greater spirit to do her bidding. Unfortunately, society's rules (and Beatrice's father) are dead set against this happening, and Beatrice's only hope is a grimoire that has fallen into the hands of Ysbeta Lavan, who also seeks to make the great bargain.

In the acknowledgements, the author describes the book as "Pokémon, but make it Jane Austen," and that's a funny and fairly good description. Except that it leaves out the currents of feminism, rebellion, and oppressive patriarchy that makes the book so compelling. I have some quibbles with the plot, which wrapped up WAY too neatly, but otherwise it was an enjoyable read. I'm curious to see what the Orcs & Aliens book group thinks of it next week.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot, 378 pages

In this sequel to All Creatures Great and Small, Herriot again offers up stories of his time as a country vet in Yorkshire during the 1930s. We learn about the various animals he's called to assist, as well as the colorful characters of the small village where he and his wife reside. 

The stories are funny, quaint, and, at times, not for the squeamish, as there are plenty of descriptions of the viscera and bodily fluids that come with any veterinary practice. But all in all, it's a charming collection of stories, and the audiobook, read by the wonderful Christopher Timothy, is excellent.

How to Write One Song

 How to Write One Song, by Jeff Tweedy, 160 pgs. 

While doing some research for my future music book club, I came across this title by Wilco founder and Belleville native Jeff Tweedy. I also decided to check it out after reading an interview with local musician Beth Bombara, who said she relied on this book to work through a dry spell. This is kind of a difficult book to pigeonhole. It's not a memoir but the author highlights some moments that die-hard Wilco fans will know from his long career. It's also not a hard and fast how-to book--there's no bulleted list or structured plan for writing pop hits. While this book is more directed towards songwriters of various styles, Tweedy makes some rational and heartfelt statements about creating art of any kind, not just songs. When it comes down to it, you really feel like you're sitting in a dive bar with the author and he's opening up about the songwriting process he's developed over the decades. More than anything, Tweedy just wants the reader to shut off their self-critical naysaying and give themselves the permission to create anything, in the hopes of falling in love the idea of creation. It's a noble little pick-me-up for anyone of artistic abilities. Recommended for teens and adults. 

Night Fever

 Night Fever by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, 120 pgs. 

I had a brief foray into comics as a teen, usually just X-Men or Image comics related, but it's been a long time since I've picked-up a graphic novel and this did not disappoint. I've never thought of myself as a mystery or crime reader, but this really delivers. It follows a book sales rep on a conference in Paris who strays from his normal routines and finds himself infiltrating an underground masquerade party under another identity. He gambles, cajoles, and ends-up committing some serious crimes, all in the name of boredom and confusion about his middle-aged life. There is a really interesting thread where he thinks his dream is being shared by another author and indicates the duality of modern man versus inner beast,  but the authors don't really tie-that up in the end, opting for a more disassociated, nebulous kind of denouement, which only adds to the intrigue. The author's notes indicate that this is just a one-off kind of book but I would love to see this story extended. There is brief nudity and extreme violence here, recommended mature teens and adults. 

Secret St. Louis

 Secret St. Louis: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, by David Baugher, 202 pgs.

Did you know that the original plans for HWY 170 included cutting through Brentwood and Webster Groves to connect to HWY 44? Or that that you can visit a nudist colony in Lonedell, Missouri? This book is a fun romp through some well-known and unique spots in the city with some unusual characteristics or history. Each chapter is only a page or two and simply highlights what makes a special area so strange and worthy of a second look. Some things you probably already know are here (the giant catsup bottle in Collinsville, the WWII tank in Bangert Park, etc), but readers might also be suprised to learn that the original, start-up location of KSHE 95 was a suburban home in Crestwood, or that the Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End is sometimes referred to as "the Rome of the West." Lots of fun stuff here and after a quick read-through, you'll wonder what else St. Louis has been hiding. 

Barb The Last Berzerker Series

 Barb the Last Berzerker Series: Book 1, 2 & 3 by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson, 784 pgs. (total)

This is a really fun, easy-to-read-graphic series that follows a plucky, courageous heroine in a wacky, make-believe land. Barb is the last Berzerker, basically modeled off vikings and knights who go around protecting fairies and gnomes from goofy monsters. On her quest, Barb befriends a Yeti named Porkchop who becomes her sidekick. The dialogue is snappy and frequently funny without being smarmy. The world of Bailiwick comes under fire from the evil wizard Witch Head and it's up to Barb and her cast of zany monsters to save the world. Along the way,  Barb makes good choices to save people others won't save, stop bullying in all its monster forms, and show mercy and kindness to all. My daughter loved this series so I had to read it too and it's really great, a lot of great lessons and jokes for 1st-3rd grade kids. Recommended for kids and parents.  

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

 Don't' Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems, 40 pgs. 

Is Mo Willems an evil genius? A marketing guru? Or did he just hit the jackpot with his charming doodles? Either way, this is a fun addition to the Pigeon series. Many of Willems' books demand repeated reading and this one will surely become a seasonal classic in due time. I spent so much time reading these books to my daughter, now that she's sort of aged out of them, it's hard for me to put them down as an adult. As always, Willems writes with two audiences in mind: child and parent, so there is much to love for both. Happy holidays! 

A Short Stay in Hell

 

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (2011) 104 Pages

A lifelong devout Mormon wakes up in a hell after passing away from cancer. He is shocked to find that he had been devoted to the incorrect religion his whole life. The demon who assigns each person to their own personal hells sends the Mormon to an infinite library based on the short story "The Library of Babel" by Jorge Luis Borges. The library has seemingly no end, separated by floors, with a chasm in the middle in which you can see across to another side of a floor. Each floor is filled with an unimaginable amount of books. The people in this hell can only leave once they find a book which details their entire life with no mistakes. The trick about the infinite library is that it contains every book imaginable that could ever possibly be written. So the Mormon soon finds out that because of this, most of the books are complete gibberish. The people who are in this hell can request any type of food or drink imaginable at kiosks on each floor. They need food and drink to survive still, but also cannot die. If they are injured or killed, they are resurrected the next morning. The Mormon's entire world is turned upside down as he had never considered to be any alternate ending than the heaven he prepared for as a Mormon on earth. He spends hundreds of years either falling through the chasm, hoping to catch up with someone he loved in this hell, or traveling up or down floors in search of someone. For a number of years some people in this hell formed a cult which hunted down others and tortured them throughout the day. The Mormon spends hundreds of hundreds if not thousands of years searching for his life book, but never comes across it.

Fifty Words for Rain

 Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie, 449 pages.

Nori Kamiza's first and most important rule in life is to obey. So when she is left at her grandparents' house at the age of eight she does not resist. She is subjected to years of isolation in the attic, burning chemical lightening baths, and general physical abuse not only for being the bastard daughter of a Japanese aristocratic family, but for being visibly mixed race (a particularly embarrassing thing for a noble family in Kyoto in 1948). This persists for years with no resistance on Nori's part until her half-brother comes to live with them, and the two form an inseparable bond. He begins to teach her some of the joy that can be found in life, but nevertheless tragedy follows them.

I was unfortunately very disappointed in this book. As a series of increasingly improbably terrible things happen to Nori, it feels less and less like a cohesive narrative and more like a game of trying to figure out how terrible things could conceivably be for our protagonists. Most of the characters felt pretty two-dimensional, which only made it more evident when they acted out of character to further the tragedies. Finally, a sort of nit-picky detail, but I couldn't get over how strange it felt that the protagonist's very traditional family is Christian, without ever acknowledging that Christianity is a pretty rare religion in Japan. Especially in the 1940s and 50s Christianity probably would have read as more American than Nori's dark skin. This is a small issue, but it does feel like it feeds into the larger issue of this book under-utilizing it's own setting. 

(Also, as a warning, this book has pretty much every common trigger warning common in books about violence against women)

Feed

 Feed by Mira Grant, 599 pages.

Twenty years ago the dead rose. Now, twenty years later, society has in many ways gotten used to the horrors that entails. Georgia and Shaun Mason are bloggers, a medium that was elevated to a legitimate news source after traditional news sources failed so many people during the zombie apocalypse. Georgia and Shaun, as well as Buffy (resident fiction writer and tech extraordinaire) are thrilled to be the first blogging team invited to follow a candidate on a presidential election trail. But tragedies seem to follow this campaign, and at some point a keen newsie has to wonder if something more sinister is going on.

I really like books that take a sociological look at the zombie apocalypse. Max Brooks' World War Z takes a similar tack, although on a much grander and less narrative scale. That being said, if you're looking for a monster thriller, this is probably not the novel for you. But reading the book for what it was I thought it was really wonderful. Mira Grant is a pseudonym for Seanan McGuire, so I'm not surprised that the characters were really good and their relationships very engaging. I found the (probably to codependent to be strictly healthy) sibling relationship between the Masons to be particularly compelling. I found a bit of the plot to be a little too telegraphed, which can be frustrating, but overall I would still call it a very good book, and will definitely be picking up the sequels at some point.

So Let Them Burn

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, 400 pages

Five years ago, Faron was 12 years old and chosen by the gods to wield their power and win a war of independence against the Langley empire that had long suppressed the people of San Irie. The war was won, thanks to Faron's power, the newfound queen Adeline, and Faron's sister Elara's work with the San Irie military. Now Faron and Elara have a new challenge on their hands, as Elara's been unwillingly bonded to one of Langley's dragons and thrust into the hands of the colonizers. Faron can still channel the power of San Irie's gods, but she's learning that their methods won't work to free Elara, and she may have to make some reckless moves to break her sister's bonds.

This Jamaican-inspired YA fantasy is intriguing, though nothing that really stands out from the crowd. It's supposed to be the first in a duology, and given the absolute cliffhanger this one ends on, I may pick up the second when it becomes available. It's OK, but not my favorite by a long shot.

This book will be released January 16, 2024.

Unterzakhn

Unterzakhn by Leela Corman (2012) 208 pages

Earlier this year I saw Book Riot's list "22 of the Best Graphic Novels of All Time." I added all the ones I didn't already have on my reading list to my "Want To Read" list. This historical fiction graphic novel sounded particularly interesting. It is about two sisters growing up on New York's Lower East Side in the early twentieth century. The title is Yiddish for "Underthings." We start in 1909 when Esther and Fanya are six. We progress to 1912, then there is a flashback to 1895 to learn how their father came to America. The story of the sisters continues in 1917 through 1923. Fanya finds education and work with an obstetrician, Bronia, who provides illegal, but desperately needed abortions for the poor immigrant population. Esther finds a different type of education and work with Miss Lucille, a madam of a brothel/burlesque house. The parents of Fanya and Esther, from the old world, have perhaps less influence on their lives than these two women. The book deals with many adult themes. The later portion of the story sees Esther taking a slightly larger role as she becomes a jazz age Broadway star. The ending is tragic and ironic, so the author leaves us with a short flashback to a funny, carefree episode when the girls were young.

History of Equality

History of Equality by Thomas Piketty (2022) 288 pages

A slim volume compared to his earlier work, the thousand page Capital, Pitketty addresses the history of equality and uses unique datasets to bolster his arguments. Unlike other works on the pernicious problem of income inequality, Piketty mines historical datasets, extrapolating empirical evidence illustrating the problem. He brings into focus the changes in society and culture that have lead to a precipitous increase in equality in the 20th century. 

He also addresses solutions to the ongoing problem (which he emphasizes is not zero-sum) such as reparations, structural mandates to resolve racial and gender shortfalls in economies and other novel approaches. Although many of his examples are Eurocentric, he brings into focus shortfalls (and the rare successes) in the United States, China and the rest of the world.  Most alarming for this reader is the constant lack of movement in the status of the lowest 50% of the income ladder -- little change in hundreds of years.

The Poet X

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (2018) 361 pages

This audiobook on Libby is less than four hours and narrated by the author. It is full of powerful slam poetry. It is a novel, but it feels like it could be a memoir. It has been reviewed on this blog a couple times before. We follow Xiomara Batista, a child of Dominican Republic immigrant parents in Harlem, through her 10th grade year of high school. One of her poems introducing herself repeats the phrase "Pero, tu no eres facil." The first words to describe Xiomara were "You sure ain't an easy one." Through her diary and poetry we get to know her mother, father, twin brother, best friend, boyfriend, and English teacher. I love that she questions her parents' religion. She struggles with the way boys and men treat her now that she has developed curves. She deals with strict parental rules on dating like many teens. Ms. Galiano, the English teacher, encourages her to join poetry club and perform at NYC wide poetry slams. She finds her voice by keeping a diary and writing poetry. The climactic scene with her mother, who goes through her diary and considers the thoughts expressed in her poetry as sinful, gave me a strongly visceral feeling. Thankfully she continues to be empowered by voicing her words through poetry for everyone at the big spring poetry slam to hear.