The Rainfall Market

 

The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang (2023; translation copyright 2025) 209 pages

Serin is miserable. She doesn't do well in school, her sister has left home, and Serin and her mother are just getting by since her father died. She learns about the Rainfall Market. One can write a heartfelt letter to the Dokkaekis at the Market, and if your story is deemed good enough, you might get a ticket in the mail, which provides you entry to the Rainfall Market on the first day of the rainy season. If you can get that, your life can change. Serin desperately wants a change, and after she composes and sends a heartfelt letter to the market, she is shocked and happy that she has been chosen to go.

What follows is a saga of Serin trying to decide what changes she needs in her life to make it better. The Rainfall Market gives her a chance to see some possibilities for her future. It also has some confusion and suspense. I enjoyed the hand-drawn characters near the beginning of the book, especially that of Issha, the guide cat.

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck

 

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight (2015) 208 pages

Sarah Knight's parody of Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up is a winner. Not only does Knight extend the parody throughout the book, what she says really makes sense. We only have a certain amount of time, energy and money, and one has to limit the items and activities that one says yes to. Knight's book teaches us how to evaluate the different categories of things that ask for our time, energy and/or money (Things; Work; Friends, Acquaintances, and Strangers; and Family), and how to decide what we really care about. She also gives us tools to use, such as the NotSorry Method, in order to free ourselves from doing activities that we don't enjoy, which she assures us won't hurt the feelings of others, if done right. I enjoyed her irreverent tone, and found the book useful, too.

A selection of August graphic novels

 Middlewest: The Complete Tale by Skottie Young with art by Jorge Corona (2021) 560 pages

I first encountered Skottie Young's work as an artist in the Marvel Oz adaptations. When I saw the story synopsis of this adventure Young wrote I knew I would enjoy it. There are multiple homages to the land of Oz. Middlewest could be Kansas. There's a deep level and a surface layer. The story explores generational trauma and men with anger issues. But visually it is a thrilling fantasy world, not quite like our own. Abel's closest confidant is a talking fox, there are diesel-punk flourishes, and a found family in a traveling carnival. By about half way through, the story ventures in its own direction with less obvious Oz references. There is human trafficking of children as farm workers. As more characters become involved in the story, and with multiple characters who turn into violent storms, there are wide shots with a lot of chaos where it is hard to keep track of all the moving parts. However, the art by Jorge Corona with color by Jean-Francois Beaulieu really pops the majority of the time.

Climate Changed: A Personal Journey through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni (2012) 467 pages

Through references to films and other books the author let's us into his thought process on how to begin, end, and present compelling arguments in graphic non-fiction form. It is part memoir, but still the bulk of it is presenting the facts about human technology and its effect on the Earth's environment. The author is French and he interviews several experts from France, but they represent international nonprofits or governmental advisory boards in many cases. Climate change is true. It is time to stop denying it. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions! But will Capitalist powers in the industrialized world get behind changing our way of life? There is a metaphor that the author describes about a parachutist who forgot his parachute that is very impactful. At over 450 pages, there are so many facts and figures, as well as sociological concerns to take in. The strongest message that Squarzoni conveys is that we are running out of time to stop or reverse the damage done to this ecosystem we share.

A Girl Called Echo Omnibus by Katherena Vermette with art by Scott B Henderson (2023) 224 pages

Issue #1 feels too short. You spend quite a bit of time with Echo in the real world, not just time traveling back to the 19th century. There isn't a fantasy or sci-fi method to her time traveling. It is more like she has a great imagination and a good history teacher. Echo seeks out other books about the Pemmican Wars period in her school library rather than just relying on the class's textbook. She's a good student although she has a hard time making friends. She loves rock music and has a shaky relationship with her mom. The art is good, but not super exciting. In issue #2, Echo begins to make friends in middle school and falls in love with a boy back in the 1800s. The Metis fight for their right to govern themselves when their territory is sold to Canada. Again with the history lesson we are given very brief highlights of major events, but I wish it was more in depth. I wish we learned more about the people and how they lived. I did not fully understand the political maneuvering. There are a couple pages that act as montages, but the writer and artist are trying to pack too much information into those pages. They should have been given more pages to tell the story. Issue #3 spends less time in Echo's modern day life with more pages devoted to 1885. The history is the real selling point and we get some continuity between issues 2 and 3. I like that the authors acknowledge the emotional trauma that Echo is experiencing as a witness to history. The resistance fighting can lead to death and loss, but it is necessary. The writer connects Echo to her ancestry directly in this one. Issue #4 is a pretty strong conclusion that wraps up the loose threads. Echo gains more control of when she travels back and forth in time. US history and Canadian history are fairly similar in constantly taking land from Indigenous people. There are no big surprises in this issue, but Echo is shown by people in her life (past and present) that despite the anger and pain her people have survived and have a future.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - The Scorpius Run by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott with art by Angel Hernandez (2024) 128 pages

Fun adventure. This takes place sometime before the current third season, which is airing as I read this. Good art of new characters and old. The villain seems to have god-like powers. The full Enterprise crew, plus newly introduced aliens, all have important parts to play. A dangerous spaceship race is set up in this new Scorpius Sector and Captain Pike must figure out how to unite the competitors.

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small (2009) 329 pages

A blurb on the back cover from a critic at the Washington Post is spot on.      "[Small] employs angled shots and silent montages worthy of Alfred Hitchcock." The author's ability to show us his dreams and nightmares is amazing. His real life is so full of angry silences and repressed emotions. One dream while visiting grandma with Jesus on a crucifix repeating his grandma's words, "He was a Durn Little Fool!" is especially memorable. Alice in Wonderland provides some meaningful symbolism through Small's young life too, including his therapist being the white rabbit. The many surprise revelations of his troubled family are tough, but somewhat relatable.

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix (2018) 176 pages

Good coverage of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and some German history. I like the visuals too, a combination of realistic and symbolic. The rise of Hitler is described in detail. Then we learn about Dietrich's rebel seminary as Nazi's were coming to power and the German spy agency Abwehr (pronounced UP-fair) that contained many agents who were conspiring to stop Hitler. Each of three attempts to assassinate Hitler are described with high suspense. The author says, "This story is not primarily a work of scholarship but a work of art," but I commend his research. Very successful graphic nonfiction.

Wearing the Lion

Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell, 384 pages

Regan did an excellent job of summing up this Heracles retelling in her post, so I won't rehash it here. I will say that I loved the way this turned what's typically a violent Greek myth into something full of heart and the sort of found family that everyone deserves. I particularly loved the way that Wiswell redefines masculinity through Heracles' empathy and soft belly (Have you seen strongmen? They're not built like superheroes!), and reimagines Hera as a complex woman instead of just a jealous wife. An excellent sophomore effort from Wiswell that has guaranteed that I'll read more in the future.

A Gentleman's Gentleman

A Gentleman's Gentleman by T.J. Alexander, 336 pages

Lord Christopher Eden lives the quiet life at his country estate with just a couple of longtime servants to keep him company. He's a bit eccentric, as he chooses to dress himself and has no interest in marrying. However, if he wants to keep his family fortune and estate, his father's will dictates that he must marry by the end of the upcoming Season — which means Lord Eden must also journey to London, hire new staff (including the dreaded valet), and he must court the women he has zero interest in marrying. His newly hired handsome valet, James Harding, has a few suggestions on who to court (AKA who might be willing to enter a marriage in name only to avoid marrying someone reprehensible). And while both lord and valet are drawn to one another, neither feels quite comfortable enough to fully trust the other with his feelings.

Many times, it's hard to combine a historical romance with LGBTQIA main characters, as they either come across as either too modern socially or too educational, scattered with explanatory lectures explaining queer identities in very unrealistic conversations. This one, however, manages to hit the bullseye as a historical queer romance. The worries and slow burn and slow reveal feel completely realistic to both the era and the characters, and the happy ending is as satisfying as they come. An excellent queer historical romance that I'd recommend to anyone!

The Poet X

 The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, 368 pages.

Xiomara Batista often feels like no one is on her side. She's Afro-Latina and in possession of a body that gets her more attention from men than either she or her traditional catholic Mami would like. Which is just one in a long list of things her Mami blames her for, a tension that would explode if she ever finds out Xiomara is questioning her faith. It feels like the only place she can feel safe being herself and expressing her true thoughts is in the poetry she writes in her journal. But Xiomara is not the type of girl who is content to live her life quietly forever. 

This was an astonishing young adult novel. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author and really makes this novel in verse come to life, which is exactly what I would expect for a book of poetry read by an award-winning slam poet. I found this book startlingly honest, tackling hard issues for young adults without ever feeling exaggerated or implausible. Xiomara's troubles are undoubtedly hard, and sometimes seem impossible to solve from inside, but they never seem even a little hard to believe. Their resolution feels similarly believable. I would recommend this very widely to teens, but also to anyone else.   

Kingdom of the Blind

 

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny, 386 pgs. 

It starts with a storm. As a blizzard wages its war on Quebec, Armand Gamache and Myrna Landers, his friend and neighbor in Three Pines, are invited to act as liquidators to the last will and testament of Bertha Baumgartner--a woman neither Armand nor Myrna had ever met. Intrigued, the two--along with another stranger/liquidator and a prejudiced notary--discuss the woman's unusual last requests. The icy conditions are not the only danger on the streets, though. After the events that led to Gamache's suspension from his position as Chief Superintendent of the Surete, a huge batch of deadly new opioids is about to hit the streets of Montreal, unless he can stop it. A storm is surely brewing, and it is unclear if Gamache's team is ready for it. 

While this fourteenth book in the Three Pines series starts at a slower pace, it quickly picks up to be a thrilling read. Penny always does a good job managing multiple story lines, and this book is no exception. The plot surrounding the will is made really interesting by the quirky new characters introduced, and the plot involving the race to search for the drugs includes many already beloved characters (and extreme stakes!).

Here

 Here by Richard McGuire, 304 pages.

McGuire takes a single room and uses it to overlay the history of a single place, from prehistory to the distant future. The result is a startling graphic novel that feels like it pushes against the edges of the medium and into something that feels innovative and new. McGuire frequently overlays both recontextualized similarities and dramatic differences into something that feels like it really captures the spirit of history. Although there isn't any plot to speak of, I still found myself engrossed in this graphic novel. It is difficult to describe the effect of the layout, so I am also including a page of the book here to capture the spirit. I don't believe this is a book only limited to fans of graphic novels, it has a lot to offer anyone. 

(It was also apparently based on comic strips by the same author published in 1989, which i think adds an interesting extra dimension)

Wearing the Lion

 Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell, 376 pages.

Heracles has spent his whole life utterly devoted to his "Auntie" Hera. Hera is completely incensed by this devotion, resenting the constant reminders of her husband's infidelity, and the general insult of his existence. One day she snaps, and orders a Fury to drive him to madness and self-destruction, but in a horrifying twist he instead murders his children. Heracles is nearly broken by the grief and shame of this action, and follows a trail laid out for him to find which god was responsible and get his revenge.

This is an extremely fresh take on the very old story of the 12 labors of Hercules. After his actions leave him unable to stomach any violence, the many monster hunts become much more creative problems, which must more impactful emotional results. This book felt deeply in conversation with the original myth, while not being so married to it that it was afraid to go it's own way. I also found the dual perspectives very effective, and liked them both when used for humorous or dramatic effect. This book is very well-crafted with a great emotional core, and I would definitely recommend it. I know I certainly plan to read more from this author. 

Mood Machine

 

Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly, 236 pgs. 

In today's age of technology, much of the world's music is available to stream anytime--with just a subscription and a click. Is this system actually working for music discovery though? Is it fair to musicians? Is it ethical? Liz Pelly, music journalist and commentator, tackles these questions and more in this deep dive into Spotify, the Swedish streaming giant. Pelly uses interview accounts from artists, music industry bigwigs, and Spotify employees alike to chronicle the changes the platform has made to music industry practices in the face of a constantly transforming system. 

This book is very dense, each page jam-packed with good information--often from interviewed sources. As a Spotify user since 2015, I was really surprised to see how well my own experiences with the platform fit into the narrative Pelly laid out. I got to see the story behind why different songs and different playlists have popped up in my recommendations over the years. This book very persuasively explains why Spotify is set up the way it is and why its algorithm works the way that it does. 

The Big Sleep

 The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, 231 pages.

When a dying millionaire asks private detective Philip Marlowe to help him resolve a routine blackmailing case involving his daughter he instead finds himself drawn deeply into the sins of the Sternwood family. Soon a trail of bodies is left in the wake of his investigation, and if he's not careful Marlowe may just be next.

I've enjoyed many plays on the noir genre, so I thought I might enjoy this early progenitor of the genre. I can definitely see, for both better and worse, many of the genre conventions on display here. Unfortunately, this is a book that's so misogynistic it hurts the inherent frame of the story. The story entirely hinges on women acting in ways that make no sense at all, along with some dips into really astounding levels of homophobia. Overall this book reminds me a lot of Hemingway, which I don't mean in a complimentary way, but fans of that author may also like this book. As an additional insult, I didn't find the actual mystery particularly compelling, so it definitely doesn't make up for levels of bigotry that feel exceptionally high even by 1939 standards. I'm afraid I can't recommend this one, there are better detective stories. 

The Saint of Bright Doors

 The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera, 356 pages.

Fetter lives in a world where near-misses at chosen ones are a dime a dozen. He himself was raised as a weapon to kill his own father, a holy, almost divine, figure who's cult stretches across the continent and reaches to the city of Luriat. That is the kind of destiny that gives a man a lot to talk about in group therapy, especially after he chooses to reject his destiny. Here he comes in contact with revolutionaries and radicals, and is pulled into conflicts both political and metaphysical

This book is very hard to describe, partially because there is a lot of craft in how it starts slowly making more sense as you read, satisfactorily answering questions you didn't even know were questions yet to create a cohesive and layered whole. This book is complicated and engrossing, and I found myself very invested in it. It is also sometimes pretty difficult to follow, especially before you know much about how the world works. It reminded me a lot of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (by a fellow Sri Lankan author), but on a more mythic scale. I would definitely recommend this book for someone looking for political intrigue with a mythological twist. 

Fugitive Telemetry

 Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, 168 pages.

When a dead human shows up on Preservation, Murderbot has to make sure that it doesn't indicate a threat to Dr. Mensah. Even when it becomes clear that the Murder is unrelated, Murderbot is still pulled into the investigation with Station Security (who are SO unprepared to handle a murder). 

This was a fun little murder mystery. It was a pleasure to get to see Murderbot doing what it's good at, although I do wish there were slightly more clues to help the reader solve the case. I also had to check several times to make sure I hadn't accidentally read books out of order, because I think this story realistically makes more sense coming before book 5. This was a funny novella, and a worthy continuation to the series. 

When the Wolf Comes Home

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy, 304 pages

Struggling actress Jess is dealing with a panic-inducing situation from work when she finds a 5-year-old boy hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. His dad has become a scary monster, and he needs to get away. Determined to help the kid, Jess flees with the boy in tow, not realizing that she's started a cross-country trail of violence and unexplainable horror, with no easy fix in sight.

This book feels like a fairly standard werewolf/abusive dad metaphor at the beginning, but then takes whiplash-inducing twists that make the reader realize that the horror in this book is way more complicated and deadly than it seems. It's crazy, it's imaginative, it's terrifying, and it's one of the best horror novels I've read this year. Highly recommended!

The Starving Saints

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling, 352 pages

After six months under siege, Aymar Castle is running out of food. The castle's sorceress is working on a plan to magically create sustenance (she was able to do it with their water supply, so there is hope!); a serving girl is doing her best to survive and create her own hidden rations supply; and then there's the knight, a woman sworn to serve the king, even if it means keeping track of the batty sorceress and her futile attempts at food. And then, just when all hope is lost, the castle stores are replenished and the sick are healed through the arrival of the Constant Lady, matriarch of the religion that rules Castle Aymar. But the three women at the center of this story aren't fully convinced that the ethereal saint and her companions are what they seem...and the same goes for the food the saints provide.

With a medieval setting and very realistic concerns about a long siege, it's not hard to tip the story into horror. And Starling delights in creating a constantly shifting backdrop of fear, where neither the readers nor the characters know what's real, what's trustworthy, and what might kill them. It's gory and gruesome, but excellently told. Just don't read it while you're eating.

King Sorrow

King Sorrow by Joe Hill, 896 pages

In the late 1980s, student librarian Arthur Oakes finds himself breaking the worst of his moral codes (stealing rare books from the university library) to fend off a drug dealer and her violent partner. Desperate to stop stealing, Arthur and his five friends dip into the occult, calling forth a dragon to murder the blackmailing pair. After the deed is done, however, the six friends learn that their pact with the dragon is not done — each year, they must choose another person to sacrifice to the dragon or else he'll take one of them instead. What follows is a tale spanning nearly 40 years as Arthur and his friends battle their personal demons and try to get out of the Faustian bargain they unwittingly entered years ago.

Told in episodes focusing on each of the friends in turn and hopping through the decades, this book does not feel like it's almost 900 pages long. It's engrossing, propulsive, and just complicated enough to make the pages fly by without feeling flabby at any point. For his first full-length novel in a decade, Hill has knocked it out of the park with this one, seamlessly melding supernatural and all-too-human horror with a bit of a history lesson on global atrocities, the division of American politics, and the influence of technology on society. And it's all done with humor, horror, and exceptionally created characters. I loved this book, and I'll be recommending it widely.

*This book will be published Oct. 21, 2025.

The Raven Scholar

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson, 672 pages

The reign of King Bersun is coming to its mandated end, and representatives from Orrun's seven societies must vie for their chance to replace him. One of those is Bersun's high scholar, Neema, who is thrown into the position after the original candidate from her society (the Ravens) was murdered just before the competition started. Tasked with both finding the killer and surviving (and maybe even winning?) the battle for the throne, Neema must carefully thread the needle of competing against and investigating her fellow fighters, none of whom are entirely as they seem.

This is a beast of a book, in that it's almost 700 pages of political intrigue and untrustworthy characters. But it's also a great start to a well-imagined fantasy tale, with plenty of fodder for future books. And while there is a bit of a romance in this book, it's refreshing to have it not take center stage, as happens in so many fantasy books these days. I'll happily read the sequel(s) to this one when they come out!

Promise Me Sunshine

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, 416 pages

Since she lost her best friend and roommate to cancer, Lenny has been adrift in her grief, unwilling to go back to her apartment on most days, refusing to return her mom's calls, and only able to hold down temporary babysitting jobs. But recently, she's gotten a really fantastic job as a nanny for a single mom and her precocious daughter, Ainsley, though the near-constant presence of Ainsley's grumpy uncle Miles certainly puts a damper on things. However, as Lenny gets to know Miles, she learns that he knows more about grief than she thought, and if she helps him become the kind of uncle he wants to be, Miles will help her through the "live again" list Lenny and her best friend made together. And if they happen to fall for each other, well, that's just gonna happen, right?

The problems that Lenny and Miles face individually are realistic and compelling, and I liked the development of their relationships with each other and Miles' relationship with his sister and niece. A few of the new friendships Lenny creates felt a bit sudden, and I definitely questioned Miles' real estate situation (he had a fully furnished second apartment in Manhattan that he just left sitting empty? No subletting?). This is billed as a romance novel, and yes, that element is definitely there, though I kept wishing we'd get both sides of the developing relationship instead of just Lenny's. That said, I'd recommend this to fans of Emily Henry's personal growth-heavy romance novels. Just be ready to cry. A lot.

At Dark, I Become Loathsome

At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca, 240 pages

In the years since his son disappeared and his wife died, Ashley Lutin has become fully absorbed by his grief and guilt. He's embraced body modifications to turn himself into the monster he feels like, and spends a lot of time communicating anonymously online with others who have lost someone. And in quite possibly the most disturbing twist, Ashley's created an illicit business in burying alive suicidal people in a bizarre ritual meant to give them closure without death. But the temptation to not dig them up keeps growing stronger...

This short novel is peppered with disturbing tales told by anonymous internet denizens Ashley interacts with, and while they're definitely disturbing, they don't really add anything to the overall story. I really wish it had stuck with Ashley's odd vocation and mental issues — I think it would've been a much stronger story without the tangents. Not the best horror I've read this year, but certainly thought-provoking.

The Soul of an Octopus

 The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery, 261 pages.

This book was recommended to me by a professor in college, which means I have truly been meaning to read it since approximately 2018, but I am so glad I finally did! This book is in many ways very similar to Secrets of the Octopus, a different book by the same author I reviewed earlier this year, but the focus still felt very different. Where the later published Secrets of the Octopus was more focused on octopus facts, this book has a more emotional focus. It is clear on every page that Montgomery truly loves her subject, and it is hard not to feel the same by the end of this beautiful book.

Which isn't to say that you don't learn a whole lot of factual information about octopuses in this book, it's a treasure trove of information! I learned less because I had recently read Sy Montgomery more National Geographic style book, but I still frequently found myself both amazed and genuinely touched. I would say I recommend this book to octopus fans, but I think anyone who didn't start as one would be by the time they finished. So perhaps a better specific recommendation is for anyone interested in different ways of being alive. 

Every Tom, Dick & Harry

Every Tom, Dick & Harry by Elinor Lipman (2025) 303 pages

Emma Lewis is 32, not dating anyone at the moment, and doesn't really have a career, either. So when her dad and stepmother offer her a chance to take over their estate sale business and to live free in their house when they move to a condo out of town, she goes for it. They even suggest a boarder for her to help make ends meet‒Frank, a retired math teacher‒who worked with Emma's dad (and mother, before she died) at the local school. Frank is a widower and really not any trouble at all. Emma and Frank get along well, with Frank even helping her with estate sales.

When Emma and Frank hear that a large ten-bedroom house that was home to The Quail's Nest, a brothel/B&B, is going to be sold, after discussing the pros and cons, they decide to try contact the owner to hold an estate sale there. Meanwhile, Frank is being wooed by a widow, and Emma is finding herself attracted to the widow's son, Luke, the local police chief. (Interesting factoid: the former police chief, a man of dubious character named Manny, was once married to Lois, the woman who ran the The Quail's Nest.)

Elinor Lipman develops realistic characters, mostly likeable and relatable, gives them a few weird situations, and lets us see what happens. I've never been disappointed by her slice-of-life stories.

Work It Out

 Work It Out: A Mood-Boosting Exercise Guide for People Who Just Want to Lie Down by Sarah Kurchak, 208 pages.

This mental health-focused exercise guide for the absolute beginner is aimed mostly at people with mental health struggles, but it's modular piece-by-piece approach would be very helpful to anyone facing barriers to exercise for any reason. More than that, Kurchak's extremely sympathetic and honest book makes it feel possible to try, even if exercise has seemed insurmountable in the past. This book is funny, actionable, and very thorough about presenting choices (as well as the pros and cons of why some options may be better choices for some people). It's very creative in coming up with possibilities that are fun, practical, and approachable. It also includes flailing your arms in despair for a few minutes as an option for a basic way to get moving when everything else feels impossible, which I think really sets the tone for the book.

This is a very approachable, kind guide to exercise for people with no idea where to start, and I'm definitely planning on getting my own copy. 

The Red Scholar's Wake

 The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard, 336 pages.

When Xích Si is captured by pirates she expects to be murdered or indentured into service, in either case she won't be able to ever go home to her daughter again. Instead Rice Fish, Mind Ship and leader of the Red Banner pirate fleet, offers her a much stranger deal. If Xích Si helps her to investigate her wife's mysterious death, she will marry her (for her own protection) and make sure she has everything she needs. Xích Si is soon pulled deeply into the politics of the five pirate banners, and the walls seem to close in from every side.

I thought this Vietnamese-inspired space opera felt very fresh and interesting. Unfortunately, I also found many of the actual science fiction aspects hard to understand, which made it much harder to follow. More unfortunately, this is a book with an emotional conclusion that I found so flawed it made me retroactively dislike the rest of the book more. It had many elements that I like individually, but they came together in a way that felt lacking. This book was very interesting, but I'm not sure if I would call it good. 

How to Dodge a Cannonball

How to Dodge a Cannonball by Dennard Dayle, (2025) 316 pp

This satire was too heavy-handed for my delicate taste. I find it hard to laugh about the Civil War. Even the historical literary satire James by Percival Everett was nearly a step too far for me. No surprise--The Red Badge of Courage came to mind, with cowardice in the face of cowardice as the theme of this book. I struggled from the beginning as the teenage protagonist, Anders, comes to grips with his dysfunctional and abusive mother – the cartoonish depiction fell flat. The over-the-top interactions with Confederate generals prior to the Battle of Gettysburg also failed to amuse (although that certainly puts to rest the ‘statuesque’ veneration of those traitors). Anders switching from the Union side to the Confederate side and back to the Union was another disappointing trope. His chaotic move into a black army unit felt forced and the ensuing hijinks (humor in war?) put an end to this read. I did jump to the last few pages but the conclusion was more of the same – state the obvious and hope being clever will make it poignant. I’m a humorless cynic so take my review with the proverbial grain of salt.

Death of Democracy

 

Death of Democracy by Benjamin Carter Hett (2018) 280 pp

The subtitle tells the story -- Hitler's rise to power and the downfall of the Weimar Republic. Experiments in democracy seem rational, if not easy, until things get tough. One of the most egregious examples is Hitler’s rise to dictatorship in Germany. Professor Hett details the circumstances that bred German resentment of the Weimar Republic and enabled the rise of the Nazis. Hyperinflation, massive unemployment, famine and epidemics are all elements that can crush republics. Hett walks us methodically toward the precipice; deliberate dishonesty, public irrationality: anti-intellectualism, scapegoating, conspiracies, distrust, and greed. The Nazis called this confluence Gleichschaltung, or coordination. All the switches are flipped to the same circuit. Aside from the unspeakable horror of totalitarian regimes, the slow walk towards the acceptance of evil is the most disturbing.

The River Has Roots

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, 144 pages

Esther and Ysabel live in a small village near the edge of Faerie where they tend to the magic willows that border the river, singing to them and thanking them for their magical blessings. However, when Esther spurns a powerful suitor for her lover in Faerie, the suitor doesn't take kindly to her rejection, throwing Esther, Ysabel, and their family's livelihood into danger.

This was a short and lovely fairy tale, one that somehow seems both brand new and well-worn. El-Mohtar's language and the beautiful woodcut art in the book work to create a book that can be treasured. Highly recommend this book!

This Book Will Bury Me

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead, 480 pages

When her father dies suddenly, Jane finds solace in the least likely of places — the online true crime community, where she quickly becomes immersed in solving murders near and far. One case, the murder of three girls in Idaho, is particularly perplexing, and even though they've gained plenty of detractors among both police and amateur detectives, Jane and her online friends from the community are determined to solve the crime. However, as they learn more, Jane discovers that there is much more to the triple murder than meets the eye.

While I enjoyed this book, the slower pace and focus on solving the murders kept this from feeling like the thriller it's marketed as. It also kinda bugged me that the book kept referencing something in the future that made the main character notorious, which I assumed would be the main source of danger and tension, but that didn’t really appear until halfway through the book. Enjoyable, but not my favorite thriller of the year.

Holmes is Missing

 

Holmes is Missing by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (2025) 322 pages

In modern day New York City, Auguste Poe and Margaret Marple continue running their detective agency while Brendan Holmes is battling his addictions. This is where we left off at the end of Holmes, Marple and Poe, the book that started this series. Poe has continued his relationship with Helene Grey, a NYC detective. Grey brings them into a case where six newborn babies have disappeared from the maternity ward of a hospital, in spite of the babies wearing security devices that are supposed to alert staff to a baby leaving the ward. The security camera footage has been disrupted, too. Poe and Marple decide that Holmes's input is needed, so they bring him back to work from rehab, although he insists he wants to leave the detective business. Maybe he'll just go to one more meeting, maybe one more case.

Meanwhile, Helene Grey gives Poe some news that he's not ready to process, and Oliver Paul, a clockmaker, shows up at an event that they are at, seeming to be a groupie of Holmes, talking about Holmes's mother, who Holmes was told had died when he was a child. Paul also talks about a series of deaths of mothers that happens every year on the same day, which always look like accidents, rather than murder. The date is getting near again.

There's a lot going on in this novel, on both sides of the ocean. London has perhaps a related child-snatching situation as well. The most important question is will the children be located in time? But other questions are pressing as well.

Uptown Girl

Uptown Girl, A Memoir by Christie Brinkley with Sarah Toland (2025) 401 pages

Christie Brinkley's life story, from the rough start she had with an abusive father, to her move to Paris after high school and her eventual modeling career, marriages, and children, is compelling. The amount of traveling she does for work—as well as for recreation—is extraordinary. I did not expect to like learning about the modeling industry, but I did enjoy it from her insider's point of view.

Regarding her romantic life, I would say that she made better choices when she was younger (Jean-Francois Allaux and Billy Joel) than she did later (Richard Taubman and Peter Cook), but I'd also say that trauma leads one to make choices that one might not otherwise consider. As a Billy Joel fan, I was especially interested in how they met and in getting her view on their relationship. (When things were good, they were very good.) In spite of their marriage eventually ending, they are still good friends.

The memoir's 16-page glossy section is filled with her drawings and iconic photos.

Network Effect

 Network Effect by Martha Wells, 350 pages.

Murderbot is branching out, taking an escort job after a lot of convincing from its humans. A job that goes very wrong when it ends up kidnapped with one of the more vulnerable humans by forces much more incomprehensible than the average (very comprehensible) corporate nonsense. Then even more wrong when it finds out an old friend is in trouble, and it has to decide how much its willing to risk for a rescue.

I have mixed feeling about this book. On the one hand, it was very nice to see Murderbot being forced to confront emotional vulnerability and do some growing about it. On the other hand, this book has way more technobabble than most of the rest of the series, and a lot of it is plot relevant, which made this novel a little harder to follow for me. I did still enjoy it though, and will continue the series. 

Glass Houses

 

Glass Houses by Louise Penny, 391 pgs. 

A figure in a black cloak appears in the snowy landscape just outside Three Pines. At first it is startling, perhaps a bit amusing, but after a while it becomes a sort of black hole, replacing the town's good cheer with darkness. When the figure finally disappears, the community is relieved, but that ease does not last long, since, soon after, a body is found, covered in the black cloak. As newly-promoted Chief Superintendent Armand Gamache investigates the murder, he uncovers much more than he could have imagined, and months later, he must face judgement for what he decided to do. 

This one is a bit hard to swallow--not because of the dementor-like figure involved in the murder, as one might think, but actually because of the secondary storyline involving Gamache and his new responsibilities. While readers have definitely learned to trust Gamache by this point in the series, he seems a bit out of his depth this time, and that can be hard to forget. Despite that, the duel timelines of this book make for some very shocking reveals, and the final fifty-or-so pages will have you on the edge of your seat.

A Great Reckoning

 

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny, 389 pgs. 

Armand Gamache has his work cut out for him as the newest commander of the Canadian Surete Academy--especially since his appointment directly followed the exposure of a vast system of corruption which reached even the institution's highest levels. Even those closest to Commander Gamache doubt him and his plans to attack a problem so deeply systemic, particularly after he makes some questionable decisions. Doubts surrounding his plans come to a head when a murder occurs on the Academy campus, under his watch. Does Commander Gamache have everything under control? Has he taken on more than he can handle?

This twelfth book in the Three Pines mystery series has one of the most interesting secondary plots (i.e. the non-murder plot). While the murder and its solving are very important and interesting in their own right, what compelled me most about this book was the fight Gamache wages against corruption through an attempt to build a strong foundation in learning agents. Additionally, readers get to experience beloved characters like Gamache and Beauvoir as teachers rather than agents, in a school rather than a case, which is an interesting change. This one gets really dark and takes some big leaps, but it is definitely worth it as one of the best books in the series so far. 

Symbiote

Symbiote by Michael Nayak, 432 pages

In the not-too-distant future, the U.S. and China are at war and the only place that's safe for their scientists to work in parallel is Antarctica. But when a group of Chinese scientists arrives at the American research base with a brutally murdered body in their transport vehicle, the formerly peaceful continent is full of suspicion and danger, especially once the American scientists start acting irrationally. Can they stop the biological threat that's taking out both teams before scientists are all dead?

The person who recommended this to me compared it to Michael Crichton's books, and I guess I can kind of see that, since there is action and some scientists involved. However, I really didn't like this book AT ALL. There's a strong element of "mediocre white man failing up" going on as the main character takes over the base in an attempt to manage the crisis; there are WAY too many characters, all of whom are sleeping with each other (and we're supposed to keep track, because the illicit liaisons play into the plot twists); and some of the science is a bit questionable (how could the brutally murdered Chinese scientist's body smell so gross in -40 degree weather and high winds?). Skip this one and read some actual Michael Crichton, or, if you want something visual, watch that one polar parasite episode of The X-Files or Doctor Who's "The Waters of Mars" episode. That's what I kept thinking about the whole time I read this book, about how much better all of those are.

Any Trope But You

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine, 336 pages

Despite being a beloved bestselling romance author, Margot has gotten burned way too easily to believe in her own happily ever after, though she certainly doesn't share that info with her readers. But when it comes to the forefront in the most scandalous way possible, Margot picks up her shattered career and heads to a remote and rustic Alaskan resort to try her hand at writing a murder mystery. But the last thing she expects to find is Dr. Forrest Wakefield, a renowned cancer doctor who has put his career on hold to care for his unwell father and keep the family business running. The more time the two spend together, the more romance tropes pop up between the two, drawing them closer together despite the ticking clock of Margot's return to L.A.

This book felt very meta, and I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The references to romance tropes aren't so much winks and nods as they are neon signs and loudspeaker announcements, which makes it bit annoying for romance fans who already know all these plot points and could catch them easily on their own. Also, I'm not sure that the inciting scandal was really that bad. Like, it could've been smoothed over with a social media post or public statement, but in this book, it's treated as if nothing could ever be worse for the romance community. So this might work for someone who's new to the genre and needs to have the tropes spelled out, but otherwise, skip it.

The Oligarch's Daughter

The Oligarch's Daughter by Joseph Finder, 448 pages

Six years ago, Paul fell in love with a gorgeous Russian photographer, Tatyana, before learning that her oligarch father was the subject of investigations by several U.S. intelligence agencies. Still, Paul and Tatyana married, and he began managing her dad's occasionally legitimate investments. Six years later, Paul's living in a tiny town under an assumed name, and the Russian spies that he thought he'd escaped are back on his trail, predicting his every move as he tries to escape again.

I'm not generally a big fan of spy thrillers, particularly when they involve gang leaders and their thugs. However, this one was twisty and compelling enough to keep me reading. Were there plot twists and characters that didn't make sense to me, of course (Paul's dad and girlfriend are the big ones). But it's still worth a read if you're looking for a mafia-esque thriller to sink into.

Goddess of the River

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel, 496 pages

Regan did an excellent job of summing this one up in her blog post, so I'm not going to rehash that here.  The back and forth between timelines was a bit confusing until I got the hang of it, and it wasn't always easy to tell who was who. But after seeing so many retellings of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths, I did enjoy seeing an Indian myth retelling. I also liked seeing the perspective of goddess who learned from all of the unnatural forms she was forced into (river, human, river again), and I appreciated the brief look into how gods were viewed in Hinduism's ancient stories. Glad I read this one!

Dark Knights of Steel: The Deluxe Edition

 Dark Knights of Steel: The Deluxe Edition by Tom Taylor, illus. Yasmine Putri, 408 pages.

This collected addition includes the entire run of the Dark Knights of Steel comic line, along with some bonus short stories. The story takes a huge cast of beloved DC characters and puts them in a medieval fantasy setting, recasting them a kings, knights, and royal advisors. When Constantine delivers a prophecy that portends the end of the world tensions begin to climb, until an assassination upsets the delicate balance between the Kingdom of El, the Kingdom of Storms, and  Themyscira. But the prophecy can't explain everything, and things aren't adding up. Who is pulling the strings?

I don't read many comics from major publishers, because the continuity is frankly a lot overwhelming. Conversely, this whole story is contained to 400 pages, and also is fantastic. This is a very different take on beloved characters, and yet it makes total sense for all of them. It is also, aside from featuring known characters in a creative way, a very good story on it's own merits. It was expert at playing on readers' expectations for some very satisfying twists. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for an accessible bridge from DC movies or cartoons into comics. Or, of course, comic fans. 

July Totals

 Annie: 1 book, 374 pages

Byron: 6 books, 1412 pages

Jan: 5 books, 1888 pages

John: 4 books, 1249 pages

Kara: 21 books, 7299 pages

Kevin: 1 book, 432 pages

Regan: 9 books, 2708 pages

Totals: 47 books, 15362 pages

Malibu Rising

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2021) 369 pages

The four adult children of famed singer, Mick Riva, have not seen him since he left their mother when the youngest was a baby. When their mother died, Nina, the oldest, wasn't quite eighteen, but she filed for guardianship on her birthday so that her family would not be separated. Their father hadn't responded when they attempted to inform him that their mother had died; they were on their own. He had never sent child support, and with their mother's death, Nina ultimately quit high school to work in the restaurant their grandparents had left to their mother. Now Nina is twenty five, Jay and Hud are 24 and 23, and Kit is 19.

This novel counts the hours in a day before two things occur: a large annual party the siblings hold to celebrate their triumphs, and a humongous fire that will scorch the Malibu area that same night. Reid also dips into the past to tell this family's story, starting with their parents, Mick and June. By the time we get to "today," we know that some of the siblings have earned their own fame, but they have also had their share of troubles. The fire that we know is awaiting keeps tension building up. I found the pacing good, and highly recommend this author.