Some Kind of Famous

Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder (2025, 432 pages)

Merritt Valentine was launched into stardom as just a teenager. Her musical career bloomed, and she had her fair share of roller coaster affairs, parties, drugs, and paparazzi. Now in her 30s, the fame has run its course and she's ready for a quieter, more stable life. For two years she's been living with her sister, Olivia, and brother-in-law, Dev, in the tiny Colorado town of Crested Peak. Strained relationships with her mother and LA music execs, combined with a desire to leave her fame behind, pushes her into isolation in the already small community.

Niko Petrakis, while only having lived in Crested Peak for 8 years, is considered a local. He's the town handyman -- doing house repairs and furniture building. Handsome and kind, he clearly has a soft side.

In a small town, of course everyone knows each other but after an awkward first encounter and deniable mutual attraction, Merritt and Niko tend to avoid each other. Until they can't anymore.

What I liked:
✨Complex families, relationships, and characters that address their own flaws and sometimes fix them but sometimes don't
✨ Feminist themes and subplots
✨Good romance and spice!
✨Inclusion of some Greek language and culture
✨Was brought to happy tears!
✨Very raw -- doesn't sugar coat things

What I didn't like:
💤Overused female tropes
💤Sister drama starting and ending within 6 pages (I get that's sometimes how it is though)
💤Bit of a Hallmark ending, but still fun 

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen (2025) 230 pages

If you reimagine history's timeline and allow for a bit of jiggering around, perhaps you'll enjoy this short novel about Darnell, a struggling music producer who finds himself face to face with the real Harriet Tubman and a handful of her associates called the Freemans. Harriet wants to reach out to people today and to help them understand history, and to bring them to freedom. In spite of slavery not existing as it had in the past, it's clear that many people are not truly free, including Darnell, who's been afraid to live openly with as the gay man he is. Darnell's task is to help Harriet and the Freemans produce a record and to put on a concert.

I do not know enough about Harriet Tubman's actual personality, but her depiction seems realistic. I enjoyed the imaginary interactions with this talented group of people.

Twilight Falls

 Twilight Falls by Juneau Black (2023, 258 pages)

Set just outside of the cozy Shady Hollow town, Twilight Falls captures the eyes of artists, travelers, hikers, swimmers, and those looking to relax in nature. Fox reporter Vera is on a picnic date with police chief bear Orville along with dozens of other creatures enjoying the spring day. This includes the new scandalous couple: spoiled heiress Stasia and blue collar Jonah. The single parent of each strongly disapproves of the romance. Stasia's mom wants her to marry another rich beaver to carry on the family fortune, and Jonah's dad Shelby has an old school desire for him to marry another otter. Shelby has even gone as far as yelling at and arguing with them in public. 

What should have been a lovely sunset is disrupted by someone wrestling in the water at the top of the falls. The community comes together to help, but hope quickly dissipates. Vera and Orville are back on the case, this time with the town's impressive involvement.

The usual Shady Hollow vibe of cute and cozy, albeit a little predictable. Cute, easy read and I like the continuation of the romance!

What I liked:

✨Cute and cozy! Love the woodland creature characters
✨Murder mystery in a fun way
✨Interesting characters with funny and meaningful dialogue that furthers the plot

What I didn't like:

💤Chekhov's gun predictability (sometimes!)

#4 in the Shady Hollow series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

A Flicker in the Dark

 A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (2022, 357 pages)

As a pre-teen, Chloe's father is arrested for multiple no-body homicides. Now nearing the 20 year anniversary of the murders, other girls start going missing.

A hodge-podge of characters, but with some twists. It's predictable, the main character is not enjoyable for me to listen to, and there are minor errors that break the world for me ("I'm going to get my PhD, then eventually, my master's." Where's your editor??). The premise sounds super interesting but, in my opinion, not well executed.

⭐⭐

Like, Comment, Subscribe

 

 

Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube's Chaotic Rise to World Domination by Mark Bergen, 407 pgs. 

"Charlie bit my finger!" Evolution of Dance. Annoying Orange. Fred. 
You have probably seen a YouTube video at least once in your life, whether it be one of the viral clips mentioned above, or just a simple tutorial or cat video. There is no larger collection of homemade footage than YouTube. In this look into YouTube's formation and business practices, journalist Mark Bergen delves deeply into the values of the company and how they have led to some extreme issues. Bergen talks about the harm that has come from YouTube's practices in terms of content moderation (or lack thereof), and its, at times, tenuous relationship with the very creators who make it what it is. 

If you are a fan of YouTube, or even just an occasional consumer of its content, this is an interesting read. I grew up insatiably consuming videos from my favorite creators, and from time to time they would mention YouTube policy (often in frustration). They would talk about how they changed their content in response to "the algorithm." This book examines how "the algorithm" came to be, what YouTube brass has done to change it, and how sometimes it seems like the code itself is running the show. Mark Bergen manages to write this book about a business in a way that is both captivating and understandable for someone who does not often read nonfiction. I highly, highly recommend.   

Hole in the Sky

Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson, 288 pages

When strange things start happening in the sky above Oklahoma, everyone from military leaders to astrophysicists to the people who live on the Cherokee reservation below the titular "hole in the sky" are on high alert and wondering what could possibly be happening. It's obvious that whatever's going on is an alien response to the golden record sent out on Voyager spacecraft in 1977, but whether that response is diplomatic, investigative, or hostile, nobody knows, which means everyone has to be prepared for all contingencies.

Told from the rotating points of view of a U.S. military leader, a rogue astrophysicist, a mysterious hidden interpreter of cosmic prophecies (all of which have been true), and a Cherokee man attempting to rebuild a relationship with his teen daughter, this first contact story is a bit of a different spin than we usually see. While the plot wanders a bit at times and there's a bit more gore than I prefer, I really appreciated seeing an indigenous take on alien contact. I haven't seen that perspective before, and the way it's presented here makes it an excellent story.

We Are All Guilty Here

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter, 448 pages

Everybody knows everybody else in the tiny town of North Falls, something that becomes more than problematic when two teen girls disappear one Fourth of July. For police officer Emmy Clifton, it's particularly personal, as one of the girls is the daughter of her best friend, a girl who wanted to talk to — and then got brushed off by — Emmy in the moments leading up to her disappearance. As the hunt for the girls and their kidnappers ramps up, Emmy's friendship is on the line just as much as the lives of the girls.

This is a page-turner of a mystery/thriller, and I appreciated the multifaceted troubles of the main characters. That said, there's also a sizeable time jump that doesn't just make you question everything you just read; it also resets the plot entirely, back to square one, after 100 pages of investment. Between that and a few inconsistencies that I just couldn't buy (there is NO WAY that tiny of a town required that large of a high school), I had a bit of trouble with this one. However, it is a quick and thrilling read, once you jump those mental hurdles.

The Other Side of Now

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison, 320 pages

Meg Bryan seemingly has everything she ever wanted: a successful acting career (under her stage name Lana Lord, since her given name is a bit close to a certain romcom star), a heartthrob boyfriend, adoring fans, you name it. But as she nears her 30th birthday, Meg takes a spur-of-the-moment trip to the small Irish town she and her high school bestie, Aimee, always dreamed of moving to. But when she arrives, she realizes that somewhere over the ocean, she's slipped into an alternate reality where everyone in town knows her by her real name, where she has a history with the cute pub owner, and, crucially, where Aimee is still alive.

This Sliding Doors-esque book is decent, with plenty of personal growth on Meg's part, fun characters in the Irish village, and a ridiculously cute dog (always a selling point). Where this book struggles, however, is the fact that the alternate reality shift and shift back are never actually explained. It's an OK read, but only if you're happy to skim over the lack of logic.

Ajo y el Vampiro (Garlic and the Vampire)

 Ajo y el Vampiro por Bree Paulsen, 151 pgs. 

Ajo estaba contenta (mas o menos) con su vida, cultivando con sus amigos vegetales bajo el cuidado de Bruja Agnes, pero todo cambio cuando los vegetales se dieron cuenta del humo saliendo del castillo cerca de su pueblo. Los vegetales todos, especialmente Ajo, se ponian asustados que habria un vampiro viviendo en el castillo. Ajo tiene mucha ansiedad en un dia normal, y este no era un dia normal. Los vegetales nominaron a Ajo para confrontar al vampiro, y ella debe decidir si quiere seguir viviendo con miedo o finalmente quiere enfrentar sus ansiedades.
Garlic was more or less content with her life, gardening with her vegetable friends under the care of Witch Agnes, but everything changed when the vegetables noticed smoke coming from the castle near their town. All the vegetables, especially Garlic, were scared that there could be a vampire living in the castle. Garlic is very anxious on a normal day, and this was no normal day. The vegetables nominated Garlic to confront the vampire, and she must decide if she wants to continue living in fear or finally face her anxieties. 

I read this short, cute graphic novel in Spanish, so I attempted to describe it in Spanish as well. Please let me know of any grammatical or translation errors I made (of which I am sure there are many). I am trying to learn, and any corrections or suggestions help!
In regards to the story, though, it is so cute! The drawings are really well done, and the colors of all the vegetable friends work together really well. If you are looking for a fun story to practice your Spanish and read about vegetables facing their fears and loving their friends, this is the book for you :)

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Illustrations by Philippe Munch, 253 pgs. 

You have heard the story:
Victor Frankenstein, through months of restless study, uncovers the secret to reanimating human flesh. He brings to life a being of his own morbid creation and, after looking upon the gruesome face of what he has done, he flees from the monster. As Frankenstein flees his shame, he only inflicts more pain upon himself and those he loves most. Try as he might to outrun his past, it always finds a way to catch up with him.

It is always interesting to read the original version of a tale so widely known and parodied. Although the language is out of date and the prose is a bit lengthy, the overall story remains captivating, and the different narrators offer interesting points of comparison. Mary Shelley has truly created a story that has lasted the test of time.

(P.S. If you read the version which is pictured here (The Whole Story), there are little illustrations and helpful blurbs about poems and places that Shelley references, which were really helpful for me.)

The Cartographer's Secret

 The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper, 385 pages.

In 1880 Evie Ludgrove inherited her father's obsession for lost Australian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. She is a talented artist and cartographer, and is determined to find evidence of Leichhardt's last days to prove herself to her father and help him write the book he's been dreaming of. Thirty years later, Letitia Rawlings goes to visit her Great-Aunt Olivia in their ancestral home at Yellow Rock, the same home that her Aunt Evie lived in before she disappeared, although Lettie know nothing about her when she arrives to deliver news of a death in the family. Deep in mourning for her beloved brother, Lettie takes any opportunity to escape the grief around every corner in Sydney, and so instead finds herself pulled into the mystery of what happened to Evie all those years ago. But as Lettie finds herself retracing Evie's steps, she can't help but wonder if it would have been better to let the past lie.

This book had a pretty cool premise that I found executed in a pretty mediocre way. The pace was very slow, and it seemed more interested in the idea of it's own mysteriousness than the mystery itself. There was a romance that made no particular impression on me and an implied reincarnation that was frankly baffling in an otherwise very grounded historical fiction novel. It wasn't a terrible book, but I don't know that I'll be recommending it either. 

The Pretender

The Pretender by Jo Harkin, 496 pages

In 1483, young John Collan is living a quiet peasant life in a small home with his father when a wealthy noble shows up and whisks him away, promising a new name along with a life of learning and nobility. Because according to that noble, John is actually Edward, Earl of Warwick, the long-hidden son of the late king, and as the last remaining York, the rightful heir to the throne. As John (or Lambert or Simnel or Edward, depending on who's talking to him when) is transferred from one safe place to another, he learns more about the dangerous uncles and Tudors who want to keep him off the throne. However, John's never really sure if he's actually who they claim he is, and has no idea how to clarify the muddled thoughts in his brain.

Based on an actual little-known figure from the transition period between the York and Tudor eras, this book manages to give readers a realistic and often humorous look at a boy caught in the middle of a dynastic fight, never sure who to believe or ally with (though usually the people interested in keeping him alive is a good bet). Harkin creates a world where the reader is never sure if John/Lambert/Simnel/Edward is actually heir to the throne (even when he's temporarily crowned king), and she does it in excellent fashion. My only gripe with this book is that it doesn't have a historical note at the end, which I would've loved to read. Though given the fact that it's based on a tiny historical note, I guess that makes sense. An excellent book for fans of Hilary Mantel, Allison Epstein, and British monarchy.

A selection of December graphic novels

Naked City by Eric Drooker (2024) 336 pages

With New York City as the location I'm reminded of Will Eisner's work. The two-page spreads of city blocks are gorgeous. It is about the struggle of artists to survive in the 21st century. I like the style of the artist's paintings and how the conversation continues through those pages. The singer and painter are given more backstory than the dancer, but all of their hopes, dreams, and struggles are well woven into the whole. In word and image it is poetic at times. Sad at times. It is intended to be a comedy. It makes you feel the coldness of winter at the beginning and end, but also warms your heart.

Breadcrumbs: Coming of Age in Post-Soviet Poland by Kasia Babis (2025) 256 pages

Black and white art with shades of grey and pops of red to represent passion, fear, or conflict are perfectly expressive. Loved the coming of age story. Discussing Catholicism, Authoritarianism, Politics, and Abortions are all captivating. Life moves Kasia politically left, dating is difficult, being an activist comes with attacks,  but she presents her self effectively in this graphic memoir.

The Asiri: Vol. 1 by Roye Okupe with art by Samuel Iwunze (2024) 144 pages

Comparisons will obviously be made to Wakanda, but this is its own new creation. Nigerian writers and artists are putting out a whole slate of new superhero sci-fi/fantasy. This is an Afrofuturist tale about a spacefaring West African civilization ruled by humans who transform into super beings. I am very curious to find out what happens next in volume 2, and the other titles promoted at the end of this book sound interesting as well. The art is equal to the standard of DC and Marvel. The world, ruling council disagreements, and action are all exciting. There are three minor typos in the ebook I caught, but that didn't stop my enjoyment.

The Girl Who Danced with Death by Sylvain Runberg with art by Belen Ortega (2019) 176 pages

I saw the Swedish trilogy of films, then read the Millennium books. It is nice to revisit these characters. The alpha male group of villains inspired by Sparta make sense in the current rise of fascism around the world. It is a bit silly that they actually wear Spartan helmets. Still I liked this sequel. It includes all the excitement of the original thrillers.

Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic by David Lester (2023) 136 pages

I appreciated Marcus Rediker's Foreword. His nonfiction books about pirates are the inspiration for this graphic novel (specifically Villains of All Nations). I liked the history and themes of freedom and democracy in this graphic novel. TV shows Black Sails and Our Flag Means Death are good fun and are better at conveying this message. I did not like the art style here. Some images are overlapped and smudged. Fight scenes try to suggest motion, but are quite messy.

Heretic by Robbie Morrison with art by Charlie Adlard (2024) 128 pages

I enjoyed the The Name of the Rose style mystery. I enjoyed the realistic Gothic black and white art. Religious hypocrisy and witch hunts make for a dark and gory tale. Solid, but it did not wow me. 

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

 The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman, 832 pages.

The eighth floor of the dungeon is haunted by the past. Partially in the obvious sense that the floor is made up of memories reconstructed of the last days before the world ended, and partially because old gods and grudges are coming into play at every level. The crawlers are scattered across the globe (or at least representations of the globe) and set to capture monsters to turn into assets to use for a trading card game to fight the dungeon's bosses. The crawlers are mastering working together, and it's almost time to make everyone profiting on their extermination pay. 

This is the sixth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and it's exciting to see many of the overarching plot elements from outside of the dungeon come into play. The mechanics of this floor were interesting, as was seeing the crawlers get around them. These books remain compulsively readable (I always stay up too late when I'm reading one) and I'm having a great time with the series! I expect the next book is where many of the most important plots are going to come to fruition, so I am very excited to get to it!

Moonrising

Moonrising by Clare Barner, 320 pages

Not too many years in our future, genetically modified crops are clearly the way to provide food for an ever-growing human population, though many people don't trust them, thanks to some poorly regulated crops causing widespread illnesses in the science's earlier days. But that's not keeping Dr. Alex Cole from continuing to fight for GMOs, even if there are ecoterrorists threatening her life at all times. When her latest funding request is denied, Alex is forced to accept a position creating a functioning farm on the new moon colony. When she arrives, however, she learns that some of the first consumers of her new crops will be the ultrawealthy tourists who come to stay at a planned moon hotel being built by Emirati billionaire Mansoor Al Kaabi — not at all the people who she wants to help with her science. However, Alex finds Mansoor a surprising ally, and when sparks begin to fly between them, nobody is more surprised than she.

Given that this is supposed to be a science fiction romance blend, one would hope that the science would be solid and that the main characters would be likeable. However, some of the science seemed particularly hand-wavy and convenient, and I found it REALLY hard to root for a billionaire who unrepentantly admits to manipulating and buying off U.S. politicians to benefit his own pocketbook. Nah.

Fun for the Whole Family

Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith, 368 pages

The four Endicott siblings didn't have the best relationship with their mom, who was mostly absent from their lives. However, every summer, she'd arrive and take them on a road trip to random states across the country, staying in crappy hotels, eating diner food, and stopping for odd roadside attractions. This continued until a fire at a hotel forced their dad to put a stop to their annual travels, and the siblings slowly drifted apart. Now estranged adults, straitlaced Gemma is trying to get pregnant (even though she's not really sure she wants to be a mom, after shepherding her younger siblings her whole life); author Connor has alienated his family with his largely autobiographical debut novel and is now fighting writer's block on his follow-up novel; and twins Roddy and Jude have excelled at their chosen professions, gaining fame and fortune as a professional soccer player and acclaimed actress, respectively. But when Jude calls them all for a final family vacation in snowy North Dakota, Gemma, Connor, and Roddy show up ready for a tense and hopefully cathartic reunion.

I'm a sucker for a dysfunctional family story, and this one had all the hallmarks of a great one, with well-developed characters, slightly unrealistic complications, and a lot of heart to tie it all together. As someone whose parents dragged her all over the country in an attempt to visit all 50 states (I just have Alaska left!), this book was particularly poignant for me, and I'll freely admit that the epilogue left me ugly-crying for a solid 10 minutes. However, unless you're a member of my immediate family, that probably won't happen to you. Highly recommended!

The Two Lies of Faven Sythe

The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O'Keefe, 352 pages

Faven Sythe is a cryst-born navigator, a semi-human capable of creating faster-than-light pathways between the stars. When her mentor, Ulana, mysteriously disappears into the Clutch, a cosmic graveyard that even the most intrepid interstellar travelers avoid, Faven is convinced that something fishy is going on. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily), she crosses paths with notorious pirate Bitter Amandine, who is one of few who has been to the heart of the Clutch and lived to tell the tale — though she won't, as it was that scarring to her psyche — and the odd pairing embarks on a mission to track down Ulana and figure out what could be going on.

Generally speaking, a standalone space opera with pirates and human/alien hybrids is right up my alley, reading-wise. But something about this one didn't quite catch and hold my attention. The plot felt a bit repetitive, I couldn't really see much character growth in Faven or Amandine, and the cryst backstory felt a bit confusing and flimsy. There are better space operas out there.

Nightshade

Nightshade by Michael Connelly, 352 pages

After rubbing the LA Sheriff's Department top brass the wrong way, Detective Stilwell has been exiled out to Catalina Island, where he has few deputies to help him deal with the drunken tourists that regularly end up in the holding cell. So when a body turns up in the harbor (near the rich tourists' private yachts, of course), Stilwell has to figure out how to juggle that investigation with the day-to-day drunk-and-disorderlies and a recent spate of poaching on the island's reservation. When the poaching investigation runs afoul of a local politician, it complicates the murder investigation too.

This is a solid police procedural and series starter from Connelly. While there are definitely some things that bugged me (such as the fact that Stilwell doesn't seem to have a first name, and nobody, including his girlfriend, seems to care), I did appreciate the relative realism of having to juggle multiple cases while handling a murder investigation.

The Girl from Greenwich Street

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig, 352 pages

In December 1799, Elma Sands left her cousin's home/boarding house, planning on eloping with a rich beau. A week later, her body was fished out of a nearby well, and one of the boarders was arrested for her murder. The crime swiftly became a shocking and famous event in the early days of the U.S., with handbills accusing carpenter Levi Weeks of Elma's murder as gossip about both parties ran rampant through New York City. But when his wealthy brother calls in Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton to defend Levi, the investigation becomes a chance to solve the crime but also wield some political influence.

Based on the first murder trial in U.S. history, this book is thrilling, engrossing, and keeps you guessing, despite its events taking place more than 200 years ago. It's also a brilliant look into the early days of the criminal justice system, which is fascinating from a historic perspective. Well worth a read, though be warned that you will probably have some of the songs from Hamilton stuck in your head as you turn the pages.

BLOOD HARMONY

 Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story, by Barry Mazor, 2025, 416 pgs. 

Finally, a much needed bio about two of the most influential singers in 1950s popular music. The Everly Brothers--Don and Phil-- got an early start thanks to their parents, especially their father Ike, who was in his won right a guitar wiz who showed Merle Travis how to thumb pick. This is well-written and extensively researched; it doesn't get more definitive than this. But I think you've got to be a real fan of the group. As far as music bios go, there's not a lot of action here. Out of the two, Don seems to be the creative force but also the one mostly on edge. I was flabbergasted to learn he was married 4 times. He would get deep into a relationship, get married, have kids and then meet someone else and start all over. Phil (the younger brother) was more easy going and care free. Their parents would work to get them on radio shows as a singing family, eventually realizing that the two brothers could sing well enough for themselves. As they started writing their own songs and working to get them published, their youthful good looks and tight harmonies brought teens and girls from all over the country to see them perform. Don was such a Bo Diddley fan that he borrowed a chunking-rhythm riff for the intro to Wake Up Little Susie. After that the boys were off and running. They reached critical mass in the 70s when they couldn't seem to stay in the charts and the brothers had had enough of each other, separating and not speaking for nearly a decade. They reunited in the 80s with some success and their influence solidified by groups like The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. Still, a must read for one of the all time greatest vocal duos. 

YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY

 You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles after the Breakup, by Peter Doggett, 2012, 386 pgs

Fab four? More like drab four. If you're a fan, this book is sure to take the group down a notch or two on your "greatest bands ever" list. Very in-depth and well-researched, Doggett's focus here is how The Beatles became less of a band and more of a corporate entity--one that they were not really ready to handle, seeing how they had little experience in business to begin with. After Sgt. Peppers, the group's solidarity is starting to fray, mostly due to creative differences, but also due to the fact that three members (minus McCartney) are doing copious amounts of drugs. Lennon seems to lose a sense of self that his best friend Paul cannot fill the void for. As a result, Lennon finds creativity and meaning in his relationship with avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. Towards the official end, the group gets a new manager that McCartney does not want. Egos get petty, insults get personal (and published in tabloids). Subsidiaries of Apple Corps are created, shell companies to help them ease the tax burden and earn more on royalties than they have before. Eventually, the friendship is in such disarray that everyone essentially goes their own way, trying to create solo music and rebuild a singular identity separate from The Beatles--which proves extremely difficult. Their entire lives, the four men are bombarded with questions about reunions. This book also helps to dispel some of the 'John as saint' myths after he was murdered outside the Dakota building where he and Ono had been living. Harrison sort of grew to despise the group, even denying the possibility for new material to be released (until he needed money from the Taxman, of course). I've often thought that they if the would have compromised in 1969--they could have stayed as The Beatles, but just release 4 solo albums all together in one package--sort of like OutKast did with Speakerboxx/The Love Below. It's fun to imagine, but it was not to be. They were the biggest band in the history of pop music, even to this day, but they still could not escape the machinations of money, lawyers and ultimately, themselves. 

FUTURE BOY

Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum by Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry, 2025, 159 pgs. 

I don't read celeb autobios but this one crossed my path and I was looking for a quick book to read before the end of the year--I breezed through this in a weekend. This was a fun read, chronicling Fox's quick ascension to stardom in the early 80s, via his first TV role on the hit series Family Ties. Fox was hungry for work (like most starving actors) and would do anything he could to snag a role. Through the book we learn that the original script for BTTF was written with Fox in mind, but because of his grueling TV schedule, the producers of the sitcom would not give him time to do it. The producers then booked Eric Stoltz, fresh off his role in Mask opposite Cher. Stoltz brought a seriousness and a depth to role of Marty McFly that was not warranted. As they kept filming, realization set in that they were in trouble and needed Fox after all. So the producers worked out a deal that Fox could film his BTTF scenes at night and still work on Family Ties during the day. Fox was eager for more work and break into film and saw this as his chance, so for 4 months he slept maybe 4-5 hours a night, all between filming the show and the movie. It was interesting to learn that crew had to go back and reshoot tons of scenes they'd already done with Stoltz--only this time, Fox was playing for laughs. He saw this thing as a screwball comedy, which it clearly became. Lots of great movie trivia here for a classic film. 

Truth in Advertising

Truth in Advertising by John Kenney (2013) 308 pages

Fin Dolan is 37 and works as a copywriter for a prominent ad agency in New York City. He didn't set out to work in advertising, but falling into things seems to be his way. 

Fin introduces the reader to his work colleagues‒several of whom are quite entertaining‒and puts us into the crazy world of advertising and the seriousness of selling Fritos or insurance or diapers.

It's just before Christmas and a petroleum company has invented a diaper that's supposedly biodegradable. They want to produce an ad for the Super Bowl, which squeezes a process that normally takes months into just a few weeks. Fin and some of his colleagues have to give up their holiday vacation time to work on the ad. 

Meanwhile, Fin hears from his oldest brother that their father is close to death in a hospital in Boston. None of Fin's siblings will go to visit their father: he had been horrible to live with, and left 25 years ago. Fin is torn about how to deal with the situation. He's still dealing with the death of his mother, who died not long after his father left. Fin has repressed a lot of emotion, and he has a lot of self-dialogue going on as a result.

This all sounds heavy‒and it is‒but the novel is interspersed with the humor and irony that won it the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Highly recommended.

Vice and Virtue

Vice and Virtue by Libby Klein, 320 pages

Former cop and current aspiring musician Layla Virtue has had a rough go of it since leaving the force with a tattered reputation. She's a recovering alcoholic who has to take any gig that's offered to her, including a thankless performance for a spoiled kid's birthday party, where balloon artist Chuckles the Clown sexually harasses her before he drops dead on stage. While it could've been natural causes, Layla's not convinced, and between gigs, begins investigating his death, starting with his string of ex-wives.

This could've been a fun mystery, especially when Layla's aging rockstar dad pops up in her trailer park, but something about this just hits a bit wrong. Part of that is Layla's questionable investigative practices (approaching and questioning suspects at AA meetings key among them) and part of it is the fact that there is absolutely no reason to care about who killed Chuckles, who was, by all accounts, a jerk. I'd skip this one.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke, 352 pgs.

In Seek You, Kristen Radtke blends many ideas about loneliness--historical, personal, scientific, cultural, controversial, universal--through words and drawings which all come together to paint a picture of the importance of seeking connection. She presents reasons why we experience loneliness, and how modern American culture amplifies it. She argues that movies and TV often show loneliness as a positive trait in men (like the gunslinging cowboys riding off solo into the distance) and negative in women (like the somewhat slovenly, yet loveable, rom-com lead). Radtke disputes the idea that loneliness is "cured" by finding a partner to marry, and she implores each of us to reach out into our communities--like we are biologically designed to. 

Byron and Regan have each already reviewed this one really well, but my two cents are:
I found the author's use of examples to be very effective in representing the universality of loneliness. Her drawings of the poor primates used in experiments were absolutely heart-breaking. 

The Afterlife Project

The Afterlife Project by Tim Weed, 272 pages

In the near future, climate change and a global pandemic have decimated the human race, leaving just a few scattered communities still alive and next to no children being born (literally — fertile women are so rare that they're commodities easily kidnapped and thus guarded closely). Given this drastic change, a project originally created to send people to off-world colonies has shifted focus to try sending people 10,000 years into the future in the hopes of re-establishing the human race. And that takes us to this book's second storyline: a scientist from that group has awoken sometime around the year 11,000 AD, and is trying to find some sign of other humans in the vast, environmentally reclaimed world.

Told in alternating timelines between the near future and far, far distant future, this is an interesting take on climate fiction, showing that it's not the world so much as humanity that's suffering from what we've done to the planet. That said, it's also really questionable that the scientists who see what we've done would think that yeeting a human 10,000 years into the future to restart the destructive species is a good idea, which makes that whole premise pretty hard to buy. Between that and a few other problematic choices by the scientists, I'm inclined to think of this as an OK thought experiment, but not a particularly great book.

Of Monsters and Mainframes

Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove, 424 pages

Well, Regan just barely beat me to the punch on this review, so instead of reinventing the wheel with this post, I'll just direct you to hers. It's science fiction with cameos by Universal Studios monsters, and while that's weird as heck, it's also a bunch of fun. Yeah, it took a while to come together, but yes, still fun.

The View from Lake Como

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani, 416 pages

Jess is recently divorced and has moved into the basement of her overbearing Italian-American parents' house, lamenting her inability to do anything in life that really inspires passion. She's a talented draftsperson for her uncle's marble business and just after he invites her on a trip to visit the source of the company's marble in Italy, he dies, leaving her with an open-ended plane ticket, a new business in her name, and a whole pile of trouble in the form of long-buried family secrets and a second set of account books for the business. While she agrees to work with the feds on sorting out her uncle's crimes, Jess is allowed to leave for Italy, where she does whatever she can to figure out who she really is.

This was my first Trigiani novel, and I wasn't really expecting the high level of New Jersey/Italian American stereotypes — it was a bit overbearing in the first section of the book. However, once Jess made it to Italy, the idyllic village and slower pace of life was particularly soothing. It wasn't my favorite book, and it definitely leaned a little too hard on romantic comedy/woman on a journey of self-discovery tropes, but I'm glad I read it. It's a good escape.

Of Monsters and Mainframes

 Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove, 407 pages.

Demeter is a dependable spaceship. She has successfully shuttled lots of humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri, and had no complaints. That is, until Dracula sneaks on board, murders all of her humans, and gets her branded a ghost ship. This seems to mark some sort of metaphysical unsealing, because from then on she seems inundated with supernatural creatures determined to kill her humans. Spaceships aren't programmed for vengeance, but Demeter has already had to make lots of adjustments to her code, and she'll make one more to take the people she's gathered closest to her and go kill the monster who started all of this.

This is a really unusual book! It's sort of Dracula meets the League of Extraordinary Gentleman (complete with vampire Mina Murray), with a heavy dose of pulpy sci-fi thrown in for good measure. The first half of this book felt more like a collection of short stories than the unified novel I was expecting, but I enjoyed myself the entire time, so I really can't complain. Similarly, the found family elements seem less prevalent than I expected from the premise, but I really enjoyed all of the characters. This book was a romp! I would definitely recommend it to fans of classic movie monsters. 

Dog Flowers

 Dog Flowers: A Memoir by Danielle Geller, 272 pages.

After Danielle Geller's mother dies from alcohol withdrawal, she is left with a suitcase full of her papers and a profound feeling of not knowing nearly enough about her mother's life before it was over. In the years that follow Geller uses her archival training to make sense of both her mother's papers and her own grief, both for her mother and the life they could have had together. This journey takes her not only to her childhood home in Florida, but to the Navajo reservation her mother grew up on, bringing Geller to family she had never had the opportunity to meet.

I'm not sure that this book had significantly more primary source material than the average memoir with photos, but the most interesting parts of this book were consistently where Geller's training granted her an unusual perspective on her own life. That being said, this is definitely a troubled family memoir, which isn't a genre I am particularly interested in. This ended up being structurally a much more conventional memoir than I was expecting, and I'm afraid I found it a little dull. 

The Black Wolf

The Black Wolf  by Louise Penny, 374 pgs.

"We have a problem."
A few months ago, Chief Inspector Gamache called together his closest confidants and uttered these harrowing words. For a moment, the trio of Inspectors--Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste--had thought that they were safe. They had just foiled a massive plan which threatened Montreal, and yet danger still loomed over the city. Now, Gamache--still recovering from the injuries he sustained solving the previous step in this disastrous plot--must lean on those he can trust, while determining who he cannot. He needs to figure out who is the "black wolf" behind all this. The future and safety of Montreal, and Canada as a whole, could depend on what his team does, and there is no time for mistakes. 

This book is a roller coaster of loop-de-loops. It can be quite fun at times, but after a while, it gets a bit old. The Inspectors do a much better job in this iteration of making headway uncovering the conspiracy continued from The Grey Wolf, but sometimes it feels like each new piece of information they find leads them right back to a previous conclusion. Also, in a world where unprecedented, horrible things happen in politics all the time, the overall premise for this novel feels both too real and a little far-fetched. Despite the book's faults, though, there are some really exciting and interesting moments, and it is always nice to get inside Gamache's head.

After a full year, I am finally caught up on Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache series!! Thank you to all of you who supported me in this journey :) It's been a great ride. 

Dead & Breakfast

Dead & Breakfast by Kat Hillis & Rosiee Thor, 336 pages

Married vampires Arthur and Sal have just welcomed their first guest at their new B&B in a small vacation town in Oregon. While there are a few other paranormal business owners in Trident Falls, there's also a fairly wide stripe of anti-paranormal sentiment in town, so when the mayor turns up dead in Arthur and Sal's flower bed, they're desperate to find the killer — and they're hoping against hope that it's not someone paranormal. With the help of an elfin coroner and a werewolf barista/lawyer, as well as the new city manager (human), Arthur and Sal are on the case.

This was a cozy mystery with a fantastic paranormal twist. I loved the straitlaced/flamboyant pairing of Arthur and Sal, especially as their relationship grows and matures over the course of the book. This definitely isn't something to read if you're looking for something challenging or super serious, but it's an excellent frothy and fun escape.

Angelica and the Bear Prince

 Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen, 224 pages.

Angelica was a girl who threw herself into everything with all she had. But after she burned out hard last year, she's no longer who she even is without being everything to everyone. In an attempt to learn to focus on one thing at a time, and to start easing back into activities, she gets an internship at a beloved local theater, one that she's been in love with since she was a kid. But she has an ulterior motive. When Angelica was at her lowest she started messaging with the theater's mascot, Peri the Bear, on social media. Peri knows her better than anyone else, and she wants a chance to meet him in person to thank him, and maybe learn something about the person under the mask.

The wholesome comic is a loose retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is a Norwegian fairy tale I wasn't familiar with. Le Nguyen's soft, dreamy style makes the whole book feel like a warm hug, and is a perfect fit for the wintery fairy tale. However, there was still a lot of grappling with heavy topics. Grief and feelings of inadequacy are both rooted deeply into the themes of this book, and expressed very honestly. While I didn't find this comic quite as mind-blowing as The Magic Fish, Trung Le Nguyen's first book, it was still a great read, perfect for a snowy evening. 

This Place: 150 Years Retold

 This Place: 150 Years Retold by various authors, 287 pages.

This comic anthology asks a large collection of Indigenous artists to contribute stories of the past, present, and future of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Although a few comics are forays into magical realism or science fiction, I would say most feel more like simple retellings of historical incidents that feel designed to be shared online to spread awareness to people with a casual interest. That being said, some also felt like they assumed more knowledge of general Canadian history than I have. This is a really cool concept, but I'm afraid there aren't many stand-out stories for me. 

November Totals

It's too cold to go out, stay in and read instead. 

Annie: 4 books, 1672 pages

Byron: 8 books, 1839 pages

Hammy: 6 books, 1522 pages

Jan: 4 books, 1379 pages

John: 2 books, 790 pages

Kara: 11 books, 3477 pages

Regan: 9 books, 2882 pages

Totals: 44 books, 13561 pages

Patternist #1-2

 Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler (1980) 321 pages 

I listened to both of these as audiobooks on Libby narrated by Robin Miles. I finished Wild Seed back in September, but the second book just this week. This is a series where the series order is different from the order in which the author wrote them. Butler writes Wild Seed to sound like ancient myth with gods and mortals. It is more fantasy than sci-fi, but like the other books I've read by Butler holds close to reality. Doro is an immortal spirit that has possessed many human bodies over thousands of years. His possessions are described in terms of a predator eating his prey. His children, originating from Africa at first, but later through all races, have various telepathic abilities. Latent abilities sometimes become active. It is interesting how Butler imagines all sorts of special superhuman powers as beginning with abilities in the mind. Again, picture most of these powers as being hidden unless the person wants to be accused of being a witch of some sort. There are no masks or capes or action-heavy fist fights. Still, my imagination made comparisons to X-Men comics/movies without the heroics. Most of the book is about the relationship between Doro and a distant descendant Anyanwu. She has healing/shapeshifting powers and may be immortal like Doro. Doro plans to strengthen his descendants through selective breeding, which brings concepts around eugenics to mind. This story progresses from 17th century Nigeria to 19th century America. There is a huge power struggle between Doro and Anyanwu, but also a shaky romance. (Are they equals?) Anyanwu eventually raises generations of telepaths for Doro as America is founded.

 Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler (1977) 228 pages

It took a long time for me to figure out when this second book is set. There are very few historical markers, which is not a bad thing. It makes the story timeless. In fact, it is set roughly in the 1970s when Butler was writing the novel. It flows smoothly from Wild Seed, so it surprised me to learn it was written earlier. Anyanwu has changed her name to Emma. She and Doro are still around. But this story focuses on one of her granddaughters, Mary. Doro moves Mary, who has incredible telepathic abilities, to California. Mary's power develops as the "Patternist" that gives the series its name. She is able to link the minds of less than a dozen active telepaths at first. She builds and strengthens a community of hundreds of telepaths and some unpowered humans until she becomes a threat to Doro's power, and a competitor to his master plan. Butler's writing is so good at the drama of relationships and the inner working of peoples' minds. At the end, there is something close to an action scene out of a superhero comic book, but it is powerful because of Butler's character development over these two books.

Invisible Women

 

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez (2019) 411 pages

Most research collects data on men, and if one thinks it can be applied to women, think again! Not only can research be unhelpful with regard to women, it can be detrimental. Criado Perez looks at the lives of women and how much better women‒as well as society‒would be if women's contributions, as well as their needs, were actually taken into account. Well-researched, well-footnoted work. Written in a spunky, engaging style. Very eye-opening.

The Grey Wolf

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny, 414 pgs.

A few years ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache stood on the shore by Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups and watched his best friend ride away from him, possibly forever. The Abbot of the monastery then told him the story of the place's name--the story of the grey wolf, representing the good inside all of us, and the black wolf, representing the darkness. The Abbot left Gamache with the message that the wolf that wins within us is the one that we feed. 
Now, although Gamache has done his best to feed his grey wolf, to do good in his position in the Surete, there are those who have fed their own black wolves. After a series of peculiar events culminate in the death of a suspect, Gamache must figure out who he can trust as he solves the mystery of a case which seems to be much bigger than originally expected. 

The Grey Wolf, Louise Penny's nineteenth novel in the Three Pines series, includes one of her most ambitious plots yet. It is so big that it spans into the next one, The Black Wolf. Some of this big plot works well and creates for very exciting moments. For example, the final showdown is very interesting. Other aspects, however, feel a bit drawn out. At times, Penny relies too heavily on explicitly written phrases to manufacture tension, rather than letting the story do that on its own. Throughout the novel, chapters end in phrases like, "As it turned out, Chief Inspector Gamache was wrong. Very wrong." (213), but the payoff for those statements often does not come until the end of the book (or it comes and turns out to be not-so-shocking), so readers learn not to trust these mini-cliffhangers. For readers who have already come to know and love these characters, it is always a pleasure to follow Gamache as he untangles a messy mystery, but for those who are new to the series, there are better books with which to begin.