The Roma: A Traveling History

The Roma: A Traveling History by Madeline Potter (2025), 222 pgs. 

The Romani people have faced persecution throughout the many lands to which they have traveled, and in which they now live, but their culture and their resilient community members persist. In this book, Romani author Madeline Potter combines personal experience and historical fact to paint a truly beautiful picture of the Roma across time and space. She tells Romani folktales, writes about Romani artists and activists and athletes, and sheds light on a group which has historically been--at best--written off and--at worst actively stereotyped and discriminated against. After being enslaved in Romania, forced to assimilate in France, ignored in the United States, and put through the horrors of the Samudaripen, the Romani Holocaust, the Roma have remained. This history is a beautiful recognition of the pain that has been inflicted and the triumphs that shine through. 

This is a wonderful introduction to Romani history. Madeline Potter does a great job of addressing stereotypes and disputing them with historical fact and context. There is so much about the Roma I did not know, and I really appreciated how accessible this book is in introducing the reader to so much culture. Each chapter encompasses a quick history in a certain country, and despite including so much knowledge, it is a pretty quick read. I highly recommend for those looking to learn more about this marginalized group.

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy

 

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish (2025) 366 pages

Jamie is nonbinary trans masculine (they/them). Edgar is gay. When they meet, there is an instant connection, but Edgar flees because he sees a ghost. This is a frequent occurence. He does all he can to avoid ghosts, which makes his nighttime social life just about nonexistent. His main support comes from his sister, Allie. Their father left long ago, their mother is apparently mentally disabled and out of their lives, and their brother disappeared 6 years ago.

One of Jamie's jobs is being part of a team that creates haunted houses for Halloween. The spookier the better. Jamie is also part of a political family that still sees them as a woman.

As a relationship develops between Jamie and Edgar, Jamie is frustrated as they are called to participate in their sister's upcoming wedding, while their family ignores Jamie's achievements in helping create fabulous haunted house attractions. Meanwhile, Edgar is trying trying to live with less fear. And for anyone who wonders what sex might mean for a trans nonbinary person and a gay man, you'll find that here, too.

Not Quite Dead Yet

 Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (2025), 400 pages

This was an interesting premise. Jet, a twenty-seven-year-old, trying to figure out her life becomes the unintended (?!?) victim of a crime that leaves her with seven days to live. Motivated by the ticking time bomb in her head, she is determined to solve who murdered her before she actually dies. 

I actually really enjoyed this book. It is a fun premise that kept the story line moving. You can't dawdle too much when you only have a week to live. I believe this is Jackson's first non-YA book and, honestly, it still feels like a YA book. This is not to say YA books aren't good, but if you are looking for something different from Jackson, this is not it. Which is actually ok.

As the World Falls Down

 As the World Falls Down (Galaxy #2) by Jadzia Axelrod with art by Rye Hickman (2026) 208 pages

I've been excitedly waiting for this continuation of Galaxy's origin story. This trans hero by a trans author has a lot of unique qualities in her favor. We get to explore her super powers more. There is more superhero action in this volume with less getting to know her girlfriend Kat. There are less land of Oz references, which I missed. Supporting roles for Dreamer and Superman make a lot of sense. There are frames where Hickman's art works really well. However flashback frames, and Superman's portrayal, and certain "in motion" frames are a bit awkward. I found the art of mixed quality, but not bad at all.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A Heinlein (1966) 302 pages

I listened to the audiobook on Libby. Narrator Lloyd James has the facile ability to handle the many accents of all the characters. I really enjoyed this sci-fi adventure even though it does have some slower sections. Our protagonist is Manny, a computer programmer/repairman with Russian ancestry. Strangely, another book I'm reading includes characters in the future using occasional Russian phrases and calling each other comrade too. In this book Heinlein establishes a quirky Lunar culture in post-prison colony underground cities all around our Moon. Manny befriends a central computer that has become sentient. Manny is a fan of Sherlock Holmes so he names the computer Mycroft or Myc and later refers to kids of all the lunar families as irregulars helping in small ways with the revolution efforts. Myc is curious about the human concept of humor. He is not a mobile android, but Myc reminded me quite a lot of Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Myc, the computer, is truly a secret weapon that almost magically makes the revolution against the authoritarian Authority possible. Heinlein was inspired by the American Revolution. With the moon being a former prison colony Australia was also brought to mind. But, with the Russian influence, I couldn't help imagining parallels to the Bolshevik Revolution although Heinlein is not espousing communist views. There is a teacher nicknamed Prof, who is responsible for the political direction of the revolution. The book is known for containing Libertarian views and they mostly come from Prof's voice. Manny, at first, fully trusts Prof, but questions him more as the story goes on. Honestly, Prof becomes a bit insufferable. Diplomatic meetings on Earth and explosive fights in the Lunar cities all make it an exciting  and humorous book.

A Fortune of Sand

 A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys, 320 pages.

Detroit in 1927 is a city of astounding wealth, but also more than its fair share of the crime and corruption that comes along with it. Marjorie Lennox is the youngest daughter of a family who made their fortune in the glass business, but they also have more than their fair share of secrets and corruption. Marjorie is something of an innocent, and she dreams of fashion design. So when she has the opportunity for an artist's residency for women, she jumps on it. And so what if something seems a little off about it, with the buildings strict rules and obsession with security? But although Marjorie has left home, she can't get away from her family's secrets nearly so easily. 

Ruta Sepetys is the master of exquisitely researched historical fiction, and this detail rich book is no exception. Prohibition-era Detroit is an interesting setting, and Sepetys uses a wealth of primary sources to make it fully textured. Unfortunately, I don't know that the story quite holds up to her usual standards. The many, many threads of this book never quite come together to a satisfying conclusion, and instead it feels like it peters out to an anticlimax. I also found that although this is Sepetys' adult debut, it does in many ways still read like a YA novel. That being said, I really loved Marjorie as a character, and found the prose very solid, so I still really enjoyed most of my experience reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the setting, but I'm not sure I would recommend it purely on it's own merits. 

This book is scheduled to be released on May 26th, 2026. 

LORD OF THE FLIES

 Lord of the Flies by William Golding, adapted and illustrated by Aimee De Jongh, 352 pgs. © 2025

This is a fun read and great adaptation of a classic work, good to read in time for the upcoming miniseries on Netflix. De Jongh is an Eisner-nominated graphic novel author and has won a bunch of awards. Fun fact: the original book was Golding's first novel and was rejected by several publishers before being rescued and published in 1954, to wide acclaim. Also includes early story boards and character sketches from the artist. 

The Thursday Murder Club

 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, 382 pages.

Four retirees have a spot of excitement when instead of their normal solving of cold cases they instead get a real live murder right in their retirement community. They will put all their cleverness and pure, concentrated nosiness into the investigation, and are determined to find they answers, even as the case gets twistier and twistier. 

I am extremely late to this party, but I'm glad I finally got around to it! Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are all delightful, as is the supporting cast. I'm not normally very interested in cozy mysteries, but something about this cast convinced me that the lighter tone was particular in this case. The mystery is also very well put together, to the point that it's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The twists feel like they make a lot of internal sense, but they were still enough to keep me guessing. My only complaint is that it is sometimes so twisty that I started losing track of which mysteries still had to be solved, to the point that I didn't realize the last mystery wrapped everything up when solved. Despite this minor quibble about the wrap-up, I was definitely charmed, and will be continuing the series. 

You Look Like Hell

 You Look Like Hell by Schuyler Peck, 66 pages.

This is a thematically tight little poetry collection. It is hot with rage a Peck grapples with leaving a bad marriage and rediscovering herself in a new life. I really enjoyed how to emotion encourages really feeling all of the emotions -- the grief, anger, hope, and new joy -- to finally be allowed to grow. This is a really effective poetry collection, and I definitely recommend it. 

Muse of Nightmares

 Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor, 514 pages.

After the end of Strange the Dreamer, both Sarai and Lazlo are irrevocably and fundamentally changed. What should have finally brought the salvation of the city of Weep may doom it instead, as Minya tries to bend everyone towards vengeance, and old wounds are torn open on every side. 

This is a very well-executed duology. Although I don't know if Muse of Nightmares has quite the same magic as the first book; what it does have is a lot of answers to questions left open at the end of the first book. It is also very committed to continuing exploring the themes from the first book, especially how cycles of violence often feed themselves. There is literally nobody having a good time in this book, no one is happy about anything that is happening, and I think that builds in a lot of complexity, both to the situation and the characters. The end of this book points to the same shared universe as Taylor's other young adult series, and I am very excited for her to write more in it. 

Heartwood

Heartwood by Amity Gaige (2025), 309 pages 

This is a slow-paced book with a fast-paced plot. I thought there would be a lot more suspense and drive as the story revolves around a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail. Instead, there are heartfelt asides and side character reminiscences that dissipate any sort of urgency you might feel for the protagonist. Gaige touches upon several interesting ideas, but it is all surface level, which becomes a bit frustrating. It would have been worth the book being longer for her to more fully develop these ideas and help the reader connect on a deeper level. It reads like a first draft and I would have loved to have read the next, expanded iteration. 

Murder at Gulls Nest

 

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd (2025) 324 pages

Nora Breen has left her Carmelite monastery after 30 years, in large part to find out what happened to Frieda Brogan, a young woman who had intended to bcome a sister, but whose health issues had forced her out. Frieda had taken up residence in a rather rundown boarding house called Gulls Nest, writing regularly to Nora until her letters abruptly stopped. Nora took what little stipend she had and is staying in Frieda's old room at the same boarding house.

There are a handful of other residents, plus the requisite crabby housekeeper (with horrible cooking), along with Helena, the owner, who defers to the housekeeper, always has headaches, and has a small wild child who won't speak (hmm, connected?). There is an old puppeteer and a secretive photographer, as well as a young married couple. The mystery of what happened to Frieda gets shelved a bit when a resident is found dead in an outbuilding. Nora tries to get the local detective to see that he may have been murdered, but this is a handful of years after WWII, and the local thought is that it's not uncommon for former soldiers to commit suicide.

Nora is a determined woman who is not going to back down to anyone, whether it's an uncooperative desk sergent, the detective who sees things differently, or the local womanizer. When even more bad things happen, will they ever find out what's really going on? Everyone, even Nora, has secrets. For a slow starting novel, the pace picks up quickly and the book is hard to put down.

The Surrogate Mother

 The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden (2018), 298 pages

After reading some deeper books lately, I was looking for something psychologically twisty. This was not it. I am not sure why this is even labeled as a thriller. The WHOLE time I was so irritated with the Abby (the main character) that I could barely make it through the book. How is she in such a high-pressure job, but so clueless?!?! Honestly, the book made me angry. Thankfully it is a quick read and I am just going to pretend it didn't happen.

LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE

 Let's Talk about Love: A Journey to the End of Taste by Carl Wilson. 176 pgs. © 2007

This is quite a little brilliant book. The 33 1/3 series are short tomes on popular music by a variety of authors and each one is unique. One could be a straightforward album review and the next could be a memoir on the author's relationship to the music. This one falls under criticism but it's not criticizing Celine Dion per se--the author is critically evaluating their own critical evaluations--meta, right? 

Wilson uses Dion's award winning yet polarizing album to dive into a larger philosophical discussion about taste and makes some unique points while observing the artist through multiple lenses. What is taste? How do we come by it? Is it the amalgamation of imagination and understanding of an object, as Immanuel Kant suggests? Or is taste a marker of social class in society that we use to exclude others and rise in social ranks? How can an artist who is so reviled and made fun of also be so enduring and loved the world over? The prose is witty in a way that only good critics can achieve but gets the reader thinking about their own perspectives on the things they like and dislike. In the context of Dion, Wilson doesn't let anyone off the hook--not even himself.  He criticizes his own tastes while still getting in good punches on Celine, but by the end he’s found some common ground with her.  The book hits on larger conversations about art that aren’t really talked about enough—we can always argue over what makes good art/bad art, but we rarely stop to ask ourselves, why? This is a great entry text into that process and lends itself to multiple conversations. 

April Totals

 Annie: 4 books, 695 pages

Byron: 6 books, 1556 pages

Chani: 2 books, 848 pages

Jan: 4 books, 1423 pages

John: 1 book, 283 pages

Kara: 14 books, 4816 pages

Kevin: 2 books, 632 pages

Regan: 18 books, 5762 pages

Tracey: 7 books, 3083 pages

Totals: 58 books and 16,015 pages

Making Art and Making a Living

 Making Art and Making a Living: Adventures in Funding a Creative Life, by Mason Currey. 240 pgs. © 2026. 

One of my favorite poets is Philip Larkin. When I used to write more poetry, I learned that Larkin worked as a librarian while also publishing his work and it made me consider libraries as a possible career. Unfortunately, he wasn't mentioned in this short book but he easily could've been. Author Mason Currey says as much in the afterword, citing the endless examples of working artist stories that couldn't be included due to space.     

Here, Currey highlights mostly writers, poets and artists and their differing approaches to living and surviving while trying to stay committed to their craft. Some fared better than others. Fernando Pessoa and Virginia Woolf received inheritances. Baudelaire and Cezanne were granted allowances from already wealthy families. Kafka couldn't fully separate himself from his father's family business (which is probably why his novels remained unfinished). James Joyce and Vincent Van Gogh were moochers. Odd jobs, schemes and thievery abound. One of the most fascinating chapters discusses Jackson Pollack's rise to fame, primarily thanks to the promotional efforts by his wife, the artist Lee Krasner, and funding from art enthusiast and newly-minted millionaire, Peggy Guggenheim. Pollack's early work was already getting noticed, but a $2,000 loan from Guggenheim to buy a farmhouse in upstate New York allowed Pollack the space to develop his legendary "drip" technique. When he died, Krasner raised the price of his work from $8,000 to $30,000, which MoMa reluctantly paid. The sale is credited with the sudden rush of wealth in the art world; prices have been soaring ever since. Ultimately, the author uses all of these tales to highlight our relationship to art and asks if society needs to do more to support it. Great book for insight into staying the course while working on your own art.

The Wilderness

 The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (2025), 304 pages

The novel follows five friends through their early twenties to mid-forties. It touches upon family issues, long lasting friendships, and current events. Overall, it was fine. The issue I had with it, is that it spread itself too thin. It tried to cover too much and in doing so left the reader feeling a bit underwhelmed. It was all very surface level when I would have appreciated Flournoy choosing a character and delving into their story line more. Flournoy also bounces around in the timeline and adds multiple side characters that end up leaving the reader confused. Flournoy introduces some heavy topics that, alone, would make a great book but get lost in the shuffle of all the other things happening in the novel. It was an ok read, but with better direction, could have been amazing. 

The Murder at World's End

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery, 336 pages

It's 1910, and Halley's Comet is about to pass Earth once again. Like any astronomical phenomenon, the conspiracy theories about the end of the world are running rampant. But Viscount Conrad Stockingham-Welt thinks he has a plan to survive the coming apocalypse — he will seal all of his guests, family members, and staff into their rooms at Tithe Hall, making the island-based manor airtight, and they will all emerge unscathed after the comet has passed. Everything goes to plan at the beginning, but when the rooms are unsealed in the morning, Conrad is dead, shot through the eye with a crossbow bolt. With no way for investigators to access the manor and the murderer still afoot, new footman Stephen Pike teams up with the viscount's oft-ignored Aunt Decima to solve the murder.

This book was just plain delightful. The murder could not have happened to a more deserving fellow, the sleuthing was well-paced and intriguing, and the set-up for the whole thing was fantastic. And the sleuths themselves! Foul-mouthed and science-minded Decima was an excellent partner to wary Stephen (whose past stint in jail makes him a prime suspect, and thus spurs him to solve the crime), and they were an excellent contrast to Inspector Jarvis, the bumbling fool sent to officially investigate. This was a light and fun take on the classic locked-room mystery, and I can't wait to read more from Montgomery.

Unshelved

Unshelved collections by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum

Library Mascot Cage Match: an Unshelved Collection (2005), 120 pgs. 

Book Club: an Unshelved Collection (2006), 120 pgs. 

Frequently Asked Questions: an Unshelved Collection (2008), 135 pgs.

Have you ever wished for a comic about libraries? Well it already exists in the form of Unshelved, a web comic which ran from 2002-2016. These strips, created by librarian Gene Ambaum and cartoonist Bill Barnes, include everything from the mundane, everyday situations that occur in the public library, all the way to the most absurd. If you can't get enough of your library, give these comics a read.

There are some real gems in here and a few duds (as is to be expected in a few years worth of weekly comics). Overall, though, most strips hold up pretty well and are still relatable to daily life in the library! (Thankfully not the jokes involving the nudist patron.)

Limetown

 Limetown by Cote Smith, Zack Akers, and Skip Bronkie, 290 pages.

In this prequel to the popular podcast, a teenage Lia Haddock becomes obsessed with finding the truth about Limetown, and the 300 people who disappeared from it. Meanwhile, many years earlier, her Uncle Emile gets pulled deeper into the web of the shadowy scientists who are integral to the mystery.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a prime example of an unnecessary prequel. Many of the events here either weaken or completely contradict the events of the original podcast. It also feels like it is hardly the genre, lacking any real tension. It works a little better as a standalone book, but the fact that it's a prequel means that the ending isn't particularly satisfying. I would probably give this one a skip, definitely check out the Limetown podcast though, which does still hold up. 

Anatomy of an Alibi

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston, 352 pages

Camille's life looks pretty sweet from the outside, but behind closed doors, she's pretty sure her wealthy and powerful attorney husband Ben is hiding some pretty dirty secrets, though he also keeps pretty close tabs on her, so she doesn't know how to find out for sure. Aubrey's life was rocked a decade ago when her parents were killed by a drunk driver, and has recently come to suspect that Ben knows something about it. As both of them seek answers, Aubrey pretends to be Camille so that Camille can spy on Ben, and they can finally get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately for them both, Ben turns up dead during that same period, adding to their questions and casting them both as suspects in Ben's murder.

Told with alternating points of view and timelines, this twisty thriller keeps the reader guessing, slowly revealing more and more layers of deception and criminal activity. I can honestly say that I had no idea how this book would shake out, though when all the cards were on the table, they made sense. That's not always an easy thing in this sort of book, but I think Elston manages it well.

Catch Her If You Can

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey, 336 pages

Eve first saw Madden when they were in high school, and while she was immediately attracted to him she didn't speak up, letting her best friend's crush on Madden keep her away from him, even though he was obviously attracted to Eve. Now adults, Eve has taken over her late father's strip club and rebranded it as a burlesque venue (though she's still fighting the stigma of her father's business) and has taken in her niece and nephew while their mom goes to rehab. Meanwhile, Madden just got called up to catch for the Yankees. Still harboring a crush on his longtime friend, Madden offers to marry her so that Eve and her niblings have health insurance and some financial stability. While Eve agrees to the platonic plan, her stipulation that they remain friends (and spouses only for the financial benefits) doesn't hold up very long as their mutual attraction soon becomes abundantly clear.

This was a quick, spicy read, but it is far from my favorite romance novel this year. There's something off about Eve and Madden's relationship, and Eve seems like she needs therapy, not a relationship with the dude she's been pining over for years. Meh.

Yesteryear

 Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026), 400 pages

I was really looking forward to reading this book. As the "Tradwife" trend has hit the social conscious, I was interested in Burke's take on it. The novel centers around Natalie a strong-willed, strong-opinionated woman who orchestrates a marriage to an unmotivated husband that, thankfully, comes from family money. Natalie is a very unlikeable character who pretty much hates everyone who is not her. This is not to say she isn't clever as she manages to secure a family, a farm, and significant online following who love viewing her dream-like country life. Mid-way through the novel, though, she wakes up in the late 1800s. She now has to actually live the rustic live she portrays on Instagram. 

I was very much looking forward to this part of the novel as I loved the PBS series of shows that threw modern day folk back in time. Regrettably, Burke didn't capitalize on this and the novel became a confusion of thoughts and snippets in time that leave the reader lost and bewildered. The supporting characters are lackluster and predictable. There is no growth for Natalie and, in the end, the book is just sad and depressing.

Velveteen vs. The Consequences of Her Actions

Velveteen vs. The Consequences of Her Actions by Seanan McGuire, 608 pages.

This book collects the second half of Seanan McGuire's Velveteen Vs stories. Velveteen has defeated Super Patriots, Inc. and now she has to live in the changed world she's created. Or rather she doesn't, since first she has to fulfill her promise to the Seasonal Lands. But trouble keeps brewing while Vel is away, and happy endings are often not as simple as they look.

This book was definitely weaker than the first volume for me (which I reviewed here last year). There is so much playing with altered timelines, reality warping, and memory modification that it became extremely hard to keep track of what anyone knew or thought they knew. The rules of reality didn't seem that consistent, especially in regards to the seasonal lands which are presented as sort of a global average of ideas about seasons, but which in reality seem to have no real influences outside of America. I also found that the many omniscient musings on superheroes was more disruptive than enriching. All that being said, I do still really like these characters, and McGuire does a really good job exploring all of the things they could be. This collection manages to be a take on superheroes that is somehow both conventional and original. Overall, I definitely have criticisms, but it is still a good option if you're looking for a modern superhero novel. 

*This book is scheduled to be released on 5/31/26. 

Hamnet

Hamnet (2020) by Maggie O'Farrell, 320 pgs. 

Hamnet was eleven years old--he pulled practical jokes with his twin sister, Judith; he got on his older sister's nerves; he avoided his responsibilities; he laughed; he played. Hamnet was smart--he took after his father, the Latin tutor, in that way. Hamnet was generous and thoughtful, like his mother. Hamnet was here...and then he wasn't. 
This is the story of a family of individuals coping with a terrible loss and contemplating the legacy that Hamnet left behind. 

The characters of this tale truly make it what it is. Hamnet is the driving force behind this story, but Agnes--his mother--is the heart. Maggie O'Farrell does a wonderful job describing a powerful, self-sufficient, interesting woman at the center of this family--a nice change from the typical narrative centering of the man of the house (especially in historical focus on this family in particular). O'Farrell paints a picture of the life Agnes led and the connections she felt to nature and to those around her. And the other members of the family each get their moments in the sun as well. Every character feels complex and real. This is truly a magical story of love and survival and legacy. (Even better than the movie!!)

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

 If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino (trans. William Weaver), 278 pages.

This labyrinthine postmodern novel is an experience, and an experience that is difficult to describe. It follows you, the reader, as you go to a book store and pick up a copy of Italo Calvino's new book, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, getting invested in the story only to realize that the story cuts off abruptly, and also isn't that book at all. The book continues to follow you, the reader, as he (who is still you) tries desperately to hunt down the end of the book as again and again every lead turns out to be yet another book you will never see the end to, in a twisting narrative of love, censorship, translation, and storytelling. 

It is nice sometimes to read a book that really feels like it requires all of my attention. This book is definitely a piece of art, juggling pronouns and realities with a slight-of-hand that feels fluid and puzzling, always inviting the reader (you the real reader, not the reader you) into deeper consideration of the nature of books, and perhaps also self. And if all of this is very confusing, so is the book! This is my second Italo Calvino novel, and both gave me a similar feeling to looking at a really good painting at a museum. They also both took me months to read despite being relatively short books. I would highly recommend this book, especially for anyone craving a challenge, but don't go into it expecting a fun and easy read. 

I also want to take a second to give major props to William Weaver. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to translate a book playing with language this precisely, all in addition to mastering 10 different voices for 10 different incomplete books. Truly a staggeringly impressive work of translation. 

My Friends

My Friends by Fredrik Backman (2025)

Louisa is turning eighteen and has been in foster care for almost all of her life. Her very best (and only) friend, Fish, had to leave foster care when she turned 18, and she has died, leaving Louisa untethered. Her only recourse is art. Especially that of an artist using the name C. Jat, who has a painting he had made as a teenager that became famous, called "The One of the Sea." Louisa has carried a postcard photo of that painting for years, and she is determined to see it in person. What she does not expect is that by sneaking into the venue where the painting is up for auction, she has changed her life. First, she's thrown out of the venue and ends up meeting a homeless man behind a church. But the man is not homeless after all, and when his anxiety-filled friend tries to find Louisa later, an adventure begins, with a tapdance of personalities.

Louisa learns the history of the painting created 25 years before, and much more. Abusive home lives of some of the people in that history don't kill the joy that the friends of the artist feel when they are together. I felt tension, needing to see how things worked out 25 years ago, and wondering how things would turn out in the present/future. This is a great story with some philosophy added for dessert.

Strange the Dreamer

 Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, 544 pages

Lazlo Strange had been dreaming of the city of Weep, lost 200 years, since her was a boy in the orphanage. He kept dreaming of it as a junior librarian, making the study of it his life's work, although nobody respected his obsession with a fairy tale. When emissaries arrive from the city, real and present, Lazlo learns the secret that stole the city 200 years ago, and that stole it's true name when he was a child. The shadow of Weep's darkest days hangs over it, days of gods and monsters, and Lazlo will do anything to help them be free.

This is an intensely magical book. Laini Taylor's prose is rich and vivid, and it brings a dreamy, magical world to life. It is a book that deals with a lot of dark subject matter, while still believing that the world is beautiful and people are good. I love the characters and the world, and I enjoy how twisty the story can be. This is a hugely underrated book, and I definitely recommend it. 

Run: Book One

 Run: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin with art by Nate Powell and L. Fury (2021) 152 pages

This continues in the same style as John Lewis' graphic trilogy March, which I enjoyed. Well researched and intensely dramatic. Covers the three years John Lewis was chairman of SNCC, but the book is not just concerned with SNCC business. The coverage of events is broadly about the changes in the Civil Rights Movement during the mid-60s.

Wolvers

Wolvers by Taylor Brown, 320 pages

Ever since men started raising livestock at ranches in the western United States, they've been at war with the wolves, and those who would protect the threatened predator species. Frustrated by the fact that his grandfather lost his ranch due to a fine from killing a protected wolf, Trace takes a job from a some wealthy ranchers to track and illegally kill One-Eleven, the matriarch of the pack that's closest to their land. However, after a run-in with a pro-wolf vigilante nearly kills Trace, he switches alliances, only to find that the wealthy ranchers have replaced him, and are now set on killing both Trace and One-Eleven.

Told from three points of view — Trace, his replacement/would-be assassin, and One-Eleven herself — this story is suspenseful, thought-provoking, and unexpected. I loved the nuance with which Brown explains the rancher vs. wolf situation without ever being too informational or preachy. The only thing that really bothered me was the sexual relationship between Trace and the woman for whom he works in the second half of the book, which felt awkward and unnecessary in an otherwise excellent book.

The Midnight Taxi

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera, 336 pages

After a no-show on a scheduled pickup, Sri Lankan-American taxi driver Siri is about to head home for the night when she decides to take one last fare to the airport. Only problem is that once she arrives at JFK, the fare is dead, stabbed in the chest in her locked taxi at some point along the way. With the help of her public defender, Siri must solve this murder before her arraignment just days away. 

The setup of this book is excellent, and I loved the look into Sri Lankan culture, life as a NYC taxi driver, and the harsh truths of an immigrant falsely accused of a crime. That said, I didn't think the mystery plot really held together particularly well, as there were several things that were left hanging (including a giant snake that we're, what, just supposed to forget about??). A decent read, but not the best mystery around.

Sorcery & Small Magics

Sorcery & Small Magics by Maiga Doocy, 416 pages

I first blogged about this slow-burn romanticish fantasy novel in December 2024, and I loved it then. I still love it today on a second reading, and I was delighted to find that the Orcs & Aliens book group also loved it. The magic system, the relationships, the complex and confusing political world... all of it is fascinating and made for great conversations. Alas, the second book in this series has yet to be released, but you can bet I'll read it as soon as it's available!

Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain

Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain by Andrew McCarthy (2023), 256 pages

Those of a certain age will remember Andrew McCarthy the actor. Evidently, he has also become a decently well-known travel writer. I read this for a couple of reasons: 1. I had a huge crush on Andrew when I was a teenager and 2. I am currently virtually walking the Camino de Santiago (through one of those fun challenge apps). 

This is nice memoir. There is nothing earth-shattering but, if you are a parent with children who are about to leave the nest, it will likely resonant with you. Who hasn't wanted more time with their child, especially when you know how fleeting it is? I give McCarthy credit for being honest in all the feelings we have as parents from fiercely loving our children to wishing they would just grow up already. He is reflective in his parenting and, who among us doesn't have regrets? I 100% see my children in Sam. He is the self-involved teenager growing into his awareness of the larger world and his place in it. 

The novel has also made me realize how much I do not want to actually walk the whole trail. I completely understand why people do, but I am not that person. At most, I would walk the last 100 kilometers. Sam rightly has bitterness towards these folks as this is the minimum you can do to get certified for completion, but, alas, this is all I would do and still be pretty proud of it. 

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto, 304 pages

At 63, Mebel has been a trophy wife to a successful Singaporean businessman her whole life. So when he leaves her for their much-younger private chef, Mebel's despondent and desperate to get him back so that she can continue living the life to which she's become accustomed. Best way to do that? Enroll in culinary school (the one closest to the Hermes store in Paris, of course) and learn to cook, which can't be that hard, right? Armed with Louis Vuitton trunks full of designer clothes and a bit of chutzpah, Mebel heads to Paris... only to learn that she's accidentally enrolled in the school's British campus, which is in a tiny village near Oxford.

This was a charming book full of humor, nuance, and great character development for Mebel. I loved her relationship with her fellow culinary students and the way she connected with them, despite differences in age, race, and skill. I also really appreciated the way Sutanto showed the relationship with Mebel's son and his family, and the way that gender roles expectations can be passed down generationally, just through observation. For such a funny book, this took on some fairly serious topics quite well. Highly recommended!

*This book will be published April 28, 2026.

Two graphic novels for fans of the movie Sinners

If you are a fan of Ryan Coogler's 2025 movie Sinners, these two graphic novels have elements that you might enjoy.

The Smell of Starving Boys by Loo Hui Phang with art by Frederik Peeters (2017) 112 pages

I don't fully understand what happened in this story, least of all the meaning of the title, which is used twice by one character. Still, if you were a fan of the movie Sinners, and one of many who want a further story exploring the Choctaw vampire hunters who are chasing Remmick, this might fill that niche. Instead we have Comanche who are fighting supernatural threats in 1872. The story is definitely dispelling the heroism of whites in the pre-settler American West. Our protagonists are a perverted surveyor who considers the West virgin land to be taken, a scam artist gay photographer, and a young woman disguised as a boy to escape her patriarchal family. There is a vampiric bounty hunter, wild mustang stampedes that are like natural disasters, and a silent Comanche in touch with the supernatural forces at play. The large format hardcover has gorgeous art with lots of horizontal vistas. Translated from French.

Bluesman by Rob Vollmar with art by Pablo Callejo (2008) 208 pages

This story is structured like a traditional twelve bar blues song, with three sections each made of four chapters. There is woodcut style artwork, which fits the late 1920s setting. Two itinerant musicians, Ironwood and Lem, are looking for a place to perform as well as room and board. Racial tensions lead to murders in a rural cabin and Lem, who is innocent, must go on the run. The middle section gets into the investigation of the crime scene. There is a black Sheriff of the county, who is trying to see justice done even as rich and powerful whites call on mob violence. Lem falls in with some railroad hobos, but the mob and the Sheriff stay on his trail. Some historical analysis of blues musicians is interspersed in the story. The dramatic thrills would also be appreciated by fans of Sinners.

Coffin Moon

 Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson, 320 pages © 2025

This was ultimately a fun return to the vampire genre, could've been shortened to be more like a novella but it kind of gave off Stephen King short story vibes. It almost felt like a title in search of a story, nothing really new was added to this horror genre overall, but I could see it making a half-way decent Netflix series. 

The Re-Do List

The Re-Do List by Denise Williams, 432 pages

After a VERY public breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Willow just wants to hide away. Thankfully, she gets the opportunity when her brother Cruz asks her to dog-sit while he's deployed overseas. To make sure his sister's doing OK, Cruz asks his best friend Deacon to routinely check in on her. As Deacon and Willow talk through her recent breakup, she decides to make a "re-do" list for all of the things that she only ever experienced with her ex. Some are pretty innocuous, some are a bit spicier, and when Deacon volunteers to help Willow check some items off her list, he doesn't realize that he's soon going to be tempted to break the promise he made to Cruz to keep his hands off Willow.

There's usually something questionable about a happily-ever-after happening in a rebound situation, and on paper, that's what this looks like. However, Williams deftly avoids the trap of centering Willow's personal growth around yet another man — that's specifically addressed in a conversation between Willow and Deacon, with Willow stating that she's doing these things for herself and Deacon is simply supporting her. Similarly, Deacon's personal growth as someone medically discharged from the military coming to grips with his new (and unwilling) veteran status is his growth, and just happens to work well with his future with Willow. All in all, this was an excellently done romance, with complex characters and ridiculously loveable dogs. Two thumbs enthusiastically up!

The Secret of Secrets

 The Secret of Secrets (Robert Langdon #6) by Dan Brown, 677 pages

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love codes, intricate details and mysterious settings. I love learning interesting historical details. But I found this one to be TOO MUCH. Can we not have a conversation that doesn't include an esoteric detail in almost every sentence? The concept of the book was interesting and Brown has a way of convincing you of the believability of the far-out idea. Unfortunately, I feel he has fallen into the movie trap and has written for the screen and not the reader. To me, his Langdon novels have become formulaic and I am not sure I will read any more of them if they continue on in this vein. They have run their course.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

 Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara, 347 pages.

Jai dreams of being a detective, like the ones he sees on Police Patrol and the other crime shows he obsesses over. When a classmate goes missing it is of course very scary, but it's also an opportunity to convince his friends Pari and Faiz to be his assistants in solving the mystery. But as more children go missing from their basti (an Indian slum), Jai is forced to confront that things are not as simple as they are on tv. The police take bribes, but refuse to help, and nobody outside the basti seems to care about the children. Slowly, fear and suspicion begins to infest their basti as the stakes get ever more personal.

Anappara is an Indian journalist, and this novel is inspired by events that she covered professionally. This expertise helps her to build an immersive community that makes the horrors of the book resonate harder. Jai is also a masterful perspective character. Jai is nine years old, and Anappara does a really great job capturing his voice in a way that felt very believable and enriched the book. This is not a happy novel, but it is deeply compelling, and I would recommend it. 

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

 

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (2025), 670 pages

"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is the sweeping tale of two young people navigating the many forces that shape their country, class, race, history, and the complicated bonds that link one generation to the next."

First, this book is beautifully written. Desai has a writing style that perfectly captures the little thoughts and judgements we all have but don't say out loud. Through her characters she captures all the complexities each generation faces and how they are challenged in subsequent ones. I feel all of us can relate in some way to the pressures and expectations our parents (inadvertently or not)  put on us while also subconsciously (or not) doing the same thing to our own children. 

The downside to the book is that the characters are not particularly likeable. Many times, I just wanted to shout "get over yourself and move on". But they didn't and for over 600 pages we delve into their every thought. Weirdly, though, there are some blaring holes that I actually wished the author would have dug more into. The book is a paradox. 

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz, 368 pages

Violet Thistlewaite was once the Thornwitch, a powerful henchwoman to a now-defeated mega-villain, and now that she's released from his influence, she's determined to put the Thornwitch behind her and live a quiet and peaceful life as a florist. She soon settles in the small village of Dragon's Rest, renting a shop, a room, and half a greenhouse from alchemist-turned-apothecary Nathaniel Marsh and his musician sister. Nathaniel doesn't understand why anyone in town would want a florist around, and doesn't hide his disdain at her "silly" business. But as the rest of the town comes to love Violet, Nathaniel can't help but be charmed by her too. Violet's main goal is making sure she doesn't reach for the dark magic she once used, lest she reveal her former life.

This was an adorable cozy fantasy with lovely characters, strong magic, great character arcs, and a wonderfully homicidal houseplant. I loved it, I'll recommend it widely, and I'll happily read more books in Dragon's Rest.

Break Room

Break Room by Miye Lee, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee, 160 pages

Eight random strangers have been sequestered in a generic office building, and forced to share a break room for a reality TV competition show. Why? All eight were nominated by their real-life coworkers because of some annoying thing they do in their company break rooms, whether it's leaving dirty dishes all over the place, using the ice cube trays to make soda ice cubes, stinking the place up with odorous food, or something else. The eight must figure out which of them is the mole, planted by the production company, but as they try to investigate their colleagues, they each discover unsettling things about each other, and themselves.

This was a quick and quirky book, and I'm honestly not sure what I thought of it. I wasn't sure what to expect though, so I guess it met those nonexistent expectations? I was horrified by some of the things they found themselves doing, almost as much as I was by the things that got them sent to the show in the first place. Give it a read if you find yourself with a couple hours to spare — that's all the time it will take.

The Girls Trip

The Girls Trip by Ally Condie, 320 pages

Hope, Ash, and Caro met in a Zoom book club, but soon branched out into their own Zoom meetings to chat and connect with other women going through difficulties in life. Hope is an actress who is losing herself in the glare of the spotlight; Ash has a successful business as a florist, though her success has put a strain on her marriage; and Caro's an anesthesiologist who recently lost a patient and is struggling to find her way back to work. So when Hope suggests meeting in-person for a glamping and hiking trip off the grid, Ash and Caro jump at the chance to connect in real life, and leave their worries behind. However, things don't go as planned, and soon, one of them is missing, leaving the other two second-guessing everything they thought they knew about each other.

For the first 75% of this book, it was compelling, with distinct main characters and a ratcheting sense of tension and distrust. However, the last quarter of the book went a bit off the rails, and the bad guy seems to come out of nowhere, almost like the author picked the character out of a hat. It was particularly disappointing, given how invested I was the rest of the book. I just really wish it had stuck the landing.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arilawa (2015) 277 pages

A stray cat without a name is befriended and later rescued by a man after being hit by a car. The story is told by the cat, whom the man dubs Nana because the cat's tail hooks like the number seven, which in Japan, is nana. Once the cat recovers, he stays with the man, Satoru, in his apartment. He learns that Satoru had been orphaned when his parents were in an accident when he was a young boy, and that he had to give up his cat to go live with his aunt. That other cat was much beloved, and looked much like Nana looks.

The story moves forward when the cat and the man go on the road in Japan, visiting friends that Satoru had made throughout his youth, looking for someone to care for Nana. None of the friends' situations seems right for Nana. Satoru avoids telling people why he's looking for someone else to care for Nana, part of the mystery.

This is a sweet story, not only showing the bond between Nana and Satoru, but between Satoru and his friends, and sometimes between Nana and other animals.

Stay for a Spell

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe, 384 pages

Regan recently wrote an excellent blog post that really encapsulates this cozy and wonderful fantasy novel, so I won't rehash what she's already done. I will say that this was comfy, cozy, and just overall wonderful, and I really loved the way things shook out for Tandy. Highly recommended for fans of Travis Baldree, Rebecca Thorne, and anyone who's ever dreamed of living in a bookstore or library. I can't wait to see what Coombe writes next!

The Giant: Orson Welles, the Artist and the Shadow

 The Giant: Orson Welles, the Artist and the Shadow by Youssef Daoudi (2025) 272 pages 

Yes, Orson Welles was a voice actor on "The Shadow" radio program, and that is touched on in this book, but it is more his looming figure with drifting smoke from an ever-present cigar that is the shadow of the title. A thread that carries through this biography is Welles working to finish the film The Other Side of the Wind, a film that was only completed posthumously in 2018. The author/artist hits all the major events of his life and career, but the visual invention allowed by the graphic medium is the real strength of this book. I loved the alien ships of The War of the Worlds, which Welles adapted for radio, being depicted as massive '30s radio microphones. Welles was evidently a fan of bullfighting, so another clever visual is having his shadow play matador to a charging bull with a movie camera head. Behind the scenes anecdotes and Welles' appetite and his wicked humor fill the pages to bursting. Welles appeared in many TV commercials and recognized he acted in many bad movies. "The only thing I want written on my tombstone: 'He never did Love Boat.'" "[His career has] been two percent moviemaking and ninety-eight percent HUSTLING." So much care has been put into the black and white art with yellow highlights.

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

 A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall, 272 pages.

In 2012 a school bus carrying Palestinian kindergarteners was in an accident on a crowded highway, after which it caught fire. A car accident tends to be the kind of tragedy with only personal levels of blame, but journalist Nathan Thrall explores how the entire history of decades of Palestinian oppression was responsible for this tragedy, and the resulting deaths. Thrall follows the stories of many people to paint a very complete picture, but is most focused on Abed Salama. Abed's entire life was deeply impacted by Israeli occupation, from the denial of his visa to attend college, to becoming one of the 40% of men and boys from the West Bank to spend time in an Israeli jail (the result of a very telling 99.7% conviction rate and a court that wouldn't allow him to even speak in his own defense). All of which is lead-up to his desperate search for his soon after the crash, hindered by military checkpoints and the restricted freedom of movement of all Palestinians. 

This book does an excellent job making the political personal. The people's whose lives who are described are rendered in such vivid detail that it is sometimes hard to remember that this book is not fiction, and that these are real events. Thrall is a talented journalist, and does a good job connecting a large history into a fairly short book. It is also a hard book to read, heartbreaking and infuriating. I had only general knowledge of the history of Palestine, and was completely ignorant of many of things in the mountain of injustices that a people living under occupation were subject to. It also seems important to note that this book was published in October 3rd, 2023, a few days before the region was brought to the forefront of global consciousness, and so does not include any of the devastation of the last few years. I am definitely interested in reading more by this author, and more on Palestine.