A Scarlet Death

 

A Scarlet Death by Elaine Viets (2024) 231 pages

Angela Richman is a Death Investigator who gathers a slew of information at the scenes of murders and hands off the info to the county's medical examiner. Like other stories in the series, which is set in a fictional area described as 40 miles west of St. Louis, Angela is working with Jace, a police detective at the scene of a murder. An older man of wealth and respectability has been found dead in his love nest—an apartment over a chocolate shop—on a 9-foot square "Alaskan" king-sized bed with black silk sheets. He is naked, except for a blue tie and a woolen letter "A" on his chest. This is the first of a few cases they handle in this book, and if you like details about what death investigators look for, this is a book that will hold your interest. Angela works with Jace to help solve the cases, as well.

Additionally, Angela's relationship with Chris, a policeman in the same department, advances when Chris asks Angela to marry him. Like a stunned rabbit, she avoids answering, not sure if she wants to marry again after having lost her first husband at a young age. When Chris is badly injured in an area far from his usual beat, his coma turns their lives upside down..

The antagonists in Viets's stories might be slightly caracatured, but she creates characters one loves to hate. Her protagonists always seem relatable, with dialogue that feels natural. The solutions of the murders felt right, but after that, there was an ending I didn't expect.

Nobody's Girl

Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre (2025) 367 pages

I wanted to read this memoir to get a better sense about how abominable Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell were to hundreds (and maybe a thousand or more) of mostly teenaged victims. The book is especially timely as the U.S. Justice Department has been (slowly) releasing redacted parts of the information that had been collected, and some men (and women) are just starting to be held accountable for the trauma they inflicted—or failed to call attention to—during the many years that Epstein and Maxwell found vulnerable teens and groomed them for sex with both themselves and others, often men of great wealth and power.

Giuffre shares the trauma she went through beginning with her own father, and continuing with abuse by Epstein and Maxwell, which went on for years.

I recommend this book, but also suggest not reading it before trying to sleep.

Project Hail Mary

 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, 476 pages.

This was my third time reading this sciencey space adventure (and my second time reading it for a book club) and I continue to be surprised at how well it holds up to further scrutiny! I first wrote about this book in 2021 here, and I still stand by most of those first impressions. However, to keep things fresh I decided to try the audiobook this time! I found it remarkably well-done. Grace's sense of humor comes across well with the audiobook narration, and the addition of sound added some really interesting elements to communication with Rocky. My book club ended up chatting about this book for nearly two hours, which proves to me that there's quite a lot to chew on for such a fun book. Definitely check out the book before the movie comes out next month!

Wylding Hall

 Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand, 176 pages.

Windhollow Faire is sent to the country by their manager to try and record a new album in the wake of a personal tragedy in London. The acid-folk band is initially delighted by Wylding Hall, the extremely old manor they have rented, and by the isolation that allows them to totally focus on their music. But the strange and unexplainable occurrences keep piling up, until they culminate in the disappearance of Julian Blake, the band's heart and lead singer. Now, decades later, a documentary filmmaker is trying to recreate what happened that summer, and everyone has their own stories.

I listened to this book, and I think the full-cast audiobook did a great job making this feel like a real retrospective. The strange incidents sometimes felt a little too episodic, as most of the characters never talk to each other about anything strange that happens, but they still come together to form an ever-heavier sense of unease. This felt quite a bit like Daisy Jones and the Six, except in this case the bad thing that everyone is talking around feels like it is terrible enough to justify the tension. I would definitely recommend this for fans of that book that want something a little darker, or for people interested in something a little bit gothic and modern-ish. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

My Sister, the Serial Killer

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018), 223 pgs. 

Korede has always taken care of her younger sister, Ayoola. They are best friends and have always been, despite everyone constantly comparing them to each other, and their lives are completely entangled. When Ayoola makes a mess, Korede is always there to clean it up, and Ayoola seems to keep making messes. Working at the hospital is the only time that Korede has away from her sister, whom she loves dearly but who also causes her a lot of stress, and soon Ayoola starts messing that up as well. How much longer can she keep this up before both of their lives are ruined? How much help is too much? 

I read this book very quickly. Each chapter is short and leaves you wondering what will happen next, so you can't help but read just one more...and then another...and another. Oyinkan Braithwaite writes her main character, Korede, as a complex person who you don't quite know how to feel about. One minute you're frustrated with her, and the next, completely sympathetic. Overall, this book is a quick, interesting read that will keep you guessing. It isn't quite as action packed as the title may lead you to believe, but the characters are so compelling that it holds your interest. I personally was not a fan of the ending, but up until then I was all in.

The Locked Room

 The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths (2022), 368 pages

I love this series. I love the characters and I love the cozy mysteries that take place in coastal Norfolk, England. If you are new to the series (which has been around since 2019), it follows forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway and the interesting cast of characters that live in the fictional town of King's Lynn. Sadly, this is the penultimate book in the series and I am not sure what I will do when it ends. Probably start a campaign for Griffiths to re-start it, maybe do a time-jump and have Kate, Ruth's daughter, be the new focus. I am flexible on this. 

 A huge bonus to having a forensic archeologist as the protagonist is that you get to learn a lot of interesting history about very early England. The novel includes old castles and locked rooms, but is set during the Covid pandemic. It is a pet-peeve of mine when authors completely ignore the pandemic while setting a book right in the middle of it. I appreciate Griffiths for tackling it head-on. As usual, the mystery is fine, but what I really appreciate is how Griffiths moves the character's lives forward. When we first met Ruth in 2019, she was a late thirty-something. Now she is in her early fifties with a child. Her friends and friendships have also come and gone, but the core group has matured and grown. It feels like we have been on a journey together and I will miss it. If there is a downside to the novel, it is the revelation of a trope that is just unnecessary. 

Theo of Golden

 

Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi (2023), 400 pages

Theo is an elderly Portuguese man that seemingly appears out of nowhere in Golden, Georgia. He quickly charms the locals and begins a quest to hand deliver portraits that are displayed in the local coffee shop back to the subjects of those portraits. Through the process, Theo gradually reveals a bit about himself while taking in the stories of the people behind the art. A deep narrative is revealed and secrets uncovered. 

In some ways, this is a lovely story of a long life, regrets, and renewed purpose. In other ways, it reads like "Chicken Soup for the Soul". I listened to the book and, at some points, had to stop because it just got too saccharine. I enjoyed the premise of the novel, but the perfect, continually heartwarming endings of each story put a damper on any sort of ability to connect with the characters. There is a "surprise" at the end of the book. Careful readers, though, will not be shocked.

To Broadway

 To Broadway by Maurane Mazars (2025) 248 pages

This is historical fiction set in the late 1950s about a young gay German man studying modern dance who dreams of Broadway or Hollywood in America. The watercolor art is brilliant. We ride the ups and downs of Uli's career, love life, and friendships. Fantastically emotive with the use of visuals without too many words. And the Epilogue reveals some of the real people involved in the story. Translated from French.

Sula

 Sula by Toni Morrison (1973) 174 pages

I previously listened to Morrison's Beloved, but didn't grasp much of what it was trying to say. When The Atlantic published a "The Great American Novels" list in 2024 including Sula, I decided I should read another of Morrison's books. I'm from Ohio too. Medallion, Ohio is a fictional town, but I read it could be based on Lorain, Ohio to the west of Cleveland where Morrison grew up. Morrison explores the social changes in a black community called the "Bottom" between 1919 and 1965. There is a good bit in the beginning and end of the novel that does not focus on the title character, Sula. Instead, we meet Shadrack, who is a traumatized WWI veteran. He cannot readjust to living in "normal" society. Morrison's descriptions of the community are vivid. She then traces the lives of four women that are central to the relationships of the "Bottom." Eva is a mysterious figure who has a promiscuous daughter named Hannah amongst many other children. Hannah is the mother of Sula, who dies when Sula is still young. We spend quite of bit of time getting to know Sula and her friend Nel, but also Sula leaves for ten years for college. After college, Sula travels through many big cities, but is unable to find a man that she feels really connected to. There is no straightforward plot, but a loose set of occurrences that resist simplistic notions of heroes or villains.

The Maze Runner Trilogy

The Maze Runner series by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (2009), 375 pgs.
Imagine waking up in a dark elevator, ascending to God-knows-where, with no memory of how you got there or--more importantly--who you are. That is what happened to Thomas when he entered the Maze. After arriving in "the Box," as the other boys called it, Thomas stepped out into a world entirely new to him, but somehow slightly familiar. The group of guys who greeted him explained that he was the newest member of the Gladers, a group of teenagers who lived in the center of a huge maze with no memory of why they are there. Thomas knew he must have a purpose, and when the newest arrival came up in the Box, that purpose became all the more clear: he must escape the Maze. 

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (2010), 360 pgs.
After the dramatic conclusion to The Maze Runner, Thomas and his closest friends find themselves once again trapped in another large test, grasping for ways to survive. This time, the team of teenage boys--and some new friends--are given a mission: cross the desert and receive the cure for a deadly disease to which they have all been exposed. As the friends fight their way across the "Scorch," encountering other desperate, infected people, they begin to see more clearly the terrible state of the world outside of the Maze, and they start to uncover more about the mystery of why they were put there.

The Death Cure by James Dashner (2011), 325 pgs.
In this third and final installment of The Maze Runner series, Thomas faces all that has happened. He must finally confront the corporation which has been running experiments on him and his friends in the name of scientific discovery. He must determine what his role will be going forward, and how he will save his friends--those who are still alive--and the rest of society. It all comes down to Thomas, and after the trials he has been put through, he better be ready.

This series very much runs in the same vein as other YA dystopian novels-turned-movies from the early 2010s like Hunger Games and Divergent, but beyond similarities in terms of setting and overall themes, The Maze Runner books are nowhere near as good as those other genre legends. The first book is the strongest, with the most interesting and well put-together plot, but after that the series loses focus and wanders in different directions, seemingly without a point or destination in sight. The characters and their relationships are pretty shallowly written. The main character especially is also reallllyyy annoying in my opinion. Dylan O'Brien plays him much more likeable in the movies than he is written. I was not a big fan of this series on my re-reading, but the first one is still a fun pick if you're craving a nostalgia read from that era of YA dystopia (although you would be much better off just reading The Hunger Games).

Unwieldy Creatures

 Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Brook Tsai (2022) 296 pages

"Unwieldy Creatures, a biracial, queer, gender-swapped retelling of Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein, follows the story of three beings who all navigate life from the margins." So starts the synopsis that caught my interest. I love the cultural influence Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has had, but it was a novel I didn't finish in high school. I made slow progress through this retelling. The style and method of three people telling us the story is very similar to how Shelley's novel is presented. Dr. Z's dangerous ambition takes up the most pages. Plum, the protege, commands considerably fewer pages. And Ash, the creature, only shares their voice briefly toward the end. Tsai includes some bilingualism with Mandarin characters in Plum's story, so I had to flip to the end of the chapters for translation footnotes. The author also lifts some sentences straight from the original Frankenstein novel. The story is set now, or in the near future, so the science is more up-to-date involving in vitro gestation. However, there are still plot holes that didn't totally make sense to me. I'm glad this version exists. The rejection faced by some queer people from their families is a theme that fits well in this "creature feature" framework. Themes of estranged parents and children still resonate in this context. Tsai writes like the Romantic writers of Mary Shelley's era, and this is the part I struggled with the most. There is a lack of energy moving the plot along in the later part of this book.

Surrounded

Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832 by Wilfred Lupano (2021), Illustrated by Stephane Fert, 142 pgs.

In 1832, Sarah Harris entered the all white class of Prudence Crandall's boarding school. As a young Black girl in a time when slavery was only abolished in some states--like her home state of Connecticut--a formal education had not previously been available to Sarah, until she asked to join this class. After racist outrage followed Sarah's admittance, Ms. Crandall made the decision to make her boarding school for Black girls only. Girls from across the state traveled to learn together, and they faced many barriers from the white community, who stopped them from getting school supplies or other items in town, and from the local legislature, who passed laws making it illegal for Black girls to travel to the Crandall school. Nevertheless, Sarah and her classmates continued to learn and grow and challenge the stereotypes they had been taught.

This beautifully-drawn, fictionalized account of a true story is a quick, yet impactful read. The art style is very whimsical, but it also does a good job of emphasizing the gravity of dark moments. The story, at times, felt like it was teetering on the edge of being a white savior story focused on the teacher, but I do think the white author tried to avoid going that way entirely by including more moments focused entirely on the Black students. Overall, I would definitely recommend

Dark Ride

 Dark Ride by Lou Berney (2023), 256 pages

Hardley is an early 20-something stoner floating through life as a "scarer" in a haunted-themed amusement park. He is likeable in that there is really no reason not to like him way. While paying a ticket at the local court house, he comes across two children that are in obvious need of help. He calls and visits Children's Protective Services, but they are overwhelmed and of little help. This is when he realizes his purpose in life: he WILL save these two kids. Of course, there is a lot more back story, but it is heartening to see a person who is drifting realize his potential. 

Previous summaries regard this novel as an intense thriller. I would call it a Janet Evanovich "Stephanie Plum" level of thriller. There are likeable characters, funny side quests, but still enough plot and heft to make it worth reading. That is until the end. Then it went off the rails into unbelievable land
and had me questioning why?!?! If you have read this book, please let me know your thoughts as I am still shaking my head.

Husbands

 

Husbands by Holly Gramazio (2024)  338 pages

In a "Groundhog Day" manner (as the movie goes), Lauren‒who is single‒experiences husbands coming out of her attic. If the husband returns to the attic, he is repaced by another one. Everything is reset (except time) by the husband's return to the attic and the appearance of the next one. Their personalities vary widely. Each time there's a new husband, the flat that she lives in is decorated somewhat differently, a testament to the fact that she and this husband have had a history together before she meets him.

This is an extremely weird novel! I will eventually love it or else I will continue to feel somewhat cringy about some of the things that occur. Or both. I think both!

End Times

End Times: Elites, Counter-elites and the Path of Political Disintegration by Peter Turchin (2023) 352pp 

Turchin, a scholar in ecology and evolutionary biology, has a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of history which he labels “cliodynamics”. In a nutshell, the author is analyzing history using a large historical dataset to identify patterns. The author presents a variety of anecdotes from ancient times to the present using the concepts of out-of-control “wealth pumps”, overproduction of elites, and general immiseration; leading to instability, revolution, civil war and all things unpleasant. But I kept thinking, isn’t he neglecting too many variables and what confounding factors make this a fool’s errand? Nonetheless he forges a cogent argument that vast inequalities are destabilizing and, most interestingly, he posits that an overproduction of elites is just as threatening. Recommended to readers with a passion for history and those who appreciate novel approaches to complex and chaotic problems.

Death at the White Hart

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall, 352 pages

When the owner of the White Hart pub is found dead — and gruesomely tied to a chair in the middle of the road with antlers affixed to his head — the small town of Fleetcombe is shaken to its core. On the case is Detective Nicola Bridge, who has just returned to her hometown after years working for the Liverpool police department in an attempt at a slower life. Too bad this murder and subsequent investigation into the secrets of the whole community won't let her do that.

I'm going to be completely honest and say that while I remember reading this and thinking it was a solid police procedural mystery, nothing really stuck out to me as either particularly fantastic or problematic. So solid but forgettable in my eyes. However, fans of Broadchurch will probably enjoy a complex mystery novel by the creator of that show.

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold

 Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire, 149 pages.

Everyone thought that when Nancy found her door and got to go home, nobody at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children would ever see her again. But when ghosts start devouring the living statues in the Halls of the Dead she realizes she wants to live more than she wants to be in the place it feels like she belongs, so she is back at the school asking Eleanor to break the school's "no quests" rule again. 

It was so nice to spend time with Nancy again! Overall, this book does a good job bringing back a lot of the original cast from the first book, and giving them a chance to interact again. I also found the descriptions of the Halls of the Dead very striking. That being said, I feel like that character work in this book is a little weaker than many other in the series. Despite the fact that Kade is in this book the whole time, I don't feel like I know much more about him then when we started, and even Nancy's major changes seem to happen mostly off-page. I'm still really enjoying this series, but I don't know that this is the strongest entry.

City of Thieves

City of Thieves by David Benioff, 258 pages.

Lev Beniov is a young man trying to reach adulthood in the harshest circumstances possible. The Nazi siege of Leningrad seems endless, everyone in the city is teetering on the edge of starvation, and crimes are punished without mercy. Which is why taking the knife off a dead German soldier is considered a crime that comes with a death sentence. A powerful colonel tells him that if he and the charismatic deserter her was imprisoned with bring him a dozen eggs for his daughter's wedding cake, they will not only live, but be rewarded. The task seems impossible in a city that has been starving for months, but Lev and Kolya will plunge into the most dangerous situations for a chance at life.

This book has an interesting premise, and has some really solid adventure elements. That being said, it definitely feels like a book written by a man, for men. It is a coming-of-age story that feels like it has a lot to set it apart with extraordinary circumstances, but Benioff's overreliance on tired tropes makes it feel a little cliche despite everything working in its favor. It's a fairly solid work of historical fiction, but I don't know that I would recommend it unless you are particularly interested in the siege of Leningrad.

The White Octopus Hotel

The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, 368 pages

Eve is a reclusive art appraiser for a London auction house, happily doing her job when an old man walks in. He says his name is Max Everly — coincidentally, the same name as her favorite composer, born more than a century earlier — and he has a gift for her. After leaving Eve's office, the man disappears from her life, though she's intrigued by the small white octopus he's given her. A bit of research on the octopus takes Eve to an abandoned hotel in the Swiss Alps, and as she's exploring, she falls through time to the heyday of the hotel in the 1930s, where she once again meets a much younger Max Everly.

Sprinkled with time travel, mysterious magical objects, and a curiously fun hotel (my favorite element is the hidden eavesdropper in the speakeasy, who gives his signature cough whenever someone is lying), this book is a lovely read. Yes, it dabbles with the fantastical and magical, but it's not a full-on fantasy novel. An excellent magical realism read for fans of books like The Night Circus.

The Letter Carrier

The Letter Carrier by Francesca Giannone, 416 pages

When Carlo returns to his small Italian hometown of Lizzanello with a new wife, Anna, everyone is intrigued by her beauty and unconventional ways. When she takes over the job of letter carrier after the previous one dies, she's seen as even stranger, as no woman has ever held the position. But Anna slowly works her way into the hearts of Lizzanello's people, though she never ceases to be a subject of gossip, especially once she creates a home and learning space for women.

Beginning in 1934 and spanning several decades, I expected this book to really give us a flavor of the political and social changes throughout the 20th century in Italy. And while those were touched on, it was very much pushed to the margins. While the relationships were well created, a few of the characters had me rolling my eyes (you'll know which ones if you read it) and itching to get back to Anna.

Making History

 Making History by K.J. Parker, 128 pages.

Aelia's head academics have a problem. First Citizen Gyges needs a war to help people forget that his claim to power is less than totally legitimate, and to help the people swallow his harsh policies. But he can't just start a war for the sake of starting a war, so he needs justification. He has decided to make this the problem of the city's professors. Their task is to create a lost utopian city underneath the plains, so convincing that nobody can question the the righteousness of their anger, or the fact of this hitherto unknown civilization. After all, if history is just a story we tell ourselves, who says it can't be changed?

This was a really cool premise, but I found the execution a little lacking. Very little time was actually spent on any of the mechanics of changing history, and more was dedicated to weird metaphysics and speeches on history I mostly found self-indulgent. For a book that plays in this space in a more compelling way, I recommend The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow. 

The Sisters

The Sisters 

The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, 656 pages.

As intimated by the title, The Sisters is about sisters and (surprise!) a guy. The novel spans thirty years of their intertwined lives as Swedish-Tunisians mostly living in Sweden with short forays to Tunisia and New York. There are several throughlines, such as a curse, difficult family dynamics, and life between two cultures, but the book is really about maturing and finding your place in the world. The book is structured in a fascinating way. It is divided up into six parts with each part covering a shorter time span. The first part is a year which compresses to a single minute by the final, sixth section.

I love books with complicated family dynamics. Khemiri really shines when writing about the sisters and the relationship they have with each other and extended family. While Jonas' (the guy) voice is used as an outside perspective to the sister's lives, I am not sure his character brought a lot to the story and I questioned why he was there at all. The book is a solid 656 pages, but I was invested enough to want more. 

How to Be Perfect

 How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur, 304 pages.

This hugely approachable introduction to moral philosophy is by Michael Schur, who also created both The Good Place and Parks and Recreation, shows I have not seen. As this was pitched to me as sort of an "extended reading" for the The Good Place, being an extension of the philosophy research Schur did for that show, I was a little worried about that, but I ended up being very glad I picked it up! Schur mostly digs into three major philosophies (Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, Utilitarianism, and Deontology) with smaller detours into several other secular moral frameworks. 

Schur does a really great job not only contextualizing information about these frameworks, but also showing how they can applied, as well as all of their respective weak points. It is also extremely funny. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author with cameos from a handful of his actor friends, and I really can't recommend it highly enough. Schur's delivery regularly had me cracking up a little, which isn't necessarily the most common reaction to ethical quandaries. I feel that I should also clarify how completely approachable this book is. It starts with addressing the ethical question "Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?" and builds only gradually to the stickier questions. Schur always prioritizing presenting the philosophies in an easy to understand way, so that the audience's thinking power can be devoted to evaluating them rather than struggling to understand the concepts themselves. Overall, an easy to digest piece of nonfiction that still feels very enriching, I highly recommend it. 

Nicked

Nicked by M.T. Anderson, 220 pages.

In 1087 the path to wealth and prestige was often through holy relics and the pilgrims they brought. So when Brother Nicephorus has a dream a St. Nicholas that he interprets as a call to minister to the pox-stricken in the city of Bari, the powers that be instead decide that obviously this dream instead means that St. Nicholas would like his bones removed from Myra and brought to Bari. So Nicephorus is introduced to Tyun the relic hunter and his international crew, both as the "dreamer" and as a valuable witness of authenticity, due to his complete inability and unwillingness to lie. What follows is a swashbuckling adventure that goes in a whole lot of unexpected directions. 

This was a great book, and a great work of historical fiction! I feel like a lot of historical fiction feels like it uses history as a setting rather than something that impacts characters and worldview, but this book felt immersive. One of the characters is a dog-headed man, and in the author's note he mentions that he included this because they were in virtually every travelogue published at the time. I feel like this really nails the commitment to living within this medieval worldview. Beyond all of that, it was just a really fun book! This feels like the kind of adventure story that is begging to be turned into a movie. It was twisty and engaging, and I loved how all of the threads kept coming together. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a heist that's a little different, swashbuckling, or great medieval historical fiction. 

Gallant

Gallant by V.E. Schwab, 338 pages.

Olivia Prior has never entirely fit in at Merilance School for Girls, partially because she can't speak, and partially because she sees the dead. A letter from a man claiming to be her long-lost uncle invites her to his country home, Gallant. And Olivia, desperate to be wanted and find a place to belong, goes willingly, even though Gallant is the one place her mother warns her never to go in the diary that shows her slow spiral away from sanity. When she arrives Gallant is not what she expects, but she has to learn its secrets quickly if she is to have any hope of the family she has longed for. 

This was a fabulous, very gothic, novel. The books blurb describes it as The Secret Garden  meets Crimson Peak, and honestly that's an extremely accurate comparison. I liked how spooky it was, but also how thoughtful. The writing is beautiful, and the images are striking. Highly recommended for fans of modern gothic. 

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925), 180 pgs. 

A mysterious party host; a decadent mansion with crowds of lavish guests overflowing into the lawn; champagne and rumors spilling; distant views of the working class below. Welcome to the Roaring Twenties in New York City.
When Nick Carraway moves into the much smaller home next-door to Jay Gatsby's mansion, he gets an up-close view of extravagant wealth. Mr. Gatsby throws a fancy party every weekend, each one more over the top than the last. Nick is only an observer of these events until one day he receives an invitation, and suddenly he is a part of Gatsby's world--a world of affairs and adventures which is sure to end in disaster. 

This was my first time reading this classic, and I had a good time! The prose was a bit difficult for me to understand at times--I definitely had to re-read a few parts to get what was going on--but it is a very interesting story to imagine. The themes of class and gender roles during the 1920s are quite interesting to unpack, but this is definitely a story written from a well-off white male perspective.

January Totals

Our TBRs are as endless
as the current snow

 Annie: 6 books, 2142 pages

Byron: 3 books, 721 pages

Chani: 2 books, 706 pages

Jan: 4 books, 1219 pages

Kara: 11 books, 4417 pages

Regan: 4 books, 1081 pages

Totals: 30 books, 10286 pages

Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie by Cory O'Brien, 304 pages

Set in a futuristic waterlogged Los Angeles where information is literally currency, this debut novel follows combat-drone veteran Orr as he tries to sort out the details of a murder the cops assume he has something to do with (even though he isn't aware of it at all) and also track down an ex-lover, who may somehow be involved. While some of the ideas are intriguing and some of the scenes are entertaining (playing truth or dare with a bunch of people dosed with truth serums? Scandalously fun!), a convoluted plot and the odd noirish vibe of Orr's narration keep this one from really coalescing. Still, I'm interested to see what O'Brien comes up with in the future, assuming he's able to hone these fiction-writing skills.

Happy Land

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, 368 pages

Nikki hasn't seen her grandmother for decades, not since a falling-out between Nikki's mother and Mother Rita led to years of silence between them. But when Mother Rita calls with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her, she views it as an opportunity to mend fences and get to know her long-estranged grandmother. What Nikki doesn't anticipate, however, is learning that her ancestors were the founders of their own kingdom in the hills of western North Carolina and that her great-great grandmother Luella was their queen.

Told in alternating chapters focusing on Luella and her fellow recently-freed settlers, and Nikki and Mother Rita's fight to keep hold of the land 150 years later, this is a captivating story of legacy, identity, and family ties. It's also filled with all kinds of fascinating information about the very real Kingdom of the Happy Land and thorny property laws, which enhanced this already enchanting read. Highly recommended.

107 Days

107 Days by Kamala Harris (2025), 304 pgs. 

On November 5th, 2024, the historic election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump ended sadly for many. Looking back on her whirlwind campaign, and ultimate loss, Vice President Harris reflects on the 107 days between the announcement that incumbent Joe Biden would not be seeking re-election and the election itself. 

This book and VP Kamala Harris herself are very compelling. Each chapter represents a day on the campaign trail, and although the chapters are quite short, they are jam-packed with events and reflections and information. Reviews on Goodreads have noted that this book will likely not change readers' perspective on VP Harris:

 
"If you want to hate Harris you can find reasons to do so, if you want to be sympathetic to her you can do that too. You liking the book depends more on you than it does on the book.
    --review by Traci Thomas on Goodreads

However, for those looking to gain insight into how a campaign is run and all the messy particulars of this one, it is a great read. The end is still devastating, even though anyone who starts the book knows how it will end, and it does not leave off on as much of a hopeful note as her concession speech. But it is still a wonder that she ran such a strong campaign in such a short time. Kamala Harris has made history and will continue to do so.

Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2007), 341 pgs. 

Marjane's childhood was full of changes. Not just in her own life--as she grew up and discovered new interests in terms of religion, music, and style--but also in the political situation of her home country, Iran. When Marjane was little, she dreamed of being a revolutionary and a prophet, and she played with her friends in the yard. She did not have to wear a veil in public. After the Islamic Revolution, she and her friends were subject to new rules, but that did not stop their rebellious spirits.

In this autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in Iran (and Europe) in the 80s and 90s, Marjane Sarapti illustrates for an audience of all ages the dualities of being a child in a sometimes dangerous political environment. She captures well the love she has for her country and the beauty in her life, as well as the very difficult dark sides of her experiences. This book is a great introduction to Iran and one girl's (now woman's) experience in her culture.