Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, 368 pages

Regan wrote an excellent blog post about this book a few months back, so I will happily redirect you there. I largely agree with what she wrote about the cozy cat-loving world created in this book, though I will add that I felt like the book went a bit haywire toward the end. It DEFINITELY reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle though, to the point that I could pinpoint exactly which character was which. Still, a fun and cozy read, and an excellent audiobook too (which is how I consumed it).

(And yes, this cover is excellent and I want to do a puzzle of it now.)

Gods of Jade and Shadow

 Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2019) 340 pages

I really enjoyed this fairy tale adventure. It begins with some Cinderella vibes, but quickly veers onto its own path. The setting of 1920's Mexico was fun. Our heroine Casiopea Tun, who restores Mayan god of death Hun-Kamé to life, has the perfect blend of personality traits to take us along on a quest. Casiopea and Hun-Kamé are magically linked for the duration of the quest. She is gradually dying and he is gradually becoming more mortal. It feels natural that they slowly fall in love too. Hun-Kamé's brother dismembered him and stole his throne decades ago. The quest is to restore Hun-Kamé's missing body parts and a necklace, then recover his throne, so his brother doesn't return the world to the old ways of blood sacrifice as tribute to the gods. On the cross-country trek, Casiopea meets many magical beings known to Hun-Kamé. It reminded me of Gaiman's American Gods, the book or the TV show.

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.

The Harvey Girls

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay, 384 pages

It's 1926, and former Boston socialite Charlotte is on the run from her abusive husband. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Billie is leaving home to earn some money to support her parents and eight younger siblings. While they don't have much in common on paper, both women end up being accepted as Harvey Girls, the picture-perfect waitresses who staff the first hospitality chain, along the railroad between Kansas and California. Neither Charlotte nor Billie fits the rules of eligibility for Harvey Girls — who must be at least 18 and unmarried — and their secrets bind the women together as they undergo training in Topeka and get their first post at the Grand Canyon. 

This is a part of 20th Century American history that I haven't often seen in historical fiction, and this book made me want to learn more about the Harvey Girls, the first all-female workforces in the West. The main characters and their growth felt realistic, and I particularly enjoyed Charlotte's journey to self-discovery regarding the Indigenous cultures surrounding the hotel at the Grand Canyon. Highly recommended!

The Murder of Mr. Ma

The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee & S.J. Rozan, 300 pages

In this Sherlockian mystery, college professor Lao She assists Judge Dee Ren Jie in solving the titular crime, as well as a string of related murders of Chinese men in 1924 London. Judge Dee is a whip smart martial artist (as well as opium addict) whose experiences in the trenches of France give him insight into the lives of the murdered men, as well as plausible theories as to the motives behind their deaths.

The book offers a very traditional mystery setup mashed together with a stark depiction of the casual racism against Chinese people in London at that time. While I appreciated the social elements, the way in which the story was told — the brilliant detective makes discoveries and solves the crime as we watch, as opposed to hints appearing throughout to give the reader a chance to solve the mystery themself — felt a bit dated and uncomfortable for those who prefer more modern storytelling styles. Still, for those who like Sherlock stories, this one may hold some appeal.

A Deadly Endeavor

A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams, 341 pages

Edie Shippen has just returned to Philadelphia from California, where she was recovering from her bout with the Spanish flu. What should be a happy homecoming is marred, however, by the fact that her former beau is now engaged to Edie's twin sister. In the midst of the engagement celebrations, Edie connects with a new crowd of artistic women, hoping they'll help bring her spirits up. Unfortunately, they keep disappearing, right around the same time some horribly desecrated corpses show up along the river. Soon Edie and a handsome city morgue doctor are teaming up to track down the killer.

I read this book about a week ago, and already, the details are sliding away from me — likely overshadowed by the absolutely bonkers ending. Overall the book was OK, nothing great, though I did enjoy Edie as a character. So there's that?

MEM

MEM by Bethany C. Morrow (2018) 189 pages

Are you a fan of the Netflix series Black Mirror? You might like this. This short novel is set in the 1920s and doesn't feel as dystopian. A scientist has discovered a way for people to extract memories. The MEMs are zombie-like pale copies of the original person that just re-experience the emotional core of the memory until they expire. Except for Dolores Extract #1, who chooses the name Elsie to distinguish herself. She breaks all the rules by remembering all of her source's memories and has the unique ability to remember new experiences. Is she fully human? The mystery of her existence in a non-linear timeline with profound questions about identity, memory, and civil liberties are explored with much contemplation.
 

Nightwood

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes (1936) 182 pages

I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla narrated by Gemma Dawson. The Atlantic published a list of The Great American Novels earlier this year. There was a lot more diversity amongst the authors on this list compared to others I've seen, so I added several books to my reading list. I had also recently seen a review of a graphic biography about Djuna Barnes that will be published later this year. I jumped into this novel, which is Modernist, without knowing much about the Modernist movement. T.S. Eliot wrote an introduction praising the novel as an example of this artistic movement. He suggested that people who like poetry would appreciate her use of language. It certainly is florid in its literary stream-of-consciousness. Eliot also prepared me not to expect much plot, but I really like a strong plot. Audiobooks are "real" reading, but it is more passive. By the end, I had forgotten how the two characters, who converse about a woman's love for another woman, connect to the characters introduced at the beginning. I struggled to fully understand this book. It was not for me.
 

Decline and Fall

 Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh 293 pp.

Paul Pennyfeather gets expelled from his Oxford college through no fault of his own but that didn't matter to the powers that be. He ends up taking a teaching position at a boys boarding school with no experience in the teaching field, one being a chronic liar. That doesn't matter because no one else working there is any better at it than Pennyfeather is. The school is a marvelous parody of British public schools (what we call private). The antics of the staff rival the antics of the students, rowdy and mostly harmless, except in the case of young Tangent, whose minor injury during games day grows gangrenous and ultimately deadly. Pennyfeather becomes entangled with Mrs. Beste-Chetwynde, the widowed mother of one of the students. On the day of their wedding, while attempting to fix a business problem for his future wife, Pennyfeather is arrested. His conviction lands him a five year sentence in prison. Other of the teachers at the school have similar bad ends, including suicide, a conviction for bigamy, and various financial misfortunes. Although Pennyfeather eventually comes out okay the ending is left open to wonder what else can befall him as he studies to become a minister. This is Waugh's first published novel and is a wonderful satire of parts of British society in the 1920s.  

The Woods All Black

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo, 160 pages

Before I get into the summary of this book, please scroll and check out the tags on this post. Then tell me if you think those elements don't have the potential to be 1000% terrifying.

OK, onto the summary. It's 1929, and Leslie has been sent by the Frontier Nurse Service to the small Appalachian town of Spar Creek, where he is to administer vaccinations and assist with childbirth and other women's health issues. We learn from the first page that Leslie is transgender (or an invert, as he refers to himself in the language of the day), and while the fire-and-brimstone preacher isn't too excited about modern medicine reaching into the town, he's particularly upset by Leslie's "determination to not be a proper lady." Turns out there's another young trans man in town, and Leslie's arrival doesn't seem to be helping his own survival prospects. Oh, and there's a vicious supernatural creature prowling the woods behind the town, which further sets everyone on edge.

The first two-thirds of this novella ratchet up the realistic tension and terror of close-minded people in powerful positions physically and psychologically torturing these trans characters. But the final third of the book takes a turn that's...well, I'm not sure how well it sits with me. Without going into detail, I'm not sure the author's intention of revenge plays out exactly how he wanted it to. And there's definitely a scene that was disturbing in a not-great way. So as much as I was looking forward to this book (Mandelo's Summer Sons was EXCELLENT), I can't say I particularly enjoyed it when all is said and done.

*This book will be published March 19, 2024.

Urn Burial

 Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood (1996) 187 pages

In this murder mystery set in the late 1920s, Phryne Fisher and her entourage (her maid/companion Dot, her Chinese lover, Lin Chung, and his manservant, Li Pen) have almost arrived at a houseparty at a Victorian mansion on a foggy night, when they hear a gunshot. They stop the car and end up saving a parlourmaid who works there. The traumatized young woman won't say what has happened.

Others in attendance are a Major who mistreats his wife, two young men, a woman trying to match up her athletic daughter with one of the men, a woman who is a romance writer, a poet, and two old women. There are a number of servants and employees, as well as an eccentric old guy named Dingo Harry, who likes to travel freely on others' properties, including the massive caves underneath.

Suspicious things continue to occur: Phryne, riding a horse on a path her host usually took, getting thrown when the horse runs into a trip wire; warning letters to the host; small urns being left in the some of the guests' rooms; and then a servant strangled to death (but the body removed before anyone but Phryne had seen it). What is going on? Phryne teams up with Lin Chung this time, with the added intrigue of the house being cut off by floodwaters, and a large group trip into the nearby caves.

Murder in Williamstown and The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions

Murder in Williamstown by Kerry Greenwood (2022) 260 pages, and

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood (2021) 252 pages

For those who don't know the character Phryne Fisher, she's a single, wealthy woman in Melbourne, Australia who is very proper, yet extraordinarily ready to break customs. She's also a private detective, with a unique relationship with Jack Robinson, a chief investigator of the police. The stories take place in the late 1920s.

In Murder in Williamstown, multiple mysteries occur. One involves Phryne's Chinese lover, Lin Chung, and includes his wife's sister, who has gone missing. Another involves financial shenanigans at a school for the blind, and one involves threatening letters that have arrived in Phryne's mailbox. Phryne works with Jack Robinson to figure out the first case, and Phryne's three adopted children are instrumental in solving the second two of the mysteries. Phyrne's employee Dot helps out, too, although sometimes reluctantly.

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions is a collection of 17 short stories. This format works well; as author Kerry Greenwood indicates in her forward, it gives her a chance to try out new characters. Greenwood's forward also gets into the origin of Phryne's character. She characterizes Phryne as a James Bond type character "with better clothes and fewer gadgets." My own opinion is that the Phryne Fisher mysteries are just plain fun reading, even for those of us who may be more like Dot than like Phryne.

Shrines of Gaiety

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, 394 pages

It's 1926 and notorious nightclub queen Nellie Coker has just been released from prison. Her brood of adult children has managed her collection of nightclubs in her absence, though only her daughter Edith seems to have any real skill or interest in the family business — eldest son Niven is too busy being aloof, youngest son Ramsey is determined write a great novel between bouts of gambling and dope, daughters Shirley and Betty just don't seem to care, and Kitty, the baby of the family, is too young and, well, annoying. The situation makes Nellie's empire a prime target for takeover from her enemies, who include a mysterious mobster and a crooked cop. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector John Frobisher and erstwhile librarian Gwendolen have teamed up to both spy on Nellie and track down a pair of runaway girls.

The catalog description of this book uses the word "Dickensian," and I think that's apt for this bit of historical fiction. The book is light on plot, but rich with detailed observations, three-dimensional characters, and plots that are just believable enough. Atkinson is one of my favorite authors, and while this isn't my favorite of hers, it's still excellent. (Also, let's go ahead and judge this book by its gorgeous cover.)

The Monsters We Defy

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope, 392 pages.

Clara Johnson has seen ghost, spirits, and Enigmas her whole life. Enigmas are powerful spirits that can grant a wish (called a Charm), but in return inflict a curse (known as a Trick). Due to her own deal, Clara is magically bound to broker these deals for anyone who comes to her for help. This trick ways heavy on her, as all tricks do, because almost nobody ever comes out of these deals better off. So when the Empress, the Enigma who holds Clara's debt, offers to cancel their deal if she steals a ring for her, she feels she can't help but accept. And soon she's got a whole team of people with Enigma debts of their own working under the same deal, but the whole job is tied to something much bigger and darker than any of them knows. 

This is a supernatural heist book set in the black communities of Washington DC in the 1920s, and it's extremely cool. It manages to keep the flavor of classic heist media, while expanding the scope of what is possible with a cast of really cool characters. It in fact kept the flavor so much, that at times it felt like it would really like to be a movie. The author did a whole lot of research, so it felt sort of transportive to a place I didn't know that much about. This is a really neat book, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of heists and black historical fiction.
 

The Ballad of Black Tom

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, 151 pages

Tommy Tester is a young Black man attempting to make a living on the streets of New York in the 1920s. Though he carries a guitar case everywhere he goes, his main job is tracking down obscure items for anyone whose willing to pay him for the work. Until he meets Robert Suydam, a rich gentleman who hires Tommy to play the guitar at a gathering of the diverse residents of Red Hook, Brooklyn. It turns out, however, that Suydam has nebulous plans to use these people to appease the "sleeping king" and gain supernatural power.

LaValle based this novella on the 1927 H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Horror at Red Hook," which has been called Lovecraft's "most racist" story (which is really saying something). But where Lovecraft made the undocumented immigrants and Black residents of Red Hook into a monolithic "other," LaValle gave them character and variation and brought them to life. Neither the short story nor the novella make a whole lot of sense (particularly in the second half), but it's easy to see how LaValle's story reckons with Lovecraft's racism and the way that being treated like a monster is what makes someone a monster. It made for an illuminating Orcs & Aliens discussion last night.

Scandal in Babylon

Scandal in Babylon by Barbara Hambly, 233 pages

After six months serving as an assistant to movie star Kitty Flint, Oxford-educated Emma Blackstone is yearning for a return to the classic education she loves. However, when Kitty's long-estranged husband turns up dead in her dressing room, Emma is instead thrown into an investigation to clear her kind employer's name and see who in this glamorous world could want to frame Kitty.

This book is certainly chock full of 1920s Hollywood, from the ghastly makeup and the even-more-ghastly attempts at "historical accuracy" to bootleggers and the corrupt studio system. It's an OK mystery, and Emma's obsession with Latin gets a bit tedious at times, but if you're a fan of Hollywood before the talkies, this is the mystery for you.

Murder at Wedgefield Manor

Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer, 282 pages

Jane Wunderly is spending a lovely holiday with her Aunt Millie at Millie's friend's English estate when the baron's mechanic dies in a car accident. Or was it? Turns out that the brake lines were cut with a knife bearing the baron's monogram. So was the baron trying to murder the mechanic, is someone trying to frame the baron, or there something else going on entirely? Luckily, Jane's friend and inspector, Redvers, happens to stop by just in time to help Jane investigate, since the local police aren't too thrilled with Jane's poking around.

This was a delightful throwback to golden age British mysteries, but with a few modern twists on race and sexuality. As the second Jane Wunderly mystery, it certainly helps to have read the first one (Murder at the Mena House) for a bit of background on Jane, Millie, Redvers, and Jane's cousin Lillian, but it's definitely not required. Pick this up for an enjoyable afternoon of reading.

The Chosen and the Beautiful

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, 262 pages

I don't remember a lot about The Great Gatsby from when I read it in high school 20-odd years ago — mainly an overall jazz age feel with lots of symbolism about eyes and green lights. I don't remember particularly loving it or hating it, though I do remember rolling my eyes about the obsession over Jay Gatsby and Daisy [insert last name here]. 

With her debut novel, Vo reimagines the Fitzgerald classic with an Asian female fantasy twist: the narrator here isn't Daisy's Midwestern cousin Nick Carraway, it's Vietnamese adoptee and socialite Jordan Baker, a friend of Daisy's with a talent for paper-based magic. And Gatsby himself is alluring as always, but this time his appeal is explained by the fact that he sold his soul and his magical parties serve as a portal for other souls to be claimed by demons.

It's an excellent update to the story, and I enjoyed reading it, even if I can't remember the source material too well.

Gods of Jade and Shadow

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 338 pages

Well, Regan kind of said it all in her post, so instead of repeating her description, I'll just link to her post here. I will say that I really loved getting to know Mayan folklore and I particularly enjoyed the way Moreno-Garcia wove together the real-life Jazz Age Mexico and the fantastical Mayan underworld. The Orcs & Aliens also seemed to love this one (except Casiopea's obnoxious and entitled cousin), and I'd highly recommend this to fans of fantasy and mythology.

Wild Women and the Blues

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bruce, 377 pages

In 1925, chorus girl Honoree Dalcour is ready to move on up from dancing at the neighborhood speakeasy to performing at the Dreamland Cafe, the hottest black-and-tan club on Chicago's Stroll, where she has the opportunity to meet some of the most influential Black voices of the era, including Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. Ninety years later, film student Sawyer Hayes is finishing his thesis on Micheaux when he ends up at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree, hoping that she can tell him a bit more about her experiences. But what she slowly reveals over the course of many interviews is not at all what Sawyer was expecting.

It's hard to believe that this well-researched, tightly-woven tale of gangsters, chorus girls, gambling, and ambition is a debut novel. While I have a few quibbles (the historical part is MUCH more compelling than the modern stuff), overall it's fantastic. I can't wait to see what Bruce brings us in the future.