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. 

How to Solve Your Own Murder

 

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (2024) 358 pages

Annie Adams has a great aunt Frances whom she has never met, but the aunt is helping support her and her mother in a house in Chelsea that she owns, while the aunt lives on her large estate in the English village of Castle Knoll. When Annie is summoned to Frances' home for a meeting, along with Frances' attorney and her late husband's nephew Saxon, no one expects to find Frances dead. She has a sizable estate and her will stipulates that it will all go to either Annie or Saxon if either of them can solves Frances' murder within a week. If that does not happen, the estate will be sold off and the proceeds given to the government. The job of selling the property goes to the attorney's grandson Oliver, who will presumably reap commissions from the sales. If the village detective solves the murder first, the estate still goes to the government.

Yes, Frances was so sure that she would be murdered that this information was in her will. And the evidence shows that she was indeed murdered—by an megadose injection of iron. When she was a teen, Frances had been told by a fortune teller that she would be murdered, and Frances was a believer. She kept a room in her house filled with information about everyone she came into contact with who might possibly become her murderer. There was even one of those murder boards that are seen in police shows, with photos and strings.

The race is on, to see if one of the possible heirs can solve the murder in time. The story dips back into Frances' younger life, via her diary, which Annie found. The diary was immensely helpful in following Frances' thoughts. There are lots of characters to consider, and some surprises, as well as danger. Recommended.

Star Shipped

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian, 384 pages

For seven years, straitlaced Simon has been one of the leads on a popular science fiction TV show, opposite Charlie, a handsome and chaotic former reality star. After the season ends, Simon's planning on leaving for a serious acting job on Broadway, though he hasn't shared that info with anyone. However, given his standoffishness, Simon's concerned that it will look like he's leaving because he was difficult to work with, so when Charlie offers to help his image with some chummy social media posts, Simon reluctantly says yes. Despite Charlie being everything Simon detests.

This enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance is classic Cat Sebastian, in that it's fantastic, with fully realized characters and a thoughtful consideration of emotional and psychological baggage. Really, my only complaints with this book are that the excuse for the road trip seems a bit flimsy, and the cover makes this look like it takes place in the 1960s (which it most certainly does not). Otherwise, it's fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

Red Memory

Red Memory by Tania Branigan (2023) 283 pages

A stylized history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution as recounted by Guardian newspaper journalist Tania Branigan. This is a harrowing read based on historical facts and the collective and individual traumas of the approximately ten-year reign of terror known as the Cultural Revolution. This is not a retelling of the period, but a series of vignettes exploring the wide variety of horrors inflicted during this time. Branigan attempts to interview a wide swath of participants and victims with mixed results. Obfuscation, lies, mis-remembered incidents and fear of the authorities litter the pages. In addition, the revolving nature of the bureaucratic state frustrates the author. However, in the process she outlines the changing definitions of the Cultural Revolution, the preceding era and the aftermath, i.e., the most recent regime. The horrid nature of the crimes during the Cultural Revolution is astounding – and the attempt to clarify the chaos is an admirable, albeit nearly impossible task.