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.