This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, 480 pages

Maggie has woken up naked, cold, and dirty in an alley, which she quickly learns is Kair Toren, the central city of her favorite book series. Then she promptly dies. Next thing she knows, she's waking up again in the same state as before, only this time, she's determined to survive. While it takes a few more life reboots to achieve her goal, she's soon ensconced among the dangerous and elite of Kair Toren, positioning herself as a seer by using her knowledge of the series. The only problem is that the series is unfinished, so there's definitely a limit to how much she can know, and if she changes things too much, well, that's pretty rough  too.

The fantasy trope of waking up in a favorite fictional world is an increasingly popular one (it's official name is "isekai," as it started as a common manga trope), and this is definitely a good example of the subgenre/trope, with the protagonist waking up in a vaguely Game of Thrones-esque world. However, as we never learn how Maggie got there or why she keeps reviving after her various deaths, it feels a bit unfinished. Similarly, the readers are told about the upcoming events only by Maggie's POV recollections of the books, so it feels like we're just along for the ride instead of becoming fully immersed in the world. I would've loved to get a bit of backstory before Maggie was deposited in Kair Toren, just to give us a glimpse of outcomes in the unaltered book-within-a-book. As it is, the plot meanders with no arc that is clear to us. That said, I'll definitely read the next book in this series, as I am curious as to where it all goes. But there are plenty of other isekai books I'd recommend first.

The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays

The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston, 416 pages

Oona the St. Berdoodle is known throughout the neighborhood, either as a loveable and smart pal or as a pesky and smart annoyance. When Oona and her current owner Zsuzsu start to investigate the death of a local celebrity, Oona's ability to travel between universes becomes a necessity to finding the killer. Unfortunately, the killer knows who Oona is, and the dog and her humans have to work fast to stay ahead of the murderer.

This is quite possibly one of the strangest and most scattered books I've read in a while. The characters are vibrant, but the plot is confusing, and a couple months after reading it, I still have no idea what I read. I may give it another go at some point, but that first go-round was a doozy.

Ode to the Half-Broken

Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer, 416 pages

Thirty years after a war that has left humans and robots on generally bad terms — most robots are afraid of humans and vice versa, so they stay away from each other as much as possible. As this book starts, an old robot who was involved in that war (but has purposely tried to remove himself from the dystopian world he helped create) has woken up with his systems rebooting and a leg missing, and there's only a chatty cyborg dog around to offer help. As he heads out to track down his leg, he soon discovers that tensions are again rising, and teams up with a human mechanic and a handful of other damaged bots to stamp out the source of the problems.

This is a lovely found-family story that, at its heart, gives us hope that the titular half-broken individuals can do powerful things when they come together. It's also a route to self-discovery and healing from the mental trauma of war, which exists no matter what role you played in the conflict. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to fans of Becky Chambers and Annalee Newitz.

Girl's Girl

 

Girl's Girl by Sonia Feldman, 241 pages

A suburban Midwest summer from the eyes of a 15 year-old girl and her two best friends. As girlhood fades away, Mina struggles with the boundaries and tensions in her friendships with Margaret and Eleanor, while also grappling with her sexuality and a complex relationship with her mother. 

This book paints a beautiful and painful picture of girlhood, reminiscent of how big every emotion can feel at 15. There is definitely a specific audience for this book, and those who grew up queer in the Midwest might find themselves in this audience, but it will not speak to every reader. 

Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor

Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, 304 pages

Richard Pryor's daughter interweaves stories about her experiences as a professor of African American History, childhood memories, and historical information from her research. After repeated attempts to address the use of a slur in her classroom, she researches its history and finds that she cannot avoid acknowledging how her father profoundly changed its use and with it, American culture.

This was excellent! I didn't know much about Richard Pryor as a person before this, but loved that you feel like you really get to know him through her stories. Of course parts were difficult to read, but Stordeur Pryor is an outstanding writer. Beyond the interesting elements of her father's celebrity and her teacher stories, this has that ability of any great memoir to lead the reader to recall what it's like to be 5 years old (or 13, or 21, etc.) I couldn't put it down, I have found myself recommending it to just about everyone. It's easily one of my favorites for this year.

If you liked school, you'll love work

If you liked school, you'll love work by Irvine Welsh (2007) 391 pages

This gritty short story collection by Scottish author Welsh is perhaps too irreverent. Best known for Trainspotting, which was adapted to a movie, Welsh is not shy describing drugs, depravity, and dinginess. Here he sets out five stories which are very different from one and other, but are consistent in their bad taste. The first four are not remarkable – a few clever twists – but they feel like he is just writing to shock. The last story, largely written in Scottish dialect, is more nuanced. The tongue-in-cheek small-town saga (offensive to delicate readers) reveals the depth Welsh has for portraying the outrageous nature of the mundane and the interplay of Scottish nationalism and class conflict.

Poison for Breakfast

 

Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket, 158 pages.

After finishing his carefully prepared breakfast, author Lemony Snicket finds a note telling him that he had poison for breakfast. What follows is an oddly leisurely investigation into his breakfast ingredients in an attempt to get to the bottom of his own murder, thinking thoughts all the while. 

This is a truly baffling book, which Snicket would take as a compliment. It is a thoughtful little book that I think is truly all-ages, which is a rarity. The ending ties the whole thing together in a way that is unexpected, and I can't say more without giving everything away. Classic Snicket, it was nice to go back to his characteristic voice as an adult. 

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley, 304 pages

Miss Marple rides again in this murder mystery set at a remote Swiss lodge, full of the rich, the famous, and the notorious. When a man boards a gondola alive, well, and alone, but arrives at the other end dead and still alone, it's obvious that he's been murdered. As a blizzard has cut off police access to the titular hotel, Miss Marple must find the killer before they strike again.

This book was written with the full support of the Agatha Christie estate, and it's exactly what it says on the tin: a new Marple mystery. Which is great for those who loved all of Christie's original books. Does it break new ground? Nope. But it's fun!

When Lemons Give You Life

When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston, 384 pages

Griff Barlow is ready to die. His husband has died, his career as a Michelin-starred chef is over, and he's stuck in a neglectful dementia care facility where the high prices do not match the lumpy goo the residents are forced to eat. Also, he does not have dementia, even though everyone thinks he does (including the sister that annoys him, but occasionally visits), so he's quickly going insane at the senior home. Death, he decides, is the only way out. But before he overdoses on the sleeping pills he's socked away, Griff is determined to eat one last lemon tart and sneaks into the kitchen to bake one. But when a fellow resident wanders into the kitchen, convinced that his long-dead mother has made the tarts he loved as a child, Griff realizes that he can maybe stick around a few more days.

During the first bit of this book, Griff is a really unlikeable character. We know he lied about having dementia, that his restaurant had a scandal, and that he doesn't like most people, not even his scatterbrained but still caring sister. But as we learn more and more about Griff's life, it becomes clear why he is the way he is, and why he is where he is. We also learn about why his sister is the way she is as they slowly work toward a better relationship. It's an excellent book that explores relationships, trauma, grief, and family in a way that is at times humorous and at others, pulling at our heartstrings. Highly recommend this one.

Seek the Traitor's Son

Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth, 432 pages

Elegy is a soldier in the rebellion against the Talusar, a powerful country that worships a Fever that kills everyone it touches...and then brings half of them back to life and blesses them with powerful gifts. However, both Elegy and her ruthless enemy are both given a prophecy that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other, and Elegy is told that a man she'll fall in love with is the linchpin to success. At the same time, Theren, a refugee from Talusar, is conscripted to be a servant to Elegy and her royal mother, a job at which he fails almost immediately, as Elegy's mom is killed and Theren kidnapped. When fate brings Theren back into service for Elegy, trust, loyalty, and potential love is all on the line as Elegy seeks victory.

This is definitely a compelling book with plenty of romance, action, and scheming, but it's honestly hard for me to say whether it's science fiction or fantasy. It's futuristic and has spaceships and space stations, but the prophecy and the Fever — especially the way it brings people back to life and gives them new powers — lean fantasy for me. But I'll definitely give the next book a read, as this one ends on a crazy cliffhanger.