Dread Nation

 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, 455 pages.

A monster book for October! In this alternate history novel the civil war took a different turn when the dead started to rise at Gettysburg, and a truce was promptly called to fight the zombies instead of each other. Now, about fifteen years later, the shamblers have largely become a (still very dangerous) part of life. And thanks to the Native and Negro Reeducation Act people from those two groups are now taken away from home as teenagers to learn to fight the zombies, which is societally viewed as good for both them and the country.

Jane McKeene attends Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, an elite school that specializes in training attendants, which are somewhere between lady's maids and bodyguards. However, when she starts snooping she quickly finds that things aren't what they seem in Baltimore, and are even worse elsewhere.

This was a really interesting premise. I really enjoyed how much Ireland explored how the world is both different and the same. For example, Mark Twain still exists, and still wrote Tom Sawyer, but now Tom is constantly running into problems with shamblers. Overall, this book has good attention to detail and some pretty engaging character, and the premise itself is pretty interesting. There's a plot twist or two that feels a little contrived for drama, but overall I am still excited to read the sequel!

Can I recycle this?

 

Can I recycle this? / Jennie Romer, 259 pgs.

A useful guide to recycling and the issues surrounding mostly plastics.  This book is well organized and the illustrations and color coding on the pages help you navigate.  Unfortunately, recycling is complicated and even those of us with the best intentions may be getting some things wrong. Technology used in recycling is imperfect which leads to many smaller items missing the trip to the recycler. Some materials are not recycled because the economics just don't work. Packaging that is made up of different layers often can't be recycled because it is difficult to separate those layers. Romer writes for the beginner but looks at the issues from many perspectives.  In the end, the best thing for the earth would be for more of us to focus on the REDUCE part of the equation. Also, being aware of what your choices mean for the earth might make it easier to choose differently. 

The Silenced Women

The Silenced Women by Frederick Weisel, 390 pages

Santa Rosa, California, is a growing city that still has a small town feel — which is why it's so shocking when a young woman is found strangled to death in a popular park, just two years after two other young women were found in similar circumstances in the same park. Detective Eddie Mahler and his team in SRPD's Violent Crime Investigations department think the three murders are connected, and Mahler is convinced he knows who did it. Mahler's employees, however, aren't quite as sure, and using their various methodology, they're determined to get the right guy.

This is the very definition of a police procedural, as it felt like I was reading an episode of Criminal Minds, complete with the jaded leader who's haunted by "the one who got away," the unsure new blonde detective from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, the guy who remembers everything about every crime they've ever investigated, and the snacking computer genius. The only thing missing was Shemar Moore, and man, what a guy to skip over! Seriously though, there wasn't anything particularly *wrong* with this book, there just wasn't much that made it stand out for me either. So read it if you're a fan of Criminal Minds or any of the Law & Order shows, I guess.

The Witness for the Dead

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison, 232 pages

Set in the same world as the lovely Goblin Emperor (really, you should read it — it's very hopeful and good), this short novel follows the devout Thara Celehar in his calling as a Witness for the Dead. What does that mean? Well, it means that Celehar has the ability to get mental impressions from the recently deceased, helping solve problems regarding everything from contested wills to murders (both of which are covered in this book), as well as tracking down the occasional ghoul. This book skirts the line between high fantasy and mystery, and like the Goblin Emperor, is wonderfully realized. While Celehar is a minor character the Goblin Emperor, it would certainly help to read that book before you pick this one up.

The Summer Seekers

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan, 378 pages

For years, 40-year-old Liza has put family first, doing everything she can to be ever-present in the lives of her husband and daughters, worrying constantly about their needs and those of her 80-year-old mother, Kathleen. Kathleen, however, wants Liza to lay off the nagging and let her live on her own. When a prowler surprises Kathleen one evening, Liza takes it as a sign that assisted living is a necessity for Kathleen; unsurprisingly, Kathleen disagrees, arguing that it's high time for her dream road trip on Route 66. Unmoved by Liza's protestations that the road trip is dangerous and problematic — Kathleen doesn't drive, after all — Kathleen hires 25-year-old Martha to escort her across the U.S. in a convertible. Naturally, adventures ensue.

Oh, this was such a fun book! The relationships between Liza and Kathleen, and between Kathleen and Martha are so real and believable, despite some questionable plot points (particularly when Kathleen convinces Martha to pick up a hitchhiker in Oklahoma). I absolutely loved this story, and I would have happily read more about this trio of strong yet flawed women. Highly recommended.

The Lincoln Highway

 

The Lincoln Highway / Amor Towles, read by a cast, 576 pgs.

Another strong contender by Towles to go along with "A Gentleman in Moscow" and "The Rules of Civility."  This book focuses on brothers Emmett and Billy Watson who have lost both parents and their home.  Emmett  is just back from the the work farm where he served time for involuntary manslaughter. His goals now are to make it back to his home town, pick Billy up and set out to a fresh start in some other state.  Unexpectedly, his acquaintances Duchess and Wooly from the work farm show up and derail his plans.  An epic cross country trip ensues.  There are a couple of characters that don't really fit into this story but the writing is great and the philosophical musings are meaningful.  Interesting and satisfying.

The Next to Die

 

The Next to Die by Sophie Hannah (2019) 399 pages

This murder mystery has a lot to offer: A serial killer in Great Britain has killed 3 women and 1 man, two pairs of best friends. The killer has thus been dubbed "Billy Dead Mates" by the police. Kim Tribbeck is a stand-up comedian who is apparently another target of the killer, based on a homemade booklet left with the intended victims before their murder, but Kim is having trouble understanding why, since she doesn't have a best friend. She is still dealing with the fallout of having been adopted out as a newborn, against the will of her mother, who was a teenager at the time.

The team of investigators are from different police stations in the vicinity. Their idiosyncrasies are on full display as they spar with each other while coming up with ideas on how to narrow their search for the killer. Detective Constable Simon Waterhouse seems to be the investigator with the best track record for solving crimes, but he's got his own weird habits, as his wife Charlie, another one of the investigators, can attest to. Meanwhile, a journalist, Sondra Halliday, is cranking out columns criticizing the police for their delay in finding the killer, insisting all men are misogynists.

There's a large cast of characters to keep track of, but it's well worth the effort.

Plain Bad Heroines

 Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, 640 pages.

Stories nest within stories in this extremely creepy gothic horror novel. First is the Story of Mary MacLean, a (real) memoir written by Mary MacLean in 1902 that's frank emotions, controversial voice, and queer themes caused a sensation. This book is read by the (fictional) girls Flo and Clara at Brookhants School for Girls in the same year and is so inspiring to them that they form the "plain bad heroines society" as a tribute to their beloved author. When they are found stung to death by yellowjackets an open copy of the book is found nearby. This is only the first of several strange and horrible deaths and occurrences at the school in the following 2 years.

 In the modern day the story of these girls, as well as the queer and feminist history of the school itself, is introduced to the wider world in Merritt Emmons' The Happenings at Brookhants. A book that has recently been picked up as a horror movie staring former child star and second generation scream queen Audrey Wells and "celesbien" Harper Harper, Hollywood's new darling. But when filming starts at Brookhants school strange and terrifying things start to happen, and it's not clear to anyone what is created for the movie and what is the place itself.

This book is extremely spooky. It really nails the atmosphere, the pacing is solid, and I don't think I've read a book recently that uses motifs to such great effect. There are real questions throughout about what is real and what isn't, especially in the modern day, but also throughout. I thought that was especially interesting when it extended an amount of this uncertainty to you, the reader. I realized after I finished the book that Mary MacLean was a real person who wrote a real book you can read online (it's here on Project Gutenberg if anyone is interested), which is just enough to make me wonder how much more of this book is rooted in real history. Unfortunately, Danforth didn't quite manage to nail the landing. By the end of the book it is clear that there are definitely some baleful supernatural events, what is less clear is who is responsible or why they are happening. And it feels very strange and unsatisfying to have these things undefined even after what was functionally a villain monologue. Reading this book is a great experience, even if it has a couple of glaring flaws as a book.

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.

Flowers for the Sea

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn, 107 pages

Iraxi is one of several refugees on a ship that left a flooded land in hopes of finding somewhere safer. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened and resources are dwindling. Already an outcast among her fellows, Iraxi's pregnancy is just one more thing that separates her — she gets special treatment and more food because of the baby, you see. However, Iraxi doesn't want the baby and fears that it may not be human.

This is a short book and a quick read, but it's also horrifying and visceral. I felt like there was a lot of potential here that didn't quite get fully fleshed out in the barely 100 pages — this would have benefitted from more pages and more details, regarding both the plot of the book and Iraxi's backstory.

Gutter Mage

Gutter Mage by J.S. Kelley, 321 pages

For the past 15 years, whiskey-swilling foulmouthed "arcanist" Roz has been on the outs with the mage community, though she still has the knowledge she learned before being ousted from the academy. Oh, and she can hold fire in the palms of her hands, which none of those mages can do. Because of these "skills" Roz and her pal, Lysander, have made a sometimes-legal career for themselves, solving magical problems and tracking down ne'er-do-well mages. When a local lord hires them to recover his kidnapped heir, Roz and Lys realize that this legitimate job may be enough to let them retire from their rough life. But nothing is quite what it seems, and Roz's late mentor seems to have returned from the dead, making the affair much more dangerous.

I love a rude, boozy protagonist, particularly one with magical abilities that she's not afraid to use. Roz's adventures are non-stop, and SO MUCH FUN. And while that's a good enough reason to pick up this book, it's also a richly created world that's ripe for more investigation, so I *really* hope Kelley is planning on writing more books about Roz.

The Midnight Library

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020) 288 pages

Nora has made a number of decisions in her life that have led her to feeling miserable. By halting her competitive swimming, she disappointed her father who dreamed for her to be in the Olympics. By quitting the band she was in with her brother– just as they were getting very popular–she disgusted her brother. She decided not to marry her fiancé at the last minute. The list goes on. 

Feeling despair after she loses her job and her cat dies, she takes an overdose of medication. However, she unexpectedly finds herself at the Midnight Library, a place between life and death. In the Midnight Library, time stands still and and an infinite number of books give her the opportunity to make a different choice at various junctures in her life.

First Nora fights the idea of trying any of these other lives, but encouraged by the librarian, she eventually makes choices–one after another–to change something in her life to see how her life would have been. It's a fascinating idea, to see what other possibilities are possible if only one had taken a different path here or there. Nora wonders how she will know if any of the alternate lives is the right one for her. Her philosophy degree gets a bit of a workout.

This book has been circulating from our library almost non-stop, and I was so glad to finally get a chance to read it.

Stranger Care

 

Stranger Care: a memoir of loving what isn't ours / Sarah Sentilles, 419 pgs.

After deciding not to have their own biological children, the author and her husband decide to try to adopt through the foster care system.  When they get the perfect baby, they realize how difficult it is to root against the babies mother, a woman who they get to know as they arrange for visits, etc.  In fact, this pulls back the curtain on the whole system which is rife with problems now and certainly historically.  Reunification is the goal of the system...kids living with their parents. There are a lot of moving parts, social workers that are totally burned out, lawyers, judges, and, of course the families - kids, parents, foster parents.  It is hard to fathom how it all works...oh wait, this book gives you a look...it doesn't work all that well.  Heartbreaking and beautiful, Sentilles is a master. 

Revelator

Revelator by Daryl Gregory, 333 pages

It's 1948, and the best moonshiner in the Smoky Mountains is Stella Wallace. Though she was born in Chicago, she came to live with her stern grandmother on the family farm, living a rough and fairly simple life before learning the moonshine business from her grandma Motty's handyman. But there's more to Stella's story than that. She comes from a long line of women who have been chosen to commune with the God of the Mountain, a mysterious creature upon which Stella's family has created their own religion. Now, however, Motty has died and yet another daughter of the clan has been chosen to commune with the God, and while she's broken away from the family for the most part, Stella is determined to stop young Sunny from experiencing the same horrors she did as a child.

Told in alternating chapters between Stella's childhood and adult life, this is a slow burn horror novel that pairs the fear of the supernatural with the all-too-real horror of men manipulating women (girls, really) in the name of power and religion. This is the first horror novel I've read by Gregory — I've previously enjoyed his fantasy-tinged dysfunctional family novel Spoonbenders and the boy band sci-fi novella The Album of Dr. Moreau — and this has solidified my opinion that there's nothing this man can't write. So good and so creepy!

A Spindle Splintered

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow, 119 pages

Zinnia has lived her entire life waiting for her looming premature death. Born with a degenerative disease caused by environmental toxins, she's known that her time is limited. On her 21st birthday, a Sleeping Beauty-themed party goes a bit askew, vaulting Zinnia into another world, with another young woman with a curse hanging over her head. Now she has to help this princess escape her fate while trying to get home.

This is described in the book and elsewhere as "Sleeping Beauty gets Spider-versed" and that's completely accurate. What that doesn't cover, however, is how fun and funny this girl-powered story is. I absolutely loved it and I'm definitely going to be recommending the heck out of this. 

Well Played

 Well Played by Jen DeLuca, 323 pages.

When Stacey's friends get engaged it makes it horribly clear to her just how small she's allowed her small town life to get. Her life is pretty much just hanging out in her "apartment" above her parents' garage, working as a receptionist for a dentist, and volunteering at the local renaissance faire for a month a year (that part is her favorite). So naturally she drunk messages her summer hook-up talking about how much she wants to actually get to know him as a person. The more surprising thing is that he messages her back. Even more surprising then that, the usually emotionally shut-off and monosyllabic Dex is writing long, emotionally honest messages that don't sound like him at all. Yet Stacey finds herself falling for the man behind the screen.

So this is a really interesting book, because the "twist" is obvious from the front cover. The person she's messaging is not Dex, but his cousin Daniel, as described in chapter one. However, all of the things that make this extremely obvious to the reader are not things Stacey could know (like the cover art). Which puts the reader in an interesting scenario of knowing exactly what's going on while also not being extremely frustrated by a protagonist to stupid to pick up on the world around them (which I've seen in similar stories).

I picked up this book because I was really missing performing in the renaissance faire for the last couple of years (on account of plague), and I'm so happy I did. It's obvious from the first chapter (even before I checked her bio) that this is a world that the author has been a part of. Outside of all of that, this is a stupid cute story with extremely low stakes. By the end it reminds me a little of the movie "10 Things I Hate About You," which can only be a compliment. 

Fun Fact: This is technically book two in a series, but that's not obvious anywhere, so don't worry about starting here. (I did)

The Tea Dragon Festival

 The Tea Dragon Festival by Kay O'Neill, 136 pages.

This graphic novel, set a long but indeterminate amount of time before The Tea Dragon Society, has the same extremely warm and soft atmosphere as the first book. The story is set in a small alpine village where tea dragons roam free and are raised communally. Dragon Aedhan was supposed to protect this village, but was magically put to sleep for nearly 100 years, and is now very sad about all he missed. Most of the story is centered on making him feel like he belongs in the village, and with protagonist Rinn learning to embrace their talents for all the good they can do for the people they love.

Another extremely wholesome entry into this series, I look forward to reading the next one! Also, because I can't talk about it enough, the art is so pretty, and I love all of the character designs.

Fun Fact: There's also a card game based on these books.

Axiom's End

 Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis, 374 pages.

Kara has actually written about this one a couple of times, but you can check out her first review here. I read this one for the Orcs & Aliens book club and I'm sorry to say I struggled with it a bit. I'm definitely more of a fantasy reader than a sci-fi reader, and I found myself very confused through most of the middle third or so of this book. 

Still, there were definitely some interesting things going on, and I'm curious about the alien society that we get glimpses of throughout this book. (I suspect that the fact that I read a first contact story that I loved earlier this year may also be making it a bit hard not to compare this book to that, which probably isn't entirely fair).
 

Axiom's End

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis, 374 pages

I first read and blogged about this last year, and while I still think that this book provides all the right punches when it comes to action, and aliens, and the non-human perspective, re-reading it for Orcs & Aliens brought out more of Ellis's nuances regarding the alien-human relationship at the center of the book. I'm intrigued to see what happens in the sequel, which comes out today.

We Are Satellites

We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker, 381 pages

In the not-too-distant future, a new technology is available to help people better multitask. It's called a Pilot, and it requires brain surgery to get the glowing piece of equipment working. When teenager David asks his moms for one, he's pretty sure it will help him get a leg up in school, where he's quickly falling behind to his Piloted peers. While one mother is game, the other is a bit of a luddite, particularly when it comes to anything brain-related, as David's younger sister Sophie has epilepsy and is ineligible for Pilots because of her condition. The novel follows the family over the course of several years, exploring the way that this ubiquitous technology changes their individual lives, their relationships to one another, and society at large.

This is a fascinating examination of the ways that technology impacts our lives and our perception of privacy, as well as a multitude of flaws in the health care system. I was absolutely captivated by this story, which, yes, is firmly science fiction, but is also so accessible and intriguing to a non-SF reader. Highly recommended.

A Lot Like Adios

A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria, 402 pages

After building a successful personal training gym in L.A., Gabe is preparing to open a new gym in New York City, though he's a bit hesitant to return to his hometown after an awkward split from his family years earlier. Complicating matters is the fact that Gabe's business partner has hired a NYC-based marketing guru named Michelle to handle branding and marketing the new gym...and it just so happens that she's the former best friend and longtime crush that Gabe left behind when he went to California. Can Gabe and Michelle manage their past and mend bridges with Gabe's family while still getting the new gym off the ground?

There's something satisfying about a second-chance romance, and this one certainly fits the bill. It's steamy and sexy, but also very real and funny, and I love the representation of Latinx culture. Daria keeps knocking it out of the park, and I LOVE IT!

An Atlas of Extinct Countries

 An Atlas of Extinct Countries by Gideon Defoe, 304 pages. 

This book carries descriptions of 48 "nations" that at one point existed and now do not. Nations is in scare quotes here because while some (like Yugoslavia) were definitely real countries, others weren't in any meaningful way (such as the Great Republic of Rough & Ready or the probably fictional Libertalia). To be honest the vast majority of the the countries described in this book weren't really countries to start with, and most existed for less than five years. All of which comes together into a book that isn't quite what I was expecting. 

This book reminds me quite a bit of Jason Porath's Rejected Princesses (which I wrote about here), but Dofoe wasn't quite as good at staying on topic, and there were many footnotes that had very little to do with the countries in question (including one that was just an entire recipe for beef jerky). There's definitely some fun trivia to be had here, but it isn't quite the informative historical book I had been hoping for.

Coraline

 Coraline by Neil Gaiman, 162 pages.

Coraline (though I suspect most people are familiar with the plot) is about a little girl who goes through a door in her house that should lead to a brick wall and instead leads to another world, where everything is exactly as she thinks it should be. This other world comes complete with an other mother and other father, who want Coraline to stay there forever with them and be loved. When Coraline discovers that this other world is more of a nightmare than a dream she must be very clever to escape back to her own world and save her parents.

I saw this movie many years ago and have never quite been able to remember if I had read the book before or not, but the beginning of October seemed like a great time to read it and see. It turns out I had not read it before and it is exactly as terrifying as people say. Neil Gaiman, as always, does good work, and I'm happy I finally got around to this one. 

The Dark Tide

 The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska, 336 pages.

Caldella is a magical island ruled by a witch queen. The island is sinking, and has been since it's founding hundreds of years ago. The only thing keeping the city afloat is the witch queen's sacrifice. Each year on St. Walpurga's eve she takes a boy from the celebrations, and on the next full moon she drowns him to save the city. Except for two years ago, when the queen sacrificed herself instead. 

Lina is convinced her handsome brother is going to be taken this year, despite all her efforts to stop him from going to the revel. When he goes anyway she goes in to save him, along with Thomas Lin, the boy she's had a crush on for years. Also the boy the witch queen sacrificed herself for two years ago. When Thomas is taken by the new witch queen (Eva, the younger sister of the last queen), Lina takes his place. But she didn't expect to develop feelings for the queen who allegedly threw her own heart into the sea. Even less did she expect those feelings to be reciprocated.

There are places in this book where it is very obvious that this was a debut novel. There are some rough edges and several points that require a pretty sizable scoop of suspension of disbelief. However, it more than makes up for it with a stunning sense of atmosphere. The whole book feels like a fairy tale, intensely magical and more than a little creepy. It borrows heavily from the ballad Tam Lin, but I don't know that I would go so far as to call it a retelling. It takes just enough to reinforce the classic fairy tale atmosphere, and there are plenty of times it almost feels like a dream. Definitely a thoroughly enjoyable book.

A History of What Comes Next

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel, 302 pages

For thousands of years, a family of women has been gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) nudging scientific advancement forward. They're now on the 99th generation, and in the waning days of World War II, are creeping up on their goal of "sending them to the stars," though who exactly "them" refers to is unclear. Unfortunately, there's a similar competing family of men that has been chasing, and attempting to wipe out, the generations of women for as long as they can remember, and these trackers are getting closer to their goal too.

This is an intriguing take on the post-WWII scientific advances, particularly the Space Race and competing missile innovations of the U.S., Germany, and U.S.S.R. I'm not entirely sure what I think of the clone/spy-vs-spy feel of the not-quite-human men and women, but it's certainly interesting.

Thirty-One Bones

Thirty-One Bones by Morgan Cry, 297 pages

After expat bar owner Effie Coulston dies mid-con, her estranged daughter Daniella travels to her late mother's Spanish seaside town for what she assumes will be a short trip to tend to the funeral and sort out Effie's affairs. But when both her mother's "legal consultant" friend and the local crime kingpin start badgering her about some missing money — more than 3 million euros that they're sure Effie squirreled away somewhere — Daniella finds herself desperately searching for the cash in the face of some fairly short and horrific deadlines.

Daniella is a smart cookie who doesn't take crap from anyone, which means she's the perfect person to take on Effie's various "friends." I loved the odd characters and quirky community they created for themselves, and I'd love to see more of Daniella's adventures in the future. This was a lot of fun.

September totals AND new wild cards!!!

Christa  12/2878

Jan  4/1152

Kara  8/2969

Kathleen  1/270

Linda  1/478

Regan  5/1391

Total: 31/9138

Hey, September means a new blogging year and new wild card categories! This year, we'll be getting extra points for:

• Books featuring train rides
• Authors with their middle initial on the cover
• Bloggers who have NEVER BLOGGED BEFORE

Check out the wild card page for more details on those, glance over your September titles to let me know if there were any train-inclusive books I missed in my counting (psst! I guarantee I missed a bunch), and start leaning on your coworkers to start blogging!

The Man Who Died Twice

 

The man who died twice / Richard Osman, 355 pages

The Thursday Murder Club is at it again.  Who are they you ask?  They are the hottest group of septuagenarians who are out to right wrongs, solve murders and mete out some justice of their own.  All while making sure to squeeze in a nap or two.  I'm not even sure I need to give you a summary of what happens here, all you need to know is that you should introduce yourself to this supergroup because they have a thing or two to teach you.

My Alcoholic Escape from Reality

 

My Alcoholic Escape from Reality / Nagata Kabi, 133 pgs.

Kabi is a bestselling author and illustrator of two other manga memoirs.  Here she tells of her scary brush with pancreatitis and the hospital stay it precipitated.  How drinking became something she did to cope with her day, her work, her loneliness and how difficult it was to stay on the wagon.  In fact, despite a long hospital stay that involved a LOT of pain, she went back to drinking against the advice of her doctor, albeit at much smaller quantities.  A fair amount of this book is disturbing but probably relatable for a lot of people.

Light From Uncommon Stars

 Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, 384 pages.

"Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in this defiantly joyful adventure set in California's San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts." With a pitch like that I naturally had to read this book as soon as I could get my hands on it. Shizuka Satomi is in a long-term contract with hell. She has seven times seven years to deliver the souls of seven musicians to hell, or her own soul is forfeit. It's been 48 years and she has delivered the souls of six of her students, but she's looking for something special in the final student. She finds that something special in Katrina Nguyen, transgender runaway and gifted violinist. From there the story is mostly about Shizuka helping Katrina to heal from the abuse she's faced and discover her voice in her music (and courting retired starship captain and donut entrepreneur Lan Tran).

I love books that really commit to being both sci-fi and fantasy, but what most impressed me about this book (forgiving the totally intention pun) is it's soul. Despite the frank portrayals of terrible things (there is plenty of transphobia in particular that Katrina goes through), this book somehow feels remarkably kind. It's appropriate that TJ Klune wrote the blurb on the front of this book, because the tone of it reminds me of nothing so much as his The House in the Cerulean Sea. I would say that, most centrally, this is a book centered on the many ways that people connect with each other to make life worth living. I didn't expect a book about a woman very appropriately called "the queen of hell" to be so kind, or to feel so safe, and yet I came away from this book feeling very warm. Five stars, I definitely recommend it.

No Gods, No Monsters

 No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull, 387 pages.

Kara reviewed this book last month, and you can see her thoughts here!

I was very excited for this book. I'm a big fan of urban fantasy and also a big fan of mysterious old gods, and in addition to all of that it sounded like Cadwell Turnbull was going to use these themes to explore some much bigger concepts, which sounded super interesting to me! Unfortunately this book didn't quite land for me, maybe because my understanding of the plot from the blurb was pretty significantly different from how the book actually went. For example, very few gods, and even fewer gods that have any relevance at all to the story.

I couldn't shake the feeling for most of this novel that the narrative was just missing the most interesting parts of the story. There are a whole lot of perspective changes in this book, but it still always felt like the most interesting things were happening at the periphery. Although, on that note, the perspective of this novel was extremely interesting. I was nearly halfway through the book before I figured out what was going on with the perspective, but once I did it definitely changed my experience.

Overall this book has a lot of very interesting concepts, but it is not very concerned with making sure the reader understands what is going on or giving information in a timely manner. It had a whole lot of promise, but it didn't quite come together for me. That being said, I am still interested enough to read the next one, and I do still think this novel is definitely worth the time.

Red Widow

 

Red Widow by Alma Katsu (2021)  342 pages

Lyndsey Duncan, a CIA agent, is on forced leave from her latest post in Lebanon for a relationship she had with a British agent. When she gets a call instructing her to come to CIA headquarters, she is surprised that her boss wants her to lead an investigation: A Russian agent she had handled some years earlier in her career has been killed and two other Russian spies are missing. Her boss suspects a CIA operative is giving information to the Russians which blew their covers, and he wants her to find the mole.

Meanwhile, another CIA employee, Theresa Warner, still mourning the loss of her husband two years ago when he attempted to extricate an agent from Russia, makes a startling discovery.

Katsu, the author, worked as a senior intelligence agent in various agencies for 35 years, and as Lyndsey works her way through the investigation, it feels authentic. Much time is spent in front of CIA computers, but Lyndsey also collaborates with various experts. One of her talents is being able to read people for lies, an important skill in the business.

Really good book!