The Daisy Chain Flower Shop

The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore (2026) 364 pages

A florist in a small resort town is considered by her townspeople to be cursed because of bad luck in her lovelife: a broken marriage and more recently, a broken engagement. She loses the biggest money-making part of her business‒weddings‒because no one wants to have her curse ruin their marriage. (Mind you, the story is set in modern times.) This florist, Daisy, is from a line of Daisies working in this shop: her mother, her grandmother, and so on. She's afraid her buisness will not survive.

Enter Elliot, a shy man who has moved to this town to get away from New York, where he had lived with his wife until she abruptly left him. His self confidence is shot. His mother and brother are worried and constantly checking up on him, even a couple of years later. If he had a relationship with someone else, his family would not fret so much.

Daisy, who is also fearful of another bad relationship, comes up with the idea of them having a fake relationship, thinking that the townspeople might think her curse is over and that they can trust her with their weddings again. All of this lead-up feels so contrived. But. If you want a light read and can just accept the implausible, it's not a bad story, even if its outcome seems obvious.

Strange Girls

 

Strange Girls by Sarvat Hasin, 307 pages

Aliya and Ava develop a close friendship during their years at University in London, a friendship that is formed on their shared interest of creative writing. They spend every minute together, staying up late intertwined on the couch watching movies, bringing each other coffee in the morning, and planning a future as drifting writers together. From their friends and families perspectives, they are too close and are becoming increasingly codependent on each other. As things get more intense, their time at University comes to a close, and their lives take different paths. 

What I loved about this story is the narration. Each chapter switches between the past, told by Aliya, and the present told by Ava. The present chapters follow Ava in adulthood, as she is back in London for a weekend to stay with Aliya for their mutual friends bachelorette party. Aliya's chapters talk about their time at University, focusing heavily on Aliya's fascination with Ava and the mental toll this takes on her. Neither character is necessarily likable, but it is interesting that the narration twists together these two characters as the story unfolds. 

I had a few small qualms about this book, mostly because the trope of characters in literary fiction can get worn out and that is how I felt during parts of this book. It made some parts feel too predictable and scripted, although other aspects of the story made up for this. 

The Pirate Queen

 

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon, 528 pages.

Gráinne Ní Mháille (or Grace O'Malley, as she is better known to English speakers) was born in Ireland in the 16th century, coming of age right as the English crown decided to strengthen their claim to Ireland. Grace was the daughter of a powerful chief, leader of a sea-faring clan, and all her life she longed not only for the sea, but for the independence her dominance could offer her. Her political control of many of the clans of Ireland, combined with her fearless piracy, rendered her the most powerful woman in Ireland, someone bold enough to appear before Queen Elizabeth herself. 

There isn't really a way to make the story of an anti-colonial pirate queen boring, so I can grant that this book had interesting parts, but I don't believe the style it was written in does it any favors. The chapters rotate between Maiden, Mother, and Matriarch, following Grace through various stages in her life. Unfortunately, what I found this did in effect was kill any possible momentum the book was building. The structure already often felt like a series of vignettes, which makes an amount of sense when trying to cover nearly six decades of a life, but the sense of disconnect was strengthened by having long stretches of events that occurred decades before whatever exciting thing was interrupted. I had a hard time remembering what was happening when by the end, as the three timelines began to join together.

There were a few other writing choices I found minorly frustrating, such as the narration usually referring to the protagonist as Grace to appeal to the recognizable historical figure, even though every time she is called Grace by another character it is taken as an insult; the somewhat two-dimensional supporting cast; or the sort of over-saturated "girl power" tone it sometimes took. I did appreciate that Lawhon did a good job of setting the scene for 16th century Ireland. Despite how interesting the subject is, I don't know that I'll be recommending this book. 

The Grandmother Plot

The Grandmother Plot by Caroline Cooney (2021) 269 pages

Freddy lives in his grandmother's house and visits her frequently in the memory care facility where she now lives. She doesn't always call him by the correct name, but she seems to recognize him and she likes it when he pushes her in her wheelchair on walks. He's solicitous of her wellbeing. But he also smokes a lot of weed when he's not with her. He barely makes a living creating glass beads and glass bongs. To complicate everything, somehow he has gotten himself on the wrong side of a crook who has sent his muscle to find Freddy.

Meanwhile, a woman who lives in the memory center with Freddy's grandmother has died, and the police say it was murder by smothering. Freddy's sisters, who are all out of town, are after him to get Grandma out of the center, but they can't help and they don't realize that Grandma couldn't safely live in her house anymore. Freddy's in a panic about what to do about his grandma and he is also worried about a couple of his friends who were arrested after being set up. Could he be next?

Although this novel is somewhat depressing, there are enough characters who grabbed my interest, including a dog named Snap, who has a reputation for biting, and Mrs. Maple, whose aunt is in the same facility. Freddy is likeable, even as he makes questionable choices. A final thought: the author really knows people who live with dementia and what it's like inside a memory care facility.

I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness

 

I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness by Irene Solà trans. Mara Faye Lethem, 176 pages.

In a small farmhouse deep in the Guilleries mountains, an impossibly old woman is about to die. Long ago, longer than should be possible, her great grandmother made a deal with the devil, a whole man for a husband in exchange for her soul. A trick leaves Joana with her soul, but the generations who will live and die in the house are not unaffected, as everyone born in the house is born lacking something essential, and even now their spirits prepare a feast to welcome Bernadeta to their number. 

 

I picked up this strange book in Barcelona knowing very little about it, and while I'm still not quite sure what to make of it, I'm definitely glad I did. The author started as a poet, and you can definitely tell from how visceral the prose is. The book often transfers seamlessly from the past to the present, and it is often hard to tell if the character we are following is alive or dead. This makes for a slightly confusing reading experience, but definitely an interesting one. This reminded me quite a bit of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, with the strange insular family and the magical realism. This book is undeniably weird, but it packs a real punch for such a little novella, and I think it's definitely worth reading. 

 

The Slow Burn

The Slow Burn by Ali Rosen, 316 pages

After superstar chef Kit's trendy restaurant burns down and her restaurant financier boyfriend dumps her, Kit has nowhere to turn. So she takes her friend's advice and decamps to a tiny town in Italy to work for her friend's pasta-making nonna. While she's there, Kit is forced to slow down, rethink her methods in everything from communicating to cooking, and embrace the small community. What she doesn't expect, however, is to fall for olive oil producer Nico, who's dealing with plenty of emotional baggage of his own.

This book is billed as a romance novel, and while yes, it is (and the title gives you a solid hint as to the type of romance to expect), I'd argue that the stronger story lies in Kit's personal growth and how she comes to understand her own faults while building a strong community around her. It's book that, more than anything, made me hungry for some fresh pasta and long for a trip abroad.

Rivers of London

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, 376 pages

This was our July Orcs & Aliens title, and since I'm just now getting around to writing about it, I'm going to 100% phone it in and simply link to previous posts by Regan and Cindy (who wrote about it way back in 2011, when it was first released in the U.S. as Midnight Riot). I generally love urban fiction, but yeah, the problems that both of my review predecessors point out are real. You can get the same vibe from Jim Butcher's neverending Dresden Files series (except Chicago instead of London). There are better urban fiction titles out there.

The Women in White

 The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (2026), 291 pages

Riley is a recently divorced, living out of her car caregiver. Betty is a wheelchair bound octogenarian who is in need of help. They click instantly and Riley soon discovers there is a lot more to Betty's story. 

I am on the fence about this one. The novel follows two-timelines: the 1960s and present day. I really enjoyed the parts of the novel based in the 60s, especially the relationship between the four central women who became part of a scientific study looking into parapsychology. Unfortunately, the rest of the novel fell flat. I think I expected more exploration into their supernatural cognitive abilities and was disappointed that didn't happen. The present-day relationship between Riley and Betty felt incomplete and rushed. The ending also wrapped up too quickly. It was an interesting read, but I felt it could have been more fleshed out. 

The Life Impossible

 

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig, 324 pages.

Grace Winters has been living her life with a sense of numb detachment since her husband died, and if she's being honest she's been living that way for decades since she lost her son. Then an acquaintance she shared one meaningful Christmas with long ago leaves Grace her home in Ibiza, and Grace thinks this might finally be her chance to start over. But when she gets to Spain she finds things are not only stranger than her life as a retired math teacher ever prepared her for, but more wonderful as well.

The way this starts reminded me a startling amount of The Correspondent, which I read earlier this year. Both are written as correspondence by old women who have spent decades of their lives not really getting over the death of their son by tragic accident, an accident they feel responsible for due to negligence. However, The Life Impossible takes a sharp turn into science fiction with alien superpowers. That being said, the novel never really feels like it is about the powers, it always instead stays fairly focused on the question of what it means to live a good life. I really enjoyed this book. I found it meaningful and cohesive, and I believe I will think about it often. 

More Than Enough

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen, 256 pages

Polly's book group has been with her through thick and thin, including her harrowing (and so far, unsuccessful) attempts to get pregnant. But when they jokingly give her a DNA test kit for a genealogy website, a pile of strangers show up as relatives, and she's not sure how much to share with them. Before long, a teenager who's convinced she and Polly are related turns up, so Polly and her closest friend from book club travel to learn the secrets of Polly's past. 

I read this book a while ago and I've been putting off blogging about it, not because I disliked it, but because I can barely remember it. I remember the vague info above, plus a couple other spoiler-y things, but really, other than having a vague "yeah, this was good" feeling, there's not a lot that sticks out to me. If you like Quindlen's other books, you'll enjoy this one. (I guess that's helpful?)

Women of a Promiscuous Nature

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart, 368 pages

In 1940s North Carolina, Ruth was walking to work at a local diner when the local deputy picked her up, accused her of "promiscuity" and drove her to the health clinic. And from there, he took her to the State Industrial Farm Community for Women, which is full of dozens of other young women who are unmarried and living alone, or have the audacity to argue with their husbands, or were impregnated by an abusive family member. All of them institutionalized, drugged, and forced to work against their will and with no way out. Based on a very real group of such institutions, this book follows Ruth, 15-year-old Stella, entrepreneur Josephine, hard-living Maude, and the possibly-not-as-crazy-as-she-pretends-to-be Frances as they deal with the harsh realities forced upon them by superintendent Dorothy Baker.

It's sometimes horrifying to read this book, especially when you stop to think that this is what was happening to young women while "the boys" were off at war. There were a few times in the book where the writing got a bit clunky, but all in all, this was an interesting, if at times hard, book to read.

August Totals

This month we say hello to new blogger Margaret!

Annie: 8 books, 1840 pages

Byron: 1 book, 532 pages

Jan: 4 books, 1261 pages

John: 1 book, 352 pages

Kara: 12 books, 4569 pages

Kevin: 3 books, 1488 pages

Margaret: 2 books, 727 pages

Regan: 7 books, 2391 pages

Sarah: 4 books, 1355 pages

Tracey: 9 books, 3213 pages 

Total: 51 books and 17,728 pages 

The Secret Dinner

The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes, translated by Zoe Perry, 352 pages 

Four friends find themselves struggling to cover their rent in Copacabana, Rio, Brazil. They are young, broke and really don't want to go back to the rural countryside they fled. A solution presents itself. That solution? Secret "seagull" meat dinner parties. And by seagull, I don't mean seagull. Montes does an excellent job of capturing the protagonists’ desperation and their moral (and immoral) quandary as they try to make it in the big city. 

I enjoyed this book. Parts of it were certainly uncomfortable to visualize, but the characters were well done and I did like the final twist. I will say that I am very glad that I am a vegetarian and do not have to ever worry about being unknowingly fed "seagull" meat. 

Country People by Daniel Mason

Country People by Daniel Mason, 320 pages.

A married couple of English professors and their children move to rural Vermont, where they encounter local semi-supernatural phenomena that mirror the folklore that our main character studies. Along the way, we enjoy the quirks of the titular country people, as well as the academic people and the married and parenting people.

I don’t want to say much more lest I spoil it, but I really liked this one! It was funny and sweet and celebrated weirdness in a way that I really dug. If you liked Welcome to Nightvale, the Netflix series The Chair, or the novels of Taffy Brodesser-Akner (though this is considerably lighter) you’d probably like County People.

The Maidenheads

 

 The Maidenheads by Benny B. Peterson, 336 pages

 A story about music, finding yourself in queerness, and rekindling a first love. 

This book will probably not be for everyone, it is messy, the protagonist is largely unlikable and the relationship that the novel follows is disheartening. However, I loved this book as it felt like a very accurate and honest depiction of being queer and navigating relationships. I thought the writing was beautiful and I felt like I was inside the main characters head, for better or for worse. 

Keeper of Lost Children

 Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson (2026), 464 pages

I loved this book. You should go read it now. 

The historical novel follows three stories revolving around the left behind multi-racial children in post-war Germany. This is a topic I had never really thought about and was surprised on how big an issue it was. Many African American service members had relations with white German women. Due to various issues, a lot of their children ended up in orphanages in Germany. It is loosely based on the real-life story of an African American woman, Mabel Treadwell Grammer, whose husband was stationed in Mannheim and how she (almost) single-handedly adopted and found homes in the US and Germany for hundreds of orphans. It is a fascinating part of history and Johnson does an excellent job of telling the story from various points of view, helping you to grasp the full consequences of these relations and adoptions. 

No Matter What

No Matter What by Cara Bastone (2026) 312 pages

Roz, her husband Vin, and Vin's brother were all in a terrible accident about a year ago. They all lived together after the accident because Roz and Vin felt that Vin's brother shouldn't be alone while recovering. Ultimately, the brother‒who is Roz's best friend, by the way‒moved out on his own, but Roz and Vin no longer connect. Roz gets hints that Vin wants to leave her and she's desperately sad, but she can't tell him, and she won't tell his brother, either. She ends up taking up figure drawing, which brings her new friends, new confidence, and a great distraction from her worries and her PTSD.

As often happens, I can't figure out why no one is really communicating what they've thinking, even to the people they love the most. Maybe that's why the book worked for me: far too often that's what happens in real life. I wanted to see what was going to happen.

Lollapalooza

 

Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour, 432 pages 

The last music book of the summer for the Rhythm n' Books reading club before we move on to our round of books for the fall. We haven't read anything quite like this, an oral history. Some folks liked it for it's candid anecdotes, some did not feel it was "journalistic" enough to merit an entire book. The problem with trying to dive into the past and document the concert in it's earliest days is that there probably is little documentation to go on. All of this was the brainchild of Perry Ferrell, the charismatic front man for the band Jane's Addiction, who were a more popular band at the time than I ever realized. In Perry's mind, this was something akin to Woodstock, but a little more organized--something to bring together the alternative counter culture that was starting to coalesce after the radio death of hair metal. In it's earliest heyday, Lolla included a second stage which consisted of a group of California circus performers who were more sideshow than side acts. Perry accidently tapped into a huge market and the festival grew into a concert that spanned cities and genres. Though it kind of reads like the script for a VH1 Storytellers episode, if you're looking to relive some of the early 90s, this is a good start. 

Dungeon Crawler Carl

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, 464 pages

    I had started reading The Veiled Prophet by Devin O'Shea, the highly-researched, potentially last-word nonfiction text on the history of the long-time racist parade in St. Louis. But then the cover art of Dungeon Crawler Carl book caught my eye and the VP book sat on my nightstand unread. I felt so guilty. What would I say to O'Shea if I ran into him around town? "Sorry it's a great book, but I'm too into this book about a space alien "running man" style intergalactic game show with a talking cat." 

    This book has such a ridiculous premise but you really just have to go all in on it and never look back. I found myself having to read a few chapters every night just to see what the heck was going to happen to these characters. I'm not sure I'm in it for the long haul just yet, since there are eight books in this series, but I did pick up the second book. I have, however, recommitted myself to finishing the VP book before I start it. Hopefully. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, 592 pages

I am getting caught up on the series after *(checks watch)* twenty years. I now know what muggles and marauders maps are. I am floored that this published in 2000. Also this one had time travel, which was a neat twist. It seems like the more these go on, the more Rowling just keeps world building. On to the Goblet of Fire. 

Names Have Been Changed

 

Names Have Been Changed by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow, 272 pages.

The lockdowns were hard on everyone, and after a personal emotional shock Ophir (not her real name) desperately needs a way to process her life, so she starts a podcast. She began life under a different name, in Singapore, but after her involvement in a petty crime yields serious criminal consequences, she decides to go on the run instead of going to prison. That was 10 years and many identities ago, and trouble has followed her around the world, but this is finally her chance to tell her story, whatever the consequences may be.

I didn't dislike this book, but I do feel like it is a very different book than I was sold on. Most places seem to be classifying it as a crime novel (mostly just the initial petty crime, followed by a lot of variants on using forged papers and resisting arrest) or a thriller (definitely not), for what is mostly a leisurely confessional style. I listened to the audiobook, which I definitely think enhanced my experience, both for selling Ophir as a person and for making the podcast format pop. Selling Ophir as a flawed but real person with a voice you could hear emotion in really helped, because I have to admit that even with all that I found her a little insufferable. I think I would overall class this book as sort of interesting, but not particularly great.

Die: Loaded Vol. 1

 

Die: Loaded Vol. 1: Zero Sessions by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, 176 pages.

A year after they finally escape the world of Die (hopefully for the last time), the players gather for Chuck's wake in the midst of a pandemic. The reverberations of the group disappearing for a second time with no explanation has deeply shaken their loved ones, and healing will be a long process. A process that is abruptly interrupted when those who were left behind have to experience Die for themselves.

This is the start to a direct sequel series of the "goth Jumanji" comic DIE. Although it is a sequel with completely different characters, it was a little more direct than I was expecting, and I did find myself wishing I had reread the original series before diving into this one. That being said, this is a great continuation! We are already getting to see a lot of the world that we didn't in the first comic line, as our new protagonists know nothing about the world, and very little about the TTRPG logic that it runs on. This gives not only a really interesting perspective, but a chance to explore the same setting with completely different themes. Gillen and Hans continue to write stories that are both exciting and deeply emotionally resonate, and I'm excited to see where this story goes next!

Palaces of the Crow

Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler, 384 pages

As the Nazis and Red Army converge in eastern Europe, four children band together in their attempt to survive the frozen Lithuanian woods: a Jewish girl and aspiring biologist Neriya, who hopes that her doctor parents are still alive after being torn from her; underage Polish soldier Czeslaw, who didn't so much abandon the army as the army abandoned him, when the rest of his unit died; Roma daughter of horse traders Kezia; and a nameless and silent abandoned young boy. As they learn from and lean on one another, they befriend an insightful and intelligent murder of crows, who end up offering protections that none of the children could have dreamed.

Nayler has a knack for writing about intelligent animals and making it feel both real and surreal (see: The Mountain in the Sea and The Tusks of Extinction), and this book is no exception. While the others are firmly seated in science fiction, however, this one is much closer to historical fiction with just a hint of magical realism. But it's still full of intelligence, meticulous detail, and a sharp understanding of the world in which the book is set. I've read everything that Nayler has published, and I have yet to be disappointed. This was excellent, and I highly recommend it. I will also be much more reverent toward crows going forward.

Life on the Mississippi

 

Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, 450 pages.

That's a wrap on our 2026 Big Book Challenge! This book is part memoir, part travelogue, and all Mark Twain. His specific dry humor and tall tales permeate the book, and give it a very distinctive character. I really enjoyed the tall tales and historical look at the region I call home (I especially got a kick over his excitement of this hot new thing, Forest Park), although I did find the whole thing a little disjointed and meandering. I still think it is definitely a worthwhile book, and I am thrilled I got to talk about it with a great group of library patrons last night! 

Promise of Blood

 

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, 545 pages.

Revolution is a bloody business, but Field Marshal Tamas and his powder mages have no regrets about removing the foolish king and his cabal of Privileged sorcerers. But after the guillotine has fallen on the king and his nobles the nation is still tottering under the weight of debt, war, complex alliances, and betrayals. Beyond the political, the removal of the king had symbolic ramifications, and the people are seeing dark signs everywhere. Signs that may well be more than peasant superstition.

Brian McClellan was a student in Brandon Sanderson's writing classes, which makes a lot of sense to me, because this feels very reminiscent of his work. I really enjoyed the diverse character perspectives that give a very three-dimensional feel to a complex world. This book had a bit of a slow build, as a lot of it is very focused on the day-to-day of the aftermath of a revolution, but I was still very engaged the whole time. I'm very excited to read the next book, which given the end of this one, will have even more epic stakes.  

Where the Girls Were

Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz (2026), 368 pages

It is late 1960s San Francisco and high schooler, soon to be Valedictorian, Elizabeth "Baker" finds herself pregnant. Obviously, this disrupts her whole future as she had planned to attend Stanford and then head to Paris. Against her will, she ends up in a home for pregnant women. There she explores the complicated situations that landed the other women there and what their futures might hold.

I am back and forth on this book. I think it covers some very important topics (such as women’s choice) that are still very prescient today. It delves into the limited options women had and the very real judgements they faced if they became "in the family way" - whether it was by choice or violence. It also touches upon the lack of knowledge women had about their bodies and the taboos older women had in sharing valuable information to younger women. That said, Baker's naiveté was almost to the point of unbelievableness. There were libraries back in the day. I wish more time had been spent with the interesting characters in the women's home and how the women's rights movement was progressing through San Francisco. The ending is pretty unbelievable, but, if you get a chance, I would still read it. 

Hungerstone

  

 

 

 Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, 336 pages

A retelling of the classic story Carmilla, but with a backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. Inside a  remote country manor in the Moors, Lenore must face an unhappy marriage, nightmares that leave her desiring more, and her past traumas. 

I really enjoyed this book! I have read Carmilla and enjoyed it, although given the time it was written it was hard to understand at times. This novel brought a fresh perspective to the classic, while still maintaining key themes. The ending did feel a bit rushed. 

 

A Fortune of Sand

A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys (2026), 304 pages

Marjorie is the artistic youngest daughter of a Detroit automobile glass tycoon. She finds herself accepted into an exclusive arts residency program funded by secretive benefactor from which, life changing secrets unfold.

I wanted to like this book (as who doesn't want to know more about the dark underworld of Detroit during its automobile heyday), but it totally missed the mark. There was so much potential and interesting tidbits that the author could have delved more deeply into! Instead, we got an insufferable main character, an unbelievable benefactor, and a scattered storyline. I wish I had more to say, but that is all I got.

 

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich, 368 pages

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich, 368 pages

It is very difficult to summarize this book! I’ll give it a shot: An eccentric, musically genius ex-nun is widowed and impersonates a priest in the Minnesotan wilderness for much of their life, becoming ingrained in the local Native American community. The tone is somewhere between historical/ (mostly) realistic fiction and Capital L Literature.

This book has all of the things that a Louise Erdrich fan is looking for: A terribly interesting and admirable protagonist, Native American culture and community, love stories that are interesting and surprising...and yet never the focal point of the story.

It would also be difficult to overstate how much I loved LROTMALNH! In addition to the point of view of the protagonist (who goes by a few different names), we see how community changes over a long period of time, and have a variety of interesting religious experiences represented, and explores complicated spirituality sincerely. While there are themes of mysticism and ethical dilemma, I would never classify this as “Christian Fiction” to someone looking for that genre. It was impressive to cover such a length of time- 70ish years- in less than 400 pages without ever feeling that the story glossed over anything. Very engrossing, too! I recommend this one if, like me, you found The Sentence to be “just okay” but want to try more Louise.

Nonstop Bodies: How Dance Shaped New York City by Rennie McDougall

Nonstop Bodies: How Dance Shaped New York City by Rennie McDougall, 384 pages

This is a series of vignettes about important moments in which the histories of dance and New York City converge. Martha Graham, Lindy Hop, Alvin Ailey, and Vogueing are a few of the topics covered.

This was pretty straightforward light nonfiction, and the audiobook was a good listen. I read quite a bit about dance and think this is a good introduction to any of the topics covered. I especially enjoyed the chapter about the dance marathons during the depression, and appreciated that the author included both performance and vernacular dance.

Native Stranger: A Black American's Journey into the Heart of Africa

Native Stranger: A Black American's Journey into the Heart of Africa Eddy L. Harris 315 pages

This is a travelogue by St. Louisan Eddy Harris, better known for Mississippi Solo, about his journey through an impressive portion of Africa. It was published in 1992, so it’s also a bit of a portrait of an Africa in which globalization wasn’t quite so pronounced.

My high school French teacher gifted me a copy of this book when I was about 16, and I remembered liking it but was curious to see how much of it had really stuck with me.

Harris is so charming and honest, I found the book funny and touching and human. I hadn’t retained much over the years, so it was rare treat to read a book for the first time, twice. Some parts are difficult, about poverty and disease. There is a lot of bodily function talk, but the author’s purpose is to face his discomfort head-on. His honesty about how the intention to not behave “Americanly” when travelling, and how that intention can erode when we’re exhausted and uncomfortable was interesting, and is not often explored in travel writing. I did roll my eyes a little at author’s preoccupation with cultural differences female modesty, but I suspect that the author, like me, would see this journey through a different lens today.

I recommend this one even if you don’t normally gravitate toward travel writing. I have written in this blog before that this genre is saturated with pretty bad writing, and now I wonder if I feel that way because this one spoiled me for the average travelogue 25 years ago.

Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks

Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks Marcia Bjornerud 288 pages

Our author tells stories from her life and career, relating them to little lessons in geology. This blends a lot of subgenres that I adore, including:

*Memoirs that are anecdotes from an interesting job
*Teacher stories
*Nonfiction in which authors look at a subject and say “We are not so different, you and I.”

This was really fun, as our author is very likable and imparts some interesting information about rocks and how the field of geology has changed over the last 50 years or so. The parts about working in really remote places and the camaraderie between the scientists were especially fun. I recommend to anyone casually interested in science.

Meeting New People

Meeting New People by Daniel M Lavery (2026) 268 pages

If one is content to read a novel with most of the action happening in a woman's head or in her past, you might want to pick this one up. Barbara lives in a small apartment on the top floor of a six floor walk-up in Brooklyn. Recently her best friend broke up with her and she really doesn't know why, and she is distraught. She spends much time considering the best friends she has had in the past, not knowing exactly what went wrong in these relationships, either. Along the way, Barbara contemplates her two marriages and divorces. She also delves into the relationship she has with her adult son, Ezra, wondering how it could be made less contentious.

She doubts she'll ever remarry, and knowing how friends can help each other get through life's trials, she wonders how she can find a friend at her age (almost 58). Meanwhile, she goes through her life's motions, working in an upscale food market while managing the staff. She also considers what religion means to her.

This was not an action-filled novel, but I felt that I really was inside Barbara's head. I enjoyed her history, her life now, and the incremental changes that make a difference.

Record Journey Vol. 1

 

Record Journey Vol. 1 by Ryoichiro Kezuka (trans. Jan Mitsuko Cash), 256 pages.

This manga is a collection of short comics about the power of music. In one a girl learns more about her late grandfather from a strange record found in his things; in another young people run a pirate radio station to avoid censorship from an oppressive regime. There are many stories from different decades, but all of them feel thematically linked and cohesive.

I intercepted this book on the way to our new shelf, and I really enjoyed it! It has a very gentle, relaxing tone. I liked the characters and relationships, and thought this was a really nice, low stakes anthology. 

Voidverse

Voidverse by Damian Ober, 336 pages

Emery has always lived on a tiny rock (literally, a smallish rock floating in the void), but when her son gets sick, she follows The Sinker, a traveler between rocks, to seek out a cure. However, Emery's home rock is destroyed when she returns, and the pair start traveling, attempting to find out what they can about the void through which they travel, meeting people both kind and dangerous along the way.

I read this a while ago and had to check the summary to remember names. However, when I read the publisher-provided info, it didn't match up at all with what I remember reading. The publisher touts this as science fiction, though it doesn't feel like quite the right definition to me. I feel like science fiction requires some degree of physics (like, a nod to how gravity works or how people propel between places or some science, no matter how handwavy it might be) and this one just involves floating and falling at random, and there's no sense of whether these rocks are orbs or discs or what. If you can't tell, that really distracted me while reading this book, which I think I'd best define as the goth cousin of The Little Prince. It's literary science fiction, I guess, but I don't know that I'd recommend it to a SF reader.

The Author's Guide to Murder

 

The Author's Guide to Murder by Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, and Karen White, 404 pages.

Three famous authors in different genres go to a remote Scottish island to collaborate on a book. Allegedly. But while they are there the host of the retreat, famous author Brett Saffron Presley, is found dead under bizarre circumstances, and the three women's statements about how they knew the man don't seem to be adding up.

I enjoy a classic whodunit, and a book by three authors about three authors writing a book felt delightfully meta, so I was excited to check this one out! Unfortunately "literary satire" seems mostly in this case to mean "doesn't have to feel embarrassed about a whole lot of cliche." That being said, I did start having fun with this book a little later on, as the authors put down some of the tropes and started treating the characters as characters more than archetypes. Fairly enjoyable, but I don't know that I would recommend this one unless you're looking for something extremely cheesy.

Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea

 

Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature by Emily Wilson, 288 pages.

This book collects and reworks decades of Emily Wilson's essays on translation and the Greek and Latin classics into a single book. The book is wide-ranging, and the chapters aren't particularly closely related, but it gives particular weight to the ways translation can both help convey and alienate the cultural values. This book is described as being accessible to readers without a classics background, which I do believe to be through. However, I think a reader without a background in some sort of related academic field (literature, history, etc), would probably have a bit of a rough time. I personally really enjoyed the sections that were very focused on translation itself, especially the last chapter, which compares side-by-side how many translators have interpreted the same lines of the Odyssey. However, I'm afraid I found the chapters that were functionally an ancient literature review fairly tedious. I think this is a great book to check out from the library and read whatever chapters sound interesting, but I don't know if I would recommend reading it straight through. 

This book is scheduled to be released 9/1/2026.  

This Book Made Me Think of You

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page, 416 pages

Five months after her husband died, Tilly receives a phone call from a local bookstore, telling her that her birthday present from her husband is ready to be picked up. When she arrives at the store, she learns that, before his death, her husband had arranged for 12 books to be given to Tilly each month for a full year. Included with each book is a note from her late husband, telling her why he picked the book and what he hopes it brings her. As a one-time book lover who hasn't been able to enjoy her hobby, Tilly is both impressed and intimidated by the yearlong venture, but as she begins to read and have conversations with bookseller Alfie, Tilly begins to feel a bit more herself.

This was a lovely book that's cozy like a favorite movie — it's predictable, emotional, and easy to enjoy. The characters are three-dimensional and the story takes a couple of turns that I didn't quite expect, and even though I feel like the "message from my dead spouse" trope has been played out, it plays well here.

The Death Row Club

The Death Row Club by V.A. Vazquez (2026), 323 pages

This book seemed like a cool concept. The adult children of death row inmates get to spend a weekend together away from the pressures and prying eyes (and judgement) of the public. While that eventually happened, it really follows two women whose fathers' commit murders while they come to terms with their unknowing roles in them. In some ways, the book does touch upon the family members of convicted murderers and the complicated relationship that they may have with each other and the convicted member, but I think I was hoping that there would be more of that angle. Instead, it quickly touches upon that issue and slowly (then dramatically) ends with a murder at the retreat and a quick resolution to the whole thing. It was an ok book, I just found myself a bit disappointed in it.

Heather

Heather by Caitlin Mullen (2026), 352 pages 

Callie Hauser is the new Police Chief in her hometown. She is young and motivated, and is soon swept up in a decades old murder surrounding a pair of teenage twins who went missing and left behind a dead newborn baby. 

I am back and forth on whether I liked this mystery. It is definitely better than Please See Us (which I recently reviewed), but I am having a hard time figuring out why it wasn't quite right. It is a bit unbelievable that a 30 y/o cop who just recently returned to her hometown would suddenly become the Police Chief (especially when there were more experienced police officers on the force). It is also a bit unbelievable said new Police Chief would have so much extra time to watch her best friends 3-year-old. I also did not care for the chapters written in the 2nd person - they were jarring compared to the rest of the novel. That said, there were some fun twists and unexpected turns that kept the storying engaging. So, I am torn about recommending it. 

Cool Machine

Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (2026), 352 pages

Garnering praise from all reviewers, award-winning author Colson Whitehead has earned it with Cool Machine, the final installment of the Harlem Trilogy. The series started with the novel Harlem Shuffle, a story that is subdued. A lot of background — family, neighborhood, and relationships – a calm before the storm. Book two, Crook Manifesto, is a non-stop fling into the unplanned and random violence that crime generates. In Cool Machine Ray Carney, the protagonist of the three books, appears to recognize his fate and embrace the criminal he has become, a cool machine. There are no subtleties; Carney gets punched by page 15. Whitehead manages to weave the feel of 1980s New York into every page. Rare is the author that generates a page-turning crime novel and a sociological treatise in one book. Bonus — the writing is first-class.

With Love From Harlem

With Love From Harlem by ReShonda Tate, 416 pages

In the late 1940s, Hazel Scott was a jazz phenom, pulling classical themes into popular music, and beginning a career as a film star. All the while, she was using her fame to challenge social norms and fight for civil rights. So it seems inevitable that her path would cross with Harlem's newest electrifying politician, Adam Clayton Powell. They instantly form a connection (despite the fact that he's married) and embark on a long, and often tumultuous, relationship that takes them through Hollywood, political activism, and a cultural revolution.

This novel follows Hazel's life with Powell, though it also focuses on her professional highs and lows, as well as the relationships she has with other artists of the day. While some of the relationships feel genuine (the long relationship with Billie Holliday), there are times where it feels like the author is trying to drop as many names as possible (the Nina Simone bits were particularly irksome, as the author admits in the afterword that neither of these two meetings ever happened). Still, it's an interesting book, and worth a read as a jumping-off point for learning more about Hazel Scott, who certainly had a fascinating life.

Murder Mindfully

 Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse (2019), 416 pages

Life is coming in hard for Bjorn. Work is stressful, marriage is stressful, and all he wants to do is spend more quality time with his daughter. In an effort to save their marriage, Bjorn's wife sends him to a mindfulness coach. Initially Bjorn is reluctant as he has things TO DO. But even he realizes that he cannot keep going at this pace, especially as his top client's shady businesses are bringing unwanted attention. Thankfully, the mindfulness coach has given him the tools to be present in any situation (whether with his daughter, defending gang members, or committing the occasional murder). 

This was a fun read. It is light with a touch of humor and, honestly, some good advice on how to be more present in your life. I found this German series through the Netflix show, and will likely read more of them.  

The Trip

The Trip by Audrey J. Cole, 303 pages

Twenty years after a whitewater rafting trip that left a friend for dead, four women have gathered for a luxury sailing trip. Each has her own reasons for attending, and none of those reasons are to rekindle their friendship. However, nobody expects things to go sideways so quickly, with death, storms, and an almost complete lack of sailing ability aboard (though you'd think that one would've given them a clue). What becomes obvious is that someone aboard the sailboat wants revenge.

There is absolutely nobody likeable in this book, which mentions Starlink enough that I'm really hoping it was a paid advertisement. I read it a couple months ago and I honestly can't remember who the bad guy is, and really, I don't care. If you're looking for a hate read, give this one a go. Otherwise, skip it.

Such a Perfect Family

Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh, 384 pages

After a whirlwind romance, Tavish has married the woman of his dreams and moved in with her parents on the other side of the world while the newlyweds try to find a home of their own. However, it literally all goes up in flames when Tavish returns home from an errand to find the house ablaze, killing his new in-laws and putting his wife in a coma. While he tries to figure out exactly who may have set this fire, Tavish's checkered past (full of wealthy women dying and leaving him all kinds of riches) may be catching up to him, making him a prime suspect in the arson.

I read this a couple months back and I'll admit that I had to look up the summary to get that paragraph written. It was a disjointed story with unreliable and largely unlikeable characters, and other than the exotic locale (Philippines? New Zealand? Maybe both?), it's completely forgettable. Meh.

 

A Zoom with a View

A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon, 384 pages

I already had this mystery on my TBR pile, but when I read Jan's review of it, I moved it up to the top. Leo, who has reluctantly returned to her tiny Texas hometown for job that doesn't even come close to using her doctoral degree in English; her batty hairdresser-with-a-secret-life mom Karina; Karina's best friend Kay, who manages to turn the county lockup into a kegger; police consultant (and secret girlfriend to one of the officers investigating the murder) Macy... these are just a few of the fantastic characters that make up the cast of this charming and innately readable cozy mystery. And while there are plenty of over-the-top and unbelievable elements (Chaz and Kymber saying "babe" in every sentence they say to each other, for example), there are also some very real elements to ground the story. The way Leo's best friend Emily reacts to both her mother's arrest and Leo's aloofness, Leo and Karina's difficult relationship... it's a fantastic book, and I can't wait to read the next one in this series. (And yes, the dog is fine.)

The Keeper of Lost Children

The Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson, 464 pages

Living with her husband in occupied Germany in the 1950s, Ethel Gathers is a proud wife of an American serviceman and always looking for something to do. She soon discovers a nearby orphanage filled with the abandoned children of local German women and the African American soldiers with whom they had brief affairs. While Ethel and her husband personally adopt a handful of kids, they're determined to help these children find homes back in the U.S., and Ethel begins reaching out to all of her contacts at African American newspapers, churches, and everywhere else to accomplish her mission. Ethel's tale is woven together with the stories of Sophie, a Black girl attending a prestigious private (and mostly white) school in 1965, and Ozzie, a Black serviceman in 1948 Germany who falls in love with a German woman.

Braiding these three stories together creates a captivating novel that is based on a real phenomenon of Black American families adopting mixed race children from Germany in the 1950s. All of the stories are compelling, and while the reader may expect each story to go one way, the somehow-realistic twists keep us guessing. Indeed, the least believable element of the whole book is how many kids Ethel and her husband adopt, and that part is based on an actual woman: Mabel Treadwell Grammer, who, with her husband, adopted 12 mixed-race children from German orphanages. It's a fascinating book, and I was riveted the whole time while reading it.

Lost Lake

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (2014) 296 pages

The cast of characters include Eby, an older widow who owns a lakeside resort that is in disrepair, just outside a little town in Georgia; Lisette, a mute woman whom Eby and her late husband had met in Paris and who has now been with Eby for most of her life; Kate, a young woman who has been a zombie since her husband died a year ago; Devin, Kate's eight-year-old daughter who has a most lively imagination; Cricket, Kate's mother-in-law, a controlling woman who is planning to run for a political office in Atlanta; and several others, all with engaging backstories.

Kate feels as if she has literally woken up after a year lost when her husband died. She sees her mother-in-law planning out her life, selling her house, moving her to the mother-in-law's house, and planning for her to work in her mother-in-law's office. The mother-in-law also wants to send Kate's daughter to a private school and train her to wear proper clothing, instead of letting her choose the fairy wings and cowboy boots and other garb that Devin likes so well.

 On their moving day, Kate finds Devin wearing clothing from a dress-up trunk in the attic and Devin shows her a postcard she found in the trunk from Kate's great-aunt Eby, which has a picture of Eby's resort. They make a split second decision to go to the resort to see if it still exists.

Eby has just agreed to sell the resort to a man who wants to redevelop it. The past keeps poking up its head. There just might be a ghost or two. As well as people who are looking for meaning. I liked this novel very much.

Swindle Series

Swindle series by Gordon Korman

Swindle (2008), 252 pgs.

Griffin Bing does not stand for injustice. In fact, more likely than not, you will find him outlining and executing a plan to right some wrong. Along with a group of friends, each with their own set of skills, Griffin makes a plan to get back a baseball card which he was swindled out of. These kids are constantly underestimated, but with the right plan, they can show the world that they are not to be messed with.

Zoobreak (2009), 230 pgs.
Griffin and his friends continue their mission of fighting for the little guy--this time for the little furry guys! After a field trip to a floating zoo, the classmates are horrified by the poor living conditions for the creatures in the exhibit. The animals must be freed, and this is just the team to do it. 

Framed (2010), 234 pgs.
When a Super Bowl ring belonging to the school goes missing, all signs point to The Man With a Plan. The thing is--Griffin did not take it. Given his history with heists, Griffin has trouble proving his innocence, so his friends must step up and make a plan to clear their leader's name. 

Showoff (2012), 248 pgs.
Luthor, the hulking Doberman belonging to one of the friends, is in trouble. After going berserk at a dog show and injuring the star canine, his owners are forced to give him up to the pound. Griffin cannot stand to see a member of the team behind bars--even when it may be deserved--so he picks Luthor up and comes up with a plan to tame the beast--by training Luthor to win a dog show of his own. 

Hideout (2013), 275 pgs.
The team must band together again to help Luthor after his malicious previous owner begins suing for custody. The friends decide to take the dog with them to their summer camps and hide him while they figure out what to do. 

Jackpot (2014), 200 pgs.
Someone in Cedarville has won the lottery, but they have yet to claim their prize. As time runs out for the winner, The Man With a Plan takes it upon himself to discover what happened to the winning ticket. If that weren't stressful enough, Griffin must complete this plan alone after a new student moves to town and disrupts the friend-group.  

Unleashed (2015), 202 pgs.
Since his dad is an inventor, you'd think that Griffin would be a shoe-in to win the inventing contest at his school. However, competing against his technology-genius friend, Melissa, is never a good idea. Despite the invention rivalry, when Melissa's invention goes missing, the team must come together once again to make sure it's a fair competition. 

Jingle (2016), 199 pgs.
After being unwillingly signed up for the annual Christmas extravaganza, Griffin and his friends begrudgingly participate--dressing as elves and handing out gifts. When the event is cancelled after a priceless artifact is stolen, the group is slightly relieved to be out of elf-duty--until the blame is shifted their way. In order to clear their names and keep the spirit of the holidays alive, the team completes another plan... this time to save Christmas. 

The Mercy of Gods

The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey, 448 pages

I first read this book about a year and a half ago, and realized that as awkward as my write-up was then, I'd write it exactly the same way now — in fact, when I first started writing this, I started it with the same sentence before I erased that and just chose to redirect you to that original blog post. Anyway, this made a bit more sense on the second read-through, and it was an excellent discussion in Orcs & Aliens. Can't wait to read the second book in this series, which I thankfully have sitting on my shelf at home.