Midwives

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian (1997) 374 pages

Sibyl Danforth is a midwife, living and working in rural Vermont. When something goes terribly wrong during one of her deliveries, on a winter night when the roads have become impassable, she is accused of murder. It's a subject that's fraught with emotion, and is told from the point of view of Sibyl's 14-year-old daughter Connie, with snippets of Sibyl's own voice in journal entries at the beginning of most chapters.

I had never read Chris Bohjalian before, and was directed to this novel as a good place to start. Even though I knew the subject was difficult, when I read a few "test" pages, his writing pulled me in, with no backing away.

Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, 320 pages

This book has been reviewed and recapped by lots of UCPL staffers in the past, most recently by Regan, who read it for Orcs & Aliens (just like I did) and wrote an excellent summary and review that you can see here. I will say that I listened to this book, which was read by a full cast, and really brought to life the transcripts and journal entries that comprised the book. Interestingly, the people in Orcs & Aliens who read the physical book didn't seem to enjoy it as much, which says a lot about the quality of the audio production. It's thrilling and keeps you guessing, and I definitely loved it. I'll be listening to the rest of the trilogy in the near future.

The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag, 480 pages

Mags is a teenager with some very adult problems on her hands — she's the primary caregiver for her ailing grandmother while juggling work and school too and her kinda-relationship with a girl must be hidden from the girl's boyfriend. Oh yeah, there's also a secret monster in the basement that leaves her bleeding and exhausted every night, and could kill people if it got out. But when a childhood friend returns, Mags finally gets some of the support she needs, and she begins to realize that things don't have to be the way they are.

This graphic novel beautifully tells a complex story of identity, family prejudice, and finding comfort with who you are. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is so thought-provoking (and is obviously so personal to Ostertag) that I'm still turning it over in my mind more than a month after reading it. Highly recommended.

Deep End

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, 464 pages

Competitive diver Scarlett has no time for anything but school and recovering from an injury that almost ended her career. Extremely disciplined world champion swimmer Lukas has been dating Scarlett's dive team captain for ages, at least publicly. In private, Lukas' "girlfriend" is more interested in dating around, and suggests that Lukas and Scarlett hook up, since both are more into kink than she is. What starts as a sex-only arrangement, however, soon becomes something more, as Scarlett and Lukas spend more time together in bed and at the pool, though the situation is complex, especially when Scarlett's captain doesn't want to fully let go of Lukas.

This is a pretty spicy college romance, though it's done incredibly well, as it shows the more emotional and intellectual side of a kink-centric relationship than often appears in romance novels. I honestly didn't think I'd like this one as much as I did, as I didn't expect that level of emotional complexity. Another good one from Hazelwood.

Trust Me On This

Trust Me On This by Lauren Parvizi, 367 pages

Two long-estranged half-sisters have both been summoned to Seattle to have one last visit with their dying father, a man who doted on one daughter and largely ignored the other. Both have issues and strange baggage (both literal and emotional) to deal with on the road, but reluctantly find themselves re-connecting.

I'll be honest: I read this book more than a month ago, and I only remembered reading it because it was on my list of stuff to blog about. I obviously can't remember much (including character names), and the plot apparently wasn't my cup of tea, though there is a... cat?... that I vaguely remember enjoying. That said, the only thing I can remember better than books I love are ones I absolutely hate, which means that this one was pretty middle-of-the-road, AKA there are worse books out there. 

Slayers of Old

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines, 352 pages

When they were teens, Jenny, Annette, and Temple were all Chosen Ones, tasked with defeating evil as a hunter of Artemis, a half-succubus, and a wizard, respectively. But now they're all much older and have put their battle days behind them, choosing to run a secondhand bookstore in Salem. Of course, evil has decided it's not quite done with them, and when locals start summoning ancient magical creatures, the trio must get back in the saddle to once again vanquish demons and secure the safety of Salem.

Blurbs about this book describe it as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Golden Girls," and boy howdy, is that correct. It's a ton of fun, and has lots of nods to the Slayer, though knowing Buffy isn't a requirement for enjoying this book. A great time and hopefully the first of many featuring Jenny, Annette, and Temple.

Spider to the Fly

Spider to the Fly by James Markert, 352 pages

Ellie Isles was a regular suburban mom until a serial killer murdered a stranger who was identical to Ellie. Equally fascinated and horrified by the coincidence, Ellie started her own investigations into the killer known as the Spider, who left victims scattered alongside I-64, and wrote a bestselling true crime book about her experience. Four years later, the killer is still at large and more victims keep appearing, but Ellie has created an online following that's helping her get ahead of the Spider, and helping her remember some long-buried memories that may shed some light on the case.

The premise of this book is intriguing and it definitely is a wild ride. However, I found a lot of the final twists to be a bit over-the-top — it almost feels like two books smushed into one. Still, if you want a quick and terrifying thriller, give this one a go. Just don't hurt yourself rolling your eyes at the way-too-convenient conclusion. 

Do Not Sell at Any Price

Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78 rpm Records by Amanda Petrusich, © 2014, 288 pgs.

This was a fun read for the Rn'B book group. Petrusich is a freelance music writer working on a story about the rise in vinyl sales (at the time in 2014 they were trending up; in 2025 they reached a billion in sales) when she's tipped off to a sub-sub genre of record collector--the 78 collector. For the unvitiated, 78s were the original records, made of shellac, very heavy and very fragile--if you dropped it on the floor it would shatter like a plate. These records spin at 78 revolutions-per-minute (or rpm's) and were typically played on the only players available at the time, the victrola. Millions of 78s were sold in the 20s and 30s before the techonolgy improved and turned to the vinyl records we know today. When that happened, 78s fell by the wayside, collecting dust in basements, attics and landfills. But in the 60s and 70s, a rag-tag group fell in love with them, particularly the 78s that were recorded by some of the earliest blues players. In fact, many of the recordings we have today of these musicians were sourced directly from the collections of 78 enthusiasts. Blues artists like Ma Rainey, Charlie Patton and Skip James would be lost to time. The author takes a deep dive into the materials, catching the 78-collector bug and begins trying to find her own rare blues records. 

Murder at Gulls Nest

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd, 336 pages

Novice nun Frieda was released from her vows, but kept up correspondence with her fellow novice Nora for quite a while afterward. But after sending a letter claiming that all of the residents of the long-term hotel where she lived were hiding something, Frieda's letters simply stopped, and Nora knew that something was wrong. Following her friend's footsteps, Nora also asked to leave the convent and her vows, and travels to that same hotel, Gulls Nest, to see if she can track down Frieda. She's met with a quirky group of residents, and before long, a series of murders to add to her investigation.

Set in Kent in the 1940s, this series-starting mystery introduces a winning amateur detective in Nora Breen, and the supporting characters are just kooky enough to make all of them suspects. It kept me guessing and took me directions that I didn't expect — but as I read it a while back, I can't remember whodunnit. Which perhaps gives this reread potential, but also shows that it didn't stick with me particularly well. However, if you dig WWII-era mysteries with plucky female detectives, this one is right up your alley.

The Maniac

The Maniac by Benjamín Labatut (2023) 354 pages

This is a fictional memoir of renowned Hungarian-American mathematician John von Neumann. Overall, this is a dark read – Neumann scorched everyone he interacted with and was as complicated as his arcane areas of study. Labatut plays it loose with a cast of historical characters who interacted with the brilliant polymath. Borrowing heavily from secondary sources and his imagination the author weaves a tale of ambition, hubris and brilliance. I enjoyed the literary device of letting contemporaries tell the saga. Labatut has an uncanny ability to assume the voice of the narrator, including context. My favorite example is physicist Richard Feynman describing his limited interactions with Neumann. The chapter reads like a mini-biography of Feynman and describes the frenetic atmosphere of the WWII Manhattan project -- constructing the first atomic bombs (did I mention dark?).  The tragic nature of Neumann’s legacy – he died at age 53 – is strewn across the pages like radiation from a nuclear explosion.

Murderbot Diaries #2 and #3

 Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (2018), 158 pages

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (2018), 159 pages

I am loving this series. You really just need to read them. Both of these books (entries?) find our intrepid explorer continuing on his quest to figure out his murderous past while reluctantly trying to stop evil corporations from destroying the universe. Much to his dismay, he is becoming more and more human like and can't shake his need to protect them. I particularly like his snarky interactions with other Artificial Intelligences. Murderbot never fails to let you know exactly what he thinks and it is hilarious. 

The Library Mule of Cordoba

 The Library Mule of Cordoba by Wilfrid Lupano and Léonard Chemineau, 263 pages.

In 976 Cordoba is the center of learning for the Western world, and people come from far away to study in its magnificent library. But after the caliph dies young and a vizier is appointed to rule Al-Andalus everything changes very quickly. The new vizier decides that most of the library's texts are heretical, and burns them to help push for wars that will allow him to conquer more of what is today Spain. Tarid is the head librarian, and although he is a slave and a eunuch he won't allow this to happen. Tarid, a copyist, and a thief all set out to save the most precious books, taking them on a dangerous journey across Al-Andalus.

Byron wrote about this graphic novel almost exactly a year ago, and it has taken me this long to get around to reading it. I appreciated that this was both very historically interesting and a solid adventure story. It's not very common to find books set during this period, and this one has a fairly extensive section in the back giving history and context after the story was over. It is sad to see how often book burning and suppression go hand-in-hand with religious extremism (regardless of the religion), but it also makes the history feel very present. Recommended for people interested in Muslim Spain, historical libraries, and a wild adventure to save books. 

Kindred

Kindred by Octavia Butler, 306 pages.

Dana is a black author living in California the year of America's bicentennial. Which leaves her totally unprepared to be pulled through time to a plantation in Antebellum Maryland, where a young white boy is drowning. Dana finds herself being pulled back to the past to save this boy again and again, even as he grows into a man she is not sure is worth saving, and each trip is longer and more harrowing than the one before. 

This is the first Octavia Butler novel I have read, and I found it very well done. This novel, while usually credited as the first science fiction novel by a black author, is definitely on the literary side, with a lot going on thematically. This is a heavy book, emotionally, but it also feels very rewarding. There is a reason this is a classic, and I would definitely recommend it. 

Phoebe's Diary

 Phoebe's Diary by Phoebe Wahl (2023), 464 pages

If you read my previous post about Little Witch Hazel, you know that Phoebe Wahl is a favorite artist of mine. This is her somewhat true, somewhat fictionalized teenage diary. Wahl very much captures teenage angst and coming of age. It reminds me a lot of the risqué Judy Blume books we all read too young and hoped that our parents didn't know what was actually in them. Do people still read Judy Blume? I am aging myself, but I am not sure what the current equivalent would be. I suspect a lot of teenage girls would relate to this novel. If you are a parent to teenagers, you might want to wait until they are adults before diving in. 

Coffin Moon

Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson, 320 pages

Vietnam vet Duane is back home after his tour of duty, and with the help of his in-laws, has managed to get sober (despite his job as a bartender), salvage his marriage, and become a foster parent to his niece, Julia. But one night at the bar, Duane runs afoul of local gang leader John Varley, and Varley decides the best way to get even is to massacre Duane's wife and in-laws in the goriest way possible. In their grief, Duane and Julia decide to get revenge on Varley, despite the fact that Varley is a vampire and nearly unkillable.

I loved this book, which felt like a throwback to the classic Stephen King novels of the 1970s, but without the coke-addled overlong books. This was tight, surprising, scary, and altogether fantastic. I highly recommend it for horror fans.

Not Quite Dead Yet

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson, 400 pages

Jet is the disappointing daughter of one of the wealthiest families in town, having moved back into her parents' house as she procrastinates starting her life over. But then one day, she's attacked in her kitchen and left for dead. Jet survives the attack, but is given just a week left to live, which she chooses to spend solving her own murder. She moves onto her childhood friend Billy's couch and begins her investigation into everyone she knows, all of whom seem suspicious now.

This is an interesting conceit for a thriller/mystery, and overall it's done pretty well, acknowledging Jet's physical limitations in a way that would be totally ignored in a TV show or movie. However, I do have an issue with the fact that the doctor is able to pinpoint exactly how many days Jet has left before an aneurysm kills her — and the fact that the doctor is correct in her deadline. I get why it was done, but that bit made it hard to suspend disbelief in an otherwise excellent novel.

Red City

Red City by Marie Lu, 432 pages

Alchemy and the magical art of transformation is the rule in Angel City, which is unofficially under the power of two rival crime syndicates, each with their own alchemists and enforcers. Childhood friends Sam and Ari became close through their rough upbringings, but each is secretly recruited by the rival gangs. While they once may have loved one another, they soon find themselves facing decisions about family, loyalty, magic, and each other. The only thing that's clear is that neither of them can turn back now.

I'll admit that I read this one a while ago, and the main things that stuck with me were the brutality of the magicians and gang leaders, and the lack of trust EVERYWHERE. Really, this one reminded me of Jade City, and not just because of the name. So I guess read it if you already finished the Green Bone Saga and want more magical mafia books.

Homicide and Halo-Halo

Homicide and Halo-Halo Mia P. Manansala (2022, 279 pages)

Back in Shady Palms, the annual beauty pageant has the whole town busy in preparation. Lila is extra busy as a backup judge and opening up her new Bruja Cafe with her best friend Adeena. When a major figure in the pageant turns up dead in the river, accusations are thrown across the map and the event continues.

What I liked:
✨Like before, love learning the Filipino recipes!
✨This one was more fun trying to figure out what happened, there were lots of good contestants!

What I didn't like:
💤Not usually a fan of parading around girls to be gawked at, so the pageant setting wasn't my favorite despite some very progressive changes to it
 💤The main character is very much the Main Character and it often feels like the things that revolve around her are excessive
💤Continuing the love triangle but not really developing those relationships further

 The second in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series.

⭐⭐⭐ 

Greenteeth

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill (2025, 304 pages)

Jenny Greenteeth keeps her lake nice and tidy. Sure, some people throw in trash, coins, bags of kittens, etc, which she collects and/or eats. When live human woman is thrown into her pond anchored down to die, she makes the decision to save her instead.

A magical, quest based book across Arthurian British Aisles. Unique characters with real conflicts, and the natural roller coaster that comes with enchanted adventure.

What I liked:
✨Magical whimsy
✨Apparently a lot of the characters/beings are real Arthurian legends, I didn't know a single one of them but I still enjoyed it!
✨"Found family starting to get kind of annoying too"

What I didn't like:
💤I know this is fantasy, but there were some unbelievable plot points that made me question the plot
💤Not a lot of explanation behind the BBEG (couldn't really tell you who he was, but it might help if you're familiar with this lore)

Favorite quote: "'Well what do you suggest? I'm not carrying him through the gate!'
I ended up carrying Cavall through the gate."

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky

 The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 624 pages

Adrian Tchaikovsky is a prolific cross-genre writer, and this (his first short story collection) collects work from the entirety of his long career. The book is sorted into six sections: sci-fi (post-apocalyptic and dystopian flavor), fantasy (low fantasy variety), weird, weird but it's a series of related paranormal stories, fantasy (high fantasy variety), and sci-fi (space flavor). This structure does a good job highlighting Tchaikovsky's range, although it's not ideal for reading straight through, which is in fact what I did. That being said, I am genuinely impressed at how variable Tchaikovsky's writing voice is. When reading more than 600 pages of short stories by the same author, it is easy for things to begin to feel repetitive (especially, for example, eight consecutive stories about post-apocalyptic settings), but Tchaikovsky does a great job inhabiting the narrators, and making them feel different. 

I think the greatest strength of this collection is stories that have the kernel of an idea that is interesting to think on later. Especially in the case of many of the shorter stories, the plot is interesting enough, but what hooked me was thinking about the concept and expanding on it in my own mind. That being said, there were a couple of stories that were real standouts in their entirety. Precious Little Things, which is about a society of tiny homunculi that arose in a wizard's tower as the wizard stood frozen in time but leaking power, apparently serves as a prologue for the novella Made Things, which I will definitely check out. The Final Conjuration is one of the most unique takes I've seen on a Sherlock Holmes story, which is a pretty competitive field, and is also very good in it's own right. Goblin Autumn is the last story in the collection, and I think I will be thinking about it for a long time. I will say, after reading enough stories, the structure that Tchaikovsky tends to gravitate towards becomes a little more obvious, and it becomes easier to anticipate the plot twists when you come to recognize the types he likes to use. Overall I think this is a very strong collection, but it may be best enjoyed a little at a time. 

Lady Tremaine

 Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (2026), 352 pages

Mother's always know that sometimes hard choices need to be made for the future of your children. Sometimes those choices make you appear to be an evil Stepmother in the eyes of the very children you are protecting. This novel is a loose twist on Cinderella. It follows Etheldreda as she navigates surviving twice-widowhood in a crumbling house with little income, and three daughters who are coming of age. I don't want to give too much away, but it is a great look into single-parenthood, the resourcefulness of fake-it to you make-it(ish), and standing up for what is right while staying true to yourself. This is an imaginative take on the story and definitely worth a read.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Anaïs Flogny (2024) 240 pages 

Cinematic and expansive. Parallels some of the Godfather trilogy organized crime milieu, but with a gay man at the center. Closeted gay men, who are both immigrants in America, find the underworld of importing and selling alcohol and, later, other drugs to be their way to success and power. Jules, the younger protege, and Adam are scrappy. The story moves from 1930s Chicago to 1940s New York. Eufrasio is a more violent and ambitious partner from the Mafia family in New York who comes between Jules and Adam. Jules begins to hate himself as he confronts betrayal and guilt.

The Elsewhere Express

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, 432 pages. 

Sometimes when people's thoughts start to drift away from their life, those people drift towards the Elsewhere Express, a train made of thoughts that promises a more magical existence, full of peace and purpose. Raya has been drifting for years, robbed of her purpose when the brother she was born to save dies young. She has tried giving up her dreams of songwriting to pursue his instead, but she can't help but feel unmoored from her life. She finds herself on The Elsewhere Express at the same time as Q, an artist who is losing his art as he loses his vision. But something else has boarded the train at the same time, a stowaway with the power to destroy the train is Q and Raya can't find a way to stop it. 

This book has maximum amounts of whimsy, balanced out somewhat by the very real pain of the characters. It feels like the show Infinity Train by way of Studio Ghibli. While the story was engaging, the setting is the real star of the show. It creates the kind of place that I wanted to linger in while I read the book. However, time nonsense is a bit of a plot pet peeve of mine, and I am afraid that does come into play into this book, which makes it a little hard for me to fairly judge the resolution. This is a book that deals heavily with the symbolic and emotional, turning it into something physical to examine it from a new angle. I don't know if I enjoyed this book quite as much as the author's first novel, but it has given me a lot to chew on, and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up rereading it at some point. 

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz, 256 pages.

The laws of the Kingdom of Fromage say that a woman cannot inherit, and Lady Camembert hates the idea of marrying a man so much that when her father dies she decides it would be much better to move to the capital and start living as Count Camembert instead. She has every intention of laying low, but is frankly pretty bad at that, and instead develops a friendship (or perhaps, impossibly, more?) with Princess Brie. Cam can't stop thinking about the princess, and it may yet bring the whole charade down around them.

This was a delightful book! The quantity of cheese puns really tickled my fancy, and it shouldn't be surprising that this isn't a book that takes itself too seriously. Most of it really captures a fairytale feeling, but it's also not afraid to throw in things like graphic tees and rotting in bed with a nintendo switch to capture the right vibe. The art is very expressive, and I really liked the character designs! I picked this up on a whim when it came across the circulation desk at the library, and I'm glad I did! This book was just plain fun, and I would recommend it. 

Unequal

Unequal : the math of when things do and don't add up by Eugenia Cheng (2025) 386pp

An unusual look at advanced, abstract mathematics with commentary on how numerical complexity can be applied to humanity. Cheng is a first-class writer, but her argument is a stretch, and we would be better served with two separate books. Her discussion of category theory is interesting but Cheng then asks the reader (who she assumes is clueless about advanced math) to apply this abstraction to humanity’s problems. Synergy, cross-disciplinary cooperation and communication across silos are all important, but an attempt to equate maths with social quandaries does not compute. 

 

The Hunting Party

 The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (2018), 406 pages

A group of thirtysomething friends meet up in the secluded Scottish Highlands for their annual New Year's Eve party. What could go wrong? Everything. bwahahaha

I enjoy Lucy Foley's mysteries. While her characters are not particularly innovative, she does keep you guessing as to who was actually murdered and by whom. It must have been over halfway through the book before we even know who died. She very cleverly and slowly reveals those answers. Of course, there are red-herrings and intricate back stories, but it is a satisfying mystery and quick read.

The Impossible Fortune

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (2025) 352 pages

Osman keeps the activity fresh in his fifth installment of the Thursday Murder Club mysteries, starting with the wedding of Joyce's daughter, Joanna, where Nick, the best man, confides in Elizabeth that someone is trying to kill him. He hopes that the retired spy can help him. This case helps bring Elizabeth out of the numbness she has felt since her husband died. Nick and his partner Holly run a secretive underground cold storage facility utilized by people trying to keep information safe. Nick and Holly are trying to cash in on a risk they took long ago to take cryptocurrency in lieu of cash as a rental fee, and the value of the cryptocurrency has soared to 350 million. When one of them dies and the other disappears, the Thursday Murder Club members fan out to visit possible suspects.

Meanwhile, Ron's daughter has finally had enough of her abusive husband, pulling a gun on him. Now she's in hiding, and has left her precocious son, Kendrick, in the care of her father and brother, while her husband plots against her.

Another storyline has to do with Connie, a cocaine seller whom we met previously. Ron is responsible for her getting prison time, and she would like to kill him now that she's out. But she's been working with Ibrahim, Ron's best friend, who is trying to get her to mentor young people to keep them from going afoul of the law. Little does Ibrahim know that Connie's mentoring has encouraged a young woman to plan a heist!

The action keeps moving, while the characters that we know and love from this British series are on the hunt for a killer. Even some of the "bad guys" are lovable in their own way. The seemingly unrelated plots converge at times in this hard-to-put-down-book.

Death on the Island

Death on the Island by Eliza Reid, 336 pages

When a group of international luminaries gathers at a fancy restaurant on a tiny island off the coast of Iceland, they're expecting good food, experimental drinks, and politically charged conversation where everyone is angling for support of their specific cause. However, they also get a murder, as one of their number doesn't survive the post-dinner drinks. Trapped on the island by bad weather, the ambassador's wife sets out to catch the killer with the help of a couple other diners.

This book melds the locked-room vibes of Agatha Christie with the atmosphere of Nordic noir, and for the most part, it works. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that the end didn't really work for me. If you pick it up and want to chat though, I'm here and ready to talk. :)

Flesh

 Flesh by David Szalay (2025), 368 pages

I am not really sure the point of this book. It follows Istvan, a Hungarian, from his teenage years to old age. Normally I love a sweeping life story. This one I did not. There wasn't a lot of depth, and, honestly, it felt like it mainly dealt with his sex-life and how it affected/progressed his life. A lot of reviews have noted that the sparse dialogue provides a contemplative, detached voice that resonates with Istvan's humanity. I found it sluggish and tedious. It would be interesting to see how many times the following riveting conversations occur in the book:

"Yes?" - "yes."

"Yeah?" - "yeah."

"Ok?" - "ok."

I realize it won the Booker Prize, so obviously many folks liked it. I just wasn't one of them.

Where We Belong

 

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin (2012) 372 pages

Marian had a child when she was eighteen and gave the baby up for adoption. She kept her address up-to-date at the adoption agency. Still, she is dumbfounded when the child, now eighteen herself, shows up unannounced at Marian's NYC apartment. Kirby is going through her own teenaged angst as a high school senior and feels that her adoptive parents don't understand her. When she finds Marion, she doesn't understand why her birth mother is avoiding talking about what really matters to Kirby, and instead, takes her shopping. Kirby finally learns the astounding information that her birth father doesn't even know that she exists at all.

The story shows the back and forth of emotions in such a fraught situation. Not only Kirby, but her parents, her birth mother, and her birth mother's parents are all finding their way through the changed world that results as Kirby goes on her quest to find the other important people in her life.

I thought the story was well-handled and riveting, with chapters alternating between Marion's and Kirby's points of view. As a bonus, Kirby lives in St. Louis and there's enough local color to make the story seem more real.

Tusk Love

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon, 288 pages

Daughter of an increasingly poor merchant, Guinevere's job in live is clear: marry up, make sure there's plenty of money to support her parents, and be an obedient wife cranking out babies. Her parents have found her a husband and beckoned Guinevere to his home, directing her to make haste and bring along their remaining riches. Unfortunately, her carriage is beset by bandits, and her life is saved by half-orc Oskar, who is on his way to visit some relatives that he's never met. But because he's a nice guy, he redirects his path to escort Guinevere, despite the fact that she clearly isn't suited to his style of travel.

This book is written to take place in the Critical Role universe, and is obviously written with those fans in mind, with locations, names, and descriptions galore — and somewhat distracting from the plot of an otherwise bog-standard romance novel. You can read it if you're not familiar with Critical Role (I'm not), but I get the feeling those of us who aren't are missing something.

A Game in Yellow

A Game in Yellow by Hailey Piper, 288 pages

Carmen and Blanca have been in a bit of a rut, sexually speaking, despite scraping the bottom of their vast barrel of kink-related twists. Blanca thinks she has the answer in a mysterious woman named Smoke, who introduces the couple to a play that is much more than it seems. Soon Carmen has been pulled under the play's influence, unable to tell what's real and what's not.

This is a very particular sort of erotic-meets-psychological horror, one that I'm sure has its fans. However, I am not one of them. This was a strange book, and while I did want to know where Carmen would end up, getting there was certainly a journey I don't want to take again. If anything about that first paragraph intrigues you, by all means, give this a read; otherwise, I have a boatload of other horror novels to recommend.

Eleanore of Avignon

Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth de Lozier, 320 pages

In 1437, Eleanore is a skilled herbalist and midwife who flies below the radar, but longs to get the same medical education as men. She gets her opportunity when she meets the personal physician of Pope Clement during a chance encounter, bargaining for an apprenticeship and soon becoming indispensable as both the Black Death and a pregnant (and disgraced) Queen Joanna arrive in Avignon. Of course, the more prominent her position, the more she comes to the attention of the zealots seeking someone to blame for the epidemic sweeping through the land.

This isn't a particularly new take on the idea of intelligent, medicinal-focused women being called witches and blamed for illness, but it is a captivating tale. Eleanore and her predicament are compelling, if not entirely believable at times. Still, an interesting read worth picking up.