The last tourist

The last tourist / Olen Steinhauer, 375 pgs.

Another wonderful book in the Milo Weaver series by Steinhauer, the only person who seems to be able to write the spy stuff as well as Le Carre.  This latest book is set in present time. The Department of Tourism is no more but welcome The Library.  Staffed with Reference Librarians and headed by Weaver, they are collecting intelligence for their patrons and keeping it flowing. If there was a better use for the library jargon, I can't think of it.  In the new world order, lots of terrible things are happening but no one sees a connection.  Leave it to Weaver to stumble upon more and more before realizing the one line that runs through many events.  This book is as exciting as any thriller and the intricate plot keeps you on your toes.  Steinhauer has created such an interesting spy ecosystem, I hope the title isn't a hint that this is actually the last in this series.

The Obsidian Tower

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso, 514 pages

When a book begins with a rhyming mantra about guarding a tower and repeats the line "Nothing must unseal the Door," it's a pretty safe bet that the capital-D Door will be opened somewhere in that book. Well, that's how this book start, and Caruso makes sure we don't have to wait long. Warden of Gloamingard Castle and granddaughter of the castle's immortal Witch Lord, Ryxander's broken magic kills everything it or she touches, and that apparently includes the seal upon the titular block of obsidian, which breaks open and begins unleashing hell (literally, with demons and everything) in the middle of diplomatic talks Ryx is hosting. Can Ryx keep the demons at bay, close the Door, broker peace, AND keep from killing anyone in the process? Who knows?!? But it sure is a hell of a lot of fun watching her try!

I'm a sucker for a good found-family story, and this one definitely has that, as Ryx is literally broken and thus has no friends before the Rookery (a sort of neutral magic investigation squad) turns up. It also has plenty of political intrigue (death! grievances! power struggles! potential world wars!) and the odd bit of flirty verbal sparring. Also: the craziest castle this side of Howl's moving one. This was a bunch of fun, and I can't wait to see what the second book brings when it comes out next year.

Under Wildwood

Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy, 560 pages

The second book of Meloy's Oregon-set, foresty hipster fantasy trilogy finds cyclist Prue traveling back into the Impassable Wilderness to help restore the natural order to the land, once again with the help of now-bandit Curtis. But this time, they're fighting off kitsune assassins and racing against nefarious industrial titans who scoff at child labor laws and have Curtis's sisters hard at work. It's the second book in a trilogy and as such has that weird nothing's starting, nothing's finished feel about it, though my daughter and I certainly enjoyed it. Our favorite part was when Prue and Curtis encountered a community of blind shouting moles and their elaborate Fortress of Fanggg, which made us giggle every time I read it aloud. On to Book 3!

The Man Without Talent

The Man Without Talent by Yoshiharu Tsuge, 216 pages.

Tsuge's graphic novel about a man who routinely and continuously disappoints his wife and child because of his lack of ambition and inability to form a viable plan for supporting his family. He tries repairing and selling old cameras, working as a ferry operator, and selling rocks. He leads an unsettled life, thinking that money will be coming in soon from his semi-preposterous ideas. An odd look at some odd people in mid-eighties Japan,

Department of Mind-blowing Theories

Department of Mind-blowing Theories / Tom Gauld, 154 pg.

Should I just go for the obvious here and say, "Read this book, it will blow your mind!" or should I consider something more subtle. Nah.

Gauld is excellent, as always.

The Firsts

The Firsts: The inside story of the women reshaping congress / Jennifer Steinhauer, 262 pgs.

A behind the scene look at some of the "freshmen" women elected to the House in 2018.  After seeing some headlines about most, it was good to learn a bit more about their elections, the districts they represent and the change they represent.  Two Native American's, Muslim, women of color, women with military and national security backgrounds.  Will they bring change?  Will they accomplish their goals? What will success look like.  I was struck by at least one who commented that they didn't know if they would be there in two years so refused to vote against her beliefs system even if to fit into the wider party narrative.  Despite some early controversies, they are mostly marching to the beat of their own drummer, sticking together and revising this staid body of legislators.

Party of Two

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, 337 pages

Career-driven Olivia Monroe has just moved to L.A. when she meets a cute kinda familiar-looking guy at the hotel bar. They strike up a conversation about cake and pie (because that's the good dessert, not the fancy schmancy pastries that all the hotel restaurants put on their menus), and it's only later that Olivia realizes she's been chatting with the most eligible bachelor in the U.S. Senate, Max Powell. While he's immediately smitten with her drive and confidence, she's understandably hesitant to get involved with a senator.

A romance novel about a Black lawyer and a privileged white U.S. senator (from Beverly Hills, for crying out loud!) shouldn't be able to be adorable AND steamy AND a balanced criticism of racial disparity and the criminal justice system. But somehow, it is. It's fantastic, and Guillory proves once again that she has the Midas touch. Read this book, and everything else Guillory writes, because it's awesome.

Ship of Fates

Ship of Fates by Caitlin Chung, 127 pages

A couple of millennia ago, a young woman fled from an arranged marriage with the gold that was to be her dowry. She sailed across the Pacific Ocean and landed in California, spreading the gold throughout the land. But she later found she was cursed to live forever in a lighthouse until she regathered all of the gold to return to her family. Ship of Fates is that young woman's story, and the story of how she tried to reverse her curse, despite the complications presented by the California gold rush. It's an intriguing novella, presented as the young woman's story punctuated by second person bits about "you" listening to her tell it. I'm not sure what I thought of that bit, though I did enjoy the lessons of the young woman's tale.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, 480 pages

In early 1800s France, 23-year-old Adeline LaRue is an old maid by community standards, though she's happy to be unmarried. Unlike her peers, Addie just wants to see the world, not be married off to a man that she's unlikely to love. In fact she's so against the idea of being married that on the eve of her wedding, she runs into the forest and makes a deal that frees her from ever being accountable to anyone...but also curses her to an immortal life in which nobody remembers her once she's out of their sight. She can see the world, but she can't leave her mark on it in any way.

This is a fascinating book about what it means to be free, as well as what it means to love and be loved. I'm a fan of Schwab's previous books about magicians in various parallel worlds, but this is absolutely nothing like those. That said, it's still a wonderful, thoughtful novel, somewhat reminiscent of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. Well worth reading.

*This book will be published Oct. 6, 2020.

The Worst of All Possible Worlds

The Worst of All Possible Worlds by Alex White, 528 pages

Given the title of this book and the state of the world today, it would be understandable to think this was a non-fiction book on current events. (That's certainly what Google thought when I did an image search for the cover.) Thankfully, it's not. Instead, this book is the final book in White's Salvagers trilogy, about the magically inclined, not-always-law-abiding, highly talented crew of the starship Capricious.

This volume finds the crew once again fighting through perilous worlds and situations in their final attempts to take down the power-drunk Gods of the Harrow, a cabal of powerful galactic movers and shakers intent on... well, it seems like they just want to live forever while killing other people. The important thing is the Capricious crew is intent on stopping these jerks. Along they way, they acquire a snarky new AI in the form of a supercar/tank, and manage to track down some incredible archaeological finds to help them on their quest.

While this series probably won't win any awards, I absolutely love it for the love, friendship, and snark that makes the crew a wonderful found family. Highly recommended for fans of Becky Chambers, Valerie Valdes, and Firefly.

*This book will be published July 28, 2020.