Here We Go Again

 Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun, 368 pages.

When they were kids Logan and Rosemary were best friends, and the natural way they fit together made them both better. Until a betrayal the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals, a rivalry that has only gotten more heated now that they're both teachers at the high school they grew up in. But when the former teacher they both love tells them the cancer that has been killing him slowly has decided to kill him quickly instead, and he insists they both take him on a cross-country road trip to Maine, they have no choice but to be trapped together for an extended time. The road trip gets longer and more significant than they planned for (although perhaps not more than Joe planned for) they realize that the feelings between them haven't really faded over the years, and are perhaps even stronger than two adolescent girls who didn't yet realize they were lesbians could have known. 

Alison Cochrun always writes wonderful, sincere romances with neurodivergent characters, and this one is no different. A rom com about death is a unique premise, and this novel does an excellent job balancing grief and joy. I really enjoyed this book.

What You are Looking for is in the Library

 

What You are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama  300 pp.

I came close to giving up on this book after the first chapter because I didn't find it interesting. When I started the second chapter I decided to continue and I am glad I did. The story begins with a woman whose lucrative career is derailed by the birth of her baby. A visit to the library in the local community center leads to a meeting with the reference librarian, who is an unusual woman with a hobby of making small felted items. The librarian gives the woman a list of the books she requested but includes an entirely different book which turns out to be just what the woman needs. The same pattern occurs in subsequent chapters with different characters who visit the library. In addition to the library visits, there are other random connections between each character. It's a slow starter but worth continuing to the end.   

We Solve Murders

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, 400 pages

Amy Wheeler is a high-priced bodyguard for some pretty notable clients, as well as anyone who has the funds to secure her services. (For example, right now she's guarding bestselling author Rosie D'Antonio, who has a hit on her after writing a real Russian drug kingpin into her latest novel, and making him look bad in it.) However, when a few social media influencers that she recently guarded wind up dead not long after, Amy's convinced that one of her shadier past clients has designs on Amy's death. With the help of her retired police officer father-in-law, Steve, and Rosie's private jet and connections, Amy's on a world-wide search to track down the mysterious man who wants her dead.

The first non-Thursday Murder Club book by Osman, this one has many of the same hallmarks — goofy older characters, smart younger ones, and a quirky sense of humor — but with a more adrenaline-filled plot. I enjoyed the story immensely, and I was glad to read in the afterword that Osman has more stories of Amy, Steve, and Rosie planned for the future. This will definitely be a hit with Thursday Murder Club fans and those who enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.

*This book will be published Sept. 17, 2024.

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves (2024) 282 pages

Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree is a grandmother who lives in an old house filled with extended family on Eastport Island, off the coast of Maine. She and her friend, Ellie White, run a popular bakery called the Chocolate Moose, but they're also known for their investigative skills.

Ellie's friend Sally has contacted them to help find a gold doubloon her husband had inherited, which is missing, along with her husband. She figures her husband is dead, but he'd told her that the value of the gold piece could help keep their three kids cared for, if needed. And with his absence, it's definitely needed.

Jake and Ellie alternate between baking delicious treats and motoring between islands looking for clues.  A group of shark researchers is coming to town soon, and they've asked for 48 Chocolate Raspberry Scones, and even though the bakers have never made this particular treat, they've agreed to fill the order. 

The story's told from Jake's point of view: She's funny and lovable. Prepare yourself for mouth-watering treats, searching for possibly dead bodies, criss-crossing the water while large sharks follow, and much more.

Son of the Storm

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, 487 pages

I first read this book a few years back, and my blog post from then sums it up pretty well. I still think it's an excellent start to a fantasy trilogy, though after discussing it with the Orcs & Aliens, I realize that one of the main characters, Danso, is more an annoying doofus with his naivety than I had initially thought. Still, a good book, and I'm definitely going to check out the sequel one of these days.

Dreadful

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, 349 pages

When dark wizard Gavrax wakes up in his workshop at the beginning of this book, all he knows is that something went wrong with a magical working, as nothing else — not his name, where he is, what's going on, anything — can be found in his memory. After a bit of fumbling about the castle (hey, he has a castle!), he learns that he recently kidnapped a princess for a dark magic working with three other wizards, though he naturally has no clue as to the purpose of the upcoming event. Also, he's not so sure he really wants to be as evil as he apparently was before the memory-wiping disaster, and this might be a good time to turn over a new leaf, morality-wise.

This is an enjoyable book that pokes fun at dark wizard stereotypes, toxic masculinity, and even the hero tropes of fantasy. For a debut novel, it's lovely, and I look forward to seeing what else Rozakis has to offer in the future.

The Art of Catching Feelings

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson, 384 pages

Daphne is going through a rough divorce when, after a few too many ballpark beers, she heckles a baseball player during a game...who promptly begins to cry. Coming to her senses later, Daphne reaches out to the player on Instagram with a long apology where she accidentally forgets to note that she's the one who heckled him. The player, Chris, has been privately mourning his brother's suicide for months, and so when he gets Daphne's somewhat anonymous online message (he knows her only by her handle, Duckie), he opens up to her in a way that wasn't possible in real life. But when Daphne gets a job working with the media team for Chris's team, they're suddenly interacting in person (and naturally sparks start to fly), though Daphne can't find a way to reveal that she's also Duckie.

There's something a bit hard to believe about this book, when the entire premise could've been fixed with a quick "oh, btw, I'm the one who heckled you, sorry!" DM. Otherwise, the relationships and personal hang-ups seem fairly realistic, and it's a generally fun book. I just wish it didn't have such an easily fixable premise!

The Seventh Veil of Salome

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 336 pages

In 1950s Hollywood, it seems that every other movie is a sword-and-sandal epic, often with Biblical stories at the center. At the moment, every actress wants to play Salome in the titular film, so many are shocked when an unknown Mexican immigrant named Vera lands the coveted role. But while drama unfolds onscreen, bigger issues unravel behind the scenes, with jealous rivals, overt racism and misogyny, and family drama.

I'll be completely honest: I didn't particularly enjoy this book. It was a decent look at the 1950s Hollywood, but the alternating chapters between real life and the movie were a bit awkward (as in, it wasn't clear that it was the movie and not a historical Salome being featured) and I found it hard to root for any of the characters. Read Nghi Vo's Siren Queen for a better book about old Hollywood.

*This book will be published Aug. 6, 2024.

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, 209 pages

In this classic of Nigerian literature, fearless Igbo warrior and village leader Okonkwo must deal with the repercussions of his own follies, as well as the breakdown of traditional culture in the face of colonizers. It's a powerful book that confronts colonization, toxic masculinity, and stubbornness head on. I first read this in high school and absolutely hated it, but on this second read, I very much appreciated the story and its nuances. I look forward to discussing the second book in the African Trilogy (Arrow of God) later this month.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman (2023) 448 pages

It's 1812 and Lady Augusta and her twin sister Lady Julia, aged 42, are working behind the scenes to right some wrongs. Their parents are dead and their younger brother, who is now head of the family, tries to hold the reins over them since they are both unmarried. Augusta and Julia are different in temperament. Augusta is not afraid to speak up, while Julia is more the peacemaker. They work well together, along with their butler Weatherly, and eventually with a former Lord who is on the run because he was found guilty of killing another man in a duel and is supposed to be serving out a prison term in Australia. Over the course of the book, the women, along with their allies, work to save a number of women and children from mistreatment, as secretly as possible. 

The book's setting in the 1800s belies its modern feeling, and the strong wishes that the women have to help those in great need. There is some talk about whether God exists, women's rights (or rather, the lack of them), and more. The book ends after their third adventure, but before all the details can be worked out. However, I hear that a sequel is in the works.