Tress of the Emerald Sea

 Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, 443 pages.

The most unusual thing about Tress is how stunningly normal she is. But when the man she loves is kidnapped by an evil sorceress, and nobody else seems inclined to do anything, she decides that she will simply have to be the one to save him. She sails dangerous seas of spores, has pirate adventures, and will have to face both a dragon and sorceress to save her love, but someone has to do it. 

This delightful book was a reread for me (you can read my original review here), and I am happy to report that I like it at least as well on a second reading. The plot is a romp, and the characters are all delightful. However, beyond being a quite fun and funny book, there are a number of lines that resonated so deeply I had to stop and sit with them a while. I am also happy to report that the Orcs & Aliens book club overwhelmingly enjoyed it as well. A great book in general, and a good starting point for anyone interested in getting into Brandon Sanderson's books. 

King Sorrow

 King Sorrow by Joe Hill, 887 pages.

In 1989 Arthur Oakes' friends come together to go to extreme measures to get him out from under the thumb of drug dealer's who have threatened him into stealing rare books from the college library. Arthur and his friends, mostly too wealthy to have any respect for the impossible, use a journal bound in human skin to summon a dragon to take care of their problem. But as with all deals with dark and dangerous entities, there is a catch, and the six young people are tricked into sacrificing someone to the dragon every year, or else be eaten by the dragon themselves. Over decades they tell themselves they are only killing evil people, and that they are improving the world, but dragons aren't interested in good and the cost only gets heavier.

This was a compelling book, although I have to admit that by the last third or so it got exhausting watching bad things happen to bad people. We spend time in the head of each of the six involved in summoning this dragon, and several of them are frankly pretty terrible. I enjoyed this book, although I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was about 200 pages shorter. 

Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea

 Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomey, 596 pages.

This book, originally published in 1908, has been a favorite of mine for a long time; and although I'm not quite as fond of the sequels, I do still quite enjoy them. For anyone who hasn't read these books in the 120 years they've been popular, they follow Anne Shirley, an orphan who is adopted into a small Canadian town and has a talent for getting into scrapes, imagining things, and seeing the beauty of the world. This time I'm listening to the books as read by Mary Kate Wiles and a full cast of her friends, mostly other actors from her Shipwrecked Comedy group. They do a great job bringing the characters to life, and I highly recommend this if you're looking for an audio version of this classic! (It's also technically a podcast, meaning that these are free on Spotify)

Storybook Ending

Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald, 320 pages

April works from home and is desperate for human connection, especially with that cute guy at the local indie bookstore. Knowing that he's the guy that handles all of the book donations, she donates a pristine copy of a popular mystery novel with a note signed only "A" tucked inside, hoping that it'll spur a conversation with him. However, instead of dreamboat bookstore guy Westley getting the note, it goes straight to widowed mom Laura, who purchases the mystery for her book club, and now thinks that Westley is hitting on her via note. Soon Laura and April are corresponding via notes left in a book at the store (which is also being used to film a movie), each thinking they're creating a relationship with their dream dude.

This has a cute premise, but it goes on WAY TOO LONG and centers on a guy that I didn't find particularly likeable. Sure, he's handsome and he knows it, but the amount of "oh, I get this attention all the time and it's such a hassle" stuff is just obnoxious. I liked the other characters just fine, and would've loved it if this book had just focused on April and Laura and left Westley as a minor side character. Alas, we get him as a third POV character. There are better bookstore-friendship books out there that are much more worthy of your time, but if you must read this one, feel free to skim the Westley chapters. 

The Blackbirds of St. Giles

The Blackbirds of St. Giles by Lila Cain, 496 pages

When Daniel and his younger sister, Pearl, escape slavery during a rebellion, they're able to save themselves, though they leave behind their mother and the love of Daniel's life. Eventually, after Daniel fights for the British in the war for American independence, he secures a future for the siblings as the heir of a British nobleman whose life Daniel saved. However, upon traveling to London, that future is swiftly stolen from them, and Daniel and Pearl find themselves scraping by in a community created in the tunnels under Covent Garden, a community run under the ruthless rule of gangster Elias. 

Focusing on an element of London life that I'd never read about in fiction, this book offers a wealth of information that has piqued my interest in further investigation. While a few elements felt a bit unrealistic (particularly a bit of bombastic action toward the end), overall the story was compelling and the characters were well-conceived. Well worth a read.

The Witch's Orchard

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan, 320 pages

Private investigator Annie Gore grew up in Appalachia and got out as quickly as she could after high school. But when a young man from a small Appalachian town offers his savings to hire her to find his missing sister, she can't say no, despite her intuition that the girl is long dead (she's been gone for a decade, after all). It's an intriguing case if nothing else, as three girls were kidnapped and one was almost immediately returned, though she's been mute since the incident and unable to provide information to help investigators find the other two girls. As Annie starts poking around the holler, she learns that not everything is as it seems, and that the local folklore of a witch and her magical orchard have permeated people's impressions of what may have happened to the girls.

This was an intriguing Appalachian mystery, full of complex characters, any one of whom could be the culprit. That said, I was a little thrown by a twist at the end, which felt HIGHLY unlikely, given the small town in which the book is set. However, go ahead and give it a read — or better yet, a listen, as the audiobook is very well done.

Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B?

Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B? by Terri-Lynne DeFino, 336 pages

Once upon a time, Regina Benuzzi was Queenie B, a celebrity chef with Michelin-starred restaurants, TV shows, cookbooks, and a husband and son. But she lost it all when her drug and alcohol addiction took over her life. Years later, Gale, a line cook with aspirations to someday run his own restaurant, volunteers to help cook at a soup kitchen, one that has suspiciously high-end appliances and kitchen tools. Gale doesn't recognize Regina as the woman running the kitchen, but that's the way Regina wants it, and it all works out just fine — until Gale is chosen to be on a cooking competition show and he discovers who his new mentor really is.

This was a lovely book about the friendship and respect that grows between two chefs at different stages of their careers and their addiction recovery journeys, and refreshingly, there's not even a hint at a romance between the two (that happens SO MUCH in this sort of book that I was half-expecting it the whole way through). The food they create sounds delicious, the main and side characters are well-created, and honestly, the only thing that bugs me about this book is the title (I get that it's a common phrase, but it's weird to see it written out.) Well worth a read.

Where the Axe is Buried

Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler, 336 pages

In the futuristic Federation, the president is a man whose consciousness keeps getting downloaded to successive bodies as the previous ones die (whether through natural or nefarious means), creating a decades-long regime of little actual change, despite new faces. Now, however, there's a plot to assassinate the president, and if all goes to plan, it may disrupt the flow once and for all. Meanwhile, outside the Federation, many Western European countries have given up on human governance, instead installing AI prime ministers to rule and regulate. But when one starts malfunctioning, it becomes abundantly clear that AI isn't the answer either.

Nayler has a great way of presenting current geopolitical and environmental issues in a thought-provoking way while still offering a compelling and exciting plot. This book is no exception. It's smart, it's complex, and it's a great example of what science fiction can do. Highly recommended.

When the Harvest Comes

When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris, 304 pages

Davis is determined have a beautiful wedding and married life with Everett, despite the fact that his family is absent and Everett's Kennedy-esque white family doesn't necessarily understand their mixed-race relationship. Davis' religious father never approved of his lifestyle as a gay man, but when Davis learns during the reception that his father was killed in a car accident, he's unfortunately starting out his married life struggling to deal with his complex feelings for the man who judged harshly (often physically) but also supported Davis' burgeoning career as a concert violinist.

Families are complex, and this is a serious look at one person's struggle to define who they are in the shadow of a traumatic and strained upbringing. This is by no means a cheerful story, though it is perhaps a bit hopeful in the end? There's definitely love, though how it's expressed and how it's received are definitely in conflict at times.

Another selection of graphic novels read in December

Closing out the year that I've been focused mainly on reading graphic novels. Genres of all types are available in the graphic format, and I've sampled quite a few. I won't stop reading graphic novels next year as I really love them, but they won't be my sole focus.

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood (2022) 196 pages

I love the summary on the back cover. "[This graphic memoir] is an intimate and metanarrative look into the life of a selfish artist who must create for her own survival." The meta use of the graphic form is one of my favorite things about it! The author struggles with anxiety and depression. I will not use the overused word r******** that she hears from so many people at comic conventions that it becomes meaningless. I have empathy and understand some of her challenges with these mental health issues. The different versions of herself are a great visual way to illustrate the way she copes with life.  Revealing the script and the process of creating a graphic memoir is fun.

Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (2021) 231 pages

This is about the joys and tensions of a queer couple who are aunties to a six-year-old niece. There is a bit of Where the Wild Things Are. And the hard conversations between couples with the psychological and emotional wounds passed down through families are featured. Intimately emotional as sibling relationships are repaired.

Yucatan 1512 by Alex Vede (2025) 80 pages

This reminded me I wanted to watch the Aztec Batman movie on HBO Max. And it reminded me of the video game Shadow of the Colossus. I loved the visual style. The story is simple and less than 100 pages, but it serves the purpose. Spanish conquistadors search for Mayan gold and slaughter innocents. One rogue soldier helps a Mayan girl escape. The cover image shows the type of creatures that rise to push back the conquistadors. I'm curious to see what else Alex Vede can do as he is just starting his career as an illustrator.

The Reprieve by Jean-Pierre Gibrat (2008) 128 pages

WWII historical fiction from France that is a prequel to the author's Flight of the Raven. Paintings are gorgeous and cozy of this French town under German occupation. The main character is witty and jokes around a lot. Julien deserted conscription by the Germans, goes into hiding, and continues falling in love with a high school girlfriend. The humor and the beauty of the art made me forget the dangers of war and the role of fate/death that cannot be escaped. I did not see the final dramatic turn coming.