Hearts of Oak by Eddie Robson

 

I do not know how I feel about this book! I have 15 different opinions. It's a dimestore Piranesi, but also Westworld-meets-Truman Show- meets Alien. But the style is much like Star Trek: The Original Series.  Our story takes place in a walled kingdom made entirely of wood. A king lives in a tower, out of touch with his people, his only advisor a talking cat. Below, an architecture professor meets a mysterious woman that triggers realizations about life beyond the walls. Of course, the two stories eventually converge.  I seemed to go through a cycle of different reactions, including "huh?" "Okay, I think I see" and "meh?".  On the one hand, I appreciated that I had no idea where the author was taking me. On the other hand, a lot of problems were solved with a hand-wave and it lacked the sort of texture that immerses you in a sci-fi or fantasy story. I don't read much of this sort of thing, but it was definitely interesting.

Lady Tremaine

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser, 352 pages

Most of us are familiar with the story of Cinderella, who is forced to be a servant for her stepmother, Lady Tremaine. This book takes that familiar story and reimagines it from the stepmother's point of view, and in much the same way that Wicked made a sympathetic, three-dimensional character of the Wicked Witch of the West, Lady Tremaine paints the titular character with many shades of gray, helping put us in her shoes, attempting to find good matches for her daughters and stepdaughter, despite having no husband or income. It's a great read for fans of fairy-tale retellings, or for anyone who thought there might be more to the villain's story.

Dungeon Crawler Carl vol. 1

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl vol. 1 by Matt Dinniman, Tevagah, and Laurel Pursuit Studios, 320 pages.

Chasing his ex-girlfriend's cat through the snow is the only thing that saves Carl's life when aliens crush every structure on the surface. Carl follows a stairway underground that leads him to Dungeon Crawler World, the universe's premier game show and exceptionally lethal death game. Carl better learn the rules of this new world fast, because any mistake could be deadly. 

I was skeptical of this graphic novel of the popular book, not because I don't like the books, but because I suspected this would mostly be a simplified version of the novel I already read with the addition of some occasionally gnarly art. However, I decided to give it a try when it came across the desk at the library, and I'm glad I did! The art here is very expressive, and conveys the action and feelings of the characters very well in a way that felt like it was actually adding something to the original. They also showed a lot of restraint with illustrating the grosser elements of the source material, which I appreciate a lot. I will probably read more of these as they come out! 

The Serpent in Heaven

The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris, 304 pages. 

 

 This 4th entry in the Gunnie Rose series doesn't actually contain the titular Gunnie Lizbeth Rose, but rather her little sister Felicia. Felicia has been studying at the Grigori Rasputin school in the Holy Russian Empire, although not being taught the kind of magic she wants because nobody there thinks her capable of it. However, when danger comes to the school in the form of Felicia's past, she will have plenty of chances to prove herself. 

 Unfortunately, this is by far the weakest book in the series. This is partially because Felicia is a much weaker than Lizbeth, but not entirely. I also found the hand of "people making nonsensical decisions to make the plot work" to be extra heavy this book, and I had a hard time telling the difference between when 15-year-old Felicia was jumping to crazy conclusions and when those nonsensical conclusions were somehow true. This was weak enough that I'm not sure I will continue the series, but the next book is back to Lizbeth and the fantasy western concept that caught my interest in the first place, so I may give it another chance. 

The Odyssey

 The Odyssey by Homer (751/2000), 541 pages

Like many folks, I picked up The Odyssey to read it before watching the movie. I had a long car ride ahead of me and decided to use the time to listen to the audio version. I had read snippets of The Odyssey in school, but remembered very little of it. I had forgotten how encapsulated each chapter/section of the book is. I wish I could tell you the translation I listened to, but I could not find the details anywhere on the title information page provided by Libby. It seemed like a fair translation and, overall, I did enjoy the saga. At some points I wish there was more elaboration to an event and others less so. I am, though, looking forward to seeing it on the screen and it visually coming to life.

Sunny Figures it Out

 Sunny Figures it Out by Jennifer and Matthew Holm. 224 pgs. © 2025

Book #6 in the series, the most recent (my daughter says a new one is coming out next year). Sunny is older and trying to figure out romance by reading old Harlequin romance novels she finds at a thrift store. Her friend Deb explains the rules of dating--what boys should and shouldn't be doing (carrying your books, giving you their jacket, etc). but it doesn't feel right to Sunny and her boyfriend Tony. They're more like good friends who are forcing a relationship. Eventually she realized she's not like her friend Deb and has no interest in growing up too fast. 

Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1

 

Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1 by Kamome Shirahama (trans. Stephen Kohler), 204 pages.

Coco has been in love with magic her whole life, but everyone knows that witches are born, and Coco was not born with that gift. After a tragic mistake proves to Coco that she can do magic, because anyone can if they know the secret of it, she must learn to master it if she has any hope of reversing her terrible mistake. This volume covers the beginning of Coco's new life in a magic atelier with other apprentices. 

This is a stunningly beautiful manga. The art is self-indulgently gorgeous, and many normal panels are as elaborate as the art that is usually used for chapter covers. Additionally, the world is interesting, and I am intrigued by both the characters and the magic. I was brought into this series by the recent animated adaptation, but I believe I may continue with the books as well.

Sunny Makes Her Case

Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer and Matthew Holm. 224 pages. © 2024

Book #5 in the series. Ok, this has been my favorite so far. Sunny is helping out more around the house and arguing with her mom, who says she should grow up to be a lawyer. She tries out for the cheerleading squad and doesn't make the cut, but she doesn't dwell on it too long. With her D&D friends out of town, Sunny and her friend start a debate club and win first place at the championships. The funniest bit in this is when she wants to dress up nicer for the next debate, like the debate kids from the prep school. She goes to mall and picks out a pant-suit and a briefcase, which I guess was high working-woman fashion at the time. Sunny's friend also admits he likes her and asks her out on a date. 

Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot

Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot by Ace Atkins (2014) 308 pp

Facing a 2000-mile road trip I loaded up on books on CD to keep my attention while navigating the boring interstates.  How could I miss with an author named Ace Atkins? And, of course, I was familiar with Robert B. Parker’s fictitious Boston bad-boy, Spenser. The story is preposterous – a pro football player’s son kidnapped by many potential perpetrators and many motives. The cast is seemingly endless and includes Spenser’s longtime sidekick Hawk, and a new addition, Zebulon Sixkill, aka Z.  The writing is lively, albeit hackneyed, and the production is saved by the narrator, veteran actor Joe Mantegna, who has an uncanny ability to come up with a distinctive voice for each character. I’m a grump. Parker is passé.  When an author dies, don’t get a shiny new scribe to churn out the same (dated) formula stories – RIP Spenser.

Sunny Makes a Splash

 Sunny Makes a Splash by Jennifer and Matthew Holm. 224 pgs. © 2021

Book #4 in this series, another great entry. Actually this and the 5th book have been my favorites. Here Sunny is a little older, exiting7th grade, and gets a job working the snack counter at the pool. She also gets to watch the romantic relationships unfold between the lifeguards...it's better than watching General Hospital. The book makes lots of humorous references to actual things in the 1970s and it makes me chuckle to think kids are learning about The Price is Right and fluffernutter sandwiches from this. Sunny takes her first job seriously and eventually musters up the courage to jump off the high-dive at the pool. This kid is growing up fast, watch out world.