Month: September 2023

Blog Tour: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch”

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Book: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” by Melinda Taub

Publishing Info: Grand Central Publishing, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Review: First of all, thanks again to Laurel for reaching out about participating in this blog tour! I obviously love all things Jane Austen, so I jumped at the opportunity to read and review a unique re-imaging like this one. And, spoilers, as I loved it so much, I truly hope this tour helps raise this book up in the awareness of Janeites, as I think it’s the kind of re-telling that will work for a lot of the P &P fans in the community.

I will admit to being initially a bit skeptical of the entire premise of this book. Not only was it claiming to re-tell “Pride and Prejudice” from the POV of one of the more unlikable characters in that story, namely Lydia Bennet, but it was also going to mange to re-imagine this Regency world to the point that Lydia was also a witch. Oh, and Kitty’s a literal cat and and Wickham is a demon AND still a potential love interest. I have to say, I was more skeptical of the latter being possible than the former! But man, was I proven wrong! Turns out you can write such a book!

So, I think there are two ways to evaluate this book. One has to do with how it does in regards to maintaining or accentuating the original story. And the other has to do with what success it has with its original characters and concepts. Let’s start with the original stuff, as I think the biggest concern with re-tellings or re-imagings of beloved classics is that the new version will somehow harm what is most enjoyed about the original. And I think that was one of the cleverest conceits of this approach to the story. Lydia shows up on the page very little in the original story, and she’s nowhere to be found, doing who knows what (well, flirting with Wickham), throughout almost the entire second half of the book. By focusing on her story, the author allows the plot of the original to unfold neatly on its own in the background. I was also impressed with the way the author wove Lydia’s story in and out of the plot points of the original, all while creating a story that could have neatly existed right alongside the original, with no one the wiser (well, a few characters the wiser, but they would have their own reasons for not telling).

There were also a number of small Easter egg type tie-ins to the original story that are sure to please fans. Just a small example, but in the original story, there’s a bit of a throwaway line about how, when found in London, Lydia pays no attention to and ignores Mrs. Gardener when she tries to speak with Lydia about her behavior and situation. Here, the author cleverly references these interactions, but comes up with an entirely different reason for why Mrs. Gardener would come away with this re-enforced negative impression of Lydia.

Beyond this, I really liked the original characters, or new versions of old characters. Kitty being an actual cat, of course, was very clever and worked surprisingly well for the story. I also liked demon!Wickham. There were some very clever adjustments to his backstory and timeline that go far to allow him to be a satisfying love interest in this new version, all while retaining enough of his “Wickam-ness” to fit alongside the original. Of course, we also got to spend a lot more time with characters like Mrs. Forster, the woman who befriends Lydia and invites her on the fateful trip to Brighton. I really liked the arc that we saw in this friendship. While the romance is, of course, nice, much of Lydia’s personal arc has more to do with the friendships and sisterhoods she experiences throughout this book. We see close relationships falter, new relationships form, and original judgements of other women be wildly off-base. For example, not only does Miss Darcy play a fairly major role in this story, but we also get a character that is referenced in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, “Sandition” who also is heavily involved in the overall plot.

And, of course, I really liked Lydia! Her voice, especially in the first half of the novel is familiar and deftly inline with the version we know from “Pride and Prejudice.” But as the story continues, the reader begins to realize that Lydia is an unreliable narrator, and the story becomes more complex on a character level from there. The magic and fantasy elements also worked surprisingly well, weaving naturally in and out alongside our familiar Regency world. Frankly, the story commits to the fantasy elements WAY more than I was expecting; there’s a lot more to it than “Oh, Lydia Bennet as a bit of magic, but it’s no real change!” Really, this book worked in pretty much every way that matters! There was, perhaps, a bit of a drag in pacing towards the middle of the story, but even then, I was having enough fun with the entire experience to be unbothered. If you’re a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” and looking for a completely new take on the story, this book is definitely for you!

Rating 9: The confidence it takes to change famous Austen characters into cats and demons and witches is only matched by the sheer skill with which Taub manages to pull it all off!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best of 2023: Jane Austen Variations and Best Books with “Witch” in the Title.

Year of Sanderson: “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter”

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“Year of Sanderson” is an on-going, monthly series that will post on the last Friday of each month in which I will cover various Brandon Sanderson-related things. This will largely be comprised of book reviews (some from his back catalog and some from the books being released this year), as well as assorted other topics like reviews of the items in the swag boxes that will be coming out as part of Sanderson’s Kickstarted campaign. Frankly, we’ll just have to see what we get from this series, very much like the Kickstarter itself!

Book: “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Dragonsteel Entertainment, July 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org| Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?

Review: Here we are back again with the third new book from Brandon Sanderson for the year! We have had a bit of an up and down time of it so far, with “Tress” being one of my favorites of his books ever, and then “Wizarding Guide” ending up as one of my lower rated Sanderson books that I can remember. But I’m pleased to report that this book sees a return to much of what I love about Sanderson’s writing: interesting new worlds, and most importantly, very likable leading characters.

Again, I have to mention the absolutely superb quality of these special editions of Sanderson’s four novels this year. This one, in particular, is simply gorgeous. What’s more, the dreamy, romantic style of the art perfectly pairs with the slower, more character-driven and whimsical story that makes up the heart of this book. In the afterword, Sanderson mentions how his wife always pushes him to include more romance in his stories (thank you to her, since I, too, always appreciate a good romantic subplot in my fantasy/science fiction!), and so this book, with its strong emphasis on the slow-burn romance between its two main characters was really a love letter to her. And man, does it work!

When Sanderson’s character work is on point, it really is on point. And here he masterfully manages to play to two of his strengths: creative world-building and unique magic systems, all in the greater purpose of creating a situation where Yumi and Painter spend 90% of the story in close connection to one another. It is very clear, as the story plays out, how much of this world and story are built in service of this primary goal. But while these frameworks are in place to allow for the character plot lines, they also feel compelling and creative in their own right.

I very much enjoyed the two different worlds and cultures that Sanderson gives us here, with Yumi coming from a more traditional, religiously-focused culture, with many restrictions and rituals placed on her existence, and Painter hailing from a more modern world, one with electricity and even a version of TV. This allows for a very real culture clash between the two when each is forced to live in the world of the other and comes to slowly understand who the other person is and why. Each has been shaped by the worlds they come from, but when supplanted into another world, we see the true heart of each. Yumi’s bravery and resilience, Painter’s desire to protect and serve those around him. And each struggling under the enormous pressure put on them from not only outside forces, but from within as well.

The pacing of this story is much more on the slower side of things. Many scenes are included purely for character growth and the incremental, but amazingly sweet, steps that make up Yumi and Painter’s blossoming romance. There are side characters, of course, and a few of them had some legitimate surprises in store, but they all paled in comparison to Yumi and Painter. Indeed, their story was so clearly the heart of the book, that there were times when even these short moments focused on the side characters felt like they dragged the pacing down a bit.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book. It was not as action-packed as some of other Sanderson’s stories, but I think its focus on characters and the love story were truly a joy to experience. Pair that with the absolutely fantastic art, and this was an amazing reading experience.

Rating 8: A lovely, character-driven story that highlights how Sanderson’s writing can be more than just amazing magic systems.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Yumi and the Nightmare Paiter” is on this Goodreads list: Books that inspired or are similar to Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki films.

Kate’s Review: “Murder and Mamon”

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Book: “Murder and Mamon” (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries #4) by Mia P. Manansala

Publishing Info: Berkley, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: When murder mars the grand opening for Lila Macapagal’s aunties’ new laundromat, she will have to air out all the dirty laundry in Shady Palms to catch a killer…

Lila Macapagal’s godmothers April, Mae, and June—AKA the Calendar Crew—are celebrating the opening of their latest joint business venture, a new laundromat, to much fanfare (and controversy). However, what should’ve been a joyous occasion quickly turns into a tragedy when they discover the building has been vandalized—and the body of Ninang April’s niece, recently arrived from the Philippines, next to a chilling message painted on the floor. The question is, was the message aimed at the victim or Lila’s gossipy godmothers, who have not-so-squeaky-clean reputations?

With Ninang April falling apart from grief and little progress from the Shady Palms Police Department in this slippery case, it’s up to Lila and her network to find justice for the young woman.

The Calendar Crew have stuck their noses into everybody’s business for years, but now the tables are turned as Lila must pry into the Calendar Crew’s lives to figure out who has a vendetta against the (extremely opinionated yet loving) aunties and stop them before they strike again.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel!

We are so close to Autumn, or at least to that point in Autumn when you feel a chill in the air and smell leaves and woodsmoke. For horror fans like me that means I immediately think of scary stories, but I also kind of associate Autumn and Fall aesthetic with cozier literature. So it’s appropriate that one of the cozy mystery series I follow has a new book out, and it’s the one with recipes I can experiment with as the weather starts to cool down! That’s right, the next book in Mia P. Manansala’s “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries” series, “Murder and Mamon”, has arrived! And I was super glad to have it on my Kindle for the first chillier days of Fall.

We are still following the pretty familiar formula of the other “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries” books, but when it comes to a cozy mystery series that’s usually what’s to be expected. Lila is still in Shady Palms, running her coffee shop with her friends, and dealing with the kooky ins and outs of her family and extended family, all while a murder takes place and she finds herself in need of solving it. It’s still pretty enjoyable and engaging, as Lila is a fun protagonist and amateur sleuth who has fallen into the role pretty comfortably over the past few books. I like that she has found her footing, and that we are no longer dealing with love triangles for her or other pot stirring just to have some personal drama along with the crime she is after, and I like seeing her interact with our cast of characters whether they are good friends, frenemies, or people we have seen before in other cases but have fallen to the wayside in favor of newer plots. It really makes you feel like you are getting to know the small town and the people who live there.

That said, I do think that the mysteries are starting to get a little bit repetitive. This time the central mystery involves a close family member of Lila’s, as it’s now her godmothers, The Calendar Crew as they are known, that are connected to the crime, as their laundromat is the crime scene and Ninang April’s niece is the victim. It definitely makes sense for Lila to have investments in the cases when it’s people close to her that are involved, but we are running low on family members who are at stake, and I’m hoping Manansala starts to branch out a bit as the series goes on. It also probably didn’t help me that I don’t particularly care for the Calendar Crew in general, as it feels to me like their catty and gossipy behavior is always written off as more endearing than toxic. So that may be more reflective of my own preferences. But I will say that there has been a perfect set up to get Lila to perhaps have an in to becoming more of a sleuth when her immediate family isn’t involved, so I have hope that there will be a bit of that in future books.

And once again: we have recipes!! I know that it’s expected now that cozy mysteries centering around food have recipes, but I am always going to highlight this part of these books because WOW do they still sound amazing. Hell, all of the food parts of this book sound amazing, and Manansala really knows how to describe food and beverage in ways that make me very, very hungry.

“Murder and Mamon” continues the adventures of Lila Macapagal and the eccentric town of Shady Palms. The territory feels a bit well worn now in some regards, but I still enjoyed this new entry in this cozy mystery series.

Rating 6: This series remains charming and entertaining, with another engaging mystery with kooky and fun characters. I’m hoping the next outing branches out from the formula a bit next time, however.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder and Mamon” is included on the Goodreads list “Cozy Mysteries 2023 New Releases”.

Previously Reviewed:

Serena’s Review: “Shield Maiden”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Shield Maiden” by Sharon Emmerichs

Publishing Info: Redhook, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Both epic and intimate, Sharon Emmerichs’s extraordinary debut novel reimagines  Beowulf  from the perspective of a young woman reclaiming her power. 
 
All her life, Fryda has longed to be a shield maiden, an honor reserved for Geatland’s mightiest warriors. When a childhood accident leaves her tragically injured and unfit for the battlefield, her dreams are dashed—or so she thinks. But a strange, unfathomable power is awakening within her, a power that will soon be put to the test.
 
For when foreign lords and chieftains descend upon Fryda’s home to celebrate her uncle King Beowulf’s fifty-year reign, she realizes not all their guests come with good intentions. Treachery is afoot, and Fryda must gather her courage to fight for her people…as a queen should—as a shield maiden would—and as only Fryda can.
 
But as Fryda’s power grows stronger, something ancient hears its call. For buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon awakens…and Fryda must prove herself once and for all.

Review: I’m not overly familiar with the story of Beowolf. I know the general plot points, but I’ve never read any versions of the original, only loose re-imaginings. So, to continue that trend, I guess, I was happy to check out this book, another story that approaches the original from a unique angle, this time that of a young woman whose dreams of becoming a shield maiden have been hindered by a tragic accident when she was young.

This book was a bit of a struggle for me, which is too bad, because it was one of the fall titles that I was especially looking forward to. But first, I’ll cover some of the things that worked for me. For one thing, the overall writing I think is fairly strong. I wasn’t distracted by any strange turns of phrase, and the plot moved along smoothly, if somewhat slowly, throughout the story. I was also surprised by some of the choices the author made with perspective, especially the chapters sprinkled throughout that come from the point of view of the dragon that makes an appearance at the end of this story, as with the end of “Beowolf.”

But this last point also gets to a few of my problems with the story. While the writing was strong enough, I felt that the structure of the story was strange. Given the fact that the dragon had not one but multiple chapters of its own, I expected it to play a much larger role in the story itself. As it stands, the dragon only shows up at the end and is very succinctly dealt with, making the build up to this confrontation feel strange in hindsight.

I also struggled with the main character. I liked the exploration of her life attempting to become a shield maiden, seemingly thwarted at every turn by not only her role in life but also the devastating injury she sustain as a young girl which left her with limited use of one of her hands. But beyond these larger strokes, her choices and naivety throughout the story were increasingly difficult not to become frustrated by. She has not only one friend who is enslaved, but her love interest has also lived as a slave of the household. And yet Fryda seems largely unaware of what life is like for these two, close friends she’s known since children. Not only that, she is surprised when she learns of things they experience and the limitations of their existence.

I also struggled with the romance, which was very disappointing, as I went in with high hopes for this aspect of the story. But right from the beginning, I knew this wasn’t going to be for me. In the first scene in which we meet these two, they are obviously both into one another, but in both of their perspectives, the reader is subjected to fairly ridiculous inner thoughts and even outwards expressions of doubt about the other. At one point, they outright ask those around them if they think the other is into them! I believe this book is marketed as an adult fantasy, and this depiction of romance was incredibly juvenile, even by YA standards, a category to which this book shouldn’t belong.

All of this aside, I definitely think there is an audience for this book. For all that the romance wasn’t for me, I think it’s the kind that will appeal to a lot of other readers. If anything, I will admit that it was a breath of fresh air that both characters were rather straight-forwardly interested in each other, without either being grumpy or an “enemy” of the other. But, for me, this book was a bit of a let down.

Rating 7: Solid writing and an approachable romance will likely be a hit for many readers, but I was put off by some of the structure of the book as well as the overly YA nature of the love story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Shield Maiden” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Based on Beowulf.

Kate’s Review: “Black Sheep”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Black Sheep” by Rachel Harrison

Publishing Info: Berkley, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly…something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

There have been many online discourse controversies that have left me scratching my head over the years that I have been online, and one of the more recent ones was when people in the horror community got fully up in arms about the idea of ‘cozy horror’. There were some who thought that labeling some aspects of the horror genre as cozy was infantilizing, there were some who thought that horror can not have cozy or comforting aesthetics to it by definition, and there were some who were REALLY, REALLY angry from both sides. I myself don’t really use the phrase cozy horror (and I guess I sure won’t now!), but I do think that there are stories and authors that can be described as ‘horror lite’ (in that it’s still VERY valid but I may recommend her to friends who want a read for Halloween but don’t like being super freaked out or disturbed). One of the authors who comes to mind with that is Rachel Harrison, who has written books like “Cackle” and “What Sharp Teeth”, that are definitely horror at heart but have a, shall we say, lighter touch than bloodier or more twisted authors. I happen to really love her books and always recommend them to people from all genre backgrounds, and her newest one, “Black Sheep”, is another to add to the rec list! She’s done witches, she’s done werewolves, and now she’s taking on fundamentalist families and those who dare leave! With a bit of a twist.

I love Harrison’s deft touch in making these horror stories have charming and not as scary elements to them, while still making them feel very solidly in the horror genre. “Black Sheep” has some lighter moments and some nicely drawn pathos to go along with the creepier themes of fundamentalism and toxic family dynamics. Vesper is our main character, who has left her rural tight knit family behind due to their fundamentalist beliefs and how cagey they always made her feel, but decides to return when she receives a wedding invite from her teenage boyfriend and her cousin Rosie, and she wants to maybe throw in some petty drama out of past hurts. Even though she escaped the group, she is a bit of a hot mess (I mean, going to stir up shit at a wedding between an ex boyfriend and a friend, whom you left in the lurch? It’s a choice), and you wonder if that’s due to the fundamentalist sect she was raised in, or if there are other aspects at play that may be more supernatural. But she’s an endearing mess, and you definitely want her to be able to extricate herself from this toxic family dynamic while also finding her own identity that isn’t predicated on the group and their perceptions of her. She makes bad decisions, but she is also clearly dealing with a bit of trauma because of the hot and cold relationship she has with her family and her daring to leave the group and its core belief set. Like many of Harrison’s protagonists, she’s complex and sometimes frustrating, but I liked following her on her journey as the tries to reconcile her background and her future.

I also liked the way that Harrison approaches the group and family on the farm, as while they are definitely true believing fundamentalists who see anyone outside of themselves as less than, she also brings out the more enjoyable traits and aspects. It’s easy to paint groups like this in fiction as cartoon villain-y, or over the top, but Vesper’s family, while being obviously damaging and sanctimonious to a vicious degree, also have glimmers of humanity. Whether it’s a loving aunt who loves to dote on Vesper, or her cousin and childhood friend Rosie who is nervous and also elated for her wedding day, or even the few and far between moments where Vesper’s mother Constance has moments of true affection or sadness regarding the gulf between them, we see how groups like this can have these moments of humanity that are familiar and relatable. Fundamentalists scare me precisely because of the way that can be relatable, and then you may not realize you are being sucked into something until it’s too late.

And as for the horror elements, they are definitely there! Whether it’s some bits of body horror or moments of bloody violence, Harrison, while being more on the lighter side of the horror scale still can get under your skin and have scenes where you are reminded that oh yes, you are indeed reading a horror novel. There are other things that I might have otherwise gone into in this review, but I’m trying very hard to be vague because there is a bit of an element of surprise that is needed in this book.

“Black Sheep” is a fun mix of family drama, existential rumination, and affable horror tale. I so enjoy Rachel Harrison and what she is doing with her ideas within the genre, and it’s always a treat to see what she comes up with next.

Rating 8: A fun and subversive tale that examines family dynamics, destiny, and dysfunction, “Black Sheep” is a surprising horror lite novel from Rachel Harrison.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Black Sheep” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on the Goodreads shelf “Domestic Horror”.

Not Just Books: September 2023

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Video Game: “Starfield”

I held out for like a week before buying this game. Lots of self control over here, I know. I’ve been playing it fairly regularly and still only feel like I’m scratching the surface. This is both a good thing and a bad thing I’d say. Now that I’m getting more into how everything works, I’m definitely getting more into it. But it also took awhile and there’s a fairly high learning curve. That said, I think it is well worth the effort. The world/universe is huge, at times, intimidatingly so, and there are a bunch of story lines that all seem intriguing on their own. However, I’m still doubtful that this will top my all-time favorite Bethesda game, “Skyrim.” I’m discovering that I’m partially just a sucker for beautiful landscapes, so the barren look of “Fallout” and the many metallic ships and desert landscapes of “Starfield” just don’t compare for me. That said, I’ve only been to a handful of planets so far, so I could still be surprised!

Movie: “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I”

If there’s one thing that is reliable in this very tumultuous time of ups and downs within Hollywood, it’s that Tom Cruise is always good for a thrilling ride! If you’ve liked other entries in the long-running “Mission Impossible” series, this is in many ways more of the same. Lots of high energy chase and fight scenes. Tom Cruise pulls off crazy stunts. And the side characters are nicely quippy. The thing is that is different is right there in the title: this is clearly part one of a two part story. Things tie up well enough that you’re not left on the edge of your seat, but the next mission is set up and the ultimate resolution with the big bad is yet to come. I’ll definitely be checking it out when it does (though who knows when that will be now!)

Show: “Jury Duty”

I remember selecting this show with my husband based on nothing but the oddness of the premise: one guy who thinks he’s part of a real trial documentary but in truth is surrounded by actors and its all a set-up. It’s a strange concept and one that really lives and dies on the real life individual at the heart of it. Without knowing how they cast Ronald, it’s hard to know how much of what worked about this was the pure luck that was him being such a stand-up guy or how closely they were able to select towards what they wanted. It’s a quirky, fun show, with one of the highlights being watching James Marsden really play up the obnoxiousness of actors in the real world.

Kate’s Picks

Music: The Chicks

The Minnesota State Fair wrapped up at the beginning of September, but right at the start of it I was lucky enough to see country/Americana band The Chicks play at the Grandstand with my mother, aunt, and cousin. I had seen them at the same venue with the same people in 2016, and going back was a lot of fun, mostly because 1) The Chicks are still pissed as hell about a lot of things, and 2) it gave me a chance to get back into their music, specifically their newest album “Gaslighter”. I love The Chicks sound, as I have always loved the Americana/bluegrass that they tend to delve in, and I LOVE the rage in so many of their songs, whether it’s about the horrific way the country music community treated them back in the early 2000s, or the way our country is so oppressive towards minority groups, or gun violence, or, most recently, cheating gaslighting husbands (“boy, I know exactly what you did on my boat” is AFLAME!!!). So great to get back into these talented ladies.

YouTube Show: “Hot Ones”

Even though I am from the Midwest, I like to think that I have a pretty strong tolerance for spice and heat levels. My husband is the same way, and we really got into the YouTube show “Hot Ones” at the end of summer for a couple of reasons. The first is that Sean Evans, the man who hosts the show and gives his celebrity guests ten hot wings with progressively higher heat levels, has such an engaging and interesting interviewing style that the interviews are almost always unique and fascinating. The second reason is that it’s always funny to see the celebrities freak out over the spice levels. We were so inspired we actually held our own Hot Ones party at our house, where some friends came over and we used actual hot sauces from the show to test our resolve and REALLY test our tolerance. I’m very proud to say that not only was I not that affected by the notorious “Da Bomb”, I did just fine until the very last sauce, which pretty much destroyed me for a good ten minutes. Not bad for a Minnesota girl.

TV Show: “Dark Winds”

I came about my love of reading honestly, with both my parents being avid readers, and I have stark memories of my Dad’s bookshelf being filled with the Tony Hillerman “Leaphorn and Chee” murder mysteries. I read a few, but never got as into it as he did (though I did like the PBS “Mystery!” versions with Wes Studi and Adam Beach!). Enter “Dark Winds”, the AMC neo-western/noir that has adapted the “Leaphorn and Chee” mysteries with a focus on bring in Native perspectives and voices into the stories that were originally written by a white man. Taking place in the early 1970s, an armored truck is robbed with both guards murdered in Gallup, New Mexico. A few weeks later, two Native people are murdered, one of whom had seen the helicopter that the robbers took. Tribal Police Officer Lt. Joe Leaphorn is assigned to the case, and gets a new partner in the young Jim Chee, who has arrived at the reservation with ambition and some secrets of his own. As they investigate, they find dark secrets and dark truths. I love Zahn McClarnon, who plays Leaphorn, and I am very eager to see where this series goes now that I’ve started it.

Rah Rah for RA!: Thriller Titles

Occasionally we here at Library Ladies get an email asking for some Reader’s Advisory. Sometimes it’s a general ‘what should I read next?’, and sometimes it’s a specific genre or theme that the reader is asking for. We do our best to match the reader to some books that they may like based on the question they give us.

Good afternoon!!!

I love thriller/mystery/murder/suspenseful books. 

Books I’ve read and enjoyed:

The Whisper Man – really scared me. 

The Good Lie – had great twists. 

The Family Across the Street – the mystery of the untitled narrator was fun to try and figure out. 

Silent Patient – small chapters had me wanting to know what’s next. 

Now I am looking for a new thriller!!

Thank you,

A

Hi A!

With the Halloween season coming up, there really is nothing like a good thriller to send chills up one’s spine and ratchet up the suspense. Based on the titles here, I have some ideas that may fit in with that you may like.

Book: “Chasing the Boogeyman” by Richard Chizmar

If you liked the threat of a small town being terrorized by a serial killer, while also looking at the way such a trauma can affect people in the community, I definitely would recommend “Chasing the Boogeyman” by Richard Chizmar. What I liked the most about this book was that it is written in a way that, while we know it is fictional, reads like an actual true crime tale with the author having a connection to the crimes and the aftermath. Richard Chizmar’s small town was an ideal slice of Americana, until a murderer began targeting young women in the community. As an adult he returns home, and decides to dive into the unsolved case, finding things he never imagined. The mystery of The Boogeyman in small town America not only has twists and turns, it also has a coming of age and personal feel to it because of the meta nature of the book. I found it deeply unsettling and hard to put down when I was reading it, and really loved the lengths that Chizmar goes to to make it feel authentic. And if you like it, I have good news! There is a sequel coming out later this year!

Book: “Dark Places” by Gillian Flynn

I feel like for many people Gillian Flynn’s go to thriller is “Gone Girl”, but for me,”Dark Places” is her best. Libby Day was a little girl and the lone survivor of a family massacre. Her older brother was convicted of the crime, and as an adult she is dealing with the trauma in less than healthy ways. When she is approached by a group of true crime enthusiasts who think her brother is innocent, she isn’t interested in engaging.. but then starts to question what she thinks to be true. You have an unlikable protagonist who may be unreliable, you have the weird specter of true crime culture hanging throughout the tale as armchair detectives try to revisit a notorious crime, and you have a family filled with secrets which ended with a terrible murder scene and a lone survivor who has fallen into a self destruction cycle. And on top of all that, you have a tense and engaging mystery where things may not be as they seem. I loved this book when I first read it, and Flynn’s gift for creating unsettling and eerie stories filled with sinister people is present and makes for a twisty read.

Book: “Falling” by T.J. Newman

If you want a thriller that is really hard to set aside, look no further than “Falling” by T.J. Newman. When I first read this book, I literally stayed up until about 2am just to finish it after telling myself I’d read a chapter or two before bed. When a commercial airline pilot finds his plane hijacked, and the terrorists have told him he has to crash the flight otherwise they will murder his whole family, he has to try and figure out if he can save his family as well as everyone on the plane. Meanwhile, his wife is playing her own game of cat and mouse with her kidnapper, and his close friend and head flight attendant is placed in charge of keeping things in the cabin calm while maybe getting more information to try and help keep everyone alive. I really enjoyed this one because it is relentless in the suspense and the plot twists, and it also has likable characters you cannot help but invest in.

Book: “Jar of Hearts” by Jennifer Hillier

I was completely blown away by this one when I read it, as it was a book I was taking a chance because I’d never heard of it or Jennifer Hillier. But when I started, the hits kept coming and it was just the twisted and suspenseful thriller I needed. Fourteen years after his disappearance, the remains of Angela Wong are found, and her best friend from high school, Georgina, is arrested. Georgina’s boyfriend Calvin at the time killed three other women, but the police think that Georgina was an accomplice in Angela’s death. And Georgina does know what happened that night. And then women in the modern day start disappearing, and are found dead in similar ways to Calvin’s crimes. What does Georgina know? And what is she hoping no one else finds out? “Jar of Hearts” is a rollercoaster with so many good reveals, as well as a complicated protagonist that is hard to trust but easy to root for.

Hopefully these are a good jumping off point! Thrillers are such a large swath, genre wise, but I think that these have some variety and may match what you are looking for!

What thrillers have you enjoyed recently? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “A Multitude of Dreams”

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Book: “A Multitude of Dreams” by Mara Rutherford

Publishing Info: Inkyard Press, August 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls. Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence? When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares that lie ahead.

Review: I pretty much went and placed a request for this book so quickly that I failed to notice much of anything about it…other than the fact that I loved the cover art! When I slowed down and took the time to actually look into the book I was requesting, I was pleased to realize that it was another book by Mara Rutherford, the author of “The Poison Season,” a book I read last winter and very much enjoyed. I also found it very amusing that this book sounds like a medieval, fantasy version of Covid lockdowns, with one of our main characters having spent many years “sheltering in place” in a castle.

While I did have a few quibbles with this one, overall I thought it was a fun, stand-alone fantasy. I liked both of our main characters, especially Imogen. Her history and experiences in the castle were interesting and lead to a lot of great character dynamics between her, her father the king, and her three sisters. But starting here and throughout the rest of this review, most of my main quibbles were that I wish there was a just a bit more…something to this book. These relationships, built around a shared secret, were all rich and ripe for delving into the complex nature of family relationships, especially when external forces twist them. There were moments when the story tackled these concepts, brief flashes into the complicated feelings that Imogen has towards her father, in particular. But I felt like these brief brushes against deeper wells of emotions often left me feeling frustrated that we weren’t devoting more time and attention to these themes.

Nico’s story is the much more action-oriented of the two. His was also the one that lead to probably the most surprising twist of the story. I was honestly not expecting this book to take the turn that it did, but once it did, I was able to catch up quickly to the type of story we’d be reading. After that, some of the other twists and turns were more expected, but not displeasing in their own right. When Nico and Imogen meet, their relationship progresses fairly quickly. It does verge a bit too closely to “instalove” for my taste, given that the entire book takes place over a few days. But as the love story isn’t the main focus of the story, I wasn’t overly bothered by the fact that it came on so quickly.

I will say, I did struggle a bit with the use of Judaism in this book. The author mentions in her note that she wanted to explore how the Jewish population was often targeted when disasters like plague struck a region. But while I think this exploration on its own is interesting (indeed, I think it’s actually been a topic I’ve seen covered in a handful of other fantasy titles within the the last few years), I wasn’t sure that the execution worked as well here. Mostly because the inclusion of Jews made me question the world-building itself. There were no other recognizable ethnic or religious groups included. Instead, the entire world is clearly second-world fantasy (some of the twists and turns take the story to a truly fantastical place), so it was throw me off to suddenly stray across a reference to the Jewish quarter. It simply read as strange. And beyond that, again, here, this was very much a theme and section of the book that was only touched on briefly here and there. It was never truly central to the story. That being the case, to not really make the treatment of Jewish communities a true central portion of your story, the inclusion felt strange when no other recognizable parts of our world were there alongside it. It almost felt like the author had written the entire book in one draft, and then decided she wanted to cover this topic of history as well and simply went back and just inserted references to Judaism into the completed text. It was strange.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I read it very quickly and did enjoy the two main characters especially. However, I was also left wanting more from a lot of the themes that were briefly touched upon in the story.

Rating 7: A good read for those looking for a fresh YA fantasy, though it fails to deeply explore many of the themes it introduces.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Multitude of Dreams” can be found on this Goodreads list: Raven & Crow

Kate’s Review: “The Stranger Upstairs”

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Book: “The Stranger Upstairs” by Lisa M. Matlin

Publishing Info: Bantam, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut.

Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage.

But as Sarah paints over the house’s horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new façade can’t conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidents—and Sarah knows there’s only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor and suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic.

When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her—her husband, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself. The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. Though she desperately clings to the lies she’s crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder . . . was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

The first thing that caught by eye about Lisa M. Matlin’s “The Stranger Upstairs” was the cover. I love seeing all these neon brightly colored and somewhat surreal thriller covers as of late! I also love the foreboding silhouette in the window of the house, which makes for a fun and weird dichotomy between the colors and the unease that lays below it. Cover aside, I was interested in this book because of the ‘murder house’ angle, as well as the influencer angle, which I had hoped would combine to make for a tense and fun thriller mystery. And I’m sad to say that we didn’t really get to the levels I was hoping for.

But first, the good! I thought that Matlin really set the scene well, building suspense in a well paced way with lots of good red herrings and misdirections while ratcheting up the tension. I liked the slow burn of the escalating stalking that is aimed squarely at Sarah, our influencer therapist who has bought an infamous murder house for content and the hope of profit. Sure, she’s harboring many secrets and her marriage is falling apart, but if this house flips well she could make money AND go viral. As strange things start happening and she starts to lose a grip on her collectedness, the plot is engaging and filled with lots of intensity. I also really liked the parallels between Black Woods House and the notorious Los Feliz Murder house, from similar crime scenes and murder details to infamy that leaks into local lore. It was a neat easter egg for people who are familiar with the crime.

But there were also things that didn’t really gel with me, which ultimately brought the book down overall. The first thing (and I’m not going to go into spoilers here) was how the entire thing shakes out. There was so much good suspenseful build up that could lead to some interesting solutions, and I was really hoping that it would all pay off. But I felt that by the end, the big reveal just kind of clunked out. It led to a twist that was okay but a bit unsatisfying, and then there was one more moment that happened right at the end that made it feel like the author couldn’t quite make up her mind as to what she wanted the ultimate reveal to be, and what kind of origin she wanted that reveal to be a part of. On top of that, Sarah was a little TOO unlikable. Let me explain that, as I generally think that female protagonists (especially in thrillers) should have the ability to be unlikable. The issue I had with Sarah was that there was a LOT of effort to make her sour, manipulative, snide, and proud of her cruelty, and it felt less like an interesting if flawed protagonist and more like a character that has a lot of checked boxes to make her unpleasant, without adding in layers and complexity to even it out. Generally, I can do with a let down ending if the main character is interesting, or vice versa, but when they are both underwhelming it makes for a disappointing read.

I do think that I would read more books by Matlin, because there was a lot of potential in “The Stranger Upstairs”. I’m bummed that it was a bit unmet.

Rating 5: There were some pretty good references and a build up I liked, but then the reveal fell a bit flat. Add in a main character who is almost too unlikable and it just didn’t hit the way I hoped it would.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Stranger Upstairs” is included on the Goodreads list “Fiction Featuring Social Media Types: Bloggers, Podcasters, Etc.”.

Serena’s Review: “The Fragile Threads of Power”

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Book: “The Fragile Threads of Power” by V.E. Schwab

Publishing Info: Tor, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

Review: I can fairly confidently say that this was my most anticipated read of 2023. Not only have I enjoyed every V.E. Schwab book I’ve read, but my favorites by were were the three books that made up her “Shades of Magic” trilogy. And its been years and years and years since those books came out! I wasn’t even expecting a return to this world as the original trilogy ended quite neatly. But not only are we returning to the world, but we’re returning to the same main characters (plus a few extras) several years later! The best of the best.

And yes, there was a lot to like about this book! First and foremost, for fans of the original trilogy, I’m happy to report that our main characters are just as awesome as you remember them, perhaps even more so as they tackle the ever more complex relationships between one another. I was a bit concerned going in that Lila, Kel, Rys and Luc would be relegated to background characters who just flitted in and out of the main storyline. But rest assured, they play vital, central roles to everything that is happening. Per my experience with the first trilogy, Lila is still far and away my favorite character of the four. As the book plays out, the story jumps backwards in time at several points to show how are characters have lived over the last eight or so years. Through these flashbacks, we get to see Lila as a captain, Lila as a reluctant leader, and, best of all, Lila as a support system for Kel as he deals with the loss of his magic. Of course, her “support” comes in the very hard-nosed style that we all would expect from her.

For his part, Kel’s story was heart-breaking as he traverses the various stages of grief over the loss of the central portion of his identity. Schwab doesn’t shy away from the very dark places that this kind of loss can inflict on people. Rys probably gets the least page time, but for this book, at least, his story is the most straight-forward: learning how to become a king at a very young age. Alucard was the one who surprised me the most, however. In the original trilogy, he felt like the least of the four characters (not necessarily in preference, just in page time and the amount of story given to him). But here he is probably the most central character of the four to the main arch and mystery that makes up the plot of this book. I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with this character, and I’m very intrigued to see where he goes from there.

Now, to the new characters. Yes, of course, they are very good as well, especially Tes, the young girl with the extraordinary ability to see and manipulate magic itself. Her history was interesting, with a complicated and, at times, frightening family. And her abilities open a lot of pathways forward (perhaps too many? She definitely has the potential to run the story into the “Superman problem” where a character is so over-powered that essentially any conflict going forward could be solved by that one person simply intervening). I also liked the Antari queen that we meet in White London. There’s an interesting mystery building there, but I have to admit that she was my least favorite of the group. Not because she was a bad character in her own right, but because she had some stiff competition and there were a few mysteries that I feel are leading in a very obvious, dark direction which makes me struggle to truly connect ot her.

So, that’s a lot about characters, and there’s a reason why: Yes, I mostly read for characters, so that’s common of my reviews. But in this case, the characters were truly the heart of the story. As much as I enjoyed this read, and I really, really did, it definitely suffers as being the first book in a trilogy. Almost 90% of the story is devoted to understanding how our familiar characters ended up where they did and introducing the new characters and their history. Beyond that, there’s a rather short, simple mystery that is resolved at the end. But it’s also clear that Schwab is placing much larger pieces on this chessboard, and much of this book is spent properly positioning everything. That alone is why I had to knock this one down from a 10 star rating. But on pure enjoyment, pure joy at seeing beloved characters back on the page again, this is definitely a top tier book!

Rating 9: It’s a rare feat to return to a beloved fantasy trilogy, pick up fan favorite characters and manage to not break anything in the process, but Schwab makes it look easy! A triumphant return that’s nothing less than masterful!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Fragile Threads of Power” is on this Goodreads list: [ATY 2024] Touch of Magic.