Author: thelibraryladiesmn

Kate’s Review: “Tunis to Sydney”

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Book: “Tunis to Sydney” by Meriam & Christian Carnouche, & Sam Rapley (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Fairsquare Graphics, August 2024

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

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

Book Description: Lilia and Bill enjoy a tranquil life in the heart of Sydney, Australia. Bill is a local, while Lilia hails from Tunisia, making them an unconventional but inseparable pair. Their happiness has always been unshakeable, until that day. 

When Lilia receives the devastating news of her parents’ tragic death in a car accident, a staggering ten thousand miles away. She’s consumed by a profound sense of shock. The weight of unspoken questions surfaces. Did she fail her parents by not being there for them throughout the years?

As they hastily journey to Tunis for the funeral, Bill stands steadfastly by Lilia’s side, offering unwavering support. Yet, this journey unveils the fault lines in Lilia’s life, leading her to confront a cascade of profound questions.

Dive into a poignant graphic novel that delves into the labyrinth of grief, resilience in the face of loss, and the complexities of human relationships.

Review: Thank you to Christian Carnouche for sending me an eARC of this graphic novel!

I am very fortunate in that I haven’t experienced a deep in my bones kind of grief in my life when it comes to losing people I care about. I know many people who have, however, and I kept thinking about this as I read the graphic novel “Tunis to Sydney” by Meriam and Christian Carnouche. When I saw this novel in my inbox, the description sounded interesting, in that the graphic novels I read tend to be more genre focused, or full on memoir. But this one really grabbed me, and I decided to give it a try, mainly because the idea of following a woman in grieving her parents, and returning to her childhood home in Tunisia. I am so, so glad that I took a chance on this one because wow did it deliver.

“Tunis to Sydney” is very much a ‘day in the life’ kind of book, though it’s more like a few months in the life. We follow Lilia and Bill, a married couple living in Sydney, Australia, though Lilia is originally from Tunisia. When she gets a horrible phone call that both her parents have been killed in a car accident, they return to Tunis to make plans for the funeral. The story is a path of Lilia’s loss of her parents and how she maneuvers through a deep grief and all the other feelings that come with it, like shock, guilt, and rage. I though that following this journey was very poignant, and that it touches upon the guilt of leaving loved ones behind for a new life as well as a sense of loss. But that loss is not only of immediate family, but of a place as well, as Lilia has returned to Tunis after being gone for so long, and readjusting if only for a little while. Watching her move through scenes of her former home was so bittersweet, and I loved the moments with the community, and within spaces that she hadn’t seen in so long, be it her mother’s greenhouse or even the market or Zitouna Mosque.

I also appreciated how up front and honest this story was with how grief and loss, especially an astronomical one such as the loss of not one but two parents, can consume a person. Lilia is reeling through most of the story, moving from shock to guilt to sadness to anger and back around, and her emotions and palpable and completely leap off the pages. She has her moments of being overcome by many of these differing stages, and while she has her moments of being unfair or even cruel to her husband after the loss as really taken its toll, there is always sympathy for her, and the story never makes her out to be right or wrong, nor does it judge her. It shows how grief and trauma of this type can be incredibly messy, and I thought that was such an honest point of view and route to take. It also made her journey feel that much more touching, seeing her resilience in the face of despair, while her loving partner and husband is there to support her in any way he can, even if that means dealing with difficult moments.

And I REALLY loved the artwork in this. Sam Rapley’s style is a mix of realism as well as a clear aesthetic that makes for very poignant imagery that is striking. There were moments and images that really took my breath away, and really added to the overall weight of the story.

(Fairsquare Graphics)

Overall I really, really enjoyed “Tunis to Sydney”. It’s heartfelt, quiet, and deeply emotional. Absolutely lovey.

Rating 9: A lovely and melancholy story about loss, grief, and healing. Incredibly moving and stunning artwork. Highly recommend.

Readers’s Advisory:

“Tunis to Sydney” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on “Best Books About Grief and Grieving”.

Serena’s Review: “The Scarlet Alchemist”

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Book: “The Scarlet Alchemist” by Kylie Lee Baker

Publishing Info: Inkyard Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

Review: Honestly, this is one of those cases where I didn’t check out a book in a timely manner based on the cover. I really have a hard time with covers that feature models. For some reason, they always make me feel as if the quality of the book itself will be on the lower side. I’m sure I’ve missed out on several winners with this mindset, but I can’t help it! Luckily, I subscribe to a book box that included this book and when I was going through the titles I hadn’t read yet, I decided I should probably give this one a go! And thank goodness I did, since I ended up loving it!

There was so much to enjoy about this book! But one of the things that stood out was the story’s themes of family and sibling relationships. Our main character has been adopted into her aunt and uncle’s family and raised as a sibling of her cousins. With this, comes a lot of baggage about her place. Throughout the story, we see her struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome and a need to justify the love and care she’s been raised with, though from all we see, her aunt and uncle love her like she is their own. More importantly, however, the story follows the close sibling relationship with her cousins. As the plot progresses, these relationships are tested again and again. This isn’t simply a superficial take on the complicated nature of siblings, but instead dives into the warring feelings of love, jealously, and even fear that can make up the deepest bonds.

On the fantasy and world-building side, I very much enjoyed the alchemy in this story. The author does an incredible job of fully fleshing out this magic system, giving it important limits and consequences. Nothing comes for free or easily, and as the story continues, we see the true power and danger of alchemy. At the same time, it’s not an easy answer to every problem. Indeed, half the time it feels as if alchemy itself IS the problem! Towards the end, I was truly wondering how many of these elements were going to be wrapped up. And I’ll be honest: this is the first in a duology, so many of them weren’t! Instead, we were left with a fairly killer cliffhanger in at least one important way!

I also really enjoyed the main character. As I mentioned in the bit about family themes, much of the story centers around Zilan’s feelings about her place in the world. But even as she struggles, her determination and unflinching view of the world carries her through.

There was also a romantic subplot to be found, those this definitely played second fiddle to the rest of the story. I did appreciate the slower build the author gave this element. For example, Zilan meets this character fairly early when he asks her for a huge favor essentially. She blows him off and then literally doesn’t think about him again for many chapters until he shows up in her life again. It’s always refreshing to see a realistic take like this. From Zilan’s perspective, this was some random guy and a brief interaction. There is no reason for her to fixate on him, and, blessedly, she doesn’t! I could go on an entire rant about my feelings about heroines who meet the MMC one time and then seem to devote a significant amount of their inner thoughts to him for the remainder of the book. This is a great example of how to include a romance in what feels like a natural, realistic way. It’s important to Zilan, but by no means the most important thing she is dealing with.

I really loved this book! As I said, it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger in certain ways. Luckily, I have been now rewarded by my own recalcitrance regarding the cover art and don’t have to wait since the sequel came out this fall! I’ll definitely be checking it out soon!

Rating 9: With an intricate magic system and a fantastic lead character, this one is sure to please all YA fantasy fans!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scarlet Alchemist” can be found on this Goodreads list: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Fantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Alter Ego”

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Book: “Alter Ego” by Alex Segura

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, December 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC at ALAAC24.

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

Book Description: Alex Segura, LA Times Book Prize–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist mystery set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?

Annie Bustamante is a cultural force like none other: an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. But she’s never been able to tackle her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. Only known to the most die-hard comics fans and long out of print, the rights were never available―until now.

But Annie is skeptical of who is making the offer: Bert Carlyle’s father started Triumph Comics, and has long claimed ownership of the Lynx. When she starts getting anonymous messages urging her not to trust anyone, Annie’s inner alarms go off. Even worse? Carlyle wants to pair her with a disgraced filmmaker for a desperate media play.

Annie, who has been called a genius, a sell-out, a visionary, a hack, and everything else under the sun, is sick of the money grab. For the first time since she started reading a tattered copy of The Legendary Lynx #1 as a kid, she feels a pure, creative spark. The chance to tell a story her way. She’s not about to let that go. Even if it means uncovering the dark truth about the character she loves.

Sharply written, deftly plotted, and with a palpable affection for all kinds of storytelling, Alter Ego is a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Review: Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel at ALAAC24!

I will admit that when I saw that Alex Segura had written a sequel to his thriller “Secret Identity”, I was a little shocked. Not because I thought that “Secret Identity” was bad! In reality I really liked that novel, but I thought that it had been wrapped up really well, and that the story of Carmen Valdez and her comic hero The Legendary Lynx was finished. When I saw “Alter Ego” at ALAAC24, clearly I had to pick it up, even if I wasn’t sure where it could go. But I was more than happy to find out!

Note: The ARC I had doesn’t have the comic book excerpts included, as I imagine they were still in process when it was printed. So I can’t speak to that aspect of the story. That being said, I remember this device being used very well in “Secret Identity” and imagine it will be the same here. I intend to check out a finished copy ASAP!

As I said, I was way off the mark when I thought that there wasn’t much more to get from the Legendary Lynx’s story, as “Alter Ego” goes in a new, present day direction, and still finds suspense, passion, and a tantalizing mystery and story about being a woman in comics. This time it’s the story of Annie Bustamante, a comics writer, filmmaker, and author, who has been approached to reboot the Legendary Lynx by Triumph Comics and its CEO Bert Carlyle. Given that Annie loves the Lynx and has ever since she was a child, she is intrigued, but skeptical, in part because of the way Triumph wants her to team up with a controversial film director to execute the vision, but also because Bert seems… cagey. And because she’s getting messages of warning about a hidden truth about the Lynx and the danger she may be in. Segura does a great move in this book, as he picks it up a bit where he left “Secret Identity”… and then completely turns it on its head, leaving the Lynx’s still a mystery, and Annie the one to pick up the mantle of figuring it out. I loved how we got new clues, new revelations, and new moments of intrigue, while still harkening back to “Secret Identity” and the various characters within its pages, from Carmen Valdez to her illustrator to others, some of whom have a less than happy fate (no spoilers though). The mystery about the messages, how the Lynx’s true creator has still been hidden, and what it’s going to take to finally reveal the truth, and the dangers associated with it, are taut and well paced.

But what I liked the most about this book was our protagonist Annie Bustamante. Annie is driven, to the point, passionate, and a little cynical, and we are given such a rich backstory and character arc that it all falls into place very easily. She has dealt with a lot of hardship and loss, but has a resilience that makes it very believable for her to want to not only give justice to the Legendary Lynx, a character she has loved for most of her life, but that she would continue to pursue the truth about her origins even in the face of some pretty serious danger, conspiracy, and adversity. She is scrappy as hell and the perfect amateur detective, with a chip on her shoulder and a little bit of baggage to boot. And I loved that she is also a devoted and loving mom to her teenage daughter Margot, who never comes off as too precocious or unbelievable. As a Mom to a daughter who is my only child, stories like these always hit a little harder now, and I really appreciated the healthy relationship they had. Everything about Annie really worked for me, she’s one of the best thriller protagonists I’ve seen in a novel in awhile.

I am so glad that Alex Segura decided to do another book in the Legendary Lynx story, as “Alter Ego” really brings more complexity and depth to the story as a whole. If you liked “Secret Identity”, the follow up is definitely something to seek out.

Rating 8: A solid follow up with a really endearing main character and a well done mystery, “Alter Ego” continues the story of the women who pay homage to a long forgotten comics icon.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Alter Ego” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”.

Serena’s Review: “The Last One”

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

Book: “The Last One” by Rachel Howzell Hall

Publishing Info: Red Tower Books, December 2024

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

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

Book Description: Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.

Review: I was definitely excited to check this one out when the publicist reached out with a copy! From the looks of things, it seemed like it was going to be the sort of romantasy that leaned more heavily into the action than the romance, something that I typically prefer when it comes to balancing the two. However, while this proved to be correct, other factors involved left this one slipping as my reading continued.

But let’s start with some pros! And first and foremost that comes down to the action! This is a very fast-moving book, chock full of adventure and fight scenes. Right out of the gate, the plot takes off and never really stops. Now, whether the actual story is being advanced with all of this action is another question, but if you’re looking for a fast read, this one should come through for you! I’ll also say that I enjoyed the romance. There wasn’t tons of it, and I think this worked better for the conceit of this book. The MMC knows her past, but she doesn’t, which could lead to a really unfortunate power dynamic. Instead, the love story plays a definite second fiddle and only really moved towards the end of the book. The writing also has a very casual and approachable style of storytelling. Again, this was a specific problem point for me, but it could also be a feature for others, particularly readers who enjoy the very casual voice that you often find in urban fantasy style books.

And look, I enjoy urban fantasy, so once I understood the style of the narration, it was easier to go with it. At the same time, I really have almost zero tolerance for books that have inner monologues where the author actually types out the words “ugh” or “yuck.” It’s a massive pet peeve of mine and immediately throws me out of a book. I can’t seem to ever take a heroine seriously who is written in this style. However, I’m aware that this is an incredibly subjective point, so take from that what you will. That said, I also feel like this mixing of modern language into what feels like a high fantasy book left me feeling very unmoored as to what type of world and setting I was supposed to be picturing. As a fantasy reader who really enjoys worldbuilding, to lose a sense of place in service of quippy modern language is a huge net negative.

From there, while there is a lot of action involved in the book, the pacing was fairly poor. The middle of the book lagged, with very little actually happening of any worth. You’d feel like things should be happening, but then, looking back on the last 50 pages, you’d see that nothing really had. This wasn’t helped by the way the main character’s past was dealt with. She is a character without knowledge of her past and the majority of the book is taken up by this point. Indeed, it began to feel as if the author was intentionally dragging things out in the middle just to prolong this reveal. Which then came at the verrrrry end of the book. And then, by the end, I was left wondering why I had to bother with this book at all? It felt as if I could have read the first few chapters, skipped to the end with the reveal, and then been all set with my prequel chapters out of the way for the next book, the real beginning of the series.

I know this author is quite beloved, so I’m sure there are readers who will gobble this up. Indeed, if you’re a big urban fantasy fan this might work better for you than it will for those who prefer high fantasy. However, I think some of the language decisions and the way the primary conflict regarding her memory was handled ultimately harmed the book.

Rating 6: I can’t get over “ugh” being written out in the first few pages. Sorry, not sorry.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Last One” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 Fantasy and Science Fiction Books by Black Authors

Kate’s Review: “We Did Nothing Wrong”

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

Book: “We Did Nothing Wrong” by Hannah Jayne

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, December 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher.

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

Book Description: Lia thought of the dark night, of the broken street light.

Had Diana gone out to meet her? Had she been waiting for her, alone in the park? Or had someone been waiting for Diana?

Lia and Diana are the It girls of Empire Hill High. Their lives are perfect….until Diana disappears and the rumors start flying. Everyone thinks Diana is a runaway, including the police. Lia is secretly convinced it’s all a prank. Then she finds a crushed red rose tied with a candy-cane ribbon where Diana went missing. And next to it, a  YOU. It’s the same ribbon Lia’s received on gifts from a “secret admirer.” Did someone come for Diana that night? And will Lia be next?

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an ARC of this novel!

It had admittedly been a little bit of a dry spell for YA thrillers before the past couple of weeks, but with “Heart-Shaped Lies” being spotlighted last week I broke that streak, and now I follow that up with “We Did Nothing Wrong” by Hannah Jayne. If the last YA thriller was a soapy murder mystery, this one is solidly missing person, a sub-genre I enjoy very much. So when I read the description for this one with a missing girl at its heart and a left behind best friend who is frantic (and feeling a little guilty), I was very eager to check it out. And it had some mixed results.

Firstly, however: the good. I will say that by the time we were getting to the last third of the book, the pace really picked up, the red herrings and reveals were flying, and I was quickly charging through because I was so interested in seeing how it was all going to shake out. I’d keep thinking “Diana has to be alive, right?” only for a few minutes later to think “No, Diana’s dead, that has to be it”, and then keep flip flopping as Lia keeps digging in and finding more clues. I liked that Lia was also what I would consider a ‘more realistic’ teen detective, as she has kind of been thrust into it out of desperation for Diana’s sake AND her own guilt about how their relationship had been as of late (namely, cheating with Diana’s boyfriend Eli), and therefore is more harried and chaotic as opposed to calculating and methodical. And finally, I also appreciated how Jayne tackled the role that law enforcement was playing in this story, as they go through the motions looking for Diana, but aren’t REALLY trying too hard, convinced that she’s a runaway and therefore not a priority. It’s a sadly common narrative in real life abduction cases sometimes, and having a story with a not necessarily malevolent investigative team, but certainly an inept and lazy one, was an interesting choice for this book to make, and it was one that worked for me.

But unfortunately, the pacing was a bit off in this book, with a lot of slow but not super engaging build up dominating for a little too long for me. I thought that the book was spinning its wheels for awhile, with a lot of it being Lia dealing with her guilt about her friendship with Diana growing distant, and her poor decision to sort of pursue Eli behind Diana’s back. We get some background throughout of their complicated relationship, one that certainly felt genuine (because as someone who DID have a very complicated relationship with one of my best gal pals in high school it was very relatable). But the ruminating and angsting on Lia’s part was a bit repetitive, and by the time we had finally gotten to the uptick in action and a very satisfying finale I felt that it was a little late getting there.

All in all “We Did Nothing Wrong” was pretty run of the mill. When it finally got going I was entertained, but I think we needed to get there sooner.

Rating 6: Once the pace picked up near the end I became invested, but it took a bit to get there.

Reader’s Advisory:

“We Did Nothing Wrong” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on the Goodreads shelf “Missing Girls Books”.

Highlights: December 2024

It is so incredibly dark here in Minnesota. But at least we have Christmas and holiday lights to cheer us! The house across from Serena goes all out in this regard (seriously, there are tour buses that stop by this place every night!), and while Kate’s neighborhood can’t compete, she at least has the double whammy of Christmas tree AND Menorah lights in her own home to look forward to. However, when it gets dark so early, that just leaves more time to fully commit to the coziness of winter reading: book in hand, blanket on lap, warm drink within reach. Here are some titles we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “A Monsoon Rising” by Thea Guanzon

Publication Date: Dec. 10, 2024

Why I’m Interested: December is always a light month, so it’s been great having this book to look forward to this season! I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, “The Hurricane Wars,” and the general set up of both the world and the enemies-to-lovers romance. There were a lot of pieces in play in the first book, so I’m curious to see how it is all balanced in this sequel. Second books are notoriously difficult, especially when trying to navigate both a high fantasy plot line and a central romance. However, the first book was such a fun time to read that I have high hopes that Guanzon can pull it off again!

Book: “Upon a Frosted Star” by M. A. Kuzniar

Publication Date: Dec. 10, 2024

Why I’m Interested: For one thing, this simply looks like a wintery read, perfect for the vibes of December! For another, I’m always interested in fairytale retellings of “Swan Lake.” I have yet to find one that really blows me away, but I’m ever hopeful! Luckily, the publisher reached out offering a copy of this for review, so count on seeing my thoughts on this one in a few weeks!

Book: “How to Steal a Galaxy” by Beth Revis

Publication Date: Dec. 3, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I love science fiction, but I’m also incredibly picky with this genre I’ve found. But the first novella in this series checked every box (even more impressive for managing this in a shorter page count than your average novel!). It was action packed, had a fun lead character, had a good twist, and balanced the burgeoning romance in a believable way. That being the case, I was thrilled to discover the next book was coming out only a few months later. Even better, it would be the rare unicorn of a new title releasing in December! I can’t wait to check this one out and see what escapades Ada gets up to this time!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “What The Woods Took” by Courtney Gould

Publication Date: December 10, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I hear a plot that has to do with one of those horrific wilderness survival schools that also has some horror elements (beyond the obvious THESE PLACES ARE HORROR STORIES) and I am immediately going to want to read it. And I have enjoyed some of Courtney Gould’s books in the past. So this was a clear choice for a book to take on. Devin is a teenager in foster care who is kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Well, not so much kidnapped, as her foster parents gave the full go ahead to send her to a wilderness retreat for misbehaving youth. The kids are told that they are to learn to change their ways, and that a fifty mile hike and camping trip will surely do the trick. But when the counselors disappear, and strange things start happening in the woods, Devin and the rest of the campers find themselves in a dire situation. Gracious this will no doubt be upsetting.

Book: “Alter Ego” by Alex Segura

Publication Date: December 3, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I enjoyed Segura’s previous novel in the duology, “Secret Identity”, and when I saw that not only was there a sequel but there were ARCs available at ALAAC24 I snagged it up pretty damn fast. Set in the present day, we follow Annie Bustamante, director, comics artist, and writer who has made a mark, even if she’s been shoved aside as of late. When she is approached by Triumph Comics to help reboot her longtime favorite superhero the Lethal Lynx, the offer seems… off. For one, the company is being cagey with some of the details. For another, they expect her to work with a notorious filmmaker who is part genius, part ticking time bomb. And then the strange messages start arriving. Annie starts to peel back some secrets about her favorite superheroine, and realizes that she may be in danger should she not tread carefully. I really enjoyed “Secret Identity”, and seeing what Segura does next is tantalizing.

Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 3): 1776” by Stephen Graham Jones

Publication Date: December 3, 2024

Why I’m Interested: Well OF COURSE I’M INTERESTED! I’ve been loving Stephen Graham Jones’s historical/fantasy/Sci-Fi series about Indigenous people from a climate disastrous future being sent back in time to different points in American history in hopes of changing the fate of the world, going from Columbus’s time to the Ice Age. And now? THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, BABY! Now it’s Emily’s turn, the Two Spirit who went into the cave with no clue as to what awaited her, only to find herself in Philadelphia in 1776. Her plan is a different approach from the violence her compatriots thought could work; what if she can change history by working within the system? I have a feeling it’s not going to go AWESOMELY for her, but given that Emily was a favorite of mine from the first volume, I can’t wait to see what she does with the Founding Fathers.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Murder in Highbury”

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

Book: “Murder in Highbury” by Vanessa Kelly

Publishing Info: Kensington, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from ALA!

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

Book Description: Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .   

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .   

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

Review: I’m always so nervous when a new Jane Austen re-imaging comes out! Of course, I know I will have to read it, but there is so much potential for failure. Austen’s characters are so classic, her tales so iconic, and her style of writing so specific, that it’s very hard for modern authors to properly capture the certain “je ne sais quoi” of the entire endeavor. I’ve read many failures over the years. At the same time, there have been some true gems as well! So, with much trepidation, I nabbed a copy of this while at ALA over the summer!

Well, before we get into details, I’m pleased to report that this one falls solidly in the “great” category as far as Austen re-tellings go! It does an excellent job of not only recreating the basic essence of the main characters that make up “Emma,” but it also does not fall into the trap of too much fan service. Instead, there is a solid and unique mystery at its heart that holds up well, even without the Austen setting and references!

I’ll get to the mystery in a bit, but first off, the primary concern going into any “Emma” variation is how well the author manages to capture the titular character herself! Emma is one of the most beloved of Austen’s heroines (I imagine much to Austen’s surprise as she is well-known for questioning whether any reader would love this heroine as much as she did), but she is also notoriously difficult to get right. She’s smart, confident, and fiercely defensive of those she loves. But at the same time, she can be thoughtless, impulsive, and quick-tongued.

Here, the author made the wise decision to set the story after the events of the original book. Not only does this allow the story to read fully as its own, but it also allows the author to benefit from the growth that Emma went through in her story. Here, she is a happily married woman. So while many of her traits are the same, they are also tempered with the experience that comes with the lessons she originally learned. Like the original, this character was a blast to follow throughout the story. Her nosiness and enjoyment of theorizing about the lives of others pair perfectly with a would-be amateur sleuth. I particularly enjoyed her growing distain for the men in charge of solving the mystery.

I also really liked the romance between her and Knightley. Obviously, all Jane Austen novels devote very little time to the characters after the love confession or marriage, so one of the primary points of interest in books like this one is getting a sneak peak at what the couple could be like afterwards. And I really like what we got here! Knightley’s loving bewilderment for his wife comes through strongly, as well as Emma’s respect for her husband, even if she often disregards his advice. It’s all very wholesome and works perfectly for the sorts of characters we know these two to be.

As for the mystery itself, I thought it was pretty good. There were a decent number of red herrings, and, as I mentioned earlier, I liked a few of the original characters who were brought into to deal with solving the murder. That said, it did become fairly obvious rather early on who was behind it all and even their motivations. But that still didn’t reduce my enjoyment, as I was happy to just exist in this world and follow Emma along through all of her exploits.

I thought this was a romp of a time and I couldn’t be more pleased to now have two series (I believe this is the first in a series) of Jane Austen mysteries that are managing to capture the spirit of the originals so well! I think most Austen fans will be likewise charmed by this tale!

Rating 8: Who knew that Emma would make an extraordinary sleuth? Besides, herself, of course! A wonderful historical mystery that is sure to please Janeites everywhere!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder in Highbury” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Jane Austen Mysteries.

Kate’s Review: “Manmade Monsters”

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Book: “Manmade Monsters” by Andrea L. Rogers

Publishing Info: Levine Querido, October 2022

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls.

Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period.

Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

Review: A couple years ago I saw the short story collection “Manmade Monsters” by Andrea L. Rogers on my social media feed. It definitely caught my eye, but for whatever reason I never made the move to request it or pick it up. And I don’t even remember why I decided to pick it up recently, I just saw it was available at the library and thought to myself “Oh, I’ve been meaning to read this!” So I grabbed it on a whim (and it actually ended up working out timing wise as I do like to showcase Indigenous authors and novels on Thanksgiving). And I’m happy to say that it was a whim that worked out!

As per usual for a short story collection, I will first review my three favorite stories, and then I will review the collection as a whole.

“Ama’s Boys”: Still love me a feminine rage story, and this story about an immortal predator really understood that particular assignment. A girl who has been a vampire like creature has been wandering in and out of Oklahoma for one hundred and fifty years, targeting young pliable men as her prey, though never wanting to kill, merely feed. But she meets a boy that may have a predatory nature of his own. This was a creepy vampire-y tale that had a bit of a feminist twist, and our narrator Ama is calculating and as ethical as she can be, while slowly realizing that her newest companion is a bit more of a threat than she is used to. I really liked the ending of this one, and also liked the implications of what Ama had been through when she was still human during the times of Manifest Destiny and the genocide that came with it.

“Deer Woman”: I have loved the various Deer Woman mythologies for awhile now, and I’m always excited to see a new interpretation of it, and this one was stellar. Sali, Quanah, and Lisa are best friends and working on an art project at their high school about Deer Woman. When Lisa goes missing, much like Quanah’s cousin Lilli a few years prior, Sali and Quanah try to figure out what happened to her. Bringing in themes such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, misogyny, colonialist attitudes in a more modern era, and some more feminine rage (I clearly am still in a holding pattern with my feelings as of late), this one is eerie and dark, as well as unwavering in its message of pushing back against gender based violence, especially towards Indigenous girls and women.

“I Come From the Water”: This may have been my favorite story in the collection because I found it so hauntingly beautiful on so many levels. A teenage girl still feeling from her father’s death is trying to keep her family from falling apart, when a mysterious alien creature suddenly finds itself trapped in her pool, desperate to find a way home. When these two connect, a journey of salvation, identity, and hope commences. As someone who is a huge sucker for stories that involve humans connecting on a deep level with otherworldly beings (I will once again sing the praises of “Starman”! SEE “STARMAN”!), and the bittersweet dichotomy between teenager Walela and mysterious Sakonige, one a mourning child trying to keep her mother and sister afloat (whilst also grappling with questions about her own sexuality) and the other a lost alien trying to find its way home, really moved me. I am amused that once again my favorite story in a horror collection is probably the one that feels the least like a horror tale. But man. I just loved this one.

As a whole, I think that there were some hits and misses. Definitely more hits than misses, but I do kind of wish that the familial line connection had been a little more apparent outside of some references here and there. But what I did find really impressive was how the stories, though all written by one author, had such different unique voices and approaches that it could have easily been multiple authors in my mind had I now known the contents. I also want to shout out the really lovely artwork by Jeff Edwards, with images accompanying each short story.

I’m glad that I finally picked up “Manmade Monsters”! Sometimes it is worth going back and picking up a book that fell by the wayside for whatever reason.

Rating 8: A well crafted collection of stories passing through a family of Cherokee, “Manmade Monsters” is a subtle Indigenous horror collection that delves into multiple sub-genres and has a very specific perspective that I enjoyed.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Manmade Monsters” is included on the Goodreads lists “Indigenous Voices”, and “Native American Female Authors”.

Serena’s Review: “The Kiss of the Nightingale”

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Book: “The Kiss of the Nightingale” by Adi Denner

Publishing Info: Tundra Books, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: 1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic.

Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father’s Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister.

But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent – a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched… There’s just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family.

As Lutèce’s nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera’s galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected.

Soon, the Vicomte’s teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia’s seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?

Review: Anytime a publisher releases a fantasy book set in Paris with an elaborate mask on the cover, you know they’re trying to pull in the “Phantom of the Opera” fans. Works on me every time! Obviously, reading the book summary, we see an even more direct connection with our main character performing at the opera. However, the read-alikes don’t ever directly mention “Phantom” but instead reference Leigh Bardugo and Bridgerton. All of this to say, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was going to get when I picked up this book!

Unfortunately, I did struggle a bit with this one. However, I always want to start with some positives, and for this one, that definitely comes down to the overall tone and vibe of this world. As the cover promises, the story takes place in whimsical, lush, and extravagant version of Paris. The author’s writing was particularly strong in these descriptive areas, with a heavy focus on the fashion of this world (unfortunately, I’m one of those readers who needs less as far as these sorts of descriptions go, but for others, this will be a real strength!).

I had a bit of wavering appreciation for the main character. On one hand, I always love stories that revolve around sisterly relationships, and when the story was focused on this, I enjoyed it most. However, as the story progressed, I became more and more frustrated with her decision making and internal thought process. More than once she comes across as incredibly incompetent. I also dislike main characters who are immediately the best at everything, but here we had the other side of the coin. In the same vein, I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance. All of the relationships felt very bland and one-note, and the primary love story never really captured me.

However, my biggest issue came with the world-building. The concept was both too simple and too complicated at times. For one thing, I simply don’t understand why these gems wouldn’t be being stolen all the time by everyone. The story presents Cleodora as this rare being for this approach, but honestly, this is such a basic response to this sort of inequality (where the thing causing the inequality comes down to a basic, material item that is easy enough to steal) that it’s hard to buy that this isn’t a near-universal problem in this world. Beyond that, for being so incredibly powerful, we don’t really see the ways in which a society made of people with these sorts of gifts would be changed from our own. There should be many areas of life that would be directly affected by this. How does law enforcement work? Politics? Wouldn’t corruption being an almost crippling problem within this society?

There were also many nods to “Phantom of the Opera” but not enough to make it anywhere near a direct re-telling. Instead, it walked some strange line where it was clearly influenced by this tale, but also wasn’t interested in following much of the plot of that story. It was odd more than anything else. I’d say, this book would be of most interest to YA fantasy readers who enjoy lush worlds with an emphasis on the descriptions. However, the characters and world-building were on the weaker side.

Rating 6: The writing hits some nice notes with its descriptions of elaborate settings and ballgowns, but the world-building leaves much to be desired.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Kiss of the Nightingale” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Edwardian Fantasy and Fantasy with a healthy dose of romance.

Kate’s Review: “Heart-Shaped Lies”

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Book: “Heart-Shaped Lies” by Elizabeth Agyemang

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: John Tucker Must Die meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in this tongue-in-cheek thriller about three feuding exes of a social media prank star who are forced to work together to solve the mystery of his death when his deactivated account resurfaces online with claims that one of them murdered him.

Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh have nothing in common—except they just found out that they’re all dating Tommy Harding, the internet’s most famous teen prank star.

KIARA is the girlfriend who the cameras know and love, the academic star who Tommy parades around in public to keep his image in check.

PRISCILLA is Tommy’s co-star. As a beauty influencer and an accomplice to Tommy’s notorious antics, she’s always known that the two of them could be the Internet’s power couple—if only he would confess to his girlfriend what really goes on during their ‘rehearsals’.

And NEVAEH is the good girl, the pastor’s daughter who’d never dream of dating a boy who’s already taken.

When a viral post from Tommy’s social media account exposes his cheating ways during their high school class trip to Florida’s biggest theme park, the girls are crushed—and furious. Tommy claims his account was hacked. Now, Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh want him out of their lives. Forever. After all, Tommy doesn’t just hold their hearts—he holds their secrets, too. But when Tommy’s body is found the next morning, their so-called wish becomes a twisted reality. Because Tommy may be gone, but the internet is forever. And the girls are about to go from strangers to suspects….

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

I’m going to date myself a bit here, but as an Elder Millennial I kind of (very luckily) missed the bridge from the social media of my young adulthood (College only Facebook, Livejournal) to what we have today (TikTok, YouTube), and all the now defunct stuff in between (Vine!). So I haven’t really gotten sucked into YouTube personalities and influencers and the power that they can have over their audience and their narrative, sometimes enabling the very worst of people and giving them a lot of money. One that I think about a lot are the Paul Brothers, who got started on Vine doing provocative videos, moved to YouTube, and now have a HUGE cash cow of an audience and have made careers for themselves as a pro wrestler and a boxer, while being really TERRIBLE people (the list of their bullshit is endless). I really don’t get it, but hey, they’re worth millions so what the hell do I know? I kept thinking about the Paul Brothers as I read Elizabeth Agyemang’s new YA thriller “Heart-Shaped Lies” in which a wildly popular social media prank star is murdered, and his three lady friends are all suspects. Because man, Tommy Harding is the absolute WORST, and reading about his murder and the fallout proved to be VERY entertaining.

As a mystery thriller, I found this book to be well crafted and engaging. We have three perspectives that we are getting our information from, all three of them being teenage girls who have been involved with the narcissistic social media prank king Tommy Harding. The first is Kiara, Tommy’s official girlfriend who is driven, clever, and the perfect girlfriend to counter balance his ‘boys will be boys’ image. The second is Priscilla, a wannabe beauty influencer who is Tommy’s on camera collaborator, who he has been having an affair with off screen. And the third is Neveah, a somewhat sheltered girl who is has been having a long distance and text/picture relationship with Tommy and thinks it’s true love. They all are betrayed by Tommy in one way or another, and they all have reasons to possibly want him dead after his account is hacked and various damning things about each of them are leaked. I really liked how Agyemang lets us get into each of their heads while also keeping a bit of plausibility that any of them COULD have been the killer. It’s a device that can be hard to juggle, especially with multiple characters, but in this case their perspectives and the other clues that we get as the story goes on through their eyes separately made for a solid mystery at the sum of its parts, and I was left guessing about who the perpetrator could be up until the reveal!

And on top of the well thought out mystery that kept me guessing, I really do love a soapy story, especially in a thriller, and ESPECIALLY if it makes the characters more complicated. And man was the soap really bubbling in this book, which was a plus to be sure. You have a love quadrangle (but the center of the triangle is TERRIBLE so you don’t really have to pick a ‘team’), you have sneaky teenagers doing sneaky things, you have enemies turned allies, you have requited love and secrets and oh so much more! I really enjoyed the ongoing drama and tension going on between Kiara, Priscilla, and Neveah as they are trying to clear their names but don’t REALLY know if they can trust each other. And I enjoyed the way that I could just want to slap some of the characters for their choices and actions and yet was fully able to understand each of them to a degree (at least of the three main ladies. There’s no redemption for Tommy, and while he was two dimensional in some ways I’m going to allow it because as mentioned about, the Paul Brothers-ness of it all made it easy to hate him and is obviously realistic). I really love soap and I’ve been missing it lately, so this one really hit all the right notes for me.

All in all, I really enjoyed “Heart-Shaped Lies”. It had been awhile since I had scratched the particular itch of sudsy thrillers, and this gave me everything I needed and more in that department.

Rating 8: A compelling mystery, some nice soapy elements, and some interesting characters made this a fun thriller and a wild ride!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Heart-Shaped Lies” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2024”.