Author: thelibraryladiesmn

Kate’s Review: “Snow Drowned”

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Book: “Snow Drowned” by Jennifer D. Lyle

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, November 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: There’s a saying on Fall Island: if you’re not careful, the snow will get you.

Gracie Hutchinson has lived on Fall Island her whole life and knows there’s some truth to those words. Fall’s snowstorms have a spooky way of claiming people, making them disappear without a trace or driving them mad. Now, with a hundred-year-storm approaching, most of Fall’s residents have fled to the mainland. But not Gracie. Left behind her with physician father, she braces for landfall.

Gracie’s not the only one left behind. Her classmate Joseph Wescott, descendant of the legendary pioneer who founded Fall Island, has stayed, too. After a chance encounter, the two stumble across something more unsettling than the snow: a ritually mutilated corpse. By night, as the snow begins to fall, it becomes clear that whoever (or whatever) murdered the man they found has their sights set on Gracie.

Seeking refuge at Wescott Manor, Gracie feels safe surrounded by dozens of locals hunkered down in the huge house. But as the storm assaults the island, Gracie discovers secrets that have been kept since Fall was settled. If she can’t uncover the hidden history and terrifying truth about Fall Island before the storm’s end, she’ll be the next to disappear into the snow.

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

Being a Minnesota girl, I know a thing or two about snowstorms. I actually kind of enjoy a nice hardcore blizzard, assuming that I’ve had enough time to prepare for it (i.e. stock up on comfort food, wine, and a bunch of books or movies/TV shows) and that I don’t have to drive in it. It’s probably no surprise, then, that I really like wintery horror stories, so of course I really wanted to read “Snow Drowned” by Jennifer D. Lyle. The description had me thinking of Stephen King’s amazing miniseries “Storm of the Century”, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. But I was wrong, and wrong in a good way.

Unfortunately I can’t really tell you WHY I was wrong because of spoilers, so I will give you other reasons as to why this book worked pretty well for me. The first is that I genuinely enjoyed the slow burn build of the horror and mystery at the heart of Fall Island as a monumental snow storm is approaching. We follow Gracie, a teenager whose family has been on Fall Island for generations, and who has been a bit isolated at home as she and the rest of the island awaits for a huge storm to hit. But when she and Joseph Wescott, the heir apparent to the devout founding family of the town centuries ago, find a body that seems to have been ritually murdered, things start to spiral out of control. I liked seeing Gracie hole up with the Wescotts in their mansion, and how Lyle slowly unfolds that this well regarded and deeply religious family has some dark secrets, and that Gracie is, unfortunately, about to play a key role. The Gothic vibes of the island were well done and the family was unsettling and sinister, and it had me turning the pages looking for more.

In an attempt to avoid spoilers but talk a little about other things that worked, I can say that “Storm of the Century” is accurate, but you have to throw in some folk horror and a family conspiracy edge that harkens to “Ready or Not” and other privileged wealthy antagonists. Lyle holds these things pretty close to the vest, and I was genuinely caught off guard a few times as I read this book. Lyle lays out the clues, and she does it in a way that make perfect sense but still kept me guessing at least part of the time. I also really loved the swerve that we took right before the climax of this action, as I was expecting one kind of sub genre and then got something all the more interesting that had a GREAT pay off. There was a bit of a quibble I had that kind of knocked some points off, and that was the ending wrap up had another swerve moment that made me groan, and then set up for a potential sequel. Would I read the sequel? Possibly! But the initial ending was so satisfying that I wish we hadn’t even laid the groundwork at the last moment.

Winter is coming, folks, and “Snow Drowned” is going to be a perfect horror read for a snowy dark night. A YA horror winner in a genre that sometimes gets a bit rocky in that age group, which I’m always happy to see.

Rating 7: A YA horror that had some solid surprises and scares, though the ending was a bit of a disappointment.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Snow Drowned” isn’t on many Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Horror Novels Set (largely) in Winter/Snow”.

Book Club Review: “Spells for Forgetting”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. This June we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of book club. So in celebration of that milestone, we are re-visiting authors we read way back in those first few years of our book club. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Spells for Forgetting” by Adrienne Young

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+/owns it

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

Book Description: A deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings.

But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery.

Repeat Author: Adrienne Young

Kate’s Thoughts

I will admit that this book had been on my physical home pile for the longest time, because Serena gave it to me for Christmas one year and while I was absolutely interested in reading it, I just never got around to it (like so many books I own). So when it was a Book Club pick I was pretty thrilled to finally sit my butt down and read it. And I did so while up North next to Lake Superior, which was the perfect vibes for this book. I ended up really loving it.

As someone who is a big witch enthusiast (in media, literature, and real life), I really enjoyed the way that Young had the magic in the story, and how it wasn’t super overt or ‘stereotypical’. but was still very mystical. A nice mix of “Practical Magic” and the ideas of women being healers and guides. I also really enjoyed the overall mystery at hand, with Emery (and the whole community) still reeling from the death of her best friend Lily, and how her boyfriend August was suspected and then absconded with his mom before anything could really come of it. It fuels suspicion as well as longing for Emery, and it makes for a very loaded moment of reunification when August returns years later. The mystery itself was pretty well done, with perspectives from not just Emery and August but also from other members of the town as they get single chapters for themselves. It’s pretty clear that August is innocent for the reader, but while that may have dulled the suspense for some people I actually liked that the focus wasn’t on did he or didn’t he, and instead was on ‘if not him, who?’.

I also liked the small town secrets themes in this book. I’ve always enjoyed it when authors peel back the somewhat gilded facades of close knit communities that feel safe, only to reveal the darker undertones of the people who tout the supposed safety. I didn’t have as hard a time guessing who was actually responsible, but I felt that the mystery was less the point and it was more about love, loss, and secrets kept hidden. And in those ways I really liked this book.

I will definitely have to read more Adrienne Young. I’m glad that I finally got around to this one!

Serena’s Thoughts

Obviously, I loved this book when I read it a few years ago and nothing really changed when I read it for the second time! I can’t remember what time of year I read it during last time, but this one really hit all of the fall vibes for me this go around. I’ve also now read another of Young’s books that fits into the same lyrical fantasy sort of sub-genre that I’d put this one in and, while I liked that one too, I think this is the better of them. There’s a nice balance between all of the elements that make it the kind of book that would appeal to many different readers. The second-chance loves story is sweet. The small-town drama and murder mystery is compelling. And the touches of magic are full of whimsy without ever distracting from the more pressing plot points.

As a fantasy fan first and foremost, I think the fact that the magic is such a lowkey portion of this story and that I still loved it as much as I did speaks to Young’s talent as an author. There’s just something about her style of writing that grabs me. It’s, yes, lyrical at times, but she also aptly captures human nature as well, highlighting the best and worst of people’s feelings and instincts. Even the villains in this story are understandable, even if they are ultimately horribly wrong in their actions. So, too, our main characters are flawed and much of the story is them coming to understand one another as adults, years past the heady bloom of teenage love.

I was incredibly excited to have an excuse to re-read this one. And it was even more of a joy as I was able to jump from this book right into my galley copy of her next book that’s due out in January and seems to have many similarities in tone and vibe. Count on a review for that one near the publication date!

Kate’s Rating 9: A taut mystery, a malevolent small town, and some creepy witchy beats really made this a winner for me!

Serena’s Rating 9: Young captures not only the whimy of small-town life, but also the darker undercurrents of a close knit community with a long and storied history.

Book Club Questions:

  1. This book covers many subgenres, from small town romance to mystery to fantasy. How well did these genres blend together? Which elements were your favoirte?
  2. Throughout the book, we get to see chapters from various townspeople’s perspectives. Did any of these stand out for you? Is there one of these characters you’d like to hear more about and why?
  3. Did you have any theories about Lily’s death or the fire at the apple orchard?
  4. We see the romance play out both in the past and in the present. Did you like this relationship? How did you feel about Emery and August?
  5. What did you think about the way the story wrapped up? Was there more you’d like to know?

Reader’s Advisory

“Spells for Forgetting” is on these Goodreads lists: Spooky Season Reads and Charming Magic.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

Serena’s Review: “Sorcery and Small Magics”

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Book: “Sorcery and Small Magics” by Maiga Doocy

Publishing Info: Orbit, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.

Review: While cozy fantasy has been more a miss than a hit this year, I ever live in optimism! Plus, it’s nice to see a romantic fantasy novel marketed as “rivals to lovers” instead of the getting-very-tired “enemies to lovers” (especially when the so-called “enemies” are nothing of the sort more often than not!). Add on top of that the promise of monsters and spooky woods, and this one sounded well-worth my time to check out!

For the most part, I very much enjoyed this one! This is definitely one of those books, however, that lives or dies with its main character. It’s told from a single POV (which I love and always wish would become more the standard), so if readers are not on board with the character, there may be challenges ahead. Beyond that, much of the book is made up of smaller moments between the two main characters, with much emphasis placed on their banter and their growth as they begin to understand and care for one another.

I also really appreciated the fact that this is a true slow-burn romance. By the end, even, very little actual “romance” has occurred. But in this way, the story feels more true and more meaningful. The author spends the time building up this love story slowly, giving the reader plenty of time to become attached to both characters together and separately. It’s also a great way to wet the palate for the sequel, since you’ll be sure to want more of what promises to be a great love story!

I also enjoyed the world-building that we got to see. There were tons of fun magical monsters, mysterious, enchanted rooms, and, of course, the curse that binds our two characters together. I also enjoyed the exploration of the magic system and the way high and low magic, essentially, worked in this world. As a lover of detailed magic systems and world-building, I could have used a bit more in both of these arenas, however. I, for one, always appreciate a map, for example! But, as I said earlier, this is a character-forward story, so this lighter touch on world-building and fantasy elements makes sense and works with the low-key vibes of the book itself.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read and a breath of fresh air for me personally, as it reminded me of the joys that can be found in cozy fantasy. Readers who enjoy slow-burn romances and whimsical fantasy stories should definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: A character-driven cozy fantasy that is full of heart and humor!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sorcery and Small Magics” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Cozy Fantasy Readathon List and 2024 Debuts.

Serena’s Review: “A Tribute of Fire”

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Book: “A Tribute of Fire” by Sariah Wilson

Publishing Info: Montlake, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.

An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.

The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.

Review: I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I was familiar with her name as as a contemporary romance writer when I was approached to cover this book. I’m always excited to see how established authors make the transition into writing in the fantasy genre! Sometimes, I feel like they bring a breath of fresh air to a genre that can feel bogged down in worn-out tropes more often than not. And while the summary itself didn’t feel all that new, it still intrigued me and I went in with high hopes!

And, overall, those hopes were met! As I said, the premise of this one did feel familiar at times, with many fantasy books over the last decade focusing on deadly trials and competitions. However, I really appreciated the way this was woven into the Greek mythology and history of the book. The author’s note was particularly interesting as it added some depth to the points of reference used for this story, many of which I hadn’t been familiar with before picking up this book.

I also really enjoyed our main character! Too often, we are introduced to FMC with a single badass fight scene in the first chapter…and then the book proceeds to bash readers over the head with reminders that the heroine is badass, but any actual evidence of that fact is nowhere to be seen. Here, Lia remains fierce and driven throughout, reinforcing the fact that she is a woman to be reckoned with. Of course, there is a very “Hunger Games” essence to the affair with the whole “beloved and untrained sister” thing, but even here, I feel like the book did enough to build up this relationship to distance it from too many comparisons.

I also enjoyed the romance, for the most part. Yes, it was a bit on the instalove/lust side, but there was enough chemistry between the two to pull me through. I enjoyed their banter and all of the scenes we had with them beginning to grow closer (of course, he’s an “enemy” so we’re checking off the seemingly required “enemies to lovers” trope that we see in so much romantasy currently). However, I feel like some of the twists and reveals at the end of this book were fairly obvious right from the start. This didn’t necessarily reduce my enjoyment of the book, but it’s something to note.

The story also ends on a fairly significant cliffhanger, so readers should know that going in. As a whole, the book was enjoyable and had a distinct arc, so this ending felt earned. What’s worse in my opinion is when books spend the entire first novel setting up a concept and then end on a cliffhanger right when the point of action/conflict is introduced. This one has enough adventure and intrigue to hold up on its own, so that’s a definite win. Overall, I thought this was a solid fantasy entry from an author making her first attempt in the genre. Romantasy fans should definitely give it a go!

Rating 8: Full of adventure, danger, and a swoon-worth romance, Sariah Wilson’s debut romantasy enters the genre with a bang!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Tribute of Fire” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Best Books About Mythology.

Ripley’s Reviews: “Ripley’s Game”

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“Ripley’s Reviews” is an ongoing series where I will review every book in Patricia Highsmith’s “Ripley” Series, as well as multiple screen adaptations of the novels. I will post my reviews on the first Thursday of the month, and delve into the twisted mind of one Tom Ripley and all the various interpretations that he has come to life within. Up next is the third book in the series, “Ripley’s Game”.

Book: “Ripley’s Game” by Patricia Highsmith

Publishing Info: Random House, March 1974

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Living on his posh French estate with his elegant heiress wife, Tom Ripley, on the cusp of middle age, is no longer the striving comer of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Having accrued considerable wealth through a long career of crime—forgery, extortion, serial murder—Ripley still finds his appetite unquenched and longs to get back in the game.

In Ripley’s Game, first published in 1974, Patricia Highsmith’s classic chameleon relishes the opportunity to simultaneously repay an insult and help a friend commit a crime—and escape the doldrums of his idyllic retirement. This third novel in Highsmith’s series is one of her most psychologically nuanced—particularly memorable for its dark, absurd humor—and was hailed by critics for its ability to manipulate the tropes of the genre. With the creation of Ripley, one of literature’s most seductive sociopaths, Highsmith anticipated the likes of Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter years before their appearance.

Review: We took a break last month from my “Ripley’s Reviews” Series due to Horrorpalooza (though you got TWO in September), but we are now back to this project and Tom Ripley continues to be loathsome and a literary legend. I was not familiar with the premise of “Ripley’s Game” before I started researching this series, and when I did get to this title I didn’t really know what to expect. I mean, outside of Ripley being the worst. And the worst he was. And it may be getting a LITTLE hard to handle for me.

Highsmith does breathe some new life into her Ripley stories with this third entry, as not only are we now delving somewhat into a Mafia thriller, but we also have two narratives we are following this time around. The first is, of course, that of Tom Ripley, who is still living his best life on his French estate with his vapid wife and all his ill gotten wares. He is approached to be a hitman for an acquaintance, but has no interest and instead suggests his friend seek out a man named Jonathan Trevanny, a lower class man with cancer, as he only ha a few months to live, surely, and may want the money to support his wife and child after he passes. Thing is, Trevanny doesn’t only have months to live, but the rumors make him think that perhaps he IS dying faster, and decides to take on the hits to keep his family supported. But Ripley can’t help himself, and inserts himself into Trevanny’s life further, and with that he’s up to his old tricks. I liked that we got to get into Trevanny’s head in this one, as it really showed his motivations and his anxiety and panic as he and Ripley are engulfed into Mafia dealings and the dangers that come with that. It was certainly interesting going in that direction as well, as you kind of wonder if Ripley may be biting off more than he can chew (but then we know he isn’t; we still have a couple books left). Also, this is another Ripley story that feels VERY queer coded, what with Tom once again obsessing over another man and inserting himself into his life. I know Highsmith had a lot of self loathing regarding her sexuality, and it’s interesting knowing that AND seeing Tom have these moments and layers.

But something that I did notice this time around is that I am starting to be a bit put off by Ripley and the things that he is doing. And I don’t mean that in a pearl clutching kind of way, after all this is Tom Ripley we are talking about here. It’s not like I think that he’s just ‘misunderstood’ or whatever. But I think that this time around, unlike in the two previous books, mostly the first book, Ripley seems to be absolutely destroying the life of Trevanny for no other reason than pettiness and a misplaced obsession. It’s one thing if Ripley is going in and wreaking havoc on the likes of the Greenleaf family, in that even though I’m not letting him off the hook for Dickie’s murder, at least there is some villainy of the selfish millionaire class that makes it feel more ‘fun’ in a way. Kind like in the “You” books where Joe Goldberg is a villainous murderer and stalker, but the people he is up against are all so unlikable and vile in their own ways that it’s more satirical and entertaining (while still making the various murders of the women he’s obsessed with just horrifying). In this book Ripley is gaslighting and setting up a lower class picture framer WITH CANCER to commit murders and drive him to the point of insanity all because he insulted him at a party once, and we don’t REALLY get the sense that Highsmith was unpacking the parallels of having a fun villain while dealing with the horrible things he’s done. I’m kind of grappling with this and trying not to feel like a hypocrite, and maybe that’s a feeling I have to own and Highsmith had the last laugh here. But this one felt a bit more misery filled than the previous two books, and as such I didn’t enjoy it as much.

We will see where we get with the next in the series, “The Boy Who Followed Ripley”. I don’t think that the bloom is off the rose yet, and I WILL say that I will be VERY interested to tackle a film adaptation of this one down the line.

Rating 6: I was quite in favor of two perspective narrative, but this was Ripley at perhaps his most vile, and the humor and satire didn’t balance it out as much for me this time.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Ripley’s Game” is included on the Goodreads list “The Vilest Man in Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “Where the Library Hides”

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Book: “Where the Library Hides” by Isabel Ibanez

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: 1885, Egypt

Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.

Previously Reviewed: “What the River Know”

Review: Surprise! I decided to finish up this duology after all. Sometimes my completionist tendencies get the better of me, and even though I didn’t really enjoy the first book, I thought I might as well finish up the duology. After all, the first book was fairly universally beloved, and my struggles were definitely in the minority. So who knows? Maybe the second time is the charm!

Well, I’ll say that this duology will not go down as a great read overall, but I’ll give credit it where it is due and say that this second entry is a definite improvement on the first. So let’s start with these positives. One thing that I struggled with in the first book was the inexplicable magic system. I still have questions about the history of the world and the role that magic has played in it, but this book did a good job of digging further into how all of this worked together, which I appreciated.

This book also benefited in being the second in the series, which helped with some of my pacing concerns from the first book. There, I felt like the action worked against the character development of our main character. But here, as we’ve already met and followed Inez’s story through one book, when this story’s plot took off, I didn’t feel as if I was following around a character I barely knew. In that way, I felt like the fast-paced tone of this book better fit with the story it was telling and was less of a hinderance to the character arcs themselves.

However, the one place where I continued to struggle was with the characterization as a whole. I just can’t get myself to like Inez. She’s the kind of female main character who I feel like exists primarily on sass and spunk, but then when you step back from the book and actually look at her story, it’s one full of blundering around making silly decisions and being rewarded for it because it is necessary to the plot. She seems incapable of reading those around her, misunderstanding almost everyone she meets. And, worst of all, she seemed to instantly forgive the romantic interest for a massive breach of trust, pretty much for no other reason than instalove purposes.

Whit also continued to be an annoyance. At best, he remained a stereotype of YA romantic heroes. But, unfortunately, he went downwards from there. Like I mentioned, part of the book includes some fairly despicable actions/lies told by this character that he is then simply let off the hook for with zero repercussions. What’s worse, by the end of the book, there is a character switch that comes out of nowhere, with Whit suddenly morphing into an endearment-loving sweetheart. Who is this guy and where did he come from? Character arcs do involve changing from one thing to another, for better or worse, but it should be shown on the page as something happening gradually and as a direct result to what is going on in the story. Here, he seemed to turn into this completely different person by the end of the book, seemingly to almost gaslight the heroine and the reader into forgetting who he had been throughout the rest of the series.

Overall, while the characters were still a struggle for me, this was a definite improvement on the first book. I feel like both the world-building and pacing were better handled. There were still some plot points that I found unlikely to the point of disbelief, but I was mostly able to lose myself in the inertia of the story. That said, the characters became increasingly annoying and unlikable as I read. However, those who enjoyed the first book will likely love this one. And if you were on the fence, it may still be worth checking out!

Rating 7: While the characters still proved to be a stumbling block to my enjoyment, I did think this one improved on the first book with more complex world-building and a better paced story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Where the Library Hides” can be found on many Goodreads lists, including Most Interesting World.

Kate’s Review: “This Girl’s A Killer”

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Book: “This Girl’s a Killer” by Emma C. Wells

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, September 2024

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

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

Book Description: Meet Cordelia Black. Cordelia loves exactly three things: her chosen family composed of her best friend Diane and her goddaughter; her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip); and killing bad men.

By day she’s a successful pharmaceutical rep with a pristine reputation and a designer wardrobe. By night she’s culling South Louisiana of unscrupulous men—monsters who always seem to evade justice, until they meet her. It’s a complicated yet fulfilling life that requires complete and total control at all times. But when the evening news starts throwing around the words “serial killer,” pressure heightens for her in the South, and it’s only exacerbated when Diane starts dating a man Cordelia isn’t sure is a good person—someone who might unravel everything Cordelia has worked for. Soon Cordelia’s world spirals, and she loses her grip on those tightly held threads that keep her safe.

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

Horrorpalooza is over, and now I start to work back towards the books that I read before October that didn’t fit a horror theme to fit within that month’s review schematics. We had a cartel thriller on Saturday, and now we get back to good old fashioned women’s centric thrillers with Emma C. Wells’s novel “This Girl’s a Killer”. This has been on my list for awhile now, and now the time has finally arrived. With admittedly mixed results.

There were definitely things that did work, however. Most obviously to me is that I do love stories like this, with sarcastic and quippy morally grey narrators doing pretty terrible things but for fairly understandable reasons. I enjoy the idea of a pharma rep named Cordelia (I just kept thinking of Cordelia Chase from “Buffy”) being professional and put together by day, and then murdering abusive and violent men by night after the legal system fails to do anything about them. I enjoyed the story arc at hand, with her having an ‘oh shit’ moment when finding out that her company is recalling the drug she uses for her schemes (as it works SO WELL to knock men out you see), and then things slowly falling more and more out of control. Partially because she kind of starts dating a cop, partially because she really hates her best friend Diane’s new boyfriend. The thriller aspects are more about how and whether she will get away with her crimes, but it’s also a little tongue in cheek which gives it a bit of zip.

But on the flip side, it isn’t really anything that I haven’t seen before in the women’s centric poppy serial killer tale. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I did find this book to be a very quick read and an entertaining one at that. After all, who doesn’t like to read about terrible predatory men getting justice doled out from a pissed off woman with a serial killing habit to feed? The problem is that Cordelia as a protagonist is trying to be “Promising Young Woman” vis a vis “Dexter”, but I didn’t feel like she had the complexities to back it up and is instead a bit of a caricature without the depth I was hoping for. Girlboss serial killer who loves her bestie and her high fashion labels and aesthetic is fine, but I was really hoping that she’d be a bit more interesting. I have similar criticisms for the supporting characters, with said bestie Diane being a little on the saccharine side and her daughter Samantha being precocious as hell bordering on a little unbelievable. As an escapist bloody romp this works, but I think that had the characters been stronger it really could have knocked it out of the park, and it didn’t quite get there.

It’s kind of strange to refer to a story about a serial killer in designer clothes as ‘cozy’ reading, but if you like thrillers you will probably feel that same vibe. Overall “This Girl’s a Killer” is pretty fluffy thriller fun that doesn’t take itself super seriously. I can dig that vibe this time of year.

Rating 6: Fun for what it is, but none of the characters moved outside of static two dimensional personalities and the story suffered for it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“This Girl’s a Killer” is included on the Goodreads list “Best Serial Killer Books”.

Highlights: November 2024

The candy high is passing (our kids’ candy highs, not ours…no…) and the madness of the holiday season is already setting in! What better time to escape from responsibility into the world of books?? Here are some titles that we’re most looking forward to this November!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Wheel of the Infinite” by Martha Wells

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: This is actually a re-release of a novel that Wells published way back in 2000, I believe. I was reading her books near that time, but somehow missed this one. I’m thrilled, however, that her back catalog is finally get the loving attention it deserves and was super excited to add this to my reading list for November when I saw that Tor was putting out a new edition this month! A few things can always be counted on from this author: wholly unique second-world settings and strong main characters. Can’t wait to see what she has in store this time!

Book: “Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: Yes, another Fae fantasy book. There’s definitely a bit of fatigue setting in as far as Fae romantasy stories go, at least for me. But I’ve also still read a few great ones over the last few years, so I never want to wholly give up on the subgenre. Plus, the cover on this one feels unique from the art we typically see on this sort of story. The story itself, however, sounds rather familiar: deadly trials, powerful Fae, multiple potential love interests…All of these can be great, as well, of course! We’ll just have to wait and see!

Book: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” by Carissa Broadbent

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: This was probably one of my most highly anticipated titles for the year, so of course it was going to show up on this list! I loved the first duology in this world and was only too eager for any excuse to return to this story! Making it even better, this story follows Mische who was a fairly significant side character in the first two books! The story also seems to be a quest-like story that follows our characters as they travel into this world’s underworld, which sounds awesome as well! I’ve been waiting so long to read this one, and I’m so excited the time has finally come!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Guilt and Ginataan” by Mia P. Manansala

Publication Date: November 12, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I’m so happy that the “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery” series reliably has a new book every year, and given that I try to soak in the cozy in November this is going to be a perfect read to match the vibes. And this one even takes place in the Fall, which makes it all the more seasonally appropriate! There’s another murder afoot in Shady Palms, this time happening during the annual Corn Festival, and also involving amateur detective Lila Macapagal is on the case. Especially since her friend Adeena is found unconscious next to the body. I really enjoy this series, and can’t wait to see what recipes come with it this time around!

Book: “Sundown in San Ojuela” by M.M. Olivas

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I saw M.M. Olivas on a panel at ALAAC this past summer and was very intrigued by the book she was promoting. That book happened to be “Sundown in San Ojuela”, as she said she took inspiration from spaghetti westerns as well as the films “Near Dark” and “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night”. I mean, COME ON. Of COURSE I wanted to read it. When Liz returns to San Ojuela after years of being away (and after enduring a trauma that left her clairvoyant), she has to not only face family strife, but also a monster that has been consolidating power for years. This has been on my radar for almost half a year at this point and it’s finally time to jump on in.

Book: “Heart Shaped Lies” by Elizabeth Agyemang

Publication Date: November 26, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I love a nice sudsy murder mystery, and given that this one is saying that it’s “John Tucker Must Die” meets “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” I was totally on board to give it a go. Tommy Harding is a popular online prankster, who just so happens to be stringing along three women as his star rises. But when his infidelities are exposed by a mystery person, Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh leave him in the lurch. Problem is that the next day he winds up dead, and the three of them become the most obvious suspects. I have high hopes for this one!

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

Kate’s Review: “All Our Wars”

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Book: “All Our Wars” by Stephanie Vasquez

Publishing Info: SparkPress, October 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: For fans of Katie Gutierrez’s More Than You’ll Ever Know and Netflix’s Narcos comes a high-stakes thriller about the daughter of a high-ranking Mexican cartel leader dragged back to the life she fought hard to escape.

Twelve years have passed since Sofia De Luna’s mother was murdered. Sofia now leads a quiet life, far from the cartel violence she was raised amidst. But when her narco father’s retirement catapults her to head of the family, that peaceful existence is upended.

Unhappy with this changeover of power, Sofia’s brothers and cousins are wary of her desire to legitimize the family and her insistent questions about her mother’s mysterious death. Meanwhile, in Mexico’s uncertain political climate, Andres Herrera, the ex-sicario accused of Sofia’s mother’s murder, sees the opportunity for his exit from the drug business. He just needs Sofia, his first love, to uphold the truce between the cartels before the war brewing at the border trickles down to Mexico City, marring the upcoming election.

After a chance meeting with a disenfranchised DEA agent reveals the true depths the Torres will go to keep their power, Sofia decides she must stop the war her cousins have put in motion. But if she sacrifices her family for the dream of peace, will she meet the same fate as her mother?

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

My organized crime fiction experience is pretty limited to mafia movies like “The Godfather” and lots of the Scorsese catalog (“Goodfellas” is a favorite movie of mine, Terror Tuesday people and I have made it a Christmas tradition to watch it and eat lasagna). I’m not really someone who reads a lot of organized crime stuff, and I can’t think of any off the top of my head. But I’m always game to try new sub genres, so when “All Our Wars” by Stephanie Vasquez ended up in the inbox I felt that it was a sign that it was time to try out an organized crime thriller.

The intrigue, politicking, and tension regarding a power vacuum in a cartel family in this book made for a suspenseful read. Sofia is the daughter of a powerful cartel boss in Mexico, who left her family behind after her mother Maria was murdered and her close friend/lover Andres, now an ex-sicario, was accused of the murder but never taken to task for it. When she comes to visit at her father’s behest, she is told that she is next in line to run the business, just in time for her father to be killed under murky circumstances. All of this alone is interesting from the jump because I liked seeing the way that Sofia has to balance her own desires to stay out of it along with the familial pressure to stay, especially since it could cause a hostile takeover from her cousins should she make the wrong move, especially since the brewing power struggle between cartels could have a ripple effect all across Mexico. I really liked Sofia as a main character, and seeing her try to do the right thing while uncovering lots of disturbing truths regarding her family had me invested, especially as she starts to work alongside a DEA agent to try and get more answers and potentially put herself in even more danger. The ins and outs of the crime family and the violent realities of the business are engaging and interesting.

But what I enjoyed most about this book was the way that Vasquez presents a number of complicated and passionate familial and romantic relationships, and seeing how these relationships fit into the political and business interests of the cartel and the groups that benefit from them. Some of the more obvious ones are the relationships between Sofia and her former love Andres, or the romance between her brother Diego and his lover Yolotli, both of which I found to have an aching longing that gave them some complexity. But the one that I really liked was getting insight into the backstory of Sofia’s mother Maria and her relationship with Andres’s father Martin, and their doomed romance that was stopped before it could really start thanks to the fact Maria’s father betrothed her to Alberto, the heir apparent to a powerful cartel, who ends up being Sofia’s father. We see the way that Maria has her own desires but feels like she needs to push them away, and how her involvement in Alberto’s business starts to make her fear for herself and her children, and how she is still drawn to Martin in the years after their romance never quite happened. We get a lot of information about Maria, and we see how she has affected Sofia and her own values. I think Maria was my favorite character, and seeing her path juxtaposed with Sofia’s was a great choice.

“All Our Wars” was outside of my sub genre box, but I’m happy I took a chance on it. Maybe I should check out more of this sub genre.

Rating 7: A cartel thriller mixed with some tense family drama, “All Our Wars” was outside my usual reading sub genres but was a satisfying detour.

Reader’s Advisory:

“All Our Wars” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Drug Cartel”.

Serena’s Review: “The Wild Huntress”

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

Book: “The Wild Huntress” by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Every five years, two kingdoms take part in a Wild Hunt. Joining is a bloody risk and even the most qualified hunters can suffer the deadliest fates. Still, hundreds gamble their lives to participate—all vying for the Hunt’s life-changing prize: a magical wish granted by the Otherking.

BRANWEN possesses a gift no other human has: the ability to see and slay monsters. She’s desperate to cure her mother’s sickness, and the Wild Hunt is her only option.

GWYDION is the least impressive of his magically-talented family, but with his ability to control plants and his sleight of hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his cruel older brother from becoming a tyrant.

PRYDERI is prince-born and monster-raised. Deep down, the royal crown doesn’t interest him—all he wants is to know is where he belongs.

If they band together against the monstrous creatures within the woods, they have a chance to win. But, then again, nothing is guaranteed when all is fair in love and the Hunt.

Review: I am going to start this review off with a general lament: Emily Lloyd-Jones is the most under-rated YA fantasy writer currently putting out books! It’s wild to me that she still seems to fly so far under everyone’s radar. The quality of her storytelling, the strength of her characters, the excellence of her dialogue, and the lovely secondary romances are truly on a whole new level from so many other YA fantasies that seem to take off. It’s bizarre to me. She’s an auto-buy author for me at this point, so it was a given that I was going to review this book. It was all the more exciting when I received an ARC copy to boot!

Sometimes it’s harder to write reviews for books that I absolutely adored than it is for ones I have mixed feelings about. With nothing to question or complain about, it quickly devolves into incoherent gushing. But I’ll start with something that I think makes Jones’s books stand out from much of the current YA fare: she allows her characters to behave in natural ways, making choices that can lead to tragedy and real conflict, and then forcing them to truly live with the results, both in a practical sense as well as an emotional sense. Too often, conflict that is introduced in other similar books is hand-waved away quickly, with characters seeming to easily forgive massive transgressions. Or characters will make bad decisions or poor judgements of character, but because the plot necessitates it, things always work out perfectly. In this way, Jones’s stories and characters feel somehow more real, more true, and I’m easily more invested in their stories. The lows are truly tragic, but this makes the highs all the more sweet.

In particular to this book, there is drawn-out consequence of one character’s choices that comes to play in the final quarter of this book. From this moment on, all of the other characters dramatically shift, and the rest of the book is not only wrapping up the plot, but truly dealing with the emotional fall-out of this situation. There are a few choices here that feel almost shocking. But, importantly, they feel shocking NOT because they are unrealistic; indeed I think they are very true to the impossibilities of the situation. But they feel shocking in the sense that I can’t think of a contemporary author writing in this same genre that has the bravery to fully commit to the decisions her characters would make in their story as Jones does here (and in her other books.)

But, even though I’ve now spent much of this review talking about the darker aspects of this story, this is largely a fun, funny, and sweetly romantic tale for 80% of the book. As I mentioned above, for all that the plotting and world-building is so excellent, one of the things that also stands out is the strength of the dialogue. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud and re-reading a few times before moving on.

On top of this, I’ve now come to rely on the romantic subplots that Jones includes in her fantasy novels. While I like full-on romance novels, as far as my absolute favorite reads go I always tend towards book that have a more reserved approach to the love story. Here, the relationship is clearly secondary to the main plot, but somehow this made the sweet moments we got all the more special. Above all, I appreciate the way the characters slowly come to know and begin to care for one another. There’s not a whiff of instalove or instalust to be found here.

I could go on and on. Even with all of this writing, I didn’t even get to the fantastic fantasy plot, full of adventure and magic. Or the fact that there are fun little nods to her other books that can be spotted throughout. If you haven’t read anything by this author, RUN (don’t walk) to the bookstore and just get all three at once. They’re that good!

Rating 10: One of the most under-rated YA fantasy authors writing today, Emily Lloyd-Jones shines and shows the highs that the genre can truly reach!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Wild Huntress” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Books for rainy tea-filled days  and My favorite Medieval Fantasy novels.