The Library Ladies

Ripley’s Reviews: “Ripley Under Water”

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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 final book in the series, “Ripley Under Water”.

Book: “Ripley Under Water” by Patricia Highsmith

Publishing Info: Alfred A Knopf, October 1991

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Tom Ripley passes his leisured days at his French country estate tending the dahlias, practicing the harpsichord, and enjoying the company of his lovely wife, Heloise. Never mind the bloodstains on the basement floor.

But some new neighbors have moved to Villeperce: the Pritchards, just arrived from America. they are a ghastly pair, with vulgar manners and even more vulgar taste. Most inconvenient, though, is their curiosity. Ripley does, after all, have a few things to hide. When menacing coincidences begin to occur, a spiraling contest of sinister hints and mutual terrorism ensues, resulting in one of Patricia Highsmith’s most elegantly harrowing novels to date.

Review: Happy 2025! I guess? New Year, new me, etcetera, and while I’m feeling pretty nervous about what this year has in store, I feel like we have the perfect transition here about to begin with my “Ripley’s Reviews” series. For you see, in the spirit of out with the old and in with the new, we are ending the first phase of this ongoing blog romp, as we have reached the end of the Tom Ripley books with “Ripley Under Water”! Patricia Highsmith published this book in 1991 and then passed away four years later, and therefore we are at a crossroads for how we follow Ripley as my series continues. I was hoping we’d get a pretty slamdunk ending to Ripley’s adventures after some shaky twists and turns. Unfortunately, that isn’t really what we got here.

Me in the final pages of this novel (source).

I found this to be more of the same from this series. Tom Ripley is still living at Belle Ombre with Heloise (oh Heloise. I enjoy her, she’s so daffy), just trying to tend to his garden and live life in relative comfort and opulence. And once again someone enters his life potentially threatening his comfort and stature, this time in the form of a boorish American couple called The Pritchards, who know a lot about his past and plan to make him suffer for it because… reasons? I did like the idea of Tom being on the receiving end of a little bit of torment for once, though the Pritchards were pretty two dimensional as villains, and I felt like we sleep walked through the story as Ripley attempts to outmaneuver them and keep his secrets hidden, even as they escalate and a literal body end up on Ripley’s literal doorstep. It’s entertaining, but nothing really stood out as unique or original. At least in “The Boy Who Followed Ripley” we had some really campy moments to even out the drudgery of Tom playing cat and mouse again. Here it’s just the same old song and dance, and while I enjoy Ripley very much and find him to be quite a character, I’ve realized that he needs supporting characters to play off of for his stories to really be successful. But I feel like as the series has gone on we’ve just gotten roadblocks and warm bodies that we know aren’t going to succeed in outwitting him.

And the saddest part of this book is that while it’s the final book in the series, it just kind of ends. I don’t know if this was because Highsmith had more plans for Tom but then died before she could bring them to life, or if it was because she knew that it would be a payday for her should she keep writing Ripley books and this one was merely a vessel to get said payday. I hope it wasn’t anything as cynical as that. But man, this just kind of ended without much fanfare. Maybe it’s a statement about how people like Tom Ripley just get to keep getting away with things. But as a narrative ending for Tom Ripley as a character, it just wasn’t very satisfying. I don’t know if I wanted him to get caught. It’s something I’m struggling with as the Joe Goldberg series goes on as well. But I wanted more than this.

Sorry to say that with “Ripley Under Water” we have come to a less than satisfying ending to Patricia Highsmith’s “Ripliad”. I don’t think this was a failed experiment on my part, as now having his full trajectory was interesting to be sure. But I had higher hopes than were warranted.

Well we are officially done with the book series. But we aren’t done yet! We still have a few films and TV adaptations to take on! And my first review of a “Ripley” adaptation is the film “The Talented Mr. Ripley”, which I will review next month! AKA the first movie where I was made aware that Jude Law is a person who exists. Can’t wait to revisit this one.

Rating 5: I’m a bit sad this is how we end the literary adventures of Tom Ripley, as it was more of the same and a weak ending to the series about one of the thriller genre’s MVPs.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Ripley Under Water” is included on the Goodreads list “The Vilest Man in Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “Six Scorched Roses”

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Book: “Six Scorched Roses” by Carissa Broadbent

Publishing Info: Bramble, September 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation… or her damnation.

Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.

Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.

But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.

Review: This novella was independently published before it was picked up by Bramble, so it’s been a choice to not read it until now. Mostly, I’ve been trying to draw out the process of making my way through Broadbent’s back catalog, as I’ve loved everything I’ve read from her so far. But it did make for an interesting reading experience here, as I had briefly met the main couple of this book in another book already! While I only got a snippet of them there, I was excited to read their origin story in full!

Sometimes I think the ability to write a compelling and rich shorter book is more proof a writer’s talent than whipping together a massive tome. There are fewer pages to get across the themes, character arcs, and hit any plot points that are needed for the story. I’m not surprised that Broadbent was up to the task, as, first and foremost, she’s always had a steady hand on the sorts of characters she writes. And here, that was on even greater display, particularly with the heroine who seems to be mildly autistic, struggling to put words to emotions and often hyper-fixating on her scientific endeavors. As the story is casually pulling in “Beauty and the Beast” references, Vale, as the romantic hero, is a bit more of a straight-forward character. That said, I did like the brief looks we get into the long history of the vampires and the toll that these long-lasting wars and feuds would have on the soldiers and leaders who waged them.

As I said, this book was definitely hitting some “Beauty and the Beast” vibes, and, as such, was a much more romantic tale than Broadbent’s other works. The others that I’ve read from her, while also heavily featuring romance and spice, also involved classic fantasy plots with lots of fighting and exploration. Here, as the story is much smaller in scope, the focus of the book is honed in on the two characters at its heart and the growing love story between them. And it was as lovely as I could have wished for, with a nice slow-burn and a proper balance of romance to spicy scenes.

That said, I was also impressed with some of the side relationships, particularly between Lilith and her sister who is slowly dying of a wasting disease. As its a short book and the primary focus is obviously on the romantic duo, not much time is really devoted to this relationship. But, at the same time, what we do get really packs a punch, with almost all of Lilith’s inner motivation and focus revolving around this relationship, rather than the love story. We also got another confirmation that all the gods of this world are world-class a-holes.

Overall, this was an excellent novella. While I love the full novels, I almost think that, purely with regards to the love story, this is one of the stronger entries. If you’re favorite parts of this author’s other books was the romance, than this is definitely a must read!

Rating 9: Full of romance and sisterly bonds, this book was right up my alley!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Six Scorched Roses” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Fantasy, Horror, and Sci-Fi Novellas.

Kate’s Review: “Earthdivers (Vol. 3): 1776”

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Book: “Earthdivers (Vol.3): 1776” by Stephen Graham Jones & Davide Gianfelice (Ill.)

Publishing Info: IDW Publishing, December 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: Join or die! New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice are back in action for the next chapter of their heart-pounding historical sci-fi slasher Earthdivers!

A team of time-traveling Indigenous survivors had one goal: save the world from an American apocalypse by sending one of their own on a suicide trip to kill Christopher Columbus and course-correct world history.

Mission accomplished? Maybe not. Blood is still soaking into the sands of San Salvador as Tad’s friends suffer the consequences of his actions—and their own slippery moral rationalizations—620 years in the future. Faced with a choice to watch the world crumble or double down on their cause, the path is clear for Seminole two-spirit Emily: it’s personal now, and there’s no better time and place to take another stab at America than Philadelphia, 1776.

But where violence just failed them, she has a new plan: pass as a man, infiltrate the Founding Fathers, and use only wit and words to carve out a better future in the Declaration of Independence. No need to cut throats this time…right?

The next chapter of the critically acclaimed sci-fi epic is here in Earthdivers Vol. 3. Collects Earthdivers #11–16.

Review: So I didn’t realize that “Earthdivers: 1776” was going to be the last volume in the “Earthdivers” series until I was reading it and it kind of clicked for me. And while I’m sad that this intense and always creative historical fiction/Science-Fiction series has come to an end, I’m pretty thrilled that Stephen Graham Jones got to see his vision through and bring this story to life. When we left off in “Ice Age”, Tawny had gone back to, well, the Ice Age, and we hadn’t seen what had become of Emily, who had disappeared into the cave at the end if “Kill Columbus”. Well for those who were wondering about her, I have great news! It is finally her time!

Given how much I enjoyed Emily in the past volumes, I was very much looking forward to her story in 1776 as she tries to take on rewriting history by infiltrating the Founding Fathers on the dawn of the Declaration of Independence. I also thought that her approach was an interesting contrast to those of Tad and Yellow Kid and his theorizing, and really matched up with how her character was portrayed in the first volume when we got to know her the most. Jones takes this arc to explore the hypocrisies of the Founding Fathers of this country as they interact with a disguised Emily and treat her as less than due to her skin, as well as exploring the nuances of Benjamin Franklin when he becomes an ally to her on her mission. I really enjoyed their back and forth, and the way that this storyline plays out made a lot of sense and really paid off. But we also had another aspect of the time travel system suddenly become apparent in this final volume, as previous travelers start falling from the sky in the 2100s storyline, their dead bodies being returned to their time after their deaths in the past. This was such a shocking twist and development, and it really added to the overall Sci-Fi system.

I do kind of feel like the ending was really sped up. Maybe sped up isn’t the right phrasing, but while we got some pretty in depth explorations of the Columbus storyline, the Ice Age storyline, and the 1776 storyline, I thought that the final arc, with Yellow Kid and Sosh, while incredibly powerful, was a bit less in depth. But that said, I didn’t feel like that took away from their story, as the two of them find themselves in two separate times, with Sosh specifically in a potentially neverending timeloop at Wounded Knee and being killed over and over again, only to come back. The chaos and the endless violence she is subjected to is unrelenting, and it’s a bleak but evocative commentary on how Indigenous people have to keep on fighting for their lives against colonial violence. Yellow Kid’s story was a bit less clear to me, but Sosh’s was so well done I wasn’t as bothered by it.

Overall, I thought that “Earthdivers: 1776” was a satisfying end to an incredibly creative and engaging Sci-Fi series. Stephen Graham Jones continues to bring us very enjoyable and engaging genre fiction.

Rating 8: A solid and satisfying end to a historical fiction time travel epic.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Earthdivers: 1776” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Time Travel Fiction”.

Not Just Books: December 2024

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

Serena’s Picks

Movie: “Godzilla Minus One”

I’m what you may call a casual fan of big monster movies. I’ve seen a supremely random assortment of Godzilla movies, two or three King Kongs, “Pacific Rim” but not its sequel. All over the place! But I had heard good tings about the latest entry into the Godzilla franchise, a prequel, none the less! And it really lived up to my expectations, with a nice balance of monster action alongside the more poignant tale of a kamikaze pilot who survived WWII and has all the associated survivor’s guilt that one might expect.

Video Game: “Outerwilds”

I’m definitely the bigger video game nerd between my husband and me. I’m the one that already owned a console when we got married and I’m the one usually brainstorming the next game we play together (never mind the ones I play on my own). So I was quite surprised when I found that he had bought and downloaded this one for us to check out! It’s definitely a unique experience, relying primarily on exploration and discovery as you fly through a small solar system and piece together the history of a long-extinct civilization. Oh, you’re also in a “Groundhog’s Day” loop. It’s weird and fun, for sure!

Netflix Show: “The Diplomat”

There’s nothing better to distract oneself from current politics than to watch a show about politics! I’ve re-watched “The West Wing” innumerable times for this very reason! So I was excited to discover this show on Netflix earlier this month. There are only two seasons and both are rather short, so I whipped through this show in only a few sittings. But it was excellent in every way! Superb casting, great writing, and all of the twists and turns that you could ask for! It also ends on a rather big cliffhanger, but it has been renewed for a third season, so at least Netflix didn’t just drop it like they are so want to do.

Kate’s Picks

Netflix Show: “Cobra Kai”

My ultimate comfort show is back, with the second of three drops of final season episodes! I will admit that this show has kind of shifted a bit as time has gone on to be more about the teens than my beloved Johnny Lawrence and all the other older characters, but I am still really enjoying this show and finding it to be a true calming balm for me. The Miyagi-Do Dojo is in Barcelona participating in the international karate tournament the Sekai Taikai, where they are facing VERY tough competition. Including seeing former teammate turned once again rival Tori, who defected back to Cobra Kai after her mother died and Kreese manipulated her to rejoin with him. As Johnny and Daniel try to keep their own frustrations at bay, as well as their rage at Kreese, Miguel, Robby, Sam, and the others are starting to become frustrated with each other as they keep being defeated. This part of the season ended with a legitimately shocking moment which amps me up for the last few episodes. But most importantly, Johnny is still everything I need. Oh, and Chozen finds an unlikely romance which also REALLY worked for me.

HBO Show: “The Penguin”

I really loved the Robert Pattinson “Batman” film, finding it to strike the exact right balance between comic book energy and gritty noir, but I’ll admit that when I heard that Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb (aka The Penguin) was getting his own show I was skeptical. Was he fantastic in the role? Yes, of course. But could he carry his own show as said character? I wasn’t sure. Well shut me up, because “The Penguin” is right up there with “Peacemaker” as one of my favorite modern DC projects, as it feels like a “Batman” villain tale mixed with the likes of “The Sopranos” at its very best. In the aftermath of the events in “The Batman”, with Gotham reeling from the massive flooding and the crime underbelly dealing with the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone, Oz Cobb makes an impulsive move that sends the family into chaos. It could help him consolidate his own power, but Carmine’s daughter Sofia has just returned from Arkham, and is looking to make her own place in the family hierarchy. Colin Farrell is FANTASTIC as Oz, still being fully unrecognizable in his makeup and performance, but also finds so many complex dimensions to a Batman villain who could very easily be a joke. But it’s Cristina Milioti’s Sofia that REALLY sells this show for me, as she is vicious and terrifying, but is also ravaged by PTSD, and the portrayal is simply phenomenal. Just peak DC stuff here.

Film: “Wicked Part One”

Anyone who knew me during my freshman and sophomore years of college can tell you that I basically made my entire special interest/personality the musical “Wicked”. I listened to the music all the time, I saw the show a couple of times, read most of the books of the source material, and my freshman roommate turned dear friend Megan and I saw a lot of ourselves in the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba respectively (I was the dork who wrote her a goodbye letter on moving out day that quoted “For Good”, not realizing that we would still be close friends years later). I knew that I needed to see the movie. I was not ready for it. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande dazzle as Elphaba and Galinda, who we may know as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch thanks to “The Wizard of Oz”. But “Wicked” asks what if that is all propaganda, and the Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch were actually friends while in school? And that the Wicked Witch was actually a revolutionary fighting against a fascist government? Man, what an adaptation. I was weeping on and off, and wholly blown away by Erivo and Grande alike. Now we have to wait for Part 2, and I’m not going to be at all patient about it.

Serena’s Review: “The Ledge”

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

Book: “The Ledge” by Stacey Mcewan

Publishing Info: Angry Robot, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison…

In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.

Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?

Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.

Review: This is another title that I requested on Netgalley way back when it was recently released. And here I am, getting to it years later! Shame on me! But I am getting to it, so let’s just focus on that part. Plus, now that I’ve been so late, the remaining two books of this trilogy have also released, so, as I plan on continuing this trilogy, I can jump right into those! But on with the review!

This book did have the dreaded “TikTok sensation” included in its promotional material, but I am pleased to say that this is one of the times that proves why I can’t just immediately discount every book that is tagged in this way! I actually really enjoyed this read! Yes, there are a few predictable tropes and the ending got a little muddled. But at the same time, the skill of the writing and characterization were much better than I usually find in comparable romantasy titles, and I blew through this read in only a few sessions!

It started out on a high note right away with the introduction of the main character and the brutal life she’s lived up to this point. It’s a fairly simple concept: a small group of humans stranded to live on the shelf of a mountainside, vulnerable to not only the harsh climate and one another, but also waiting for the inevitable day when they are cruelly whisked away by winged monsters, never to be seen again. The descriptions of life on this ledge were brutal, harsh, and necessarily violent.

And to survive in this place, Dawsyn (don’t get me started on the names…we have Dawsyn and Ryon…someone needed to take away this author’s “Y” key!) has had to become a warrior. But what makes this truly great is that we aren’t simply told this. We see, again and again, Dawsyn put these skills to the test, not only fighting off other humans but also the much stronger Glacians. There was one moment early in the book that particularly drove this point home, with Dawsyn choosing to end a conflict in the most brutal way imaginable. It’s these moments, where an author fully commits to the world and character they are writing, that raise a book in my estimation.

Further, when Dawsyn and Ryon inevitably begin working together, they don’t simply do away with the conflict between them. For her part, Dawsyn has no reason to trust Ryon and every reason to attempt to escape him, and I was pleased to see her remain in this mindset for a significant amount of time. In this way, by the time the romance begins to kick up more, it felt more earned and I was able to invest in them as a couple because I’d also had the time to come to understand them, especially Dawsyn, as individuals.

As I said, I liked the overall world-building as well. The story moves from the ledge itself fairly quickly, but I also enjoyed learning more about the Glacian civilization and the humans living below in the valley. While some of these twists and turns were a bit predictable, they mostly worked, with only a few stumbling blocks of unnecessary secrecy and “chosen one” plot points. My only true hiccup was a plot decision made at the very end of the book. Essentially, Dawsyn and Ryon come up with a plan to storm a location and seem to go about it in crazily risky manner. From a reader standpoint, I can see why this needed to happen, as part of this plan involved them gaining certain abilities that I’m sure will be necessary in the upcoming books. But as far as an actual plan? It essentially saw them sneak into a guarded location, intentionally get caught, be removed from said location to be executed, escape, and then….storm the exact same location to get back inside. It was just odd and clunky at times.

Overall, however, I had a lot of fun with this book! I think the one thing that really stands out is the overall strength of the writing. The dialogue was good, but there was also proper emphasis placed on descriptive elements. The pacing flowed, and I felt invested in the story from start to finish. If you’re looking for a solid romantasy read, this one is a good start to a trilogy!

Rating 8: Fast-paced and full of action, this is a romantasy worth checking out!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Ledge” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best enemies to lovers

Serena’s Favorite Reads of 2024: Picks 5-1

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

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! For me, the word “favorite” is an important part of this list. As I go through the last year’s worth of reading, I often found that some books would strike particular chords within me more deeply than others, even if, quality-wise, another book might be stronger. Of course, this just makes it all that much harder to put them in any order. But here it goes! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, five through 1. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!”

5. “Asunder” by Kerstin Hall

“Asunder” Review

While this list often includes authors that I’ve read and loved for years, I’m always the happiest about entries from authors who are new to me! Such is the case with this one! I typically have a decent idea of what sort of book I’m getting when I first pick one up (not spoilery, but I’ve usually done some research into themes and tropes and such), but this one was almost a blank slate for me and I think this made it better than ever! I called this one “hard fantasy” in my review, and I stand by this definition. This is the ultimate case of a second world fantasy story where the reader is dropped into a completely strange world, full of magic, creatures, and even forms of transportation that are almost totally unrecognizable from anything we have in the real world. And the author doesn’t hand hold you; readers are left to piece it together for themselves! Some enjoy this more than others, but I, for one, love it! It also didn’t hurt that I loved the main character and the sub-sub-plot romance that was included.

4. “Dark Water Daughter”/”Black Tide Son” by H.M. Long

“Dark Water Daughter” Review & “Black Tide Son” Review

Every year there’s some sort of…well…”cheating” is an awfully strong word now isn’t it, on this list. But I read both of the books in this series this year and within a few months of one another and loved them both, so there’s no real way of picking one over the other. Instead, as a pair, they tell an excellent nautical fantasy story featuring two fantastic characters and a swoon-worthy romance to boot! I loved the magical elements included in this world and, while I thought this was just a duology when I read the second one, I’m incredibly excited to return to this world when the next book comes out this summer!

3. “Foul Days” by Genoveva Dimova

“Foul Days” Review

See, now I could have cheated on this one, too, as I read both books in this duology this year as well! But, while I loved them both, I did enjoy the first one more than the second, so I was good and am just including this one on the list. But this is also another example of a brand new to me author hitting it out of the park! I loved the folklore-style of this fantasy story and the team up between a grumpy witch and the more golden retriever-esque cop that she must work with. However, while that sounds rather fluffy, this book doesn’t shy away from getting into some dark topics about abusive relationships and the deep cuts they can leave on a person. The second book was an excellent conclusion, and I highly recommend the duology as a whole!

2. “The Wild Huntress” by Emily Lloyd-Jones

“The Wild Huntress” Review

I said this in my review but I’ll say it again: Emily Lloyd-Jones is one of the most underrated YA fantasy authors writing today! Honestly, it’s criminal that her books seem to get so little hype considering how vastly superior they are in every way to many of the other YA fantasy books that blow up! You’ve got complicated, believable characters, rich, immersive world-building, and sweet but complex romances! I’ve yet to read a book by her that wasn’t a banger, and this one was no exception. Instead, I was yet again impressed by Lloyd-Jones willingness to truly commit to the characters and story she is writing. People make truly morally grey decisions, and then others react to those decision in complicated ways. It’s so refreshing to see an author who isn’t just playing it safe with their storytelling. I highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoy fairytale-like fantasy stories!

1.) “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

“The Familiar” Review

This was one of those books where I turned the last page and felt fairly confident that I’d just read my number 1 read for the year. And this was way back in the spring! But it’s just that good! I’ve enjoyed Bardugo’s books in the past, but this one felt like it reached a new level, somehow perfectly blending fantasy, historical fiction, and literary fiction all into one beautifully written tome. There wasn’t a misstep to be found. It was one of those books where I lost myself in the story, but at the same time, was aware of just how beautiful the writing itself was. I could honestly rave about this book for ages, but at this point you’ve read not only my original review but also the bookclub reviews that Kate and I posted, so I’ll just leave it with this: if ever a book deserved the top slot on my “Top Ten” list, this was it!

So, there we have it, my top reads for the year! Now it’s time to cheat and include some honorable mentions that didn’t make the list. Some of these I would have included but for the fact that I listed another book in the series last year, so I didn’t want the list to get repetitive. Others were just shy of making the cut on their own, but still well worth a shout out! Here they are:

“Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands” Review

“The Tainted Cup” Review

“A Letter to the Luminous Deep” Review

“Salt and Broom” Review

What were some of your favorite reads of 2024?

Kate’s Favorite Reads of 2024: Picks 5-1

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! Like past years I won’t be including re-reads, sometimes my opinion of a book could change and evolve after I had read it, so some surprises may be up near the top, as well as perhaps a book or two that didn’t make my reviews on here initially due to genre limitations. But here they are, ready for a countdown! And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway”! Today I’m going to countdown my favorite reads, five to one.

5. “Against the Darkness” by Kendare Blake

“Against the Darkness” Review

I really loved Kendare Blake’s take on the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” characters in her reboot series, and her final installment really lived up to all my expectations. “Against the Darkness” didn’t just do a satisfactory job of wrapping up all the loose ends of her original characters, specifically that of Willow’s Slayer-Witch daughter Frankie and her friends, but it also was a treat for this Elder Millennial “Buffy” fan who was absolutely in love with Spike, as her characterization of him was spot on, bringing out the humor and the sentimentality of this sarcastic dork of a vampire (and as a Spuffy fan, it was SO good). I was so thrilled it wrapped up the way it did.

4. “First Light” by Liz Kerin

“First Light” Review

Boy are there a lot of vampire stories on my list this year, but given that we are kind of in a vampire renaissance in horror fiction at the moment it isn’t really surprising. My favorite vampire tale of the year, however, is very clearly “First Light”, Liz Kerin’s sequel to “Night’s Edge” (which made my list last year). We follow Mia after the events of the first book, having lost her vampire mother and hoping to get her revenge against the vampire that ruined their lives, and man oh man is it an emotional rollercoaster about loss, grief, and ultimately healing. And the continued themes of mothers and daughters and the fraught complexities that can come with that really put me through the emotional ringer. Just fantastic.

3. “Holly” by Stephen King

“Holly” Review

I know that Holly Gibney is a bit of a polarizing figure for Stephen King fans, but I have always loved her, and his newest book about her REALLY blew me away. Not only did we get to see Holly having to maneuver through a particularly difficult case involving missing people and a malevolent elderly couple that does horrifying things with their murder victims, we also see her having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties that came with the Delta Wave, especially for a coded neurodivergent woman such as herself. I found this story to be incredibly engaging and absolutely haunting, with one particular moment sure to stick with me for a long, long time.

2. “I Was A Teenage Slasher” by Stephen Graham Jones

“I Was A Teenage Slasher” Review

Since I love the slasher sub-genre of horror, as well as a glam metal soundtrack AND some serious pathos in basically any of my stories, “I Was A Teenage Slasher” was destined to make my top five reads of 2024. And it is also hands down my favorite of Stephen Graham Jones’s novels, with his usual deconstruction of the genre really working overtime here to create a scary and deeply emotional coming of age tale about a reluctant but burgeoning teenage slasher killer in 1980s Texas. It had moments of high suspense and well done horror beats, while also bringing tears to my eyes multiple times. Jones is such a treasure, and this is him at his best.

and 1. “The Reformatory” by Tananarive Due

“The Reformatory” Review

This was my first Tananarive Due novel, as I’d read a few short stories by her before this, and man oh man did it ever blow me away. It was one of the first books I read in 2024, and I knew from the jump that it was going to be hard to beat as my favorite for the year. Due is a master of not only conveying some really eerie supernatural horrors in this book, but also the very real horrors of American racism, specifically in Jim Crow Florida as a young Black teen is sent to a reformatory school as punishment for a minor crime that he didn’t deserve punishment for. I’ve been recommending this to basically anyone who will listen to me, and now I am happy to showcase it as my very favorite read of 2024. Absolutely astounding.

That’s it for my favorite reads of 2024! What were some of yours this year?

Serena’s Favorite Reads of 2024: Picks 10-6

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Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! For me, the word “favorite” is an important part of this list. As I go through the last year’s worth of reading, I often found that some books would strike particular chords within me more deeply than others, even if, quality-wise, another book might be stronger. Of course, this just makes it all that much harder to put them in any order. But here it goes! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, ten to six. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!”

10. “Heavenbreaker” by Sara Wolf

“Heavenbreaker” Review

I don’t get around to science fiction nearly as often as I’d like to. And then I read books like this one that remind me what fun a good sci-fi books has to offer! Not only does this one tackle several of the most popular aspects of space adventures (strange alien creatures, struggles with survival and isolation, political maneuvering) it also included a tournament featuring massive mechs bashing each other. Which was just as cool as it sounded! Even more, I was impressed by how well Wolf managed to make each bout feel uniquely challenging with new ways the joust played out. The main character is new to this competition, and I appreciated that she was immediately just the bestest best ever. I also really enjoyed the political aspects of this story and the set-up of the romance and some of the larger mysteries at play. Can’t wait for the sequel!

9. “The Witchstone” by Henry H. Neff

“The Witchstone” Review

This was one of those fortuitous situations where a book that was completely off my radar blew me away! I’d seen this title in passing, but it wasn’t until the publicist reached out about coverage that I truly looked into it. And boy am I glad I did! This is one of those strange fantasy novels that’s very hard to place within a subgenre. It’s hilarious and follows a quirky cast of characters who are both found and blood family, so it’d seem like it might fit in as a cozy fantasy. But then it was also incredibly dark, so dark fantasy? It also had a distinct feeling of both urban fantasy mixed with folklore. Somehow, all of these things came together to form an incredible stand-alone tale. While all of these elements worked well (I really loved the two main characters!), I do distinctly remember reading this after quite a low point as far as humor in fantasy books go, and this one returned my faith that it is possible to write a good comedic fantasy story!

8. “A Sorceress Comes to Call” by T. Kingfisher

“A Sorceress Comes to Call” Review

Surprising no one, the new T. Kingfisher book is on my list! I swear, it’s like Kingfisher somehow got her hands on a list of my personal favorite tropes and themes of fantasy stories and then has proceeded to write those books for the last decade. I’ve had favorites, for sure, but we’re talking favorites out of a selection of other favorites! This one was particularly intriguing as it was a loose re-telling of “The Goose Girl” with a lot of added horror and spookiness to boot! How she managed to write a book that had such a slow build of dread throughout while also be laugh-out-loud funny is beyond me! I also particularly liked the second chance romance for the older woman protagonist. Not something you typically find, but so well done, especially as its only a side plot. Feel assured, the next time this author releases a book, it will probably end up on that year’s list as well!

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

“The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” Review

Here’s another one that will surprise nobody! After discovering Broadbent’s books last winter, I’ve been trying to slowly space out my reading of her back catalog. But there’s always something special about reading a brand new title! And this one was highly anticipated as it follows Mische, a character we met in the previous duology set in this world. There was a lot to like about this book (except perhaps the cliffhanger which is now killing me!), but one thing that stood out was the MMC romantic lead. I’ve liked all of Broadbent’s romantic heroes so far, but this one really stood out as checking off many of the boxes that I personally like to see! Give me the reserved, overly-obsessed-with-the-rules serious man every time! Mische was also great in the sunshine role of this grumpy/sunshine romance, being both a more light character, but also one who has some deep trauma that she must work through over the course of the story.

6. “Buried Deep and Other Stories” by Naomi Novik

“Buried Deep and Other Stories” Review

I typically don’t enjoy short story collections as much as novels, so it’s kind of a surprise to find one on this list! On the other hand, if there ever was going to be a collection like this here, it makes sense that it would come from Novik, an author who has written many different sorts of fantasy novels, all of which I have loved! And this collection was a perfect serving of all of these, rewarding readers of all of her biggest series with additional glances into these worlds. I believe I mentioned in last year’s “Top 10” list that I always seem to include some sort of Jane Austen re-telling on the list. Well, this year, that is covered by the fantastic re-imagining of “Pride and Prejudice” that is transferred into the world of Novik’s “Temerairre” world that is included in this collection. I enjoyed all of the stories here, but this one was probably my favorite! We also got a brief look into the world of her next series, so now I’m even more eager for that to come out.

So that’s ten through six. Next time I will give a countdown of my top five. What have been some of your favorite reads of 2024?

Kate’s Favorite Reads of 2024: Picks 10-6

10. “So Thirsty” by Rachel Harrison

“So Thirsty” Review

I have loved Rachel Harrison’s books basically ever since I read her book “The Return”, and I was very excited to see what she did with a favorite sub-genre of mine: vampires! And I was very pleased with how she not only took on vampires as a mythos, but also how she portrayed some relatable themes like complicated female friendships, anxiety about aging, and the need to reinvent oneself. “So Thirsty” is creepy, funny, and heartfelt, and I think it may be one of my favorites of Harrison’s, if not THE favorite (“Cackle” is hard to top but this one is VERY close to doing so).

9. “Tunis to Sydney” by Meriam and Christian Carnouche

“Tunis to Sydney” Review

This was a surprise read for me this year, as I hadn’t heard of it until Christian Carnouche reached out to me asking if I’d be willing to review it. And then I ended up really loving it as I read this story about grief, homecoming, and perseverance through tragedy and loss. Not only is the story deeply touching and very emotional, the illustrations are gorgeous and match the tone very well. It was probably my biggest reading surprise of 2024 and it made my Favorite Reads of 2024 List handily.

8. “My Vampire Plus-One” by Jenna Levine

“My Vampire Plus-One” Review

I do occasionally dabble into romance novels (more now than I did when we started this blog), and I really enjoy finding romances that overlap with other interests. Like vampires!! And this sequel outdid its predecessor! I think that was due in part to the fact that we were following Reggie this time, who is a decidedly more Lestat-y vampire than the Louis vibes that Frederick was giving in the first one. I also really enjoyed the main female character Amelia, as her high strung-ness really balanced out with Reggie’s snark and mercurial nature. It really was a perfect romance that didn’t take itself super seriously.

7. “Horror Movie” by Paul Tremblay

“Horror Movie” Review

Paul Tremblay is almost guaranteed to make my end of year list if he has a novel out, and “Horror Movie” was no exception. In this book he takes on a couple of themes that lend themselves very well to a horror tale. The first is the overly concept of a cursed film and how lore around it can be built up through word of mouth and urban legendmaking. The next is how he explores the relationship between an artist, their art, and how it can be transformative for better or for worse (in thise case, absolutely worse). This one has some really scary and high tense bits, and I found it super freaky, and up there with some of my favorites of his.

6. “Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey” by Edel Rodriguez

“Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey” Review

This graphic memoir blew me away when I read it in the first few months of this past year. I’m sorry to say that we didn’t heed the warning that Rodriguez gave in regards to letting an authoritarian gain a position of utmost power in this country, but…. Anyway, I loved this frank, at times distressing, but ultimately hopeful memoir of Edel Rodriguez’s childhood in Cuba, and the way his family escaped Castro’s regime. It’s an emotional take for sure, but his tenacity, his candor, and his amazing artwork really bring the entire story together. If you like memoirs but haven’t read “Worm”, do yourself a favor and go pick it up.

So that’s ten through six. Next time I will give a countdown of my top five. What have been some of your favorite reads of 2024?

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

Happy holidays fellow book lovers! And in honor of this time of year when ~~presents~~ giving is everything, we’re hosting our annual “12 Days of Christmas” Giveaway. But, tricky us, it’s actually two giveaways, each one comprised of six books from our preferred genres. Read on to see what books are included in each prize package and enter for your chance to win! Both giveaways are open to U.S. residents only and end on January 3.