Jo Walton’s Half a Crown
I really did nothing this evening except read the second two books in this trilogy! This third one finds Carmichael the reluctant head of the British version of the Gestapo, using his position to rescue Jews and get them out of the country. And the other POV character is his ward, now an 18 year old debutante planning to go to Oxford, who gets embroiled in political shenanigans. Very tense but a solid ending. Fuck fascism!
Jo Walton’s Ha’Penny
The second book in the Small Change trilogy raises the stakes a little as an actress (from a family definitely inspired by the Mitfords) gets involved in a plot to kill Hitler, while the detective from the first book is investigating the bombing death of one of her actress colleagues. Lots of shady political plots and heartbreaking moments. I don’t actually remember how this series wraps up but I hope it invokes defeating fascism bc I could use some of that right now.
Jo Walton’s Farthing
We were chatting about Jo Walton in one of my discords and I was seized with the urge to reread this series—maybe my recent reimmersion into the Mitfords? (I feel like the Mitfords, or characters based on them, pop up in this series.) Anyway, this is an alternate history/murder mystery set in a world where England declared peace with Hitler, and there’s been a murder at a fancy country house, and everyone is blaming the main character’s Jewish husband bc they’re all antisemitic jerks. (The other POV character is the detective investigating the death.) I think the antisemitism is mildly less jarring on a reread, though still upsetting. And I forgot how stressful the ending of this one is! But still riveting somehow.
Seanan McGuire's Silver and Lead
Nothing I was reading was holding my attention, which meant I had to bring out the big guns--the 19th Toby Daye book! Things are still all weird after the events of the last two books, and it turns out a bunch of powerful magical artifacts are missing, and Toby has to track them down--even though she is VERY pregnant. Of course there's lots of action and danger and feelings involved! (Also, this really leans in on the blood stuff/body horror--not pregnancy related!) I love this series and am totally along for the ride. The novella at the end is a sweet one involving Simon and his Underseas throuple. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.
Barbara Truelove’s Of Monsters and Mainframes
I’m not sure I’ve ever described a book as a “romp” before, but this book is SUCH a sci-fi romp! It involves a sentient spaceship (my fave!!!!) who starts having issues after Dracula kills all her passengers. And then other classic monsters start coming into the story. I think the pacing in the first part was a little off, or else it just stressed me out, but once we started getting more POV characters (particularly the medical AI on board), I was way more into it. Very fun. A-/B+.
Naomi Novik’s The Summer War
I was home sick and feeling puny today, and this was the perfect book to read—a really sweet novella with major fairy tale vibes and a very satisfying ending. I especially loved all the sibling relationships. I do wish this had been a full-length novel—I think there could have been a lot more going on—but this is a delightful story. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.
Kate Ross’ Whom the Gods Love
The third Julian Kestrel mystery involves Julian being asked to investigate the death of a popular young gentleman who died during a party he was hosting—meaning there are loads of suspects. (One of the suspects is a Jewish businessman and some of the characters do express period-appropriate antisemitism, but the author treads fairly lightly.) Some great reveals here, and I admire how Ross maintains a light tone even while dealing with absolutely disgusting people. This series is very good. A-.
Kate Ross’ A Broken Vessel
The second Julian Kestrel mystery is a complicated one, involving a mysterious letter, an organization that reforms prostitutes, and Dipper’s sister (also a prostitute). Not to mention three suspects! Really fun and lively, despite some dark spots (check content warnings). I am really enjoying this series. A-.
Kate Ross’ Cut to the Quick
Rereading this first book in the Julian Kestrel series (about a Regency dandy!), because I finally got hold of copies of the other three and wanted to refresh my memory. This one involves Julian being asked to be the best man of a guy he’s only met once, which is intriguing, so he goes. And then he finds a dead body in his bed! I remembered bits and pieces of this and so it was still fun trying to puzzle it out. The grumpy doctor was a fave and I hope we’ll see him again.
Leigh Stein's If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You
When I saw the title, I had to read this--I've seen soooo many TikTok videos that started this way! (My favorite is the person who uses Pokemon cards.) Anyway, this is the story of some wannabe TikTok stars living in a wannabe hype house/crumbling old mansion in LA. There are two POV characters--Dayna, a former entertainment journalist who has a history with the house's owner, and is brought in to help promote the TikTokers; and Olivia, who is secretly there to investigate what happened to one of the former residents, a tarot card reader who's mysteriously vanished. It’s a gothic novel fused onto a novel about social media, and it rules. Stellar characters, a rabbit named Owen Wilson (the rabbit on the cover is NOT right), a little humor and a dose of weirdness—I think this will be a hit. A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in August.
Andrea K. Host’s Gratuitous Epilogue
Does what it says on the tin! Everyone adopts kids, has babies, gets married, goes on vacation, has one big battle, and has happy reunions. Satisfying and gratuitous wrap up.
Andrea K. Host’s Caszandra
Solid ending to an engrossing trilogy—lots going on with alien attacks, saving the world, and adopting (or being adopted by) a bunch of orphans. Maybe the climax is a little anti-climactic but I’m more interested in the characters than in the action scenes anyway. I love this series.
Andrea K. Host's Lab Rat One
The second book in the Touchstone trilogy has more romance/angst (very realistic since it's a teen's diary), but also lots of fighting alien monsters, exploring planets, discovering new abilities, and even a subplot where there's a tv show based on the main character. Very action-packed and fun.
Andrea K. Host’s Stray
Sometimes you just want to reread a book about a teenager who walks into another world—I mean, doesn’t that sound nice right now? Anyway, this novel is told as the diary of a teen girl who walks onto another world, and is soon subsumed in a world full of sci-fi/military adventures surrounded by psychic space ninjas. Very fun and perfect escapism.
Katie Yee’s Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar
From the description, this isn’t necessarily a book I would rush to read—it’s about a woman, a mother of two, whose husband leaves her (for another woman), and then she finds out she has breast cancer. But people have been SO enthusiastic about it! And it is really good—funny and a little weird and very thoughtful. I loved how much storytelling there was and how much the character thought about the stories she told her kids. Really engaging narrative voice. I did wish the best friend was a little more developed but this was a very good book. A/A-.
Lev AC Rosen’s Mirage City
The latest Evander Mills mystery finds Andy heading down to his hometown of Los Angeles to track down some missing people—but will he wrap up the case in time to get back for the big birthday party his friends are planning?? I liked the case a lot in this one and it has a VERY satisfying ending—in general this felt a little bit lighter/more fun than some of the previous ones—I loved it! A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in October.
Lev AC Rosen’s Rough Pages
The third Evander Mills book finds Andy investigating a missing bookstore owner who runs a secret gay book mail program, and several of Andy’s friends are on his list. I like the mystery in this one, and the story is even funny at times (it’s got a noir vibe so humor is a nice break). Lots going on and definitely entertaining.
Lev AC Rosen’s The Bell in the Fog
Rereading the first book in this series of course made me want to reread the rest, especially with a new one on the way! This second one finds Andy trying to get his business as a PI going, when his former flame from their Navy days comes to get help because he’s being blackmailed. Pretty solid mystery but I’m honestly here for all the characters! Performer Lee is the best!
