Alix Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Ooh y’all, I really liked this book and just read it all in one sitting. Here are some of its contents: a young girl with an unknown past, the ward of a wealthy collector; magical doors; true love; scholarly endeavors; a mysterious book; an arcane Society; and lots of adventure. Also a GOOD DOG. The protagonist is occasionally a bit stupid, but in a realistic way, and I found her very likable and sympathetic. Great characters here and I thought this book was delightful. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 10th.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Monday, August 26, 2019
2019 book 103
Marian Keyes' Anybody Out There
Rereading this for book club and it’s pretty much just as gripping as the first time I read it. It’s a moving portrayal of grief, loss, family, and the cutthroat cosmetics industry. Interspersed with emails from a PI working for the mob! Funny, sad, bittersweet, with a mildly less cheesy ending than some of Keyes' other works. B+/A-.
Rereading this for book club and it’s pretty much just as gripping as the first time I read it. It’s a moving portrayal of grief, loss, family, and the cutthroat cosmetics industry. Interspersed with emails from a PI working for the mob! Funny, sad, bittersweet, with a mildly less cheesy ending than some of Keyes' other works. B+/A-.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
2019 book 102
Seanan McGuire's The Unkindest Tide
Look, this is like the thirteenth book in the Toby Daye series; giving a plot summary won’t make any sense and you already know if you like these books. Most of the first couple chapters are exposition, which I actually appreciated as there is too much to remember. This volume finds Toby and several of the usual band of misfits on a sea witch adventure, doing the usual to save Faerie and also quickly solve a murder. I still wonder if this series is aiming for an endpoint; I’d be happy to know it was all GOING somewhere. But I guess I’ll keep reading, they’re entertaining enough. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 3rd.
Look, this is like the thirteenth book in the Toby Daye series; giving a plot summary won’t make any sense and you already know if you like these books. Most of the first couple chapters are exposition, which I actually appreciated as there is too much to remember. This volume finds Toby and several of the usual band of misfits on a sea witch adventure, doing the usual to save Faerie and also quickly solve a murder. I still wonder if this series is aiming for an endpoint; I’d be happy to know it was all GOING somewhere. But I guess I’ll keep reading, they’re entertaining enough. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 3rd.
Friday, August 23, 2019
2019 book 101
Gail Carriger's Reticence
The latest in Carriger's Custard Protocol series feels like it might be the end of her stories from the Parasol Protectorate world, and if so, it's a pretty satisfying conclusion. In this one, the usual gang (and all their new additions) make their way to Japan to find out if fox shifters exist. And there's a new (lady) doctor on board, the perfect love interest for awkward intellectual Percy! Lots of callbacks to the earlier books here (said doctor is the daughter of the villain from the prequel series, and those lady spies make some appearances) but I think the story and characters here are entertaining enough that it works without knowing all the context. I mean, these books are fluffy and fun and what's not to like? It's like steampunk meets Studio Ghibli. (I felt that Carriger did a pretty good job of avoiding Orientalism, but of course I am not an expert.) A-.
The latest in Carriger's Custard Protocol series feels like it might be the end of her stories from the Parasol Protectorate world, and if so, it's a pretty satisfying conclusion. In this one, the usual gang (and all their new additions) make their way to Japan to find out if fox shifters exist. And there's a new (lady) doctor on board, the perfect love interest for awkward intellectual Percy! Lots of callbacks to the earlier books here (said doctor is the daughter of the villain from the prequel series, and those lady spies make some appearances) but I think the story and characters here are entertaining enough that it works without knowing all the context. I mean, these books are fluffy and fun and what's not to like? It's like steampunk meets Studio Ghibli. (I felt that Carriger did a pretty good job of avoiding Orientalism, but of course I am not an expert.) A-.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
2019 book 100
Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had
Lombardo's debut novel focuses on a family in 2016--four adult daughters, each with their own issues, and parents still deeply in love with each other--that's upended when the secret son one of the girls had as a teen resurfaces. The story flashes back and forth in time--the parents getting together in the 70s, the tumultuous childhoods and teen years of the girls, their adulthoods, etc--to tell a really interesting story about family dynamics. I was mad every time I had to stop reading this because I was enjoying it so much! I think I wanted a little bit more from the end but really, I thought overall this was great. A/A-.
Lombardo's debut novel focuses on a family in 2016--four adult daughters, each with their own issues, and parents still deeply in love with each other--that's upended when the secret son one of the girls had as a teen resurfaces. The story flashes back and forth in time--the parents getting together in the 70s, the tumultuous childhoods and teen years of the girls, their adulthoods, etc--to tell a really interesting story about family dynamics. I was mad every time I had to stop reading this because I was enjoying it so much! I think I wanted a little bit more from the end but really, I thought overall this was great. A/A-.
Monday, August 19, 2019
2019 book 99
Agatha Christie's Death in the Clouds
Still reading a bunch of Christie mysteries thanks to the public library! In this one, a woman is found murdered on an airplane--luckily Poirot is one of the other passengers! There's no specific narrator here, just the omniscient third person, so it's not as funny as some of the other Poirot mysteries. Lots of good suspects and misdirects; I had mixed feelings on the solution but overall liked the plot. On the other hand, there was this:
And these are characters we're supposed to like! Terrible. B.
Still reading a bunch of Christie mysteries thanks to the public library! In this one, a woman is found murdered on an airplane--luckily Poirot is one of the other passengers! There's no specific narrator here, just the omniscient third person, so it's not as funny as some of the other Poirot mysteries. Lots of good suspects and misdirects; I had mixed feelings on the solution but overall liked the plot. On the other hand, there was this:
And these are characters we're supposed to like! Terrible. B.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
2019 book 98
Ann Patchett's The Dutch House
Look, I’ll give a little plot description here, but it might not make you want to read the book, and you should definitely read this book. Patchett is one of our great authors and this one is another stunner. It centers on a brother and sister, living in a grand house with a complicated family, from the 60s to more or less the present. It is about family, and houses and homes, and memories, and moments of grace, and societal pressures, and it’s just completely excellent. Trust me. A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.
Look, I’ll give a little plot description here, but it might not make you want to read the book, and you should definitely read this book. Patchett is one of our great authors and this one is another stunner. It centers on a brother and sister, living in a grand house with a complicated family, from the 60s to more or less the present. It is about family, and houses and homes, and memories, and moments of grace, and societal pressures, and it’s just completely excellent. Trust me. A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
2019 book 97
Juliet Marillier's The Harp of Kings
Mariller's latest is the start to a new trilogy, set in the same historical Celtic fantasy world as her Blackthorn and Grim books (it works just fine if you haven’t read those, they just add some context here and there). We have three protagonists, all young people trying to earn a place in a band of elite warriors—a brother and sister pair, who are also talented musicians, and a colder dude determined to be the best (though honestly as his backstory was revealed, I was straight up sobbing). They’re chosen to go on an undercover mission together to find a missing mystical harp and help crown a king, As always, Marillier does a great job with her characters, revealing pieces of the story at the perfect time, setting the scene for a slow burning romance that you'll be rooting for. And this is a very satisfying story on its own, but I am still very eager to see what these characters get up to next. A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 3rd.
Mariller's latest is the start to a new trilogy, set in the same historical Celtic fantasy world as her Blackthorn and Grim books (it works just fine if you haven’t read those, they just add some context here and there). We have three protagonists, all young people trying to earn a place in a band of elite warriors—a brother and sister pair, who are also talented musicians, and a colder dude determined to be the best (though honestly as his backstory was revealed, I was straight up sobbing). They’re chosen to go on an undercover mission together to find a missing mystical harp and help crown a king, As always, Marillier does a great job with her characters, revealing pieces of the story at the perfect time, setting the scene for a slow burning romance that you'll be rooting for. And this is a very satisfying story on its own, but I am still very eager to see what these characters get up to next. A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 3rd.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
2019 book 96
Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
In this Christie mystery, our narrator is a small town doctor (and a great narrator he is) who has a new neighbor--Hercule Poirot. This comes in handy when there is a MURDER and mysteries abound! I will say this was extremely well plotted, lots of suspicious characters, great narrative voice, and a BANGER of an ending. All you could want in a classic mystery. The only reason this doesn't get an A is an off-hand, and totally unnecessary, anti-Semitic comment. A-.
In this Christie mystery, our narrator is a small town doctor (and a great narrator he is) who has a new neighbor--Hercule Poirot. This comes in handy when there is a MURDER and mysteries abound! I will say this was extremely well plotted, lots of suspicious characters, great narrative voice, and a BANGER of an ending. All you could want in a classic mystery. The only reason this doesn't get an A is an off-hand, and totally unnecessary, anti-Semitic comment. A-.
Monday, August 12, 2019
2019 book 95
Mary H.K. Choi's Permanent Record
I really liked Choi's first book; the characters and situations felt really real and relatable. So I was psyched for her second, but this one was a little bit harder for me to buy into. The narrator is a college dropout, working at a bodega, struggling to get his life together, and his love interest . . . is an Ariana Grande-esque pop star. I mean, Choi does a good job with the characters and writing, the romance just has a Disney channel movie feel to it (which is funny, as that's where the pop star got her start). And then things go in directions I didn’t entirely expect, but appreciated. I really liked how this wrapped up and will definitely keep reading books by Choi. A-/B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.
I really liked Choi's first book; the characters and situations felt really real and relatable. So I was psyched for her second, but this one was a little bit harder for me to buy into. The narrator is a college dropout, working at a bodega, struggling to get his life together, and his love interest . . . is an Ariana Grande-esque pop star. I mean, Choi does a good job with the characters and writing, the romance just has a Disney channel movie feel to it (which is funny, as that's where the pop star got her start). And then things go in directions I didn’t entirely expect, but appreciated. I really liked how this wrapped up and will definitely keep reading books by Choi. A-/B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
2019 book 94
Robin Stevens' Top Marks for Murder
Yay, it’s the eighth Wells and Wong mystery, and it’s their most complicated case yet! The girls are back at school after months away, and there have been lots of changes— not least, a new girl who has taken Daisy's place as the most popular. And it's the school's fiftieth anniversary, so lots of parents are coming to take part in the celebrations—so there are lots of suspects when one of their friends thinks she has witnessed a murder! As always, the mystery here is solid, but it's the girls' friendships and their growing up that really makes these books so good. Another great entry in one of my favorite series. A.
Yay, it’s the eighth Wells and Wong mystery, and it’s their most complicated case yet! The girls are back at school after months away, and there have been lots of changes— not least, a new girl who has taken Daisy's place as the most popular. And it's the school's fiftieth anniversary, so lots of parents are coming to take part in the celebrations—so there are lots of suspects when one of their friends thinks she has witnessed a murder! As always, the mystery here is solid, but it's the girls' friendships and their growing up that really makes these books so good. Another great entry in one of my favorite series. A.
Friday, August 09, 2019
2019 book 93
Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The library has recently added several Christie books I've never read, which is the perfect excuse to check out a classic mystery! This is the first book featuring Inspector Poirot; it centers on the death of a rich woman by poisoning. The narrator is a visitor to the house who knows Poirot, who happens to be staying in this small British town for whatever reason, so calls him in to help solve the crime. I found the narrative voice amusing, especially regarding his perpetual certainty that he knows better than Poirot (when, of course, the reader knows just how wrong he is). I did find the solution to be a bit overly complicated and silly, but this was still an entertaining read. B/B+.
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I will post a general warning here that there are some racist terms thrown about casually that were typical in Christie's day, and there is some straight-up anti-Semitism as well.
The library has recently added several Christie books I've never read, which is the perfect excuse to check out a classic mystery! This is the first book featuring Inspector Poirot; it centers on the death of a rich woman by poisoning. The narrator is a visitor to the house who knows Poirot, who happens to be staying in this small British town for whatever reason, so calls him in to help solve the crime. I found the narrative voice amusing, especially regarding his perpetual certainty that he knows better than Poirot (when, of course, the reader knows just how wrong he is). I did find the solution to be a bit overly complicated and silly, but this was still an entertaining read. B/B+.
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I will post a general warning here that there are some racist terms thrown about casually that were typical in Christie's day, and there is some straight-up anti-Semitism as well.
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
2019 book 92
Susan Choi's Trust Exercise
I'll start by saying that I knew the "twist" of this novel before I started it, which made the first part--involving a student at a performing arts high school. her new boyfriend, and the charismatic teacher in charge--more palatable, but conversely made me more impatient for it to end. It's all very pretentious, and I'd have given up if I didn't know what was coming. I liked the second half much more, though the last section did not entirely work for me. An interesting novel, but I think one that was over-hyped to me. B/B+.
I'll start by saying that I knew the "twist" of this novel before I started it, which made the first part--involving a student at a performing arts high school. her new boyfriend, and the charismatic teacher in charge--more palatable, but conversely made me more impatient for it to end. It's all very pretentious, and I'd have given up if I didn't know what was coming. I liked the second half much more, though the last section did not entirely work for me. An interesting novel, but I think one that was over-hyped to me. B/B+.
Sunday, August 04, 2019
2019 book 91
Marian Keyes' The Brightest Star in the Sky
We're reading a Keyes novel for book club this month, which reminded me I still had a few more of hers left to read! This one focuses on the residents of an apartment building in Dublin. It took me a little while to get into, because it's narrated by something mysterious who is observing the residents, and I was distracted trying to figure out if it was a ghost or what. I was interested in the characters and their stories, but didn’t like the way things wrapped up here at all. Definitely slid into cheesy territory. B.
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Content warning for graphic description of a rape.
We're reading a Keyes novel for book club this month, which reminded me I still had a few more of hers left to read! This one focuses on the residents of an apartment building in Dublin. It took me a little while to get into, because it's narrated by something mysterious who is observing the residents, and I was distracted trying to figure out if it was a ghost or what. I was interested in the characters and their stories, but didn’t like the way things wrapped up here at all. Definitely slid into cheesy territory. B.
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Content warning for graphic description of a rape.
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