2026 book 224

 Everina Maxwell's Call Me Traitor

This was SO GOOD. I enjoyed Maxwell's previous books but this one was chef's kiss. It involves a woman who has had her memories erased and been turned into a magical soldier, on a mission to track down a traitor on a mysterious island. But things go wrong pretty quickly--luckily a pretty deserter is on hand to help out! (It is not a spoiler to tell you that she is one of the ostensible traitors, as her story is interspersed with the current adventure.) Action, adventures, and magic ensue. This somehow manages to balance sad parts, tense parts, parts that are pure romance, horrifying parts, and hopeful parts. Really compelling characters. I loved this. A.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on December 1st.

2026 book 223

 Rebecca Perry’s May We Feed the King

The Booker-nominated novel involves a woman whose job as a curator is to arrange historical replica rooms in museums and the like—I see the appeal of this, it’s like creating a life size dollhouse. Really riveting writing that grabs you. I did lose a little bit of interest once the story switches focus to the reluctant historical king and the inhabitants of the castle. Interesting book for sure. A-.

Side note: ARCHIVISTS DON’T WEAR WHITE GLOVES!!!!! Or at least they shouldn’t!!!!! (Ok I think they do for photos but not for delicate old books and papers, which is the case here.)

2026 book 222

 Naomi Kuttner's The Retired Assassin's Guide to Amateur Theatrics

In the third volume in this mildly silly but very entertaining series, retired assassin Dante and pals get roped into a local production of Macbeth (Dante is cast as "Murderer number one" lol), but unfortunately a cast member dies in an apparent accident pretty quickly, and also the theater is haunted by an angry ghost, who may have been murdered during the LAST local production of Macbeth. Solid mystery and great characters. A-.

2026 book 221

 Rachel Neumeier’s Medical Emergency

This novella deals with some of the backstory of the ship’s doctor in the Invictus series—namely, how did he learn so much about treating people from the other side? It also provides some info on another group that will presumably feature in the upcoming duology set in this world. This was enjoyable! I really like the doctor character. A-.

2026 book 220

 Rachel Neumeier’s Invictus: Crisis

This was a little slow on a reread for me, though I love the last third! Really satisfying conclusion. I’m psyched the author is returning to this world. 

2026 book 219

 Rachel Neumeier's Invictus: Captive

Rereading this because Neumeier has a few books set in this world coming out soon, and also, I really like this book! It has a lot of my favorite things: politics, diplomacy, people trying their best, etc. The story is sci-fi and involves a dude from a genetically-engineered people whose escape pod is captured by the titular ship Invictus--piloted by people from their former enemies (and creators), who they have an uneasy peace with. Is he the innocent survivor of a tragedy as he claims, or a deep-cover operative? Really interesting world-building here, especially with the genetically engineered people and their skillsets, and I love all the characters. This was fun to reread and see how things all fit together, knowing what was going to happen. Also interesting to reread this as I've been rewatching Battlestar Galactica recently. I will say this does end very abruptly, as it’s really just the first part of a longer story. Luckily the second half already exists and I will be rereading that one starting now! 

2026 book 218

 Molly Harper’s A Cute Little Murder

VERY fun story involving a woman who was the sidekick in a mystery-solving-teen vlogging duo. Now she needs money, so when her now-television-star friend wants her to come help solve a cold case for a new program, she’s on board. Lots of fun characters, I did think the cold case mystery solving was more interesting than the modern day mystery, but this story manages to balance everything (including new friendships and romance!) really well. I LOVED Lainey and hope this is the start of a series. A.

2026 book 217

 Julie Orringer's Luna, Phoenix, Queen

I really like Julie Orringer and her new one was getting great reviews, but I had a hard time getting into it at first--it's about a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's, and the first section is from the POV of her husband who's a) professionally jealous of her, b) finds the secret novel she was writing, c) realizes from the novel that she's been having a long time affair with her best friend (a woman), and d) rewrites the novel, publishes it, and receives great acclaim. Also he's confessing all of this to a badly burned dog (the dog becomes important to the story and I love her!). Anyway, I don't like stories about people stealing work and I'm impatient with whiny old literary men, so I did put this down for a few days. Luckily we get other POVs pretty soon, and it got much more interesting to me. This ended up being a BEAUTIFUL book. Beautiful and sad and hopeful. I should not have doubted. A.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now. 

2026 book 216

 Kathy Miner’s The Journey Is Our Home

So this series ended up being pretty compelling even as parts of it annoyed me (it was written over ten years ago but there are still way too many Harry Potter references). It was fine. Happy endings and heteronormative pairings (ok there is one gay couple) for all. B+.

2026 book 215

 Kathy Miner’s Where The Light Enters

The second book in this trilogy was fine, there is still a lot of rape but mostly off page. I was actually pretty into it until the very end, mainly because I dislike the youth pastor character so much. Maybe he’ll get it together in the third book but I doubt it. B+.

2026 book 214

 Kathy Miner’s What Survives Of Us

I actually had to put this book down for a while and wasn’t planning on picking it back up, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so here we are. Anyway, this book involves a plague that kills 99 percent of humanity, and the survivors are changed. Warning that this book is VERY RAPEY, two of the POV characters are young women captured by DIFFERENT militaristic groups of men and treated horribly, it’s very graphic. I much preferred the sections with the mom who can communicate with animals and even the annoying youth pastor. I still want to know what happens next so I guess I’m reading this whole trilogy. B+?

2026 book 213

Alexandra Rowland’s Yield Under Great Persuasion 

I had started a book that I thought was going to be hopeful but was actually super upsetting, and rereading this book was the perfect cure. I love books where gods and goddesses meddle with people to help them get their acts together! This new edition actually an expanded edition from when it first came out, there are a couple of bonus chapters. I’m not sure they’re necessary but they were nice nonetheless! This is a really sweet (and mildly horny) book that did make me tear up a couple times. Maybe I need to do a big Rowland reread?

2026 book 212

 Jeannelle M. Ferreira’s Ochre, Quartz, Or Ivy

I’m going to be honest, I did not understand what was happening in this book at all, but I enjoyed the vibes. There’s a Selkie married to the nonbinary Pendragon (this is Arthurian I guess?), they have a son, there’s magic and ghosts and time travel? Or alternate versions of the characters throughout time?? No clue!!! Seriously, none. It was interesting though. B+. 

2026 book 211

 Barbara Trapido's Brother of the More Famous Jack

This novel got reissued by NYRB this week, which made me want to reread it! I've read it a couple times before and always remember that I really like it, but remember exactly nothing else about it (this is one of the books that I'd actually completely forgotten I'd even read before until I went to track it--thank goodness for book tracking apps I guess!)--maybe this time it will stick. Anyway, it's the story of a young middle-class English girl in the 1960s who falls for her philosophy professor's big eccentric/bohemian family. First loves, seconds loves, etc, with a great sense of humor. Weirdly reminds me of Nancy Mitford??? 

2026 book 210

 AG Slatter’s Fitcher’s Bird

SO I thought this was another book set in Slatter’s Sourdough world, full of magic and dark fairy tales, and I was well into it before I realized I was reading a straight up modern horror novel with a serial killer. OOPS. Not my favorite type of story! I did actually like this though—it’s about the oldest sister of three, and her younger sisters go missing, and it actually DOES have dark fairy tale vibes, lots of Bluebeard action going on. Great ending. A-.

2026 book 209

 Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands

Look, sometimes someone on Bluesky goes into rhapsodies about a book and I’m like, oh yeah I fucking love that book, let’s reread it! And I actually forgot how MUCH I loved this book??? It’s SO FUNNY AND GOOD AND DELIGHTFUL IN EVERY WAY, as grumpy awkward bisexual teen Elliot does the whole portal fantasy magic military school thing, falling for an elf maiden warrior (elf ladies are warriors and love gentle nerdy men) and very begrudgingly making friends with the school’s golden boy. Elliot is a little asshole and I love him. I’m realizing that one of the reasons I love the Scholomance books is the similar narrative voice/themes. I need to reread this as much as I do those, this one makes me cackle out loud. SO GOOD.