Sharon Shinn's Summers at Castle Auburn
I needed a comfort reread and this one is always satisfying--a great coming of age story as a girl who spends summers at the titular castle with her (legitimate) older sister slowly learns about court intrigue, how the world works, and about justice. Also there is a lot of friendship and a little bit of romance. And herbcraft and healing! Good stuff!
Shelly Jay Shore’s Rules for Ghosting
Reread for book club. I actually liked this a little more the first time I read it—there is SO MUCH going on here (see my previous review) and yet somehow it feels really slow at times (too much of Ezra’s ruminations). Still, a sweet story with a lot to discuss. Interested to see book club reactions!
Kevin Wilson’s Run for the Hills
I generally like Wilson’s work, and while this wasn’t my /favorite/ of his, it was definitely an enjoyable way to spend some time! The plot here is basically a woman is running her farm when a guy comes and is like, the dad who left when you were a kid? He did the same thing to me, and I’m your older brother! Also, he did the same thing a few more times! Let’s take a road trip cross country and meet our siblings! And they do. It’s funny and sweet and sad, really great characters. I wished for a little more from the end but in all this was a really nice read. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in May.
Sherwood Smith’s The Sage Empress II
Solid second half of the story of the Sage Empress’ rise to power—great characters for sure, though I did think this was a little slower. Still, all I want these days is to be in some other world and this was an enjoyable one to spend time in. A-.
Sherwood Smith’s Sage Empress
I’m guessing the girl in this book is going to grow up to be the Sage Empress mentioned so often in the Phoenix Feather books, but there’s a sequel still to go! Anyway, this has lots of what I like—court politics, action, friendship, learning—as a little girl from a noble family grows up watching the court around her, at least until things take a turn and she’s suddenly on a different path (this did feel a little repetitive of the Phoenix Feather books but I still enjoyed it). Looking forward to the second half of the story. A/A-.
Sherwood Smith’s Tribute
This is set in the same world as the Phoenix Feather series, which I liked a lot, but hundreds of years earlier. The primary characters are a little girl who leaves home to be trained as a musician, and her elderly music master teacher (love a book with old ladies as main characters!) though various princes and princesses become POV characters eventually. I was loving this even before lots of unexpected action happened in the second half, but it all leads to a really nice ending. Just what I needed to read right now. A.
Roisin Dunnet’s A Line You Have Traced
This was tough going at first—NOT saying it’s a bad book, but it does feature a dystopia and the specter of the Holocaust, so like… oy. Anyway, this is the story of three women—one, in the 1930s, who keeps seeing an angel appear (she and her family are clearly Jewish but the word “Jewish” does not appear and I found it VERY weird); the second, her descendant, hanging out with friends in contemporary times and imaging time travelers are observing her; the third, in a far future dystopia where humanity is maybe doomed, unless she can save them? It was interesting to see how these stories came together, and the writing is stellar. This is kind of an atmospheric/vibes sort of book, cool but also mildly confusing and maybe a bummer? I definitely get the David Mitchell comparisons. B+.
Jan Jones’ In The Kitchen With The Lead Piping
I wasn’t as interested in the mystery in this third book in this series, but there were lots of amusing shenanigans along the way. This one involves all the characters helping out in various ways at a new wedding venue run by another cousin, when a caterer (with a sleazy past) is found dead the next day. And several characters are suspects! Again, not a particularly interesting mystery, and I wasn’t interested in one of the romances (it felt rushed and shoehorned in), but I enjoyed the characters and the vibes a lot. B+.
Jan Jones’ The Unpleasantness at the Belladonna Club
And this title is a Dorothy Sayers reference—I like the cut of this author’s jib! The second book in this series focuses more on the cop from book one (though his cousin and the librarian are definitely still on the scene) and his artist landlady looking at the murder of the village’s most unpleasant woman. I thought the mystery in this one was excellent, and was pleasantly surprised that there actually wasn’t a romance (though the possibility is there for the future). I also love all the villager side characters, really an enjoyable series. A/A-.
Jan Jones’ A Body in the Library
I saw someone online recommending this the other day, and I thought the Agatha Christie title tribute was a good sign. This was a super solid cozy mystery set in a small British town, complete with a young widowed librarian heroine (yes, a body does turn up in her library) solving the crime with the help of her handsome neighbor (who is cousins with the officer investigating the case so it makes some sense for a change). I did guess the solution and did think that (and the romance) wrapped up a little too quickly, but I totally enjoyed this and will be reading the next one. Fingers crossed the cool local lesbians will be featured more prominently! A-.
Melina Marchetta’s The Place on Dalhousie
UGH I love these books and characters SO MUCH. This one involves the other boy from the high school crew (though all the characters are 25 now), the young woman he gets pregnant, and her stepmother, and the house the latter two are sort of feuding over. But also it’s about friendship and family and love and trying to be a good person. Just what I needed.
Melina Marchetta's The Piper's Son
Obviously once I reread Saving Francesca,I have to reread the two follow-ups as well. This one is set a few years later and focuses on one of the boys in their friend group and his family, broken by grief (his pregnant 42-year-old aunt is also a POV character and I love her). I just love how funny and bittersweet and heartening these books are.
Melina Marchetta’s Saving Francesca
I got into one of those moods where I started like five different books and none were grabbing me, and the only cure is to reread something I love. So here we’re revisiting a story about a teenage girl whose mother has severe depression, and meanwhile the girl is dealing with a new school and her own mental health issues. But also there is so much love in this book, I love stories where people come together and form friendships and communities. Really gets me in the gut.
Alexandra Rowland’s Yield Under Great Persuasion
I really enjoy Rowland’s Seven Gods books—I think I didn’t read this one immediately because it starts with the protagonist waxing rapturously about a dude’s cock and I was like…hm. But I was in the mood for something fun and so here we are! This one involves a cranky asshole who’s been sleeping with this dude he’s resented since they were kids (who’s in love with him!) and how he learns to be LESS of a cranky asshole thanks to divine intervention, lol. I really loved the gods in this one, more books with funny gods improving lives, please. Anyway this was cute and funny and I cried a couple times but it all works out. Seriously, please recommend me some more books like this. A/A-.
Sulari Gentill’s A Decline in Prophets
I am still enjoying the characters in this series a lot, but the pacing is kind of weird? This one involves a bunch of murders on a ship as our crew takes a journey, and a sect of spiritualists and/or a catholic bishop may be involved. I just feel like things could be tighter. I mean I enjoy all the bits with Rowly hanging out with his friends and family, so it’s the other parts of the plot I’m having issues with, haha. The mysteries are all over the place and things sort of drag. B/B+.
Sulari Gentill's A Few Right Thinking Men
Hello, it's a new-to-me historical mystery series! This one is set in 1931 Australia, and centers on the younger son of a very rich and prominent family, except he's a painter and his house in Sydney is full of other artists. When his uncle (the one relative who approves of him) is murdered, he has to figure out what's up (with the help of his friends, of course)! There's also a whole thing with tensions between the local Communists (including some of his friends) and various conservative/fascist groups, which does take over a lot of the plot. I really liked the writing and characters here, even if the mystery was more of a historical political thriller. Looking forward to checking out more of this series. A-.
T. Kingfisher's Hemlock & Silver
This won't be released till August, but it was my BIRTHDAY this past weekend which means I get to read an ARC I'm excited about, and Kingfisher riffing on Snow White was the one! The protagonist here is a thirty-something woman who studies poisons and antidotes, and then the king callsnon her to see if she can figure out what's up with his daughter Snow, who is mysteriously ill. There is a lot of the trademark Kingfisher humor and also creepiness, but there is also a talking cat, so two thumbs up for sure. I will say that the narrative voice/protagonist/love interest will feel familiar to readers of Kingfisher's other works—that’s fine with me, I like all that, but I have seen people talk about some of her books hitting similar beats and this is definitely one of them. The plot/mystery is solid, though, and I enjoyed this a lot. A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in August.
Leonie Swann's Big Bad Wool
The sequel to Three Bags Full is more of the same, as the flock of sheep starts investigating some mysterious happenings in the first near their chateau. I love the vibes of this, the sheep are great and there are some funny bits! Plus a bunch of goats! But also there is a serial killer on the loose and it’s mildly grim, and it’s not necessarily a satisfying mystery. But again, it’s mainly the vibes at work here making this an entertaining read. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on May 6th.
John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids
Still enjoying some classic sci-fi by Wyndham thanks to Rainbow Rowell's recommendation! This one involves a dude who is one of the few people left with sight after a mysterious meteor shower, and also there are killer plants. But really it’s the narrative voice and the characters that kept me interested! My only disappointment is that I really did want to read a book about the new society being built, and not necessarily just the more immediate days after the collapse of civilization. Which somehow felt relevant/current even as it was all science fiction-y. Sigh. A-.
Stephen Graham Jones' The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
I'm not usually one for horror, but I do like a revenge story, and I'm here for a Blackfeet vampire killing a bunch of white buffalo hunters. This has an interesting framing device--an academic is reading the recently discovered diary of her great-something-grandfather, a Lutheran pastor who was being told this story by the mysterious Good Stab. I think that helps it not be so creepy, though it is very tense and definitely gory. Things are pretty slow at the start
Connie Willis' Inside Job
Cute and mildly silly novella involving a guy who runs a magazine that debunks psychics and mediums and stuff, with the help of his beautiful rich actress employee, and what happens when they investigate a woman who may actually be channeling a spirit without meaning to. I like Willis' lighter stuff and this was a fun read. B+.
