When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace

 When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace, 291 pages

This visit to Evenfall finds Brynn Warren attempting to corral the recently deceased Mort Sweete long to solve the mystery of his murder.

The first book was so good, and the second only continued to get better.  It was interesting to see how life with magic worked, since in the first book Brynn largely tried to ignore it. I was truly enjoying this book it drove off a cliff and left us hanging for a book three that may or may not be forthcoming. 

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace, 330 pages

From the MARC: "When a guest dies in the B&B she helps her aunts run, a young witch must rely on some good old-fashioned investigating to clear her aunt's name in this magical and charming cozy mystery."

Cozy mysteries are some of my very favorite reads to curl up with! I found Wallace's witching world of Evenfall delightfully enjoyable. The characters are strange in an endearing way without being cloying or cookie cutter.  If you're looking for an enchanting palate cleanser between heavier reads, In the Company of Witches just might fit the bill

 

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey, 566 pages

Earth is dying but that's not good enough for Marco Inaros. Soon Earth, Mars, and even the OPA will have to band together to defeat him so that humanity has a chance of survival. 

This book seems to mark the end of the television series. I'm excited that there's such a large stretch of undiscovered county before me! My favorite part of the book is the official expansion of the Roci's crew, but I admit I'm completely biased because I will always love Bobbie Draper. 

 

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, 279 pages

When Milo, a young man with little interest in anything, receives a mysterious package containing a tollbooth that magically tnrasports him to a strange new land the kindles his curiosity. 

I was recommended this book by a dear friend because it was their childhood favorite and a yearly reread. I wish now I had read it as a child because I think would have treasured it. The wordplay is at once clever and delightfully ridiculous. The enchanting absurdness of Milo's journey to rescue Rhyme and Reason resounds in the chambers of my soul. It reads like a juvenile primer to Monty Python or Douglas Adams. 42/42 recommend. 

 

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, 391 pages

Natalie Heller Mills gives me intense Scarlett O'Hara vibes, and raging hatefire for Scarlett O'Hara is why I DNF'd Gone With the Wind.  The first third of the book was pretty engrossing; Burke's satire of tradwife life was sharply on point. But then as Natalie's life and lies began to crack, so did the story.  

The twist ending was deeply unsatisfying. Points to Burke because I can't say she didn't play fair; her ending was foreshadowed and neatly parallelled earlier themes and motifs. Nonetheless, it was disappointing. I don't quite know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. 

 

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, 581 pages

From GoodReads: "The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonise has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Illus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire. Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world.

James Holden and the crew of his one small ship are sent to make peace in the midst of war and sense in the heart of chaos. But the more he looks at it, the more Holden thinks the mission was meant to fail. And the whispers of a dead man remind him that the great galactic civilisation which once stood on this land is gone. And that something killed them."

This book started out pretty slowly for me. The first couple narratives are callback characters that took some time to get used to. The scope of this book and the focus on what killed the protomolecule creators created a weird headspace. Not bad, just simultaneously chilling and wonderous. The "Miller" chapters made me feel as though my head was unspooling into atavistic abyss. 

 

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey, 566 pages

From GoodReads: "For generations, the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt - was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artefact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has emerged to build a massive structure outside the orbit of Uranus: a gate that leads into a starless dark.

Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artefact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them."

This book was so intense. The corresponding season of The Expanse was also intense, but being in people's heads made it feel much more raw. I got to know Anna much better, and I really enjoyed the glimpses into Melba's psyche.  Observing the protomolecule threat grow and warp and twist and change has been engaging. 

 

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey, 611 pages

From GoodReads: "On Ganymede, the station that represents the main food source for exoplanets, a Martian marine sergeant watches her entire platoon being slaughtered before her eyes by a supernatural monster. On Earth, a high-ranking politician struggles to defuse an interplanetary war. Meanwhile, an alien protomolecule sweeps across Venus, causing profound and mysterious changes and threatening to spread and sweep across the solar system.

In the vastness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante maintain the stability of the exoplanetary alliance. When he and his crew agree to help a scientist search for his missing daughter on war-torn Ganymede, the fate of humanity hinges on whether one craft can prevent an alien invasion that may already be underway." 

I read this book so quickly that had it been fried food, I'd've been chugging Tums. It was a quick, wild ride. We got to meet Bobbie in this book, and as much as I loved her on the show, I love her textual counterpart even more. 

 

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, 582 pages

From The Expanse, "Dulcinea": "In the 23rd century, humans have colonized the Solar System. The UN controls Earth. Mars is an independent military power. The inner planets depend on the resources of the asteroid belt. Belters live and work in space. In the Belt, air and water are more precious than gold. For decades, tensions have been rising - Earth, Mars and the Belt are now on the brink of war. All it will take is a single spark…"

This is my first time reading this book series and it is fascinating. Generally the futuristic scifi I consume is more like Star Trek, where humanity's future is mostly positive even if still fraught with the problems imperfect beings are plagued with.  Leviathan Wakes is not like that: the future is grimy and grim. The best AND the worst of humanity has been flung into the solar system, creating vast canyons of moral grayness, raw hope, and desperate actions.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, 404 pages

From GoodReads: "Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend."

This book has a slow, infuriating-but-necessary build. It features rampant systematic racism and misogyny and violation on a level that was intense. My cheeks burned with second hand humiliation in some scenes. Some scenes were so disturbing on a visceral level that I had to stop reading and just sit with it. The horror and the dread stick with you in a vicious, disturbingly thrilling way. 

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman, 452 pages

From the MARC: "A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an 'old maid' to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman."

One of the biggest selling points of this novel was the fact the heroines are middle-aged women, and it's a refreshing change of pace, especially for historical fiction novels. Goodman did a wonderful job building the world of the Colebrook sisters--not just the trappings of the aristocracy but also the humdrum life details that are so removed from our own--without making it feel alien or too unfamiliar to understand and enjoy.  I also appreciated that the covert details of the shennanigans were never quite predictable. 

I can't wait to read the next installment, and I'm hoping there will be more to this series. I have questions that need answers! 

 

1984 by George Orwell

1984 by George Orwell, 328 pages

From the MARC: "The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's nightmare vision from 1949 of the world we are becoming is timelier that ever. 1984 is the great modern classic of a 'negative utopia' - a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing."

1984 is a classic that slipped through the cracks in my education. I was aware of the novel and its importance to literature, but until now I had never actually read it. Haunting is a good word for the vision provided in this story. The events feel eeriely relevant and sharply prescient. I hate to say that I enjoyed the novel because it was terrifying

 

William Shakespeare's The Tempest by Bruce Coville

William Shakespeare's The Tempest by Bruce Coville, 40 page

The Tempest feels like a fairy tale, and this retelling reinforced that feeling. The illustrations look like oil paintings and are a treat for the eyes, giving the story a ddeliciously dreamy texture. 

Currently The Tempest is playing for this season of Shakespeare in the Park. The production is amazing and you should defintely go see it!

 

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by Bruce Coville

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by Bruce Coville, 40 pages

Romeo and Juliet is a play for adults about teenagers and this adaptation is for children, but I think Coville did a great job of shaping the story so that a younger audience can still appreciate it. I was curious how the suicides would be handled and while the acts are still present, it feels age-appropriate, or at least presented in a way wherein parents could deftly handle.

 

William Shakespeare's Macbeth by Bruce Coville

William Shakespeare's Macbeth by Bruce Coville, 48 pages

I was impressed with how tastefully all the murder of this play was approached. While still bloody in truth, Coville's adaptation of Macbeth is tempered. My favorite part of this retelling is the witches, but that's my favorite part of the play so take that as you will. 

 

A Crafter Hooks a Killer by Holly Quinn

 A Crafter Hooks a Killer by Holly Quinn, 336 pages

When a famous crafter is murdered, Sammy Kane and her S.H.E.s are on the case, but get the surprise of their lives when they realize the murder is closely linked to another death that hits closer to home.

When I picked this book up, I didn't realize it was the second of a series; however, it wasn't hard to parse the characters, their relationships, etc. The story and many of its elements were distressingly generic, and often times problematic (the main character is subconsiously obsessed with the size of every one she meets). I wanted to love this book because I loved the idea of a cozy murder mystery based on various fiber arts but I couldn't.

In the end what kept me goingg was Alan Moore's advice to "read terrible books... because they can be more inspiring by analyzing why they are doing so badly."

 

​Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright

​Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright, 105 pages

Christina's vision of a wonderful summer spent on her grandmother's farm is dashed to pieces and instead she's forced into a delapitated house with her grumpy Uncle Ralph. Turns out the house is haunted by a timid little boy... and something angry in the attic.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the fact Uncle Ralph eventually believes Christina, to the point that he actively helps Christina to investigate the ghost. In so many of Wright's other books (I am thinking specifically of The Dollhouse Murders and The Ghost of Mercy Manor) where the adults completely ignored it and/or punished the children for lying. I still feel the sting of those accusations that rankled my much younger self.

 

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream by Bruce Coville

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream by Bruce Coville, 48 pages

I was actually looking for a completely different book by Bruce Coville when I stumbled upon this truncated children's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Now, it must be acknowledged that I am not a Shakespeare scholar by any stretch of the imagination but rather an enthusastic casual admirer. 

However, I thought this adaptation was simply fantastic. The illustrations are captivating, especially those of Puck. The story itself is well told for a younger audience who isn't quite ready to parse the full play; in fact, some of the book was directly quoted from the play, which gave the whole thing a full effect. I was so pleased with this rendition that I ordered a copy of every Coville version of Shakespeare that's available in Missouri Evergreen. 

 

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright, 149 pages

Amy Treloar seeks solace with her Aunt Clare, only to discover a dollhouse in the attic that keeps playing out the details of the grisly murder of her grandparents. 

As a kid, I thought the adults behaved abominably. Their actions didn't make sense and seemed to make Amy's life harder purposefully. As an adult, I can read between the lines. Some of what the adults feared seemed so silly, but now I understand; for example, Amy's mother's fear that she is responsible for Luann's brain damage.  The mystery itself seemed a little underwhelming, but after all, this book isn't aimed at me anymore. I still loved it. Reading this book again was a little like watching an old home movie the child version of myself.

 

How To Spot a Mermaid: A Field Guide to Magical Sea People by Sarah Glenn Marsh

 How To Spot a Mermaid: A Field Guide to Magical Sea People by Sarah Glenn Marsh, 129 pages

This field guide helps to identify all sorts of mermaids that populate our wonderful world's oceans, rivers, and streams. With wondrously rendered color illustrations, How to Spot a Mermaid breaks down each type of mermaid, its preferred habitats, favorite music, and how they chose to interact with the world.