strange and random happenstance

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: September 27th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
Rating: ★
To Buy

Ma Coker is being released from prison. Detective Inspector John Frobisher sits in his car watching the spectacle of her release. Her children crowd around her for the camera. The notorious Queen of Clubs got locked up for a minor infraction, but Frobisher knows that she is rotten and he will make it his life's work to see her back behind bars for good. His job is to root out corruption and catch the bad guys, even if they're coppers. Because to have avoided prison for so long Ma Coker has to have someone on the inside and Frobisher is seconded to the Bow Street police station to find out just who that is. Which is how he met Gwendolyn Kelling. Miss Kelling is a mild mannered librarian from York. After the death of her mother she has surprisingly come into quite a bit of money. Two girls from York have gone missing; Freda Murgatroyd and Florence Ingram. Miss Kelling is friends with Freda's half-sister Cissy and Gwendolyn agrees to go to London to look for them. Freda is a silly girl with dreams of being an actress and she obviously just dragged Florence along for company. But these kind of girls can get chewed up and spit out by London and they often end up working in Ma Coker's clubs. So when Miss Kelling shows up at the police station asking for help Frobisher is entranced by the young woman. She's so forthright, so put together, unlike his wife, that he will think up any reason to see more of her. Therefore he says he'll get his men looking into the girls disappearance, but that she might want to check out the clubs, and if she's going to go there she could help him. Miss Kelling is up for the challenge. She walks into the Amethyst, the crown jewel of Ma Coker's clubs, on the arm of an undercover cop, and ends up helping out a gang member who's been shot. This brings Miss Kelling to the attention of Ma Coker. She could use someone like Gwendolyn. Someone able to stand her ground and have a cool head in a crisis. Therefore she asks the librarian from York if she wouldn't mind running a night club. It even comes with it's own apartment. Miss Kelling jumps at the opportunity. She claims for DI Frobisher it's so she can help him from the inside, but maybe, just maybe, it's because she's drawn to Ma's oldest son, Niven. There's something about him that is intriguing. With all the clubs and all the people and the seething vast metropolis, anything is possible, but one thing is certain, at this moment in time London revolves around Ma Coker. But with an enemy list as long as hers how long will this last?

Over the past few years historical fiction set during the roaring twenties has undergone a seismic shift. Books about the "bright young things" are no longer the rage, instead the focus has shifted to those of a lower economic class. The shift started by first embracing an Upstairs, Downstairs vibe, the we're all in this together and together we can get through this. But the world has changed, a pandemic, poverty, and political upheaval has worn us all down. The best example to hand is Downton Abbey. When the first movie arrived on screens in 2019 I adored it, the cast of characters pulling together for King and Country. When Downton Abbey: A New Era arrived in 2022 with the characters flaunting their wealth and vacationing on the Riviera, I couldn't help thinking, perhaps Julian Fellowes should have read the room. This wasn't the escape I was personally looking for after two years of hell. In fact it made me hate all the Crawley family for their excesses. How dare they behave this way? And I wasn't the only one who felt this way, the fact the film made $100 million less kind of speaks for itself. Which is why readers are right pointing out that this is the book that speaks to us now, there's pain and suffering after the end of the first world war and we're focusing on the lower classes who are fleecing the parasitic bright young things. Criminals are the new heroes, I mean just look how many books have been written about Alice Diamond in the past few years and you can see the trend that Julian Fellowes was blind to. And Kate Atkinson has a way with creating memorable characters. This book might be said to have a somewhat bloated cast, one of my friends thinks there were twenty-six "main" characters, but when I started to add it up I think it was higher. Because there is no such thing as a minor character in this book. Everyone gets a backstory, everyone has their lives lovingly told in beautiful language right up until the moment Kate Atkinson got bored with them all. That is the only way I can explain how this book ended. She wrote these complex, if very self-centered characters and then just stopped. Did she hit her allotted word count? Because she kills off DI Frobisher in a death that is almost stupider than Dan Stevens's on Downton Abbey and it opened up of the floodgates; jumping all the over twentieth century clinically listing when and how the characters died, but stoutly refusing to solve Florence's disappearance or Vivian Quinn's murder. Though what made me furious with this book, beyond all the unresolved plotlines, is that Gwendolyn and Niven's future and romantic fate is "suspended between coming and going forever." That is where she left the main narrative? Now that is a hanging offense.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: DI John Frobisher, Downton Abbey, For the Love of Book Clubs, Gwendolyn Kelling, Julian Fellowes, Kate Atkinson, Ma Coker, Nightclubs, Niven Coker, Prison, Shrines of Gaiety, Soho, Unresolved, Upstairs Downstairs

Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A witty, engaging murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an intrepid amateur sleuth - the first in a series.

Jane Austen - sparkling, spirited, and incredibly clever - is suddenly thrust into a mystery when a milliner's dead body is found locked inside a cupboard in the middle of a ball. When Jane's brother Georgy is found with some jewelry belonging to the deceased, the local officials see it as an open-and-shut case: one which is likely to end with his death. Jane is certain that he is innocent, and there is more to the murder than meets the eye. Her investigations send her on a journey through local society, as Jane's suspect list keeps on growing - and her keen observational skills of people will be put to the test to solve the crime and save her brother."

I mean, I'm here for all the Jane Austen, but if you want a complete series that has been lauded over the years Stephanie Barron's series about Jane Austen just ended this past fall...

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventures by Angela Bell
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Clara Marie Stanton's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all Clara can do to protect them from his desperate schemes and society's prejudice. Her family may be eccentric, yes, but they certainly aren't insane. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.

Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond skilled in repairing clocks, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself - at any cost."

So we're going Steampunk Nutcracker now?

The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 383 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"His heart pounding, the man scribbles the words in his notebook as fast as he can: "Woman dead in Highgate. Man in caped coat. Milky way and red streaks. I'm being followed."

Hours later, the man's cold body lies in the city mortuary, alongside the woman he couldn't save. And his sister, unconventional nurse Gemma Tate, tracks down troubled police inspector Sebastian Bell to unravel the truth.

Sebastian has enough pressure to solve the murder of an aristocratic heiress without Gemma meddling in his case. But the cryptic sentences she brings him from her brother's notebook could be a crucial lead. If only they knew what "milky way" meant. But as the trail of clues takes them away from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobility and into the dangerous slums of London, how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed?"

Oh, cryptic last messages? Yes please!

Normal Women by Philippa Gregory
Published by: HarperOne
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 688 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The #1 New York Times bestselling historical novelist delivers her magnum opus - a landmark work of feminist nonfiction that radically redefines our understanding of the extraordinary roles ordinary women played throughout British history.

Most histories have been written by men, about men, relegating women - with the exception of a few queens - to the shadows of time. Now, bestselling author Philippa Gregory reveals the importance of ordinary women, providing a more balanced and truer chronicle that expands and adds rich detail to the story of Great Britain.

In Normal Women, Gregory draws on an enormous archive of primary and secondary sources to rewrite British history, focusing on the agency, persistence, and effectiveness of everyday women throughout periods of social and cultural transition. She sweeps from the making of the Bayeux tapestry in the eleventh century to the Black Death in 1348 - after which women were briefly paid the same wages as men, the last time for seven centuries - to the 1992 ordination of women by the Church of England, when the church accepted, for the first time, that a woman could perform the miracle of the mass.

Through the stories of the female soldiers of the civil war, the guild widows who founded the prosperity of the City of London, highwaywomen and pirates, miners, ship owners, international traders, the women who ran London theaters and commissioned plays from Shakespeare, and the "female husbands" who married each other legally in church and lived as husband and wife, Gregory redefines "normal" female behavior to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, and sainthood. As she makes clear, normal women make history.

Normal Women will include black-and-white illustrations throughout and a full-color insert."

I will literally read anything Philippa Gregory writes but that cover is so so horrible. I know it's like lots of little pictures of women to make a big tapestry, but it looks like they uploaded the wrong resolution image to the file for the printers. At first I actually thought it was an error. I wish I had been right.

King Nyx by Kirsten Bakis
Published by: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Anna Fort wants to be a supportive wife, even if that means accompanying her husband for the winter of 1918 to a remote, frozen island estate so he can finish his book as the guest of an eccentric millionaire. When she learns three girls are missing from a school run by their host, Anna realizes finding them is up to her - even if that means risking her husband's career, and possibly her life.

Her husband's masterpiece-in-progress features strange meteorological anomalies along with wild speculations about "facts" he believes scientists hide from the public. Most people think Charles Fort is a crackpot. That's about to change now that wealthy Claude Arkel is his patron.

Yet Anna is sure something's not right on Prosper Island, though the alarming return of her "troubles" makes her question her own sanity. Is the figure in the woods really the ghost of her long-lost friend Mary, or a product of her disturbed imagination? Accompanied reluctantly by a fellow guest, the elegant and troubled Stella Bixby, Anna embarks on a dangerous quest to find the missing girls before Arkel finds her - or her own mind unravels.

A contemporary feminist tale with a dreamlike, Gothic setting, King Nyx reintroduces readers, twenty-five years after her acclaimed debut, to one of our most astonishingly imaginative storytellers."

Gothic dreamlin setting with "troubles!?!" Yes!

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A world-weary woman races against the clock to survive a deadly forest in this dark, otherworldly fairytale from Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author Premee Mohamed.

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.

Veris Thorn - the only one to ever enter the forest and survive - is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past. One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything."

If this book hasn't been on your radar I think it's time to get it checked.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together.

A library with a deadly enchantment.

A Fae lord who wants in.

A human woman willing to risk it all for a taste of power.

In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu's village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile - her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn't been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors.

She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she's after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own.

As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she's forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she's not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust."

Most people would be here for the Romantasy, I'm here for the library.

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother's name in this psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades.

Sunny Behre has four siblings, but only one is a murderer.

With the death of Sunny's mother, matriarch of the wealthy Behre family, Sunny's once picture-perfect life is thrown into turmoil. Her mother had groomed her to be the family's next leader, so Sunny is confused when the only instructions her mother leaves is a mysterious note: "Take care of Dom."

The problem is, her youngest brother, Dom, has always been a near-stranger to Sunny...and seemingly a dangerous one, if found guilty of his second-degree murder charge. Still, Sunny is determined to fulfill her mother's dying wish. But when a classmate is gruesomely murdered, and Sunny finds her brother with blood on his hands, her mother's simple request becomes a lot more complicated. Dom swears he's innocent, and although Sunny isn't sure she believes him, she takes it upon herself to look into the murder - made all the more urgent by the discovery of another body. And another.

As Sunny and Dom work together to track down the culprit, Sunny realizes her other siblings have their own dark secrets. Soon she may have to choose: preserve the family she's always loved or protect the brother she barely knows - and risk losing everything her mother worked so hard to build."

Choices, choices, when you might be harboring a killer...

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Magicians meets One Last Stop in this brand-new fantasy romance Remedial Magic, about an unassuming librarian who 1) has fallen in love with a powerful witch; 2) has discovered that she is a witch; and 3) must attend magical community college to learn how to save her new world from complete destruction by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr!

Ellie loves working in her local library in the small town of Ligonier. She loves baking scones and investigating the mysterious and captivating in her spare time. And there is nothing more mysterious and captivating than the intriguingly beautiful, too properly dressed woman sipping tea in her library who has appeared as if out of nowhere. The pull between them is undeniable, and Ellie is not sure that she wants to resist.

Prospero, a powerful witch from the magical land of Crenshaw, is often accused of being... ruthless in her goals and ambitions. But she is driven to save her dying homeland, and a prophecy tells her that Ellie is the key. Unbeknownst to Ellie, her powers have not yet awakened. But all of that is about to change."

Melissa Marr bringing a Magicians vibe to Tor's new imprint Bramble? Pinch me now!

The Book of Ile-Rien by Martha Wells
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 752 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Collecting Martha Wells' Element of Fire and Death of the Necromancer for the first time in one place, in a new and revised edition!

From the author of Witch King and the Murderbot Diaries:

Both novels included in this volume have been revised and updated. These are the author's preferred texts.

The Element of Fire
The kingdom of Ile-Rien lies in peril, menaced by sorcerous threats and devious intrigue, when Kade, bastard sister of King Roland, appears unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true desires are cloaked in mystery.

It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard, to keep the kingdom from harm. But is one man's steel enough to counter all the magic of fayre?

The Death of the Necromancer
Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman and the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien. On the gaslit streets of the city, Nicholas assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for a long-pursued vengeance.

But Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, and fatal events. A dark magic opposes him, and traces of a necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries abound. Nicholas and his compatriots find themselves battling an ancient evil.

And if they lose? Death would be preferable to the fate that awaits them...."

Because we've all become addicts of Martha Wells and have to wait out the time until the next Murderbot book somehow...

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this gripping stand-alone literary thriller set in the world of the award-winning post-apocalyptic novel Moon of the Crusted Snow, a scouting party led by Evan Whitesky ventures into unknown and dangerous territory to find a new home for their close-knit Northern Ontario Indigenous community more than a decade after a world-ending blackout.

For the past twelve years, a community of Anishinaabe people have made the Northern Ontario bush their home in the wake of the power failure that brought about societal collapse. Since then they have survived and thrived the way their ancestors once did, but their natural food resources are dwindling, and the time has come to find a new home.

Evan Whitesky volunteers to lead a mission south to explore the possibility of moving back to their original homeland, the "land where the birch trees grow by the big water" in the Great Lakes region. Accompanied by five others, including his daughter Nangohns, an expert archer, Evan begins a journey that will take him to where the Anishinaabe were once settled, near the devastated city of Gibson, a land now being reclaimed by nature.

But it isn't just the wilderness that poses a threat: they encounter other survivors. Those who, like the Anishinaabe, live in harmony with the land, and those who use violence."

Northern Exposure meest Escape from L.A.? Sold.

Tomorrow's Children by Daniel Polansky
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Hugo Award nominated author comes a high-octane post-apocalyptic romp set in the ruins of Manhattan.

Tomorrow, the funk descends on Manhattan, a noxious cloud which separates the island from the rest of the world and mutates the population. Some generations on, the surviving population exists amid the rubble of modernity, wearing our cast-off clothing, worshipping celebrities as dim gods and using emojis in place or written language. The Island exists in a state of uneasy peace, with each neighborhood an independent fiefdom, protecting itself with scrap metal spears and Molotov cocktails.

But something new has come to the Island, the first tourist in centuries, and this uneasy equilibrium is about to shatter..."

Apocalypse tourism. Yeah, that seems about right. Look at Pompeii... 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Analeigh Sbrana, Angela Bell, Daniel Polansky, Irina Shapiro, Jessica Bull, Kirsten Bakis, Liselle Sambury, Martha Wells, Melissa Marr, Philippa Gregory, Premee Mohamed, Stephanie Barron, Waubgeshig Rice

The Seep by Chana Porter
Published by: Soho Press
Publication Date: January 21st, 2020
Format: Kindle, 216 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

No one knows what will happen when the aliens invade. Is it the end of the world? Or the beginning of a strange new one? Trina and her partner Deeba were hosting one of their epic dinner parties to usher in whatever the future would bring. They loved to find just the perfect pairings of guests to inspire new friendships that would last a lifetime. But this time was different because the very water they were drinking would change the definition of what a lifetime is. The water was making them one with the aliens. They were creating a symbiotic relationship that would make the world a better place. No more war or poverty or death. Those who killed themselves would never know the utopia The Seep had brought. With their new lives Trina becomes an artist and then a performer, any and all of her dream careers become a reality resulting in her becoming a doctor. While her wife Deeba makes magnificent films. Their lives are perfect, The Seep has made it so. Only Deeba sees the truth, Trina isn't happy, she hasn't been happy for some time. There's only so many times you can make love and watch TV and eat ice cream before it becomes stagnant. The Seep has given them the gift of long life and change and Deeba wants to change. She wants to shed the life she has built and start again. She wants to be reborn as a baby with Trina as her mother. Trina is destroyed by this revelation. They made a commitment to each other, to be there, to love each other forever in different permutations when they married. Trina never thought her love for Deeba would last, but it hasn't just lasted, it's grown stronger. She cannot live in a world without Deeba. But now Deeba is gone, being raised by a kind family in the south of France and Trina is an alcoholic. She doesn't go to work, she doesn't pull her weight, she is a blight on The Seep's perfect world. A chance encounter will send her on a journey. She must accept that things change or she must do what she's thought of many, many times before, and end her long life.

The Seep has pretensions to be something it's not. It wants to be a different kind of alien invasion story but ends up being nothing more than basic. A basic science fiction trope; aliens arrive and want to make us happy and perfect but they can't grasp that suffering is what makes us human. But Chana Porter could have taken it in a different direction. There are characters, like Deeba, who see that they could have a life without trauma and jump at the chance, even if her request of Trina is unconscionable. This could have sparked a conversation about humans and their belief that suffering is somehow part of the journey when it doesn't have to be. Instead we suffer through the misery of Trina's journey. We're trapped with a depressive suicidal alcoholic who can not come to grips with the fact that change is part of life. When Trina asks another character to never change they rightly respond that that's "a very cruel thing to ask of anyone." That line had a sort of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland vibe, a truth spoken to the ignorant in a moment of revelation on her journey. And that is why I didn't outright hate this book, there are moments that have brilliance and such depth that I want to explore them because the author didn't seem to understand where her focus should be in this short narrative. I'm thinking in particular when her friend and fellow performer Horizon says that his face isn't his face but that of his dead lover who was a person of color while he himself is really white. That revelation again goes back to what makes us human, what makes us who we are, and while exposing him is part of Trina's journey, there seems to be so much left unsaid about appropriation. I wanted the deeper parts of Alice's journey not the visuals of a hookah smoking caterpillar. And there are so many visuals of the utopia that allows grass to be carpet and people to have horns that the human message is lost. And I can't help feeling that these characters are just so insufferably entitled that I would have gladly read about anyone else. You don't care about them. They are loosely drawn and while the opening and closing dinner parties are assuredly written, I kept thinking, but I would never want to be there. I do not like these people and never will. They are too precious for words.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alcoholic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alien Invasion, Appropriation, Chana Porter, Change, Deeba, Entitled, For the Love of Book Clubs, Horizon, Human Nature, LGBTQ, Suicidal, The Seep, Trauma, Trina, Utopia

Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: September 6th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 348 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

John Donne was born a Catholic at a time when it was very dangerous to be a Catholic. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne, but Mary's reign left a bitter aftertaste in everyone's mouth, resulting in Catholics being in danger primarily because the crown was living in constant fear of a Catholic conspiracy. This was brought home to Donne, not just by family tales of the death of his great-great-uncle Thomas More, but by constantly being punished for his religion. He was unable to take his degree at Oxford because he was unwilling to take the Oath of Supremacy. But the bitterest pill to swallow was when he and his younger brother returned to London where they were both accepted into the Inns of Court. His brother was caught harboring a Catholic priest, a foolish act, that resulted in him going to Newgate Prison where he died of the plague. Donne abandoned his career and perhaps started to abandon his faith. He left the life he knew at Lincoln's Inn where he was the wit forever writing poetry to amuse his friends and took to the high seas. He became a pirate. Though technically he was a privateer, because that's what you call a pirate in the pay of the crown. He served under both Sir Waler Raleigh and the Earl of Essex, two of Queen Elizabeth's favorites. Though she wasn't best pleased about what happened at Cadiz. When Donne returned to London he was well placed to start a diplomatic career and twice in his life he'd serve in Parliament, but it was his work for Sir Thomas Egerton that would change his life. Egerton was the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and while living at York House Donne would be present for many an historical occasion, including the house arrest of the Earl of Essex. But it was also where he met his wife, Anne. They corresponded and then wed in secret. When it was discovered Donne was arrested and his career was destroyed. Once his father-in-law accepted that the were legally married they were still shunned by society and took up residence with one of Anne's cousins, who was an inveterate gambler. Many, many children followed. Many, many children died. The Queen died, James I ascended the throne. The king though didn't wish Donne's return to court, he wished him to take holy orders. An order that would prove historic and lucrative. Donne was a born preacher as well as a poet. He died during the reign of Charles I, beloved by the public, he would be remembered, forever.

There's a theatricality about Elizabethan England. One could say it's because of Shakespeare, but that would be presumptive and looking back on that time with our modern lens. But it can't be denied that everyone was performative and strived to be larger than life, which is why I am fascinated with the era. Just look to the events surrounding the Earl of Essex which are presented in this book. The Earl of Essex was the stepson of the Queen's supposed "one true love" Robert Dudley, who became her favorite over his stepfather and repaid the Queen by being a petulant shit and staging an insurrection resulting in him being executed for treason, which is something I fully support. The execution, not the treason. This is the world to which John Donne aspired to be a part of. And he was. He served under the Earl of Essex and later was in the household that was responsible for keeping the Earl under house arrest. It's actually quite astonishing that someone remembered for his poetry was a seminal figure of his day. Of course, there are poets that through their lives have became cultural icons, just look to Byron and Shelley. Sure Shelley ran off with his bride, but did it land him in prison? Well, it might have had he come back to England and not died. Were any of them pirates? Or priests? Did a single one of them annoy a king so much that their life might have been in the balance? And that is just a small fraction of Donne's life. It is mind-blowing just how often this man reinvented himself. His life, completely omitting his output as a writer, is worthy of a lavish period drama. Obviously a miniseries which each episode capturing a different side of him. Add in that he is one of the most famous poets ever, in fact Jane Austen's favorite, and his life is kind of inconceivable. And I do know what that word means. As one of my friends pointed out, he's kind of the Lando Calrissian of his day and I can not find fault with this argument. Especially once he brings in the capes. But what makes this book on Donne truly memorable is Katherine Rundell's own wit. She has a snarky way of writing and doesn't hesitate to call Donne out on his bullshit. She makes you feel the astonishment that all this happened in the span of one man's lifetime. A lifetime that didn't even last sixty years. Though what makes her an epic writer is leaving his most famous quote until the very end. You've read about Donne, you know he's famous, but did you know he's "no man is an island" famous?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Byron, Catholic, Earl of Essex, For the Love of Book Clubs, Jane Austen, John Donne, Katherine Rundell, Lando Calrissian, Pirates, Poet, Priests, Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare, Shelley, Super-Infinite, Thomas More

End of Story by A.J. Finn
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Knives Out comes a spellbinding thriller from the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Woman in the Window.

"I'll be dead in three months. Come tell my story."

So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story...while living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life "detective fever."

"You and I might even solve an old mystery or two."

Twenty years earlier - on New Year's Eve 1999 - Sebastian's first wife and teenaged son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past?

"Life is hard. After all, it kills you."

As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian's life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth...while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family's koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn't gone - it's just waiting."

I am so here for reclusive writers being probably killers.

Death in Hilo by Eric Redman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"ITW Finalist Eric Redman is back in this thrilling second installment of his Hawaiian murder mystery series, perfect for fans of Anne Hillerman.

When bodies start piling up and the list of suspects growing long, Detective Kawika Wong must dig into his own past to solve a Big Island murder.

It's been twelve long years since Detective Kawika Wong was tasked with solving the brutal murder of the infamous real-estate developer Ralph Fortunato - a case that led to more bodies than answers and a slew of complicated and ancient secrets, a case that made his career. Now, the once rookie detective is next in line to be Honolulu's next Chief of Police. But all is not well on O'ahu or the Big Island.

For weeks, Kawika and his team have failed to catch an elusive serial killer known as the "Slasher." He strikes quickly and efficiently, and he doesn't make mistakes. But when a freshly decapitated body is found at a previous dump site, Kawika's gut tells him something isn't quite right. Who is this victim, and why does Kawika feel that this one doesn't belong to the Slasher?

To make matters worse, a hungry young journalist, Zoë Akona, is investigating the questionable outcome Kawika and his then-superior Terry Tanaka produced in the Fortunato case, and her snooping leads to an official review that jeopardizes everything Kawika's worked so hard for.

But Detective Wong knows that, no matter what, he must find a second murderer even while the "Slasher" continues to strike. The investigation takes him back to the Big Island - and to the long-dormant case the reporter Zoë Akona won't leave alone. Kawika is about to discover what happens when the secrets of the past catch up with the promises of his future."

To get that Magnum P.I. fix in your life. But you know, the darker episodes with the Phil Collins music.

A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
Published by: Park Row
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING...

There's something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it's not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.

The six couldn't be more different.
-Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
-Kelly, the bookworm next door
-James, a cynical burnout
-Casey, a loveable football player
-Padma, the shy straight-A student
-Jia, who's starting to see visions she can't explain

When they realize that they can't trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works - almost.

Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls - Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time."

I know it's a little weird that I'm obsessed with crimes that happened to high schoolers set when I was in high school, but there is a nostalgia factor... I'm not admitting to being a killer OK?

The Hampton House Mystery by Ellen Alexander
Published by: BHC Press
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 210 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Just because the gangs away on summer vacation, doesn't mean the mystery solving stops...

It's the end of Emma's sophomore year at Dinswood Academy, and that means only one thing: summer vacation! "Glamping" sounds exciting and Emma can't wait to join Martha and Sebastian's families at a local campground, especially when she learns that Doug will be joining them.

When Emma and the gang hear about a local legend, they are intrigued. According to the story, a family mysteriously disappeared twelve years ago and rumor has it that the abandoned house is haunted. When the teens learn that Hampton House is near their campsite, they decide to investigate-unaware that danger lies ahead.

Join Emma and the gang as they search for answers, racing against time itself. If you enjoy The Crime-Solving Cousins Mysteries, Nancy Drew, or The Goonies, then you're sure to love (or the readers aged ten to fourteen in your life) the exciting action-adventure mystery series The Dinswood Chronicles by Ellen Alexander."

To fill that large Nancy Drew void.

Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury's secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi's Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there's much more at stake than saving a young woman's reputation from ruin. It's going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!"

I'm actually surprised more murders don't happen at the theatre...

Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first in the heart-warming and deliciously mysterious Magical Fortune Cookie series from Lefty Award-nominee Jennifer J. Chow.

Felicity Jin grew up literally hanging onto Mom's apron strings in their magical bakery in the quaint town of Pixie, California. Her mother's enchanted baked goods, including puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, bring instant joy to all who consume them. Felicity has always been hesitant in the kitchen herself after many failed attempts, but a takeout meal gone wrong inspires her to craft some handmade fortune cookies.

They become so popular that Felicity runs out of generic fortunes and starts making her own personalized predictions. When one customer's ill-fated fortune results in his murder, Felicity's suspiciously specific fortune has the police focusing on her as the main culprit. Now Felicity must find a way to turn her luck around and get cleared from suspicion."

I want to go to there! I guess reading about it is just as good... Possibly. Anyone have some delicious and enchanted baked treats for me to nom on while I read?

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times-bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by night, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it--she can't do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever."

THE BOOK I've literally been hearing about everywhere.

River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta
Published by: Erewhon Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Issa Rae's Insecure with a magical realist spin: River Mumma is an exhilarating contemporary fantasy novel about a young Black woman who navigates her quarter-life-crisis while embarking on a mythical quest through the streets of Toronto.

Alicia has been out of grad school for months. She has no career prospects and lives with her mom, who won't stop texting her macabre news stories and reminders to pick up items from the grocery store.

Then, one evening, the Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, appears to Alicia, telling her that she has twenty-four hours to scour the city for her missing comb.

Alicia doesn't understand why River Mumma would choose her. She can't remember all the legends her relatives told her, unlike her retail co-worker Heaven, who can reel off Jamaican folklore by heart. She doesn't know if her childhood visions have returned, or why she feels a strange connection to her other co-worker Mars. But when the trio are chased down by malevolent spirits called duppies, they realize their tenuous bonds to each other may be their only lifelines. With the clock ticking, Alicia's quest through the city broadens into a journey through time - to find herself and what the river carries.

Energetic and invigorating, River Mumma is a vibrant exploration of diasporic community and ancestral ties, and a homage to Jamaican storytelling by one of the most invigorating voices in today's literature."

The setting and magical realism give me a big Scott Pilgrim vibe, but from there it's all its own magical adventure.

My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Labyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.

Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isn't at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isn't the Lord of the Wood will take her, and she'll disappear like so many other girls before her.

But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen won't stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all that's left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.

Filled with shame and the weight of the town's judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Wood's domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn't what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back--for the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write.

It's a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she's been taught to fear."

What was that about Labyrinth?

Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in 19th century Sri Lanka and inspired by local folklore, the daughter of a traditional demon-priest--relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself - tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village.

Being the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon-priest, Amara is used to keeping mostly to herself. Influenced by the new religious practices brought in by the British Colonizers, the villagers who once respected her father's craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise.

Now someone - or something - is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara's father's help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself.

As she tries to clear her father's name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can't shake the feeling that it's all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother's frantic cries: No one can find out what happened."

Astounding historical fantasy!

The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time...

Despite a hero's return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat - and the despair of a broken heart--left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone...except for Ellie Balfour.

Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other's business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can't bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes.

But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can't win--and Wesley's heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan..."

Yes, totally here because of the nod to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.

On the night Rune's life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune's merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she's the very villain he's been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love."

That cover is sheer perfection.

Reaping Demons by Eve Langlais
Published by: Eve Langlais
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 294 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Turns out there are monsters in the world.

Why couldn't my midlife crisis involve a new hairstyle? I went from ordinary working gal to demon killer. Sounds exciting? Not really, seeing as how I got fired from my job, my apartment was trashed, and the cops think I'm involved in something shady.

Especially that cute detective who keeps questioning me...

Pity there's no time to flirt, what with all the demons that keep emerging from sewer grates and subway tunnels. Something has to be done before they overrun the city. If only that something didn't involve me!

I never asked to be a heroine, but apparently, I've been chosen and now I must reap what fate has bestowed before chaos is sown."

Never judge a book by it's cover, because the wonderful snarky voice is where it's at here.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 3520 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Korean smash hit available for the first time in English, a slice-of-life novel for readers of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.

Yeongju is burned out. With her high--flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.

For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it's never too late to scrap the plot and start again."

Seriously, not everything has to be compared to The Midnight Library or The Storied Life of AJ Fikry! This is it's own awesome thing and I want to curl up in the pages of this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amanda Jayatissa, Christi Caldwell, Ellen Alexander, Eric Redman, Eve Langlais, Hafsah Faizal, Hwang Bo-Reum, Jennifer J. Chow, Kristen Ciccarelli, Mary Winters, Tori Bovalino, Vera Kurian, Zalika Reid-Benta

The Ghosts of Nothing by Cecily Walters
Published by: Cecily Walters
Publication Date: July 18th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 380 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

If your last name is Morrighan you're going to have a tough time of it in Nothing, a town typically topping "most haunted" lists. Nelly Morrighan knows this all too well. She has been bullied and ostracized her entire life because the town believes all their woes can be laid at the feet of the Morrighans. All her sixteen years have been spent holding in the pain, keeping her head down, not thinking about her missing mother and her institutionalized father. Because the one time she lashed out at her bullies a kid ended up in the hospital. Her one reprieve is school, far away from Nothing, even if she's saddled with a roommate from home. Until her strict grandmother changes her mind and Nelly ends up boarding at the local school which is run by the mother of the boy she hospitalized. But these changes are nothing compared to the bigger changes ahead when she uncovers a secret. A secret that has been kept from her her entire life and revealed by two otherworldly figures she encounters on the Morrighan Farm late one night, Jack and Fig. Who just happen to be fairies. And Nelly's a half-fairy. And unlike almost all offspring of these forbidden interspecies liaisons she has power. And for someone who has spent their entire life cowering, you know when you are given power you must wield it responsibly. Which is why Nelly's off to the land of fairies. It was her powers that hospitalized her bully, and it was Fig's powers that has done the same to Nelly's grandmother. They can put things right by travelling to the other realm. Which is dangerous for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is what Nelly is and the fact that Fig is a wanted criminal and that the government assumes that she is dead, which is what she will be if she is found back in fairy. But Nelly's eyes are opened there and she feels free for the first time ever, the food tastes different, she feels powerful, and no longer haunted by her name. Will she be able to hold onto this feeling when she returns to Nothing or will the past come back to haunt her?

As one of my friends said about The Ghosts of Nothing it's cinematic. He put into one word what I was struggling to say with way too many. This book reminds me of epic eighties fantasy movies, you know, cinematic. The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Return to Oz, The Secret of Nimh, movies that are part of my DNA. These films showed us wonders as well as horrors. Sure, they might have traumatized an entire generation, but I wouldn't have had my childhood any other way. Because these films made me believe in magic. The Ghosts of Nothing connected me to memories I had long since forgotten. Growing up I had a huge sugar maple in my front yard and I would spend hours under it and near it, carefully prying open the propellers while watching a very specific section of sky which, thanks to the eighties Serendipity books series, I was convinced was the only place where a pegasus could come through to our world. I saw a unicorn at the circus, so surely a pegasus would visit me! I mean, I now know that that wasn't a unicorn I saw, but there was still the magic of nature under that maple. And reading about the maple keys, the distinct turn of phrase the inhabitants of Nothing use for maple propellers, brought all these memories flooding back. It also made me wonder how the inhabitants of this town use such a fairy turn of phrase. I'm wondering if there's a lot more cross-pollination between the worlds that we will learn about in the coming books. And that again feeds into the fairy tale origins of it all. The way stories are passed down through the generations and are used to teach us lessons and morals. And the thing is, these lessons can be terrifying, and those morals, they might just mean you life. This book doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of life. The politics in particular in the fairy realm will feel eerily prescient to anyone following today's news. Which is what fairy tales are all about, telling us a story but reflecting the world around us. Dark and light. I can't wait to see how Nelly embraces her powers, but I think the real lesson she needs to take to heart is to not be too hard on herself. The world is dark and full of monsters, be the light even if other people can't see it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 80s, Cecily Walters, Fairies, Fairy Tales, For the Love of Book Clubs, Labyrinth, Maple Keys, Nelly Morrighan, Return to Oz, Serendipity, The Ghosts of Nothing, The Neverending Story, The Secret of Nimh

The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

In December the Strand is deserted. Which is exactly how Emma likes it. After what happened she needed a clean break. A place to forget what came before and see if she can face what happens next. Which is a big if. The backpack by the door filled with rocks is a reminder of how it might all end. She often finds herself standing in the ocean wondering how she got there and if next time might be the point of no return. She took a job house sitting for a local, Jules, in order to escape her life and humanity. Which has worked out quite well. Only Jules has her phone number and her nearest neighbor Deek is thankfully willing to keep their relationship strictly relegated to games of hangman on white boards placed in their windows. Emma spends her days walking her beloved dog Laika and devouring bargain priced murder mysteries on her Kindle. The quality of the story doesn't even matter, she just needs it to be different from her life, her pain. Then one day Deek recommends a book, Murder Mountain by H.G. Kane. The book has an interesting conceit in that it's told through the eyes of the killer but other than that it might just be the worst book that Emma has ever read. Which leads her to write a review. A vicious one star ode to a book that should be avoided at all costs. She almost doesn't post it. It would have been better for her if she hadn't. Because the author asks her to take it down. Then demands it. She writes him an email and his response is unhinged, but also worrying. Could he know who she is? But that would be more ludicrous than the plot of his book. But what if his books aren't fiction? What if he writes from the perspective of the killer because he is a killer? Sounds in the house start to put Emma on edge. And there are odd smells too. The figure watching her sleep had to be a dream. Then Laika finds some food on the beach with fishhooks in it. Thankfully Emma gets it away from Laika without any damage. Then a masked individual appears on the doorbell camera. Jules is worried for Emma's safety and tells her she'll send her a stun gun. Emma thinks this is blowing things way out of proportion. But Emma will soon learn that nothing is being blown out of proportion. Her life is on the line. The question is, will she fight for it?

Perhaps I gave this book an extra star due to its conceit and possible consequences. The clever conceit of The Last Word, almost a reverse Misery, should make any online reviewer question what they're putting out in the world. But a clever conceit sadly isn't not enough to save it from feeling bloated. This book overstays its welcome. It would have made a great novella. Because the way successful horror is structured you usually get an initial introduction to the killer and their first victim and move on to the final girl and her story. Taylor Adams doesn't realize that Emma Carpenter isn't the final girl. She's the girl who's supposed to be murdered in the first few pages. She is the Drew Barrymore of this tale and nothing more. So trying to make her something more is painful. And speaking of Scream, this book could have done with a lot more knowing humor, a little camp. It's written so formally that a conceit that could have been camp comes across as forced. Taylor Adams is forcing us to accept the absurdity of the situation without fully embracing it himself with a few exceptions. This is painfully obvious with the parallel narration about H.G. Kane. Kane is a creepy incel. Having to read about his self-perceived "genius" is like being forced to listen to someone spouting Trumpisms. "This is the best book in the world, this book has more words than any book ever, can you believe I wrote that many words? 110,00 to be precise! I'm a creator while all Emma does is destroy and denigrate with her hurtful words, could she write that many words? No she could not." This writing style while obviously a parody of all the Trumpers out there after the initial laugh just enraged me. I don't want to spend a minute with this character let alone an entire book. Thinking on it now I'm reminded of when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert released the book Whose Boat Is This Boat?: Comments That Don't Help in the Aftermath of a Hurricane composed entirely of things our previous President said. It was supposedly satire for charity, but it was painful to read such stupidity. I just can't with people like Trump and H.G. Kane. Which is why this book needed more camp, more social commentary on this horrible human. H.G. Kane doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Myers. He just needs to go away or be mercilessly sqwered. Because the balance as it exists in this book now just doesn't work. There's no one I liked other than the dog, and all the twists were so obvious. I mean like, hit my head against the wall obvious. If people couldn't get what was going on perhaps you need to go take that "man, woman, person, TV, camera" mental cognitive assessment.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Book Review, Drew Barrymore, Final Girl, For the Love of Book Clubs, H.G. Kane, House Sitting, Incels, Kindle, Laika, Misery, Murder Mountain, Scream, Taylor Adams, The Last Word, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale. "

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie's death in combat, along with his personal effects - but something doesn't make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something - or someone - else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura's and Freddie's deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging - or better left behind entirely."

I mean, an otherworldly war is what I should be saying draws me to this book, but I really want to make a joke about someone doing anything, even going back to war, in order to avoid staying in Halifax.

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing's fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined...until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice."

I mean, a mystery that starts during the San Francisco earthquake? Yes please!

The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Yellowjackets meets The Cloisters in this beguiling coming-of-age story about class, reinvention, and destiny, set against the backdrop of two mysterious deaths.

Middle-class Rosie Macalister has worked for years to fit in with her wealthy friends on the Yale equestrian team. But when she comes back from her junior year abroad with newfound confidence, she finds that the group has been infiltrated by a mysterious intruder: Annelise Tattinger.

A talented tarot reader and a brilliant rider, the enigmatic Annelise is unlike anyone Rosie has ever met. But when one of their friends notices money disappearing from her bank account, Annelise's place in the circle is thrown into question. As the girls turn against each other, the group's unspoken tensions and assumptions lead to devastating consequences.

It's only after graduation, when Rosie begins a job at a Manhattan hedge fund, that she uncovers Annelise's true identity - and how her place in their elite Yale set was no accident. Is it too late for Rosie to put right what went wrong, or does everyone's luck run out at some point? Set in the heady days of the early aughts, The Fortune Seller is a haunting examination of class, ambition, and the desires that shape our lives."

I mean, Annelise HAS to be up to no good, grifters tend towards the tarot.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge."

I am ALL about dark academia right now... Perhaps the reason shall appear on my blog soon enough...

The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in the same universe as the acclaimed All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns, this beautifully told Gothic fairy tale of ghosts, witches, deadly secrets and past sins, will be perfect for fans of Hannah Whitten and Ava Reid.

Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic. In the usual scheme of things, they would be burnt for their sorcery, but the church has given them dispensation in return for their protection of the borders of the Darklands, where the much-feared Leech Lords hold sway.

Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie's cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build.

Told in the award-winning author's trademark gorgeous, addictive prose, this is an intricately woven tale of a family of witches struggling against the bonds of past sins and persecution."

I am here for all witches!

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
Published by: Nightfire Tor Publishing Group
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The follow-up to T. Kingfisher's bestselling gothic novella, What Moves the Dead.

Retired soldier, Alex Easton, returns in a horrifying new adventure.

After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.

In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton's home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams."

All at once everyone I know read What Moves the Dead and now I am among them clamoring for this book.

Projections by S.E. Porter
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"S.E. Porter, critically-acclaimed YA author of Vassa in the Night, bursts onto the adult fantasy scene with her adult novel that is sure to appeal to fans of Jeff VanderMeer and China Mieville.

Love may last a lifetime, but in this dark historical fantasy, the bitterness of rejection endures for centuries.

As a young woman seeks vengeance on the obsessed sorcerer who murdered her because he could not have her, her murderer sends projections of himself out into the world to seek out and seduce women who will return the love she denied - or suffer mortal consequence. A lush, Gothic journey across worlds full of strange characters and even stranger magic.

Sarah Porter's adult debut explores misogyny and the soul-corrupting power of unrequited love through an enchanted lens of violence and revenge."

I mean, we all want to read about endless rejection right?

Among the Living by Tim Lebbon
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestseller and author of Netflix's The Silence comes a terrifying horror novel set in a melting Arctic landscape. Something deadly has lain dormant for thousands of years, but now the permafrost is giving up its secrets...

Estranged friends Dean and Bethan meet after five years apart when they are drawn to a network of caves on a remote Arctic island. Bethan and her friends are environmental activists, determined to protect the land. But Dean's group's exploitation of rare earth minerals deep in the caves unleashes an horrific contagion that has rested frozen and undisturbed for many millennia. Fleeing the terrors emerging from the caves, Dean and Bethan and their rival teams undertake a perilous journey on foot across an unpredictable and volatile landscape. The ex-friends must learn to work together again if they're to survive...and more importantly, stop the horror from spreading to the wider world.

A propulsive horror thriller - fast-moving, frightening, and shockingly relevant - this adventure will grip you until the final terrifying page."

Very Michael Crichton meets Fortitude, and I am here for that!

The Hollow Dead by Darcy Coates
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Keira first woke alone in a strange forest, she remembered only two things: that she could speak with the dead, helping them move on from the mortal world, and that sinister mask-wearing men were hunting her. She had no idea what she'd done to earn their hatred or what dangerous secrets she may have uncovered.

Until now.

Peeling back layer upon layer of the mystery surrounding her origins, Keira has finally learned that the strange masked men work for Artec, an organization profiting off spectral energy produced by hundreds of chained, tormented souls. Their goal is to spread their macabre cemeteries across the world, using the agony of the dead to extend their power and reach - and only Keira and her loyal group of friends can stop them. But there are still mysteries to uncover in Keira's foggy memories, and as she prepares to fight for the souls of the tormented dead, what she doesn't know about her own past may come back to haunt her."

Darcy Coates is always must read.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.

Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers - a lonely yet charming old man - dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.

But this is no ordinary book...

It is the Book of Doors.

Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.

Then she's approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He's a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie's possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.

Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors - and the other books in his secret library's care - from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie's book can get them there.

But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force - in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman - is at the very top of that list."

Here's the thing, comparing books to The Midnight Library isn't the best thing for all of us who disliked that book. This book is more The Starless Sea meets Laini Taylor with some Carlos Ruiz Zafon thrown in. Now THAT is a book comparison that grabs my attention.

The Book of Love by Kelly Link
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 640 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the long-awaited debut novel from bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle.

The Book of Love showcases Kelly Link at the height of her powers, channeling potent magic and attuned to all varieties of love--from friendship to romance to abiding family ties - with her trademark compassion, wit, and literary derring-do. Readers will find joy (and a little terror) and an affirmation that love goes on, even when we cannot.

Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are.

With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearance - and what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where they've been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers.

But their resurrection has attracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As Laura, Daniel, and Mo grapple with the pieces of the lives they left behind, and Laura's sister, Susannah, attempts to reconcile what she remembers with what she fears, these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, and it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster.

Welcome to Kelly Link's incomparable Lovesend, where you'll encounter love and loss, laughter and dread, magic and karaoke, and some really good pizza."

I mean Pulitzers and pizza right?

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this sweet romantic comedy by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw comics, host D and D night with his friends, work at his parents' vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His art is being published. He helps his friend's song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he wins a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he can use to ask out the popular girl he's been crushing on since elementary school.

But how long can Jude's good fortune last? And why does he find himself thinking about Ari, his best friend since forever? If Jude has been dreaming of the wrong girl this whole time, does that mean he's doomed to be unlucky in love forever?

With a sprinkle of magic, this sweet beachside romance is perfect for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Love and Gelato, as well as anyone who has ever swooned over Marissa Meyer's beloved characters."

Here for whatever Marissa Meyer writes. Always.

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An abandoned English manor. A peculiar missing portrait. A cozy, deviously clever murder mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.

Jo Jones has always had a little trouble fitting in. As a neurodivergent, hyperlexic book editor and divorced New Yorker transplanted into the English countryside, Jo doesn't know what stands out more: her Americanisms or her autism.

After losing her job, her mother, and her marriage all in one year, she couldn't be happier to take possession of a possibly haunted (and clearly unwanted) family estate in North Yorkshire. But when the body of the moody town groundskeeper turns up on her rug with three bullets in his back, Jo finds herself in potential danger--and she's also a potential suspect. At the same time, a peculiar family portrait vanishes from a secret room in the manor, bearing a strange connection to both the dead body and Jo's mysterious family history.

With the aid of a Welsh antiques dealer, the morose local detective, and the Irish innkeeper's wife, Jo embarks on a mission to clear herself of blame and find the missing painting, unearthing a slew of secrets about the town - and herself - along the way. And she'll have to do it all before the killer strikes again..."

Sold at "abandoned English manor."

The Woman Who Lowered the Boom by David Handler
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag is walking on cloud nine after a meeting with his editor, Norma Fives, where she predicts his new book is sure to establish him as the next great American author. It has been years since he has even dreamed of such success after a crippling case of writer's block limited his literary aspirations to ghostwriting celebrity memoirs. But his happiness is short-lived when at his next meeting with Norma she asks for his help in discovering who is behind a series of increasingly threatening letters sent to her attention.

Norma herself is not overly concerned about the letters but her boyfriend, Detective Lieutenant Romaine Very of the NYPD, thinks the threat of violence against Norma should not be so easily dismissed. Very feels the combination of Hoagy's detective skills and knowledge of the underbelly of the publishing world make him the perfect person to investigate the matter. Plus, Hoagy is a friend he can trust to take care of the love of his life. Hoagy agrees if for nothing else than to ease the minds of two people he cares about very much. After all, this is likely to be nothing more than a dramatic gesture from a frustrated writer.

But as Hoagy and Lulu investigate, the threats move beyond the written word, making it clear that someone out there is determined to write a vicious ending to Norma's life. Could it be the wealthy aging children's author? The unethical snake of a literary agent? Or the handsy historian? This is not the return to the literary world that Hoagy dreamed of, but he is determined to unravel the mystery before the author of these crimes gets the last word."

I love the dark murderous underbelly of publishing!

Radiant Heat by Sarah-Jane Collins
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a catastrophic wildfire suddenly rips through a woman's hometown, she thinks she is lucky to have survived...until she finds a dead woman in her driveway, clutching a piece of paper with her name on it....

The blaze came out of nowhere one summer afternoon, a wall of fire fed by blustering wind. Yet, somehow, Alison is alive. She rode out the fire on the damp tiles of her bathroom, her entire body swaddled in a wet woolen blanket. As flames crackled around her, the bitter char of eucalyptus settled in the back of her throat, each breath more desperate than the last.

The wildfire that devastated the Victoria countryside Alison calls home sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to obliterate the carefully constructed life she is living. When Alison emerges from her sheltering place, she spots a soot-covered cherry red car in her driveway, and in it, a dead woman. Alison has never met Simone Arnold in her life...or so she thinks. So what is she doing here?

As Alison searches for answers across Australia's scorched bushlands, she soon learns that the fire isn't the only threat she's facing...."

Totally obsessed with Australia recently.

Death of a Spy by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sergeant Hamish Macbeth faces a string of mysterious robberies that are only the beginning of an international threat to his sleepy Scottish village of Lochudch in the latest mystery in M.C. Beaton's beloved, New York Times bestselling series.

Sergeant Hamish Macbeth has some major problems to deal with - crimes and criminals, even law enforcement agents, that he doesn't want anywhere near his beloved Highland village in Lochdubh. Hamish is worried about how the locals, as well as those in the wider area of his territory in Sutherland, will react to his new assistant officer. The officer is none other than the enigmatic American James Bland who is on an exchange scheme from his home city of Chicago in the United States, supposedly to study policing methods in Scotland.

Hamish knows that this is far from the truth. Having recently become involved in identifying a Russian spy ring to solve a murder, he is aware that Bland's mission is to track down the members of the spy network still at large. Bland trusts Hamish to help him find all of those who may have been, or may still be, in league with the Russians.

In the meantime, he and Bland have to contend with the everyday chores of rural policing. The tourist season brings with it the usual crop of traffic incidents, lost wallets, lost dogs, and people who are simply lost, but a spate of burglaries and robberies committed by a man described as having a gold tooth and a spider's web tattoo on his neck give Hamish cause for serious concern. The robberies become increasingly violent and the man is dubbed "Spiderman" by the local press. Hamish has to use all of his contacts and every ounce of his Highland guile to find the robber."

Damn, my mom adored these books.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What's the one dish you'd do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason customers stop by...

The father-daughter duo are 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person's treasured memories - dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal."

Could this be my favorite cover so far this year? Yes. Yes it is.

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha
Published by: Balzer and Bray/Harperteen
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling, award-winning creator of Almost American Girl comes an epic new graphic novel fantasy - a queer, feminist reimagining of the Fox Maiden legend from Korean mythology. Perfect for fans of Nimona, Squire, and The Prince and the Dressmaker.

Kai Song dreams of being a warrior. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her beloved father, the commander of the Royal Legion. But while her father believes in Kai and trains her in martial arts, their society isn't ready for a girl warrior.

Still, Kai is determined. But she is plagued by rumors that she is the granddaughter of Gumiho, the infamous nine-tailed fox demon who was killed by her father years before.

Everything comes crashing down the day Kai learns the deadly secret about her mother's past. Now she must come to terms with the truth about her identity and take her destiny into her own hands. As Kai desperately searches for a way to escape her fate, she comes to find compassion, and even love, in the most unexpected places.

Set in sixteenth-century Korea and richly infused with Korean folklore, The Fox Maidens is a timeless and powerful story about fighting for your place in the world, even when it seems impossible."

It's no joke, I love reinterpretations of the wonderful Fox Maiden legend.

Chasing Endless Summer by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young girl trapped in a labyrinthine mansion may finally get the family she longs for when her estranged father reappears in her life in this new novel from the world of the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and Landry series - now popular Lifetime movies.

After the tragic death of her mother and a long period of isolation under the thumb of a cruel grandfather, young Caroline Bryer has little to hope for in her life in the foreboding Southerland mansion. Her only companion, her enigmatic cousin, Simon, may be a wolf in sheep's clothing and is not to be trusted. But when Caroline's estranged father suddenly resurfaces with news of a new wife and stepchildren in Hawaii that she'll finally be allowed to visit, Caroline dares to hope for a new, normal life. Desperate for her father's love, Caroline will do anything to stay in this new home. But her troublesome stepsister has other plans, and Caroline cannot tell who to trust and who to run from. Will her new stepbrother and stepsister be a light in her dark life, or will they blot out the last slivers of sun forever?"

Is the trademark after the name a new thing?

What Have We Here? by Billy Dee Williams
Published by: Knopf Publishing Group
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A film legend recalls his remarkable life of nearly eight decades - a heralded actor who's played the roles he wanted, from Brian's Song to Lando in the Star Wars universe - unchecked by the racism and typecasting so rife in the mostly all-white industry in which he triumphed.

Billy Dee Williams was born in Harlem in 1937 and grew up in a household of love and sophistication. As a young boy, he made his stage debut working with Lotte Lenya in an Ira Gershwin/Kurt Weill production where Williams ended up feeding Lenya her lines. He studied painting, first at the High School of Music and Art, with fellow student Diahann Carroll, and then at the National Academy of Fine Art, before setting out to pursue acting with Herbert Berghoff, Stella Adler, and Sidney Poitier.

His first film role was in The Last Angry Man, the great Paul Muni's final film. It was Muni who gave Billy the advice that sent him soaring as an actor, "You can play any character you want to play no matter who you are, no matter the way you look or the color of your skin." And Williams writes, "I wanted to be anyone I wanted to be."

He writes of landing the role of a lifetime: co-starring alongside James Caan in Brian's Song, the made-for-television movie that was watched by an audience of more than fifty million people. Williams says it was "the kind of interracial love story America needed."

And when, as the first Black character in the Star Wars universe, he became a true pop culture icon, playing Lando Calrissian in George Lucas's The Empire Strikes Back ("What I presented on the screen people didn't expect to see"). It was a role he reprised in the final film of the original trilogy, The Return of the Jedi, and in the recent sequel The Rise of Skywalker.

A legendary actor, in his own words, on all that has sustained and carried him through a lifetime of dreams and adventure."

All I have to say about the icon that is Billy Dee Williams is that he needed to be on Dynasty with Diahann Carroll longer. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.G. Slatter, Billy Dee Williams, Darcy Coates, Janie Chang, Kate Quinn, Katherine Arden, Kelly Link, M.C. Beaton, Marissa Meyer, Rachel Kapelke-Dale, S.E. Porter, S.T. Gibson, T. Kingfisher, V.C. Andrews