strange and random happenstance

Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo
Published by: HarperAlley
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

At the Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft everyone is abuzz with the beginning of the Samhain celebrations. Violet Rove is using the holiday to terrifying younger classmates with tales of ghosts, who are harmless compared to the rumored demon in the woods. As the legend goes, a hundred years ago Karla Younwity entered the untamed woods surrounding the institute and was never seen again. Two fellow students tried to stop her but they failed and her cries for help can still be heard to this day. The week before Samhain is particularly dangerous as the veil between worlds thins. If your last name is Younwity, you should stay far away from the woods. Violet's roommate, Abby, just happens to be a Younwity, a foundling taken in by the institute and therefore bearing it's name. Abby doesn't much like her roommate. She likes her few friends, her familiar Seymour, and sleep. Oh does she love sleep. She's a senior, which means that she has a mentee, Noreen. And she has to be the worst mentor there is, oversleeping with assembly starting in ten minutes for the first day of the Samhain celebrations. Noreen will have a field day with this as she is the far more responsible of the two. Abby grabs her best friend Goldie and is summoned to assembly by Ms. Wilson, the mute and menacing groundskeeper. Abby doesn't see Noreen anywhere and then the headmistress, Ms. Good, starts the assembly, not with the customary cheer, but with the news that a student missed roll call at curfew the night before and is yet to be found. The initial spellwork indicates that they entered the untamed woods. Of course Abby's worst fears are realized when Ms. Good names the missing student as Noreen Younwity. The students aren't to worry, the coven has everything in hand and the celebrations will go on as planned with classes suspended for the day. Abby is a wreck and Goldie's father, who teaches the history of witchcraft, invites the girls for some tea. But Abby is spiraling. What if the legend of Karla Younwity is real? Noreen's best friend and fellow fledgling student Enver agrees. This isn't like Noreen. Which means it's time to do a little digging in the library and see if there's a spell to locate Noreen. After they left the library Enver found something that could work. But they can't attempt the spell until the witching hour. Which means staying up past curfew for a second night in a row. They all view it as worth the risk. And they believe they have found a lead in the untamed woods near the old oak tree. But they are caught. Violet snitched on Abby. The headmistress won't listen to what they've discovered and as Abby becomes more and more obsessed she is convinced that the very people who are there to protect them have a secret worth sacrificing Noreen for. Abby will not let that happen. Even if she has to do it on her own.

Over My Dead Body is a graphic novel tailor made for those obsessed with The Worst Witch and Wednesday. In fact there's a weird synchronicity with Wednesday. I say synchronicity because there's no way a graphic novel released in August could have influenced a television show released in November of the same year, it's just a similar setting with an eerie coincidence regarding botany professors. Seriously eerie. Yet for my undying devotion to all things Tim Curry and The Worst Witch, the gorgeous autumnal settings and orange foliage that simply radiate color coupled with the Disneyesque style veers away from Mildred Hubble and straight into Hermione Granger territory. I can't get over the feeling that Sweeney Boo is a huge Harry Potter fan that is well aware of how problematic that author is and has created this world of inclusivity and diversity and pronouns as a way to still be a part of that world without being a part of that world, which I heartily applaud. But this means that this whole book basically reads as Harry Potter FanFic. Which, honestly, I felt cheapened the story. When Seymour, Abby's familiar, declaims "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE, EXPELLED, OR WORSE" any Harry Potter fan worth their salt will recognize an inversion of Hermione's line; "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled." It was just too on the nose. It took me out of the story that was trying to be told and instead made me start comparing it to a story that had already been told. Because of its place in popular culture any tale set at a school for witchcraft will automatically be compared to Harry Potter. While this inverts so many the issues of that series, just as it inverted that line, it needed more of a distance. And it just kept creeping in closer. There's the Untamed Woods, a simulacrum of The Forbidden Forest, a groundskeeper that most of the student body is terrified of who is half Hagrid half Filch, research in the library, visits to the headmistress's office, and a trio who will do anything for a friend. I know you could argue that some of these are tropes and therefore not directly Harry Potter related, but in context, it's gender swapped Harry Potter. And the thing is, I don't know why I feel so let down by this. The art was beautiful, so wonderfully festive and fall, and the story was fine, but it somehow just wasn't enough to make it something special despite the fact that looking at each and every page I could feel the time and loved poured into this book. I think the highest compliment I can pay it is that for all the people, including whomever wrote the blurb, who are comparing it to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are wrong. This is so much better. So SO much better. The proof is in the fact that I actually finished it, unlike the Netflix show. I don't even know when I gave up on it and I don't care to ever find out. Especially because of how the characters ended up on Riverdale. And don't get me started on the comics.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abby Younwity, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Demon, Disappearance, Fanfiction, Graphic Novel, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Mildred Hubble, Season of the Witch, Sweeney Boo, The Worst Witch, Tim Curry, Wednesday, Younwity

The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: September 8th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Ava has grown up cloistered and unaware of who she is. Her first night away from home all of her mother's warnings come back to her: "Lock the door, call out if there is a stranger, stay away from girls who go out at midnight, beware those who wish to take you to the world underground, where there are no rules and no way to return to all that you've known." But what she learns that first night at Radcliffe is that everything she's ever known is a lie and the girl standing above her bed asking her to leap out a window at midnight is her other half. Ava and Lauren are opposites in every way, light and dark, the flower and the hazel branch. Even fire and ice to match their coloration. Ava didn't even know witches existed. She knew she was different, growing up in Maine in the 1940s she wasn't allowed to socialize with other children and occasionally had to be tethered in the family orchard so she wouldn't take to the skies, but a witch!?! That's the stuff of fairy tales. Until she meets Lauren. Lauren is from a tony Cambridge family of witches that trace their ancestry back to the 1600s. In other words, Lauren knows that witches exist because she's one of them. And she knows that Ava is a witch because why else would she be assigned as her roommate for the one night they have to stay in the dorms. Because witches don't live in dorms, they live in a special house run by the Lilith Society that began not long after the first witch of Cambridge came to settle in the marshlands in 1693. So while technically they are Radcliffe students, they are something else as well, not by choice, or by reason, but by legacy. And after they find their invitations and sneak out the window an act of salvation binds them together forever. An act that will save them time and time again as they battle with their own legacies. Because Ava doesn't know why or how she's in Cambridge but she starts to find letters hidden in books written by the First Witch. She starts to realize their is way more to her past than her mother has ever told her. And then she falls in love with the wrong person, Jamie Mather. He comes from a long line of dangerous men. Lauren's grandmother has always said that the Mathers did something that could never be forgiven. And here's Ava giving him her heart. Which is why Lauren has hardened hers. Ever since the death of her parents she has gravitated towards the dark. The Crooked Path calls to her. Which brings danger to Lilith House. McCarthyism is gripping the nation and when one of their number disappears before the graduation ceremony at the end of their first year they know they are being targeted. Can two friends overcome their differences to right the wrongs around them or will they selfishly care only for themselves?

I had an internal struggle as to whether I'd pick up this book right now because after reading all of her Practical Magic series I was kind of burned out on Alice Hoffman. There's only so far you can get on vibes alone. Sure, there's a comfort factor, but sometimes that just isn't enough. But then two things lured me in, McCarthyism and dark academia. Two things that actually have next to nothing to do with this book and seem to be just a veneer of time and place. As Tim Curry memorably says in Clue; "Communism was just a red herring." The "specter" of McCarthyism affects none of our characters in any way and seems to be more a "teachable moment" like the lack of contraception. Over and over again we hear about witch hunts and the danger from hunters but Lauren's brother is in far more danger from the Lavender Scare than she and Ava ever were from hunters. As for the aura of fear hanging over Lilith House? That was because Lauren was going down the left-handed path and her professor/lover killing her housemates. The fact that the police weren't able to figure out what happened to their fellow housemates still baffles me. All three women were connected to him and yet the police just couldn't figure it out. Probably because they were too busy trying to get laid by Lauren's brother. Yet this all pales in comparison to the real problem of this book, she is now outright plagiarizing herself. There is a similarity to all of Alice Hoffman's books which is comforting. But which, as I mentioned before, is sometimes not enough. Here though the similarities attained a new level. She is lifting her own material to make a new book. Cutting and pasting the legacy of the Owens family to begin a new witchy series. I wouldn't make this accusation without proof, so let me lay it on you. The Witches of Cambridge is two entwined stories. The first is ostensibly about a trio of witches, two "sisters" and their gay brother. The second is about the First Witch of Cambridge. The problem is, I've read these two stories before. The first is The Rules of Magic about Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens and their growing up starting in the late fifties. In fact Franny was supposed to attend Radcliffe so this reads almost as an alternative timeline. The second is Magic Lessons, a long slog of a read about Maria Owens and her life, but more importantly the curse she laid on her family. I hated reading Magic Lessons so much that reading a simulacrum of her story with the First Witch of Cambridge gave me PTSD. There are just constant reminders that this is just a Frankensteinian creation; insane asylums, secrets, homosexual persecution, unexpected pregnancies, banished loves, exile, wolf dogs, failing the Bechdel test, I could just keep listing them, but unless you've read all these books I don't think you'll believe me. I mean, what are the chances there are two different characters in two different books that were from the same area of Cornwall!?! Or that apparently every man involved in the Salem Witch Trials was in love with a witch? Or at least his descendant was. The déjà vu was just too strong for me with this book. Perhaps it will bring you comfort, for me it brought hives.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alice Hoffman, Cambridge, Clue, Dark Academia, Déjà Vu, Lilith House, Magic Lessons, McCarthyism, Plagiarism, Radcliffe College, Season of the Witch, The Crooked Path, The Rules of Magic, The Witches of Cambridge, Tim Curry

Vagabond by Tim Curry
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This memoir is a celebration of Tim Curry's life's work, and a testament to his profound impact on the entertainment industry as we know it today.

There are few stars in Hollywood today that can boast the kind of resume Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a "character actor," portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance, and a genuine understanding of human darkness.

Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind-the-scenes of his rise to fame from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time. He goes in-depth about what it was like to work on some of the most emblematic works of the 20th century, constantly switching between a camera and a live audience. He also explores the voicework that defined his later career and provided him with a chance to pivot after surviving a catastrophic stroke in 2012 that nearly took his life.

With the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 40th anniversary of Clue, there's never been a better time for Tim to share his story with the world."

Seeing as The Worst Witch, Clue, and later, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, are literally the defining movies of my life, you know how much I NEED this book. I even have a signed copy preordered. Though the highlight of my Tim Curry obsession will still be getting to see him in Spamalot. The second time, not the first, because the second time had Alan Tudyk as well. 

The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.

Enter the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard, a metropolis carved into the stump of an ancient tree. In its canopy, the pampered elite warp minds with toxic perfume; in its roots, gangs of exterminators hunt a colossal worm with an appetite for beauty.

In this complex, chaotic city, Guy Moulène has a simple goal: keep his sister out of debt. For her sake, he'll take on any job, no matter how vile.

As an exterminator, Guy hunts the uncanny creatures that crawl up from the river. These vermin are all strange, and often dangerous. His latest quarry is different: a centipede the size of a dragon with a deadly venom and a ravenous taste for artwork. As it digests Tiliard from the sewers to the opera houses, its toxin reshapes the future of the city. No sane person would hunt it, if they had the choice.

Guy doesn't have a choice."

Since I first read Leech I knew Hiron Ennes was an author to watch. I can not wait for this latest mind-bending journey. 

A Riddle of Thorns by Saren Nanua and Sasha Nanua
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Riddle of Thorns is a twisty Dark Academia mystery - glittering, elegant, unsettling, and perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and The Inheritance Games.

Sana Gupta has waited years to return to her ancestral home in Paris, with its labyrinthine halls and overgrown gardens. Sent away as a child when her mother disappeared, Sana has long puzzled over whether her mother's departure was just another of her famously unsolvable riddles.

Now eighteen and ready to claim her inheritance, Sana arrives at the dark and dilapidated estate to find three strangers awaiting her: Fox, an eccentric prodigy who models himself after Sherlock Holmes; Isabelle, a seemingly innocent girl who shares an icy history with Sana; and Minho, a handsome young genius always wearing half a smirk. Per her mother's will, they've each received a cryptic invitation to compete in a contest of riddles for the deed to Razorthorn Manor - and the rumored treasure hidden within: a flower created by the gods themselves, able to grant any wish.

Feeling betrayed by her mother, Sana sets out to uncover the truth of where her mother really went, what links the competitors together, and what secrets the crumbling and disquieting house conceals. But her task won't be easy - for her competitors will do anything to win this twisted game...Set in a darkly shimmering Edwardian Paris where worship of the Roman gods never ended, A Riddle of Thorns drips with Gothic atmosphere, sizzles with romantic tension, and confounds with intricate puzzles and long-buried mysteries."

I'd be far more concerned about those Roman gods...

A Nest of Magic by Kate Moseman
Published by: Fortunella Press
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 396 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There once was a town where nothing ever happened - until, one day, it did.

Corinthia, the librarian of Shadow Ridge, doesn't fall for mysterious strangers. She doesn't go for long walks in the woods. And she most certainly does not believe in magic.

She has her books, her rescued hound, and her Cabinet of Chocolate - everything she needs for a cozy evening alone, thank you very much.

But when a bet with her best friend leads to a hike in the maze-like nature preserve behind the Shadow Ridge Library, she meets a mysterious woman who challenges everything she thought she knew about her town, her destiny, and her heart.

She doesn't believe in magic...but magic believes in her."

Note to self, get a Cabinet of Chocolate before indulging in this delightful book.

Our Gifted Hearts by Jennifer Kennedy
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When she's accused of witchcraft, Fortune must flee her village to spare her neck, marrying a man she barely knows. But is the man who promises to be her saviour all he seems?

Fortune Blyth suffered the loss of a secret child when she was sixteen and vowed never to let another man touch her. Ten years later she is content with her beloved birds. But when witch hunters come to town it isn't long before fingers are pointed at the spinster and she is forced to choose; stay and hang, or marry a man who can offer her safety far from home.

She chooses marriage.

Her husband's island home is not the safe haven she expected, with a surly housekeeper and an eccentric mother-in-law to contend with. And there is something else; secrets hiding in the walls, demons creeping in her nightmares. Something sinister in the concealed tunnels below the house. It turns out she is not his first bride...Perhaps she would have been better off hanging after all."

Some Bluebeard for you?

The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A ghost in a library. A story waiting to be told. The Missing Pages is a rich, lyrical novel that reminds us that books are as eternal as the soul.

1912: Harry Widener, a promising and passionate book collector, boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless volume he's just purchased in London. After catastrophe strikes the ship, Harry's last known words are that he must return to his cabin to retrieve his latest treasure. Neither the young man nor the book are ever seen again. Honoring her son's memory, Harry's mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to house his extensive book collection and ensure his legacy.

Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When mysterious things begin happening at the library, Violet wonders if Harry Widener's ghost is trying to communicate with her, seeking Violet to uncover a long-buried secret that the ardent young Harry took with him to the grave.

For fans of The Midnight Library and The Book Thief, bestselling author Alyson Richman has written a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books."

I totally didn't know that the Widener Library had such a tragic backstory. 

The Ghost House by Andie Newton
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 333 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Occupied France, 1944

In the shadow of the ravaged battlefields of Verdun, where the scars of the First World War never healed, Vianne, struggling to hold onto her crumbling family chateau, takes in her traumatized nephew Blaise after the arrest of her sister by the Nazis.

But when Blaise says he can see eerie figures in the fog and whispers from the forbidden forest beyond the fence, it seems something ancient and sorrowful stirs in the soil where soldiers of the Great War once bled. As strange guests arrive at the old house and secrets surface, Vianne must face the terrifying possibility that the brutal SS aren't the only horrors she must face...

If you loved The Others you'll love this!"

Oh, I love The Others! 

When Shadows Burn by Todd Brown
Published by: Koehler Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Some houses whisper. This one screams.

In the heart of Raven's Cross, Virginia, the decaying Scott house looms. Its broken-window eyes watch a town desperate to forget. When Roxy, a teenage girl, vanishes into a sweltering night, long-buried fears erupt, and suspicion turns savage. The townspeople turn on the newcomers, blaming them for what they refuse to face in themselves. As polite smiles crack and old grudges resurface, Raven's Cross's genteel mask begins to slip, revealing the rot beneath.

Timothy Michaels came to town chasing a story. A true crime podcaster investigating the haunted legacy of the Scott house, he never expected to be pulled into something so immediate - and so dangerous. Alongside unexpected allies, Tim begins to unearth a legacy of complicity and cruelty - one the town would kill to keep buried. Because, in Raven's Cross, the shadows don't just linger. They burn."

I can see why it's being compared to Shirley Jackson!

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.

When Samantha Payne's grandfather dies, she figures she won't even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn't seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child's body, his clothing streaked with blood.

But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There's one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather's words.

Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface."

Sam totally killed the kid and her father was trying to cover it up, right? 

Happy People Don't Live Here by Amber Sparks
Published by: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Just past the edge of summer, Alice and her daughter, Fern, arrive at the Pine Lake Apartments - a former sanatorium occupied by an ensemble of peculiar neighbors and a smattering of ghosts. Among the living: the Mermaid Lady, who performs in a nightclub fish tank; the building's handyperson, moonlighting as a medium; and an awkwardly charming professor of medieval studies. Fern alone is acquainted with the undead, who pass like troubled clouds through the apartments, humanity mostly lost ages ago. For the determinedly private Alice, Pine Lake seems the perfect place at the edge of the world to hide herself and her daughter - until the day Fern finds a dead body in the dumpster.

Intent on solving the mystery of this discarded corpse, Fern eagerly puts her encyclopedic knowledge of detective novels to good use while dodging warnings from her increasingly paranoid mother. She soon comes to realize that within the strange tapestry of Pine Lake residents, nothing is ever quite as it seems. Her investigation digs up long-buried secrets, including her mother's, that implicate each of her neighbors...and conjures a new one from beyond the grave.

The hotly anticipated debut novel from "master of the fantastic" (Roxane Gay) Amber Sparks, Happy People Don't Live Here is an unforgettable portrait of family - whether by birth or by chance or by choice - and the sometimes dangerous myths we make to keep ours together."

I don't think there have been nearly enough Mermaid Ladies in my life. This book helps to rectify that. 

The Last Spirits of Manhattan by John A. McDermott
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on a true story, this sparkling and witty novel whisks you to 1956 Manhattan, where famed director Alfred Hitchcock is hosting a star-studded party in an allegedly haunted house…only for the soiree to be interrupted by a ghostly party crasher.

After fleeing her mundane life in the Midwest, Carolyn Banks finds herself in her enigmatic great-aunts' eerie mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Inside its crumbling façade, suspense director Alfred Hitchcock is throwing a party, gleefully informing his celebrity guests that the venue is supposedly haunted. It all seems like a fun gag, but Carolyn knows that the line between reality and the supernatural is dangerously blurred here.

Soon, the paranormal entities are mingling with guests like Charles Addams and Henry Fonda. As Carolyn grapples with romantic entanglements and ghostly encounters, she discovers long-buried family secrets, challenging her understanding of love, loyalty, and legacy. A striking mix of the haunting and the heartwarming, The Last Spirits of Manhattan is an unputdownable novel about a family reunion unlike any other, set against the bewitching backdrop of 1950s New York City."

I was sold at Charles Addams being at a party thrown by Alfred Hitchcock. 

Christmas at the Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Daniel M. Lavery returns to the world of Women's Hotel in this delightful and heartwarming novella about one especially lively Christmastime at the Biedermeier.

Christmas at the Biedermeier Hotel means work. For much of the year, employment comes infrequently to Biedermeier residents. But during the Advent season, they're in high demand all over the city: as holiday window dressers, sales-girls at the card stores on Forty-Second Street, Broadway usherettes, assisting the Lincoln Center laundress at the Nutcracker, or working for Pinkerton as off-season security guards at the World's Fair.

Katherine explores the possibility of reconnecting with a younger sister moving to New York. Lucianne goes into business for herself, running a telephone-order, strictly Social Register male escort agency out of her room, while Mrs. Mossler attempts to solve the mystery of the Biedermeier's skyrocketing phone bill and frets over Christmas tips for the hotel's few remaining employees.

And while the three gem thieves who broke into the American Museum of Natural History have recently been apprehended, not all of the stolen jewels have been recovered - and Patricia and Carol have been behaving very strangely recently. Christmas is a season of wonder and mystery, after all."

Because I need some lighter fare amongst all the murders I plan to read about this holiday season...

The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This twisty and sinister thriller follows a New York art gallery assistant reckoning with her past and now trapped in a web of deceit after an up-and-coming painter is murdered - perfect for fans of Katy Hays and Julia Bartz.

November 2001: Chloe Harlow wakes up late, with hazy memories of the party the night before but no recollection of how she got back to her Brooklyn apartment. Ever since the terrifying and catastrophic terrorist attack, it seems she has been on a collision course with destruction.

When she finally arrives at the exclusive Upper East Side art gallery where she works, she is immediately called into her boss's office. A pair of NYPD detectives greet her, also very curious to know how her evening ended…because the host of the party, a rising painter and the gallery's newest artist, is dead.

Navigating both the sophisticated high-stakes art world and her personal life in burgeoning Williamsburg, Chloe struggles to piece together a complete picture of that lost night. As she digs deeper, inconsistencies emerge between what she remembers and what people tell her actually happened, and more questions are raised. Everything begins to feel like a conspiracy and maybe it is. Because Chloe is the only one who glimpses the secrets the murdered artist left behind, and the closer she gets to the truth…the more deadly it becomes."

Anything to do with the art world fascinates me, if there's a murder, doubly so. 

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben. Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy - where uncovering the truth could cost her everything.

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan...until it wasn't.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world's most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself - or she will be the next one who is...Gone Before Goodbye."

Hey look, Reese Witherspoon has found a new pipeline to produce shows based on guaranteed bestsellers, write them herself with a bestselling author. 

Murder in Constantinople by A.E. Goldin
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alfred Hitchcock meets Indiana Jones in this acclaimed, globe-trotting historical mystery about a wayward Jewish kid drawn into a sinister plot.

This entertaining historical mystery is the exciting debut novel from London-based musician and screenwriter A.E. Goldin. Thrillingly paced and with an enchanting historical setting, it launches an unforgettable new hero in a series that provides all the nostalgic reading pleasure of classic Sherlock Holmes.

London, 1854. 21-year-old Ben Canaan attracts trouble wherever he goes. His father wants him to be a good Jewish son, working for the family business on Whitechapel Road, but Ben and his friends, the 'Good-for-Nothings', just want adventure.

Then the chance discovery of an enigmatic letter and a photograph of a beautiful woman bring Ben an adventure more dangerous than anything he'd imagined. Suddenly he is thrown into the heart of a mystery that takes him away from everything he has known and all the way to Constantinople, the jewel of an empire and the centre of a world on the brink of war.

Ben's only clue is 3 words: 'The White Death.' Now he must find what links a string of grisly murders, following a trail through kingmaking and conspiracy, poison and high politics, bloodshed and betrayal. In a city of deadly secrets, no one is safe - and one wrong step could cost Ben his life."

Hey, if you go looking for adventure you can't be put out when it comes knocking.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Martha Waters, the author of the "enchanting" (Entertainment Weekly) Regency Vows series, a new historical romance set in 1930s England with a murder mystery twist.

In a quaint village in the Cotswolds, Georgiana Radcliffe has accidentally become an amateur detective after helping solve four murders in a single year. When the chairman of the village council turns up dead, everyone agrees with the official ruling of a heart attack, but Georgie can't help but suspect that the council chairman is a fifth victim. Now, murder tourists are flocking from around the country, in hopes of becoming sleuths themselves.

Along with her reporter friend, she reaches out to a famous London detective for assistance in ascertaining why they have become a magnet for murder. But the fancy detective is simply too busy - or can't be bothered - to help, and instead dispatches his secretary, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford - a posh womanizer who, truthfully, he is just trying to get out of his hair, much to practical, no-nonsense Georgie's dismay. But as they investigate in the charming Buncombe-upon-Woolly - with plentiful scones, sheep on the village green, and murder tourists at every turn - Georgie finds that her previous assessment of Sebastian may have been wrong, and rather than solving a murder, she may be solving for love instead."

Is it wrong that I find the title of this book so adorable? 

Sugar and Spite by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - the star of her own hit T.V. series - is back on the case again.

When a series of deaths within the small Cotswolds birdwatching community begins to unravel her village, Agatha and her team at Raisin Investigators are certain there has been foul play involved. Now, they must dig up decades' worth of tempestuous relationships and simmering secrets among the birdwatching enthusiasts of the village in order to prevent any further deaths.

But with Agatha's own relationship with John Glass on the rocks after he is called away on his job as a cruise ship dance instructor, and Sir Charles Fraith now attempting to step into John's shoes as her lover, Agatha has her work cut out for her.

Agatha will have to break out her binoculars and embrace her bitter side to solve the murders and wrangle the sickly-sweet temptations in her own life. Will she be able to gather all the breadcrumbs and put together the clues before she becomes a sitting duck herself?"

Cruise ship dance instructor? I know my mom would have loved that little detail in this series.

Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A beloved Japanese bestseller, Menu of Happiness is for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and asks the question: What's the one dish you'd do anything to taste just one more time?

Every memory has a flavor. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them...

Welcome to the Kamogawa Diner, where every meal is a mystery ready to be solved. This unique establishment is run by a father-daughter duo who offer more than just mouth-watering meals. They act as "food detectives," delving into the past to produce nostalgia-infused dishes for their hungry clientele.

Among the patrons is a once-renowned pianist whose promising career was marred by a self-inflicted injury. She longs to taste the yakisoba shared with the only man she ever truly loved. The diner also welcomes a man haunted by shadows of regret. His mind is haunted by the memory of gyoza served by the parents of a lover he once jilted, as he seeks understanding and, perhaps, forgiveness.

The Kamogawa Diner doesn't just serve food - it recreates forgotten recipes, helping its patrons to revisit memories lost to time. Each dish is a portal to the past, serving not just sustenance but solace and reconnection through the miracle of delicious food."

The taste of certain foods is both sentimental and heartbreaking.

The Keepers of Magical Things by Julie Leong
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An almost-mage discovers friendship - and maybe something more - in the unlikeliest of places in this delightfully charming novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes.

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful - to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn't proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she'll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who's managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all, avoid complications. The Guild's uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling's residents - and each other - they realize the Guild's hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle - add attraction and it might spell trouble."

Catdragon!?! 

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Witcher meets Howl's Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship - for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.

The night Lyssa Cadogan's brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.

Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster's lair, and - even more surprising - retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.

Alderic is ill-equipped for a hunt and almost guaranteed to get himself killed. But as the two of them search for the rest of the materials that will be the Beast's undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa's better judgment, an unlikely friendship begins to bloom - one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa's quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both."

Anyone else singing a certain song sung by Gaston on the way to the bookstore? 

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A princess desperate to win back the prince who broke her heart follows him to his kingdom's prestigious military academy - and in doing so, falls in love, saves the realm, and continues to look fabulous in this delightful debut fantasy.

Domhnall and Clía are an ideal match - or so everyone says. They are prince and princess of neighboring kingdoms. An alliance the gods will smile on. Until Domhnall ruins everything by refusing to propose.

Heartbroken but determined, Clía makes the perfect plan: Follow Domhnall to Caisleán Cósta, the military academy he's attending. Show she can protect her kingdom. Secure the betrothal. Sure, the castle has a brutal reputation. But how hard can dueling really be?

Warrior Ronan promised himself he'd never lose his focus. He fought and sacrificed for his place at Caisleán Cósta, and he has no time for blonde princesses who waltz into arenas like they're attending a ball. Even if she and her otter-like pet are…well, cute.

He doesn't want to be intrigued by Clía. But her hunger to prove herself is something he understands. He tells himself there's no harm training her. Even if his heart does race around her. Even if Domhnall is his best friend.

But as they say, love is a battlefield - and unfortunately for them all, a very real war is looming on the horizon. It's a fight that will threaten all their kingdoms…and test all their hearts."

I'm all about dangerous military institutions in fantasy books lately... 

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this clean Regency romance, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love - until the man who broke her heart needs her help. What could possibly go wrong? Perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Eloisa James looking for a low-spice, witty Regency romance.

After two failed social seasons, her family may think the third time will be a charm, but Emmeline Lockhart just wants to survive with her dignity (and singleness) intact. She thought she'd found her perfect match in Simon Reeves - charming, handsome, a veritable hero from a novel - until he vanished from her life without so much as a "farewell" or "my deepest regrets" (or even a vague apology scribbled on the back of a calling card). Lesson learned: never fall for a man known for his charm.

Fortunately, and unlike many of the other eligible young ladies of the ton, Emmeline has no need for a husband - because she's already found success in her scandalous (and very anonymous) profession as an author. Why bother with matrimony when she can make her own fortune and write men exactly the way she wants them?

But fate - or the misfortune of Simon's reckless patriarchs - has other plans. Simon's once-proud estate is in shambles, his family fortune has been gambled away, and the younger impressionable siblings in his care are running wild across his estate (and possibly across all of England). Simon is in desperate need of a wealthy, prestigious bride...and a friend.

Emmeline may not fit the role of heiress, but she can certainly be a friend. Just a friend. She'll help him find a suitable match, ensure his reputation remains intact, and keep things strictly platonic - no matter how dangerously appealing his new-and-improved sincerity and regret may be.

There's just one small problem: the undeniable chemistry that still smolders between them. Can Emme play matchmaker for the man she's still in love with without losing her heart all over again? And is it possible that some love stories - especially the messy, inconvenient, impossible ones - are worthy of a rewrite?

Filled with lively banter, adorable children, a frog named Blast, and swoony kisses, Sense and Suitability is the sweet Regency romance you've been looking for. Basham brings her signature humor to the Regency era where social strictures keep the tension tight in this second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance."

Unless Simon has a damn good excuse, write him off.

A Lady Most Wayward by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: eBook, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A breathtaking historical romance featuring espionage, scandal, and forbidden love in the Queen's service.

Her enemy. Her ally. Her temptation...

Phillipa, Duchess of Dorsett is not your average demure lady in society. For behind her charming smile, she hides a secret and a wicked reputation. Tasked by Queen Victoria to protect the innocent, she's recruited the most formidable women of the ton - The Queen's Deadly Damsels. And now they have one final mission…but this time it's anything but simple...It's personal.

Lady Olivia Smithwick sold her soul to save her daughter, and in return has made an enemy of the Duchess. But when she's faced with an offer of Phillipa's protection and a promise to bring down The Devil's Sons, she can't refuse.

As they attempt their mission, together and alone, their simple deal becomes dangerously complicated. Because when their tension makes way for an unexpected desire, the heat between them becomes impossible to ignore. To reveal their true selves is a risk, especially when even one touch is strictly forbidden. But who said it was a good idea to follow the rules?

Perfect for fans of Cat Sebastian, Emma Orchard and Beverley Watts."

Love will, hopefully, find a way.

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA Today) Philippa Gregory returns with a dazzling historical novel of ambition, betrayal, and survival in the court of Henry VIII.

Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where secrets are currency, every choice is dangerous, and even the faintest whisper can seal the fate of queens.

For Jane, survival demands playing every role required of her: a loving wife who conceals her doubts, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and an obedient spy who carefully wields her words. But in a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant's sword, Jane must rely on her sharp wit and skillful maneuvering to outthink those around her, knowing that one wrong move could cost her everything.

Philippa Gregory masterfully shines a spotlight on the untold story of Jane Boleyn, peeling back the myths to reveal a complex portrait of a woman who dared to survive at any cost. Perfect for fans of thrilling historical drama and readers captivated by the intrigue of the Tudor period, Boleyn Traitor is a must-read."

Yeah... But she didn't survive. The Viscountess Rochford made so really stupid decisions near the end...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.E. Goldin, Cait Jacobs, Daniel M. Lavery, Darcy McGuire, Harlan Coben, Hiron Ennes, Hisashi Kashiwai, Julie Leong, Kelley Armstrong, M.C. Beaton, Martha Waters, Pepper Basham, Philippa Gregory, Serra Swift, Tim Curry

Congo
Based on the book by Michael Crichton
Starring: Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, Grant Heslov, Joe Don Baker, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Bruce Campbell, Taylor Nichols, Joe Pantoliano, Delroy Lindo, Stuart Pankin, Peter Jason, James Karen, Shayna Fox, and Frank Welker
Release Date: June 9th, 1995
Rating: ★
To Buy

Charlie Travers is leading an expedition in the Congo to find diamonds to power high tech communications devices, in other words, lasers, for TraviCom, a company run by his father. Charlie misses his second check in with his father back in Huston and when they get the video feed back online they see death and destruction everywhere and a mysterious ape like creature rushing past the camera. Charlie's father, R.B. Travis, begs his employee Doctor Karen Ross to go to the Congo. Karen agrees if the expedition is really to save Charlie, her former fiance, and not to get the diamonds. In California, Doctor Peter Elliott runs Project Amy, which has been teaching Amy the gorilla sign language. Amy is amazing, she has a glove that allows her to actually speak when signing and she's learned to paint. Of course the paintings are actually a form of therapy to help with her nightmares. Peter wishes to return Amy to her home in the Congo but the University doesn't want to lose Amy and the cost would be prohibitive. Enter Herkermer Homolka, a philanthropist who claims his interest is to see Amy happy, when really he suspects Amy is the key to finding the lost city of Zinj and King Solomon's Diamond Mines. Do to necessity Karen Ross attaches herself to Amy's party and they have only a few political hiccups in entering the Congo. With their forces combined will they find the diamonds, Charlie, or Amy's home? Or will they find nothing but death and destruction?

In 1995 Congo was tied with Sphere, well, maybe a little ahead of Sphere, as my favorite Crichton book; and it was going to be a movie! Not only that, it was going to be a movie with Tim Curry, my most favorite of all actors! Rocky Horror and Clue forever! The movie just happened to be opening right after my junior year of high school ended. I was counting down the days to summer break and then the last few weeks of my junior year descended into hell. I got the sickest I had ever been in years, I can still remember the pain as if it was yesterday. I had such a severe ear infection that I kept thinking if only I could get that metal spike from The X-Files and jam it in my ear everything would be better. I didn't sleep for days, making me test the theory that if you stay awake for three days straight you're insane. I quite possibly was, but aren't we all mad here?

I was so disoriented I picked up a soldering iron in art metal from the wrong end. Yes, that's right, I thought why not pick it up by the searing hot metal end that likes to burn flesh. Luckily for some unknown reason I picked it up with my non-dominate left hand, so I could at least still write and take all my finals the coming week, oh happy day. I spent all my spare time trying to finish my stained glass project with my one good hand, and then I had a week's worth of finals and on Saturday morning, before getting to see Congo, I had the ACTs. Because what better then to take the ACTs with a fever of 104! I still say getting a 26 when I was giggling to myself at the absurdity of my situation and randomly selecting answers was pretty darn good. It was good enough for the school I was applying to so that's all that mattered. And then, after all this suffering, my reward was Congo. It wasn't much of a reward. 

Of all the adaptations of Crichton's films Congo is begging for a remake. If not just for the advancement in technology, could the new version try to maintain any aspect of the book, oh, and can Andy Serkis play Amy? Bring back those ominous hand paddles and crush some skulls! Seriously, I have a new cast in mind and it would be awesome. Just saying, Jennifer Lawrence, Lee Pace, and Toby Stephens. Back to this version... the biggest and most detrimental change from page to screen in my mind is the changes wrought with the character of Doctor Karen Ross. Putting aside my hatred of Laura Linney, because I have a strong feeling that it was this movie that started this hate, this adaptation once again shows that for Hollywood woman can't be strong and ruthless, yes they can be strong, yes they can make tough decisions, but it all comes down to gooey romantic feelings. Ah, ick. Karen Ross didn't want to go to the Congo to prove she could do it, to succeed and get the diamonds at all costs, as in the book, oh no, she went to rescue her ex-fiance and her boss's son! Yes, it's all about saving someone she loved!

I wonder if Michael Crichton when watching all these various films of his books ever cringed. He doesn't write weak females and yet time and again they are made weaker. By making Doctor Ross all about her heart they are taking a book about ruthless business practices and making it into a doomed love story. By doing this they are shifting the burden for their journey into the Congo onto Amy. Amy's return to the wild becomes foremost. Instead of Amy being an addition to the expedition, Doctor Ross is an addition to Amy's release. And this change doesn't work because this throws the whole plot into turmoil and forces the movie to add in unnecessary characters that are literally cannon fodder in an attempt to keep the diamond subplot. And yes, that is a laser powered by diamonds. Yes, seriously, lasers! Lasers that could punch a hole in the moon. Say what? I know a psychic vegan who can do this and yes, it is still more believable the this freakin' laser.

By taking Doctor Ross out of the driver's seat the movie now needs someone to get Amy, she is now the star after all, to Africa AND have the interest in the diamonds. Hence, as much as it pains me to say he's an unnecessary character, Tim Curry is brought in as the ludicrous Herkermer Homolka. Firstly, who thought of that name? Secondly, why are we having this weird H. Rider Haggard throw back? The whole point of Congo was to have a modern interpretation of the adventure novels of Haggard, not do this weird clash of modern and old fashioned. Mesh the two don't set them off against each other. Also, Curry is basically the great white hunter, but so is Ernie Hudson, why do we need two characters that could, in a better written story serve the same purpose? For my money, despite my adoration of Curry, I'd stick with Hudson, he was the only one who was perfect in this plane wreck of a movie.

But, oh dear. Despite ranting about all the changes I haven't even gotten to the worst of it. I'm talking about Amy. Firstly lets talk animatronics. All the apes were done by Stan Winston who, if we were to judge him by this movie, has never seen an ape in his life. Seriously. What they hell. By the end of the movie we're in this weird guns blazing human engineered ape cave with everything going to shit in epic The Island of Doctor Moreau fashion, what the fuck. And I mean the crappy film version. Which came out a year after this film and was also done by Stan Winston. Sigh. So firstly, we have apes that don't even look like apes, then add Amy's "Power Glove." Though, to reference the Nintendo Power Glove is a disservice to Nintendo. So apparently having Peter translate Amy's sign language or even just having subtitles wasn't "cool" enough and instead we get this weird childish talking ape. And yes, if you ask me at a party, I will do my impersonation. Yes, it's so bad it deserves one. Easily. Also, interesting fact, if you had a friend named Amy in high school, this might just be their most hated film because of the "Power Glove."

The first and only time I watched this film I was so distracted by plot changes and talking apes I missed the weirdest part of this movie, and that's the jungle itself. Now, I'm not talking about the built sets that looked like they were rejects from Legends of the Hidden Temple or Xena: Warrior Princess, a conclusion that is easy to reach because of Bruce Campbell being in the movie. I mean seriously, look at that river, doesn't it look a little chocolaty to you? Is that ape throwing eyeballs at Bruce really Augustus Gloop? That is a whole different level of cheesiness. No, what I'm talking about is that the jungle is SO OBVIOUSLY NOT Africa, something my fevered brain missed the first time around. Yes, it's probably hard to get permission to film there, but still... why not just build the whole freakin' jungle, you badly built enough of it already. For the majority of the film I thought perhaps I was mistaken in the film's stupidity of not even filming in Africa, but the credits confirmed it. Costa Rica it is! In fact, isn't this the rain forest where some dinos fled to after leaving Jurassic Park? But then again, the people behind this film obviously thought the viewing public was made of idiots having the lost city of Zinj's architecture based on Cambodian temples... you know, that Asian country half a world away... or maybe they were just so stupid they didn't know or care. Because if you walk away from this film with one impression it's that it was made by idiots.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adaptation, Africa, Bruce Campbell, Clue, Congo, Costa Rica, Crichton Celebration, Gorilla, High School, Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton, Sphere, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Tim Curry, Willy Wonka, Xena

Cranford finally came to a close... of course I'm sure they'll find a way to bring them all back if this garners as many awards as the previous series did, which I'm sure it will despite not being as good. Overall I was left with the feeling that this entire series was extraneous. It contained one or two laughs, but taken as a whole, it was just trying to be the original, but without the overall Gaskell arc. Despite the original having two extra stories fused into the Cranford text, the first series never felt anything other than a whole, whereas this felt like disparate elements jarring together for 90 minutes. We spent 3 hours and a few seasons with our friends only to have everything that was jostled out of place put back to where it was when we started. The heartache of Gem leaving followed by his return. The railroad which was coming suddenly wasn't, then it was... why bother treading over the same stories over and over. Plus there was a melancholy air that pervaded the whole show and made it more depressing than previously. Where we had the young love and the old guard, now we have the bitchy set upon youth who we aren't emotionally invested in, and then the old favorites are so wistful and sad, realizing that if they don't embrace change and the future their town is dead. Plus the upheaval and taciturnity of Harry doesn't do justice to the Harry that Mr. Carter so believed in... I'm not going to rehash ever bit now, perhaps when it airs on PBS later this month and I'm not worried about spoiling it, I'll dissect more... but new callous youths and wistful old friends does not a riveting series make... also one scene with Tim Curry!?! How horribly underused... even if it was the best scene in the entire series to date.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell, Harry, Mr. Carter, PBS, Return to Cranford, Tim Curry

Well, last night Cranford returned to the BBC airwaves after two years absence. There were many familiar faces, many new faces, and a few faces that were new replacing faces that were old. Yes, that's right, there's been that horror of horrors... RECASTING! Within the first five minutes of the show all hopes of it being truly wonderful were dashed by Martin Shaw not returning as Miss Matty's brother Peter. Nicholas Le Prevost, most noted for being conned out of money for a new window by Geraldine, on the Vicar of Dibley (at least to me), has flamboyantly stepped up to fill Martin Shaw's shoes. The real question is why they needed to be filled in the first place!?! If you can't get the original actor, you work around it, not recast! Anything but recast, because this breaks the reality that the show as created. Aside from that there is much of what we expect from Cranford, giddy, hyper concerned women running through streets and then death. Because nothing says Cranford like a side of a dead main character. In fact, I think they might be trying to break the record established in the first series of a main character kicking it an episode. We've already had three! They really are at the point of having to introduce characters just so they have enough people to put in jeopardy and then kill. I'm not going to spoil it by saying who it is, but one of them was obvious, seeing as the cast member concerned is a regular on another BBC drama and I'm sure they could not have been spared longer. Why couldn't they have done this with Peter? Better to kill them off then to recast any day.

But life continues on much as it always does in Cranford, it's been two years since Deborah died and Maddie's life is settled with Jem and Martha and their little daughter. But of course, time is moving, the railroad is getting closer and things change. New faces are there in the form of the Bells, a grieving family, and the Buxtons, a family returned to Cranford after many years. Mrs. Bell is a nasty overbearing bitch from hell played by Lesley Sharp, who was terrifying on the Doctor Who episode "Midnight". Mr. Buxton is a short tempered, ill humored man played by Jonathan Pryce. Apparently overbearing parents are two for the price of one in Cranford this season. There is also the concern of Septimus... who for once shows up, being even more of a shit that I thought possible, I wanted to enter my television and throttle him, with an effeminate Italian in tow. The only surmise I can make is that this man is Septimus' lover, though it's never stated, and perhaps, the real reason for his stay abroad. The only saving graces of this episode was a parrot and Miss Galindo. By removing Doctor Harrison, who's departure is not explained, other than the fact they probably can't afford the actor anymore, they removed a sort of central figure the women could flutter around. Miss Matty, who, while central in the first season, had a counterpoint with Doctor Harrison. There is no counterpoint and it seems to be flailing a bit. Of course this could all change once I rewatch, rewatching really helps to hone your opinions. Or Tim Curry's arrival next week could also change everything. Overall I would say, mild disappointment and a sense of unmet expectations, but I still hope. But I should say, that my first reaction to Cranford two years ago was about the same, I can't seem to reconcile the inconsequentially and broad humor with the desire to kill off major characters every episode, lest we forget Walter... I would almost say Cranford is bipolar. But I didn't know that going in originally and this time I was prepared... but I was still let down.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:09 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Cranford, Doctor Harrison, Doctor Who, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Sharp, Martin Shaw, Midnight, Miss Matty, Return to Cranford, Septimus, Tim Curry, Vicar of Dibley

December and the holidays are now upon us and the BBC has been plentiful with their presents this year! So let's take a look at what the coming month has to offer us Anglophiles...

Well, the much blogged about (by me) two part Cranford Christmas special is drawing ever nearer. But this little bit of casting news has me in an apoplexy of joy! Tim Curry is in it! He will play the conjurer Signor Brunoni. Also, in an effort to make sure the denizens of Cranford stick to their Gaskell roots, the production is firstly incorporating characters that didn't get included in the first telling, including Signor Brunoni. But secondly it's looking to Gaskell's other works using both her story, The Moorland Cottage and The Cage at Cranford for inspiration. Oh, I can't wait. On a final Cranford note (for now) Carl (P&P) Davis is back doing the score and there will be a behind the scenes special entitled: Corsets, Carriages and Christmas at Cranford (way to go for alliteration!)

In more "classics" news, the new adaption of The Turn of the Screw will also be airing... A new adaptation of A Child's Christmas in Wales staring Ruth Jones of Gavin and Stacey, will be shown and I'm sure harshly judged by my father (it's one of his favorite stories). But as I said, at least Ruth Jones is Welsh! Plus, after her turn in both Tess and Little Dorrit, she has proven she can do period pieces as well as being the best friend to the only gay in the village. But is anyone else a bit worried there was no mention of Lark Rise to Candleford's Christmas episode?

Elsewhere on the BBC, David Tennant is back battling the Master, while Donna, his erstwhile companion Catherine Tate is back for her very own Christmas Special... I really wonder if this one will top her previous foray into the holidays with lots of angry letters from viewers... personally I didn't find it too offensive, unless you really dislike watching Catherine make out with George Michael. There is also going to be a Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special attached to the currently airing 3rd season. Also in what is sure to be the weirdest spoof documentary since Christopher Guest and the gang first created Martin Di Bergi, we have Steve Coogan: The Inside Story to look forward to. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer help Steve chronicle his rise to fame. Also diconcerting... no mention of The IT Crowd's rumored Christmas episode...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:28 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Child's Christmas in Wales, Anglophile, Catherine Tate, Christmas, Cranford, David Tennant, December, Elizabeth Gaskell, Holidays, Lark Rise to Candleford, The Turn of the Screw, Tim Curry