Eagle Harbor Book Company Helps Out in the Heat, Oprah Features LGBTQ Bookstores, Hamnet Movie, Indie Bookshop Week, The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris, Nobody's Ghoul by Devon Monk, and A Study in Crimson by Robert J Harris

Hola Fellow Book lovers! It's HOT out there, (it's 111 degrees in Maple Valley, WA, where I live, thank heaven for AC!) so grab a cold bev, kick back and stay cool while reading today! I know that I'm certainly not going anywhere in this heat! BTW, normally in the Pacific Northwest, it's around 75-80 degrees this time of year. So climate change is making itself felt this summer.

Thank heaven that there are places like libraries and bookstores with air conditioning that can help people without make it through this ridiculous heat wave. I agree with Eagle Harbor...be careful, folks, not to get burned by this extreme heat.

Eagle Harbor Book Company's 'Excessive Heat Advisory'

With a record-breaking heat wave hitting the Pacific Northwest, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, Wash., issued an "EXCESSIVE HEAT ADVISORY http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48975270: Residents are urged to go to Eagle Harbor Book Company, where air conditioning has been reported. The books are hot, but the air is not! Be careful out there!"

Thank heaven for Oprah and her platform in the media that brings awareness to great LGBTQ bookstores that are an intrinsic part of their communities.

Oprah Features '53 LGBTQ-Owned Bookstores'

Oprah Daily featured "53 LGBTQ-owned bookstores you can be proud to support http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48943516," noting that these businesses "are more than shops to browse for books; they are hubs for both entertainment and enlightenment, meeting grounds for hearts and minds. They are, above all, vital community spaces."

Oprah's comprehensive directory highlights "shops that go above and beyond selling hardcovers and paperbacks to foster a sense of community, acceptance, and solidarity. We'll continue to add to this list, and if there are any that we missed, please make sure to let us know in the comments below! From New York to San Francisco, from Montgomery, Alabama to Verona, Wisconsin, we hope you'll find an indie bookstore near you to support--during Pride month and beyond."

 This sounds like a fascinating film, based on a novel that I would like to read before I see it, though I wasn't a fan of the last book of Maggie O'Farrell's that I read.

Movies: Hamnet

Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures and Neal Street Productions are teaming on a film adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel Hamnet http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48946468, with Chiara Atik writing the script. Deadline reported that Atik has previously worked with Amblin and Neal Street on Beautiful Ruins, alongside Mark Hammer. Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes and Pippa Harris are producing.

 I agree that books are a ticket to another world and endless possibilities! Here are some interesting responses and poems for Indie Bookshop week.

Independent Bookshop Week: 'It May Call Itself a Bookshop, but Don't Be Fooled by That.'

It may call itself a bookshop, but don't be fooled by that. There may be books in the window, on the tables and shelves, but really, it's a travel agent selling all-immersive holidays,weekend breaks, first-class tickets to other worlds...

These lines are from poet Brian Bilston's "Never Judge a Bookshop by Its Cover http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48946485,"written for Independent Bookshop Week "in celebration of all the brilliant independent bookshops out there and the role they play in their communities."

Five Leaves Bookshop http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48946508,

Nottingham: "The number of indie bookshops has been growing steadily for the last four years. There were even new shops opening during the last year with more on their way. We often mention the newbies here. Indies do what it says on the tin. We are not beholden to faraway owners, we choose the stock, we organize our own events and--yes, we even make our own mistakes--that is what being independent is all about. We also pay our taxes and money spent in your community stays in your community. We celebrate each other's successes, encourage customers to explore indies wherever they are going... PS We try not to make too many mistakes!"

Lighthouse Bookshop http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48946509, Edinburgh: "Oh and it's Indie Bookshop Week (like every week here really, but this week there's bunting & press & hashtags)! The heart of being an indie for us, is our booksellers--championing voices and publishers and artists from the margins--and our readers, some of you we catch up with weekly, some we see once a year on a fringe pilgrimage, some we meet but once and yet you leave us with a story or a reflection that shapes us. That space where books and people meet has its own magic, it's a privilege to make those sparks happen...."

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella was a cheap (99 cent) ebook that I bought for my Kindle Paperwhite last week. I was expecting a light and fluffy rom com, but what I got was an antifeminist, sexist book with a female protagonist who was too stupid to live (TSTL, as it's called by many book reviewers). Kinsella expects readers to believe that there's a woman of adult age who can't sew on a button, run a washing machine, doesn't know how to clean a toilet or even make a bed with fresh sheets...like she's never even seen someone doing this during her entire life! And! We're supposed to believe this high powered attorney with a genius level IQ can't even boil water for tea, she's that inept. SMH. Meanwhile, her dragon of a mother, who is also a lawyer, constantly berates her and is a bully, as are ALL of her male co-workers, who use and abuse her at every turn...but of course she does whatever they say, because she's that much of a wee timorous cowering beastie...a mouse, basically. Ugh. Here's the blurb: Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back? 

Of course her life catches up to her, as do all the JERKS and misogynist bastards she works with, and the British tabloid press, who are apparently all a-holes, are right behind, making her life a misery. It's not until the final chapter that Samantha actually gets her sh*t together and goes after what she really wants, which is a relationship with the hottie gardener and a life outside the rigid, restrictive and slavish confines of the law practice (and seriously, how can HR dept people be so ruthlessly fascist in the UK?). Meanwhile, though, all the characters outside of the male and female protagonists are rendered like cartoons and cliches, making the book itself more of a farce than regular fiction. I'd give it a C, and only recommend it to those who find broad farcical comedies with a romantic subplot to be fun and endearing.

The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris the third installment in her Gunnie Rose series of "Alternate History" fantasy novels. I've read the first two books in the series, and while I like Lizbeth (the Gunnie), I find her violent streak disturbing, and her ability to shoot people and just go on as if it's any other day downright creepy. Still, this particular book has her coming for the man she loves to break him out of jail and set things right, no matter the cost. Here's the blurb: Charlaine Harris is at her best in this alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this third installment of the Gunnie Rose series.

Picking up right where A Longer Fall left off, this thrilling third installment follows Lizbeth Rose as she takes on one of her most dangerous missions yet: rescuing her estranged partner, Prince Eli, from the Holy Russian Empire. Once in San Diego, Lizbeth is going to have to rely upon her sister Felicia, and her growing Grigori powers to navigate her way through this strange new world of royalty and deception in order to get Eli freed from jail where he’s being held for murder.

Russian Cage continues to ramp up the momentum with more of everything Harris’ readers adore her for with romance, intrigue, and a deep dive into the mysterious Holy Russian Empire.

What they don't mention in the blurb is that Prince Eli and Lizbeth are actually married, and still in love. It seems the only reason that Lizbeth is staying away from the HRE is because SPOILER if they find out that she is of Rasputin's bloodline they will force her to become one of the Tsars blood slaves who live in the palace (a gilded cage) and are available whenever he needs a blood transfusion for hemophilia. Anyway, Harris's prose is, as usual, beautifully done, and her plots fly along like a bullet from the barrel of a gun. I'd give this book a B+, and recommend it to anyone who has read the first two novels.

Nobody's Ghoul by Devon Monk is the 8th book in the Ordinary Magic series that I've read and loved from Portland, Oregon author Devon Monk. Since the book was only available in ebook format, it was an inexpensive and delightful way to keep my mind off the climbing temperatures here in the PNW. Here's the blurb:

Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle supernatural disasters. With gods vacationing in her little town of Ordinary, Oregon, and monsters living alongside humans, she’s had plenty of practice.

But trying to handle something so normal, so average, so very ordinary as planning her own wedding to the man she loves? Delaney is totally out of her depth.

When a car falls out of the sky and lands on the beach, Delaney is more than happy to push guest lists and venue dates out of her mind. The car appears empty, but someone has slipped into Ordinary with stolen weapons from the gods. Someone who has the ability to look like any god, monster, or human in town. Someone who might set off a supernatural disaster even Delaney can’t handle.

Monks prose is, as always, utterly cool and delicious, complimenting her swift plot like a cherry and caramel on top of an ice cream sundae. I couldn't put my Kindle Paperwhite down until the last word was read! I love Delaney and her sisters, and I love the way that her depiction of the various gods makes me laugh and also get misty-eyed at their foibles and vulnerabilities. Especially characters like Rossi, the ancient vampire who is a classy old hippy, and Than, who is Death incarnate and has a predilection for cheesy Hawaiian shirts and goofy pink/pretty T-shirts and shorts (and he runs a kite shop, which just makes me laugh in delight). There's just nothing to be critical about in Monks books (and that includes all of her series with the exception of the one that focuses on teenage hockey players). So I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who has wolfed down any of her previous Ordinary, Oregon fantasy novels. Oh, and I'd like to live in Ordinary, Oregon, if you don't mind, Ms Monk...please?!

A Study in Crimson by Robert J Harris was a rare hardback purchase for me, mainly because I'd heard it was a well done homage to Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Oddly enough, the author makes it clear that this book was inspired by an early film version of Sherlock Holmes starring the incomparable Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr Watson. While I enjoyed Rathbone's portrayal, I became a fan of PBS's Jeremy Brett as Holmes in the 80s and 90s as my "best" Sherlock portrayal. At any rate, Harris's prose is similar in style and tone to A Conan Doyles, and the plot just labyrinthine enough to keep readers guessing until the last third of the book. Here's the blurb: Bringing Sherlock Holmes from the Victorian Era into the dark days of World War II, this imaginative new thriller confronts the world’s greatest detective with a killer emulating the murders of Jack the Ripper.

London, 1942.
A killer going by the name of “Crimson Jack” is stalking the wartime streets of London, murdering women on the exact dates of the infamous Jack the Ripper killings of 1888. Has the Ripper somehow returned from the grave? Is the self-styled Crimson Jack a descendant of the original Jack—or merely a madman obsessed with those notorious killings?

In desperation Scotland Yard turn to Sherlock Holmes, the world's greatest detective. Surely he is the one man who can sift fact from legend to track down Crimson Jack before he completes his tally of death. As Holmes and the faithful Watson tread the blacked out streets of London, death waits just around the corner.

Inspired by the classic film series from Universal Pictures starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which took Sherlock Holmes to the 1940s, this is a brand-new adventure from a talented author who brilliantly evokes one of mystery fiction’s most popular characters.

Though it depicts London and its environs during the second world war, there is a miasma of Victorian classism and sexism that clouds every scene in which a woman is present. But if you can hold your nose and try not to roll your eyes too hard at the way women are considered disposable and soforth, this mystery is engaging and sublime. Mycroft Holmes makes an appearance, and is as fusty and bossy as ever. I enjoyed this fast-paced mystery, but I'd only give it a B, due to the aforementioned sexism. I'd recommend it to anyone who loved the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries and especially those who liked Basil Rathbone's turn as the Great Detective.

Booked For Murder by R. J. Blain was one of the worst books I've ever read (as a free ebook, which is what it was worth, in the end). Since I really can't find anything good to say about the novel, I'll just give it an F, and recommend that you avoid it at all costs.

 

 

 

 

Inside Comedy Review, Wanted: Vintage Typewriters, Pale Blue Eye Movie, Janet Malcolm Obit, Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly, A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair, The Second Chance Boutique by Louisa Leaman, and Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow

Happy Father's Day *Tomorrow* to all the great dads out there, including my husband Jim and my own father, who has passed "beyond the rim" as they say on Babylon 5, two years ago, from Lewy Body Dementia. It's hard work being a father, supporting your family and teaching your children and taking responsibility for making it all work. Thank you, dads, for all that you do to make a family a family. Meanwhile, I've got 4 books to review and a lot of tidbits to share. I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine!

Having actually taken a stand up comedy class and killed it at my final 10 minutes of stand up to graduate, I've always had an appreciation of the comedian as an entertainer and performer. I also always enjoyed the funnier shows when I was working on my theater degree back at Clarke College in the early 80s. So this is a book that I'd certainly like to read, if nothing else for the anecdotes and view to the history of comedy.

Book Review: Inside Comedy: The Soul, Wit, and Bite of Comedy and Comedians of the Last Five Decades

Inside Comedy: The Soul, Wit, and Bite of Comedy and Comedians of the Last Five Decades is unpolished, repetitive, digressive and occasionally braggadocious. This is arguably a felicitous approach to stand-up legend David Steinberg's splendid subject: the unpredictable, ego-driven, and literally and figuratively improvisational world of comedy in the latter half of the 20th century.

Steinberg (The Book of David), who grew up in Winnipeg in the 1940s, can offer valuable generational perspective on his chosen field: "I lived through a time when stand-up comedy was a poor relation to other forms of entertainment," he writes early on in Inside Comedy. "But I think I was one of a group of people--along with Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and a few others--who pushed stand-up forward as an art form and made comedy an important part of the culture." Inside Comedy proceeds as a memoir/love letter/victory lap hybrid.

While attending the University of Chicago, Steinberg saw legendary comic Lenny Bruce perform, and it altered his destiny. Steinberg scrapped his plan to follow a religious path, although his yeshiva days would inform his comedy act. During his six years with the Chicago improv comedy group Second City, Steinberg became known for doing mock sermons that would make him a reliable comedy-club and TV fixture in the late 1960s. That these mock sermons would play a part in the 1969 cancellation of the censor-testing Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour comes across as a source of pride for Steinberg, second only to his collected 140 invitations to appear on or guest host Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

Steinberg stayed the showbiz course--he turned to directing sitcoms in the 1980s; his name is attached to everything from The Golden Girls to Curb Your Enthusiasm--and the famous funny friends he racked up along the way, among them Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Martin Mull and Wanda Sykes, are spotlighted in the book's lengthy concluding chapter. But Inside Comedy's calling card is Steinberg's historically attuned firsthand accounts, as of the rise and fall of the Smothers Brothers, Richard Pryor's notorious onstage freak-out at a Human Rights Campaign event in 1977, and the marvel that was Carson's Tonight Show. "If you are looking for any scandalous or critical anecdotes about Johnny from me," Steinberg writes, "you are not going to get them." Fortunately for readers, he is only too happy to let Bea Arthur have it. --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer

 Believe it or not, I used to have a portable manual typewriter that was a pretty aqua color when I was a teenager. I didn't get an electric typewriter until I had graduated from college and was in my graduate program in Cambridge, Mass. I still miss the sound that the manual Corona used to make, and how easy it was to work on (but it was hard to correct mistakes). When I first entered Island Books on Mercer Island, WA, I was thrilled to see all the old vintage typewriters lining the walls atop the bookcases. It doesn't surprise me that they're back in style again, because they're beautiful machines, from an artistic design standpoint.

Wanted: Vintage Typewriters

Even old typewriters are in short supply.

RiverRun Bookstore http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48827192, Portsmouth, N.H., which has long sold vintage typewriters as a sideline, said recently that it needs more typewriters to sell: "We are all out!" RiverRun is seeking manual typewriters (no electrics).

RiverRun has sold manual typewriters for about eight years, and owner Tom Holbrook, who does repairs himself, has said that while they account for a small percentage of sales, the display draws people inside.

 Oooh, Edgar Allan Poe comes to life on the small screen! I can hardly wait for this to hit Netflix!

Movies: The Pale Blue Eye

Harry Melling (Queen's Gambit, Harry Potter franchise) will play a young Edgar Allan Poe in the Netflix and Scott Cooper murder mystery The Pale Blue Eye http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48827204, based on the novel by Louis Bayard. Deadline reported that the film "is a passion project of Cooper, who has tried making it for more than a decade." The movie also stars Christian Bale.

Cooper will direct and adapt the screenplay. Bale will produce with Cooper, John Lesher and Tyler Thompson of Cross Creek Pictures. Bale and Cooper previously worked together on Out of the Furnace and Hostiles.

If you've read the New Yorker in the past several decades, you likely read one of Janet Malcolm's articles, which always displayed the deepest critical thinking skills combined with the scathing wit of Voltaire.She was merciless and amazing, and her like will never be seen again. RIP, Ms Malcolm.

Obituary Note: Janet Malcolm

Janet Malcolm, "a longtime writer for the New Yorker who was known for her piercing judgments, her novel-like nonfiction and a provocative moral certainty that cast a cold eye on journalism and its practitioners," died June 16,the New York Times reported. She was 86. Malcolm "produced an avalanche of deeply reported, exquisitely crafted articles, essays and books, most devoted to her special interests in literature, biography, photography, psychoanalysis and true crime. Her writing was precise and analytical; her unflinching gaze missed nothing."

One of her best known works was The Journalist and the Murderer, a forensic examination of the relationship between author Joe McGinniss and convicted murderer Jeffrey MacDonald, which was published as a two-part essay in the New Yorker in 1989 and as a book the following year. The Times noted: "One of the through lines in her work was a merciless view of journalism, never mind that she was one of its most prominent practitioners."

Malcolm's books include Diana & Nikon: Essays on the Aesthetic of Photography; The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath & Ted Hughes; Reading Chekhov: A Critical Journey; Iphigenia in Forest Hills: Anatomy of a Murder Trial; The Purloined Clinic: Selected Writings; and Nobody's Looking at You: Essays. Among her honors are the 2008 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography for Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice; and the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award (Criticism) shortlist for Forty-One False Starts.

Describing Malcolm as "a dear friend," New Yorker editor David Remnick wrote http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48872306 in a tribute: "From her early pieces on the world of psychoanalysis to her most recent Profiles, her reputation often seemed to rest as much on her razor-sharp acuity as on the enormous intelligence of her prose. And yet she was immensely kind, full of scrupulous self-questioning about all acts of definitive judgment. Tilting her head slightly, her eyes narrowing, she seemed, catlike, to take everything in. And, when she sat down to write, the instrument of her prose was equal to the intelligence and range of her mind.... "In the coming days, you'll be able to read many obituaries and appreciations of Janet's work here and elsewhere. But, in the immediate hours and days after her death, we hope that you'll read her work.... Her sentences, clear as gin, spare as arrows, are like no one else's. And her considerations--of psychoanalysis, of biography, and of journalism itself--are all examples of a rare and utterly free mind at work." 

New Yorker writer Alec Wilkinson observed:"A person as exceptional as Malcolm was something like an archive of sensibility and thought, one that is irreplaceable, and when such a person dies it is, as John Updike said, of William Maxwell, as if a library has burned. People such as Malcolm, who appear to be so much themselves, are rare and inspiring, and the loss of such a person is an impoverishment."

"We are each of us an endangered species http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48872309," Malcolm wrote in a 2018 New Yorker piece. "When we die, our species disappears with us. Nobody like us will ever exist again."

 

Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly has been on the NYT Bestseller list for months now, and it has gotten more good press than most books see in a year. I was encouraged to read it by several friend and two different publisher's e-newsletters, so I decided to go all in and buy the hardback book. First things first, the prose is lush and evocative, so much so that you really feel like you're in Italy, looking out at the bright coastal waters and eating the fabulous local cuisine. The plot is beautifully rendered, smooth and engaging enough to keep you turning pages long after bedtime. The protagonists, Lizzie and Dante are interesting and dimensional, but Dante's daughter Etta is the snottiest, annoying and most interfering 12 year old on the planet. She nearly ruined the book for me, as she was rude and crude and aggressively obnoxious, not in a cute way, and I found the fact that no one, not her father or any other adult, took her to task for being such a spoiled brat. WHY was no one able to discipline Etta? My parents would never have allowed such vile behavior from their daughter, especially. I don't think 12 year olds with no manners or courtesy are cute, and I became more frustrated with her as the story unfolded. Yes, I know she was looking for a mother figure, but still, latching onto Lizzie and trying to force her father into marrying Lizzie so that she can have a mother is ridiculously machiavellian for someone who isn't even a teenager yet. Here's the blurb: What if falling in love means breaking someone’s heart?

On the heels of a difficult break-up and a devastating diagnosis, Shakespeare scholar Lizzie Delford decides to take one last lavish vacation on Elba, the sun-kissed island off the Italian coast, with her best friend and his movie-star boyfriend. Once settled into a luxurious seaside resort, Lizzie has to make big decisions about her future, and she needs the one thing she may be running out of: time. 

She leaves the yacht owners and celebrities behind and sneaks off to the public beach, where she meets a sardonic chef named Dante, his battered dog, Lily, and his wry daughter, Etta, a twelve-year-old desperate for a mother. While Dante shows Lizzie the island’s secrets, and Etta dazzles with her irreverent humor, Lizzie is confronted with a dilemma. Is it right to fall in love if time is short? Is it better to find a mother briefly, or to have no mother at all? And most pressingly, are the delicacies of life worth tasting, even if you will get to savor them only for a short while? 

A luscious story of love, courage, and Italian wine, Lizzie & Dante demands to know how far we should travel to find a future worth fighting for.

I also found her one-time boyfriend, the gay Grey, being so super-possessive of her that he nearly comes to blows with Dante to also be ridiculous. He is supposedly her best friend and someone who loves her...so why wouldn't he want her to be happy for the last part of her life? SPOILER, Lizzie "fighting" her cancer and being deathly ill and in pain for at least a couple of her last 5 years of life, just so Dante and Etta can be happy, seemed to me to be a bridge too far. It made Lizzie into the typical female martyr, who gives everything of herself for others. Again, this seems supremely selfish of Dante and Etta, who claim to love her. Still, this was a well written book that I did enjoy reading, for the most part (I do wish someone would have given that nasty 12 year old a swat on the ass and some disciplinary talking-to, though). I'd give the book a B+, and recommend it to anyone who likes books about last chance romances.

A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair is book 3 of her Sparks & Bainbridge mystery series. This is one of those rare mystery series that I keep enjoying not only because of the female protagonists, but because of the clearly and delightfully-drawn side characters that Montclair seeds throughout her books that stick with the reader because they're just so fascinating and fun to spend time with. From Archie the underground mobster to Sally the giant with the squishy soft heart (who has a crush on Gwendolyn), this is a cast of characters that have such delicious backstories that you will find yourself impatient for the next installment of this series, just to see what they're up to now. Here's the blurb: In Allison Montclair's A Rogue's Company, business becomes personal for the Right Sort Marriage Bureau when a new client, a brutal murder, two kidnappings, and the recently returned from Africa Lord Bainbridge threatens everything that one of the principals holds dear.

In London, 1946, the Right Sort Marriage Bureau is getting on its feet and expanding. Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge are making a go of it. That is until Lord Bainbridge—the widowed Gwen's father-in-law and legal guardian—returns from a business trip to Africa and threatens to undo everything important to her, even sending her six-year-old son away to a boarding school.

But there's more going on than that. A new client shows up at the agency, one whom Sparks and Bainbridge begin to suspect really has a secret agenda, somehow involving the Bainbridge family. A murder and a subsequent kidnapping sends Sparks to seek help from a dangerous quarter—and now their very survival is at stake. 

I knew that Lord Bainbridge was going to be complicit well before he was kidnapped, and I was glad that he was brought low, because he was such a scumbag. Now that I'm invested in the characters, I am hoping that Gwendolyn will finally get full custody of her son and be able to move forward with her life. Montclair's prose is golden, clean and crisp and delightful. Her plots move forward swiftly and with confidence. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone else who has read a Bainbridge and Sparks mystery, and wants to know more about how Iris, Gwen and their assorted friends and lovers fair.

The Second Chance Boutique: a Love Story by Louisa Leaman is an odd little romance book that I thought was going to be magical realism or fantasy combined with romance, but which turned out to be more of a regular romance with a dash of the paranormal thrown in and then explained away. Though the prose was decent, the plot meandered and took a few twists that were weird. Here's the blurb:

A heartwarming story about the power of the perfect dress―and the perfect love―to change your life.

Francesca Delaney has a knack for matching a bride-to-be with the wedding dress of her dreams. Her shop, The Whispering Dress, is no ordinary bridal boutique. Every gown is vintage, and the wedding dresses seem to share their stories with Francesca, pointing to which woman needs them next.

Fran credits her success to two rules: never covet a dress and never sell a dress that led to a doomed marriage. But then she finds a beautiful 1950s couture floor-length gown, and her obsession threatens win out. The owner, however, would quite like the dark past of the dress to remain hidden forever...

The Second Chance Boutique is a beach read perfect for fans of Danielle Steel and Josie Silver, promising that the romance of a wedding day can provide a second chance stronger than any dark past.

There was just way too much anguish from the male and female protagonists in this story, with everyone mooning over their damaged childhoods and damaging relationships over and over, until I was ready to tear my hair out. Just get a therapist already, people! Though I did like the fact that Francesca was able to match brides with the wedding dress that they needed to feel happy and confident in their marriages, I was taken aback by her childish belief that everyone else should understand and appreciate her "knack," instead of thinking she's crazy and strange. She comes off as much too innocent and gullible to be an adult and business owner. Raf, the guy she falls for, is even more of a mess, cruel and antagonistic at every turn. I couldn't imagine what she saw in such an asshat, as he treated her terribly, and was vicious about his mother and her wedding dress, though it was his rapist father he should have been mad at, instead of his poor traumatized mom. Then there's his evil druggie/alcoholic sister, who should be locked up in jail and never spoken to again, who literally rips Fran's entire boutique apart, destroying her business and only way to make a living, and she never takes responsibility for it! Nor does her brother, who promises to pay for the damage, ever do so or take his sister to jail and force her to act like an adult and get her damned act together. He just indulges her and bails her out at every turn. I don't care how wealthy or aristocratic they are, SHAME on them both. I think Fran could have done much better, and I think she should have sued them for damages. Yet somehow all is forgiven. I call BS on that. So I'd give this book a C+, and recommend it to anyone who likes stupidly gullible and overly romantic female protagonists who are somewhat of a doormat.

Song of the Forever Rains by E. J. Mellow is a high fantasy/romance/adventure novel that delivers on all fronts. The prose sparkles and shimmers along the ornate plot that moves surprisingly fast for it's weight. I was engaged in the story and characters almost from the first page on, and I couldn't put it down until the final chapter was read. Here's the blurb:

From the award-winning author of the Dreamland series comes a new dark romantic fantasy about a young woman finding hope in her powers of destruction.

The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadilor. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.

Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?

Lark and her sisters, who make up the Mousai, a trio of entertainers who literally enchant their audiences, are the bomb. I felt as if I could hear their songs, see the dancing and watch the crowd lose themselves in the beautiful/strange performances. While Lark was beautiful and fascinating, Darius seemed like an idiot, making too many assumptions and always so mean and defensive, when Lark and her family did nothing but help and heal him. Darius also came across as weak and wimpy for not ridding his land of his evil, despotic, drug addicted father who abused him so viciously for years. Why would anyone have mercy on such a vile person, when he had not an ounce of mercy or kindness for anyone else, even his son? This book reminded me of the dreamlike lushness that was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Therefore I'd give it an A-, and recommend it to anyone who loves dark, beautiful and strange fairy tales.

 

Drama Book Shop Preview, Broken Earth Trilogy Movie, Kay Scarpetta Series on TV, Turtles and Books in Maine, To Kill A Mockingbird Returns to Stage, Invisible by Stephen L Carter, Pumpkin by Julie Murphy, You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon, the Lost Children by Shirley Dickson, Wintergate by C.E. Murphy

Fellow Book Nerds! Welcome to the middle of June, where the grass is green, the heat is on (as is the AC) and the pollen count is rising! Fortunately, my book TBR is overflowing with great ebooks and regular hardbacks and trade paperbacks, so I am all set for some indoor reading marathons, out of the suns harsh rays!

I would kill to be able to visit the famed Drama Book Shop in NYC. The fact that it's partially owned by Lin MM only makes it that much more enticing...especially for this former theater major!

Drama Book Shop Preview

In a long, well-illustrated article http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48728432, the New York Times raises the curtain on the Drama Book Shop's imaginatively decorated new space, opening on Thursday on W. 39th St. in Manhattan. Owned by theater people deeply involved in the hit musical Hamilton--including its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and director, Thomas Kail--the bookstore features a sculptural representation of a bookworm made out of 140 feet of scripts and songbooks, an octagonal banquette, armchair replicas from Hamilton, and more than 125 theater-themed posters.

 I read this series of books, and though it was somewhat too horror oriented for my taste, it was still a very innovative series and brilliantly written. I can hardly wait to see what they do with the series on the small or large screen adaptation.

Movies: The Broken Earth Trilogy

In Sony Pictures Entertainment's second seven-figure deal for a multi-book series last week, TriStar Pictures "emerged from a bidding battle to win" the adaptation rights to N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48728448 sci-fi trilogy, Deadline reported, adding that the author will adapt the novels. Earlier in the week, Sony, in partnership with Elizabeth Gabler's 3000 Pictures, had acquired the Don Winslow City on Fire trilogy.

Each book in Jemisin's series--The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky--won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, "making Jemisin the first person to win the award three years in a row and the first person to win for all three books in a trilogy," Deadline wrote. Shary Shirazi, v-p creative production, and creative executive Rikki Jarrett are overseeing the project for TriStar Pictures.

 When I was in grad school, the mystery author who mentored me for a short time was a huge fan of this series, so I read a couple of them and though they weren't really my speed at the time, I found the prose fascinating and the female sleuth just as interesting. I am looking forward to seeing this as a series on TV.

TV: Patricia Cornwell's 'Kay Scarpetta' Series

Jamie Lee Curtis's production company Comet Pictures and Blumhouse Television are developing a one-hour series based on Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels, Variety reported. Cornwell, Curtis, Jason Blum, Blumhouse Television president Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold are serving as executive producers. They are in the process of seeking a showrunner for the series.

"I've had the honor and pleasure of knowing Jamie for a number of years, and have come to respect her hugely as an artist and a stellar human being. Blumhouse is a creative force of nature, and I'm confident that Scarpetta is going to make it to the screen in a fantastic way," said Cornwell. "To say I'm thrilled is an understatement, and I have no doubt my readers will feel the same."

McCumber added: "We are so honored to be partnering with one of the most successful authors in history in Patricia Cornwell. Kay Scarpetta has been a much sought-after character, for a long time, and we are excited to finally bring her to life on television. We are also grateful to Jamie Lee Curtis for connecting the Blumhouse team to Patricia, and to Patricia for trusting us with her iconic creation."

Describing Cornwell as "a bona fide literary trailblazer," Curtis said that "collaborating with her to bring her beloved character Kay Scarpetta to life through the power of television and to introduce her to an entirely new audience is exciting. The confluence of Blumhouse and Comet bringing to life a dark, fun and layered work world and family life, spearheaded by the smart and sexy indomitable Kay Scarpetta is going to be a thrilling ride."

 AWWWWWWWW! Turtles and books and baby turtles! So cute!

'Turtles in Progress' at BAM in Bangor, Maine

The Books-A-Million store in Bangor, Maine, recently acquired some unexpected neighbors: "Next time you visit us, please be mindful of our new friends growing here!" the store posted on Facebook. "This momma laid her eggs http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48798597 right outside our front doors! We're doing our best to keep them safe and healthy! Stay tuned for the progress of our new buddies!" The area was cordoned off with caution tape and a warning sign ("Turtles in Progress! Please Do Not Disturb.").

She's here for a while. The turtle eggs may take six to 12 weeks to hatch. Staff member Alexis Wagner told WABI: "People are pretty excited! I know all my coworkers are excited about it, we're excited for them to hatch and we get to see them, and hopefully we're going to help them make their way back towards the pond back there so they don't go out towards the road."

BAM is ready, noting: "We're pretty pumped to help keep these babies safe!"

What I wouldn't give to see this particular stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. And its being directed by Bartlett Sher, who made his bones here in Seattle at the Rep and the Intiman Theaters.

On Stage: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48800123, Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's novel that has been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic, will resume performances at Broadway's Shubert Theatre on October 5, Playbill reported.

Two of the production's original stars, Tony nominee and Emmy winner Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch and Celia Keenan-Bolger in her Tony-winning performance as Scout Finch, will return to their roles.

Complete casting will be announced at a later date. Tony winner Bartlett Sher will direct and Orin Wolf has been named executive producer, succeeding Scott Rudin.

"We've been waiting more than a year for Mockingbird--and all of Broadway--to come back, so this is a very happy announcement," said Sorkin. "I'm looking forward to the re-launch of the play under Orin Wolf's leadership, and I'm excited for the electricity that Jeff, Celia, and the whole cast will be bringing to the Shubert Theatre. Mostly I'm looking forward to being back in our rehearsal room."

 I've got five reviews for you today!

Invisible: The Forgotten story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster by Stephen L Carter is the non fiction book that we read this month for my library book group. This is the story of Carter's grandmother, a formidable Black female lawyer who brought down "Lucky Luciano," a famous mobster from the 30s. While I understand why it's important to tell her story, since she was erased from history due to her race and gender, I still feel that this particular story could have been told well in a long form journalism article in some big paper like the New York Times. The historical padding necessary to make it book-length was tedious and boring for those of us not interested in politics. Here's the blurb:

The bestselling author delves into his past and discovers the inspiring story of his grandmother’s extraordinary life

She was black and a woman and a prosecutor, a graduate of Smith College and the granddaughter of slaves, as dazzlingly unlikely a combination as one could imagine in New York of the 1930s―and without the strategy she devised, Lucky Luciano, the most powerful Mafia boss in history, would never have been convicted. When special prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey selected twenty lawyers to help him clean up the city’s underworld, she was the only member of his team who was not a white male.

Eunice Hunton Carter, Stephen Carter’s grandmother, was raised in a world of stultifying expectations about race and gender, yet by the 1940s, her professional and political successes had made her one of the most famous black women in America. But her triumphs were shadowed by prejudice and tragedy. Greatly complicating her rise was her difficult relationship with her younger brother, Alphaeus, an avowed Communist who―together with his friend Dashiell Hammett―would go to prison during the McCarthy era. Yet she remained unbowed.

Moving, haunting, and as fast-paced as a novel, Invisible tells the true story of a woman who often found her path blocked by the social and political expectations of her time. But Eunice Carter never accepted defeat, and thanks to her grandson’s remarkable book, her long forgotten story is once again visible.

 

 I didn't find this non fiction story as fast paced as a novel at all...in fact I nearly gave up on it several times as the plot dragged on and on, and we learned more about the political climate of the 30s and 40s and 50s than I ever wanted to know. There was also a great deal of recrimination and judgement on the part of the author as to how cold and indifferent a mother his grandmother was to his father, her only child. Since he mainly got one side of the story growing up, I felt that this was unfair of him, as it must have taken a great deal of time and extraordinary effort for his grandmother to rise in the ranks of society and to do all she did to bring justice to the world, while still caring for a family, all while battling misogyny and racism. So it seemed petty of the author to pass judgement on his grandmother as a man in the 20th century. I would give this book a C+ and only recommend it to those who are die-hard non fiction fans who are interested in the history of black women.

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy is the third YA book of hers that I've read, and all were stellar examples of stories of misfits/LGBTQ kids finding their way through high school and their southern town's society. One of the things I love most about Murphy's stories is that she focuses on characters with different body types/sizes, and races/sexual orientation rather than the perfect blonde teenage girls and guys who are heterosexual and have wealthy parents and only have to worry about what dress to wear and what nail color to choose. Murphy's protagonists have real problems, like coming out, having crushes on other teens that they're not sure are within the LGBTQ spectrum, and the enduring horrors of being bullied and harassed by the "popular" kids and the jocks/cheerleaders. That is not even counting all the body image questions and conundrums that are particularly painful when you're a growing teen. Both her male and female characters are relatable and funny, while also being the kind of characters who seem so real you wish you could track them down and give them a hug and a latte at Starbucks. Here's the blurb:

Return to the beloved world of Julie Murphy’s #1 New York Times bestselling Dumplin’—now a popular Netflix feature film starring Jennifer Aniston—in this fabulously joyful, final companion novel about drag, prom, and embracing your inner Queen.

Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth.

So when Clementine deviates from their master plan right after Waylon gets dumped, he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show, Fiercest of Them All. What he doesn’t count on is the tape getting accidentally shared with the entire school. . . . As a result, Waylon is nominated for prom queen as a joke. Clem’s girlfriend, Hannah Perez, also receives a joke nomination for prom king.

Waylon and Hannah decide there’s only one thing to do: run—and leave high school with a bang. A very glittery bang. Along the way, Waylon discovers that there is a lot more to running for prom court than campaign posters and plastic crowns, especially when he has to spend so much time with the very cute and infuriating prom king nominee Tucker Watson.

Waylon will need to learn that the best plan for tomorrow is living for today . . . especially with the help of some fellow queens. 

Murphy's prose is evocative and sweet, while her plots always fly along on eagle's wings...so you find yourself turning pages into the wee hours. Though Waylon is a drama queen and does a number of things I find rather immature and questionable, I loved the fact that he made peace with his larger body and was able to open his heart to a new relationship in the end. Well done! I'd give this lovely page-turner an A, and recommend it to anyone and everyone interested in the LBGTQ community and those who are plus sized and recall what it's like to deal with being different in a small town high school. 

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a literary fiction novel that I got for a song (due to Kindle Unlimited) for my Kindle Paperwhite e-reader. It's a story that sounded almost like a good YA novel at first glance, but on reading it, it turned out to be much darker and more psychological than most YA fiction. While the prose was intricate, the plot meandered a bit, and I have to say that I didn't like the twin protagonists very much at all. Here's the blurb: A poignant, lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and shocking results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother’s Huntington’s disease.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon.

But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington’s, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It’s turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters’ own bond in ways they’ll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules.

When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington’s. The other tests positive.
These opposite outcomes push them farther apart as they wrestle with guilt, betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their relationship, and is it even worth saving?
From debut author Rachel Lynn Solomon comes a luminous, heartbreaking tale of life, death, and the fragile bond between sisters. 

I didn't like how cruel and petty and vindictive Adina was, or how easily Tovah forgave her, when what she had done to her sister was, in my opinion, unforgivable. Even the parents of the twins are not really great people, but both seem weak and unable to really help their children navigate the horrible diagnosis that one of them has to live (and die) with. I find it hard to read a novel when I don't like or identify with any of the characters, so this was a hard slog for me for about 2/3rds of the book. The whole idea of trying to control everything that isn't within your control (like love, or living with a ticking time bomb of a disease) could have been navigated with much more dexterity, I felt, which is why I'm giving this downer of a novel a B-, and I'd only recommend it to those who are interested in genetic diseases like Huntington's and their effect on families. 

The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson is a historical fiction novel that I got for my e-reader for a good price. While I was expecting a novel of the children's exodus from London and other cities to the countryside during WWII to be somewhat tender and poignant, this particular book drew out all the stops for tear-jerking moments. I read a lot of WWII historical romantic fiction and historical YA fiction, so I am familiar with just about every POV you can imagine for such stories, be it from the German side to the side of resistance fighters from France, England, the Netherlands, etc. They all take the same tack, for the most part, with some underdog character(s), often Jewish, who have to go through a great deal of trauma during the war to survive, but often find love and happiness in the end. That's bog standard. This novel felt like someone took the author aside and told her "this is how to write a historical fiction novel, beat to beat," and after handing her a written guideline on characters and scenery and plot, sent her away for a year to fill in the blanks in a very paint by numbers way, and then published the results. Here's the blurb: As they walked towards the railway station, their mother took an envelope from her handbag. ‘I want you to keep this somewhere safe.’
‘What’s in the letter?’
‘Listen carefully. You’re never to open it unless you or your sister are in real trouble. Promise me.’

England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. They cradle each other, shivering in terror, not knowing if they will live to see dawn. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside.

At the train station, Martha bites back tears as she says goodbye to her precious children. Knowing she might never see them again, she gives Jacob a letter, pressing the envelope into his hands and telling him to only read it if they are in danger.

In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. Every night they dream of returning home to the arms of their beloved mother. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world.

The war has robbed Molly and Jacob of everything – all they have left is one another. Motherless and destitute, they face the grim reality of life in an orphanage. The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything – but what if they are torn apart?

SPOILERS, but they're expected if you read historical WWII fiction...of course their mother dies, and of course her lecherous boss, who is greedy and prejudiced and evil is only interested in adopting the one twin who is "not defective," and it's inevitable that Molly runs away to save them all from having to put her away in an institution, and of course they find her just before she freezes to death, and then they get adopted by the older couple who took them in (during the evacuation) when their biological father conveniently dies suddenly. The prose is easy reading but the plot is so predictable it's almost funny. I'd give this unfulfilling book a C+ and recommend it to anyone who likes their fiction predictable and easy.

Wintergate by C.E. Murphy is an imaginative legend/folk tale told in old fashioned prose style and with a straightforward plot. Here's the blurb: No one has traveled to or from faerieland since the end of the Border Wars, save through the Wintergate, whose power can only be activated on the shortest day of the year. When gatekeeper Emilia loses everything to the Border Kingdom, ice touches her heart and grows within her, until the day comes that she must finally choose between her duty and someone else's loss.

This short and beautifully written tale is well worth the few hours it takes to read it. There's not much that I can say without spoilers, but the ending is both sad and lovely. I'd give it a B+ and recommend it to those who like fairy tales or ancient legends from far away lands.

 

 

Three Trees Books Packs a Punch, Obit Lois Ehlert, Hollywood Comes to RJ Julia Booksellers, Bridgerton Season 2, 10th Birthday for Ada's Technical Books, Anthony Bourdain Documentary, Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati, Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft, The City of Zirdai by Maria V Snyder, and Project Kaitlyn by Grayson Avery

 It's June, so welcome to summer my fellow people of the book! I've had several doctors appointments and am taking antibiotics for cellulitis in my left leg, but other than that I remain optimistic about this summer and our nation's recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic. I've been saving up lots of tidbits and four book reviews for you all, so grab an Arnold Palmer, a lemonade or a cool bottle of flavored water and join me on the veranda for book talk!

I wish I could visit this tiny bookstore, because it sounds delightful. But it's pretty far from where I live in Maple Valley, since it's out past SeaTac airport.

Three Trees Books 'Punches Far Above Its Weight'

Noting that the 240-square-foot Three Trees Books http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48636929 in Burien, Wash., "punches far above its weight," the Seattle Times profiled the indie http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48636930founded two years ago by Ingrid and Tim Miller, praising the space as "a clean, bright store that's packed to the rafters with books but which somehow doesn't feel overstuffed."

"Owning a bookstore was a dream project for me, one of those things I always wanted to do," Ingrid Miller said. "I had a career in online advertising for 25 years, but I decided I wasn't going to wait anymore.... I tried to imagine an airport bookstore, but with really good books."

Two years after opening, Miller said the bookstore "is still tiny and it is still highly curated, but it's more curated by the community than by us.... We have a couple of influencer customers who, the minute they pick up a book, I know I should order a lot of copies."

The Millers would like to find a space nearby where they could host readings that are too big for the bookshop, the Seattle Times wrote. "Encouraged by strong sales during the pandemic, they hope to eventually bring a bookseller or two on staff and expand the store's hours. It's a time of big possibilities for Three Trees Books, but the small storefront is still the center of it all."

 I used to read my son Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (will there be enough room?) every single night for about two and a half years...he could never get enough of this book or other favorites like Jamberry. Her illustrations for "Chicka" were mesmerizing and entrancing for little ones worldwide. RIP Ms Ehlert.

Obituary Lois Ehlert

Lois Ehlert, the author and illustrator "whose cut-and-paste shapes and vibrant hues in books including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom put her among the most popular illustrators of books for preschoolers of the late 20th century," died May 25 at age 86, the Associated Press reported. Ehlert graduated from Milwaukee's Layton School of Art and worked in graphic design before she began illustrating children's books in her 50s, starting with 1987's Growing Vegetable Soup. In addition to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which has sold more than 12 million copies across all formats, Ehlert's works include Holey Moley; Hands; The Scraps Book; Mice; Ten Little Caterpillars; RRRalph; Lots of Spots; Boo to You!; Leaf Man; Waiting for Wings; Planting a Rainbow; and Color Zoo, which received a Caldecott Honor. "Every book Lois made grew out of her love of folk art, nature, and most importantly color," said Allyn Johnston, v-p and publisher of S&S Children's Publishing imprint Beach Lane Books, who edited 29 of Ehlert's 38 books. "She never took herself too seriously--in fact, her subtle and impish sense of humor was one of her biggest creative strengths. And what she cared about most was inspiring young children to pay attention to the beauty of our world, to make things of their own, and to laugh and have fun while doing it."

 

How exciting for this bookstore to be part of a movie with This is Us's Justin Hartley! I can hardly wait to catch this show on Netflix.

'Hollywood Comes to RJ Julia!'

This past weekend, RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., was transformed into a movie set. "We're thrilled to have our store featured in the upcoming film adaptation http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48669172 of The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans," the bookstore noted in an notice to customers. The Netflix film stars Justin Hartley (This Is Us), Bonnie Bedelia and Treat Williams, with Hartley portraying "a bestselling author who returns home at Christmas to settle the estate of his estranged mother."

On Friday, the bookstore shared photos on Facebook, noting: "Netflix has Christmas-fied RJ Julia! Here's a sneak peek of the set decorations (with more to come). The only thing missing is the [snow]--and we hear that's on the way!"

The movie's assistant location manager told the Middletown Press how RJ Julia was chosen "We have a team of folks that are part of my department to get a look into the location scouts and we task them and say, 'We need to find the most charming book store that's straight out of a postcard,' and that happens to be in Madison."

I can't imagine Bridgerton being more charming than it already is during it's sophomore season, but Rupert Evans should certainly liven things up as the Bridgerton Patriarch.

 

TV: Bridgerton Season 2

Rupert Evans (The Man in the High Castle, Charmed) has joined the cast of Bridgerton http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48669191 for season two of the hit Netflix series based on Julia Quinn's novels.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Evans will play Edmund Bridgerton, "a loving and devoted husband whose true love match with Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) gave them eight children. He's further described as an endlessly patient and kind father, who takes special pride in guiding his eldest son Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) through life." 

Season two of the Shonda Rhimes drama will focus on Anthony, with production currently underway in London. Chris Van Dusen returns as showrunner for season two and is executive producing alongside Rhimes and Betsy Beers.

Evans "joins a bulked-up cast that includes franchise newcomers Simone Ashley (Sex Education), Charithra Chandran (Alex Rider), Shelley Conn (Liar), Calam Lynch (Benediction) and Rupert Young (Dear Evan Hansen)," the Hollywood Reporter noted. Phoebe Dynevor is back as Daphne Bridgerton "and remains a vital part of the story, as a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother Anthony navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer."

 I wasn't able to visit this bookstore last year during the quarantine, but it is most definitely on my list of places to explore this summer and fall, post pandemic.

Happy Belated 10th Birthday, Ada's Technical Books & Café!

Congratulations to Ada's Technical Books & Cafe; http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48697376>, Seattle, Wash., which is celebrating its 10th anniversary a year later than anticipated. The bookseller posted on Facebook yesterday: "Happy Anniversary to us! After missing our 10 year celebration last year due to the chaos of pandemic, it feels particularly good to be able to celebrate our 11th year in business with all of you today! Stop by for some cake and an affogato if you're able, and if you're celebrating with us from afar, type in 'Happy Anniversary' in your order comments for a free Ada pin with any purchase of $30+."

 Oh how I miss the sarcasm, wit and brio of Anthony Bourdain. Amazing chef and travelog, he was gone from this world too soon.

Movies: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

A trailer has been released for the documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48700183. Food & Wine reported that the movie about the world-renowned chef, author and travel documentarian "includes behind-the-scenes clips from Bourdain's various shows, as well as interviews with friends and colleagues, including Eric Ripert and David Chang. Bourdain, who died by suicide at age 61 in 2018, first rose to stardom with the breakout hit of his 2000 culinary memoir, Kitchen Confidential." Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won't You Be My Neighbor?), Roadrunner hits theaters July 16.

Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati is a complex and dense historical fiction novel that was sold to me as more of a historical romance. However, in my experience, romances tend to be lighter, with fast-moving plots and lots of character development. Such was not the case with Where the Light Enters, which had baroque prose that was so overly detailed that it slowed the already labyrinthine plot to a crawl. Every detail of what the characters thought and felt and experienced, including descriptions of the houses, the rooms, the cities and the weather was laid out in every paragraph. It was like an overly sweetened cake that is so rich you can only take a bite or two before you're feeling nauseous about the whole thing. Here's the blurb: From the international bestselling author of The Gilded Hour comes Sara Donati's enthralling epic about two trailblazing female doctors in nineteenth-century New York
 
Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women society would rather forget.
 
As Sophie sets out to construct a new life for herself, Anna's husband, Detective-Sergeant Jack Mezzanotte calls on them both to consult on two new cases: the wife of a prominent banker has disappeared into thin air, and the corpse of a young woman is found with baffling wounds that suggest a killer is on the loose.  In New York it seems that the advancement of women has brought out the worst in some men. Unable to ignore the plight of New York's less fortunate, these intrepid cousins draw on all resources to protect their patients.

Normally a book about 19th century groundbreaking female doctors, one of whom is a woman of color, would be right up my alley. But this story gets lost in the historical details (and medical/scientific details) so often that it's hard to follow the characters through the sand dunes of the plot to the story's conclusion. I also felt that Sophie and Anna seemed too much like modern day feminists to fit in with the mores and morality and blatant sexism/racism of the 19th century. I felt as if there would have been much more harsh consequences to their being free to practice medicine and to help investigate crimes related to women and children. In the end, neither Sophie nor Anna were able to help the children being drugged and abused in a local orphanage, though previously they'd seemed all powerful, especially Sophie with all her inherited money. She had the wherewithal to house, feed and care for many unwanted children, yet she seemed to not care about their plight beyond getting the minister who ran the place to be investigated for abuse. Hence I'd give this turgid novel a C+ and only recommend it to those who like dense historical fiction with anachronistic women protagonists.

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft is an old fashioned fantasy/romance/fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast that sets the old tale on it's head and comes out smelling like a rose. The prose is lovely and lush, without being fussy and the plot swoops in and engages the reader for a page-turning ride to the breathless ending. Add in some adventure and mystery and you've got a book that is nearly impossible to put down. Here's the blurb: Allison Saft’s Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.

He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.

Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she's been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself.

The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren’s patient isn’t a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.

With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they’ll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal’s illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.

Love makes monsters of us all 

 It would be hard to discuss more about this book without wandering into spoiler territory, though I will say that the ending is beautiful and satisfying, and that Wren and Hal are a romantic duo for the ages. I also felt a bit concerned that Wren went from an unsatisfying lesbian relationship to a deeply felt and satisfying heterosexual relationship with such ease. I don't know if there was underlying homophobia involved or if it was some kind of sop to fans of so-called "conversion therapy," but it left me uncomfortable that Una, Wren's previous love interest, seems to not be interested in any real relationships at all. Still, this was a swift read that I really enjoyed, so I'll give it an A- and recommend it to those who like updates and modern retellings of fairy tales.

The City of Zirdai by Maria V Snyder is the second book in her Archives of the Invisible Sword series. I've read everything that Snyder has written, from her Poison Study series to her Healer and Storm glass series and her YA science fiction series. Snyder's prose is the gold standard, always clean and crisp and full of zest that moves along her swift and riveting plots like a roller coaster. I was only able to afford the ebook of  City of Zirdai, but I enjoyed reading it on my Kindle Paperwhite the day that it debuted, so all's well that ends well. Here's the blurb: "It's suicide, Shyla. You're the prize they want."
Through her courage and tenacity, Shyla Sun-Kissed has awoken the power of The Eyes of Tamburah. But this feat only marks the beginning of the challenges that the magical order, the Invisible Sword, faces to free the underground city of Zirdai.

Though they have allies among the monks and splinter cells inside the city, Shyla knows the Invisible Sword doesn't have the strength to win. With the group fracturing due to the strain of losses from their latest ordeal, thinly veiled suspicions and endless disagreements, it's up to Shyla to forge a new united order.

When both the draconian Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess learn of Shyla's new powers, life becomes even more complicated as they will stop at nothing to capture Shyla and take the magic of The Eyes for themselves. Hunted at every turn and unable to hide, Shyla and the Invisible Sword must use every resource at their command - and unearth new ones - in their race to save the city from destruction. But their enemies always seem to be one step ahead. And the cost to win the battle may be more than Shyla would ever be willing to pay.

There's more adventure, battles, captures and magic wielding per paragraph in this book than I would have thought possible, especially with a romance subplot that kept making a nuisance of itself. But as usual, Snyder pulls it off with aplomb, and while I really felt that Shyla was a naive idiot and an immature optimist way too much of the time, I found that I loved the community she wrested into being, and her consistent bravery in the face of her own death was inspiring, if a touch too melodramatic. I was also not fond of her love interest, who seemed like a brute and a sexist jerk a lot of the time. Still, I loved the monks, the reveal about her parents, the new and old members of the Invisible Sword and the odd and intriguing variety of desert animals who keep the people of this world alive through the searing heat and withering cold. Truly a page turner that will keep you up for hours, I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read the first book in the series, and wants to know what happens next.

Project Kaitlyn by Grayson Avery was a light romance novel that I got for free for my Kindle Paperwhite. Turns out that is just about what it was worth, too, as this was about as cliche'd a novel as I've ever read. The prose reads like something written by a horny 14 year old boy, complete with sexist and ridiculous descriptions of the female characters breasts and bodies that made me want to vomit, repeatedly. All the female characters want to talk about is sex, in the most crude ways possible, and the male protagonist makes truly immature and embarrassing sexual observations about his female coworkers that would actually never be allowed in today's workplace (in this book, even the HR admin, a woman, is in on the swearing and crude sexual jokes and innuendo, unfortunately, which is totally unrealistic). Here's the blurb, which is also unrealistic: Sweet Water, we have a project....

Meet Kaitlyn Colby, a clumsy, inappropriate blurter with self-esteem issues, but also quite handy with an axe. She's certainly no superhero, but she fights the battles of a single mom with sweet snarkasm. Between work and pining for and co-parenting with her man-child ex (is there any other kind?), Kaitlyn has no time to find that special someone. And if she did, would he really want her anyway? Kaitlyn's sister and friends (The Sweet Water Circle) say yes, so following a typical Kaitlyn slip up, The Circle intervenes to force her out of the funk that she fell into following her unwanted divorce.

When Kaitlyn makes a decision to pursue her advertising career over love, she tumbles (like no tumble you've ever seen…or heard) into the life of hunky, bay breeze-drinking Hunter Dixon, an ad exec who is intrigued enough by Kaitlyn that he hires her firm to revive a struggling project, much like herself.

Can Kaitlyn become the woman she needs to be to land the man of her dreams? Maybe. Maybe not. But you'll laugh out loud as she tries. There's no doubt you'll be rooting for the lovable, hilarious, and relatable Kaitlyn. And you'll probably love her friends, too, which is good, because their stories are ready to be told in the Sweet Water Circle series!

Project Kaitlyn could be the funniest book you ever read. It's a hilarious romantic comedy that speaks the truth (well, most of the time) about life and love, and…hiking thongs? What the heck is that? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out!

Seriously, unless you are a teenage boy, there is nothing funny about this embarrassing novel that makes jokes about every body function imaginable, including farts, a favorite of immature teenage boys everywhere. I rolled my eyes so many times I nearly gave myself a seizure. The prose is as immature and stupid as the characters, and the plot so easy to figure out that anyone with 5 working brain cells can tell you the ending after the first chapter. It boggled my mind that Kaitlyn was supposed to be 40 years old, when she acted like a 12 year old with pimples and braces, instead of a mother of two. Her sole contribution to motherhood seemed to be driving her children to school and activities and admonishing her ex and everyone else that they were to have NO SUGAR in their diet! Ever! I really wish that parenting were that simple, and that ex-husbands rallied around and tried to "get you back" after seeing you with another man, and then decided to be super-supportive and caring all of a sudden, anyway, just because. Men rarely have epiphanies that turn them from asshats into good husbands/fathers overnight, but this author would have you believe that it happens to the gals of the Sweetwater Circle all the time. Kaitlyn isn't really lovable, and her friends are awful, crude and foolish and immature.  I couldn't wait for the end of this book, so I'd give it a D, and only recommend it to the 13 or 14 year old boys for whom it seems perfect, rife with boob and fart jokes as it is. Just be sure to park your brain elsewhere when you sit down to read it.