Reese Witherspoon is Named Most Influential Book Person, Forever Interrupted on TV, Sandman Season 2 on TV, Bookshop Typewriter Poetry, The Excitements by CJ Wray, Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout, The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne, and Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood

Good day to you, fellow book lovers! It's already the final days of May, and as we head into June's summer days, a quick reminder that there are always new "beach reads" and "Summer reading lists" coming out this time of year, but don't be fooled by the marketing, they're just as much fun to read indoors, in air conditioned splendor without the suns damaging rays burning cancer into your skin as they are to read on a beach full of seagull poop and sand. I've got some interesting tidbits and four book reviews for your edification, so lets get started.

 

I really admire Reese W, and her ability to make books and reading more popular across the globe. I also enjoy her adaptations of specific novels and stories. 

 

Reese Witherspoon, 'One of the Most Influential People' in the Book Business

As Reese's Book Club approaches its 100th pick, the New York Times delved into what has made the book club leader "one of the most influential people" in the book business.

In a story called "Inside Reese Witherspoon's Literary Empire

https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQndlboI6a8yKxlySw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOD5TypoMLg-gVdw," Witherspoon said her club's monthly choices need to be optimistic and shareable. "Do you close this book and say, 'I know exactly who I want to give it to?' " The picks also have to be books by women, with women

at the center of the action who save themselves. "Because that's what

women do," she said. "No one's coming to save us."

The club's effects have been striking: "Her book club picks reliably

land on the bestseller list for weeks, months or, in the case of Where

the Crawdads Sing [by Delia Owen], years," the Times wrote. "In 2023,

print sales for the club's selections outpaced those of Oprah's Book

Club and Read With Jenna, according to Circana Bookscan, adding up to

2.3 million copies sold."

Begun in 2017, the Reese Book Club made Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely

Fine by Gail Honeyman its inaugural pick. The novel "spent 85 weeks on

the paperback bestseller list. The club's second pick, The Alice Network

[by Kate Quinn], spent nearly four months on the weekly best-seller

lists and two months on the audio list. Its third, The Lying Game [by

Ruth Ware], spent 18 weeks on the weekly lists."

Witherspoon has found what the Times calls "a sweet spot between

literary and commercial fiction, with a few essay collections and

memoirs sprinkled in. She turned out to be the literary equivalent of a

fit model--a reliable bellwether for readers in search of intelligent,

discussion-worthy fare, hold the Proust. She wanted to help narrow down

the choices for busy readers, she said, 'to bring the book club out of

your grandma's living room and online.' "

A small group of people consider titles for the club, and "Nothing makes

her happier than getting something out in the world that you might not

see otherwise," Jon Baker, one of the group, said about Witherspoon.

One way Witherspoon aims to help create something you might not see

otherwise is through the club's Lit Up program, which helps "dynamic, unpublished, diverse women and nonbinary writers" develop their craft and hopefully get published. The program includes an all-expenses-paid retreat to develop a manuscript and learn about the business side of publishing, a

three-month mentorship with a published author, meetings with literary

agents, and a book launch marketing commitment from Reese's Book Club

when the book is published. This program itself is another great Reese pick.

This is another adaptation of a novel that I'm looking forward to viewing.

TV: Forever, Interrupted

Laura Dern and Margaret Qualley will star in and executive produce

Forever, Interrupted https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQndlboI6a8yKxlwSw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOD5TypoMLg-gVdw,

a Netflix limited series based on the 2013 bestselling novel by Taylor

Jenkins Reid, Deadline reported. Julia Bicknell is writing the

adaptation and will serve as showrunner for the series.

The project "was taken out about a month ago. In a tough marketplace, it

generated interest from multiple buyers, ultimately landing at Netflix,"

Deadline noted.

I love, love, love the Sandman, from when I read it back in the 90s to the Netflix series that was marvelously cast and enacted. I can hardly wait for Season two, and I'm excited to see what the new cast members do with these iconic roles.

TV: The Sandman Season 2

Netflix "has rounded out the Endless Family" for season two of The

Sandman https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQndnugI6a8yKxEiTg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOD5-gpoMLg-gVdw, based on Neil Gaiman's DC Comics series, Deadline reported. Esme Creed-Miles will play Delirium, Adrian Lester is Destiny, and Barry Sloane is the Prodigal. They join season one cast members Tom Sturridge as Dream, Kirby as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, and Donna Preston as Despair, who are returning.

Additional returning cast members include Patton Oswalt, Vivienne

Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, Ferdinand Kingsley,

Stephen Fry, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Vanesu Samunyai, and Razane Jammal.Developed and executive produced by Gaiman.

 

I love spontaneous poetry! This is great!

Bookshop Typewriter Poetry: Read It Again Bookstore

Posted on Facebook by Read It Again Bookstore, Suwanee, Ga.: "Found this lovely poem on the typewriter :

Independent bookstores

like lifelong friends

are there for you

in the hardest of times

in the harsh desert of

"what should I read?"

there is always a bookstore friend

to lend a helping hand

to point you to the perfect book

the one meant for you

the one destined to nestle between your hands

while you spend the night,

and wee hours of the morning

feverishly flipping pages

until the last parting word.

The Excitements by CJ Wray is a historical rom-com with a twist...it's protagonists are two women in their late 90s who served in World War II. It is rare to find any book with women over the age of 45, let alone in their "Golden Years." But this book upends that societal misogyny and shows that tough women from the greatest generation are still going strong, no matter how old they are. The funny, quirky sisters Josephine and Penny are so fascinating and charming, they'll have you turning pages into the wee hours! Here's the blurb: 

A brilliant and witty drama about two brave female World War II veterans who survived the unthinkable without ever losing their killer instinct…or their joie de vivre.

Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain’s most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and history festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they’re still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next “excitement.”

This time it’s a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d’honneur for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie.

Keen historian Archie has always been given to understand that his great aunts had relatively minor roles in the Women’s Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that’s only half the story. Both sisters are hiding far more than the usual “official secrets”. There’s a reason sweet Auntie Penny can dispatch a would-be mugger with an umbrella.

This trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.

Though it was a cliche to have Archie the nephew be gay, I still enjoyed his dedication to caring for his aunties and making sure they weren't bored, though he doesn't realize that that isn't necessary, as both have things going on that he knows nothing about. the hostage crisis at the end was fun (something I thought I'd never say) and I find myself hoping for another fast-paced sequel. The prose was as clear and hard as a diamond, and the plot wooshed by like a runaway train. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys unusual protagonists in their novels.

 

Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout is a romantic fantasy novel that is the first in a "flesh and fire" series, based in the world of the "blood and ash" books that came before it. I've been rather disappointed at the duplication and unoriginal plots and characters in nearly all of the "romantasy" books that I've read lately. They all have the same female protagonist, usually a young woman whose family has been killed while she was still a child, and she was taken by some grizzled battle veteran who trains her to be an assassin/warrior, though he can't train her out of her hatred of those who killed her family/friends, and he can do nothing about her internal flame of anger, vitriol and deep self-loathing. Of course, the one being she's supposed to stay away from and/or kill is always tall, dark and handsome, and turns out to be the one being who sets her stomach aflutter and opens her heart by rescuing her and helping others behind the scenes. So the "big bad" of the book is almost always just "misunderstood," and even though he's done some shady things, and he is kind of a charming asshat, she falls in love with him and thus has the dilemna of having to kill him but not wanting to kill him because he's hot and he "gets" her. The two spend a lot of time with witty banter and they kiss (and it's always a life-changing kiss that neither can forget!), but don't actually get down to pound town until the last quarter of the book. This sort of carrot and stick approach is supposed to keep readers going through vast amounts of turgid prose and limp plot devices. I can tell within 20 pages whether or not a book is following this exact same story line, and it's becoming so popular that it's like headlice among romantasy authors...once one discovered the formula and used it successfully its EVERYWHERE. Ugh. Here's the blurb: Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.

However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death. 

 

Of course there's the cliffhanger ending, along with a "happy for now" scene, that is supposed to lead readers to the next overblown 600+ page book in the series, but to be honest, I'm just not motivated to read the same plot rehashed over and over. The plane always lands with the main couple together, ruling the kingdom or working together in harmony, after seriously boning, of course. YAWN. I'd give this huge tome (which needed a good editor) a B-, and recommend it to those who like their romantasy to follow the same color by numbers that all the other YA and adult fantasy novels do.

 

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne is a YA scifi/romance novel that seems to be trying to turn Bridgerton into a space opera. While the prose was spritely and the plot fairly quick until the final few chapters of the book, where things got a bit twisty and messy, I still found the last few chapters to be too good to be true and naive.

Here's the blurb: 

The Bachelorette meets sci-fi in this gripping story about a young girl caught in a world of royal intrigue and lost love in her quest to save her family from ruin.

Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, has only one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin? 

But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love, Elliot, returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one who got away, the boy Leo’s family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now he’s the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo’s life miserable.

But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

Fans of Katharine McGee and Kiera Cass will be dazzled by this world of lost love and royal intrigue. 

I can't believe the blurbers compared this book to the awful train wreak that is "reality" TV's The Bachelorette. Reality TV shows, which are poorly scripted, are the pustules on the arse of TV. This book, though too easy and immature to be great, doesn't deserve to be rated with horrific reality TV, the lowest of the low in cheap television programming. Still, it was distracting and "cute" for a YA novel, and I rooted for Leo to find a way forward with the criminal bad boy Elliot, who of course she can't get enough of (because, see above, the "misunderstood" bad boy is always the one who captures the female protagonist's heart, though he's often a jerk to her and not really worthy of her). All in all, a solid B performance, and I would recommend it to those who like their books easy and fun and fashionable.

 

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood (*yes, THAT Margaret Atwood, author of the Handmaid's Tale) is a gorgeously written short story that I gobbled up in one sitting. Here's the blurb:

Three women scheme to avenge an old friend in a darkly witty short story about loyalty, ambition, and delicious retribution by Margaret Atwood, the #1 bestselling author of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy meet every Thursday to sample fine cheeses, to reminisce about their former lives as professors, and lately, to muse about murder. Decades ago, a vicious cabal of male poets contrived—quite publicly and successfully—to undermine the writing career, confidence, and health of their dear friend Fern. Now, after Fern has taken a turn for the worse, her three old friends decide that it’s finally time to strike back—in secret, of course, since Fern is far too gentle to approve of a vendetta. All they need is a plan with suitably Shakespearean drama. But as sweet and satisfying as revenge can be, it’s not always so cut and dried.

This is one of those perfect-pitch stories that will have you laughing and crying for completely different reasons. Atwood is such a brilliant feminist, she never makes a wrong move, ever, in her work, and I love the fact that her characters reflect what real women go through on a day to day basis. I couldn't wait to read about each revenge scene..and though it was well-deserved, Atwood makes the reader think about the consequences of the character's actions. I don't want to spoil anything, so I will just give this delicious tale an A, and recommend it to any and every woman who has ever felt the sting of societal misogyny (and that's all of us, whether you recognize it or not). 

 

 

Amazon Book Sale Ends Soon, Wandering Raccoon Books in Grimes, Iowa, Obituary for Alice Munro, The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner, Night for Day by Roselle Lim, and Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters

The third week of May has already gone by, and I've been streaming part one of Bridgerton's third season, which was something of a disappointment, as it didn't have much of Collin and Penelope's story as I would have liked, and there were a lot of steamy scenes between season 2's lovers and sparks between other characters. When we finally get to a "Polin" love scene, in the final few moments of the last episode, there's very little passion, or chemistry between Pen and Collin, from what I saw. Collin shows more excitement when he's having a three-some (something we are lead to believe he does frequently) with two female prostitutes than he does with his kisses and brief boob-grab in the carriage with Pen....he seems almost dazed or drugged, and Pen also looks sticky with sweat and surprised, rather than lustful. Hopefully things will improve in the second half of season 3 in June. There are 7 books in this romance series, so I am praying that the TV/streaming version of the next 4 books is better than this one. I also have to say that Eloise, who was a delightful bookworm and friend to Pen in seasons 1 and 2, has become a nasty, vituperative weasel who seems to function only as a sour grapes mean girl who hangs out with the other uberb*tch female character in order to spread their evil on poor pudgy (this is their opinion, not mine...I found her full figure to be luminous and cherubic) Pen. ICK. 

I've been keeping an eye on this supposed book sale, and so far they've not discounted even one of the books on my "saved for later" list. The discounted books are all either old, childrens books or self-published rip-offs of other popular writer's works. Sigh. But I will continue, until Monday, to check and see if I can get any kind of substantial savings. Considering I spend a great deal of money on books and other items on Amazon, you'd think they'd cut me a break for being a frequent flier/reader.

Amazon Launching Amazon Book Sale May 15-20

Amazon is holding a new sales event focused on books, the Amazon Book Sale https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQmAweQI6a8zKxFzTg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOUsCspoMLg-gVdw,billed as "the book sale of your dreams," from May 15-20, that will offer "deals on thousands of books" to customers in the U.S. The promotion includes discounts of up to 50% on printed bestsellers and up to 80% on titles for Kindles, Audible, and other Amazon e-devices. Some of the most heavily discounted print titles, up to 60%, are overstock and backlist.

Early deals began yesterday, mostly involving e-readers and digital titles. Those deals include three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, discounts on some Kindle Scribe devices, and deals on Kindle titles.

Amazon emphasized that some deals involve books "that have topped Amazon Charts, trending books on #BookTok and #Bookstagram, best sellers, and award winners." So far, most of the deals are for e-books. Many of the printed titles are normally discounted in the same range.

Grimes used to be a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, until a college for geniuses was founded there. But I gather in the last 25 years they've built up the town to where it's a great place to live and shop...and now they have a Raccoon-themed bookstore! Exciting!

Wandering Raccoon Books Arriving in Grimes, Iowa, in July

This summer, pop-up bookstore Raccoon River Press in Grimes, Iowa, will change its name to Wandering Raccoon Books, Axios reported. Owner Jena Best is aiming to have Wandering Raccoon Books open at 250 West 1st St. in July. She founded Raccoon River Press in 2021 after leaving her previous career in the sciences. "A biologist by training," Best wrote, "I took a leap of faith to leave the laboratory and pursue my passion for all things literary!"

The store sells new titles for all ages across a wide array of genres. The name change, Best explained, is meant to reflect the store's time as a mobile and pop-up bookstore.

I can't think of anyone my age who hasn't read at least one or two of Alice Munro's beautifully-crafted short stories. They're inspiring, thought-provoking and utterly engrossing/fascinating. RIP to a magnificent author.

Obituary Note: Alice Munro

Alice Munro, the Nobel Prize-winning author beloved for her brilliant short stories, died on Monday at age 92.

The New York Times called Munro "a member of the rare breed of writer, like Katherine Anne Porter and Raymond Carver, who made their reputations in the notoriously difficult literary arena of the short story, and did so with great success. Her tales--many of them focused on women at different stages of their lives coping with complex desires--were so eagerly received and gratefully read that she attracted a whole new generation of readers.

"Ms. Munro's stories were widely considered to be without equal, a mixture of ordinary people and extraordinary themes. She portrayed small-town folks, often in rural southwestern Ontario, facing situations that made the fantastic seem an everyday occurrence. Some of her characters were fleshed out so completely through generations and across continents that readers reached a level of intimacy with them that usually comes only with a full-length novel.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X: "The world has lost one of its greatest storytellers. Alice Munro was captivated with everyday life in small-town Canada. Her many, many readers are, too. She will be dearly missed."

Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 and was cited as "master of the contemporary short story" who was able "to accommodate the entire epic complexity of the novel in just a few short pages." In 1986, she won the Governor General Literary Award for her first collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, and went on to win two more Governor General awards. She also won two Giller Prizes as well as the Man Booker International Prize, whose judges called her "practically perfect," adding that "she brings as much depth, wisdom and precision to every story as most novelists bring to a lifetime of novels. To read Alice Munro is to learn something every time that you never thought of before."

"Over the years, Alice's writing would leave its mark on countless other literary greats, from Margaret Atwood to Julian Barnes. Despite the lofty honours bestowed upon her, she never stopped championing the ordinary lives of girls and women--or the undersung form of the short story, whose depths she plumbed again and again to astonishing effect."

 

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner is a fantasy/mystery/LGBTQ romance that was written like the best kind of thriller, which keeps the reader glued to the page from the first chapter to the last. I found this book on a half-priced sale at B&N, and, since I'd read the author's previous book, The Lost Apothecary, I decided to add it to my stack of Mother's Day books, purchased for me by my son Nick. I bought it without reading the back blurbs, so I had no idea if it was going to be a winner, but after whipping through the book in one afternoon, I was glad that I took a chance on it. Here's the blurb: From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.

1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. With shared determination, the women find companionship that perhaps borders on something more. And as they team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.

The prose was atmospheric and the plot vivid and expansive, right up until the final pages, when I felt the author tried to pad things out with information about Lenna and Vaudeline's relationship. Still, I'd give this beautifully gilded (and it takes place in the "gilded age"! Ha!) book a B+ and recommend it to those who like female sleuths in the era of Sherlock Holmes.

Night For Day by Roselle Lim is an odd paranormal romance (though it is being sold as science fiction/romance, which it most certainly is not) that is innovative at the start, but fast becomes somewhat confusing in the middle and redundant and muddled at the end. Here's the blurb:

Two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.

Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles. But years later, they unexpectedly reconnect in London, where they are interviewing for similar jobs. The spark they feel when they meet again is palpable—the attraction comes back like muscle memory, reminding them of what they had lost. When Ward and Camille discover they both got the job working opposing shifts, they vow to give their relationship another try.

Ward starts the day shift and finds the immortal clientele unusual and dazzling. When he clocks out at the end of the day, he finds the door locked and himself trapped in the building. After a horrific first night shift contending with restless spirits and ghosts, Camille is also unable to escape. In their respective prisons, they discover that they’re able to talk to each other a few minutes before dawn. This fleeting encounter incites longing for each other, but their promise to be together feels impossible. Because they are caught in the middle of a war of the gods—and their choices will determine the outcome.

I picked up this book because I was hoping it would be similar to one of my favorite movies of the 80s, LadyHawke, starring Rutger Hauer. LadyHawke was one of the few movies I saw in the theater twice, and I loved it's beautiful story that tugged at my heartstrings and made me cry every time. Unfortunately, this book failed to meet the high bar of LadyHawke, or any other "Lovers out of synch/time" standards, as the characters both seemed to be autistic and unable to deal with their feelings for one another, other than sexually, which is described awkwardly and frequently, as if its the only or main reason for two people to be together. Camille is very mistrustful, and Ward is cowardly and weak. I didn't like either character very much, but I did hope for them to find a way out of their respective "magically locked room in time and space," which they finally do, but at the expense of their memories. The ending of the book was overly sentimental and somewhat of a let down, as it was redundant and overwritten. For that reason, I'd give this book a C+, and only recommend it to those who like bizarre locked room mysteries.

Murder In Masquerade by Mary Winters is a witty Victorian mystery/romance that was written in sparkling prose with a swift plot that kept me turning pages into the wee hours. Here's the blurb:

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

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

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

I'm a big fan of the "woman subverting the expectations/standards of women in her time" trope, when it comes to mysteries and slow-burn romance. That this particular series involves a widow of high society who writes an "agony aunt" advice column secretly for a Fleet Street rag makes the whole thing even more attractive, at least to this retired journalist. Amelia and Simon fairly crackle with sexual tension when they're working together, yet they don't let that get in the way of solving this "Whodunit"  with alacrity. I also enjoyed the fact that Amelia is raising an orphan child as her own, and keeping up with an active social life to boot. I felt that she was similar to Veronica Speedwell in her smart and unusual lifestyle that she manages to keep under the radar, for the most part. The HEA was nice and tidy, too. I'd give this enchanting book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who likes strong female sleuths bucking the odds in a historical mystery/romance.

Quote of the Day, Tacoma Grand Opening of Grit City Books, The Hunting Wives on TV, Gerwig Directs Chronicles of Narnia, The Book Proposal by KJ Micciche, The Stand-In by Lily Chu, The Spy and I by Tiana Smith, and All The Inn's A Stage by Roseanna White

Welcome to the second week of May, and the week after Mother's Day!  My mother developed my love of reading by reading to me nearly every evening from the moment that she brought me home. I was so enchanted by the stories that she read that I was excited to learn to read myself, and I did by the time I was 4. I've been a bibliophile ever since. So thanks, Mom, for getting me started down the path of the book dragon!

 

Quotation of the Day

'Independent Bookshops Really Become Community Hubs'

"So, I work as an editor at Penguin Classics. I've been in publishing

for quite a long time. And before I worked in publishing, I worked as a

bookseller.... And as a result, I experienced firsthand the way that

independent bookshops really become community hubs.

"I have very fond memories of the many customers we used to have, who

knew that this place was a safe place for them. They knew they could

come here, they could talk to people, they could browse the books that

they'd accepted as part of this community. And I don't think I would be

anywhere near as good an editor, and by extension writer, if I hadn't

worked in bookshops for many, many years. I'm very glad I did."

--Kaliane Bradley

 

Tacoma's Grit City Books Celebrates Grand Opening 

Grit City Books https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQmPk70I6a8zJR4jGg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOXZL1poMLg-gVdw, which began as an online bookstore last fall, celebrated the grand opening

on Saturday of its new physical storefront at 3116 Sixth Ave. in Tacoma,

Wash. Co-founders Jeff Hanway, Kegan Hanway, and Kaitlin Chandler want

their store to be "a bookworm's dream--a mecca for curious minds."

"To say we are grateful is an understatement. The love we felt yesterday

was immeasurable. (I'm pretty sure we cried multiple times). We will be

back Tuesday with new releases and hopefully some fully stocked shelves!

Tacoma, we love you. We are so excited for our future."

This series sounds intriguing, so I'm looking forward to seeing it, especially since my favorite actress from This Is Us, Chrissy Metz, is starring in the show. 

 

TV: The Hunting Wives

Karen Rodriguez (Swarm), Michael Aaron Milligan (Outer Banks), and

Hunter Emery (Orange Is the New Black) have been cast in recurring roles

for the upcoming Starz series The Hunting Wives https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQmMk-gI6a80dRl1GQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOXpKgpoMLg-gVdw, Deadline reported. Rebecca Cutter adapted May Cobb's 2021 novel for the project, with production currently underway in Charlotte, N.C.

Starring Brittany Snow and Malin Kerman, the project's cast also

includes Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray

Newman, Katie Lowes, and George Ferrier. Showrunner Cutter executive

produces with Cobb and 3 Arts' Erwin Stoff.

Not that I felt that the past adaptations of CON by the wonderful CS Lewis were bad, because they weren't, but I'm excited to see what Greta Gerwig does with a classic book series that had an inherent strain of misogyny woven into it via Lewis's love of traditional Christianity. The first time I read this series I didn't even realize that it was full of Christian allegory. It took me another read-through to see that Aslan was a stand in for Jesus Christ. Even then, I much preferred the books without all the religious pandering. But, again, I think Gerwig will find a way to bypass all of that and bring a fresh and modern perspective to the stories.

 

Greta Gerwig to Direct New Adaptation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

 

Greta Gerwig — director of movies like 2023’s hit Barbie, Little Women, and Lady Bird — will direct a new film series that adapts C.S. Lewis children’s classic The Chronicles of Narnia.

This latest adaptation has a bit of stank surrounding it, though — Netflix and Gerwig are both very aware of the failures of past adaptions of the books, and are eager to avoid them. Gerwig has listed acquiring new talent for the cast as one way to keep the new adaptation feeling fresh. She’s only onboard for two out of a possible five movies, though, so only time will tell what happens to the film franchise as a whole. Filming is currently set to start in August this year, and is expected to last for seven months.

 

The Book Proposal by KJ Micciche is a rom-com novel that I got for a low price on my Kindle. I don't think I've read a book in the past couple of years that made me laugh as hard as this one did. Of course, there were sad moments, too, but the witty banter was top notch, and the prose sparkled along the zingy plot. Here's the blurb:
Broke up with, broke, and with a vicious case of writer's block, romance writer Gracie Landing is a hot mess. She can hardly be blamed for drinking one (or a few) too many cocktails when out with her besties in an attempt to cheer herself up. Sometime in the foggy wee hours, she recklessly emails her unrequited high-school crush, Colin Yarmouth, who is now a successful attorney harboring regrets of his own. When she receives an intriguingly friendly (not to say flirty) response, her acute embarrassment is overcome only by her fervent curiosity—what would a hottie like Colin be like as a grown up? The two forge an unlikely friendship that's unmistakably headed for more. Colin's tales of his own woeful break-up become fodder for Gracie's fertile imagination and her current work-in-progress takes off. With the deadline looming and her checking account dwindling, Gracie has no idea that borrowing Colin's story could wreak havoc on her life, her career, and her own chance at happily-ever-after.

This novel rang a lot of bells for me, personally, and I'd imagine that I'm not the only one, as who among us hasn't wanted to reconnect with our high school crush, even though it is most likely not going to work...people grow up, get married, start families, etc.That's why I found it hard to believe that both Gracie and Colin are in a place where they can feel free to renew their romance. I also found it difficult to believe that Gracie would forgive Colin for literally destroying her life, both professionally and personally, all because he's handsome and she's lonely. I dislike the trope of women losing all common sense and control when they encounter a handsome and available man. Colin uses Gracie for his revenge against his ex, thereby destroying her career, and somehow he thinks just saying "Oh gosh, I'm sorry" will make everything okay between them again. Gracie also loses her home, and is left doubting that she will ever be able to write and sell a book again. WHY do we let men use and abuse us, as women, and then go crawling back even when they've destroyed our lives? It's misogynistic and I'm tired of reading about women who initially have spines, suddenly losing it when romance is afoot. All that said, the first half of this book is freaking hilarious. Grace is amazing, funny and smart. She's worth the price of the book alone. I'd give it an A, and recommend it to anyone who has ever fantasized about "the one who got away" in high school.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu is a YA romantic comedy that combines the delightful attributes of Crazy Rich Asians with the classic "Prince and the Pauper" trope in a new and interesting way. Here's the blurb:

"The Stand-In is a charming, engaging rom com that drips in glamour and sparkles with banter. Chu's exploration of multi-racial identity was resonant and nuanced. The Stand-In is truly a stand out romance." — author Andie J. Christopher

Gracie Reed was just fired by her overly "handsy" boss at the worst possible moment. She's been scraping together every extra dollar to get her mother into a top-notch memory care center. To make matters worse, a paparazzo has mistaken her for a famous Chinese actress in town for a new project and the resulting snapshot's gone viral. Gracie's barely holding it all together...until a mysterious SUV rolls up beside her on the street, and she's offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

Gracie can't believe what she's hearing: due to their uncanny resemblance, gorgeous actress Wei Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam Yao, the other half of Chinese cinema's infamous golden couple. Problem is, Sam is the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie's ever met.

But if it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie's in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting her attraction to Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs to step out of the spotlight. In the end all the effort in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart.

As with many of the romantic comedy or romantasy books I've read lately, the male protagonist is heart-stoppingly gorgeous on the outside, but a real piece of crap person on the inside. I just do not understand how a smart and lovely young woman can be so shallow as to fall in love with said guy, when he treats her, and most other women in his life like garbage. He even makes a point of telling her that he's "acting" (ie pretending) to be attracted to her, and that he felt,from the start, that the whole "stand in" idea was a bad one that would cause more trouble than it was worth...and he's not wrong. But Gracie falls in love with the wealthy lifestyle about as hard as she falls for Sam, so she's shallow in two ways. That she's using her money to take care of her mother, who has alzheimers, is played down. But her mother is only demented for as long as it takes to reveal the "secret" that was evident from the first 1/3rd of the book, that Gracie and Fangli are actually half-sisters, which is why they look so much alike. There's a sloppy HEA ending, but the whole book left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, the prose was elegant and the plot muscled its way along, so I'd give this novel a B-, and recommend it to those who like the Kardashians and other "reality" TV shows about obscenely rich and stupid women misbehaving.

 

The Spy and I by Tiana Smith is an action/adventure romance that uses some tropes from romcom movies, like Mr and Mrs Smith to help readers understand what's going on in the story and how things are likely to end. Here's the blurb:

Right place. Wrong person. After a case of mistaken identity, one woman must work with her sister’s sexy spy partner to save the world in this heart-pounding romantic comedy.

The first thing to know about Dove Barkley is that, even though she works as a cyber security analyst, she is one hundred percent not an undercover CIA operative. But when a group of bad guys mistake her for her super-spy sister (news to her!), Dove gets roped into a dangerous government mission that she’d very much rather be left out of, thank you.

Too bad Mendez, the man who claims to be her sister’s partner, says she's in too deep to back out now. He’s smart, capable, and has a body almost distracting enough to make Dove forget about the team of trained assassins after her.

Dove has information that can help prevent a national tragedy, but there’s mounting evidence that Mendez might not be who he claims. More importantly, she's running out of time to save her sister. Because the last thing Dove wants is for either of them to go out with a bang.

This is another case of the 'weak' sister being mistaken for the strong sister with a secret life as a spy. It's also another one of those romances where the female protagonist goes gaga over the extremely handsome male protagonist, though he is pretty much a jerk to her for most of the novel. Of course the weak sister, aptly named "Dove" turns out to have hidden strength when she needs it, and she saves the day, gets her sister out of trouble and gets the man, (who of course prefers the traditionally feminine, blonde and weak sister to the tough sister with 10 percent body fat and a gun whom he can't push around) so all's well that ends well. It remains a mystery how a smart and sane woman can lose all common sense when they're faced with a handsome guy. So what if he's good looking! He might be anything from abusive to an insane serial killer for all you know, but I guess as long as he's beautiful to look at, all is forgiven and forgotten?! Really? I'd give this novel a B, and recommend it to those who like action movies and women who find their inner bad-ass.

 

All The Inn's a Stage by Roseanna White is a "Guideposts" book that I found at a thrift store, and I didn't realize it was a Christian mystery until I'd read the first 40 pages, and since it's such a short book, I figured I might as well finish it. Here's the blurb: Janice and her friends agree to host Heidi's traveling theater company. They didn't know how involved they would have to be though. Soon fog machines etc start to fail. A rival theater's flyers start to end up all of the place. harry gives the Inn a box of books that also contains part of a script.

The prose here is pretty "paint by numbers" and there's  way too much time spent on praying for help and waiting for Christian values to prevail (such as forgiveness and praying through misunderstandings), and less spent on finding who is causing problems for the protagonists and holding them responsible for their actions. The plot inevitably magically works out in the Innkeepers favor, and we're also supposed to be awed by her housekeeping skills, as well as cooking, cleaning and caring for a child, all things traditionally granted as a woman's purview. But there's no misogyny here, as these women are happy to be slaves to the "ideal" Christian woman who keeps house and bears children and takes care of the men in their lives. Blech...how utterly boring. It's all very cozy and easy reading, something your grandmother might enjoy. I'd give it a C, and only recommend it to women over the age of 75. 

 

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Recipe For A Charmed Life by Rachel Linden, and Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

It's mad, it's gay, the lusty month of May! (lyrics from the movie Camelot). Welcome to springtime and all the flowers, grass and tree pollen you can stand (in my case, that's very little). For those of us who love the sunshine and still-tolerable temps in the 60s, but loathe all the allergy-inducing flowers and pollen, there's always hunkering down in your cozy book nook or bed indoors and reading while the sunshine beams through your windows and doors. I've been really stressed with my home situation, so I've been reading voraciously, and thus I have 4 books to review during the first week of the month....go me!

 

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl is the second fiction novel that I've read by this marvelous author and former restaurant critic. All of her non fiction books are delicious and delightful, and because I enjoyed her fiction book about a food magazine, I was nearly certain that this novel would be a hit with me....and I was right. The prose is rich and smooth and the plot is light, airy and yet has some beautiful emotional gravitas that will have readers laughing and crying in equal measure. Here's the blurb:
Stella reached for an oyster, tipped her head, and tossed it back. It was cool and slippery, the flavor so briny it was like diving into the ocean. Oysters, she thought. Where have they been all my life?
When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.
Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure.
Her first stop: the iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces Stella to a veritable who’s who of the Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, she begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.
As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home. 

 

I drooled over nearly every page of this book, even the ones that weren't about food. Oh to be a Tumbleweed at Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare and Company, the hangout of the "Lost Generation" of famous writers and artists! To sleep in such an iconic bookstore and get to browse the shelves all day long! What a dream come true! And Stella's finding such rare and gorgeous French fashion designer dresses and suits! Amazing! And then there's the food, of course, described in loving detail by an icon of cuisine, Reichl, who never met a gourmet dish that she didn't love. This is a book to savor and enjoy for as long as possible, however, I read it over two days and found myself wanting more of this sublime world immediately. I'd give this captivating novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys French cuisine and fashion.

 

Red Rising by Pierce Brown was a book that was recommended to me at least half a dozen times from a variety of sources, such as email newsletters, websites, Facebook book groups, video blogs and podcasts. It seemed to garner rave reviews and was called "groundbreaking" more times that an earthquake. This dystopian thriller/adventure novel was, indeed, a fast read, but it certainly wasn't worth all the hype, IMO. Here's the blurb:
“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power.  He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
This book hearkens back to previous science fiction/fantasy novels that addressed social problems and sought to bring the struggles of the downtrodden, be they poor, people of color, women, or those in the LGBTQ community to light so that a revolution might be fomented. While I understand that it's important to show that societal castes (with the poor and outcaste at the bottom and the wealthy and powerful at the top) are both horrific and unsustainable, I don't think all the violence and ugly bloody scenarios are necessary to make that point. I understand that we're supposed to be amazed by Darrow and his transformation into a wealthy brute and strategic genius, due to his upbringing in the mines of the lowest social caste who live in starvation and darkness and are basically slaves. the problem is that we're supposed to empathize with his burgeoning love of being wealthy and powerful. I didn't empathize with that, as Darrow originally wanted to stay within his caste, marry his love Eo, and have a family and a small quite life. He wasn't interested in politics or revolution, but those around him forced his hand by pandering his need for revenge to pave the way for the poor people's revolution, which, by the end, I'm not sure that Darrow even wants to be party to. I felt the prose was fairly standard, though the plot was fleet of foot, and made this book a page-tuner with a disappointing ending. I'd give it a B, and only recommend it to those who like blood, gore and war in a world where most of the women are relegated to mostly traditional roles. Personally, I will not be reading the second book in the series.

 

Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden is a magic realism romance with a zingy foodie plot that fills the book with charm. I was also elated to read about being a chef on one of the Islands here in the Pacific NW, and the use of local ingredients to make magic. Here's the blurb: After a day of unrivaled disappointments, a promising young chef finds every bite of food suddenly tastes bitter. To save her career, she travels to the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her estranged mom, and discovers a family legacy she never suspected in this delicious novel from the bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie.
American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal—to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply...vanished.

When she receives a surprising invitation from her estranged mother, Georgia flees to a small island near Seattle hoping the visit will help her regain her spark in the kitchen. As she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes, Georgia realizes there is something about the enigmatic island she just cannot piece together. Good luck charms start appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonistic (and annoyingly handsome) oyster farmer. And her mom keeps hinting at a mysterious family legacy. With the clock ticking and time running out to win her dream job in Paris, Georgia begins to unravel some astonishing secrets that make her wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look—and taste—very different than she ever imagined. 

 

Though it's used so often in romance and hybrid romantic fiction novels now that its become a trope, I was moved by Georgia's need to reconnect with her mother, who was a drug/alcohol addict when she was a child, (and gave her up because she wasn't able to raise her), and is now battling late-stage cancer. Georgia proves to be the better person by forgiving her mother for being a terrible parent (and forgiving her father for lying about her mother and not allowing the two to communicate long distance), and realizing that she only has a limited time to bond with her mother before she passes, and therefore she opens her heart to not just her mother, but also to the handsome NW fisherman who is, of course, an incognito tech millionare (because you can't expect a gal to fall for a guy with no money who fishes for a living, right?!) and all-around good guy. Though it's not as good as Sarah Addison Allen's books, it shares some DNA with them. I'd give this easy-reading, sweet novel an A-, and recommend it to anyone who loves stories of food and family and forgiveness.

 

Scavenge The Stars by Tara Sim is a YA fantasy retelling of the Count of Monte Christo, with a female protagonist and some very dystopian world-building. Once I picked up this novel, I couldn't put it down, though it was generally too dark a story for my tastes. Here's the blurb:

From rising-star author Tara Sim comes an epic new YA fantasy duology—a gender-swapped The Count of Monte Cristo retelling.
When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she's been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide. Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she's plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one?
There's a lot of abuse and murder of children in this book, so if you don't have a strong constitution, I would recommend that you take a pass on this one. Though I followed Amaya/Silverfish's rise from slave to vengeful assassin with interest, I found that the sturdy prose and twisty plot began to peter out toward the end. I expect that the weak ending has more to do with the second book that they want you to buy and read than it does with Sim's story arc. I'd give it a B-, and recommend it to those who like tales of revenge and romance.