Vroman's Bookstore Sells Building, Oprah's Pick is A Guardian and a Thief, Reminders of Him Movie, The Enchanted Bookshop Opens in Snohomish, The Frizgerald's of St Paul on Stage,Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie,Overdue by Stephanie Perkins, The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey, and The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley

It's almost November, and while the weather is chilling, I'm enjoying the latest Autumn books and some hot tea on the regular, while I cozy up under a warm blanket. This is my last post of October, so enjoy my latest reviews and these few tidbits, gleaned from the booksellers emails and from other internet sources.

 

I'm sorry to hear that Vroman's, which is a legendary bookstore in California, has had to sell their building and store. Hopefully the new owners will keep this haven for readers open for a long time to come.

 

Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif., Sells Its Building

Vroman's Bookstore has sold its building for $15.5 million to GD Realty Group, an owner and operator of office and retail properties in Southern California, the Los Angeles Times reported, adding that the deal for the 55,854-square-foot site was brokered by Kidder Mathews "amid uncertainty for the future of the business."

Vroman's owner Joel Sheldon put the store up for sale in January 2024, and

closed his Hastings Ranch location in May of that year. When he announced that the 130-year-old Pasadena store was for sale, Sheldon said that as he was approaching his 80th birthday, "it was time to begin the process of retiring and finding new ownership outside the Sheldon family. Vroman's deserves new ownership with the vision, energy, and commitment necessary to take it successfully into the future.... This was not an easy decision for me, but it is in best interest of Vroman's, our employees, our customers, my family, and our community."

The bookstore is expected to remain open, the Times noted.

This sounds like a fascinating novel, one that I will be on the look out for...hopefully I can find a used copy that is affordable.

 

Oprah's Book Club Pick: A Guardian and a Thief

Oprah Winfrey chose Megha Majumdar's National Book Award fiction

finalist A Guardian and a Thief as the October Oprah's Book Club Pick,

Oprah Daily reported, noting: "Megha Majumdar is one of those

exquisitely skilled authors that takes us into the story of characters

and cultural conflicts and leaves us spellbound until the last word and

beyond."

"My heart is beating so fast," Majumdar told Oprah over the phone when

she got the surprise call. "Right now, every word feels too modest and

too rigid, and too inflexible to capture this expansion that you've just

brought into my day and into my life."

This also sounds interesting, as I've watched the other films based on Hoover's novels. I'm a big fan of Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls, so I hope that she plays a prominent role in the movie.

 

Movies: Reminders of Him

Universal released the trailer for Reminders of Him,

based on the bestselling book by Colleen Hoover. Deadline reported that

the film, which hits theaters March 13, 2026, will be the third to adapt

one of Hoover's novels, following It Ends with Us and Regretting You.

The film's cast includes Maika Monroe, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham,

Bradley Whitford, Tyriq Withers, Lainey Wilson, Jennifer Robertson, Zoe

Kosovic, Hilary Jardine, Nicholas Duvernay, and Monika Myers.

Leading an all-female filmmaking team, Vanessa Caswill (Love at First

Sight, Little Women miniseries) directs from a screenplay by Hoover and

Lauren Levine. The film is produced by Hoover, Lauren Levine, and Gina

Matthews; Robin Mulcahy Fisichella executive produces.

There can never be too many bookstores, especially ones that focus on young people, the next generation of readers waiting to be inspired by the printed word.I'm hoping that my son can take me to this new store so I can get a look around and see if they have a solid YA selection.

 

The Enchanted Forest Bookshop Opens in Snohomish, Wash.

The Enchanted Forest Bookshop will host a grand opening celebration

for its new store on October 25, at 2809 Bickford Ave, Suite C,

in the Snohomish Station shopping center, Snohomish, Wash. The

festivities will include a special promotion, giveaways, activities, and

a drawing.

Launched in 2024 as a small online/pop-up bookshop, the Enchanted Forest

sells new children's books geared toward ages 12 and under, along with a

curated selection of puzzles, games, and other gift items. The store

"aims to be a bookish community space for young people that sparks joy

and discovery, complete with a campfire-themed storytime area and

custom-designed mural by local illustrator and author Katherine

Castano." The shop also holds storytimes every other Thursday and has

plans to host author events.

Owner Erin Jergenson said they are "thrilled to now have a permanent

home that allows us to offer far more books and events for the young

people in our community. As a mom of an elementary school age child, I

think it's so important for children to have as much access as possible

to books that will foster their love of reading, and we hope to be part

of the community fabric that enables that access and supports readers

and soon-to-be readers on their journey."

I've been a fan of F Scott Fitzgerald's since reading A Diamond As Big as the Ritz, and Tender is the Night. Though everyone focuses on his famed Great Gatsby, I feel that the breadth of his work is much more indicative of his talent as a wordsmith. I would LOVE to see this musical on stage off-broadway, especially if it comes to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN.

 

On Stage: The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul

A "first listen" recording has been released of Julie Benko singing

"I'll Be Here," a song from the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald biomusical, The

Fitzgeralds of St. Paul. Playbill reported that the production, which features a book, music, and lyrics by Christie Baugher, "centers on the marriage of the Great Gatsby author and his wife, Zelda, as they struggle with addiction, mental illness, and jealousy. The musical is a two-actor chamber work."

"I'm so excited to share Julie Benko's gorgeous rendition of 'I'll Be

Here' with the world," said Baugher. "This song--one of the very first I

wrote for The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul--is both the opening and closing

number and is such a perfect introduction to the sonic and emotional

world of the show. My hope is that audiences lose themselves in the

lush, delicate contours of memory as Zelda does in the show, and that

the brilliant 12-piece orchestrations and Julie's beautiful and

heartbreaking performance transport listeners to a place that leaves

them wanting more."

Playbill added that Brainstorm Live Entertainment will hold an industry

presentation of the work in spring 2026, with hopes to give the show an

Off-Broadway premiere in the fall.

 

Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie is a "dark" academia fantasy with romance woven throughout. Dark Academia, in this case, means a lot of misogyny and torture porn, unfortunately, which, because I'm not a fan of the horror genre, leaves me cold, longing for characters who don't fall into tired tropes. Here's the blurb: Six students compete to change their fate at a darkly enchanted boarding school in purgatory where graduation is the only escape—and love can cross the boundaries between life and death.

This stunning hardcover edition will feature gorgeous, flower-patterned sprayed edges, colored endpapers, and an exclusive foil-stamped case!

Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located on the fringes of the afterlife. Once a pupil enters the academy’s arched gates, there is no way out…except the Decennial, a cut-throat magical competition with only one victor.

This year, six of the Academy’s top students have been chosen to face the Decennial’s tests. Two academic archrivals, whose strange connection blurs the lines between obsession and hate. One girl driven solely by ambition, and another plagued by memories of the love she lost. And a charming playboy who never cared for anyone—until he met the academy’s newest student. But what none of them know? They aren’t the only ones playing Blackwood’s game.

Who will win, and who will fall? Only one thing is for certain: in this game, some fates are worse than death. 

Though the book is beautifully created, with flowery edges and foiled front illustration, the insides are unsatisfying. The female characters are all trying to be "good" and compassionate, which means that they end up being tricked and manipulated by the "evil" characters, including one of the female students who is evil because she is ambitious and vying for power with the male characters, which is always seen as a sin for women, but an obligation for men. This "Hunger Games" style plot is unsurprising and predictable, as is the pedestrian prose. It seems to me that they gussied up a bland story in order to sell it to women who like pretty books for their bookshelves. I wouldn't waste money on this book, just for the sake of its beautiful cover. I'd give it a C, and only recommend it to those who like horror/romance YA fiction.

 

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is a contemporary romance novel with fluffy, overblown prose and a measured plot, all inside a pretty cover and sprayed hot pink edges. Here's the blurb: 

A  stunning deluxe edition features beautiful lush pink edges, custom endpapers and a unique foiled case stamp. Perfect for any bookshelf!
Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship―and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.

 This romance between two strange and introverted book lovers is somewhat of a cliche, in that its assumed that shy or autistic readers are the only kind of people who either haunt or own bookstores and libraries. No one seems to believe that extroverts can be bibliophiles who also struggle to find their place in life. Only the painfully shy, but of course, pretty and/or handsome male or female protagonists are taking their time to find love, and often settling for a jerk who abuses them. And heaven forbid these characters have the backbone to actually talk about their feelings with the character that they're pining for. Of course not, the yearning goes on in secret for years, until something happens, in this instance an engagement by the sibling of the female protagonist, for the main character to agree to a "hall pass" month with her long-term boyfriend, (of 9 years!) whom she's been with since she was a teenager, for them to see if they can date and bed others and find out if they're missing anything before committing to marriage. When it becomes apparent that they need more than a month, and the "experiment" goes on for two more months, it becomes obvious to readers that Cory and Ingrid were not really "meant" for each other, and that Macon, who has been pining for Ingrid for years, is her true soul mate (he should have had the stones to tell her how he feels about her, but he waits for her to make the first move, which makes him a wimpy coward, IMO). Anyway, I'd give this obvious romance between timid introverts a B-, and recommend it only for those who are wallflower wimps when it comes to romance.

 

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is a whimsical romantasy that is cozy and filled with delicious prose and a lovely second chances plot. This is the perfect fall novel that I couldn't put down! Here's the blurb: Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a faraway island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and hidden away.

This should have been the end of her story… but one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To Terlu’s surprise, he offers her a warm refuge―until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu doesn’t want to leave, and as she grows closer with the unwittingly charming gardener, Yarrow, she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing. Terlu knows she must help, even if that means breaking the law again. This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by Yarrow and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer to save the island―and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances―to others and to yourself. 

 

A gorgeous feast of a tale, this story will engage readers from the first paragraph onward. The food descriptions will have you drooling, the slow burn romance is scintillating, and the magic talking plants and flying winged cat help keep the narrative fascinating and fun. It also left me longing for a lonely island with a grumpy gardener who cooks great vegan food, is handsome and most of all, kind. Terlu and Yarrow are quite a match, and their delightful romance and love of all the plants and animals in their care is delightful. Cozy fantasy is the opposite of "dark" fantasy, which usually includes a lot of death and destruction and gore, while the cozy fantasy focuses on character growth and kindness and love, all of which are in short supply these days. If I wanted to cry and have nightmares about horrific things, all I would have to do is watch the TV news or read a newspaper, most of which are full of false propaganda these days, instead of real news about the people in this country struggling to get by in this oligarchy, run by the fascist in the White House. I'd give this hopeful novel an A, and recommend it to those who tire of pain and suffering in their romantic fantasy.

 

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is a saucy/spicy rom-com that's fluffy but still engaging and relatable. The prose is smart and the plot is airy and light. It's an easy beach read, or a fine distraction for waiting in line or sitting at the doctor's office. Here's the blurb: From Tessa Bailey comes a spicy small town rom-com about a grumpy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn.

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly.

One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past.

Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grayscale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

The male protagonist spends way too much time obsessing over the female protagonist's (who has all the hallmarks of a manic pixie dream girl) breasts, which, along with her child-like virginal vagina, are apparently the ultimate turn on for an adult male, who can't stop himself from getting an erection when her body is anywhere in the same vicinity. Though this has creepy pedophile vibes, we're supposed to believe that Hallie, who, like a child, is a disorganized, clumsy , perpetually late mess, yearns for Julian's OCD-level of scheduling and bringing order and control to every single minute of his life. Of course he needs Hallie the manic pixie to loosen him up with lots of orgasmic sex and wine, just like she needs him to control her life into a semblance of adulthood. (insert eye roll here). There's plenty of wine snobbery in this book, along with the inevitable disapproving parent (mother, in this case) to blame for their mental problems, but in the end both young people realize that their parents need them to take over the business with their young idealistic minds and muscles not atrophied by age and rigid mindsets. So if you don't mind the misogyny or ageism, this is the book for you. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone who likes their romances in the same line as romances have been for the past 50 years.

 

The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley is a historical romantic mystery fiction that has elements of Downton Abbey and Rebecca, while also providing readers with insights into the later years of WWII. It reminded me of All the Light We Cannot See. Here's the blurb: An aristocratic French family, a legendary château, and buried secrets with the power to destroy two generations torn between duty and desire.

La Côte d’Azur, 1998: In the sun-dappled south of France, Emilie de la Martinières, the last of her gilded line, inherits her childhood home, a magnificent château and vineyard. With the property comes a mountain of debt—and almost as many questions.

Paris, 1944: A bright, young British office clerk, Constance Carruthers, is sent undercover to Paris to be part of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive during the climax of the Nazi occupation. Separated from her contacts in the Resistance, she soon stumbles into the heart of a prominent family who regularly entertain elite members of the German military even as they plot to liberate France. But in a city rife with collaborators and rebels, Constance’s most difficult decision may be determining whom to trust with her heart.

As Emilie discovers what really happened to her family during the war and finds a connection to Constance much closer than she suspects, the château itself may provide the clues that unlock the mysteries of her past, present, and future. Here is a dazzling novel of intrigue and passion from one of the world’s most beloved storytellers.

 

 While I loved the insights into the French resistance during the second world war, I found the mystery of whose child was actually whose, and all the family tree intrigue rather boring and overly detailed, which slowed down the plot considerably. The prose, though stalwart, was overwritten and needed a good editor to scrap the puffy paragraphs. The beautiful chateaus and the horrendous cost of renovating and upkeep in these mansions was a bit overstated, but still interesting, as most of us will never get the chance to even tour such fine properties, let alone own one. I felt that Emilie was way too naive and blinded by the first man who gives her attention, when most would find it obvious that he was out for her money as a grifter. I also found his brother Alex's protection of him, when he knows that he's a narcissistic grifter and abuser, to be a bit much. Still, this was an engaging story that deserves a B, and a recommendation to all those interested in historic war-time romances.

 

The Countess of Monte Cristo Comes to TV, Obit for Susan Griffin, In Love Movie, Quote of the Day, Last Night was Fun by Holly Michelle, The Long Way Home by Robin Pilcher, Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher, Silvercloak by L.K. Steven, and The Fallen and The Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent

It's almost All Hallows Eve/Halloween/Samhain, folks, and that means November is on the horizon! All the final books of the year are being pushed by booksellers, and my husbands and sons birthdays are up next month, followed by my 65th on December 12, which I am really looking forward to. Unfortunately, I also have an endoscopy/colonoscopy scheduled for a few days after my birthday, so I will have to really enjoy myself before doing the dreaded flush-out/prep needed before those tests. Meanwhile, I'm reading up a storm under cozy covers and while drinking hot tea and taking delicious afternoon naps. Here are reviews of some of my latest reads, along with tidbits culled from Shelf Awareness.

 

I've always been a fan of Dumas' the Count of Monte Cristo, because I like to believe in the revenge aspect as a sort of karma for those who wrong others and think they can get away with it. This sounds like a great new take on this classic tale.

 

TV: The Countess of Monte Cristo

The Countess of Monte Cristo, a reimagining of the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, has begun filming an eight-part mini-series for TF1 & Netflix. Starring and produced by Audrey Fleurot (HPI), the project's cast that also includes Simon Ehrlacher, Zabou Breitman, Kad Merad, Thierry Godard, & Eric Elmosnino, and Olivia Crote, Deadline reported.

The series is being directed by Djibril Glissant and Leonardo D'Antoni,

with shooting taking place in Malta and the Czech Republic. Fleurot is

co-producing under Bahia Blanca, the production company she founded with

her partner Glissant, alongside Itinraire Productions, the

production house behind HPI.

"This is what will allow me to turn the page on HPI without grieving too

much, because I'm opening another one where I'm also a producer," said

Fleurot. "I've really followed the project from A to Z, I'm very

involved, it's really my baby. I'm excited and it scares me too. But at

least if it's not good, I'll only have myself to blame."

I read Susan G's works on rape, pornography and gender politics, and the misogyny rampant throughout society/culture. She was brilliant and angry and she will be missed. RIP.

 

Obituary Note: Susan Griffin

Susan Griffin, an influential poet, playwright, and prolific feminist author "who pioneered a unique form of creative nonfiction, blending propulsive,

poetic prose with history, memoir and myth in books like Woman and

Nature: The Roaring Inside Her," died September 30, the New York Times

reported. She was 82. Griffin focused on the effects of a patriarchal

Western belief system, exploring "how capitalism, science, religion and

even the porn industry have subjugated the natural world to its

detriment and ours, and how that subjugation is a gendered one."

She was one of the first poets published by Shameless Hussy Press. In

1975, Griffin won an Emmy Award for Voices, a play about the experiences

of five women that was shown on public television and later staged

around the world.

Griffin's book Woman and Nature (1978), however, "made her a feminist

rock star," the Times wrote, adding that it focused on "the violence

that men have perpetrated on the natural world, and on women, and how it

would benefit the planet to rethink the more dangerous advances of

modernity and technology."

She dedicated the book to her friend, the poet Adrienne Rich, who called

it "perhaps the most extraordinary nonfiction work to have emerged from

the matrix of contemporary female consciousness, a fusion of patriarchal

science, ecology, female history and feminism, written by a poet who has

created a new form for her vision."

Rebecca Solnit, the feminist author and activist, called Griffin "one of

the senior public intellectuals of Berkeley.... I can't think of anyone

else who brought that kind of poetics and visionary quality to writing

about intensely political subjects."

Her other books include Rape: The Politics of Consciousness (1979),

Pornography and Silence: Culture's Revenge Against Nature (1981),

Unremembered Country: Poems (1987), A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War (1993), The Eros of Everyday Life: Essays on Ecology, Gender and Society (1995), Bending Home: Selected New Poems, 1967-1998 (1998), What Her Body Thought: A Journey into the Shadows (1999), The Book of the Courtesans: a Catalogue of Their Virtues (2001), and Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen (2008).

Poetry is "like music," Griffin told the Times in 2024. "It expresses

things you haven't quite integrated into your rational mind. It's the

cutting edge of social change. Things would come out in poetry that

later could be articulated in policy or ideas."

This sounds amazing, and I look forward to streaming it when it lands on whichever service gets it first.

 

Movies: In Love

George Clooney and Annette Bening are set to star in a film adaptation

of Amy Bloom's memoir, In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss.

The project will be directed by Paul Weitz, who co-wrote the script with

Bloom, Deadline reported, calling In Love "an illuminating, modern love

story about two people who make an impossible decision together that

honors their enduring commitment to each other."

"Amy's memoir is a contemporary fable of love, wit and existential

stakes," Weitz said. "I can't wait to do it justice with this amazing

cast." "I have been so lucky to work with Eddie and Julie, so lucky to write

with Paul and so grateful that this story of lasting love gets to be

told on the screen, in Paul's gifted hands, by two of the greatest

actors in America," Bloom said.

YES! The First Amendment has taken a beating in recent years due to the fascist pumpkin POTUS in the white house, but fortunately there are a number of people and companies willing to fight back, though its hard to do in this day and age where propaganda is substituted for the truth.

 

Quotation of the Day

Penguin Random House on Trump Suit: 'We Continue to Stand for the First Amendment'

"With a second attempt, this lawsuit remains meritless. Penguin Random

House will continue to stand by the book and its authors just as we will

continue to stand for the important fundamental principles of the First

Amendment."--Penguin Random House's response to President Trump's refiled $15 billion defamation lawsuit against PRH, the New York Times, and three New York Times reporters--originally filed in September and

thrown out by a judge

 

Last Night Was Fun by Holly Michelle is a contemporary rom-com that was fun to read and had strong prose with a zippy plot that never stalled going for it. Here's the blurb: 

You’ve Got Mail meets The Hating Game!Vying for a promotion against a bitter rival as the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy finds solace in the text-flirting relationship that started as a wrong number exchange—unaware that the man she’s texting is the one she’s fighting for the promotion.

Emmy Jameson lives by three rules: no dating, no sharing personal news at work, and baseball above everything. As the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy is constantly trying to prove herself.

Especially when she’s put up for a senior analyst position against her arrogant, infuriating coworker Gabe Olson. Sure, he’s gorgeous and smart and he was a baseball star in college who knows the sport inside and out, but so does Emmy. She is not going to lose to him again. There will be no distractions this summer. Not even her sister’s pending destination wedding in Mexico for which she needs to find a plus one.

But then she receives a text from an unknown number with a simple message: “Last night was fun.” When she strikes up a conversation with the mystery texter, they realize that he was given a fake phone number after a bad date that just so happened to be Emmy’s. Despite her rules, Emmy can’t deny the instant connection she feels and soon finds herself falling for the stranger on the other side of the screen…and inviting him to her sister’s wedding.

Emmy’s world turns upside down when her mystery man turns out to be none other than Gabe Olson. They are left having to travel to the wedding together while trying to sort out which version of their relationship is real: their in-person rivalry or the deep connection they found in their messages.

This frothy and fun sports & sand rom-com really delivers the perfect beach read with just the right amount of spice. I loved that it focused on women succeeding in male-dominated career fields, and I enjoyed the witty banter of their texting. I would give this cheap ebook a B+, and recommend it to anyone on vacation looking for something distracting during those long plane rides.

 

The Long Way Home by Robin Pilcher was yet another ebook contemporary romance, written by famed author Rosamund Pilcher's son, Robin. Unfortunately, Robin didn't inherit the family writing talent, and this cliche-ridden novel was full of typos and grammos that detract from the story in a big way. Here's the blurb: In the vein of Maeve Binchy, Rosamunde Pilcher, and Nicholas Sparks, New York Times bestselling author Robin Pilcher returns with his most enchanting novel yet, filled with captivating twists and turns of heart.

Claire Barclay has returned to the home in Scotland where she spent her teenage years, affording her the chance to spend time with her much-loved stepfather, Leo, her only living parent. But recognizing that Leo's health is jeopardized, Claire extends her stay, becoming more and more frustrated as his own grown children seem more concerned about preserving their financial assets than their father's health.

Meanwhile, Claire is desperately trying to avoid Jonas, the old flame who broke her heart many years ago. In the intervening years, he has become Leo's neighbor and trusted confidant. Soon he's asking Claire to trust him again, on a matter which will profoundly affect Leo. Can she forget the past and put her faith in someone who once hurt her so deeply?

This enchanting story From New York Times bestselling author Robin Pilcher takes us into the heart of a family, reminding us that sometimes the only way forward is by revisiting the past. 

 

This story was just plain odd, and hard to read because there were so many typos and words missing that it felt like it was written by AI or someone for whom English is a second language, and poorly translated. The plot was weird and difficult to understand, while the characters were all stupid and two-dimensional. I wonder why Robin felt the need to go into the family business when its obvious he has very little writing talent? At any rate, I'm glad this ebook was on sale for under 2 dollars, because it wasn't really worth more than that. I'd give it a C, and only recommend it to those who like color by numbers romances with weak characters and holey plots.

 

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher is a dark retelling of the Snow White fairy tale, complete with strange magic and one cool cat. Here's the blurb: This is a gorgeous hardcover edition of T Kingfisher's latest masterwork featuring bright green sprayed edges, a foil stamp on the casing, and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save―seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick. Or it might be the thing that kills them all. 

 

Creepy mirror-worlds and the silver apples that grow there, plus a Sherlock-style poison specialist take center stage in this fascinating fairytale reboot. The divine prose that we've all come to expect from Kingfisher dovetails with a twisty and strange plot to make this book almost impossible to put down. I was engrossed from page one, as I have been with every other novel of hers that I've read. I had no idea that she was also a quality artist, but the illustrations in this book are also top notch. Though I'm in no way a botanist, I found myself riveted by the various uses of plants and herbs brought to bear in this novel, and the cruel family dynamics that seem to be "normal" for young royal women of a certain era. I'd give this secretly obsessive novel an A, and recommend it to anyone interested in a fresh take on the Snow White legend...trust me when I say you'll never look at a mirror the same way again.

 

Silvercloak by L.K. Steven is an action/adventure dark romantasy that posits the idea that pain is sexy and love is a liability, which I completely disagree with. Here's the blurb: An addictive new fantasy series where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain and an obsessive detective must infiltrate a brutal gang of dark mages—knowing that one wrong move will get her killed. 

Two decades ago, the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffron Killoran’s parents, destroying her idyllic childhood. Hell-bent on revenge, she lies her way into Silvercloak Academy—the training ground for her city’s elite order of detectives—with a single goal: to bring the Bloodmoons to justice.

But when Saff’s deception is exposed, rather than being cast out, she’s given a rare opportunity: to go undercover and tear the Bloodmoons down from the inside.

Descending into a world where pleasure and pain are the most powerful currencies, Saff must commit some truly heinous deeds to keep her cover—and her life. Not only are there rival gangs and sinister smuggling rings to contend with, but there’s also her growing feelings for the kingpin’s tortured son, with his vicious pet fallowwolf, his dark past, and the curious prophecy foretelling his death at Saffron’s hand.

With each day testing her loyalties further, Saff finds her web of lies becoming harder to spin. And when one false step could destroy everything and everyone she’s ever loved . . . the detective who’s dedicated her life to vengeance just might die for it.
This depressing torture porn with romantasy interwoven in a sick way tries to get readers to believe that drug addiction is a viable way to deal with grief...I feel strongly that it's not. But apparently therapy is not an option for those in this book. The prose was repetitive and the plot dour and pain-filled, so that it was horrific and dull at the same time. I was hoping for the female protagonist to triumph, but she she falls into a helpless love-thrall with the evil male protagonist who hasn't got any redeeming qualities except his good looks, which apparently rule over all other reg flags. How utterly shallow and ridiculous. I felt that this sad novel deserved a C+ at best, and unless you're a masochist who enjoys reading about pain and suffering, I can't really recommend it to you. Needless to say I will not be seeking the sequel.

 

The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent is a dark fantasy/horror novel that has 63 pages up front of pure torture porn, complete with prose that is dry and excruciating and a plot that grinds to a standstill and never recovers, but limps along for all the pages that you can tolerate reading (it depends on how inured you are to horror fiction...I'm not a fan of the horror genre, myself). The next 100 pages pick up a bit, and around then a quest for magical "god" items gets underway in fits and starts. Here's the blurb: 

Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk.

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the impossible: ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

All the melodramatic suffering and woe is like reading a tedious psychopath's handbook, if you don't mind being bored by reading the same bloody paragraphs over and over. The gods/goddesses in the book are all evil narcissists who are so hateful to humans that its difficult to imagine humans worshiping them. Try as I might, I couldn't make it beyond 180 pages of this dreadful work of fiction. Therefore I'd give this half of this awful novel a D, and I can't think of anyone to recommend it to, its that awful.

 

 

Dame Jilly Cooper's Obituary, Pynchon at Elliott Bay Book Company, Tommy Orange Wins MacArthur Genuis Fellowship, Powell's on Book Bans, The Hearth Witch's Guide to Magic and Murder by Kiri Callaghan, Vianne by Joanne Harris, Every Spiral of Fate by Tahereh Mafi,and Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Welcome and greetings, my fellow book dragons! It's already the second week of October, and it is finally getting colder outside, and the muggy air is becoming crisp. This is welcome news for those of us who aren't fond of heat and humidity. I've been really enjoying some new books, and I'm hoping that I will somehow be able to get more soon. I will say that the closer I get to my 65th birthday in December, the more I am inundated with scams trying to get money from someone who has none, (I've been denied social security and SS disability 5 times). Seriously, for those of us living on one social security check, (my husbands, which he hoards for alcohol and take out for himself), there's barely enough to keep a roof over our head and food on the table. Yet for some reason predators come after seniors constantly, for the mere crumbs that they get from the government. It makes no sense...its like a schoolyard bully stealing a kindergartener's lunch, or the few dollars that they have for a hot lunch. Why take something of so little value? How does it help these scammers/bullies? Anyway, enjoy the reviews and tidbits.

 

I remember reading Cooper's "Girl names" books back when I was a teenager...they seemed so exotic to an Iowan who hadn't been out of Iowa but once (to Colorado on vacation), and who certainly had no connections to the English horsey set. The raunchy part of the tales would be considered tame these days. At the time, they were mind-blowing for a teenager from the Midwest. RIP Ms Cooper.

 

Obituary Note: Jilly Cooper

Dame Jilly Cooper, "who captured millions of readers with her raunchy tales set amid horse-loving high society," died October 5, the Guardian reported. She was 88. Cooper was best known for the Rutshire Chronicles, which include Riders, Rivals, and most recently, Tackle!. Rivals was adapted as a TV series for Disney+.

Cooper's novels "defined culture, writing, and conversation since she

was first published over 50 years ago," said her agent, Felicity Blunt.

"You wouldn't expect books categorized as blockbusters to have so

emphatically stood the test of time but Jilly wrote with acuity and

insight about all things--class, sex, marriage, rivalry, grief and

fertility."

Bill Scott-Kerr, her publisher at Transworld, observed: "Working with

Jilly Cooper over the past 30 years has been one of the great privileges

and joys of my publishing life.... Jilly may have worn her influence

lightly but she was a true trailblazer. As a journalist she went where

others feared to tread and as a novelist she did likewise. With a

winning combination of glorious storytelling, wicked social commentary

and deft, lacerating characterization, she dissected the behavior, bad

mostly, of the English upper middle classes with the sharpest of

scalpels."

He added that Transworld "has been blessed to be her publishers for 50

years since we published Emily in 1975--her work spanned 18 novels and

short fiction as well as over 20 books of nonfiction which were not only

a window into her own life, but also acute observations on the essence

of a certain type of Englishness. The Common Years, in particular, was a

particular reader favorite."

Cooper began her writing career in journalism as a cub reporter on the

Middlesex Independent in 1956, before moving into PR. In 1961, she

married publisher Leo Cooper and during the late 1960s, she began

writing columns for the Sunday Times before moving to the Mail on Sunday

in 1982. Her first book, the nonfiction title How to Stay Married, was

published in 1969 and her debut novel, Emily, was released in 1975, "the

first of a series of romances based on magazine stories she had

published. Bella, Imogen, Prudence, Harriet, and Octavia would follow,

plus a collection of short stories, Lisa & Co, in 1981," the Guardian

noted.

Riders, the first of 11 Rutshire Chronicles books, appeared in 1985,

followed by Rivals in 1988. She also wrote several books for children

about a mongrel, Mabel, and many nonfiction titles, including Class,

about the English class system. Cooper was honored with a damehood in

the 2024 new year honors list for her services to literature and

charity. Jenny Colgan noted that "it is nice to hope she got her wish, that:

'When you arrive in heaven, all your dogs come rushing across a green

lawn to meet you.' "

I LOVE the fact that Seattle is such a literate city, and that so many people will line up to get a book at Midnight. This happened often with the Harry Potter series, but I'm glad to see that adults lined up for the famed T Pynchon.

 

Plenty of Pynchon

On Monday night, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Wash., hosted a midnight release party for Thomas Pynchon's Shadow Ticket (Penguin Press). The evening included themed music, drinks and snacks, trivia, and "plenty of Pynchon" (though, as the store noted: "Thomas Pynchon will not be present."). As soon as the clock struck midnight, the store handed out copies to the eager readers.

I read the famed "There, There" and though I didn't really see the lure, I think it's awesome that Orange won a Genius Grant. Good on ya, TO!

 

Tommy Orange Wins MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship 

Tommy Orange, author of There There (2018) and Wandering Stars (2024), has been named one of 22 recipients of this year's MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants. Each MacArthur Fellow receives a no-strings-attached, $800,000 award.

The foundation lauded Orange as "a fiction writer capturing a diverse

range of Native American experiences and lives in novels that traverse

time, space, and narrative perspectives. Orange's novels center his

characters' interior lives: their emotions, ideas, and realizations in

moments of joy and pain. Through expansive casts of interconnected

characters, he shows the many ways historical trauma and dislocation can

rupture the fabric of everyday life....

"In both of Orange's novels, hope is subtle yet persistent. It is buried

under the weight of history in his characters' search for connection,

meaning, and a way forward. Through sweeping storytelling married to an

intimate focus on interiority, Orange illuminates the richness and depth

of contemporary Native American life."

I love Powells...they're the mecca for booklovers and their words here resonate. 

Powells On Book Bans

"Book bans aren't about the books. They're about the ideas inside--and

the power stories have to expand minds, spark questions, and encourage

critical thinking. At Powell's, we've supported and celebrated

independent thinking since our inception, which means continuing to

stock and sell books others have labeled "offensive" or "inappropriate."

We will always fight for your right to read anything you want."--Powell's Books, Portland, Ore.

The Hearth Witch's Guide to Magic and Murder by Kiri Callaghan is an LGBTQ cozy romantasy that is rendered in a beautiful edition with pink edges and incredible illustrations and cover art. Here's the blurb: 

"For all intents and purposes, we are still blissfully separated from the mortals, but there have been…complications."

When a rise in London's supernatural crime puts Fey society at risk of discovery, the Winter Council turns to an unlikely solution: Avery Hemlock, the changeling they sentenced to 500 Years of Nightmares. Inherently lacking social grace and missing approximately two centuries of world knowledge, Avery must find a way to acclimate and solve the case or lose her probationary freedom.

After being left at the altar and dropping out of medical school, Saga Trygg attempts to rekindle her faith in life, humanity, and witchcraft. But when her new neighbor, Avery, accidentally reveals the Fey that have been living among humanity all along, Saga realizes magic is far more than prayers, intention, and candles.

Each faced with navigating an unfamiliar world, the two form an unexpected partnership—but shortly into Avery's investigation, they discover the threat might be closer to Saga than either of them imagined, and Avery will do anything to protect the first friend she's had in more than two hundred years.

 

What I loved in this utterly delicious romantasy/mystery was the Sherlock Holmes-style pairing of the two main female characters, who are both outcasts and both trying to navigate a world that often doesn't make sense to them. The prose sparkled and the plot was detailed but not stuffy or slow, in fact it skipped along like a child with boundless energy. I loved the glimpse into the magical realm, and how the author showed that not all magical beings are fun, whimsical or nice...there was a kind of 'realism' at the base of the magical system in the book that made it seem more likely, with dangerous and dull creatures bent on chaos. It was also fascinating how, when the magical fae world mixed with humans and created changelings that are neither fish nor fowl, that these halflings are discriminated against, just as they would be in today's society. Those who are different are rarely welcomed with open arms. Avery (A Sherlock substitute) and Saga (A Dr Watson-style sidekick) moved through the story with grace and growth, which kept the plot riveting. An engrossing tale that deserves an A, and a recommendation to anyone who enjoys diverse stories and cozy mysteries. I definitely want more!

 

Vianne by Joanne Harris is that rare treasured gift, a book wherein the author returns to her renowned bestseller and outlines how it all began. So this prequel is romantic "women's" fiction, but realistically, anyone who read "Chocolat" (and it can't have been just women for it to be such a bestseller) will love learning Vianne's back story. Here's the blurb: Million-copy bestselling author Joanne Harris returns to the world of Chocolat with the long-awaited story of Vianne, which begins six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet.

Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic.

On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother’s ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille.

For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again.

As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, making local recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets. And yet her gift comes at a price. And Vianne has a secret of her own; a secret that threatens everything.

 

Joanne Harris's books are a j0y that will enchant and transform the reader. The delicious descriptions and gorgeous prose envelopes the reader from the first page, and the sumptuous plot casts a spell that will have readers turning pages into the wee hours. Vianne's backstory is rife with wonder and surprises, warmhearted and full of insights into the human heart. After reading this book I felt as if I'd actually lived in France and smelled the hot chocolate and croissants, heard the accented language and seen people from all walks of life wearing stylish clothing old or new. I could hear the screeching of the gulls and the yeowling of the cats and clamor of the church bells. ...What a feast for the senses and the soul! Harris leaves readers satisfied, yet hungry for more of her magnificent books. I'd give this fantastic story an A, and recommend it to anyone who loved the book or the movie "Chocolat."

 

Every Spiral of Fate by Tahereh Mafi is a YA romantasy that is, essentially, torture porn with a lot of romantic/sexual yearning added for the sake of a very melodramatic plot. Here's the blurb: 

The highly anticipated fourth novel in the Woven Kingdom romantasy series, brimming with fiery romance, spectacular magic, and breathtaking secrets, from Tahereh Mafi

At long last, the wedding day has arrived.

The Jinn queen and the enigmatic ruler of Tulan are to be married in a magical, enchanted ceremony—but Cyrus, tethered by a blood oath to his bride-to-be, can find nothing to celebrate in this union. He’s falling ever more deeply in love with the one person oathbound to kill him.

Sworn to an ancient, unbreakable magic, Alizeh can only fulfill the prophecy to free her people by ensuring Cyrus dies by her own hand. And Cyrus is forced to await his end all while Prince Kamran inches closer, ready to take his place by Alizeh’s side.

The countdown to murder coils tensions ever tighter, but the historic wedding has already drawn deadly attention. To prepare for war and protect her people, Alizeh must finally discover her magic—and outrun the enemies trying to stop her.

Alizeh and Cyrus, along with Kamran and their friends from Ardunia, must flee on dragon-back to begin the perilous journey into the legendary mountains of Arya, where a firestorm of revelations, magical discoveries, and fresh allies awaits them. Every allegiance will be tested, every darkness uncovered, and when the shattering secrets of the Tulanian king are finally revealed . . .

Nothing, and no one, will be the same.

There were short chapters (usually no more than 3 pages) throughout the book, which helped when the prose got repetitive and slowed the plot to a meander. The female protagonist, though she grew up during the course of the book, was still indecisive and somewhat spineless when she needed to be tough and bold and ask the right questions while being honest about her feelings. The male protagonist was way too much of a drama llama, plus he was whiny and often seemed stupid in his over-the-top adulation (one could hardly call it love) of Alizeh, whom he martyrs himself to, as this is what is deemed love in this mess of a book. Only those willing to undergo torture and death are worthy of love (insert eye roll here). The way that all of the characters deal with the devil was ridiculous, making them seem primitive and superstitious, though the magic queen managed to rout the devil once and for all, even though the devil, like every other male in the book, lusted after Alizeh as being some kind of perfect woman (because she was rather stupid and indecisive and hated herself, and didn't recognize her physical beauty, and, along with being petite, this makes her the manic pixie dream girl trope that its assumed all men want). Since I've read all the other books in this series, I would say this tortuous novel deserves a B-, at best, and I'd only recommend it to anyone who has a thing for melodrama and torture.

 

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry is a contemporary rom-com that falls somewhere in the middle of her published works, as not fantastic but not awful, either. Having experienced a number of Henry's romances, I would note that its always been hit or miss with her works, with some being top shelf and others being 'phone it in' Hallmark channel romances that are trope and cliche-ridden messes that they leave the reader angry and unsatisfied. Here's the blurb: Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it. 

 

This book, despite the bright title, is a dour old mutt, not quite beautiful, but so odd as to be endearing enough that you want to find out what happened to the main characters. Alice the journalist is painted in an uncomfortable light here, wanting to write biographies and true love stories, but making her bread and butter from writing for an online gossip tabloid called "The Scratch". Hayden, the guy she falls for, is a famed biographer whose stony and dour demeanor keeps people away from him, and makes him unlucky in love, until, of course, he claps eyes on Alice (love at first sight? Really?). The subject of their rivalry is a mean, lying old woman, who, though she's had every advantage in life, is miserable because of the tabloid press who won't leave her alone. Alice is disingenuously sympathetic to her, because, as part of the press, Alice never even questions Margaret's motivation in having her write her biography at all, which makes no sense. Henry's painting of the press (tarring all with the same brush, which is hardly fair) as all asshats bent on destroying the lives of the rich and famous (boo-freaking-hoo!) is hypocritical at best. Most journalists aren't the investigative kind (I wasn't), and are just regular people trying to tell the stories of community members and businesses to draw that community closer together. Part of fame, as every famed actor or musician or rich entrepreneur can tell you, is the contract that is forged when you reach popularity in your profession and you give up some of your privacy for notoriety. Its the price of success that many are willing to pay in order to not have to worry about finances for themselves or their families. They also get to work in a creative field that they usually love, something very few people (statistically) get to do. Those with inherited wealth or royalty are trained from childhood to deal with the press and lack of privacy. So the press-bashing didn't wash with me, and I found myself feeling that Henry was taking the easy route here when looking for her antagonist. I'd give this book a middling B-, (or C+) and only recommend it to those who buy into the lie of the lying press and the writers who are 'enslaved' by it.