The Bodyguard (Katherine Center's version, not the Houston/Costner version) Movie, Obituary for Sri Owen, Death at Dovecote Hatch by Dorothy Cannell, Vow of Thieves by Mary E Pearson, Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane and Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz

One last time on the last day of November! Hey there, book dragons! November was a tough month, and December is not looking much better, unfortunately. However, I have some great people on my side, and I'm hoping that all goes well this holiday (and birthday) season. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits and four book reviews for books that kept me going during dark times. 

 

I remember reading and loving this book right after it was published and hit shelves in the bookstores. Katherine Center's prose was eloquent and moving, and the plot was engaging and made the book a real page turner. The movie looks to be just as riveting. I will keep a weather eye on Netflix this next year so I can watch it unfold.

 

 Movies: The Bodyguard

Leighton Meester (Good Cop/Bad Cop) and Jared Padalecki (Supernatural)

will star in a Netflix holiday rom-com based on Katherine Center's The

Bodyguard. Deadline reported that in the 2022 novel, "a no-nonsense bodyguard is assigned to protect a charming action star over the holidays, leading sparks to fly and secrets to unravel, with Christmas getting a whole lot more complicated."

The movie's cast includes Andie MacDowell, Walker Hayes, Noah LaLonde, and Toby Sandeman. The project is directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum (Aquamarine) from a script by Erin Cardillo & Richard Keith (Isn't It Romantic, Virgin River). Gina Matthews and Grant Scharbo are producing for Little Engine Productions, alongside Jared & Genevieve Padalecki for Living in the Asterisk.

Deadline noted that "fans of The Bodyguard will have a hand in titling

the new Netflix movie--keep an eye on the Instagram pages of Meester,

Padalecki and Center to find out more."

Rosenbaum said, "I began paying close attention to BookTok culture

around the success of my last Netflix Film, Purple Hearts. The

overwhelming enthusiasm on social media and with readers for Katherine

Center's novel was a major factor in my decision to come on board as

director.... It's been amazing to work closely with Katherine so far,

and to see her so excited about moving her witty story about a

no-nonsense bodyguard to an A-list actor into the holiday season."

I not only had a copy of the Rice Book cookbook, I bought two more over the years and gave them away as gifts. RIP to a wonderful cookbook author, who made making delicious Indonesian meals easy.

 

Obituary for Sri Owen

Sri Owen, a Sumatra-raised food writer living in London "who brokered her homesickness for her native cuisine into a prolific career as a cookbook author credited with popularizing Indonesian delicacies in the English-speaking world," died October 4, the New York Times reported. She was 90.

Owen published 10 books, starting with The Home Book of Indonesian Cookery (1976), a groundbreaking work that "brought to light a national cuisine that was little known in the Western world, weaving myriad recipes into a memoir format that also traces the swirl of cultural influences--Chinese, Indian, Spanish, Arabic and others--that shaped the Indonesian palate," the Times wrote.

The Rice Book (1993) explored the historical legacies of the grain, as well as its myths and legends, while offering more than 250 recipes from many countries. The Observer ranked The Rice Book #19 on its list of the 50 best cookbooks of all time. Her other cookbooks include Healthy Thai Cooking (1997), Noodles the New Way (2000), and New Wave Asian (2002). In 2017, the Guild of Food Writers honored her with its lifetime achievement award. Her final book, Sri Owen's Indonesian Food, is available from Interlink Books.

Owen moved from Sumatra to Britain in 1964 with her English husband, Roger Owen. A Jane Austen fan and self-described Anglophile, she later said she had been eager to move, but soon began to yearn for the foods she had grown up with. "When I arrived in London, Indonesian food was not known at all," Owen said in an interview with the Times in 2020. "I started cooking Indonesian food because I wanted to eat my own home cooking. The flavors of Indonesian food are difficult to leave behind."

A literary agent friend of her husband who had dined in the Owen home helped arrange a deal for The Home Book of Indonesian Cookery with Faber & Faber.

In 1984, Owen opened an Indonesian food shop on the ground floor of the family home, naming it Mustika Rasa, roughly, "jewel of flavor," which sold its wares at Harrods, the Times noted, adding that by her later years, she "had no shortage of Indonesian restaurants to choose from in London. But there was little point in asking her for recommendations. As she put it to Food52, 'I find I can cook better than any of the average eating places.' "

 

Death at Dovecote Hatch by Dorothy Cannell is a wonderfully old fashioned historical cozy mystery that brings to mind Downton Abbey at it's most charming. Here's the blurb: "Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey…a charming reminder of all the country house murders of Britain's golden age."—Kirkus Reviews
 
It's November 1932, and the peaceful village of Dovecote Hatch is still reeling from the recent murder at Mullings, country estate of the wealthy Stodmarsh family. Now it's about to be rocked by news of another violent demise. When the body of mild-mannered Kenneth Tenneson is found at the foot of the stairs in his home, the coroner's inquest announces a verdict of accidental death. Florence Norris, however—the quietly observant housekeeper at Mullings—suspects there may be more to the story than a fall.
Florence's suspicions of foul play would appear to be confirmed when a second will turns up revealing details of a dark secret in the Tenneson family's past. Determined to find the truth about Kenneth's death, Florence gradually pieces the clues together—but will she be in time to prevent a catastrophic turn of events?

This slender volume of only 251 pages gripped me right from the first paragraph, as, like Downton Abbey, I got caught up in the small village characters circa 1932, and their lives and loves. The prose is also old fashioned (think Sherlock Holmes-style) but readable and elegant, and it moves along the stalwart English plot "a treat" as the British are like to say. I'd give this marvelous story an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes classic and cozy mysteries that don't give away the ending in the first third of the novel.

 

Vow of Thieves by Mary E Pearson is the second book in the "Dance of Thieves" duology, and it's quite a firecracker of a YA dystopian romantasy. Though it's as hefty (480 pages) as its predecessor, the plot moves at a running pace that will leave you breathless. Here's the blurb: 

Vow of Thieves is the thrilling sequel to Dance of Thieves, set in the same world as Mary E. Pearson's New York Times-bestselling Remnant Chronicles.

Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them—the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor's Watch will be a kingdom, and Kazi and Jase will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and they soon find themselves captured in a tangled web of deceit woven by their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies, a place where betrayals run deeper and more deadly than either had thought possible, and where timeless ambitions threaten to destroy them both.

Pearson's prose is lovely and intricate without being stuffy and boringly full of researched details that slow down the plot. I liked Kazi and Jase's journey, though I still found a whiff or two of the misogyny of the female protagonist taking a backseat on her hopes and dreams to the male protagonist, who is always a bit of a jerk, if not an outright asshat in most romantasy novels. This fills me with anguish, especially with YA books because what kind of message does it send to young women in our country that they are still expected to be the sidekick and leave behind their dreams and needs in favor of "love," especially of a guy who is usually nasty and grumpy and treats the female main character poorly at the outset (which is seen as sexy...why?). Also the male protagonist is almost always tatted up and has swoopy hair that falls onto his forehead, and he's muscular, tall and just so handsome that the female protagonist suddenly loses her ability to reason or be her badass self because her hormones take over and she can't stop drooling over this egotistical (but damaged) guy. Again, why are we telling young women that this is what love is? Not an equal partnership but a severing of a woman's independence and fighting spirit for the "joys" of love, marriage and producing children. Anyway, this novel, due to its adventure and rabble rousing, has much less of the "woman reduced to child-like stupidity for love" themes in it, so I enjoyed the way that the author tied up all the loose ends from the first book. I'd give it a B+, and recommend it to anyone who read the first book "Dance of Thieves."

 

Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane is a romantic comedy novel that's contemporary enough to posit the question of what happens when your long term BF decides to use your private confessions and family situations as fodder for his streaming show, without telling you or asking for your permission? I would have been furious with the heat of a thousand suns if with happens to Roisin happened to me, but she just cringes, hides and sulks, without a thought of getting a lawyer and suing her BF Joe for stealing from her for his own gain. Anyway, here's the blurb:  Mhairi McFarlane delivers a witty, clever, emotional new novel about a woman whose life unravels spectacularly after her screenwriter boyfriend uses their relationship as inspiration for his new television show.

When Roisin and Joe join their friends for a weekend at a country house, it’s a triple celebration—a birthday, an engagement, and the launch of Joe’s shiny new TV show. But as the weekend unfolds, tensions come to light in the group and Roisin begins to question her own relationship. And as they watch the first episode of Joe’s drama, she realizes that the private things she told him—which should have stayed between them—are right there on the screen.

With her friend group in chaos and her messy love life on display for the whole world to see, Roisin returns home to avoid the unwanted attention and help run her family’s pub. But drama still follows, in the form of her dysfunctional family and the looming question: what other parts of her now-ex’s show are inspired by real events? Lies? Infidelity? Every week, as a new episode airs, she wonders what other secrets will be revealed.

Yet the most unexpected twist of all is an old friend, who is suddenly there for Roisin in ways she never knew she needed

Matt turns out to be a halfway decent human being, for which he's lauded like the second coming of Christ, but its clear early on that he's been enamored of Roisin for years, but was too much of a coward to do anything about it. Again, his failings are somehow soft-pedaled as sexy and vulnerable, and Roisin can't help but fall for him, as he goes from confidant to lover.McFarlane's prose is succulent and fun, and her plot dances along to a zippy beat. I'd give this odd novel a B-, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in privacy in the digital age.

 

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (bad luck on that cloddish last name, Em) is a an action/adventure cozy romantasy that is so full of warm and wonderful magic that I was enchanted from the first chapter on! Here's the blurb: 

A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance about starting over, redemption, and what it really means to be a good person.

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and after a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over—not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. Someone better. Someone good.

The quaint town of Dragon’s Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance—she’ll set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check, and prune dark magic from the twisted boughs of her life.

Violet’s vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. With a struggling business and his own second chance seemingly out of reach, Nathaniel has no time for flowers or frippery—and certainly none for the intriguing witch next door.

When a mysterious blight endangers every living plant in Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together, through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another, to save their community. But with a figure from her previous life knocking at her door and her secrets threatening to uproot everything she’s worked so hard to grow, Violet can’t help but wonder…does a former villain truly deserve a happily-ever-after?

Violet is a charming bungler of a witch, whose desire to start over is thwarted when she tries to deny her second nature as a badass thorn witch. Her landlord and neighbor, apothecary and one-time alchemist Nathaniel, is a brooding, grumpy guy for whom denying what he wants in life, in order to run his parent's shop (so his sister can run around playing music and dancing, but it appears that only one twin is allowed to follow her dreams, due to gender, which hardly seems fair) has become second nature. When Vi and Nate start to grouse at one another and banter via shop signs, its inevitable that they'll fall in love with one another. The prose here is light and frothy, and the plot as swift as a summer storm that comes out of nowhere. I loved the story and the surprise at the end that allowed Vi to realize that accepting her "dark" side need not siderail her plans for a new and better life as a florist. I'd give this uplifting novel a B+, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy romantasy and second chances.

 

Iowa Bookstore's Food Fundraiser, Obit for Jim Hamilton of Forbidden Planet, Don't Let The Devil Ride on TV, Wuthering Heights Movie, Quote of the Day, Sheraton Boston's Goodnight Moon Suite, Queen Esther by John Irving, Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree, Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson, and the Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks

Hola amigos and amigas, it's the third week of November, and its been a hell of a month, healthwise and otherwise. So I am behind in my posts, and for that I apologize, but it couldn't be helped. But today I will rectify that situation with some news and reviews from the book world, or at least my corner of it. Keep cozy and keep reading, fellow book lovers!

 

This is a great idea, and I notice that more stores and communities are banding together to bolster food bank resources for all the people affected by our current fascist POTUS's draconian policies that are removing food stamp benefits and social security benefits and other programs (such as free school lunches) from the poorest people in our society, all so mega rich asshats can get a tax break on their billions. Thank heaven there are caring people out there who are helping prevent starvation in the supposedly richest nation on earth. Good for you, Iowa bookstores...now if you'd just quit voting for evil, lying dictators!

 

Cool Idea: Iowa Bookstores' Food Nonprofit Fundraiser

HEA Book Boutique and Swamp Fox Bookstore hosted a book swap.

On Sunday, in reaction to the administration's efforts to halt SNAP food

benefits for more than 40 million people, five Iowa bookstores banded

together to raise funds for HACAP, a nonprofit and member of Feeding America that serves nine counties in eastern Iowa.

HEA Book Boutique and Swamp Fox Bookstore hosted a book swap at Lowe Park in Marion, where for $15 readers could swap up to five gently loved books and shop with the stores as well as with the Green Dragon Bookshop, in Fort Dodge, Perennial Pages Bookshoppe, Ackley,

and Sisters Books and Nooks, Cedar Rapids. Once all rental fees were covered, profits were donated to HACAP. More than 70 people attended the event, and more than $900 was raised for HACAP.

In a related note, yesterday the New York Times reported at length on

the independent bookstores that are collecting food for Americans whose food assistance is being threatened by the administration. The Times wrote in part, "Independent bookstores have long operated as hubs for activism and community service. In recent years, some stores have increasingly waded into political and social issues by conducting voter registration drives, sending free books to L.G.B.T.Q. prison inmates and distributing emergency contraceptives to women in states where abortion access has been restricted. Dozens of bookstores have rallied around the issue of food insecurity in recent weeks, according to the American Booksellers Association."

RIP Mr Hamilton! Forbidden Planet is an iconic bookstore.

 

Obituary Note: Jim Hamilton 

Jim Hamilton, co-owner of Forbidden Planet International and Forbidden Planet Glasgow, died November 9. He was 67. Bleeding Cool reported that Hamilton and Kenny Penman had been the owners of Science Fiction Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, which opened under previous owners in 1975 and was purchased by them in 1985. The first Forbidden Planet, founded by Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, launched in 1978 as a small store on Denmark Street, then relocated to larger premises.

The original partners then teamed with Hamilton and Penman to open other

stores around the country, "expanding Forbidden Planet out and making it

the first British proper chain of stores," Bleeding Cool wrote. In 1992

and 1993, the original chain split into two firms--Forbidden Planet and

Forbidden Planet Scotland, later renamed Forbidden Planet International.

Hamilton had remained prominent since, especially in the running and

recent relaunch of Forbidden Planet Glasgow.

Penman, his business partner for more than 40 years, wrote to staff:

"Both Jim and I came from pretty ordinary working class backgrounds, and

despite not coming from wealthy families both had happy childhoods a big

part of which was the escapism of the cheapest form of entertainment

going--comics. It was our first passion, and for both of us, it never

waned as we grew Forbidden Planet from one little shop on the

backstreets of Edinburgh. We were a partnership; I had perhaps more of a

business head, but Jim knew comics like no one else, and he was always

the one guiding the product mix....

"When we started out, our ambition was that Science Fiction Bookshop

would be the shop Jim, as a fan and collector, wanted to shop in. We

worked hard to achieve that over the years, and I know he was very proud

of the amazing shop that is our Glasgow store. There were always new

things to be doing, but I think he felt we had nearly achieved what he

set out to do, and more, by bringing all sorts of new fans into the

fold, with the Sauchiehall St branch. If there was one thing we can all

do to remember Jim, I think he would be more than happy if, by our love

and application, we finally perfected his vision."

This sounds fascinating, and I can't wait to stream it on one of the streaming platforms we subscribe to at my house.

 

TV: Don't Let the Devil Ride

Tomorrow Studios (The Better Sister, One Piece) has acquired the novel

Don't Let the Devil Ride by Ace Atkins, which will be adapted for TV by

award-winning showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker (Marvel's Luke Cage).

The story: "Addison McKellar thought she knew the man she

married--charming, successful Dean McKellar--until he vanished. Fearing

the worst, she hires private investigator Porter Hayes, an old friend of

her father and a legend in Memphis. As Hayes starts pulling at loose

threads Addison's entire life unravels. Her husband's prosperous

construction firm? It doesn't exist. Instead, her easy, affluent

lifestyle is funded by blood money from Dean's shadowy international

mercenary firm--and she doesn't even know his real name."

This also sounds intriguing, and I've often wondered why there aren't more modern adaptations of the Bronte sisters works.

 

Movies: Wuthering Heights

Warner Bros has released an official trailer for Wuthering Heights,

writer-director Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Brontes

gothic romance novel. Deadline reported that the film, starring Margot

Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, "is gearing

up for a Valentine's Weekend 2026 premiere in theaters."

The cast also includes Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin

Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell. Fennell wrote, directed, and produces. Robbie

produces through her LuckyChap Entertainment, marking the production

company's third collaboration with Fennell (Saltburn, Promising Young

Woman).

This is true! Indie Bookstores are amazing community hubs of information and education.

Quotation of the Day

"The independent bookstores, their superpower is that they can make the

store whatever they want, they can stock whatever they want. And when

you think about the market as a whole, that creates incredible diversity

in stock and books and displays and experiences in bookstores. When we

homogenize it, what we have instead is something that looks really

sterile.

"Bookstores are currently building their capacity to be centers that

activate their communities and keep their communities informed about

issues like the freedom to read, like the banks skimming off the top of

transactions, and so much more. What we're doing right now is building

this network of independent bookstores into a political force that I

know can have a clear voice and stand up for the issues that impact

them."--Philomena Polefrone, associate director of American Booksellers for Free Expression

I would LOVE to stay in the Goodnight Moon Suite! Complete with a bowl full of mush (What is mush? Is it like cream of wheat?). I imagine it will be very cozy and a wonderful way to get into Margaret Wise Brown's world. I bet there are millions of children who, like myself, grew up hearing their mothers read them Goodnight Moon at bedtime.

 

Cool Idea: Sheraton Boston Hotel's Goodnight Moon Suite

Sheraton Hotels has teamed up with HarperCollins, publishers of the

beloved children's book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown,

illustrated by Clement Hurd, to re-create the book's iconic bedroom in a

suite at the newly renovated Sheraton Boston Hotel.

Available through February 2026, the suite is designed for guests of all

ages, who "can actually step inside the book's whimsical world," House

Beautiful reported, adding that the life-size re-creation of Hurd's illustrations

features "Kelly-green walls, red-and-yellow accents, the cozy fireplace,

and even the bowl full of mush."

"Goodnight Moon Suite at Sheraton Boston was dreamed up with the hope of creating a universal moment of comfort," said Peggy Roe, executive v-p & chief customer officer at Marriott International. "For so many of us,

Goodnight Moon is just that. It's more than a book; it's a beloved

memory, and one I have created time after time with my own children. We

wanted to capture that sense of home and tranquility and deliver it to

the often busy and bustling world of travel."

Queen Esther by John Irving is what is often described as "literary fiction," though in this case it felt more like a very poorly executed romance novel written by a misogynistic man past his prime. I read all 7 of Irvings original novels, and I even read Trying to Save Piggy Sneed, but when it came to Son of the Circus and the novels following Sneed, (one of which had an interview with Irving in which he recommended that all teenage girls take a turn as prostitutes, so they might know better how to please men), I was so grossed out by Irvings obvious narcissism and misogyny and pedophilia that I couldn't, in good conscience, read any more of his books. His formerly acclaimed prose had also degraded and become cliche-ridden and dull, full of info-dumps and agonizingly slow plots. Here's the blurb: 

After forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, The Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther—a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by anti-Semitism.

Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine; her mother is murdered by anti-Semites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; in fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her.

When Esther is fourteen, soon to be a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic New England family with a history of providing foster care for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they despise anti-Semitism. Esther’s gratitude for the Winslows is unending; even as she retraces her roots back to Vienna, she never stops loving and protecting the Winslows. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is seventy-six.

John Irving’s sixteenth novel is a testament to his enduring ability to weave complex characters and intricate narratives that challenge and captivate. Queen Esther is not just a story of survival but a profound exploration of identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of history on our personal lives showcasing why Irving remains one of the world’s most beloved, provocative, and entertaining authors—a storyteller of our time and for all time.

The above blurb is full of lies...first of all, this novel should NOT have been called Queen Esther, because we only read a bit about her at the beginning and again at the end of the book. 95 percent of the novel is about James (Jimmy) Winslow (Esther's son or grandson) and his creepy pal Claude, who are obsessed with women's breasts (all the women in the novel have their breasts described repeatedly and evaluated every time they are mentioned) and sex, and with male circumcision. This was not a good story, it was a bunch of research into post WWII Jewish people and a bunch of weird women and male wrestlers who are all apparently trying to avoid having babies via heterosexual sex, but are obsessed with still actually having children nonetheless. There's barely a mention of Dr Larch from Cider House Rules, and there's a lot of discussion of Jimmy learning the German language (WHY? Who cares? I didn't, nor did it make Jimmy any more endearing, it made him even more strange and stupid) and a lot of the women in his life telling him that he must get a girl pregnant (even though he spends much of the novel nowhere near America) so he can avoid the draft for the Vietnam War. He finally gets his lesbian friend to offer up her girlfriend, who wants to "try" heterosexual sex, to sleep with him for a prescribed three days, after which she gets pregnant and allows the child to be raised by all the weird women in Jimmy's life. There's also a lot of fawning over a dog whom everyone's concerned about becoming incontinent in the bathtub during a thunderstorm, which never actually happens. There's little coherency to the plot or the prose, which is awful. I never would have purchased this book if I had known what a slow and boring slog it would be to read, replete with reprehensible characters. The POV is oddly omniscient, and the prose reads like it was written by a grad student studying post WWII America for a thesis paper...There's also liberal use of exclamation points, for no apparent reason, throughout the book. Grotesque and boring, I'd give this book a C-, and I can't really imagine anyone who would enjoy reading this misogynistic twaddle. Give it up, Irving, you've lost it.

 

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree is a cozy romantasy adventure, and the first of his novels that I've read (I've read and enjoyed the others in this series) that has a main character who is cowardly and completely unlikable. Here's the blurb: Return to the fantasy world of the Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple.
It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when nothing seems inevitable.  

 

So despite the excellent prose and easily-followed plot, there wasn't the beloved or fascinating characters that populated Baldree's other books to keep the reader engrossed in their adventure. Fern is foul mouthed for no other reason that other characters don't expect a small rodent to say such violent sounding things. She's not a good person, really, as she starts up a bookstore, then gets drunk and leaves her friends holding the bag in the middle of the night. We learn that apparently Fern is really more suited to a brigand's life on the road, rather than running a bookstore, which was her dream before. So while on the road she tells tales from the books she has read, and has some hair raising adventures which she barely survives, and all this culminates in her realizing that a cozy bookstore is not for her. Her companions on the road are a brilliant elf maiden and a magical troll goblin who is just plain creepy in the end. There wasn't a character here whom I was invested in reading about their journey. I'd give this book a B- and only recommend it to those who have read the other books in the Legends and Lattes series and who like road-trip tales with questionable characters.

 

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson is a paranormal romance that answers the question "what if the Loch Ness Monster was a shape-shifting dude?" Here's the blurb: Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess. 

This is another one of those romantasy novels that make love and sex into a cure-all for everything from curses to magical entrapment. But, as usual, Key is just so beautiful, and Lachlan just so handsome, that their love is inevitable, and it breaks the curse that is on him and his father. An HEA ensues, of course. This is a somewhat silly, but cozy romance, so I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone who wonders about the gender and mating habits of infamous, legendary monsters.

 

The Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks is a historical mystery/thriller which is quite a fascinating look into Elizabethan England and its extensive spy network. Here's the blurb: From acclaimed author Karen Brooks comes this intriguing novel rich in historical detail and drama as it tells the unforgettable story of Queen Elizabeth's daring, ruthless spymaster and his female protégée.

In Queen Elizabeth's England, where no one can be trusted and secrets are currency, one woman stands without fear.

Mallory Bright is the only daughter of London's most ingenious locksmith. She has apprenticed with her father since childhood, and there is no lock too elaborate for her to crack. After scandal destroys her reputation, Mallory has returned to her father's home and lives almost as a recluse, ignoring the whispers and gossip of their neighbors. But Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster and a frequent client of Mallory's father, draws her into his world of danger and deception. For the locksmith's daughter is not only good at cracking locks, she also has a talent for codes, spycraft, and intrigue. With Mallory by Sir Francis's side, no scheme in England or abroad is safe from discovery.

But Mallory's loyalty wavers when she witnesses the brutal and bloody public execution of three Jesuit priests and realizes the human cost of her espionage. And later, when she discovers the identity of a Catholic spy and a conspiracy that threatens the kingdom, she is forced to choose between her country and her heart.

Once Sir Francis's greatest asset, Mallory is fast becoming his worst threat—and there is only one way the Queen's master spy deals with his enemies.

This novel's prose is clean and crisp, and the plot moves along at a bracing clip. Mallory is a fascinating character, and her ability to move around the shady underworld of English society in the 16th century is a wonder to behold. I enjoyed all the lock-picking information and the mysteries solved, so I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who is interested in women in history who didn't get their due in the history books for all they accomplished for Queen and country. 

ages, who "can actually step inside the book's whimsical world," House

Beautiful reported, adding that the life-size re-creation of Hurd's illustrations

features "Kelly-green walls, red-and-yellow accents, the cozy fireplace,

and even the bowl full of mush."

 

Louise Penny at Haskell Free Library, B&N's November Book Club Pick, BAM Book of the Year Pick, Quote of the Day, Simultaneous Movie, Irish Stewed by Kylie Logan, Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson, Try Your Worst by Chatham Greenfield, and A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Greetings, readers! It's the second week of November, and I'm struggling to keep my TBR big enough to keep me well-read each week. The cost of books, like the cost of everything, has gone up exponentially, and as a result, even books on Amazon that previously cost a pittance now cost full price, (anywhere from 26-30 dollars per hardback) which makes it difficult to purchase hardback or paperback books in groups of 4 or more. So many people are having their food benefits and social security checks cut down to the bone, that there are many who are going hungry and hoping not to become homeless this winter. All because our current administration is corrupt, greedy, lying and fascists, who are more concerned with book banning, removal of LGBTQ citizens rights and misogyny/control/enslavement of women with a side of racism that is literally killing POC all over the nation. The wealthy continue to amass more money than they could spend in several lifetimes, while the country's poor struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. So you can imagine how difficult it is to work books into an already strained budget (and libraries are overwhelmed with people seeking reading material and other services, so they're no help due to long lines on the book holds front). But, like every food pantry and person who cares, I fight on! So here goes with my latest reviews and a smattering of book related news. 

 

I love that famed author Louise Penny joined the resistance and solidarity in keeping a joint American/Canadian bookstore alive, despite efforts by our fascist government to shut it down. Go Louise!

 

Image of the Day: Louise Penny at the Haskell Free Library

Phoenix Books (in Essex, Burlington, and Rutland, Vt.), with Brome Lake Books in

Quebec and the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, hosted author Louise Penny for the only U.S. stop on her tour for Black Wolf (Minotaur), the 20th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series.

Penny canceled all her U.S. tour stops, including a launch at the Kennedy Center, in protest and solidarity with her fellow Canadians. The Haskell Library was chosen because it straddles the U.S./Canadian border, with entrances on both sides. "This is my moment [to resist], and I could, and if I didn't, then shame on me," Penny said. Some 800 people attended two sold-out weekend readings, and more than 450 watched a livestream of Saturday's event. Phoenix Books noted that it was "proud to support Louise, who has done events at our store twice in the past, and honored to promote American-Canadian unity at the Haskell and with Brome Lake Books."

I love reading about bookstore and famous actress and Oprah book picks. They always choose some unique author with a different perspective. I've discovered more than a few good books this way.

 

B&N's November Book Club Pick: Like Family

Barnes & Noble has chosen Like Family: A Novel by Erin O. White

(The Dial Press) as its November national book club pick. In a live

virtual event on Tuesday, December 2, at 3 p.m. Eastern, White will be

in conversation with Mallory Rochester, store manager at Barnes & Noble

in Calabasas, Calif.

B&N described the book this way: "Life-long friends endure the ups and

downs of adulthood in this glowing tale of chosen family and complicated

love. In an idyllic town, cozied up between river and mountain, six

friends raise their families in a seeming Eden. When tragedy strikes,

secrets and forgotten dreams resurface and the three couples must

confront difficult truths."

Books-A-Million's Inaugural Book of the Year Pick

Books-A-Million has selected Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Ace) as its inaugural Book of the Year pick, which "recognizes the title that

best embodies the joy of reading and the enthusiasm of Books-A-Million's

team." Impetus for the selection came from Olivia McDaniel, v-p of

marketing, "whose love for the series inspired an internal book club and

a wave of new fans across the company."

"I've never played video games or even thought about DnD--Dungeons &

Dragons, for the uninitiated--but I fell completely in love with Dungeon

Crawler Carl," said McDaniel. "It's the most fun I've ever had

reading--and I can't stop talking about it. I've personally convinced

more than 70 people to read the series, from coworkers and gym friends

to Facebook acquaintances I hadn't spoken to in years, and every single

one of them couldn't put it down. No matter what kind of reader you are,

this book is for you."

I agree that indie bookstores are magical, and I try to shop at one every month or so, though my dollar doesn't go as far due to their prices being higher. Still, indies are an essential part of the community, and they sustain both authors and readers in ways JB and Amazon never will. One of the first bookstores I found in Seattle when we moved here in 1991 was the Couth Buzzard, where the owners became friends and they let me work shelving books to pay for used tomes that kept my TBR at a healthy height. Now the Couth Buzzard, in a new location and with new management, is holding free soup kitchen nights, fundraising for local food banks and giving away food from local restaurants to those in need in Ballard.They're a lifeline, feeding body and soul in the burbs.

 

Quotation of the Day

"It would truly be difficult to explain all the different ways that

indie bookstores sustain me.... I just can't tell you how it feels to go

to an indie bookstore to do an event, to be hosted with a million guests

who are also being hosted, and having this beautiful experience curated

by somebody who understands why everyone's there and how everybody

feels.

"And I am so aware of the indie booksellers selling the book. I connect

on Instagram. I get e-mails. I get to see some of the Indie Next

nominations--which are always just completely mind-blowing because

that's extra work somebody chose to do on your behalf. But the way I

really interact is when I come to these events. It's just magic."

"You can be at an indie bookstore you have never heard of in a town

you've never heard of, and there'll be a hundred people there because

it's such a personal hand curated experience. That is so special."

--Catherine Newman, author of Wreck

This book sounds utterly fascinating, and I will be keeping an eye out for a cheaper used copy.

 

Movies: Simultaneous

Sony Pictures has pre-emptively acquired rights to Oscar-nominated

writer Eric Heisserer's (Arrival) debut novel, Simultaneous. Published

last week by Flatiron Books, the novel "is a suspenseful psychological

thriller revolving around a past-life regression therapist and an agent

from the Predictive Analytics department of Homeland Security who become unlikely partners when they discover a phenomenon tied to reincarnation, uncovering a supernatural killer exploiting his own past lives," Deadline reported.

Producers on a planned film adaptation will include Heisserer and Carmen

Lewis under Heisserer's Chronology banner. Heisserer most recently

served as showrunner, executive producer, and writer for the Netflix

series Shadow and Bone, based on the works of Leigh Bardugo.

Irish Stewed by Kylie Logan is a fun and cozy mystery that I found lurking on my TBR shelves that has been waiting to be read for at least a few years. I'm glad that I picked it up now, as it was just the breath of fresh air that I needed this past week. Here's the blurb: The author of the League of Literary Ladies Mysteries introduces a delicious cozy culinary mystery series featuring ethnic eats.

After flopping as a personal chef to a Hollywood movie star, jobless Laurel Inwood finds herself humbled in Hubbard, Ohio, helping her aunt Sophie run her restaurant. Much to Laurel’s dismay, Sophie’s Terminal at the Tracks is not the cozy bistro her aunt would have had her believe—it’s a run-down greasy spoon in an old railroad station. To save the dingy diner, Laurel cooks up a plan to feature alternating ethnic cuisine as specials.
 
But first there’s the problem of the body in the booth. Slumped over a table with a receipt spike in his back is Jack Lancer—“the Lance of Justice”—an investigative reporter for local TV news. Assisted by the drop-dead gorgeous owner of the neighboring Irish store—who may or may not be a suspect—Laurel sets out to track down a killer who had no reservations about impaling a newshound. But as she turns up the heat, will she end up in the soup herself? 

I really enjoyed reading about Laurel's journey in helping her aunt with a run-down restaurant railway station that is in the red and needs help to get back on track. The prose was clean and clear, and the plot chugged along with familiarity, but the ending left it unclear as to whether Laurel would go back to her lucrative job, or be manipulated by her aunt and an Irish Traveler with the hots for her into staying in the one-horse town forever. Still, the romance was light and the characters very black hat/white hat, which was refreshing. I'd give this short and sweet novel a B+ and recommend it to all the cozy readers out there who like some romance in their mystery.

 

Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson is a YA romantasy that's full of adventure and skulduggery and a fierce thief turned elite guard who falls for the outlaw leader she's duty bound to arrest. Here's the blurb: 

Mary E. Pearson's Dance of Thieves is a new YA novel in the New York Times bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives―and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

Though this book is a hefty 505 pages, the sterling prose and muscular plot are engrossing enough that you'll be halfway through the book before you know it. I could not put this book down, though there were times when it teetered on the edge of tedium with too many descriptions/explanations. Still Kazi is a ferocious warrior whose moral code was fascinating, and her ability to lead and find solutions in difficult situations was unmatched. I didn't really see what she saw in Jase, who was kind of a jerk, but since this is a YA novel, romance was inevitable, and he was the only candidate. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone who likes tough female protagonists who don't back down. 

 

Try Your Worst by Chatham Greenfield is an LGBTQ YA romance that took the classic grumpy/sunshine romance trope and added some mystery into the mix to make for an exciting and engrossing read. Here's the blurb:This cozy mystery is about rivals who must find out who has been framing them for crimes they didn't commit, from Stonewall Honor-winning author Chatham Greenfield.

Sadie Katz and Cleo Chapman have been rivals since birth. Literally. They entered the world competing to be the first baby born in the new year, and ever since Cleo beat out Sadie for that title, she has been nonchalantly beating Sadie at just about everything--and making it look easy.

Now in the fall of their senior year, Sadie and Cleo are neck-and-neck for valedictorian. But then a string of increasingly serious pranks take over their high school, and all signs point to Sadie and Cleo as the perpetrators. Suddenly expulsion is on the line, and the only way to clear their names is to team up and find out who is framing them. It's not only suspects the girls are questioning, though. Sadie's ivy league dream isn't feeling as appealing as it once did, and Cleo is wondering if it's about time she start fighting for what she really wants instead of just accepting whatever comes easiest. With their futures on the line, the two grow closer, and both begin to wonder: Could it be that Sadie and Cleo weren't meant to be rivals at all, and were instead destined to be something more? 

The prose was dazzling and helped the zingy plot move at a clipped pace, which made for a real page turner of a novel. The romantic tension and the way the two main characters must come together to try and figure out who is setting them up with increasingly horrific pranks kept me reading into the wee hours. Both Sadie and Cleo have mental health issues, which are treated as a normal part of the teenage experience, which was a refreshing POV to say the least. I loved the cover illustration because the artist didn't try to slim the two main characters down or make the cover abstract, assuming that fat bias/prejudice would keep readers from buying the book. I believe that there are many larger teenagers who will see themselves reflected on the cover and in the pages of this novel, and will purchase it and recommend it to their friends. The growth of the two characters was heartening, and I found this book worthy of an A-, with a recommendation to all those big gals out there who are budding lesbians hungry to read stories that feature people like themselves.

 

A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter is a self published historical romantasy novel that was full of intrigue and danger and the art of the Italian Renaissance. Here's the blurb: Every hero has a secret. Every secret comes to light.
 
Giovanni Vecchio is not your typical book dealer. Scholar, vampire, and former assassin, he's spent five centuries hiding from the sins of his past and from the immortal enemies who want him truly dead.
 
When a young librarian crosses his path, Giovanni realizes she might be the key to solving a mystery that has obsessed him for centuries.
 
Beatrice De Novo is intelligent, curious, and completely unprepared for the dark world Giovanni inhabits, a world of ancient powers, elemental magic, and vampires who can command the forces of earth, air, fire, and water.
 
As their search for a lost library turns into a dangerous pursuit across the globe, passion ignites between them, and Beatrice must decide if she can trust a man who's lived a hundred lifetimes of secrets.
 

I wasn't expecting the male protagonist to be an immortal vampire, but what was interesting was that the author had him appear to be more "normal" than most literary vampires, with no aversion to garlic or crucifixes or running water. Gio even realizes that his romantic fascination with B, as she likes to be called, makes him seem like a pedophile, as she's in her 20s and he's over 500 years old (and he's also dead). But their attraction will not be denied, and they end up working together and developing a relationship despite their different worlds and lives. The author did seem to utilize an editor, as there was only two typos to be found in the whole book, which is amazing, and made the fine prose more readable. There were shades of Outlander and A Discovery of Witches throughout this book, which is to its credit. The time the two spend hunting in library archives also fascinated me, as I've always considered libraries to be treasure troves of items for bibliophiles and historians everywhere. I'd give this engaging book a B+ and recommend it to readers of vampire romantasy and historical paranormal novels like Outlander, as well as those who are devotees of library research.

 

Swoon City Debuts in Seattle *YAY*, Odessa File on TV, Powells Books Layoffs, What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller, A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid, Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry and A Confluence of Obsidian by Lydia M Hawke

Welcome to November, my fellow bibliophiles! A lot is going on this month, and to be honest I'm glad that October, which was a tumultuous month in my household, is finally over, and we're headed towards Thanksgiving, my sons birthday and mine, and Christmas. I love the holiday season, not the least for the fact that I am presented with books and cozy nightgowns and socks, and that its the season to snuggle under the covers and read until dawn. The air outside is cold and the rain keeps the skies gray, which is great for napping, and for mood lighting and fireplace fires, which add to the cozy atmosphere. Anyway, here's the latest tidbits and reviews. 

 

I'm so thrilled that this is a trend now, with more than a few romance only or romance focused bookstores opening around the country. This ones's in Seattle, and while I've not been able to visit, I'm hoping that my son will take me there for my birthday (I'd also like to visit Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books). 

 

Swoon City Debuts in Seattle, Wash.

"Opening a store had been in the back of my mind for years and years,"

said Marissa Coughlin, owner of Swoon City, a romance-focused bookstore

and craft store that debuted in Seattle, Wash., on October 18.

Located at 1716 N.W. Market St. in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, Swoon

City spans about 2,250 square feet and carries a wide assortment of

romance titles. According to Coughlin, there are large sections devoted

to contemporary romance and romantasy, along with "decent-sized"

sections for historical romance, dark romance, and erotica. Graphic

novels and manga, as well as sports romance, LGBTQ romance, western

romance, and others, have smaller sections. Alongside the store's

romance offerings, a limited selection of general-interest titles are

available, and there is a "very minor" children's section of around 25

titles.

The crafting side of the business, Coughlin explained, came from its

previous incarnation as a store called Monster, which was a "sort of

gift shop, art gallery, and crafting studio." Coughlin purchased

Monster, a community fixture in Ballard, from its previous owners, and

though she has changed the name and added romance books, she has

retained the crafting inventory, crafting events, and focus on

community.

The crafting inventory, she continued, consists of things like knitting,

embroidery, and felting kits, as well as materials for watercolor

painting and screen printing. Coughlin noted that she has also brought

in new nonbook items like candles, enamel pins, silk scarves, jewelry,

and skincare products; her philosophy behind those additions is to

"celebrate what you love."

I remember watching the original Odessa File movie when I was a teenager, and I'll be interested to see what they do with the "fresh take" series on one of the streaming services.

 

TV: The Odessa File

Zero Gravity Management (Ozark) is teaming with Romulus Films for a TV

series based on Frederick Forsyth's novel The Odessa File.

Deadline reported that the conspiracy thriller adaptation "will follow

freelance journalist Peter Miller as he infiltrates a shadowy

organization of former Nazi SS officers in 1960s Germany, putting

himself on a collision course with one of history's most notorious war

criminals."

Currently in development, the series will be executive-produced by

Jonathan Woolf and Nick Varley for Romulus Films and Simon Fellows,

alongside Leon Clarance (Sense8) for Zero Gravity Management. Simon

Fellows (Steel Country) wrote the adaptation of the book, which had been

previously adapted in the 1974 movie starring Jon Voight.

The new project "is currently being packaged for talent and Zero Gravity

says it is in discussions with broadcasters and streaming networks for

what is envisioned as an initial eight-episode season with plans for

three subsequent seasons that will carry the story through to the

present day," Deadline wrote.

"This is not a remake; it's a totally fresh take," said Fellows. "We're

combining several genres--period, conspiracy, thriller, action, and a

touch of the revenge western--all revolving around a 1960s

autobahn-fueled road movie to catch a monster."

This is so sad, that the Northwest's mecca for bibliophiles in Oregon is losing staff due to higher costs and fewer sales...come on people, we need to spend more at Powells...and keep in mind that they accept your used titles for store credit, so book shopping there is affordable.

 

Powell's Books Layoffs Total 31 Since June

Powell's Books, Portland, Ore., has conducted

another round of layoffs, letting 13 people go in October, according to

the Oregonian.

After three rounds of summer layoffs, a total of 31 staff members have

been let go. Jeremy Solly, Powell's chief marketing officer, confirmed

the layoffs, saying that "these changes were not limited to our

stores, the majority affected management and business services positions

across departments."

Solly explained the cutbacks this way: "As with many businesses right

now, we're seeing expenses rise faster than sales. This has been an

ongoing challenge since the pandemic, and while we've taken many steps

to grow revenue and control costs, this most recent action was an

unfortunate but necessary step to help ensure the long-term stability of

Powell's Books."

 

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller is a spicy, deliciously-bold feminist romantasy that is as rare as hen's teeth these days in the world of romantic fantasy/adventure stories. Finally, a book worthy of the fancy cover and beautiful illustrated end papers! Here's the blurb: Author Tricia Levenseller makes her adult debut in What Fury Brings, a sexy, empowering romantasy featuring a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.

There's a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He's the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father's overbearing (misogynistic) footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother's place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

This was an un-put-downable book that had me hooked from the first page to the last. I loved the larger woman protagonist, Olerra, who kicked arse as heir apparent to the feminist kingdom of my dreams. I adored the way that Olerra schooled Sanos, raised by an abusive misogynist in a toxic patriarchal culture, in everything from sex and pleasure for women and men, to seduction and how not to be a toxic masculine douchbag. There's a lot of witty dialog, and the prose is like refined gold, shining and precious, while the plot was swift and full of adventure, battles and intrigue. I wish that there were 100 more books like this out there, because this was satisfying on a soul-deep level, while still being smart and whimsical. A magical spicy tale that manages to be cozy without being twee, I'd give this fantastic fantasy an A, and recommend it to all the romantasy readers who are tired of the "tiny and introverted virgin with big breasts" trope of female protagonists who fall for the nasty, creepy and nearly pedophilic male protagonist no matter how evil he is, just because he is good looking. 

 

A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid is a YA dark academia fantasy that is reminiscent of AS Byatt's Possession, which I read decades ago. The book is beautifully produced, with an elegant cover design and bookish end papers that are colorful and perfect for collectors. Here's the blurb: 

Return to the immersive dreamlike world of the dark academia fantasy A Study in Drowning as the aftermath of their first discovery pulls Effy and Preston on a final adventure and brings their haunting love story to its end in this stunning sequel and final book in the duology. This collector’s edition features stunning foil case design, antique-style endpapers, filigree cover, and gorgeous designed edges.

All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairytale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?

This drowsy darkish tale is in the end, something of a feminist polemic as well as a tale of love and doing what is right, no matter how hard of painful it may be. Poignant plot that is helped by the glistening, ephemeral prose. While I didn't love it, because the female protagonist, Effy, is such an anorexic weakling, and the male protagonist a possessive jerk, bent on rescuing his beloved, I also didn't hate it, and in the end, the HEA came about in a fairly organic fashion. I'd give this dreamy, gauzy story a B-, and recommend it to anyone who likes Seanan MacGuire's October Day fantasy stories.

 

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry is an epic romantasy that is beautifully produced with a gilded cover design and pretty end papers. I had high hopes for this novel that were, unfortunately, dashed. Here's the blurb: Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy—where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.
I’ve spent my life kneeling—to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him—bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?
And what if—for the first time—I reached for it? 

 

This book starts with an engrossing premise of "what happens when a young woman who has been ignored her whole life by her family (in favor of a perfect sibling) suddenly becomes The Chosen One, by happenstance, and political maneuvering, and is sent on a mission bound to fail? I was looking forward to the female protagonist kicking some butt, but unfortunately, as the plot progresses, it veers into dark fantasy/horror, and by the last quarter of the book its full on battle gore and torture porn..blech. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying, making it obvious that there's a tortuous sequel in the works, and I feel that the author got carried away with her gory descriptions, to the point of nausea, which is sad. There appears to have been no editor around to trim the bloated paragraphs describing every detail of death on the battlefield. You'll need a strong stomach to make it to the end of this overwritten tome. I'd give it a B-, and recommend it to those who love Stephen King or other horror related fantasies.

 

A Confluence of Obsidian by Lydia M Hawke is an urban fantasy thriller, book 3 in the series that I've read and enjoyed so far. Here's the blurb: 

The enemy of her enemy is not her friend ... but they may be her only hope.

Sister Monica has defeated the dark Mages' attempts to seize the magickal stone she holds ... so far. But victory has come at great personal cost, and one of her own has been kidnapped.

Now, in exchange for Talia's return, Monica's enemy demands not just the stone, but the ancient and powerful Methuselah to wield it for them. If she hands them over, the Mages will have unimaginable, awful power. If she doesn't, Talia will die.

But a second faction of Mages has emerged to offer Monica their help. She knows she can't trust them, but with no idea where to look for Talia, she may have no choice but to accept the alliance ...

And then hope to hell she can beat them at their own power game before they destroy the very fabric of the universe.

The novels in this series are short and fascinating,(clean and concise prose with an action-fueled plot that really moves) and are also page-turners that you will want to read in one sitting. Sister Monica is an older gal who still, despite all the problems, physical and mental, that come with age, manages to kick butt and rout the nasty male mages, bent on taking the stones of power and using them for evil.  I love how protective she is of her trans ward, and how she is so noble, and willing to give her last breath to save the other nuns and their followers. It's also important to note that a lot of the action takes place in Canada, and the good people are all Canadians who give selflessly to the nuns cause. The other nuns also kick rump, with several of them being Molotov cocktail experts and others able to wield weapons that most would think they're too old and infirm to use. These books always end in a defeat of the bad guys and a small win for the good gals, which is delightful. I'd give this novella (under 300 pages) an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of the other obsidian books.