Wow, January is already moving into its second week, and I still feel like it's Boxing Day! Time is just speeding up, the older I get. Anyway, on Saturday this weekend I attended the "soft launch" of a tiny little book nook that has opened in the corner of a community artisan and wine bar space here in Maple Valley. It was just pure joy to talk books with fellow bibliophiles and local authors (I bought two books from some very smart and lovely young women), all while looking through a wonderful selection of local handmade crafts and clothes. Then we went for hot dogs and boba tea, so a good time was had by all. Here are some fresh tidbits and reviews.
I just watched the first episode of this delightfully arch streaming series, and I was impressed with Mark Gatiss's fierce and florid sleuth in post-war Britain.
TV:
Bookish Debuts
Bookish, a new six-part murder mystery
series created, starring, and written by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, The
League of Gentlemen), will premiere January
11 on PBS, with new episodes released
every Sunday through February 15.
Directed by Carolina Giammetta, the
series is co-written by Gatiss and
Matthew Sweet.
PBS noted that Gatiss and director
Carolina Giammetta take viewers "into
the chaotic and dangerous shadows of
post-war 1946 London, where Gabriel
Book's [Gatiss] encyclopedic knowledge
of literature and history makes
him an invaluable--if
unconventional--consultant to the local police.
With razor-sharp wit and an entourage
of charming social misfits, Book
helps unravel London's most puzzling
mysteries by turning to the
thousands of books lining his shelves."
Polly Walker (Bridgerton, Line of Duty)
stars as Trottie Book; Connor
Finch (Everything I Know About Love) as
Jack; Elliot Levey (We Were the
Lucky Ones, Quiz) as Inspector Bliss;
Blake Harrison (World on Fire,
Still Up) as Sergeant Morris; and Buket
Koumler (Our House) as
Nora. Bookish is a production of Eagle
Eye Drama (an ITV Studios Company) and Happy Duck Films produced in
association with UKTV and Beta Film for PBS.
I'm hoping to get to watch this series as soon as we're able to afford to get more streaming subscriptions. Right now we have desperately-needed renovations and our washing machine and dryer and dishwasher all need replacing.Food and shelter and heat are priorities.
TV:
Imperfect Women
Apple TV released a first look at
Imperfect Women,
a new limited series based on Araminta
Hall's novel. Created for TV by
Annie Weisman (Physical, Based on a
True Story), the project stars and
is exec produced by Elisabeth Moss (The
Handmaid's Tale, Shining Girls,
Mad Men) and Kerry Washington (Scandal,
Little Fires Everywhere,
UnPrisoned). It premieres with two
episodes on March 18, followed by new
episodes every Wednesday through April
29.
The cast for the eight-episode thriller
also includes Kate Mara, Joel
Kinnaman, Corey Stoll, Leslie Odom Jr.,
Audrey Zahn, Jill Wagner, Rome
Flynn, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Violette
Linnz, Indiana Elle, Jackson Kelly,
Keith Carradine, Ana Ortiz, and Wilson
Bethel. The series is a
co-production of 20th Television and
Apple Studios.
Apple TV noted that Imperfect Women
"examines a crime that shatters the
lives of three women in a decades-long
friendship. The unconventional
thriller explores guilt and
retribution, love and betrayal, and the
compromises we make that irrevocably
alter our lives. As the
investigation unravels, so does the
truth about how even the closest
friendships may not be what they seem."
This sounds like a smashing new store in Cedar Rapids, which is near where my mother was born. I wish I had the funds to visit mom and this bookstore in Iowa.
Grand
Re-opening for HEA Book Boutique, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
HEA Book Boutique, a romance-focused
bookshop, will host a ribbon-cutting
today, January 9, and a grand
re-opening celebration on January 10 in
its new location at 588 Boyson Road NE, #116, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The
event will feature a book signing, swag bags, and giveaways. Owner
and self-described "Chief Book Babe" Jenn Draper launched
HEA Book Boutique in 2023 as a pop-up, but quickly moved into a
physical storefront in Marion, Iowa.
"The romance bookstore trend has
skyrocketed in the last two years
nationwide, and we've seen that
popularity here in Iowa," said Draper.
"This expansion is a true
testament to the loyal and tight-knit
community of readers we're building.
The new location will almost double
our space, and provide opportunities to
offer more events, author visits
and even some new products."
I've read a lot of books by Emily Henry, including the ones listed below, but I'm not sure how well they will transfer to the film media. Her books tend to have a lot of internal dialogue, which doesn't do well on the screen, because TV and movie plots need more action to get forward momentum going.
Movies:
Funny Story
Netflix's film version of Emily Henry's
novel People We Meet on Vacation
debuts today, but the bestselling
author is already looking to the
future. Variety reported that the
streaming service has acquired the movie adaptation rights to her
novel Funny Story, and will be shifting its
already-in-the-works Happy Place
adaptation from a TV series into a
film.Happy Place is being produced by
Nuyorican's Jennifer Lopez, Elaine
Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina.
Leila Cohan is showrunner.
Funny Story is being produced by
Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company (RPC) with Lyrical Media's
Alexander Black and Natalie Sellers as well as RPC's Aaron Ryder and
Andrew Swett are producing. Henry is writing the script. Neither
project has set its cast yet.
"Emily Henry has a gift for
creating characters that truly connect with
audiences, and it's no surprise her
books have resonated with so many,"
Alex Black, founder and CEO of Lyrical
Media, said. "We're excited to be
following up People We Meet on Vacation
and collaborating with her on
Funny Story--it's going to be such a
thrill bringing her beloved
characters to the big screen."
The Awakening by Nora Roberts is a science fictionish (a parallel universe lives alongside our reality, and it contains all the magical creatures we think are myths), romantasy with dragons and the inevitable female protagonist who is shy and insecure who needs to "find herself" and create a new life for herself after being abused by her family/friends/bosses, etc. Here's the blurb: Author Nora Roberts begins a new trilogy of adventure, romance, and magick in The Awakening.
In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword—representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…
When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.
This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny
In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword—representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…
When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.
This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny
Thankfully there's only one sizable love scene in this novel to lend it the required "spice" and it mostly focuses on Breen's awe-inspiring Irish journey of learning to defend herself and learning to use her newly discovered magic powers. Having been to Ireland myself, I can honestly say that the landscape is every shade of green, and breathtaking, and the people are also welcoming, funny and wise, but there's a definite lack of technology and other things we take for granted here in the US that can make your trip seem boring after a week or so. Roberts, a veteran fiction novelist, knows her way around shining prose and a zingy plot that keeps readers engrossed chapter after chapter. I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who loves Ireland and fae tales that have been told there for centuries.
Firefly: Coup de Grace by Una McCormack is a story set in the fantastic universe created by Joss Whedon who wrote Firefly and introduced rabid fans to this funny and poignant Western space opera that only lasted for 1 season. Here's the blurb: The Serenity
crew land on the remote moon of Abel for a lucrative job, but becomes
embroiled in a young woman’s quest for vengeance and a starving frontier
town’s fight for survival. Join Mal and the gang in this enthralling
original tie-in novel from the award-winning series.
The Serenity crew head to Yell City, one of the settlements on Abel, a moon in the Rim. Their job: track down the killers of a local lawyer shot dead in the streets by a local gang. Their client is Annie Roberts, the eighteen year old daughter of the murdered man.
Lucky for them, Annie Roberts is more than capable of handling herself. Unlucky for them, the job is lot more complicated than they first think. Annie’s father is not just the victim of local gang violence, but the target of some powerful men.
Taking down a local gang is one thing, but cleaning up a whole city? That’s not a job for the Serenity crew. But when their ship is impounded, and Mal and the crew find themselves trapped in Yell City, they realize they are already in deeper than they could have ever imagined.
The Serenity crew head to Yell City, one of the settlements on Abel, a moon in the Rim. Their job: track down the killers of a local lawyer shot dead in the streets by a local gang. Their client is Annie Roberts, the eighteen year old daughter of the murdered man.
Lucky for them, Annie Roberts is more than capable of handling herself. Unlucky for them, the job is lot more complicated than they first think. Annie’s father is not just the victim of local gang violence, but the target of some powerful men.
Taking down a local gang is one thing, but cleaning up a whole city? That’s not a job for the Serenity crew. But when their ship is impounded, and Mal and the crew find themselves trapped in Yell City, they realize they are already in deeper than they could have ever imagined.
I loved this show so much that when I found the entire season and the movie that followed at a garage sale, I bought them and then watched the whole series twice, which is unusual for me because I don't like repeating my viewing choices. But Firefly's characters and scripts were just that good. I was surprised how good this authors "step above fan fiction" novelization was, and how engrossed I became in this page-turner. The "True Grit" theme with the young girl seeking vengeance for the death of her parent never faltered or fell into a plot hole. Mal and Jane and the rest of the crew found their footing and fell into place, each doing what they could to help this impoverished town and the young gal who watched her father die, and is overwhelmed with anger and grief. The prose was sleek and Whedon-ish, and the plot never faltered, but chugged forward like a freight train. I kept hearing the mournful theme song to Firefly, You Can't Take the Sky From Me, and I could see the actors, like Nathan Fillon and Morena Baccarin, trouping around this dusty dying planet hoping to find a way to help Annie and all the poor folks trying to eake out a living on a destitute rock. I'd give this page-turner an A, and recommend it to all the Browncoats in the 'verse!
A Wish for Us by Tillie Cole is a YA romance that has an adequate amount of mild spice and a lot of sentimental schmaltz that will doubtless appeal to young women in their late teens and early 20s. Here's the blurb: Though most contemporary romances these days hew to Hallmarks misogyny-encrusted story format that has a soap opera atmosphere in which the female protagonist falls so hard for the traditional tropey male protagonist (who is usually a bad boy with tattoos, muscles and a History) that she gives up her career and her dreams of an independent life to settle down in some cheesy small town and have the reformed-by-love bad boy's babies and focus her life on being a traditional wife and mother, which, due to regular hot sex, becomes all she's ever wanted or dreamed of having. This was the case for "Wish", especially at the end of this overwrought emotional-overload of a book. Because it's assumed that when a woman, especially a young one, faces her mortality due to a bad heart, that what she wants to live for is getting married to the local jerk bad boy and having babies with him. Her musical talent and career suddenly don't matter. Insert eye roll here. I'd say that the prose wasn't bad, but it was full of cliches, and the plot was, again, very Hallmark channel, so you knew every beat of the oft-repeated storyline (and the HEA). Even the mother in the book doesn't escape the misogyny, as she sacrifices her life so that her heart can be transplanted into her daughter. I'd give this cheesy book a B- and recommend it to those who like their romances traditional.
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber is a strange and atmospheric novel that kept me guessing as to what the author was trying to say. Though it is listed as contemporary fantasy, I felt as if there were elements of old fashioned horror and mystery as well as a bit of romance woven throughout. Here's the blurb: Deluxe limited edition first printing featuring unique case stamp and black sprayed edges
What if the urban legends you've always heard about were real?
It starts with a class in an old movie theater. Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.
With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles―and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.
What if the urban legends you've always heard about were real?
It starts with a class in an old movie theater. Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.
With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles―and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.
I felt at times that I was reading science fiction/fantasy noir without a strong plot but with gilded prose that keeps the reader guessing as to who the characters really are...we're never actually told if the Watchman or the Professor or the sexy stranger are angels or the devil, sent to steal Holland's soul. I won't spoil the ending except to say that, like much of this novel, it was somewhat anticlimactic. Had I known what a nightmarish book this was, with a plot that left me bored and irritated halfway through, I would never have spent 25 dollars on it. I'd give it a B-, and I'm being generous, and only recommend it to people who like novels that leave you scratching your head wondering what the heck you just read.
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