Secret Garden on Stage, Markus Zusak at Rakestraw Books, Bookstore Makes A Wish Happen, Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee, Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood, A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting, As Above, So Below by Jan Foster, and Magical Midlife Dating by KF Breene

Welcome to my 1,000th post on this book review blog, started way back in 2005 during the SuperBowl (which I found boring, so my husband recommended that I start a book blog, and the rest is history). It has been a long road, and not all smooth, either, with complaints and publisher's buying my page to promote their newest author's work, and times when I wasn't able to even sit up and blog due to my chronic Crohn's Disease and/or other ailments, like pneumonia or COVID. But I never gave up, and here we are, a thousand posts in. Of course, now that I am a 65 year old widow, I'm re-evaluating whether or not to keep the blog going, as its a lot of work and my health struggles are only going to take center stage more often as I grow older. Still, this is the last vestige of my writing career, and I'm loathe to give it up. So, for now at least, onward!

The Secret Garden is one of those classic children's tales that, once you read it or have it read to you, you never forget it...it's life changing. I'm heartened to see that this many years on from publication, people are still interested in adapting the story to stage and screen. I really wish that I could go to Europe and see this musical version of the story.

On Stage: The Secret Garden

New production photos are offering a first look at Tony-winning director John Doyle's new actor-musician revival of Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon's 1991 musical

The Secret Garden at York Theatre Royal," Playbill reported. Adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's book, the production opens March 19, and continues through April 4.

Estella Evans (The Book Thief, Matilda) and Poppy Jason (Les Misérables) share the role of Mary Lennox, joined by Catrin Mai Edwards as Martha, Joanna Hickman as Lily, Henry Jenkinson as Archibald, Elliot Mackenzie as Dickon, Ann Marcuson as Mrs. Winthrop, Elizabeth Marsh as Mrs. Medlock, André Refig as Neville, and Steve Simmonds as Ben, with Cristian Buttaci and Dexter Pulling sharing the role of Colin. The cast also includes Stephanie Cremona, Matthew James Hinchliffe, Lara Lewis and Melinda Orengo.

I loved the Book Thief, and how delightful that Mr Zusak is celebrating the 20th anniversary of this incredible novel with in-person events! I wish that I had been there to see him and ask questions during the Q&A.

Image of the day: Markus Zusak at Rakestraw Books

Rakestraw Books, Danville, Calif., celebrated the 20th anniversary of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief (Knopf Books for Young Readers) with a sold-out event--including one fan who came all the way from Chicago. Zusak discussed the book, its origins, and the impact it has had a generation of readers, and took questions from the audience.

What a great wish from Ms Lowman, and how exciting to see it all unfold! Getting a book published is no mean feat these days, so great job on the wish and making the world a better place, one book at a time!

Image of the Day: Bookstore Makes a Wish Happen

The Well-Read Moose in Coeur d'Alene and Make-A-Wish Idaho teamed up to grant 15-year-old Mariah Lowman's wish: she wanted to be a published author and to celebrate with a book signing at her favorite bookstore. Her debut novel, Dragon Slayers, is the first part of the Golden Heir series.

Make-A-Wish Idaho's director of mission delivery Matt Dahlgran said this was the first time Make-A-Wish has helped get a book published in the U.S. Liz Burkwist of the Well-Read Moose reported, "The day was filled with joy, emotion, and a deep sense of community as Mariah held her book in her hands for the very first time and shared it with close family and friends. As booksellers, it was incredibly meaningful to witness not just the launch of a new fantasy series, and being chosen as the setting for such a milestone moment is something we will never forget."

Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee is a romantic historical mystery based in the Pacific Northwest, on or near Orcas Island. Having lived in the PNW for 35 years now, I can attest to the wild beauty of the Islands near Friday Harbor, and the magnificent and misunderstood "killer" whale population living there. This was one of those books that grips you right from the first paragraph and doesn't let you go until the final page. I was swept away, and could NOT put it down, each page adding to the tension of whodunnit and who Lucy's parents are, until it's almost unbearable and yet fascinating. Here's the blurb: An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this historical gothic mystery from bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee.

1918. Orcas Island, Washington.

Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore in a green canoe as a baby. But she has long wished for a life off the island, and in a matter of days, she is set to leave for college—and, for the first time, choose her own future.

Then she finds her employer’s severed head on the beach. Rumors swirl that a mischievous spirit and its minions, the sea wolves, have struck again. Lucy doesn’t believe in myths. She knows that a human—a human murderer—killed him. And when she is unexpectedly named heiress to the estate, she understands the next target is her.

Her closest friend, the estate’s vigilant young guard, begs her to escape while she can. But Lucy knows the only way she can discover who she is, and free the island of its curse, is to find the real killer—before she becomes the next victim. 

Though I wasn't fond of Lucy's suitors (Koa was a bully and a rough, pushy jerk, and Nash was the "civilized" version of Koa, trying to get in Lucy's pants for his own ends, and brawling jealously with Koa at every opportunity...grow up, for heaven's sake!), I liked that she truly wanted to retain her independence as a woman, and that she didn't want to be a leader, but when forced to become one, she really stepped up to the plate. I also liked her ability to get herself out of critical situations by being smart. I've read two of Stacey Lee's other novels, and they were both well-written and riveting, as was this one. I appreciate Lee's own ties to the PNW, and I revel in her mastery of prose that is light and airy without being insubstantial. Her plots are, as I've said, riveting and suspenseful, and her characters fascinating. I'd give this book a well deserved A, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in stories of extraordinary women around the turn of the 20th century.

 

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwoood is a contemporary romance between millennials who create videogames for a living in the Seattle area (of course, being the home to so many tech giants, its inevitable that stories about gamers and coders will be based here). It's novella length, and a quick and slick read, but enjoyable nonetheless. Here's the blurb: An enemies-to-lovers spicy novella set in the world of video gaming from the New York Times bestselling author of Problematic Summer Romance.

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, aka her archnemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her—and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one. 

The prose was snappy and the plot zingy, and there was some mid-level sexual spice that appeared 2/3rds of the way through the book that was surprising in its intensity. Though I didn't like the fact that Viola was written as an almost typical romance heroine, petite and shy and always cold, so she seeks the "warmth" of a big male to stave off hypothermia, I did like that she was smart and creative and never tried to hide her light so as to attract a guy. I loved that she could collaborate with Jesse because they both loved the same book series, too...there's nothing like two bookworms in love! I'd give this entrancing novella a B, and recommend it to anyone who is a female in the gaming industry.

 

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting is a contemporary rom-com complete with kitty cats and lots of fun between a grumpy dog person and a confirmed cat lady. Here's the blurb: The fur is about to fly between a cheerful cat sitter and a grumpy hockey nerd in this hilarious and charming rom-com by the author of Meet Cute, Helena Hunting.

Kitty Hart has become internet famous as the Kitty Whisperer for her expertise on all things feline, and as a result, her cat-sitting business is booming. But lately, she has a terrible feeling that maybe her life isn’t quite going where it’s supposed to—especially after falling face-first into her newest client. Not exactly the best first impression.

Fortunately, Miles Thorn is just as bad at first impressions. Strike one: he doesn’t like cats, especially Prince Francis, the haughty and mischievous Sphynx his mom left in his care. Strike two: tackling Kitty to the floor in a misguided attempt to save the pet he continually calls “the gremlin.”

As awkwardness slides into attraction and things start to turn purr-sonal, will these two complete opposites ever be able to find their furry-tail ending? 

Hunting's prose is sterling, witty and delightful, and her plot races along on greased wheels, so don't be surprised if you end up reading until the wee hours of the morning on this one. The cover design really pops, and the structure of the book was created to allow the reader to stop and attend to other things and then pick it back up where it left off with no trouble at all. I laughed all the way to the lovely HEA. Because I love cats, too, I was riveted by tales of how each member of Kitty's feline family was doing. I'd give this sweet and fluffy novel an A-, and recommend it to those who love funny romances and cats...lots of cats.

 

As Above, So Below by Jan Foster is a cozy historical fantasy, full of magic and whimsy and a middle-aged heroine (a real rarity in publishing). Here's the blurb: Becca had made her peace with being ordinary. Magic had other ideas.
By midlife, Becca enjoyed predictable days and laundry that behaved itself. What she did not want were peculiar powers staining everything she touched, especially the sort that misfired, sparkled at the wrong moments, and attracted far too much attention.

When the Lammas blessing goes spectacularly wrong and Hardingstone’s crops begin to act strangely, Becca’s long-dormant magic bursts into life with all the subtlety of a runaway pig. Before she can ignore it and hope it will pass, she’s roped into a coven of mysterious elder witches and saddled with a sarcastic talking dog called Bran. As if her life wasn’t already turned upside down, she’s then confronted by Fairfax, an infuriating and stranded sailor, who arrives with chaos rigged.

Worse, she’s informed her unpredictable new powers are vital to saving the village and harvest through an ancient ritual. With an All Hallows deadline looming, Becca must learn to live with magic she never asked for - and the well-intentioned friends who won’t let her face it alone.

Can the coven save Hardingstone before the source of the stink exposes them all? And will Becca, Fairfax, and Bran ever settle the age-old question of which is better — a bacon or a sausage sandwich?

Cosy, chaotic, and full of charm, As Above, So Below is a feel-good Elizabethan historical fantasy romp about late-blooming magic, village mishaps, and discovering that found family has a habit of turning up uninvited and refusing to leave, no matter how purple or flatulent things become.

This short and lively novel was quite the sweet read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I laughed at all of Beccas unintended magical escapades, especially turning the laundry and her hands purple, and her bread pink (I wouldn't have allowed anyone to feed it to the pigs...I would have eaten the whole loaf myself!) I was saddened by how disrespectfully everyone treated her, and I kept hoping that she'd gain control of her powers and blast them all to another corner of the world. Still, it was an interesting personal journey, and I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone interested in magical small towns and the eccentric people who live in them.

 

Magical Midlife Dating by KF Breene is a paranormal romantasy that is the second book in a series that I've tried. Unfortunately, there are a myriad of magical/mythical male creatures, all of whom are horny sexist asshats who sexually harrass and try to rape Becca, the main character, which was disgusting and off-putting. Who knew gargoyles were such horrible beings? Becca shrugs off all their crude and lewd advances, and tries to laugh it off, but I felt uncomfortable for her, being swept up in this ritual that is foisted off on her, without giving her the chance to determine her own fate. Blech. Here's the blurb: She must learn to fly, but can she withstand the allure of the handsome new teacher?

The decision has been made. Jessie has taken the magic, and all the weird that goes with it. Including wings. There's only one problem - she can't figure out how to access them.

Through a series of terrible decisions, Jessie realizes she must ask for help. Gargoyle help.

But she could've never predicted who answers her call - he's an excellent flier, incredibly patient, and a good trainer. He's also incredibly handsome. And interested. Maybe flying isn't the only thing she needs help with. Maybe she needs help getting back on that saddle, too, emerging into the dating pool.

Except, the new gargoyle is also an alpha, just like Austin, and the town isn't big enough for two.

Turns out, flying is the least of her problems.

 If I were Jessie, I would have told everyone to F-off and then gone to get magical training ASAP. But between her running away from gargoyles trying to force their stone boners on her, and dealing with alpha battles for her hand, she never seems to go far in her quest to 'earn' her wings. Most of the book was a repeat of that theme, enough so that it became boring and pedantic pretty fast. I'd give this disappointing novel a C, and only recommend it to completeists. 

 

In The Valley of Shadows Movie, London Book Fair and the Future of Reading, Book to Screen Adaptations, The Bell Jar Movie, Romantic Roots Grand Opening, Dog Eared Books 5th Birthday, Finlay Donovan on TV, Isles of Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson, The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble, The Book Binder's Secret by A.D. Bell, The Griffin Sister's Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner, and Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

Greetings book people! We're a bit more than halfway through a tempestuous March, when snow and freezing rain have left many stranded in their homes hoping that the power doesn't go out, or, that it comes back on quickly after an outage before they become human popsicles. I've been hunkered down indoors, covered in cozy blankets, reading fiction like there's no tomorrow. Our power has only gone out for a minute or two, so I was in no danger of freezing to death, thankfully. So here's my penultimate post, full of tidbits and a number of reviews. Keep reading, folks!

 

For awhile in my preteen years, I was on an HG Wells/Robert Lewis Stevenson reading jag, wherein I couldn't get enough of their 1800s science fiction novels...nowadays they'd call it a Steampunk obsession. It looks like Netflix is seeking out these 100 year old novels in search of more stories to turn into content for their streaming services that have voracious viewers looking for the next big binge-watch. 

 

Movies: In the Valley of Shadows

Filming has wrapped on In the Valley of Shadows, a Netflix movie based on an H.G. Wells 1904 short story, "The Country of the Blind," Deadline reported. The film, which was shot in Colombia, will have a theatrical release locally before releasing worldwide on the streamer. Directed by Sebastián Cordero from a screenplay he wrote with María Camila Arias, the movie stars Gael García Bernal, Natalia Reyes, Claudio Cataño, Diego Vásquez, Irina Loaiza, and Margarita Rosa de Francisco. 

This is part of a very cogent speech about the future of books and reading. While these stats and studies are based overseas in England, I daresay we here in the United States have much the same problem. Too many people addicted to screen viewing and not enough children and adults reading or attending literary events, as used to be commonplace. Attention spans continue to shrink, while ignorant parents and others continue to try and ban books that they've never read. Its the fascist mindset, out to destroy intellectualism, all over again. WWII, which was only 80 plus years ago, was fought to end this racist/sexist/homophobic and anti-semitic thinking from the world. But it would appear our collective memory is short in society, and too many people seem to be looking for ways to couch their hate in "normalism" to make evil acceptable again...so heartbreaking and terrifying.

London Book Fair Discusses Future of Reading

"The decline of reading is a greater challenge to our industry than AI could ever be," said Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan, at the London Book Fair Wednesday morning.

Prior took the stage to discuss the reading crisis, which she characterized as an existential threat to the publishing industry, one far greater than generative AI. She noted that in the U.K., only 1 in 3 children enjoy reading in their free time, and half of all adults have stopped reading. Daily reading to children ages 0-5 has dropped 25% since 2019, and even Oxford students, who once read three books per week, are now struggling "to finish one book in three weeks." Prior quoted journalist James Marriott, who said the country is "witnessing the birth of the first post-literate generation."

She emphasized that a generation has been "rewired for the scroll over the page," and with that loss of literacy and inability to pay attention, Prior asserted, "critical thinking is the first casualty." It becomes especially dire given the "global surge of book bans" and other efforts to "narrow the mind."

There have been some positive signs, Prior noted, such as the U.K. government committing last fall to putting a library in every primary school. That, however, is not an end goal but a "non-negotiable first step." The industry needs to hold the government to that promise while also considering what can be done for secondary schools and early childhood.

Prior also advised the industry to publish "with wide arms and without judgment." Children and adults should be encouraged to read wherever their interests take them.

This doesn't surprise me, as film/TV/streaming companies have a voracious need for content, and there's a dearth of readers/writers with imagination, especially now that books are lessening in popularity. 

Book to Screen Adaptations Continue to Be Popular

* 48% of original U.K. and U.S. drama series on Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video between January 2024 and June 2025 were adapted from books.

* Five of the top 10 most-viewed, first-run, TV dramas for 2024 were adapted from books.

* Book adaptions had 57% higher box office revenue than non-adaptations for the top 50 grossing titles from 2020-2024.  

* The last six BAFTA Best Film winners have all been book adaptations.  

I remember reading The Bell Jar when I was a moody teenager, and finding myself feeling that it was written just for me, the poetry of deep depression and being misunderstood engraved on my heart. I proceeded to read everything Plath had written, and I loved her lyrical prose style and her sharp intellect. I felt in tune with her overlooked and misunderstood ideas about women's role in society. I'm curious about how BE is going to adapt this book, especially for audiences in the 21st century.

Movies: The Bell Jar

Ten-time Grammy winner and two-time Oscar winning songwriter Billie Eilish "is in advanced talks to make her acting movie debut" as Esther Greenwood in an adaptation of Sylvia Plath's classic novel, The Bell Jar," Deadline reported.

Oscar winner Sarah Polley (Women Talking, Away From Her, Alias Grace) is attached to direct and write the script for the film, which Focus Features is closing a deal to back and distribute in the U.S.

I wish that I could visit this bookstore in Washington's capital city. It sounds delightful.

Romantic Roots Bookstore, Olympia, Wash., Hosts Grand Opening

Romantic Roots, a romance bookstore, "magical gift shop, and fantasy floral design studio catering to romantic hearts," held its grand opening celebration this past Saturday, March 14, at 3003 Pacific Ave. SE in Olympia, Wash.

Co-owner Angela Scott told the Olympian newspaper that romance novels, plants, and flower-arranging workshops "keep the romance going." Former longtime owner of bridal business Weddings with Joy, Scott is working with business partner Amy Smith, who owns the building where the new store is located.

Scott added that workshops on terrarium building and flower arrangement also are under consideration, as well as a book club.

Referring to her previous business, she said, "While weddings may no longer be fitted here, love will always live in this space. Romantic Roots carries that history forward--through stories, growth, and shared experiences."

I absolutely love the idea of having the store's "brand" tattooed on your body for a lifelong discount, though due to allergies I can't ever get a tattoo. Ames has always been a funky university town, and I think this idea is an exciting one to build customer loyalty.

Happy Fifth Birthday, Dog-Eared Books!

Congratulations to Dog-Eared Books, Ames, Iowa, which celebrated its fifth anniversary the weekend of March 7 and 8 with in-store discounts, door prizes, giveaways, audiobooks donated by Libro.fm, kids activities, more than 500 cookies baked by one of the store owners' mothers, and the presence of Shop Dog Story, who greeted customers and showed off her tricks, and new Mascot Dog, Deb, who made her debut appearance.

The main event was a daylong flash tattoo offering. Six tattoo artists with whom the store has planned previous flash tattoo fundraisers in support of fighting book bans, Palestinian relief, and reproductive rights, offered their times and talents to provide literary tattoos for Dog-Eared Books' customers. Store owners Amanda Lepper and Ellyn Grimm pledged a 25% lifetime discount to any customer who chose a flash tattoo drawn from the store's branding. Book lovers formed lines that stretched the block starting as early as 7 a.m., camping out with coffees, blankets, and books in every form--hardcovers, paperbacks, e-books, and audiobooks. By day's end, more than 30 customers had shown up to show off their new Dog-Eared Books tattoos and earn lifetime discounts.

Though I've not read this book, I've read so many glowing reviews of it that I'm excited to see what they'll do with a TV/streaming adaptation of the book itself. It sounds like a dark comedy that I'd enjoy.

TV: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Lang Fisher (The Four Seasons, Never Have I Ever) is currently in development at Peacock on a TV adaptation of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, the first book in the author's Finlay Donovan Mysteries series that includes six titles, with a seventh, Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line, hitting stores this week, Deadline reported.

The logline: "Based on the book by Cosimano, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It follows a struggling novelist and single mom on the verge of losing custody of her kids, who is mistaken for an assassin and offered life-changing money for one kill."

Isles of the Emberdark is a novel by Brandon Sanderson that expands on his novella Sixth of the Dusk, following the trapper Dusk and a dragon named Starling as they navigate galactic politics and ancient secrets in a far-future, space-faring setting. The story features interstellar travel, magical birds (Aviar), and political conflict as Dusk seeks a way to modernize his people and Starling searches for freedom, with the original Sixth of the Dusk novella included as flashbacks. Here's the blurb: 

From author Brandon Sanderson comes a legendary standalone novel that navigates the seas and the stars of a far-future Cosmere. 

All his life, Sixth of the Dusk has been a traditional trapper of Aviar—the supernatural birds his people bond with—on the deadly island of Patji. Then one fateful night he propels his people into a race to modernize before they can be conquered by the Ones Above, invaders from the stars who want to exploit the Aviar.

But it’s a race they’re losing, and Dusk fears his people will lose themselves in the effort. When a chance comes to sail into the expanse of the emberdark beyond a mystical portal, Dusk sets off to find his people’s salvation with only a canoe, his birds, and all the grit and canniness of a Patji trapper.

Elsewhere in the emberdark is a young dragon chained in human form: Starling of the starship Dynamic. She and her ragtag crew of exiles are deep in debt and on the brink of losing their freedom. So when she finds an ancient map to a hidden portal between the emberdark and the physical realm, she seizes the chance at a lucrative discovery.

These unlikely allies might just be the solution to each other’s crisis. In their search for independence, Dusk and Starling face perilous bargains, poisonous politics, and the destructive echo of a dead god.

Sanderson expands his thrilling novella “Sixth of the Dusk” into a mythic novel of legends, lore, and warring galactic superpowers.

My son is a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, and he continually badgers me about reading books from Sanderson's various series in the Cosmere, though I've explained to him that I dislike Sanderson's excessively long novels (where are his editors? Why aren't they removing all the fluff from his books?) full of overblown prose and melodrama. Also, Sanderson, a devotee of the Mormon/LDS religion, often writes about fascist powers seeking to "tame" and enslave "lesser" (read: poor) races and exploit them for their own ends...this, while to this day his chosen religion sends their 18 year old boys to third world underdeveloped countries to "tame" and and recruit the natives into his religion (and they've been doing this for centuries, just like the Catholic church).  The hypocrisy is staggering. The Mormon religion also rejects homosexuality and is racist and sexist, yet many of Sanderson's main characters are LGBTQ people, or people of color, or women in charge. I can only imagine that the reason that he's not been excommunicated from the Mormon religion is because he makes a ton of money from his books, and likely is able to tithe larger amounts to the powers that be in his church to keep them off his back. Despite his many failings as an author (I've seen videos of the man strutting around bookstores being arrogant and boasting about all of his various novel series and how great they are, and how marvelous he is for writing them. Ugh), I have enjoyed a couple of his novels that I've read, though it takes a long time to hack your way through the jungle of his dense prose. Therefore I'd give this book with it's magical native protagonist a B- and recommend it to anyone looking for a quest adventure in space.

The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble is a historical novel with a romantic through line and first wave feminist swagger. Here's the blurb: From author Shelley Noble comes a gripping and timely historical novel of books, banning, and the women who helped save New York’s famed Book Row.

1915: Manhattan’s Book Row, an eclectic jumble of forty bookshops along Fourth Avenue, is the mecca for rare book buyers from around the world, and the haunt of locals looking for a bargain. It is also the target of the most vicious censor in American history—Anthony Comstock.

And home to three sisters who vow to stop him.

For the three Applebaum sisters, the narrow, four-storied Arcadia Rare Bookshop is the only home they’ve ever known. Olivia, the oldest, is an expert in restoring rare manuscripts. Daphne, the outgoing middle sister, oversees the retail shop and is a favorite with their customers. Celia, the youngest, is left to dust and catalogue, but often sneaks out to do heaven knows what. Little do her sisters know, Celia has joined a group of young people who secretly print and distribute articles on women’s health by hiding them within the pages of ordinary cookbooks, household hints, and sewing patterns, despite the personal risk.

Meanwhile, the Comstock Laws threaten anybody who owns or circulates “obscene, lewd, or lascivious” publications. Even classic literature or fine art could send a person to jail. In the face of such oppression, Celia and the booksellers of Book Row band together. But secrets and a mysterious stranger mean the fate of the famed Book Row is anything but secure. 

I'm a fan of well-written historical fiction that tackles little known areas of history and highlights the women's movement in the bargain. Noble's elegant and clean prose detail her strong and supple plot throughout the book, and I found myself turning pages into the wee hours. I also loved how the story of the three sisters of the early 20th century paralleled the Sapphic women of thousands of years ago, who also fought against the constraints of the patriarchy. Celia's determination to help poor and disenfranchised women was especially gratifying. I only wish that Noble had allowed one of the sisters to be a lesbian, so as to appreciate the Sapphic poems in all their resplendence. I'd give this fascinating tome a B+, and recommend it to anyone interested in the late 19th and early 20th century feminism.

The Book Binder's Secret by A.D. Bell was another atmospheric historical fiction novel that had me engrossed and enthralled from page 1. It's also a beautifully made hardcover, burgundy with gold foil accents and a mysterious design that makes you pause to pick it up and peruse its pages. Here's the blurb: Every book tells a story. This one tells a secret.

A young bookbinder begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a burned book reveals a story of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder. Now a USA Today bestseller!

Lilian ("Lily") Delaney, apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901, chafes at the confines of her life. She is trapped between the oppressiveness of her father’s failing bookshop and still being an apprentice in a man’s profession. But when she’s given a burned book during a visit to a collector, she finds, hidden beneath the binding, a fifty-year-old letter speaking of love, fortune, and murder.

Lily is pulled into the mystery of the young lovers, a story of forbidden love, and discovers there are more books and more hidden pages telling their story. Lilian becomes obsessed with the story but she is not the only one looking for the remaining books and what began as a diverting intrigue quickly becomes a very dangerous pursuit.

Lily's search leads her from the eccentric booksellers of London to the private libraries of unscrupulous collectors and the dusty archives of society papers, deep into the heart of the mystery. But with sinister forces closing in, willing to do anything for the books, Lilian’s world begins to fall apart and she must decide if uncovering the truth is worth the risk to her own life.

* This stunning edition includes full-color designed endpapers, unique foiled front and back case stamps, and special interior design elements. 

The vibrant prose and spirited plot kept me reading until the wee hours. Lily's dangerous and obsessive pursuit of the love letters she finds glued into a series of books had me looking askance at all my old tomes, wishing that there were hidden mysteries underneath the endpapers, waiting to be discovered. I enjoyed every minute of this story, and therefore I'd give it an A, and recommend it to fans of Dan Brown and of bookish mysteries in general.

The Griffin Sister's Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner is a pretty novel produced with vibrant design elements and musical notes along the edges. It reminded me of Taylor Jenkin's "Daisy Jones and the Six" without the mesmerizing plot and gripping prose. I was really hoping to like this story, but I found myself reviling the characters, who are mostly selfish attention seekers who don't care who they use or step on to get the fame and fortune that they crave. Here's the blurb: Cassie and Zoe Grossberg were once as dependent on each other as sisters could be, but it’s been two decades since they’ve spoken. As a pop sensation in their early twenties, the sisters experienced the ultimate highs of celebrity, until they were driven apart one terrible night. Now, in their early forties, Zoe is a suburban mom in New Jersey, and Cassie is living alone, off-grid in Alaska. In this story of estranged sisters, Zoe’s teenage daughter Cherry is desperate to bring the women back together—and unearth the truth behind their estrangement. As long-buried secrets surface, Cassie and Zoe are forced to confront their past choices and betrayals and decide whether they can be open to forgiveness and reclaiming the strength of their sisterhood.

Written with Jennifer Weiner’s signature humor and warm voice, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits is a fun, heartfelt, “shimmering story” (Woman’s World) about an emotional journey that celebrates the essence of family: the ties that bind, the events that shape us, and the love that, despite all odds, brings us back to each other. This is Jennifer Weiner at her absolute best. 

Zoe Griffin is a reprehensible person who lies to her autistic but talented sister and sends her into a spiral of guilt and despair that leads Cassie to eschew her gifts and hide in the wilds of Alaska. Zoe's daughter Cherry (who names their children after fruit, besides idiot celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow?) is a chip off the old block, who sings and wants a life of fame and fortune, away from her restrictive mother. Once Cherry discovers that her estranged Aunt was the talent behind the hit music of the Griffin sisters, she sets out to find her, so as to bolster her chances of winning an "American Idol" style music competition. She cares nothing for Cassies fear of people in groups, or her guilt and grief at losing the love of her life, or the pain that scarred her due to her sister's jealousy. Cherry's narcissim is, I suspect, supposed to be seen as charming because she's young and ambitious. I just found it cruel and selfish, and not charming in the least. It also irked me that Cassie is considered "hideous" and "ugly" because she's fat. As if women can only be attractive if they are half starved "waifs" because men are only attracted to skinny, child-like women that they can dominate. This is total BS, of course, but Weiner leans into the misogyny of fatphobia throughout the book, right up to the unsatisfying end. Frankly, I expected better of an author who has been a larger person herself. I didn't like anyone in this book but the poorly used and abused Cassie, who is left no better off than she was at the outset of the book. Therefore I'd give it a C, and only recommend it to anyone with a grimy, grotesque need for attention and fame/fortune. 

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent is a magical epic romantasy that has a very grim atmosphere and a lot of female "torture" porn that turned the book like lemon juice turns milk. Yuck. Here's the blurb: 

A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.

Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart. Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.

 I don't understand why women in romantasy novels, especially "dark" romantasy, must be beaten/raped/tortured until they're near death, and why the intricate descriptions of being lashed bloody is considered a selling point for the book, and also considered "sexy" somehow, as there is always a chapter where the male and female protagonists show each other their heinous scars and reveal what was done to them and why they seek vengeance. While sharing their horrible pasts, they also seem to fall more deeply in lust/love with one another, which makes no sense to me at all. Pain is seen as a matter of pride, and in this novel, rescue of other slaves is more important than the protagonist's life. Tis uses her sexuality to survive, and continues to use it throughout the book as a means to an end. I found the book with its high body count and bloody torture to be a bridge too far, and I'd give it a C+....I'd only recommend it to those who find pleasure in pain.

 

Dan Simmon's Obit, Chalkboard of Island Books, Song of the Samurai on TV, This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page, A Crown of Stars by Shana Abe, Tattoos and Clues by Trixie Silvertale, Wild Scottish Knight by Tricia O'Malley, The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah, and Fireborn by Erin Zarro

Hey there, bookish dragons! Its the second week of March, and we're coming up on St Patricks Day next week. It will also be the 26th anniversary of my epic trip to Ireland on St Pats with my best friend, now deceased, Rosemarie Larson, aka Muff, who discovered that the Irish don't celebrate St Pats day as we do in America. Most just go to their local pubs for a pint of lager and some corned beef, soda bread, and cabbage. It was also rainy and freezing cold the whole time we were there, but I still managed to have a good time, and I think that Muff did, too, after meeting the warm and welcoming Irish people (and the exceptional cab drivers!). At any rate, its been 40-50 degrees here in the PNW and rainy, too, so I've been hunkering down under warm blankets with some good books from my TBR stack. Here's some tidbits and more than a few reviews for you...enjoy!

I tried reading Simmons Ilium and Olympus novels, but found them full of misogyny, gore, cruel male characters with no redeeming qualities and dreadfully dull, heavy prose that slogged along a death march of a slow boring plot. I couldn't finish either novel. But one of my friends at the time, who is autistic, really loved Simmons attention to detail, enough so that you could spend hours on picking apart each chapter for historical Easter eggs. For me, that's a yawn, but for her it was exciting because it was so dense and difficult. It doesn't surprise me that he was a republican/right wing nutjob, but I laud his ability to get publishers to publish his overly written, huge tomes without decent editing. RIP, dude

Obituary Note: Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons, award-winning author of 31 novels and short story collections, died February 21. He was 77. His books garnered many honors, including the Hugo, three Bram Stoker Awards for horror, a dozen Locus Awards, and the Shirley Jackson Award. His titles have been translated into at least 20 languages and published in 28 countries.  

Simmons wrote in a variety of genres, publishing works of historical fiction, horror, hard-boiled crime, and speculative fiction, as well as exploring topics ranging from Ernest Hemingway's World War II Cuban spy ring to mountain climbing in the Himalayas. In 2018, his novel The Terror (2007) was adapted as a 10-part AMC series. At the time of his death, Simmons was at work completing his next novel, Omega Canyon, to be published by his longtime publisher, Little, Brown. 

A native of Peoria, Ill., Simmons's childhood experiences found their way into his horror fiction. After college, he taught sixth grade until his debut novel, Song of Kali, won the 1986 World Fantasy Award. In 1987 he left teaching to become a full-time author.

His other books include Carrion Comfort (1989), Summer of Night (1991), the sci-fi epics Ilium and Olympos, and Drood (2009), based on the last years of Charles Dickens's life. His political thriller Flashback (2011) "was widely criticized as an anti-left rant, imagining a dystopian future where mass immigration, the climate change 'hoax,' 'socialist entitlement programs,' and foreign policy failures under Barack Obama have led to the ruin of America, a 'Second Holocaust,' and the rise of an Islamic New Global Caliphate,' " the Guardian wrote.

In response, Simmons argued that he had written a short story version in 1991 that imagined a post-Reagan U.S., telling an interviewer: "I've been called a Nazi. I've been called a racist. People who have no idea of my life, what I've done, how I've worked for civil rights throughout my life, or what my politics have been, and what Democratic candidates I've written speeches for.... They think I was just going after Obama in the book; well, it used to be Reagan, and if I had waited a few years it would be whoever else would be president."

 I worked at the Mercer Island Reporter for 8 years, and their front door was about 10 steps to the back door of Island Books, where I'd take my paycheck every two weeks and try to get as many books as possible for the little amount my abusive (recently deceased) husband allowed me to spend there. Roger Page, who used to own/manage the store, always gave me employee discounts and often allowed me to choose some books from their ARC stacks in the back. I miss that guy, and I miss the newspaper (now defunct) and the warm and inviting stacks of the bookstore. I will always be a huge fan of theirs.

Chalkboard: Island Books

Yesterday was National Read Across America Day, and Island Books, Mercer Island, Wash., celebrated with a chalkboard message and more: "Today, and well everyday, we are encouraging you to Drop Everything and READ for at least 20 mins. We have coffee, donuts and a comfy pink couch & chairs if you wanna stop in. We're here all day."

My son has read this series, and I believe my husband was aware of it as well during his lifetime. I hope that the series is as well received as the books.

TV: Song of the Samurai

HBO Max today has acquired Song of the Samurai, a Japanese action drama based on the popular manga series Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem. It is set to premiere internationally on May 9. Created by Shinya Umemura (Record of Ragnarok manga series), Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem includes 36 volumes, with more than three million copies in circulation.

The latest Japanese title to launch exclusively on HBO Max through Warner Bros. Discovery's partnership with U-Next, the series is the first major collaboration between Japan's commercial broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System, the local video streaming platform U-Next, and studio house THE SEVEN (Alice in Borderland, Yu Yu Hakusho). 

The series features an ensemble cast that includes Yuki Yamada, Ayano Go, and Kento Nakajima. It is written by Masaaki Sakai, directed by Kazutaka Watanabe, and produced by Akira Morii, Mamoru Inoue, and Kazuya Shimomura. "In mid-19th century Japan, the Shinsengumi were among the so-called last samurai warriors who upheld the way of the sword during a time of profound change," Yuki Yamada said. "To me, the samurai spirit is the wish to protect someone; a universal feeling that is shared across borders. I hope audiences can enjoy the action, while also feeling the emotion carried within each blade." 

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page is a contemporary romance and change-of-life novel that really resonated with me. Each chapter begins with a list of books on a particular theme, and my only problem with that was that of the 5 or so books listed, I usually had already read at least 2 or 3 of the books recommended. So I didn't add much to my wish list, unfortunately. Still, its a dream of a book for bibliophiles and those navigating major changes (like the loss of a loved one) in their lives. It's a book about my people, readers! Here's the blurb: A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream, and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart.

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago.

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.  

What a delight this book was. The prose was light and lovely, the plot flew along on wings of joy and imagination, and the characters were all relatable and fascinating. I could NOT put it down! Tilly's tender journey through grief and back to loving life will stay with me for a long time. I'd give this delicious text an A, and recommend it to anyone who adores books and readers and huge piles of TBRs, and their ability to transform your life.

 

A Crown of Stars by Shana Abe is a family saga with a romantic through line, and a historical fiction book that will appeal to fans of Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age streaming series. As Abe is one of my all-time favorite authors, I knew that this book would be a home run from the get-go. Here's the blurb: A sumptuously vivid and poignant account of the Lusitania’s fateful last days, drawn from the true story of an extraordinary young actress who survived the unthinkable.

In turn of the century England, the Jolivet family lives a charmed existence. Daughter of a wealthy vineyard owner and a French pianist, vivacious Marguerite, the eldest of three, loves spinning stories and entertaining her family’s well-connected friends. No one is surprised when she announces, at 18, that she intends to become an actress. Her sister, Inez, a virtuosa violinist, moves to London with her. Soon the two beauties are being celebrated in the highest social circles.

Marguerite takes the stage name Rita, and quickly draws the attention of legendary theater producer Charles Frohman. From the West End to Broadway, and then in the new medium of silent film, Rita is known for her “sultry eyes, her mystic smile,” and her star burns brighter with every role. While filming in Italy, she’s courted by a charismatic aristocrat and Rita feels on the verge of a life even better than her dreams. Inez, meanwhile, has already found love, and travels the world with her adored husband.
Yet soon, war is raging across Europe. Rita, in New York for the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Unafraid, receives word from Inez that their brother is about to enlist. Hoping to see him before he departs, Rita books a ticket on the fastest steamer available: the RMS Lusitania. But the ship sails under a British flag, and the German government warns that all such vessels are fair game. Few believe Germany would risk attacking a ship carrying Americans, certainly not one as swift and imposing as the Lusy.

Once aboard, Rita is delighted to discover both Charles and her brother-in-law as fellow passengers.The days pass in a haze of parties and pleasurable pursuits, and the comforts of the luxury ocean liner are almost enough to calm Rita’s ripples of unease. But as the ship nears Liverpool, every assumption will be tested, and Rita, her family, and the world, will be changed forever by the voyage’s infamous and catastrophic end. 

Abe's prose is, as mentioned above, sumptuous and vivid, and the beautiful background of the early 20th century and the gloriously ridiculous reign of the robber barons and wealthy men of industry, like Vanderbilts and Rockefellers (and infamous Carnegie, who founded libraries throughout America out of guilt) and their wives was riveting stuff. I love a good rags to riches tale, and this novel had that in spades, with Inez and Rita having to work hard and maintain a facade, even while surviving the sinking of the Lusitania. The plot was swift and sure, and I found myself totally engrossed in the story after the first few pages. I'd give this excellent novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who loved the movie "Titanic" and who finds the political/social climate of over 100 years ago to be earily similar to what is happening today, minus the German U-boats.

 

Tattoos and Clues by Trixie Silvertale is the second Mitzy Moon mystery, a paranormal cozy series that spans 20 years of novels. I'm late to the party with this self-pubbed series, but I find it a fun and silly mental "palate cleanser" after reading several heavier tomes.  Here's the blurb:  A beachside stroll. A deadly discovery. Will this psychic sleuth swim or sink?

Mitzy wishes she could turn a blind third-eye to her hit-or-miss powers. Instead, while taking her fiendish feline for a walk, they make a stomach-churning find on shore. Despite her loss of appetite, she can’t help but get a closer look at the unique ink etched into the corpse…

Before she can track down the killer, Mitzy must sweet-talk her way off the sexy sheriff’s suspect list. And once again her meddling Ghost-ma is dying to interfere with the case. But when the trail leads to dangerous smugglers who shoot first and don’t ask questions, she could end up in over her head…

Can Mitzy uncover the truth, or will hers be the next body to float to the surface?

Tattoos and Clues is the second book in the hilarious paranormal cozy mystery series, Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s twisty whodunits.

While I wish that Silvertale would employ better editors (there are too many grammos and typos in each of these novels), I do enjoy her flippant prose and goofy, often weird plots that zoom along with large print type. I like that Mitzy isn't a complete ditz, and that her ghostly grandmother talks to her, as her caracal cat communicates with her in other imaginative ways. (I do find it very odd that an obligate carnivore can survive on what is essentially fruit flavored breakfast cereal, but perhaps that is part of the critter's magic). I'd give this sophomore effort at a cozy, sometimes goofy mystery a B, and recommend it to anyone who liked Scooby Doo Mystery cartoons back in the 70s.

 

Wild Scottish Knight by Tricia O'Malley is the first book in her enchanted highlands series, and in some respects it reads like a travelogue for visiting Scotland and its ancient castles. There's more than a bit of spicy (hot, really) romance with kilted and beefy Scotsmen, so if you're a fan of Gerard Butler and Sean Connery, this might be the romantasy series for you. Here's the blurb:  Opposites attract in this modern-day fairytale when American, Sophie MacKnight, inherits a Scottish castle along with a hot grumpy Scotsman who is tasked with training her to be a magickal knight before the Kelpies wreak havoc on the people of Loren Brae. The knight was supposed to be a man.

Not me, Sophie MacKnight, a marketing associate from California.

This must be a practical joke that the Scots play on visiting Americans. Because otherwise I’ve inherited a haunted castle in Scotland, along with one irritatingly sexy Scotsman, who would be delighted if I turned tail and ran.

Frankly, I thought I would fly here, sell the heap of bricks, and head back home to a life that I…well, I was comfortable with at the very least. Instead, the people of Loren Brae are in trouble, and it appears that as the new owner of the castle, I’m next in line to reinstate the magickal Order of Caledonia. Which means, first, I have to learn to believe in magick. And secondly, I have to train to become a knight.

And my trainer? None other than Lachlan Campbell, the grumpiest man I’ve ever had the annoyance of meeting. It’s a toss-up who is pricklier, Lachlan, or his kilted Chihuahua, Sir Buster. Not only does Lachlan think that I can’t hack it, but he also resents my claim on his castle.

If only he didn’t look so devastatingly hot in his kilt.

Now, I’m stuck proving myself to him, all while trying to figure out how to help my new friends in Loren Brae. Sparks fly as our swords meet, and we battle our rising attraction for each other.Who will win in this (Highland) game of love?  

 

Though I expected to be unsurprised by the obvious plot and slick prose of this book, I was engaged and happily surprised by Sophie and Lachlan's romantic and emotional/magical journey, which took up most of the book. The spicy bit, when it finally happened, was much more subdued and tender than I expected, and by the end I was rooting for the couple to marry and turn things around for the castle and the people of Loren Brae. Turns out small towns in Scotland are like small towns in the American Midwest, where everyone knows all your business, but they are also open-armed and caring people, who help you at every challenging turn. I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to any woman who finds Scottish men sexy and Scotland and its cold rainy landscape fascinating. Great job, O'Malley.

 

The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah is a Christian romance novel set in the Pacific Northwest, and because its one of her earlier works, its basically a Catholic apologist work with an anti-abortion (misogynistic) message that I'm sure had the approval of Hannah's local Catholic diocese...blech. Here's the blurb: From the author of The Women comes a poignant, evocative story that celebrates the magic of motherhood, the joys of coming home, and the price we so willingly pay for love.

Years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child have broken more than Angie DeSaria’s heart. Following a painful divorce, she moves back to her small Pacific Northwest hometown and takes over management of her family’s restaurant. In West End, where life rises and falls like the tides, Angie’s fortunes will drastically change yet again when she meets and befriends a troubled young woman.

Angie hires Lauren Ribido because she sees something special in the seventeen-year-old. They quickly form a deep bond, and when Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie offers the girl a place to stay. But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. Together, these two women—one who longs for a child and the other who longs for a mother’s love—will be tested in ways that neither could have imagined. 

Having been a feminist my whole life, being raised by a mother who was a feminist planned parenthood worker for decades, I was offended by many of the misleading and ridiculous scenes in this ebook, from the dour scene in Planned Parenthood where Lauren realizes that she "just can't kill her baby," though it would be in everyone's best interest for her to do so, nor can she bring herself to let Angie and her husband, who are childless, adopt the baby, because she's an idiot, and spends most of the book indecisively weeping and whining that no one loves her and that she's unworthy of love or care because of her dirtbag mother, who abandons her in her hour of need. Never mind that the local Italian family adopts her, and that Angie treats her with nothing but love and care, (which Lauren repays by being a lying twatwaffle) and even her jerk boyfriend tries to find ways to help her, which she summarily rejects. Ugh. She's such a wet blanket with a noodle for a spine. I really loathed the message of this book, and I'd give it a C at best, and not really recommend it to anyone.

 

Fireborn by Erin Zarro is a romantasy, and book two of the Grim Reaper (self published) series, which was a dirt cheap ebook that seemed to be right up my alley. Sadly, it was poorly written with a paint by numbers plot that gives it all away by the end of the first chapter. Here's the blurb: Former Grim Reaper Leliel and her new husband Rick have settled into a routine of normalcy after their life-changing trip to the Underworld. They can finally relax and be married and deal with mundane problems, like money and learning to use all the modern-day technologies that are new to Leliel. But they’re up for the challenge.

Until Leliel starts having frightening visions of people on fire. The fires appear to be suicides—young adults—but something isn't right. She senses that they were forced to act against their will. This isn't their time to die. Even though she's no longer a Reaper, she needs to fix it. Somehow.

When she and Rick investigate, they encounter resistance from not only the police but also the families and friends of the dead. Complicating factors are the Tarot cards left at the scenes, the mysterious happenings at the college that all of the dead turn out to have attended, and the disturbing new abilities that Rick is developing.

And then Leliel's own Tarot deck turns up the Death card--twice--and she realizes that she's gotten the attention of something evil...something she must face without Rick by her side. Meanwhile, the deaths are mounting.

Honestly, this novel reads like a Mary Sue fan fiction of Sarah J Maas fae novels without the sophisticated plot or intricate characters. Thank heaven it was short (under 300 pages), so I didn't have to suffer too long by wending my way through the cartoonish scenarios provided by the author. I'd give this dud of a book a C-, and recommend it to those who love Dungeons and Dragons and fan fiction written by overactive teenage girls.

 

LeVar Burton's Keynote on Reading at Winter Institute, Nightingale Movie, Mass Market Paperbacks Go the Way of the Dodo, The Astral Library by Kate Quinn, Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell, and A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

Welcome to March, book dragons and friends. So far March has come in like a lamb, which means it will go out like a lion. Then there's my memorial to the time my best friend Muff and I spent in Ireland on St Patrick's Day 26 years ago, and I hope that her spirit (she died years ago) is aware that I still think about her in March and on June 1, her birthday, every year. I still miss her desperately. Anyway, here are some long tidbits and some good book reviews for ya'all to investigate as you wend your way through this blustery month.

I adore LeVar Burton. He was spectacular in Roots, the mini series that caught America by storm when I was 16 years old, and made a huge impression on my whole family. Of course I had to read the book, which I loved, and I was amazed when I saw Burton again on STNG as Geordi LaForge. I didn't find Reading Rainbow until I was in my late teens, but when I did I was thrilled to see Burton promoting books, my favorite things, though he was mostly promoting children's lit, something I was too old for. Everything he says here in his speech is spot on. I admire him and his work.

Reading Is Power at Winter Institute

"Independent booksellers are so important," said LeVar Burton, actor, literacy advocate, and host of the PBS series Reading Rainbow, during the opening breakfast keynote at Winter Institute 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pa., Tuesday morning. 

Burton, who is also the American Booksellers Association's Indie Bookstore Ambassador for 2026, was in conversation with Janet Webster Jones, founder and co-owner of Source Booksellers in Detroit, Mich. They discussed some of his major roles as an actor, the power of reading, the importance of representation, and his upcoming memoir.

"What you all do is critical to that which it is I do," Burton continued. "You all hold the space for people like me. You create a safe space for us to come and browse and look around and turn pages. You are warriors on the front lines of the culture wars and I cannot thank you enough for doing what it is you do. Because without the infrastructure that makes up independent booksellers, I wouldn't know what to do with my life. Y'all really do make a difference in this world."

Asked about the power of reading, Burton described reading as the "fulfillment of the promise of humanity." People operate best when all of their senses are engaged, and for Burton, "reading just fires more cylinders than almost any activity that I can think of." And the most important of those cylinders, he said, is the imagination.

Burton recalled his childhood in Sacramento, Calif., where he spent a lot of time on his bed "reading and imagining a world that was safer than the one in which I lived, that was more welcoming than the world in which I lived." He said he's "come to believe that reading is really a passport to who you are and why you're here."

Discussing his role as Kunta Kinte in the 1977 mini-series Roots, Burton said it not only changed his life but gave him a "ringside seat to how it changed America." Prior to Roots appearing on television, people talked about slavery as "an economic engine that was necessary for America to achieve its status on the world stage." Post-Roots, "it was impossible to talk about that institution without considering the human cost." He called Roots creator Alex Haley the "best storyteller I've ever encountered" and "a real storyteller's storyteller."

On the subject of Star Trek: The Next Generation, on which Burton played the character Geordi La Forge, Burton noted that he grew up in a household that watched the original Star Trek series "all the time." He could "hardly express to you the feeling of having grown up with that storytelling and then become a part of that storytelling mythos itself."

He grew up in the 1960s, when there were "very few examples of representation on television." Seeing Nichelle Nichols on the bridge of the Enterprise "meant that when the future came, there was a place for me," and along with seeing Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rifleman or Diahann Carroll in Julia, these were "important, formative images for me." They provided validation and confirmation that "there was a place in this world for me."

"I think the honor of my life is to have been able to portray the Black experience in America from our enslavement to the stars," Burton said. "And when you consider that LeVar, the Reading Rainbow guy, is in the middle of that continuum, I know why I'm here."

Burton, who walked with a cane due to a recent hip replacement surgery, also emphasized the importance of taking care of oneself. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, he recalled, he was living his life "like there was someone chasing me," and he felt he'd been "headed for a heart attack in an airport somewhere." The Covid lockdown gave him the opportunity to "not just slow down but stop," and while examining his priorities, he recognized the changes he needed to make "if I wanted to continue to be of service in this life."

Burton revealed that he has written a memoir called Take My Word for It (coming from Random House in November), explaining that he wrote the memoir because he felt it was important at this point in time to "go on the record about a lot of things." And while he's mostly let his work "speak as loudly for me as it can," he recognized there were "some gaps that my work did not address that I really wanted to discuss in detail." His "deepest desire" with the book is to be "as transparent as I possibly could." Booksellers, ultimately, "will be the judges of that."

In closing, Burton said he considered Alex Haley, Gene Roddenberry, and Fred Rogers to be his "three storyteller mentors," and while out in Pittsburgh before the conference, he was surprised to look up and see a "huge portrait" of Fred Rogers. "You are in his neighborhood," Burton said. "Act accordingly." (Editors note: AMEN to that!)

This was such a great book that I am anxious about it becoming a movie. I hope that it will do the sterling work of Kristin Hannah justice.

Movies: The Nightingale

Mark Rylance and Shira Haas have joined the cast of TriStar Pictures' adaptation of Kristin Hannah's bestselling novel The Nightingale. Deadline reported that the project features Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning, marking the first time the sisters have starred in a film together. Edmund Donovan also stars. Sony Pictures plans to release the film theatrically on February 12, 2027.

Michael Morris is directing from a script by Dana Stevens. The movie will be produced by Elizabeth Cantillon for The Cantillon Company, Dakota and Elle Fanning and Brittany Kahan Ward for Lewellen Pictures, and Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine.

The Nightingale "tells the story of two sisters during World War II who dare to embark on separate, dangerous paths in the fight for survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France," Deadline noted.

In the town where I was born in Iowa, there was a Rexall Drug store with a magazine rack and a spinner with MMPB books on it, and whenever my mom would stop by to get medicine for myself or my brothers, I would beg her for a quarter for a book (before I was 6 , it was 15 cents!). Sometimes she would magically produce one from her coinpurse inside her regular purse, which smelled of Doublemint gum and hankerchiefs and tissues and lipstick, (smells that will always remind me of mom) and sometimes she'd only have a dime or three nickels, and I'd have to ask the lady at the counter if there were any books or magazines that I could get for 15 cents. Sometimes there was a mysterious sale, and I could get a paperback about space aliens or mysteries, and sometimes it was a teen magazine, but even if I couldn't get anything, it was such a thrill to look through the spinner rack at all those colorful cover paintings and dream about the worlds I could visit inside. This news of the phasing out of paperbacks guts me. They were really important to my imagination as a child.

Robert Gray: Mass Market Paperbacks 'Once Democratized Reading for the Working Class'

When the news broke last December that ReaderLink would be ending its distribution of mass market paperback books because of a dramatic decrease in sales over the past couple of decades (131 million units in 2004 to 21 million in 2024), I had a curious double response.

First, I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I'd purchased an MMPB, nor what that book might possibly have been. And second, I recalled two moments when MMPBs played a formative role in my reading life.

That initial reaction came back to me a couple of days ago, when the Guardian featured a piece headlined "America says goodbye to the mass-market paperback," noting that "for generations of readers, the gateway to literature was not a hushed library or a polished hardback but a wire spinner rack in a supermarket, pharmacy or railway station. There, amid chewing gum and cigarettes, sat the mass-market paperback: squat, roughly 4" by 7" and cheap enough to be bought on a whim." ReaderLink's decision "marks the end of a format that once democratized reading for the working class."

Paula Rabinowitz, a professor emerita of English at the University of Minnesota and the author of American Pulp, observed that the format "generated a new technological explosion of this form of mass reading. The whole idea was to make the books no more expensive than a package of cigarettes at 25 cents and they were often sold outside of bookstores."

Shelly Romero, a literary agent in New York City, told the Guardian she has early memories of going to her local supermarket and buying pulp fiction: "We were very working class; my mom was working two jobs sometimes. The appeal of books being cheaper and smaller and able to be carried around was definitely a thing.

"They had that democratic aspect to them where you can just find them anywhere and it always felt like it was the pick 'n' mix candy-type store where there is something here for everyone, whether it's the Harlequin romance novel or something very pulpy like a sci-fi or horror novel that you could quickly get."

I get it. I also grew up in a small working-class town, where my only book-buying options were Colville's news stand (also a great destination for comics) and Calvi's Dairy Bar.

My first personal library was courtesy of the news stand. In addition to watching every episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (IYKYK), I read, re-read, and collected the tie-in novel series, with subtitles like The Doomsday Affair, The Copenhagen Affair, and The Dagger Affair. I bought new editions as soon as they were released and carefully shelved the numbered MMPBs (1-23) on top of my dresser, between wooden bookends my father had made for me. Those novels were an early bridge to the world I would choose to live in as an adult--the world of books where I became a reader, a writer, a bookseller, and an editor.

Six decades later, a quick inspection of the bookcases in our home (and there are a lot of bookshelves) shows that my MMPB collection has been reduced to just two titles, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle, translated by Thomas P. Whitney (Bantam, 1969, $4.95); and The Making of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Ballantine, 1971, $1.25),translated by Gillon Aitken, with an introduction and screenplay by Ronald Harwood.

Although I saw the Denisovich film adaptation in 1973, two or three years earlier I'd made my first great reading "find" on an MMPB spinner rack at Calvi's Dairy Bar, which was owned by Delfina, a first-generation Italian immigrant. Calvi's was one of those miraculous establishments that managed, in limited space, to fit a lunch counter with stools, a few booths (discretely tucked in the back), a line of glass-enclosed display fixtures offering myriad curios, and, most importantly, the shrine to reading that was the MMPB spinner rack. 

Incredibly, The First Circle was wedged among the romance, thriller, mystery, self-help, and diet books. It would inspire me to read Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and Cancer Ward. The chance discovery had a profound effect on my reading life. Thanks, Delfina.

In December, after ReaderLink announced its decision, Esther Margolis, publisher of Newmarket Books, told NPR's Daniel Estrin: "I'm very sad about it. I've been sad about it for a while. Even during the '80s, when it started to really shift, I was sad because it really--like you asked before, that you could actually establish a total unknown. 

"Today, thank God, you have TikTok and BookTok. They could take somebody unknown and somebody can just get on a camera and say, I love this book, and next thing you know, you have Colleen Hoover or somebody. But that's what you could have done in the past paperback that you can't do really today. To me, Stephen King is a great example. I mean, his whole career, I don't know what--how that might have been built otherwise, if not for the mass-market paperback."

MMPBs still live, of course, but I guess this is my quiet, pre-RIP paying of respects to the format. Or maybe it's just my old eyes acknowledging the fact that I probably couldn't read the small type now anyway.--Robert Gray

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn is a blend of romantasy and magic realism with women's trauma based fiction that was a real page-turner. I found the characters fascinating and realistic, and I could NOT put it down...I read the whole book in 6 hours. Here's the blurb: 

From author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

 This is one of the very few novels I've read that had an accurately described secondary character who was bi-sexual and more fun than a barrel of monkeys...in fact, the delightful Beau outshone the grumpy and fearful (and immature) female protagonist Alix in every scene/chapter that they shared. (Always preceded by "Oh honey, no" which I found to be a hilarious affectation). Alix's journey from angry foster-care child who felt discarded to fierce library defender dragon was a pleasure to read, if only because the more she grew as a person, the less Alix whined and cried and complained about not being "chosen" by her horrible parents. The way that the final battle decimates the current horrors of the bible-belt book-banning ninnies (most of whom haven't even read a book in decades), and the bureaucrats who can't stand the non-profit nature of libraries everywhere, which serve the people without expecting to make a dime off of them, is breathtaking as it is profound. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and give it a well deserved A, and recommend it to anyone who loves reading and the sacred space that is a public library.

 

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett is a paranormal romantasy with added delights of time travel and more than a few fascinating felines who manage to both complicate and ease things along in the plot throughout this fascinating novel. Here's the blurb:  A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montréal turns to a grouchy but charming magician to help save her shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.

Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not-not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.

Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.

Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. 

Agnes is kind of a wimpy, transparent character who becomes more substantial as the novel goes on and she has to protect her rescue kitties, but, her crush on magician (scatterbrained though he is) Havelock, who supposedly nearly destroyed the world not long ago, makes little to no sense at all...and in fact feels rather forced (romance for its own sake rather than romance that springs from a spark between characters). I must mention, before I forget, that this book is beautifully produced in Art Nouveau style and with glorious cover art. The prose is equally elegant, and the plot moves along like a windstorm in fall, full of colors and danger. Though there's a pretty good HEA, I'd still give this fantastical novel an A-, and recommend it to fans of magic, fantasy and kitty cats.

 

Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell is another paranormal romantasy novel, however, this one has witches and a definite Gilmore Girls cozy vibe to it that is irresistible. Here's the blurb: In this cozy, witchy romcom, a young woman works to turn a run-down small-town video store into the bookshop of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist.

Dutiful and hard-working, Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life with her pet parrot in small-town Alabama. Sure, she may not love her desk job working for an insurance agency. And her on-again-off-again relationship with the local mechanic may not have the fiery passion she’s read about in her favorite books. Still, things are stable, which is more than she can say about the two hopelessly immature younger sisters who rely on her.

But when Rhea’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her everything—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. While the defunct video store she’s also inherited needs a serious upgrade, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. If only he wasn’t the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy in witchcraft.

Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’s magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birthright and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late.  

 

Though Rhea is too much of a pushover to her immature and parasitical sisters, She still manages, by sheer force of will and luck, to transform a shabby used videostore that is out of date and in the worst shape into a lovely, bespoke book haven that the entire town becomes invested in. This has been the dream of so many bibliophiles, myself included, that I was riveted as Rhea managed the ups and downs of her own transformation as well as her growing crush on the town's fix-it fox, Hunter. The prose was delightful and fresh, and the plot danced along on joyful feet. I'd give this fun and hard to put down novel a B+, and recommend it to anyone who has longed to own their own magical book shop.

 

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos was, from the outside, right up my alley. Unfortunately, this YA epic fantasy lost its luster in the first 100 pages. At nearly 500 pages, it was also full of redundancy and info-dumps that bogged down the plot to a crawl. Here's the blurb: Lose yourself in the fantastic world of the arks and in the company of unforgettable characters in this French runaway hit, Christelle Dabos' The Mirror Visitor quartet.
Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what's more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.
The World of the Arks
Long ago, following a cataclysm called the Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands, now known as arks. Over each, the spirit of an omnipotent and immortal ancestor abides. The inhabitants of these arks each possess a unique power. Ophelia, with her ability to read the pasts of objects, must navigate this fantastic, disjointed, perilous world using her trademark tenacity and quiet strength. 

Disjointed is a good word to use for the entire misogynistic mess of fatphobic, dull prose and hideous characters. The female protagonist is a pedophile's dream, childlike and starving, whose pre-pubescent looks are slavered over in every chapter (EWWWW, GROSS!). Her betrothed, Thorn, is old and cruel and mean, which she somehow is attracted to, but only in the way that a child is attracted to a father, which makes his sudden desire to keep her alive and nearby even more ick-inducing. I would give this disappointing and gross novel a C, and I can't think of anyone I'd recommend it to, unless it was someone I don't like. Give this one a pass, folks, and do yourself a favor.