Pages and Perks Coming to St Pete, FLA, Billy Porter at Barnes and Noble, SIBD Visits 33 Bookstores, Beaverdale Books Expanding in Iowa, Marriage Bargain Movie, Warrior, Princess, Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer, Life:A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg, The Ruins Beneath Us by Sasha Sloan, Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson, The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom, and Gorgon With the Wind by Devon Monk

Welcome to April and springtime...and I'd like to say a few words about my mother, Roma Shalin, who just passed away on March 26, from Leukemia, at age 88. My mom is the one responsible for my lifelong love of books, as she began reading to me when I was just a baby. She would read to me every night before bedtime, and sometimes before naptime during the day. Then, when I showed interest in learning how to read myself, she shepherded me through the alphabet and the whole process of reading when I was 4 years old. By the time I started kindergarten a year later, I was well ahead of my classmates in learning my letters and reading comprehension. My kindergarten teacher, a lovely young woman who died of cancer unexpectedly, noted in my school files that I was a very bright child whom she felt would do extremely well throughout my school career, and she was right. And I owe it all to my wonderful mom, who shared my love of the printed word. In her later years, mom read a lot of cozy mysteries featuring kitty cats and female sleuths. She was also a fan of reading newspapers and doing the crosswords. She was a nurse for 43 years, and atheist, and a beautiful woman, inside and out. Rest in peace, and without pain, dear mom. I love you and miss you so much, already. 

I lived in St Pete for years, and loved the fact that it sported several iconic bookstores. It sounds like this new one will be a big hit.  

 Pages & Perks Bookstore & More Coming to St. Petersburg, Fla.

Pages & Perks Bookstore & More, "a family-friendly bookstore with events, desserts, mocktails, beer and wine," is opening this summer at 914 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. South in St. Petersburg, Fla., I Love the Burg reported. Pages and Perks is in the process of renovations and designinside the 1,600-square-foot space. As the bookstore prepares, it will continue to host pop-ups at various St. Pete events and festivals. 

Kate Johnson, owner with her husband, Ben Johnson, said the bookstore will carry everything from young adult and children's books to graphic novels, sci-fi, thrillers, horror, fantasy, and adult romance. In addition, the store will host events and offer a range of desserts and mocktails by Curious Elixirs, as well as an assortment of wines and local beer. 

The owners envision a space where locals can linger: "Pages and Perks isn't being designed as a place where you run in, grab a book, and leave. If that's your style, we won't hold it against you, but Pages and Perks is prepared to offer you so much more than just a transaction. It will be a welcoming space where we encourage you to hang out, get to know the owners and the community. In a world that's becoming more digital, the ability to sit down with a book and escape with us for a little while is a much-needed break."

I love Billy Porter and his iconic style! I wish that I lived near NYC for events like these. 

Image of the Day: Billy Porter at Barnes & Noble UWS

Barnes & Noble on Manhattan's Upper West Side hosted Billy Porter for his picture book Songbird in the Light (Abrams Books for Young Readers), written with Chris Clarkson and illustrated by Charly Palmer. Porter was in conversation with director Jerry Mitchell; the two longtime friends worked together on Kinky Boots. They chatted for 45 minutes and then Porter did a photo op with guests.

I love the fact that Seattle and surrounding areas (I live in a community that is 35 miles south of Seattle) are committed to keeping the indie bookstore dream alive, especially with events like these.

SIBD Goes for Gold with 33 Stores

Seattle-area bookstores are once again staging Seattle Independent Bookstore Day, which this year challenges book lovers to visit all 33 participating stores (during the 10 days between April 25 and May 4). The prize is a "bookstore day champion stamp card," good for a one-time 25% discount at each of the 33 stores. Those who visit at least five stores receive a single 25% discount card good at one of the 33 stores.

To fund its activities, the organization is selling official SIBD T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies designed by Stephen Crowe of Third Place Books on Bonfire.

I've had to email my friend Roger, who lives in Des Moines, about the expanding bookstore in a suburb of Des Moines that has always been a bit fancy (and expensive) called Beaverdale. Hopefully he will go and suss out the situation there and get back to me. 

Beaverdale Books Expanding in Des Moines, Iowa

Beaverdale Books in Des Moines, Iowa, will expand into an adjacent storefront this spring, Axios reported. The expansion will add about 500 square feet, allowing for more inventory and larger events; per co-owner Hunter Gillum, the store's seating capacity will nearly double to 60.

Gillum noted that Beaverdale Books has owned the space it will be expanding into for a few years already, but used it for storage or as an occasional sublet. The store took the opportunity to expand after the most recent tenant left in January.

"It's perfectly timed," Gillum told Axios. "A new layout, a new space. It's just kind of fun." Located at 2629 Beaver Ave., Beaverdale Books will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Gillum expects the new addition to be ready later this spring.

This sounds like a fascinating movie about a bookstore owner...I hope that it is made well and does well on Amazon streaming services.

Movies: The Marriage Bargain

20th Century Studios has acquired film rights to The Marriage Bargain, Jennifer Probst's bestselling romantic comedy novel, with Laura Lekkos (Relationship Goals) adapting the screenplay. Deadline reported that the project "is notable in that it represents the first outing for Premeditated Productions, the production arm of Entangled Publishing co-founded by producer Sheryl Clark (The Gorge) and Entangled CEO and publisher Liz Pelletier, outside of a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios whose productivity recently led to a five-year extension." 

The Marriage Bargain "follows a bookstore owner who enters a marriage of convenience with a billionaire to save her family home, only to find the strict terms of their arrangement in jeopardy when real feelings between them emerge," Deadline noted. Cayla Tyne will oversee for Premeditated, with Sarah Shepard overseeing for 20th Century.

Warrior, Princess, Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer is a romantasy action/adventure novel that doesn't really have any spice until the final chapter of the novel, but once it gets going, its a steam-train of hot and sweaty passion! Here's the blurb: 

Fates collide and passions ignite in author Brigid Kemmerer’s steamy adult fantasy debut about three characters torn between chasing, betraying, and craving each other: a princess caught between duty and desire, the fearsome warrior king she’s promised to, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his land is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that their royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his kingdom flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how this blaze began.

PRINCESS. With enemies advancing on Astranza, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Jory and Ky dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves and the maddening king who keeps getting under his skin.

Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.

SPOILER! So the tea here is that the three main characters end up forming a "throuple" and having a three way sexual experience, with Jory being the only woman and instigator of the whole thing. While I love representation in novels of people on the LGBTQ spectrum, I felt that the male characters didn't really get more than a shallow veneer of gay representation, during the threesome, while we're left wondering what exactly Jory's sexual orientation is, other than not being able to make up her mind between loving two guys, one she grew up with and the other her royal fiance, whom it turns out isn't really a bad guy after all. I wasn't terribly fond of the politics of this book, but the author didn't get too deeply into it, and focused instead on the love triangle. The magic system is pretty beige, and the plot somewhat predictable, but BK's prose keeps the novel chugging along at a swift pace that will keep most readers going until the wee hours. I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who likes unique sexual situations and adaptable characters.

 

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg is a beautifully rendered book of contemporary fiction that has a lot of epistolary chapters filled with profound and poignant insights. Here's the blurb: A warm, intimate novel that reminds us of the richness that can be found all throughout our lives—by the author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House
As ninety-two-year-old Florence "Flo" Greene nears the end of her life, she writes a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her, describing the items Flo is leaving Ruthie in her will. But as it goes on, telling surprising stories about those “little” things Flo will leave behind (What could possibly be the worth of a rubber band kept in a matchbox tied up in red ribbon?), an unforgettable portrait of the life she has lived emerges.

The letter starts off as an autobiography in things, but it turns out to do much more than that: ultimately, it will transform Flo and those around her. In the time she has left, Flo decides to take herself up on tiny dares. She encourages Ruthie to reconsider her impending divorce by sharing a startling, long-buried secret about her own perfect-seeming marriage. Flo has never had a pedicure before now, and as long as she's going to a beauty parlor, she arranges to have a blue streak put in her hair, too. And as these adventures lead her to make new friends, Flo helps them, too, find the fulfillment that living a full life has led her to understand.

Full of Elizabeth Berg's characteristic mix of warmth, humor, and poignancy, Life: A Love Story is a reminder that whatever your circumstances, as long as you're alive, you can keep on investing in life. The joy will inevitably follow. 

I was reading this book as my own mother, who was 88, was dying, and I kept wishing that I could share it with her. Unfortunately, toward the end, she was given liquid morphine and was unable to stay awake long enough to read anything, which is sad because reading was one of her lifelong pleasures. Flo was a woman of her time, jotting down ideas and helpful hints to her friend Ruthie (oddly enough, my mother had a gal who grew up on a farm next to hers named Ruthie, who was her friend for decades until she passed away 15 or so years ago) and trying to let Ruthie know about Flo's life and loves, her happiness and regrets. A number of people who grew up during the Great Depression and the second World War felt the need to turn to religion to find meaning in their lives, and while the novel didn't turn preachy, I was saddened to think that my mother would have rejected the book because of its mentions of religion and church, since she was an atheist. Anyway, this short volume packs a philosophical punch, and is by turns funny and sweet. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in end of life summations that don't drag or become pedantic. 

 

The Ruins Beneath Us by Sasha E. Sloan is a beautifully created novel with a gorgeous cover design and painted blue edges. It's a YA romantasy that has the whole "fish out of water" trope going for it, with little twists and turns that keep it interesting. Here's the blurb: She saved the prince. Now she must survive his world.

Lyria and her mother have been on the run from the human kingdom of Verdinae for as long as she can remember. She’s an elf born with magic—a double offence in a kingdom determined to eradicate both. Under her mother’s watchful protection, Lyria learns the rules that keep her alive: stay inside, stay hidden, stay safe, and above all stay calm, lest her magic flair out of control.

But when she finds a human boy being attacked by a deadly monster in the forest, Lyria risks everything by using magic to save him. She doesn’t expect his broken body to survive, and she definitely doesn’t expect him to be the crown prince.

Offered a position at the palace as the royal apothecary, Lyria seizes the chance to step into the light and prove to her mother she can control her unwieldly magic. But Verdinae is not the paradise it at first seems. The nobles are ruthless, the secrets are deadly, and Cygnus—the brooding royal healer—seems determined to expose Lyria’s every flaw. As she navigates a world of glittering gowns, deadly secrets, and stolen kisses, Lyria must keep her identity hidden. . . even from the prince who’s falling for her.

But beneath the palace lies a darkness far more dangerous than any secret. And when Lyria and Cygnus uncover a hidden world that could change everything, she must decide who to trust and how much she’s willing to risk for a love that was never meant to be. 

Its always interesting to me how the young men in YA romantic fiction are nearly always jerks who treat the female protagonist like dirt, yet she falls for them anyway. Ugh. I just don't buy the "he's too hot to resist" trope in these books, and how "love" seems to conquer all the evildoings of the male characters, because the female protagonist is suddenly a spineless weakling due to her burgeoning feelings for the guys (there's usually a love triangle). I refuse to believe that young woman can't be in control of their hormones or feelings, and therefore they get dragged into whatever drama the guy or guys have going on. Still, there were a number of unexpected turns in the plot that kept the story fresh. I'd give it a B- and recommend it to anyone who is enchanted with healers and elves.

 

Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson is at once a courtroom drama a Southern thriller that is well written and expertly plotted. Its un-put-downable, and yet manages to keep the reader fascinated from the first chapter to the last. Here's the blurb: Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis and the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson’s Judge Stone “delivers first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped in a moral dilemma. Tense, readable, and relevant.” (Kirkus Reviews)
All rise... for Judge Stone.

The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities sacred: running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South.

Criminally, it’s open-and-shut.

Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it’s a choice between life and death.
 
No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves.

 I've been a fan of Viola Davis since her star turn on How to Get Away With Murder. She's one of those adaptable actresses who can enact Shakespeare and then go on to working in a blockbuster movie without batting an eyelash. Who knew she was also a talented writer? This novel has a ton of racial trauma and tension, as well as showing the profound misogyny toward female judges in the South (especially women of color). There's also (SPOILER) a inspection of how women/girls who are raped are mistreated by the system, and how the misogynistic laws against abortion, even in instances of rape and incest, are deadly for young women in the South, who often don't have anywhere to turn after sexual abuse when they become pregnant. Having been through something similar, Judge Stone is able to walk the tightrope between racism/sexism and justice for the abortion doctor and the 13 year old girl who had the abortion after being gang raped. This is a book that will definitely make you think, no matter what side of the argument you're on. The ending was splendid, and the book itself a page-turner. I'd give it an A-, and recommend it to anyone who likes courtroom drama and stories that deal with racial justice for women.

 

The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom is a historical women's fiction novel that allows for the middle-aged female protagonist to grow and change when she moves to a Greek Island to escape her nasty narcissist husband and her awful mother. Here's the blurb: A beautiful and escapist novel full of heart, for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and readers who love book club fiction.

For sale: Greek cottage. One euro.

Skye MacKinnon is desperate for an escape. When she wins a lottery to buy a run-down cottage on a Greek island for only one euro, Skye jumps at the chance to get out of England and start over. As she unlocks the tattered blue door of her whitewashed new cottage, the sun-kissed sea glinting in the bay outside her windows, Skye immediately feels like she’s found her true home.

Skye and the other lottery winners—the first residents in these houses since the 1940s—form a tight-knit group, finding in one another the strong relationships they’d been missing in their own lives. When Skye and local contractor Andreas find a set of mysterious letters, they begin to unravel the history of the prior residents, and the truth about life on Folegandros during World War II.

Sweeping, escapist, and full of heart, The House of Hidden Letters reminds us of the importance of human connection. Izzy Broom has written a poignant and hopeful novel for those who have found love and family in unexpected places.

 

I loved the fact that Skye was able to find the gumption to leave her horrible husband and escape to start her own life in Greece, but when confronted with her husband's return, she regresses into a childish coward who relies on the man that she met on the Island (who is renovating her cottage) to make sure her soon to be ex doesn't steal her away and enslave her again. I wanted her to save herself (she's middle aged, for crying out loud! Grow a spine!) and to tell the people from her old life to f-off so she can begin her life anew. I enjoyed the letters that she found and the story that unfolded from those, but that whole scenario seemed just a bit too convenient. Still, it was an interesting novel, with decent prose and a plot that had a few holes and moved along at a sedate pace, but was still worth it, in the end. I'd give it a B-, and recommend it to any woman who seeks to escape an untenable situation and start her life over.

 

Gorgon With the Wind by Devon Monk was a funny and fascinating cozy fantasy novel by the author of the Ordinary Oregon series, which I've read and enjoyed tremendously. Here's the blurb: A hilarious, cozy, magic-packed whodunit by Devon Monk

Come for the wacky festivals…stay for the murders…

Medusa, (yes, that Medusa) is done with heroes and heartache. From now on, her life is going to be filled with plenty of books, tea, and solitude. But when an unexpected favor takes her to Ordinary, Oregon—the quirky little beach town with vacationing gods, a bossy Valkyrie, and a book club run by Death—she quickly discovers the town might have a slight murder problem.

Accused of killing a local, Medusa teams up with her new friends—Jules, a witch who’s lost her way, and Piper, a psychic unsure of her powers—to clear her name.

But with time running out, it’s going to take all of their wits, will, and magic to find the killer before the festival crowds fade away, taking the clues and the killer with them.

Though it's short, this book packs a lot of mystery and fun inbetween its covers. I read it all in one sitting, which isn't unusual for books by Devon Monk (I've read all of her series, except for the hockey stories), but here some of my favorite characters from Ordinary, including Thannos the god of Death and the Delaney sisters make an appearance and help solve the crime that poor Medusa is accused of committing. It was fun to get a POV of a gorgon who can turn people or animals to stone with a look (but doesn't want to, and wears hats to cover her head of snakes and glasses to keep her eyes from turning everyone she meets into a statue), while still understanding her need to relocate to somewhere isolated where she won't have to hide her "curse" 24/7. Monk's prose is bouncy and her plots sizzle with excitement. I'd give this short but sassy ebook an A, and recommend it to anyone seeking a fresh take on classic myths.

 

 

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.