It's October, and the official start of Autumn, my favorite time of year! October is also the gateway to the holidays, as it holds my mother's birthday and my wedding anniversary on the same day, October 5th. I'm so looking forward to the bright foliage and cooler temps, with my sons, husbands and my birthdays right around the corner. It's definitely time to cuddle up with a good book and a nice hot cuppa tea.
I read Roses years ago, and loved the epic romantic tale dearly. I had no idea that she started writing novels later in life. RIP.
Obituary Note: Leila Meacham
Leila Meacham a writer and former teacher who "didn't find success as a novelist until late in life, but her writing uplifted many in her final days as she detailed her fight with pancreatic cancer on social media," died September 19, the San Antonio Express-News https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49811840 reported. She was 83.
Meacham wrote a series of historical romances "that captivated audiences nationwide," the Express-News noted. Roses, a New York Times bestseller, was published in 2010, when she was 70, but she felt her second book represented her best work, according to her husband, Dick Meacham: "If you asked her, I think her favorite was Tumbleweeds." Her other books include Somerset, a prequel to Roses, Titans, Ryan's Hand, Crowning Design, Aly's House and her most recent work, Dragonfly.
Meacham's "passion for writing and reading initially took the form of a career in education," the Express-News wrote, adding that between the 1960s and the 1990s, she taught English at schools in multiple states, including Judson High School and Kitty Hawk Middle School in Texas.
She was working on a ninth book, tentatively titled April Storm, when she was diagnosed with her disease in August 2019. Her husband said she had nearly finished the novel when she passed away.
In one of her last Facebook posts, Meacham wrote about resuming chemotherapy after a fall: "Alas, alas. Surely there is a divine plan behind this, a reason to smile again. Regardless of mine, you all keep smiling, hold on to the faith, and prayer my stamina and strength."
YAY! Another bookstore blooms in the Puget Sound area! This sounds like a divine and delightfully inclusive store, so I hope that it will stay around for a long time.Go Tacoma!
Parable Opens in Tacoma, Wash.
Parable https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840726, a new and used bookstore with a focus on books by women authors, people of color, and queer and trans people, opened earlier this month in Tacoma, Wash., the Tacoma Ledger reported https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840727.
Co-owner LaKecia Farmer opened the store alongside their twin, Le'Ecia Farmer, and cousin Deatria "DeeDee" Williams. In addition to books for children, teens and adults, Parable carries plants, records, clothing, accessories and a variety of local artisan goods. The name is a reference to Octavia Butler's novel Parable of the Sower, and Farmer said the inventory centers "social-justice and speculative oriented themes." And while the owners plan eventually to serve tea and other refreshments, that part of the store is still being built out and permits still need to be acquired.
Located in an older building in Tacoma that required renovations, the store had to delay its opening a bit due to "several mishaps." Farmer reported that despite "getting derailed" repeatedly, the delays "proved our tenacity" and gave them more time to learn about their community.
"We always wanted to start a business together, we have the entrepreneurial spirit," Farmer told the Ledger. "I was walking in our neighborhood and saw an empty space and we all dreamed of what it could be used for. We thought of multiple generations--from new parents reading to their toddlers to elders sipping tea--enjoying our space. So we started fundraising at the end of the year."
The Parable team has started hosting community events, and fostering education through those events is a "top priority." There will be book club meetings and children's reading circles, and in October a monthly event series called Black Mamas Meetup will make its debut. The plan is to have a series of grand opening celebrations over the next few weeks featuring comedians, DJs and live music.
I adore the sharp and incisive wit of POC Roxane Gay. Congrats to her for being an Indies spokesperson.
Roxane Gay Is this Year's Indies First Spokesperson
Author, editor and professor Roxane Gay will be the 2021 spokesperson for Indies First https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840731, the American Booksellers Association's national campaign in support of independent bookstores that takes place on Small Business Saturday, November 27.
"Independent bookstores have been the foundation of my writing career but more importantly, they have also been the foundation of my reading life," said Gay. "Stepping into a bookstore where the books are carefully curated and enthusiastically recommended is an unparalleled experience."
She added that indie booksellers are passionate about books and community: "And it is because of their work that I am thrilled to serve as this year's spokesperson for Indies First. This vital initiative features independent booksellers and authors during the busiest book buying time of the year, culminating with Small Business Saturday.
Independent bookstores are a place to find connection, to celebrate books, and to nurture a diverse community. They are a place where we can imagine and contribute to a better future. I am excited to work with the ABA to raise awareness of the importance of independent bookstores, now more than ever."
Gay, whose new imprint, Roxane Gay Books, debuts at Grove Atlantic in 2023, is the author of the Ayiti, An Untamed State, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women and Hunger, as well as World of Wakanda for Marvel. She has several books forthcoming, is working on TV and film projects, and has a newsletter, The Audacity https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840732.
So much great new TV drama to look forward to...I can hardly wait for the debut of Sandman.
TV: The Sandman; Amber Brown
Noting that "audiences have been waiting years for a proper adaptation of author Neil Gaiman's The Sandman https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840783," IndieWire shared the first footage from its upcoming live-action series, adding that "now we're one step closer." Netflix describes the series as a "rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven."
The cast includes Tom Sturridge, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Mason Alexander Park. IndieWire noted that The Sandman was slated to enter production last year before the Covid-19 pandemic forced a delay. Filming began in October 2020 and wrapped this summer. No release date has been provided yet
Sarah Drew (Grey's Anatomy) and Carsyn Rose (The Rookie) will star in Amber Brown https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840784, an Apple TV+ comedy series based on the books by Paula Danziger.
Deadline reported that the series, which co-stars Darin Brooks (Blue Mountain State) and Liliana Inouye, is written and directed by Bonnie Hunt (Life with Bonnie), who also serves as executive producer and showrunner. Filming on the series, produced by Boat Rocker, is underway in Salt Lake City.
I read and enjoyed this book, so I hope that the movie lives up to the printed page.
Movies: The Last Mrs. Parrish
Liv Constantine's novel The Last Mrs. Parrish https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49840788 "is getting the movie treatment at Netflix," Variety reported, adding that the streaming service acquired the rights to the book and plans to adapt it into a feature film. Casting has not been announced yet. Lisa Rubin (Gypsy) is adapting the screenplay. While the search proceeds for a director, Rubin will be working on bringing another popular novel, The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, to the screen.
Margaret Chernin, Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine will serve as executive producers on The Last Mrs. Parrish. Producers include Liza Chasin for 3dot Productions through her overall deal with Netflix, as well as Molly Sims for Something Happy Productions.
I read NK Jemisin's science fiction trilogy, and I am thrilled that she was chosen to be one of Time Magazines most influential people...this is awesome news.
Time 100: 'Most Influential' Book People
Time magazine recently released its annual list of the "100 Most Influential People https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz49849846." Among the authors showcased:
N.K. Jemisin:
Stacey Abrams wrote: "World-building is the core of extraordinary science fiction--the ability to craft the contours, substance and heft of whole societies. What N.K. Jemisin accomplishes in each of her works defies the standard 'us vs. them' narrative and instead dares readers to bring their lived experiences into the space she has imagined. As our nation grappled with the stubborn ephemera of justice and the harsh consequences of a pandemic, Jemisin, who received a 2020 MacArthur 'genius' grant, constructed a revolutionary exploration of the places where we live in The City We Became. Through the anima of New York, she invited us all to become freedom fighters. We are slowly emerging from extended isolation; and for millions, the notion of a shared public identity remains brittle. But Jemisin's genius is in how effortlessly she shatters our misconceptions about one another and our world, then invites us to dream to do better."
Ambush or Adore by Gail Carriger was a delightful ebook that I grabbed the moment it became available, as I love Carrigers trademark wit and saucy characters set in a Steampunk London/UK in the late 19th, early 20th century. Carriger is one of those authors whose prose is pristine and glides beautifully along her deliciously adventurous plots. Sparks between characters bubble and fizz, and there's always plenty of intrigue to keep readers turning pages into the wee hours. Here's the blurb:
INTELLIGENCER
Agatha Woosmoss, the Wallflower, is the greatest
intelligencer of her generation. And no one knows she exists. She has
been invisible, capable, and cunning for well over four decades. Her
greatest skill is in her ability to go forever unnoticed.
Except by one man.
VERSUS INTELLECTUAL
Pillover
Plumleigh-Teignmott is a professor of ancient languages at Oxford
University. He’s tried to ignore his training as an Evil Genius and live
a quiet life away from politics and intrigue.
When an assignment
goes horribly wrong, Agatha must hide and heal. So she goes to ground
with the only person who’s always kept her safe, Pillover.
Can
Pillover hold onto the deadly woman who specializes in getting away?
Will Agatha realize that patience is indeed a virtue, and that perhaps
it is good to be noticed by the one who waits?
Spinning off from Miss Gail’s Finishing School series, this story stands on its own and spans decades but was written after Defy or Defend.
May contain vampires, old injuries, lost love, and the reappearance of
many favorite characters.
Delicate Sensibilities?
This
tale concerns a considerable amount of pining and the repressed passion
of two people who secretly adore each other and occasionally act on it.
Agatha and Pillover are mature characters who act maturely, please be
aware of this. If you like gruff but caring men with secret sorrows and
the tough smart women they love, you’ll also enjoy How to Marry a Werewolf.
The ending had me sobbing, but in a good way, as it was poignant and heartfelt. I loved Agatha, though she was depicted on the cover as thin, was described in the book as red-headed and chubby, which made her all the better as a spy, and all the more lovable to her oldest friend/lover Pillover, the dusty don. I'd happily give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes Steampunk romance with strong female characters and lots of witty banter.
The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young is a novel that could be seen as a YA fantasy romance, or as a fantasy romance for adults who enjoy books about abusive relationships, domestic violence and general misogyny. The entire Roth household, whom the protagonist is forced to return to after she's raised by her aunt in a far distant town, is full of crude brutish men who consider women to be only useful as breeding stock or as game pieces to be manipulated and/or married off to the family's advantage. The protagonist Bryn's Uncle Henrik is a vile pig of a man, whose whole household bends to his will because they're all terrified of him, as if he were a mafia don or the head of a Yakuza clan. At one point a character beats a 10 year old child for making a math mistake, and it's considered a "mercy" for the silversmith to pre-emptively beat him because he knows that what Henrik would do to the child would be much worse...which is so wrong it's nauseating. It's NEVER okay to beat a woman or a child for any reason, full stop. Abuse is unforgivable. Yet Young normalizes it in her text as necessary, which is just wrong on every level. Here's the blurb:
New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with The Last Legacy, a captivating standalone about family and blood ties, reinventing yourself, and controlling your own destiny.
When
a letter from her uncle Henrik arrives on Bryn Roth's eighteenth
birthday, summoning her back to Bastian, Bryn is eager to prove herself
and finally take her place in her long-lost family.
Henrik has
plans for Bryn, but she must win everyone’s trust if she wants to hold
any power in the delicate architecture of the family. It doesn’t take
long for her to see that the Roths are entangled in shadows. Despite
their growing influence in upscale Bastian, their hands are still in the
kind of dirty business that got Bryn’s parents killed years ago. With a
forbidden romance to contend with and dangerous work ahead, the cost of
being accepted into the Roths may be more than Bryn can pay.
I really loathed this book, though the prose was decent, the plot was labyrinthine and the ending unrealistic in light of the rest of the book. I couldn't imagine falling in love with a man who beats children, and Bryn forgiving him so easily was disgusting at best. I'd give this book a D, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, as I am opposed to domestic abuse and any glorification thereof.
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith is a YA novel that was supposed to be a magical fantasy romance, but it got waylaid by the horror genre and ended up being a blood-soaked tale of murder and revenge. The prose was clean and precise, but the plot was way too twisty for my taste. Here's the blurb:The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy
in this thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy following a young
woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle
between witches and wizards.
In 1911 New York City,
seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress,
mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything
changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her
scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.
Before
she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to
inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven
Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a
school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds
the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic
is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her
school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who
appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been
craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what
truly happened to her brother.
Frances’s newfound power attracts
the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical
control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by
his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for
her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of
her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and
what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined?
Frances is one of those protagonists who is too stupid to live, as she spends most of the novel making stupid, reckless decisions and mistakes that get more than a few people killed. However, once she discovers her boyfriend/lover is a psychopathic killer who is obsessed with her, she suddenly thinks that the murders that she committed are forgivable and forgettable in light of his serial killing tendencies. So readers are just supposed to chalk up her murders to innocence and naivite, while her boyfriend's manipulations are the real evil? Seriously? I call BS on that, and I can't imagine wanting to read any more of this author's books, which should be pegged in the horror fantasy genre and left there to their own blood-soaked devices. I'd give this book a C, and only recommend it to those who find books with a body count fascinating.
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is a magical, poignant fantasy by the author of the wonderful House in the Cerulean Sea (which I loved dearly). I was concerned that this second book by Klune wouldn't be as good as the first, and while it dealt with more profound subject matter, it was easily as good a novel as his bestselling "Cerulean Sea" book. Klune's prose is faultless, and his plot surprisingly refreshing and heartfelt. Here's the blurb:
A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in Under the Whispering Door, a delightful queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.
And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.
But
even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so
when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a
lifetime in seven days.
Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.
Oh how I loved Wallace and Hugo's romance...such tenderness and generosity! And if you're a tea afficionado, you will love reading about Charon's Crossing and all the teas and sweets that they have to offer. I adored feisty Mei, and grumpy old Nelson and loyal Apollo. This is one of those books that will make you laugh and cry and want to visit an out of the way tea shop every single day of your life. I didn't want it to end, it was such a lovely book, and one I think I will never forget. I'd give it a well deserved A,and recommend it to everyone and anyone, especially allies of LGBTQ people and characters.
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