Amazon Book Sale Ends Soon, Wandering Raccoon Books in Grimes, Iowa, Obituary for Alice Munro, The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner, Night for Day by Roselle Lim, and Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters

The third week of May has already gone by, and I've been streaming part one of Bridgerton's third season, which was something of a disappointment, as it didn't have much of Collin and Penelope's story as I would have liked, and there were a lot of steamy scenes between season 2's lovers and sparks between other characters. When we finally get to a "Polin" love scene, in the final few moments of the last episode, there's very little passion, or chemistry between Pen and Collin, from what I saw. Collin shows more excitement when he's having a three-some (something we are lead to believe he does frequently) with two female prostitutes than he does with his kisses and brief boob-grab in the carriage with Pen....he seems almost dazed or drugged, and Pen also looks sticky with sweat and surprised, rather than lustful. Hopefully things will improve in the second half of season 3 in June. There are 7 books in this romance series, so I am praying that the TV/streaming version of the next 4 books is better than this one. I also have to say that Eloise, who was a delightful bookworm and friend to Pen in seasons 1 and 2, has become a nasty, vituperative weasel who seems to function only as a sour grapes mean girl who hangs out with the other uberb*tch female character in order to spread their evil on poor pudgy (this is their opinion, not mine...I found her full figure to be luminous and cherubic) Pen. ICK. 

I've been keeping an eye on this supposed book sale, and so far they've not discounted even one of the books on my "saved for later" list. The discounted books are all either old, childrens books or self-published rip-offs of other popular writer's works. Sigh. But I will continue, until Monday, to check and see if I can get any kind of substantial savings. Considering I spend a great deal of money on books and other items on Amazon, you'd think they'd cut me a break for being a frequent flier/reader.

Amazon Launching Amazon Book Sale May 15-20

Amazon is holding a new sales event focused on books, the Amazon Book Sale https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQmAweQI6a8zKxFzTg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nOUsCspoMLg-gVdw,billed as "the book sale of your dreams," from May 15-20, that will offer "deals on thousands of books" to customers in the U.S. The promotion includes discounts of up to 50% on printed bestsellers and up to 80% on titles for Kindles, Audible, and other Amazon e-devices. Some of the most heavily discounted print titles, up to 60%, are overstock and backlist.

Early deals began yesterday, mostly involving e-readers and digital titles. Those deals include three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, discounts on some Kindle Scribe devices, and deals on Kindle titles.

Amazon emphasized that some deals involve books "that have topped Amazon Charts, trending books on #BookTok and #Bookstagram, best sellers, and award winners." So far, most of the deals are for e-books. Many of the printed titles are normally discounted in the same range.

Grimes used to be a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, until a college for geniuses was founded there. But I gather in the last 25 years they've built up the town to where it's a great place to live and shop...and now they have a Raccoon-themed bookstore! Exciting!

Wandering Raccoon Books Arriving in Grimes, Iowa, in July

This summer, pop-up bookstore Raccoon River Press in Grimes, Iowa, will change its name to Wandering Raccoon Books, Axios reported. Owner Jena Best is aiming to have Wandering Raccoon Books open at 250 West 1st St. in July. She founded Raccoon River Press in 2021 after leaving her previous career in the sciences. "A biologist by training," Best wrote, "I took a leap of faith to leave the laboratory and pursue my passion for all things literary!"

The store sells new titles for all ages across a wide array of genres. The name change, Best explained, is meant to reflect the store's time as a mobile and pop-up bookstore.

I can't think of anyone my age who hasn't read at least one or two of Alice Munro's beautifully-crafted short stories. They're inspiring, thought-provoking and utterly engrossing/fascinating. RIP to a magnificent author.

Obituary Note: Alice Munro

Alice Munro, the Nobel Prize-winning author beloved for her brilliant short stories, died on Monday at age 92.

The New York Times called Munro "a member of the rare breed of writer, like Katherine Anne Porter and Raymond Carver, who made their reputations in the notoriously difficult literary arena of the short story, and did so with great success. Her tales--many of them focused on women at different stages of their lives coping with complex desires--were so eagerly received and gratefully read that she attracted a whole new generation of readers.

"Ms. Munro's stories were widely considered to be without equal, a mixture of ordinary people and extraordinary themes. She portrayed small-town folks, often in rural southwestern Ontario, facing situations that made the fantastic seem an everyday occurrence. Some of her characters were fleshed out so completely through generations and across continents that readers reached a level of intimacy with them that usually comes only with a full-length novel.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X: "The world has lost one of its greatest storytellers. Alice Munro was captivated with everyday life in small-town Canada. Her many, many readers are, too. She will be dearly missed."

Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 and was cited as "master of the contemporary short story" who was able "to accommodate the entire epic complexity of the novel in just a few short pages." In 1986, she won the Governor General Literary Award for her first collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, and went on to win two more Governor General awards. She also won two Giller Prizes as well as the Man Booker International Prize, whose judges called her "practically perfect," adding that "she brings as much depth, wisdom and precision to every story as most novelists bring to a lifetime of novels. To read Alice Munro is to learn something every time that you never thought of before."

"Over the years, Alice's writing would leave its mark on countless other literary greats, from Margaret Atwood to Julian Barnes. Despite the lofty honours bestowed upon her, she never stopped championing the ordinary lives of girls and women--or the undersung form of the short story, whose depths she plumbed again and again to astonishing effect."

 

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner is a fantasy/mystery/LGBTQ romance that was written like the best kind of thriller, which keeps the reader glued to the page from the first chapter to the last. I found this book on a half-priced sale at B&N, and, since I'd read the author's previous book, The Lost Apothecary, I decided to add it to my stack of Mother's Day books, purchased for me by my son Nick. I bought it without reading the back blurbs, so I had no idea if it was going to be a winner, but after whipping through the book in one afternoon, I was glad that I took a chance on it. Here's the blurb: From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.

1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. With shared determination, the women find companionship that perhaps borders on something more. And as they team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.

The prose was atmospheric and the plot vivid and expansive, right up until the final pages, when I felt the author tried to pad things out with information about Lenna and Vaudeline's relationship. Still, I'd give this beautifully gilded (and it takes place in the "gilded age"! Ha!) book a B+ and recommend it to those who like female sleuths in the era of Sherlock Holmes.

Night For Day by Roselle Lim is an odd paranormal romance (though it is being sold as science fiction/romance, which it most certainly is not) that is innovative at the start, but fast becomes somewhat confusing in the middle and redundant and muddled at the end. Here's the blurb:

Two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.

Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles. But years later, they unexpectedly reconnect in London, where they are interviewing for similar jobs. The spark they feel when they meet again is palpable—the attraction comes back like muscle memory, reminding them of what they had lost. When Ward and Camille discover they both got the job working opposing shifts, they vow to give their relationship another try.

Ward starts the day shift and finds the immortal clientele unusual and dazzling. When he clocks out at the end of the day, he finds the door locked and himself trapped in the building. After a horrific first night shift contending with restless spirits and ghosts, Camille is also unable to escape. In their respective prisons, they discover that they’re able to talk to each other a few minutes before dawn. This fleeting encounter incites longing for each other, but their promise to be together feels impossible. Because they are caught in the middle of a war of the gods—and their choices will determine the outcome.

I picked up this book because I was hoping it would be similar to one of my favorite movies of the 80s, LadyHawke, starring Rutger Hauer. LadyHawke was one of the few movies I saw in the theater twice, and I loved it's beautiful story that tugged at my heartstrings and made me cry every time. Unfortunately, this book failed to meet the high bar of LadyHawke, or any other "Lovers out of synch/time" standards, as the characters both seemed to be autistic and unable to deal with their feelings for one another, other than sexually, which is described awkwardly and frequently, as if its the only or main reason for two people to be together. Camille is very mistrustful, and Ward is cowardly and weak. I didn't like either character very much, but I did hope for them to find a way out of their respective "magically locked room in time and space," which they finally do, but at the expense of their memories. The ending of the book was overly sentimental and somewhat of a let down, as it was redundant and overwritten. For that reason, I'd give this book a C+, and only recommend it to those who like bizarre locked room mysteries.

Murder In Masquerade by Mary Winters is a witty Victorian mystery/romance that was written in sparkling prose with a swift plot that kept me turning pages into the wee hours. Here's the blurb:

Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!

I'm a big fan of the "woman subverting the expectations/standards of women in her time" trope, when it comes to mysteries and slow-burn romance. That this particular series involves a widow of high society who writes an "agony aunt" advice column secretly for a Fleet Street rag makes the whole thing even more attractive, at least to this retired journalist. Amelia and Simon fairly crackle with sexual tension when they're working together, yet they don't let that get in the way of solving this "Whodunit"  with alacrity. I also enjoyed the fact that Amelia is raising an orphan child as her own, and keeping up with an active social life to boot. I felt that she was similar to Veronica Speedwell in her smart and unusual lifestyle that she manages to keep under the radar, for the most part. The HEA was nice and tidy, too. I'd give this enchanting book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who likes strong female sleuths bucking the odds in a historical mystery/romance.