A Literary Town Like Alice, Margo's Got Money Troubles Comes to TV, Robert Heinlein Award Goes to Andy Weir, The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by Mary E Pearson, Drinks and Sinkholes by S Usher Evans,Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood and Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

Welcome to the third week of February, and I've got some interesting books to review. I've been stocking up on titles because Nick is flying to Canada for two weeks in March, so I will be without access to Half Price Books or grocery stores or any appointments while he's gone. But having enough to read is, for me, as essential as having enough to eat or drink, so I'm making sure I'm all squared away with a hefty TBR this month. Without further ado, here's a few tidbits and four new book reviews. Stay warm and dry, bibliophiles!

I remember reading a Town Like Alice back when I was a preteen, and it opened up a whole new world for me, as prior to that I don't think I'd read anything about Australia or its denizens. Later this would come in handy when the whole "Thornbirds" craze began, and everyone started reading CMcC books that took place there. 

A Literary Town Like Alice

Alice Springs "has become one of Australia's most prolific literary towns," ABC News reported, noting that from Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice to Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines, the town "has long captured the imagination of writers seeking solitude, inspiration, and a deeper connection to the Australian landscape.

Bronwyn Druce, manager of Red Kangaroo Books, said, "A Town Like Alice and Songlines are both classics and still selling strong, but there are now more books being published, particularly by First Nations authors, telling their own stories of growing up and living on Arrernte country." 

Named Australian Bookseller of the Year in 2023, Red Kangaroo Books is the only bricks-and-mortar bookshop within a 900-mile radius and it plays a central role in supporting local writers, ABC News noted, adding that Central Australia "is home to its own Indigenous publishing house, alongside an active Northern Territory Writers Centre, which regularly hosts readings and storytelling events--often outdoors, under the stars."

"I can only separate nonfiction and fiction. In the kids' top 10, eight books are by First Nations authors and local," Druce said.

This has an all-star cast and crew, and it sounds wonderfully heartwarming and funny. I will have to re-up my Apple TV subscription later on, when I can afford it.

TV: Margo's Got Money Troubles

Apple TV released teaser for Margo's Got Money Troubles, based on Rufi Thorpe's bestselling novel. The eight-episode series, starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, and Nick Offerman, premieres globally on April 15 with three episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 20. David E. Kelley serves as showrunner, writer, and exec producer.

Margo's Got Money Troubles "is a bold, heartwarming, and comedic family drama following recent college dropout and aspiring writer, Margo (Fanning), the daughter of an ex-Hooters waitress (Pfeiffer) and ex-pro wrestler (Offerman), as she's forced to make her way with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them," Apple TV noted.The cast also includes Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty, and Lindsey Normington. Dearbhla Walsh directs the pilot and serves as an executive producer.

Andy Weir more than deserves this award, as his "Martian" and "Project Hail Mary" are exemplary science fiction novels that carry a sociological burden of reflecting a part of society (learning to live with alien cultures, accepting "the other") we tend to ignore, much to our cultural impoverishment. 

Awards: Robert A. Heinlein Winner

 Andy Weir won the Robert A. Heinlein Award, which honors "outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space." Weir's books include The Martian, Artemis, and Project Hail Mary.

Organizers cited Weir's novels, "which have blended the best elements of science fact with the aspirations of traditional science fiction with a flare for engaging a new generation of readers." The award will be presented on May 22, during opening ceremonies for Balticon 60, the 60th Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention. Balticon and the Robert A. Heinlein Award are both managed and sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society.

The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by Mary E Pearson is the second half of a duology that I had high expectation of, after reading book 1. Unfortunately, though the prose was smooth and clear/clean, the plot rambled and bumped along, taking every opportunity to flashback and go on a tangent, until most readers would be ready to chuck the book out of a window in frustration. Here's the blurb: Be wary of the legends you hear. Who knows, one day you may be a legend yourself.

After Bristol Keats nearly loses her beloved King Tyghan to the monsters her mother had unleashed, their love deepens to a whole new level. Together, Bristol and Tyghan work to understand and reconcile their differences, moving forward with their common goal of saving Elphame. But when a daring rescue attempt turns into a disaster, and a beloved knight dies, Bristol is forced to confront the fact that her mother is more powerful than she could have ever imagined―and more dangerous. Meanwhile, Tyghan’s heart is laid bare when he encounters his former best friend and betrayer again, Bristol's own father, and must wrestle with a new secret that throws everything he thought he knew about his past into question.

Bristol is Elphame’s last chance for survival, but where do her loyalties truly lie? If she fully embraces the magic that has always been her birthright, she could become a different kind of monster from her mother. Is she willing to risk losing the people she loves most, if it means keeping them safe?

Brimming with dark secrets, lush world-building, and addictive romance, The Last Wish of Bristol Keats is the unforgettable conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's first adult series.  

I disagree with the blurb, the romance was pedestrian and the love scenes paint-by-numbers, and the immaturity level of Bristol K became rather irritating by the second chapter. I also found Bristol's determination to bring her parents, who were psychopathic killers, "home" to our world, and to save her sisters and herself from the people set to kill them in revenge for their evil exploits, to be ridiculous. If your parents are monsters who continue to act out their rage fantasies at the expense of an entire people, you certainly don't want to bring them back to a world where they'd get frustrated by the lack of magic and wreak havoc on the population there, possibly of their own daughters. Bristol's overly optimistic attitude and attempts to save her parents is nothing short of needy and pathetic. The books ending is also very sentimental and syrupy, complete with marriage and children, which are deemed the only way for a woman to be truly happy (gag). I would give this lackluster sequel a B- at best, and only recommend it to those who insist on knowing what happened after the events of book 1. 

 

Drinks and Sinkholes by S Usher Evans is a cozy fantasy/mystery that is a fast and satisfying read, though some of the prose is a bit immature. Here's the blurb: 

Warm beds, cozy mysteries, and the best rosemary bread this side of Pigsend Creek. Welcome to the Weary Dragon Inn.

Bev may not know who she was before she showed up in the quaint village of Pigsend five years ago, but that doesn't bother her much. She's made a tidy little life for herself as the proprietor of the Weary Dragon Inn, where the most notable event is when she makes her famous rosemary bread.

But when earthquakes and sinkholes start appearing all over town, including near Bev's front door, she's got to put on her sleuthing hat to figure out what—or who—might be causing them before the entire town disappears.

Drinks and Sinkholes is the first book in the Weary Dragon Inn Series, a cozy fantasy mystery by award-winning author S. Usher Evans.

Though the prose is simple and clean, the plot is way too easy for an adult cozy mystery. There's some silliness that keeps readers laughing, but Bev is just too transparent as a main character, and she allows others to control her in various passive aggressive ways. The town characters are all tropes and allegories, and the mystery is easily figured out. I'd give this book a B- and recommend it to teenagers looking for something different.

 

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood is a spicy romantic novella by a famed YA rom-com novelist. Having read several of her previous novels, I expected this to be a solid effort, and I was not disappointed. 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.

Even if you're not a videogamer (as I am not) or a member of the generation of kids who grew up playing them, like millenials or gen Z,  female protagonist Viola will speak to women young and old with her struggles to be seen and recognized for her talent at creating videogames instead of her sexual orientation. I enjoyed the spare plot and the sleek and concise prose, all leading to a Hallmark conclusion that was disappointing because the female gives up her independence for a relationship with the male protagonist, seemingly with ease. Now instead of building the videogame of her dreams, she is only co-producing the game with her former sexist enemy, now her lover, Jesse. Booo! Still, I'd give the book a B, and recommend it to those who liked Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

 

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn is the first book in a YA romantasy duology  by veteran romance author Quinn. The book is gorgeously produced, from the gilt cover illustration over a midnight blue background to the pink rose endpapers that will draw the eye of artistic readers who enjoy luxury editions as collectibles. Here's the blurb: The first in a new magical young adult romantasy duology from the bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow. A palace darling and a thief join forces after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change their world forever.

In the city of Andalay, the ruling Fates bestow gifts among society’s most favored. When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal one of those gifts—meant for the “princess” of Ward One, Wren Hayes—he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.

The gift? A locket containing his own photograph.

Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, shedding light on the ruthless ways of the upper class. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power—including murder.

Brought together by destiny, and fighting a temptation that neither understand, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself. 

This book reads like the Disney version of a romantic fantasy, ala Cinderella or Aladdin or The Little Mermaid. While that is not a bad thing per se, its overly simple plot and cartoonish characters tend to lose their appeal about halfway through the book, because we've seen these stories and fairy tales before, and we know how they end. Quinn's prose is sterling, however, and the book hooks you in and will keep you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. I'd give this pretty and sweet novel an A-, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys their romantasy clean and predictable.