It's the last month of August, FINALLY! Welcome to the end of summer and the beginning of Fall, my favorite time of year. It's "ber" season, as in September, October, November and December. All months full of cozy revelry, warm fires and good memories. BTW, today the wonderful Dolly Parton died of cancer...she was 80 years old, but still making music and reaching out to do good things in the world. She gave millions of books away to children all over the world to stave off literacy, she gave money to scientists to help them find a COVID vaccine, and she constantly did duets and talk shows with other musicians, uplifting everyone in her wake. Amazing woman, gone too soon. I hope she's in heaven having a great time singing and dancing with those who have gone before her, including her husband of many years. God speed, Dolly. You will be missed.
I read this series, and while I really enjoyed the first few books, the latter ones became too focused on things other than time travel. Still, it had a lot of fun plot elements and some great dialogue between characters. I will look forward to see the TV series.
TV:
The Ministry of Time
Aoife Hinds (Dune: Prophecy, Normal
People) and Billy Howle (The Perfect Couple, Under the Banner of
Heaven) will star in the BBC and A24 TV series The Ministry of Time,
based on Kaliane Bradley's bestselling debut novel. Deadline reported
that Hinds will play Sophy and Howle will be Commander Graham Gore,
with filming beginning in and around London.
The BBC's director of drama Lindsay
Salt commissioned the six-part show,
which has been adapted and written by
Alice Birch, who is an exec
producer alongside Aneil Karia and Jo
McClellan for the BBC. Frances du
Pille is the producer, and A24 has
international distribution rights.
"The Ministry of Time is a truly
distinctive, genre-defying series with
a beautiful central relationship and we
are thrilled to have Aoife and
Billy leading the cast," said
Salt.
"If I could travel back in time
six years to tell past me what was going
to happen with that polar explorer
she'd just started writing about, I
think she would have done some very
Victorian swooning," Bradley added.
YES! This is the best way to survive in these troubled times, especially in America.
Chalkboard:
Highland Books
"I solve the majority of my
problems by ignoring them & then reading about the conflicts of
fictional characters instead." That was the message on the
sidewalk chalkboard in front of Highland Books in Brevard, N.C.
(Editors note: Me, too!)
The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson is a WWII historical fiction novel that is so well researched and written that you might find yourself, as I was, so engrossed in the narrative that you look up from its pages and realize that hours, or even an entire day has passed. Here's the blurb: The Secret Society of Librarians is a heartbreaking yet heartwarming wartime library-set novel, inspired by real people, real stories, and extensive research.
Meeting through real-life Secret Society of Librarians in London, two women form a close bond. When WW2 hits, they take their libraries underground, creating create a roaming underground library.
But when one of them is taken to Poland and a concentration camp, they think there is no chance of ever being reunited again.
This is an inspirational, true and compelling story about friendship, everyday bravery and the power of books, with a dual narrative set between London and Poland in the 1940s.
Meeting through real-life Secret Society of Librarians in London, two women form a close bond. When WW2 hits, they take their libraries underground, creating create a roaming underground library.
But when one of them is taken to Poland and a concentration camp, they think there is no chance of ever being reunited again.
This is an inspirational, true and compelling story about friendship, everyday bravery and the power of books, with a dual narrative set between London and Poland in the 1940s.
This page turner is very descriptive of specific incidents of WWII, like the London Blitz and the bombing of homes and refugee centers, as well as the conditions in the Polish ghettos and the forced removal of Jewish families via train to concentration camps like Auschwitz. So if you have a weak constitution, or stomach, be aware that this might not be the book for you right now. Even though, having worked as a nurse, I'm not bothered by gore and such, these scenes from the wars front lines really got to me. I cried several times, even knowing that all of the drama happened 80 years ago. Of course there were also lighthearted moments of romance and beauty, and when one character or another stepped up to save the life of a Jewish child (there were so many orphans! Horrific!) I felt such tremendous hope for the child, that they would grow up happy and healthy, with a roof over their head and good food in their bellies...things so many of todays children take for granted (I certainly did). Thompson's prose is clear and direct, and her plot takes more than a few detours, but she manages to thread them all together expertly. There are photos, at the end of the novel, that the author took on a visit to Auschwitz, of the open graves and the railroad tracks. Chilling, literally. I'd give this intense and beautiful historical novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who wonders about the veracity of the Jewish holocaust and the London Blitz.
Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix is a sassy mystery that combines the best of old school whodunnits with today's cozy style small town mysteries. Here's the blurb:
Meet Jen Dawson, mystery writer, coffee lover, and amateur detective?
Crime writer Jen
returns to her small hometown with a bestselling book behind her and a
bad case of writer’s block. Finding sanctuary in the local bookstore,
with an endless supply of coffee, Jen waits impatiently for inspiration
to strike.
But when the owner of the bookstore dies suddenly in mysterious circumstances, Jen has a real-life murder to solve.
The
stakes are suddenly higher when evidence places Jen at the scene of the
crime and the reading of the will names her as the new owner of the
bookstore …
Can she crack the case and clear her name, before the killer strikes again?
This book is a combination of an Agatha Christie and Miranda James or Laurie Cass, with their fun and fascinating "cats in the stacks" mysteries that always have a smart kitty helping out with the sleuthing. The prose was slightly overdone, but the plot was sturdy and direct and managed to keep everything running smoothly to an ending that I did not see coming, which is rare for me. I'd give it a B+ and recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in small town bookstores and writers finding themselves after returning home.
Weyward by Emilia Hart is a historical fantasy along the lines of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic. The prose is bold and the plot gripping, but you really have to pay close attention to both, lest you get lost in the unusually weird and wild plot. Here's the blurb: I am a Weyward, and wild inside.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great-aunt she barely remeTmbers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she suspects that her great-aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. When Altha was a girl, her mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence of witchcraft is laid out against Altha, she knows it will take all her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an astonishing debut, and an enthralling novel of female resilience.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great-aunt she barely remeTmbers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she suspects that her great-aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. When Altha was a girl, her mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence of witchcraft is laid out against Altha, she knows it will take all her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an astonishing debut, and an enthralling novel of female resilience.
Just when you think you know where all the disparate stories of these three traumatized women is going, Hart pulls a fast one and the plot breaks off in a completely different direction, which can be confusing. Yet there's a lot of good feminist views intertwined within the novel, so you really root for each of the characters to get out of their troubles and begin a new life on their own. Freedom, as every woman knows, is not easy to find or maintain for a woman in any era of society, so the fact that all three of these women strive for it, despite long odds, is heartening and hopeful. I'd give this odd but worthy duck of a book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Alice Hoffmans Practical Magic, or other witchy tales.
The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren is a romantic fantasy married to a Frankenstein-like tale of the powers of science to revive the dead and the moral dilemnas thereof. Here's the blurb: Christina Lauren returns with an unforgettable
romance in which a fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from
memory—and a scientific breakthrough gives love one extraordinary
do-over.
Three years ago, scientist Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.
But now, Emery is consumed by her top research, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge discoveries come to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.
Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule, using the classified technology she’s developed to bring him back to life. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.
It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.
Three years ago, scientist Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.
But now, Emery is consumed by her top research, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge discoveries come to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.
Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule, using the classified technology she’s developed to bring him back to life. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.
It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.
I disagree with the last statement there...I don't think the novel proves that love is always worth reviving, especially with all the trouble that Emery gets into when other powerful people discover that she's used this technology for her own ends, and they will do anything to acquire it.There's some spice in the later chapters, but it reads like it was written after discovering a "how to write sex scenes in a romance" pamphlet, so it flops around without much of a point. The ending was also kind of lukewarm, and predictable, so I was underwhelmed by it. All in all, I'd give this novel with the lovely cover art a B, and only recommend it to those who are big fans of romantasy that has scientific complications.
Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is a YA rom-com that started out with a strong female protagonist, only to have her fall prey to the "Oh, I can't keep doing this because I'm in loooovvve with him!" trope, which was really disappointing. Here's the blurb: A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed!
When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job
she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by
enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
Finley, whose goal of becoming a famous podcaster is just within her grasp, is betrayed by her butt-head of a boyfriend Jensen, who takes her spot on the school podcast team without batting an eye...and she wants revenge, which is perfectly understandable. Her way of getting revenge is to take Jensen's spot as a kicker on the football team, but her feelings for his frenemy Theo get in the way, unfortunately. Here's the blurb: A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed!
When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job
she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by
enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
Theo doesn't seem to be that much of an improvement on Jensen, but Finley can't possibly, being just a girl, resist his big strong arms and pretty eyes and hair. so in the end, she leaves it to karma to take care of Jensen, while she does her own thing and gets on with her life and her new boyfriend, the conceited Theo (UGH). The author states in her afterword that "Karma is greater than Revenge" and while I think that would be a noble sentiment if things worked out that way every time, I don't think that its tissue-thin morality plays well here. Crappy people don't get what is coming to them a majority of the time, and good people very often get railroaded by jerks who are only concerned with their own lives and ambitions. If it were me, in other words, I'd find a way to make Jensen "swim with the fishes" or at least get into some horrible legal trouble that destroyed his future. Still, the prose was easy and the plot lazy and clear. I'd give this little YA rom-com a C+ and only recommend it to those who wouldn't be offended by the female protagonists lack of follow-through.
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