The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

October 31, 2022

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

Galadriel Higgins, known as El to her friends, has escaped the Scholomance, the school for magically gifted children. Usually only 10% of the graduating class gets out alive, but El and her friends managed to turn the tables on the maleficaria who dwell at the school, and 90% of the students survived. El cast a spell to send the school off into the void with all the mals, but her friend Orion Lake stayed behind when everyone else left. Now El has to figure out how to get him out, while also saving the enclaves from the mals that are trying to destroy them.

This is the third book in the Scholomance series. It got a little long and winding, but it was good to reconnect with favorite characters. We also learn more about El's family and her own abilities and the consequences of her actions. There are some chilling details about how enclaves are built as well. The conclusion is satisfying and it leaves the way open for another book in the series, should the author choose to continue.

In Eastern European folklore, the Scholomance was a school for black magic in Rumania, in the Transylvania region. It was run by the devil and open to only a select few students. The school was underground and the curriculum lasted seven years (as opposed to the four years that El spends at the school). The Scholomance also appears in some online games such as Worlds of Warcraft and Minecraft. The Scholomance in Novik's novels is in a multiverse, attached to our world but sort of hanging onto the edge. It's like a mirror image of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels: at Hogwarts, there are excellent teachers, wonderful meals and accommodations, and the school works to help and protect the students; at the Scholomance, there are no teachers, the food is atrocious, the dorm rooms are dangerously open to the void on one side, and the school is filled with malevolent creatures and tries to kill off as many students as possible. Nice. The only thing the two schools have in common is being located in a multiverse attached to our world.

A depiction of the Scholomance from Worlds of Warcraft

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

July 12, 2022

Black Cake by Charmaine Williamson

When their mother dies suddenly, siblings Byron and Benny meet after many years. Their mother left them her secret black cake recipe and an eight-hour audio recording about her life before she met their father. With the help of their mother's lawyer, Byron and Benny try to make sense of what their mother is telling them.

I like the first 2/3 of the book, then it lost me. Too many new characters were introduced in the last third. The two main characters irritated me - they were whiny, self-centered, and immature. The author also tried to address every social issue she could think of, which got boring. This book needed a good editor to whack out at least 100 pages and improve the narrative. Disappointing.

Traditional Caribbean black cake, a dense fruitcake-type of spice cake - every Trinidadian family seems to have their own recipe - some look more like chocolate cake than fruitcake

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra

July 10, 2022

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra

At the start of World War II, Mercury Pictures is strictly a B-movie studio (possibly a C-movie studio), until a critic hails one of their films as a prophetic masterpiece. The studio owner, a man of many toupees, is called to Washington D.C. and enlisted to make propaganda films (i.e., war fiction) for the U.S. government. Maria Lagana, an associate producer at Mercury, came to the U.S. from Italy as a child but when the U.S. enters World War II, she is subject to the same restrictions as other German, Italian, and Asian Americans. Former architects, poets, and photographers are enlisted to make miniature replicas of Berlin, write B-movie propaganda films, and portray stereotypical evil villains from the Axis countries.

This was a fascinating look at the culture, politics and economics of the movie industry in the WWII era. There was a lot more humor than I was expecting, and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Typical propaganda film of the World War II era

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

July 3, 2022

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

A woman wakes up in a taxi with no memory of how she got there. She goes home but a stranger is living in her apartment. Her phone and purse are missing, but she does find a bloody knife in her coat pocket. Also, her hands and arms are covered with words, including STAY AWAKE. The last thing she remembers is from two years earlier. When she sees a news report about a stabbing murder with words written on the walls much like the ones on her arms, she realizes that she has to piece together what is going on, and who she can trust.

A fast fun read, great for vacation or the beach. The main character's backstory is slowly revealed. The plot and good pacing and keeps you turning the pages. The main character in S. J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep has a similar malady. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow

July 2, 2022

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow

Zinnia Gray, former Sleeping Beauty and professional fairy tale fixer, is tired of rescuing sleeping princesses. She wishes they'd just solve their own narrative problems. But when she looks in the mirror, a different face looks back at her, and she is pulled into a Snow White story. This time, it's the evil queen  - she found out how her story ends and she wants to find a better ending for herself. She tells Z the story about how she ended up in that particular fairy tale, and Z is shocked to discover that it's not only princesses who are stuck in a story they didn't choose.

A retelling of the Snow White story from the perspective of the Evil Queen. This story turns the traditional fairy tale on its head, and reminds me of the musical Into the Woods (if you haven't seen it, the first act is about traditional fairy tales and ends with "and they lived happily ever after" - the second act tell about what really happens after the princess marries her prince). I enjoy Z's snarkiness. This is the second book in the Fractured Fables series, and it's fun and creative.

A sexier Evil Queen than the usual Disney version

The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks

June 30, 2022

The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks

Adapted from Chaucer's Wife of Bath tale in the Canterbury Tales. The author imagines Eleanor's life (called Alisoun in the Canterbury Tales, but the name change is part of the story) with her five husbands.

One of the current trends in fiction that is popular right now is retelling stories and fairy tales. I didn't love this as much as I wanted to or as much as other readers did, maybe because I studied Chaucer in graduate school and I know a lot about the Wife of Bath's tale. If you don't know the Canterbury Tales, you'll like it just fine. Disappointing.

One of the many images of the Wife of Bath

Gallant by V. E. Schwab

June 22, 2022

Gallant by V. E. Schwab

Olivia Prior grew up in the Merilance School, essentially an orphanage for girls. All she has left from her mother is a journal that has several pages ripped out. But then a letter arrives, inviting her to Gallant, her mother's family's home. But when she arrives, no one is expecting her or admits to having invited her. Her cousin is hostile toward her, and Olivia sees shadowy figures, but she is not about to leave until she gets some answers. One day, Olivia crosses through a gate at the bottom of the garden and finds herself in an alternate version of Gallant.

The atmosphere is gothic and the writing is good but the plot is sketchy. The main theme is that everything has a mirror image that is the opposite. I like Schwab's adult books better than her YA books. It didn't really hold my attention, although I did like the cover.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

October 28, 2022

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

As a child actress, Jennette McCurdy appeared in iCarly on Nickelodeon as well as guest appearances on dozens of network TV shows. Her mother had always wanted to be an actress but was unable to fulfill her dream, so she pushed Jennette into acting. Jennette hated acting but kept at it to please her mother, who suffered from recurring bouts of cancer. After her mother's death, McCurdy found herself floundering, abusing alcohol and descending deeper into bulimia. Giving up acting and with the help of therapy, she slowly began to return to the surface.

In this memoir, McCurdy talks frankly about how her mother abused her sexually, verbally and physically, urging her to starve herself, ignoring Jennette's eating disorders, and insisting on washing her daughter in the shower until she was 17, as well as examining her breasts and vagina daily. McCurdy also reveals the abuse that young actors in particular are subjected to in order to satisfy the studios. I'm not that familiar with McCurdy's work but this memoir is both riveting and horrifying.

Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett in iCarly

Madwoman by Louisa Treger

June 20, 2022

Madwoman by Louisa Treger

In 1887, reporter Nellie Bly deliberately had herself committed to the lunatic asylum on Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) in New York City. Determined to win a position as a reporter for the New York Times (which didn't hire women reporters at the time, and only accepted stories from female journalists for human interest or society stories), she planned to expose conditions in the asylum. But nothing prepared her for the true horror that awaited her. Based on the true story of the first female investigative journalist.

I had read Treger's previous novel The Dragon Lady and enjoyed it. Nellie Bly was a crusading reporter ahead of her time, especially for a woman. The details of how women were treated and life at the asylum were truly chilling. Nellie was a remarkable historical figure; her stories about her time in the asylum are available online.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Nellie Bly

The lunatic asylum on Blackwell's Island

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw

June 17, 2022

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw

Dr. Greta Helsing (descendent of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire slayer) has a very specialized practice. She is a doctor to the undead and the supernatural, treating mummies for bone loss, vampires for garlic poisoning, and chronic bronchitis in demons. Her practice is family tradition, a field of medicine unknown to most humans. When a cult of monks begin killing humans and supernaturals alike, Greta must stop the cult to save her patients, her practice, and herself.

Fun and creative. A new take on the horror story, where the undead are integrated into society and live among us as productive citizens. There are clever references to classic horror tales - the undead usually don't care for the way novelists portray them. Recommended if you enjoy a non-traditional spooky story.

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

October 26, 2022

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

Orphaned following the death of her grandfather, Theodora Lestrange is a 23 year old spinster living in Edinburgh with her sister and her husband and their five children. Theodora does have a suitor, but rather than entering a life of domesticity, what she really wants is to travel and write a novel. When a school friend invites her to come and stay at her family's castle in Rumania, Theodora jumps at the chance to leave Scotland and her sister's house and have an adventure.

I have enjoyed the author's other books, and while I'm not much of a romance reader, this is a good choice for the Halloween season. It is much different than her other books, much more a traditional gothic novel with castles and legends and a mysterious count, all set in Transylvania. The story pays homage to both Dracula and Northanger Abbey. It does have kind of a racy cover.

Castle in Transylvania

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams

June 15, 2022

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams

In the autumn of 1948, Ruth Macalister's twin sister Iris and her family vanish. Her husband was an American diplomat, and everyone in diplomatic circles is shocked by their disappearance. Were they kidnapped, did they defect, did the Soviets eliminate them? Four years after they went missing, Ruth receives a postcard from Iris, asking her to come to Moscow since she is about to have another baby. With an American intelligence officer posing as her husband, Ruth travels to Moscow to get Iris and her family out.

Williams writes historical fiction, often with a romantic suspense angle. I'm not big on spy books but this one had at least one interesting twist. The story is loosely based on the Cambridge 5, a spy ring passing information to the Soviets after World War II. It's not my favorite of Williams' books but certainly kept me engaged. I think my favorite was the book she wrote about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor after his abdication.

1940's Moscow

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

June 14, 2022

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

After getting fired from her job, alone and broke, Jess scrapes together enough cash to go to Paris where her brother Ben lives. He wasn't thrilled to hear that she was coming to stay with him, but he didn't say no. But when Jess arrives, Ben is not at his apartment and in fact is no where to be found. When he doesn't turn up, Jess starts to dig into his life, and soon discovers that the other residents of the building all have something to hide.

Meh. Not as good as The Guest List, Foley's previous book. The author is good at building suspense but the story is very slow moving and not that interesting. Jess is jumpy and paranoid all the time and often acts like an idiot (more so than most characters in books). Read The Guest List or Clare Macintosh's The Last Party instead if you're looking for psychological suspense fiction.

A cool old Paris apartment building

The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell

October 25, 2022

The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell

When a pair of severed hands are found in a biscuit box during the excavation of an old house, it turns out that the skeletal remains are at least 60 years old. The police ask for information from anyone who lived in the London suburb during World War II, especially about anyone who went missing at that time. A group of senior citizens who were children during war and lived in that area meet to talk to the police and get reacquainted, which has unexpected consequences for some of them.

LARGE cast of characters that is sometimes hard to keep straight. There are the seniors, and then there are their children, grandchildren, extended family, neighbors, friends, and in one instance, even a parent. Not bad psychological fiction but the sheer number of characters is confusing and probably not necessary.

Attractive London suburb

The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jason Fung, M.D.

June 12, 2022

The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jason Fung, M.D.

A comprehensive look at the practice of fasting, including reasons to fast. different ways to fast, how to get started, how to get through your fast, and how to comfortably end your fast.

Hunger and not eating is more of a psychological and cultural issue than a physical issue. Yes, we do get hungry, but it's more because we're programmed to eat at certain hours or a certain number of times per day, than because of a physical need. The longer you fast, the easier it becomes - the second day of a fast tends to be the most difficult. Practice helps: the more frequently you fast, the easier it gets. It's like getting weight loss surgery without the operation.

Yes, you can miss a meal (or two or three) without passing out or suffering serious health consequences. People have been fasting for thousands of years for religious and health reasons. Most people have had to fast at some point in their lives, for example, before having a medical test or surgery. Unless your body fat is below 5%, even the most elite athletes carry enough stored calories to last a month or two without eating.

Fasting allows your body's insulin levels to drop, so that you can burn stored fat for energy. Snacking constantly keeps your insulin high, which can lead to insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.

Positive aspects: it's free - no special food to buy, no pills, no exercise equipment, no special clothes needed; almost everyone can do it - no training required - the book lists people who should not fast or should only fast under a doctor's supervision (the elderly, the very young, pregnant women, people with certain health conditions); it can be adjusted to fit into anyone's schedule or preferences - you fast on days when you know you're not going to a banquet or out with friends for dinner; you can make your non-fasting meal whenever you want, so if you love breakfast, you can schedule your fast so that you can eat breakfast; it's time-saving since there is no special meal prep required.

I am currently doing a 23-1/2 hour fast daily for weight loss. I have my daily meal in the evening around 6:30 p.m. and make sure I finish before 7 p.m., trying to stay with a low carb/high fat diet. This is just my preference - I feel better when I eat this way but you don't have to follow that particular eating plan. A LCHF eating plan means you take in fewer calories from carbohydrates and sugars, so although there may be an initial insulin release, your insulin level will drop quickly. But I've also done a 36-42 hour fast with no difficulty. As long as my weight loss continues on my current regimen, I'll stick to that but once my weight loss slows or stops, I'll switch to the 36-42 fast for a week, then go back to the 24 hour fast. You have to trick your system sometimes.

I don't know that I agree with everything in the book, such as cutting out things like artificially sweetened no-cal beverages. I avoid artificial sweeteners just because they are chemicals but I wouldn't necessarily tell everyone they can't have them, especially if it will help you get through your fast.

Lots of good information. I recommend it if you are at all interested in getting started with IF.

Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore

June 10, 2022

Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore

The characters from Christopher Moore's Noir are back for a new adventure. In post World War II San Francisco, Sammy Two-Toes Tiffin, his pals from Cookie's Coffee, and his girlfriend Stilton (aka The Cheese) are following new pursuits. Sammy and Eddie are trying to open a driving school while saving Eddie's uncle's opium den from falling into the hands of a vicious gangster. Stilton and her gal pals from the welding crew are especially up to something mysterious at night, after they get done slinging hash at their daytime gigs. Plus there is a new head of SFPD vice who is cracking down on activities like Mabel and the girls from her brothel going up to the state hospital for the annual Christmas party, like they do every December. There might also be a dragon who is waking up from a long sleep, ready to wreak havoc on the city.

This is a really fun sequel to Noir. There is so much happening that there's no way to describe it and do it justice. How can you not love a book where the highest compliment a man can give a woman is to call her a stand-up dame? Fast, funny, zany.

What Cookie's Coffee must have been like in 1940's San Francisco

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

October 23, 2022

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

Three ordinary people experience terrible loss: 70-something Chuck loses his beloved wife to cancer; Kirsten is a young woman just out of college, whose father is murdered in a gas station robbery gone wrong; and Ella's daughter has been taken by her estranged husband. All three are going through the motions of living while trying to come to terms with their grief. They find themselves again when they unexpectedly come together to help each other.

This is a wonderful heartfelt novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It's about grief, it's about loss, it's about how to get up every morning and keep going. Loss takes many forms: losing a spouse, losing a parent, a child gone missing, even the pain of having to give up a beloved pet. It's very much character-driven with each person having to find their way forward. The characters are at different places in their lives but they are all well-developed and you care about them. Part of the reason they are so relatable is because they are regular people: they're not celebrities or super-wealthy or rich and famous. They are nice people who care about others. The story reminded me somewhat of Fredrik Backman's writing where the characters are written with great feeling and often have hidden connections to each other. One of the characters tells others to be someone's cardinal - the cardinal stays through the winter when all the other birds have gone - be there for others when times are good but especially when times are hard. Lovely book, highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

A winter cardinal

Life in the Fasting Lane by Jason Fung

June 6, 2022

Life in the Fasting Lane by Jason Fung

This is a basic guide to intermittent fasting (no, it won't kill you to miss a meal). It answers questions regarding fasting, ways to fast, what to expect, and offers practical advice for getting started.

Intermittent fasting can jump-start weight loss, improve blood sugar and insulin levels, lower blood pressure, reduce risk factors for cancer, promote longevity, improve brain function, and balance your hormones. People have been fasting for thousands of years for health and religious reasons. Even Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness (yes, it's possible to fast for 40 days as long as you drink water - even the most elite athlete has enough bodily reserves to last about two months without eating). 

I found this guide very helpful and have tried fasting to help with weight loss. As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, weight loss is not a simple formula of calories in minus calories used equals weight loss, even if your doctor tells you that all you have to do is eat less and exercise more. There are also a lot more hormones in play than just insulin, and insulin isn't released only when you eat carbs. There are a number of ways to fast which can help with different issues (24 hour fast, 36 hour fast, 42 hour fast, 18/6 hour fast, etc). The writing in relatable and geared for the layperson, with real-life articles about their experiences by people who fast regularly.

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

June 5, 2022

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

Honey Mary Angeline Lovett is the adopted daughter of Cussy Mary Carter, one of the original pack horse librarians in Kentucky. Blue-skinned like Cussy, Honey and her parents have been hiding from the law all of her life. When her parent are arrested for their mixed-race marriage, 16 year old Honey has to find a responsible adult to look after her until she turns 18. Honey moves in with an old friend of her mother's, and to support herself, joins the Pack Horse Library Project, picking up her mother's old route. In the course of her work, she meets Pearl, the first woman park ranger in the state. Honey and Pearl both have to fight for their freedom to work and live independently.

I didn't enjoy this sequel as much as I did the first book (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek), but it was still a good read. There was a little too much calamity, just one disaster after another. But the characters are engaging and the story is well-researched. And Junius the bad-tempered mule is still with us.

An Appalachian homestead like the ones Cussy and Honey would have visited

The Return of the Pharoah by Nicholas Meyer

October 21, 2022

The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer

Dr. John Watson, long-time chronicler of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and his second wife Juliet find themselves wintering in Cairo while Juliet recovers from tuberculosis. After Juliet checks into the sanatorium, Watson finds himself at loose ends and begins visiting Cairo locations that other Englishmen frequent. At the Shepheard's Hotel bar, he unexpectedly runs into the great detective himself, in disguise as a Colonel Arbuthnot (complete with Watson's gravy-stained regimental tie). Holmes is on a case, searching for a missing duke who came to Egypt on the hunt for treasure. Watson is immediately swept up in the case and the pair find themselves entangled in the frenzy for Egyptian artifacts and treasure, as well as murder.

Not as good as the SH canon but not bad. Meyer wrote The Seven Percent Solution before this, another Holmes and Watson story. Ancient Egypt interests me, so that was an added draw. My only real complaint was the duchess who spends a lot of time fainting or going catatonic at the most inopportune times. Seriously? Were women in the early 20th century really that delicate that they'd pass out rather than trying to get themselves out of a life-threatening situation?

Shepheard's Hotel, a favorite Cairo hangout for Englishmen

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

October 22, 2022

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus, being held prisoner (his opinion) at a small aquarium in Washington state. He knows that his species lives only about four years, and he is past three years old. He's very smart and has learned many things, including reading, unlocking boxes, and how to escape from his tank so that he can go snack on the other inmates at the aquarium (particularly the sea cucumbers). He knows things. Marcellus forms a bond with Tova, the senior citizen who cleans the aquarium at night. Tova's son Erik disappeared over 30 years ago, and Marcellus has answers to some of Tova's questions.

In California, Cameron Cassmore is down to his last few dollars. His former girlfriend tossed him out and he can't seem to hold a job for longer than a few days. He doesn't even have a car to sleep in. After his aunt gives him a box of stuff that belonged to his mother, Cameron is convinced that one of the guys in her senior class is his biological father, and incidentally, the guy is now a rich property developer. He decides to go to Washington state to shake the rich guy down.

I loved this book! It's one of the most satisfying books that I've read this year. It's heartwarming, the characters are wonderful, the writing is fluid, and the plot moves along at a good pace without the wandering off topic that is so common in many books.

And I LOVED Marcellus the octopus! READ THIS BOOK!

Giant Pacific octopus

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

June 4, 2022

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

On the moon called Panga, long ago robots put down their tools and walked out of their factories. They wandered off into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Centuries later, they are a legend to tell children.  After being a tea monk for years, traveling from town to town to perform tea ceremonies, Sibling Dex is tired of their normal routine and decides to go off grid into the wilderness. To their surprise, they encounter a robot named Mosscap (who is a wild-built robot, constructed from the parts of earlier generations of robots). Mosscap has been sent by its people to find out what people need. This raises the question for both Mosscap and Sibling Dex that if people have everything they want, do they need more?

This is an homage to taking comfort in another's presence, that it's okay to want to not feel alone. I love Becky Chambers' writing. I loved her Wanderers series and was sorry to see it end. This is the first book in what I hope will be a new series. Mosscap and Sibing Dex are great characters, like all of the characters in Chambers' books. The story is comforting like a cup of tea at the end of a cold or troubling day. Love the cover picture of Dex sitting on his wagon with a steaming cup of tea and Mosscap coming down the road.

Ruins like the ones that Dex and Mosscap find at the wilderness monastery

The Orphans of Race Point by Patry Francis

June 1, 2022

The Orphans of Race Point by Patry Francis

As children, Hallie and Gus were drawn together by a crime that left Gus orphaned. They live in the small Massachusetts fishing town of Race Point on Cape Cod, both descended from Portuguese immigrants. Hallie's mother Maria died the year before, and Hallie lives with her father Nick, the town doctor. Hallie and Gus remain close through adolescence, and they fall in love and are inseparable, until the night of their senior prom when a terrible tragedy occurs. Gus becomes a priest and a decade later, becomes involved with a woman and her daughter, which results in Gus being charged with murder and landing in jail. Hallie, now married and a doctor, never stopped loving Gus and is determined to clear his name and free him from prison.

I didn't love this one as much as many other readers did. While I was initially drawn into the story, after a couple hundred pages, I was ready for things to move along. It's very long (over 500 pages), and the characters (particularly Gus) make incredibly stupid, almost unbelievably bad choices. I realize that if characters in books made good choices, there would be no story and the book would be 4 pages long, but Gus is almost TSTL (too stupid to live, as my romance reading friends would say). Disappointing.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang

October 20, 2022

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang

Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago, and her two daughters, Zadie and Finn, have no idea why or where she went. Both sisters have a sixth sense: Zadie is a psychic and Finn is able to enter other people's memories and dreams. They wonder if maybe their mother had a sixth sense too, and if it had something to do with why she left. Shortly after Finn's high school graduation, the sisters plan to take a beach vacation in Galveston. But when Finn finds herself in a memory that can only belong to her mother, they decide instead that they need to go search for Nora.

DNF. I have the feeling that the author thought up a cool title and decided to write a book around it. I'm not really a fan of magical realism, and if I had known that was the major theme, I would not have requested this title from NetGalley. I usually enjoy books about missing persons but I didn't connect with the characters at all - too much crap about boyfriends and stuff like Psychic Karaoke. Also, the author's wandering style didn't appeal to me either. Maybe younger readers will like it better, or if you're a fan of magical realism like Alice Hoffman, you'll probably like this book a lot more than I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing an eARC.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

May 29, 2022

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Several seemingly unrelated characters and events, beginning in 1912 and moving forward 300 years, and set in places from a forest to the moon, come together to form a narrative. Time corruption occurs at various points, when characters hear the same music and experience the same forest while they are in totally different places. What happens when someone makes a tiny shift in history (or the future)? Does it change how the future spools out? Does it really change anything?

Loved this one. The plot of this book is very hard to describe, just like the author's previous book Station Eleven, to which it is similar in style. Characters from the author's previous two novels (Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel) appear here and figure in each others' past and future stories. I loved Station Eleven, but The Glass Hotel not so much. Mandel's style isn't for everyone, but I really enjoy her stuff.

Sea of Tranquility on the moon

The Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

May 27, 2022

The Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

Agent Fatma may be the youngest agent with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities in Cairo, but she's one of the sharpest in the department. When someone murders the members of a secret society devoted to honoring Al-Jahiz, the Master of Djinn who opened up the world of magic, Fatma is assigned to the case. At the same time, a masked individual claiming to be Al-Jahiz is stirring up unrest in Cairo, urging the residents to revolt again the government and order. Fatma, her girlfriend Siti, and her colleagues must unmask the real murderer to restore peace to the city.

I am glad to see Agent Fatma and the mysterious Siti back for another adventure. Love the descriptions of Fatma's sharp suits, too. I'm looking forward to another installment.

Fatma's Cairo in the early 20th century

Tropic of Stupid by Tim Dorsey

October 19, 2022

Tropic of Stupid by Tim Dorsey

When the Florida state park system implements a yearly pass program complete with a passport to collect stamps from each park, Floridaphile and history buff Serge A. Storms is compelled to visit all of the state parks with his pal Coleman in order to get his passport stamped. At the same time, Serge decides to trace his family history after watching a late-night commercial for DNA testing and sending a sample off to the ancestry site. He receives several hits for distant cousins and uses their information to conduct more research, setting a goal to make other people happy. When he keeps crossing paths with a Florida Bureau of Investigation agent, he realizes that they are both searching for a serial killer who is related to Serge. Very closely related.

Serge might be a serial killer, but he only kills people who really need killing. He continues his one-man crusade to right the wrongs that persist in the Sunshine State, taking out a robber who preys on senior citizens and a shyster lawyer, among others. Like a noir detective, he lives by his own code of ethics. Also, he finds women who wear plaid shirts to be a turn-on. While this series might not appeal to everyone, I enjoy Dorsey's out-there sense of humor and Serge's creative "science projects."

Jonathan Dickson State Park in Florida (one of 54 state parks)

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

October 18, 2022

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

After exploring the unpopulated areas of their moon, Sibling Dex (a well-known tea monk) and his new companion Mosscap (a wild-built robot, made up from parts of robot generations that came before it) head for more populated regions. As they begin to visit small communities, reaction to Mosscap is varied. Most places are excited to meet a robot, but not all of them. As they draw closer to the City, Mosscap continues its quest for its people: what do humans need? If they have everything they want, do they need anything at all? And more importantly, what do Sibling Dex and Mosscap need?

Becky Chambers writes some of the most creative sci fi out there. She goes places other sci fi authors don't even know exist. I love her descriptions of a world that has come back to life after humans did their best to kill it. Crown-shy is Mosscap's term for the way that trees instinctively know how close to grow together, to give each other space to live and grow.

I love Sibling Dex and Mosscap, and I hope there will be more Monk and Robot books.

A post-apocalyptic town like the ones Dex and Mosscap visit