The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

April 28, 2024

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

Long before he became the fabulous RuPaul, international drag superstar, he was a gay Black child with a mother who suffered from depression her entire life and a father who was largely AWOL. This is a memoir of growing up poor, Black and queer in San Diego and Atlanta, always feeling different and trying to find a place where he belonged. RuPaul discusses candidly his dysfunctional family, his struggles with drugs and alcohol, and his journey to find and accept his identity. If you're expecting a book with celebrity anecdotes, life as a drag queen, and behind-the-scenes dish, this is not that book.

RuPaul in character - I should have legs like that

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

April 25, 2024

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

Hulda and Merritt's wedding is only weeks away, when Merritt receives a letter from Queen Victoria (yes, that Queen Victoria) expressing interest in Owein. Owein is Merritt's 223 year old many-times-great uncle who died at the age of 12 and originally inhabited the walls of Merritt's house. Owein currently resides in the body of a mixed-breed terrier, and is also a powerful wizard. The queen's necromancer believes he has a way of transferring Owein's spirit and magical powers to a human body. With plenty of reservations, Merritt, Owein and Hulda travel to England to find out if such a thing is possible and the potential fallout. But almost as soon as they arrive, they realize that not everyone may want the experiment to succeed.

The third book in the Whimbrel House series. I love Owein, so I was happy that we got a book about him. This is a charming historical fantasy series. I recommend reading the books in order.

Example of a Victorian necromancer

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

April 22, 2024

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony receives a call from his agent, asking him to write another mystery about Daniel Hawthorne, to be ready for release in in time for the Christmas sales. The only problem is, Hawthorne doesn't have a current case that he is working on. Anthony's agent suggests to them that Anthony should write a book about one of Hawthorne's old cases that happened five years earlier. Even though Hawthorne agrees and chooses the case, he seem reluctant to have Anthony write the book, doling out his notes a bit at a time.

The fifth book in the Horowitz and Hawthorne series, with the usual complex plot. This was one of the less successful titles in the series. The plot is a locked-room type of mystery, with the victim and the killer both living in the same gated community. However, there are some holes in the methodology. Anthony complains that he is having a hard time writing the book since he doesn't know how it ends, which doesn't make sense since the case took place five years earlier. It was quite sensational and received loads of media coverage, so it seems he could have looked up the details online. He does an online search for and finds things like information about the obscure organization that employs Hawthorne as well as contact information on another of Hawthorne's cases with only the person's last name. I hope the next book is better.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Richmond, the setting of this mystery

Clean(ish) by Gin Stephens

April 18, 2024

Clean(ish) by Gin Stephens

We are surrounded by chemicals all day, every day, especially in the United States, in our food, cleaning products, and personal care products. The author discusses the advantages to consuming cleaner products and food, and finding household and personal care products that contain fewer additives, as well as how to get the added chemicals out of our diets by consuming fewer processed foods.

AC: the Power of Appetite Correction by Bert Herring, M. D.

April 15, 2024

AC: the Power of Appetite Correction by Bert Herring, M. D.

A basic overview of intermittent fasting that digs deeper into our habits and patterns to help the reader understand why we eat - it's not all our fault, the food industry constantly encourages us to eat - and how to relearn healthier patterns. The author provides a collection of "tools" to aid those getting started with IF. I do love the Brussels sprouts test in the last chapter of the book: if you're not hungry enough to go microwave and eat some Brussels sprouts, then you're not REALLY hungry. For a more in-depth look at IF, read the books by Dr. Jason Fung and Gin Stephens.

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

April 12, 2024

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

Shelley House in the village of Chalcot is a down-at-heel former grand mansion that has been subdivided into six flats. The tenants are the usual mix: the nosy older woman who keeps track of all the comings and goings, the retiree who takes in lodgers to help make ends meet, the single woman with perpetually bad taste in men, the menacing man with a menacing dog, the financially-strapped widower and his teenaged daughter, and the party boy who smokes week, throws frequent parties, plays his music way too loud, and leaves bags of trash in the hallway. They co-exist until they all receive an eviction notice from the building's owner.

Neighbors are a mixed blessing. On the positive side, they're close by - in an emergency, they are frequently the first ones to help, On the down side, they're close by - they know what you're doing, all the time. (I once had upstairs neighbors that I swore stomped around in wooden clogs on bare floors, 24/7.) Reminded me of Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, with its quirky characters and themes of forgiveness, redemption, letting go of the past, and finding love in unexpected places. This is not actually a mystery, and the plot was somewhat predictable. Reggie the terrier was by far my favorite character. Recommended to readers looking for a heartwarming, feel-good read. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Traditional English village

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

April 9, 2024

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

After the sudden death of her parents, Carmen Acosta travels from Cuba to Miami to stay with her sister and brother-in-law, Carolina and Asher Wyatt. They own a grand house on Biscayne Bay, originally built right after World War I for Anna and Robert Barnes, a wealthy New York couple. The house is beautiful but creepy, like the peacocks that roam the property and scream at odd times. Her sister is oddly absent when Carmen arrives, and Carmen quickly senses that all is not right with her sister's marriage. She also comes to realize that whatever is troubling Carolina has something to do with the history of the house.

Atmospheric, reminiscent of classic gothic tales like Rebecca or Wuthering Heights, with all the traditional gothic elements: a big isolated house, creepy grounds, characters who pop up out of no where, an innocent young heroine, an aloof older man. I loved a good gothic when I was in high school - Victoria Holt was a fave! Will also appeal to fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia in addition to readers of gothic fiction.

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

Biscayne Bay

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

April 8, 2024

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her partner and lover Stoker are busy restoring Lord Rosemarran's extensive collection of curiosities, when they receive a delivery of a life-sized waxwork figure known as an Anatomical Venus. They wonder who created the figure and its intended purpose, but the mystery only deepens when they attempt to unlock its secrets.

The ninth adventure in the Veronica Speedwell/Stoker mystery series, filled with questionable science, potential scandal, and eccentricity among the aristocracy. The relationship between Veronica and Stoker deepens. Love the covers. Clever, action-packed and great fun as always. I would advise reading the series in order.

An Anatomical Venus - there were also Anatomical Adonis models

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick

April 8, 2024

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick

Lucas Goodgame is viewed as a hero by everyone who lives in his small town, except himself. His murdered wife Darcy visits him nightly in angel form. Lucas desperately wants to reconnect with his therapist Karl, but Karl is also in mourning. So Lucas begins to write letters to Karl, detailing his suffering as well as his nightly communications with Darcy. But then a damaged young man named Eli sets up a tent in his backyard, and they begin to heal each other and the town. 

Not an easy read since it deals with a story taken from daily news headlines. Those killed in a mass shooting aren't the only victims - how do the survivors and witnesses pick up their lives and go on? Themes of grief, trauma, anger, and ultimately love and healing in its many forms. Less about the shooting than it is about the aftermath.

Classic restored movie theater

The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, M.D.

April 4, 2024

The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, M.D.

Everything you though you knew about weight and weight loss is wrong. It's not a matter of how much you eat or even what you eat, it's the amount of insulin being triggered by when you eat. The American diet is a mess, which is not news to most of us, but Dr. Fung explains what we can do to fix that and improve our health: intermittent fasting. Lots of science but very interesting reading, especially if you're interested in losing weight and improving your health.

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

April 4, 2024

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

The last 122 people on earth live in a village on an island at the end of the world - everyone else has been consumed by a mysterious fog. Technology is gone, the last of it buried somewhere beneath the island. All of the residents work for the greater good, managed by Abi, an artificial intelligence. No one lives beyond the age of 60 - when a villager dies, another appears to take their place. The deadly fog remains at bay, but they all fear that someday, the fog will consume them too. Equilibrium is maintained until a resident is murdered, and the fog suddenly begins to creep closer.

Stuart Turton writes mysteries that are anything but ordinary. I refer to them as "thinking person mysteries," with stories that are complex and original. Like the author's previous books, this one is edgy and a blend of dystopia, sci fi, and mystery. It's a "locked room" mystery, where a group of people are isolated from the outside, and one of them must be the murderer, but it seems to be impossible that any of them did it. Hints of the television series LOST and also The Prisoner. I could have used a map of the island since it was sometimes difficult to picture where the characters were at times in relation to the village and the bay. Not for someone looking for a traditional mystery, but will appeal to readers who like fiction that is "out there."

Many thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A foggy island at the end of the world