The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

June 20, 2025

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

At the edge of Chicago, there is a Station with a lighthouse that guides the dead to the afterlife. Nera is the daughter and apprentice of Harosen, the ferryman who takes souls across Lake Michigan to the Veil, the entrance to the afterlife. Their dogs guide the souls to the Station and stay with them as they cross over, but some souls don’t want to leave the station, choosing to wait for a loved one. Others fear even beginning the journey, becoming wandering Haunts. When a living woman named Charlie is somehow able to cross the portal to the Station looking for her dead sister, Nera is forced to confront how little she knows about the Station, the city, and her own life.

Let me start by saying, the dogs are the best part! I really wanted to like this more than I did. The first half went quickly, but the second part dragged. Charlie is looking for her dead sister but it takes forever for her to actually get started, and then she gets her answer in one sentence. The waystation is wonderfully creative, as are the dogs and the souls waiting for loved ones. Marketed as a queer fantasy about love and grief, which I think is a fair description. Fans of TJ Klune’s Under the Whispering Door may enjoy it, but I found this to be far darker. Klune’s novel is much sweeter and warmer. 

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

The pumping station out in Lake Michigan - I wonder if this gave the author for the idea of a gateway to the afterlife out in the middle of the lake

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

June 19, 2025

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Catalina is a senior at Harvard, an aspiring writer who has worked a variety of unpaid internships, trying to figure out where she belongs. Born in Ecuador, she was sent to the United States to live with her grandparents following the death of her parents. Searching for love and romance, Catalina harbors a secret that can impact her future.

DNF at 51% - this was all over the place. It was like the author had a bunch of different stories that she just lumped together into one long stream of consciousness piece with no real plot or storyline, just a "year in the life." Did not care for the main character - extremely self-focused with no character growth, immature and pretentious at the same time. Actually, I didn't care for any of the characters. FYI, this is NOT dark academia - dark academia is Donna Tartt's The Secret History and others like it. The subject matter is important (the experiences of the undocumented living in the U.S., South American history and culture) so it's unfortunate that I found it so unreadable. Fans of the style of Sally Rooney or Dolly Alderton will probably enjoy it.

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

Ecuador

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

June 17, 2025

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Evie Sage needs to find a job to help support her family right away. Desperate, when the local evil overlord (conveniently if not very creatively known as The Villain) offers her a job as his personal assistant, she agrees to work for him. She is amazed at how fast she grows accustomed to severed heads hanging from the ceiling and stray fingers on the floor. But someone is trying to kill the Villain, and by extension, Evie and the other people who work for him. 

The first book in a trilogy, a romantasy filled with mystery, humor, and a hot male protagonist (and who doesn't love a hot male protagonist?). Like The Office in a fantasy setting. After a while, I did want to yell at Evie and Trystan to find a bed and get on with it already. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon or vacation reading - strictly entertainment, it's not going to strain your mind. Cliffhanger ending, so be warned that you may have to continue on with the series.

The modern fantasy office

Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

June 11, 2025

Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Forty years after the Viet Nam war ended, the country is still feeling the after-effects of a senseless war. The story follows three characters: Dan, an American veteran suffering from PTSD who fathered a child with a Vietnamese bar girl, and returns to Vietnam about 40 years later with his wife to try to find the woman and their child; two Vietnamese sisters, Trang and Quynh, who became bar girls during the war to support their family; and Phong, a mixed race man who is a “dust child” fathered by a Black GI, who desperately wants to find his father so he can move his family to the United States. 

A look at the aftermath of the Viet Nam war from a different perspective, that of those left behind to deal with the consequences, told from three different POVs. The Viet Nam war is the background here. A dust child is a mixed race child, the illegitimate child of a Vietnamese woman and an American soldier. Thousands of American GIs left behind these dust children, who were often discriminated against and denied basic human rights. Many of these children were abandoned or given away by their mothers, who feared retaliation from the Viet Cong for associating with American soldiers (which thankfully did not happen). While the children of white GIs suffered, children of Black GIs were treated far worse. I found the character of Dan, the American veteran, to be the least appealing. Themes and triggers include PTSD, exploitation of women, sexual abuse, poverty, and racial discrimination. Recommended for readers who want an alternate perspective on a controversial war.

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, in the 21st century

A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross

June 7, 2025

A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross

Welcome to Camp Sunshine. It rains a lot. Specializing in cult deprogramming, Camp Sunshine is part of The Laundry, the government department that defends Great Britain from occult threats. Most residents stayed a few months, were rehabilitated, and returned to society. But Derek has been there since 1984, when he was rounded up with some of his mates as part of the Satanic Panic, since they were avid Dungeons & Dragons players, and therefore cultists. Due to what was essentially a clerical error, it took the government too long to realize he was just a harmless nerd, and by that time he was institutionalized. But after many years at Camp Sunshine, Derek gets his hands a local newspaper with an announcement that DiceCon, an annual gaming convention, would be coming to one of the local towns. Derek decides that no matter the consequences, he is going to DiceCon. 

Part of the Laundry Files series. I haven’t read any of the series because it seemed like it was a little too science-geeky (don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against geeky types since I lean toward the nerdy myself), but this was so entertaining that I am rethinking that. Derek has been incarcerated at Camp Sunshine, a cult deprogramming center, for over 20 years, and he interprets everything through a gaming lens, quickly finding a gaming parallel to any unfamiliar situation (enthusiastic women with big boobs trying to sell him something? Obviously a Wandering Monster encounter). Creative and entertaining, recommended for sci-fi/fantasy/horror readers who like a little humor in their reality. 

If you don't know what the Satanic Panic was, look it up on Google and spend a couple of hours down the rabbit hole.

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

Nerds, er, fans at a gaming convention

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

June 4, 2025

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Sybil is a lifelong letter writer, even in the modern age of email. She is divorced, a mother and grandmother, and a retired lawyer. She has a disease that she is hiding from her children, that is causing her to lose her eyesight. Sybil is enjoying her retirement until she is asked to speak at the funeral of her former law partner. Following the funeral, she begins receiving anonymous hate mail from a disgruntled litigant.

I loved this! It is definitely the best book I’ve read so far this year. It’s literary fiction and completely written in the form of letters. Sybil and I would have gotten along well since I’ve read all the books that she mentions in her letters. Blindness seems to be a metaphor for a lot that is going on in the novel. Will appeal to readers who enjoy Ann Patchett and Fredrik Backman. Highly recommended. 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghey

June 1, 2025

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghey

Following the death of his wife, Dominic Salt takes a job with the Tasmanian park service and with his three children, moves to an island near Antarctica. They live in the island's lighthouse, and Dom's main job is looking after the international seed bank stored on the island, and maintaining the research station. But climate change is causing the ocean to rise and it is gradually consuming the island. When the government decides to move the seed bank to a safer place, the research team departs, leaving Dom and his children to finish packing the seeds and close down the facilities before a ship comes to take them back to the mainland. But before they leave, during one of the worst storms they have ever witnessed, a mysterious woman washes up on shore, gravely injured but alive.

First, let me say that I realize that the majority of readers LOVED this book, while I am somewhat ambivalent. Whenever a book is subjected to a media storm of hype, I go into it with high expectations and am almost always disappointed. I read a lot of literary fiction and I expect excellent writing and really good characters, since that's what carries the story. This one was only middle of the road. The writing and nature descriptions are lovely, and the setting is unique and interesting, but I did not feel any connection with any of the characters. I guess the island and the weather were the two actual main characters. The plot isn't much of a plot at all, more of a non-mystery based on deliberate miscommunication. Climate change i8s an important topic but the author really beats it to death. No one has a happy ending, it's just all super tragic. Triggers include statutory rape, descriptions of animal abuse, mental illness, graphic sex, and violence in many forms. Just meh.

The research station at Macquarie Island, Antarctica

The Default World by Naomi Kanakia

June 1, 2025

The Default World by Naomi Kanakia

Jhanvi is a trans woman living in San Francisco. Unfortunately she is very masculine looking: over six feet tall, broad shouldered, muscular, swarthy, with a prominent jaw and brow bone. Jhanvi knows she is going to need some serious surgery and drug therapy in order to successfully present as a woman. She learns that some major tech companies have insurance that will cover gender correction surgery, so she starts hatching a scheme to find someone to marry her. Some of her San Francisco acquaintances live in a communal house known as the Fun Haus and earn a lot of money, so her backup plan is to figure out a way to con them out of some of it.

The main character is a transgendered woman who wants to complete her transition who is unfortunately morally bankrupt. That doesn't have anything to do with her gender or her sexuality - she's just a shady person who will use anyone. She doesn't have a job (because even though she graduated from Stanford, working is boring), so she decides to try to scam one of her acquaintances (who graduated from Stanford with her, have good well-paying jobs, and work long hours) into marrying her for their medical insurance - she doesn't care if it's a man or a woman. The people she's living with aren't much better. Unnecessarily complicated, with unsympathetic characters. I did feel sorry for Jhanvi at a few points, like when she catches sight of herself in a mirror and thinks, I'm a man in a dress, I look like a man in a dress. BTW, the default world is what the rest of us call the real world. It's the people and place where, if you need help, people actually help you, stand by you, and support you. They are your real family and community - but there are rules, values, morals, principles, and goals attached to them.. Not sure who if anyone I would recommend this to.

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

Bruce Jenner who became Caitlyn Jenner, one of the best known trans women in the world

City in Ruins by Don Winslow

June 1, 2025

City in Ruins by Don Winslow

After leaving Hollywood, Danny Ryan has landed in Las Vegas. He is now a multi-millionaire, a legitimate businessman developing luxury hotels. But his past is never far behind, and it finally catches up with him.

Winslow concludes his saga of Danny Ryan with its combination of Greek tragedy and the Godfather. Not my favorite book in the trilogy, but Winslow wrote a conclusion to the series that wound in all the various threads and characters. Themes include moral ambiguity, revenge, crime and punishment, fathers and sons, honor, and the importance of family, whether they are your biological family or your chosen family. Although Winslow does some recapping, you really need to read the first two books to appreciate this one. The audio version is excellent. Winslow has announced that this will be his final novel. We'll see. Recommended for readers who enjoy the crime fiction of Michael Connelly, John Sandford, and Lee Child.

The Riviera, one of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas

Oye by Melissa Mogollon

May 31. 2025

Oye by Melissa Mogollon

With Hurricane Irma bearing down on Miami, Luciana's family is in a panic: Luciana's grandmother, her Abue, refuses to evacuate. Normally Luciana is relegated to the sidelines and everyone ignores her, but now that her sister Mari is away at college, Luciana is pulled into the family drama. Luciana is just trying to graduate from high school and figure out her sexuality. Meanwhile, Luciana's mother is treating their evacuation like a family road trip. But then Abue receives a devastating medical diagnosis and comes to live with them, taking over Luciana's bedroom.

This was like eavesdropping on a really long phone conversation. The story is told through a series of mostly one-sided phone calls between Luciana and her older sister. While I enjoyed it, I can see where some readers would be put off by the format. There are some parts that are hilarious - the family saga is like a telenovella, entertaining if somewhat confusing at times. Luciana's grandmother is great - even though she has been diagnosed with cancer, her main concern is getting her roots touched up and keeping in contact with her boyfriends while she is in the hospital, while at the same time keeping her nosy sister out of her life. The audiobook is excellent. Recommended for readers who like quirky contemporary novels.

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

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

May 28, 2025

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

Coram House was an orphanage run by nuns, closed down after decades of abuse were uncovered. Alex Kelley is a struggling writer who has accepted a job to ghostwrite a true crime book about the orphanage and the children who lived there. She is hoping the book will restart her career and that the income will help her get back on her feet. The only real downside that she can see is having to move to Vermont in January. But when she starts researching the story, she discovers a very different tale than she was expecting.

Inspired by a true story (St. Joseph's Orphanage in Vermont) and a pretty quick read. Highly atmospheric from the creepy orphanage complete with graveyard that an entrepreneur is redoing as luxury housing (I mean, seriously??) to the shifty locals to the dark Vermont winter. Good plotting that makes you wonder who the real monster is. The main character was the drawback for me - she is all kinds of stupid. Of course, if she acted like a rational person, there wouldn't be a novel ("oh, sure, I'll come alone out to your isolated house and not tell anyone where I'm going, even though you've already threatened me with bodily harm and are suspected of killing at least one person."). I do prefer my main characters a little brighter, although some readers will appreciate her imperfections. Themes include the downside of true crime writing, child abuse, pedophilia in the church, blackmail, and murder, so be warned if these subjects are triggers for you.

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

St. Joseph's Orphanage, Burlington, VT

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

May 22, 2025

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Patch McCauley (whose real name is Joseph) is a 13 year old living in a small Missouri town with his mother Ivy. His best friend is Saint, who live with her grandmother Norma, a bus driver in the town. Patch has only one eye and has always been obsessed by pirates since he wears an eye patch over his missing eye. Nothing much happens in their town until one morning on his way to school, Patch sees a man attempting to abduct his schoolmate Misty. Misty gets away but all the police can find of Patch is his missing eye patch and a lot of blood.

Disappointing. It took me forever to slog through this. This is another of those love it or hate it books. I heard that it meandered around a lot and that it was more literary fiction than mystery, which is fine with me if I know what to expect. I loved the first hundred or so pages, thought the characters were great, but it lost me when the two kids were locked in the basement. The center section of the book just drags, and it's way too long. I skimmed the last 2/3 of the book and then read the ending. Didn't miss much. I came to hate most of the characters, too. It's like the author had ideas for a couple of different storylines and decided to just jumble them together. An editor should have cut out a couple of hundred pages and made it a better book. Reminded me of Demon Copperhead, which everyone else loved and I didn't. I should know by now that whenever a book is selected by a celebrity or TV book club, I'm probably going to hate it. But at least those book clubs get people who otherwise never read a book, to pick one up. Can't get those hours back.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

May 20, 2025

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

Leslie Hamlyn and her husband Robert have lived in Penang in Malaya (now Malaysia) for 15 years, the entire time they have been married. But now Robert is ill and wants to move to South Africa for the drier climate. Before they leave Malaya, their old friend Somerset Maugham (Willie, to his friends) and his secretary Gerald came to stay with them for a few weeks. Willie is hiding the fact that he has made poor investments and is in desperate financial straits and needs to publish a new book as soon as possible, while Leslie and Gerald are hiding their own secrets.

I read the author's previous book, The Garden of Evening Mists, and loved it. To my surprise, I loved this one just as much. It was exactly what I was in the mood for. Set between the two world wars, he story was inspired by Maugham's short story The Letter, which he later turned into a successful play that was adapted for film. Themes include race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, love, betrayal, and redemption. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction.

W. Somerset Maugham

The Cardinal: A Novel of Love and Power by Alison Weir

May 20, 2025

The Cardinal: A Novel of Love and Power by Alison Weir

A novel based on the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Lord Chancellor, cardinal of York, and chaplain to Henry VIII. Wolsey was easily the most powerful man in England, also one of the richest. Henry was poorly prepared to become king, kept almost in seclusion by his father Henry VII who worried over losing his only remaining son and heir, and deliberately prevented him from learning about the duties of statecraft (I think his father feared he would blab to his hinky friends about state secrets). Consequently, when Henry became king at 18, he was far more interested in cutting loose and having fun, and naturally his closest friends wielded the worst possible influence over him. Wolsey grabbed the reigns of state with both hands, attending council meetings in Henry's place and then giving him the Cliff's Notes version of the proceedings, making sure to sugarcoat the more unpalatable parts, even giving up the love of his life to keep his position at Henry's chief councillor.

Things were great for Wolsey, until they weren't. Unable to bring about a divorce for Henry so he could marry Anne Boleyn, Wolsey's star rapidly descended until it crashed. I love Alison Weir's books, her historical fiction as well as her nonfiction. They are always well-researched and based on historical fact, yet highly readable. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy well-written historical fiction about the Tudor era.

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

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore

May 19, 2025

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore

In 1939, an assorted group of monetary experts from the U.S. Treasury Department set out to crash the German economy.

A look at World War II history from a different angle, this time from a monetary/economic perspective, based on actual events and people. Billed as a page-turning gripping spy thriller, it's not that at all and certainly not what I was expecting. It's slow-moving for one thing, with a lot of discussion about economic theory in the first part of the book. I also didn't find the characters all that engaging, although there is some witty dialogue among some of the characters but not enough to keep me interested, and I found myself skimming over a lot of parts. Some readers called it fascinating and it probably is to the right reader, who obviously isn't me. Not recommended unless you are into economic theory in minute detail. Or need something to help you get to sleep.

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

Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger

May 16, 2025

Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger

I've always had a secret desire to open a restaurant or a bar, probably because I enjoy cooking and feeding people, but the author here makes it sound a lot less appealing. She worked in fine and ultra fine dining establishments, first as a server and then as a cellar rat while she learned about wines and later as a sommelier or wine steward (a cellar rat is one of the people who unpacks cases of wine and stocks the wine cellar). It is not at all a healthy environment, as it turns out: the hours are long, the work is hard and thankless, and chefs and restaurant managers prey on vulnerable staff members. Sensitive subjects include child abuse, sexual abuse, workplace abuse, body image, and misogyny. The whole memoir comes off as repetitious and a little whiny. The author read the audio version - it might have been better if she'd hired a professional reader. A much better memoir of the restaurant industry is Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential

The South by Tash Aw

May 14, 2025

The South by Tash Aw

After the death of his grandfather, Jay's family travels to a rural area in the south of Malaysia to visit Jay's father's half-brother, who live on a failing farm that Jay's mother has inherited. Jay is sexually drawn to Chuan, his older half-cousin, but all of the family members have their own secrets.

The first book in a planned quartet, a coming of age story. Because there are more books to follow, the ending is somewhat unsatisfying. Themes include LGBTQ, climate change, racism, social class, the growing influence of Western capitalism and culture, and family dynamics.

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

Plantation in rural Malaysia

I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko

May 11, 2025

I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko

This is the best book title I've seen in a while. Born with a rare health condition, Sosenko was a pretty face attached to what she considered to be a grotesque body. I was horrified at the insensitive things people did (like reaching out to touch the hump on her back) and the ugly things they said, particularly men. I am glad the author realized that she is just fine exactly how she is and absolutely entitled to live her life how she wants. Sensitive readers should be aware of subjects that may be triggers, including mental illness, wanting to die, physical disability, abusive relationships, and stupid insensitive people (who are unfortunately ubiquitous). Will appeal to readers who enjoyed Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom is Dead.

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

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

May 9, 2025

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Four senior citizens who live in a post retirement community (and really have nothing else in common) entertain themselves by reviewing and investigating unsolved crimes. They meet every Thursday afternoon, hence the name of their group, the Thursday Murder Club, where they lay out all the evidence of a crime and assisted by a few bottles of wine, try to ascertain the perpetrator. When one of the contractors who works at the community is found dead in his kitchen, the club has their newest case, and this time it's a real active case.

The characters are what make this mystery, a group of smart quirky senior citizens with nothing but time on their hands and a certain joie de vivre. Entertaining but it did get a little drawn out (does the author have to cast suspicion on everyone? It got a little repetitious.). The police detectives are much more tolerant of the amateur detectives than in most mysteries. BTW, I would love to live in Coopers Chase. If you enjoy mysteries with quirky characters and amateur super sleuths, you'll enjoy this first book in a charming mystery series.

Yeah, this is who I though of right away (picture Sicily, 1922...)

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

May 8, 2025

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

Almost 25 years after graduating, Bodie Kane (successful podcaster and some-time college professor) returns to the Granby School in New Hampshire where she spent four fairly awful high school years, to teach a seminar on podcasting. One of the things that made her time there so bad was when her roommate Thalia was found dead in the school swimming pool. A culprit was quickly arrested and convicted, receiving a sentence of life in prison, but one of Bodie's student isn't so sure and decides to do her podcast project about the crime, which dredges up all sorts of memories for Bodie.

It took me a while to get through this, I kept picking it up and then putting it down to read something else that was more interesting, so the story and the characters obviously weren't pulling me in. A literary fiction cold-case mystery, combining themes of murder, sexual predation/Me Too, the popularity of true crime podcasts, and the effect of social media on all of it. Many of these themes have been worked over at length already, and in books that did a better job of exploring them. The writing and the language are really good but the story drags, and then there is no real resolution, too much is left hanging. Made me remember how awful high school was at times. I don't recommend it unless you are a die-hard fan of the author. I think I may be finished with Makkai.

Boarding school in winter

City of Dreams by Don Winslow

May 5, 2025

City of Dreams by Don Winslow

After double-crossing the Moretti crime family in Rhode Island, Danny Ryan flees the east coast for California with his father, his toddler son, and the remnants of his Irish crew. He just wants a quiet life, to start over with his child. But federal agents contact him about doing them a favor; in return, they will help his problems from his old life go away. But then Danny learns that one of the film studios is making a movie based on the crime wars back in Providence, and he decides he wants in on the project.

The second book in the Danny Ryan trilogy, sequel to City on Fire, picks up exactly where the previous book leaves off. Loosely based on Vergil's Aeneid, which is the sequel to Homer's Iliad. Danny insists (a little too much) that he wants to go straight and live a quiet life, but just like the leopard, Danny can't change his spots: crime and bad decisions just seem to find him. All of the characters except Danny's son display some moral ambiguity - no one is all bad or all good. Furthermore, there is a pervading sense of tragedy that affects all the characters. Doesn't work as a stand-alone novel - you need to read the previous book to really understand what is going on here. I can't wait to get the final book in the trilogy, City in Ruins.

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

May 2, 2025

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

Five contestants are invited to participate in a reality TV show with the chance to win $10 million. None of them know how or why they were chosen. All of the contestants as well as the program host have secrets, and when faced with strategic challenges and isolation, facades start to crack apart. They soon realize that someone brought them together for revenge and the stakes are life or death.

Revenge by way of reality TV show. A twisty suspense novel that is also a locked-room mystery centered around the current popularity of reality "must-see" TV shows, like a combination of Survivor and Squid Game, with notes of Agatha Christie. It's a fast fun read, with a cast of unlikeable characters, unreliable narrators, and a gorgeous but creepy gothic setting. It also offers a commentary on the voyeuristic aspects of social media and how far some people are willing to go for wealth, fame, and influence. A good choice for vacation or beach reading.

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

A creepy gothic mansion, not exactly a place where I'd like to spend two weeks

Isola by Allegra Goodman

April 30, 2025

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Marguerite de Rocque was orphaned as a small child. Heir to her family's fortune, her cousin Roberval is appointed her guardian and administrator of her estates. But he squanders her money and sells her manor house to finance one last desperate voyage to the new world, taking Marguerite with him. When she falls in love with his secretary, Roberval abandons them to die on a deserted island near Canada without food or shelter.

I liked this more than I expected that I would, since I frequently hate the books selected by those celebrity and TV book clubs. But I had this on my reading list before Reese Witherspoon picked it, so I decided to read it anyway. Based on the true story of Marguerite de Rocque who lived in 16th century France. Marguerite suffers abandonment in a number of ways, and she lived an interesting life. Brought up to be a pampered lady, she perseveres and survives extreme hardship. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction that focuses on strong women.

Some of the islands in the St. Lawrence River, which look a lot nicer in the summer than they do in winter

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

April 25, 2025

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Nadya was born with only one hand, to a teenage mother who abandoned her right after her birth. Taken in by the nuns at the local orphanage, Nadya flourishes there, developing a knack for choosing the correct child to present to prospective parents. Although she does not consider herself handicapped (she reasons she can't miss what she never had), Nadya accepts that it is unlikely that she will ever be adopted because adults are unable to see beyond the one thing that Nadya is missing. That is, until a pair of American missionaries show up at the Russian orphanage, determined to adopt the most unadoptable child they can find. They take Nadya back to America with them, not because they really want a child but because it is the "Christian" thing to do. Nadya adjusts to her new life, learning English and how her adoptive parents expect her to act and react, and everything seems to be going as well as can be expected. But then Nadya falls through a door at the bottom of the pond behind her house and discovers a whole different world beneath the waters and meets the Drowned People.

Part of the award-winning Wayward Children series. This is a novella that tells the backstory of one of the peripheral characters in the series. Themes include abandonment, physical disability, culture and adoption. I didn't like the ending, but that was because it wasn't really an ending, more like the set-up for a future book, so perhaps we will see more of Nadya. Will appeal to readers who enjoy re-tellings of fairy and folk tales, such as Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik or The Bear and the Nighingale by Katherine Arden.

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

There are turtles in this book, a LOT of turtles.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

April 17, 2025

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong - Chinese mother, tea house proprietor, and amateur sleuth - is back for another adventure. Life has been good for Vera since she solved the murder of the dead man in her tea shop. Business has been brisk, Vera has a new group of friends, and her son has a girlfriend. But in the midst of all this good fortune, Vera finds herself secretly bored. While she doesn't really want to see anyone get murdered, she feels she has a knack for collecting information (and people) and solving mysteries. So when a social media influencer disappears and an unidentified body is found, Vera just knows she can find the answer to both mysteries.

The sequel to Vera Wong's Guide to Murder, with a new cast of strangers who become friends added to the group that Vera collected in the first book. Vera learns about social media and influencers, posting videos of herself cooking and making tea while solving the problems of her new friends. Funny and heartwarming, recommended for readers of cozy mysteries who enjoy their mysteries with more humor and less romance than most cozies.

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

What I imagine Vera's tea shop must look like

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

April 10, 2025

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

Dan scores a reservation at the exclusive La Fin du Monde restaurant and takes his wife Jane to celebrate their wedding anniversary. But his timing is off, since Jane has decided that she is going to ask for a divorce over dinner (also maybe not the best timing). Not to mention that climate change activists have chosen that night to bomb the restaurant.

Quirky and fun, with a long-term marriage that turns out to be a romance after all. Recommended for readers who enjoy off-beat fiction like Nothing to See Here or Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend.

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

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

April 8, 2025

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

An examination of the five months between Abraham Lincoln's election and the start of the Civil War. I have enjoyed Larson's other books a great deal, but for me, this one didn't measure up to his earlier works. I think the sheer volume of research and the number of characters causes the narrative to bog down. Normally Larson's books are gripping page turners, but I had to work to finish this one.

 

Atomic Habits by James Clear

April 7, 2025

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Everyone can think of behaviors they would like to become a habit, as well as existing habits they’d like to break. It’s not like we don’t know what we should or shouldn’t do (I think most people know that smoking bad for their health, and that eating fast food every day isn’t good on a number of levels). James Clear tells us that it’s not that we are weak or have no self-control, it’s that we are using the wrong system. His method is based on tiny changes, improving 1% at a time, resulting in huge cumulative change. Much of his plan is based on our identity, how we think of ourselves or the person that we want to be. He details an innovative four-step system for creating new habits and shedding bad habits, different than the usual repeat-an-action-for-30-days-to-create-a-habit plan. 

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance

March 27, 2025

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance

Elsie Gruner escaped her family’s hog farm in rural Ohio by eloping with an aspiring actor. They travel across the country to Hollywood, earning money by hustling players at pool halls. When they arrive in Hollywood, Elsie takes a job in a cafe while her husband Walt struggles to break into the movies. But Walt is just a hustler, a mediocre actor who only gets small parts. Elsie dreams of being a dress designer and she gets her chance  when she wins an internship to an American art school in Rome. But Elsie is soon swept up in a dangerous game that threatens to end her budding career almost before it starts.

The 1950s are one of my least favorite eras to read about, because of the paranoia, the persecution, and the super-rigid morality. Anyone who wasn’t mainstream was wrong - if you associated with anyone who had subversive views, your job and your future could be in serious trouble. Gossip could ruin your life. Elsie/Lena, the main character, is extremely naive and is caught up first by a con man and later by a spy ring. A little too much description of costumes and studio in-fighting and name dropping, which made the narrative drag. Disappointing, not as good as the author’s earlier books. 

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

Film studio circa 1950

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

March 20, 2025

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

In order to gain the respect of their male counterparts, five female mystery writers from the Golden Age of mystery - Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Emma Orzcy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh - join forces to solve the mystery of a young English nurse found murdered in Boulogne. 

Disappointing. Loosely based on an event in Dorothy Sayers' life. I usually really enjoy the author’s books but this one was slow moving, and the mystery itself was not compelling. Usually Benedict writes about real women who worked in areas that were normally reserved for men, and yes, the five women writers had to fight against sexism just to get their books published, let alone be accepted by their male peers. But unlike her previous books, I didn’t learn much about the characters’ lives. I guess I expected more from a story about the five major women mystery writers of the Golden Age - there were a lot of descriptions of where they were having high tea and shopping, and what they were eating and wearing (don’t get me wrong, I love a high tea). They just didn’t seem as sharp or clever as a mystery author should be, and Dorothy seemed like she was constantly prodding them along. Loved the cover, although it reminded me of Laurie Notaro’s The Murderess. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss for providing an eARC for review.

Dorothy Sayers