The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

August 25, 2025

The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

Although lauded as a hero in his own time, Captain James Cook has now become a controversial figure and something of a pariah in many circles, particularly Polynesia. One of the best mapmakers of his age, his explorations are blamed for the introduction of colonialism with all its evils, including epidemics, venereal disease, the subjugation of indigenous cultures, theft of relics and artifacts, and disruption of ecological systems. Cook's third and final voyage differed vastly from his earlier voyages. His crew noted that he appeared to be suffering from an unknown illness, either physical or mental, which caused an abrupt change in his behavior and personality. Sensitive readers should be aware that there are descriptions of both human and animal cruelty, as well as brutal violence.

Captain James Cook

Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux

August 17, 2025

Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux

A comprehensive biography of the artist Paul Gauguin. Most of us know Gauguin for his paintings from Tahiti and his friendship with Vincent Van Gogh, but his life and work were far wider ranging that that. During his time living in Polynesia, he fought tirelessly for the French to return government rule to the Polynesian peoples, while painting their images in a more natural style than accepted European tradition.

One of Gaugin's self portraits

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

August 9, 2025

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

With the dual Victorian fascination with death and Egypt, Mallory and Duncan are invited to a high society mummy unwrapping party. But when the time comes to unwrap the mummy, to their horror, they find not a preserved mummy but a recently murdered corpse. Not only that, the original mummy has vanished, possibly to be sold on the black market for occult medicinal purposes.

Third book in the Rip Through Time series with time traveling detective Mallory Atkinson, this time focusing on the Victorian fascination with death and Egyptology. Even in the 19th century, many scholars felt that artifacts looted from Egypt and other ancient cultures should be returned to their rightful countries. Mummia was an actual trade in Victorian times, based on the belief that medicines made from ground up mummies had magical properties, particularly for male erectile dysfunction (guys have been worrying about their wieners for centuries). Eventually mummia joined the pantheon of medical quackery. You probably want to read the first two books in the series before reading this one. Very enjoyable historical fiction.

A mummy unwrapping party - how weird is this?

Weyward by Emilia Hart

August 4, 2025

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Kate flees from her abusive partner to a cottage she inherited from her great aunt Violet, who lived there from the 1940s until her death. While living there, Kate finds writings from a woman named Altha, an earlier ancestor who was tried as a witch in the 17th century.

This book should come with a warning, several actually. Plenty of sensitive subjects and triggers including domestic abuse, animal abuse, violence against women, rape and sexual assault, obsession, humiliation, pregnancy termination, and violence in general, so reader, be warned. Three interconnected stories set in different times. I was much more interested in Altha and Violet's stories that in Kate. I've read enough variations of Kate's story to be over it. Yeah, men suck and they've been treating women like shit since time began. It was hard to read a whole book where there is one good male characters (Graham, Violet's brother) and only two women characters who haven't been abused by men (Kate's mother and her friend Emily). Also, magical realism is just not my thing. It does have a beautiful cover.

Weyward was the original form of weird, as in the Weird Sisters or witches in Macbeth. The first editions of Macbeth used weyward instead of weird.

Pathogenesis: a History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

August 1, 2025

Pathogenesis: a History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

A history of the world and our species based on the evolution of bacteria and viruses. As the author notes, most of what we call history is based on the exploits of a few "great" white men and how they shaped the story, much of which is wrong. The ultimate life form turns out to be microorganisms. Some of the plagues he discusses are not what you expect, like poverty and obesity. Recommended for readers who enjoy science-based nonfiction.

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

July 26, 2025

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

Time traveling detective Mallory Armstrong has been stuck in 19th century Scotland for almost a year, working as the assistant to mortician Dr. Duncan Gray, the mixed race illegitimate son of an upper middle class family. She and Duncan are invited to the wedding of his best friend's sister at her fiance's highland hunting lodge. There is tension among the wedding guests and also with the locals, which only escalates when one of the guests is found murdered on the estate grounds. Instead of being a country holiday with friends, Mallory and Duncan find themselves tying to save the groom from the gallows.

The fourth book in the Rip Through Time series. The author gives enough background that this can be read as a standalone mystery if you haven't read the previous mysteries in the series, or if you're like me and it's been a while since you read the last book. Successfully evokes the customs, attitudes, and class distinctions, as well as police methods of the time. I loved how Mallory almost melted into a puddle when one of the characters finally shows up in a kilt. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for readers of historical mysteries like the Sebastian St. Cyr or the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, or the Outlander historical series.

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

Hunting lodge in the Scottish highlands

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

July 19, 2025

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

Mary Pat Fennessy spent all her life living in a housing project in South Boston. She raised her children there the same way that she was raised, with the belief that the Irish of her South Boston neighborhood were better than other people. The residents of South Boston have always lived a certain way and they want things to stay that way, and they want those they consider to be outsiders to stay out. But it's 1974 and change is coming whether they want it or not, and they can't stop it, beginning with the integration of the local high school that they all attended and that their children now attend. Mary Pat's daughter Jules is one of the students affected by the plan to bus white students to a Black neighborhood, but when Jules disappears just days before busing is supposed to begin, Mary Pat's focus switches to finding her daughter, whatever it takes. 

Gritty, violent, compelling. Dennis Lehane a great writer, no question. Mary Pat is not always a likeable character - she has a lot of hateful beliefs. But she is a bad ass who will fight for her child, even though you know she is on a collision course with disaster. Filled with morally ambiguous characters, class struggle, hypocrisy and broken dreams, it's a story of bigoted violent adults raising bigoted violent children. Sensitive readers should take note that there are scenes of violence, and brutality, child abuse, racism, drugs, crimes against women. Will appeal to fans to Don Winslow and Jeffery Deaver.

Busing protest in South Boston in the 1970s

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

July 16, 2025

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

A young lawyer, Paul Cravath, is drawn into the hundreds of lawsuits that Thomas Edison brought against George Westinghouse, claiming patent infringement. Westinghouse didn't claim to invent the light bulb or electricity, but to have improved on Edison's design to the point that it was a different invention. Westinghouse claimed his alternating current was safer and more reliable, while Edison continued to champion direct current.

Let me lead off with this: there is a scene of animal cruelty at about the midpoint of the book that I found extremely upsetting. It is historically accurate: Edison's spin doctor actually performed these demonstrations publicly, so animal lovers and dog lovers in particular may want to skip these pages. The opening scene in the book is also disturbing, as is the description of the first execution by electric chair at about the 2/3 mark which is extremely brutal.

With that said, this is historical fiction based on the Edison vs. Westinghouse lawsuits, which was the war between direct current and alternating electrical current (alternating current prevailed as safer and more reliable and is used for power grids today, while direct current is used for batteries and electronic devices - this isn't a spoiler, go look it up in Google or Wikipedia).

There are quotes at the beginning of each chapter, many of them from Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, which makes it almost impossible for the reader not to draw comparisons between the Edison/Westinghouse electric war, and the Microsoft/Apple technology battle a century later. Nikola Tesla gets in on the action too. Around page 105, there is a good explanation about how alternating current works and why it is less likely to kill you than direct current. Overall the characters are interesting and well-developed. Chapters are short, which makes the narrative a little choppy. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a scientific slant.

Examples of two of the first light bulbs

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

July 10, 2025

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

Lila Pereira is an unconventional mother, focusing on her career as the executive editor of a major newspaper and leaving the raising of their daughters to her husband Joe and household help. But her youngest daughter Grace yearns for a regular mother who goes to PTA meetings, bakes cupcakes and takes her to soccer practice. After Lila's death, Grace receives a letter that Lila left her, telling her to go find out what really happened to Lila's mother, who disappeared when Lila was a toddler. Grace realizes how little she actually knows about her mother's family and wonders if you can ever know yourself if you don't know your past.

Part 1 is Lila and Joe's story, and I loved it. But the last 2/3 of the book is mostly about Grace, the youngest daughter, a real whiner and completely unlikeable, probably the least interesting character in the book. When I first started reading it, I thought it would appeal to readers who enjoyed Ann Patchett or Ann Napolitano, but the last two thirds morphed into something more like Sally Rooney, with a bunch of characters under 30 who are completely self-centered and unaware (putting your life on hold for five years to start a podcast???? Or "I can't ask her to marry me until she gives me the signal"???? What does that even mean????). It takes until around the 85% mark for the search for Lila's mother to begin, and then it is anti-climatic. Disappointing.

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

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

July 4, 2025

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Evie Sage, the Villain's perpetually optimistic assistant, is back, keeping him organized and off-balance. Their battle against the king's efforts to take over all the magic in the kingdom continues, while also managing their somewhat unruly families. Evie learns valuable new skills: fighting with a magic dagger, negotiating with magical beings, search and rescue, hanging up severed heads in the Manor's foyer. It's all in a day's work for the apprentice to the Villain. 

Sequel to Assistant to the Villain, another romantasy that is a lot of fun, if a bit longer than it needs to be. After a brief prologue that is largely unnecessary, the story picks up where the previous book ended, so I suggest you read the first book before starting this one. A number of readers complained that it wasn't as good as the first book (happens frequently with sequels, especially when they are bridging to or setting up the next book). Good supporting characters, especially Kingsley the frog with his signs. Themes include morally ambiguous characters, opposites attract, The Office in a fantasy setting, workplace romance/flirtation, snarky humor. The slow-burn flirtation continues. Yes, we are all wishing that Evie would jump Trystan already, because we're pretty sure he's not going to take the first step. Be sure to take a good look at the cover art on both books - lots of fun images.

Looking forward to the third book, coming out in August. If you enjoy this series/style, while you wait for the next book, go read The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst or Legend and Lattes by Travis Baldree.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

June 29, 2025

Love letters to a serial killer by Tanya Coryell

Hannah is a 30-something woman working at a dead end job and searching for direction in her life. The guy she thought was her soulmate dumps her, her BFF gets engaged, and she’s on probation at work. After four women’s bodies are found in Atlanta and a man is arrested, Hannah becomes obsessed with following the story through social media sites and connects with other true crime junkies. On a whim, she begins corresponding with William, the accused man, figuring that he’s in prison in another state and can’t hurt her, right? When she loses her job, she decides to go to Georgia for the trial, only to find there are a bunch of other women there, like groupies. But when another woman is murdered during the trial, the case is dropped, and Hannah and William move in together. What could possibly go wrong? 

You know right from the start, from the minute you read the title and see the cover art, this is going to be full of bad decisions and it’s not going to end well. Just accept that and move on. The accused serial killer is a lawyer, handsome, wealthy, and charming - big surprise, right? - think Ted Bundy (those of you who are under 40 can google his name). Hannah, the main character, is a brainless idiot, TSTL, no question about it, trying to figure out if William is the killer after they move in together. I was pretty sure where the story was going, and at 85%, found out I was right. If I had escaped from/been released by/been rescued from a serial killer, especially one that I knew was still out there, I would have PTSD for the rest of my life. 

(There is a name for the syndrome where women are attracted to violent criminals and men in prison: hybristophilia. It seems like the more violent the crime, the more women are attracted. Hannah displays aggressive hybristophilia, where a woman actually makes contact with the prisoner and tries to help them, combined with boredom over her mundane life, the appeal of a long distance relationship, and the whole fantasy of the situation. It’s more common than you would expect, and there are a bunch of websites for prisoner dating. I am SO creeped out.) 

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

Ted Bundy, the stereotypical charming handsome serial killer

North Woods by Daniel Mason

June 25, 2025

North Woods by Daniel Mason

In the 18th century, a young couple flee from a Puritan village, and build a small cabin in the woods. Over the next few centuries, a variety of people call it home across the cycles of time, history, and nature.

Humans come and go, nature is forever. Lovely book, the story of a house and the surrounding land and the people who called it home. If someone asked me what the book is about, I would have a hard time explaining it. The narrative is a blend of stories, poems and songs, letters, news stories - some sections are more compelling than others. I loved the author’s two previous books so I wasn’t surprised to be sucked in immediately by this one. I recommend the audiobook, which has a full cast reading the various sections. Recommended for its beautiful writing to readers of literary fiction, although readers who prefer a more straightforward plot will probably not enjoy it.

An 18th century Massachusetts farmhouse

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

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.

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 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...)

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.