The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Title: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Author: Grady Hendrix

Publisher: Quirk Books 2020

Genre: Horror

Pages: 408

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - December

Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.

One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in.

Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.

It seems that I am in the minority when it comes to this book. The one good thing that I can see about the book is that Hendrix is amazing at writing tension. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The book never gets easier and doesn’t slow down. But, the writing cannot save a book filled with terrible characters, white savior complex, misogyny, sexual assault, and overall muddled messages. I hated that none of the men are punished or made to see the error of their ways. I couldn’t stand the fact that all the black characters are victims or ignore nameless faces except for Mrs. Greene, who no one listens to. I just couldn’t get behind any part of this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wrapped Up for Christmas by Katlyn Duncan

Title: Wrapped Up for Christmas

Author: Katlyn Duncan

Publisher: HQ Digital 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 247

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - December

Having lost her boyfriend, job, and apartment all in the space of a week, Angie has no choice but to leave California and return to her family in New England.

Determined not to let life weigh her down, Angie finds work at the local mall where she worked as a teenager. After an embarrassing run-in with a handsome stranger, Nick, she’s convinced her luck is about to change.

But Nick has secrets of his own… and as the first flakes of snow begin to fall, Angie can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever find love.

Such a sweet little story. I do tend to gravitate toward the sweet romances at Christmas (although more open door books are also enjoyable). I could see exactly where this story was going. Setting up two characters with trust issues is a classic romance trope. There were no surprises here, but I did enjoy reading the story of Nick and Angie.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Christmas Princess by Patricia McLinn

Title: The Christmas Princess (The Wedding Series #5)

Author: Patricia McLinn

Publisher: Craig Place Books 2014

Genre: Romance

Pages: 274

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - December

The Christmas season isn’t looking great for April Gareaux. Her job is uninspiring, her engagement is off, and she has nowhere to live. Certainly her family would take her in, especially Leslie and Grady Roberts and their circle of friends who have become her extended family. But it’s time she stops relying on them.
Then comes an extraordinary offer – spend the holidays in Washington, D.C., with King Jozef of Bariavak as his possible long-lost granddaughter. Even more extraordinary is the man behind the offer and the one who will be beside her through the coming weeks, diplomatic security agent Hunter Pierce.
This is the last assignment Hunter would pick. Determination and grit have moved him beyond his past in Bariavak. Yet, here it is standing in front of him again, refusing to be ignored. … Just like his reactions to April. How can he fight what he’s feeling when they’re together all the time.
King Jozef has known tragedy in his life. Now, comes this lovely young woman bringing joy to his holidays. How can he resist dabbling in some royal matchmaking. Wouldn’t it be delightful if he could give April a Christmas gift she will never forget… Her Prince for a Lifetime

I surprised myself by really loving this one and giving it 5 stars! This one just had the right amount of heart and the right amount of romance to keep me intrigued. I loved the story of April and Hunter, but I especially loved learning more about Hunter’s past. I had an inkling that he was somehow involved with the King and was proved correct when all was revealed. I don’t think I will be reading the rest of this series, but this one was great as an almost read-alone (they are some references back to previous books, but it’s not necessary to read all). Perfect for our snowy weekend’s read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale

Title: A Christmas to Remember

Author: Jenny Hale

Publisher: Bookouture 2014

Genre: Romance

Pages: 260

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - December

Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.

As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing, the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree!

The only problem could be her boss… Single dad Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realize he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas, including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving, elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realizes that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… After all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!

A sweet, Christmas family story. Calling it a romance is a bit of a stretch, but I did enjoy watching Adam find Christmas spirit with help from his new nanny. There are some cliches in this story, but I came away with a warm feeling in my heart. It’s just so darn earnest. And the kids are super adorable and fun. Plus we get some great side characters, especially Walter. Definitely a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz

Title: Color Me In

Author: Natasha Diaz

Publisher: Ember 2020

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - October

Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time.

Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but because she inadvertently passes as white, her cousin thinks she's too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices African Americans face on a daily basis. In the meantime, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. But rather than take a stand, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent.

Only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces does she begin to realize she has her own voice. And choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she decide once for all who and where she is meant to be?

I was very underwhelmed by this book. I loved the premise and was hoping for another The Poet X or Clap When You Land. Instead, we get a book with virtually no plot with underdeveloped characters and bad poetry. I wasn’t a fan of how other women were portrayed (very stereotypical villain types). I hated the father and mostly the mother. The ways in which Nevaeh oppresses others while whining about being oppressed really got to me. Overall, this was a very immature debut novel. Lots of interesting topics but not well executed.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Address Book by Deirdre Mask

Title: The Address Book: What Street Addressed Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

Author: Deirdre Mask

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2020

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

When most people think about street addresses, if they think of them at all, it is in their capacity to ensure that the postman can deliver mail or a traveler won’t get lost. But street addresses were not invented to help you find your way; they were created to find you. In many parts of the world, your address can reveal your race and class.

In this wide-ranging and remarkable book, Deirdre Mask looks at the fate of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., the wayfinding means of ancient Romans, and how Nazis haunt the streets of modern Germany. The flipside of having an address is not having one, and we also see what that means for millions of people today, including those who live in the slums of Kolkata and on the streets of London.

Filled with fascinating people and histories, The Address Book illuminates the complex and sometimes hidden stories behind street names and their power to name, to hide, to decide who counts, who doesn’t―and why.

Fascinating book about the history, future, and meaning of addresses. I loved the look at the importance of addresses around the world. I loved seeing how addresses affect daily life for people. At times this was a difficult book to read given the negative impact of not having an address, but it was a great examination of the topic.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

Title: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Author: Winifred Watson

Publisher: 1938

Genre: Classics

Pages: 234

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy; Monthly Theme - May

Miss Pettigrew, an approaching-middle-age governess, was accustomed to a household of unruly English children. When her employment agency sends her to the wrong address, her life takes an unexpected turn. The alluring nightclub singer, Delysia LaFosse, becomes her new employer, and Miss Pettigrew encounters a kind of glamour that she had only met before at the movies. Over the course of a single day, both women are changed forever.

Such a delightful book. I remembered watching the movie version years back and enjoyed it. I hoped that the book would be just as delightful and thank goodness it was. I loved the comedy of errors and the witty banter. I kept waiting to see what silly situation Delysia and Guinevere found themselves in next. I just kept smiling through the entire book. I especially loved the encounters with Edythe and Tommy. Of course there are a few lines that are not at all appropriate to us now. Be forewarned. I kept having to remind myself that the book was written in 1938. Otherwise it was a lovely book.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen

Title: The Last Mrs. Summers (Royal Spyness #14)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2020

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 300

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - July

I am a bit at loose ends at the moment. My cook, Queenie, is making my new role as mistress of Eynsleigh something akin to constant torture as Darcy is off on another one of his top secret jaunts. And Grandad is busy helping wayward youths avoid lives of crime. So when my dearest friend, Belinda, inherits an old cottage in Cornwall and begs me to go with her to inspect the property, I jump at the chance.

After a heart-stopping journey in Belinda’s beast of a motorcar, we arrive at the creaky old cottage called White Sails and quickly realize that it is completely uninhabitable. Just when I’m starting to wonder if I would have been better off trying to get Queenie to cook a roast that hasn’t been burnt beyond all recognition, we meet Rose Summers, a woman Belinda knew as a child when she spent time in Cornwall. Rose invites us to stay at Trewoma Hall, the lovely estate now owned by her husband, Tony.

Belinda confesses that she never liked Rose and had a fling with Tony years ago, so staying with them is far from ideal but beggars can’t be choosers as they say. Trewoma is not the idyllic house Belinda remembers. There’s something claustrophobic and foreboding about the place. Matters aren’t helped by the oppressively efficient housekeeper Mrs. Mannering or by the fact that Tony seems to want to rekindle whatever he and Belinda once had right under his wife’s nose.

Our increasingly awkward visit soon turns deadly when a member of the household is found murdered and all clues point to Belinda as the prime suspect. I soon learn that some long buried secrets have come back to haunt those in residence at Trewoma Hall and I’ll need to sift through the ruins of their past so Belinda doesn’t lose her chance at freedom in the present. . . .

This was not my favorite of the series. Rating it as a stand-alone mystery, I would have given it 4 stars. I liked the more gothic approach to a murder mystery. I liked the new characters and the setting. But this is the 14th book in a series and it just doesn’t fit very well. All of our well-known characters are acting strangely. Many of our favorites were not present for this one. I disliked the relationship between Georgie and Belinda in this book. Georgie becomes a not-nice person when she spends a lot of time with Belinda. Talk about a toxic friend. I was hoping that we would get more of a partnership between Georgie and Darcy once married, but he’s off once again doing his “spy” work leaving Georgie alone. Not a fan. Really hoping the next book in the series returns to normal.

Her Royal Spyness:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Title: Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files #1)

Author: Sylvain Neuvel

Publisher: Del Rey 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 296

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - August

A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.

Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected.

But some can never stop searching for answers.

Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?

Our book club for this month and this was right up my alley. I loved diving right into the mystery of the robot parts. And from there, we get to meet some interesting characters. The unnamed narrator is most intriguing. I wonder if we ever get to know the identity of that person. Maybe in the second or third book, but definitely not in this one. I loved attempting to unravel the mystery alongside the various members of the team. As we got to know all the members of the team, I just wanted to know more about each one, especially Kara. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series.

The Themis Files

#1 Sleeping Giants
#2 Waking Gods
#3 Only Human

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Title: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

Author: Katie Alender

Publisher: Point 2015

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - August

Delia's new house isn't just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females -- an insane asylum nicknamed "Hysteria Hall." However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep "troubled" girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia becomes trapped. And that's when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the hallways in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia learns that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, too, harbors shocking truths within its walls -- truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

And she'll need to act quickly -- before the house's power overtakes everything she loves.

This was a surprisingly fun ghost adventure story. I’m not sure why I ended up picking this up, but I sped read through this one in only a few days. I was immediately drawn in by the setting. I’m a sucker fo ra haunted former asylum or school. I liked Delia, but the other characters were the ones that kept me reading. I loved Theo and Eliza and Florence and even Maria. I couldn’t wait to uncover the mystery of who was controlling the ghosts. The last 30 pages were a rollicking good time. This was very fun and a good weekend’s read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: TJ Klune

Publisher: Tor Books 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 393

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD 2020; Monthly Theme - July

Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.

Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

This was such a delightful, feel-good book. I found myself smiling as soon as Linus arrived on the island and met the inhabitants. I was rooting for all the characters to find their happy and their home. I immediately fell for all the characters, but especially Lucy. It’s so great to read a book where the characters really care for each other deeply and want to reach happiness. I was desperate to see everything turn out okay. By the conclusion of the book, I was on pins and needles urging Linus to go back and find his home. I even got a bit teary-eyed. It was just so incredibly good. If you need a book to pick you up, this one definitely does the job.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

Title: White is for Witching

Author: Helen Oyeyemi

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2014

Genre: Horror

Pages: 306

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Monthly Theme - October

There’s something strange about the Silver family house in the closed-off town of Dover, England. Grand and cavernous with hidden passages and buried secrets, it’s been home to four generations of Silver women—Anna, Jennifer, Lily, and now Miranda, who has lived in the house with her twin brother, Eliot, ever since their father converted it to a bed-and-breakfast. The Silver women have always had a strong connection, a pull over one another that reaches across time and space, and when Lily, Miranda’s mother, passes away suddenly while on a trip abroad, Miranda begins suffering strange ailments. An eating disorder starves her. She begins hearing voices. When she brings a friend home, Dover’s hostility toward outsiders physically manifests within the four walls of the Silver house, and the lives of everyone inside are irrevocably changed.

I am starting to think that I’m not really a big fan of Oyeyemi’s writing style. The story jumps a bit all over the place and becomes hard to follow. I wasn’t a fan of how the various characters referred to each other. It was hard to tell who was who and what the relationship between the various characters. It also took me extra long to figure out who the various narrators were. Things got better once I figured out that part, but I was still confused in many instances. I just didn’t love this book, but could appreciate Oyeyemi’s commitment to a gothic writing style and inventive story lines.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lovely War by Julie Berry

Title: Lovely War

Author: Julie Berry

Publisher: Penguin Books 2020

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Pages: 480

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020; Monthly Theme - June

They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect turned soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by the goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of Love.

Another selection from the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Challenge. Overall, I ended up really enjoying this book. I loved following the interconnected stories of James, Hazel, Aubrey, and Colette. I loved reading about their experiences in World War I and the trials their endured. It was a good book that kept me interested throughout. I did have to keep reminding myself that this was labeled as a young adult novel and as such, didn’t get as serious as i would have liked. The frame story with the Greek gods was inventive in the telling of the story. The story did start fairly slow and I didn’t get hooked until we crossed the 100 page mark. And the last 25 pages or so, I could have done without. But it was a good book that was very infortative as to life during World War I.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

Title: The Stationery Shop

Author: Marjan Kamali

Publisher: Gallery Books 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - October

Roya is a dreamy, idealistic teenager living in 1953 Tehran who, amidst the political upheaval of the time, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood book and stationery shop. She always feels safe in his dusty store, overflowing with fountain pens, shiny ink bottles, and thick pads of soft writing paper.

When Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customer—handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumi’s poetry—she loses her heart at once. And, as their romance blossoms, the modest little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran.

A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square, but suddenly, violence erupts—a result of the coup d’etat that forever changes their country’s future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she resigns herself to never seeing him again.

Until, more than sixty years later, an accident of fate leads her back to Bahman and offers her a chance to ask him the questions that have haunted her for more than half a century: Why did he leave? Where did he go? How was he able to forget her?

I really wanted to love this book and I just felt like it was good, but not great. The writing is lovely. The characters are (for the most part) lovely. But it just didn’t connect with me emotionally. I wonder after reading it if I wanted more in the past. Often with these books set in the present and the past, I end up liking one time period much more than the other. And usually that preference is for the story set in the past. I would have liked to have spent more time in 1950s Iran than the present.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Title: The Only Good Indians

Author: Stephen Graham Jones

Publisher: Gallery 2020

Genre: Horror

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

I really really enjoyed the plot of this horror novel. I loved the underlying folklore and myth and the very really horror experienced by the characters. But everything else about the book really annoyed me. I couldn’t get over the very strange writing style. Sort of a cross between a Noir Detective Novel and Stream of Consciousness? The end result is that I had trouble following what was happening on any given page. And we’re thrown straight into the story without getting to know the main characters before the terror starts. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the characters. Should we be rooting for them to overcome or get what’s coming? I was just confused through most of the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: Gods of Jade and Shadow

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Monthly Theme - May

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

I absolutely loved Moreno-Garcia’s latest work, Mexican Gothic, and was extra excited that Girly Book Club chose this one for September’s book. It’s a very different book, but still such an amazingly told story. This is a fantasy/fairy tale-esque journey. Casiopea immediately grabbed hold of my heart and didn’t let go. I wanted to see everything good happen to here but knew that there would be danger along the path. Thankfully she was a protector/guide of sorts with a Mayan god of death. I loved seeing how they both changed and grew while on the journey. And the last setting in the underworld was a perfect way to conclude the journey. I loved learning more about Mayan stories and myths as well as more modern Mexican culture. Highly recommend.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: The Poet X

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme - September

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Another amazing book by Elizabeth Acevedo. If I was a 14 year old girl, this may have been my favorite book read for the year. It’s such an amazing coming-of-age story featuring a multidimensional young woman. I loved reading every page of this book. It’s a beautiful story with a lot of heart. I definitely liked this one more than Acevedo’s Clap When You Land and I really liked that one also. Just a beautiful story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Title: Burn Our Bodies Down

Author: Rory Power

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2020

Genre: Young Adult Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - June

Ever since Margot was born, it's been just her and her mother, struggling to get along. But that's not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she may have just found the answer: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Only, when Margot gets there, it's not what she bargained for.

As soon as they see her face, everyone in town knows who Margot belongs to. It's unmistakable--she's a Nielsen. And when a mysterious girl who could be Margot's twin is pulled from a fire, Margot realizes that her mother left Phalene for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what's still there?

The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape.

I was so incredibly excited for this book. I absolutely loved Wilder Girls and hoped that this would be another great horror novel. Instead, this book just dragged and dragged with whiny characters and no real direction. I was thoroughly bored for the first 70% of the book. I could not connect at all with Margot and really despised her mother. Even after showing up in Phalene, I was completely bored. The entire relationship, or non-relationship, between Margot and Tess was completely thrown in for no real reason. I just didn’t get it. And then we get to the last section of the book and everything went weird, but not in a good way. I love good gore horror, but this just seemed like a giant punch in the gut. Nothing was nuanced or interesting. The book ended and I just didn’t really care.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

Title: The Caves of Steel

Author: Isaac Asimov

Publisher: 1953

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 276

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Scifi; Monthly Theme - August

Like most people left behind on an over-populated Earth, New York City police detective Elijah Baley had little love for either the arrogant Spacers or their robotic companions. But when a prominent Spacer is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Baley is ordered to the Outer Worlds to help track down the killer.

The relationship between Life and his Spacer superiors, who distrusted all Earthmen, was strained from the start. Then he learned that they had assigned him a partner: R. Daneel Olivaw. Worst of all was that the “R” stood for robot—and his positronic partner was made in the image and likeness of the murder victim!

J finally got me started reading Asimov again by showing me the preview of the new Foundations TV series. I must read the books first! I’ve already read I, Robot so I picked up the next book in the big chronology of Asimov’s books. This was a good old fashioned murder mystery set in our distant future. We get the intriguing world building of all of the Earthers living in giant metal cities while the Spacers live in open-air domes. The conflict between the two ways of living is clearly part of Asimov’s larger discussion about our future. The murder is intriguing and I loved how he gives you all the clues as to who done it, but the reveal is still dramatic and fun. But most of all, I enjoyed Asimov’s discussion of the differences between robots and humans, Earthers and Spacers, and medievalists and futurists. We get some great talks between characters. I am interested in seeing where this society goes in the next books.

Next up on the TBR Pile:

Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Seven Endless Forests

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - May

On the heels of a devastating plague, Torvi’s sister, Morgunn is stolen from the family farm by Uther, a flame-loving Fremish wolf-priest who leads a pack of ragged, starving girls. Torvi leaves the only home she’s ever known, and joins a shaven-skulled druid and a band of roaming Elsh artists known as the Butcher Bards. They set out on a quest to rescue Torvi’s sister, and find a mythical sword.

On their travels, Torvi and her companions will encounter magical night wilds and mystical Drakes who trade in young men. They will sing rowdy Elshland ballads in a tree-town tavern, and find a mysterious black tower in an Endless Forest. They will fight alongside famous Vorseland archers and barter with Fremish wizards. They will feast with rogue Jade Fell children in a Skal Mountain cave, and seek the help of a Pig Witch. They will face wild, dangerous magic that leads to love, joy, tragedy, and death.

Torvi sets out to rescue a sister, but she may find it’s merely the first step toward a life that is grander and more glorious than anything she could have imagined.

Such a mixed bag for me. I loved the writing style, very lyrical. I loved the allusions to various mythologies and stories, especially the King Arthur thread. I loved the world building, so sprawling. But overall, I was very disappointed in the actual story itself. We are treated to an almost 400 pages road novel with tons of meandering flashbacks and stories. And yet, we don’t move the plot forward at all in those 400 pages. I was left thinking this was just the beginning. Where’s the rest of the story? The characters are very bland to the point that I couldn’t actually see any of them in my mind. And sometimes that sprawling world building allusions to various myths overwhelmed everything. Like seriously, they have be the “Vorse” and talk about dying and meeting again in “Holholla”? It got old pretty quickly. Disappointing read…

Next up on the TBR pile: