The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

Title: The Widow of Rose House

Author: Diana Biller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Jar Random

It’s 1875, and Alva Webster is ready for a fresh start. After three years of being pilloried in the presses for fleeing her abusive husband, his sudden death allows her to return to New York where she is determined to restore a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. She is decidedly not supposed to fall in love.

But when a haunting at her new home threatens her careful plans, she must seek help from the eccentric and brilliant and - much to her dismay - very handsome Professor Samuel Moore. Alva doesn’t need more complications in her life, especially not a convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. Unfortunately, Sam is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history―and her heart.

Not sure why this one came up on my TBR, but I’m glad I ended up reading it. Overall I really enjoyed the story of Alva and the the mysteries of a rundown mansion. I loved her relationship with Sam and the back and forth between those two. I loved the the discussions about engineering and interior design. It was an interesting book and a good historical fiction volume. My biggest complaint was the ghost story part. The summary of the book makes it seem like the ghost story is essential, but it only appears sporadically. I would have liked more ghost story, but it was not meant to be.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium (Delirium #1)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins 2016

Genre: YA SciFI

Pages: 422

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 YA; TBR Random

In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistakes.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

This was just boring… Right away, I knew that the main premise of the world was going to be boring. Another recycled scifi dystopian plot. And sometimes, I can get over the boring recycled plot if the characters are interesting. Unfortunately, I just found Lena super boring. Alex was better, but seemed to dull as the story moved on. I wanted to know more about Lena’s friend, but alas, we had to focus on the “romance” in the story. I won’t be reading on in this series.

Delirium

• #! Delirium

• #2 Pandemonium

• #3 Requiem

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn

Title: The Jane Austen Project

Author: Kathleen A. Flynn

Publisher: Harper Perennial 2017

Genre:

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Random TBR Pick

London, 1815: Two travelers—Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane—arrive in a field in rural England, disheveled and weighed down with hidden money. Turned away at a nearby inn, they are forced to travel by coach all night to London. They are not what they seem, but rather colleagues who have come back in time from a technologically advanced future, posing as wealthy West Indies planters—a doctor and his spinster sister. While Rachel and Liam aren’t the first team from the future to “go back,” their mission is by far the most audacious: meet, befriend, and steal from Jane Austen herself.

After renewing this book from the library multiple times, I had run out of time. And then, the libraries all closed due the pandemic and I got extra time to read this one. I finally dove in and was upset with myself for waiting so long. I really enjoyed this time travel story focusing on the life of Jane Austen. I do love Jane Austen and it was a treat to dive into her world even if the book was fictionalized. I loved Liam and his mystery background. Rachel was a less interesting character, but I did grow to enjoy her over the course of the book. I was fully invested in Rachel and Liam’s mission. I didn’t want to leave the world. My only issue was the rushed ending. I would have liked a bit more of an ending. But the rest of the book was great.

Next up on the TBR pile:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Title: My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan #1)

Author: Elena Ferrante

Publisher: Europa Editions 2012

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 331

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Alphabet Soup - F

The story begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets, the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow - and as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge - Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists.

Our book club pick for this month and I was pretty disappointed. I just couldn’t really dive into this world and these characters. The storytelling felt stilted at times. And all the characters were so incredibly unlikeable. I know many many people have loved this series. I just don’t think this one is for me at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

Title: The Monster of Elendhaven

Author: Jennifer Giesbrecht

Publisher: Tor.com 2019

Genre: Horror

Pages: 159

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR

The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean. Wracked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die. His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster’s heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning.

These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it.

Such a twisted little novella. Definitely not for the squeamish. I was drawn in by the cover and then by the very first chapter. I was completely sucked into the very strange world of Elendhaven and the mysterious figure of Johann. I thought this was going to be a Jack the Ripper style story, but then Johann meets Florian and we get a totally different story. I loved the inclusion of folklore and magic and just a touch of science. I loved not knowing what was going to happen next. I was hooked until the very last sentence. In fact I was so engrossed with the story that I read it in one sitting. Definitely the perfect read on a cold day.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Title: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Author: Abbi Waxman

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 333

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR; Monthly Keyword - September

Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own...shell.

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Another recommendation from Anne Bogel and I’m completely in love with this book. Nina might be another version of me. At first, Nina is a great quirky character comfortable in her life. I loved seeing her life get up-ended in many ways forcing Nina outside of the box. In some ways, this book is a romantic comedy, but I see it more like a great character study. Just in a light-hearted way. I love Nina’s interactions with her newly discovered family members, especially brother Archie. I would love to read a sequel to this book focusing on Nina’s growing relationships within her new family. I want to see more of Peter and Millie, even Lydia (will she ever come around to Nina?).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

Title: Ayesha at Last

Author: Uzma Jalaluddin

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 366

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick

Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid, who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and who dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

When a surprise engagement is announced between Khalid and Hafsa, Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and the unsettling new gossip she hears about his family. Looking into the rumors, she finds she has to deal with not only what she discovers about Khalid, but also the truth she realizes about herself.

Another pick off of Anne Bogel’s Summer Reading List. I quite enjoyed this modern romance set in Toronto. It was lovely to get a diverse couple to play off of. I most liked the sections of the book that really dove into the various beliefs and lifestyles of the characters. Ayesha was a great voice to follow along. I loved following her story and watching her grow more comfortable in her identify throughout the book. I can see the similarities to Pride and Prejudice, but find it to be a completely different story for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Title: Once Upon a River

Author: Diane Setterfield

Publisher: Emily Bestler Books 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 464

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Popsugar - Based on folklore; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Uncommon Fantasy Creatures

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

I finally got Diane Setterfield’s new book and loved every single sentence of it. Setterfield’s writing meanders just like the Thames, but I savored every turn. We follow a beautiful yet haunting story of three lost girls who may or may not have come back. The lives of three families are affected by the events of the Winter Solstice. We spend the next year following those families and the various characters around the village. My favorite storyline was following Rita as she tends to the people around her, especially the little girl lost. This is not the book for those readers that love a fast moving plot. But it is for those that love a haunting story that may or may not have magical elements. My absolute favorite part was the legend of Quietly. Perfection!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Publisher: Penguin Books 2012

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Popsugar - Based on a True Story; Historical Fiction

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life -- until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

This book is rough! But ultimately it’s an amazing story of a facet of WWII that I don’t think many people know about. Lina’s story is so incredibly heartbreaking. I loved her as a character and the interactions that we see with her family at the beginning. I was constantly hoping for the family to be reunited, but I know how WWII stories go. The book itself is well written with a lyrical quality even in the harshest of passages.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Merry Spinster by Mallory Ortberg

Title: The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror

Author: Mallory Ortberg

Publisher: Holt 2018

Genre: Short Stories - Fantay

Pages: 208

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Women Authors; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Library

From Mallory Ortberg comes a collection of darkly mischievous stories based on classic fairy tales. Adapted from the beloved "Children's Stories Made Horrific" series, "The Merry Spinster" takes up the trademark wit that endeared Ortberg to readers of both The Toast and the best-selling debut Texts From Jane Eyre. The feature has become among the most popular on the site, with each entry bringing in tens of thousands of views, as the stories proved a perfect vehicle for Ortberg’s eye for deconstruction and destabilization. Sinister and inviting, familiar and alien all at the same time, The Merry Spinster updates traditional children's stories and fairy tales with elements of psychological horror, emotional clarity, and a keen sense of feminist mischief. 

Readers of The Toast will instantly recognize Ortberg's boisterous good humor and uber-nerd swagger: those new to Ortberg's oeuvre will delight in this collection's unique spin on fiction, where something a bit mischievous and unsettling is always at work just beneath the surface. 

Unfalteringly faithful to its beloved source material, The Merry Spinster also illuminates the unsuspected, and frequently, alarming emotional complexities at play in the stories we tell ourselves, and each other, as we tuck ourselves in for the night. 

Bed time will never be the same.

This slim volume of fairy tale inspired stories was a recommendation from the podcast Reading Glasses. I finally picked it up at the library and sped through it in an afternoon. I loved the twists and modernization of classic stories. My favorite story was definitely “The Daughter Cell” based on The Little Mermaid. There’s a cheat sheet of influences in the back of the volume, but I loved piecing out each story as I read them. Ortberg has a wonderful talent for nods to the readers and our modern knowledge while keeping us squarely in the fairy tale realm. Really enjoyed this collection!

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Next up on the TBR pile:

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Title: Norse Mythology

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company 2017

Genre: Mythology

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; MMD - Backlist of Favorite Author; Alphabet Soup - G

Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok.

I finally picked this one up to read and loved all the re-imagined stories. Gaiman is a master at creating a beautiful turn of a phrase. I savor every sentence he writes. Beyond the writing, I really enjoyed his updating/condensing/retooling the Norse myths. I re-learned a ton of the stories. This was the perfect before bedtime book. I read a few stories every night. Just enough to get some quick interesting reading done, but not too much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Title: The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1)

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Publisher: Orbit 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 496

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Women Authors; Dancing with Fantasy/Scifi - By a Woman of Color

This is the way the world ends...for the last time.
A season of endings has begun. 
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. 
It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. 
It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. 
This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. 

It took me years to finally pick this one up, but my goodness, why did I wait so long? This was just amazing. I was sucked into the world and the story within the first few pages. Jemisin creates a compelling world. I immediately had to know what was going on and what was going to happened. I fell for Damaya, Syenite, and Essun and had to know them more. I loved how each woman’s story progresses and we learn more and more as the pages go on. The reader is thrown into the world without much preparation, but Jemisin make is easy to understand what is happening. (There’s also a small glossary at the back of the book to help the reader) The last 75 pages of this book I read in one sitting, not being able to wait to find out what happens. The next book in the trilogy is going on my shortlist.

The Broken Earth:

• #1 The Fifth Season

• #2 The Obelisk Gate

• #3 The Stone Sky

Next up on the TBR pile: