Watching You by Lisa Jewell

Title: Watching You

Author: Lisa Jewell

Publisher: Atria Books 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 324

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Popsugar - Two Word Title; Women Authors

Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.

As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.

One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…

Picked this one up on recommendation from Anne Bogel at What Should I Read Next podcast and Modern Mrs. Darcy. Thrillers are not usually my go-to genre, but I was wanting something a little different and hopefully fast-paced. This one was definitely fast-paced. We got lots of intersting and intersecting characters. We got lots of secrets behind doors. We got terrible coincidences. It was that last point that made me not love this book. I enjoyed it and read quickly wanting to find out the secrets and the whodunit, but I wasn’t that invested in the characters. Decent thriller. Probably won’t pick up any more of this kind in awhile.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Brief History of Nebraska by Ronald Naugle

Title: A Brief History of Nebraska

Author: Ronald Naugle

Publisher: History Nebraska 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 144

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

This book is a short treatment of a long history. Nebraska has been inundated by ancient seas, carved by glaciers, and settled by ancient cultures who learned to survive in a land prone to extremes of climate. As a state, Nebraska was born out of the Civil War, shaped by railroads, and built by immigrants. Settlers were drawn by promises of free land and abundant rain. They endured droughts and economic depressions. They fought for political reforms, fought world wars, and sometimes fought each other. Along the way Nebraskans chose a unique form of government and re-invented their communities under new conditions. A Brief History of Nebraska is a story of continual change, the back story of the place and people we know today.

I picked up this slim volume while looking for travel books for our summer road trip. Naugle packs a ton of information into a short amount of pages. The sections dealing with national history I already knew. I did appreciate learning more about my adopted state.

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:

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White

Title: The Glass Ocean

Author: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

Publisher: William Morrow 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Women Authors; Historical Fiction

May 2013
Her finances are in dire straits and bestselling author Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea for her next book. Desperate, she breaks the one promise she made to her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and opens an old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather, who died when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she discovers there could change history. Sarah embarks on an ambitious journey to England to enlist the help of John Langford, a recently disgraced Member of Parliament whose family archives might contain the only key to the long-ago catastrophe. . . .

April 1915
Southern belle Caroline Telfair Hochstetter’s marriage is in crisis. Her formerly attentive industrialist husband, Gilbert, has become remote, pre-occupied with business . . . and something else that she can’t quite put a finger on. She’s hoping a trip to London in Lusitania’s lavish first-class accommodations will help them reconnect—but she can’t ignore the spark she feels for her old friend, Robert Langford, who turns out to be on the same voyage. Feeling restless and longing for a different existence, Caroline is determined to stop being a bystander, and take charge of her own life. . . .

Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything. But she’s had enough. Her partner has promised that if they can pull off this one last heist aboard the Lusitania, they’ll finally leave the game behind. Tess desperately wants to believe that, but Tess has the uneasy feeling there’s something about this job that isn’t as it seems. . . .

As the Lusitania steams toward its fate, three women work against time to unravel a plot that will change the course of their own lives . . . and history itself.

I enjoyed this tale set mostly onboard the Lusitania. I really fell for Tess immediately and was rooting for her throughout the story. Caroline was a very typical lady and at times I was annoyed by her behavior. But it always made sense for her character. I enjoyed following their intersecting story lines throughout the voyage up until the sinking of the Lusitania and beyond. Sarah’s more contemporary storyline was lackluster in comparison. I don’t really think we needed her story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

Title: Naughty in Nice (Royal Spyness #5)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2011

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 354

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Finishing the Series; Women Authors

London, 1933. Her Majesty the Queen is sending Georgie off to Nice with a secret assignment—to recover her priceless, stolen snuff box from the disreputable Sir Toby Groper. Her Majesty’s trust is an honor, but an even greater honor is bestowed upon Georgie in Nice when none other than Coco Chanel asks her to model the latest fashions. 

Unfortunately, things go disastrously wrong on the catwalk and before Georgie can snatch the snuff box, someone’s life is snuffed out in a very dastardly way. With a murderer on the loose—and Georgie's beau Darcy seen in the company of another woman—how’s a girl to find any time to go to the casino?

I always enjoy this series. I love the change of scenery to the Riveria full of glamorous and slightly sinister characters. I’ve never been a fan of Georgie’s mother, but it was interesting to see her in this environment and even see a bit warming toward her daughter. The mystery was thoroughly intriguing and the murders dastardly. My only issue with this book was that there was a significant lack of Darcy.

Her Royal Spyness:

• #0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor

• #1 Her Royal Spyness

• #2 A Royal Pain

• #3 Royal Flush

• #4 Royal Blood

• #5 Naughty in Nice

• #6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas

• #7 Heirs and Graces

• #8 Queen of Hearts

• #9 Malice at the Palace

• #10 Crowned and Dangerous

• #11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service

• #12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean

Title: A Curve in the Road

Author: Julianne MacLean

Publisher: Lake Union 2018

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 266

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Women Authors;

Abbie MacIntyre is living the dream in the picturesque Nova Scotia town she calls home. She is a successful surgeon, is married to a handsome cardiologist, and has a model teenage son who is only months away from going off to college.

But then one fateful night, everything changes. When a drunk driver hits her car, Abbie is rushed to the hospital. She survives, but the accident forces unimaginable secrets out into the open and plagues Abbie with nightmares so vivid that she starts to question her grip on reality. Her perfect life begins to crack, and those cracks threaten to shatter her world completely.

The search for answers will test her strength in every way—as a wife, a career woman, and a mother—but it may also open the door for Abbie to move forward, beyond anger and heartbreak, to find out what she is truly made of. In learning to heal and trust again, she may just find new hope in the spaces left behind.

This isn’t a bad book, but I definitely think this book is just not for me. I wasn’t a fan of the first person narration that, at times, seemed to move back and forth throughout the timeline. Abbie and Zack were decent enough characters. I just didn’t get a great feel for Abbie beyond the trauma. I may have liked this book if it started before the accident to allow for the reader to get to know our main character. But most of all, I wasn’t a fan of all the coincidences and reveals. Too much. It made the entire storyline much too unrealistic for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Prince Charming (Royals) by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Prince Charming (Royals #1)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: 2018

Genre: YA

Pages: 297

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Women Authors; Monthly Motif - One Sitting Reads; Romance

Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair, a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond. 

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown--and the intriguing Miles--might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.  

This novel was originally published as Royals, which is the copy I borrowed from the library. I went into this book with extremely low expectations. It’s just that I don’t usually read contemporary romance and definitely not Young Adult contemporary romance. But apparently, I’ve been on a streak lately. This story ended up being a delight romp through the royals of Scotland from the perspective an average American. I loved Daisy from page 1 and kept rooting for her throughout the story. I would have liked to have seen a bit more between Daisy and and Ellie, but did enjoy her interactions with all of the Royal Wreckers. Light and fun. Just what I needed. And I put the second book, Her Royal Highness, on hold at the library.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo and Sara Kipin

Title: The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Imprint 2017

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 290

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Women Authors; Monthly Motif - One Sitting Reads

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. 

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, the tales in The Language of Thorns will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, each of them lavishly illustrated and culminating in stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

I definitely enjoyed this collection of fairy tales. My favorite was the Hansel and Gretel retelling involving gingerbread golems. Really fell into the imagery in that story. The other five stories were just as good. Really loved this collection! Recommendation of any one who loves fairy tale retellings.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Title: Next Year in Havana

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Publisher: Berkley 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 394

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - About a Family; Women Authors; Historical Fiction

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest--until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary...

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. 

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

Super mixed feelings about this book. The good: I really loved the characters in this book. Elisa and Marisol are great main characters. I loved spending time with Elisa’s sisters and best friend. I loved learning more about these women’s lives. Cuba becomes another character in this novel. I loved visiting and revisiting specific places throughout time. So good! The bad: I felt like a lot of these book was a guise for a lecture on the history of Cuba, the revolution, and the ramifications 60 years later. I’m not usually bothered by a book that incorporates a bit of teaching into the storyline. But this book seemed to be more like 40% lecture. It really annoyed me that Marisol seemed to know nothing about Cuba and it’s people when her family is Cuban and supposedly told her so many stories. How is she a journalist and yet has seemed to do no research pre-trip? I just started skimming the sections that seemed more history lesson than story. Part of my annoyance may be because I know a fair amount about the Cuban revolution and the country’s status now. But still, I just couldn’t really lose myself in the story because of the lectures.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson 2018

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Finishing the Series; Alphabet Soup - M

Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. 

But privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow more and more bizarre. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation before more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

Still really enjoying this series. I loved the setting of a carnival on a cruise ship. Perfect to create a very creepy atmosphere. And I absolutely loved the inclusion of the tarot cards and various carnival acts. And I still love Audrey Rose and Thomas’s relationship. But I would have liked to see more of a focus on their relationship. The murders were just the right amount of gruesome and disturbing to be a follow up to the Ripper murders and the Dracula murders. But I must say that the ending of this book peeved me a little. I had hoped for a better conclusion. Oh well. I’ll still read the next book.

Stalking Jack the Ripper:

• #1 Stalking Jack the Ripper

• #2 Hunting Prince Dracula

• #3 Escaping from Houdini

• #4 Capturing the Devil

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Title: The Light Over London

Author: Julia Kelly

Publisher: Gallery Books 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Published in 2019; Alphabet Soup - K; Historical Fiction

It’s always been easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than confront the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara digs into this soldier’s life, but soon realizes she may not have been ready for the stark reality of wartime London she finds within the pages.

In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until her wealthy suitor returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning.

Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a Gunner Girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other Gunner Girls relish in their duties to be exact in their calculations, and quick in their identification of enemy planes during air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.

After some disappointing reads, I was so glad to pick up a winner. I was thankful that this story was focused on WWII, but did get too depressing. Most of the story was lighter focusing on Cara’s search for the author fo the diary and a new life. And on the other side, we get Louise’s story of finding love and joining the ATS. A nice story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy

Title: The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury

Author: Marc Levy Translated by: Chris Murray

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 278

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Translation; Alphabet Soup - L

Alice Pendelbury believes everything in her life is pretty much in order—from her good friends to her burgeoning career. But even Alice has to admit it’s been an odd week. Not only has her belligerent neighbor, Mr. Daldry, suddenly become a surprisingly agreeable confidant, but he’s encouraging her to take seriously the fortune-teller who told her that only by traveling to Turkey can Alice meet the most important person in her life.

What’s more, the peculiarly insistent Mr. Daldry has even agreed to finance Alice’s trip—one that against all reason seems to be predestined. It’s on this journey, crazy from the outset and strangely irresistible, that Alice will find out that nothing in her life is real, that her past is not true, and that the six people she’s about to encounter will shape her future in ways she could never have dreamed.

I was very intrigued by this book and wanted to love it so much. Unfortunately it really fell flat for me. The story started well with the introduction of Alice and Mr. Daldry. I loved her encounter with the fortune teller and her parties with friends. But once the journey begins and Alice and Ethan arrive in Turkey, I just got so bored. The story became very predictable and the big twists just felt very flat. I didn’t love the last 1/2 of the book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

Title: Gingerbread

Author: Helen Oyeyemi

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy - New to Me Author; Alphabet Soup - O; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Fairytale

Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (or, according to many sources, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. The world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread, however, is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend Gretel Kercheval —a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met. 

Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.

I had such high hopes for this book. I’ve heard amazing things about the author and her writing style. And her writing style is gorgeous. Oyeyemi can surely turn a sentence. I found myself caught up in the lyrical nature of her writing. However, this book went nowhere for me. The beginning of the novel was interesting and I was fascinated by the retelling of Hansel and Gretel. But then, Harriet began telling her story to Perdita and the story started meandering. I just couldn’t keep following the story with any real focus. I’m hoping one of her other books will be a better choice for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Beauty Vol. 5

Title: The Beauty Vol. 5

Author: Jason Hurley, Jeremy Haun, Nick Filardi, Thomas Nachlik

Publisher: Image 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 128

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Timo and Ezerae’s brutal quest for revenge collides with Detectives Foster and Vaughn’s newest case. Now they must form an uneasy alliance if they want to survive. Collects THE BEAUTY #22-26

This volume was a bit of a disappointment to me. It felt very disjointed in the storytelling. The drawings were great either. A bit of a disappointment…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Giant Days Vol. 8

Title: Giant Days Vol. 8

Author: John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar

Publisher: BOOM Box! 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

It’s the end of second year for best mates Susan, Daisy, and Esther, and cracks are appearing in the foundation of this unshakeable trio. Between (irritating) new loves, (secretive) old loves, (unlikely) new friendships and (terrible) old houses, they’ll be lucky to make it to third year alive! Collects issues #29-32.

I finally picked up the next volume in this series and enjoyed each page. I love break from my fantasy and scifi comics to pivot to contemporary life. Esther is still my absolutely favorite and I love all her antics. Can’t wait to read more about these ladies!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wicked + The Divine Volume 8

Title: The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 8

Author: Kieron Gillen; Stephanie Hans; Andre Lima Araujo; Matt Wilson; Kris Anka; Jen Bartel

Publisher: Image 2019

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 232

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Modernist poets trapped in an Agatha Christie Murder Mystery. The Romantics gathering in Lake Geneva to resurrect the dead. What really happened during the fall of Rome. The Lucifer who was a nun, hearing Ananke's Black Death confession. As we approach the end, we start to see the full picture. Also includes the delights of the WicDiv Christmas Annual and the Comedy special. 

Collects all six of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE's essential Specials.

Woot! I get to read all the specials without buying them all individually. I loved the historical episodes involving the cycle of the gods. My favorite was definitely the murder mystery set in 1923. The mix of comic panels and text passages was a fun change for the usual format. I also really enjoyed the Romantic story modeled on the creation of Frankenstein. Really really loved this collection. Now I have to wait until the fall to get the final trade of the series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Heathen Vol. 1

Title: Heathen Vol. 1

Author: Natasha Alterici, Tess Fowler, Tamra Bonvillain, Charles Martin, Rebecca Rutledge, Kristen Grace

Publisher: Vault 2017

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 45 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Aydis is a viking, a warrior, an outcast, and a self-proclaimed heathen. Aydis is friend to the talking horse Saga, rescuer of the immortal Valkyrie Brynhild, and battler of demons and fantastic monsters. Aydis is a woman. Born into a time of warfare, suffering, and subjugation of women, she is on a mission to end the oppressive reign of the god-king Odin.

Random library pick from this past week. I enjoyed this Norse tale featuring some legendary characters. This volume was pretty short and I really wanted more from it. But, I looking forward to reading the next trade.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli

Title: The Matchmaker’s List

Author: Sonya Lalli

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 346

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar- Into a Movie; Women Authors; Romance

Raina Anand may have finally given in to family pressure and agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker, but that doesn't mean she has to like it--or that she has to play by the rules. Nani always took Raina's side when she tried to push past the traditional expectations of their tight-knit Indian-immigrant community, but now she's ambushing Raina with a list of suitable bachelors. Is it too much to ask for a little space? Besides, what Nani doesn't know won't hurt her... 

As Raina's life spirals into a parade of Nani-approved bachelors and disastrous blind dates, she must find a way out of this modern-day arranged-marriage trap without shattering her beloved grandmother's dreams.

I’m not sure what’s up with me, but I’ve been enjoying some contemporary romances lately. This one was our alternate pick for book club and I decided to read it alongside our actual pick. Such a cute little story! I immediately fell for Raina and her Nani. I loved reading about their relationship while Raina explored the dating scene. I couldn’t say that the book was new and different in plot, but I did like the inclusion of a different culture. The date interludes were very entertaining. I wasn’t the biggest fan of how the flashbacks were told in third person when the rest of the novel was told in first person. But other than that, I really enjoyed this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Title: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Author: Hank Green

Publisher: Dutton 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Popsugar - Debut; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Alien

The Carls just appeared.
 
Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.
 
Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Finally picked this one up and enjoyed every page of it. I loved the not-relatable main character of April May. She’s not likable and that’s okay. I really enjoyed following her descent into fame along with the unraveling mystery of the Carls. I loved the puzzles and games. This reminded me a bit of Ready Player One. The one thing I don’t like: the ending. Seriously Hank Green!?!?! How could you do that? At any rate, this was such a fun book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tales of Mystery and the Macabre by Elizabeth Gaskell

Title: Tales of Mystery and the Macabre

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

Publisher: Wordsworth 2008

Genre: Classics - horror

Pages: 305

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Women Authors; Horror

In the great mirror opposite I saw myself, and right behind, another wicked fearful self, so like me my soul seemed to quiver within me, as though not knowing to which similitude of body it belonged... Elizabeth Gaskell is better known today for her pioneering social novels such as Mary Barton (1848) but she also wrote some fascinating tales of the supernatural and the macabre, which are collected here in this volume. The real charm of this dark anthology is its variety. Unlike so many writers of this kind of material, Gaskell allows the story to fit the style rather than the other way around and as result there is a charming freshness to each tale. This remarkable author uses different voices, tones and topics to engage her readers and as you turn from one story to the next you cannot be quite sure what to expect.

I’ve read Gaskell’s North and South and Cranford, but didn’t realize that she had also wrote gothic horror stories. Overall, this volume was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed some of the stories especially those that focused on a specific character. I wasn’t as much of a fan of some stories that just seemed to meander instead of heading to a point. I also couldn’t get behind many of the rambling sentences and asides.

Next up on the TBR pile: