The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London

Title: The Revenge of Lord Eberlin (The Secrets of Hadley Green #2)

Author: Julia London

Publisher: Pocket Books 2012

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 404

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Monthly Theme - February; Goodreads Random

Tobin Scott, otherwise known as Count Eberlin of Denmark, has returned to Hadley Green, the site of his father’s hanging for thievery fifteen years ago. He has but one goal in mind, and that is to avenge his father, who he believes was innocent of stealing the Countess of Ashwood jewels. Now a wealthy man, Tobin intends to exact his revenge by destroying the Ashwood estate and the Countess of Ashwood, who as a young girl testified against his father.

Lily Boudine has become the Countess of Ashwood through a very surprising twist of fate. She is even more surprised when a vaguely familiar looking man calls and tells her he is Tobin Scott, whom she knew as a boy, and that he intends to destroy her or Ashwood. He leaves the choice to her. Because so many people depend on Ashwood, Lily chooses herself, thinking that she can hold him at bay long enough to remove Ashwood from his clutches. But as they play the game of seduction, and she slowly discovers that he is not the cold, heartless man he would like to present to her, she also believes that Tobin is right—his father did not steal the jewels. And if she can find them, she can help restore his family’s honor—but not before she discovers another shocking secret.

An enjoyable Regency romance. I did really like Lily and Tobin as a couple. And the overall mystery of the missing jewels is a great connection. These novels really are my comfort reads. I just wished that we got a bit more of the resolution. But it’s that what I say about all these romance novels? Yes, yes it is.

The Secrets of Hadley Green

#1 The Year o fLiving Scandalously
#1.5 The Christmas Secret
#2 The Revenge of Lord Eberlin
#3 The Seduction of Lady X
#4 The Last Debutante

Next up on the TBR pile:

Frida Kahlo by Maria Hesse

Title: Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life

Author: Maria Hesse Translator: Achy Obejas

Publisher: University of Texas Press 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel Memoir

Pages: 152

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

One of the most important artists of the twentieth century and an icon of courageous womanhood, Frida Kahlo lives on in the public imagination, where her popularity shows no signs of waning. She is renowned for both her paintings and her personal story, which were equally filled with pain and anguish, celebration and life. Thousands of words, including her own, have been written about Kahlo, but only one previous biography has recorded her fascinating, difficult life. Frida Kahlo by María Hesse offers a highly unique way of getting to know the artist by presenting her life in graphic novel form, with striking illustrations that reimagine many of Kahlo’s famous paintings.

Originally published in Spanish in 2016, Frida Kahlo has already found an enthusiastic audience in the Spanish-speaking world, with some 20,000 copies sold in just a few months. This translation introduces English-language readers to Kahlo’s life, from her childhood and the traumatic accident that would change her life and her artwork, to her complicated love for Diego Rivera and the fierce determination that drove her to become a major artist in her own right. María Hesse tells the story in a first-person narrative, which captures both the depths of Frida’s suffering and her passion for art and life.

Such an incredibly beautiful book about Frida Kahlo’s life. I loved turning each page to see what painting Hesse was going to recreate or reinterpret. I loved the little snippets of diary entries and letters sprinkled through more straight-forward biographical information. I adored poring over each illustration. Truly a remarkable work honoring a remarkable woman.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

Title: Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste

Author: Bianca Bosker

Publisher: Penguin Books 2017

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Professional journalist and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn’t know much about wine—until she discovered an alternate universe where taste reigns supreme, a world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of flavor. Astounded by their fervor and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, she set out to uncover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a “cork dork.”

With boundless curiosity, humor, and a healthy dose of skepticism, Bosker takes the reader inside underground tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, California mass-market wine factories, and even a neuroscientist’s fMRI machine as she attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: what’s the big deal about wine? What she learns will change the way you drink wine—and, perhaps, the way you live—forever.

Our book club selection for February. It was entertaining. Sorta like Kitchen Confidential for the wine industry. Bosker mentions the documentary Somm multiple times and it did feel like I was reading a book version of that in some chapters. I liked the chapters that dove into Bosker’s own journey more than reading about random wine people. I enjoyed my time spent reading the pages, but wouldn’t say that it was amazing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

Title: Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children #4)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Publisher: Tor 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 203

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

When Jack left Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children she was carrying the body of her deliciously deranged sister—whom she had recently murdered in a fit of righteous justice—back to their home on the Moors.

But death in their adopted world isn't always as permanent as it is here, and when Jack is herself carried back into the school, it becomes clear that something has happened to her. Something terrible. Something of which only the maddest of scientists could conceive. Something only her friends are equipped to help her overcome.

Eleanor West's "No Quests" rule is about to be broken.

Again.

What a delightfully dark ending to the series! I loved every single page. McGuire creates such twisted worlds for us to explore. I loved going back to the Moors and revisiting Jack and Jill. Unfortunately this story was over just too soon for my tastes. I want more and more and more from the worlds in the Wayward Children series. For fans of dark fairy tales, this is just perfection. I feel like I need go back and read McGuire’s back catalog.

Wayward Children

Next up on the TBR pile:

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

Title: Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? : Big Questions fromTiny Mortals About Death

Author: Caitlin Doughty

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

In Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, Doughty blends her mortician’s knowledge of the body and the intriguing history behind common misconceptions about corpses to offer factual, hilarious, and candid answers to thirty-five distinctive questions posed by her youngest fans. In her inimitable voice, Doughty details lore and science of what happens to, and inside, our bodies after we die. Why do corpses groan? What causes bodies to turn colors during decomposition? And why do hair and nails appear longer after death? Readers will learn the best soil for mummifying your body, whether you can preserve your best friend’s skull as a keepsake, and what happens when you die on a plane.

Beautifully illustrated by Dianné Ruz, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? shows us that death is science and art, and only by asking questions can we begin to embrace it.

Another book by Caitlin Doughty! I loved Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and have watched many of her videos and interviews. This book was a collection of questions and answers related to death. Some of the topics were repeats from information presented in her previous book. Some were repeats from interviews she has done. But they were all enjoyable to read and remind myself that Viking funerals are Hollywood creations and illegal and that we routinely wrap bodies in saran wrap to prevent leakage during funerals. Good little collection for an afternoon’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib

Title: I was Their American Dream

Author: Malaka Gharib

Publisher: Clarkson Potter 2019

Genre: Graphic Novel Memoir

Pages: 160

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Monthly Theme

I Was Their American Dream is at once a coming-of-age story and a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who come to America in search for a better life for themselves and their children. The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigated her childhood chasing her parents' ideals, learning to code-switch between her family's Filipino and Egyptian customs, adapting to white culture to fit in, crushing on skater boys, and trying to understand the tension between holding onto cultural values and trying to be an all-American kid.

Malaka Gharib's triumphant graphic memoir brings to life her teenage antics and illuminates earnest questions about identity and culture, while providing thoughtful insight into the lives of modern immigrants and the generation of millennial children they raised. Malaka's story is a heartfelt tribute to the American immigrants who have invested their future in the promise of the American dream.

I picked this one up on recommendation from the local library. While I was engaged in the story of identity and culture, I couldn’t help but compare it to other books and specifically graphic novel memoirs I have read. I kept being reminded of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. That volume really gutted me. This one felt a little too comedic to have the impact that I thought it should have. I wanted a bit more gravity to the story than I actually got. Beyond the comparisons, this was a interesting volume, just not quite something I would love.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

Title: The Things We Cannot Say

Author: Kelly Rimmer

Publisher: Graydon House 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate.

Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.

I’ve been really over the various WWII books this year, but this one was our book club selection for February. And I found that I mostly really enjoyed this one. I loved Alina’s story during the war. It was tough to read, but a great perspective on the war. You don’t often get stories centered in Poland during the 1940s. The first person narration felt a lot like Alina telling us her story from old age. I was fascinated by the mystery of Alina’s future. However I know need to go to the bad. I was not a fan of the modern story line. Well, that’s not quite true. I liked the sections where Alice tried to uncover the mystery of her Babcia’s life during the war and in Poland. I was on pins and needles waiting for the reveal of the players and what happened. I was not a fan of Alice’s voice throughout the modern sections. The voice was very whiny and informal. I thought I was reading a blog post instead of a published novel. The voice was grating. If I could have ignored the voice, I would have given the book 5 stars.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mississippi River Tragedies by Christine A. Klein and Sandra B. Zellmer

Title: Mississippi River Tragedies: A Century of Unnatural Disaster

Author: Christine A. Klein and Sandra B. Zellmer

Publisher: NYU Press 2014

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 276

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

American engineers have done astounding things to bend the Mississippi River to their will: forcing one of its tributaries to flow uphill, transforming over a thousand miles of roiling currents into a placid staircase of water, and wresting the lower half of the river apart from its floodplain. American law has aided and abetted these feats. But despite our best efforts, so-called “natural disasters” continue to strike the Mississippi basin, as raging floodwaters decimate waterfront communities and abandoned towns literally crumble into the Gulf of Mexico. In some places, only the tombstones remain, leaning at odd angles as the underlying soil erodes away. Mississippi River Tragedies reveals that it is seductively deceptive—but horribly misleading—to call such catastrophes “natural.”

Random pick from the library. I was a bit disappointed by the overall book, but was fascinated by the subject matter. I love micro histories and learning about a new topic. The subject matter truly is fascinating. And yet. the actual writing was a little too dry and stilted at times. I would have liked to been more sucked into the story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Title: Brown Girl Dreaming

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books 2014

Genre: Middle Grade

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Monthly Theme - February

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

I’ve seen this book on so many Best Of lists and it won so many awards. it’s been on my To Read list for years and I finally got around to reading this one. I’m not usually one for books in verse, but this one really struck me. I loved turning every page to find out more about Woodson’s life. I loved the little snippets of memories and stories. I loved the imagery she evokes on every page. The constant callbacks to her family and ancestors were beautiful. This was such a great book. I would love to see this on required reading lists for middle schoolers. Perfect age to dive in to discussions.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Christmas Secret by Julia London

Title: The Christmas Secret (The Secrets of Hadley Green #1.5)

Author: Julia London

Publisher: Pocket Books 2011

Genre: Fiction - Romance

Pages: 128

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

When Eireanne O'Conner returns to Ballynaheath, her home in Ireland, for Christmas, she finds that her brother has married, her new sister-in-law's family is ever-present, and her friends, the Hannigan twins are up to their usual tricks. During the twelve days of Christmas, there are secrets and surprises that will either sink Eireanne deeper into the scandals that have surrounded her family, or send her to London to find a titled husband who will hopefully add some dignity to a family who can't seem to keep away from scandal!

I picked this short story up for a steal on Kindle. I liked the story of Eireanne and Henry, but everything really did feel too rushed. I would have liked to see the story unfold in a more leisurely pace. I would have liked to see more of the relationship between the two main characters. And don’t get me started on Eireanne’s immaturity. It really didn’t track well with me. I read it mostly because I am a completionist. Moving on to the next book.

The Secrets of Hadley Green

#1 The Year of Living Scandalously
#1.5 The Christmas Secret
#2 The Revenge of Lord Eberlin
#3 The Seduction of Lady X
#4 The Last Debutante

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London

Title: The Year of Living Scandalously (The Secrets of Hadley Green #1)

Author: Julia London

Publisher: Pocket Books 2010

Genre: Fiction - Romance

Pages: 423

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Monthly Theme - February

When Declan O’Connor, Earl of Donnelly, arrives at Hadley Green to meet with Lily Boudine, the new countess of Ashwood, he knows instantly that the lovely woman who welcomes him is not who she pretends to be. In an attempt to avoid an unwanted marriage, Keira Hannigan has assumed her cousin’s identity and is staying at the estate while Lily is abroad. When Declan threatens to expose her, Keira convinces him to guard her secret, then enlists him in her investigation of the missing jewels, for she now believes an innocent man was hanged.

Unable to deny the beautiful, exasperating Keira—or their simmering passion—Declan reluctantly agrees. But neither is prepared for the dangerous stranger who threatens to reveal Keira’s lies . . . and Declan knows he must protect Keira at all costs, for she is the woman who now owns his heart.

I started another Regency romance series from my shelves. I definitely enjoyed the overall story and characters. Keira and Declan are a great couple. I love the Pride and Prejudice vibes I got from this book. Great dislike to love story. I was less enamored with the overall deception Keira engages in throughout the book. Things were not going to end well, and Keira’s insistence that they would got a bit annoying. Beyond that bit, I did enjoy the overall mystery set up in this volume. And the side characters were interesting. Most definitely I’ll be reading the rest of the series.

The Secrets of Hadley Green

#1 The Year of Living Scandalously
#1.5 The Christmas Secret
#2 The Revenge of Lord Eberlin
#3 The Seduction of Lady X
#4 The Last Debutante

Next up on the TBR pile:

Drive-Thru Dreams by Adam Chandler

Title: Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom

Author: Adam Chandler

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 274

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Most any honest person can own up to harboring at least one fast-food guilty pleasure. In Drive-Thru Dreams, Adam Chandler explores the inseparable link between fast food and American life for the past century. The dark underbelly of the industry’s largest players has long been scrutinized and gutted, characterized as impersonal, greedy, corporate, and worse. But, in unexpected ways, fast food is also deeply personal and emblematic of a larger than life image of America.

With wit and nuance, Chandler reveals the complexities of this industry through heartfelt anecdotes and fascinating trivia as well as interviews with fans, executives, and workers. He traces the industry from its roots in Wichita, where White Castle became the first fast food chain in 1921 and successfully branded the hamburger as the official all-American meal, to a teenager's 2017 plea for a year’s supply of Wendy’s chicken nuggets, which united the internet to generate the most viral tweet of all time.

Random new books shelf from the library pick and I was pleasantly surprised. Every chapter details the rise of one of the well-known fast food places. We get a bit of interesting history as well as a commentary on our current world. I much preferred the history bits, but understand why the rest was included. I cam out of the book with a ton of new random facts. A pretty enjoyable book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ninth House

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age twenty, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Their eight windowless “tombs” are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street’s biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.

I picked this as my BOTM selection for November and I’m finally getting around to reading it. The first few chapters were a bit slow (don’t love starting the book near the end of the story and then flashing back), but once I was in, I loved this book so much. This is right up my alley with dark fantasy full of murder, ghosts, and the occult. I loved the premise of the book and then really grew to love the characters. Alex is not an easy character to love, but by the end of the book, you understand her and are rooting for her to succeed. Dawes was a huge surprise for me. I loved how she became more and more a part of the story as the chapters sped. by. I had hoped to see more of Darlington, but obviously we will circle back to him in the next book. I loved setting the book on Yale’s campus. Apparently I really enjoy books set at schools or at college. New Haven adds such great atmosphere to the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Definitely a keeper for my shelf.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara

Title: The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

Author: Mallory O’Meara

Publisher: Hanover Square Press 2019

Genre: Nonfiction - Biography

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme - January

As a teenager, Mallory O’Meara was thrilled to discover that one of her favorite movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon, featured a monster designed by a woman, Milicent Patrick. But for someone who should have been hailed as a pioneer in the genre, there was little information available. For, as O’Meara soon discovered, Patrick’s contribution had been claimed by a jealous male colleague, her career had been cut short and she soon after had disappeared from film history. No one even knew if she was still alive.

As a young woman working in the horror film industry, O’Meara set out to right the wrong, and in the process discovered the full, fascinating story of an ambitious, artistic woman ahead of her time. Patrick’s contribution to special effects proved to be just the latest chapter in a remarkable, unconventional life, from her youth growing up in the shadow of Hearst Castle, to her career as one of Disney’s first female animators. And at last, O’Meara discovered what really had happened to Patrick after The Creature’s success, and where she went.

A true-life detective story and a celebration of a forgotten feminist trailblazer, Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon establishes Patrick in her rightful place in film history while calling out a Hollywood culture where little has changed since.

Why have I sat on this book for almost a year? I have no idea. I was so excited about this one coming out that I even preordered it and then it sat on my Kindle for almost a year before I picked it up (this is why I really need to prioritize books I own). Anyway… I really enjoyed this biography of Milicent Patrick crossed with Mallory O’Meara’s own sexist experiences in the film industry. We flip back and forth from Patrick’s life to O’Meara’s anecdotes and experiences while working as a film producer and author. My favorite parts were strictly about Milicent Patrick and her very interesting varied career. I loved diving into a fascinating woman at a very strange time in Hollywood. I was less impressed with the feminist asides. Mostly it was a rehashing of a lot of information I already knew. Those passages didn’t open my eyes to anything really, but I think they were necessary for the overall story O’Meara was attempting to tell. Overall this was a very interesting biography. I might just want to own it in physical form (the paperback version is releasing in March).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez

Title: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Author: Caroline Criado Perez

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives.
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women, diving into women’s lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.

This book was infuriating… In that this book highlighted all the ways that women are disadvantaged, put in danger, ignored, and put in the “other” category. I hated reading this because I my anger just kept rising. But it was a good book to really put statistics and facts behind all those feelings I had about how women are second class citizens. It really highlighted many areas of concern backed up with studies (or lack thereof). I was really interested in the chapter about toilets. Who knew that the lack of toilets could impact women so negatively? I think I did underneath, but this really laid out all the problems. A fascinating read. My only issues came with the lack of ways to move forward. The book got me really angry, but did little to help me channel that anger to something productive.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wool by Hugh Howey

Title: Wool (Silo #1)

Author: Hugh Howey

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2013

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 528

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme

In a ruined and toxic future, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside.

His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Uprising.

This series has been on my list for awhile now. Overall I did enjoy the story, but I was slightly confused about the form. I thought it would be one continuous story. Instead we get a bit of jumping in characters and timelines. In the end, I did enjoy the story and the world created. The silos are an interesting concept. I had hoped to learn more about the apocalypse. Maybe in the continuing stories.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lady Mechanika Vol. 4

Title: Lady Mechanika Vol. 4: Clockwork Assassin

Author: Joe Benitez, M.M. Chen, Peter Steigerwald, Mike Garcia, Beth Sotelo

Publisher: Benitez Productions 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 88

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

When a series of brutal murders linked to Mr. Lewis' past leads Detective Inspector Singh to Lady Mechanika's doorstep, the Inspector is finally forced to consider: is Lady Mechanika a crime-fighting hero or a cold blooded killer?

Oooohhhh… this volume was amazing. I loved reading the further adventures of Lady Mechanika. I got really wrapped up in her relationship with Mr. Lewis. I love the interplay between those two. I am also interested in the ongoing involvement of Inspector Singh. I can’t wait to pick up volume 5.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lady Mechanika La Dama de la Muerte

Title: Lady Mechanika La Dama de la Muerte

Author: Joe Benitez, M.M. Chen, Peter Steigerwald, Mike Garcia, Beth Sotelo

Publisher: Benitez Productions 2017

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 88

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

After suffering a tragic loss, Lady Mechanika takes a trip to a small Mexican village just in time for their Día de los Muertos celebration. But the festivities turn truly deadly after the arrival of the Jinetes del Infierno, the mythical Hell Riders. Collects the complete Lady Mechanika Day of the Dead special, La Dama de la Muerte.

Ooohhh… I love this series so much. And this side adventure was perfect. The art was absolutely amazing. We get the trademark action sequences. Plus we learn just a bit more about Lady Mechanika. I must dive into the next volume quickly.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Art of Theft (Lady Sherlock #4)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

As "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing individuals. But she has never stolen a priceless artwork—or rather, made away with the secrets hidden behind a much-coveted canvas.

But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help her old friend recover those secrets and Charlotte finds herself involved in a fever-paced scheme to infiltrate a glamorous Yuletide ball where the painting is one handshake away from being sold and the secrets a bare breath from exposure.

Her dear friend Lord Ingram, her sister Livia, Livia's admirer Stephen Marbleton—everyone pitches in to help and everyone has a grand time. But nothing about this adventure is what it seems and disaster is biding time on the grounds of a glittering French chateau, waiting only for Charlotte to make a single mistake...

Another amazingly inventive Lady Sherlock book. I love Charlotte so much, but was glad that this book featured all the other beloved characters. Olivia has really grown on me throughout the books. I loved that the setting of this volume moved out of England and into Paris. A change of scenery is often jus the thing for a series. And oh my, the twists and turns of this one were great. After all the revelations, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Lady Sherlock

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wolfpack by Abby Wambach

Title: Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game

Author: Abby Wambach

Publisher: Celadon Books 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 112

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Based on her inspiring, viral 2018 commencement speech to Barnard College’s graduates in New York City, New York Times bestselling author, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach delivers her empowering rally cry for women to unleash their individual power, unite with their pack, and emerge victorious together.

I pulled this book on the recommendation from the Omaha Public Library. It’s a slim volume full of great advice. I really liked Wambach’s positive outlook on life filled with strength. It only took me a few minutes to read, but it was a lovely experience.

Next up on the TBR pile: