The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Publisher: Ecco 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mythology

Pages: 389

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme - May

A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights.

It’s been decades since I last read The Iliad but reading this reimagining of Achilles’s story brought me right back to Classical Studies in college. Overall I really enjoyed Miller’s telling of a very classic story but framing the events from the viewpoint of Patroclus. I loved learning about Achilles not from himself, but from one who loved him. We get an interesting picture of a classical hero. Plus we get to experience the strangeness of encountering gods and goddesses. The horrors of war are particularly affecting coming from an acknowledged poor soldier. We get a proper coming of age story within the pages all the way through the deaths of both of our main characters. Tragic for sure, but with lush writing and storytelling. I enjoyed it very much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Confessions of a Duchess by Nicola Cornick

Title: The Confessions of a Duchess (Brides of Fortune #1)

Author: Nicola Cornick

Publisher: HQN 2009

Genre: Regency Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

When an ancient tax law is invoked requiring all unmarried ladies to either wed or surrender half their wealth, it's not long before the quiet village of Fortune's Folly is overrun by a swarm of fortune-hunting bachelors. Marry again? Never! Not after what Laura, the dowager duchess, was forced to endure. Even if the arrival of her onetime paramour, Dexter Anstruther, is oh-so-tempting, she knows the secret she's kept from him would destroy any chance at a future together. Young, handsome and scandalously enticing, Dexter suspects Laura has a hidden motive for resisting his charms…and he intends to expose her, by any means necessary.

This one was much more fun than the prequel short story. I really liked Laura and Dexter. The whole hidden child plot in romances is not my favorite, but this one was done better than usual. I was much more interested in the back and forth between the main characters. The subplot involving Lydia was a bit much, but thankfully the book rarely focused on it. What I really want is more from Miles! Here’s hoping the next book stars him and Alice.

Brides of Fortune

#0.5 The Secrets of a Courtesan
#1 The Confessions of a Duchess
#2 The Scandals of an Innocent
#3 The Undoing of a Lady

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secrets of a Courtesan by Nicola Cornick

Title: The Secrets of a Courtesan (Brides of Fortune #0.5)

Author: Nicola Cornick

Publisher: HQN 2009

Genre: Regency Romance

Pages: 69

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

All's fair in love and matrimony in Nicola Cornick's wildly romantic new series that introduces the ladies of Fortune's Folly--spirited heiresses who are more than a match for society's most dashing rogues!The epitome of privilege and power, the handsome Duke of Welburn sets all the ladies' hearts aflutter as he strides into the village of Fortune's Folly.

For Eve Nightingale this fluttering is a mixture of wariness and wonder. Once his glittering society mistress--caught up in his glamorous world by day and tangled in his bedsheets by night--she is now no more than a penniless yet proud shopkeeper.

It's a world Eve can't go back to--she has secrets to keep. But this determined duke seems very keen on unravelling them....

Hmmm… I liked the premise, but wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters. Eve is fine. Alasdair is much too much of a pompous ass for me to really like him. At least this one was quick…

Brides of Fortune

#0.5 The Secrets of a Courtesan
#1 The Confessions of a Duchess
#2 The Scandals of an Innocent
#3 The Undoing of a Lady

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Title: The Secret Life of Bees

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Publisher: Penguin Books 2003

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Top 100 YA, 21st Century Women Authors, Rory Gilmore; Goodreads Random

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sister, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

A really beautiful coming-of-age story set in a fraught time period and place. I was rooting for Lily to find her place int he world away from her father and the ignorant perspectives of many in her community. I loved meeting the sisters and learning about beekeeping and their particular brand of religion. Many of the sequences feel very dreamlike. Almost like the opening scenes of Lily watching the bees swarm in her room. My only quibble with the book is the format. At times, the constant flashbacks muddled the prose. Transitions were not the best. Overall this was a lovely atmospheric book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss #1)

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Speak 2010

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 382

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen, NPR Romance, 365 Days of YA; Ebook

Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

I absolutely devoured this book in a day and a half. This is such a great young adult romance. We get that initial meet-cute. We get the complications. We get a ton of will they or won’t they. And we finally get to see the two main characters come together. Even though there were some more serious parts, this was the light-hearted read that I needed for this week. I definitely was rooting for Anna and Etienne throughout the book. I loved the pretty straight-forward plotline propelling the romance. I loved the side characters, especially Rashmi and Josh. All of the characters act like late teens. Often in YA, we get 17 year olds acting either like 13 year olds or 25 year olds. It was nice to see appropriate teen behavior and though patterns. I finished the last page of the book and just sighed with a smile on my face. Lovely little book. I will definitely be reading the two companion books (not quite sequels, but involving some of the side characters).

Anna and the French Kiss

#1 Anna and the French Kiss
#2 Lola and the Boy Next Door
#3 Isla and the Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

Title: Things in Jars

Author: Jess Kidd

Publisher: Atria Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 369

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Monthly Theme

Bridie Devine—female detective extraordinaire—is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

This was such a wonderfully strange book. The closest that I can compare to is a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Neil Gaiman’s fairy tale-esque stories. From page one, I was drawn into the story of Bridie and the missing child. Bridie is a great main character with fun quirks. I loved her relationships with Cora, Ruby, and Rose. I really did love the overall mystery of the missing child. I loved the mix of classic mystery and fantastical elements. London became such a great character infusing each page with atmosphere. Beyond the mystery, I wanted to know Bridie’s life and how some of the characters connected to her history, especially Ruby. Kidd’s writing style really brings this story to life. The prose makes this book feel like it was written a very long time ago. I really enjoy the old fashioned style to match with the characters and mystery.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen

Title: Malice at the Palace (Royal Spyness #9)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2015

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Caught between her high birth and empty purse, Georgie is relieved to receive a new assignment from the Queen. The King’s youngest son, George, is to wed Princess Marina of Greece, and the Queen wants Georgie to be her companion: showing her the best of London—and dispelling any rumors about George’s libertine history.

The prince is known for his many affairs with women as well as men—including the great songwriter Noel Coward. But things truly get complicated when one of his supposed mistresses is murdered.

The Queen wants the whole matter hushed. But as the case unfolds—and Georgie's beau Darcy, as always, turns up in the most unlikely of places—their investigation brings them precariously close to the prince himself.

Another fun cozy mystery. I do so love the murders that befall people around Lady Georgie. They are always interesting and fun. I think cozy mysteries are becoming comfort reads for me. As for this one, I loved meeting more of the Royal Family including Princess Marina. Plus we get some good interactions between Georgie and some of the recurring characters. I was annoyed by Darcy and his constant reassurances without ever really explaining. I think Georgie should kick him to the curb for awhile, but alas, she seems to be of one mind when it comes to 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
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

After the Cure by Deirdre Gould

Title: After the Cure (After the Cure #1)

Author: Deirdre Gould

Publisher: Amazon 2013

Genre: Horror

Pages: 401

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Eight years ago the December Plague swept through the human population of earth. The Infected were driven mad by the disease, becoming violent and cannibalistic, killing even those closest to them without hesitation.

Six years ago, the tiny surviving community of Immune humans found a cure, and the Infected began to wake up and realize what they'd done. And what had been done to them.

Over time, society began to rebuild itself. Now it is ready to judge those responsible for the Plague. Nella Rider, the court psychologist and Frank Courtlen a defense attorney are trying to establish the truth. But more depends on it than they know. They race to find the answers they need before the fragile remains of humanity vanish for good.

I enjoyed this after the plague novel dealing with the question of “who takes responsibility for the zombie apocalypse?” I immediately fell for Nella and Frank and wanted to see them gain some kind of peace after the tragic events of the December plague. I was intrigued by the questions of “how to revive society?” and “what does it mean to be human?” This book was a lot more thought-provoking than I thought it would be initially (and especially due to the cover). I slowly started to understand what was actually going on and was horrified by the actions of a few to the determent of the entire world. The second half of the book kicks into high gear and we actually encounter a few infested people. More is revealed about the horrors of the plague. And we get a satisfying conclusion. But then, there’s one last chapter to the book and I just couldn’t. I understand authors wanting to write series, but the set-up for the rest of the series really felt shoehorned in there. I did not like. I don’t think I will be reading the rest of the series. I am choosing to think of this as a one-off book.

After the Cure

# 1 After the Cure
#2 The Cured
#3 Krisis
#4 Poveglia
#5 The 40th Day

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Title: The Deep

Author: Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes

Publisher: Gallery 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 175

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.

Inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping for the This American Life episode “We Are In The Future,” The Deep is vividly original and uniquely affecting.

This was such a beautiful and incredibly sad and angering book. It’s less a book with a plot and more an examination of the legacy of slavery in America. The fantastical elements allow Solomon the leeway to explore concepts of memory and history and responsibility. It took my a few days to wade through these pages as they are so incredibly dense and yet lyrical. It is a hard book to read if you think about the real life situations the book mirror. I’m pretty sure Rivers Solomon is now on my must-read author list. This is amazing…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Saltwater Kisses by Krista Lakes

Title: Saltwater Kisses (The Kisses #1)

Author: Krista Lakes

Publisher: Zirconia Publishing 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 216

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly.

New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father's company. When an innocent Emma didn't recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn't tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him.

That was terrible… The first half of the book was okay. We get an instant love story at beach resort. Fine fine. A bit unrealistic, but a sweet love story with a few steamy scenes. But then the second half of the book goes in a completely different direction. Our male lead becomes a major asshole. Emma becomes a naive whiny sheep willing to do anything to keep Jack’s family happy. Things turn really bad relationship wise and yet she does everything he wants (or at least what his people say he wants; we rarely see Jack in the second half). This is a relationship gone wrong. Emma should have run as fast as I could away and back to Iowa. And no, an “I love you” does not magically fix things. Terrible story.

The Kisses

#1 Saltwater Kisses
#2 Rainwater Kisses
#3 Freshwater Kisses
#4 Sandcastle Kisses
#5 Hurricane Kisses
#6 Barefoot Kisses
#7 Sunrise Kisses
#8 Waterfall Kisses
#9 Island Kisses

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

Title: The Golden Hour

Author: Beatriz Williams

Publisher: William Morrow 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 468

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; TBR Random

The Bahamas, 1941. Newly-widowed Leonora “Lulu” Randolph arrives in the Bahamas to investigate the Governor and his wife for a New York society magazine. After all, American readers have an insatiable appetite for news of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, that glamorous couple whose love affair nearly brought the British monarchy to its knees five years earlier. What more intriguing backdrop for their romance than a wartime Caribbean paradise, a colonial playground for kingpins of ill-gotten empires?

Or so Lulu imagines. But as she infiltrates the Duke and Duchess’s social circle, and the powerful cabal that controls the islands’ political and financial affairs, she uncovers evidence that beneath the glister of Wallis and Edward’s marriage lies an ugly—and even treasonous—reality. In fact, Windsor-era Nassau seethes with spies, financial swindles, and racial tension, and in the middle of it all stands Benedict Thorpe: a scientist of tremendous charm and murky national loyalties. Inevitably, the willful and wounded Lulu falls in love.

Then Nassau’s wealthiest man is murdered in one of the most notorious cases of the century, and the resulting coverup reeks of royal privilege. Benedict Thorpe disappears without a trace, and Lulu embarks on a journey to London and beyond to unpick Thorpe’s complicated family history: a fateful love affair, a wartime tragedy, and a mother from whom all joy is stolen.

The stories of two unforgettable women thread together in this extraordinary epic of espionage, sacrifice, human love, and human courage, set against a shocking true crime . . . and the rise and fall of a legendary royal couple.

Our book club selection for April. I think I’ve really come to like Williams’s books. I love how she weaves together a real historical event (in this case WWII and the Windsors governance of The Bahamas) and a fictional narrator with a mystery. I loved Lulu and Elfriede and their two storylines. I loved learning more about The Bahamas and, yes, I even liked learning more about Wallis Simpson. Williams writes intriguing and realistic female characters. My biggest complaint with every one of her books that I’ve read is the male leads. They always seem to be such wet blankets. I never really buy the romance between the characters. For this book, Wilfred and Benedict really seem like one dimensional people. They have nothing to them. For that fact, I always take off a star from my rating. But overall, I really did enjoy this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Grave Minder by Melissa Marr

Title: Grave Minder

Author: Melissa Marr

Publisher: William Morrow 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene’s death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk. . . .

Such a muddled mess of a book. There are so many interesting ideas and world building aspects to this book, but the characters and plot just don’t do it justice. I was thoroughly confused by certain aspects of the world, but willing to accept some things are just fact in the book. Okay fine. But then we turn to the characters and I got so incredibly annoyed. Rebekkah is just a spoiled, indecisive person. Quickly I got sick of her internal monologue of “should I or shouldn’t I”. Very boring and repetitive. Byron was a bit better, but still a bit whiny for my tastes. Both of the main characters acted more like they were teenagers than in their mid-20s. I just didn’t buy it. And don’t get me started on Maylene and William. Why was is necessary to completely keep your successors in the dark as to the entire world of Claysville? The secret keeping just caused so many problems. I could have fixed the entire story in the first chapter avoiding the entire conflict. Last note: Why are the undead not zombies? They sure seemed like zombies to me… Very confusing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Title: All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Publisher: Imprint 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 373

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Monthly Theme - April

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

This was my free birthday month Book of the Month in March. I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to like this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I immediately fell into the kingdom of Visidia and all the different types of magic. Amora was annoying at first, but I really grew to love her over the journey. She went from a spoiled princess to a fierce protector of the kingdom. I do so love it when characters show grow over the course of a book. Beyond Amora, I loved Bastian and Vataea. Such great traveling companions. Ferrick was less interesting as a character, but I really hope we see more growth from him in the second book. The plot moved quick enough to keep me turning pages. The first book ends on a sorta cliffhanger, but I think it could be read without the second book. I’ll keep a lookout for the publication date of book two.

All the Stars and Teeth

#1 All the Stars and Teeth
#2 All the Tides of Fate

Next up on the TBR pile:

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb

Title: Daughters of the Lake

Author: Wendy Webb

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 2018

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 319

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents’ home on Lake Superior to pull herself together—only to discover the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallows. Tucked in the folds of the woman’s curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She’s seen her before. In her dreams…

One hundred years ago, a love story ended in tragedy, its mysteries left unsolved. It’s time for the lake to give up its secrets. As each mystery unravels, it pulls Kate deeper into the eddy of a haunting folktale that has been handed down in whispers over generations. Now, it’s Kate’s turn to listen.

As the drowned woman reaches out from the grave, Kate reaches back. They must come together, if only in dreams, to right the sinister wrongs of the past.

I really wanted to like this book. The opening chapter is amazing and very very intriguing. I was sucked into the story very quickly. But then, things just started going off the rails. I was constantly annoyed by the the characters randomly stopping and drifting off into memories every so often. It was so clunky and really pulled me out of the present narrative so that when the character came back to the present, I had to really remind myself where we were in the story. Annoying. Beyond the writing style, I was ultimately bored with the story and the characters. The constant references to the various ghosts wasn’t really intriguing; it was a weird intrusion. Overall, I was just bored of the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Planetfall by Emma Newman

Title: Planetfall (Planetfall #1)

Author: Emma Newman

Publisher: ROC 2015

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Goodreads Random - April

Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi’s vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A planet promising to reveal the truth about our place in the cosmos, untainted by overpopulation, pollution, and war. Ren believed in that vision enough to give up everything to follow Suh-Mi into the unknown.

More than twenty-two years have passed since Ren and the rest of the faithful braved the starry abyss and established a colony at the base of an enigmatic alien structure where Suh-Mi has since resided, alone. All that time, Ren has worked hard as the colony's 3-D printer engineer, creating the tools necessary for human survival in an alien environment, and harboring a devastating secret.

Ren continues to perpetuate the lie forming the foundation of the colony for the good of her fellow colonists, despite the personal cost. Then a stranger appears, far too young to have been part of the first planetfall, a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to Suh-Mi.

The truth Ren has concealed since planetfall can no longer be hidden. And its revelation might tear the colony apart...

After ranting and raving to my husband for the better part of a half hour, I decided to give this book 2 stars. I do not think that this is a good book. There are so many storylines, plot threads that get muddled and ultimately lead no where. They bring up the potential parasite in the newcomer’s stomach, but no one seem really interested or concerned. There are allusions to the tragedy that was unfolding on Earth, but no follow up. Ren’s “disorder” is thrown into the mix at the height of the conflict, but no real discussion or resolution. Religion comes up again and again but seemingly only in passing with no real focus. The entirety of their journey to the new planet and any technology used is glossed over. The book ended up being a mix of about 6 Star Trek episodes with no real follow-through or conclusions. I will not be reading the rest of the series.

Planetfall

#1 Planetfall
#2 After Atlas
#3 Before Mars
#4 Atlas Alone

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

Title: The Dollhouse

Author: Fiona Davis

Publisher: Dutton 2016

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 306

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belong—a notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance.

Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resist—not to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed.

My second Fiona Davis book and I do enjoy her focus on historical geographic locations. This book’s focus on New York City and specifically the Barbizon Hotel was such fun. I loved learning more about the actual history of the Barbizon Hotel while focusing on fictional characters. The story itself was good, although the tension sometimes was a bit much. Often there is a little too much melodrama in the story. I would have liked a little less from the chaos of Rose’s life and more focus on Darby and Esme. Ultimately, I did like the book and will read another Fiona Davis book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

1776 by David McCullough

Title: 1776

Author: David McCullough

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2006

Genre: Nonfiction - U.S. History

Pages: 386

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

America’s beloved and distinguished historian presents, in a book of breathtaking excitement, drama, and narrative force, the stirring story of the year of our nation’s birth, 1776, interweaving, on both sides of the Atlantic, the actions and decisions that led Great Britain to undertake a war against her rebellious colonial subjects and that placed America’s survival in the hands of George Washington.

In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.

I have a pretty firm grasp on U.S. History seeing as I was a HS Social Studies teacher with an emphasis in U.S. History. As such, I am always a bit hesitant to dive into U.S. History books. I don’t want to spend 300 pages just reviewing everything I already know. Thankfully McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning book gave me so much new information that I enjoyed every page. The book follows General Washington and a whole host of characters as they move through 1776 and the colonies. McCullough gives the basics but adds much more with excerpts from primary sources (letters and diaries) and details about many of the players. I especially loved learning more about Henry Knox and Nathanael Greene. They have become known names from the time period, but I didn’t know much more than their most important accomplishments. I loved how McCullough dove into various people while providing a very factual account of movements throughout the year. Even though I knew Trenton and Princeton were coming right at the end of the year, I was compelled by the writing to find out what was going to happen next. Great history book!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

Title: Horrorstor

Author: Grady Hendrix

Publisher: Quirk Books 2014

Genre: Horror

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

I picked this ebook up on Kindle sale and sped through it the other day. I loved the mounting dread within the store over the course of the chapters. I couldn’t stop reading as I was pushed along by the story. I had to find out what was going to happen next. I had to figure out the fates of the characters. I liked Amy, but really Basil become my favorite character in the book. Very fun horror story for a random afternoon’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Debutante by Julia London

Title: The Last Debutante (The Secrets of Hadley Green #4)

Author: Julia London

Publisher: Pocket Book 2013

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 370

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Who is the captive and who is the captor? When a sexy laird holds a spirited English lady for ransom, she turns the tables and steals his heart.

The last person Daria Babcock expects to find in her grandmother’s home is a brawny, naked Highlander. She doesn’t buy Mamie’s explanation about finding the poor man shot in the woods. Nor does she trust the gorgeous laird, who insists his own memory fails him. But Daria came to Scotland looking for adventure and romance, and after the intriguing stranger kidnaps her, she gets her wish—and so much more....

A fitting end to the Hadley Green series. We get to see what happened to Lord Ashland and the jewels. We get to see Daria finally settled where she belongs. She definitely seemed out of place in the previous books. We get to see more from Charity and Captain Mackenzie. I just wish we would have had a bit more resolution instead of the usual rushed ending chapter. I always want a bit more at the end with these type of books. But I did enjoy the journey to the ending. I loved Jamie and the various inhabitants of Dundavie. Geordie was especially a favorite. Good series overall.

The Secrets of Hadley Green

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: