Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco

Title: Wicked as You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1)

Author: Rin Chupeco

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in...Arizona.

Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn't even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.

A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mash-up of various systems of magic and worlds from other literature. I loved the action sequences especially all those involving the Ice Maiden and the Snow Queen. It took me a while to get the hang of the terminology, but I did get the hang of it. The story was decent and set up the rest of the series pretty well. This one ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, so beware. Unfortunately, I am very tired of the trope where everyone other character knows what’s going on, while the main character is kept in the dark “for their own safety.” I really get so very annoyed by this in every book it appears. I just cannot. Why can’t characters just communicate the relevant information in any given situation? I can’t deal with the lies by omission. I am still debating whether or not to continue reading this series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

Title: Redhead by the Side of the Road

Author: Anne Tyler

Publisher: Knopf 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 192

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; MMD 2020

Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.

This was not the book for me at all. I’m not a fan of character studies or more specifically, character studies of very blergh people. Every page of this very slim novel was a slog. I just couldn’t connect to any characters or find any joy throughout the book. I just didn’t care about the story or the people in it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title: Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane #1)

Author: Elizabeth Hoyt

Publisher: Grand Central 2010

Genre: Romance

Pages: 401

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf Project; Perpetual - NPR Romance

A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES . . .

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST . . .

Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.

A BARGAIN NEITHER COULD REFUSE

I absolutely devoured this one! I was looking to start a new romance series, and noticed that I had the first two Maiden Lane books just sitting on my shelf. I picked it up and didn’t stop. I fell head over heels for Lazarus and Temperance. I immediately wanted to know so much about each of the characters. I was intrigued by the murder mystery and hoped that things would resolve themselves. Beyond the murder, I needed to see Temperance and Lazarus realize their feelings for one another. This book had just right moments of tension and sexual frustration. I was here for everything. I cannot wait to read the next one in the series.

Maiden Lane

• #1 Wicked Intentions

• #2 Notorious Pleasures

• #3 Scandalous Desires

• #4 Thief of Shadows

• #5 Lord of Darkness

• #6 Duke of Midnight

• #7 Darling Beast

• #8 Dearest Rogue

• #9 Sweetest Scoundrel

• #10 Duke of Sin

• #10.5 Once Upon a Moonlit Night

• #10.7 Once Upon a Christmas Eve

• #11 Duke of Pleasure

• #12 Duke of Desire

• #12.5 Once Upon a Maiden Lane

Next up on the TBR pile:

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

Title: Midnight Riot (Rivers of London #1)

Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Publisher: Del Rey 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 322

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Been on my TBR list for years, I finally picked it up and was pleasantly surprised by this police crime / fantasy novel. I really enjoyed diving into Peter Grant’s life and revelations to the world beyond. I loved the mythology of the city and the various inhabitants. I want to learn more of what’s going on under the surface. I want to learn more about Nightingale and Molly (although I have my suspicions as to what they are). I really enjoyed the murder mystery in this volume and can’t wait to see what happens in the second book. Great urban fantasy!

Rivers of London

• #1 Midnight Riot

• #2 Moon Over Soho

• #3 Whispers Under Ground

• #4 Broken Homes

• #5 Foxglove Summer

• #6 The Hanging Tree

• #7 Lies Sleeping

• #8 False Value

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Witches are Coming by Lindy West

Title: The Witches are Coming

Author: Lindy West

Publisher: Hachette Books 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Feminism; Ebook

From the moment powerful men started falling to the #MeToo movement, the lamentations began: this is feminism gone too far, this is injustice, this is a witch hunt. In The Witches Are Coming, firebrand author of the New York Times bestselling memoir and now critically acclaimed Hulu TV series Shrill, Lindy West, turns that refrain on its head. You think this is a witch hunt? Fine. You've got one.
In a laugh-out-loud, incisive cultural critique, West extolls the world-changing magic of truth, urging readers to reckon with dark lies in the heart of the American mythos, and unpacking the complicated, and sometimes tragic, politics of not being a white man in the twenty-first century. She tracks the misogyny and propaganda hidden (or not so hidden) in the media she and her peers devoured growing up, a buffet of distortions, delusions, prejudice, and outright bullsh*t that has allowed white male mediocrity to maintain a death grip on American culture and politics-and that delivered us to this precarious, disorienting moment in history.
West writes, "We were just a hair's breadth from electing America's first female president to succeed America's first black president. We weren't done, but we were doing it. And then, true to form-like the Balrog's whip catching Gandalf by his little gray bootie, like the husband in a Lifetime movie hissing, 'If I can't have you, no one can'-white American voters shoved an incompetent, racist con man into the White House."
We cannot understand how we got here-how the land of the free became Trump's America-without examining the chasm between who we are and who we think we are, without fact-checking the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and each other. The truth can transform us; there is witchcraft in it. Lindy West turns on the light.

Overall a very solid collection of essays. There were many that had me laughing hysterically and there were a few that had me in tears. But most of the essays had me so incredibly mad. And I’m a person who knew most of this us. I still came away with a feeling of wanting to smash the patriarchy (and a few particular men). This collection is definitely prescient in the time of #MeToo and the ongoing revelations of people’s wrongdoings. Unfortunately, we are now in the midst of COVID and Black Lives Matter and these essays fell a bit flat at times. Of course, West could not foresee the future and how our lives would change in 2020, but I still felt that something was missing from this collection. Overall I did really enjoy readying it. I’m just not the biggest fan of essay collections.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Title: Dread Nation (Dread Nation #1)

Author: Justine Ireland

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 2018

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 418

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: GR Random; Monthly Theme

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.

In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.

But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. 

And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Oh my goodness! This was a thrilling ride! I immediately starting rooting for Jane, but know bad things were going to happen to her (that’s how zombie books go). I loved starting at Miss Preston’s school before venturing out into the world outside. I loved the world Ireland creates. I’m a sucker for good alternative history. This world is a horrible yet fascinating one. I was fully invested in the characters and the story. Like Jane, I needed to see what was really going on in Baltimore and in Summerland. Even Katherine grew on me and I daresay, I actually like her now! I can’t wait to read the second book and find out who made it out of Summerland (fingers crossed for Gideon) and who our characters have still yet to meet.

Dread Nation

• #1 Dread Nation

• #2 Deathless Divide

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pines by Blake Crouch

Title: Pines (The Wayward Pines #1)

Author: Blake Crouch

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer 2012

Genre: Scifi?

Pages: 315

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Random TBR Pick

Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off. As the days pass, Ethan’s investigation into the disappearance of his colleagues turns up more questions than answers. Why can’t he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the world he thought he knew, from the man he thought he was, until he must face a horrifying fact—he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.

Been meaning to read this series for awhile now. Finally picked it up and man, was that a ride. I read this one in just two days. Crouch really knows how to set the pace of a book and never let up. I just had to keep reading to find out what happens next. Overall, Ethan is not a great hero, but more of an everyman thrust into a weird situation. This book is not super deep or complicated, but I did love the ride. The ending is a crazy reveal and I was taken aback a bit. I will be putting the next in the series on my TBR.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Shrill by Lindy West

Title: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

Author: Lindy West

Publisher: Hachette Books 2016

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible--like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you--writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but.

From a painfully shy childhood in which she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide her big body and even bigger opinions; to her public war with stand-up comedians over rape jokes; to her struggle to convince herself, and then the world, that fat people have value; to her accidental activism and never-ending battle royale with Internet trolls, Lindy narrates her life with a blend of humor and pathos that manages to make a trip to the abortion clinic funny and wring tears out of a story about diarrhea.

With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal and not all bodies are treated with equal respect, and how to weather hatred, loneliness, harassment, and loss, and walk away laughing. Shrill provocatively dissects what it means to become self-aware the hard way, to go from wanting to be silent and invisible to earning a living defending the silenced in all caps.

One of my book clubs picked West’s newer book, The Witches are Coming, as our July selection. But on eof the members said that we should read her first book before if we could. SO I grabbed it from the library and started reading. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of essays focused on identity and sexism. I really enjoyed West’s voice throughout the stories. Often I was laughing and then crying, all in the same 5 pages. There are some really powerful messages in this collection. My issue with most essay collections, is that the message started to become repetitive when reading them all in a row. I think i prefer collections where there are multiple authors writing about a topic. Still a good read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Title: A Song Below Water

Author: Bethany C. Morrow

Publisher: Tor Teen 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 288

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme

In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers.

Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school’s junior year.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment.

Soon, nothing in Portland, Oregon, seems safe. To save themselves from drowning, it’s only Tavia and Effie’s unbreakable sisterhood that proves to be the strongest magic of all.

I wanted to love this book so much! I was intrigued about the siren aspect of the summary. I was craving another really good exploration of current social issues. And just look at that cover! How could I resist? Unfortunately the reality is not great. Bottom line: Morrow tries to do too much in a short amount of pages leading to a muddled mess of topics and storytelling. Explained more: there are multiple aspects that I did not like.

• The pacing is incredibly slow for the first half of the book. And then the second half of the book turns it up to 11, leaving me with whiplash while reading.

• The writing style is somewhere between straight first person and stream of consciousness and it’s confusing and annoying. Both main characters often trailed off in the middle of explaining to focus on something else leaving me with confusion.

• Speaking of explaining, there is none when it comes to the mythical creatures. We are never treated to a true look at how they exist within our society. They seem to just be thrown in randomly. Why include them if there’s no real exploration? Just make this a contemporary YA novel, no fantasy.

• The focus of social justice was lost completely in the rest of the mess.

If you want to read a good fantasy novel that explores race and identity, pick up The Deep by Rivers Solomon. Amazing book! And it has actual mermaids! Or grab Solomon’s other book, An Unkindness of Ghosts, for a science fiction version.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Galatea by Madeline Miller

Title: Galatea

Author: Madeline Miller

Publisher: Ecco 2013

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 20

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

In Ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece – the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen – the gift of life. Now his wife, Galatea is expected to be obedience and humility personified, but it is not long before she learns to use her beauty as a form of manipulation. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, she is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost...

Very quick little retelling of the Pygmalion myth. I wasn’t quite sure what this was but I loved Miller’s two full length novels, so I had to read this little short. I loved the shift in perspective to the statue. I loved the nods to the original Greek myths. Quick fun read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Title: Tweet Cute

Author: Emma Lord

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2020

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; MMD 2020

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

A very cute contemporary young adult romance. I wasn’t completely blown away, but I ended up smiling throughout most of the book. Pepper and Jack are great characters and I do like how we see the story from each perspective. I loved some of the side characters, mostly Pooja and Paul, but Paige was cool too. of course, the parents in this novel are made out to be completely clueless in regards to their kids. Common trope in YA novels and one that gets really old to read when you’re not 16 years old. I would have liked to see more at the end of the book, but like usual, the ending is very rushed. Overall, it was an enjoyable couple days read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

Title: A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table

Author: Molly Wizenberg

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2010

Genre: Nonfiction - Cooking; Memoir

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; MMD Previous

In A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, Molly Wizenberg recounts a life with the kitchen at its center. From her mother's pound cake, a staple of summer picnics during her childhood in Oklahoma, to the eggs she cooked for her father during the weeks before his death, food and memories are intimately entwined. You won't be able to decide whether to curl up and sink into the story or to head straight to the market to fill your basket with ingredients for Cider-Glazed Salmon and Pistachio Cake with Honeyed Apricots.

Once again, I’m reminded that I don’t really like memoirs. I always go into them thinking that I will enjoy hearing about someone’s life, only to come away with a “meh” feeling about most of them. I thought this one might be different with the focus on food and recipes. I still didn’t really care about her life. I was intrigued by some of the recipes, but many of them feel very mundane. I would rather just pick up a cookbook and attempt the recipes. Not a bad book, just definitely not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)

Author: Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill 2011

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 416

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Monthly Theme

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

CW: Sexual Assault

I just read a muddle of a science fiction, romance, murder mystery and it was not good at all. I was intrigued by the premise and I usually love a generation ship story. But this one was a mess and I was not impressed at all. Breaking it down with bullet points:

• Too many genres in one book! Seriously, just pick a few…

• Sloppy writing. At times, I had to reread paragraphs because the writing was confusing. I had a lot of trouble “seeing” the action and setting easily.

• Boring characters. We know virtually nothing about Amy other than she misses her “daddy” and Earth boyfriend and likes to run. Okay… and? Elder is a wet blanket most of the time, a milquetoast person. I got really nothing from him. The most interesting characters were other inhabitants of the Ward, but we spend little time with them.

• So many predictable twists. I called the murderer a mile away. Revealing who unplugged Amy was silly and made me really hate that character even more. Of course the ship is delayed. They are always delayed (or off course). So so predictable.

• That attempted rape came out of nowhere, was way too graphic, and also sensual. Just no!

I could probably keep ranting, but I’d rather go read something good. Needless to say, I will not be continuing this series.

Across the Universe

• #1 Across the Universe

• #2 A Million Suns

• #3 Shades of Earth

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Title: The Guest List

Author: Lucy Foley

Publisher: William Morrow 2020

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 320

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner  – The bridesmaid – The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

I borrowed this one from a friend in a BOTM exchange. I sped through this one in only two days, flipping the pages to see who was killed and who was the killer. This is a standard thriller where a murder happens but there are multiple suspects with various motives. I liked the shifting points of view to get the stories of the various guests. Foley slowly unravels motives for at least half of the characters in the story. We learn past mistakes and current secrets. By the second half of the book, I was speculating on the whos. I called who was murdered, but did not quite grasp the murderer until the reveal. And it’s a good one! Definitely an enjoyable murder mystery.

Next up on the TBR pile:

On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen

Title: On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service (Royal Spyness #11)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 298

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

When royal sleuth Georgie Rannoch receives a letter from her dearest friend Belinda, who's in an Italian villa awaiting the birth of her illegitimate baby, she yearns to run to her side. If only she could find a way to get there! But then opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way—her cousin the queen asks her to attend a house party in the Italian Lake Country. The Prince of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding.

What luck! A chance to see Belinda, even if it is under the guise of stopping unwanted nuptials. Only that's as far as Georgie's fortune takes her. She soon discovers that she attended finishing school with the hostess of the party—and the hatred they had for each other then has barely dimmed. Plus, she needs to hide Belinda's delicate condition from the other guests. And her dashing beau, Darcy's (naturally) working undercover on a dangerous mission. Then her actress mother shows up, with a not-so-little task to perform. With all this subterfuge, it seems something is bound to go horribly wrong—and Georgie will no doubt be left to pick up the pieces when it does.

Another fun mystery. This time we get actual Nazis and a new location in Italy. It’s always nice to leave England every couple of books. I really enjoyed re-meeting Paolo and Max while negotiating a tricky murder and diplomatic situation. I wish we had had more Darcy and a little less Wallis and Claire. Here’s hoping the next book has more focus on Georgie and 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:

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Title: Nothing to See Here

Author: Kevin Wilson

Publisher: Ecco 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; MMD 2020

Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.

Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.

Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?

Such a strange little book, but I absolute adored this one. Many of the summaries that I saw led with the children’s affliction making the book focused on the fantasy aspects instead of the real focus. This book is really about the search for identity and family and a sense of belonging. From page one, I was rooting for Lillian and the twins to find their places in the world. Even days later, I’m still thinking about the question of “What makes a family?”

Next up on the TBR pile:

Network Effect by Martha Wells

Title: Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5)

Author: Martha Wells

Publisher: Tor.com 2020

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 346

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot.
Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century.
I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.
When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.
Drastic action it is, then.

Oh Murderbot! I can’t believed I’ve finished all the books that have been published. I just want to sink further into this world and see Murderbot’s evolution and search for an identity. This first, full-length novel dives back into the story and reintroduces many beloved characters. We get to see Murderbot move forward in its relationships with humans and non-humans alike. Plus we get a great long-form action sequence in the last third of the book. As usual, my favorite part of the book was the little asides from Murderbot. The parenthetical statements are the best and occasionally made me laugh out loud. Such fun!

Murderbot Diaries:

• #1 All Systems Red

• #2 Artificial Condition

• #3 Rogue Protocol

• #4 Exit Strategy

• #5 Network Effect

• #6 Fugitive Telemetry

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pandemic 1918 by Catharine Arnold

Title: Pandemic 1918

Author: Catharine Arnold

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2018

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 363

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Before AIDS or Ebola, there was the Spanish Flu — Catharine Arnold's gripping narrative, Pandemic 1918, marks the 100th anniversary of an epidemic that altered world history.

In January 1918, as World War I raged on, a new and terrifying virus began to spread across the globe. In three successive waves, from 1918 to 1919, influenza killed more than 50 million people. German soldiers termed it Blitzkatarrh, British soldiers referred to it as Flanders Grippe, but world-wide, the pandemic gained the notorious title of “Spanish Flu”. Nowhere on earth escaped: the United States recorded 550,000 deaths (five times its total military fatalities in the war) while European deaths totaled over two million.

Amid the war, some governments suppressed news of the outbreak. Even as entire battalions were decimated, with both the Allies and the Germans suffering massive casualties, the details of many servicemen’s deaths were hidden to protect public morale. Meanwhile, civilian families were being struck down in their homes. The City of Philadelphia ran out of gravediggers and coffins, and mass burial trenches had to be excavated with steam shovels. Spanish flu conjured up the specter of the Black Death of 1348 and the great plague of 1665, while the medical profession, shattered after five terrible years of conflict, lacked the resources to contain and defeat this new enemy.

I’m always up for a infectious disease book and this one is a well-researched, compelling look at one of the deadliest pandemics in history. I loved how Arnold sprinkles primary sources throughout the text giving the reader a clear picture of the horrors that people lived through in 1918. I didn’t learn much more about the pandemic due to my extensive knowledge previous to reading, but I did get to know various real people’s experiences. At times, the book was difficult to read due to the human suffering. But it was a fascinating and incredibly precent look at a historical event.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: Clap When You Land

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Publisher: Quill Tree Books 2020

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 432

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Modern Mrs Darcy 2020

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other. 

CW: Death of a parent, Sexual assault

I picked this up because of its inclusion on the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide and as one of Acevedo’s earlier works, The Poet X, won multiple awards. I had some trepidation over of the “free verse” form of the novel, but I should not have been worried. This was a moving, beautiful account of two girls growing up in very different cities but connected by many threads. I loved getting to know each girl and piecing together their lives, struggles, and dreams. Camino felt more real to me, but both girls were expertly sketched out. By the end of the novel, I wanted to keep following them as they grew together and found their new places in the world. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

Title: The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Lewis Barnavelt #1)

Author: John Bellairs

Publisher: 1973

Genre: Children’s Books

Pages: 179

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Library

When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan. comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. But he is wrong. Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, are both magicians! Lewis is thrilled. At first, watching magic is enough. Then Lewis experiments with magic himself and unknowingly resurrects the former owner of the house: a woman named Selenna Izard. It seems that Selenna and her husband built a timepiece into the walls--a clock that could obliterate humankind. And only the Barnavelts can stop it!

We ended watching the movie version with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett before reading the book, but I wasn’t too spoiled. Of course the movie changes some things around to make the story more fantastic for the screen. But by and large, the main story stays true to the spirit of the book. And what a book it is! If I had read this at about 9 years old, I would have been completely in love with this book. Even at 38, I really really really enjoyed this book. We get the right amount of humor, adventure, and horror in this slim little novel introducing us to Lewis Barnavelt and his eccentric Uncle Jonathan and neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman. I sped through the pages, only pausing to examine the wonderful illustrations. I probably won’t read the rest of the series, but I really loved this first volume.

P.S. The novel was illustrated by Edward Gorey. I love his work so much!

Next up on the TBR pile: