The Change by Kirsten Miller

Title: The Change

Author: Kirsten Miller

Publisher: William Morrow 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three different women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment…

After Nessa James’s husband dies and her twin daughters leave for college, she’s left all alone in a trim white house not far from the ocean. In the quiet of her late forties, the former nurse begins to hear voices. It doesn’t take long for Nessa to realize that the voices calling out to her belong to the dead—a gift she’s inherited from her grandmother, which comes with special responsibilities.

On the cusp of 50, suave advertising director Harriett Osborne has just witnessed the implosion of her lucrative career and her marriage. She hasn’t left her house in months, and from the outside, it appears as if she and her garden have both gone to seed. But Harriett’s life is far from over—in fact, she’s undergone a stunning and very welcome metamorphosis.

Ambitious former executive Jo Levison has spent thirty long years at war with her body. The free-floating rage and hot flashes that arrive with the beginning of menopause feel like the very last straw—until she realizes she has the ability to channel them, and finally comes into her power.

Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio of women discover a teenage girl whose body was abandoned beside a remote beach. The police have written the victim off as a drug-addicted sex worker, but the women refuse to buy into the official narrative. Their investigation into the girl’s murder leads to more bodies, and to the town’s most exclusive and isolated enclave, a world of stupendous wealth where the rules don’t apply. With their newfound powers, Jo, Nessa, and Harriett will take matters into their own hands…

This was the feminist rage book that I needed after last weekend’s news. I highlighted so many passages in this book. I feel like I am becoming these women and I’m totally here for it. We meet three every different women, but three women who are growing into their identity and strengths. I was floored by the changes, but cheered every page of it. I loved following these women and even meeting all the other women highlighted in this book. We get a murder mystery, but also a larger conspiracy tied to the ultra-privileged. My only issue was the revel of the villain. It felt a bit cheap and I wish it had been done slightly differently.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Title: Klara and the Sun

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Publisher: Knopf 2021

Genre: Scfi

Pages: 303

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

Here is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

It’s the second Ishiguro that I’ve tried and he is definitely not for me. Overall, my big thought is that Ishiguro is just retreading sci-fi tropes and ideas but without adding anything new or interesting. I never found any part of this book to be new or fresh. I found no real message about humanity or identity. I definitely did not connect with any of the characters. Klara has the mindset of a 5-year-old and never really changes. Josie is a brat throughout the entire book. Ishiguro never really explains much of anything about the larger world or being “lifted.” The reader is left in the dark for most of this story and I just didn’t appreciate it. Is this supposed to be our future? If yes, then I need a actually discussion of how we are going wrong and how we can avoid it. We don’t get any of that. It’s just a superficial story. And don’t get me started on Klara’s insistence that the sun will bestow some blessing on Josie. Just ugh!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Title: Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 370

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.

Very Meh on this book. There was so much hype and I was hesitant to read it before now. I finally picked it up because so many book club friends loved it and they want to go see the movie in July. I started and right away knew that this probably wasn’t going to be the book for me. I disliked reading about Kya’s birth family life and all the romance bits. It was hard for the sake of hard instead of a good emotional story of overcoming obstacles. I really wanted to just push all the men (and many of the women) off the fire tower right along with Chase. I was not invested in the mystery of the murder at all. I figured Kya had done it all along. I did really enjoying the sections detailing Kya’s life in the marsh. The nature writing was beautiful and I could just paint the pictures in my mind. But all those parts could not make up for everything this book lacked for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Brief History of Earth by Andrew H. Knoll

Title: A Brief History of Earth: Four Billions Years in Eight Chapters

Author: Andrew H. Knoll

Publisher: Custom House 2021

Genre: Nonfiction - Geology

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

How well do you know the ground beneath your feet?

Odds are, where you’re standing was once cooking under a roiling sea of lava, crushed by a towering sheet of ice, rocked by a nearby meteor strike, or perhaps choked by poison gases, drowned beneath ocean, perched atop a mountain range, or roamed by fearsome monsters. Probably most or even all of the above.

The story of our home planet and the organisms spread across its surface is far more spectacular than any Hollywood blockbuster, filled with enough plot twists to rival a bestselling thriller. But only recently have we begun to piece together the whole mystery into a coherent narrative. Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet's epic 4.6 billion-year story. Placing twenty first-century climate change in deep context, A Brief History of Earth is an indispensable look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.

I grabbed this slim nonfiction book on a whim while creating the geology unit for coop. I love a good natural sciences book and this one seemed right up my alley. We get to start at the beginning and follow the development of the earth through time all the way until today. Each chapter is organized around a stage of development. Much of the information included was already know to me, but I did find myself very attentive to the complete story. Knoll occasionally swerves into very hard science, but overall this is a very readable text. I only wish that the pictures had been in color. Black and white is so hard especially when it comes to looking at rocks.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Title: Anya’s Ghost

Author: Vera Brosgol

Publisher: First Second 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel Fantasy

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part . . .

Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century.

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend―even a ghost―is just what she needs.

Or so she thinks.

Interesting… I had no idea what this graphic novel was actually about until after I started reading it. I was pleasantly surprised by this strange story involving a girl and a ghost she found in a hole. We follow Anya as she navigates balancing life at home and at school as she attempts to create her own identity; And then things start to change, and not really for the better. I sped through this one and really fell for Anya’s struggles. She finds her fitting in the end, but it is a journey.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

Title: The Cartographers

Author: Peng Shepherd

Publisher: William Morrow 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 392

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Unread Shelf Reading Challenge - Most recently acquired

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence . . . because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps . . .

On to our book retreat club discussion. Because the votes were split, we are technically going to discuss one romance book (Neon Gods) and one fantasy book (this one) at retreat. I had been so excited to get this one from Book of the Month, but then let it just sit on my shelf. It took about 50 pages for me to really get into the story. I never really loved Nell, but was very intrigued by the mystery once it was set in motion. I connected more with the other Cartographers and their backstories than Nell’s current life. I was not a fan of her and Felix’s pseudo-relationship, but did enjoy seeing her interact with Swann. Once the mystery kicked into gear, I was flipping the pages waiting to see where it went next. Putting the pieces together was my favorite part of this book. Unfortunately, the ending became a bit rushed and muddled and I did not love Nell’s choices. In the end, I didn’t adore this book, but it was a solid fantasy mystery. I’ll have to wait until next week to hear what everyone else thought about the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

Title: High Spirits

Author: Camille Gomera-Tavarez

Publisher: Levine Querido 2022

Genre: YA Short Stories

Pages: 224

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

High Spirits is a collection of eleven interconnected short stories from the Dominican diaspora, from debut author Camille Gomera-Tavarez.

It is a book centered on one extended family – the Beléns – across multiple generations.

It is set in the fictional small town of Hidalpa – and Santo Domingo and Paterson and San Juan and Washington Heights too.

It is told in a style both utterly real and distinctly magical – and its stories explore machismo, mental health, family, and identity.

Surprise surprise, I ended up giving a short story collection 3 stars. This seems to be very much a given rating for me. I just don’t really enjoy short story collections. I much prefer to immerse myself completely into a book and really dive in. This collection’s premise of interconnected stories focused on on Dominican family though generations intrigued me. I had also heard a plug for this one on my favorite reading podcast, so I grabbed it from the library. Unfortunately, the collection didn’t completely draw me in. We get snippets or vignettes of lives throughout the Belen family, but enough enough of any of them. I wanted to read an big family saga and instead I only get to catch glimpses of these characters. And so many of the stories ended so incredibly abruptly that I was very much not wanted to keep reading. This may be a good collection for someone else, but I did not love it at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Title: Gallant

Author: V.E. Schwab

Publisher: Greenwillow Books 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy/Horror

Pages: 334

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Perfect creepy house story for the week. I love a good atmospheric haunted house story imbued with a constant state of dread. This one did not disappoint. We are sucked in within the first chapter to the mystery of Olivia, her mother’s journal, and all those ghosts she sees. And then we arrive at her mother’s birth house and things get really creepy. This story isn’t super gory, but has all the creepy elements that I really enjoy in a haunted house book. We get mysterious statues and portraits, a family secret, silent ghosts appearing everywhere, and a creepy man beyond the wall. I sped through this book shivering the entire time. Schwab has created a masterful book that I wish I had read in October (well, only a little bit, I loved reading it in June also).

Next up on the TBR pile:

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

Title: The League of Gentlewomen Witches(Dangerous Damsels #2)

Author: India Holton

Publisher: Berkley Books 2022

Genre: Historical romance Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Miss Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret league of women skilled in the subtle arts. That is to say—although it must never be said—witchcraft. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways. Using magic, they tidy, correct, and manipulate according to their notions of what is proper, entirely unlike those reprobates in the Wisteria Society.

When the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Charlotte, as the future leader of the League, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is most unfortunate when she crosses paths with Alex O’Riley, a pirate who is no Mr. Darcy. With all the world scrambling after the amulet, Alex and Charlotte join forces to steal it together. If only they could keep their pickpocketing hands to themselves! If Alex’s not careful, he might just steal something else—such as Charlotte’s heart.

Charlotte is not the easiest person to love and yet I totally fell for her in this novel. I loved the prickly not-witch and her adventures with dreamy pirate Alex. As soon as Alex showed up in the first book, I knew I wanted to read more of his story. Thankfully Holton took my desire seriously and made a whole other book featuring Alex. The swaggering pirate and the buttoned up not-witch make a perfect pairing in this chase adventure across England. I loved all the references to Austen’s (and Bronte’s) works as Charlotte attempts to understand just what situation she got herself into and how exactly it’s going to play out. I laughed out loud so many times at the witty one-liners and rejoinders. I swooned every time Alex stared and smirked at Charlotte. I hoped that we would get a HEA but only if the two actually came to an intellectual agreement. This may be my perfect light and fun romance book.

Dangerous Damsels

#1 The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
#2 The League of Gentlemen Witches

Next up on the TBR pile:

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Title: Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 377

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming...

Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

I didn’t think that I could love a new Emily Henry book any more than her last two. I was wrong! This one is her best yet. I absolutely fell for the relationship between Nora and Charlie. Their banter was absolutely on point. The steamy scenes were very steamy. And the connections two the side characters were great. But what makes me absolute love Henry’s books is the emotionally connection. I felt completely drawn into this story and these two main characters. I was desperate that they work everything out and get a HEA. I would even read a sequel to this story as Nora and Charlie continue their lives after the events in this one. I would have loved to stay with this couple longer. We don’t but I still absolutely adored this one so much!

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

Title: A Far Wilder Magic

Author: Allison Saft

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2022

Genre:YA Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist—yet. He's been fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, and his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret. She begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, they soon find themselves drawn to each other. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt—if they survive that long.

CWs: antisemitism, animal injury, animal death, gore, parental neglect, panic attacks

Overall, this book was not for me. We get a YA fantasy set in a fictional world but with parallels to the religious divides in our own world. All through the book I was confused as to why were were coding the different groups with fictionalized words and practices instead of just making a direct comparison. It seemed like a very odd construct and also a way to confuse the readers. We are meant to take away a message, but if you don’t really know details about the Jewish/Catholic/Protestant divide, it would really be hard to piece out. As for the romance of the story, we wasn’t super into Weston and Margaret. I really enjoyed what we see of Weston, but Margaret was too closed off and angry for me to really connect with you. I loved the elements directly involving the hala, but those could not completely save this book for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Title: Displacement

Author: Kiku Hughes

Publisher: First Second 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 283

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II.

These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself "stuck" back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive.

Our June book club selection and a completely new-to-me book. This graphic novel details the experiences of Americans during the Japanese interment of WWII. While I knew a decent amount of the specifics, this slim book conveys a lot of information in a gentle, concise way. We follow a modern girl as she experiences what her grandmother did in WWII. The treatment of the people is brutal, but the book doesn’t dwell on the gore. There are very emotional scenes between characters. I imagine that we are going to have a lot of interesting discussions And I’m definitely put this one onto my homeschool TBR for future years.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Unsinkable Great James by Jennifer E. Smith

Title: The Unsinkable Greta James

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2022

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life.

Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.

It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.

I liked the premise of this one and was intrigued by the story. I was hoping for a good finding yourself and reconnecting with family storyline. But this one just fl a little flat for me. We spent way too much time with the possible romance angle and not enough time with the father. The setting of the cruise ship is a great way to force characters together and we get some interesting situations, but the follow-through left me wanting more. I closed the book and didn’t really care what was going to happen next to any of the characters. Not a great sign in my book. Definitely not the one for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Captured by Linsey Hall

Title: Captured (The Shadow Guild: Hades and Persephone #3)

Author: Linsey Hall

Publisher: Bonnie Doon Press 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

The god of hell wants me to be his queen.

I’ve screwed up. Big time. A day ago, I mistakenly released the evil Titan Chronos onto the Earth. He’s spreading devastation in his pursuit of ultimate power, and it’s all my fault.

The only way to stop him is to fulfil an ancient prophecy and unite with Hades. Problem is, Hades plans to rule in Chronos’ place, spreading the underworld to earth. He wants me to rule by his side, a dark queen to his dark king.

As much as I want Hades—I might even be growing to love him—I can’t be part of something so terrible. Underneath Hades’ dark exterior, I know there is goodness inside. My only hope is to convince him to turn to the light, because I’m afraid I can't live without him.

And we arrive at the end of this particular story. While I enjoyed most of the storyline, it did seem a bit rushed at time. I wanted to spend a bit more time working out how Hades and Seraphia have connected to each other throughout this story. There were elements of emotional connection, but a bit more would have been better. I did enjoy seeing the rest of the Shadow Guild come together to help them defeat Chronos.

The Shadow Guild: Hades and Persephone

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Disasters by M.K. England

Title: The Disasters

Author: M.K. England

Publisher: HarperCollins 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours. But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy.

Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.

On the run, Nax and his fellow failures plan to pull off a dangerous heist to spread the truth. Because they may not be “Academy material,” and they may not even get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight.

This was a delightful romp! We are thrown right into the action and it doesn’t let up until the last page. I loved falling in with Nax, Case, Zee, Asra, and Rion as they attempt to survive being fugitives as help to stop of the galaxy-wise plot of the Earth First group. The pages kept moving as we slowly get to know each of the members of the crew. I would have like a bit more information about the other members of the crew, but we do get a decent amount from Nax. I also appreciated how real the teens were portrayed. Each are becoming experts in different fields but still have insecurities and make mistakes. They are not perfect, but are constantly trying. I would have loved to read more about the adventures of the crew of the Swift Kick. Maybe soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Awakened by Linsey Hall

Title: Awakened (The Shadow Guild: Hades and Persephone #2)

Author: Linsey Hall

Publisher: Bonnie Doon Press 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 226

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

I'm going back to hell, and Hades awaits...

Two weeks ago, I escaped Hades fortress. He might not admit it, but we’re on opposite sides of a war. He wants to spread eternal darkness; I want to stop him.

To succeed, I must master my magic before it destroys me. But Hades still thinks he can seduce me to the dark side. I let him think he’s right, because he’s the only one who can teach me how to use my magic.

But this practice requires that we touch, and once we do, our connection is impossible to resist. Soon, I’m torn between my goals and Hades. If I can’t resist his darkness that calls so sweetly, we’re all doomed.

I’m still really enjoying this trilogy based on the Hades and Persephone myth. This is definitely my fluffy romance pick for the month, but sometimes that’s exactly what I want. I liked how this book really did move the story ahead. We get to Seraphia accept her identity as a goddess and embrace most of her powers. But she also makes a stronger connection to Hades and learns more about his world. The chapters narrated by Hades aren’t quite as exacting but we do get to see some growth of understanding in him. I already have the last book in this series ready and waiting on my Kindle, but it’ll have to wait for my library books that will be due soon. My biggest complaint with this book is that it suffers from not enough Lucifer.

The Shadow Guild: Hades and Persephone

#1 Infernal
#2 Awakened
#3 Captured

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Title: The Last Cuentista

Author: Donna Barba Higuera

Publisher: Levine Querido 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Había una vez . . .

There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.

But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether.

Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?

Ultimately, I really enjoyed the combination of folklore and science fiction to detail Petra’s journey to the new planet. I loved the weaving of cuentas into how Petra sees the world, her past, and her future. I loved exploring more of her heritage. Once we start to piece together what has happened on the ship, the story started to get a bit weaker. I did love Petra’s interactions with the Zetas and Voxy. But, some of the science fiction elements as they relate to the Collective are just not believable even for this avid reader of science fiction. I feel like more time needed to have passed to get the Collective to the start that they were in when Petra awakens. Still, it was an enjoyable YA sci-fi story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

Title: The Night Gardener

Author: Jonathan Auxier

Publisher: Amulet Books 2014

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 372

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - Because of the Hype

The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.

Oh this was perfectly creepy for a couple of night’s reading time. I grabbed this one way back in October from my favorite podcast’s (Currently Reading) Indie Press List. I just had to grab all the spooky books and then I let them just hang out on my shelves per usual. I finally picked this on up and sped through it. I loved the creepy setting and storyline involving two orphans, a creepy gardener, a family wasting away, and a wish-granting tree (or is it?). After speeding through and reading the author’s note, I definitely got the influence of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. Both books had similar autumn creepy vibes. I loved it! Even I was a little spooked when waking up in the middle of the night. I could just imagine the Night Gardener standing over my bed.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Below Zero (The STEMinist Novellas #3)

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher:

Genre: Romance

Pages: 124

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…

Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?

Meh. I was super excited by the plot of this novella and I jumped at listening to it. Unfortunately, I just didn’t get into this story and in fact it seemed so incredibly similar to the previous two stories. Hannah was not a likable character and I could not really understand her relationship with Ian at all. I was excited by the forced proximity trope, but that didn’t really pan out much at all. I’m really unsure if I will be picking up any future Hazelwood books or stories.

The STEMinist Novellas

Next up on the TBR pile:

The School of Good Mothers by Jessamine Chen

Title: The School for Good Mothers

Author: Jessmine Chan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 336

Rating: 1/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. She can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with Harriet, their cherubic daughter, does Frida finally attain the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she is just enough.

Until Frida has a very bad day.

The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida. The ones who check their phones, letting their children get injured on the playground; who let their children walk home alone. Because of one moment of poor judgment, a host of government officials will now determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion.

Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that a bad mother can be redeemed. That she can learn to be good.

I absolutely detested this book. We are reading it for book club and I know I am going to rant at the meeting. Overall I had a few big issues with the book:

Who is this book for? I know how much society pressures mothers and then blames them for anything negative that affects children. Fathers are largely absent from this scenario. The book detailed all of that, but was it new information? No. I know exactly how all this works.
No character growth. I was hoping that Frida and many of the other characters would experience some great character growth. Unfortunately we don’t really that growth. Additionally, Frida repeats herself so much. We hear her whine over and over again. The reputation really got to me.
Conflicted feelings about Frida’s socioeconomic status. Frida is struggling financially at the beginning, but she does have access to resources. Most of the women that she meets at the school do not have access to those resources. The cult between those women and Friday wasn’t really explored and glossed over so much.
The school itself is just ridiculous. I understand that speculative fiction likes to exaggerate circumstances to make a point, but the school and specifically the “children” were just too much to be believable. I just couldn’t.
I know we are supposed to be very annoyed by Frida’s ex-husband and I definitely was. But what was his purpose in the book. Every time he was mentioned or appeared, I just shouted “Fuck the Patriarchy.”

Overall, I slogged through this book and immediately felt like I wasted so many reading days. This felt like a very bad copy of The Handmaid’s Tale that just doesn’t live up to the hype. When I add in all the bullshit about restricting the rights of women, I was so incredibly mad at this book.

Next up on the TBR pile: