The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Title: The Wishing Game

Author: Meg Shaffer

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2023

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

Make a wish. . . .

Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.

But be careful what you wish for. . . .

Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.

For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.

. . . You might just get it.

People described this as the perfect love letter to the love of books, but this one fell pretty flat for me. Right away, I was super annoyed with Lucy. She was just a pushover and a bland person. I wasn’t really connecting with her at all. And her internal commentary about wanting to be Christopher’s mom got old very quickly. We didn’t need to be reminded every other paragraph. The book picked up once she arrived on the island for the contact, but then we had the dynamic between Hugo and Lucy. I never really bought it. I could not figure out their chemistry. I wish that the author had not put them together for anything romantic. And in reality, nothing really romantic every actually happened in the book. Overall, this story felt a little too twee for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

Title: The Twisted Ones

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Gallery 2019

Genre: Horror

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be?

Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. That would be horrific enough, but there’s more—Mouse stumbles across her step-grandfather’s journal, which at first seems to be filled with nonsensical rants…until Mouse encounters some of the terrifying things he described for herself.

Alone in the woods with her dog, Mouse finds herself face to face with a series of impossible terrors—because sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real, and they’re looking for you. And if she doesn’t face them head on, she might not survive to tell the tale.

I have absolutely loved the three most recent books from Kingfisher. So of course, I picked up this backlist choice very excited. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t land for me. I enjoyed the first section and the build up of tension. The creepy setting and beginnings of strange occurrences got me. But as the book went on, things just didn’t line up for me at all. I got pretty bored. And I didn’t love Mouse and her entire personality. By the end of the book, I was pretty bored with the story. The creep factor felt very bland and I wasn’t excited about the ending at all. At least the newer books have really hit the spot for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Title: Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Forever 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project - July; BOTM Cleanout

Spice Meter: 4

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

CW: Anxiety, depression, cheating, miscarriage, pregnancy

As with all of Jimenez’s books, this one deals with some tough subjects. Check out those CWs before reading. I was hoping for an epic real-life romance where the leads have real problems and learn to support each other. This one did not disappoint. We get a sweet story of two slightly damaged adults finding love after pushing each other and everyone else away. I loved getting to hear Briana’s story after she was featured in Jimenez’s previous book, Part of Your World. But the star of the book for me was definitely Jacob. I don’t have quite the same level of anxiety that Jacob does, but I could see so much of me in him. I understand every single thing he did (and didn’t do). I was right there with him for every hard experience and every joy. After reading this, I am reminded of the many things that J does for my anxiety that are just a regular part of our relationship. I really think I found a keeper there. By the end of the book, I was crying happy tears. And then I read the author’s note, and I was full on sobbing. Absolutely perfect book for the perfect time. Definitely going onto my Top 10 of the year! I cannot get over how much this one really hit me. So great!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox

Title: The Widow of Pale Harbor

Author: Hester Fox

Publisher: 2019

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.

But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.

As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales.

I picked this one off the library new release shelf hoping for some spooky witchy horror. But that’s not quite what this book is. This book is more of a gothic mystery tinged with a bit of romance. Nothing supernatural happens in this book, but we certainly get a feel for the supernatural atmosphere. Overall I enjoyed the plot line and loved the final reveal of the mystery. The characters were okay if a bit disjointed at times. My biggest complaint is that the writing seemed to drag in parts. Having characters struggle internally over the same issues chapter after chapter got to me after while. I started skimming some of the paragraphs to get to the next action beat. Good atmospheric mystery, but I now know to look elsewhere if I want actual ghosts.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Title: Spells for Forgetting

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: Delacorte 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 350

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

Every month I would get so excited about my Book of the Month deliveries and then I would just let them languish on my shelves. I finally picked one up and flew through the pages. This slightly fantastical tale of secrets, betrayal, and lost loves had me engaged until the last page. I loved being able to experience the story from both August and Emery’s points of view. We get to really dive into these two characters and follow them as the past comes back. Sometimes I am annoyed by the little breadcrumbs an author leaves for the reader, but in this case, it was done well. Every reveal left me wanting more. Beyond the central mystery, which was fantastic, my favorite part of this book was the setting. I could feel rain and the fog closing in on the island as I read. I could see Main Street with it shops lining the curbs and the ferry station at the end. I could smell the salt water and smoke. Young really has a way of setting the stage in her book. Very enjoyable mystery with a side of magic.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

Title: Tread of Angels

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Publisher: Gallery 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 201

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

The year is 1883 and the mining town of Goetia is booming as prospectors from near and far come to mine the powerful new element Divinity from the high mountains of Colorado with the help of the pariahs of society known as the Fallen. The Fallen are the descendants of demonkind living amongst the Virtues, the winners in an ancient war, with the descendants of both sides choosing to live alongside Abaddon’s mountain in this tale of the mythological West from the bestselling mastermind Rebecca Roanhorse.

A bit of a strange book to review. The plot line centers around a women trying to defend her sister in a murder accusation. Pretty straight forward, but the world they live in is anything but straight forward. We get a clear divided between the Fallen and the Elect and appearances from demon lords. I sped through this book in one sitting and was engaged the entire time. The weird theological questions that came to mind keep me thinking of this book. Throw in Roanhorse’s personal history and current place in life, and I was even more intrigued. Something tells me that this book is going to creep back into my life in the future…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

Title: Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad #1)

Author: David Eddings

Publisher: 1982

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge; Finishing the Series

A fierce dispute among the Gods and the theft of a powerful Orb leaves the World divided into five kingdoms. Young Garion, with his "Aunt Pol" and an elderly man calling himself Wolf --a father and daughter granted near-immortality by one of the Gods -- set out on a complex mission. In the process, as Garion grows into his early teens, he learns to defend himself, grapples with a wild boar, uncovers spies at a king's palace, learns about sorcery and starts to gain a sense of what his own destiny may be.

Another reading request from J from years back. I finally picked it up and it’s been a decent mini reading experience. This book is most definitely the big world-building, set-up book for the rest of the series. It starts off slow as we get to know Garion and his life on the farm. Once the band gets together and starts traveling, the pace picks up but not by a ton. We’re still slowly moving through the storyline it’s not until the last 25% of the book that things really get going. We’re left with many questions by the end of the book. This first volume didn’t blow me away, but it did make me intrigued enough to keep reading in the series.

The Belgariad

• #1 Pawn of Pophecy

• #2 Queen of Sorcery

• #3 Magician’s Gambit

• #4 Castle of Wizardry

• #5 Enchanters’ End Game

Next up on the TBR pile:

Don't Turn Out the Lights

Title: Don't Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Author: Various

Publisher: HarperCollins 2020

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 398

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

Flesh-hungry ogres? Brains full of spiders? Haunted houses you can’t escape? This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill readers to the bone.

So turn off your lamps, click on your flashlights, and prepare—if you dare—to be utterly spooked

I grew up in the 80s and 90s obsessed with Alvin Schwartz’s story collection. I most definitely had to grab this volume off the library and immediately devour it. This collection definitely pays homage to the original stories in their set-ups and payoffs. We get a seemingly normal setting that quickly takes a turn. Many of the stories are urban legends redone, but that’s what makes them so satisfying. We know how the story is going to end and yet still keep reading to find out. This stories are mostly short and sweet giving you a one-two punch in just a few pages. I loved a majority of them. A few didn’t work for me, but that’s usual within a short story collection. Overall, this was a great palate cleanser book between more serious pieces.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Title: The Man in the High Castle

Author: Philip K. Dick

Publisher: 1962

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 259

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

It’s America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In this world, we meet characters like Frank Frink, a dealer of counterfeit Americana who is himself hiding his Jewish ancestry; Nobusuke Tagomi, the Japanese trade minister in San Francisco, unsure of his standing within the bureaucracy and Japan's with Germany; and Juliana Frink, Frank's ex-wife, who may be more important than she realizes.

These seemingly disparate characters gradually realize their connections to each other just as they realize that something is not quite right about their world. And it seems as though the answers might lie with Hawthorne Abendsen, a mysterious and reclusive author, whose best-selling novel describes a world in which the US won the War... The Man in the High Castle is Dick at his best, giving readers a harrowing vision of the world that almost was.

I had some expectations going into this book and I was very very disappointed. I wanted an adventure filled look at an alternate history. I wanted some social commentary on the real world in 1962. Instead, I got a very boring look at very boring characters that shifted focus too many times. The big mystery of the author wasn’t really anything interesting. And the book lacked an imagination. I am intrigued by what the television series did to change the story and make it more engaging. Maybe I just need to go watch that instead.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones

Title: Starships Titanic

Author: Douglas Adams and Terry Jones

Publisher: Harmony 1997

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 246

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge; 52 Books Club

In this thoroughly satisfying and completely disorienting novel based on a story line by Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Terry Jones recounts an unforgettable tale of intergalactic travel and mishap. The saga of "the ship that cannot possibly go wrong" sparkles with wit, danger, and confusion that will keep readers guessing which reality they are in and how, on earth, to find their way out again.

A random pic from our server library for this week. J has been badgering me to read this for years now and I figured why not? To be clear, this is based on a Douglas Adams story that he didn’t complete before his death. Afterward, Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) finished the story and recorded the audiobook. The Douglas Adams parts, full of asides and strange coincidences were great. The Terry Jones parts, I assume the weird relationships and sex talk, were not as great. If I could have reworked a few scenes, I would have really loved this story. As it stands, it’s a mostly fun space romp for fans of Adams and his quirky sense of humor.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Curator by Owen King

Title: The Curator

Author: Owen King

Publisher: Scribner 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 480

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

It begins in an unnamed city nicknamed “the Fairest”, it is distinguished by many things from the river fair to the mountains that split the municipality in half; its theaters and many museums; the Morgue Ship; and, like all cities, but maybe especially so, by its essential unmappability.

Dora, a former domestic servant at the university has a secret desire—to understand the mystery of her brother's death, believing that the answer lies within The Museum of Psykical Research, where he worked when Dora was a child. With the city amidst a revolutionary upheaval, where citizens like Robert Barnes, her lover and a student radical, are now in positions of authority, Dora contrives to gain the curatorship of the half-forgotten museum only to find it all but burnt to the ground, with the neighboring museums oddly untouched. Robert offers her one of these, The National Museum of the Worker. However, neither this museum, nor the street it is hidden away on, nor Dora herself, are what they at first appear to be. Set against the backdrop of an oddly familiar and wondrous city on the verge of collapse, Dora’s search for the truth will unravel a monstrous conspiracy and bring her to the edge of worlds.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Title: Icebreaker

Author: Hannah Grace

Publisher: Atria Books 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 447

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Starts with “I”

Spice Rating: 5

Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team.

Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.

Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.

But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.

Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried…because she could never like a hockey player, right?

Why did I pick this one up? Oh yeah, the Bookstagram got me on this one. I should have known that I wasn’t going to lovely a college romance book between a prickly figure skater and heart-of-gold hockey player. I could have gotten past that if the book had had substance to it. But alas, this is just full of parties, drama, and hookups. I wasn’t a fan of how their relationship progressed (seriously, hookups in the back of Ubers? no thank you, I am too old for that shit). I wasn’t a fan of how Anastasia and Ryan (her former FWB) continued on even after he supposed started to exclusively date another woman. I wasn’t a fan of how shallow all the characters seemed. I just need to scratch this series off my list of future reads. Not a fan.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George

Title: The Duchess Takes a Husband (The Gilded Age Heiresses #4)

Author: Harper St. George

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 312

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Reading Challenge

Spice Rating: 5

Despite her illustrious title, Camille, Duchess of Hereford, remains what she has always been—a pariah. Though her title means she’s technically accepted by London Society, the rebellious widow with her burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement and her American ways isn’t exactly high on every hostess’s guest list. But Camille starts to wonder if being an outcast is not without its perks when the tantalizing answer to her secret fear appears in the shape of Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club.
 
Jacob is used to making deals with his club members—he’s just not accustomed to them being beautiful women. Nor have the terms ever been so sweetly seductive as Camille’s shocking proposition. To finally buy his own club and gain the crucial backing of investors, Camille offers Jacob the respectability of a fake engagement with a duchess. In return, the tempting widow has one condition: she wants Jacob to show her if it’s possible for her to experience pleasure in bed.
 
The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.

Somehow I had missed that there was to be a fourth book in this series, but I’m glad there was. It would have been tragic to leave Camille in a state of depression for the entire series. I’m glad that she finally gets to find some happiness in this volume. While I enjoyed seeing her start to work through her trauma after her forced marriage to Hereford, I wasn’t completely convinced of the relationship between her and Jacob. Sure, he was a great guy to help her explore intimacy, but he always seemed to have the upper hand in all their interactions. I would have liked to see more vulnerability from, him and a mutual growth. Guess I just prefer stronger female main characters in my romances. Still, an enjoyable history romance to finish out the series.

The Gilded Age Heiresses

• #1 The Heiress Gets a Duke

• #2 The Devil and the Heiress

• #3 The Lady Tempts an Heir

• #4 The Duchess Takes a Husband

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Title: Fourth Wing (Empyrean #1)

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Publisher: Entangled 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 528

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Looking for a fast-paced fantasy adventure story featuring strong characters, serious dangers, and a side of romance? This is the summer read for you! This book has blown up on Bookstagram and in all my book related spaces, and for good reason. This is the high adventure story featuring dragons that we needed. We meet Violet Sorrengail who has been trained to enter the scribes, but whose mother forces her into the riders quadrant. The riders quadrant certainly means death for Violet, but she finds her strength and belonging within the treacherous world of the Basgiath War College. Violet is not a whiny teenager. She is a young woman who knows her strengths and weaknesses and uses them to survive. Once the dragons enter into he story, we move into a nonstop action phase that had me flinging through the pages. I couldn’t wait to see where the story would lead next. And then there was the romance plot. I loved Violet and Xaden’s antagonistic relationship and final consummation. It felt very real given their personalities, histories, and situations they were put in. I can’t wait until November when the sequel is published.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill

Title: Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters

Author: Nikita Gill

Publisher: Ebury Press 2019

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 248

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

With lyrical prose and striking verse, beloved poet Nikita Gill (Fierce Fairytales, Wild Embers) uses the history of Ancient Greece and beyond to explore and share the stories of the mothers, warriors, creators, survivors, and destroyers who shook the world. In pieces that burn with empathy and admiration for these women, Gill unearths the power and glory of the very foundations of mythology and culture that have been too-often ignored or pushed aside. 

Complete with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, Gill's poetry and stories weave old and forgotten tales of might and love into an empowering collection for the modern woman.

I had been slowly reading this collection o poetry and stories over the first couple of weeks of June. I absolutely adored Gill’s Fierce Fairytales collection from a few years back and hoped this one would be just as good. While it’s not quite my favorite, I did enjoy this collection. We get an exploration of (mostly) Greek mythology. At times, Gill’s writing and subjects are very clear while at others she delves into the esoteric and mysterious. I prefer the slightly more straight forward pieces. I like to really grasp onto a meaning while reading poetry. As many of her collections, there is a through line of empowering female figures. My favorite parts of this collection focused on Athena, Artemis, and Persephone. I find a lot of strength from these three figures. As with any poetry collection, this one should be read slowly over the course of weeks. Binging just won’t do.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

Title: Stone Blind

Author: Natalie Haynes

Publisher: Harper 2023

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 373

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster. 

The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.

When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene’s temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge—on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon’s actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude.

Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .

In Stone Blind, classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes turns our understanding of this legendary myth on its head, bringing empathy and nuance to one of the earliest stories in which a woman—injured by a powerful man—is blamed, punished, and monstered for the assault. Delving into the origins of this mythic tale, Haynes revitalizes and reconstructs Medusa’s story with her passion and fierce wit, offering a timely retelling of this classic myth that speaks to us today.

In a word, disappointing. I was expecting a fresh take on the Medusa myth complete with feminist rage. Alas, this is not really Medusa’s story. Only a small amount of the chapters actually focus on her. Instead, we get a ton of chapters from the gods and goddesses and a ton from the humans they encounter. We never ally feel like we get to know Meduas or even her sisters. I’ve heard this book described as having a wicked sense of humor, but I just don’t see it at all. I was very sad that this one didn’t work for me. Thankfully I got it from the library and didn’t actually buy it during the retreat (I was tempted).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

Title: Other Birds

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Publisher: St Martin’s Press 2022

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 290

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf - June; BOTM Cleanout

Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It's called The Dellawisp and it's named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother's apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn't yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she's thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Sarah Addison Allen finally came out with a new book! I was so incredibly excited and had to get this one from BOTM as soon as it popped up. This book has all the hallmarks of a good Allen novel: a motley crew of characters, a specific and unique setting, and some just slightly odd magical realism. In this one, we follow the residents of the Dellawisp, both present and past. Of course we know that there are connections between the characters, and thankfully the book reveals all of those connections over the course of the novel. My favorite character was Charlotte. I really loved hearing about her story and seeing her grow and open up to others over the pages. I wish that we had seen more growth from Zoey. She seemed to stay the same throughout the entire story. At times she felt like she was written as a much younger character. I get her shelter background, but I wanted to see a bit more from her coming into her own. Overall, I really loved following these characters. The setting and the magical realism helped keep my attention to an essentially character driven novel. We are discussing this book at book club next week and I cannot wait to hear what everything thought.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 388

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Steam Rating: 4

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
 
They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
 
Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
 
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

Another solid contemporary romance from Emily Henry! I have enjoyed all four of her novels. This one wasn’t my favorite, but I still really enjoyed it. Her romances are not light and fluffy. They have a lot of substance and serious conversations. In this one, we get a possible second-chance romance happening. One half of the story is told in the present when we know things between Wyn and Harriet are not great. In flashback chapters, we get to see their love story (and breakup). I wanted to absolutely fall in love with the two main characters. Actually, I was conflicted throughout most of the book. I didn’t know if I wanted for them to get back together or not. It sounds like I didn’t like this book, but I really did. I love how Henry writes very realistic characters. These could be my friends. There is not completely unrealistic situation and friendships. Sometimes I want super fluffy romance and sometimes I want something with more substance. Henry is definitely my go to for substance.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Title: The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni #1)

Author: Helene Wecker

Publisher: Harper 2013

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 486

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR; COYER

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay by a disgraced rabbi knowledgeable in the ways of dark Kabbalistic magic. She serves as the wife to a Polish merchant who dies at sea on the voyage to America. As the ship arrives in New York in 1899, Chava is unmoored and adrift until a rabbi on the Lower East Side recognizes her for the creature she is and takes her in.

Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert and trapped centuries ago in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard. Released by a Syrian tinsmith in a Manhattan shop, Ahmad appears in human form but is still not free. An iron band around his wrist binds him to the wizard and to the physical world.

Chava and Ahmad meet accidentally and become friends and soul mates despite their opposing natures. But when the golem’s violent nature overtakes her one evening, their bond is challenged. An even more powerful threat will emerge, however, and bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their very existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

A friend recommended this one and then my online book club chose it for June’s read. Seems like the universe really wanted me to read this one. Don’t be fooled by the summary. This book is squarely character driven. There is a plot, but it operates as a way for us to explore more of the characters’ natures and growth. I was intrigued by the world depicted and the two seemingly disparate cultures presented. I enjoyed seeing how the golem and the jinni are able to find commonalities with each other and their circumstances. We get to see two beings create identities despite their beginnings. I ended up enjoying this novel, but there were a few points where the slow pace got to me. I had hoped for a bit more action or plot. I’m still debating if I want to continue reading this series.

The Golem and the Jinni

• #1 The Golem and the Jinni

• #2 The Hidden Palace

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

Title: Ship Wrecked (Spoiler Alert #3)

Author: Olivia Dade

Publisher: Avon 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 404

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Maria’s one-night-stand—the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note—just reappeared. Apparently, Peter’s her surly Gods of the Gates co-star, and they’re about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him…but he now wants nothing to do with her.

Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won’t sabotage his career for a woman who’s already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends—possibly even bestfriends—but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her.

For years, they don’t touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don’t have a future together, since Peter’s going back to Hollywood, while Maria’s returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he’s determined to change her mind, and he’s spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting.

His shipwrecked Swede doesn’t stand a chance.

I have enjoyed this series, but this particular volume just didn’t quite land with me. There was something about the pacing and the character interactions bothered me throughout the entire book. I finally figured out that my big problem was that the two main characters spend most of the book not even longing, but just as work colleagues. I got a bit bored throughout the middle. There was just too much back and forth, but not the great banter that I love. Overall there just wasn’t enough fun and steam in this one to really get me too excited.

Spoiler Alert

• #1 Spoiler Alert

• #2 All the Feels

• #3 Ship Wrecked

Next up on the TBR pile: