Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Title: Starling House

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Publisher: Tor Books 2023

Genre: Horror

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: BOTM Cleanout; Unread Shelf

I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….

Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she's determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.

All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.

I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.

Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother's escape fund—she can't resist.

But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.

In my dream, I’m home.

And now she’ll have to fight.

The absolute perfect book for spooky season! I love a super atmospheric horror tale with an interesting location. This book delivered on all fronts. Right away, we know that there’s something special about Starling House. We get to follow Opal as she is invited into the house and is given a task of sorts. Opal is an extremely rough-around-the-edges character but I found myself rooting for her from page one. I was hoping to see Opal really grow into her own and lower some of her walls for anyone. And so enters Arthur Starling, Warden of Starling House. We only get glimpses of him throughout the first half of the book, but I loved him immediately. As the mystery unfolds, we learn more about the house and the history of the town. We get some super creepy beings and a ton of good spooky scenes. I took my time reading this book, not speeding through it, but really savoring the pages and the beautiful illustrations throughout. This may just go on my Top 10 of the year list.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Title: Vampires of El Norte

Author: Isabel Cañas

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Horror

Pages: 371

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.

I’ve been going back and forth about this book for the last few days. We’re reading this for the Nerdy Bookish Friends selection for October and I am a little disappointed. I was hoping for a very gothic tale of vampires in the wilderness of Mexico. A fight for survival with some super creepy scenes. There are a few of those scattered through the book, but mostly we get a will-they-won’t-they romance as the focus. A big part of the conflict within Nena and Néstor’s relationship is a big case of miscommunication. This is my least favorite romance trope and it really shows in how much I disliked certain parts of this book. Beyond the romance, the vampire scenes are very few and far between. I did enjoy the comparison of the monstrous vampires to the white colonizers and wished we had spent more them on that angle. I’m looking forward to my discussion on Sunday with the Nerdy Bookish Friends. My rating may just drop to a 3, but right now I’m sticking with a 4.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

Title: Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries #1)

Author: Mia P. Manansala

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 307

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR; Unread Shelf; BOTM Cleanout

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…

Oof! I had hopes for a fun cozy mystery with some food talk. And that’s what I thought I was getting in the first chapter. But then, things got very repetitive, silly, and seemingly lacking of emotion. I was interested in the food talk, but then the food talk became an every other paragraph thing. How many times do we need the same foods described in detail? I did not. If you would have removed the repetitions, almost 40% of the book would have disappeared. As it stands, the food descriptions just felt like padding. Beyond that, I was annoyed by the seeming incompetence of detective and even of Lila. There wasn’t enough actual amateur detective work. And don't get me started on the fact that Lila and all the main characters seemed to not care at all that people have died. I thoroughly disliked this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill

Title: The Girl and the Goddess

Author: Nikita Gill

Publisher: G.P Putnam’s 2020

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project; Unread Shelf RC - Poetry

Meet Paro. A girl with a strong will, a full heart, and much to learn. Born into a family reeling from the ruptures of Partition in India, we follow her as she crosses the precarious lines between childhood, teenage discovery, and realizing her adult self. In the process, Paro must confront fear, desire and the darkest parts of herself in the search for meaning and, ultimately, empowerment.

Nikita Gill's vivid poetry and beautiful illustrations have captured hearts and imaginations--but in The Girl and the Goddess, she offers us her most personal and deeply felt writing to date: an intimate coming-of-age story told in linked poems that offers a look into the Hindu mythology and rich cultural influences that helped her become the woman she is today.

I grabbed this one after reading another collection of Gill’s poetry based on fairy tale and story characters. I slowly made my way through this collection. We get a bit of a autobiographical take on mythology, folklore, and history. I was definitely interested in how Gill would incorporate all three of those things. I really enjoyed Gill’s voice and her way of weaving fantasy and reality. I will definitely have to pick up Gill’s other collections.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Title: Ariadne

Author: Jennifer Saint

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Unread Shelf Project; Unread Shelf Project RC - March (Biography - heehee)

Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind?

I absolutely had to get this book when it showed up in the Book of the Month selections. But then I let it languish on my shelves for a year. Finally picked it up this week and dove into this retelling of Ariadne and Phaedra’s stories. We start slowly, setting up the world on Crete and the family dynamic. I found the first part of the book to be a little slow. Once Ariadne is left on the island, I sped through the rest of the pages desperate to see how the story ends. Saint does not disappoint in giving us a Greek myth told from a feminist perspective. There’s nothing ground breaking here, but we do get a good story full of interesting characters. The writing isn’t quite as strong as Madeline Miller’s Circe, but I still found it very compelling and clear. I enjoyed my trip back to ancient Crete and Greece even if I always wish for a much happier ending for the female characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Title: I Capture the Castle

Author: Dodie Smith

Publisher: 1948

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Pages: 408

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - August (Chosen By Friends)

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

I was gifted this book during a Christmas exchange as the person who gave it told me that it was her favorite book. Somehow I had never actually read this one. After finishing, I feel very meh about this one. I found Cassandra to be at times so very naive and at other times too old for her age. I was intrigued by the book in the first half, but then the neighbors show up and Cassandra becomes a completely different person. I was not a fan of the personality switch. She become such a whiny girl and treated her family so badly. I got to the end of the book and felt very meh about this one. After thinking about it a bit more, I might have loved this book at aged 15, but as a 40 year old woman, I’m not quite a huge fan.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Title: Parable of the Sower (Earthed #1)

Author: Octavia E. Butler

Publisher: 1993

Genre: Scifi

Pages: 345

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project; Read Shelf RC - September (A Book that Represents the Reader You Want to Be)

Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.

When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.

We choose this book for my sci-fi and fantasy bookclub after a few difficult books. Ooops! Looks like we picked another difficult book. I had previous read Kindred and was really interested to read other Butler works. I completely understand why she wrote that book. I am more confused about why she wrote this book. Right away we are hit with a very depressing story featuring a young woman who survives and creates a religion. And somehow we have to contend with a very detached style of writing. We never really see Laura truly get horrified by the events in the story. On the other side, I did definitely have visceral and a dramatic reaction to the events. I even took a break after the big events right in the middle of the book. I picked it back up and finally finished the story and immediately just sat back and took a minute. It was a rough story full of graphic events. After thinking, I was impressed with Butler’s skill at creating an entire world that feels so prescient to today’s world. I see the importance of this book. But ultimately, I have a huge issue with the religion piece of this book. I’m still struggling with Laura’s push to create a new religion. The presumption that religion is a good thing stopped me and almost made me stop reading this book. I will be attending an online book discussion on Sunday. Really looking forward to hearing what everyone thought about the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

Title: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Author: Ruth Reichl

Publisher: Penguin 2006

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 364

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - Food/Cooking

GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine anonymously. There is her stint as Molly Hollis, a frumpy blond with manicured nails and an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque. The result: her famous double review of the restaurant: first she ate there as Molly; and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, New York Times food critic.

What is even more remarkable about Reichl's spy games is that as she takes on these various disguises, she finds herself changed not just superficially, but in character as well. She gives a remarkable account of how one's outer appearance can very much influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites.

One of my book club selections for September and a book that has languished on my shelf for years. Unfortunately, I think it probably should have stayed there. I really enjoyed Reichl’s Save Me the Plums and hoped I would encounter the same fun and relatable woman in this earlier work about her job as a food critic. Instead, I feel like we get a very out-of-touch upper class woman intent on showing the common people the joy of food who actually shows us just how snobby many people (herself included) are when it comes to food. I am no stranger to good food and really enjoy tasting new flavors and expertly crafted dishes. But I realize that that’s not an everyday reality for most people (even me). Sometimes you just have to eat. Not everyone can be catered to and pay for a $100+ meal for one person. After about the fourth chapter, the book got really repetitively. I just ended dreading having to come back to this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Title: Sea of Tranquility

Author: Emily St. John Mandel

Publisher: Knopf 2022

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Pages: 255

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - June (About a journey)

Edwin St. Andrew is eighteen years old when he crosses the Atlantic by steamship, exiled from polite society following an ill-conceived diatribe at a dinner party. He enters the forest, spellbound by the beauty of the Canadian wilderness, and suddenly hears the notes of a violin echoing in an airship terminal—an experience that shocks him to his core.

Two centuries later a famous writer named Olive Llewellyn is on a book tour. She’s traveling all over Earth, but her home is the second moon colony, a place of white stone, spired towers, and artificial beauty. Within the text of Olive’s best-selling pandemic novel lies a strange passage: a man plays his violin for change in the echoing corridor of an airship terminal as the trees of a forest rise around him.

When Gaspery-Jacques Roberts, a detective in the black-skied Night City, is hired to investigate an anomaly in the North American wilderness, he uncovers a series of lives upended: The exiled son of an earl driven to madness, a writer trapped far from home as a pandemic ravages Earth, and a childhood friend from the Night City who, like Gaspery himself, has glimpsed the chance to do something extraordinary that will disrupt the timeline of the universe.

I picked this one for book club on the strengths of Mandel’s earlier work, Station Eleven. I really disliked her work The Glass Hotel, but hoped that the new one was return to the type pf story I love. And it definitely delivered. We get a speculative fiction story that’s ultimately about the human experience. As we piece together the larger narrative story, we get to connect to different people and time periods only to realize that each story shares many element of life. We get to see how people struggle with identity and family. We see characters wrestle with the concept of mortality. And we see characters embrace joy. This book isn’t very long, but it packs a punch. I’ll be thinking about scenes and quotes in this book for months to come. I would’t be surprised if it makes it to my Top 10 of 2022.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Title: The Age of Miracles

Author: Karen Thompson Walker

Publisher: Random House 2012

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 294

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Unread Shelf Reading Challenge - Shortest Book on My Shelves

Spellbinding, haunting, The Age of Miracles is a beautiful novel of catastrophe and survival, growth and change, the story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in an extraordinary time. On an ordinary Saturday, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer, gravity is affected, the birds, the tides, human behavior and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world of danger and loss, Julia faces surprising developments in herself, and her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by Hannah and other friends, the vulnerability of first love, a sense of isolation, and a rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking story of people finding ways to go on, in an ever-evolving world.

This was our pick for June book club. I was very excited to read this one as I loved Walker’s other book The Dreamers. Unfortunately, I did not love this one. Fundamentally, I felt like this story went absolutely nowhere. In The Dreamers we get to see how an entire village reacts to the science fiction events. We see families and relationships change and evolve. There was a big emphasis on the emotional toll of the unexpected events. In this novel, we get the events, but I didn’t get to really see the emotional toll. I think that part of problem is that the narration is focused on an 11-year-old girl. Julia’s naive outlook on life means that we get a very skewed perspective of the world. I didn’t love focusing on Julia through this story. And then don’t get to really idea of how any other character feels about the events. I would have liked a different style of narration. The science itself was very weak and I didn’t love her non-explanations. Ultimately, this book was not for me.

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:

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:

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Title: A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1)

Author: Freya Marske

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Unread Shelf Project - Book Bought for the Cover

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it―not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles―and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Oh this was a delight from start to finish! I got a mix of The Magicians and Jonathan Strange, but much lighter with some great romance. We get thrown into the story and slowly start to unravel the pieces along with Robin. He was such a wonderful character that you cannot help but love him. As we get thrown into the mystery, we slowly start to meet the rest of the cast of characters. Edwin comes across as a straight-laced aristocrat, but we get to peel back the layers along with Robin. I absolutely loved their burgeoning friendship and then romance. (But be forewarned that there are some very open door steamy scenes in this book. Oh, definitely needed a fan to myself a few times.) The mystery was sufficiently intriguing and dangerous. I sped through the pages not wanting the book to end. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The Last Binding

• #1 A Marvellous Light

• #2 A Restless Truth

Next up on the TBR pile:

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Title: House of Hollow

Author: Krystal Sutherland

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 302

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - February: Title I Couldn’t Resist

Iris Hollow and her two older sisters are unquestionably strange. Ever since they disappeared on a suburban street in Scotland as children only to return a month a later with no memory of what happened to them, odd, eerie occurrences seem to follow in their wake. And they're changing. First, their dark hair turned white. Then, their blue eyes slowly turned black. They have insatiable appetites yet never gain weight. People find them disturbingly intoxicating, unbearably beautiful, and inexplicably dangerous.

But now, ten years later, seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow is doing all she can to fit in and graduate high school on time--something her two famously glamourous globe-trotting older sisters, Grey and Vivi, never managed to do. But when Grey goes missing without a trace, leaving behind bizarre clues as to what might have happened, Iris and Vivi are left to trace her last few days. They aren't the only ones looking for her though. As they brush against the supernatural they realize that the story they've been told about their past is unraveling and the world that returned them seemingly unharmed ten years ago, might just be calling them home.

Exactly my brand of creepy for this February. I received this book at our December book club book and bottle exchange. When it was revealed, a friend remarked that “Tobe’s going to steal that one” and she was so right. I was immediately hooked by the dark fairy tale premise and the cover. I was reminded of Rory Power’s Wilder Girls in tone and characters. Once, I dove into this book, I could not stop and ended up reading it in basically one sitting. So good! It’s a very creepy and gory story, but full of adventure and twists and turns that feel appropriate and not cheesy. Iris is a a good character, but Vivi is definitely the star of this book for me. I loved getting to know all three Hollow sisters and eventually learning the truth. I did end up basically guessing the ending, but I was still here for the ride. And I loved the ending, not too sad, not too happy, and definitely not all tied up in a bow. Definitely a keeper and one that I will recommend to other dark fairy tale lovers.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Title: A Gentleman in Moscow

Author: Amor Towles

Publisher: Penguin 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 462

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - January (Putting Off Reading)

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.

I waited so long to read this! Already this is going onto my Top 10 of 2022 list at the end of the year, it’s that good! Towles has crafted a beautiful story of love, loss, human connection, and change. We get to journey with the Count through 30 years of his life under hotel arrest. We see him share in the joy and pain of others he encounters. We see him develop strong bonds with many others. We see him notate the changes happening in his beloved home country all while not being to experience them outside of the building. Within the plot, Towles sprinkles passages of philosophy and culture and life lessons. I have marked so many passages in my book that it just looks silly. I found myself rereading certain passages over and over again, committing them to memory (the coffee making paragraph is a particular favorite). I was so incredibly sad when I reached the last page, but also so glad that I was able to spend so much time with a wonderful and interesting human being.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Title: Under the Whispering Door

Author: TJ Klune

Publisher: Tor Books 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 390

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - Special Occasion

Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.
And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.
But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Another delightful hug of a book from Klune. I was in tears throughout the entire last chapter; happy tears. Klune has this magical way of writing stories and characters that you want to see them have their happily ever after. You want everyone in the books to overcome their obstacles and be happy. You think that you might just be able to do that same for your own life after reading this. Every once in while, I really need a book like this (especially after the last disappointing read). While his previous adult book was about home and family, this one is more about philosophy of life. There is a lot of discussion about how to live your life, your regrets, your dreams. We get some pretty profound conversations between the characters discussing many of these aspects. We get to see a character make a radical change in philosophy. It’s beautiful. The side characters are amazing (seriously wanted to know even more about Mei!) and we get a few twists that I did not see coming. I wanted to savor this book, but ended up speeding through it just loving every page.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Title: The Ex Hex

Author: Erin Sterling

Publisher: Avon 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 318

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - Author You’ve Never Read Before

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.

That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

I picked this one up and sped through it in about two days. Perfect read for this witchy week. This is a light-hearted mystery and romance set in a small college town. I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere. I enjoyed the side characters and the general vibe. I really loved all the fun witchy adventures. I could have used more romance inn that it seemed to get the romance started and then speed ahead. I wanted to sit int he romance a bit more before moving to the next scene. I also wanted a bit more of the mystery drawn out. The ending came very abruptly and I just wanted a bit more.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Title: A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith #2)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf Project RC - Favorite Genre

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is....

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge: in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy; no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger....

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a 10-year-old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending....

CW: Rape, sexual assault (not described in details, but there)

Much better than the first book in the series. These characters are actually interesting and likable. I totally bought their romance. Their back-and-forth was lovely and engaging. I enjoyed the mystery of who Anne was and the lingering affects from Daniel’s banishment. I was even more excited that Quinn didn’t make Hugh a complete villain. He is going to be delightful as a hero in the next book. I cannot wait! My biggest complaint is the lack of steamy scenes. The one scene seems very rushed and unfocused, but I think this just might be how Quinn writes them.

Smythe-Smith Quartet:

• #1 Just Like Heaven

• #2 A Night Like This

• #3 The Sum of All Kisses

• #4 The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

Title: The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

Author: Lori Nelson Spielman

Publisher: Berkley 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 378

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf Project; UnRead Shelf Reading Challenge - Recent Acquisition

Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather’s Brooklyn deli, claim it’s an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it’s a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all.

Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed—secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse.

I had such high hopes for this book and it just fell flat for me. Most of the book is set in modern times and full of what seemed to be a travelogue for Italy. That’s fine, but it didn’t really grab my attention. I really fell for the chapters detailing the romance between Poppy and Rico. I wanted a book just of them. Emilia and Lucy were complete wet blankets in comparison. I just couldn’t seem to get myself to root for either of them. So, I wasn’t super excited about the book and then we get to the revelations and secrets about Poppy and Rosa. And I wanted to throw the book across the room. I was so incredibly mad at Rosa and her entire attitude and actions throughout the story. And we don’t really get any real apology from her. For that matter, I was very disappointed that Emilia’s sister never truly apologies for her behavior toward Emilia. For a book that was touted as being full of family and forgiveness, I felt it was sorely lacking in the forgiveness part. Boring.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Title: The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Publisher: Celadon Books 2019

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 336

Rating: 1/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Unread Shelf Project Reading Challenge - February

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

Boring, boring, boring… and then I started to see all the plot holes and got really angry at the book. Even with the first chapter I was a bit bored with the story. I could see that we were getting an unreliable narrator and a mystery that probably wasn’t much of a mystery. All my fears for this book were confirmed about half way through. I got to the end of the book and wanted to just throw this book at the wall. I hated all the characters. I hated the plot. I hated how all the female characters were treated. I hated the giant black holes of plot inconsistencies. I can’t believe that this was one of the Book of the Month books of the year for 2019. Waste of my time.

Next up on the TBR pile: