A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Title: A Sorceress Comes to Call

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Where I Got It: Book of the Month September 2024

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers.

When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother's plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

Loved loved loved this book! I have loved almost everything that T. Kingfisher has put out. I love her blend of horror, fantasy, and fairy tales. The blend makes her book shave a great atmospheric quality mixed with solid plots. For this book, I wasn’t sure what we were getting at first. I was not super excited to spend 300+ pages with Cordelia as our narrator. Thankfully, we are introduced to Hester pretty quickly and from then on we get two narrators. Much better! I loved seeing the story and the situations play out from each perspective. The suspense ratchets up throughout the first half of the book leading to some great scenes. And then the plot kicks into high-gear and we get one long adventure leading to the conclusion of the book. I loved it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 6 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 6

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 432

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

“We have to make an example of her.”

Chaos reigns in Olympus as Zeus publicly declares Persephone a traitor and issues a warrant for her arrest. But Hades defies his brother’s decree, sheltering Persephone in the Underworld—and as the pair spend more time together, they are able to speak openly about their pasts. The goddess of spring admits the truth behind the bloody secret that led to Zeus’s ire, and the king of the Underworld shares the trauma he suffered at the hands of his power-hungry father, Kronos.

But as Hades and Persephone’s relationship grows stronger, others begin to fall apart. The bond between Hades and Zeus is stretched to its limit, threatening to fracture the peace between their realms. Persephone and Artemis’s friendship hangs by a thread as the goddess of the hunt slowly uncovers the vile truth about her twin, Apollo. A line is being drawn in the heavens, putting everyone’s loyalties into question as all the gods are forced to choose sides.

And as the cracks in the foundation of the pantheon spread, something darker and more earth-shattering might soon be released. . . .

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 127–152 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

Finally I grabbed this volume of one of my favorite comic series. I loved how the story actually moved forward in this volume. The last one did not move the plot along very much. We finally get to see more perspectives of Persephone and move along her relationship with Hades. And that last issue was a doozy. I am very interested to see where Smythe takes this story next. Cannot wait for the next volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

Title: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (Mead Mishaps #1)

Author: Kimberly Lemming

Publisher: Orbit Books 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Social Media Rec; In Case You Missed It - 2022

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 6

Spice trader Cinnamon’s quiet life is turned upside down when she ends up on a quest with a fiery demon, in this irreverently quirky rom-com fantasy that is sweet, steamy, and funny as hell.
 
All she wanted to do was live her life in peace—maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn’t involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the goddess has favorites, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them.
 
After Cin saves the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, Fallon reveals that all he really wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And who can blame him? But now he’s dragging Cinnamon along for the ride whether she likes it or not. On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt.…

This book had been on my radar but kept getting pushed down. Thankfully I grabbed it from the library as it was the perfect read for me this week. I took a little teensy break from the spooky to enjoy some fantasy romance adventure. This is a great mix of genres that reminded me of the movie Romancing the Stone. We get an unlikely pairing on a quest to find (in this case destroy) artifacts. I loved the humor and banter between Fallon and Cinnamon as they enter uncharted territory. The action sequences were great fun and fast-paced. The romance was swoony and very cute. I loved very page of this novel and cannot wait to grab the second one.

Mead Mishaps

• #1 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

• #1.5 Mistlefoe

• #2 That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

• #2.5 A Bump in Boohail

• #3 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

Next up on the TBR pile:

Key Lime Sky by Al Hess

Title: Key Lime Sky

Author: Al Hess

Publisher: Angry Robot Books 2024

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Library

Where I Got It: Library

Denver Bryant’s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming in search of the best slices. Though he dutifully posts reviews on his blog, he’s never been able to recreate his brief moment of viral popularity, and its trickling income isn’t enough to pay his rent next month. 

Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything – or to care that the residents’ strange behavior, as well as a shower of seashell hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Being both non-binary and autistic, he’s convinced his reputation as the town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers. Frustrated, he documents the bizarre incidents on his failing pie blog, and his online popularity skyrockets. His readers want the truth, spurring him to get to the bottom of things.

The only person in town who takes him seriously is handsome bartender, Ezra. As the two investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, the alien presence does more than change the weather. People start disappearing. When Denver and Ezra make a run for it, the town refuses to let them leave. Reality is folding in on itself. It’s suddenly a race against time to find the extraterrestrial source and destroy it before it consumes not only Muddy Gap but everything beyond. Denver’s always been more outsider than hero, but he’s determined to ensure that a world with Ezra – and with pie – still exists tomorrow.

This was such a trippy novel that I truly did not know what to expect every time I turned the page. I randomly grabbed this off the library’s New Release shelf, read the back, and checked it out. I had never heard of the book, but the summary had me intrigued. Really it was the line “Reality is folding in on itself” that really peaked my interest. I love books where you end up questioning reality. It’s my catnip. In this book, we meet Denver and things quickly start taking interesting twists and turns. I loved following Denver and xir’s struggles with fitting into the small town of Muddy Gap. I was fascinated to watch xir navigate the strange happenings after seeing a light in the sky. Xir’s budding relationship with Ezra was beautiful full of tension, misunderstandings, and care. I loved seeing the two of them navigate an alien invasion while staying true to themselves. At times, this novel is very cringey, but realistic, horrifying, but funny and downright action filled. I really really enjoyed the journey. I might have to look up other books by Hess.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

Title: The Briar Club

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Lifetime - 60s; Library Love

Where I Got It: Library

Washington, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss, whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst?

I snagged a copy of Kate Quinn’s newest book and immediately started reading it. I always enjoy her books that expand on women’s stories from history. In this one, Quinn takes a slightly different tactic. Instead of one woman or a few women, we get many different stories based in history but not exact women. I loved the collection of characters that we meet in each chapter. The murder mystery slowly unfolds as we learn about the backgrounds of a variety of people. I loved how Quinn weaves in a variety of topics: McCarthyism, racism, workplace misogyny, parenting, romantic relationships, growing up, etc. We get a rounded picture of life in the United States in the early 1950s. I didn’t emotionally connect with the characters, but I really enjoyed following them along in life.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 2

Title: The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 2

Author: James Tynion, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire

Publisher: DC Comics 2023

Genre: Comics

Pages: 176

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: None

Where I Got It: Library

One of the most critically acclaimed and bestselling horror books of 2021 returns for its shocking second act—and now is the perfect time to enter the house! The 10 hardy survivors gathered in the house by their mutual friend Walter thought they’d finally cracked the code on his plans…and now everything they thought they knew has literally changed. Can they free themselves from their patterns? Or are they all just determined to build a prison of their very own?

I finally grabbed the second trade in this series and goodness, it was a journey. The first couple of pages really threw me. The reader has to orient themselves to the story being told. Once I got my bearings, I sped through the next chapters of this story. I loved the interplay of the different personalities and their reactions to the events. I do wish that the story would have a progressed a bit more before we got to the end. Now I just have to wait I guess. No idea when the next chapters will be released.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz

Title: Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age

Author: Annalee Newitz

Publisher: WW Norton 2021

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Afterword in Kansas City June 2024

In Four Lost Cities, acclaimed science journalist Annalee Newitz takes readers on an entertaining and mind-bending adventure into the deep history of urban life. Investigating across the centuries and around the world, Newitz explores the rise and fall of four ancient cities, each the center of a sophisticated civilization: the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Central Turkey, the Roman vacation town of Pompeii on Italy’s southern coast, the medieval megacity of Angkor in Cambodia, and the indigenous metropolis Cahokia, which stood beside the Mississippi River where East St. Louis is today.

Newitz travels to all four sites and investigates the cutting-edge research in archaeology, revealing the mix of environmental changes and political turmoil that doomed these ancient settlements. Tracing the early development of urban planning, Newitz also introduces us to the often anonymous workers—slaves, women, immigrants, and manual laborers—who built these cities and created monuments that lasted millennia.

Four Lost Cities is a journey into the forgotten past, but, foreseeing a future in which the majority of people on Earth will be living in cities, it may also reveal something of our own fate.

Usually history books annoy me as they are so incredibly surface level. I get bored as I know the surface level facts about a ton of history. Thankfully, this one was focused enough to deep dive into four “lost” cities highlighting a ton of new information and discoveries. We get sections on Angkor War, Catalhoyuk, Cahokia, and Pompeii. I found each section to be very interesting and full of information that I was excited to learn. Newitz takes a much more nuanced approach to teaching about each civilization. The author focuses on a different aspect of the civilization. I was extra fascinated by the section on Cahokia. The shift in understanding from trade center to center for religious and spiritual gatherings was eye opening for me. I took my time through this book, but enjoyed every page of it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1

Title: The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1

Author: James Tynion, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire

Publisher: DC Comics 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 200

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: None

Where I Got It: Library

Everyone who was invited to the house knows Walter-well, they know him a little, anyway. Some met him in childhood; some met him months ago. And Walter’s always been a little…off. But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter’s invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house in the woods, overlooking an enormous sylvan lake. It’s beautiful, it’s opulent, it’s private-so a week of putting up with Walter’s weird little schemes and nicknames in exchange for the vacation of a lifetime? Why not? All of them were at that moment in their lives when they could feel themselves pulling away from their other friends; wouldn’t a chance to reconnect be…nice? Collects The Nice House on the Lake #1-6.

How did I miss this series? Probably because it came from DC Comics. I’m definitely more of an Image reader. But I finally picked this one up and devoured it. This is a story that starts slow, but hooked me immediately. I desperately wanted to unravel the mystery presented with the inhabitants of the house. We get clues here and there and then the story takes a huge turn. I was absolutely floored and cannot wait to grab the next volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1)

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Publisher: Del Rey 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 413

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf

Where I Got It: Bliss Wine and Books in Kansas City June 2024

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Oh wow! This may be my favorite book that the Nerdy Bookish Friends have read so far. I really fell into this intimate murder mystery set among a fantasy world where people can get alterations made from the blood of terrifying kaijus. That is a big strange sentence, but it really encapsulates the summary of this book. We follow Dinios Kol as he attempt to learn to be an investigator under a very unusual lead investigator. While a larger plot line is raging outside, Din needs to help Ana solve a very unusual murder. Of course, this isn’t a simple murder, but something much larger that points to other problems in the empire. I loved following along as Din reveals more clues and starts to put the pieces together. My favorite parts were the conversations that he has with Ana. She’s an amazing character and I really want to be her when I grow up. The book contains a fascinating group of characters. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel where you start to suspect anyone you meet could be the murderer. Even though this is the start of a series, the murder mystery wraps up nicely by the end while leaving the larger world to be explored in further adventures. I can’t wait to discuss at book club on Sunday.

Shadow of the Leviathan

• #1 The Tainted Cup

• #2 A Drop of Corruption

Next up on the TBR pile:

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #3)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf Books 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 618

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; In Case You Missed It - 2018

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza--but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys--an old flame from Asha's past--reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.

And we come to the end of The Illuminae Files! After a slight dip in book two, I’m back to another 5 star rating for this volume. I loved seeing all three of our main couples come together to repel the BeiTech fleet on Kerenza and get the truth out there. I probably didn’t really need the added “twist” about Frobisher (seriously, who didn’t see that coming?), but loved all the other turns of the plot. We get a big massive science fiction action adventure story with some great lively characters. I loved seeing Kady and Hanna really take charge and lead the entire crew. I loved seeing Ezra, Nik, and everyone else support them. We get happy endings, while also acknowledging all of the losses. This entire series felt like the best of the Battlestar Galactica television series. No “plan” from the beings here. Just action and survival. I will miss this series greatly.

The Illuminae Files

• #0.5 Memento

• #1 Illuminae

• #2 Gemina

• #3 Obsidio

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

Title: The Lost Bookshop

Author: Evie Woods

Publisher: One More Chapter 2023

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 435

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Lower Case on Spine; In Case You Missed It - 2023

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

I won’t be around for this book discussion, but a friend had already told me that I needed to read this one, so off I went. And what a delight this was! We get three characters’ stories interwoven into a magical tale of books, stories, and identity. Martha and Henry are our present day characters, both running from situations and lives to something new. And we get Opaline back into 1920s also escaping an unwanted life. I love seeing all the parallels between the characters and timelines. Usually I don’t love a dual timeline book, but this one was done very well. I cared about all of the stories. I was rooting for both Opaline and Martha to find some semblance of happiness in this harsh world. And all throughout we get the magical nature of the lost bookshop and possible the house at 12 Ha’penny Lane. There was a section in the middle dealing with an asylum that was hard to get through, but the story pays off in the end. I’m sad to miss the discussion. But at least I can discuss it with a friend.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Title: Butcher and Blackbird (Ruinous Love #1)

Author: Brynne Weaver

Publisher: Slowburn 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 360

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; She Reads Romance - Romantic Suspense

Spice Rating: 5 1/2 (due to all the murder)

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, they find something elusive—the friendship of two like-minded, pitch-black souls who just happen to enjoy killing otherserial killers.

From small-town West Virginia to upscale California, and from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country.

But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love.

Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves?
Or have they finally met their match?

A friend chatted with me about this book thinking that I had recommended it to her. In fact, she just recommended it to me! This book is not for everyone. It is a blend of spicy romance and murder on the page. Read the summary above; that’s what you get. Rowan and Sloane hunt and kill serial killers. They are killers. They find fulfillment and success in life from taking out the worst people they can find. Along the way, they fall in love. I absolutely loved this one. We get great banter and sexual tension. We get a guy who falls first and has to convince the girl he’s worth it. We get a strong independent woman who is only with the guy because she wants him around. And oh boy, we get glimpses into the lives of Rowan’s brothers. I finished this one and immediately went and bought it and the sequel.

Ruinous Love

• #1 Butcher and Blackbird

• #2 Leather and Lark

• #3 Scythe and Sparrow

Next up on the TBR pile:

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf Books 2025

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 608

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; 52 Books - Secret in Title (totally fudging this one)

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
      The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
     But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

I remember when this book came out and I was very intrigued, but so busy with other things that I forgot about it. Years later, I picked it up at a used book store and finally started reading it. And I read it in 2 1/2 days. Yep! 600 pages in 2 1/2/ days. I could not put this one down. I had to see what was going to happen. I had to see if Kady and Ezra ever got back together in person. I had to see if the AIDAN just decided to kill everyone. I had to know the outcome of the story. More than anything, this is a space action adventure story. We are dumped right into the action and it never really lets up. Even at the end, we hare hurtling toward the unknown. I loved the mixed media/document style of the book. My favorite parts were the sections of AIDAN’s internal logs. Those were fascinating. This fast paced adventure was exactly what I needed this week to get me out of a bad head space.

The Illuminae Files

• #0.5 Memento

• #1 Illuminae

• #2 Gemina

• #3 Obsidio

Next up on the TBR pile:

Blood by Jen Gunter

Title: Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation

Author: Jen Gunter

Publisher: Citadel 2024

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader; 52 Book Club - Nonfiction Recommended by a Friend

Most women can expect to have hundreds of periods in a lifetime. So why is real information so hard to find? Despite its significance, most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it. And while both are crucial, women deserve to know more about their bodies than just what happens in service to reproduction. At a time when charlatans, politicians, and even some doctors are succeeding in propagating damaging misinformation and disempowering women, Dr. Jen provides the antidote with science, myth busting, and no-nonsense facts.

Not knowing how your body works makes it challenging to advocate for yourself. Consequently, many suffer in silence thinking their bodies are uniquely broken, or they turn to disreputable sources. Blood is a practical, empowering guide to what’s typical, what’s concerning, and when to seek care—recounted with expertise and frank, fearless wit that have made Dr. Jen today’s most trusted voice in women’s health.

Dr. Jen answers all your period-related questions, including: What exactly happens during menstruation? How heavy is too heavy? How much should periods hurt? and provides essential information. Blood is about much more than biology. It’s an all-in-one, revolutionary guide that will change the way we think about, talk about—and don’t talk about—our bodies and our well-being.

Another amazingly informative yet very readable science text from Jen Gunter. I had previous read her older book, The Vagina Bible, and recommended it every single person I knew. I picked this later book up and remember why I enjoy her weighty tomes so much. Gunter writes with clarity and conciseness with a bit of a humor. Even in the most complicated medical sections, the reader can easily follow the explanations. I learned so much from this book. I can’t wait to pick up her other book about menopause next month.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

Title: Diavola

Author: Jennifer Thorne

Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 293

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; 52 Book Club - Year of the Dragon

Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.

It isn’t easy when she’s the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he’s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone—including her blandly docile husband and two kids—falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.

The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails—the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.

A Nerdy Bookish Friend suggested this book as a good horror selection for me. And she was so right! This was exactly the type of horror book I wanted! We get the lush setting, the absolutely creepy atmosphere, actual ghosts, and a scrappy heroine. I loved the slow descent into madness and horror that the entire Pace family experiences at the hands of the La Dama Bianca. Every description of creepy feeling or sighting was perfectly horrifying. I absolutely adored the mystery surrounding the haunting. And we get to see a very dysfunctional family at play throughout. So many times I really wanted Anna to just turn her entire family (well maybe not the nieces) over to the malevolent spirits. I was with this book to the very end!

Next up on the TBR pile:

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

Title: What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier #2)

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Nightmare 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 151

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Duology

After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.

In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.

Another creepy novel featuring some great folklore and major atmosphere. Right away we jump into the creepy and silent Galicia. I loved getting to see Alex return to their homeland only to find life a bit more complicated once again. I could see exactly where this story was going and yet I still loved every page of it. This is short and compact, and yet I found myself lost in the story. Kingfisher allows write with such tension and suspense, I always love it.

Sworn Soldier

• #1 What Moves the Dead

• #2 What Feasts at Night

Next up on the TBR pile:

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Title: Funny Story

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Set in a city (state) starting with “M”; She Reads Romance - Fake Dating

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
 
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
 
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
 
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

The newest romance from Emily Henry has jumped to my second favorite Emily Henry book. It didn’t beat Book Lovers to the top spot, but I absolutely loved this one. Right away we get a fake dating trope and a sunshine and grumpy (sorta) trope. I fell for Miles almost immediately although I had no idea who he and Daphne were going to work as a couple. Thankfully this book includes so much more than just the romance element. Henry always allows us to dive into her characters and learn their backstories. We get to see how their pasts have shaped their present. We get to see growth and change on the page. All while infusing the characters with so much romantic longing. I will say it again: Emily Henry is forever on my auto-read list. She just writes smart, grown-up, contemporary romances.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Title: A Letter to the Luminous Deep (The Sunken Archive #1)

Author: Sylvie Cathrall

Publisher: Orbit 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 432

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; 52 Book Club - Title “L”

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings’ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.

I absolutely loved and disliked this book… let me explain. I absolutely adored the lush atmospheric tone to this book. We get a lot of mentions of the environment. Hearing E and Henerey discuss their environments was amazing. I loved the slow burn of the mystery. We know something happened and they didn’t just die, but exactly what happened? I loved unraveling the mystery along with Sophy and Vyerin. The epistolary structure was a delight. Overall I really really enjoyed this book. And then we get to the ending and I was highly annoyed. This book ends very abruptly with a big cliffhanger. I was not expecting that at all and it really threw me off. Now I have to wait who knows how long until the author completes the next in the series. I am sad about that aspect. Otherwise this is definitely my kind of book.

The Sunken Archive

• #1 A Letter to the Luminous Deep

• #2 TBD

Next up on the TBR pile:

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

Title: Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

Author: Devon Price

Publisher: Harmony 2022

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader

For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless “masked” Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren’t seen as needy or “odd.”
 
In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain. Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are. They are also more likely to be marginalized in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other factors, which contributes to their suffering and invisibility. Dr. Price lays the groundwork for unmasking and offers exercises that encourage self-expression.

It’s time to honor the needs, diversity, and unique strengths of Autistic people so that they no longer have to mask—and it’s time for greater public acceptance and accommodation of difference. In embracing neurodiversity, we can all reap the rewards of nonconformity and learn to live authentically, Autistic and neurotypical people alike.

A recommendation from a friend who has been finding this book life changing. I was most intrigued to see how this book could help me understand my autistic friends. Right away, I was pulled into the many insights and learned so much in just the first chapters. I feel like this is one of those books that I should reread in a year or so. I feel like I will find many more insights and new information as I reread. While this book was written for autistic people, it was very illuminating to me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

Title: The Tusks of Extinction

Author: Ray Nayler

Publisher: Tordotcom 2024

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 101

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Women in STEM; Library Love

Moscow has resurrected the mammoth. But someone must teach them how to be mammoths, or they are doomed to die out again.

Dr. Damira Khismatullina, an expert in elephant behavior, was brutally murdered trying to defend the world's last elephants from the brutal ivory trade. Now, her digitized consciousness has been downloaded into the mind of a mammoth.

As the herd's new matriarch, can Damira help fend off poachers long enough for the species to take hold? Or will her own ghosts, and Moscow's real reason for bringing the mammoth back, doom them to a new extinction?

"We come from our own pasts. We rise up out of our memories, and once there are enough of those memories to stand upon, we move forward with their support beneath us, drawn toward the future they allow us to conceive. We are continually shaped by our past, and we continually reshape it.” pg. 80

A beautiful heart wrenching story of loss and identity. We get the human side of the story featuring an activist desperately trying to save the elephants and a young man desperately trying to save himself. And we get the mammoth story about learning to survive in a new world and time. I absolutely love how Nayler takes an issue and illustrates it through science fictions settings. We get fantastical premises, but at the heart of his story is a struggle that everyone can relate to. So many times I was stopped by the beautiful prose and stunning revelations. I found myself rooting for the mammoths and humanity throughout the story. It’s short, very short, but it packs a punch. Nayler is most definitely going on my must read author list.

Next up on the TBR pile: