T. Kingfisher, A Sorceress Comes to Call

Cordelia has always feared her mother, Evangeline, who has the power to take over Cordelia’s body and manipulate it like a puppet. They live an isolated life in a small village, but Evangeline wants to marry a wealthy man and soon sets her sights on a nearby squire. When they move into the squire’s home, his sister, Hester, immediately senses something wrong about Evangeline and tries to help the terrified Cordelia. But Evangeline’s dark powers soon threaten Hester and everyone she holds dear. This is another absolutely outstanding novel by Kingfisher – sort of her take on a Regency romance, but with a dark fantasy edge. Evangeline’s abuse of Cordelia is terrible to read, and there are a few scenes that veer into straight-up horror. But Hester and Cordelia, the two viewpoint characters, are wonderful, and I also adored Hester’s friends and love interest. So for me, there was enough light and humor to balance out the dark stuff, and I can’t recommend this novel highly enough!

Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street

American writer Helene Hanff first writes to the British bookstore Marks & Co. in 1949, sending a wishlist of books she can’t find closer to home. Frank Doel, one of the store’s employees, promises to hunt for her requests. The ensuing correspondence, collected in 84, Charing Cross Road, reflects a friendship spanning two decades, as Helene and Frank discuss their work lives, their families and friends, and the books they love. In 1971, Helene finally travels to England and meets Frank’s wife (Frank himself had sadly died by that time), recounting her adventures in The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. These books are perfect little gems for literature lovers, funny and bighearted and brimming with goodwill. They also provide a snapshot of the late 20th century, from postwar rationing (Helene has meat and eggs sent to her British friends) to the popularity of the Beatles (Frank “rather likes” them – “if only their fans didn’t scream so”). I will definitely revisit these books whenever I need to feel some joy or restore my faith in humanity!

V.E. Schwab, A Gathering of Shadows

***Warning: SPOILERS for A Darker Shade of Magic***

Four months after Red London was nearly destroyed, Kell is angry and restless. To save Rhy’s life, he tied it to his own, but now anytime Kell is hurt, Rhy feels it in his body – and vice versa. Rhy also resents this bond and feels guilty for living on borrowed time. Meanwhile, Lila has achieved her ambition of sailing on a pirate ship but doesn’t trust her newfound happiness. When her ship returns to Red London for a magical tournament, the stage is set for dramatic meetings – and an unexpected threat from White London. I must confess, I found this book something of a slog. Nothing actually happens to move the plot forward until well over halfway through. I still like the main characters, including Lila’s captain, Alucard Emery, and I appreciated Rhy’s development. But I wanted more of Kell and Lila actually interacting with each other! Unfortunately, I think this book makes the common “book 2 of a trilogy” mistake – it’s basically just a setup for book 3. Not sure I’ll be keeping this series on my shelves, honestly.