Mini-reviews #10: A mixed bag

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I’m still so far behind on both reading and reviewing. I’m still hoping to read six more books in December, but with just two weeks left, I’m not sure how possible that is! At any rate, I can at least try to catch up with the review backlog:

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J.L. Carr, A Month in the Country — This quiet, deceptively simple novel is about a World War I veteran who spends a summer restoring a medieval mural in a village church. Nothing much happens, plot-wise, but the narrator (now an old man) remembers this summer as one of the only times in his life when he was truly happy. I really enjoyed this book, which contains some subtle humor despite its overall tone of melancholy, and I’m interested in reading more by Carr.

Kate Parker, The Vanishing Thief — I should have loved this book, which is about a female bookseller in the Victorian era who is also a member of a secret society of detectives. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, which I found choppy and clumsy, nor was I interested enough in any of the characters to continue with the series. The author does have another mystery series set in the 1930s, which I might try, but I’ll definitely be going in with more moderate expectations.

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Joseph Bruchac, Code Talker — This YA novel is told from the perspective of Ned Begay, a Navajo man who enlists in the Marines as a teenager and becomes a “code talker” during World War II. Although the writing style is a bit simplistic at times, the book presents a good introduction to the Navajo code talkers, and it made me want to read a lot more about them! I was also very touched by the book’s dedication:

This book is dedicated to those who have always, in proportion to their population, volunteered in the greatest numbers, suffered the most casualties, won the most Purple Hearts and decorations for valor, and served loyally in every war fought by the United States against foreign enemies, from the American Revolution to Afghanistan and Iraq–to the American Indian soldier.

Emma Mills, This Adventure Ends — I loved this book! It’s a YA contemporary novel that, while it contains a (very cute!) romance, primarily focuses on friendship. Main character Sloane has always been something of a loner, but when the charismatic Vera reaches out to her, she suddenly finds herself in the midst of a very tight-knit friend group. I found Sloane very relatable, though not always likable, and I really enjoyed all aspects of the story. Definitely recommended for people who like YA contemporaries — this is a fantastic example of the genre.

Mini-Reviews #9: Readathon reviews

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With this batch of mini-reviews, I’m once again caught up with my backlog. I read three of the four books during the October 24-hour readathon, hence the title of this post. 🙂

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Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle — Merricat Blackwood, her sister Constance, and her Uncle Julian are the last remnant of a once-prominent family. They live in a decrepit, isolated old house, and they don’t associate with any of the people in the nearby town. The novel’s sinister atmosphere is augmented by the suspicion that seven years ago, Constance deliberately poisoned the rest of her family. I’m no fan of horror, but I found this to be a very well-written, creepy but not too scary book. I may even read some more Shirley Jackson in the future.

Eva Ibbotson, Which Witch? — I’ve been a fan of Ibbotson’s YA/adult novels for years now, but this was my first experience reading one of her books for children. It was just as delightful as I expected it to be, telling the story of a dark wizard who holds a competition to determine which witch will be his bride. Beautiful and kind Belladonna would love to be the winner, but her magic is inescapably good. How will she convince Arriman the Awful that she’s his perfect match?

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Teresa Medeiros, Goodnight Tweetheart — The plot of this romance novel is essentially “Boy meets girl on Twitter.” As such, the book is inescapably dated, but I must admit I enjoyed it anyway! It had some good banter and some sweet moments…overall, a pleasant escapist read. It’s not a new favorite or anything, but it’s definitely a fun way to spend an evening (or, in my case, the middle of the night!).

Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom — If you loved Six of Crows, which I did, Crooked Kingdom will not disappoint! The twists and turns of the plot kept me hooked, and I loved the fact that Kaz was always one step ahead of his enemies. And as with the previous book, I was completely invested in these characters and rooting for them all to achieve their goals. I especially liked that this book gave more attention to Jesper and Wylan, the two characters who were least fleshed out in Six of Crows. There was also a very welcome appearance by Nikolai, my favorite character in the Grisha trilogy, which leads me to believe that Bardugo isn’t done with this world yet!

Mini-Reviews #8: Losing steam

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The last few months of the year always seem to fly by — I can’t believe it’s the middle of November already! Much as I love Christmas and all the hoopla leading up to it, I’m feeling a little burned out this year. I’m behind on reviews again, and I don’t feel particularly enthusiastic about catching up. So it’s back to mini-reviews for the time being, and I think I’m going to stick with this format until the end of 2016. Hopefully I’ll be ready to come back in January with renewed enthusiasm! In the meantime, here are some thoughts on the books I’ve read recently:

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Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, The Most Beautiful Book in the World (trans. Alison Anderson) — This collection of eight “novellas”/short stories is an interesting meditation on womanhood and the passage of time. Most of the stories have a melancholic aspect, as the (almost always) female protagonists cope with issues like aging, infidelity, illness, and just plain unhappiness. All the same, I enjoyed these stories, particularly “Odette Toulemonde,” which is probably the most uplifting in the bunch. The only one that stood out to me in a negative way was “Intruder,” which has a gimmicky ending. Definitely worth reading if the description sounds interesting to you!

Jay Kristoff, Nevernight — I saw a lot of buzz about this book when it came out, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype for me. The story is about Mia Corvere, a young woman seeking revenge after the political murder of her father and subsequent destruction of her family. She decides to seek out the Red Church, essentially a school for assassins, in order to pursue her revenge. Sounds pretty cool, right? Unfortunately, I could not deal with the writing style, which was completely overblown and trying way too hard to be impressive. I realize this is a very subjective criticism, and other readers may love the style, but it was emphatically not for me.

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Alice Tilton, Beginning with a Bash — What a fun Golden Age mystery! This is the first book in the Leonidas Witherall series, in which our detective has to solve a murder that occurred in a used bookstore before an innocent man takes the blame. Along the way, Leonidas — who is almost always called Bill Shakespeare because of his resemblance to the Bard — reconnects with an old flame and becomes embroiled in a feud between two notorious gangs. It’s really more of an adventure story than a mystery; the whodunit takes a backseat to the car chases, secret passageways, and assorted goings-on. There’s also some delightful vintage banter, which makes me mad that there’s no film version starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. I’ll definitely be continuing with this series, and thankfully I already own the next book, The Cut Direct!

Kasie West, P.S. I Like You — “You’ve Got Mail” is one of my favorite movies, so I was excited to read this YA contemporary romance with a similar plot. One day while spacing out in chemistry class, Lily absentmindedly scribbles a lyric from her favorite indie song onto her desk. The next day, she discovers that someone has continued the lyric, and before she knows it, she and her unknown correspondent are trading notes about music and a whole lot more. But when Lily discovers the identity of her pen pal, it’s the last person she would ever expect. I really enjoyed this book, despite its utter predictability and Lily’s annoying inability to see what’s right in front of her. It’s an adorable, light romance, and sometimes that’s just what you need.

Top Ten Tuesday: New to the queue

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Top 10 TuesdayI really enjoyed coming up with my list for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic, which is books that you’ve recently added to your TBR list. A ton of new and not-yet-published books have caught my eye recently, and apparently I can’t get enough of fantasy or romance (or both)!

1. Jessica Cluess, A Shadow Bright and Burning — Gillian at Writer of Wrongs loved this one, and from what she says, I think I will too! It’s magic plus Victorian London plus boarding school plus apparently a ton of banter and romance…this is relevant to my interests!

2. Jenn Bennett, Alex, Approximately — Hold onto your seats, because this book is a YA retelling of You’ve Got Mail! Obviously I am here for it…just bummed that I have to wait until April 2017!

3. Megan Whalen Turner, Thick as Thieves — The Queen’s Thief series may be marketed as middle grade, but it is, without qualification, some of the best fantasy I’ve ever read. There hasn’t been a new book in years, but book #5 is finally coming in 2017! They’ve changed the cover art, which is unfortunate, but I can’t wait to get swept up in the world of this series again.

4. Katherine Arden, The Bear and the Nightingale — This book was being offered as an Early Reviewer book on LibraryThing, and the premise intrigued me immediately. It’s a historical fantasy retelling of a Russian folktale, and it looks like exactly the type of dreamy, gorgeous fantasy that I like to sink my teeth into on a winter’s night.

5. Ashley Poston, Heart of Iron — Here’s the summary of this one, from the author’s Tumblr: “Pitched as Anastasia meets Firefly, it’s the story of an orphan girl raised by a band of space pirates who discovers the truth about her origins when she and her android best friend get wrapped up in a political conspiracy.” PITCHED AS ANASTASIA MEETS FIREFLY!

6. Stephanie Burgis, Congress of Secrets — A romantic fantasy novel set during the Congress of Vienna, you say? And it’s been blurbed by the likes of Zen Cho, Martha Wells, and Juliet Marillier? You better believe I already bought my own copy!

7. Stephanie Scott, Alterations — Another YA contemporary retelling of a beloved movie. In this case it’s Sabrina, the lovely romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and (of all people) Humphrey Bogart. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you need to! I’m intrigued to see how well the story will translate to a modern setting.

8. Lucy Parker, Pretty Face — All I know about this one is the very brief summary from Goodreads: “It stars a bombshell and a curmudgeonly—but deadly handsome—theater director.” You had me at curmudgeonly. But seriously, I enjoyed Parker’s previous book Act Like It so much that her follow-up would be on my autobuy list no matter what!

9. Kate Parker, Deadly Scandal — First in a mystery series set in 1930s London. It’s a formula I’m unable to resist!

10. Elizabeth Edmondson, A Man of Some Repute — Subtitled “A Very English Mystery,” which honestly was enough to sell me on this one. 🙂

So, what other books should I be adding to my TBR list? What’s new to your queue?

October 2016 Readathon

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24hr readathon girl readingThe October 2016 24-hour readathon has officially begun! Here’s where I’ll update my progress throughout the day. Even though I can’t read for all 24 hours this time, I’m looking forward to a fun, book-filled day!

Intro Meme

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? East Coast USA.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Probably Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson. I love her adult novels, but I’ve never read any of her children’s books before, and this one looks adorable!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? The Smartfood white cheddar popcorn, obviously!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I am addicted to cute stationery and love writing letters.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I feel like I say this every time, but I really want to take some time to visit other people’s blogs and interact more with my fellow readathon-ers. I was pretty active on Twitter last time, and I enjoyed that a lot!

Hour 3

Although I haven’t been reading nonstop since the start time, I am pretty happy with my readathon progress so far! My first book of the day is appropriately called Beginning with a Bash by Alice Tilton. It’s a fun Golden Age mystery that I could definitely picture as a movie! I was already halfway through the book  before the readathon began, and now I’m almost done, so I hope to finish it soon! But I’m about to head out the door for a couple hours, so I’ll unfortunately have to take a reading break.

Also, I did the Six Word Story challenge: She wanted to but never did.

Hour 7

Finally home after a choir rehearsal and a spontaneous lunch with a friend. Now it’s time to catch up on some mini-challenges! I tweeted my answers for A Book and a Snack,  A Puzzling Challenge, and Happy Birthday Poem, so check out my Twitter feed if you’re curious. And now, back to reading!

Hour 11

Just finished my second book of the readathon, P.S. I Like You by Kasie West. It was, in a word, adorable! And now to catch up with some challenges:

I could pick so many answers for the Literary World Tour challenge, from Jane Austen’s England to Middle-Earth. But the first literary world that really drew me in, that made me believe it was real, was the Damar of Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown. Those are some of the first fantasy novels I remember loving, and the setting absolutely captured my imagination. If I could go there, I’d want to spend at least a few weeks, ideally during the laprun trials (to observe, not to compete). But a hot, desert climate is not my ideal situation, so I don’t think I’d want to stay there permanently!

I also entered the Red, White, and Blue challenge on Twitter. Now it’s on to my next book, which I think will be We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I want to read something a little spooky since Halloween is almost here…but I want to do it while there’s still a bit of daylight outside! 🙂

Hour 14

Just finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which I simultaneously liked and found deeply disturbing! Next up is Eva Ibbotson’s Which Witch?, which should provide a nice contrast.  And I’m thinking about the Video Game a Book challenge…if it doesn’t already exist, a Pride and Prejudice video game might be fun! It would be a quest-type game where the object is, of course, to marry Mr. Darcy. The player would have to complete tasks such as mastering a tune on the pianoforte, dancing a quadrille, playing a hand of whist, and finding Georgiana’s portrait at Pemberley. The Big Boss would be Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whom the player would have to fight in an epic ninja battle. Man, I really want this to exist now!

Hour 16

Just checking in. Halfway through Which Witch? now, which is just as delightful as I expected it to be. Not sure how much longer I’ll be able to stay awake, to be honest. I was hoping to make it to Hour 18 or 19, but I may not last that long! *blush*

Hour 20

It’s after 3:00 a.m. here, so I think it’s officially time for me to head to bed. I did finish Which Witch? and even managed to read one more book, Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros. I also squeezed in a few more challenges, but now I need to call it quits. Good luck to those who are still reading, and I hope everybody has/had as much fun as I did!

Library Sale!

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My public library’s semi-annual sale was this weekend, and I’m pretty excited about my book haul!

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Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life — I love Wodehouse’s work but know nothing about his life (except that the P.G. stands for Pelham Grenville, which is amazing). Looking forward to learning more!

Lisa Hilton, Queens Consort: England’s Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York — Medieval queens are the best! Ominously, the subtitle is incorrect, as the first queen discussed is Matilda of Flanders, the wife of William the Conqueror. Hopefully the book itself won’t contain such egregious errors.

Rose Macaulay, The Towers of Trebizond — Humorous portrayal of Anglican missionaries in the Middle East.

E.F. Benson, Lucia in London / Mapp and Lucia — I’ve been told that, as a fan of 20th century British fiction, I really need to read the Mapp and Lucia novels.

Martin Edwards, ed., Murder at the Manor: Country House Mysteries — Short stories generally aren’t my favorite, but I cannot resist an English country house mystery (or the British Library Crime Classics imprint!).

Anthony Wynne, Murder of a Lady: A Scottish Mystery — Another British Library Crime Classic.

Eva Ibbotson, Which Witch? — I love Ibbotson’s books for adults, but I’ve never tried one of her children’s books. This one looks adorable and should be a great choice for the 24-hour readathon!

Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making — I’ve been meaning to try this one for a while. I also have one of Valente’s books for adults, but from what I’ve heard, she seems like an author I’ll probably need to ease into.

Sharon Kay Penman, A King’s Ransom — My SKP collection is now complete.

V.E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic — I’ve already read and loved this book, but I couldn’t resist the hardcover in pristine condition!

Kate Parker, The Vanishing Thief — First in a mystery series set in Victorian London, and the heroine is a bookseller. Seems relevant to my interests! 🙂

E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady — This one’s been on my TBR list for ages.

Jennifer Nielsen, The False Prince — This book has been compared to the Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, which I love.

C.S. Harris, When Gods Die and Why Mermaids Sing — Books two and three in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series, which is set in Regency England. I already have book one, so I’m excited to continue acquiring the series.

I also bought two DVDs, Letters to Juliet and Becoming Jane, both of which I have seen and enjoyed. And the best part is, I was able to fit all my new books on my shelves without too much rearranging!

Review: The Sky Is Everywhere

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sky-is-everywhere-theJandy Nelson, The Sky Is Everywhere

Ever since the sudden, tragic death of her sister Bailey, Lennie has basically shut down. She doesn’t talk to anyone, not even her best friend or her grandmother. Her only consolations are reading Wuthering Heights for the umpteenth time and writing poetry about her sister, which she leaves in bits and pieces all over town. A month after Bailey’s death, Lennie returns to school and band practice on autopilot — that is, until she meets the new kid, Joe, who is both an amazing musician and an impossibly handsome boy. Joe is a shock to her system, and her instant crush on him actually seems to be requited. But Lennie is struggling with several conflicting emotions, including fear and guilt that she is betraying Bailey by continuing to live her life. Then there’s Bailey’s boyfriend Toby, who is turning to Lennie to ease his grief because she’s the only one who understands. As Lennie sorts out her complicated personal life, she also slowly begins to work through her grief.

I really loved Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun, so I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one quite as much, although I still thought it was a good read. Much as Lennie annoyed me sometimes — she spends a lot of the novel preoccupied by Joe and/or Toby — her actions did seem realistic to me. The romance was ultimately very sweet, but my favorite part of the book was the portrayal of Lennie and Bailey’s relationship. They’re only a year apart, and they’ve always been very close, with Lennie looking up to Bailey as the older and more extroverted sister. But in the aftermath of Bailey’s death, Lennie realizes that Bailey kept some secrets from her. She also learns that her admiration of Bailey has actually prevented her from following her own dreams, because she always felt that Bailey was the one who deserved the spotlight. I thought this relationship was very complex and interesting, and I’m glad Nelson spent so much time on it, although the romantic story was a little thinner as a result. Overall, I would still recommend this book, even though it didn’t quite grab me in the same way that I’ll Give You the Sun did.

Review: The Invisible Library

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invisible-library-theGenevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library

Irene works for the Library, a vast repository of writings from all over the multiverse. As far as she knows, the Library’s sole purpose is to collect these writings, with an emphasis on works that are particularly rare or influential. In general, Irene’s job is to locate a work requested by one of the Library’s higher-ups and retrieve that work from a particular world. Missions vary in difficulty based on whether the world is more orderly or more chaotic. When Irene is saddled with a brand-new assistant, Kai, and sent to a world whose balance is tipping toward chaos, she knows her latest job won’t be easy. And when Irene and Kai land in an alternate version of Victorian London, they soon learn that the general tendency toward chaos is the least of their problems. Murder, mayhem, and magic abound — but will Irene survive long enough to differentiate friend from foe?

This book is a really fun and unique fantasy novel. I loved the concept of the Library and was intrigued by the hints that something shady might be going on. At the beginning, Irene is blindly devoted to the Library and sees the preservation of literature as the highest goal. She has no interest in saving the world — or, more correctly, one of the infinite worlds that comprise the multiverse. But as she spends more time in one particular world for this mission, she starts to wonder whether there are additional moral and ethical factors to consider. I also really enjoyed the various fantasy and mystery elements in the novel. For example, Irene and Kai team up with a private investigator, and Irene is excited to fulfill her childhood dream of working with a Holmes-esque “great detective.” I was a little disappointed in the main antagonist, who is introduced as a Big Bad and remains a Big Bad throughout. But other character relationships were more fleshed out and less predictable. All in all, I think this is a very promising start to the (planned) trilogy, and I look forward to reading book two!

Review: The Darkness Knows

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Darkness Knows, TheCheryl Honigford, The Darkness Knows

It’s 1938, and actress Vivian Witchell has just landed her first big role on a popular radio show called “The Darkness Knows.” Although she has a privileged background and still lives with her mother, a leading light of Chicago society, Viv is determined to succeed in her chosen career. She knows showbiz can be cutthroat, and she doesn’t shy away from competing with her fellow actresses, both for roles and for her handsome costar Graham Yarborough’s attentions. But when a famous actress at the radio station is murdered, Viv learns that the business is even more dangerous than she knew — especially when an anonymous letter hints that she might be the next victim. The police are immediately called to investigate the murder, but the station also calls private detective Charlie Haverman to protect Viv in case the murderer decides to strike again. Charlie wants Viv to stay away from the station and stay out of trouble, but of course Viv has other ideas. Can they unmask the murderer together before Viv or anyone else becomes the next victim?

I really enjoyed this book! The mystery, while not particularly innovative, was solid, and I loved the period setting. Viv is a clever, spunky heroine whose lively narrative voice is lots of fun to follow. I did find her somewhat annoying at times; like many amateur sleuths, she takes far too many risks and races into danger without thinking about the consequences. I also found her attitude toward wealth and privilege to be a bit confusing — she insists she wants to make it on her own, but she doesn’t mind enjoying the benefits that come from living with her rich mother. I hope the issue of social class will be explored a lot more in the sequel(s) that will hopefully follow this book. I also really liked Charlie, although his characterization as a tough, streetwise detective veers toward the stereotypical at times. The banter and chemistry between Viv and Charlie is a highlight of the novel, and I enjoyed their interactions more than the slow unraveling of the whodunit. Overall, if you like the premise of this novel, it’s a very enjoyable debut, and I definitely look forward to continuing with the series.