Book Review: Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Love You a Latke
Author: Amanda Elliot
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: October 8, 2024
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby’s been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.

Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There’s one other: Seth.

As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.

Let’s hear it for a Hanukkah romance with heart! Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot combines holiday cheer with the fake dating trope, then adds in deeper emotion and meaningful moments related to community, identity, and assimilation. Does that sound too serious? Never fear, Love You a Latke is fun and has an overall upbeat tone… and plenty of Hanukkah joy.

Abby runs a coffee shop in a small Vermont town, but worries that the tourist trade has fallen off, which may imperil her business’s future. When the head of the local merchant association basically ropes Abby into planning a Hanukkah festival as a tourist draw (after all, any town might have a Christmas festival — but nowhere in Vermont is there a Hanukkah festival!), Abby reluctantly agrees, but quickly realizes she’ll need help to pull it off. Unfortunately, the only other Jew Abby can find in her area is Seth, the annoyingly cheerful customer who comes into her shop every day.

With no other options, Abby asks Seth for help — and he agrees, but with one condition: He’ll help her connect with all the great food and event vendors he knows in New York, who’ll be sure to be perfect for the festival, and in exchange, she’ll come spend Hanukkah with him and his parents. A fake girlfriend is just what he needs to get his mother to ease up on the matchmaking pressure. Desperate for Seth’s help with the festival, Abby agrees to the fake-dating scheme. How hard could it be?

Over the eight days of Hanukkah, Abby warms to Seth and his parents, and rekindles her connection to her Jewish roots. Due to an incredibly toxic relationship with her parents, Abby fled not only them, but the entire Jewish community with which they seem so inextricably linked. Through her time with Seth, as well as by experiencing myriad Jewish and Hanukkah settings and events in New York, Abby begins to realize that she can reclaim an important element of her past — her Judaism — without falling prey to the harshness and negativity of her upbringing.

Of course, there are also romantic sparks being kindled as Abby and Seth light the menorah each night. Their chemistry is lovely, and while Abby struggles to avoid entanglement for way longer than I’d wished, her resistance is understandable given the pain of her past. When Abby and Seth finally do connect, it makes the waiting absolutely worth it.

A subplot throughout the book is Abby’s involvement in the Hanukkah festival. Even though she is nominally in charge, it’s clear that the woman who assigns the job to Abby really wants to retain control — and her idea of a Hanukkah festival is essentially a Christmas festival, but maybe add in a game of dreydel. Part of Abby’s evolution over the course of Love You a Latke is learning to take a stand, claim her own heritage, and refuse to be marginalized or forced to assimilate. It’s all quite awesome.

I just didn’t want Christmas in my Hanukkah, the same way I didn’t want to dip a grilled cheese in my cinnamon roll latte. Both were delicious, but I didn’t want them together

Love You a Latke deals with serious themes about emotional abuse and the lasting damage it can inflict, but the book is not a downer in any way. As Abby starts coming to terms with her life, her past, and her hopes for the future, and recognizing that her life feels richer once she reconnects with the Jewish community she thought she’d left for good, she blossoms and is able to start creating meaningful friendships and romantic connections. She and Seth are great together, but it’s also wonderful to see her connecting with new friends and feeling open to a more positive way of living her life.

The Jewish elements in Love You a Latke are handled very, very well. I loved seeing the community and the holiday represented in non-typical yet very positive ways. Too often, I’ve seen Jewish characters included in romance novel in a tokenized or stereotypical way, but I feel that’s been changing more recently. Love You a Latke brings the Jewish without ever resorting to tired old cliches, and even shows how a new generation of young adults find ways to connect to their heritage and community in all sorts of modern, fresh ways.

Love You a Latke is just the book I needed in this week leading up to Hanukkah! As I light the menorah for the first night of Hanukkah tonight, I’ll be thinking of Abby and Seth and their celebrations too!

For anyone looking for a sweet holiday romance that has something to say, do check out Love You a Latke! Highly recommended.

24Dec2024

Top Ten Tuesday & Top 5 Tuesday: Books on my wishlist (winter 2024)

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s that day of the week again…

I enjoy two different Tuesday memes, and this week, their topics align — so I’m linking up with both!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. There’s a prompt to include a link to our book wishlists, so people can grant wishes if they choose to — but honestly, I’m not particularly comfortable with that, so I’ll just list a bunch of books that I hope the Book Fairy brings!

*Also… as I’ve mentioned in past years, Santa doesn’t visit my house… but I do enjoy looking at new books by the light of my menorah!*

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books I want for Jolabokaflod, and the prompt is: The year we were travelling Europe for Christmas is the year I discovered Jolabokaflod — the Icelandic tradition of giving books as gifts on Christmas Eve. Which is honestly like the greatest tradition I’ve ever seen. So, which books would you like to receive if you celebrated Jolabokaflod?

Honestly, I love this question, and I think celebrating Jolabokaflod is going to have to become my family’s next/newest holiday tradition!

Getting down to business…

Here are my top bookish wishes this holiday season!

A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong: This is the 2nd Rockton book, and I’d be happy to own any and all volumes in the series!
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: An upcoming book group read.
I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong: I’ve already read this book as an ARC, but would love to have a hardcover edition for my shelves. A signed copy would be even better!
The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey: Another that I’ve read in e-book format — but a hardcover would go so well with my Expanse series books.
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss: I don’t tend to buy myself non-fiction books, but I think this one would be a great gift to receive.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell: This book has gotten so much buzz this year, and after reading a different book by this author, I’m eager to check it out.
You Like It Darker by Stephen King: I usually try to keep up with Stephen King’s new releases, except when they’re story collections. Still, I wouldn’t say no if this showed up at my house!
The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson: There are actually a bunch of books by this author that I’d like to read.
The Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis: I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this book since I first heard of it, but I’ve been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the Kindle or hardcover price to drop.
The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston: It’s a Buffy prequel! About Tara! I don’t think I’d buy it, but I’d be happy if it fell into my lap (and if not, there’s always the library).

What books are you wishing for? If you wrote a TTT or T5T post, please share your link!

23Dec2024

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/23/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

This past week was… weird. I was exactly sick, but I wasn’t fine either. For about four or five days, I was dealing with dizziness and light-headedness. I still worked (from home), but didn’t feel steady enough to drive or go for walks. Very frustrating. And not only did I not really feel like myself, but my lack of driving and walking meant that I also didn’t listen to audiobooks!

Over the weekend, I did bounce back a bit — still not 100%, but I forced myself to try for a bit more activity, including wrapping gifts, getting the house ready for holiday guests, and even venturing out for mini-walks in between rain showers.

Luckily, I had excellent help while I wrapped gifts!

Little Free Library — not quite back in action…

The week before last, a major storm blew over my LFL, but we managed to put it back together and get it back up and running! It seems like it’s been busy — I keep discovering new books in it when I go out to check on it.

We’ve decided to get a new post and set it into the concrete of our driveway, rather than keeping it in its flowerpot. The current setup is pretty, but as the last storm showed, not stable enough! In fact, it’s starting to tip again, so with very sad feelings, we’re moving it inside for now, rather than risk further damage. The new post should arrive before New Year’s… fingers crossed that this will be a better solution.

What did I read during the last week?

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong: I absolutely loved this thriller, and since it’s the first in a seven book series, I’m excited to have so many more books to look forward to! My review is here.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: Sweet and whimsical and wonderful. My review is here.

Hogfather (Discworld, #20) by Terry Pratchett: Terry Pratchett’s writing is always a delight — but I found myself losing interest in the plot of Hogfather the farther along I read. Lots of fun little scenes and all the quirky humor you’d expect, but the story as a whole didn’t work for me. I thought this would be a good choice for the week leading up to the holidays. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to indulge in a Discworld book after all.

Pop culture & TV:

I think I’ve run out of things to say about Survivor. The season finale went exactly as expected… and just further demonstrates that the show really needs to rethink some of its structure. I’m tired of my favorite players going out at 4 or 5, and having an utterly boring set of finalists to choose from. (Online chatter shows that most people loved the outcome this season, so I’m an outlier on this.) Will I be back for another season? Well, probably. It’s become such a tradition chez moi… but it’s definitely treading and retreading the same old ground.

On the other hand…

A Man on the Inside was a delight! If you haven’t watched it yet, please go to Netflix ASAP and check it out! The show is funny and clever, but also very touching. Terrific cast, quick pace, and some lovely emotional moments. I’m so glad there will be a season 2!

Fresh Catch:

Two new books this week:

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: I just had to buy myself a copy of this book, after reading it earlier in the week and loving it!
Schemes & Scandals by Kelley Armstrong: Beautiful hardcover edition of this Rip Through Time novella, from Subterranean Press .

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: I swore that I’d read this one before the end of the year. I’m just getting started, but at least I’ll meet my reading goal!

Now playing via audiobook:

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot: Such a terrific Hanukkah romance! Because of my health challenge this past week, I made only a teensy bit of progress — but one more good listening session should do it.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week (except over the holidays). Progress: 13%. Coming up this week: Chapters 7… and then a little break until after New Year.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

21Dec2024

Book Review: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Wishing Game
Author: Meg Shaffer
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: May 30, 2023
Print length: 320 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased

Years ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.

Make a wish. . . .

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

But be careful what you wish for. . . .

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

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

. . . You might just get it.

For all the adult readers who miss the sense of wonder and delight that a good children’s books series can bring… have I got a book for you!

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a quest story for kids who believe in wishes… and then grow up. In this sweet, inventive, lovely tale, the reclusive author of the bestselling Clock Island children’s book series announces that he’s written a new book after a six-year gap… but there’s only one copy, and it will be gifted to the person who wins his contest, which is open to only a select few.

Jack chuckled. “The book exists. And there is only one copy of it in the world. I typed it up and hid it away.”

“And you’re seriously going to entrust it to some stranger?”

“No, but I shall whimsically entrust it to some stranger.”

Shades of Willy Wonka, right?

One of author Jack Masterson’s most devoted fans is Lucy Hart, a kindergarten teacher’s aide whose deepest, most heartfelt wish is to adopt Christopher, an orphaned seven-year-old who’s become the light of her life. Reality interferes in the form of finances: Without an apartment of her own, steady income, and a car, Lucy has no chance of getting approved to foster or adopt. Perhaps, the social worker suggests, it would be kinder to tell Christopher that it’s just not going to happen.

Just as Lucy is verging on despair, the news of Jack’s contest breaks. And Lucy has a secret: At age 13, she ran away to Clock Island and met Jack Masterson. Thanks to being able to solve his riddle, she is one of the four people chosen to compete — and if she wins, she’ll own the exclusive rights to his new book, which she can then sell for enough money to make her dreams of a family with Christopher come true.

Without delving too much further into plot details, let me just say that The Wishing Game is heart-warming, enchanting, whimsical, and full of joy. It’s a book for and about adults, but retains the sense of childish wonder that the best children’s books provide. It’s also a gift for those who love and cherish books, and who believe that stories are more than words on a page.

“Why do only brave kids get their wishes granted?” she asked.

“Because only brave children know that wishing is never enough.”

I loved so much about The Wishing Game. The characters are terrific, especially Lucy, Hugo, and Jack. There’s a romantic storyline, but it’s just one part of the whole, and fits well within the overall weave of the tale. Hugo’s artwork sounds amazing, and I wish it were real! Meg Shaffer does a fantastic job of taking fictional works of art — both Hugo’s paintings and Jack’s books — and making them come to life through her vivid descriptions.

The narrative brilliantly weaves together Lucy’s past — especially the very deep childhood wounds she carries — and the future she hopes for, incorporating a child’s wishes and beliefs into the fabric of an adult life. I loved how all the various pieces come together by the end. Realistic? Maybe not, but this is a book about dreams and wishes. It works.

I came to The Wishing Game after reading the author’s more recent novel, The Lost Story. I do still love The Lost Story best, but The Wishing Game is lovely and wonderful in its own special way, and I’m so happy to have made time to read it.

20Dec2024

Holiday giving: Non-profits supporting reading, book access, and more bookish causes

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

In the midst of the last-minute, pre-holiday gift buying frenzy, I’d like to take a moment to recognize a few non-profits whose work supports reading, access to books, libraries, literacy programs, and more. If you’re looking to make donations to worthy causes before the end of the year, why not consider something near and dear to the hearts of booklovers?

I thought I’d share information on bookish nonprofits I’ve supported at various times over the past several years.

First Book:

First Book is dedicated to ensuring that all children, regardless of their background or zip code, can succeed, by removing barriers to equitable education. We reach 6.5 million kids each year in low-income communities across North America, providing books and resources through a powerful network of more than 600,000 individual educators, professionals and volunteers specifically serving children in need. This is the largest online community of its kind. By infusing high-quality resources into classrooms and programs nationwide, we level the playing field so that kids are ready to learn — because education transforms lives.

Little Free Library: Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Our mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes.

Our vision is a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader. We believe all people are empowered when the opportunity to discover a personally relevant book to read is not limited by time, space, or privilege.

And digging a little deeper:

How do we achieve our mission and vision?

Providing 24/7 book access.
Little Free Library book-sharing boxes are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and are freely accessible to all, removing barriers to book access.

Fostering new Little Free Libraries.
Little Free Library (LFL) equips, educates, and guides volunteer stewards to establish Little Free Libraries in their communities.

Granting Little Free Libraries to high-need areas.
Through our programs, LFL grants no-cost Little Free Libraries full of books to underserved urban, suburban, rural, and Indigenous communities.

Championing diverse books.
Through our Read in Color program, LFL makes books available representing BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other diverse voices to promote understanding, empathy, and inclusion.

Working with key community partners.
LFL collaborates with schools, public libraries, civic organizations, businesses, and other groups to bring Little Free Libraries to their communities.

JWI (Jewish Women International): National Library Initiative

JWI does all sorts of valuable community work, but in the context of book-related nonprofits, I want to highlight JWI’s National Library Initiative:

For a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, the immediacy of danger often means leaving home with only her children and the clothes on their backs.

JWI helps ease this traumatic upheaval by creating children’s libraries in domestic violence shelters – transforming basic spaces into comforting havens with colorful furniture and rugs, computers and toys, and hundreds of new books that represent the diversity of the women and children served.

For kids whose lives have been upended by violence, JWI libraries provide a safe place to relax, escape into a book, and keep up with homework when they’re most at risk of falling behind.

Our goal is to complete 100 fully-furnished new libraries in shelters across the country, and restock the shelves as each child leaves the shelter with a favorite book in hand, ready to start a new life.

In 2022, JWI launched two new spaces for teens and women living in shelters to find respite and comfort.

The new spaces are peaceful oases where survivors and their teen children can access laptops to find employment and do schoolwork, quietly read, and heal together.

The next two are nonprofits I’ve come across because of particular authors I follow:

Storyknife Writers Retreat:

Overlooking Cook Inlet and the heart-stopping grandeur of the Aleutian Mountain Range, Storyknife Writers Retreat, a literary nonprofit located in Homer, Alaska, hosts residencies for women from Alaska, across the United States, and internationally. Our mission is to give women writers the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Storyknife provides women with a community to support their efforts, lifting their voices.

Founded in 2014 by author Dana Stabenow, Storyknife is now open for residencies.

Scottish Book Trust: Supporting reading and literacy projects throughout Scotland.

Scottish Book Trust works to tackle inequality and break the poverty cycle through access to books and reading. Since 2020, Scottish Book Trust has distributed over 300,000 books to children and families in need through food banks, community hubs and other charities across Scotland.

And this is one that I haven’t personally contributed to (yet), but it was recently mentioned to me by a friend connected to a military family, and I thought it sounded amazing!

United Through Reading: Supports both reading and emotional connection for military families.

Deployments and frequent separations are a reality for military families. In fact, every year, more than 100,000 military parents deploy leaving nearly 250,000 children at home. That’s millions of bedtime stories missed each year by military children.

United Through Reading knows that hearing a parent’s voice and seeing their face is a truly unique experience that cannot be replaced. That’s why our storytime video recordings are able to be watched on-demand with their own copy of the book, whenever the child misses their service member. Being read to by a parent helps military children feel like their parents are closer to home, reducing stress and anxiety levels and making it easier to cope while their parents are away.

Our storytime video recordings also have many developmental benefits for military children. The shared read aloud experience expands their literacy, vocabulary, and imagination. Also, according to a National Academies of Sciences study, reading stories aloud is associated with positive child outcomes in emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social competence.

United Through Reading provides benefits for all military family members, not just children. Through these storytime video recordings, servicemembers are also able to maintain close emotional bonds with their families at home, reducing feelings of separation or loneliness and helping them reintegrate to home life when they return.

Support your local library! Our libraries do so much for us as individuals, as readers, and as community members. Why not show them a little love in return?

Of course, there are many more worthy organization supporting reading and literacy efforts across the US and around the world. Here are just a few that I’ve come across:

Do you have any favorite nonprofits that support reading, literacy, libraries, writing, or other book-related causes? Please feel free to share links in the comments!

19Dec2024

Book Review: City of the Lost (Rockton, #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: City of the Lost
Series: Rockton, #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: May 3, 2016
Length: 412 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows this crime will catch up to her. Casey’s best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana’s husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it’s time for the two of them to disappear again.

Diana has heard of a domestic violence support town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you’re accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. As a murderer, Casey isn’t a good candidate, but she has something they want; she’s a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn’t the only secret Rockton is hiding – in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

An edgy, gripping crime novel from a bestselling urban fantasy writer, City of the Lost boldly announces a major new player in the crime fiction world.

Kelley Armstrong has become an auto-buy author for me, and I’ve been loving her recent series (A Rip Through Time and A Stitch in Time) and stand-alones. I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore her extensive backlist until now… and now that I’ve started, I can’t wait to keep going!

City of the Lost is the first book in the 7-book Rockton series. The premise is certainly unique: There’s a remote town — Rockton, population 200 — located in the wilds of Canada’s Yukon territory. It’s home to those fleeing danger who need complete isolation from the outside world, but it also offers shelter to some with questionable pasts who need a way to hide out and start over. There are no navigable roads in or out — new residents arrive by bush plane, and can only leave the same way. Relocating to Rockton is a serious commitment.

The books opens with a bang:

“I killed a man,” I say to my new therapist.

Detective Casey Duncan has a huge secret that’s been weighing on her for the past twelve years. After a brutally violent attack left Casey with permanent physical and psychological scars, she went to confront the ex-boyfriend whose actions brought about the attack (and who abandoned her to her attackers). During the confrontation, she shot and killed him, although that hadn’t been her intention. While she’s essentially gotten away with the killing, she’s always known that it could catch up to her at any point.

Meanwhile, her best friend Diana has been assaulted yet again by her cruel, abusive ex-husband, and she and Casey fear that they’ll never fully be rid of him. When Diana hears about a town where people can disappear, she proposed that they both go and get the protection they so desperately need. Casey is hesitant, but she realizes that this is the best possible solution for Diana. After an intense screening process, they’re in, but with a catch: The selection process easily unearthed Casey’s secret, but because they need a detective, they’ll let her in — only for a six-month stay.

Casey and Diana’s relocation to Rockton introduces them to a world that’s truly apart from everything they’ve known. And while Diana immediately immerses herself in the social life available to her as one of the small number of women in town, Casey gets right to work under the direction of Sheriff Eric Dalton. Dalton is brusque, demanding, and no-nonsense, and while he initially did not want Casey in his town, he quickly realizes how skilled and valuable she is.

Dalton and the town are in desperate need of Casey’s talents, as dead bodies begin cropping up. At first, it’s assumed that missing Rockton residents have simply wandered off into the woods and perhaps met with accidents, but as gruesome corpses are found, it becomes apparent that a killer is at work. Everyone in town is a potential suspect, and to make matters worse, Casey soon discovers that many of Rockton’s residents are actually more dangerous than she’s been led to believe.

The murder mystery and thriller elements are detailed and complex, with plenty of misleading clues and confusing trails of evidence. For a very small town, Rockton has a lot of characters to introduce, and my one complaint about City of the Lost is that it became difficult at various points to keep all the random people and their backstories straight.

That aside, the drama and tension escalate effectively throughout the story, and I loved seeing the different pieces come together. For me, when I read a mystery series, I enjoy the particular crime to be solved in each book, but what really holds my interest and attention is the character development that connects the books. City of the Lost is only the first book, but I can tell already that the characters are going to keep me coming back for more.

Casey herself is a terrific, imperfect, complex main character, and she has fabulous chemistry with Sheriff Eric Dalton. Even before personal chemistry comes into the mix, they’re amazing as partners, butting heads constantly while also building rock-solid respect for one another as professionals. Seeing them together, for me, is the high point of the story.

Beyond Casey and Eric, there are plenty of side characters who add depth to the story and help create a picture of a full society in this little town. And while the murders do get solved, there is clearly more to uncover in terms of people’s secrets and bigger picture questions about the council that runs Rockton from afar.

City of the Lost is a fantastic way to start a series! After just one book, I can say with certainty that I’m hooked and need more. Fortunately, there are six more books to explore in the main series, and I understand that a spin-off series, Haven’s Rock, includes two books so far, with a third due out in 2025. .

I’m going to try to take my time and not do a series binge… but it’s incredibly tempting to barge straight ahead! I’m looking forward to continuing the Rockton series. Next up: Darkness Absolute.

18Dec2024

Top 5 Tuesday (on a Wednesday!): Top 5 “new” authors of 2024

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

Note: I’m a day late, but it’s the thought that counts! And my thought it that it’s perfectly okay to do Top 5 Tuesday on a Wednesday!

Last week’s topic was was Top 5 old authors of 2024 (which I interpreted as “old-to-me”), so it makes sense that this week’s topic would be Top 5 new authors of 2024! Meeghan’s prompt is: Tell us all about your favourite new authors. Either debut authors from 2024, or new-to-you this year..

To follow up from last week’s post, I’m going with new-to-me authors — authors whose books I tried for the first time in 2024… and loved!

My five are:

1: Carley Fortune

Read in 2024:

Every Summer After

2: Ali Brady

Read in 2024:

3: Meg Shaffer

Read in 2024:

The Lost Story

4: Emilia Hart

Read in 2024:

Weyward

5: Julie Leong

Read in 2024:

The Teller of Small Fortunes

There are even more new-to-me authors whose books I enjoyed in 2024… but I’ll stop at five!

Which new or new-to-you authors did you enjoy in 2024?

17Dec2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2024/2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List.

I’ll have a slew of new releases and ARCs to read from about February onward, but before then, I’m going to try to focus on books I’ve been meaning to get to for a while… with maybe one or two new releases mixed in as well.

My top 10 books on my winter TBR:

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: I keep saying this is a priority read, and yet I still haven’t read it! I’d like to get to it before the end of 2024… but the clock is ticking.
The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn: A new release from a favorite author! I haven’t seen any chatter about it yet, but it sounds so interesting.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: Another one I’ve been wanting to get to. I loved this author’s more recent book, The Lost Story.
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire: The 10th Wayward Children book will be released in January. I’m always up for another book in this series.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix: Upcoming new release for January. I love the sound of it.
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: This backlist title is being reissued (with a gorgeous new cover) in Februrary — meanwhile, I have the Kindle version, and can’t wait to dive in.
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava: My library hold is (finally) almost ready!
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett: It’s been a while since I’ve picked up a Discworld book, but this one seems like a great choice for this time of year!
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone: I stumbled across a description of this romance, and it caught my attention… and was available from the library when I went looking for it.
A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong: This is the 2nd book in the Rockton series; I’m about 50% through with book #1 (City of the Lost), and I know I’ll want to keep going!

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

16Dec2024

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/16/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Life.

I finished my holiday shopping! Whew. Some items will be shipping across the country, and a whole bunch will be delivered here for when we have our family celebrations. I’m so glad to be done!

Meanwhile… earlier in the year, my daughter gifted me a scratch-off book poster, and I finally got it dry-mounted and put up on a wall. Here’s the before:

And here’s after I starting scratching:

It’s so cute!

A little tragedy for the Little Free Library:

Heavy rain and wind gusted in over the weekend, resulting in a mini-disaster…

My LFL blew over during the night! Fortunately, the library box itself isn’t damaged, but I woke up in the morning to see quite a mess out in front of my house. The bookmark holder was in the street and all the paper bookmarks were strewn across the sidewalk, soaking wet. The books themselves didn’t fare very well. Some books were completely saturated — it was painful to throw them in the recycling bin, but they just weren’t salvageable. Still, more than half of the books stayed inside the LFL when it toppled and just ended up damp, so I think they’ll be more or less fine once they dry out.

After debating whether to keep the LFL inside the garage for the rest of the rainy season, we decided to move it back outside, try to strengthen the supports around the post, and keep an eye on the weather for future storms! We’ll be more diligent about moving it under a shelter if the forecast looks iffy going forward… but meanwhile, it’s back out there and full of books.

What did I read during the last week?

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne: Dark and disturbing. My review is here.

Two holiday audio shorts: Booked for the Holidays by Liz Maverick and The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan. Check out my quick take, here.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall: Interesting concepts, but I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Well, that’s all for Yellowstone! I loved the first several seasons, but this last half-season leading up to Sunday’s series finale was uneven, to see the least. Still, the finale tied up all the story threads, and gave most characters a satisfying send off.

Survivor season 47 will be wrapping up this week. It’s not been great — anyone I was rooting for is already out, the final four are not particularly exciting, and unless something truly shocking happens, it’s easy to see who the winner will be. Yawn.

Fresh Catch:

I enjoyed this middle grade novel so much that I decided I needed a copy of my own, and was able to find a hardcover in nice condition on Ebay.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong: I’ve been wanting to read Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series, and I’ve finally started! I’m hooked, and can’t wait to see where the story goes. I have a feeling I’ll be speeding my way through the whole series.

Now playing via audiobook:

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot: More Hanukkah romance! I’m about halfway through, and it’s a lot of fun.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 9%. Coming up this week: Chapters 5 and 6.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

14Dec2024

Book Review: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Letter to the Luminous Deep
Author: Sylvie Cathrall
Publisher: Orbit
Publication date: April 25, 2024
Length: 432 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries.

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.

Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.

In the world of A Letter to the Luminous Deep, human life is lived on ships and floating anchorages, on a planet with only one small land mass. Legend has it that one thousand years earlier, a cataclysmic event known as the Dive occurred: Before the Dive, people lived in the sky (on spaceships? orbiting stations?), but the entire civilization suddenly plummeted into the seas below. Relics of the pre-Dive world are still occasionally found, but humanity now lives on the water’s surface — or occasionally, below it.

As the book opens, we’re introduced to E. Cidnosin, a young woman who resides alone in Deep House, the underwater compound built by her late mother. E. prefers the solitude, as it keeps her brain calm and allows her a peaceful life. When she spots an unusual sea creature outside her window, she writes to a renowned scholar, Henerey Clel, to ask for help in identifying it. From that initial contact, the two develop an ongoing correspondence, through which they reveal more and more of themselves and grow to truly connect and care for one another.

Sadly, what we learn early on is that E. and Henerey were presumed dead after an explosion at Deep House. Now, a year later, E.’s sister and Henerey’s brother are trying to piece together what happened by sharing their siblings’ notes, letters, and journals. As they correspond, they form a friendship of their own, and become deeply involved in solving the mystery of E. and Henerey’s fate — and trying to determine if another mystery with worldwide implications might be at play.

I wanted to love A Letter to the Luminous Deep, but realized almost immediately that it wouldn’t work out that way. Epistolary novels are tricky: There are plenty I’ve enjoyed, but they only work if the letters are informative enough to give readers a bigger view of the letter writers’ worlds. That was not the case here. Perhaps the author’s intention was to keep an air of mystery throughout the book, but for me, the result was a lack of information that kept me from engaging with the story.

We get a sense of the world through the letters, but details are dripped out so sparingly that I felt frustrated rather than intrigued. Meanwhile, the characters themselves are hard to connect to. I couldn’t imagine much about E. or Henerey beyond their words on the page, and the lack of definition of elements of their world makes it hard to get a fuller picture of their daily lives and experiences.

With the epistolary format, all content is provided through letters and documents, and the writing style of the characters is highly stylized. Without any other narrative to provide more straightforward language or descriptions, that writing style gets tiresome very quickly.

I will say that the story picks up in the final third, and by the end, there’s a payoff for sticking with it. Still, too much of the book feels like a slog, and at over 400 pages, that makes for a less than satisfying read.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is apparently the first book in a duology, with book #2, A Letter from the Lonesome Shore, due out in spring 2025. As of now, I can’t seem myself continuing with the story.