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

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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:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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.

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

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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:

2: Ali Brady

Read in 2024:

3: Meg Shaffer

Read in 2024:

4: Emilia Hart

Read in 2024:

5: Julie Leong

Read in 2024:

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?

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

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snowy10

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix: Upcoming new release for January. I love the sound of it.
  6. 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.
  7. The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava: My library hold is (finally) almost ready!
  8. 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!
  9. 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.
  10. 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!

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/16/2024

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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.

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…

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

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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:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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.

Audio shorts: Two (bookish) holiday romances for your listening pleasure

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, okay, it’s a pretty good time of the year… but it’s a great time for short stories and novellas that tie into the holiday season.

Here are my quick takes on two short audiobooks that lifted my spirits and distracted me from shopping lists and an end-of-year crunch at work.

Title: The Christmas Book Hunt
Author: Jenny Colgan
Narrated by: Eilidh Beaton
Publisher: Amazon Originals
Publication date: December 1, 2024
Print length: 126 pages
Audiobook length: 3 hours 26 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A heartwarming meet-cute short story from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christmas Bookshop.

A Christmas mission…

Mirren’s beloved great-aunt Violet is seriously ill. Her one Christmas wish is to be reunited with a long-lost hand-illustrated book from her childhood, a challenge Mirren gladly accepts to give Violet some much-needed festive cheer.

An enchanting journey…

With no sign of the cherished volume online, Mirren falls into the fascinating world of rare books. From London to snowy Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, she chases leads from bookshop to bookshop—and bumps into mysterious, charming Theo, who, unbeknownst to her, is searching for the same book for reasons of his own…

The start of a new chapter?

As the two join forces to track the book down before time runs out for Violet, will Mirren find her Christmas miracle—and maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe… ?

For fans of Josie Silver, Jill Mansell and the Queen of Christmas herself, a snow-swept love story to warm even the coldest winter’s day.

Jenny Colgan can always be counted on for sweet, cozy stories with clever plots and relatable characters. In this terrific short story, Mirren finds herself dreading the family’s holiday get-together, largely because of how stressed out her mother gets weeks in advance. And in the weeks leading up to this Christmas, Mirren learns that her beloved great-aunt Violet is terminally ill, with only a short time left to live.

When Mirren visits Violet to see what she can do for her, Violet makes it clear that there’s only one thing she wants: the book of poetry she remembers her father reading to her when she was a child eighty years earlier. The book is A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson — easy enough to find — but she’s yearning to see the exact edition her father shared all those years ago. The problem is, she’s referring to an illustrated edition that doesn’t seem to actually exist. There are rumors, sure, but as Mirren contacts countless rare book dealers, it seems clear that she’s on a wild goose chase. But the book means so much to Violet, so Mirren is determined to continue the search.

However — one cut-throat antiquarian book dealer wants the book too, and assigns his intern/nephew Theo to follow Mirren and get his hands on the book first. Since Theo depends on his uncle for his livelihood, he has no choice but to comply — but as he follows Mirren to small towns in Wales and Scotland on their Christmas book hunt, the two strike up a friendship, and possibly even more.

Theo and Mirren’s dynamic is sweet and silly, as they follow clues and get into all sorts of sticky situations while hunting for the book — but it’s complicated, since Theo is with Mirren under false pretenses, at least at the start. Of course, before long, he’s in it to help Mirren fulfill Violet’s dying wish, and would never dream of betraying her, but by not being honest from the start, there’s a barrier to the growing feelings between the two.

Of course, this is a Christmas romance, and the overall tone is upbeat and joyful, even when misunderstandings and conflicts pop up. As a story focused on tracking down a rare book, it’s a lovely treat for book lovers. Mirren’s devotion to Violet is especially touching, and the conclusion of the book hunt is both surprising and utterly right.

The Christmas Book Hunt is such a gem! It’s a lovely listen in the lead-up to the holidays.

Title: Booked for the Holidays
Author: Liz Maverick
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky, Andrew Eiden
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication date: November 14, 2024
Print length: n/a
Audiobook length: 3 hours 41 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Free via Audible
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Brighten the holidays with this funny, heartfelt rom-com about the stories—and the love—that we never forget.

When mystery author D. B. Ziegler is late delivering her book, Abi Schore steps in to help. Surely she can give her favorite author moral support over the holiday break and get the manuscript to her boss at Tea & Sympathy Publishing in time for the new year.

When Abi shows up on Ms. Ziegler’s doorstep bearing holiday treats, she’s met by the author’s handsome grandson Dov, who reveals a startling plot twist. His grandmother isn’t able to finish the book and Dov promised he’d complete it so fans won’t be disappointed—a task that’s harder than he ever imagined.

As Hanukkah unfolds, Abi and Dov cozy up in his grandmother’s brownstone apartment working their way through his writer’s block and untangling plot threads. Before long, the novel starts taking shape … and so does their simmering attraction. Will their own story end once the book is written, or is this just the first chapter?

Another holiday listening delight! I’m over the moon to discover a Hanukkah romance that’s sweet and funny — and a great choice for people who love books about books!

Abi is an aspiring editor at the publishing house that publishes D. B. Ziegler’s hugely popular cozy mystery series. When the author misses the deadline for her newest manuscript, Abi’s bosses send Abi over to offer a pep talk and try to coax the author to finish up. What she discovers is D. B. Ziegler’s grandson Dov, who informs Abi of sad news: His grandmother has passed away, and made him promise to finish her final book for her. Problem 1: He’s not a writer. Problem 2: No one can know that she passed until after he turns in the book.

Abi is shocked and sad — Debra Ziegler is her favorite author! She’s also determined to help Dov in whatever way he needs, offering story input, a “bible” of key events and people in the series, and ongoing reminders to stop baking and get back to typing!

As Dov and Abi work together, they develop a quirky, bantering dynamic. With “Snowmageddon” shutting down streets and subways, Abi is forced to hunker down with Dov as they eat Hanukkah treats, light the menorah, and figure how to finish the series in a way that will honor Dov’s grandmother and satisfy her legions of fans.

Booked for the Holidays is a lot of fun, and I really liked the approach to celebrating Hanukkah, keeping it low-key but meaningful, and infusing the entire story with a cozy warmth.

It’s also lovely to see how much Dov loves and respects his grandmother! He and Abi have a great connection, and the story flows easily and quickly.

Another great choice for holiday audio entertainment!

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Book Review: Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

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Title: Diavola
Author: Jennifer Thorne
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Publication date: March 26, 2024
Length: 296 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.

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.

(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)

Talk about a family vacation from hell!

The air felt murky when she joined everybody at the table, but it was the usual Pace family murk, bad moods combining to form a full low-pressure weather pattern.

In this creepy, atmostpheric horror novel by Jennifer Thorne (author of the brilliant Lute), a family stay in a Tuscan villa turns nightmarish… and not just because of the forced proximity of a dysfunctional family.

Main character Anna Pace is a constant disappointment to her family. Blamed for everything from the death of her middle school classroom’s pet guinea pig to fooling around with her sister’s prom date (she didn’t, actually) to every other sort of wrong-doing imaginable, Anna is constantly on alert. The idea of spending a week with her family is so stressful that she secretly arrives in Italy two days early to squeeze in some alone time before she has to face the rest of the group.

The family’s idyllic Tuscan luxury rental seems off right from the start. There’s a dead zone around the building where nothing grows. A tower is kept tightly locked, and while Anna thought she saw a window in it, it’s actually totally bricked over. Why is there a goat kept tethered at the end of the lane? And why does Anna spot locals sneaking around with flashlights at night?

Little incidents pile up — slamming doors, spoiled food, onslaughts of mosquitoes — and then escalate into rearranged furniture and injuries caused by unseen hands. The family seems to be in the worst sort of denial. Anna’s father insists that there’s nothing wrong, because he paid for this vacation, dammit!, and they WILL enjoy it. Everyone else falls back on blaming Anna for causing problems.

“I don’t know why you’re trying to stir things up, Anna,” she spat. “I gave up trying to figure that out a long time ago, goodness knows, a long time! There is absolutely nothing wrong with where we’re staying.”

Anna knows deep down that what’s happening at the villa isn’t normal, especially given the side-eye the family gets whenever they venture into the nearby village. She can fell it in the air whenever they go back into the villa, a sense of wrongness and bad intent — and the longer they stay, the worse it gets, especially with the terrible dreams of a menacing woman that begin to haunt Anna’s every moment… even when she’s not asleep.

Oh, this book gets creepier and creepier as it goes along, and the family’s insistence on acting as if everything is okay becomes enough to make you want to pull your hair out. I would have been running away as fast as my legs could carry me as of the second day — and Anna does consider leaving, but it’s the same old family dynamic that keeps her from going:

Everybody would worry about her if she left and it would poison the rest of their vacation and she wouldn’t want to hear about it, but by God, she would. She’d hear about it at every single gathering forevermore.

The toxicity of the family is a huge factor in the horror elements. Yes, there are gruesome, gory incidents, and plenty of disturbing scenes, but the way Anna’s family treats her is one of the most upsetting aspects of this book. She’s the family scapegoat, for no very good reason except that that’s what they’re all used to. No wonder she dreads these family vacations.

Not to downplay the actual horror — the haunting storyline is scary and insidious, and there’s a moment where we readers might think that Anna has finally broken free… but then we see that there’s still quite a bit of the story left, and get a creeping suspicion that the terror isn’t even close to being finished with Anna.

Diavola is a relatively short novel, and if possible, should be read in one or two long reading sessions. Due to limited reading time this past week, I read the first half or so in little fits and starts, and found myself rather disengaged — but I’m convinced the fault was in my approach, not the book itself. Once I sat down for more extended reading over the weekend, I couldn’t put the book down and flew through the second half.

As a story of haunting and possession, Diavola is sinister and frightening. As a tale of awful family dynamics, it’s both relatable and bleak. Black humor lightens some of the worst moments, and yet the overall vibe is menacing all the way through.

There are some gross-out scenes, so be warned if you’re on the squeamish side. Recommended for horror fans who appreciate a gothic vibe in their stories of terrible family vacations.

PS – If nothing else, Diavola should be a lesson to us all to look beyond AirBnb reviews and do a good Google search when staying in ancient villas!

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 “old” authors of 2024

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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 old authors of 2024, and the prompt is: This was a newbie wrap up topic last year, but you guys loved it!! Tell us about your fave authors you read books from this year who you’ve previously read books by.

Fun idea! Sorry to the authors I’m calling “old”!! You know what I mean… Here are five not-new-to-me authors whose books I read this year:

1: Abby Jimenez

Read in 2024:

  • The Friend Zone
  • The Happy Ever After Playlist
  • Life’s Too Short

Previously read:

  • Part of Your World
  • Yours Truly
  • Just for the Summer

2: Suzanne Allain

Read in 2024:

  • The Ladies Rewrite the Rules
  • Miss Lattimore’s Letter
  • The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right

Previously read:

  • Mr. Malcolm’s List

3: Rachel Harrison

Read in 2024:

  • The Veil
  • So Thirsty
  • The Return

Previously read:

  • Cackle
  • Such Sharp Teeth
  • Black Sheep

4: Kelly Armstrong

Read in 2024:

  • Finding Mr. Write
  • I’ll Be Waiting
  • Disturbing the Dead
  • Schemes & Scandals

Previously read:

  • A Stitch in Time series (four books plus novellas)
  • A Rip Through Time series (books 1 and 2)

5: Lev AC Rosen

Read in 2024:

  • Rough Pages
  • Camp
  • Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)

Previously read:

  • Lavender House series (books 1 and 2)
  • Depth
  • All Men of Genius
  • Emmett

I could go on — looking at my 2024 reading list, I see so many authors who’ve been on my reading lists in previous years! But I’ll stop at five. These are all authors I can count on for great reading!

Which “old” authors did you enjoy in 2024?

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/9/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

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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.

We’re having surprisingly sunny weather for early December, and it’s been glorious getting some outdoor time. There was that tsunami warning earlier in the week… no tsunami actually occurred, but it was certainly startling to get the VERY URGENT alert on my phone!

Somehow, I ended up super busy over the weekend, with errands and odd jobs around the house and a nice get-together with friends. I don’t regret any of it! But it does mean that a book I thought I’d finish in a day or two has been severely neglected…

What did I read during the last week?

The Return by Rachel Harrison: Deliciously creepy. My review is here.

The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady: Really enjoyable story of sisters breaking out of their comfort zones. My review is here.

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain: A terrific new Regency romance. My review is here.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell: A warm, lovely middle grade novel. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I saw Wicked this week! I had plans to see it a couple of weeks ago, but the person I was going with got sick — and we finally managed to find a new date that worked for us both. Overall, I really liked it… except it’s too long and drags a bit from time to time. Still, the musical numbers are great, and I’m glad I saw it!

On Netflix, I started watching A Man on the Inside, and it’s so much fun! Ted Danson is charming, and it’s a quick watch (just eight 30-minute episodes). I’ve watched four so far, and hope to finish today or tomorrow.

Fresh Catch:

My Black Friday gifts to myself arrived this week:

A lovely hardcover edition of Weyward, and the Puffin in Bloom edition of Sense and Sensibility. They’re both so pretty!

Little Free Library updates:

We had several people stop by and drop off various paperbacks this week — it’s nice to see the little library looking a bit fuller!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne: It took me a while to get into this book, probably because I was only able to read in little bits and pieces for the first few days after I started it — but once I really dug into it over the weekend, it started zooming by! As of writing this post late Sunday, I’m close to the end, and can’t wait to see how it turns out!

I haven’t quite decided what to tackle next, but I think it will be one of these three:

Now playing via audiobook:

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan: What a treat! A new holiday story from Jenny Colgan! It’s very short, so I should be finished later today.

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: 4%. Coming up this week: Chapters 3 and 4.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

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Book Review: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Posted in Book Reviews by

Title: Rooftoppers
Author: Katherine Rundell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 2013
Length: 279 pages
Genre: Middle grade
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Embrace possibility in this luminous novel about a girl in search of her past who discovers a secret rooftop world in Paris.

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck that left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive—but “almost impossible” means “still possible.” And you should never ignore a possible.

So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian, threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has— the address of the cello maker.

Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers—urchins who live in the hidden spaces above the city. Together they scour the city in a search for Sophie’s mother—but can they find her before Sophie is caught and sent back to London? Or, more importantly, before she loses hope?

Phillip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials series, calls Rooftoppers “the work of a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination.”

In this charming story about love, friendship, and believing in possibilities, an orphaned child sets off on an adventure across the rooftops of Paris in search of her long-lost mother.

Never ignore a possible.

Sophie was only one year only — or thereabouts — when she survived a shipwreck, and was found floating in a cello case by a kind man who decided on the spot to give her a home and a family. Charles Maxim raises Sophie with generosity and wisdom, encouraging her wild imagination and bravery, and teaching her to embrace whatever life has to offer, even against the odds.

Charles and Sophie’s life together is threatened by the official government agency which monitors guardianships. Aghast at Sophie’s inappropriate upbringing — including writing poetry on walls, wearing trousers, and learning from life rather than school — they inform Charles that Sophie will need to go to an orphanage.

Meanwhile, Sophie has yearned all her life for the mother she can barely remember — a woman who played the cello, and was presumably lost at sea. Sophie is convinced that her mother is alive — it may not be probable, but it’s at least a little bit possible — and when the authorities seem about to take 12-year-old Sophie away from Charles, the pair hatch a daring plan.

Following a very slender lead, they escape London and make their way to Paris, where the search for Sophie’s mother seems to hit a dead end. Sophie won’t give up though, and soon makes the acquaintance of Matteo and other “rooftoppers”, orphans who make their homes on the roofs of the city. The rooftoppers are tough and cunning and creative, and help Sophie find her way across the roofs as they follow mysterious cello music and chase down further hints and clues.

Rooftoppers is a lovely, sweet book that’s never overly sentimental. Charles and Sophie have a wonderful relationship: He clearly loves Sophie, but never hesitates to support her dream of finding her mother, and meanwhile ensures that she broadens her mind and experiences life to the fullest extent possible.

The adventure is terrific, with some glorious rooftop action sequences. The solving of the mystery may not be terribly realistic, but it’s heart-warming and exciting none the less.

As an adult reader, I found the ending rather abrupt. The book has a beautiful final scene, and perhaps for the book’s target middle grade audience, that will be perfectly satisfying. For me, though, I couldn’t shut out the “and then what?” that immediately came to mind. I liked the ending, but was desperate for an epilogue to tell me where the characters went from there and how it all worked out.

Other than that, I truly enjoyed reading Rooftoppers. It’s a book that I meant to get to years ago, and I’m glad I finally picked it up. Highly recommended for middle grade readers who enjoy a bit of whimsy and adventure — as well as for adults who enjoy beautifully written middle grade fiction.