The Monday Check-In ~ 11/20/2023

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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.

Another crazy workweek. I ended up having to cover for a colleague who needed to be out unexpectedly, while also staying on top of my own projects and deadlines. I need time off!

But on the bright side… my husband and I went out to a restaurant that we’d enjoyed a few years ago, and it was just as yummy as we remembered! Plus, I got to do some dancing this week, and ended up turning off the TV most evenings and just curling up with a cozy blanket and a good book — very sensifying.

Goodreads.

What is going on with Goodreads? I mean, I know about its many flaws and keep using it anyway, because it mostly does what I need… but what did they do to the Goodreads Choice Awards? I know lots of folks have written about this already, but I really can’t understand why they eliminated so many categories (graphic novels, everything for children, etc) and then added romantasy… why?

What did I read during the last week?

Brothersong by TJ Klune: The 4th and final book in the amazing Green Creek series, and yes, I loved it! It’s a long book, which is why it’s the only print book I managed to get through this week. And now that I’ve finished the series, I’m feeling totally wrecked and heartbroken that there’s no more! My review is here.

The Takedown by Lily Chu: Such a fun listen! My review is here.

101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann: A gem of a reference guide to essential modern horror reading, great for horror fans as well as horror newbies.

Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories, #1) by Mary Robinette Kowal: An audiobook reread in preparation for my book group’s discussion later this month. Such a treat to revisit and enjoy all over again!

Pop culture & TV:

Nothing much, other than new weekly episodes of Survivor, The Amazing Race, and The Gilded Age. I’ll probably start the new episodes of The Crown this week, and since CBS is now airing the UK version of Ghosts, I may treat myself to rewatching it when I need some giggles.

Puzzle of the week:

Back to puzzling! This was a really fun one:

Available via Bookshop.org

A couple of close-ups of the finished puzzle:

Fresh Catch:

No new physical books, but I did pick up a few free/price-break ebooks:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m having a serious book hangover after finishing Brothersong, and had to force myself to pick up a new book to read!

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison: This is where I’ve settled for my next (non-Green Creek) read, and I have high hopes! Just getting started…

Now playing via audiobook:

Clanlands in New Zealand by Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish: Just starting today… but how could it not be oodles of fun?

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

  • Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2). We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week. Anyone who’s interested is welcome to join in — message me for info! Coming up this week: Chapters 16 and 17 (of 49). Progress: 29%.
  • Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 18%.
  • Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell: My Classics Club Spin book for fall! I’m reading this one via Serial Reader (which provides daily 10-15 minute reading installments). I’m on track to finish by the December deadline. Progress: 79%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Book Review: Brothersong (Green Creek, #4) by TJ Klune

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Title: Brothersong
Series: Green Creek, #4
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: October 13, 2020 (new hardcover to be published August 2024)
Length: 480 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett learned the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it—he—was gone.

Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind, all in the name of a man he only knows as a feral wolf. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity.

But he pushes on, following the trail left by Gavin.

Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone.

What Carter finds will change the course of the wolves forever. Because Gavin’s history with the Bennett pack goes back further than anyone knows, a secret kept hidden by Carter’s father, Thomas Bennett.

And with this knowledge comes a price: the sins of the fathers now rest upon the shoulders of their sons.

Brothersong is the 4th and final book in TJ Klune’s powerful Green Creek series… and, hold on, excuse me a minute while I dry my tears.

In Brothersong, the story is told through the eyes of Carter Bennett, oldest son of the Bennett clan, big brother to Kelly and Joe. Carter is brave, fierce, and funny, and up to now, never seemed to dive too deeply into emotions, particularly when it comes to love and relationships. But as of the end of Heartsong, Carter was forced into a startling awakening, and here in Brothersong, he’s desperate to recover a connection that he only recently realized existed.

Carter has spent the last few years shadowed by a werewolf stuck in his wolf form, which has mainly exasperated Carter… but when this wolf finally reclaims his human form and is then ripped out of Carter’s life, he experiences heartbreak and a conviction that he needs to find this person, no matter what. Leaving his pack and his brothers, Carter sets out alone on the road, chasing clues, haunted by visions and ghosts, on the verge of losing his mind, but unable to give up and go home without the person who might truly be his mate.

Without giving away too many plot points — eventually, all are reunited, and the dangerous confrontation that’s been building for four books finally becomes reality. The big bad is truly terrifying, and the violent battle toward the end of Brothersong threatens the entire pack as well as the humans of Green Creek.

I really can’t go into details without entering major spoiler territory, which would be a shame. I will say that I spent most of the last batch of chapters absolutely breathless, terrified for all these characters that I’ve come to know and love, and — I admit it — a soppy, teary mess.

As a whole, the Green Creek series surprised me with its depth, its beautiful depictions of family and pack bonds, its humor, and its superb plotting. The characters are well-developed, and while it’s a sprawling cast, we’re able to truly get to know them all over the course of these four books.

Despite the drama, the themes of past hurts and the unintended consequences of mistakes and secrets, and the ever-present threat of destruction, the Green Creek books are also prime examples of TJ Klune’s excellent use of humor. Even in the midst of tragedy and sorrow, some of the dialogue had me keeling over with laughter.

Once again, I was reading so intently that I neglected to highlight much, but even this silly scene captures the goofy (and sometimes cringey) way these characters think and act (when they’re not in mortal peril):

I stood quickly, tripping over my own feet as I surged toward the book, trying to beat her there. I should have won. She was a human. I was a wolf. I was a killing machine capable of great power with my fangs and claws. Yes, she was deadly, but I was a creature of the night. I was the monster in the dark. I was—

Falling face-first onto the floor.

The pack is amazing. They jokingly refer to themselves as “the gayest pack in the entire world” (which is likely true), and nobody blinks an eye over this — although it does lead to some random conversations such as :

“Question.” A man. One of Will’s friends. “Is everyone in the pack gay?”

“So what if they are?” I snapped.

The man shrugged. “I don’t give two shits either way. I just didn’t know if that was, like, a prerequisite for being a shape-shifter or whatever.”

It is amusing, but not a negative, to recognize certain lines and phrases that pop up in other books by the author, including this bit that never fails to make me laugh (and that I can’t help hearing in the mortified voice of Nicky Bell from The Extraordinaries):

“Why are you like this?”

And another one that’s also very Nicky:

“Straight people are are so weird,” Kelly whispered to Robbie.

On a more serious note, if you’ve read the Green Creek books, you’ll understand why this one little paragraph got me all emotional:

It was warm like a summer day. It was candy canes and pinecones, it was epic and awesome, it was dirt and leaves and rain, it was grass and lake water and sunshine.

The Green Creek books have vaulted right into my list of favorite-of-all-time series. I’m feeling totally bereft now that I’ve reached the end. How can the universe expect me to leave these books and characters behind?

One quick answer? I’m not going to. I’ve already decided that my 2024 reading plans will include a Green Creek audiobook binge.

Brothersong is a beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting conclusion to this amazing series. Green Creek is a story of a werewolf pack, but put aside the fangs, fur, and claws, and at its heart it’s a story about love and families of all dimensions — parents and their children, brothers, found families and chosen families. The relationships are what make these books “sing” as they do.

I’m so glad that Tor is reissuing the series as new hardcover books — the series deserves a much wider audience, and I hope these gorgeous new editions attract many more readers. All books are available now as ebooks; the new hardcover editions of Wolfsong and Ravensong are both currently available as well, and the hardcover editions of the last two books will be released in 2024 (Heartsong in January; Brothersong in July).

I simply can’t recommend Green Creek highly enough. These books have it all, and should not be missed.

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Audiobook Review: The Takedown by Lily Chu

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Title: The Takedown
Author: Lily Chu
Narrator: Phillipa Soo
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication date: November 2, 2023
Print length: n/a
Audio length: 10 hours 55 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Audible download
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Dee Kwan’s secrets for a happy life:
• Always remain positive, no matter the cost.
• Realize that every setback is a hidden opportunity.
• Accept compliments graciously, especially when given by mega-hot rivals.
• Never, ever question whether any of these mantras actually work.

For Dee Kwan, every day is the perfect day. No, really. She has a house she loves, a job she adores, and a ridiculously attractive “nemesis” who never seems to mind when she wins their favorite online game. How can life possibly get better? (It can’t, obviously. It can only get much, much worse.)

Soon Dee is forced to share her adorably cozy home with her parents and prickly estranged grandmother. Then she’s tossed into the deep end at work, tasked with cleaning up a scandal for the intimidatingly chic luxury fashion firm Celeste. If that weren’t enough, she discovers her hot nemesis works there, too… and Teddy is nothing like the man she thought she knew.

Before she can cry foul, Teddy comes clean about his double life: He’s the heir to the CEO, and he needs her help to make Celeste a better place—for everyone. But that means taking down the old guard—including his father—intent on standing in their way. Now in the center of a dizzying corporate coup, Dee is forced to decide whether she’s ready to stop watching the world through rose-colored glasses and instead face the truth: about herself, about her feelings for Teddy, and about what she’s willing to do to truly make a difference.

For the third year in a row, author Lily Chu has a new release offered as an Audible Original… and for the third year in a row, it’s a smart, upbeat romantic comedy with heart.

In The Takedown, main character Dee Kwan rises each morning with a daily affirmation. If she sends positive energy out into the world, positive results will manifest. Right?? Dee enjoys her position atop the leaderboard for the urban puzzle Questy, battling against the competitor in the #2 spot to keep one step ahead. And even beyond Questy, life is good: She lives in the cozy Toronto house that she bought from her parents when they moved to a rural setting, and she enjoys her new role as a diversity consultant with a well-regarded consulting agency.

Unfortunately for Dee, she suffers a couple of hard knocks in a row. First, she’s asked (told) to welcome her parents and her unloving grandmother to her home while her grandmother recovers from an injury. Second, her company’s owner has decided to close the business, and suddenly, Dee is back on the job market. On the positive side (must always be positive!) she runs into her Questy competitor on a puzzle adventure… and he’s not only hot, but totally charming.

Soon, Dee finds herself sleeping on a cot in her own home while her grandmother takes over the living room, her mother redecorates (and grows weed), and her grandmother’s pet chinchilla keeps her up all night with his squeaky exercise wheel. She does land a new job, but with a consulting firm that takes a very different approach, and is assigned as a junior consultant working on damage control at the fashion company Celeste.

Celeste is famous for its high-end luxury handbags and clothing, but their reputation has taken a hit after demographics showing the company’s lack of diversity leaked to the fashion press. Dee and her new boss are brought in to do an assessment and make recommendations, but it’s clear from day one that Celeste’s execs are interested in fixing their publicity problem, rather than making actual change.

Further complicating Dee’s worklife is the fact that Teddy, her Questy competition (crush), is both the son of the Celeste CEO and one of the company VPs. At first, Dee doesn’t understand Teddy’s passivity — how can he sit by and tolerate what’s happening? But as Dee learns, Teddy’s role in the company is more complicated than it first seems, and he’s been waiting for the right moment to start making change.

The story involves Dee and Teddy’s romance, but also focuses quite well on Dee’s personal growth and development. Dee is the biracial daughter of a Chinese father and white mother, and her grandmother treated Dee, her sister, and her father with disdain for as long as Dee can remember. As Dee now shares a home once again with her family, she’s able to question the unrelenting positivity that her mother has insisted upon all her life, and starts to reconsider how daily affirmations and unceasing cheeriness might actually keep her in a passive, static state.

Scenes at Celeste are fascinating, if sometimes over the top. From day one, Dee encounters and witnesses practically textbook examples of everything even the most basic diversity trainings teach you NOT to do. When Dee enters the conference room with her supervisor Vivian, a Black woman, the execs present persist in directing their questions to Dee, despite Vivian having clearly been introduced as the senior consultant. Vivian’s input seems to be ignored, until one of the male execs rephrases one of her statements as an idea of his own. And the white woman CFO is very clear that she represents diversity both at work and in her private life — after all, she sends her children to a public school with a large Asian population, and she really appreciates the positive example their work ethic sets for the “regular” students.

In addition to the barrage of microagressions, there are egregious examples of sexual harassment, not to mention abusive conduct toward the few people of color working behind the scenes. While Dee is eager to advocate for change, her good intentions end up thwarted by her company’s data-driven methodologies — but when she learns the depth of one exec’s misconduct, she decides to partner with both Teddy and another ally at Celeste to plot his downfall from within.

The plot of The Takedown is engaging and fresh, and the storytelling nicely blends romance, humor, and more serious issues around family, forgiveness, and honesty. It’s heartening to see Dee evolve from someone who embraces a sunny outlook at the expense of digging deeper, to a person who listens and supports without trying to sugarcoat. Additionally, I appreciated Dee learning how to confront troubling elements of her own family’s history and work toward fixing them, navigating conflict without walking away.

The romance is central, and the sparks between Teddy and Dee are sweet — I loved that they are originally drawn together by their love of trivia and playing Questy. Yes, there’s instant attraction once they meet face to face, but by then, they’d already developed a friendly rivalry and appreciation for one another’s personality and brains — which makes this a very dreamy romance indeed.

The corporate takedown storyline is fun to watch unfold, and it’s satisfying to see bad guys get what they deserve… although the resolution feels a little too neat and tidy to be possible in real life.

The audiobook is narrated by Phillipa Soo, who excels at bringing characters to life and giving them distinct voices full of personality. As a little treat for fans of Lily Chu’s previous two audiobooks (The Stand-In and The Comeback), there are teeny little references that show that this story takes place in the same general world. The Takedown is by no means a sequel and you don’t lose anything by not having listened to the other two… but it’s just fun to catch a reference to a celebrity or singer and know who they are, and one earlier book’s character does appear here in a more involved way — but as I say, these familiar elements just add to the fun, and won’t leave new listeners feeling like they’ve missed something.

Overall, The Takedown is an entertaining, light, engaging story about identity, standing up and making a difference, love… and trivia! Definitely worth a listen.



Top Ten Tuesday:  Popular Authors that I Still Have Not Read

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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  Mainstream Popular Authors that I Still Have Not Read. I’m not sure what “mainstream” means (in the eye of the beholder, I suppose), but these are all authors who gets lots of buzz and/or time on bestseller lists… and I haven’t read their books!

  1. Colleen Hoover
  2. Elizabeth Gilbert
  3. Elin Hilderbrand
  4. Nora Roberts
  5. Janet Evanovich
  6. Jesmyn Ward
  7. Abraham Verghese
  8. Brandon Sanderson
  9. Sarah J. Maas
  10. Patrick Rothfuss

A few of these I just haven’t gotten to yet but likely will eventually; and some of the authors write in genres or styles that don’t always click for me.

Are there any here that you really love? If you think I should try any of these authors… let me know and try to convince me!

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

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The Monday Check-In ~ 11/13/2023

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.

It’s been quite a week, lots of ups and downs… but hey, let’s focus on the good stuff! We had beautiful weather over the weekend (which meant lots of outdoor time), dinner with friends whom we hadn’t seen in several months, an evening out with my husband, and fun kitty play time!

This little guy spent about 10 minutes last night pouncing on wrinkles on a blanket and obsessively chasing his own tail. Cuteness galore.

What did I read during the last week?

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan: Steamy, light romance set in a cursed Scottish castle — how fun is that? My review is here.

The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn: The follow-up to The Salt Path, which I loved. While beautifully written, The Wild Silence just didn’t hold my attention the way the first book did. Lots of lovely moments, but for me, it was a struggle to get through.

Heartsong by TJ Klune: Oh, it’s probably been a minute since I last mentioned how much I love this series! I read book #3 this week, and (of course) loved it. My thoughts are here.

Pop culture & TV:

I haven’t really gotten into anything new yet — still watching Survivor and The Amazing Race, and enjoying them both. Plus, the new season of The Gilded Age has started, although I get frustrated by shows that air one episode per week — too used to binge-watching at this point, I suppose.

Fresh Catch:

A few new books this week, including fancy editions of the Fourth Wing books:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Brothersong by TJ Klune: For about thirty seconds, I planned on waiting until January-ish to start the 4th (and final) book in the Green Creek series. But who was I kidding? I have no will power when it comes to these books.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Takedown by Lily Chu: Really enjoying this audiobook! I should be finished today or tomorrow.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

  • Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2). We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week. Anyone who’s interested is welcome to join in — message me for info! Coming up this week: Chapters 14 and 15 (of 49). Progress: 26%.
  • Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 15%.
  • Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell: My Classics Club Spin book for fall! I’m reading this one via Serial Reader (which provides daily 10-15 minute reading installments). I’m on track to finish by the December deadline. Progress: 24%.
  • 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann: Shout-out to Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy, whose review alerted me to this awesome paperback guide to reading horror. I just got a copy from the library, and I’m enjoying picking it up here and there and reading little sections at a time.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Book Review: Heartsong (Green Creek, #3) by TJ Klune

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Title: Heartsong
Series: Green Creek, #3
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: October 22, 2019 (new hardcover to be published January 2024)
Length: 464 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Bennett family has a secret: They’re not just a family, they’re a pack. Heartsong is Robbie Fontaine’s story.

All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine. Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home. But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told.

Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed? More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.

The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Oh my goodness. TJ Klune does it again.

Heartsong, the 3rd book in the author’s powerful Green Creek series, continues the emotional roller coaster introduced in the previous books, Wolfsong and Ravensong. Here, the story is told through the point of view of Robbie Fontaine, a werewolf who joined the Bennett pack at a time of huge trauma and upheaval to the family. Despite his newcomer status, Robbie soon found a place to belong and formed the bonds he’d been looking for all his life.

But as Heartsong opens, Robbie isn’t with the Bennetts at all. He’s in Maine at the stronghold of another Alpha, Michelle Hughes, lovingly fostered by Michelle’s witch, a kindly old man named Ezra. For the reader, this is all very confusing. Why did Robbie leave the Bennett pack? When is this even happening? And why does Robbie seem so… off?

It turns out that our confusion mirrors Robbie’s — something isn’t right here. And as the story progresses, we learn that mind-control magic is at play, and that truly terrible things have occurred.

I’ll keep the plot points as vague as I can, to avoid spoilers. Eventually, Robbie does find his way back to the Bennetts, but even then, he doesn’t know who he truly is, where he belongs, and what all these people — who claim him as pack — might want with him. And yet, there are sparks when the pack Alphas are near, and he can’t help feeling drawn to Kelly Bennett in particular, even though he has no memory of him.

My heart absolutely ached for Robbie, for Kelly, and the rest of the pack, and the more we learn about the events leading up to this point, the more painful it all became. The characters here are so well-drawn that at this point in the series, I feel like I know (and love) them all. So please, stop making bad things happen to them!! (Sigh — a lack of danger might lead to less enthralling storytelling, but at least they’d all be happy.)

Heartsong has moments of terrible danger and violence, as well as the unique brand of laugh-out-loud dialogue that’s amazing throughout the series. And of course, I was too wrapped up in reading to stop and highlight, so these little bits are only scratching the surface:

“If you’re trying to make me feel sorry for you, it’s not working.”

“I’m not.”

“Goddammit. It’s totally working.”

“Does he know we can hear him?” I whispered to Kelly.

“Yeah,” Kelly said. “He just doesn’t care. He says it’s part of his charm, but that can’t be right.”

There’s a scene involving a cold, soup, and balloons that’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever read. For real.

What more can I say about this series? The depth of feeling and emotional connections are so beautifully portrayed, and I can never not tear up when the pack comes together to comfort and support one another. Ugh, basically, these books leave me all weepy and messy… but in the best way possible.

PackBrotherLoveFriend

Just that one little phrase gets me all emotional again…

Heartsong is a terrific addition to the Green Creek series, and sets up what I anticipate will be the big, final showdown in a powerful way. I absolutely love the mix of personal connection and action set-pieces, and above all, simply adore the Bennett pack.

If you haven’t already, I urge you to give Wolfsong a try! I can pretty much guarantee you’ll want to keep going.

For about half a minute after finishing Heartsong, I was pretty sure I’d hold off for a few months before reading the next (and last) book in the series, to make the experience last longer. But who was I trying to kid? There’s no way I’m going to wait!

As I mentioned in my review of Ravensong, Tor Books is reissuing the entire Green Creek series in gorgeous hardcover editions. All books are available now as ebooks; the new hardcover editions of Wolfsong and Ravensong are both available as well, and the hardcover editions of the last two books will be released in 2024 (Heartsong in January; Brothersong in July).

And yes, in case you’re wondering, I plan on having all four hardcovers on my bookshelves!

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Book Review: Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

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Title: Do Your Worst
Author: Rosie Danan
Publisher: Berkeley
Publication date: November 14, 2023
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become enemies-with-benefits in this steamy romance.

Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she’s pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired.

Fresh off a professional scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for redemption. After he fails to get Riley kicked off his survey site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even.

Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep finding themselves in close proximity. Too close. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.

Cursebreaking, archaeology, and enemies-to-lovers romance, all set in a crumbling old Scottish castle! How’s that for a catchy set-up?

Really, they had me at Scottish castle. As a local explains:

“This land has always been different. Special.” […] “Why do you think thousands of people pass through Inverness ever year, coming for a glimpse of an ancient monster or to touch a series of sacred prehistoric stones? It’s not just down to Jamie Fraser.”

(Well, to be fair, a lot of it is probably down to Jamie Fraser… but I digress.)

In Do Your Worst, Riley has finally decided to try to turn her family’s cursebreaking gift into an actual business, and her first big paying client is the new owner of an old castle in Scotland. Locals are certain that the castle is cursed — no owners have ever lasted, and the land itself seems to work against whoever tries to live there or fix up the place. Unfortunately for Riley, her employers have also hired an archaeologist to explore the site and verify whether there are historical artifacts to be documented and preserved. After an initial meet-cute at the local pub, Riley and Clark discover their mutual employment the next morning, and immediately butt heads.

Clark’s career went down in flames six months earlier when his project collaborator falsified findings, leading to professional disgrace. This castle project could be Clark’s one shot at redemption, but he can’t afford to have his work tarnished by association with some woo-woo occult fraud. Naturally, Riley takes offense at his attitude, and the two instantly assume combative positions, each determined to drive the other off the project.

There’s one teensy little complication — they’re also wildly attracted to one another. How are they supposed to work side by side, attempting to undercut and outshine the other person, when they also find them irresistibly hot?

Naturally, sparks fly, and hands are NOT kept to themselves. If you’ve read Rosie Danan’s previous books, you’ll know that she writes very explicit sex scenes, and that’s true in Do Your Worst as well. I mean, they’re well written and fit well within the character and relationship development… but if you prefer your bookish intimate moments implied rather than graphically shown, this may not be the right choice for you.

The cursebreaking storyline is cute, not especially deep or hard to decipher, and mainly a device for Riley and Clark to get close (and remove their clothes). The mood is not particularly serious, even when both characters are given emotionally weighty family histories to unpack and come to terms with. It seems like the author is trying to give the story and characters a little more depth, but the heavier elements aren’t all that convincing.

Overall, Do Your Worst is a light read, with plenty of banter and sex. The love story goes from attraction to soulmate level much too quickly to be believable, but hey, this is the kind of book where it helps to just sit back and go along for the ride. Even if I didn’t always buy the plot or the characters’ actions and feelings, I was always entertained.

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Would Make Great Newspaper Headlines

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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 Book Titles That Would Make Great Newspaper Headlines. I’m not sure that the books I’ve chosen would make great headlines, but hey, I tried!

My list:

  1. The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub
  2. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
  3. Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
  4. The Underside of Joy by Seré Prince Halverson
  5. The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West
  6. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
  7. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
  8. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
  9. The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center
  10. The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

Do any of these sound like newspaper headlines to you?

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The Monday Check-In ~ 11/6/2023

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

cooltext1850356879

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.

Another busy workweek, but I managed to connect with a good friend for dinner one night — our first in-person get-together in almost a year!

Meanwhile, I seem to find endless amusement trying to guess what my son’s kitty-cat will do next.

What’s on your mind, Benji?

What did I read during the last week?

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree: A huggable cozy fantasy. My review is here.

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: Another October has now passed, and with it, another re-read of this terrific, funny, non-scary horror mash-up. So much fun — see my review from when I first read it two years ago.

The Last Unicorn (graphic novel) by Peter S. Beagle: Having read the original novel a few weeks ago, I decided to read the graphic novel version as well, and I’m glad I did. The artwork is beautiful and adds another way to appreciate this lovely fairy tale.

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden: How could a full-cast recording of a new Buffyverse story not be amazing? What a treat. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched season two of Our Flag Means Death this past week — it was terrific.

I think I need to find a new binge-worthy show… but meanwhile, I’m watching Survivor and The Amazing Race, and somehow got sucked into watching bits and pieces of the current season of Dancing with the Stars, really just because Alyson Hannigan is on it and I looooove Willow.

Fresh Catch:

I bought hard copies of two books I’ve read as ebooks, because I needed them for my shelves!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan: This is an enemies-to-lovers romance, with a cursed Scottish castle as backdrop. So far, so good!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Takedown by Lily Chu: I’m excited to be starting this audiobook — I’ve really loved the previous two by this author.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

  • Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2). We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week. Anyone who’s interested is welcome to join in — message me for info! Coming up this week: Chapters 12 and 13 (of 49). Progress: 23%.
  • Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 13%.
  • The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn: I was really enthusiastic when I started this memoir last week. The Wild Silence is the author’s follow-up to her first book, The Salt Path, which I loved. Unfortunately, this one has been such slow going that I realized I needed a break. I don’t want to give it up entirely, but I think I need to stop trying to read straight through and just read chapters here and there when the mood strikes. Progress: 66%.

So many books, so little time…

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Audiobook Review: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden

Posted in Book Reviews by

Title: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story
Authors: Amber Benson and Christopher Golden
Narrators:  Amber Benson, Charisma Carpenter, James Charles Leary, Emma Caulfield Ford, Juno Dawson, Laya DeLeon Hayes, Anthony Head, Juliet Landau, James Marsters, Danny Strong
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication date: October 12, 2023
Print length: n/a
Audio length: 8 hours 2 minutes
Genre: Supernatural
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Original cast members from the beloved TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for an all-new adventure about connections that never die—even if you bury them.

A decade has passed since the epic final battle that concluded Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). The game-changing spell that gave power to all potential Slayers persists. With new Slayers constantly emerging, things are looking grim for the bad guys. Rebellious vampire Spike (James Marsters) is working undercover in Los Angeles with his old pal Clem (James Charles Leary) when he meets feisty, rookie Slayer, Indira (Laya DeLeon Hayes), who wants Spike to be her mentor. Stakes intensify as Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) emerges from an alternate reality where she alone is the Slayer, and Buffy Summers doesn’t exist. Cordelia enlists Spike’s help with a classic big bad terrorizing her world…his ex, Drusilla (Juliet Landau). Giles (Anthony Head), Anya (Emma Caulfield Ford), Jonathan (Danny Strong), and Tara (Amber Benson) also return, but through the years and the vastness of the multiverse, not everyone is who they used to be…

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is written and directed by Amber Benson and Chris Golden, and co-directed by Kc Wayland.

I’ll keep this short and sweet: If you love Buffy and wish you could return to that world once again, Slayers is a must-listen.

In this full-cast recording, years have passed and our world is pretty much under control. Sure, Sunnydale is still a sinkhole and there are still vampires, demons, and other assorted nasties, but there are also thousands of slayers worldwide, and they keep the bad buys in line. But apparently things are not quite as good in other worlds: Alternate-reality versions of Cordelia and Anya show up seeking Spike’s help — in their world, Drusilla is the big bad, and only Spike can stop her evil plot for total vampiric domination.

Accompanied by new teen slayer Indira, plus Clem and a very reluctant Giles (who’d been happily enjoying his retirement), the gang magics their way back to the other dimension, where Cordelia is the Slayer (and there’s only one), Tara is indulging in very dark magic, Spike was killed long ago, and no one has ever heard the name Buffy Summers. With this new, somewhat jaded version of the Scoobies, the action kicks into high gear, with spells, battles, possessions, and more.

It’s a total blast to hear the original cast members bring their beloved characters back to life. I’ve been needing a little Spike in my life! They’re all terrific, and the story just zips by.

A minor complaint is that the action sequences tend to be just a lot of “oooo” “owwwww” “ooooof” and punch-y sounds, and it’s not always easy to tell what’s going on based on sound effects alone. Similarly, as the story jumps from scene to scene, it would take me a few beats to figure out whether Tara, Anya, or Cordelia was speaking — they sound enough alike that it’s not consistently obvious at any given moment who we’re hearing.

Listening challenges aside, this is completely enjoyable and just oodles of fun. The story is zippy and original, the characters are true to themselves as we know them, but with years more living under their belts. It’s like revisiting old friends and figuring out whether the years have been kind to them.

The story ends with a few good twists, and is certainly left with some tantalizing loose ends that I’m hoping are laying the groundwork for a volume 2. There’s clearly much more adventure waiting for the gang, and I want to get to experience it!