The Monday Check-In ~ 12/4/2023

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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.

I’m in the middle of a huge project at work with big deadlines looming… so while everyone else seems to be winding down into holiday mode, I’m getting more and more stressed — which is probably why I haven’t had much reading time or focus this past week. Sigh… should see an improvement in 2 – 3 weeks (fingers crossed!).

What did I read during the last week?

Clanlands in New Zealand by Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish: A really fun road trip/buddy adventure — lots of adrenaline, banter, and a smidge of history too. My audiobook review is here.

The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren: A fun, fluffy audiobook original. If you enjoyed The Unhoneymooners, check this one out — it’s a follow-up, with some new and some familiar characters.

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake: Book 1 in a Buffyverse trilogy! I’ll post a review later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

Virgin River dropped its two Christmas episodes this past week, wrapping up season 5. They’re exactly what you’d expect from Christmas episodes — they mostly feel like something you’d see on Hallmark, with not much at all of substance happening except in the final few minutes of the second episode (where some drama is introduced to set up the next season). Oh, and for those keeping score, Charmaine finally has her babies! The pregnancy lasted more than four seasons on the show — no wonder they have her comment that she feels like she’s been pregnant for years!

In other viewing news, my daughter introduced me to Fisk, which is a terrific Australian comedy that just dropped its second season. I’ve only watched the first season so far — six 30-minute episodes, so much fun.

Fresh Catch:

I had some trade-in credits at my favorite bookstore, and came home with these two books:

I read Doll Bones years ago, but didn’t have my own copy, and I’m excited to read it again. Hag-Seed is a retelling of The Tempest, and now that I’ve both seen a production of and read The Tempest, I’m looking forward to seeing what Margaret Atwood does with the story.

I thought I’d had my fill of spending money on books (ha!), and then I found out about the new anniversary edition of Fangirl… how could I resist? My copy arrived this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros: I bought this book right when it came out last month, and feel like this is a good week to get started. Just about to dive in…

Now playing via audiobook:

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins: After seeing the new movie a couple of weeks ago, I’ve decided to revisit the book.

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 20 and 21 (of 49). Progress: 36%.
  • Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 24%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Book/Audiobook Review: Clanlands in New Zealand by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish

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Title: Clanlands in New Zealand: Kilts, Kiwis, and an Adventure Down Under
Authors: Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
Narrator:  Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
Publisher: Mobius
Publication date: November 7, 2023
Print length: 288 pages
Audio length: 8 hours 8 minutes
Genre: Travel/adventure/history/non-fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

With a forward by Sir Peter Jackson. 

Buckle up, grab a dram, and get ready for another unforgettable wild ride.  
  
They’re back! Stars of  Outlander, Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish are no strangers to the rugged beauty of Scotland. But this time they’re setting their sights on a new New Zealand. 
  
Join our intrepid Scotsmen on their latest epic adventure across The Land of the Long White Cloud in this thrilling follow-up to  Clanlands . Setting out to explore a country that Graham calls home, and that Sam has longed to visit, these sturdy friends immerse themselves in all that New Zealand has to offer — stunning landscapes, rich history, world-class food and drink, and – much to Graham’s mounting anxiety and Sam’s deep satisfaction – famously adrenaline-fuelled activities! As ever there’s not nearly enough space in their trusty camper van and with plenty of good-natured competition and tormenting to go around, Sam and Graham’s friendship is put to the test once again. Along the way we learn about the length and breadth of this jewel of the Southern Seas, exploring the fascinating story of its people while testing the very limits of Graham’s sanity. 
  
Like the very best buddy movie sequel, this latest installment is full of unforgettable experiences and loveable characters and promises to be an even more memorable ride with two of the most entertaining travel companions around. 
  
So, say goodbye to your inhibitions and kia ora to New Zealand like you’ve never seen it before. 

If you’re a fan of Outlander, Men in Kilts, buddy road trips, or simply two likable guys who banter a lot, Clanlands in New Zealand will likely tickle your funnybone.

Actors Graham McTavish and Sam Heughan are back with another silly, over-the-top road trip, this time in New Zealand. The two friends (who play at being adversaries) travel all over New Zealand, experiencing history, culture, food and drink, and tons of pulse-pounding adventure (much to Sam’s delight and Graham’s dismay).

They come off as an odd couple — the young daredevil and the older, stodgier gentleman who just wants to enjoy his lattes and a good wine. But clearly, beneath the bickering, they really enjoy each other’s company and are having a blast.

Their first Clanlands book followed the two Scottish actors around (of course) Scotland, serving as a sort of narration and accompaniment to the filming of their TV series Men in Kilts. Here, it’s a similar approach while they film season 2 of Men in Kilts. The season was — sadly — quite abridged, being only four 30-minute episodes (vs the 10 episodes of season 1). From reading this book, it’s clear that they filmed much more material, so perhaps Starz just didn’t want to commit to a longer show.

In any case, Clanlands 2 is a fun, somewhat rambling account of their odyssey, as they try rocket boats, ziplining, Zorbing, shark cage-diving, and more. They also spend time visiting places of historical significance and learning about Maori culture, as well as sampling the foods and wines of New Zealand.

I listened to the audiobook, which is definitely the way to go. The two actors/authors narrate the book in somewhat alternating sections, each getting a chance to tell their version of each day’s events — often depicting their adventures very, very differently. They also interrupt each other a lot, offer insults and comments, and altogether just never, ever stop bantering and bickering. It’s silly, but very fun.

Graham narrates many vignettes from New Zealand’s history, and these can be quite interesting, although they tend to be somewhat shoehorned in amidst all the adventures. Overall, it’s a bit of an uneven experience, going from adrenaline-spiking outings to stories about Maori and British encounters from the 1800s… every part is interesting or entertaining, but the flow can be a bit weird.

But look, we (I) read or listen to Clanlands for the personalities and their charm. This isn’t a serious history book. It’s the story of two guys on a road trip! The New Zealand setting is wonderful to hear about, and while I had the pleasure of visiting New Zealand about 10 years ago, listening to Clanlands make me itch to go back and spend more time.

While I recommend the audiobook, it’s also worth checking out the print edition, so as not to miss the photos and illustrations, which are part of the terrific whole.

A final note: Listening to Clanlands in New Zealand made me sad that we didn’t get to see more of this adventure in season 2 of Men in Kilts (and there’s no indication that there will be more episodes at some future date) — but if you haven’t had a chance to watch this silly show, here’s a little taste:

Fun, right?

Book Review: Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry

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Title: Good Girls Don’t Die
Author: Christina Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: November 14, 2023
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Thriller
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A sharp-edged, supremely twisty thriller about three women who find themselves trapped inside stories they know aren’t their own, from the author of Alice and Near the Bone.

Celia wakes up in a house that’s supposed to be hers. There’s a little girl who claims to be her daughter and a man who claims to be her husband, but Celia knows this family—and this life—is not hers…

Allie is supposed to be on a fun weekend trip—but then her friend’s boyfriend unexpectedly invites the group to a remote cabin in the woods. No one else believes Allie, but she is sure that something about this trip is very, very wrong…

Maggie just wants to be home with her daughter, but she’s in a dangerous situation and she doesn’t know who put her there or why. She’ll have to fight with everything she has to survive…

Three women. Three stories. Only one way out. This captivating novel will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Wow. What a wild ride. I didn’t have a very clear idea of what to expect when I picked up Good Girls Don’t Die — but having read a bunch of Christina Henry’s books already, I was pretty sure it would be dark and full of twists… and I was totally right about that.

As Good Girls Don’t Die opens, we’re thrust right into a weird and confusing situation. Celia is in the kitchen making her daughter’s lunch… but she doesn’t recognize the kitchen, the daughter, or even the fact that she has a daughter. Where is she? What’s going on? Her husband wishes her a good day, her best friend calls to see if she wants to go for a run before work… but who are these people? Since when is she a runner? And why aren’t there any books in her house?

Is this really my life? Did I sacrifice everything interesting about myself in order to get married, have a baby, drive a compact car?

Every time a hint of a memory enters her mind (like, hey, I prefer yoga, actually), it’s accompanied by a sharp headache. Still, something tells Celia not to admit that she remembers nothing, so she heads off to the restaurant she apparently owns to start her day.

Things go downhill pretty quickly. The irate old lady next door stops by to confront Celia over a non-existent problem, then the old lady’s nephew — an obnoxious, bigoted cop — comes to accuse Celia of assault. When the old lady winds up dead, guess who’s the prime suspect?

Then there’s Allie, in a situation nothing like Celia’s. Allie and her two friends were planning a girls’ weekend at the beach to celebrate Allie’s birthday, but suddenly not only are the friends’ boyfriends coming along, they’ve also changed the destination… to a cabin in the woods. That can’t be good. (It’s not.) As they stay at the remote cabin, Allie notices more and more details that just don’t add up, and before long, extreme danger comes for all of them.

And finally, there’s Maggie, who finds herself in a bizarre, danger-filled environment with no option but to fight through it, if she ever wants to see her daughter again. It may feel like something out of a novel or movie, but the life-threatening obstacles are all too real.

What do these three scenarios have in common? Well… I’m not telling, because that would ruin all the fun!

Good Girls Don’t Die presents the three main characters’ stories sequentially, in separate sections of the book, and then wraps it all up. Each section is fascinating, twisty, and mind-warping, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be tying your brain in knots trying to understand what’s going on.

I loved how each woman deals with her unique situation, having to figure out what’s going on, who to trust, what the risks are, and — hopefully, how to survive. The characters are each quite different, but they all have the determination needed to keep fighting, even when the odds are decidedly not in their favor.

It’s only in the final, concluding section of the book that I felt just a little bit let down. Without going into detail, I’ll say that the wrap-up felt almost too easy to me, and I wasn’t entirely convinced that the book as a whole sticks the landing.

Still, Good Girls Don’t Die is a trippy, exciting, compelling thrill. I absolutely couldn’t put this book down, and finished it all in one day.

There’s plenty of violence and blood, so be aware if that doesn’t appeal to you. Otherwise, do check it out! Good Girls Don’t Die is fascinating — pick it up when you have time to keep reading. You won’t want to stop.

The Monday Check-In ~ 11/27/2023

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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.

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a great holiday! We had a small but very fun (and delish) family dinner, and I loved having my daughter home for the long weekend.

What did I read during the last week?

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison: Terrific horror story with an amazing twist. My review is here.

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell: My latest Classics Club Spin book, warm and cozy. My thoughts are here.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert: This YA novel is a fun read, but made almost no impression on me. 3 stars — didn’t feel like I had enough to say to write a review.

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry: What a ride! I gobbled this book up in one day. Review to follow.

Pop culture & TV:

I went to see the new Hunger Games movie! The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was actually very good — and now I want to reread the book.

I finished watching the first batch of season six episodes for The Crown (the rest of season six drops in a couple of weeks). It’s heartbreaking to watch the events leading up to and including Diana’s death, knowing what’s about to happen and reliving the tragedy of it all. These episodes were very well done, I thought, but difficult to watch.

Fresh Catch:

I treated myself to this gorgeous special edition of The Cruel Prince:

It’s so pretty!!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake: After listening to the new Slayers audiobook, I’ve been in the mood for more of the Buffyverse! I’m just getting started with this book (first in a trilogy), but so far, so good.

Now playing via audiobook:

Clanlands in New Zealand by Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish: A road trip through New Zealand with these two guys… full of banter, adventure, and snippets of history too. All good 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 18 and 19 (of 49). Progress: 33%.
  • Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 22%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Book Review: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (Classics Club Spin #35)

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Title: Cranford
Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
Publication date: 1853
Length: 145 pages
Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A sampling of synopses:

Elizabeth Gaskell’s portrait of kindness, compassion, and hope

Cranford depicts the lives and preoccupations of the inhabitants of a small village – their petty snobberies, appetite for gossip, and loyal support for each other in times of need This is a community that runs on cooperation and gossip, at the very heart of which are the daughters of the former rector: Miss Deborah Jenkyns and her sister Miss Matty, But domestic peace is constantly threatened in the form of financial disaster, imagined burglaries, tragic accidents, and the reapparance of long-lost relatives.

The women of an English country village star in this Victorian classic that inspired a BBC series, from the author of North and South.   Welcome to Cranford, where everyone knows one another and a cow wears pajamas. It’s a community built on friendship and kindness, where women hold court and most of the houses—and men—are rarely seen. Two colorful spinster sisters at the heart of Cranford, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah Jenkyns, are daughters of the former rector, and when they’re not playing cards or drinking tea, they’re feeding an endless appetite for scandal and weathering commotions to their peaceful lives, from financial troubles to thieves to an unexpected face from the past.   First published in installments in Household Words, a magazine edited by Charles Dickens, Cranford was a hit of its time and today offers modern readers a glimpse into a small English town during the mid-nineteenth century.

Cranford is a lovely snapshot of a time and place. The gentle storytelling paints a portrait of a small village dominated by the various women who rule local society. Men are largely absent or unimportant; it’s the women’s gatherings, chats, rules, and visits that create the atmosphere of this sweet read.

In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women. If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his hip, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighbouring commercial town of Drumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad. In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.

Narrated by Mary Smith, whose name we don’t actually learn until late in the book, Cranford depicts a series of events in the lives of the community. We quickly discover who sets the tone and who follows along; who is considered respectable and who is most decidedly not. Whether it’s the matter of clothing or when to burn candles, there are rules for everything, and woe to those who don’t follow the rules!

There isn’t much of a plot; rather, Cranford is a series of vignettes of the characters’ lives, covering silly events (such as a visiting magician) as well as deaths, marriages, births, and the loss of fortunes. While some characters appear to be ridiculously rule-bound, there are moments of loveliness when the various residents of Cranford come together to offer help and support, often without the recipient having any idea of how much is being done for them (so as not to damage their pride).

The writing is often quite funny:

“Mrs Forrester … sat in state, pretending not to know what cakes were sent up, though she knew, and we knew, and she knew that we knew, and we knew that she knew that we knew, she had been busy all the morning making tea-bread and sponge-cakes.”

And yet, the story includes sad moments as well — stories of lost love, estranged family members, and sudden accidents.

Overall, Cranford is a gentle read, full of humor and sharp descriptions, but it is also kind and generous, even with the more ridiculous of the characters.

I’m glad to have read this little gem. Once again, another terrific read thanks to a Classics Club Spin!

Book Review: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

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Title: Black Sheep
Author: Rachel Harrison
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: September 19, 2023
Length: 289 pages
Genre: Paranormal/contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly…something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

This is my third book by Rachel Harrison, and just confirms what I already knew: This is an author who belongs on my auto-read list. I really enjoyed Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth — and Black Sheep is another terrific expedition into darkness and disturbing developments, but written with such a sharp voice that I still found myself laughing despite the awful events.

It’s going to be hard to talk about Black Sheep, because there’s a big twist that happens pretty early on and turns every expectation on its head… and while some reviewers may reveal what that is, I’m not going to. Suffice to say, I had a screeching-brakes moments of “wait… what???”, and was quietly blown away after that.

Given that, there’s really only the barest of bare bones to share. When Vesper receives the wedding invitation — to the wedding of her best friend and her own former boyfriend/first love — it’s the cap of a very depressing day working at a chain restaurant and then getting fired. What else could go wrong? When Vesper left the family and community six years earlier, it was with the very clear knowledge that she could never return. So who invited her to the wedding, and why?

With everything else in her life basically sucking, Vesper decides to go, and journeys to the remote rural town where she was raised. Her mother’s house is as she remembers — her mother Constance is the queen of slasher horror, and her house is full of terrifying bits of movie memorabilia. Vesper finds herself welcomed back by her friend Rosie and the rest of the family, but little disturbing things keep happening.

As the story progresses, it becomes clear why Vesper left in the first place — and increasingly difficult to not shout at her to run away as fast as she possibly can. But as Vesper discovers, the past doesn’t necessarily want to let her go, and some things can’t be escaped forever.

Black Sheep is creepy and wonderful, and Vesper herself is sharp, world-weary, and sarcastic, torn between memories of loving moments in her past and the scary possibility that her community and its religion are even worse than she remembers:

I was so tired of being told that faith was the answer to everything when it never seemed to solve anything. I wondered what the difference was between being told to have faith and to be quiet. I suspected there wasn’t one.

I highlighted so many great passages while reading Black Sheep — but most are too spoilery to share, so I won’t.

Let’s just leave it like this: Black Sheep is fast, entertaining, dark, and full of great surprises. In a sense, it’s utterly ridiculous, but also, Vesper herself lets us know how bizarre she finds every single thing about her life.

Black Sheep never feels less than riveting. Don’t miss it.

Top Ten Tuesday:  Reasons Why I’m Thankful for Books

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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 Reasons Why I’m Thankful for Books. What a great topic!

Here are 10 of my reasons why I’m thankful for books:

  1. Escape: I love immersing myself in the world of a book and shutting out reality while I’m reading.
  2. Learning: Although I’m almost exclusively a fiction reader, I still find myself learning so much from what I read — from medical conditions to world history to cultures that are different than my own, there’s so much to explore and experience.
  3. Connection: When I meet someone new and learn they’re a reader too, suddenly, there are endless topics to discuss and bond over.
  4. Comfort: When days are stressful or my brain feels overloaded, it’s lovely to be able to curl up with a well-loved book and feel calm and cozy again.
  5. Boredom busters: I can never be bored if I have a book with me (and I always have a book with me). Waiting rooms? Long lines? Holding for customer service? That’s okay — I have something to read.
  6. Book buddies: I love my inner circle of book buddies, those real-life people who love books as much as I do — we swap, share thoughts, make recommendations, and have book-related experiences that our non-bookish friends just don’t get.
  7. Nostalgia: Certain books take me back to places and people from my earlier years, so reading them again is not only a wonderful reading experience in and of itself, but also brings memories of family and experiences that are tied to those books.
  8. Imaginary journeys: I love it when the world of a book is so immersive that it just sweeps me away.
  9. Words, words, words: Beautiful writing, intricate wordplay, unusual vocabulary… these are a few of my favorite things.
  10. The glamour of it all! Oh, I’m kidding, but I do love just looking at my bookshelves and enjoying how pretty they all are.

What are you thankful for when it comes to books?

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

Wishing all a very happy Thanksgiving!

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The Monday Check-In ~ 11/20/2023

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.

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.