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.
What a week. After some time away, I had a huge amount to catch up on in my work life, and it was intense. Maybe because of that, I had a hard time truly relaxing enough in the evening to be able to settle in and read for big chunks of time. Looking forward to a less stressful week (fingers crossed)…
On the home front, I had an awful scare — I was chased by a dinosaur!
I mean, a super cute dinosaur… but still! Ooooh, terrifying.
What did I read during the last week?
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall: A super fluffy grumpy/sunshine romance that’s totally silly and a nice distraction from the real world. My review is here.
Me by Elton John: I finished this excellent audiobook right at the end of last week, and just posted my review, here.
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (Wayward Children, #9) by Seanan McGuire: I couldn’t hold off — I needed to read this ARC, even though the book won’t be released until January! My review is here.
Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman: A now-and-then story about a former popstar getting her big chance at a comeback. My review is here.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree: This prequel to Legends & Lattes was so much fun. Review to follow later this week.
Pop culture & TV:
After finishing Elton John’s memoir, I couldn’t wait to finally watch the movie Rocketman… and loved it. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend checking it out!
Other than that, I’m still watching the current season of Survivor (kinda boring this time around) and The Amazing Race. Plus, the new season of The Gilded Age has just started, and somehow I missed the fact that season 2 of Our Flag Means Death already aired… so I’ll definitely have plenty to keep me busy.
Fresh Catch:
I treated myself to this very pretty illustrated book:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn: This memoir is the author’s follow-up to The Salt Path, which I loved. Just getting started, but I’m really interested to find out what happened next in these people’s lives.
Now playing via audiobook:
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden: A Buffy story! With members of the original cast as narrators!!! I’m over-the-moon excited to be starting this audiobook.
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 10 and 11 (of 49). Progress: 19%.
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 10%.
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: An annual tradition! There’s a chapter for each day of the month. Even on my 3rd time through, it’s so much fun. Just two more days to go! Progress: 87%.
Still to come:
My next Classics Club Spin book will be Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, and I’m pretty happy about it. Given everything else I have going on, I’ll wait until the beginning of November to dive in.
Title: Once More With Feeling Author: Elissa Sussman Narrator: Jaime Lamchick Publisher: Dell Publication date: May 30, 2023 Print length: 416 pages Audio length: 9 hours 12 minutes Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Then. Katee Rose is living the dream as America’s number one pop star, caught in a whirlwind of sold-out concerts, screaming fans, and constant tabloid coverage. Everyone wants to know everything about her and her boyfriend, Ryan LaNeve, the hottest member of adored boy band CrushZone. Katee loves to perform but hates the impossible demands of stardom. Maybe that’s why she finds herself in the arms of another CrushZone member, Cal Kirby. Quiet, serious Cal, who’s always been a good friend to Katee, is suddenly Cal with the smoldering eyes and very good hands. One unforgettable night is all it takes to blow up Katee’s relationship with Ryan, her career, her whole life…
Now. Kathleen Rosenberg is okay with her ordinary existence, and leaving her pop star image in the past. That is, until Cal Kirby shows up with the opportunity of her dreams–a starring role in the Broadway show he’s directing and a chance to perform the way she’s always wanted. The two haven’t spoken since the joint destruction of their careers, and each of them blames the other, making their reunion a tense battle of wits and egos. Katee reluctantly agrees to the musical, as long as she keeps her guard up around Cal. But rehearsals are long, those eyes still smolder, and those hands are still very good. Despite everything, Katee can’t deny the chemistry between them. Is it ever a good idea to reignite old flames? Especially if you’ve been burned in the past?
A former pop star finds herself back in the spotlight–along with an old flame from her past–in this “friends to lovers” meets “enemies to lovers” romance from the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask, the sensational Tik Tok romance!
Kathleen Rosenberg has spent a decade living in the shadow of regret. Once the biggest pop star in the world — Katee Rose — her career and popularity were burned to the ground after a cheating scandal, when seemingly overnight she went from hugely loved to terribly despised. Her contracts were cancelled, her reputation was destroyed, and since then, she’s lived off her royalties and stayed out of the spotlight, with only her best friend Harriet and her cat Fish for company.
When Harriet’s newly written musical seems destined for Broadway — a huge breakthrough for her own career — Kathleen seems about to achieve her long-awaited moment to shine. The lead role was written for her, after all. But the show’s director and choreographer is Cal Kirby, her summer camp crush and a contributing factor in her career implosion all those years ago. To live out her dream and finally get a shot at Broadway, Kathleen will have to find a way to work with Cal, even as old resentments (and much warmer feelings) start to bubble to the surface.
Once More With Feeling is told through a dual timeline, with a primary focus in the “now” sections, as the Broadway show is developed, rehearsed, and prepared for its premiere. There are also “then” chapters woven throughout, which follows Kathleen, Harriet, and Cal’s first meeting at a summer camp for theater kids, to Katee Rose’s stardom, the rise of boy band CrushZone (which includes both Cal and Katee’s boyfriend Ryan), and then the scandal that ruined it all. We don’t truly find out what happened “then” until close to the end of the book, but there are plenty of clues, and having seen the aftermath through “now” Kathleen’s experiences, it’s clear there’s a trainwreck coming from early on.
The storytelling and dialogue is snappy and propulsive. Even when Kathleen is wallowing with edibles and ice cream, she’s interesting to be around, and I enjoyed both the “then” and “now” sequences. As a Broadway fan myself, I really got caught up in the show prep and all its tensions (and seriously, I wish that Riveted was a real show — I’d love to at least hear the soundtrack!)
Adult Kathleen still has Katee’s propensity for terrible decision-making when it comes to her personal life, and some poor choices threaten to torpedo both her life-long friendship with Harriet and her chemistry with Cal, not to mention sinking her best (and perhaps only) chance at a new stage in her failed career.
Although I enjoyed the book, I had some quibbles with the plotting as a whole. My main complaint is that the timeline takes quite a bit of effort to figure out (which perhaps is made worse by listening to the audio version — it takes much longer for things to unfold that way). It really isn’t clear early on what happened when. How long after summer camp did Katee become a pop star? How long did that last? How long ago was the scandal? When did Katee’s career fall apart? How many years has it been since? Eventually, I pieced enough together — my assumption is that after camp (age 14), Katee got a break and was cast in a teen variety show, then from there launched her solo career and became a breakout star; then at about age 25, things fell apart, and ten years later, Kathleen gets her shot at Broadway. But I wish the book had just told us this, rather than making readers guess.
A few other minor complaints: Kathleen’s camp nemesis shows up at a few key points in the Broadway casting and rehearsal process, and I expected there to be some major confrontation or crisis involving this person — but no, that element just fades away. Also, as mentioned, Kathleen really makes some poor decisions, and we can see the fall-out coming from miles away. As the ultra-processed/managed/autotuned popstar, it’s maybe understandable that she’s not able to control her own relationships and actions, but as a 30-something adult, there’s much less of a rationale for why she makes certain choices.
If you’re reading all this and thinking Britney and Justin… well, yes, I can only assume that the comparison is entirely intentional. Not everything in Katee/Kathleen’s story directly mirrors the early years of Britney Spears, but it’s clear that Katee is meant to be that level of pop star. It’s both entertaining and sad to see a young woman getting — theoretically — what she’s always wanted, and yet end up a prisoner of her own success.
The romance in Once More With Feeling is an important plot element, but not the only one. I appreciated the balance between the romantic storyline and the plot threads focusing on Kathleen as a person with frustrated dreams and deep, unresolved hurt stemming from public humiliation and abandonment.
The audiobook, narrated by Jaime Lamchick, is quite fun, with the narrator providing great personas for the characters. Her voice changes for teen Katee vs adult Kathleen, and I think it’s a sign of the narrator’s talent that we can identify that this is the same person, just at different stages of her life.
Overall, I enjoyed Once More With Feeling, and recommend it for theater kids, fans of popstars and boy bands, and anyone who appreciates a good comeback story!
Title: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known Series: Wayward Children, #9 Author: Seanan McGuire Publisher: Tor Publication date: January 9, 2024 Length: 160 pages Genre: Fantasy Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Dinosaurs and portals, and a girl who can find both in the latest book in the Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning series.
Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children.
When her fellow students realize that Antsy’s talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she’s forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise.
Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises!
A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn’t always mean finding what you need.
What can you say about the 9th book in a series? Other than that’s it’s terrific, of course! The book opens with a paragraph that beautifully sums up the overarching plot of the series:
Children of the doors know about being mislaid. They are well-acquainted with stepping through an opening or following a passage that should lead from here to there, and finding themselves someplace entirely else, someplace entirely new. It is possibly their only truly unifying experience, the one thing they have so completely in common that there’s no need to even question it: once upon a time, they took an impossible step, opened an impossible portal, and ended up in a terribly, horribly possible place.
As the newest Wayward Children book, Mislaid in Parts Half-Known keeps the overarching storylines of the series moving forward while introducing some new twists, rules, and situations for the characters to deal with. Some of the installments in the series have more of a stand-alone feel, although they’re all connected, but this is not one of those. Mislaid is absolutely a sequel, mainly in regard to book #8 and its main character Antsy, but it also continues the stories of several other characters, and it’s helpful (I’d even say critical) to be familiar with them.
The previous book, Lost in the Moment and Found, focused on a young girl named Antsy, who runs away from a dangerous situation in her home and finds herself in the world of a store that’s actually a nexus point between worlds. Antsy’s new home in the store is mostly delightful — she’s safe, after all, and has the opportunity to visit countless new worlds through the portal doors that appear and disappear. But, as she discovers by the end of the book, there’s a price to be paid, and the book ends with Antsy returning, quite changed, to her home world and finding her way to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
In Mislaid in Parts Half-Known, Antsy is settling in at the school, but doesn’t actually quite fit. She’s actually much younger than the other students, and their portal worlds are all so different that she can’t seem to connect with many of them. When a particularly dangerous student threatens Antsy’s safety, she and a handful of others escape through another door and begin a new quest.
Readers of the prior books in the series will be familiar with Antsy’s companions — Sumi, Kade, Christopher, Cora and a few newer faces too. As they flee, they’re also searching for possibilities. Most of the students yearn to return “home” — that is, to their lost worlds beyond the doors — and Antsy has the unique ability to find any door. So if they can actually go home, should they?
There are some interesting discussions about what it means to be sure about a choice, and how they’ll know when or if they’re ready, as well as conversations about whether someone truly still belongs in the place they consider home. These introspective bits are lovely, as the various characters get a chance to shine and express themselves, even in the midst of fleeing from dangerous goblins and dinosaurs.
Yes, dinosaurs. The cover doesn’t lie! The group does visit a primeval world populated by dinosaurs, and it’s amazing. I’m not going into further detail — read it and find out!
The challenge I had with this book, as hinted at earlier, is keeping track of the characters. Yes, I’ve read the entire series so far, but since they’re released at a rate of one per year, it’s been a few years since I’ve thought about some of these characters. Thank goodness there are wikis out there! I definitely had to go look up some backstories. At some point, rereading the whole series from the beginning might be a good idea!
If you’ve been curious about the Wayward Children series, I would recommend against starting with this book. It won’t make any sense! It’s such a great series, though, that I would strongly recommend picking up a copy of Every Heart a Doorway — I bet you’ll want to keep going!
I really enjoyed Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. It ends with certain characters spinning off into new directions, and leaves much still to be discovered in the wider world of the school. I can’t wait to find out where Wayward Children goes next.
Title: Me Author: Elton John Narrators: Elton John & Taron Egerton Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Publication date: October 15, 2019 Print length: 374 pages Audio length: 12 hours, 28 minutes Genre: Memoir Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
In his only official autobiography, music icon Elton John writes about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the film Rocketman.
Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was on his first tour of America, facing an astonished audience in his tight silver hotpants, bare legs and a T-shirt with ROCK AND ROLL emblazoned across it in sequins. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.
His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with song-writing partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.
In Me Elton also writes about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father.
In some ways, I feel like Elton John has been in the background of most of my life. I remember listening to Good-bye, Yellow Brick Road, Philadelphia Freedom, Crocodile Rock, and more throughout my younger days. And who can forget the media fascination with his costumes and those huge glasses?
Still, I never particularly knew much about Elton John’s life, other than the glimpses provided in celebrity news over the years — first the glamour of his huge star status and all the rich and famous people in his social circle; later, the more grown-up version who sang at Princess Diana’s funeral and raised money for important causes.
Now, having read Me, I finally feel like I know more, and I’m so glad that I do. In his memoir, Elton is honest, funny, and frank. He’s not out to make himself look good or to put on a false front — he writes about his career triumphs, but also about his addictions, his fears, and his problems across the years. As a whole, Me is a look at a remarkable talent, his origins, his growth, and his impact.
As the book follows Elton’s life, mostly (but not always) chronologically, we learn about his childhood, his early interest in music and the major musical influences that inspired him, the struggle to make music into a viable career, and then the absolutely fortuitous circumstance that led to his partnership with Bernie Taupin. Together, the two wrote hit after hit, catapulting Elton into a level of superstardom that’s never really faded.
The memoir details the exhilarating elements of sudden fame — traveling by chartered plane, the parties, the limitless spending, the sex and cocaine — but also clearly shows how out of control his life became, until finally rehab and sobriety were the only options left. We’re also treated to his romance with his husband, after years of shallow relationships, and their road to parenthood.
Me isn’t all drama and tragedy by any means — there are some very, very funny stories in there, including being ultra-catty with Rod Stewart, as well as bittersweet memories of a strong friendship with John Lennon, and then the devastation of his loss. Elton speaks lovingly of his close friendship (and musical appreciation for) Freddie Mercury, and is practically reverential toward some of his musical heroes, such as Aretha Franklin and Leon Russell.
Elton is frank when it comes to showing himself at his worst — the drugs, the extravagance, the flings — but actually quite respectful toward those he’s had falling-outs with. When friendships or professional relationships disappoint, he describes what happens, but by no means engages in pettiness or tries to tear other people down.
The audiobook is mainly narrated by actor Taron Egerton, who plays Elton John in the movie Rocketman (which I haven’t seen yet, but absolutely want to), and Elton John himself narrates the opening and closing chapters. While it’s fun to hear Elton’s voice in these chapters, it’s actually much easier to listen to the rest of the book with Taron Egerton narrating, as his diction and speaking style is much crisper and easier to take in.
If you’re at all interested in Elton John’s life and career, then I highly recommend checking out his memoir. It’s warm, open, and above all, very entertaining. I found myself really moved in parts, and laughing out loud in others. Overall, Me gave me insight into a fascinating person, someone’s whose image I was familiar with, but whose life I knew next to nothing about. A terrific listening experience.
Title: 10 Things That Never Happened Series: Material World, #2 Author: Alexis Hall Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Publication date: October 17, 2023 Length: 432 pages Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Fake amnesia. Real feelings? Real problems.
Sam Becker loves―or, okay, likes―his job. Sure, managing a bed and bath retailer isn’t exactly glamorous, but it’s good work and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git.
Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn’t get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn’t remember anything?
Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan’s guilt―as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There’s an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?
Alexis Hall excels at FUNNY, and 10 Things proves it! I really enjoyed Boyfriend Material and Husband Material, and at the top of the reasons why is the quirky, hilarious voice the author gives the POV characters. 10 Things is not a direct sequel, but it inhabits an adjacent world (the Jonathan character here appears briefly as a wedding guest in one of the other books). No prior familiarity is needed — 10 Things is a quick, light read that’s very easy to get into.
Sam manages a branch of Splashes & Snuggles (and is the first to tell you what a horrible name that is) — a successful big-box retailer of bathroom and bedroom furnishings and supplies. One running gag is that Sam never fails to mention the full name of any product he refers to — a blanket is never just a blanket, but a Brentfords Super Ultra Soft Flannel Fleece. It’s kind of annoying and also totally hilarious when repeated enough times.
Sam’s management style leaves something to be desired, frankly. He’s exceptionally nice, which means he lets his employees take lots of time off, keeps on staff a walking disaster who regularly spills coffee on the most expensive display items, and (horrors!) routinely fails to upsell protection plans. When boss Jonathan (nicknamed by the staff His Royal Dickishness) summons him to the head office to discuss sales numbers and receive a sales coaching session, it’s a sign of impending doom.
After some awkward and unpleasant interactions, Jonathan fires Sam and makes it clear he intends to fire all of Sam’s team as well… but Sam, feeling intimidated, backs into a Nexa by MERLYN 8mm Sliding Door Enclosure (i.e., a shower) and ends up with a concussion. The concussion is accompanied by some initial confusion, so when Jonathan assumes it’s amnesia, Sam (making a really bad choice) decides to go along with it.
Granted, Sam has good intentions. By faking amnesia, he can pretend that he doesn’t remember being fired, and what kind of person would fire someone who just sustained a head injury in his own store? Sam has no one to take care of him, so naturally, Jonathan takes him back to his own home — a huge but sterile place — to give Sam time to recover. And as you’d expect, Sam gets to work on slowly but surely breaking through Jonathan’s icy demeanor.
To be clear, 10 Things is the grumpiest/sunshine-iest of grumpy/sunshine romances. Jonathan is presented as cold, mean, and uncaring (he didn’t get that nickname for no reason), and Sam really is a ball of sunshine. Sam is warm, funny, guided much more by kindness than by sense, and sets out to improve the lives of everyone around him, including (somewhat accidentally) inserting himself into Jonathan’s strained family relationships and forcing some Christmas cheer into Jonathan’s world.
The writing is super fun, including just wonderfully odd phrasing that made me laugh every time.
“Actually” — Anjad could hear a factual inaccuracy at eight hundred paces in a high wind — “that’s a misconception.”
“Is not.” Tiff is still pretty young, and she still goes to the is not/is too school of debate.
“Now how’d things go with Forest?”
“Badly.”
“Thanks. Very clarificationy.”
And if I was less pissed off at him than I am then I’d spend more time than I do reflecting on how much it must have sucked for him to live like that for, well, pretty much his whole life as far as I can tell. But I’m not less pissed off than I am, I’m exactly as pissed off as I am, so I mostly just feel sorry for myself.
“Besides, did you really think I go to sleep in a suit, so my pillows know who’s in charge?”
Right now, Bruno Mars is singing about how I’m amazing just the way I am, which is very sweet of him.
The plot itself is a little lightweight. I’m not sure I really understood the Sam/Jonathan relationship at its core — we’re shown how the two connect and how Sam gets past Jonathan’s iron exterior, but I’m not convinced that I believe it. It’s still very entertaining, but I never quite felt like I was reading about anything remotely real.
There’s backstory to both of their lives and current situations, and while we learn more about Jonathan’s upbringing early on, the reasons for Sam’s work and living arrangements aren’t explained until the very end of the book (95% according to my Kindle). That felt frustrating — it would have been helpful to understand Sam’s life from the start, rather than only knowing him through his actions as the story unfolds.
Still, despite the plot straining at times to make the case for why this couple should get together, it’s still a cute and very fun read. Did I buy Sam and Jonathan as a romantic pairing? Not really… but the overall story is so silly and the push/pull between the characters so entertaining that I had a really good time just going with the flow.
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 spent the last 10 days on the East Coast for a family get-together and then some visiting time, and it was great. Lots of reconnecting with people I haven’t seen in a while, plus a few days of playing tourist, driving around, and seeing sites I never actually visited while I lived in the area.
I even went to the Bronx Zoo, which was awesome — can’t believe I grew up less than an hour away and had never, ever been there!
What did I read during the last week?
I did manage to read on and off during the week, especially on the plane and during random bits of down time. Here’s what I’ve read since my last Monday update (two weeks ago):
Starter Villain by John Scalzi: Funny and fabulous. My review is here.
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan: Just as delicious as you’d expect. My review is here.
The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen: The follow-up to Lavender House is terrific. My review is here.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: It took a while to get into, but eventually I ended up enjoying this fantasy (although I still say it’s way overhyped). My review is here.
Me by Elton John: I finished this audiobook on my drive to the airport yesterday, and loved it. Will share some thoughts later in the week.
Pop culture & TV:
Since I’ve mostly been away, I haven’t watched much of anything besides new episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race. Now that I’m back, I’ll have to find something new to binge!
Fresh Catch:
I bought a pretty coffee table book while visiting:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall: Such silly fun. I thought I’d finish this book on the plane, but fell asleep instead! I should finish today or tomorrow.
Now playing via audiobook:
Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman: I’m just getting started, but this seems like fun (and yes, as a Buffy fan, I was totally drawn to this book in the first place because of the title). (To be clear, this has no connection to Buffy at all…)
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 8 and 9 (of 49). Progress: 15%.
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 7%.
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: An annual tradition! There’s a chapter for each day of the month. Even on my 3rd time through, it’s so much fun. Progress: 55%.
Still to come:
My next Classics Club Spin book will be Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, and I’m pretty happy about it. Given everything else I have going on, I’ll wait until the beginning of November to dive in.
Title: Fourth Wing Series: The Empyrean, #1 Author: Rebecca Yarros Publisher: Entangled Publishing Publication date: May 2, 2023 Length: 528 pages Genre: Fantasy Source: Purchased
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die
Unpopular opinion time: I liked Fourth Wing, but didn’t love it. Based on the hype, as well as its dominance of the bestseller lists, I guess I just expected… more.
In Fourth Wing, Violet Sorrengail is the youngest daughter of the feared General Sorrengail, who heads the Basgiath War College and also directly oversaw the execution of the members of a failed rebellion six years earlier. Violet’s older brother and sister both ended up as dragon riders, like their mother, but Violet — petite and with painful joints prone to injury — seemed destined to join the Scribe Quadrant, like her father. In fact, Violet longed to become a scribe, but after her father’s death, her mother had other plans for her.
Forced into the Rider Quadrant. Violet undergoes challenge after challenge, where failure means not merely disqualification from rider status, but death. Ultimately, as our heroine, it’s not surprising that she overcomes the odds, stays alive, and finds a way to triumph. Her journey from frail misfit to powerful rider and wielder of magic is a story of perseverance, strong allies, determination, and intelligence.
Meanwhile, Violet almost immediately becomes embroiled in a sort-of love triangle. She’s thrown together with her childhood best friend Dain, who cares for her but doesn’t seem to fully see her — but then there’s Xaden, the dangerous, fiercely attractive son of an executed rebel leader. Xaden is Violet’s wingleader, and Violet thinks he wants her dead. Or does he?
First, what I enjoyed about Fourth Wing:
DRAGONS: The dragons here are awesome. The rider candidates must be chosen by a dragon. Those not chosen to bond often end up dead. The dragons themselves are terrific characters, and (trying carefully not to give anything away), the dragons that feature in Violet’s story are particularly spectacular.
The overarching plot: Once the dragons enter the picture, the plot itself picks up and becomes engrossing. The challenges, Violet’s journey, the struggles, the dangers — all of it escalates and intensifies in the latter half of the book.
The hints at a larger story to tell: We only learn about the history of Navarre through what Violet sees and knows. What we do find out seems like it could be fascinating, but clearly there are secrets that she isn’t privy to.
My overall enjoyment of Fourth Wing was broken up by elements that either annoyed or distracted me.
Spoilers ahead!
My quibbles:
Info-dumping: Early on, to keep her mind off the life-threatening danger of her first challenge, Violet recites the history and geography of Navarre** in her head. It’s a strange way for readers to learn the basics, and in fact, felt too transparently like the author was saying, oh hey, I know y’all need to understand the backstory here, so I’m going to shoehorn it in while Violet’s in mortal danger.
World-building: Related to the point above, the world building is incomplete and unsatisfying. We get spoon-fed bits and pieces of information about the rebellion, about border skirmishes, about the continual threat to Navarre (and hence the need for an army of dragon riders), but it’s all a little loose and ill-defined.
Love triangle: Ugh. Need I explain this one? Fortunately, the triangular bit is resolved fairly easily, but the push-pull between the gorgeous bad boy and the (also gorgeous, but in a more expected way) boy next door feels very been there, done that. Is there any question at all about who wins in this equation? Not for a second.
Plus a few other issues that bothered me:
Is this YA? What even is this book? It’s on the adult fiction bestseller lists and is marketed as adult fiction. But honestly, it reads very heavily as YA. Other than the fact that the characters are in their 20s and that there are explicit sex scenes, this could be a variant on typical YA tropes: A magical school/college, the underdog discovering great powers, magical creatures, powerful adults forcing younger people to potentially fight to the death…
I found the writing good during action sequences, but then certain phrases and word choices pulled me straight out of the story — simply too modern to fit in a fantasy world:
Even the diagonal scar that bisects his left eyebrow and marks the top corner of his cheek only makes him hotter.
Sometime in the last year, Dain Aetos went from attractive and cute to gorgeous.
With a name like Sorrengail, I bet you were the first to volunteer this year.” “I was more like volun-told.”
And especially:
“I know, right?”
I think my biggest issue with Fourth Wing is the life-or-death stakes facing students in the Riders Quadrant. Every step of their journey — including their literal first steps, across a narrow parapet to gain access to the quadrant — has a strong risk of death involved. The stakes are explained as a winnowing process: Someone who lacks the physical skill and strength to survive the college is unlikely to be chosen by a dragon or to survive the intensity of riding, wielding channeled magical powers, and aerial combat.
Part of this winnowing includes the risk of death at the hands of fellow students: These people fight to hurt, to maim, and at times, to kill. And it’s all allowed, with few exceptions. Cross the parapet, or fall to your death. Win at sparring, or potentially have your neck snapped. Make it up the vertical obstacle course, or (again) fall to your death. As a certain other fantasy book puts it, you win or you die.
And I kept asking myself: Why? This is a county in a constant state of war. Why allow this waste of resources? If someone washes out as a rider, why is death the only option? After all, the college also includes training for healers, scribes, and infantry. Wouldn’t it make more sense to demote people to a different path rather than have so many of the country’s youth simply end up dead?
Quibbles aside, I did find myself — somewhat unwillingly — pulled into the story and unable to put this book down. After an uneven start, Fourth Wing hooked me by about the 30% mark, and of course, dragons make it all so much better.
The YA-but-with-sex nature of the storytelling and the success-or-death stakes continued to bother me throughout, but once I stopped paying attention to these annoyances and just went with the plot, it really flowed. I enjoyed the character development, the battle scenes, and especially, Violet and the interplay with dragons.
The book has an extremely open-ended ending — it just stops, and nothing is tied up. As the first in a series, I suppose that’s not too surprising, but I still wasn’t expecting it when I turned to the next page after a cliff-hanger chapter ending and saw that I was done. Fortunately, the next book in the series, Iron Flame, will be released in early November — and according to Goodreads, there are expected to be five books in all.
Hopefully, the next book(s) will expand on the world-building and add more structure and information to what we already know. I may have had mixed feeling about Fourth Wing, but I certainly want to see what happens next! As of now, I’m definitely planning to read Iron Flame as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.
Iron Flame: Release date November 7, 2023
**Reading note:I read Fourth Wing in Kindle format. There’s a map of Basgiath provided at the start, which is somewhat helpful. BUT, when I visited a bookstore this week after finishing the book and happened to pick up a hardcover edition (because PRETTY), I saw that the end papers include a map of Navarre and its surrounding areas. That would have been so helpful to have before reading the book!! Why isn’t it included in the Kindle edition? Here’s an image (via Amazon) of the inside cover of Fourth Wing — haven’t found an officially available PDF of the map online yet, although plenty of fan sites and Etsy sellers have copies available.
Title: The Bell in the Fog Author: Lev AC Rosen Publisher: Forge Books Publication date: October 10, 2023 Length: 261 pages Genre: Historical fiction/mystery Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The Bell in the Fog , a dazzling historical mystery by Lev AC Rosen, asks―once you have finally found a family, how far would you go to prove yourself to them?
San Francisco, 1952. Detective Evander “Andy” Mills has started a new life for himself as a private detective―but his business hasn’t exactly taken off. It turns out that word spreads fast when you have a bad reputation, and no one in the queer community trusts him enough to ask an ex-cop for help.
When James, an old flame from the war who had mysteriously disappeared, arrives in his offices above the Ruby, Andy wants to kick him out. But the job seems to be a simple case of blackmail, and Andy’s debts are piling up. He agrees to investigate, despite everything it stirs up.
The case will take him back to the shadowy, closeted world of the Navy, and then out into the gay bars of the city, where the past rises up to meet him, like the swell of the ocean under a warship. Missing people, violent strangers, and scandalous photos that could destroy lives are a whirlpool around him, and Andy better make sense of it all before someone pulls him under for good.
Last year’s Lavender House was an unexpected delight — a taught, page-turning mystery set in the bad old days of 1950s San Francisco, a time especially dangerous for a closeted gay cop whose life is almost destroyed after he’s brutally outed.
In The Bell in the Fog, we continue the story of Andy Mills, now an ex-cop working as a private investigator from his office and apartment located above Ruby’s, a gay nightclub whose owner decides to give Andy a home and a chance at a fresh start. Andy is trying to pay his way and establish himself as a detective, but it’s hard to earn the trust of the wary gay community, which has every reason to mistrust and fear the police.
When Andy’s ex-lover from his Navy days shows up in his office, his life gets even more complicated, as unwelcome memories and feelings bubble up from his past. James is now a naval officer up for promotion, but he’s being blackmailed by a casual lover and has everything to lose. Reluctantly, Andy accepts the case, and is soon immersed in the search for a missing person, the blackmail photos, and the person pulling the strings.
Author Lev AC Rosen once again expertly manages to tell a compelling, intricate mystery story while also painting a picture of a particular time and place in history. Through Andy’s experiences, we see the sharply dangerous life of the underground gay community as well as the joys and love of found family. The mystery itself is well-constructed, with danger, plenty of red herrings, and plot twists galore.
The range of people that Andy interacts with presents yet another view into the time period, as we get to know drag performers, closeted lovers, wannabe stars, and various allies and enemies. Andy himself is a wonderful character, carrying the weight of past persecution and guilt, looking to rebuild a life, and figuring out where he fits in in his new chosen community. I loved seeing the through-lines and connections to Lavender House, and enjoyed Andy’s ongoing soul-searching and journey toward strength and self-acceptance.
Overall, The Bell in the Fog is a terrific mystery as well as a moving portrait of gay life in the 1950s. It’s a page-turner with heart — highly recommended! I hope there will be much more to come in this series.
Last week, I shared a post with my list of books for the newest Classics Club Spin challenge (see it here), and a few days ago, this spin’s number was announced. (For those keeping track, it’s CC Spin #35, and for me personally, #7!)
Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they’d like to read, number them 1 to 20, and then read the book that corresponds to the “spin” number that comes up.
For CCSpin #35, the lucky number is:
And that means I’ll be reading:
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (published 1853)
Synopsis:
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.
In case you’re wondering — yes, I’m happy with this spin! I’d been holding my breath thinking that I’d end up with a really long book this time around, and I’m perfectly content not to feel that kind of pressure. At 145 pages, Cranford should be very doable… and we have until December 3rd to finish our spin books this time around.
What do you think of my newest spin result?
Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #35:
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholom Aleichem
Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place.
Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.
First things first: Don’t be fooled by the cover. There are no cats wearing suits in this novel.
However, there are cats, and they are important, and they are amazing. Also, the author dedicates the novel to his own cats… so there you have it: Starter Villain is decidedly pro-cat. And it’s awesome.
In Starter Villain, Charlie Fitzer has been laid off from his journalism job, works as a substitute teacher, lives in a house he co-owns with his half-siblings (who all want to sell it), and hangs out with his cat Hera. He dreams of buying the local pub and making a go of it, but considering his lack of money or collateral, the chances of securing a small business loan are nil.
When Charlie’s long-estranged uncle Jake dies, it’s newsworthy, in that Jake was a multimillionaire who made his fortune in the exciting world of parking garage ownership. But it’s merely a blip for Charlie, who hasn’t seen his uncle since he was five years old.
Charlie’s life takes a turn for the weird and interesting when he’s left a bequest from Jake, conditional on Charlie standing up to represent the family at Jake’s funeral. As Jake’s only living relative, and with a potential reward to look forward to, Charlie agrees. And then the funeral is filled up by thugs and flower arrangements with very angry and/or obscene messages attached, and Charlie starts to realize that his uncle’s life might have entailed a bit more than just those parking garages.
So yes, as the synopsis explains, it turns out that Uncle Jake was a supervillain, and as his heir, Charlie is now expected to fill his villainous shoes. (And yes, there is a volcano lair, which Charlie is super excited about).
With high stakes technology, evil overlords, and dolphins seeking fair representation, it’s an understatement to say that Starter Villain goes in unexpected directions. It’s fast, silly, and full of surprises (not to mention lots of cats), and is totally fun from start to finish.
“… I’m here on an island in the Caribbean, being told I need to talk to the dolphins in the middle of a labor action about some whales that might have torpedoes, armed by a secret society of villains who want access to a storeroom full of objects probably looted from the victims of the friggin’ Nazis and who are maybe willing to blow up my volcano lair to get it.”
I always love Scalzi’s books, and it’s clear the author himself is having a great time. Starter Villain does not take itself seriously for even a moment, and the result is peak sci-fi entertainment.
“Request delivery of the second target package on my mark.” Gratas looked at me and smiled. “Here it comes, Charlie,” he said.
“Request confirmed and denied,” the voice on the other end of the line said.
“Excuse me?” Gratas looked confused.
“Request confirmed and denied,” the voice repeated.
“You’re denying my request.”
“Confirm, we’re denying it.”
“You can’t deny it.”
“Your denial of our denial is confirmed and denied,” the voice said.
The audiobook is narrated by Wil Wheaton — he does such an amazing job with Scalzi’s books that even when I read them in print, I hear Wheaton’s voice in my head. He’s expressive and hilarious — and you have to admire a narrator who can pull off assassins, tech bros, and foul-mouthed dolphins quite so well.
Starter Villain was one of the books I was most looking forward to this year, and I’m happy to say that it absolutely lived up to expectations. This audiobook was a much-needed ray of sunshine this week. I loved it!
Bookshelf Fantasies 