Books, Books, and More Books!

No real summaries of any of these considering I read most of them in late December - early February. Here are some vague impressions.

Also, I don't have much to review currently as I've been very focused on children's literature for work and will not be reviewing that here. 

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

 - This mystery definitely kept me reading through the entire thing. I will admit that I was roped in by what seemed to be more of a supernatural story though it turned out not so supernatural in the end. I remember tearing through this around Christmas, but it wasn't very sticky. In fact, I honestly couldn't tell you how the characters solve the mystery. Nor can I remember their names. Fun book to read at the time, but clearly not memorable.

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

- Super atmospheric with a bit of Irish fairy tale woven in. It took me a bit to realize it's set in what's clearly a distant future where oceans have risen on Earth and land masses are essentially small islands. This feels right at home with books like The Night Circus or just about anything by Patricia McKillip and thus it's right in my wheelhouse. Reading it was like reading a dream. You just have to trust the story will take you where it wants you to go. 

Carrie by Stephen King

- One of those everyone knows something about this story even if they've never read it nor saw the movie. I'd always skipped this as I tend to not like horror. However, I didn't realize this was more psychological horror over paranormal/supernatural horror. Entertaining and quick read. Definitely felt for Carrie. Didn't realize how much of the novel was written as reports and news articles.

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

- I missed this book as a teen which is honestly shocking because it would have been right up my alley. The main character is quirky. The dragons are great. This was a fun read, though definitely young. I could imagine myself reading this series to my kids as they get older, though I don't think I'd go out of my way to read them myself.

The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry

- Thriller set in modern day Chicago. A mom wants what's best for her 4-year-old and enrolls him in an alternative school. The Hawthorne school takes bits from Swedish Forest Schools, Montessori, and Reggio. And while things seem to be going well to start, she notices he seems off, discussing ceremonies in the woods and shunning his classmates. 

This was a weird one for me. The premise was interesting enough, but the reader figures out what happens way before the main character. THough to be fair, that's how cults work isn't it? People get sucked in and don't believe their friends' and loved ones' misgivings until it's too late. Quick read and great bit of brain trash.

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel

Title: A History of What Comes Next

Author: Sylvain Neuvel

Pages: 299

Finished: February 2022

First Sentence: We were the Ninety-Eight

Summary: Mia's family has pushed humans throughout history to develop the technology necessary for space travel. And now it is Mia's turn. But the Germans that Mia's family has helped are now all members of the Nazi party, and Germany is about to surrender. It's up to Mia to save the knowledge all while trying to figure out who and what she is.

Thoughts: Contains spoilers: I tore through this book so quickly. A sci-fi historical novel? Yes please! Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. This book wasn't it, but it was so interesting. 

Neuvel really researched the events in the novel. In fact, he has backmatter on all of them. I really liked how he threaded Mia and her people into the events in an incredibly plausible way. 

It was interesting seeing the two sets of aliens, the all female Kibsu and then the all male Trackers. It was pretty clear early on that they were connected from a long, distant past. I would have liked a bit more explanation there, but perhaps it's coming in the next book.

Overall, this was an interesting read and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one. I do wish I had listened to the music from the playlist included with the book, but I was reading so fast, I never really made time for it.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

Title: A Master of Djinn

Author: P. Djeli Clark

Pages: 390

Finished: December 13, 2021

First Sentence: Archibald James Portendorf disliked stairs.

Summary: Genies and other magical beings have come back to Egypt. In 1912, Fatma el-Sha'arawi investigates a homicide of a secret society dedicated to al-Jahiz, the mystic who brought djinn back into the world. However, the person who claimed the Brotherhood claims to be al-Jahiz himself, back in the world and eager to destroy mankind.

Thoughts: I received an ARC of this back in the spring in exchange for an honest review. 

Worldbuilding/Setting: I'm a sucker for steampunk and fantasy. Especially when it mixes with real world. The world building here worked for me especially since it was set in Egypt instead of the more traditional Western cultures many books. Nothing here really threw me.

Characterization: While I appreciated that the main characters were all women, I was disappointed in Fatma. She definitely came across as different to prove she's not like other women. I know many women go through this, me included. But to never see it addressed, it just felt like it was celebrating internalized misogyny. That being said, I appreciated that all the characters came across as competent in their jobs, both men and women. 

Overall, the storyline was interesting and I did enjoy reading it. 

October/November Books

A number of my reading projects finished up at around the same time right when life got really busy, and I never wrote the reviews. Since then, all the other books I've picked up have either been duds or are children's books that I won't be reviewing. So here's some short reviews with close to a month space from when I read them...

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

- A thriller involving gentrification and the idea that it's more sinister than just upper middle class white people moving into a predominantly poor black neighborhood. 

The book moves at a decent clip with all the writing conventions designed to keep you reading. The story wasn't fully that farfetched especially as more white people are becoming aware of the systemic racism that built, shaped, and continues to exist in our country. I especially liked the resolution and who was involved in helping save the neighborhood. I don't know that thrillers are much of my wheelhouse, but this was definitely a welcome read post the book I'd read before it.

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

- I came across this title in late September on a reddit thread of all places. Someone mentioned they read it one chapter a night every October. I had no idea what I was in for, but I grabbed it all the same.

Told from the eyes of Snuff  the dog, companion to Jack the Ripper, we discover a group of eccentrics living in the Victorian English Countryside participating in The Game. Will the Openers bring the Old Ones into the world, or will the Closers manage to keep them out? Each chapter takes place in the span of one day in October. 

This book was delightfully quirky and perfect for Spooky Season. Recognizable characters such as Dracula and Frankenstein make an appearance. The Lovecraftian influence was perfectly creepy. There was plenty of humor in the right places. I particularly enjoyed how the story unfolded as each night progressed. Reading only a chapter a night was kind of fun. It really added to the flavor of the text with the beginning of the month being set up and then having things ramp up as Halloween was around the corner. I don't know that I'll read this every October as some do, but I could pick it up again.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

While this probably should be its own review, it took me almost two years to read this book with some hefty breaks in between. It started out strong for me. I was invested in the characters and wanted to see what would happen. There was even some humor in the writing. But then we'd get to Levin's chapters and the treatises on Russian farming, and I found myself losing interest. 

Levin's Arc: I felt that I needed a primer on late 19th century Russian history while reading his arc. Obviously there was a lot about tradition vs. modernization that played into his story, but knowing little about the politics and social climate at the time in Russia, I found myself just bored with the arc. But in the end, he found happiness, and I'm glad the book ended with his happy though a bit morally preachy story.

Anna's Arc: Ooof. So much drama! And so much hypocrisy. Seriously? Oblonsky can sleep with all the women and still be in society but Anna cannot! I know. 19th century and gender etc... But Anna. Oh my goodness Anna! It seemed like she chose the most self-destructive action at every turn to the point where she ended up killing herself. And boy did Tolstoy make her as unlikeable as possible. 

In the end, I feel like this book would have gone better for me had I read up a bit on the time period, and if I had read it in a shorter time span. There was just so much information to keep up with! I didn't find any of the characters particularly enjoyable. And while that shouldn't be criteria for a book being good or not, it can make it difficult to enjoy the book.

Since reading it, I'm finding many mentions of how amazing this novel is. Much like Count of Monte Cristo and Wuthering Heights, I feel as though I'm missing something. Perhaps the issue really is that I just don't like reading unlikeable characters. 

Up next on my nightstand are a couple fantasy books that I'm looking forward to. We'll see what comes of those!

Smoke by Dan Vyleta

Title: Smoke

Author: Dan Vyleta

Pages: 448

Finished: August 2021

A bit of a lighter review here. I read this back in August and never wrote about it, but by now my thoughts are a bit more fleeting. 

I picked the book up due to the premise. The idea that smoke issues from people when they lie or sin. Between that and the Dickensian feel of the novel, I was intrigued. 

The book moved quickly enough. I kept reading in order to find out more. However, I feel like what I expected the book to be was different than it actually was. I was more interested in bits that were mentioned but not pursued. Perhaps the sequel explains more of what I'm looking for, but I'm not interested enough to move forward with it. 

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker

Title: The Hidden Palace

Author: Helene Wecker

Pages: 469

Finished: August 1, 2021

First Sentence: Of all the myriad races of thinking creatures in the world, the two that most delight in telling stories are the flesh-and-blood humans and the long-lived, fiery jinn.

Summary: The Golem, Chava and the Jinni, Ahmad continue their exploration of humanity following the events of the first book. The Jinni pushes Chava to do things for herself while Chava tries to get the Jinni to actually care about others around him. Meanwhile, Sophia Wilkes travels to Syria to try and find a cure for her illness, eschewing her family name in the process. News of the Ironbound Jinni Travels through the Jinni communities, capturing the interest of a jinniyeh who's immune to iron. And in New York, a girl helps her father build a Golem. Over the course of 15 years, their stories intertwine set in the backdrop of the early 20th century. 

Thoughts: I read this book in two days. Much like the first one, it swept me along it's journey and didn't let go until I finished it. Wecker's writing style is very lyrical which always draws me in. The addition of the mystical over a very detailed real world is very compelling as well. Her characters are well thought out and develop well through the story. Her sense of place is fantastic. This is a stunning follow-up to The Golem and the Jinni. Honestly, I don't know what else to say other than go read it. After reading the first one of course.

Five Books

I've read plenty in the past few months. Instead of giving full reviews for each one (considering some were from months ago and have fuzzied out a bit in my mind) I'll put some thoughts here.

The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin

- Essun knows she must travel to the other side of the world in order to catch the moon even as she helps Castrima make their way to Rennanis. Nassun and Schaffa, meanwhile, make their way to Corepoint in order to break the world. Meanwhile Hoa takes us to his past with the story of how the Seasons started.

Dedication: To those who've survived: Breathe. That's it. Once more. Good. You're good. Even if you're not, you're alive. That is a victory.

Much like the first two, I found myself compelled to read to the end and figure out what the hell had happened to this world even through the ugliness of the characters. In particular, I was very interested in the story Hoa told of how he and his people broke the world and became the first Stone Eaters. The mirrors between his life and Essun's were interesting to catch though depressing when one realizes that few things change. People dislike those who are different. They distrust those who are different. And they will do horrible things to those they think they are better than. 

The book concluded the story satisfactorily for me. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes dark, high fantasy. But be prepared because it is dark.

The Memory Theater by Karen Tidbeck

- The denizens of The Gardens spend all their time partying, playing croquet, and hunting their servants whose time has come to an end. Dora and Thistle escape the gardens even as Thistle's mistress is cast out for bringing Time to the Gardens. It's up to Dora and Thistle to find Augusta to retrieve Thistle's real name, while Augusta will do just about anything to make her way back to The Gardens.

Another dark fantasy, this one tells of a world outside of ours. A Fairyland of sorts. Though the people who live in this world of Faerie, known as the Gardens, are cruel. The Gardens part of the plot is somewhat disheartening and definitely not for those with a weak stomach. However, once the main characters escape from the garden, things pick up. I particularly enjoyed seeing the titular theatre. 

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

- The Swan Inn on the Thames is famous for its storytelling. One Midwinter's Eve, the locals gather around to listen, only to be interrupted by an injured man carrying a corpse. Hours later, the corpse comes to life as a girl. A girl who's claimed by three different families. 

This one was hard to put down. In general, the writing style was lovely. It felt like I was reading a fairy tale or legend even though it's a modern book set in turn-of-the-century England.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

- Chava, a golem made of clay to serve a master, finds herself masterless in New York at the turn of the century. Ahmed, a jinni from Syria, also finds himself in New York with his only memories from his life thousands of years ago. Both feel out of place as they struggle to find their way in this giant city where they don't fit in.

Blech... that's a horrible summary for an exquisite book. This is a reread as the second book is coming out this year. I neglected so many of my responsibilities in order to read this! Wecker writes a compelling story about two very lost people. I thought her cast of characters to be very interesting. I particularly enjoyed how everyone came together by the end. Poor Chava is particularly interesting. The Golem only wishes to help everyone, but to do so would completely give away that she's not human. And so she's stuck helping as she can without being noticeable. I really liked how she rubbed off a bit on the jinni as well. I have the second book on hold for whenever it is that it arrives. 

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

- A witch refuses to tell Odin the information he wants about the end of the world. As punishment, her heart is torn out of her body and she's burnt at the stake three times. The witch crawls to the edge of the forest where Loki gives her back her heart. She renames herself Angroboda, and there she makes a home for herself, Loki, when he visits, and her eventual children. But Odin is a hard man to deceive and it's only a matter of time before he gets what he wants.

This one started off a bit rough for me. The flyleaf (and my description) make it seem like Angroboda's punishment is a huge part of the book. In reality, it's mentioned in the first couple of pages to set the scene. As Boda's relationship with Loki starts out, it felt very immature. In fact, I was struggling with the very YA feel of the book. However, once her children were born, I found myself more invested.

The story is a retelling of Norse mythology events from the point of view of Angroboda. Her view of the gods is a very negative one. The book moved slower than I expected. Recommended for fans of mythological retellings particularly from a women's perspective.