With everything going on in the world these days, it’s hard to find something fun to look forward to but fortunately, the winner of Book of the Month Club’s BOTY(Book of the Year) will be announced next week!
That means that qualifying subscribers will be able to add one of the five nominees as a free selection to their March box, a pretty sweet deal especially for me as my birthday is in April. That gives me two months with back-to-back free book picks!
For now, I have to consider which of the five contenders for the BOTY to choose from, or in my case, four as I already have Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods on my TBR in a BOTM edition. So, let’s take a look at the other books and see what will suit my bookish fancy;
The Wedding People:
Alison Epach’s story of two women unexpectedly connecting over a wedding(to which one of them was not invited) has garnered plenty of good reviews and word of mouth, not to mention being a Read With Jenna book club pick.
It’s made several best of the year lists and was a GoodReads Choice winner as well, strong points in its favor. While it does sound like a charming mix of humor and pathos, I do have quite a few books on my TBR with similar themes that I need to get to first. This does make me want to rewatch the 1989 movie Cousins (a good little film) that’s for certain:
Phantasma:
This first entry in the “Wicked Games” series is a dark romantasy about a young woman named Ophelia who must undertake a set of gruesome challenges within a haunted manor house in order to rescue her missing sister.
Along the way, she finds love and danger , both in the of Blackwell, a dubious guide who promises to help Ophelia in exchange for ten years of her life. Quite the price to pay yet will it be worth if she even survives at all?
This does sound wild and I have to admit that romantasy is a new interest for me. However, the second book, Enchantra, is not a BOTM selection so that does give me some pause there(yes, I do like matching editions of series titles, it’s a weakness of mine!).
It is a lively choice and certainly feels as properly chaotic as reality is at the moment:
The Lion Women of Tehran:
This touching novel by Marian Kamala chronicles the friendship between two young women in Iran, starting in the 1950s and taking them in the revolutionary era of the seventies.
Ellie and Homa first met as school girls, forming a lasting bond despite a family tragedy that forces one of their families to move far away.
Reunited in high school, they pick up where they left off for the most part; Homa is now interested in politics and social change while Ellie is going down the traditional path set up by her mother. As the world around them changes, Homa and Ellie find that they must reassess who and what they want their lives to be about.
I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this book and have been interested in reading Kamali’s work for some time now. This story , which features food, family and love, sounds like a true winner in the best sense of the term:
The Women:
Kristin Hannah’s epic novel follows Frances aka Frankie McGrath as she becomes a combat nurse during the Vietnam War and not only shows what she and other women went through during that time but her life after the war as well.
This book has become quite the blockbuster, with mixed opinions hovering around it. As the daughter of a retired nurse, I am intrigued by this story, not to mention that last year, I finally read one of Hannah’s novels to completion (The Great Alone) and it was definitely a page turner.
I do enjoy a good saga and Hannah does have what Stephen King calls the “gotta” as in “Yeah, I have stuff to do but I gotta see what happens next in this book!”. Plus , historical fiction featuring women in perilous times is hard to resist:
So, as you can see, I’m torn between The Lion Women and The Women here. Maybe I can get both but only one will be a free book yet a good story is always worth it. My congratulations to all of the nominees and I am
sure that many of us will be happy for whoever wins.
One thing is for certain; I really ought to read The God of the Woods sooner rather than later. Not the biggest dilemma out there but it’s one that I have some control over at least. Then again , a good book tends to age well like a fine wine, so my patience will probably be well rewarded:
The other week, I highlighted some of my book mail additions to my ever growing TBR and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I have a nice trio of titles from Gallery Books that seem suitable for such an occasion.
First up is The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini, which begins with Amelie Preston preparing to get over the worst year of her life. Her dream wedding to her high school sweetheart Frank dissolved into nothingness, she’s lost her chef job and her best friend is barely speaking to her.
However, Amelie has a chance at a do-over by attending a major cooking expo, which happens to be set in the hometown of Ian Roberts,a charmingly snarky fellow that she met at a wedding and instantly clicked with. Trouble is, his family and hers are professional rivals and this new found connection between them is layered with business secrets seasoned to imperfection.
Can Amelie and Ian create a new recipe for happiness or are they stuck with the same emotional menu as before? This does sound like quite the engaging edible story that’s sure to be as sweet as any wedding cake tasting would be:
Next, the lovely paperback edition of Christina Lauren’s The Paradise Problem is now available and yes, I did read this in it’s hardcover incarnation (BOTM copy) last year.
When Anna married Liam back in their college days, it was strictly for better access to campus housing. Four years later, Liam shows up in need of a plus-one to a family wedding and since his inheritance is tied to maintaining a five year marriage, he is willing to pay Anna for her assistance in this matter.
Having just lost her retail job and still paying off her dad’s medical debt, Anna feels that this is her best shot at financial solvency at the moment. However, upon spending more time with Liam at the remote resort island where his sister’s nuptials are taking place and seeing him deal with his discordant family, this becomes less of a business arrangement for Anna there.
Can the two of them truly make a love connection or are Anna’s feelings simply one sided? I do enjoy Lauren’s well developed characters and the emotional complexity given to all concerned. If you’re in the mood for a romance with Succession vibes in a White Lotus type setting, this is must-read material indeed:
For something a tad different, we have Grace of the Empire State, a debut novel by Gemma Tizzard.
In June of 1930, Grace O’Connell is thrilled to be achieving her dream of being a dancer in a show at Times Square.
However, when her twin brother Patrick is injured on his job as a riveter, she must take his place on the work crew for the Empire State Building, a position that pays well enough to support their family still in dire straits upon the death of their father.
While her natural sense of balance aids Grace in doing such dangerous work, keeping her true identity a secret is just as risky. Is she able to maintain this high wire act or will one misstep throw everyone off beam?
“Hey, this isn’t a romance!” No and not everyone needs a love story for Valentine’s Day. If instead, you want a well crafted historical fiction with a smart and savvy leading lady, then this book should be your best bet here:
I do wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day and/or weekend on their own terms. Given the concerning headlines these days, taking time out for some romantic amusement is good and also for non-romantic entertainment as well.
Self care is important and if done in proper balance with regular life, a vital necessity in these troubled times. Do something good for yourself this week, whether it’s reading that book you’ve been meaning to get to or just going out for a nice lunch, treats are definitely fundamental:
Lately, my Instagram feed has been enjoying the welcome delight of book mail headed my way these days (check the top side of this post to get a better look) and today, I’m highlighting a trio of historical fiction titles sent to me by Harpercollins that showcase strong women stepping forward.
First up is The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren which tells the tale of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, who became a major operatic star in the pre-Civil War era.
Instead of following the standard role of wife and mother, Elizabeth took the chance to perform on a steam boat bound for Buffalo,NY and within a year, was on her first American tour. Known as “The Black Swan”, she played to packed houses and received great acclaim yet her fame also attracted bigotry and danger from those wishing to enslave her despite being a freed woman.
Discovering a previously less known historical figure in the arts is quite the hidden treasure and I’m sure that this engaging novel that centers the spotlight on a singer who paved the way for others on stage is a true gem indeed:
Next up is a debut novel by Shara Moon, Let Us March On.
Lizzie McDuffie joined her husband to work at the White House for Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt-he as a valet, she as a maid-but she didn’t take a back seat when it came to speaking her mind about calling social injustice.
Her positive influence upon the Roosevelt family helped to make a few early inroads towards what would become the full fledged Civil Rights movement in the years to come. Moon brings a human dimension to the woman who could have been easily overlooked yet displayed real strength when called to do so:
To round things out, we have P.C. Cast’s Boudicca, which chronicles the legendary warrior queen from Celtic times.
When the Romans came to conquer, little felt any threat could come from a female leader. They were sadly mistaken as Boudicca and her various allies(including a Druid priest with the power of prophecy) took on their legions of soldiers and made great strides towards holding them off.
Cast is well known for her fabulous fantasy series of stories over the years and this blend of historical, mythology and magic promises to be the ultimate page turning saga for fans old and new:
Look, I know we’re all going through some challenging times to say the least and talking about books might seem to be a luxury right now. However, keeping hope alive is very important here and books are a huge part of that battle.
Whether it’s for knowledge or entertainment (maybe even a bit of both), the ability to read freely is vital to maintaining our democracy and also a good way to steady our emotional and mental health.
I’m very grateful to those publishers willing to gift me with any upcoming books, especially stories about inspiring women of the past who would want us to fight for the future, and glad to spread the good word with anyone truly interested in freedom of all kinds. Keep calm and read on is the best advice I can give at the moment for all of us:
I have to admit as much of a fan of the Oscars that I am, my cinematic enthusiasm is decidedly less than zero here.
Given all of the real world anxiety both last year and sadly still with us in this new calendar season, the movie scene wasn’t vibing that much with me.
Don’t get wrong; I did see a few good films in theaters and a couple on streaming(one of which I will be highlighting later in this post) . Nonetheless, my Oscar game is a little disconnected this time around yet I still plan to watch the show and hopefully, find some inspiration for what’s to come.
Okay, enough of the negativity-let’s talk about a few Oscar nominees whose films are book based, starting with The Nickel Boys, adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Colson Whitehead. The movie stars Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson as two young men sent off to a “reform school “ in Florida during the 1960s.
The movie is up for Best Adapted Screenplay(RaMell Ross co-wrote the script with Joslyn Barnes) and Best Picture yet you don’t hear much about this film, which is a true shame. Granted, it may not be the most cheerful of subjects but that’s never stopped the Academy from promoting such a story before.
Given that it’s based on the work of one of our best living authors today, it certainly deserves better attention than this brief notice to be sure:
Next up is a movie that received quite a bit of attention, Conclave, based on the thriller by Robert Harris.
Ralph Finnes plays Cardinal Lawrence, who is leading the title event to select the next papal appointment, which happens to be a setting off point for some major revelations amongst the clergy.
Finnes has one of the eight nominations for this movie as Best Actor while Isabella Rossellini gets her first Best Supporting Actress nom as a rather secretive nun. Its other categories include Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Costume Design and Best Picture yet. It did pretty well at the box office and I expect it to take home a few awards on Oscar night.
Frankly, Conclave seems like a rather old fashioned movie with its well known cast(Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow round out the big names) and conspiracy plot points to me. Then again, I have heard good word of mouth about the film and having read one of Harris’ earlier novels (Fatherland), it might be a sleeper surprise indeed:
To top this off, we have the animated movie The Wild Robot based on the first of three children’s books by Peter Brown.
The title mechanical being is accidentally left in a wilderness, where it uses their skills to adapt within the environment and form bonds with the world land residents (voiced by actors such as Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara and Mark Hamil, with Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, the robot). It is not only nominated for Best Animated Feature, it’s up for Best Original Score and Best Sound as well.
This does seem like a charming film that blends the whole nature vs. technology themes quite nicely there. A sequel is being planned as we speak and it is refreshing to see a movie meant for kids and their adults that is more than just cynical marketing these days:
“Hey, you didn’t talk about Wicked or Dune part two!” Yes, because those bookish connections are rather well known at this point and I wanted to highlight a few other book based films this award season.
One of those movies I watched on Hulu a few weeks ago, Nightbitch
based on the novel by Rachel Yoder that stars Amy Adams as a frustrated stay at home mother who mourns her budding art career and grows more and more annoyed with her husband, who clearly takes her for granted.
Her emotional turmoil leads her to believe that she might be turning into a literal creature of the night with some of her mommy group joining in on the canine carousing. I don’t want to spoil the plot but as a caveat, if you are a cat person (like me), there are a couple of scenes you might not like(you have been warned).
While it’s not up for the Oscars, Nightbitch is a nominee at the upcoming Independent Spirit Awards for Best Lead Performance and Best Editing. I’m not surprised at that since it’s a tad offbeat for the Academy yet I find myself thinking about it weeks later.
Adams gives quite the performance as a woman who feels trapped in a situation that she partially feels responsible for yet her resentments run deep and are very much justified.
Some folks complained that the book took more chances than the film, which I don’t know about yet(just borrowed a copy from the library this week) but something tells me that writer/director Marielle Heller made the choice to not get bogged down in body horror and wanted to focus more on the inner struggles of her lead character instead.
There is some body horror here to be sure but perhaps not as much as the novel’s readers expected (I will know soon enough). However, what strikes me is that despite all of the social changes for women over the years, some things still remain the same as this story shows us. Women having to choose between home and career, conflicting advice on child rearing and feeling guilty about every decision you do or don’t make is still sadly relevant now as it was twenty or thirty years ago.
I think it would make a good double feature with the original Stepford Wives in some regards and it’s a shame that Nightbitch is not a part of the current pop culture conversation right now.
Then again, the movie did get me to seek out the book and hopefully, others will do so as well. Books and movies do go along good together but sometimes, like a favorite yet all too familiar recipe, you need to add a new ingredient or two to shake things up:
It’s been a very rough start to the new year in more ways than one(especially yesterday!) but fortunately there are some good things to look forward to, such as the first readathon upon the Seasons of Reading’s calendar. The whole month of February is known as Winter’s Respite (with our excellent host Michelle Miller holding a 24 hour reading event on one of the Saturdays) and for the most part, there are no set genre requirements.
With that in mind, my TBR here is mostly short and sweet; my first pick being book one of a Nora Roberts trilogy, The Next Always.
This beginning of the Inn Boonesboro series introduces us to the Montgomery brothers, who are restoring the title inn back to its former working glory.
The main story focuses on Beckett, the architect of the family who is also keeping an eye on his lifelong crush,Clare, now a widow raising three young sons while running an independent bookstore.
Can this long time friendship develop into a lasting love or are the two of them just caught in a right place, wrong time situation?
I have heard great word of mouth about these books yet only want to tackle the first one for this event and save the other two for a possible spring/summer read. Besides, this particular book might drive me into a Gilmore Girls binge watch(did you know Hulu now has GG on tap?) with all of this small town country inn charms:
Speaking of Gilmore, my next selection is the second book in Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store.
When the book shop owner of the tasty sounding title establishment Hazel stumbles across a mystery among her own literary stock, she’s eager to liven things up with a bit of Nancy Drew action.
However, it does help to have a partner in such cases and as it turns out, good buddy and local fisherman Noah is more than happy to do some sleuthing with Hazel. Will this partnership lead to romance as well as a solution to the strange puzzle before them?
I did enjoy the earlier book in this series, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, and yes, this definitely has Stars Hollow vibes, particularly when Rory was with Jess(as a high school romance, he was a train wreck but the older, maturer Jess of the later seasons is preferable to Logan, in my humble opinion!). Gilmore Girls rant aside, this should quite the relaxing read I need:
Finally, for some cozy fantasy flavor, I added The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields.
Unsure of her path in life, Marigold is willing to take up
the mantle of Honey Witch on the island of Innisfree, despite the curse of never having romantic love that comes with the job.
Even while blossoming under the magical energies of the island’s flora and fauna, Marigold does start growing a bit lonely but with regular visits from local skeptic Lottie, the urge to break the curse becomes more important but just as dangerous to attempt. Yet, isn’t the chance at real love worth it?
I do love the rise of the cozy fantasy genre and this particular tale seems as engaging as any bee charmer out there:
There is still plenty of time to sign up for the Winter’s Respite readathon and I hope you join in for some page turning fun this freezing season. Much thanks to Michelle Miller for getting us all to start a new year of reading off right!
Oh and if you’re looking for some relaxing TV time this winter, I happen to notice that my local PBS station has been airing episodes of Lark Rise to Candleford on the weekends (it’s also available on Tubi).
If you are in the mood for a comfortable old school series with faces both old and new in British drama, this small town delight is definitely a warm cup of tea to savor on these upcoming winter nights:
While there are still plenty of new books upon my TBR, fresh from the holidays, it always helps to start a new year off right with a few new releases of the first month there.
To that end, I selected a trio of Book of the Month Club picks that have a royal flair. Deciding to be bold and try an author new to me, Babylonia by Cortanza Casati was my first choice.
The novel tells the tale of famed queen Semiramis, who rose from rather humble beginnings as the adopted daughter of a brutish shepherd to wife of the local governor which ultimately lead her to the throne of Assyria , the only woman to do so in those times.
Such a climb was not without its price yet Semiramis was willing to pay for that path to power at any cost or was she..?
I paired this title with Casati’s earlier book, Clytemnestra, to get a good back to back read of the writer’s style here. Plus, something tells me that warrior queens are going to very much in demand this year and this is certainly a good way to get a head start on that trend:
To round things out, Fiona Davis’ The Stolen Queen has come along at the right time indeed.
The story is told between two women connected by a missing Egyptian artifact taken during the Met Gala in 1978.
Charlotte, a curator determined to redeem the reputation of legendary Queen Hathorkare, and Annie, a hopeful designer given a golden opportunity by Diana Vreeland, find themselves working together to retrieve this historic piece not only to reclaim it for the museum but to perhaps redeem their own reputations as well.
This pursuit leads them to Egypt, where Charlotte was hoping to never return, due to an incident from the 1930s that haunts her still to this day. Nevertheless, she’s not alone this time but that also means the danger is also double fold.
I do enjoy Davis’ takes on women and history within the New York landscape , plus this action adventure vibe of the plot puts me in mind of those Mummy movies with Rachel Weisz as the smart and savvy leading lady, a popcorn bonus to be sure:
Meanwhile, before New Year’s Eve arrived, I did make my last library haul of the year(I will be making more this year, most definitely!) and while I did pick up Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone On this Train is a Suspect (which I am reading now), I was able to add something even more thrilling than that.
If you’re unfamiliar with Chuck Tingle, many know him
best from his humorous ebooks chronicling the unusual romantic adventures of dinosaurs, space invaders and popular drinking cups, I kid you not on that last one!
Most recently, he’s been writing horror fiction with the first traditionally published one being Camp Damascus. The title refers to a conversion camp near the small religious town of Neverton where 20 year old Rose is sure that she’s never been. However, the bizarre visions that she has been having lately seem to be connected to that place and might be where she has to find the answers to her questions.
I have heard great word of mouth about this book and very eager to give it a try as humor and horror tend to walk hand in hand on the pop culture road there in rather scary harmony:
Also in the spirit of checking out new to me authors, I picked up my first Jodi Picoult novel.
By Any Other Name introduces us to Emilia Bassano, a vibrant writer during the Elizabethan era who may be the true author of Shakespeare’s best plays.
Her modern day descendant, Melina, is most certain of that and trying to produce a play about her predecessor’s life and times but not without some unsuitable obstacles in her way. How these ladies lived and loved in their day is the true heart of the story, it seems and as good a place as any to check out Picoult.
I do like a modern spin on preconceived notions, plus Picoult tends to have her literary finger on the pop culture pulse when it comes to storytelling and this book sounds quite timely to say the least:
Well, I certainly have plenty on my plate when it comes to books at the moment and given the upcoming events of next week, I will definitely need to send my imagination on a stress free vacation there.
Many folks are calling for taking some TV /social media time off on day and my two cents is if you need to, either the whole day or several hours, do so by all means. It doesn’t mean that you’re avoiding reality in this instance; just that your mental and emotional energy shouldn’t be given to those unworthy of such attentions.
If you’re able to binge watch something positive, I humbly suggest All Creatures Great and Small, the newer PBS version. Season Fuve has already begun and it’s a loving look at times gone by and what they still could be in terms of honoring our better natures. Plus, it’s based on books to boot! Winner, winner , reader’s dinner, if you ask me:
One thing I noticed around the holidays was bookish folk choosing their “ one to finish” during the festive season (or in some cases ten!) and while I don’t usually follow trends, this time out took me along that page turning path.
My Christmas Eve read was the latest comic book history by Tim Hanley, Never A Sidekick , which chronicles the journey of Batgirl as a heroine in her own right.
She originally began as Bette Kane, niece of Batwoman Kate Kane, back in the 1960s. The two female characters were introduced as a way to offset accusations of an “unwholesome “ relationship between Batman and Robin from the censorship crowd.
While Bette was a breath of fresh air, although briefly seen in the comics,it was the live action Batman TV series that really brought Batgirl to pop culture audiences
As played by the lively Yvonne Craig ,by day she was Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham’s police commissioner and local librarian; at night she became the Dynamic Duo’s secretive ally with her own theme song!
While her stint on the show was not as long as many of the fans would’ve liked, Craig did reprise the character for a public service announcement that promoted the Equity in Pay Act for women:
While Barbara Gordon managed to maintain her own identity within the comics, even becoming a political activist at one point, another live action appearance came in 1997’s Batman & Robin, a departure from the previous films in more ways than one.
Here, as played by Alicia Silverstone,she was Barbara Wilson, the niece of butler Alfred Pennyworth with her big fight scene being against villainess Poison Ivy(Uma Thurman).
While this wasn’t a well received film, it did give Batgirl a nice revival and if you think about it, the campy nature of this movie does reflect that earlier TV series that launched the character into the pop culture spotlight:
Speaking of the small screen, a newer incarnation of the Barbara Gordon version of the character was depicted in the sadly short lived CW series, Birds of Prey, in 2002.
Upon being assaulted by the Joker in the infamous comic book story The Killing Joke(which even its creators regret ), Barbara was paralyzed but far from out of the crime fighting game.
Developing stealthy computer skills, she became The Oracle, a guide and mentor to various superhero teams including the original Birds of Prey. This phoenix like turn to her character inspired many in the disabled community , who were pleased to be getting some proper representation.
Oracle/Batgirl was portrayed by Dina Meyers on the show and was a solid lead on the series, only putting on the Batgirl suit once to confront a former foe(with the aid of a cybernetic spinal implant for mobility). The series had potential but much like the all too recent dismissal of the lost Batgirl movie, didn’t get the chance it deserved to shine:
Much like his prior books about superhero themed ladies such as Wonder Woman, Lois Lane and Catwoman, Hanley gives us a thoughtful and engaging look into Batgirl in her various versions, including other women who donned the cowl like Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown.
He also talks about the ill fated Batgirl movie, the comic book revival of the character and her animated appearances on the likes of Batman:The Animated Series and Harley Quinn.
His sincere enthusiasm combined with excellent research and compelling writing makes him a go-to for comic book lore and I can’t recommend him highly enough!
I was very happy to have Never A Sidekick as my holiday weekend read but it’s a wonderful book to enjoy all year long. Hopefully, we will get the Batgirl film that does her justice someday but in the meanwhile, Tim Hanley gives her the applause that she truly deserves:
