Yesterday was my birthday and much thanks to all those who wished me well. How I spent the day , we’ll get to in a moment but first I need to share my delight in the many books I received as presents!
Some of these books are already earmarked for a readathon or two this summer so I won’t go into them just yet. One of the titles that I am happy to highlight is Iron Flame, the second entry in Rebecca Yarros’ series that started with the breakout bestseller Fourth Wing.
Book two chronicles the further adventures of Violet Sorrengail aka Violence, as she continues her dragon rider training while being separated from Xaden, her reluctant romantic partner whose dragon is bonded to one of the two that she has at her side.
In addition to Xaden’s absence, Violet also has to deal with the secrets and lies that she’s discovered about the true nature of her country’s enemies as well as a new vice commander targeting her for what she may know.
I know full well that many people who read the first book are not fond of this follow up (to put it mildly) but I found Fourth Wing to be fine popcorn entertainment and not placing high expectations on what’s to come here.
Don’t get me wrong; I do want to be reasonably engaged with the book and by that standard, this should be fun. Besides, a girl and her dragon tale is hard to resist:
One of my birthday books that I definitely will be reading this June for the Sci-Fi Summer readathon is Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater.
This Regency England set fantasy’s leading lady is Dora Etting, who suffers from the title affliction due to a fairy land noble making off with the part of her inner being that feels emotion.
Seeking restoration, Dora and her cousin Vanessa go to London in order to claim the assistance of the Lord Sorcier who may be able to cure her condition. However, that remoteness comes in handy when a mysterious plague of supernatural origins sweeps the town, giving her a distinct advantage in finding a solution for that sinister situation.
I’ve heard so many wonderful things about this story that sounds much like a Bridgerton with magic creation that my anticipation levels are considerably high indeed:
Meanwhile, my big birthday plans revolved around a trip to my local library where I just had to borrow a few choice morsels off the shelves.
One of those tempting treats was Nisha Sharma’s Dating Dr.Dil, which happens to be a modern take on a classic Shakespeare play.
On her thirtieth birthday, Kareena learns that her father is planning to sell the house that her late mother owned and that she herself is emotionally attached to. To stop this from happening, she promises her father that she’ll get engaged to be married within the next four months.
Kareena winds up making an agreement with Prem, who needs good PR for his charitable endeavor, to pretend to be engaged to him. However, this plan is proving to be very hard to abide by as time goes on, especially when these “fake” feelings become all too real.
This new twist on Taming of the Shrew sounds like a lively page turner that ought to be as romantically amusing as any funky film adaptation of this story:
I also added a pair of mysteries to the mix, one of which was The Appeal by Janice Hallet.
When a sudden death occurs among a small theatrical group with complicated family ties, two law students are assigned the not enviable task of sorting out the paperwork for the legal proceeding of the title.
As they sort through the mass of emails and other documents relating to this case, a pattern of potential deception begins to emerge that could explain why murder charges were brought but was the right suspect named? And if not, who might it actually be?
Recently, I finished reading one of Hallett’s newer books, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, and that book was amazingly good. I will talk more about it once the Spring into Horror readathon is over but I am very happy to have made the effort to get a copy upon the recommendation of Books Like Whoa’s Mara indeed.
Finding the author’s debut novel at the library like this was a grand stroke of serendipity and a strong sign of the tension to come within the book is that the theater company in question was planning on performing Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, quite the dramatic feast to savor:
After this, I am planning to take a mini break from book buying (for a while at least!) but don’t regret getting any of these reads at all.
What with summer hiatus coming up for some of my favorite shows and the headlines in the news getting more stressful by the day, a few good books on hand is truly a must have these days. Although I must say that I’m grateful to my family and friends for giving me their attention and support on my special day. This definitely has been one week to treasure in more ways than one:
I wasn’t planning on updating my Trilogy Time reading challenge so soon but it turns out that I have a few thoughts to share about the middle book of this Nora Roberts trio, Born in Ice.
This second installment of her Irish Born trilogy focuses on Brianna, the younger sister of the previous novel’s fiery natured leading lady, Maggie May. Unlike her straightforward sibling, Brianna prefers a quieter life and tends to be the peacemaker in most situations, especially when it comes to Maggie and their constantly complaining mother Maeve.
Brianna makes her living by having her house become a bed and breakfast stop for tourists (back in those ancient days before Air B&B!), which works out well for her there. However, when she gets a lengthy reservation from an American writer, both host and guest find their lives changing in more ways than one.
The writer in question is Grayson Thorne, known for his successful string of suspense thrillers as well as never settling down in one place for too long. The man even sells his books to publishers in single shot deals,that’s how determined he is to come and go as he pleases!
Grayson intends to finish his latest book by finding some inspiration in Ireland yet it’s not long until Brianna becomes his true muse.
There are scenes where she and Grayson walk about local ruins and even a castle at one point, with Brianna sharing a few legends passed down through the ages that hit his creativity like a thunder bolt; some of my favorite moments of this story as it’s like watching someone’s imagination unfold right in front of you:
Brianna’s calm demeanor is tested quite a bit, not only by the growing feelings between her and Grayson but a few secrets and lies regarding her family(one of which leads into the third book in this trilogy)coming to light.
Woe betide anyone thinking that Brianna is either a meek and mild miss or a cold hearted creature; while she knows when to chill her passions (a self protective mode for the most part), her wrath when unleashed is something to behold, even making her sister Maggie step back from those flames of fury.
At heart, though, Brianna is a loving soul who needs to learn to put her needs at the top of the list instead of the bottom and Grayson has to learn to face his nonfictional fears of allowing himself to make a long term commitment beyond completing a book.
It’s that mix and match of emotional intelligence that makes their romance as engaging and thoughtful a read ,almost like a duet of elemental proportions:
So right now I am in the midst of Born in Shame, the last entry in this trio where we meet Shannon, a third sister born in America to a very different mother than Brianna and Maggie((yep, one of those family secrets uncovered there!).
Grieving the recent loss of her mother, Shannon is invited to meet her new found sisters and while that initial getting to know you deal is both awkward and enlightening, she also might find a potential love connection in Murphy, a longtime friend of the Concannon sisters.
So far, this reading time with Nora Roberts has been a lovely experience and when I make my next trip to the library, maybe I can find some of her other books to enjoy. Taking a chance on something new can definitely pay off, particularly when it means more page turning pleasure to come:
April is a crucial month for Stephen King fans as this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of his debut novel Carrie, which began his career as well as set a tone for women in horror.
Even after so many decades, the legend of Carrie White still resonates and not just due to the various takes on her story. There’s something about Carrie that is sadly timeless and needs to be talked about.
My first encounter with Carrie was not the book(my first King read is in a similar vein that I’ll get to in a moment); it was the 1976 Hollywood film starring Sissy Spacek in the title role. While that movie does have its flaws, it excels with great character performances and by that standard, Spacek is still the killer queen here.
The relatable realism that she brought to this portrayal of an awkward outsider who becomes the doomed prom queen makes you root for Carrie , even when she unleashes hell on her high school tormentors. Despite the path of destruction she ultimately trods upon, you still want Carrie to reach a better place yet that was never in the cards for her:
My first Stephen King read happened to be Christine, which was dubbed “the male Carrie” but one of the main differences between these troubled teenagers is the power dynamic each is held to.
While Carrie is a complete outsider in her own hometown, Arnie Cunningham is not totally friendless-in fact, a good portion of the story is told through Dennis, Arnie’s best childhood friend who sees the signs that his nerdy pal is changing and not for the better with his new car obsession.
It stuck me upon thinking about both books that Carrie has no friends at all-the only constant connection in her life is her demented mother(the support from her gym teacher is too recent to offer any comfort or guidance once the vicious prank at prom occurs).
Even classmate Sue Snell’s penance for an earlier incident is done remotely via the loan of her boyfriend Tommy. Perhaps if Sue had tried to talk to Carrie herself, things might’ve been different. Perhaps not as even Dennis couldn’t save Arnie from his own highway to hell.
In many ways, Christine is a bittersweet buddy story as Dennis tries to pull his friend back from the automotive abyss that is claiming him slowly but surely. Also, there are moments when Arnie(mostly in the movie version but a little in the book) seems to revel in his new found source of power, a luxury not granted to Carrie at all:
Along with friendlessness, Carrie is also imbued with a deep sense of guilt and shame about her powers, a trait that has been passed down to other paranormal heroines as well.
From Buffy Summers to Jean Grey and currently Eleven of Stranger Things, young women with supernatural gifts are made to feel “out of control “ with their abilities, which are their own birthright. More often than not, men are around to teach or take command of them and show them the “right” way to use them, usually meaning to disconnect from their emotions.
Even when briefly unable to use their powers, any act of forcefulness is seen as shocking with the sense of fear about their own violent capabilities stopping these young women in their tracks. While reflecting upon your actions is a good thing, it does make you wonder why this particular prompt is placed on women and girls more often here:
I’m not blaming King for this at all; if anything, he tapped into that double standard and showcased it for all to see.
What does seem to be a positive change for those Carrie themed characters is pursuing the need for human connection; friendship helped Buffy(and later her best friend Willow) from being consumed by her powers and Eleven being raised as a lab experiment becoming able to develop some true humanity is due in part to the gang of friends she’s made along the way.
Even Jean Grey has had her moments of clarity from her bonds with other mutant friends and able to make her own choices regarding her own power.
Perhaps this is why Carrie is still relevant today-too many women and girls are feeling powerless despite what they bring to the table. Encouraging them to trust in their own abilities and make their own choices seems to be threatening to certain people.
Carrie shows how dark that path can get without any sincere guidance and yet, has empathy for its leading lady, another quality in short supply these days.
Hopefully, in the next fifty years, things may change for other women learning to deal with power and a story like Carrie White’s is merely a reflection of the past rather than what lies ahead. Perhaps Carrie’s legacy can be reborn as a phoenix in both fiction and fact:
They say April is the cruelest month but if it happens to be your birth month, as it is mine, then there’s plenty of good times to be had!
Of course, my idea of a good time is new books and that started off with selecting a trio of fresh reads from Book of the Month Club.
I was beyond thrilled to see that Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer was a main selection! Having just read Part of your World and Yours Truly back to back, this book is definitely going to be cherry on top of this romance flavored sundae.
The story begins with Emma, a traveling nurse who reads an online forum entry from a guy named Justin in Minnesota that says his love life seems to be cursed as every woman he’s broken up with instantly finds her soul mate -the most recent ex girlfriend winds up with his best friend!
Since Emma has similar luck in love, the two of them decide to date each other over the summer as a way to break the mutual jinxes on their romantic futures. However, things become more complicated as time goes on and this supposedly seasonal fling may lead to something more serious there.
Jimenez has a wonderful flair for mixing an emotional cocktail of romance, humor and sincere heartache that keeps every element in perfect page turning balance. This book should be a real blockbuster of a read indeed:
One of the benefits of a long term BOMC membership is getting a free book for your birthday and my choice for that honor is a debut novel, How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang.
YA author Helen Zhang is thrilled to have one of her bestsellers be adapted for TV and is excited to move to LA to work with the team of writers involved.
Unfortunately, one of those writers she knows all too well: Grant Shepard, who was part of a personal tragedy for Helen’s family back in their mutual high school days.
Working with Grant is difficult at best yet she comes to see that perhaps he’s not the villain of the story here. Rather, the two of them might be able to heal from their shared pain of the past by creating a new bond of love in the present towards a better future.
This does sound intriguing and taking a chance on a debut novel is a great gift for any reader to give to themselves. Plus, as it turns out, Kuang is no stranger to TV as she’s written and directed several streaming series, including I Ship It for the CW(she is also adapting an Emily Henry novel for the big screen). Such insider knowledge is a good creative canvas to spread your imagination upon:
Just for something completely different, my last selection was
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz.
When frustrated writer Alex gets the opportunity to attend a month long workshop held by renowned author Roza Vello, it seems almost too good to be true.
Doubts begin to surface as Roza issues a challenge to all assembled; complete a fully written novel within the month and the best one will receive a major publishing deal. On top of that, Alex has to deal with Wren, an old rival who relishes the chance to rub fresh salt into Alex’s emotional wounds.
However, when of the other attendees goes missing, the stakes become considerably higher and Alex finds herself having to choose between potential literary success and her own safety.
I have heard some good word of mouth about this book since it came out last year and felt like giving it a try. Also, this “women in isolation “ genre has being steadily gaining traction and I would like to engage with it more in book form:
While I do have to wait a few days for my BOMC box to arrive, in my mailbox today was a package from Better World Books, which did have a nice spring sale that I couldn’t resist.
Along with two more Maisie Dobbs mysteries(Birds of a Feather and Pardonable Lies), I went with Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary.
As modern day American Caroline visits London as a means of getting over her cheating husband, she stumbles onto a mystery involving a strange vial that has a near etched into its surface.
This vial may have belonged to Nella, a 17th century apothecary who used her skills to create poisons for women seeking retribution against men who did them wrong. Nella’s death was deemed a suicide but was it really? Can Caroline’s investigation reveal the truth or is she setting herself up for a scarily similar fate?
This blend of history with mystery and perhaps a touch of magic sounds very enchanting and I’m happy to have it in hand as I speak:
I am getting more books for my birthday but will talk about them when that time comes. After the hectic days of wind and rain in my neck of the woods, it’s soothing to have a nice new book or two to start the month off with in a pleasant way.
Also looking forward to making April a month long celebration-nothing too fancy, some good books, time with loved ones and maybe indulge in a Hallmark channel movie there-how can I ignore something called Blind Date Book Club, seriously? That’s like asking a baker to not notice a cake convention!:
