Happy new year, folks and hope your holiday season was a good one there. As for me, I decided to make gift gifting easier on my family by using both Book of the Month and Aardvark for their one stop shopping for me.
I must confess that I did get a couple of books early, due to adding Christmas themed titles (one of which I will talk more about later) but the other ones I received fit very nicely under my tree indeed:
Aardvark: The Once and Future Queen
Since I already started reading this one from Aardvark, it makes sense to begin with this debut novel by Paula Lafferty. Our leading lady is Vera, a modern day young woman who tends to feel out of place in the world and can’t quite figure out why.
As it turns out, she’s not truly meant to be here as a visit from the legendary wizard Merlin reveals. Vera is actually Queen Guinevere , sent to this future time as an infant due to a deadly spell that could only restore her by this unusual rebirth.
Now, she has to return to Camelot to help Arthur save their realm but those past memories are locked away, leaving her confused about what needs to be done. Having Lancelot as a ready ally seems to be more hinderance than help yet can his connection with her past self be the key to saving all of their futures?
So far, this is a rather lively and engaging read, intended to be the first in a trilogy. I certainly hope Aardvark keeps up with this twist on the classic tale as it certainly makes for an enchanting story indeed:
My other Aardvark pick was Local Heavens by K.M. Fajardo. Set in the year 2075, cyberspace diver Nick takes on a corporate espionage job that brings him in the middle of a twisted love triangle among the idle rich that involves body modification, a failing pharmaceutical fortune and class warfare.
Yes, this is a cyberpunk take on The Great Gatsby, a book that I haven’t read in a long time (and will be rereading now) and for a sharp look at the future of corporate greed upon our society, Gatsby is an excellent template for a fresh look at the subject. I am intrigued to check this out, particularly in the special ombré edition that Aardvark had in stock(I think I got the last copy!):
Book of the Month: Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil
V.E. Schwab is a writer that I’ve heard much about but never read before and yet, her latest work has gotten such praise from critics and readers alike that I just had to add this book to my gift pile.
This multi generational journey of three women, from Maria in 16th century Spain to Charlotte in London during the 1900s and then to Alice in 2019 Boston , takes us down the Gothic garden path of love, despair and literal blood lust. Is there a way to find true happiness in this eternal turmoil or is that the price of immortality?
I do like lady vampires and hopefully, this is a good introduction to Schwab’s writing for me. At the very least, I can use this book as an excuse to rewatch The Hunger:
