Welcome back to more Autumn in August highlights as we continue to visit Sanditon , season one.
The main focus of the day are episodes five and six, which sadly sideline my favorite character and shove the spotlight onto Charlotte and Sidney, whose romance is rather basic, if you ask me:
A Sporting Distraction
As you may recall, Georgiana Lambe(the best character) was having a secret romantic relationship with Otis,that was strongly objected to by Sidney(Miss Lambe’s reluctant guardian). Charlotte , therefore, has become a go-between in keeping the correspondence flowing by sending out and picking their mutual love letters.
With the annual cricket match coming up, Charlotte and Georgiana see this event as a good opportunity for a quick visit with Otis.
That distraction is further aided by Charlotte stepping into the game as a late replacement for the beleaguered Tom Parker, embarrassed at being called out for not paying his workers on the town renovation crew(which he rightly deserved to be publicly challenged on as those men have families to feed and bills to pay there, sir!).
Charlotte is no stranger to the game, coming from a large family in the country where such games are played by whoever is on hand. This twist of fate does take everyone’s eye off of Georgiana , which turns out to be both good and bad there:
Unfortunately, this leads to a plot line where Georgiana gets kidnapped and almost forced into marriage in order to cover Otis’ gambling debts(he had nothing to do with that plan as his mail had been swiped by his creditors).
This brings Sidney and Charlotte together as they head to London separately to find Georgiana and wind up teaming to track her down. It ultimately ends with a traveling coach race that saves Georgiana but ends her relationship with Otis, for now at least.
This is such a melodramatic story line that could’ve come right out of a Gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe, a popular writer of such tales who was lovingly spoofed by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey , so I suppose it fits here. After all, Sanditon is an unfinished novel and Northanger Abbey was published posthumously, so the inspiration is in tune with Austen’s tastes.
Ballroom Blitz, Take Two
With Sidney and Charlotte being thrown together like this, a sort of affectionate feeling arises between them yet I’m still not fully convinced of their mutual attraction at all.
They attend a masked ball in London, part of a ploy by Tom to get folks interested in attending the upcoming regatta (boating exhibition) in Sanditon, which might not be even happening if the cantankerous Lady Denham dies(there’s a whole subplot with her potential demise and her relatives making devious plans regarding her will but I would prefer more Georgiana drama, if you ask me).
Back at the ball, Charlotte starts to have serious feelings for Sidney and confesses them to a complete stranger, a noble lady named Susan(who seems much nicer than a similarly named leading lady from an early Austen work):
With such newly found encouragement, Charlotte joins Sidney in the dance floor and the two of them seem to be on their way to true love. Of course, that won’t last for long as Sidney runs into a former lady friend who happens to recently widowed. Yep, another bad break on the rocky road to love indeed!:
I intend to wrap this revisit ti Sanditon up soon but might just for fun, have a rewatch of the 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey, which is available on PBS Passport along with all three seasons of Sanditon.
Since Andrew Davies, the writer who has adapted many classic works such as the iconic Pride and Prejudice miniseries, also did this version of NA and Sanditon as well, having all of this readily available via public television is a great convenience that is surprisingly affordable. Plus, supporting public television in these troubling times is a small yet vital way to do what you can towards bringing about better days to some.
Next time, we will be covering the final two episodes of season one of Sanditon and yes, there are some shocking surprises in store, especially for Charlotte!:
Welcome back to more of Autumn in August , where we deal with the late summer heat by watching some fine fall season fare.
Granted, there is quite a bit of summertime energy in our next entry, Sanditon(based on an unfinished novel by Jane Austen) but the plot points are autumnal enough to certainly suit our seasonal needs.
I have rewatched the first four episodes-there are eight in all-and instead of doing a recap, I will just highlight some of my favorite elements of this series (and one low point as well) in the manner of vacation style reminiscing.
The general plot is that the title location is a small seaside town looking to become a major tourist spot for those seeking healthy spa like remedies. One of the main proponents of this cause is Tom Parker(Kris Marshall) accompanied by his supportive yet sensible wife Mary(Kate Ashfield).
They have a brief roadside accident that literally throws them into the path of Charlotte Heywood (Rose Willams), the eldest daughter of a country family. Out of gratitude for her assistance, the Parkers invite her to Sanditon and that sets off a whole chain of events, including meeting Tom’s brother Sydney (Theo James) who is meant to be Charlotte’s love interest but we’ll get to them soon enough.
In the meantime, here’s a look at a few of my personal highlights from this first half:
Favorite Character:
To be fair, Georgiana Lambe is my favorite character in all three seasons of Sanditon and as portrayed by Crystal Clarke, she is as timeless as Elizabeth Bennet or any other Austen heroine.
As a heiress from Antiqua whose is made to leave her homeland upon the death of her father and pushed into society by the dealings of her guardian Sydney (who doesn’t hide the fact that this is a burden that she’s making more difficult for him in his obnoxious opinion!), Georgiana has much to bear with and while expressing her displeasure very forthrightly, is also just a girl looking to find her own way to happiness.
Her friendship with Charlotte allows Georgiana some moments of comfort and levity there. Also, she is strong enough to handle the biases of others yet vulnerable to being thwarted in love(as we shall soon see), making her way more interesting than most of the ladies in this first season alone and for good reason indeed!:
Best Takedown Moment:
That honor goes to Georgiana as the reluctant guest of honor at Lady Denham’s luncheon. The true reason for this get together is for Lady D(Anne Reid) to push her odious nephew Edward(Jack Fox) towards marrying into Miss Lambe’s quite considerable fortune.
Georgiana is not only well aware of this but equally aware of the patronizing bigotry that goes along with such an invitation. Unlike her ladyship(whose manners would make Lady Catherine De Burgh blush!), Georgiana is demurely able to put this vulgar display into proper check with one withering line:
Best Romance:
Once again, I have to give these roses to Georgiana as many of the love stories here range from hopeful(Charlotte and Young Stringer,yes!) to creepy (Edward and his stepsister plus cousin,ewww!)at best.
Miss Lambe, however, has a potential love match in Otis Molyneux(Jyuddah Jaymes), who she met in London and is kept from by Sidney. While there are facts yet to be revealed about their relationship at this juncture ,Otis and Georgiana do have such onscreen chemistry that sparks practically fly off them during each of their scenes together (however, Georgiana should’ve given Charlotte a heads up about being the cover story for that secret meeting!):
Worst Ballroom Blitz:
Sidney and Charlotte as the main couple of this show just never felt right to me for many reasons, first of which is his unwarranted rudeness to her from the beginning. “New maid?” he asks of his sister in law as he rides into town and greets Charlotte and Mary out in a walk together. Their relationship goes downhill from there.
At the first ball of the Sanditon season, Charlotte finds herself alone with Sidney and upon his request, tells him some of her initial impressions about his family. Now, while she was a bit too snarky in some of her comments, he did ask her for her honest opinion and too bad if it wasn’t to his liking!
Truly, it feels like this scene was written as an excuse for Sidney to be justified in being rude to her yet given his cold and dismissive attitude towards her from the jump, this makes him more of a jerk not the less of one here:
Despite such ballroom bumps in the road, this revisit to Sanditon has been an entertaining experience for the most part.
It’s one that I am able to take via PBS Passport, a reasonably affordable streaming service that helps public broadcasting out very much during these turbulent times as federal funding has been unnecessarily cut.
If you fondly remember watching Sanditon when it originally aired and/or curious about the entire series , many of the PBS channels this week will be showing a “Sanditon Revisited” special that you can either watch on your regular station or view online at PBS Passport. Remember, “Defunded but not Defeated “ is the right way to join in this particular fight for intellectual freedom.
I hope to finish my trip to Sanditon by Labor Day but there’s no need to rush through such good times, now is there? Oh, and I leave you with my last favorite thing about Sanditon-the opening credits! They are such a joy to behold in their innate simplicity that really sets the perfect tone for what’s to come:
Welcome to another round of Autumn in August , where we rejoice in the approaching fall season in the end portion of summer.
Since this year happens to the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, she seemed to be perfect hostess for this occasion and in order to encourage more people of the advantages of subscribing to PBS Passport (more that later), I chose a more recent adaptation of an Austen themed work to start us off:
Death Comes to Pemberley, based on the 2011 novel by acclaimed mystery author P.D. James, is a two part miniseries that first aired in the US in 2014. It stars Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin as Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, living in relative calm several years after the events of Pride and Prejudice.
That calm is quickly broken by the unannounced arrival of wayward sister Lydia(Jenna Coleman) who is literally screaming bloody murder. She and her equally unwelcome husband Wickham (Matthew Goode) intended to crash the upcoming ball at Pemberley when an argument between longtime friend Denny and Wickham leads to a brutal end for one of them:
The one who got the worst of it was Denny, leaving Wickham to be charged with murder first at an inquest and then a trial.
The magistrate investigating the case is a man named Hardcastle(Trevor Eve) is no stranger to Darcy or Wickham as his late father held the same title and was very much a ruthless pursuer of the law. Darcy has the authority as a magistrate as well but due to obvious conflict of interest goes to Hardcastle, who refuses to play favorites with anyone here.
One of the interesting elements is the story is seeing the justice system of this time period at work. While forensics are limited to say the least, the reliance on witness testimony is truly crucial and the public observers who attend both the inquest and the trial are not shy masking their opinions on the proceedings known:
We also get to see some familiar P&P characters take the stage as Georgiana (Elinor Tomlinson) has two suitors, one of whom is Col. Fitzwilliam, beloved older sister Jane pays a visit to comfort Elizabeth and yes, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet spend a little time at Pemberley before all of the action begins(Mr. Bennet does head to the household library as fast as he can!).
A minor character that plays a strong supporting role in DCTP is Mrs. Reynolds(Joanna Scanlon). The devoted housekeeper is in fine form, supporting Elizabeth as much as she can while holding a steady course with the staff. The actress portraying her brings a fully formed humanity to what would consider to be a side character at best and she really grew on me during this rewatch.
Lydia, of course, is the ultimate drama queen here but she’s not completely superficial as the situation gets worse for her husband. Her giddiness is well timed at one point when Lady Catherine (Penelope Keith) pays a call to make her opinion known, fortunately cutting that visit short:
All in all, if you are a fan of Jane Austen style mysteries, this miniseries is a must watch for sure.
The cast is excellent, with Rhys and Maxwell Martin giving fine performances and having great onscreen chemistry with each other. Trevor Eve as Hardcastle does have a commanding presence yet doesn’t overpower his co-stars here(he was most recently seen in another book to TV adaptation, A Discovery of Witches) and the overall look and feel of the show fits as neatly as a set of ladies gloves.
The only P.D. James book I’ve ever read was this one and her reputation as a modern day mystery icon is well displayed both on page and screen.
I do like seeing both Elizabeth and Darcy seek the truth of the matter in separate yet similarly distinct ways, each of them having their own set of social connections lead them to a mutual conclusion (I can say no more in order to keep this a spoiler free zone). It’s a bit more of a dramatic take on the source material than some might prefer but Ms. James and company do honor Jane Austen (who did enjoy a thrilling read or two in her day) very well indeed.
I do hope that if you haven’t seen DCTP yet, you do so via PBS Passport as public television needs all the help they can get these days.
While the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting its doors, PBS stations are still fighting the good fight for us all. “Defunded but not Defeated “ is their new motto and a great one at that. It doesn’t cost a lot to join(I only pay ten dollars a month myself) and you get a lot of great programming, including other Austen related content such as the recent adaptation of Gil Hornsby’s Miss Austen, a sheer delight, and hopefully more to come.
Meanwhile, our Autumn in August will continue with a look at season one of Sanditon , a rather loose take on this uncompleted novel by Austen yet rather amusing in many ways as the podcasters at Reclaiming Jane can well attest to !
For now, I plan to pack my metaphorical bags for the seashore while biding a nearly fatal farewell to the good folks at Pemberley there:
Well, I did say that I might do an extra post this week and between my recent library haul and some book mail, it only seemed fitting to start the end phase of summer with new reads.
My library haul will go first; while I am in the middle of one book in that bunch, I’ll talk about it last.
In the meantime, I was happy to find at my local library one of Tarah DeWitt’s earlier novels, Funny Feelings. Our heroine is Farley Jones, an up and coming stand up comic who is on the verge of her big break. That chance at the big time, however, puts her into the position of fake-dating her manager, Meyer Hannigan, who was a comedy performer himself at one time.
Since Meyer and Farley are good friends as well as professionals, this ruse seems worth while yet as it happens, they both share feelings for each other that have been pushed aside in order to not endanger their already established bonds there. Can they showcase their true emotions in public and private while achieving the success that they’ve been working towards so long?
I recently picked up DeWitt’s latest book(Left of Forever, signed no less!) from Aardvark and even though I’m saving it for a fall read, was curious about her prior work. Glad to find a nice copy to borrow and looking forward to some love and laughs along the way:
Speaking of love, I also found a book club favorite from last year, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lydia Cohen Loigman.
Upon a reluctant retirement at age eighty, Augusta moves to Florida and while settling in, runs into Irving, who worked at her father’s pharmacy in Brooklyn back when they were both young.
While planning on following her father’s footsteps, Augusta became intrigued by her Aunt Esther’s brand of homemade remedies, which bordered on magic. Using one of her aunt’s recipes, Augusta attempted a love potion for Irving that backfired big time for them both.
Now, after all these years, is Augusta able to make right what once went wrong? Also, can she do this with or without that special talent that her aunt had?
This does sound lovely and I do recall the very positive buzz the book got, particularly from reading groups(especially Club Calvi, run by a news anchor in my area!) and even though this is a solo journey for me, my page turning will have many friends traveling along, I’m sure:
As for my book mail, Harper Collins kindly gifted me a pair of romantic themed reads that are definitely cool for the summer and beyond:
Starting with The Build-a-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver, we meet Eli Francis,who is in both a personal and professional rut in life. In order to change things up a bit, he goes out on a blind date with Peter Park that goes horribly wrong yet makes for a great story to tell.
Upon hearing that story, Eli’s boss at the magazine he works at suggests that this experience could make a great series of articles about “teaching” Peter to be a better boyfriend. While this is a great opportunity, Eli wants to go for a more heartfelt angle and Peter is a good enough of a sport to help him out here.
However, as time goes by, Eli finds this assignment to be more meaningful than he or Peter ever expected it to be. Can he achieve career success without putting his true feelings for Peter in jeopardy?
Deaver is best known as a YA author and a film adaptation of one of their works(I Wish You All The Best) is due out later this year. This novel is their first one for an adult readership and should be a fine introduction to a fresh literary voice indeed:
The other title is Poppy Alexander’s The Battle of the Bookshops , set in a seaside town in England where Jules Capelthorne finds herself returning to after so many years away. She intends to save her great-aunt Florence’s bookshop that has been a solid staple of the community for nearly a century.
Apart from the financial woes that the shop has suffered lately, her biggest challenge is in dealing with Roman Montbeau, whose family owns half the town and has decided to open up a much larger bookstore directly across the way from her aunt’s shop. Is this rivalry personal or professional and can one shop be saved without destroying too many lives there?
I do like the notion of a Romeo & Juliet meets You’ve Got Mail tale with some British small town charm thrown in for fun fictional flavor. Definitely my cup of storytelling tea for sure:
So, my late summer reading appears to be all set to go and considering the chaotic weather these days, staying inside with a good book feels more and more like the best option for the season.
Oh, and the library loan that I am currently enjoying is The Little Lost Library by Ellery Adams, part of her Secret, Book & Scone Society series that involves murders in a small health resort town with an independent bookseller as one of the amateur sleuths.
When one of her homebound customers dies under suspicious circumstances, bookseller Nora not only has to figure out who did it but also follow a set of clues in a strange book left to her by the deceased.
These clues lead to a treasure hunt of sorts in the old manor house owned by the recently departed,which has various hidden compartments concealing miniature books that may be worth a literal fortune! Can more than one mystery be solved here without any other casualties occurring?
This book is one of those reads that you have to force yourself to slow down and savor, despite being swept up on such a riveting emotional ride. Instead, sipping it slowly is the best way to embrace the experience and take the time to learn a little something about miniature books to boot. Reading is truly fundamental in more ways than one:
Well, it’s been an interesting couple of weeks to say the least but I am glad to be back in Blog Land in time for Seasons of Reading’s next readathon, High Summer, which lasts the whole month of August.
For this particular readathon(hosted by Michelle Miller), you can read what you want, no genre requirements. I, however, decided on a theme for myself: RomCom-ish. The trio of books that are on my TBR for this event have a romcom sort of vibe(at least to me, anyway) and hopefully provide some much needed relief from the summer heat:
My first selection was a book gifted to me by Harper Collins and it’s a new to me author to boot!
Holly Michelle’s Last Night Was Fun has quite the meet-cute here; Emmy Jameson’s sole goal in life is to exceed at her job as a data analyst for a baseball team.
When she receives the title message via text, Emmy and the sender soon realize that he was given her number by the woman he recently dated as a fake out. That odd coincidence turns into a budding friendship with no real identities exchanged yet their bond feels strong enough that Emmy asks him to be the plus one for at her sister’s wedding.
Upon meeting in person, she finds that her mystery texter is Gabe Olsen, her rival at work. While neither of them are thrilled about this discovery, they do go to the wedding together, mainly to see if those online sparks can connect them in real time. Is this love or just an awkward moment meant to be deleted?
The premise sounds entertaining (with shades of You’ve Got Mail) and should be a good time with a slow burn romance, a flavor of storytelling ice cream that I tend to eat up with a spoon:
Next up is The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava, which has more workplace romantic encounters of the awkward kind(I swear that I didn’t choose that element for this TBR but recognizing it now!).
In order to finally get the job of her dreams, Ember Lee Cardinal gets creative with her resume and does land a plumb spot as an accountant. While she’s able to learn on the job well enough to get a promotion, what could put her professional career in jeopardy is the handsome IT guy, Danuwoa Colson.
Not only does their employer have a rule against inter office dating, Danuwoa has no idea about the secrets and lies that Emmy has had to tell/keep here. Is it possible for them to have a real relationship without putting their jobs on the line?
I’ve been saving this book for summer reading, even as the author has just released a new title this season (Love Is A War Song, which has cowboys and music, including a song on Spotify!) that I hope to get to soon. Plus, this story feels like a present day spin on the 1988 classic film,Working Girl, in the very best sense:
To round things off, I chose Passion Project , a debut novel by London Sperry.
Set in New York City, our guide is Bennet Taylor, a temp worker in her twenties who has lost her zest for life, partly due to mourning the loss of her first love.
While bailing on a blind date, she meets Henry Adams(the guy she was supposed to meet up with!) and winds up telling him all about her having no vested interest in anything. He decides that they need to work on this problem together and makes a deal with Bennet to meet up every Saturday to do something new.
That plan slowly but surely begins to work, causing Bennet to emotionally come back to life yet there are still some issues that require more than an adventurous outing to help her move forward. Can Henry be that friend who does that for her or is he much more than that?
I do like the NYC setting here, especially for a potential romance, and yes, I’m going to invoke Gilmore Girls for it’s blend of humor, heart and drama as a key factor in my selection process for this one:
If you’re interested in signing up for the High Summer readathon, there is still plenty of time to join in the fun(the link in the previous sentence should help) and thank you to Michelle Miller for giving us all a grand excuse to stay in the shade with a good book there!
As for this blog, my Autumn in August will soon begin with a rewatch of Death Comes to Pemberley via PBS Passport(a more reasonably priced streaming service than certain others , just saying!). I might also slip in a library haul post later this week but don’t hold me to that!
It was nice to take a mini break but I am glad to be showcasing more good books, especially between the scorching heatwaves and even more scorching headlines in recent days.
One thing that I have noticed in pop culture lately is the craving for a kinder, more authentic brand of decency and goodwill, along with a renewed sense of community (the current run of superhero movies attests to that) and true,such longings aren’t guarantees of better times to come. Yet just the fact that more and more people are responding positively to such ideas gives me hope and maybe that hope is the first step down the road towards a better tomorrow.
In the meantime, let’s try to have a good rest of the summer together:
With the days getting hotter(and the headlines getting even more heated), taking a break during this time of year is a real necessity.
To that end, my book hauling as well as this blog is going to take a mini break (more on than in a moment). In the meantime, let’s celebrate some of my July picks:
Aardvark:
I decided to get just one book from Aardvark this time around and lucky for me, it’s an early release of Sangu Mandanna’s A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping.
Our innkeeper here is Sera Swan, who was once a powerful witch but due to a series of magical mishaps banished from her mystical community , is now running a small inn with the help of her recently resurrected aunt Jasmine, not to mention a talking fox.
When evidence of a long lost spell that could restore her her powers comes forth , Sera finds help from a rather unlikely source, Luke Larsen, known for his impressive skills as a magical historian as well as his cold nature.
Can these two succeed in not only regaining Sera’s sorcery but finding true love as well?
I throughly enjoyed Mandanna’s prior book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and this new one looks to just as enchanting of a read indeed:
BOTM:
When it came to the main selection this month, I went with a new to me author, Megan Miranda and her latest thriller (which also happened to be an early release, just my luck!),You Belong Here.
Beckett Bowery is nervous about sending her daughter Delilah off to college but not for the usual reasons. Delilah, unbeknownst to her ,applied to Wyatt College and was granted a full scholarship and since it’s Beckett’s alma mater, that would sound like a dream come true.
Unfortunately, Beckett’s senior year ended sooner than expected due to an event that forced her roommate to flee after the strange demise of two locals. She has avoided that area for the past decade or so yet with Delilah becoming a Wyatt freshman, there’s no way to not return to campus.
Hoping that folks will forgive and forget, she lets Delilah go there yet when her daughter suddenly disappears, Beckett fears the worst of her past is being revisited on her child. Can she find Delilah before it’s too late?
This does sound intriguing, giving me some Gilmore Girls Gothic vibes there. Certainly seems worth a try and who knows, I might discover a favorite new writer in the bargain:
I paired that with The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani.
We are introduced to Jess, who has moved back in with her parents upon the breakup of her marriage . Slipping back into place as the dutiful daughter, she puts her dreams of pursuing her artistic talents as a draftswoman in marble on the back burner, despite the encouragement of her devoted Uncle Louie.
An unforeseen event, however, gives Jess the opportunity to become the person she wants to be and that starts with going to the home of her ancestors in Italy.
There, she not only discovers a few family secrets but perhaps a new love in life named Angelo, whose artistry requires gold. Yet, is his heart golden as well or should Jess seek her own path paved with her own glory?
Trigiani is excellent when it comes to crafting tales of women seeking self fulfillment and family love and this one certainly appears to be another jewel in her story telling crown:
To round this selection off, my last pick was This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman. Just that title alone made me want to read this book!
Princess Melilot is the least magically inclined stepdaughter of the Queen of Skalla, one of the most feared sorceresses around. While she’s not at all interested in accepting the marriage proposal of the king from a nearby crumbling realm, fear of what her powerful stepmother might do has Melilot saying yes to this regal wedding dress.
That’s not the worst of her problems as attempts are made on her life(nothing new to Melilot) and in order to find out the real reason for this new royal alliance, she goes undercover as a maid only to become distracted by the welcome flirtations of her intended sister in law, Angelique.
Combined with fighting off several enchanted creatures and a dozen identical masked men, Melilot has her hands full of fairy tale follies and then some.
This story seems to be having fun with the classic tropes of the genre and that take is most welcome. Herman’s previous works were published in the U.K. and this novel is their US debut, one that I do hope will be followed by more magical princess matchups to come:
So, for now, my book acquiring mantra is “Buy in July, then skip until September “. I also plan to use my renewal privileges at the library for as long as possible , just to do a little catch up reading there.
As to this blog, I will post my TBR for the Midsummer Readathon at Seasons of Reading (which begins in August and will have sign ups later this month) but am
going to take at least a week or so off until then. Too many things happening in the world these days, not to mention the horrible hot weather, makes a cool down like this a must.
Hope you all have a good rest as well, whether your plans involve a little travel or just staying put in the shade with something fun to read(mine is definitely the latter!)! and may we all see cooler days ahead, in the best sense:
With July officially here, I am happy to report that my success on the Sci-Fi Summer readathon( hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading)challenge was rather reasonable.
I finished two of the three books on my TBR for this event and as of this writing, still reading the third with pleasure.
The first book completed was Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author , which I must say up front is definitely going on my personal list for Best Books of 2025. To be sure, I already have two other titles on that list as it is but this novel is staking its claim to the top spot there.
The main story concerns Zelu, an American author of Nigerian descent who is paraplegic , who is dealing with frustrations in both her personal and professional life. After coming to a crossroads of sort, she decides to chuck the literary fiction she’s been working on and writes a full blown science fiction story that becomes a runaway bestseller.
That book is titled Rusted Robots, with a plot about how the last remaining life forms on Earth are androids and AI who battle it out for control of their world. This book is blended in with Zelu’s story and beyond that, I cannot say anymore than this in order to avoid spoilers.
What I can and will happily say is that Okorafor is the kind of writer that you regret not having read her work sooner. Her wit, insight and subtlety of style are amazing to behold with emotionally realistic characters (yes, even the robots) and a narrative that flows as smoothly as water.
The science fiction elements are easy to engage with and while I know her other works are not all in this format, there is no doubt about the incredible quality of her prose. This was a good intro to Okorafor for me and I hope to take more imaginative voyages with her stories in the future:
My next stop was to fantasy via paranormal romance with Bride by Ali Hazelwood(note to the jerks who harassed this author so much that she ditched the internet; shame on the lot of you for your biased behavior and for dragging Suzanne Collins into your vicious campaign!).
Our heroine here is Misery Lark, the daughter of a powerful leader among the Vampires who is reluctantly marrying the current Alpha leader of the Werewolves , Lowe Moreland. In this world, vampires and werewolves are separate species rather than supernaturally cursed beings.
This alliance is meant to maintain enough of a truce to keep both sides, plus the Human population, from plunging into a brutal war. However, Misery has a very personal reason for agreeing to this arrangement and as it turns out, Lowe has a few secrets that are not fully his own to keep in the bargain. Can this marriage of convenience be more than just a means to rather different ends for them both?
I’ve read a couple of Hazelwood’s romances before and liked her style already so this turn into the paranormal wasn’t an unpleasant one; in fact, I use to indulge in quite a few urban fantasy/paranormal romance novels back in the day so it was nice to revisit the genre with a new guide.
The book was engaging and entertaining with a nice setup for a sequel (Mate, due out this October) which gives us more werewolf action in the best sense of the term:
At the moment, I’m still in the midst of Exquisite Ruin by AdriAnne May(got a late start on the book, that’s on me!) and willing to take my time with it.
The story begins with Sadare, a sorceress who wakes up trapped in a maze with no memory of herself.
Her only companion at first is a demon named Daesra, who informs her that they both must seek the monster hidden with the center of the maze in order to escape.
Sadare is less than willing to trust him, especially since he has all of his prior memories intact and holds a strong grudge against her for actions she can’t remember. Nevertheless, neither of them has much choice in the matter so they set off to face the challenge of the labyrinth together, gathering a pair of unusual allies along the way.
The pacing is swift yet allows for solid character development and even with the darker elements of the plot(Sadare has to use pain to activate her powers; content warnings are provided before the book begins), the emotional journey that both Sadare and Daesra are taking is richly heartfelt.
So, I will keep on reading and see where these two crazy kids end up-a sequel is due out next year(Divine Descent) and sounds well worth the wait. In a weird way, this book makes me think of that 1985 cult fantasy movie Legend, only with better writing and more mature content that certainly would’ve enhanced that story!:
So, all in all, this has been a great start for my summer reading and much thanks to Michelle Miller for making this all happen.
I plan to join in the Midsummer readathon in August (got a nice stack of romcom reads set aside already!) and hope that everyone who took part in this latest one had some page turning fun there.
We have a big holiday weekend ahead of us and understandably, most folk don’t feel that there is much to celebrate right now, given the daily chaos dominating the news cycle (not to mention the wider world). However, we can use this time to recalibrate our weary spirits and enjoy being with loved ones as best we can.
Part of my holiday plans include reading (finally started The House of Eve the other day and really liking it!) and watching the small screen premiere of Sinners(streaming on Friday and airing on HBO Saturday), one of the best movies I’ve seen this or any other year. Take joy where you can find it, folks; it’s what makes us stronger in the challenging days to come:
To say that this past week of summer has been rather overheated in more ways than one is quite the understatement there. Let’s just say any relief from the daily heat is more than welcome.
A good place to cool off is at the movies and if you want to do some page turning along with your popcorn munching, here are three adaptations coming to a theater near you:
The Life of Chuck: Based upon a Stephen King novella from his 2020 collection If It Bleeds, the entire story is based around Chuck(Tom Huddleston), whose seemingly ordinary existence has more meaning than anyone realized. It’s a tale told in reverse order and I can’t describe it more than that in order to not get into spoilers.
No, I haven’t seen the film but did read the novella(which is separately published as well) and it’s not the usual King fate in the best sense of the term. Also, director Mike Flanagan did a great job in adapting Doctor Sleep(The Shining sequel) a couple of years ago, pulling off the major magic trick of staying true to the book as well as the movie legacy wrapped all around that project.
The Life of Chuck is currently in theaters and if you can catch a screening, you may be pleasantly surprised which is a feeling hard to come by these days:
Don’t Let’s Go to The Dogs Tonight: For something a bit more dramatic, this adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s memoir from 2001 is set in Rhodesia(now known as Zimbabwe) in the aftermath of the infamous bush war during the 1980s.
Embers Davidtz not only stars as Nicola, Alexandra’s troubled mother struggling to keep the family farm intact, she’s also the director and one of the executive producers as well. Clearly, this is a project that she’s artistically passionate about and given our current state of global affairs, might be something to talk about indeed this July:
The Roses: This is more than just an adaptation of the 1981 dark comedy novel by Warren Adler; it’s also a remake of the first cinematic version of this book that famously featured Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito(outside of their Romancing the Stone movies)back in 1989.
Here, we have Olivia Coleman and Benedict Cumberbatch as the title couple, ready to get divorced after many years of marriage but not prepared to surrender their mutual house to one or the other during the fractious proceedings.
This is a very high bar to meet as the original movie was one hell of a ride there, with critical and audience acclaim alike. Not to mention this is a late August release to boot but perhaps it can be a jumpstart to the fall film season instead of a late summer leftover, we shall see:
Of course, the biggest adaptation most people will see this summer is the new take on Superman from director James Gunn and that’s fine by me.
I hope to see it myself as this movie radiates positive entertainment energy from the cast to the visuals and the inclusion of several unsung comic book characters in DC Comics adaptation lore(I’m a cat person but Krypto is adorable!).
Yes, The Fantastic Four movie looks awesome as well but I think more folks will be drawn to Superman for emotional reasons. It has been said that this movie draws on the Silver Age of comics, which were rather upbeat in tone and we could all certainly use a little of that right now.
Granted, being blindly optimistic about the future isn’t the best course going forward yet total nihilism helps no one here. Superman is one of those iconic fictional figures in our collective history that can help rally our spirits and showcasing him at his best,as the refugee from a destroyed civilization who wants only to use his unique gifts to protect the people of his adopted homeworld,is definitely the true and just way to do so.
Let’s all have a good summer of reading and watching wonderful movies together with hope for better days ahead this fall:
Yes, I know that I need to slow down my book buying yet when it comes to Aardvark , my resistance has been futile to say the least!
It doesn’t help that one of their main selections this month is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, a fantasy writer that I’m constantly hearing great things about.
Set in a world where the female Pope is attempting to make peace with a former ally by recruiting Alex, a daring thief with a possible regal connection, to lead a chosen group of warriors in search of a mystical crown.
This band of unusual allies includes a Viking werewolf, a cranky necromancer and an eternal knight among others who don’t get along too well to begin with but adding Alex to the mix is certainly not an improvement in the social skills department. The fighting and slaying brutal foes section, however, they’ve got covered!
This novel(first in a new series) has been called a “gothic Suicide Squad “ and hopefully, it’s more of the James Gunn version, which is the absolute best:
Another main selection happened to be a signed copy of Tarah DeWitt’s Left of Forever and while she is a new to me author, a signed edition is a nice bonus indeed.
The plot is centered around Ellis and Wren, childhood sweethearts who got divorced five years ago. They have managed to maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their son Sam, who is now entering college, and even agree to travel together to help him move in to his new school.
On the way back to their mutual home town, however, sparks begin to fly and Wren wonders if they can truly get back together. Ellis seems willing but there’s a long journey ahead for both of them to reach that point and it’s not on any map.
I do like a second chance romance, especially with more mature characters, and the fact that I am rereading Jane Austen’s Persuasion at the moment was definitely a factor here.
This story does seem to have a little Austen energy to it(although way spicer from what I’ve been told) particularly when it comes to reaching emotional high points in nature, something that many an Austen couple has had experience with:
For more romantic reading vibes, my last pick was For Her Consideration by Amy Spaulding, set in Los Angeles, where Nina Rice is pursuing her dream of being a screenwriter.
Her day job is at a talent agency where she meets Ari Fox, an up and coming actress who has no qualms about being in control of her own career, a confidence that others fear yet Nina admires in more ways than one.
Seeing that Ari is being more than politely interested in her, Nina decides to take a few chances of her own, personally as well as professionally. Will falling in love with Ari be the ultimate chance at happiness for both paths or must she choose only one?
I’ve never been to any part of California but do love a good Hollywood themed story. From what I have heard about this charming novel, it gives L.A. a sweet small town feeling that I think we could all use right now, given the current circumstances. Plus, romance is always in style no matter where you go:
This summer is certainly challenging,, with news changing rapidly by the minute as it seems. Yet, I do want to keep a good thought or two out therr(not easy to be sure) because complete despair is what certain people want from all of us and I flatly refuse to give them the slightest hint of victory.
Times like this do make you appreciate those moments of joy when you can get them; this past weekend, I attended a local Pride event and it was great fun, even in the rain. Just being with my family members, sharing a serving of freshly made French fries while sitting in a nearby park as the festival was still gleefully going on, was a memory to cherish.
I may feel a little guilty about indulging in Aardvark but exploring new bookish horizons is part and parcel of being a reader and as long as it suits my budget, I will continue. Not to mention that spreading the good word about offbeat books is very enjoyable.
Speaking of enjoyment, it was wonderful watching the Tony Awards a couple of weeks ago, even if Death Becomes Her didn’t win as many categories as I was hoping it would (DBH did get Best Costume Design, not too shabby!).
Taking what chances you get to have some fun is important to keeping your spirits up as we go on, so read that new book, taste that fancy chocolate and sing along with that new song rocking your world. Just turn a few pages in tune with the beat as you do so:
I know that the term “beach read” has its positive and negative meanings but in this case, my definition of this well worn phrase simply refers to relaxing books during the heat of summer.
Speaking of heat, it was a thrill to discover that Book of the Month Club chose S.A. Cosby’s latest thriller King of Ashes as a main selection for June! Having skipped May, this was a great surprise for my summer reading pile.
We are introduced to Roman, the eldest son who goes home to his family upon learning that his father was in a serious car accident that landed him in a coma. Once there, he quickly discovers that this wasn’t an accident, due to his younger brother Dante owing a huge debt to some local bad guys.
As it turns out, money isn’t enough to keep his family out of trouble so Roman decides to offer his talents at making financial fortunes for others to the underworld figures after Dante.
Motivated by not only protecting his brother but his sister Neveah(who is looking into another family mystery)as well , Roman is a lot tough than his new clients realize and that’s to their disadvantage, not his!
I throughly enjoyed Cosby’s Razorblade Tears and have no doubt that this novel will be an awesome page turning ride to take. His last book, All the Sinners Bleed, is being made into a movie as we speak and surely someone will turn this one into the epic cinematic drama that it deserves to be:
Fortunately, I was able to pair KOA with the follow-up to A Fate Inked in Blood, Danielle L. Jensen’s A Curse Carved in Bone.
Reluctant shield maiden Freya must deal with not only the betrayal by Bjorn(the son of the ambitious king she was forced to marry) but the prophecy that shoves her towards a blood soaked destiny.
Forming an unlikely alliance in order to find the seer who marked her for divine power, Freya is determined to make her own path yet knows that brutal measures may have to be taken. Plus, her heart still yearns for Bjorn but should she love or trust him at all?
This is the second half of a duology so while I am glad to get the full action packed story , I hope this isn’t the last we see of Freya. Jensen knows how to pump up the volume on the romance as well as the adventure elements of her work , making her leading lady a warrior queen worth watching out for:
After those books arrived (along with an Ali Hazelwood that I haven’t gotten to yet), I struck gold at the library by finding a book that I have been wanting to read for some time now.
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson follows two young women in the 1950s , starting with Ruby, who has her heart set on becoming a doctor. Upon being kicked out of her mother’s house, she stays with her Aunt Marie while pursuing an opportunity to get a college scholarship.
However, an unexpected romance with Shimmy, the son of her aunt’s landlord puts a few obstacles in that career path for Ruby with society‘s bigoted views on interracial relationships for one. An unplanned pregnancy is another that leads to some terrible times for her.
Our other heroine is Eleanor, already enrolled at Howard University and studying to be an archivist at the school’s library. When she falls in love with William , a handsome medical student, her future feels bright indeed.
His family has other ideas about who William should be with, especially since the difference in social class and race between Eleanor and William is strongly noticeable. Nevertheless, she is determined to make her life with him but at what emotional cost?
This novel was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, which put it on my radar but the solid word of mouth praise this book has received from readers is what makes me want to dive into this swirl of storytelling voices that creates an impression of what the world is like for women of color in America both then and now:
I was really in the mood for historical fiction that day because the next book that caught my eye on the library shelf was Diva by Daisy Goodwin, a look at the love life of famed singer Maria Callas.
She was at the height of her career when introduced to millionaire Aristotle Onassis, finding a kinship with him due to their mutual background of childhood struggles.
Their romance lasted several years only to be eclipsed by Aristotle leaving her for Jacqueline Kennedy, no stranger to tragic moments herself. The affect that this betrayal had on Maria was a harsh blow even for someone whose fame came from songs of sorrow and despair.
I don’t know much about Callas beyond the basics but Goodwin has a knack for showing the inner emotional workings of her characters, both truly fictional and based on historical figures as well. This certainly could be a great introduction to Callas’ legacy; we shall see:
This isn’t the only summer reading on my plate as another book box is on the way(yes, I ordered from Aardvark again, despite wanting to take a book break! I am weak on this front for sure) and my SciFi Summer readathon is off to a good start(should’ve read Nnedi Okorafor much sooner, her writing is so damn good!).
I’m also making good time with my current library read (The Sentence by Louise Erdrich) but trying not to rush through it just to start one of my newer library loan(is it just me or has anyone else done this?).
Also needing some relief from the ever increasing awful news headlines out there yet staying informed enough to keep an eye out on the state of things. *sigh* I long for the day when such hideous behavior isn’t a daily event but hopefully that day will come sooner than expected.
In the meantime, I will do my best to maintain my spirits and share some good word about great books for others to enjoy. Summer entertainment is meant to give us all a mental vacation and whether it’s the big screen or the small, drama is definitely more bearable when it’s in fictional form:
One of my regular features here on this blog is Autumn in August , where I highlight movies and shows that give you that September feeling during the end of summer.
For this year’s event, I am combining my recent summer subscription to PBS Passport with the upcoming 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth this December.
To start, I am doing a rewatch of Death Comes to Pemberley , the 2013 miniseries adaptation of P. D. James’ mystery novel that has Darcy(Matthew Rhys) investigating a murder allegedly committed by his most unwelcome former friend and in-law Wickham(Matthew Goode).
With Elizabeth (Anna Maxwell Martin) on hand to offer some unofficial assistance, this mystery reveals more than meets the eye to say the least. The cast is great, the story is engaging and yes, Lady Catherine does make an appearance!:
After that, the rest of the month will be a rewatch of Season One of Sanditon.
The 2019 series, based upon an unfinished novel by Austen(who was working on up to the time of her passing), was originally a one and done endeavor but the popularity of a certain Netflix series gave it two more seasons, which I throughly enjoyed.
However, I am just covering S1 due to time limits and being inspired by the good folk at the podcast Reclaiming Jane, who are beginning their new season with a look at adaptations and starting off with this very show!
For those unfamiliar with this story, Sanditon is set at a seaside town hoping to become a destination spot for travelers with two of their new visitors being the naive Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) and reluctant heiress Georgiana Lambe(Crystal Clarke).
Granted, a seaside location does have a summer vibe to it but trust and believe, there is plenty of drama, romance and scandal to make those autumn leaves shiver right off the trees rather early:
I might also do a reread of the source material (yes, I actually have an adaptation of the Sanditon series written by novelist Kate Riordan on hand)for a little compare and contrast, we shall see.
In the meanwhile, I am happy to have Masterpiece Theater readily available, due to signing up with my local PBS station-yes, I’m one of those “viewers like you”that get a thanks during every show!
Especially with public television being under threat these days, it feels like the right thing to do as a thank you to PBS for bringing us such great shows and solid educational programming all year along.
Masterpiece productions have been a wonderful way to share a love of classic and modern literature with a wider audience that should be respected as well as celebrated for many years to come. Hopefully, this will not be the last summer to hear that familiar theme music announcing another great show:
