Taking a Spring Into Horror via a mystery book tour

 Well, another change of season leads to another readathon from Seasons of Reading, the Spring Into Horror hosted by Michelle Miller for the entire month of April! Now, you are only required to read one scary book here and not only horror (thriller,suspense and such are fine) so with that in mind, my TBR for this challenge are all mystery themed, especially since there’s enough of a horror show in our daily headlines these days:

First up is the final entry in Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries series fittingly titled  Jane and the Final Mystery.

Here, Jane is struggling against her declining health to work on what will be her last book but when her nephew Edmund tells her of a strange death at his former college nearby, she can not resist such an opportunity to right what has been made wrong.

Arriving at the end of this charmingly clever series is sad indeed but I have faith that Barron will give her dear detective a most proper send-off on page. I do hope that someone turns these books into must-see TV at some point, pure drama gold right on the table!:

Next up is a modern spin on the wives of Henry the Eighth with one of them looking into the death of her predecessor.

An Inconvenient Wife by Karen E. Olson has as it’s leading lady Kate Parker, wife number six to wealthy tycoon Hank Tudor whose fifth wife Caitlyn was discovered to not only be dead at their Tuscan summer home but without her head as well!

Since Hank has a solid alibi for Caitlyn’s death, her demise is far too close to how wife number two was eliminated so Kate decides to do some sleuthing before her number is up permanently.

As a fan of the Six Wives lore, I do love the premise of this book and that Kate has to team up with two of the other Tudor exes, one of which is Anna Klein aka Anne of Cleves, a rather unsung queen of the castle and a favorite of mine:

To round this TBR out, One Perfect Couple from Ruth Ware takes on the reality romance TV show to give it a deadly spin.

When Lyla agrees to go on the title show with her boyfriend of two years Nico, she hopes that this experience will take their relationship to the next level.

Unfortunately, that level is more challenging than she or any of the other couples who signed on here expected as a storm  knocks out the power on their remote island locale, leaving everyone cut off from the outside world with limited supplies and a dead body in the brutal bargain.

Survival becomes the name of the game for Lyla and she is determined to win but at what price and will she be alone at the end? I have to confess that apart from The Woman in Cabin 10, my success in finishing a Ruth Ware novel hasn’t been the best. However, based on the great word of mouth that I have heard about this particular book, that may change for the better, I’m sure:

Spring Into Horror begins on April 1(no joke) and there will be a 24 hour readathon held on the twelfth (you can check here for more info and to sign up). As April is my birthday month, this is a fun bookish way to celebrate for me and I hope that everyone else has a wickedly wonderful reading time as well.

My thanks to Michelle Miller for launching us into another reading season with some suitable scares and speaking of  suitably scary, I wish that the new Snow White could fill that bill.

 As a longtime fan of the Evil Queen (who I always found way more interesting in the original Disney movie than sad sack Snow there), this latest version of her Royal Heartlessness to be a little lackluster. A shame but hey, such a classic villain tends to rise again like the proverbial bad penny so her reign of terrific terror may never be truly over:

Some storytelling sing-a-longs to read & roll with this season

 As spring is about to start, a whole new season of entertainment is getting ready to enchant us( or at the very least, offer some much needed relief from our troubling times), with music being first up to bat.

While I’m not a major music person (I’m the type that greatest hit albums were made for), I do enjoy a good tune. It’s also enjoyable for me as a reader when a novel with musical themes hits the scene and today, I thought that making a small playlist of recent and upcoming books with a beat that the story dances to would be a nice pop culture duet of sorts.

Thanks to the good folks at Galley Books, I was sent an early copy of Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert, a debut novel by Bob the Drag Queen, best known as a host of the HBO series, We’re Here as well as a winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The story is set in our reality, where for some unknown reason, figures from the past have appeared in the modern day world(Rockefeller, for example, showing some of those rich guys the real way to showcase wealth!) and a down on his luck music producer Darnell is summoned by Harriet herself to help her make a biographical hip-hop album.

She , along with some of her former traveling companions, plan to reach the new generation through music and while Darnell is beyond thrilled to be given this opportunity, some of his doubts about his career path bubble up to the surface. Can he overcome his personal demons to bring Harriet’s legacy  successfully back into the spotlight ?

As a fan of BTDQ since Drag Race, I was excited to get this book and after reading it, I am ready to say it’s going to be on my Best Books of 2025 list most definitely. This novel is as well paced as any hit song and filled with gorgeously written dialogue along with heartfelt moments and yes, even some bits of humor woven in all the right places.

Their writing style is finely tuned and a must read for those who like a good genre blend of music world insights, historical fiction and contemporary drama. Also, this would make for a great adaptation on screen or streaming. Hollywood, hello? It already has a soundtrack, just saying:

Next up is Jennifer Weiner’s new novel arriving this April, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits.

Cassie and Zoe are the title siblings, whose musical journey to fame and fortune didn’t last beyond a year.

With Zoe now a suburban mom hoping to steer her daughter Cherry away from some of her own past mistakes, a reconnection with her reclusive sister might be necessary as Cherry seeks the truth about their spectacular rise and fall from the music scene.

Weiner excels when it comes to emotional drama and this look at what fame can do to family relationships promises to be a top of the charts read indeed:

Due out this summer is Danica Nava’s  new romcom, Love is a War Song.

When pop star Avery Fox does a photo shoot that gets her the wrong kind of PR(not to mention putting her rising career to a possibly permanent halt), she decides to step away from the fray at her grandmother Lottie’s ranch.

While there, she finds that working with the horses is harder that it looks, especially when the foreman Lucas is not one of her biggest fans at all.

With the ranch in dire need of funds, Avery and Lucas form an uneasy alliance for the sake of Lottie and the community but there is a deeper connection between them that keeps getting harder to deny.

Fresh off her successful debut The Truth According to Ember, Nava is set to become a romantic comedy headliner with many more storytelling singles to hit the bestseller charts there:

Music and books do go well together when it played in three part harmony as this trio of novels clearly shows. I plan to read The Griffin Sisters this spring (thanks to an Arc from HarperCollins) and look forward to catching Nava’s new book during beach read season.

Sure, books and stories centered around singers are a well known genre but when someone comes along to put a new spin on what seems to be the usual standard, it is definitely the time to not hesitate to hit the dance floor for such new  creative grooves:

Seeking book haul bliss in a chaotic world

With the news truly getting stranger than fiction these days, it’s a real relief to have a book haul or two to find some much needed comfort in.

All of that is why I indulged myself with my recent Book of the Month Club box. Four books in total, with two of them being Book of the Year(BOTY) nominees-yes, I did get The Women and The Lion Women of Tehran!

Also, I added a pair of new releases starting with Count My Lies by Sophie Stava. This debut thriller follows Sloane , a young woman who makes casual lies part of her daily routine. When a chance encounter in the park leads to a job offer as a nanny to the wealthy Lockhart family, she is more than ready to take her full frontal falsehoods to the next level.

However, it soon becomes clear that Sloane is not the only one dealing in secrets and lies here. Can she figure out what the endgame is before getting seriously played for good?

The word of mouth is strong for this book and it’s already a Good Morning America book club pick but what really intrigues me is the Gone Girl vibes that this novel is putting out there, big time:

For something completely different, my other selection was First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine, host of the popular radio talk show Heartstrings, has a bit of a personal problem blending into his professional life; he no longer believes in the power of true love.

So when a little girl named Maya calls in to ask for advice for getting  her single mom Lucie out into the dating scene, more than one interest is peaked. While Lucie is not pleased with the media focus on her lack of a love life, having Aiden as her guide to love is not such a bad thing there. Can they find true romance together or hang up on this phone love connection once and for all?

Yes, this is a take on the romcom classic Sleepless in Seattle and even if you’re not into that particular movie(I’m a You’ve Got Mail gal myself), those nineties romantic comedies are a solid basis for a fresh take on the genre. Just the dialogue alone is something for any lovelorn reader to slowly savor:

Meanwhile, I had to make a library return this week and stocked up on a few backlist titles.

Gil Hornsby ‘s Godmersham Park  is based on the personal history of Jane Austen’s family. Anne Sharpe has taken a position as governess to Fanny Austen, daughter of Edward and niece to Jane.

While Anne becomes used to the inner dynamics of the household , she also finds some potential friendship with Jane yet the visits from another Austen brother Henry place Anne in some uncertainty regarding her place in more ways than one.

With Hornsby’s earlier novel, Miss Austen, coming to PBS later this spring, such a story feels as perfectly timed as a Jane Austen plot point indeed:

Along with Happiness Falls by Angie Kim(really want to try her work after hearing such great things about it), I picked up Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple , a murder mystery/contemporary drama set in Nantucket.

When the maid of honor in the illustrious wedding party of the Winbury family is discovered dead on the beach by the bride to be on her big day, a  major myriad of scandalous stories threaten to erupt.

As the chief of police and his best detective sort out the situation, many of the folks involved are planning to see what happens next and fit their accounts of that fatal incident accordingly. When all is said and done,will there be a wedding or something much more dramatic that will change everyone’s lives for better or worse?

I’m already reading this one and it’s a grand page turner for sure. As it turns out, there was a Netflix adaptation of this novel last year but since I didn’t see it (and probably won’t due to dropping that subscription), it’s just as well. The changes from book to screen inspired much talk and I would rather just enjoy the book on its own terms.

I know that spring is just around the corner but if there was ever the time for summer time beach reading, that time is here and now:

As much as I do appreciate many of the technical advancements made in the world, particularly when it comes to books and reading, there is still something to be said for the pleasures of the physical book.

Just being able to focus solely on the narrative within that set of bound pages, pausing when you need to and not due to an ad break and the sheer joy of shutting out the noise and confusion of the outside world for a little while makes all the difference there. That time to gather yourself up in another’s thoughts and ideas without losing your own perspective in the bargain is being taken for granted, I fear.

Don’t get me wrong; technology certainly has its uses and can offer far reaching opportunities for humanity to do better by others but it’s not the be-all and end-all.

 Perhaps part of the problems we’re dealing with today are due to not slowing down and contemplating what is in front of us. A good book in any form can help with that but trust me, a physical copy keeps that information more grounded and smells better to boot:

 

A slow yet steady Winter’s Respite of reading

March has definitely roared in as leonine as expected and with that, the first bookish event from Seasons of Reading, Winter’s Respite, has come to an end.

While I didn’t finish all of the books on my TBR for this challenge, I did at least enjoy what I was reading. To begin with, The Next Always by Nora Roberts was a sheer delight and such a fine start to this trilogy that I’m already into the second book.

This trio of books (The Inn at Boonsboro) is centered around three brothers, the Montgomerys, who have a renovation business and are currently bringing the title inn back into working condition.

Beckett likes working with his brothers Owen and Ryder well enough but is a bit distracted by Clare, a hometown girl that returned as a widow with three young sons to raise. She now runs the local bookstore called Turn The Page(such an awesome name!) and much like Beckett, is too busy to have any sort of social life.

However, it’s the inn that draws them both together and slowly yet surely, love begins to blossom. Can they find their way towards a life together while fitting all of their responsibilities into puzzle picture order?

It is known that Roberts was inspired by the inn she and her husband opened up in a small town and the love for that lifestyle shows in the descriptions of the renovations and the nuances of the townsfolk. Also, the characters, even the cranky ones, manage the trick of being nice but not cloyingly cutesy.

We do get some intrigue from a persistent local who refuses to take no for an answer from Clare, plus a ghost at the inn who makes her presence known via opening windows and slamming doors (don’t worry; this is TV-PG territory). Those moments of menace only highlight the overall romance and good friendship vibes that this book has an abundance of there. Definitely a series with plenty to talk about indeed:

After that, I went to Dream Harbor via Laurie Gilmore’s The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore . This is book two in this series and definitely makes you hungry for more engaging entries.

Our leading lady is Hazel, who runs the title shop for an absentee owner (who mostly pops in to change the name of the place) and for the most part, is happy with her life choices.

With her thirtieth birthday coming up, she is starting to wonder if she’s played it too safe and missing out on some of those thrills that life has to offer. When certain paperbacks begun to turn up on the bookstore shelves with particular passages highlighted in yellow, Hazel sees this as clues to some strange mystery that someone in town wants her to follow.

She does so with the aid of Noah, a local fisherman and tour guide who is very happy to have such an excuse to spend more time with her. Since Noah is well known to be a casual relationship type of guy, Hazel doesn’t consider his attentions to be serious yet as time goes by, he does seem to want more than a temporary romance with her.

Should Hazel take the ultimate leap of faith with Noah or is he the one leaving the clues to lead her down the garden path of persuasion there?

I did like the first book in this series (The Pumpkin Spice Cafe) well enough to give this one a chance and it was most assuredly worth taking. The vibe is very Gilmore Girls if they only stayed within the borders of Stars Hollow (only a tad more spicer in the romance department) and a real treat of a read to savor for sure:

While I didn’t get to The Honey Witch, there was plenty of other reading that I caught up with and these books were certainly a welcome relief from the chaos out there. No doubt that I will get to Honey Witch later in this season but it was nice to start my reading challenges off with some positive energy.

Much thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for launching a fresh round of literary delight and I already have my TBR set up for the next event, Spring into Horror, which starts this April.

I must confess that those selections are in the mystery/suspense category (mainly because our daily news headlines are enough of a horror show as it is) and now that I finally have PBS Passport, I can catch up on some of those British mystery shows like the Marlow Murder Club that sound so great! More mystery and less terror, I think that’s what we need these days:

 

Making my Morning Read rounds

 Some people need a cup of coffee to help them start their day off right; I need a jolt of good reading instead.

It’s become part of my daily routine for past several years to grab a pair of books early in the morning and read a bit from each one, what I tend to call my Morning Reads.

 Currently, I’m doing a TBR challenge (Down the Reader’s Road, highlighted on the side panel) that’s doing great so far. Four books finished at this moment and hopefully more to complete from my Book of the Month Club selections.

Meanwhile, I recently finished a project that had me reading Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon, a duel biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley along with a reread of Frankenstein and a first time read of Vindication of the Rights of Women. Great books and I highly recommend Romantic Outlaws as a fascinating and engaging look at the lives of two women who made impact upon our world in their own separate ways.

I do like the duo book concept so for a change of pace, I am doing a Jane Austen pairing with the classic Pride & Prejudice alongside Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne, a modern take on the iconic P&P.

While this may seem more lighthearted than the mother/daughter Marys, both Austen and Payne use the settings of romantic comedy to showcase the devious roles of gender expectations and social class that are placed upon their readers, then and now. Fun books, yes but more of a mental meal than one might think:

Speaking of food, my next reading duo will be the new essay collection by Alton Brown, Food for Thought that I am pairing with an anthology entitled Stories from the Kitchen.

The Alton Brown book(which was gifted to me by Gallery Books) is a new release and just from a quick browse of it, I can see that it has the trademark blend of savory knowledge and savvy humor that the former Food Network host is famed for.

From his thoughts on Martha Stewart to his favorite food movie scenes and even a mini play about chicken dinner, Brown’s flavorful words should make for delicious plates of page turning delight:

To round things off, I am going for a direct comparison between Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield and Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

The latter is set in modern day Virginia where our leading man faces a rather similar number of challenges that his Victorian inspiration did; just how alike they are I am yet to discover but have no doubts about the qualities of each work.

I have a feeling that Dickens and Kingsolver would be good friends if the fates had them meet up. Both writers create vast in-depth stories with strong characters, plus tend to mix in themes of social concern. Kingsolver recently started an outreach program based on her research into the community that her award winning novel spoke about, which is something that Dickens did in his day as well. 

I might not get to these books right away but when I do, my appreciation for thoughtful updates on legendary literature are bound to be increased:

While the world around us is getting weirder and wilder by the day, it does help to have a steady supply of positive energy to refuel our weary spirits. That’s one of the benefits of my morning reading and I do hope that you all are able to revive your emotional fatigue in similar fashion.

It’s not at all easy these days; especially when the news seems bleaker with every headline and worthy journalists are being cast aside unjustly for simply doing their jobs. Yet, there are glimmers of hope getting brighter out there and folk gathering together to make their voices heard, louder and more forceful by the hour.

I know self care might seem like a cliche at this point but it is important to not be fully overwhelmed by current events. Read, rest, repeat-that’s a good way to hang on as we crawl out of this collective mess together. A good book is a good start to face a new day, if you ask me:

…And the BOTM nominees are a novel bunch indeed!

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:

Have a page turning Valentines Day party with these book mail buddies

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:

 

A book mail bonanza of brave women

 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:

…And the award goes to these page turning nominees!

 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:

Trying to warm up for a Winter’s Respite of reading

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:

 

Some Regal Reads and my last library haul of 2024

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:

 

Tim Hanley shows us that Batgirl is Never A Sidekick

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: