Another...Reading Round Up!

I'm feeling that it's time to do another reading round up! I've read several books over the past few months that I haven't blogged about. Perhaps because they're already established/well-known, I liked  them but didn't really feel like doing a blog on them, or I just was too busy.

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

Visual Description: "Red Clocks" in a minimal white calligraphy font. Behind it is a flat, red diamond prism in various shades of red. It is a geometric symbol of the opening of a vagina. It reaches all the way up the top and bottom of the cover. Written in the same calligraphy font but in  yellow around the shape is :  "National Bestseller" across the top, Leni Zumas (Leni on one side of the top of the diamond, Zumas on the other). Bottom left 'A Novel' and on the other side a description "Strange and lovely and luminous. I loved RED CLOCKS with my whole heart - Kelly Link'. 

"Five women. One question. What is a woman for? In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom. Ro, a single high-school teacher, is trying to have a baby on her own, while also writing a biography of Eivør, a little-known 19th-century female polar explorer. Susan is a frustrated mother of two, trapped in a crumbling marriage. Mattie is the adopted daughter of doting parents and one of Ro's best students, who finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn. And Gin is the gifted, forest-dwelling homeopath, or "mender," who brings all their fates together when she's arrested and put on trial in a frenzied modern-day witch hunt." - Nabbed from the Goodreads Blurb

I read this a few months ago - both reading it and listening to its audio-book. It was around the time that I was withdrawing from The Handmaid's Tale (the show) finale. It is a book that I would suggest to anyone who appreciates The Handmaid's Tale, for sure. But, unlike The Handmaid's Tale, the reality that is written in Red Clock's is far, far closer to our world. I find The Handmaid's Tale uncomfortable for it's closeness to our current political and social climate. Red Clock makes Handmaid's Tale feel more close to the world of The Hunger Games than ours. Scary. But, thought and feelings provoking. 

I refrained from blogging about it because I just didn't quite vibe with the writer's tone. I also had some problems with the characters. The Wife seemed extraneous to me. As for the writer's voice - I felt she was specifically taking on a masculine tone to prove something. I'm not sure. But, it didn't feel authentic. Mildly posing? I think this book would be great for a male reader and it's not surprising that The Punisher's Jon Bernthal tweeted his book love for 'Red Clocks'. It seems like JUST the book to reach through to the mind of a guy who inhabits Frank Castle so easily. 

The problems addressed in the plot are real and reaching. I thought the conclusion was satisfying and the decisions (from my fading memory of the plot) made by the characters were in-character and understandable. 

My personal opinions on writers tone and character placement wouldn't be everyone's reaction. That is why I'm starting this particular Reading Round up with it. It's a strong book and worthy of throwing out there as a book suggestion. 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Visual Description: A mystical, midnight cover. The background is in shades of midnight blue and darkness. The nighttime sky with light esoteric circle symbols with lines drawn to each other etches in front of it takes up 80% of the background. The lowest bottom part is a nighttime cityscape (probably London). The title is in large white slightly older feeling font in the center of the cover. Above, in simple straight font is "DEBORAH HARKNESS", below that in a smaller yellow font : "1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Shadow of Night and The Book Of Life"

"Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell." - Nabbed from the Goodreads Blurb.

A Discovery of Witches quickly falls into the category of "It's already so well known and has been for a long while, I felt redundant and late in the game in blogging about it". However, the love I have for this book and the two books that come after it in the All Soul's Trilogy is VERY real and I can't help but share it here. 

Vampire romance is not a ground-breaking genre. It's not even a genre that has ever really gone out of style. It's been around and will always be around. Even when you go through the inevitable post-Twilight detox and can't imagine ever reading another vampire fiction again - you still find yourself intrigued by the premise. But, alas, some (a lot) of vamp fics out there are...horrible, lazy, trope-ish, and wrought with mary-sues. A Discovery of Witches does not at all fall into that category. 

It is so intelligent, emotional, and refreshing. Marrying science and copious amounts of luxurious history and the metaphysical into a tale with it's own original lore that resides in our own normal, mundane world so easily that it's curious to imagine it's legitimate. Diana is a convincing, refreshing heroine and while I had some annoyances with the male lead - he was swoon worthy and original. Diana has a history, interests, passions, and personality traits. So does Matthew (male vampire lead). 

A Discovery of Witches reminds me a great deal of Outlander. Mostly because the author is a historian who actually found a long lost alchelmical manuscript in the Bodleian Library in Oxford - just like her main character. She draws on her vast education and experiences and passions to weave the tale. The story is mature, deeply intelligent, intense and sexual (but doesn't stray too far into Anne Rice territory). Very Gaboldon-esque of her, right? 

The next two novels in the trilogy hold up and I loved everything about it. Also - it was adapted into a TV show and can be found on Sundance or Shudder. Season 1 covered A Discovery of Witches, Season 2 looks like it will jump right into the second novel. While the show was great and I'm tempted to do a book-to-screen post about it, I must insist that you read the books first. 

Because they are awesome. Super, duper awesome. And I just typed 'super, duper'..and you know what? I'm going to leave it there. 

A Strange, Scottish Shore by Juliana Gray

Visual Description: This is a illustrated cover with the artwork heavily featured and explanatory of the premise. A dark haired woman in a gray, plain Victorian-esque travelling attire and a gray hat with a ribbon ta the back is standing on a grassy rise with her back turned to the viewer, two suitcases in her hand, and the wind pulling back her neat hairdo and hat ribbons. She is looking towards a castle on a cliff on the sea, the ocean shore calm in front of her, a small boat moored on the beach. Clouds build in the background but the day is clear and the sun is setting. The title in simple, old-tymey print features at the top "A Strange Scottish Shore'. At the bottom is the author's details in large and small white fonts "Juliana Gray", "Author of A Most Extraordinary Pursuit". And a small quote clip in black font where the shore is detailing "A heroine worth rooting for. - Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author." 

"Scotland, 1906. A mysterious object discovered inside an ancient castle calls Maximilian Haywood, the new Duke of Olympia, and his fellow researcher Emmeline Truelove, north to the remote Orkney Islands. No stranger to the study of anachronisms in archeological digs, Haywood is nevertheless puzzled by the artifact: a suit of clothing, which, according to family legend, once belonged to a selkie who rose from the sea in ancient times and married the castle’s first laird. But Haywood and Truelove soon discover they’re not the only ones interested in the selkie’s strange hide, and when their mutual friend Lord Silverton vanishes in the night from an Edinburgh street, the mystery takes a dangerous turn through time, which only Haywood’s skills and Truelove’s bravery can solve…" - Nabbed from the Goodreads Blurb

OK SO THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THE SECOND IN A SERIES UNTIL I WAS HALF WAY THROUGH IT. And I have, alas, been unable to procure the first one without purchasing it and I have too many books on my TBR list to justify buying it. 

This came up for me when I looked up 'selkies' in my library's app search. I love selkies. I think they are a deeply under-rated fantasy/supernatural/magical creature. They deserve so much more than what they get. I love history (as I think I've made clear in this post and previous posts) and so I picked it up and started reading it. Within the first chapter I realize that this chick is literally talking to the ghost of THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND in a train car. Like, what?! I was hooked.

Emmeline Truelove is a lovely main character and her voice is realistic for the times but earthy and understandable. Sometimes, in the era that she lives in, the narration can be a bit pompous or distant. Like, the author is trying too hard to emulate the times or doing an impression of someone in that era? But, she's a prim and proper heroine that you root for! 

I can't reveal too much about the story without giving major spoilers away and I don't want to do that. But, I can say it was a great ride of a read and the surprises were amazing. I encourage you to read the first book in the series, though. It's always better. And I feel confident from my experience with A Strange and Scottish Shore that the first novel will be excellently written and worth recommendation. Furthermore, I am confident that there will be more books coming because there are some answers we need answering and that they too shall be excellently written. 

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Visual Description: Another cover where the illustration is heavily featured and explanatory of the premise! A young woman with dark hair pinned up and in a elegant, scarlet gown with a large, hooped, ruched skirt is on a doorstep lit by two old fashioned gas lamps. The night is misty and it feels like she's in the city. She is in mid-action of entering the door. It is cracked and golden light glows from inside. Gold fillagree emblems are in each corner of the cover. The author's name and details are in mid-large and small font above the doorway at the top of the cover. "USA Times Bestselling Author of My Beautiful Enemy", "SHERRY THOMAS". Below, the title in white and large font "A Study in Scarlet Women" and in smaller golden letters describing "First in the Lady Sherlock Series" at the bottom of the cover. A small quote clip in white is placed to the left beside her scarlet skirt detailing "Sherry Thomas has done the impossible and crafted a fresh, exciting new version of Sherlock Holmes." Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author."

"With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London. When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind" - Nabbed from the Goodreads Blurb.

Gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes for the win. Much like A Discovery of Witches - the premise has been done before. It's been done in TV. It's been done in books. It's been done in the past. And it has been set in the present. So, when I picked this up (after finally doing so after my library app kept throwing it me in suggestions for eons) to try it out  I was very surprised how original it was. 

I recently read somewhere that Sherry Thomas has said she enjoys writing the type of books she enjoys reading and it totally clicked with me. Because, A Study In Scarlet Women, she effortlessly slides into the role of narrator of a intelligent, Victorian who-dun-it with little hiccup. The whole book sets up the whole series. The twist upon the twist? Charlotte Holmes is the scarlet woman and she does so by pure genius choice. She is exactly what you would think a female Holmes would be but also not at all what you think. She's better. And her supporting characters are better. And the world she lives in and solves mysteries is better. 

It's a slow burn read and mystery, alternates point of views deliciously, and does not stray from spending time on mundane day-to-day things and societal expectations and rules. While male Sherlock Holmes didn't have to worry about conventions or societal pressures - Charlotte Holmes is highly pressured to do so. Her dream is to find an occupation where she does not have to marry and one that gives her enough income to support her two unmarried sisters. One of them mentally challenged and hidden away by their lacking, disappointing parents and the other older and very much a wallflower with a great big heart but not much backbone. Oh, and! - MRS. Watson is a retired actress of means! A Victorian-era ACTRESS. While Thomas definitely resides within the realm of the original Sherlock Holmes series, she gender swaps where necessary and adds her characters (mostly of the female kind) to flesh out the feminine world that was often overlooked in the original source material. 

And it works. Big time. 

Again - like A Discovery of Witches...I have read the other books in the series and each get a thumbs up from me and the series is well known and so I felt redundant in blogging about them on their own. However they absolutely needed to be mentioned.

And that, dear reader, concludes this Reading Round Up. 

We went from Red Clocks, to A Discovery of Witches, to A Strange and Scottish Shore, and finally to A Study in Scarlet Women. I feel like I've run a blogging marathon with all the links and covers and typing I've been doing the past day! I'm going to go listen to my most recent audiobook library loan and chill. 

Happy reading!

Until next time, 

Jess

Autumn Time Reading

Autumn is here.

It's time for dying leaves, scalding hot drinks, graying skies, layered clothes. My favorite time of the years for all those things and so much more. I have some seriously summer-inclined friends and they lament the arrival of Fall because to them it means...Winter is Coming. However, I refuse to have such glass-half-empty look on it. I don't wish fall wasn't here - I wish it was longer. Much, much longer. Like as long as summer. Or better - winter! I live in Iowa. I'd take any other season longer than winter. Except maybe summer. I'm not a summer girl. It's so hot. And I wilt. And then I do wilting things like drooping until I melt like the wicked witch did when Dorothy attacked her with water. It's not fun. I am...I am a autumn time girl. Give me the rain. Give me the dead leaves. Give me the LACK OF INSECTS TRYING TO GET ME TO INHALE THEM AND/OR EAT MY BLOOD. But, I'm getting distracted and off topic. Ahem...

In honor of my favorite season I've accumulated a small but mighty list of some of my favorite autumn time reads. Books that are natural fits for when the leaves turn orange and the nights grow longer and the air gets nippier and I am my best self living my best life.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Visual Description: The top half has the image of a back of a woman in a red tank top, dark loose hair staring out of a open window with autumn trees. Beside her is an open book. She's sitting on what seems to be a window seat with purple pillows. Below, in the bottom half, with a background of orange is the title in cursive 'The Sugar Queen" with the author's name in smaller, white letters above. Golden filigree borders the title in the background. 

The first thought I had was of this novel. Sarah Addison Allen's super power is invoking the seasons and the natural world and tying them firmly with her character's world and development. I would also highly suggest reading First Frost, her sequel to Garden Spells for equal fall vibes. The Sugar Queen is a standalone and holds bittersweet and happily ever afters that is best read and experienced in the Fall. 

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery

Visual Description: Anne, a redheaded young woman, is strolling down a path with her arms around books, gazing towards the reader. She is wearing a straw hat, a oversized orange cardigan, and a dark green-brown tweedish looking skirt. Behind her and down the lane is a white house with a green roof. Several very large windy-blown trees surround it. In white cursive and above Anne's head is 'Anne of Windy Poplars'. Above that in blue, smaller and simpler print is  The Anne of Green Gables Novels #4, LM MONTGOMERY. The cover is bordered in sold dark pumpkin orange. 

Everything about Anne-with-a-E screams love for autumn. What is that quote? Oh yes. "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers". I've read the entire series over and over again and out of the entire set - Anne of Windy Poplars, for me, is the most Autumnal. (With Anne of the Island a very strong second). Perhaps because it details her time as a teacher and the season of autumn is heavily featured. 

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Visual Description: Top half is a artistic painting of a shirtless pale man, with black shaggy hair, staring down at his reflection in a pool (his reflection is staring back up at him). Behind him is a black sky, a leafless tree, and a huge rock. Red poppies are strewn across the pool of water before him. The bottom holds the title and author with a background of black. MARY SHELLEY in orange, Frankenstein : The 1818 Text in white, italicized font. 

Well, I'm sure this is a no-brainer. You cannot live through an October or even a November without reading something classic and gothic and enthralling. With the new movie that came out about Mary Shelley, I've been feeling the need to re-read Frankenstein this season. 

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Visual Description: The cover is artistically drawn. The center has the title "A Wrinkle in Time" and the author's name "MADELEINE L'ENGLE' above in front of a black night sky with tiny white star. the border of the book is made up of cartoons. Top of the cover: three children flying. Left A small house, a old lady in black witches attire, a old woman drawn with white and pencil, below a old woman in a a top hat and oversized coat and skirt and boots. Below golden plains and mountains with a trio of children on the back of a winged pegasus. Right is a very tall school with children walking towards it. In the bottom right is a golden sticker. 

Children's books are my favorite to re-read and A Wrinkle In Time is TOP on the list for me. While it spans across the galaxy and universe and encompasses many types of worlds let alone seasonal-types - it starts on a stormy autumn-y night. A wild night when all the things start happening. Curling up with this and a hot cup of cocoa or cider while the wind is blustering orange and brown leaves around....hmmmm...yes. That sounds exactly right to me. 

The Magician's Nephew (Narnia #1) by C.S. Lewis

Visual Description: Emerald green background, "The Magician's Nephew' in large white, all caps front and center and below a medallion shape with a child in blue, with blonde hair riding a winged caramel colored pegasus just barely flying out of it. The green background lightens around the medallion shape as if the shape was glowing light. C.S. Lewis in all white caps but smaller than the title at the very bottom. 

Ok, this is set in summer time. And it might not be the most autumnal of reads. But, it's magical and the start of amazing, classic series. And to me, that makes it worth being on this list. Autumn is the best time to re-read your favorites and start a series to last you through the winter. Chronicles of Narnia is one of THE best series to have on your reading plate for the colder months of the year. 

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Visual Description: A painting of a large gate with two stone pillows. A foggy forest and green hills with a blue sky above lay beyond the gate. Below with a background of black states "Charles Dickens' in orange and in white, italics 'Great Expectations'. 

Speaking of re-reading...Great Expectations is dreary and spooky and heart-wrenching and classic. It's not quite as gothic and dark as Frankenstein but it's got that old Victorian gloomy tilt to it. And plus, well, Dickens. And reading (or re-reading) a Dickens novel is an excellent goal for every year. 

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Visual Description: The title in the center in all caps, slightly Renaissance-esque font 'THE THIEF LORD". At the bottom in a cursive, handwritten font the author's name "Cornelia Funke". The background is entirely blue and white to give the painting a twilight/midnight feel. It is the end of a canal of Venice. You see ab bridge between two narrow buildings. And an archway at the top with a mysterious figure capering over the top of the arch with the details of the body invisible against the light of a full moon in a starry night sky. 

Set in autumn-time Venice with a smattering of snow. The runaways fight runny noses while they follow their Thief Lord and the friendly Detective who loves turtles chases them around. Cornelia Funke has several books that are perfect for the season. But this one is my favorite. It's stand-alone, it's enchanting, and it utterly transports you to another world even though it's set in this one. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Visual Description: Bottom quarter is plain back with orange, all capital "CHARLOTTE BRONTE" and below white, italics title "Jane Eyre". Above is a classical painting. A a brown haired, pale sitting woman in a 19th century black gown with a white collar. She has a piece of paper on her lap and a child with ringlets and a red 18th century child's gown leaning over her lap and looking at it. To the left, standing is a golden haired woman in a rose 19th century gown with a bustle and lace. They are all posed in a corner by a window with large drapes where sunlight steeps in from. 

If you're new to my blog - oh hey, guess what? I love Jane Eyre. So I take any excuse to add it to a list or to mention it or to even think about it. If you're not into Jane Eyre then I encourage you to try it right now. It's part gothic, part romance, part female anthem of empowerment, and entirely classic. It's an invigorating read that, I believe, pairs well with walks in the park and tea. 

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

Visual Description: The background of the cover is a painting, very realistic that it seems almost like a photograph, except the softness of the hues. Old fashioned laced up red boots sit next to a roaring fire on a stone floor. The corner of a basket of what looks to be peaches or maybe bread next to it. The title is on top of the cover and in all capitals 'BLACKBIRD HOUSE' with 'A Novel' in smaller letters. Bottom part has the author's name 'ALICE HOFFMAN' with 'Author of 'The Probable Future' in smaller caps below it.

I checked this out as a audiobook on my library app last year and fell in love with it. Alice Hoffman is always a win, in my book. But, this one is special to me because it's a series of short stories but they all center around the same place and the people around this house. The Blackbird House. It's meandering and intimate at the same time and I love that kind of feeling in a book. It's why I treasure A Tree Grows In Brooklyn so much (it gets a honorary mention below!). And, of course, blackbirds - especially one in particular - soar in and out of the skies of the various stories. My favorite features the red boots which is central to the cover. Lots of possible-witchery happens, heart-warming charm, sad and melancholy resolution, happy and content endings. I really adored it and I think it fits well into the autumnal spirit of this list. 

Honorary Mentions! 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (my favorite HP!). Bram Stoker's Dracula. The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman. Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Ok...well...anything by Neil Gaiman. The Hobbit by Tolkien. The Book Thief by Marcus Zuzask. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Uprooted by Naomi Novak. The Hounds of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. 

I hope that this autumn is full of everything that you love about this season. I hope its crunchy underneath your boots, with lots of hot drinks that just only slightly burn the top of your mouth, rainy and blustery afternoons, nights that dip into freezing and bring frost to your windows just so you can trace happy faces on its surface, and I hope that you get many a-lazy hours to dive into each and everyone of these books to bring optimal autumnal reading glory into your lives. 

Until next time, 

Jess

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

I'm a lover of stories. This blog is targeted towards my love of books but really - that stems from my love of stories. Stories are told in various ways. Actors tell stories. So, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume that an actress would feel drawn to writing a book and like...do a good job at it. Actors are story tellers (reading is basically at least a third of job their description). Krysten Ritter's debut novel 'Bonfire' is the evidence.

I found that most of the poor-er reviews on Goodreads came across tainted by this expectation that the novel had to be on a whole different level because the author's primary career. It's my pet peeve when a book is judged like it's got to be something on a whole other level when it doesn't have to be. Example : You read a review of a historical romance novel. And they spend most of the time complaining about how unrealistic and stupid it is to have it be completely focused on the relationship and how they wish the heroine would spend less time thinking about the hero, etc. And thus because of this opinion they give it a bad review. It's a historical romance novel. You open a book from a specific genre section, be ready to get that genre. If you don't dig the genre - don't read (coughs-review-coughs) it. Same principle applies here.

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

Visual Description: A bonfire with orange sparks cast out over the pitch black cover. Font: modern, white, thin and angular. Krysten Ritter is low capped. Title is all caps. 'A novel' is off in the corner, smaller and italicized. 

Publishing: November 7th, 2017. Hutchinson
Page Count: 288 (hardcover)
Find the Author: Goodreads

"Should you ever go back? It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands. But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good. Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her. With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote, rural town of just five claustrophobic miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of the question: can you ever outrun your past?" - Blurb nabbed  from Goodreads

Before I forget - I have a paralegal degree. While I don't have much experience with environmental agencies and law - the last class (most fresh in my mind) was all about Administrative Law.

Returning to a small hometown with success and a mission that compromises the feelings of the people you left behind feelings towards you...it's a premise that's been done before. However, I'm never the one to judge the re-used premise. Especially when it's a classic. Because in the familiar premise is the freedom of choices and a unique perspective - a different take. And that is endlessly fascinating to me. It's a known premise for a reason - it's resonating. It's not just something that's repeating in the fictional world - it's a premise that plays out hundreds and thousands of times over history in the everyday world.

In Bonfire's case - it plays out with the themes of toxic. Toxic environmental factors, toxic friendships, toxic homes, toxic habits, toxic fears. Accompanying 'toxic' is the theme of overcoming and what it takes to get through and recover - for real. There's a difference between running away and suppressing and the rebirthing experience of true recover from toxicity. It plays a recurring theme in Abby's (MC) characterization and plot and the characters around her. Each person is either not recovered but pretending or still actively participating in toxicity or never ever recovered and knows it and now is just..living in the aftermath. Sounds like a fun town, amIright? 

Abby literally stars in two different stories in the same book. Two stories that merge together in the end. It's not entirely surprising - most 'two stories' come together as a general rule so the book doesn't suck. In Bonfire it plays out as (perhaps unintentionally) a homage to the female intuitive powers. The breed of female intuitive powers that are usually considered crazy by those not experiencing them within themselves. I almost thought, as the reader, that she was projecting her obviously suppressed emotions onto certain things and that her (again) suppressed emotions were getting tangled with her purpose in returning. However, (and I won't spoil how it goes down) it doesn't take the reader much to realize that there are two stories and they're heading towards each other in a twisted way. The questions are 'who, what, when, where, why?' do they converge?

Four out of five. Because it's a solid read with solid writing with texture and a theme that has depth.

Until next time,

Jess

P.S. I must confess - the entire time I was reading it I heard Ritter's voice narrate it in my head. As in - the voice over narration stuff she does for Jessica Jones. Not a terrible way to read a book, imo. lol.

A Reading Round-Up!

I've been so busy with life that I have completely neglected sharing some of the books that I've been reading, have read this past year, and my thoughts on them. To be honest, I've mostly been listening to books that past few months but that's another post for another time. I wish I had time to devote a full blog post for each book below but alas - time. I have yet to perfect the art of making time slow down/quicken up so that I might get all the things done that I want to. So, I'll just call this a reading round-up.

FYI - these aren't in any specific order of preference.

Sad Girls by Lang Leav

 Publishing: May 30th, 2017. Andrews McMeel Publishing
 Page Count: Paperback, 362 pages.
 Find the Author: website
 “Your first love isn’t the first person you give your heart to  —it’s the first one who breaks it.” Sad Girls is the much   anticipated debut novel from international best-selling   author Lang Leav. A beautifully written and emotionally   charged coming of age story, where young love, dark   secrets, and tragedy collide. School is almost out for   Audrey, but the panic attacks are just beginning. Because   Audrey told a lie and now her classmate, Ana, is dead. Just as her world begins to spin out of control, Audrey meets the  enigmatic Rad—the boy who could turn it all around. But will their ill-timed romance drive her closer to the edge?" - Nabbed from Goodreads

Lang Leav is one of my favorite poets and this is her debut novel. It's a book that inspired me into the mood for Lana Del Rey. Emotional wanderlust mixes with melancholy and equals into a coming of age story that borders on the surreal. It has a many dark aspects - drug abuse, sexual abuse, self-harm, anxiety, depression. It's name really tells it all - Sad Girls. Sad. Leav's ability to write an emotional impact doesn't go away with the challenge of novel writing. It's a sad novel. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a devastating novel. It's just a sad one. Read it with a hot cup of lemon honey tea - I did. 

The Copenhagen Affair - Amulya Malladi

Publishing: May 30th, 2017. Andrews McMeel Publishing
Page Count: Paperback, 362 pages.
Find the Author: website 
"Sanya was always the perfect wife, but after a breakdown at her office, it’s her husband Harry’s turn to step up. His proposal? A temporary move to Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital city. He needs to be there to close a business deal and figures the change of scenery will do her good. Within Copenhagen’s glamorous high society, one man stands out—not only because of his intriguing scar but because he sees Sanya in a way Harry hasn’t for years. As allegations of white-collar crime arise, she learns of Harry’s infidelity, and having an affair with Anders seems ever more tempting. Surrounded by old money, smoked fish on dark breads, and way too many bicycles, Sanya slowly moves from breakdown to breakthrough, but where will she end up—and with whom?" - Nabbed from Goodreads Blurb

This is a novel with two natures - two different tones weaving within and out of each other. One is a story of depression and the journey of recovery. It's not an overnight, snap your fingers, "a trip to a new city cures all" action that gets you out of depression. It's a journey of self discovery, new habits, new perspectives, and break through(s). The second is a romantic comedy. It's a funny, chick-lit story that lifts up the shadows of the book and gives you a well-rounded story. It is also a love letter to Copenhagen. Be warned you'll be looking up vacays in Copenhagen through out and after reading. 

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) - Danielle Paige

Publishing: April 1st, 2014
Page Count: Hardcover 452 pgs
Find the Author: website
"I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling." - Nabbed from Goodreads

I had been waiting to read this book for a while when I was able to find it on my libraries digital library. I wasn't sure if it would be worth a purchase to read since it was a series and a author I hadn't heard before. It would definitely be worth a purchase. It's a interesting, unique flip-the-script take on OZ. Paige isn't afraid of cliffhangers or killing your darlings - so be warned. Despite the heavy emotions and do-or-die energy of the series there's a lot of humor and odd and pop-sugary elements that lift up the plot. I should probably do a whole post about the series instead of just a blurb at the end of a round up. It deserves that much for sure. However time is not my friend. I can definitely see the series popping up again.

And those are some of the books that have filled the corners of my time these past couple of months. I hope your autumn has been filled with good reads and good-busy times too.

Until next time,

Jess

Roses of May - Dot Hutchison

Publishing: May 23rd, 2017, Thomas & Mercer.
Pg Count: 302 (e-book)
Find the Author: Goodreads
"Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as the Butterflies were kept captive, FBI agents Eddison, Hanoverian, and Ramirez are still entrenched in the aftermath. With winter coming to an end, the Butterflies have longer, warmer days of healing ahead. But for the agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers. Priya's sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mom move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. When she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?" -Goodreads Blurb

Last year I reviewed The Butterfly Garden after picking it up on a whim (after having seen it suggested on my Amazon page a gazillion times). It was the start of what is now entitled the 'The Collector Trilogy'. It's being released on the 23rd. And like it's predecessor - I basically read the entire book in one night because I needed to see how it ended. 

If you haven't read The Butterfly Garden yet - don't read this book. It has too many recurring characters and references to the Garden from the first book to make proper sense to read alone. I, myself, kind of wish I had reread Garden before reading this one. However - the new characters and the developing of old ones is original and organic. The tone, and general theme, of this book is different. Whereas Garden was about trauma and how to survive and what you might do to do survive...Roses of May was about what to do after. What happens when you survive, when you're the one left behind? The theme of recovery is layered several times over within the plot. 

Familial bonds - both by blood and by choice - are also a recurring theme. As is the refreshing and clear difference between a healthy relationship and a unhealthy one. Priya, has a tight bond with the 'Quantico 3'. Eddison who has been handling her sister's case since the start in particular. When you have a series centered around the obsession of young girls/women in the most sadistic, creepy-as-fuck way I think it'd be easy to fall into the trap of making all adult male figures a crap-shoot. There is no confusion as to the platonic, paternal nature of the relationship between Eddison and Priya (and her mother). Just because family is blood doesn't mean they are Family. Looking back on the Butterfly Garden I'm beginning to see a re-occurring theme linking the series together. Ultimately the theme shifts from - what to do after surviving...to making the active stance to no longer being a victim. It's a deeply personal choice and it means different things to different people and I felt that Hutchison effectively communicated this.

My biggest pause on this book was the corny tone the narration took. At times it felt like Hutchison was forcing the lightness into the interactions of the characters. Adding humor, little quirks, and insights solely to re-affirm the shifted tone. I say that because you jump from the anonymous POV of the pervy serial killer stalking and talking about his victims to another character (usually Priya or Eddison). Perhaps that's what made it seem corny. Hutchison can rock the darkness. She is most excellent about it. The contrast between light/dark, good/evil is tangible in Roses. In ways that it was most certainly not in Butterfly.

I also thought Priya's Mom was a little crazy for letting her daughter do what she did. However, I won't spoil it. I just want to add that no kid of mine would ever, ever have to be put in a situation like Priya was. Definitely not to my knowledge and not on my watch.

3 out of 5 stars! Just like the Butterfly Garden. I genuinely look forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. I have a strong suspicion who and what case it might entail. ;)

Until next time..happy reading!

Jess