Automatic Noodle and Valet

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Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz and Valet by J.P. Lacrampe

Two novels featuring robots set in different versions of future California are appealing readalikes.

Automatic Noodle was published in 2025 and has become a bestseller. I don’t think I’ve ever had authentic hand-pulled biang biang noodles in San Francisco or anywhere else, but they sound delicious. And except for human Robles and Cayenne, who has eight arms like an octopus and taste sensors, none of the workers at Authentic Noodle can taste them, as they’re robots. Staybehind was a military bot during the war between California and the United States. Sweetie presents as a human woman with three legs while Hands has a torso but no head or legs. Along with Robles and delivery van Sloan, they open and run a noodle restaurant.

Staybehind discovers a talent for decorating the restaurant while Sweetie connects with other robots in the city. Reviews are great, but only at first. A charming story set in future San Francisco, where robots who struggled during the war are now working for a more independent and happier future. Newitz has a new book out this month that sounds quite different but also intriguing: A Wall is Also a Road.

Valet is set in southern California in the future. I was expecting a funny book like Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster stories of the early 20th century but the humor didn’t really appear until about page 70. Cy is a robot, assigned by Mrs. Elizabeth St. Clair to optimize her son Grayson, 35, a ceramic artist who loves to party with his rich and equally unambitious friends. His late father founded AI+ Labs and his sister Charlotte is the acting CEO. Smug Elsa, a much newer model robot, assists their mother.

Cy is friendly with talkative older robot Larry, who’s in danger of being downgraded from valet to a mech bot. With Cy’s help, Larry heads down the coast in a boat to escape his fate. When Grayson learns that Charlotte wants to sell AI+ Labs, he plans to thwart her, with Cy’s help. The action really picks up when Cy, Grayson, Grayson’s dog, and engineer Livi leave the city and end up in a most unusual low-tech community. Cy is focused on keeping his battery charged when not using another of his unexpected skills, like setting a broken bone. Grayson is a more appealing character outside of San Francisco, both to the reader and Cy; he was probably utterly bored in his ultramodern, high-tech world. The setting reminds me a bit of Sourdough by Robin Sloan. Kevin Wilson blurbs this book, and his quirkiness and absurdity do make him a readalike as well.

While Automatic Noodle was a quicker, easier read, I really cared about the characters in Valet and got caught up in the story once the action picked up. Craving noodles now? Here’s a recipe to try: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/biang-biang-noodles-recipe.

Brenda

Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread

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Now that it’s officially fall, here’s a lovely combination of pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and chocolate in quick bread form. As it has a chocolate streusel topping, it should probably be called cake. It’s delicious, and freezes well. The recipe is a brand-new one from Sally’s Baking. I followed the recipe exactly, and will definitely bake it again. The link and description are here: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-marble-pumpkin-bread/

Enjoy!

Brenda

Tales from the Territory

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Tales from the Territory: Stories from the World of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

This fantasy collection has five stories, three brand-new, by the author of Legends & Lattes. I had read the other two before, but enjoyed rereading them. This is a beautiful book from Subterranean Press, with illustrations.

Goblins & Greatcoats is a prequel to Brigands & Breadknives. Goblin Zyll solves a crime in a dramatic fashion and meets the magical knife Bradlee, which Zyll calls Breadlee. This was previously published.

Just a Thimbleful is the charming story of the beginning of ratkin Thimble’s baking career, in Thune. Thimble quietly takes over his father’s job working in a mansion’s kitchen, where new recipes are always rejected. Thimble is inspired by a visit to a shop that sells spices and wants to create something delicious with cinnamon. Thwarted at the mansion, Thimble gets his chance when the Legends & Lattes coffee shop opens.

Pages to Fill, previously published, tells orc Viv’s story as a treasure hunting mercenary orc.

Mirograph introduces Tandri as a university student who meets with a professor who goes a little too far with magic and photography. This one is eerie, and fairly short.

Cavaliers & Coffees is set after Legends & Lattes. Viv, Tandri, Thimble, and Cal become increasingly worried when a rival coffee shop opens nearby, with lower prices and inferior baked goods.  There are hints that a future story set in Thune could appeal to tea drinkers.

Brenda

Monsters of Ohio

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Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi

Mike Boyd, having lost his job with the Department of Agriculture, returns home to small-town Richland, Ohio, where his father and stepmother give him a rather lukewarm welcome. Richland, a fictional town in Darke County, where the author lives, is struggling because a large corporation is taking over the town’s largest employer, Bradson Foods, and plans to close it down. He reconnects with Dave, the only police officer left in town, and meets Andi, who is organizing a Monster Mash festival.

If you haven’t read award-winning author Scalzi’s often humorous science fiction books, this might not sound like a fun read, but it is. There are a few kinds of monsters in this book, including the corporate kind, yet it’s safe to read after dark. Something very strange happens to some of the residents of Richland. There is a little gore and horror, but no real violence. Some pets go missing, but they are all found in the end. Why monsters are appearing in Richland makes for a very entertaining story, but to reveal more would spoil the fun.

This book will be published on November 3; I read a digital review copy. Starter Villain, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, and Kaiju Preservation Society are other fun books by Scalzi if you need something light and snarky sooner.

Brenda

Thistlemarsh

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Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan

Most of the fantasy novels I read are cozy or traditional epic fantasy. This absorbing first novel is a little darker, set in England after the first World War and one of the main characters is High Fae. Mouse (a nickname) was a nurse in France during the war. She lost a cousin and her brother Roger has not yet recovered. Mouse’s uncle has died, and she is to inherit Thistlemarsh manor house and gardens if some conditions are met. She has a short time to restore the dilapidated interior of the house, or she could marry. Otherwise, she receives no inheritance. Thornwood, the faerie, bargains with her and is willing to help, although older, dangerous magic is resisting his work. Thornwood and Mouse must search together for the root of the old magic in order to free the house.

Very imaginative storytelling, set in a house and gardens that used to be lush and opulent; the time period works well with the faerie story. Romantic without going the steamy tragic romantasy route, it’s more like The Secret Garden was written for adults and with real magic. I enjoyed this more than Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Fairies series by Heather Fawcett. The secondary characters are well drawn and adds appeal, as does a most unusual pet named Smudge.

Brenda

Flaky Puff Crust Pizza

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This is one of the most delicious pizzas I’ve ever made. This is the recipe of the year from King Arthur Baking, and I can see why. The recipe can be found here: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/flaky-puff-crust-pizza-recipe.

The crust is made with 00 pizza flour (or regular all-purpose flour) and frozen grated butter is added to the dough, which is folded and rolled out a couple of times, as if you were making rough puff pastry for a dessert, only this is not sweetened at all. The toppings include grated parmesan cheese, grated light mozzarella cheese, and pearls of mozzarella, which I forgot to add at the beginning. I used pizza sauce from a jar, added green and red peppers leftover from restaurant fajitas, and after baking the pizza, drizzled on garlic basil oil (as suggested in the recipe) and sprinkled more parmesan cheese. I used a rectangular pizza pan, but a regular half sheet pan should also work well. The crust is amazing, and I really liked the garlic-basil oil. Leftovers reheated in the oven wrapped in foil were quite good, though the crust wasn’t as flaky.

Brenda

The Murder at World’s End

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The Murder at World’s End: A Stockingham & Pike Mystery by Ross Montgomery

The setting for this locked room mystery is Tithe Hall off the coast of Cornwall in 1910, featuring the dramatic return of Halley’s Comet.

Viscount Conrad Stockingham-Welt, along with five relatives, a German scientist, and household staff, await the return of Halley’s Comet. At high tide, the manor house is cut off from the mainland. A worldwide panic has begun as the comet nears. According to the Viscount, the comet’s tail is full of poisonous gas. He predicts floods, hailstones, and electrical storms.

The house and each bedroom, including the servants’ rooms, will be hermetically sealed, with oxygen tanks placed in each room. The brand-new second footman, Stephen Pike, finds himself assigned to a foul-mouthed old lady, Miss Decima Stockingham, the Viscount’s aunt. She uses a Bath chair to be wheeled around. After the comet passes and the world hasn’t ended, someone is found murdered in a locked and sealed room. Stephen and Temperance, a maid, assist Miss Decima in investigating, when not busy with their other duties.

Besides careful detecting, much adventure and mayhem occur, and old secrets are revealed. None of the Stockingham family members are likeable, although Miss Decima is fascinating. A will reading is entertaining, and there’s never a dull moment.

Suggested for fans of historical British mysteries, readers of locked room mysteries, and those fascinated by phenomena like Halley’s Comet. A sequel, The Shadows of Kensington Gore, will be published in January, 2027.

Brenda

Sea of Charms

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Sea of Charms: A Spellshop Novel by Sarah Beth Durst

The gorgeous cover of this mostly cozy fantasy novel invites you into the richly detailed world of the Crescent Islands. Set in the world of The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse, this book is a companion novel rather than a sequel. Durst has an amazing imagination and it’s shown in the variety of islands, people, and creatures encountered here. Her books are written for readers needing an escape, if just for a while. Here the themes are sailing, music, finding yourself, and found family.

Marin is a supply runner on her ship Silver, ferrying supplies and messages from island to island. Infrequently and reluctantly, she will take a few passengers. Marin’s goal is to repay the fee her parents paid to build and outfit the ship. Her father bakes delicious peach pies whenever she sails home for a quick visit. Perri, a sea serpent, swims alongside and they are soon joined by Ree, a sentient plant who loves the sea. A winged cat (cats here fly but do not speak) joins the trio, and for a while, the young musician and composer Dax. Marin is silver while Dax has purple hair and crystal horns. Some of their travels inspire new music for Dax and Ree, while other ports of call are a bit dangerous, as is a magical storm. I won’t reveal any of the story’s details, just invite readers of cozy fantasy to come aboard the Silver with Marin and her crew.

The Spellshop is the first book set in the Crescent Islands. The next book, The Magical Cheese Emporium, will be published in January. Enjoy!

Brenda

Teach the Torches to Burn

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Teach the Torches to Burn by Christina Dodd

Daughter of Montague Series Book 3

This novel is for readers of historical fiction who also enjoy mysteries, romance, and humor. In the 3rd book in the Daughter of Montague series, Rosie, the 20-year-old daughter of Romeo and Juliet (no, their love story didn’t end in tragedy) is set to marry her prince. Montagues and Capulets are coming from all over Italy for the occasion. They still don’t get along, so how to keep the peace for the week of the wedding? Lots of winter activities are planned, plus Great Uncle Magno is not invited. Of course, he shows up anyway.

Magno is a braggart and claims to be a wine expert. Poisonings are attempted; who is the target and who is the culprit? Cal and Rosie try to keep their family safe and solve the mystery while Rosie is also organizing the wedding. Cal wasn’t her first choice as groom, but they are falling in love.

Mystery, adventure and romance all combine in a fun historical novel. A fourth book is planned, and there are also two novellas. I suggest starting with the first book, A Daughter of Fair Verona.

Brenda

Probable Caws

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Probable Caws, a Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews

I always look forward to new Meg Langslow mysteries. Enjoyable, very cozy, with plenty of humor, eccentric characters and a variety of animals. The books are usually set in or near the fictional town of Caerphilly, Virginia. Meg, a blacksmith, and her husband Michael, two sons and their large extended family are at a nearby castle/manor helping with the unexpected arrival of many horses. The book cover shows a mesh scarf meant to keep flies away from a horse’s eyes. A cute subplots tests other methods of getting flies to leave horses alone.

One of the mares is pregnant and finds Meg’s company calming, so she’s often in the pastures and stables. Annoying swans and wise crows are featured as well as horses. The plot is about two brothers and what happens to the family farm when their 100-year-old father dies and no will is found. The castle is owned by a generous and wealthy musician, who played percussion in several heavy metal bands. His chef is happily serving all the volunteers lusciously described Italian dishes. A holiday mystery, Jay to the World, is due out in October. The Meg Langslow mysteries are a comfort read for me, in print or on audio. The first book is Murder With Peacocks, but you can really start anywhere.

Brenda