Book Reviews

The Witch Roads

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott

Elen is a deputy courier, delivering messages to small towns and settlements along the same route each month. For part of the month, she’s back home in Orledder Halt, with her teen nephew Kem. Elen can detect and root out new irruptions of Spore. This time Kem is accompanying her on the route, to see if he also wants to be a courier. His Declaration Day is just around the corner. Kem’s mother Aoving died two years ago during an avalanche, while working as a midwife at the Heart Temple. The avalanche has cut Orledder Halt off from travel to the north, except for a secret pathway through the hills and across a canyon.

Two groups of important travelers arrive in Orledder Halt. From one, Kem learns that his father is a lord. The second group includes Prince Gevulin, who’s heading north. Kem, considering being a Warden, joins Prince Gevulin’s group, as does Elen, who knows the hazardous route. Kem is angry with Elen for keeping secrets from him, even after his mother’s death. A guardian statue’s spirit, or haunt, secretly joins the group. Elen has the lowest status of the group and often has to sleep and eat separately from the others. But a simple bed and a full belly remind Elen of the hungry years when Ao and El, orphaned child atoners, were always in danger of the Spore until their daring escape.

This is a memorable journey through an amazing world with many dangers, wonders, and not-quite-human beings. The land is so ancient that much of its history has become myth. Elen and the haunt have some very interesting conversations. I eagerly await Elen and Kem’s further adventures. Epic fantasy readers will likely enjoy this duology, to be concluded this November with The Nameless Roads. The author has two dozen other fantasy works, which I don’t think I’ve read, but look forward to sampling.

Brenda

Two Novels by Nevil Shute

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

Ruined City and In the Wet by Nevil Shute

Little Bear kitty wanted to help with this post. I have access to the collected works of mid-20th century novelist Nevil Shute. I’ve read many of them, and was surprised to find that both Ruined City and In the West were new to me. An engineer and aviator, Nevil Shute Norway loved writing books set in England, Australia, and occasionally, the future. He is most famous for two of his most dramatic books, On the Beach and A Town Like Alice. My favorite of his novels is Trustee from the Toolroom. The books, in some respects, feel a bit dated, but still make for good reads, and it can be fun to read older books.

Ruined City, also called Kindling, was published in 1938, and is set during 1933-1937. The United Kingdom was just coming out of the Great Depression and unemployment was very high. Henry Warren, a London financier, is unwilling to make even slightly risky loans. His advice on investments is highly respected. Working long hours and traveling throughout Europe for his work, Warren often dines alone at home, served by his butler, as his wife is very social and rarely home in the evening. She meets someone else and they plan to divorce. For his health, Warren goes on a long walking tour and ends up in the north of England after he’s taken ill on the road. Recovering from surgery in the hospital in Sharples, he meets a kind almoner (sort of a social worker) and takes walks through the town, discovering a closed shipyard. Deciding that sometimes the ends do justify the means, he makes a slightly shady deal in a fictional Balkan country to help reopen the shipyard, which just might revitalize the town. Warren makes the deal knowing it may come at a high personal cost. A very satisfying read.

In the Wet was published in 1953. This is one of Nevil Shute’s speculative novels, in which he wonders about possible futures. The beginning of the book is set in Queensland, Australia in the early 1950s, but most of the book is set in the early 1980s. It’s fascinating to look back at the 1980s to see how the author’s ideas of the future did or did not resemble our timeline. Wing Commander David Anderson, one-quarter Aborigine, is stunned to be assigned to the Queen’s Flight. In this version of the 1980s, Canada and Australia are more prosperous than Great Britain and have commissioned two very modern airplanes for the Queen that travel at very high altitudes and have a long range. This will enable Queen Elizabeth or her two children, Charles and Anne, to reach anywhere in the Commonwealth in only a couple of days.

David falls for one of the Queen’s secretaries, Rosemary, and they share a love of sailing. He wants to make his home near Canberra, Australia while life in London and Oxford is all Rosemary has known. There is a government crisis that result in several long flights for David. David’s unfortunate nickname and a very cliched Asian character in the 1950s Australian portion of the book make parts of this book feel dated, but it’s a remarkable, thought-provoking story.

Brenda

The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard by Michael Callahan

Another good beach read, this one a dual timeline novel set in 1959 and 2018. Actress Mercy Welles leaves Hollywood after a breakup to spend the summer of 1959 on Martha’s Vineyard. Going by her real name of Edie, she is soon recognized as Mercy, and is asked to star in a new play in an island theater. She also meets a charming oysterman, Ren.

In 2018, Kit O’Neill, a young tv producer in New York City, helps her older sister Claire clear out their late grandmother Nan’s house. In the attic, Kit finds mementos of Mercy Welles, and is stunned to learn of her grandmother’s hidden past. Unwisely, Kit doesn’t immediately share the news with Claire, telling her demanding producer Lucinda instead. Kit travels to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Martha’s Vineyard to research Mercy’s life, where she also meets an attractive man, historian Seth.

Most of the chapters are told from Mercy’s point-of-view, and are hard to put down, if overly dramatic. Many family secrets are uncovered on Martha’s Vineyard, and there are a few similarities between her summer and the Nancy Drew mysteries she enjoys reading. Island life is appealing and the play sounds promising. A young but acclaimed actress, she is considering her next move when she’s asked to read for a starring role in a new movie based on Wuthering Heights. She and Ren bake apple pie, he teaches her to swim, and she meets the matriarch of one of the island’s first families, and falls in love.

Why did Mercy never share her story with her granddaughters, who she raised after their parents’ early deaths in a car accident? Kit, meanwhile, is trying to reconcile her memories of a very loving but occasionally tough grandmother with what she’s learning of a lovely young starlet. Mercy and the Martha’s Vineyard setting make this an immersive and memorable read, with plenty of romance and adventure.

Brenda

Murder Takes a Vacation

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

Widowed Muriel Blossom, 68, has recently won the lottery, bought an apartment in Baltimore, and is on her way to Paris. She has invited her longtime friend Elinor on a cruise to Normandy, and is spending several days in Paris first. Mrs. Blossom (the annoying way Muriel refers to herself) is a large woman who is sensitive to comments about fitness, overeating, or caftans, though she regularly goes for five-mile walks. It’s been ten years since her husband died, but she is planning her trip partly around places and activities he would have liked.

As with many trips, all does not go smoothly. First, she misses her flight from London to Paris, and spends the time talking with attractive and attentive Allan, who even convinces the claustrophobic Mrs. Blossom to take the train through the underground Chunnel instead of rebooking her flight to Paris. Her hotel room in Paris is searched, as is her cabin on the riverboat, but she doesn’t report it to anyone. Allan mysteriously disappears, as does another acquaintance. And then there’s charming Danny, who takes Mrs. Blossom shopping, and even talks her into buying a caftan. Danny seems to turn up rather too often. Could there be a connection with the room searches and a missing statue with sapphire eyes?

I was really looking forward to reading a mystery set in gorgeous Paris and on a wonderful riverboat cruise in France, but I didn’t feel immersed in the setting. There was more about shopping and accessories than there was about the cruise experience. I was also surprised that a woman who had worked for a private investigator and has been single for ten years would let strangers and acquaintances have so much influence on her. Mrs. Blossom spends more time missing her daughter and granddaughters, who recently moved to Tokyo, than about solving the mystery. That said, this was a fun adventure, with good food, a bit of French scenery, and a little suspense and mystery. Mrs. Blossom does stand up for herself and her friend Elinor before the end of the cruise, and an epilogue shows her enjoying her new life in Baltimore.

This is a quick, easy read, perfect for the beach.

Brenda  

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis

Hard to put down, this contemporary fantasy novel is full of drama, humor, suspense, and guilt. Vivian has felt guilty since she couldn’t prevent her daughter Aria becoming a werewolf. Vivian and Daniel have relocated to a mostly magical town in New England, where Aria is starting kindergarten at a private school. Daniel is still commuting to New York City by train while accountant Vivian is helping Aria adjust to her new surroundings and trying to fit in as a non-magical parent. Of course, Vivian ends up on the PTA board, trying to sort out the accounts from last year’s gala.

While Aria was granted a scholarship for kindergarten, Vivian is dismayed to learn that Aria must participate in three events to determine if she will qualify for first grade: a talent show, a sports day, and a research project. It is rather ridiculous to have a kindergartner be expected to do anything except learn to stay in her human form more often and not to be too hard on her clothes. Vivian is told that a consultant can help, if needed. Then there’s Daniel, who is ready to move the family somewhere more welcoming, if they can find the right place. Oh, and there’s an ominous prophecy that might involve Aria or Vivian. Aria is adorable, the community is quite interesting, and the reader hopes that Vivian will learn which parents can be trusted and welcoming.

An excellent, immersive read. I’m not sure if it would be quite as enjoyable for a PTA parent in a new town, but they might find it hilarious. I haven’t even described the over-the-top kids’ birthday parties, or the magical gala. And why have I never seen a book set at a magical school from the point of view of an ordinary parent, or even a magical parent?

Brenda

The Spirit Moves

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

The Spirit Moves by Carol J. Perry

Some cozy mysteries are either too cookie-cutter or too bland to keep my interest. The 4th book in the Haunted Haven series is a pleasant but never boring read. I liked the haunted player piano and dog Finn on the cover. Many ghosts can be found in Haven, a small town on the Florida coast, but the locals never mention the ghosts to tourists. The ghosts are usually pretty friendly, and appear and talk with some of the residents. Ghost Billy, who plays the piano, sets the mood when he plays familiar tunes in the restaurant of Haven House Inn. Ghost Lorna gives Maureen, the Inn’s newer owner, fashion and other advice.

A group of mystery writers, a bookseller and a ghostwriter meet at the Inn, along with a visiting police officer and the local police chief. Two recent unsolved crimes have tourists cancelling hotel and dinner reservations, and a beach wedding is relocating to another town. Maureen and her sweetheart Ted, the restaurant’s chef, have to come up with promotions to attract customers and solve the crimes. A weekend trip to Key West made a nice change of pace. I quite enjoyed this mystery, although it wasn’t quite as cozy as the previous book, Haunting License, which has Maureen organizing a fishing tournament. The earlier books are Be My Ghost and High Spirits. Readalikes include Haunted Ever After by Jenn DeLuca and Interview with a Dead Editor by Shanna Swendson.

Brenda

Murder by Memory

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

This delightful science fiction mystery novella is set on the Fairweather, a colony ship. We never go to the bridge, engineering, or anywhere else featuring technology of the future, except for the library. We also never learn where the Fairweather is headed, only that there are 10,000 colonists aboard and their journey is expected to last 1,000 years. The ship left Old Earth 307 years ago.

The ship sounds appealing, with flats, small shops and cafés, a hydroponic garden with trees and a lawn made of moss. Detective Dorothy Gentleman visits her nephew Rutherford, and meets his new partner John, a memory artist who crafts the most amazing cocktails. She communicates with Ferry, the Fairweather’s ship mind. During her latest investigation, Dorothy also visits a yarn shop, a bank, and the previously mentioned library, the scene of a most unusual crime. At only 112 pages, this is a quick yet immersive read.

Brenda

The Eights

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

The Eights by Joanna Miller

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel set at Oxford University in 1920 and 1921. The Eights are four women entering St. Hugh’s College at Oxford. They are in the first group of women to matriculate at Oxford. Before 1920, women could study at Oxford but weren’t awarded degrees. World War I has been over for almost two years and women over 30 now get to vote in Great Britain.

Eight is the group’s corridor number. Beatrice is very tall, and her mother is a famous suffragist. Beautiful Dora is still mourning her brother and fiancé and struggles a bit with math. Otto (Ottoline) is brilliant at math, wealthy, the youngest of four sisters and doesn’t get on with her mother at all. Otto smokes, drinks, and likes to bend the rules. Marianne is devoted to her father, a rector, and goes home every other weekend to help out with his church work. She needs to do well on her exams to get a scholarship in English, and hopes to become a teacher.

The male Oxford students are not a very welcoming bunch. They tease and play pranks, though some are charmed by Dora and Otto. The reader is immersed into college life along with the Eights, and Oxford is lovingly described along with the many rules the women must follow and the mediocre food. There are a few flashbacks to their lives during the war. This memorable first novel makes me want to reread Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers, set at Oxford a decade later, or Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. More, please!

Brenda

The Stardust Grail

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

If you enjoy the science fiction subgenre of space opera, I suggest reading Stardust Grail, the author’s second novel. A little like Becky Chambers’ work, but not as optimistic, along with some Indiana Jones; the characters are searching for a grail, after all.

Maya Hoshimoto is human, but was infected with the Frenro virus years ago. During migraines she has brief visions of the past or the future. Maya can hear Auncle’s voice in her head and respond telepathically. Auncle is very tall with tentacles. Xie is Frenro, an aquatic species. Wil, an armored human female and Medix, a robot, join them in their quest.

Maya, along with Auncle, found and returned stolen artifacts. Now she’s a grad student with writer’s block on Earth, at Princeton. Liam is a fellow graduate student. Then Auncle arrives, asking Maya to come along on one last adventure. They have the journals of Dr. Huang to guide them, one of the last to see the stardust grail, which is desired by multiple species.

The four of them, later joined by Liam, travel through many space nodes, get involved in a space battle, and visit settlements, a watery moon, and an underground museum with booby traps, with Maya wondering if anyone will survive to return home. And just where is home for her?  An entertaining and thought-provoking read.

Brenda

Tilt

/ Book Girl / Leave a comment

Tilt by Emma Pattee

This thriller covers the events of a single day, from the point of view of Annie, who is very pregnant. On her first day of maternity leave, Annie drives to Ikea on the east side of Portland to buy a crib for her baby, nicknamed Bean. Ikea employee Taylor, while definitely not a model employee, helps cranky Annie find the crib and get out of the store when The Big One hits Portland. The author researched what might happen if a major earthquake hit Portland, Oregon, and the answers were not encouraging.

Annie walks and walks west through Portland (a detailed map is included) to reach her husband Dom. Sometimes she gets a ride. Throughout her journey, Annie tells her life story to baby Bean in flashbacks, focusing on her relationship with Dom, her mother, parenting classes, prenatal yoga, and their money woes. Annie meets many other people along the way, including a few she knows. She traverses a golf course, a large park, bridges, and a school, seeking to reach the café where Dom works. Hot, thirsty, and of course, pregnant, Annie occasionally gets a drink or a snack, but is driven to find her husband. Dom has bonded more with the baby, and Annie worries about whether she’ll be a good mom. Annie is hard on herself, but is clear on her goals in the end. Poignant and sometimes gritty, this first novel is compelling and hard to forget.

Brenda