Sunday, 29 June 2025

Book Review: They Bloom At Night By Trang Thanh Tran 5/5 Stars

   This novel was a wild ride!  I enjoyed it thoroughly and I think- although it's labeled as YA, it's one that can be enjoyed by adults as well.  2025 is the year for books about plant aliens and plant invasions, and so after reading Overgrowth, and Eat the Ones you Love, I suppose it's not all that odd to be jumping into this novel which heavily features algae. 


There really is just SO MUCH going on in the novel that it's hard to do a spoiler free synopsis  - but I'm going to give it a try! 

Mercy, Louisiana is a typical small coastal town -- but since a hurricane swept through there's been a red algae bloom. Noon - our protagonist and her mom continue to trawl for shrimp and cling to their former lives (sort of) - they stay on the good side of the creepy harbor master by bringing back oddities that are bycatch in their nets. Noon's interested in leaving but her Mom is attached to the area where her father and son(Noon's brother) perished.  

Noon discovers that there's some sort of "monster" on the loose- dragging folks away - and she's drafted into a search and destroy mission with Covey (the daughter of the corrupt harbormaster). As Noon and Covey work to understand what's happing in this post climate disaster time, they also work to come to terms with their identities, experiences and futures. 

This is truly a creepy southern gothic type of novel, with a lot of relatable moments, mixed in with some chilling horror. Addressing themes of identity, ecology, and coming of age, the prose is easy to read and the plot moves forward with very good pacing to a satisfying, but kind of vague ending, which for once, didn't really bother me.   Usually I like a solid conclusion, but in this case, Noon's conclusion is that she's continuing to grow into something unknown, and that she's going to have family and found family by her side, which is a conclusion which worked for me. 


  

STATS

First Published : March 2025 

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings: violence, blood, death, grief, medical situations, SA, plant concerns  (not a complete list- be responsible!) 



Thursday, 26 June 2025

Book Club Saga continues

  I am still attending book club, and honestly, it's grown on me! 


Dwight, M. (1939) Silence / Mabel Dwight. , 1939. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/89710983/.

 I didn't like the look of the novel that was chosen this month (again)  so I just didn't bother to read it, but I still enjoyed attending the discussion. I think I'm wearing down the leader. I've seen her a few times around town and I've noticed her own personal reading is not always the same style as the club's choices, so I feel like MAYBE, I might have misjudged her.   I know she really is passionate about the club- and lately she seems to be a little less prescriptive towards members, so I'm kinda appreciating that. She mentioned to me- very proudly that she had read about 30 books this year. I wisely did not let her know that my books read this year is over 100. My reading is excessive, and I don't think of it as a flex at all!  (Especially considering at least a few belong to a ridiculous "Montana Brides" series... )

Next month we are YET AGAIN hitting historical fiction with one of the thousands of novels about one of the World Wars.  I might give it a go, I might not.  I used to love especially WW2 novels, but these days, I feel like I really really know the outcome and reading yet another story of courage and heroic acts isn't going to get me thinking differently or help me to act in the future. One of the members mentioned last month that they were quite tired of reading about War and I really agree. We've read a lot of books about both wars, and even some more recent wars, so I'm really ready for something different. 

We are only allowed to nominate one book for next year's club, so I'm really debating it.   I think it's going to be something by Elif Shafack.  She's so good, and her stories are pretty compelling. Anyone else have a book club appropriate suggestion? 

   


   




Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Book Review: The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales 4/5 stars

 It's been a while since I dipped into some non-fiction!  The Brilliant Abyss was a really good read for learning more about the ocean,  and the life it supports!

Dr. Scales is a marine biologist who is clearly passionate about the ocean, especially the deep ocean - about which- very little is known. 

   I had the audiobook which is read by the author and I really fully enjoyed it. I've clearly been reading a lot of water books, so some of the information wasn't new to me, but I'm no marine biologist so hearing it again, in a different voice was great, it also allowed me to think smugly "I knew that" !

In a very pleasing narrative style, Scales educates readers about the deep ocean and it's creatures, get's readers up to date on the state of the deep ocean and then finishes off with a flourishing call to action, imploring readers to get involved in big and small ways to engage in ocean conservation.  Somehow this is done with out a preachy tone, and it was immensely listen-able for me.

 The one thing that has really stuck with me from this book is that there is a species of snail that uses iron in it's shells. It's called the Scaly-Foot Gastropod and it's shell has one layer made of Iron sulphides.  It is the only known animal to incorporate iron sulphide into it's skeleton!!!  Sadly, even though this marvelous creature lives at deep-sea hydrothermal vents- it is endangered. Efforts to re-coin it's name as a sea pangolin failed as it turns out not too many people know what the regular earth pangolin is. Every time I see an article about the deep sea, there always seems to be some new creature being named or discovered. It's one reason of course we should care to preserve this area, because we don't even know what's there! So many sea organisms have been so useful to humans, that even if one didn't want to preserve this unique deep environment just because it's so cool- the commercial value of new tech and medicines seems to make it a good save.  I promise there's more than a scaly gastropod though! 

Scales educates readers about the deep ocean and it's creatures, get's readers up to date on the state of the deep ocean and then finishes off with a flourishing call to action, imploring readers to get involved in big and small ways to engage in ocean conservation.  Somehow this is done with out a preachy tone, and it was immensely listen-able for me.

  I'd pair this novel up with Richard Power's Playground for a Non-fiction/Fiction Mash up.  For a somewhat more engaging read one might try Susan Casey's The Underworld, but I feel like Scales, being an actual marine biologist - might be a touch more genuine.  Of course, it's easy to read all of these novels. 

  This read is a great gift for ocean lovers and budding marine biologists. 

STATS

First Published : June 2022

Pages: 304

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: Climate crisis, death, animal death, 


Saturday, 21 June 2025

Book Review : The First Thousand Trees by Premee Mohamed 4/5 stars

 I'm starting to be a big fan of Premee Mohamed. It's not often that I feel like there's a book written specifically "for ME"  but this entire trilogy seems like it might be. 

   I expected this novel to follow Reid as she returned to her campus, but instead we follow Henryk on his journey to  his Uncle's more Northern community. 



Short No Spoiler ( I hope!) synopsis:

Feeling bereft after Reid's departure, Henryk sets out on a wild adventure, traveling with a makeshift map to find his Uncle. With more luck than skill, he's able to find the community. Henryk is taken in conditionally and really does give it his all to fit in and be visibly productive in a vastly different community than the one he left. He struggles much in the same way he struggled at home, making some poor decisions, and being, in general, not very welcome. Much like his past, as series of disasters follows him, and while none are notable his "fault" dystopian communities seem to have no time for accidental blunders.  After a particularly spectacular error Henryk somewhat redeems himself and makes a choice to move on. 

For me, I wanted Henryk to desperately have sort of a hero's arc of redemption, but that does not occur, and to be honest, this seems so realistic as so many of us work very hard at being in community with others, and despite our efforts we aren't always successful. 

In the end, the message I took away again was that people often survive better together, and no one really wins unless everyone can share in the winning.  I love this message as it's one I believe in whole heartedly. 

The writing again is precise and story construction is on point. These novellas are great for book club as there's so much to discuss- themes of belonging, community, class systems, the environment, poverty and wealth, community building and more! 

The First Thousand Trees comes out September 30th!  I am grateful to ECW press for the opportunity to read the novella as an Advanced copy! 

STATS

First Published : September 2025

Pages: 136

Available as an Audio Book : not currently, but maybe soon? 

Trigger Warnings: Climate crisis, Death of child, death of parent, blood, medical situation, violence, weaponry,   (not a complete list- be responsible!)


Monday, 16 June 2025

Book Review: Aqueous by Jade Shyback 4/5 Stars

 Have I been straying from my water theme?  Kinda Sorta. 

When I saw this on Net Galley, I knew it was one for my Water 2025 extravaganza.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this debut novel, as I've had some hit and miss this year indeed.  To be honest, I kind of went into this thinking it might not be that good. We are at the halfway point in my water year, and indeed...some of it hasn't been great. This however, hit me at just the right time! 

For me, this was a hit!  Firstly let's take a moment to appreciate the cover:  It took me a hot minute to discover the cover artist and designer:  Camryn Jette Anderson (Art) and Ashley Sherrif (Design) 



Small synopsis without spoilers: This is a Young Adult Debut novel.  Readers follow Marisol through the final weeks of her last year in school when she will be assigned to a permanent assignment in her undersea settlement. Marisol's been underwater on the Aqueous campus for 10 years, she's happy and well adjusted, and dreams of becoming an elite diver, a dangerous position. Prior to this she was adopted in the chaos of a dying earth above the ocean. She's always felt her mother gave her up so she would be sure to have a better life. As she adjusts into her new adult role, Marisol learns some information about the above world that changes everything. She's unsure of what's to come, but she won't keep silent. We are left with a big CLIFFHANGER and I'm left wanting book two now.


The biggest strength of the novel is the fantastic, detailed worldbuilding. I was fascinated and really enjoyed all of the descriptions of the sea steading pods created to survive climate disaster.  This is not the first underwater city that I've traversed this year (in reading) , but this is the first one I enjoyed. I could entertain a life under the sea if it's like this one! (OK so please, just let's go now!) 

 If there is a weakness, it's in the dialogue. Overall, it is oddly stiff/formal and made me feel like I wasn't really reading/listening to teens talk among themselves, but I was able to suspend my ideas and I told myself that theses were all kiddos who learned to interact "under the sea" and of course their language might be different. In addition, the author clearly enjoys alliteration, and for some this might be annoying. For me, I decided it was a quirk of Marisol, and thankfully it wasn't always present. 

This is a novel that's a bit unique in the YA genre right now. It is a true story for Young Adults. It isn't an adult story that's dumbed down, it's clear it really was meant for the YA audience specifically. I would have LOVED this at age 12 -14.  Marisol and her cohort go through things that kids her age go through, they deal with parents, relationships, confusing romantic (not sexually intimate) situations, and the angst of disappointment as the reality of the unfairness of life creeps into their under the sea community. I really liked that this wasn't a romance disguised as YA, and that the author didn't depend on supernatural powers for her characters development. Because of this, even though the underwater environment was different, I felt that Marisol and her community were very relatable. 

The audiobook is read by the author herself and does included 2 musical numbers which were pretty enjoyable (I usually skip right over any added lyrics /poetry so if I say I enjoyed it, that's a real endorsement).
  

This might not be appreciated by adults, but I think a certain subset of the population will enjoy it and I think it's definitely a very thoughtful book for the YA audience.  It would be great for a reading group as there are lots of themes to talk about: climate, community, gender norms, coming of age, discovering one's purpose, family, the future. I do want to read book 2, and I think this author/story line will only improve with each new installment. 

STATS

First Published : May 2023 

Pages: 204

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings: ocean creatures, adoption/abduction, Climate crisis, Death of child, death of parent, blood, medical situation,  (not a complete list- be responsible!)



Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Book Review: We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed 5/5 Stars

 Sometimes the middle book in a trilogy is considered the weak one.  If this is the weak one, I cannot wait to read book three!!!! 

 We Speak Through The Mountain picks up right where The Annual Migration of Clouds leaves off.  I highly recommend just reading the two as one novel, because they are novellas, and book two is where this really gains steam. 

(Take a moment to look at this cover!) 

No Spoilers- because spoilers are just wrong. Readers will continue a journey with our main character Reid as she reaches the fabled Howse University. This climate dystopia continues to help readers imagine life after climate collapse; instead of being on the outside looking in, the reader is now taken into the protected domes which had preserved life to pre-collapse times.  We learn some answers to many of the questions raised in the first book.  Reid settles in to university life, although she's uneasy about many things that others seem to accept without question. She's resolute in pursuing her goal to help those outside the glittering protective dome despite strong disapproval from leaders and her peers. When bad news come from home, Reid embarks on a new journey that promises to be full of risky adventure.  (which I am super excited to follow in the next novella!) 

   At the crux of the novella series is an age old conflict between responsibility to self, family and the community overall. This conflict is set in a futuristic, but realistic world which is well imagined and easily understood.  Mohamed's writing remains clear, compelling and cinematic. As I realized I was at "the end" I felt a bit torn away from the setting that I had become immersed in, and I wondered why this hasn't been optioned for film! 

  I really liked this novella, and I think it would be a fantastic one for young adult students to read and discuss. 

I have book three tee'd up thanks to Net Galley  and ECW Press  and I can't wait to come back and (without spoilers...) tell you how it concludes. 

STATS

First Published : June 2024

Pages: 152

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings: violence, blood, death, grief, medical situations,  (not a complete list- be responsible!)


Monday, 9 June 2025

Book Review: Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi

 Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi came out in April, and I was lucky to get an advanced listener copy to review. 

This is such a unique novel, I'm not even sure what to think of it! I enjoyed it, 5/5 stars!  Onyebuchi is a master, so I knew I'd be getting a well constructed story-line. I did not anticipate the story AT ALL! 

For me Noir has been a genre that I kind of like, but also kind of don't.  I'm a huge fan of the gritty, no frills characters, but I am not always a fan of the utter desperation that pervades the genre. Onyebuchi  strays from the usual noir narrative by adding in a pinch of magical realism, which adds just enough of the supernatural to sort of lighten the general noir darkness. Add in a unique setting  (post colonial West Africa), and I was sat in my seat listening to this one! 

No Spoiler summary (because spoilers are the baddest thing ever!) Boubacar is a former soldier, former police man, turned private eye for hire in a post-colonial West African country (possibly Mali, possibly not).  Work is not going well, and he's ready to hang it up- deal with his expenses and wait as the Harmattan comes in. The world, however, has other plans for Boubacar. A seriously injured woman stumbles into his home/office and disappears, only to be seen again in a most peculiar circumstance and Boubacar is drawn in to a intense investigation.  He, and the reader, are taken on a grand adventure across the city where he encounters terrifying enemies and unexpected allies. It's quite the mash - up of genres, and for it worked very well. 

   I was attracted to the novel because of the author, but also the title...as my first trip to West Africa was during a Harmattan, which was memorable. It's hard to describe, but that year the dust was so thick, our plane had to land in a different country- which was exciting- except for the lack of Visa for that country. It is easy to imagine the events of the story unfolding in that heavy dust which does sometimes just swirl around a person. 
Dion Graham narrated and his rich clear voice brought the character of Boubacar to life for me! 

STATS

First Published : May 2025

Pages: 336

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings: violence, blood, death, grief, racism, (not a complete list- be responsible!)







Book Review: They Bloom At Night By Trang Thanh Tran 5/5 Stars

    This novel was a wild ride!  I enjoyed it thoroughly and I think- although it's labeled as YA, it's one that can be enjoyed by a...