Book Review: River Spirit by Leila Aboulela

 

It seems like quite some time since I finished a book.  I did finish River Spirit earlier this week but I didn't have time to sit and write a review. Work has been - not good at all. I am hopeful it will improve. My dream job more and more is just... Retirement. 

Anywhoo.

This book was so interesting and engaging. This is a bit of historical fiction, but if you are thinking of various poorly written romances with a historical setting- be prepared to have your socks blown off! 

Aboulela is truly a master.  The prose is readable and the story she weaves is compelling. 

In short - this is an epic tale set in 1880's-1890's Sudan. Using SEVEN points of view (count them!!!) Aboulela gives readers a rich and textured account of Sudan in the time of Mahdi wars.  Not only do we explore the view points of the major players, (known generals and revolutionaries), readers also meet "regular" characters of all social stations, giving a glimpse into all aspects of society at this time. There is love, treachery, fanaticism, conniving and thriving throughout the book.  I will freely admit that at the start I did have some trouble following all the points of view in the audiobook, but I suspect had I read it on page this would not have been a concern.  The audio narrator did use different voices, but I still struggled a bit. I am now VERY interested in this time period in Sudan, as it seems so eventful! 

As the perspectives unfolded, I was oddly reminded of a different Multi-POV story - There There by Tommy Orange. Although these books are set in wildly different times and spaces, they both do explore themes of identity/belonging, and violence and colonialism. I don't know that I recommend reading these in tandem but I do think if you like one of these, you will likely find the other to be interesting.  

This was my first read of Leila Aboulela.  I found myself interested in reading more of her work, so I expect I will continue to pull books of hers throughout this year. 

This is a great read, if you've set a goal to "read around the world" as it gives a good story and also explores culture of the area. 

STATS

First Published :  03/07/2023

Pages: 320

Available as an Audio Book :  YES (~9hrs) 

Trigger Warnings: Dubious consent, sexual activity, violence, religious fervor, War violence, violence against women, poison, racism (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Taken to Nobu by Elizabeth Stephens

   Book pals,  I STRUGGLED through this book. 

I wanted to LOVE it.  Fated mates, alien planet, a tough warrior human surviving amongst the aliens. 

In the end, I am glad I finished it because the second half of the novel is pretty enjoyable. The first half, just let the miscommunication trope stay too late at the party. The worst part about this was also that frankly speaking, as the reader I wasn't let in completely on the miscommunication- so I was left essentially guessing- and I am especially NOT a fan of that.  The world building was pretty much non-existent.  I fear all of it was used up in the first book which had pretty interesting world building.  This felt like it could be taking place on antarctica, not a cold outpost in outer space. 

Secondly I was not a big fan of the particularly sexy fun times in the book.  They didn't sound that fun to me, but given that other people love this book, I might have just been reading it at the wrong time. 

So, If you are looking for some alien romance, this could be one for you.  I'm undecided if I want to pursue more in this series.  If I do it will be a while.  I suspect this was the wrong time, wrong book situation more than a bad book, so if you do want some kinky alien romance, check this one out, it is on Kindle Unlimited and I got an audio copy from my library! 

STATS

First Published :  06/16/2020

Pages: 370

Available as an Audio Book :  YES (~9hrs) 

Trigger Warnings: Dubious consent, sexual activity, rape flashbacks, violence, (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Books on my TBR...

 So reading friends...

I literally have not finished another book since Sex on the Moon. I am "in process" with all sorts of books, but... finishing one?  Apparently that's not in the cards!  Work has been difficult. On the positive side, I had a treatment for my eye condition and it seems to be working VERY well!  I'm definitely increasing my visual reading time! 

So - Let's talk about the TBR! 

 So I've been super fortunate to receive a few ARC's from publishers via net Galley. 

This is the US cover

This is the UK cover. 

And honestly, UK- what are you doing? Usually for me the UK cover wins, but in this case... US cover all the way.  This is a lush, very creative horror novel involving three brothers who abandon the American Civil War, and find themselves deep in the woods when they come upon a woman and her young son. For one of the brothers, this is too good to be reality and he must go investigating. Soon the brothers find themselves in a new fight for their lives.  I'm almost done with this one, and I do love it. I have read one other novel from Fracassi-  which was entirely different, and I am loving that everything I read from him is fresh, interesting and completely tension filled. 

Tor sent me an e-galley for Everina Maxwell's book that will hit shelves in October 2026. 

I am not going to lie. I LOVE Everina Maxwell's writing. Winter's Orbit  and Ocean's Echo are actual comfort reads, and I have very few books that I return to again and again, but both of these are those books.  I'm actually a bit afraid to start on Call Me Traitor, but I am going to try to carve out some time this afternoon! In hindsight, I probably should have waited for the audiobook, but I was so excited I grabbed this. 

AND, I did get the audiobook of Seek The Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth!

Roth is the author of the Divergent series, so this is bound to be excellent.  I've listened to about 1 hour of it so far, and I'm fascinated with Elegy Ahn, and her possible rival. Like prior works, this one contains a nice balance of character development, world building and a propulsive plot. It did require me to really focus on the audio. 

But WHAT ABOUT YOUR OUTER SPACE THEME?   Well let me tell you about my outer Space theme!!!  I have been kind of struggling with some of the non-Fiction books I've chosen.  I can see the author's enthusiasm light years away, but a lot of them aren't as engaging as I imagine a conversation would be with the author. 

I started this one, and so far, it is- not the most engaging book.  But I do intend to see if maybe I can get into it. It is under 400 pages, so...I should be able to do it!

and for fun, I'm reading on Audio Taken to Nobu by Elizabeth Stevens. 

It's not bad, but I will say it has taken all 14 of my loan days and I still have 1/5 hrs left. I think it's more the time in my life that I'm reading this, than the actual book. The Dub Con and miscommunication were very strong in the book and once I got through that, it became an interesting book about redemption, forgiveness and more. BUT... for some reason... I could not get this finished in a reasonable amount of time.  It is also full of longing and descriptions of people's body parts, making it hard to have on in the car or anywhere else. Alas! 

Also started Sister's of the Forsaken Star  by Lina Rather.  100% Underrated. 

This novella series is really delightfully weird - it might be too weird for the "general population" but for me, it's so cool. So more to come on that.  I am actively scouring NetGalley for new books on the Cosmos, and I would love it if any were to be sent my way! 

How's your reading life been? 

Book Review: Sex on The Moon by Ben Mezrich

 If you've been looking for Non-fiction that reads like fiction, this 2011 Beat the Backlist book is one you will want to read! 

 While normally I might say the title of the most audacious heist in history is overblown, in this case, I think it meets the criteria! Not so much that it was pulled off in any sophisticated manner, but that someone would decide that was the "thing to do" at all. 

   Readers are given an inside story of Thad Roberts, a one time fellow in a prestigious NASA program in Texas. While at NASA Thad, made a name for himself by being audacious, bold and curious. It didn't hurt that he was - by all accounts- very bright and conventionally attractive. 

Thad started out with an idea involving "decommissioned" moon rocks- those used for education, rather than hard scientific uses.  He and a friend dreamt of selling some of these "trash" moon rocks, and came up with a brave but not very sophisticated plan.  He was sure he'd never go through with it, but the more he dreamed and schemed, the deeper he got, until he found himself meeting a supposed buyer and being arrested by the FBI. 

   I enjoyed this book, but I will say, no matter how hard the author tried to make Thad likeable, I found him to be a complete Jack-Hole. This man had so many advantages in life, and decided to just be pushing the envelope in ways that didn't even make sense.  I suspect there is some sort of mental health issues at play in these decisions, but honestly, I feel like his time in prison was actually too short. This was a man with multiple opportunities ahead of him, and decided this was the most appropriate way to move through the world.  So not a fan. Not impressed, and deeply disturbed that he's now out in the world giving... TED talks. 

The writing is OK. I had the audiobook and for being only 320 pages, it did seem to drag on. So... 

revising my first statement, this is a book you MAY want to read. I have become obsessed with Axel Emmermann, a rock enthusiast who tipped off the FBI and assisted in multiple ways. So there is that.  This is a most interesting book and while I can't say I liked the main character, I did find the entire thing interesting.  So 3 stars out of 5 from me. 

STATS

First Published :  7/12/2011

Pages: 320

Available as an Audio Book :  YES (~8 hrs) 

Trigger Warnings: Heist, discussion of heights, drug and alcohol use, thievery, mild sexual behavior (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

February Reading Wrap Up

 So  February was a bit of a slower reading month for me.  It is of course, also only 28 days long. I feel like given 2-3 more days I might have finished off at least the one ridiculous romance I've been dipping in and out of all month!

Things at work have been super busy, and I was very sick for a week or so, and that did not improve my reading opportunities at all! 

I finished 14 books in February.  One was a 53 page novella,  which maybe should count more as a short story. 

February was a HIGH QUALITY reading month.  Almost everything I picked up was polished and dense and required me to engage a bit more heavily than some of my usual fare. I really enjoyed almost everything I read as well. 

I think if I had to pick a favorite I'd have to put Cat Rambo's  You Sexy Thing  and John Chu's The Subtle Art of Folding Space into a cage fight and see which won. 

Thankfully I'm non-violent and the two can just share a spotlight. 

Oddly with February being Black History Month, I did read a lot of diverse books.  I do try to read diversely all the time, but I was also fortunate in that many of the books I had on hold by diverse authors happened to pop up as available this month. 

So.... 

Books in Translation: 

1/14   or 7% of February's reading. SO LOW!  I read The Plotters by Un-Su Kim  and it was FANTASTIC.  I can see this a a taut little mini-series. 

Books by Diverse Authors: 8/14  - 57%  Over half the books I chose this month were by Diverse authors. 
   This was the month to be reading diversly and I somehow managed to get a lot of books from the library that fit the bill. The number might actually be a bit higher, but some authors don't entirely put all of their specifics out there for the world, and so if I am not totally sure, I just count them in the less diverse pile. 

Non-Fiction: 1  book- 7% 

This is the sole non-fiction book I finished.  TO be fair, I picked up several more and kind of DNF several of them,  Boring... and bland.  One was about physics but the guy just kept making Star Wars jokes and I was over it after a few chapters. 

Books that relate to my Outer Space Theme: 8/14  or 57% 

I really am enjoying this theme.  

March may be jam packed full of reads, mostly because I have several books that I started in February and am slated to finish in the first few days of March, giving me a  bit of a Head Start on things.  I struggled a bit in February with "Overconsumption"  borrowing tons of books from the library only to have them ride around in the car for 3 weeks... unread.  So hopefully I will either be able to read more, or, restrain myself a bit in the library, though I definitely want to find a bit more translated literature to pump up the volume! 

Book Review: The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

 I was really prepared to not love this book.  To begin with, the cover was too appealing. I loved it and even though I knew that Bao was not the topic of the book, the cover called to me. Secondly, as I read the description, it seemed to involve some sort of time manipulation. I may have mentioned it before, but I am not generally a fan of time travel, as it makes things...strange and often convenient. So, what did I do? I hit the Request button at and hoped that I might get a copy from Macmillan Audio. 

Even after I downloaded the copy, I was hesitant. WELL, I LOVED IT.  So much so that I actually went looking for more stuff written by the author. (As if I do not have a stack of books waiting in the wings!)

Chu is a Hugo and nebula award winner for former works, and this full length novel really pulled so many things together. 

With no plot spoilers, Ellie- our main character is a grad student who is juggling school, and caring for her ill mother in another state, as well as her place in the universe as a Builder and maintainer of space as we know it. It's a lot for her to handle.  Luckily she has some support in her cousin Daniel, a gentle mountain of a man. Unfortunately, she also has to contend with Chris, her elder sister who is a bit... toxic. All of them are involved in one way or another in the delicate balance of the Universe, and it seems that some are more committed to this balance than others. 

   When Ellie's Mother passes, she must return for the funeral, and finds herself facing a series of tests and challenges as she unravels some truths about the world she inhabits, her relationships and the way of the universe at large. 

   Chu handles many large topics with ease, while also building an entire world and fleshing out his characters to make them very VERY real for readers. I was really transported to a world where room size could shift, secret trails could be left, and the workings of the universe could be adjusted with the flick of a wrist all the while the world continues on with people living, loving and loathing and finding time to indulge in some delicious pan fried fish.  The construction of the novel allowed me to absorb all of these elements and enjoy them for what they were rather than feeling confused by the concepts or relationships. 

Narration was done by Katherine Chin.  She did a really great job, and when I write this, I mean... OUTSTANDING.  It was so outstanding that I went to look up the Narrators- plural because I believed that a man had narrated Cousin Daniel.  Nope. just Katherine Chin. Her ability to modulate her voice and use certain accents really made it feel like a multi-narrator book, so I'm now going to see what other books she's narrated! 

While Science Fiction isn't always for everyone, I feel like Chu has created a novel that could be an excellent entry point for people wanting to get into Sci-Fi.  The setting is real world and real world adjacent, and the struggles faced by Ellie, Daniel and the crew are intensely relatable to anyone who has had a family at some point in life. 

I don't really give star ratings that often, but.. 5/5 stars.  in fact. 8/5 stars. 

I'm so excited to read more from John Chu!  Thank you to Macmillan Audio/Tor for the Advanced Listener Copy.  It was a joy to read. 

STATS

First Published :  4/7/2026

Pages: 240

Available as an Audio Book :  YES (~ 7.5 hrs) 

Trigger Warnings: Death, illness, toxic family, brief mention of unsuccessful suicide, attempted murder (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

  

Book Review: A Whisper of Secrets and Ashes by Jada McCrary

 

 Jada McCrary is an Indie author who writes mainly fantasy/romantasy. When I saw this very short novella in audiobook format on Net Galley I rushed to request it! I love a short read, or listen! It gave me an opportunity to get to know McCrary as an author without diving in to a full length novel.  

 

  

     I very much enjoyed A whisper of Secrets and Ashes!  While it clocks in at 52 pages and about 58 minutes of audio, McCrary shows her ability as an author as I didn't feel like there was much missing from this novella. With the details sprinkled into the novella, I was able to visualize the world with ease, and while I didn't have ALL the tea on the two main characters, I felt like they fit the mold of many romantasy characters, so I kind of felt like I understood the motivations of both female and male leads.  In some ways, this was much more enjoyable than having to read through a character having a flashback or dream (to show readers why they have come to be who they are at the time). Instead, we jump right into an adventure.

No Spoilers here:  Our FMC is a healer facing down a plague that seems to have no cure, while our Main man has lost something that is may be quite related to the current plague. Faelynn (FMC) is in service to the Fae God who directs her to Dreythis (MMC) as she works for a cure. Neither is really interested in love, but in a world of magic and mayhem, sparks will fly. 

  The novella is done in dual narration and it was very well done. Narrated by Jacci Prior and Anthony Palmini, the quality is high, and I felt like both narrators really hit it out of the park, imbuing the story with lots of emotion, and propelling it forward without going into the maudlin- which is pretty easy to do with romantasy content! The dual narration was extra special, and I always enjoy a dual narration! 

I enjoyed this novella, and I will be looking for more from this author! I'm invested, and I found this to be a lot of fun interspersed in between some of the heavier reading!  If you are interested to learn more about the author, HERE is a link to her actual webpage.  Her novels are some of the most beautiful ones I've seen in a while. 

                                                                               STATS

First Published : 2025 in an anthology, now as a standalone. 

Pages: 52

Available as an Audio Book : Yes (58 min) 

Trigger Warnings: strained family ties, magic, references to God (a Fae god) - please read responsibly.