Book Review The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova 5/5 stars!

 Well, this was a surprise for me! 

I fell in love with The inheritance of Orquidea Divina  by Zoraida Cordova!

 

This book was suggested as a read for our diverse book club and ultimately it was rejected. I was hoping it would come up again for March, but I'm not the moderator for that club and it was never to be seen again!  I had it on hold at the library, and when it came up- i decided Why not try it! 

   I am still surprised at the way this novel just kind of quietly wormed it's way to the top of my listening list of audiobooks. TO be frank, this cover, as beautiful as it is, doesn't really do it justice. It looks so Victorian to me that I was not exactly excited to read about an inheritance from a sort of rigid time period. OF COURSE, this is not at all what this book is about. 

And I do find the alternate cover  is really much better:  Which do you prefer? 

    Readers are treated to a dual timeline story, where we learn about the amazing, resilient Orquidea Divina - and her life from infancy to transformation, because death never really comes for Orquidea. 

In the second timeline we follow her relatives, particularly her grandchildren who are out in the modern world, but are called home for their inheritance. 

   Again, I thought this wasn't for me, but...the characters of Marimar and Reymundo in particular just dragged me right in. I wanted to know what was going to happen for them, and let me attest, readers are in for a wild adventure, full of unique magical realism, drama, a touch of horror,  mayhem, some hard truths, cosmic intervention and love. While this can be enjoyed as a fantastical tale of magical realism,  readers will also be able to relate to characters as they experience dreams broken and dreams realized, feelings of belonging, and rejection, the pain of lies and broken promises and the joys of discovering a place they can call home.  

Currently this book is vying for favorite read of the month- in competition with Kiss of the Fur Queen. 

STATS

First Published 2021

Pages: 336

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  Body horror, child death, death, infidelity, parent death, alcohol use, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review Black Water, by David Robertson 3.5/5 Stars

   Continuing with my 2025 theme of Water- I read Black Water- Family, legacy and Blood memory  by David A Robertson.  

This was not a light recollection of the childhood of a Cree man in Canada. It was an award winner and best seller but I did find it a bit difficult to get through, likely a me problem, more than an author problem. 

  I was fascinated by the story to start with. David is the son of a Cree father and a white mother. For unknown reasons, the Cree side of his heritage was never discussed, so much so that when questioned about his ethnicity- he entirely denied being "indian"  and had no real feeling that he was Indigenous, despite having apparently a typical Cree appearance which was noticed (and commented one) by folks around him.  

       Robertson tells essentially a dual memoir, one of his father, a man who grew up on a reservation, and became a pastor and academic leader in Indigenous education, and one of himself, a man who grew up with a largely absent father  and no awareness of his own roots. 

   Robertson does not flinch away from the many truths about his life, and the lives of Indigenous people in Canada. He's able to pull in so much material and relate it to his life, but also the outer world around us. While he mourns not growing up more aware of his Cree heritage, he understands that growing up with more knowledge doesn't mean that his life would have been "easier"  or "better", just different.  Although in the writing, I can see that he does clearly believe that not knowing did cause some unspoken trauma, which may have lead to some mental health concerns. 

   Robertson is given a new chance to really get to know his Dad, when he re-enters their lives more fully, and he takes full advantage of this, as he and his Dad visit Dad's old home, and David records hours of memories, from not only his Dad but other relatives and friends, and becomes familiar with the people and the land his Dad grew up on - David anchors himself a bit to the land, and it's fascinating to read as things come full circle, David has his own family and chooses a very different path for his children who are growing up fully aware of their heritage. 

    I wasn't swept away by this book. I don't believe that was the point of the book, I feel the author wanted to raise awareness and generate discussion. I definitely might put this one forward as a Book Club book!   For me - I felt like the author didn't entirely commit and sort of danced around a few topics - which I felt perhaps he hadn't completely resolved for himself, but of course, he's still living, and aren't we all experiencing, adjusting and changing our minds as we continue on our life journey.  At the same time that I wasn't swept away,  I recognized it as an important piece of writing, that offers thoughts on belonging, identity, generational trauma, family, racism, internalized racism, and more.  I also recognized that the work done on this book, the research etc, likely informed Robertson's The Theory of Crows published 2 years later. 

I did read this via Audiobook  and it is narrator by the author. I will say the author has a bit of a reedy quality to his voice, and POSSIBLY I might have enjoyed this more with different voice, but when a book is narrated by the author, you know you're getting the whole she-bang so to speak, so, maybe if I were doing it again, I'd read the book in print. 

STATS

First Published 2020

Pages: 288

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  Racism, Mental health discussion, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: The Demolished man by Alfred Bester

 The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester was first published in 1953 and was honored as the first ever Hugo Award winner. 

   I decided last year that it would be fun to read all the Hugo winning novels and sort of explore how Sci Fi has expanded and changed over the years. 

I did not expect to have such trouble with The Demolished Man.  It took me 5 months, and a Staycation to finally conquer this one. 

I didn't particularly dislike it, but I REALLY  did not love it. 

In summary Ben is a paranoid business owner who's haunted by a recurring nightmare of a faceless man.  Even in a world full of telepathic people, he has not been able to conquer this dream. Ben decides a business rival is the cause of this and determines to kill him. This is a tall order, as - with the advent of telepathic people, most crimes are stopped before they occur as someone reads the thoughts before the actions can occur.  Bester gives us an inverted police procedural - the reader knows the crime and the perpetrator and follows the investigation with that knowledge, so there's no guessing here, just following along as detectives try to figure it all out, and the perpetrator takes evasive maneuvers!

  

    I feel pretty lukewarm about this novel. I can see how, at the time, it would be quite the rage.  Bester is clearly influenced by current events and trends.  he describes the paranoia that accompanied the Second Red Scare- which he was living through.  Characters all spend quite a lot of time, encouraging others to "peep" them telepathically to see they are on the up and up. As the novel moves along,  characters go through various, new-fangled rebirth treatments, which reflet the way psychoanalysis was growing and changing in the 1950's under the influences of Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Erik Erikson, theorists who focused on the "unconcious mind" and placed strong value on dream analysis. 

A murder does occur, and the perpetrator of the crime is finally caught - using a variety of telepathic tools, and a computer which takes up a lot of one room! Bester certainly did predict a time when AI might feature heavily in society- as he describes a computer that's fed the evidence and spits out a conclusion that the police need to follow. The perpetrator is then scheduled for "Demolition"  But demolition isn't exactly what it seems, and Bester seems to advocate for rehabilitation and or  encouragement of those who are going against societal norms, stating,

“If a man's got talent and guts to buck society, he's obviously above average. You want to hold on to him. You straighten him out and turn him into a plus value. Why throw him away? Do that enough and all you've got left are the sheep.”
― Alfred Bester, The Demolished Man

Of course, this quote - indicates that if someone isn't like others, they need to somehow be changed back into something acceptable - a "Plus-Value" so I'm not sure if he realized that while he's advocating for people to not be sheep- he's also advocating for them to actually just be "Plus value" people - so intelligent, controllable/useful sheep maybe? 

 In 1950's America,  conformity was so valued, that I think even suggesting someone who went against society was above average, was somewhat radical. Reading it today, I'm wondering exactly what changing a person to a Plus value means.  This book has never (as far as my research could find) been a banned book and it does not seem to really challenge the order of the world.  Or at least, not in a glaringly obvious way like the 1954 winner of the Hugo awards has done for decades. 

  Why am I so lukewarm on this?  

Bester - really transposed 1950's roles on to the women in the novel, wholeheartedly and without any second thought.  His descriptions and remarks on their physical appearance is not something that would be accepted today. And there's a sequence where a young woman undergoes a rebirthing process, spends a lot of time calling an adult man "Dada"  while the adult man encourages her to sit on his lap etc. Once she emerges from her infant and toddler stage, he feels he can then approach her for an adult relationship.  It just gave me the ICK.   I read in a review that this relationship was supposed to help the reader feel kindly towards that man, but it just made me glad I was not a woman in the 1950's. Just WOW.  All of the other women are given similar treatment and always described in terms of physical attributes.  It was - errr- not very forward thinking of this Science Fiction writer. Science Fiction really has a reputation especially in these early days, and indeed I can see how it shaped and reinforces beliefs about women. When I first read Heinlin, I felt like  his Sci Fi wasn't that good, but he really pinned how men felt about women in that time period. 

  As a side note, I was highly amused that while Bester could imagine a time when video calling would become important, his characters were constantly dashing from their rockets- to a phone booth to make these Video calls. I think I might trade video calling for literal rockets?  But here we are. 

I have finished the first Hugo award winner, and I am delighted to move on ,and very very pleased to not have to read that again! 

 

Book Club update! All the tea....

 So... because NO ONE asked.  Let's talk about my continued foray into In- Person book clubs. 

This month we read some God-awful "Women's fiction" book.  I couldn't get it from the library or on audio so in the end, I never even really attempted to read it.  I read the description, and I was pretty sure this was something I'd never personally pick up. 

Nothing wrong with a title being called "Women's Fiction"  it's a bit of a nebulous term - and often doesn't really describe anything about the book except that it was written by a woman and has some women characters.  Lydia Hilje explains this genre better here. It certainly has more depth than what I've said and I've read books classified as Women's Fiction that were very good. I just find the label a bit odd.   I think it's unfortunate that many books are labelled as Women's Fiction because it is a label that certainly puts off many male readers. We don't really have a "Men's Fiction" section, and...if there is anything the world may need, it would be men willing to read about women's experiences. 

So... I pulled up to the library, and sat in my car. I was seized by a the desire to GO HOME.  I hadn't read the book, I felt a little under-dressed (I had just come from the gym) and of course, I'd taken a bit of a dislike to the leader of the group. Within the last month, she had sent about 6 emails...all about how to obtain the book, and I was, kind of, over it. 

BUT AMAZINGLY and I will never know why- suddenly with 3 minutes to go, propelled myself into the building and sat down with all the other book club members.  I sat there in total shock. Why oh why was I there?  In part, I didn't want to be scared off of book club, and in part, I still do not understand how my body acted against my brain and walked my self in there.  

I sat for an hour and 15 minutes and listened to everyone discuss this book. I don't think people really loved it, but the person who picked the book was so concerned that people wouldn't like it, that I of course,  said I did. (I am now a terrible person, going to heck in a handbasket of unread books) .  Here is Little Red, come to take me away. She's not looking too pleased with me.

Very, L. L. A. & L. Prang & Co, P. (1863) Red Riding Hood. [Boston, Mass.: Published by L. Prang & Co., no. 159 Washington St] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/78315528/.

 

To my great surprise, I actually enjoyed this a bit more than last time. I was less "new" and felt more relaxed, and I also felt NO pressure to contribute because what was I going to say- I hadn't even read the book. In the end, I was able to discuss my loathing of these vague endings, when another reader complained that the ending just fizzled out, but for the most part I was more relaxed and observant, which is probably how I should have been on my first Book club foray! The leader was adorable to me this time, she is elderly-elderly and brought an email reply from the author that was a very standard reply "Thank you for your kind thoughts about my novel, I'm working on more for the future" Our leader then touted her "personal connection via email" through our session and I thought it was very cute. I did not tell her that this very popular author, probably had that email answered by a PA, she was so excited by it. 

So.  I am now on a mission. I'm going to add some color to this club. Next year when all the books are voted on, I'm going to put a few books up for voting by diverse authors-and I'm hoping they will pick them. I'm going to be sure to mention them all the time, and we're going to open up some new horizons. 

Next month appears to be Jeanette Walls  and  while she never has topped by list, I've been interested in some of her books, so...maybe this one will be a winner for me. 

If you're interested in participating in a Book club, but aren't ready for the local one, I have two book clubs I host online- at Fable-  Everyone is totally welcome to join: 

The Stabby and Smoochy Book Club: CLICK HERE 

We vote for a title or series to read every time we finish a title or series! All the books tend to feature a heroine who's very romantic but also has a few stabby hard angles. This is not a club for anything serious, we swoon when it's worth a swoon, and declare our hatred of the villain, discuss theories and plot points, but honestly you won't generally find great literature here, but sometimes... sometimes it's really really fun! 

And a Science Fiction club where we are reading through ALL the Hugo Award novel winners. CLICK HERE 

Obviously, someone else already voted these winners for us, but we are going to start on 1954 award winner Ray Bradbury this week, This club only has a few members, and we would love some more!

Book Review: TO Avenge a Fallen Star by Qilanna Quinn 2.5/5 stars

 I broke a rule I made for myself this year to read the Advance Reader Copy of To Avenge a Fallen Star by Qilanna Quinn!  (my rule was that I'm only requesting advanced listener copies as it takes me a really long time to read a print copy) .

I love a space based romance.  I am not sure why but if I look back at my most enjoyable reading experiences in the past three years, books I adored with my whole heart, lungs and mind - more than I care to admit were Space Based Romance.  They masquerade a bit as "Science Fiction"  but mostly, if the entire story could be moved to a different setting and not really lose much- I consider them to be a "relationship book"  based in Space. 

So when I saw this on Net-Galley, I resisted for a few days and then decided to give it a go.

Many Many thanks to Net-Galley and Qilanna Quinn for trusting me with this earc. Quinn is an Independent author, and I can tell that this is a work of passion for this author.

To Avenge a Fallen Star feels a bit like a fan -fiction mash up of Squid Games, The Hunger Games and a touch of Star Trek- combined with some explicit on page romance scenes. Readers who have enjoyed these novels and shows may want to pre-order a copy for the March release of this book.

We follow Gemma, a somewhat unlikely heroine as she competes in a series of mental and physical trials to determine if she can leave her planet (populated by the descendants of prisoners) to serve as an elite protector of a different "parent" planet. Gemma isn't just a one trick pony- she's also got an ulterior motive, she's hoping to spark off a revolution that will help her people gain more political power and hopefully live better lives. Is she the best person for this job? Maybe not, but she's giving it her all!

As Gemma competes, and develops relationships, (one particularly swoony one with a very sincere young man) she learns that all may not be as it seems and that she's possibly underestimated both sides of the conflict. In addition, she seems to have possibly developed some additional super powers that no-one anticipated.

This book is full of difficult decisions, hidden motives, found family, romance, and some cool world building. Gemma makes several choices based on her heart, and to find out what happens, you'll want to pick up a copy of this novel. For me personally, not all of the characters really jumped off the page, and some of the writing was a bit awkward, but I still was able to finish the book without any issues. 

The Cover- is stunning - created by digital artist Kateryna Vitkovskaya and it really sold me on the book. I really wanted to hop right into that scene!

STATS:

First Published: COMING March 25. 2025 BRAND NEW! 

Pages: 374

Available as an Audiobook: No

Trigger warnings: Parent loss, suicide, depression , Child abuse, SA, generational trauma, violence, war violence, .

As always this is not a complete list, please read responsible.  

Book Review: Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway 5/5 stars

 Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway is a masterpiece. I discovered it mostly because I was a little disappointed in another book and wanted to read more Cree literature.  First published in 1998 in Canada, it is the author's only novel. Although it is now several decades old, it reads as if it were a freshly published novel and I am surprised that more people are not reading it, given the recent discoveries and discussion regarding Residential schools in both Canada and the United States.  With our new awareness of these "schools" I think this is an important read, especially as it was written, back when I couldn't have told you about the Residential Schools in any serious way and, it gives a nod to the missing/murdered indigenous woman that has been only recently before the public eye. 

     In short, the Kiss of the Fur Queen follows the story of two Cree boys in the 1950's in Canada. They are removed from their homes and sent to a Catholic residential school. There, the boys are subjected to multiple types of abuse, but continue to grow and learn, traveling to a modern city for high school and beyond. The boys straddle traditional Cree culture and modern Canadian culture with great difficulty, eventually finding success in the arts. Throughout the novel, they periodically interact with the enigmatic Fur Queen - who seems to represent the trickster, Wisakedjak. She shows up often at times of decisions and high emotions, reminding the two main characters of the Indigenous culture and values.  The magical realism of the book- really grabbed me, as it just elevated this book from being a story of two Indigenous men removed from their culture.

   The themes and ideas explored throughout the book are specific to Indigenous culture but also broad enough to encompass the humanity as a whole. Highway 's work addresses the complexities of the world, as see through the eyes of children, relationships between siblings, the experience of shared trauma, culture, if one can ever really "return home" after being away and the many forms of grief individuals can experience through life. The writing is impeccable, and although the subject matter was difficult, I found myself fully focused on the trajectory of these two men, their choices and eventually the conclusion. For me, this MAY be one of my most important reads of 2025. I noted some mixed reviews of a review site, and did note that many people couldn't explain why they didn't like the book- they just acknowledged it was an important book but it "wasn't for them" so I suspect, it may have made them extremely uncomfortable with the truth exposed in a brutal but engaging way. Some did cite the blending of the real with the unreal, but I just didn't see that the blending was that fantastical or weird, I think it just covered A LOT of uncomfortable topics without euphemisms or other ways to allow readers to pretend they didn't just read *that*.  

 I listened to this book via Audio. The Narrator is Patricia Cano, who did an amazing job bringing a lyrical quality to the work, and definitely added to my enjoyment- especially given some of the more difficult and long place and people names. Definitely recommend audio. 

STATS:

First Published: 1998

Pages: 320

Available as an Audiobook: YES

Trigger warnings: Child loss,  Parent loss, alcohol use, depression , Child abuse, SA, generational trauma.

As always this is not a complete list, please read responsible.  

Reading Challenges?

 I LOVE a good reading challenge!  It takes me back to my days as champion of the summer reading program!  (So... I'll admit that I won that thing every year because my Mom, the librarian took me to the library every day in summer...at about age 10 I realized people were annoyed that I was winning, so I started to deliberately "not finish" books and let other kids win.  My Mom should have done that, but...in her stead, I sorted that out.) 

These days, there are TONS of reading challenges out there to help encourage readers in all sorts of directions.  My library offers one through Beanstack - which I did eventually stop participating in because apparently they threw the adults and children into the same pool to win things like an adorable stuffed husky dog.  Yes. I like stuffed things. but NO, I am not going to out-read a child for a stuffed anything, I just can't. 

   Goodreads has always had a reading challenge, and as far as I can recall it's always been simple- just a certain number of books you want to read through one year. 

    I hopped on to the site (it's no longer my primary tracking site) and was surprised to see they have really stepped it up in the challenge area.  While Goodreads has some up and coming competition, I noted at my local book club that at least the library ladies that participate are big fans of GR and aren't looking for an alternative. (Admittedly they are mostly 65+ and have a hard time understanding the concept of an eBook) so even though great sites like Storygraph and Fable  has taken a bit of the market, Goodreads is still relevant, especially because all of my Advanced copies ask for a GR review. 

Readers can get a digital bookmark badge for each month of reading.

This is cute, but... does anyone really want another digital "badge"? (Seriously, do we want more digital tokens?) 

I've apparently earned a few:

And not earned some:

I went to browse the "qualifying books" and realized they were the books Most loved by readers. Sooooo.  If you will recall, I looked at the list for Romance, and found it to be lacking...lacking diversity and representation- I mean I think it also was lacking a lot of well written books, but that's an opinion.  

So, this seems more like an effort to steer readers to certain books, I noted most of them are current titles- rather than books you might find easily at a library. The only curation is that these are books that have been - en masse- by Good reads readers, and given 4-5 star ratings. 

  It has a very commercial feel to it, as you hit a link to the qualifying books and can then easily hit a link to--- a certain site--- to purchase one of the "qualifying books" We all know that Good reads exists to help that company make money. It still surprised me that this wasn't all that subtle. 

   In comparison, Barnes & Noble offers a 52 week challenges with prompts, and suggestions, but makes no decisions on which books "Qualify".  Certainly it offers opportunities to purchase (It is a bookstore) but while it recommends, it does not restrict and tell a reader that only these 4 books "qualify".  B&N however, does not offer an area for a reader to track their participation, nor does it offer specific badges - digital or otherwise. 

Soooo.  Are there alternatives? 

StoryGraph does offer lots of challenges, with an aim at helping a reader diversify their shelves.

Fable has not dived into the challenges, that I can tell and has some other ways to engage readers. 

If you're wanting a new book challenge, check out this post from The Thompson Library. 

   Are you participating in the Good Reads challenges? What are your thoughts? Is it an attempt to pull back reads who've moved to other platforms? To move "product" with their curated qualifying lists? 

Would you be interested in participating in smaller more home grown challenges? With Bookish - or actual book prizes instead of digital stickers? 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Book Review: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

 Well,  let's chalk this one up to my first really kind of disappointing read of the year. 

I'm still sort of stunned that I didn't like it because I was sure this was going to be one of my favorites of the year. 

I loved the cover, and I loved the premise:

Hana is taking over a pawnshop where people sell their regrets. on her first day as owner, she's confronted by disorder, a missing father and an attractive stranger. She and the stranger embark on a magical journey to find her father that spans two separate but parallel universes where time is being bent and folded as easily as origami.  

Well- origami isn't that easy...if you're interested, try out this tutorial on making a frog.  

   This book also wasn't that easy for me.  It had many beautiful quotes, all regarding our life choices, and life paths, but in-between the utterly high-lightable quotes, the plot seemed to flow out sort of like a sluggish stream. Hana is on a hero's journey that no one requested, not really ever her.  Her partner in the search is really on a journey for Hana, a woman he had not really known prior to just jumping into a pond with her. They are being chased by some truly terrifying monsters that are somehow in charge of souls, but we don't really get to meet these bird like creatures, so most of the horror is never realized.  I feel like delving into that actual horror of a soul harvester, might have made the book a whole heck of a lot more interesting. The story is told in third person which is something that I've not enjoyed so much now that I've read a number of first person and dual point of view novels.  

I think this is an interesting read that gives some nice space to examine life choices, regrets, and the chance occurrences that really shape our lives, but somehow, I just couldn't dive right into it, and I was both surprised and delighted when the narrator started in on "we hope you have enjoyed..." It may have been the time that it was read,  I don't have any particular "icks" about the book, it was "fine" so if I had picked it up say even two weeks later, I might give it a different review. 

    So Onwards, Another one down that involved water but...didn't seem to add to my knowledge.  I think I'd recommend A letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall over this still, and Cathrall has book 2 in that series coming out as well!!!  (You can request Book two via NetGalley! 

It's possible  I missed the mark with this one, and failed to see the grand scheme, let me know all about it in the comments! 

New Book Tuesday! But make it Water!

 In 2025, I'm reading about water! It is life sustaining, can absorb quite a lot of heat, and can dramatically, or imperceptibly shape an environment, so - there's a lot there to unpack. 

  New books from major publishers typically come out on Tuesdays! (Here's a good look at why and how that isn't for every new book.) 

        

So, lets talk about a book coming out TODAY! that features water, that I'm a little bit excited about! 

Kell Woods is an Australian author, and Upon a Starlit Tide is releasing in North America TODAY! 

This is a re-telling of 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Cinderella' fairy tales set in eighteenth century Brittany, It is one of the options for my Online SciFi/Fantasy book club that I belong to and so I am quite interested in seeing how this goes.  Typically, I am not a huge fan of re-tellings, but this one is promised to be a wholly different tale of Love , Power and Betrayal.  I mean, clearly it won't be wholly different, or it might be marketed as a tale of Love, Power and Betrayal, without the fairy tale association.  

The Brittany setting is unique, and I admit, I don't know much about that region and it's history, but I found this blog entry that filled in a lot about the times that Upon a Starlit Tide is set in! 

Will you be picking up Upon a Starlit Tide? 

Have you read Kell Woods other book? Let me know your thoughts? and recommendations?  Got any books coming out that you're excited for? I'd love to chat about them! 

Book Review: Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver 5/5 stars

 I have been highly anticipating the release of Scythe and Sparrow- the conclusion to the Ruinous Love Trilogy by Brynne Weaver. 

 I was not disappointed by Scythe and Sparrow!  If anything, I am now more entranced by the entire series! This is not great literature, and it doesn't promise that- it's fun. It's raucous, bawdy, audacious, unhinged, and delightful fun. 

A couple of years back I was at a B&N and asked the nice lady at the desk about Butcher and Blackbird - a new book I'd heard about via the Tik Toks... I was desperate to read it-  I mean, He's a serial killer... She's a serial killer.. They meet, sparks fly, eyeballs also fly... what could go wrong? 

  The nice lady looked at me, told me she hadn't heard of "Brian Weaver" but that it appeared the book would be on shelves in a few months. I felt smugly ahead of the times. 

  I imagine if I were to go into the same B&N today that the nice lady would be well aware of this series, and definitely not mistake Brynne for a "Brian" because we are now 3 books into a NYT and USA today best selling series. 

   And while I liked Butcher and Blackbird, and Leather and Lark A lot - for some reason I LOVED Scythe and Sparrow so much more. 

This is probably because I knew all the main characters and having Lark, Sloane and Rose all hang out together knowing all the back story was.. delightful. 

  So I am sure there were glaring plot holes, but I didn't notice them at all.  Weaver made things I personally scoff at, hilarious.  I mean, 20 yr old me liked the idea of tarot, runes and astrology, not 20 yr old me has experience that these are not things that are helpful for me. 

   We follow Rose- who's been with the circus for about a decade, she's been travelling from town to town reading tarot, performing on a motorcycle, and helping women escape from violence. Recently she's been trying to take her help up a notch, instead of just providing the means for escape, she's been trying to eliminate the problem.  Thing is... she might not be that good at that job.  Not being very good at that particular job leads to her injury, and voila- enter the handsome, fitness obsessed Fion Kane. He's a doctor, and the youngest of the Kane brothers. And he's not looking for a relationship at all. Of course not.  But relationships and love find us in the strangest places, possibly on the end of a cocktail toothpick, or maybe due to an errant, but very persistent land mammal?  

   I was able to snag the audio and I really did enjoy both narrators this time around. It took me a while to get into the style - with dual narrators kind of sliding in-between chapters providing little sound effects here and there, but in the end, I enjoyed it, though maybe... maybe some of the schmexy scenes were maybe too much for this lady. 

  I find Weaver's humor hilarious, and the romance was heart breaking - though I think in the end you'll find your heart stitched right back up and in the right place. 

If you are looking for a romantic escape with some humor and (a lot of nonconventional) spice, this series is going to be one you'd like to pick up! This is not a series for everyone, and I can promise it will not change your life. BUT if it is for you, I can assume you'll be laughing and crying and ugly sobbing through Scythe and Sparrow. It definitely took me away from reality for at least 10 hours! 

No spoilers in this review, but, if you've read it,  please let me know in the comments your favorite part!!!!  If you got the audio, what did you think? 

 

Book Review: Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto 4.5/5 stars

  I FINALLY  got the audiobook copy of Hammajang Luck from the library!

 Honestly, I am a wee bit salty about this one, because I requested it on NetGalley  as an ARC, but got no response from the publisher.  Usually, I get acceptance or rejection pretty fast, but in this case it just sat there in requests until I finally withdrew the request.  I may have requested it too close to the release date, but still.... I really wanted to read it, so thankfully the library came through. Whoo Hoo Libraries! 

The cover is... well, I LOVE it. 

This is a heist novel with a side plot of "relationship" it features  a F/NB relationship; lesbian main character; trans main character; BIPOC main character; lesbian side characters; trans side characters; and BIPOC side characters. Although set it space, it pays homage to Hawai'ian life with use of  traditional Pidgin (mix of Hawai'ian, English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Cantonese- and some other languages), and introduces some concepts of family that are somewhat unique to the Hawai'ian Islands. I did find myself forgetting all the time that it wasn't set in Honolulu. So if you are looking for hard Sci-Fi world building- this likely isn't your novel.  

We follow Edie as they are unexpectedly released from space prison, by a person for whom she definitely has mixed feelings about. Edie is determined to not end up in prison again, but like many people released from prison, the cards are not in their favor. 

Edie is soon involved in a complex, sophisticated heist involving a team of players who are all testing and gauging the trustworthiness of the team. They are the best of the best, and it's a pleasure to read as they progress through all the steps of the heist.  Edie has to choose, almost every step of the way, between trusting someone who has not been the most trustworthy in the past,  or setting an entirely new path that seems to be also a bit of a "bad" choice. As I was reading I was consumed by the lack of options offered- so much like real life, even in this decidedly not real setting and situation!   I was on the edge of my seat as things went wrong and the team had to improvise! 

  I do not think I personally would make the choices made by Edie, and that really was something that I, as a reader, am not entirely used to, and it made me a little uncomfortable overall with the book- which I liked. I was challenged to think through things I hadn't and examine some family/friend relationships that I've had that were also challenging. I'm still kind of mulling all of that over. So, of course, that's a good book. 

    This is a great book  for discussion as there's a lot to talk about, not only does it highlight a cast of queer characters, but it also takes subtle jabs at capitalism, the US (I assume) Prison system, and even medical research as it is performed today. So, for the right book club this could be a winner.

I read this audio book in 4 days!  This is record for me, I just kept checking in on what was going to happen next!  So, for me, the book was highly readable, and easy to make my way through.    Jolene Kim did the narration, and I thought it was perfect.  I really enjoyed the way she voiced all of the Hawai'ian Creole, as I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten the cadence of the language as well if I had been reading it off a page.  It enhanced my enjoyment of the entire book.

Is Hammajang Luck on your To-Be-Read list, or have you already finished it?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Happy Valentine's day! Let's talk romance...

 So.... Romantasy  has become a big big seller in the past three years or so, and Good Reads (which is not perhaps the paragon of taste at all)  has put out a list of  The 100 most popular romances of the past three years on GoodReads

These are books that show up most often as "shelved" on Goodreads and those ranked 4 star or higher. I read romance.  I read, ALOT of romance. In 2024 I read 80 books classified as romance by Fable 

So.  I thought I'd surely have read a bunch of them. 

TEN  I have read Ten. 

Looking at the list, there are almost no books by diverse authors, and maybe one about a non- traditional couple. 

 Goodread's readers noticed that too- a quick stroll through the comments made it clear that reader's had noted this, but.... what's interesting is that these are the most shelved/highly rated romances. These are the choices by Good reads readers - all Goodreads did was compile it. 

In discussing this, a few people  (ok so like 3 people lest I fall prey to  saying "EVERYONE"S asking about...🤣🤣)said, that they would like to see a list of romances that feature diverse characters, and offer new perspectives. 

And I thought, well.... this should be easy, and it was!  That said this is totally not an exclusive list, I even somehow ended up without Alexandria House and Jaquhel J .  (and I love these authors!) 

For Fans of Ali Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis, Bride, Love Theoretically, etc...)  

Technically Yours is a contemporary romance by Denise Willians. Pearl is a successful coder who doesn't expect to meet a man from her past serving on the Board of Directors at her new dream job! neither is interested in a serious relationship, but they can't ignore the electricity between them. '

She's got 76 books on the "back list; which are all engaging and funny, and enjoyable. 

 Did you love Bride?  You might enjoy Shai August's Shifter romances, such as The Shifter bachelor. in which Imani tales a job away from her family hoping to prove her independence,  but meets Ansel, an in-demand bachelor who decides she's the only one for him. Swoon!

And then there's more:

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton pairs an astronaut with a struggling event planner. 

Amerie hates taking risks. Vincent, an Astronaut knows a lot about taking risks. they meet over a spilled cup of coffee, and sparks fly. Amerie's certain that life with an astronaut is too unpredictable, will she choose safety or will she throw her future to the stars? You'll have to read to find out!   

If you've enjoyed Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash series (I totally did!) or Sarah J. Mass (I, on purpose, haven't read any Mass)  Perhaps I can interest you in a few of these series:

Fae-Bound by Saara El-Arifi   

Two sisters, who happen to be elves, find themselves imprisoned in the world of the Fae. Danger and Love await them in this epic journey novel of love, danger and adventure.   

The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair. This is a 4 book series following Keera a reluctant King's blade who is forced to hunt down a mysterious being called "the Shadow"  along the way she crosses into the Faeland, and begins to question who her enemy really is.  Along the way, she of course meets up  with two totally gorgeous males- Killian and Riven  and must confront a lot of sorrow and struggle to remain true to what she feels is right. 

(I love this series so so much) 

Analeigh Sbrana's Lore of the Wilds  is all about Lore - a human woman who wants to enter the Fae realm for a bit of power. She's really after magic of her own, but along the way she meets Asher and Finn. Asher's got mad skills with a sword...  and Finn is s softy at heart, though you'd not know it to begin with. 

Will Lore get more than she bargained for? 

   I am certainly Ruby Dixon's number 1 fan .  I LOVE her Ice Planet Barbarians, and Corsair's series where aliens travel the galaxy rescuing (almost 100%) human women. And because I love Ruby, I also have really enjoyed THESE SELECTIONS: 

That Time I got Drunk and Saved A human by Kimberly Lemming

 A young woman finds herself locked in a dragon's tower, Cherry, our heroine starts to understand why sometimes people don't just save themselves. What happens next? Well she definitely doesn't stay stuck in the tower! 

Or perhaps you'd like something a little more Other-worldly, you can try out Viano Oniomoh's Sweet Vengeance. 

Set in Nigeria, our main character accidently/ on purpose summons a demon, but it's not exactly what she expected. Sure he's charming, and terrifying, but can he help her get the revenge she seeks?  You'll want to read to find out. 
 

 

Want your Heroes and Heroines to be older than 19?  Not a Problem!!! 

Jess K Hardy gives us a mature romance. She owns a struggling Ski resort, He's got a crew that needs work and is willing to do it for less. She's taking a risk hiring this bunch, but her mother recognizes a good situation when she sees one, and thus...fun times on the bunny slopes may occur. 

In this forced proximity romance our FMC and MMC both face insecurities as their relationship develops and blossoms!  I really liked this one! 

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "The Undermining of Twyla and Frank  by Megan Bannen   Twyla and Frank have been friends, neighbors and job partners as they patrol the wilds of Tanria.  They've known each other forever, can sparks fly?  Indeed, they can! This hilarious novel has it all, a mature romance, dragons, family drama, and some explosions...Highly recommend.  

Does Emily Henry (Happy Place, Book Lovers,  Funny Story) top your list of Romance authors?

 Then you will likely also enjoy:

Alexis Daria 's Primas of Power Series starting with You had me at Hola.  I myself found that A lot like Adios  was one of my favorites. Featuring a second chance romance between two career oriented childhood neighbors (and more!), very involved Puerto Rican families and lots of contemporary issues and of course, a perfect HEA ending. 

Danica Nava's  The Truth According to Ember was nominated for a GoodReads  Readers favorite for 2024.  This is one of the only contemporary Indigenous romances that I am aware of . (Please please ttell me of more?)  Ember is just trying to get a job, but after 37 rejections, she lands a dream accounting job after lying (only kinda sorta) on her application about her ethnicity.  She's doing well at her job and a romance blossoms between her and the IT guy - which is against the corporate rules.  Will the couple survive corporate life?  

   Would you like your romance to include something other than traditional couples? 

This is a M/M romance set in space which features many beloved tropes - Only one bed...arranged marriage, miscommunication (does anyone really like that one?) and a very satisfactory ending. Kiem is a reformed Ne'er-do -well royal who can't quite escape his former life/reputation. Jainan is a quieter man who's just been widowed in what seemed, at least to the news tabloids- to be a perfect marriage.  In order to secure a galactic alliance, they must marry- and fast. As they navigate this uncomfortable arrangement, they realize that nothing is as it seems.  Can they save the alliance, and themselves? 

A little Kissing between Friends by Chencia Higgins is a contemporary sapphic romance. This novel features a music producer and a club dancer who are really just friends. And we all know there's something pretty risky about a friends to lovers situation!  Choices will have to be made- but it could all be worth it for love! 

Disability is also something that traditional romance struggles to "get right"- or even include.  I'm on the fence about many of these. One thing that's hard about disability is that individuals experience it differently and so for some readers this may seem to reflect their experience and for others, it won't. I enjoyed these, but I can't vouch for the disability representation.  Help me out folks! 

Knot my Type by Evie Mitchell features a FMC who uses a wheelchair. She's also a sexologist,  This is an Instalove Rom com that admittedly has gotten mixed reviews.  This is not an Omegaverse novel, the knots, are...for something else.  And what that something else is?  You will want to pick this up to find out! 

Get a Life Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert features a main character with fibromyalgia who is determined to start living life to the fullest. 
This book is well loved, and seems to offer a realistic representation of living with Fibromyalgia -the romance, of course is the usual over the top HEA which we love to see! 

Worth the fall by Claudia Connor features a MMC with a limb amputation, and side character  who also uses/requires a prosthesis. Abby and Matt meet on a beach, but neither is there for a flirty fun vacation, Abby's chasing  four children and Matt's sidelined by injury.  They only have a week, but- as is usually the case in a romance novel, a week is all it takes. 

Obviously there are SO MANY CHOICES  beyond  the Good reads list.  Let me know which ones you think are particularly good, because I'm always looking to add romance to my TBR!