Book Review The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 5/5 stars!

   For a short novel... this one packed a punch!   I obviously was delighted to see that a highly regarded author had a book coming out that centered a bit around a river during my Water 2025 extravaganza.  I would have wanted to read this regardless - the water theme was a happy happy occurrence.  I finally got it on audio from the library.  I was then kind of intimidated by it. It sat on my Libby shelf, innocuously looming. I was a bit paralyzed by the concern that I might not enjoy this novel as others have.  I had the opportunity to request it as an Advance Reader Copy and I was so concerned that I wouldn't like it, that I did not even request it. Well. I'm putting those concerns away.   5/5 Stars. I want to read more from El-Mohtar. Today. 

  

 Quick Synopsis of the novel with no real spoilers, because SPOILERS are JUST TERRIBLE! 

  Two sisters grow up in a world of both magic and the mundane. As they go out into the world- they face life decisions, and make lots of promises and one in particular creates a lot at risk for at least one sister. For me, the novella embraces the world of the unreal and often unseen, sisterhood, family and language -- particularly the language of love, all highlighted by the specific and special language of music. 

     I might have avoided this book, as I have avoided This is how you lose the Time War.  (I don't really like time travel novels, and my knowledge of El-Mohtar is really tied to that award winning novel.) 

I am SO GLAD I remembered that authors indeed do often write several different books- on many different themes and ideas. The River has Roots is soul and brain food all in one little novella.   It is gentle, but with a strong backbone, expressive without straying into the maudlin, and provokes some deep thought without feeling pedantic or academic. It feels like something wholly new- even though it clearly draws on some canonical elements of faeries, Arcadia and such. 

   This book is a great one for book clubs, as it's got many different themes and moments to generate discussion. It's also good if you're "getting back into reading"  or trying out a new genre (Fantasy/Speculative) as it's not a long tome and a reader could finish up in a day. If one is trying to read more diversely El-Mohtar has a unique and diverse background and the book does have representation of diverse characters.  I think it is also one that would be good for aspiring writers.  El-Mohtar is able to create her atmosphere without using a bunch of unneeded overly fluffy descriptions, and that's something I'd like everyone (myself included) to learn. Typically I do not like short stories or novellas as they rarely seem that complete to me, but this really did what the author seemed intent on doing. There weren't any clunky transitions or issues that I tend to notice and the ending was an actual ending, not some vague decide-for -yourself number. 

The audiobook is unique.  Environmental sounds are added to the narration.  We get the story and a rushing river, singing and other environmental sounds.  I never really decided how I personally felt about it.  Part of me really liked it, as it felt immersive and kind of different and unique.  Another part of me felt like it sort of took away from the words. But I can say I didn't particularly dislike it; I'm undecided.  Coming from a "read aloud" family, some books are lyrical enough without embellishment, and I personally felt the writing itself was fantastic and could carry the story without intermittent harps and singing voices.  That said, I was rather unbothered by the choices, and I felt that other readers might find this just ideal and really scene setting, so...who knows.  Maybe with more reflection I will decide how I really feel. 

  SO - make room on your TBR,  this is one you'll want to enjoy. 

STATS

First Published  March 2025

Pages: 144

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  Death, near death, violent themes, threats, and jealousy.  

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review - Gogmagog by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard 2/5/5 stars

   I read Gogmagog (The chronicles of Ludwich #1) by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard as part of my Water theme for 2025.

  I was so excited when the audio came off hold at the library. I had seen this book on social media and it seemed like it was going to be amazing.  I mean:  a river journey with a 1600 yr old woman, a thrall (mechanical AI type being, a girl made of seeds, and more. A river that is sort of a dragon? The journey promises to encompass old folk tales and present them in strange and alien ways. 

SIGN ME UP. 

(in my imagination, this is the River....)

Hall, Sidney, Etcher. Draco and Ursa Minor / Sidy. Hall, sculpt. Ursa Minor, 1825. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002695394/.

Sadly, I'm going to have to say.... take me off this sign up list.  Especially in the audio book form.  

Things I really liked: 

 -Cady's character is refreshing and super enjoyable. 

-The river itself is like it's own character

- the mystery of it all.

-the writing is solid and makes reading it to be fairly easy. 

Now... for me there was a lot I just didn't love. The narrative is kind of jumpy which didn't prove to be an issue with me, but i didn't really love that particular choice.  I felt like I understood what was going on , but I also felt like all the characters were trying to be the main character, and thus in the end, no one was really the main character and the overall story was lost... was it about the dragon, the child?, the Gogmagog?, Cady's body changes? Lek finding robotic love?  I would have DNF this book, but I had this sort of tingle that said it would eventually sort itself out.  For me, it did not- I felt it was "Almost there" .  Noon did a nice job of showing and not telling, but I did want a bit of telling so I could connect the dots a little bit more. Perhaps that happens in the second book, but, friends, I'm not going to give this series another 12 hours of my listening time. The narration was not to my liking, as whomever was "doing the voices" just managed to make me feel that tinge of aggravation that one feels sometimes.

The best way for me to describe this is that the reader is the audience for a Dungeon's and Dragons type role playing game in someone's parent's refinished basement and each player is taking a turn at advancing their character's story.  They are paying attention to the other's stories but they aren't incorporating them in any meaningful way so it ends up being a very surface type experience overall.  

Did I miss the point?  Maybe - I have also had some trouble with James Joyce's works... and even some lesser esteemed novels. 

Is this a book for someone?  SURE.  The writing itself is very good, and the premise is great.  Let me know if you've read this one and what you thought?  Enlighten me to what I missed!  I may try to read more from these authors just to get further into the weird, because I mean, perhaps it's a me problem. 

 STATS

First Published : February 13, 2024

Pages: 368

Available as an Audio Book : YES 

Trigger Warnings:  pandemic, death, profanity, alcohol, parental death

As always - this is not a complete list, read responsibly! 

The Architect's Apprentice By Elif Shafak- Book Review 4.25/5

 I told my family that I wanted any book  by Elif Shafak  for Christmas and this arrived from a special Santa Claus.  It was not the book I expected, but I really enjoy Shafak's writing so I was delighted with it. 

   I finally got around to reading it  (via audiobook) this month.  I dove in without any real preparation or thought about this beyond knowing that it would be somehow a story of an architect and an apprentice. In hindsight, I wish I had done a tiny little bit more investigation prior to reading. 

  This is essentially historical fiction- Ottoman Empire style. It feels fanciful- if one is not familiar with the Ottoman Empire.  I am not familiar with the Ottoman Empire so I really for some time thought that maybe this was just sort of a made up Ottoman Empire. This showed mostly my lack of education in world history. Yikes! 

Spoiler? - It is not.  The majority of the characters in the book are indeed actual historical figures from this time period. I suspect had I known that, I might have enjoyed the book quite a bit more. 

    Jahan is a 12 yr old boy who arrives in Istanbul on a ship in 1540- he's befriended an elephant who was intended for the Sultan, and becomes the Mahout- the Elephant keeper.  Chota, the elephant is smart and affords Jahan many opportunities, including the opportunity to get to know the daughter of the Sultan.  Chota is beloved by Jahan, and the entire empire it seems.  (As a side note, there was apparently quite a menagerie in Istanbul back in the day- something that would no longer be looked on favorably, but I was somewhat impressed that they were able to have lions, birds, apes, etc and that they sort of survived in that time period. 

Children Exploring an Elephant. Japan, 1875. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2005678564/.

Through the eyes of Jahan, the reader is able to experience life in the Empire, within the walls of the palace and beyond.  Jahan eventually becomes an apprentice to the architect - Mirmar Sinan  and he's about to again see the process of building some of the fantastic famous structures that we know today.  We experience wars, travel, unrequited love, a cross dressing apprentice, magic, deceit, palace intrigue and deception. Jahan, being pure of heart and a little naive no matter how old he gets, is an interesting lens to view the happenings through.  He is - it seems- always about 3 steps behind, and is often the victim of treachery, but somehow still bumbles on through momentous events and change- mostly by clinging to the elephant. I kept expecting Jahan to have more of a hero's journey type experience, but now that I've finished the novel, this really wasn't a hero type novel, and while Jahan is the central character, he has no "Main character Energy"  and he's more our eyeballs as we observe the Empire change and grow.  With a different expectation, I likely would have enjoyed this a tiny bit more.  I honestly kept waiting for "something" to happen. In truth, so much happened, but it was not packaged into that neat Hero's journey arc that we are very familiar with, so it felt more like a river flowing steadily through time than a tale with certain well known punctuations. 

     Shafak's writing is - as always- immensely readable, and engaging.  She always punctuates her stories with very thoughtful observations that are quite quotable. This book would be an excellent choice for a slow reading book club, where a guide would take the reader chapter by chapter through the fiction and the facts because the overlap is wonderful and for many of us, I suspect, not well known. It certainly made me want to explore Istanbul! 

While I enjoyed the Island of Missing Trees more overall, I think The Architect's Apprentice is also a worthwhile read.  I am also super pleased to have it on the shelf of "read" books in my home now! I can not wait to read more from Shafak, and I love that there's a nice Back list to choose from. 

                                                                                         STATS

First Published : January 2013

Pages: 432

Available as an Audio Book : YES 

Trigger Warnings: child abuse, pandemic, animal mistreatment, death

As always - this is not a complete list, read responsibly! 

  

Book Review Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings 4.25/5

Let's chat about  Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings! 

 

    My entire reading experience with this novel can be described as "FUN"!  This was made a "read now" on Net Galley a while ago and my book bestie and I decided to read it together as a buddy read, and I can say that having a person to read and react with in real time made my reading experience so much better than normal. We do not typically get the same Advanced Copies, so this was a treat. Thank you Macmillan and Net Galley for the opportunity to have this reading experience. 

Obviously, from the cover this is a Romance novel. It falls into the Rom-Com genre and it has an ultra-contemporary setting, which was realistic and relatable. Both my reading buddy and I really loved the book. I am not sure what her expectations were, but I will be the first to admit mine were kind of low. The romance genre is very saturated, so sometimes there are duds. THIS IS NOT A DUD! It really was a fun novel filled with relatable characters and experiences.  If you'd like to see my Buddy and I react to this, here's a link

In short, Eva and Riley are graduates from the same college where they had a brief, unpleasant dating experience. Post graduation they are both living their best life as social media personalities. Eva hosts a ridiculous show where low level celebs attempt to resurrect their brands. Riley podcasts dating advice to men on how to not be awful.  Eva comes across one of his shorts and - being several glasses of wine in- responds to remind him of her experience with him in college.  As Social Media is known to do- this response blows up- and their brands smell an opportunity. If you consume social media, you know this is... golden content that viewers love- and you probably also know it can be quite damaging to the actual people involved.  This is the story of a second chance romance in our modern world or How Riley re-met Eva via the power of Social Media.  

     Eddings did a fantastic job of really getting right into the perils and the joys of modern life. The story is told with some nuance that is often missing from the contemporary romance genre. Riley is not a "alpha male", but he's also not a weak character and Eva is a hard hitting difficult character, but not one that you have trouble imagining being in your inner circle.  Both could be your co-worker. These characters are relatable, and struggling with/engaging with things that ALOT of young people are encountering in that very bizarre time right after college.  Texts between my friend and I as we read this included phrases like "I feel so seen!"  and "This may be TOO RELATABLE" (it did also include some discussion of how many hot dogs one could eat in a day, and if we wanted to do hot dogs for our video review...)  Eddings leans in a bit to modern day references, but is able to balance references to popular social media site, and tropes etc, with a plot that follows through with the witty banter we all enjoy and a solid plot while gives readers a truly satisfying ending. One of the biggest lessons learned is that it's so important to not make assumptions about others behaviors in relationship. We do not always have the whole story and when we take the time to get the whole story, we can respond in a way that is most appropriate. 

So, for me, this is a cut above many romance novels and one that will be enjoyed by many when it is released in August!  I do suggest that you pop it on your list.  It would again be perfect for a beach read, lake house read, or... a staycation read.  

STATS

First Published : August 2025

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book : YES 

Trigger Warnings: child death, divorce, mental health, 

As always - this is not a complete list, read responsibly! 

March Reading Wrap Up!

 March it seems, turned out to be kind of a slow reading month for me. I can't say why but I have been busy with work, and have been reading some print books which take me much longer than the audio books, and I had a significant amount of books I struggled with and finally DNF this month, So here we are in April! 

In March I read a total of 19 Books. I really do feel like I dropped the ball on any of my goals to read more diverse books and I did take a header into the Romance/Fantasy realm because things just seemed to require it but, lets see how I did do. 

Statistics!

Books in Translation: 1/19  Oracle by Thomas Olde Heuvelt takes the sole spot for books in translation.  I was not even sure it was translated, but I did some looking and indeed it was originally published in Dutch. I do have some room for more, so we will see what happens in April. 

Books by Diverse Authors: 21% of my reading was a book by an identified diverse author. This is a bit dismal, and I just did not seek it out as much, so that will change, I hope in April.  In April i have several Non-fiction books about water piling up, so... this may be a challenge, but I think I can diversify more. 

What was my TOP read? 

That is so difficult.  In general this month I read some amazing books and some really mid-tier romances. 

For Pure enjoyment- I think I am going to go with Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep. 

This novel was compelling, held my attention, and Grant does a very nice job with character development that doesn't sacrifice the plot.  I loved that it was so readable and that it had me thinking about how we interact with our oceans, and each other.

A close second would be Heuvelt's  Oracle. 

It really was a clever telling of a wholly original (to me) tale of ghost ships, the Doggerland Mastodons, the resilience and strength of people, but especially of those young and elderly. I could not put it down until i had finished, and it did actually halt a lot of progress I had on other books because, I had to get to the end. This was glorious. More people should read this one, it just... pulls you in, and doesn't let you out until it's done with you. 

A book where the lack of water was almost a main character was Sanora Babb's Whose Names are unknown , which I found to be a wildly interesting read. 

Somehow I never did review this on the blog, and I think it's an interesting story even about how the book came to be. So expect that soon. I swear I wrote about it,... 

What else did I read in March? 

Well, I did delve into Romance as a way to escape the reality of our world. 

I'm a bit ashamed but I did enjoy this gem...

I accidently borrowed it from the library on the app, and then since it was there, I felt compelled to read it.  A marriage of convenience and lies set in Montana during perhaps "Little house on the Prairie" days? Did I learn anything from engaging with this literature. Not a thing. Did I enjoy myself? Apparently, since I finished it  and within a few days. I felt a bit like the ladies I used to see checking out 10-15 of these novels each week at the library. TO be honest, it was a romance, there was a plot and I enjoyed the story. I did alo, errr, like the cover a bit.  

Among other not extremely brain nutritive reads- 

This is a series and it was, sort of like a fan fiction mash up of Star Trek, and Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians.  If you are wondering, and I know you are- Ice Planet Barbarians is better. But this was entertaining enough that I will likely continue the audiobooks. 

 And then there was the Water theme: 

Oracle fell into the theme because of the Ship elements.  Into the Drowning Deep was also a choice for that reason. and then I really only hit 3 other books for that specific purpose. 

The Color of Water by James McBride

This is definitely a Back List book and it's stood the test of time.  I enjoyed it despite it really having very little to do with water. It addresses the human ecology system and I think that's enough. It's a book I would recommend for book clubs and curious readers alike. 

The Amalfi Curse by  Sarah Penner.

This book was so easy to read it went down like a smooth Bellini.  It felt like a total beach read, set in a gorgeous location with a dual narrative of pirates, sunken treasure and a modern day treasure hunter with combined love stories made this a fun read!

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffal was also a favorite of mine! 

I suspect it hasn't gotten the critical acclaim it deserves, as the story moves a bit slowly, and that is often an issue with readers. I loved it and felt it gave space to think about how the world might be,  how we might be and the new life concerns that might be faced in the future. 

Some of my water reads didn't pan out too well

I did enjoy Born of Water, but I can't say that I felt it added much to my thoughts. It is a YA book and aimed more for that audience, so I'm going to defer and say maybe this would have been an important book  for me at age 14.   For me now, it was... enjoyable but not earth shattering. 

And then I did the audio book for this one... Take me to the Lake by Kaci Rose. 

 Yes, I read it. yes the lake featured in the book. Did I enjoy it? Actually not that much. I honestly feel like Kaci Rose comes up with really interesting characters, and a sort of plotting plot, but then as an author she inserts a bunch of tropes that romance readers like and it just become predictable.  I also had issue with the narration, the narrator did her southern accent and it seemed to make the character sound as if she was 58. (which would be ok, but she is NOT 58). 

    Now that water is out of the way, I can give high acclaim to Johnny Compton's Devils kill Devils! 

  This was a fantastic book that combined European vampiric lore with some local Texan folk culture in a way that just worked for me.  I do want to read more from Compton. 

Additional Kudos to Kendare Blake's Champion of Fate 

  I considered putting this under the Water theme as there is some oceanic voyages, and a well they peer into for information, but in the end the water isn't that much of a feature.  That said, this was a super well written epic fantasy that's been filed into Young Adult, and not really discussed much. (as is wont to happen to female writers, and especially non-white ones) This book had everything an epic fantasy needs, an interesting world, hero-makers, heros and epic battles  and journey's a "chosen one"  kind of vibe, with lots of mysticism and magic. I've borrowed the second book and can't wait to jump into it. 

   The others were all, enjoyable, but not really... top of mind.

 What were your favorites in March?  Let me know in the comments!  Recommend me a Book! 

Book Review: Last Chance to Save the World, by Beth Revis 5/5

 I was OVER THE MOON to get an advanced listener copy of the audiobook for Beth Revis' novella Last Chance to Save the World. Many thanks to Net-Galley and Astra publishing house and Dreamscape Media for the Advanced listener copy. It was Chef's kiss perfection! 

Me- flying in a balloon to get "over the moon"...

Navigation aérienne. Ballon & appareil de direction construit par M. Pompéien-Piraud, inventeur / / B. Arnaud. , 1883. [Lyon ; Paris: B. Arnaud, ?] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002735905/.

  I have read all of the Chaotic Orbits series and this one is supposed to be the last. It promised a satisfying ending and I'm going to have a bit of a hot take, this was NOT at all satisfying, unless there is a fourth book or spin off on the way. 

If you are looking for a fun, slow-burn tension filled series that is both futuristic and realistic-with some devastating plot twists, this is a series for you! 

   While I suppose this could be read as a stand-alone, I think it really is better to start at the beginning  with  Full Speed to a Crash landing.  and read through to get the full impact of this funny and snappy rom-com set in space. 

   Last Chance to Save the World did not disappoint (despite my misgivings about the ending). Ada and Rian - our main characters continue to play their parts well. Rian's still the somewhat stiff G-man determined to impart rules and order to situations- convinced that by following them to the T- he can indeed save the world.  Ada, well- she's Ada. She is a bundle of chaos, impropriety, snark and surprise. She's also determined to save the world- but her methods are more...flexible shall we say.  Of Course... Rian is essentially obsessed with Ada, probably in part because she is so wildly unpredictable and "off limits" Ada's also  IN LOVE  but she's true to her own character, even a bit prickly to herself- not allowing herself nice things. Despite this not progressing to the on-page "spice" that readers today seem to be clamoring for, I think I appreciated it more because it takes something special to hold a readers attention with out that. 

These two spend some time in forced proximity, concoct a plan to literally save the original Earth, and yet still can't quite manage to figure each other or their situation out. If that isn't a very realistic romantic situation, I am not sure what is.  All of this, of course is set in space, with ships, space stations, interesting space foods and clothing.  

As readers we are taken along for the wild ride,  and left a bit short of breath as Ada takes things right down to the wire. Can Ada and Rian save the Earth? Can they save themselves? 

You 'll want to read to find out. My only warning to the reader is that while the ending is somewhat satisfying, it really doesn't feel like the end. So if you're listening DAW Books, readers want more! 

Shout out to the Audiobook narrators: Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena. They narrate the entire series, and for me they enhanced it entirely. If there were mispronunciations, I missed them, and the flow and pace was so natural and enjoyable. Highly recommend the audio for those who enjoy ear-reading. 

My only sadness with the Ear reading is that there isn't a beautiful trophy book for my shelf. The art for these covers is on-point, it reflects the fun, campy, snappy nature of the series and I hope at some point to get a full set. (Deep down I am hoping for maybe an omnibus, but I'd settle for a book 4...) 

STATS

First Published : April 8, 2025

Pages: 176

Available as an Audio Book : YES 

Trigger Warnings: parental death, illness, climate

As always - this is not a complete list, read responsibly!