Book Review: Resident Punk By Legs McNeil

  This is such a fun book! I found myself compulsively listening to it. 

I have always been fascinated by the Punk scene.  I was born too late for it, but- everyone I've ever met who was seriously Punk with a capital P was wildly creative, vibrant and totally interesting. Legs McNeil- the "resident Punk"  was part of the start of all of it.  He narrates through Crispin Kott the story of both his life, which is irrevocably intertwined with the punk movement of the 1970's. 

Brilliance Audio generously shared an advanced copy of the audiobook, and with narration by Mark Engelhardt, I actually sort of felt like I was basically in a casual conversation with McNeil himself.  I did check a few times because the narration was so natural I thought maybe it was McNeil doing the narration. 

Readers are given stories of McNeil's upbringing, and also many non published stories of the movers and shakers in the Punk scene, Joey Ramone, The Dictators, Elvis Costello, Poly Styrene and more.  

This is a great production, and I found myself continuing to think - just a few more minutes- every time I was going to put away my headphones. Some have called Legs the coolest guy in the room and I'm starting to believe it. 

Put this on your list if you'd enjoy a memoir with a few tales that read like fiction but are true indeed. 

STATS

First Published:  9/15/2026

Pages: 308

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings:  Sex, drugs and rock and roll. Medical details, vomit. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly) 

Book Review: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia

    I have slept on Silvia Moreno-Garcia.  

Snoozed. 

Deep sleep.   Sleep walked. 

I knew her book Mexican Gothic was WILDLY popular, and probably because of that, I avoided it a bit. 

In truth, it became a book that a lot of "book tok girls" pointed to when explaining they read diversely. Mexican Gothic stood there, stalwart, all over book tok, in a pile of otherwise milk-toast books.  So I was a little bit.. skeptical. 

Secondly, Moreno-Garcia blurbed a certain book as a critical book in Mexican Horror history and I loathed that book, so I was sort of questioning a few things there. 

But a friend of mine saw the cover of The Bewitching, stated it was "calling her" and I bought it as a gift for her, and then decided, what the heck- and read it myself as well. 

Holy Heck!  This was a delightful, and easy read!  I can see why Moreno-Garcia's work is popular.  This is definitely a horror story, but, it's horror that is approachable for non- horror readers.  There are elements of historical fiction, multigenerational family sagas, folklore and the true horror of being a graduate student!  And yes, this is a book that Book Clubs across the world would enjoy for the Autumn and Spooky season. It has just enough scariness, to thrill, but not enough to truly unsettle the reader. 

No Spoilers-  Readers are given a generational tale that crosses over time and place starting off at a small New England college in the 1930's, moving to a Mexican farm in the early 1900's and planting itself firmly in recent past. Each story line has a strong and clever female protagonist who must work against the supernatural - and societal expectations.  For me the most enjoyable timeline was the 1930's but I see other reviewers liking others just as well.  I especially appreciated that the moves between times was seamless. Minerva, the main main character in the near present day- is the anchor between the other time lines, as she works to unravel a mystery that involves the college's past and her past as well. 

 While this novel has twists and turns, I do feel like an astute reader can easily see the changes coming as Moreno-Garcia forecasts and foreshadows heavily.  This isn't a book you want to read for "Gotcha" moments. It does have a satisfying ending, and has me interested in reading more of Moreno-Garcia's work. 

My absolute favorite thing about this book - the EASTER EGGS-  Moreno-Garcia playfully has inserted multiple easter eggs- references to multiple contemporary horror authors - you should see how many you can count. I got 5.  I think there are more. 

i did get this on Audio. Gisela Chipe was the narrator.  SHE WAS STELLAR.  I especially enjoyed the particular accents she employed, which made it very easy to tell which timeline I was entering into. She even got the sort of odd 1930-1940's telecaster type accent just right. 

Have you read this one?  let me know in the comments. 

STATS

First Published:  7/15/2025

Pages: 368

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings: racism, occult, supernatural occurrences, ghosts, witches, alcohol use, incest. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: A Past without Pictures by Jonathan Ames

 

Detective Noir isn't my favorite genre, but- I like to dip into it from time to time. It's a fairly specific type of genre, so it is interesting to see what authors do within the parameters. 

 When I saw this very 1970's looking cover on Net Galley and a new to me author, I thought well, why not? 

Readers are given a tale of Maria, a Cop who's just made Detective.  After a disastrous first night, she wakes to a phone call summoning her to settle the estate of a father she barely knows.   She is one tough cookie, as all noir detectives are, but she's also broken and busted- of course. 

When she arrive in a backwater town, her detective senses tell her immediately that something is fishy about her Dad's passing. She buckles down to figure it out. We are taken on a fast paced wild ride that highlights the foibles and follies of small town living. As Maria sorts through this unpredictable series of events with skill, she comes to realize more and more about her estranged father, and perhaps more about herself as well. 

      I enjoyed this novella. At about 5 hours on audio, I thought it was a perfect "airport book"  one you can easily consume in a typical day through some airports. It has been praised for having a sparse style, and I have to say I didn't find the style to be particularly sparse. I did feel that Ames uses every word with deliberation and each word had a purpose. 

    Dina Perlman narrated and I was SO appreciative of her very smooth narration. She took me through this story without any frills and I hope I get the chance to listen to more of her narration. Excellent. 

 STATS

First Published:  September 2026

Pages: 192

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes ~ 5.5 hrs 

Trigger Warnings: violence, drug use, guns, racism, sexual content, Death of child, death of parent, alcohol use.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: The Oxygen Farmer, By Colin Holmes

  I found this novel while browsing through my library's audiobook collection. I was itching to get back to some Outer Space reading for my 2026 theme, and I was also looking for books that would fulfill any one of the prompts for the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do. Voila. 

I do like the cover. It gives off a very 1980's Sci-Fi Vibe, and the character on the cover, does somehow capture the stubborn, ornery main character of the novel.  Sadly, I cannot find any credit for who designed the cover or did the art work, so I am deeply hoping this isn't AI. 

   

 Millennium Harrison is your typical farmer. He's elderly, crusty, dusty, and ornery. Oh, and he farms oxygen, on the Moon. No matter that he's estranged from much of his family, even grumpy, he would give the shirt off his back (even if it mean being exposed to radiation in immense amounts) to save you if he could. He's also- curious. When he stumbles on an area of the moon that has equipment he isn't expecting, he starts to ask questions. And while he's 
just asking questions- the questions turn out to be rather dangerous. They set into action a series of events that tumble and cascade like a set of dominos. There's a cover -up, decades old governmental secrets, and political scheming - all while Mil and his found and actual family are just trying to live their lives. Who will prevail? You'll want to read to find out. 

Holmes has created a very believable Sci-Fi novel drawing on recent international events. There is a good blending of plot, hard sci-fi elements and character arcs to bring in multiple types of readers. I enjoyed this novel, but, I admit- I didn't find it all consuming. The plot wrapped up maybe a little TOO neatly there at the end, but I can't complain too much as it was very satisfying that way! 

The audiobook was narrated by Keith Szarabajka. He did an amazing job, because 1 day later as I am writing this, I was thinking what an amazing job he did capturing the husk of Mil's 83 yr old voice, while also narrating the story smoothly - and also wondering who voiced the women in the novel.  Yeah.  It was ALSO Keith. He's not one of the narrators well known to me like Eunice Wong or Teddy Hamilton, but I'm a fan of Keith now. 

    STATS

First Published:  December 5, 2023

Pages: 320

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

Trigger Warnings: violence,  nudity, , murder, medical trauma, torture, difficult family relations, Death of spouse, Death of parent. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: One Shattered Crown By Rebecca Zanetti

   I picked this audiobook off of NetGalley in order to fulfill a prompt for a "re-re-re-telling" of a fairytale. 

In general I do not like Re-tellings. They just don't do it for me. Other LOVE them, but for me, I want something a little more original.  And YES- I know it's sometimes even more of a challenge to make a well know tale "fresh" or original. 

And thus we have One Shattered Crown

It does come with beautiful sprayed edges and a vibrant cover. Of course, my audiobook did not come with that cover! :) 

This is a Cinderella re-telling that is sure to be a big hit for Book Tok Romance readers.  We meet Ella and Justice, two young folk from two powerful tech companies and add in the Irish Mafia, and you may be seeing where this is going.

Ella is the disowned heir to a social media giant.  She's delicate like a Pixie, and a wild risk taker with a soft heart. She is stubborn and tough, but also of course, tiny and vulnerable. 

Justice is the tough Mob Boss who also heads up a different social media giant.  He's wary of Ella, as she is dangerous, but also- exceedingly attractive, so much so that the fact that she infected his brother with a virus that almost killed him doesn't really phase him. He has to have her. Justice is bound and determined to protect the reckless Ella, even when she requests that he cease and desist.

We can see where this is headed?  If you cannot, you have not read many of these romances. 

I enjoyed this novel.  It fits the mode of the mafia romance without any unusual twists or turns. I felt like the re-telling aspect was more of a nod to the basic Cinderella story, and this remake in the modern world, with  cell phones, high speed cars, and on-line presence really made it stand out as original in that sense. 

The Narration of this book by Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield made the listen entirely enjoyable.  Both voice actors voiced the characters exactly as I imagined them in my mind!  I don't recall having either of these narrators prior to this book, so I am excited to discover new narrators that I enjoy! 

Readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, morally gray characters, and dark romance with power imbalances will want to add this to their shelves.  Many Thanks to RB Media for the Advanced Listener Copy. 

STATS

First Published  July 28, 2026 

Pages: 400

Available as an Audio Book : Yes  

Trigger Warnings: Animal cruelty, death of parent, gore, guns, drugs, kidnapping, assassination attempts, Dub Con.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

 

Book Review: Shadow of Dragons by Jacob Peppers

 I'm usually a bit hesitant to pick up completely unknown authors on Net Galley, but for some reason, I decided I have not had enough dragons in my life. And thus, Shadow of Dragons made it onto my TBR. 

I am extremely grateful to Bookouture Audio and Second Sky Books for this audio version.  My eyes have been having a huge amount of trouble with the air conditioning required in summer these days, and I am reading but very very slowly, so having this on audio meant that I did indeed go on this dragon adventure in my car, while washing dishes and walking the dog. 

 Overall, I enjoyed this story which flows really well.  Our main character is Nolan, an orphan with a chip on his shoulder.  He also had a strange birthmark that occasionally warms his chest when he's upset. He knows that people say it's the mark of the cursed, and he isn't one to argue as his life indeed seems cursed. 

Nolan wants revenge against a man who killed a relative, but frankly speaking, I think Nolan is just angry and can;t find a place for that anger, so- revenge it is. He's living in an empire where dragons had vanished when a group of creatures who use ice and stone invaded and conquered. Life for Nolan is miserable, and one day when he attempts to change it in dramatic fashion he becomes one of the empire's most wanted. 

Luckily for Nolan, he is rescued by a talented Swordsman with a sharp tongued daughter, and together they travel to an area of secrecy- and Nolan learns that "he's got the magic in him" Shenanigans ensue. 

   I did overall enjoy this novel.  After listening to about 3 hours of the book, I really did want to know what happened to Nolan and Sarah, and the Empire.  The dialogue is a bit bumpy- and the honor and valor message is very heavy at times, but in general this is an interesting, engaging fantasy. 

STATS

First Published  August 4, 2026 

Pages: 392

Available as an Audio Book : Yes 

Trigger Warnings:  violence, murder, death, fire injury, parental death, child death, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

  I soft DNF this back in May.  I was overly stressed out and I thought after reading the first chapter or so that I was going to like it but I didn't have time for it. 

Interestingly, I thought from that first chapter or so that I knew where this story was going.  It actually seemed like a fairly predictable romantasy  where the exiled girl  and the guard assigned to make sure she stayed exiled would fall in love an escape.  I was ready for that.

But no. 

The exiled girl stays exiled.  And our first plot twist emerges just pages into this tome. I should have realized at that point that this was not your average "Romantasy" where the Main Male character burns the world down for his love. I didn't.  

Instead, our main character is the woman who penned the exile order. Not the woman who decided she should be exiled. Simply the woman who created the documents for the task. In this day an age where a lot of people bark out that they were "just doing their job" the repercussions of this one act of "doing her job" are interesting to examine as they unfold over time. 

But, I digress a bit. This is really a bit of an EPIC fantasy novel.  It is over 600 pages, and because I had a 2 week audiobook loan, I listened to this one pretty much non-stop to be sure I could return it on time.  In the end, I put all other projects aside to finish because I wanted to know what happened and returned the book 9 days early.  It really was that good. 

Readers are taken to a land where dragon magic is real, wild and dangerous. We arrive as seven exceptional warriors, philosophers, strategists are joining a traditional series of trials to replace the current ruler. Each competitor represents the best of their "house".  Houses are tied to various animals and it's said that the people reflect the values/skills/attributes of their animals.  If that all sounds a bit strange, well- it is, but it works, and the best thing to do is just jump in and enjoy the journey. Ultimately each contender- and the people aligned with the contenders are all seeking power. 

Who will win?  What will winning look like? What will be the cost of the win?  Will it be worth it? 

5/5 stars  I wish I had read this one sooner. 

STATS

First Published  4/15/2025

Pages: 672

Available as an Audio Book : ~ 24 hrs 

Trigger Warnings:  violence, blood, body injury, death, Genocide,  Xenophobia, drug use, mild sexual innuendo, death of child, death of parent, supernatural animals.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 I am not a super-fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky.  I've read Alien Clay, and I thought it was OK, but then I read Service Model and it was so horribly repetitive that I decided no more.  

But, the book world had other plans for me!

Shroud is one of the nominees for the Hugo Award in 2026 and since I usually try to read all of the nominees, I had it on my list. 

A friend of mine (who loves Tchaikovsky) started it with me, and was immediately put off by the part where one of the space travelers runs about nude strung out on Space Travel medications.  He has not read more, even though honestly, in the 13 hours of narration, I think that bit was added for color and is maybe 5 min long. 

So.  Shroud. 

Lets give a nod to this amazing cover: Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto; Cover Illustration by Yuko Shimizu

Real people, making real art. 

This book is unique in that is is a dual POV with on POV being a Researcher's assistant, and the other being an alien being.  

We start on a "generation" type ship that is trolling the universe stripping assets off other planets and moons. Our main human characters are part of a special projects team and suddenly- an engineer and the research assistant find themselves catapulted on to the moon. They come close up to the moon and find that there is indeed life, and it seems to be a touch dangerous. Capable of consuming them, and indeed, not all will survive this alien encounter. Readers follow this intrepid crew as they work to reunite with the ship. Our main character imagines that once reunited with the ship they will be celebrated as returning survivors and heroes with lots of valuable intel.  Of course, dedicated readers of Sci-Fi can see where this is going. Interspersed within we are given the POV of an alien being who is trying to figure out exactly what the human researchers are.   And if you are curious, you'll want to read more! 

For me, this was an interesting premise, and a surprising ending. It hinted at the need for a second book, but this is billed as a stand- alone.  Tchaikovsky describes an epic journey across an unknown moon in lugubrious detail. The opportunity was there to possibly flesh out the back story of both the main narrator and the engineer who were thrust together to escape this danger, but while he approaches this with some very fun conversations, in the end, I never could quite find myself to care that much about either person, as relatable as they seemed. I just never quite knew them. I found myself cheering more for the alien creature, but also didn't feel I knew the creature that well either. All that said, I can see that Tchaikovsky's story will appeal to so many that it may be just a me thing. I can see him becoming the Heinlein of a new generation (and I will say, significantly less problematic and creepy than Heinlein!!) 

Will this win the Hugo?  I don't think so. This year's nominees seem kind of weak to me, but I am not done with the list, I still have the Raven Scholar to dip into! 

STATS

First Published  2/27/25

Pages: 436

Available as an Audio Book : ~ 11 hrs 

Trigger Warnings:  violence, blood, body injury, death, Genocide,  Xenophobia

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Please Look After This Bear- how Paddington Became British by Melanie Ramdarshan Bold and Aishwarya Subramanian

 If you grew up on Paddington, the bear from Peru, you'll want to check out this volume. I picked it up thinking I'd learn more about the story of the small bear bought for Mr. Bond's wife. I thought it might talk about the various marketing campaigns and how he first had a yellow hat and then suddenly had a red hat.

I am so old that the Paddington Bear that I received when I was six years old had a yellow hat. I have deep childhood ties to the awkward and lovable bear. I admit, I never really examined those ties much beyond affection until I picked up this Audio book from Highbridge on NetGalley (Thank you so Much!)

Within these pages is the first examination of Paddington as a social and Cultural phenomena. The book is specifically focused on how Paddington, a Bear from Peru- embodies most of the values that British people hold as true and as ideal values for British citizens.

As a child, I was unaware of any particular political imagery attached to one of my very favorite characters. As an adult, I was gratified to learn that Paddington's tag came with the memory of the Kinder-transports of WWII, and that while becoming quintessentially British, he also stands as an example of immigrant and refugee children - especially as he arrived with the Windrush generation which often faced difficulty in the times when the original Paddingtons were published.

Will this book be for everyone, possibly not. Given it's brevity (6 hours on audio) I felt it was a delightful glimpse into literary analysis that is not often presented to the general public and a very thought provoking volume.

First Published :  5/18/2026

Pages: 224 

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes  ~ 6  hr  Coming from Highbridge July 17, 2026 

Trigger Warnings: history, racism, classism, issues of immigration, personhood,  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: For Services Rendered by Will Thomas

 This may honestly be the most 'mainstream' book I've read and reviewed all year.  

Will Thomas' Barker and Llewelyn series set in Victorian England is a long running series with Barker- an eccentric Enquiry Agent sort of rescuing Llewelyn in his misguided youth and eventually making him a partner in the Enquiry business.  (private detectives).

I started this series several years ago and while I always had a few misgivings about the possible accuracy of Barker's ties to China, and the Chinese in London during this time, I also have to admit, I didn't really have an knowledge to ascertain if it was accurate or not. It turns out, based on some conversations and the mildest of google research that Thomas appears to have done his research. 

SO- I'm not going to spoil the story but I might reveal a bit more than normal. 

     In this novel we meet historical figure Sun Yat Sen.  (Yes the SUn Yat Sen we recall from history classes).  He's on a trip to London when he finds himself rather indisposed and missing.  In fact, he has been kidnapped. Who better to look into this than Barker and Llewelyn Enquiry Agents? Barker speaks Cantonese and has deep ties within the London Chinese population. Llewelyn is, as always, along for the ride. 

    And what a wild ride it is!!! An arch-rival nemesis arrives after being declared dead, adding even more stakes to the mystery.  Llewelyn's by now raising a young family that must be protected, and Barker's mysterious lady friend becomes more prominent in this novel. 

  There is a fair amount of swashbuckling, gun slinging, and adventures on the river with the historic River Police. Interspersed, long time readers of the series will be delighted with the back story that Llewelyn is FINALLY able to squeeze out of the reticent Barker! This was the bit that I adored the most.  In addition, Llewelyn has a bit of an addition to his family that was most unexpected, and also delightful in it's own way. 

  Antony Ferguson does the narration for this novel and I appreciated that he was able do all of the accents without exaggerating them, making it a fun an interesting listen that flowed easily through my ears. Many Thanks to Macmillan audio for this copy. 

    If this piques your interest but you have not read the entire series, rest assured, Thomas does a nice job of summing up the situation, so that the reader can read this as a stand-alone. 

STATS

First Published  August 18, 2026

Pages: 320

Available as an Audio Book : Yes ~ 9 hours 

Trigger Warnings:  death, violence, poisioning, gun violence, kidnapping, unlawful arrest,   

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: The Summer of '71 Five Months That Changed America by John A. Jenkins

    I am very grateful to Highbridge Audio for the advanced listener copy of this history novel.  I feel like we are starting to see more books focusing on this "Disco Era" and it's importance in history. 

   When I was a Civics study in Junior High this era was most certainly not discussed. Many of my male teachers were veterans and had some very strong opinions on Vietnam. It was a topic that rarely came up as opposed to WWII which seemed to be all over our school library, and one book which showed some very gruesome photos from WWII probably shaped my interest in history, and horror all in one. I do wonder if the school library was even aware of that particular book (WWII in pictures). 

Fast forward many decades and it seems that readers are now interested in learning more about Vietnam, and not only Vietnam, but also many of the other fractious skudugger-ous  laws and activities that our politicians were getting up to in 1971. And Whoooooo-eeeeeee This was not the age of snap chat, internet access and instagram.  No one was really secretly video-ing a person in the parking lot- for any reason. (It would have been pretty hard to miss with the equipment required. ) BUT if it had been, there would have been so  so much tea to be consumed. 

Margolies, John, photographer. Coffee Pot Restaurant, Lexington, Virginia. Lexington Virginia United States, 1982. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017709465/.

I still like to think of this as very recent past, but looking around at all the folks in the workforce who were born in the 2000's this is objectively not the case and there will be many many readers who have no memory of the Disco age. 

This book packs in so much history for these 5 months-  if memes were a thing back in the Summer of ' 71 they would have been on par with the current ones about living in "unprecedented times" .  This is one to put on your shelf (and in your ears) if you have wondered how we got to where we are at in the US currently. 

Relying on many primary sources, it seems that Jenkins gives us a mostly neutral telling of the events and he does an excellent job connecting points that I might have missed- especially as a casual reader and learner. 

The Narration is excellent and it felt as if I was listening to a NPR radio program, rather than an audio book!  Jim Seybert is the narrator, and he's an Audie award winner for a reason! 

Definitely one to pick up for those summer moments when we feel like we should be doing more than pool lounging, we could be learning! 

First Published : 06/30/26

Pages: 448

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes - ~ 12 hours 

Trigger Warnings: war, discussion of sexual behavior, discussion of violent events, politics (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: The Penniless Peer by Barbara Cartland

    I took an offer to listen to Barbara Cartland's The Penniless Peer on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda audio! 

 Barbara Cartland was a prolific writer and her novels number approximately 723 give or take, and they have been estimated to sell over a billion books.  The Penniless Peer was first published in 1974, and it is getting a re-release on audio as part of Bolinda's Eternal Collection. Cartland certainly has cemented herself in the romance world with such a prolific body of publications. 

I was pretty excited to read The Penniless Peer!  With the success of Bridgerton and The Buccaneers and the ongoing popularity of Jane Austen in the reading community, I felt like the Penniless Peer was certain to be a winner. And, I did want to find out something of the Queen of Romance. 

In short order, this is the story of Fenella - an adorable young woman without guile who is entirely infatuated with with Second cousin Periquine. 

ALAS- Periquine is infatuated with Hettie, a beautiful young woman who does seem to be, however, highly focused on finances - of which Periquine has none. Alas... Alack... oh dear...

   Fenella and Periquine get up to several wild escapades in order to secure funds until a kindly uncle puts an end to this entirely inappropriate behavior and takes a strong hand to both Fenella and Periquine - hoping to shape their future. Periquine is off to India until a sudden windfall occurs.

Fenella is presented to the Ton and is a raging success.  Her dear uncle expects her to make a superb match. 

Will she make such a match, or will her heart forever belong to Periquine? Will Perquine marry the snobbish Hettie now that funds have come through legitimate gain, rather than smuggling or stealing? 

You'll want to read to find out. 

   Susie Riddel does the narration and I felt it was delightful. There were lots of changes in inflection, and I never had trouble identifying which character was speaking. She made the story easy to follow and I was a bit sad when the story ended, as I would no longer have her bell like voice coming across my speakers. 

     I myself, am quite torn on this volume. This novel was originally published in 1974.  Although it is set in the Regency Era, it really does reflect 1970's ideals as well.   I am so curious as to how it will be received by modern romance readers.  For me, I did not find the character of Fenella to reflect a strong woman, nor did I like the choices she made in the end - making it one of the most unsatisfying "Happily Ever After" endings I've ever read! But, I am not all readers, and I did find it fascinating to discover the differences in romance over the decades. This would be a fun read for romance readers, especially those interested in how the genre has changed and evolved over the decades. 

First Published :  1974

Pages: 200

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes - Bolinda ~ 6 hours. 

Trigger Warnings: landed gentry poverty, dueling, gambling, thievery, skulduggery (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: The Summer of the Serpent By Cecilia Eudave

    As a reader I am gravitating more and more to horror.  I think this is because there is always something interesting going on in horror. 

  I initially was avoiding horror because I really don't need any adrenaline rushes and perhaps I was just not interested in cathartic reading experiences.  

But Horror to me is so much more. I have been fascinated to read horror novels from other cultures, as they offer such an amazing view into that culture- and it's interesting to see what transcends borders in horror and what needs footnotes for outsiders to fully grasp the horror. 

With all that in mind, I boldly sailed into The Summer of the Serpent by Cecilia Eudave.  As an added bonus, this is a book in translation, and I really want to beef up these books in my list.  In hindsight, I would have probably not read this book if I knew that the animal cruelty  and child abuse would be so prominent in parts of the book. This for me was so very difficult to listen to and although it was not extraordinarily graphic or grotesque in any sort of splatter punk way, it was a tough one to read through. Others may not find this as horrifying as I did, but HELP A READER OUT! 

This novel is only 144 pages. In this brief encounter, the reader is able to experience so many things about the sweltering summer of 1977 in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

   It feels as if this is more of a collection of vignettes with points of view from all angles, all experiencing the same time and space, but somehow, having wildly divergent experiences and emotions all tied up together. If you have ever sat around with siblings and recounted a monumental family trip  and realized that even though you were all there, on that trip, together, each one of you has a different memory- this is exactly how reading this felt. I was immersed in this sensation of a fever dream that often overtook my childhood summer days, and although my circumstances were different, these vignettes did bring back my childhood summers- to an extent. I want to read more from this author, but I will be a bit cautious about the content! 

First Published :  6/30/2026

Pages: 144

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes

Trigger Warnings: Death,  ghosts,  reference to child SA, Animal cruelty (not vague),  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Dinner with an Astronaut by Leroy Chiao (with Victoria Bruce)

 

If you are following along with me in 2026, you know, I chose Outer Space as a reading theme for this year! I have been straying into some Science Fiction that isn't really space related, and several other genres as I've been offered various reading options.  So, when I saw this book listed on Net Galley, I jumped with joy!  I was even more excited because it was an audio copy, which is always helpful for me with my eye issues.

With this very appealing cover, I was so ready to dive into this one. Leroy notes he is the first "full blooded Chinese" person to go to Space, (his words- not mine!) and his experiences are fascinating. 

   The format of the book is meant to feel as if one is enjoying a meal with Leroy and he's answering some questions that most space enthusiasts have. As the audio is also read by Leroy himself, it has a bit of a homey feel. For me it felt as if I was experiencing one of those  "story worth"  creations where families choose prompts for their loved ones and create their own memoirs.  The main difference of course, is that Leroy has massively interesting stories about going to Space, doing Space Walks, and working with Russian and Chinese Astronauts. 

   I feel like the audio production could have leaned into this some more with an additional narrator to ask the questions and possibly even add in commentary, but- it might have been hard to do that without it drifting into the hokey category. As it is, the audiobook is an effortless read/listen that moved along with perfect pacing. 

    This is a good one for adults and kids to listen to together. Leroy covers his early childhood passions for planes and rockets, his education choices that lead to his astronaut candidacy and qualifications, and his training and missions as an astronaut. He has a lot of "flying" time, and EVA (Extra-vehicular activity) time in Outer Space, and so brings a great perspective - having experienced NASA through several iterations.  Also a good choice for book clubs, and readers who want to include some non-fiction in their reading diet. 

This comes out June 16, and would be a fun one for family listening if you are taking a road trip this year!

First Published :  6/16/2026

Pages: 256

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~ 8-9 hrs

Trigger Warnings:   discussion of various space missions that resulted in deaths, alcohol use, marital issues, mention of some controversial political figures (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

   

Book Review: The Wicked by Rebecca Johnpee

  If you follow my reading escapades.... you know I dip from time to time into utterly dark romance.  I never want to limit my reading to just one genre, and I find that these romances are really enjoyable.    This one, was really something! 

This Mafia romance is set in Italy, which is wildly different from most of the ones I've read. There's also an overarching plot which involves a heist, and a quest for a missing piece of art. 

   Street  is a group of friends who are wildly talented at getting in, getting the goods (be it information, property or something else) and getting out without being seen. All of Street's members have nicknames that link them to terrifically traumatic pasts- Milk, Zahara, Dog, Devil and Upper. (to be frank, I didn't care for either the name "street" or the nicknames, but the book was so engaging I was able to overlook it) 

Elio is a man on a mission- shaped by a cruel background- he's the head of a mafia conglomerate and he refuses to have any weaknesses. This leaves him feeling empty, and alone. He's desperate for someone to care about him, but he's also not about to admit that. 

Worlds collide when Zahara and her team are found by Elio and essentially held hostage until they complete a difficult job. 

As the job unfolds, Elio has to face his growing attraction to Zahara. It's complicated and she's unlike any woman he's met before.  

Seems simple enough, but in fact, there's a complex heist plot that could at times overtake the slow burn romance.  Side characters have well developed pasts and complex issues of their own going on, which make the novel more interesting and engaging, as there's more than just a tortured romance. 

This is the first in a series and does end on a truly wicked cliff hanger. I do find I need book two asap! 

   The writing is good, there is a tendency to use plot devices for information dumping (the entire Street team spends one night telling each other the origin of their nick names- which one would have assumed they would have done earlier) and it is easy to spot the "twists" coming up- BUT- this somehow didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. 

The characters all have intense trauma in their past and I do recommend looking at trigger warnings before reading or gifting this one. 

I am very appreciative of Macmillan Audio which allowed me to listen and review for you! 

First Published :  11/25/25

Pages: 512

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~11 hours

Trigger Warnings:   death, violence,  parental loss,  Suicide, references to past SA, Suicidal ideation, drug use, on page sexual encounters,  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Palaces of the Crows by Ray Nayler

 I had the opportunity to read/listen and review the Palaces of the Crows by Ray Nayler - produced by Macmillan Audio. 

   This was my first book by Ray Nayler, and it was INTENSE. I am not entirely sure it is representative of his other works, but I do intend to check out more from him. 

This book is really quite unique and I noted several folks doing reviews didn't finish it. Crows, and Crow friends are kind of a hot commodity in the Book tok world  So perhaps readers were expecting one thing, and got something different. I personally initially ignored this one because I am wholly exhausted from the onslaught of World War Two historic fiction. In the current climate, it makes me feel some kind of way. that said, I'm glad that I took this one on, because it fed a piece of my soul. 

For me, this was a book that grew on me. The initial chapters- which introduced us to the main characters were admittedly not the most engaging/easy to follow, AND, they introduced readers to a bit of a bleak landscape and situation, which at times overwhelmed me with a sense of doom, and dread. As much as I didn't enjoy that, I have to hand it to Nayler.  I was immersed.  I listened to this as part of my daily commute and at the beginning found that I often walked into my house after my commute home with a severe sense of dread.  I finally fully comprehended that my entire sense of dread was Audiobook induced, and I started to enjoy Nayler's work more. 

     The basic premise - without any spoilers-  is 4 young people find themselves sandwiched between the German troops,  and the Red Army troops in a forest during WWII. They didn't know each other "before"  and their alliance seems to be one of the most unlikely ever. These children band together and are helped by a variety flora, fauna, and some humans.  But they are especially helped by a band of highly intelligent crows that one of them had befriended over the years. This survival story unfolds into a panorama of survival through mutual aid, loyalty, storytelling and a unique human/animal relationship. 

I stuck with this book, despite also not really vibing with the first part because I was curious about why Nayler had taken on this topic and decided to tell this story. I feel that it's worth it for the "third act" if you will which shows the eventual resolution of the desperate situation the characters began in and gave me a unique view on power, people in power, and the motivations of those who seek, obtain and maintain power. The choices made by the young persons- if they can be called choices- were heart wrenching. If someone had told me I'd be sobbing at any time reading a Ray Nayler novel, I would not have believed it, but I actually did shed a tear or two. The third portion of the novel really hits home. 

 This was narrated by Eunice Wong,  who showcased her talent to take on this project and deliver a reading that was clear, but also reflected many difficult emotions throughout the novel. 

This is a unique book, one that transported me to a very uncomfortable spot, but also left me with many small gifts and realizations.  I recommend it for readers particularly interested in difficult choices, mutual aid, and of course, human/animal relationships. 

First Published :  5/19/26

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~ 8 hours

Trigger Warnings:  War, death, violence, extreme cold, parental loss, loss of identity  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)