The Woman in the Library

 Tell me a story... about a murder among new friends

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

Publication date: June 7, 2022

Date read: July 17, 2022

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the silence is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. While they wait for the all-clear from security, four strangers sitting at the same table pass the time in conversation and a friendship is struck. Each person at that table has their own reason for being in the reading room that morning - it just so happens that one of them is murder. 

This book is kind of two books in one. First, there is the murder mystery. Second, there is the writing of the murder mystery. Between chapters, we are shown letters from a fan of the author who she is using as a proofreader and resource (since the reader lives in the Boston area and the author does not). Confusing? At first. But after a few chapters, I got used to the format and ended up really enjoying the choice to write it this way. 

There are a lot of unlikable characters in this book. I definitely found myself getting angry about comments or choices that characters made, only to realize later that the comment was not a mistake by the author, but rather foreshadowing about the motives of a character. So give the author a little more benefit of the doubt than I did. 

Murder mysteries are hard to review, because I really don’t want to give away any plot points. So I’ll speak only in general terms about the book itself, rather than the plot. 

I thought that the book was written pretty well, if not perfectly. There were some obvious cliches and some romantic relationships that had me rolling my eyes a bit. But it was a decent murder mystery and I feel that the reveal holds up and doesn’t leave any unanswered questions that I can recall. So while I didn’t love the characters and relationships as much as I wish I had, I enjoyed the mystery enough that I would recommend this one. 

Overall, it’s a fun murder mystery with a little added twist of a fourth wall break (the mystery being shown to be a book that an author was writing). Enjoyable, as long as you don’t take it all too seriously. 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: murder, pandemic, physical assault, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of Australian wildfires, racism, stalking

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Dirtbag, Massachusetts

 Tell me a story... about the many lives of one man

Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald

Publication date: July 19, 2022

Date read: October 22, 2022

This memoir-in-essays begins with a childhood that moves at breakneck speed from safety to violence, recounting an extraordinary pilgrimage through trauma to self-understanding and, ultimately, acceptance. From growing up in a Boston homeless shelter to bartending in San Francisco, from smuggling medical supplies into Burma to his lifelong struggle to make peace with his body, Fitzgerald strives to take control of his own story: one that aims to put aside anger, isolation, and entitlement to embrace the idea that one can be generous to oneself by being generous to others.

The audiobook was narrated by the author. 

I’m not really sure where to start with this memoir. First of all, it’s composed of a number of essays that the author has written - some, I believe, were previously published, if not all. I had not read any before. (In fact, I was completely unfamiliar with Fitzgerald before picking up this book.) Because this book is in essay format, the timeline does jump around a little, but it doesn’t take away from the story, in my opinion. 

First of all, Fitzgerald is a wonderful writer. I thought that the essays flowed and I was interested throughout. Even in the parts of his life that I found a little cringy (I’ll get to that), I didn’t dislike any of the essays. I also appreciated that he completely admitted his flaws and shortcomings without making excuses for them - it just is who he is. Kind of refreshing, but if you’re looking for a book where someone sees the errors of their ways and gives up the hard life to settle down for happily ever after, this is not it. 

In that vein, Fitzgerald is not always an easy person to like. There is one essay where he basically only talks about drinking and spending all of his time in bars. There is another about his time in the pornography industry. He is rough around the edges and doesn’t shy away from any aspects of his life. Because of this, this book is absolutely not for everyone. 

I want to say that I was not the audience for this book, but in a way, this makes me a great person to review it. I often found Fitzgerald’s stories to be shocking, crass, and dark. I didn’t always like him as a person. Parts made me uncomfortable (the pornography essay; not because it was explicit - it isn’t - it’s just a subject matter that I find hard to talk about, or listen to someone talk about). But despite all of that, I still liked this book. Fitzgerald is a great writer and I found a lot of his eccentric life to be fascinating. 

So, yes, I enjoyed this book. And if you’re on the fence about picking it up, I’d say give it a shot. But by no means is this book for everyone. Use your judgement. But if you’re open to a little bit of grit and grime in your memoirs, you might be surprised with this one. 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Content warning: the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal (*note: the author was not personally sexually abused, but he did grow up in the same church and experienced some inappropriate behavior), drug use, physical violence, alcoholism, drunk driving, attempted suicide (including a parent’s attempts witnessed by a child), mental illness, conflict in Burma, pornography, miscarriage, racism, Proud Boys, body dysmorphia, domestic abuse

Caution: language

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. 

Bitch

 Tell me a story... about the not-so-docile female 

Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke

Publication date: June 14, 2022

Date read: July 30, 2022

Since Charles Darwin, evolutionary biologists have been convinced that the males of the animal kingdom are the interesting ones. Males are dominating and promiscuous, responsible for any variance in the species. In this book, zoologist Lucy Cooke shows us that nature actually tells a different story. 

The audiobook was narrated by the author. 

Right from the start, I knew I was going to like this book. Cooke’s introduction discussing gender versus sex in non-human animals was very knowledgeable and shows that she’s cognizant of the importance of establishing this from the start. It was with the times and smart, while at the same time not dumbing anything down to the audience, which I always appreciate. 

I do wish that she had not started her book with the sections on genetics. Is it important information? Of course. But it is very science heavy, and I worry that it might alienate the readers who aren’t as comfortable with the material. But anyone who powers through will, I think, really enjoy the rest of the book, once it gets into behaviors rather than genetics. The chapters on trait selection and promiscuity are much more interesting. 

Cooke really knows what she’s talking about with the science, but also has a sense of humor that I really enjoyed. (Chapter 4 is titled “Fifty Ways to Eat Your Lover”.) 

I do have a science and genetics background, so I might not be the best judge of the audience for this book, but I do think that it has greater appeal than to just hardcore science nerds. Interest in science, especially wild animals, is a must, but previous scientific knowledge on the subject isn’t. I think that as long as the topic interests you, the book will be an enjoyable read. 

Overall, I thought this book was very well-written and researched. Readers with a biology or genetics background should definitely like this book, but I think the appeal is broad. It’s also not just a book for women. Despite disproving that nature is always a male-dominated place, she isn’t anti-male. Just anti-outdated assumptions and poorly-executed experiments. I’m glad I got a chance to read this book.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. 

The Scent of Burnt Flowers

 Tell me a story... about the fall of a president... with a mystical twist

The Scent of Burnt Flowers by Blitz Bazawule

Publication date: June 28, 2022

Date read: May 20, 2022

December, 1965. After a violent event in the US sends Melvin and Bernadette on the run from the police, they decide to flee to Ghana, where Melvin's old school friend now happens to be the president, Kwame Nkrumah. After arriving in Ghana, the couple come across Kwesi, one of Ghana's most beloved Highlife musicians, who is himself headed to a performance for President Nkrumah. But Melvin and Bernadette left one world in turmoil only to enter another, as President Nkrumah's regime is fighting off coupes at every turn. Steeped in magical realism and African history, this book blends truth with fantasy in a story about a couple trying to find peace and evaluate their relationship with each other.

This book is part historical fiction, part magical realism. If you don’t like magical realism, this book is not for you. I just want to get that out of the way right now. And if you’re not familiar with what magical realism is, this book uses real-life events and people living in the real world, but also, there are mermaids and bird soldiers. 

There is a lot I liked about this book, but there is also a lot that I could see other refers not taking to. This book takes a lot of tangents, leaving the main story to go into backstories of minor characters and history. I didn’t mind this, because I found the tangents really fun and interesting. But I could also see how this can throw off the pacing of the main story and potentially bother some readers. 

I really liked Bernadette and her inner turmoil about the choices she had to make. I didn’t like the men as much, but I’m also not sure I was supposed to; I did like their stories, though. Without giving anything away, I was on the edge of my seat to find out how Melvin’s story would play out, and he was the least likable character of the bunch. 

Another note, is that the book does not wrap itself up until a nice little bow, leaving the story a bit open-ended. I liked it, but again, can see how some readers wouldn’t. 

I thought the writing was very well done, pretty without being flowery, and the magic was woven in beautifully. This is Bazawule’s debut novel, and I will definitely be looking for more from him in the future. (I also just found out that he is a hip-hop artist and director, working on the 2023 musical adaptation of The Color Purple. Who knew?)

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I think that most readers of contemporary or historical fiction will, if magical realism is a genre they can get behind. One of my favorites of the year so far. 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Content warning: slavery (mentioned), alcoholism, accidental amputation, racism, bombings, murder, racial slurs, assault, attempted suicide, torture

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. 

Carrie Soto is Back

 Tell me a story...about a comeback 

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Expected publication date: August 30, 2022

Date read: June 27, 2022

Carrie Soto was raised to be a professional tennis player, and she succeeded. Her drive and determination made her the best player in the world, with twenty Grand Slam titles to her name. But her fierce style of play and unfriendliness to her fellow competitors has also made her unpopular with the other players. Then, at thirty-seven, six years after retiring, Carrie is watching the 1994 US Open as Nicki Chan ties her record. Despite her age, her injuries, and her reputation, Carrie decides to come out of retirement for one season in order to beat Nicki and take her record back. 

We first met Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising, as the other woman in Nina’s relationship. She was unlikable by virtue of her position, but in her one scene managed to come off as funny and intriguing. So when I saw that Carrie would be getting her own book, I was intrigued. 

This book did not disappoint. I loved Carrie Soto. She’s a mostly unlikable person, and if I met her in real life I would hate her, but she’s funny and driven and knows what she wants. I found myself rooting for her so hard as she attempted her comeback. 

The beginning chapters of this book are a little tough at times. They’re a little slow, but more because of the excitement to get to the present day. Mostly it’s just hard to watch Carrie as a child being denied any part of a childhood. The scene where she’s 9 years old and asks her dad to take her for ice cream, but he makes her run in the sand for conditioning instead is heartbreaking. While the first half of the book is a little slower than the second, this insight into why Carrie is the way she is allows her to be sympathetic despite her unlikability. 

From the point where Carrie announced that she was coming out of retirement, however, I was hooked and didn’t want to put this book down. The final match was predictable in that we knew who the players would be, but I still had no idea how the author would play it out. 

It is not necessary to have read Malibu Rising before this book, nor is it necessary to understand or like tennis to read this book. While it is tennis-heavy, the rules are explained in the book. I have never cared for tennis, and I even field like I would watch tennis now. 

Overall, this book is a delight. It features an unlikable main character and shouldn’t be as enjoyable as it is, but it’s fantastic. This is the mark of a great writer, and i will definitely be reading more from this author in the future. Even if you read Malibu Rising and didn’t like Carrie, don’t let that put you off from this book. It’s a great story by a wonderful author. Highly recommended. 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Content warning: death of a family member, child abuse* (I don’t personally think that what Carrie’s father put her through for training constitutes child abuse, but a reader with a child abuse trigger might, so I will include it here.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

U4 - Koridwen

 Tell me a story...about the teens of the apocalypse 

U4 - Koridwen by Pierre-Paul Renders

Publication date: January 7, 2022 (originally published in French)

Date read: July 11, 2022

A virus has wiped out almost everyone on Earth, leaving only teenagers left. No one knows why. Koridwen is left alone, except for the farm animals, and a mentally-disabled cousin that she loves like a brother. That, and a message she got before the internet went down, to meet someone named Khronos and try to save the world. 

There are four volumes of this comic - Jules, Koridwen, Stephane, and Yannis - that can be read in any order. The conclusion - supposedly called Khronos - should be read only after reading the first four. *I say “supposedly”, because it looks like it was called Contagion in the French release…

(Yes, I copied a lot of that from the Jules review. Trying to keep it consistent.)

And, yes! To anyone who read my Jules review, the next volume has been released in English! I’m very happy. 

I really enjoyed the character of Koridwen. She’s strong and independent, but also seemed realistic. She knows how to survive like this, but that doesn’t mean she wants to. And I loved her relationship with her cousin. 

It was also pretty fun seeing Koridwen’s and Jules’s interactions with each other from the point of view of Koridwen this time. I do still recommend starting with Jules first, although starting with Koridwen would be fine as well. I just felt that the introduction to this dystopian world is a little more complete in Jules. 

The same artist did both volumes, and as before, I really liked the style here. It’s simplistic but incredibly expressive, and the style allowed for death and violence to be shown without it getting gory.

I’m looking forward to finishing this series, and now that it appears that the complete set will be released in English at some point, I can fully recommend it. I think comic fans - especially fans of science fiction and dystopian comics - will really enjoy this one. Highly recommend these books. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Content warnings: mass death, pandemic, images of corpses, death of a family member, nudity, murder, child endangerment 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Mickey7

 Tell me a story... about space and humanity

Mickey7 (Mickey7 #1) by Edward Ashton

Publication date: February 15, 2022

Date read: May 20, 2022

Mickey is an Expendable - the only employee on the space mission whose DNA and memories are stored for a procedure that will regenerate him if he dies. The Expendable's job on the mission is to do whatever dangerous or suicidal tasks that might come up - and after he dies, the next Mickey is created in his place. When Mickey7 is left for dead on a scouting mission, he miraculously makes it back to base, only to find that Mickey8 has already been generated. Since duplicate Expendables are forbidden, Mickey is left to figure out how to stay alive and unnoticed. But his personal problems aren't the only trouble on this mission, which has landed on a planet that is less hospitable than originally assumed. And with terraforming and farming going poorly, plus the native species showing violent interest, it might just be up to Mickey to ensure his people's survival. 

The audiobook was narrated by John Pirhalla and Katharine Chin.

While I read a fair amount of sci-fi/fantasy, I don’t read a lot set in space; it’s just not my usual go-to. But this sounded intriguing, so I had to give it a shot. 

Like any science fiction set in an alternate world, it takes a few pages to get used to the world-building, but it’s not too bad. It’s actually set in what is supposed to be our world, just a long way in the future. The technology is obviously crazy advanced, but the characters are all human. 

I thought the characters were mostly really great, and Mickey was a lot of fun. He’s a little cavalier and silly at times, but also understands the stakes enough to take things seriously when needed. But he’s a really enjoyable character that was a lot of fun to follow.

I also liked the science and backstory of the Expendables - how they’re made and how it’s supposed to be different from just a clone. Mickey is supposed to still be the same person every time he is regenerated, but seeing the subtle differences between Mickey7 and Mickey8 was really intriguing. I actually really liked all the science in this book, especially when Mickey dove into the history of colonization of other planets and the reason why only one Expendable is allowed at a time. I also thought that the science center was explained in a way that made it sound plausible but also easy to understand.

There was only one scene that I didn’t really like and thought was unnecessary - and, yes, it was a sex scene. Mostly just insinuated and nothing was shown, but the characters involved just made it too weird for me. 

Mostly, though, it was a really fun story with intriguing characters. I’m glad I read this one and I think that anyone who enjoys space-set science fiction will enjoy this one. There is also a sequel coming out in March 2023, and I definitely plan on reading it. 

Note about the audiobook: the narrator sounds like a young Michael Douglas. I liked it. I thought the audiobook was really well down, and I like that they used a different voice for when he got comm messages. Made it sound authentic.  

Rating: 4/5 stars 

Trigger warning: death, animal attack, suicide (mentioned), gore, medical experimentation, parasitic infection 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

The Pages

 Tell me a story...about a book’s place in history 

The Pages by Hugo Hamilton

Publication date: February 1, 2022

Date read: May 30, 2022

Joseph Roth’s novel, Rebellion, was written in 1924 and was banned and burned by the Nazis in Germany. This novel, The Pages, follows a copy of Roth’s book that was stolen from a book-burning in 1933, and owned by a man who drew a map into the back page of the book. When it makes its way to Lena, in the present day, she decides to travel to Germany and see if she can find the location drawn in the back of the book. 

I don’t even know if that’s a good description of the book, but it’s the best I can do. This book jumps around a lot - from Joseph Roth and his mentally ill wife, to the men who stole the book from the burning, and into the present, where it follows artist Lena and immigrant Armin. There is very little in the way of plot - the search for the location of the map being really the only solid action - but rather just follows these characters (and a few others) throughout their day to day lives.

I liked the concept of using the book itself as a narrator, and sometimes it paid off by giving the reader a really unique third person perspective. Other times it just seemed disjointed. And others, it just played out like a normal omniscient third person narrator. 

The writing in this book is very pretty and descriptive, and not in a way that gets overdone. The problem, for me, is that the lack of plot and jumping around between characters left me not caring enough about any of the characters. I didn’t feel like I spent enough time with anyone to really care about them, and since we didn’t get anyone’s internal thoughts or feelings, it left a little cold. 

The book did start to pick up for me around the 85% mark, and I thought the ending was strong (if incredibly sad). It just, unfortunately, wasn’t enough of a payoff for me to rate this one very high. I liked what it was trying to do, and I hope that there are readers out there who will love it. It just didn’t work for me. 

Rating: 2/5 stars 

Trigger warning: suicide (mentioned), drug overdose, locking up mental health patient against their will, elder abuse, threatened violence against children, domestic abuse, execution, the Holocaust

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Shine On, Luz Veliz!

 Tell me a story...about finding your identity 

Shine On, Luz Veliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel

Publication date: May 3, 2022

Date read: May 9, 2022

Middle schooler Luz (pronounced Loose) was a soccer phenom, until an injury forced her to give up the game. Since her only friends were soccer girls, and it was even the only way she really connected to her dad, she’s stuck now trying to figure out what her new identity is, outside of soccer. Complicating things even more, is a half-sister in Guatemala that she didn’t know about, who suddenly has to come live with them. Now Luz has to navigate a new family dynamic in addition to deciding if she wants to sit on the sidelines of soccer or find another passion. 

It’s been a while since I’ve read a middle grade story, and the innocence of the drama is kind of refreshing. Not to say that there isn’t real drama - Luz goes through a lot in this book - but the way the characters deal with the drama is definitely appropriate for their age. 

The book surprised me (but in a good way), by starting after Luz’s injury. She’s already dealt, off-page, with the difficulties of recovering from her injury and having to stop playing soccer. I think if the book tried to include this it would have, in addition to just being too long, been too many issues for us to have focused on. Instead it dealt with Luz trying to find her new place in the world, having already realized that her old place is no longer there. 

My only complaint about this book is how much I disliked Luz’s father. I don’t know if we were supposed to have felt more sympathy for him at the end, but I really didn’t. He made his child feel alienated and like all she had to offer was soccer, and made things especially difficult for her once Solana arrived. He wasn’t abusive, but he definitely wasn’t a good dad.

I thought Luz was a wonderful character throughout. Immature enough to be believable as a middle schooler, but never annoying. And I liked how she was able to change her opinions on people and situations fairly quickly, after getting a glimpse of a difference side. Ahh, the innocence, and the ability to change your opinion without digging in and being stubborn.

This was a really sweet book that also dealt with heavy issues like deportation and death. Definitely recommended for middle grade readers, especially young girls who will enjoy reading about an average (in a good way) female protagonist. Also a great intro to how STEAM programs are for everyone. I hope this one gets a spot on middle school reading lists in the future. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: death of a parent, deportation (discussed), murder (discussed), gang violence (discussed)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

U4 - Jules

 Tell me a story... about the teens of the apocalypse 

U4 - Jules by Pierre-Paul Renders

Publication date: January 7, 2022 (originally published in French)

Date read: April 26, 2022

A virus has wiped out almost everyone on Earth, leaving only teenagers left. No one knows why. Jules is left alone, except for a drug-addicted brother who he never sees anyway. That, and a message he got before the internet went down, to meet someone named Khronos and try to save the world. 

There are four volumes of this comic - Jules, Koridwen, Stephane, and Yannis - that can be read in any order. The conclusion - supposedly called Khronos - should be read only after reading the first four. *I say “supposedly”, because it looks like it was called Contagion in the French release…

…Which brings us to the only issue with this series: only Jules is currently available in English. Hopefully if this issue is a success, the publisher will release the others soon. Fingers crossed. 

This is an excellent post-apocalyptic comic. I liked seeing a mostly teen world, just for the sake of seeing what would happen. Had a very Lord of the Flies vibe - not because of the outcome (no spoilers here), but just the general tone. 

Jules was a wonderful character to start with. He’s incredibly likable and also relatable. I see a lot of people acting just like he does in this type of hypothetical scenario. I thought a lot of the other characters that we meet along the way are also pretty well-developed and - important in the case of a comic - easily distinguishable. 

Which also brings me to the artwork, which I thought was great. My initial impression was that it was a little simple, but as it went on, I came to absolutely love it. The details were there just where they needed to be. All of the characters were easy to tell apart, and I thought that the characters were really expressive. I don’t know if the same artist drew the French editions, but I really like the artwork done here.

As long as the whole set of comics are eventually released in English, then I highly recommend this one. I add this stipulation, because if this ends up being a standalone comic, it will not work and be incredibly frustrating, since it does end on a cliffhanger. Also, while I obviously haven’t read the others, I think that Jules seems like a great starting point, just due to his character. Really enjoyed this one, and I will definitely pick up the other issues when they are released in English. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: mass death, pandemic, images of corpses, kidnapping, murder, threatening a child, rape (mentioned), suicide (mentioned), death of a family member, drug use (mentioned)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.