With the days getting hotter(and the headlines getting even more heated), taking a break during this time of year is a real necessity.
To that end, my book hauling as well as this blog is going to take a mini break (more on than in a moment). In the meantime, let’s celebrate some of my July picks:
Aardvark:
I decided to get just one book from Aardvark this time around and lucky for me, it’s an early release of Sangu Mandanna’s A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping.
Our innkeeper here is Sera Swan, who was once a powerful witch but due to a series of magical mishaps banished from her mystical community , is now running a small inn with the help of her recently resurrected aunt Jasmine, not to mention a talking fox.
When evidence of a long lost spell that could restore her her powers comes forth , Sera finds help from a rather unlikely source, Luke Larsen, known for his impressive skills as a magical historian as well as his cold nature.
Can these two succeed in not only regaining Sera’s sorcery but finding true love as well?
I throughly enjoyed Mandanna’s prior book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and this new one looks to just as enchanting of a read indeed:
BOTM:
When it came to the main selection this month, I went with a new to me author, Megan Miranda and her latest thriller (which also happened to be an early release, just my luck!),You Belong Here.
Beckett Bowery is nervous about sending her daughter Delilah off to college but not for the usual reasons. Delilah, unbeknownst to her ,applied to Wyatt College and was granted a full scholarship and since it’s Beckett’s alma mater, that would sound like a dream come true.
Unfortunately, Beckett’s senior year ended sooner than expected due to an event that forced her roommate to flee after the strange demise of two locals. She has avoided that area for the past decade or so yet with Delilah becoming a Wyatt freshman, there’s no way to not return to campus.
Hoping that folks will forgive and forget, she lets Delilah go there yet when her daughter suddenly disappears, Beckett fears the worst of her past is being revisited on her child. Can she find Delilah before it’s too late?
This does sound intriguing, giving me some Gilmore Girls Gothic vibes there. Certainly seems worth a try and who knows, I might discover a favorite new writer in the bargain:
I paired that with The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani.
We are introduced to Jess, who has moved back in with her parents upon the breakup of her marriage . Slipping back into place as the dutiful daughter, she puts her dreams of pursuing her artistic talents as a draftswoman in marble on the back burner, despite the encouragement of her devoted Uncle Louie.
An unforeseen event, however, gives Jess the opportunity to become the person she wants to be and that starts with going to the home of her ancestors in Italy.
There, she not only discovers a few family secrets but perhaps a new love in life named Angelo, whose artistry requires gold. Yet, is his heart golden as well or should Jess seek her own path paved with her own glory?
Trigiani is excellent when it comes to crafting tales of women seeking self fulfillment and family love and this one certainly appears to be another jewel in her story telling crown:
To round this selection off, my last pick was This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman. Just that title alone made me want to read this book!
Princess Melilot is the least magically inclined stepdaughter of the Queen of Skalla, one of the most feared sorceresses around. While she’s not at all interested in accepting the marriage proposal of the king from a nearby crumbling realm, fear of what her powerful stepmother might do has Melilot saying yes to this regal wedding dress.
That’s not the worst of her problems as attempts are made on her life(nothing new to Melilot) and in order to find out the real reason for this new royal alliance, she goes undercover as a maid only to become distracted by the welcome flirtations of her intended sister in law, Angelique.
Combined with fighting off several enchanted creatures and a dozen identical masked men, Melilot has her hands full of fairy tale follies and then some.
This story seems to be having fun with the classic tropes of the genre and that take is most welcome. Herman’s previous works were published in the U.K. and this novel is their US debut, one that I do hope will be followed by more magical princess matchups to come:
So, for now, my book acquiring mantra is “Buy in July, then skip until September “. I also plan to use my renewal privileges at the library for as long as possible , just to do a little catch up reading there.
As to this blog, I will post my TBR for the Midsummer Readathon at Seasons of Reading (which begins in August and will have sign ups later this month) but am
going to take at least a week or so off until then. Too many things happening in the world these days, not to mention the horrible hot weather, makes a cool down like this a must.
Hope you all have a good rest as well, whether your plans involve a little travel or just staying put in the shade with something fun to read(mine is definitely the latter!)! and may we all see cooler days ahead, in the best sense:
With July officially here, I am happy to report that my success on the Sci-Fi Summer readathon( hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading)challenge was rather reasonable.
I finished two of the three books on my TBR for this event and as of this writing, still reading the third with pleasure.
The first book completed was Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author , which I must say up front is definitely going on my personal list for Best Books of 2025. To be sure, I already have two other titles on that list as it is but this novel is staking its claim to the top spot there.
The main story concerns Zelu, an American author of Nigerian descent who is paraplegic , who is dealing with frustrations in both her personal and professional life. After coming to a crossroads of sort, she decides to chuck the literary fiction she’s been working on and writes a full blown science fiction story that becomes a runaway bestseller.
That book is titled Rusted Robots, with a plot about how the last remaining life forms on Earth are androids and AI who battle it out for control of their world. This book is blended in with Zelu’s story and beyond that, I cannot say anymore than this in order to avoid spoilers.
What I can and will happily say is that Okorafor is the kind of writer that you regret not having read her work sooner. Her wit, insight and subtlety of style are amazing to behold with emotionally realistic characters (yes, even the robots) and a narrative that flows as smoothly as water.
The science fiction elements are easy to engage with and while I know her other works are not all in this format, there is no doubt about the incredible quality of her prose. This was a good intro to Okorafor for me and I hope to take more imaginative voyages with her stories in the future:
My next stop was to fantasy via paranormal romance with Bride by Ali Hazelwood(note to the jerks who harassed this author so much that she ditched the internet; shame on the lot of you for your biased behavior and for dragging Suzanne Collins into your vicious campaign!).
Our heroine here is Misery Lark, the daughter of a powerful leader among the Vampires who is reluctantly marrying the current Alpha leader of the Werewolves , Lowe Moreland. In this world, vampires and werewolves are separate species rather than supernaturally cursed beings.
This alliance is meant to maintain enough of a truce to keep both sides, plus the Human population, from plunging into a brutal war. However, Misery has a very personal reason for agreeing to this arrangement and as it turns out, Lowe has a few secrets that are not fully his own to keep in the bargain. Can this marriage of convenience be more than just a means to rather different ends for them both?
I’ve read a couple of Hazelwood’s romances before and liked her style already so this turn into the paranormal wasn’t an unpleasant one; in fact, I use to indulge in quite a few urban fantasy/paranormal romance novels back in the day so it was nice to revisit the genre with a new guide.
The book was engaging and entertaining with a nice setup for a sequel (Mate, due out this October) which gives us more werewolf action in the best sense of the term:
At the moment, I’m still in the midst of Exquisite Ruin by AdriAnne May(got a late start on the book, that’s on me!) and willing to take my time with it.
The story begins with Sadare, a sorceress who wakes up trapped in a maze with no memory of herself.
Her only companion at first is a demon named Daesra, who informs her that they both must seek the monster hidden with the center of the maze in order to escape.
Sadare is less than willing to trust him, especially since he has all of his prior memories intact and holds a strong grudge against her for actions she can’t remember. Nevertheless, neither of them has much choice in the matter so they set off to face the challenge of the labyrinth together, gathering a pair of unusual allies along the way.
The pacing is swift yet allows for solid character development and even with the darker elements of the plot(Sadare has to use pain to activate her powers; content warnings are provided before the book begins), the emotional journey that both Sadare and Daesra are taking is richly heartfelt.
So, I will keep on reading and see where these two crazy kids end up-a sequel is due out next year(Divine Descent) and sounds well worth the wait. In a weird way, this book makes me think of that 1985 cult fantasy movie Legend, only with better writing and more mature content that certainly would’ve enhanced that story!:
So, all in all, this has been a great start for my summer reading and much thanks to Michelle Miller for making this all happen.
I plan to join in the Midsummer readathon in August (got a nice stack of romcom reads set aside already!) and hope that everyone who took part in this latest one had some page turning fun there.
We have a big holiday weekend ahead of us and understandably, most folk don’t feel that there is much to celebrate right now, given the daily chaos dominating the news cycle (not to mention the wider world). However, we can use this time to recalibrate our weary spirits and enjoy being with loved ones as best we can.
Part of my holiday plans include reading (finally started The House of Eve the other day and really liking it!) and watching the small screen premiere of Sinners(streaming on Friday and airing on HBO Saturday), one of the best movies I’ve seen this or any other year. Take joy where you can find it, folks; it’s what makes us stronger in the challenging days to come:
To say that this past week of summer has been rather overheated in more ways than one is quite the understatement there. Let’s just say any relief from the daily heat is more than welcome.
A good place to cool off is at the movies and if you want to do some page turning along with your popcorn munching, here are three adaptations coming to a theater near you:
The Life of Chuck: Based upon a Stephen King novella from his 2020 collection If It Bleeds, the entire story is based around Chuck(Tom Huddleston), whose seemingly ordinary existence has more meaning than anyone realized. It’s a tale told in reverse order and I can’t describe it more than that in order to not get into spoilers.
No, I haven’t seen the film but did read the novella(which is separately published as well) and it’s not the usual King fate in the best sense of the term. Also, director Mike Flanagan did a great job in adapting Doctor Sleep(The Shining sequel) a couple of years ago, pulling off the major magic trick of staying true to the book as well as the movie legacy wrapped all around that project.
The Life of Chuck is currently in theaters and if you can catch a screening, you may be pleasantly surprised which is a feeling hard to come by these days:
Don’t Let’s Go to The Dogs Tonight: For something a bit more dramatic, this adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s memoir from 2001 is set in Rhodesia(now known as Zimbabwe) in the aftermath of the infamous bush war during the 1980s.
Embers Davidtz not only stars as Nicola, Alexandra’s troubled mother struggling to keep the family farm intact, she’s also the director and one of the executive producers as well. Clearly, this is a project that she’s artistically passionate about and given our current state of global affairs, might be something to talk about indeed this July:
The Roses: This is more than just an adaptation of the 1981 dark comedy novel by Warren Adler; it’s also a remake of the first cinematic version of this book that famously featured Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito(outside of their Romancing the Stone movies)back in 1989.
Here, we have Olivia Coleman and Benedict Cumberbatch as the title couple, ready to get divorced after many years of marriage but not prepared to surrender their mutual house to one or the other during the fractious proceedings.
This is a very high bar to meet as the original movie was one hell of a ride there, with critical and audience acclaim alike. Not to mention this is a late August release to boot but perhaps it can be a jumpstart to the fall film season instead of a late summer leftover, we shall see:
Of course, the biggest adaptation most people will see this summer is the new take on Superman from director James Gunn and that’s fine by me.
I hope to see it myself as this movie radiates positive entertainment energy from the cast to the visuals and the inclusion of several unsung comic book characters in DC Comics adaptation lore(I’m a cat person but Krypto is adorable!).
Yes, The Fantastic Four movie looks awesome as well but I think more folks will be drawn to Superman for emotional reasons. It has been said that this movie draws on the Silver Age of comics, which were rather upbeat in tone and we could all certainly use a little of that right now.
Granted, being blindly optimistic about the future isn’t the best course going forward yet total nihilism helps no one here. Superman is one of those iconic fictional figures in our collective history that can help rally our spirits and showcasing him at his best,as the refugee from a destroyed civilization who wants only to use his unique gifts to protect the people of his adopted homeworld,is definitely the true and just way to do so.
Let’s all have a good summer of reading and watching wonderful movies together with hope for better days ahead this fall:
Yes, I know that I need to slow down my book buying yet when it comes to Aardvark , my resistance has been futile to say the least!
It doesn’t help that one of their main selections this month is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, a fantasy writer that I’m constantly hearing great things about.
Set in a world where the female Pope is attempting to make peace with a former ally by recruiting Alex, a daring thief with a possible regal connection, to lead a chosen group of warriors in search of a mystical crown.
This band of unusual allies includes a Viking werewolf, a cranky necromancer and an eternal knight among others who don’t get along too well to begin with but adding Alex to the mix is certainly not an improvement in the social skills department. The fighting and slaying brutal foes section, however, they’ve got covered!
This novel(first in a new series) has been called a “gothic Suicide Squad “ and hopefully, it’s more of the James Gunn version, which is the absolute best:
Another main selection happened to be a signed copy of Tarah DeWitt’s Left of Forever and while she is a new to me author, a signed edition is a nice bonus indeed.
The plot is centered around Ellis and Wren, childhood sweethearts who got divorced five years ago. They have managed to maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their son Sam, who is now entering college, and even agree to travel together to help him move in to his new school.
On the way back to their mutual home town, however, sparks begin to fly and Wren wonders if they can truly get back together. Ellis seems willing but there’s a long journey ahead for both of them to reach that point and it’s not on any map.
I do like a second chance romance, especially with more mature characters, and the fact that I am rereading Jane Austen’s Persuasion at the moment was definitely a factor here.
This story does seem to have a little Austen energy to it(although way spicer from what I’ve been told) particularly when it comes to reaching emotional high points in nature, something that many an Austen couple has had experience with:
For more romantic reading vibes, my last pick was For Her Consideration by Amy Spaulding, set in Los Angeles, where Nina Rice is pursuing her dream of being a screenwriter.
Her day job is at a talent agency where she meets Ari Fox, an up and coming actress who has no qualms about being in control of her own career, a confidence that others fear yet Nina admires in more ways than one.
Seeing that Ari is being more than politely interested in her, Nina decides to take a few chances of her own, personally as well as professionally. Will falling in love with Ari be the ultimate chance at happiness for both paths or must she choose only one?
I’ve never been to any part of California but do love a good Hollywood themed story. From what I have heard about this charming novel, it gives L.A. a sweet small town feeling that I think we could all use right now, given the current circumstances. Plus, romance is always in style no matter where you go:
This summer is certainly challenging,, with news changing rapidly by the minute as it seems. Yet, I do want to keep a good thought or two out therr(not easy to be sure) because complete despair is what certain people want from all of us and I flatly refuse to give them the slightest hint of victory.
Times like this do make you appreciate those moments of joy when you can get them; this past weekend, I attended a local Pride event and it was great fun, even in the rain. Just being with my family members, sharing a serving of freshly made French fries while sitting in a nearby park as the festival was still gleefully going on, was a memory to cherish.
I may feel a little guilty about indulging in Aardvark but exploring new bookish horizons is part and parcel of being a reader and as long as it suits my budget, I will continue. Not to mention that spreading the good word about offbeat books is very enjoyable.
Speaking of enjoyment, it was wonderful watching the Tony Awards a couple of weeks ago, even if Death Becomes Her didn’t win as many categories as I was hoping it would (DBH did get Best Costume Design, not too shabby!).
Taking what chances you get to have some fun is important to keeping your spirits up as we go on, so read that new book, taste that fancy chocolate and sing along with that new song rocking your world. Just turn a few pages in tune with the beat as you do so:
I know that the term “beach read” has its positive and negative meanings but in this case, my definition of this well worn phrase simply refers to relaxing books during the heat of summer.
Speaking of heat, it was a thrill to discover that Book of the Month Club chose S.A. Cosby’s latest thriller King of Ashes as a main selection for June! Having skipped May, this was a great surprise for my summer reading pile.
We are introduced to Roman, the eldest son who goes home to his family upon learning that his father was in a serious car accident that landed him in a coma. Once there, he quickly discovers that this wasn’t an accident, due to his younger brother Dante owing a huge debt to some local bad guys.
As it turns out, money isn’t enough to keep his family out of trouble so Roman decides to offer his talents at making financial fortunes for others to the underworld figures after Dante.
Motivated by not only protecting his brother but his sister Neveah(who is looking into another family mystery)as well , Roman is a lot tough than his new clients realize and that’s to their disadvantage, not his!
I throughly enjoyed Cosby’s Razorblade Tears and have no doubt that this novel will be an awesome page turning ride to take. His last book, All the Sinners Bleed, is being made into a movie as we speak and surely someone will turn this one into the epic cinematic drama that it deserves to be:
Fortunately, I was able to pair KOA with the follow-up to A Fate Inked in Blood, Danielle L. Jensen’s A Curse Carved in Bone.
Reluctant shield maiden Freya must deal with not only the betrayal by Bjorn(the son of the ambitious king she was forced to marry) but the prophecy that shoves her towards a blood soaked destiny.
Forming an unlikely alliance in order to find the seer who marked her for divine power, Freya is determined to make her own path yet knows that brutal measures may have to be taken. Plus, her heart still yearns for Bjorn but should she love or trust him at all?
This is the second half of a duology so while I am glad to get the full action packed story , I hope this isn’t the last we see of Freya. Jensen knows how to pump up the volume on the romance as well as the adventure elements of her work , making her leading lady a warrior queen worth watching out for:
After those books arrived (along with an Ali Hazelwood that I haven’t gotten to yet), I struck gold at the library by finding a book that I have been wanting to read for some time now.
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson follows two young women in the 1950s , starting with Ruby, who has her heart set on becoming a doctor. Upon being kicked out of her mother’s house, she stays with her Aunt Marie while pursuing an opportunity to get a college scholarship.
However, an unexpected romance with Shimmy, the son of her aunt’s landlord puts a few obstacles in that career path for Ruby with society‘s bigoted views on interracial relationships for one. An unplanned pregnancy is another that leads to some terrible times for her.
Our other heroine is Eleanor, already enrolled at Howard University and studying to be an archivist at the school’s library. When she falls in love with William , a handsome medical student, her future feels bright indeed.
His family has other ideas about who William should be with, especially since the difference in social class and race between Eleanor and William is strongly noticeable. Nevertheless, she is determined to make her life with him but at what emotional cost?
This novel was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, which put it on my radar but the solid word of mouth praise this book has received from readers is what makes me want to dive into this swirl of storytelling voices that creates an impression of what the world is like for women of color in America both then and now:
I was really in the mood for historical fiction that day because the next book that caught my eye on the library shelf was Diva by Daisy Goodwin, a look at the love life of famed singer Maria Callas.
She was at the height of her career when introduced to millionaire Aristotle Onassis, finding a kinship with him due to their mutual background of childhood struggles.
Their romance lasted several years only to be eclipsed by Aristotle leaving her for Jacqueline Kennedy, no stranger to tragic moments herself. The affect that this betrayal had on Maria was a harsh blow even for someone whose fame came from songs of sorrow and despair.
I don’t know much about Callas beyond the basics but Goodwin has a knack for showing the inner emotional workings of her characters, both truly fictional and based on historical figures as well. This certainly could be a great introduction to Callas’ legacy; we shall see:
This isn’t the only summer reading on my plate as another book box is on the way(yes, I ordered from Aardvark again, despite wanting to take a book break! I am weak on this front for sure) and my SciFi Summer readathon is off to a good start(should’ve read Nnedi Okorafor much sooner, her writing is so damn good!).
I’m also making good time with my current library read (The Sentence by Louise Erdrich) but trying not to rush through it just to start one of my newer library loan(is it just me or has anyone else done this?).
Also needing some relief from the ever increasing awful news headlines out there yet staying informed enough to keep an eye out on the state of things. *sigh* I long for the day when such hideous behavior isn’t a daily event but hopefully that day will come sooner than expected.
In the meantime, I will do my best to maintain my spirits and share some good word about great books for others to enjoy. Summer entertainment is meant to give us all a mental vacation and whether it’s the big screen or the small, drama is definitely more bearable when it’s in fictional form:
One of my regular features here on this blog is Autumn in August , where I highlight movies and shows that give you that September feeling during the end of summer.
For this year’s event, I am combining my recent summer subscription to PBS Passport with the upcoming 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth this December.
To start, I am doing a rewatch of Death Comes to Pemberley , the 2013 miniseries adaptation of P. D. James’ mystery novel that has Darcy(Matthew Rhys) investigating a murder allegedly committed by his most unwelcome former friend and in-law Wickham(Matthew Goode).
With Elizabeth (Anna Maxwell Martin) on hand to offer some unofficial assistance, this mystery reveals more than meets the eye to say the least. The cast is great, the story is engaging and yes, Lady Catherine does make an appearance!:
After that, the rest of the month will be a rewatch of Season One of Sanditon.
The 2019 series, based upon an unfinished novel by Austen(who was working on up to the time of her passing), was originally a one and done endeavor but the popularity of a certain Netflix series gave it two more seasons, which I throughly enjoyed.
However, I am just covering S1 due to time limits and being inspired by the good folk at the podcast Reclaiming Jane, who are beginning their new season with a look at adaptations and starting off with this very show!
For those unfamiliar with this story, Sanditon is set at a seaside town hoping to become a destination spot for travelers with two of their new visitors being the naive Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) and reluctant heiress Georgiana Lambe(Crystal Clarke).
Granted, a seaside location does have a summer vibe to it but trust and believe, there is plenty of drama, romance and scandal to make those autumn leaves shiver right off the trees rather early:
I might also do a reread of the source material (yes, I actually have an adaptation of the Sanditon series written by novelist Kate Riordan on hand)for a little compare and contrast, we shall see.
In the meanwhile, I am happy to have Masterpiece Theater readily available, due to signing up with my local PBS station-yes, I’m one of those “viewers like you”that get a thanks during every show!
Especially with public television being under threat these days, it feels like the right thing to do as a thank you to PBS for bringing us such great shows and solid educational programming all year along.
Masterpiece productions have been a wonderful way to share a love of classic and modern literature with a wider audience that should be respected as well as celebrated for many years to come. Hopefully, this will not be the last summer to hear that familiar theme music announcing another great show:
Now that we’ve had the first big holiday weekend of the season checked off, it’s time to focus on summer reading selections.
Since romance is a popular category this time, I thought that I would highlight a trio of recent releases from my book mail(no chatty computer choices!) on this subject, starting with one that I am reading right now:
Moira MacDonald’s debut novel, Storybook Ending, is mainly in a Seattle bookshop called Read the Room(great store name btw!), where shy Alice decides to take a chance and leave an anonymous note for bookstore clerk Westley in an used paperback.
The only trouble is that the note winds up with Laura, a single mom stopping in to get a book club pick. She also assumes that the note is from Westley and starts a note by note conversation with who she thinks is a potential dating partner.
Alice follows suit and Westley has no clue about any of this, particularly as he’s being pleasantly distracted by a film company using the bookstore to make a high brow romcom and the movie folk even ask him to play a bit part.
So far, this book is a sheer delight, brimming with Nora Ephron energy and charming characters who would love to emotionally eavesdrop on-it’s being released today and definitely a must read for book lovers out there!:
Already available at a bookseller near you is The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini, which has a tasty second chance at love flavor to its fiction.
A year ago, Amelie thought her life and culinary career was in perfect balance until she ran into Ian, a guy who hates weddings, at a marital event. That chance encounter made enough of an impression on her that Amelie hopes to run into him again as she heads to his hometown for a cooking conference.
More than love is on the line as Amelie’s professional life is in need of a comeback but Ian happens to be part of the family that has a rivalry with her own kin. Can she redeem her formerly good business name and still have a heartfelt connection with Ian?
Lorini does have a new novel coming out this June(With a Cherry on Top) as well but who says you can’t double your reading pleasure with more than one sweetly spicy romance read? Especially when it is wedding season after all:
Speaking of spice, I just received a new edition of Sophie Jordan’s Marked by Moonlight , a novel with quite a bit of paranormal passion to it.
Claire Morgan was just a modest school teacher until a strange run-in with what she thought was a dog after dark , changed her life in more ways than one.
According to newcomer Gideon March, she’s been attacked by a werewolf and if the curse isn’t broken by the next full moon, his duty is to destroy her. However, the mutual attraction between them is a strong motivator to save Claire from this dire fate.
This is the first in a series and since I haven’t read Jordan before, it looks well worth a try. Paranormal romance and I have been on an extended break for awhile now so maybe it’s time for a page turning reunion:
Of course, there will be many new books to slowly sip down during the heat of summer in various fictional flavors but romance is pretty much the prime sweet treat there for sure.
Hopefully, we might get a suitable romantic movie as well but even if there’s not one playing nearby, there is bound to be a good book to quench that particular thirst on your shelves; maybe a classic iced tea of Jane Austen goodness for just such an entertainment emergency?:
