Shakespeare‘s “All the world‘s a stage” monologue kept coming to mind...

Weird and destabilizing, the novel is split into halves with its very premise inverting itself for part 2. But while what‘s true and who the characters are to one another shifts dramatically, the persistent matter of performance (on and off stage) makes for a fast, fascinating read about identity, authenticity, and the limitations to knowing/being known by those we love.

Dark and morbid, it repurposes the familiar fairytale frame of a child-eating witch in the wood and twists it into something far more discomforting.

The book narrowly edged by a “so-so” …though I also wonder if I‘ll judge it more harshly with time/once the dust settles?

What do (or should) we do with good art made by bad people?

I read this book in hopes of getting something close-ish to an answer to that question. I was left wanting, but don‘t really hold that against the author.

I do, however, hold how obnoxious I found the writing against her.

Hence the so-so rating.

Violence begets violence, even though the shape of it may change.

In the aftermath of There, There‘s final act, Wandering Stars shows how the reverberating damage of one tragic event can overtake a life through consequences (addiction, alienation, abandonment) that become tragedies all their own.

Violence and tragedy force protagonist Joe to “come of age” over the course of his 13th summer.

And it wrecked me.

Five stars for sure.

Centers around a line of witches biologically driven to enact a unique brand of vigilante justice upon the worst kinds of men. Which was a premise (mostly) intriguing enough to outweigh the flaws in execution.

(& due to illness knocking me out of commission for almost all of October, this was only book 2 for me for #hauntedshelf. Only 850 points for the month. Obviously must bolster my immune system ahead of next year!)

#grimreaders

Book cover scavenger hunt: landscape

Selected because the titular landscape sounds delicious.

#grimreaders #hauntedshelf

Book cover scavenger hunt: moon

Selected because the title is reference to a lunar mare…plus there‘s that big glowy orb near the top right.

#grimreaders #hauntedshelf

Book cover scavenger hunt: Grey

Selected for the homonym last name of the author & the grey illustrated trees.

#grimreaders #hauntedshelf

King‘s gift for building tension (and characters) to ultimately deliver climactic blows of horror and heartbreak is legendary. And this, his second novel, certainly helped establish that reputation. Loved it.

Also, I‘m excited now to try and watch at least one of the screen adaptations before month‘s end.

#grimreaders #hauntedshelf

Finished Hell Bent, #2 in the Alex Stern series, as my last “dark academia” read of the month. And it was a rush, the last half being nearly un-put-downable, thanks to: Dark rituals! The steep price of magic! Demons! Trips to hell! Spells and sarcasm!

If anyone is looking for an atmospheric read (or 2) for spooky season, I highly recommend these.

#hauntedshelf #grimreaders

I don‘t know where September went, but I‘m still very excited October is almost here! As such, here‘s my fang-tastic & spellbinding TBR for this year‘s #HauntedShelf…

Vampy Reads:
Salem‘s Lot
Vampires of El Norte
House of Hunger
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Witchy Reads:
The Bane Witch
The Bewitching
The Witching Hour
The Witch of Willow Hall

Team #GrimReaders

It has a whole lot of expository world-building. Especially for being the start of only a 3-book series.
So, maybe not for everyone.

But I really enjoyed it.

A short, quiet novel that shows life on a small, fictional (but historically based) island off the coast of Wales. Set as WWII looms on the horizon, the book is able to touch upon a remote village‘s isolation from (& its responsibility to?) the broader world. As well as individuals‘ relationships with what is provided and/or prevented by the distance.

Several flavors of audacity tied to imperialism & classism are also on full display.

Still enjoying this series.

Particularly like when Violet‘s nerdiness is what gets them out of a jam, rather than the squad‘s overall badassery at combat (on or off dragon). Feeling like the final twist/pseudo cliffhanger wasn‘t nearly as bold or surprising as the last two books‘ endings. But it was enough for me to be bummed I have to wait to know more.

Finished this one earlier this week, just in time to attend an author signing on Tuesday.

The book itself was phenomenal. Hearing Kaveh Akbar (who is an absolute delight) speak made me love it even more.

For this year‘s #AustenianAugust, I revisited Persuasuon (beautifully narrated on audio) paired with an inspired-by romance set in Toronto‘s Golden Crescent neighborhood.

Like the author‘s P&P retelling which I enjoyed a few years ago, this folded elements of Austen‘s classic (reunited lovers previously separated by questionable advice) into something new by adding the unique cultural pressures & coming-of-age woes of a modern Muslim woman.

Super engaging…but not up to all the hype.

The ending gave away too much.

For all the complexity the author built into the first 400 pages, she should have trusted her readers enough to leave them wanting more.

Another Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney mystery for my annual celebration of Austenian August. I love that with each addition to the series, Gray has more of her own characters/lore to weave in & refer to, as well as those of Austen‘s novels that are the foundation.

As this one featured so much from Mansfield Park, I worried I wouldn‘t care for it as much - that‘s my least favorite Austen by a large margin - but I should have had faith. A delight.

The sweet, if also a little sad, second-chance romance of a slightly witchy woman in STEM as she nears her 80th birthday.

The old Hollywood backdrop was fun, but the real joy was falling under the spell of the titular star.

A quick read about very messy people in a very messy situation (largely of their own making).

A behind-the-scenes look at reality TV from its emergence out of ‘40s radio programming to the early aughts boom that transformed the industry.

It shows the genre as far more established (if ever-evolving) than I realized, but I remain a “snob” who hates it. Despite occasional (often accidental) wins for representation, more exploitation, manipulation, & greed saturate the model. & the book‘s section on the ramifications of The Apprentice hurts.

Just a bit of (trope-tastic, predictable, deeply unprofessional) fun.

Larson writes historic non-fiction with remarkable balance & dexterity.

He brings forth personal detail to invite emotional resonance & recognition, making something so distant as a shipwreck 110 years ago feel near & vital.

Then he steps back to widen the scope, to show how incidents of the past intersect & connect, reflect & echo.

It‘s a rhythm of “up close” then “big picture” then back again. And I will read as many books as he puts out.

Even if most don‘t include a romance with a future Hollywood star, I think every family has their own lore — those colorful stories that hint at who the parents were *before* …or who they might have been had things gone just a little bit differently.

In this novel, Lara‘s trip down memory lane to clarify her lore for her 3 adult daughters made for a charming read.

(Plus Patchett absolutely nailed the behind-the-scenes drama of summer theater.)

A stagnate, desperate existence becomes fertile ground for obsession to root deep.

And the temporary respite it offers through fantasy and distraction so easily gives way to danger and tragic consequence.

Suitably dark, like so many fairy tales of old.

And a practical reminder to never feed the wildlife…

I mean. I get why so many were pissed at this one.

Still had fun, though.

As the prior books in the series ranged from all to mostly Feyre‘s point of view, this one almost reads like fan fiction with its laser focus on Nesta.

The fact that so much of the storyline then follows Nesta‘s forging of a tight-knit sisterhood by means of fae CrossFit and yoga, only adds to that impression.

Still ended up being my favorite of the series so far.

(Though I continue to cringe at the word mate. Every. Single. Time.)

While it‘s odd to call something with 200+ pages a novella, it maybe does fit here as this installment is more vibes and segue than actual plot?

But I still enjoyed the relative calm of a post-war winter solstice with this crew.

There was a lot to like about this “buddy epic” rooted in ancient British legends and lore… but it stumbled in the moments when I craved emotional payoff most.

I hate the word “mate” more than I can possibly express.

But otherwise, really enjoyed this third book of the journey.

And, Cauldron save me, I think Nesta is officially my favorite.

I just love this series so much.

And with the latest installment, I am also now a proud Mrs. Haggerty fan girl. An old busybody for sure, but also a bit of a badass.

That Percival Everett was able to craft a novel which honors the good in Twain‘s original masterpiece, while also rectifying many of its flaws, is no small feat.

But it‘s that this novel can also stand entirely, remarkably, on its own, that takes things to a whole other level.

5 stars.

Picked it for looking like a good Valentines-y read, but it was also very appropriate considering all the SNL 50th content I‘ve watched in the last few weeks.

I was wary of reading this, having had issues with other Hannah novels. But the premise pulled me in, especially since it felt so reminiscent of a play I was in during college (A Piece of My Heart).

I wish I‘d skipped it. A bad soap opera masquerading as historical fiction, it forfeited the depth & nuance the topic deserved in favor of cheap & tawdry “twists.”

I know she‘s a popular author, but I just can‘t take the melodrama.

Thinking about time travel makes my head hurt.

Reading this made my heart hurt.

I loved every second of it.

Wrong opinions about The Beatles aside, I loved Adina and her observational reports on the human experience.

Their scope and her sensitivity. Even the way that loneliness looms throughout, and the underlying feeling that life is both too much and not enough.

I love books that make me laugh and cry. Even more so when they also make me ponder and reflect.

My first 5 ⭐️ read of the year.

Was constructing one of those red-yarned detective boards in my brain the entire time I was reading this one…trying to keep up with the mystery‘s twists and revelations, the narrator‘s supplemental memories and observations, the layers of added complications from a pandemic backdrop, a nonspeaking witness, etc.

Oh, was this a journey — I feel like I traveled the 1500 miles (in the wrong direction) with Emmett and Billy. And I‘m now in an absolute tangled mess over the final act — feeling every which way about where characters ended up and the choices they made.

All this to say, it was as engrossing and affecting as I always hope a novel will be.

Didn‘t expect something with such a bright cover and punchy title to venture into nuanced, shades-of-grey topics like opioid addiction treatments, sex worker advocacy, etc.

But it navigates Margo‘s money troubles (plus legal troubles, family troubles, and more) with humor and empathy and large helpings of food for thought.

Like the protagonist, I am the daughter of a successful high school basketball coach who has passed away. It was fun to relive my experience as she described the sounds & smells of growing up courtside, if also a little painful to be reminded of some of the downsides…like those milestones missed for occurring within the basketball season.

Beyond the nostalgic appeal, it‘s also an enjoyable romance + a little feminist revenge for good measure.

I know I am like 10+ years behind on this, but it lived up to the hype.

While I‘m grateful to have had something so absorbing to read while bed-bound with COVID the last few days, I also worry some of the scientific elements (and their philosophical adjacencies) were beyond the reach of my foggy brain…

But even with my uncertain level of understanding, this book was very enjoyable — also ambitious, thought-provoking, and distinct.

A few years ago, I went to see Tommy Orange speak about his follow up to There, There. When asked about books he‘d recently read and loved, this was one of his recs.

And now I know why.

Needed some post-election comfort, so chose to visit with several beloved characters via a reread of The House in the Cerulean Sea (on audio this time) …and then devoured the recently released sequel to stay with them a little longer.

The second book struggles a little with pace (and too much monologuing?), but it more than makes up for its technical or editorial misses with its big beautiful heart.

Hope to spend more time in Marsyas soon.

Finished this earlier in the week as a leftover from October.

It edges past a so-so mostly because I find Grann‘s writing to be consistently compelling, but I definitely prefer a long-form deep dive over this collection of independent (and previously published) articles that just happen to have the common thread of humanity‘s darkness.

#HauntedShelf total was 2616

I‘m relieved I did a bit better in the back half… though, at close of every October, I think I will always wish I‘d managed to squeeze in just a bit more spooky.

Thanks @OriginalCyn620 for leading Team #DeadSerious!

And thanks @PuddleJumper for organizing a month of fun!

Oooh I was so spoiled — and by a fellow Buffy fan at that!!

Thanks so much @Lauranahe (from me AND my pups), it was like opening up a box of pure and spooktacular joy!!

And thanks @wanderinglynn for organizing the fun!
#HHS #HauntedHollowSwap #HHS24

Book Scavenger Hunt: Pumpkin ✔️

#HauntedShelf
Team #DeadSerious