Book Review | LISTENING STILL by Anne Griffin

LISTENING STILL
by Anne Griffin
Publication: 01 Mar 2022
Publisher: St. Martin Press
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★

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Jeanie Masterson has a gift: she can hear the last words of the dead.

Passed down from generation to generation, this gift means she is able to make wrongs right, to give voice to unspoken love and dying regrets. She and her father have worked happily alongside each other for years, but now he's unexpectedly announced that he wants to retire early and leave the business to her and her life is called into question.

Does she really want to be married to the embalmer, or does she want to be with her childhood sweetheart, off in London? Does she want to have children, and pass this gift on to them? And does she want to be stuck in this small town, or is there more of the world she wants to see - like the South of France, where she's discovered a woman who shares her gift?

Tied to her home by this unusual talent, she begins to question: what if what she's always thought of as a gift is a curse?

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If you are looking for a captivating and emotional read that explores the power of words, secrets and family, you might want to check out Listening Still by Anne Griffin. This is her second novel, after the acclaimed When All is Said, and it follows the journey of Jeanie Masterson, a young woman who inherits her father's funeral home and his unusual ability to hear the last words of the dead.

Jeanie has always helped her family with the business, listening to the final confessions, regrets and wishes of the departed and passing them on to their loved ones. But when her parents retired unexpectedly, she finds herself alone with this burden and a business to run. She also must deal with her own life, dreams, and regrets.

LISTENING STILL is a beautifully written and engaging novel that transports the reader to the rural Ireland. It is not only a compelling story of one woman's quest for happiness and fulfillment, but also a celebration of the Irish culture, history and tradition. The setting is richly described and full of life.

Anne Griffin has a gift for creating vivid and authentic characters that you care about and root for. She also tackles some of life’s big questions, while blending humor and heartache, realism and magic, in a way that makes you feel both enchanted and enlightened.

Listening Still is a novel that will make you laugh, cry, think and feel. It is a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It is a novel that will make you want to listen more closely to the voices around you, and to your own voice within.

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About the Author:

Anne Griffin is the author of the Irish No. 1 bestseller ‘When All Is Said’. Winner of the Newcomer of the Year Irish Book Awards 2019 and longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2021. Her second novel, ‘Listening Still’ was published in 2022 and her third, ‘The Island Of Longing’ will be published on May 4th, 2023.

Anne’s books have been translated into several languages and recorded as e-audiobooks.

*Digital ARC provided by St. Martin Press and Netgalley in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Review | THE THEORY OF (NOT QUITE) EVERYTHING by Kara Gnodde

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything
by Kara Gnodde
Publication: March 7, 2023
Publisher: HARPER
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

With the offbeat charm of The Rosie Project and generous warmth of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, a wry, moving debut novel about a pair of unforgettable siblings and a love triangle of sorts—one with math as its beating heart. One of Cosmopolitan's Best Books of 2023 Meet Art and Mimi Brotherton. Devoted siblings and housemates, they’re bound together by the tragic death of their parents. Mathematical genius Art relies on logic, while Mimi prefers to follow her heart. When Mimi decides she needs more from life than dutifully tending to her brilliant brother, she asks for his help to find love. Art agrees, but on one that she find her soulmate using a strict mathematical principle. Things seem promising, until Mimi meets a romantic, spontaneous stargazer who’s also a mathematician. Despite Mimi’s obvious affection for the quirky Frank, Art is wary of him from their very first encounter. As Art's mistrust of Frank grows, so do Mimi's feelings, and the siblings' relationship is brought to a breaking point. Something about Frank doesn't quite add up, and only Art can see it . . . The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything is a tender, intelligent and uplifting novel about brothers and sisters, true love in all its forms, and how the answers to life’s biggest questions follow a logic of their own.

...

I would like to apologize to Ms. Gnodde and HarperCollins for the delay in writing this review. I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did, I was moved by its emotional depth. I didn't expect it.

The book tells the story of Mimi and Art Brotherton, adult siblings who live together. Art is a neurodivergent mathematical genius who is working on solving the greatest mathematical enigma and saving the world. Mimi is his devoted sister who has sacrificed her own life to take care of him after their parents' death. Art's eccentricities make every day a challenge for Mimi, especially when it comes to finding love. And although Art has a mathematical solution for that too, Mimi manages to meet Frank on her own. Mimi falls head over heels for Frank, but, Frank doesn't quite fit Art's equation. Facts and Truth are always big variables for Art and Mimi.

THE THEORY OF (NOT QUITE) EVERYTHING is a novel that explores the complex relationship between siblings, the nature of love and grief in many forms, but what struck me the most was the trauma of abandonment and the monopoly of truth and how people cope with them. Having lost both of my parents, especially my mom whom I lost just recently, I felt for Mimi and Art, and their struggles.

Despite the heavy themes, it’s a story that will make you laugh, cry and think. The words are exquisite and beautiful. The characters are realistic and relatable, and the plot is full of twists and surprises. This book made me want to send warm hugs to both my parents in heaven and to my siblings far away.

Readers need not be big fans of math to enjoy this read. If you're looking for a book that is quirky, heartwarming and intelligent, you should give this one a try.

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About the Author:

Photo credit to the source.

Kara Gnodde was born in Johannesburg and raised on a diet of Dr. Seuss and no TV. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, she joined Saatchi & Saatchi in London as a strategic planner -- work that required head and heart, her favorite kind. She lived in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore before settling back in the UK with her husband and three children. A discussion on the radio about a math problem that could change the world, or perhaps just help keep her desk tidy, gave her a place to start The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything, her debut novel. - HarperCollins.ca

*Printed ARC provided by HarperCollins Canada in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Review | THE PAWNSHOP OF STOLEN DREAMS by Victoria Williamson

THE PAWNSHOP OF STOLEN DREAMS
by Victoria Williamson
Publication: May 11, 2023
Publisher: Tiny Tree Books
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

In a strange little village called Witchetty Hollow, eleven-year-old Florizel is the first to run into the curious visitors who've come to open a brand-new Daydream Delicatessen and sack-baby factory.

At first, it seems the daydream confection and cheap sack children are the best things that could have happened to the poor folk of the Hollow - after all, who has the money to rent their child from Storkhouse Services these days? But after a few weeks, Florizel starts to notice something odd happening to the adults of the town. First, they seem dreamy, then they lose all interest in their jobs and families. Soon they're trading all their worldly goods in the newly opened Pawnshop for money to buy daydreams. With no money for rent payments, the children of Witchetty Hollow are being reclaimed by Storkhouse Services at an alarming rate. Florizel needs to act.

A magical tale of intrigue and adventure from award-winning children's author Victoria Williamson.

THE PAWNSHOP OF STOLEN DREAMS follows the adventures of eleven-year-old Florizel, as she uncovers the sinister business established by Gobbelino Corporation at Witchetty Hollow.

Victoria Williamson weaves an eerie tale of adventure, friendship, and everything thought-provoking. In this richly imagined world, daydreams are a commodity and children are rented out to families. Only the rich can afford the talented and promising kids, and so, Florizel must play dull-witted to keep the rent low and remain with Gammer Oakenshaw. Being bullied for her low grades, unkept clothes, and strange lunches for school, she has always kept her head down… until Burble, an actual sack-boy.

For a Middle Grade, this book challenges some very intense topics. And yet, Williamson never strayed from her whimsical prose. This book is like Matilda on one hand, and Pinocchio on the other. After so many years, I didn't realize I could adore another made-believe boy. 'Tis absolutely hard to review without giving away any spoilers. With its unique concept and (absolutely) brilliant cover, this story will stay with the reader for a long time. 

If you keep a list of eerie books for Middle Grade like Coraline, A Monster Calls, or The Book of Lost Things, I highly recommend that you add this book too. 

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*Big thanks to @TheWriteReads and Tiny Tree Books, for letting me join this blog tour and for giving me access to an e-book in exchange for this honest opinion.

About the Author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023 and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organization working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

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Book Review | A LETTER TO THREE WITCHES by Elizabeth Bass

A LETTER TO THREE WITCHES
by Elizabeth Bass
Publication: January 2022
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: ★★★★

Nearly a century ago, Gwen Engel’s great-great-grandfather cast a spell with catastrophic side-effects. As a result, the Grand Council of Witches forbade his descendants from practicing witchcraft. The Council even planted anonymous snitches called Watchers in the community to report any errant spellcasting…

Yet magic may still be alive and not so well in Zenobia. Gwen and her cousins, Trudy and Milo, receive a letter from Gwen’s adopted sister, Tannith, informing them that she’s bewitched one of their partners and will run away with him at the end of the week. While Gwen frets about whether to trust her scientist boyfriend, currently out of town on a beetle-studying trip, she’s worried that local grad student Jeremy is secretly a Watcher doing his own research.

Cousin Trudy is so stressed that she accidentally enchants her cupcakes, creating havoc among her bakery customers—and in her marriage. Perhaps it’s time the family took back control and figured out how to harness their powers. How else can Gwen decide whether her growing feelings for Jeremy are real—or the result of too many of Trudy’s cupcakes?

A LETTER TO THREE WITCHES turned out to be a quick and funny read, with varied characters that were brilliantly put together.

Cousins Gwen, Milo, and Trudy received a letter from Tannith, informing them that she is moving to New York and has apparently hexed one of their partners to move with her. Cousin Tannith's moving out news is intriguing enough, but hexing one's partner in the process is enough to spin anyone around, given their family background. Gwen and her whole clan was forbidden to practice magic after a catastrophic event a century ago. And although Gwen is not too keen on magic herself, recent magical accidents and anomalies pushed her to reconsider.

I enjoyed the cast's chemistry. And I don't mean just in front of the cauldron. I can easily imagine them. and how each scene is playing out. The story is straightforward, but there's never a boring page. I also like the idea of a café with charmed cupcakes that can transform people's mood, or usher them into a better day. No wonder why this book was Goodreads Hottest Romance of January 2022. And I am already eager for Book #2.

I recommend this if you're looking for a magically entertaining read and some romance.

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About the Author:

Elizabeth Bass lives with her husband in Montreal, where she writes and astounds the locals with her makeshift French. An elderly cat or dog can typically be found in her apartment, and during the busiest day, Elizabeth usually finds time to sneak in an old movie. She is the author of many smartly written works of romance and women's fiction, including Summer Days, Life is Sweet, and Wherever Grace is Needed. She loves to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter (@ElizabethBass), or at elizabeth-bass.com. -PRH Ca

*Thanks to Kensington and PRH Canada for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Review | THE WINNERS by Fredrik Backman

THE WINNERS
by Fredrik Backman
Publication: September 27, 2022
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Fiction / Literary
Rating: ★★★★★

     It starts with a storm. A death. A birth. And two funerals on the same day.

   One person's life is being celebrated by the entire town. Another person's life has been forgotten by the entire town.

  Over the next week, the age-old rivalry between Beartown and neighboring town Hed, dormant for the last two years, is reignited. Unlikely alliances are formed, enemies work together to try to save the hockey club, and a new player arrives who shakes up the team.

   The epic final installment of Fredrik Backman's magnificent trilogy, THE WINNERS is a powerful, suspenseful, and deeply loving conclusion to the story of this small hockey town and the bighearted people who call it home.

...

Obviously, I am a huge Fredrik Backman fan. I like how his books talk about  groups of people and how their lives intertwine, whether circumstances or coincidence brought them together. And the idea of an old man, a cleaner, an orphan, or a burglar can turn peoples’ lives around is both clever and insightful.

The Beartown Trilogy is probably the most profound and complex community life Backman has created. Neighbors, Beartown and Hed, are hockey towns in every sense. Their lives literally revolve around this sport. It brings out the best and worst in them. And in the concluding novel, THE WINNERS, Backman draws tragedy, rivalry, friendship, politics, and the sense of belongingness into a map. There’s no inch, in either towns, that is not impacted by the sweeping events. Some tried to move away, only to find out that hockey cannot simply be shed. Some people who moved in, believed they are apart from it, found themselves at the midst of the game. However, for most players, it is the very air they breathe. It is life itself. There are resentments, conflicts, and intrigue, but, compassion, compromise, and accountability were present as well. And that is how Beartown raised a child, with ice beneath her feet and the limitless sky above her.

My anticipation for pain was in max throughout the book, and the bittersweet feeling never left me after reading either. Although, in my head I can still hear a puck hitting a wall, a guitar playing softly, and a beautiful boy is sitting up a tree facing the wind. I know life continues in that forest town.

Last Sunday, I asked the clerk at Indigo if I could stand at the entry way and offer each entering customer a copy of this book. That’s how much I recommend this book… this trilogy.

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About the Author:

Photograph © Linnéa Jonasson
Bernholm/Appendix fotografi

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the printed ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Spotlight | THE MAYFAIR BOOKSHOP by Eliza Knight

THE MAYFAIR BOOKSHOP
by Eliza Knight
Publication: April 12, 2022
Publisher: William Morrow

About the Book:

1938: She was one of the six sparkling Mitford sisters, known for her stinging quips, stylish dress, and bright green eyes. But Nancy Mitford’s seemingly dazzling life was really one of turmoil: with a perpetually unfaithful and broke husband, two Nazi sympathizer sisters, and her hopes of motherhood dashed forever. With war imminent, Nancy finds respite by taking a job at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, hoping to make ends meet, and discovers a new life.

Present Day: When book curator Lucy St. Clair lands a gig working at Heywood Hill she can’t get on the plane fast enough. Not only can she start the healing process from the loss of her mother, it’s a dream come true to set foot in the legendary store. Doubly exciting: she brings with her a first edition of Nancy’s work, one with a somewhat mysterious inscription from the author. Soon, she discovers her life and Nancy’s are intertwined, and it all comes back to the little London bookshop—a place that changes the lives of two women from different eras in the most surprising ways.

USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight brings together a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford—one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters—and a modern American desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop..

“An absolute must-read!”-—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author The Last Bookshop in London

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About the Author:

   

Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author. Her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Novelists, Inc., and the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed. Knight lives in Maryland with her husband, three daughters, two dogs and a turtle. Photo by Andrea Grant Snider.

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Book Spotlight | THE TRUTH ABOUT BEN AND JUNE by Alex Kiester

About the Book:

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEN AND JUNE
by Alex Kiester
Publication: June 28, 2022
Publisher:  Park Row

USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight brings together a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford—one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters—and a modern American desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop.

A heartfelt debut that explores the complexity of a modern-day marriage when a new mother vanishes one morning and her husband must retrace events of their recent past to bring her home.

Love isn’t something that happens to you; it’s something you must choose every day.

From the moment Ben and June met in a hospital waiting room on New Year’s Eve, their love has seemed fated. Looking back at all the tiny, unlikely decisions that brought them together, it was easy to believe their relationship was special. But now, after several years of marriage, June is struggling as a new mom. At times, she wonders about the life she didn’t choose—what might have been if she hadn’t given up the lead role in a famous ballet to start a family. Feeling like a bad mom and more alone than ever, she writes to her deceased mother, hoping for a sign of what she should do next.

One morning, Ben wakes to the sound of his baby and quickly realizes that June is gone, along with her suitcase. As Ben attempts to piece together June’s disappearance, her new friends mention things he knows nothing about—a mysterious petition, June’s falling-out with another mom, her strange fixation on a Greek myth. The more Ben uncovers about June, the more he realizes how little he actually knows her. And now the only way to bring June home is to understand why she left.

Told through alternating perspectives of husband and wife, The Truth About Ben and June is a witty and wise page-turner about life’s many crossroads and a heartfelt reminder that we create our own destiny.

"This powerful novel takes an honest, unflinching look at the challenges of modern parenthood from both sides of a marriage."-Tracey Lange, New York Times bestselling author of We Are the Brennans

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About the Author:

After graduating from Rhodes College with a degree in creative writing, Alex worked as a copy editor for the Journal of the Texas House of Representatives, then as a book editor for a boutique publisher. She lives with her husband in Austin, TX, and when she’s not writing, she can be found reading in the bath, talking on the phone with her mom, taking long walks, curating pizza toppings, or getting distracted by the squirrels beyond the window at her writing desk.

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Book Review | THE MEETING POINT by Olivia Lara

Welcome to my stop for THE MEETING POINT Ultimate Tour, hosted by @TheWriteReads.

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THE MEETING POINT by Olivia Lara
Publication: September 2, 2021
Publisher: Aria Fiction
Genre: Romance
Rating: ★★★★★

What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend's phone holds the directions to true love?

'Who are you and why do you have my boyfriend's phone?’

'He left it in my car. You must be the blonde in the red dress? I'm the Lift driver who dropped you two off earlier.'

And with these words, the life of the brunette and t-shirt wearing Maya Maas is turned upside down. Having planned to surprise her boyfriend, she finds herself single and stranded in an unknown city on her birthday.

So when the mystery driver rescues Maya with the suggestion that she cheers herself up at a nearby beach town, she jumps at the chance to get things back on track. She wasn't expecting a personalized itinerary or the easy companionship that comes from opening up to a stranger via text, let alone the possibility it might grow into something more...

Maya loves giving people the happy ending they deserve. At least in her stories, that is. However, writing stories is a passion Maya has to file away while she hangs onto her relationship with David and struggle to keep her job writing for a magazine. So, when catastrophe hits work, Maya consoled herself that spending her birthday with David in San Francisco is the best thing. Only, it wasn’t…

There’s something, someone, much better.

L' amour, Ai, Liebe, Pag-ibig. I guess, LOVE in any language sounds the same –wonderful. So when people find it, everything seems beautiful. And without it, we sometimes lost our sense of wonder. It’s easy to relate to Maya – to feel her, to be her. I’m glad that Maya found her sense of wonder back at Carmel by the Sea. I’m glad she found the courage to fight off her flight instinct. I’m glad I read her story.

THE MEETING POINT is a story of taking a huge risk falling in love, with someone you have not met. Olivia Lara wrote a heartwarming story. She managed to keep the tight exciting plotlines together, while also keeping it simple and clean. Everyone and everything is absolutely charming. The characters are easy to absorb- fear, anger, and excitement -all their emotions are real to me. And by heavens, Ethan really upped the level on dating! Bearing in mind, Carmel by the Sea seems like a really enchanting place to fall in love. I also like how this story encourages self-discovery, fighting indecisiveness, and pursuing your passion.

Light and heartwarming, I absolutely recommend this book to every reader who needs an extra boost of excitement, encouragement, and wonder!

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About the Author:

As a child, Olivia not-so-quietly ‘observed’ (AKA bothered with countless questions) her grandfather — who worked for the biggest publishing house in Romania — edit hundreds of books. And when he wasn’t editing, he read. Everything, all the time. Just like her father, who wrote short sci-fi stories, and was set on building the largest library she’d ever seen and her mother who’s never found without a book…wherever she goes. Her love for words came naturally, and after studying marketing, communications & photography, Olivia worked as a journalist for a newspaper and news television network in Romania.

An unapologetic citizen of the world, she spent a few years in Greece, Sweden, France, before settling in sunny California with her photographer husband and young daughter, where she works in marketing and writes. Oh, and let's not forget the ever-growing menagerie that completes the family: Pumpkin, the Maine Coon mix, three black cats and a siamese kitten.

When she's not writing or thinking about writing, she reads (across genres), watches old movies and collects vintage books, vinyl records, and eerie paintings. She loves traveling (and can’t wait until she can do it again, safely), swimming, biking, hiking and of course, photography.

SOMEDAY IN PARIS, her debut, published by Aria Fiction/Head of Zeus in May 2020 became a B&N, Apple, Kobo and Amazon Top 100 Bestseller and was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2021. Her second novel, THE MEETING POINT, a contemporary romcom set in Northern California, is set to be published as an e-book on September 2, 2021 and in paperback in December 2021 in the UK and March, 2022 in the US.

Keep up with Olivia: twitter || instagram || facebook || blog

*Thanks to Aria Fiction for the egalley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | SISTERS OF THE SNAKE by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua

SISTERS OF THE SNAKE
by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua
Publication: June 15, 2021
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★

A lost princess. A mysterious puppet master. And a race against time—before all is lost.

Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive.

When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.

A deal is struck to switch places—but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.

Deadly magic, hidden temples, and dark prophecies: Sisters of the Snake is an action-packed, immersive fantasy that will thrill fans of The Wrath & the Dawn and The Tiger at Midnight. -Publisher

On the brink of war, two sisters will challenge fate, love, and the limits of their magic.

The chapters are told alternately by the two main characters -Ria, an orphan and thief prowling the streets of Abai, and Rani, a princess trapped inside the palace walls. After the battle of the Great Masters of Magic, Amran enforced a 100-year peace treaty between Abai and Kaama, and as the end nears, a bloody war seems inevitable. Ria plans to steal some palace jewels to escape her conscription for this coming war. Once in the palace though, Ria and Rani have no time to register their shock –to have a twin they never knew existed. Ria has to postpone her escape to swap places with Rani in exchange for passports and financial aid. Rani will have the opportunity to escape the palace and find the Bloodstone to prove herself as the next monarch, while Ria uncovers the truth of why she grew up in an orphanage. It’s more than a good bargain!

There are several reasons why I enjoyed reading the SISTERS OF THE SNAKE. (1) It’s refreshing to read a retelling of an old English tale in an Indian setting. There is fullness on diversity and awareness of South Asian culture. (2) I like the magical structure. Having animals as familiars is nothing new in fiction, but making them work better with other forms of magic is quite fascinating. And by gods, I love Shima’s sassiness! (3) There are contrived scenes, here and there, but I like how the plot flowed. There are no dreary or stagnant chapters. (4) Twins on twins! Sasha and Sarena are convincing storytellers. I can hear the echo of their voices in the storylines. I’m sure they will explore more of the twin chemistry in the next installment.

There is magic, young love, action-packed adventure, and unselfish heroes –every fantasy should have! And if you love to try the audiobook, Soneela Nankani is amazing.

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About the Author:

Sarena Nanua & Sasha Nanua are twin sisters living in Ontario, Canada. Born on Diwali ten minutes apart from each other, they grew up loving stories about twins and magic, and began writing books together when they were nine years old. They are graduates of the English and professional writing programs at the University of Toronto and are also the authors of the Pendant trilogy. You can visit them online at www.sarenasashabooks.com.

*Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the egalley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | HOW TO SAVE A QUEENDOM by Jessica Lawson

HOW TO SAVE A QUEENDOM
by Jessica Lawson
Publication: April 20, 2021
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
for Young Readers
Genre: Children’s Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

Life’s never been kind to twelve-year-old Stub. Orphaned and left in the care of the cruel Matron Tratte, Stub’s learned that the best way to keep the peace is to do as she’s told. No matter that she’s bullied and that her only friend is her pet chicken, Peck, Stub’s accepted the fact that her life just isn’t made for adventure. Then she finds a tiny wizard in her pocket.

Orlen, the royal wizard to Maradon’s queen, is magically bound to Stub. And it’s up to her to ferry Orlen back to Maradon Cross, the country’s capital, or else the delicate peace of the queendom will crumble under the power of an evil wizard queen. Suddenly Stub’s unexciting life is chock-full of adventure. But how can one orphan girl possibly save the entire queendom?

Queendom!
Now, it’s about time Webster’s Dictionary include the word.

People would think that after all the hardships and injustices Stub endured from Matron Tratte, she would be bitter and angry. Instead, Stub is clever, intuitive, and compassionate. This adventure brought out all her best, and the side characters were just the encouragement she needed. It’s such an inspiration for children.

I love this world that Jessica Lawson created. It has all the elements a children's fantasy should have –grand adventure, magic, courage, and friendship. I love the family structures, too. The book shows how compassion may gain friends. And turn friends into a family. Also, this shows that a little encouragement can lead to great victories.

I highly recommend HOW TO SAVE A QUEENDOM!

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About the Author:

Jessica Lawson enjoys living in Pennsylvania, where she and her family spend weekend hours hanging at the local orchard, pretending to be on cooking shows, building with magnet blocks and Legos, making up new holidays, and reading plenty of books. She likes pizza. A lot. Photo courtesy of author.

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the printed copy in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | WITCHES STEEPED IN GOLD by Ciannon Smart

WITCHES STEEPED IN GOLD
Ciannon Smart
Publication: April 20, 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins CA,
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.

Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance.

Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power.

Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain - except the lengths they will go to win this game.

Drenched in politics, social injustices, and ancestral magic, WITCHES STEEPED IN GOLD is a broad and complex narrative. This Jamaican-inspired fantasy is told in turns between two main characters. Jazmyne Cariot is an Alumbrar witch and successor to Doyenne Judair Cariot of the island Aiyca. Driven by her desire to bring back justice to her people, Jazmyne is one of the key minds leading a rebellion to overthrow her mother. Iraya Adair is an Obeah witch, rightful heir to the Aiycan throne, fueled by her newly awakened naevus and desire to avenge her family. Reluctantly, these two witches dared the Shook Bargain to eradicate their shared enemy.

Ciannon Smart created a world where magical power is a birthright, while deception and betrayal are must-learn skills. The large volume of details slowed the pace down, allowing the reader to absorb the intents and atmosphere of the storytelling. The distortion of good and evil towards the end of the narrative stretches the notion that good intentions can very well be poison. And while the plot is focused on the characters’ development and magical system, both fully realized and vivid, Smart’s intention to enlighten readers on Jamaican culture and feminism is not lost.

WITCHES STEEPED IN GOLD is a promising opening for an intense fantasy series. This is recommended for readers who enjoy rich world-building and unpredictable characters.

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About the Author:

Of Jamaican heritage, Ciannon Smart grew up in a small town in the south-east of England. As the only daughter in a house full of boisterous sons, she developed a voracious appetite for reading from an early age, preferring anarchy in stories rather than real life. In YA she loves her heroines exactly as she loves her villains: wilful, wily, and unpredictable. When not writing, Ciannon can be found reading, painting, or taking the long way home to listen to a good song more than once.

*Thanks to HarperCollins for the galley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | THE MEMORY COLLECTORS by Kim Neville

THE MEMORY COLLECTORS by Kim Neville
Publication: March 16, 2021
Publisher: Atria Books,
Simon & Schuster CA
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★

Ev has a mysterious ability, one that she feels is more a curse than a gift. She can feel the emotions people leave behind on objects and believes that most of them need to be handled extremely carefully, and—if at all possible—destroyed. The harmless ones she sells at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market to scrape together a living, but even that fills her with trepidation. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Harriet hoards thousands of these treasures and is starting to make her neighbors sick as the overabundance of heightened emotions start seeping through her apartment walls.

When the two women meet, Harriet knows that Ev is the only person who can help her make something truly spectacular of her collection. A museum of memory that not only feels warm and inviting but can heal the emotional wounds many people unknowingly carry around. They only know of one other person like them, and they fear the dark effects these objects had on him. Together, they help each other to develop and control their gift, so that what happened to him never happens again. But unbeknownst to them, the same darkness is wrapping itself around another, dragging them down a path that already destroyed Ev’s family once, and threatens to annihilate what little she has left.

The Memory Collectors casts the everyday in a new light, speaking volumes to the hold that our past has over us—contained, at times, in seemingly innocuous objects—and uncovering a truth that both women have tried hard to bury with their pasts: not all magpies collect shiny things—sometimes they gather darkness.

Even as a child, Ev can already sense the emotions people imprinted on inanimate objects –good or bad. Growing up, she tried very hard not to annex these emotions despite trying to make a living out of them. And while Ev calls these objects “stains”, Harriet calls them “brilliant”. Harriet has been hoarding her brilliant things for many years and has a dream of building a museum of these wonders to help people heal emotionally and brighten their lives. To accomplish this, she needs Ev’s help and more.

THE MEMORY COLLECTORS is a delightful atmospheric debut with a unique concept and dark secrets that will instantly hook readers. The story builds slowly, while the characters’ past interlaces with the present, turning the suspense nicely. Ev and Harriet are both unusual characters -both troubled with the rarest of gifts and the most overwhelming history. They both had difficulty trusting others and building relationships, too. Still, it’s amazing how these people, who perceive things differently, are willing to sacrifice and help others.

This book is highly recommended for readers who love stories of strangers becoming a family with a touch of magical realism and thrilling mystery. The unabridged audio is narrated by Emily Woo Zeller.

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About the Author:

Kim Neville is an author and graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop, where she found the first shiny piece of inspiration that became The Memory Collectors. When she’s not writing she can be found heron-spotting on the seawall or practicing yoga in order to keep calm. She lives near the ocean in Vancouver, Canada, with her husband, daughter, and two cats. The Memory Collectors is her first novel. Photo by Jeremy Lim.

*Thanks to Atria Books, Simon & Schuster CA, and Netgalley for the egalley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | GOOD EGGS by Rebecca Hardiman

GOOD EGGS Rebecca Hardiman
Publication: March 9, 2021
Publisher: Atria,
Simon & Schuster CA
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★

A hilarious and heartfelt debut novel following three generations of a boisterous Irish family whose simmering tensions boil over when an American home aide enters the picture, becoming the calamitous force that will either undo or remake this family—perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Evvie Drake Starts Over.

When Kevin Gogarty’s irrepressible eighty-three-year-old mother, Millie, is caught shoplifting yet again, he has no choice but to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on her. Kevin, recently unemployed, is already at his wits’ end tending to a full house while his wife travels to exotic locales for work, leaving him solo with his sulky, misbehaved teenaged daughter, Aideen, whose troubles escalate when she befriends the campus rebel at her new boarding school.

Into the Gogarty fray steps Sylvia, Millie’s upbeat American home aide, who appears at first to be their saving grace—until she catapults the Gogarty clan into their greatest crisis yet.

With charm, humor, and pathos to spare, Good Eggs is a delightful study in self-determination; the notion that it’s never too late to start living; and the unique redemption that family, despite its maddening flaws, can offer. -Publisher

In Rebecca Hardiman’s debut novel, readers will meet the three generations of the Gogarty family from Dublin, Ireland. You’ve met them before. We’ve been them at some point. This funny and endearing story is something all families can relate to.

The book opened while Millie, the octogenarian in the Gogarty family, is shoplifting from a local store. She’s a total riot and widowed mother to Kevin. She can also be a pain in the arse if she wants to. Millie desperately wants to keep her independence amidst growing concerns regarding her safety. I love her free spirit, bravery, and kind nature.

Meanwhile, one of Kevin’s daughters is a confessed Clean-Cut fanatic and introvert. Aideen barely makes friends, extremely sensitive, and a rebel in the making, but she’s got a good head and her heart is in the right place. Kevin went through all the hoops to get Aideen accepted at Millburn, an all-girl boarding school.

Kevin, on the other hand, is the supposed parent. Currently unemployed with low self-esteem, and on the low end of digital publishing, he is doing his best to play houseband, while his wife often travels for her work. He has everyone’s best interest at heart, but a very bad judge of character.

Hardiman put together an inspiring plot explored with humor and vibrant Irish culture. Each character’s inner selves are fleshed out engagingly, definitely flawed, but a basket of GOOD EGGS just the same. It’s lovely following the Gogarty family’s misadventures, and how everyone gets a chance to redeem their selves and be closer together in the process.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Hardiman is a former magazine editor who lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children. Good Eggs is her first novel. Photograph by Ron Holtz Studio.

Thanks to Atria and Simon & Schuster CA for the printed galley in exchange for this unbiased review.

This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | MILK FED by Melissa Broder

     

MILK FED by Melissa Broder
Publication: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Scribner,
Simon & Schuster CA
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

A scathingly funny, wildly erotic, and fiercely imaginative story about food, sex, and god from the acclaimed author of The Pisces and So Sad Today.

Rachel is twenty-four, a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. By day, she maintains an illusion of existential control, by way of obsessive food rituals, while working as an underling at a Los Angeles talent management agency. At night, she pedals nowhere on the elliptical machine. Rachel is content to carry on subsisting—until her therapist encourages her to take a ninety-day communication detox from her mother, who raised her in the tradition of calorie counting.

Early in the detox, Rachel meets Miriam, a zaftig young Orthodox Jewish woman who works at her favorite frozen yogurt shop and is intent upon feeding her. Rachel is suddenly and powerfully entranced by Miriam—by her sundaes and her body, her faith and her family—and as the two grow closer, Rachel embarks on a journey marked by mirrors, mysticism, mothers, milk, and honey.

Pairing superlative emotional insight with unabashed vivid fantasy, Broder tells a tale of appetites: physical hunger, sexual desire, spiritual longing, and the ways that we as humans can compartmentalize these so often interdependent instincts. Milk Fed is a tender and riotously funny meditation on love, certitude, and the question of what we are all being fed, from one of our major writers on the psyche—both sacred and profane.

Broder may take some getting used to, especially by people with sensitive palates. I was lucky enough to borrow an audio version from Libby to accompany me during my reading. Narrated by Broder herself, I get to experience how this book should be read and felt firsthand. The story is witty, fragile, and weirdly engaging, all at the same time. MILK FED is told by Rachel, a 24-year-old talent agent and stand-up comedian with an eating disorder. Her problems stemmed from her mother’s aesthetic expectations. Rachel talks about (almost) everything in a vividly tactile manner -yogurt, energy bar, and her sexual imaginings. And she went to some excesses handing out her issues in prickly means, too.

Emotionally damaged, Rachel carried up sensitive issues that, often than not, were badly addressed. She temporarily detoxed herself from her mother, as her therapist advised, but refused to confront her other problems. Her spiral was alarming. And then, she met the yogurt goddess named Miriam.

Miriam is everything un-Rachel. She is bossy, confident, religious, family-oriented, and (most of all) a foodie. Although everything is told from Rachel's perspective, it is both cute and painful to see them together. While Rachel projects Miriam as a motherly figure, she also objectified her in her sexual fantasies, which is one of those issues that were nippily wrapped up. Her problem, though, has nothing to do with her sexual preferences or orientation. She is struggling to pour from an empty cup. Rachel needs to be comfortable in her own skin.

MILK FED is unapologetically raw, a sensory overload, where words are lavishly applied. I do recommend it to anyone else who gravitates toward the damaged and weird.

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About the Author:

Melissa Broder is the author of the novel The Pisces, the essay collection So Sad Today and four poetry collections, including Last Sext. She has written for The New York Times, Elle.com, VICE, Vogue Italia, and New York magazine’s “The Cut.” Her poems have appeared in POETRY, The Iowa Review, Tin House, and Guernica, and she is the winner of a Pushcart Prize for poetry. She lives in Los Angeles. Photograph by Petra Collins.

*Thanks to Scribner, Simon & Schuster Canada for the physical ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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