‘The Lady of the Rivers’ Review

“Philippa Gregory brings to life the story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman of passion and of legend who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the War of the Roses to bring her family unimaginable power.”

The character development was my favorite aspect of this story. We witness Jacquetta’s evolution from a young and innocent girl in a noble family to the wife of a much older man who objectifies her due to her supposed ancestor – a girl who only seeks love but cannot find it. Eventually, she becomes a lover and a woman in her own right, playing a prominent role in English politics. The development of her character is fantastic. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamics among all the nobility throughout the book. Gregory did a great job showcasing each character.

The atmosphere was fairytale-esque and witchy, another part of the novel that I highly enjoyed. While this is historical fiction, it almost felt like a fantasy novel. Many people may not like the book for these elements, finding them too outlandish. However, later in life, Jacquetta was indeed accused of bewitching Edward IV. I believe there must have been some basis for that, even if it was innocent, like the magic depicted in this novel. The story was atmospheric in the best way!

The writing is where I struggled. The words themselves were fine; I had no complaints with that part. My issue comes with the pacing and repetitive nature of the writing. The first two-thirds of the book were medium-paced, and I had no major issues. However, the last third of the book was slow, and I wanted the story to end already. Many plot points were repeated. Yes, these events are historical, but I wish that some had been glossed over. The way the story was told was fine, but it became lengthy and repetitive.

The plot was great. The Lady of the Rivers is a woman who has yet to have an actual historical biography written about her. This account is fiction, but I still enjoyed learning about her. She was around many influential people of her time and was a major player herself. The story showed what it was like to be a woman in Medieval Europe and the trials that came with it.

The character work was my favorite part of this story. The story was atmospheric in the best way! However, I struggled with the writing. The story effectively depicted the challenges faced by women in Medieval Europe. Overall, it was a great book, but it didn’t become a new favorite.

4 out of 5 stars.

‘Annapolis’ Book Review

Annapolis by William Martin is a good fit for those who are interested in historical fiction that explores the proud traditions and romanticized ideals of the United States Navy, with a focus on the Stafford and Parrish families’ contributions to the nation’s military history.

The characters were placed for the sake of having characters and showcasing historical events. That isn’t to say that I didn’t like them, but they were not that well-developed, and once we hit the American Civil War, I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. There is also a lot of white saviorism in this book, and I know many people don’t like to read that, so I did want to make note of it in my review.

As you can tell by the title, the majority of the story takes place in Annapolis and the surrounding shores of the Chesapeake. The writing of the setting was spot-on, based on my own experiences in the area. It was so vivid and touched on all the senses.

The writing was fine. I liked how we had the two timelines and that the ‘historical’ settings were a part of a book that one of the characters was writing. However, it was episodic, and I think that is why I had a hard time connecting with the characters. There were a lot of loose ends between time periods that had me questioning. It was an interesting premise and take on a typical historical fiction novel.

The plot is the part that I am most excited to write about. As stated with the characters, I think the author really wanted to show the history of the navy as well as this country. The story was episodic, going from one war to the next. This book was very informative, and I learned a lot about some more forgotten bits of American history like fighting with Barbary pirates, the founding of the Navy, the War of 1812, and the Spanish-American War. However, WWI and Korea still remain forgotten. I learned a ton though, and that is my goal from reading.

The characters seemed to be placed primarily to serve as vehicles for showcasing historical events, but the vivid atmosphere evoked by the writing truly engaged the senses. The premise offered an intriguing take on the typical historical fiction novel. Despite some flaws, I found the book informative and fulfilling my goal of learning from reading. Overall, I would recommend it as a good read.

3.25 out of 5 stars.

‘Kindred’ Reader’s Guide Answers

Both Kevin and Dana know that they can’t change history: “We’re in the middle of history. We surely can’t change it.” (page100); and “It’s over . . . There’s nothing you can do to change any of it now.” (page 264). What, then, are the purposes of Dana’ s travels back to the antebellum South? Why must you, the reader, experience this journey with Dana? – I think this book was probably really eye-opening at the time (1979) in showing the brutality of slavery, and how naive the modern population is, and that we shouldn’t forget our history and where our nation came from.
How would the story have been different with a third person narrator? – I do not think the story would have been different with a third-person narrator. Personally, I prefer third person, but I believe the same points would still have been conveyed.
Many of the characters within Kindred resist classification. In what ways does Dana explode the slave stereotypes? In what ways does she transcend them? – Dana transcends these roles by teaching and educating the other slaves. I believe it’s the magic of her ability to time travel, while the others cannot, that ultimately leaves a sense of wonder and raises questions about her.
Despite Dana’s conscious effort to refuse the ‘mammy’ role in the Weylin household, she finds herself caught within it: “I felt like Sarah, cautioning.” (page 156), and others see her as the mammy: “You sound just like Sarah” (page 159). How, if at all, does Dana reconcile this behavior? How would you reconcile it? – I do not think Dana reconciles her conscious efforts with her behavior. I never really noticed this behavior to begin with. I don’t think I would reconcile them. I would just continue to live my life not caring what others thought.
I do think that in the 21st century, we still have conditioned responses to slavery because of what people have been taught in school for so long. Many people don’t really care for history; they just acknowledge that ‘yes, this is bad,’ but they don’t truly realize the brutality of it.
How do you think Butler confronts us with issues of difference in Kindred? How does she challenge us to consider boundaries of black/white, master/slave, husband/wife, past/present? What other differences does she convolute? Do you think such dichotomies are flexible? Artificial? Useful? – Butler challenges us to consider the boundaries between the people in the story by showing the complex relationships between all of the characters. As for other differences, I think it really shows the differences in time periods and how far we have come as a country, but also how there are still a lot of the same stigmas.
Compare Tom Weylin and Rufus Weylin. Is Rufus an improvement or simply an alteration of his father? Where, if any, is there evidence of Dana’s influence on the young Rufus in his adult character? – I don’t think there really can be an improvement between Rufus and his father. Both were awful, and both did terrible things. I do think you can see hints of Dana’s influence on Rufus, mainly in regards to his children, but I won’t go into too much detail, as I don’t want to spoil the story.
Of the slaves’ attitude toward Rufus, Dana observes “Strangely, they seemed to like him, hold him in contempt, and fear him at the same time.” (page 229) How is it they can feel these contradictory emotions? How would you feel toward Rufus if you were in their situation? – I couldn’t feel these contradictory emotions. I don’t think any of the slave characters seemed to like Rufus. I think they all thought he was a bit of a pest and annoying, and I would feel just like them. I would hate him too if I were in their situation.
Compare Dana’s ‘professional’ life (i.e. her work as temporary help) in the present with her life as a slave. – Dana’s professional life in the present, with her riding, allows her to do something she wants to do. She gets to choose her job, so obviously it is way better than her life as a slave.
When Dana and Kevin return from the past together, she thinks to herself: “I felt as though I were losing my place here in my own time. Rufus’s time was a sharper, stronger reality.” (page 191) Why would the twentieth century seem less vivid to Dana than the past? – I think the 20th century will seem less vivid to Dana than the 19th century because it was so brutal in the past, and people were just trying to survive. In the 20th century, they had the pleasure of doing what they wanted. They had freedom.
Dana loses her left arm as she emerges—for the last time in the novel—from the past. Why is this significant? – From what the author has said, this is significant because everybody came away from slavery broken. Even today you can still see the impact it had on society . In how it divided people.
Kevin is stranded in the past five years, while Dana is there for almost one. Is there a reason why Butler felt Kevin needed to stay in the past so much longer? How have their experiences affected their relationship to each other and to the world around them? – I saw Butler felt the need to have Kevin stay in the past so much longer than Dana, so he could truly understand the experience that she was going through because for a white man it was easier tremendously easier than to be a black woman in the 19th century, I think it definitely affected their relationship to each other, because of how different the mentality and morals were of the past.
A common trend in the time-travels of science fiction assumes that one should not tamper with the past, lest s/he disrupt the present. Butler’s characters obviously ignore this theory and continue to invade each other’s lives. How does this influence the movement of the narrative? How does this convolute the idea of ’cause and effect’? – This influences the movement of the narrative by characters, not having to be scared or constantly having to have the same train of thought to me. It did not convolute the idea of cause-and-effect at all.
Dana finds herself caught in the middle of the relationship between Rufus and Alice? Why does Rufus use Dana to get to Alice? Does Alice use Dana? – Rufus uses Dana to get to Alice because he sees them as the same woman he doesn’t see them as their own person so he thinks that Dana thinks like Alice does I would say Alice does use Dana as well because she knows that Dana have some kind of holdover Rufus, because of her abilities to travel through time.
The needs and well-being of other residents of the plantation create a web of obligation that is difficult to navigate. Choose a specific incident; and determine who holds power over whom and assess how it affects that situation. – I think Dana holds a lot of obligation because she ultimately knows what will happen in history to all of these people maybe not individually but as a whole.
Dana states: “It was that destructive single-minded love of his. He loved me. Not the way he loved Alice, thank God. He didn’t seem to want to sleep with me. But he wanted me around—someone to talk to, someone who would listen to him and care about what he said, care about it.” (page 180) How does the relationship between Dana and Rufus develop? How does it change? What are the different levels of love portrayed in Kindred? – The relationship between Dana and Rufus develops of her, taking care of him after all his near death experiences, and that they hold each others lives in their hands in a sense, but like any relationship, you can grow tired of the other person just from constant neglect of the relationship and I think you can really see that here all different levels of lover portrayed in Kindred, romantic family. There are so many complex relationships in the story.
Discuss the ways in which the title encapsulates the relationships within the novel. Is it ironic? Literal? Metaphorical? What emphasis do we place on our own kinship? How does it compare with that of the novel? – I think the title is ironic, literal and metaphorical. You can take it in any way you want; literature is art and it’s meant to be interpreted by the reader. I’m not sure how it compares with that of the novel; it’s something that I would definitely have to think about.
Do you believe that Dana and Kevin’s story actually happened to them, or that they simply got caught up in the nostalgia of moving old papers and books? – I do believe that Dana and Kevin story actually happen because it is us too far out to get caught up in nostalgia, examining old papers and books.
Butler opens the novel with the conclusion of Dana’s time travels. The final pages of the book, however, make up an epilogue demonstrating a, once again, linearly progressive movement of time. How does the epilogue serve to disrupt the rhythm of the narrative? – I do not think the epilogue serves to disrupt the rhythm of the narrative. I thought it fit in with the story perfectly as the characters were getting closure on the events that they went through.
After returning from his years in the nineteenth-century, Kevin had attained “a slight accent” (page 190). Is this `slight’ alteration symbolic of greater changes to come? How do you imagine Kevin and Dana’s relationship will progress following their re-emergence into life in 1976? – I do think this alteration is symbolic of greater chances change is to come I think that being in the past for so long definitely did change Kevin’s mentality how I imagined Kevin and Dana‘s relationship of progress following reentry to life in 1976 I can see them staying as a couple because they went through this incredible traumatic journey together, but also how the mentalities were impacted as I keep saying I don’t know if it would be good for them to stay together or not.

SPOILERS – ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Readers Guide Questions

Alex and Poppy became unlikely friends in college. Alex went on to become a teacher, and Poppy, a travel writer. Each summer, they take a trip together, until two summers ago when an event took place that caused the friends to go their separate ways. In the present, Poppy calls Alex and makes plans to take one final trip to save their friendship.

When they first meet, Alex and Poppy are immediately put off by each other. Have you ever made a friend after a bad first impression?

I cannot recall a specific instance of someone initially giving me bad vibes and then that person becoming a friend. However, there have been occasions where I found someone annoying at first, only to later become friends with them. So, I would answer this question with a yes.

2. What’s something that you do on vacation that you’re unlikely to do in your daily life? Is there a certain comfort to anonymity?

Believe it or not, I tend to have a hard time picking up and reading a book while on vacation. There are just so many other things to do and look at that I cannot make myself focus on a book. I would say that there is a comfort in anonymity. I generally like to be left alone, and people tend not to interact with strangers. At the same time, I just live my life like I would anywhere. Location does not matter.

3. Have you ever met a goal and found that your reaction was not quite what you expected?

Definitely, you tend to think that there will be a big celebration for completion, but it usually tends to be more of a relief off your shoulders.

4. Poppy is going through professional burnout. Have you ever experienced that kind of fatigue? How did you get through it?

To be honest, I did not pick up on Poppy going through that burnout at all in this book. Towards the end, she randomly said she just wanted to quit her job, and I was like, okay… It is only human to experience this kind of fatigue, and I definitely do every so often. I usually just push through it and keep doing what I do every day. Another thing I recommend is watching a content creator who does the same thing as you, and that often encourages motivation.

5. Which vacation of Alex and Poppy’s would you most want to take? Which would you least want to take?

For the most part, definitely Tuscany. That trip did not go well for the characters, but it is in my top three places I want to go because of all the history. The next question of where I would least like to go is hard to answer. There is adventure in each and every place, but I guess that I will go with Nashville. I have been several times, and it’s not too far from me, and the culture is relatively the same as where I live.

6. Having grown up in a small town, Poppy struggles to break free of her reputation – or at least struggles to believe she can do so. When have you felt misunderstood, and how did you get past it?

I felt most misunderstood in my late teenage years—high school and in the years directly after that. Sometimes you just have to take a step back, work on yourself, and then surround yourself with the right people.

8. Why do you think it takes so long for Alex and Poppy to admit their feelings for each other?

I honestly have no clue. It’s unrealistic that it would take nearly a decade for them to do so. I guess maybe just the wrong place and wrong time, but in all honesty, once again, it’s unrealistic.

9. Rachel has a lot to say about contentment versus purpose. In your own life, do you prize one above the other? Are these ideas mutually exclusive, or can you have both?

In my own life, I never think about this. In my opinion, I think this is subjective. I would like to think that you can have both rather than them being mutually exclusive.

10. Do you think that Poppy and Alex are going to make it?

I did not feel a romantic connection between these characters whatsoever. No, I do not think they will make it as a couple and will resort to being friends again, or maybe just acquaintances.

‘Torch’ Book Review

“Work hard. Do good. Be incredible!” is the advice Teresa Rae Wood shares with the listeners of her local radio show, Modern Pioneers , and the advice she strives to live by every day. She has fled a bad marriage and rebuilta life with her children, Claire and Joshua, and their caring stepfather, Bruce. Their love for each other binds them as a family through the daily struggles of making ends meet. But when they received unexpected news that Teresa, only 38, is dying of cancer, their lives all begin to unravel and drift apart. Strayed’s intimate portraits of these fully human characters in a time of crisis show the varying truths of grief, forgiveness, and the beautiful terrors of learning how to keep living.

These characters are the most authentic I’ve read in a long time. Teresa and Joshua were the ones I connected with the most. Teresa is a mother who falls ill, and I’ve never read from a character who receives a terminal diagnosis. Joshua, her teenage son, deeply affected me because I saw how his mother’s diagnosis, and ultimately her death, impacted his life, and what loss can do to a person. I didn’t really connect with the character of Claire, which is a shock as she’s the character I’m closest in age with. I didn’t like her, but when you go through such a traumatic event, you’re often not a likable person. Ultimately, I just wasn’t drawn to her chapters. Bruce is a character who grew on me throughout the novel. I think he’s a good person, but loss can change us as individuals and transform us. Great character work!

The atmosphere is what blew me away, I wasn’t expecting it to be so powerful. This book is set in a small town in Minnesota, and the author masterfully brought that town to life, along with the Mississippi River, making those settings almost characters in their own right. I love reading about the changing of seasons, and I think the author did a fantastic job portraying this.

While the first chapter initially enamored me with Cheryl Strayed’s choice of language, it eventually felt as though she was using an excess of words, as if she had a certain word count to reach for the book to be published. The story began to drag on and became quite tedious, turning what was once an enjoyable reading experience into something of a chore, especially with chapters that spanned over 20 pages. The overall story was hard to follow, as the way time jumps were all over the place, taking me out of the story as I had to figure out if we were in the past or present.

The author’s portrayal of themes such as loss and grief was commendably done. These are universal experiences that all humans must endure at some point in their lives. While these experiences can be painful, they also hold the transformative power to shape us, often for the better. Not only do they bring us closer together, but they also allow us to grow as individuals. The authenticity and humanity within the story were palpable, truly underscoring the author’s skill in encapsulating such complex emotions and experiences.

These characters are the most authentic I’ve read in a long time. Great character work! The atmosphere is what blew me away, I wasn’t expecting it to be so powerful. I love reading about the changing of seasons, and I think the author did a fantastic job portraying this. While the first chapter initially enamored me with Cheryl Strayed’s choice of language, it eventually felt as though she was using an excess of words, as if she had a certain word count to reach for the book to be published. The overall story was hard to follow, as the way time jumps were all over the place, taking me out of the story as I had to figure out if we were in the past or present. The author’s portrayal of themes such as loss and grief was commendably done. The authenticity and humanity within the story were palpable, truly underscoring the author’s skill in encapsulating such complex emotions and experiences. This was a good and I would still recommend it even if it did not live up to my five star expectation.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

January Book Haul

In 2024, I am allowing myself to buy as many books as I read the month before. In January, that number is eleven. However, you will see more than eleven books included. Why is that? I did receive one gift, aka I did not buy that book, and all my Book of the Month subscription books will only count as one. Let’s get into the haul!

Jezebel by Megan Barnard

When Jezebel learns she can’t be a king like her father simply because she’s a girl, she vows never to become someone’s decorative wife, nameless and lost to history. At fifteen she’s married off, despite her protests, to Prince Ahab of Israel. There, she does what she must to gain power and remake the dry and distant kingdom in the image of her beloved, prosperous seaside homeland of Tyre, beginning by building temples to the gods she grew up worshipping. As her initiatives usher in an era of prosperity for Israel, her new subjects love her, and her name rings through the land.

I picked up ‘Jezebel’ at Barnes and Noble. It caught my attention after reading ‘The Red Tent,’ a book I loved in 2023. I wanted to add more biblical retellings to my TBR list!

The Prospectors by Ariel Djanikian

Bringing the Klondike and turn-of-the-century California to vivid life, Ariel Djanikian weaves an ambitious narrative of claiming the American Dream and its rippling effects across generations. Sweeping and awe-inspiring, The Prospectors is an unforgettable story of family loyalties that interrogates the often-overlooked hostilities and inequities born during the Gold Rush era.

I’ll be honest; the cover drew me in when I saw the sun reflecting on the gold at Barnes and Noble. Upon opening the book, I discovered it’s a family saga with two timelines, and of course, I was sold. Funny thing is, I had no idea this was on my ‘want to read’ list on Goodreads! I guess I know my taste well.

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

Ireland is falling apart. The country is in the grip of a government turning towards tyranny and when her husband disappears, Eilish finds herself caught within the nightmare logic of a society that is quickly unravelling.

This is the book I set out to buy on my Barnes and Noble trip. I aim to read as many Booker Prize-nominated books as possible. The bonus here is that it’s a dystopian novel with an Irish setting!

Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan

Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn’t have. But he’s willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means relying on his dad. Al Munson has just stumbled back into Eddie’s life with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It’s a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins.

This one caught me by surprise. I had no idea this book existed until it popped up on Amazon one day. Having read all the other Stranger Things books and generally enjoyed them, I’ll be continuing the series with this one. My expectations aren’t high, as it seems like this book may be more of a fan service for Joseph Quinn fans. However, I hope I’m wrong and end up enjoying it!

Elvis and Me by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley

Decades after his death, millions of fans continue to worship Elvis the legend. But very few knew him as Elvis the man. Here in her own words, Priscilla Presley tells the story of their love, revealing the details of their first meeting, their marriage, their affairs, their divorce, and the unbreakable bond that has remained long after his tragic death.

In late December, I watched the movie ‘Priscilla,’ which is based on this book. It was an alright film, but I believe the book will offer much more insight into Priscilla’s life!

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

A dazzling magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez,The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to save his family, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.

We’ve reached the Book of the Month books. This one was my January pick. I’m a fan of a good western and family saga. Plus, being compared to Gabriel García Márquez – need I say more?

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father’s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they’ve always known—or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.

I noticed that ‘Mercury’ is set in the 1990s. I love books from that time period; they always evoke a sense of nostalgia for me. Being a nostalgia chaser, I couldn’t say no to this ‘historical’ novel.

The End of October by Lawerence Wright

At an internment camp in Indonesia, forty-seven people are pronounced dead with acute hemorrhagic fever. When epidemiologist Henry Parsons travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, what he finds will have staggering repercussions. Halfway across the globe, the deputy director of U.S. Homeland Security scrambles to mount a response to the rapidly spreading pandemic leapfrogging around the world, which she believes may be the result of an act of biowarfare. And a rogue experimenter in man-made diseases is preparing his own terrifying solution.

In January, I focused on reading science fiction so I did want to buy more of those as my stack has dwindled. One of my favorite sci-fi tropes is pandemic fiction. And then I lived that in real life… that only makes it more fun (?) to compare how a pandemic is on paper versus in person.

Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

After five years of conflict, the planets Eiram and E’ronoh are on the cusp of real peace. But when news breaks of a disaster at the treaty signing on Jedha, violence reignites on the beleaguered worlds. Together, the royal heirs of both planets—Phan-tu Zenn and Xiri A’lbaran—working alongside the Jedi, have uncovered evidence that the conflict is being orchestrated by outside forces, and all signs point to the mysterious Path of the Open Hand, whom the Jedi also suspect of causing the disaster on Jedha.

As mentioned earlier, I delved into a lot of sci-fi in January, and one of those books happened to be ‘Convergence,’ the prequel to this one. I’m determined to do a better job at getting through series instead of letting the plot fade and the book sit there for years. Here’s to doing better in 2024!

City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling

In what will be the greatest city in the New World, the fortunes of these two families are inextricably entwined by blood and fire in an unforgettable American saga of pride and ambition, love and hate, and the becoming of the dream that is New York City.

It’s pretty obvious that I love big chunky historical novels. This is the first book of a series, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to go down that rabbit hole. I found it at a used bookstore called Books and Moore in Calabash, North Carolina.

The Physical Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history – the Salem witch trials.

It’s kind of crazy how I found this one. The night before my trip to Calabash, I was scrolling through Goodreads and came across this book with dual timelines and about witches. I added it to my ‘want to read’ list and had no idea I would find it the next day. It’s so rare to discover a book you just heard about at the used bookstore the next day!

Fortunes of War: The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning

The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning

The Balkan Trilogy is the story of a marriage and of a war, a vast, teeming, and complex masterpiece in which Olivia Manning brings the uncertainty and adventure of civilian existence under political and military siege to vibrant life. Manning’s focus is not the battlefield but the café and kitchen, the bedroom and street, the fabric of the everyday world that has been irrevocably changed by war, yet remains unchanged.

I discovered this trilogy through the YouTube channel Hard Cover Hearts. I’m intrigued to learn about a new place in a time that I have already learned so much about. I purchased this book at the best independent bookstore I have visited in South Carolina, and that is Book Ends in North Myrtle Beach.

Mister Hockey by Lia Riley

For fans of Icebreaker—sparks fly between a hockey player with a dirty mouth and an awkward bookworm in this spicy hockey romance.

A hockey book set in the NHL and not at the collegiate level? Oh my! Yeah, I had to grab it off the shelf at Target. It’s short, so it will be perfect for adding to my reading list of romance books for February, and it was on sale!

The Employee by Olga Ravn

Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, The Employees reshuffles a sci-fi voyage into a riotously original existential nightmare. Aboard the interstellar Six Thousand Ship, the human and humanoid crew members complain about their daily tasks in a series of staff reports and memos. When the ship takes on a number of strange objects from the planet New Discovery, the crew becomes deeply attached to them, even as tensions boil toward mutiny, especially among the humanoids. In chilling, crackling, and exhilarating prose, The Employees probes into what makes us human, while delivering a hilariously stinging critique of life governed by the logic of productivity.

Lastly, we have the book that was gifted to me by Ben. Thank you! This is our only piece of translated fiction on the list, and it is coming to us from Denmark. I have seen several reviews for this book on YouTube and cannot wait to give it a try. I plan on reading it this week!

Five Star Book Prediction Project 2024

Each year, I select twelve or so books that I think will be the best of the best. These books do not have to be published in that year, 2024, to make the list. In past years, I tried to choose a book from each genre, but this year, I am just choosing whatever calls to me, so there might be more of one genre than the others. That being said, here are the books that I think will be my favorite books in 2024!

Torch by Cheryl Strayed

“Work hard. Do good. Be incredible!” is the advice Teresa Rae Wood shares with the listeners of her local radio show, Modern Pioneers , and the advice she strives to live by every day. She has fled a bad marriage and rebuilt a life with her children, Claire and Joshua, and their caring stepfather, Bruce. Their love for each other binds them as a family through the daily struggles of making ends meet. But when they receive unexpected news that Teresa, only 38, is dying of cancer, their lives all begin to unravel and drift apart. Strayed’s intimate portraits of these fully human characters in a time of crisis show the varying truths of grief, forgiveness, and the beautiful terrors of learning how to keep living.

I have added ‘Torch’ to this list because I devoured the author’s nonfiction book, “Wild.” This one has themes of familiar relationships, which is something that I love to read about, as every family always has such a different dynamic but then underlying similarities. Grief is also a theme that I have come to enjoy — that sounds morbid — to read, as it is something that every person will go through at some point in their life.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana’s life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

Time travel is one of my favorite tropes when done properly, and Kindred has to be a classic for some reason. I have faith that it will be done well. I also love historical stories that take place in the American South. I am curious about how the themes will be handled in this story.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

In A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come.

“Priory of the Orange Tree” is one of the best fantasy novels that I have ever read, and I cannot wait to be placed back into that universe. This story follows four women and how they shape future generations, another kind of plot that I love. This story was also nominated for ‘best fantasy of 2023’ at Goodreads, so that gives me high hopes that it will be as good as the other book set in the same universe.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenage single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

I am drawn to stories set in the mountains of Appalachia. One of my favorite books of last year, “Betty,” has a similar atmosphere and theme. This is also a Charles Dickens retelling, in a sense. Dickens is one of my favorite classic writers, so I am eager to see Kingsolver’s take on it.

North Woods by Daniel Mason

Traversing cycles of history, nature, and even literature, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we’re connected to our environment and to one another, across time, language and space. Written along with the seasons and divided into the twelve months of the year, it is an unforgettable novel about secrets and fates that asks the timeless how do we live on, even after we’re gone?

”North Woods” is a newer release by an author that I have not read from. Those two things can be intimidating as a reader, but I am here to conquer them. I love books that show what history is, how everything and everyone are connected. The thought of that blows my mind. This book is also set at one house, throughout the centuries. I love stories where the location becomes a character in itself, and I believe that will be done here.

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history.

When an object has a history, there is always a story to be told, similar to the house being a character in North Woods. I will also admit, I was a horse girl when I was in elementary school, and I have made several trips to bluegrass country in Kentucky. The atmosphere and plot are what drive this pick.

Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh

The Christmas season offers little cheer for Eileen Dunlop, an unassuming yet disturbed young woman trapped between her role as her alcoholic father’s caretaker in a home whose squalor is the talk of the neighborhood and a day job as a secretary at the boys’ prison, filled with its own quotidian horrors. Consumed by resentment and self-loathing, Eileen tempers her dreary days with perverse fantasies and dreams of escaping to the big city. In the meantime, she fills her nights and weekends with shoplifting, stalking a buff prison guard named Randy, and cleaning up her increasingly deranged father’s messes. When the bright, beautiful, and cheery Rebecca Saint John arrives on the scene as the new counselor at Moorehead, Eileen is enchanted and proves unable to resist what appears at first to be a miraculously budding friendship. In a Hitchcockian twist, her affection for Rebecca ultimately pulls her into complicity in a crime that surpasses her wildest imaginings.

Otessa Moshfegh is great at character work, and I learned that through one of her previous works that I loved but did not become a new favorite. I am hoping that Eileen will push through and be the one that becomes a five-star. The mentions of this book taking place at Christmas time piqued my interest, and I have had several people recommend this book to me.

Matrix by Lauren Groff

Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, 17-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease.

I have read half of Lauren Groff’s catalog and have loved each of those books. She is one of my favorite authors, and now we are throwing in a historical setting that I love. Lauren Groff’s writing and then this medieval times setting sound like a go for me!

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

This book has my favorite trope, and that is following one family through multiple generations throughout the years in a historical setting. It also looks like it has the theme of generational trauma and how it has an impact on us, something that I am always keen to learn about. I also do not know a lot about Indian history and am intrigued to learn more from this story.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

The author of award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.

This is the wild card of the bunch. When I first read Hament, I honestly thought of donating the book, but I realized I kept thinking about it all the time. Maybe it would be better to reread. Now, one might question why I add a book by the same author to this list? The Medici are a family who fascinated me, and I research quite often. I will take any book I can find about them. This one is especially intriguing because it is about a lesser-known member of the family. One of the themes is also womanhood, which is always interesting to see how womanhood has not changed much in the centuries and then how there are blasting differences.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that Esther’s insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic.

I wanted to have one classic on the list, and this is it. A modern classic. Mental health is the biggest issue in the United States and it needs to be shown in media more. I have heard tremendous things about the work of Plath and how authentic and sometimes relatable her work is. That says a lot with this being a classic and comparing it to being a woman today.

‘Migrations’ Book Review

Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool—a passionate love affair, an absent family, a devastating crime—it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny’s dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?

Franny, I have a hard time saying I loved her as a character. She is not a good person, but I felt some kind of love for her as a person. I would not want to know her personally, but I do love her soul even if she sees it as a curse. I loved the wanderer that she was. I loved the journey of life that I got to read in ‘Migrations’. I did have some fault with the side characters; I was scared at the start of the story that there would be too many characters in too little of a space to develop them fully. My reservations were only a tiny bit correct. Two of the men on the ship, Dae and Mal, had no layers at all. The other four crew members were more developed, but I don’t understand what their motivations were. There was great characterization with the main character, but the side characters were a bit lacking.

The atmosphere was absolutely the best part of the novel. It was enchanting. Ireland is a land of stories, and we see the impact that Irish culture had on other parts of the world, such as Australia and Canada. This setting has led me on a chase to find other stories with a similar vibe. It was all new but left such an impact on me.

A quote on the back of the book stated that the story is enchanting but not in the manner of a fairy tale. It is haunting in some ways. There’s this knowing of something bad in the past and that it could impact the present at any moment. This novel was also very informative on birds and the impact that humans have on nature. I was enchanted and informed by this book.

The plot is not just what you see in the summary on the flap of the cover. To be honest, I think that is more of the background story. The forefront being that life, in general, is a migration of our soul, going from one stop to the next until we meet our meaning. I just loved how that theme was handled. There was plenty of symbolism between our main character, Franny, and the arctic terns that she was tracking. A great and subtle story that brings out more than you expect from it.

There was great characterization with the main character, but the side characters were a bit lacking. The atmosphere was absolutely the best part of the novel. I was enchanted and informed by the writing of this book. A great and subtle story that brings out more than you expect from it. I loved this book but it is not a new favorite book.

4.4 out of 5 stars.

‘Red Rising’ Book Review

“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown is a dystopian science fiction novel set on Mars in a future society stratified by color-coded castes. The protagonist, Darrow, belongs to the lowest caste, the Reds, who work as miners to terraform the planet. After a personal tragedy, Darrow discovers the truth about the oppressive society and joins a rebel group known as the Sons of Ares. Through a transformative process, he infiltrates the Gold caste, the ruling class, to bring about change from within. The novel explores themes of rebellion, power, and social hierarchy, with intense action and political intrigue driving the narrative. “Red Rising” is the first book in a trilogy and has gained praise for its engaging plot and complex characters.

I could not connect with Darrow as a character. His dialogue was dry, and there was little to no inner dialogue. This could have been improved by giving him character development, of which I saw small hints, and I am certain that he has to grow throughout the series as this is only the first installment. If the reader had more time with him in the mines, an emotional connection could have been easier to build. There needed to be more development and inner dialogue.

The atmosphere was inspired by Roman history and mythology; I found this rather intriguing and think it makes the story more accessible, as there were names and myths that the average person would be familiar with. However, I did have a hard time actually picturing the world in my head. The author would have benefited from using more descriptive writing.

The writing was accessible, easy, and readable. The story was fast-paced. As stated before, the story would have improved with inner dialogue and more descriptive writing. With that being said, it was very dry. I hated that this was in the first-person perspective rather than third. First-person does work well for some genres, but science fiction is not one of them. The writing was my biggest problem with the book.

If I had read ‘Red Rising’ ten years ago, I would have loved it. The plot is very reminiscent of ‘The Hunger Games’: a poor person goes to the big city to take down the empire and partake in a to-the-death style game. There are more similarities, but I will not list them all. This is just a more adult style of the dystopian books that were coming out at the time it was published in 2013. As I have read many of those, this story was not unique or anything new to me.

I could not connect with Darrow as a character. There needed to be more development and inner dialogue. The atmosphere was inspired by Roman history and mythology; I found this rather intriguing and think it makes the story more accessible, as there were names and myths that the average person would be familiar with. The author would have benefited from using more descriptive writing. The writing was accessible, easy, and readable. The writing was my biggest problem with the book. If I had read ‘Red Rising’ ten years ago, I would have loved it. This story was not unique or anything new to me. This read did nothing for me, and if you are familiar with the science fiction genre, I would not recommend picking it up. However, it would be a good starting book if you are new to the genre.

2.4 out of 5 stars.

‘1632’ Book Review

“1632” by Eric Flint is a science fiction novel that explores the concept of time travel. The story begins in the year 2000 when a small American town named Grantville is mysteriously transported back in time to the year 1631, right in the middle of the Thirty Years’ War in Germany.

The characters were pretty flat. Sure, I liked Rebecca, but overall, they did not develop much over the course of the story. That says a lot when a book is over five hundred pages. Hopefully, throughout the course of the series, they do grow. The female characters were all ‘girl bosses’; they could shoot guns and make a room of men cry. I would just like to see more diversity than that. As for the men, I began to forget who was who by the end. This book had poor characterization.

The atmosphere left me gaping with questions. Why did this time slip happen? Were other places experiencing the same thing? Could the people of Grantsville go to the rest of America? We saw what the rulers of Europe thought, but what was the president thinking about one of his town’s vanishing and going back to the past? I am picky when a science fiction book takes place in our own world. I need logic. This book could have been so much bigger, and I would have enjoyed it more if it had been.

The writing was very accessible. Thankfully, it was easy and fast to get through, which is something rare for the genre of science fiction.

A lot of my complaints from the other points come into play with the plot as well. Eric Flint must have had a lot of faith in Americans. I truly do not believe if this story happened in the real world, as it does, it would play out this way. Then again, this book was published nearly twenty-five years ago, and America has changed a lot in that time. What I mean is, I do not believe all the citizens of the town would come together, and no one would really question a time slip. I also do not believe the characters from the European past would adjust so well to our modern world. The atmosphere did leave a lot of holes for me as I still do not have a complete understanding of what was going on. This is a unique premise of a plot, but it was not executed properly by Flint.

The characters were pretty flat, and this book had poor characterization. The atmosphere left me gaping with questions. This book could have been so much bigger, and I would have enjoyed it more if it had been. The writing was very accessible, thankfully, making it easy and fast to get through, which is something rare for the genre of science fiction. A lot of my complaints from the other points come into play with the plot as well. This is a unique premise of a plot, but it was not executed properly by Flint. I would not recommend this book to others.

2 out of 5 stars.