gilda_elise | Entries tagged with alphabet soup 2024

International distress alerts are sent out when planes first seem to disappear, disturbing concepts of space and time and leaving a trail of death and disillusionment. This bizarre series of "cosmic skyjackings" is shrouded in secrecy by a baffled and frightened military. Intense surveillance fails to reveal the cause of a seemingly hostile yet invisible enemy. Aircraft continue to disappear, plucked out of the sky without warning, only to reappear months later, thousands of miles off course.

National and global security is under threat and the ICARUS committee is formed to investigate. Military officials, the government and the FBI work alongside physician Mark Freedman and Soviet scientists to uncover the supernatural mystery that lies behind these unexplainable events. Earth has been found by a horde of creatures that not even the wildest imagination could invent - sinister parasitic creatures that took to their human hosts with deadly speed and bloodthirsty precision.

The terror that unfolds has terrifying consequences for all involved, and the invasion reveals something much more frightening and final than ever suspected.

I thought too much time was spent setting up the situation, so that it dragged, but the rest of the story was rather rushed. No sooner was the enemy understood, than we’re at the end. And not a happy one. Given the ending of the other books I’ve read by Jones, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

The zeno are really creepy, but the people in charge are maybe too creeped out. They do stupid things like watching the creature come forth without any protective gear; fall apart after seeing them. And I thought the “let’s keep this a secret from everyone” a bit overplayed. Especially since, in the end, it was probably their biggest mistake.

And I didn’t understand the connection to god. Jones seemed to be under the impression that extraterrestrials means there’s a god, that the USSR will fall apart because there being a god will destroy the premise behind communism. He doesn’t explain how he got from one thing to the other, which makes it even more confusing. The premise of the book is an interesting one, but one undermined by Jones' going off in tangents.

( Mount TBR 2024 Book Links 1-40 )

41. Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith
42. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
43. Yankee Privateer (Lyon Family #1) by Andre Norton
44. Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde
45. Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson
46. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
47. The Zero Stone (Murdoc Jern #1) by Andre Norton
48. Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV by Karleen Koen
49. Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon
50. Caballero: A Historical Novel by Jovita Gonzalez, Eve Raleigh
51. The Upwelling (The Hidden #1) by F. Paul Wilson
52. Xeno by D. F. Jones

Xeno

CHALLENGE COMPLETE

Goodreads 52

Creepy character/object (House, doll, child, etc.)
1. Night Songs by Charles L. Grant
2. Xeno by D. F. Jones

A gem trader and a feline mutant unite to find the truth behind a mysterious stone rumored to be the key to all the power in the universe.

Apprentice gem trader Murdoc Jern lives on Angkor, a thriving hub of interstellar trade. One day, a furtive visitor brings him a ring discovered on an alien corpse. It’s made of age-pitted metal surrounding a dull and lifeless stone. Yet it exerts a powerful hold on Murdoc. And when his father is killed, Murdoc begins a quest, taking with him his only legacy, the mysterious ring, which he knows is the key to his dad’s death.

Accompanied by Eet, a feline mutant with paranormal powers, Murdoc hurtles through space, where he’s pursued by a religious order called the Green Robes. His journey takes him to distant planets and once-great armies marooned on vanished worlds. In a desperate battle to learn the ultimate meaning of the Zero Stone, Murdoc must bargain for his freedom—and his life—and confront the fate that befalls seekers of knowledge.

Just as the other Norton books I’ve read recently, this story started out slow, but eventually picked up the pace as I was drawn into the story. And while nominally a juvenile book, again, like other Norton books, they can be read and enjoyed by adults.

I did come to her writing as a young girl, which may make me a bit prejudiced when it comes to her books, but I don’t think so. I enjoyed the book because of the intriguing plot and the compelling characters. Because, no matter how un-hard sci-fi the story is, it’s easy to fall into the worlds she’s built.

And then there’s Eet, half cat, half, well, we really don’t know at this point what the other half is. But he’s an oddly intriguing character. He isn’t at all the cuddly alien one would think. Perhaps we’ll find out in The Uncharted Stars.

( Mount TBR 2024 Book Links 1-30 )

31. The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
32. Taming the Street: The Old Guard, the New Deal, and FDR's Fight to Regulate American Capitalism by Diana B. Henriques
33. Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde
34. Legends by Robert Silverberg (Editor/Contributor)
35. The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next 1) by Jasper Fforde
36. Echoes of an Alien Sky by James P. Hogan
37. Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
38. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
39. The Hike by Susi Holliday
40. The Opal-Eyed Fan by Andre Norton
41. Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith
42. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
43. Yankee Privateer (Lyon Family #1) by Andre Norton
44. Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde
45. Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson
46. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
47. The Zero Stone (Murdoc Jern #1) by Andre Norton

Zero Stone, The

Andre Norton, one of America's best loved and ever popular writers of adventure tales, presents another exciting story of men and deed on the high seas - a thrilling chapter in America's fierce struggle for independence, when boldness and courage reaped bounties for the Yankee privateers and wreaked havoc for the British.
Here is the story of a young nation, filled with the pride of freedom, bringing its war to the very shores of the mother country. This is also the story of Fitzhugh Lyon, young American scion of a powerful English family, who finds himself shanghaied aboard the Retaliation, and is suddenly thrust into the exciting life of a privateeersman; of Captain Crofts, dauntless, courageous master of his ship, sailing fearlessly into the lion’s mouth; of Watts, the ship's surgeon, a man of wit and culture among a rough-and-tumble crew; of Lieutenant Ninnes, whose bitter hatred of Fitz make them deadly enemies.
How they crossed the wartime sea, fought for their lives, were captured by the British, and finally engineered a bold and clever escape from Plymouth's notorious Old Mill Prison make for topflight entertainment.

Every so often Norton would step away from science fiction and dip her toe into historical drama. But while I prefer the former, she never disappoints when it comes to the latter.

Fitzhugh Lyon, the protagonist of the book, is a well-rounded character, a likable young man who you can’t help but be drawn into his story. I wasn’t sure I would be, but like The Opal-Eyed Fan, the story got better as you went along.

The same can be said of those who share his adventures. All have their faults, but they all are worthy companions, and add greatly to the book.

I think the book is supposed to be an YA, but I found it enjoyable enough, and deep enough, for an adult.

( Mount TBR 2024 Book Links 1-25 )

26. Just After Sunset by Stephen King
27. The Lighthouse Keeper Kindle Edition by Alan K. Baker
28. I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away by Bill Bryson
29. The Road Not Travelled : Alternative Tales of the Wars of the Roses by Joanne R. Larner
30. King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes
31. The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
32. Taming the Street: The Old Guard, the New Deal, and FDR's Fight to Regulate American Capitalism by Diana B. Henriques
33. Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde
34. Legends by Robert Silverberg (Editor/Contributor)
35. The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next 1) by Jasper Fforde
36. Echoes of an Alien Sky by James P. Hogan
37. Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
38. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
39. The Hike by Susi Holliday
40. The Opal-Eyed Fan by Andre Norton
41. Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith
42. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
43. Yankee Privateer (Lyon Family #1) by Andre Norton

SEP - "Story of Survival" - Read a book where the character stays strong and survives something. ⁠Surviving high school, surviving a family road trip, surviving a natural disaster, etc.

Yankee Privateer by Andre Norton (survives being shanghaid, prison, sea battles)

From the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King's Grace comes another masterful historical novel—the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history's greatest love stories.

Anne Easter Smith's novels are beloved by readers for their ability "to grab you, sweep you along with the story, and make you fall in love with the characters." In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet.

History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father's household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith's greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

From everything I had read about Cecily, she appeared to be a strong woman. I guess she’d have to have been, considering the tragedies in her life. So, yes, strong, intelligent, loyal. But did she have to be right all the time?

Smith’s Cecily sometimes comes across as a woman of the 21st century, not the 15th. Cecily and her husband were in France during the time of Joan of Arc . But here Cecily is the only English woman to take Joan’s side. Her sentiments fly in the face of what her fellow countrymen are trying to accomplish. And, again, when Richard decides to try to take the crown, she is set against it, though being the loving wife, she doesn’t pushed her argument very hard. So she has the best of both worlds; she can be an exceptional wife, but also be right. And it constantly being brought up as to how beautiful she was got a bit old, too.

It’s a large book, and these things did sometimes get in the way of my truly enjoying it. There were also a couple of glaring mistakes. There’s a mention of harvesting a corn crop in 1450 (duh, America!) Also, Cecily’s son, Richard, was born at Fotheringhay, not Ludlow.

The book ends soon after her husband’s death, leaving much of Cecily’s life untold. I suppose if the book is read more as a romance it works better. But I found it to be somewhat disappointing.

Lost Lady Key, off the Florida coast, had a long history of violence. Not only the ghost of a Spanish lady victimized by pirates, but the much more ancient and terrifying customs of a vanished Indian race seemed to haunt the remote little island.

Was it a random storm or destiny's mischief that shipwrecked lovely Persis Rooke on Lost Lady Key? Persis couldn't be sure. Rescued by the handsome Captain Crewe Leverett and marooned on the darkly mysterious island with his strange sister and her beau, she was aware only of the oppressive superstitions of the natives who feared a strange curse--the curse of the opal-eyed fan.

Somehow she knew she had to learn the unspoken secret of the island and the truth about the fabulous Spanish lady who, years before, had left the infamous Satin-shirt Jack dead and then disappeared forever. But Persis was not aware of the evil that awaited her, nor of the romance that would endanger her until it was too late. . . .

Slow to start, I eventually was drawn into the mystery faced by Persia Rooke. As things begin to go wrong, she doesn’t know who to trust, or who to turn to. But when a new danger appears, Persis draws on strength she didn’t know she had in order to rescue her new ally.

Though I prefer Norton’s science fiction novels, she doesn’t disappoint with her historical stories, though this one has a bit of the supernatural thrown in. And while ostensibly a romance novel, the romance is barely touched on and left to the reader to decide where it will go. That’s classic Norton, as most of her novels don’t go there.

A lovely story well worth reading.

First published in 1959 by world-renowned historical novelist Margaret Campbell Barnes, King's Fool is a remarkable insider tale of the intrigue, ruthlessness, and majesty of the Tudor court. When country lad Will Somers lands himself the plum position of jester to the mercurial King Henry VIII, he has no idea that he';s just been handed a front-row seat to history. With a seat near the throne and an ear to the floor, Somers witnesses firsthand the dizzying power struggles and sly scheming that marked the reign of the fiery Tudor king. Somers watches the rise and fall of some of the most enigmatic women in history, including the tragic Katherine of Aragon, the doomed Anne Boleyn, and Mary Tudor, who confided in the jester as she made the best of the fragile life of a princess whom everyone wished was a prince. Based on the life of the real Will Somers, King's Fool is infused with Margaret Campbell Barnes' trademark rich detail and historical accuracy. This intimate peek into the royal chambers gives readers a unique view on one of the most tumultuous periods in English history.

The book is written as if by Will Somers, himself. And though very little is known about the man, Barnes is able to take what little information there is and turn it into a plausible, interesting, and, well, loving story about his history, his life at court, and his relationship with Henry VIII.

Will is a very young man when he first enters Henry’s employ, while Henry is middle-aged, and already dealing with the weight that will plague him the rest of his life. Yet somehow they manage to build a close almost friendship, with Will becoming Henry’s sounding board during the turbulent years of Henry’s reign.

Amazingly, the author manages to make Henry almost sympathetic at times, as we see him through Will’s eyes. How does a good and honest man deal with someone like Henry? Especially as the king’s tyrannical impulses take over? Mostly because Henry has always been good to him, and because Will is a good man, he continues to look for what good is left in his friend. That outlook will see him in good stead.

( Mount TBR 2024 Book Links 1-15 )

16. Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt
17. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
18. The Plots Against the President: FDR, A Nation in Crisis, and the Rise of the American Right by Sally Denton
19. The North Woods by Douglass Hoover
20. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
21. Upon Dark Waters by Robert Radcliffe
22. Dread: 22 Tales of Terror by Kevin Bachar
23. Escape from Hell (Inferno #2) by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Jennifer Hanover (Illustrator)
24. Vicksburg: Grant's Campaign That Broke the Confederacy by Donald L. Miller
25. The Portent by Marilyn Harris
26. Just After Sunset by Stephen King
27. The Lighthouse Keeper Kindle Edition by Alan K. Baker
28. I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away by Bill Bryson
29. The Road Not Travelled : Alternative Tales of the Wars of the Roses by Joanne R. Larner
30. King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Life is made up of choices and which road we choose to take may be a pivotal decision that affects our whole life and others' lives too. We often wonder 'What if...?' when we think about our past and about history. This collection of short stories from over twenty talented authors explores some of the 'What ifs' associated with the Wars of the Roses. How would history have changed if one of the roads not travelled had been chosen instead?

This anthology explores some of these roads and includes most of the famous figures of the Wars of the Roses - Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick the Kingmaker, Anne Neville, George of Clarence, Francis Lovell and, of course, Richard III to name just a few.

Twenty talented authors have donated their time and skill to contribute to this book which is sold in support of the Scoliosis Association UK (SAUK) and edited by Joanne R Larner.

I wish I could recommend this book, especially considering the worthy cause that it supports, but I can’t.

Many of the stories read like fan fiction. Not like the fan fiction that brings the characters to life, that explores those roads not traveled in a compelling way. No, the other kind, where the author doesn’t take the time to round out the characters or build on the plot. Yes, like fan fiction it’s understood that the reader is knowledgeable about those characters and their lives, but the story still needs a structure that holds it together. Too often, that structure isn’t there.

There was one bright spot in the book, the writing of Clare Anderson. Lady in Waiting, and especially The Apothecary’s Secret are well worth reading.

I know there are more books out there, written by Richard III fans who are not professional writers. I’m hoping that I’ll find them more to my liking.

JUN– Ink, Fragile, Road, Summer, Breath, Every, Push, Sorry⁠

The Road Not Travelled : Alternative Tales of the Wars of the Roses by Joanne R. Larner

In December 1900, three lighthouse keepers vanished without trace from the remote Scottish island of Eilean Mor.

An emergency relief crew was sent to man the lighthouse, and at the end of their month-long duty, they resigned from their posts, never to speak of what they had experienced.

The mystery of Eilean Mor has never been solved. Until now.

In the present, a group of environmental researchers arrives to observe the wildlife. While exploring the lighthouse, now deserted, one of the team discovers a manuscript written by one of the relief keepers, a man named Alec Dalemore. As a sudden storm cuts off their escape, the researchers come to realise that Dalemore wrote the manuscript as a warning to all who would come after him -- a warning of something ancient and powerful and strange beyond imagining…

The Lighthouse Keeper is a supernatural tale based on the Flannan Isles mystery, one of the greatest unsolved enigmas in maritime history.

The book has a lot going for it. I like stories based on a true event of the past, an event which has never been satisfactorily explained. And though I seem to keep running into stories which have taken the Lovecraftian world to heart, I think it was well done here. The island seems to exist out of time, drawing those who venture there, both past and present, into a horrifying place that should not exist but does.

It’s interesting how differently the two groups of people handle the situation; the three lighthouse keepers of the past, and the five researchers of the present. Oddly enough, it is the lighthouse keepers who are better at handling the situation. It seems easier for them to accept what is happening without being able to explain why it is happening. They see the danger, and react accordingly. The group in the present, however, appear less successful in their attempts to ward off that danger.

At the same time, the book has two major flaws: the beginning and the end. While the middle portion of the book is intense and kept me totally involved, the beginning portion was slow, and not as well done as the rest of the book. I nearly quit reading.

Conversely, the ending seemed rushed, in that the fate of one group happens suddenly, and is never explained. It was if the author was unable to come up with an explanation for what he had created, so simply pulled the plug.

Just after sunset, as darkness grips the imagination, is the time when you feel the unexpected creep into the everyday. As familiar journeys take a different turn, ordinary objects assume extraordinary powers.

A blind intruder visits a dying man - and saves his life, with a kiss.

A woman receives a phone call from her husband. Her LATE husband.

In the emotional aftermath of her baby's sudden death, Emily starts running. And running. Her curiosity leads her right into the hands of a murderer... and soon her legs are her only hope for survival.

Enter a world of masterful suspense, dark comedy and thrilling twists which will keep you riveted from the fist page.

Probably not his best anthology, but enjoyable enough. While many of the stories are not memorable, a few definitely are. They are tales of introspection, with a bit of horror, or at least the supernatural, thrown in.

My two favorites are Willa, and The Things They Left Behind. Both are rather melancholy stories of what comes after. Almost as good are N, which I saw as a paean to Lovecraft, but which King gives credit to Arthur Machen’s The Great God Pan, and Mute. The two stories are probably the longest in the collection, which added to my enjoyment since I’m not normally a fan of short stories.

Very much a middle of the road review of a middle of the road book.

Short story anthology or collection
1. Dread: 22 Tales of Terror by Kevin Bachar
2. Just After Sunset by Stephen King

Allan Carpenter escaped from hell once but remained haunted by what he saw and endured. He has now returned, on a mission to liberate those souls unfairly tortured and confined. Partnering with the legendary poet and suicide, Sylvia Plath, Carpenter is a modern-day Christ who intends to harrow hell and free the damned. But now that he's returned to this Dantesque Inferno, can he ever again leave?

I was quite disappointed to this sequel to Inferno. First, because it’s basically a longer version of the first book. Carpenter makes his way through the many layers of hell, the only difference being that now instead of being the one led, he’s leading someone else. Second, because the ending is something of a cheat. After going from danger to danger, the reader is left wondering what comes next. Thirdly, their biases against certain beliefs and some of their contemporaries are glaringly obvious.

The worst of that is their description of Carl Sagan and his work. His warning against nuclear winter are presented here as flip-flopping on global warming. The fact that the two are totally different fields of study doesn’t seem to matter. Or that he was proved right on both account (sort of like their blasting of the hole in the ozone layer theory in Lucifer’s Hammer,) is also ignored.

At times the book was pleasantly readable. At other times, their proselytizing got to be too much.

A child died in an avalanche, and she won’t leave me alone.

A woman plagued by blood-draining mosquitoes on the Alaskan tundra figures out a horrific way to scratch her unending itching.

There’s something outside my tent…and I think it’s hungry.

A collector of rare tropical fish, receives a new species that is both fascinating and terrifying.

DREAD - Thousands of people have gone missing out in the wild and here is a collection of tales that offer up some horrifying reasons why. Emmy-award-winning National Geographic cinematographer Kevin Bachar has swum with sharks, climbed the peaks of mountains, and explored the darkest of forests. In DREAD, he weaves together terrifying true stories from his real-life adventures with twisted fiction from the depths of his frightening imagination. Flip open the pages to indulge in the dark side of nature— haunted forests, tree demons, monstrous snakes, and a search-and-rescue team terrorized by the ghosts of those they couldn’t save.

Did I enjoy the book? Did I find it scary? Not hardly. Maybe because it’s obvious that all the stories will end the same way, with the protagonist not doing at all well, that it was hard to feel any, well, dread. Honestly, my first thought was that it was a second-rate EC Tales from the Crypt.

Perhaps if the stories hadn’t all ended somewhat the same way, I’d be more inclined to give the book a favorable review. But as it is, I couldn’t find much to recommend it. It’s not awful, but I’d be inclined to give it a pass.

Short story anthology or collection
1. Dread: 22 Tales of Terror by Kevin Bachar

31st December 1942. In the middle of the North Atlantic, the deadly 'gap' where aircraft cannot protect them, a destroyer and 4 corvettes are shepherding a convoy of ships from America to Britain. But as midnight passes, the New Year is marked by a white flash on the horizon - a German torpedo. What follows is a night scarred forever in the memory of its survivors.
But for Michael Villiers, officer on the HMS Daisy, it is just another chapter in an extraordinary life. The son of a beautiful socialite and a British diplomat, Michael is brought up in Sombreado, Uruguay alongside his guardian's daughter Maria, and the pair are inseparable. Even when he is sent to school in England, the family ranch remains Michael's home and when his schooling is complete, there is never any doubt that he will return to Sombreado, to Maria.
But when Michael returns to Montevideo in 1939, his steamer crosses paths with a German warship - an ominous sign of the conflict to come. And though Uruguay is neutral in the coming conflict, Michael is to be allowed no such. The British Legation want him to make the most of his family connections. In a war, the English ambassador explains, everyone has to take sides . . .

The book is the story of two men, Stephen Tomlin, a midshipman aboard the corvette, the HMS Daisy, and, the Number Two officer, Michael Villiers, from Uruguay.

Given its title, one would think that the larger part of the story would be set at sea, but it’s the shorter part which takes place there. Set in their present, the two men are brought together by the war. Assigned to the corvette, they must fight for their lives against the “wolf pack,” the fleet of German U-boats that hound the convoy they protect.

The larger part of the book deals with Michael Villiers, and of his boyhood spent at the family ranch in Uruguay. But his life is upended by the sudden departure of his family to his father’s home in England. It is there that he grows to manhood. But though he feels that he’s Uruguayan, he’ll find that both countries have a hold on him.

It’s an excellent and lyrically written tale of love and loyalty; of finding oneself, and knowing who you are.

MAY - Library, Dark, Drown, Ex, Iron, Done, Love, Stranger⁠

Upon Dark Waters by Robert Radcliffe

Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoods—until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiousity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger, and she must act swiftly to keep Constance from his grasp.

The book reads very much like a fairy tale. Two sisters, one of who has murdered the rest of the family, live in their large house (their castle,) with their invalid uncle. Constance refuses to leave the house, so it’s up to Merricat to go into the village to buy food and supplies.

While Constance lives within the walls of their house, Merricat uses her imagination to create practically an entire world on the estate. She’s almost an adult, but is written as very childlike, and is an unreliable narrator. So, like Merricat, the reader doesn’t know what is real and what isn’t.

What is real is the danger that those on the outside represent, along with the new danger of their cousin, Charles. What Merricat is willing to do to save Constance from that danger brings about an inevitable ending.

It’s a haunting and beautifully written story. I highly recommend it.

Mount TBR 2024 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. Bone Walker (Anasazi Mysteries #3) by Kathleen O'Neal Gear, W. Michael Gear
2. Holly by Stephen King
3. Inferno (Inferno#1) by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
4. Fallout (Lois Lane #1) by Gwenda Bond
5. The Secret People by John Wyndham
6. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
7. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
8. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
9. Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara
10. Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts by Shanna H. Swan, Stacey Colino
11. Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
12. Night Songs by Charles L. Grant
13. President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by C.W. Goodyear
14. The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
15. Mine by Robert R. McCammon
16. Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt
17. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Dark Academia novel
1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

When physicist Michael Shelborne mysteriously vanishes, his son Shel discovers that he had constructed a time travel device. Fearing his father may be stranded in time—or worse—Shel enlists the aid of Dave Dryden, a linguist, to accompany him on the rescue mission.

Their journey through history takes them from the enlightenment of Renaissance Italy through the American Wild West to the civil-rights upheavals of the 20th century. Along the way, they encounter a diverse cast of historical greats, sometimes in unexpected situations. Yet the elder Shelborne remains elusive.

And then Shel violates his agreement with Dave not to visit the future. There he makes a devastating discovery that sends him fleeing back through the ages, and changes his life forever.

What could have been a tense search for a missing father, is instead a somewhat jovial ride through time. At times, Shel and Dave act like a couple of frat boys, using the time time devices to visit their favorite historical events.

There are a few moments of crisis, but the boys find a way through with almost ridiculous ease. I never felt that there was any real danger, especially with the men’s song and dance.

The book is a pleasant read, but not one I’d especially recommend. Something of a disappointment from an author whose work I usually greatly admire. I seem to have fallen into a pattern of finding the least likable of my favorite authors’ works.

APR– Darling, Funny, Familiar, Somewhere, List, Meet, Never, Word⁠

Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt

Adrift in the 1980s and slowly losing her mind, a heavily armed former '60s radical kidnaps a baby with the hope, deluded as it may be, of returning her life to simpler times. The child's mother, though, isn't about to take it lying down and, along with a tracker, begins a cross-country chase to get her child back.

Maybe because there wasn’t any actual horror of the supernatural variety, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I have practically all of his books. I’m not a fan of suspense stories, so there was that, too. Too often the story moves forward because yet another bad thing has happened, standing in the way for our hero to triumph. Eventually, I can’t help but roll my eyes at the improbability of its all.

I couldn’t stand Mary, the mad 80’s radical, which I guess is the way I was supposed to feel. But I wasn’t all that crazy about Laura, the mother, either. I felt sympathy for what she was going through, but I never connected with the character.

The story is good enough that I was able to finish it, but not one of McCammon’s best in my opinion.

MAR - "Thrill Me" - Read a thriller- Psychological thriller; Action thriller; Crime thriller; etc.⁠

Mine by Robert McCammon

Somewhere in the night they are singing songs of death...

Colin Ross, twice thwarted in love, once abandoned, quit the mainland for Haven's End, a wounded soul on an idyllic island, seeking to heal his life.

But instead of peace, he is hurled into chaos. Some dark and ancient hatred, some evil force, is unleashed, wreaking vengeance on the islanders, mangling the living and mutilating the dead.

And, as the piercing songs rise to met the roaring wind, Colin Ross, against his will, is sucked into the raging storm.

The book took quite awhile to get going, and there were more than a few times that I felt like slapping Colin Ross across the head. Maybe it was supposed to show how damaged the man was, but at the same time he’s supposed to figure out what’s going on and deal with it. Made for a somewhat split personality. Is he weak, strong, a bit of both?

Still, I did enjoy the story once it got going. The characters were interesting, especially Peg, Colin’s love interest, and her son, Matt. The boy plays a large part in fitting the pieces together. He comes across as an inquisitive, yet not annoying kid.

One thing, I wasn’t crazy about the zombie inclusion. I realize that the book is rather old, written before the zombie craze. Yet it couldn’t help but turn me off somewhat.

So not a great book, but I’ve certainly read worse.

Creepy character/object (House, doll, child, etc.)
1. Night Songs by Charles L. Grant

Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.

A truly amazing combining of horror, historical fiction, and romance. The horror of the vampires of legend fits perfectly into the history of the “vampires” of the north, those who prey on the weaker and rob them of their land. Against this backdrop is the love between Nena and Néstor, which blossomed when they were children.

They are truly an enchanting couple, who make the history come alive while they battle two enemies. Strangely enough, it’s the vampire of legend who seem the easier to vanquish.

Still, it was the relationship between Nena and Néstor that I found the most interesting. Their efforts to work through their feelings of betrayal and grief are the heart of the story.

I loved The Hacienda; I adore Vampires of El Norte.

By BIPOC author
1. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
2. Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

In this utterly transporting reimagining of Greek mythology, the god of desire is cursed to fall for a spirited young mortal woman, but if she looks upon his face they will be parted forever—an epic adventure and love story for the ages, sure to satisfy fans of Madeline Miller and V.E. Schwab

Who said true love is a myth?

A prophecy claims that Psyche, princess of Mycenae, will defeat a monster feared even by the gods. Rebelling against her society’s expectations for women, Psyche spends her youth mastering blade and bow, preparing to meet her destiny.

When Psyche angers the love goddess Aphrodite, she sends Eros, god of desire, to deliver a cruel curse. After eons watching humanity twist his gifts, the last thing Eros wants is to become involved in the chaos of the mortal world. But when he pricks himself with the arrow intended for Psyche, Eros finds himself doomed to yearn for a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet.

Thrown together by fate, headstrong Psyche and world-weary Eros will face challenges greater than they could have ever imagined. And as the Trojan War begins and divine powers try to keep them apart, the pair must determine if the curse could become something more . . . before it’s too late.

A joyous and subversive tale of gods, monsters, and the human heart and soul, Psyche and Eros dazzles the senses while exploring notions of trust, sacrifice, and what it truly means to be a hero. With unforgettably vivid characters, spellbinding prose, and delicious tension, Luna McNamara has crafted a shimmering and propulsive debut novel about a love so strong it defies the will of Olympus.

I wanted to like this book; I really did. The myth of Psyche and Eros (or Cupid and Psyche, as I’ve always known them,) is probably my favorite classical myth. But it’s not a very good book. Forget about all the name dropping (if there’s a mythical character not mentioned, I don’t know who it is,) I just couldn’t get past the reimagining of the two main characters. Neither are especially likable, and Psyche comes across like a modern teenager. She’s spoiled, she shoots her mouth off, and she’s constantly making stupid decisions. Eros doesn’t seem as bad, but that may be because he’s less of the story’s focus.

Leaving that aside, I was amazed at the sloppy research. Eros speaks of terriers, which weren’t around until the 1800s. That’s AD, not BC. And how in the heck does Psyche know about the adrenal gland and adrenaline? The Greeks may have noticed the small piece of matter during a dissection, but they had no idea as to what it did.

Slightly worse are the grammatical slips. Using “I,” instead of “me,” as in “…it will hurt both Psyche and I later (“hurt I later”?)

There are a few good passages, as when Psyche goes with Iphigenia to the wedding she thinks awaits her, that make the book at least passably readable. But mostly, I wouldn’t bother.

FEB - "Dynamic Duos" - Read a book with a couple of characters that make the perfect pair- whether in business, friendship, or in love.⁠

Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara

Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the cartels, Lydia’s life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. But after her husband’s tell-all profile of the newest drug lord is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca find themselves joining the countless people trying to reach the United States. Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?

This is such an inspiring, yet heartbreaking book. As we see the harrowing trip north through their eyes, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the hopes and fears of the characters: Lydia and Luca, Rebeca and Soledad, the girls who they meet and befriend along the way, Beto, the young boy who helps them navigate their way through Nogales, and even El Chacal (The Jackel,) the coyote who leads them north.

I think what made the book so compelling, is that, as I progressed through it, I wondered, given the vagaries of life, how easily it could have been my story. If I had been born three hundred miles south. If, a hundred odd years ago, my own ancestors hadn’t decided to make the move north.

This is a book I know I’ll return to, and I look forward to reading more of the author’s books.

Recommended by

justjo2u. And while maybe not the most emphatic recommendation, I can't thank her enough for bringing this book to my attention.

The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

Very much a fairy tale, though along the lines of a Grimm fairy tale, but not the Disneyfied versions. Though ostensibly a quest to return items stolen, the story takes the reader along on a journey of self discovery, for Casiopea, and for Hun-Kamé, the god of death she accompanies. It is fraught with danger, both physically and spiritually.

Though having lived a sheltered life, Casiopea is nevertheless feisty. She may be little more than a servant in her grandfather’s house, but she has dreams. This makes her a match for Hun-Kamé, who is dealing with being part human through his link with her.

As their quest progresses, so does their relationship. And though the ending is inevitable, I could have wished it otherwise.