Reading

Review of The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

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Synopsis:
The book club is about to get a makeover….

Even if Megan would rather be at the mall, Cassidy is late for hockey practice, Emma’s already read every book in existence, and Jess is missing her mother too much to care, the new book club is scheduled to meet every month.

But what begins as a mom-imposed ritual of reading Little Women soon helps four unlikely friends navigate the drama of middle school. From stolen journals, to secret crushes, to a fashion-fiasco first dance, the girls are up to their Wellie boots in drama. They can’t help but wonder: What would Jo March do?

Review:
I had previously read book 3 of this series, and it was so sweet to start it again from the beginning. I absolutely loved seeing how all of the girls, many with different life priorities, come together once their moms start a book club. It was great to see how everyone has different problems in life, and how they could relate to the characters of the classic tale Little Women. I loved seeing how the girls’ relationships blossom and how they learn to rely/stand up for themselves and each other.

If you’re old enough to remember Wishbone, this will give you that same warm fuzzy feeling, in book form! This book also comes with a little book club question guide, in case you want to use it for your own book club!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher

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Synopsis:
In Victorian England, a young woman inherits her father’s curiosity shop and all its ghostly secrets in a bewitching novel by the author of Salt & Broom.

It’s 1851 in old York. Lizzy Grimm struggles to save her late father’s charmingly creepy yet floundering antique shop, Grimm Curiosities. Then, during a particularly snowy December in this most haunted city in England, things turn…curiouser.

Lizzy meets Antony Carlisle, whose sister suffers from the same perplexing affliction as Lizzy’s mother—both stricken silent and unresponsive after speaking with ghosts. Working closely together to fathom what power has transformed their loved ones and why, Lizzy and Antony discover an important clue: her father’s treasured set of rare books on ancient folktales, enchantments, and yuletide myths. Books that a persistent collector is awfully keen to purchase. Books Lizzy can’t bear to sell.

Every bewitching passage and illustration opens a doorway to something ancient and dangerously inviting. Keys to a mystery Lizzy and Antony are compelled to solve—even if doing so means unleashing one of this bright holiday’s darkest myths.

Review:
“I think the most competent people are often the most critical of themselves.” (page 49)

I loved this book so very much! There is magic, holidays, and a mystery that doesn’t at all seem suspicious or connected to her family… until it is. I loved Lizzy and Antony together; they both get to be/act in a way that they can’t with others, which is such a great thing to have in friends/people who truly get you. It was great that this book was not just centralized around love; there was the definite idea that even though you may think of your situation and self as “other” there will always be some that can relate and be your friend. Not only did this book introduce so many different folklore concepts, but it showed the duality of all things and how there is always a good and bad. The ending of this book is absolutely perfect.

There is magic, there is mystery, there’s a brilliant slow burn romance. I highly recommend this to people who love fantasy/fairy tales, ghosts, and the peculiar. While I did read this in April, I highly recommend reading it in December as it is set around Christmas, and I think that would make it a much cozier time to read it, with snow everywhere. (I don’t want snow now; stay away snow!!)

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop by Tricia O’Malley

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Synopsis:
Delicious banter, bookstore magic, adorable puffins, and a heartwarmingly happily-ever-after makes this an enchanting Christmas treat.

The universe is playing a joke on me.

An unexpected inheritance has gifted me with the dream of a lifetime – owning a charming bookshop in small-town Scotland. Little did I know this gift comes with a surprise – Highland Hearts bookshop has been running an underground magical matchmaking service – and as new owner of the shop, I am expected to deliver on these matches.

As Christmas looms, and lonely hearts beg for love, I’m tossed into the world of magic and romance, aided by a meddling book club who seems more interested in romance than reading.

The problem is – I just don’t believe in love. Or so I thought.

It turns out there’s one local bird nerd and Scottish hottie, Alexander MacTavish, who has my heart all aflutter. While he’s more into puffins than paperbacks, I can’t help but notice he’s showing up at the bookshop to help every time something goes wrong. Maybe it’s my determination to have an adventure, or maybe it’s the magic, but every time tall, dark, and grumpy enters my bookshop, I find myself wanting to read up on birds just to catch his attention.

As my newfound magic falters, and the town enters my shop into a cutthroat Christmas window decorating competition, I find myself working side-by-side with Alexander, who seems just as determined to avoid love as I am.

With Christmas fast approaching, I must figure out if I can suspend my disbelief and make the match of a lifetime – my own.

Review:
Rosie was such a great heroine from the start; pushed out of her comfort zone and suddenly miles away from everything she knows and loves, partially due to a water bottle incident. It was great seeing a character who was trying to welcome change become involved with someone who doesn’t seem to want to take the plunge into new waters. Both Rosie and Alexander are fully fleshed out, and their backgrounds are quite well established/shown as to why they are the way they are. It’s awesome having a protagonist that is a regular girl with brown hair and glasses, and how she doesn’t have to change to be considered pretty–she already is. I love the play of Science versus Magic, and Alex is totally swoon worthy. If you like a hint of magic, a nice bit of spice, Scotland, and romance I’d highly recommend this book.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater

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Synopsis:
The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.

Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

Review:
I wasn’t certain how I was going to feel about this book as I started it, realizing that Winifred is very different to what one expects from a governess. Her unlikely background made me absolutely fall in love with her. I absolutely love the world of Half a Soul so getting to continue on and read more in that universe is always a treat. I loved how well this book blended the fantasy with the realistic societal expectations of the time for women. I adore how the villain is both not what you’d expect, and yet those wrapped up with them is entirely who you would expect. This book is perfect. It has relatable characters, slowly developed relationships, realism mixed with the perfect amount of fantastical.

I highly recommend this book to any who love fairy tales, fairy tale retellings, magic, fantasy, mystery, adventure and a bit of romance sprinkled on top.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

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Synopsis:
Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid’s powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

Review:
I usually don’t offer scathing reviews, and this won’t be the exception of that, however, I will start by saying that this book is in no way, shape, or form a Young Adult book. This book is what would be considered “New Adult”, which is to say that the characters are older/adult, and there is adult content/situations/depictions that many would not consider expected or perhaps even acceptable on the shelves for younger YA readers.

That being said, this book is not at all what I expected it to be. It didn’t draw me in, and from the start it’s explained that the narrator is unreliable. That being said, the book floats from 2/3 reality to the last 1/3 fantasy that becomes very hard to navigate given the unreliability of Effy herself.

I am not quite sure what everyone sees in this book; the dark academia is tainted by her bad experiences at college, the way her family treats her, and the way in which a serious medical condition is tied to fantasies becoming real.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Where I’ve Been

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Here’s a brief update for all of you lovely adoring fans out there, that I’m sure have been quite concerned for my sudden website absence.  If you follow me on Facebook you’d know that I’ve had a minimal presence there, mostly posting various memes about reading.  So, what have I been up to?

During the past few months my husband and I have fully moved into our new house.  I’ve been working on several projects,  one of which being Pas de Deux and as always, reading.

This is where most of you that have been with me for a while might think, oh goodness, she’s going to go through a stage of mass reviews for all the novels she’s gone through but been too busy (or lazy) to put up sooner.  Yes and no.  I continued to work through a series I started last year, and part of it was quite dragging.  In truth, I’ve only got about four new reviews to do.  Worry not, this number will hopefully increase drastically.

Circumstances

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I’ve planned to keep my book reviews and news up to date on a regular basis, but sometimes life is hectic.  There has been a lot going on in my personal life, across the spectrum between good and bad.  Family members have passed away, and my husband and I have bought our first house.

Worry not, despite everything, I am still reading, writing, planning, plotting.

Expect to see some changes around here in the near future.  I’ve decided that I’ll drop the nom de’plume and go by Amy S. Brown, quite different from the Lizzy March some might have come familiar with.

End of the year tidings

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My grand total of the year appears to be 55 novels read.  I feel as if this number should have been much higher, but in the end, so long as one is reading, that’s most important!

I have done all of the reviews for books I either missed in a massive update overhaul from the summer, and the three I’ve read this month, which means I can start the new year fresh!

Let me know if you’d like me to post about what book I’m reading before I start it, or a tentative list of books I might read.  Starting in January I’m going to start a bit of a book club, where I’ll state on the 1st the book I’ll be reading for the month, and at the end of the month we can discuss! 🙂