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Freshly Brewed Book Reviews
The freshest book reviews from an avid bibliophile.
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The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
I'd really enjoyed The Sundown Motel by St. James, and this was another read that truly delivered. It may not be her style always, but this book follows the same format as Motel, with the story taking place at different time periods (which at times felt redundant, as we read about characters in the present making the discoveries we already learned about in our read of the past). This one did give me a nightmare, which speaks to the spookiness of the read. It also includes discussion of the Holocaust, which is also nightmare fuel in and of itself, nevermind angry ghosts.
All in all, a good read for people who like mysteries and ghosts, which I do.
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Lakesedge (World at the Lake's Edge #1) by Lyndall Clipstone
I'd purchased this book years ago after reading a glowing review, but it did not live up to the hype. The plot wasn't anything new (Naomi Novik's Uprooted and T. Kingfisher's The Seventh Bride both do it better, even if those are more adult and less YA, but only just), and once again when reading YA I thought "WHY is YA so horny?" Every other sentence was about the softness of someone's skin or the way someone's strong jawline catches the light. I get that young adult novels are aimed at people experiencing puberty who are pretty horny, but I've read so much YA that has good romantic longing passages that aren't "just horny" that this book exasperated me to no end, and I wound up skimming the last third of the book just to finish (and I didn't lose the plot, because most of that was breathy glances and descriptions of adolescent longing). This is a miss for me across the board.
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If you asked God for help, there was no guarantee it would arrive, or that God had even listened. But with Mr. Parker, if you were a good person in distress, and you asked for his help, you got it.
John Connolly (The Nameless Ones)
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The Nameless Ones (Charlie Parker #19) by John Connolly
It really speaks to Connolly's ability to create characters his readers absolutely love when he has a Charlie Parker novel that barely features Charlie Parker and I'm just as delighted to read it. I'm just as happy with an Angel-and-Louis-themed book as I am with a Charlie Parker one, which is just as well, since that is what this book is (Louis-focused more than Angel). I wait and wait and wait to read these Connolly books because I know I'll love each read and desperately want to move on to the next one, so weirdly I always make myself wait until at least one new Charlie Parker novel is out in the world before I even think of touching the next in the series.
Connolly's writing gets better and better as the years go on, and my love for his characters grows and grows. I will never get tired of this series, and I dread the day Connolly wraps things up for Charlie, Angel, and Louis.
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"Cats the world over prefer to discover things they like on their own and rarely go for anything that’s been provided for them."
Hiro Arikawa (The Travelling Cat Chronicles)
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"You ask if we cats can see ghosts. Don’t you know that there are things in this world that are better left a mystery?"
Hiro Arikawa (The Travelling Cat Chronicles)
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"Feeling the weight of a cat’s paws pressing into your shoulders in the middle of the night—not much beats that."
Hiro Arikawa (The Travelling Cat Chronicles)
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"Because it was a very special thing—to have your own cat in your own home."
Hiro Arikawa (The Travelling Cat Chronicles)
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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel
I had purchased this book after my cat died, but I didn't read it until I'd welcomed a new cat into my home five years later. Whew, let me tell you, if you've ever loved a cat (or even a dog), this book will pack a punch. The relationship between human and cat is so well presented and feels true. Arikawa must have had a cat in his life to know the bond that he writes about so well. It might not have been the best choice for me to read right after adopting my new cat, because I bawled my eyes out (and scared him in the process), but it is a good read for animal lovers.
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"They were chanting a lot of stuff about love but they seemed full of hate."
C.J. Tudor (The Chalk Man)
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The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
I really enjoyed Tudor's The Burning Girls, so I was excited to read this one. While I didn't enjoy it as much as that book, this was still an enjoyable thriller that was quick to get through. Tudor has a way of connecting bits and pieces in unexpected ways, which is fun for me as a reader. I'll continue to make my way through her works!
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Epic Solitude: A Story of Survival and a Quest for Meaning in the Far North by Katherine Keith
I didn't dislike this book: Keith's life story is pretty epic indeed, but I was disappointed there wasn't more about the Iditarod. When I'd bought this book years ago, I'd mistakenly thought that was the focus, but that was not the case. I'd bought this in my post-Wild fervor for something similar, and this read wasn't quite there. While Wild felt like it contained many universal truths we could all connect with, Epic Solitude felt pretty introspective and singular to Keith's life and experiences, which is fine, but made it harder for me to connect with the read. But if you're looking for a book about one person's experiences and life in Alaska, this could be an enjoyable read for you.
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The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet by Leah Thomas
Thomas has a comprehensive and compelling work in The Intersectional Environmentalist. This should be required reading for every human; the connections Thomas makes are truly eye-opening, even if you have considered connections between racism, privilege, and environmentalism before. If you haven't considered how these things are connected, this work will blow your mind. The statistics are well-placed and emphasize the points Thomas is making. In our ever-changing world (for the worse, in terms of environmental health), works like Thomas's must be read, considered, and taken to heart for solutions on how to improve things for both our planet and our fellow humans.
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Must Read Well by Ellen Pall
This book didn't really do it for me. "Slow burn" doesn't even seem apt. It's a lot of lead up to a resolution in the last third of the book, but it wasn't too fascinating a journey to get there. If you're a thriller reader, I'd give this a pass. If you're more of a lit reader, it may fit the bill, but only if you're not expecting a thriller.
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The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot #1) by Peter Brown
I really enjoyed this book (but I have to admit, I love both nature and robots.) It's such a unique concept, and told with a lot of love and care. I appreciated Brown's gentle way of presenting the importance and detail of the natural world. This is definitely a story I want to share with the children in my life.
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They had only ever discussed books but what, in this life, is more personal than books?
Gabrielle Zevin (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry)
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
This was a sweet read (a change of pace from my more intense thrillers), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a good book about people who love books, and people who choose joy as they move through life. It was a feel-good read and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a nice book (I've recommended it to one friend already!)
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