The Friday 56 (222) & Book Beginnings: Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

A gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake.

There are monsters in the world. When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem. There are monsters in the woods. As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name. Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

Beginning: "There are monsters in the world."

56: "The road gives way to a graveled drive, arched by an intricate iron gateway."

Comments: I got a paperback copy of Lakesedge for review from Bookishfirst, and I liked it. What are you reading this week?

In The Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

Title: In The Shadow Garden

Series: n/a 
Author: Liz Parker
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Forever; September 13, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Three generations of witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this riveting debut, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. 

There's something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes with hints of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear. But twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory for the year; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any idea why. As secrets from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But the only clue Irene Haywood has is in her tea leaves: a stranger’s arrival will bring either love or betrayal…

When I read the synopsis for Liz Parker’s In the Shadow Garden, it seemed to have everything I like about fantasy set in contemporary times: multiple POVs, magic, a small town, family secrets, grudges, betrayal, and a forgotten summer. There were parts I really enjoyed about In the Shadow Garden, and some that I was a little more lukewarm about.

My main frustration with the story doesn’t detract from how well it was written, because it had a certain flow to it that kept me reading. I was, personally, a little frustrated by Addison. She was fine, but I feel like I spent a lot of time waiting for her to learn from her mistakes. When she did, it was great, and I wish there had been more of those moments. The rest of the characters, however, were good, but it was Kaden and Irene who were my favorites. I really loved what Parker did with them. That was something I have to highlight too: the emotional stakes were just as consequential as the magical ones.

I did like the overall themes and messaging, about family and healing over time as well its foil within the story: how forgetting wasn’t the easy solution (or relief) it was originally portrayed to be. The sinister nature of what was happening was like a weed the town, Yarrow, never realized it needed to get rid of. There was a sense of foreboding connected to it, which steadily built over the course of the story. It made sense too, considering how secrets could stay buried forever when there was no one to remember why they were ever important. It all tied back in with the magic, the garden, the bourbon, and the people who made them a focal point within their lives. I’d describe it as a calling. And it was one of my favorite things about In the Shadow Garden.

All-in-all, In the Shadow Garden was good. Besides a few hiccups, I really appreciated certain character arcs, as well as the give-and-take necessary for the magic of the titular shadow garden to flourish. It was pretty cool. I would definitely read another book by Liz Parker.

   

About the author....

Liz Parker loves gardening, a good cup of tea, and the kind of story that sinks it hooks into you and refuses to let go. She grew up with her time split between Tennessee and northern Nevada, giving her a love of the kind of magic you can only find on a hot summer night when the fireflies float drunk on humidity or beneath a cloudless desert sky lit by stars and possibility. Today, Liz lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name (though she could if you asked).

Goodreads     Website     Twitter     Instagram

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Forever) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (214): Ellie Goulding, Mickey Guyton

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I like Ellie Goulding's new song, Easy Lover. She recently released a solo version. I like it just as much as the original, which featured Big Sean.

Andrea: Hi all! It's been a while. I hope everyone is doing great. This week I'm listening to Somethin' Bout You by Mickey Guyton. 

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (221) & Book Beginnings: The Paradiso by Dante Alighieri

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In The Paradiso, Dante explores the goal of human striving: the merging of individual destiny with universal order. One of the towering creations of world literature, this epic discovery of truth is a work of mystical intensity? an immortal hymn to God, Nature, Eternity, and Love.

Beginning: "The glory of Him who moves all things rays forth

                     through all the universe, and it reflected

                     from each thing in proportion to its worth."

56: "Yet all these were creations! Ought not they--

       if what you said of them before is true--

       to be forever proof against decay?'"

Comments: I finished reading Paradise, so I'm officially done with The Divine Comedy. This was a sweeping epic story, and I enjoyed every second of it. What are you reading this week?

Blog Tour: ARC Review Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley

Welcome to the Our Thoughts Precisely stop for Daybreak on Raven Island!

Title: Daybreak on Raven Island

Series: n/a

Author: Fleur Bradley

Source/Format: Author; E-ARC

More Details: Ghost, Mystery, Middle Grade

Publisher/Publication Date: Viking Books for Young Readers; August 23 2022

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Synopsis:

From the critically acclaimed author of Midnight at the Barclay Hotel comes a thrilling new middle grade mystery novel inspired by Alcatraz Prison.

Tori, Marvin, and Noah would rather be anywhere else than on the seventh-grade class field trip to Raven Island prison. Tori would rather be on the soccer field, but her bad grades have benched her until further notice; Marvin would rather be at the first day of a film festival with his best friend, Kevin; and Noah isn't looking forward to having to make small talk with his classmates at this new school.

But when the three of them stumble upon a dead body in the woods, miss the last ferry back home, and then have to spend the night on Raven Island, they find that they need each other now more than ever. They must work together to uncover a killer, outrun a motley ghosthunting crew, and expose the age-old secrets of the island all before daybreak.

Daybreak on Raven Island is Fleur Bradley’s new enjoyable, spooky middle grade novel. It follows a trio of kids, Tori, Noah, and Melvin, as they get stuck on Raven Island and its now defunct prison. It's basically as the synopsis lays it out.

I enjoyed the plot since it was deeply tied to the environment and characters. I also liked the many twist and turns with the ghost hunting and mystery, which I don’t think it was overly scary for young readers. The biggest thing I noticed was the budding friendship between Tori, Noah, and Melvin. We get to know a little of their background, history, and ambitions through the first few chapters. Here you kind of get the idea of how each of them fit into the story later on. Many things became clearer as the story unfolded while they roamed the island looking for clues and bumping into other characters. For instance, how each character realizes and comes to terms with their issues and emotions with the help of each other.  Or like how the complex subject of prison is intertwined in the story. Although some of the story was predictable, that conclusion definitely wasn’t.

Overall, I personally loved Daybreak on Raven Island. If it sounds like it’s up your or your young reader’s alley, you'll want to check this one out.

Thanks for reading!

A Note from the Author

Thank you for your interest in my work! I had so much fun researching and writing my latest mystery for kids, Daybreak on Raven Island; I hope that translates as you’re reading.

Daybreak on Raven Island started with setting, as most of my books do. I was looking for a new (mysterious) place to spark my imagination, and quickly thought of Alcatraz. Alcatraz Island has a such a scary vibe, and as I was doing my research, I also found that there are a lot of unsolved mysteries surrounding the island. Including a prison break in 1962…Three inmates escaped Alcatraz, and no one ever knew if they drowned or made it off the island. I decided to take this real-life story and create my own mystery. I gave Tori, Marvin and Noah the task to solve the case of an infamous prison break from Raven Island, I added a present-day murder mystery, and a few ghosts to make things more complicated. Plus, I added a deep secret to Raven Island itself—you’ll have to read the book to find out what that is.

As I learned more of the terrible conditions of Alcatraz and how things are still not always fair today, I tried to shed some light on this through Tori’s character. I learned that one in 28 kids in America has had an incarcerated parent, which is something kids often keep a secret. And that must be really, really hard. I hope Daybreak on Raven Island sparks some thought or conversation, so those kids don’t feel alone in carrying this burden.

Find out more about me, my books and where to find me at www.fleurbradley.com

All best in reading,

Fleur

About the Author...
Fleur Bradley is the author of the (scary) middle-grade mystery Daybreak on Raven Island, and award-winning mystery Midnight at the Barclay Hotel (Viking/Penguin Random House).

Her story The Perfect Alibi appeared in Mystery Writers of America’s middle-grade anthology Super Puzzletastic Mysteries, edited by Chris Grabenstein (HarperCollins).

Fleur regularly does school and Skype visits, as well as librarian and educator conference talks on reaching reluctant readers. Originally from the Netherlands, she now lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and two daughters, and entirely too many rescue animals.

Where to find her:
Website     Twitter     Instagram     Facebook 

Disclaimer: This E-copy of the book was provided by the Author for this review, thank you!

Short Stories I Read In July

It’s August 29th. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in July. 

The Rustle of Growing Things by Isabel Cañas (Lightspeed Magazine; Issue 146, July 2022)

The first short story I tackled in July was a piece of flash fiction by Isabel Cañas called: The Rustle of Growing Things. I’d describe this story as having a somber note, as the narrator ruminates over an impending absence. I liked it.

Bonesoup by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Strange Horizons; Issue: 11 July 2022)

I was instantly intrigued by Bonesoup by Eugenia Triantafyllou. I recognized the author’s name from a piece of flash fiction I read in May of this year. It was called This Village, and I talked about it HERE. In Bonesoup, we begin again with food and its connection to what people need. This time, the speculative angle skewed toward something like equivalent exchange, except it involved food. I really liked this story. It started out pretty tame in tone, but the more I read the more its underlying darkness began to show itself. This was another good one from Triantafyllou.

From around the web…

• What Say You: Editorial [Jason Sizemore; Apex Magazine; July 5, 2022]

 

Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn

Title: Holiday Heroine 

Series: Heroine Complex #6
Author: Sarah Kuhn
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Urban Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: DAW Books; August 30, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The sixth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series continues the adventures of Asian-American superheroine Bea Tanaka as she takes on demons in Hawaii.

Nobody loves Christmas like Bea Tanaka—so when her family visits her for a special holiday celebration, she’s beside herself with joy. After years of chaos, questionable decisions, and flirtations with the supervillain path, Bea is finally thriving. She’s got a sweet, new gig hunting demons in Maui, she’s working hard to hone her powers, and her big sister Evie is proud of her at last. In fact, everyone is so proud of her that she can’t tell them the truth: she’s feeling lost and adrift. She and her boyfriend Sam Fujikawa are struggling to make their long-distance love work, and her powers are displaying some intriguing new elements—elements that could lead her down an evil, mind-controlling path once more. When her family’s holiday visit is disrupted by otherworldly monsters rising out of the Maui ocean, Bea throws herself into the battle—until she’s suddenly and mysteriously transported to the perfect Christmas back in San Francisco, surrounded by her family and an excess of merrymaking. As she finds herself trapped in the bizarre holiday rom-com of her nightmares, Bea must unravel a treacherous demon plot, save the world from unspeakable evil, and resist the siren song of a supervillain destiny. And hey, maybe she’ll find time for a little holiday cheer after all...

**Note: there may be minor spoilers for books 1-5**

The Heroine Complex series is always such a joy to read. Beatrice (Bea) Tanaka is one of my favorite characters of the series. And after the events of Heroine’s Journey—where she uprooted her life with a big move to Maui—I was hoping for another book from her perspective, to further explore her character directly. That’s essentially what this book delves into, and it does it so well. And with a good dose of holiday rom-con themed hijinks (and nightmare scenarios), time travel and its perils, and an abundance of otherworldly chaos, the sixth and latest installment—Holiday Heroine—to date is one of my top-favorites.

I liked Kuhn’s approach to both the old and new characters. The cast has always been colorful—big personalities, plenty of drama and mishaps—but the series has centered on their deeply personal issues and the strength of their relationships (both platonic and romantic). For me, it’s one of the highlights.

I also enjoyed the holiday themes. Rom-coms are always fun, and I liked how many of the hallmark aspects were incorporated throughout the story.

As Evie’s younger sister, I was used to Bea being in proximity to the core characters and main events of the series. The hub of supernatural activity has, for much of the series, remained in San Francisco, but the past two books have expended on that. And with her being so far away, there was somewhat of a noticeable absence. With the change in location, she clearly viewed it as a chance at independence and proving how mature and in control she was of her life and over her superpowers. Even the best laid plans, however, can have their hiccups, and once the latest threat was established, it proved that there was a lot left Bea had to learn and accept about herself.

I liked the way Sarah Kuhn handled Bea’s doubts. Outwardly, she was a confident and smart character, but inside she had a lot of turmoil and conflict associated with her powers to unpack. It affected her relationships, and made her vulnerable in unexpected ways. The frank realness of that particular end of the story was refreshing.

Holiday Heroine was the perfect mix of action, super heroes, and romance. If you’re a fan of this series, you’re going to love this one.

About the author....

Sarah Kuhn is the author of Heroine Complex—the first in a series starring Asian American superheroines—for DAW Books. She also wrote The Ruby Equation for the comics anthology Fresh Romance and the romantic comedy novella One Con Glory, which earned praise from io9 and USA Today and is in development as a feature film. Her articles and essays on such topics as geek girl culture, comic book continuity, and Sailor Moon cosplay have appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Apex Magazine, AngryAsianMan.com, IGN.com, Back Stage, The Hollywood Reporter, StarTrek.com, Creative Screenwriting, and the Hugo-nominated anthology Chicks Dig Comics. In 2011, she was selected as a finalist for the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) New Writers Award.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (DAW Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer

Title: Suburban Hell

Series: n/a
Author: Maureen Kilmer
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Horror; Comedy
Publisher/Publication Date: G.P. Putnam's Sons; August 30, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Bad Moms meets My Best Friend’s Exorcism in this lite-horror-comedy about a group of women in the Chicago 'burbs, whose cul-de-sac gets a new neighbor: a demon.

Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and went full minivan, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, together snarking the “Mom Mafia” from the outskirts of the PTA mom crowd. So, one night during their monthly wine get-together, the newfound crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz’s backyard – the perfect space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed. But the night after they christen the space with a ceremonial drink, things start to feel…off. What they didn’t expect was for Liz’s little home improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet suburban enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that’s before the Homeowners’ Association gets wind of it. Just as Liz is turned into a creepy doll face overnight, cases of haunting activity around the neighborhood intensify, and even the calmest moms can’t justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight back the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood…before the suburbs go completely to hell. But at least they don’t have to deal with the PTA, right?

Suburban Hell wasn’t really on my radar, but, while browsing NetGalley, the title and the book cover caught my eye. Suffice it to say, I was intrigued, and I’m so glad I read it.

Suburban Hell was over the top and dramatic, but it was a horror comedy through and through. There was a certain degree of cheekiness to how the neighborhood was portrayed complete with an idyllic suburb, PTA cliques, and a group of friends who planned to build a backyard clubhouse—dubbed the “She Shed”—as their official monthly meeting place. What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, as Suburban Hell proved, there were a lot of avenues that ordinary setup could go, and it went sideways and dipped right into paranormal territory.

I really loved the gradual build-up of the intensity within the story. It had such an unassuming beginning, so that when things started going wrong, it created a sense of foreboding that carried throughout the rest of the book.

The setting worked well too. It wasn’t isolated per say, but there was a limitation to it, as the events took place in a very small section of a neighborhood (pretty much within a single community). The characters were sorely out of their depths in this situation, and because of it, the friendship between Liz, Amy, Melissa, and Jess was on the verge of a breaking point.

The book was told only from Amy’s perspective, so you never got into the heads of the other characters. Despite that, their personalities showed through, and I liked Amy’s POV. There was a mixture of her dealing with her day-to-day life (with her kids and husband), as well as her trying to unravel what had happened to her friend. Her emotional journey sort of grounded the story in a way, so it wasn’t too over the top with so many comedic aspects.

All that to say: I had a great deal of fun reading Suburban Hell. I appreciated what it did. And with its August release date, it’s right on time to make it onto any October reading lists.

  

About the author....

Maureen Kilmer graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children. She does not have a She Shed, and thankfully has not had to battle the forces of darkness (unless going to Costco on a Saturday counts). SUBURBAN HELL is her horror comedy debut. Under Maureen Leurck, she wrote CICADA SUMMER and MONARCH MANOR, both set in the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin area.

Goodreads     Website     Twitter     Instagram

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (G.P. Putnam's Sons) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney

Title: A Treacherous Tale

Series: The Cambridge Bookshop series #2
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Source/Format: NetgGalley; eARC
More Details: Cozy Mystery 
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Paperbacks; August 23, 2022

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

A Treacherous Tale is the second in a charming new cozy series from Elizabeth Penney, set in an English bookshop and following Molly Kimball, who has a habit of bookmarking trouble...

“A cozy mystery that will delight your booklover’s heart and satisfy your hunger for intrigue—and crumpets!” —Paige Shelton, New York Times bestselling author of the Scottish Bookshop series on Chapter and Curse

Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she's reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree. Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children's tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona's tumbles off her roof to his death. Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.

Chapter and Curse was one of my favorite cozy mysteries of 2021, and I was eager to dive into its sequel, A Treacherous Tale. After an incident (and disappearance) on the property of the author they had scheduled for a reading leads to more questions than answers, Molly, her family, friends, and two cats are back and on the tail of another case. My hopes were high, and A Treacherous Tale more than lived up to the strong impression made by its predecessor.

I enjoy books about books and—with the bookshop location—literature is at the heart of this series. One particular aspect that I liked about A Treacherous Tale, were the excerpts of a fictional book called Strawberry Girls. That story was interesting enough on its own, and I mentioned to my co-blogger that I would have read it by itself. That being said, I have to give Elizabeth Penney her props for how Strawberry Girls was used in the story, particularly how it related to the sleuthing that took place. There were so many secrets to uncover that it felt like there were twists around every corner.

The mystery was tightly woven and highly engaging, and from its introduction, I was hooked. The stakes were high, with one person dead and another missing—a number of suspects and no initial motivation beside potential opportunity—ensured that there was never a dull moment.

Besides the mystery and fun literary themes, the characters were a highlight. Strong characterizations abound for the familiar cast, but I also liked the new faces added for this story, particularly Iona. Molly’s personality shined through (she remains my favorite character from the series), and I liked the steady progression of her friendships and romantic life. It was great to see her settled into her life at the bookshop.

Overall, A Treacherous Tale was a fantastic sequel.

 

About the author....

Elizabeth Penney lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. After spending early years in England and France, she grew up in Maine, settings that are reflected in her books. Elizabeth is the author of the Apron Shop Series and Cambridge Bookshop Series from St. Martin's as well as over twenty novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband. She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.

Goodreads     Website     Twitter

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (St. Martin's Paperbacks) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (213): Remi Wolf, L'Trimm

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I've been listening to a new (to me and my playlist) artist, Remi Wolf. So far, I really love the vibe of her debut album, Juno. One of my favorite songs is Volkiano.

Andrea: One of my favorite songs back in the day was Cars With The Boom by L'Trimm.

What are you listening to this week?