Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough

I figured I should have just one more spooky book to close out Halloween. Well technically it’s more thriller than horror but it has several hallmarks such as crazy killers, superatural threat and the prevailing theme that seeps through ever horror and thriller, who can you trust and can you ever trust yourself? That’s what successful attorny, wife and mom, Emma is dealing with as her fortieth birthday approches. She isn’t able to sleep which normally wouldn’t be caused for concer but that’s exactly what happened before her mother went insane and tried to kill her family. Emma can’t possibly be following her mother’s maniac footsteps? But as things begin to not add up, she starts to suspect just that. Well actually she has her doubts about her sanity but she also suspects there’s a bigger threat trying to frame her. Her first suspect, her dead mother is back.

So yeah, it gets freaky as the mundane domestic drama twists alongside the blurred lines of Emma’s sanity. It may not have the gore but it will send chills down your spine.

I have literally said that the Valient Ladies of Potosi should be a movie. But a book is a nice second, it has everything you could want. Action, secret identities and criminal gangs running loose through the city which Grey uses to full effect.

For those who don’t know the legend, Eustaquia de Sonza was a refined lady from one of the most important families in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Ana Lezama de Urinza was born on the streets and a vagrant until Eustaquia took her in as a sister. They were best friends, some believe they were lovers, either way they had all their lessons together including sword lessons from Eustaquia’s brother. Which they quickly applied to become vigilantes at night.

It’s the perfect recipe for heroism and Grey takes the predictable beats with Eustaquia, nicknamed Kiki bringing the distrustful Ana to the fold, learns a little about the other side, Ana warms up to the girl she saw as rich and naieve but conflict, Eustaquia is engaged to the scion of another noble family. Meanwhile, there are mysterious murders targeting lower class women. The two Valient Ladies of Potosi are on the case, delivering some lessons on feminism to patriarchial men. Like I said, it’s a bit cliche and freely anachronistic at parts which Grey admits in her author’s note. I don’t care, it’s fun. As long as more people learn of these awesome ladies.

Crazy Horse’s Girlfriend by Erika T. Wurth

This could be subtitled Les Miserables as that is the feling of many here. Wulff is raw as she writes about the 16 year old Marguerrite who just wants to get out of the shit-hole that is Idaho Springs where everyone has problems. Her Dad is an abusive alcoholic, her mother won’t leave him, her cousin, Jake and she deal pot in order to create a small get-out-town fund, all her friends are in similar situations and foster homes on and off the rez. Poverty, hopelessness and drugs are rampant. Then she meets Mike who seems to be a bright spot of hope in it with his love of reading and broody Holden Caulfield demenour that splices through the shithole life. But he turns out to have his share of issues too. A real dick as the book says because even if men are good they always manage to fuck it up somehow.

It’s a pretty much a cycle of helplessness as it seems like the system is against Marguerite, her friends and family right from the start and how do you keep on going if you know it’s just not worth it? But there is some hope mixed in there too. Mundane moments of beauty and happiness peek through in her day to day grind for survival and hoping to be better than her parents and her teenagehood.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Kirstin is dealing with several problems. One is her Marine boyfriend is out of country again but she is used to the deal as Tyler promises that once his tour is done, it’s done. However, her more pressing concern is her life-changing medical procedure that will lessen her painful cramps but may prevent her from having children in the future.

Then comes in hot fireman, Josh who is also picking up work on her garage and turning her thoughts to fire-alarm sizzling. Then in classic romance trope, he moves in to help around the place and well. . . Tyler ends up going back on his word and dumps her to enlist again. It’s heartbreaking but then again, Josh. . . Yeah it’s on.

While I’m writing this lightly, I do admire the casual build-up of sexual tension and friendly banter between the two is done nicely enough that I can buy their chemistry.

The bigger draw of this story is how sensitively and comprehensively Jimenez deals with Kristin’s complicated feelings with fertility and her uterus, fearing that Josh, her friends and family will see her as less than or in Josh’s case break-up prematurely because she knows he wants kids. Children and fertility are a big issue and Jimenez writes in her author’s notes that because of the huge emphasis society places on a woman’s uterus, she wanted this not only to be a love story between Josh and Kristin but a love story for Kristin and herself as she begins to accept love again and see herself just as whole as before. I love the combination of romance and real issues that she combines here which brings me to:

The Happily Ever Playlist by Abby Jimenez

Sloane was Kristin’s best friend in The Friend Zone and her story takes place two years later as she is still working through her grief after her boyfriend’s untimely death.

It was an allcompassing sort of grief and she is only just starting to feel okay again. She’s not ready for dating but she will accept the unconditional love of a dog she finds wandering alone. Yeah, that dog turns out to be already owned but she’s not giving him up without a fight especially since the owner seems so irresponsible.

That owner turns out to be superstar musician, Jason (stage named Jaxon) and a few sparks fly, enough for her to agree to dogsit while he goes on tour in Australia.

I thoroughly enjoy the follow-through Jimenez displays when detailing their subsequent relationship. Not only the intense attacks of grief that interrupt their dates when Sloane least wants it but the attacks from the press and unstable exes that hunger after her which Jason is helpless to stop.

Even so, there are shades of grey here as Jason’s ex, Lola Simone isn’t the fame-hungry singer (a la Britney Spears vibes I must admit) he sees her as but as much of a victim of a pushy, controlling music industry as he is. The same industry that is also putting out attacks on Sloane in order to push a break-up and put Jason with the more “interesting” Lola.

Plus it takes place over time. Jimenez isn’t afraid to let time past and show growth through rehab and therapy as she explores the difference between mourning grief and complicated berevement. Once again, she hits that sweet spot between tropes and realism which makes her books such an interesting read.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

This is not closely related to the other two but there is a character that pops up that will add to the enjoyment of it.

But here, the main focus is on Alexis Montgomery, pushing past an emotionally abusive relationship in search of no strings attached fling. She finds one in her complete opposite. David is a carpenter from a small town, ten years her junior. She’s from an elite family and applying to be chief surgeon at a prestigious hospital of which her family has given ample donations and legacies. They couldn’t be more different but the sex is out of this world and enough reason for her to stay as she waits to hear the job offer. In fact, I felt that the relationship was too focused on sex at first and while it transitioned to a genuine relationship, it felt less organic than it did for the other couples especially when there were other plot threads that were more interesting.

One being the the small-town of Waken, MN itself. It not only has small-town charm but some magic in the air from shifting stainglass and dragonflies. It’s a “maybe magic” as Jimenez writes in the author’s note which adds to this star-crossed fairytale feel of the novel, setting it apart. But Waken is not only magical, but slightly improverished and she takes a position at a local clinic to see the effects of a prohhibitive medical access from the big city that leads to amputations from diabetics rationing their insulin, emergency and sometimes fatal c-sections and other medical problems that could be prevented if there was more access.

Suddenly, Alexis is yearning more for fufilling work rather than a cushy, prestigious job but she can’t go against her family. Not when their pushy meddling and snobbish attitude wouldn’t accept such an idea. Like they would never accept David. Like how they just disowned her brother for marrying a “classless” woman.

Jimenez shows the different facets of abuse from the typical physical abuse that is psychologically and physical hard to escape as well as the lesser-identifiable emotional abuse. She also explores family toxicity and dysfunction that contributes to that mind set and the need to set healthy boundaries when your ability to love unconditionally is not worth it. That’s why Alexis’ story is so compelling to read. Unfortunately, David’s is less so as it deas with the usual big expectations from family members and town route.

But still a worthwhile read.

Bunny-Drop by Yumi Unita

My local library had the first 5 volumes of this manga so I decided why not, I’ll give it a look. There, I got into the charming tale of Daikichi Kawachi. He’s pretty much a loser, having not really dated anyone and just goes to the daily grind of his job. But after the death of his grandfather, he meets his aunt aka his grandfather’s secret six year old love child. No one else in the family is willing to take Rin in, but struck by her loneliness, he takes the job. No one believes he is capable of it lest of all himself but he’s willing to try. So the former slacker with no ambitions is thrown in the deep end of parenting. His eyes are open to the struggles of single mothers and how society places so much burden on them, listening to the concerns of his female coworkers and cousin as they struggle with their marriages. He also contends with parenting woes such as preschool, first cold and more and its absolutely heartwarming to see how protective and how deep the love he has for his new daughter.

This is only emphasized by his search for Rin’s birth mother which only renew his efforts to make sure feels loved and happy.

The story is also interesting as volume 5 brings a timeskip to Rin is a high scooler and Daikichi is finally thinking about dating again. With that comes its own drama that I’ll be eager to find out if I even find volume 6.