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Book of the Month: Hemlock Island
Yep, we’re already on the next book of the month. It was a quick read thanks to Armstrong’s exciting cliffhangers and short chapters that make one want to keep going, and going until it’s 2 in the morning and the mystery is revealed.
The titular Hemlock Island is owned by author/writer, Laney. Well the cabin on the island is owned by Laney. It was a gift from her ex-husband and her favorite place in the world for writerly retreats. But since her divorce, she has to stay afloat and has rented it out.
But when walls started bleeding and nature starts attacking the horrified renters, Laney heads to the island with her niece, Madison in tow. The island where her ex-husband, her sister, and her estranged best friend, Sadie and Sadie’s brother have all come to help.
But the island is turning on them one by one, and all the secrets and tensions may be their downfall.
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Twisted Tales: Princess of Thieves Review
What if Maid Marian was the real outlaw?
Three years after her beloved uncle, King Richard, and best friend, Robin of Locksley went to war, and Maid Marian went to Paris for schooling, Marian is back. The war is over and her uncle promised her a spot on his council. But she is greeted at the docks by the Sherriff of Nottingham who informs her that King Richard is dead, Robin is a wanted man and Richard’s weak-willed brother is on the throne.
The kingdom isn’t in better shape as the villagers are destitute from the high taxes while King John feasts, naps and is advised by the sneaky Sir Hiss. Not on Marian’s watch. She may be relegated to her room thanks to Sir Hiss but that’s not going to stop her from aiding her beloved England.
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Saddlehill Academy
10 years since readers were introduced to Sasha Silver and Lauren Towers, and we are back! But not to the colonial greens of Canterwood Crest.
Instead we head a few hours away to the rolling lawns of Saddlehill Academy where a new horse girl aspires to live up to her idols while facing drama at every turn.
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Asgardians: Odin Review
Since I loved, loved, loved O’Connor’s Olympians series, I obviously had to check out his newest offering. The Asgardians! A quartet on the slightly less popular but just as well known Norse pantheon.
As one can guess, the first book focuses on the All-Father, Odin, leader of the Aesir Gods and covers the creation myth of the Norse world, and several different stories regarding Odin’s never-ending quest for knowledge to avoid his own mortality.
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Twisted Tales: Sally’s Lament Review
What if Sally discovered Christmas Town?
Dr. Finklestein rarely allows his creation to go outside his lab. She’s not ready? What more could she want? It’s safe with him?
But Sally wants freedom, she wants to be apart of the community of Halloween Town. She wants more.
She soon finds out that so does the acclaimed Pumpkin King. Even though he has everything he wants, he’s bored and restless.
So when Sally stumbles upon the mysterious woods and ends up in Christmas Town, she’s delighted. Finally, she’s having the courage to go after adventure! But Christmas Town is not as nice as it seems. Beneath the jolly lights, there’s a pervasive fear among the residents who fear getting on the naughty list. . . . And in a classic case of cultural miscommunication, Sally gets right on top of it.
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Prince of Glass and Midnight
Prince August of Charmant has simple aspirations for life. He doesn’t want to gain land or fight dragons like legendary kings because he knows wanting more leads to greedy rulers. He wants to help his kingdom and solve their problems.
He is less enthusiastic about his lonely father’s insistence that he get marry. August liked the idea of it but after losing his mother and seeing his father’s deep pain that still persists, he has avoided thoughts of love and the loss it can bring.
Especially as the one girl he wants, his childhood friend from Fresne, Ella, stopped writing him long ago.
In the present day, Fresne has a problem. Townspeople are mysteriously losing their memories. August and his friend, Martin, have made it their duty to look into cases of tax fraud and magical happenings and though August is scared of facing his mother’s resting place and he also has hope. Hope that maybe he can save Fresne and talk to Ella.
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Latinx History Month
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
No, this has nothing to the controversial Blake Lively movie. I’d actually argue it is more well-written than that storyline but I digress.
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Book of the Month: Bobbie Faye’s Very (very, very) Bad Day
I think I covered this one quite a bit in my original review and didn’t glean new insights upon rereading it so I’ll primarily focus on my friend’s thoughts. Primarily, she thought it was hilarious and her Louisiana friend confirmed that some of the crazy situations felt like it could fit in Baton Rogue in real life.
Bobbie Faye is a rootable character and you can feel her frustration while laughing at her horrible bad luck. I enjoyed the bear attack scene while she thought the fact that Alex, the gun runner boyfriend was desperate to get back his love poems was hilarious.
She was surprised that no one figured out that the crown was actually a treasure map but I remember the description of the crown as being so rusted and tacky, who would ever think of it as a map.
Besides that, she’s pretty sure there’s more to Cam and Bobbie Faye’s break-up than what we’re told. She was also surprised that there was actual death in the book because she felt this skewed more to young adults. I mean, it’s not like this book would be in a school library what with the dominatrixes and accidental voodoo aphrodisiac but 18+ would enjoy it. I, for one, having read book #2-3 admired the bits of forshadowing we get where Trevor is concerned.
I was most struck by the similarities in this book with the Neurotic Hitwoman series like Ceecee and Armani being the BFFs with vague psychic or otherworldly powers, and the fact that Maggie and Bobbie both have to care for their nieces.
I’m not even gonna count the love triangle since that seems to be expected for the genre. My friend thought maybe they got inspired by each other but I doubt that as they came out closely with each other and while they’re good, I doubt they got such a big following that others would pick up on it.
Yeah, I think I covered about everything. Our other takeaway was that it would be hilarious if there was a Neurotic Hitwoman/Bobbie Faye crossover whether it is the two of them meeting and subsequently destroying two states or the two of them deciding to switch lives for a “grass is greener” sort of plot and still almost destroy two states. It’d be fun, God could meet his older alligator cousins. Bobbie can blow up a chemical plant.
I’m probably gonna put #2 on our list for next year. Our next book is Hemlock Island which she already started to read because she forgot it was on her list. Such a betrayal but perfect for the spooky season.
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Isabel and the Rogue Review
Isabel Luna is like the Jan Brady of the Brady Bunch. A middle sister longing to break out of everyone’s shadow and be more than people think of her. That’s what the author initially believed of her creation too, but as you get to know Isabel, the reader and one Captain Sirius Dovan learn there’s a lot more depth than people realize.
But first, Isabel has to realize it for herself.
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Author Highlight: Lauren Myracle
The 70s and 80s brought us Judy Blume who gave the kids stories they needed and wanted to read about their lives, their fears, and questions about themselves. She was honest without being preachy, fun without being too silly. She got kids and their trials in growing up in this messed up world.
I’d argue that Lauren Myracle is the 2000s answer to Judy Blume.
Her Winnie Years series focuses on four years in the life of Winnie Perry from her tenth birthday to her thirteenth. You can see a clear progression from the wacky, spazzy ten year old who doesn’t care what people think to the unsure tween looking for new friends after her bestie dumped her for elusive popularity and the still unsure, but more aware teenager with a solid crowd and high hopes for the future despite the inevitablity of change.
Myracle has a deft touch in getting inside the mind of a teen girl who is at once confident in what she wants and what she believes in to the wildly veering mood swings and moments of oblivious immaturity. She fights with her big sister while simultaneously idolizing her cool teen life, she can be a bad friend, bowed by peer pressure but she always tries her best in the end. Myracle gets how the little things seem like huge deals and moments of insight where Winnie realizes how big the world is, parents are human, and that life is made of good and bad-hopefully more good.
I think Myracle was inspired by Judy Blume tooo as she has Winnie reading Then Again, Maybe I Won’t and referring to Blume books when she wants to feel more adult and feel like someone gets her.
Plus The Winnie Years can be very funny especially the final book as Winnie struggles to return a kidnapped penguin and just the hilarious banter whipping back and forth among family members. Plus I get a huge dose of nostalgia seeing early 200s happenings like the amazement over the first iPhone, and Twilight and Phineas and Ferb.
Luv Ya Bunches is for the younger set, and a takeoff of her high school internet girls series focusing on four lower school friends who have their own chat space (remember when that used to be a big thing) as they accomplish lower school hijinks like matchmaking their teachers, first crushes and fighting against the mean girls, Modessa and Natalie. A nice way to ease in your kid or younger sibling into Myracle’s bubbly style so they’re hooked to have more from her.
Which is why I’m shocked that more libraries don’t carry her. Maybe it’s just my town, but we need more Myracle appreciation.
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Rachel Reads & Reviews 