book reviews

Backlist Book Reviews

| Jessica Crawford

I read a couple of lovely backlist books recently!

Rhea felt better. She was still going somewhere terrible, but she had a hedgehog, dammit.

I only just “discovered” Kingfisher this year and she is already an autobuy for me, and so I am now also working through her backlist. This book did not disappoint! I do feel like it took too long to get to the meat of the story–we know our main character is engaged against her wishes because her family cannot afford to say “no” to a Lord, but it takes quite some time for her to actually arrive at this nobleman’s home and learn exactly why being his bride is even so much more of a bummer than she feared. But this is one of the author’s earlier works, and I have not noticed the same issue with any of her other books.

Once we do learn about the other wives, some of whom are not…exactly…living human beings, as well as just what is at stake, this is a darkly fun adventure as the main character races to try to save herself and the others. The resolution was bit too hurried and neat IMO, but the characters and quests undertaken are just so imaginative and…well, darkly fun!

The narration also includes some of the author’s trademark wit and humor.

She clung to the tile, and eventually she stopped screaming, because it didn’t seem to be helping.

I am so excited to read more of her work!

Beautifully written queer retelling of Arthurian legend from the POV of the knight Percival. It’s magical, it’s moving, and it’s very human at its core…while also being, you know, not fully human. The book itself, the cover and the handful of illustrations inside, are lovely!

Book Review: LAY THEM TO REST by Laurah Norton

| Jessica Crawford

There aren’t many things I find more intriguing than learning about the journey that begins with finding unidentified human remains, then studying them and investigating to discover who they belonged to, and ultimately, it is hoped, what happened to them.

I have an anthropology degree I’ve never used (changing career tracks and attending nursing school immediately after obtaining it), but have continued my lifelong interest in the subject, most especially with forensic anthropology. I read popular science books that are published on the topic. Oftentimes these are written by scientists in a very factual manner (like Sue Black’s survey of the human skeleton, including examples of specific cases she attended and what she was able to learn about a person from particular bones). This book takes a different approach. Written by a podcaster/writer/researcher/English professor, it describes the investigation into a specific Jane Doe’s identity with a narrative that includes the day to day process of planning and conducting the research.

I assume the decision was made to present it this way to make it more relatable, maybe? More like a story than strictly informational? However, for me, this made for a 50% absolutely fascinating read, and 50% boring drag. I honestly could not have cared less what hairstyle complemented Dr. Amy Michael’s cheekbones, or about the author’s skin care routine or keto diet; nor all the times the author ordered a Coke (Coke Zero twice at Mexican restaurants, Diet Coke at the trampoline park), the times she ordered a salad (including the time it came without dressing), all the times she flew Delta, and whether she then traveled to her hotel via rideshare or however else. I just wanted to get back to the matter at hand!

I also grew a little bored with the explanations of certain science topics with which I was already familiar, but of course the book couldn’t and shouldn’t just assume all readers are already brushed up on those. What I DID find super interesting was the specifics on the research and investigation done to identify this specific person, and several other Does brought up along the way. I also appreciated that the author includes in her writing the names of all the professionals who contributed, as well as some programs and nonprofits that readers might choose to look into more on their own.

Looking past the filler I did not care for, there was still plenty of great interest. Whether you’re a fan of true crime content or forensic anthropology and genealogy, you’ll probably find a lot to like in this book.

Book Review: NORTH WOODS by Daniel Mason

| Jessica Crawford

Sometimes, overwhelmed, she retreats into the forests of the past. She has come to think of them as her private Archive, herself an Archivist, and she has found that the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change.

The gorgeous, lyrical prose of North Woods by Daniel Mason transports readers to a parcel of land and shows them the changes it undergoes over the course of centuries. A love poem for nature, it teaches of the land’s native flora and fauna, as well as how various outside seeds, spores, insects, and microorganisms make their way there and work changes upon it. Each vignette tells of the succession of people who find their way onto this land, live out their messy lives there, and leave their own indelible marks.

Interspersed with fictional primary accounts such as letters, songs, and speeches, we get peeks into the lives of several generations of people. There are the lovers who flee their Puritan Massachusetts colony to make a life for themselves in the woods, the woman and her child taken captive by native peoples, the escaped slave making her way north to Canada. There is the ex-soldier apple orchardist and his twin daughters, and the landscape painter harboring an illicit love in his breast (“Nature doing her best to draw me into her cloak of melancholy, but I have the memory of my friend”). The robber baron with dreams of a hunting lodge, the vulnerable woman who accidentally invites danger to her home, and the schizophrenic whose hallucinations might be more than they seem (“Diabolical tools, a ruptured earth, words which froze in winter; were it a poem, not a disease, she might find it fascinating”). The amateur historian looking to dig up the past. And then there is the wildlife that makes the place its home in between the people. Sprinkled amongst the stories are love, lust, murder, art, and more.

This literary novel is not for readers looking for fast-paced plot driven stories. I had to take my time reading each line, allowing myself to fully absorb the beauty of it all. And I loved every minute of it!

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Book Review: SHARK HEART: A LOVE STORY by Emily Habeck

| Jessica Crawford

”What…What are you doing?” she asked groggily. “Just seeing what it’s like to love you when I can’t see you.”

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck is a bittersweet story about life and love.

The world in this book is identical to our own except for one key difference: some people develop a disease that causes them to mutate into a different species. When married couple Wren and Lewis learn that the latter is transforming into a shark, it’s analogous to learning one’s partner has a terminal illness. Or when a relationship undergoes anything unexpected that completely changes how things were “supposed” to be.

Wren is practical, Lewis is a dreamer. When they exchange their wedding vows, they could have never imagined how different their lives would look after only a year of marriage.

In their innocence, they failed to grasp the labor of losing a partner, how the tasks of simple existence would become logistical feats and one person’s burden.

This is a character-driven literary novel told in parts (three, I think), with some “chapters” being only a sentence or two long. In addition to the story of Wren and Lewis, the middle section tells about Wren’s mother, Angela, getting pregnant as a teenager and then trying her best to parent after receiving a life-changing diagnosis of her own. The book is chock full of love and grief, and learning to love with both. It is lovely and sad, although it does end on a hopeful note.

Wren no longer sees life as a long, linear ladder with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, she considers how life is like a spiraling trail up a mountain. Each circling lap represents a learning cycle, the same lesson at a slightly higher elevation. Wren realizes she likes to rest as much as she likes to climb. She begins to enjoy the view.

Book Review: WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS by Isabel Ibañez

| Jessica Crawford

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is adventurous historical fiction with a dollop of magical realism following Inez Olivera, a spirited young woman from Argentina, and Whitford Hayes (Whit), a disillusioned British ex-soldier who lost his way. 90% of the book is written from Inez’s POV, although several chapters have a short end cap from Whit.

In the late nineteenth century, Inez’s parents are presumed dead after going missing in the deserts of Egypt, and she is determined to discover what exactly happened. She joins her archaeologist uncle in Cairo, where she meets Whit, the man hired to help Tio Ricardo, and also to do his dirty work. Why does an archaeologist have need of someone like this? There is seedy business going on in the field, where there are those who would steal and sell priceless historical artifacts for personal profit, rather than preserve it for its significance to cultural heritage. This makes for downright dangerous business, and Inez’s tio immediately tries to send her back home to Argentina.

He tries and he fails (see the description of Inez, “a spirited young woman”). After repeating this cycle a few times, Inez successfully finds herself part of the team searching for the tomb of none other than Cleopatra. She is thrilled at the idea of assisting with such an endeavor, but her main goal is always to learn the truth of what happened to her parents.

This story is chock full of mystery, adventure, history, and magic. There is a prominent romance element as well. It was really a good deal of fun! The one thing I found irritating was that an easily avoided lack of communication was used to develop the majority of tension in the plot. Inez asks for information over and over again, and if people JUST TOLD HER THE TRUTH, so many of the things that go wrong in this story would have been avoided. This is always pretty frustrating to me as a reader!

I’m not sure why this is billed as Young Adult, as the main character is 19, and there are no particular themes that stand out to me as YA.

Also, BE FOREWARNED, it seems this is planned to be the first book in a series, because it does “end” with some pretty major cliffhangers, including one big twist,

The comparison of this story to The Mummy is apt (I couldn’t speak to Death on the Nile.) I greatly enjoyed the Egyptian setting, although couldn’t say how much of the way it was depicted here is accurate (possibly very, it seems well researched, I just don’t know much about how it felt to visit Cairo in 1844). I really liked both Inez and Whit, so the romance piece worked for me as well. This is my first time reading a work by this author, and I was not disappointed.

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Book Review: OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY by C. E. McGill

| Jessica Crawford

Likely capping off my spooky season reading, this is OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY by C. E. McGill.

But I have never been a sensible soul. I have only ever, always, been angry.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Mary and her husband are scientists with particular interests in fossils and prehistoric creatures. As a woman (and a bastard), Mary has to work twice as hard to even attempt to be acknowledged in the field. Through poor decisions on her husband’s part, they find themselves at risk of losing the respect of the scientific community, as well as in great financial debt.

That is when Mary finds the notes of her great uncle, Victor Frankenstein.

“One cannot afford principles, if one is trying not to drown.”

According to the author’s note, they first pitched this story idea to their academic advisor as, “Frankenstein, but, like, with dinosaurs?” And I enjoyed it very much! It’s Gothic, concerns itself with academics in Britain’s scientific community in the Victorian era, deals with grief as well as caring over credibility, and is full of feminist rage. Although she is married to a man, Mary also develops romantic attachments to women. And, oh, how I adored that Creature! My only complaint would be that the pacing seemed a bit off, with things dragging a bit in the middle. Overall, I loved it!

It will not have been for nothing, I wanted to cry, no matter what happens-don’t you see? Don’t you see? Because it is already worth something. It is worth something, even in the dark. Even if no one else ever loves it but me.

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THIRD EYE by Felicia Day

| Jessica Crawford

Do you like fun things? If so, then do I have a treat for you!

Third Eye by Queen of the Geeks Felicia Day is an auditory experience not to be missed. It’s an Audible Original about seven hours in length, and it is a full on audio production, complete with sound effects, music, and a full cast. We’re talking Neil Gaiman as the narrator, plus Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, London Hughes, and many, many more—including a Weird Al cameo!

The story subverts the Chosen One trope, the main character having failed at defeating the Great Evil as the oracle’s prophecy foretold. It features mages, vampires, faeries, a half-demon, and lots and lots of laughs. If any of this sounds like your jam, what are you doing still reading this blog post? Go listen!

Book Review: SLEWFOOT: A TALE OF BEWITCHERY by Brom

| Jessica Crawford

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom was a highly appropriate addition to my October reading.

Newly widowed in 17th century New England, Abitha attempts to keep the farm running by herself, something the members of the Puritan community she lives in are not entirely sure is what a Godly woman would do. If only they knew about the things her mother, a “cunning woman”, taught her, they would be even more horrified.

Nearby, something has awoken in the darkest of shadows. He can’t recall who, or what, he is. Is he a devil, as some would have him believe? But then why does he feel such joy using his powers for healing and nurturing?

Abitha and Slewfoot become friends who help one another find their way, even when that way includes bloody retribution.

This book, which includes several pages of the author’s own artwork, is a perfect choice for spooky season reading!

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Book Review: DEAD ELEVEN by Jimmy Juliano

| Jessica Crawford

Clifford Island is a memorial. Something tragic happened, and the people never moved on.

A grieving mother finds herself traveling to a little known island for reasons not even she can fully explain. When she goes missing, her brother travels there to try to piece together what happened. The people of Clifford Island seem stuck in the 90’s; in fact, they seem to be reenacting the same day over and over again, but no one is talking about why.

Jimmy Juliano’s debut, DEAD ELEVEN, is a decent psychological horror story. I found it a bit silly in some ways–like when a pastor says something along the lines of “I let God guide me,” the POV character thinks, “OMG, was that a threat?” simply because the author wishes to set a tense, vaguely threatening tone. This is just one example of characters drawing exceedingly random conclusions for the sake of the story.

But overall the story was original and compelling. Is the odd behavior of the islanders the problem, or is it the solution to something much, much darker?

She got to her mailbox and raised her right hand to Gloria, who, of course, was dead and tethered to her own mailbox.

Chilling, creepy, and strange (in a good way), this story wasn’t executed perfectly, but it was interesting nonetheless. It presents multiple points of view in a mixed media format. I appreciated the exploration of expressions of grief, and the threat of an ancient Evil, but could have done with less of the teenagers’ sections of the book.

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