Joran / Susan Hayes

 

2.75 out of 5 stars

Book 4 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

I'm not sure who was reading this book, causing me to impulsively add it to my TBR. I couldn't find it at my local library or through interlibrary loan, so I used it to bulk up a book order into free shipping territory. It is a silly, fun little confection. And I really do mean little—it is a novella or maybe a longer short story.

For whatever reason, I am really into romance right now. I've been rereading old favourites and this little bon-bon is helping me break out of that rut. The plot is extremely simple: the planet Pyr is desperately short of women and Prince Joran must sneak off to Earth to see who he can find. His father's people have set up an internet dating site to find mates for Pyr's young men. Maggie and her friends, Lisa and Gwen, end an evening of ice cream eating and wine drinking with filling out the questionnaire for said dating site (promising out of this world dating possibilities).

There is no dilly-dallying. Joran is certain enough for two, but Maggie must be convinced that a human barista can become a royal princess or that leaving her planet is a good idea. She was more easily converted than I would be!

Now I have to wonder if my very choosy used bookstore will take it off my hands or if I'll be donating it to a book sale. (A teeny part of me would love to read more in the series, but I question whether this slim volume was worth the cash I paid for it.)

Untimely Death / Elizabeth J. Duncan

 

2.75 out of 5 stars

This was an easy read. Not exceedingly complex, just a pretty typical cozy mystery. It was my feeling that the murderer was blatantly obvious, but maybe I just made a lucky guess?

I suspect that the author uses outlines, as this mystery progressed in a very orderly fashion. First we got introduced to the main characters, including the young woman who telegraphed “I am the victim" quite clearly. Then we were provided with reasons for most of the main characters to dislike or hate her. As expected she has a close call, followed by a fatal event. This is a cozy, so our costume designer narrator is hooked up with a local policeman. But of course, one of her former lovers has arrived, making her life difficult. To me, it felt very paint-by-numbers. She started with that outline and then filled in relevant details.

Now, none of this is bad. I could wish for a little more realistic emotional content, not just being told what characters were feeling. A little less wooden. Honestly, there's more going on between Charlotte and her corgi than with the guy she's sleeping with (and he actually does stay over one night, so we can verify their relationship). But Charlotte acts out one of my least favourite cozy tropes: she's involved with a policeman but doesn't trust him to do his job. She seems to think that she must poke her nose in, or justice won't be served. This drives me nuts! Honestly, why you be dating someone so incompetent?

But those are my hang-ups and others may not share them. Despite my little disappointments, I would be willing to read the second volume of the series to see if things improve.

Conspirator / C.J. Cherryh

 

4 out of 5 stars

I don't know how Cherryh has kept coming up with new crises for Bren Cameron to deal with. She had definitely set up Cajieri, son of atevi leader Tabini, to be both a fond companion and a thorn in Bren's side. Cajierei may be only eight, with the poor ability to judge consequences of a child, but he also has the slipperiness of an escape artist. This novel sees him making three unfortunate decisions in quick succession. And it's not Bren's first rodeo when it comes to getting the boy to safety, but he anticipates blowback from Tabini and even the Aiji-dowager, Ilisidi, one of his favourite people. (And it saddens me to see this elderly woman having problems. I have a hunch there will be little to no meicheta riding for her anymore).

It never rains but it pours! Politics require that Bren leave his borrowed quarters in the capitol while the apartment that he considers his is occupied by a clan of dubious loyalty. Bren decides to head out to his country estate. There he is initially glad to see his brother Toby, who is now hooked up with Bren's ex, Barb. Barb is a piece of work and manages to scandalize the atevi house staff and the villagers. Additionally, when Cajieri is recovered from his second scrape, Bren takes him personally to thank the neighbouring land holder for locating the boy. They inadvertently discover political machinations that threaten the region and atevi governmental stability.

So Bren must juggle an unpredictable child, family ructions, and deadly political action, with the assassins’ guild in full evidence. If that wasn't enough, he realizes that his time spent on his space mission has deprived his district of much needed leadership and attention. I expect the next book will see more movement in that direction. It's always an interesting ride following Mr. Cameron!

Book number 512 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Witches Get Stuff Done / Molly Harper

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Book 3 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

3.5 stars

I generally enjoy Molly Harper's fiction and this book is no exception. For the first half of the book, I got strong Jane Jameson vibes from Riley Everett. Jane kind of accidentally became a vampire and Riley is introduced abruptly to her witchy heritage. Jane and Riley have similar senses of humour. Thankfully Riley does not have Jane's lack of self confidence.

Riley and Edison Held have their meet cute on the ferry on the trip to Starfall Point. Edison is having a panic attack in the loo and Riley pukes on his shoes. Harper manages to transform him from jerk to love interest smoothly. It's obvious from the first that they will be a couple.

It's fun to watch Riley find her circle of friends, otherwise known as a coven. Alice and Caroline prove to be great backup and excellent people. It's a normal part of urban fantasy, something I truly love about the genre. Found families really appeal to me.

If I have a complaint, it's that I feel that the whole plot felt rushed. The women click together a bit too quickly and I personally would have preferred the romance to proceed at a slower pace. But the next book seems to centre on Caroline, so Riley's plotline needs to be wrapped up by the end of the first volume. Now to source a copy of volume 2….

The Border Legion / Zane Grey

 

3.3 out of 5 stars

Book 2 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

This was a blast from the past! I read a lot of Zane Grey when I was in high school and I vaguely remembered loving this title. When I saw it in my favourite used bookstore, I grabbed it. It's always a gamble, re-reading something you adored as a much younger person.

I couldn't help but notice how differently romance is written in 2024 than 1916! In the second chapter, Joan Randle has ridden out in search of the boyfriend that she's had a big fight with. She rides too far and is kidnapped by Jack Kells, an outlaw who makes is very clear that he is sexually interested in her. Joan pretends to be much younger than she is and tries to stay on his good side. When he eventually grabs her, she goes limp, grabs his gun, and shoots him in the side. Then, instead of escaping, she stays to nurse him back to health. Kells turns out to be a pretty chivalrous wanna-be-rapist. He protects Joan from the other outlaws and tries to convince her to marry him. Most unrealistic. And then Joan's boyfriend, Jim Cleve, shows up as part of the Border Legion, transformed into a hardened outlaw himself. 

A modern author, writing a kidnapping, would likely bring Joan and Jack together as a couple, but life was different in 1916. Joan wants nothing to do with an outlaw but draws the line at murdering him. Kells finds the clothing of an outlaw, a small man, known as Dandy Dale, and insists that Joan wear it. Oh, the horror! He makes her wear trousers (and then tells her that she looks cute in them), so evil. But Joan is fixated on Jim and she continues to ward off Kells' advances. He seems to want her to care for him and give consent so he doesn't force her.

Now I truly wonder what is was that captured my imagination all those years ago? I remembered very little of the plot, but I think I was halfway rooting for Jack Kells to get the girl. Thankfully I don't think I'll be wanting to read it again, so it can go back to the used bookstore. 

Feed / Mira Grant

 

R

4 out of 5 stars

The first book of my SFF Reading Project for the New Year. I am a fan of Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire, so I was looking forward to this novel, despite the fact that I'm less enthusiastic about zombies. I much prefer vampires or the fae (or both).

Nevertheless, Grant's choice of names was fabulous. Georgia, named after George Romero, father of the zombie film. Her brother, Shaun (Shaun of the Dead). Their partner Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). In a world where traditional media has been replaced by bloggers, known as Newsies, Irwins, and Fictionals. The Irwins are particularly well named, as they actively seek out zombies outside the safe zones and poke them with hockey sticks, much as Steve Irwin used to go looking for snakes and leaping on crocodilians.

If you're really into American politics, you will be in your element here. Grant takes us forward in time from the actual disaster, to see where the society has gone in the aftermath of the Rising. We are given to understand that a cure for the common cold interacted with a viral cancer cure to produce the viral combination that creates zombies. Georgia, Shaun, and Buffy get chosen by a Republican presidential candidate to accompany his campaign and we get to witness the political machinations through Georgia's eyes. And Georgia's eyes are her weak point, as she has a Kellis-Amberlee infection which is contained to her eyes, making her pupils dilate continuously and threatening retinal damage from too much light.

This was published in 2010, which seems centuries ago now, when George W. Bush was president. It was before the enormous chasm developed between the Republicans and Democrats, before many Americans began to seriously distrust the media, and the internet had just recently become a potential force in all aspects of public life. In many ways, like so many apocalypse writers, Grant seems to have interpreted the trends very accurately. She joins authors like Octavia Butler and Margaret Atwood with her unsettling depiction of a credibly horrible future.

It's an exploration of the dark areas of American politics: the conspiracy theorists, the home-grown terrorists, the anti-intellectual tendencies of the public, the (perceived) biases of the media, the spin. I try to ignore politics in the US as much as possible, saying (not very convincingly) “It's not my country, not my business.” (A version of Not my monkeys, not my circus). I found the novel to be an engaging read despite this prejudice of mine. I came for the zombies. I stayed for Georgia and Shaun.

Book number 511 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

A Murder is Announced / Agatha Christie

 

5 out of 5 stars

Book 1 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

In the effort to read more of my own book hoard, I joyfully joined this challenge. I have read this Agatha Christie novel before, but I loved it. When I saw it scheduled for January in my AC reading group, I chose to buy a copy for my permanent collection and now I got to read my own copy for the first time. I settled in to relish this juicy mystery, set in the wonderfully named village of Chipping Cleghorn. Christie's grasp of the nature of village life, replete with feuds, resentments, eccentricities, and competitive gossip is masterful.

On my first reading, I didn't notice all the poultry in this story! Ducks and chickens everywhere and even a couple of the women are described in those terms: Dora Bunner gives a cluck like a startled hen and Amy Murgatroyd is referred to by a policeman as “flapping.” I found these references endearing.

Of course, I had my favourite Christie sleuth on the case too. I do adore Jane Marple! I love how she dissembles, hiding that sharp mind of hers behind the knitting and occasionally dithering for good measure. Her cover is well established and the murderer has no clue until it's too late.

You Can Die / Rebecca Zanetti

 

3.25 out of 5 stars

The third book featuring Laurel Snow, the neurodivergent FBI agent, wraps things up nicely. Well, not everything, as Laurel's narcissistic biological father and half sister are both still at large and far too interested in our intrepid Special Agent.

Laurel has managed to get an official branch office in Genesis Valley, which means that she has moved home. As is usual in mystery literature, this small community seems to be a vortex for violent murder. Laurel finds herself assembling a team and is even able to count them as friends. It's an unusual feeling for her and she is studying their emotions as she tries to get better at reading people. Her love interest Huck Rivers, has figured out that he has to speak literally to her and spell things out, so their relationship seems to be working.

On one hand, by book's end, the biggest issues have been resolved. The murderer has been apprehended and all of the team are safe and sound. Laurel and Huck are solid. But I am wondering if there will be more books in the series. Abigail is still fixated on her half-sister and Zeke has slipped out of the hospital, leaving a vaguely threatening note. Those two aspects lead me to believe that there is more to come. If there is, I hope my library orders it!

Eve / Cat Bohannon

 

2.6 out of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. The main thing that appeals to me is her underlying premise that the theories about human evolution have largely been theorized by men, who assumed that “human innovation had been driven by groups of men solving man-problems.” So I appreciate her turning of the tables on those chauvinist assumptions. Unfortunately, it seems to me that she falls into the trap of thinking that natural selection has a plan, that evolution has direction or is aiming for something. It just doesn't work that way—we have certain genetics and if those tiny blueprints give us an advantage, our offspring may proliferate more than those of our neighbours (or not).

I had never thought of gynecology as an asset in the human evolution game, but I think she has a point. Females helping others with the labouring process would be a distinct advantage. However behaviours don't fossilize, so it's a largely theoretical argument, as is the chapter on our unusual condition known as menopause. Sure, it's a nice bonus to have wise elders to help with memories of previous solutions to thorny problems, but it's almost certainly an evolutionary accident.

I had never encountered the information on throat sacs in primates before, despite taking several primatology courses in university and volunteering as an education docent in natural history for 17 years. I was intrigued by the idea that the loss of throat sacs would have been an advantage for a primate that had made the switch to an upright posture. It made sense to me: the drainage of sinuses down the throat, resulting in more vocal sac infections, could be selected against. That the loss of vocal sacs would be a step towards the possible development of spoken language is a tempting new idea for me.

Generally, when she deals with actual fossil evidence, I like her conclusions. But all the theoretical speculations, while fun, are just that, speculations. There are entertaining footnotes aplenty and copious endnotes too (where I found some sources for the fascinating throat sac material). There is also a very long bibliography, which I appreciated. As with any “explanation“ of human behaviour, take it all with a very large grain of salt.

On Earth as it is on Television / Emily Jane

 

2.5 out of 5 stars

They came for the TV; they stayed for the bacon.

This book really didn't work for me, but I have a defective sense of humour when it's written, rather than heard. I wonder if I would like it better if I had listened to an audiobook? What I'm saying, I guess, is that your mileage may vary and you shouldn't give my opinion too much weight.

It's too bad, because that's a wonderful title. I really wanted to love this book, but instead I struggled with it. I didn't like any of the characters much and I couldn't see what they all had to do with each other. The cats should have been amusing, but I just didn't see how they fit into things. And where were the aliens? It's difficult to have a first contact novel when the aliens don't show up.

I think it also suffered in comparison with The Road to Roswell which I enjoyed. I got the humour of Connie Willis. I must have been expecting something more like that and that prevented me from appreciating this book. Not fair to this book at all. Perhaps if I had read it first, my experience would have been very different.

It wasn't until pretty late in the game that things finally started to come together for me. The last few chapters were definitely the best for me, but by that time I just wanted to finish the darn book so I could return it to the library.

Komarr / Lois McMaster Bujold

 

4 out of 5 stars

2024 Re-read

It's been 3 years since I read this book in paper and I found that I really remembered only the final 20% or so. I had completely forgotten what an utter asshole Tien Vorsoisson was and what Ekaterin Vorsoisson had to put up with. The details of the accident that drew Miles Vorkosigan and his fellow Imperial Auditor Professor Vorthys to Komarr had also faded from my mind along with the connection to the plot that dominates those final chapters. What had remained as an indelible imprint was Ekaterin's utter destruction of the doomsday device and Miles' delight in the mayhem.

This audiobook was a pleasant way to spend time during -30°C weather, when I had zero intention of leaving my house. Grover Gardener may not be the best narrator but he's decent. There were a few times during conversations that I was a bit confused about which party was speaking, but that didn't interfere too often with my enjoyment of the story.

I suspect that I will eventually acquire a paper copy of this title to add to my permanent collection.

The Chalk Pit / Elly Griffiths

 

4 out of 5 stars

A wonderful way to begin a New Year, reading an installment of one of my favourite series. I always enjoy Ruth Galloway's adventures. There's a lot of stuff going on here, many new convolutions for the characters to deal with. The mystery portion is a bit eccentric. Griffiths states in her acknowledgements that there really are chalk tunnels under Norwich, but no underground people. Nevertheless, it gave Ruth a new investigation to participate in.

Harry's wife may know that Kate is his child, but he's having difficulty telling his two older daughters. This despite the likelihood that the older girls would make a pet of Kate. But admitting that he's been unfaithful to their mother holds him back. I guess when you're a police officer, it's difficult to admit that you've broken trust.

Truly, it's the personal issues of the fairly large cast of characters that keeps me reading along happily. The archeology and police work are both engaging, but I want to know who gets married, how are the kids growing up, how are the careers progressing, all that kind of thing.

One book closer to the end of the series. I will be very sad when I reach the end of the line, but I have other Griffiths books to explore. However, I won't hurry my way to the conclusion. I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts.

2023 Summary

 

Another year of distraction and difficulty concentrating, which led to more unread books returned to the library than ever before. The struggle is real. It has meant that I have lived largely in the fantasy genre during 2023, with side trips into mystery, rarely venturing out of this cozy comfort zone. I have also done a ton of rereading, revisiting old and new favourites. Despite this feeling of frustration, I read 215 books (more actually, if I was to record all of my comfort re-reading).

Once again, I kept track of the worth of the books that I borrowed from the library, giving a total of $3,234 (Cdn). I have to say that I love my local library and appreciate that they will get books on interlibrary loan if possible. I would not be able to afford my reading habit without them!

My Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project advanced by 31 books. I had foolishly hoped to finish this self-appointed reading list by the end of 2024, but I've seen the light! Pressuring myself to read isn't fun and I'll finish whenever I'm done. No more making reading a chore!

Favourite Books of 2023: The Last Devil to Die, Double Eagle: A DreadfulWater Mystery, and System Collapse. All published in 2023, all from favourite authors (Richard Osman, Thomas King, Martha Wells), all wonderful fun, whether you're solving mysteries in a seniors' community, a lost planet, or a small western town.

Highlights of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project: I've had a great time reading numerous books in the Liaden Universe by Shaon Lee and Steve Miller. I have a bias toward man-woman writing teams—I think they provide balanced characters and plots. This series provides a blend of action, intrigue, and complex relationships that I enjoy.

Best new-to-me author met at a conference: Tanya Huff. I love her Blood and Confederation series. Plus I bought her newest novel and the Keeper's Chronicles. She is smart, funny, and a thoroughly nice human being. I look forward to reading much more of her work.

Favourite Book Club selection: Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood. A good mystery with interesting main characters. I'll try to get to book 2 early in 2024. Honourable mention goes to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson.

Best First Contact novel: The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis. A highly amusing encounter with aliens at Roswell, New Mexico. A bridesmaid ends up abducted by an alien and on a highly irregular road trip.

Best Historical Fantasy: Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch. A retelling of the Morgan Le Fay portion of the King Arthur mythos. I'm a sucker for female focused Arthur tales. This one is just to my taste.

Most Disturbing Mystery: The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey. My blood ran cold while reading this novel set at a time when I was a very young woman and felt the pressure from being female in a world controlled by men. Very unsettling reminder of this period of my life.

Most Memorable Dystopian: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I read fewer dystopian books this year, but this one would stand out in a crowd of them. So bleak, so dark, but also so mesmerizing. There's a reason that it appears on so many “must read" lists.

Favourite Agatha Christie: The Body in the Library. Miss Marple, of course. I continue on reading one Christie novel per month in publication order. The reward is finding gems like this one.

My Shakespeare Project remained on hold during 2023. The cinemas were not showing Shakespearean drama, probably looking for more profitable films to make up for the Covid years. My local Shakespeare company was repeating previous productions. I hope to see their version of A Midsummer Night's Dream in May 2024.

What am I anticipating in 2024? More Miss Marple and other Christie books. More Tanya Huff. Whatever Richard Osman is preparing. Praying that Thomas King is moved to write another novel. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. Several Liaden novels. New books by favourite authors (Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs, Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire, The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey, etc.). Finally reading the books on my bookshelves that have languishing there. I have dreams of selling furniture and turning my second bedroom into a reading room. We shall see if I can accomplish that! As per usual, I have far too many books on the 2024 reading list, but it can be pruned as necessary.

So, my friends, I wish you a New Year of reading pleasure and fun. May 2024 treat you kindly.