Turn Right at Machu Picchu / Mark Adams

 

4 out of 5 stars 

***2026 Summer of Sightseeing from my Sofa***

I chose a theme of travel for my summer this year, but regular travel books weren't what I had in mind. Instead, I've chosen an eccentric selection of travel stories. Turn Right had a certain appeal. Let me state up front that I have visited Machu Picchu, but I took a bus; I did not hike. Nowadays, even that is beyond my capabilities as my knees have given up. I’m glad I enjoyed travel when I did. Machu Picchu is a magical place and the Peruvian people are kind and generous folk. I’m a person who finds nature and the outdoors more inspiring than any church, so Machu Picchu suited me perfectly.

I had mixed feelings as I started reading Mark Adams' account. Sitting at a desk working for a travel magazine doesn't qualify a person to undertake a mountainous adventure like this one. Take it from someone who worked a desk job in a library and undertook birding tours on vacation. I've been insect nibbled, camped in cold rain (once in a tent that collapsed), survived altitude sickness, and nursed horrible blisters on my poor feet. I could see the pitfalls ahead clearly. I think Adams could too, but he went anyway.

The history of Hiram Bingham III in Peru (bringing Machu Picchu to the Western world's attention) alternates with Inca history and accounts of Adams' attempt to follow in Bingham's footsteps. Any of these three threads alone could have been tedious, but the interplay between the three was entertaining. Adams' dry and self deprecating sense of humour saved his portion from being a recitation of discomforts.

This initial adventure seems to have primed the author's pump. Adams has written two more adventure books about Alaska and the search for Atlantis. Judging by Turn Right at Machu Picchu, they could also be entertaining reading. Machu Picchu continues to be beautiful and enigmatic. I hope it remains that way for ages to come.

A Cute Little Murder / Molly Harper

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

I usually love Molly Harper novels. I was a little unsure when she pivoted from urban fantasy to mystery, but A Proposal to Die For was fun, so I approached this novel expecting a similar experience. I got off to a bad start with this one. I am used to Harper's sense of humour and I like it, but it seemed subdued in this book. I felt like she didn't hit her stride until page 130. That's a long time to wait.

I started to warm up to Lainey halfway through the book, but once again, that's a long time to wait. Add to that, when I noticed that I was 60% through, there was still no murder. It made me doubt the book's title. Shortly thereafter a death occurred and suddenly the pace increased exponentially. Harper is also known for including a romance angle to her books. Lainey's romance story line also took a long time to get moving. The final 40% of the novel had a lot of ground to cover.

It pains me to give a Molly Harper book less than four stars, but this one started off so sluggishly that I can't in good conscience give it full marks.

Butterfly Effects / Seanan McGuire

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

Book 10 of the 2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge

This is another book starring Sarah Zellaby, possibly my least favourite character in the InCryptid series. This novel relates back to numbers 9 and 10 in the series, exploring the development and abilities of Sarah, the human-shaped giant wasp from Johrlac, and her cousin/love interest Artie. In an earlier book, Sarah accidentally wiped Artie's mind and tried to piece him back together with memories filched from their family. The resulting person becomes known as Arthur.

Now, members of the original Johrlac dimension come to apprehend Sarah—she has gone through the “forbidden instar" and become a queen. They also grab Arthur as evidence of her crimes. They fail to reckon with Sarah's Earth family. Her sorcerer grandfather, her dimension-jumping grandmother, her flame-throwing cousin Antimony, and Antimony's furi fiancé Sam ride to the rescue.

We learn more about the telepathic Johrlac species, which wasn't a priority for me, but it seems that this story arc is complete now. That would make me very happy. I would like to get back to Verity, Alex, and Antimony as the main focus. Antimony and Sam made this book palatable for me. Thomas and Alice are kind of in between—better than Sarah, not as much fun as their other grandchildren. I was dismayed to read in the acknowledgements how much McGuire loves writing Sarah. I personally want MORE MICE. The books where the Aeslin mice get left behind are inferior books IMO.

HAIL! CAKE AND CHEESE FOR ALL!

Kon-Tiki / Thor Heyerdahl

 

3 out of 5 stars 

***2026 Summer of Sightseeing from my Sofa***

I chose a theme of travel for my summer this year, but regular travel books weren't what I had in mind. Instead, I've chosen an eccentric selection of travel stories, the first of which is Kon-Tiki. I hadn't realized how long ago this voyage was (1947). It was kind of a kooky expedition that only the men on the raft expected to be successful.

This was very much a young man's project, requiring physical stamina and youthful determination. It made me realize how much the world has shrunk in the decades since. Despite their military service, Heyerdahl and his compatriots had only a very rough concept of mission planning or supply chain issues. Their tale of obtaining the large balsa trees to build the raft was an adventure in itself. Building the raft on the coast of Peru and setting out for Polynesia was either daft or brave, maybe both.

Looking at their anthropological theories, I couldn't help but cringe a bit. I would have thought that we were past the age of believing that innovators, inventors, and builders had to be Caucasian in origin. There was a lot of ignoring the generational knowledge of indigenous peoples. On the one hand, they had confidence in Inca balsa log rafts, but no willingness to acknowledge the navigation skills of people on the Western shore of the Pacific. They very much picked and chose the facts that they wanted. (It made me think of Chariots of the Gods published twenty years later, that also assumed that ancient people would require otherworldly assistance to build the structures that we admire today.) I think that modern DNA studies have debunked the idea of South Americans populating Oceania.

My major reason to read this was the zoology, the fish, crustaceans, and whales encountered out at sea. This aspect seems to have been merely an interesting side quest for the Kon-Tiki adventurers. They regularly ate the flying fish that collected on the raft overnight. They fished for dorado and tunny, but had an oddly aggressive attitude towards sharks. I was particularly amused by their collection of plankton, followed by their willingness to haul out spoons to taste it. Jellyfish were not to their taste.

I'm unsure if anything of academic value was accomplished on the Kon-Tiki expedition, but it was surely an amazing adventure. It was amazing that all 6 young men survived the journey, with no severe injuries. As a non-swimmer, I admire their confidence in their watercraft and their willingness to learn as they went. How the world has changed in the last almost 80 years!

Villain / Natalie Zina Walschots

 

4 out of 5 stars 

The weirdest office romance ever. I knew at the end of Hench that Anna/The Auditor was attracted to her boss Leviathan. She sees past the mandibles and carapace to the being underneath.

In the first chapters of this book, we learn that the loss of his nemesis, Supercollider, has plunged Leviathan into a dark depression. The Auditor is holding his organization together by her fingernails as she also mourns for the actively evil Leviathan of the past. In the meantime, the Draft (the training and support organization for superheroes) has been trying to restore Supercollider to normalcy. It does not go well. Leviathan is determined to attend the midnight funeral for Supercollider, so the Auditor leads the way.

The results for Leviathan are positive—he regains his equilibrium. And sweeps the Auditor off to his private quarters to nibble on her with those amazing mouthparts. Initially delighted, Anna comes to wonder about his motivations. What seemed protective and caring before suddenly feels manipulative and controlling. Leviathan seems strangely unfamiliar with human reactions and emotions. He is prepared to impose his will on Anna in a very paternalistic fashion. An employer may expect loyalty and obedience, but how much? How do you say no to someone who can easily rip you apart?

The Draft are not sitting on their hands either. Their Chief Marketing Officer is offering amnesty to any of Leviathan’s people willing to leave and is concentrating his attention on Anna. As they watch Leviathan’s workforce drain away, the Auditor struggles with her own desire for more autonomy versus her loyalty to her boss.

In the acknowledgements, Walschots writes about how difficult this book was to write. Despite that, I have a feeling that we have not seen the last of the Auditor and Leviathan. At least I certainly hope not.

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold / Ally Carter

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

Book two of The Blonde Identity. Not quite as appealing to me as the first volume, but still very enjoyable. Unfortunately, I didn't find Alex as much fun as Zoe in the first book. This was probably because Zoe's scars were on her body and Alex's are on her psyche. Zoe manages to have a great time cosplaying a spy while having amnesia. Alex really is a spy, and also a confused and guilty-feeling sister.

The first book used the identical twin situation to its fullest. Shakespeare would have approved and he certainly knew how to tell a twin tale. It's pretty late in this novel before Zoe shows up. Also, Zoe is a romance author and her banter with Sawyer was more amusing to me. Alex and King were so much more serious. They certainly had their moments, just not quite so many of them.

If you haven't yet read In From the Cold, I advise you to pay attention to the chapter headings. There are several timelines and multiple locations and Carter switches between them regularly. You must stay alert if you want to figure out what’s going on. Sometimes even then you'll have to pause and reorient yourself. It's worth it, but you can't get too lackadaisical.

Overall a fun book, mixing espionage and romance in equal quantities.

Crampton Hodnet / Barbara Pym

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Book 9 of the 2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge

As usual, Barbara Pym showed me what a keen observer of human nature she was. This novel focuses on two situations. The first is a young curate Mr. Latimer, housing with an older lady Miss Doggett and her companion Miss Morrow. The second is Oxford tutor Mr. Cleveland who is feeling rather neglected by his wife and develops romantic feelings for one of his students, Barbara Bird.

Mr. Latimer, after sharing the house for a while, comes to the conclusion that “he could do worse” than to marry Miss Morrow. He waits until Miss Doggett leaves the house and then proposes. Miss Morrow doesn't even drop a stitch in her knitting—she turns him down kindly and advises him to marry someone who he loves. Not her.

Meanwhile, Francis Cleveland has moved from mooning about Miss Bird, to taking her to tea, to romantic walks and whispered confessions of his feelings in the library. Barbara has a crush on her handsome instructor, but has the naïve notion of platonic love. She is somewhat taken aback when Francis wants to kiss her. I can't speak to young women today, but I know I had a huge crush on my first year chemistry prof. It's lucky for both of us that he was a honorable guy. (I found out later that there was a mutual attraction there.)

To my mind, the best part of the tale is the romance between Francis' daughter Anthea and Simon Beddoes. Simon has political aspirations and writes a letter to break up with Anthea, distressing her. Miss Doggett and Miss Morrow are on hand when the letter arrives and Miss Morrow has an opportunity to read it.

Miss Morrow could hardly help laughing when she had finished reading. The sprawling, childish writing and curious parliamentary phraseology seemed to her infinitely pathetic. “It has been evident for some time…it is not unlikely that…” Miss Morrow jumped forward thirty years and saw Simon as the Secretary of State for Something, answering questions in the House. But then, she thought, with cynicism unsuitable in one who was not a woman of the world, he would avoid the truth at all costs. And he would probably have a secretary who knew where to put the apostrophe in haven't.

According to Wikipedia, Simon is based on the politician Julian Amery, with whom Pym had a brief romance. I'd say she got her gentle revenge here, probably consulting her diaries for useful details. I truly wish I had discovered Barbara Pym before her death in 1980. I do wish I could let her know how much I appreciate her view of the world.

Planet of the Apes / Pierre Boulle

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Wow, time has not been kind to this novel. Space travelers find a message in a bottle and read it. It describes a small group of humans who travel from Earth to Betelgeuse and land on a planet that they name Soror. Their first encounter with other beings is with a beautiful woman who runs around naked, can't speak, and doesn't act very human despite her appearance. The three men eventually find themselves pursued and captured by gorillas in clothing and carrying guns. Ulysse, the narrator, finds himself confined in a laboratory, where he attempts to display his intellect and his distinction from the Sororan version of human.

Ulysse is an educated white man who suddenly finds himself treated like an animal, a nonentity, and it enrages him. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to occur to him that he may have treated others that way back on Earth (i.e. women and POC). I doubt that the author had animal rights in his mind as he wrote this novel, but I'd like to think he was commenting on class structure and possibly colonialism. The gorillas in particular reminded me of the British in Africa or India.

There were several zoological details that bothered me. The first was Ulysse referring to his captors as monkeys. I spent some time teaching natural history and helping people sort out the differences between monkeys and apes. This really rubbed me the wrong way. Secondly, the chimpanzee Zira, who believes Ulysse, states that gorillas eat meat and love hunting. In our world, gorillas are gentle vegetarians. It's chimpanzees who hunt monkeys avidly and relish eating meat. I've had to remind myself repeatedly that Boulle wrote this before the ground-breaking research by Jane Goodall and Diane Fossey.

The revelation at the end elevates the novel from 2 to 3 stars. Anyone who has seen the original 1968 movie will have a pretty good idea of what happened, although the movie makers gave it their own twist. This may be one of the rare movies that is better than the source material.

Green Rider / Kristen Britain

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Not a bad little novel. It is very obviously a first novel, suffering from a clunky plot and thin characterization . Our main character, Karigan, is expelled from her school for besting a boy of the nobility in a sword contest. But for the winner of such a fight, she seems absolutely clueless when she next picks up a sword.

Kari stumbles across a dying Green Rider during her trip home. He manages to convince her to take up his task—to deliver a message to the King. Reluctantly, Kari agrees, pins on his brooch, picks up his messenger bag, and catches his horse. She is the typical reluctant questor, learning things as she goes. The brooch turns out to fill much the same role as the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings , allowing Kari to fade out of view when necessary. Like A Game of Thrones, there is a magically enhanced wall to keep the darkness at bay, but someone messes with it (in the first chapter), loosing evil on this world.

Bumbling she may be, but Kari always lands on her feet and is successful. The author seems to have believed that making her reluctant and shy will substitute for character development. Several of the numerous ghosts in the story have more personality than Kari. And yet, the captain of the Green Riders wants to recruit her and the king takes notice of her.

The plot is interesting and that's what saves the novel. I found myself pulled along despite the very basic writing and jerky pacing. It's nice to have a young woman at the centre of things, even if she does flip between having good ideas and being clueless. There are no obvious love interests, though there are a couple of possibilities. There are at least seven more books in the series and I can only hope that Britain's writing style smooths out in later volumes.

Paranormal Payback

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

I've been anticipating this collection of stories and am pleased to report that I enjoyed all but one of them. Of course some appealed to me more than others--that's the nature of these collections.

Jim Butcher's contribution was a small visit to Harry Dresden's Chicago. I've noticed that his short stories tend to explore the criminals of this world, which must be an entertaining change. I've heard that writing villains is fun.

I haven't yet read Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but her story here takes place in that world. Perhaps I liked it as much as I did because her protagonist is an older woman. I think I may backtrack to the novel.

Tanya Huff has become one of my favourite authors. Her story is set in Henry Fitzroy's Vancouver. I have her Smoke Trilogy on my shelf, waiting. This story convinced me that I need to find room for it in my reading plans.

Another favourite is Faith Hunter and the world of Jane Yellowrock. It was fun to be reminded of those books and even inspired me to go to Libby and sign out Skinwalker. (This is is why my reading queue is so crowded. It's my rereading habit.)

Those were my highlights. Your mileage may vary. A worthwhile book for the urban fantasy fan.

Too Old For This / Samantha Downing

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

I'm not sure what I expected this book to be, but it didn't square with those nebulous expectations. I guess I wanted it to be more humorous. Instead I got a rather serious examination of the indignities of aging.

Lottie is a retired serial killer. She just wants to spoil her grandchildren, attend her son's second wedding, go to church on Sundays, and maybe win at bingo now and then. Instead, a young woman shows up on her doorstep, wanting to film a docuseries about people wrongly accused of crime. What Plum can't know is that Lottie wasn't innocent, just good at disposing of evidence and keeping her mouth shut. When Plum gets persistent in her interest, Lottie decides she knows exactly what to do.

Unfortunately for Lottie many things have changed. She's no longer as strong as she once was, her balance has deteriorated, and her memory for detail isn't as sharp as it once was. Plus technology has changed and she keeps forgetting that her phone can track her. What started out as a straight forward murder spirals out of control, as two detectives, Plum's boyfriend, and Plum's mother show up at her house. It's tiring for an old woman.

During the whole shitshow, Lottie realizes that she could conceivably die and rot in her big old house. She  begins to research senior communities and consider how to get top dollar for her run down home. She relaxes her wardrobe and simplifies her bingo night food contributions, which worries her friends.

I struggled a bit to finish this novel, but eventually I made it to the remarkably peaceful ending. I am doubtful that I will read any of the author's other works. My TBR is long and there are many more appealing novels to spend my time on.

Second Chance Romance / Olivia Dade

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

The second book in the Harlot's Bay series centers on Karl Dean, the grumpy, antisocial, loudly profane baker who runs his successful business in the town. In the first volume, Athena worked for him briefly and was highly amused by his blasting of audiobooks over the bakery's sound system before they opened for the day. Mostly because the books in question were monster romance novels. In this book we learn that Karl isn't really into monsters--it's just that the narrator was the love of his life and the books are his only connection to her.

Molly Dearborn left Harlot's Bay behind in her last year of high school and has never returned. She's recently divorced, lives in California, and earns her keep as a voice actor. Two events cause her to take a break and return to Maine: her house requires significant renovations and her author friend sends her Karl's obituary. Obviously, the obit is the result of a misunderstanding, but Molly and Karl discover they still have chemistry.

I loved Karl in the first book, with his murder threats against anyone who annoyed him, his profane mutterings, and his obvious soft heart and care of the people that he reluctantly allows into his life. I like Molly well enough to begin with and warmed up to her as I learned her circumstances. Neither of them wear their hearts on their sleeves and communication is their big obstacle.

Fiction is comforting when you know what the outcome will be. The conclusion is predictable, the big question is how the characters will get there. I didn't enjoy this novel quite as much as the first one, but it was still very enjoyable. Should Dade produce more entries in the series I would definitely read them.

The Forget-Me-Not Library / Heather Webber

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This was just what I wanted right now—a gentle story of friendship and love with low stakes problems. I could tell from the first few pages where the plot was headed, but I was perfectly okay with that. It was just a lovely walk in a familiar garden.

I loved the magic of the town of Forget-Me-Not, that crippled the cars of those who need emotional help of some variety and ensured the car repairs wouldn't be completed until they are ready. If they're not meant to go, the car will break down again as they're leaving town.

Juliet is recovering from being hit by lightning while walking with her beloved grandfather. She survived with some amnesia, but her grandfather did not. She is searching for peace and wants to regain her memory. Tallulah has returned to live with her Papaw in Forget-Me-Not following her divorce. She is juggling two children and a job and is dismayed when Juliet’s car breaks down in front of their big old house and the rest of the family welcomes her right in. They gradually learn to trust each other and they both build relationships in the community.

If you like the idea of good friendships in a small Southern town, this is the book for you.

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders / Soji Shimada

 

DNF @ 26%

I tried. This novel began with a simultaneously horrible and boring fantasy of a would-be serial murderer. Eventually I learned that he died before he could kill his daughter, step-daughters, and nieces to construct his perfect imaginary woman. They each represented a sign of the zodiac governing a particular body section.

I read far enough to get past the potential killer's diary. It was then revealed that the young women were systematically killed after his death and those cases remained unsolved. The narrative consisted of two men discussing the cold cases. One of them has studied the evidence and is describing it to the other, who appears to be a Japanese version of Hercule Poirot, who will solve the mystery solely by analyzing the evidence second-hand. 

Two men sitting, talking to each other, just didn't have the juice to hold my attention. My only regret is that this novel was chosen by my book club. I haven't attended a meeting since September 2025 and they will have forgotten me entirely.  

At First Spite / Olivia Dade

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I have been on a romance novel reading jag for over a month now. Me, who wouldn't have picked up a romance five years ago. I usually need an injection of mystery or fantasy to help me enjoy a romance book. At First Spite has neither of those things, but I knew when I read the description that I needed to read it.

Athena has been jilted by her fiancé Johnny, largely because of his judgmental brother Matthew. She had already purchased Johnny's wedding present, the Spite House, a 10 foot wide addition built onto Johnny's house by a historical brother taking revenge on his selfish sibling. She's made the deal and can't afford to move away. Besides, shouldn't she try to get a bit of revenge herself? As she's moving in, she discovers that the insufferable Matthew lives in the house next door, the one that she could almost touch by leaning out her window.

The ironic thing is she and Matthew met at her engagement party and really enjoyed their banter until they discovered each other's identity. And despite having kiboshed her wedding, Matthew continues to be a kind, thoughtful neighbour. Significantly, however, he neglects to tell her why he objected: that he thought she was too complex and intelligent to be satisfied with Johnny for the long haul.

So, this is an enemies to lovers story, as well as a proximity romance. I came to truly love the stiff and proper Matthew, who never got a childhood, ran himself ragged as a pediatrician, and acted more like a father than a brother to Johnny. When Athena sinks into a deep depression, he does what he has to and makes sure she gets the help she needs, all the while longing to be touched and touch in return. It was a pleasure to see this gentle man, who had never taken time for himself, learn about popular culture from the ebullient Athena.

In truth, this novel reminded me of another, one that my grandmother had handed off to me when she finished with it. So I was 11 or 12 when I read The Pretty Witch, which also featured a woman engaged to a younger brother, but being more attracted to his handsome older brother. It was an anemic romance but for some reason, I fixated on it and reread it a lot. (I wish to goodness that I had never given it away.) I think At first Spite benefited from this mental association. It clicked that “formative romance" pattern in my brain.

I stayed up far too late reading this and I'll admit that my eyes leaked at several junctures. Do men like Matthew exist? I have never met one. But the romance genre can provide that fantasy, which hurts no one, and I'll continue to enjoy it.

The Murder on the Links / Agatha Christie

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

2026 Re-Read

I stand by my original review. This novel is all about capable women and one very irritating Arthur Hastings. I think I vote this the most irritating version of Hastings, and that's saying something.

Original Review

Popular opinion would have you believe that women are the sentimental, romantic gender and that men are rational and matter-of-fact. How Ms Christie must have enjoyed turning this notion on its ear! This may be only the second Poirot novel, but we are already familiar with Captain Hastings, who has never seen an attractive woman that he wasn't dazzled by and who simply cannot believe that women are capable of crime!

The contrast between Hastings and Poirot was a brilliant idea. Dame Agatha gives us the emotional Hastings as our guide to these adventures, a deliberate hampering of our own deductive abilities. As we identify with him, we are as confused and off track as he is. I think her talent for misdirection is what makes it so difficult for me to finger the correct criminal so frequently in her novels.

And contrary to popular belief, the women in this novel prove to be cold and calculating (Mme Dubreuil), strong and smart (Mme Renaud), daring and manipulative (Mlle Dubreuil), and strong and good hearted (Mlle Duveen). They don't back down from challenges and they are pretty clear about what they want and what they are willing to do in order to get it. Compare that to our narrator, who “falls in love" with a girl whose name he doesn't know, compromises a crime scene to gain her favour, and falls for a simple ploy which results in the theft of the murder weapon. Then he spins himself a story about this Cinderella and tries to thwart Poirot with it!

I was warmed by the obvious affection that Poirot has for Hastings. We can overlook many weaknesses in our good friends (even if Poirot does comment at one point that his friend should have a harem!) And the two men share a good moment when the French detective who wants to be Sherlock Holmes gets his comeuppance.

The Blonde Identity / Ally Carter

 

4 out of 5 stars with sprinkles on top

If The Blonde Identity was a candy, it would be SweeTarts. Sugar loaded, sure, but with a great sour pucker too. Ally Carter writes a witty, rom-com version of The Bourne Identity. The first two sentences set the stage perfectly.
”Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris. Or so the woman thought as she lay on the cold ground, staring up through a thick layer of falling snow at the Eiffel Tower's twinkling lights.”
No accident that the novel is set in Paris, a city closely associated with romance. Also no accident that the guy with a gun who appears and tells her to run is the hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen. Events unfold and it becomes obvious that the hot guy, the CIA, and the Russians all think she is Alex, her twin sister. Who she also doesn't remember.

I loved how Zoe (because that's what she and Sawyer figure out her name must be) kept trying to describe their situation in romance-trope terms. And Sawyer keeps telling her not to. “Oh, is this enemies to lovers?” When they are pretending to be a honeymoon couple, Zoe is saying, “ Oh, fake marriage! Oh, only one bed!” So by halfway through, I figured that she must be a romance author.

Sawyer keeps trying to maintain his distance. He knows her badass sister, but Zoe is nothing like her. Zoe is sweet and sassy, but also a lot tougher than she looks and smarter than he gave her credit for. She makes him smile despite himself. (She's very funny throughout.) So we know where this ship is headed—the question is whether they will all survive to the end.

Delightful! A wonderful palate cleanser before heading into a couple of more serious mysteries. I have The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold on hold at the library and I can hardly wait to get my hands on it!

Femina / Janina Ramirez

 

4 out of 5 stars 

”It wasn't just rich and powerful men who built the modern world. Women have always been a part of it, as has the full range of human diversity., but we are only now beginning to see what has been hidden in plain sight.”

Just as the victors write the history books, researchers can influence how we think about the past through what they choose to focus on or to leave out. It seems that one can learn a great deal about Medieval women from the records if you are willing to pay attention. In addition, archaeology is providing new views of life in the Middle Ages.

Of course there are more records available for women in the role of ruler or nobles. Ramirez introduces us to women like AEthelflaed, daughter of King Alfred the Great. She seems to have absorbed statecraft from her parents and was a force in the Anglo-Saxon world. Another prominent ruler was Jadwiga, crowned King of Poland, who led a fascinating life. Hild of Whitby chose the route of religion and became a highly respected advisor to male rulers from her convent. Hildagard von Bingen of Germany pursued this same path and produced prodigious amounts of music and other writings which have survived the centuries.

Archaeologists have revealed the complexities of gender roles among the Vikings of the time. A number of warrior burials have been DNA tested, proving the warriors to be women. There is a wonderful chapter on this research. The Loftus Princess from Northern England had an elaborate burial topped with a substantial mound, which placed her at the very centre of the surrounding graves. Her grave goods tell a tale of the conversion of England to Christianity.

Last but not least, the book of Margery Kempe was dictated by that woman and describes her life as she strove for status and wealth. Her father was the mayor of Kings Lynn, so she grew up in relative security, but it appears that her ambition was to be recognized for her own accomplishments.

The more I read about Medieval history, the less foreign the people of that time seem to me. They are complex and perplexing, just as contemporary folks are. I look forward to the ideas that future research will inspire.

City of Stairs / Robert Jackson Bennett

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I am finally finished this book! It was a very good book, but so many things got in my way as I tried to finish it. Other books, with urgent due dates. Family events which required my presence. Events which I had signed up for and truly wanted to attend. Even regular household maintenance, which requires my attention much more frequently than I desire. I have much more sympathy now for the people who complain that it takes them a long time to read a book. They are absolutely right—it is difficult to properly appreciate a novel when you can only read it in bits and snatches.

I have very much enjoyed Bennett's latest two novels and I can see where this earlier work was a training ground for their production. He is very skillful at creating original and somewhat menacing environments for his characters to navigate. City of Stairs explores the nature of colonization from both sides the question, conquerors and conquered. It poses interesting possibilities concerning divinity, it's limitations and requirements.

I recognize that this is a very good novel and my star rating matches this belief, even if I didn't actually get the full benefit of it. That is my unfortunate fault, being distracted as I was. Will I finish the trilogy? If I can find a lull in life that provides the unbroken time, I will definitely pick up the next volume.

Trace Elements / Jo Walton and Ada Palmer

 

3.77 out of 5 stars 

This is a collection of essays which I wish I could have taken more time over. But library books have due dates and I've found myself in quite a traffic jam of library books recently. Ideally I would have read one or two essays and paused to digest them before moving on. As a result, I got much more out of the first half of the volume, when my mind was fresher.

If you're a writer, you have probably thought about many of the concepts discussed in these essays, and if you're a reader, you have at least felt some of the boundaries of genre when you've rubbed up against them. Walton and Palmer discuss the author-reader contract: what we as readers expect from each genre and what the author is “contractually obliged” to give us. Fantasy gives us swords and horses, while science fiction gives us lasers and robots and mysteries produce a body, some clues, and a detective. The author may deliver a surprise that subverts the expectations or produce an extremely proficient product according to specs. ”We might compare such novels to gymnastics, in which the mystery with a deeply original structure is like a uniquely choreographed floor routine, while the formulaic mystery is like the athlete doing a specific vault, fun because we are watching a master of the art perform a set of formulaic motions with outstanding excellence."

Experienced readers of a particular genre have acquired a feel for the order of events and the pacing of that genre. When switching genres, you must adjust your expectations until you have enough experience to know what to expect and how to enjoy it. A committed romance fan may not know what to make of a hard science fiction novel, and may bounce off it, not because the SF novel is bad, but because the novice reader is unfamiliar with the conventions of SF. This is one of the reasons that reviewers of literary fiction give poor reviews to SF literature—they haven't the right reading history to be able to properly appreciate it. Once you've read a certain amount in a genre, you get a feel for which details are important and which you should not get hung up on. For example, faster-than-light space travel is often present in SF and you must accept it rather than demanding an explanation if you are to enjoy the novel it appears in.

I remember when I first began to try cozy mysteries. They have particular conventions (no gore, lots of personal details of everyday life, often a sub-plot of romance) with which I was unfamiliar as a reader of Scandinavian noir. With each cozy that I finished, I knew better what to look for and came to like the genre better. Now, many books later, I have a soft spot in my heart for a well written cozy.

The authors don't stick to SF&F. There was a chapter on manga and anime, which was a new subject to me. So far I haven't picked any flowers in that garden. However, the chapter on the romance genre was extremely well done, explaining the mechanics required of authors quite clearly. I found the concept of romances being based on economic issues particularly intriguing. The authors also point out that this genre is aimed at women, hence its denigration by the elite literary reviewer. (Just as SF&F is downgraded as being aimed at “geeks and nerds.”)

The authors have also finally provided an explanation that makes sense to me of the difference between fantasy and magical realism. One big difference between genre fantasy and magical realism is that the genre fantasy contract promises that the consequences of the fantastic element will be deep and significant, consistent through the world, while in magical realism the fantastic element will not affect the larger world and serves mainly as an allegory to help character(s) undergo character development.
If nothing else, I am glad to have this distinction cleared up!

Platform Decay / Martha Wells

 

5 out of 5 stars 

Book 8 of the 2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge

Barish-Estranza is the gift that just keeps on giving. Murderbot is on a mission to retrieve some humans being held on an enormous torus-style space station, while dodging B-E flunkies. The torus is split into lots of sections, each with its own governing corporate body and security. Murderbot and Three have a plan, but no plan survives contact with the enemy. As Murderbot says, you can't trust humans to behave in sensible ways.

We quickly learn that Murderbot has a new mental health module. This module queries regularly, asking how our bot is doing. Murderbot is also attempting to be more honest with itself and its clients. The combination of these two factors were amusing to me. Plus, Murderbot is still trying to calibrate its risk assessment module.
Risk assessment just hit the roof.
I'm not sure I like having risk assessment be more accurate. It keeps scaring the shit out of me.

The book has a familiar pace and tension to the plot. However, I felt like there was a little magic missing from the secret sauce. I haven't yet identified the change for sure, but it might have to do with Murderbot's internal dialogue. It felt like there were fewer parenthetical comments than in previous books. I also feel like Murderbot is either less angry or maybe more in touch with other emotions. It's evolving and I'm resisting change? Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but it may take another repetition or two until I come to terms with this installment.

In the acknowledgements Wells states that “It's been another hard year,” perhaps an indication of why this book feels different. It has been three years since the last Murderbot offering, so she also thanks her audience for “still being there.” Where else would we be, Ms. Wells? You've created a beloved character. I hope this year is a better one for you.