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READING

​reading /ˈrēdiNG/ n.
1. The frequently obsessive habit of bookworms and scholars
​2. (informal) the source of unintentional all-nighters

review: the family plot by cherie priest

10/31/2016

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The Facts

​The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
​Basia rates it: 4/5 stars
The Family Plot​ is the story of Music City Salvage, a family-run business granted salvage rights to an old property. The man who runs the salvage company sends his daughter as the head of the project, and she and their crack team--featuring her cousin, with whom she does not get along; her nephew, a little green but eager to help; and Brad, the only non-family member and who means well but is largely clueless when it comes to manual labor--set out to tackle the extensive property and hope to pull in enough money with the haul to save the dying Music City Salvage.

​You know the story, the classic line: they are not alone. ​Unsurprisingly, the estate is haunted. But there are several other twists and turns that this novel provides: a cemetery on the property they are assured is a leftover Halloween decoration--until they uncover some old bones that are decidedly real​; a room with a door that opens and closes seemingly of its own free will; something lurking in the bathroom, waiting to strike the moment you close your eyes; and a family with a plethora of deep, dark secrets and--pun intended--more than a few skeletons in its closet.

I'm a big ghost story​ buff. For as long as I can remember, I've sought out tales of the spooky (I was going to use another word here--it begins with p​--but then I realized that's now the title of a published book and I don't need to be sued). I watch ghost hunting shows, shows where people talk about their ghostly experiences, all sorts of horror movies. I devour scary stories like it's my job. So when I heard that Cherie Priest, a favorite author of mine since I first picked up ​Boneshaker​ as a sophomore in high school, was writing a ghost story, I knew had to get my hands on it.

​​That being said, it takes a lot to scare me.

​The Family Plot​, I want to be clear, did not​ scare me, although I think I might be in the minority. I frequently saw readers on Twitter and Instagram saying that the book frightened them if they read it too late at night or if they were home alone, that this wasn't a book to be read in the dark. But just because this didn't instill that same fear in me doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy this book immensely. It is everything a good ghost story should be: haunting and atmospheric, enigmatic and strange, poignant and, perhaps most importantly, a little sad. This is a ghost story for the modern age, and it is a novel that relies on the intelligence of its reader. This is not a narrative for those interested merely in jump scares but is a novel for those of you who, like me, love getting to the heart of a ghost story: all of the ins and outs, uncovering the dark secrets their keepers thought long buried. It remembers that its readers are smart, and I appreciate it all the more for that.

​The one point that threw me was that the characters are so ​accepting​ of finding ghosts in the house--they almost expect them. It's a surprising but refreshing change from the usual tale, where half the narrative is consumed with the protagonist(s) staunchly denying any supernatural goings-on, even while mirrors show their reflections with bleeding eyes and spirits carve warning messages on the ceiling. Doing away with that nonsense allows Priest to get right to the center of the story, plunging you in headfirst. From the first moment you learn about the Withrow mansion, you need no convincing: here, there be ghosts​.
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she said/she said review: ghostly echoes by william ritter

10/24/2016

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The Facts

​Ghostly Echoes​ by William Ritter
Basia rates it: 5/5 stars
​Connor rates it: 5/5 stars

The Reviews

basia
When Connor told me to cancel my library hold because I couldn't possibly wait drove the book across the city to my front door, I knew it was going to be good. I had worried this wouldn't quite measure up to the first two books, but I think it surpassed them. Ritter's prose is poignant and humorous at the same time, deeply profound in a way that knocks you off your feet and fulfills you all at once. The cast of characters is, as always, delightful: full of favorites old and new, and one favorite who is both new and very old at the same time.
connor
I was somewhat concerned this might not live up to the previous two novels, but once again Ritter's prose delivers in SPADES. Ghostly Echoes is both compelling and delightful to behold--humorous in all the right places and detailed in all the curious ones, with our regular motley crew and a number of interesting additions to keep things moving forward. ​Besides, there aren't many books that I'd drive across town (through traffic, no less) to deliver to Basia's door when I know she won't even be there to say hello. 
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she said/she said review: stoker & holmes by colleen gleason

9/23/2016

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The Facts

The Spiritglass Charade and The Chess Queen Enigma
Stoker & Holmes, Books 2 and 3
​by Colleen Gleason

The Reviews

basia

connor

The Spiritglass Charade
Basia rates it 4/5
Connor rates it 4/5
I actually enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first one, so this is a solid 4-star rating from me. This book still suffers from the weird lack of editing that I noticed in the last one, and the ending still wraps up far too quickly for my satisfaction (there are several questions to which I'd like the answers--are the ghosts real?!), but my real problem with this book, it will surprise no one to know, rests largely on Dylan's shoulders. I still find him unnecessary and annoying, and in this book he's come to embody one of my most-hated tropes: The Outsider (from another world/time/whatever) brings in practices from their more "advanced" society and uses it to "better" the lives of the poor, ignorant people of the world into which they've stumbled. I suppose this was to make Dylan seem a more necessary plot point, but I honestly still see the point for neither him nor his time travel. He sticks out like a sore thumb, and although he might be meant to, it's not endearing--it's jarring. It's very apparent that he isn't supposed to be there, and I'd greatly prefer it if he wasn't.

That being said, the girls really shine in this book. There was, I felt, more of a balance between narrative points of view in comparison to Scarab, and both Mina and Evaline get to shine spectacularly in their respective fields. They are, quite literally, kicking ass and taking names, and I started the third book immediately after I closed the second, because I wanted to see more of them. (Unfortunately for me, that also means seeing more of Dylan. Ugh.)

Also, there's a puppy, which is enough to make me love any book.
As with Basia, I found this book more enjoyable than the first one. Not only was the case more interesting (although still rather fantastical, at the end of the day--but then, what does one expect from a steampunk tale featuring both the niece of Sherlock Holmes and, more to the point, a vampire slaying teenager?), but I was very appreciative that we got to see more of Miss Stoker's Particular Talents (TM). Mina and Evaline's rather tenuous partnership is bolstered throughout this novel by their lively debates about the existence (or nonexistence) of everything from the UnDead to genuine mediums. They might not be ready to call themselves friends, per se, but the growth in their relationship and mutual understanding made this book a better read than the first. They are both clearly growing in their own areas of expertise, too, which is a delight to behold.

And then we come to the bitter point of the book: Dylan. Once again, our Outsider is stepping into the savior role and bringing his Superior Understanding to matters both trivial and serious. In an otherwise fairly character-driven mystery-esque series, he sticks out like sore thumb. While some of the feats he performs here would be interesting on their own, his presumptuousness in the face of Society's values still rubs me the wrong way. 

Overall, Gleason managed to captivate me from page one--I devoured this entire book in something like four or five hours--and while I felt there were too few scenes with one Scottish Inspector and too many with the American interloper, I will admit the puppy made up for both.

The Chess Queen Enigma
Basia rates it 4/5
​Connor rates it 4/5
This book was, by far, the best of the three. Not simply in terms of content--although this novel definitely felt the most balanced of the three, both narratively and as far as pacing goes--but also in terms of writing. I feel as if, reading these books, I've seen Gleason grow as a writer, and it's lovely to be on that journey with her, even as a spectator. I didn't find myself nit-picking about things as much because there was not much to nitpick. It was a refreshing, sweep-you-along sort of novel that I tore through in a matter of hours immediately after finishing The Spiritglass Charade.

That being said, my main criticism still revolves around Dylan. This isn't so much about his character, as much as he annoys me, but more about his narrative function. Dylan is, to put it simply, a plot device. I don't like him precisely because he feels intrusive and wildly inappropriate in the story. His deus ex machina role continues into Chess Queen, and more than once it left me gritting my teeth. "I can't do anything that would change the future!" he cries, while dashing off to do just that. That's the sort of narrative trope that always bothers me, regardless of whether or not I like the character, and it's sloppily done here. It sticks out in a novel that otherwise feels fairly polished. Dylan Eckhert: the hangnail, so to speak.

I stand by my original, slapdash review of this whole thing: the most wonderful and unexpected thing to come out of this installment was Evaline and Grayling being total bros.

Must I really wait until 2017 for the next one?
After the Dylan-heavy narrative of The Spiritglass Charade, I must admit I found his relative absence in The Chess Queen Enigma most refreshing.

(He still managed to irk me to no end and play the Outsider Savior trope to perfection, though, so don't get your hopes up too high. He's an entirely too convenient character for me to find any enjoyment in his presence.)

And yet--despite that, Enigma is easily the best of the three Stoker & Holmes novels to date. There's an elegance in Gleason's handling of plot and character that was hinted at in Spiritglass and noticeably absent in The Clockwork Scarab: in short, her writing has improved with the series, and witnessing that is an utter joy. While the narrative in Scarab felt a bit scattered and in Spiritglass a bit too wrapped up in Dylan, Enigma handles these more gently. 

The relationship between Mina and Evaline continues to grow as they work on their newest case from opposite ends, but what truly stood out about this narrative was the presence of Inspector Grayling, our resident Scottish detective who also happens to have the most adorable puppy of all time. His relationship with Mina grows, as one might expect, but what struck me as truly revolutionary was the unexpected friendship that arose between Evaline and Grayling. Also, there were some totally great, badass fight scenes in this book for more than just our vampire-slaying heroine. 

In truth, the only downside to finishing both of these within twenty-two hours is that waiting for the next feels agonizing.
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punch bowl review: slasher girls & monster boys by april genevieve tucholke

9/21/2016

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The Facts

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, by April Genevieve Tucholke (ed.)
Basia rates it: 3.75(-ish?)/5
 
When a book has a title like Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, it's a book you know I'll be picking up. This isn't a novel; it's an anthology of short stories featuring, well, slasher girls and monster boys, to be concise. I was intrigued by this concept, and it struck me as something I might enjoy for the same reason I enjoy Brenna Yovanoff stories: she has a habit of including dangerous boys pitted against even more dangerous girls, and I am all about a good story with an ambitious and/or dangerous woman. 

Like any anthology, some of these stories fell a little flat for me; I kept waiting for something more, some big aha, that never came, whereas others had me fist-pumping in my seat on the plane. It's a trial-and-error sort of book, as most anthologies are, but if you're interested in stories featuring leading ladies, strange circumstances, and dark overtones, I'd suggest picking it up and giving at least one of the stories a try. I'm almost positive there's something for you in it.
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she said/she said review: the raven king by maggie stiefvater

9/15/2016

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We, as you might have already gathered from Basia's W(REC)'D post about Sinner, are big fans of Maggie Stiefvater. We were therefore eagerly awaiting the release of the fourth and final installment in The Raven Cycle, and are happy to present our reviews of The Raven King for today's #throwback.

The Facts​

The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater
Basia rates it: 5/5
Connor rates it: 5/5

The Reviews

basia
Reading a Stiefvater book always makes me feel as if I've found a part of myself I thought I'd lost, and closing the book once I've finished leaves me feeling oddly bereft again, as if I can only hold onto the magic for as long as I'm reading the book.

The Raven King is like that, and it is so much more. It is magical and terrible and beautiful and heartbreaking all in one, and my heart aches because this series speaks so clearly to my soul and I will miss it with every fiber of my being. There are unanswered questions but ones that are not so much "plot holes" or "loose ends" but things that allow you, as a reader, to hope.

​It was exactly what an ending should be: it both satisfies and leaves you wanting. I have an indescribable longing after finishing this book, a longing for that something more, but I can't tell you what it is. I don't long for something from Maggie; it's something else, something both related and unrelated to the book and the series as a whole.

​The book hangover is going to be so, so real. Thanks for the ride, Stiefvater. Excelsior.
connor
That's all there is. 

... Or, too put it in many more words: reading Stiefvater is always a curious experience. Something about her prose grabs my imagination so thoroughly that when I finish one of her novels, I feel simultaneously completely listless and completely, utterly content and at ease. 

The Raven King is no different--it's the sort of novel you want to BE. The sort of novel that it takes a series to get to because it takes a series for you to know the characters and for the characters to know each other in the way that makes a novel like this even possible. The sort of novel with the conversations you recognize from your own friendships that run deep and strong and true. The sort of novel that has her characters wrestle to describe the same things you wrestle to describe. 

Everything belongs. Everyone belongs. Every moment is where it needs to be, and when you close this book the last puzzle piece of Henrietta, Blue Sargent, and her Raven boys falls into place. 

Ah, you say. Of course.

That's all there is.
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nine women, one dress

9/7/2016

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The Facts

NIne Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen
Basia rates it: 2/5
I'm honestly not quite sure what kept me reading this book. It felt like a young author's first novel, not the product of a veteran writer. The prose was pretty mediocre, and there were so many exclamation points--almost all narratively, not in dialogue--which is always frustrating. This book is an excellent example of why I am wary of reading novels in first-person: I never got a feeling for the character telling the story--or, for that matter, any character. The prose was simplistic and almost childish at times (probably the exclamation points), with every single "essay" sporting the same boy-howdy, golly-gee sort of tone to it, and the author often gave in to stereotypes, as if we wouldn't believe one of the young women whose story was being told was Southern without her speaking, even narratively, as if she were in a Tennessee Williams play.

The format of the "essays" also annoyed me. Each was introduced with a title, a byline, and occasionally (usually for the women, major side-eye) their age. Furthermore, there were times when the essay-writer would address the reader or refer specifically to their title or byline. It was jarring and disconcerting. It was a self-aware move that only works with some books, and this was certainly not one of them. I picked up this book because it seemed reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, to a degree; from the description, it seemed as if it would be a third-person account of where this dress went, that I would consistently follow it on its journey from person to person. That, however, was not the case. So if that's what you're going into this book looking for, steer clear. You won't get it. I was most excited during a scene in which a woman is killed when her cab is swallowed by a sinkhole. I sort of wanted to join her.

To say nothing of the low-key way in which it condones stalking.


I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

I'm still not sure what kept me reading this book. I think it was because I wanted to know what happened to the millennial who was looking for a job.
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places no one knows

8/15/2016

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The Facts

​Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
​Basia rates it: 4.5/5
Maggie Stiefvater said she wasn't sure if this book was "a dream wrapped in razor wire or razor wire wrapped in dream." The beautiful thing about this book is that it's both​. It is a book about people who feel too much and people who feel too little, how to navigate feelings or unfeeling in a world where we're constantly fed expectations of our emotional responses to situations.

All of Brenna's books have a dreamy sort of quality to them, but this one especially. It creates an interesting juxtaposition of dream versus reality--when the thing you're "dreaming" feels like the more tangible, more real space and your reality is the waking dream. This isn't a book for everyone (Brenna's books seldom are), but for those it speaks to, it will practically shout​. It's a story of expectation versus reality, of self-identity, of the difference between the self that you project and the one that you are on the inside. This book is raw and strange, but it is so powerfully honest​​​. There's something here for everyone to connect to, whether you're a Marshall, a Waverly, or someone somewhere in between.
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a beautiful blue death

8/15/2016

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The Facts

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
Connor rates it: 3.5/5
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in possession of a fondness for mystery novels must always be in search of another series. 

Or at least, that's the truth I've discovered after fifteen or so years in pursuit of, to turn a phrase, novel mysteries. Agatha Christie became one of my favorite authors after my brilliant book club leader decided the group of seventh grade girls she was leading should read Death on the Nile. (I owe a lot to that book club--my love of Jane Austen and The Lord of the Rings included--but I will always be especially grateful to our leader for deciding we needed to appreciate Hercule Poirot.)

The thing is, a girl in her early teens with a mind bent on reading Agatha Christie can accomplish that quite quickly. There are, after all, several Agatha Christie novels and detectives to enjoy, and obtaining them is not particularly difficult: the title of "best selling novelist" isn't an honorary one. But there comes a time in every mystery lover's life when she must turn away from the Queen of Crime and pick up the works of other mystery novelists. This was the point where my mother introduced me to what quickly became my next downfall: historical mysteries.

And that is how, after discovering Ellis Peters, Dorothy Sayers, Victoria Thompson, Elizabeth Peters, Peter Tremayne, and, most recently, Charles Todd--it came to pass that I needed a new mystery series.

Or, you know, nine. Ten, even. But at least two or three, and quite probably more.

I did what I always do in moments of literary trouble: I looked my problem dead in the eye, and I tackled it with all the force of a twenty-four year old bookworm with access to the internet. It wavered. It dissolved. It split at the seams. It tumbled into oblivion. It fell down upon the mountainside in ruins. It faded into nothingness. It trembled. It crashed. In short, it crumbled beneath the combined weight of Goodreads, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and my own curiosity, and I emerged with a list of not one, not two, but twelve mystery series to investigate. 

One of the books that emerged from this was A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch. While not the most technically deft mystery I've ever read, I nevertheless enjoyed it quite a bit. The book cover described the novel as something of a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Gosford Park, and P. G. Wodehouse. For once, this was a surprisingly accurate description. I would argue that the Sherlockian tidbits were unnecessary and felt a bit forced, but on the whole the novel does have a Wodehouse/Gosford Park vibe to it.

Which is to say: the prose has an airy, refreshing lightness despite the pages' content, and the mystery seems less important than the characters involved.

The breezy writing is well anchored in Finch's main character, Charles Lenox. It is Lenox's cheery outlook (and occasionally his dour moods) that keep the story moving along, and it is Lenox's relationships that interested me most: that with his best friend, his brother, and his butler. The butler is Lenox's most dependable compatriot in any investigation, from ferreting out information to providing background knowledge and an extra set of hands. Lenox's brother has a much quieter brilliance than Lenox himself, but their clear affection for each other and willingness to help with the other's difficulties or career is admirable. His best friend, though, is a woman he has known since childhood, the widow Lady Jane Grey.

I have often found that novels professing "life long friendships" leave me wondering how on earth the author expected me to believe these characters were lifelong friends--they never understand each other and, in fact, scarcely seem to care for each other at all. Finch is a pleasant exception to my experience, and A Beautiful Blue Death showcases a quiet, mutual affection between Lady Jane and Lenox that is both believable and lovely to read. 

These three relationships--butler, brother, friend--keep Finch's prose from veering too far into the lightheartedness of Wodehouse while also providing enough counterweight to keep Lenox from veering into despair as he works to solve the case. The murder itself proves a curious one, with enough twists to keep me guessing and a resolution that managed to live up to them, and I look forward to reading Charles Lenox's next case. 
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the assistants

8/2/2016

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The Facts

​The Assistants
by Camille Perri
Basia rates it: 4/5
I have to say, The Assistants surprised me. With a jacket flap/back cover description that describes the protagonist, Tina, as a six-year assistant who is “bored, broke, and just a bit over it all,” I was excited. Aren’t we all bored, broke, and just a bit over it all? I know I am. (Then again, my job title has “assistant” in it.) To me, this seemed like The Devil Wears Prada meets a heist movie, both of which are things I love, and it was all over my social media feeds, so I put it on hold at the library to give it a go.

After a technical error in the expenses department leads to Tina being reimbursed for an expense that had already been cancelled, she finds herself with a sizeable check that would, in one fell swoop, finally pay off her student loan debt. She never intends to deposit the check--she just wants to look at it for a while. But while it’s such a huge amount to her, it’s a miniscule amount to Robert, her boss, and Titan Corporation, the company he runs and for which Tina works. So, after three weeks of sitting on it, she deposits the check and pays off her student loans. Simple, right? Not quite. An assistant from the accounting department discovers what she’s done and blackmails Tina into faking expense reports to pay off her student loan debt. The two become involved in an embezzlement scheme the likes of which Tina never wanted part, but it is this scheme that leads to something that is, surprisingly, not only legitimate but the sort of fulfillment for which Tina’s been searching.

I’m unwilling to give spoilers, because that’s rude. (There is a circle of hell for people who purposely spoil things for other people.) But I can say that this book took more than a few turns that I didn’t expect. As a reader, a writer, and an editor, I like to figure out where novels are going. Sometimes they surprise me, and sometimes they don’t--this doesn’t necessarily mean a novel is either good or bad; I’ve liked plenty a book where I could predict the ending. But it’s been quite a while since something surprised me in the way The Assistants did. Just when I thought I’d gotten something figured out, it flipped everything upside-down and I was back at square one. It made the book a wild ride--I was frequently texting Connor that yet another shoe had dropped. “This book is an octopus,” I said, with many exclamation points. “It’s dropped like five shoes already.”

While this book was an enjoyable read, it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read. There seemed to be a dissonance between the prologue and the novel. It read as if it were an article written by a different individual, summing up poorly the events that follow and also inventing a few things here and there for added spice. It’s not unusual for a prologue to deliberately mislead the reader, and it’s a narrative tactic that I’ve seen before, but here it didn’t feel deliberate; it felt as if they had been written widely apart from one another, and somewhere in that time the connection between them had been lost. I also genuinely had trouble liking the love interest, even though I can tell he’s supposed to be likeable. There’s something about using the phrase, “You’re not like other girls” (repeatedly, if with variation) that sends up a red flag that won’t quite go away.
​

I definitely look forward to seeing what Perri has to offer in the future. The Assistants is poignant and hilarious, and while it may sometimes hit a bit too close to home for a recent college graduate like myself, that’s what makes it, ultimately, so relatable.
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the waking fire

7/19/2016

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The Facts

​The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
​Basia rates it: 4 out of 5
I received an ARC of The Waking Fire from a Penguin Random House service known as First To Read, which encourages readers to review books they win but does not require it.
​

The Waking Fire takes place in a world where the blood of drakes (which are basically dragons) can imbue certain humans who have the ability to use drake blood with enhanced abilities. The ability each offers depends on the type of drake--black, red, green, or blue. I think what I liked best about this novel is that I didn’t feel like we had the “simpleton outsider” trope; I never felt like there was one character who didn’t know anything about the world specifically so the reader could be told things as they were explained to the character. I had to do a lot of inferring about what drake’s blood did what and so on, but I liked that. It’s always refreshing when an author remembers his or her audience have brains and treats them accordingly. There was, of course, a bit of explanation here and there, but I never felt like any of it was too much of an info dump, which is a pitfall most high fantasy books fall into as they try to explain the setting.

This book is long​. If you're not accustomed to long high fantasy novels, I'd suggest steering clear of this until you think you're ready. The characterization in this novel is spectacular; there are three point-of-view characters, whom the narrative interchanges fairly regularly, and each character felt distinct and tangible. (Also, one of them is a woman​.) It's difficult, sometimes, to come across high fantasy that isn't plot-driven. I generally prefer character-driven novels, and this is a very good example of how high fantasy can​ work with a character-driven rather than a plot-driven structure.

​Most of my quibbles with this book are fairly small. There are a lot​ of characters in this book, and many of their names similar. I once knew someone who said she only really took in the first letter of each name, and this book would be hard for her to navigate. It was sometimes difficult to remember which character belonged to what name, especially if I was reading quickly. Also, while a decent amount of the secondary characters were well-constructed, there were a handful on whose personality I couldn't quite get a grip. I'm hoping this is rectified in later novels. The author also has a tendency to over-describe aspects about which I have no knowledge or any desire to have​ knowledge, and so I would find myself glazing over sometimes, but that's more of a personal thing. It wasn’t info-dumping so much as oversharing.
​
​Overall, however, it was a good read. I plan to pick up the second novel when it comes out, and I've already recommended it to several people. There were enough dragons (drakes, I should say) to satisfy even me, and while this isn't a read you can tear through at breakneck pace, it's engaging and keeps you interested. Ryan does a good job of giving you just enough information to make you feel a bit satisfied but withholding the rest so that you feel compelled to keep going. If you're into long high fantasy and dragons, I say definitely pick it up!
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jane steele

6/16/2016

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The Facts

​Jane Steele​ by Lindsay Faye
​Basia rates it: 4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book. It's billed as a retelling of Jane Eyre, which is wholly inaccurate. Jane Steele is very aware of Jane Eyre--in fact, it's her favorite book. But Jane Steele's life does mirror her favorite heroine's in some respects, but there are vital differences, the largest of these being our heroine is a murderer.

It regretfully took me a bit of time to read this, but not for lack of wanting to read it. I didn't have the time to sit down and devour this book in one go as I'd have liked to, but it is definitely the sort of book that lends itself to binge-reading. The tone is arch clever, and it recalls nineteenth-century novel language without being indecipherable to a more modern reader.
​

While this isn't a YA book, I think it is a book that recommends itself to readers who enjoy YA. I hesitate to say that, of course, because so often people think that the YA is somehow less of a genre than literary fiction meant to be consumed by adults, but with a heroine whose age is twenty-four, she exists in a sweet spot that brigdes the gap between YA novels and adult novels and also speaks to the young readers who, like myself, find themselves somewhere in between these two intended age groups. I would definitely read another novel by Faye like this--drawing cleverly on the classic novel we all know while adding new elements and crafting her own story that is fresh and engaging.
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mighty morphin power rangers: pink #1

6/6/2016

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The Facts

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink #1
by Brenden Fletcher & Kelly Thompson
​
I was really excited to learn about the Pink Ranger comic run several months ago. Like most kids born in the '90s, I watched ​Mighty Morphin Power Rangers​ with a fervor bordering on reverence. Unfortunately, because I was a girl who didn't (and who still doesn't, really) like the color pink, I never fully appreciated Kimberly until several years ago, when I realized I hadn't given her a chance just because she was the Pink Ranger. Which is, ultimately, a shame, because she's pretty great and badass in a time when there weren't a whole lot of kickass women on shows, especially not shows for kids, and considering most female characters I would have wanted to be for Halloween didn't have brown hair and wigs made me itch.

​I'm no stranger to Brenden Fletcher; I will tell anyone who will sit still long enough to listen that I ​love​ the new Batgirl​ run over at DC, and I also really enjoy Gotham Academy, so I was excited to see what he would bring to the table for the Pink Ranger. I haven't read any of the ​Mighty Morphin Power Rangers​ comics (yet), but right before doing this writeup, I went onto Comixology and purchased all of the issues that are out so far. (As you can see in the photo, I do most of my comic-reading on my iPad; comic books take up a lot of space, which I frankly don't have, and my boyfriend and I share the Marvel and Comixology accounts, which means we don't need to buy two copies of everything. Thank you, digital comics!)

When we catch up with ​Kimberly, who is rocking some great straight-across bangs the likes of which I sported until high school, she's at a gymnastics tournament. Her mother and step-father have failed to show up, which is unusual, so she hops on her motorcycle and goes to the little French village where they're now living, only to find it totally deserted. I don't want to do a recap of the whole issue--that's not what this is for. This is just to tell you that I think you should start reading along with me. But already, I'm with her. Something is weird, and she's throwing on a great leather jacket and going to find out what it is.

​Reading this issue was like a mystery novel meets a superhero comic. It's a limited run, so there's a very clear trajectory and storyline that we're following. I sometimes feel comics suffer from a haziness of direction for the first few issues, but I didn't feel that way here. There's something super weird going on, and Kimberly's going to get to the bottom of it, and if she dons the Pink Ranger suit along the way, even better. I'd honestly read this comic even if she didn't turn into the Pink Ranger. She's compelling: she's fierce and funny and kickass but not without kindness and soft-heartedness. This isn't the campy but fun '90s cartoon. This is a ​Power Rangers--a Kimberly Hart​--for the twenty-first century, and I can't wait to see more of her.
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a study in charlotte

6/3/2016

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The Facts

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
​Connor rates it: 4/5
In short: this book is a delight. 

Imagine, if you will, your favorite crime solving/crime fighting dynamic duo. It could be Sherlock and Holmes, as we have here in a different light; it could be Mulder and Scully, or maybe early-seasons-Booth and Bones; Batman and Robin, perhaps; Carter and Jarvis, or maybe Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Whichever they are, Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson are sure to join your list of favorites. They are bright and clever, with curious talents and pursuits just enough their own to make them unique, but also just enough in line with their illustrious ancestors to make them absurdly fun to read.

A Study in Charlotte doesn't just subvert various Holmes/Watson tropes; it finagles its way around them, over them, through them. There are mysteries, subplots, intrigue, secretive chemistry experiments, a Stradivarius--and, of course, the sort of mutual devotion one expects from a Holmes and a Watson. 

If you're worried this won't live up to your expectations of a teenage Sherlock Holmes: you've got the wrong book. This isn't a book about Sherlock Holmes. It's a book related to Sherlock Holmes. It's about legacy and character, history and the modern age, true friendship and loyalty in an age of loneliness and mystery--and it shines.

I will happily admit that it is not perfect. I will also admit that there were moments where I winced, and there were topics that were not handled quite so delicately or deftly as I might have liked. 

But I will also admit, wholeheartedly, that this book was more than I had hoped, and I am decidedly looking forward to the next installment of the trilogy. The delicate movement of Charlotte and Jamie from strangers to friends and partners is carefully chronicled here. It's not an easy road--there is, as mentioned, murder and mystery, and also intrigue! forgery! secret tunnels! a literal explosion!--but then, it wouldn't be Holmes and Watson if it were.
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update: the watchmaker of filigree street

6/1/2016

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The Facts

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street​ by Natasha Pulley
​Basia rates it: 3.75/5
​
I did a write-up for Filigree​ (as Connor and I have been referring to it when talking about posts) while I was still reading it, but I thought I would circle back around now that I've finished and give a more comprehensive review.
This was a strange book, and I came out of reading it much the same way that I did the movie ​Krampus​​: it definitely wasn't bad, and I would also say that it was good​, but it also exists in a weird tenuous space between the two.

​My struggle with Filigree is that I kept forgetting​ to read it. Normally, when I'm reading a book, even if it's a book I don't feel compelled to devour, I have the urge to finish, because I hate leaving things undone. I'll make time to curl up in my favorite armchair with the book on my knees for at least a few minutes, just enough to get in a chapter or two while I have my tea. But I found I wasn't doing that with Filigree​.

It is, as I said before, a quiet sort of book, but while that was part of its charm, I feel like it also might have worked against it in some ways. I'd think about reading, would have to think​ about what I was currently reading, and then I would remember ​Filigree​ and that I had yet to finish it. Sometimes I would pick it up, and other times I wouldn't. I always had to make a conscious effort to remember to read it.

​Another reason I think the overall tone might have worked against the book was I was finally at the book's climax, but I felt no urgency. I am sure I was meant to--the events unfolding were crazy and tumultuous--but I couldn't muster the appropriate feelings. This is not to say that I didn't care about the characters, because I did. But I also found I cared more about the secondary characters than the three protagonists; in some ways, I felt that they had a bit more substance to them, like I knew their personalities better.

I didn't feel relief when I was finished with the book, because the overall story was an interesting one and I truly did​ want to know what happened, but I also didn't experience any of the usual things I feel when I finish a book. It was simply over, and I could finally move on to something else.

Filigree​ was a good book, but a strange one. I am glad I read it, but I can't see myself ever picking it up for a reread. It is certainly not a book for everyone. But if you're willing to give it a try, I hope that you, like myself, are at least charmed by the little clockwork octopus that has a penchant for stealing socks and hiding in drawers.
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we should all be feminists

5/27/2016

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​To be honest, the title says it all.

There's not much we can say about this that hasn't been said already by those wiser and more articulate than we (e.g. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie herself), but to put it briefly: we should all be feminists. This isn't about wanting money (although equal pay is important--and let's not gloss over the fact that the disparity is greater for women of color than it is for white women. That's important). It's not about wanting more women in politics, or in science, or nominated for Oscars, or running corporations. 

At least, it's not entirely about that.

This is about opportunity. This is about attitude. It's about working together to re-shape society into a place that welcomes and encourages and supports those of us who aren't white men. It's about creating an environment in which a woman who wants to stay at home with their kids and a woman who wants to work full time are both given dignity and respect for their choices: a space where expectations are not defined by gender. 

It is, as Adichie says, a reminder that culture does not make people. People make culture. And we must--we can, we should, we must--do better.
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wink poppy midnight

5/25/2016

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As fans of the unusual and unexpected, we picked up Wink Poppy Midnight on a friend's recommendation with very, very little idea of what to expect.

The Facts

Wink Poppy Midnight, by April Genevieve Tucholke
Basia rates it: 3.5/5
Connor rates it: 3.5/5

The Reviews

​basia
This book used the phrase "sweet girl parts" on page two, so I didn't quite know what to expect going in, but I was already wary.

​The three main characters have voices that are remarkably distinct, especially in a book where perspective shifts so often, which was refreshing and made it easy for me to focus on the story instead of becoming mired in the question of whose narrative voice I was reading. But it's also the sort of book where I didn't really like​ any of the protagonists, and while that itself is not a problem, I'm unsure if that was intended by the author, which is a disconnect that always leaves a funny taste in my mouth.

​I didn't at all dislike the book, I enjoyed its strangeness, but the ending was a bit too vanilla for my tastes. I felt as if it was trying too hard to be a "happy ending," in its own way, at least, which counteracted a lot of the almost threatening strangeness of the rest of the narrative.
​
connor
I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It's a quick read, and I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a quirky, curious sort of read.

The writing style is remarkable, mostly because I'm in awe of how Tucholke manages to vary her style and tone for each of the three narrators (who are named, you guessed it, Wink, Poppy, and Midnight). The plot is curiously ethereal; while I didn't predict anywhere near all of the twists it would take, the novel was too dreamy for me to be thoroughly surprised at them. 

While I didn't become particularly invested in any of the characters, I did enjoy this book and all the weirdness it provoked. The ending doesn't tie everything up in a nice little bow, but this is a dreamy sort of novel which makes what might usually be unsatisfactory a bit more vague than that.

(like I said, I'm still not entirely sure what I think about this novel.)
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the storied life of a. j. fikry

5/23/2016

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The Facts

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin
Connor rates it: 4.5/5
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Fikry is an easy read with a peculiar pacing, but doesn't feel staggered or rushed for all that it took little time for me to make my way through its pages. The characters are charming, despite their faults, and the alacrity with which I grew fond of them--perhaps especially the titular character, A. J. Fikry--should probably alarm me. The intricacies of Zevin's prose are delightful to read, and I will definitely be looking up her other books. 

My favorite college professor once told me a book doesn't have to end happily, but it should end hopeful. Zevin manages to do just that without coming across as forceful or heavy-handed in her approach. 
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the watchmaker of filigree street

5/23/2016

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I found The Watchmaker of Filigree Street​ by Natasha Pulley totally by accident, lurking in the mystery section of my local library. I was browsing the stacks, mostly checking what Agatha Christie they had (the selection was pitiful), when I spotted a book tucked into a strange corner between bookshelves. There was a bright green octopus on the spine. Never one to ignore a cephalopod, I squeezed my arm into the space and pulled it out. I’m not sure if this book was meant to be in the mystery section or if it was placed there by another patron. I don’t even know how long it had been sitting there; if I was the only one who had happened to peer into the space between the shelves, it could have been there, undetected, for ages. So I read the back cover, decided it looked interesting, tucked it under my arm, and went to check out.

I let it sit around for a bit but finally got to starting it just recently, and I’m fascinated. Unexpectedly, the book has magic, although I suppose that the use of the adjective “magical” on the back synopsis should have clued me in, but I assumed it was just one of those buzzwords back-jacket writers like to throw around to make the work sound sweeping and grand. But no! There is, in fact, actual magic, which sells me on almost anything. There is also a male protagonist who is charming in his social awkwardness, a female protagonist whom I realized I loved immediately because she reminded me of Lila from V. E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series, a Japanese watchmaker who is perplexing and intriguing and very lovely, and, because it must be said, a clockwork octopus.

I’m only about halfway through, and I’m unwilling to give away too much about a book, particularly one I haven’t yet finished, but I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s a skinny book, by my usual standards, but it’s not a book that I’ve found myself speeding through. Usually this might spell disaster, as a book I find I am unable to read quickly is usually a book that is boring or obtuse, but that’s not the case here. I simply get caught up in all of it--Grace’s scientific experiments, even though I am not very scientifically inclined; Thaniel’s poor attempts at espionage; Keita Mori’s quiet but powerful presence; and Katsu, the clockwork octopus with a personality all his own. I want to know what happens, but in a quiet way. This is a mystery novel, in a sense, but it is not the pulse-pounding, what happens next what happens next I have to know sort of mystery that I’ve grown used to reading. This is a quieter mystery, where the plot takes a backseat to the characters. So if you love character-driven narratives with a little magic, a little mystery, and a little absurdity, this would be a book worth picking up.
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