Short and interesting. A covid lockdown story set in Lagos where womanizer Bambi is in a house with 2 women both claiming to be mother to the same baby. Weird sh*t ensues. Tense, confusing, interesting setting outside my wheelhouse, but nowhere near her amazing first novel My Sister the Serial Killer.
Well written though so will keep an eye on this author!

In the best fairy tale tradition, some of the stories in this collection are dark. The image grabbed me and told me to read this one today. Sad and dark and gorgeous art, it is the whole package.
#fairytale

These are my favorite 2 frames in this graphic novel about a Fae underground kingdom and a changeling child finding out about the many types of family.

Imagine watching the underground train pass by…and then a DRAGON 🐉
And some commuters in the scene don‘t even notice😹😹

What did I just read?

For me, the 1st half and 2nd half were very different.
I thought I knew what was going on, then the 2nd half undid those thoughts. And just confused me.

I now have brain scramblies and just need a lie down on a chaise-longue to let this book either soak in or have the next breeze relieve me of all the contradictory + confused feelings I now have…

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
⬇️

The letters. Anne said early on that the weird Cecil letters to his mother don‘t sound like him, they seem as if they have been dictated.
Then it seems Lady Guthrie published a selected collection of those letters…do we think SHE wrote them herself as a rewriting of his life? That is why they are weirdly consistent with that weird ‘own boy‘ closing?
Just a random thought!
Not finished so maybe something becomes clear regarding this too…
(Ch 9) ⬇️

I feel like I took this line from the description too seriously because I honestly have huge doubts that anything Anne tells us is necessarily the reality between Cecil and his mother.

Admittedly, I am only halfway. BUT: so far everything is basically hearsay/speculations and Lady Guthrie has not actually been terrible on screen?

Don‘t throw 🍅 at me yet - just concerned she is an unreliable narrator who never shows SHE is a decent mother…

A very enjoyable childrens picture book about Edward Gorey - with Gorey-esque art and words. I always loved his books but had no clue what an interesting person he was. This book is the tip of the iceberg and now I will go deep diving to read/find out more about him…

This 1950s America tale about the effects of a local writer, a small town & a book they think is written about them was a revelation. Though the premise seemed like Miss Buncle, this is different. It is darker but still small town odd/quirky. In the midst of drama, humor.
It gets to the heart of people being people and how small towns are special.

Loved it.

Huge thanks to @Jess_Read_This for gifting it!

imho, @LeahBergen needs this book.

This is one of the few #PersephoneBooks I have with the color cover instead of dove grey - on purpose.
I just love this cover.
And want to get to know these people.
So now it is time to finally read it for #PersephonePick with my #buddyread partners. We will post here as usual, but will be testing out the #StoryGraph buddyread feature.
We will report back on how it goes!
#persephone

Amy sees peoples‘ flavor. She is also a time traveler of sorts: lived in deep space until her dad lost his job and they took the journey to Earth. The 30-year journey in cryogenic stasis. She is still 16, 30 years later, which makes this an interesting twist on a high school fish-out-of-water story. The art is awesome, the Earth is interestingly jetsons-y, Space boy is a mystery, and I can hardly wait to see where these lovable characters end up!

Am loving this graphic novel that starts with such a fun idea. Throughout, she sees peoples‘ flavors. And how people/flavors go together, or not.
It is delightful.
I wonder what flavor I am. You?

Did anyone think how any dove grey #Persephone book would suffice as #NorthernDroplet in the #Pantone2022 challenge? It sure took me long enough to make the connection! Somehow this color was giving me trouble - until I saw a whole shelf begging to be chosen for this prompt 🤦🏼‍♀️

Now to make the #persephonepick…

(That postcard is the old London shop. I have not had any friends make the trek to the Bath shop yet! HintHint😉)

#persephonebooks

I am enjoying the #StoryGraph stats charts and just noticed that as a notoriously bad-at-nonfiction reader (who has no intention of improving herself by trying harder 🤦🏼‍♀️), this will be the most balanced I ever look: 2 books read, one was nonfiction (graphic memoir). ⚖️
(I will bet you a free book that at year-end I have only this 1 nonfiction book for the entire year! 😹)

#storygraphstats #balance #notononfiction

This book is very diverse with tales from all over the world but I had to share this classic because the art just stopped me in my tracks.
Love this book. More TK 😉
#fairytales

Interesting take on a familiar magic - the calling of objects. Calling is a highly valued skill in Quin‘s family but his talent is lacking. But Quin soon finds out that ‘nothing comes from nothing‘ and the objects his world Calls are being taken from another.
Very well done as a fun but also thought provoking middle grade novel. The worlds are vivid and the magic system is well done and nicely twists expectations. The characters are quite likable.

This is a heartfelt memoir in mostly drawings about several years in her young adulthood as her career and personal life were taking off.
She distills feelings SO well in one or two drawings! Noelle struggled with depression, coming out, gender confusion, religion, etc so it is not light reading.
But as a fan of her graphic novels, I am glad I read more about her in her own words/images. She is pretty amazing and brave to put herself out there.

This book was an after Christmas gift to myself - it was SO gorgeous I could not not buy it!
There is a spread for each fairy tale, myth, or other ‘divine‘ story. I LOVE the art and with a quick page per tale, I will be dipping in and out all year to keep connected to the stories - such variety too!
(I will post favorites here 😉)

The #endpapers in this book are just so festive! 💗
#christmasallyear

A classic that somehow this magic and castle obsessed book freak never read before.
So glad I finally did!
Very much made my #bestof2021 list 📚

I picked this up thinking it looked like a fun graphic novel set in a Bronte-esque gothic setting. But it is SO much more! Soon, the setting is revealed to be a pocket universe built to stick to gothic romance tropes but things malfunction (evil plots enacted, of course!) and there is some mind-bendy sci-fi stuff that is SO delightful!
Fun, funny, weird.
Plays on gothic tropes while satisfying our love of them.
+ top notch heroine!
#bestof2021

As a fan of the Fair Assassin series, I was all in for this dark, medievalish story of dark arts nuns taking care of things due to their ability to see souls & spirits. There is a bigger story of foiling evil plots but at its heart is a strong, odd girl + the friendship she forges with a revenant who possesses her in the heat of battle. Dark world contains violence/tension, but fun sparring dialogue with revenant lightens it up.
More info ⬇️

@LeahBergen Have you read Molly Clavering?
She was friend and neighbor of DE Stevenson and several of her novels recently came out from #FurrowedMiddleBrow #DeanStreetPress too.

This one is supposedly a thinly veiled portrayal of their friendship. I enjoyed imagining it WAS them!
(The tagged book is the same as the one in my photo)

While nice to get the confetti celebration from Goodreads when I hit my reading goal, I am making a resolution to no longer participate in their challenge.

I am regularly stressed out by GR showing me how far behind I am and sure as hell didn‘t appreciate their ‘check-in‘ emails with suggested ‘short reads to get back on track‘.
Shut up, GR.

Onward, I need to keep reading fun by posting on Litsy + looking into StoryGraph as a GR alternative.

This guide to not getting murdered is a DELIGHT. Edward Gorey meets cozy mysteries! The tone and jokes are spot on and the illustrations are beyond perfect (with spots of red amongst the black-and-white - amazing!)
Definitely a #bestof2021
#dontgetmurdered

Damn. This one snuck up on me. Loved the style, the humor, the wise words sprinkled throughout. The odd characters, the sly reveals of truths and ‘character‘ and the surprising connections between the various anxious people.
5 stars.
If you make me tear up, you get 5 stars.
#bestof2021

Another favorite in 2021 was DE Stevenson - especially this title, the third book in the Mrs Tim series. Previous books were in diary form and more about her life as a WW2 British military wife but here Mrs Tim is in a new setting with a host of fun Highland characters.
DE is a nice comfort read.
#bestof2021 #DEStevenson

Reviewing my 2021 reading and found I made a good dent in my #furrowedmiddlebrow TBR stack from #deanstreetpress.
The tagged book was a favorite for sure but they are all fascinating gems in their own ways. So glad these are being regularly reprinted!
And thanks to @Jess_Read_This for enabling me in these purchases and buddyreading many of these with me! Now to check on the titles pubbing in January 2022 because, of course 🤦🏼‍♀️
#bestof2021

This one was outside my comfort zone & so worth it. These southern women are amazing & not-to-be messed with. While an enjoyable time capsule of the 1990s, this suburban horror is chilling - both in how the husbands treat their wives (gaslight much? 😠) and how easily a monster can take advantage of the circumstances at play in a classist, racist town. But that tricky bastard met his match with this book club. Not for the faint of heart, BTW.

Such an amazing and gut-wrenching graphic novel about George Takei‘s childhood in the U.S. WWII Japanese internment camps. The art is perfect and I love both his childlike view of what was happening as well as the interludes from his grown self looking back. His parents were strong, amazing people taking care of their family during a horrific and shameful period of American history. This book brings it all to life, and into the light.

A very interesting and atmospheric graphic novel about the Bronte siblings‘ imaginary world Glass Town. I don‘t know enough about their real childhoods or how much of this is fact, but this is an amazing introduction to their vibrant inner world.
Both fantastical and moving.
Puts me in a Bronte-ish mood...
@LeahBergen - have you seen this?

This book was a surprise and a delight. With short chapters and quick, witty narration it was quick to pull me in. It‘s not a ‘serial killer‘ book but more about family and relationships. These sisters have a twisty history together! Set in Nigeria, it is also an interesting cultural experience and a refreshing backdrop. I will follow this author for sure to see what she does next!

OMFG - my heart just stopped when I opened this package. So unexpected! 🤯
and SO FAT at 760 pages!
Excuse me while I ignore EVERYTHING to dive into this finale to an amazing series 🥰

Nothing says Christmas like murder! This 1937 British classic sees a group not on a train with murder amongst them—they leave their snowbound train & stumble upon a cozy country house with fires burning & tea in the dining room, but no one at home. Commence the murdering and solving.
I loved the period feel & conversations, and was delighted by the sly humor, spooky elements, & pleasantly odd characters. A delight in the christmas murder genre.

Night Circus for bibliophiles.
Absolutely fantastic & gorgeous & intricate & amazing.

I loved Miss Buncle‘s Book and this sequel was an absolute delight. A new marriage, a new town, and more of the same sweetly silly but wise Barbara Buncle. And a wonderful, witty, and warmhearted way to chip away at my stack of Persephones 😁
#PersephoneBooks #persephone #DEStevenson

I LOVE portal fantasy so the premise of this is totally up my alley. It‘s all about doors to other worlds. Even the story-within-a-story is all doors. Sadly, the execution of it left me feeling ‘meh‘ though. I keep thinking about the potential brilliance of the plot, but I struggled & skimmed (🤦🏼‍♀️) because of the writing style. I am in the minority online in my dislike and I hope y‘all who think this sounds good have better luck than I did...

I have read my share of quote books and this one had awesome new things I was unfamiliar with! I was charmed by the title, but won over by the variety of amazing quotes and surprised by those new to me. Perfect when you are in a mood and want some perfect Words and strong ladies to prop you up.

A gorgeous book of witch stories from around the world? Yes, please! What an amazing variety of stories! Not just tales from all over the world, but includes all varieties of crafty and powerful ladies - exactly what I need this (or really any) time of year.
Ordered from the UK and as lovely & timely as any Virago book. 💃🏼

I was very excited this appeared on my doorstep today. I felt in a properly angry, feminist mood for it. Chapter 1 is just reminding me what a crap situation we are living in right now but I will keep on keeping on since her writing is so fun & conversational...

There is nothing quite like roadtripping with the Discworld witches! They grab their brooms and head off for some alternate fairy godmothering (to STOP a gal marrying a prince). As expected, the witches are awkward tourists disrespecting foreign foods & massacring languages. Along the way they encounter a suspicious number of stories and ‘rural legends‘ being acted out. A very satisfying story, with some Granny Weatherwax backstory revealed.

Very much enjoyed this book of Peculiar fairy tales. The tales are enjoyable, giving both a wider world view of their experiences along with lessons learned (hint: don‘t reveal you are Peculiar) and the artwork is GORGEOUS - not photos like the novels but amazing black and white drawings/etchings. These stories don‘t fit in a specific place within the series so pick it up anytime you like! You won‘t regret it.

This sequel to Sorcerer to the Crown is a delightful return to Regency London and our favorite characters all make appearances, but as supporting players! I found the new MC Muna quite engaging and her storyline involving mystery & magic, and a trip thru/to Faery, complimented and contrasted nicely with the world of Crown—with new plot twists layered on top. It is also self-contained so while there will be a book 3, this is nicely wrapped up.

Another gorgeous addition to my Folio shelf 😁

#noimpulsecontrol #FolioFreaks #FolioSociety #FolioFreak

Good news for those of us in the #PratchettPosse who like these Collector Library hardcover editions - two new ones coming in November!
#TerryPratchett

Granted, Garth Nix‘s Old Kingdom series is a favorite so I was already inclined to like his new book. But the Three Musketeers vibe and setting are even more enjoyable than expected because he pairs it with an interesting historical set-up and more importantly, cool magic. I loved the magic and the characters. Those are my key needs fulfilled.
But the ARC had no map.
I am counting the days until it pubs in October (2019) so I can get me my MAPS.

While amazed and excited a friend gave me this ARC (Garth Nix is a favorite!), when it comes to #bookswithmaps ARCs suck rocks😣
Despite this disappointment, this gorgeous fatty is my holiday weekend read.
Review TK when I come up for air.
#mapsinbooks #bookswithoutmaps #mapsoflitsy

I am surprised by the low % on this title because I found it to be a delightful YA retelling of Snow White with an awesome map, an amazingly vivid apple scenario, a fantastic twist on dragon magic, and the requisite plucky heroine and romance were endearing (and not annoying). A retelling that felt fresh. What else do you want? A definite enjoyable read if you like good winning over evil.
You may not look at 🍏🍎 quite the same way again though 😁

Some maps really get me more excited than others.
Take me to there!
#bookswithmaps #mapsinbooks

I very much enjoyed this new novella in the #RiversofLondon series. There is no Peter Grant though as it is set in Germany with his German counterparts investigating magical troubles near Trier which has plenty of Roman history + several rivers to draw on in creating magical mayhem. I would love more novels with this group & setting!
This does not fit into the series in a specific place—if you know the London set-up, just jump into this anytime!

Book 7 in the Rivers of London series is fast & fun! I was slumping a bit and these adventures of Peter Grant snapped me out of it big-time. The underlying magic of modern London along with major progress in the ongoing diabolical plans of the Faceless Man make this an excellent installment.
#seriesread #riversofLondon