Examine Your Blackened Heartsong
Yes, we ARE ignoring tomorrow. This newsletter is about ESCAPISM
Happy Monday after Halloween, Pardners~
Our staff costume this year was ‘The Cowboy Librarians vs The Book Bandits.’ Work usually goes all in for Halloween but our two biggest Hallo-vangelists were both out on vacation this week, so it was a bit last minute and only five or so people actually dressed up (incredibly disappointing.) I did, however, have a lot of fun drawing on fake freckles and I got to wear a deputy badge all day so I’m calling it a win.
November Reads
This series, while very well written, very much is also the same book several times over. I think this might be my favorite one so far, beginning in media res with our hero of this book realizing that the life he finds himself in might be a lie. I love these gay werewolves but each one of these books, despite being supernatural romance, follow a pattern of two people deeply in love torn apart for a reason that should very much make it impossible to get back together and then they just kind of .. forgive each other? Either earned or not. And also they fight bad guys. While sometimes being naked because werewolves lose their clothes when they shift. I’m going to read the last one because I am into it enough to finish the series but if you’re going in for supernatural romance, it’s much more depressing (like heart-rending depressing) and messed up (the big battle at the end of this one was a lot) than you’re probably expecting.
I’ve talked about my love for Janice Hallett before so when her newest book came in on hold for me, I dropped everything in my TBR pile to inhale it. And it did not disappoint. Told in Hallett’s style of emails, texts, and in this case, class message board posts, you’re an external examiner, tasked with grading the final papers of a new MA course. But there might be something sinister going on. I devoured this book. There were twists and turns, there was one reveal where I actually gasped out loud in my office. And then I was lucky enough to have my buddy Brooks (Brooks has a newsletter, too and you should read it!) dm-ing me his thoughts while he read it the night after me which was a delightful experience. Highly, highly recommend.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth - Cassandra Khaw
I’d heard good things about this book but I only actually picked it up because it was going to be on one of my favorite podcasts, Overdue, this month and I figured I’d read it before I listened. It’s a short thing, just slightly over a hundred pages, and I found the whole thing very lackluster. A group of childhood friends rent an old Heian mansion in Japan before one of their weddings because they always liked exploring old haunted places. But they all very clearly hate each other, it’s all bad blood that is hinted at but not explored due to length. Then it starts getting “scary” but again, there’s just so little in this story that it never actually achieves any of the atmosphere it’s going for. I don’t know. Just wasn’t my thing, despite actively looking very much like my thing. Disappointing.
Let’s Call Her Barbie - Renee Rosen
Not a book I would regularly pick up but for a fictional retelling of the origin of Barbie, it wasn’t bad. And I actually learned a lot! I spent most of this book opening google and looking into things that were offhandedly mentioned which, to me, is the sign of a good historical fiction, making me want to learn more. Was it a little simplistic at times and did it try to tick all the ‘this was the cultural current of this moment in time’ boxes? Yeah, of course. But it’s interesting enough to make it more than that. Plus, I learned all about this huge feud behind who created Barbie and the PERSONALITY that was Jack Ryan so thanks for that, Let’s Call Her Barbie. (Let’s Call Her Barbie comes out in January 2025).
The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh - Claudia Gray
I couldn’t resist! The end of the last book was too good, I needed to know where it was going! And, of course, like the other two books in this series, I was head over heels in love with it. This time, Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney are summoned by the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourgh as she suspects someone is trying to kill her and she’d like them to put a stop to it. The two young people are accompanied by their fathers and Mr. Darcy and Mr. Tilney do not get on (though, if they talked just a little more, they probably would.) It’s pretty standard mystery fare but for Austen fans, it is just delightful. The absolute highlight was Elizabeth Darcy meeting Henry Tilney and the two getting on like a house on fire, just as they obviously would. The good news is that there will be a book four, the bad news is that it isn’t coming until next June. Ho hum.
The set up for this book is SO GOOD. Queen of the swindlers of Victorian London is doing the ultimate con: marrying a duke. But the duke’s family has secrets of their own and there’s a saboteur in their midst. Ultimately, though, it was pretty meh. There are five pov characters and switching between all of them all the time made it hard to really get a perspective on any of them. It was certainly well plotted and it did culminate in a grand finale but I didn’t really care about any of the characters. A coworker asked me, when I told her what I was reading, 'wait, why is she doing this con?’ and the thing is, I couldn’t tell her. It’s never really stated why this is all happening. Which isn’t great. If you want a quick, face paced read, you might enjoy it but it’s 370ish pages and I didn’t really feel like I got into it until page 280 or so which isn’t great. (The Queen of Fives comes out in January 2025.)
Tremblay books have always been hit or miss for me. I adored Head Full of Ghosts but Cabin at the End of the World had become a hate read for me by the end and I remember being furious for the last third of it. The premise of Horror Movie (cult movie from the 90s that never actually got released is getting a reboot, told from the pov of the last surviving original cast member) was incredibly up my alley and I wanted to read something spooky. And this book ended up being … okay? There is some very good writing in here, a paragraph in particular about talking to a famous Hollywood director that I sent to several people because it was great, but overall, it was a bit of a slog. It picked up in the last fifty pages or so and I honestly did not expect it to end the way it did but I think if anyone asks me if they should read Tremblay, I’m still going to send them Head Full of Ghosts.
How are we doing, lovely readers? It’s been an October of decision making over here. Not a ton of actual life events but a lot of thinking and planning and making firm plans. Which I have! It looks my life is going to change on the sooner rather than later side! But more on that in a future newsletter (when I have told more in person people about it.)
Since I don’t have much to share this go ‘round, why not do the reverse? What’s going on with you guys? (Other than the obvious.) Things you’re exited about, things you’re doing, books you’re reading? I’m going to be crazy busy in the next few months (including this coming week of my birthday where I’ll be getting my first tattoo!) so let’s pass the mic for a bit. Share yourselves, I want to hear!
And for the next 48 hours, everyone do whatever you need to do to keep yourselves calm. I’m going to stay positive for as long as I’m able. Sending you all good vibes, too. See you in two weeks for movies, a month for books. Love to you all. 💕