Review: The Book of Lost Languages: An Epic Quest to Decipher the Past

The Book of Lost Languages: An Epic Quest to Decipher the Past by Daniel Harbour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Book of Lost Languages: An Epic Quest to Decipher the Past by Daniel Harbour from Bloomsbury Publishing via NetGalley. This book will be published around February 2, 2027.

The Book of Lost Languages: An Epic Quest to Decipher the Past by Daniel Harbour is a great book for language nerds. Daniel goes into depth in how experts decipher ancient languages. My copy did not include the puzzles, but I would really love to see the final version because I think it would be fun to try my hand at codebreaking. It takes a real passion to chip away at these language mysteries.

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Review: Women Writing Dangerously: An Illustrated History of Banned, Censored & Silenced Books by Women Writers, from 19th-Century Scandals to Contemporary Clashes

Women Writing Dangerously: An Illustrated History of Banned, Censored & Silenced Books by Women Writers, from 19th-Century Scandals to Contemporary Clashes by Nava Atlas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Women Writing Dangerously: An Illustrated History of Banned, Censored & Silenced Books by Women Writers, from 19th-Century Scandals to Contemporary Clashes by Nava Atlas from Clarkson Potter via NetGalley. This book will be published around February 16, 2027.

Women Writing Dangerously: An Illustrated History of Banned, Censored & Silenced Books by Women Writers, from 19th-Century Scandals to Contemporary Clashes by Nava Atlas is a beautiful book that can be read straight through or in short segments as you have time. I loved the illustrations. This is the type of book you want to leave out for other people to peruse. I have read many of the books featured and yet still learned quite a bit about the women who wrote them. The recounting of what these women risked to tell the stories they had in them is intense.

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Review: Sheep: Classified: A Witty Literary Time-Travel Political Satire Across 2,000 Years of Human Folly

Sheep: Classified: A Witty Literary Time-Travel Political Satire Across 2,000 Years of Human Folly by F. E. Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sheep: Classified by F.E. Fraser is a fun novel written from the perspective of a veterinarian who becomes entangled with a sheep that knows much more than she is letting on. I mostly loved the sheep's reaction to everything that happens. Worth a read for that.

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Review: The Haunting of Brynn Wilder

The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was looking for some spooky books to read for Halloween season, and The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb had been on my Kindle for awhile waiting for the right moment. Right away, I loved the MidWest-ness of it. I was afraid it might veer too much into romance for me, but it kept a really great balance. While it does have a bit of spookiness, it is more about grief, loss, and valuing the time we have with those we love. I'm pretty sure I cried more than once, but I found it really touching.

Bonus points: It is good to know that if I have to eat a potato or piece of corn from a fish boil, it won't taste fishy.

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Review: We Are All Completely Fine

We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory is a novella about a support group for people who have survived encounters with monsters. Monsters is broadly defined and not restricted to paranormal beings. It isn't even clear if everyone in the group thinks they should be there. However, there is a reason they were all gathered even if they don't know it yet. A twisted take on group therapy.

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Review: A Box Full of Darkness

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James takes place in the same world of Fell, New York as The Sun Down Motel. There are references to things that happened in The Sun Down Motel, but you do not need to read it first. I enjoyed returning to Fell, NY. There is something really off about that place, missing kids, murder, haunted houses. Yet, people keep going back. For the Esmie siblings, a sighting of their missing brother is enough to get them all to go back to see if they can find out what happened to him. They are smart to sleep with the lights on.

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Review: The Fever of the World

The Fever of the World by Phil Rickman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fever of the World is the 15th book in the Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. I would not start the series with this book even though you probably could. Mainly, the characters have really evolved over the course of the series and you would be missing out on how important those changes are to where we are today. But also, you would be doing yourself a disservice not to read all the books. I was drawn in by the idea of a female minister who specializes in deliverance (aka exorcisms). The other characters are equally interesting. The writing is beautiful, a bit gothic, a bit haunting, a bit folksy. They are the perfect books to read in fall and winter. It's a whole vibe. There is just one more book in the series, and I will be saving it for a special moment because I don't want to say goodbye just yet.

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