Review: Antiques Carry On

Antiques Carry On by Barbara Allan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Antiques Carry On is the 15th book in the Trash n' Treasures series by Barbara Allan.  You can read this as a standalone book, but I highly recommend reading them all in order.  The nice thing about these books is when they reference something in a previous book, they will tell you the name of the book.  Normally, these books take place in Iowa, but this time we venture over the pond for a spot of tea and murder.  If you like your murders not too gruesome, written in a style where you are encouraged to try to solve the mystery along with the main characters, and a big dose of humor, this is the perfect series.  I also really enjoy that these books are written much in the same way I like to write and they use lots of parentheses (a personal favorite of mine).  I have also learned quite a bit about antiques which may come in handy when I finally have to sort out my own home.  

Bonus points for Sushi, one of my favorite crime-fighting dogs, and for the always adorable covers.

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Review: Second Helping

Second Helping by Stephanie Bond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I waited a REALLY LONG time to read Second Helping, the second book in the Two Guys Detective Agency series, by Stephanie Bond.  Why did I wait do long?  Because I read the first book when it came out in 2013, and then this one came out in 2022! I had really given up hope that it would ever come out.  I would read them in order. They are short, so it won't take long.  However, each ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so if you don't like not knowing what will happen, you may want to wait until the next book comes out (10 years from now?) before you start this series.

Bonus points for a retired police dog that still has a nose for murder.  

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Review: Exit Strategy

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exit Strategy is the fourth novella in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.  Read them all.  Read them in order.  Clocking in at under 200 pages a book, you can do it!  

Exit Strategy is a reunion story.  I'm not going to ruin it by telling you who Murderbot reunites with, but if you did what I told you in the last paragraph, you should be thrilled.  Plenty of action.  Plenty of adventure.  Plenty of sarcasm.  What's not to love?

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Review: The Album of Dr. Moreau

The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory is a fun Agatha Christie-style mystery novella that takes the story of Dr. Moreau and wonders what would happen if some of his subjects formed a boy band.  I loved everything about this novella from the vibrant hybrid characters to the song lyrics to the chapter titles that are written like album tracks.  There is a bit of epistolary storytelling which is always a plus for me.  

Bonus points for doing Apologies instead of Acknowledgments.  Hilarious!

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Review: Light in the Shadows

Light in the Shadows by Linda Lafferty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Light in the Shadows by Linda Lafferty and Andy Stone is historical fiction about the famous painter, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.  He is simply known now as Caravaggio.  There is a certain amount of mystery surrounding his death. This book ultimately posits one theory, but it is really more a mystery of a different sort.  Told in alternating chapters between Caravaggio's time and present day, the mystery actually has to do with a found painting that may be one of Caravaggio's last works and the adventures some art historians go to authenticate it.  Did I mention the secret society that will go to any lengths to see that this new painting is destroyed?  There's that too.

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Review: Swimming Lessons

Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller is a bunch of things I love all rolled into one: mystery, epistolary storytelling, and books.  Writer, wife, and mother, Ingrid Coleman just disappears one day.  The only thing left of her are the memories her family and friends have and the items and letters she left behind.  Except the letters, that she never told anyone about, were hidden in books in a house chock full of books.  The story alternates chapters between what is currently happening with her family and the letters she wrote chronicling her life up until she disappears.  This is the kind of read you hate to put down because you really, really want to know what happened.  How did we get here?  What's the truth?  And what happened to Ingrid Coleman? 

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Review: Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate

Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate by Zoe Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate by Zoe Quinn is a great primer of how (and why you should) protect yourself online.  If you have ever posted anything online, used a website, or even own a computer or a smartphone, you should read this.  

As a female gamer, I've heard a lot about Gamergate.  As horrific as it was to read, it was so important to hear it from Zoe's perspective.  If you aren't as familiar, do her a favor and don't do an Internet search.  Read the book instead.  Heck, I struggled on whether I should even write this review in case it exacerbates the situation by putting the idea out there again.  Anyone who has been subject to abuse of any kind will relate.  Most importantly, she lays out ways to protect yourself from online abuse and resources that are available if you are already suffering.     

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Review: Rogue Protocol

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rogue Protocol is the third novella in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.  These are so short you have no excuse not to read them all and in order.  They generally pick up where the last one left off, so they are best enjoyed in sequence.

The Murderbot Diaries are for anyone who has ever said, "I'm not a people person" or more directly, "I hate people."  Murderbot gets you.  Murderbot gets me because even though I don't really like people, I feel compelled to help them, especially when they are in trouble.  Ugh.  Murderbot is also a big fan of watching TV.  Same.  Nothing worse than wanting to watch your favorite show and someone insists on getting into trouble that requires your attention.  Come for the action, stay for the sarcastic misanthropy.   Fair warning: In this episode of the Murderbot Diaries, we meet a pet robot, who is insanely cute.  Be sure you can handle this level of adorable. 

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Review: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren is the kind of romance someone who is not into romances can enjoy.  I'm not even sure how it first came to my attention.  I'm pretty sure no algorithm looked at my typical literary preferences and decided to send this my way.  But however it ended up on my list, I'm glad it did.  

As someone who embraces her weird, I found the title character, Hazel, extraordinarily relatable right down to the random assortment of animals that live with her.  And Josh isn't half bad himself.  He's not some jerk who needs to be reformed or see the error of his ways.  He appears to be a nice, normal, well-adjusted guy.  How refreshing!  If you are looking for some fun, light reading and can stomach romance, pick this up.  

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Review: Priestdaddy

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood is a memoir of sorts.  I say "of sorts" because it doesn't read like a standard memoir.  There are paths hinted at but unexplored.  I wasn't always sure where stories fit in the timeline of her life.  Some chapters seemed to stand alone.  And sometimes I forgot I was reading a memoir because it was all a little too surreal.  Maybe having a father who is also a Catholic priest is that surreal.  Lockwood's father is the hook for the book, but I think her mother is the truly interesting one.  She is the most present.  She has the best lines.  My parents' religion and politics couldn't have differed more from the Lockwoods, and yet there were some similarities that had me wondering if these are universal parental traits or possibly Midwestern parental traits.

While there is a lot of humor in here, there are also some very serious topics like rape and abortion.  Readers sensitive to those topics may have a tough time navigating. 

Bonus points for having a cat that is your father's nemesis.  I also have never enjoyed a story about hunting so much in my life.

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Review: Some of the Best of Tor.com 2021

Some of the Best of Tor.com 2021 by Ruoxi Chen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Tor.com annual anthologies of short stories are some of my favorites to read because they often include authors that I love.  The 2021 edition included stories by Annalee Newitz, #selfcare, and Catherynne M. Valente, L'espirit De L'escalier, that were excellent.  While they might be available somewhere else, I might not have seen them if they hadn't been included here.  On the surface of #selfcare, it seems to be about the beauty industry and influencers but there is something witchy afoot!  L'espirit De L'escalier is a new take on the Greek myth of Orpheus set in modern times.  Orpheus is a rock star used to having what he wants.  He learns the hard way that you can't always get what you want.  

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