Review: The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey

The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley.  This book is available for sale now.

I will confess that when the publisher reached out to me and said that I could have some tarot cards themed after the book if I wanted to read it, I said yes.  I would have read it even without the tarot card enticement, but I really love tarot card decks.  Whether you believe in what you get from the readings or not, they can be quite beautiful pieces of art.  As you can probably guess, the title character, Nora Grey, has a connection to the tarot.  Nora's story is told through an interweaving of narratives between her and her grandmother who also used tarot.  The cards connect them in an unexpected way.  I enjoy reading about the spiritualist movement and the men and women who made a living talking to spirits.  Some were clearly charlatans and yet, there are some people who do seem to have a gift.  Nora is one of them.  I won't give any more away, but if you are into seances, ghosts, mesmerism, and talking to dead people, you should read this. 

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Review: The Haunting of Maddy Clare

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of The Haunting of Maddy Clare written by Simone St. James and narrated by Pamela Garelick.  This is the kind of book that works well in any format.  You don't lose anything by listening, and it goes by very quickly.  I listened to the whole thing in a day.

The story follows paranormal researchers investigating the poltergiestish haunting of a barn by a mysterious young woman who was believed to have taken her own life there.  She's pretty scary, and she does not like men very much.  It didn't take much for me to guess why, but this is set in the past so people weren't so quick to put two and two together.  Or if they did, they didn't express it because that wasn't the thing to do.  Ghosts aside, there is a romance blooming here too.  That wasn't my favorite part but some people might like a little spice with their ghosts.  If you like a good ghost story and don't mind some mushy bits, check this out.

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Review: Let Them Stare: A Novel

Let Them Stare: A Novel by Jonathan Van Ness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Let Them Stare: A Novel by Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy from Storytide via NetGalley. This book is currently available for purchase.

There is a lot to love about Let Them Stare: A Novel by Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy. First of all, that cover! Who doesn't want to read a book with such a fantastic cover???? In a time when plenty of people viciously hate anyone that is different, it is nice to read a story that encourages you to love yourself and embrace who you are. I don't want to spoil too much but there is a ghost and a mystery. Come on, this is like Scooby Doo! This does fall into the young adult category, so you can safely read it without being worried about real scares. You may want to wrap yourself in a blanket and have a yummy beverage though while you consume it. We all deserve an uplifting book these days.

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Review: Kills Well with Others

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kills Well with Others is the second book in the Killers of a Certain Age series by Deanna Raybourn.  While you could pick this book up independently, I highly recommend reading the first book first so you get acquainted with the characters and how they came to be where they are when this book opens.   That said, these books are a lot of fun if you don't mind a bit of blood and action.  Some people might grossly underestimate these women because they are of a certain age.  That is a huge mistake.  Their adventures are very entertaining.  I only wish I had half their survival skills.  But maybe not if it means other people want to kill me.  I can only hope that in a few more years, I will still be spry enough to potentially be recruited as an assassin.   

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Review: An Inquiry Into Love and Death

An Inquiry Into Love and Death by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to An Inquiry Into Love and Death written by Simone St. James and narrated by Rosalyn Landor.  Either audiobook or written format are great ways to consume this.  It is not so complex that you lose the plot while listening.  It also went by very quickly.  I finished it in a day.  

Simone St. James is always a great choice for a good ghost story.  This one is no exception.  This one has a somewhat gothic feel to it.  Young woman inherits an estate in a haunted area full of quirky locals who may or may not be dangerous.  A dashing inspector comes out to investigate the death of her relative even though nobody necessarily suspects foul play.  Sparks but not so much that it overwhelms the spooky bits.  It is a little bit Jane Austen meets Shirley Jackson.  

Bonus points for Sultana and Poseidon.

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Review: The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Under normal circumstances, I would never choose to listen to a book written by Umberto Eco because the writing is so dense, but if it is the only version the library has, I have no choice!  The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana written by Umberto Eco and narrated by George Guidall is the last book of Eco's that I hadn't read.  I have put this one off for so long because I didn't want to have a to be read list absent of his writing.  However, the time had to come at some point.  The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana reminded me bit of his book, Baudalino.  It is the story of a man, told from his perspective.  In this case, he has lost the memory of who he is and is finding himself again through his interactions with the world.  I didn't really like the main character, but I did find it fascinating to think about the issues he raised in relation to myself.  For example, if you didn't know anything about yourself, but all your friends and family told you that you were XYZ, wouldn't you wonder why or how that came to be and what it said about you?  I did.  That is also what I will miss about not having another new (to me) Eco to read.  He always makes me think on a very deep level.  His work is great brain food.  

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Review: Sin Eater: A Novel

Sin Eater: A Novel by Megan Campisi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Sin Eater: A Novel written by Megan Campisi and narrated by Shiromi Arserio.  Normally, I would prefer to read a book like this, but my library only had the audiobook version.  It is a very rich story with vivid descriptions that I feel get a little lost when you are listening.  But better an audio version than nothing.  If you are not already familiar with sin eaters, they were real people who would absolve people of their sins by eating specific foods that correlated to each sin. By eating the sin, they took it upon their own soul.  It is heavy.  While they provided the most valuable of services, they were also social pariahs.  The sin eater in this book gets drawn into a mystery thriller.  I think the best part was hearing which foods went with which sins and guessing why that might be.  But as a vegetarian with food allergies, this book made me itchy. 

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