Review: Midnight Is the Darkest Hour

Midnight Is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure:  I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead from Sourcebooks via NetGalley as part of the C2E2 Book Club.  I'm not normally a book club person, but I have a ticket to C2E2 and figured why not get a free book to read.  

Midnight is the Darkest Hour was a really good choice for me.  It's very gothic with earth magic, strange symbols, and rituals.  I like stories of tiny religious sects and alternative Christian groups.  Is there something supernatural wreaking havoc on a devoutly Christian town, or is the answer something far more sinister?  Was there a deal with the Devil?  What makes a monster?  The answer may surprise you. Fans of Twilight may appreciate the love that series gets in this book.  If you aren't a Twilight fan, don't worry, it is not so much to distract from the rest of the story.  

Bonus points for putting the trigger warnings right at the front of the book for people who need them.  

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Review: The Feral Detective

The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem sort of defies description.  It is sort of like a fever dream.  It starts out very noir.  A woman in distress seeks out a somewhat mysterious detective to help her find a missing person.  The trail leads them to Mad Max-style desert communities except it is 2016.  Lots of people wanted to run away in 2016. I am not sure if it meant to, but the book does a good job of highlighting the urban fantasy of rural living versus the reality.  It can look so cute and quaint on Instagram, but it is really a much harder, harsher life.  At the same time, I laughed when I learned the main character was from Yorkville, the same neighborhood I live in while I was in New York City.  No wonder she has such culture shock in the desert!

Bonus points for three very excellent doggos.  I'd want to share my life with them too.

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Review: ‎The Graveside Bar and Grill

‎The Graveside Bar and Grill by Darynda Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Graveside Bar and Grill is a short story by Darynda Jones that takes place in the Charley Davidson universe.  This story takes place after the 13th book in the series.  If you haven't read the series, don't start here.  If you have read the series and always wanted a little more Donovan St. James in your life, here's your chance.  This has everything you have come to expect from this series, something dark and sinister, something supernatural, a good dose of humor, and some really hot romance.  These novellas give me hope that this series isn't totally finished.

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Review: Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem

Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem by Laurie Notaro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem is a collection of humorous essays by Laurie Notaro.  As the title suggests, these are almost all about being middle-aged and specifically a middle-aged woman.  As I am now firmly in that demographic, I find myself asking the same thing Laurie does.  Why doesn't anyone tell you about what's it is like to get old?  The chapter, What's Happening?: A User's Manual for Your New Old Body, was absolutely spot on.  And here I thought I was the only one asking these questions....  If you are at the point in your life where your body also betrays you on a regular basis, read this for a little pick-me-up.  It won't make anything better, but laughing is the best way to get through it.

Bonus points for My Darling Girl.  Everyone should be so lucky to have a Maeby in their life. 

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Review: Upright Women Wanted

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The tagline "Are you a coward or are you a Librarian?" is what drew me into Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey.  As a book lover, I am drawn to bookish things, stories about bookstores, libraries, librarians...yes, please.  But what if something in the future happened that cause society to have to revert back to Wild West days, and Librarians had to travel across the country to deliver materials to people?  And what if the government went full-on censorship, only allowed the distribution of "approved materials" and killed anyone who wasn't a cisgender heterosexual?  Some people might be thinking, "that sounds like paradise."  For the rest of us, we can only hope people have the strength of character to become Librarians.  

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Review: LaserWriter II

LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Even I, an avowed Apple hater, enjoyed LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin.  The story will hit home most with those who loved their Macs and Apple products, plenty of praise for them here.  If you lived in New York in the 90s, you might even have used TekServe, the small business at the heart of this book.  It sounds like a fun place to work.  Love the idea that you don't have to be techy to fix tech.  While this could be a bit of a love letter to Apple products or the people who do, the company itself is still a villain.  If you haven't figured it out yet, you'll see.

Bonus points for seeing the world through the eyes of printer parts.  Delightful!

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Review: The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a real page-turner.  I'm probably not the first to think it felt like a modern Greek tragedy.  I was really fascinated by trying to solve the mystery at the heart of the story through art, psychology, and piecing together someone's life through the the stories others tell you about them.  The problem is does that tell you the true story?  If you like smart, twisty psychological thrillers with a heaping dose of obsession, you will want to give this book a read.  

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