Have you ever met the book

That you wish you’d written, but you’re so grateful someone else did… You’re also so scared the ending won’t live up to it, to the homage? The call back?

I just did.

I make no bones of being inspired by Willie Wonka and his Chocolate Factory. Specifically, Gene Wilder’s version of the candy man. It caught my imagination, burrowed in and still can be found there to this day.

I had no idea what was in store for me when I picked up “The Wishing Game” by Meg Shaffer. Should have maybe inferred it, but there’s nothing blatant about the homage on the OUTSIDE of the book. On that fateful bookstore birthday shopping spree I didn’t check the inside. I never do, unless I’m checking out the writing style. If I had read the praise, or even the dedication, well…

I would have squealed, loudly and proudly.

This book has taken me a few days to read, not because it was slow, or dense or anything else. But because I was scared. Even though I had already flipped to the back of the book. And yes, I’m also the person who cringes hard and looks away (or pauses) when watching TV or a movie when the characters were being cringey, or being embarrassed by others.

I had a lot emotionally invested in this book, even with never having read a lick of it. I hoped for the characters. I wished upon stars with them. And I celebrated with them too.

It does not contain a candy garden, or a chocolate factory. Sorry. No Oompa Loompas, either. But there is a family found and bound with love, and forgiveness and understanding and hope.

It was unexpectedly the book I really needed right at that moment.

Oh! And it contains the poem– the one Gene Wilder says in the boat. Or at least the first stanza. But Shaffer also gives credit (cites the sources as Jack would say): ODE, BY ARTHUR O’SHAUGHNESSY.

How wondrous to buy a book and have it echo so many of your own imagination’s quirkiness.

Bookish Thoughts: The Secret Sharer

First I want to thank Net Galley and Subterranean Press for the copy of Robert Silverberg’s “The Secret Sharer” in return for an honest review.

Two things to note right off the bat:
1. This is a SF retelling of a Joseph Conrad story by the same name
2. This is an illustrated edition.

I received an ebook of the title, and the artwork is beautiful even on my android phone. So much so that I’m debating getting a physical copy.

I’ve never read Silverberg that I can remember. I’ve read all around him, having grown up reading speculative Fiction since the 1980s when I first stumbled upon stories that make my heart sing. That opened my eyes to the magic that words can transport you into another world.

I can see why Silverberg is considered a Classic. His writing is beautiful, but has a different flow to it than current pieces. Gorgeous, just different. The artwork added to the story, and as I said above is stunning.

Link provided below for info on this edition.

Hope you guys have a brilliant week, with lots of good books in it!

https://subterraneanpress.com/newsthe-secret-sharer-by-robert-silverberg-shipping/

Bookish Thoughts: 3rd Act Breakup

I read a lot of romance, and something that comes up often in the genre is the 3rd Act Breakup. It’s generally right at the 75% mark, that last push , the last obstacle, a bit of a hurdle to overcome before the Happily Ever After can be earned.

Too often, we (the reader) get the miscommunication  trope. The one where if someone had picked up the phone, it would all be resolved. Well, in Tessa Bailey’s Secretly Yours, the heroine does, in fact, pick up the phone. He just doesn’t answer. Why? Because of a monster of a panic attack, one the lasts weeks. But it is something the reader is prepared for because it has happened to him before. It’s part of his OCD, part of what makes him.. well, him. Just like her chaos makes her, her.  (Loved this book, how Hallie was working through both grief and self doubt. Came close to bawling a few times. Gave it 4 stars)

Then we have Mariana Zapata’s The Winnipeg Wall and Me, which I don’t think has a third act breakup. Vanessa knows she loves Aiden, and while married (convenience) they aren’t quite there yet. It has lots of tension and spunk and fights, but no breakup towards the end. Zapata makes us work for our HEA, but she does not dangler in front of our eyes and then snatch it back away from us. They are apart only because has to leave the state for training, and she’s got a marathon to run. (This book made me stay up til 1am, had me bawling and was not the book I was expecting. 5 stars all the way)

I love when books surprise me, and these two certainly did that. It wasn’t just about the 3rd Act Breakup, or lack thereof. It also had to do with the way the character’s mental health, past trauma and all, were handled through the stories. The fact that these felt like real people, with real wounds.. well, that’s what had me grabbing my Kleenex.

So, my lovelies, what have you been reading?

Paladins Faith : Bookish Thoughts

I had been looking forward to T. Kingfisher’s Paladins Faith and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. Rousing plot, great characters, a sprinkle of romance and some comic relief… But this one hit me differently than the others.

It reminded me of why I love the genre.

Speculative Fiction. Fantasy in particular.

Possible spoiler alerts. Not sure where I’m going but I’m going to talk about big ideas. Ideas that sometimes need to be worked out in a setting not of our own.

Big.ideas like… Religion. The paladins in this series are berzerker warriors for the Saint of Steel who, apparently, died. Leaving them without control during berzerker episodes. But if a god can die… How is one born? And if a demon is old and wily, but actually doing good and protecting their people– is it an evil thing? Can something inherently evil do good? How, and who, makes those decisions?

And then there is the problem of people using the weapons they have. Berzerker uses sword, or axe or some other similar weapon. But what if you are not a warrior? And you need to use your own body to win the war? Oh, and add in that you are female. Does that change how you feel about it? Why?

Just some really good questions that reading this book brought up. Ideas to gnaw on for a while, ideas that are important.

Also important to note that none of this is bashed over the readers head. It is fairly natural in the course of the book.

Which makes it all the more impressive.

Bookish Thoughts: [redacted]

This sucks.

I’m sorry

But this book review is not going up. I can’t in good conscience promote a book published by a company that allows a person in their marketing team who spews vile and hateful things.

Both Netgalley (when I reached out for guidance) and St Martin’s press (in the MONTHS that they have known about the situation) have been silent on the issue.

So I will be silent about this book.

If all my friends are not welcome at the table, if they aren’t safe at the table, why would I want to be there?

Bookish Thoughts

Hello my lovelies,

Today, we’re going to discuss Meghan Quinn’s “He’s Not My Type,” a spicy hockey romance. A good romance, to boot. I was bawling at the end (don’t judge me, it’s been a rough day), in all the best ways.

But what I want to talk to you guys about is when an author goes meta. And it made me howl, it was so funny.

Ok, to get the scene a bunch of hockey teammates are sitting around, talking Bout 1 of them (our hero)wanting to get with the girl (heroine). But there’s a new player in the team, so they go through the other relationships really quickly (previous books in the series– I hadn’t read them so it was welcome!).

And then the following paragraph happens:

“”And he got her pregnant,” Posey says with gusto, the f***ing storyteller of the group. “It was a long road for them. Jesus the amount of time it took Eli to realize he could give in to loving her. Some might say the author of his story could have cut out the last 15% and everyone would have still been pleased with the outcome.”

— He’s Not My Type by Meghan Quinn, page 22 Kindle Edition

I howled. Omg it hit me so hard my kid thought I’d gone around the bend. She called out herself and her critics in the same breath and I was there for it.

That’s not to say it doesn’t pack an emotional punch as well. Grief is handled, as well as emotional trauma sustained from family (especially after the death). It really hit home and it was handled well.

Ms. Quinn, thank you so much for this book. I got it when I needed it.

Bookish Thoughts- Book Review

Bookish Thoughts—Review of Mom-Com

I want to start by thanking Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Mom-Com By Adriana Mather will be published on 11/13/23 by Blackstone Publishing.

I have to start by saying that I loved this book. I loved it so much I went back and read the ending two or three times, and bawled my eyes out each time. It was a book that hit me at exactly the moment I needed it. I didn’t see the comedy so much in the book, but that could be because of the emotional headspace I was in when reading it.

I connected with Maddi in a way I didn’t expect—Grieving for her father, beset by real & imagined expectations from those around her, a single mother trying to keep it together in the face of grief and needing to rebuild her life. Yes. This hit close to home, and the author nailed the emotions. The push and pull between Maddi and Wilder was well done and kept me reading, wanting more. And the ending, the redemption and healing of Maddi’s relationship with her mother had me crying each time I read it.

The only reason why this isn’t a five-star read for me was the extended flashbacks. Going back to their teen years, and when Maddi’s life first imploded: Wilder breaking up with her but sending mixed signals, dating someone else and becoming pregnant, etc. I didn’t really enjoy the teen angst of it all and quite frankly started skipping those sections entirely. And I still got the emotional punch of the ending.

This is definitely a Christmas Romance I can back whole heartedly. On a five-star scale, I would give it 4.

Happy Reading!

Bookish Thoughts:You Lucky Dog

Stay with me on this one, I promise even if you don’t read romance, it goes beyond the genre.

You Lucky Dog by Julia London is, according to the back cover, a Contemporary Romance. It is a romance (there is DEFINATELY a HEA at the end) and it is contemporary…. But it’s not a Rom-Com per se (there are funny bits) and the spice level is mild.

I liked the book, a lot. Finished in the way I do books I enjoy. The above is just to get it out of the way, because I want to talk about something else. I need to talk about this book. So obviously I loved it LOL

This book sucked me in and kept me turning pages. And it felt like I was reading a different sort of book. One like… A Man Called Ove, or the Hendrick series. So why was I feeling that with a romance?

In A Man Called Ove, the titular character tries to off himself a few times and keeps suffering mishaps that thankfully ruin his plans. But it sucks you in because you want to know what on earth can possibly happen next.

The Hendrick book that I started with, well Hendrick and his best friend accidentally kidnap a baby. And again, I was pulled through wanting to know what could happen next.

And this story was the same. It pulled me through with what on earth could possibly be going wrong for the heroine, and the couple, next. Because they clearly belong together — they even have matching doggies that are so heart-warming and smoochable.

So while there is romance, and tingly feelings, this falls hard on the fade to black side of romance.

And quite frankly, is just a really good book romance or otherwise.

Ta for now, my lovelies. Hope you’re having a great reading day!

Bookish Thoughts: The Blacksmith Queen

Sometimes a girl just needs to not DNF (do not finish) a book.

I’ve stayed away from my TBR (to be read) pile because I’ve been DNF’ing so many books. So. Many. Books. It’s much easier to DNF a library or Lobby book than one I’ve spent my pre-inflation salary on.

If I’ve read a book by G.A. Aiken before I don’t remember. I’m not sure why. Because The Blacksmith Queen was just what I needed. (Found on Libby)

Fantasy. Check.

Romance. Check.

Funny. Check.

So many things checked off my list. Magical beings; centaurs and elves and dwarves and demon wolves. A heroine you can get behind– she’s strong, knows her own mind and my goodness. There is family, politics, savage battle and a Dragon! Oh how I’ve missed dragons!

Now I either have to wait for my (estimated) 4 week wait time to get book 2 from Libby or… Wait till payday. May go back to Nook Books just because they’re cheaper but…. I really like physical books. Some books I really need the ability to flip through.

Not The Blacksmith Queen, tho. Nope. Ripped through it in less than 24 hours.

Bookish Thoughts: Legends & Lattes

I heard about Travis Baldree’s “Legends & Lattes” through Reddit and TikTok. I wasn’t sure about it, because book recommendations are such a personal thing. You may love a book that I just can’t get into. Or vice versa.

So I bought it on B&N dot com, because we know I can’t find anything at the local store because apparently we don’t read (except we DO AND THEY JUST DONT LIKE US –they are perfectly nice. It’s the algorithm that hates us)

Anyways my lovelies… I was worried. Would I like something that popular? Most of the books on the bestseller lists I do a hard pass on. But then again, how many of the books that I love are on the NYT list?

The prologue didn’t help matters. I understand why it was there, but personally it put me off a bit. They normally do. It’s a preference thing– you might love them.

And then I turned the page. Viv is in Thune and what the heck is going on? And I was sucked in. It hit the boxes of keeping me turning the pages, a found family and some snark. It was just what I needed.

Because in the century since lockdowns started (has it really been ONLY a few years?) and society sometimes feels like a dumpster fire, what is better than snuggling down with a comfort read?

A Cozy Fantasy?

Yes please!

Have any more recommendations for this fledgling sub-genre?