Consort of Fire

Consort of Fire
By Kit Rocha
Montlake, 2023. 381 pages. Romance

For three thousand years, an ancient dragon god has protected the borders of the Sheltered Lands. In return, he makes only one demand: every one hundred years, the mortal ruler must send their heir to serve as his consort . . . for as long as they can survive. Sachielle of House Roquebarre is the thirty-first consort to be sacrificed to the monster who guards the mountain passes. She is young, beautiful, and she has three secrets. First: she's a disposable orphan trained in seduction. Second: her handmaid, Zanya, is an assassin and the only person she has ever loved. Third: and most deadly: she's cursed. Sachi and Zanya have five weeks to murder the Dragon in his bed. If they fail, the mortal king's curse will steal not just Sachi's life, but her very soul. The Dragon has only one secret: he is nothing like what they have been told. And he will do whatever it takes to possess them both.

I started this book with the hopes of a spicy romantasy (romantic fantasy).  It delivered that and more.  Another author describe the book as "A primal scream of queer joy" and I couldn't agree more.  The characters are complex and interesting.  The romance is heartbreaking, varied, and about as spicy as you can get. It seemed much shorter than it was, probably because you can see the inevitable ending long before it arrives. That being said, I was not bored and the author found different ways to surprise me by the end. If you are looking for a romance that has high stakes, views love as something you can give to anyone you like, and might break your heart and heal it at the same time; then this book is definitely for you.

If you like Consort of Fire, you might also like: 

Silver Under Nightfall

By Rin Chupeco

Saga Press, 2022. 506 pages. Fantasy

Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remy's father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost. When a terrifying new breed of vampire is sighted outside of the city, Remy prepares to investigate alone. But then he encounters the shockingly warmhearted vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her infuriatingly arrogant fiancé, vampire lord Zidan Malekh, who may hold the key to defeating the creatures though he knows associating with them won't do his reputation any favors. When he's offered a spot alongside them to find the truth about the mutating virus Rot that's plaguing the kingdom, Remy faces a choice. It's one he's certain he'll regret. 

How to Love Your Elf

By Kerrelyn Sparks

Kensington Books, 2020. 328 pages. Romance

Sorcha knew the mission was dangerous. Leaving the safe grounds of her brother's kingdom and parlaying with the elves across their border . . . well, treachery seemed at least as likely as true peace. But to support her sister, Sorcha would brave far more than the underhanded ways of the elves. Or so she thought, before she was taken hostage. Of course, her captors didn't count on her particular abilities - or on the help of the Woodsman, the mysterious thief who made his home in the forest. He saw the battle from the trees, saw the soldier attacking against incredible odds to save a comrade - and then saw the valiant fighter revealed as Princess Sorcha of Norveshka. He can't tell if he wants to kidnap her or kiss her. But despite Sorcha's stubbornness, his inconvenient honor, and a rebellion on the cusp of full war, something burns between them that neither can let go.

Someone You Can Build A Nest In
By John Wiswell
DAW Books, 2024. 310 pages. Fantasy

Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she's fallen in love. Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth. However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she's found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen's eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don't think about love that way. Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she's about to confess, Homily reveals why she's in the area: she's hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere? Eating her girlfriend isn't an option. Shesheshen didn't curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily's twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk. And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.

KJ

Funny Story

Funny Story

By Emily Henry

Berkley, 2024. 387 pages. Romance

Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story. Too bad it turned out to be more of a prequel, a complication to Peter's actual love story, the one that ends with him dumping Daphne before their wedding to begin a relationship with his lifelong best friend, Petra. And so that's how Daphne's story really begins: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children's librarian, and proposing to be roommates with Petra's heartbroken ex, Miles Nowak. Scruffy and chaotic, Miles is entirely the opposite of buttoned-up Daphne until one night, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship. Miles decides he will convince Daphne to give Waning Bay a real shot. He'll show her why he loves this idyllic town and its residents, and if they happen to post deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together who could blame them? 

In this opposites attract romance, I was absolutely smitten with Daphne and Miles' relationship. I was worried at first because the premise seemed a little outlandish, but Emily Henry never misses. She excels at adding emotional depth to her characters while exploring heartbreak and mental health in ways that never feel heavy handed or unnecessary to the story. While it is a forced proximity story, Daphne and Miles's relationship never felt forced with the perfect amount of slow burn and angst. Funny Story is another great read from Emily Henry! 

If you liked Funny Story, you might also like:

Just for the Summer

By Abby Jimenez

Hatchett Book Group, 2024. 418 pages. Romance

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up. It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected including catching real feelings for each other. 

The Paradise Problem

By Christina Lauren

Gallery Books, 2024. 349 pages. Romance 

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam "West" Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she'd signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There's just one catch. Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather's will, Liam won't see a penny until he's been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he's in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he's afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents - his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife. But in the presence of his family, Liam's fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife.

BW

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me 

By Jamison Shea

Macmillan Audio, 2023. 12 Hours. YA Fiction

This slow-burn horror novel lifts a veil on the institutions that profit from exclusion and the toll of giving everything to a world that will never love you back. This program is read by Grammy- and Emmy-award-winning-actor Kristolyn Lloyd. Laure Mesny is a perfectionist with an axe to grind. Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet, she will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take center stage. To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood. The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she's dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she surpasses her bitter and privileged peers, leaving broken bodies behind her on her climb to stardom. But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter. As she descends into madness and the mystifying underworld beneath her, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for scraps of validation or succumb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is—monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god-killer doesn't catch her first.

I decided to read this book based on the title alone and I was not disappointed.  I did find the beginning a bit slow and perhaps I found Laure a bit unrelatable as a girl obsessed with ballet.  However, the book is very introspective and you hear so much of Laure's inner monologue that you can't help but root for her in the end. The author does a fantastic job at using the symbolism to add different layers to the story. I also thought that the narrator was absolutely brilliant at putting through the emotion of the characters. This book is dark and a little gruesome, but I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful story that also gives you moments to think a little deeper.

If you like I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me, you might also like: 

Monstrous

By Jessica Lewis

Books on Tape, 2023. 12 Hours. YA Fiction

Don't go outside past dark. Come straight home after church. And above all—never, ever, go into Red Wood. These are the rules Latavia's aunt gives her when Latavia arrives in Sanctum, Alabama for the summer. Though, weird as they are, living in Sanctum does have its pros. Mainly, the cute girl who works at the local ice cream shop. But Sanctum is turning out to be as strange as the rules—and the longer Latavia’s in town, the more suspicious she is that the people there are hiding something. And the more clear it is that she’s an outsider. Everyone’s nice enough, but they seem determined to prove everything is normal. But it's not. Because there’s something in Red Wood that the towns’ people are hiding. And if Latavia doesn't follow her aunt’s rules, she might not be able to leave Sanctum. Ever...

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces

By Linda Cheng

Macmillan Audio, 2023. 9 Hours. YA Fiction

THEN: Sunny Lee is on the top of the world. She's one-third of Sweet Cadence, the hottest up-and-coming teen pop group, alongside her new BFFs, Candie and Mina. The three are inseparable as they ride their way to the top of the charts, even as Candie and Sunny fight to resist the growing spark between them. But when a shocking scandal breaks, the group is suddenly torn apart. Then the unthinkable – Mina dies tragically right before Sunny and Candie's eyes. And Sunny suspects the dark and otherworldly secrets she and Candie were keeping may have had something to do with it . . .NOW: For the past two years, Sunny has spent her days longing for her former life and her nights wondering just what happened the night Mina died. So when she discovers that Candie is attending a new K-pop workshop right in her hometown, Sunny has no choice but to follow her there. Candie might be chasing stardom again, but Sunny is only after one thing: answers. At the workshop, the lines between nightmare and reality start to blur as Sunny is haunted by ghostly visions and her competitors' bodies turn up bizarrely maimed and mutilated. To survive the twisted carnage, Sunny will have to expose the ugly truth behind the workshop's spotlights and the sinister forces swirling around Candie.

Legendborn
By Tracy Deonn
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2023. 19 Hours. YA Fiction

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called "Legendborn" students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a "Merlin" and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree's memory of everything she saw. The mage's failure unlocks Bree's own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there's more to her mother's death than what's on the police report, she'll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates. She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society's secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur's knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she'll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

KJ

El Libro de las Abejas

El libro de las abejas
Por María Sánchez Vadillo
Alcobendas, 2021. 160 páginas. No ficción

Las abejas son una maravilla de la naturaleza y fundamentales para la existencia de los seres humanos. Este libro es una introducción al mundo de las abejas y a su cuidado, y rinde homenaje a la maravilla de estas criaturas en su interacción con el mundo natural, en nuestros jardines y en la colmena. Una abeja melífera visita unas mil flores por día, pero produce solamente una duodécima parte de una cucharadita de miel a lo largo de toda su vida.

En las páginas de esta obra se analiza la vida de las abejas y cómo podemos ayudarlas y beneficiarnos de su presencia en nuestros jardines. Asimismo, se presenta información con respecto a la inteligencia y a la productividad de estas criaturas, datos sobre la turbulenta vida de la reina o información destacada sobre las propiedades de la miel. Incluye recetas para remedios caseros y tratamientos de belleza naturales basados en la miel, la cera y el propóleo.

Sobre las humildes y trabajadoras abejas descansa una gran responsabilidad: son fundamentales en nuestras vidas porque son las encargadas de polinizar las plantas que nos sirven de sustento, una tercera parte de los cultivos mundiales depende de su labor y, por tanto, si colapsa la colmena, colapsa el mundo.

Si le gusta «El libro de las abejas» le recomendamos:

Dinosaurios y vida prehistórica
Por Douglas Palmer
DK Publishing, 2020. 440 páginas. No ficción
Fascinante y documentado, este libro es un análisis sin precedentes de millones de años de vida en el planeta Tierra. Con una increíble mezcla de reconstrucciones en 3D, esqueletos extraordinarios y fósiles increíblemente intrincados, utiliza la última investigación científica para recrear una gran cantidad de especies antiguas, desde las primeras formas de vida primitivas hasta los grandes dinosaurios, los primeros mamíferos e incluso los primeros humanos.

Este catálogo completamente ilustrado comienza con los primeros microbios precámbricos y rastrea la evolución de la vida a través de extinciones masivas y glaciaciones. Además de dinosaurios, presenta plantas, invertebrados, anfibios, peces, aves, reptiles y mamíferos extintos, evocando una serie de mundos pasados. El libro también explora el tiempo geológico y examina cómo los fósiles preservan la historia de la evolución.

Combinando imágenes impresionantes y texto claro, «Dinosaurios y vida prehistórica» es una enciclopedia fascinante para toda la familia, así como para cualquier persona cautivada por los dinosaurios de los mundos Cretácico y Jurásico.

Guía para un perro feliz
Por Cesar Millan
Aguilar, 2013. 231 páginas. No ficción

Inspiradora y práctica, la Guía para un perro feliz resume en 98 lecciones esenciales las experiencias de miles de sesiones de entrenamiento alrededor del mundo. Aplicadas en conjunto, estas lecciones ayudarán a cualquier persona a implementar aspectos clave de la famosa filosofía de César para establecer una vida grata y satisfactoria con sus perros.

César profundiza en temas cruciales para revelarnos los secretos del corazón y la mente de nuestras amadas mascotas. A lo largo del libro, historias reales de los casos que César ha tratado a lo largo de su carrera brindan conmovedoras y sorprendentes lecciones de vida. Inteligente, fácil de usar y repleto de los conocimientos profundos de César en el ámbito del comportamiento humano y canino, la Guía para un perro feliz es una herramienta inspiradora para cualquier persona que busca llevar una mejor vida con uno de los miembros más queridos de la familia.

MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, No ficción, Animales

Charming Young Man

Charming Young Man  

By Eliot Schrefer 

Katherine Tegen Books, 2023. 274 pages. Young Adult 

They say Léon Delafosse will be France's next great pianist. But despite his being the youngest student ever accepted into the prestigious Paris Conservatory, there's no way an impoverished musician can make his way in 1890s Paris without an outside patron. Young gossip columnist Marcel Proust takes Léon under his wing, and the boys game their way through an extravagant new world. When the larger-than-life Count Robert de Montesquiou-Fézensac offers his patronage, Léon's dreams are made real. But the closer he gets to becoming France's next great thing, the further he strays from his old country life he shared with his family and his best friend Félix . . . a boy he might love. With each choice Léon makes, he must navigate a fine line between two worlds--or risk losing them both. 

I love the character of Léon! He’s brilliant at playing the piano, but cannot read social cues and is entirely lost when it comes to navigating social settings. He wants so badly to be successful so that he can play piano and reduce the burden on his family, but being successful as a musician is difficult without a patron, but what if the patron is more focused on himself than helping the musician? Léon is such a likable character, and the situations he ended up in pulled at my heartstrings. If you like historical fiction about musicians, or historical LGBTQ+ fiction, this is a lovely option. Also, don’t forget to read the author’s note at the end about the inspiration for the novel. 

If you liked Charming Young Man, you might also like: 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue  

By Mackenzi Lee 

Katherine Tegen Books, 2017. 384 pages. Young Adult 

Two friends on a Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe stumble across a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt shaped by pirates, highwaymen and their growing attraction to one another. 

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda  

By Becky Albertalli 

Balzer + Bray, 2015. 274 pages. Young Adult 

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out--without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met. 

ACS

Beneath the Wide Silk Sky

Beneath the Wide Silk Sky 

By Emily Inouye Huey 

Scholastic Press, 2022. 323 pages. Young Adult 

With the recent death of her mother and the possibility of her family losing their farm, Samantha Sakamoto does not have space in her life for dreams, but when faced with prejudice and violence in her Washington State community after Pearl Harbor, she is determined to use her photography to document the bigotry around her. 

This was a very thought-provoking read. Samantha’s family immigrated to Washington State from Japan before she was born, and while there was always a level of prejudice in their community, it was exacerbated after Pearl Harbor. Suddenly her friends were suspicious that she and her family were spies (despite the fact that they’ve known each other all their lives), and she struggles to make sense of why the white members of her community would suddenly treat her family and so differently. This is a very character-driven book, and it focuses on the gradual escalation of tensions leading up to the U.S. Government’s incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. A beautifully written and sobering reminder of how bigotry destroys lives, and why this aspect of American history shouldn’t be forgotten. 

If you liked Beneath the Wide Silk Sky, you might also like: 

We Are Not Free  

By Traci Chee 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 384 pages. Young Adult 

For 14-year-old budding artist Minoru Ito, her two brothers, her friends, and the other members of the Japanese-American community in southern California, the three months since Pearl Harbor was attacked have become a waking nightmare: attacked, spat on, and abused with no way to retaliate--and now things are about to get worse, their lives forever changed by the mass incarcerations in the relocation camps. 

Displacement  

By Kiku Hughes 

First Second, 2020. 274 pages. Young Adult Comic

Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II. These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself stuck back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive. 

ACS

Nothing Special

Nothing Special Volume 1: Through the Elder Woods
By Katie Cook
Ten Speed Press, 2024. 399 pages. Young Adult Comic.

In the grand scheme of the worlds at large, Callie thinks she's nothing special. Sure, she's friends with the ghost of a radish and her dad owns a magical antique shop--but she's spent her life in the human world. Her dad won't let her join him on his collection trips in the magical realm "for her own protection", so she's only caught glimpses of that world through the gates of the town where her father's store is. On her seventeenth birthday, Callie goes home with her friend Declan to find her home in disarray and her dad missing. Signs of a struggle point to the portal to the magical realm and when there are signs, you follow them. Now it's up to Callie, Declan, and Radish to band together and bring him home. As they face creatures good and bad, and all sorts of adventure, Callie and Declan may just find out that they are both special in their own ways after all.

When I tell you I love this comic, I mean that I absolutely adore it!  So much so that when I saw it was finally going to be printed after being only in digital format for so long, I knew I couldn't wait to own it!  This book is full of references to modern pop-culture and fun jokes and easter eggs hidden on signs in Callie's dad's shop and is in full color with beautifully rendered characters and intricate backdrops.  The characters were extremely well-developed, and the plot brought you along at just the right speed.  Don't miss out on this fun, fantastical adventure, and stay tuned for volumes two and three!

If you liked Nothing Special, you may also like:

Cursed Princess Club
By LambCat
Webtoon Unscrolled, 2023. 273 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Gwendolyn, the youngest of the King's three daughters, is living proof that princesses don't always have it all. She isn't like a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, isn't particularly attractive. Unlike her sisters who have woodland creatures do their hair and makeup, or have flowers blossom wherever they sleep, Gwendolyn is a bit ... different. So when her father proposes marriage for her and her sisters to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom, it breaks Gwendolyn's heart to hear that Prince Fredrick thinks she's "really ugly." Overwhelmed and ashamed, she runs away into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
By Deya Muniz
Little, Brown and Company, 2023. 235 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Cam disguises herself as a man to inherit her father's money and estate, and though she tries to keep a low profile, she ends up falling for Crown Princess Brie.

ERB

The Sunlit Man

The Sunlit Man
By Brandon Sanderson
Dragonsteel Entertainment, 2023. 447 pages. Fantasy

Years ago he had comrades in arms and a cause to believe in, but now the man who calls himself Nomad knows only a life on the run. Forced to hop from world to world in the Cosmere whenever the relentless Night Brigade gets too close, Nomad lands on a new planet and is instantly caught up in the struggle between a tyrant and the rebels who want only to escape being turned into mindless slaves—all under the constant threat of a sunrise whose heat will melt the very stones. Unable to understand the language, can he navigate the conflict and gain enough power to leap offworld before his mind or body pay the ultimate price?

While Brandon Sanderson's 'The Sunlit Man' maintains his signature flair for intricate world-building and dynamic characters, it also delves into deeper themes such as redemption and sacrifice, making it a standout addition to the speculative fiction genre. The novel's fast-paced, action-packed narrative keeps readers engaged from start to finish, while its intricately plotted storyline adds layers of depth and complexity. With its richly imagined universe and skillful storytelling, 'The Sunlit Man' is sure to captivate fans of epic fantasy and science fiction alike.

JJC

If you like The Sunlit Man you might also like:

A Little Hatred

By Joe Abercrombie

Orbit, 2019. 640 pages. Fantasy

The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever. On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments. Savine dan Glokta plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control. The age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die. With the help of the mad hillwoman Isern-i-Phail, Rikke struggles to control the blessing, or the curse, of the Long Eye. Glimpsing the future is one thing, but with the guiding hand of the First of the Magi still pulling the strings, changing it will be quite another.

Empire of Silence

By Christopher Ruocchio

DAW, 2018. 753 pages. Science Fiction

Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy.

It was not his war.

On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire. The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives—even the Emperor himself—against Imperial orders.

But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier.

Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world. Forced to fight as a gladiator and navigate the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, he will find himself fighting a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.

My Hygge Home

My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place 

By Meik Wiking 

Abrams Image, 2022. 271 pages. Nonfiction 

Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this inspiring book, featuring tips based on research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, shows how to turn a home into a cozy sanctuary regardless of available space or budget. 

I’m honestly bummed I read this just after coming out of the winter season, because this book, filled with tips and tricks to make your home cozy and warm, would have been perfect for those dreary winter days. If you’ve read “The Little Book of Hygge” by the same author, this one is very similar but it delves more into the psychology behind hygge and why it’s valuable, especially since the pandemic shook our routines and habits. If anything, the need for intentional coziness has only grown over the last few years. 

If you like My Hygge Home, you might also like: 

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning 

By Margareta Magnusson 

Scribner, 2018. 117 pages. Nonfiction 

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." Margareta instructs readers to embrace minimalism, and suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you'd ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children's art projects). Digging into her late husband's tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go. 

Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home 

By Marie Kondō 

Ten Speed Press, 2022. 223 pages. Nonfiction

From the #1 bestselling sensation and Netflix star comes her guide to designing not just the home-but the life-of your dreams, fully illustrated with more than 200 photographs from inside the Marie Kondo lifestyle.

LA

Plan A

Plan A 

By Deb Caletti 

Labyrinth Road, 2023. 404 pages. Young Adult 

After finding herself pregnant by unexpected means, 16-year-old Ivy and her steadfast boyfriend Lorenzo, embark on a cross-country trip from Texas (where abortion is illegal after six weeks) to her grandmother’s house in Oregon. They visit friends and family along the way, where stories of vulnerability, strength, and above all, choice, help Ivy realize she isn’t alone. 

This was such a thought-provoking read. It’s not revealed until late in the book exactly what happened to Ivy, allowing readers to speculate, yet this also allows readers to evaluate their own biases and stereotypes through how we view Ivy, her decision, and the various women she encounters. As a character, I love Ivy. She’s trying so hard to do everything right (work hard, get good grades, plan for college, etc.), yet she’s forced into a position where she has to make a very controversial decision that sets many in her very religious community against her. She handles it the best she can, but she’s still ostracized and friendships fall apart. This is a great reminder that we don’t fully know what anyone else is going through, and kindness goes a long way. 

If you liked Plan A, you might also like: 

You Don’t Know Me but I Know You 

By Rebecca Barrow 

HarperTeen, 2017. 323 pages. Young Adult 

Ignoring a letter written years earlier by her biological mother, Audrey attempts to fill in the missing pieces of her life until an unexpected pregnancy compels her to learn the truth about the history and choices that led to her own existence. 

A Shot at Normal 

By Marisa Reichardt 

Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2021. 341 pages. Young Adult 

The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines. Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly passes the disease along, with tragic consequences. She is shell-shocked. Now, with the help of Nico, the boy who works at the library and loves movies and may just be more than a friend, Juniper comes to a decision: she is going to get vaccinated. How much is Juniper willing to risk for a shot at normal? 

ACS

Reading the Gaelic Landscape = Leughadh Aghaidh na Tire

 

Reading the Gaelic Landscape = Leughadh Aghaidh na Tire

By John Murray

Whittles Publishing, 2019. 264 pages. Nonfiction

Reading the Gaelic Landscape is essential for anyone who is interested in the Scottish Highlands and its native language. It enables people to read and understand place-names in Gaelic, providing insights into landscape character and history. Following the success of the first edition, this new edition has been expanded and improved with additional images and enhanced drawings.

This is a book that has an impressive amount of data and information concerning Gaelic place names, diving into the different names for hills, mountains, stones, to place names that reference animals, objects, body parts, and violent events of the past. If anyone was planning a trip to the Highlands of Scotland, this would be very worthwhile. But it is deeper than that as well, for it tells the story of the marginalization of the Gaelic-speaking people of Scotland, and how even before the 'Highland Clearances' which began in the 18th century, the language and the people who spoke it were thought of in terms of being foreign and other. Therefore, many of these places were named in a time when the whole population spoke Gaelic, and as that population was driven out, either to other parts of the land that were not as fertile, or out of the country entirely, those names were forgotten (in the 2010 Census in Scotland, only 1.1% of the population now speaks Gaelic!).  As someone who has studied Scottish Gaelic, it is especially poignant to read. I recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about this little-known part of history (unless you're an Outlander fan!), or who loves the natural world and is fascinated by the words and phrases the Scottish people used, and still use to describe it. 

If you like Reading the Gaelic Landscape, you might also like: 

The Old Ways: a journey on foot

By Robert Macfarlane

Viking, 2012. 432 pages. Nonfiction

In this exquisitely written book, Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge, England, home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove roads, and sea paths that crisscross both the British landscape and its waters and territories beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, and of pilgrimage and ritual. Told in Macfarlane's distinctive voice, The Old Ways folds together natural history, cartography, geology, archaeology and literature. His walks take him from the chalk downs of England to the bird islands of the Scottish northwest, from Palestine to the sacred landscapes of Spain and the Himalayas. Along the way he crosses paths with walkers of many kinds--wanderers, pilgrims, guides, and artists. Above all this is a book about walking as a journey inward and the subtle ways we are shaped by the landscapes through which we move. Macfarlane discovers that paths offer not just a means of traversing space, but of feeling, knowing, and thinking.

Clanlands: whisky, warfare and a Scottish adventure like no other

By Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish

Hodder & Stoughton, 2020. 294 pages. Nonfiction

From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare. Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe - the site of a great massacre and major clan feud - and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.

The Debatable Land

By Graham Robb

W.W. Norton & Company, 2018. 334 pages. Nonfiction

Two years ago, Graham Robb moved to a place of legend called the Debatable Land, an independent territory that once served as a buffer between Scotland and England. The oldest detectable territorial division in Great Britain, the Debatable Land was once the bloodiest region in the country. After most of its population was slaughtered or deported, it became the last part of Great Britain to be conquered by England and Scotland. Today, it has vanished from the map and its boundaries are matters of myth and generational memories. Under the spell of a powerful curiosity, Robb began a journey--on foot, by bicycle, and into the past.

MGB