Wayward Bookshelf

The Spellmaster of Tutting-on-Cress by Sarah Wallace This book was such a lovely read, probably even more so than I expected - and I've been hoping for Gerry's book ever since finishing Letters to Half Moon Street! In the series thus far, we've watched Gerry becoming pretty protective of her independence after having found purpose in taking over the running of the spellshop in Tutting on Cress, while also enjoying the support and proximity of her family and friends. And having a book focused on Gerry means we also got a lot of time with this world's magic system, which is always fun. Basil is our newest character, and is a very thoughtful and somewhat lonely man, who's found himself a little out of his depth after becoming the head of a family consisting of whole pack of little siblings and his widowed stepmother. I found it touching to watch this particular family's dynamic unfold, while also getting to know all 7 of the little siblings and their antics. One ...

The Education of Pip by Sarah Wallace I just cannot say enough how much I love Wallace's characters, and getting to read these books where good things happen to them is just the absolute best. In this book, we get to see how Pip's life turns out after the events at the end of One Good Turn. Pip - a very endearing, gentle person with a difficult past who is not really comfortable being made a fuss over - finds himself in a house full of new friends who would really like to make a fuss, but choose to follow his lead and respect his boundaries while offering their support. It's all really very touching, and is an excellent literary example of just how valuable found family can be. We also get lovely individual moments with Gerry, Gavin, Charles, The Dukex and especially Lord Finlington as Pip gets to know each one individually and settles into the family. It was nice to have a book that took us outside of London to enjoy some scenes of country living, to see Gerry's spel...

One Good Turn by Sarah Wallace I'd been jonesing for a simple, cozy read, and so when I got a copy of this book, I gobbled it right up in one sitting. It was exactly what it promised, another Meddle & Mend  installment set in a regency-adjacent London where magic is real and society has embraced all genders and orientations. I really love the world Wallace has created because it embraces the thinking that 'if this is fiction anyway, why can't I dream of a different world?'. This book follows Nell, who is more of an Artful Dodger character (as opposed to all the society characters we met in Letters to Half Moon Street ). Nell is pragmatic, matter-of-fact, and doesn't like when people beat around the bush too much. While I did love the epistolary style of the first book, I found it interesting how Wallace adapted her author voice to fall more in line with our MC's way of existing. Nell was refreshingly uncomplicated. Another of Wallace's strengths is hav...

Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace It has been a long while since I read a good epistolary novel, and I had honestly forgotten how much fun they can be. I've also been on a bit of a romance kick all winter, so this gentle little book was ticking all the right boxes. Letters to Half-Moon Street takes place in a London much like our own regency-era London, just with magic and queer courtship also being par for the course. (yes, please!) When Gavin Hartford is sent to London to take care of some family business, he's not expecting much in the way of excitement. But then he meets Charles Kentworthy, who takes it upon himself to show Gavin how to enjoy the city, which Gavin mostly does in spite of being such a shy, bookish type. We learn of the bulk of their escapades in Gavin's letters to his sister Gerry, (who is quite wonderful and I sincerely hope we get to see more of her and her magic in future), and the relationship between the siblings is just as enjoyable to...

The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike Picking up right where the The Lost Queen left off, the Forgotten Kingdom continues to follow the different paths of Langoureth, Lailoken and Angharad as their fates carry them to pivotal points in their kindgom's story. Our characters are put through some incredibly difficult times that both change and shape them. They are complex, fleshed out and feel very real. There is so much richness and texture to the story, and I am particularly intrigued by who Angharad is shaping up to be. This book takes place at the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Scotland, and so there are plenty of battles and skirmishes, and even some 'Battle of the Five Armies' vibes for fans of Tolkein as the whole of Scotland tries to protect their home. These books are also incredibly well-researched. For me in particular, knowing that all of the places in the book are based on real sites in Scotland makes me want to book a trip to Scotland immediately upon ...

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab This book is fantastic. I literally had to force myself to put it down around 3:00am one night so I could get a few hours of sleep before work the next day. I was reading during all my breaks and any moment I could claim for myself. We all know those tell-tale signs of a reader that is really hooked into the story, and every chance I got to read this book was pulling me in. Addie is a wonderful character. She's rebellious, knows her own mind, is smart, sly, and unapologetically herself. And in pushing back against the world, she ends up living with a curse that makes everyone forget her. Since she's such a fantastic character, but no one else knows her, reading this feels like we as the reader are in on a special secret because we get to see who she is when no one else can. AND, while being a captivating tale about a girl carving out a place in the world under extraordinary circumstances, this book is also a literary achie...

Competence by Gail Carriger I'm going to start this review by saying that I am basically a die-hard fan of anything Ms. Carriger does. But Competence was definitely not my favorite. The reason being that Prim's 'primness' for lack of a better term persists for quite a long time while the reader bangs their head or book against walls waiting for her to get to the point and accept that she's in love with a woman and that it's perfectly OK. Now, I probably shouldn't be too hard on Prim because I have been known to be much kinder to those I love while not allowing myself an inch of flexibility in other areas, so perhaps my frustration came from a more personal source, and so I haven't altered my star rating based on that point. One aspect of this book that I do quite love, is that Prim is a queer character, and this book was published with a 'big publisher' instead of self-published. This points to the fact that this it has become possible for u...

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker This book was thought-provoking to say the least. As it combines the stuff of folktales from two different cultures into a turn-of-the-century New York City setting, I've had a hard time classifying this book into one genre or another. At times folktale or myth, at times historical fiction and sometimes a philosophical exploration about what it means to be alive. Chava is a Golem - a creature made mostly from clay, and brought to life with an incantation. Commissioned by a selfish man, and created by a faithless one, her origins are unfortunate. When she finds herself newly awakened, masterless and alone in New York, she struggles to discover a way to balance her nature to both serve & destroy, and finds her way to a job at a bakery. Ahmad is a Jinni - a fire being born in the Syrian desert & trapped for centuries by an evil wizard. When he is set free from his prison, he too finds himself in New York without a clear place or ...

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva This was the Christmas book I needed this year, even though it’s not strictly speaking a Christmas book. As someone who reads Dickens’ Christmas Carol every year, and watches several movie versions of it to boot, I really enjoyed a little different take this year.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee I almost gave up on this book because our narrator, Henry Montague, borders on being Just Too Much. He’s sarcastic and pretty darn hilarious, if he does say so himself, but he’s also so insecure and self-destructive that I had to push through a few exasperated sighs and outbursts on my part before actually getting to why he acted that way. But eventually I did end up rooting for him. . . Beyond that, this book has it all: a few noble English teenagers on a tour of Europe who encounter highwaymen, stolen artifacts, alchemy, pirates, and lot of lies and intrigue - not to mention an outspoken & intelligent young lady (which could arguably be the most problematic of that list given the time the story is set in). And all that is mixed in with enough bravado and romance to somehow tie it all together. In certain hands, all of this in one novel would easily spin out of control, but Lee does a beautiful job keeping it from ove...

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James I finished the book, but was rather sorry that I did. I didn't really like this book.

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan Echo is a beautifully crafted story that starts as a fairy tale, and meanders its way into a World War II era civilian setting by way of a very unique harmonica. As the harmonica changes hands, those who play it are changed too. And each character has a quality that makes them different from their peers, a birthmark, an ethnicity, etc. As they encounter challenges they find confidence and strength in their music. A wonderful, moving read for young and old alike. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith If possible, Jane Austen just got funnier. The original Pride and Prejudice made me laugh at her social commentary and satirical wit to no end, but add zombies to it and it reaches an entirely different level of funny. Grahame-Smith does a wonderful job at retaining Austen's flavor and wit, including many of the original passages, while adding zombies and warriors to the novel in a way that made this book laugh out loud funny.