The Baron in the Trees

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino was one of the first books I heard about on BookTube that sounded really interesting! I was super lucky to find this book used in my local book shop.

When the eldest son of a nervous lower baron gets fed up with his quirky family, he decides to live in the trees and never set foot on the ground again.

The Baron in the Trees is an Italian historical fiction by Italo Calvino written in the 1950s. It takes place in the late 1700s and we are introduced to the Baron’s family one night at dinner. Each family member has their own issues. The dad is a nervous fame and image obsessed aging aristocrat. The mum is ex military and treats everything like a battle. The eldest sister is masochist and subjects the family to weird food and disturbing delicacies. The older brother, Cosimo, is fed up with the whole family, besides his younger brother, Biagio. The youngest brother seems to be the most normal of the bunch. Cosimo leaves the table, takes to the trees and never returns to set foot on the earth again. The rest of the story is told by Biagio as he learns stories from his older brother and tells them to the reader. This book has a fairy tale, or fable-esc feeling to it. It is broken up into smaller stories, some of which build on each other and some that could be considered stand alone adventures. Many of the stories end tragically and over the read can get a little repetitive. I really liked this book and it was interesting to read a modern classic that was translated from the Italian. It was interesting to read a book that encapsulates so many genres that I normally don’t read. Although this is a novel, it almost reads like short stories or fables, it’s a historical fiction, it’s an Italian modern classic. I would recommend The Baron in the Trees to those who like adventure stories, especially those that follow young men coming of age, readers who like fable or fairy tale like stories, any people wanting to read more modern classics not from the USA.

Are you a modern classic fan?

This book can be seen in my May Wrap Up.

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They Do It With Mirrors

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

They Do It with Mirrors is the 6th book in Agatha’s Christie’s Miss Marple series.

When Miss Marple is visiting a girlhood friend in from America, Marple is unexpectedly requested and implored to make a visit to her friends sister, who lives in England. Upon arrival, Miss Marple quickly sees that there is more that meets the eye.

I’ve been working my way thru all of Christie’s Miss Marple series on audio book. I was happily surprised when Miss Marple is in this book prominently and from the very beginning. This is pretty rare for her books as they never follow a set formula in each story. Each book has a mystery of course, usually a closed cast of characters, in a finite location. But sometimes Miss Marple is a prominent character, sometimes she is on the sidelines, sometimes the police are investigating, occasionally it’s another amateur sleuth. Also, Miss Marple tends to be an outside observer to these mysteries, an old biddy, a gossip, but not a friend or family of those directly impacted. In They Do it With Mirrors, Jane Marple is reunited with a family that she was close to as a girl. There are many new players here, as well, but for the most part, Jane has a real stake in the goings on bc she wants the best for her fiend. I liked the police detective in this one, as he knows the value that Marple offers and that is a rare opinion for the local PD. There were also quite a few interesting side stories, some of which are our red herrings. I like when Marple’s involvement effects more than the outcome of the crime. She is a observer on all aspects of human nature, both the good and bad. I would recommend this book to those who like satisfying endings, mystery lovers, and of course Agatha Christie fans.

Are you reading any series? Do you read them all in a row? Or do you just fit them in when you are in the mood?

This book can be seen in my April Wrap Up.

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The Daughters of Cain

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Daughters of Cain is the third to last book in the Inspector Morse series by Colin Dexter.

Morse is lead down a twisted path when he stumbles on a murder that has the local police stumped.

I have to be honest, this was one of the more forgettable of the Inspectory Mosrse novels that I read aound this time. I was reading them pretty close together and I have blurred them together. I do know and remember that this murder involves a scholar and mysterious artifact. And a bunch of ladies and how they come together to solve a problem. Morse is invariably smitten with at least one of them, and inevitably disappointed. Being the third to last Morse novel, there is little foreshadowing to what the end of the series will be. I like that although these novels can hit fairly predictable beats, each one does have an interesting crime and solution. I am glad that I have all the Morse novels on audio so that I can go back and reread the ones that were less stand out in my memory. I would recommend The Daughter’s of Cain to those who are working their way thru the Morse books.

Have you read this far in the series? What are your thoughts on the later books?

This book can be seen in my April Wrap Up.

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New Orleans Beat

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I got New Orleans Beat for .25 cents at one of my favorite local used books shop. I chose this Julie Smith book bc it takes place in New Orleans.

Skip Langdon has had to fight for her place in the New Orleans Police Department but she is good at her job and gets results. When she is called to an accidental death of the computer savvy son of an unconventional family, Skip doesn’t believe it is an accident. When she starts to delve into the mysterious world of online communities, Skip finds far more than meets the eye.

This book is seemingly a simple cop mystery book. But it tackled a lot of interesting themes, including interracial dating/relationships, woman in careers usually reserved for men, gay rights and gay parenting, navigating long distance relationships, online communities and relationships of people revolving around online communities. This book is also very dated in a lot of those ideas. Especially revolving around the online communities, this book shows it’s age right away. The mystery was pretty cozy and I really liked that we see other aspects of Skip’s life. She has complex relationships with her on again off again long distance boyfriend, her community, her coworkers, and her best friend who has recently adopted his sister’s children. Skip becomes a defacto aunt to these kids and this responsibility informs some of her life choices. I feel that this book, although outlandish is some story aspects (as you would assume from a cozy mystery), has a lot of emotions and conversations surrounding these relationships that feel very genuine. In my quest to read books about New Orleans, I’m always looking for books that feel like NOLA to me and this book really fit the bill. I really enjoyed how the city is a big part of the story and you get a good feel for the geography and the atmosphere. I do want to back and read the rest of this series, hopefully more in order. I don’t think you can’t read these out of order, tho. New Orleans Beat worked fine as a stand alone. I would recommend this book to readers who like cop mysteries, and especially those with strong female cop characters, those who want to read books set in New Orleans and people who are interested in reading early internet books.

Have you started a mystery series lately? What is your favorite cozy mystery?

This book can be seen in my April Wrap Up.

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The Society of S

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Society of S was one of my basement box books, no clue where I found this ethical vampire novel by Susan Hubbard.

This book follows the coming of age of a young girl who has been secluded in her rambling victorian home with her sciencetest father, the absence of her mother always looming over them. Where did her mother disappear to and what is the Society of S?

I had no idea what this book was when I included it in a try a chapter video. Here’s a hint, this book and it’s sequels are called the Ethical Vampire Series. Haha. So I had no clue what to expect and I enjoyed my reading of this book, but I also had a lot of issues with it. I liked the solitary vide of the beginning of this book, where our main characters grows up mostly in isolation. I liked the mystery of what kind of science her father does and the surrounding his assistants. I didn’t realize that this was a young adult novel until I started reading. But once I started it was pretty obvious. There were some scary or adult themes in aspects of this book and in the end it is a coming of age story. We watch as this cloistered young girl finds out about life and herself and searches for answers and meaning. While I enjoyed my reading experience and can see some good aspects of this book, over all it was not particularly well written or well paced. I liked that this book takes the vampire trope and makes it less angsty, less sexual, and less scary for young adults. There are instances of all those things in this book but they are toned down by todays standard. That being said, I would recommend this book to young readers who enjoy lighter vampire novels, those interested in exploring more vampire tropes by lesser known authors, and people who read any and all vampire books.

I read this book for a try a chapter video which you can see here. Have you ever tried a chapter to decide your next read? How do you determine what your next book will be?

This book can be seen in my April Wrap Up.

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The Raw Shark Texts

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

This is the 4th or 5th time I’ve read The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall and I loved it just as much as previously.

Eric Sanderson wakes up with no memories. Not of his life, the world, or himself. When he finds a letter to him from himself, he ends up on a journey to find himself and what he’s lost.

I’m not sure where I first picked this book up but I’m so glad I did! I know it was many years ago and that when I first read it, I had never read anything quite like it before. This book is hard to describe but it plays with memory, dreams, language, linguistics, communication and context. This book has a love story, an adventure, a journey, and a shark hunt. Shark Texts uses language and writing to add to the story in a visual way. Raw Shark Texts is a weird book but it’s also weirdly compelling. There’s so much going on but the reader is drawn to the characters and the mystery. I like how the use of word pictures add to the tension of this book, which already has some very tense moments. This book is quite long, for me anyway, but it does ready quite quickly and is a fact paced adventure. It’s really hard to sum up this book, but I would highly recommend this book to those who found some of this review intriguing, readers who love weird books, people who like books about language and writing, and those who like amnesia stories.

I recommended this book to my favorite booktuber in a video. I had my husband read it when we were firdt dating, Currently my BFF is borrowing it to read. What book do you always recommend to people?

This book can be seen in my April Wrap Up.

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The Sound of Waves

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima is a Japanese modern classic romance. Not the kind of book I usually read.

A young man on a fishing island had simple goals, be a better fishermen, support his mother and brother, and perhaps find himself a wife. He dreams of a simple and happy life. When a mysterious young woman returns to the island, he wonders how she factors into his plans.

I read this quiet Japanese modern classic that was written in the 1950s for the Liguathon on Booktube. Linguathon was a readathon all for translated works. I picked this book bc I had it on my TBR. I know that this book came from my basement box books, but I don’t know where I originally found it. I also didn’t realize that Mishima is a modern classic author of Japan. I was also surprised that this book was at it’s heart a romance. I really enjoyed it and loved that the story was very entwined in nature and the character of the island. Although this is very traditional for Japanese writing but I was still pretty enthralled by the way that it is woven into the story. This romance had love, lust, nudity, adventure, and suspense! I love modern classics but have only read a handful of this type of book from other countries and cultures. I’m excited to read more Mishima and see what his other novels are like. I would highly recommend this book if you like classic romances, modern classics and want to try some from other counties, are looking to break into translated or Japanese writing.

Have you read The Sound of Waves? Can you recommend other romances from countries besides America?

This book can be seen in my April Wrap Up.

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A Murder is Announced

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

A Murder is Announced is the 4th book in the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie.

When a murder is announced in the local paper, the townspeople all show up of course! When a murder is commited, Miss Marple must help discover the truth behind the incident.

I have been working my way through all the Miss Marple series on audio free online. Unusually for me, I have been reading them in order. I really liked this fourth installment in the series. I have been surprised with each book that the way the stories are structured is different. Some revolve around St Mary Mead, in some Miss Marple is a main character, in some she is almost an after thought. I really liked this installment bc Miss Marple was a prominent character and she is involved in almost the whole novel. There is a lot going on in this book, and Miss Marple is put to her paces to figure out all the aspects of the mystery. I liked that there were more twists and turns than in many golden age mysteries. There was also a pervasive sadness in this mystery which is unusual for Agatha Christie, I think. Overall, I like that this book fit in to the series of book by being totally different than the other books. And of course, being totally the same (small town, closed circle, several murders, etc…). If you enjoy Agatha Christie, I would highly recommend this addition to her universe. I would also recommend this book to mystery fans, people who enjoy mistaken identity mysteries, and anyone reading golden age detective novels.

What is your favorite in the Miss Marple series?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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The Woman in Cabin 10

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Woman in Cabin 10 is the first book I’ve read by thriller favorite Ruth Ware and one of her earlier works.

The day after a traumatic break in to her house, Lo Blacklock heads out on a journalistic sea voyage. Far from quelling her fears, she quickly finds herself with a disturbing new mystery on her hands.

This is the 3rd of 3 contemporary modern day mystery/thriller that I have read so far in 2021. And it was the third one that did not work for me. The use of “modern” language (constant cursing) and unreliable narrator (a woman who has past trauma or illness and therefore is completely discounted), as well as a completely forgettable mystery seem to be the common trends in these books. From what I remember about the premise, this book could have been very interesting. The main character suffers from alcoholism and sometimes doubts her own mind which is an interesting device. The other characters, especially one that should be her advocate and friend, use this to discredit and admonish her and it felt very ableist and offensive. The idea of running from fear into danger was also an interesting idea. But ultimately I can’t even remember the conclusion of the mystery, only a few months later. Ruth Ware is a well loved novelist, but this is one of her earlier works and some say not the best example of her writing. I would be willing to try another of her books, but I don’t hold out much hope for getting on with her books. I have a few more contemporary mysteries/thrillers on my TBR shelf. I am a little shy to try more. I would definitely not recommend The Woman in Cabin 10. Have you read it? Do you agree or disagree?

What is your favorite modern or contemporary modern mystery?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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The Lake District Murder

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I picked up a used copy of The Lake District Murder by John Bude bc I was interested in the British Library Crime Classics series of books.

When Inspector Meredith is called out to an apparent suicide at a petrol garage, he thinks there is more to the case. As he investigates, he finds a conspiracy bigger than he ever imagined.

This is a golden age mystery written in the 1930s. I’m used to reading pretty exceptional golden age mysteries. The Lake District Murder was by no mean a bad mystery, but I would not say it was exceptional. It was definitely slow and not exciting. I really liked the inspector Meredith character and this is the the first of a series of book staring him. He is humble and creative, but he is also good at what he does. He uses disguises and sometimes plays the “bad cop” when needed. But he also heads home to enjoy lunch with his wife each day and has his son help him with the non dangerous aspects of a case. This mystery differed from many of the other golden age mysteries the I have read bc the plot widens out to have a bigger conspiracy besides just the murder. I liked that the larger plot was more involved. It happened to have to do with petrol and there was a looootttt to do with how petrol is moved, bought, sold, stored, etc… This might have been quite thrilling in the 1930s, but it lacks a little in this day and age. Overall I would recommend this book to those who like slow and steady mysteries, readers looking to read more golden age mysteries or those by lessor known authors, and people who like British life in the 30s.

I will definitely keep my eye out for other books in The Inspector Meredith series and the British Library Crime Classic series. Have you read any books in either of these series?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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The Wife Upstairs

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins has been making the rounds of BookTube since it came out in 2020.

Jane is escaping her past and trying to keep her head above water. She takes work in an affluent neighborhood, in part bc thats where the money is, but also bc she wants to imagine herself living there as well. When she does becomes engrained in the community she gets more than she bargained for.

I had seen this book on BookTube and it seemed like a fun little thriller. This was also one of the first really current book I got out of a LFL (Little Free Library). I had seen very modern books in them before, but this is the one I was interested in enough to pick up. Other than the idea that this was a thriller, I really didn’t know what to expect from this book. I found out that this was loosely a Jane Eyre retelling or at least loosely based on that classic. I have never read that book and am not really interested in that classic. Perhaps if I had read it, I might have enjoyed this book more? This book is the first in a short stint of contemporary mysteries set in modern day that I recently read but did not work for me. I find that the modern language (especially the over use of cursing) was jarring and off putting. I thought the plot was lacking nuance and I was not connected to any of the characters. The mystery and thriller aspect was neither all that mysterious or thrilling. This was one of the several books that I read that had duel narration and I find that that is not a writing device that I like. This book had an unreliable narrator, but I found that it capitalized on that idea that if a woman struggles with trauma, illness, or neurotic tendencies, she must be crazy and not taken seriously. I was very disappointed with the way that stress and trauma is dealt with and how the stress of a young woman is discounted as mental illness, and unreliability, untrustworthiness, and she is considered therefore a bad person, not only by the characters, but by the author to the readers. There were a few interesting ideas in this book, like notes being passed though books, kleptomania, and past traumas that are out of our control informing our adult lives. But over all they weren’t handled particularly well and were not enough to keep this book from being a shallow and empty read. I cannot recommend this book.

Have you read a book you would NOT suggest people read lately?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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The Long Halloween

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Another in my series of reading favorite comics, I reread The Long Halloween by Geoff Loeb and Tim Sale.

Batman must race the calendar to discover who the Holiday Killer is and stop them from killing off Gotham City citizens.

This is such a great and beautiful Batman book. I think this a great introduction to Batman and Gotham and this universe. If you need this introduction or need a reintroduction I would highly recommend this graphic novel. The Long Halloween was originally a 13 book run, but I think it’s better to read this in the bind up form, as you will not want to wait to find out what happens in this compelling and exciting thriller. This was written at the time when the writing and art team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale were rising stars in comics, and both went on to have bigger roles in the genre. The art makes this book for me, as it has a noir style but is not too dark. The writing and story does have a few holes, and can be a little confusing, but the art ties it all together. Bc the writing and the plot can be a bit confusing, I think it would be best to have a general knowledge of comic reading before diving into this one. I would highly recommend this book to die hard Batman fans, those new to the Bat-verse, and readers who like thrilling murder mysteries with large and unique casts.

What is your favorite Batman tale?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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Cover Her Face

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

As soon as I found the first book, Cover Her Face, in the Adam Dalgliesh series by PD James, I couldn’t wait to read it!

When a unwed mother and servent is suddenly proposed to by the man of the house, then murdered on the same night, Adam Dalgiesh must get to the bottom of the mystery.

This is the first Adam Dalgleish novel. I’ve been reading this whole series for a few years, but I read them out of order as I find them. One day I want to go back and reread them all in order so I can really see the progression of the character and his personal elements. I was excited to read this first book to see if it feels like the first book. Was Adam young and fresh and a unformed character? Will we see his origins? Will we see the origins of his squad and fellow investigators? And the answers are no. This books is very much already in the vane of all of the others. There’s a murder, seemingly impossible and with only a few possible suspects, AD is called in, there are clues and other crimes, and shocking reveals, and Adam solves the mystery. Some of the characters come out ok, some not. Overall, I really enjoyed this installment of this series. It had a few twists that were different than other of the series of the book and I feel that I will remember these moments more than moment in some of the other books. I would definitely recommend this book for those who already like the Adam Dalgliesh or who are starting this series at the beginning, those who like manor house murders, and those who like British cop mysteries.

What is a series that you read out of order but still enjoyed?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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Fletch

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

My husband loved the movie of Fletch and we had the book by Gregory MacDonald so I decided to pick it up.

Irving Fletcher is a brash and brilliant investigtive reporter undercover and on the trail of drug dealers on the Cali beach. He is drawn into aan even more bizarre case when he is propositioned to murder a weathly young businessman. Now Fletch has two great sories to write.

Although there were many aspects of this book that were dated, I really enjoyed this mystery! This has a very 70s feel with quite a bit of problematic elements. One aspect that I really liked was that this book mostly takes place in dialog. There is very little omnipotent information, and the reader must get all the action and emotion through the conversations and inner dialog. Fletch cares little for anything other than his story, but he is impacted by his past choices, sometimes to comedic (or at least the book intends them to be comedic) ends. He is harassed by his ex wives and their lawyers, harried by his editor who he thinks is undeserving of the job, and immersed in his role as both a druggie on the beach slash murderer. I like that the two investigations provide areas for Fletch to use his detective skills as well as dressing up, pretending to be someone else, and all the layers of the mysteries. I had recently seen the movie, so I had some idea of what was going to happen. And yet, I’m not sure if they ended the same way. Some of the problematic elements in this book were a little difficult to get used to. Demeaning behavior to women is a common theme. I did feel that that was mainly a product of it’s time. The words that I come back to with this book are madcap, fast paced, and fun. Although the subject matter was harsh being about murder and manipulation, overall, I thought this book was fun! I would recommend this book to sleuth lovers, people who like newspaper books and investigative reporters, and those who like beachy, zany, fast paced, 70s mysteries!

Have you read this book or seen the movie?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

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Dead Wake

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson is the 3rd of his books I have read. I recently picked up this copy at a Salvation Army.

As World War One takes a drastic turn, a passenger ship with a full crew and roster of public passengers makes it’s dangerous return to England. Dead Wake is a facinating look at the lives and times of some of the passangers, crew and captian of this famous book in the political atmosphere serrounding the first great war.

Dead Wake was my number 15 book for the BookTube Spin Spin 1!! I was happy to have the extra push to get to this one. I was initially very excited to get to it, but when I found out it was all about world war one, I kinda hemmed and hawed about it. In the end, I reread Thunderstruck by Erik Larson, then read this book. I really liked it! It was about war, but it was a more historical take and less emotional than most of the books that focus on war. I Also rarely have read anything about WW1 so it was interesting to learn more about that. Like many of Larson’s books, this follows the duel but conjoined timelines of a German U Boat Captain and crew and the captain, crew, and passengers of the Lusitania Cruise Liner. One thing that I really enjoy about Larson’s writing is that each time line is given as much importance as the other. Neither are judged more than the other. This might annoy some readers, the subject matter being what it is, but I really enjoy the mostly impartial writing. Having little knowledge of the history, I felt bother story lines were fascinating. I really enjoy learning about the day to day life of the passengers, which is very much a different experience I’m used to. The same can be said of the two captains! I would highly recommend this book to those who already know and enjoy WW1 history, or those who are totally new to the subject.

Have you read Dead Wake?

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Hellboy Seed of Destruction

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Another of my all time favorite comics, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola only gets better every time I reread it.

As crazy nazi sorcerers try to call about the end of days, a hell boy appears on Earth. He is taken in by Professor Bluttenholm who leads the bureau of Paranormal Research and Development.

This is a great story that reaches into all the subsequent Hellboy books. The origin of Hellboy is short in this book, and the rest is taken up with the story of the death of his mentor and father figure. Finding out the story behind his death leads Hellboy from the arctic circle to Connecticut, the swamps of Cavendish Hall—which is revealed to be an Aztec temple. We learn all about the methods and techniques that Hellboy employs in his work. We are introduced to Hellboys gentle, but firm and thoughtful approach to life and his peculiar circumstances. Hellboy is a pretty instantly endearing character. We also meet some of the other unique members of the BPRD and see some of their backstories. Overall this is an amazing introduction to a character and set of characters that grow and change over many novels and titles. These books are heavily inspired by gothic writing, sci fi, fantasy and art. There are references through out the series to HP Lovecraft, HG Wells and many other notable authors and artists. I would highly recommend this book to those who like gothic sci fi or horror, those who like dark atmospheric settings, and those who may have watched any of the Hellboy movies and found them lacking.

I am so in love with Mignola’s art. What is one of your favorite graphic novels for the art?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up.

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Y The Last Man Vol 1

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I hadn’t read Y the Last Man Vol 1 in many years, but I would always count this as one of my favorite comics. I love BK Vaugne’s concise writing and Pia Guirre’s simple art.

When a mysterious instentaneous plague kills every animal on the planet with a Y chromosome, Yorick Must discover why he and his pet monkey are the only two males to survive.

This book definitely hits different after 2020 and the Corona Virus Pandemic. It’s a very different pandemic or global plague than the one we are currently going thru but there are some aspects that do cycle through the emotions and events that have happened in real life. People storm the capital for goodness’ sake! Yorick has to navigate the new world and a ravaged landscape to find his family and find out why he’s the only man left on earth. This volume of the comic is only the beginning and the tip of the iceberg in this story. In this volume, Yorick starts his journey to find out what happened to the world, and he finds some of his crew who are going to go on this journey with him. This book definitely wets your appetite to find out what happens to those characters. If you like books where the characters have to travel and tackle difficulties in the landscape, books about pandemics or plagues or catastrophic global events, or if you enjoy scientific and pos apocalyptic adventures, I would recommend this comic.

Have you read this comic series? What other comics do you love?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up.

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The Island of Dr Moreau

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Island of Dr Moreau by HG Wells is one of my very favorite classic sci fi novels.

A civilized Englishman is rescued at sea by a scientist’s assistant with a crude seeming manservant and taken to a mysterious island. At first he is relieved to be alive but the more he finds out about the strange island, it’s inhabitants and it’s benefactor, Dr Moreau, the more he fears for his life!

I’m always so pleasantly surprised how easy and captivating this book is. I have reread this book several times, and I always remember loving it, being frightened, being thrilled, being horrified, but forget how I get there. There are many things about this book that are dated. Some of the writing, some of the science, some of the morals, are all of it’s time to a certain extent, but the reader can still be exhilarated and thrilled by this short novel. Chase scenes, fights to the death, torture, moral ambiguity, imprisonment, revolt, can all be found in this book that is less than 150 pages in most editions. This story is not for the faint of heart. It does have many horror aspects. Bc the emotions of the main character are so heightened, the reader feels acutely what all of those feelings. I’m also a fan of the critically panned 1997 film of the same name. I find that although there are many flaws with that movie, it well depicts the anxiety, fear, and horror of the book. But the movie also adds a endearing quality to some of the characters that the book might not touch on. It keeps you on your toes, balanced between sympathy and disgust. I would recommend the movie, especially as a companion to the book which I would highly recommend. I would hope that all sci fi and horror fans read this classic novel. I would recommend this to classic lovers, people who like books about science, and readers who like isolated mysteries or suspense books.

Have you read The Island of Dr Moreau? Where do you feel it fits in the many genres it encompasses?

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Thunderstruck

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I read Thunderstruck by Erik Larson twice. But I completely forgot it the first time.

At a critical point in history for the development for wireless communication, there is a gruesome and unexplained murder that captures the worlds imagination. As Marconi is ruthlessly and singlemindedly strives to pioneer his wireless device, Dr Crippen’s wife goes missing. Could this invention be the key to solving the crime?

Soooo, I’m not sure where I got this book or how I read it and completely forgot that I did, but that is true. I picked this book up bc I was planning on reading another Larson book for a video (I’ll link it below!) but decided I wanted to read this earlier work first. Once I started reading it, I did remember some of it, that I could have only known if I had previously read it. I was glad in a way that I didn’t completely remember it. I might not have enjoyed it as much if it was not at all surprising. I really love the way that Larson takes two storylines that seem completely different and intertwine them. These stories more than other books I have read by him are very connected and the one very much informs the other. I also think that Larson does a great job of making the two stories equally interesting and compelling. One might in inclined to think that the invention of wireless telegrams was not very interesting or exciting but the there is a lot of drama there! I still don’t know what the wireless really is or how it works, so even though a lot of the science went over my head, I really enjoyed reading about it. The murder mystery of this history is also very compelling. There are a few gory moments and the lead detective is a fun character to follow. I would highly recommend this book for those who love history but don’t often read non fiction, those who read true crime, people interested in interconnected historical events, or people who have read other Larson books.

Have you read this book? Do you like true mysteries?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up and in my BookTube Spin Spin 1 Vlog: https://youtu.be/DD3hiNMNHF8

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Sharp Teeth

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I’ve had Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow for many years. It was hiding in my basement box books.

Anthony takes a job as a dog catcher. Lark is a lawyer and he is the leader of a werewolf pack. She is Lark’s right and girl and holds the pack together until she falls in love with Anthony.

I must have gotten this book many years ago bc it’s from barnes and nobles and I don’t remember getting it at a books sale or thrift shop. When I picked this book up in Feb I didn’t realize that it was a were wolf book and I didn’t realize it was a book written in verse. This is the first book I’ve written in verse and I really enjoyed it! Barlow is also very clearly into music and created a playlist to go along with the book in the post script part of the book. He definitely seems to want to be a rockstar with this book which works at some points but also dates the book in many ways. Despite the author trying a little hard at times, I really enjoyed this story. The verse style gives you a unique perspective into each of the characters. I liked the way that there was many groups of characters that all came together at some point and in some way. I thought the the verse style might be difficult to read. But the story was compelling and interesting enough to move the action and the style added to that effect. I would recommend this book to those who like supernatural dramas, werewolf book fans, readers who are new to novels in verse, and those who like books set in California.

Have you read Sharp Teeth? Have you read other books written in verse?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up.

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