Happy May!! We are officially on to the second third of the year!
April was a wonderful reading month, with quite a bit of variety and some books I will definitely be recommending going forward!
I had some ARCs, library books, and some from my shelves I wanted to read this month, and I didn't pick up any off my shelves, but enjoyed a few ARCs and quite a few from the library!
Book 1: Weyward - Emilia Hart
This was our bookclub read this month, and it was a very interesting conversation discussing the themes and characters! We follow three women at various points in time as they overcome different hurdles and discover their ancestors' stories and magical affinity. This was a fairly entertaining read, but I would have liked more magic/witch elements. If you're looking for a multigenerational story of female witches with light magic, this one is for you!
Book 2: Ms Demeanor - Elinor Lipman
I read Ms Demeanor because a review of this caught my eye, so I took it out of the library. The premise was interesting enough, although the actual plot felt irrelevant to the story somehow. This had a fairly even pace, but didn't make me eager to flip pages. This was an okay story, sometimes ridiculous in a good way, but overall a fairly forgettable story.
Book 3: The Last Heir to Blackwood Library - Hester Fox
I am a big Hester Fox fan! So I was very excited when the library told me I could pick this book up the day it came out! I read it the next day - start to finish. This was exactly what I've come to expect from Fox. She has characters that pull you in, a plot that grabs your attention, and a setting you want to dive into. This was a great book, and I enjoyed the fantastical elements included in this read! With an evolving plot, small town, historical setting, featuring an old abbey and a large library, this kept me gripped.
Book 4: The Witches of New York - Ami McKay
I have read a few books now with an 1880s New York backdrop, and the setting gets me every time! I loved getting to know these three female witches, and felt like I lost friends when I closed this book. They were three very memorable witches, with a variety of magical abilities, and a terrible event looming over them. I loved seeing this play out, and was eager to turn pages. McKay's writing was enchanting and had me absolutely glued to the page. This was a delightful read and I immediately put more books by McKay on hold at the library! IF you like magical realism/witchy books, I defintiely recommend checking this one out!
Book 5: A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
I kept my fantasy streak going by picking up A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness next. I did not put this book down until 3 in the morning! I was drawn in to this world full of magic and witches and vampires and daemons, and the adventure they embark on all throughout Europe and America. This was absolutely fantastic and left me wanting more - luckily there are three others in this world to dive into - and I did! These characters were awesome and individual, with depth and layers to them, which I really enjoyed! The plot is constantly turning and weaving as they uncover clues while our MC tries to figure out just what her magical abilities are. If you're looking for a fantasy series, I highly recommend this trilogy! And the best news - it's a completed trilogy, so you don't have to wait for the next one to publish!
Book 6: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun - Elle Cosimano
While waiting for the follow-up book to A Discovery of Witches, I intentionally chose a very different read to dive into next. I returned to Finlay Donovan's world of amateur assassins, humour and wit. This was a great follow-up to the previous two books in this series, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first (more than the second). If you like accidental murder, humour, imperfect mothers just trying to mom at their best, and some good side characters packed into a quick and easygoing read, I'd recommend this series.
Book 7 & 8: Shadow of Night & The Book of Life - Deborah Harkness
The library came through for me! I could not get my head out of the world that Harkness had created and luckily the local librarians had the next two books ready for me. I dove in and finished these in a few days. They were a wonderful continuation and conclusion tot the adventure and plot that was going on when I closed book 1. These books pick up right after the other, with minimal explanation toward prior events, but enough to kickstart any possible forgetfulness. These sequels added even more characters and creatures that I absolutely loved. The historical addition/references and the academic approach to different creatures (witches, daemons and vampires) was a wonderful change to other fantasy books, and the absolute adventure all three of these books were was so incredible. The first three are a trilogy and leave you with a wonderful sense of closure, despite the fact you will not want to be done with this extremely large and thorough world Harkness has shown you.
Book 9: The Perfumist of Paris - Alka Joshi
This is the third (and I think final) book in The Jaipur Trilogy. I loved the first two books and couldn't wait to dive into this one! Unfortunately, this did not connect for me. I struggled with the change in direction that this book took - we focus on a side character instead of the MC from the last two books. I also struggled with some of the plot points and character decisions. I am purposefully being vague so nothing is ruined in any of the three books, so I'll just say The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur were excellent books and I recommend those two of this trilogy, but would (and could since they're wrapped up by then) stop there.
Book 10: The Light of Eternal Spring - Angel Di Zhang
Book 11: Half Spent was the Night - Ami McKay
The Witches of New York (read earlier in April) left me wanting more. More character development, more NYC 1880s vibes, more witchy events, more of these characters' interactions, more of their adventures, more magical abilities uncovered, more suspense - more, more, more. So when I saw that there was a short sequel, I got it from the library and devoured it in half an hour. Despite my want to drag it out and make it last, that want was overthrown by my absolute love of McKay's writing and characters. This was a great sequel, even though it still left me wanting more of this world. But I am very happy for my time there and recommend reading both of these!
Book 12: A Marvellous Light - Freya Marske
Book 13: Time's Convert - Deborah Harkness
This is a follow-up sequel to the All Souls trilogy (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night & The Book of Life). This story diverges (following a side character from the trilogy) and shows you a very in-depth look at Marcus's life (which is very long since he's a vampire). This shows everything from the American Revolution, to epidemics, to changes in medicine and technology over the last couple centuries, while also showing the intense process of becoming a vampire and controlling those urges. This had a very different feel than the first three books - mainly this is not a magical adventure of solving a complex problem but rather a fictional memoir, with a lot of historical events described in-depth (I'm talking at least 100 pages of the American Revolution and battles at very old gun-point). I would've been more than satisfied having read the trilogy (which I love and recommend) and not read this one. If you really liked Marcus from the first books, or have an interest in historical events and advancements, then I would recommend this one, but otherwise, it doesn't really live up to the other books from the series.
Book 14: A Restless Truth - Freya Marske
Because the librarians had my back AGAIN this month, I was able to dive back into The Last Binding series (book 1 was A Marvellous Truth and you should definitely read it). This was a great sequel! This is the second of three parts in solving this complex magical mystery, and we end up following a connected but separate group of characters - but wow did I love getting to know them, too! Marske has us on a ship travelling between Europe and America (this happens on page 1 - not a spoiler!), but murder and thievery abound! With this remote setting, this group of do-gooders are working to make sure they not only live, but solve their part of the mystery while trapped in the middle of an ocean. This was suspenseful, fast-paced, and emotionally gripping. I loved this story and cannot wait for book three - unfortunately it doesn't come out until November 2023! I will be (im)patiently waiting until then!
Book 9: Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson
This was a book like no other that I have read. For that reason alone, I would recommend reading this book. At halfway, I kind of wanted to know what would happen, but I also could have never picked it up again and been okay. I was constantly brought out of the story because of the way it is told, which is a constant reminder you are reading a book, which didn't allow me to dive in and forget that I am reading a book (no escapism here). But, I did think it was unique in that there are ten rules laid out before the story even starts and the author has created a suspenseful and twisting plot within this framework. I didn't guess the ending, which is always a plus with a who-dunnit mystery, and was kept guessing until the end. This remote setting of a ski lodge mixed with this mistrusting family, created a suspenseful atmosphere. I have no way to describe this book, and didn't love the book, but it was a neat idea and the execution was well done for what it was.
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