Musings of a Literary Wanderer: September 2024

Friday, September 13, 2024

Quick Reviews

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin (2024)

Four strangers become the closest of friends in college, but when a tragedy rocks their world, they vow to always be there in times of need. Ten years later, Hannah needs her friends as her relationship crumbles, only to also find that they are all going through some major life changes. Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors, so I always eagerly anticipate her books. This one had elements I enjoyed, but I also had some issues with it. Giffin always creates these well-rounded characters, full of little details that make them feel like real people. I felt like the character development lacked here, though - maybe we needed more background before getting into the heart of story, but, for example, I didn't understand Tyson's motivations to completely upend his life in such a rash manner. Maybe if we had spent more time getting to know the characters in college or got more information about the years before the present-day story, I would have understood them better. I enjoyed Hannah's self-journey - she has always been very by-the-book, a rule follower, but for the first time, she's doing things for herself and realizing new things. I also enjoyed the travel elements of the book - the group's visit to Capri made me yearn for a trip of my own! 3.5 stars

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen (2024)

Out of the blue, Ariel receives a strange text message from her boyfriend Drew, who has been dead for years. It sets off an investigation to find out what really happened the day he left her and raises questions about the family business she works for. This book purports to be a mystery/thriller, but it also feels like a romance, as the story moves back and forth in time to when Ariel and Drew first meet and start to fall in love. Drew then disappears, leaving Ariel pregnant and alone. Five years later, she and a co-worker start to look into Drew's past and what he was really doing at Chime Co. I thought the pacing of the story was off; there weren't many "thrills," just a lot of repetition and a lot of computer work, which isn't always the most exciting. Some elements of the story were very predictable, with maybe one or two surprises. Things go a bit off the rails near the end, but it finally adds some real action to the story. This is the author's first foray into the thriller genre; you can definitely tell she's usually a romance writer, but there are certainly some elements that have promise if she does decide to stick with this genre again. 3.5 stars

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Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Wrath of the Triple Goddess

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7)

Rick Riordan

Expected publication date: September 24, 2024

Percy Jackson, now a high school senior, needs three recommendation letters from the Greek gods in order to get into New Rome University. He earned his first one by retrieving Ganymede’s chalice. Now the goddess Hecate has offered Percy another “opportunity”—all he has to do is pet sit her mastiff, Hecuba, and her polecat, Gale, over Halloween week while she is away. Piece of cake, right?

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover settle into Hecate’s seemingly endless mansion and start getting acquainted with the fussy, terrifying animals. The trio has been warned not to touch anything, but while Percy and Annabeth are out at school, Grover can’t resist drinking a strawberry-flavored potion in the laboratory. It turns him into a giant frenzied goat, and after he rampages through the house, damaging everything in sight, and passes out, Hecuba and Gale escape. Now the friends have to find Hecate’s pets and somehow restore the house, all before Hecate gets back on Saturday. It’s going to take luck, demigod wiles, and some old and new friends to hunt down the animals and set things right again. - from Goodreads

Monday, September 9, 2024

Michele's Monday Picks #54

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks! I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you. Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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Faeries Never Lie

By Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024

From Goodreads:

Faeries Never Lie, the next young adult collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, is filled with fourteen short stories to revel in, that center faeries of varying genders and cultures!

There’s something to be said for starting your first day in faerie boarding school, for chasing a faerie through Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty, for searching for the missing part of your throuple who may have run away with a faerie prince, for descending into madness after spending countless nights plagued by the same faerie dream—and much more.

Fly into this revelry filled with tricksters, lovers, monsters, and the like, in this exciting collection for those who love faeries and those who are experiencing them for the first time!

Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Faeries Never Lie features short stories from beloved authors Nafiza Azad, Holly Black, Dhonielle Clayton, Christine Day, Chloe Gong, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Ryan La Sala, L.L. McKinney, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Rory Power.

I really loved the first two anthologies in this series (vampires and mermaids!) - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Friday, September 6, 2024

Quick Reviews

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly (2022)

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is a story of the Titanic disaster told from unique perspectives. It is based on the true story of the ship Carpathia, which answered the Titanic's distress call and was able to save some of its passengers. The narrative switches between the viewpoints of the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron, and Kate Connolly, a third-class passenger on the Titanic who is able to make her way to a lifeboat. The Titanic has always been a fascinating topic to me, how this supposedly unsinkable ship didn't make it through its first voyage and what its passengers went through, so I eagerly read this book. Having the POV of Captain Rostron was especially inspired - we see the heroism of him and his crew despite not knowing what they were headed into. It's a part of the Titanic story that many people may not know about. I did think the pacing was a bit off - some of the action happens off page and feels glossed over - and the writing style is very formal. I think it captures the era well, but it also feels stiff at times. Overall, though, an admirable addition to the Titanic historical fiction genre. 4 stars

Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell (2024)

After surviving a near-apocalypse, Wren and Theo (now the King of England) are thrown back together when their reunion is caught by the paparazzi. Theo's advisors need Wren to come back to England to determine what the next steps are, but of course, with these two nothing is easy, and their plane crashes on a deserted island. With their friends and siblings, they face volcanoes, injuries, and tough decisions - what will their future hold, if they even make it out alive? The first book in this duology was one of my favorites of last year, so I was so looking forward to the next chapter of Wren and Theo's story - and it was near perfection for me! I don't know what it is about these two, but even with all the crazy antics, the misunderstandings, the rapidly changing feelings, I can't help but root for them. McDowell adds even more layers to their story by bringing in Theo's siblings, so there are all these discussions about the monarchy and their duty to their country. The action is practically non-stop; it felt like most chapters ended on some sort of minor cliffhanger, which made me want to keep reading. Yes, it's over the top; yes, there's a lot of drama (these are teenagers, after all). But it's a fun, funny, surprisingly tender at times story about a boy and a girl who always seem to find themselves in dire situations, falling in love despite the odds against them. My only quibble is, as much as I love Wren, at times I wanted Theo's POV, only because he can be quite stoic and sometimes maddening, so to know what's going on in his head would add even that much more to the story! 4.5 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Month in Review: August 2024

August was a busy month! I went into the office one day for my yearly evaluation (which went well, phew!) and then we had a cookie decorating party after hours, which was so fun! My stepmother turned 70 this month, so we planned a surprise birthday party for her. It was a great day of celebrating her and spending time with everyone. Tom also had a birthday this month and he wanted to try a new restaurant, so we went to Fogo de Chao, which just opened near us. Have you ever been to this Brazilian steakhouse? We all liked it, even Henry, so it was a win for us! Henry's daycare closed for the last week of August, so we decided to take a long weekend getaway to the Hudson Valley. We went to Storm King Art Center (Tom and I went years ago, but this was Henry's first time, and he loved it!). We also did another Guess Where? trip that went to some very cool places, and we finished our trip at the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park.

Henry is just a ball of energy lately! He doesn't like to take naps at home anymore and he is always moving (except when he is watching his favorite Spiderman shows). He also talks A LOT, which I love - the two of us are always having funny conversations. I've noticed lately that he's started using phrases that I say a lot. He is obsessed with flags, fans, and umbrellas, and his favorite book of the month was about George Ferris and his Ferris Wheel. He's always trying to figure out how stuff works - maybe we have a future engineer on our hands! We've also entered our "why?" era - so Henry is constantly questioning everything I say, do, eat, etc.

The Books