2023 Reading Wrap-Up

I hate the flu. But thankfully, I’m better and ready to mini-review the last books I read for the year of 2023!

Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Summary

Teenage Matilda is distraught when she must leave her home at a convent to actually work for a living in a poor part of London. However, she soon learns the value of the works of medicine after being employed as an apprentice to the street’s infamous bone-setter. We follow her journey as she experiences the conflict between being true to her faith and the experiences she is facing concerning medicine and even death.

Likes

  • Time period. I love to read stories set in medieval times, though it seems that many adult and YA books set in this period have a lot of sex and profanity. That’s why it was refreshing to read a MG book from a younger, more innocent, perspective and still learn about the era.
  • Language. I’m glad that the language was not too “Olde English”, as many books try to do when set in different eras.

Dislikes

  • Plot. While the story and facts of the period were engaging, I didn’t feel like the story had a main plot, other than random circumstances that helped the character grow. This was definitely a character-driven book, which I am not always a fan of.

Passage to Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while, particularly because it is a historical fiction adaptation for kids/teens. …And it has characters and settings from the Book of Mormon so of course I’m going to read it! I was curious when I saw the movie adaptation for sale at Deseret Book and when I saw it was on Bookshelf+, I knew I had to listen to the audiobook!

Summary

After the death of their mother, teenage Keira and her brother Brock find themselves on the run from child services, not to mention the dangerous gang leader who is looking for something that has fallen into Brock’s lap. They flee to their aunt and her family’s home in Utah where Keira discovers a rift in time, which brings her back to her childhood friend Kiddoni—who everyone had tried to convince her was imaginary. She soon learns of a land full of secret robbers and righteous warriors set in a time which her grandfather tells her is cohesive with the stories in his church’s Book of Mormon.

Likes

  • Plot. I like Christian fiction that does not come off as too preachy to the reader and this story was careful to invite the reader to interpret what was happening instead of telling them what to feel. It was interesting to read a book about the church where the main characters were not LDS and the reader sort of learned things about the church as the characters did.
  • Characters. The main characters exhibited a balanced amount of fear as well as hope, which is always refreshing to read. Even the side characters, who could have been more static characters, were more rounded than I expected.
  • Conflict. It was cool to read about characters from the Book of Mormon coming to life and clashing with our own modern world. I always wondered what they would have thought of our day if given the chance to live in it.

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I recently reviewed a Facebook post from this author (whom I follow) about a film adaptation for the title of this book. It is the first title in “The Lancaster Family” proper romance series I haven’t read yet. So, naturally, I was curious.

Summary

Persephone Lancaster has just married a duke named Adam who is a stranger to her. Initially it seems to her that Adam, who suffers from a facial deformity, has a heart to match, until she starts to get to know the man behind the reputation. Adam can’t believe that this Persephone he agreed to marry is so beautiful…just his luck. They could never be each other’s true match, could they?

Likes

I didn’t expect this to be a “Beauty and the Beast” story. It’s more subtle than other adaptations I have read, which is rather refreshing. Eden also includes many original descriptions that help the plot move forward, instead of cliché’s that often accompany retellings.

Dislikes

Once I gathered this was a “Beauty and the Beast” adaptation, I could predict the ending, which made the story drag a bit. I also wasn’t a fan of Persephone’s character, who was often sad and forlorn.

While I wish this story had a more original plot, Eden still did an effective job rehashing a much-loved tale into a proper romance. I’m curious to see how it will adapt to the big screen!

Book Review: The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Browsing through the new library that recently opened in my hometown, I came across this middle grade title. The cover struck me, as I hadn’t yet come across a ghost story featuring a girl of color, so I was curious about the premise.

Summary

Celeste is afraid to swim, so she is naturally apprehensive to visit her grandparents’ lake house when they invite her and her cousins over for the summer. While there, she is surprised to learn how past prejudice against integrated pools is still an issue in the town. She soon learns that this truth affected her relatives and resulted in the drowning of her grandmother’s sister. Then, Celeste and her cousins begin to see the spirit of their great-aunt (who happens to be the spitting image of Celeste). To them, she is dangerous, but things are not as they seem…

Likes

  • Genre. A ghost story. What more can I say?
  • Cultural diversity. Normally, I feel like recent publications can get caught up in being “preachy” about how diversity is important in literature, but this story did not go anywhere near that. The author conveyed the reality of the history along with how it affected the present-day characters in a very informative way without sounding political.
  • Tie into recent history. Many times, we get historical fiction stories of segregation set in time periods like the Civil War or WWII—which are very well-portrayed—but this one referred to a history that was more recent, which I found refreshing.
  • Appropriate for audience. Racism can be a heavy topic to portray in writing, especially for younger audiences, but the author conveyed this story in an effective way that did not make the theme seem too mature for MG readers.

Dislikes

  • It doesn’t have a sequel! (…Or does it?)

Application

This book inspired me to research more about recent historical eras and create more culturally diverse characters in future stories.

Conclusion

I was surprised at how much I liked this story, since I just happened to check it out on a whim. I hope to find more stories like this one!

Book Review: The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I wanted to branch out to other authors of the genre I like to write, supernatural/suspense, who, like Mary Downing Hahn, tell stories (for children, teens, or adults) that involve the concept of overcoming fear. I’ve found that Darcy Coates’ books fall under this umbrella. This is the first book of hers I’ve read, and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!

Summary

Keira cannot remember anything from her life, only that someone dangerous is after her. After finding refuge in a quaint town called Blighty, she finds some kindred spirited people who help her try to regain her memories. However, trouble soon finds her in the form of an unsettled ghost, so she enlists the help of her new friends to help the spirit to move on. Doing so, she discovers more about her unique ability to see the dead and resolves it is her new purpose while she struggles to regain her identity.

Likes

  • Plot. It contains suspense and a mystery about the protagonist’s identity, which is an effective plot device to keep readers reading the story to find out. Plus, I’m a sucker for characters who want to help ghosts move on (The Sixth Sense, Ghost Whisperer, etc.), so I was happy to find out that the plot involved that aspect.
  • Language. No F-bombs! I like authors who use their own unique language explicative substitutes instead of the common, trashy profanity that we see in so many modern books.
  • Set-up for next book in the series. While the sublot was resolved, the main plot of the story didn’t finish at the end of the book, which invites the reader to keep reading about how the protagonist is going to regain her identity.

Dislikes

  • Cliché friends. The too-energetic girl friend and the cute but overprotective boy friend I have seen used time after time in fiction, so they seemed kind of redundant in this book.

Author

Darcy Coates is the author of around 30 books and short stories. Her fourth book in this series, The Gravekeeper Series, is coming out this year, so I had better get going on reading the other two!

Application to My Own Writing

The subject matter and the way it’s told in a non-overly-descriptive manner is enough to inspire me to keep reading this series and other books by this author. The main character seems to be a bit of an underdog as well, which I hope to incorporate into my own characters (instead of having them know exactly what they are always doing). Like my own ghost stories, Keira seeks to help spirits move on to the next life, which explains why I’m interested in continuing the series.

Recommendation

I recommend this book to those of teen age and up who are fans of ghost stories, mysteries, or characters who seek to help others.

6 Next-in-Series TBR’s

There are multiple book series that I have read only the first or second book without finishing the entire saga, but the main ones at the top of are listed here. Let me know if you have finished any of these series and if you think I should continue. Also feel free to recommend any book series based off of this list that you think I may like!

Book #3 in the Frances Gorges Historical Trilogy

This story follows the perils and experiences of a woman with medical knowledge who is accused of witchcraft in the time of King James I in England. I’m curious to see how Borman will end the trilogy.

Book #2 in the Hourglass Door Trilogy

I stopped reading this one midway, but loved the first one and want to still finish the trilogy due to the time-travel elements, which is a sub-genre I always try to find in literature. The third book looks like I may like it, but I have a feeling I won’t understand it unless I fill in the gaps. Book #2 for some reason was just a harder one to get into. Hopefully I can pick up the pace and make it to the third one.

Book #2 of the Gravekeeper series

This series is pretty new, having the first book published only a couple of years ago. I just finished the first book this week and am looking forward to following Keira’s journey in helping the dead pass on as well as finding out more about her own mysterious identity.

Book #2 of the Sisters of the Salt series

This sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows, which I read a couple of years ago (I think it may have been one of my first book reviews on this site!), will probably have a fairytale twist like the first book did, though I wonder which way she will go with this one since the other was a macabre spin-off of the tale of the 12 Dancing Princesses.

Book #2 of the Black Hollow Lane series

I liked the first book of this middle grade series more than I thought I would, since I just randomly chose it from a list of books I thought I may want to read for my “Writing for the Middle Grade” class. When I heard that there was a sequel to this historical mystery, I knew I had to delve in soon!

Sequel to The Red Necklace

This has been on my shelf forever so I’m not sure why I haven’t continued this unique series set during the French Revolution. A mix of magic and history, I wonder if Gardner will continue with this historical fantasy series or just leave the story as is.

I’m not sure which series I will continue first, but hopefully it will be one that will pull me into the story and make me not want to finish until I have finished the whole saga!

Book Review: Took by Mary Downing Hahn

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I recently continued my Mary Downing Hahn read-a-thon I seem to be participating in and read another recent book of hers, Took.

Summary

The story follows a boy named Daniel and his younger sister Erica as they move from their plushy home of Connecticut to a much poorer town in Maryland where rumor has it is home to a “conjure woman” who goes by “Auntie” and steals a child every 50 years. When Daniel’s sister is her new target, Daniel enlists the help of his neighbors and Auntie’s niece to stop the witch before it is too late.

Likes & Dislikes

While this wasn’t my favorite story of hers, I thought she did an effective job adding voice to the 13-year-old male protagonist (who’s POV we read most of the story in). Like any teenage boy, he uses words like “crap” and “pee” and other lingo that a teen boy would use in daily conversation, but not to too much of an excess. Based off the internal monologues of the main character, the language he uses as well as his thought process were consistent, and I could see how his character developed as he sought to face his fears to save his sister and appease the grief of his family.

A lot of the time, I think boys this age feel they have a responsibility to their family, and I could sense that pressure that Daniel was feeling through his voice in this story. For example, he wanted his whole grief-stricken family back to normal, and he knew that to do so, he must get his sister back, whatever the cost.

Recommendation

Overall, even though this book wasn’t initially my cup-a-tea, I thought this story was well-written by a talented author. I would recommend it to MG readers and older who enjoy thrillers and mysteries.

Book Review: The Thirteenth Cat by Mary Downing Hahn

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I started this week reading a book from a MG detective series, but after catching a lot of grammar errors and seeing it had WAY too much dialogue, I abandoned it and read a book from Mary Downing Hahn (in 2 days!!). She never fails to disappoint so I knew I could finish one of her books in a quick time.

Summary

This new middle grade horror thriller of Hahn’s is about a girl and her friend who are cast under an evil spell by her neighbor who happens to be a menacing witch. After trying to save a cat from her neighbor (her 13th cat to be exact), she soon discovers a nefarious operation and herself soon trapped in the middle of it. *SPOILER* After being cursed as a cat, she and her friend must enlist the help of her neighbor’s untrustworthy niece to help them change back into humans before it is too late!

Likes

I liked this story more than I thought I would, considering the main character turns into an animal, but the pace was quick enough to keep me reading.

Dislikes

I think the pace was a little too quick in parts and the characters moved the plot along in ways that I didn’t think were in their character to do so.

Application to My Own Writing

I think the reading I’ve been doing has affected my own writing in the sense that I should try to develop my character from my own MG horror story I’m writing a little more so the stakes in the story are higher and the plot can move forward in a way that is meaningful for the main character.

Recommendations

I recommend this story to anyone (more likely a reader at middle grade level) who likes stories about talking animals or animorpheous books where a human gets turned into an animal. Also, anyone who likes reading witchy or mystery stories.

Book Review: Eventide by Sarah Goodman

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What a unique piece of historical fiction! I read this book a few months ago, so I am epically behind blogging. However, I am excited to review this read, since I thought it was a fresh, exceptionally written YA historical fantasy thriller. I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this book…as usually is the case getting books from thrift stores (“…Will this be my cup’o’tea or no?”). Anyway, let’s dive in!

Summary

1907. Wheeler, AK. Young Verity and her sister Lilah find themselves in new territory as they are both adopted into new families. While Verity tries to get used to her new guardians on a family farm, Lilah is whisked away by the lovely and kind schoolteacher. However, Verity soon realizes that things are not always as they appear to be when she notices that something is a bit off about the town. She learns about a local superstition that ties to an eerie well, a supposed witch, and a mysterious connection that her own birth family has to the town. Realizing her sister is in danger, Verity must muster her courage and fight the dark secrets that someone in town is trying desperately to hide.

Likes

Setting. I’m always a sucker for stories set down south since it always seems like the perfect setting for creepy tales. Turn-of-the-century America is also a setting that I do not see very often in YA novels, so it was refreshing to read a story in an era I am interested in learning more about.

Family tropes. Is family what you are born into or those you choose? Sometimes it’s both and this story includes effective examples of both.

Mystery. The mystery surrounding the town and the superstitious legends all come full circle, which I always like to see in a thriller.

Dislikes

Predictable love twist. *SPOILER* I did not doubt that the sudden disaffection for Verity by her love interest, Able, after learning about the witchcraft that was going on. I couldn’t help but assume “I’ll bet he’s under a spell” from the antagonist. And I was right!

Author

I believe this is Goodman’s debut novel. I was such a fan and I hope she will write more stories like this soon! You can follow her on Instagram: @sgoodmanbooks.

Book Review: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As a sufferer of anxiety and OCD for 25+ years, I FINALLY took the step this year to attend therapy, and this was the book that my therapist recommended I study before each of our sessions. I have to say that, despite my apprehension of even seeing a counsellor, I was happy as a reader to be given this type of homework.

Summary

In this self-help book, Brown offers her own expertise on, as the subtitle suggests, “how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live love, parent, and lead.”

The book examines the metal stages of shame resilience, belonging, becoming, worthiness, gratitude, cultivating hope, mindfulness, vulnerability but not oversharing, wholeheartedness, and many others.

“Shame resilience is about moving from shame to empathy—the real antidote to shame” (74).

Likes

Stories. Brown uses personal anecdotes to describe the principles of each chapter, which I think adds strength to her credibility on the subject of vulnerability.

“Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity” (234).

Finding light in our darkness is something that I always thought was a way of overcoming fear. I also learned from this book that “shame breeds fear” (188), which makes sense, because I do feel shame in my life, and therefore, fear.

Quotes. I especially like when she quotes HP, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”

Study Guide. Brown has a worksheet that readers can fill out as they review the book. I found this especially helpful when trying to apply the studies to my own situation.

Dislikes

Chapter length. While some chapters are relatively short, many are quite long. I personally would have liked some shorter chapter that talked more about the subtopics instead of cramming them all into one large chapter.

Conclusion

I would recommend this book to people suffering with OCD, anxiety, depression, etc. and for those who are searching for ways to help those they know who suffer with it. Due to my positive experience studying this book, I decided to read her other book, The Gifts of Imperfection.

“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” (133).

Book Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Summary

This YA horror novel follows a young mute girl named Olivia who can see ghouls. Her only clue to her family remains in a strange journal left to her by her birth mother. After finally being taken away from her oppressive boarding school to the residence of her ancestral home, Gallant, she realizes that her new home may be more dangerous than she had previously fathomed.

Thoughts

This story reminded me a lot of Coraline due to the parallel universe trope. I did not know this book would have parallel universes, which trope doesn’t usually draw me to a story, but the author weaved it together very effectively. It also contained extensive description. The language was original and vivid on the author’s part, but sometimes it distracted me from the plot. The book also contained epistolary entries in journal-form as well as watercolor illustrations which added uniqueness to the story.

I wasn’t sure what the plot was at times, since the spooky aesthetic was so strong, but towards the end the first-person narration became an effective tool for the “why” behind the character’s decisions. This helped the plot become a little clearer to me in the conclusion.

Author

I wasn’t too familiar with V.E. Schwab’s work prior to this novel, but I recognize some of her newer novels have been popular with the modern reading crows on social media platforms like BookTube and Bookstagram. She is the author of not only novels, but short stories, graphic novels, and even TV and film.

Recommendation

I would recommend this book fans of gothic fiction and novels with dark suspense. Due to the detailed descriptions and the subject matter, I would recommend this book to older audiences, such as YA age instead of teens.

Book Review: The List of Unspeakable Fears by J. Kasper Kramer

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“Floorboards creak. Shadows stretch. Shapes in the dark bend and sway. But I don’t let any of that stop me. It’s not because I’m not afraid. I am. I just keep moving forward despite it.”

— Page 217

Summary

This is my new favorite MG novel! It takes place during the Irish immigration to America after the “Potato Famine.” The main character Essie is a fearful child who’s fears stem back to the death of her father. Ever since, she keeps a list of things that scare her and finds herself adding and crossing out things to the list as the story goes on. She finds her fears mounting after her mother marries a doctor with a mysterious past who works at a hospital on an island where many nurses have gone missing. However, things are not as they seem, and Essie soon realizes this the more she confronts her fears to discover the truth.

“I’m afraid, yes. I’m so scared that shivers come in waves up my spine. But I can choose to keep walking forward.”

— Page 214

Application

This book really hit home to me, because I too struggle with anxiety/OCD/etc. so I could relate to this character a lot. I had hoped that the character would grow out of her fear, and I was not disappointed! I tended to like her best friend a little more at the beginning because she was the character who liked to solve mysteries from the get-go (as we see in many MG novels); however, it was neat to see her own flaws come out and the character of Essie begin to take the spotlight as she found her own way of discovering the truth.

I was surprised this novel was in first person POV, because many MG novels steer away from that, but it was effective for this story since we got to see Essie’s thought-process. I always like reading about a character’s fears from that POV.

“Only now does it finally make sense. Only now do I understand that you can’t be brave unless you’re afraid.”

— Page 215

Suggestions

My only dislike for this was the slower pacing at the beginning. We had to focus on character for whatever book we chose for this week’s reading in my MG writing class, and I couldn’t believe what a scaredy-pants she was…until I realized that was the point of her story.

Conclusion

I initially checked this book out at the library, but after delving into it and realizing the truths it contained and parallels to my own life, I am resolved to buying it and adding it to my permanent bookshelf.