House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig

This is review 2 for today.  Please read review 1 for context first.

I actually started this in January and tried again in April.  I got a quarter of the way in before I gave up.  I just could not get into it.  I put it aside for my summer reading theme.

I got a little over halfway before I stopped.  I just do not understand what is happening, where, or why.  I get the premise: wealthy, somewhat royal widower (all daughters) remarries and new wife is preggo with a boy.  Resentment galore.  4 of the 12 girls have passed away, but the most recent has led at least two of the remaining sisters to question if it was murder. K.  But then add in strange deities (wondering if this is the start of something like an in-universe series), odd customs, sea worship, and a magic passageway to a fancy cotillion ball. Too weird for me to try to make sense.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

I have two reviews to post this afternoon, and unfortunately neither is positive.  In addition, this makes three books in a row I've declined to finish.

I do require myself to at least TRY to finish a book, but I am also a big proponent of putting a book down when it just isn't for you.  This will be review 1 of 2 today.

I wanted to like this.  It is an indigenous ghost story.  It starts with the family dog dying suspiciously.  Nope, that's an immediate no reading any further.   

Sorry.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

White Smoke by Tiffany Jackson

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

There are few things that bother me enough to put a book down.  Bugs, specifically bed bugs, are at the top of that list.

I got 24 pages in before I had to stop reading this.  The main character seems to have had an incident with bed bugs and has a phobia of them.  They are mentioned egregiously in the first two chapters.  Noping right on out of this.

Sorry.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.  

The Cloisters by Katy Hayes

The Canadian Wildfire Smoke is really bothersome this morning!  Figured it was a good morning to get a review up. 

The Cloisters was recommended to me by Mr. Winters.  A young art history major intends to intern at the Met in NYC, but her mentor is going on sabbatical.  Another high-up in the museum overhears and takes her on at The Cloisters, a niche medieval themed location known for its expansive gardens.  Her task is to help director Patrick prepare a presentation on fortune-telling.  She's partnered with Rachel, a rather wealthy woman who is focused on tarot cards.  We learn Rachel is having relations with both Patrick and the garden keeper Leo (who is stealing artifacts and selling them, along with the psychedelic plants from his garden).  Ann finds she is quite good at deciphering codes, which makes her a desirable asset.

Now, this is a mystery in DaVinci Code style, with some Harry Potter thrown in.  I too love medieval art and tarot, so this was a pleasure to read, BUT I figured out the whodunit pretty early.  I think anyone who likes a good murder-mystery, the arts, history, or magic will enjoy.     

I'll be adding this to the collection when we get back.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

Happy Summer!  

This year my summer reading theme is horror/paranormal.  

First up, Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab.

This was donated to WHHS as part of the large donation facilitated by our Rotary Club and Scholastic.

I did not know this was book #3 in a series until a bit in.  I could still follow, but some background info was lacking.  I also didn't realize it was written by VE Schwab, who wrote Addie LaRue, which I reviewed here previously.  Schwab uses VE for adult books and Victoria for YA.  Upon opening, the font is ginormous.  And the content is definitely middle grade, but was still enjoyable as an adult and would be for high school.  There are a ton of Harry Potter references, and honestly some would be lost on a reader who has not either read or watched the HP movies (I gave up on the movies after Azkaban, so not positive on if they're sufficient reference material). 

In short, Cassidy Blake survived a near-death experience, and now can see ghosts.  She helps those stuck in-between life and the afterlife move on.  Her sidekick Jacob is a ghost himself.  The story takes place in New Orleans, which is on my bucket list to visit someday.  

This is a superfast read (it would be a novella if not for the big font).  I do think one should read #1 and #2 first before this one, which I'll be adding to our wish list shortly. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Well, Tuesday marked the end of the 22-23 school year and the wrap on New Title Tuesday.  17 new books in 18 weeks for the WHHS Library!  Of course, this one won't be added to the collection until we return to school as I didn't start it until teachers were let out.  

This HEFTY work was recommended to me by a friend.  I mean it's BIG.  It's 770+ pages.  I read this sporadically over the past three days between my annual cleaning, as Ms. Marcella calls it "The Annual Cleaning Rampage".  

I have a mixed review.  The story begins in 1900 on the West Coast of India, in a Christian village called Parambil. A 12 year old is married off to a wealthy 40 year old widower, more to be a caretaker to his toddler son.  Eventually she grows to love her husband and they have two more children.  However, there is something of a curse on the family that each generation loses someone to drowning.  As time passes, new British settlers arrive, along with doctors and nurses.  The caste system is alive and well, even in the Christian areas, and the systemic classist differences in treatment are evident.  The story continues over 80ish years. 

Now, I absolutely LOVED the parts of the book set in Parambil.  Our young 12 year old main character grows from a timid child not much older than her stepson to a formidable matriarch grandmother who controls significant wealth for the area.  We see her come to terms with the ever present spirit of her husband's late wife.  We watch her playful interactions with the family elephant Damo.  We cry with her after a miscarriage.  We can almost taste how her curry and other recipes change with time and maturity. 

What I didn't like was the excruciating details on the backgrounds of the minor characters.  The reader is forced to read chapter upon chapter of unnecessary fluff about what brought some of the white men to this area including one doctor's mother's history in Glasgow. If all of the unneeded info was cut, this would be a MUCH shorter novel that would be easier to read.  I admit to skipping some of it. 

Well, there it is.  My next post will be after I finish The Cleaning Rampage and will tell you my Summer Reading theme for 2023.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Before I say anything else about this book THE DOG DOES NOT DIE!

As soon as I started reading this, I was absolutely terrified I was going to read the dog dies and actually sought out the answer before I continued.  Thankfully another reader who did not want to read the dog dying posted a spoiler.  Dog lives. 

I loved the premise of this book: Emma is housesitting with her dog (a Golden!).  There is only one neighbor nearby.  She passes the time reading and posting reviews on her blog.  One of these reviews is negative, and the author takes the review to heart and starts threatening her.  

OK, so as someone who quite literally reviews books on a blog as part of her job, I'm honestly spooked a little to write this negative review (maybe that's the point? *laughs nervously). I like the idea, and some parts were really gripping thriller writing.  In places it was very Pike and Stine like creepy YA horror of the 80s and 90s.  Which I loved.  BUT, I really struggled with the alternating viewpoints via the changing font of what was said, narrated, appeared in print on the blog or articles, etc.  It made it very difficult to read physically, as I had to move the book back and forth to get my eyes to focus in the right spot, and it just made the storyline more confusing than it needed to be.

Anyone who likes thrillers and crime will like this, IF you can get past the aforementioned issues.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Please don't find me Mr. Adams...