Book Review | The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

Posted January 11, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II.

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.

As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #14: A grieving character)
2024 Bookish Books Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I read Madeline Martin’s The Last Bookshop in London and I loved it, and this was the next one available on my library’s audiobook catalog, so obviously I had to borrow it.

The Quotes

“Sometimes the things we hold inside of us need to be let out. No matter where you are or who you’re speaking with.”

“Understanding and knowledge were wasted if one did not apply them to life.”

“Now I am nothing.” “You aren’t,” Ava said vehemently. “Not when you are here to tell your story. Not when there are those like Ethan who work miracles with limited resources to get you onto safe shores. Not when people like me are photographing your books, your correspondence, your papers, and your lives to share your heritage, to ensure Hitler can never make any of you into nothing. He will not succeed in destroying you.”

“You ask if this is important. This is the education for our future, to learn from the mistakes that have been made now and never let atrocities such as this continue or be repeated.”

The Characters

Ava and Elaine are the main protagonists, but in some ways, I feel like they are more the narrators, the holders of other people’s stories, rather than main characters in their own stories. They do have their own stories in the book, of course, and I loved getting to know them, but seeing the world through their eyes – the people they worked with, talked to, helped, lost… They all came so vividly to life for me, and it was both painful and inspiring to read about their experiences, their fears, their hopes, their determination to survive. These characters are fictional, but the events of WWII happened and real people went through similar experiences. It’s difficult to think about.

My Thoughts

I love Madeline Martin’s storytelling. I loved all the characters, and how Ava’s and Elaine’s stories linked up. I have so much respect for their courage and determination to do difficult things, and such sadness for the loss and pain they experienced. It doesn’t even show the worst of things that happened in WWII, but it’s bad enough.

One of the things I loved most about the book is the emphasis on documenting the stories and experiences of the people Ava came across. How adamant she was about the importance of having their stories told, so that there is a history, an education, so that people can learn from the mistakes made. And yet, I wonder, in light of things happening in the world now, have we really learned from our mistakes? It’s hard not to look at ourselves and wonder if we’ve learned anything at all when harsh realities are reflecting back on us.

My Feels

I loved the book, but it’s given me so many conflicting feelings and I’m not sure how to process. I think it’s a sign of a very good book that makes anyone feel this way. The atrocities should not be forgotten or downplayed, we should all feel very, very bad about the things that happened. But I also felt so much love and admiration for Ava and Elaine, and for the other characters in the book that survived. The strength of the human spirit to endure, to fight against injustice. It is inspiring, and it really puts things in perspective.

My Rating

5/5 stars. For so many different reasons. It’s well-written, the characters are amazing, the stories are painful and inspiring. It makes me think. It makes me feel.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The September House by Carissa Orlando

Posted January 10, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 6 Comments

The September House by Carissa Orlando

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.

Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #31: Includes a personal phobia)

The Reason

It was one of the nominees for the Goodreads Choice awards and I saw it on another blogger’s post. It caught my attention because I love a good haunted house story, and this one had a protagonist that was determined to stay. I was hooked immediately!

The Quotes

“I had grown accustomed to solo trips through hell over the years. It seemed counterintuitive to invite company.”

“Didn’t you just tell me that people can change? You can change.”
I hadn’t the first clue what she was talking about. I changed all the time. I was flexible. I bent. I had changed little by little, steadily over the years, until by all accounts I was a person who should have been unrecognizable but to me was just who I was. I ought to have been a stranger to myself, but it didn’t bother me at all.”

“Everything is survivable.”

The Characters

Margaret, I’m not sure what to say about her. She’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever known. She’s relatable, she’s got a sense of humor about dark things, she’s loyal to a fault (literally), and she’s strong in her own way. In her own words, her best asset was her ability to bend, be flexible.

And a whole bunch of ghosts, who I will not introduce because it’s so much more fun for the reader to meet them in the book.

My Thoughts

This book was incredible! There were so many surprises, both good and bad, and I couldn’t help but get sucked in. I love Margaret as a character. She had a dark sense of humor, and so much stoicism for enduring the circumstances she found herself in. I love the way the story was written, the insight into Margaret’s thought processes. I don’t want to say more, for spoilers, but I did take notes on my e-reader as I was reading in real time, and I’ve posted them up for anyone who’s interested!

For my notes and reactions on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Reactions | The September House by Carissa Orlando. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0002”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Feels

It’s funny because this book felt heavy and light at the same time. It was heavy stuff, but handled in a light-handed manner, and I found myself going with it. I mean, why not look on the positive sides? Why not focus on the successes? The small celebrations? Interestingly, at the end of it all, Margaret, whose greatest asset is her ability to bend, also has the strongest boundary that she won’t allow anyone to cross. She doesn’t have many rules, but she has that one, and it’s non-negotiable. I have so many feels about this whole book, in so many different ways. They’re all very confusing and I don’t think I can categorize them. It’s just, I loved it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. It’s just so good!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Most Anticipated Books for 2024 Jan – Jun

Posted January 8, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 58 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024

There are so many that I’m so excited for!!! Almost all of these are authors I have read and loved, and I would read anything they write so that’s why I can’t wait for these. I know they are going to be good!

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing Jan-Jun 2024

Top-Bottom, Left-Right:

  1. The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo – releasing Feb 13. She’s a Malaysian author writing about Malaysian Chinese folklore. I’ve read The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger, both written by her and I loved them. I’m very excited for this one.
  2. The Bride Bet by Tessa Dare – releasing Jan 15. This is the fourth book in the Girl Meets Duke series, and I’ve read the first three, so obviously this is next on the list!
  3. What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher – releasing Feb 13. I love T. Kingfisher, and I loved the first book in this series. I didn’t even know there was going to be a second book, but of course I have to read it too!
  4. Funny Story by Emily Henry – releasing Apr 23. I’ve read several of Emily Henry’s books and always enjoy them. This one has a storyline that is just too good to pass up.
  5. The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe – releasing May 14. The first book I read by Tess Sharpe is the first book in this series, The Girls I’ve Been, and I was hooked. I love her strong female protagonists, and I was so excited to find out she wrote a sequel.
  6. The Dark Fable by Katherine Harbour – releasing Jan 30. The only author on this list whom I’ve never read. I’m not sure what to expect and I hope I won’t be disappointed, but I love the premise and I love fantasy stories, so I’m excited to read this!
  7. You Like It Darker by Stephen King – releasing Mar 21. I mean, it’s Stephen King. I haven’t read all his books but I’m sure going to try, and his new stories keep getting better so of course I’m going to read this.
  8. The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden – releasing Feb 13. I loved The Winternight Trilogy and I am very interested in this story. I want to read it!
  9. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo – releasing Apr 9. I loved many of Leigh Bardugo’s books, and I am very interested in this story too. Anticipating it very much!
  10. The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz – releasing Jan 23. I’ve only read one of Koontz books so far and I loved it, and I keep meaning to read more. I love the premise of this book, it sounds so deliciously creepy and I just can’t wait to read it.

Have you read any of these authors? What did you think of them? What are your most anticipated books this year?

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Sunday Post | A Very Book Blog-ish Week

Posted January 6, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 32 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

A Very Book Blog-ish Week

Happy New Year!

I hope the first week of 2024 went well for everyone. My first week was pretty slow, I haven’t gotten back into the groove of work yet, but I did manage to read some books and write some reviews. I also posted a few book tags which I thought were fun, and I hope if you’re so inclined, you’ll do some of them too. Let me know if you do! Or if you already did!

The Spotify Wrapped Book Tag 2023 is for matching 3-5 songs you listened to in 2023 to the books you read in 2023, in any way that makes sense to you.

My Life in Books 2023 Tag is for matching some fun prompts with book titles that fit the prompts.

The 2023 End of Year Book Survey helps you look back on your stats and best books of the year. There are some very thoughtful questions and I had fun thinking back to the books that fit the questions.

About password-protected posts for spoiler-y discussions

I also wanted to find a way to discuss spoilers in books without spoiling it for those who haven’t read them, because I just finished reading Holly by Stephen King, and I have to talk about the ending. I ended up posting it as a password-protected post, so if you’ve read the book and are interested in reading my post, go to Notes & Discussion for Holly by Stephen King, password is “SPOILME0001”.

I’m happy with the set up, I think. It’s too early to tell.

But I do like feeling like I can be free to talk about all the spoiler-y stuff with abandon on password-protected posts. I hope to add more spoiler-y discussions posts as I go, and I hope you will join me for some of them if you’ve read the books. Each of the posts have to have unique passwords, but it’s going to be the same formula for all of them, and it’s posted at the top of my blog so anyone who wants to can access them.

As for the upcoming week, my intentions are to read books that count towards all the reading challenges I signed up for!

The book tags and memes haven’t been good for me, I keep adding new books to the TBR, and reading some of them before reading the ones that had been on my TBR for ages and are the reasons I signed up for those challenges in the first place! Book gods, give me the strength to resist new books!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I believe I can finish The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin this week, and The September House by Carissa Orlando. Both are new additions to my TBR. Sigh.

I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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2023 End of Year Book Survey

Posted January 5, 2024 by Haze in Book Tags / 4 Comments

This is my first time doing Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey although I found it through Jana @ The Artsy Reader Girl.

I’m doing it a little late because I felt weird about doing it at all, initially. I only just started this blog a month or so ago, and it felt weird to talk about books I read in 2023 that I never reviewed here. But then I thought about it more, and I realized that it was even more of a reason to do this, so that I could have a sort of unofficial record here about the books I read in 2023. So here we are.

2023 Reading Stats

Number of books you read: 94

Number of re-reads: 6
1. Wool by Hugh Howey
2. Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
3. Golden Son by Pierce Brown
4. Morning Star by Pierce Brown
5. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
6. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Number of books you DNFed: 3
Number of pages you read: 37,057
Most read genre: Fantasy at 46 books
Number of new-to-you authors you discovered: 29

Firsts and Lasts

First book you read: This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Last book you read: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Easton
First 2023 release you read: All My Love by Miranda Dickinson

Best In Books

1. Best book you read in 2023:
There were some really great books this year, but ultimately Labyrinth’s Heart by M.A. Carrick wins the title for me. Simply because out of all the books I loved, this is the one I believe I will come back to most often.

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t:
Caraval by Stephanie Garber. It had been on my TBR for a while, and I loved the premise, it reminded me of an old childhood book that I loved. I was so excited for it, but I felt like the story and characters were so nonsensical and juvenile. I was going to give it 3 stars, but the ending made it worse, and I decided to give it 2 stars.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read:
Sooley by John Grisham. I went into this book without expectations. I need to listen to audiobooks to sleep and I often try books I normally wouldn’t read because they are immediately available on my library’s audiobook catalog. I enjoy Grisham’s legal thrillers but this one was a sports story and I’m not really a fan, but I ended up really loving it.

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did):
None this year. I was off social media for pretty much the whole year and didn’t influence anyone!

5. Best first book in a series you started in 2023. Best sequel of 2023. Best series ender of 2023.
Started: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Sequel: Jade War by Fonda Lee
Ender: Labyrinth’s Heart by M.A. Carrick

6. Favorite new-to-you author you discovered in 2023:
Madeline Martin. I loved The Last Bookshop in London, and I’m already working on The Librarian Spy. I’m pretty sure I’ll read The Keeper of Hidden Books soon after too.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone:
Well, Sooley by John Grisham. As I said, I don’t really read sports stories, but I loved this story.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It grabbed me from the first page, and I literally couldn’t put it down. It has been a while since I got so immersed in a book, and I loved it!

9. Book you read in 2023 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Easton. It was so fun and heartwarming, and such a perfect read for Christmas season because of the timeline. I feel like I want to read it again for Christmas 2024!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023:
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. I mean, talk about mysterious and provocative!

11. Most memorable character of 2023:
Holly Gibney from the Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King. I only read Holly in 2024, but I met her from the Bill Hodges Trilogy in 2023, and she’s one of my favorite characters ever that I believe will transcend the books.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2023:
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I’m not sure if it’s beautiful in terms of aesthetics, but it is beautiful in terms of feels.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2023:
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It helped me understand my CPTSD a little more, and prompted me to look into finally going to therapy.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I don’t know what to say, I’m ashamed of myself. But I’m glad I finally read it!

15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2023:
Not my favorite, but one that sticks with me.

“Even I, in public, was a beloved child. Once her period of mourning for Marian was over, she’d parade me into town, smiling and teasing me, tickling me as she spoke with people on the sidewalks. When we got home, she’d trail off to her room like an unfinished sentence, and I would sit outside with my face pressed against her door and replay the day in my head, searching for clues to what I’d done to displease her.”
― Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects

16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2023:
Shortest: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (152 pages)
Longest: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (884 pages)

17. Book that shocked you the most:
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. I loved the Something Strange and Deadly series, and I expected this one to be just as good, but it wasn’t even close. I didn’t like it at all and I was very disappointed. It made me question myself if it’s this book that’s bad or if I wasn’t as discerning with the Something Strange and Deadly series back then.

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!):
Ren and Grey from Labyrinth’s Heart, they’ve got that healthy, steady, mature relationship, but also lots of heat and perfect trust between each other. It’s the kind of relationship that will stand the test of time.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year:
Vargo with Ren and Grey! Also from Labyrinth’s Heart. Honestly, I love found family, and I love Vargo’s relationship with Ren and Grey more than I love Ren and Grey’s relationship. He is so vulnerable with them and, I can’t describe how beautiful their relationship is. I love it.

20. Favorite book you read in 2023 from an author you’ve read previously:
Does it count if it’s from a trilogy I started before 2023? Because my answer is still Labyrinth’s Heart. If series don’t count, then it’s Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe. I read The Girls I’ve Been previously and she just writes strong, young female protagonists really well, and the stories she tells about them are so thrilling!

21. Best book you read in 2023 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else:
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey. Well, the whole trilogy, really. A friend recommended it to me and I devoured it.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023:
It would be Vargo from Labyrinth’s Heart, but I loved him from 2022, so I’m not sure if he’s eligible. The next best one would be Harley from Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe. She’s just so badass, and I love badass women!

23. Best 2023 debut you read:
I only read one 2023 debut this year and I didn’t like it, unfortunately. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.

24. Most vivid setting you read this year:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. His writing is just so descriptive, I can see it all in my head.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read:
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston was the most fun from the beginning to the end. It was just pure joy to read and there were so many hilarious moments, and also heartwarming ones.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2023:
I read books 2 to 5 of the Red Rising series this year, I’m not sure which ones made me cry. Probably all of them. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes was another one. I’m sure there are more, but I tend to cry a lot so I don’t always take note of it anymore.

27. Hidden gem of the year:
This is a difficult one to answer because I’m not very up to date on the popular books, so sometimes what seems like hidden gem to me, isn’t hidden to anyone but me. But one of the books I loved most this year with the least amount of ratings is Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe.

28. Most unique book you read in 2023:
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. You can tell it’s something special just by the title, but I love the whole idea of baking for defense. It’s just such a good book, and I love anything T. Kingfisher writes!

39. Book that made you the maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it):
The longer I stay with a lousy book, the madder I get, because I wish I had dnf’d sooner, but I also try to give the book a chance to get better, and when it doesn’t, I get madder. Caraval by Stephanie Garber, and The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake, made me mad.

My Blogging/Bookish Life

1. Favorite review that you wrote in 2023:
I only have a month’s worth of blogging to choose from in 2023! I’m glad I’ve got some good books to choose from. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin.

2. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog:
My favorite was the Sunday Post Zoolights edition because posting all the pictures of the Zoolights made me so happy.

3. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.):
No events this year.

6. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views):
My Top Ten Tuesday Most Recent Books Borrowed from the Library has 45 comments.

8. Post you wished got a little more love:
I’ve only been blogging a little over a month, so I have no expectations at this point. I might have a better answer at the end of 2024.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.):
Again, new blogger here! Everything is a new discovery! Everyone’s blogs, all the book memes, reading challenges, book tags! SO MANY NEW THINGS TO DISCOVER!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year:
I didn’t set any challenges for 2023.

Looking Ahead in 2024

1. Book you are most anticipating in 2024 (non-debut):
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo. I fell in love with The Ghost Bride and Choo is a fellow Malaysian Chinese writing such compelling stories about Malaysian folklore. I cannot wait to read this next one!

2. 2024 debut you are most anticipating:
I don’t think I have one at the moment.

3. Sequel you are most anticipating in 2024:
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe. It is the sequel to The Girls I’ve Been, which I loved, and which is apparently going to be made into a movie starring Millie Bobbie Brown.

4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2024?
I want to read more intentionally and remember more of what I’ve read. I signed up for reading challenges to motivate myself to read more nonfiction, classics, and diverse books, so I hope I achieve those challenges, but I also want to remember that reading should be fun and not a chore, so if I’m not enjoying the books, I can dnf. I want to dnf books I don’t like sooner instead of suffering through them!

What are your answers to these questions? If you do this survey, let me know so I can visit your post and check out your answers. You can also leave your answers in the comments!

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Book Review | Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 11 Comments

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Savannah Cade’s dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah’s been secretly writing while working as an editor herself—except at her publishing house, the philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and commercial fiction, particularly romance, should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante’s inferno. But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company—including William Pennington, new publisher and son of the romance-despising CEO herself—she races to hide her manuscript in the secret turret room of the old Victorian office.

When she returns, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins—quite critical ones. But when Claire’s own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all.

As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There’s no doubt about it. She’s falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Bookish Books Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

Came across this one while browsing my library’s audiobook catalog, and it looked fun, and it’s bookish and about bookish people! I also loved the idea of communicating through notes in the margins, there’s just something old-fashioned and romantic about it, like exchanging love letters on actual paper, rather than texts nowadays. Not that texts can’t be romantic, but there’s something special about paper notes and love letters.

The Characters

Savannah and Will. I really like Savannah, and I love that she’s exactly as she describes herself in the book and in her book – she’s not special, she doesn’t stand out, she’s not the best at anything, she’s not the chosen one, she’s just your everyday, average person. She loves her job, she’s there for her friends, she loves her family, and she writes good stories. And I like her just the way she is. She’s perfect.

Will is mysterious, charming, capable, and I have a huge crush on him. I love that he’s able to do hard things. I love that he doesn’t stand down when it matters. I feel the chemistry sizzle every time he enters a scene with Savannah. I love them together!

The Quotes

“Waiting impatiently for something that will inevitably happen either way is a waste of time. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination.”

“And anyway, romance isn’t just about attraction. It’s about companionship. You don’t see old married couples who’ve been through two world wars and five babies together making out on a bench when they’re ninety and think to yourself, Now THAT’S what it’s all about. You see the way they hold hands, the way they serve each other scrambled eggs on plates they got on their wedding day, the way they shuffle through the paper in the mornings together without needing to fill the space with empty conversation. Because they are happy. Just happy. Together.”

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this story. I love the chemistry between Savannah and Will, and I love their banter, both in person and on paper. I love that they get vulnerable and real with each other, and I love that they have fun together too. I did not like the storyline with Ferris and Olivia – I don’t like Ferris, and I couldn’t understand why his relationship with Olivia was presented as normal at first, so I’m happy that Will called it out later in the book.

My Feels

This may be a mild spoiler, but I don’t think so because, duh, obviously Sam isn’t Savannah’s guy! I’m pretty sure no one who reads this book would think that Sam could be the guy. I just really needed Savannah to know it and I was so frustrated with her at that point! I also felt really uncomfortable with the Ferris and Olivia situation. But otherwise, I have only good feelings about Will and Savannah, and seriously, I love their chemistry. My love language is communication, so all those written notes and banter just gets me. I love that their relationship from start to finish is mature, non-dramatic, and respectful. I love that there wasn’t any big blow-ups, dramatic misunderstandings, words thrown about in anger, and stuff like that. I just love this representation of an adult love story.

My Rating

3/5 stars. I loved it for what it was, but it’s not the best romance I’ve ever read. I think what made it good for me was the notes and banter, because I’m not kidding, written notes, love letters, and communication is just my thing.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Holly by Stephen King

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 5 Comments

Holly by Stephen King

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #10: Told in non-chronological order)
2024 Finishing the Series Challenge
2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s works. I haven’t read all his older books, but I’ll always jump on his new releases when I can. When Holly came out last year, I didn’t realize it was part of a series, nor that her story started from the Mr. Mercedes series – which I hadn’t read at the time. So I started reading the Mr. Mercedes books first, and finished them, then I checked out the Holly Gibney series, and realized I’d already read the first one, The Outsider, and loved it, although I didn’t realize at the time who Holly was. I just finished the second one listed as part of the series, If It Bleeds, so I finally got to read Holly, the series ender! (I’m hoping there will be more books, I love Holly and I want more!)

The Characters

Well, Holly, of course. I love her in this book and I love her even more because I read the Mr. Mercedes books first and saw her growth. I wrote about it in my review for If It Bleeds, that Holly can appear to be timid and vulnerable, but she is one of the most courageous characters I have ever had the privilege to get to know. She’s smart and resourceful, dedicated and loyal, organized and determined. But she’s not infallible. She is flawed and makes stupid mistakes, but she calls herself out on them.

I also really love Barbara and Jerome, siblings who are also Holly’s closest friends, and who help her with some of her investigations. We meet them in the Mr. Mercedes series, and through all these stories, their bond have only gotten stronger.

Now, the villains in this book, Professors Rodney and Emily Harris; I hate them, but they are such well-written characters. It’s fascinating to sort of see through their POV, and not be able to fathom how there can be people capable of such evil, and the cognitive dissonance they must cultivate in order to justify their actions.

The other villain in this book is even more interesting, not because she is more evil than the professors, but because her kind of evil is more common, and her victims more close to home. Holly Gibney’s mother, Charlotte Gibney. We meet her from the Mr. Mercedes series, and we see a bit more of her in If It Bleeds too. In this book, Charlotte isn’t even present except in Holly’s mind and we see the psychological and emotional toll Charlotte’s evil takes on Holly.

The Quotes

“Gifts are fragile. You must never entrust yours to people who might break it.”

“Just when you think you’ve seen the worst human beings have to offer, you find out you’re wrong.”

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope. If it does, climb it. See what’s at the top.”

“Does anyone ever get complete closure? Especially from a parent?”

“Holder-onners are never able to understand let-goers. They are tribes that just can’t understand each other.”

My Thoughts

I love that the villains were elderly and used their frailty as bait and alibi. I love that they are scary and terrifying to the reader who knows their true nature before the characters in the book do. Personally, I don’t think old people are so easily exempted from suspicion, especially if their eccentricities have been noted by their students and colleagues, as it seems they have with the professors in this book. I also like the way Stephen King incorporated Covid and differing political standpoints into the storyline. It’s true to life, and it’s true to Holly’s character, and I think it makes sense for authenticity, even if some people may not agree with Holly. She’s the MC of this book, so her viewpoint is the one that matters to the story.

For more discussion on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Discussion | Holly by Stephen King. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0001”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Feels

This book was so intense, especially towards the end. I was at the edge of my seat and I literally finished more than 50% of the audiobook, about 6-7 hours, in one day because I needed to get to the end. There were parts of it that broke my heart, others that filled me with rage and disgust, and still more that sent shivers down my spine. There were also parts that filled my heart and made me happy. I was worried for Holly, proud of her, exasperated at her, and I love her so, so much.

My Rating

5/5 stars. Was there any doubt?

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Book Review

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens. It was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. It tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from a supernatural visit by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain, a period when there was strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions together with the introduction of new customs, such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Classics Club

The Reason

Honestly, I wasn’t really planning to read this book. This is one of those stories that get so much reference in pop culture that you feel like you already know the story, so I never thought I needed to read the actual book. However, Charles Dickens’ works have been getting on my radar lately, because of adaptations of his works – Demon Copperhead, The Artful Dodger TV series, and people bringing up A Christmas Carol the whole Christmas season. Shamefully, I have never actually read a single one of his books, even though I’m familiar with the stories and some adaptations. I signed up for The Classics Club in order to remedy some of that, and I thought A Christmas Carol would be a great book to start with!

The Characters

Scrooge must be one of the most well-known characters in pop culture as a caricature of the most miserable, stingy, horrible person. And he was, in the beginning, but I was quite surprised at how quickly he was able to change his attitude, take accountability for his bad behavior, be receptive to the Ghosts’ lessons, and make amends for his mistakes. I hated him in the beginning and loved him in the end.

As for the other characters, I loved the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim and how much love they had for each other. I loved Scrooge’s nephew and his family, they were such fun, boisterous people. And oh, Belle, I love her and I feel so much for her. They all really came to life for me.

The Quotes

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.”

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”

My Thoughts

I was having a couple of bad nights and hadn’t slept well, so I read the book aloud while pacing back and forth in order to keep myself awake, and I must say, I initially felt that Dickens was overly verbose. I was tired and there were so many words and descriptions, and I was tired! And yet, I realized I loved it. I loved how descriptive he was of all the characters, the scenes, how he painted such pictures with his words, and made the story come alive for me.

I also realized that I had been missing a lot by thinking I know the story well enough from pop culture and not making an effort to actually read this book until now. There’s so much more to it than I’d thought.

My Feels

It’s so interesting because I think this book runs the gamut. I felt disgusted and angry with Scrooge at the beginning of the book, and also pity. And also horror, at the description of the Ghosts – they were weird! – and later at the potentially horrible end Scrooge might have faced. There was nostalgia about the past, heartbreak with Belle, love and tenderness with the Cratchits, fun and joy with Scrooge’s nephew and family. It was heartwarming in the end and so satisfying. And I felt all of it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. I loved it, and I feel like I’d happily read this again because of how well-written it was and how the characters came to life for me.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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