Thursday, December 1, 2022

Too Many Books, Not Enough Time - Here's The Highlight Reel

 


Yes, yes...I've been away for far too long. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading up a storm though - because I have. For the comeback tour, I thought I'd share a few books which stuck with me since we last spoke. You know, the kinds of books you'll read more than once and recommend to your friends. 

As you know, I am one of the judges for SPFBO8 with BeforeWeGoBookBlog. (Shout out to Beth Tabler for putting together an incredible team!) With more than 300 entries in this year's contest, the judging teams have been reading like crazy to find this season's winner. Let me tell you, the competition has been fierce and I have been immersed in some truly fantastic fantasy fiction. Four of the books pictured above, Thrice, We Break Immortals, Envy, and Miss Percy's Pocket Guide To The Care & Feeding of British Dragons, were contestants this go 'round. One of them is a finalist. (I'll tell you which one in a bit.) You can get up to speed on SPFBO, Mark Lawrence's brainchild, here if you are interested. The other two, The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin and Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh come from wildly different genres and heartstrings.

I won't eat up your blog reading time with long-form reviews for each of these books but rather will tell you why I loved them, and why you might love them too. 

Thrice by Andrew Meredith is a fast paced yet heart-warming work of fantasy centering around Jovan, a needle-maker, and Leaf, a young boy left in Jovan's care, as they run from nefarious parties seeking to control the endless potential of Leaf's magic. Meredith manages to capture the innocence of childhood without being saccharine sweet and weaves a cast of characters which are simultaneously both honest and duplicitous. This book surprised the sh*t out of me and the ending was superb. 

Thomas Howard Riley's chonky book, We Break Immortals, is a wonderful entry into the epic fantasy rolls and takes readers on a whirlwind exploration of dangerous rogue magicians, those who hunt them, and those who hate them both. Circumstances force unlikely alliances as our heroes, Aren, Keluwen, and Corrin, traverse the wilds in search of a serial-killer magician who has discovered the source of unlimited magic and immortality. Dangerous is an understatement. Took me two weeks to read this book because I was hanging on Riley's every word while he spun the tale. If you're settling in for a long winter's hibernation, Immortals is an excellent choice for companionship.

Envy. Tim Beeden's Envy, second book in his Seven Deadly and Four series, absolutely tickled me to death. Seriously, I read it three times! Beeden brushes up against all the standard fantasy tropes in this story of a wise-cracking, young fiddle player, Charlie Lightfoot, from the Backstreets of Calver who wants nothing more than to make a peaceful living making music. Charlie sets off to explore the world outside Calver in the company of a level-headed friend who never does anything daring and a strong-willed heiress running from the suffocating confines of an arranged marriage. Throw in an extremely jealous and wealthy jilted groom in hot pursuit of the trio and adventures ensue. This small-focus, fellowship fantasy is hilarious and hopeful with a generous dash of sass in the mix. I will probably read it again. If for no other reason than to brush up on my witty retorts. 

One of two traditionally published books on the list, The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin brought me back to the world of WWII historical fiction. Martin masterfully tells the tale of two women working against Hitler's European invasion from vastly different perspectives. Ava is a librarian from the Library of Congress sent to Portugal, a neutral country during the war, to help the Allies keep tabs on news from occupied countries. Elaine is part of the French Resistance and working as an apprentice at an absolutely illegal printing press deep in France. When Ava realizes someone is sending coded messages requesting assistance for the most vulnerable people in Europe, she works with the information she receives to help those who need it most. The Librarian Spy is Martin's second historical fiction and I'd say it's her best book yet. 

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide To The Care & Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson is an absolute delight and worthy of it's long, lofty title. This Regency Fantasy work drops readers into the life of Miss Mildred Percy's boring life just in time for things to get exciting. A forty-something year old spinster, Miss Percy has been relegated to the role of unpaid nanny for her overbearing sister's children. She is an unread footnote with a meager room under the eaves of a grand house. And then she inherits a dragon egg from her Great-uncle Forthright. Olson writes in much the same way I think and speak (lots of parentheticals and asides) and it was refreshing to trot happily along with Mildred on her unexpected adventures as she tries to raise and protect her fledgling dragon. Apparently I wasn't the only one who enjoyed this book, Miss Percy earned a well-deserved place among the SPFBO8 finalists! Pick this one up. You'll be glad you did. (The second Miss Percy's Guide just published so you can get them both!)

 And finally, the children's classic Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. Yes, this is a young reader's book. Yes, I read it for the first time a very, very long time ago. But, while on vacation, I was thinking about all the books I have loved over the years and Harriet was on that list. I decided to read it again and see if she still made the grade. When I was young, I adored Harriet and wanted to be like her. I wanted to know everything about everybody all the time. I even took to carrying around a notebook and making notes all the time. Now, I lived way out in the country so, unless school was in session, there was no way I could "spy" on anyone other than my family. Made for some pretty boring notes most of the time. The idea of prowling around on my own in a big city was tantalizing. Now? Eh...Harriet herself got on my nerves. She's a selfish little brat who's friends were right to be mad at her. It all works out in the end for Harriet and I think she learns some humility. Still, I've got a copy on my bookshelf for any grandchildren who may come along (no rush offspring-o-mine - for real, take your time). I'll just be available for discussion should any of them start toting around notebooks.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back and hope to see you again soon! Happy reading folks!

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