Book #82:
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Length: 420 pages). I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel, and I generally don’t enjoy historical fiction. This novel is set during a six-month period in 1790 on the Kennebec River, and features a midwife, Martha Ballard, who has the real-life distinction of having delivered over 1,000 babies with not one mother lost in childbirth. I really loved this book. It’s immersive, beautifully told (aside from a few annoying grammatical errors such as “Breech” of contract) so the terrible editing aside, it’s a 5-star read. When I think about the book when I’m not reading it, that’s a great sign!
Book #83:
Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf (Length: 406 pages). I listened to this one on audio while doing puzzles and it was super easy to listen to, with decent audio production. This story features three 12-year-old girls who are by a railroad track late at night during a slumber party. One girl is brutally stabbed. The central mystery is who did it . . . was it the victim’s bullies, the town ghost who some claim to see around? This was a fun listen, and was harder to figure out the solution than many mysteries, which I appreciate. A solid 3.5 star read from me.
Book #84:
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (Length: 331 pages). Tis the Season for some witchy reads. I listened to this one and found the audio production to be good. The story itself was darker than I expected from the title. Ivy Gamble is a private investigator who is hired to solve a murder that occurred at the Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, a magical school of sorts where her estranged twin, Tabitha, teaches. The investigation that follows is well-plotted, as is the underlying mystery. Ivy herself is NOT a likeable character but the plot is propulsive, and this is an enjoyable read/listen. I enjoy campus novels and a bit of magic so those two things outweighed annoying Ivy.
Book #85:
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Length: 594 pages). This LONG book is super-fascinating and an enjoyable read. This is the first in a series (up to 5 books so far) and there’s a TV show based on these books, which I just started and I’m enjoying so far. The premise is Diana Bishop is a scholar (and a witch) and she finds a magical manuscript in Oxford’s famed Bodeleian Library. This discovery prompts an onslaught of magical creatures (other witches, demons and one very handsome vampire genealogist, Matthew Clairmont). 5 stars from me, but I DO think this could have been shorter. The ending isn’t a cliffhanger but definitely prompts you to want to pick up the next book in the series. (This reminds me a bit of the Outlander series in that regard).
Book #86:
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (Length: 369 pages). I adored his most recent book (All the Colors of the Dark, reviewed in July), so I was excited to grab this back-list novel by this talented author from the library. This novel is also very well-written and features a young protagonist here too. Duchess Radley, a 13-year-old who fancies herself an outlaw, and her young brother Robin live in Cape Haven, CA with their troubled single mother, Star. Star lost her younger sister in a tragic accident when they were growing up in the same town, and this loss has shaped Star’s life as well as the lives of her children and the townspeople. This novel features complicated characters and is quite dark in places, so it’s an intense read. But it’s so very worth it. I appreciated that the length of this novel isn’t as daunting as the author’s more recent read. A solid 5 stars from me.
Lora Terrill 