News of the World by Paulette Jiles

 

From the publisher: In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

News of the World is a soft, slow-moving, meditative look at a certain time and place (Texas in the 1870s). I don’t know anything about this time in history, but it seemed well researched to me – at least, everything was believable.

This book is a western. There are attacks and shootouts. But action is not the main point; the relationship between the two characters is. I also really enjoyed the information about people who travelled around entertaining people with news stories from other places, and the nostalgia for newspapers and printing presses.

The native people are not treated as bad guys or as good guys. Nor are the white people. There are very bad men in the book, and good people as well. There are also people in the grey area between bad and good. The natives and most of the settlers are on the periphery of the story. The focus is on the aging Captain Kidd and his growing love for his charge, the kidnapped child Johanna.

News of the World has just come out as a movie starring Tom Hanks and I’m eager to see it now that I’ve read the book. I found the book overall quietly moving, and the characters of the Captain and Johanna very real. I recommend it to fans of contemplative historical fiction.

(On a side note, I am a big fan of the TV series The Mandalorian on Disney+, a western set in space. It is also about a lonely man and the child who comes in to this care. If you are also a fan and especially like that aspect of The Mandalorian, you may enjoy News of the World.)

The Galesburg Public Library owns News of the World in print, as an ebook, and as an electronic audiobook.  

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

From the publisher:
Named an Indie Next Pick and #1 LibraryReads Pick for January 2021
One of the "Best New Books Coming Out in 2021" ––PopSugar
One of the "Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2021" ––She Reads
One of the "Best and Most Anticipated Thrillers of the Year" ––Mystery and Suspense Magazine
One of the "Most Anticipated Books of 2021" ––CrimeReads

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

Disclaimer: I've never read Jane Eyre. Before this book, I vaguely knew there was a secret wife upstairs, but that was about it. I did skim the Wikipedia entry for the plot, but this review will be based on the book itself, without comparisons to the original classic.

As described by the publisher, it follows Jane (if that really is her name) as she moves up the social ladder from dog-walker to girlfriend to fiancee of Thornfield Estates' most eligible widower. Struggling to fit in with bored Birmingham housewives, Jane also struggles with the constant reminders of the superlative woman who came before her, as well as running from her own past.

I really enjoyed this novel. Thrillers and suspense aren't my usual cup of tea, but I was entranced by this one.  I was guessing at who the murder was up until about 75% of the way through. I would have liked to have seen more character development and backstory for Eddie and Bea, as they are narrators later on. There are time jumps as well as POV changes, but I didn't have any issues in following them. Overall though, I think this is a great thriller and recommend it.

The Wife Upstairs will be available from Galesburg Public Library after its January 5, 2021 release date. Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys

 From the publisher:
 

After attacking Devil’s Reef in 1928, the U.S. government rounded up the people of Innsmouth and took them to the desert, far from their ocean, their Deep One ancestors, and their sleeping god Cthulhu. Only Aphra and Caleb Marsh survived the camps, and they emerged without a past or a future.

The government that stole Aphra's life now needs her help. FBI agent Ron Spector believes that Communist spies have stolen dangerous magical secrets from Miskatonic University, secrets that could turn the Cold War hot in an instant, and hasten the end of the human race.

Aphra must return to the ruins of her home, gather scraps of her stolen history, and assemble a new family to face the darkness of human nature.

 

I've been a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's mythos for a long time but hadn't actually read any of his stories in years. Last year I was reading the nice collector's edition my husband had gotten me and I simply had to stop due to the racism. Lovecraft's world-building is still fantastic, and more and more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and queer authors like Victor LaValle and Ruthanna Emrys are coming to play in his sandbox. And they're providing enthralling takes on his works. 

As described by the publisher, Winter Tide picks up after the events in The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Aphra and Caleb Marsh travel back to Massachusetts with Aphra's employer and student of magic Charlie, Agent Spector, and Neko Koto. The Koto family arrived at the internment camps after all the Innsmouth residents save the Marshes had died, and they took the children in. Aphra has been living with them since, while Caleb is more concerned with reclaiming their family's books and heritage.

It took me a couple tries to get into this book, due to the combination of a slow start to the novel, jumps in the timeline, the constant distraction of new books at work, and a global pandemic in an election year. However, the story definitely picks up after the first quarter or so, and I was captivated by the end. It's not the fastest paced book, but it beautifully builds on the mythos and weaves threads and channels of blood and water, found family and birthrights, and discovering your own place in the world. I've already added the sequel and novella prequel to my To Be Read list.

Winter Tide is available from Galesburg Public Library as both an e-book and e-audiobook.    

The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson

 Do you love a good gothic mystery with a touch of romance? You may enjoy books by Abigail Wilson. Her newest, The Vanishing at Loxby Manor, is due out in January 2021. It features Charity Halliwell, a young woman whose family has left England for America during the Regency era. She has gone to stay with long-time family friends – a family that includes Piers, the man she loved and lost.

Charity has secrets. Piers has secrets. His brother, sister, mother, and father have secrets. Everyone in this book has secrets. My primary criticism of this book is that it reads a bit like an exercise in writing a gothic mystery, with loaded phrases and descriptions, and people saying and doing cryptic things instead of fessing up so that the truth can be known. At times I could almost hear the “dun dun dun” noise in the background. For example:

“A door slammed somewhere in the distance, and Loxby’s old walls seemed to groan in response. Muffled footsteps resonated through the twisting corridors of the ground floor, and then an unexpected silence took hold.” (p. 22 of the advance reader copy)

Some of the plot twists are a little contrived. Some of the characters are a little flat. But still this book is a lot of fun and a nice diversion in troubled times. The book has no sex or language and minimal violence. It is not particularly religious.

I read an advance reader copy of The Vanishing at Loxby Manor from Netgalley. The Galesburg Public Library will own The Vanishing at Loxby Manor in multiple formats when it is published.

Beauty Among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski

From the publisher: 

American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming.

Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light.

Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love?

 

Let me preface this by saying that romance isn't one of my usual genres, so this won't be from an experienced fan's viewpoint. Despite this, I've somehow found myself on the romance email lists, and of course I'll look at the blurb of every book that comes my way. I've had a little more success enjoying historical or paranormal romances, so between the cover and the description, I figured I'd give this one a try.

I very much enjoyed Downton Abbey and that definitely influenced me picking this one up. There's very much the same flavor here, given the same time period and similar setting. As described by the publisher, the book follows Lily and Alec as they deal with the War, financial hardships, and their growing feelings for each other. The 'mysterious events' provide a narrative framework for moving the story along, but I would have been just as happy without them, or if they were toned down a little. The characters are well developed, with definite growth in both Lily and Alec, the dialog is believable, and the author was kind enough to include a Gaelic and Scots glossary. Reading the publisher's description again, Lily's backstory could have stood with a bit more developing; the book opens with her sneaking up from a servants' party, but other than that there is little written on what was bad enough to send her away. 

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm very glad I took a chance on it. I definitely recommend it for romance fans, and those who enjoyed Downton Abbey. Beauty Among Ruins will be available at the Galesburg Public Library after its January 12, 2021 release date. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

 If you are a fan of Andy Weir's novel The Martian, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that he has a new novel coming out, and it's great. The bad news is it's not coming out until May. I was fortunate to read an advance reader copy from Netgalley. I will reread it or listen to the audio when it is published.

A man wakes up. He doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t know where he is. A cool female voice is asking him “what’s two plus two?”

This book is so funny. Not like laugh out loud all the time, although I did laugh out loud at times, but the main character's humor resonates with me. Also he never swears, for reasons, which amused me to no end. (“‘Holy moly!’ I say. ‘Holy moly’? Is that my go-to expression of surprise? I mean, it’s okay I guess. I would have expected something a little less 1950s. What kind of weirdo am I?” (p. 20 of the ARC)) (I wonder if this is a reaction to complaints about all the swearing in The Martian.)

There’s a lot of joking about how hard it is to be an American scientist because you grew up with imperial units but need metrics for science. I totally want to hang with this guy. There's a great bromance (for lack of a better word). I don't want to spoil the book too much but it's a very touching relationship and reflection on friendship.  There is also a strong female character. 

I recently read another book about someone who wakes up on a spaceship alone and doesn't know who they are - Across the Void by S.K. Vaughn. Project Hail Mary is so much better. And there is a very good, scientific reason why the main character wakes up not knowing his name or immediate past in Project Hail Mary.

Did you enjoy the movie Arrival? Well, Project Hail Mary isn't really like Arrival, but it is too. Very science-y. Full of wonder. You know all those movies, books, and TV shows where all the aliens want to do is kill us? This book...isn't like those either. 

If you are a Star Trek fan, think - the best of Star Trek. Cooperation and problem solving. I was honestly crying tears of joy at the very end (or perhaps I should say my face was leaking - you'll get that after you read the book). Extra points for believable pop culture references.

I'm glad Weir has switched back to a male main character. My biggest issue with his second book, Artemis, was that I just didn't buy the internal voice of the female main character. There were a couple of places in Project Hail Mary that seemed a little silly and out of place, but only a couple. On the whole I fell into this book and didn’t want to leave. 

Project Hail Mary is a definite recommend from me. Can't wait to read it again. Can’t wait for the movie. (Two words: jazz hands. You’ll get that after you read the book too.) The Galesburg Public Library will own it in every format in which it is available in May 2021. 

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

From the publisher:
 

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.

But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?

The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.

 

Yes, it's another A Blank of Blank and Blank YA fantasy title. But look at the rest of that cover! I really look forward to the day when West Africa will be a fantasy setting as common as 'medieval Europe', but since we're unfortunately not there yet, yes, this will be inevitably be compared to Children of Blood and Bone (see previous comment re: titles). In my opinion, it's the much better novel of the two. I added this to my Want to Read list when it came across my radar back in May, and I'm very glad I got a chance to get read it.

As indicated above, the story is told through alternating points of view, Malik's and Karina's. Both characters, as well as the supporting cast are well written, although I did find some of the council members tended to blur together. The world building is fantastic, and no prior knowledge of West African customs or folklore is necessary. I found it notable, especially in these Interesting Times, that the author chose to write Malik as someone who deals with anxiety and panic attacks. I don't think I've seen this before in a fantasy novel, and it's well written. The ending is perfectly set up for the sequel and I can't wait to return to this world again. 

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is available at Galesburg Public Library through inter-library loan.

 

  

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

 From the publisher:

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.

HER NAME WILL BE LEGEND

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.

Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

 

If Lore sounds like a cross between The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson, you're right. If you enjoy one or both of those, you'll probably enjoy Lore. If you're not familiar with either franchise, but do have an interest in Greek mythology, hidden societies, and revenge, you'll also probably enjoy Lore. As indicated by the publisher, this YA but entertaining for adult readers novel follows Lore as she tries to distance herself from the society that her family has been a part of for almost 2000 years. The descendants of the famous heroes like Perseus and Heracles hunt down the remaining original gods, as well as those who were once mortal but have achieved immortality in a previous Agon. I found this to be a unique twist on the demigod/descendant motif that's so popular right now. 

Lore is well-written and action packed. I believe the body count is probably close to that of The Hunger Games, but with more on-screen violence. I found the dialog and pacing to be well done, and I'd definitely like to see more of this world. While Lore reads as white, two of the main supporting characters are Korean and Black, and there's some LGBTQIA+ representation as well. 

Whether you're looking for something similar to a familiar series, or want to dive into a novel that will have you looking up lesser known figures from Greek mythology, I highly recommend Lore. 

Lore will be available from Galesburg Public Library after it is published in January of 2021. Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and Hyperion and NetGalley for the full e-ARC.

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

From the publisher: A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. 

As a bit of hardboiled genre fiction, Winter Counts is a bit of a mixed bag. Virgil Wounded Horse is an enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He’s a man happy to take cash off your hands in exchange for delivering a beating to baddies in need of a message. But when his nephew overdoses and almost dies, he gets caught up in a much larger and more righteous crusade against conspirators, drug cartels, and Native American politicking.

What author David Heska Wanbli Weiden does here essentially amounts to reinterpreting the hardboiled detective novel within the context of Native American life in the present day. The template remains the same, though. Virgil is aloof, grumpy, and morally dubious. He has a soft spot for his nephew, but he has complicated past romantic relationships with his inability to feel. He wants to do the right thing, but his independence and insistence on working alone often works to self-sabotage. The problem, then, is that all of this is only signaled rather than developed. Weiden constantly tells us how damaged and compromised Virgil is, all predicated on his lack of compunction for visiting violence upon others, but everything else about Virgil is little more than hagiography. He is always shown to be an upstanding guy who makes the ethical decision, cares for this loved ones, and protects those who need protecting at the expense of his own safety. Nothing is complicated here, and after an effective setup, the plot zips by without offering any twisty-turny fun, only actually demonstrating a couple narrative developments which are simply explained in exposition so that the readers know why what’s happening is happening. There’s also very little insight into Native American community or culture here, which is particularly frustrating as the premise offers all sorts of specifics that have never (or at least very rarely) been explored in “detective” fiction.

For all that, it remains an easy read with memorable (if shallow) characters. For fans of private eye literature, Winter Counts offers a pivot that many may find refreshing, and if it doesn’t fully succeed in transplanting the action in a meaningful way, it still offers something of a shift from more generic treatments.

Winter Counts is available for checkout from the Galesburg Public Library in hardcover or audiobook, as well as through ADML as an eBook.

Creepy Reads: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

 From the publisher:

It began with rumours from China about another pandemic. Then the cases started to multiply and what had looked like the stirrings of a criminal underclass, even the beginning of a revolution, soon revealed itself to be much, much worse.

Faced with a future of mindless man-eating horror, humanity was forced to accept the logic of world government and face events that tested our sanity and our sense of reality. Based on extensive interviews with survivors and key players in the ten-year fight against the horde, World War Z brings the finest traditions of journalism to bear on what is surely the most incredible story in the history of human civilisation.

 

So...yeahhh....I downloaded this audiobook on January 26, 2020, based heavily on the extraordinary cast (more about that later). I didn't start listening to it until a couple months ago, and I just finished it a couple days ago (I'm a slow listener) (and was distracted by 19 hours of Stamped from the Beginning). Taken by itself, World War Z is an incredible novel about a devastating pandemic. In these Interesting Times? Hoo boy. 

Max (son of Anne Bancroft and Mel) Brooks' best selling The Zombie Survival Guide came out in 2003, the same year that The Walking Dead comic premiered and helped usher in the wave of zombie-mania that's still getting fluids everywhere. Following up in 2006, World War Z takes place in the same world as his previous book. There's a viral source, it's spread by bodily fluids, and it reanimates the dead. WWZ  is a gripping account of the 10 years the world spent battling zombies, told through first person accounts from around the world. It traces the virus' emergence in China, then across the globe. World leaders and countries' responses are detailed, as well as the development of weapons and resistance. Critical battles are analyzed by both soldiers and commanders alike, and the cultural and environmental impacts are pondered. 

I'd read the book once years ago and really enjoyed it. When I saw that there was an audiobook with a stellar cast, I picked it up right away.  The cast list includes Nathan Fillion, Simon Pegg, Martin Scorsese, Jeri Ryan, Henry Rollins, Mark Hamill, Kal Penn, Alan Alda, and the late, great Rene Auberjonois and Carl Reiner, among others. The cast offers a captivating look into people around the world dealing with a plague that has changed everything they know. It is genuinely creepy in some parts, and then there's the whole 'world dealing with a pandemic' and 'actions government officials take (and don't take)' parts, and it may not be the best thing for you to listen to right now. You know you. But I do highly recommend this book in whichever flavor is your favorite.

Please note that the movies World War Z has nothing in common with the book besides the title.

World War Z is available from Galesburg Public Library in both Playaway (audio) and paperback formats. 

 

 

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

 

Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice—catastrophic events known as Drains—leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives. Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him.

After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal . . . for everyone but them. After all, what do you do when you’re the most famous people on Earth, your only education was in magical destruction, and your purpose in life is now fulfilled?

Of the five, Sloane has had the hardest time adjusting. Everyone else blames the PTSD—and her huge attitude problem—but really, she’s hiding secrets from them . . . secrets that keep her tied to the past and alienate her from the only four people in the world who understand her.

On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. When the others gather for the funeral, they discover the Dark One’s ultimate goal was much bigger than they, the government, or even prophecy could have foretold—bigger than the world itself. And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give.

Things I Liked

• Despite the fact that Roth is writing a sequel to Chosen Ones, the book didn’t end on a cliffhanger. It leaves just enough unanswered that I will read the sequel, but I still felt satisfied with the conclusion
• It has a well-written, very sweet love story. And a very interesting sort-of-but-not-quite love triangle that I was not expecting.
• I really enjoyed the wide cast of characters. Although I would’ve loved to learn more about some of them (hopefully in the sequel!), they were interesting, and an inspiring group in a very real way. They are flawed and broken, but they are strong and tenacious. I also liked that the characters are a very diverse group, with an array of races, backgrounds, and sexual orientations represented.
• The story is interspersed with letters, news articles, journal entries, and passages from fake textbooks that give more background into the story and clues as to what is going to happen. The different media provided a fun break from the narrative and was an interesting way of furthering the story.
• The book has a few great plot twists that I was not anticipating.
• The story is a very interesting mix of dystopian and fantasy. It’s hard to decide which category it fits best in. It takes place in an alternate Chicago, where five teens have to save the world, but the world also has magic in it, which is used in varying degrees. It also has a bit of science fiction mixed in, when alternate universes come into play. This clash of genres could have easily gone badly, but Roth makes them work together in a unique way that was exciting to read.

Things I didn’t like

• Even though it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, it also didn’t feel finished. I didn’t know until after finishing it that there would be a sequel, so the ending seemed especially abrupt. I still have unanswered questions, but hopefully they will be answered in the second book.
• The pacing got a little bit slow at times, especially when Roth gets very detailed about places and architecture of Chicago.
• While I liked the story and plot, the villain’s actions were very strange. In the end, his reasoning and motives seemed wildly disproportionate to his actions, which made me question the entire storyline a bit.

Overall, this was exactly what I needed for a quarantine pick me up. While it is maybe not the most original plot, I thought it was told in an original way, from an adult perspective years after they’ve saved the world. Despite being an adult novel, it’s very reminiscent of a young adult dystopian novel (plus magic), which I loved. If you’re from the Chicago area and you like dystopian or fantasy books, I would give it a try. Roth grew up in the Chicago area and lives in Chicago, so the details about the city are abundant (sometimes too abundant) and specific. I would recommend Chosen Ones for fans of Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, or fans of dystopian novels in general.

The Galesburg Public Library owns this book in regular print format, as well as an ebook through both the Libby and Axis360 apps.

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

From the publisher: THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET SERIOUS FOR HARRY DRESDEN, CHICAGO’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL WIZARD, in the next entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files.

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

After I reviewed Peace Talks last month, I knew I had to review this 17th book featuring "the other wizard named Harry" as soon as possible. As I mentioned in the Peace Talks review, Battle Ground is the second half of that story, which was originally one book but was split in half by the publisher. While I think splitting into two books was probably the right decision, neither book feels quite complete on its own so I recommend reading the two back-to-back if at all possible.

For those unfamiliar with the series, I recommend starting with Storm Front, the first book, rather than jumping in here. The rest of this review may contain some spoilers for earlier books in the series, so please stop reading now if you don't want to know anything about the earlier books.

Since it was basically the first half of one story, Peace Talks left readers with a lot of unanswered questions:

• What happens when Harry Dresden's divided loyalties between the White Council of wizards and the Winter Court come into conflict?
• Why did Harry's brother Thomas try to assassinate the svartalf king?
• Can even the combined forces of the Accorded nations survive the onslaught of Ethniu and the Fomor?
• Even if they survive, can the world ever be the same after such a large-scale conflict happens out in the open?
• Do krakens have souls?

Okay, that last one isn't a lingering question from the last book, but readers are going to find out the answer anyway. 😁

One side effect of being the second half of a two-part story is that Battle Ground has a LOT of action. From start to finish, this book is practically one long sequence of action scenes and battles. The stakes here are higher than they've ever been before, with the fate of all of Chicago and possibly the entire world riding on Harry's success. But thanks to his tangled relationships and family, the personal stakes are still quite high as well. Harry still has family and loved ones to protect, even as some of them fight beside him and try to keep him safe as well. Thanks to the relentless pace of the story, I was totally sucked in and finished all 402 pages of this book in just one day.

All in all, Battle Ground has everything that was missing from the last book and more. It brings a true Dresden Files action climax with all the cool moments, sarcastic wit, and heart-wrenching drama that fans have come to expect from Jim Butcher over the first 16 books. Fans of the series will not be disappointed. The hardcover edition also contains a short story called "Christmas Eve," which was previously published online on the author's website.

Battle Ground is available to check out from Galesburg Public Library in hardcover format, and through the library's ebook collections using the Libby and Axis360 apps.

The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson and Michael Crichton

From the publisher:  Fifty years after The Andromeda Strain made Michael Crichton a household name—and spawned a new genre, the technothriller—the threat returns, in a gripping sequel that is terrifyingly realistic. In 1967, an extraterrestrial microbe came crashing down to Earth and nearly ended the human race. Accidental exposure to the particle—designated the Andromeda Strain—killed every resident of the town of Piedmont, Arizona, save for an elderly man and an infant boy. Over the next five days, a team of top scientists assigned to Project Wildfire worked valiantly to save the world. Now, a Brazilian drone detects a bizarre anomaly in the jungle, and, worse yet, the tell-tale chemical signature of the deadly microparticle. The next-generation Project Wildfire is activated, and a diverse team of experts from all over the world is dispatched to investigate the potentially apocalyptic threat.

The Galesburg Public Library's Tome Raiders book club read and discussed Andromeda Strain last month and Andromeda Evolution this month. While I won’t say I think a sequel was necessary, on the whole it was pretty entertaining. The sequel was written by Daniel H. Wilson (an actual roboticist) with permission and encouragement from Crichton’s family.

There’s a disabled member of the Wildfire team, which is refreshing, and three women to two men on the team. (In the original book, all the team members were men, although one was changed to a woman for the movie.) The human who turns out to be the closest thing the book has to a villain is an unexpected choice. Also, I knew the baby from The Andromeda Strain had to make an appearance, and I was right! 

This book was clearly written in hopes of being turned into a movie. The climactic scenes are blockbuster movie territory. If you enjoyed the original book, you might enjoy the sequel. The Galesburg Public Library has both The Andromeda Strain and The Andromeda Evolution in print and as ebooks. We also own The Andromeda Strain movie!

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

 

From the publisher: When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

The year is 2008. It’s November 21, and it’s finally started to get cold. I stand in line outside the tiny theatre with 17 other girls from my sophomore English class, as well as the three teachers from the English department. I’m about to spend the $30 my parents gave me on too much popcorn, soda, and Twizzler’s, and I’ll definitely have a stomachache by the end of the night. But it doesn’t matter — because we’re about to watch Twilight. I don’t think any teenager in the late aughts could truthfully say they don’t have a similar memory.

Fast forward to 2020, and Stephenie Meyer announces her remedy for the pandemic: Midnight Sun, aka Twilight, from Edward’s perspective. The book had been teased for years, ever since an unfinished draft was leaked on the Internet in 2008 and Meyer put the project on hold indefinitely. But in August, a final version was released (and promptly sold more than a million copies in the first week, proving I’m not the only one suckered in by teenage nostalgia for the series.) I took one for the team and read the 627-page novel and I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s exactly what you’re expecting.

Is Midnight Sun good? No. Is Midnight Sun entertaining? Absolutely. It’s the perfect book to read on a cold, autumn day to distract from the real world — you know, the one without sparkly forever-teenaged vampires.

Midnight Sun is available for checkout from the Galesburg Public Library in hardcover or audiobook, as well as through ADML as an eBook.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

 

From the publisher:
 

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.

But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…

 

Hugo and Nebula award-winning author Ursula Vernon writes awesome children's books, including the popular Dragonbreath series. But some of her books for older readers can be a bit dark, and rather than risk scarring children for life, she also write under the name T. Kingfisher. I've loved Ursula's writing and artwork for decades, and her earlier books were comfort re-reads during the spring quarantine. So the odds were pretty good that I would enjoy this one. And I did.

As described by the publisher, Mona's talent lies in bread. She can make cookies dance, tell the muffins they don't want to burn, and then there's Bob. Bob is the sourdough starter she 'created' when she was younger, who now lives in a bucket in the basement and blorps happily in greeting when she comes down to feed him flour. The book opens with Mona discovering the body of a young woman on the bakery floor, and unfortunately her day goes downhill from there.

As stated above, it was likely that I would enjoy this book, but I definitely think it will appeal to new readers as well. The characters are well thought out, the magic system makes sense and the focus on one particular aspect (like bread) allows for further imaginings. The situations and dialog are frequently humorous, such as arguing over whether baked goods created for wartime situations should be smiling or not (and whether angry frosting eyebrows will make things better or worse). There is drama and tension, and I did cry at the end.  As with many of the author's characters, minimal physical description is given, so the characters, for the most part, don't read as one race or another. 

Yes, the protagonist is 14, but this is a perfectly fine book for Grown Ups, and would be suitable for some younger readers as well. The book does open with a dead body, there's a carnivorous sourdough starter (not the most terrifying creature in the junior fiction section, I can assure you), and Mona must deal with the fact that the adults don't have everything under control, and even the People in Charge sometimes can't fix everything.

If you're looking for a fantasy that will make you hungry, I highly recommend this one. 

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is available at Galesburg Public Library via inter-library loan.

The Windsor Knot: A Novel by SJ Bennett

 From the publisher:

The first book in a highly original and delightfully clever crime series in which Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves crimes while carrying out her royal duties.

It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations. But the preparations are interrupted when a guest is found dead in one of the Castle bedrooms. The scene suggests the young Russian pianist strangled himself, but a badly tied knot leads MI5 to suspect foul play was involved. The Queen leaves the investigation to the professionals—until their suspicions point them in the wrong direction.

Unhappy at the mishandling of the case and concerned for her staff’s morale, the monarch decides to discreetly take matters into her own hands. With help from her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian and recent officer in the Royal Horse Artillery, the Queen secretly begins making inquiries. As she carries out her royal duties with her usual aplomb, no one in the Royal Household, the government, or the public knows that the resolute Elizabeth will use her keen eye, quick mind, and steady nerve to bring a murderer to justice.

 

'"Oh, not at all," Humphreys said, with an indulgent smile. "You underestimate President Putin."

The Queen considered that she did not underestimate President Putin, thank you very much, and resented being told she did.'*

 

Let me start this review by saying that neither mysteries nor the British royal family are my usual interests. I'm aware of them, I occasionally read them or pay attention past the headlines, but that's about it. So I'm not the best to speak on the quality of the plot compared to the rest of the genre, nor the accuracy of the Queen and Prince Philip (the only members given much attention). I can, however, say that this was a fun read. In this series, Queen Elizabeth has been solving mysteries since she was a girl, often with the help of her Assistant Private Secretary. Now as her 90th birthday approaches, the Queen finds herself on the case again, this time with a brand new APS. 

I found this book to be a lovely escape. The diverse cast of characters is well written and differentiated, and the dialog flows well. I found the wrapping up of the murder case itself to be a little murky, but as stated above, this is not my usual genre, and it may be crystal clear to others. Overall I would definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to reading future volumes in the series. 

 The Windsor Knot will be available from Galesburg Public Library when it is published in March of 2021. Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for the e-ARC.  

 *Above quote is from an advanced copy and will be checked against final publication.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

 

From the publisher: From the New York Times bestselling author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.

The Scholomance is a legendary school from folklore that author Naomi Novik has claimed for her own in A Deadly Education, the first book in a new series. I love Novik’s Temeraire series and enjoyed her two fairy tales Uprooted and Spinning Silver as well.

It took me about 80 pages to get into A Deadly Education. I was asking myself who wrote it, as Novik normally captivates me from page 1, and that did not happen with A Deadly Education. However, it finally clicked in, and I enjoyed the last two thirds of the book. I feel I need to start over and see what I think of the first third the second time through.

The world building is amazing if at times a little too detailed. There are definitely info dump passages. There are new vocabulary words that are a little too similar and I could have done with a glossary. The character development is surface level – hopefully we will get to know these characters better in book two. The protagonist Galadriel is a little too stereotypically an anti-hero; the hero Orion is a little too stereotypically a hero.

There is a fun obligatory Lord of the Rings reference for Ringers, and the ending is a shock and a slam dunk and makes me wonder how I can wait a year for book two.

My one big issue with A Deadly Education is that Novik’s main character, Galadriel aka El, is a mean bully. She’s smart, talented, powerful, and resourceful. But she’s also throwing herself a lifelong pity party, which got old with her as the first person narrator, and she is a mean, rude, bully. Especially right now, that strikes a very wrong note with me.

I will read book two for the action and wonder, but I hope El shows some serious growth as a person, and I hope we see character development in the rest of the cast. If you enjoyed Harry Potter and might enjoy reading another series about a magical high school, I recommend A Deadly Education. It’s available at the Galesburg Public Library as a print book and an ebook.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley, but I did check the final copy to make sure there was no glossary. 

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Swedish author burst onto the American book scene in 2014 with A Man Called Ove. Backman has a very distinct writing style, and it’s on full display in his new novel Anxious People. I’m sure his style is not to everyone’s taste, but Backman really speaks to me. I loved A Man Called Ove and Beartown; maybe I didn’t love Anxious People quite as much but I still loved it. There are a lot of characters in this book and no main character, and I didn’t quite feel like I connected with anyone like I did with Ove. I still enjoyed this earnest, heartfelt story.

I heard Fredrik Backman speak in a webinar recently, and he suffers from anxiety. Anxious People was not supposed to be about anxiety, but that’s what it turned into. Backman can’t keep thoughts on anxiety and suicide out of his books, but they are somehow happy anxiety books. By that I mean, people who are depressed and anxious and who feel inadequate carry on and do the best they can and do some things very well.

The story in Anxious People is “spoiled” for us by the narrator straight off. The story meanders all over, doubling back to explain things we’ve already read. It’s repetitive, in an OCD kind of way. And yet to me it does not feel like Backman is trying to be clever. I believe this is how his mind works.

This book addresses the need to understand that everyone is out there struggling and the need for kindness and empathy. It’s a rare book that makes me cry, and I can legit say I was crying at the end.

I read an advance reader copy of Anxious People provided by Netgalley. The book was published in early September 2020 and is available at the Galesburg Public Library in print, audio, and digital.

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

From the Publisher: HARRY DRESDEN IS BACK AND READY FOR ACTION, in the new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files.

When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

Harry Dresden is back in the 16th book in Jim Butcher's urban fantasy series, and the first full-length novel since 2014's Skin Game. This far into the series, fans likely know what to expect: explosive action, snarky humor, lovable secondary characters (a great many of whom appear in this book), and ever-increasing stakes. 

Readers new to the Dresden Files series might prefer to start with the first book, Storm Front, also available for checkout at GPL. You also might want to stop reading here, to avoid spoilers for other books in the series.

The big thing thing to know about Peace Talks is that it's an incomplete story - the manuscript was large enough that the publisher split the book in two. As a result, many plot threads begin in Peace Talks that won't be resolved until the next book, which leaves the story feeling incomplete. Thankfully, Battle Ground, the next book, comes out on September 29th so it's not too long of a wait.

Peace Talks begins with Harry, Chicago's only practicing wizard/private detective, balancing his duties as a Warden of the White Council, as Knight of the Winter Court, and as a father raising both a human child and a spiritual one. The peaceful, domestic bliss is short-lived though, as several big events hit at once:

• Harry's vampire brother Thomas informs Harry that he's expecting a child
• The White Council of wizards is holding in inquest whether to revoke Harry's status as a member of the Council, even as...
• Queen Mab of the Winter Court is holding a peace talks summit between signatories of her Accords, which will bring important members of the supernatural community from all over the world to Chicago. As both a Warden of the White Council and the Winter Knight, Harry will have to represent both groups at the event and put his divided loyalties to the test.
• The Accords are disrupted even before they begin by an assassination attempt made against the king of the Svartalves, and the assassin turns out to be someone very close to Harry.

With all of this going on, things are even crazier for Harry than ever before. The peace talks bring all sorts of characters from previous books and short stories back to Chicago, which is a fun treat for readers. Harry's trademark sarcastic wit is still very much on display, but Butcher has also done a great job developing our favorite wizard/detective into a wiser, more mature Harry with a family to protect. 

However, because the story was split into two books, many of the plot threads set up in Peace Talks are left unresolved until the next one. While hardcore fans will be eager to devour this new entry into the series, more casual fans might prefer to wait until they can read the whole story at once.

Peace Talks is available for checkout from Galesburg Public Library in hardcover format, and through the library's ebook collections using the Libby and Axis360 apps.

The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

WHY hasn’t this book been made into a movie? It’s hilarious with a cast of characters actors would love to sink their teeth into.

If you love Jane Austen, you’ve probably discovered Georgette Heyer. Her Regency novels are well researched and a lot of fun. This one was a little slow starting, but once I got past the overly long set up I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our timid hero His Grace the Duke of Sale was a sickly child born early to a mother who died in childbirth. As his father was already dead, he was a duke from the day he was born. He has been cossetted and bullied by his hovering relatives and servants his entire life. The only person who knows there is more to Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware (aka Gilly) than meets the eye is his cousin Gideon. When another cousin finds himself in a scrape, Gilly disguises himself, escapes his retinue, and sets off on an adventure to solve the problem and learn about himself.

Some of the great characters in this novel include our undersized hero, his oversized cousin, his well meaning but bullying uncle, the charming villain of the piece, the dim beauty who will go off with any kind man who promises to buy her a purple dress, the wild teenager Gilly rescues on the road, and Gilly’s shy intended Harriet.

If you enjoy well written, true to the times Regency fiction and have not yet discovered Georgette Heyer, check her out! And somebody please make The Foundling into a movie!

The Galesburg Public Library has The Foundling as a book and an ebook available through Overdrive/Libby.

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

From the publisher: Before there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Ellen Alpsten's rich, sweeping debut novel is the story of her rise to power.

St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless and passionate as Peter himself.

Born into devastating poverty, Catherine used her extraordinary beauty and shrewd intelligence to ingratiate herself with Peter’s powerful generals, finally seducing the Tsar himself. But even amongst the splendor and opulence of her new life—the lavish feasts, glittering jewels, and candle-lit hours in Peter’s bedchamber—she knows the peril of her position. Peter’s attentions are fickle and his rages powerful; his first wife is condemned to a prison cell, her lover impaled alive in Red Square. And now Catherine faces the ultimate test: can she keep the Tsar’s death a secret as she plays a lethal game to destroy her enemies and take the Crown for herself?

So, like many people, my knowledge of Russian history is mostly confined to Rasputin and the Romanovs, and names like Peter, Catherine, and Ivan, and wars being fought in terrible winters, with no real idea of the details. So I was excited to read a novel about a female ruler I had never heard of, Catherine I (not Catherine the Great), who rose from poverty to empress. In the publisher's information, New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin is quoted as saying Tsarina 'makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme", and this is absolutely the case. This is a book filled with depictions of violence, sexual assault, torture, and multiple consensual sex scenes. You should be aware of what you're getting into before you start reading.

As stated by the author, the book opens as Peter the Great is dying. With the line of succession in question, Catherine declares herself empress. While waiting to hear how Peter's grandson and the city will take the news, she thinks back to her (very) humble beginnings as a illiterate serf named Marta in what is now Estonia (according to Wikipedia). From there she ends up as a maid to a cruel merchant, then later in the household of a pastor. After a very brief arranged marriage to a soldier, she is rescued from yet another rape and ends up in Peter's camp. Once taken under the wing of his best friend's mistress, she begins a whirlwind life as a royal mistress and later Peter's wife. While she genuinely loves Peter, she is also very much aware of how much of her position lies in producing a surviving male heir. She will let little stop her in her efforts to secure her life and standing.

I found this book to be an absorbing read for the most part. The stark contrast between the life of an average Russian citizen and the glittering nobility is a constant theme throughout the novel. The book was difficult to follow in the beginning scene, when many characters in Peter's court are introduced with little backstory or context. It was difficult to appreciate Catherine's precarious position at the time without this information. I would be very curious to read a well-written biography now, and see how much of what is in Tsarina is historically accurate and what was added to make a better story. If you're a fan of historical fiction or Game of Thrones, you should check this one out.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Tsarina will be out on November 10, 2020 and will be available from Galesburg Public Library.

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

From the publisher: Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.

Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.

Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She plans on keeping a low profile until graduation…which is why she promised herself that dating was officially a no-go this year.

Then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? How is Georgia supposed to keep her promise when sparks start flying with a boy like Pony?

Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding love—and finding yourself.

Please note that this review is coming from a middle aged cisgender woman. 

This is a book I'd been looking forward to for awhile now, and I was happy to see it show up in a pandemic-delayed delivery of ARCs (advanced reading copies). While the basic premise is as described in the publisher's blurb above, this is much less of a fluffy rom-com than indicated. Those aspects and tropes are definitely present, and wonderfully done, but this is an #ownvoices story, and current reality is unfortunately very present in the form of transphobia, homophobia, slurs, dead naming, dysphoria, violent bullying, suicidal thoughts, and public outing, among other content and trigger warnings. Two of the characters closest to Pony, Georgia and his friend Max, react negatively to him going stealth in different but hurtful ways. Readers should definitely be aware of what they're getting into before starting this one.

That being said, I really did enjoy this story and some of the characters. I absolutely adore Pony and was very much cheering for him. I also enjoyed the dialog between him and Georgia. Unfortunately, I just couldn't like Georgia all that much. I felt she was written rather one-dimensionally; when we do get to see more of her than the facade she's erected for herself, you see the potential for character development. Regrettably, this comes only in the latter half of the book. The ending does come together a bit too neatly, but certainly fits within the rom-com format. In fact, most of the criticisms I have with Stay Gold would be par for the course if it were more firmly rooted in that genre. Despite my critiques, this book had me turning pages to see what happened next, and I'm very glad to see more #ownvoices stories out there. I definitely recommend Stay Gold with the warnings mentioned earlier, and I look forward to reading Tobly's next book.

Galesburg Public Library will be obtaining a copy of Stay Gold in the near future.   

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

From the publisher: A compelling debut by a new voice in fantasy fiction, The Conductors features the magic and mystery of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files written with the sensibility and historical setting of Octavia Butler’s Kindred: Introducing Hetty Rhodes, a magic-user and former conductor on the Underground Railroad who now solves crimes in post–Civil War Philadelphia.

The Conductors is a delightful blend of history, mystery, fantasy, and romance. Hetty and Benjy met as conductors on the Underground Railroad and thought it made sense to stay together. Theirs is a marriage of convenience – or is it? Then dead bodies marked with a cursed symbol start turning up, and it seems natural for the pair to investigate.

The story opens with a bang, as Hetty and Benjy work together to free some people who have been kidnapped so their magic can be harvested. The magic in this story is pretty cool; without too much explanation it still made sense to me. Hetty and Benjy are an interesting couple. Both carry secrets – and both care more than the other knows. Hetty is a prickly strong and independent woman who has a good heart. She and Benjy are equals in their relationship. Their talents complement each other, and they protect one another. 

Flashbacks to before the war, when Hetty and Benjy were escaped slaves, flesh out the story without being confusing. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, but they add a lot to the story. The humor is subtle and believable. This book is not nonstop action. Some might call it slow moving. That didn’t bother me, but it might not be fast paced enough for all readers.

The Conductors would make a terrific movie. I hope we see more of the adventures of Hetty and Benjy and their friends. I read an advance reader copy of The Conductors from Netgalley. Unfortunately this amazing book won’t be available until March 2021, when the Galesburg Public Library will own it as a print book, an audiobook, and an ebook. 

How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin

From the publisher: Three-time Hugo Award winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption that sharply examine modern society in her first collection of short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories.

Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story "The City Born Great," a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis's soul.

My book club has moved on-line in wake of the COVID pandemic, and we've switched gears in our selection. Realizing that many of us are having trouble finishing full length books, we chose the short story anthology How Long 'Til Black Future Month by N. K. Jemisin to follow up our discussion of Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. I do love a good anthology, and it's been close to a year since I've read one. And this was a fantastic book to jump back in with.

Published in 2018, HLTBHM is a collection of 22 stories covering the range from speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and dystopia. According to other reviewers, some are set in the same worlds as Jemisin's novels. I haven't read any of her previous works, and followed the stories in question with no issue. The majority of the main characters are black, and at least half of them are women. Overall, I found this to be a great collection. 'The City Born Great' absolutely deserved its 2017 Hugo nomination (the same year that N. K. Jemisin won Best Novel for the second year in a row). Other stand outs include 'Red Dirt Witch', the Jim Crow era fey story mentioned by the publisher, 'The Effluent Engine' set in a steampunk New Orleans that I would love to see more of, and 'Valedictorian', where the top student in each high school class is taken away, never to be seen again. There are a number of stories that didn't really grab me, and 'The Evaluators' suffered from formatting in that it told its story through dated emails and other transmissions that didn't scan very easily. In writing this review, it has also become very noticeable that the story title is not at the top of the page, making it difficult to flip back through. Overall, however, this is a wonderful anthology, and definitely worth your time.

How Long 'Til Black Future Month is available for curbside checkout from Galesburg Public Library in both regular and large print versions, as well as through the Libby app.

Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl by Jonathan C. Slaght

From the publisher: 

I saw my first Blakiston’s fish owl in the Russian province of Primorye, a coastal talon of land hooking south into the belly of Northeast Asia . . . No scientist had seen a Blakiston’s fish owl so far south in a hundred years . . .  

When he was just a fledgling birdwatcher, Jonathan C. Slaght had a chance encounter with one of the most mysterious birds on Earth. Bigger than any owl he knew, it looked like a small bear with decorative feathers. He snapped a quick photo and shared it with experts. Soon he was on a five-year journey, searching for this enormous, enigmatic creature in the lush, remote forests of eastern Russia. That first sighting set his calling as a scientist. 

Despite a wingspan of six feet and a height of over two feet, the Blakiston’s fish owl is highly elusive. They are also endangered. And so, as Slaght and his devoted team set out to locate the owls, they aim to craft a conservation plan that helps ensure the species’ survival. This quest sends them on all-night monitoring missions in freezing tents, mad dashes across thawing rivers, and free-climbs up rotting trees to check nests for precious eggs. They use cutting-edge tracking technology and improvise ingenious traps. And all along, they must keep watch against a run-in with a bear or an Amur tiger. At the heart of Slaght’s story are the fish owls themselves: cunning hunters, devoted parents, singers of eerie duets, and survivors in a harsh and shrinking habitat.

Through this rare glimpse into the everyday life of a field scientist and conservationist, Owls of the Eastern Ice testifies to the determination and creativity essential to scientific advancement and serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty, strength, and vulnerability of the natural world.

 For those who didn't get a chance to meet me back in the Children's Room in the whole three months I was there before the world turned upside down, I was an animal keeper for almost twenty years before coming to Galesburg Public Library. I was watching a webinar on upcoming autumn books when the presenter started talking about a researcher from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) who had worked with fish owls in Russia. Now, back in 2013 I attended a conservation conference (remember conferences?) and heard a WCS researcher talk about fish owls in Russia. If he had been talking about tigers, it might not have been the same guy, but once you get away from charismatic megafauna, the world gets pretty small. A quick Facebook search revealed that yep, Jonathan was the guy I had heard speak. NetGalley was kind enough to send me an ARC to review (thank you!), and I read through it within the week.

Owls of the Eastern Ice is a fantastic and fascinating first hand account into what goes into boots on the ground conservation. Jonathan, who is white, began working with Blakiston's fish owls as part of a multi-year study that took him into the wintry forests of Eastern Russia. Working with a number of Russian researchers and assistants, he set out to identify, trap, band, and attach monitors to the barely-studied fish owls, in addition to figuring out what type of habitat they needed. You can pass laws protecting a species from direct harm, but unless you protect the land and water that they need to feed and breed, you can still watch them slip through your fingers. Unfortunately, this basic information is lacking for many endangered species. Throughout the course of the years and the study, Jonathan and his party raced snowmobiles across melting rivers, discovered hours-old Amur tiger tracks next to their own, came up with brand new ways to trap a species rarely trapped before, dealt with temperatures that cause electronics to just give up, braved blizzards and less than hygienic food prep (seriously, A+ descriptions of field life here), and drank a lot of vodka with the locals.

One of the things that really jumped out at me was how well this book explains the basics of conservation field work. It describes how one goes about setting up a conservation biology based PhD study, including the courses you have to take during the off-season, the jobs you have to work to support yourself, the field work, and the dry statistics that come after you get home that lets you write that all important paper. Owls of the Eastern Ice focuses on how having the basic ecological information about a species, in the owls' case specific waterways and old-growth nesting trees, is so important. Targeting focused areas for preservation while freeing up other locations that can be safely used for commercial purposes is vital for getting local support for conservation.

This book is a wonderful look at a little-known species that looks like it came from the Jim Henson Company, a fantastic escape to a very different part of the world, and a well-written account of what goes in to saving a species. The book comes out on August 4 of this year, and Galesburg Public Library will have a copy. Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux @fsgbooks for the ARC.