A Haunting On the Hill, by Elizabeth Hand

Book number 47 for 2024; 5/5 stars.

I discovered this book at the library (anyone surprised?) and when I saw that it was an “authorized” sequel to Shirely Jackson’s classic The Haunting of Hill House, I immediately checked it out. 

In this book, we investigate what happens when a group of self-absorbed theater people spend a few nights at Hill House, in hopes of reading and rehearsing a new play that our main “hero” has written. Holly and her girlfriend, Nisa, have been working on a play called Witching Night. As Holly was out for a drive, one day, she was drawn to turn off of the main road onto a rarely used side road, where she eventually wound up at the gates of Hill House. She got out and looked around a little and decided that, creepy as it seemed, it would be a perfect place for them, along with Stevie, another friend, and Amanda Greer, a famous actress who was slightly past her prime, to read and rehearse.

They ignored everyone’s warnings. The realtor who now owns Hill House tried to talk Holly out of it, but went ahead and rented the house to her for two weeks. The first time Holly had driven up the road, a woman, who had been standing outside a double-wide trailer house, came toward her car with a raised knife and a somewhat wild, angry expression on her face. That woman, Evadne, turned out to be friends with Ainsley, the realtor, and aunt to Melissa, who was the woman who cleaned at Hill House every week. All of them sported the same ring on one of their fingers, made by Evadne.

Ms. Hand has done a marvelous job of continuing the legacy of Hill House. We learn in the acknowledgments that she had the blessing, encouragement, and suggestions from Laurence Jackson Hyman, Shirley’s son and “literary executor.” The psychological terror that ensues in this novel is equal to, and perhaps even surpasses that of the original book. As these four people spend time in this house, strange things happen. But they are things that makes the reader wonder, at first, is this house really haunted, or are these people just a little insane?

Time doesn’t seem to work the same at Hill House, either. In all, they don’t even spend two full nights in the house, but it doesn’t seem to flow that way. To me, the reader, it seemed like more nights, but that’s a trick that the house plays on people. And it has a way of making people not trust each other. As I said, these theater people were already self-absorbed, so it didn’t take much psychological pushing for them to begin bickering among themselves and having negative thoughts about one another.

One thing I really liked about the layout of the story is that all of Holly’s chapters were in first person, while everyone else’s chapters, Nisa, Stevie, and Amanda, were in third person. And we spent ample time in all of their heads.

The last third or so (around 100 pages) of the story is where things really begin to act like a snowball rolling down a mountain. The pace picks up and doesn’t slow down until the last chapter. The terror gets real, tempers flare, and the narcissism of each player comes to full fruition. One almost expected someone to crash into the tree at the turn in the road, again, but, you see, that tree had been cut down, as at least one other person had died from crashing into it. But then, how difficult would it have been for Hill House to grow it back?

One interesting detail . . . there is a large black hare that figures into this story, frequently. And every chapter in the book is headed by a simple drawing of a hare. Another interesting detail is that both Holly and Amanda have a strange death, from their past, in their immediate circle of influence. 

I loved this book! I’m very glad that I read it, and even more glad that Elizabeth Hand was allowed to write it. I do believe Ms. Jackson would have been pleased.

TTFN, y’all!

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, by Alan Bradley

Book number 46 for 2024; 5/5 stars.

This is book number seven of the Flavia de Luce series (not including what might be called 6.5, a stand-alone short story), and, in my opinion, it is the best one, so far.

This book picks up pretty much where The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches left off, with Flavia being sent away to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, near Toronto, in Canada. As our story begins, Flavia, now twelve years old, is on a ship from England to Canada, accompanied by Dorsey and Ryerson Rainsmith, both doctors that work for the Academy.

What makes this story so excellent is how Mr. Bradley has taken our hero and tossed her into a totally foreign environment, introducing her (and us) to a whole new cast of characters, and he does it without missing a beat! The same wonderful writing style is prevalent, throughout, and the only thing that changes is the location and the people.

There are some funny moments, as always, as young Flavia is so very precocious (one of my favorite lines in the book is when one of the other girls at the Academy says, “You are a very peculiar person, Flavia de Luce.” I dub this the understatement of the century! Bradley has such a way of putting sentences together, as well. At one point, the mind of Flavia is thinking, “The hours trudged by with chains on their ankles,” as she is riding on the train from Montreal to Toronto.

One of the most tragic parts of the book, to me, is when Flavia is in the middle of an encounter with the chemistry teacher, Mrs. Bannerman. Bannerman has given Flavia an expression, and Flavia is desperate attempting to interpret it.

“She gave me a smile which I could not decode: a smile in which she narrowed her eyes and raised only the corners of her mouth. What could it possibly mean?
“I looked at her for further signals, but she was sending none.
“And then it hit me with an almost physical force: approval. She had given me a look of approval, and because it was the first I had ever received in my life, I had not recognized it for what it was.”

You might not quite get this unless you have read other Flavia books, but if you have, you totally get how sad this is. There is a very interesting dynamic with her family. Speaking of that family, while they are mentioned in this book, we do not encounter any of them, as she spends the whole time in Canada, saving the very beginning.

And then Bradley drops the hugest of bombs on page 371, when a major plot twist is revealed. He is so good at this that I totally did not see it coming. And I love when an author pulls that off. I uttered an audible, “Oh, my gosh!” and my wife in the other room was like, “What’s wrong??” I just said, “my book,” and she understood.

As I said, this is the best one so far, in my opinion. I find it hard to imagine how he is going to outdo himself on the next one, but I will certainly read it to find out.

TTFN, y’all!

Just One Damned Thing After Another, by Jodi Taylor

Book number 45 for 2024; 5/5 stars.

This book was recommended by my manager at the library. It’s the first book in a series that has at least twenty books in it, now. I’m a fan of time travel stories, so I checked it out. Boy, am I glad I did!

We are introduced, in this book, to our “hero,” Madeleine Maxwell, usually referred to as “Max” in the story. She is recruited to join an outfit called “St. Mary’s,” that is funded, apparently, by a local university. Before she can even be interviewed, she must sign a NDA, stating that she can never discuss what she sees that day with anyone outside of St. Mary’s. Once she finally learns what is happening, she is all in.

The writing and story line, here, remind me quite a bit of Connie Willis’s work. I haven’t read all of hers but have read some, and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Willis’s work is a bit more serious, I think, as there were many moments in Just One Damned Thing when I was laughing out loud. But it has its deadly serious moments, as well, especially in the two major time jumps that the team does.

At one point, they go back to the Cretaceous period, which is thrilling. And one discovery that is made during that jump (or actually after it) leads them to the last jump of the book and what is attempted there. I’m not going to say any more about that one, in order to avoid spoilage. 

I was amused, early on, by a line that seem to sum up the attitude of Max perfectly. When told to think carefully about her decision as to whether she will join up with St. Mary’s, her thought was “Thinking carefully is something that happens to other people.” I rather love that line. Later on, it is almost repeated as she thinks, “Health and Safety is something that happens to other people.”

And just to add a little spice to the story, there is a sudden and almost unexpected (but not quite) sex scene on page 163 that is quite intense. As far as I can remember that is the only such scene in the book. 

I am quite looking forward to continuing in the series. I just looked at a favorite website, Book Series in Order, which recommends that I read The Very First Damned Thing next, even though it is the tenth volume in the series, as it is billed as a “prequel.”

TTFN, y’all!

Caliban’s War (The Expanse #2), by James S.A. Corey

This is the second book in the series of The Expanse, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, under the pseudonym James S.A. Corey. Just like its predecessor, this 600 page book doesn’t feel that long. Granted, there is a blank page between most of the chapters but that only accounts for just over fifty of the pages. What I’m saying is that this book reads fast. It holds my interest and it, for the most part, doesn’t dawdle.

I love this series, so far. I’ve seen several seasons of the TV show, so I’m still playing catch-up with the books, but they seem to have followed the story fairly closely in the show. I will say that I like Amos a lot more in the books than I do in the TV show.

In this book, we are introduced to Sargeant Roberta Draper, who likes to be called “Bobbi” or “Gunny.” She is a Martian soldier, and she is huge, compared to Earthers. At the beginning of the story, she and her squad mates are faced with a monster that is composed of the protomolecule that James Holden and company faced on Eros in the first book. Bobbie Draper is the only survivor. She winds up meeting the assistant to the undersecretary of executive administration of the UN, Chrisjen Avasarala. I absolutely love this character. I liked her in the TV show (I think she was perfectly cast), and I like her even more in the books. 

We are also dealing with a situation on Ganymede, where a doctor’s child (Mei) has been kidnapped because of an immunity disorder that she has. A number of other children were kidnapped, as well. Her father, Praxidike (we just call him Prax), is looking for her, and hires Holden and company to help him. 

That’s as far into the plot as I will go, here. But the writing continues to be engaging, and, as I said, it doesn’t feel like a 600 page book at all. These guys have done a marvelous job of crafting a great science fiction story. I look forward to reading more.

There is some great humor in this story, as well. The interactions between the characters makes me laugh frequently, especially when we are focused on James Holden, Naomi, Alex (the pilot) and Amos. The banter between them is reminiscent of the banter that flows between the Soobs on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

There is one thing I may have missed, though. I don’t get the reference to the title. Who, or what, is Caliban?? It’s very possible I just glossed over it, while reading. 

I recommend this book, this series, to any lover of planetary science fiction. 

TTFN, y’all!

The Guinevere Deception, by Kiersten White

Book number 43 for 2024, 4.5 of 5 stars

Yet another book I discovered while shelving at my library, The Guinevere Deception is a retelling of a portion of the Arthurian legends. We begin with Guinevere being escorted from the convent where she has been living, to Camelot, where she will be married to King Arthur. Included in her escort is Mordred, nephew to the King.

Note the word “deception” in the title. At the outset, it becomes quickly apparent that the deception has to do with the fact that Guinevere isn’t who she appears to be. In fact, the real Guinevere is dead and this girl is a replacement. This is not really a “spoiler,” as this piece of the plot is revealed in the early stages and is even included in the cover flap information. 

While the book was a little slow getting started, the pace picks up, as well as the excitement and intensity, as the book progresses. I really enjoyed Ms. White’s writing and character development. What I also enjoyed were at least two different plot twists along the way, and the revelation, at one point, that the replacement Guinevere wasn’t the only deception involved in this story. Later in the book, there is a “double deception,” and then, close to the end, even another plot twist. 

I really like a book where the buildup toward the end keeps me reading. The last third of the book was “unputdownable,” and I couldn’t wait to finish it last night. Oh, and there is yet another twist regarding the character of Lancelot. I really, really like what the author did with Lancelot’s character. That was great fun! 

She also puts mystery into the tale almost immediately. On page three, as Guinevere and company are making their way to Camelot, the ride through a forest. The problem is, that forest wasn’t there when they came that way the first time. We get an early indication of the mystery surrounding “Guinevere,” as well, on page 13 when a line says, “If only it were actually her name.” And then, two pages later, it says, “She had never seen a child before,” when Guinevere sees children in Camelot. This speaks even more of her “upbringing.” Who, or what, is Guinevere? Part of that mystery will be revealed as the reader continues in the story.

Ms. White brings mystery and unique imagination to the Arthurian legends, and I love it. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of all things Arthur, as long as you aren’t afraid of some imaginative shifts.

TTFN, y’all!

Daindreth’s Assassin, by Elisabeth Wheatley

Book number 42 for 2024, 5/5 stars.

I became aware of this author on Intagram, seeing reels that she has created. I’m particularly fond of her “Book Goblin” reels. But, as many independent authors are doing, she advertises her books on social media. The premise sounded interesting, so I bought them directly from her site.

And yes, the is “fantasy romance.” Not my usual wheelhouse, mind you, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the story as well as the world that the author has built.

Daindreth is the archduke of the Erymayan Empire, of which Mynadra is the capitol city. Amira has been sent by her father to assassinate him, as he is betrothed to Amira’s sister, Fonra. Oh, and he is cursed with a demon.

Amira has a curse of her own, that binds her to obey everything her father tells her to do. Everything gets very complicated when Amira fails at her task, though it is truly no fault of her own.

The world that Ms. Wheatley has built is, in my opinion, a worthy fantasy world. It fits very well into the genre and does it justice, I think. In addition, we have a strong female protagonist, but not, I would say, overly strong. There is magic in this world, but it’s not easy magic. In other words, those who use it must pay a price for it, in some way. The spirit of said magic is also designated as “ka,” which I have heard used before, in other stories. Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, for one. I may be misspeaking by referring to it as “magic,” and I apologize if that is the case. There appears to be more to it than that.

We have the typical arranged marriages of this kind of world, and for political reasons, of course. And that is the marriage that has been arranged for Fonra and Daindreth. Not surprisingly, that doesn’t come to pass.

The “romance” aspect of this fantasy romance is not overbearing at all. I quite appreciate that. The pace of the story does not drag. In fact, the opening couple of chapters move along at a great pace and are exciting enough to hook the reader. Things slow down a bit after that, but then, at the end of the book, the excitement level goes through the roof, to the point that, for the last few chapters, I would designate this book as “unputdownable.”

One of my favorite lines in the book is when Amira thinks, “How like a man to assume he was safe because she wore skirts.” This sentiment actually occurs more than once in the story. There was another line that I found to be quite poetic. “Her heart hammered a loud tattoo and her body shivered with the need to do something.”

The ending is satisfying, and leaves the reader wanting more. Of course, there is more, and I will be getting to it soon, I’m sure.

I highly recommend this book for folks who enjoy fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in. I have purposefully avoided sharing any other plot points, and there are plenty more that make this story fun and engaging.

TTFN, y’all!

The Road Not Taken: A Selection of Robert Frost’s Poems, with introduction and commentary by Louis Untermeyer

This isn’t an easy book to review. Part of the problem (and, honestly, part of why it’s only four stars) is that it is not just poems. I would have enjoyed it more had it been just a book of Frost’s poems. But there is an introduction and running commentary by Louis Untermeyer. The introduction was informative, but the way the book is formatted, we have 35 pages of lower-case Roman numerals before we get to page 1. That’s a lot. And, when I’m trying to track the number of total pages I’ve read, this forces me to do math. I never like having to do math.

There is no arguing the greatness of Robert Frost’s poetry. I find, as I read this book, that I’m not as familiar with him as I thought. I know two or three of his poems well. The rest, I may have heard snippets of, here and there, along the way, but am largely unfamiliar with them. All of them are beautiful and so well-written. Robert Frost was truly a national treasure.

I find that the commentary kind of got in the way, though. Of course, anytime someone does commentary on something like poetry, the reader is at the mercy of that person’s interpretations. And anyone who has ever sat through an English class in school, one which focused a lot on literature, knows how maddening individual interpretations of literature can get. Turns out, none of those books were really about what our English teachers wanted them to be about. In a large number of cases, they were just stories that didn’t mean anything other than what was written.

But I digress. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetry of Robert Frost. I will say this, though. A book like this should probably not be read from cover to cover, all at once. A book like this is best savored in smaller bites. Unfortunately, this copy is a library book, so I have to take it back to the library. Someday, I may get some volumes of Frost’s poetry to live on my shelves, so that I can pull one down, enjoy a few poems, and put it back until later.

I made note of my favorites as I read. Some of the ones I especially enjoyed were The Witch of Coos, Ghost House, The Vindictives, Wild Grapes, The Fear, Snow, The Housekeeper, The Hill Wife, A Line-Storm Song, Birches, Mending Wall, Brown’s Descent, West-Running Brook, A Patch of Old Snow, A Time to Talk, Bereft, The Census-Taker, In A Disused Graveyard, A Serious Step Lightly Taken, Stopping By Woods on a Snow Evening, Departmental, Canis Major, The Hardship of Accounting, A Cloud Shadow, My November Guest, Wind and Window Flower, October, Song of the Wave, On A Tree Fallen Across the Road, A Passing Glimpse, Fire and Ice, A Prayer in Spring, Come In, and, of course, The Road Not Taken.

Some quotes that I found meaningful: “I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.” “It’s knowing what to do with things that counts.” “We love the things we love for what they are.” “Heaven gives its glimpses to those Not in position to look too close.”

I especially liked that last one.

I’ll probably be looking for some books of Frost’s poetry. Without commentary, if at all possible.

TTFN, y’all!

Out At the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story

Book number 40 for 2024; 4.5/5 stars

This is a wonderful book. I had never heard of Dot Wilkinson before, but found this book on our new book display at the library. The title caught my eye, but then when I read that the subject of the bio excelled in both softball and bowling, I had to check it out. And I’m glad I did.

Dot Wilkinson started playing softball at the age of eleven. Raised in the Phoenix, AZ area, she played on a girls’/women’s softball team. And we’re talking fastpitch softball, not the wimpy stuff that middle-aged men play.  We’re talking heat. Dot started out playing outfield, but moved to be the catcher when something happened to the team’s full-time catcher. She never left that position. At one point, she was called “The greatest catcher ever to play women’s softball.”

But it wasn’t just softball. She was also the first person of any gender to be elected to the Hall of Fame in two different sports. Dot excelled at every sport she tried. Her and some of her teammates started bowling during the offseason, and she was great at that, as well. At one point, she finally entered the WIBC (Women’s International Bowling Congress) Queen’s tournament. She got all the way to the final match and upset Marion Ladewig, one of the best female bowlers of all time. My wife works for the United States Bowling Congress, and they have a conference room named after Marion Ladewig. Dot also excelled at swimming and tennis.

But this is more than just a biography. Lynn Ames became very close friends with Dot Wilkinson, during the course of writing this book. And this book is about a life lived, not just sports. One of the things I really like about this book is how much of it is presented in Dot’s own voice. I would venture to say that more than 80% of the book is quotes from Dot, herself. There are also a number of citings from local newspaper articles, as well, and quotes from other people who knew Dot along the way.

At one point, Dot and her partners were even flipping houses, way back before that was even a thing. She was an incredible, amazing person.

I’m glad I read this book. Lynn Ames did an incredible job of presenting the life of this remarkable person. I would recommend this to anyone who likes biographies, whether they are into sports or not. It helps, though to be a fan of baseball and similar sports, such as softball. I have an understanding of the game that enhanced my enjoyment of it.

TTFN, y’all!

March Reading Recap

I only read ten books in March. I’m not sure what’s up with that, as I had eleven in February, which is two days shorter. I did read more pages in March, though, totaling 3477. Here are my March reads.

Forest of Secrets, by Erin Hunter

Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge

The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Immortal in Death, by J.D. Robb

Dead Man’s Hand, by James J. Butcher

We Shall Be Monsters, by Tara Sim

The Silkworm, by Robert Galbraith

The Seven Storey Mountain, by Thomas Merton

Spiritual Contemplation of Christ’s Suffering, by Joshua Scheer et al

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

And there you have it. I have posted my review of each of the books, linking to The Story Graph, which is my primary book tracking app, now.

TTFN, y’all!

The Girl Thief, by J.A. Schneider

Book number 38 for 2024, 5/5 stars

 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

While this book kind of got off to a slow start, it dramatically picked up by the end. In fact, I binged about the last third of the book because it got so intense and interesting.

Rooney, our main character, has gotten a temporary job with a catering company, and is working a pretty high-class party. The host’s wife, Kate, is drunk and is about to pass out and embarrass herself. Rooney is called on to help Kate, so she takes Kate upstairs, around a back way, so as to not be seen by other party guests. She is kind to Kate and takes care of her, which gets her points with Kate’s husband, Griffin. Griffin then hires Rooney to look after Kate, at least temporarily. There is much more to this, but I don’t want to give away key plot points.

The thing is, Rooney has an agenda. She has gotten herself into this position on purpose. At the beginning, we are not sure what this agenda is, but we do find out.

Rooney is an enjoyable character. Kate is, at times, but seems very whiny at times, as well. But there is a reason for that, which we don’t learn until late in the book. Griffin is simply a scuzzball. There are flashbacks, as well, which give us back story, mostly into Rooney, to help explain what she is, in fact, up to.

This is a twisting, turning psychological thriller with a twist near the end that I certainly didn’t see coming. The last part of the book (about a third, as I said) is most definitely a “page turner.” I like J.A. Schneider’s writing style. There is a lot of dialogue, and the style is accessible. I think the author does a great job of getting the reader into the heads of the characters. I had several guesses as to what was going on, and was totally wrong with all of them. I like a story that keeps me guessing, and I definitely enjoy surprise twists along the way.

I definitely recommend this story for folks who enjoy psychological thrillers.

TTFN, y’all!