Oof. So, if the previous two Bodenstein and Kirchoff mysteries were dark, this is right in line with them. A body of a young woman washes up on the shore of a river and a suspect, a disgraced former district attorney, is implicated in the crimes by the current district attorney. But, as Pia Kirchoff and Oliver von Bodenstein dig deeper into the murder, they find other, more sinister connections.
Content warning and spoiler alert: this novel is about a child molestation ring. It was sad. It was intense. It was scary in places. And it was dark. I recommend these, as long as you know going into them that they are not light and even if “the good guys” win, you might not feel great about it.
This is an alternate history set in a world where magic exists and it can be spoken into existence by translators who find the magic in spaces between what words mean in 2 different languages. If you’ve ever learned another language, you are aware that exact translations where a word has the same meaning and connotations in two different languages are uncommon. The magic in this alternate history is based on that idea. Truly fluent speakers of languages can find the magic in pairs of words and they can do all sorts of things, like make carriage rides smoother or trains faster. Our hero, Robin Swift, is rescued from cholera that took his mother and the rest of his family in Canton by Professor Lovell, who takes him back to England and takes him on as a ward. Robin lives with the professor and learns Greek and Latin, all one day hoping to get to study at the translation institute at Oxford, where he will learn how to do magic.
This is a story of student revolution, the problems of colonialism, and resistance. It was thoughtful and poignant and I absolutely binged it. Robin must decide if he is going to continue to support the world as it is or if he is going to fight for a world that is fairer and more equitable. This was staggeringly good and I cannot recommend it enough.
If you are looking for a good book to curl up with this weekend, but you aren’t sure what to pick, Beth and I are here to help! This week we are bringing you suggestions of memoirs. Inspirational, moving, funny, heartbreaking, these are stories exploring the lived experiences of others.
Eddie Izzard is a personal favorite comedian, and I know Beth also really enjoys her work. This 2017 memoir is a touching and honest exploration of Izzard’s life in which she discusses openly topics like loss, coming out, and how hard it can be to figure out your identity when you really don’t have the words for it.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed was an Oprah book club pick that became a 2014 movie starring Reese Witherspoon, so maybe you’ve already picked it up. But it you haven’t, this is a really moving story that deals with loss, the struggle to bear enormous grief, and how to come back to yourself in the end. I really enjoyed this when I read it, so much so that I assigned it to Beth as a Pop Culture Homework assignment. We both enjoyed this book, and if you’re looking for something moving, or even something to remind you that eventually all the snow will melt and the cold weather will pass, and you’ll be able to get outside again, we recommend this.
The second memoir by a comedian on this list! Outrageous! Hannah Gadsby is an Australian comedian who became an huge international success following the Netflix debut of her comedy show Nanette. Part of what got people buzzing about the show was its discussion of queer trauma and the use of humor to cope with bad things that have happened to us. Incredibly funny, but also incredibly heartbreaking, it made a lot of people feel very seen. This memoir, which discusses Gadsby’s life from her childhood up through her writing and performing the show Nanette is also incredibly funny and incredibly heartbreaking at times. So, if in these trying times, you think you might want to have a good cry but you also want to feel moved, uplifted, and maybe even a little bit seen, This might be the book for you.
Alright, assorted cryptids and fellow weirdos, go forth and enjoy your weekend! Sound off in the comments about what books you’re excited to pick up this weekend!
This is a history book written for a general audience and it is about the United States and its territories. It explores why we have expanded, when we have expanded, how we’ve viewed territories, and the consequences of the views for both the people in the territories and the people at home.
I learned a lot reading this. I was aware that the U.S. still holds territories and that it has held more and different territories in the past, but hearing about how different territories have been treated and its connection to things like race and immigration rules was eye-opening. Thinking about things like citizenship has consequences for things like voting in national elections, so even if we don’t currently hold the all the territories we’ve historical held, this part of our history is still important because it does still impact us today. (If you’ll recall from the previous Presidential election where some of our citizenry were surprised to find that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they can only vote in the presidential election if they live on the mainland.)
So, this was good and I would recommend it. I also recommend getting it as an audiobook. Luis Moreno’s narration is engaging and it carried me through places where dates and details may have stopped me if I had been reading if off a page.
Hello! And welcome back to our new seires in which we suggest things you may want to pick up this weekend, if you’re looking for your next read! This week’s theme is Enermies!
The first in a series, Carry On the Fan Fiction that the Cath is writing in Fangirl. The tale is sort of Enemies to Lovers fan fiction for a novel series that is a little Harry Potter-esque. These books are fun!
Sydney is a covert operative and Winter is the biggest pop star in the world. After being invited to play at a birthday party for the daughter of a man the CIA has their eyes on. Sydney must play the role of Winter’s bodyguard in order to infiltrate and get the evidence she needs to take the bad guy down. Of course, Sydney and Winter don’t like each other. But can they work together to survive?
Kit is a retried highwayman just trying to live his life. Percy is the son of a Duke who is up to some shit. Can Percy convince Kit to help him pull off a marvelous heist? Or will Percy just get both of them into a world of trouble and hurt? I loved this book and it’s follow up so much! There’s enemies-to-lovers vibes, there’s some spice, there are excellent supporting characters. It’s all so good.
This was so good! While This Poison Heart, book 1 in the series, was a bit of a mystery, this one is more of an adventure. Leaving where the first book left off, they are on a race against time to restore all the pieces of the deadly Absyrtus Heart in order for Briseis to save her Mom. In order to do this, Briseis must rely on blood relatives she didn’t know she had.
These books weave myth in with the modern I absolutely loved them. Briseis is a smart and thoughtful hero and I cheered for her the entire way. I absolutely recommend these! They were so good!
2 Women, So Many Books 