Author 'Nathan Burgoine posted this simple, direct method of not getting paralyzed by the prospect of having to write reviews. The Three-Sentence Review is, as he notes, very helpful and also simple to achieve. I get completely unmanned at the idea of saying something trenchant about each book I read, when there often just isn't that much to say...now I can use this structure to say what I think is the most important idea I took away from the read and not try to dig for more.
Think about using it yourselves!
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The Blue Horse (Porter Beck #3) by Bruce Borgos
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: A controversial wild horse round-up in the high desert of Nevada results in two murders and too many suspects for Sheriff Porter Beck to deal with.
A helicopter driving a controversial round-up of wild horses suddenly crashes and the pilot is found to have been shot. Then the person coordinating the round-up for the Bureau of Land Management is savagely murdered, buried up to her neck and then trampled to death by the very same wild horses. And there's no lack of suspects—with the wild horse advocacy group having sworn to protect the horse At Any Cost! Now the state and federal agencies are showing up looking for answers or at least a scapegoat.
Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days.
Porter Beck's new girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse, arrives to help with the investigation, which leads them to Canadian Lithium mining operation near the round-up area that sets off Beck's mental alarm bells. Brinley, Beck's sister, is leading a group of troubled kids in a wilderness program, when one of them, Rafa, bolts one night. When Brinley catches up to him, they're just outside the mine—in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
With his personal life in turmoil, too many suspects and too many secrets, the feds pushing for a quick resolution, and his impetuous (if skilled) sister in the mix, one wrong step could be deadly for Porter Beck.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Third in a series means the author's doing something right. In this entry, he's got the right combustible mix of environmentalism, corporate shenanigans, personal tsurres, and the usual pressures of fielding the high-profile cases of his department. Oh, and girlfriend stuff, too.
Tense, well-plotted, and solidly satisfying read. Not one that transcends genre, but definitely a top-tier example of it.
Minotaur Books , (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) needs $29 if you expect to read a hardcover. I'd spend it.
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A Lark's Regret: A Regency Cozy (Verity Lark Mysteries #5) by Lynn Messina
Rating: 3.25* of five
The Publisher Says: If there is one thing Verity Lark finds more unsettling than having to give a shooting lesson to the woman whom she has ridiculed in print for months, it is having to give the lesson on the very same morning her alter ego Mr. Twaddle-Thum publishes an apology for erroneously reporting a key detail of one of her favorite subject’s early murder investigations.
The mortifying mistake is made intolerable by the fact that it was uncovered by a rival gossip for another newspaper. Identifying herself as Mrs. Flimmer-Flam, she vows to correct a whole host of other misapprehensions about the Duchess of Kesgrave, whom she calls the murder duchess for obvious reasons.
Oh, but, no, her reasons are not obvious at all, for this new scandal merchant believes the public has been greatly misled in regard to her grace’s talents. She is not just solving murders; she is also committing them.
It is preposterous nonsense—and that is to say nothing of her portrayal of Twaddle as a credulous dupe gulled into mythologizing a killer—and Verity vows to discover who is spreading the virulent lies, a task that grows immeasurably harder after she finds the gossip’s throat slashed.
Someone is willing to kill to hide the truth, and Verity has no idea who might be next.
Welcome to the fifth installment of the Verity Lark Mysteries, where secrets run deep and every move could be her last.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: When an author blends two long-running series, as is done here, there's a lore problem. To be sure everyone's up to speed there must be some exposition, and that runs into the dread problem of the infodump. It's inevitable. It slows stuff down, from action to scene-setting, and increases the word-count a good deal.
Because I'd never read a Verity Lark story I was glad for it, but honestly it seemed sort of wasted time and effort because Bea really doesn't do or add much to Verity's actions.
Potatoworks Press (non-affiliate Amazon link; not available on Bookshop.org) charges $6.99 for a Kindle edition. Not because I told you to!
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The Wharton Plot by Mariah Fredericks
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Mariah Fredericks' mesmerizing novel, The Wharton Plot, follows renowned novelist Edith Wharton in the twilight years of the Gilded Age in New York as she tracks a killer.
New York City, 1911. Edith Wharton, almost equally famed for her novels and her sharp tongue, is bone-tired of Manhattan. Finding herself at a crossroads with both her marriage and her writing, she makes the decision to leave America, her publisher, and her loveless marriage.
And then, dashing novelist David Graham Phillips—a writer with often notorious ideas about society and women’s place in it—is shot to death outside the Princeton Club. Edith herself met the man only once, when the two formed a mutual distaste over tea in the Palm Court of the Belmont hotel. When Phillips is killed, Edith's life takes another turn. His sister is convinced Graham was killed by someone determined to stop the publication of his next book, which promised to uncover secrets that powerful people would rather stayed hidden. Though unconvinced, Edith is curious. What kind of book could push someone to kill?
Inspired by a true story,
The Wharton Plot follows Edith Wharton through the fading years of the Gilded Age in a city she once loved so well, telling a taut tale of fame, love, and murder, as she becomes obsessed with solving a crime.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I have no way to know if Edith Wharton was this prissy, self-centered, snobbish person in real life. Reading her fiction does nothing to dissuade me from believing it. From the moment she meets, and loathes, the murder victim, I was pretty much turned off.
Well-plotted and expertly written, this is an historical mystery lover's dream, with late Gilded-Age Manhattan evoked with panache and verve. I just don't like anyone in it.
Minotaur Books (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) only wants $11.99 for an ebook. Depending on how you feel about nasty people, it could be a bargain.
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The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Family is everything, even when it falls apart.
After the sudden death of a renowned artist, his four adult children travel to Italy to sort out his affairs with his much-younger wife, in this moving novel from the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
World-famous artist Vic Kemp has relied on his four children ever since their mother died when they were young. Netta, the oldest, is a litigator who often serves as co-parent to her siblings; Susan, a housewife who cooks and cleans for both her husband and her father; Goose's own thwarted artistic ambitions have left him resigned to a job in Vic's studio; and Iris, the baby, drops everything the moment her father calls.
When Vic summons the siblings with the promise of big news, they hope their father is about to tell them he has finished the mysterious masterpiece he claims will be the capstone to his career. Instead, he announces he’s getting remarried. Bella-Mae, his wife to be, is apparently beautiful, a fellow artist—and twenty-seven to his seventy-six years. When his children dare to express concern, Vic decamps with Bella-Mae to his summer home in Italy. Six weeks later, he is found dead. There is no sign of his will, or his promised final painting.
Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris gather at the house on Lake Orta to piece together what happened and prepare to bring their father’s body home. They spend the summer in a waiting game, living under the same roof as Bella-Mae, and forced to confront Vic's legacy and the buried wounds they have incurred as his children. So who is Bella-Mae? Is she the woman their father believed her to be? Or is she the force that will destroy the family for good? How long can their old bonds hold?
With sparkling wit, compassion and tender insight,
The Homemade God explores memory, identity, grief, healing, and the bonds of siblinghood—what happens when they splinter, and what it might take to find a new way forward.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: My very unloved father remarried (I liked my stepmother, big loud lady she was) shortly after my equally unloved mother left him. The central problem for these spoiled, neglected twits is they're afraid they won't get revenge on the old man by having all his worldly goods. The role of Cordelia in this remake of
King Lear is played by Goose, the brother, denied the life he wanted for being not what his father demanded.
Big, noisy drama ensues, the young widow gets a real working-over by these bratty twits. I finished it because I love some sudsy silliness. I'm not sure I'll remember much about it tomorrow, but it did its job by distracting me from the world for six hours.
The Dial Press (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) will lighten your wallet by $13.99 for an ebook. Libraries are, for now, still free.
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Vaseline Buddha by Young-moon Jung (tr. Jung Yewon)
Rating: 3.25* of five
The Publisher Says: A tragicomic odyssey told through free association scrubs the depths of the human psyche to achieve a higher level of consciousness equal to Zen meditation.
The story opens when our sleepless narrator thwarts a would-be thief outside his moonlit window, then delves into his subconscious imagination to explore a variety of geographical and mental locations—real, unreal, surreal—to explore the very nature of reality.
Jung Young Moon, 2005 alum of Iowa's International Writing Program, is one of South Korea's most award-winning, eccentric, and handsome authors, often compared to Kafka and Beckett.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A Korean translation by a trainee of the Iowa Writers' Workshop's International division:
I think about forms of stories. But again, I feel, as I always have, resistance against a well-structured, complete story. Stories with an impeccable structure stifle me. A story with a clear plot, which inevitably becomes something about following someone's whereabouts, has become something that's nearly impossible for me to write, just as Paul Valéry could never write a novel because he could not use a sentence such as, "The marquise went out at 5 o'clock."
I'm not in love. I'm barely in like. It's pretty self-conscious and not a little pretentious; I'd've lapped it up fifteen years ago.
Deep Vellum Publishing wants $14.95 for a trade paper edition. Maybe cheaper used...?
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Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter
Rating: 3* of five
The Publisher Says: From Mary Dixie Carter comes an atmospheric, tense novel about the death of a wealthy garden designer, her lonely widower, and the scrappy young gardener who smoothly steps into her life.
Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon known for her garden parties, high-end business ventures, and being the muse behind the famous Serge Kuhnert painting, Marguerite by the Lake. Her presence is overpowering, her taste, legendary. For the last few years, Phoenix has been the gardener on the famed Rosecliff grounds, home of the Gray Marguerite and her husband Geoffrey. Phoenix came from humble beginnings, and now she works hard to craft the landscape that underpins Marguerite’s brand.
When a storm threatens the launch party for Marguerite’s latest book, it’s Phoenix who spots the danger to the guests and rushes to Geoffrey’s side to save him from a falling tree. Geoffrey is grateful—perhaps too grateful. Marguerite is . . . jealous. Phoenix senses the danger of being drawn deeper into their lives but can’t resist the attention, becoming embroiled in an affair that could destroy her career.
But soon after the affair begins Marguerite falls to her death, from the same high point at Rosecliff where she posed for Marguerite by the Lake. Now Phoenix has another secret, one that haunts her even as Geoffrey invites her to move into the manor with him. A secret that Detective Hanna and Marguerite’s daughter—her spitting image—are circling closer and closer to. Phoenix tries to put it all behind her and find her rightful place at Rosecliff. But as every gardener knows, nothing stays buried forever.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: If you come for the queen, best not miss. Martha Stewart in a fake nose and eyeglasses turns into du Maurier's Rebecca, with the second Mrs. deWinter played by a gamine called Phoenix...horripilation!...and Maxim by a yutz called Geoffrey. I recall nothing whatever about them. I longed for Dame Judth Anderson from Hitchcock's film to make her appearance. No such luck.
I finished it,
Melpomene knows why, so I owe a review. Here it is.
Minotaur Books, the publisher, asks for $28.00 for a hardcover (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link), if that's your preferred reading medium.
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Spark by Naoki Matayoshi (tr. Alison Watts)
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Tokunaga is a young comedian struggling to make a name for himself in Osaka, when he is taken under the wing of the more experienced, but no more famous, Kamiya. But as much as Kamiya's indestructible confidence inspires him, it also makes him doubt the limits of his own talent, and his own dedication to comedy.
Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize,
Spark is about art and friendship, about what it means to be committed to our own ambitions and to each other. A novel about comedy that's as moving and thoughtful as it is funny, it's already been a sensation in Japan.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Comedy doesn't cross cultural boundaries that well. I "got" maybe a third of the intended-to-be-jokes, and found even those unfunny. It's cultural not textual; the prose, the limning of the men's relationship, the details that lead to Tokunaga's internal crisis, all were spot-on and very evocative.
The Netflix show was...okay. I'm just really, really culture bound for comedy. Sad for me, not the prize-winning story told here.
Pushkin Press (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) asks $12.99 for an ebook. Check out Netflix before spending the money.
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Trouble Island : a novel by Sharon Gwyn Short
Rating: 3.25* of five
The Publisher Says: A gripping new novel inspired by a real place and events from the author’s family, Trouble Island is the standalone suspense debut from historical mystery writer Sharon Short.
Many miles from anywhere in the middle of Lake Erie, Trouble Island serves as a stop-off for gangsters as they run between America and Canada. The remote isle is also the permanent home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, who serves as a maid to Rosita, lady of the mansion and wife to the notorious prohibition gangster, Eddie McGee. In the freezing winter of 1932, the women anticipate the arrival of Eddie and his strange coterie: his right-hand man, a doctor, a cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son.
Aurelia wants nothing more than to escape Trouble Island, but she is hiding a secret of her own. She is in fact not a maid, but a gangster’s wife in hiding, as she runs from the murder she committed five years ago. Her friend Rosita took her in under this guise, but it has become clear that Rosita wants to keep Aurelia right where she is.
Shortly after the group of criminals, celebrities, and scoundrels arrive, Rosita suddenly disappears. Aurelia plans her getaway, going to the shore to retrieve her box of hidden treasures, but instead finds Rosita’s body in the water. Someone has made sure Aurelia was the one to find her. An ice storm makes unexpected landfall, cutting Trouble Island off from both mainlands, and with more than one murderer among them.
Both a gripping locked room mystery, and a transporting, evocative portrait of a woman in crisis,
Trouble Island marks the enthralling standalone suspense debut from Sharon Short, promising to be her breakout novel, inspired by a real island in Lake Erie, and true events from her own rich family history.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Stand-alone locked room mystery on an ice-storm isolated island during the
US Prohibition era. I think she had a peek into my dreams!
Sadly, not executed in a way I could fall for...lots of telling, not a lot of rounded characters. Mystery was okay. Setting ended up not exciting me, because it was only seen in the eyes of people I wasn't interested in. So near and yet so far. I finished it so it wasn't
bad just not great.
Minotaur Books (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) charges $14.99 for an ebook. Library is my recommendation.
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Hive (Madders of Time Book 1) by D. L. Orton
Rating: 2.75* of five
The Publisher Says: What if saving the future meant rewriting the past?
In a dying world overrun by microdrones, humanity's last survivors cling to life inside the Eden-17 biodome. Isabelle Sanborn knows her time is running out, but one desperate plan might give humanity a second chance. With the help of Madders, an enigmatic AI built from the memories of a brilliant physicist, Isabelle sends Diego Nadales—the love of her life—35 years into the past. His mission? To change the course of history and prevent their world's collapse.
When Diego arrives in the vibrant yet fragile Main Timeline, he's forced to confront ghosts of the past, including a younger, ambitious version of Isabelle. As he battles to shape a better future, Diego must navigate a delicate web of relationships and events without destroying the very fabric of time.
Brimming with suspense, heart-pounding action, and a poignant love story that transcends time,
Madders of Time - Book One is a breathtaking science fiction adventure. Award-winning author DL Orton weaves a tale that explores sacrifice, resilience, and the timeless power of love.
Fans of
The Time Traveler's Wife and
Dark Matter will find themselves captivated by this unforgettable journey through parallel worlds and intertwining destinies.
The clock is ticking. Can love survive the collapse of time itself?
Prepare to lose yourself in the first installment of the Madders of Time series—a story that will keep you turning pages and leave you hungry for more.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Blandly competent. Uninspiring. I do not remember one thing about this by-the-numbers picture of dystopia (but I did finish it), which is antithetical to the purpose of the genre. The comps are WILDLY overselling the execution.
If your immediate need is distraction without challenge, here's you a book.
Rocky Mountain Press (
non-affiliate Amazon link) demands $8.99 for a Kindlebook. I'd be frothing mad if I'd paid that for this.
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The Cosmos Keys by Glenn Cooper
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Buried secrets. Ancient technology. A race against time.
Deep beneath the ruins of Turkey’s underground city of Derinkuyu, archaeologist David Birch makes a discovery that defies history—a bronze device covered in Greek inscriptions, its mechanisms impossibly advanced for its time. The artifact shouldn’t exist. And yet, its intricate design suggests a terrifying someone in the distant past understood the future.
Desperate for answers, David seeks out Eleni Lillakis, a brilliant historian of ancient technology. As they decipher the artifact’s origins, they stumble upon an astonishing legend—the Michaní Peproménou, the Destiny Machine. A device so powerful it was hidden from the world, tied to the secrets of the gods, and capable of glimpsing what’s to come.
But they are not the only ones searching. A secretive cabal, willing to kill to keep the machine’s secrets buried, is closing in. From the shadowed ruins of Athens to the tunnels beneath Nottingham, from hidden crypts to modern-day power struggles, David and Eleni must unlock the truth before the machine falls into the wrong hands. Because if the legends are true, the artifact does more than reveal the future. It can change it.
A Must-Read for Fans of Archaeological Mysteries and Ancient Secrets,
The Cosmos Keys is an electrifying archaeological thriller that blends real historical mysteries with pulse-pounding suspense. Fans of
The Da Vinci Code, Indiana Jones, and Steve Berry will be swept away by this globe-spanning adventure, where mythology, science, and danger collide in a battle for humanity’s fate.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I really see the comps as good guidance in this case...I l ike Steve Berry and James Rollins as storytellers, so I'm down with this book as well. It delivers on the promises made above, and does so at a spanking pace.
I'm not ready to go to four stars because, even in the genre, this book's sexism is confrontational. I'm no fan of that. Most of y'all don't seem to care too much but for those who do, be warned.
Lascaux Media (
non-affiliate Amazon link) asks $5.99 for a Kindlebook. Reasonable value for money.
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Don't Tell a Soul (5fingers #1) by Joshua Raven
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Rachel Race’s world shatters when she awakens in agony, mysteriously missing a finger. Fleeing her troubled home, she stumbles into a web of darkness and ancient evil lurking in the seaside city of Griffton.
As Rachel grapples with her trauma, she finds an unexpected ally in Lake Emerson, a charming skater and trainee journalist who becomes entwined in her harrowing journey.
Pursued by hooded figures and haunted by a vengeful spirit called Samyaza, Rachel is forced into a series of perilous assignments. Her quest for answers leads her to uncover dark secrets about Watchers, demons, and the Nephilim, all while navigating the dangerous underworld of Griffton.
With the enigmatic Caleb Noble, a mystical traveler, guiding her from afar, Rachel confronts terrifying challenges that test her courage and resolve. Amidst the chaos, she discovers a hidden strength and the flickers of first love.
Don’t Tell a Soul is a gripping tale of mystery, magic, and survival. Rachel must navigate a world where every secret carries a price, and every decision could be her last. As the stakes escalate, she learns that some destinies are forged in the darkest places.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I have a soft spot for stories involving Nephilim since discovering T. Frohock. I *looove* those gay-male centered stories! (Because I bought them with my very own United States dollars, I won't be reviewing them here per customary usage.) Turns out there's *some* halo(!) effect, but not that much. This is a very solid story with straight people being straight which is not where my interests lie.
So, decent, well executed, and not for me.
Red Ink Publishing Ltd (
non-affiliate Amazon link) says "$5.99 please" at checkout. If you can stand to give Bezoselzebub more money, it's solid value.
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Off the Air (Jolene Garcia Mysteries #1) by Christina Estes
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining, Emmy Award winning reporter Christina Estes introduces Jolene Garcia in her Tony Hillerman Prize winning debut, Off the Air.
Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments―anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo―and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell.
When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long.
As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It’s an investigation that could make or break her career―if it doesn't break her first.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Well-executed debut mystery. I thought Jolene was equal parts believably tenacious and amusingly self-aware about it. I found the credit-denying ways of journalism as infuriating as it's possible to get. I was entirely convinced that it's the author's lived experience.
I just can't get to four stars because the dead a-hole needed killin'...that's a problem, it undercuts Jolene's determination to resolve the murder when she should just file a "local celebrity dies, presumably by violence" squib and let it go. When you can't care if the victim's dead, you lose stem in the read...which I did several times.
Minotaur Books (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) requires a transfer of $14.99 from you to them for your legal access to an ebook. I'd go to the library, but go I certainly would.
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This space is dedicated to
Nancy Pearl's Rule of 50, or "the Pearl Rule" as I've always called it. After realizing five times in December 2021
alone that I'd already Pearl-Ruled a book I picked up on a whim, I realized how close my Half-heimer's is getting to the full-on article. Hence my decision to track my Pearls!
As she says:
People frequently ask me how many pages they should give a book before they give up on it. In response to that question, I came up with my “rule of fifty,” which is based on the shortness of time and the immensity of the world of books. If you’re fifty years of age or younger, give a book fifty pages before you decide to commit to reading it or give it up. If you’re over fifty, which is when time gets even shorter, subtract your age from 100—the result is the number of pages you should read before making your decision to stay with it or quit.
So this space will be each month's listing of Pearl-Ruled books. Earlier Pearl-Rule posts will be linked below the current month's crop.
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SHADOW WARRIORS OF WORLD WAR II: The Daring Women of the OSS and SOE by GORDON THOMAS & GREG LEWIS (33%)
Rating: 2* of five
The Publisher Says: In a dramatically different tale of espionage and conspiracy in World War II,
Shadow Warriors of World War II unveils the history of the courageous women who volunteered to work behind enemy lines. Sent into Nazi-occupied Europe by the United States’ Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), these women helped establish a web of resistance groups across the continent. Their heroism, initiative, and resourcefulness contributed to the Allied breakout of the Normandy beachheads and even infiltrated Nazi Germany at the height of the war, into the very heart of Hitler’s citadel—Berlin.
Young and daring, the female agents accepted that they could be captured, tortured, or killed, but others were always readied to take their place. Women of enormous cunning and strength of will, the Shadow Warriors’ stories have remained largely untold until now.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: When this book came out in 2017, it was groundbreaking. Now it's one of a lot of other historical treatments of the long-buried story of women's heroism in the face of known hazards in WWII. It's a very rich field.
These men are not the ones to plow it. There's a lot less about the women than about the men who ordered them around, and the historical times...the subject of thousands of hours of reading and watching material...get more space than they need. I'm sad to say it was not a success, and was an unfootnoted one at that.
Chicago Review Press (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) asks $26.99 for a hardcover, but used copies are less. I do not recommend it, even for free.
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The Bible and the Tarot: A Personal Pilgrimage of Discovery (38%) by Gil W. Stafford
Rating: 2* of five
The Publisher Says: This book is a portal for those interested in the Bible and curious about the Tarot, for both those who might read the Bible daily as well as those who know very little about it but are not averse to it.
The first two chapters provide background that place the two mystical texts in conversation with each other. The vast and complex mythos of the Bible with its complex characters, actors, symbols, stories, and parables, are the backstory of the magnificent creatures of the Tarot's inner psychic world.
A book for spiritual explorers, reading the Bible and the Tarot hand-in-hand can expand the imagination. It explores how to read the Tarot and the Bible to provoke the unconscious, the dream world, and expand the imagination. By the final chapter, readers are able to connect the mysteries of the Bible with the psychological magic of the Tarot.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I gave up on this adequately written book when the discussion meandered over to Bernini's sculpture of Saint Teresa:
...having that memorable orgasm. I just can't read anymore about religious people denying that's what it so very obviously is. "Union with the Divine" my lily-white one!
I browsed around the Tarot card explications that are bent into harmony with the book that calls witches and soothsayers abominations. It's me confronting my ever-hardening intolerance of that terrible, abusive religion and not overcoming my hatred. I'm not proud of this.
Monkfish Book Publishing (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) charges $23.00 for a trade paper edition, which...well...I ain't the one to ask if it's worth it.
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The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Rating: 3* of five
The Publisher Says: A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight.
Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us,
The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.
In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Right reader, wrong book? Right book, wrong time? Dunno. I'm surfeited on the buffet of bon-bons, the smorgasbord of sweetmeats, the pomander of perfumed paragraphs in this book.
Maybe having the Felonious Yam and his diktat-signing autopen back in power makes this feel more like irresponsible escapism than it would have had the recent election not gone the way it did.
Knopf (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) needs $14.99 to send to their corporate masters in Germany. Passionate birders and Tan-stans are going to whatever I say.
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Manomin: Caring for Ecosystems and Each Other (22%) edited by Brittany Luby, Margaret Lehman, Andrea Bradford, Samantha Mehltretter, and Jane Mariotti
Rating: 2.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Reclaiming crops and culture on Turtle Island
Manomin, more commonly known by its English misnomer “wild rice,” is the only cereal grain native to Turtle Island (North America). Long central to Indigenous societies and diets, this complex carbohydrate is seen by the Anishinaabeg as a gift from Creator, a “spirit berry” that has allowed the Nation to flourish for generations.
Caring for Ecosystems and Each Other offers a community-engaged analysis of the under-studied grain, weaving together the voices of scholars, chefs, harvesters, engineers, poets, and artists to share the plant’s many lessons about the living relationships between all forms of creation.
Grounded in Indigenous methodologies and rendered in full colour,
Manomin reveals and examines our interconnectedness through a variety of disciplines—history, food studies, ethnobotany, ecology—and forms of expression, including recipes, stories, and photos.
A powerful contribution to conversations on Indigenous food security and food sovereignty, the collection explores historic uses of Manomin, contemporary challenges to Indigenous aquaculture, and future possibilities for restoring the sacred crop as a staple.
In our time of ecological crisis, Manomin teaches us how to live well in the world, sustaining our relations with each other, our food, and our waterways.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: "The only cereal grain native to Turtle Island (North America)"? Heard of
teosinte? Or is Mexico too far south for you?
I'm not the right reader for this, so two-and-a-half stars in case it's genius not just sloppy, and I'm too old-white-man to see it.
University of Manitoba Press (
non-affiliate Bookshop.org link) wants $29.95 for any edition.
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