Beasts of Carnaval

I read this for book club. 

I give Ms. Rodrigo full marks for a highly developed story world. 

Let's start with the positives. 

I have no problem with magical realism or the premise of the book. A young woman goes in search of her twin brother and her former mistress/friend goes in search of her lost father. Both men were last known to be at Carnaval. No issues with the delicate treatment of hard subjects like the overthrow and colonization of an indigenous people handled with tremendous respect. The world building is detailed. The use of indigenous language and customs adds authenticity to the story. Characters are well developed and imperfect. 

The negative for me was the pacing. The story dragged for me. I wanted to get to the action much sooner. Cutting the book by about a third would've helped, in my opinion. 

While I'm not inclined to read more by the author or magical realism novels, this one is very well told. 

I give five gold stars to the narrator. She did a marvelous job bringing the characters and world to full emotional life. 

Do you like to read magical realism? Why or why not? 

AMAZON

When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises.

Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave—the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless.

Sofía, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago.

There’s a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofia’s ancestral lands and her people’s labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances—whispers of the island’s native tongue, music and stories from her Taike’ri ancestors…a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light.

As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofia must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island…

The Book Club for Troublesome Women

I'm not sure where I ran across the recommendation to read this book, but it was a solid recommend. 

The narrative follows four different women whose lives intertwine as they live in the same neighborhood and what starts as a book club quickly becomes women who rely on each other to navigate the hurdles of life in the 1960s. 

They explore themes of motherhood, infertility, feminism, heartache, and so much more. Pacing, voice, and structure are all on point. 

The audiobook is fantastic. Thank you to the narrator for bringing each of these women to life with distinction and heart. 

What historical slice of life books do you recommend?

AMAZON

By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia--one of Northern Virginia's most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman's Place--a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough?

Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women--Bitsy and Viv--to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine--and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments--and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

This was a fun collection of stories to read. 

I always enjoy trying to figure out the guilty party while reading a mystery and this one has twelve to enjoy. This is also a nice introduction to authors I haven't come across before. 

Each author has a distinct writing style. Some stories and styles I enjoyed more than others. All were solid and well told. 

An enjoyable jaunt into the world of Ms. Marple for fans and not-yet-fans alike. 

What cozy mystery writer do you recommend?

AMAZON

Agatha Christie’s legendary sleuth, Jane Marple, returns to solve twelve baffling cases in this brand-new collection, penned by a host of acclaimed authors skilled in the fine art of mystery and murder

One doesn't stop at one murder...

Jane Marple is an elderly lady from St Mary Mead who possesses an uncanny knack for solving even the most perplexing puzzles. Now, for the first time in 45 years, Agatha Christie’s beloved character returns to the page for a globe-trotting tour of crime and detection.

Join Marple as she travels through her sleepy English village and around the world. In St Mary Mead, a Christmas dinner is interrupted by unexpected guests; the Broadway stage in New York City is set for a dangerous improvisation; bad omens surround an untimely death aboard a cruise ship to Hong Kong; and a bestselling writer on holiday in Italy is caught in a nefarious plot. These and other crimes committed in the name of love, jealousy, blackmail, and revenge are ones that only the indomitable Jane Marple can solve.

Bringing a fresh twist to the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, these twelve esteemed writers have captured the sharp wit, unique voice, and droll ingenuity of the deceptively demure detective. A triumphant celebration of Christie’s legacy and essential reading for crime lovers, Marple is a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains one of the most famous detectives of all time.

Alchemy of Secrets

My first read by Ms. Garber. Stunning.

I love a good mystery/scavenger hunt type book, particularly to try and figure out who the villain is. This one kept me guessing all the way to the end. 

The addition of magic is brilliant to sending the story twisting and turning. 

Unpredictable. Well paced. Fantastic characters. 

Excellent narrator as I expected. 

Do you like mysteries with a magical element? Which one would you recommend?

AMAZON

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.

Raising Hare

I wouldn't have picked up this book on my own. I read it for book club. 

It's interesting. The pace is slow and methodical, and the subject matter is revelatory. Where I previously had no knowledge of British hares, I now know quite a lot after listening to this book. 

Is it life changing for the author, yes? For the reader, debatable. 

But, if you're looking for something outside your usual preferred genre, that's like taking a nice walk through the English countryside, then this will fit the bill and enable to you to have a educated discussion about hares should the topic ever come up.

What memoirs do you recommend?

AMAZON

A moving and fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, loss, and our relationship with the natural world, explored through the story of one woman’s unlikely friendship with a wild hare.

Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and lolloped around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, over two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and slept in your house for hours on end and gave birth to leverets in your study. For political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton, who spent lockdown deep in the English countryside, far away from her usual busy London life, this became her unexpected reality.

In February 2021, Dalton stumbles upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how impossible it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from either shock or starvation. Through trial and error, she learns to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Instead, it becomes her constant companion, wandering the fields and woods at night and returning to Dalton’s house by day. Though Dalton feared that the hare would be preyed upon by foxes, stoats, feral cats, raptors, and even people, she never tried to restrict it to the house. Each time the hare leaves, Chloe knows she may never see it again. Yet she also understands that to confine it would be its own kind of death.

Raising Hare chronicles their journey together, while also taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore. We witness first-hand the joy at this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best things, and most beautiful experiences, arise when we least expect them.

*This audiobook includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator, available in audio only.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)

Ms. Sutanto strikes again, and it's another grand slam. 

Vera is up to her old antics again of meddling in people's lives, solving murders, and this time becoming a social media influencer to add to her growing life resume. 

This book takes a darker turn in subject matter than the last - human trafficking. This time, it's not only Vera's life that's in peril. 

Once again narrated by the charming and incomparable Eunice Wong, the book comes to life in the endearing technicolor we've come to love and associate with Vera. 

What cozy mysteries starring a mature detective do you recommend?

AMAZON

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

The Tainted Cup

This is my first read by Mr. Bennett, and while it stands well on its own, I'm delighted to find that it's a first in a series. 

Get plunged into a world of secrets, lies, and murder all while the sky is about to fall in the form of a leviathan. 

Meet the perfectly captivating versions of Sherlock Holmes and Watson in the form of Dolabra and Kol. The cast is replete with eccentrics and distinctive people. Good luck keeping up with each twist and turn and Dolabra's shocking conclusions. If you can see them coming, send a note to the author about your brilliance. 

High praise to the audiobook narrator for a superb job bringing the book to life, which made the story experience delightful. 

AMAZON

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.