Welcome back! I appreciate you tuning in. Clearly, I’m terrible at keeping up with my own-self-created schedule. I can’t even pick a day of the week to post consistently (haha). And after each post, I can’t help but wonder…does anyone even read this (or any blog) anymore?
Eh (insert a shrug), on we go…
A gentle reminder of my generous rating system. Yes, you get three stars just for writing and publishing a book. I’ve done this, and it’s no easy feat. Kudos, you get to start from the middle. 🙂
*** Rating system ***
⭐⭐⭐ Eh, at best. Proceed with caution.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good, especially if it’s your genre. Admittedly, a WIDE range.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ FANTASTIC. Read it. For real.
Recent(ish) Reads
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow Lady Trent, the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist, as she details her very first travels to the perilous mountains of Vystrana and her first dragon interaction.
This was not in my wheelhouse, but it was a personal recommendation by my chiropractor, and great to vary and expand my library. I got lost from time to time in the minutia of both the science and the fantasy of it, but Lady Trent is a fantastic protagonist. I quite enjoyed her first-person account of chasing a dragon, something women of the time did not do. In truth, I love any story about a woman doing something she’s not supposed to. For fans of sci-fi-fantasy and/or adventure memoir-esque tales.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
Tremendous. Could’t put it down. Alternating POVs between Alix and Josie. Alix is a podcaster. Josie is a ‘listener’. The plot twists and turns quickly. And when you think you know, you are wrong. Unreliable narrators, which? Both? Maybe. Maybe not. It is typical Lisa Jewell.
So why four+ stars? The twist was wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly for me. The anticipation was spectacular. The closing was a bit anticlimactic. From a craft perspective, she’s talented as all get out. And would I love to write like this? You betcha!
Gilded by Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A YA reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin. A girl with an incredible imagination, a willingness to help those in need, and the bravery of an army crosses the terrifying and vile Erlking. She winds up in his haunted castle, where she meets a creature who can spin straw into gold, and he saves her life, more than once, but at what cost?
This came as a suggestion for a possible comparable title (like when you buy/sell a house…same with books). When I send out query letters and pitches, I need intriguing, realistic comp titles. Not only does this one work, but it’s a wildly creative and well-told reimagining.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book stands solid in my top three with To Kill a Mockingbird, and a slew of others, all vying for third. This was my first reread (second reading), and it was much more purposeful this time, with a specific intent: to analyze Death in his omniscient narration. His voice, his perspective, his motivations, how he tells a story, what he gives the reader, what he keeps from them, and the manner in which he interacts with the reader. Death is an excellent narrator, and the writer in me got everything she needed. The reader did, too. I couldn’t help but fall in love, head over heels, with it all over again: the stories of Lisel, Rudy, Papa, Mamma, Max, and even the mayor’s wife. Even better than the first read, if that is possible. Also noteworthy is how the same book can be so magnificently perfect with each read and also so different. I guess some of that depends on where the reader is in life, too. Wherever you are, read (or reread) this magical book.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
This book was recommended by a fellow writer specifically for the omniscient narration. And it is a GREAT interweaving of multiple stories, characters, and kidnappings. That said, I found the differing timelines a bit bouncy and choppy. The fantastic ending almost makes it a five, but the flipping back and forth to orient myself in time kept it at a four+ for me.
Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Supposed to be a mindless mystery, but it was interesting. At first, I thought it was a guy reviewing mysteries, but it was more than that. Then our protagonist turns out to be a murderer. Not THE murderer of the story, but a murderer of another in another story. It ended up much more intriguing than I thought it would, and I’m very interested in our ‘protagonist’, so I would read the next in the series.
What are you reading? What do you recommend? Have you read these? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments.
Until next time, find your creative, embrace your wild side, stay sane(ish), and happy reading!
Best, Aspen Hite
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