Hamnet

 Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell, 372 pages

An award-winning book that had been on my radar for a little while, I was glad to get the chance to read this! Although he is never specifically named, instead being referred to as "the Latin tutor" or "Hamnet's father", etc., this book is a fictionalized story of William Shakespeare and his family. Names are important in this book: Hamnet's mother, Agnes, tells "the Latin tutor" her name is Anne at their first meeting, and the pronunciation of her name is often mentioned throughout the book. Similarly, the book begins with the explanation that during the time period that this book was set, the names Hamlet and Hamnet were interchangeable. So while the reader is always aware that this is a story about William Shakespeare's family, by never naming him, and keeping him out of much of the action (he is in London at this point, gaining fame as an actor and playwright), the reader becomes much more invested in the story of Hamnet and his twin sister Judith, as well as the story of Agnes and her courtship with "the Latin tutor".

As the subtitle states, this is a novel of the plague and the author tells us in advance who in the family will be affected. But the author is excellent at drawing the reader into the story of the family as a whole, and specifically Hamnet and his mother, Agnes. In addition, we learn much about how families lived and interacted during this time, and we get a glimpse of how Shakespeare's family might have functioned, and how his relationship with his wife, in-laws, and his own family might have shaped him. History knows very little about Shakespeare's wife and I found her character in this story to be richly imagined and fascinating. I very much enjoyed this book and have been thinking about it quite a bit since reading it.

The Satapur Moonstone

 The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey; 360 pages

The second in the Perveen Mistry series, inspired by the real-life first woman lawyer in India. What I loved about the first book in this series was the description of 1920s Bombay: the culture, the diversity, the food, etc., so I was initially disappointed that this book took Perveen Mistry out of the city and into an isolated world of royalty and wealth. But that didn't last long because the writer transported me to this world right away!

In this story, Perveen is called upon to meet with a royal family in India to resolve the educational path of its future monarch. She is selected primarily because the two women (the mother and grandmother of the future ruler) who cannot come to an agreement observe purdah and cannot meet with a male lawyer. Luckily, Perveen is smart and resourceful and soon finds that there is much more than just a disagreement in regards to schooling that is keeping the palace in turmoil. Between stolen jewels, hidden identities, poisoning attempts, and a possible love interest, Perveen has her work cut out for her. There's a lot happening in the plot, but I never lost the thread. In addition, moving the action out to the countryside of India allowed me to learn more about the small kingdoms of the time and the uneasy relationship between Indians and British colonialists.

I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

The Legend of the King

 The Legend of the King by Gerald Morris, 295 pages

Book 10 of The Squires Tales series, this is the final installment. And I've read this series before, and knew the first time around how Camelot ends, but oh my, it was sad to read again! Readers are reunited with nearly all the major characters of the previous books, and many of the characters are given excellent and touching endings. 

And of course there still are wonderful passages with stories of adventure and the friendship of Terence and Gawain, along with the other characters in the series, some from Arthurian literature and some (like Terence) completely made up by Gerald Morris. I cried when the story ended, because it's Camelot and it's sad, but also because I loved reading this series and I was sorry to come to the end again. But as a person who likes to reread, I can always start the series over again! 

These books are an excellent introduction to the King Arthur tales. Even though many of the characters are adults, middle-graders will love the action and the compelling stories. Highly recommended for young readers who might not be ready for angsty teen books, but who are looking for something challenging after graduating from chapter books.

The King's Coat

 The King's Coat: The First Naval Adventure of Alan Lewrie by Dewey Lambdin, 384 pages

When nothing else could hold my attention (I've started and abandoned about 4 books recently!) a British Navy tale will always do. This was one I'd been meaning to read for quite a while, and once I realized I just did not have the attention span for nonfiction or dense literary fiction, I decided to go with action and adventure in search of something that would keep me turning the pages. 

Alan Lewrie is no Horatio Hornblower and Dewey Lambdin is no C.S. Forester, but that's okay. This was an action-packed adventure and even though I won't devour these books like I did the Horatio Hornblower series, I'm sure I'll pick up more in the future. 

Alan Lewrie has enjoyed the life of an aristocrat in 1780s England, but his father, fearing Lewrie will inherit all his wealth and preferring the children of his wife to the child of his mistress, sends Lewrie to sea, half expecting Lewrie not to survive the adventure and not much caring either way if he does. Lewrie is very much a fish out of water (pun intended) as he struggles to learn his new duties and to find ways to survive in a difficult and unforgiving environment. While I found myself occasionally shocked and scandalized at some of Lewrie's choices (I prefer the rule-following Hornblower!), I did enjoy the action and descriptions of the seafaring life. And I enjoyed the descriptions as Lewrie begins to actually thrive as a midshipman and hope for promotion, prizes, and glory. 

Lots of action (both on the sea and, uh, in some of the seedier port towns) and good supporting characters and situations, I was glad to find a book that held my interest again.

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust #2)

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman, 784 pages

The continuing story of Lyra, Pantalaimon, Malcolm Polstead, and many other characters from both series: The Book of Dust series and the His Dark Materials series. This book starts with Lyra at age 20. She and her daemon, Pantalaimon, have been arguing fiercely about things both big and small and because unlike most humans and daemons, they have the power to separate, Pantalaimon begins to leave Lyra alone, eventually leaving her for good. Lyra begins a journey to find him and meets many characters along the way, some new and some returning from previous books. Meanwhile, Malcolm finds himself more involved with his work with Oakley Street (a secret organization) and reluctantly travels abroad as well, when what he'd really like to do is to stay near Lyra, and not just for professional reasons.

And while all of this kept me plowing quickly through about 3/4 of this large book, either the plot got too convoluted or I got distracted and I slowed down. I also understood that this book could not tie things up neatly at all with the number of pages left and became disappointed knowing very little would be resolved by the end. I love the author and the characters and hold out every hope that by the third book, things will be resolved. This middle book was a cliffhanger but I look forward to the third book of what I believe is a trilogy when I'll get all the answers I want (and probably some I don't want, but that's okay too!). 

The Squire's Quest

 The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris; 275 pages

This is Book 9 in a series that I've already read at least once, and am glad to be experiencing again, even though I know we're coming to the end of Camelot. I love these books so much: the retelling of both well-known and obscure Arthurian legends, as well as other stories of the time, are as enjoyable as the philosophical discussion the characters engage in with humor and profundity. 

In this story, Terence, squire to Gawain (Terence's character is a creation of this author) meets Mordred and immediately knows this young man is not as gallant, kind, or noble as the rest of Arthur's Round Table seems to think he is. But because he can't prove anything about Mordred, Terence can only watch him and hope to find a way to catch him in a misdeed. In the meantime, there are love affairs, jousts, fairies, and funny, engaging, and thought-provoking scenes throughout the book. 

These books are great for older middle-grade children who are getting into these types of stories. Even though at this stage of the series the main characters are no longer teens, the situations are still humorous and action-packed. I'll be sad to read the next and final book of this series but know I can always start again at the first book when I want to enjoy it all again!

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard, 416 pages 

I picked this up not so much because I was interested in the subject but because I had read "The Destiny of the Republic" by this author, about James Garfield's assassination, and liked her writing style. I very much enjoyed this book as well. This tells of Roosevelt's decision, after not being re-elected as President in 1912, to go on an Amazon adventure. All his life, Roosevelt battled depression and setbacks by challenging himself mentally and physically. So to get his mind off his defeat, even at age 55, he chose to push himself and the men who joined them to the limits of their endurance.

Initially the trip was planned to be a bit more sedate, owing to the age of some of the men joining the expedition and the fact that a former President was on the trip. Upon arriving in Brazil, however, Roosevelt and his companions chose to forego the already not terribly safe trip they planned to instead embark upon The River of Doubt, which had been virtually completely uncharted and its endpoint unknown. Millard does a great job describing what a monumentally bad decision this was: they hadn't planned for or packed supplies for this type of trip, and they continued to make bad choices throughout the trip that would cost lives and impact the health of the men on the journey, including nearly killing Roosevelt himself.

I learned a lot about the many, many ways a person can die in the Amazon rain forest, as well as the tribes that lived there, the nature of the plants and animals that lived there, and how the River Basin was created millennia ago. I also enjoyed learning about the men who joined this expedition, including Roosevelt's son Kermit, and Candido Rondon, a fascinating man of his time who worked his way up from poverty to a military career installing telegraph lines, heading expeditions, and, most impressively, to championing fair treatment of the tribes that inhabited the Amazon River Basin. Millard does an excellent job describing the temperament of the men who undertook this dangerous journey and I found many of the characters as fascinating, if not more so, than Roosevelt himself. Well-written and engaging - I will read more by this great author!

La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume 1

 La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume One by Philip Pullman, 449 pages

After finishing the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by this author, I've now gone back to reread the first in this companion series, in anticipation of reading the newest in this series for the first time! And it was never a struggle to reread any of these books, as I love them all.

Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon were the main characters of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, and this series begins with Lyra's "origin story" as an infant, when she was already being sought after for the part she is destined to play in a mysterious prophecy. Powerful forces work for against Lyra's safety, and it's difficult to know who is on the side of good. Malcolm Polstead, a boy living and working at the inn owned by his father, meets Lyra when a group of nuns become her caretakers. Malcolm has befriended the nuns, who live close to his father's inn, and he is fascinated and charmed by the infant Lyra. When a dangerous flood and sinister people threaten Lyra's safety, Malcolm escapes with Lyra and Alice, a girl close to Malcolm's age who also works at the inn, to the relative safety of the flood. The rest of the book is non-stop daring and adventure with bits of mythology and mysticism thrown in to keep the pages turning.

Pullman writes wonderful young characters who are distinct and likeable in their own ways, and Malcolm and Alice are as engaging and relatable as the characters of Will and Lyra in the previous series. We also encounter some of the adults we met in the previous series and get to know a bit more of their stories, and this book, like the others in the series, is action-packed, thought-provoking, and compelling. I can't wait to read the next one!

Fool Moon

 Fool Moon by Jim Butcher, 401 pages

This is the second book in the Dresden Files series, starring wizard Harry Dresden, who operates as sort of a private investigator in modern-day Chicago. He also serves as a consultant to the Chicago Police Department when they need someone versed in the supernatural to help solve crimes that are clearly not run of the mill. 

This book, like the first one, started quickly with a lot of action and gore, as Harry is asked to investigate some grisly murders that appear to have been done by wolves (but we all know we're talking about werewolves - I mean, look at the title!). We get reintroduced to Karrin Murphy, a Lieutenant with the Chicago PD, who wants Harry's help on this case but is still ticked at how he handled the last case they worked together. Also making a comeback from the first book are Gentleman John Marcone, a crime boss, and Susan Rodriguez, who works for a tabloid paper and becomes something more than just a colleague for Harry.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the same as what I enjoyed about the first book: great characters (I very much like the character of Gentleman John and it looks like he'll be a recurring character), plenty of action, and a good plot. I find magic with complicated rules a distraction in a book and I'm glad that the magic described is simple and not the main focus of the story. I'm glad I found this series and I look forward to reading more!

The Widows of Malabar Hill

 

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, 385 pages

Mystery! History! Lots of fascinating female characters! Great descriptions of food and culture! What's not to love? I admit I judge books by their covers, and this one made me want to know more. I'm so glad that the cover of the book did not deceive.

This is the first of a series inspired by the real-life first female lawyer in India. Perveen Mistry finds herself entangled in assisting three widows in understanding and agreeing to their inheritances. The widows were the wives of one man and they follow strict rules forbidding any contact with men. Perveen is soon drawn in to their lives and their stories. The narrative moves between 1921 Bombay, as Perveen is working for her father's law firm, and 1916-1917 as Perveen's personal story and tragic past are revealed. Perveen's history shows another side of how Zoroastrian women in India lived, and I found her story as compelling as the experiences of the Muslim widows in 1921.

The descriptions of the city of Bombay with its diverse population and fascinating culture, food, and architecture, as well as the experiences of women of the time and the uneasy relationship with the British colonialists make this a great read. Add a compelling mystery and I couldn't stop turning the pages. I can't wait to read more!

The Amber Spyglass

 

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman; 467 pages

This is the conclusion of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman. I've been rereading this series because I've had a hard time finishing new books, but I didn't want to stop reading. So I picked up something I knew I loved and knew I would finish. 

It's difficult to describe this book without referencing the previous two titles. All the main characters of the previous two books return, and we follow closely the stories of Will and Lyra, both separate and reunited, and Mary Malone, a scientist who met Lyra in the second book. These three characters play important parts in a destiny that has caused all of the alternate worlds to either work to keep Lyra from fulfilling a prophecy, or to aid her and keep her alive in order to do so. Mary ends up in a beautifully described alternate world inhabited by strange but gracious and kind people, and I loved reading the descriptions of this world and its people again.

I really can't give a recap, as it might contain spoilers from some of the previous books! I will say that this book is excellent and recommended for any teen or adult who wishes to be swept away by beautiful writing and unforgettable characters and events. Now I will move on to Pullman's companion series to these books and will get to read about Lyra at other times in her life!

The Quest of the Fair Unknown

 

 

The Quest of the Fair Unknown by Gerald Morris, 264 pages

This is the eighth book of The Squire's Tales series. I've been rereading them just for the enjoyment of great writing and fun stories and this book is no different. Beaufils has lived an extremely sheltered life: the only human he has ever known in his isolated home is his mother. Following her death, he wants to search for his father, having learned from his mother that his father was a knight at Camelot. Because Beaufils is very much an innocent, his interactions with the first humans he meets are amusing but also enlightening to the reader: it turns out that Beaufils himself is a very good-looking fellow, but he isn't aware of this and he really doesn't grasp the concept of physical beauty or ugliness in others. He also experiences right away examples of good and evil in the human race. 

Beaufils joins up with the Lady Ellyn, Galahad, Gawain, and others as he embarks on a quest to find the Holy Grail, which interests him much less than finding his father and helping his companions with their quests.

There's so much to love in these stories. It's true of all his books, but it struck me again in this book how many interesting female characters Morris adds to or embellishes using the stories of King Arthur and other popular stories of the Middle Ages. Lady Ellyn in this story is one of my favorite of Morris' female characters: she's funny, introspective, courageous, and kind. These books are great for middle readers interested in fantasy, knights, adventures, magic, and good story telling. I'll be sad when this series ends for me, but it's been fun to reread these books and I'll probably pick up the whole series sometime again soon and start over!

The Subtle Knife

 The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman, 370 pages

Another great re-read! I read through this very quickly, but still managed to discover new things in this reading. This is the second of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy and introduces a new and very important character, Will, who lives in the world the reader knows. He must escape to a different world because he's being pursued and in this world, he meets Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon of the first book of the trilogy, "The Golden Compass". 

Lyra and Will are mistrustful of each other at first, but soon join forces to help each other on their individual quests: Will is searching for his father, who has been lost all of his life. He fears that the men who are pursuing Will and his mother are also searching for his father. Lyra's goal is to right a terrible wrong and she will travel to new worlds to do so. 

Just like in the first book, we are introduced to shadowy and nefarious adult characters, but also adults and witches who are fighting on the side of right. In particular, we once again meet Serafina Pekkala, a witch who has vowed to help and protect Lyra, and Lee Scoresby, an aeronaut who sees Lyra as the daughter he never had. Just like the first book, there are some violent and difficult scenes. The themes of this book are for mature readers, but the writing is complex enough that young readers who aren't ready would also not be able to tackle the reading.

It's interesting to me that some reviewers really dislike Lyra. I find her to be a flawed character, yes, but the mistakes she makes she does because she is young, not because she is mean or unintelligent. I don't know what's not to like about her passion and drive to do the right thing. I can't wait to dive into the third book and was very excited to know that the second prequel to these books (another trilogy, this one titled "The Book of Dust") has been published! While it will be a lot of reading before I can get there, it's worth it to me!

Echo Mountain

 

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk, 356 pages

A page turner! I picked this up because I had started a book that I couldn't finish. It wasn't the book's fault; I think I'm just currently in a place where the action and events of a juvenile book are easier to focus on than anything that is too dense. This was right up my alley and it kept my interest!

Ellie's family moves from town to a cabin on a mountain after The Great Depression upends their lives. When Ellie's father is terribly injured in an accident that she witnessed, Ellie feels that her family hold her somewhat at fault for causing the accident. As her father's condition does not change, she begins to search for ways to cure him by using the resources of the natural world and by befriending some of the people who have always lived on the mountain and are not sure they want to welcome newcomers. 

There was a lot of action in this book as well as things a young reader would find alluring: a puppy born to the family dog who Ellie hopes to keep as her own pet, a mysterious "hag" living in a remote cabin further up the mountain, beautiful wood carvings left as gifts by someone Ellie never sees, and so on. The writing and the characters are beautifully done and the descriptions of life on the mountain and the wildlife that share space with the people were great. This book would be a great choice for any young reader.

The Golden Compass

 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, 399 pages

So fun to come back to a beloved favorite! A friend asked me if I'd read this book because it's streaming as a show somewhere (not a streaming service I use and this is an endorsement for the book anyway!). I responded enthusiastically that this is one of my absolute favorites. I've read or listened to the series many, many times and it's always enjoyable to come back to it. There are scenes and chapters that I absolutely love revisiting. Rereads of this series both help me gain new perspective while still feeling as though I'm reading it for the first time.

This book begins in a world similar to ours with one big difference: all humans are born with a daemon that takes the shape of an animal. Daemons change shape when children are young and when a child enters puberty and becomes an adult, the daemon takes a fixed form. Often the character of a person can be gleaned from their daemon. Servants in this world always have dog daemons, for instance. I probably would be wary of a person with a snake daemon, or a monkey daemon. We'll get to the monkey daemon in a moment. First: meet Lyra. Orphaned and living at Jordan College in Oxford, Lyra is a tough, streetwise little girl and a natural leader among the children she befriends. She is always getting into trouble. Her daemon, Pantalamion, of course joins in but also represents the thoughtful side of Lyra's nature and tries talking her out of her worst transgressions. By spying on a meeting of the Masters of Jordan College, Lyra starts a chain of events that lead her to travel to London with Mrs. Coulter, whose daemon is a beautiful but fierce monkey with golden fur. While she's at first besotted with Mrs. Coulter who is smart, glamorous, and well-traveled, she begins to mistrust her and particularly that nasty, sneaky, golden monkey. Lyra's escape from Mrs. Coulter brings about a series of adventures and daring escapes from death, and introduces the reader to some truly unforgettable characters, including Iorek Byrnison, the polar bear on the cover of this book. In addition to Iorek, Lyra befriends the Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby, the witch Serafina Pekkala, and many others who will play roles in the second and third books of the trilogy. The events point to troubling abuses of power by adults in the name of Theology and Lyra is known to be destined to play an important role in future events. Lyra knows nothing of this prophecy as her main goal is finding her friend Roger, abducted by a powerful and mysterious group known as The Gobblers.

This book is best for mature teens and adults. There are some truly upsetting and frightening scenes as well as discussions of theology and human nature that are weighty and thoughtful. Those who love it will know after the first book if they want to continue on with the trilogy, which is rewarding and heartbreaking and gorgeously plotted and written. I loved it and I'm so glad to be reading it again. I also highly recommend the audiobook version. The author Pullman narrates it, and the other characters are voiced by a full cast and it is amazing. 

Storm Front

Storm Front by Jim Butcher, 355 pages    

I've been resisting this series for a while, and now I'm glad I finally relented and gave this a shot! I wasn't sure I was in the mood for complicated explanations of magic and the rules of magic and so forth, but luckily for my short attention span, this jumped right into the action. I very much appreciated that the author did not go into great detail about how the magic was done and how the structure of the magical world worked; instead the book focused on solving a mystery and magic was just one of the tools used.

And the character using the tools is a lot of fun! Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard and you can find him in the phonebook under "Wizards" - he's the only one listed. He is a consultant to the Chicago PD, in a world pretty much exactly like ours except magic is a bit more prevalent. When the police run into something out of the ordinary, they call Harry. Of course there are folks on the police force who don't entirely believe in magic, but who also are too scared to look Harry in the eye or ask a lot of questions about his work and methods.

In this book, the first in a series of currently 17 books (as well as short story collections, graphic novel adaptations, and a short-lived TV show), Harry is called in to investigate a pair of gruesome murders and it quickly gets him involved with a local big-time gangster who doesn't want Harry poking around in his business. Harry's character is accessible and likeable: he might be a wizard, but his work isn't that lucrative so he takes odd jobs to pay the bills (hence the phone book listing), much more like a private investigator than a magician for hire. There are a lot of great jokes about his life and powers, and the side characters are complex and memorable as well. The magic is important to the story, but it doesn't bog down the reader with intricacies and explanations - it's part of the action, but not the main focus. It's possible in future books we'll learn more about how Harry became a wizard and how the White Council, which controls the people who use magic, functions, but it seems like the author will dole this out in small chunks while keeping the story moving.

I finished this book in just a couple of days and it held my attention, which I needed! In these times I'm having a hard time focusing but this book, with plenty of action and solid writing, kept me turning the pages. I will definitely continue with this series.

I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

 

I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb, 303 pages

After reading one funny book I was in the mood for another funny book and wanted to go with something I knew wouldn't disappoint me, so I went with an old favorite. I think this is at least my third time reading this.

What do you do when you're born with limitless intelligence but you still have to get through middle school and high school before you can fully realize your powers? If you're Oliver Watson you play dumb. To his family and classmates Oliver is an unexceptional student and is definitely not in the "cool" crowd. But he doesn't mind because when he's not playing the role of loser kid, he's running multinational companies and enjoying the benefits of his wealth by visiting the underground lair he accesses from his bedroom.

What I love about this book are the unbelievable (but unbelievably funny) situations a 7th grade genius deals with, especially if he's busy sending his least-favorite teacher secret messages, or he's busy subtly getting back at the school bullies, or he's visiting the permanently out of order stall in the boy's bathroom that has actually been redesigned so he can take a snack break. The laughs don't end, but there's more to the story: Oliver actually adores his mother, has a wonderful dog named Lollipop, and has a typical strained relationship with his father. It's to prove his character to his father that Oliver decides to run for class president. But when you're not a typical kid, even though there are so many ways to get short-term revenge, even Oliver has to deal with the consequences of his actions in a delightfully nutty middle school kind of ending. 

This book is a blast and is recommended for teens who will enjoy the sly humor and the ridiculous situations. And if you're an adult like me who needs smart fun on occasion, you'll love it too!

Failure is an Option

Failure is an Option by H. Jon Benjamin; 245 pages

H. Jon Benjamin is best-known as the voice behind the animated series "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers". And yes, in the book he admits he does not make Archer and Bob sound different in any way even though they are two very different characters.

This was light and funny. The premise, as the title suggests, is that failures aren't the worst thing that can happen and that sometimes it's okay to shoot for a failure. In these wacky times, I kind of get it. The chapters were short and funny. I would say that I didn't "learn" much but that wasn't why I picked it up. He told some funny stories from his youth to adulthood and it was a fun, quick read. I was impressed by his writing and his humor and I think Benjamin is a pretty smart guy. I was glad I read this on an e-reader because he used words difficult enough that I had to look them up in the e-reader's dictionary. 

And I did pretty much read the entire book with his Archer/Bob voice narrating it in my head. 

The Accidental Alchemist

The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian; 350 pages

Zoe Faust is hundreds of years old, having somehow (I'm still a little murky on the details) sort of accidentally used the Elixir of Life for herself rather than someone else she had tried to save. She has Guilt. So she's moved around quite a bit and has landed in Portland, Oregon because she's decided to get back in the business of being an alchemist. Again, I'm not exactly sure why. I'm not trying to be too snarky about this because there were some fun parts to this book, particularly the character of Dorian Robert-Houdin, a gargoyle who has come to life and who is relying on Zoe to save him (he's turning back into stone), due to her past skills as an alchemist. She tries to study more about what could have happened to Dorian in between slugging gallons of different types of reviving teas along with restorative smoothies and then going to a tea shop to drink even more tea. I don't know. It was hard to follow, I'm not going to lie. And she also befriends a 14 year old boy with a neglectful mother who discovers that Dorian is a living gargoyle. And she's also caught up in (and is possibly a suspect for) a couple of murders and she has a major crush on the detective working the case for reasons unknown because there isn't much to his character.

My favorite things about this book really were the scenes with Dorian. His character was delightful. But Zoe's actions and choices were strange. In one scene she bolts from a place in paralyzing but difficult to explain terror, but never bothers to check back on the people in the place who were in some sort of supernatural danger, and just goes about the day, probably after making herself a calming smoothie or cup of tea or both. In a couple of scenes she gives compromised people a concoction of her own making because she evidently knows more than the doctors treating the people and never worries about what her concoctions might do to the person, just worries about getting caught. It was a trial to finish this and I won't continue the series. But hey, you gotta try something new once in a while! And just because I didn't like it doesn't mean there aren't redeeming qualities. It just wasn't my cup of herbal tea. 

Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War

Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War

 Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War by S.C. Gwynne, 

395 pages

The fourth and final year of the American Civil War is covered here by an excellent writer, who kept the pages turning with well-conceived chapters and intriguing descriptions of the people and times. I enjoy Civil War history, but I often find books detailing every moment and movement of battles tedious and dense. This one told the story of the battles the way I like to read them: who planned their strategy well, who didn't, who won, who lost. 

But what I really appreciated about this book was that its focus was not entirely on the battles: I learned more about Clara Barton, the "Angel of the Battlefield" in this book than I have anywhere else. And I'd never heard of African-American Civil War correspondent Thomas Morris Chester, whose newspaper reporting covered the stories in ways his colleagues never could, until I read this book. Likewise, reading about the importance of the 1864 election was timely to current events, and it was interesting to learn that even Abraham Lincoln felt his chances for a loss were high and that his own party was in the process of disassociating themselves with him.

The book did cover the important people and dates, but in a way that was accessible and readable. Each person was well-described so that they were distinguishable from others, and the impact of decisions and the heartbreaking aftermath of battles, while not enjoyable to read, was well-written. The author was good at debunking myths while still telling stories I hadn't read before. I would recommend this for anyone interested in the Civil War and American history.