Olive You to Death by Lynn Cahoon

 This is number 16 in Lynn Cahoon's Tourist Trap mysteries. I have to admit they are formulaic, but I still enjoy reading them or listening to them. The characters have become comfortably familiar. The writing can be a bit tedious, but overall not a bad listen as I work online. 

All of the Tourist Trap mysteries take place in the fictional town of South Cove, California, a city on the coast in southern California. Jill Gardner runs the coffee shop and bookstore, Coffee, Books, and More and her fiance, Greg King, is the town's head detective. There are a cast of other regulars in each book and together they solve the cases of the dead bodies that end up there. 

Recommend: sure. 

Fiction, mystery, California, series

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

 Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books I read as a young teenager. I have read many of Montgomery's works included the Emily books and all of the Anne books. I saw this book by her on Spotify and thought I would give it a listen. 

It starts out slowly, really slowly. At one point I wanted to give up and not finish it, but my sister assured me it would be worth it. And it was!  Once things took off it was wonderful. The characters are developed extrodinarily well and by the end I loved it!  

Valancy Sterling is living in Canada in the early 1900s. She is turning 29 and not married nor does she have any prospects. Here family is horrified for her and treats her as if she is worthless. Due to some health issues she decides to break free from her family's grip on her and live. She leaves home and nurses a sick girl and makes friends and finds love. 

A wonderful story!

Recommend: yes

Fiction, romance, Canada, families, 1900s. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

 In searching for something new to read I came across this book by Mark Haddon. I've read another book by him, a children's science fiction book called Boom! which I quite liked. 

John, a 15 year old autistic, is writing this book for a school assignment. He describes everything in his life including his struggle to interpret emotions and situations, tune out noise, deal with new people and experiences, and understand his parent's choices and relationship. Numbers and science make perfect sense to him and he looks forward to being a scientist someday. 

The book opens with him seeing his neighbor's dead dog and deciding that, like Sherlock Holmes, he will discover the murderer of the dog. This leads him to discover many things about his family that he did not know and he does not know how to process most of his discoveries. Even though his parents are divorced and have a rough relationship they try to help him, encourage him, and love him. 

I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. Sometimes characteristics of the main character seemed inconsistent and I didn't love the language of the adults which seemed to get in the way of the story. The author has worked with autistic individuals in his life and that experience has helped him to see into their world a little bit. I was inspired by John's father's love for him and his patience that he displayed even when John's behavior was very difficult. I would still recommend it, however, because there are not a lot of books that I have heard of that showcase autism as well as this does. 

Recommend: yes

Young adult fiction, autism, parenting

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones

 Diana Wynne Jones is a genius. I adore all her books. The Chrestomanci series and Howl's Moving Castle being among my favorites. Her way of writing fantasy books is unique and her characters are memorable. 

I picked up this book at the library the other day and enjoyed the quick read; it's just over 100 pages. It has some great illustrations by Paul O. Zelinksky, who is a talented children's book illustrator. 

Earwig is an orphan and content with being at the orphanage until some interesting people come to adopt her. She finds herself in a magical household and with the help of Thomas the cat, decides to take control of the situation and become in charge. 

Recommend: yes

Children's fiction, witches, magic, orphans, cats

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

 I downloaded book #5 soon after finishing #4. I was happy to hear it was the same narrator and that the author himself narrated a bit as well. The premise of this installment of Hawthorne and Horowitz is a bit different. This time Horowitz is writing about a crime that has already been committed instead of seeing it unfold in real time. His publisher wants another book and Hawthorne doesn't have a case he is working on so they decide to resurrect an old case. Hawthorne slowly gives Horowitz information on the case so that he doesn't know the end from the beginning all at once. 

I really enjoy these mysteries and my only complaint is that this was just published in 2024 and I will have to wait for the next one to be published!

Recommend: Yes

Mystery, murder, detective, crime

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

 I discovered Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries a few years ago much to my delight. The Twist of a Knife is #4 in the series that has 5 books in it at present, although the author has said there are more planned in the future. Hawthorne is a former police detective in London and now works as a private investigator. These are unique because Horowitz puts himself in the story as the side kick to Hawthorne who has asked him to write books about him as he solves cases. The reader gets a unique look into the frustrations and insights of a somewhat unobservant companion to a brilliant detective. Horowitz inserts many things about his personal life in these stories that it makes you wonder if they are true and not fiction. My favorite part of mystery series are the reoccurring characters. Hawthorne is a well developed and there is a lot of mystery surrounding his history which makes reading the story engaging and so interesting. 

I listened to the audio book version and the narrator did a wonderful job. His voices of the characters really brought them to life for me. 

Recommend: Yes

Mystery, murder, detective, crime

A Darkness at the Door by Intisar Khanan

 Book #3 in The Dauntless Path. Book #2 ended with a cliff hanger so I immediately downloaded this on my kindle. The story continues of Rae who is, with the help of some thieves, trying to end the kidnapping and enslaving of the kingdom's children. She is up against insurmountable odds, mages, royalty, and deception at every turn. 

The pace of this book was excellent. I was engaged from the beginning and was swept up in the adventure throughout the book. I loved seeing the development of the characters and especially liked it when they did things that surprised me. 

Recommend: Yes!

Young Adult fiction, fantasy, child slavery, magic

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani

 Book #2 in the Dauntless Path series. I really like Thorn, book #1 and happily started this one after reading a small short story called The Bone Knife which takes place in between #1 and #2. I read this very quickly (and the third one as well) and loved every minute of it. I rarely like the second book in a series more than the first, but this one is even better than Thorn. 

Rae is asked to come to court to be with her cousin who is expecting a child. While she is there she is asked to be the new princess's companion (the main character from Thorn). This suprises her since she was born with a club foot. She accepts the assignment and uses it to try and discover what is happening to the children of the kingdom who mysteriously disappear. 

Recommend: Yes.

Young adult fiction, fantasy, child slavery. 

23 Minutes by Vivian Vande Velde

 I read this book in July of 2023 and liked it so much I wanted to read it aloud to my boys. Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors and I loved how she told this story. 

Zoe, age 15 and a half,  has an unusual ability to travel back in time for exactly 23 minutes. There are restrictions, which I won't describe here. This ability irritates her mostly until she witnesses a bank robbery gone wrong. Now she has to figure out how to fix it. 

Recommend: Yes

Time travel, Young Adult Fiction

The List by Melanie Jacobson

I've read The List more than a few times. The plot is pretty simplistic, but I do enjoy the characters and so find myself picking it up every couple of years to reread. 

Ashley is about to start her masters degree and is spending the summer with her cousins in southern California. She has a List she has made of things to do before she gets married. She wants to knock a few of them out this summer before going back to Utah to school. One of them is to have a summer fling. She meets Matt and of course things begin to look like they could be more serious, but Ashley only wants her list completed, not a real relationship. Their adventures together are sweet and even though Ashley's actions are a little frustrating, I still really enjoy reading her story. 

Recommend: yes

LDS fiction, romance, beach, summer

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Retold and remixed fairy tales are a favorite genre of mine. Thorn is VERY loosely based on The Goose Girl with plots and characters not found in the orginal tale. The main character has courage and stamina and also reacts to hard situations in a real way. She has endured abuse and that colors how she sees people and situations and affects her trust of people's motivations. I liked how that is still a part of her and yet she can still find ways to show mercy to people who have wronged her without allowing them to continue to hurt her. 

This is the first book in the series called, Dauntless Path. Each succeeding book focuses on a new main character while the previous book's main character takes a back seat while this new story is told. I enjoyed this a lot and have already started the second book, The Theft of Sunlight.

Recommend: Yes

Young Adult fiction, fairy tale, fantasy

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

 8 hours and 33 minutes. Time spent listening to this gem. Here is the plot in a very small  squirrel sized nutshell: Simon is a pre-teen that has experienced something traumatizing: a school shooting. His parents move him to a new town to help him move past it all. He meets new friends and has new adventures all which help him to embrace who he is. 

There are also demented squirrels and emus, obsessed space scientists, and a town without the internet and microwaves. Oh and hilarious anecdotes mixed in. The author, Erin Bow, uses humor and quirky real characters to soften this sad and scary subject. The kids in the story deal with PTSD and autism and are super bright. They show how they deal with these issues courageously with parents who love them and support them. All around inspiring. This quote sums it up well, "Simon Sort of Says is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past." (Summary on Libby app)

Recommend: Yes

Junior Fiction, trauma, PTSD, autism, astronomy, friendship, humor

Borrow My Heart by Kasie West

 I have read several of Kasie West's books in the past and I like their light hearted, just enough angst, and plucky characters. My daughter received this one as a gift so, of course, I had to pick it up and read it. 

The basis of the plot is based on a typical miscommunication scenario. I don't love these especially when they go beyond an acceptable time for one or both of them to come clean and resolve the lies that are being perpetuated. The fall out from these falsehoods ends in overreactions which makes everything worse. I was a bit disappointed in the story and the characters. The sub plot was interesting, however, which was one of a complicated family situation. This kept me reading to the end. And of course, in the style of many a Hallmark romance, there are dogs. 

Recommend: no

teen fiction, romance, dogs, family. 

Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman

On our recent road trip we listened to the audio book version that was narrated by the author, Neil Gaiman. It was a quick listen, about an hour, and full of imaginative humor. 

This is a tale a dad spins to explain why it took him sooooo long to go to the corner market and pick up some milk so that his kids could eat their breakfast cereal. When he finally comes in the door the kids demand what took so long and so he tells them. I can imagine Neil Gaiman himself weaving this tall tale to his own family!  Very fun to listen to.

Recommend: Yes

Audiobook, humor, children, family

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 Road trips are the best times to read a new book!  My daughter brought this book that her brother had given her on our road trip to Ohio. I picked it up and read it in a couple of days. It deals with a hard subject-suicide, but in a It's a Wonderful Life sort of way. Nora has lived a life full of regrets and those regrets coupled with some hard knocks nearly overcome her. As she prepares to end her life she finds herself in the Midnight Library. Here she gets multiple second chances to see how her life would have turned out if she had made one different choice. As she sees what could have been what is seems better and better. 

The multiple themes of missed chances and present realities put together may seem to be depressing and overwhelmingly discouraging. Yet, Matt Haig, spins a tale that left me feeling hopeful and not hopeless. We all have lives that are messy and we all miss opurtunities, but as Nora learned, life is about connecting with others despite our situation and serving and helping those around us. Miraculously as we do that we help ourselves find happiness and purpose. 

Recommend: Yes

Fiction, death, suicide, hope, friendship, family relationships

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I was browsing in the Libby app the other day looking for an audiobook to listen to as I was working. I came across this gem that was available to checkout.  The premise of the book at first was a bit depressing as Ove is facing life without his wife who has recently passed away. He decides he would rather join her in death than live what he thinks is a pointless life alone. He lays plans to take his life simply and neatly but is thwarted at every turn by people he is at first irritated and annoyed by and who he thinks are idiots. Slowly, though, they become a part of him and he loves and serves them in his own curmudgeonly way. 

Recommend: Yes

Ficiton, death, family, friends

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The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

 I have been in love with C.S. Lewis' Narnia books since I was a child and made my own wardrobe in my closet where I read them all. This is the last in the series and I wanted something to listen to as I went on my walk. Again, Spotify has free audiobooks and this was one of them. A plus was it was read by Patrick Stewart, he did a phenomal job!  

I don't often reread this last book in the series but I was fascinated with Lewis' symbolism as he illustrated the end of the Narnia world and described going into Aslan's country. I was enjoying it so much I kept listening as I came home and did the dishes and cleaned the house with the story in my ears. 

Recommend: Yes. 

Junior fiction, fantasy, end of the world, Narnia, talking animals, religion

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I opened the Spotify app and saw that some free audiobooks had been added and first on the list was A Christmas Carol. I happily clicked on it even though it's Spring and not wintry Christmas time. I listened to it on and off as I was walking or driving. No matter what time of year you read or watch or listen to this story it is delightful, thought provoking, and inspirationally happy. My time spent listening left me with an inner smile and a desire to see and serve other people around me. 

Recommend: Yes.

Fantasy, Christmas, England, Ghosts

Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

One of my qualifications for a good book is one that keeps on giving no matter how many times I read it. Greenwitch is the third book in the Dark is Rising series and I can't count how many times I've read it. I love the familiarity of the story, the good versus evil battle, the endearing characters, and the beauitful setting. Susan Cooper wrote it in 1974 and of the five books in the series, one won the Newbery Award and another was a runner up. It has the ring of old mythological tales even though they are all of Cooper's making. A wonderful read and dive into the Welsh countryside. 

Recommend: yes, of course

Junior Fiction, fantasy, mythology, Wales, adventure

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

There are some authors that never disappoint, Nancy Farmer is one of them for me. I first read her Sea of Trolls and enjoyed her writing style immensely. All of her books are so different and take place in a variety of places around the world. I started this one with just as much anticipation that it would be just as enjoyable as the others I've read and I was not disappointed. 

In this future time in our world cloning happens, although it is illegal. The clones that survive are treated like cattle for various reasons and not considered human for there can only be one person on earth with a unique DNA. This story takes place between the border of the United States and Mexico in the land of Opium where that substance rules everyone. The drug lords are kings and others are mere pawns to do according to their wishes. Amid this back drop enters a young boy who will challenge this system while fighting for his own life at the same time. The characters in this book are rich with description and nuance and are multi-dimensional which is why I love Farmer's writings. The subject matter may seem dark and violent, but because it's written for the teen audience it doesn't get too intense. 

Recommend: Definitely

Science Fiction, Mexico, Drugs, Teen Fiction.

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

My son is a fan of Russian literature. I asked him for his favorite and he recommended this one to me. Gogol has been referred to as the Russian Charles Dickens and wrote this book in 1842. I started the book a number of times and had a hard time getting past the first chapter. I decided to listen to it instead during my walks each day. This was much more successful. The beauty of this story is in the language of the author and not necessarily in the plot or characters, although I became invested in both of those as time went on. The narrator has a wonderful rich voice and the Russian names rolled off his tongue beautifully. 

The premise of the story is not as macabre as the title suggests. This story takes place during the time of Russian serfdom. Owners of these serfs paid taxes on them even after they died. Our hero of the story, Paul Ivanovich Chichikov, decides that to increase his income he will buy the serfs who have passed on from their owners so they won't have to pay taxes on deceased individuals and thus make money off of these dead souls as he will not inform the government that they are actually dead. This, in a nutshell, is the beginning and end of the story. Yet the beauty of the story exists in the characterizations of the colorful characters you meet which becomes very satisfying. I found myself laughing outloud as I was walking, listening to some of the portrayals of the people Chichikov met and attempted to do business with. The descriptive language helped me see 19th century Russia in clear detail. 

Recommend: yes, with the caveat that it's not for the casual reader of fluffy fiction, but well worth the extra effort. 

Somebody On This Bus Is Going To Be Famous! by J.B. Cheaney

9 children, 9 different lives, 9 different problems, 9 different pasts and presents, 1 bus. I like this type of writing style where the story is told from different perspectives and slowly the story line is weaved together from each person's eyes. I thought it ended a bit clunky, but overall I enjoyed reading the story. The author does a good job of bringing each student to life and showing how we are all more connected that it seems. The author is a local Missourian and the story takes place in and around South and Central Missouri. 

Recommend: yes

The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

This starts out in typical medieval fantasy fashion. Young girl grows up in extreme poverty, disaster strikes and she loses what little she had, nearly dies, is rescued, finds a new found talent and uses it to rescue her people. Even though it's not a fresh idea, the story is pleasant to read. Emmeline is the damsel in distress and Owen is her longed for love. And there is the typical ruthless bad guy (or bad queen in this case) who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. 

It was an average fantasy story with romance weaved in. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but probably won't pick it up again. 

Recommend: Sure.

Young adult fiction, fantasy, magic, evil queen.

Books in 2023

 As I looked back and counted up the books I've read in 2023 I was a bit surprised to see the low number of 27, with 6 of them rereads. Of the first time reads here are my top picks: 

• Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham
• Eyes of the Forest by April Henry
• 23 Minutes by Vivian Vande Velde
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho