Andrew Holleran’s novels are so gloomily personal that you can’t help worrying about him in the long gaps between them and wondering, since he’s now nearly eighty, if there will be another book at all. Sixteen years have passed since the last one, Grief, a novella-length study of a man, very like himself, mourning the […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/08/18/in-the-shadow-of-young-men-in-flower-kingdom-of-sand-holleran/
I never read John O’Hara’s stories, but having read themNow they all seem pretty much alike. There’s a lot ofBackground and a few remarks before not very much happensAnd the story ends, and apparently things are somehow changed.I never even thought of reading them, yet now I like the wayThey sometimes sound the way I […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/08/18/late-late-show-john-koethe/
in blossom. On thekitchen table now.Taller than me.Why do I feel ashamed.In my warm vest and winter coat.In tears.Hands empty at my side. What are youfor. Standing there as if insome other country. Anotherwise. Without past or future.No logic religion sorrowthought. Whisperingsmoke signals to morninglight.Are you hearing each other. The sight of meis of a […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/08/18/this-vase-of-quince-branches-you-sent-me-jorie-graham/
In January 1832 a New Year’s gift arrived at the home of Alexander Pushkin. The parcel had been sent by a close friend, the art collector Pavel Nashchokin, along with a note: “I am sending you your ancestor.” At the center of the gift, an inkstand, was the figure of a small Black boy with […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/08/18/the-first-russian-peter-the-greats-african-pushkin/
The New York Review of Books expanded its purview beyond books almost immediately, with a pointed review of “non-books” by John Hollander in the very first issue, but while the Review has covered paintings, music, photography, film, theater, and television for nearly sixty years, it wasn’t until 2012 that we published a review of a video game, albeit one based on […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2022/08/20/compulsion-triumph-regret-and-unease/
Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik is the second audiobook in the suspenseful, romantic fantasy series; Starlight’s Shadow. I was excited to once again board Starlight Shadow and spend more time with its crew. This story shares Kee & Varro’s adventure & romance. Grab your gear and prepare for takeoff.
Eclipse the Moon
by Jessie Mihalik
Series: Starlight’s Shadow #2
Narrator: Frankie Corzo
Length: 12 hours and 21 minutes
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Heat Level: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.35x
Kee Ildez has been many things: hacker, soldier, bounty hunter. She never expected to be a hero, but when a shadowy group of traitors starts trying to goad the galaxy’s two superpowers into instigating an interstellar war, Kee throws herself into the search to find out who is responsible—and stop them.
Digging up hidden information is her job, so hunting traitors should be a piece of cake, but the primary suspect spent years in the military, and someone powerful is still covering his tracks. Disrupting their plans will require the help of her entire team, including Varro Runkow, a Valovian weapons expert who makes her pulse race.
Quiet, grumpy, and incredibly handsome, Varro watches her with hot eyes but ignores all of her flirting, so Kee silently vows to keep her feelings strictly platonic. But that vow will be put to the test when she and Varro are forced to leave the safety of their ship and venture into enemy territory alone.
Cut off from the rest of their team, they must figure out how to work together—and fast—because a single misstep will cost thousands of lives.
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Perfect for fans of Dianne Duvall’s Aldebarian Alliance or Ilona Andrews’ Kinsmen series. Mihalik has several series set in space and I love them! I absolutely loved her Consortium Rebellion series.
Eclipse the Moon takes us back aboard the Starlight Shadow and picks up where Hunt the Stars left off. After saving the heir to the Valovian Empire, the crew is now hunting for Commodore Frank Morten.
Kee Ildez is a hacker, bounty hunter and former soldier. She is magic with gadgets and finding information. While doing research, she stumbles upon a plot to start a war between the Valorians and their government. She may also have a slight addiction to cookies.
Varro Runkow is a Valorian weapons expert who came aboard in the previous installment. Kee and Varro had this interesting snarky, snippy, confused dynamic that I was excited about exploring romantically. Varro has a unique gift that has kept him from having a relationship.
The tale takes place mostly aboard the space station where Kee has secured a room. Varro follows to protect her and the tale that unfolds has lots of action, danger and intrigue with delightful moments of romance. Varro is the grumpy, silent type and Kee has this cute crush on him. The two struggle to express their feelings and I loved all the awkward moments.
As always, Mihalik pulled me into the story and while each book has its own romance and storyline, I recommend you listen to them in the order of their release because of the overall series arc and character development. Kee and Verro’s dance truly began in Hunt for the Stars.
We see very little of the rest of the crew, but when they are present, things get intense as the danger and suspense increased. I felt the romance was served as a side to the main course, but it was delicious and spicy. I’ve truly got no complaints. These two worked well as a team. We saw character growth, trust and plenty of tender, swoon-worthy moments that made my heart flutter.
Frankie Corzo narrates the series and has done a stellar job of capture both the characters and tone of the series. Both her male and female voices are authentic from character personalities to emotions.
Fans of space opera will love this grumpy sunshine romance while sci-fi fantasy fans will love the suspenseful fast-paced tale.
Amazon | Audible
Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik delivered a grumpy sunshine romance and plenty of suspense #spaceopera #audiobook #FrankieCorzo #audiobookreview #StarlightsShadow #Fantasy #Romance
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Jessie Mihalik has a degree in Computer Science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves.
Frankie Corzo is an actor and voice-over artist who has appeared on film and in television, as well as on stage. Her work in audiobook narration has garnered her several accolades, including an AudioFile Earphones Award.
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Narrated by Ben Onwukwe, Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro, is the first audiobook in the Talents Trilogy. This historical fantasy is rich in magic, as Victorian era children with rare gifts find themselves hunted by evil. Grab an iced coffee and see what I loved about this brilliantly written tale….
Ordinary Monsters
by J.M. Miro
Series: The Talents Trilogy #1
Narrator: Ben Onwukwe
Length: 24 hours and 58 minutes
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating:
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x
A STUNNING NEW WORK OF HISTORICAL FANTASY, J. M. MIRO’S ORDINARY MONSTERS INTRODUCES LISTENERS TO THE DARK, LABYRINTHINE WORLD OF THE TALENTS
England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness—a man made of smoke.
Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn’t have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When a jaded female detective is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference, and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.
What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theatres of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.
Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.
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Set in Victorian England in 1882, we learn about a group of magical or gifted children who are offered a safe refuge at Carindale Academy in Scotland. However, a former student is seeking them out for nefarious purposes.
While the story offers a large and unique cast of characters, the primary focus is on two of the children. In truth, a few became favorites, but all were intriguing and unique and drew me in. I’ve seen this story likened to the Umbrella Academy, Miss Peregrine and Penny Dreadful. I found these suggestions to be truthful.
The world-building was superb and the whimsical prose will pull the listener in. At its core, it explores good vs evil and the grey area in-between.
The children called Talents have unique abilities…think X-Men. From invisibility to burning touches. I think the audiobook heightened my ability to keep track of this large cast. I will shelve this in the adult category, despite the children, but a young adult audience would enjoy it as well.
The story is rich, atmospheric and has us traversing the globe from orphans in America to the streets of Tokyo, Vienna and Edinburgh. Miro does a wonderful job of sharing the world, times and experiences these orphaned children encounter. The listener becomes emotionally invested and the evil chasing them will unnerve you from their ability to the descriptive writing of these events.
An atmospheric, well crafted tale with characters you’ll want to spend more time with. Miro left us in a good place at the end of this first in a planned trilogy. I yearn to know what lies ahead.
Ben Onwukwe performed the audiobook narration, giving voice to these characters and enhancing the tone Miro intended. I will definitely listen to the entire trilogy, but also bought the ebooks to follow along.
Amazon | Audible
Narrated by Ben Onwukwe, Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro delivered an atmospheric tale that will leave you begging for more. #Fantasy #TalentsTrilogy #audiobook #audiobookreview
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J.M. Miro is a novelist and poet living in the Pacific Northwest who grew up reading fantasy and speculative fiction. He also writes under the name Steven Price.
Ben Onwukwe is a stage, screen, and radio actor from London. His heritage is Nigerian and Swiss, which was and still remains a fairly unique biracial convergence. Ben has appeared in theater productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Globe Theatre, Almeida, Old Vic, Young Vic, and countless regional theater houses throughout the UK. One of his favorite productions that he starred in was at the Gate Theatre in 2012, Sunset Baby, a play by Dominique Morrisseau. After several stints as a radio performer with the BBC radio drama repertory company Ben has found his métier through the medium of audio and oral acting. He has recorded countless audiobooks and has found that his favorite genre is magical realism, a form that has a myriad of inventive and enchanting devices that can inspire one to see the possibilities of the conscious and unconscious in human existence. Ben has recently specialized in literature from contemporary authors from Nigeria, a rich seam of astonishing work.
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Sophia Rose is back with a review of Peril at the Exposition by Nev March, the second book in the Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mysteries. Mystery and adventure await you in this historical tale.
Peril at the Exposition
by Nev March
Series: Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mysteries #2
Genres: Historical, Mystery
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Captain Jim Agnihotri and his new bride, Diana Framji, return in Nev March’s Peril at the Exposition, the follow up to March’s award-winning, Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay.
1893: Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It’s a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World’s Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he’s being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago’s treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.
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While I picked up the first book for the setting and circumstances, I continued with the series for the author’s writing, attention to historical backdrop, and the well-developed, diverse cast of characters led by the complex bi-racial, Jim Agnihotri, and his Parsi wife, Diana.
Perils at the Exposition is book two in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. The book works best in order, but could be read without much difficulty, standalone.
Perils at the Exposition begins when, honeymooners, Jim and Diana are settled in Boston. Diana is adjusting to living in a tiny apartment without the comforts and social status she once had in a wealthy Zoroastrian Persian family in Bombay. She and Jim are starting over and for all her struggles to figure out American ways, her new place and household, and being a wife, she is excited to be with Jim. Jim has been teaching her the art of detection he learned first from his beloved Sherlock Holmes books and now his own experience studying and applying detecting skills while working for the Dupree Agency.
This is good because Diana must put her newfound knowledge to the test finding her own husband in Chicago where he was last known to be investigating a murder down on the docks.
Diana learns that behind the exciting and pretty façade of the fair, there is a dark side to wealth and progress. Rough unions, ruthless bosses, and anarchists who want to make their mark at the fair. Diana and Jim must follow a shadowy, path to not just a killer, but a tangled web of nefarious people to not just save other lives, but their own.
The author painted a full, rich and colorful picture of life in 1893 Chicago and America. After the Civil War, the peace came at painful cost and still smolders in some hearts. Then there are the relatively unregulated big businessmen driving the industrial era with little notice or care for the workers who live on pittance and are put in dangerous situations that they have to accept if they want to provide any form of food and shelter to their families. Unions are rising to counter this and the clash with the bosses is another brutal war. Add to this, the influx of immigrants from all over the world looking for new opportunities and sometimes only finding more of what they left behind.
Diana was reared in a relatively sheltered environment, but she charges into the lower levels of Chicago to find Jim. She meets many colorful characters in the process. For those wondering, yes, the pair do eventually join up and work the case, sharing the narration. Captain Jim appreciates his wife and respects her intelligence and abilities, but Diana’s fearless decision to involve herself had Jim struggling to not put her on the first train east and out of danger. I didn’t expect Diana to have such a strong role in the book, but welcomed getting to know her as an equal narrator with Jim.
The mystery was complicated by many characters and many motives. Learning what was going on and who was involved was as big a mystery as the murders, which only got solved when Jim and Diana worked out what was happening in the bigger picture. There was wonderful heart-stopping action at times for both of them.
All in all, it was a solid follow up entry in the series and I sincerely hope there are more mysteries for Jim and Diana to tackle. Historical mystery lovers sit up and take notice.
Amazon | Audible
Peril at the Exposition by Nev March delivered a solid entry in the Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mysteries. #bookreview #historical #mystery
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Nev March is the recent winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Award for Best First Crime Fiction. After a long career in business analysis, in 2015 Nev returned to her passion, writing fiction and now teaches creative writing at Rutgers-Osher Institute. A Parsee Zoroastrian herself, she lives in New Jersey with her husband and sons. Murder in Old Bombay is her debut novel. Her books deal with issues of identity, race and moral boundaries. Her sequel, Peril at the Exposition launched by Macmillan Publishers in July 2022.
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Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
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The Demon You Know: A Jack Anderson Novel by Mel Harlan is the first in a new urban fantasy series set in Houston, Texas. Harlan dives right into action as she introduces us to this world and protagonist PI Jacqueline “Jack” Anderson.
The Demon You Know
by Mel Harlan
Series: Jack Anderson #1
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Author
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Rating:
One horrible decision. Two enemies. No good options.
Meet Jacqueline “Jack” Anderson, a fiercely independent P.I. who’s made more mistakes than she can count. Her most recent? Making a deal with her enemy Roman to save the only family she cares about.
Roman’s got a few secrets of his own and an empire he’s trying to protect. He’ll use his bargain with Jack – for control over her body, mind, and will – to make her his Hand and solidify his claim on Houston. In searching for answers, Jack isn’t sure if she should trust the demon she knows or try to escape the grave she dug herself.
A rival challenges Roman’s domain, but only one can rule Houston. As Jack searches for answers, she must decide where she belongs to protect her city.
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I am always on the lookout for new urban fantasy series and was intrigued by Mel Harlan’s Jack Anderson series. The Demon You Know dives right in as Jacqueline “Jack” Anderson enters a deal with Roman, the man she has been investigating, in order to save her brother.
A fun start to a series with hints of romance and endless possibilities. The author skillfully shares the character’s past and the world through flashbacks as she moves the story forward when a witch threatens Roman and the careful balance between the paranormal and human world.
Jack has a strong sense of right and wrong, doesn’t like authority and has some serious baggage. She is also loyal, fearless and quite skilled, which is why Roman has chosen her as his hand.
Roman is a keeper of secrets and not just his own. He knows how to play politics with the human population living in Houston and maintains his own empire within. He lives in the gray and confounds Jack.
I loved the back and forth, the dreams and the revelations as the story progressed. I have so many questions and look forward to the sequel slated to release in Fall 2023.
Fans looking for a fresh urban fantasy need look no further. I wish the series was available on audio, but for now you can grab it in ebook or paperback formats.
Amazon
The Demon You Know: A Jack Anderson Novel by Mel Harlan delivered an intriguing start to the #JackAnderson series #urbanfantasy #magic #bookreview
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Mel Harlan is a consultant, writer, and author of the new novel The Demon You Know. With decades of reading and writing fantasy, she has created the series she always wanted to read with the Jack Anderson novels. The sequel to her debut novel is coming in Fall 2023. Mel lives and works out of her home in Houston, TX. She is currently enjoying newlywed life while searching for the best latte, dancing on roller skates, or reading poolside.
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The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
It looks like the rest of us avoided Covid. My husband was home again from work all this week (although aside from a few naps, he worked from home the entire time). He still has cough and is exhausted. He lives between the guest bedroom and his home office, both on the second floor. Poor Clayton had a fever and croup that started on Thursday. We thought for sure it was Covid, but he tested negative. I felt so sorry for him. He was very clingy when I watched him. He just wanted his Mommy. On a positive note, my daughter and Hazel moved into a new place on Friday after staying with us since her birth. It’s exciting for them, but it was very quiet this weekend. Stay cool, stay healthy and Stay Caffeinated.
Eclipse The Moon By Jessie Mihalik (audio review) Ordinary Monsters By J.M. Miro (audio review) The One Who Loves You By Pippa Grant (audio review) Last Words By Mariah Stewart (audio review)
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Special thanks to my local library & MIRA publishing
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