Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #403: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: 

Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.

Sunyi Dean's The Book Eaters is a contemporary fantasy debut. It's a story of motherhood, sacrifice, and hope; of queer identity and learning to accept who you are; of gilded lies and the danger of believing the narratives others create for you.

The Bookeaters by Sunyi Dean is due to be published August 9th, 2022 by Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book?  I think the idea of people who actually eat books is interesting. How the content appears to affect them adds to it. But the idea of one of them hungering for human minds is a little on the scary side.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book Review: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

 

From the publisher:

Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune was published September 21st, 2021 by Tor Books.

My Thoughts:

Wallace is a very busy man. Work is his life. Imagine his surprise and consternation when a reaper comes for him as he's watching his own funeral. She brings him to a tea shop where the ferryman is. Wallace is quite upset. At one point he even stomps his foot and demands to be returned to the living. Hugo, the ferryman, informs him this is impossible. Wallace sulks. This is how he begins his transformative journey with the help of Hugo, Hugo's grandfather, the reaper, and a ghost dog.

The characters are all interesting. Wallace undergoes the biggest and most obvious change. But the others experience growth as well. I enjoyed the characters and rooted for them. I especially liked the bits between Wallace and Hugo's grandfather. And I enjoyed reading about Wallace and Hugo as they grow closer.

The novel has a quiet sort of tone to it. Almost all of the action takes place in the tea shop. The calmness is the perfect background for the story. 

There are a few scenes that are full of action. And there is a certain amount of sarcasm in the story as well. There's also some humor. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but it does follow the experiences logically.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The characters are endearing for the most part. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to them. If you enjoy fantasy titles , you might enjoy this one. I really looked forward to this book and it did not disappoint.. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #402: The Hidden Saint by Mark Levenson

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

THIS NEW FANTASY NOVEL TAKES READERS TO A WORLD THEY’VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED BEFORE, IN WHICH THE VAST SWEEP OF JEWISH MYTH AND MAGIC IS COMPLETELY REAL.

The historical horrors of eighteenth-century Eastern Europe are interwoven with fantastic creatures drawn from 3,500 years of Jewish myth and magic.

For the first time, THE HIDDEN SAINT conjures up a very human origin story for one of the greatest superheroes of Jewish folklore: Rabbi Adam, famous for battling wizards, witches, and demons.

The story opens on a long-awaited family wedding, which turns to horror as Rabbi Adam’s children are abducted by an ancient supernatural evil.

To save them, the rabbi is joined by a golem, a man of clay pained by the burden of living among, but always apart from, humans. He’s goaded and mentored by an elderly, wisecracking housekeeper who is secretly one of the thirty-six hidden saints, or Lamed-Vavniks, upon whom the fate of the world depends.

And he’s blessed and challenged by his wife, Sarah, who leads him to a garden named Eden.

As tidal waves and fires ravage the earth and the very stars above begin to disappear, can Rabbi Adam and his companions succeed in time?

The Hidden Saint by Mark Levenson is expected to be published February 22nd, 2022 by Level Best Books.

Why am I waiting on this book?  I know little about Jewish folklore. I like Jonathan Kellerman's blurb on it, "An ingenious, compelling mix of horror, fantasy, suspense and Jewish mysticism." Between the description and the blurb, I am intrigued. I want to know more.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book Review: True Dead by Faith Hunter

 

From the publisher:

Jane Yellowrock goes back to the city where it all began in the newest installment of this thrilling New York Times bestselling series.

Jane used to hunt vampires, but now she’s their queen. She’s holed up in the mountains with the Yellowrock Clan, enjoying a little peace, when a surprise attack on her people proves that trouble is brewing. Someone is using very old magic to launch a bid for power, and it’s all tied to the place where Jane was first drawn into the world of Leo Pellissier—the city of New Orleans.

Jane is compelled to return to NOLA because someone is trying to destabilize the paranormal world order. And because she now sits near the top of the vampire world, the assault is her problem. She will do what she must to protect what’s hers. Her city. Her people. Her power. Her crown.

True Dead by Faith Hunter was published September 14th, 2021 by Ace.

My thoughts:

This is the fourteenth book in the Jane Yellowrock series and the second to last novel in the series. That it's been so long running shows that there are readers who enjoy it as well as a talented author.

The world building is detailed and complex. There are many cultures and magic systems. For Jane, the center of it all is New Orleans. It's where things started and where things may end. As the Dark Queen, Jane is responsible for many different people and beings. And because she is the Dark Queen she will be challenged. It's hard to keep the many cultures straight. Lucky for her she has people to help with that.

Jane herself is not just Jane. Beast also resides within her. The relationship between the two has changed over the years and is complex. Both of them continue to grow as more responsibility is thrust upon them. It's interesting to watch how they view the same situations differently.

There's plenty of action in the book. It seems a little slow at first, but it picks up soon enough. With each action scene, the stakes seem to get higher. 

This book should not be read as a standalone. There are plot points that refer to previous occurrences in the series. While some explanation is given, there's so much more richness to be gotten from reading other books in the series first.

Overall I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's a well written, complex piece of urban fantasy. If you have read other books in the series, this is a must -read. If you like urban fantasy, you will probably enjoy this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #401: The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Jack Corman is failing at life.
 
Jobless, jaded and on the “wrong” side of thirty, he’s facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.
 
But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father, and he lives with the fear that he’ll end up a failure just like him.
 
In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying home, a place creaking with movie memorabilia and painful memories. Then, during a freak thunderstorm, the puppets in the attic start talking. Tipped into a desperate real-world quest to save London from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with excitable fanboy Toby and spiky studio executive Amelia to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy while conjuring the hero within––and igniting a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do his father proud.

The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning is expected out March 22, 2022 from Titan Books.

Why am I waiting on this book?  Reviews say things like that it's filled with nostalgia for the 80s. It's fantasy with just the right amount of horror. And that it is a thrilling race against the clock to save the world from fantasy creatures from a cult 80s film. Perfect for fans of Henson Company puppet classics like Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and The Never-Ending Story. I'm a Henson fan. And the 80s don't feel so long ago. There's supposed to be some humor as well. It's a debut novel and I think it's worth checking it out.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 "You don't think they'd, you know, sacrifice us, do you?"

 Thanks for that idea, Mag. I hadn't gotten there yet.

 "I'm sure I'm chewy. All that sitting," I say. "Not good for the ritual cannibalism." (11% through on my Kindle)

Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond was published by St. Martin's Griffin on October 5th, 2021.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

 

From the publisher: 

The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—not for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings and powers. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, her descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Cordóva was published September 7th, 2021 by Atria Books.

My thoughts: 

This book is a wonderful piece of magical realism. Magic happens in the characters lives and they accept it as normal. It starts with how they receive their invitations to receive their inheritances and grows from there. It's very well done.

The point of view switches among characters. In the case of Orquídea, it also alternates between her past and present. I had no problem following whose eyes we were looking through at any particular time. 

The characters themselves are intriguing. And it was interesting to watch how they dealt with their inheritances and the danger when it presented itself. For some there is an outward sign of the inheritance. And I think all of them undergo some kind of transformation even if it only affects their world view.

The story is beautifully told. Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy magical realism, you will probably enjoy this book. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #400: Crazy in Poughkeepsie by Daniel Pinkwater

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: 

Mick is a good kid, but maybe he can use just a little guidance. But it’s unclear who will be guiding whom, because Mick’s brother came home from Tibet with the self-proclaimed Guru Lumpo Smythe-Finkel and his dog Lhasa―and then promptly settled both of them in Mick’s bedroom.

(The thing about this kind of guru is that he doesn’t seem to know exactly what he’s trying to do. He sure does seem to be hungry, though.)

Anyway, Mick agrees to something like a quest, roaming the suburbs with the oddest group of misfits: Lumpo and Lhasa; graffiti-fanatic Verne; and Verne’s unusual friend Molly. Molly is a Dwergish girl―don’t worry if you don’t know what that is yet―and she seems to be going off the rails a bit.

Along the way, the gang will get invited to a rollicking ghost party, consult a very strange little king, and actually discover the truth about Heaven. Or a version of the truth anyway, because in a Daniel Pinkwater tale, the truth is never the slightest bit like what you’re expecting.

Crazy in Poughkeepsie is a ludicrous romp reminiscent of the Muppets! Weirdness is positive, wonderful, and everywhere in Pinkwater’s writing. This is a book that will make you laugh, grin, and maybe look for more whimsy in your own world.”
—Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger

Crazy in Poughkeepsie by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Aaron Renier is expected to be published April 12th, 2022 by Tachyon Publications.

Why am I waiting on this book?  It sounds interesting and like a fun read. The blurb draws me even though it's aimed at middle-grade readers.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom like a cold sore under the mistletoe. (p.1)

Many Pine Covers even volunteered to man the Salvation Army kettles down in front of the post office and the Thrifty-Mart in two-hour shifts, sixteen hours a day. Dressed in their red suits and fake beards, they rang their bells like they were going for dog-spit gold at the Pavlov Olympics. (p. 2)

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore was published October 28th, 2008 by William Morrow.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #399: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: The New York Times–bestselling author of The Vacationers and All Adults Here combines her trademark charm and wit with a moving father-daughter story and a playful twist on the idea of time travel.

What if you could take a vacation to your past?
On the eve of her fortieth birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, and her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But something is missing. Her father, the single parent who raised her, is ailing and out of reach. How did they get here so fast? Did she take too much for granted along the way?
 
When Alice wakes up the next morning somehow back in 1996, it isn’t her sixteen-year-old body that is the biggest shock, or the possibility of romance with her adolescent crush. It’s her dad:  the vital, charming, forty-nine-year-old version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, is there anything that she should do differently this time around? What would she change, given the chance?

With her celebrated humor, insight, and heart, Emma Straub cleverly turns all the traditional time travel tropes on their head and delivers a different kind of love story—about the lifelong, reverberating relationship between a parent and child.

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub is expected to be published May 17th, 2022 by Riverhead Books.

Why am I waiting on this book?  It sounds interesting. I like that it's not a time travel romance. I'm curious to see what she would want to change in her life and her father's. And I wonder how the author handles the time travel since the blurb says it's different.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!