Cure

  

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

Title: Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em from the Award-Winning Bar

Author: Neal Bodenheimer, Emily Timberlake, Denny Culbert (Photographs)

Publisher: ABRAMS

Release Date: 10.25.22

Publisher’s Summary 

From the foremost figure on the New Orleans' drinking scene and the owner of renowned bar Cure, a cocktail book that celebrates the vibrant city. New Orleans is known for its spirit(s)-driven festivities. Neal Bodenheimer and coauthor Emily Timberlake tell the city’s story through 100 cocktails, each chosen to represent New Orleans’ past, present, and future. A love letter to New Orleans and the cast of characters that have had a hand in making the city so singular, Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em features interviews with local figures such as Ian Neville, musician and New Orleans funk royalty, plus a few tips on how to survive your first Mardi Gras. Along the way, the reader is taken on a journey that highlights the rich history and complexity of the city and the drinks it inspired, as well as the techniques and practices that Cure has perfected in their mission to build forward rather than just looking back. Of course, this includes the classics every self-respecting drinker should know, especially if you’re a New Orleanian: the Sazerac, Julep, Vieux Carré, Ramos Gin Fizz, Cocktail à la Louisiane, and French 75. Famous local chefs have contributed easy recipes for snacks with local flavor, perfect for pairing with these libations. Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em​ is a beautiful keepsake for anyone who has fallen under New Orleans’s spell and a must-have souvenir for the millions of people who visit the city each year.

My Review

There's more to the New Orleans drinking scene than Hurricanes--think crisp Mint Juleps and sophisticated French 75s. This collection of New Orleans cocktails includes Manhattans and martinis, flips and fizzes, and Collinses and 75s along with some lighter, low-proof options and bar snacks to keep you fortified during cocktail hour. Display this beautiful book on your bar cart this fall or gift it to your favorite bartender (maybe you can reap the rewards.) Cheers!

Shadow Sister

 

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

Title: Shadow Sister

Author: Lindsay Marcott

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: 10.18.22

Publisher’s Summary 

From the bestselling author of Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost comes the chilling story of a young woman who returns to her haunted childhood home to unravel the deadly mysteries of her family’s past.

Ava grew up in a haunted mansion, envied by all her friends. But when her mother died mysteriously there, the thrills of Blackworth Mansion became nightmares. Ava never accepted that her mother perished from natural causes, but no one would believe her.

Seventeen years later, Ava returns home to unravel the truth of her mother’s death—and her own demons quickly follow. Her estranged and vindictive father may be stalking her. Her secretive new sister-in-law lands on her doorstep with troubles of her own. And then there’s the strange girl who may or may not be haunting the grounds. Even Ava’s romance with her first crush is shadowed by her suspicions.

When Ava makes a terrifying discovery on the property, she must decide just how far into the past she’s willing to go. Some secrets can be deadly—especially the ones Ava’s kept hidden in the dark.

My Review

This review contains spoilers. 

Do not continue reading if you do not want to know "the twist"

I'm firmly divided between loving and hating this one. 

What I loved:

The writing is spectacular! I was totally invested and flipping the pages. The constant shifting of POVs kept me on the edge of my seat and the breadcrumb clues really kept me guessing. I also loved the "rich people behaving badly" theme and the story's gothic setting. 

What I did NOT love:

I didn't love "the big reveal" or major "twist" of Sarah really being Didi. It was so unbelievable as to be annoying and reminded me of Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris. 

Together at the Table

 

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

Title: Together at the Table: Entertaining at home with the creators of Juliska

Author: Capucine De Wulf Gooding, David Gooding

Publisher:  Abrams

Release Date: 10.18.22

Publisher’s Summary 

In Together at the Table, the husband-and-wife founders of Juliska, David and Capucine, share their philosophy on love and the art of living well. Sharing their family stories and traditions for celebrating life’s special moments, they delve into the soulful, the whimsical, and the delightedly imperfect art of entertaining. Their alluring mouth-blown Bohemian glassware and delicately embossed dinnerware make the perfect centerpieces for household bliss. This must-have volume contains hundreds of inspiring ideas about indulging in playful celebrations, how to reinvent the classics by mixing and matching, and the elegance that can be found in both formal and casual dining. A culmination of culture, sentiment, and tradition, Together at the Table is the perfect muse for everyone seeking joy at the table and harmony in the home.

My Review

Packed with full-page photos, Together at the Table is a collection of miniature tableaus designed to inspire your next tablescape. Whether you are looking to set up for a special breakfast, tea, luncheon, or dinner, The Goodings have endless suggestions for making it "a feast for the eyes." The hundreds of options and ideas will help you envision your next special gathering and motivate you to pull out all those loved but unused pieces hiding in your cupboards and drawers.

If you entertain in your home, keep this gorgeous book somewhere easily accessible within your kitchen/dining area. It is the perfect reference book to assist you with creating unique table settings for all occasions and it will look lovely on display when not in use. 

Comfort: A Winter Cookbook

  

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

Title: Comfort: A Winter Cookbook

Author: Ryland Peters Small

Publisher: Ryland Peters Small

Release Date: 10.18.22

Publisher’s Summary 

When the weather turns cold, what could be better than sitting by the fire and enjoying home-cooked food with family and friends. From comforting casseroles and bakes to seasonal snacks and warming drinks — this is the ideal cook’s companion for the winter months.

Make the most of being holed up indoors and prepare some warming Snow Day Snacks. Enjoy sharing tasty treats such as Creamy Pancetta and Onion Tart or Cheddar and Cider Fondue. When it’s chilly outside, what we naturally crave is comforting food. In Cold Day Comforts you’ll find plenty of warming dishes including Spiced Pumpkin and Coconut Soup or Salmon Broccoli and Potato Gratin with Pesto. What better way to spend an icy afternoon than preparing a delicious meal to share with family and friends. Fireside Feasts is full of great ideas for winter entertaining. Try a Braised Pot Roast with Red Wine, Rosemary and Bay or Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks with Lentils. Make the most of the finest seasonal ingredients the winter has to offer and prepare healthy and satisfying Winter Salads. Choose from recipes such as Steak and Blue Cheese Salad or Roast Butternut Squash Salad with Spiced Lentils, Goat Cheese and Walnuts. Whether you enjoy a luxurious dessert or a slice of cake in front of the fire, there are plenty of delicious options to choose from in Indulgent Treats. Try Pecan Cheesecake Swirl Brownies, Arctic Roll with Vanilla and Chocolate or Brown Sugar Pavlova with Cinnamon Cream and Pomegranate. Finally, in A Cup of Cheer there are plenty of ideas for festive drinks and toddies. Relax at home with a warming Chocolate Marshmallow Melt or enjoy winter entertaining with a delicious Mulled Wine, guaranteed to make any holiday gathering a success.

My Review

2016's "Fireside Feasts & Snow Day Treats" is back by popular demand. Reissued as "Comfort: A Winter Cookbook" this amazing collection remains the same, but the new edition boasts a delicious-looking new cover. Sections include "snow day snacks," "cold day comforts," "fireside feasts," "winter salads," "indulgent treats," and "a cup of cheer". This book is full of casseroles, hearty pies, and sweet desserts that I can't wait to make. First up: Butternut Squash, Corn and Bread Bake with Cheese and Chives and for dessert: Baked Apples and Pears with Dried Fruit, Honey and Hazelnuts. Cozy season is the best cooking season, don't you agree? 

The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook

  

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

Title: The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook

Author: Brian Noyes

Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Release Date: 8.2.22

Publisher’s Summary 

95+ recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert from the award-winning Red Truck Bakery near Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, bringing the comfort and charm of the farmhouse where the bakery started into your kitchen

"Original and highly personal, The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook is a joyful love story to many comfort foods."--Jacques Pepin, chef and author

"If a cookbook could be a page-turner, this is the one! Brian not only knows how to create comfort in spades, but he writes both the sweet and savory recipes in such a way that you feel like you're part of those five generations who inspired these vittles."--Carla Hall, chef and author

Brian Noyes, founder of the beloved Red Truck Bakery in Marshall, Virginia, and author of the Red Truck Bakery Cookbook, presents more than 95 all-new, comforting recipes celebrating ingredients and traditions from the bakery's home on the edge of the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge mountains. With small-town charm, an emphasis on local, seasonal produce, and country comfort inspiration from the 170-year-old farmhouse where the bakery began, The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook features Brian's favorite savory recipes and old-time classics from family, friends, and the bakery archives. This is the food that Brian cooks at home as well as for the bakery's thousands of customers nationwide--plus recipes for favorite Red Truck Bakery dishes that have not been shared before.

From delightful lunch and dinner options like Potato & Pesto Flatbread, Corn Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Mayonnaise, Mid-July Tomato Pie, Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Blueberries, and Sweet Potato and Poblano Enchiladas, to knockout desserts like Lexington Bourbon Cake, Virginia Peanut Pie, and Caramel Cake with Pecans (which Garden & Gun magazine called the perfect Southern dessert), the recipes in The Red Truck BakeryFarmhouse Cookbook are what we are all craving--unfussy, homey, Southern-leaning dishes that focus on local produce but don't shy away from decadence. And for those who are eating vegetarian or vegan, there are plenty of plant-based options, like a vegan and gluten-free Coffee Cake, Carrot & Leek Pot Pies, Mushroom-Ricotta Lasagne with Port Sauce, and the Bakery's beloved "Beetloaf" Sandwiches.

True to the spirit of the Red Truck Bakery, the recipes in the Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook deliver unfailingly delicious comfort all year round.

My Review

I find that there are cookbooks that I aspire to use and ones that I know I actually will. The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook is full of the type of food I like to eat. The collection of recipes reminds me of my grandma's church cookbooks--with an updated flair. Biscuits and hand pies are featured alongside Baked Chicken with Oaxacan Mole Sauce. My talents usually fall more in the "cooking" than the "baking" category for most of the year, but I do love to bake in the fall and winter and this cookbook will be heavily used this year. 

A Dish for All Seasons

 

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

Title: A Dish for All Seasons: 125+ Recipe Variations for Delicious Meals All Year Round

Author: Kathryn Pauline

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Release Date: 8.23.22

Publisher’s Summary 

A creative approach to seasonal cooking, A DISH FOR ALL SEASONS presents 26 adaptable recipes, each with four seasonal variations, for a total of more than 100 accessible recipes for creative weeknight cooking.

This practical cookbook flips the script on recipe books organized by season. Instead of dedicated recipes to Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter—which would mean three quarters of the book goes unused for three quarters of the year—this book features 26 go-to recipes, each with four variations. Every dish includes a base recipe—such as a simple frittata, Panzanella salad, sheet pan dinner, or loaf cake—plus four adaptations based on the season. Readers will also find simple instructions and formulas for creating original dishes, giving them the tools they need to improvise based on the ingredients they have on hand. With a photograph to accompany all 100 dishes, this is a versatile, repertoire-building cookbook will be a go-to resource for home cooks looking to create delicious, healthy food all year long.

SMART STRATEGY BOOK: This book teaches home cooks to cook creatively. With a base recipe, seasonal variations, and instructions for adapting the recipe using whatever ingredients are on hand, readers can choose to follow a seasonal recipe exactly, swap out an ingredient or two depending on what's available at their local market, or experiment with their own, totally original combinations.

GREAT VALUE: With more than 100 go-to recipes, plus instructions and formulas that let readers experiment, this cookbook is a great value. Like DINNER'S IN THE OVEN and other weeknight books featuring lots of photography and simple recipes, the package is as appealing as the content.

RECIPES WITH WIDE APPEAL: These are the kind of recipes that people actually cook on a regular basis—easy weekday staples such as oatmeal, hummus, quesadillas, sheet-pan dinners, penne pasta with meatballs—but with a seasonal twist.

Perfect for:

• Beginner cooks who want to master a few staple dishes
• Home cooks of all skill levels looking for easy, creative weeknight recipes
• Amateur chefs interested in updated basics
• People who like to cook seasonally and shop at the local farmer's market 

My Review

Whether you are trying to eat the freshest fruits and vegetables or stretch your budget, one of the top tips for meal planning is almost always "shop seasonally." This cookbook is a great reference for a handful of "base" recipes that you can adapt to each season's harvest. I didn't really like the aesthetic styling of the book but the concept may be great for someone learning to cook with the seasons or how to incorporate flexibility into recipes. 

8 Mini Reviews

 

I have received copies of these releases from the publisher in exchange for honest reviews 

 8 mini reviews of books I've recently read or DNF'd

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher: A "must read" for everyone! So in-depth, with mind-blowing statistics and facts on every page. I'll be buying a physical copy of this.  

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey: A book (and a movement) encouraging rest and liberation from hustle culture is exactly what I needed to read and you probably do too. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Utopia by Heidi Sopinka: This book opens with two parents leaving their baby in a dresser drawer at a gallerist's holiday party and gets that isn't even the most uncomfortable scene. Read if you like 1970s feminist critiques and female artists' unique and universal struggles. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Oracle of Maracoor by Gregory Maguire: This series is killing me. I loved the Wicked series so much and this spin-off was a bit hard to get into with the first book but I anxiously anticipated this second installment. Unfortunately, it was quite a letdown. But I'll still read the next one!

Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life by Margaret Sullivan: I thought this would be a bit more engaging but as another reviewer stated "this just felt like a long op-ed."

DNF

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: I usually love Barbara Kingsolver's works--The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Prodigal Summer, and Flight Behavior are some of my all-time favorite books. After about 50 pages or so I knew I was not going to be able to read 500+ more full of this style of writing. 

Little Eve by Catriona Ward: I loved the setting (remote castle in Scotland) and was expecting a bit more of a gothic thrill but this is horror/supernatural and just didn't suit me. 

The Science of Witchcraft: The Truth Behind Sabrina, Maleficent, Glinda, and More of Your Favorite Fictional Witches by Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence: You know that I wanted to love this one but every single section was just a bunch of veer-offs and tangents, a totally disjointed presentation of "random facts."

The Future Is Female! Vol. 2

 

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

Title: The Future Is Female! Vol. 2: The 1970s: More Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women

Author: by
Lisa Yaszek (Editor),
Sonya Dorman,
Kate Wilhelm,
Joanna Russ,
Miriam Allen deFord,
Vonda N. McIntyre,
James Tiptree, Jr.,
Kathleen Sky,
Ursula K. Le Guin,
Eleanor Arnason,
Kathleen M. Sidney,
Marta Randall,
Elinor Busby,
Raccoona Sheldon,
Pamela Sargent,
Joan D. Vinge,
M. Lucie Chin,
Lisa Tuttle,
Connie Willis

Publisher: Library of America

Release Date: 10.11.22

Publisher’s Summary 

Go back to the Future Is Female in this all new collection of wildly entertaining stories by the trailblazing feminist writers who transformed American science fiction in the 1970s

In the 1970s, feminist authors created a new mode of science fiction in defiance of the “baboon patriarchy”—Ursula Le Guin’s words—that had long dominated the genre, imagining futures that are still visionary. In this sequel to her groundbreaking 2018 anthology The Future is Female!: 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin, SF-expert Lisa Yaszek offers a time machine back to the decade when far-sighted rebels changed science fiction forever with stories that made female community, agency, and sexuality central to the American future.

Here are twenty-three wild, witty, and wonderful classics that dramatize the liberating energies of the 1970s:

Sonya Dorman, “Bitching It” (1971)
Kate Wilhelm, “The Funeral” (1972)
Joanna Russ, “When It Changed” (1972) NEBULA AWARD
Miriam Allen deFord, “A Way Out”(1973)
Vonda N. McIntyre, “Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand” (1973) NEBULA
James Tiptree, Jr., “The Girl Who Was Plugged In” (1973) HUGO AWARD
Kathleen Sky, “Lament of the Keeku Bird” (1973)
Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Day Before the Revolution” (1974) NEBULA & LOCUS AWARD
Eleanor Arnason, “The Warlord of Saturn’s Moons” (1974)
Kathleen M. Sidney, “The Anthropologist” (1975)
Marta Randall, “A Scarab in the City of Time” (1975)
Elinor Busby, “A Time to Kill” (1977)
Raccoona Sheldon, “The Screwfly Solution” (1977) NEBULA AWARD
Pamela Sargent, “If Ever I Should Leave You” (1974)
Joan D. Vinge, “View from a Height” (1978)
M. Lucie Chin, “The Best Is Yet to Be” (1978)
Lisa Tuttle, “Wives” (1979)
Connie Willis, “Daisy, In the Sun” (1979)

Story Locale:Include post-apocalyptic California; a dystopian convent; post-pandemic Earth; extraterrestrial human colonies; and more

My Review

I usually don't read short story collections, but this one really called to me. In the last few years, I have been really drawn to some early feminist science fiction like The Female Man (1975,) Native Tongue (1984,) Woman on the Edge of Time (1976,) and A Door into Ocean (1987). This collection gives bite-sized pieces to sample a variety of authors from the '70s and helped guide me in making some upcoming reading selections. 

A Haunted History of Invisible Women

 

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

Title: The Haunted History of Invisible Women 

Author: Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes

Publisher: Kensington Citadel Press

Release Date: 9.27.22

Publisher’s Summary 

From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansionthis offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind explores the history behind America's female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us--and why they haunt us...

Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess--America's female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known--though no less powerful.

Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America's most famous female ghosts, like New Orleans voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, and Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era's fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire --achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.

Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.

My Review

I love feminist theory and reading dissertation-like analyses of subjects through a feminist lens. That being said, not everyone loves that type of reading and therefore may not enjoy this book. Far beyond a collection of ghost stories with female subjects, A Haunted History of Invisible Women dives into power dynamics, personal agency, and the marginalization of women. Divided into 6 parts (Death and the Maiden; "Witches"; Mothers and Wives; Bad Girls, Jezebels, and Killer Women; "Madwomen"; and Spinsters and Widows) each section has an introduction plus 3-4 stories. This book isn't a spooky collection in the traditional sense, but rather a smart look at how and why these stories hold such power in American lore. 

2022 Christmas with Southern Living

 

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

Title: Christmas with Southern Living 2022

Author: Editors of Southern Living

Publisher: ABRAMS

Release Date: 9.27.22

Publisher’s Summary 

From the editors at Southern Living, warm and welcoming holiday recipes and creative ideas for decorating, entertaining, and handmade gifts. Discover fun and creative new ways to decorate, entertain, and handcraft gifts for the holidays. Sparkling menus and easy décor ideas, along with more than 100 brand-new recipes from the professionals of the South's most trusted kitchen, make entertaining a breeze for celebrations of all sizes. Inside, the editors of Southern Livingreveal their favorite cooking tips and make-ahead secrets that take the pressure off hosting and put the focus on family and friends. There is also a special gifts-from-the-kitchen section with recipes for treats to wrap and share. More than 200 photographs show off dazzling holiday decorations and table settings to try, plus inspired designs for holiday wreaths, trees, centerpieces, and mantel arrangements. Christmas with Southern Living is the go-to resource for everything you need to make your holiday bright.

My Review

I know what you're thinking...Christmas? In October? I know it seems early but I also know that the holidays always bowl me over no matter how much I plan ahead. Christmas with Southern Living 2022 has 3 main sections (Decorate, Entertain, Savor & Share) to inspire you for the season. There is also a 16-page Holiday Planner at the back of the book to help you stay organized. 

I made the Mini Meatloaves with Winter Vegetables on page 93 (with a quick substitute of frozen sweet potato fries for the red potatoes) and will definitely be keeping this recipe on repeat all winter. The individual meatloaves cut down on the hour+ cook time that my usual meatloaf recipes require and I love it when dinner can be completely cooked on a single baking sheet. 

Quick confession: this recipe called for leeks and I had never cooked with leeks before! 🤷‍♀️

I kept thinking of the scene in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs where they're screaming "there's a leek in the boat!" 😆

The Mountain in the Sea

  

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

Title: The Mountain in the Sea

Author: Ray Nayler

Publisher: MCD

Release Date: 10.4.22

Publisher’s Summary 

Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future.

Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them.

The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, off from the world. Dr. Nguyen joins DIANIMA’s team on the islands: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android.

The octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence. The stakes are high: there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of the octopuses’ advancements, and as Dr. Nguyen struggles to communicate with the newly discovered species, forces larger than DIANIMA close in to seize the octopuses for themselves.

But no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it.

A near-future thriller about the nature of consciousness, Ray Nayler’s The Mountain in the Sea is a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing dive into the treasure and wreckage of humankind’s legacy.

My Review

A marine research scientist joins forces with an android,"the only (allegedly) conscious being humankind had ever created" at a repurposed resort, on a privately owned archipelago in the Ho Chi Minh Autonomous Trade Zone, to study a group of hyperintelligent octopuses. 

(Side note, I'm choosing to use this pluralization, but there are grammatical rules supporting octopi and octopodes. You can read more about that HERE.) 

The second storyline follows an AI-operated fishing boat with a constantly replenished supply of human slaves performing the physical duties necessary to maximize profits. In this world of overfished oceans, profits reign supreme, and computers/automated workers cost more than human workers. There are lots of big ideas at play in this novel: collapsing ecosystems, the evolution of language, consciousness, and corporate science to name a few. Ray Nayler weaves them all in a way to make you switch between being totally immersed in the actions of each character one minute and drifting off into a daydream of existentialism the next. My mind is absolutely blown that this is a debut novel. I will read anything that Nayler writes in the future. If you love near-future, science-heavy science fiction or are in the mood for a book that will cause you to do a bit of deep thinking about humankind and our planet, this is the one for you. 

Sirens & Muses

  

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

Title: Sirens & Muses

Author: Antonia Angress

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: 7.12.22

Publisher’s Summary 

It’s 2011: America is in a deep recession and Occupy Wall Street is escalating. But at the elite Wrynn College of Art, students paint and sculpt in a rarified bubble. Louisa Arceneaux is a thoughtful, observant nineteen-year-old when she transfers to Wrynn as a scholarship student, but she soon finds herself adrift in an environment that prizes novelty over beauty. Complicating matters is Louisa’s unexpected attraction to her charismatic roommate, Karina Piontek, the preternaturally gifted but mercurial daughter of wealthy art collectors. Gradually, Louisa and Karina are drawn into an intense sensual and artistic relationship, one that forces them to confront their deepest desires and fears. But Karina also can’t shake her fascination with Preston Utley, a senior and anti-capitalist Internet provocateur, who is publicly feuding with visiting professor and political painter Robert Berger—a once-controversial figurehead seeking to regain relevance.

My Review

One of my biggest problems with reviewing books is that I put off reviewing books I love because I never feel I can do them justice. Seriously! I can't bring myself to review The Historian or The Resurrection of Joan Ashby because I just love them both too much. Does anyone else do this?

I read Sirens & Muses almost a month ago and have been basking in my memories ever since. This novel had everything: the minutia of class differences, the evolution of art world "darlings", and the complications accompanying the inspiration, production, and commodification of art. Angress weaves the aggressive and manipulative pursuit of artistic relevance and the quiet quest for authenticity into the larger framework of societal consumption in such complex and detailed ways that I shake my head in disbelief that this is her first novel. I made so many highlights throughout this text and absolutely agree with the comparisons to both Writers & Lovers and The Goldfinch. I will be widely recommending this novel to anyone who truly appreciates all types of art.

Mirror in the Sky: The Life and Music of Stevie Nicks

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

Title: Mirror in the Sky: The Life and Music of Stevie Nicks

Author: Simon Morrison

Publisher: University of California Press

Release Date: 10.4.22

Publisher’s Summary 

A stunning musical biography of Stevie Nicks that paints a portrait of an artist, not a caricature of a superstar.

Reflective and expansive, Mirror in the Sky situates Stevie Nicks as one of the finest songwriters of the twentieth century.

This biography from distinguished music historian Simon Morrison examines Nicks as a singer and songwriter before and beyond her career with Fleetwood Mac, from the Arizona landscape of her childhood to the strobe-lit Night of 1000 Stevies celebrations.

My Review

What can I say about a Stevie Nicks biography? Of course, I'm going to love it, because I love the subject! At 177 pages, this short biography packs quite the punch. However, as a lifelong fan, I knew almost all of the included information already. There were a few tidbits from her high school days and time with her first "real" band, Fritz, that I thought were interesting. There are also a lot of details included about each of her songs, including specific influences/inspirations, their musical makeups, and how they were each received by audiences. I admire this precision, and am not surprised by this detailed analysis since the author is a Princeton University professor of music history. 

I will be keeping this on my shelves for future reference, alongside Stephen Davis' 2017 biography of Stevie Nicks, Gold Dust Woman. 

O Caledonia

  

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

Title: O Caledonia

Author: Elspeth Barker

Publisher: Scribner

Release Date: 9.20.22

Publisher’s Summary 

In the tradition of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a darkly humorous modern classic of Scottish literature about a doomed adolescent growing up in the mid-20th century—featuring a new introduction by Maggie O’Farrell, award-winning author of Hamnet.

Janet lies murdered beneath the castle stairs, attired in her mother’s black lace wedding dress, lamented only by her pet jackdaw…

​Author Elspeth Barker masterfully evokes the harsh climate of Scotland in this atmospheric gothic tale that has been compared to the works of the Brontës, Edgar Allan Poe, and Edward Gorey. Immersed in a world of isolation and loneliness, Barker’s ill-fated young heroine Janet turns to literature, nature, and her Aunt Lila, who offers brief flashes of respite in an otherwise foreboding life. People, birds, and beasts move through the background in a tale that is as rich and atmospheric as it is witty and mordant. The family’s motto—Moriens sed Invictus (Dying but Unconquered)—is a well-suited epitaph for wild and courageous Janet, whose fierce determination to remain steadfastly herself makes her one of the most unforgettable protagonists in contemporary literature.

My Review

Ali Smith says this is "one of the best least-known novels of the twentieth century" and I firmly agree. I added this title to my longlist TBR (I have multiple TBRs) about 2 years ago when I saw it included in a list of coming-of-age novels similar to The Bell Jar. I had never heard of the novel before and I thought "oh I'll read that...someday." Book lovers know what that means. I forgot about O Caledonia until I recently started seeing it pop back up again on a few bookstagram accounts with a new cover. Learning that it was rereleasing, my interest was reignited but I was unable to score an ARC of the new edition. When my friend Deb @lonestarwords read it and said it would be "right up my alley," I knew I had to preorder it. 

I devoured the delicious novella in a day and swooned. O Caledonia (an endearing term for Scotland) is the perfect mix of the coming-of-age, gothic/horror, and nature genres that I wish more writers would explore. To try and wrap it up by comparisons I'd say it bridges the gap between the children/YA books like Matilda, Coraline, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children with the more adult Brontës, Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and Edgar Allan Poe. I REALLY loved this, and at just 188 pages I can see this becoming a yearly re-read for me.