A Bookworm's Book Reviews

London Seance Society – Sarah Penner

Title: London Seance Society

Author: Sarah Penner

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Plot: Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to ask famed spiritualist and medium Vaudeline D’allaire about her recently murdered sister, Evie. Vaudeline’s specialty as a medium is speaking with the recently murdered. But Lenna and Evie are from London and Vaudeline can’t return to London for her own safety. So Vaudeline tutors Lenna so she can do the seance in London correctly. While doing a different seance, Vaudeline receives a letter that a close friend has past. That friend is the leader of the London Seance Society. Together the two women go to London to figure out how he died. But they go in secret for the women’s protection and at the insistence of Mr. Morris, who’s taken over the London Seance Society. When the evidence starts to point to someone within the society, who can Lenna and Vaudeline trust? Can they find the murderer in time? Or will there be two more victims?

Rating: 3.5 – an interesting murder mystery

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed learning about how seances work and the history around them. It was interesting to learn about how easily they can be faked. I’m sure this lead to all of the skepticism with seances. You could kind of figure out who did it earlier on in the book if you pay enough attention. The way everything ended up happening was really well written. I enjoyed how the big reveal went down. There were a few over the top dramatic scenes for me, but worked themselves out. Overall this was a good book. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys murder mysteries and historical fiction.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe – Emma Törz

Title: Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Author: Emma Törz

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Ester and Joanna are half sisters who grew up in an isolated part of Vermont. Ester’s been moving every year to protect her family, no one remembers why, except Ester. Joanna’s stayed home protecting the books that contain magic. Ester can use the books and she’s not affected by the magic. Everything’s been going smoothly for both girls until Ester stays past her move date. Then she gets a mysterious envelope through a mirror telling her to run. She hesitates. Then Ester’s attacked. While on her travels she meets Nicholas and his bodyguard Collins. Nicholas is like her. Together they travel back to Vermont and to Joanna. Together they must find a way to stop whoever’s after them and the dirty plans they’re up to.

Rating: 4.0 – a different take on magic and family

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed the different take on magic. That there were few people who were immune to magic and couldn’t use magic. There were strict rules on how magic spells could be made. The author did a great job with world and magic building. But anyone but the few immune could use magic. The author did a good job explaining how this kind of magic could be used for monetary gain how someone did just that. There were many gray characters in this book. They did things for good or bad regardless of consequence. It made the book more interesting. Overall I enjoyed this book. I recommend this book for anyone who loves magical fantasy.

Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson

Title: Just Mercy

Author: Bryan Stevenson

Genre: Memoir

Plot: Bryan Stevenson is a new lawyer in Alabama. He has a passion for representing inmates on death row. Bryan helps the Equal Justice Initiative. The first case that meant a lot to him was representing Walter MacMillan, a truly innocent man on death row. Walter’s case was a mess with corruption, incorrect procedures, and prejudice. Bryan tries his best to untangle Walter’s case and prove his innocence. All the while, Bryan shares insides on what it’s really like representing people on death row and the prejudices inmates face and what it looks like for the incarcerated. Can Bryan prove Walter’s innocence to the court? Can they work past the prejudices of the courts?

Rating: 3.5 – a heartbreaking court case

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed learning about court cases throughout history. Though, the book was dense with lawyer speak and terminology. I also wish it would’ve focused more on Walter’s story and a little less on the background of other court cases and what lead to other people getting put on death row. Though the author did a great job describing the realities that those people face. Those additional stories distracted from the main story. Overall, I enjoyed this book. This is a good book for those who enjoy memoirs and don’t mind lots of technical terms.

Love on the Brain – Ali Hazelwood

Title: Love on the Brain

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Romance

Plot: Dr. Bee Königswasser has recently been asked to join a NASA project on brain stimulation in astronauts. The other lead on the project is Dr. Levi Ward, a guy Bee’s sure is purposely stalling her part in the project. But when she confronts him, he denies it. Then she overhears something she was not expecting. Levi talks with both of their boss, and he’s defending her and asking for things on her behalf. She’s shocked. They make a tentative peace and actually start making progress on their project. The more they work together, the more Bee and Levi start enjoying each other’s company. But with weird kinks showing up in the project, will their new found relationship last? Then when someone gets hurt, what will happen to their beloved project?

Rating: 4.0 – a sappy scientific romance

Opinion: I enjoyed this book. The science was well explained and it wasn’t overwhelming. The characters were relatable and interesting. There was a fun little twist in the book, I kinda saw it coming but was distracted by other plot points. There was another plot point I totally saw coming, though. The one little thing I didn’t love was the sex scenes. I’m okay with them in the book but it was multiple and descriptive each time. That’s when it bugs me. I really like that this author really put well written women characters in science fields and what they have to deal with in men dominated fields. It seems very accurate and well researched. Overall, I really liked this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves science and romance.

The Librarian of Saint Malo – Mario Escobar

Title: The Librarian of Saint Malo

Author: Mario Escobar

Translator:

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Jocelyn and Antoine marry in 1939 in Saint Malo, France. Shortly after, Jocelyn gets sick and Antoine is drafted into the French army. Jocelyn gets better while the Nazis start to occupy France. Jocelyn is a librarian and hides the books the Nazis deem unacceptable. Most in Saint Malo unwilling host a Nazi officer, making Jocelyn’s job of hiding books even harder. She meets an officer who enjoys books and is not as harsh as the other Nazis. He soon sees Jocelyn’s side of things. But will it be enough? Then Antoine returns after being a POW. He’s not the same and is sick. There’s also the French Resistance that ask for Jocelyn’s help. Will Antoine get better? Can Jocelyn save her beloved books? Or will the Nazis find them all?

Rating: 3.8 – a book lovers side of history

Opinion: This was a great book. I’d read another book that takes place in Saint Malo, but focuses on other aspects of the French Resistance. This was one person’s attempts to help save a piece of France. Jocelyn had little help from others. Yet she still held her head high and helped others as much as she could. While this book was sad, as most WW2 books are, there was still hope. Forewarning, the book has a sad ending. While the legacy of Saint Malo’s library lived on, not everyone who helped the library survives. There were a few slow parts, they were short lived. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction books.

The Broken Girls – Simone St. James

Title: The Broken Girls

Author: Simone St. James

Genre: Thriller, Historical Fiction

Plot: Fiona Sheridan keeps revisiting the place where her sister was murdered. There’s something about Idlewild Hall that keeps drawing her back. Maybe because she feels a connection to the ‘unwanted’ girls that lived there in the 1950’s? Maybe is Mary Hand, the young girl who died there with her baby before the hall was a school? Maybe because there’s something unfinished about her sister’s murder? When Fiona learns that Idlewild Hall is being renovated, she starts looking into the school’s past. There are some people, from the past and present that don’t want her to keep searching. What is worth hiding? What is worth protecting?

Rating: 4.0 – a good blend of mystery and historical fiction

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed the small town thriller. It was one of those everyone knows everyone and people are expected to do certain things. The stories get told and passed on. The ghost story was based on fact that got passed down with some spooky evidence to prove it. The added historical fiction was great. It got me interested in learning more about Idlewild Hall and Ravensbruk. I liked that the ghost was actually a ghost and not some over the top people pretending to be a ghost. I also liked that the ghost wasn’t some super dramatic ghost either. The one thing that took me by surprise was the theme of corrupt cops. I liked how one of the cops wanted to change things for the better but it was it was hard for him. Overall this was a good book. It was a interesting read and I recommended it for anyone one who likes small town thriller and historical fiction.

Truly Yours – Abby Jimenez

Title: Truly Yours

Author: Abby Jimenez

Genre: Romance

Plot: Dr. Jacob Maddox is a new ER doctor at Dr. Briana Ortiz’s hospital. Briana’s finalizing her divorce and her brother, Benny, is on dialysis. So she’s got a lot on her mind. When she first meets Jacob, she brushes him off. As it turns out, Jacob recently went through a breakup and his ex is dating his brother. His family wants the best for Jacob. He panics when they ask if he’s dating someone and he says yes. They want to meet her. Thinking quick, he asks Briana. She accepts. They exchange a sweet handwritten letters. As she gets to know him, she finds another side of Jacob. But when things get complicated, will their relationship last?

Rating: 4.5 – a sweet, sappy (and healthy) relationship

Opinion: This was an super sweet book. The characters are well written. They respect each other and have boundaries. They remember little quirks about each other and find ways to work with them, and not turn them into huge things. There were a few little communication errors, but what new relationship doesn’t. They talk about them in a healthy way. Which is a great change for any romance book. I liked that the family members encouraged Briana and Jacob privately. I didn’t mind that the characters wouldn’t admit their feelings for each other. Sometimes that bugs me when they drag that part of a relationship out, but it didn’t feel forced or drawn out this time. It made me happy that this how relationships should work and gave me warm fuzzies throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a sweet, sappy romance.

Once Upon A River – Diane Setterfield

Title: Once Upon A River

Author: Diane Setterfield

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Plot: There’s a town on the River Thames with a tavern that specializes in storytelling. Then one night, a new story starts. A little girl is found drowned in the Thames. She’s got no pulse at first, then moments later, she does. Three different family say that the girl is their daughter. Now everyone at tavern is telling the story and each time the story changes. But who is right? Who’s daughter is she? How did the girl survive the river? Will anyone get the answers they seek?

Rating: 3.0 – an interesting tale

Opinion: This was an okay book. It felt disjointed, especially at first. There were also too many characters introduced at once. And with the disjointedness of the beginning of the book, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. The book was also slow paced and didn’t have a ton of plot. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style of the book either. It seemed too philosophical for me. There were times I wanted to give up on the book because of all the stated things but I wanted to see if the book would get better and because it’s a book club book. But this wasn’t one of my favorite books but if you wanna give it a try, go ahead.

As Old as Time – Liz Braswell

Title: As Old as Time – A Twisted Tale

Author: Liz Braswell

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Plot: If you know the story of Beauty and the Beast, think again. This time there are a few changes to Belle’s story. Belle’s mom is the enchantress who cursed the Beast. Her mom, Rosalind, is on the of the les charmantes (magical people), who are feared for being different. Rosalind and Maurice fall in love, get married, and have Belle. When Belle is little, Rosalind goes to ask the king and queen for help when the les charmantes start disappearing. She never comes back. When Belle is older, Maurice goes off to sell his inventions in another town. You know what happens next right? Maurice gets captured by the Beast, Belle takes his place, etc. But what if Belle touches the rose? What happens to the curse when she does? Can she still find a way to help break the curse? What will happen to the Beast now? And what happened to Belle’s mom?

Rating: 4.5 – a different take on Beauty and the Beast

Opinion: This was a great book. As Belle is my favorite Disney Princess, I figured I’d like it but I didn’t expect to throughly enjoy it as much as I did. I wasn’t sure what changes the book would make, but the changes were really well done and well written. My only slight complaint was that Belle was a little too whiny for me. But she outgrew that pretty quickly. I really liked that LaFou and the other villagers had more of a brain and thought for themselves more, instead of always blindly following Gaston. There’s a lot more depth to all of the characters this time. I had a hard time putting the book down. This is a great book for anyone who loves Disney movies and wants a new take on a classic Disney Princess.

Followed by Frost – Charlie N. Holmberg

Title: Followed by Frost

Author: Charlie N. Holmberg

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Smitha is a vain young girl in a small village in Euwan. Mordan, a kind man from far away, asks Smitha out. She turns him down and he curses her to be as cold as her heart. From then on out, Smith is permanently followed by a snow cloud. Her skin turns anything to ice with a touch. Smitha is forced to flea her village out of fear of what others say. She hides in the nearby mountains, but is chased away by hunters and their dogs. A neighboring country, Zareed, hears about Smitha. The people there think that Smitha with her icy powers can help their desert country. Some people are weary of her, but are willing to let her help. With every step of her journey, Sadriel follows her. Sadriel wants Smitha to join him. Each time he asks, she refuses. But Sadriel is patient. Can Smitha break her curse? Can she really help the people of Zareed? Will she join Sadriel? Or stay with her adopted people?

Rating: 4.0 – a good curse breaking fantasy

Opinion: This was a great book. I enjoyed it took a new twist on a classic curse. I liked that Smitha made peace with her curse by the end of the book. Most other characters don’t handle that kind of curse that well. She had hard moments but remembers something to keep her going. I’m impressed with the Smitha’s character development. She changed a lot and for the better. I’m glad she saw her mistakes and looked to change her behavior. I also liked how the author made her own fantasy world based off the real world. This is a great, easy read. It’s great for anyone who likes fantasy and needs a quick read.