July

This month, I read 5 ebooks, 1 e-audiobook, and 2 physical books from the Toronto Public Library, plus 1 digital book from Mangadex, for a total of 9 books.

Dishonourable Mentions

The Woman with No Name by Audrey Blake

Synopsis: Yvonne is desparate to help with the British war effort in World War II, but as a woman in her forties, she’s constantly being overlooked and underestimated. When she is finally recruited to help, it’s to become a British spy in France. But will she have what it takes?

My thoughts: I unfortunately found this book to just be boring. I think that starting out with Yvonne’s spy work and then flashing back to her spy training was definitely the wrong way to do it. We already know that she passed spy school, which appeared to be the main conflict of that storyline. Overall the book just didn’t grab me.

You may like this book if: You have a think for WWII and also for MILFs

Honourable Mentions

Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) by Jim Butcher

I already read this in July 2023, so I'm not counting it as a book. See my thoughts on it below.

And now for the Real Reviews

Educated by Tara Westover

Synopsis: Tara Westover had an unusual childhood, to say the least. She grew up off the grid in the rural mountains of Idaho, in a family that belonged to an extremist morman sect. Instead of going to school, she learned how to sort scrap metal in her father’s junk yard, or harvest medicinal herbs with her mother. Tara reflects on her childhood, and the experiences of going to university, being cut off from her family, and eventually earning a PhD.

My thoughts: I’ve been a bit reluctant to read this book because I’ve heard a lot of hype about it over the years, and worried that it might be overhyped. Reader, it is not. Recently, I was discussing memoirs with a friend. We agreed that a lot of celebrity memoirs are not it, because the majority of them seem to be made becuause the author is a celebrity, not becuase the have anything interesting to say. Memoirs by regular people tend to be a lot better, because generally they have had some sort of interesting life experience that warrants a memoir, besides just being famous. Educated definitely falls into the later category. It was so well written that I had a hard time believing that it was in fact a true story. The fact that Tara went from a girl who never attended school and barely got her GED to someone with a PhD was almost unbelievable (not saying that I don’t believe her, but that that I’m even more shocked that she was able to pull it off). I also thought the arc of Tara’s mom was really facinating and tragic, how she at first was in opposition to Tara’s dad and his abuse (and seemed relatively normal), but then how she got deeper and deeper into homeopathic remedies (making her seem less sane), and then how she literally girlbossed a homeopathy empire for herself and the whole family (becoming the largest employer in the area). I’m really glad that Tara was able to grow up (more or less) whole, and reflect on the insane and abusive experiences that she survived.

Rating: 5/5 nickels that you’d have for every time that you left the Sun Belt at night in order to drive back to Idaho during a storm, in a car that was speeding severly over the limit and had no seat belts, ultimately resulting in a serious car crash

White Night (Dresden Files #9) by Jim Butcher

Synopsis: A serial killer in a grey cloak is killing women in Chicago, and it’s Harry Dresden’s worst nightmare (partially because he is too chivalrous to allow anything bad happening to women without doing anything about it, and partially because HE wears a grey cloak and lives in Chicago, so it directly implicates him). And it's especially bad because these women are all magic practitioners; not powerful enough to be wizards, but definitely powerful enough to be targets. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to prove that he’s innocent. Unfortunately, it seems to implicate his half-brother Thomas, notable vampire in the White Court. Will Harry be able to save the women, vindicate his brother, and win back the trust of his ex-girlfriend and rival PI Elaine?

My thoughts: It’s been a bit of a slog, but it’s kind of vindicating to have read so many Dresden Files books that I understand the way the series works. For example, one year ago I was reading Grave Peril (see my July 2023 roundup), and was annoyed that the author kept referencing an incident before the start of the book. If it was so important, why didn’t it deserve its own novel? Turns out that Gravel Peril actually was that novel. Now, when reading about the New Mexico incident that was continually referenced in this book, I just patiently waited for all to be revealed (and it was). This book also marked the end of Lasciel’s arc (Lasciel is a fallen angel and a member of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. Since Death Masks (see my October 2023 roundup), She’s been trying to tempt Harry to accept enormous power in exchange for becoming evil, but Harry has stubbornly resisted her advances for three years. It was really cool to see how Lasciel changed over several books, and their final interactions were a great capstone to end off the arc.

Rating: 4/5 french hair salons that are addictively good

Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) by Jim Butcher

This was the first Dresden Files novel that I ever read (see my June 2023 roundup), and it represents a big “full circle” moment for me. It means that I’ve now completed the first 10 novels (17 are currently published, and I believe that 22-25 are expected in total). I kind of feel like I’ve graduated from unconscious incompetence (I don’t know what I don’t know) into conscious incompetence (where I now know how much I don’t know). The first time I read this book I lacked a lot of context and had so many questions, but now that I have all of the context, my questions are more about the future implications for the rest of the series. I do plan on reading as many Dresden files as possible, although we’ll have to see if Jim Butcher ever finishes it. It’s also funny to think that this series has been released across my whole life (the first was released when I was only a year old, and more books are expected in the future), and that hopefully it will continue to be released as I get even older.

Turn Coat (Dresden Files #11) by Jim Butcher

Synopsis: Donald Morgan, a member of the White Council of Wizards, has hated Harry Dresden for close to a decade. So it’s a huge surprise when he shows up at Harry’s door, gravely injured and wanted for the murder of a member of the wizard Senior Council. The evidence against Morgan is pretty strong; he was found holding a knife over the body, and had recieved some mysterious payments. On the other hand, he’s the most staunchly lawful person Harry has ever met (part of the reason why Morgan despises Harry’s unorthodox ways). And Harry kind of believes him. So now, he has to harbour a wanted criminal on the verge of death, solve the crime he’s being accused of, and also fight off a naagloshi. What’s a naagloshi, you ask? Only an extremely powerful Diné creature that literally eats magic and is the most terrifying thing that Harry has ever witnessed with his wizard’s Sight. Plus, this investigation will require him to get tangled up with the White Court of Vampires again. What could possibly go wrong?

My thoughts: The best thing about slogging through 11 Dresden File novels is seeing how the overarching pieces are starting to work. This book definitely advanced that overall plot forward, and even if I don’t quite get everything, I’m excited to read more about the new Grey Council, and Deamonreach island. I also liked how the relationship between Harry and Luccio was set up in the previous book, and became a really major plot point in this book. I will definitely soldier on with the series.

Rating: 4/5 Private Investigator tasks that you subcontracted out to a different private investigator (which may or may not have been further subcontracted out to even more private investigators).

Champions of the Fox (Thieves of Shadow #3) by Kevin Sands

Synopsis: After their adventures in Children of the Fox and Seekers of the Fox, the gang is back for their ultimate adventure with this third book. Our crew consists of: Cal, the defacto leader who grew up as a gaffer running cons with his mentor, the Old Man; Meriel, a girl from the neighbouring kingdom of Torgal, who has at least 8 knives hidden in her dress at all times; Lachlan, a street urchin that has many contacts within the Breakers (the collective name for members of the criminal underworld); Gareth, very shy but incredibly smart and knowledgeable; and Foxtail, a mysterious girl who is an expert at acrobatics but wears a steel plate covering her whole face and does not speak. Together, they’ve travelled across the Empire of Areyth, stealing the Dragon’s Eye (an amber monocle that has attached itself to Cal’s face, granting him epic powers of perception but often demanding much from him), and the Dragon’s Teeth (a pair of swords with the power to transfer life energy between them). Cal is tired of doing the Eye’s bidding, and worried that he’s getting himself and his friends into trouble. But now, the Eye has commanded Cal to find the Hollow Man (who is currently being kept in the most secure prison in the Empire). Breaking the Hollow Man out of prison will require their biggest gaff yet. But what will the costs really be?

My thoughts: This series of books is absolutely kid kino, bordering on real kino. I (readers will know that I am a grown woman) have thoroughly enjoyed the entire series without reservation. (I read books 1 and 2 in the Fall of 2022, prior to starting my Reading Roundups) It’s full of excellent heists (readers will know that I love a heist) with a really engaging and dynamic cast of characters. Callan in particular made for an excellent narrator and overall group leader. The mythology and lore of Areyth was very interesting and connected to the plot without being overly complicated or detracting from the story. I generally like books that have a Dickensian/England in the 1800s asthetic with a little bit of magic thrown in, and this series definitely delivered. If you’re trying to get back into reading, I definitely recommend this series!

Rating: 5/5 enchanted rings that make the wearer look like they have the weeping sickness

The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka

Synopsis: Maddie isn’t happy to be back at her hometown. She has a lot of bad memories, and is really only there as a favour to her friend Farrah, a librarian. All she has to do is teach a bath-bomb making workshop to a group of teenagers, and then she can go home. But the small town West Virginia library is surrounded by owls. At first it’s just odd, but it quickly becomes dangerous. The owls begin to attack the windows, and devour anyone who dares to step outside. Trapped in the library, with dwindling hope of rescue, and few supplies (except for a copy of Maddie’s favourite childhood book, the Silent Queen), will Maddie and the others have what it takes to make it out alive?

The Silent Queen synopsis: Every year the 8-year-old girls of the Kingdom get their Enrichment, a power that will help them and their communities. Surely a finger, or a hand, or a leg is a small sacrifice to keep the Monster satiated and the community safe. Alala knows this. Even she, the Silent Queen, had to undergo an Enrichment, although she has never told anyone what power she recieved. But the Monster is growing hungrier. When Desperia, a princess of a rival kingdom, kidnaps Alala out of desperation that she could fix everything, Will Alala have what it takes to defeat the Monster and save the next generation of girls?

My thoughts: This book had an element of meta-fiction in it, where each chapter alternated between the universe of Maddie stuck in the library, and the universe of The Silent Queen (which Maddie was reading to the kids). I personally think it was overkill to swap each chapter. I was way more interested in the library universe, and I found The Silent Queen storyline overall to have been kind of boring. Every 2nd or 3rd chapter probably would have been fine. I also didn’t really like the ending. I understand that the point was “the only thing to fear is fear itself” but in The Silent Queen, I didn’t really feel satisfied when Alala was just able to use her voice for the first time, because it didn’t really feel like she had earned it. Yes, her journey was challenging, but did she really experience enough personal growth to “deserve” getting her voice back (in the context of the structure of the story)? I was way more interested in the library storyline. I thought that the fear of the incompetent small town government was kind of unusual and really hit the spot (ie, that Maddie could not rely on police or emergency services to rescue them) and ramped up the tension. Things kind of went off the rails a bit towards the last third of the story, but overall it was not bad.

Rating: 2/5 antique chairs that have historical value and should be preserved at all costs

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

Synopsis: The year that no one in the book club can attend their annual cottage trip is of course the year that Elsy needs it the most. She’s still trying to get over her broken heart, and is struggling to cope with the endless grind of her job as an English professor. So when each member of their romance book club cancels, one after the other, Elsy refuses to quit. Even if it means having to spend a week in their usual cabin totally alone, it’s still worth it. After the rough year she’s had, the one thing she needs the most is her favourite romance series: the Quixotic Falls series by Rachel Flowers. Set in the picturesque small town of Eloraton, each of the four books captures the love story of a different couple. But the series was never finished, after Rachel Flower’s tragic death, and Elsy is so disappointed that she’ll never learn how it ends. But on the way to the book club cabin, Elsy’s car breaks down, and she’s forced to pull over in a small New England town that feels oddly familiar. She had stumbled into Eloraton. Could she really be inside her favourite romance novels? Everything is exactly the same as described, except for a mysterious grouchy bookstore owner. Can Elsy help conclude the Quixotic Falls series? Will she ever get her own happily ever after?

My thoughts: This book definitely wasn’t bad, but after absolutely devouring Ashley Poston’s other books, it just wasn’t as good (which was a devastating blow for me). I didn’t really like how the book-come-to-life plot was executed. It wasn’t like Elsy was trapped in a groundhog day-style time loop (although the author didn’t make it that clear); she could have left at any time as soon as her car was repaired. I think the stakes could have been higher, especially because Elsy was about to mess with the cannon without repurcussions (despite her own worries about it). I also think “Quixotic Falls” is a pretentious name for a book series. The stakes being low also meant that this book didn’t stand out to me among the other small town romances I’ve read (particularly When in Rome and Practice Makes Perfect, reviewed in my January 2024 and November 2023 roundups, respectively).

Rating: 3/5 bags of honey taffy (even though you don't like sweet things)

This Summer Will Be Different by Carely Fortune

Synopsis: Lucy and Bridget have been best friends for years, and Lucy is so glad that she’s been folded into Bridget’s family in PEI so easily. The first summer they went back, Bridget missed her flight, so Lucy had some time to kill. She hooked up with a handsome stranger, only to realize the next morning that he was actually Bridget’s brother Felix. This is a huge problem, because Bridget’s last best friend dated Felix and broke his heart so that she could “find herself”. So Lucy has careful instructions: don’t fall in love with Felix. Except that every year when she goes back to PEI, they always end up hooking up. But this summer is too important to mess up. Bridget is getting married, and Lucy (a florist) is doing the flowers for the wedding. And when Bridget unexpectedly flees back to PEI just days before her wedding, it’s up to Lucy to follow her, figure out just what the heck is going on, and make sure to NOT hook up with Felix.

My thoughts: This was a very steamy romance (so much so that I struggled to listen to it in public), but it was also very sweet and heartwarming. Overall I did like it, especially because a lot of the action revolved around Lucy and her best friend, instead of Lucy and her boyfriend. (A similar technique is used in my favourite Emily Henry novel Book Lovers, reviewed in my March 2023 roundup). The major issue that I had was in the climax of the book. Lucy and Felix are about to make their relationship official, but she accuses him of only seeing her as a hookup; in order to prove that he really loves her, Felix declares his love for her, and they proceed to hook up. Personally, I think that is completely missing the point. I would much rather have seen Felix prove his love in a non-physical way, like by making a big sacrifice or doing some kind of act of service for her. I never doubted that he loved her, but it’s about the principle of the matter. But other than that, Carely Fortune has produced another winning romance novel, and I’m excited for whatever she publishes next.

Rating: 4/5 Cow's Creamery cows named Wowee that live in the Charlottetown airport

Fifty-Four Pigs by Phillip Schott

Synopsis: Peter Bannerman is a veterinarian in New Selfoss, Manitoba (just north of Gimli). Despite growing up in town, he’s always been a bit of an outsider, preferring logic and objective thoughts over emotions and irrationality. He and his wife Laura and their dog Pippin live a quiet life together. Although Peter has started to gain a reputation as someone with a knack for solving small crimes, largely thanks to Pippin’s superior sense of smell (one of the best in Canada). Early one morning, Peter witnesses a large explosion in Tom Pearson’s barn. The structure is level, but thankfully the only victims are 54 pigs. That is, until RCMP officer (and Laura’s brother) Kevin discovers the remains of one human in the rubble. Who blew up Tom’s barn? Peter decides that perhaps he and Pippin should do a bit of unofficial investigating, just in case the RCMP miss something. But what is Peter really getting himself into?

My thoughts: I did have high hopes for this book based on my previous love of the Rockton and Haven’s Rock series (see my April and May 2024 roundups), because of the similar rural Canadian setting. Plus, this book was touted as a Canadian version of the Thursday Murder Club series (see my July, August, and October 2023 roundups), and I thought it might have a similar dry wit. However, I was pretty disappointed. The setting of rural small town Manitoba was interesting, but it wasn’t really enough to carry the rest of the story. Instead of witty and charming, Peter Bannerman came off as manipulative, because he kept lying to his wife that he wasn’t investigating the crime even after the RCMP told him to stop. (Readers will know two of my major pet peeves: people that don’t respect their wives, and people that try to solve crimes even after the police have told them to stop.) Even when he wasn’t annoying me, Peter was not an exceptionally interesting protagonist. I was disappointed that Pippin didn’t have a larger presence of character throughout the overall book. I also thought that the lightbulb moment kind of missed the mark, because the connection that Peter made was both too direct and too obscure. A great lightbulb moment that solves the crime should ideally be something that the audience can put together at the same time. In this case, the eureka was a very obvious connection to a very obscure thing: Peter was discussing polar bear gall bladders with someone else when he realized that the killers had probably been smuggling polar bear gall bladders. In this instance, the leap of logic was very easy to make but the fact it was based on was obscure (how am I supposed to know that polar bear gall bladders are extremely valuable on the black market??) In my opinion, this moment would have been more satisfying if the fact that it was based on was more accessible to the audience, but the leap of logic was more complex, because then it’s up to the reader to use their own critical thinking skills to solve the case, instead of relying on trivia. I have to admit, this normally wouldn’t really bother me. Readers will know that generally for mystery novels I am just happy to be along for the ride, and don’t necessarily try to solve it myself before the detectives. I just found this specific mystery solve to be unsatisfying. When added to all of the other notes I have about this book, I will likely not finish the series (which I have to admit surprised even myself).

Rating: 2/5 subnationalists who believe that the division of the Prairies into three separate provinces was arbitrary and inefficient

Dungeon Meshi by Ryoko Kui

Synopsis: After his sister Faylin is eaten by a dragon, Laios must rally the remaining members of his adventuring party to go back into the dungeon with only meager supplies. They’ll have just enough money to make it through, but his plan requires doing the unthinkable: eating monsters!

My thoughts: Even though this manga was published in 14 volumes, I’m only going to count it as 1 book (to do otherwise would feel like artificially inflating my stats for the year). It’s actually the first manga I’ve ever read, and I liked this manga a lot more than I was expecting to. My favourite parts were the monster-of-the-week format at the beginning. As the plot and lore became more complicated in the middle, it wasn’t really to my taste. But I really liked how the ending revolved a lot around the themes of eating and desire. I definitely related to Marcille the most, even her flaws! which I think is a sign of a good character. Plus she’s a blonde, Italian magic user, and readers will know that’s literally me. I was also disappointed that chilchuk and itzizumi didn’t really get much character development (yes, they both were given official backstories, but it didn’t feel like they go to do much in the present timeline of the story, which was definitely a shame). In the translation that I read, I really enjoyed the glossaries at the end, which helped English readers understand more of the Japanese cultural context as well as references to previous chapters.

Rating: 3/5 servings of spirit-cooled holy water sorbet

i am, your most faithful blogger, elisa