King of Scars (King of Scars Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Amy       
Lynnie    

fantasy, young adult

King of Scars is the first in a spin-off duology from the Shadow & Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo for fans who wanted more of Nikolai. It picks up a few months following the events of the trilogy.

Amy's Review

It did deliver more Nikolai. However, I was often confused about other characters who I couldn’t remember from the S&B books (Lynnie later helped me realize they were from a different series) and the convoluted political/superpower climates. 

Bardugo did not make me care as much about the characters in this novel as in the original series.  I didn't really enjoy Nina’s point of view and I inwardly groaned every time there was a Nina chapter. She was an annoying character and her storyline was clunky and too forced. I can see how she’ll play a role in the next novel but I really disliked having to switch out of Nikolai’s and Zoya’s stories to be in her world.

Overall, I felt this novel was too long (because I was bored with it halfway through) and I doubt I’ll read the sequel. 

Lynnie's Review

Holy cow, this book took me forever to read.

I was really looking forward to a Nikolai-centered story as he was one of my favorite characters in the Shadow and Bone series. I had complained in my review of the third book of that series that Nikolai had been, essentially, taken out of the narrative and, unfortunately, I didn't really get the Nikolai I was expecting back. Sure, occasionally we glimpsed his charm and sass, but it wasn't enough to make me care at all about this story, unfortunately. It was nice to see Nina from the Six of Crows series but I was never drawn into her storyline and sometimes it felt forced.

I was generally just bored and had a hard time being motivated to read. I'm glad I finished it but I may have spent my final hours in the Grishaverse.

   

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Amy  

historical fiction

Bluet, from Troublesome Creek, KY, loves her job as a Packhorse Librarian. But her father is hoping to find her a husband so that she has someone to care for her when he’s gone. However, it’s been tough attracting men because she has an unusual medical condition that makes her skin (and her family’s skin) blue. Unfortunately, her skin color makes her the target of many ill feelings in the small town.

I’d read another book about the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky by Jojo Moyes. The two novels were different stories with many similar historical topics, which is what I expected. The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, however, was as much about Bluet’s unusual medical condition as about the librarians. The protagonists of both novels had to rise above their town’s negative opinions of them, to navigate relationships, and to survive the hardships of women traveling alone in dangerous conditions. While I enjoyed the blue skin storyline and learning about this ailment through excellent research on the part of the author, she admits at the end of the novel that she fudged the timeline of the discoveries around the “blue people of Kentucky” in order to fit into the Packhorse Librarian historical timeline.  That bugs me. The blue people were not treated until decades later in reality.

Richardson does not shy away from harming her characters. There were several instances where I felt the misdeeds done to Bluet were gratuitous and unnecessarily brutal. In fact, the novel is melodramatic overall. Bluet was well-drawn--her personality and kind heart shone through.  I enjoyed her story and wanted to know how things would turn out. I wasn’t ready for the ending but it was true to the history.

The audiobook is narrated by Katie Schorr and she did a great job with voice acting. However, her voice repertoire is small.  I’ll give her a B+.

   

Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2020

2020 may have been a crazy year, but one thing was terrific about it- the books that 2020 brought into my life. 

I read fewer books than in 2019- only 50- but part of that is because I read fewer cookbooks and comics.  I had 6 books that I did not finish this year, but I rated 74% of the books I read 3 stars or higher on Goodreads, which makes me happy to see; I love a good book!  I only gave 5 stars to 3 books this year, and one of them was a LOTR book that I re-read so it doesn't really count.  Once again, I barely read any young adult fiction during the year and none of those that I did read made my favorites list, after 2 years in a row of this happening, it might be time to admit that YA no longer has the draw for me that it once did. 

Without further ado, here are my favorite books from 2020 (organized, but in no order); these are the books I've been recommending to friends when asked.  Make sure you click on the title for our full blog review of each book.  

Best Fiction: 

The Starless Sea by Erin Morganstern

This is one of my five star books from the year and it's on Amy's favorites list as well. The Starless Sea is a novel about stories, how they are created, and how they are interconnected.  

Told through a series of short stories that at first do not seem to relate to one another (trust me, they do) The Starless Sea jumps from the current life of Zachary Ezra Rollins, who finds his own story in a mysterious library book, to other tales of monsters, pirates, time, fate, magical libraries, and secret societies, among others. As Zachary tries to learn more about the book in which he is a character, he is led on an adventure that he could not have imagined in his wildest dreams.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

The Book of Lost Friends is a tale of past and present, based on real records and facts. Set on the same property in Louisiana, Hannie tells the story of what it was like to live as a former slave and share cropper in 1875, while Bennie's story takes place in 1987 as she tries to connect to her students, her new town, and the ghosts of the past.

 

 

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Nothing to See Here and its combustible children is a dark, quirky, and original story. The characters in this novel are wonderful and they suck you into their world quickly and totally. I needed to know what would happen next and was amused throughout. 

 

 

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

The Flatshare is a completely delightful few hours of reading. It's a ridiculous story, but I absolutely loved every single minute of it. The characters were charming and colorful, the side plots were engaging (I hated the villain, as one is supposed to, but he was almost too much of a cartoon villain sometimes), and I found myself completely wrapped up in the drama of Tiffy and Leon. 
 

 

Best Nonfiction

Burn it Down: Women Writing About Anger edited by Lilly Dancyger

This was my other 5 star review. The 22 essays in Burn It Down are diverse not only in the demographics of their authors, but in the experiences they discuss. Essays are about how anger is expressed, or often withheld based on a variety of inner calculations that most other people, particularly men, never consider. Women who are black, transgender, suffer from invisible illness, are visibly disabled, come from dysfunctional homes, experience sexual and/or physical violence, and even the anger that comes when our bodies enter menopause all experience and embrace the anger of not only their circumstances but of themselves. The inextricable link between anger and sadness, fear, and guilt is discussed throughout the book.  

The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler 

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of abortion/adoption debate, this is an important book to read.

I was interested in this book for many reasons, but particularly because my mother was adopted in the 40s and we really only learned her true adoption story after her death. I was curious to hear the stories of women who had limited choices and even less agency over themselves and their bodies. It was a heartbreaking book and I often found myself in tears at the stories of these women. 

Best Comics

Locke & Key (all 6 volumes) by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez (artist)

As I finished the final pages of Locke and Key, I found myself thinking back to how much all the characters have grown since the series began. I was particularly struck by Tyler- a forlorn kid, understandably full of regret and guilt in the first volume, he has grown into the man of Keyhouse both in appearance and action. The graphics add so much to the story, making this a much-read series. 

 

Here's to another great year of reading ahead in 2021.  In case you're curious and looking for more reading ideas, here's a link to my favorites lists from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Also don't forget to check out Amy's Favorite Books of 2020 too. 

Amy's Favorite Books of 2020

 

Here are the best books I read in 2020. (These are not books that were necessarily released in 2020.) As of today, I’ve read 90 books (including 54 audiobooks) this year. That’s a new record number of books for me! This isn’t surprising considering all the extra time spent at home in the time of COVID-19. I’ve needed the escape offered by a good book more than ever.  I also started but chose not to finish another 13 books. 

The most interesting aspect of my Favorites list this year is that 4 of them are by one author, Amy Harmon. I had never read her novels before this year but she is an amazing storyteller with a very diverse repertoire of genres! I considered condensing her best novels into one slot on my list but, since I gave them each 4-1/2 stars (when only 8 novels of all those I read this year attained a rating that high), I decided they each deserved their own slot on my Top 10. Incidentally, I read another 7 of her novels this year which were all enjoyable too!  Don't miss my favorite audiobook narrator of the year at the bottom!

To read my full review of any books listed below, just click on the title.

 

MY FAVORITE NOVEL OF 2020

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, fantasy: Zachary Ezra Rawlins discovers an unusual story from his own life described in a library book and is, understandably, thrown for a loop. This brilliant novel follows Zachary through a magnificent adventure and is told via multiple shorter stories within a larger story. This novel is wondrous, magical, charming, enchanting, and creative. Erin Morgenstern has outdone herself in conceiving this concept and successfully creating a world which is completely imaginary and real at the same time. This book about stories includes several significant themes and symbols (and textures, tastes, and scents to tingle all the senses). But the main theme is impermanence—how good stories always include change, as does life. I cannot remember the last time a book got under my skin like this one did. After listening to the audiobook from my public library, I purchased it on Kindle so I could read it again!

THE OTHERS IN MY TOP 10:

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon, historical fiction/fantasy: After the death of her grandfather, Anne goes to Ireland to spread his ashes in the loch, per his wishes, and finds herself mysteriously sent back in time to 1921 in the midst of Ireland’s struggle for independence.  The characters were enchanting and the setting was atmospheric. I’d never read anything about this time in Ireland’s history and the perspective was educational. The story was so romantic, poetic, and heartfelt.  The ending was just right. I loved it!

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate, historical fiction: This novel tells two tales set in Louisiana: the first from 1875 told by an 18-year old girl born into slavery and the second from 1987 told by a 27-year old woman in her first year of teaching English at a school for disadvantaged children. Both women’s stories are compelling and self-sufficient. However, the thin link between them grows a little thicker with the telling until the reader is finally rewarded with the connections at the end. I learned about the Lost Friends news column which was an opportunity for separated slave families to reunite or learn about their relatives’ situations. The novel was full of adventure and heart-filled spirit.

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, fiction: This is a heartbreaking family drama centered around three siblings of Pakistani heritage, raised in London. Their family had suffered great loss during their childhood.  The story is told in five segments, each from a different person’s point of view.  The structuring of this novel was very well done.  Each point of view moved the overarching story forward but also enlightened previous segments.  All of the points of view were interesting and educated me about lives and cultures very different from my own. The pacing was perfect. The ending was one of the most stunning endings I’ve read. 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, post-apocalyptic: It’s 20 years after a deadly pandemic. The disease spread at an astounding rate and killed patients the same day symptoms appeared. Most people on Earth were dead within a month. The novel spotlighted the lives of a few survivors in order to give the reader a rich impression of their pre- and post-pandemic realities. The author focused her story not on the disease itself but on the survivors. And it was a more hopeful view of the world than many other pandemic novels. I appreciated this since I was reading it while living through a pandemic. It made me think a lot about the uncertainty of our future and what I would do in a post-pandemic world that looked totally different than my world today.  The story had many different layers.

Making Faces by Amy Harmon, fiction: Everyone in town is surprised when Ambrose, the handsome star high school wrestler, decides to join the Army instead of taking advantage of wrestling scholarships. He and four friends go to Iraq but only Ambrose survives to return home, with physical and mental scars. Meanwhile, Fern has had a crush on him forever and is not bothered by his altered face and, with the help of her cousin/best friend, tries to get past Ambrose’s barriers. I adored the characters and their interactions. The skeleton of this story was exactly what I predicted. But the muscles and sinew Harmon attached to the framework were so impactful and touching. She masterfully illustrated ways that people might deal with tough situations. It was a heartwarming and sincere tale.

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon, fantasy, young adult: Lark, unable to speak since a young age, lived with her father. Her mother had been able to make predictions and was killed by the king when Lark was young because “gifted” people were not allowed to live.  Since then, Lark had been trying to grow and thrive in her stilted existence. However, once she crossed paths with the new, young king everything changed. While this novel had much in common with many fantasies set in a kingdom , this one had imaginative scenarios, fabulous pacing, and loveable characters that kept me hooked.

A Different Blue by Amy Harmon, fiction: Blue Echohawk, a senior in high school, is simply trying to stay afloat with the help of her tough-girl persona. She’d been abandoned by her mother at two years old, raised by a kind man until she was 11, and had been living with the man’s neglectful half-sister ever since. A new teacher joins the school staff and begins to help build her confidence. I adored the characters and the believable situations and the mysteries. It was a feel-good story about acceptance—both from others and yourself—which included so much sexual tension in the second half that it felt like a fun beach read.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, fiction: This novel described the harrowing journey to America made by Lydia and her 8-year-old son, Luca, after they barely escaped execution by a drug cartel which killed their entire family in Acapulco, Mexico.  It was tough to read at times. It illuminated the way cartels are destroying central American cities, convincing migrants to head for presumed safer conditions in America. If they were to stay in their hometowns, they would face being killed or forced into working for/being slaves to the cartel leaders. This was very eye-opening, gripping, and suspenseful.

The Dry by Jane Harper, mystery: Aaron Falk, an Australian federal agent, travels to his small home town in an arid region of the country to attend his former bet friend’s funeral. But, because of Falk’s past troubles and because of unusual circumstances surrounding his friend’s death, Falk ends up staying in town to assist the local police chief with his investigation.  This novel grabbed me from the start and never let go. I had to know what happened in both the past and the present.

 

BEST AUDIOBOOK NARRATION

January LaVoy narrating Hideaway by Nora Roberts, women’s fiction: LaVoy was outstanding. She had SO many individual character voices and even excelled at male voices! I was so impressed. Her acting was great but her repertoire was truly stunning. I appreciate her talent!

If you're hungry for more, here are my favorites from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Also don't miss Lynnie's Favorites of 2020! We have two favorites in common--The Starless Sea and The Book of Lost Friends!

--Amy

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon

Amy  

historical fiction

Where the Lost Wander is one family’s story of western migration in the 1850s.  The May family is part of a large wagon train traveling the Oregon Trail.  John Lowry is half-white half-Pawnee and has never felt comfortable in his own skin.  In helping the train leader on the journey, he becomes close with the May family.

Right up front, I’ll say this is my least favorite Amy Harmon novel of the eleven I’ve read.  The main problem with it is that much of it is just boring details about the actual travel and surroundings. Sure, it’s important for the author to paint a picture of the setting and she did that very well.  The problem is that, as a proportion, there was way too much scene/journey description and not enough about the characters and their challenges.  Truly, I struggled to get through the first half of the novel and I’ve never had any problems getting into any of her other novels.  The other big problem is that she starts the novel with the terrible attack that takes place about ¾ of the way through the novel’s story.  So, you already know that many of the characters die and this is how the author expects to hold the reader’s interest--to keep reading and find out where things went wrong and what happened to Naomi May.  But the story was so slow paced that even that question wasn’t motivational enough for me.  Mostly, I only kept reading because of my respect for the author.

As with her other novels, the characters are wonderful and she is good at allowing the reader to get inside her characters psyche/motivations.  But, the storytelling itself was too slow-paced for the small reward at the end. I understand this was a personal story for her as it is mostly about her husband’s ancestors and I appreciate that. But it doesn’t hold a candle to any of the other novels of hers that I’ve read.

   

We Live In Water by Jess Walter

 Amy     

 Lynnie

 

 

We Live in Water is a short story collection. 

Amy's Review 

 

The running theme is that these are stories about people who are down on their luck and wish their lives could be better somehow. One story is set in the distant future but the others are all extremely real and current. They are heartbreaking, authentic, depressing, and thought provoking. I admired the spirit of many of these unfortunate people. Their stories have hope which is sometimes misguided but heartening. The stories also contain some kindness and humor. But, mostly it’s a view of the harsh realities many people face in a tough world. Jess Walter’s typical quirkiness is evident but muted by the grittiness. I appreciate his ability to paint a picture, as always.

 

Lynnie's Review

 

This was an interesting short story collection, but as I look back on it there isn't really a single story that stands out to me. Was I interested in each tale? Yes. Did I want to continue reading? Also yes. But, I was rarely inspired to read more than one story per day because the stories were kind of sad and dark overall & this time of year isn't really when I'm looking for that sort of reading.

As a collection it's solid though, particularly if you're looking for some realistic stories.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Amy  

romance

In Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev, Trisha is a neurosurgeon whose patient, Emma, has a brother named DJ who has dropped everything and moved to California to take care of Emma as she fights a brain tumor.

This was one of those romances in which the damaged people overshadow the romance itself. I loved the beginning, disliked the middle, and accepted the ending.  Truthfully, though, I found the novel infuriating most of the time.  I appreciated the quirkiness and sense of humor of several characters.  But Trisha was such a mess that it made me squirm.  She was unable to communicate effectively due to her own mental immaturity, her upbringing in a fairly closed family, and her family’s inability to talk through forgiveness and blame. Trisha’s and DJ’s interactions often exhausted me. It was painful to watch them misinterpret each other over and over and over. The situations in which they found themselves, due to their own or other irrational characters’ actions, often felt contrived. It was a comedy of errors. The “bad guy” was pretty ridiculous too.

So, while tension often makes for a good story this one was too over the top for me. Given the title, I had been expecting something a bit less crazy. Having said all that, I didn't dislike it. I just couldn't see past many irritations.