City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab

 

Amy   
Lynnie 

young adult, fantasy

Cassidy can see dead people. She has been floating between the worlds of the dead and the living since she almost died in an accident nearly a year ago. She has an undead best friend and her parents, ironically, are famous ghost-hunters—too bad they never seek her assistance. When her parents embark on an international TV show production, she is taken with them to Scotland to hunt for ghosts.

Amy's Review

City of Ghosts is a charming tale of a teenager trying to make the best of her crazy situations. The setting and background of Cassidy’s story were engaging even though there was not much conflict, concern, or suspense until the last quarter of the novel. I enjoyed the ride anyway. I think Victoria Schwab’s creativity is really wonderful. I also appreciated all the Scotland references since I’ve been there and could easily picture many of the places described. This novel, geared for a younger audience than I typically enjoy reading, was fun. I hear it’s being made into a TV series and I think that might work out well. However, I’m not sure I’ll read more novels in the series since it is more for middle schoolers.

The audiobook narrator, Reba Buhr, has a fantastic repertoire of voices and really tries to the get the accents right. (She doesn’t always succeed but is very close.) Her voice acting is also terrific. I thought she was perfect for this novel. I give her an A-.

Lynnie's Review

City of Ghosts was a cute book for middle grades, particularly those readers that like stories with a creepy edge, that never get so scary you have nightmares.

Having recently read Schwab's adult novel, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I'm not surprised that her YA fiction is enchanting. I really enjoyed the character of Cassidy Black, her best friend Jacob & the cast of characters in this book as Cassidy tries to understand why she's able to walk between the worlds of the living and the dead. Schwab is incredibly creative and crafts a world that is both vivid and believable, even in its fantasy.

It's an easy read for adults, and no doubt a lot of fun for younger readers- I'd definitely recommend it to the middle grade readers in your life.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

Amy   

historical fiction

Eva and her mother must flee Paris when the Nazis begin arresting Jewish citizens. She is artistic and, with assistance, teaches herself how to forge documents so that the two of them can board a train to a small town that promises safety. There, she joins a resistance cell and helps to save hundreds of Jewish children during the war. This novel is told from two points in time of Eva’s life: one during WWII and one in 2005 when she finds out that a very important book from her Nazi resistance days has resurfaced. She feels compelled to travel to Germany to claim the book.

The Book of Lost Names is definitely a fantastic tale about heroic activities during the war and Eva is a brave, smart, and kind character. I loved the general storyline and reading about her. The last quarter of the novel is almost un-put-downable. However, I never love a story where parents are terrible to their children. Eva’s mother erroneously and continuously blamed Eva for their situation. The fact that she was never able to think of things from anyone else’s point of view but her own made her a very flat, evil character. I hated her. And I didn’t believe in her as a real person. I felt her lack of awareness was too far-fetched and a forced story device by Kristin Harmel to add tension to the novel. Basically, that character contaminated my enjoyment of the novel. The rest of the cast was terrific.

I also didn’t enjoy the audiobook narrator, Madeleine Maby, which likely colored my opinion of this novel.  She could be very robotic and/or slow-paced at times and I simply didn’t like her vocal tone. It sometimes sounded like she had gum or cotton in her cheeks and, while her accents were good and her voice repertoire was not bad, she gave her lowest and stiffest voice to the mother. I assume she did this to make her sound evil. But I thought it gave too much away from the beginning of the novel and was not the right choice. When Maby wasn’t annoying me, her voice acting wasn’t bad. I’ll give her a B-.

   

Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2021

We made it!  2021 is coming to a close at last even though, in a conversation the other day, we all seemed to be in agreement that it felt like a "blink and you missed it" kind of year.  Here's hoping that 2022 brings some stability to our lives and another great batch of books to read.  

Once again I read fewer books than last year and as the year comes to a close I suspect I'll finish the year with only 45 books under my belt. Going back to work has definitely forced me to cut back on my reading time, but at least there IS still time for a good book.  Still, the books that I did read were overall pretty fantastic- looking at Goodreads, there were only two books that I didn't finish and 5 that I rated lower than 3 stars. In fact, 20 of the books I read were rated 4 or 5 stars, which is pretty amazing if you ask me! But, I'm going to try to narrow it down & choose some favorites, so here we go.  

As always, the list is not organized in any 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. 

Favorite Fiction

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

After an attempted bank robbery that happens as a result of desperation and poor planning, the robber takes a group of people attending an open house for an apartment hostage. This is their story; how a group of strangers in a most unusual situation cope, collaborate, survive, and ultimately thrive. 

 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Spanning 300 years, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the darkness in order to avoid marrying against her will. The deal means that no matter how long she
lives, no one will ever remember her. Spending the centuries either alone, or living a Groundhog Day-esque existence where even if she’s known someone for years, the other person believes they are meeting her for the first time.  

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Tackling the subject of depression in a unique and thoughtful way, the story follows Nora Seed as she tries to decide which is the life she is meant to live. The multi-verse of the Midnight Library allows Nora to explore all the different ways the choices in her life, if made differently, would have affected the trajectory of her life- different careers, different relationships, different cities, different homes- Nora has the opportunity to explore them all to find the place she most belongs.

Favorite Young Adult

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe

The Girls I've Been is a story about a bank robbery, yes. But it's also a story about love, friendship, family by birth, family by choice, trauma, tenacity, resilience, and the lengths we'll go to for love and survival.  From the moment I read the first page, I couldn't put it down.

 

Favorite Non Fiction

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho

Based on a web series by the same name, Emmanuel Acho addresses the topic of systemic racism in America- how we got here and how we, as a society, can begin to take steps toward becoming actively anti-racist.   

 

 

Honorable Mentions: 

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Skyward by Joe Henderson

 

Here's to another great year of reading ahead in 2022.  In case you're curious and looking for more reading ideas, here's a link to my favorites lists from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Also don't forget to check out Amy's Favorite Books of 2021 too.  

Amy's Favorite Books of 2021

Here are the best books I read in 2021. (These are not books that were necessarily released in 2021.) As of today, I’ve read 83 books (including 52 audiobooks) this year. I started but did not finish another 5 books. 

Don't miss my favorite audiobook narration of the year at the bottom!

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

 

MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2021

Anxious People (5 stars!) by Fredrik Backman, contemporary fiction: This is the story surrounding a failed bank robbery in Sweden—the bank robber’s desperation that led up to it, the people who were impacted when the bank robber created a hostage situation, and the police investigating the crimes. Even though it touches on suicide and is a thought-provoking story, it is filled with humor! This story does not take itself seriously and that was one of its best features. Backman crafted the story brilliantly, beginning with the police investigation after the crimes. It developed through flashbacks of the events from all of the people involved. The characters were charming and the story-weaving was masterful. I enjoyed every minute.

THE OTHERS IN MY TOP 10

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, historical fiction/fantasy/science fiction/contemporary fiction: This novel is really four separate stories: one is in a future world on a spaceship as it heads for a new planet (sci-fi), one is during the Ottoman Empire’s battle for Greece (historical fiction), one involves a violent crime taking place in a library in current day Idaho (contemporary fiction), and one is a fantasy story from Greco-Roman times called Cloud Cuckoo Land. All three realistic tales are linked by the fantasy story. This novel was fascinating. It ranged from light and fanciful to deathly serious. The silly ancient fantasy story adds humor to the tale. The characters were very well drawn and I grew concerned and hopeful for all of them.  There are common themes throughout the various tales and the way Doerr managed to weave these very different stories together into one novel was stunning. The moral of the novel was heartwarming.

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova, nonfiction: The summary from the publisher is perfect: “A fascinating exploration of the intricacies of how we remember, why we forget, and what we can do to protect our memories, from the Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice.” Genova aims to set the reader’s mind at ease regarding memory gaps. One of her central explanations is that you usually have a failure in paying attention to make a memory rather than a failure in recalling a memory. As someone who never reads “self help” books and rarely enjoys nonfiction, I still wanted to read this because I really trusted Genova after enjoying a couple of her novels. She knows how to write a book that holds the reader’s interest. I absolutely loved it! Not only did she teach me a lot about the human brain and the mechanics of memory, but she proposed ways to improve my memory! This was one of the most helpful and informative texts I’ve read in a very long time.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, fantasy/historical fiction/contemporary fiction: In order to avoid an unwanted marriage in the year 1714, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the Darkness which leaves her unable to be remembered by anyone once she is out of their sight. Stubbornly, Addie will not let the Darkness take her soul and it is now 300 years later.  Addie struggles every day to influence the world around her and make the best of her strange life.  I loved this charming, creative, and well-written story. While Addie isn’t a time traveler, the fact that she lived so long gives the novel the feel of a time travel novel. The narrative jumps around the timeline in order to keep everything interesting. The characters were diverse and likable. The art and music references were wonderful. The story illustrates how connecting with other people is an important aspect of life. And it shows that there can be light, even after the darkest times. I really enjoyed the ride with these characters!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain, fantasy/historical fiction: Carly finds out that her unborn daughter has a serious heart defect that is inoperable in 1970. When the opportunity presents itself, she makes a crazy decision to make a leap of faith and travel into the future for a chance to save her daughter. There is so much more to this novel than this brief summary but I can’t say more without ruining it for you! The plot is actually much more complex than I anticipated and I loved it! It pulled me in from the first page. I truly cared about the people in this book and was happily swept into their lives. I was surprised more than once by turns in the plot. It also pulled my heartstrings a couple of times.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain, historical fiction/contemporary fiction: It’s 2018 and Morgan has spent the past year in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. She is released in a miraculous parole deal that requires her to restore a historical mural in Edenton, NC. While she doesn’t feel qualified for the task, she’ll attempt anything in order to gain her freedom. The story is told from two viewpoints/timeframes—Morgan’s and Anna’s. Anna is the original artist of the mural which was painted in 1940. As an art appreciator, I was immediately pulled in by the art storyline. I quickly fell in love with the characters. Despite their different stories and backgrounds, both Anna and Morgan had been sent to Edenton to work on the same mural. Both were running from a disturbing past and knew no one in town before arriving. Both had to come to terms with their own self-doubts and learn to forgive themselves. Both came to love the mural and the people of Edenton who helped them in their efforts. I loved the way the book was structured. The storytelling was terrific and the momentum was never lost.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, fantasy: Oona has an issue. Starting at the stroke of midnight on her 19^th birthday, and every new year thereafter, she leaps into a random year of her life instead of living her life chronologically. I loved the concept and the execution of this novel! Despite the far-fetched premise of the story, Montimore does a great job of making it seem plausible. I loved experiencing Oona’s strange and difficult life with her. There were some creative aspects and surprises. It was a great ride and the story became very touching near the end.

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel, young adult fiction: Three sisters—triplets—have different physical and mental abilities. They live in a very small town whose residents have been poisoned by a chemical plant. The main characters and their situations sucked me in immediately. You might think this would be a depressing story. But the way it is written, it is actually quite hopeful. I loved the crafting of the tale between the three sisters’ points of view and the themes of acceptance, appreciation, diversity, survival, adaptability, accommodation, and accountability. The people populating the story were a pleasure to get to know. I had heard about a similar real-life situation and this novel’s immersion into the residents’ reality was enlightening. The humor which the author peppered throughout the tense situations was refreshing. I truly appreciate Frankel’s writing style and her topic choices.

The Chronicles of Saylok series by Amy Harmon, fantasy/young adult: The names of the novels are: The First Girl Child and The Second Blind Son. Set in a land created by and devoted to the Norse gods, a new mother curses the population with no female babies born until her son can become old enough to save the people. While based on Norse mythology and clan politics, Harmon made these stories her own. The novels take place during the same time period and share some characters/situations, but each focuses on a different set of main characters. The stories are full of danger, uncertainty, warring clans, prophecies, and friendship. If you enjoy royal fantasy and good vs. evil, you’ll enjoy them.

Shades of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab, fantasy/young adult: The names of the novels in order are:  A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, and A Conjuring of Light. Kell is a rare sort of magician—able to transfer between the different parallel Londons. His usual life is disrupted when he is tricked into bringing a mysterious and powerful object from Red London into the nonmagical Gray London and he crosses paths with the thief, Lila. Kell and Lila were terrifically human despite magical abilities. Throughout the series, they would find themselves in terrible trouble, save themselves, and then find even worse trouble. The overarching story was compelling, the fantasy world was creative, magical, and dangerous, and the action was non-stop.

 

BEST AUDIOBOOK NARRATION

Joe Morton narrating The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, historical fiction/fantasy: Morton was totally excellent with this novel. He has a large voice repertoire, does terrific accents, and his acting was perfect. Not only that but he actually SINGS when there are song lyrics, unlike most audiobook narrators. And he has a lovely voice! This made him stand out among some stiff competition this year.

If you're hungry for more, here are my favorites of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Also, don't miss Lynnie's favorites of 2021. We both have Anxious People and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue on our lists. 

--Amy

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho

Lynnie        

nonfiction

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man is a powerful, straight-forward book about a topic of increasing importance. Based on a web series by the same name, Emmanuel Acho addresses the topic of systemic racism in America- how we got here and how we, as a society, can begin to take steps toward becoming actively anti-racist. 

Acho's tell-it-like-it-is style isn't for everyone, but I found it refreshing and relatable for people who are interested in understanding topics like privilege and implicit bias but who don't want to read an academic paper about the subjects. Acho provides excellent references for readers who do want to dig deeper into the topics he discusses, but this book is a great primer for those just starting the journey of being an ally to people of color. I've not seen his web series previously, but I'll certainly be watching now. 

Will this book make you uncomfortable if you're a white American? Probably, and that's absolutely okay. It will do all of us some good to sit with our discomfort for a little while these days as we think about how we can make our communities more inclusive for everyone in them. Acho shares his story and his truth with a level of patience, grace, and kindness that I'm not sure we deserve, but for which I am very grateful. 

 

 

Graphic Novels: Fables by Bill Willingham

Fables Volume 20: Camelot by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Russ Braun, Barry Kitson

Fables Volume 21: Happy Ever After by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy

Fables Volume 22: Farewell by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha

And they all lived happily ever after.

Okay, they didn’t really, but after all this time it was great to see this series wrap up so wonderfully. It’s hard to write a review after 150 issues because people who are this far into the series aren’t really looking for advice on whether or not to continue; they’re committed.

Still, Fables ranks up there with some of the great series I’ve read- even if it took
me an extraordinarily long time to get to the end. Over all these years I’ve grown to love these characters separately from their traditional fairy tale selves; the universe that Willingham created has expanded their stories beyond traditional borders and we are all richer for it.

I've had the last 20 issues of Fables sitting in my closet for almost 10 years waiting to be read. I know why- I was missing an issue... #131. I don't know why I didn't have it; did it get lost in a move or did I just not pick it up when it came out? No idea! But it stopped me in my tracks & every time I went back to the comic shop they didn't have it either, so the issues piled up, unread. I mean, you can't just skip over an issue!

Anyway, it's 2021 and we live in a world of digital comics now! And while I was quick to adjust to the Kindle for my every day reading, it wasn't until the last year or so that I made the leap to digital comics (& boy, do my old eyes thank me). Now, I can zoom in and really appreciate the images and lettering and... well that's a review for a different time, but I realized that I can go back & appreciate some of the older books I hadn't looked at in a while AND conquer my giant "to be read" pile.

Enter the end of Fables. Thanks to Hoopla for supplying me with issue #131! I worried that I would have forgotten some of the storylines, but after 130 issues some things do stay with you. I was able to jump right back in to Fabletown and the Farm and enjoyed spending more time with all of these characters. I'm only sorry it took me so long to pick this series back up. These issues are just as wonderful as I expected them to be- story, artwork, the whole shebang. I enjoyed every moment leading up to the big finale and seeing what the mind of Willingham had in store for these characters. I just read that Willingham and Buckingham are reuniting to revive the series & that issue 151 will be out next year so I guess it wasn't quite "Farewell."  Looks like my timing couldn't have been better then; looking forward to the next chapter!