Companions on the Road

 

Companions on the Road by Tanith Lee

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, Horror, YA, Scifi, Magic

Publishing date: Nov 1, 1975 by Random house UK

My copy: Physical, purchased at a used book store

This is the kind of book half stars are made for. Companions is two novellas by 

Tanith Lee. The first story felt like a parable and I really liked where it was going.

 The second one was interesting and I enjoyed following Oaive on her hero's 

journey. My problem is with the endings. Both endings felt too "and everyone 

lived happily ever after". I don't hate happy endings but they just didn't feel like

 the proper conclusions to the stories being told. They were creepy and, the

 first especially, felt more like horror than fantasy. Maybe that's just me though.

 I'm going to find another of Tanith Lee's books, preferably a full length novel, 

and try that out. Lee's writing is beautiful and I really did enjoy how she wove

 her tales just not how she finished them off.

Strange Folk

Lee seeks comfort and safety after the life she worked hard to create falls apart. This means heading back to Craw Valley. Back to her family that she has complicated feelings about. Having no where else to go she heads back taking her two children with her. Townspeople say Lee's family are magic until a man dies in the woods near the family house. Then they wonder if the town healer created something darker.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 

The blurb sounded interesting and I always love reading debut fiction. Plus, who doesn’t need magic in their lives, right? Underneath the magic is a story about family, addiction, and coming to terms with yourself. Lee resents the way she grew up and the people that failed her. Yet, Lee ends up repeating the same mistakes that her mother did. Being confronted with emotional baggage you thought you buried is never easy.

Why didn’t I give this five stars? The thing that caused me to score this lower is the murder mystery plot. I feel the murder wasn’t necessary and took away from Lee working through her past. Lee has a lot of emotional baggage to deal with because she moved back. She is drinking more and walking around acting like she is better than everyone because she left. Her hypocrisy gets put on the back-burner because Lee has to figure out the murder mystery. I think the story would have been better if Dyer had focused on Lee coming to terms with and dealing with her past. The romance subplot felt like wasted potential. The guy Lee starts dating is someone she knew when she was young. He stayed in town while Lee took off as soon as she had the chance. There are a few different times he says that the town isn’t that bad and Lee scoffs. There is so much to explore there but, for me at least, it felt like a box to check off for plot points.

Still, I did enjoy this book and I recommend anyone that likes witchy stories and folksy magic to check it out. I’m going to be keeping an eye on Alli Dyer's career and look forward to seeing how she refines her craft.

Four Weekends and a Funeral

Author: Ellie Palmer

Genre: Romance 

Expected publication Date: August 6, 2024

Alison Mullally arrives at the funeral of her ex-boyfriend, Sam. She quickly finds out almost no one knew about their breakup, including his parents. Sam's parents, especially his mother, seem comforted that Sam had someone. Always the people-pleaser, Alison agrees to pretend they were still together. It’s a few hours for the funeral, no big deal. Then the subject of cleaning out Sam’s apartment comes up. Alison agrees to box up his stuff so his parents don’t have to. Again, no big deal. Except she won’t be doing this alone. Adam Berg, Sam’s longtime best friend, is also going to be there. To say they have a rocky start is an understatement. It is obvious Adam doesn’t want Alison there. Determined to get through this Alison tries to befriend Adam. If for no other reason than to make her next four weekends not suck. Soon Alison starts getting some feelings for Adam. He is pretty gorgeous after all. It seems like he might be getting them too. The problem is Alison is still his dead best friend's girlfriend.

This was a very fun read that delves into Alison's relationships with everyone. Alison and Sam’s breakup was pretty friendly. She was drawn to him because of his thrill-seeking ways. See, Alison’s mom had breast cancer and so Alison got tested for the gene BRCA 1. She has it which means she has a high likelihood of developing cancer. Before the book started she got a double mastectomy. Instead of dealing with her feelings about it she tries to push them away. It's easier to fill her life up with amazing things like hiking in nature. Things that Sam loved and Alison tries to love.

Alison’s relationships with Sam and Adam aren’t the only ones she has to navigate. There are her best girlfriends and her overbearing mother too. These are so complicated its no wonder she ended up in a fake relationship.

I enjoyed all the characters Ellie Palmer created. They feel like real people. They aren’t perfect, but I never sat there questioning why Alison kept them in her life. There were times I wanted her to defend herself, especially when it came to her mother, but Alison wasn’t there yet. I appreciate that Alison’s problems didn’t vanish because of love. Minor spoiler but she does end up seeing a therapist to deal with her feelings.

Four Weekends is Palmer’s debut and I am impressed. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a slow burn romance with realistic characters. Tread carefully if you are dealing with loss or cancer as those two topics are big themes of the book. I look forward to seeing what Palmer writes next. 

A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2023 in Review

 With the year winding down I decided to look back on my reading for 2023. To start with I want to look at how changes in my life influenced my reading. This year marked my "momtirement". Both my kids are grown and doing their thing. My S.O. travels for work and after we talked about it I decided to make writing my full time thing. What does this have to do with my S.O.'s job? Well, now I am getting to travel too. I'm looking forward to seeing where 2024 takes us. Wherever it is I know there will be used bookstores for me to explore. 

Now, onto my top books of 2023. 

5. Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

Romances aren't usually my thing but this one got me. It was a sweet book that had some surprising depth. When I finished reading I had a smile on my face.

4. Weyward by Emilia Hart

Set in 2019, 1942, and 1619 I followed the stories of three different women all from the same family. My favorite of the three was Altha in 1619 but the other two were engaging as well. 

3. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Yet another romance book. I guess 2023 was my romance year. Divine Rivals had so much going for it. Iris, one of the two MCs, is a writer and there is a weird alternate history world with magical creatures. The end was a little less than satisfactory for me but seeing as this was made to have a sequel I am giving it a pass for now.

2. The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater

This is a beautiful gothic novel with an interesting mystery. Yet another romance, although the romance is  not the main focus of the story imo and was not what kept me reading. Winnie, already gets a point for using my name, is a fun character who is trying her best in a Victorian manor house. Did I mention she is up against faeries? This was a quick fun read for me.

1. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

This one surprised me on multiple levels. The cover screams that Knoll also wrote Luckiest Girl Alive. I'm not a huge fan of that novel. I won't spoil anything but I'll just say the ending ruined the rest of the book for me. That doesn't really matter though because I didn't recognize the title when I started reading Bright Young Women. I'm so happy I didn't look it up because I know I wouldn't have read this. 

The story follows two women in different times. Pamela, a college girl who ends up seeing the serial killer that kills her sorority sisters. The other is Tina through the lens of Ruth. You know pretty early on that Ruth is also a victim of the same serial killer which makes each of her chapters tragic to read. There is a mystery that Pamela and Tina try to work out but that isn't what made this my number one book. 

The story really is a look at misogyny in American during the forty years the book spans. I had to take a break from reading after different parts but the breaks were never that long because I couldn't wait to get back into the story. Bright Young Women put Knoll on my list of authors I will be checking on to see when their next book comes out. It will also be a book that sticks with me for a while.

Well, that's it for me for 2023. Next year I am taking part in The 52 Book Club reading challenge. I'll be posting the prompts and my reading picks soon. Till then happy reading.

~Winnie

Hank, World's Best Dog

 

Title: Georgie, All Along

Author: Kate Clayborn

Publisher: Kensington

Publishing Date: Jan 24, 2023

Georgie, All Along follows Georgie Mulchay, a young woman who has moved back to her hometown after a job loss. Using an old notebook filled with the ideas of her younger self, Georgie tries to figure out what comes next. Along the way she becomes accidental roommates with Levi Fanning and his dog Hank. Levi happens to be the older brother of her high-school crush.

I love Georgie, All Along. The book swaps between Georgie and Levi’s point of view. Romance books aren’t usually my thing but this one worked for me because of the characters. Every one of them is a sweet mess that I wanted the best for. There are some “villains” but they are rarely seen. Their presence is mostly felt in the way they have affected Georgie and Levi’s lives.

There are some sensitive topics. Levi had a rough past and he deals with the consequences of that throughout the book. There are also some spicy love scenes so tread with care if that isn’t something you are into. I didn’t think they were too explicit but your mileage may vary. There are some mild mentions of drug and alcohol use as well.

All in all, this was a fun cozy read that left me with a smile on my face. I recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet romance that also contains the world’s best dog.

Seriously, Hank needs to win an award.

 

I received this book as part of my Book of the Month subscription. 

Whisperwood

 

Book title: Whisperwood

Author: Alex Woodroe

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me with an eARC

 in exchange for an honest review.

Whisperwood is the story of Anna, a woman running from her past. Anna 

ends up hitching a ride with a merchant to the town of Whisperwood. 

Whisperwood is a puzzle to figure out but the further Anna digs the more

 horrible things become.

I liked Anna and found all the characters engaging though some I liked more

 than others. Whisperwood is as much a character of the novel as Anna.

 I wish that we had more time with some of the side characters though. 

There was one in particular I wish stuck around longer. Even so, there were

 plenty of characters to make the world feel alive.

I agree with other reviewers that Whisperwood is folk horror. I worry that it 

will get lost in the general horror genre which would be a shame. People

 that like folk horror take note and put this on your tbr.

The Bones of the Story

 

Title: The Bones of the Story

Author: Carol Goodman

Publisher: William Morrow, July 11, 2023

 

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an eARC for 

review.

  

The remains of a missing student have been discovered in the icy caves of 

Briarwood College. A fundraiser masked as a memorial to commemorate the

 dead. When a strong winter storm descends on the college alumni start to die.

 Dean Nell Portman races against the storm and her past to stop anyone 

else becoming a victim.

This is my first Carol Goodman novel, and it won’t be my last. The story did 

start off a little slow for me but when it picked up boy did it pick up. I enjoyed 

reading about Briarwood College which was as much a character as any of 

the people.

I appreciate Goodman naming various other works the students were reading.

 I added them all to my tbr. I have seen some complaints about it taking up too 

much space. For me, the references added to the overall mood of the story.

I only have two complaints. One, I figured out one of the twists very early on.

 It didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book, but I do wish it had been a little more subtle.

 The second is that I didn’t care about the Now part of the book as much as the 

Then part. That is personal though.

All in all, a very enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys dark 

academia books.