Beast of the North Woods: A Monster Hunter Mystery
by Annelise Ryan
Not so Beastly (11/7/2024)
This was a fun cozy mystery sprinkled with cryptids and other creatures. As the third in the series, it would have helped to have read the first two. Some of the character references and relationships would have had more depth and context. But I had fun reading the book. It had action, suspense and I loved the dog. It was what you would expect of a cozy mystery--character-focused, somewhat simple mystery, some intrigue, a resolution, and a small relationship cliffhanger to keep you going in the series. A fun read. I do recommend it.
This Is Salvaged: Stories
by Vauhini Vara
A Collection of Loneliness and Loss (8/29/2023)
This is Salvaged captured the essence of grief, loss and loneliness. Each story had its own voice, perspective and cast of well-drawn characters. Each was a world of its own. Some worlds I connected with more than others, but they all succeeded in saying something unique about loss. Overall, the collection worked. The writing shone. But ultimately, I didn't connect with it as much as I had hoped. I appreciated the craft and quality of the writing, and enjoyed some of the stories. The others were a miss for me, despite the quality of the writing. But that is the risk of a short story collection.
Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen
by Mary Norris
Greek Immersion (3/13/2019)
Norris indulges her love of all things Greek in this book and shares her passion for the language, both modern and ancient, as well as for the people and culture of Greece. The book was a delightful introduction to a land that changed and influenced language itself.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel
A Cat Knows... (5/9/2018)
This book is a study in belonging and acceptance. It is a book the reveals itself slowly and methodically, with the studied and measured movements of a tea ceremony with meaning in every moment. This quiet book builds to an ending that will wreck you. It is the tale of how a stray cat finds a place to belong and how sometimes that is all that matters. This book is about love, acceptance and loyalty. Keep your tissues handy, you are going to feel things with this book. It may be small, but it is filled with depth. I loved it.
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