Month: November 2021

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Shine by Lauren Myracle

This was a difficult book to read in that it handles homophobia (and child abuse) in a rural NC town. There are a lot of slurs, and though it didn’t feel gratuitous (it’s definitely used to set the insidious hatred atmosphere of a town in decay) it was still painful. It also deals with extreme poverty, sexual abuse, child abandonment, drug abuse, and the combination of all these factors. The MC, Cat, is a resilient, intelligent young woman who has retreated into herself for the past 3 years due to trauma, utterly cutting herself off from her support network. In […]

Posted November 22, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Sarah Beth Durst is an author I’ve consistently enjoyed, and Vessel was no exception. The world was engaging and well imagined, allowing me to easily envision the nomadic dessert tribes at its core. The characters are driven by their own needs, though obligation to your community is a central theme for both the humans (Liyana being the MC) and the gods (Korbyn in particular). A myriad of interpretations to the established central tenants of the Goat Tribe are encountered during the story, which gives Liyana and the reader parallel growthful moments of understanding.  As an MC, Liyana is resourceful, stubborn, and […]

Posted November 19, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain

Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain

I don’t recall where I discovered this very short musing on the authorship of Shakespeare, but since age 17 I’ve been a believer that Edward de Vere (or a group of men) were the true authors of the works attributed to Shakespeare. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the myth of the actor-turned-genius, and certainly getting a glimpse into the life of one man in Stratford was a delight (though the best part was learning about his mother, Mary Arden, and touring her living history farm). But it’s not an argument at the top of my mind most days. […]

Posted November 17, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon

I’m a child of the 80’s, and as such I love a good Oregon Trail story (seriously, all that Little House on the Prairie and playing Oregon Trail for computer class fostered it). And this is definitely a good Oregon Trail story! Harmon starts the book with a pivotal turning point, then walks us back a few months to the start of the May family’s exodus West. She didn’t need to hook, as the story has plenty of adventure and challenges that kept me turning pages, as well as a delicious slow-burn romance. But it was effective! When the timeline […]

Posted November 15, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 1 Comment
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

  A rich, historical fiction interspersed with a modern-day murder mystery, both centering around the Mormon (and then Firsts) practice of polygamy- it was as dense and detailed as you’d expect such an undertaking must be. I was honestly disappointed to get to the author’s notes and learn that although the details of Ann Eliza’s and Brigham Young’s lives (and those surrounding them) were researched and factual, the inserted essays, letters, and other ‘historical findings’ are fiction. This is mainly because the consistent pausing of the third-person narrative to insert (what is positioned to look like) an extant letter or […]

Posted November 12, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

I started this book, forgetting how truly freaked out I can get about aliens, and concerned that it might be too scary for me to read (alone, at night). But thankfully, it took a turn rather quickly into psychological horror, which is more my jam. The whole story was much deeper and more introspective than I expected, exploring the capacity for violence against the Other, the complex dynamics of friendship especially when wrapped in grief and isolation, the ripple effect each life has on the other, and ultimately, how well any of us knows other people. One of the big […]

Posted November 10, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 1 Comment
BuJo Tour – November

BuJo Tour – November

I am mighty proud of myself for finishing my BuJo spreads 5 days into the month (instead of 20, like October). This month’s theme is Victoriana Traveler (though there’s a bit of Regency loveliness courtesy of Wild Prairie Paperie) in honor of me taking my first big trip since February’s mystery illness (Thanksgiving with extended family). What’re you up to this November?

Posted November 8, 2021 by bethwyrm in Life Update / 0 Comments
In The Dark by Loreth Anne White

In The Dark by Loreth Anne White

A solidly good thriller, this had me engaged for the first 90% or so of the story. There’s a bit of jumping back and forth in time, but the specific dates matter less than the fact that the timeline in any given chapter is one of: Before they came to the lodge, After they came to the lodge, The rescuers/RCMP. I was pleasantly surprised at being just as engaged with the rescuers/RCMP storyline as I was with the victims storyline. White does an excellent job of leaning into the human aspects of the characters- Callie, in particular, even though the […]

Posted November 5, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments