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Dark and diabolical this is a cautionary tale of a governess pushed to the limit. She comes to a family estate to care for two spoiled brats and must deal with a barrage of verbal and physical abuse which fans the darkness within until Christmas arrives and she can take it no more. The Victorian privileged class has never looked so repulsive and while Winifred Notty is not a tragic figure you are rooting for her to put the Pounds family underground. Virginia Feito does a fantastic job of illustrating the food, speech and ridiculous customs of the day. A gruesome gothic tale full of dark wit and horror reminiscent of Sweeney Todd or a Victorian version of Alfred Hitchcock. 4 stars THIS BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON FEB 4, 2025 
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Happy book birthday to DEATH OF THE AUTHOR by Nnedi Okorafor A genre blending tale of a ferocious disabled woman who does not let anything or anyone stop her from pushing the limits including her vocal Nigerian/American family. Zelu is in a low point when she pens an instant bestselling novel about robots in a futuristic world without humans. A childhood accident has left her in a wheelchair but access to an innovative eco-skeleton gives her freedom and possibilities. The other equally stunning part of the book is her novel RUSTED ROBOTS and I would be hard pressed to say which one I enjoyed more. Both are expertly crafted, inspiring and insightful. Nnedi Okorafor portrays her proud heritage coming from a Nigerian American family and all the challenges it presents with grace and humor. She also blends her storytelling into the beloved rusted robot who collects stories to preserve humanity and history. A subtle surprise at the end leaves the reader with a smile and a sigh wishing for more pages. Her many fans will be delighted as well as lovers of world myths, storytellers and humanlike robots like R2D2 and C3PO. 5 stars  They said they were disgraced so they shipped them away shamefully to a home for unwed mothers where they would rid themselves of their mistake and return to their former life. They arrived a bunch of little girls but left as rebellious young women and it would take supporting each other and a group of witches to set the record straight. There were no options other than eat what we tell you, do what we tell you and don't worry about understanding what is going on or what will happen to your baby. They weren't even allowed to use their own names but when these teens find themselves with a borrowed library book on witchcraft they begin to fight back. The story takes place in 1970 but the labels and backward thinking go back much further when any outspoken girl wanting control of her body was branded a witch and set aflame. The humor balances the horror of their pregnancy backstory and trauma. Loved the "wicked" band of women and how they supported one another under the radar. A spectacular blend of historical fiction and horror story that Grady Hendrix does so well. 4 stars  A bittersweet coming of age late in life story and a chance to change the way your history might be written. Darby had a first best friend that could have been more but that chance was gone when Darby moved to NYC. Years go by and much has changed in Darby's hometown and yet some things haven't changed at all - the bookstore where he practically lived in growing up. Now a strange event happens when he enters the bookstore and with it comes a chance to offer a teen version of himself good advice. Will this give Darby a unique opportunity to right wrongs and get a second chance at getting it right? Readers will have to discover that for themselves in this gentle reminder to offer patience and understanding to those who are on a very personal journey to discover who they are meant to be. Deep themes of awareness, acceptance, family, second chances and forgiveness are all here. 4 stars  A mystery woman who wreaks havoc wherever she goes and one who has successfully disappeared every time into thin air. Jake is fascinated with this woman and travels from location to location interviewing her victims piecing together her path from the past. There is definitely the soul sucking entity horror element but it is not your basic blood and guts horror. It is not a quick read but instead pulls the reader into the flashbacks of each of her past identities. 3 1/2 stars THIS BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 1/28/25  Vi is in a dead end job working at the front desk of a local hotel and freshly dumped by her boyfriend. She is at odds with her family, her boss and the world until she finds an alien blob by a bar dumpster and takes it home. Bob begins to learn to be human by eating sugar cereal, watching too much tv and responding to Vi's requests. What starts out as the ideal boyfriend becomes something else with Vi's job, relationships to friends and co-workers and Bob himself hanging in the balance. An unusual look at becoming an adult, loneliness, family expectations and alien romance. As Vi tries to mold Bob into a human she becomes more human as well. 4 stars THIS BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 28, 2025  When you take a woman determined to rid her town of the mining company that is poisoning and killing off miners in her Appalachian town with a natural witch newly dislodged from a curse that kept her captive in the mountain for 150 years you get a modern day David & Goliath tale of anger, queer love and age old retribution. Motheater walks the mountains listening to the moth's voices of departed souls using her magic to help the mountain folk but now she has awoken in another time confused and needing to find another "neighbor" (witch) to regain her memory and power. Bennie wants answers about what killed her best friend and other miners. Together they will literally move mountains to find the answers Motheater needs to help Bennie stop the mining company. The chapters flip from present day to Esther's (Motheater) past. The story covers the beauty of the mountains, the perseverance of the mountain people and culture including evangelical religion and natural magic in addition to the plight of small towns that balance preserving their way of life under pressure of progress. Fans of WEYWARD and books by Adrienne Young will enjoy this. 4 stars THIS BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 1/21/25  A richly imagined romantasy featuring Hindu mythology where a female seductress is sent to stop a human sage from starting a war with a god. Meneka thinks she is in love with a fellow apsara and makes a bargain to stay immortal and in the realm instead of seducing mortals on earth. She must take on one last task and seduce the sage Kaushika but instead her loyalty is tested and she falls in love with her target. The writing is as lyrical and sensual as a dance and while there is plenty of passion to go around there is also political intrigue, and divided loyalties. You get a sense of the Hindu philosophy while watching Meneka learn to trust her feelings and conquer her worst fears in a story the could be found in many cultures. Happy to see that their story will continue. 4 stars THIS BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 1/21/25  Happy book birthday to ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD by Eiren Caffall In a futuristic world ravaged by climate disasters a group of survivors band together to escape New York City after a super storm. They lived on the roof of the ruined American Museum of Natural History where sisters Nonie and Bix learned about the world from their parents and scientists who sheltered there. The last storm takes much from them and their only choice is to make it to higher ground at a family farm upstate. The path is treacherous both by the natural and human dangers along the way with little medicine, few supplies and distrust from the people they meet. Nonie and Bix grow up fast in a world that feels more like an extinction than evolution. Readers of apocalyptic coming of age stories like STATION ELEVEN, THE LIGHT PIRATE and books by Lydia Millet will enjoy. 4 stars  A stunning mix of Finnish mythology and adventure revolving around a young woman who must appease the gods to release her friend and other stolen girls bound to the underworld. Fast paced Viking style adventure, cautionary fairy tale, and deep love triangle all in one. 5 stars  |
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