Starting out the New Year with some great new books!
As usual, my monthly subscriptions did not disappoint. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Fantastic Strangelings Club) is the tale of a woman who inherits a pawn shop where you can sell your regrets, and soon “…embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.” Something about the cover blurb reminds me of an earlier FS selection, The Full Moon Coffee Shop, another magical realism story involving a mysterious “hidden” location. I’ve been on a fantasy kick since the holidays, so I put this one high on my to-read list.
From NightWorms — A novelist seeking inspiration moves into the historic home of a 19th century poet and spiritualist in Beneath the Poet’s House by Christa Carmen. I’m sure nothing good will come from that! Feast While You Can (Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta) has a woman living in a small, isolated community who apparently awakens the evil forces in nearby caves. Sounds intriguing for sure.
Of course, I had to start the New Year by treating myself to a little online shopping (and to also serve as a distraction from current events). I’ve been searching for a copy of The Last King of California by Jordan Harper for a couple of years now, and was super excited to finally find a copy!! It arrived January 30, and I immediately pushed aside my current reads pile and dove right in (apologies to my current reads!). I’m only a few chapters in, but so far it is meeting all of my expectations.
I recently stumbled across the movie, Battle Royale, on a free streaming service. Seeing that it was based on a book, of course I had to look it up. How have I not heard of this before? A 21st century twist on Lord of the Flies, well, that immediately got my attention! At 627 pages, this isn’t going to be a light read in any sense, and definitely one I will need to be in the right reading mood to start. And no, I didn’t watch the movie…if you have, what did you think? Worth watching?
Have you received any great book mail lately? Or checked out any awesome reads from your local library? Drop me a line and let’s talk books!
Until next time, stay vigilant, stay safe, and Happy Reading!