The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs

 by Katherine Howe
March 29-April 6, 2020

I remember liking the Physick Book. A lot. Because I love witches and magic. Howe really impressed me with her crafting of the story. And while I remember the general gist of the story, the details are long forgotten. 10 years later, we have a continuation to the story. It probably would have been helpful to get reacquainted with the Physick Book first, but perhaps a better solution would have been to not wait 10 years for a follow-up. That's simply self-indulgent and gratuitous.

This time around, I am considerably less impressed. The repeat characters were hollow and lacked any depth. The fringe characters were pointless. I just didn't find Connie and Sam's relationship to be believable, passionate or event truthful. Connie, who now is in her early 30s, is extremely immature and behaves like someone barely in college. The dialogue had a much younger audience in mind (I know, right?!). There was entirely too much focus on Connie's attempt at tenure and she's always grading papers and ....blah...I'm here for the witches.

There was just no real mystery or drama to support this story. The family "curse" is revealed, with very few oohs and ahhs. It felt vaguely familiar to its predecessor, without any of the intrigue. What I did like, however, was keeping track of the generations of witches in the family, dating back to the late 1600s.

Deliverance   Mercy   Prudence   Patience   Temperance   Faith   Verity   Chastity   Charity

I really wish there would have been more focus on the past witches than the current ho-hum one. And don't get me started on the names of the newest witches, born at the end of this book, again with very little fanfare.

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Sing, Unburied, Sing

by Jesmyn Ward
April 8-21, 2018

A dysfunctional family whose story is told mainly through the eyes of a 13-year old boy who calls his mother by her first name. Jojo needs to be the father to his young sister and the man of the house, emulating his grandfather, because his mother is a meth addict and his father is in jail. Oh, and he sees dead people.

A quick and interesting perspective on the "unburied" but the child neglect was tough to get through. The deeper underlying statements on racism are not for me to judge. But Ward succeeded in developing sympathetic characters that I wanted to know more about. It's crazy what drugs do to an already selfish, immature woman. Leonie knew she needed to be a better mother to her kids, but she chose her boyfriend and meth over them. Every time. I think this is not too uncommon in real life either.

Overall, a profound and poetic take on parenting, racism and drug abuse in the south. Painful to read, but still so important.

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two

by J.K. Rowling
August 2-16, 2016

I'll take my Harry doses any way I can get them. Even in script form. At first it was hard to flow through stage directions and the usual, comfortable writing style that Rowling has (although she had help on this one), but after a few "chapters" which are really acts, I relaxed and tore through.

There's definitely less of a magical feeling this time around. And Harry isn't the delightful little boy we all grew to love – he's an adult with adult problems and three children. Ron, however, seemed to remain the same goofy kid he always was. With this being a play, there wasn't enough time to take deeper dives into these characters, so for that, it can be disappointing. I definitely liked it, but I wanted more. I felt the story too-quickly wrapped itself into a neat little package. But again, I'll take what I can get about my favorite wizarding world! I bet the play is going to be fantastic. If the authors gave us the depth that we are truly craving, the play would probably be eight hours long.

“Those we love never truly leave us, Harry. There are things that death cannot touch.”

Having said that, the original message from the first seven books remains the same.

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The Book of Speculation

by Erika Swyler
Nov 6-Dec 15, 2015

Well that was a whole lot of nothin'. Or, more specifically, a whole lot of nothin' disguised as somethin'. Maybe it was the major plot line about some old, sinister tarot cards that turned me off. I'm not a fan of mystics, tarot card readings, horoscopes, etc. But I typically love books about books, about magic, about the beach. Or possibly it was the whiny-as-hell narrator.

I feel like we caught him – Simon – in the midst of his crises. Yes, I know a book has to start somewhere, but I couldn't help but wonder why and how he let his house get in such disrepair that he literally fell through the floor. The house was meant to be a sinister character too, I guess, but it was just silly. And all of a sudden Simon was in an awkward relationship with the girl he grew up with (did I miss the chapter when they slept together?!) Overall, rather clumsy storytelling in my opinion.

Finally, the "slow burn" to the climax was a bit excruciating. It was also pretty predictable and definitely eye-roll-worthy. I was even chanting in my head "seriously, don't do it, don't do it" while reading of Simon's fate. Then lo and behold, a nice big bow wrapped around the whole story. No thanks.

I read that some people were making the suggestion, "If you liked Night Circus, this is better." That sealed it. I wasn't a fan.

There was one small shimmer, way toward the end, that immediately got me out of my comfy reading spot to grab a pen. This quote is gorgeous:

"Once you've held a book and really loved it, you forever remember the feel of it, its specific weight, the way it sits in your hand."

Too bad I didn't feel that way about this book...

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The Book of Life

by Deborah Harkness
July-October 2014

Now that's the way to end a delicious trilogy! I literally savored every moment of this third and final installment of the All Souls Trilogy because I simply didn't want it to end. My friend tore through this eagerly-awaited book in less than a week, but I couldn't. I rationed myself. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Matthew and Diana.

It's surprising to me how many negative reviews I'm reading about The Book of Life. Highly-critical readers upset by the outcome of Ashmole 782, the Covenant and the never-ending cast of characters. I couldn't disagree more. Once again with the silky smooth narration of Jennifer Ikeda, I was left {ahem} enchanted. There were times when I listened and gasped, cried or laughed out loud. Harkness knew exactly how to write a book just for me. I'm also hearing buzz from other fans of this trilogy requesting more from Harkness; perhaps a book about the life of Gallowglass?? How about a new book dedicated to the lives of the twins? Either way, I'm in!

The "magic" was definitely back after getting a bit lost in Shadow of Night. Diana and Matthew's relationship strengthened, they had twins, the family bond grew even stronger, and we were introduced to a few new characters. Oh, and Diana's powers kick ass. I can't praise the story, the writing, the characters enough. Just so, so great. And speaking of great, quite possibly the BEST lines I've read in a book in a long time.

“No, I’m a vampire.” Matthew stepped forward, joining Chris under the projector’s light. “And before you ask, I can go outside during the day and my hair won’t catch fire in the sunlight. I’m Catholic and have a crucifix. When I sleep, which is not often, I prefer a bed to a coffin. If you try to stake me, the wood will likely splinter before it enters my skin.” He bared his teeth. “No fangs either. And one last thing: I do not, nor have I ever, sparkled.” Matthew’s face darkened to emphasize the point.

Take that, Stephenie Meyer. As for my rating, a VERY rare, but more than worthy, five stars. I will eventually read all three again.

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Witches of East End

by Melissa de la Cruz December 10, 2012-January 6, 2013 "... I began to think that perhaps the toxin of Ragnarok had been found in our world, which could only mean one thing. Loki had escaped from his chains and had come to unleash his vengeance upon us." In other words, too cheesy for me. This one's going to be short and sweet. This book really had potential. Witches? Love 'em. Vampires? Ditto. Zombies? Not so much. The premise was right up my alley: three centuries-old witches forbidden to practice magic. When their sleepy town of North Hampton becomes the home of several unexplained mysteries, it's time to dust off those wands and get back to it. But for me, Witches bordered a little too much on the sci-fi. And let me tell you, the Beauchamp family doesn't hold a candle to Matthew & Diana. The romance was there, but not in the brilliant way it was penned by Deborah Harkness. The magic was there, but it became tainted with demons and zombies. The first in a trilogy, Witches of East End finishes with a decent cliffhanger. But, although it was a quick read, I don't care enough to pick up the remaining two. And the book slump continues... * * * * *

Shadow of Night

by Deborah Harkness
July 7-October 21, 2012


Diana and Matthew are back! Back in time that is; 1591 to be exact. The second book in the All Souls Trilogy, I was eagerly awaiting its release. I was also excited to hear Jennifer Ikeda reading the audiobook version again. She has such a knack for creating authentic-sounding men and women of any age as well as voicing a myriad of accents.

At the end of Discovery of Witches (Which, by the way, I loved. So romantic, so intriguing, and so descriptive that it actually had me craving wine.), Matthew and Diana were stepping back into Elizabethan London with the help of Diana's limited time-traveling capabilities. Shadow opens at that exact moment with a slew of characters, some historically accurate, and from there the complexity of the plot never ends. In truth, I had quite a hard time following it, and even started over after five completely confusing chapters. I'm glad I did because it made more sense the second time. But, between the highly detailed historical information and the character development, I missed the "magic" from the first book. This second installment seemed to be more about the experience of living in 1591; Matthew being a devout Catholic in Protestant England, witches being burnt in Scotland, the founding fathers of the School of Night; than the charm of a love story between a witch and a vampire. The most interesting part for me was when Diana met her tutor/witch, found out she's a Weaver, and really began learning how to perform and understand her magic. Meeting Matthew's father Phillipe, who we heard so much about in the first book, was equally enjoyable. Matthew and Diana's love deepens while they are in the past and future occurrences are forever changed. But the copious details and shift from what we had in Discovery was what had me lost most of the time. When Matthew and Diana finally came "home" to the present, I found myself reinvesting in the story and eager to see where the reader will be led in the last book. Shadow, too, ends with a cliffhanger, much like Discovery.

I found a great interview with Harkness where she claims that, "These are not your children’s vampires and witches." So true! Reading the first book, all I wanted was for our couple to consummate their relationship. Well I got my wish in Shadow of Night! But I wonder if actually reading this book as opposed to listening to it would have enhanced my experience? I heard that there is actually a glossary of characters in the printed version! I could have used that. I think I will reread both books before the third and final book is released.

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The House of Velvet and Glass

by Katherine Howe
July 31-September 23, 2012

Could it actually be possible that I am still suffering from a book hangover that began back in March (I love you, Harry!)?! I don't know how else to explain the fact that it took me two (very long) months to read this book. I really wanted to get into it, and I kept trying, but I felt like I was just powering through. I didn't want to give up, but nothing was pushing me to want to read any faster. I don't get it. I adored Howe's first novel, The Physick Book..., and I love the basis of The House of Velvet and Glass.

Set in 1915 Boston and weaving between the last night the Titanic saw life and colonial Shanghai, House is rich in history and Howe is a master at setting the perfect scene. Sibyl is trying to deal with the loss of her mother and sister on the Titanic, all the while learning how to run a household with her father. She often sneaks off to a medium to try to contact her lost family, and after a few meetings with Miss Dee, the fortune teller gives Sibyl a scrying glass informing her that Sibyl may have the "gift" as well. When Sibyl's brother is kicked out of Harvard, he brings home a mysterious girlfriend who slowly befriends Sibyl and introduces her to an opium den in Chinatown. Sibyl takes her scrying glass to the den and finds the connection she has been missing. With the help of the opium, she believes she is "seeing" the Titanic just before sinking through her crystal ball. As Sibyl learns more about the art of scrying, she begins to realize that maybe the future is better left unknown.

"a life spent only looking back, at the past, or ahead, after death, is a life that has no meaning."

Sounds great, right? That is why I don't understand why I couldn't get into it. Do I continue to blame Harry Potter? Not sure. Or maybe I'm forcing myself to like something that just wasn't doing it for me. In honesty, I think I enjoyed the bonus features at the end of the eBook more than the story. Katherine Howe included an essay on scrying, plus a Boston Globe article on the Titanic's sinking; both pieces that I really enjoyed. And I wonder if I would have read those first if I would have appreciated the book more? I believe I knew all along that I was reading historical fiction, but for some reason it wasn't until reading these features that I had an "a-ha moment."

"He kissed her like he was sipping cool water, like it was the most natural and perfect thing in the world."

Either way, I hope to speed up my reading again now that the weather has turned. If only I had more time to sit down with a great book...

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