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A To Z Book Review: Medieval Myths & Mysteries By Dorsey Armstrong

My letter “M” pick for the A to Z Book Challenge was MEDIEVAL MYTHS & MYSTERIES by Dorsey Miller. I fully admit that this was not my original pick for the letter M, but I “read” most of my books on Audible and my original pick, MURDER OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR by John Tomassi was unfortunately read by an AI voice. I tried, guys, I really did, but it just wasn’t great and really left the story feeling flat. I gave up less than half an hour into it and picked another M title.

Dorsey Armstrong is an American Arthurian scholar who is a Professor of English and Medieval Literature at Purdue University and MEDIEVAL MYTHS & MYSTERIES is part of the “Great Courses” selection on Audible. This is actually a series of lectures condensed into a book and I enjoyed every single bit of it.

Not only does Professor Armstrong dispel a whole lot of inaccurate information about medieval times, she addresses some of the era’s biggest stories like King Arthur, the knights Templar and the Holy Grail, Robin Hood, the black death, etc. and even delves a bit into fanciful creatures like unicorns.

I learned something new in all these lectures, delivered in a charming and often comedic manner by Professor Armstrong (who narrates). I especially enjoyed her dissection of the King Arthur legend – and it was amazing to learn that while a good amount of Arthurian legend is pure myth, it was likely rooted in fact, and the “real” Arthur was not a king but a leader – and a damn amazing one, whose legacy can be traced through the evolution of Britain during a very tumultuous time.

I’m going with four and a half stars on this one and I’ve already queued up more of Dorsey Armstrong’s lectures – Audible has a lot of them. I recommend you do the same, if you have the app.

A To Z Book Review: Love, Mom By Iliana Zander

My letter “L” pick for the A To Z reading challenge was LOVE, MOM by Iliana Zander. This psychological thriller pulled me in and I devoured it in one sitting.

Mackenzie Casper has a famous mother, a best-selling author whose dark, twisted thrillers have a dedicated worldwide fanbase. When her mother dies in an accident, fans across the world are left grieving, and the investigators are asking: Was that really an accident? To make matters worse, a deranged fan is sending Mackenzie letters that include pages of her mother’s diary – pages that carry a lot of secrets that change her perception of her mother drastically.

This book was slow to get rolling – literally dragging to about the halfway point and then blammo! It was a thrilling rollercoaster of events, plot twists, and reveals. I couldn’t put it down. I’m giving this one four stars just for the pacing, but the book is worth the wait to the end.

A To Z Book Review: Kingsland By Dwayne Alexander Smith

My letter “K” pick for the A To Z Challenge was KINGSLAND by Dwayne Alexander Smith. This story is set in an alt-historyish dystopian future where the United States funds a Black reparations country – an island off the coast of Georgia named Kingsland – a place purported to be an idyllic paradise. Only it’s not so much with lingering racial tensions and constant police-state surveillance that can’t seem to catch a serial killer on the loose.

Enter detective Jamison Wright, a former FBI profiler who soon learns all is not as it seems in Kingsland. I can’t tell you much more without spoilers, but overall this was a strong story with gripping plot twists and plenty of escalating action – though at times it’s a bit formulaic The real selling point here is the all-star cast (this is an Audible Original). Winston Duke just knocks it out of the park along with the supporting cast and the top-notch production values fully immerse you in the story. Overall a good read that fell just short of a great read. Three and a half stars.

A To Z Book Review: Just For The Summer By Abby Jimenez

My Letter “J” pick for the A to Z book challenge was JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez. I’ve seen her books everywhere, of course, but this is the first of hers that I read. It will definitely not be the last. Wow, did I love this book. So much.

Justin makes a post on Reddit one day and shares that he is, in fact, cursed. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soulmate after they break up with him. Emma happens to be perusing the site, comes across his post and instantly messages him to say “Hey, me too!” He replies, they begin to commiserate, that turns to some really fun banter, and before you know it, they’re facetiming and texting every day.

Emma, along with her best friend Maddie, is a traveling nurse whose current contract is up. Justin hatches a plan: they should both date and break up, thereby breaking their own curses. Emma gets Maddie on board, they move to Minnesota on a new nursing contract for the summer, and Emma and Justin plan four whole dates and one obligatory kiss before they go their separate ways.

This, of course, doesn’t go as planned because they start falling for each other, and hard. And I fell in love with their love just as hard. Life, unfortunately gets in the way in the form of Emma’s childhood trauma revisiting and a wretched complication in Justin’s life that neither of them are prepared for. This leads to some solid punches in the feels between the laughter – lots of laughter – and a slow burn that keeps derailing any plan for intimacy to a hilarious level. This book was a blazing five stars. I only wish it had gone on forever.

A To Z Book Review: Interabled by Shane and Hannah Burcaw

My letter “I” pick for the A to Z Reading challenge was INTERABLED by Shane and Hannah Burcaw. I’ve been following this couple on YouTube for a few years (you can find them at “Squirmy and Grubs”) and have really grown to love their honesty, optimism, and most of all their great sense of humor.

Shane Burcaw was born with a genetic disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which leads to his muscles and control deteriorating, and capped his growth at just over four feet tall. He’s wheelchair-bound but he hasn’t let any of that stop him. He’s authored a few books, heads his own non-profit organization, and has been a guest speaker for years. He’s been married to Hannah since 2020 and they dated for five years previous to that. As you can imagine, their online comments are a mixed bag of supportive, empathetic people, and jerks who can’t believe someone with Shane’s level of disability landed a well-spoken, funny, hot wife. Shane and Hannah take it all with a lot of grace, campaigning endlessly for disability rights and openly discussing their life as an interabled couple.

This book not only delves into their story (and some of it will be a repeat if you follow their channel), but also interviews other interabled couples about their lives and experiences. It’s heartfelt, frequently hilarious, and even a bit R-rated at times. Getting to know these couples was a real pleasure, and a real eye-opener, as well. I’m giving this book four stars only because I wish they had more original material from Shane and Hannah.

A to Z Book Review: Hitchhikers by Ben H. Winters

My letter “H” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was HITCHHIKERS by Ben H. Winters. This was an Audible original story and while only novella length, it packed one hell of a punch.

The story centers around Annie, a girl who grew up hard, escaped a bad life, found a dream of a guy, and is now taking classes toward a degree and cheerfully planning her wedding. At the opening of the story her fiancé, Greg, is staring out the window at a creepy old woman who has been sitting in her odd-looking car and staking out their house for hours. Greg doesn’t like the look of her, but Annie—who knows a thing or two about having a rough life—feels sympathy and believes the woman may be homeless and living out of her car.

Remember when I said Annie had a dream of a guy? Well, not so much a dream as a brewing nightmare. Greg is a lawyer, and he swept her off her feet by love-bombing her validation-starved soul. Then he moved her in and started bankrolling their wedding, her studies, and her entire life—and he won’t let her forget it for a moment. He’s got passive-aggressiveness down to an art and cheerfully disparages her as a helpless female—just the way he likes it.

The old woman disappears that night only to reappear the following day, sneaking into their house while Greg is at work and Annie is taking out the trash. In the kitchen the old woman confronts Annie with a very large knife and begs her to listen—just listen. It turns out the crazy old lady is none other than her own self from seventy years in the future and she’s come back with a frantic and ominous warning: get away from Greg. Now. And all those little red flags she’s ignoring about his controlling behavior and occasionally bad temper? They all get worse, so much worse as the years go by until Annie is abused, isolated from all friends and family, and trapped. Older Annie (whom young Annie takes to calling “A”) begs her to get in the car and escape, but Annie (despite the feeling of truth in her gut about all these accusations) balks. “A” leaves reluctantly. Later, Greg gets pissed that Annie let a homeless woman into his house and gets particularly nasty – this time with violence. Annie flees and “A” (who saw this coming) is right there in the driveway waiting to rescue her.

From that point on in the story it’s a whirlwind of escape and making plans to see to Annie’s safety and future (which will re-write “A’s” life as well). The ending is completely unexpected and really ties things up in a thrilling, hair-tingling way. I’m giving this one four and a half stars only because I wish it had been longer.

A To Z Book Review: Gild By Raven Kennedy

My letter “G” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was GILD by Raven Kennedy, a Romantasy re-telling of the King Midas story.

This isn’t so much of a re-telling as it follows none of the original myth, but instead puts an entirely new spin on the tale that is fascinating and pulls you in quickly. Of course, when your book starts with an orgy, that’s certain to gain attention. Our lead character, Auren isn’t involved, nor does she see any action in this book, so if you read Romantasy for the smut factor you’ll need to wait for the next book in this series.

That being said, this book does not disappoint. Auren has been living in a gilded cage for the last ten years – quite literally. She is the favored saddle (aka concubine) of King Midas, who so treasures her that he used his touch of gold (which can also render things pliant, like cloth) to gild Auren to where her skin and hair have a soft, golden glow. He protects her from harm by keeping her in a cage, except for when important visitors arrive and he wants to parade her in front of them.

Auren is fine with this – mostly. She grew up rough, stolen from her family as a child and forced into a life on the streets (with all the horrible things a pretty, young girl on the streets can expect). Being safe is all she’s ever wanted, and Midas loves her as much as she loves him . . she thinks.

When Midas makes a power move to take over a neighboring kingdom, Auren is sent to join him only to be kidnapped by pirates, then rescued from them by the army of the highly-feared Fourth Kingdom. Their commander is an instant surprise. Due to her own secret bloodline, Auren recognizes him as Fae. The Fae were driven out of the world over a century ago, though their magic still exists in some human bloodlines due to interbreeding. Rip, the commander, takes a special interest in Auren, and unlike Midas’s charming, shiny-blonde exterior, Rip is dark, muscular, and broody. You can guess where this relationship is going if you’ve ever read Romantasy.

I can’t get into plot points without major spoilers but suffice it to say the world-building is top-notch and the story has captivating twists (even though I guessed one early on). The series is five books and I’m currently devouring book three, I liked them so much. Still, book one moves at a slower pace and takes a while to unfold. That’s my only gripe. This author has a way with metaphor, painting with words and lush phrases that make the story all the richer. Four and a half stars.

A To Z Book Review: The Finnish Guide To Happiness By Melanie Dower

My letter “F” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was THE FINNISH GUIDE TO HAPPINESS by Melanie Dower. This is an Audible Original, so if you have a subscription, it’s a free listen.

Melanie is an ex-pat New Zealander who moved to Finland with her husband when he was offered a job in Helsinki. Despite the colder weather (and the abject beauty of the home country she left behind), she has found great peace and contentment among the Finns. Finland is consistently rated as one of the happiest nations on the planet by several measurable variables, as well as the affirmation of their own population.

Some of this is based on their government. Taxes are higher than a lot of countries, but they also have excellent healthcare, government subsidized child care, robust support programs for at-risk citizens, and a strong commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability efforts.

Aside from that, the Finns have a shared commitment to the common good. Schools (including colleges and universities) are paid for because education betters them all as a nation. Fines for breaking laws are assigned on a sliding scale by income. In fact, a Finnish millionaire once paid a $130,000 speeding ticket (based on his generous income) and when interviewed, he stated that he wasn’t angry about it. He did break the law, and the money would go toward schools and parks and other subsidized programs. I cannot imagine a millionaire in America doing anything but suing the hell out of someone for a fine like that.

Finns also embrace simplicity, believe in responsible consumption – gifting away excess items in their homes and unused clothing regularly, eating fresh and local as much as possible, and spending a lot of time out of doors (even in freezing weather as long as it’s not a blizzard). They also cultivate a culture of resilience, raising their children to be problem solvers for themselves as much as possible. A lot of this sounds like good, common sense, but it’s not in practice much in our own lives, unfortunately.

This was a quick, but somewhat enlightening read, so I’ll give it three and a half stars.

A Favorite Read of Yesteryear

Welcome to one of my favorite almost forgotten reads. ARIEL by Steven R. Boyett was first published in 1983, and I came across a worn copy at a garage sale I went to in college. The premise looked interesting: suddenly, and for no discernable reason, the world wakes up one morning in a post-apocalyptic scenario. Electricity? Gone. Batteries? Nope. Cars and other mechanical items? Still nope. But guess what? Magical creatures now roam the streets and skies, and most of them want you dead or for dinner.

Pete (our main character) is a teenager when all this hits, and loses his entire family not long after to the new world order, which (like most apocalyptic stories) shows us that human beings are the worst threat you’ll face, despite the manticores and harpies you may encounter. One day not long after the big change, Pete stumbles upon a young unicorn named Ariel who – surprisingly – can speak, though it’s only toddler-ish baby words. Together, they set off to travel the world, knowing that staying in one place too long only invites trouble. Along the way, the grow up together (Ariel’s language matures to adult level), and become such close friends that the term “soulmates” comes to mind.

The story shows them facing numerous bad guys and rescuing each other from perilous scenarios, leaving them shaken or wounded, but always pulling each other through. Then the inseparable duo finally meets its ultimate opponent: a girl close to Pete’s age. A cute, scrappy girl. Ariel expresses a good deal of animosity toward their new traveling companion and the girl’s burgeoning relationship with Pete, and for good reason. It turns out that (as described in several myths and legends), you can’t touch or even get close to a unicorn unless you are a virgin. I’m sure you can see where this is inevitably headed. When it gets there, it’s heartbreaking on every level, but completely understandable. In gaining the close human relationship he so desperately needs and craves, Pete has to give up part of his soul.

This book was a favorite re-read of mine for many years, and when someone brought up unicorns in books the other day, it jogged my memory. I was thrilled to find the book had been re-released in 2009, and a sequel set thirty years after the first book is also out. I’ll be devouring both very soon. Here’s the link, if you want to give it a read:

BUY IT HERE

A To Z Book Review: The Event By Whitney Dineen

My letter “E” pick for this year’s A to Z Reading Challenge was THE EVENT, a sweet but predictable romance by Whitney Dineen. This is book one of her Creek Water series, set in the charming small town of Creek Water, Missouri. Emmeline Frothingham left her small town for her dream career in NYC, only to lose it all after a night of tequila and bad decisions at her company’s big gala event that ends her career and sends her back to her small home town with a baby. Her exceedingly quirky (to the point of ridiculous at times) family rallies around her and makes up a story about a dead fiancé, hoping to throw off the town gossip and the mean girls at the country club, all of whom bully the living hell out of Emmie.

One bright spot in this new life she’s forging is an old flame from high school, Zach, who has a great big secret. I’d love to tell you the twist will leave you gasping, but the heavy foreshadowing at the beginning of the book has you figuring out the twist within those first few chapters. This was a light, sweet, predictable, and easy read. The banter between Zach and Emmie is fun (even if the author has a weird obsession with describing Emmie’s swollen post-partum boobs and breast feeding over and over again). Zach is a snarky guy with a great sense of humor, and her family was funny, if more than a bit outlandish. I’ll give this one three stars for trying.