Jane Litte's Blog, page 15

REVIEW: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, narrated by Patti Murin

Dear Katherine Center,

A couple of years ago I listened to The Bodyguard and since then I’ve been a fan not only of your books but of Patti Murin’s narration too. There are perfect author/narrator pairings that happen every now and then and yours is one.

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter who has not had much career success despite having a lot of talent. Her old high school boyfriend, Logan,  is a big wig agent in LA and does his best to offer her opportunities. Emma is also full time carer to her ...

Bridgerton, Season Three, Episodes 1-4: A Discussion

Dearest Reader,

It’s been ages since we last saw the Bridgertons, but who could forget the passionate loves of Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton and Miss Kate Sharma, or The Honourable Daphne Bridgerton and His Grace, Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings? This season sees The Honourable Colin Bridgerton returning to London from his grand tour of the continent, and now much sought after but resistant to true love. Could it be that he will be struck with cupid’s arrow next? Will he recognize the girl who...

REVIEW: The Balkan Legends, Book 1: Beneath a Crescent Shadow by A. L. Sowards

After an arranged marriage, Konstantin and Suzana must find a way to meet the demands of a conquering Ottoman sultan amid a torrent of setbacks and dangers much closer to their Balkan home.

The Balkans, 1373

A devastating battle claimed the lives of Konstantin’s father, uncle, and most of their Serb army, leaving Konstantin to rule as a vassal of the Ottoman sultan, a role he is wholly unprepared for. Between war, famine, and a persistent band of brigands, this young, new ruler is nearly bankr...

REVIEW: Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South.

“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam pr...

REVIEW: The Last Note of Warning: A Mystery by Katharine Schellman

The Last Note of Warning is the third in the luscious, mysterious, and queer Nightingale mystery series by Katharine Schellman, set in 1920s New York.

Prohibition is a dangerous time to be a working-class woman in New York City, but Vivian Kelly has finally found some measure of stability and freedom. By day, she’s a respectable shop assistant, delivering luxurious dresses to the city’s wealthy and elite. At night, she joins the madcap revelry of New York’s underworld, serving illegal drinks a...

REVIEW: The Irish Goodbye by Amy Ewing

Cordelia James was once at the top of her game—a renowned street photographer with a massive social media following, gallery showings in Chelsea, and a lucrative book deal. But after the sudden death of her father, Cordelia can barely force herself to leave her apartment. That is, until she sees an ad for a summer gig at a cozy cottage on Ireland’s picturesque Inishmore island. Cordelia is on a plane before she can talk herself out of it.

The moment she steps off the boat, she crashes—literally—i...

REVIEW: Everyone Knows but You: A Tale of Murder on the Maine Coast by Thomas E. Ricks

An FBI agent finds himself in the insular world of a fishing village on the Maine coast where the rules are different—sometimes lethally so.

After his wife and two children are killed in a car crash, Ryan Tapia starts a new life in Maine. But his first case there is a puzzling oddball—the corpse of a fisherman washes up on federal land, while the man’s boat drifts into waters that are part of an Indian reservation. Ryan quickly learns the nuances of Maine life as he delves into two illicit coa...

Open Thread for Readers for June 2024

Got a book you want to talk about? Frustrated with a book or series? In love with a new one? Found a buried treasure? An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading? Just want to chat about stuff in general? Post about it here!

Review: Blossoms on a Poisoned Sea: A Novel of Love and Betrayal in Minamata, Japan by Mariko Tatsumoto

This elegantly told yet ultimately horrifying novel is based on the true story of one of history’s most shocking corporate betrayals and industrial disasters.

Yuki is the daughter of a poor fisherman. Kiyo is the son of a senior executive at Chisso, a huge chemical conglomerate. In 1956, they meet and become friends, then gradually fall in love. But then all living things in the once beautiful Minamata Bay suddenly die. The impoverished people living around it begin suffering from a terrifying ...

Jayne’s Recent Reading List

[image error] Cunning Folk by Tabitha Stanmore

A spritely and deeply researched history of magical problem-solving in a distant, unsettled, and strangely familiar time.

Imagine:it’s 1600, and you’ve lost your keys. You’ve scoured your house. They’re nowhere to be found. What do you do? In medieval and early modern Europe, the first port of call might very well have been cunning practitioners of “service magic.” Neither feared (like witches), nor venerated (like saints), cunning folk were essential to everyd...