Books Read in November

1. The Seafarer’s Kiss – Julia Ember

An upcoming YA from Julia. Cover & cover copy to be revealed this month, I think! Definitely keep an eye out for it. In a Norse retelling of the Little Mermaid, Ersel must outwit the God of Lies to save the shieldmaiden she’s come to love.

2. The Robber Bride – Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride is inspired by “The Robber Bridegroom,” a wonderfully grisly tale from the Brothers Grimm in which an evil groom lures three maidens into his lair and devours them, one by one. But in her version, Atwood brilliantly recasts the monster as Zenia, a villainess of demonic proportions, and sets her loose in the lives of three friends, Tony, Charis, and Roz. All three “have lost men, spirit, money, and time to their old college acquaintance, Zenia. At various times, and in various emotional disguises, Zenia has insinuated her way into their lives and practically demolished them. To Tony, who almost lost her husband and jeopardized her academic career, Zenia is ‘a lurking enemy commando.’ To Roz, who did lose her husband and almost her magazine, Zenia is ‘a cold and treacherous bitch.’ To Charis, who lost a boyfriend, quarts of vegetable juice and some pet chickens, Zenia is a kind of zombie, maybe ‘soulless'” (Lorrie Moore, New York Times Book Review). In love and war, illusion and deceit, Zenia’s subterranean malevolence takes us deep into her enemies’ pasts.

3. Cranky Ladies of History – edited by Tehani Croft Wesseley and Tansy Rayner Roberts

*Disclaimer: I have a story in this, but didn’t get a chance to read the other stories until now*

Warriors, pirates, murderers and queens…

Throughout history, women from all walks of life have had good reason to be cranky. Some of our most memorable historical figures were outspoken, dramatic, brave, feisty, rebellious and downright ornery.

Cranky Ladies of History is a celebration of 22 women who challenged conventional wisdom about appropriate female behaviour, from the ancient world all the way through to the twentieth century. Some of our protagonists are infamous and iconic, while others have been all but forgotten under the heavy weight of history.

Sometimes you have to break the rules before the rules break you.

4. Unveiled (Turner #1) – Courtney Milan

Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family – and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance….

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who’s stolen her fortune and her father’s legacy – the man she’s been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties – and the tantalizing promise of passion….

5. Aesop’s Fables – Anonymous

The fables of Aesop have become one of the most enduring traditions of European culture, ever since they were first written down nearly two millennia ago. Aesop was reputedly a tongue-tied slave who miraculously received the power of speech; From his legendary storytelling came the collections of prose and verse fables scattered throughout Greek and Roman literature. First published in English by Caxton in 1484, the fables and their morals continue to charm modern readers: Who does not know the story of the tortoise and the hare, or the boy who cried wolf? They are two of the many fables from Aesop, made legendary by time.

6. The Fallen Kingdom (Falconer #3) – Elizabeth May

The long-awaited final book in the Falconer trilogy is an imaginative tour-de-force that will thrill fans of the series. Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her. Packed with immersive detail, action, romance, and fae lore, and publishing simultaneously in the UK, The Fallen Kingdom brings the Falconer’s story to an epic and unforgettable conclusion.

 

Total: 96 books

Tracking my Reading:

Character diversity: The Seafarer’s Kiss (F/F romance), Cranky Ladies of History (some diversity in the stories), The Fallen Kingdom (two or three bi characters, PTSD)

Books by POC, queer, and/or disabled writers (as far as I know): The Seafarer’s Kiss, some of the Cranky Ladies of History authors, Unveiled

Books by female writers: The Seafarer’s Kiss, The Robber Bride, some of the Cranky Ladies of History authors, Unveiled, The Fallen Kingdom (5/6, unless Aesop was a woman)

Books by people I know: The Seafarer’s Kiss and The Fallen Kingdom

Nonfiction: N/A