Provo City Library Staff Reviews
Books read and reviewed by librarians at the Provo City Library
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Listen for the Lie
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
A Little Devil in America
The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts
Monday, March 11, 2024
A Fate Inked in Blood
A shield maiden
blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while
fighting her growing desire for his fiery son.
A Norse Mythology
infused romantic fantasy, perfect for those looking for the same instant attraction that
they found so enjoyable between the characters of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This is a steamy action-packed story, and
while its’ storyline has its’ roots in the mythology it reads much more like a
contemporary novel with just a few words and phrases here and there to remind the reader that it isn't. Recommended for avid Romantasy lovers, and all who enjoy their male leads of the strong dark
tattooed variety.
If you like A Fate
Inked in Blood you might also like:
Hidden within an
unusual circus run by a centuries-old Enchanter, Harrow, keeping her true
identity and magical ability a secret, finds her destiny in an elemental with
no recollection of who he is, forcing her to reveal the secrets from her own
dark past to save this dangerous creature.
Twenty-year-old
Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet
life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her
tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates
striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you’re smaller
than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat
away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
RBL
Saturday, March 9, 2024
A Season of Monstrous Conceptions
A Season of Monstrous Conceptions
By Lina Rather
Recorded Books, 2023. 4 Hours. Fantasy
An eldritch historical fantasy of midwifery, monstrosity, and the rending of the world, for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Death of Jane Lawrence. In seventeenth-century London, unnatural babies are being born with eyes made for the dark and webbed digits suited to the sea. Sarah Davis is intimately familiar with such strangeness. Having fled her old life under suspicious circumstances to start over in the city as a midwife's apprentice, she'd hoped to leave such uncanniness far behind. But with each new unnatural birth she attends, the greater the fear in London grows of the Devil's work. When the wealthy Lady Faith hires her to see her through her pregnancy, Sarah quickly becomes a favorite of her husband, the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, whose interest in the uncanny borders on obsession. Sarah soon finds herself caught in a web of magic and intrigue created by those who want to use her power for themselves, and whose pursuits threaten to unmake the earth itself.
I started this book with the intention of it being my introduction to horror. While there are darker themes and a general "uncanny" vibe (that word is used quite a lot), I did not feel horrified. The mood was compelling and suspenseful, but we hear the story mixed in with the main characters thoughts, memories, and feelings. She is a interesting mix of practical and thoughtful in every situation. I think her own lack of fear helps remove some of that horror for the listener as well. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the midwives being women of magic in a world turning more towards men of science. This is a great short listen for anyone wanting something softly creepy and ultimately feminist that examines the choices people make for power and acceptance.
If you like A Season of Monstrous Conceptions, you might also like:
By Gabriela Romero Lacruz
Orbit, 2023. 559 pages. Fantasy
When Reina arrives at Aguila Manor, her heart stolen from her chest, she's on the verge of death--until her estranged grandmother, a dark sorceress in the Don's employ, intervenes. Indebted to a woman she never knew, and smitten with the upper-caste daughter of the house, Celeste, Reina will do anything to earn--and keep--the family's favor. Even the bidding of the ancient god who speaks to her from the Manor's foundations. To save the woman she loves, Reina will have to defy the gods themselves, and become something she never could have imagined.
By Margaret Meyer
Scribner, 2023. 327 pages. Historical Fiction
East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer, and servant, has lived peacefully for more than four decades in her beloved seaside village of Cleftwater. Having lost her voice as a child, Martha has not spoken a word in years. One autumn morning, a sinister newcomer appears in town. The witchfinder, Silas Makepeace, has been blazing a trail of destruction along the coast, and now has Cleftwater in his sights. His arrival strikes fear into the heart of the community. Within a day, local women are being captured and detained, and Martha finds herself a silent witness to the hunt. Powerless to protest, Martha is enlisted to search the accused women for "devil's marks." She is caught between suspicion and betrayal; between shielding herself or condemning the women of the village. In desperation, she revives a wax witching doll that belonged to her mother, in the hope that it will bring protection. But the doll's true powers are unknowable, Martha harbors a terrible secret, and the gallows are looming.
KJ
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
The Heiress
St. Martin’s Press, 2024. 304 pages. Fiction.
by Rachel Hawkins
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she's not only North Carolina's richest woman, she's also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family's estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, his uncle's death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable. And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what's written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.
2024 is the year of thrillers for my reading list. This Gothic fiction is a fast-paced, addictive read. Plus, the short chapters have you thinking, ‘Just one more!’ while you stay up way past your bedtime. The point of view varies between 3 characters. Ruby is my favorite, whose point of view is shared through letters to an unknown recipient. Ruby is an unreliable, sarcastic yet intimidating personality. There is also a husband and wife, Cam and Jules. It's hard to put trust in any character though, they all have secrets. If you want family drama, wildly rich people, inheritance and succession all written in a compelling, atmospheric style with a pretty satisfying ending, this book is a great choice.
If you like The Heiress, you might also like:
On the one-year anniversary of the Harrington family's darkest night, their beautiful London home goes up in flames. Mrs. Harrington, the two children, and live-in nanny Rita relocate to Foxcote Manor, ostensibly to recuperate. But the creeping forest, where lost things have a way of coming back, is not as restful as it seems. When thirteen-year-old Hera discovers a baby girl abandoned just beyond their garden gate, this tiniest, most wondrous of secrets brings a much-needed sunlit peace, until a visitor detonates the family's tenuous happiness. All too soon a body lies dead in the woods. Forty years later, London-based Sylvie is an expert at looking the other way. It's how she stayed married to her unfaithful husband for more than twenty years. But she's turned over a new leaf, having left him for a fresh start. She buried her own origin story decades ago, never imagining her teenage daughter would have a shocking reason to dig the past up--and to ask Sylvie to finally face the secrets that lead her back to Foxcote Manor.
Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of Southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London. It's happening, says the message. The baby is back. Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now 25, she's astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London's poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now, it's hers. As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?
JK
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
The Enchanted Life
Ambrosia, 2018. 356 pages. Nonfiction
Taking as her starting point the inspiration and wisdom that can be derived from myth, fairy tales, and folk culture, Dr. Sharon Blackie offers a set of practical and grounded tools for enchanting our lives and the places we live, so leading to a greater sense of meaning and of belonging to the world.
Enchantment. By Dr. Blackie's definition, a vivid sense of belongingness to a rich and many-layered world, a profound and whole-hearted participation in the adventure of life. Enchantment is a natural, spontaneous human tendency—one we possess as children, but lose, through social and cultural pressures, as we grow older. It is an attitude of mind which can be cultivated: the enchanted life is possible for anyone. It is intuitive, embraces wonder, and fully engages the mythic imagination—but it is also deeply embodied in ecology, grounded in place and community.
"To live this way is to be challenged, to be awakened, to be gripped and shaken to the core by the extraordinary which lies at the heart of the ordinary."
Sharon Blackie shares with us what she perceives as the enchanted life. With beautiful prose and creative storytelling, she crafts thought provoking chapters describing how to find the magic in the everyday. At times the advice can seem a bit woo woo but it is impactful all the same. At the end of each point, she provides stimulating questions to help you evaluate your life and see how you can enliven your being. This book would be a great one to read for a book group as it contains its own talking points! Anyone who enjoys self-evaluation, myth and fairy tales, and connecting with nature will find themselves enchanted by this book.
JJC
If you like The Enchanted Life you might also like:
Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit
By Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Little, Brown Spark, 2021. 240 pages. Nonfiction
Saturday, March 2, 2024
Confetti Realms
If you liked Confetti Realms, you may also like:
Spirited Away
By Hayao Miyazaki
Viz, 2002. 171 pages. Young Adult Comic.
Ten-year-old Chihiro and her family are on their way to their new home. Dad takes a wrong turn, though, and they become lost in a forest. Eventually they find their way to a strange abandoned amusement park. Chihiro wanders off. As night falls, Chihiro finds out she's in a world of ghosts, demons, and strange gods. A mysterious boy, Haku, tells her that to survive Chihiro must find work. She must go down to the boiler room and seek out an old man named Kamaji.
By Shaenon Garrity
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021. 224 pages. Young Adult Comics.
After she saves a man from drowning, Haley wakes up in a pocket universe that appears as a gothic estate and helps three brothers whose job it is to protect her world against a penultimate evil.
Friday, March 1, 2024
Letters to a Diminished Church
Letters to a Diminished Church
By Dorothy L Sayers
W Publishing Group, 2004. 284 pages. Nonfiction
In her writings, Dorothy L. Sayers turned the popular perception of Christianity on its head. She argues that the essence of Christianity is in the character of Christ - energetic, dramatic, and utterly alive. This collection of sixteen brilliant essays reveals Sayers at her best - a robust view of Christianity as startling and relevant today as it was fifty years ago.Thursday, February 29, 2024
The Frozen River
by Ariel Lawhon
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2023. 432 pages. Historical Fiction
by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Knopf, 1990. 444 pages. Biography
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The Milky Way
By Moiya McTier
Grand Central Publishing, 2022. 244 pages. Nonfiction
After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, the Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it. It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for.
I have two very bad habits. First, I buy nonfiction books about science and lose the motivation to read them. Second, when I happen to read anything science related I just skip right over the numbers regardless of how important they are. This book fixed both problems. McTier presents scientific concepts in an accessible voice that allows even the most inexperienced science-lovers to engage with new concepts and ideas. I love the blend of artful storytelling and hard science. The voice of the Milky Way is unique, funny, and extremely endearing. I would recommend this book to anybody that's new to astronomy and everyone that supports STEAM over STEM.
If you like The Milky Way, you might also like:
By Joe Roman
If forests are the lungs of the planet, then animals migrating across oceans, streams, and mountains—eating, pooping, and dying along the way—are its heart and arteries, pumping nitrogen and phosphorus from deep-sea gorges up to mountain peaks, from the Arctic to the Caribbean. Without this conveyor belt of crucial, life-sustaining nutrients, the world would look very different. Eat, Poop, Die takes readers on an exhilarating global adventure, revealing the remarkable ways in which the most basic biological activities of animals make and remake the world—and how a deeper understanding of these cycles provides us with opportunities to undo the damage humanity has wrought on the planet.
By Caitlin Doughty
W.W. Norton & Company, 2019. 222 pages. Nonfiction
Licensed mortician Caitlin Doughty answers real questions from kids about death, dead bodies, and decomposition. Every day, funeral director Caitlin Doughty receives dozens of questions about death. What would happen to an astronaut's body if it were pushed out of a space shuttle? Do people poop when they die? Can Grandma have a Viking funeral? In the tradition of Randall Munroe's What If?, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, blends scientific understanding of the body and the intriguing history behind common misconceptions about corpses to offer factual, hilarious, and candid answers to thirty-five urgent questions.
By Mark Shultz
Hill and Wang, 2009. 150 pages. Graphic Novels, Nonfiction
Let's face it: From adenines to zygotes, from cytokinesis to parthenogenesis, even the basics of genetics can sound utterly alien. So who better than an alien to explain it all? Enter Bloort 183, a scientist from an asexual alien race threatened by disease, who's been charged with researching the fundamentals of human DNA and evolution and laying it all out in clear, simple language so that even his slow-to-grasp-the-point leader can get it. In the hands of the award-winning writer Mark Schultz, Bloort's predicament becomes the means of giving even the most science-phobic reader a complete introduction to the history and science of genetics that's as easy to understand as it is entertaining to read.
KJ