13. Neverworld Wake

By Marissa Pessl (323 ebook)

This is another one of those books that I don't know where it came from. Probably a Bookbub deal. (BookBub is a blessing and a curse. SO MANY BOOKS -- but it's a deal do I have to buy it.) It's a thriller about a group of friends--they all have secrets--and they are in a car accident that turns into a groundhog's day thing. It was fun and page turny with great dark atmosphere but the story went off the rails a bit in the middle and the characterization was kind-of flat.

12. Nettle and Bone

By T. Kingfisher (262 ebook)

I have only read 2 books by T. Kingfisher but I put the list of everything she's written into my phone because I don't want to miss one thing. Fantastic stories with interesting, complex characters who have to work through tough situations. This one is set in a land with waring kingdoms and the main character tries to rescue her sister from a cruel king. She has to endure terrible trials and manages to assemble an odd group to help on her quest. Dark, but really good.

11. Crossroads

By Jonathan Franzen (580 pp)

We got this hardcover in one of the free little libraries in our neighborhood. I had it sitting here and I finally read it because it was taking up so much real estate on my shelf. It's set in the 70s and is about this family in the midwest and their relationship with their church. Complex family dynamics and people going through personal crises. It was interesting because it was really easy to read, I zoomed through it but I didn't love the story. The characters were sympathetic but also awful to themselves and each other and kept doing things you didn't want them to do. But the writing is so good and story also felt very real for the time and the subject matter.

10. Twelve Tomorrows (MIT Technology Review Annual 2014)

By Bruce Sterling, ed. (230 pp)

Bob bought me this collection a few years ago and I finally finished it. Like every story collection, out of 10 stories I will love 2, hate 2 and the rest I might like the writing but not connect with the story or thought it started strong but didn't pay off. Of course, I am writing this months after I read it so I can't remember which stories I liked best. Good sci-fi collection.

9. Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

By Gabrielle Zevin (397 pp)

This book was a gift and I LOVED it. I love new-to-me authors that have zillions of online reviews and zillions of books and here I am finding out about them for the first time. I read this while I had The Covid and was too tired to do anything else. It's set in the gaming world which is something I know nothing about but for me it was really about lifelong friendships. The characters were flawed and did things you didn't want them to do, but I really enjoyed this. Recommend!

8. The Once and Future King

By T.H. White (654 pp, ebook)

When I picked this up, I didn't realize how long it was (4 books in 1) and it's mostly really good but there are some sloggy bits in the middle. This is a re-telling of the story of King Arthur. The first book, The Sword in the Stone is set when Arthur was a boy and growing up with Merlin the magician. This book is so playful and adorable -- I wondered why no one put it in my hands when I was a middle school reader and looking for just this kind of book. (Probably someone did and I didn't read it.) The middle 2 books are about Arthur's enemies, and Lancelot and Guinevere's affair. The last book is about Arthur at the end of his life with everything he built unraveling and trying to make sense of it. There is a lot of food for thought in here -- great turns of phrase. Makes me want to read The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) again.

7. Bad Day for Sunshine

By Darinda Jones (397 ebook)

This is yet another author that I have heard a lot about but never read. This one is about Sunshine, a woman who returns to the New Mexico town where she grew up to be sheriff. The story is shared with her teenage daughter who is having a tough time fitting in at school. A teenage girl goes missing and there is drama at the high school. There are a lot of characters including a super sexy former crush who stills lusts for Sunshine. It took me awhile to get into it but ultimately it was a fun read although there was a lot of melodrama.

6. Darkfever

By Karen Moning (384 ebook)

This is another book I read on recommendation and wasn't what I thought. It's about young woman who goes to Ireland to investigate her sister's murder and gets drawn into paranormal activities. There are Fae and darkness and evil creatures and the main character is the one to save us all. I found her difficult to relate to - her characterization seemed motivated by "being contrary" even if it meant ignoring any sense of self-preservation. There are some good page-turning bits but over all not for me.

5. Educated, A Memoir

By Tara Westover (352 pp ebook)

I have been hearing about this book forever and I finally got my own copy and it's not quite what I expected. It was harrowing. It's about a woman who was raised in rural Idaho by survivalist Mormans. There is so much violence and the author experienced so much abuse. It was tough to read.

4. A Better Man

By Louise Penny (417 pp ebook)

This is my first Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book but something like 15th in the series and I think I suffered a bit without knowing the background characters and the setting established in the previous books. This one is about a missing woman and a terrible weather event and there's a thread with an artist. I liked that it was set in Quebec - not a setting I have read a lot. Decent crime-solving story.

3. Rez Metal: Inside the Navajo Nation Heavy Metal Scene

By Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale A. Zappia (89 pp)

This book starts out with a pretty dry academic essay about What is Rez Metal? I was a little disappointed but then it gets to the interview section, talking to different people within the scene and it is riveting! Really amazing people playing and promoting metal music on Navajo rez. I love NDN Country.

2. Half a King

By Joe Abercrombie (352 ebook)

How did I manage to miss this author for so long? This book is fantasy but set in viking-like times and is about a prince who nobody wants around. He endures a lot of terrible things while he tries to get back to the throne. Amazing writing, great characters, page-turning action. So good. Will be back to finish the series.