I mean, I read them: Cookbooks and Media

I am keeping track of everything and reviewing everything that I have read this year, but it feels weird to do the middle grade nonfiction graphic novels and cookbooks in a singular post. So the theme of this post is, I read it really quickly, but it was good and informative. I don't think I will put these on GoodReads and StoryGraph because, well, I I don't have to justify myself to you!

I read Killer Underwear Invasion by Elyse Gravel and it was adorable. Basically it broke down the idea of information literacy for middle school kids using underwear based humor and I was there for it. The information is solid and the format works for this age group. Okay, I'm 60 and it worked for my age group, too! It talks about the ways we can be manipulate by media without any blaming of the victim. I was a fan. 

My son's girlfriend is an amazing cook and she is, despite being a digital native, a cookbook person and she has loaned me several. What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers and the cleverly titledWhat to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking 2 were both a delight and I have been told I will be receiving the first one for Christmas or perhaps even birthday. There are great tips for using up what you have in your kitchen. There are pep talks about putting together a home-cooked meal, but the thing that I really love is that it is et up by how long you have to prepare a meal. Sign me up! (The first had more recipes that sounded good to me, but the format of both was terrific. 

Armor for Liars by S.E. Grove

 

Oh my gosh, it has been a MONTH since I finished this book and it is still resonating for me! I guess this is my attempt to pretend like I am not woefully behind in my reviews. This is the first New Year's resolution I have ever kept and it is so close to slipping through my fingers. I go back to work Monday and I plan to do so with a completely clear google sheet with all reviews completed. Dare to dream, Barb.

So back to the book at hand, It was spectacular! I was predisposed to love it because I had read Grove's THE WANING AGE and adored the world building. This one also had a fascinating setting. I started reading it when I was taking a history class at the Boston Athenaeum and even though it is set in Salem and Beverly (and the Lynn Woods) the Athenaeum was the perfect spot to begin it. 

Okay, so the opening scene is SO evocative! There is a carriage going down the road, it is stopped by a seemingly benign person who ends up ruining EVERYTHING! I am not sure if I can do the magic in this book justice, just allow me to say that it is intricate, but not to intricate; scary but not too scary; and perfectly described. It boils down to an alternate North Shore in the early 1900s and Clem is disguising herself as a boy to attend the Commonwealth School to learn magic. The magic in this world is very anti-woman, anti-poor person, basically, anti-anything that isn't a white, rich guy with no conscience. I read a review on Goodreads that said, "I adored this book because it’s an excellent example of what happens when someone gets right that part of Fantasy novels that almost every book gets wrong: The actual magical system itself." and that is absolutely true. The magic is an entirely new type for me and it is perfect. And I don't even usually really like the magic! I am all about the drama and the interpersonal relationships. Grove gets those right too. There is a strange friendship between the young woman in question and a dead boy who is trying to help her. There are family obligations, and there is a delicious quest for revenge. It doesn't move fast (until it does) but the build up is really compelling. Even though the story is fairly straightforward, there is a ton of subtext about equity, entitlement, and communication, 

I have to admit that I got a thrill seeing the action take place in my own stomping ground, but I would have loved this if it took place in Ottumwa, Iowa. I should also mention that S. E. Grove is a local writer and is actually doing a kick-ass event at the Beverly Public Library in October so I will get to tell her in person how much I loved this book. I am not going to nag her about writing a sequel because the book ended without the need for one. But I would really love to read more stories set in this world. 

The Bureau of Unknown Fates coming out December 8 2026

You know I hate to give anything less than 5 stars to a book that I have finished, but this one is only getting 4 and it's probably my fault. It is a fascinating story of a woman who works for a group that researches people and items the were involved in the Holocaust. I liked the research aspects, but I never warmed to Irene, the main character. She has let her work take over her life and it shows. 

I like the idea of lost items and the talismanic nature of her work, but she never felt like a person I would want to spend time with. I would like to sit next to her on a plane for 3 hours and ask her about her job, but I don't want her calling me in the evening to ask if I think her son misses her.

The writing is good, and maybe I just read it after too long a glut of feel-good books, but it didn't grab me and that is really all I ask of a book. I finished it because I wanted to know what happened. The plot seemed to speed up at the end and I appreciated it, but there were too many strands for me to keep track of. I may just be too dumb for this book. It has happened before. 

Outside Their Comfort Zone: The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest And Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen

 Two books I just picked up this summer were delightful! I didn't read them because they were on Netgalley, I didn't read them for the MTCBA, I just read them because I saw them at the library and they looked delicious. And they were!

First up was The Summer Girlfriend. I love a fake-dating trope and this one did not disappoint. Noelle works at a bookstore and has decided that, after a disastrous first undergrad experience ruined by a stupid boy, she is ready to go back to school to achieve her dream of being a librarian. So, of course, she is awesome. She gets fired from her bookstore job due to the economy and nepotism and has to rely on her side gig as a bridesmaid for hire. Oh, I know, just suspend your disbelief. 

Jeremiah is the younger son in a family run baked goods company, but his shame over previous bad behavior has led him to go work in a different field where he is relied on for his charm rather than his smarts. This does not help with his self-loathing issues at all. 

Jeremiah hires Noelle to pretend to be his girlfriend for a weekend at Hart Beach, the family compound on the Jersey Shore and sparks fly. Well, not really. They aren't sparky as much as they are warmly perfect for each other. Even though Noelle is the one who is really struggling financially, Jeremiah's family drama is more compelling. His family is damn near perfect, but he can't seem to find his place in it. Would it surprise you to learn that they help each other as they fall in love? Would it surprise you that I fell in love with them too? Surely not!

Mrs. Endicott's husband has left her. It's the '30s in England and he has a newer, younger girl and Mrs. E. is to be put out to pasture. Instead of taking a dreary bedsit in London, she endevours to see some of the world and ends up taking her maid Mavis (who escapes an abusive husband) and an overbearing society spinster from their town who is running out the clock on a bad heart and off to the French coast they go.

Europe is ratcheting up for WW2, there is a gorgeous, rundown villa to be restored and there are interesting townsfolk, including two available men who may or may not be the best thing to ever happen to a couple middle aged women who were not expecting to find love again. Add in a pregnant vagabond, a speedboat and a hot priest and you have a lovely slice of Enchanted April-ness that takes the reader into a charming world on the brink of war. 

Even though these books have little in common, other than the seaside settings, they both feature women who don't know their own strength, but learn to have confidence in their abilities to change their lives for the better and I thoroughly enjoyed both of them!