What Feast at Night

By- T. Kingfisher

  This book is another library find, although I am a Fan of T. Kingfisher books and usually grab any book I find that she has written. I recently looked her up and I was surprised that T Kingfisher is a pen name for her adult books, she also writes children books. If I had to describe her adult books they are dark fairy tales. The cover for this book meets my expectations for her stories with a graphic and haunting looking horse with the skin and flesh peeling off its skeleton. I was a little disappointed after reading this, I discovered it was the second in a series and now I need to find the first book.

    The book starts with Alex and Angus both retired soldiers in the employ of Miss Porter, traveling to Alex's family cabin in the land of Gallacia. Gallacia is described by Alex as less civilized as the modern London, the local people believe in superstitions and have weird customs. Upon arriving at the cabin it appears abandoned and they are unable to locate Corbin who was hired to care for the property in Alex's absence. There is an eerie feeling as they search for him expecting to find his deceased body, as it turns out he became ill and died at his family home. They reach out to the family to find out what the cause was however, they can not get a clear answer they were just told he was sick. Alex hires a local woman and her son to help them get the property cleaned and repaired as well as prepare meals for everyone. Rumors from the local town begin stirring saying that Corbin's death was cause by a moroi, a dark creature in the form of a woman that sucks the breath from your body until you die. Miss porter arrives and is excited to spend time in the area researching and seeking mushrooms all the while enjoying the diverse and rich culture of the area. Things take a turn when the housekeeper's son falls ill and Alex starts to dream of the moroi stealing his breath. Is the creature real or is the power of suggestion causing bad dreams, you will have to read and find out.

    Another fantastic book by T Kingfisher, her short stories always do a great job building a whole world for you to immerse yourself in without having to make the book longer. Her dark fairy tales are unique and entertaining, making me wonder where she gets her inspiration. Are her stories based off real fairy tales or folklore or are they entirely her own creations. I highly recommend all of her books, whether you read a lot or very little, the shorter stories may be good for those that read less.  

Jackpot

     A new release from Amazon, heard my wife chuckling away watching this movie and told me I had to watch it too. Absolutely hilarious movie starring Awkwafina as Katie and John Cena as Noel. Simu Liu is also in the movie playing the Role of Louis with cameos from Sean Williams Scott and Machine Gun Kelly. 

    The movie is based in the future, Katie moves from Michigan to California after the death of her mother who she took care of for years. Katie has come to California to reignite her career of acting, she was a small time child actor, and promised her mother that she would pursue a career in acting after her death. Noel is an ex soldier trying to do penance for his morally questioning time as a solider, he is currently a freelance protection agent. The Californian government has decided to start a mega lotto in which the person that has the winning ticket must survive to sundown, while everyone else that has a losing ticket is trying to kill them. If somebody with a losing ticket manages to kill the person with the winning ticket before sundown they can claim the prize as their own. Katie unknowingly and accidently activates a ticket and after a disastrous audition the lotto draws her name, and everyone around her starts to try to kill her. Noel swoops in to the rescue and offers his services as a protection agent while hilariously beating people up without breaking a sweat. Together they try to survive and make it to sundown with everyone trying to kill her. 

    Great movie with action and comedy mixed together perfectly by John Cena who we expect nothing less from. Awkwafina has an amazing repeat performance in comedy action movie that I think is even better than the movie Ten Rings that was her first performance in the genre. The pair of actors worked great together feeding off each others energy in the action scene as well as the comedy. The movie is a mix of The Purge and The Hangover, hopefully this is not in the future of our country. I highly recommend this to any who like hilarious fight scenes and some vulgar humor, definitely not recommended for children or young teens. 

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

 By- Gabrielle Zevin

    If you are obsessed with books as much as me than you probably read articles about new books or books you should read. On one such occasion I was reading an article about the top one hundred modern novels you must read. I added the book to my to be read list however it stayed there for quite a while nothing about it stood out to me as interesting, but eventually it made its way to my home and in my hands.

    The novel  is about a group of friends Sam, Sadie, and Marx, how they met and became friends, the tragedies of their lives, and how they maintain their relationships with each other. Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital, Sam as a patient and Sadie as a visitor. Sadie was visiting her sister who has cancer and met Sam in a room where he was playing video games. They became friends by simple spending time together and playing video games, their relationship was simple but they both shared and talked to each other. Unfortunately they have a falling out and the next time we see them they go from teens to college students, they reconnect and decide to make a game together. Marx is Sam's college roommate, while Sam and Sadie create their game Marx becomes their helper or producer. Together they create an incredible game and start their own gaming company. Their relationships with each other have their ups and down, their connections and falling outs, but they are true friends to each other. 

    When I started to read this book it instantly got me hooked, I did not want to put it down. It took reading the entire book for me to figure out what the book was about, whether it is a love story, a mystery, action tale, tragedy, or a comedy? It turns out it is a normal story about friendship and hardship, based in my own generation or era. That is what pulled me into the story it is not excitement but the ability to put myself in the story, with the authenticity and relatable references. Everything that happens feels like something that could have or maybe did happen in my own life. This book is great for everyone and I highly recommend it. The author did a fantastic job writing this novel that should be on every millennials to be read list. 

A Family Affair

     A new hilarious movie released on Netflix, with a trio of amazing actors and actresses. A romantic comedy that my wife and I decided to watch together, it did take several sessions to finish the movie with our busy lives. Zach Efron plays a self centered actor named Chris Cole who stars in a series of films as an action movie star. He has an assistant Zara, played by Joey King, who is equally self centered. Her mother Brooke Harwood is played by the iconic Nicole Kidman. 

    Chris Cole is working on his latest film an action film based in the north pole, however there are issues with the script. The film starts showing the abusive relationship between Chris and his assistant, Zara. Abusive not verbally or physically but with crazy demands and boundary crossing in his personal relationships with women that he discards regularly. Zara is ambitious and aspires to push her career to the next level but she needs Chris to open doors for her, therefore she puts up with his ridiculous demands and expectations. After a falling out between Chris and Zara, Chris goes to Zara's house where she lives with her mom. Brooke and Chris sit and talk while drinking tequila and enjoy talking to each other. They decided to go on a date together and one thing leads to another and they pursue a relationship with each other. Zara catches them in the act and is extremally upset that her boss is sleeping with her mother and visa versa. Things get messy between Zara and her mother as well as Zara and Chris, she does not approve of this relationship whether it be a fling or maybe something more. 

    Absolutely loved this movie, it was a light hearted romantic comedy that I could watch with my wife. These actors did a great job, showing their talent and ability to entertain us. A complicated love story that had you agreeing with Zara one moment and the next rooting for the improbable relationship between Chris and Brooke. Recommend you to watch this movie with a friend or loved one

The Echo of Old Books

 By- Barbara Davis

    I found this book while scrolling through the Goodreads app, it took a while for my local library to get it but once it came in I added it to my list of books to read. I love novels about books and book store owners.

    Ashlyn Greer is a book store and bindery owner, not a chain store but a local store with used books. Ashlyn has had a tragic childhood her mom died when she was young, after refusing treatment of her cancer diagnosis. Shortly after her mothers death, her father took his own life in their attic. She was raised by family however, her favorite place to be was a local bookstore and the owner was a surrogate father. The owner had no children or family so after his death he left the store to Ashlyn. Ashlyn has a rare gift that she can sense the echo of previous owners of books. She can feel the feelings of the previous owner whether it be joy, betrayal, or depression. Out of fear of judgment, she keeps this gift to herself only sharing with her surrogate father.  Ashlyn was invited to sort through the effects of a local man that died. While going through the belongings she found a book with no author named or publication page. She felt strong feelings from the previous owner and she suspects it was the author, himself. Faced with a mystery she is compelled to find out more, she tracked down who donated it. Ethan was the son of the deceased man who owned the book, however the story was not about him. Together they find another book that was written by the lover of the first book. This pair of books are the same story written in the perspective of the authors. A love story that is inevitably leading to a bad ending that is based in the 1940's before the second World War. Ethan and Ashlyn read through the stories and track down the real people from the story all the while having complicated feelings for each other.

    The book was well written by the author and in a unique format. A love story and mystery written within a love story, filled with tragedy and betrayal. Your find yourself feeling just as the characters in the story knowing the story will end badly but you still want to know what happens and hope it turns out better. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good love story and mystery. I especially recommend this to book lovers that enjoy stories about books.

Sword Catcher

 

By- Cassandra Clare

    I've seen this book in the local target several times, the thick book with the bright cover and interesting name stuck out to me. Every time I read the title I pictured a court jester or some kind of performer that juggled knives or even an arena fighter. One day I finally picked up the book and read what it was about, boy I was wrong. Nevertheless, the book did sound interesting so I requested in from my local library, because of the popularity I was waiting a few weeks. 

    The book is the first in a possible series of books and is based on the main character Kel. Kel is an orphan of unknown origins and is plucked from an orphanage at age 10 and thrust into the political world of Castellane. I was surprised to learn the actual meaning of Sword Catcher is literal, Kel is a bodyguard to the Prince, Conor, meant to protect him and even take a sword for him. Prince Conor treats Kel like a brother sharing his life and even his room. The majority of the time Kel pretends to be the cousin of the prince, and occasionally when there is danger, Kel pretends to be the prince with the help of a magical amulet that makes him look like the prince. That is right magic exists in this world however it is in a diminished capacity after an event from history called the Sundering. Castellane is complicated with 12 families that control a specific trade, fight for power in secret and in political moves. The book follows the Royal family as unseen forces try to undermine the family and Kel and Prince Conor try to figure out who it is.       

    This large book is over 600 pages and everyone is filled with a vast world with a lot of characters. The author does a great job building the world and characters, however I was surprised that after reading the book the story is nowhere close to being told. I knew this book was the first of more but I expected to have a better understanding of what is happening. A great book will leave you wanting to know more and this book left me with many questions and I am looking froward to the next book and learning more. 

    Anyone looking for a new series about magic, royalty, and love, this is a great book to pick up. The author Cassandra Clare is not new to writing and already has a successful series of the Shadowhunter's Chronicles that has even been adapted for movie and tv show. This book looks to be another successful world for us to learn about.  

The Dallergut Dream Department Store

By- Miye Lee

     Another book I found at the library, a best seller from Korea. I enjoy getting books that are translated from other countries, they have a different view and style. With over 1 million copies sold it promises to be a great book.    

    The main character is Penny who is studying for an interview at the most prestigious department store. However, instead of selling products the store sells dreams to people as they sleep. Penny goes to her interview and is asked questions that she did not expect, they were not questions of what the most popular dreams were but of if dreams matter or not. She does well and is offered a job, on her first day she is told to go to all five floors and meet the manager and decide which floor she would like to work on. Each floor and manager have their own quirks and specialties, but none of them speak to her. However the first floor worker and owner are talking and Penny is listening, they are discussing possibly hiring somebody to help on the first floor. Penny said she would like to help and they agree. Penny learns a lot while working at the store, she is very observant and watches the owner sell things to customers that she would not expect. She meets different dream makers each one with their own style of dreams from nightmares that help dealing with trauma or Nicholas who makes specifically Christmas dreams. 

    I enjoyed this book very much there is good flow to the story. There is not much world building or character building however, I do not think the story needs it. The author gives us information as the main character Penny learns things, building the story and our understanding at the same time. The idea of buying dreams in a store is unique the author also does a good job to make it seem realistic, while showing toxic traits of society. 

    I would definitely recommend this book, good for bookworms and for people who only read occasionally. The book is on the shorter side not scaring away people who do not read often. The book will pull readers in, with a great story and subtext into the philosophical benefits to good sleep. 

The Library Thief

 

By- Kuchenga Shenie

    I found this book while scrolling through new books on the Goodreads website. I read the reviews and found a mystery involving a library, a young women, and suspicious death. I am not one to read mysteries however, the title alone peaked my interest and I requested it at my local library.  

    The story is based on Victorian England and a young woman named Florence. Florence is a part of the working class and the daughter to a book binder who taught her everything he knows. After she is caught up in a scandal her father throws her out of his house but she is clever.

    Florence intercepts a letter meant for her father from a Lord Belfield who is trying to hire him to restore books from his sizable library. Florence decides to go to the Lord's house and tell him she was sent by her father and hope he believes her. Belfield denies her request and service, however after some convincing he decides to hire her for less money than he offered to her father and in a shorter time frame. Florence sets to the task of restoring the large quantity of books that are only a small part of the sizeable collection. During her spare time she learns that Belfield is recently widowed and his wife drown in the night at the river on the property. There are many questions unanswered about what happened and during her down time Florence decides to investigate. With secrets around every turn it is hard to know if it was indeed an accident or in fact a murder. Belfield's brother visits and he turns out to be a less than honorable man. The vulgar man, Chester, attacks Florence in the night and has his way with her, others in the house intervene to save her. Nevertheless, there are lasting effect besides phycological, she becomes pregnant. Her world is turned upside down and her options to get out of this predicament are becoming less. 

    I found this book did not meet my expectations, when I started the book I thought the library would be a bigger part of the story. However, the library and the restorations of expensive books was overshadowed by the secrets of the people of the Belfield family and employment. The book had more to do with the future of Florence, her unborn child, the mysterious death of Belfield's wife. The author did do a nice job with twist and turns that I did not expect, such as the main character learning of her African heritage.

    Overall, I can not say that I recommend this book to others, not only was it much different than I expected but the ending was also poor. At the end of the story when the mysteries are solved and Florence sails off into the sunset, I was disappointed. The answers to many of the questions were underwhelming, the build up in the story made for anticipation that was not satisfied. The main character got her happy ending, but could of been a more exciting ending. 

When Among Crows

 By- Veronica Roth

    

   I have been seeing articles and advertisements for this book for a while. I  have been planning on reading it not for those reasons, but instead because of who the author is. Veronica Roth, the author of the Divergent series. Nevertheless, when I saw the book on the shelf at the library I figured it was time to read, and I checked it out. 

    At the start of the book we have Dymitr, the main character, he starts alone and on a mission. We also meet Ala who is a zmora that suffers from a painful curse that is killing her. The story is based on modern times however it is full of mystical creatures and monsters from polish folktale. Together they set out on a journey to meet Baba Yaga for reasons that are unclear. Dymitr appears to be a reluctant member of the Holy order who hunt and kill non humans. The unlikely duo have help and obstacles along the way as the story unfolds and we learn about the characters. However, the truth about Dymitr is not revealed until the end of the story, is he a good guy or bad?

    Veronica Roth has written another page turner, the only disappointment would be that the book is short and the story over. In less than two hundred pages Roth makes you fall in love with the characters and does a great job explaining the world and giving just enough information that you understand what's going on. There was a good pace to the read, when the story needed more back story the author did a good job to gives us a flash back of a characters life that provides the back story we need.

    I highly recommend this book to both avid readers and social readers. The book is small enough for those with less time and detailed enough for those who love a good story. I hope Roth keeps writing these small stories. 

The Ministry of Time

 

By- Kaliane Bradley

    I am a member of a Book of the month club, this book was one of the options a few months back. After reading the reviews I decided it was an interesting book to read so I chose it.

    The story is narrated by the main character a young woman that was a Cambodian refugee, that became a British citizen. She is a civil servant that is ambitious and is given an opportunity on a new government project. The British government has some how gotten a hold of a time travel device, that device is a doorway to different times and places. They build a new branch of the government, the ministry to run the project. They decide to find people in history that died, the plan is to pull them forward to our time and see the physical and psychological effects of time travel. Each agent is assigned to a person from history and act as a bridge to our own time, helping them to adjust to our time. These people from history are named expats and some adjust to the new era and others do not. The Bridge agents report everything the expats do, say, eat, or learn. The story leads contains mystery and danger as a combination of science fiction and love story mixed with a spy thriller. 

    The novel was not exactly my cup of tea, so I did rate it on the lower side. However, it was just a preference as far as the style of writing. The author would jump around from moment to moment breaking the story apart, it effected the flow of my reading. Nevertheless, the author did an amazing job writing this story and exploring the idea of jumping through time and the effects of not only the technology of today but also how you would react to learning about major events.

    I highly recommend this novel to anyone, whether you are male or female, young or old. The book is very readable and relatable to everyone. 

Abigail

    A new movie released in 2024 starring Melissa Barrera as Joey and Alisha Weir as Abigail, that I found streaming on Peacock. I am not a fan of horror movies but will watch occasionally if there is something unique about the film. I do enjoy vampire, werewolf, and zombie movies and this movie showcased a little girl as a vampire in the previews. 

    The movie starts as a crew of criminals break into a fancy mansion and kidnap a little girl. Each member of the crew shows off their impressive skill such as computer hacking and getaway driving. The mission goes off without a hitch and they successfully get the girl and make their way to the safe house. Once at the safe house they meet with the organizer of the crew and he gives them instructions that they will stay there for the next 24 hours and nobody enters the girls room except Joey. As the movie progresses you find out they do not know each other and keep there names private for amenity in case of somebody being caught. Joey interacts with Abigail and tells her everything is going to be okay and they will return her home as soon as her dad pays the ransom. Joey goes as far as pinkie promising that nobody will hurt her. The crew is waiting and each one showing off their instability while goofing off and drinking. One of the crew is attacked and the others find him with his head ripped clean off. They start to panic that the powerful father has sent somebody to kill them all and try to leave, only to find out they are locked in. Much to their surprise they are not locked in with a hitman or mobster but instead with a monster in the body of a little girl who starts to kill them off one by one. 

    I recommend this movie if you enjoy horror films. Overall a good movie that showcases great acting, action, and gore. The story is unique with plenty of moments in the film that will make you say, "what the heck". It is was not a movie that makes you jump or build tension while you are waiting to find what is going to happen next. Instead, it is an enjoyable horror film with a few unexpected twists. 

The Long Game

     A new release on Netflix staring well known actors Dennis Quaid, Jay Hernandez, Cheech Marin, and others.    

    Jay Hernandez plays JB Pena, a retired soldier moving to south Texas to be Superintendent for San Felipe High School. Based off a true story form the 1950s, the beginning of the movie showcases five Mexican-American teenagers caddying at a local prestigious golf club. They are treated poorly and paid worse. These boys love golf and are hitting golf balls in a field when Pena is driving by in his car. The boys make a bet that Joe could not hit the car, and Joe hits a bomb that breaks Pena's front window and hits him in the face. After chasing the boys away, Pena continues to his meeting at the local golf club where he is interviewing to become a member. Pena is denied because of his race, regardless of his military service and good standing in the community. The movie continues and and Pena finds the boys at the school and convinces them to be on his golf team he is starting. Together with his war buddy Frank Mitchell, they set off on a quest to make it to the state championship that is played at the local golf course. 

    A relaxing movie with an inspiring story and great actors that are showcasing their talent. The plot moves at a good pace and drama is placed at perfect times in the movie to build emotion. If you like movies showing determination and pride in the face of inequality and racism, this movie is for you. It is not a movie that will get your blood pumping and excited, but instead leave you saying that was a great story. 

    

    

The Book of Doors

 By- Gareth Brown

    Found this book in my local book store. As a book lover there is nothing better than a book about books. A story that contains magic, time travel, and books. Murderers, thieves, wealthy, and evil people secretly search the world for books of power. 

    Cassie is a young bookworm that lives a quiet and uneventful life. She shares an apartment with her roommate, Izzy, and works at a local bookstore. An orphaned girl raised by her grandfather who also died leaving her without family. Cassie's life is turned upside-down, when at the end of her work day a customer passes away in the store. The death itself was uneventful, as he passed from natural causes. However, before his death he left two books on the table with a note saying they were for her. One book is a simple edition of the Count of Monte Crisco, with more sentimental value than anything else. The other is a mysterious leather bound book, labeled The Book of Doors. Inside the book a handwritten note that does not make sense to Cassie, every door is any door. Cassie and her roommate accidentally discover that if she holds the book and imagines anywhere in the world she can open a door to that place. The arrival of the book thrusts the girls into a new world they did not know about. Where people search for different books of power, each one having its own abilities and gifts it bestows to its user.     

    I thought the book was well written, especially for being the authors debut novel. This stand alone novel does a great job starting and ending the story, answering any questions that a reader may have. The magic and time travel have clear rules that the story adheres to, while also being easy for the reader to understand. 

    I highly recommend this book to any readers regardless of whether you read fantasy fiction . The fantasy is believable and realistic enough that even people who read literal and contemporary fiction will enjoy the novel. Any reader can use this book to open the door and follow Cassie and Izzy on an adventure in time full of danger and surprise. 

Young Women and the Sea

     Daisy Ridley stars in a new movie released by Disney, that is available through the streaming service.  Daisy has been very popular since staring in the last star wars movies, I personally am a fan and have watched anything she has been in. Daisy plays the part of Trudy Ederle, first woman to swim the English Channel.

    Trudy is a young German girl raised by her mother and father, a butcher. Based on the true story during the 1920s before the second world war. After women's suffrage of 1920 and women earned the right to vote, many men were fighting against the rights of women. Trudy is a young girl who contracts measles and the doctor lets her parents know she will not live through the night. However, in the morning it is not the doctor who comes down the stairs but Trudy, who survived measles. Trudy still struggled physically from fighting the virus. After the tragic death of some people who burned alive on a boat because they could not swim Trudy's mother decides her children will learn to swim. Her daughters join a swim team and Trudy has to work hard to get pool time. Eventually through perseverance Trudy shows her speed in swimming during a swim met verse the Australian women's swim team. From that point on Trudy gets better and better at swimming, winning race after race and even breaking world records. All the while fighting the oppression of men treating women less than men. After competing for the first time in the Olympics' for women's swimming, the future of women's swimming is in jeopardy due to her swimming poorly. Trudy decides to set out on a journey to swim the English Channel and be the first women to do so.

    The Young Women and the Sea is an inspirational movie with great acting. Daisy Ridley does a great job to bring the magnificent story of a powerful woman overcoming sexism and insurmountable odds. I thought watching the movie, already knowing she was successful would make it boring but there is more drama than I imagined. I recommend this movie for anymore interested in learning more about a woman who changed the course of women's sports for our country and the world. 

    

Faebound

By- Saara El-Arifi

I am not sure what my obsession is with bright colored fantasy books but the bright red colors made me pull this book off the shelf at the library. After reading the back of the book and seeing it included magic, elves, and fae I checked it out and added it to my list of books to read. The story has a great introduction and explanation for the world we are entering. The world begins with three gods, who decide to create their own beings, elves, fae and humans. The fae and humans haven't been seen for a long time. Yeenan, the main character, has been recently promoted to Colonel and is preparing for her first mission. Lettle, her sister, studies divination and tell Yeenans that her glory lies to the east. The mission goes horribly wrong and as a punishment, Yeenan is exiled from eleven lands. While exiled she and her sister are taken prisoner by none other than the Fae. The Fae access magic through bonding with intelligent creatures called obeah. When sentenced to death for killing an obeah and subsequently a prince, Yeenan bonds with an obeah. If you like fantasy this book is great for you. The first book in the trilogy builds the world and characters that you are excited to learn about and root for with twists and turns you will not expect.