Hello Book Lovers!
Okay, okay, I know it's a bit late in the month for this, but January saw a bookishly wild start to the new year.
I launched right into 2024 with a couple five-star marvels. But then, as with most other aspects of my 2024 life, I hit a snag with a few real duds, which were especially disappointing after the other books in the series were such delightful page-turners.
Which made me so hesitant, I decided to play it safe and re-read (or more accurately, re-listen) to a couple installments of a series I absolutely adored a few years ago (The Charles Lenox books, if you're curious). Luckily, they still cut the historical mystery mustard.
Feeling all charged up, I dove into book five of a series I've been enjoying and... phew, it was as hilarious and marvelous as the first four.
So, series ups and downs aside, if you're ready, keep scrolling for January's Top Three Reads!
Note: If you're interested in grabbing any of these books for yourself, a tap on that title link or the cover will take you to the book's page on Amazon, or you can always look for the book at your local library.
First up, Some Brutally Hilarious Games
by Caimh McDonnell
This was absolute hilarity!
Paul's elderly friend Dorothy has died. Her jerk face relatives are hoping Dorothy's will leaves them rich. But Dorothy has a trick up her sleeve: an elaborate, silly, and tortuous series of games of which the winner gets all. And Paul's included amongst the contestants. Oh, and he also has to figure out who killed Dorothy while having no means of contacting the world outside the game setting.
Yes, the premise of this is silly and ridiculous, but that's what makes it so funny. And given the idiotic game shows on TV these days, it's really not a stretch to see something like this playing out.
The horrible, embarrassing, and downright brutal paces McDonnell puts his characters through adds to both how much I ended up rooting for Paul and his girlfriend Brigit (who is his partner in the games) and how much I wanted to keep on reading (well, listening) to find out what god-awful things happened to them next. And I loved watching the relationship between Paul and Brigit grow as they both fight through a few insecurities (and less "cute" problems) during the games.
The games themselves could have made a decent story, but the murder mystery, worked on by retired police detective Jimmy Stewart, truly fleshed things out into an intriguing, keep-'em-guessing (and keep 'em laughing) tale.
While this can be read as a standalone, it does help to have read Camih's Last Orders (or other Bunny McGarry books) so you have a better understanding of who the characters are.
All in all, if you're looking for plenty of hearty laughs (and sometimes a cringe), a cast of wonderfully developed characters, a clever story device, and a good ol' murder mystery, this one's for you.
Next, we have those bungled boat races
by Jodi Taylor
You know how some series get pretty mundane by the fifth book (sometimes sooner)? Jokes become stale, plot lines seem stuck on repeat, the characters no longer surprise you., etc.
Not with the Chronicles of St. Mary's! Each book is a page-turning historical-science-fictional-comical adventure while leaving just enough room for warmth and heart and plenty of surprises along the way.
Also, by this point, I'm pretty sure Maxwell is just walking scar tissue held together with tea.
This installment of the series takes the team of tea-soaked misfits through the Great Fire of London, the stand off at Thermopylae, and, well, a rather haphazard boat race.
And finally, a bunny-based classic
by Richard Adams & James Sturm
This was a stunning adaptation of a classic novel, and all the more stunning because Watership Down is such an in-depth tale with loads of setting work, an array of characters, and a pretty thick plot line. Because of that, the graphic novel does have to trim some things (hence "adaptation" not "scene by scene playback"), but I honestly didn't feel anything was lost in the telling.
That said, I have consumed this story in many forms and many times since I was a kid (and have cried at the end every damn time!). I've read the novel several times, nearly overdosed on the movie as a kid, and just recently listened to the audiobook. All that means, I KNOW this story in and out and sideways, but I do feel a reader new to Adams's rabbity world would enjoy the graphic novel if they don't have the patience to wade through the original version.
The art and layout throughout perfectly sets the tone of the various scenes, from bucolic to violent. The only complaint I had was that some of the side character rabbits were tough to distinguish from each other.
Overall, if you're a Watership addict like me, this is definitely a version to add to your repertoire. If you've tried the novel but found it too dense, this could be a great way to introduce yourself to the world of Watership...and then maybe go back to the novel at some point because it is far richer than the graphic novel.
Have you read any of these? What did you think? Did you anything great this past month, or anything horrible you might want to warn me away from? Be sure to drop a comment to let me know.
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Already read those? Looking for something fantastical to read?
That's right, it's book bundle time.
The first bundle is for anyone who is sick of "kissing books" and would rather see a story about friends or found families banding together for fantastical adventures.
The second bundle, well, you know how you fall into a fantasy world and just want to stay there for a while? That's what this one, featuring only books in a series, is all about.
As ever, simply browsing these bundles to see what our weird indie author brains have created is a huge support.
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