The Teller of Small Fortunes

This was such a sweet and cozy fantasy novel. Tao is a teller of small fortunes, and while technically she has the sight of a seer, she chooses to only focus on small fortunes. It's safer for her and those around her to keep the fortunes small, big things like war, death, and betrayal can leave a mark and make her even more feared than she already is. The thing is, Tao is Shinn. And most Eshterans are wary of Shinn and other who came across from the sea. It's a lonely existence for Tao who travels from town to town in her wagon. She never stays in a place long enough to wear out her welcome. Suddenly though she gains some traveling companions and their lives are about to intersect in the most magical way. Charming, sweet, and great character building. I loved watching the friendships blossom. 

Scales of Destiny

Prince Kaeleron is more than just a prince, behind those misty blue eyes lies a secret that only his family knows, he has the ability to transform into a fearsome dragon. His mother insists upon secrecy, but after a late night flight, an eagle eyed thief recognizes his unique eyes. Vitani saw those eyes once before, when she was fleeing from the palace after a thwarted attempt to steal a rare and valuable item from the castle vault. Rather than be repulsed by the prince and his secret, Vitani finds herself captivated. The two have a bond that they can't escape, no matter how hard the queen tries to keep them apart. They soon find that the castle is more filled with foes than family and must fight to remain together. Filled with adventure, magic, betrayal, and romance; this short story fantasy (less than 150 pages) will appeal to readers who are in the mood for a good fantasy novel without wanting to commit to 400+ page book or long series. As an added bit of interest, Karen D. Perry is a Johnson County author, who calls Whiteland her home. This is her debut novel.

The Man No One Believed

2.5 stars rounded up. This review does not reflect the heart of the story, which I think is worth learning about, but is more of a review on the readability of this true crime book. Joshua Sharpe explores the brutal double murder of Harold and Thelma Swain in their church in 1985 as well as the investigations that took places years after the fact that ended up putting an innocent man in prison for decades. Heartbreaking and unfathomable, this miscarriage of justice is all too familiar to many in the south who have been wrongly convicted. The Man No One Believed is true crime story and a damning indictment of American injustice, I just wish I had been more engaged with the writing. I feel bad giving this book a low rating, but it didn't grab me. Excellent research and a story worth knowing, maybe just listen to a podcast or a summary of it though. 

The Au Pair Affair

The premise of this book was so fun and I enjoyed the first half, I just completely checked out the second half. Pro hockey star, Burgess, is in a bind. He and his ex-wife co-parent their vivacious 12 year old and hockey season is about to start. Burgess has hired his best friend's fiancé to be a live in au pair and the two are wildly attracted to each other. Which is a problem because he is eleven years her senior and most importantly, her boss. Despite a rocky start, Tallulah, fits right in to their family unit and it's hard to imagine life without her there. When things start to get hot and heavy between them, everything they worked so hard to build comes crumbling down around them. I was very annoyed because Burgess, kept lamenting that life wasn't worth living without Tallulah and there was no point in going on. Sir! You have a child that adores you! His daughter was never at the forefront of his decisions and that pissed me off. It ruined the ending for me. I didn't even want them to get back together (spoiler). I'll still keep on with the series, but I am glad this one is behind me!

The Spellshop

This was such a cute, cozy, and atmospheric fantasy novel. It was charming, fun, and pretty low stakes, exactly what I want in a cozy novel. Librarian, Kiela and her sentient spider plant Caz, have fled the capital city as rebels start to burn the buildings including the Great Library of Alyssium. She and Caz loaded up a boat with as many spell books as it can carry and have fled to the outer islands. With no idea where to go, Kiela decides that her remote home island is as good of a place as any. She hasn't been back to the island since she was 9 and not much has changed. The island is a little more weathered and battered than she remembers but her parent's cottage is there and she is ready to start a new life. Realizing that she needs to have a job so she can eat, she decides to make jam as the island doesn't have a library. She's used to being solitary but finds that island life comes with friends and hunky neighbors. Charming and oh so fun. 

Lifeguard

I honestly did not realize that this was a memoir until 3 chapters in. I just thought it was very conversational, lol. Lifeguard is a memoir by Janet Fash chronicling her life as a lifeguard in New York's Rockaway Beach. Starting as a peon and eventually working her way up to becoming the first female lifeguard chief of Rockaway Beach. Beginning in the 80s and up through the present day, this memoir explores the sexism, the wild parties, the hazing, the lifesaving, and the corrupt culture behind the lifeguard union. It's a love letter to Rockaway Beach even during worst moments. This memoir has a very conversational tone and is a quick read at under 250 pages. Each chapter focuses on a year or two so the book really does span decades. An interesting and in depth look at the complexities of lifeguarding. 

Kingdom of Waves

This was a quick little fantasy read that is the start of a new series. The Ophir have been repressed and subjected to what amounts as slavery for hundreds of years. You either work for the Laconians for minimum wages and struggle to fill your bellies, take to thieving, or are lucky enough to live on the one lone Ophir sanctuary, a mysterious floating city. Gin and Eban are both Ophir thieves and they've just been double crossed by the same man. They were able to steal some loot, including some enchanted reliquaries. Even though they don't know each other they both must work together to flee the city and try to find other Ophir. The two are about to discover that their actions have the potential to save the Ophir, if they are up to the challenge. Predictable, yet with enough action and excitement to keep you going. I predicted the "surprise" at the end immediately, but I am an adult reading teen literature so I can't be too mad. I would maybe continue on with the rest of the series. 

I Who Have Never Known Men

This book packed such a punch despite it's relatively short page count. This dystopian novel opens up with 40 women locked in a large cage in a bunker. Something happened in the world but none of them can recollect what. All they know is that not one of them know each other or why they are being held in captivity. There are always three guards patrolling to make sure they never touch one another, yell or hurt one another, or try to hurt themselves. It's a lonely existence. Especially for the child. The rest of the women or older, fully adult, but there is one child and this novel is through her eyes. She is desperately trying to understand what the world used to be like and to learn. It's such a boring existence and she is desperate for knowledge even if she can't even fully grasp what they are imparting on her. Haunting, solitary, and inspired. The prose and and understanding of our main protagonist is completely arresting. This novel is unlike anything I've ever read!

Fangirl Down

I enjoyed this audiobook, although the narrator was a bit much. The story was also over the top and mildly cringe, but I still somehow really liked it and am planning on reading the rest in the series. It was a light and mostly fluffy, with some pretty intense sex scenes that sprung up occasionally. Fangirl Down is about Josephine, a mega fan of pro golfer Welles Whitaker. Known to be a jerk, Welles has been super unpredictable and has slowly started tanking his career. The only one on his side is mega fan Josephine who cheers him on at all his Florida events. After a particularly rough day on the course he snaps at Josephine (the only one on the course cheering for him) and loses his last fan and his last reason for golfing. After going on a bender he decides to try and make it up to her and in the process finds a desire to help her. A hurricane floods Josephine's golf pro shot and she has no insurance. He offers to let her caddy for him so she can earn some money. As the two start to work together they find themselves extremely attached to one another and Welle's life really starts to turn around in a positive way. Cheesy but fun. 

Dear Missing Friend

I love epistolary novels and this was no exception. Irish immigrant Catherine McGuirk has high hopes for America. She longs to be a governess and embrace life in America. She eagerly writes her family back in Ireland, her childhood best friend, and Patrick, one of the people she bonded with on the voyage over. As the years pass she finds herself writing her brothers, new American friends, and soon a beau. She loses loved ones to whaling, the gold rush, and other nineteenth century ailments. Dear Missing Friend spans decades, friendships, and family and really illustrates what life was like in New York City in the mid to late nineteenth century. I also thought it was interesting that the author very loosely based this off her family's history. Unique and captivating! 

Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Explosive! Literally and figuratively. These books are such a fun ride. I love getting to learn more about the dungeons through Carl and Princess Donut's eyes. Laugh out loud fun, action packed, and weird as hell this series is perfect for those who love gaming, pop culture, and having a laugh. The quests that Carl and Princess Donut find themselves participating in are over the top weird and I loved every minute of this book. Give me the next one please! 

Taming the Heart

Definitely my least favorite of the series. It was a little too predictable and the slow burn wasn't as chef's kiss as the first two in this series. Sage takes a job as a business promoter for a ruff and rugged former bull riding star and it turns out he is the same man she had shamelessly flirted with months prior. Awkward. To make matter's worse, the person who she is supposed to report to her bosses sister and she's out all summer. So she finds herself alone on this ranch with her super smoking hot boss and he is totally off limits. Why you may ask? Because he's married to a country superstar who's out on tour. Sparks fly, but can they both remain true to themselves and not get tangled into each other? Predictable but still a fun read with lots of steam. 

Cleopatra

I just finished a re-read. Endlessly fascinating, but still somehow a slog. This book was hell to power through. 

In one word, fascinating. This biography delves into the world's most "wicked woman" and arguably the least understood woman. What little survives of her was written by men, Romans who would eventually annex Egypt and misremember, misattribute, and slander Cleopatra. What people remember about this bad-ass queen, is not her wit, fierceness, and shrewd leadership; rather they remember her as a beautiful seductress who managed to snag two of the most powerful men in the world. Stacy Schiff delves deep to set the record straight in this amazing (admittedly a little dense at times) biography. I always thought Cleopatra was cool (what little I knew about her), but after reading this I realized that she is the feminist boss babe I needed in my life right now. In her lifetime she sat a table of leaders, all men - and reigned supreme.