Under the Whispering Door: 11/30/23

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune (2021) is a slow, quiet, melancholy and sometimes funny look at life and death. Wallace dies unexpectedly, the day after firing a woman who desperately needs her job. Wallace, though, now has to contend with attending his own funeral and being stuck in a teashop with a reaper (Mei), a ferryman (Hugo), a ghost (Nelson), and a dog (Apollo).

Like The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020), this novel has a slow build. After the inciting incident (Wallace's death), the novel settles into being a slice of the afterlife as Wallace learns how to unexpect his death and thus manifest his powers as a ghost. Wallace also spends a lot of time contemplating the nature of the universe and the rules behind life, death, and crossing over.

Wallace also finds his purpose in life — a little late — and feelings. He hadn't been a very mindful person when he was alive but death has changed him. Especially through his conversations with Nelson does he get the therapy he's probably needed for years.

If Terry Pratchett were to have written Bleach (2001), it would read something like Under the Whispering Door. Instead of Hollows, there are Husks, as Hugo calls them. Where the Hollows can only be vanquished, Husks can find redemption — and the how and why of that is a big part of Wallace's growth.

The novel also happens to sit on the Road Narrative Spectrum. As novel also has a romantic side plot, the travelers are a couple (33). The destination is uhoria (CC) in that time can stand still in the tea shop, and the dead spend a lot of time contemplating the past (their lives) and the future (what will happen when they go through the door at the top of the stairs). The route there is the cornfield/tkaronto (FF) as represented both by the forest that surrounds the tea shop and the tea itself.

Five stars

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Yellow Kayak: 11/29/23

Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden and Melissa Castrillón (Illustrator) (2018) is the tale of a child, their friend and a trip in a kayak through calm and rough waters. The story is conveyed through minimalist poetry and luscious illustrations by an English-Colombian artist.

Although there are fantasy elements (the giraffish looking companion), the scenery and story are clearly drawn from Nina Laden's island life in the Salish sea on the Washington State side of things. Like the author, the child lives on a small island. There are fish and seals, and gulls, squid, and whales among the familiar sea life.

The illustrations, though clearly inspired by Puget Sound, have the organic whimsy of vintage Dr. Seuss. I am most reminded of McElligot's Pool (1947), except that this one is more centered on nature and environment.

Five stars

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Killer Run: 11/28/23

Killer Run by Lynn Cahoon and Susan Boyce (Narrator) (2015) is the fifth book in the Tourist Trap mystery series. Jill Gardener has been pressured into sponsoring a 5K race through her seaside town. When her aunt's boyfriend collapses from heat exhaustion, he stumbles over the body of the race's organizer.

It becomes clear fairly early into the investigation that the event organizing company was a sham. It was along the lines of Professor Harold Hill's think system or the rampant embezzling that starts of Moonlighting. In the middle of all of this, Jill notices that the travel agent has gone missing.

As I've mentioned before, I read a ton of mysteries, especially in recent years. I'm pretty good at recognizing patterns in these books, meaning I often figure out the gist of the mystery well before the main character does. That was certainly the case here.

Nonetheless, I am enjoying this series. I like how Jill's relationship with Greg is progressing. He's better than many of the sheriff boyfriends at keeping work and romance separate.

The sixth book is Murder on Wheels (2016)

Five stars

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Take the Honey and Run: 11/24/23

Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts and Cris Dukehart (Narrator) (2023) is the start of the Bee Keeping mystery series. Bailey Briggs, author of murder mysteries has brought her teenaged daughter to Humble Hills after her grandmother suffered a bad fall. Shortly after arriving, the mayor is murdered and it looks like grandma's honey is the murder weapon.

Like the mayor in A Flock and a Fluke by Hillary Avis (2020), Humble Hills's mayor is corrupt. He though, was far worse than Honeytree's. After decades in control through blackmail and who knows what else, clearly someone had had enough.

Although there's potentially an entire mountain town's worth of murderers, the initial set up reminded me of the typical Death in Paradise mystery. From the large pool of suspects, there's really only a half dozen at most. A reader familiar with that kind of mystery will spot the killer well before Bailey does.

But it's fun seeing Bailey and her hometown BFF attack sleuthing with the knowledge of Jessica Fletcher but the common sense of Lucy and Ethel.

Five stars

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Shot Through the Hearth: 11/24/23

Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle and and Angela Starling (Narrator) (2019) is the seventh book in the Fixer-Upper mystery series. Raphael Nash has an ambitious project for his house and land and has hired Shannon Hammer and her crew to do the transformation. After months of work, with the end in sight, Rafe's ex-business partner is murdered, his body left at the site of the new barn.

Although the entire story covers about nine months construction time, the actual mystery is set within that last week or so, during the first of many environmental conferences Rafe has planned on his property. Unfortunately writing scientists isn't one of the author's strong suits. The ones she focuses on most as either victims or suspects all come off as caricatures rather than people who happen to be scientists.

Yes, there are snobs amongst scientists just as there are in any group or profession. There are some hyper-focused ones too who are otherwise introverts. But like any other facet of society, most scientists are neurotypical.

The mystery itself then wasn't that hard to figure out. Unfortunately their motives stem from a mixture of misunderstanding on how corporate patents work and a lack of nuance for caricaturization.

The eighth book is Premeditated Mortar (2020).

Three stars

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Lo and Behold: 11/22/23

Lo and Behold by Wendy Mass and Gabi Mendez (Illustrator) (2023) is about friendships made through augmented and virtual reality. Addie and her father have moved temporarily to a college town so he can help some computer science students with their grants.

Addie who is still coming to terms with the aftermath of her mother's horrific accident ends up finding a well needed distraction as a beta tester for the various augmented and virtual reality projects.

Through the projects, Addie also befriends a boy her age. Together they learn about grief. Both have their own stories of loss, of upset. Neither one has the spoons to fully describe their personal stories but they eventually get there and through that process end up creating their own VR device to help cancer patients.

All of this is set against one more interesting detail, the moon trees. Although I am old enough to have seen the moon trees originally planted I was too young to remember them. The back of the book explains more about the moon trees and why they are included in the story.

Finally, the book comes with it's own augmented reality experience. Anyone interested in seeing how it's used with the book can get the QR codes from Wendy Mass's website.

Five stars

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A Scatter of Light: 11/21/23

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo (2022) is set in the North Bay in the year that same sex marriage was approved. Aria Tang has found herself at her grandmother's place after topless photographs of her were posted on social media.

Lo's novel has a very strong sense of place and time. The location is so accurately described that she apologizes in the afterword for a few moments of artistic license she's taken with locations. With so much time and effort spent on creating a realistic depiction of one sliver of the Bay Area, the novel itself settles comfortably into being a YA slice of life.

Beyond the inciting event and Aria's own muddled feelings, there's not a lot of drama in this novel. It's a slow, contemplative piece that is serene at times and messy at others. Aria's emotions run hot and cold too and because of her youth she misreads many situations as she's trying to figure herself out.

On average I take a couple days to read a book. This one took a week because it just wanted to be read at a slower, more contemplative pace.

Five stars

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The Mysteries: 11/19/23

The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht (Illustrator) (2023) is a graphic novel or picture book for adults. At first glance it's a dark fantasy about an unknown threat. At second glance it's a parable for man's ongoing abuse of the world and the species' collective arrogance at the cost of everything precious.

Bill Watterson is best known for his comic, Calvin and Hobbes which ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. This one is stylistically different — darker and less whimsical — but touches on similar themes.

The black and white illustrations by John Kascht have a similar style to Dave McKean. There's an edge and mystery to each piece.

Five stars

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A Flock and a Fluke: 11/17/23

A Flock and a Fluke by Hillary Avis and Kitty Hendrix (Narrator) (2020) is the second book in the Clucks and Clues mystery series. With Easter approaching, the town of Honeytree is hosting its first ever Egg Scramble, a treasure hunt for adults. In the process of tracking down the most valuable of the eggs, Leona finds the body of the pastor's wife.

Leona wasn't planning on investigating the woman's death. She's forced to when the small town rumor mill convinces everyone that the woman died of food poisoning from eating Leona's eggs. To save her egg farm, she has to solve the murder and prove that her chickens are innocent.

The mystery itself was straightforward. What kept me reading was Leona's drive to keep her egg farm going despite all the set backs. She has a sudden lack of customers, someone reporting her farm for violations, and the threat of new neighbors who want her to close her chicken farm because the coop obstructs their view.

The third book is A Roost and Arrest (2020).

Five stars

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My Dear Henry: 11/16/23

My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron (2023) is a retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886). In the afterword Bayron mentions how when she first read the novel she was struck with the strong homophobic themes. So that's what she went with, and to further explore the sense of otherness, made the protagonist and Jekyll both Black medical students.

Utterson, a lawyer in the original, here is also a medical student, facing pressure from his father to succeed in a world that's set up to prevent him from being anything beyond a hauler of bodies. Henry Jekyll, as also a student, is studying in the shadow of his father who has managed to get a teaching position at the university through extraordinary means.

Soon after the men meet, the university conspires to keep them apart. Jekyll's father is let go and his son is expelled. Utterson, soon finds himself in a horrible, abusive job.

It's against the setting of Jekyll's disappearance and Utterson's untenable situation that the majority of this retelling is set. The set up is slower than the original, partially to reestablish the characters and partially to build up the historic setting.

Honestly, I was hoping for a greater divergence from the source material. That said, I appreciate where the author was coming from, especially after reading the afterword.

Four stars

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Batter Off Dead: 11/14/23

Batter Off Dead by Maddie Day and Laural Merlington (Narrator) (2022) is the tenth book in the Country Store mystery series. Robbie and Abe are married. They attend the South Lick 4th of July fireworks together with some friends and at the end of the show, Vi Perkell is dead, killed in the exact manner Buck's mother was killed years before.

At the heart of this mystery is a long run, semi-corrupt knitting club. The organization has the problems that so many older clubs that have gotten too small to avoid conflicts of interest have.

The complexity of the crime, its ties to older crimes, and the detached, almost emotionless demeanor of so many of those directly involved in Vi's death brings to mind Patricia Highsmith's mysteries. I'm especially reminded of Strangers on a Train (1950) — the book, not the movie which has some significant differences.

On the personal front, I love how solid Robbie and Abe's relationship is. At no point in this mystery did the events surrounding Vi's death or Robbie's investigation threaten their partnership and trust / devotion to each other. Abe and she are separate people, equals in the relationship and confident enough in each other to completely trust one and other even when extraordinary events intercede.

The eleventh book is Four Leaf Cleaver (2023)

Five stars

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Overdue or Die: 11/12/23

Overdue or Die by Allison Brook and Mia Gaskin (Narrator) (2023) is the seventh book in the Haunted Library mystery series. Carrie Singleton should be planning her wedding, or at least the engagement party, but she's preoccupied with the death of Martha Mallory, the woman who ran the local art gallery.

Martha's death is only the first. The murders seem to be tied up in an art forgery ring that was run, at least locally, out of the gallery. So Carrie has to learn about forgeries vs legitimate copies, and the reasons for both.

There's also a slide plot involving a lawyer who swindled a woman out of her property. Although the woman is suffering from dementia, the story of her house is the one piece of information that never wavers.

For the most part I enjoyed this mystery. Carrie and Dylan's wedding planning doesn't detract nor does it fall into hackneyed gender roles.

Where things fell apart for me was the inclusion of organized crime. Crime families just aren't my thing. They so often end up being omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. Yes, they're connected but they are too big of a bad for the average amateur sleuth.

Four stars

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Assorted Entanglements, Volume 1: 11/11/23

Assorted Entanglements, Volume 1 by Mikanuji (2021) is about an odd couple who move in together after a one night stand. As each volume focuses on a different couple, each book is a standalone.

This one focuses on Lori who was dumped by yet another married man. She ends up hooking up with her server, Minami, who grew up in a group home. She's had a rough life but she's loyal.

As the initial coupling happens within the first chapter, the remainder of the book is mostly slice of life and very episodic. There's not a lot of plot here but it's a quick read, good for reading over breakfast as I did.

Four stars

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Spinning in Her Grave: 11/09/23

Spinning in Her Grave by Molly MacRae and Emily Durante (Narrator) (2014) is the third book in the Haunted Yarn Shop mystery series. Blue Plum's historic district is gearing up for an annual historic reenactment involving rustlers and loose pigs. The man in charge this year wants to use the attic room of Kath's yarn shop but she refuses.

Meanwhile, it becomes abundantly clear that there is something shady about Reva Louise Snapp, the half sister of two of Kath's friends. Unfortunately before Kath or anyone else can ask her about her actions, she's shot dead outside the Tent of Wonders.

So Kath is once again thrust into the unpleasant work of investigating a murder. She does have her TGIF crew to help, as well as the ghost who has taken up residence in the yarn shop.

The set up to this particular mystery was a complex one, especially with all the half siblings and their extended families. That said, I did manage to figure things out before Kath. It was a fun and sometimes suspenseful mystery to listen to.

The next book in the series is Plagued by Quilt (2014).

Five stars

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Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia: 11/07/23

Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia by Barbara Sandri et al. (2021) at only eighty pages and heavily illustrated, is however, one of the most informative and entertaining books about chickens I've ever read.

Included in the book are the usual descriptions of popular breeds, but somehow with more breeds and more info on each one than the average intro to chickens. For breeds that have variations, those are included. There is also an extensive description with multiple charts of a chicken's anatomy from feathers, outside parts and organs, and even wings.

If you're at all inclined to keep chickens, the book includes four pages dedicated to the type of housing and run your chickens will need. The illustrations accompanying it are as intricate and interesting as those in a Richard Scary book.

Anyway, from start to finish, it's an absolutely delightful and informative book.

Five stars

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Tide and Punishment: 11/06/23

Tide and Punishment by Bree Baker and Thérèse Plummer (Narrator) (2019) is the third Seaside Cafe mystery series. It's nearly Christmas but Everly Swan is busy defending her Great-Aunt Fran who is accused of murdering the mayor.

The mystery as well as the holiday celebrations are set against an unusually cold and snowy winter on Charm Island. Like here, the Outer Banks aren't used to snow and aren't well set up for that kind of weather. The added danger of snow and ice helped set the tone for this mystery.

Along with the weather there's the problem of the gnomes. They had been her Aunt Clara's project the last many months. And now they've been stolen and are turning up smashed and defaced, used as warnings to avoid investigating the case.

The mystery itself, beyond the hair raising climax was pretty straight forward. I figured it out well before Everly and I suspect the average observant reader will too.

The fourth book is A Call for Kelp (2020).

Five stars

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Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright: 11/04/23

Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright by Chris Riddell (2015) is the third of the Goth Girl books. Ada is excited to see her friend again but is also distracted by the upcoming Literary Dog Show being hosted at Ghastly-Gorm Hall.

Ada didn't really have much presence in this volume, despite being the main character of the series. Instead of her helping out (minus knitting for some monkeys), the book spends its time parading through a large cast of characters who are parodies of historical figures.

Every Chris Riddell book I've read has had puns and parodies. It's what he does. I know that. And characters with funny but informative names is a long standing literary tradition. I know that too.

But— this volume felt indulgent. It's just there to be an extended forum to showcase Riddell's parodies. The plot is nearly absent beyond people with funny names show up. People eat dinner. People compete. Plot happens. Book ends. Put more bluntly, volume three is a five page short story with 195 pages of filler. It's not even that entertaining of filler.

The final book is Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony (2017)

Three stars

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Musseled Out: 11/03/23

Musseled Out by Barbara Ross and Dara Rosenberg (Narrator) (2015) is the third book in the Maine Clambake mystery series. Time has run out on the season and Julia Snowden has to decide whether she's going to stay or go back to her job in New York. She's distracted by the discovery of a drowned man trapped under a free floating lobster boat.

With the summer clambake season almost over, this book's focus turns towards the industry that makes those tourist events possible: lobstering. Although the lobster industry is an ongoing detail in the Lucy Stone mysteries, far more effort and detail is put into describing how lobstering works and the culture around it.

I liked that this one wasn't centered again at the Snowden family business. It was refreshing to see a crime located somewhere else. Julia's interest in solving it is a stalling tactic as she avoids deciding which path to take.

The fourth book is Fogged Inn (2016).

Five stars

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A Likely Story: 11/02/23

A Likely Story by Jenn McKinlay and Allyson Ryan (Narrator) (2015) is the sixth book in the Library Lovers mystery series. Lindsey Norris and Sully find a body when they set out to deliver books to a pair of shut in brothers. Now the other brother is missing. Did he do it or is he in danger?

This volume returns to the many islands that make up the Thumb Islands. This one is remote and privately owned by a pair of brothers who live in their family mansion and their hoards of junk. To make things more treacherous, they are known to have boobytrapped the island and the house.

Just as most slasher stories that involve taxidermy, cross dressing, or cannibalism stem from Ed Gein, hoarding siblings in old houses all stem from Homer and Langley Collyer. The only difference here is that the brothers haven't had a chance to be killed and/or entombed by their junk. Instead, someone has killed the one and is threatening the other.

I'm not a fan of stories derived from either source. The temptation to rework the sorted details to fit the newest fiction does a disservice to the new story. This version is no different. Put simply, this mystery is clunky.

On top of the derivative mystery, there's also the on-going romantic triangle. Robbie spends most of the book out of town, allowing things to settle and recover between Lindsey and Sully. If only he could have stayed away. Nope. At the end he's back and claiming he's divorced.

Three stars

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October 2023 Sources: 11/02/23

October was a hard month and busy month. With my time commitment to the Sun Gallery as well as my own art business, I have basically put my Road Narrative Spectrum project on hold. You can see that by the fact I reviewed none this month and only read one.

In October I read 18 TBR books, up one from the previous month. Two books were published in October. One book was for research and there were no review copies. None were from the library. My ROOB score for September is -3.86, up from -4.74. It is my second best October in fourteen years of tracking.

The current year's data is represented by a triangle on the graph below.

I predicted a -4.5 for October. My actual score was higher because I read two new books. For October, I'm predicting a -3.75 as there are some new audiobooks I want to listen to.

My average for October improved, going from -2.42 to -2.53.

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October 2023 Summary: 11/01/23

October was my solo show at Snappy's Cafe. But I was kept busy with three commissions, two of which I am still working on. The first one has been delivered. Unfortunately a dear friend of mine, a high school student whom I've known since she was in preschool passed away unexpectedly from an undiagnosed disease. I have a project inspired by her life but need to work through my current projects first. All of this work and grief meant I was reading much slower than I wanted.

I read two more books in October as September, 21, up from 19. Of my read books, eleven were diverse and four were queer. I reviewed 20 books, down by two from the previous month. On the reviews front, eleven were diverse and three were queer.

I have 19 books left to review of of the 238 I've read.

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