Review | The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

I’m still struggling to understand why this book is called The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender when Ava doesn’t appear until about the 50% mark.

Also: Why is Ava narrating her mother’s, grandmother’s, and great-grandmother’s sex life?

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What happens?

The Roux family is a little different.

Daughters that turn into birds.

Strange-eyed children.

Keen noses.

Silent geniuses.

Tragedy and heartbreak.

But, perhaps the strangest of them all is Ava Lavender — who was born with wings.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is a magic-realism multi-generational saga … something in the spirit of One Hundred Years of Solitude. The story darts between past and present – following Ava and her eccentric relatives as they navigate the world, love desire, abuse, and loss.

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What I liked:

Ehhhh … The writing, I guess? It’s pretty. Meandering and dream-like.

The relationship between Ava and Rowe. It was cute. Like, really cute. The book should have gone there.

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What I didn’t like:

The story. I confess: This was a skim read for me. I managed to make it through the first few chapters … then I got bored. There was a ton of character development, but not enough actually happening to keep me interested.

The story is less about Ava — who has the potential for a grand tale — and more about her ancestors and their struggles. The plots are grim: tragedy, tragedy, and more tragedy. Combined with characters I couldn’t relate to … well. Yeah. Definitely a skim.

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Favourite quote:

The first of many autumn rains smelled smoky, like a doused campsite fire, as if the ground itself had been aflame during those hot summer months. It smelled like burnt piles of collected leaves, the cough of a newly revived chimney, roasted chestnuts, the scent of a man’s hands after hours spent in a wood shop.

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Final thoughts:

According to GoodReads, this is a great book: 41% of it’s ratings are 5-star. People rave about its prose and message and characters … and, I believe them. I think this has all the components of a great book.

It just wasn’t a great book for me.

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The details:

• The Book: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
• Published: 2014, Candlewick Press
• My Copy: Library copy
• Read date: October 19, 2020
• Rating/5: 🦅

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Hello, friends! I’m back! (Woot!) I spent the last three days visiting with family: winterizing the garden, eating food, and chatting with my parents. I’m not feeling entirely myself yet — but, I’m a solid 90%. Can’t wait to get started with the week.

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What did I finish last week?

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Not a ton of reading this past week … but, I absolutely loved The Immortals. If you’re a Percy Jackson fan — and are looking for a Greek-inspired adult fantasy — then this is the series for you.

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What am I reading currently?

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Three Hallowe’en-ish reads on the go right now … or, at least three books that deal with life or death. All are highly enjoyable.

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What are you reading?

Review | The Little Snake by A. L. Kennedy

You know those books that you start expecting one thing … and it turns out to be the complete opposite?

… but it’s OK, because it’s magical and wonderful and might have (maybe) made you cry a bit?

Ladies and gentlemen: I give you The Little Snake.

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What happens?

The Little Snake is a fairy tale-esque novella that tells the story of Mary and her friend Lanmo.

Lanmo, who is a little golden snake.

Lanmo, who has a lovely speaking voice, a fierce sense of loyalty, and who may or may not actually be a death god.

Mary meets Lanmo while playing in her garden one day. He’s impressed by her spirit, imagination, and kindness … and the fact that Mary is the first person able to see her.

The two become fast friends — and Lanmo comes back to visit her often across the years. Mary grows, while Lanmo learns what it is to love, suffer, and be human.

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What I liked:

The writing. The Little Snake is one of those books that read like a fairy tale: whimsical and rhythmic; hopeful, but with a dark undercurrent.

Lanmo. Oh, he is a total joy. If death gods are like Lanmo, none of us have anything to fear. Factoid: I learned after finishing the book that Lanmo is inspired by the snake in The Little Prince.

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What I didn’t like:

The pacing. The start of this novella is gorgeous. It’s slow and thoughtful, and we get to learn a lot. But, then it’s over. The last 20-ish pages see 60-80 years of Mary’s life flash by.

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Favourite quote:

Mary told him quietly, “Love is a terrible thing.”

“So it seems,” whispered Lanmo. “But it is also wonderful.”

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Final thoughts:

Despite its fairy tale-like structure, I wouldn’t call this a children’s book. Sure: the language is gorgeous and child-friendly, but the humour, themes, and philosophy are … well, profound. This is one of those books that should be read – and should be pondered – and should be re-read. It is one of those books that will sit with you for many, many days after.

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The details:

• The Book: The Little Snake by A. L. Kennedy
• Published: 2018, Canongate Books
• My Copy: Library copy
• Read date: October 10-13, 2020
• Rating/5: 🐍🐍🐍🐍

T10T | Books I Read Because Someone Recommended Them to Me

Happy Tuesday, y’all! Today’s Top 10 Tuesday is books I read because someone recommended them to me.

A lot of my books are recommended to me in one way or another … so, to narrow things down a bit, I’m featuring books recommended by librarians and/or independent bookstore clerks. These are two amazing bookish resources that definitely need to be celebrated.

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Review | The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

This was … weird.

I normally don’t read epic fantasy, so I don’t have much to compare The Cloud Roads against. But, for now, “weird” feels like the best descriptor.

For the record: it was also fun and fast-paced.

But mostly weird.

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What happened?

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The Cloud Roads is the first book in the Raksura Trilogy, which tells the story of Moon — a shape-shifting … well, thing … with no knowledge of what he is or where he comes from. He moves from village to village, hiding his true nature … else risk the wrath of the locals.

Moon is … not exactly thriving, but definitely surviving, when it all goes wrong. He’s attacked by a giant monster; his lover discovers his identity; and the villagers try to kill him by feeding him to a giant … bird … thing.

As being eaten by a giant … bird … thing would put a damper on the plot (and the two sequels), Moon is saved in the nick of time. He learns that he’s a Raksura, and that there are others like him out there.

And that they’re in trouble.

And that they need his help.

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What I liked:

The world building. Kinda. I mean, it’s a super unique setting … completely without people, but with a number of sentient/quasi-sentient creatures. To quote N. K. Jemisin:

This is a rich, complex, plausibly exotic fantasy world like nothing on earth, described so vividly that I’d love to go visit it. (Except I’d get eaten in 5 minutes.) Moon’s people are one of the most intelligently-constructed fantasy races I’ve seen in awhile — science fictionally so, though the story manages to retain the wonder and magic of fantasy.

All that said: there were some things that could have definitely used more description. Nearly 300 pages later, I still have no idea what a grasseater is. (A cow? A deer? An antelope? A camel? Something in-between?)

It’s an easy read. The book was immersive, with a fast-paced plot and pretty simple structure. I finished it in less than a day.

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What I didn’t like:

The names. Moon. Branch. River. Petal. Flower. Balm. Stone. Indigo. Cloud. Star. Chime. Pearl. Jade. Amber. The Raksura name their “clutches” after things. The result is a book stuffed full with characters who blur together into a dizzying mass of nouns … undifferentiated and impossible to keep track of. And. there. are. so. many. of. them.

The feminism. The Raksura live in a matriarchal society, where the queens bear children and govern the group. Male consorts are bred to be shy, polite, and passive. While the idea seems like a feminist story, it felt shallow … Wells just flipped the gender roles, rather than challenging the idea of sexist/gender-based social structures.

The story. The unique part of this book is its world building. The story itself? It’s your standard misfit-protagonist plus hero-goes-on-quest plus bad-guys-want-to-take-over-the-world plot.

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Final thoughts:

A solid three-stars … which is lower than the GoodReads rating (3.97/5), but feels fair. There’s a lot to like about this book, though it’s far from perfect. If you’re looking for a solid, odd, epic fantasy romp, then this one is for you.

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The details:

• The book: The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
• Published: 2011, Night Shade Books
• I read … a library copy
• Rating/5: 🦇🦇🦇

Personal | If you go out to the woods tonight …

Hello, friends 😔

I briefly wrote last week that a friend of mine had gone missing on a hike. After an intense week, search and rescue has been forced to abandon the hunt. The conditions are treacherous, and they don’t have any solid leads.

Being this close to a missing person case — even peripherally — has been awful. I don’t see myself delighting in a mystery novel for a long, long time. There are so many What ifs? and Maybes? floating around. There is so much sadness, sorrow, and anger. And there is so much loss.

At this point, many things are out of our control. We are forced to sit with the knowledge that he probably isn’t coming off that mountain – not today, or tomorrow, or perhaps ever. Instead, there will be vigils, memorials, scholarships, and memories.

This experience has taught me much about community, family, and the amazing volunteer search and rescue personnel. I am thankful for all of them.

I would urge everyone to please – please – please – please practice wilderness safety whenever you go out. Even if it’s a 1-hour walk on a local mountain.

Notify friends/family of where you are going and when you will be back.

Take pictures of your gear and clothing, and send it to loved ones.

Don’t go alone.

Bring proper gear for conditions. Pack a first aid kit, thermal blanket, extra food, and a flare gun.

Attach a RECCO reflector. Bring a GPS locator, like a SPOT.

Don’t over-estimate your skills. (And give nature the respect it deserves.)

You don’t want to be lost out there. You don’t want to put your family/friends through the absolute devastation of having to drive off that mountain without you.

Review | Fangs by Sarah Anderson

Alright, folks! We are 13 days away from Hallowe’en! It’s time to break out the horror books.

And by “horror books”, I mean a romantic horror-themed comic.

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What happens?

Fangs is a webcomic-turned-book by Sarah Anderson – yup, that Sarah Anderson.

Where Sarah’s Scribbles is silly and whimsical, Fangs is decidedly more gothic – both in its style and content. The comic tells the story of a vampire and werewolf who start dating … and all the associated ups and downs.

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What I liked:

The cuteness. Because, there’s a lot of it here. Elsie and Jimmy are pretty darn adorable.

The story. So much of modern horror culture pits vampires against werewolves. Fangs offers a nice challenge, and documents all the ways they might get along.

The classic horror. There are no sparkly vampires here.

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What I didn’t like:

The length. Gah! It’s so short! Not just the book itself, but the individual panels. Fangs reads like a series of ultra-short episodic vignettes. I never felt totally immersed in the story, and was left wanting much, much more.

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Final thoughts:

I’m so glad I discovered Fangs: I definitely needed the cuteness and escape after this week. I’d 10/10 recommend checking it out from your library — especially as we edge closer to Hallowe’en.

Would I recommend purchasing this book? Ehh … If you like Sarah Anderson, then yes: support a fun and creative artist. If you aren’t a die-hard fan, then borrow a copy from a friend or the library. (Or, check out the web comic.) It’s cute … but, it’s a fast read, and probably not one that you’ll find yourself re-reading.

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The details:

• The Book: Fangs by Sarah Anderson
• Published: 2020, Andrews McMeel Publishing
• My Copy: Library copy
• Read date: October 14, 2020
• Rating/5:

Review | Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sometimes you just need a comfort read …

In case you were wondering, Sorcery of Thorns is just as good the third time around as it was the first and second.

Magic.

Books.

The romance between Nathaniel and Elizabeth.

Silas.

Victorian tea parties.

Banter.

Sigh. Exactly what I needed after struggling with The Glass Hotel.

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The details:

The book: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Read dates: October 11-12, 2020
Rating: 📖📖📖📖📖

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Read my full review here!

Blogtober | Day 16: The end of a hard week

This was a hard week … which sucks to write, especially since it started off so well.

My aunt died last night after a long battle with cancer.

I have two patients who I’m involved with — peripherally, but still involved — who are moving to palliative care. It’s part of life. But, jeez.

One of my university friends — someone who I lived with for a year, and is an absolutely wonderful person — went missing on a hike. It’s been seven days. It’s snowed. It’s not good.

It hasn’t all been bad: I had some nice breakthroughs with patients; spent time outdoors; and have connected with friends. My family is doing well. My little nephew is growing like a weed.

There are things out there that are good. Still, my heart feels heavy.

My plan for Friday night is to make a nest and retreat from the world with a warm blanket, book, and cup of tea. I feel like something new, — something fast-paced, not too deep, and a bit silly — so might try to tackle either The Serpent Sea or Battle Born … or, maybe now is a good time to break out Solutions and Other Problems.

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Tomorrow is a mix of work and play — including a socially distanced visit with friends. I’ll be OK. For now, we cope.

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What do you have planned this weekend?

Review | The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

DNF at 15%.

Life is too short to read boring books.

I read Station Eleven last year — which, admittedly, was a slow book … but, was also an epic book. It struck me as unique – thoughtful – and gorgeously written. I loved its atmosphere and wild beauty.

Like Station Eleven, The Glass Hotel is a gorgeous book. Really, it’s gorgeous.

I also found it mind-blowingly dull.

I couldn’t connect with any of the characters or their stories — their motivations and behaviours were so bizarre — and the central conflict (the 2008 financial crisis, a ponzi scheme) is one of the least interesting things … well, ever. I couldn’t bring myself to care.

My final irk was the setting. I’m from the west coast — I’m a local — and nothing about the place described in the book resonated as “home”. I’m not sure which Vancouver Island / Vancouver St. John Mandel visited to do her research … but, it certainly wasn’t mine.

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The details:

• The Book: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
• Published: 2020, HarperCollins Publishers
• My Copy: Library copy
• Read date: October 3-8, 2020
• Rating/5: DNF