erinbookbug's reviews
84 reviews

The Flying Flamingo Sisters 2: A Tale of Derring-Deux by Carrie Seim

4.0

The Flying Flamingo Sisters by Dina Pearlman, Gabriel Vaughan, Carrie Seim, Khristine Hvam, Bill Quinn, Jessica Almasy, Kevin Pariseau

4.0

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

emotional hopeful lighthearted

4.0

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Sarah, Plain and Tall, Vol. 1) by Patricia MacLachlan

Genre: Historical Fiction, Children’s Lit

Audience: General
Source: The Public Library 

Published: 1985

Tags: Historical Fiction, Setting - American Prairies, Time Period - 1910s, POV First Person, Mail Order Bride, Family, Homesickness, Farming 

Characters: Anna Witting, Caleb Witting, Jacob Witting, Sarah Wheaton

Summary: Their mother died the day after Caleb was born. Their house on the prairie is quiet now, and Papa doesn’t sing anymore. Then Papa puts an ad in the paper, asking for a wife, and he receives a latter from one Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton, of Maine. Papa, Anna, and Caleb write back. Caleb asks if she sings.

Sarah decides to come for a month. She writes Papa: I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall, and Tell them I sing. Anna and Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she like them? Will she stay?

This is a re-read from my childhood. 

It’s a very short book, but very charming and it holds up a lot better then I though it would. I really enjoyed revisiting this story. 

Since the story is told from the POV of the eldest daughter, Sarah and Jacob’s relationship is filtered through her eyes. Now, as an adult, I can’t help but be invested in the idea of the story from their perspectives. Much of what happens between them is obviously private from their children and therefore only hinted at in the actual text. They have a very compelling love story, even if we don’t get to see much of it. 

The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange

emotional hopeful reflective sad

4.0

The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange (Audiobook read by Lucy Strange) 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Children’s Lit
Audience: General 

Source: Audible 

Published: 2016

Tags: Historical Fiction, Setting - Post WWI / The Great War, Time Period - 1910s, POV First Person, Death, Grief, Trauma, Family, Depression, Postpartum Depression, Mental Health, Women’s Health, Medical Neglect, Medical Experimentation, Suicide, Period-Typical Sexism, Ableism, Drugs, Loss of Autonomy 

Characters: Henrietta “Henry” Abbott

Summary: 1919. Mama is ill. Father has taken a job abroad. Nanny Jane is too busy to pay any attention to Henrietta and the things she sees - or thinks she sees - in the shadows of their new home, Hope House.

All alone, with only stories for company, Henry discovers that Hope House is full of strange secrets: a forgotten attic, ghostly figures, mysterious firelight that flickers in the trees beyond the garden.

One night she ventures into the darkness of Nightingale Wood. What she finds there will change her whole world...

I read this story in audiobook format and Lucy Strange is a wonderful writer as well as a wonderful narrator. 

The book itself is written beautifully with clear inspiration from early children’s classics such as The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and other similar stories. The writing has a certain magical quality to it that weaves a rich and engaging narrative. You don’t find many Children’s books written in this style anymore which really does make it feel like you’re reading something contemporary to the time period in which the story is set instead of a novel published is 2016. 

The topics covered in this book are very similar to the short story, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Henry’s mother experiences a major depressive episode after the death of her eldest son and the birth of her youngest daughter, and her treatment, while historically accurate, is infuriating to read about. The Secret of Nightingale Wood explores the effects of poor medical treatment and dismissal of mental health and women’s health through the lense of a young daughter trying to protect her mother from the very flagrant abuse of their doctor. There are some fairly dark topics handled throughout the book but more than anything this is a story about grief and how we move forward from tragedy and loss. 

Both the book and the audiobook version get a 8/10 from me. 

If you liked this book, you should check out: 
    - Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson 
    - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 
    - The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
    - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

funny lighthearted relaxing

3.75

Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

Genre: Romance, YA Fiction, Graphic Novel

Audience: General
Source: Personal Bookshelf

Published: 2019

Tags: Setting - Pumpkin Patch, Hallowe’en, Autumn, Friends to Lovers, Slice of Life, Co-Workers, End of an Era, Bi/Pan Character(s)

Characters: Deja, Josiah “Josie” Templeton 

Summary: Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they’d worked together at the world’s best pumpkin patch. They say goodbye every Hallowe’en, and they’re reunited every September 1st.

But this Hallowe’en is different. Josie and Deja are finally seniors. It’s their last season at the Patch, their last shift together - their last goodbye.

This book is super cute. 

I am definitely a Josie. Having friends like Deja is stressful as heck. They always want to just do things and I’m over here like please no, I need at least one full week prior notice for any and all excursions, adventures, and/or dates, thank you!

I love the art in this book, the colour palette is so great. Super chill and inviting, it really does evoke an October in the pumpkin patch kinda feel. 

Overall, I would rate this book at 7.5/10 stars. 

The Witch's Hand by Nathan Page

adventurous dark mysterious tense

4.0

The Montague Twins, Vol. 1: The Witch’s Hand by Nathan Page & Drew Shannon 

Genre: Supernatural Mystery, YA Fiction, Graphic Novel

Audience: Teen
Source: Personal Bookshelf

Published: 2020

Tags: Time Period - 1960s, Supernatural Elements, Paranormal Activity, LGBTQIA+ Themes, Gay Character(s), Ghosts, Witches, Magic, Murder, Revenge, Witch Hunting, Amateur Sleuths, Drugs/Alcohol/Smoking, Period-Typical Sexism, Period-Typical Homophobia, Implied Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Shitty Fathers, Slight Body Gore

Characters: Pete Montague, Alastair “Al” Montague, Charlie Faber, Rachel Bradford 

Summary: On a lazy summer day, a sudden storm leads these amateur detectives to a mysterious box that holds long-buried secrets. With these secrets unearthed, an explosive chain of events begins that challenges everything they have ever known. 

But there are people in their sleepy New England town who want to keep their secrets buried, and the Montague twins are a threat that needs to be stopped. Can they prevail over the powers that be, or will they meet a terrible fate? 

First book of 2022! 

I really enjoyed this book and I’ve already ordered the second one. It’s really atmospheric and the artwork is amazing. Definitely has The Hardy Boys meets The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vibes. 

Also, if you like Nancy Drew on the CW, you should check this book out. 

10/10 would recommend to a friend. Overall rating, 8/10 and I’ll probably read it again at some point. 

Read: 04/01/2022

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

dark mysterious tense

5.0

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

Genre: Gothic Horror, Fantasy, Novella

Audience: Mature
Source: Personal Bookshelf

Published: 2019

Tags: Fantasy, Horror, Setting - Industrial City, Violence, Death, Blood & Gore, Murder, Non-Explicit Rape, Self-Harm, Medical Procedures, Swearing, Monsters & Demons, Magic, Sorcery, Witch Hunting, Magical Plague/Illness, Revenge, Necromancy, Queer Character(s), Economics, Political Intrigue, Eat the Rich (but do it subtly with Magic), The Inherent Homoeroticism of Licking Someone’s Blood Off Your Finger, None of the People in this Book are Good People but Somehow You Like Them Anyway

Characters: Johann of Elendhaven, Florian Leickenbloom 

Summary: The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean, racked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry, and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die. 

His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster’s heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning. The sorcerer’s work is subtle, changing minds and curdling hearts with barely a trace left behind. But there are signs to read for magic hunters coming up from the capital in the South. 

These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it. 

I honestly don’t know what to say about this book. 

This is gothic horror at its best. The writing is rich and descriptive with a undercurrent of darkness. There are so many amazing quotes. The setting is very vivid. I love stories that evoke the Victorian Whitechapel feeling of being in the underbelly of a terrible beast where Jack the Ripper is lurking around every corner. 

Honestly, my main complaint about this book is that it’s only a novella. The world is so intriguing and I would absolutely spend more time in it. The ending comes together well, but it also has a rather open ending that just kinda left me wanting the story to carry on longer. 

The vibes for this book are a bit like if The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo had a monstrous baby, while still maintaining a completely unique feel and amping up the gothic horror aesthetic. I can also see the influence of some of the pioneers of gothic horror, such as Frankenstein and Dracula. The setting definitely evoks a Ketterdam industrialesque atmosphere but the characters themselves are very interesting and deeply entrenched within this interpretation of the setting. 

I would give it 9/10 for the length, but I was so engrossed by it that I read it in one sitting and everything else about it makes it a 10/10 star read for me. I will absolutely pick this book up again. 

If you liked this book, I recommend:
    - The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller
    - A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
    - Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
    - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
 

The Lord Sorcier by Olivia Atwater

4.0

Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly

3.75

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

3.0