Weekly Mewsings: Wind and Fires, Book Clubs & Reviews

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

Texts, messages, and phone calls from distant friends and relatives have been coming in all week asking if my family is safe from the fires in Southern California. We are, fortunately. Seeing photos and videos of the devastation in and around L.A. County is horrific. So much loss. Firefighters from all over, including other countries, have come to help the local firefighters. Their efforts are greatly appreciated and they are in our thoughts constantly. I can't help but think of those who have lost their lives, have been displaced, and all those animals . . . It breaks my heart. There are also stories of people coming together, offering support, and doing what they can to try and ease of some the misery these fires have caused. Those stories give us a glimpse of hope amidst the tragedies. 

On a much smaller scale, my county is on high fire alert due to the high winds and dry brush. Parts of the county have been without power for days due to preemptive shut downs because of the fire risk. Fortunately, our neighborhood wasn't impacted by the power outages, but businesses and neighborhoods just down the road from us and some of our friends and coworkers in the town over cannot say the same. We are expecting the Santa Ana winds to pick back up again today and, I imagine, threats of continued and new power outages are coming. 

Otherwise, it was a fairly normal week for me and my husband with work and school for Mouse. The cats took it easy, although I did hear them chasing each other around the house not to long ago.

What have you been up to? For those of you suffering through extreme weather conditions, please be safe and check in so we know you are okay. 

My slow read of the month is Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, which I am stretching out over the month. It is just as good as those of you who have read it told me it was. With aging mothers and my husband and I getting up there in years, it is a timely read. 

On my e-reader, I am reading Schooled in Murder (Campus Sleuth Mysteries #1) by Victoria Gilbert. I have enjoyed other books by the author and am not surprised I am liking this one too!

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List was the idea of Michelle at Because Reading, and while Michelle has not been hosting this monthly event for some time now, it's one of my favorite traditions that I cannot bring myself to give up. It's just too much fun! The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books from my TBR pile I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).

Thank you to everyone who voted in this month's TBR List Poll. I am glad I let you choose between these three great titles for me because I was having such a hard time deciding for myself. Regardless of which book won, I still plan to read the other two at some point down the road. 

Twenty-seven people weighed in and The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose won with 14 of the votes, followed by Misery Hates Company (Marigold Manners #1) by Elizabeth Hobbs with 9 votes, and 4 votes went to After the Ocean by Lauren E. Rico. I really enjoyed the first book in Nita Prose's series and look forward to reading The Mystery Guest. It's up next!

Thank you to everyone for voting in this month's TBR List poll!

What are you reading next? 

I finished a record (for me) three books this past week: 

Sandwich by Catherine Newman, narrated by Nan McNamara

Harper Audio, 2024

Fiction, 5hr 43min (236 pgs)

Source: Library

From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.

For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.

This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves. [Publisher's Summary]

This was my first book narrated by Nan McNamara, and she did a wonderful job capturing the voice of Rocky. I felt like I was right there on the beach with Rocky, as a friend, listening to her share her memories and her hopes and fears for her children, husband, aging parents, and herself. Rocky's story resonated with me. She is not much older than I am. As the daughter of a senior parent and the mother of a teen, I could relate to so much of what she was going through. I cannot tell you the number of times I cried out, "Yes!" when she described the challenges of menopause, both physical and mental, because I am right there too. I have read articles and an entire book about menopause, but nothing has hit home quite as much as Sandwich did. 

While Rocky's two children are out of the nest and mine is about to enter high school, I could appreciate the waves of nostalgia that came over her with the growing independence of our children as they move on with their lives without their us. I wanted more from Rocky in terms of her relationship with her husband, Nick, feeling at times he got the short end of the stick. But how true is that in many families with children? It was realistic, even if I would have liked for something more. I really like Nick and how supportive he was of Rocky and all she was going through. With all her doubts and even the secrets she kept from him, he stands by her. On the other end is seeing our parents age and trying to figure out exactly what our role is in that. Fortunately my mother is honest and open with me about her health issues, while, in the book, Rocky discovers her parents haven't entirely been with her on that front. Author Catherine Newman adeptly captures the dichotomy of the person in the middle--both the child and the mother at the same time. 

There were aspects of the novel I was less enamored with, including storylines I wish had been explored more or perhaps differently, but overall, I really liked the book. This is more of a character driven novel that is likely not to appeal to everyone. It is the story of a middle-aged woman reflecting on her life, both the present and past. I enjoyed getting to know her family through Rocky's eyes as much as I did getting to know her.  by Sandwich had me laughing and crying throughout. I am glad I took a chance on it. 

Million Dollar Demon (The Hollows #15) by Kim Harrison
Ace, 2021
Fantasy; 464 pgs
Source: From the Publisher via NetGalley

To save the city, Rachel Morgan will need to show some teeth in the next Hollows novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

The new master vampire of Cincinnati has arrived . . . and she wants Rachel Morgan out. No matter where Rachel goes, Constance is there—threatening Rachel's allies, causing city-wide chaos, and, to add insult to injury, even forcing Rachel out of her current quarters. Ever since Rachel found a way to save the souls of vampires, the old undead's longtime ascendancy has been broken. Now Constance sees eliminating Rachel as the key to consolidating her own power.

Rachel has no desire to be enthralled or killed—and she's terrified of what may become of the city if Constance forces a return to the ancient ways. But even a witch-born demon can't stand against the old undead—at least, not alone. And if Rachel refuses to claim the role of Cincinnati's master demon, the city will tear itself apart, taking her and all those who stand beside her with it. [Publisher's Summary]

Million Dollar Demon wasn't quite as action-packed as previous novels in the series, but my favorite witch demon got no reprieve from having to be on top of her game in this 15th installment. Rachel considers herself a loner and does not want to be anyone's leader nor does she want to put her friends at risk. She is the kind of person who will try to take everything and everyone on herself before she asks for help, even when her friends and supporters are practically falling over themselves to support her. I love the high energy of this series and I am quite attached to the characters. I miss Ivy, but I have enjoyed getting to know the newer side characters. And it's always good to spend time with Jenks and David. I continue to be impressed with Kim Harrison's world building in this series and can count on each book to thoroughly entertain me. 

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Mira, 2024
Fantasy/Historical; 312 pgs
Source: Own TBR

“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?”

In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor—but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue.

In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead.

And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before.

Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them.

As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both.

An unpredictable roller coaster of a debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-bending romantasy that challenges everything we think we know about true love. [Publisher's Summary]

When I found out the Diverse Romance Book Club at the local independent bookstore I frequent was going to be reading and discussing The Emperor and the Endless Palace at their January meeting, I decided to pull it off my TBR shelf and give it a try. I had been putting off reading it because I had read a few reviews about it that gave me pause. And I have to admit, after reading the first two chapters, I nearly did call it quits. What was I in for, I asked myself. But I kept going and am glad I did. 

I am also very glad I decided to attend the book club discussion because this is one of those books that left me with questions and thoughts that I wanted to discuss with others. We all seemed to have similar thoughts on the book. While only one of us gave it a full thumbs up, most of us were somewhere in the middle. 

The three narratives, although seemingly separate, had common threads throughout them. The idea of two people linked by fate and love, reincarnated through several lifetimes may not be a new one, but it was interesting to see the direction author Justinian Huang took it. The first story, of the emperor and the accountant are based on real historical figures (a love that brought down the first Han Dynasty). Other characters from that story were also real life people. The history buff in me could not help but go down that rabbit hole for awhile. The second story is based on a classic folktale written in the 1700's by Pu Songling. It was actually this story that initially hooked me  in the novel. I have a soft sport for fox spirit stories, of which this is one. The third story is set in modern day Los Angeles, a mix of glamor and raves, eventually taking us to Thailand. 

It is hard to say which story was my favorite among the three. It started out as the middle story. I felt terrible for He Shican, especially when his father turned him out because of his interaction with another man. And then that awful betrayal that came later that made me so mad. But somewhere along the way, I became more attached to Dong Xian and Liu Xin's story. How much of this well-manufactured plan of the Grand Empress Dowager Fu's would come to fruition? And what of the intimidating Commander Jujun, who was always hovering? River, from the present day story, though, was perhaps my favorite of the characters introduced (and Calvin, one of those characters you like so much you hope won't turn out to be bad). I wanted to get to know his sister more--but alas, she wasn't the focus of the story (I heard a rumor she may be a protagonist in the next book). River comes across the mysterious Joey at a party, and, as a result, finds himself in dangerous situations as he attempts to find out more about the elusive but very attractive man. 

The author doesn't make it obvious which of the two lovers are who within each story, although sometimes it was more clear to see than at other times. Much of the book club discussion centered around discussing the connections of the various characters, even beyond the two main ones, and also other themes throughout the book. There's mention of a curse, which we all felt left us with more questions than answers. 

I came away from The Emperor and the Endless Palace appreciating the overall novel. Each of the stories examines love, betrayal and heartache. This novel is spicy, although not as much as you might think after reading the opening chapters. One of the questions raised during the book group was if this really counts as a romance novel because, well, at the risk of spoiling the novel, it doesn't have the happy ending romances are known for. Perhaps there will be another book that will provide that happy ending? Or maybe not. As one member suggested, perhaps the happy ending we would expect is not the same as the happy ending that the characters see for themselves. 

If you haven't yet, check out my thoughts on A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara!

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? 

My family and I have resumed our watching of Doctor Who, completing season 14, and started Agatha All Along, which I am excited about finally seeing. 

What have you been watching lately?

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz, who shares three good things in her Sunday Salon posts, I thought I would try to do the same. With all the worries and stressors in life, I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. I met my Storygraph and Goodreads goal of reading one book for the year. Yay!

2. Our communal mailbox had been broken into sometime in the last week or two, which means I having to drive out to the main post office to pick up the mail. It's not close and with work and school, getting there when it's open is a challenge. Our mail person surprised us yesterday by delivering almost two week's worth of mail to us. I'm pretty sure it was because we had a few packages that wouldn't have fit in our mailbox anyway, but it was still really nice of them. 

3. I attended my first Diverse Romance Book Club meeting at the local indie bookstore, where we discussed Justinian Huang's The Emperor and the Endless Palace. Tomorrow I will be attending another of the store's many book clubs; the group will be talking about Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I am really looking forward that discussion as it was my top read of 2024. 

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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