Murder of Innocence

Today’s nonfiction post is on Murder of Innocence by James Patterson . It is the fifth in his Discovery's Murder is Forever series but as every volume is unique so you do not need to have read any of the other volumes. It is 307 pages long and is published by Grand Central Publishing. The cover is murder board on it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime. There is some mild foul language, discussion of sex and rape, and discussion of violence in book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- MURDER OF INNOCENCE: It's impossible to resist Andrew Luster. He's rich, charming, and good-looking, and dozens of women have fallen under his spell. But Andrew is no mere womanizer. He's a predator, and it'll take a global effort to put him behind bars.

TRUE CRIME #2: Mark Putnam is a rookie FBI agent given his first assignment in a remote part of Kentucky, a land of coal miners and meth dealers. Within his first months on the job, a young female informant named Susan Smith helps him make a big break in an important case. Rumors begin circulating that the agent and his informant are having an affair. After Susan starts telling people that she is pregnant with the FBI agent's baby, she suddenly disappears.

Review- Two more true crime stories for those who are interested. I think that this is the hardest of Patterson’s true crime books so far. The stories are some of the worst I have read, not because of the writing but because of the crimes in this volume. The first one is about a serial rapist and the second is about an affair gone wrong. If you have read any of the other true crimes books by Patterson then you know the format to expect: short chapters, direct quotes from those involved in the stories, and not too graphic. But in this volume the not too graphic was for the best with the two tales within. I would give a warning with this volume as the serial rapist was very intense and disturbing. But if you are a true crime fan, like myself, then you may want to give this volume a try. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Frau Faust, Vol. 1

Today’s post is on Frau Faust, Vol. 1 by Kore Yamazaki. It is 176 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has Faust and her demon on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who likes retelling of classic stories. The story is told from third person close of Marion. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- More than a century after an eccentric scholar made an infamous deal with a devil, the story of Faust has passed into legend. However, the true Faust is not the stuffy, professorial man known in fairy tales, but a charismatic, bespectacled woman named Johanna Faust, who happens to still be alive. Searching for pieces of her long-lost demon, Johanna passes through a provincial town, where she saves a young boy named Marion from a criminal’s fate. In exchange, she asks a simple favor of Marion, but Marion soon finds himself intrigued by the peculiar Doctor Faust and joins her on her journey. Thus begins the strange and wonderful adventures of Frau Faust! 

Review- An interesting first volume in a retelling of a classic myth. Marion knows the story about Faust or at least the story that the church wants known. Of course the truth is more complicated. Marion wants to learn from Faust and he goes with her. Most of this volume is about plot and world development. Marion learns about the real Johanna Faust, the real deal she made, and about the people who are hunting but not why yet. The last story is a short story about a girl who finds a museum for invisible things. I really enjoyed that and I hope that Yamazaki does more with that story later. A solid first volume and I look forward to seeing where Johanna and Marion are going. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and bought this manga with my own money.

The Haunted

Today’s post is on The Haunted by Danielle Vega. It is 252 pages long and is published by Razorbill. The cover has a picture of a girl on it in overexposure. The intended reader is someone who likes young adult horror. There is mild foul language, no sex, and discussion of dating violence and other forms of violence. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Hendricks Becker-O’Malley is new in town, and she’s bringing baggage with her. With a dark and wild past, Hendricks doesn’t think the small town her parents moved her to has much to offer her in terms of excitement. She plans on laying low, but when she’s suddenly welcomed into the popular crowd at school, things don’t go as expected.

Hendricks learns from her new friends that the fixer-upper her parents are so excited about is notorious in town. Local legend says it’s haunted. Hendricks doesn’t believe it. Until she’s forced to. Blood-curdling screams erupt from the basement, her little brother wakes up covered in scratches, and something, or someone pushes her dad down the stairs. With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don’t take her first.

Review- An okay horror novel but it never goes anywhere. Hendricks and her family have moved to a new town for a clean slate. She was in a bad relationship that turned violent and in order to heal, her family moves. But the house they move into has secrets and something is watching from the dark. The plot has promise, the characters are fine, but it never goes anywhere. The ghosts are not tragic but they were horrible people in life and in death they continue to be horrible. That is not a bad plotline but my problem is that the ghosts win in the end. The writing is fine and I would be willing to read another novel by this author but this is not a strong outing for her. 

I give this novel a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt's Search for Freedom and Identity in New York's Greenwich Village

Today’s post is Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt's Search for Freedom and Identity in New York's Greenwich Village by Jan Jarboe Russell. It is 224 pages long and is published by Scribner. The cover is a picture of Eleanor with her car. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Eleanor Roosevelt and her life. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Hundreds of books have been written about FDR and Eleanor, both together and separately, but yet she remains a compelling and elusive figure. And, not much is known about why in 1920, Eleanor suddenly abandoned her duties as a mother of five and moved to Greenwich Village, then the symbol of all forms of transgressive freedom—communism, homosexuality, interracial relationships, and subversive political activity. Now, in this “immersive…original look at an iconic figure of American politics” (Publishers Weekly), Jan Russell pulls back the curtain on Eleanor’s life to reveal the motivations and desires that drew her to the Village and how her time there changed her political outlook.

A captivating blend of personal history detailing Eleanor’s struggle with issues of marriage, motherhood, financial independence, and femininity, and a vibrant portrait of one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world, this unique work examines the ways that the sensibility, mood, and various inhabitants of the neighborhood influenced the First Lady’s perception of herself and shaped her political views over four decades, up to her death in 1962.

When Eleanor moved there, the Village was a zone of Bohemians, misfits, and artists, but there was also freedom there, a miniature society where personal idiosyncrasy could flourish. Eleanor joined the cohort of what then was called “The New Women” in Greenwich Village. Unlike the flappers in the 1920s, the New Women had a much more serious agenda, organizing for social change—unions for workers, equal pay, protection for child workers—and they insisted on their own sexual freedom. These women often disagreed about politics—some, like Eleanor, were Democrats, others Republicans, Socialists, and Communists. Even after moving into the White House, Eleanor retained connections to the Village, ultimately purchasing an apartment in Washington Square where she lived during World War II and in the aftermath of Roosevelt’s death in 1945.

Including the major historical moments that served as a backdrop for Eleanor’s time in the Village, this remarkable work offers new insights into Eleanor’s transformation—emotionally, politically, and sexually—and provides us with the missing chapter in an extraordinary life. 

Review- A great, quick read about Eleanor Roosevelt and her life as examined during her time living in Greenwich Village. Russell is a good writer, does good research, and her notes are good if you want to do more intense study into Eleanor’s life. In this book we get all the high points in Eleanor’s life and the events that made her who she was. I enjoyed this quick read and I did learn some very interesting things about her life that I did not know. If you have never about Eleanor Roosevelt or her life this book a great place to start, it gives you all the important information without getting overwhelming with all the details and names of all the people she interacted with in her life.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 4

Today’s post is on Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 4 by Mika Yamamori. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Suzume on it looking at the reader. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga and coming of age stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence this manga. The story is told from third person close of Suzume. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Suzume has moved to Tokyo and is living with her uncle. She is trying to get over Mr. Shishio, but they unexpectedly end up going to an aquarium together. Suzume enjoys herself, but Mr. Shishio’s confusing attitude puzzles her.

Review- The plot is really starting to build. Suzume is trying to get over her feelings for Mr. Shishio but now he is becoming interested in her. So he is trying to discover if they could have a relationship and it is confusing Suzume and makes me, the reader, very nervous for her. He is an older man who has more than one serious relationship under his belt and Suzume has never been interested in someone before. I know that part of the story is Suzume learning from this and becoming an adult but it is difficult to watch a young girl struggle with these hard issues. But I am with Suzume as she goes through this story and I am curious about what is going to happen next.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Winter Tide

Today’s post is on Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys. It is 362 pages long  and is published by Tor. It is the first in her The Innsmouth Legacy. The cover is brown with a woman just off center facing the ocean with her back to the reader. There is mild foul language, implied sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of Aphra. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket- After attacking Devil’s Reef in 1928, the U.S. government rounded up the people of Innsmouth and took them to the desert, far from their ocean, their Deep One ancestors, and their sleeping god Cthulhu. Only Aphra and Caleb Marsh survived the camps, and they emerged without a past or a future.

The government that stole Aphra's life now needs her help. FBI agent Ron Spector believes that Communist spies have stolen dangerous magical secrets from Miskatonic University, secrets that could turn the Cold War hot in an instant, and hasten the end of the human race.

Aphra must return to the ruins of her home, gather scraps of her stolen history, and assemble a new family to face the darkness of human nature.

Review- An excellent addition to the Cthulhu mythos. This story follows the people who are from Innsmouth, from Lovecraft’s story Shadow over Innsmouth, which is one of my favorites by him. In the current time of the book it is 1949 and Aphra has never gone back home but when an FBI agent she knows asks her for help, back to Innsmouth she goes. Emrys explores the world of the water people, old gods, and the Yith. There is a plot to use magic and ancient knowledge to do bad things but the real reason for the story is Aphra and her journey home. She has to make some very big decisions about her people and her future. Emrys does a wonderful job working with the lore of Innsmouth and creating new lore for her world and characters. I am curious about the second volume and where the story is going from here. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this novel with my own money.

Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance

Today’s nonfiction post is on Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance by Mia Bay. It is 391 pages long and is published by Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. The cover is an illustration of different ways of travel from cars to buses. The intended reader is someone who is interested in African American history. There is foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A riveting, character-rich account of racial segregation in America that reveals just how central travel restrictions were to the creation of Jim Crow laws--and why "traveling Black" has been at the heart of the quest for racial justice ever since.

Why have white supremacists and Black activists been so focused on Black mobility? From Plessy v. Ferguson to #DrivingWhileBlack, African Americans have fought for over a century to move freely around the United States. Curious as to why so many cases contesting the doctrine of "separate but equal" involved trains and buses, Mia Bay went back to the sources with some basic questions: How did travel segregation begin? Why were so many of those who challenged it in court women? How did it move from one form of transport to another, and what was it like to be caught up in this web of contradictory rules?

From stagecoaches and trains to buses, cars, and planes, Traveling Black explores when, how, and why racial restrictions took shape and brilliantly portrays what it was like to live with them. "There is not in the world a more disgraceful denial of human brotherhood than the 'Jim Crow' car of the southern United States," W. E. B. Du Bois famously declared. Bay unearths troves of supporting evidence, rescuing forgotten stories of undaunted passengers who made it back home despite being insulted, stranded, re-routed, or ignored.

Black travelers never stopped challenging these humiliations and insisting on justice in the courts. Traveling Black upends our understanding of Black resistance, documenting a sustained fight that falls outside the traditional boundaries of the civil rights movement. A masterpiece of scholarly and human insight, this book helps explain why the long, unfinished journey to racial equality so often takes place on the road.

Review- A very interesting and engaging read about travel discrimination that African Americans have dealt with and continue to do so. Bay has done extensive research into her topic and it shows in this book. We start at the end of the Civil War when the newly freed slaves started moving around in society without a white person or permission from anyone. Over the course of the book, we travel with very famous people to more normal citizens who are all dealing with extreme unfairness and prejudice. Bay covers the topics with respect but she does not soften the harsh truths of traveling black. I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 3

Today’s post is on Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 3 by Junko. It is 160 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has all the main characters on it. As it is the third in the series you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The intended reader is someone who likes humorous stories that play with tropes from otome games and shojo manga/anime. The story is told from third person close of mostly Kae. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Hi! it's Kae here! Recently, I made a new friend. Her name is Shima and she's the most handsome girl I've ever met in my life!

…And guess what else? She also happens to be one of my favorite doujin authors ever! I mean, how much cooler can you get?!

But it doesn't stop there—she invited me over to her house and the most unbelievable thing happened!!

It looks like the boys have some tough competition. Let’s see if they can keep up…

Review- In this volume we get some great character growth from some of the boys with Kae regaining her weight and the boys having to think about what about Kae they were attracted to in the beginning. I do wish that Kae’s weight issues were treated more seriously but this is a comedy manga and having the characters think about what they are attracted to someone is a big deal, so I’m willing to let it go. Kae doesn’t get much character development in this volume but it is more about the boys than Kae. Still an enjoyable volume and I am looking forward to the next volume. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Mr. Malcolm’s List

Today’s post is on Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain. It is 244 pages long and is published by Jove. The cover has silhouettes of the main characters. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romance, humorous stories, and happy endings. There is very mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoiler Ahead.

From the back of the book-The Honorable Jeremy Malcolm is searching for a wife, but not just any wife. He's determined to elude the fortune hunters and find a near-perfect woman, one who will meet the qualifications on his well-crafted list. But after years of searching, he's beginning to despair of finding this paragon. And then Selina Dalton arrives in town…

Selina, a vicar's daughter of limited means and a stranger to high society, is thrilled when her friend Julia invites her to London.  Until she learns it's part of a plot to exact revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina is reluctant to participate in Julia's scheme, especially after meeting the irresistible Mr. Malcolm, who seems very different from the arrogant scoundrel of Julia's description.

But when Mr. Malcolm begins judging Selina against his unattainable standards, Selina decides that she has qualifications of her own. And if he is to meet them he must reveal the real man behind...Mr. Malcolm's List. 

Review- A very fun historical romance. Selina gets pulled into getting revenge for a old classmate/friend when Mr. Malcolm refuses to court the friend. Jeremy has a very silly list that he uses to measure all women and when the women fail, and they all do, then he has a reason to stop seeing them. That is never really explained to me, why does he have the list in the first place. It is hinted that his brother’s wife is not the best choice but that is the only thing that could have driven him to make the list. Of course our heroine fulfills the list but the revenge sub-plot gets in the way. It was a fun romance. I would read another book by the author.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Kenka Bancho Otome: Love's Battle Royale, Vol. 2

Today’s post is on Kenka Bancho Otome: Love's Battle Royale, Vol. 2 by Chie Shimada. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has three of the main characters on it. As it is the second volume in the duology you need to have read the first volume to understand some of the finer points of the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and comic violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character Hinako. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Hinako takes her twin brother Hikaru’s place at Shishiku Academy for boys. Fights break out every day, but there are also lots of heart-palpitating events with the boys that she never expected! And as the battle to be the boss of the school rages on, will Hikaru make it to the top?

Review- A very unsatisfying ending to a mediocre duology. Hinako is still just doing what her brother wants to her without any consideration for Hinako and what she wants for her life. None of the other boys learn that she is a girl so more comedic gay panic but I was very underwhelmed with this series. I wanted Hinako to challenge her brother, to make her life and her choices without being bullied, like she has been for her whole life. We never learn why she was abandoned by her family and we have no idea what will happen to her in the future. Very disappointed in this manga series, which is too bad because I love Otome games. 

I give this volume a Two out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Curse of Honor: A Legend of the Five Rings Novel

Today’s post is on Curse of Honor: A Legend of the Five Rings Novel by David Annandale. It is 331 pages long and is published by Aconyte Books. The cover has a silhouette of a samurai with a tower in the center and small figures at the base. There is mild foul language, no sex, and some violence. Even though this novel is set in the Legend of Five Rings world, you do not need to have played any of the games to enjoy this novel. The story is told from third person of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Striking Dawn Castle defends the mountains between the Rokugan empire and the demon-haunted Shadowlands. When a mythical city is discovered in the forbidding peaks, Hida Haru, heir and sore disappointment to his family, seizes the opportunity to prove himself. His rash expedition ends in disaster – just one samurai returns alive, and Haru is lost. Before a power struggle can break out, Striking Dawn’s battle-hardened commander, Ochiba, is dispatched to rescue Haru. She succeeds against supernatural horrors, but Haru is… changed. Now, mysterious deaths and ill fortune plague his family. Something evil is loose and must be stopped, at any cost.

Review- This is a great horror-fantasy novel in a setting that I really enjoy. My only complaint is with the blurb on the back. It makes you think that Ocihiba is the main character, she is not. But that is the blurb, not the novel’s fault. The real main character is Barako and she is a good main character. She is interesting, she adapts as the story goes on, and she is resolute to the end. I did figure out who the oni was early on but that is more to do with my experience as a reader than any fault on the writer or plot weakness. I hope that Annandale writes more in this setting. I really enjoyed this novel and I want to read more from him.

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this novel with my own money. 

Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York

Today’s is on Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green. It is 256 pages long and is published by Celadon Books. The cover is a picture of New York from above. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and LGBT+ history. There is some foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and descriptions of violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The gripping true story, told here for the first time, of the Last Call Killer and the gay community of New York City that he preyed upon.

The Townhouse Bar, midtown, July 1992: The piano player seems to know every song ever written, the crowd belts out the lyrics to their favorites, and a man standing nearby is drinking a Scotch and water. The man strikes the piano player as forgettable.

He looks bland and inconspicuous. Not at all what you think a serial killer looks like. But that’s what he is, and tonight, he has his sights set on a gray haired man. He will not be his first victim.

Nor will he be his last.

The Last Call Killer preyed upon gay men in New York in the ‘80s and ‘90s and had all the hallmarks of the most notorious serial killers. Yet because of the sexuality of his victims, the skyhigh murder rates, and the AIDS epidemic, his murders have been almost entirely forgotten.

This gripping true-crime narrative tells the story of the Last Call Killer and the decades-long chase to find him. And at the same time, it paints a portrait of his victims and a vibrant community navigating threat and resilience.

Review- At the height of the AIDS epidemic someone was hunting and killing gay men in New York and it was being ignored by the police. This book is about more than just about true crime but about gay life in the New York at the time, homophobia, and how AIDS changed the way gay subculture worked. Green interviews the police, the men who went to the piano bars where the killer hunted and he tries to interview the man convicted of the murders. There are good notes in the back, if you want to learn more about a particular subject within the book. If you are looking for a pure true crime book then this is not the book for you but if you are looking for more of a study about a time and the murders that almost went unsolved the you should give this book a try. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.