June Read: The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

 

Another ARC I've had for a bit and I finally sat down to dive into it! This novel won't be published until July 11th (U.S.). It was a perfectly fun read for early summer. 

Ann Aguirre has written three other romances that make up the Fix-It Witches series. While this also takes place in St. Claire, IL, and features pop-ins from characters in that series, it can be read on its own. The romance is on the light side with no spicey scenes; it' actually quite mild, but that is part of the charm. 

St. Claire, IL is chock-full of witches, shape shifters, and other paranormal folks. It's a magical place. Iris Collins inherits her great Aunt's purple victorian home and can't wait to move to St. Claire. She's definitely the odd one in her family of psychic vampires; Iris has no talents or magic and can't seem to catch a break. Her online jewelry business hasn't taken off and she's up to her neck in debt. This sudden inheritance is the perfect way for her to start all over again, away from her family and roommates who can't wait to see her leave. 

Iris is a sweet, gentle character who does her best to put everyone she meets at ease. She moves into her purple home, but still doesn't have any money. She decides to advertise for roommates, as the home has plenty of bedrooms and the rent will help Iris pay bills. She gets more than she could have expected, though, because the folks who rent rooms from Iris are all wonderful people. There's Henry Dale, an older man who has no  family, but loves to stay busy with woodworking projects; Sally, who is suddenly single and exploring her options; and Eli. Eli is a young man who knew Iris when they were kids; she left a lasting impression on Eli and he's never forgotten her In fact, he's checked out her social media and found out she's moved to St. Claire. Meeting her unexpectedly at a cafe, he's all ready to introduce himself when Iris mistakes him for a potential roommate. Eli takes the opportunity and rents a room from Iris. He's got some deep feelings for Iris, but doesn't know how to even begin to express himself. Iris doesn't recognize him from childhood, so his secret is safe. For now. 

Iris' home soon becomes a happy place for a group of misfits who all bring talents that bloom once they've found a safe place to land. Part of the novel is about Eli and Iris, and Eli's secrets (he's got money, he rented a room under false pretenses).  There's a grumpy neighbor who's out to make Iris' life miserable. There's the bombshell that Iris' family drops on her. Little things here and there that keep the story moving along. Interesting twist in Iris' story unfolds in the last part of the novel, but it answers some questions about who she is and if she has any magical talent. I enjoyed this novel very much. 

Rating 4/6:  

Just a sweet, gentle read about people finding their new family and letting go of people who don't accept or love them for what they are. Most of the characters begin loving themselves and opening up to others after years of not feeling they are worthy of love. There are  some LGBTQ themes, which makes this a great book to review in June for Pride Month. 

A big thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced reader's copy. This novel will be out in trade paperback on July 11, 2023 in the U.S. It will also be available in ebook and audio. I'd call this "cozy fantasy" rather than a full out romance. If you liked Legends and Lattes, you will like this, too.

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June Read: The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

The Post Where I Finally Review: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins

 My tale of The Blood Gospel started well over a year ago (and maybe two!) at the Whatcha Reading Book Club we have at my B&N once a month.  If you long to be part of a book club, but dread reading stuff you just don't want to read, try forming a book club like this one.  It's genius!  We meet once a month and take turns talking about what each of us have read the previous month.  You can talk as much or as little as you want.  NO PRESSURE.  YOU GET TO READ WHAT YOU WANT.  AWESOME.  It's probably the most enjoyable book group I've ever been a part of, and we have such a good time.  The only problem is we all leave with a bigger "to read" list. 

The Blood Gospel  by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell is one book that made the rounds of our book club.  So far four other members have read this first in the trilogy, and actually all three books.  I've been under the gun to read it for what seems like ages, so I finally did and it was a heck of a ride.  

The Blood Gospel is a mix of archaeology, supernatural, the divine, end-of-the-world threats, and pretty cool ancient history set on its ear.  Also toss in a group of vampiric priests who work to rid the world of a horrible threat--super bad vampires working with powerful humans bent on controlling all of mankind.  Three main characters:  archaeologist Dr. Erin Granger, military man Sergeant Jordan Stone, and Father Rhun Korza come together at Masada--heck yes, I said Masada--after a horrific earthquake reveals a tomb hidden deep in the mountain.  This tomb is very old, very ancient, and within it is the power to create chaos or reveal the ultimate power of Jesus Christ.  Yep--it's a gospel written in Christ's own blood by the Son of God himself.  And the desire to possess it brings out every horrible creature between heaven and hell.  

But the gospel is missing.  And those pesky Nazis seem to have had a hand in its disappearance during World War 2.  Who has it and where is it?

This is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  The biblical references, the archaeology, the downright nasty vampires and creatures that race after Erin, Rhun, and Jordan are the stuff of nightmares.  No one is safe.  Pretty much everything is thrown into this first novel--it clocks in at almost 700 pages.  Well worth it.  I've already got the second in the trilogy here at home, ready to pick it up and read it within the next few weeks.  And yes, I will read that third and epic conclusion to this trilogy.  If you're curious, the first two are in paperback, and the third is still in hardcover.  I'm guessing it will be out in paperback around Christmas.  This, my friends, is your beach read, your front porch read, your stuck in the back seat of the car on a family vacation read.  It's also your get creeped out all alone at night read.  Dive right in!  A winning combination of history, action, thrills, and chills.  

Here are the next two titles in this trilogy:

 Rating:  7/10 for action that is non-stop, a clever mix of biblical history and archaeology, and some of the nastiest vampires I've ever come across--in a book, that is :)

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

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The Post Where I Finally Review: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

It's been awhile since I have enjoyed a trilogy or even a series as much as I've enjoyed the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.  And finally, we have come to the end of the road.  The Book of Life is the final thrilling novel in the adventures of Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop; one   a 1500 year old vampire and the other a contemporary witch who denies her powers.   They  meet over the mysterious Ashmole 782 at Oxford and fireworks happen.  

Before I begin my review, I'm going to tell you one thing:  if you haven't read any of these books, I'm not going to give away anything.  You really do need to read the books!  

In this final novel, it continues right where Shadow of Night ends.  Diana and Matthew are back at Sept-Tours, along with a cast of characters that have become deeply involved in the lives of Diana and Matthew.  You'll find yourself smiling as you meet them all again.  Deborah Harkness brings characters to life in such a way that they seem very human--even the daemons and vampires!  There are no one-dimensional people in this world; all are fully three-dimensional characters that are hard to forget.  

The one thing that kept returning to my mind as I read this book was the treatment of marriage.  It's been a very long time since I've read a novel where the romance part of marriage wasn't at the forefront, and often the story stopped once the marriage happened.  But with Matthew and Diana, I am amazed at how their relationship plays out over the trilogy.  Yes, Matthew is a vampire, and Diana is a mortal witch.  Their relationship is based on true, deep, lasting love.  It is full of respect, protectiveness, and the knowledge that there is simply no one else for either of them.  They learn secrets about each other, yet accept both the good and the bad.  It's a relationship to be admired and aspired to for anyone looking for love. 

With that said, wow what an excellent book!  I will admit it took me about 50 pages to get in the swing of things remembering characters, but after that it just continued to build in excitement and action until the thrilling conclusion.  And Diana is kick-ass.  She becomes the most amazing, vibrant woman--truly a lioness, which Matthew uses as a term of endearment.  The arc of her development from a restless and unhappy professor to a woman of power is very well done and another favorite part of this trilogy.  Bravo, Deborah Harkness!  

So--I don't tell you much.  I'll leave that for you to discover as you hunker down this July and read the further adventures of Matthew and Diana.  You will not be disappointed.  All is neatly tied together, questions are answered, and you are left feeling a bit bereft after finishing the last sentence.  Yes, I've actually sighed a number of times after I've finished and put the book down!  

Rating:  9/10 for a brilliant conclusion, well-developed characters, and story arcs that answer all questions.  

Available today!  Tuesday, July 15th in the United States in Hardcover, E-book, and audio.  

And the winner of a hardcover copy of The Book of Life is…….

Kate!  Please email me your address!

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  Kate Falzareno

  mamakate@hotmail.com

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The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines

I saw this book in hardcover last year and just didn't get to it on my reading list.  Now it's in paperback, so I have no excuse not to pick it up and read it.

This is my first Jim C. Hines book, but it probably won't be the last.  He's got a quirky sense of humor, and combine that with the ability to pull objects out of books to make magic and you've got me pulled in without any question.

Libriomancer is the first book in the Magic ex Libris series.  Book two, Codex Born, just came out in hardcover a few weeks ago.  If you are a lover of books--and any kind of books--you will enjoy this novel about Isaac, a libriomancer.  Libriomancers are people who belong to an organization founded by Johannes Gutenberg to keep the world safe from all of the creatures found in books.  As more and more people read a book, their belief and imagination fires up that book, and those creatures and objects in the books become magical.  A libriomancer can literally pull them out of a book.  And so can the bad guys.  Some books are so dangerous that Johannes Gutenberg has locked them magically forever, so no one can use them for nefarious purposes.  

But someone has been very busy, and Johannes Gutenberg is missing.  Did I tell you he's still alive after all these years?  Yep.  Put that down to the magic of books.  I won't tell you more so you can discover for yourself how this all happens.  Once you start thinking about all the books you've read in a magical sense, it can become dizzying to ask the question: "What if I could reach in and pull out, say, a pot of gold?  Or a magic sword?  Or even a light saber?"  

All this magic has a price to pay, and Isaac has been banned to a small library in Michigan after making a huge error as a libriomancer a few years before.  He is forbidden to practice magic, and has followed the rules.

Until vampires show up and try to kill him.  Vampires from books, you see.

This was a fun read, chock full of authors and books you will recognize no matter what you read.  It gets a bit convoluted so you really do have to pay attention.  And Isaac's love interest (which fits nicely in the story)  Lena, a dryad who is one with trees, makes an interesting flip side to natural magic.  She's also on the cover of the second book.  

I think teens would enjoy this, along with anyone who has a life-long passion for books.  You don't have to be a sci-fi/fantasy fan to pick this up.  So go give it a try!

Rating:  7/10 for a brilliant idea about books and magic, room to grow the story in a series, and characters you enjoy and care about.  

Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book

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Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines