Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

 

The next book I first picked up off my TBR pile was Gideon the Ninth, a fantasy/science fiction novel that I bought years ago based on recommendations from the book YouTubers I follow. A few months ago, a friend from real life happened to mention that they were enjoying this one, so my interest was re-piqued. My last few reads were both quite serious and emotional, so I was craving a book that would be a bit more fun. Gideon seemed to fit the bill nicely, so I dove in hoping to get lost in a fantasy world.

Gideon the Ninth is set in a universe divided into nine houses. Each house is led by a ruling necromancer with a different necromantic talent. Protecting each of these ruling necromancers is their cavalier, a classically trained protector ready to defend their adept with their finely honed rapier skills. Gideon, who is none of these things, is from the Ninth House, a secretive and deeply religious group living on a remote planet. They are charged with guarding a historical and important tomb and live an ascetic lifestyle. Gideon, who was mysteriously orphaned on this world as a child, hates everything about the Ninth House, including its leader Harrowhark Nonagesimus, and is forever trying to escape it. She is continually unsuccessful, despite her best efforts. The Ninth House is in decline and does not let its people leave. 

Her fortune changes, however, when an invitation goes out to each of the houses inviting each ruler and their cavalier to a competition of sorts to ascend to the elevated role of Lyctor, a powerful position within their ruling structure. Harrowhark, who is hungry for power and completely out of options in her dying house, makes Gideon an irresistible offer - accompany her to the competition and act as her cavalier in return for her freedom. Gideon grudgingly accepts and soon finds herself thrust into the center of a deadly mystery and surrounded by a hostile cast of characters. She must work together with Harrowhark to unravel the secrets of the competition and end the game before it costs them their lives.

This novel was unlike anything I have ever read before, in a really good way. The combination of science fiction and fantasy was quite strange at first, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. In this world we have both space travel and bone magic. Light switches and rapier duels. Automatic doors and revenants. I became more used to it the further I got into the story, and really came to appreciate the unique world that bloomed out of all these disparate elements. Tamsyn Muir's writing was irreverent and darkly funny. Gideon spoke with a voice that sounded like a sarcastic best friend, and it quickly made me love her. The other characters all had their own unique personalities as well, and they were very interesting to get to know. In addition to the world building and characters, the story was extremely interesting and original as well. It was mysterious, exciting, and had a lot of great twists. The action sequences were particularly well written and vivid. It's essentially a gothic murder mystery in space, which is a crazy collection of story elements, but they somehow all worked together very well. This was such a weird and awesome reading experience that it's hard to describe. It's one of those stories you have to check out for yourself. 

The one drawback I found was simply the sheer amount of names to keep track of. This book has a lot of characters, and each of them is referred to in several different ways. Characters switch between using first names, nicknames, last names, titles, and house numbers regularly. Thank goodness for the character list included in the front of the novel, or I would have had an even harder time. I really struggle to remember numerical information, so the house numbers in particular were very difficult for me to keep track of. I got through it in the end, but there was more than one time I was mistaking which character was which.

Even so, however, I really did enjoy Gideon the Ninth and highly recommend it to fans of science fiction and fantasy. This is book one in a series, and I'm actually quite interested in continuing on with it after I get through a few more of the books I already own. This was a surprisingly great and really unique read.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 13/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 10/24

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

 

The next book I picked up from my TBR pile was The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I bought this one awhile ago, based on excellent reviews. I hadn't read anything by Coates before, but I knew going in that this was a very highly regarded writer, so my expectations were fairly high. Happily, I wasn't disappointed. 

The plot of the novel follows a young man named Hiram Walker. He was born into slavery in Virginia and was separated from his mother when he was a small child. He can't remember anything about her, but he did inherit her gift - the ability to magically transport himself from one place to another. This power lies dormant inside of him until an accident brings it to the surface and awakens a desire in him to escape from bondage. He is unable to use his powers at will initially, and his escape attempt leads him on a journey through all sorts of dangers. Through it all, he persists in trying to secure his own freedom, and the freedom of everyone still trapped in the terrible institution behind him.

This was, to put it simple, a very good book. From beginning to end it was beautifully written and engaging. It spoke about slavery in a way that showed the absolute abomination and tragedy of it all and brought its monstrous impact on families to light. I don't always love magical realism, but I found that I really enjoyed it here. Coates ties Hiram's mysterious powers to love, family, and memory in a way that emphasizes the humanity and dignity of enslaved people. The whole story felt very wise and important. It's clear that Coates is a master of his craft.

I happened to read this during a time when Florida was in the news for creating a social studies curriculum that attempts to soften the harm and emphasize the benefits of slavery. This idea is obviously outrageous, and it felt even more insulting to me while I was in the midst of this story. This is a fictional tale, but the ideas and themes still ring true. Hiram's story, magical though it is, makes clear to readers the pain of this time period and the absolute wrongness of it all. Honestly, this would be an excellent novel to add to a high school English curriculum to show how authors can bring increased understanding and empathy to real world issues through literature.

 The Water Dancer is the kind of book that is perfect for book clubs and great to recommend to anyone. It was an emotional and thoughtful read with an important message. I look forward to trying more of Coates' work in the future.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 12/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 9/24

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

 

It's been quite a break in between posts this time around! I have been reading a little, but mostly I've been relaxing and enjoying my summer before the hustle and bustle of the academic year begins again. I am still here, however, and getting back on track with blogging now. I read The Paris Wife  back in June and wrote most of this review. However, I never ended up wrapping it up and posting it. I finally got around to it today!

In keeping with my tradition as of late, I picked up The Paris Wife simply because it was the next book on top of my to-be-read stack. I've had this one on my shelf for ages, but I don't often reach for historical fiction, so I never ended up picking it up. Plus, the plot of this one centers around Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife. Hemingway is probably the most famous author I know nothing about, so I also hesitated to pick this one up because I wasn't sure if I would be able to appreciate it without having any background knowledge. The rules of the stack are the rules of the stack though--I read whatever is next on it. The Paris Wife was next, so I gave it a try.

As I mentioned, this novel is a fictionalized account of Hadley Richardson and her marriage to Ernest Hemingway. The story is told almost entirely from Hadley's point of view and begins right around when she first meet Ernest while staying with friends in Chicago in 1920. The pair are drawn to each other right away and maintain a long-distance relationship through letters after Hadley returns home at the end of her trip. The distance between them does nothing to dampen their feelings and eventually they get married. Their early life together is quite difficult--Ernest is struggling to make it as a writer, money is extremely tight, and Ernest's PTSD from his time serving in WWI periodically throws him into serious bouts of depression. Hadley is determined to help him make it though, and they move to Paris so that he can be close to the developing literary scene there. Through the mentoring of figures like Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein, Ernest finally begins making some progress in his writing. Troubles are lurking on the horizon, however, and soon a secret will be revealed that will change Hadley and Ernest's relationship forever.

I ended up really loving The Paris Wife, and I was not expecting to feel that way. McLain's writing was slow paced and elegant. Reading it really made me feel like I was in 1920s Paris with all of its glamour, rusticity, and ugliness coming out at the right times. The details were well chosen and beautifully described. This was a lovely novel to fall into and escape, and I came to regard my reading time with it as a special treat. A lot of the historical fiction I read is centered around some type of large-scale tragedy, like wars or scandals, but this was a much smaller and quieter type of story. I appreciated the more private vibes I got with this one.

McLain's character development was similarly excellent. She wrote Hadley in a way that felt relatable and genuine, and I developed a lot of empathy for her throughout the novel. I was worried about not knowing much about Hemingway before starting this, and it turned out that I really didn't need to because this is Hadley's story, through and through. I'm sure there are references to things sprinkled throughout that went over my head, but I never felt like I was missing anything at any point. 

So in the end, The Paris Wife was a nice surprise for me. I went into it not expecting much and came out with a lovely reading experience. I felt like I got a peek into the past and learned a little bit about a famous author from a different perspective. Funnily enough, this book did not make me want to actually read something by Ernest Hemmingway. He was a very troubled man who hurt a lot of people, but I know that's true of a lot of authors. I'm sure I'll eventually come around and give him a try. This book, however, I would definitely recommend to anyone. 

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 11/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 8/24

Recursion by Blake Crouch

 

The next book I picked up from my stack was Recursion by Blake Crouch. I bought this novel a few years ago on the recommendation of a book YouTuber and it had been sitting in my little book cart ever since. I hadn't read any true science fiction in 2023 up to that point, so I was definitely due to give one a try. I jumped in ready for some page-turning, science-y action. Happily, I wasn't disappointed.

Recursion follows two characters. The first is Barry, a detective. He is struggling in his personal life as the novel begins and is still grieving the loss of his teenage daughter who died in a hit and run several years ago. One afternoon, he responds to a call about a potential suicide. A woman is about to throw herself off of a building. When he arrives to try and talk her down, she tells him a strange story about having two sets of memories in her head. She can distinctly remember two lives--one in which she was a happily married wife and mother living out in the country and the one she is currently in now, in which she is a single high-powered executive. She can't reconcile the two sets of memories, she wants to go to the life where she was a mother, and is in despair over the whole situation. Her story intrigues Barry, who sets off on a path to investigate these mysterious memories.

The second character is Helena, a scientist studying memory in an effort to help Alzheimer's patients. Her goal is to be able to build a device that allows her to trigger memories in peoples' minds on command. She is brilliant, but unable to secure the kind of funding she needs to take her research to the next level. This changes when she is approached by a tech billionaire who offers her a chance to build the memory machine of her dreams at his private facility. Her work soon starts yielding incredible results, but the implications of what she creates are very dangerous and she fears what could happen if her work ever falls into the wrong hands.

The paths of these two characters eventually cross as they both work to sort through a series of impossible and dangerous consequences born from the intersection of technology and memory.

I really ended up liking this book. It was action-packed and contained lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. I couldn't really guess what was coming most of the time and I was totally engaged trying to figure out where the story was going. Aside from the interesting plot, Crouch's writing was easy to read and very engaging. The narration flipped back and forth between Barry and Helena and created lots of mini-cliffhangers along the way. Both sides of the story were great though, so I was never too annoyed to cut away from a character for a little while. In addition to all the exciting bits, the story asked some deep questions about memory, trying to change the past, and how humans experience time. Like all good science fiction, it gave me some complicated ideas to think about after the story was over. I couldn't help by feel like this would make a great limited series on TV.

Recursion ended up being an excellent read. I would definitely recommend it to science fiction fans or even people interested in trying out the genre. It's a very approachable story with a highly interesting and engaging plot--the perfect book to escape into. I'm happy to have randomly picked it up. Hopefully whatever book is next in my stack will be just as enjoyable.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 10/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 7/24

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

 

After reading a few very serious books, I was happy that the next title in my stack was on the lighter side. Adult contemporary fiction isn't a genre I usually pick up, but I made an exception for Landline based on the author. I've been a fan of Rainbow Rowell's young adult work since I read Eleanor and Park years ago, so I was very interested to see how I would feel about her fiction for grownups. 

The plot of the novel follows Georgie McCool, a TV writer in her thirties. She is married to her husband Neal and they live in LA with their two young daughters. As the story begins, Georgie and Neal are going through some trouble in their marriage. Georgie has been focusing on her career while Neal, who is a stay at home dad, wishes she would spend more time with the family. When a big opportunity comes up that requires Georgie to work over Christmas, Neal decides to take the kids and visit his family across the country without her. Afraid that her marriage might be over, Georgie tries calling him to check in using her old landline phone and discovers something impossible. Her landline is calling Neal in the past, from just before they got engaged. Speaking to the younger version of her husband stirs up a lot of old memories and feelings in Georgie, and it also presents her with an interesting opportunity: a chance to save her present-day marriage by reaching into the past.

I ended up really enjoying this book, even though it was quite a different pick for me. Rowell's writing was easy read and felt quite relateable. The emotions were genuine and the characters were layered. I found myself torn between Georgie and Neal's issues. Georgie was often careless in the way she treated her family and should have placed more importance on being there for them. However, Neal was struggling with a personal aimlessness that made him needy and resentful, often unfairly so. Neither character was perfect but both were still sympathetic, which brought complexity to the story. I also appreciated that while the topic was a serious one, the tone wasn't too depressing. Georgie's dry sense of humor kept things from being too dark and the supporting characters (especially her mother and sister) added some lightness as well.

So, much like I enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's writing for young adults, I enjoyed her writing here too. I wouldn't say this is one of those novels that will stay with me forever, but it was a fun bit of escapism and the perfect thing to break up the serious stories I have been reading lately. This was a solid read that ended up being a sweet and emotional treat.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 9/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 6/24

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

 

There hasn't been much rhyme or reason to my reading selections lately. I've just been picking up whichever book is next in the stack on my book cart. That was how I ended up reading The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. It's a novel about a pandemic, which I didn't think would appeal to me at this particular point in time, but this ended up being a special one and I'm very glad I happened to pick it up.

The plot of the novels follows several characters living in a small college town in California called Santa Lora. As the story begins a handful of college students fall ill with a mysterious sickness. They fall asleep and can't be woken up. Quickly, the illness begins to spread and more and more people begin to fall asleep. Hospitals are overwhelmed and panic starts to set in. Eventually, the entire city has to be quarantined to try and stop the spread. Doctors are able to determine that the brains of those who are asleep are extraordinarily active. They are dreaming intense dreams, but no one knows what they are dreaming, what is causing it, or how to wake them. 

The chapters alternate between some of the students first exposed to the virus, two children left alone when their father falls asleep, a new parent with an infant, a college professor, and more. Each of them have to try and survive in their new reality, facing all of the fear and uncertainty that now defines their daily lives. 

This novel was beautifully written and highly engaging. Walker's prose is a pleasure to read; even a topic as freshly traumatic as a pandemic felt interesting and mysterious in these pages. She did a nice job of capturing the sadness and complexity of emotions that comes with a crisis like this and creating a world that felt genuinely real. Even though there are a lot of characters that we only get to know for a short space of time in their lives, I found that I was totally invested in their stories and was rooting for everyone to be okay. It's hard to put anything more specific about why I liked this book so much into words, but it was one of those that I didn't want to put down. Even despite my limited reading time, I moved through it pretty quickly.

It's funny how a book that I picked up totally at random ended up becoming one of my favorite reads of the year so far. The emotion, the characters, and the mystery of it all really spoke to me and made for a great reading experience. I really enjoyed The Dreamers and am definitely interested in checking out more by Karen Thompson Walker.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 8/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 5/24

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez and The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

I’ve been buried in school work these past few months, but I did manage to read a few books. Both were young adult historical fiction, so I decided to talk about them both in the same post.

Historical fiction is a genre that I don’t pick up as often as others, but I always enjoy it whenever I do. Young adult novels in this category tend to hit me hard, with emotional storylines and compelling plots. These two stories were no exception to that.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez centers around two teenagers named Naomi and Wash living in a rural 1930’s Texas oil town called New London. Naomi just moved to the area from Mexico with her younger brother and sister to live with her stepfather. Her relationship with her stepfather is fraught and abusive, but there are better opportunities for her siblings in New London. They are light enough to pass as white and are able to attend a good school there. For their sake, she forces herself to stay. 

When she meets Wash, an African American boy, she is instantly drawn to him. Though she tries to deny her feelings at first, they fall in love with each other and start dating in secret. Although neither one is white and both suffer from the racism of their surroundings, no one believes it’s appropriate for them to be together. They dream of running away to Mexico to start a new life, but their plans are thrown into chaos when the New London School explosion occurs. The disaster sets a chain of events into motion that threaten to destroy everything Naomi and Wash have been working towards.

This novel was beautifully written and completely gut wrenching to read. It touches on many heavy topics including racism, domestic abuse, substance abuse, grief, and more. Trigger warnings are in order for just about every bit of sensitive content out there, but those that are up for taking an emotional journey will be rewarded with a complex story about love persevering through unimaginable difficulties. The chapters are quite short and rotate through the perspectives of several different characters, making this an easy book to pick up and read a little bit at a time. It was very sad, and very good. 

The New London School explosion is a real event that killed over 300 people, most of them children, in 1937. A natural gas leak caused a massive explosion that destroyed the part of the school housing the 5th-11th grades. I had never heard of it before reading this novel, but it was horrific and absolutely devastating to the community. It was a very intense backdrop to Naomi and Wash’s story and Pérez did a nice job of integrating it into the text. 

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 6/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 3/24

The second novel I read was The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. This novel was based on the life of a real Auschwitz survivor, Dita Kraus. Dita was taken from her home in Prague and imprisoned in Auschwitz when she was a young teenager. While there, she and the other children attended a makeshift school run by other captives. The school managed to assemble a secret collection of eight novels to use in their teaching, and Dita was placed in charge of these books. To be found with a book in Auschwitz would mean instant death, so Dita's job was extraordinarily dangerous. Fortunately, Dita is an extraordinary girl, and her bravery and determination to keep her little library safe keeps a spark of hope alive in an unimaginably terrible place. 

This was another beautiful book set in a brutal place. Iturbe is a Spanish writer and this is a translated work. Sometimes the language sounded a bit off in the way that translated works do, but it was still a very touching story and a great reading experience. The terror and sadness of Auschwitz was portrayed clearly, and Dita’s story was told in a way that was inspirational and emotional. The story did what great historical fiction does–make history come alive to readers. It’s incredible that the real-life Dita Kraus was able to keep this secret library safe. I really enjoyed learning about her story through this novel.

So ultimately, even though the pace of my reading has slowed down quite a bit, I have still been able to find some really great reads. Both Out of Darkness and The Librarian of Auschwitz were excellent books. My semester is nearly over now and I’m looking forward to a summer where I can read and write a little more frequently. It’s funny–I’m in a graduate program to learn about the science of reading and how to help struggling readers. I’m literally spending so much time reading about reading that I don’t have time to read. Go figure.  

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 7/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 4/24