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Back to topMaryelizabeth's Enthusiastic Endorsements
Maryelizabeth is a passionate reader across multiple genres and formats including ebooks and audio books!
LONE WOMEN is the kind of novel that resonates so strongly and feels so real that despite its fantastical elements, I am certain my personal sense of Montana's non-indigenous settlement history will be forever imbued with the belief that it was shaped in part by Adelaide Henry and her family, friends, and foes.
I don't know if "main characters making questionable decisions largely based on past emotional trauma" is a trope, but it might be; if so, I submit for your consideration this sweet queer rendering of said trope. Talent ghostwriter Nina and movie star Ari navigate the perils of romance amid multiple LA neighborhoods, with a lovely supporting cast of chosen friends and family. Spalding's inclusion of pulse-racing sex and comfortable level of effortless pop culture enhance her highly relatable story.
These accomplished, sharply-observant strips not only hold up decades after their original publication (for whatever that may say about our lack of growth as a nation), but also feel like the best snippets one might overhear when passing by a couple of black women friends. Deserves a place in any comics collection, right along "For Better or For Worse," and "The K Chronicles."
As someone whose default mode is to try to ‘fix’ things for friends and family in need, I very much appreciated the reminder that sometimes the best gift one can offer is the gift of sympathy/empathy without additional action.
Particularly recommending the fantastic audiobook edition, with select sound effects, and a truly exceptional and extraordinary narration by Robin Miles.
Dog owners of all ages will appreciate the challenges faced by Mott, whose rescued pup brings with him not only the usual assortment of new responsibilities and updates for interacting with family and neighbors, but also encounters with his family, allies, and adversaries, who are anticipating Fenris fulfilling his destiny as the devourer of the moon and instigator of Ragnarok. Protecting the puppy while also preventing his prophesied actions are a lot of responsibility for a middle schooler -- is Mott up to the task?
A fascinating and different perspective with solid noir roots; Naomi's story of the post-Manzanar experiences of the Ito family in Chicago, and Aki's search for the truth behind her sister's death brought an entire new dimension of history alive to this West Coast reader.
Personal circumstances have soured romance ghostwriter Florence Day on love, inhibiting her ability to write the necessary HEA to meet her deadline. A couple of brief largely unsatisfactory encounters with her attractive new editor weigh on her as she departs Manhattan to return to her hometown after a decade away, following the death of her father. Not only is Florence's family responsible for the multi-generational funeral home, but her father shared Florence's ability to occasionally see ghosts. Florence's reunion with her mother and siblings is strained beyond the circumstances of their grieving, even before she starts being visited by a ghost -- not that of her dad, as half-anticipated, but rather the ghost of her editor. Poston's love for both North Carolina and romance publishing shine through the very non-traditional path to Florence's Happily Ever After.
This was the escapism balm to my heart I needed, Molly deserves huge credit for both the incorporation of key elements of Wilde's original story, and her choices to diverge from it in completely original ways, beyond the obvious gender-switched elements. There are no real villains in this piece, but there are plenty of emotional stakes to keep readers involved in whether Jane Worthington and her BFF Algie will be brave and steady enough to make ultimately satisfying choices in romance and beyond.
Three words: Terr. If. Fying!
Also insightful, empathetic, and, frankly, given the real life horrors of the past couple of years, darned near believable.
At this point I would be very unsurprised to learn a community of privileged families achieved their position and comforts through bartering the lives of others with an eldritch entity at little cost to themselves in our reality.
Recommended to fans of T. Kingfisher or N.K. Jemisin's Great Cities.
Is "Damn, Jennifer's done it yet again!!" a succinct yet accurate review? Phew!! Shades of Shirley Jackson stir in all the shadows on this one.
Ideally I'd love to see LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB reach readers to the same extent that George Takei's THEY CALLED US ENEMY did, educating as well as engaging readers about the world of San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s (and beyond, as Malinda shares stories of Lily's family members). I also hope it reaches some of the readers of Ellen Klages' PASSING STRANGE, with its focus on the life of women who love women in historic San Francisco.
SEEK YOU resonated with me as a fascinating discourse by creator Kristen Radtke about the loneliness so many of us have experienced "together" during pandemic conditions. Her examination of loneliness in America began several years before COVID-19 impacted the globe, and includes sections exploring both an assortment of devices and platforms used for human communication, and also the array of internal and external attitudes and perceptions of what it means to be lonely, whether or not one is alone.
What a lovely love letter to Los Angeles's Little Tokyo Historic District, to rom coms, and to all the monster girls who learn how to find love while becoming their best selves. The "traditional" fairy tale interstitials are charming, and Rika's journey of self-appreciation and recognition of all the ways she can fit into the world, whether it's braving being caring and vulnerable, or allowing her metaphorical Nure-Onna rage to flow when justified, is one that will resonate with readers whether or not they are familiar with the setting.