Goodreads Update May 2025

I got a little behind yesterday, when I was off work, so you get two posts today.

I made the mistake of perusing the Publisher's Weekly a couple of weeks ago. I may have added a few things.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater - I loved Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series that she wrote for YA audiences. In fact, I believe this is her first adult novel. It's 1942, but it's West Virginia. There's this luxury hotel that the owners have made a deal with the State Department to house Axis political prisoners there. Our main character has to convince her staff to be nice to these horrible people. Meanwhile there's a detective listening at walls to hear the bad guys' secrets. I believe there is also a bit of a magical element, as well.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab - Historical vampires. Done. Take my money.

A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry - This is billed as Johnathan Strange meets Great Expectations in a fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution. Say less.

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang - No, I don't know how to pronounce this. I hope it becomes clear in the narrative. This appears to also have notes of Jonathan Strange. Alice is determined to be one of the brightest students at the magical university at Cambridge. When her professor dies in a magical accident, she won't let that stop her from getting his good recommendation, so she goes to Hell to get him back. Also, her academic rival has the same idea.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig - I have reservations about this one. I'm pretty sure this is Romantasy, which isn't really my jam. But I've heard good things about her last series, and even better things about this one.

Family Romance: John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers by Jean Strouse - Year ago, I read a book about Madame X, the painting by Sargent that was a huge scandal because he painted with her strap slipping off her shoulder. So I'm interested in this.

Conclave by Robert Harris - I can't remember where I ran across this one, but since we recently went through the conclave process, it might be interesting to see what this says. I really liked Harris Pompeii.

Caring For Evil by Cara Livingston - Livingston is a friend of mine. I read a piece of this a decade ago or so. I'm so happy she finished it! It is the 1980s and a young home health nurse is sent to take care of an elderly man who doesn't remember his past, but he was definitely a Nazi.

Ok. That's everything I've added lately. It could be worse. It has been worse.