FOL Used Bookstore in Carpinteria, California

 

I'm feeling rather nostalgic right now! My husband and I lived in the small coastal town of Carpinteria, California for almost 16 years. Carpinteria located approximately halfway between Ventura, California and Santa Barbara, California.

We loved living Carpinteria. I truly miss living there. For such a small town, it packed a punch in terms of things to do. Carpinteria has plenty of eateries, a weekly farmers market, an annual avocado festival, a seal rookery, several parks, a campground, a salt marsh, a history museum, a community center, a rose farm, nurseries galore, and the world's safest beaches (no riptides supposedly).

I use to shop at the local FOL Used Bookstore all the time when we lived in Carpinteria. It is a stand alone bookstore right next to the public library. The FOL Used Bookstore was always well stocked with books for sale costing no more than $2 per book. Some books were a lot less. 

During our trip to Santa Barbara last week, we drove down to Carpinteria to see what changes have occurred since we left the area 12 years ago. We also revisited the FOL Used Bookstore while we were in town. I purchased up four books for six dollars. I'm glad to see the FOL Used Bookstore is still around and thriving. So much has changed in Carpinteria since we moved away in 2014.

I first made a post about the FOL Used Bookstore in Carpinteria back in January 2012 when I first began blogging! Click here to see my original post!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

 

As a side note, I help teach English to a Ukrainian woman living in Ukraine. She has read and recommended The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I've seen this book over the years, but have never read it before... That is until this month!

I had Google Gemini flush out, organize, and rewrite my initial thoughts after reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It was too much for me to write a detailed, indepth post while in a CRPS/RSD flare.

Have you ever picked up a book that felt less like a story and more like a quiet conversation with your own life goals?

That is precisely the magic of Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist. While framed as a simple fiction story, Santiago’s trek across the desert taps into universal themes of destiny, spirituality, and personal growth.

I recently experienced this timeless fable through the audiobook edition narrated by British actor Jeremy Irons, and it gave the entire story a rich, captivating layer. Here is my breakdown of why this short novel makes such a big impact—and how its philosophical roots align with modern ideas about manifestation.

1. A Masterclass in the Hero’s Journey

At its core, The Alchemist follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who leaves behind the safety of his home and flock to chase a recurring dream of treasure near the Egyptian pyramids.

Santiago’s path follows Joseph Campbell’s classic Hero’s Journey to a tee:

• The Call to Adventure: A persistent dream that disrupts his routine.
• Mentors & Guides: Unforgettable characters like Melchizedek (the King of Salem), a cautious crystal merchant, and the Alchemist himself.
• Trials & Transformation: Facing robbery, doubt, love, and tribal warfare in the Sahara.

Instead of just seeking material wealth, Santiago’s journey shifts into a search for his "Personal Legend"—the true purpose each of us is called to pursue.

2. Faith, Mysticism, and the "Soul of the World"

Coelho effortlessly blends concepts from various traditions—Christianity, Sufism, and ancient Hermetic wisdom—without landing heavily on any single dogma.

The story introduces the idea of the "Soul of the World," an interconnected spiritual energy where all living things speak a shared, silent language. It’s a comforting, meditative take on spirituality: the idea that listening to your heart and paying attention to everyday omens connects you to a broader universal rhythm.

3. The Proto-Secret: Manifestation Before It Was Trendy

If you’ve ever read Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, Coelho’s most famous line will sound immediately familiar:

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

This is essentially the Law of Attraction wrapped in a mythic allegory. It’s worth noting that Coelho published The Alchemist in 1988—nearly two decades before The Secret hit shelves in 2006. While Byrne framed manifestation as a self-help methodology, Coelho framed it as a narrative truth: when you commit fully to your path, the world aligns to support you.

4. The Jeremy Irons Effect: Why Audio is the Ultimate Format

If you are planning to experience (or re-experience) this book, listen to the audiobook.

Jeremy Irons’ narration is pure audio perfection. His warm, gravelly, and gravitas-filled voice brings a cozy, campfire-story atmosphere to the entire listening experience. He delivers the novel's frequent proverbs and philosophical reflections with a gentle, thoughtful cadence that keeps them from feeling preachy or heavy-handed.

Final Verdict

The Alchemist is a short, lyrical read that sits right at the intersection of fiction, philosophy, and motivation. Whether you read it as an adventure, a spiritual allegory, or a precursor to modern self-help, it leaves you reflecting on your own life goals. 

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is filled with too many likable quotes to share here.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho found on Goodreads website:

Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, following our dreams.

I am giving The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho a rating 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Have you read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho? What was your take on this novel? Do you consider The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho to be a modern day classic?

Until my next post, happy reading!!

New to Me Little Free Library in Santa Barbara, California

 

I loved finding this Little Free Library in Santa Barbara with my husband on our way to the Santa Barbara Mission. It is a very cute LFL and offered quite a few book choices.

We visited the Santa Barbara Mission afterward, which wasn't our first visit. The Santa Barbara Mission is beautiful and is known as the 'Queen of the California Missions'.

There is a book tie in to the Santa Barbara Mission! Did you know this? The Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'Dell is the novel I'm specifically talking about. 

Below is information I discovered while searching Google:

The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island—the real-life inspiration for Karana in Island of the Blue Dolphins—was brought to the Old Mission Santa Barbara in 1853 after living in isolation for 18 years. She passed away from dysentery just seven weeks after her rescue and “was buried in an unmarked grave on the Nidever family plot at the Santa Barbara Mission cemetery.” “There is a plaque at the east end of the mission cemetery that commemorates her. It was dedicated in 1928, by the Daughters of the American Revolution.”

Below is a photo I took with my camera phone of the plaque which commemorates the lone woman from San Nicolas Island.

I've also included three other photos taken inside the Santa Barbara Mission Church.

I hope you enjoyed my post! Have you visited any Little Free Libraries lately?

Two New to Me Little Free Libraries in Goleta, California

 

My husband and I visited the Santa Barbara area last week as my husband attended a two day conference for work. 

During our stay, my husband was able to take some time off for us to do some sightseeing. Of course, this meant finding some Little Free Libraries between activities.

Above are two of the Little Free Libraries we discovered in Goleta, California near our hotel.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Top Ten Tuesday - Books With Nationalities In The Title

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Below are ten books I've read and reviewed here on my blog. Click on the links provided below to read my review for each book.

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

2. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8 Lee

3. My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta

4. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

5 An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

6. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

7. The Story of English in 100 Words by David Crystal

8. Secrets of the Spanish Playing Cards: Fortune Telling Using La Baraja Española by Kara Janssen

9. The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul

10. An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo

Announcing 'The Accursed' Spooky Season Read-Along!

Welcome to the Shadows: Announcing 'The Accursed' Spooky Season Read-Along!

Get ready to dive into one of the most wildly ambitious, darkly atmospheric historical fantasies of modern literature just in time for Spooky Season. From October 1 through October 31, 2026, Marianne @ Let's Read and I are teaming up to tackle Joyce Carol Oates’s epic Gothic masterpiece, The Accursed—and we would love for you to join us!

Set in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1905–1906, the novel weaves real historical figures—like Woodrow Wilson, Grover Cleveland, and Upton Sinclair—into a chilling, surreal Gothic mystery. When a supernatural "curse" overtakes the elite families of the town, society crumbles under the weight of mysterious abductions, demonic visions, and long-buried hypocrisies.

At over 600 pages, it is a dense, feverish read—which is precisely why reading and discussing it together over the 31 days of October will make it so much more fun.

October Reading Schedule

We will break the novel down across the four weeks of October (roughly 150–170 pages per week) so we can all finish together right on Halloween night:

Timeline	Assigned Reading	Key Themes / Focus
Week 1 (Oct 1–Oct 8)	Book 1 (Chapters 1–4)	The curse descends on the Slade wedding; Woodrow Wilson's strain
Week 2 (Oct 9–Oct 16)	Book 2 & Book 3	Historical cameos; the eerie Bog Kingdom; social satire
Week 3 (Oct 17–Oct 24)	Book 4 & Book 5	Hysteria spreads; moral decay of the Princeton elite
Week 4 (Oct 25–Oct 31)	Book 6 to End	Climax, resolution, and unpacking the narrator’s reliability

How to Participate

• Weekly Discussion Posts: Every Friday in October (Oct 9, 16, 23, and 30), a new post will go live right here on the blog with guided discussion prompts, character trackers, and space to share your thoughts.

• Comment Section: Drop your theories, favorite quotes, and reactions in the comments of each weekly post as you read along with Marianne and me at your own pace.

Grab your copy, dust off your reading chair, and drop a comment below if you're joining us this October!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

 

I have been wanting to read a novel written by French novelist, Emile Zola, off and on for decades now. This year, I finally made it happen when I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. Therese Raquin is nicely narrated by Traci Svensgaard.

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola is an interesting novel, but slow in parts. Because of this, it took me longer to read this short novel than anticipated. Therese Raquin takes readers to the darker, seedier side of humanity and it isn't pretty. As the publisher's summary below highlights, "Zola’s novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence." 

Therese Raquin explores the psychological (and physical) terror that takes place after a heinous crime is committed by two of the main characters. These two main characters think life will be different after the crime they commit occurs. Little do they know that their lives are negatively altered in ways they could never imagine. For me, Therese Raquin exemplifies the atrocities one endures in the aftermath of the crime they've committed.

I found the pacing for Therese Raquin to be uneven. Some parts of this novel were slow, which left me wondering where the storyline was headed. Other times, the flow and pacing were great, which had me fully engaged in the plot details. All in all, I was happy to have read this French classic.

Below is the publisher's summary for Therese Raquin by Emile Zola, which I discovered on Chirp's website:

In a dingy apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille. The numbing tedium of her life is suddenly shattered when she embarks on a turbulent affair with her husband’s earthy friend, Laurent. But their passion for each other soon compels the lovers to commit a crime that will haunt them forever.

Thérèse Raquin caused a scandal when it appeared in 1867 and brought its twenty-seven-year-old author a notoriety that followed him throughout his life. Zola’s novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence.

I am giving Therese Raquin by Emile Zola a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Prelinger Library in San Francisco, California

I've never heard of the The Prelinger Library before watching the above video found on YouTube. The above video is very short.

Since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd like to visit this library some day.

Below os more from The Prelinger Library from there about page:

The Prelinger Library is an independent research library located in San Francisco’s South-of-Market neighborhood. It is open to anyone for research, reading, inspiration, and reuse.

The library is primarily a collection of 19th and 20th century historical ephemera, periodicals, maps, and books, most published in the United States. Much of the collection is image-rich, and in the public domain. The library specializes in material that is not commonly found in other public libraries. Read more about the collection here.

The library was co-founded in 2004 by Megan Prelinger and Rick Prelinger. Read more about our history here. It is also part of a community of local and international artists, writers, activists, and other makers. It is visited by as many as a thousand people every year. Many of these people, and many organizations and institutions, have contributed to the library and helped to make it what it is. Read more about our community here.

Have you visited any libraries recently?

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

AI Companies Are Buying and Destroying Antique Books!

 This is horrifying news via Forbes!! Checkout this very short YouTube video.

The Wave by Morton Rhue (aka Todd Strasser)

I can't remember now where I first learned about The Wave by Morton Rhue (aka Todd Strasser). Maybe from another book blogger?? Anyway, I've had The Wave on my reading wishlist for quite a while and decided that this month was going to be the one for reading this novel.

The Wave is a young adult novel based on real life events that take place at a high school in Palo Alto, California back in 1969. The fact that this novel is based on real life event and the captivating synopsis are what initially captured my attention enough to want to read The Wave.

Since I'm currently having a complex regional pain syndrome (crps) flare up, I used Google Gemini to help me flush out some of the finer points of this book as follows below:

A Chilling Study in Groupthink: Review of The Wave by Morton Rhue

Morton Rhue’s 1981 novel The Wave (a pen name for Todd Strasser) remains one of the most stark, accessible explorations of how totalitarianism develops within a society. Based on Ron Jones’s real-life 1967 "Third Wave" classroom experiment at a California high school, the story serves as a haunting answer to a timeless question: How could ordinary people allow something like Nazi Germany to happen?

Premise & Plot

When history teacher Ben Ross shows his high school class documentary footage of Holocaust concentration camps, his students react with disbelief. They insist that the average German citizen could not possibly have stood by while millions were murdered. Intrigued and slightly frustrated by their skepticism, Ross decides to launch an unannounced classroom experiment.

He introduces strict discipline, snappy salutes, and unifying slogans: "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Action." He dubs the movement "The Wave."

What begins as an engaging pedagogical tool quickly spirals out of control:

• Instant Belonging: Outsiders and victims of bullying, like student Robert Billings, suddenly find status and equality within the group.

• Enforced Conformity: The movement rapidly spreads beyond the history classroom. Dissenters—most notably Laurie Saunders, the student newspaper editor—are ostracized, threatened, and labeled as traitors.

• Loss of Control: Ben Ross himself becomes intoxicated by the absolute authority and order he commands, delaying the end of the experiment even as violence begins to leak into the school hallways.

Key Themes

Theme	How It Manifests in the Book
Conformity vs. Individuality	Students willingly trade personal critical thinking for the security and comfort of belonging to a collective.
The Appeal of Fascism	Rhue demonstrates that authoritarian systems do not begin with obvious cruelty; they begin with order, pride, and shared purpose.
Power Dynamics	Ben Ross highlights how authority easily corrupts even well-meaning leaders who believe they remain in control.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Strengths: The pacing is rapid and taut. At under 150 pages, it reads with the urgency of a thriller. The psychological shift of the students feels disturbingly believable, demonstrating how quickly human beings succumb to tribalism when offered structure and inclusion.

• Weaknesses: Written primarily as young adult literature, the prose is straightforward and occasionally sparse. Character development takes a back seat to the central psychological experiment, making some interactions feel somewhat functional rather than deeply nuanced.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Wave by Morton Rhue (aka Todd Strasser) I found on Amazon's website:

The Wave is based on a true incident that occurred in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.

The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Ben Ross introduces a "new" system to his students. And before long "The Wave", with its rules of "strength through discipline, community, and action," sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of "The Wave" and realize they must stop it before it's too late.

I am giving The Wave by Morton Rhue (aka Todd Strasser) a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

 

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

I listened to the unabridged audio version of What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, which is well narrated by Avi Roque. I'd had this horror/fantasy novella on my reading wishlist for a while. I'm glad I finally listened to What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher as it was really good. 

What Moves the Dead is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's, The Fall of the House of Usher. What Moves the Dead is also the first novella in the 'Sworn Soldier' series. If you enjoy reading books and novellas that fall into the horror and fantasy genres and are also into a retelling of a classic story, then this book may be for you. The storyline, plot, and characters are fun! This book is most definitely worth the hype.

Below is the publisher's summary for What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher found on the Goodreads website:

From the award-winning author of The Twisted Ones comes a gripping and atmospheric retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher."

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

I'm giving What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars. 

Until my next post, happy reading!

New to Us Little Free Library in San Juan Bautista, California

 On our way home from Soledad, California, my husband and I stopped off in San Juan Bautista, California with the goal of visiting the San Juan Bautista Mission. 

Unfortunately, the San Juan Bautista Mission was packed with people. So, we decided to take a pass and visit the San Juan Bautista Mission another time.

On our way out of town, we found a Little Free Library outside Vertigo Coffee Roasters. This Little Free Library is cute!

New to Me Little Free Life in Soledad, California

 

This past Friday through Sunday, my husband and I spent time at the Inn at the Pinnacles in Soledad, California. The Inn at the Pinnacles is a luxury bed and breakfast set on a vineyard and is located about a ten to fifteen minute drive from the west entrance to the Pinnacles National Park. It was our first visit time staying at the Inn at the Pinnacles. We truly enjoyed our relaxing stay at there and hope to make another visit in the future. 

The primary purpose of our visit was to attend a stargazing event hosted at the Inn at the Pinnacles. We were able to view the night sky both Friday and Saturday using a telescope. Wine and cheese happy hours were offered both nights and a delicious, homemade Mexican dinner on Saturday evening. And, of course, delicious breakfasts during our stay too. 

On our way to the Inn at the Pinnacles, we visited one of the 21 California Missions in Soledad. The Soledad Mission was a small, but quaint mission. We enjoyed our visit there.

On our way home, we dropped off a couple of books at a Little Free Library in Soledad.

How was your weekend?

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates, which was nicely narrated by Lauren Ezzo. I you enjoy suspenseful novellas, then you will enjoy Cardiff, by the Sea as all four novellas were very good and very different from each other. 

Cardiff, by the Sea is the second book I've read by Joyce Carol Oates this year. Interestingly enough, both books I've read by Joyce Carol Oates this year have been buddy reads. This time around, I read Cardiff, by the Sea with Marianne @ Let's Read. Marianne is a fan of Joyce Carol Oates's writing too! Marianne made a perfect reading buddy as we had lots to discuss. Checkout Marianne's blog by clicking on the link above.

I want to break down my review of Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates by reviewing each novella. Each novella contains a female protagonist who is threatened, manipulated, or traumatized by predatory, abusive, or toxically controlling male figures. 

Additionally, most of these novellas has an ambiguous ending to them. The final novella has a resolution of sorts, but not everything is entirely wrapped up so neatly at the end. Joyce Carol Oates is notorious for writing ambitious endings! But then again perhaps that's the appeal... Perhaps, JCO wants you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions.

1. Cardiff, by the Sea

This is the titular first novella in the collection and happens to be my personal favorite. JCO's writing here is superb. The basic premise follows an academic in Pennsylvania who discovers a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine, from a relative she never knew existed.

The protagonist, Clare, was given up for adoption as a baby and never spent much time dwelling on her origins—until she inherits property from her biological paternal grandmother. Summoned by the estate lawyer, Clare travels to Maine and meets her eccentric great-aunts and paternal uncle. That’s where things begin to go awry. Strange, unsettling things start happening to Clare—or so she believes.

Clare learns that both of her biological parents died tragically, but no one—not even the estate lawyer—will explicitly tell her how. Instead, Clare is directed to the local library to uncover the truth herself, and the answers she finds are horrific. Obsessed with uncovering what really happened, Clare sets out to interview anyone who might know the real story behind her parents' dark past.

2. Miao Dao

"Miao Dao" refers to a traditional Chinese two-handed saber, but it doubles as a clever wordplay on JCO's part, as cats ("meow") play a central role in the narrative. In this story, an eleven-year-old girl named Mia is struggling through her parents' tense divorce while navigating the uncomfortable, predatory attention of older neighborhood boys and men. Overwhelmed by loneliness and anxiety, Mia adopts a fierce feral cat. The bond between them turns dark and protective as the cat becomes a silent guardian against the increasingly aggressive males in her life. It’s an unsettling look at how young girls are forced to navigate terrifying environments far too early.

3. Phantomwise: 1972

Set in the title year of 1972, this story centers on Alyce, a brilliant but deeply insecure and shy college sophomore who finds herself in a terrifying dilemma when she becomes pregnant. The setting of 1972 is crucial here: it takes place immediately before the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973. At this time, abortion was still largely illegal across most of the United States, leaving young, isolated women with virtually no safe or legal options.

Terrified and lacking institutional support, Alyce becomes completely dependent on the men around her. Enter an older, charismatic poetry professor who steps in to "take her under his wing," though his motives are far from innocent. JCO brilliantly highlights the legal traps and social taboos of the pre-Roe era, showing how restrictive healthcare laws weaponized control over women's bodies and left them uniquely vulnerable to predatory, manipulative authority figures. The tension in this piece is suffocating as Alyce struggles to find agency in a world designed to strip it away.

4. The Surviving Child

This was probably my least favorite of the four novellas, but it was still a gripping, eerie read. The story functions as a subtle roman à clef inspired by the tragic lives of poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. It follows Elisabeth, a woman who marries a charismatic, domineering widower whose famous poet ex-wife died by suicide, taking one of their children with her.

JCO leans heavily into the classic, dark "wicked stepmother" trope here—though with a psychological twist. Elisabeth steps into the household trying to care for the surviving child, but she is quickly consumed by the toxic family dynamic. Instead of being the villain, Elisabeth becomes a victim of the domestic haunting, finding herself tormented by the late wife's lingering voice, an inexplicably befouled well, and an unsettling, hypnotic attraction to the garage where the horrific tragedy took place. While it felt a bit slower than the rest, it paints a haunting picture of inherited grief and psychological decline.

Here's the publisher's summary for Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates, which I discovered on Hoopla:

An academic in Pennsylvania discovers a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine, from someone she has never heard of. A pubescent girl, overcome with loneliness, befriends a feral cat that becomes her protector from the increasingly aggressive males that surround her. A brilliant but shy college sophomore is distraught to discover that she's pregnant, and the professor who takes her under his wing may not have innocent intentions. And a woman who marries into a family shattered by tragedy finds herself haunted by her predecessor's voice, an inexplicably befouled well, and a compulsive attraction to a garage that took two lives.

In these psychologically daring, chillingly suspenseful pieces, the author of We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde writes about women facing threats past and present, once again cementing her reputation for "great intelligence and dead-on imaginative powers" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

I am giving Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

P. S. I did have Google Gemini help me rewrite my summaries for each of the novellas to make them sound/flow better. The rest of this post is solely written by me without Google Gemini's assistance.

I Love Little Free Libraries!!

 

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

 

Last year, I read and reviewed Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A Olivas. Another blogger, CyberKitten, read my review of Chicano Frankenstein and recommended I read Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi. Since I enjoyed reading Chicano Frankenstein so much, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of  Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi, which is well narrated by Edoardo Ballerini and Kaleo Griffith.

Thank you, CyberKitten, I enjoyed listening to Frankenstein in Baghdad. It is a unique read with a setting in Iraq. It's filled with colorful characters and an engaging storyline. The narration is phenomenal as well. If you are interested in reading retellings of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, then Frankenstein in Baghdad may be right up your alley.

Below is the publisher's summary for Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi, which I discovered on Chirp's website:

From the rubble-strewn streets of U.S.-occupied Baghdad, Hadi—a scavenger and an oddball fixture at a local café—collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse. His goal, he claims, is for the government to recognize the parts as people and to give them proper burial. But when the corpse goes missing, a wave of eerie murders sweeps the city, and reports stream in of a horrendous-looking criminal who, though shot, cannot be killed. Hadi soon realizes he’s created a monster, one that needs human flesh to survive—first from the guilty, and then from anyone in its path. A prizewinning novel by “Baghdad’s new literary star” (The New York Times), Frankenstein in Baghdad captures with white-knuckle horror and black humor the surreal reality of contemporary Iraq.

I am giving  Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Happy National Book Lovers Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle

I've noticed that I've been on an unconscious mission to read new to me authors this year... That is until now! I think the main reason I am reading more books by new to me authors this year may be due to borrowing more books from the public library via Hoopla. Additionally, I've been given books by other readers and also book recommendations. Many of these books are written by new to me authors.  I'm also discovering new to me authors from a book club I've been participating in at my public library.

Victor Lavalle is a new to me author. I chose to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle, which is narrated by Kevin R. Free via Hoopla. I primarily chose this novella because it's short and also because it was "one of NPR's Best Books of 2016, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, the British Fantasy Award, the This is Horror Award for Novella of the Year, and a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards."

I enjoyed the writing and storyline for The Ballad of Black Tom. But I wasn't overly impressed with it. Sure, I enjoyed listening to The Ballad of Black Tom as it is well narrated, but I didn't find this novella stellar enough to be worthy of its hype by NPR and the awards and award nominations.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle, which I discovered on Amazon's website:

One of NPR's Best Books of 2016, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, the British Fantasy Award, the This is Horror Award for Novella of the Year, and a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards

People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there.

Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping.

A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break?

I am giving The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!