Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy 3/5 Stars
This book started extremely slowly for me, so much so that I almost stopped listening to the audiobook. It didn’t have the same pull as McConaghy’s other books had for me. This one is set slightly in the future and really harped on climate change rather than having a more balanced medley of themes as her other books have had. It ended up feeling like a soft thriller once it picked up, between the dramas of the environment and people on the island. I found myself moved more by McConaghy’s delightful writing than by the story itself.

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry

The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell 5/5 Stars
What an adventure this one is! This is the kind of book where you can’t say too much because it would be very easy to give spoilers. I did suspect a few surprises but I still very much enjoyed the journey to get there. I did read an ARC of this book and I haven’t checked it against the published version, but I am still unclear about one of the details at the end and that is really my only complaint about this book. I loved Eve and Max and the hotel, which was a character on its own. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Genius Bat by Yossi Yovel 4/5 Stars
Overall, I really liked this book. The beginning was strong and I was very excited to have found a non-fiction book with such interesting information presented in a captivating way. A bit into the book things slowed way down. I think why that happened is that there are stories about different researchers, doctors, studies, etc but they are not told beginning to end; the author switches around and it gets very confusing trying to keep everyone straight and impossible (for me) to remember if we had already heard about a particular person or study before. I think it would have been much less confusing if each study or research topic was told completely before moving on to another one. This did not work as an e-book for me because some of the information was a bit too scientific to hold my attention, however I did end up purchasing the audiobook and could kind of zone out a little bit when the going got tough and enjoyed it that way. I think if you really like bats this is an enjoyable and informative book.
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, however I did also purchase the audiobook myself.

Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz 4/5 Stars
I like this book. The premise is unique: a reformed villain (…or is she??) settles in a small town and, to her shock, ends up caring for the people who live there. There’s lots of character development and self-doubt and the magic is fun and unique to this world. I like the focus on herbal magic for Violet. My beef with this story is how cliché Violet and Nathaniel’s characters are. Their actions and reactions are very dramatic and predictable and I found them getting on my nerves a little bit. It was an enjoyable read, possibly a lighter/beach read, but this story or world has not stuck with me like one I connected with more. Though I do love a sentient plant!
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Tortoise’s Tale by Kendra Coulter 4/5 Stars
The Tortoise’s Tale is a beautifully-written book from the point of view of a tortoise spanning 150 years of her life. Objectively, I think this is a 5-star book. The POV is so unique and it must have been interesting to get in the imagined mindset of firstly, a tortoise, and secondly, a creature of such advanced age. The writing for me was also 5-star. Descriptive and immersive, really a joy to read. There is such a cast of residents (human and pets) and visitors and caretakers but it was written in a way that made it all very easy to follow. And the personality given to Daisuke Magic is something very special to read.
For me, the second half of the book was heavy. It’s in the first part of the book as well but I really felt it the closer I got to the end of the book, which to me felt bleak and kind of scary. I have a very low threshold for really any sort of animal discomfort, even in fiction, and there was enough injustice that many times I left the enjoyable reading area and moved into the uncomfortable. Not to say that there’s anything graphic or truly horrible described with the animals. I can’t think of another book that I have been so taken with without also planning to read again. My personal rating for this book is 3/5 stars. I highly recommend this book, with caution to those also sensitive to animal situations.
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As this is a season review page, I will update as I have more reviews. If you would like to follow along as I am reading, you can follow me on Goodreads.