Book Review | The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a fantasy novella by Nghi Vo.

With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side. This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy.

I'm finding the most success with reading novellas and short stories right now. The Empress of Salt and Fortune is the perfect book for these times of being unable to focus. Not only is The Empress of Salt and Fortune novella length, each chapter is it's own little experience.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune is not strong on plot (which will be a blessing to some right now though I do usually prefer a stronger plot), but it's a beautiful book. The prose is gorgeous, and it makes for a wonderful read.

I would love to read more books by Nghi Vo.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Review copy provided by publisher

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jen (@bookdenjen) on Mar 29, 2020 at 2:22pm PDT

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | March 29

How is your reading these days? It has been a struggle for me especially this past week. I was finally in the mood to read yesterday, and it was nice to spend a whole afternoon and evening getting lost in books.

Please let me know how you are doing. My kids' online school started this past week, and I transitioned to work from home (as did my husband later in the week). It's constant chaos and stress, but I feel extremely fortunate.

I wasn't able to post an update last weekend so today's post will cover the last couple of weeks.

Finished Reading

The Bone Weaver's Orchard by Sarah Read ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This was an adult horror with a young adult atmosphere.

Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I was glad to finally read this. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning another language.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This was a beautiful book. If all goes well, I'll have a review out tomorrow.

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I normally avoid child related horrors, but this is a Ladies of Horror Fiction favorite, and I was reassured I would be OK. (I loved it!)

Lumberjanes: Up All Night (Lumberjanes #1) by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen (Illustrator) ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I'm hooked on Lumberjanes!

All 4 and 5 ⭐s!

Currently Reading

I think I'm going to start reading Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall later today.

Recent Acquisitions

Many thanks to Orbit for sending me a copy of The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey! I'm really, really excited to read this one.

Many thanks to Tor.com for sending me Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones. I'm really excited for this one as well!

And thank you to Steve Stred for gifting me his new middle grade release The Boy Whose Room was Outside!

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

---

This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | March 15

How is everyone doing? Are you OK? Do you need anything? My email is bookdenblog (at) gmail (dot) com if you need to reach out to me. I'm not work from home yet so things are just one day at a time for us right now.

Posted Last Week(s)

Book Review | The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book Review | Inside a Marathon by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book Review | The Festering Ones by S.H. Cooper ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
Book Review | Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks ⭐⭐⭐★★
Book Review | Follow Me by Kathleen Barber ⭐⭐⭐★★

Finished Reading

Follow Me by Kathleen Barber - I've already posted my ⭐⭐⭐★★ review. The premise of an Instagrammer being stalked through her webcam is a terrifying one. I didn't have any trouble believing the premise, but I had a lot of trouble suspending disbelief regarding the characters themselves.

Catfish Lullaby by A.C. Wise ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I'm having such luck this year with books set in the swamp. I'll have a review out for this soon.

Currently Reading

I'm currently enjoying both The Bone Weaver's Orchard by Sarah Read and The Apocalpytic Mannequin by Stephanie Wytovich.

Recent Acquisitions

Many thanks to Tor.com for sending me a copy of The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. This will be my next read!

Meerkat Press recently sent me a copy of Velocities by Kathe Koja. I'm looking forward to diving into these stories.

After Steve Stred and I read Where the Woods End, we decided we both needed Charlotte's Salter's previous novel The Bone Snatcher. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work!

I took advantage of some audible sales and bought Elantris, Age of Myth, and The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

---

This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Book Review | Follow Me by Kathleen Barber

Follow Me is a new thriller from Kathleen Barber.

From the author of Are You Sleeping—soon to be an Apple TV series—comes a cautionary tale of oversharing in the social media age for fans of Jessica Knoll and Caroline Kepnes’s You.

Everyone wants new followers…until they follow you home.

Audrey Miller has an enviable new job at the Smithsonian, a body by reformer Pilates, an apartment door with a broken lock, and hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers to bear witness to it all. Having just moved to Washington, DC, Audrey busies herself impressing her new boss, interacting with her online fan base, and staving off a creepy upstairs neighbor with the help of the only two people she knows in town: an ex-boyfriend she can’t stay away from and a sorority sister with a high-powered job and a mysterious past.

But Audrey’s faulty door may be the least of her security concerns. Unbeknownst to her, her move has brought her within striking distance of someone who’s obsessively followed her social media presence for years—from her first WordPress blog to her most recent Instagram Story. No longer content to simply follow her carefully curated life from a distance, he consults the dark web for advice on how to make Audrey his and his alone. In his quest to win her heart, nothing is off-limits—and nothing is private.

Kathleen Barber’s electrifying new thriller will have you scrambling to cover your webcam and digital footprints.

Follow Me includes an introduction by the author regarding cyber stalking. The thought of someone watching you through your computer is terrifying. Kathleen Barber set the stage for what kind of stalking can take place in the digital age. Cover your webcams, folks.

The main character in Follow Me is a famous Instagrammer with over 1 million followers. As far as I can tell, Audrey is famous for just being on Instagram. What she does and what she posts sounds pretty average to me, but in the world of Follow Me, she's Instagram famous.

In the beginning of Follow Me, Audrey moves to Washington, DC to take a museum job as the social media manager. Her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, and her internet stalker all live in DC so that makes for a hot bed of conflict for Audrey.

The chapters are told through the alternating viewpoints of Audrey, her best friend Cat, and her stalker "Him". I really liked this setup and change of perspective. It kept the pace moving, and since everyone had secrets from Audrey, I enjoyed all of the perspectives.

Unfortunately, I had trouble believing most of Follow Me. Why was Audrey *that* famous? Why was every man *that* obsessed with her? How did the personality traits of "him" even co-exist in the same person?

That being said, I enjoyed the writing, and I enjoyed reading Follow Me. I have a copy of Barber's Truth Be Told, and I'm looking forward to picking that one up next.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by publisher

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jen (@bookdenjen) on Mar 11, 2020 at 4:16am PDT

Book Review | Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks

Run to the Finish: The Everyday Runner's Guide to Avoiding Injury, Ignoring the Clock, and Loving the Run by Amanda Brooks is a nonfiction book about running. I'm telling you guys - books about running have the longest titles ever.

Inspiration and practical tips for runners who prioritize enjoyment over pace and embrace their place as an "average" runner

In her first book, popular runner blogger Amanda Brooks lays out the path to finding greater fulfillment in running for those who consider themselves "middle of the pack runners" -- they're not trying to win Boston (or even qualify for Boston); they just want to get strong and stay injury-free so they can continue to enjoy running.

Run to the Finish is not your typical running book. While it is filled with useful strategic training advice throughout, at its core, it is about embracing your place in the middle of the pack with humor and learning to love the run you've got without comparing yourself to other runners. Mixing practical advice like understanding the discomfort vs. pain, the mental side of running, and movements to treat the most common injuries with more playful elements such as "Favorite hilarious marathon signs" and "Weird Thoughts We all Have at the Start Line," Brooks is the down-to-earth, inspiring guide for everyone who wants to be happier with their run.

Last month I dnf'ed a judgmental running book within the first few pages, and I'm so happy to have picked up Run to the Finish instead. If you run, you are a runner. Full stop. In Run to the Finish, Amanda Brooks acknowledges that on the bell curve of running capabilities, most of us are going to fall somewhere in the middle.

What I absolutely love about this book is it shows the mindset of a runner. Runners are such great people, and I think she nails the passion and the lack of judgment that you will find with the majority of runners.

It took me a while to figure out who this book was intended for. At first I thought it was for someone who was considering becoming a runner. I felt like the first 10% was spent convincing me to become a runner even though I already was one. But then the next 20% made running sound so painful I felt like the people she convinced to run in the first chapter would already be ready to quit!

Thankfully she mentioned running isn't actually supposed to hurt before she dove into injuries and prevention.

In the second half of the book, she took a look at training plans and gave advice on nutrition, clothing, etiquette, and more for race day.

I love that the author is passionate about running and is sharing her experience and knowledge with anyone interested in being a runner. I think the best audience for this book is probably the beginning runner who is looking for insight into what it means and what it takes to be a runner or the runner who would like some insight into entering road races.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | The Festering Ones by S.H. Cooper

The Festering Ones is a horror novella by S.H. Cooper.

A monster lurking in the mountain.

A mysterious cult seeking a doorway.

An otherworldly evil waiting to be unleashed.

Faith York was a young girl when she saw her father dragged into the ground by a spider-armed woman, never to be seen again. Twenty years later, the events of that day continue to haunt her, and her need for answers has only grown stronger with time. After her estranged mother's death forces her to return home, old wounds are reopened and Faith finally decides to face her demons. What started as a search for closure soon pits her against a shadowy cult known as The Gathered and the eldritch beings they worship. With reality becoming more blurred by the day and the thousand eyes of an alien deity fixed on her, Faith must decide if the dark secrets of White Crow Mountain are really worth losing herself over.

I read The Festering Ones last month in celebration of Women in Horror Month (although every month is WiHM around here). It was such a perfect start to kick off the month.

The novella length is one of my favorite formats for a horror story. One of the complaints I often see regarding novellas is there's not enough time for development. The Festering Ones is a great example of how well a story can be developed in this format if it's done right.

I'm not even sure how to describe The Festering Ones, but if you like cults and monsters, this one's for you! I'm happy to hear there's going to be a sequel because I'm here for it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Book Review | Inside a Marathon: An All-Access Pass to a Top-10 Finish at NYC by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario

Inside a Marathon: An All-Access Pass to a Top-10 Finish at NYC is a nonfiction book by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario.

Inside a Marathon gives readers an all-access pass into the mind of a coach and an athlete as they work together to prepare for one of the world's most prestigious races, the New York City Marathon. Follow along from two different perspectives as Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario share all of the highs and lows over the course of the 18 weeks leading into NYC. Fauble and Rosario take an unprecedented dive into what exactly goes into professional marathon training, and they tell a compelling story along the way.

I know this feels like a pretty random review for my blog, but I have two reasons for wanting to post it. 1) I'm trying to get in a habit of reviewing every book that I read. 2) I really loved it so I want to put some thoughts out into the world.

I think the best way to explain what this book is about is to pull this paragraph from the chapter 1:

"That brings us to what this book is—in the simplest terms, this book is a training log. It’s a record of the training that is going to happen between this moment, as I sit in a coffee shop after absolutely inhaling a burrito, to November 4, when I cross the finish line of the New York City Marathon. While “training log” may be an accurate description of this book, my hope is that it is not sufficient to describe what follows. My hope is that the word, “journal,” better describes the contents of the following pages. So with the goal of sharing the most complete record of this season possible, I have decided to partner with my coach/friend/designer of the semi-regular suffering that informs my life, Ben Rosario. We’re going to be sharing this journey with you as authentically, completely, and accurately as possible."

Each chapter of the book is broken in half with one half being a journal from coach Ben Rosario and the other half being a journal from runner Scott Fauble. I have to admit to completely geeking out over both the idea of this book and the execution. I imagine this book was a ton of work (at over 450 pages), but I would kill for them to do it again through the Olympic Trials this year (and dare we say Olympic Games).

I'm not sure how wide of an audience this book is meant for, but if you are interested or geeking out in any way, I highly recommend it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5 stars

And since I have a strong habit of not reviewing any of the nonfiction books that I have read, some other running books I have loved include:

• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
• 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- And How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! by Dean Karnazes with Matt Fitzgerald
• Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman

One thing I know for sure: running books have long titles!

Book Review | The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson

The Boatman's Daughter is a southern novel of horror fiction by Andy Davidson.

A "lush nightmare" (Paul Tremblay) of a supernatural thriller about a young woman facing down ancient forces in the depths of the bayou

Ever since her father was killed when she was just a child, Miranda Crabtree has kept her head down and her eyes up, ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his declining band of followers to make ends meet and to protect an old witch and a secret child from harm.

But dark forces are at work in the bayou, both human and supernatural, conspiring to disrupt the rhythms of Miranda's peculiar and precarious life. And when the preacher makes an unthinkable demand, it sets Miranda on a desperate, dangerous path, forcing her to consider what she is willing to sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe.

With the heady mythmaking of Neil Gaiman and the heartrending pacing of Joe Hill, Andy Davidson spins a thrilling tale of love and duty, of loss and discovery. The Boatman's Daughter is a gorgeous, horrifying novel, a journey into the dark corners of human nature, drawing our worst fears and temptations out into the light.

I mentioned in my review of Where the Crawdads Sing earlier this year that five star reviews can be so hard for me to write sometimes. I don't always have the words to capture the "feeling" of what I'm reading. And that feeling is what I seek when I lose myself in a book. When I tagged The Boatman's Daughter as read on Goodreads, I posted in my review space "Eeek. This feels impossible to review right now." It still feels that way.

After loving In the Valley of Sun so much, I was really looking forward to reading The Boatman's Daughter and entering one of Davidson's worlds again. This time I was a more experienced reader and knew to slow down and savor what was inside.

Davidson's books are an amazing mix of prose, setting, and character, and I highly recommend that you lose yourself in one of them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jen (@bookdenjen) on Mar 1, 2020 at 3:53pm PST

February Wrap Up and Currently Reading

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great February and an amazing weekend this weekend. This month was pretty busy so I'm doing a monthly wrap up instead of my normal weekly update today to catch up!

I thought I wanted to read less this year, but I think what I really wanted was to just find a better balance. I feel like I'm taking a lot more time to do non-reading things this year so I'm happy about that. I'm also trying to give in to mood reading more than I have in the last year or two.

Posted Since My Last Update

• February 2020 Book Releases in Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, and Thrillers
• Book Review | The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
• Book Review | The Chill by Scott Carson
• Book Review | The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
• Book Review | Finna by Nino Cipri
• Book Review | Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter

Books Read in February

Reviews:
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang ⭐⭐⭐★★
The Chill by Scott Carson ⭐⭐★★★
Finna by Nino Cipri ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Upcoming Reviews:
The Festering Ones by S.H. Cooper ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
Inside a Marathon by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks ⭐⭐⭐★★

Currently Reading

Follow Me by Kathleen Barber - The main character of this thriller is a popular Instagrammer. I'm enjoying it so far!

Poetry Magazine February 2020 - I meant to finish this one before the month was up so hopefully in the next day or two!

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu - This is my first Ken Liu, and I'm loving it!

Recent Acquisitions

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - This was my Book of the Month selection for February.

Stealing Thunder (Stealing Thunder #1) by Alina Boyden - Thank you so much to Ace for the eArc of Stealing Thunder. "Protecting her identity means life or death in this immersive epic fantasy inspired by the Mughal Empire."

Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by Anika Orrock - Many thanks to Chronicle Books for this illustrated book about the women in baseball as told by the players.

Splash! by Howard Means - Thank you to Hachette Books for the human history of swimming!

Total Olympics by Jeremy Fuchs - Many thanks to Workman Publishing Company for "Every Obscure, Hilarious, Dramatic, and Inspiring Tale Worth Knowing". I'm super excited about reading this leading up the Olympics.

Brave Enough by Jessie Diggins with Todd Smith - "Travel with Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins on her compelling journey from America’s heartland to international sports history, navigating challenges and triumphs with rugged grit and a splash of glitter." Thank you to Univ Of Minnesota Press!

I am clearly in a MOOD. ❤️

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

---

This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.