Author: mphiferdavis

Speak No Evil

On By mphiferdavisIn Reviewed by MeganLeave a comment

“On the surface, Niru leads a charmed life. Raised by two attentive parents in Washington, D.C., he’s a top student and a track star at his prestigious private high school. Bound for Harvard in the fall, his prospects are bright. But Niru has a painful secret: he is queer—an abominable sin to his conservative Nigerian parents. No one knows except Meredith, his best friend, the daughter of prominent Washington insiders—and the one person who seems not to judge him.

When his father accidentally discovers Niru is gay, the fallout is brutal and swift. Coping with troubles of her own, however, Meredith finds that she has little left emotionally to offer him. As the two friends struggle to reconcile their desires against the expectations and institutions that seek to define them, they find themselves speeding toward a future more violent and senseless than they can imagine. Neither will escape unscathed.”

I have recommended this book time and time again to family and friends. This book hits hard and I think it is an important read for everyone. For Pride month and with what is going on in our country with racial inequity, this book is an important contribution to these conversations. I cried many times throughout this book and had to set the book down multiple times.

I encourage everyone that reads this post to read this book. Check your local library, order it from a local bookstore, and get it on your Kindle.

You can order books from Main Street Books and can find this one here: https://mainstreetbooks.indielite.org/book/9780061284939

But I Could Never Go Vegan!

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“If you’re a waffling vegan newbie, on-the-fence vegetarian, or veg-curious omnivore, this book will banish your doubts. You’ll find you can get enough protein, fit in at a potluck, learn to love cauliflower, and enjoy pizza, nachos, brownies, and more—without any animal products at all. (Even vegan pros will discover some new tricks!)”

This book has 125 vegan recipes broken down into fun categories. Now, I don’t fully want to be vegan, however, I think it is important to replace some of our family’s meals throughout the week with vegan options. My husband and I are not fully into giving up dairy yet, so we have taken this book with its amazing ideas and modify until we are ready to go the full vegan route. We are mostly wanting to switch to a larger vegetarian diet, so this book gives us great ideas on how to incorporate different alternatives into common meat plates.

For instance, last night we made southern biscuits with sausage and gravy. Instead of using the sunflower sausage mentioned in the recipe, we put in vegetarian sausage. We also made the spiced carrot cake cupcakes (but just a regular cake because I don’t have a cupcake pan) with cream cheese frosting. These were both amazing!

The rest of the recipes look delicious, minus the fish section (I do not like fish at all) and I cannot wait to experiment with these, whether we keep the full vegan recipe or modify with some dairy. What is nice is that the recipes are easy to follow, great pictures, and quite short, with most not going more than one page. My husband has tried going vegan before and I am not 100% sold on full vegan recipes. However, the recipes in this book make it not sound so rough since I really do love cheese, milk, and eggs. We will one day hold to the full, vegan recipe and continue to use these throughout for delicious and different meals.

Not convinced? Let me list some recipes I am excited about! Buckwheat banana bread pancakes with peanut butter syrup; Pecan-date cinnamon rolls; Tempeh bacon mac ‘n’ cheese with pecan parmesan; Balsamic baked pears with cashew blue cheese; Chickpea fries; Loaded Mexican stuffed baked potatoes; Falafel tacos with sriracha-tahini sauce; Avocado & white bean salad wraps; BLT & avocado soft tacos; and many more!

I say give this book a shot! While libraries are closed, give your local bookstore some love. We got ours from Main Street Books! You can also check with your local public library’s catalog to see if they have this available as an ebook!

The Changeling

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“Apollo Kagwa has had strange dreams that have haunted him since childhood. An antiquarian book dealer with a business called Improbabilia, he is just beginning to settle into his new life as a committed and involved father, unlike his own father who abandoned him, when his wife Emma begins acting strange. Disconnected and uninterested in their new baby boy, Emma at first seems to be exhibiting all the signs of post-partum depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go far beyond that. Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act—beyond any parent’s comprehension—and vanishes, seemingly into thin air.

Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he understood to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His quest begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about Emma’s whereabouts. Apollo then begins a journey that takes him to a forgotten island in the East River of New York City, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest in Queens where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever. This dizzying tale is ultimately a story about family and the unfathomable secrets of the people we love.”

The Changeling was one of those books that I felt was starting off slow. However, there is this moment in the middle where the book completely changes and every page after that is a thrill ride. I have recommended this book to a few people mentioning the twist in the middle is a huge WHAT THE HECK moment, but to not be too disturbed. I felt every turn this book took made it more exciting and as I reflect over the story, there is so much that jumps to mind about why I love this book. Victor LaValle is an amazing writer and someone that you should put on your list to read all the books.

If you are interested in this book, order it from MOBIUS when we are able to go back into the building. Or support your local bookstore with a purchase! From the St. Charles are? Check out Main Street Books.

A Cosmology of Monsters

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“A tender and terrifying literary horror novel – the author’s debut – that tells the story of a family (creators of a haunted house attraction called the Wandering Dark) and the hereditary monsters – both metaphorical and all-too-real – that haunt them.

Monsters both figurative and very literal stalk the Turner family. The youngest child, Noah, narrates the family history: how in the late ’60s, his bookish mother Margaret marries Lovecraft-lover Harry against her better judgment. The couple has two daughters – Sydney, born for the spotlight, and the brilliant but awkward Eunice, a natural writer and storyteller. But finances are tight, Margaret and Eunice are haunted by horrific dreams, and Harry starts acting strangely. He becomes obsessed with the construction of an elaborately crafted haunted house attraction, christened the Wandering Dark. The family tries to shield baby Noah from the house’s faux horrors, but unbeknownst to them, he’s being visited by a furry beast with glowing orange eyes – the same ghastly being glimpsed by both his mother and sister. However, unlike them, Noah decides to let the creature in…

As he approaches the conclusion of his family’s tale, it becomes more and more apparent that there’s only one way the story can end: with Noah making the ultimate sacrifice.”

I picked this book up on a whim while visiting Barnes & Noble. The cover is attractive and it’s about monsters and haunted houses. Win-win so far. The book has many reviews on the back, but one from Stephen King stuck out to me. It was about how there are good, likable characters that you root for. I haven’t had a book like that in a while and I was ready to love some characters again.

This book takes a few twists and turns that I would never have guessed. Towards the middle, I thought maybe everything was a huge metaphor. The monster was anxiety or child loneliness. But no, this monster is real and not even the worst monster in the book. This was the first book since The Institute that I wanted to keep reading while on break at work or when I got home. I brought it with me everywhere just in case I had a few minutes to read.

If you’re interested in reading more about Noah and his family, I highly recommend it! With many library and university closures across the world, however, you may have to wait or purchase as an ebook (and I believe Audbile is free at the moment and this book can be found there).

Once things return to normal, you can request this book through MOBIUS or check your local public library.

The Institute

On By mphiferdavisIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by MeganLeave a comment

“In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. ‘You check in, but you don’t check out.’”

I am one that always tries to read the new Stephen King, no matter what it is. I typically enjoy most of them (except Revival… sorry not sorry) and this one was exciting, and highly enjoyable.

We first meet Tim who recently stepped down from his police position (he was asked to step down or he was going to be fired). He finds his way to the small town of DuPray and takes up the job of night knocker. After meeting Tim and this small town, we jump to Luke who is a genius kid living in MN. Luke Ellis has a bright future at the age of 12 having been accepted to two prestigious universities. However, he is kidnapped and put into the institute with other children like him. Children that have either TK or TP, telekinesis or telepathy.

Throughout the book, you get to meet other special children and learn what exactly is going on in the institute. What are shots for dots? Is the institute a government facility? What do they need these kids for? Why were we introduced to Tim in the beginning? Why is the cover of the book a kid on a train? These were a few questions I asked while reading and all of these questions and more can be answered if you read it!

I highly recommend this book and if you are interested and are affiliate with Lindenwood, check it out here or request it from MOBIUS. If not a current Lindenwood student, staff, or faculty, check your local library!

Vicious

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” Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. “

If you have ever read VE Schwab, then you know this is going to be a great story. This is a great magical realism/science fiction book that has quite a bit of action in it. It is sort of like a graphic novel, good guy vs. bad guy (if there is even a good guy between Victor and Eli) type without the graphic panels. While I love to read, I don’t come across many books where all I think about is the story. This was one of those books. Victor and Eli are left with odd powers after testing Eli’s thesis of near death experiences. But getting those powers cost them something great and now both characters are out to get each other.

This story is written like a puzzle and you get bits and pieces throughout the text. When everything starts falling in place and you can start to see the big picture, it is absolutely amazing. I believe there was one night I woke up from a deep sleep having deciphered something within the book. That is how great this series is, you dream about it. Schwab’s writing always hooks me, but this series is my favorite of theirs. Did I mention series? Yes! This is one of two books, so you know you have another story with Victor and Eli after this one. 🙂

If you are interested in reading this book and are part of the Lindenwood community, you can request a copy through MOBIUS. You can also check your local library!

Arc of a Scythe Trilogy

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“A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. “

Scythe is the first novel in the Arc of the Scythe trilogy and it became a favorite read immediately! Honorable Scythe Faraday takes two apprentices under his training, something that has never been done before. Citra and Rowan don’t really want to be scythes, but it is an apprenticeship they simply cannot turn down. The first book has you pulling for both protagonists and the whole scythedome as you learn that even in a perfect world, there are still greedy, corrupt people. Not mentioned in the blurb is that the entire world is ran by something called The Thunderhead. Well, I shouldn’t say “the entire” world as there are some people that are marked unsavory, some that choose to not abide by the AI (the tonists), and scythes cannot communicate with the Thunderhead. Citra has a strong connection with the Thunderhead, but if she becomes a scythe, all connections with the Thunderhead are cut. Think of the Thunderhead as a 100% successful Alexa or Google Home. As you can see from the title, there is a stronger focus on the Thunderhead in the second book in the series.

Thunderhead picks up where Scythe left off and this was a book I finished quick and thought about for days afterwards. I am currently reading The Toll and I am excited, and nervous, to see the ending. If you are into science fiction or fantasy, this is a definite recommended read!

Want to read this? Check out the first series at the Lindenwood library in our popular reading collection if you are affiliated. If not, check your local library or bookshop!

Haunted

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“Haunted is a novel made up of stories: twenty-three of the most horrifying, hilarious, mind-blowing, stomach-churning tales you’ll ever encounter. The stories are told by people who have all answered an ad headlined ‘Artists Retreat: Abandon your life for three months‘. They are led to believe that here they will leave behind all the distractions of ‘real life’ that are keeping them from creating the masterpiece that is in them.

But here turns out to be a cavernous and ornate old theater where they are utterly isolated from the outside world – and where heat and power and, most importantly, food are in increasingly short supply. And the more desperate the circumstances become, the more desperate the stories they tell – and the more devious their machinations to make themselves the hero of the inevitable play/movie/non-fiction blockbuster that will certainly be made from their plight.”

I absolutely love Chuck Palahniuk. His books usually cross a line many wouldn’t cross and this book is no different. There are stories in here that will make you feel sick and others that will make you put the book down and walk away for a bit. The first background story will have you questioning if you should keep reading; it is that gross. However, Palahniuk does a great job describing the dark side of people and how easily those dark sides come to light, which is why he is one of my favorites. I recommend this book only to put something different on your palate.

Fun fact about the paperback version: the face glows in the dark. Scared me half to death one night as I was going to bed and could see the face shining across the room. Also, I’m sure my face looked like that 75% of the time while reading .

To read this book, request it through MOBIUS.

Recursion

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“Memory makes reality.“

Blake Crouch became one of my favorite writers with Dark Matter. Something I became enthralled with in high school was physics, with a huge fascination in quantum physics. Blake Crouch captured me with QP in Dark Matter, and I thought I was on the same ride for Recursion. Recursion takes you on an exciting journey back in time. Multiple times. The idea of “changing timelines” is strong with this book, and a different thrill than the quantum worlds in Dark Matter. What would you do if you had the chance to change something in your past? Having Crouch’s previous book in mind while I read this book, I was completely thrown for a loop when we find out the truth behind False Memory Syndrome. As the story continued to unfold, I was more and more fascinated with where Crouch was taking the story. I can usually predict what is going to happen in a book, but I have yet to be able to predict one of Crouch’s books. Definitely recommend this book if you are into science fiction.

Want to read this book? We have this book on order where you can request it or you can get it through MOBIUS.

Locke & Key

On By mphiferdavisIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by MeganLeave a comment

“Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…”

Two of my favorite genres in one series, horror and graphic novel. Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, is the author of the Locke & Key series that takes you on a journey with Bode, Kinsey, and Tyler as they move in with their mother to Keyhouse and begin discovering its secrets. Throughout the series, 6 keys are found that give “powers” to the holder of the key. For example, the head key (pictured in the second image above) can “unlock” a person’s head. Memories can be taken away, emotions can be pulled out, and items can be added.

The other keys in Keyhouse are just as exciting to learn about, as well as the story that unfolds throughout the 6 issues. I flew through this series and think about picking it up again. If you are interested in horror, give this series a try!

Interested in this book? If you are a student, staff, or faculty at Lindenwood University, you can order the first of the series through MOBIUS.