Jean_Sexton and Her 2023 Books

Yes, I am behinder in posting reviews than I usually am. I'll try to catch up and maybe, just maybe, finish the thread by EARLY in 2024.

Stay tuned for Steampunk, fantasy, mystery, Gothics, Regencies, SF, and whatever else crosses my plate!

1. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn. How better to start the year than with a fun Regency? Hyacinth is amusing, smart, and inventive. Gareth is the grandson of Lady Danbury. When the two mix, there is much to enjoy.

This was one of my favorites in the series. No boredom, no protesting in my mind that things didn't make sense, and the dialogue was fun.

Highly recommended for fans of the series.

2. The Hound of Justice: A Novel by Claire O'Dell. This novel is the second in the Janet Watson series. Yes, it is inspired by Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (Janet is a surgeon). Set in an alternate near future that is darker than I hope it shall be here in the US, it made me think about how I view this world. There is so much dividing people in this book: racism, treatment of veterans, medical care access, class divides. Family unites this world.

It is a very political book. This quotation sums it up for me:

“Politics,” I said, “in short, isn’t just a section in the feeds and squirts. It’s not just a topic for conversation. It’s woven through every facet of our lives, including medicine. Politics drives our decisions about which diseases to research, which ones aren’t important. It determines where we allocate our time, our doctors, and our funding.

“It decides who lives, and who dies.”

It is also a mystery, thriller, and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a challenging book. I hope some day there is another book in this series; I would read it in a heartbeat.

Highly recommended for those who have read A Study in Honor.

3. The Haunted Miss Hampshire by Kasey Michaels. What a fun Regency! There are some returning characters (I'm looking at you, Aunt Lucinda), so reading the series in publication order might help, but it isn't necessary. The characters amuse me, the romance is good, and seeing Aunt Lucinda again makes it perfect. As is always the case in a light Regency, you know how it will end; the fun is in the journey to get there. And this book was just what I needed.

Recommended for those who like their Regencies to be non-steamy.

4. Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart. I do enjoy a good Mary Stewart novel. This one is a great Gothic, with the oh-so-70s addition of ESP. That's okay; I like the novels from that time. There are the old houses, the history, the choice of lovers (Well, not really a choice as much as discovering exactly who is "Lover"), and danger to spice up the story. And as is her usual, Stewart does an excellent job with a good ending.

Recommended for fans of romantic suspense who don't mind a dash of ESP.

5. Jane and the Wandering Eye by Stephanie Barron. I enjoy Regencies, Jane Austen, and mysteries; how could I not like this book? Of course, I read it and all the footnotes, and I thoroughly loved it.

Barron plays fair with the readers concerning the guilty party. This one had me guessing to the end, so it was quite satisfying. The historical footnotes always have good information about the time and the customs; I always learn something new. And while this can be read out of order, start with the first book, Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor.

The series is highly recommended for fans of Regencies and mysteries.

6. If Wishes Were Horses by Anne McCaffrey. This short novella is a coming-of-age story set in the midst of hardship. I loved the practicality of Lady Talarrie Eircelly, the twins' mother. This is my favorite quotation from the story: “Those of us who can help should not deny it to others.”

Highly recommended for people who enjoy reflective fantasy.

7. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. A classic work of science fiction, I, Robot is a collection of short stories. Each story is narrated by Dr. Susan Calvin on the eve of her retirement. Most of the stories have a logic puzzle: why is the robot behaving in this fashion. It was fun to reread these and find myself just as fascinated as I was in high school. The book does make me question the state of the world as we stand on the edge of a world with AI.

I would strongly recommend this book to any fan of science fiction.

8. Elsewhere by Will Shetterly. I can see why the book won the F&SF category in the Minnesota Book Awards. I can see even more strongly why it was a finalist in the Children's Literature section of the Mythopoeic Awards. The book is well written, but even more importantly, it explores a very different reality. Magic works, sometimes and unexpectedly. All sorts of beings exist, but there is the same type of racist (speciesist?) reality as exists in this world. And there is a young man trying to learn about life, his brother, and himself. I am certainly going to read the sequel.

Recommended for fans of fantasy who enjoy the stranger entering the fantastic reality.

9. Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov. What a fascinating book! I see why it won both the Hugo and Locus awards back in 1983. It continued the epic Foundation story cycle, introducing new plans to be followed up with a later book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Why? Because this one moves the plot into a person-centric story. There is still a conflict between First Foundation and Second Foundation. Now, I have come to care about Janov Pelorat, who is a professor of Ancient History and mythologist. His joy in the quest to find Earth is refreshing. His travels with Golan Trevize made me smile. (Yes, I know Trevise is the more important character of the two, but I liked Pelorat more.)

Highly recommended for those who have already read the original three Foundation books.

10. Someone To Love by Mary Balogh. This is a traditional Regency, with all that entails. I like the hero (Avery) and heroine (Anna). Imagine believing you are an orphan, and then, without any warning, you find you inherit a great deal of money and a family. Money is good, but your new family isn't all that fond of you. Avery is a fascinating character whose past slowly unfolds.

There is much to enjoy in this book. Recommended for fans of Regencies.

11. Monster Hunter Siege by Larry Correia. By now, it is no secret that I'm a big fan of this series. I don't care if I am not the target audience; I love the mayhem that ensues as the monster hunters hunt down the Big Baddie monsters. Monster Hunter Siege moves the story of Owen Z. Pitt right along. And there is indeed mayhem. And a hook at the end that has me ordering the next book in the series.

Start at the beginning of the series. If you like it, then you'll like the other books in the series.

12. The Cat Who Saw Red by Lilian Jackson Braun. Welcome back to the world of Koko, Yum Yum, and Qwill. There was a long hiatus between the third book and this one. This book is one of my favorites. Like Qwill, I love food but need to lose weight. Fortunately, my little dog doesn't put his paws on the scale, unlike Koko "assistance" with Qwill.

The mystery was good and played fair with the reader -- we had the chance to solve the mystery along with Qwill. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. While it can be read as a stand-alone, as with most cozy mysteries, more background is gained by reading the earlier books first.

13. Dangerous by Amanda Quick. This Regency was amusing. The heroine is innocent but quite intelligent. The hero is sharp-tongued but learns compassion because he is emotionally attached to the heroine. I liked both the main characters. I liked the story as well.

All-in-all, this is another fun Regency. If you like steamy Regencies, you'll most likely enjoy this.

14. Shadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror! edited by Neil Gaiman. This collection of Holmes or Holmesian characters meeting the Lovecraftian-themed horror was interesting. The stories were uneven though, with some lacking the feel of Lovecraftian horror and others barely linked to Sherlock Holmes or Watson. Still, I enjoyed the book overall.

Try this book if you enjoy both Sherlock Holmes and H. P. Lovecraft.

15. Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart. This pleasant novel was written late in Mary Stewart's life. Set in 1947, shortly after the end of World War II, the past plays a huge part in this story. Past "sins" come to light and are resolved in typical Mary Stewart gentleness.

I always enjoy Stewart's descriptions; they really paint the scene. I return to her when I need a dose of kindness.

Recommended for those who like a hint of suspense and romance in their novels.

16. The Door in the Hedge: And Other Stories by Robin McKinley. I have a confession: Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors. I love how she takes a fairy tale and makes it her own. The four stories in this collection are wonderful. My favorite is "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

Highly recommended for fans of retold fairy tales.

17. Murders and Metaphors by Amanda Flower. This is the third book in the cozy mystery series Magical Bookshop; it is recommended that one read the earlier books first. This mystery was challenging for me. I had trouble deciding who had done the deed, and I kept guessing the wrong person.

Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries.

18. The Blue Diamond by Leonard Goldberg. The sixth in The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series, this is a lovely locked-room mystery. World War I is ongoing and at a critical point. Will the theft of the blue diamond help the Germans win?

For fans of the series.

19. Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. This remarkable fantasy fascinated me from the first page. New settings, new challenges, and new plots intrigued me. Pirates and grifters interest me. Yes, I am picking up the next book in the series.

Highly recommended for those who have read the first book.