Aunts Aren't Gentlemen

Aunts Aren't Gentlemen

by P.G. Wodehouse

Blurb:

The curious case of the Maiden Eggesford Horror

When the doctor advises Bertie to live the quiet life, he and Jeeves head for the pure air and peace of Maiden Eggesford. However, they hadn't reckoned on Bertie's irrepressible but decidedly scheming Aunt Dahlia, around whom an imbroglio of impressive proportions develops involving The Cat Which Kept Popping Up When Least Expected. As Bertie observes, whatever aunts are, they are not gentlemen.

A classic - the last book written by Wodehouse featuring Bertie and Jeeves.

My Reaction:

Another re-read together.  I enjoyed it, though I do think I preferred the Jeeves & Wooster book we read before this one, Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit.  Still, plenty of good laughs, as always!  You can't beat Wodehouse when you're feeling in need of something light.

Bridge to Bat City

Bridge to Bat City

by Ernest Cline

Blurb:

After losing her mother, thirteen-year-old Opal B. Flats moves in with her uncle Roscoe on the family farm. There, she bonds with Uncle Roscoe over music and befriends a group of orphaned, music-loving bats. But just as the farm is starting to feel like home, the bats’ cave is destroyed by a big mining company with its sights set on the farmland next.

If Opal and the bats can fit in anywhere, it’s the nearby city of Austin, home to their favorite music and a host of wonderfully eccentric characters. But with people afraid of the bats and determined to get rid of them, it’ll take a whole lot of courage to prove that this is where the bats—and Opal—belong.

My Reaction:
Donald and I read this one together for the 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back podcast.  

This is one mystifying novel.  I mean, just who was it written for?  It's marketed for "middle grade" readers, i.e. kids aged 8-12, and for the most part, it feels like it's written at that level of complexity—though to be honest, I'm not sure the language has been simplified all that much in comparison with RPO and the author's other novels.  

But on the other hand, so much of the novel is just an excuse to shoe-horn in as many 80s(-ish)-era Austin, Texas "notables" as possible. (In many cases, these people seem to be merely Austin-adjacent.)  Essentially, the subject matter is just nothing that a typical modern child would ever care about.  Heck, I'm in my mid-40s, and I didn't recognize probably half of these so-called celebrities.  

Even if these people (mostly musicians and bands) making cameo appearances had been someone a 9-year-old reading in 2024 would immediately be able to identify, so what?  Reading vague, repetitive descriptions of people (and melomaniac bats!) listening—excuse me, grooving—to music is just not very engaging or entertaining.  

Music is meant to be listened to, darn it!  It would take a more talented writer than this to make it enjoyable to read about a single concert attendance, never mind the numerous gigs presented back to back in this book.  (What in the world was the author thinking?!)

There are other problems with this book I could go into, but why bother?  It's not an entertaining read for an adult, and I can't imagine many of the intended audience will love it, either.  I guess it was just a desperate attempt to make some money based on the author's name recognition.

Good Bad Girl

Good Bad Girl

by Alice Feeney

Blurb:

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.

Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything.

Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good.

With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.

My Reaction:

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel.  Actually, I believe I've listened to the audio version of all of this author's novels, so far.  ...And I think I may have enjoyed this more than most of the author's other books that I've read or listened to.  

I predicted some of the twists before they were revealed, but it was still an interesting (though bittersweet) story.  It's less of a true thriller than some of her other work, but to be honest, I didn't mind that. 

There's a murder in the book, but it feels like a subplot to the main story.  You almost don't care what happens with that part of the book, really—or at least it wasn't my main focus.  This novel is more of an emotional relationship drama than an edge-of-your-seat thriller drama.  Normally, that might be disappointing, when an author is known more for the thriller genre, but I ended the book feeling satisfied with the story. 

Into the Uncanny

Into the Uncanny

by Danny Robins

Blurb:

Into the Uncanny is the story of ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary things and want to make sense of them. Each one is a brand-new case never shared before; modern day, real-life ghost stories that will make your blood run cold. It is also a journey of self-discovery, as Danny explores what the paranormal means to us and the exciting and terrifying prospect that we are not alone.

From poltergeists and apparitions, to UFOs and messages from beyond the grave, Into The Uncanny is a thrilling, adrenaline-filled supernatural adventure. Whether you're Team Believer or Team Sceptic, all you need is an open mind and a bit of courage. So, are you ready to investigate?

My Reaction:

After enjoying the Uncanny podcast, and then gobbling down the host's earlier, similarly themed podcast, Haunted, I figured chances were good that I'd like his book, too—and I did.  There's something endlessly engrossing about ghost stories and tales of the paranormal, and both the podcasts and the book left me wishing for more!  

I listened to the audiobook version, which is read by Danny Robins himself, so it has much the same feeling as listening to the podcast (with the caveat that it's one person talking the whole time).  If you're a fan of one, you'll probably at least like the other.