Victoria Steele Logue's 3 favorite reads in 2023

I was hooked immediately because Stephen King is wonderful at telling stories narrated by children. And this one starts through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy as he tells his story through the next decade. I really loved the protagonist, Charlie Reade, who remains a (mostly) good person despite what he’s been through.

I also loved the parallel universe, the elderly neighbor, and his dog. I was thrilled the dog, Radar, is an ongoing character. When Charlie meets her, she is an aging German Shepherd, which tickled me as my daughter also owns an aging female German Shepherd.

I've been reading Stephen King for nearly 50 years, and I have to say, Fairy Tale is definitely in my Top 5 of all of his books. I really, really enjoyed it. 

The Tainted Cup features two of my favorite things in one book—a murder mystery and a fully conceived fantasy world unlike any I've ever read. There were also a lot of great characters—all imperfect and absolutely fascinating.

There were also monsters. Mind-blowingly huge monsters! And people who had been enhanced (or not) in many different ways. And cool plants and birds.

And I love the protagonist Ana Dolabra, the eccentric but brilliant investigator, kind of an even more eccentric female version of Benoit Blanc. Her assistant, Dinios Kol, is so loveable and you find yourself cheering for him constantly despite the fact he can't seem to fathom just how awesome he is.

And, because it's a fantasy world, there are also sword fights and a drop of romance. What's not to love? I already can't wait for #2.

Note: I received an ARC of The Tainted Cup. It will be published in early February 2024.

Like Boulley’s first book, Firekeeper's Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed reminds me, in a good way, of the need in this country to ensure that everyone understands the atrocities that have been committed against the indigenous and people of color. And that is why this book is another must-read to me.

Boulley does an excellent job of creating real people with universal problems as well as problems specific to their culture that we must all come to understand.

I learned so much about the indigenous culture in the U. P. of Michigan from Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIW) to the repatriation of stolen ancestors and their relics. Boulley's characters are never stagnant. The main character, 16-year-old Perry, learns and grows in this book in a good way as do other characters. It was an excellent story, so much so, that I kept my copy and it’s on one of my bookshelves alongside Firekeeper’s Daughter.