Tiny Navajo Reads: The Ballad of Perilous Graves

Hello hello again! I’m back with another review, this time of a book that had just been sitting on my shelf for quite a long time and I didn’t quite feel the urge to read it till I did. That’s just how I treat books on my shelves in general though. I buy and collect to have books when I want to read them. I want to be surrounded by books on all sides! But, let’s get to the review.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

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I had bought this book in 2022 I believe…and the reason I bought it was because the cover caught my attention! It’s such a beautiful cover! The brilliant red, the black for the piano, and the turquoise skeletal hands playing, just lovely. And when I read the blurb for the book, a New Orleans where music is magic and to keep Nola alive, the songs must be captured again, it’s just an intriguing story! Granted, I know I didn’t read this till recently, but that’s how reading goes. And the story was worth the wait.

For our main character, Perilous Graves, a young magician that can’t quite believe the strength of his magic and so gives up and trying to figure it out more, Nola is just his home. Things make sense and he loves his family and Peaches, the strongest girl around who lives in a run down house that was never really repaired after Katrina came through. But when songs start to live outside of their spaces and no longer hold up Nola, and support it, Perilous, Peaches, and Peri’s little sister Brendy, all set out to fix what has been broken. Which may include Nola itself.

I think what I enjoyed most about this story was the fact that Nola/New Orleans was a character in this book. And if you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know that that city is a character even without being in a book. But the way Alex Jennings integrated New Orleans and all that has happened to her to create Nola is amazing, and one of my favourite parts of the book. And music as magic isn’t that far from the truth either. My husband plays trombone, and when I hear him play, I swear the music comes to life in a way that just listening to music on the radio doesn’t.

Perilous Graves is a beautiful story and I loved nearly everything about it. I just wish that all the stories included maybe wove together a little bit better, or even the timelines of the stories were better indicated. That may have helped with some of my not being able to keep track of things as they were happening. Other than that though, an excellent story! How do you think of music or cities with their own personalities?

Tiny Navajo Reads: A House with Good Bones

I am back! I’ve made it home and while tired, which makes sense, I am here with a brand new review for everyone. I’ve found that T. Kingfisher is excellent as an intro to horror for me, as she seems to dip into fantasy to do the horror. This makes it easier for me to actually enjoy rather than just getting freaked out by what is going on. So, enjoy A House with Good Bones.

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

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Family and what it means to be family is taken and examined under a microscope in this horror novel, as Sam, our main character, is going back to live with her mom for a few months when her archaeological dig is cancelled. And she’s been worried about her mom for a few months as it is, her mother becoming anxious and jumpy, making changes to their family house that was inherited from her grandmother. Who is a bitch of a grandmother to boot.

When Sam gets home, she finds that things seem to be worse than she initially thought, her mom not only anxious and jumping at random noises, but she is starkly thin and forgetful. This makes Sam thinks her mother might have dementia, or something worse. And her mother has reverted the house from the light and colourful comfort to stifling beige-white and Southern, like how Sam’s grandmother had it when she was still alive. And as things start to go bump-in-the-night, Sam wonders if there something more going on.

Like I said, T. Kingfisher has a way with words and fantasy to make the horror jump of the page and leave shudders down my spine. And this feels like full Southern gothic, houses with things that fall and jump with no provocation, things going bump in the attic, things be statically clean for no real reason, no bugs in a beautiful gardens, like you would expect. And as Sam tries to figure things out more, she learns more about her family history that she, or anyone else really, wanted to know. I will say that if you like horror, with bugs and Southern schtick, this I recommend A House with Good Bones for your delight. How did you start reading horror, if you read it? What was your introduction?

Tiny Navajo Reads: The Mimicking of Known Successes

Hello Hello! I’m back again, and it seems that I’ve finally found my groove with writing my reviews again! Excellent for me, and hopefully excellent for you! Now, let’s get on with today’s review.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

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Okay, novellas are becoming one of my favourite forms of reading material, but this one really takes the cake and when its sequel came out recently, I made sure to grab a copy as well!

This is a cozy murder mystery in the vein of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, set in the future, on Jupiter, between two women. I loved this story, I love science fiction, and I love the pure vibes of this story. And this one feels like an homage to older science fiction, though I haven’t read much. I probably should.

When a man goes missing, Mossa, an investigator is called in to figure out what happened to him. And when her investigation takes her to the university where her ex works on studying pre-collapse Earth ecosystems, she grits her teeth and gets on with it. But as the two work together to figure out what happened, they also start to figure out a bit of what happened between them and if it can be fixed.

Cozy mysteries set on Jupiter are wonderful, and science fiction feels like it should be able to leave the inner ring and move beyond the asteroid belt, which this one does. I love how it feels both old and new, and I’m curious to see where else these two will go when it comes to solving mysteries. Have you read any older science fiction? What would you recommend?

Tiny Navajo Reads: Novice Dragoneer

Hey guys! Back again, and this time with a book about dragons! Books about dragons always make their way into my yearly reading, cause who doesn’t want to read more about dragons and kind of wish to be in a world where dragons are real?

Novice Dragoneer by E. E. Knight

Novice Dragoneer by E. E. Knight

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Whenever there is a coming of age story that involves dragons, I can’t help but be intrigued. With this one, a 14-year-old girl runs from her holding in order to try and apprentice herself to the dragon riders, the dragoneers. Once there, she faces more tribulation as she must work twice as hard to be taken as seriously as the other apprentices around her who are from wealthy and influential families. And does so with a fierceness and a willingness to throw hands with just about everyone around her, in order to keep her spot.

Stories like this always make me feel for the main character and I root for them, just to see the main character put the others in their place. Which is usually where they belong in some way or other. And what I love about Ileth, is that she is willing to do just about anything to get to be a Dragoneer, even pretending to be one of the rich girl’s friend/spy on her for her family, if it means that she gets to stay there. She also fights her boss in the fish-gutting pits, and while this may not have been the smartest move, it is something that actually helps her in the long run.

A good story, one that made me happy to read through. I’ll probably read through it again at some point, but until then, I’ll continue with other dragon books. What themes or types of books do you see popping up in your reading every year? Why are you pulled to those books in particular?

Tiny Navajo Reads: A Psalm for the Wild-Built

Okay…I know that it’s been a while, over a month. But let me just say, this past month has been absolutely crazy, not in a good way. An interesting, mind you, but I would greatly love another vacation. But that’s not for a while yet, so we’re going to be heading onto our review!

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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Such a short story, that kind of bonks you on the head with its message, but sometimes you need the message to hit you over the head so you can actually pay attention to it.

In a world where humans have everything they’ve ever wanted, one tea monk travels, seeking…something. And things seem to go a bit skewampus whenever they seem to have gotten a handle on how they want their life to be. And. This. Just. Keeps. Happening…until a robot just up and appears before Dex (our main character) and asks, “What do you/humans need?” And when you are presented with this question in a world where your every desire can be achieved and yet Dex cannot figure out what they need, they have no idea how to answer Mosscap (our robot). So, they both set out on a small adventure to try and find the reason to keep moving forward in a world that seems confused as to why Dex tries to make sense of why they are moving forward.

While I know that I’m not explaining this story very well, I can tell you that I felt for Dex. I still feel for Dex, as I keep having this feeling come over me as well, as to why do I keep doing my job when things don’t seem to be as set as they were, or as they should be. Why do I get up some mornings when it would be so much easier to just lay in bed and scroll and not participate in the world? And for me, the reason I keep doing my job and why I don’t doom scroll all day is because I hate the feeling I get once I’ve pulled myself out of doom scrolling. Like I’ve lost something important. And the reason I keep doing my job is because I do love it. I love being a librarian and being able to help those who need it, and point out ways to be healthier than myself when it comes to working and to establish the skills needed now, rather than on the job if possible. And I like the people I work with.

I know that Dex is still trying to figure things as is Mosscap, because there is a second book just sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read it. And what’s lovely about books, and something I hope Dex learns, is that there are always going to be things waiting for you; and those things will not judge you for how long it took to get to them. All they care about is that you did get around to them, if that is what YOU wanted to do. You are allowed to just exist.

What things are waiting for you? Do you want to do them?

Tiny Navajo Reads: To Be Taught, If Fortunate

I seem to be dipping into the Becky Chambers fandom, and not really realizing it until after the fact. And granted, I read this book last year cause I am still trying to play catch-up with my reviews. Like, I am several SEVERAL months behind on my reviews. I may need to start writing more than one review a week and just start banking them when I can. Anyway, onto the review!

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

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This was a novella about space explorers and what it means to be someone who decides to spend the rest of their lives traveling among the stars and planets, finding new places and transforming their bodies to survive the planets they land on, rather than transforming the planets to fit their own needs.

Our main character, Ariadne, goes to sleep on one planet, and wakes up at the next one with new features and new news from Earth; of what has happened in the years since they’ve gone to space. She could wake up with glitter embedded under her skin and news that her home country no longer exists. She could wake up on a world where slug-like creatures continuously try to get inside their craft and that the space program is no longer going to support them. But nothing that happens on Earth, so many light-years away, really affects what she and her friends, her family, her crew, are doing; exploring space and continuously learning.

I will say that trying to remember what I enjoyed about this novella while writing this review, all I can think is that I want to read this story again. I want to dive into this world of space exploration, being changed to work well with the planet and leaving as little trace behind as possible. But also knowing that no matter what happens, their trips to these new planets will always change the planet in some way, and their will be changed just by their explorations as well. I like thinking about it and about what is going on as they travel further and further away from what could be considered a home planet, but for how long they are away from Earth, is no longer considered a home.

Would you go on a space exploration trip like this, knowing that you’ll never be able to come back to your planet? Or would you stay, and make the best you can of your life on your planet?

Tiny Navajo Reads: The Crane Husband

Happy New Year! I hope that the holiday season was kind to you and that you were able to relax and enjoy a break. And if not, I hope that you’re able to make space in this new year in order to do so.

As you can probably see, my holiday season kind of got away from me as there hasn’t been a new post from me since the beginning of December. So, starting back up again with a review!

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

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This was a fascinating book, if only for the shortness of the story but the depth the author brought to it as well. A retelling of The Crane Wife, we see the roles flipped and through the eyes of a teenage girl who has taken it upon herself to keep her small family afloat and out of danger, until her mother brings home a crane as a partner and bows to his every whim, neglecting her children and their needs in order to supply the crane’s.

I will be honest, I read this book last year, and I don’t remember the names of the characters, just that there is a teenage girl, her little brother, and their mother, all living on the family farm that no longer belongs to the family. They are struggling, barely making ends meet when our protagonist is able to see one of her mother’s tapestries, woven as erratically and whimsically as her mother herself. But things change for the worse when the crane comes to stay, with her mother instructing her children to refer to the crane as “Father,” prompting an usurping of the role of their father who has been dead for several years at this point.

As the mother fully devotes herself, body and all, to the crane, our protagonist and her little brother are left to more fully fend for themselves than they had ever been before. And Social Services has started to come around, concerned for the children’s welfare. There is tension as the characters try to figure out not only how to get the crane to leave and go away, but how to keep themselves from being taken away from their negligent mother by Social Services and most likely separated. It all culminates in a way that you as the reader can see, and is satisfying for our main character to figure out.

As with all magical realism with a dark tough to the story, there isn’t a fully happy ending for everyone, but there is an ending that is cathartic and satisfying for our protagonist. I highly recommend you read this, with the caveat that the story stories touches on domestic violence so take that with all of the salt needed to keep yourself safe while reading.

What do you think of retellings? Especially with retellings of myths you haven’t read before?

Tiny Navajo Reads: The Salt Grows Heavy

Another week, another review! But I am getting through the books I’ve read for the year and getting my thoughts and ideas out about them at least, so I’m happy to do so! And it seems that I’ve slightly found a rhythm again, so also happy about that!

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

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Most of us know the story of the mermaid who gives up her legs to marry the prince. In doing so, continues to have legs and they live happily ever after. But what happens after “happily ever after”? In The Salt Grows Heavy we get a small look at what could possibly happen.

I will say that I highly enjoy stories where mermaids are not soft and tractable, like all predators in the ocean, they have teeth and are VERY willing to use them on those around them…so once this mermaids daughters are eaten everything in sight, the mermaid leaves her daughters to it and leaves the kingdom on her own two legs. Along her journey she meets up with a mysterious plague doctor that is also seemingly on the run. Together, they come across a village full of children that are hungry for more than food, with three “saints” that seem to be encouraging that hunger the mermaid is most familiar with.

This is a story that is heavy (ha!) with prose and dense with meaning, so it can take a bit to get into the story, but what I will say is that if you’re looking for stories about mermaids that are not soft, that are willing to hunt and to eat and to use that hunger, then you’re looking at the right story. I enjoyed this story quite a bit, from the mermaid, to the plague doctor to the body horror towards the end of the story. And I will say that if body horror is not for you, then you may not want to read this novella. It…gets interesting there towards the end. But definitely a story where hunger doesn’t always mean for food. And sometimes you have to satisfy that hunger in order to save others.

What other stories have you read about mermaids not being lovely have you read? Do you like it when the monsters can disguise themselves in physical beauty?

Tiny Navajo Reads: Strange Weather in Tokyo

This was an interesting book…a short book, but the way that it was written and the context that it was given made it a harder book to read for me. But an interesting take on what it means to be alone and to be lonely.

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromo Kawakami

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Allison Markin Powell

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As stated above, this is a short book and when I first checked it out from the library, I thought that I would be able to make my way through it in a blast. That was a falsehood and a lie apparently, to myself. It took me quite a while to make my way through this book, and part of that is because of how heavy it seemed to be.

The premise of this book is about loneliness and what it means to be alone, especially if you live in a largely urban area and are surrounded by people all the time. But just because you are surrounded by people all the time doesn’t mean you know who they are or what they are doing or anything that would constitute knowing a person. So, when Tsukiko, our main character, runs into her old high school teacher at a local bar, she starts up a conversion with him, just as a person would if you saw someone you know and you can’t get away with NOT acknowledging them. As they continue to talk and to get to know each other at the bar, they move from just people who acknowledge each other at the bar, to actually getting to know each other as friends, tentatively and slowly, as though not to spook the other.

As they continue to meet up and talk and eat and drink together, the seasons of the year also progress, with something significant happening and changing along with them, until Tsukiko and her Sensei form an intimate relationship, one that isn’t quite seen as normal, as Sensei is 30 years older than Tsukiko. But the thing about being lonely and being alone, is that once you’ve found a similar soul, who knows the aches and pains on loneliness, then you are loath to let that person go. And even if you’re willing to let that person go, it doesn’t mean that they let go of you. We see Tsukiko and Sensei struggle and glide through figuring out their relationship, not only with each other but with the world, what it means to have found someone who understands the loneliness.

While a short book (157 pages), it is a long story. The writing style and topic chosen to be scrutinized doesn’t lend itself to a quick read. Sometimes that is what is needed to better understand the story, to read it at the speed that the story demands, and not what you demand.

How do you cope with loneliness? Or with trying to read a story quickly that demands a bit more introspection?

Tiny Navajo Reads: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro

This was…a choice I made. I will admit, the title of the book pulled me in than I thought it would. But it shouldn’t have surprised me, books and reading and bookstores tend to be my favorite types of books to read. But here we go!

The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury

The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury

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Like I stated above, I like books about books, reading, bookstores, libraries, things like that. And when a book has that just on its front cover, I’m most likely going to read it! Very rarely do I not read it. This one, I probably could have skipped reading though.

For Juliette, our main character, she lives a perfectly normal life with a perfectly normal job and trying to just make it through life like a lot of us. She loves her commute though, her ride on the metro where she gets to read and daydream about the others on her commute and they’re reading and what their lives are like.

I think the main reason why this book didn’t strike as hard with me as other books about books and bookstores have is because of the characters themselves. Juliette, Soliman, Zaide, while they all have interesting characteristics, they don’t feel like people, or characters even. They feel more like vehicles for the story, more than anything else. There’s no real life, or feeling, or like there’s anything really going on in their lives. But if there is not going to be a lot going on plot-wise, which I don’t mind(!) mind you, there better be more going on character development wise. Which there was not. The story, the idea, was there…execution was not able to support and follow up though. Which makes me a little sad.

Stories like this, where I can see the story and how fun it could have been, make me want to write my own stories. but I know that I won’t get to that point, so I just read and enjoy what I can. And daydream about writing my own story that is inspired by stories I read that just fall a little flat.

What stories make you want to write your own? Why do they make you want to write your own?