Book Review: "Starter Villain" by John Scalzi

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at this book and thought about reading it. The cover cracks me up every time, so I took the plunge.

This is a creative book that is wacky as hell. Charlie used to be a happily married business journalist. Now he’s a divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in his late father’s house, which his siblings would like to sell from under him. He dreams of taking over the neighborhood pub—if only he can get $3.4 million.

Then he learns that his Uncle Jake, whom he hasn’t seen since he was 5, has died. There are lots of people who are happy he’s dead (once they’re sure he’s not faking it). It turns out that Uncle Jake was a billionaire, but his fortune wasn’t entirely legitimate.

Charlie suddenly finds himself in charge of his uncle’s super-villain empire. Now, he’s the target of all of those who wanted Jake dead. Figuring out what to do isn’t easy, but he can’t just hide out in his uncle’s secret volcano lair, can he? Luckily he has intelligent cats who can type, unionized (and foul mouthed) dolphins, and a few dangerous masterminds on his side.

“A stupid villain threatens, Charlie. A smarter villain offers a service.”

The book started out fairly normal but it gets crazier and crazier as the plot unfolds. I’m always amazed at the creativity of writers who can think of wild stories like this. I enjoyed it—although at times I felt like it was trying too hard—and thought it was a great change of pace from the heavier books I usually read.

Book Review: "Again and Again" by Jonathan Evison

Eugene Miles lives in an elder-care facility, on the verge of turning 106 years old. Considering his age, his health isn’t horrible, but he’s pretty much ready to die. At this point, what’s left for him but spending time reading books he’s read countless times and doing elaborate puzzles in his room?

When another nursing assistant arrives, Eugene isn’t interested in building a relationship with someone else. But for some reason, this young man’s friendly manner taps into Eugene’s heart, and before long, he starts to look forward to Angel’s visits.

Angel shares stories about his relationship with his girlfriend and looks to “Geno” for advice, and the older man opens up about his life as well.

But Eugene’s reminiscences aren’t typical: he tells Angel that he has lived countless lives before this one: he was a thief in medieval Spain, a cat owned by Oscar Wilde, and many other iterations through the years.

And Eugene recounts meeting and losing the love of his life centuries ago in Spain, only to find her one more time in this life.

Angel is captivated by the man’s stories, but can they possibly be true, or are they just the ramblings of an elderly man? As the truth is revealed, and Eugene’s history becomes clearer, what we’re left with is the strength of stories and the power of love, and how we never can truly know all the multitudes that a person contains.

This is a beautifully told book, spanning between medieval Spain, England, and California in the 1930s and 1940s, and Jonathan Evison really made some excellent choices in how the plot unfolded, as I feared that it could veer into melodramatic and frustrating territory.

It’s a slow-moving story, but I was completely hooked.

Book Review: "Three Days in June" by Anne Tyler

I will admit that I screamed a little bit when I got the notification from NetGalley that my ARC request for this book was approved. I’ve been reading Anne Tyler’s books for a very long time, and I’m always dazzled by the quiet power of her words. No one can write about irritating or irascible people—and make them endearing—than she can.

Gail’s daughter Debbie is getting married this weekend. But before Gail can get focused on this milestone, she has to contend with some issues at work, with being told she lacks people skills. So she might have quit. Or gotten fired.

Then, Gail’s ex-husband Max arrives, along with a cat that he’s fostering. He was supposed to stay with Debbie, but given that her soon-to-be husband Kenneth is “deathly allergic,” that won’t work. Gail and Max get along fine, so he and the cat stay at her house.

Just before the rehearsal dinner, Debbie confides in her parents a secret about Kenneth. It throws Debbie for a bit of a loop, while at the same time, it causes friction between Gail and Max, stirring up issues long resolved. But they will support their daughter no matter what.

Like many Tyler characters, Gail is easily irked by other people’s foibles. In her case, she feels as if Kenneth’s mother is taking too much of a role in the wedding, her own mother is irritating, and Debbie’s revealing the secret makes her think of things she’d rather not. What does she want from the future? She couldn’t tell you if she tried.

While in general, Tyler’s storytelling is light and unobtrusive, this book packs a bit more of a punch than I expected. I’d love to know what happened to the characters after the book ended.

Thanks so much to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy; the book will publish 2/11/2025.

Book Review: "Bi-Partisan" by Dallas Smith

This was all kinds of sweet and romantic! It’s also the start of a new series called District Love, and I’m always excited when books take place here in Washington, DC.

Jamie is a first-term congressman from North Carolina. He really feels like he’s making a difference, even though he hates the constant pressure to go after supporters so he can raise money for re-election. He’s not even assured a second term, with his district being redrawn.

Lately, Jamie has been coming to the realization that he is bisexual, even though he’s never been with a guy. But with an election on the horizon—and the possibility his opponent might be ultra-conservative, it’s probably not a good time to come out. However, he agrees to go to a trendy queer bar with his friends.

Adrian is a handsome veterinarian and cat dad. His social anxiety keeps him from dating, and makes crowds a bit challenging, but he’s not above going out dancing with friends. And when his eyes meet Jamie’s across the crowded bar, the two of them are quickly drawn to each other, to the delight of their friends, all of whom think both men could use some romance.

Of course, a photo of Jamie and Adrian leaving the bar is quickly leaked online. Rather than turn this into a crisis, they agree to pretend they’re in a relationship, so that no one thinks Jamie’s sleeping around. We romance readers know what happens with fake dating, but would a real relationship with a politician be the right prescription for Adrian, who’d rather spend time alone or with animals?

Thanks so much to Pride Book Tours for a copy of the book and for inviting me on the tour. I loved the combination of emotions, humor, and a dash of steam in this book, and really appreciated the discussions about social anxiety and chronic illness, which doesn’t usually happen in a rom-com. I’m all in for the next book!!

Book Review: "Cat Incarcerated" by Noah Nichols

If you're looking for a quirky, slightly zany, sarcastic, and good-natured book to read, look no further than Noah Nichols' Cat Incarcerated. It's a unique story (I haven't seen a book with this plot before), and Nichols' storytelling is very engaging.

Cade A. Tanner is the first to admit he was a fairly miserable person when he was drunk, which was pretty much always. He drove his wife Stephanie away, and found himself alone, with not much more than the food from his favorite Chinese restaurant to keep him company. But somewhere down the line he found the strength to kick his addiction, and started seeing the beauty of life without alcohol.

Then the unthinkable happens: Cade sees an adorable kitten in the middle of the street, practically playing in traffic. The man that Cade has become absolutely can't let the kitten (especially one so cute) meet its maker while he watches, so he rushes out to rescue it, and he is immediately struck and killed by a texting-and-driving teenager. The irony.

Then the even-more-unthinkable happens: Cade wakes up to find he has been reincarnated as, of all things, a kitten. (An even cuter one than the one he rescued, but that's neither here nor there.) As he struggles with where to find shelter and food, not to mention reconcile the fact that he is now a cat ("Will I have to lower my standards and start going to the bathroom...in a litter box?"), he finds even more surprises along the way, because he is ultimately rescued by his ex-wife. And she has become a barely functioning alcoholic.

The book gets a little zanier from there, but it never loses its sense of humor or its heart. Cade (to whom Stephanie has given the name Ethan) raises some interesting existential questions that only a cat who was once a man can ponder:

What if...what if there are multiple poor souls out there who're just like me? A man, a woman, a child, of whatever age or background, inexplicably stuck inside the bodies of cats or dogs or bears or angry badgers (hey, maybe that's why they always look so pissed off for no reason!), or any animal for that matter. What if there's actually a deeper meaning to all of this? Something that's bigger than individuality, a type of extraordinary thing that's meant to overcome with a group of misfits. Something that's meant to teach an incredible lesson as a whole.

Sometimes the book gets a little too witty and, at times, corny, for its own good. A few times I waited for the rimshot to follow some of the jokes (and I won't even try to CATalogue the cat puns). But at its heart, the story is fun and unique, and it made me smile, as I waited to see what Nichols had up his sleeve next. You'll need to suspend your disbelief, of course; if you're one of those people who can't accept the idea of a man being reincarnated as a cat, this isn't a book for you.

The author provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks, Noah, for making this available, and for providing some great amusement and smiles!