Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance

 

Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance

Edited by Jonathan Strahan

Reviewed by Kristin

With stories by Alix E. Harrow, Zen Cho, Seanan McGuire, Sarah Gailey, Jeffrey Ford, Nina Allan, Elizabeth Hand, Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Catherynne M. Valente, Sam J. Miller, Rowan Coleman, Margo Lanagan, Sameem Siddiqui, Theodora Goss, Carrie Vaughn, Ellen Klages

Reviewed by Kristin

For the past couple of years I have been drawn to time travel tales. Even when I don’t realize a book may contain some really funky timeline shenanigans, I still find them, check them out, read them, and usually enjoy them.

When I saw Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance, I had previously read several books by Sarah Gailey and just one by Zen Cho (Black Water Sister). Since I had recently finished the Cho book and loved it, I checked this out through Tennessee READS where both the ebook and audiobook are available. (Thanks, Tennessee READS!)

The stories are varied, with time travel being accomplished by different characters in many different ways. I enjoyed some of the stories much more than others, but didn’t dislike any of them.

One of my favorites was set in a used bookstore, where a gap in the shelves serves as a connection between a young woman in modern times and a young man in 1914, on the verge of World War I.

Another included another young woman sent back in time to recover a missing scientific paper from a female scientist in the mid-1950s, with surprising and deliciously pleasing consequences.

The collection title is a play on words on the 1975 novel Somewhere in Time (aka Bid Time Return) by Richard Matheson, which was also made into a movie in 1980 starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

The characters are diverse and I found the time travel aspects more weighted than the romance, although both are there. This has definitely opened me up to a few new authors.

The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Lucie Montgomery fled to France after a crippling automobile accident, leaving behind her father, her sister and brother, and the family vineyard.  When the call comes that her father has died, Lucie returns to Virginia for the funeral.  She is shocked by the changes in two years:  not only is the family home and business in trouble, but her siblings Eli and Mia seem to have turned into people she doesn’t know any more. Even more shocking, they both seem to want to sell the land that has been in the Montgomery family for generations.  Upset, Lucie refuses to agree to the sale, angering her brother.

There’s more to come. Fitz, Lucie’s godfather, tells her of his suspicions that her father’s death was no accident and promises to support her in her decision not to sell the vineyard. This isn’t an idle gesture:  along with Lucie, Eli, and Mia, Fitz has a vote in what happens to the property.  But when Fitz turns up dead at the winery, Lucie starts asking questions that someone doesn’t want answered.

I picked this up as a Book Bingo category book; I’d heard good things about Crosby’s mysteries but just had not taken the time to read one.  I was very pleasantly surprised by the amount of history and discussion of winemaking that I found in its pages, not to mention a dandy mystery with interesting, well-developed characters.  Lucie herself is a prickly protagonist, stubborn and reluctant to trust anyone—often with good reason.  Her former boyfriend and the cause of her accident is now having an affair with her sister; her brother seems in thrall to his wife, desperately trying to win her approval at every turn. Quinn, the new vintner hired by her father, appears arrogant and dismissive of Lucie, and he has a shady past.

I thoroughly enjoyed the history. Crosby has done her research, and it shows. Thomas Jefferson is often invoked because of his determination to make splendid American wines, but I hadn’t realized how long settlers had tried for good wine in Virginia. There’s also some interesting information about making wine itself, and I found myself thinking about all the local wineries that dot the Southwest Virginia landscape these days.

The only thing I could have wished for was a bit more time spent after the dénouement. I wanted to see the reactions of some of the characters to the revelations but that’s a small quibble.  Besides, it makes me want to go to the next book!

Books in the series are:

1. The Merlot Murders

 2. The Chardonnay Charade

3. The Bordeaux Betrayal

4. The Riesling Retribution

5. The Viognier Vendetta

6. The Sauvignon Secret

7. The Champagne Conspiracy

8. The Vineyard Victims

9. Harvest of Secrets

10. The Angels' Share

11. The French Paradox

12. Bitter Roots

13. Deeds Left Undone (2025)

Nevermore: The River We Remember, Sipsworth, The World According to Garp

 

Nevermore 6-17-25

Reported by Rita

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

When the body of a wealthy landowner is found floating in the Alabaster River on Memorial Day in 1958, Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero, struggles to solve this murder that has the town of Jewel, Minnesota, up in arms, while putting to rest the demons from his own past.

This was a great book. I fell in love with the characters and found them really relatable. - HM 4 stars 

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

Moving back to the English village of her childhood after the loss of her husband and son, reclusive widow Helen Cartwright, whose only wish is to die quickly and without fuss, becomes a creature of habit until a chance encounter with a mouse sets her on an unexpected journey.

I thought this was lovely; a light-hearted and quick read with a twist ending. Wonderful! -AH 5 stars 

The World According to Garp by John Irving

T. S. Garp, a man with high ambitions for an artistic career and with obsessive devotion to his wife and children, and Jenny Fields, his famous feminist mother, find their lives surrounded by an odd assortment of people, including teachers, whores, and radicals.

Easy and entertaining. I couldn't put it down. -PP 5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Something for the Pain by Paul Austin

A Necessary Woman by Helen Van Slyke

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

Poe: Birth of the Detective Story by Edgar Allan Poe

Sisu by Aura Levitas

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

River Town by Peter Hessler

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q Sutanto

The Disciple by Stephen Coonts

Living in the Light by Deepak Chopra

Powder Burn by Carl Hiaasen

Trap Line by Carl Hiaasen

A Forger's Life by Adolfo Kaminsky

On Muscle by Bonnie Tsui

 

New Books

The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue by Kate Pearsall

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Growing up in Caball Hollow, West Virginia, Rowan James is used to being shunned. She comes from a long line of James women, all of whom have supernatural gifts of some sort.  Rowan’s gift is that she knows when someone is lying. She can smell the lies, whether a small white lie or a falsehood so dark that it reeks of rot and sulfur.  It’s hard to always know that people around you are lying, and it’s made Rowan grow up to be angry and suspicious. Her temper flares once too often, so her grandmother insists that she needs to go work at the forest fire tower to learn some patience.

It isn’t long before Rowan finds herself involved in more than one mystery.  A young man is found unconscious in the woods, with no clue as to his identity or what he was doing there.  A paranormal group is also hanging around, looking for evidence of the Moth-Winged Man. Not only does Rowan feel there’s something off about the group, but other things are happening around her: non-native creatures like magpies are appearing even as other things go missing—both physical items like necklaces but also people’ memories. Then there are the ginseng poachers, seeking to steal a fortune in the valuable roots from protected land.

Enter Hadrian Fitch, who had worked as a handyman for Rowan’s family before leaving without even a goodbye.  Rowan had a fraught relationship with Hadrian because of her gift: she knew he was lying, but not about what.  Now a battered Hadrian has come to Rowan for help.  She can’t trust him, but he may hold the key to solving the other mysteries—and saving her family.

I loved the first book in the series, Bittersweet in the Hollow, which featured Linden James, the sister who can taste the emotions of those around her.  That book introduced readers to the James family as well as some of the area legends—including that of the Moth-Winged Man. I was definitely intrigued and was anxiously awaiting the second book.

I will admit that Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue seemed to get off to a bit of slow start, but it soon picked up steam; and once Rowan reunited with her family the story flowed better for me. While the plot in the book is self-contained, I would strongly recommend that readers start with the first book to understand some of the characters and relationships.  Pearsall does an excellent job of blending myth, magic, and folklore into a realistic Appalachian setting, and the James women are all interesting characters. While the books focus on the sisters, all of whom are young adults, I’m equally intrigued with their mother and grandmother. I also like the way Pearsall writes, which is descriptive and emotional in a good way.

I’m looking forward to future books.  While nothing has been announced as yet—and I do check fantasticfiction.com on a regular basis—fans suspect that the next book will feature either Juniper or Sorrel.  I will just be happy to be back in the company of this fascinating family. (Note:  while some classify this as a YA book, my feeling is that a good book is a good book, no matter the age of the intended audience.)

The Little Encyclopedia of Enchanted Woodland Creatures: An A-to-Z Guide to Mythical Beings of the Forest by Jason Lancaster

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I picked this one up because I had rather enjoyed The Little Encyclopedia of Fairies:  An A-to-Z Guide to Fae Magic.  It had brief entries but the worldwide focus was interesting. Enchanted Woodland Creatures has equally brief entries and a worldwide focus but the choices for inclusion seem a bit… odd.  I think it’s the word “enchanted” in the main title. 

You see, there are entries for Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and even Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox which I don’t really see as being “enchanted.” Folkloric, yes.  Enchanted, no.  The same can be said of several other entries. The subtitle Mythical Beings of the Forest is more accurate, but there's also an entry for a real bird though a bit of folklore connected with it is included. 

That said, there are some interesting entries for both mythological creatures as well as cryptids.  The entries are very brief, and some are accompanied by illustrations by Kate Forrester. I like her style and it’s worth looking through the book for those alone.  Only the cover is in color; the rest are black and white, and some look as they might be woodcuts or else pen and ink.  I thought they were charming.  In fact, I liked them well enough that I searched for the artist online and found she’s done a number of book covers. She is now on my radar as an artist I admire.

The limited information given in the entries was interesting, and I did like the long list of sources at the end.  The entries are well written.  This is a fun browsing book, despite the sometimes perplexing choices.

I did enjoy it, even if I didn’t fit it into a Book Bingo square.

Nevermore: On Muscle, Sipsworth, Remarkably Bright Creatures

 

Nevermore 6-10-25

Reported by Rita

 

On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters by Bonnie Tsui

From the bestselling author of  Why We Swim comes a mind-expanding exploration of muscle—from our ancient obsession with the ideal human form to the modern science of this amazing and adaptable tissue—that will change the way you think about what moves us through the world.

I found this quick read to be both informative and entertaining.     -KM     5 stars

 

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

Over the course of a single week, a woman who is ready to die discovers an unexpected reason to live. Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the English village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. Helen retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit. Then, one cold autumn night, a chance encounter with an abandoned pet mouse on the street outside her house sets Helen on a surprising journey of friendship.

This book is simple yet incredibly beautiful. Very touching.    - NH      5 stars

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

This was a hopeful and heart-warming story. I couldn't put it down.    -GP     5 stars

 

 

Other Books Mentioned

River Town by Peter Hessler

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Something for the Pain by Paul Austin

A Necessary Woman by Helen Van Slyke

The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman

The Piano Lesson by August Wilson

An Arabian Journey by Levison Wood

Not My Father's Son by Allan Cumming

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks

 

New Books

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson

The Golden Road by William Dalrymple

My Name is Emilia Delvalle by Isabel Allende

A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun by Sister Monica Clare

New Books for July!

 

Abrams, Stacey Coded Justice (Avery Keene)

Bennett, Michael Carved in Blood

Berry, Steve The List

Cameron, Marc  Dead Line  (Arliss Cutter)

Castillo, Linda  Rage (Kate Burkholder)

Delany, Vicki  Tea with Jam & Dread

Donlea, Charlie  Guess Again

Freeman, Brian  Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Escape

Gilbert, Victoria  Death and the Librarian (Blue Ridge Library)

Griffiths, Elly  The Frozen People

James, Miranda  Something Whiskered

Jones, Stephen Graham  Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives

Joyce, Rachel  The Homemade God

Lapena, Shari  She Didn’t See It Coming

McCall Smith, Alexander The Winds from Further West

McFadden, Freida  Do Not Disturb

Mina, Denise  The Good Liar

Miranda, Megan  You Belong Here

Patterson, James  The Hamptons Lawyer (Jane Smith)

Patterson, James  The President’s Shadow (The Shadow)

Peterson, Tracie  Designed with Love (The Hope of Cheyenne)

Robotham, Michael The White Crow (Philomena McCarthy

Scottoline, Lisa  The Unraveling of Julia

Silva, Daniel  An Inside Job

Smith, Martin Cruz  Hotel Ukraine (Renko)

Trigiani, Adriana  The View from Lake Como

Walker, Martin  An Enemy in the Village (Bruno, Chief of Police)

Ware, Ruth  The Woman in Suite 11

White, Karen  That Last Carolina Summer

Wiggs, Susan  Wayward Girls

Williams, Beatriz  Under the Stars

Non-Fiction

Elmhirst, Sophie  A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck

Hogan, Chuck  The Carpool Detectives:  A True Story of Four Moms, Two Bodies, and One Mysterious Cold Case

Olson, Lynne  The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück: How an Intrepid Band of Frenchwomen Resisted the Nazis in Hitler’s All-Female Concentration Camp

Patterson, James  The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

Taraborrelli, Randy  JFK: Public, Private, Secret

Willner, Nina  The Boys in the Light: An Extraordinary World War II Story of Survival, Faith, and Brotherhood