Knocked out three books this weekend, all of which I enjoyed to varying degrees…
The Book of Three
A cute, charming fantasy novel. Perhaps a little too derivative of LOTR (the wolf-like character might as well have been called “Gollum”) but still entertaining and occasionally refreshing when compared to the rest of the genre. I also enjoyed a compelling female character that had autonomy without having to be everyone’s Hashtag Badass Woman (in other words: I appreciate a male writer who can write a three dimensional heroine without pandering).
Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery
Love this series. While the first one was an espionage/identity tale, this one is more of a hard boiled story with a dash of international intrigue and a protagonist still finding out who they are. It’s a slow burn thriller but I was still excited to see where it would lead. I hope Rosalie Knecht writes ten of these. She’s given herself the creative space and seems to have the talent to do a unique story each time.
Never Easy, Never Pretty: A Fan, A Team, A Championship Season
This is a book for lovers and no more. As a native Baltimorean, I appreciated the connections he made to the Colts past and Ravens present. His story is a familiar one and I could feel it. The rest of it just reads as small recaps of 2012 Ravens games but given where the season ended, I enjoyed it. Again, read if you love the Ravens and appreciate Baltimore. Skip if you don’t.