Madison Reads Books

I thoroughly enjoyed The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women. It showcases a diverse assortment of women and their lived experiences while painting a broader picture of Appalachian culture. Alot of our traditions and culture are being lost or replaced, and I really appreciate Foxfire's work in preserving these stories and traditions.  *I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

Ruined is a cute regency romance graphic novel. The story is the basic marriage of convenience turns to love trope, and the artwork is nice (and slightly NSFW). My only issue was that there was alot of focus on side characters who don't really advance the plot, but I assume this was done to set up a series each focusing on a different couple, in the vein of Bridgerton. All in all, though, this was a cute, quick read of you are a fan of regency romance.  *I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley 

The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency is a good start to a new Cozy Mystery series. The story is set in Edinburgh in 1911 and the main character Maude and her former lady's maid Diasy run a new detective agency. The characters were relatable and the mystery plots were engaging. I can't wait for more of this series.  *I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley 

Nocturne is a beautifully haunting, dark fairytale that is part Phantom of the Opera and part Hades and Persephone. The story was a little darker than I normally care for, but it drew me in and made me feel immersed in the world.  *I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

I found Comet Madness to be a very interesting read. Rather than focusing on the scientific response, it focuses on the societal effect of news coverage of the the 1910 appearance of Harleys Comet. I found Goodrich's writing to be both interesting and informative.  *I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Of Manners and Murder is an exciting and well-written historical mystery. The main character, Violet, is likeable and intelligent and I really enjoyed the concept of her aunt dropping the advice column in her lap indefinitely. The narrator for the audio version also did and excellent job. I can't wait for more of this series.  * I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

An A-Z of Jane Austen is a collection of 26 short essays about Jane Austen's works based around a word starting with each letter of the alphabet. I enjoyed this book, but it definitely has more of an academic tone. Overall, I found this to be very informative. *I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

The Nine: Origins has so many of the things I love in books. There is a well thought out system of magic, a secret society, an intriguing mystery, and some Dark Academia vibes. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the rest of the series. * I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. Its an enemies to lovers fantasy romcom with a morbid side and a healthy does of zombies. Hart is a Marshall patrolling a dangerous magical area inside of a portal and Mercy is an undertaker living in a border town, and they have hated each other from the moment they met, however, after unknowingly becoming pen pals, they start to reevaluate their first impressions. This book made me laugh and cry, and I was very invested in the two main characters and their romance. The only real criticism I have is that there could have been more world building. There was some background throughout the book to explain the new gods and the old gods and how the religion works, but there wasn't alot of explanation for the technology, and I never really felt like there was a point in the book where I understood how this world works. It didn't really detract from the main plot, it just felt like there was no reason for why some ...

I've always been a fan of classic country music, so I was excited to read Marc Eliot's The Hag. This was a well written, well researched biography. Marc Eliot sticks to the facts and still managed to tell the story of Merle Haggard's life in an interesting and engaging way. I would highly recommend this book to any music fans. This was a slow read for me, not because it was poorly written or uninteresting, but because it is dense with lots of information backed up by footnotes and source material. I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.