Archive | November, 2025

Cozy Fantasies: Brigands & Breadknives and The House Witch

12 Nov

Brigands and Breadknives
by Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes was instrumental in beginning the cozy fantasy wave. I personally find it refreshing to enjoy the lighter side of fantasy with a bit more humor and a bit less darkness than the previous wave of grimdark novels in the early 2000’s brought. The third in the series, Brigands & Breadknives is equally delightful, but definitely still has some very suspenseful moments and some blood is shed. This story instead of focusing on orc Viv, follows her friend Fern, a sweet, but foul mouthed rattkin, who upon having a midlife crisis is ready to find what the next chapter of her life holds. I loved seeing again Potroast her now senior, but still adorable doglike gryphet, but also enjoyed new characters like Zil a goblin, who breeds chaos and is sure to be a fan favorite. This novel like the previous entries will appeal to those who enjoy stories about found family and self-reinvention. Where Baldree excels compared to some other cozy fantasy authors is creating an intriguing and well paced plot to place his charming characters and also giving us something unique in each installment.

The House Witch
by Delemhach
I enjoyed The House Witch (1) by Delemhach as an audiobook. Matthew Wolf does a great job of narrating the story. Finlay Ashowan is the King of Daxaria’s new cook, but he is hiding secrets. The biggest of these is he is a house witch, meaning he is able to do magic associated with the household he lives in and works for. The novel contains likeable characters, a sweet romance, and an endearing kitten, Finlay’s familiar, Kraken (who looks quite a lot like one of my own cats). This novel will appeal to those who don’t mind some modern anachronisms in with their medievalesque setting. There are two more volumes of this romantasy series also available from Hoopla. If you enjoy this novel, I would also recommend checking out T.Kingfisher’s A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking .

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Meet Someone New! Read a Memoir: How to Say Babylon

3 Nov

On November 14, we are kicking off our new Memoir Book Club at the Grand Street Branch! Many people’s first foray into memoirs is through celebrity memoirs. We’ll read a few of these, but we’ll also choose titles that expand the definition of “memoir” and show us what’s possible in the genre. Memoirs in essays, auto-fiction, and hybrid memoir, alongside traditional memoirs such as our first pick, How to Say Babylon by Safia Sinclair.

How to Say Babylon
by Safia Sinclair
Sinclair is a poet, and the world she builds for us—her world—is rich, evocative, and breathtakingly vivid. It’s one thing to tell a story of your life, and another to take the reader by the hand and show them. Her memoir traces her journey from childhood to young adulthood, as she grapples with an oppressive childhood at the hands of her militant father and fights to break free. She contextualizes her story and that of her father through the lens of patriarchy, colonialism, and the history of the Rastafari movement. In my estimation, the best memoirs are meaningfully universal in their incisive specificity, and this one is no exception. Readers may also be moved by the role poetry played in helping Sinclair shape, change, and save her own life. If you enjoyed memoirs like Educated by Tara Westover, Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey, Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward, or Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, consider checking out How to Say Babylon. Published in 2023, How to Say Babylon was considered a best book of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Goodreads, NPR, Barack Obama and more, and was a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. 

You can borrow How to Say Babylon from BCCLS in print, large print, eBook (from elibraryNJ and eBCCLS), and audiobook formats. Please reach out to grandstreet@hobokenlibrary.org if you have any questions or would like us to place a copy aside for you to pick up! Hope to see you on November 14th for the discussion.

Written by:
Ally Blumenfeld
Grand Street Branch Manager

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