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A New Adventure Based on an Ancient Story: Strike the Zither

8 May

Fantasy can be ground for many great and original works, many of which go on to become well beloved classics. It can also be grounds for retellings of fairy tales, legends, and mythology of all sorts, leaving for a different sort of take on a classic story. Love them or hate them, they are a staple that will continue for times to come. 

In this retelling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, author Joan He tells the story of Zephyr, an orphan who would grow up to become one of the greatest strategist in the kingdom, serving under warlordess Xin Rin, whose loyalty to the puppet empress is a double edged sword that could put their survival in danger. When forced to infiltrate an enemy camp, Zephyr meets the mysterious Crow, a strategist from a rival kingdom who is her intellectual match. The destined meeting forces both of them to realize that there are more enemies around them and not all of them are human. 

If you are a reader who is not familiar with the story of the Three Kingdoms, this is a great book to learn about it while seeing the author’s take on this classic tale. Joan He’s narrative style is quite enthralling, pulling the reader right at the height of a danger, letting us see first hand just how skilled Zephyr’s skills are in the art of strategy and into her personality. Zephyr is quite a fun character to read about, confident to the point of arrogance, but still quite endearing at the same time. 

The second of our main cast of characters is Crow and from the moment he and Zephyr meet, there is immediate tension between them on a multitude of levels. They clearly match each other in terms of intelligence and the sparks of something more between them is undeniable. In terms of personality, while Zephyr is arrogant to an almost boisterous degree, Crow is much more quiet and mysterious, but still just as intelligent, and arrogant, as Zephyr. Of those she has encountered, it is only Crow that Zephyr considers to be a true rival. The plot is very well paced and has a great set of twists and turns that will make readers want to reach for the sequel, Sound the Gong, out now. For readers seeking a new adventure, Strike the Zither, is one not to be missed!

Written by:
Lauren Lapinski
Information and Digital Services Assistant

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Fabulous Foodie Fiction set in France: A Murder Most French and The Paris Novel

24 Apr

A Murder Most French
by Colleen Cambridge
A Murder Most French is the second in the charming An American in Paris mystery series which centers around Tabitha Knight who grew up in America, but travels to post-war France to learn more about her French heritage. She is staying with her Grandfather and his companion and works as English tutor. The hook of the first novel was that she had become best friends with Julia Child who was studying cooking and would pass along tips to clueless in the kitchen to Tabitha. In this novel Child again is found throughout and brought alive by Cambridge from what feels like considerable research into Julia’s life and interests, as well as, cooking. The mystery this time is culinary in nature. Famous chefs are being poisoned by rare vintages of wine. Tabitha can’t resist being curious about not only the mysterious wine gifter, but also who has been recently vandalizing shopkeepers’ stalls in the local market. I liked how like the last mystery this one works some history in with what triggers the murderer to act rather than feeling like it could be something set in any place or time. The novel will appeal to foodies, fans of Julia Childe, and historic mystery lovers; if like me you are all three than it is sure to be a fun, enjoyable read. It is also the perfect time to check out the first in the series Mastering the Art of French Murder since Hoboken resident card holders can borrow it for free from Hoopla this month without having it count as any of their 20 monthly checkouts as part of the Hoopla Bonus Borrows.

The Paris Novel
by Ruth Reichl
I’ve been a fan of Ruth Reichl since she was writing memoir pieces including about her time as a restaurant critic. She had published her first novel Delicious! in 2014 and most recently before this work, Save Me the Plums, a memoir about her time as editor of Gourmet. No one can bring to life the delicious smells and flavors of dishes the way Reichl can. The Paris Novel is broken into three distinctive sections that feel as if they could of each satisfyingly be separated into their own individual pieces, but together form the evolution of Stella, a damaged young woman into a happier life by following in the footsteps of two Parisian women before her. The novel is set in the 1980’s. The first section deals with Stella’s discovery of a beautiful couture dress in a shop that once belonged to women named Severine; a chance encounter with someone from Severine’s life leads Stella to many new friends and experiences in the city of light. In the second section Stella looks into the mystery of Victorine the famous muse for artworks like Manet’s Olympia whose own paintings were lost for years and only recently have works like her self-portrait been again displayed. Through these other courageous women, Stella finally explores her own history in third section of the book and through this exploration finds a love of cooking and the love of her life.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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