The Best Book I Read This Month: The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne

The best book I read this month was a retelling of classic fairy tales. Mary McMyne’s The Book of Gothel reimagines the story of Rapunzel, while also weaving in retellings of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. Specifically, the book tells the story of the witch who took Rapunzel and, as you might expect, it’s not the fairy tale that has been handed down over the generations.

Set in the twelfth century in the Black Forest region of what is now Germany, The Book of Gothel follows the life of a young woman named Haelewise. We first meet Haelewise in the frame story, in the words she left behind in a manuscript being studied by a modern scholar. Ostensibly, the chapters that follow are the story that Haelewise recorded in her manuscript.

Haelewise lives on the outskirts of her town, physically and socially. Her mother is the town midwife and once followed the old (read: pagan) religion, both of which put her and her daughter under suspicion. Compounding this, Haelewise herself suffers from spells, signs of demon possession to the Christian townspeople. Haelewise seeks safety in a place she’d only heard about in legend: a magical tower in the woods where women are offered care and protection.

The story is a mix of social commentary, political intrigue, fairy tale magic, and historical fiction. (Hildegard of Bingen makes a guest appearance.) It is a story of women struggling for respect and autonomy in an increasingly patriarchal society. It is a story of love and adventure. It’s everything I look for in a retelling—imaginative, inventive, yet rooted in the source material. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Best Book I Read This Month: The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson

The best book I read this month packed quite a gut punch. The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson imagines a second pandemic on the heels of COVID-19, one in which people are prone to inexplicable bouts of homicidal violence. For Chelsea Martin and her daughter Ella, the Violence becomes a way to escape domestic violence.

I have to admit, I almost did not finish this one. I found it hard to stomach the scenes of abuse early in the story. Some just hit too close to home, and all of them were visceral.

But I’m glad I stuck with it. Watching Chelsea and Ella find themselves and remake their lives was worth it. Even more rewarding was seeing their abusers get their comeuppance or change their ways. Such arcs rarely happen in real life.

Meeting the support cast was another reward, especially the crew that Chelsea takes up with. Mensches, every one, and each colorful in their own way.

I normally recommend books whole-heartedly, but this time I recommend The Violence with a caveat: add this to your TBR only if you can handle scenes of explicit violence and abuse.

The Best Book I Read This Month: The Seamstress by Allison Pittman

The best book I read this month was a lovely work of historical fiction. Set during the French Revolution, The Seamstress by Allison Pittman tells the story of a minor character in A Tale of Two Cities—the unnamed seamstress who accompanies Sidney Carton to the gallows.

Pittman gives the seamstress more than just a name. She gives her a rich story filled with memorable characters, not just Marie Antoinette but a whole town in the French countryside, for this tale of the French Revolution is about the countryside more than Paris or the palace. It’s a refreshing take on the revolution—not just a rural perspective, but a woman’s perspective. Two women, actually: the seamstress Renée and Laurette, the sister-like cousin she leaves behind.

I found the pace of the story slow, but then I’m used to mysteries and thrillers that move at a breakneck pace. Harder for me to accept was the way that Gagnon, the surrogate father that Renée leaves behind, and his wards always miraculously escape starvation. Somehow, they always find enough to keep two dogs, a few sheep, and themselves alive, even as the number of souls to be fed increases. I found that disbelief hard to suspend.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story and still recommend it, especially if—like me—you love A Tale of Two Cities.

The Best Book I Read This Month: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

The best book I read this month was a romp featuring four 60-year-old assassins. Yes, you read that right—I used the words romp and assassins in the same sentence. I never thought I’d describe a book about murder as fun, but that’s exactly what Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age is: fun.

Billy, Natalie, Mary Alice, and Helen are celebrating their retirement—from nearly forty years of working as assassins—when they discover they themselves are targets for assassination. What follows is part murder mystery, part buddy road comedy, part revenge drama.

It was a delight to read about women “of a certain age” without the focus being on divorce or loss or aging. Loss and aging play a role here, but these women are not going quietly into that good night. They are action heroes—smart, sassy, capable, and kick-ass. I loved it. I want more books with characters like these women—mature, strong, and badass.