The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune. New York: Tor, 2025. 416 pages **

Nate Cartwright feels as if he has lost everything. His estranged parents died tragically and left him a cabin and a truck. Losing his job as a journalist in D.C. forces him to re-evaluate his life and his actions. Arriving at the town closest to the family summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, Nate is pleased to see that nothing has changed since he visited with his parents, time seems to have stood still.

That is, until he arrives at the cabin to find a man and his daughter squatting there acting aggressive and mysterious. Nate is determined to learn the story of the military mn as evidenced by his tattoos, and who names a little girl, Artemis Darth Vader (Art for short)? Nate begins a journey, their journey to get the answers he seeks.Who is tracking them and why are Alex and Art in hiding? 

Originally self-published because his publisher dubbed it "weird." I love TJ Klune as an author and his imagination is beyond comparison, however, this book while entertaining is "weird." His character development is outstanding and I can see Nate, Alex, and Art even now. Describing it as 'spine-tingling" in Amazon seems to be overstating it, however, I found it to be compelling and kept reading to see what else would unfold. Throw in a cult on a farm outside of Bird-In-Hand, PA, aliens, secret government project, love, acceptance, and friendship and you are left wanting more. It may not be for everyone and in the words of TJ "Things explode and helicopters fall from the sky as a little girl (who may not be a girl at all) fights to protect those she loves. Oh, and bacon. So much bacon."

I received an ecopy from Netgalley for a review. 

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. For more info, click here.

Other books by JT Klune:

The House in the Cerulean Sea- Book 1

Somewhere Beneath The Sea - Book 2

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Somewhere Beyond the Sea

 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, 2) by TJ Klune. New York: TOR Publishing Group, 2024.405 pages. *****

In this sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, "

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. And he is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children."

I love the House in the Cerulean Sea; the characters and their growth on the island while adapting to being a part of a family are endearing and heartwarming. Somewhere Beyond The Sea surpasses book 1 and is the final one in the series.  Klune was interviewed as part of an author series, https://libraryc.org/ccls/64502, Chester County Library System. Klune is sincere, engaging, and a delight . In this second book, David, a yeti joins the family and provides a buddy for Lucy and completes the circle of family. The interactions between Miss Marblemaw, the inspector from DICOM, and the family are amusing and thought provoking. Arthur and Linus let the children take the lead in this book and many lessons on resistance and acceptance are learned. 

I definitely recommend this book for Book Clubs and everyone. There are so many topics and situations to discuss, especially in light of today's society. Notable for those YA readers who may not have found a book to turn them on to reading. Klune is a master storyteller, I laughed, shed a tear and cheered, often at the same time. Writing from his heart, Klune has a way with words that will resonate for a long time. I suggest that you read the books in order because they read as a continuation of each other.

TJ KLUNE is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important―now more than ever―to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. To learn more about Klune - https://www.tjklunebooks.com/about

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How To Read A Book

 

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood. New York: Mariner Books, 2024. 280 pages. ****

Synopsis from Amazon

"Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher.

Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest.

Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.

When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways."

How to Read a Book is my Book Club's choice for January. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I am a fast reader, the result of wanting to read many books and feeling pressured by time. Wood gives me pause in the way I read and skim passages, she says it best " The writer writes the words. And the book, the unique and unrepeatable book, doesn't exist until the given reader meets the writer on the page." This heartwarming story of friendship, forgiveness, and second chances, provides many topics for book club discussions. Harriet's (affectionately called Bookie by the inmates) love of books and reading is evident in her quest to choose the "right" books to engage the inmates. She lives by example to the women she leads in the group. I recommend this book for all adult readers. 

MONICA WOOD is a novelist, memoirist, and playwright; the 2024 recipient of the Sara Josepha Hale award for excellence in New England literary arts; the 2019 recipient of the Maine Humanities Council Carlson Prize for contributions to the public humanities; and the 2016 recipient of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Distinguished Achievement Award for contributions to the literary arts. She lives in Portland. For more info - http://www.monicawood.com/about.html

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Henry the Highland Coo has joined the girls in reviewing books for 2025!