What I am Reading 8.0
By Betsy Wilcox
Wendy Wang- The Witches of Palmetto Point 13 Novels
This is another change of genre but not change of scene in 13 volumes. My best friend recommended this series to me, and I liked it. It is set in the Low Country of South Carolina, in and around Charleston and surrounding islands. I love the characters, most of whom are born witches and from the same family – daughters, cousins, moms, non- witchy fathers. Then you get introduced to reapers, sheriffs, government agencies, werewolves, vampires, and spirits. Each of the witches have different powers, from the ability to see spirits, read auras to glamour or kitchen or green witches, healers, etc., each with their own stories and issues. I really like the whole series. Now for the caveat…I think these were all self-published and the first couple needed better editing and proofing. There are jarring, at least for me, misspellings, and weirdly worded sentences that threw me out of the story, especially in the first three or four books. By the time I got to the thirteenth book, the slam on the brake ejections were not happening. I just wanted to let you know what to expect if you do read the books. Don’t let the editing prevent you from moving on in the series. It gets much better!
Matt Goldman – Carolina Moonset Novel
As long as I was in the Low Country, I thought I would read a novel set in my hometown. I love knowing the places referenced in the book as well as some of the people who pop up. Yes, there was a talking mynah bird in the shoe store on Bay Street where I grew up. This story is about aging gracefully, Lewy body dementia and at least three murders 40 years prior to the setting and one murder in a thunderstorm current time. The characters are familiar, and Beaufort’s history and people are captured beautifully by this Emmy-award winning writer.
Alec Nevala-Lee- Inventor of the Future: The Visionary Life of Buckminster Fuller” Non-fiction
I can’t say I have read this yet as it just arrived yesterday, and I had to finish the previous book before I could dig into this. I did want you all to know that this book is out and to encourage you to grab a copy. Alec Nevala-Lee wrote “Astounding” and was a Hugo and Locus Magazine finalist for that book. I can’t wait to see what his research has found this time. I know that I can’t finish this new book before the newsletter comes out, but I will have finished it by World Con at the end of this month. Looking forward to seeing Alec and his family in Chicago! More on this book next time.
Until next time,
Betsey