Seances, The Wild West, and Batman – Cozy Cabin Reading

Every year, me and my friends do a Girl’s Cabin Weekend at my friend’s cabin. It’s something I always look forward to. It’s a chance for us all to catch up and spend good quality time together. I tend to always bring books and graphic novels with me as there’s usually downtime between going on boat rides and swimming in the lake. While at her cabin, I ended up finishing a book plus three graphic novels. I wanted to share mini-reviews of everything I read.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

[Image is a book cover. There's an oval shape and in that oval are bright flowers. In the center of the oval is a candle. There are mystical whisps in the air. It says The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner on it]

It’s 1873 and The London Seance Society is gaining notoriety by performing seances for people struggling to let go of the ones they loved. Vaudeline D’Allaire is a well-known occultist who is self-trained and trusted. Lenna Wickes partners with Vaudeline after the brutal murder of her sister, Evie. Lenna only wants to perform a seance to solve her sister’s killing. Both Vaudeline and Lenna are
called by Mr. Morley, a prominent figure in the Society. There’s been a murder of a well-known society member, and Mr. Morley wants this crime solved. Vaudeline and Lenna team up to solve these murders and uncover the darker layer within the Society.

I loved the premise of this book. It was intriguing to read, especially with how the Seances are described and performed. I love how Lenna and Vaudeline work together and I liked seeing their story unfold. There’s an interesting twist halfway through the series that I wasn’t quite expecting. I think my only grievance is that the book took a little bit to get into. Once I was halfway, I couldn’t put the book down. I rated The London Seance Society four stars on Goodreads.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

[Image is a graphic novel cover. Two thirds of the cover is the mask of Batman with white slits. Below are several characters. They look angry or hurt. It says "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller"]

This is a graphic novel that I have had on my Goodreads TBR since 2015. I can see why this story is so well-regarded, but I do think it’s a product of its time. There’s a lot of casual sexism, I think it was cool to see a female Robin, but I don’t think it was fleshed out. I’m trying not to be negative, but this wasn’t for me. I rated this two stars on Goodreads.

Cats! Girlfriends and Catfriends by Frédéric Brrémaud, Paola Antista, Cecilia Giumento

[Image is a graphic novel over of a woman sitting on a blanket and having a picnic. The are five cats lounging beside her. The graphic novel says Cats! Girlfriends and Catfriends on it]

This was so cute! It’s a graphic novel series that follows friends with their cats. It reminded me of Calvin & Hobbes as each page had a different story. I rated Cats! three stars on Goodreads.

Plume Volume #2 by K. Lynn Smith

[Image is a graphic novel cover. It shows three people on it. One is carrying a rifle on her back, one has a pistol and the other is a glowing man who looks angry. The title says Plume Vol #2 in a wild west type of font]

Plume is so good! It’s a Wild West-inspired story centered around Vesper, the daughter of an archaeologist. Vesper was given this magical necklace which is connected to a man named Corrick. Corrick must protect the person holding the necklace. Vesper and Corrick team up and get into trouble. I love everything about this series, it’s fun to read. I rated Plume five stars on Goodreads.

This year has been a hit or miss when it comes to reading and I feel like I’m finally finding my stride. I actually read another book that I rented from the library and that review should be posted shortly.

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