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

Every year, my friends and I plan a 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.
Photo taken by me.

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".
Photo taken by me.

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 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.
Photo taken by me.

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.
Photo taken by me.

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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