...none of us sees more than a tiny piece of all the world, like we're lookin' out a little-bitty window. And I saw you through mine, and somethin' inside me said, That's somebody you oughta know.
Bookshops and Bonedust
by Travis Baldree
Genre: Cosy Fantasy
About: Viv's out there hunting necromancers, killing wights, and doing what she was made to do. Until she goes and gets herself stabbed. Forced to recuperate in quiet sea-town, Murk, she's never been more afraid for her life: she just may die of boredom out here. And yet a dusty old bookshop, some... moist... literature, a bag of bones, and a sexy dwarf baker make her see that perhaps she was made for a bit more than swinging a sword.
Thoughts
Legends and Lattes was a real surprise for me. Absolutely nothing happens, the plot outline is basically a menu, and yet I just loved curling up in its pages. I'm not sure why Bookshops and Bonedust didn't have the same magic for me. There was plenty I liked. Viv is still a great character, the relationships she builds are sweet and meaningful, and it is a very cosy warm hug of a read.
Yet I found myself bored with this one. Maybe because the bookshop isn't Viv's. Or maybe because I know that she isn't staying in Murk. Or possibly even because the necromancy plot doesn't matter except for introducing us to Satchel. At least in L&L there felt like there was a genuine threat hanging over Viv/the cafe if she didn't pay the local crime lord. You didn't know what the consequences would be and there was a real building up of that threat. The necromancy plot doesn't feel concerning in the same way.
That said, I can appreciate how much of a booklovers book this is. The excepts from Viv's books as she slowly gets more into reading show how important a good rec can be. Reading can change your way of thinking, or can help you process what's going on in your life and who you are or want to be. Or it can just be damn entertaining. Unfortunately I didn't find this book any of these things really. It was nice and I'm still keen to read future books by this author, I think I just didn't vibe with it the same way I did Legends and Lattes.
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